So spake she, and lulled her queen’s lamentation, and made her eyes to cease from weeping.  So she washed her in water, and took to her clean raiment, and ascended to the upper chamber with the women her handmaids, and placed the meal for sprinkling in a basket, and prayed unto Athene: 

’Hear me, child of Zeus, lord of the aegis, unwearied maiden!  If ever wise Odysseus in his halls burnt for thee fat slices of the thighs of heifer or of sheep, these things, I pray thee, now remember, and save my dear son, and ward from him the wooers in the naughtiness of their pride.’

Therewith she raised a cry, and the goddess heard her prayer.  But the wooers clamoured through the shadowy halls, and thus would some proud youth say: 

’Verily this queen of many wooers prepareth our marriage, nor knoweth at all how that for her son death hath been ordained.’

Thus would certain of them speak, but they knew not how these things were ordained.  And Antinous made harangue and spake among them: 

’Good sirs, my friends, shun all disdainful words alike, lest someone hear and tell it even in the house.  But come let us arise, and in silence accomplish that whereof we spake, for the counsel pleased us every one.’

Therewith he chose twenty men that were the best, and they departed to the swift ship and the sea-banks.  So first of all they drew the ship down to the deep water, and placed the mast and sails in the black ship, and fixed the oars in leathern loops all orderly, and spread forth the white sails.  And squires, haughty of heart, bare for them their arms.  And they moored her high out in the shore water, and themselves disembarked.  There they supped and waited for evening to come on.

But the wise Penelope lay there in her upper chamber, fasting and tasting neither meat nor drink, musing whether her noble son should escape death, or even fall before the proud wooers.  And as a lion broods all in fear among the press of men, when they draw the crafty ring around him, so deeply was she musing when deep sleep came over her.  And she sank back in sleep and all her joints were loosened.

Now the goddess, grey-eyed Athene, turned to other thoughts.  She made a phantom, and fashioned it after the likeness of a woman, Iphthime, daughter of great-hearted Icarius, whom Eumelus wedded, whose dwelling was in Pherae.  And she sent it to the house of divine Odysseus to bid Penelope, amid her sorrow and lamenting, to cease from her weeping and tearful lamentation.  So the phantom passed into the chamber by the thong of the bolt, and stood above her head and spake unto her, saying: 

’Sleepest thou, Penelope, stricken at heart?  Nay, even the gods who live at ease suffer thee not to wail or be afflicted, seeing that thy son is yet to return; for no sinner is he in the eyes of the gods.’

Then wise Penelope made her answer as she slumbered very softly at the gates of dreams: