Guest Blogger: Telemakhos
I couldn't sleep, and my insomnia was greatened when Athena came and told me that my father was back on Ithaka and I should go home. It also didn't help when she told me that the suitors had set up a trap for me and were ready to murder me on my return before I reached land. But Athena then put to rest my fears when she told me that the suitors were to die instead, rather ironic really. So when dawn approached, we told the king that we were staying with that I had a longing for home and had to leave immediatly, and so as to honor his guests' wishes, he sent us off with 3 extremely meaningful gifts. We left Menelaos' house with our team of racing mares pulling us closer and closer to home. We only stopped to sleep that night, and when we got to the palace of Nestor, I asked his son, as a wish of a guest, that I should be brought straight to the boat and leave for home, because his father was sure to slow me down if he new I was here. Nestor's son agreed to this, but before we set off a strange man came up to me, the son of a prophet, called Theoklymenos and asked who I was. I replied truthfully, and he told me that he had killed a cousin, so everyone in his homeland-area was after him and on his tail right now, and the only way for him to live is if he comes with us on the ship. And since he longed for the sea, and his life depended on it, I couldn't refuse and I invited him aboard, and we set off...
Odysseus Blogging:
I ate with the swinherd once more and I told him that I might go to the port, see if I could get something from a little begging, and possibly even go to see Queen Penelope and tell her my news of Odysseus. And this made Eumaios furious and he replied telling me that I shouldn't go beg, and that he could look after me longer until Telemakhos came home and could send me home with good clothing and food, and I thanked him for letting me stay longer. I asked him how he ended up working for Odysseus and he replied with a long story about how men came to his island of Syrie and stole away one of the women of the house and she took him with her, but while on the ship home, Artemis killed her and he was left alone. And when his story finished, I told him how sorry I was for him, but glad that he got a nice home eventually, and we talked all night.
Back to Telemakhos:
We came upon the island and rowed into shore, and once we had landed we ate breakfast. I stood up and told everyone that they were going to go into town and I would join them later, and the new passenger asked what he should do, and I replied that I would invite him to my house if it wasn't horrible, but it was, so I told him to go as a guest to Eurymakhos' house. But the gods sent a message that he should stay with us, so I called on Peiraios to take the guest up to my house. All the men boarded the ship and headed to town while I stayed on land and put my sandals on and took up my spear. Swiftly on foot I went to the swineherd's house...
Picture from: http://www.goravani.com/art/Copper_spear.html
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