"I am a man of Alybas," replied Odysseus, "the son of Apheidas the son of Polypemon, and Eperitus is my name; and it is now five years since Odysseus departed from my home. Fair omens attended him on his starting, and we parted in high hopes that we should meet again in his own land."

At these words of Odysseus the poor old man was overwhelmed with sorrow, and he heaped dust upon his grey head, groaning in bitterness of spirit. Odysseus was moved with pity at the sight of his distress, and thinking that he had now tried him enough, he revealed himself, pointing as proofs to the scar above his knee, and to certain trees which Laertes had allowed him to call his own when he walked with him, hand-in-hand, as a little child, through the garden.

The sudden shock of joyful recognition was too much for the old man, and he fell fainting into his son's arms. When he was somewhat recovered they went back together towards the house, and on the way Odysseus spoke of the slaying of the wooers, and of the danger which threatened him from the vengeance of their friends.

II

Meanwhile the news of the wooers' violent death had spread like wildfire through the island, and their kinsmen went with loud clamour to the house of Odysseus to carry away the dead bodies. When this was done they gathered together at the place of assembly to devise some plan of vengeance; and Eupeithes, the father of Antinous, made violent outcry against Odysseus for his great act of savage justice.

While they were debating, Medon and Phemius appeared on the scene, and described the manner in which the wooers had met their end. "The hand of Heaven," said Medon, "was made manifest in the deed. I myself saw Athene leading the onset, and your sons were laid low like ripe sheaves before the sickle." This report chilled their courage not a little; and Halitherses, seeing the effect produced, exerted all his eloquence to put an end to the blood feud. Nevertheless more than half of those present persisted in their purpose, and donning their armour went forth from the town to meet the party of Odysseus.

The encounter took place in front of the farmhouse, where Odysseus and the others had just taken their morning meal. Laertes, who seemed to have recovered all the vigour of his youth, led the attack, and by a well-aimed cast of his lance struck down Eupeithes, the leader of the opposing party. This success was followed up by a vigorous charge, in the midst of which a supernatural voice was heard in the air, striking terror into the assailants of Odysseus, who turned and fled in wild panic towards the town. They were hotly pursued, and not a man would have been left alive had not Zeus himself interposed to stay the slaughter. By his command Athene acted as mediator between Odysseus and the kinsmen of the wooers, and an oath of amnesty was taken on both sides, confirmed with solemn prayer and sacrifice.

PRONOUNCING LIST OF NAMES

Achillesăkil´ez Iphimedeiaifĭmĕdī´ă
Æetesē-ē´-tez Iphitusif´ĭtus
Ægæanēgē´an Iphthimeifthī´mē
Ægisthusēgis´thus Irusī´rus
Ægyptusēgyp´tus Ithacaĭth´ăcă
Æolusē´ŏlus
Æthonē´thon Lacedæmonlăsĕdē´mon
Agamemnonăgămĕm´non Laerteslāĕr´tēz
Agelausăgĕlā´us Læstrygonialēstrĭgŏ´nĭă
Ajaxā´jax Ledalē´dă
Alcinousalsĭn´-ŏ-us Leiodeslīō´dēz
Alcmenealkmē´nē Lesboslĕz´bos
Alybasāl´ĭbas Letolē´tō
Amphinomusamphĭn´ŏmus
Anticleiaantĭklī´a Maleamăl´ĕă
Antilochusantĭl´ŏchus Medonmed´on
Antiphatesantĭph´ătēz Melampusmĕlam´pus
Antinousantĭn´ŏus Melanthiusmĕlan´thĭus
Antiphusan´tĭfus Melanthomĕlan´thō
Apheidasăfī´das Menelausmĕnĕlā´us
Aphroditeăfrŏdī´tē Mentesmen´tez
Arcadyar´cădĭ Mentormen´tōr
Areteārē´tē Messenemessē´nē
Arethusaărĕthyū´să Minosmī´nos
Arnæusarnē´us Mycenæmīsē´nē
Artemisar´tĕmis
Arybasă´ribas Nausicaänausĭk´ă-ă
Atheneăthē´nē Neleusnē´lyūs
Atreusā´trūs Neoptolemusneoptŏl´ĕmus
Auroraōrō´ră Neritusnē´rĭtus
Nestornĕs´tōr
Boötesbŏō´tēz
Oceanusosē´anus
Calypsokălĭp´sō Odysseusodis´yūs
Cassandracassan´dră Orestesŏrĕs´tēz
Charybdiskărib´dis Orionōrī´on
Cimmerianssimmĕ´rĭans Ormeniusormĕn´ĭus
Circesĭr´sē Orsilochusorsĭl´ŏkus
Clytæmnestraclītēmnĕs´tră Ortygiaortĭ´gĭă
Cnosusknō´sŭs Otusŏ´tus
Ctesippusktĕ´sĭpus
Ctesiusktē´sĭus Patrocluspătrŏ´clus
Cyclopessīklō´pēz Peiræuspīrē´us
Cyclopssī´klops Peleuspē´lyūs
Pelidespĕlī´dēz
Deiphobusdēĭf´ŏbus Pelionpē´lĭon
Delosdĕ´los Penelopepēnĕl´ŏpē
Demeterdēmē´tēr Persephonepersĕf´ŏnē
Demodocusdēmŏ´dŏcus Pharosfā´ros
Deucaliondūka´lĭon Phæaciafēā´siă
Diomededĭ´ŏmeed Phemiusfē´mĭus
Dodonadō-dō´nă Pheræfē´rē
Doliusdŏl´ĭus Philoctetesfĭloktē´tēz
Dulichiumdyūlĭ´-kĭum Philœtiusfĭlē´tĭus
Pisistratuspīsis´trătus
Eidotheaīdō´thĭ-ĕă Pleiadesplī´adēz
Elisē´lis Polycastepŏlĭcas´tē
Elpenorĕlpē´nōr Polydamnapŏlĭdam´na
Eperitusĕpē´rĭtus Polypemonpŏlĭpē´mon
Ephialtesĕfĭal´tēz Polyphemuspŏlĭfē´mus
Ephyraĕf´ĭră Poseidonpŏsī´don
Eriphyleĕrĭfī´lē Proteusprō´tyūs
Eubœayūbē´a Pylospī´los
Eumæusyūmē´us
Eupeithesyūpī´thēz Samesā´mē
Eurymachusyūrĭ´măkus Scyllasil´lă
Eurynomusyūrĭ´nŏmus Scyrosskī´ros
Eurycleiayūrīclī´ă Sirenssī´rens
Euryalusyūrī´ălus Sisyphussĭ´sĭfus
Eurylochusyūrĭl´ŏkus Suniumsyū´nĭum
Eurydamasyūrĭd´ămas
Eurytusyū´rĭtus Tantalustan´tălus
Teiresiastīrĕ´sĭas
Hadeshā´dēz Telamontĕl´ămon
Halitherseshălĭther´sēz Telemachustēlē´măkus
Helioshĕ´lĭos Tenedostĕn´ĕdos
Hephæstushēfēs´tus Theoclymenusthĕŏcly´mĕnus
Herahē´ră Thesprotiathĕsprō´tīă
Herculesher´cŭlēz Thonthōn
Hermesher´mēz Tityostĭt´ĭos
Tyndareustin´dăryūs
Iasionīă´sĭon
Icariusīkă´rĭus Zacynthuszăkin´thus
Idomeneusīdōm´ĕnyūs Zeuszyūs
Inoī´nŏ