[405] On this she led the way, while
Telemakhos followed in her steps. When they got to the ship they
found the crew waiting by the water side, and Telemakhos said, "Now
my men, help me to get the stores on board; they are all put together
in the room, and my mother does not know anything about it, nor any
of the maid servants except one."
[413] With these words he led the way
and the others followed after. When they had brought the things as he
told them, Telemakhos went on board, Athena going before him and
taking her seat in the stern of the vessel, while Telemakhos sat
beside her. Then the men loosed the hawsers and took their places on
the benches. Athena sent them a fair wind from the West, that
whistled over the seething deep waves whereon Telemakhos told them to
catch hold of the ropes and hoist sail, and they did as he told them.
They set the mast in its socket in the cross plank, raised it, and
made it fast with the forestays; then they hoisted their white sails
aloft with ropes of twisted ox hide. As the sail bellied out with the
wind, the ship flew through the seething deep water, and the foam
hissed against her bows as she sped onward. Then they made all fast
throughout the ship, filled the mixing-bowls to the brim, and made
drink offerings to the immortal gods that are from everlasting, but
more particularly to the gray-eyed daughter of Zeus.
[434] Thus, then, the ship sped on her
way through the watches of the night from dark till dawn.
Book 3
Scroll 3
[1] But as the sun was rising from the
fair sea into the firmament of heaven to shed light on mortals and
immortals, they reached Pylos the city of Neleus. Now the people of
Pylos were gathered on the sea shore to offer sacrifice of black
bulls to Poseidon lord of the Earthquake. There were nine guilds with
five hundred men in each, and there were nine bulls to each guild. As
they were eating the inward meats and burning the thigh bones [on
the embers] in the name of Poseidon, Telemakhos and his crew
arrived, furled their sails, brought their ship to anchor, and went
ashore.
[12] Athena led the way and Telemakhos
followed her. Presently she said, "Telemakhos, you must not at all
feel aids or be nervous; you have taken this voyage to
try and find out where your father is buried and how he came by his
end; so go straight up to Nestor that we may see what he has got to
tell us. Beg of him to speak the truth, and he will tell no lies, for
he is an excellent person."
[21] "But how, Mentor," replied
Telemakhos, "dare I go up to Nestor, and how am I to address him? I
have never yet been used to holding long conversations with people,
and feel aids about questioning one who is so much
older than myself."
[25] "Some things, Telemakhos,"
answered Athena, "will be suggested to you by your own instinct, and
some daimn will prompt you further; for I am assured
that the gods have been with you from the time of your birth until
now."