"My daughter," Odysseus said to her, "canst thou show me the way to the king's palace? I am a stranger, and here for the first time." Athena answered him: "With pleasure, stranger; the king is our neighbor. Follow me, and I will lead thee thither. But on the way do not greet anyone or ask questions, for the people here are not fond of those who come from other lands."
Thus spoke Athena and pursued her way with Odysseus following her. She threw a veil of darkness over the hero to hide him from rude gazers. Odysseus beheld the beautiful port with astonishment—the large ships, the great market-place, and the high walls of the city.
When they reached the palace, the girl stopped and said: "This is the house of the king. Go in without any fear, for they love brave men, even when they come from afar. The first thing to do is to find the queen, whose name is Aretè.
"She is greatly honored by the king, and all the people treat her as if she were a goddess, on account of her gentleness and virtue. In case the queen looks upon thee with favor, thou mayest be sure of safely reaching home."
Having spoken these words, the goddess took a friendly leave of the hero, and he entered the outer hall of Alkinoös, where he was bewildered by the splendor. The walls were of brass, the doors of gold, and the thresholds and lintels of pure silver. On each side of the main entrance gold and silver dogs stood guard. They were endowed with life and were immortal, the work and gift of the divine Hephæstus.
There were two rows of splendid seats in the large dining-hall. They were covered with costly mats, and the Phæacian leaders were wont to sit there and enjoy themselves. Golden statues of boys with lighted torches in their hands stood on beautiful pedestals and spread light over the merry banquets. There were fifty maid-servants in the palace. Some of them were grinding corn in the mill. Some spent their time in spinning and weaving, for as the men were renowned sailors, the women also were famous for making fine cloth.
There was a large orchard all around the palace, surrounded by a thick hedge. In the orchard there was a great variety of fruit-trees—pear, apple, pomegranate, olive, and fig. The trees were never bare of fruit, either in summer or in winter, for an ever-blowing west wind created such a mild climate that the trees were constantly blooming and ripening their fruit.
There was to be seen a tree full of blossoms, while another bent down under the load of ripe fruit. Thus it was with the grape-vines in the vineyard close to the orchard. Some were blooming, others had only begun to form fruit-buds, while some were loaded with ripe clusters ready for the wine-press. At the end of the orchard there was a magnificent flower-garden, in which the most fragrant flowers were blooming. Two springs also bubbled from the ground. One watered the orchard, and the other ran to the very door of the palace, and all the people filled their pitchers there. Such were the gifts Alkinoös had received from the gods.