Page 344 - the-odyssey

them.
Telemachus purposely made Ulysses sit in the part of
the cloister that was paved with stone; {158} he gave him
a shabby looking seat at a little table to himself, and had
his portion of the inward meats brought to him, with his
wine in a gold cup. ‘Sit there,’ said he, ‘and drink your wine
among the great people. I will put a stop to the gibes and
blows of the suitors, for this is no public house, but belongs
to Ulysses, and has passed from him to me. Therefore, suit-
ors, keep your hands and your tongues to yourselves, or
there will be mischief.’
The suitors bit their lips, and marvelled at the bold-
ness of his speech; then Antinous said, ‘We do not like
such language but we will put up with it, for Telemachus is
threatening us in good earnest. If Jove had let us we should
have put a stop to his brave talk ere now.’
Thus spoke Antinous, but Telemachus heeded him not.
Meanwhile the heralds were bringing the holy hecatomb
through the city, and the Achaeans gathered under the
shady grove of Apollo.
Then they roasted the outer meat, drew it off the spits,
gave every man his portion, and feasted to their heart’s
content; those who waited at table gave Ulysses exactly the
same portion as the others had, for Telemachus had told
them to do so.
But Minerva would not let the suitors for one moment
drop their insolence, for she wanted Ulysses to become still
more bitter against them. Now there happened to be among
them a ribald fellow, whose name was Ctesippus, and who