“I saw also the heroes of ancient times. Minos, the wise ruler and lawgiver of Crete, was even now holding judgment over the souls of the dead in Hades; and Orion, the great hunter, with his mighty bow drove innumerable game before him. Tityus, that gigantic son of earth, who had once dared to dishonor the divine Leto, mother of Apollo and Artemis, lay fast bound upon the ground in punishment, two vultures on either side tearing at his entrails which ever grew again and were anew destroyed. Not less terrible was the penalty of Sisyphus, a king who had practised many cruelties during his lifetime. He was obliged to push a heavy block of marble up a steep hill, and as often as he had nearly reached the top it would glide from his hands and roll thundering down to the bottom of the valley. Then, bathed in cold perspiration and in a cloud of dust, he would begin the difficult task over again.
“I saw Tantalus also, that celebrated king whom Jupiter allowed to sit at his own table and feast with the gods. His vain heart was unworthy of the honor. He misused their confidence and betrayed their secrets; and for this he was undergoing a terrible martyrdom in Hades. A burning thirst consumes him continually, and though he stands up to his throat in water, and delicious pear, fig, and apple trees hang their sweet fruits above his head, he can never satisfy his vehement desires; for as often as he bends down to the water the pool suddenly dries up, and as often as he raises his hand to pluck of the juicy fruit, a furious wind quickly tosses the branches toward the clouds. I saw also the shade of Hercules. He lives in Olympus with the gods and is married to Hebe, enjoying the pleasures of the gods in return for all his labor on earth. Only his shade is in Hades. Theseus and Pirithous also glided by at a distance.
“I did not venture to remain much longer in this dread place, but full of what I had seen and heard, hastened back to the ship with my companions. We all went aboard and Oceanus bore us back the way we had come. Circe had scarcely heard of our arrival when she visited us and sent us plenty of bread, meat, and wine. When it began to grow dark she seated herself by my side, apart from the others, and gave me much wise advice for my coming voyage. She warned me against the Sirens who entice travellers with sweet songs, only to devour them like beasts of prey. ‘As it is impossible to resist their entrancing singing,’ she said, ‘take this piece of wax and knead it into a paste with which to stop the ears of thy companions; but cause thyself to be bound to the mast, and when, carried away by the magic singing, thou wouldst set thyself free, let them bind thee the faster.
“‘Another and greater danger awaits thee in the fearful abyss where dwell Scylla and Charybdis. There the sea is forced between two high rocks scarcely an arrow’s flight apart. Deep at the foot of one lurks Charybdis, the monster, gulping down endless streams of water with all ships and men who approach too near, and long afterwards spitting them out again dashed to pieces in the turmoil. Beware of that side and keep closer to the right, where the other monster, Scylla, dwells. When thou passest by thou wilt be obliged to pay her a terrible toll, for with each of her six jaws she will snatch one of thy men from the rower’s bench. But it is better to lose six men than to see thy whole ship go down in Charybdis’ whirlpool. Finally I warn thee of the sacred oxen of Helios on the island Thrinakia. Shouldst thou harm one of them, I prophesy destruction for thee and thy ship and thy friends; and even if thou shouldst thyself escape, thou shalt return home only after many years, unhappy and without any companions.’
“Thus spake the glorious goddess, and as rosy Eos appeared we hastened to our ships to take advantage of a favorable wind. As soon as I thought we were nearing the Sirens I kneaded the wax and stopped the ears of my friends; but me they bound fast to the mast. Thus we rowed on. The Sirens heard us coming and began their enchanting song. As I listened I was seized with an overmastering desire to hear more and struggled to loosen my bonds. I begged my friends with signs and gestures to aid me, but they only tied me faster, until the magical sounds grew fainter and fainter and the danger was left far behind.
“We next saw mist and rolling surf and heard hollow reverberations in the distance. The arms of the rowers became paralyzed and the ship stood still. I hastened among them and admonished them to row as fast as possible, but commanded the steersman to keep as far to the right as possible, that we might not be engulfed by Charybdis. I wisely kept silent about the fearful Scylla, or not a man would have rowed another stroke. As I stood on the high deck, armed with two spears and looking down into the foaming gulf, I heard a cry of pain on my right, and behold, the fearful monster had seized with her six jaws the bravest and strongest of my companions. They called loudly for help, but I could do naught for them. At last we had passed through the awful gulf and feasted our eyes on the green hills of Thrinakia. We could hear the lowing of the splendid oxen of Helios and the cheerful sound of bleating herds of sheep. Helios, the Sun-god, had placed these herds in the care of two nymphs, and delighted in watching them as often as he guided his golden chariot over Thrinakia’s hills. They never increased or diminished, neither did they grow old.
“‘Friends,’ said I, ‘this is the fatal island, and I already see the pleasant flocks of Helios, to touch which means death. Let us heed the warning of Tiresias and the divine Circe and avoid the island, for they have told us that the most terrible fate awaits us there.’
“My companions were displeased with my speech and began to murmur. Eurylochus was their spokesman. ‘Cruel, but too courageous Ulysses,’ said he, ‘thou art never weary, but we are worn out with our labors and thou begrudgest us rest. Thou wouldst have us row blindly out into the night. Let us land, take food, and rest beside the ship. Early in the morning we can set out again.’
“All applauded Eurylochus’ speech, and I perceived that the god was bent on my destruction. I said to them: ‘Ye can easily force me, a single man among many, to obedience. Only swear that ye will not touch one of those animals, but will be satisfied with the food which the immortal Circe has given us.’ They promised hastily and the steersman put to land.
“We disembarked and ate our supper. Then we bewailed the terrible death of our companions, and it was late before sweet slumber came to dry our tears. But alas, what an awakening we were to have. During the night a frightful storm arose and thick black clouds veiled land and sea. When morning dawned we drew our ship into a rocky cove and sheltered ourselves as best we could.