Apollodorus, Epitome, ed. Sir James George Frazer, 7

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[1]
Ulysses, as some say, wandered about Libya, or, as some say, about Sicily, or, as others say, about the ocean or about the Tyrrhenian Sea.

[2]
And putting to sea from Ilium, he touched at Ismarus, a city of the Cicones, and captured it in war, and pillaged it, sparing Maro alone, who was priest of Apollo.¹ And when the Cicones who inhabited the mainland heard of it, they came in arms to withstand him, and having lost six men from each ship he put to sea and fled.

[3] And he landed in the country of the Lotus-eaters,² and sent some to learn who inhabited it, but they tasted of the lotus and remained there; for there grew in the country a sweet fruit called lotus, which caused him who tasted it to forget everything. When Ulysses was informed of this, he restrained the rest of his men, and dragged those who had tasted the lotus by force to the ships. And having sailed to the land of the Cyclopes, he stood in for the shore.

[4]
And having left the rest of the ships in the neighboring island, he stood in for the land of the Cyclopes with a single ship, and landed with twelve companions.³ And near the sea was a cave which he entered, taking with him the skin of wine that had been given him by Maro. Now the cave belonged to Polyphemus, who was a son of Poseidon and the nymph Thoosa, a huge, wild, cannibal man, with one eye on his forehead.

[5] And having lit a fire and sacrificed some of the kids, they feasted. But the Cyclops came, and when he had driven in his flocks, he put a huge stone to the door, and perceiving the men he ate some of them.

[6] But Ulysses gave him of Maro's wine to drink, and when he had drunk, he asked for another draught, and when he had drunk the second, he inquired his name; and when Ulysses said that he was called Nobody, he threatened to devour Nobody last and the others first, and that was the token of friendship which he promised to give him in return. And being overcome by wine, he fell asleep.

[7] But Ulysses found a club lying there, and with the help of four comrades he sharpened it, and, having heated it in the fire, he blinded him. And when Polyphemus cried to the Cyclopes round about for help, they came and asked who was hurting him, and when he said, “ Nobody,” they thought he meant that he was being hurt by nobody, and so they retired.

[8] And when the flocks sought their usual pasture, he opened the cave, and standing at the doorway spread out his hands and felt the sheep. But Ulysses tied three rams together, and himself getting under the bigger, and hiding under its belly, he passed out with the sheep. And having released his comrades from the sheep, he drove the animals to the ships, and sailing away shouted to the Cyclops that he was Ulysses and that he had escaped out of his hands.

[9] Now the Cyclops had been forewarned by a soothsayer that he should be blinded by Ulysses; and when he learned the name, he tore away rocks and hurled them into the sea, and hardly did the ship evade the rocks. From that time Poseidon was wroth with Ulysses.

[10]
Having put to sea with all his ships, he came to the island of Aeolia, of which the king was Aeolus.⁴ He was appointed by Zeus keeper of the winds, both to calm them and to send them forth. Having entertained Ulysses, he gave him an oxhide bag in which he had bound fast the winds, after showing what winds to use on the voyage and binding fast the bag in the vessel. And by using suitable winds Ulysses had a prosperous voyage; and when he was near Ithaca and already saw the smoke rising from the town,⁵ he fell asleep.

[11] But his comrades, thinking he carried gold in the bag, loosed it and let the winds go free, and being swept away by the blasts they were driven back again. And having come to Aeolus, Ulysses begged that he might be granted a fair wind; but Aeolus drove him from the island, saying that he could not save him when the gods opposed.

[12]
So sailing on he came to the land of the Laestrygones,⁶ and his own ship he moored last. Now the Laestrygones were cannibals, and their king was Antiphates. Wishing, therefore, to learn about the inhabitants, Ulysses sent some men to inquire. But the king's daughter met them and led them to her father.

[13] And he snatched up one of them and devoured him; but the rest fled, and he pursued them, shouting and calling together the rest of the Laestrygones. They came to the sea, and by throwing stones they broke the vessels and ate the men. Ulysses cut the cable of his ship and put to sea; but the rest of the ships perished with their crews.

[14]
With one ship he put in to the Aeaean isle. It was inhabited by Circe, a daughter of the Sun and of Perse, and a sister of Aeetes; skilled in all enchantments was she.⁷ Having divided his comrades, Ulysses himself abode by the ship, in accordance with the lot, but Eurylochus with two and twenty comrades repaired to Circe.

[15] At her call they all entered except Eurylochus; and to each she gave a tankard she had filled with cheese and honey and barley meal and wine, and mixed with an enchantment. And when they had drunk, she touched them with a wand and changed their shapes, and some she made wolves, and some swine, and some asses, and some lions.⁸

[16] But Eurylochus saw these things and reported them to Ulysses. And Ulysses went to Circe with moly,⁹ which he had received from Hermes, and throwing the moly among her enchantments, he drank and alone was not enchanted. Then drawing his sword, he would have killed her, but she appeased his wrath and restored his comrades. And when he had taken an oath of her that he should suffer no harm, Ulysses shared her bed, and a son, Telegonus, was born to him.¹⁰

[17] Having tarried a year there, he sailed the ocean, and offered sacrifices to the souls,¹¹ and by Circe's advice consulted the soothsayer Tiresias,¹² and beheld the souls both of heroes and of heroines. He also looked on his mother Anticlia¹³ and Elpenor, who had died of a fall in the house of Circe.¹⁴

[18]
And having come to Circe he was sent on his way by her, and put to sea, and sailed past the isle of the Sirens.¹⁵ Now the Sirens were Pisinoe, Aglaope, and Thelxiepia, daughters of Achelous and Melpomene, one of the Muses. One of them played the lyre, another sang, and another played the flute, and by these means they were fain to persuade passing mariners to linger;

[19] and from the thighs they had the forms of birds.¹⁶ Sailing by them, Ulysses wished to hear their song, so by Circe's advice he stopped the ears of his comrades with wax, and ordered that he should himself be bound to the mast. And being persuaded by the Sirens to linger, he begged to be released, but they bound him the more, and so he sailed past. Now it was predicted of the Sirens that they should themselves die when a ship should pass them; so die they did.¹⁷

[20]
And after that he came to two ways. On the one side were the Wandering Rocks,¹⁸ and on the other side two huge cliffs, and in one of them was Scylla,¹⁹ a daughter of Crataeis and Trienus or Phorcus,²⁰ with the face and breast of a woman, but from the flanks she had six heads and twelve feet of dogs.

[21] And in the other cliff was Charybdis, who thrice a day drew up the water and spouted it again. By the advice of Circe he shunned the passage by the Wandering Rocks, and in sailing past the cliff of Scylla he stood fully armed on the poop. But Scylla appeared, snatched six of his comrades, and gobbled them up.

[22] And thence he came to Thrinacia, an island of the Sun, where kine were grazing, and being windbound, he tarried there.²¹ But when his comrades slaughtered some of the kine and banqueted on them, for lack of food, the Sun reported it to Zeus, and when Ulysses put out to sea, Zeus struck him with a thunderbolt.²²

[23] And when the ship broke up, Ulysses clung to the mast and drifted to Charybdis. And when Charybdis sucked down the mast, he clutched an overhanging wild fig-tree and waited, and when he saw the mast shot up again, he cast himself on it, and was carried across to the island of Ogygia.²³

[24]
There Calypso, daughter of Atlas, received him, and bedding with him bore a son Latinus. He stayed with her five years, and then made a raft and sailed away.²⁴ But on the high sea the raft was broken in pieces by the wrath of Poseidon, and Ulysses was washed up naked on the shore of the Phaeacians.²⁵

[25] Now Nausicaa, the daughter of king Alcinous, was washing the clothes, and when Ulysses implored her protection, she brought him to Alcinous, who entertained him, and after bestowing gifts on him sent him away with a convoy to his native land.²⁶ But Poseidon was wroth with the Phaeacians, and he turned the ship to stone and enveloped the city with a mountain.²⁷

[26]
And on arriving in his native land Ulysses found his substance wasted; for, believing that he was dead, suitors were wooing Penelope.²⁸ From Dulichium came fifty-seven:

[27] Amphinomus, Thoas, Demoptolemus, Amphimachus, Euryalus, Paralus, Evenorides, Clytius, Agenor, Eurypylus, Pylaemenes, Acamas, Thersilochus, Hagius, Clymenus, Philodemus, Meneptolemus, Damastor, Bias, Telmius, Polyidus, Astylochus, Schedius, Antigonus, Marpsius, Iphidamas, Argius, Glaucus, Calydoneus, Echion, Lamas, Andraemon, Agerochus, Medon, Agrius, Promus, Ctesius, Acarnan, Cycnus, Pseras, Hellanicus, Periphron, Megasthenes, Thrasymedes, Ormenius, Diopithes, Mecisteus, Antimachus, Ptolemaeus, Lestorides, Nicomachus, Polypoetes, and Ceraus.

[28] And from Samethere came twenty—three:— Agelaus, Pisander, Elatus, Ctesippus, Hippodochus, Eurystratus, Archemolus, Ithacus, Pisenor, Hyperenor, Pheroetes, Antisthenes, Cerberus, Perimedes, Cynnus, Thriasus, Eteoneus, Clytius, Prothous, Lycaethus, Eumelus, Itanus, Lyammus.

[29] And from Zacynthos came forty—four: Eurylochus, Laomedes, Molebus, Phrenius, Indius, Minis, Liocritus, Pronomus, Nisas, Daemon, Archestratus, Hippomachus, Euryalus, Periallus, Evenorides, Clytius, Agenor, Polybus, Polydorus, Thadytius, Stratius, Phrenius, Indius, Daesenor, Laomedon, Laodicus, Halius, Magnes, Oloetrochus, Barthas, Theophron, Nissaeus, Alcarops, Periclymenus, Antenor, Pellas, Celtus, Periphus, Ormenus, Polybus and Andromedes.

[30] And from Ithaca itself the suitors were twelve, to wit:— Antinous, Pronous, Liodes, Eurynomus, Amphimachus, Amphialus, Promachus, Amphimedon, Aristratus, Helenus, Dulicheus, and Ctesippus.

[31]
These, journeying to the palace, consumed the herds of Ulysses at their feasts.²⁹ And Penelope was compelled to promise that she would wed when the shroud of Laertes was finished, and she wove it for three years, weaving it by day and undoing it by night. In this way the suitors were deceived by Penelope, till she was detected.³⁰

[32] And Ulysses, being apprized of the state of things at home, came to his servant Eumaeus in the guise of a beggar,³¹ and made himself known to Telemachus,³² and arrived in the city. And Melanthius, the goatherd, a servant man, met them, and scorned them.³³ On coming to the palace Ulysses begged food of the suitors,³⁴ and finding a beggar called Irus he wrestled with him.³⁵ But he revealed himself to Eumaeus and Philoetius, and along with them and Telemachus he laid a plot for the suitors.³⁶

[33] Now Penelope delivered to the suitors the bow of Ulysses, which he had once received from Iphitus; and she said that she would marry him who bent the bow.³⁷ When none of them could bend it, Ulysses took it and shot down the suitors, with the help of Eumaeus, Philoetius, and Telemachus.³⁸ He killed also Melanthius, and the handmaids that bedded with the suitors,³⁹ and he made himself known to his wife and his father.⁴⁰

[34]
And after sacrificing to Hades, and Persephone, and Tiresias, he journeyed on foot through Epirus, and came to the Thesprotians, and having offered sacrifice according to the directions of the soothsayer Tiresias, he propitiated Poseidon.⁴¹ But Callidice, who was then queen of the Thesprotians, urged him to stay and offered him the kingdom;

[35] and she had by him a son Polypoetes. And having married Callidice, he reigned over the Thesprotians, and defeated in battle the neighboring peoples who attacked him. But when Callidice died he handed over the kingdom to his son and repaired to Ithaca, and there he found Poliporthes, whom Penelope had borne to him.⁴²

[36] When Telegonus learned from Circe that he was a son of Ulysses, he sailed in search of him. And having come to the island of Ithaca, he drove away some of the cattle, and when Ulysses defended them, Telegonus wounded him with the spear he had in his hands, which was barbed with the spine of a sting-ray, and Ulysses died of the wound.⁴³

[37] But when Telegonus recognized him, he bitterly lamented, and conveyed the corpse and Penelope to Circe, and there he married Penelope. And Circe sent them both away to the Islands of the Blest.

[38]
But some say that Penelope was seduced by Antinous and sent away by Ulysses to her father Icarius, and that when she came to Mantinea in Arcadia she bore Pan to Hermes.⁴⁴

[39] However others say that she met her end at the hands of Ulysses himself on account of Amphinomus,⁴⁵ for they allege that she was seduced by him.

[40] And there are some who say that Ulysses, being accused by the kinsfolk of the slain, submitted the case to the judgment of Neoptolemus, king of the islands off Epirus; that Neoptolemus, thinking to get possession of Cephallenia if once Ulysses were put out of the way, condemned him to exile;⁴⁶ and that Ulysses went to Aetolia, to Thoas, son of Andraemon, married the daughter of Thoas, and leaving a son Leontophonus, whom he had by her,⁴⁷ died in old age.

Epitome. Apollodorus. ed. Sir James George Frazer. Cambridge, MA. 1921.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.

Current edition Perseus

Epitome (English) (Apollodorus. The Library, Vol 1-2. Frazer, James George, Sir, editor. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd. 1921)

Editions (1)

Ἐπιτομὴ Perseus (Apollodorus. The Library, Vol. 1-2. Frazer, James George, Sir, editor. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd. 1921) — 7 focus

[1] ὁ δὲ Ὀδυσσεύς, ὡς μὲν ἔνιοι λέγουσιν, ἐπλανᾶτο κατὰ Λιβύην, ὡς δὲ ἔνιοι κατὰ Σικελίαν, ὡς δὲ ἄλλοι κατὰ τὸν Ὠκεανὸν ἢ κατὰ τὸ Τυρρηνικὸν πέλαγος.

[2] ἀναχθεὶς δὲ ἀπὸ Ἰλίου προσίσχει πόλει Κικόνων Ἰσμάρῳ καὶ ταύτην αἱρεῖ πολεμῶν καὶ λαφυραγωγεῖ, μόνου φεισάμενος Μάρωνος, ὃς ἦν ἱερεὺς Ἀπόλλωνος. αἰσθόμενοι δὲ οἱ τὴν ἤπειρον οἰκοῦντες Κίκονες σὺν ὅπλοις ἐπʼ αὐτὸν παραγίνονται· ἀφʼ ἑκάστης δὲ νεὼς ἓξ ἀποβαλὼν ἄνδρας ἀναχθεὶς ἔφευγε.

[3] καὶ καταντᾷ εἰς τὴν Λωτοφάγων χώραν καὶ πέμπει τινὰς μαθησομένους τοὺς κατοικοῦντας· οἱ δὲ γευσάμενοι τοῦ λωτοῦ κατέμειναν· ἐφύετο γὰρ ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ καρπὸς ἡδὺς λεγόμενος λωτός, ὃς τῷ γευσαμένῳ πάντων ἐποίει λήθην. Ὀδυσσεὺς δὲ αἰσθόμενος, τοὺς λοιποὺς κατασχών, τοὺς γευσαμένους μετὰ βίας ἐπὶ τὰς ναῦς ἄγει, καὶ προσπλεύσας τῇ Κυκλώπων γῇ προσπελάζει.

[4] καταλιπὼν δὲ τὰς λοιπὰς ναῦς ἐν τῇ πλησίον νήσῳ, μίαν ἔχων τῇ Κυκλώπων γῇ προσπελάζει, μετὰ δώδεκα ἑταίρων ἀποβὰς τῆς νεώς. ἔστι δὲ τῆς θαλάσσης πλησίον ἄντρον, εἰς ὃ ἔρχεται ἔχων ἀσκὸν οἴνου τὸν ὑπὸ Μάρωνος αὐτῷ δοθέντα. ἦν δὲ Πολυφήμου τὸ ἄντρον, ὃς ἦν Ποσειδῶνος καὶ Θοώσης νύμφης, ἀνὴρ ὑπερμεγέθης ἄγριος ἀνδροφάγος, ἔχων ἕνα ὀφθαλμὸν ἐπὶ τοῦ μετώπου.

[5] ἀνακαύσαντες δὲ πῦρ καὶ τῶν ἐρίφων θύσαντες εὐωχοῦντο. ἐλθὼν δὲ ὁ Κύκλωψ καὶ εἰσελάσας τὰ ποίμνια τῇ μὲν θύρᾳ προσέθηκε πέτρον ὑπερμεγέθη καὶ θεασάμενος αὐτοὺς ἐνίους κατήσθιεν.

[6] Ὀδυσσεὺς δὲ αὐτῷ δίδωσιν ἐκ τοῦ Μάρωνος οἴνου πιεῖν· ὁ δὲ πιὼν πάλιν ᾔτησε, καὶ πιὼν τὸ δεύτερον ἐπηρώτα τὸ ὄνομα. τοῦ δὲ εἰπόντος ὅτι Οὔτις καλεῖται, Οὔτιν ἠπείλει ὕστερον ἀναλῶσαι, τοὺς δὲ ἄλλους ἔμπροσθεν, καὶ τοῦτο αὐτῷ ξένιον ἀποδώσειν ὑπέσχετο. κατασχεθεὶς δὲ ὑπὸ μέθης ἐκοιμήθη.

[7] Ὀδυσσεὺς δὲ εὑρὼν ῥόπαλον κείμενον σὺν τέσσαρσιν ἑταίροις ἀπώξυνε καὶ πυρώσας ἐξετύφλωσεν αὐτόν. ἐπιβοωμένου δὲ Πολυφήμου τοὺς πέριξ Κύκλωπας, παραγενόμενοι ἐπηρώτων τίς αὐτὸν ἀδικεῖ. τοῦ δὲ εἰπόντος Οὔτις, νομίσαντες αὐτὸν λέγειν ὑπὸ μηδενός ἀνεχώρησαν.

[8] ἐπιζητούντων δὲ τῶν ποιμνίων τὴν συνήθη νομήν, ἀνοίξας καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ προθύρου στὰς τὰς χεῖρας ἐκπετάσας ἐψηλάφα τὰ ποίμνια. Ὀδυσσεὺς δὲ τρεῖς κριοὺς ὁμοῦ συνδέων καὶ αὐτὸς τῷ μείζονι ὑποδύς, ὑπὸ τὴν γαστέρα κρυβείς, σὺν τοῖς ποιμνίοις ἐξῆλθε, καὶ λύσας τοὺς ἑταίρους τῶν ποιμνίων, ἐπὶ τὰς ναῦς ἐλάσας ἀποπλέων ἀνεβόησε Κύκλωπι ὡς Ὀδυσσεὺς εἴη καὶ ἐκπεφεύγοιτὰς ἐκείνου χεῖρας.

[9] ἦν δὲ λόγιον Κύκλωπι εἰρημένον ὑπὸ μάντεως τυφλωθῆναι ὑπὸ Ὀδυσσέως. καὶ μαθὼν τὸ ὄνομα πέτρας ἀποσπῶν ἠκόντιζεν εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν, μόλις δὲ ἡ ναῦς σώζεται πρὸς τὰς πέτρας. ἐκ τούτου δὲ μηνίει Ποσειδῶν Ὀδυσσεῖ.

[10] ἀναχθεὶς δὲ συμπάσαις ναυσὶ παραγίνεται εἰς Αἰολίαν νῆσον, ἧς ὁ βασιλεὺς ἦν Αἴολος. οὗτος ἐπιμελητὴς ὑπὸ Διὸς τῶν ἀνέμων καθεστήκει καὶ παύειν καὶ προΐεσθαι. ὃς ξενίσας Ὀδυσσέα δίδωσιν αὐτῷ ἀσκὸν βόειον, ἐν ᾧ κατέδησε τοὺς ἀνέμους, ὑποδείξας οἷς δεῖ χρῆσθαι πλέοντα, τοῦτον ἐν τῷ σκάφει καταδήσας. ὁ δὲ Ὀδυσσεὺς ἐπιτηδείοις ἀνέμοις χρώμενος εὐπλοεῖ, καὶ πλησίον Ἰθάκης ὑπάρχων ἤδη τὸν ἀναφερόμενον ἐκ τῆς πόλεως καπνὸν ἰδὼν ἐκοιμήθη.

[11] οἱ δὲ ἑταῖροι νομίζοντες χρυσὸν ἐν τῷ ἀσκῷ κομίζειν αὐτόν, λύσαντες τοὺς ἀνέμους ἐξαφῆκαν, καὶ πάλιν εἰς τοὐπίσω παρεγένοντο ὑπὸ τῶν πνευμάτων ἁρπασθέντες. Ὀδυσσεὺς δὲ ἀφικόμενος πρὸς Αἴολον ἠξίου πομπῆς τυχεῖν, ὁ δὲ αὐτὸν ἐκβάλλει τῆς νήσου λέγων ἀντιπρασσόντων τῶν θεῶν μὴ δύνασθαι σώζειν.

[12] πλέων οὖν κατῆρε πρὸς Λαιστρυγόνας, καὶ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ναῦν καθώρμισεν ἐσχάτως. Λαιστρυγόνες δʼ ἦσαν ἀνδροφάγοι, καὶ αὐτῶν ἐβασίλευεν Ἀντιφάτης. μαθεῖν οὖν Ὀδυσσεὺς βουλόμενος τοὺς κατοικοῦντας ἔπεμψέ τινας πευσομένους. τούτοις δὲ ἡ τοῦ βασιλέως θυγάτηρ συντυγχάνει καὶ αὐτοὺς ἄγει πρὸς τὸν πατέρα.

[13] ὁ δὲ ἕνα μὲν αὐτῶν ἁρπάσας ἀναλίσκει, τοὺς δὲ λοιποὺς ἐδίωκε φεύγοντας κεκραγὼς καὶ συγκαλῶν τοὺς ἄλλους Λαιστρυγόνας. οἱ δὲ ἦλθον ἐπὶ τὴν θάλασσαν καὶ βάλλοντες πέτροις τὰ μὲν σκάφη κατέαξαν, αὐτοὺς δὲ ἐβίβρωσκον. Ὀδυσσεὺς δὲ κόψας τὸ πεῖσμα τῆς νεὼς ἀνήχθη, αἱ δὲ λοιπαὶ σὺν τοῖς πλέουσιν ἀπώλοντο.

[14] μίαν δὲ ἔχων ναῦν Αἰαίῃ νήσῳ προσίσχει. ταύτην κατῴκει Κίρκη, θυγάτηρ Ἡλίου καὶ Πέρσης, Αἰήτου δὲ ἀδελφή, πάντων ἔμπειρος οὖσα φαρμάκων. διελὼν τοὺς ἑταίρους αὐτὸς μὲν κλήρῳ μένει παρὰ τῇ νηί, Εὐρύλοχος δὲ πορεύεται μεθʼ ἑταίρων εἰκοσιδύο τὸν ἀριθμὸν πρὸς Κίρκην.

[15] καλούσης δὲ αὐτῆς χωρὶς Εὐρυλόχου πάντες εἰσίασιν. ἡ δʼ ἑκάστῳ κυκεῶνα πλήσασα τυροῦ καὶ μέλιτος καὶ ἀλφίτων καὶ οἴνου δίδωσι, μίξασα φαρμάκῳ. πιόντων δὲ αὐτῶν, ἐφαπτομένη ῥάβδῳ τὰς μορφὰς ἠλλοίου, καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἐποίει λύκους, τοὺς δὲ σῦς, τοὺς δὲ ὄνους, τοὺς δὲ λέοντας.

[16] Εὐρύλοχος δὲ ἰδὼν ταῦτα Ὀδυσσεῖ ἀπαγγέλλει. ὁ δὲ λαβὼν μῶλυ παρὰ Ἑρμοῦ πρὸς Κίρκην ἔρχεται, καὶ βαλὼν εἰς τὰ φάρμακα τὸ μῶλυ μόνος πιὼν οὐ φαρμάσσεται· σπασάμενος δὲ τὸ ξίφος ἤθελε Κίρκην ἀποκτεῖναι. ἡ δὲ τὴν ὀργὴν παύσασα τοὺς ἑταίρους ἀποκαθίστησι. καὶ λαβὼν ὅρκους Ὀδυσσεὺς παρʼ αὐτῆς μηδὲν ἀδικηθῆναι συνευνάζεται, καὶ γίνεται αὐτῷ παῖς Τηλέγονος.

[17] ἐνιαυτὸν δὲ μείνας ἐκεῖ, πλεύσας τὸν Ὠκεανόν, σφάγια ταῖς ψυχαῖς ποιησάμενος μαντεύεται παρὰ Τειρεσίου, Κίρκης ὑποθεμένης, καὶ θεωρεῖ τάς τε τῶν ἡρώων ψυχὰς καὶ τῶν ἡρωΐδων. βλέπει δὲ καὶ τὴν μητέρα Ἀντίκλειαν καὶ Ἐλπήνορα, ὃς ἐν τοῖς Κίρκης πεσὼν ἐτελεύτησε.

[18] παραγενόμενος δὲ πρὸς Κίρκην ὑπʼ ἐκείνης προπεμφθεὶς ἀνήχθη, καὶ τὴν νῆσον παρέπλειτῶν Σειρήνων. αἱ δὲ Σειρῆνες ἦσαν Ἀχελῴου καὶ Μελπομένης μιᾶς τῶν Μουσῶν θυγατέρες, Πεισινόη Ἀγλαόπη Θελξιέπεια. τούτων ἡ μὲν ἐκιθάριζεν, ἡ δὲ ᾖδεν, ἡ δὲ ηὔλει, καὶ διὰ τούτων ἔπειθον καταμένειν τοὺς παραπλέοντας.

[19] εἶχον δὲ ἀπὸ τῶν μηρῶν ὀρνίθων μορφάς. ταύτας παραπλέων Ὀδυσσεύς, τῆς ᾠδῆς βουλόμενος ὑπακοῦσαι, Κίρκης ὑποθεμένης τῶν μὲν ἑταίρων τὰ ὦτα ἔβυσε κηρῷ, ἑαυτὸν δὲ ἐκέλευσε προσδεθῆναι τῷ ἱστῷ. πειθόμενος δὲ ὑπὸ τῶν Σειρήνων καταμένειν ἠξίου λυθῆναι, οἱ δὲ μᾶλλον αὐτὸν ἐδέσμευον, καὶ οὕτω παρέπλει. ἦν δὲ αὐταῖς Σειρῆσι λόγιον τελευτῆσαι νεὼς παρελθούσης. αἱ μὲν οὖν ἐτελεύτων.

[20] μετὰ δὲ τοῦτο παραγίνεται ἐπὶ δισσὰς ὁδούς. ἔνθεν μὲν ἦσαν αἱ Πλαγκταὶ πέτραι, ἔνθεν δὲ ὑπερμεγέθεις σκόπελοι δύο. ἦν δὲ ἐν μὲν θατέρῳ Σκύλλα, Κραταιίδος θυγάτηρ καὶ † Τριήνου ἢ Φόρκου, πρόσωπον ἔχουσα καὶ στέρνα γυναικός, ἐκ λαγόνων δὲ κεφαλὰς ἓξ καὶ δώδεκα πόδας κυνῶν.

[21] ἐν δὲ θατέρῳ τῷ σκοπέλῳ ἦν Χάρυβδις, ἣ τῆς ἡμέρας τρὶς ἀνασπῶσα τὸ ὕδωρ πάλιν ἀνίει. ὑποθεμένης δὲ Κίρκης, τὸν μὲν παρὰ τὰς Πλαγκτὰς πλοῦν ἐφυλάξατο, παρὰ δὲ τὸν τῆς Σκύλλης σκόπελον πλέων ἐπὶ τῆς πρύμνης ἔστη καθωπλισμένος. ἐπιφανεῖσα δὲ ἡ Σκύλλα ἓξ ἑταίρους ἁρπάσασα τούτους κατεβίβρωσκεν.

[22] ἐκεῖθεν δὲ ἐλθὼν εἰς Θρινακίαν νῆσον οὖσαν Ἡλίου, ἔνθα βόες ἐβόσκοντο, καὶ ἀπλοίᾳ κατασχεθεὶς ἔμεινεν αὐτοῦ. τῶν δὲ ἑταίρων σφαξάντων ἐκ τῶν βοῶν καὶ θοινησαμένων, λειφθέντων τροφῆς, Ἥλιος ἐμήνυσε Διί. καὶ ἀναχθέντα κεραυνῷ ἔβαλε.

[23] λυθείσης δὲ τῆς νεὼς Ὀδυσσεὺς τὸν ἱστὸν κατασχὼν παραγίνεται εἰς τὴν Χάρυβδιν. τῆς δὲ Χαρύβδεως καταπινούσης τὸν ἱστόν, ἐπιλαβόμενος ὑπερπεφυκότος ἐρινεοῦ περιέμεινε. καὶ πάλιν ἀνεθέντα τὸν ἱστὸν θεωρήσας, ἐπὶ τοῦτον ῥίψας εἰς Ὠγυγίαν νῆσον διεκομίσθη.

[24] ἐκεῖ δὲ ἀποδέχεται Καλυψὼ θυγάτηρ Ἄτλαντος, καὶ συνευνασθεῖσα γεννᾷ παῖδα Λατῖνον. μένει δὲ παρʼ αὐτῇ πενταετίαν, καὶ σχεδίαν ποιήσας ἀποπλεῖ. ταύτης δὲ ἐν τῷ πελάγει διαλυθείσης ὀργῇ Ποσειδῶνος, γυμνὸς πρὸς Φαίακας ἐκβράσσεται.

[25] Ναυσικάα δέ, ἡ τοῦ βασιλέως θυγάτηρ Ἀλκινόου, πλύνουσα τὴν ἐσθῆτα ἱκετεύσαντα αὐτὸν ἄγει πρὸς Ἀλκίνοον, ὃς αὐτὸν ξενίζει καὶ δῶρα δοὺς μετὰ πομπῆς αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν πατρίδα ἐξέπεμψε. Ποσειδῶν δὲ Φαίαξι μηνίσας τὴν μὲν ναῦν ἀπελίθωσε, τὴν δὲ πόλιν ὄρει περικαλύπτει.

[26] Ὀδυσσεὺς δὲ παραγενόμενος εἰς τὴν πατρίδα εὑρίσκει τὸν οἶκον διεφθαρμένον· νομίσαντες γὰρ αὐτὸν τεθνάναι Πηνελόπην ἐμνῶντο ἐκ Δουλιχίου μὲν νζ·

[27] Ἀμφίνομος Θόας Δημοπτόλεμος Ἀμφίμαχος Εὐρύαλος, Πάραλος Εὐηνορίδης Κλυτίος Ἀγήνωρ Εὐρύπυλος, Πυλαιμένης Ἀκάμας Θερσίλοχος Ἅγιος Κλύμενος, Φιλόδημος Μενεπτόλεμος Δαμάστωρ Βίας Τέλμιος, Πολύιδος Ἀστύλοχος Σχεδίος Ἀντίγονος Μάρψιος, Ἰφιδάμας Ἀργεῖος Γλαῦκος Καλυδωνεὺς Ἐχίων, Λάμας Ἀνδραίμων Ἀγέρωχος Μέδων Ἄγριος, Πρόμος Κτήσιος Ἀκαρνάν Κύκνος Ψηρᾶς, Ἑλλάνικος Περίφρων Μεγασθένης Θρασυμήδης Ὀρμένιος, Διοπίθης Μηκιστεὺς Ἀντίμαχος Πτολεμαῖος Λεστορίδης, Νικόμαχος Πολυποίτης Κεραός.

[28] ἐκ δὲ Σάμης κγ· Ἀγέλαος Πείσανδρος Ἔλατος Κτήσιππος Ἱππόδοχος, Εὐρύστρατος Ἀρχέμολος Ἴθακος Πεισήνωρ Ὑπερήνωρ, Φεροίτης Ἀντισθένης Κέρβερος Περιμήδης Κῦννος, Θρίασος Ἐτεωνεὺς Κλυτίος Πρόθοος Λύκαιθος, Εὔμηλος Ἴτανος Λύαμμος.

[29] ἐκ δὲ Ζακύνθου μδ· Εὐρύλοχος Λαομήδης Μόλεβος Φρένιος Ἴνδιος, Μίνις Λειώκριτος Πρόνομος Νίσας Δαήμων, Ἀρχέστρατος Ἱππό μαχος Εὐρύαλος Περίαλλος Εὐηνορίδης, Κλυτίος Ἀγήνωρ Πόλυβος Πολύδωρος Θαδύτιος, Στράτιος Φρένιος Ἴνδιος Δαισήνωρ Λαομέδων, Λαόδικος Ἅλιος Μάγνης Ὀλοίτροχος Βάρθας, Θεόφρων Νισσαῖος Ἀλκάροψ Περικλύμενος Ἀντήνωρ, Πέλλας Κέλτος Περίφας Ὄρμενος Πόλυβος, Ἀνδρομήδης.

[30] ἐκ δὲ αὐτῆς Ἰθάκης ἦσαν οἱ μνηστευόμενοι ιβ οἵδε· Ἀντίνοος Πρόνοος Λειώδης Εὐρύνομος Ἀμφίμαχος, Ἀμφίαλος Πρόμαχος Ἀμφιμέδων Ἀρίστρατος Ἕλενος, Δουλιχιεὺς Κτήσιππος.

[31] οὗτοι πορευόμενοι εἰς τὰ βασίλεια δαπανῶντες τὰς Ὀδυσσέως ἀγέλας εὐωχοῦντο. Πηνελόπη δὲ ἀναγκαζομένη τὸν γάμον ὑπέσχετο ὅτε τὸ ἐντάφιον Λαέρτῃ πέρας ἕξει, καὶ τοῦτο ὕφηνεν ἐπὶ ἔτη τρία, μεθʼ ἡμέραν μὲν ὑφαίνουσα, νύκτωρ δὲ ἀναλύουσα. τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον ἐξηπατῶντο οἱ μνηστῆρες ὑπὸ τῆς Πηνελόπης, μέχρις ὅτε ἐφωράθη.

[32] Ὀδυσσεὺς δὲ μαθὼν τὰ κατὰ τὴν οἰκίαν, ὡς ἐπαίτης πρὸς Εὔμαιον οἰκέτην ἀφικνεῖται, καὶ Τηλεμάχῳ ἀναγνωρίζεται, καὶ παραγίνεται εἰς τὴν πόλιν. Μελάνθιος δὲ αὐτοῖς συντυχὼν ὁ αἰπόλος οἰκέτης ὑπάρχων ἀτιμάζει. παραγενόμενος δὲ εἰς τὰ βασίλεια τοὺς μνηστῆρας μετῄτει τροφήν, καὶ εὑρὼν μεταίτην Ἶρον καλούμενον διαπαλαίει αὐτῷ. Εὐμαίῳ δὲ μηνύσας ἑαυτὸν καὶ Φιλοιτίῳ, μετὰ τούτων καὶ Τηλεμάχου τοῖς μνηστῆρσιν ἐπιβουλεύει.

[33] Πηνελόπη δὲ τοῖς μνηστῆρσι τίθησιν Ὀδυσσέως τόξον, ὃ παρὰ Ἰφίτου ποτὲ ἔλαβε, καὶ τῷ τοῦτο τείναντί φησι συνοικήσειν. μηδενὸς δὲ τεῖναι δυναμένου, δεξάμενος Ὀδυσσεὺς τοὺς μνηστῆρας κατετόξευσε σὺν Εὐμαίῳ καὶ Φιλοιτίῳ καὶ Τηλεμάχῳ. ἀνεῖλε δὲ καὶ Μελάνθιον καὶ τὰς συνευναζομένας τοῖς μνηστῆρσι θεραπαίνας, καὶ τῇ γυναικὶ καὶ τῷ πατρὶ ἀναγνωρίζεται.

[34] θύσας δὲ Ἅιδῃ καὶ Περσεφόνῃ καὶ Τειρεσίᾳ, πεζῇ διὰ τῆς Ἠπείρου βαδίζων εἰς Θεσπρωτοὺς παραγίνεται καὶ κατὰ τὰς Τειρεσίου μαντείας θυσιάσας ἐξιλάσκεται Ποσειδῶνα. ἡ δὲ βασιλεύουσα τότε Θεσπρωτῶν Καλλιδίκη καταμένειν αὐτὸν ἠξίου τὴν βασιλείαν αὐτῷ δοῦσα.

[35] καὶ συνελθοῦσα αὐτῷ γεννᾷ Πολυποίτην. γήμας δὲ Καλλιδίκην Θεσπρωτῶν ἐβασίλευσε καὶ μάχῃ τῶν περιοίκων νικᾷ τοὺς ἐπιστρατεύσαντας. Καλλιδίκης δὲ ἀποθανούσης, τῷ παιδὶ τὴν βασιλείαν ἀποδιδοὺς εἰς Ἰθάκην παραγίνεται, καὶ εὑρίσκει ἐκ Πηνελόπης Πολιπόρθην αὐτῷ γεγεννημένον.

[36] Τηλέγονος δὲ παρὰ Κίρκης μαθὼν ὅτι παῖς Ὀδυσσέως ἐστίν, ἐπὶ τὴν τούτου ζήτησιν ἐκπλεῖ. παραγενόμενος δὲ εἰς Ἰθάκην τὴν νῆσον ἀπελαύνει τινὰ τῶν βοσκημάτων, καὶ Ὀδυσσέα βοηθοῦντα τῷ μετὰ χεῖρας δόρατι Τηλέγονος τρυγόνος κέντρον τὴν αἰχμὴν ἔχοντι τιτρώσκει, καὶ Ὀδυσσεὺς θνήσκει.

[37] ἀναγνωρισάμενος δὲ αὐτὸν καὶ πολλὰ κατοδυράμενος, τὸν νεκρὸν καὶ τὴν Πηνελόπην πρὸς Κίρκην ἄγει, κἀκεῖ τὴν Πηνελόπην γαμεῖ. Κίρκη δὲ ἑκατέρους αὐτοὺς εἰς Μακάρων νήσους ἀποστέλλει.

[38] τινὲς δὲ Πηνελόπην ὑπὸ Ἀντινόου φθαρεῖσαν λέγουσιν ὑπὸ Ὀδυσσέως πρὸς τὸν πατέρα Ἰκάριον ἀποσταλῆναι, γενομένην δὲ τῆς Ἀρκαδίας κατὰ Μαντίνειαν ἐξ Ἑρμοῦ τεκεῖν Πᾶνα·

[39] ἄλλοι δὲ διʼ Ἀμφίνομον ὑπὸ Ὀδυσσέως αὐτοῦ τελευτῆσαι· διαφθαρῆναι γὰρ αὐτὴν ὑπὸ τούτου λέγουσιν.

[40] εἰσὶ δὲ οἱ λέγοντες ἐγκαλούμενον Ὀδυσσέα ὑπὸ τῶν οἰκείων ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀπολωλότων δικαστὴν Νεοπτόλεμον λαβεῖν τὸν βασιλεύοντα τῶν κατὰ τὴν Ἤπειρον νήσων, τοῦτον δέ, νομίσαντα ἐκποδὼν Ὀδυσσέως γενομένου Κεφαλληνίαν καθέξειν, κατακρῖναι φυγὴν αὐτοῦ, Ὀδυσσέα δὲ εἰς Αἰτωλίαν πρὸς Θόαντα τὸν Ἀνδραίμονος παραγενόμενον τὴν τούτου θυγατέρα γῆμαι, καὶ καταλιπόντα παῖδα Λεοντοφόνον ἐκ ταύτης γηραιὸν τελευτῆσαι.

Notes on the current edition

Epitome

1. As to the adventures of Ulysses with the Cicones, see Hom. Od. 9.39-66 . The Cicones were a Thracian tribe; Xerxes and his army marched through their country ( Hdt. 7.110 ). As to Maro, the priest of Apollo at Ismarus, see Hom. Od. 9.196-211 . He dwelt in a wooded grove of Apollo, and bestowed splendid presents and twelve jars of red honey-sweet wine, in return for the protection which he and his wife received at the hands of Ulysses.

2. As to the adventures of Ulysses with the Lotus-eaters, see Hom. Od. 9.82-104 ; Hyginus, Fab. 125 . The Lotus-eaters were a tribe of northern Africa, inhabiting the coast of Tripolis ( Scylax, Periplus 110 ; Pliny, Nat. Hist. v.28 ). As to the lotus, see Hdt. 4.177 ; Polybius xii.2.1, quoted by Athenaeus xiv.65, p. 651 DF ; Theophrastus, Hist. Plant. iv.3.1ff. The tree is the Zizyphus Lotus of the botanists. Theophrastus says that the tree was common in Libya, that is, in northern Africa, and that an army marching on Carthage subsisted on its fruit alone for several days. The modern name of the tree is ssodr or ssidr. A whole district in Tripolis is named Ssodria after it. See A. Wiedemann, Herodots Zweites Buch, p. 385, note on Herodotus, ii.96 .

3. As to the adventures of Ulysses and his companions among the Cyclopes, see Hom. Od. 9.105-542 ; Hyginus, Fab. 125 . The story is a folk-tale found in many lands. See Frazer's Appendix to Apollodorus, “Ulysses and Polyphemus.”

4. As to the adventures of Ulysses with Aeolus, the Keeper of the Winds, see Hom. Od. 10.1-76 ; Hyginus, Fab. 125 ; Ov. Met. 14.223-232 .

5. Homer says ( Hom. Od. 10.30 ) they were so near land that they could already see the men tending the fires ( πυρπολέοντας); but whether the fires were signals to guide the ship to port, or watchfires of shepherds tending their flocks on the hills, does not appear.

6. As to the adventures of Ulysses and his comrades among the Laestrygones, see Hom. Od. 10.80-132 ; Hyginus, Fab. 125 ; Ov. Met. 14.233-244 .

7. As to the adventures of Ulysses and his comrades with the enchantress Circe, see Hom. Od. 10.133-574 ; Hyginus, Fab. 125 ; Ov. Met. 14.246-440 . The word ( φάρμακα) here translated “enchantments” means primarily drugs; but in the early stages of medicine drugs were supposed to be endowed with magical potency, partly in virtue of the spells, that is, the form of words, with which the medical practitioner administered them to the patient. Hence druggist and enchanter were nearly synonymous terms. As Circe used her knowledge of drugs purely for magical purposes, without any regard to the medical side of the profession, it seems better to translate her φάρμακα by “enchantments” or “charms” rather than “drugs,” and to call her an enchantress instead of a druggist.

8. In Hom. Od. 10.237ff. ) the companions of Ulysses are turned into swine only; nothing is said about a transformation of them into wolves, lions, and asses, though round about the house of the enchantress they saw wolves and lions, which stood on their hind legs, wagged their tails, and fawned upon them, because they were men enchanted ( Hom. Od. 10.210-219 ).

9. As to moly, see Hom. Od. 10.302-306 . Homer says that it was a plant dug up from the earth, with a black root and a white flower. According to Theophrastus, Hist. Plant. ix.15.7 , moly resembled Allium nigrum, which was found in the valley of Pheneus and on Mount Cyllene in northern Arcadia; he says it had a round root, like an onion, and a leaf like a squill, and that it was used as an antidote to spells and enchantments. But probably the moly of Homer grew on no earthly hill or valley, but only in “fairyland forlorn.”

10. Telegonus is unknown to Homer, who mentions no offspring of Ulysses by the enchantress Circe. He is named as a son of Ulysses and Circe by Hesiod in a line which is suspected, however, of being spurious ( Hes. Th. 1014 ). He was recognized by Hagias in his epic, The Returns, and by another Cyclic poet Eugammon of Cyrene; indeed Eugammon composed an epic called the Telegony on the adventures of Telegonus, but according to him Telegonus was a son of Ulysses by Calypso, not by Circe. See Epicorum Graecorum Fragmenta, ed. G. Kinkel, pp. 56, 57ff. ; Eustathius on Hom. Od. xvi.118, p. 1796 . According to Hyginus, Fab. 125 , Ulysses had two sons, Nausithous and Telegonus, by Circe. As to Telegonus, see also below, Apollod. E.7.36ff.

11. The visit of Ulysses to the land of the dead is the theme of the eleventh book of the Odyssey. Compare Hyginus, Fab. 125 . The visit was the subject of one of the two great pictures by Polygnotus at Delphi. See Paus. 10.28-31 .

12. As to the consultation with Tiresias, see Hom. Od. 11.90-151 .

13. As to the interview of Ulysses with his mother, see Hom. Od. 11.153-224 .

14. In the hot air of Circe's enchanted isle Elpenor had slept for coolness on the roof of the palace; then, suddenly wakened by the noise and bustle of his comrades making ready to depart, he started up and, forgetting to descend by the ladder, tumbled from the roof and broke his neck. In his hurry to be off, Ulysses had not stayed to bury his dead comrade; so the soul of Elpenor, unwept and unburied, was the first to meet his captain on the threshold of the spirit land. See Hom. Od. 10.552-560 ; Hom. Od. 11.51-83 .

15. As to the return of Ulysses to the isle of Circe, and his sailing past the Sirens, see Hom. Od. 12.1-200 ; Hyginus, Fab. 125 . Homer does not name the Sirens individually nor mention their parentage, but by using the dual in reference to them ( Hom. Od. 12.52 ; Hom. Od. 12.167 ) he indicates that they were two in number. Sophocles, in his play Ulysses, called the Sirens daughters of Phorcus, and agreed with Homer in recognizing only two of them. See Plut. Quaest. Conviv. ix.14.6 ; The Fragments of Sophocles, ed. A. C. Pearson, iii.66, frag. 861 . Apollonius Rhodius says that the Muse Terpsichore bore the Sirens to Achelous ( Ap. Rhod., Argon. iv.895ff. ). Hyginus names four of them, Teles, Raidne, Molpe, and Thelxiope ( Hyginus, Fab. praefat. p. 30, ed. Bunte ), and, in agreement with Apollodorus, says that they were the offspring of Achelous by the Muse Melpomene. Tzetzes calls them Parthenope, Leucosia, and Ligia, but adds that other people named them Pisinoe, Aglaope, and Thelxiepia, and that they were the children of Achelous and Terpsichore. With regard to the parts which they took in the bewitching concert, he agrees with Apollodorus. See Tzetzes, Scholiast on Lycophron 712 . According to a Scholiast on Ap. Rhod., Argon.iv.892 , their names were Thelxiope, or Thelxione, Molpe, and Aglaophonus. As to their names and parents see also Eustathius on Hom. Od. 12. p. 1709 , Scholiast on Hom. Od. xii.39 , who mention the view that the father of the Sirens was Achelous, and that their mother was either the Muse Terpsichore, or Sterope, daughter of Porthaon.

16. Similarly Apollonius Rhodius ( Ap. Rhod., Argon. iv.898ff. ) describes the Sirens as partly virgins and partly birds. Aelian tells us ( Ael., Nat. Anim. xvii.23 ) that poets and painters represented them as winged maidens with the feet of birds. Ovid says that the Sirens had the feet and feathers of birds, but the faces of virgins; and he asks why these daughters of Achelous, as he calls them, had this hybrid form. Perhaps, he thinks, it was because they had been playing with Persephone when gloomy Dis carried her off, and they had begged the gods to grant them wings, that they might search for their lost playmate over seas as well as land. See Ov. Met. 5.552-562 . In like manner Hyginus describes the Sirens as women above and fowls below, but he says that their wings and feathers were a punishment inflicted on them by Demeter for not rescuing Persephone from the clutches of Pluto. See Hyginus, Fab. 125, 141 . Another story was that they were maidens whom Aphrodite turned into birds because they chose to remain unmarried. See Eustathius on Hom. Od. 12.47, p. 1709 . It is said that they once vied with the Muses in singing, and that the Muses, being victorious, plucked off the Siren's feathers and made crowns out of them for themselves ( Paus. 9.34.3 ). In ancient art, as in literature, the Sirens are commonly represented as women above and birds below. See Miss J. E. Harrison, Myths of the Odyssey (London, 1882), pp. 146ff. Homer says nothing as to the semi-bird shape of the Sirens, thus leaving us to infer that they were purely human.

17. This is not mentioned by Homer, but is affirmed by Hyginus, Fab. 125, 141 ). Others said that the Sirens cast themselves into the sea and were drowned from sheer vexation at the escape of Ulysses. See Scholiast on Hom. Od.xii.39 ; Eustathius on Hom. Od. 12.167, p. 1709 ; Tzetzes, Scholiast on Lycophron 712 ; compare Strab. 6.1.1 .

18. As to Ulysses and the Wandering Rocks, see Hom. Od. 12.52-72 ; Hom. Od. 12.201-221 . The poet mentions ( Hom. Od. 12.70-72 ) the former passage of the Argo between the Wandering or Clashing Rocks, as to which see above Apollod. 1.9.22 , with the note. It has been suggested that in the story of the Wandering Rocks we have a confused reminiscence of some sailor's story of floating icebergs. See Merry, on Homer, Od. xii.61 .

19. As to the passage of Ulysses between Scylla and Charybdis, see Hom. Od. 12.73-126 ; Hom. Od. 12.222-259 ; Hyginus, Fab. 125, 199 .

20. Homer mentions Crataeis as the mother of Scylla, but says nothing as to her father ( Hom. Od. 12.124ff. ). According to Stesichorus, the mother of Scylla was Lamia. See Scholiast on Hom. Od. 12.124 ; Eustathius on Hom. Od. xii.85, p. 1714 . Apollonius Rhodius represents Scylla as a daughter of Phorcus by the night-wandering hag Hecate ( Ap. Rhod., Argon. iv.828ff. ), and this parentage has the support of Acusilaus, except that he named her father Phorcys instead of Phorcus ( Scholiast on Ap. Rhod., Argon. iv.828 ; compare Eustathius on Hom. Od. xii.85, p. 1714 ). Hyginus calls her a daughter of Typhon and Echidna ( Hyginus, Fab. 125, 151, and praefat. p. 31, ed. Bunte ). A Scholiast on Plat. Rep. 9, 588c , who may have copied the present passage of Apollodorus, calls Scylla a daughter of Crataeis and Tyrrhenus or Phorcus, adding that she had the face and breasts of a woman, but from the flanks six heads of dogs and twelve feet. Some said that the father of Scylla was Triton ( Eustathius on Hom. Od. xii.85, p. 1714 ); and perhaps the name Triton should be read instead of Trienus in the present passage of Apollodorus. See the Critical Note.

21. As to the adventures of Ulysses in Thrinacia, the island of the Sun, see Hom. Od. 12.127-141 ; Hom. Od. 12.260-402 .

22. See Hom. Od. 12.403-425 .

23. See Hom. Od. 12.426-450 , compare Hom. Od. 5.128-135 .

24. As to the stay of Ulysses with Calypso in the island of Ogygia, and his departure in a boat of his own building, see Hom. Od. 5.13-281 ; Hom. Od. 7.243-266 ; Hyginus, Fab. 125 . According to Hom. Od. 7.259 , Ulysses stayed seven years with Calypso, not five years, as Apollodorus says. Hyginus limits the stay to one year. Homer does not mention that Calypso bore a son to Ulysses. In the Theogony of Hesiod ( Hes. Th. 1111ff. ) it is said that Circe (not Calypso), bore two sons, Agrius and Latinus, to Ulysses; the verses, however, are probably not by Hesiod but have been interpolated by a later poet of the Roman era in order to provide the Latins with a distinguished Greek ancestry. The verses are quoted by the Scholiast on Ap. Rhod., Argon. iii.200 . Compare Joannes Lydus, De mensibus i.13, p. 7, ed. Bekker . Eustathius says ( Eustathius on Hom. Od. xvi.118, p. 1796 ) that, according to Hesiod, Ulysses had two sons, Agrius and Latinus, by Circe, and two sons, Nausithous and Nausinous, by Calypso.

25. See Hom. Od. 5.282-493 ; Hyginus, Fab. 125 .

26. See Hom. Od. 6 ; Hom. Od. 7 ; Hom. Od. 8 ; Hom. Od. 12.1-124 ; Hyginus, Fab. 125 .

27. See Hom. Od. 12.125-187 . “Poseidon does not propose to bury the city, but to shut it off from the use of its two harbours (cp. Hom. Od. 6.263 ) by some great mountain mass” ( Merry on Hom. Od. 12.152 ).

28. The number of the suitors, according to Homer, was one hundred and eight, namely, fifty-two from Dulichium, twenty-four from Same, twenty from Zacynthus, and twelve from Ithaca. See Hom. Od. 16.245-253 . Apollodorus gives the numbers from these islands as fifty-seven, twenty-three, forty-four, and twelve respectively, or a hundred and thirty-six in all. Homer does not give a regular list of the names, but mentions some of them incidentally.

29. As to the reckless waste of the suitors, see Hom. Od. 14.80-109 .

30. As to Penelope's web, see Hom. Od. 19.136-158 ; Hyginus, Fab. 126 .

31. As to the meeting of Ulysses and Eumaeus, see Hom. Od. 14.1-492 ; Hyginus, Fab. 126 .

32. As to the meeting and recognition of Ulysses and Telemachus, see Hom. Od. 16.1-234 .

33. See Hom. Od. 17.184-253 .

34. See Hom. Od. 17.360-457 .

35. See Hom. Od. 18.1-107 ; Hyginus, Fab. 126 . In Homer it is in a boxing-match, not in a wrestling-bout, that Ulysses vanquishes the braggart beggar Irus. Hyginus, like Apollodorus, substitutes wrestling for boxing.

36. See Hom. Od. 21.188-244 .

37. See Hom. Od. 21.1-82 ; Hyginus, Fab. 126 .

38. See Hom. Od. 21.140-434 , Hom. Od. 22.1-389 ; Hyginus, Fab. 126 .

39. See Hom. Od. 22.417-477 .

40. See Hom. Od. 22.153-297 ; Hom. Od. 24.205-348 .

41. Tiresias had warned Ulysses that, after slaying the suitors, he must journey inland till he came to a country where men knew not the sea, and where a wayfarer would mistake for a winnowing-fan the oar which Ulysses was carrying on his shoulder. There Ulysses was to sacrifice a ram, a bull, and a boar to Poseidon, the god whom he had offended. See Hom. Od. 11.119-131 . But the journey itself and the sacrifice are not recorded by Homer. In a little island off Cos a Greek skipper told Dr. W. H. D. Rouse a similar story about the journey inland of the prophet Elias. The prophet, according to this account, was a fisherman who, long buffeted by storms, conceived a horror of the sea, and, putting an oar on his shoulder, took to the hills and walked till he met a man who did not know what an oar was. There the prophet planted his oar in the ground, and there he resolved to abide. That is why all the prophet's chapels are on the tops of hills. This legend was published by Dr. Rouse in The Cambridge Review under the heading of “A Greek skipper.” This and the remaining part of Apollodorus are probably drawn from the epic poem Telegony, a work by Eugammon of Cyrene, of which a short abstract by Proclus has been preserved. See Epicorum Graecorum Fragmenta, ed. G. Kinkel, pp. 57ff. The author of the abstract informs us that after the death and burial of the suitors “Ulysses sacrificed to the nymphs and sailed to Elis to inspect the herds. And he was entertained by Polyxenus and received a present of a bowl. And after that followed the episodes of Trophonius, and Agamedes, and Augeas. Then he sailed home to Ithaca and offered the sacrifices prescribed by Tiresias. And after these things he went to the Thesprotians and married Callidice, queen of the Thesprotians. Then the Thesprotians made war on the Brygians, under the leadership of Ulysses. There Ares put Ulysses and his people to flight, and Athena engaged him in battle; but Apollo reconciled them. And after Callidice's death, Polypoetes, son of Ulysses, succeeded to the kingdom, and Ulysses himself went to Ithaca. Meanwhile Telegonus, sailing in search of his father, landed in Ithaca and ravaged the island; and marching out to repel him Ulysses was killed by his son in ignorance. Recognizing his error, Telegonus transported his father's body, and Telemachus, and Penelope to his mother, and she made them immortal. And Telegonus married Penelope, and Telemachus married Circe.” The tradition, mentioned also by Hyginus, Fab. 127 , that one son of Ulysses (Telegonus) married his father's widow (Penelope), and that another son (Telemachus) married his father's concubine (Circe), is very remarkable, and may possibly point to an old custom according to which a son inherited his father's wives and concubines, with the exception of his own mother. Compare Apollod. 2.7.7 , with Frazer's note (vol. i. p. 269) . Apollodorus mentions the marriage of Telegonus to Penelope (see below), but not the marriage of Telemachus to Circe.

42. Compare Paus. 8.12.6 , from whom we learn that the birth of this son Poliporthes or Ptoliporthes, as Pausanias calls him, was mentioned in the epic poem Thesprotis.

43. Compare Oppian, Halieut. ii.497-500 ; Scholia Graeca in Homeri Odysseam, ed. G. Dindorf, vol. i. p. 6 ; Hom. Od. 11.134 ; Eustathius on Hom. Od. xi.133, p. 1676 ; Philostratus, Vit. Apollon. vi.32 ; Philostratus, Her. iii.42 ; Parthenius, Narrat. 3 ; Tzetzes, Scholiast on Lycophron 794 ; Scholiast on Aristoph. Plutus 303 ; Cicero, Tusc. Disp. ii.21.48ff. ; Hor. Carm. 3.29.8 ; Hyginus, Fab. 127 ; Ovid, Ibis 567ff. ; Dictys Cretensis vi.14ff. ; Serv. Verg. A. 2.44 . The fish ( τρυγών), whose spine is said to have barbed the fatal spear, is the common stingray ( Trygon pastinaca), as I learn from Professor D'Arcy Wentworth Thompson, who informs me that the fish is abundant in the Mediterranean and not uncommon on our southern coasts. For ancient descriptions of the fish he refers me to Oppian, Halieut. ii.470ff. (the locus classicus); Ael., Nat. Anim. i.56 ; Nicander, Ther. 828ff. According to Aelian, the wound inflicted by the stingray is incurable. Hercules is said to have lost one of his fingers by the bite of a stingray ( Ptolemy Hephaest., Nov. Hist. ii. in Westermann's Mythographi Graeci, p. 184 ). Classical scholars, following Liddell and Scott, sometimes erroneously identify the fish with the roach. The death of Ulysses through the wound of a stingray is foreshadowed in the prophecy of Tiresias that his death would come from the sea ( Hom. Od. 11.134ff. ). According to a Scholiast on Hom. (Scholia Graeca in Homeri Odysseam, ed. G. Dindorf, vol. i. p. 6) , Hyginus, and Dictys Cretensis, Ulysses had been warned by an oracle or a dream to beware of his son, who would kill him; accordingly, fearing to be slain by Telemachus, he banished him to Cephallenia ( Dictys Cretensis vi.14 ). But he forgot his son Telegonus, whom he had left behind with his mother Circe in her enchanted island. The death of Ulysses at the hands of his son Telegonus was the subject of a tragedy by Sophocles. See The Fragments of Sophocles, ed. A. C. Pearson, vol. ii. pp. 105ff.

44. A high mound of earth was shown as the grave of Penelope at Mantinea in Arcadia. According to the Mantinean story, Ulysses had found her unfaithful and banished her the house; so she went first to her native Sparta, and afterwards to Mantinea, where she died and was buried. See Paus. 8.12.5ff. The tradition that Penelope was the mother of Pan by Hermes (Mercury) is mentioned by Cicero, De natura deorum iii.22.56 . According to Duris, the Samian, Penelope was the mother of Pan by all the suitors ( Tzetzes, Scholiast on Lycophron 772 ). The same story is mentioned also by Serv. Verg. A. 2.44 , who says that Penelope was supposed to have given birth to Pan during her husband's absence, and that when Ulysses came home and found the monstrous infant in the house, he fled and set out afresh on his wanderings.

45. Amphinomus was one of the suitors of Penelope; his words pleased her more than those of the other suitors, because he had a good understanding. See Hom. Od. 16.394-398 . He was afterwards killed by Telemachus ( Hom. Od. 12. 89ff. ). The suspicion that Penelope was unfaithful to her husband has no support in Homer.

46. Compare Plut. Quaest. Graec. 14 . According to Plutarch's account, the kinsmen of the slain suitors rose in revolt against Ulysses; but Neoptolemus, being invited by both parties to act as arbitrator, sentenced Ulysses to banishment for bloodshed, and condemned the friends and relatives of the suitors to pay an annual compensation to Ulysses for the damage they had done to his property. The sentence obliged Ulysses to withdraw not only from Ithaca, but also from Cephallenia and Zacynthus; and he retired to Italy. The compensation exacted from the heirs of the suitors was paid in kind, and consisted of barley groats, wine, honey, olive oil, and animal victims of mature age. This payment Ulysses ordered to be made to his son Telemachus.

47. These last recorded doings of Ulysses appear to be mentioned by no other ancient writer.

Apollodorus Epitome 7

ed. Sir James George Frazer

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