The men complied with Alcinous’s request and followed him to the open ground. Even the blind minstrel Demodocos hung his harp on a peg and went with them. Among the strong, young men assembled for the sporting events were the sons of Alcinous. The first contest was foot race. Then came wrestling, jumping, and boxing. After sometime, Laodamas, Alcinous’s son who had won the boxing event, requested Odysseus to join them. “Your powerful body tells us that you must have been a strong athlete.” At first, Odysseus hesitated. But when he heard somebody in the crowd calling him a good-for-nothing, he felt impelled to accede to the prince’s request. He grabbed a huge weight, heavier than those handled by the others, and threw it into a distance. The crowd cheered. “Is there anybody in the crowd who would dare challenge me again?” cried out Odysseus.
Sensing his guest’s bad mood, Alcinous declared that sit was
time to quit the games. He invited Demodocos to sing. The minstrel sung about
the love of Aphrodite and Ares, and Odysseus listened,s delighted. Next
followed the dance performance of Prince Laodamas and another youngster.
Holding a purple ball in his hand, one of the dancers bent his body backwards,
and threw the ball up into the clouds. The other jumped high and caught the
ball in the air. Odysseus was thoroughly impressed by their agility and
nimbleness.
Then, it was time to give away gifts to the guest. The
nobles and other gentlemen lavishly bestowed presents on Odysseus. King
Alcinous offered a personal gift of a golden wine goblet. Servants carried the
huge pile of gifts to the palace, where Queen Arete readied a coffer to pack
them. Then she ordered the maids to prepare a warm bath for Odysseus. As the
Greek warrior prepared to attend yet another banquet thrown in his honour,
Princess Nausicaa came to meet him. “Wish you a happy journey. But hope you do
remember that you owe your life to me,” she said, smiling. Odysseus was pleased
with her pleasant manners and promised he would never forget her help.
At the banquet, it was now Odysseus’s turn to request the
blind minstrel to sing for him. “You’re a gifted man. The gods have bestowed
their blessings on you. I would like to hear you sing of the Greek warriors at
Troy. Tell us about the mighty warriors huddled up inside the horse and how the
Trojans dragged it to their market place. Let me hear about the valiant Greeks
who poured out of the horse and destroyed Troy,” he said.
As the minstrel sang, Odysseus was overcome by emotion and
started crying. He wept like a woman in sorrow, and Alcinous once again heard
the sobs and called out to Demodocos to stop his recital. He then turned to
Odysseus and said, “Sir, be kind enough to tell us who you are and the name of
your country. We Phaicians are born navigators and know almost all countries of
the world. There is not a sea we haven’t sailed through. I notice that you grow
unhappy whenever you hear of the Greeks and the fall of Troy.”
Moved by Alcinous’s caring words, Odysseus narrated his
tale. “O king, I once again appreciate your hospitality and the affection you
shower on me. I’m Odysseus, the son of Laertes. My country is the mountainous
island of Ithaca,” he said and went on to narrate his adventures. He narrated
his close brush with Cyclops the giant, and how he had been unlucky despite the
help of the wind god Aeolus. He told them about his encounter with the monsters
Scylla and Charybdis, and his detention at the abode of the goddess Calypso. He
then explained how he had finally arrived on the shores of Scheria.
The royal couple were happy to have the great warrior in
their midst. They plied him with many more valuable and wonderful gifts. And
Odysseus accepted them all with grace and gratitude.
Next morning, the ship for Odysseus’s voyage was ready.
Alcinous went on board and stowed the gifts carefully under the benches in the
ship, so that they were not damaged during sailing. Odysseus bid a warm
good-bye to his hosts. He rejoiced at the thought of reaching his homeland, at
last.
On the deck, arrangements had been made for Odysseus to
sleep. As the ship ran steady and straight, cutting swiftly through the waves,
Odysseus slept away his troubles.
By dawn, they had reached the harbour of Phorcys, in the
island of Ithaca. It was a natural harbour sandwiched between two sloping
cliffs. At the head of the harbour was an olive tree near which was a cave. The
men sailed into the harbour and leapt onto the shore. They carried Odysseus
gently, while he was still asleep and laid him down on the sand. They stacked
his gifts under the olive tree, hidden from the eyes of wayfarers.
(To be continued)
Painting: Athena appearing to Odysseus to reveal the Island of Ithaca by Giuseppe Bottani (1717–1784)
