日期:
2014年5月 24日
Odyssey 18. 206-283
Τηλέμαχ᾽, οὐκέτι τοι
φρένες ἔμπεδοι οὐδὲ νόημα:
παῖς ἔτ᾽
ἐὼν καὶ μᾶλλον ἐνὶ φρεσὶ κέρδε᾽ ἐνώμας:
νῦν δ᾽,
ὅτε δὴ μέγας ἐσσὶ καὶ ἥβης μέτρον ἱκάνεις,
καί
κέν τις φαίη γόνον ἔμμεναι ὀλβίου ἀνδρός,
ἐς μέγεθος καὶ
κάλλος ὁρώμενος, ἀλλότριος φώς,
οὐκέτι
τοι φρένες εἰσὶν ἐναίσιμοι οὐδὲ νόημα.
οἷον
δὴ τόδε ἔργον ἐνὶ μεγάροισιν ἐτύχθη,
ὃς τὸν
ξεῖνον
ἔασας ἀεικισθήμεναι οὕτως.
πῶς νῦν,
εἴ τι ξεῖνος
ἐν ἡμετέροισι
δόμοισιν
ἥμενος
ὧδε πάθοι ῥυστακτύος
ἐξ ἀλεγεινῆς;
σοί κ᾽
αἶσχος λώβη τε μετ᾽ ἀνθρώποισι πέλοιτο.
(Odyssey 18. 215-225)
“Telemachus, your
wit and understanding
are not as steady as they used to be.
While still a child, the way you used to think
was more astute. But now you’re fully grown,
on the verge of being a man, and anyone
from somewhere far away who looked at you
and only saw your beauty and your size
might well observe that you’re a
rich man’s son.
Yet your mind and thoughts are no longer wise.
What sort of actions are going on in here,
in this house, when you allow a stranger
to be mistreated in this way? And now,
what if this stranger, sitting in our home,
should suffer harm from such severe abuse?
You’d be disgraced among all men and shamed.” (Odyssey 18. 215-225)
Penelope下樓，兩位侍女相隨，如仙女下凡，走到追求者中間；雖然Penelope繫著頭巾，罩住臉頰，但在場的追求者顯然都心動不已。然而，Penelope一開就是管教小孩，因為Telemachus這一天毛毛躁躁，失去昔日有的智慧與風度。Telemachus也快成年，英俊瀟灑，但應該持有大戶人家的氣質。這種大家風範是甚麼? 就是「待客之道」(hospitality)，就是善待每一位來訪的客人，不可以讓任人陌生來客受到傷害，這非常的失禮。言下之意，就是指責剛剛兩個乞丐公然鬧事的事件。
ἀεικίζω treat unseemly, injure
ῥυστακτύος:
drag about
Telemachus卻頂嘴，說道，母親心中不滿，他可以理解。但是，他已經是大人，可以明辨是非。又埋怨這群人處處阻撓他，所以剛剛這位老乞丐也算是他出口氣，他希望這一群人都和Irus一樣，被痛打一頓，打到他們腿軟。雖然，Telemachus知道乞丐其實是父親Odysseus，但是從他這番談吐，仍可發現他年少氣盛。
母子談話之間，Eurymachus插嘴，說道明天還有更多人仰慕Penelope美貌，也要加入求婚者行列。但是Penelope 沒被甜言蜜語沖昏頭，她知道自己在等待的消磨中老去，而且悲傷催人老。
重要的時刻，Penelope即將宣布如何決定嫁給誰。首先，她已經把Telemachus扶養長大成人生鬍鬚 (γενειάω grow a beard, get a beard)，所以她也進該盡的責任。但是，古希臘的求婚習俗，是要送肥壯的牛羊，宴請女方的親友，贈送珍貴的聘禮(ἀγλαὰ δῶρα διδοῦσι)。在一旁聽到此話的Odysseus竊喜，因為他知道Penelope向他們索取禮物，其實心中立有打算。他們究竟盤算甚麼?
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維基百科列出Penelope的追求者名單: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suitors_of_Penelope
1.
Agelaus,
son of Damastor. Was killed by Odysseus.[3]
2.
Amphimedon,
son of Melaneus. Was killed by Telemachus.[4]
3.
Amphinomus.
Shows courtesy towards the disguised Odysseus, who warns him against
staying;[5] the warning goes unheeded, though, and he is killed along with
the other suitors, though by Telemachus and not Odysseus.
4.
Antinous,
son of Eupeithes. One of the leaders of the suitors, he helps instigate the
plot to kill Telemachus as he returns from the mainland,[6] and helps spur
the fight between Odysseus (as the beggar) and Irus, a notorious beggar.[7]
5.
Ctesippus
of Same, son of Polytherses. A "ribald fellow" of great wealth who
gives Odysseus, disguised as a beggar, a "present" by throwing a
heifer's foot at him; Telemachus threatens him in response, and says that he
would have killed him if he had not missed.[8] After killing him, the
stockman says that his death is a present in return for the one he gave to
Odysseus.[9]
6.
Demoptolemus,
killed by Odysseus.[10]
7.
Elatus,
killed by Eumaeus.[11]
8.
Euryades,
killed by Telemachus.[12]
9.
Eurydamas.
Offered a pair of earrings as a gift to Penelope.[13] Was eventually killed
by Odysseus.[14]
10. Eurymachus, son of Polybus. One of the leaders
of the suitors, noted for being smooth and deceitful. He blames everything on
Antinous after he is killed by Odysseus, saying that the suitors are sorry
for what they have done and will repay Odysseus. His pleas do not persuade
Odysseus, so he tells the suitors they will have to fight if they wish to
live, and he is shot with an arrow while charging Odysseus.[15]
11. Eurynomus, son of Aegyptius. His brother Antiphus
accompanied Odysseus to the Trojan War and was devoured by Polyphemus on the
way back.[16]
12. Leiocritus, son of Evenor. Was killed by
Telemachus.[17]
13. Leiodes, son of Oenops. The sacrificial priest
to the suitors, he hated the evil deeds of the suitors and was indignant with
the others.[18] While Odysseus is killing the suitors, he begs for mercy,
saying that he tried to stop the others and they were paying for not
listening to him. Odysseus hears him out but says that as priest, he must
have prayed for Odysseus to not come home, so he kills him anyway.[19]
14. Peisander, son of Polyctor. Offered a necklace
as a gift to Penelope.[20] Was killed by Philoeteus.[21]
15. Polybus, son of Polyctor and father of
Eurymachus.
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