Odysseus, who was in the guise of an old beggar once again warned Antinuos and the other suitors: “You’d be better off if you leave before the master of the house returns. I’m sure he’ll want to punish you for ruining his home.” Antinuos was certainly impressed by the authority with which the beggar spoke. However, pride stopped him from paying heed to the warning.
By evening, the suitors dispersed to their apartments and
only Telemachus and Odysseus remained. As they had planned before, they removed
all the weapons in the banquet hall, leaving just two swords, two spears, and
two shields.
Then, Odysseus met Penelope in her apartment. The knowledge
that her guest was an old friend of her husband gave her the feeling that he
was an ally. She poured out her grief to him. She also confessed her unshaken
love for her husband and how she was waiting for him to return and take charge
of things. Odysseus was indeed happy to hear this. He told her about his
association with Odysseus and assured that the warrior would soon return home
and punish the suitors. His words soothed the worrying queen.
She then ordered Euryclea, an old maid to arrange for a bath
and fresh clothes for the old guest. Euryclea had nursed Odysseus as a child.
While helping the guest undress, she noticed a scar on his knee. Immediately,
she recognised her master and grew excited. Odysseus made her promise that she
would not reveal the truth to Penelope right away.
Later, Penelope confided in her guest that she was planning
to select a man from the suitors by setting up an archery competition the next
day. “They are getting impatient and I’m worried they would resort to unfair
means to usurp the throne.”
“Do not worry, o queen! I’m sure your husband would appear
at the competition tomorrow and win it,” Odysseus consoled her and retired to
bed.
Odysseus spent a restless night, worrying how things would
go on the next morning at the palace. Goddess Athene appeared before him and
gave him reassurance, “Odysseus, leave the matter to me and sleep peacefully.”
The palace was agog with activity the next morning. It was a
day of honour for God Apollo and preparations were underway for a grand feast.
As Antinuos and the other suitors saw Odysseus entering the hall, they remembered
his harsh words the previous evening. The memory refreshed their hatred for the
old beggar and they heaped abuses on him. Some of them even tried to assault
the old beggar. But Telemachus kept them in check with his admonishments.
As the feast began, evil portents appeared everywhere. The wine
in the goblets turned the colour of blood, and a deep gloom spread over the
skies outside. Strange and ghostly shapes wandered about the hall above the
heads of the men. The soothsayer Theoclymenus explained these portents and
warned the suitors that a great danger awaited them. The suitors ignored his
advice and derided him for being a coward.
Meanwhile, Penelope appeared in the hall with the mighty bow
of Odysseus. It had remained unstrung all these years. A maid followed her with
a casket of gold and silver rings through which Odysseus used to aim his
arrows. “Men, this is the bow of my gallant husband Odysseus. I agree to marry
any man who can string the bow and shoot an arrow through these rings,” she
announced. There was a murmur of joy among the suitors. Each one of them
secretly hoped to accomplish the deed and marry Penelope.
The crowd gasped when Telemachus declared that he would
attempt to string the bow first. “If I win, I would have the right to refuse to
marry off my mother to any of you,” he declared.
The suitors considered him no real threat to them and gladly
agreed to his proposal. However, the prince failed to bend the bow in all the
three chances he was given. Odysseus signalled to him to hand over the weapon
to the suitors. One after another, the men tried to bend the bow, in vain.
Finally, only Antinous and Eurymachus remained.
In the meantime, Odysseus summoned Eumaeus and another
servant and revealed his identity to them. They were overjoyed to see their
master. Odysseus swore them to secrecy and bid Eumaeus to hand the bow to him
when all the other suitors had failed to bend it. He ordered the other servant
to keep the doors of the banquet hall closed in spite of any commotion that
happened there.
Painting: Odysseus in the battle with the suitors by Lovis Corinth (1858–1925)
