speech, and even then Aegisthus planned that pitiful work at home.  And for seven years he ruled over Mycenae, rich in gold, after he slew the son of Atreus, and the people were subdued unto him.  But in the eighth year came upon him goodly Orestes back from Athens to be his bane, and slew the slayer of his father, guileful Aegisthus, who killed his famous sire.  Now when he had slain him, he made a funeral feast to the Argives over his hateful mother, and over the craven Aegisthus.  And on the selfsame day there came to him Menelaus of the loud war-cry, bringing much treasure, even all the freight of his ships.  So thou, my friend, wander not long far away from home, leaving thy substance behind thee and men in thy house so wanton, lest they divide and utterly devour all thy wealth, and thou shalt have gone on a vain journey.  Rather I bid and command thee to go to Menelaus, for he hath lately come from a strange country, from the land of men whence none would hope in his heart to return, whom once the storms have driven wandering into so wide a sea.  Thence not even the birds can make their way in the space of one year, so great a sea it is and terrible.  But go now with thy ship and with thy company, or if thou hast a mind to fare by land, I have a chariot and horses at thy service, yea and my sons to do thy will, who will be thy guides to goodly Lacedaemon, where is Menelaus of the fair hair.  Do thou thyself entreat him, that he may give thee unerring answer.  He will not lie to thee, for he is very wise.’

{* Reading [Greek]. v. 1. ’[Greek], which must be wrong.}

Thus he spake, and the sun went down and darkness came on.  Then the goddess, grey-eyed Athene, spake among them, saying:  ’Yea, old man, thou hast told all this thy tale aright.  But come, cut up the tongues of the victims and mix the wine, that we may pour forth before Poseidon and the other deathless gods, and so may bethink us of sleep, for it is the hour for sleep.  For already has the light gone beneath the west, and it is not seemly to sit long at a banquet of the gods, but to be going home.’

So spake the daughter of Zeus, and they hearkened to her voice.  And the henchmen poured water over their hands, and pages crowned the mixing bowls with drink, and served out the wine to all, after they had first poured for libation into each cup in turn; and they cast the tongues upon the fire, and stood up and poured the drink-offering thereon.  But when they had poured forth and had drunken to their heart’s content, Athene and godlike Telemachus were both set on returning to the hollow ship; but Nestor would have stayed them, and accosted them, saying:  ’Zeus forfend it, and all the other deathless gods, that ye should depart from my house to the swift ship, as from the dwelling of one that is utterly without raiment or a needy man, who hath not rugs or blankets many in his house whereon to sleep softly, he or his guests.  Nay not so, I have rugs and fair blankets by me.  Never, methinks, shall the dear son of this man, even of Odysseus, lay him down upon the ship’s deck, while as yet I am alive, and my children after me are left in my hall to entertain strangers, whoso may chance to come to my house.’