Eumaeus, the swineherd set up a dinner of delicious meat and tasty wine for Odysseus. “Dear guest, all I can offer you is only young pork. The fat boars have been taken to the palace to feed those greedy and cruel suitors. They neither seem to fear god or have pity in their hearts. Every day, they feast and frolic at my master’s expense.”
Odysseus ate his dinner, all the while listening to the
faithful servant. Though he kept silent, his mind was planning a revenge on the
suitors.
Eumaeus then expressed his worry over the fate of Telemachus
who was voyaging to Pylos. He was worried that the suitors might plan some
trouble for the prince. “Things were wonderful when my master was here. Anyway,
it’s all a thing of the past. Now tell me all about yourself and your visit to
Ithaca,” he said.
Odysseus spun a long tale about himself. He claimed that he
was the son of a rich man of Crete and was stranded in Ithaca by some men who
coveted his wealth. The entire next day, Odysseus and Eumaeus spent their time
exchanging each other’s tales.
Meanwhile, Goddess Athene met Telemachus at Meneleaus’s
palace and warned him of the danger awaiting him. “But do not fear and just
sail on. When you reach Ithaca, don’t go to your palace. Instead, go to
Eumaeus’s cottage on the hills. Let the ship and its crew go into the port.
Inform your mother that you are safely back from Pylos and spend the day with
the faithful swineherd.”
It was dawn when Telemachus’s ship touched the shores of
Ithaca. At Eumaeus’s cottage, Odysseus was kindling a fire. Soon, Telemachus
arrived there and the swineherd’s dogs rushed at him and brushed about his
legs. Odysseus noticed this and informed Eumaeus that he had a visitor.
The swineherd dropped the wine cup in his hands when he saw
his master’s son at his threshold. He threw his arms around the lad affectionately
and showered him with kisses. “I’m happy that you are home safely, Telemachus.
I was afraid those wicked men might harm you. Come in,” he welcomed the lad.
Telemachus enquired him about his mother and the suitors. To
his relief, nothing untoward had happened at the palace during his absence. As
he entered the cottage, Odysseus got up and offered his seat to him.
“Please sit down. It is not good manners to take a guest’s
seat,” said Telemachus and took the seat Eumaeus prepared for him. After
breakfast, Telemachus asked Eumaeus about Odysseus. The swineherd repeated the
story that Odysseus had told him. “He wants to be your guest at the palace,” he
added.
“Eumaeus, old man, do you think I’m in a position to
entertain a guest? My house has become the haven of wretched and violent men.
And who knows, they might try to manhandle this poor man and I’ll not be able
to rescue him from them. I shall give him a thick coat, boots, and a sharp
sword. And I can help him get back to his country. Let him stay with you. It’s
safer here,” said Telemachus.
“Now, go and meet my mother and tell her that I’m safely
back from voyage. But don’t let any body else hear you,” he added.
As soon as the swineherd left, Goddess Athene appeared. She
was visible only to Odysseus. She told him it was time to reveal himself to his
son. With the stroke of her golden wand, she converted him into a strong
athletic man again. Odysseus’s rags turned to spotless clothes, his skin became
young, dark, and tanned, and his hollowed cheeks were filled out and a dark
beard replaced the white one.
Telemachus was taken aback when he saw the transformed
figure of Odysseus.
He feared that Odysseus was a god or a supernatural being.
However, Odysseus assured him that he was none of that. “I’m your father for
who you have waited so long. It was Goddess Athene who had disguised me, to
safeguard me.”
At first, Telemachus was sceptical. Then, he hugged his
father and became emotional. Odysseus narrated to him the story of his
adventurous voyage back home. He also mentioned that he could not have reached
Itahca without the help of the Phaicians.
Odysseus instructed his son to go home. “I shall come later with the swineherd in the guise of a old beggar. But harden your heart even if you find those men insulting and manhandling me,” he warned him. He then instructed Telemachus on what he had to do as soon as reaching home.
(To be continued)
Painting: Odysseus and Euryclea by Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein (1751–1829)
