Page 116 - the-odyssey

there is an excellent vineyard: on the level ground of a part
of this, the grapes are being made into raisins; in another
part they are being gathered; some are being trodden in the
wine tubs, others further on have shed their blossom and
are beginning to show fruit, others again are just changing
colour. In the furthest part of the ground there are beauti-
fully arranged beds of flowers that are in bloom all the year
round. Two streams go through it, the one turned in ducts
throughout the whole garden, while the other is carried un-
der the ground of the outer court to the house itself, and
the town’s people draw water from it. Such, then, were the
splendours with which the gods had endowed the house of
king Alcinous.
So here Ulysses stood for a while and looked about him,
but when he had looked long enough he crossed the thresh-
old and went within the precincts of the house. There he
found all the chief people among the Phaeacians making
their drink offerings to Mercury, which they always did
the last thing before going away for the night. {61} He went
straight through the court, still hidden by the cloak of dark-
ness in which Minerva had enveloped him, till he reached
Arete and King Alcinous; then he laid his hands upon the
knees of the queen, and at that moment the miraculous
darkness fell away from him and he became visible. Every
one was speechless with surprise at seeing a man there, but
Ulysses began at once with his petition.
‘Queen Arete,’ he exclaimed, ‘daughter of great Rhexenor,
in my distress I humbly pray you, as also your husband and
these your guests (whom may heaven prosper with long

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