Chapter 30 revenge on a suitor

At this time, Odysseus rolled up his ragged sleeves, and holding a hard bow and a quiver full of arrows, he stood on the high threshold.He poured all the arrows at his feet, and said loudly to the suitor: "The first round is over, now let's go to the second round. This time I choose the target!" As he spoke, he drew his bow, He set up an arrow, aimed at Antinous, who was toasting and drinking, and shot at his throat, and the arrow pierced through the back of his neck.Blood spurted from his mouth and nose, and the wine glass slipped from his hand.When he fell, he knocked over the table and spilled dishes and glasses on the floor.When the suitors saw him fall, they jumped up from their chairs, and ran to the wall for weapons, but the spear and shield were gone.Then they yelled: "Damn stranger, why did you aim at us and shoot!" They said this, thinking that the stranger had accidentally shot Antinous.Little did they know they were all facing the same fate.Odysseus yelled at them loudly: "You beasts, you think I will never come back from Troy! You squander my property, deceive my maids, and come to me while I live wives. You are not ashamed before gods and mortals! Now your end has come!"

The suitors were shocked when they heard this, and each looked for a way to escape.Only Eurymachus, the suitor, forced himself to be calm and said: "If you are really Odysseus, then you have the right to be angry with us, because we have done something that should not be done in your palace and in your country. However, the culprit who should be responsible has died under your arrows. Antinous instigated us to do these things, but he didn't really propose to your wife. He wanted to be Ithaca King, planned to murder your son. He has now received the punishment he deserved. We are your brothers, please forgive us. Please be calm! We will each give you twenty fat cows as compensation, and give you what you want of gold and bronze, I beg your pardon!"

"No, Eurymachus," replied Odysseus sternly, "even if you gave me all your inheritance, I would not give up. I want you to pay for your sins with death, and no one can do it." Don't even think about escaping from my grasp!" The suitor was terrified and trembling.Eurymachus turned his head and said to his friends: "This man does not eat a toast, but drinks as a fine. Everyone draws their swords and blocks his arrows with a table. We must subdue him, push him over the threshold, and then we will Go ask friends to come to our aid." As he spoke, he drew his sword.However, before he could rush forward, the flying arrow had already pierced his chest, and the sharp sword fell from his hand to the ground.Eurymachus rolled on the ground in pain, hit his head on the ground, and died in a short while.Now Amphinomus swung his sword at Odysseus, trying to escape.Telemachus threw his spear at him, and it caught him in the back, and he fell to the ground.Telemachus drew his spear, and stood on the threshold with his father, and handed him a shield, two spears, and a bronze helmet.Again Telemachus hastened into the arsenal, and fetched four shields, four helmets of brass, eight spears, and four helmets decorated with horsehair.He and the two faithful shepherds were armed.They gave the fourth suit of armor to Odysseus.So, the four stood together and fought side by side.

Odysseus shot every arrow, and the suitors died one by one under his arrows.When the arrows were finished, he leaned his stiff bow against the doorframe, shielded himself with his shield, and put on his helmet, the armor trembling terribly.Holding two thick spears, he looked around.In the hall there is a side door leading to the passage of the inner court.The door is so small that only one person can pass through it.Odysseus once ordered Eumaeus, the swineherd, to guard the gate, but when Eumaeus ran to arm himself, the suitor Aglaus saw that there was no one at the gate, so he called out to his companions: "Friends Ladies and gentlemen, let's quickly enter the city through the side gate to bring in reinforcements. Only in this way can we eliminate this man as soon as possible!"

But the shepherd Melantheus standing on the side said: "The side gate is very small and the aisle is very narrow. Only one person can pass through at a time. As long as one of them stands in front, we can all be killed. Let us I crept out alone, and fetched the weapons from his armory," and so he did.Soon he brought twelve shields, twelve helmets, and twelve spears.Odysseus was startled when he saw his opponents armed suddenly, and turned to Telemachus and said, "This must be the work of the unfaithful maid or the shepherd!" "Ah, father, I'm afraid it's my fault," Telemachus replied, "I was in a hurry to get my weapon, and I forgot to close the door." Hearing this, the swineherd hurried to the arsenal, ready to close the door.He saw through the open door that the shepherds were taking weapons inside, and hurried back to report. "Shall I catch him, or kill him?" he asked his master.

"Go with the shepherd, catch him, tie his hands and feet behind his back, and hang him from the beams in the middle of the barn. Then close the door and come back at once." The two shepherds obeyed.They quietly approached the shepherd, grabbed him, pushed him to the ground, tied his hands and feet with ropes, put a long rope on a hook on the roof, tied his body, and pulled him away. Go up and hang by the beam.Afterwards, the pig-herd and the cow-herd closed their doors and returned to Odysseus. At this time, a fifth person came to join the battle.This is Athena transformed into Mentor, and Odysseus recognizes the goddess.The suitor was very angry when he saw this newcomer.Aglaous roared angrily: "Mentor, I warn you, don't be fooled by Odysseus and come against us. Otherwise, we will kill you and burn your house!" Athena He was very angry and encouraged Odysseus to deal with the suitor bravely.She said: "It seems that you are not as brave as you were in the Trojan War. You conquered the city by strategy, but now, why do you hesitate to defend your palace and property?" Decius, because she didn't want to directly participate in the battle.After speaking, she suddenly flew up like a bird and landed on the soot-covered beam. "Mentor is gone," said Aglaaus to his friends, "and now there are only four of them. Let us think of a way to deal with them. Do not throw your spears at the same time, but first Throw six and focus on Odysseus! If he falls, it will be easy for the others!" But Athena let their spears miss.

One hit the doorpost, another smashed against the door panel, and others were thrown against the wall. Odysseus shouted to his companions: "Take aim!" All four threw their spears together, and none of them missed the mark.The suitors retreated into the corners of the hall as their companions fell.A moment later they boldly rushed out of the corner again, drew their spears from the dead, and continued to hurl them, but most of them missed.Only the spear of Amphinomus grazed the back of Telemachus' hand; the spear of Cthesippus cut a gash in the swineherd's shoulder.But they were both thrown with spears by Telemachus and the swineherds, and fell down dead.

Odysseus and his friends leaped from the threshold and charged the suitors.Leiodes knelt at Odysseus's feet, hugged his knees, and begged bitterly: "Have mercy on me! I haven't done anything bad to your family. I have been dissuading them, but they don't listen to me. ! All I did was perform an impregnation ceremony, so is that also a sin?" "If you performed an alms for them," said Odysseus sternly, "then you at least prayed for their happiness!" With that, he swung his sword and beheaded Lyodes. Phimius the singer turned pale with fright and panicked. He didn't know whether to escape through the side door or hug Odysseus' knees and beg for his life.In the end, he chose the latter, put the harp on the ground, and knelt before Odysseus. "Forgive me!" cried Phimius. "If you kill a singer who entertains gods and mortals with his songs, you will regret it. I can sing the praises of the gods, and I can sing of you. Your son may Witness me that they forced me to sing!" Odysseus raised his sword, but he hesitated.At this moment Telemachus ran to him and shouted: "Father, please stop! Don't hurt the singer. He is innocent. Besides, if the messenger Medon has not been killed, we must forgive him. He took care I am like my own child, and I am very kind to us." At this time, Mo Dong was hiding under a chair wrapped in a piece of rawhide.Hearing someone pleading for him, he got out and knelt before Telemachus.Seeing this, Odysseus couldn't help laughing, and he said: "Singer and Messenger, you two need not be afraid, Telemachus has saved you.

Go out and tell people outside that the faithful will be rewarded and the unfaithful should be beheaded. "The two fled out of the hall in a hurry, and when they arrived at the front court, their feet were still shaking, so they had to sit down.