’So I spake, and then he prayed to the lord Poseidon stretching forth his hands to the starry heaven:  “Hear me, Poseidon, girdler of the earth, god of the dark hair, if indeed I be thine, and thou avowest thee my sire,—­grant that he may never come to his home, even Odysseus, waster of cities, the son of Laertes, whose dwelling is in Ithaca; yet if he is ordained to see his friends and come unto his well-builded house, and his own country, late may he come in evil case, with the loss of all his company, in the ship of strangers, and find sorrows in his house.”

’So he spake in prayer, and the god of the dark locks heard him.  And once again he lifted a stone, far greater than the first, and with one swing he hurled it, and he put forth a measureless strength, and cast it but a little space behind the dark-prowed ship, and all but struck the end of the rudder.  And the sea heaved beneath the fall of the rock, but the wave bare on the ship and drave it to the further shore.

’But when he had now reached that island, where all our other decked ships abode together, and our company were gathered sorrowing, expecting us evermore, on our coming thither we ran our ship ashore upon the sand, and ourselves too stept forth upon the sea beach.  Next we took forth the sheep of the Cyclops from out the hollow ship, and divided them, that none through me might go lacking his proper share.  But the ram for me alone my goodly-greaved company chose out, in the dividing of the sheep, and on the shore I offered him up to Zeus, even to the son of Cronos, who dwells in the dark clouds, and is lord of all, and I burnt the slices of the thighs.  But he heeded not the sacrifice, but was devising how my decked ships and my dear company might perish utterly.  Thus for that time we sat the livelong day, until the going down of the sun, feasting on abundant flesh and sweet wine.  And when the sun had sunk and darkness had come on, then we laid us to rest upon the sea beach.  So soon as early Dawn shone forth, the rosy-fingered, I called to my company, and commanded them that they should themselves climb the ship and loose the hawsers.  So they soon embarked and sat upon the benches, and sitting orderly smote the grey sea water with their oars.

’Thence we sailed onward stricken at heart, yet glad as men saved from death, albeit we had lost our dear companions.

Book X

Odysseus, his entertainment by Aeolus, of whom he received a fair wind for the present, and all the rest of the winds tied up in a bag; which his men untying, flew out, and carried him back to Aeolus, who refused to receive him.  His adventure at Laestrygonia with Antiphates, where of twelve ships he lost eleven, men and all.  How he went thence to the Isle of Aea, where half of his men were turned by Circe into swine, and how he went himself, and by the help of Hermes recovered them and stayed with Circe a year.