14. The Story of odysseus Summary 木马屠城之后,希腊各路英雄纷纷踏上了跌宕起伏的归乡之路,其中最富有 戏剧性者当属奥德修斯。通过英雄的种种历险和际遇,我们不难看出他与其他勇 士显著地区别在于他足智多谋而他们骁勇善战 brains and brawn)。这可从该英雄 与诸多以智慧著称的女性(雅典娜、喀耳刻、卡吕普索)的关系中得到求证。正 因为如此,他才得以最终还家并战胜众多敌人,给特洛伊传说 the Troy saga)画上 了圆满的句号 Selected Reading Odysseus had known before he ever went to Troy that it would be twenty years before he returned home to his rocky island of Ithaca, to his son Telemachus and his wife Penelope. He was at Troy for ten years, and for ten more years he traveled across the oceans, shipwrecked, eventually deprived of all his companions, frequently within an inch of his life until in the twentieth year he landed once more on the shores of hi island home The cicones On leaving Troy, Odysseus and his companions first encountered the Cicones,a Thracian tribe who had joined the war on the side of the Trojans. They sacked their city but suffered heavy losses to offset their gain. Odysseus, however, obtained from Maron, a priest of Apollo, twelve jars of wine which proved very useful when the hero encountered the Cyclopes. They were in danger of losing more of their number to the Lotus eaters. hedonistswho did nothing but sit around and eat the luscious fruit which made them forget all cares and responsibilities. Odysseus had to drag those of his men who had tasted the lotus back to the ships by force, and scarcely had they recovered from this adventure than they landed in the next, their encounter with the Cyclops Polyphemo The Cyclops Polyphemos The Cyclops were a race of huge, one-eyed giants who occupied a fertile country where the soil bore bountiful crops of its own accordand provided rich pasturage for fat sheep and goats with shaggy'fleeces. Eager to meet the inhabitants of such a land, Odysseus took one ship into the harbor and, disembarking, walked up with his crew to the cave of the Cyclops Polyphemos, a son of Poseidon. Polyphemos was out tending his sheep, so Odysseus and his crew made themselves at home until he returned with his flocks at dusk. The Cyclops was huge, monstrous'and terrible, and after a few perfunctory inquiries into the origins and businesses of his unexpected guests, he picked up a couple of them and dashed their brains out on the floor before devouring them whole. The Cyclops then fell heavily asleep; Odysseus contemplated stabbing him to death, but gave up the idea when he realized that escape would then be impossible, since the mouth of the cave was blocked with a boulder which the Cyclops could lift with one hand, but which the combined strength of Odysseus and his companions was unable to shift The next morning, the Cyclops had
80 14. The Story of Odysseus Summary 木马屠城之后，希腊各路英雄纷纷踏上了跌宕起伏的归乡之路，其中最富有 戏剧性者当属奥德修斯。通过英雄的种种历险和际遇，我们不难看出他与其他勇 士显著地区别在于他足智多谋而他们骁勇善战(brains and brawn)。这可从该英雄 与诸多以智慧著称的女性（雅典娜、喀耳刻、卡吕普索）的关系中得到求证。正 因为如此，他才得以最终还家并战胜众多敌人，给特洛伊传说(the Troy saga)画上 了圆满的句号。 Selected Reading Odysseus had known before he ever went to Troy that it would be twenty years before he returned home to his rocky island of Ithaca, to his son Telemachus and his wife Penelope. He was at Troy for ten years, and for ten more years he traveled across the oceans, shipwrecked, eventually deprived of all his companions, frequently within an inch of his life, until in the twentieth year he landed once more on the shores of his island home. The Cicones On leaving Troy, Odysseus and his companions first encountered the Cicones, a Thracian tribe who had joined the war on the side of the Trojans. They sacked their city but suffered heavy losses to offset1 their gain. Odysseus, however, obtained from Maron, a priest of Apollo, twelve jars of wine which proved very useful when the hero encountered the Cyclopes. They were in danger of losing more of their number to the Lotus Eaters2 , hedonists3 who did nothing but sit around and eat the luscious4 fruit which made them forget all cares and responsibilities. Odysseus had to drag those of his men who had tasted the lotus back to the ships by force, and scarcely had they recovered from this adventure than they landed in the next, their encounter with the Cyclops Polyphemos. The Cyclops Polyphemos The Cyclops were a race of huge, one-eyed giants who occupied a fertile country where the soil bore bountiful crops of its own accord5 and provided rich pasturage6 for fat sheep and goats with shaggy7 fleeces. Eager to meet the inhabitants of such a land, Odysseus took one ship into the harbor and, disembarking8 , walked up with his crew to the cave of the Cyclops Polyphemos, a son of Poseidon. Polyphemos was out tending his sheep, so Odysseus and his crew made themselves at home until he returned with his flocks at dusk. The Cyclops was huge, monstrous9 and terrible, and after a few perfunctory10 inquiries into the origins and businesses of his unexpected guests, he picked up a couple of them and dashed their brains out on the floor before devouring11 them whole. The Cyclops then fell heavily asleep; Odysseus contemplated stabbing him to death, but gave up the idea when he realized that escape would then be impossible, since the mouth of the cave was blocked with a boulder12, which the Cyclops could lift with one hand, but which the combined strength of Odysseus and his companions was unable to shift. The next morning, the Cyclops had
two more of Odysseus's men for breakfast and then went out, taking care to replace the huge stone at the cave entrance. The resourceful odysseus was not slow to think up a plan of action. He sharpened a great wooden stake which lay in the cave and hardened its rip in the fire. When evening came and Polyphemos returned home, Odysseus offered him a bowl of strong wine to wash down his rationof greek sailors. The Cyclops swallowed the wine with enthusiasm and asked for three refills Then, in a drunken stupor,, he lay down to sleep. Before he nodded off, he asked to known the name of his guest, and Odysseus replied that it was"Outis", the Greek for Nobody'; the Cyclops promised that in returned for the wine he would eat"Nobody last. As the monster lay asleep, Odysseus heated the tip of the stake in the fire; when it was red-hot he and four of his best men drove the points straight into the Cyclops's one eye. The eye hissed and sizzled, like the loud hiss that comes from a great axe when a smith plunges it into cold water to temper it and give strength to the iron". The Cyclops, rudely awakened by the terrible pain, bellowed and raged, calling out for his neighbors, the other Cyclopes, to come and help. But when they gathered outside his cave and asked who was disturbing him, who had hurt him, he could only reply that Nobody was disturbing him, Nobody was hurting him, upon which they lost interest and went away At dawn Odysseus and his men prepared to make their escape from the cave each man was tied beneath three big woolly sheep, while Odysseus himself clung under the leader of the flock, a huge ram with a magnificent fleece. The blinded Cyclops rolled aside the boulder and sat at the door of his cave, trying to catch Odysseus's crew slipping out with the sheep, but they passed safely beneath his hands Odysseus last of all. Driving the sheep down to their ship, they quickly set sail although Odysseus was unable to resist taunting the Cyclops, who responded by hurling bits of cliff in the direction of his voice. So Odysseus rejoined the rest of the fleet, and while the crews mourned their lost companions, they consoled themselves by feasting on the very sheep that had assisted their escape from the cave From the island of the Cyclops, Odysseus sailed on till he reached the floating island of Aeolia, whose king, Aeolus, had been entrusted by Zeus with power over all the winds. Aeolus and his large family received Odysseus and his crew hospitably and when the time came for leave, Aeolus gave Odysseus a leather pouch in which he had imprisoned all the boisterous winds; he then summoned up a gentle westerly breeze which would blow the ships safely home to Ithaca. They sailed on course for ten days and were within sight of Ithaca when disaster overtook them. Odysseus, who had stayed awake to steer the ship for the whole journey, fell into an exhausted sleep and his crew, who did not know what was in the leather pouch, began to suspect that it contained valuable treasure given to Odysseus by Aeolus. They were jealous, feeling that as they had shared Odysseus's hardships, so they should share his rewards: they opened up the bag and accidentally let loose the winds. Odysseus awoke to a raging tempest, which buffeted- the ship right back to Aeolia. This time the reception of Odysseus and his comrades was very different. They begged Aeolus to give them another chance, but he, declaring that Odysseus must be a man cursed by the god
81 two more of Odysseus’s men for breakfast and then went out, taking care to replace the huge stone at the cave entrance. The resourceful Odysseus was not slow to think up a plan of action. He sharpened a great wooden stake which lay in the cave and hardened its rip in the fire. When evening came and Polyphemos returned home, Odysseus offered him a bowl of strong wine to wash down his ration13 of Greek sailors. The Cyclops swallowed the wine with enthusiasm and asked for three refills14. Then, in a drunken stupor15, he lay down to sleep. Before he nodded off, he asked to known the name of his guest, and Odysseus replied that it was “Outis”, the Greek for “Nobody”; the Cyclops promised that in returned for the wine he would eat “Nobody” last. As the monster lay asleep, Odysseus heated the tip of the stake in the fire; when it was red-hot he and four of his best men drove the points straight into the Cyclops’s one eye. The eye hissed and sizzled16, like “the loud hiss that comes from a great axe when a smith plunges it into cold water to temper it and give strength to the iron”. The Cyclops, rudely awakened by the terrible pain, bellowed17 and raged, calling out for his neighbors, the other Cyclopes, to come and help. But when they gathered outside his cave and asked who was disturbing him, who had hurt him, he could only reply that Nobody was disturbing him, Nobody was hurting him, upon which they lost interest and went away. At dawn Odysseus and his men prepared to make their escape from the cave; each man was tied beneath three big woolly sheep, while Odysseus himself clung under the leader of the flock, a huge ram with a magnificent fleece. The blinded Cyclops rolled aside the boulder and sat at the door of his cave, trying to catch Odysseus’s crew slipping out with the sheep, but they passed safely beneath his hands, Odysseus last of all. Driving the sheep down to their ship, they quickly set sail, although Odysseus was unable to resist taunting18 the Cyclops, who responded by hurling bits of cliff in the direction of his voice. So Odysseus rejoined the rest of the fleet, and while the crews mourned their lost companions, they consoled themselves by feasting on the very sheep that had assisted their escape from the cave. Aeolus From the island of the Cyclops, Odysseus sailed on till he reached the floating island of Aeolia, whose king, Aeolus, had been entrusted by Zeus with power over all the winds. Aeolus and his large family received Odysseus and his crew hospitably, and when the time came for leave, Aeolus gave Odysseus a leather pouch19 in which he had imprisoned all the boisterous20 winds; he then summoned up a gentle westerly breeze which would blow the ships safely home to Ithaca. They sailed on course for ten days and were within sight of Ithaca when disaster overtook them. Odysseus, who had stayed awake to steer the ship for the whole journey, fell into an exhausted sleep, and his crew, who did not know what was in the leather pouch, began to suspect that it contained valuable treasure given to Odysseus by Aeolus. They were jealous, feeling that as they had shared Odysseus’s hardships, so they should share his rewards: they opened up the bag and accidentally let loose the winds. Odysseus awoke to a raging tempest, which buffeted21 the ship right back to Aeolia. This time the reception of Odysseus and his comrades was very different. They begged Aeolus to give them another chance, but he, declaring that Odysseus must be a man cursed by the gods
declined absolutely to help and drove him and his shipmates from the door Circe At their next landfall, Laestrygonia, all the ships except Odysseus's own were lost in a calamitous" encounter with the gigantic cannibals, so it was in a state of considerable grief and depression that Odysseus and his surviving comrades found themselves at the island of Aeaea Disembarking, they lay for two days and nights on the beach, utterly exhausted by their exertions and demoralized by the horrors they had been through. On the third day odysseus roused himself to explore the island and from a hilltop he saw smoke rising from a habitation in the woods. Prudently deciding not to reconnoiter at once, he returned to the ship to tell his companions the news. They were predictably dismayed, remembering the Laestrygonians and the Cyclops, but since Odysseus was determined to explore, he divided his company into two groups, one commanded by himself and the other by a man called Eurylochus. The two parties drew lots and the task of exploration fell to Eurylochus, hile Odysseus remained at the ship. In due course Eurylochus's party arrived at the house in the woods. Outside were wolves and loins, who gamboled and fawned uponthe men; they were in fact human beings who had been given animal shape by the sorceress Circe, whose beautiful singing could be heard inside the house. When the sailors shouted to attracted her attention, she came out and invited them to enter only Eurylochus, suspecting a trick, remained outside. Circe offered the men food, but with it she mixed a drug which caused them to forget their native land and when they had finished, she struck them with her wand and drove them off into the pig-sties, for they were now to outward appearances swine, though unhappily for them they still emembered who they really were The panic-stricken Eurylochus rushed back to the ship to report the disappearance of his companions. Odysseus commanded the man to take him back to Circe's home, and when he refused, set off alone to the rescue. On his way across the island he met Hermes, disguised as a youth; the god gave him a plant called mol which, mixed with Circe's food, would provide an antidote to her drug; he also instructed his as to how he could get the better of the sorceress: when Circe struck him with her wand. he should rush at her as though to kill her she would then shrink back in fear and invite his to share her bed. To this he should agree. but he must first extract from her a solemn oath not to try any tricks while he was vulnerable Everything happened just as Hermes had predicted. After they had been to bed together, Circe bathed and dressed Odysseus in fine clothes and had a sumptuous banquet prepared for his, but he sat in silent abstraction, refusing all attention Eventually Circe asked him what was wrong, and he pointed out that she could hardly expect him to be the life and soul of the party while half his crew were languishing outside in the pig-sties. So Circe released the new pigs from their confinement and smeared a magic ointment over them; their bristles fell away, and they became men again, but younger and more handsome than they had ever been before. Odysseus and his men wept for relief and happiness, and only broke off when Circe suggested they should summon the rest of their company to join in the celebrations. They all stayed with Circe for an entire year, eating and drinking and enjoy ing themselves
82 declined absolutely to help, and drove him and his shipmates from the door. Circe At their next landfall, Laestrygonia, all the ships except Odysseus’s own were lost in a calamitous22 encounter with the gigantic cannibals23, so it was in a state of considerable grief and depression that Odysseus and his surviving comrades found themselves at the island of Aeaea. Disembarking, they lay for two days and nights on the beach, utterly exhausted by their exertions24 and demoralized25 by the horrors they had been through. On the third day Odysseus roused himself to explore the island, and from a hilltop he saw smoke rising from a habitation in the woods. Prudently26 deciding not to reconnoiter27 at once, he returned to the ship to tell his companions the news. They were predictably dismayed28, remembering the Laestrygonians and the Cyclops, but since Odysseus was determined to explore, he divided his company into two groups, one commanded by himself and the other by a man called Eurylochus. The two parties drew lots29 and the task of exploration fell to Eurylochus, while Odysseus remained at the ship. In due course Eurylochus’s party arrived at the house in the woods. Outside were wolves and loins, who gamboled30 and fawned upon31 the men; they were in fact human beings who had been given animal shape by the sorceress Circe, whose beautiful singing could be heard inside the house. When the sailors shouted to attracted her attention, she came out and invited them to enter; only Eurylochus, suspecting a trick, remained outside. Circe offered the men food, but with it she mixed a drug which caused them to forget their native land; and when they had finished, she struck them with her wand and drove them off into the pig-sties, for they were now to outward appearances swine, though unhappily for them they still remembered who they really were. The panic-stricken Eurylochus rushed back to the ship to report the disappearance of his companions. Odysseus commanded the man to take him back to Circe’s home, and when he refused, set off alone to the rescue. On his way across the island he met Hermes, disguised as a youth; the god gave him a plant called moly32 which, mixed with Circe’s food, would provide an antidote33 to her drug; he also instructed his as to how he could get the better of the sorceress: when Circe struck him with her wand, he should rush at her as though to kill her; she would then shrink back in fear and invite his to share her bed. To this he should agree, but he must first extract from her a solemn oath not to try any tricks while he was vulnerable. Everything happened just as Hermes had predicted. After they had been to bed together, Circe bathed and dressed Odysseus in fine clothes and had a sumptuous34 banquet prepared for his, but he sat in silent abstraction, refusing all attention. Eventually Circe asked him what was wrong, and he pointed out that she could hardly expect him to be the life and soul of the party while half his crew were languishing35 outside in the pig-sties. So Circe released the new pigs from their confinement and smeared36 a magic ointment37 over them; their bristles fell away, and they became men again, but younger and more handsome than they had ever been before. Odysseus and his men wept for relief and happiness, and only broke off when Circe suggested they should summon the rest of their company to join in the celebrations. They all stayed with Circe for an entire year, eating and drinking and enjoying themselves
forgetting the trials through which they had passed The underworld Eventually Odysseus was reminded by some of his companions that perhaps it was time to think of ithaca. Circe warned him that before he could set sail for home he must first visit the Underworld to consult the Theban prophet Teiresias: only Teiresias could give him instructions for his return. So Odysseus sailed across the River of Ocean and moored his ship by Persephone's poplargrove. There on the shore he dug a trench, around which he poured libations to the dead of honey, water, milk and wine, over the trench he cut the throats of a ram and a black sheep. Attracted by the smell of blood, the souls of the dead thronged up to drink, but Odysseus drew his sword and kept them back, waiting for the soul of Teiresias to appear. First to approach was one of his crew, Elpenor, who had fallen of the roof of Circe's house where he had been sleeping on the morning of the departure, and whom in their haste to depart they had left unburied and unwept; this state of affairs Odysseus promised to rectify as soon as he could. When Teiresias appeared, Odysseus let him drink the blood, and the prophet then told him that he had a good chance of returning home safely, but that he must be sure not to plunder the Cattle of the Sun on the island of Thrinacia: he also warned him of the situation he would find on ithaca. where rapacious"suitors were wooing his faithful wife Penelope fter he had heard all that Teiresias could tell him, odysseus let other ghosts approach and drink the blood which enabled them to converse with him. The first to come was his ancient mother, who relayed to him the manner of her death, and a sad account of the wretched state of his father Laertes and Penelop's brave efforts to fend off her suitors. Odysseus, overcome by grief and desiring to comfort both himself and his mother, tried three times to embrace her, but three times she slipped wraith-like hrough his hands and left him holding the air. Other heroines approached and conversed, and after them came Agamenon, who told Odysseus of his bloody death comforting him with the thought that Penelope would never act as Clytemnestra had done. Achilles also approached, and Odysseus hailed him as the most fortunate man who ever lived, a mighty prince among the living and the dead. Achilles replied that he would rather be a slave and alive than king among the dead, but Odysseus was able to cheer him up with news of the prowess of his son Neoptolemus, and he departed During his visit Odysseus saw some of the famous sights of the Underworld Sisyphus endlessly pushing his great boulder up a mountain, with it always slipping back just as it reached the top; and Tantalus, standing up to his neck in a pool of water which vanished as he bent to drink, with branches of fruits dangling above his head that blew away as he reached to grasp them Odysseus was keen to see more, and he did meet the ghost of the mighty Hercules, but before he could encounter other heroes of earlier generations he was overwhelmed by a great wave of the dead who came up in their thousands and raised around him their mournful, haunting cry; panic-stricken, he returned to his ship loosened the moorings and crossed back to the world of the lir The sirens
83 forgetting the trials through which they had passed. The Underworld Eventually Odysseus was reminded by some of his companions that perhaps it was time to think of Ithaca. Circe warned him that before he could set sail for home he must first visit the Underworld to consult the Theban prophet Teiresias: only Teiresias could give him instructions for his return. So Odysseus sailed across the River of Ocean and moored38 his ship by Persephone’s poplar39 grove. There on the shore he dug a trench40, around which he poured libations to the dead of honey, water, milk and wine; over the trench he cut the throats of a ram and a black sheep. Attracted by the smell of blood, the souls of the dead thronged up to drink, but Odysseus drew his sword and kept them back, waiting for the soul of Teiresias to appear. First to approach was one of his crew, Elpenor, who had fallen of the roof of Circe’s house where he had been sleeping on the morning of the departure, and whom in their haste to depart they had left unburied and unwept; this state of affairs Odysseus promised to rectify41 as soon as he could. When Teiresias appeared, Odysseus let him drink the blood, and the prophet then told him that he had a good chance of returning home safely, but that he must be sure not to plunder42 the Cattle of the Sun on the island of Thrinacia; he also warned him of the situation he would find on Ithaca, where rapacious43 suitors were wooing his faithful wife Penelope. After he had heard all that Teiresias could tell him, Odysseus let other ghosts approach and drink the blood which enabled them to converse with him. The first to come was his ancient mother, who relayed to him the manner of her death, and a sad account of the wretched state of his father Laertes and Penelop’s brave efforts to fend off her suitors. Odysseus, overcome by grief and desiring to comfort both himself and his mother, tried three times to embrace her, but three times she slipped wraith-like through his hands and left him holding the air. Other heroines approached and conversed, and after them came Agamenon, who told Odysseus of his bloody death, comforting him with the thought that Penelope would never act as Clytemnestra had done. Achilles also approached, and Odysseus hailed44 him as the most fortunate man who ever lived, a mighty prince among the living and the dead. Achilles replied that he would rather be a slave and alive than king among the dead, but Odysseus was able to cheer him up with news of the prowess of his son Neoptolemus, and he departed happy. During his visit Odysseus saw some of the famous sights of the Underworld: Sisyphus endlessly pushing his great boulder up a mountain, with it always slipping back just as it reached the top; and Tantalus, standing up to his neck in a pool of water which vanished as he bent to drink, with branches of fruits dangling above his head that blew away as he reached to grasp them. Odysseus was keen to see more, and he did meet the ghost of the mighty Hercules, but before he could encounter other heroes of earlier generations he was overwhelmed by a great wave of the dead who came up in their thousands and raised around him their mournful, haunting cry; panic-stricken, he returned to his ship. Loosened the moorings and crossed back to the world of the living. The Sirens
Odysseus returned to Circe's island and, once Elpenor was properly buried, Circe was able to give Odysseus further instructions for his journey and to prepare him for some of the evils to come. The ship sailed first by the island of the Sirens, terrible creatures with the heads and voices of women and the bodies of birds who existed for the purpose of luring mariners"on to the rocks of their island with their sweet songs As the ship approached, a dead calm fell upon the sea, and the crew took to their oars On Circe's instructions Odysseus plugged the ears of the crew with wax while he had himself bound to the mast, so that they would carry him safely past the danger yet let him listen to the song. Odysseus shouted to his men to release him, but they rowed esolutely on, and eventually the danger was passed Scylla and charybdis Their next task was to navigate the twin hazards of Scylla and charybdis Charybdis was a terrifying whirlpool, alternatively sucking down and throwing up the heaving water; the cautious mariner who chose to avoid her was forced instead to encounter the equally horrific Scylla. Scylla lurked in a cavern set high up in a rock concealed by spray and mist from the breakers below; she had twelve feet which dangled in the d six necks, each equipped with a monstrous head with triple rows of teeth. From her cavern she exacted a toll of human victim from the ships which passed beneath. Odysseus, forewarned by Circe, chose not to tell his sailors about Scylla; giving Charybdis as wide a berth* as possible, they passed directly under Scylla's rock, and although Odysseus was armed and prepared to do battle with her for the lives of his crew, she managed to evade his watch and succeeded in snatching up six shrieking victim The Cattle of helios Next the ship came within sight of the island of Thrinacia, a place of rich pasturage where Apollo kept his herds of fat cattle. Odysseus had been warned by both Circe and Teiresias that if he hoped to reach Ithaca alive he should avoid this place and must not at any cost lay a hand upon the cattle. He explained this to his men but they, weary and depressed by the loss of six more comrades, insisted on making anchor and spending the night on the beach. Faced with a mutiny*, Odysseus had little option but to comply, but he made them swear to leave the cattle strictly alone That night a storm set in, and for a full month the wind blew from the south, making it impossible for them to continue their journey So long as they still had the provisions Circe had given them, the men kept to their oath and did not touch the cattle. But eventually their food ran out and, driven by hunger, they seized the opportunity presented by Odysseus's temporary absence from the ship to round up some of the best of the herd; they reasoned that if they slaughtered them in honor of the gods, the gods could hardly be angry. Odysseus returned to the smell of roasting meat; rebuke was useless for the deed was done and the gods were determined to avenge the crime. When the meat was finished, the wind dropped, so the ship could set sail; but no sooner was she fairly out to sea than a terrible gale sprung up and the ship was first smashed by the force of the waves, ther rent asunder by a lightning flash. All hands were lost save Odysseus himself, who managed to cling on to the wreckage of the mast and keel, which he rode for ten days
84 Odysseus returned to Circe’s island and, once Elpenor was properly buried, Circe was able to give Odysseus further instructions for his journey and to prepare him for some of the evils to come. The ship sailed first by the island of the Sirens, terrible creatures with the heads and voices of women and the bodies of birds, who existed for the purpose of luring mariners45 on to the rocks of their island with their sweet songs. As the ship approached, a dead calm fell upon the sea, and the crew took to their oars. On Circe’s instructions Odysseus plugged the ears of the crew with wax while he had himself bound to the mast, so that they would carry him safely past the danger yet let him listen to the song. Odysseus shouted to his men to release him, but they rowed resolutely on, and eventually the danger was passed. Scylla and Charybdis Their next task was to navigate the twin hazards46 of Scylla and Charybdis. Charybdis was a terrifying whirlpool47, alternatively sucking down and throwing up the heaving water; the cautious mariner who chose to avoid her was forced instead to encounter the equally horrific Scylla. Scylla lurked in a cavern set high up in a rock, concealed by spray and mist from the breakers below; she had twelve feet which dangled in the air and six necks, each equipped with a monstrous head with triple rows of teeth. From her cavern she exacted a toll of human victim from the ships which passed beneath. Odysseus, forewarned by Circe, chose not to tell his sailors about Scylla; giving Charybdis as wide a berth48 as possible, they passed directly under Scylla’s rock, and although Odysseus was armed and prepared to do battle with her for the lives of his crew, she managed to evade his watch and succeeded in snatching up six shrieking victims. The Cattle of Helios Next the ship came within sight of the island of Thrinacia, a place of rich pasturage where Apollo kept his herds of fat cattle. Odysseus had been warned by both Circe and Teiresias that if he hoped to reach Ithaca alive he should avoid this place and must not at any cost lay a hand upon the cattle. He explained this to his men, but they, weary and depressed by the loss of six more comrades, insisted on making anchor and spending the night on the beach. Faced with a mutiny49, Odysseus had little option but to comply, but he made them swear to leave the cattle strictly alone. That night a storm set in, and for a full month the wind blew from the south, making it impossible for them to continue their journey. So long as they still had the provisions Circe had given them, the men kept to their oath and did not touch the cattle. But eventually their food ran out and, driven by hunger, they seized the opportunity presented by Odysseus’s temporary absence from the ship to round up some of the best of the herd; they reasoned that if they slaughtered them in honor of the gods, the gods could hardly be angry. Odysseus returned to the smell of roasting meat; rebuke50 was useless for the deed was done, and the gods were determined to avenge the crime. When the meat was finished, the wind dropped, so the ship could set sail; but no sooner was she fairly out to sea than a terrible gale sprung up and the ship was first smashed by the force of the waves, then rent asunder51 by a lightning flash. All hands were lost save Odysseus himself, who managed to cling on to the wreckage of the mast and keel, which he rode for ten days