slaughtered in the house of a rich and mighty man, whether at a wedding banquet or a joint-feast or a rich clan-drinking.  Ere now hast thou been at the slaying of many a man, killed in single fight or in strong battle, yet thou wouldst have sorrowed the most at this sight, how we lay in the hall round the mixing-bowl and the laden boards, and the floor all ran with blood.  And most pitiful of all that I heard was the voice of the daughter of Priam, of Cassandra, whom hard by me the crafty Clytemnestra slew.  Then I strove to raise my hands as I was dying upon the sword, but to earth they fell.  And that shameless one turned her back upon me, and had not the heart to draw down my eyelids with her fingers nor to close my mouth.  So surely is there nought more terrible and shameless than a woman who imagines such evil in her heart, even as she too planned a foul deed, fashioning death for her wedded lord.  Verily I had thought to come home most welcome to my children and my thralls; but she, out of the depth of her evil knowledge, hath shed shame on herself and on all womankind, which shall be for ever, even on the upright.”

’Even so he spake, but I answered him, saying:  “Lo now, in very sooth, hath Zeus of the far-borne voice wreaked wondrous hatred on the seed of Atreus through the counsels of woman from of old.  For Helen’s sake so many of us perished, and now Clytemnestra hath practised treason against thee, while yet thou wast afar off.”

’Even so I spake, and anon he answered me, saying:  “Wherefore do thou too, never henceforth be soft even to thy wife, neither show her all the counsel that thou knowest, but a part declare and let part be hid.  Yet shalt not thou, Odysseus, find death at the hand of thy wife, for she is very discreet and prudent in all her ways, the wise Penelope, daughter of Icarius.  Verily we left her a bride new wed when we went to the war, and a child was at her breast, who now, methinks, sits in the ranks of men, happy in his lot, for his dear father shall behold him on his coming, and he shall embrace his sire as is meet.  But us for my wife, she suffered me not so much as to have my fill of gazing on my son; ere that she slew me, even her lord.  And yet another thing will I tell thee, and do thou ponder it in thy heart.  Put thy ship to land in secret, and not openly, on the shore of thy dear country; for there is no more faith in woman.  But come, declare me this and plainly tell it all, if haply ye hear of my son as yet living, either, it may be, in Orchomenus or in sandy Pylos, or perchance with Menelaus in wide Sparta, for goodly Orestes hath not yet perished on the earth.”

’Even so he spake, but I answered him, saying:  “Son of Atreus, wherefore dost thou ask me straitly of these things?  Nay I know not at all, whether he be alive or dead; it is ill to speak words light as wind.”

’Thus we twain stood sorrowing, holding sad discourse, while the big tears fell fast:  and therewithal came the soul of Achilles, son of Peleus, and of Patroclus and of noble Antilochus and of Aias, who in face and form was goodliest of all the Danaans, after the noble son of Peleus.  And the spirit of the son of Aeacus, fleet of foot, knew me again, and making lament spake to me winged words: