’So spake I, and their high hearts consented thereto.  So then in the daytime I would weave the mighty web, and in the night unravel the same, when I had let place the torches by me.  Thus for the space of three years I hid the thing by craft and beguiled the minds of the Achaeans.  But when the fourth year arrived, and the seasons came round as the months waned, and many days were accomplished, then it was that by help of the handmaids, shameless things and reckless, the wooers came and trapped me, and chid me loudly.  Thus did I finish the web by no will of mine, for so I must.  And now I can neither escape the marriage nor devise any further counsel, and my parents are instant with me to marry, and my son chafes that these men devour his livelihood, as he takes note of all; for by this time he has come to man’s estate; and is full able to care for a household, for one to which Zeus vouchsafes honour.  But even so tell me of thine own stock, whence thou art, for thou art not sprung of oak or rock, whereof old tales tell.’

And Odysseus of many counsels answered her and said: 

’O wife revered of Odysseus, son of Laertes, wilt thou never have done asking me about mine own race?  Nay, but I will tell thee:  yet surely thou wilt give me over to sorrows yet more than those wherein I am holden, for so it ever is when a man has been afar from his own country, so long as now I am, wandering in sore pain to many cities of mortals.  Yet even so I will tell thee what thou askest and inquirest.  There is a land called Crete in the midst of the wine-dark sea, a fair land and a rich, begirt with water, and therein are many men innumerable, and ninety cities.  And all have not the same speech, but there is confusion of tongues; there dwell Achaeans and there too Cretans of Crete, high of heart, and Cydonians there and Dorians of waving plumes and goodly Pelasgians.  And among these cities is the mighty city Cnosus, wherein Minos when he was nine years old began to rule, he who held converse with great Zeus, and was the father of my father, even of Deucalion, high of heart.  Now Deucalion begat me and Idomeneus the prince.  Howbeit, he had gone in his beaked ships up into Ilios, with the sons of Atreus; but my famed name is Aethon, being the younger of the twain and he was the first born and the better man.  There I saw Odysseus, and gave him guest-gifts, for the might of the wind bare him too to Crete, as he was making for Troy land, and had driven him wandering past Malea.  So he stayed his ships in Amnisus, whereby is the cave of Eilithyia, in havens hard to win, and scarce he escaped the tempest.  Anon he came up to the city and asked for Idomeneus, saying that he was his friend and held by him in love and honour.  But it was now the tenth or the eleventh dawn since Idomeneus had gone in his beaked ships up into Ilios.  Then I led him to the house, and gave him good entertainment with all loving-kindness out of the plenty in my house, and for him and for the rest of his company, that went with him, I gathered and gave barley meal and dark wine out of the public store, and oxen to sacrifice to his heart’s desire.  There the goodly Achaeans abode twelve days, for the strong North Wind penned them there, and suffered them not to stay upon the coast, for some angry god had roused it.  On the thirteenth day the wind fell, and then they lifted anchor.’