Then Odysseus bent his brows, and answered with a stern look:  “Friend, thou art over-saucy of thy tongue.  But so it ever is; the gods dispense their gifts with sparing hand, and give not all excellence to the same man.  One man is mean of aspect, but heaven’s grace descends upon his lips, so that men look upon him with delight while he discourses smoothly with a winning modesty.  He is the observed of all observers, and when he walks through the town all eyes follow him as if he were a god.  Another again is glorious, like a very god, in the splendour of his face and form, but no grace attends upon his speech.  Even so thou art conspicuous for thy beauty, as though the hand of a god had fashioned thee, but in understanding thou art naught.  Thou hast stung me by thy unseemly words; I am not ignorant of manly sports, as thou sayest, but I tell thee that I was among the foremost as long as I trusted in my youth and in the might of my hands.  But now I am sore spent with woe and pain, for many things have I suffered in battles by land, and buffeting with the sea.  Nevertheless, broken as I am, I will give proof of my strength, for thou hast provoked me bitterly by thy wanton words.”

Thereupon, without waiting to throw off his cloak, he sprang into the arena, and caught up a massy disc of iron, far heavier than those with which the Phaeacians had been throwing.  Poising it lightly, with one hand he flung it, as one who flings a ball.  The Phaeacians sank back in dismay as they saw the huge mass flying high over their heads, and when it fell all rushed to the spot to mark the distance.  There it lay, far beyond the longest cast of the native athletes, and Odysseus pointed to it, and said:  “Reach that mark, my young masters, if ye can!  And if any among you have a mind to try a match with me in boxing or in wrestling, or in the foot race, they shall have their will; only with the sons of Alcinous I will not strive, for he is my host, and it were not fitting or prudent to challenge them.  Whatever a man can do with his hands I can do:  I can send an arrow sure and strong, and strike down my foe, and herein can no archer surpass me, save one only, Philoctetes, who bare the bow of Hercules; and I can fling a javelin farther than another man can shoot an arrow.  Only in speed of foot I fear that some of you may surpass me; for my knees are yet weak from long fasting and fighting with the waves.”

Not one of the Phaeacians took up the challenge, but all sat mute, gazing in wonder and awe at this strange man, who had just given such signal proof of the power of his arm.  At last Alcinous answered and said:  “Stranger, none here can take thy words amiss, for, as thou sayest, thou hast been bitterly provoked.  But hear me now in turn, and push not thy quarrel further, but rest satisfied with the proof of thy prowess which thou hast given.  I will speak to thee frankly, that thou mayest know what manner of men the Phaeacians are.  We are not mighty men