“Ever the same Odysseus as of old,” said Athene, smiling again, “cautious and wary, and hard to convince.  Verily thou art a man after mine own heart, and therefore can I never leave thee or forsake thee in all thy cares.  Any other man would have rushed to embrace his wife, after so many years of wandering; but thou must needs prove her and make trial of her constancy, before thou takest her to thy heart.  And if thou wouldst know why I held aloof from thee so long, it was because of Poseidon, my father’s brother, who ever pursued thee with his ire.  Yet I knew that thou wouldst return at last, and have waited patiently for that hour, And now I will open thine eyes, that thou mayest know the land of thy birth.”

As she spoke she touched his eyes, and a mist seemed to fall away from them, so that he recognised every feature of the place, the slopes of Neritus, waving with forest trees, the spreading olive-tree, the harbour, and the cavern where he had many a time sacrificed to the nymphs.  Then Odysseus rejoiced in spirit, and kneeling down he kissed his native soil, and put up a prayer to the guardian deities of the place:  “Greeting, lovely Naiads, maiden daughters of Zeus!  Ne’er hoped I to see your faces again, Give ear unto my prayer, and if I live and prosper by the favour of Athene I will pay you rich offerings, as I was wont to do.”

“Doubt not my good-will,” said Athene, when he had finished; “that is assured thee.  But it is time to secure these goods of thine in a safe hiding-place.  After that we will advise what is next to be done.”

With that she dived into the cave, closely followed by Odysseus, and showed him where he best might conceal his treasure.  When all was safely bestowed, she set a great stone in the mouth of the cavern, and sat down at the foot of the olive-tree, motioning Odysseus to take his place at her side.  “Now mark my words,” began Athene, “thou hast a heavy task before thee, to purge thy house of the shameless crew who for three years past have held the mastery there, and sought to tempt thy wife from her loyalty to thee.  All this time she has been putting them off with promises which she has no mind to fulfil.”

“Tis well,” answered Odysseus, “that thou hast warned me; else had I fallen in my own hall, even as Agamemnon fell.  But come, contrive some cunning device, whereby I may avenge me, and be thou at my side to aid me, that my heart fail me not.  Pour into me the same might and the same valour as when we sacked Priam’s royal citadel; then should I fear nothing, though I fought single-handed against three hundred men.”