Page 254 - the-odyssey

home to tell my father. I know how obstinate he is, and am
sure he will not let you go; he will come down here to fetch
you, and he will not go back without you. But he will be
very angry.’
With this he drove his goodly steeds back to the city of
the Pylians and soon reached his home, but Telemachus
called the men together and gave his orders. ‘Now, my men,’
said he, ‘get everything in order on board the ship, and let
us set out home.’
Thus did he speak, and they went on board even as he
had said. But as Telemachus was thus busied, praying also
and sacrificing to Minerva in the ship’s stern, there came to
him a man from a distant country, a seer, who was flying
from Argos because he had killed a man. He was descend-
ed from Melampus, who used to live in Pylos, the land of
sheep; he was rich and owned a great house, but he was
driven into exile by the great and powerful king Neleus. Ne-
leus seized his goods and held them for a whole year, during
which he was a close prisoner in the house of king Phylacus,
and in much distress of mind both on account of the daugh-
ter of Neleus and because he was haunted by a great sorrow
that dread Erinys had laid upon him. In the end, howev-
er, he escaped with his life, drove the cattle from Phylace
to Pylos, avenged the wrong that had been done him, and
gave the daughter of Neleus to his brother. Then he left the
country and went to Argos, where it was ordained that he
should reign over much people. There he married, estab-
lished himself, and had two famous sons Antiphates and
Mantius. Antiphates became father of Oicleus, and Oicleus