3rd page
Eurymachus, the son of Polybus, answered her again in reply: “Daughter of Icarios, prudent Penelope, we do not think in anyway at all, that this man will take you away, nor would it be proper. But we are afraid of the speech of men and women, lest at some point, another one of the Greeks who is more dishonourable might say: “Men who are far more feeble, are wooing the wife of an excellent man and are not able to string the well-polished bow in anyway at all. But some other wandering beggar man, having come here, easily strung the bow and shot it through the iron.’ So they will speak; and these words will be a disgrace to us.”
Prudent Penelope addressed him again. “Eurymachus, it is in no way at all possible for men to have a good name, throughout a country that dishonour and devour the house of an excellent man. What value do you place upon these reproaches? This stranger who is very tall and well built, claims by descent to be the son of a noble father. But come and give the well polished bow to him in order that we may see. For thus shall command and this will also be done. If he strings it and Apollo grants him his prayer, I shall clothe him in a cloak and a tunic, fine clothing, and I will give him a sharp javelin, protector against dogs and men, and a double edged sword. I will give him sandals to go beneath his feet, and I will send him wherever his heart and mind bid him to go.”
4th page
Then wise Telemachus addressed her again in reply: “My dear Mother, none of the Achaeans has more right then me to give or refuse the bow to who ever I wish, neither those who rule over rocky Ithaca nor those on the islands which lie in the direction of Elis, the pasture land of horses. None of these men will force me against my will, even if I desire to give this bow once and for all to this guest to take away as a present. But go into your room, see to your own work there, the loom and the distaff, and order your maidservants to hurry about their work. The bow will be a concern for all men, and especially for me, for mine is the power in this house. Amazed, she went back again to her room, for she stored up the wise speech of her son in her heart. For having gone up to her upper room, she then began to weep for Odysseus, her dear husband, along with her serving women, until bright-eyed Athene, cast sweet sleep over her eyelids.
But the goodly swineherd having picked up the curved bow, began to bring it forward, but all the suitors in the hall began to rebuke him and one of the arrogant young men began to speak as follows: “To where are you taking the curved bow, you wretched swineherd and vagabond. The swift hounds, which you used to breed, will soon discover you alone of men amongst your pigs, if Apollo and the other immortal gods are kind to us.
5th page
So he spoke, and he [Eumaeus] having been frightened because many men were shouting at him in the hall, bringing the bow forward, placed it on the very ground. Telemachus threatened him and shouted at him from the other side of the room: “My friend, bring the bow forward. Soon you will not obey all men and get away with it. Take care in case, though I am younger, I chase you into the fields, pelting you with stones. For I am greater in strength, would that I were stronger in the strength of my hands then all the suitors, who are in the house, just as I am stronger then you. For in that case I would quickly send them to go wretchedly from my house, since they do wicked deeds.
So he spoke, and all the suitors laughed sweetly at him and let go of their fierce anger at Telemachus. And the swineherd carrying the bow along the room stood next to peerless Odysseus and placed it in his hands and having called to his nurse Eurycleia he spoke thus: “Telemachus orders you, prudent Eurycleia, to close the well-fitting doors of the hall. If anyone of the people in our enclosure hears a groaning or noise inside, let no-one go outside, but remain there in silence beside their work.” So he spoke, and his wingless speech was within her, and she shut the doors of the well situated house.
6th page
In silence Philotos leapt outside from the house and then he shut the doors, of the well-fenced courtyard. A cable made of reeds belonging to a ship that curved at both ends was lying beneath the colonnade, with which he tied up the doors of he went inside himself. Then going in he sat on the chair from which he had got up, looking at Odysseus. He was already handling the bow, turning it in every direction, testing it this way and that, in case worms had eaten into the horns of the bow, whilst its owner had gone away. And someone having looked at another person next to him began to speak as follows: “Surely he was some expert or skilled in bows. I think he also has a bow like this one at home or he is eager to make one like it, as the wanderer who is practiced in evil, is handling in this way and that in his hands.”
Another of the arrogant young men began to speak: “May he be as unlucky in life as he is in stringing the bow.” As soon as the suitors had said this, wily (crafty) Odysseus handled the great bow, he also looked down it in every direction, just like when a man knowing well the lyre and singing, easily fixed a new string around a new peg, after he fixed the well twisted gut of a sheep at both ends. So Odysseus without effort strung the great bow and having taken hold of it in his right hand, he tested the string. It sang sweetly beneath his touch, like the voice off a swallow.
7th page
There was great grief for the suitors, and all of their skin colour was changed. Zeus revealing positive omens began to thunder; and then much enduring goodly Odysseus rejoiced because the son of Kronos of cunning counsel had sent a sign to him. He chose a swift arrow which was lying next to him on the table ready for use. The others lay within his hollow quiver, which Archaens were soon going to experience. Having set the arrow notches, from the very place where he was sitting from a chair, and taking straight aim he shot the arrow and did not miss the first axe socket of all the axes, but the bronze weighted arrow went straight through and out the other end. And he spoke to Telemachus: “The stranger who is sitting in your house does not disgrace you, nor did I miss the mark in anyway at all, nor did I toil in anyway for a long time whilst I was stringing the bow. But my strength is still reliable, not as the suitors say insultingly, dishonouring me. Now is the time for a meal to be made in daylight for the Achaeans and then for us to enjoy ourselves in other ways, in dancing and in the lyre. For these are the accompaniments of the feast. He signalled with his eye-brows and Telemachus put his sharp sword around his neck, the dear son of God-like Odysseus, and put his beloved hand around a spear a stood next to him beside his chair, armed in gleaming bronze.
