Page 233 - the-odyssey

out shame or scruple; but the blessed gods love not such
shameful doings, and respect those who do what is lawful
and right. Even the fierce freebooters who go raiding on
other people’s land, and Jove gives them their spoil—even
they, when they have filled their ships and got home again
live conscience-stricken, and look fearfully for judgement;
but some god seems to have told these people that Ulysses is
dead and gone; they will not, therefore, go back to their own
homes and make their offers of marriage in the usual way,
but waste his estate by force, without fear or stint. Not a day
or night comes out of heaven, but they sacrifice not one vic-
tim nor two only, and they take the run of his wine, for he
was exceedingly rich. No other great man either in Ithaca
or on the mainland is as rich as he was; he had as much as
twenty men put together. I will tell you what he had. There
are twelve herds of cattle upon the main land, and as many
flocks of sheep, there are also twelve droves of pigs, while
his own men and hired strangers feed him twelve widely
spreading herds of goats. Here in Ithaca he runs even large
flocks of goats on the far end of the island, and they are in
the charge of excellent goat herds. Each one of these sends
the suitors the best goat in the flock every day. As for myself,
I am in charge of the pigs that you see here, and I have to
keep picking out the best I have and sending it to them.’
This was his story, but Ulysses went on eating and drink-
ing ravenously without a word, brooding his revenge. When
he had eaten enough and was satisfied, the swineherd took
the bowl from which he usually drank, filled it with wine,
and gave it to Ulysses, who was pleased, and said as he took

The Odyssey