The Adventures of Odysseus and The Tales of Troy | Page 8

a man called Noëmon, and begged him for a swift ship, and
Noëmon gave it her.
When the sun sank and when the ways were darkened Athene dragged the ship to where
it should be launched and brought the tackling to it. The youths whom Athene had
summoned--they were all of the age of Telemachus--came, and Athene aroused them
with talk of the voyage. And when the ship was ready she went to the house of Odysseus.
Upon the wooers who were still in the hall she caused sleep to fall. They laid their heads
upon the tables and slumbered beside the wine cups. But Athene sent a whisper through
the hall and Telemachus heard and he rose up and came to where she stood. Now she had
on the likeness of old Mentor, the friend of his father Odysseus.
'Come,' said she, 'your friends are already at the oars. We must not delay them.'
But some of the youths had come with the one whom they thought was old Mentor. They
carried with Telemachus the skins of corn and the casks of wine. They came to the ship,
and Telemachus with a cheer climbed into it. Then the youths loosed the ropes and sat
down at the benches to pull the oars. And Athene, in the likeness of old Mentor, sat at the
helm.
And now they set up the mast of pine and they made it fast with forestays, and they
hauled up the sails with ropes of twisted oxhide. And a wind came and filled out the sails,
and the youths pulled at the oars, and the ship dashed away. All night long Telemachus
and his friends sat at the oars and under the sails, and felt the ship bearing them swiftly
onward through the dark water. Phemius, the minstrel, was with them, and, as the night
went by, he sang to them of Troy and of the heroes who had waged war against it.
[Illustration]

VI
Troy, the minstrel sang, was the greatest of the Cities of men; it had been built when the
demi-gods walked the earth; its walls were so strong and so high that enemies could not
break nor scale them; Troy had high towers and great gates; in its citadels there were
strong men well armed, and in its treasuries there were stores of gold and silver. And the
King of Troy was Priam. He was old now, but he had sons that were good Captains. The
chief of them all was Hector.
Hector, the minstrel sang, was a match for any warrior the nations could send against
Troy. Because he was noble and generous as well as brave, the people were devoted to
him. And Hector, Priam's son, was commander in the City.
But Priam had another son who was not counted amongst the Captains. Paris was his
name. Now when Paris was in his infancy, a soothsayer told King Priam that he would

bring trouble upon Troy. Then King Priam had the child sent away from the City. Paris
was reared amongst country people, and when he was a youth he herded sheep.
* * * * *
Then the minstrel sang of Peleus, the King of Phthia, and of his marriage to the river
nymph, Thetis. All the gods and goddesses came to their wedding feast, Only one of the
immortals was not invited--Eris, who is Discord. She came, however. At the games that
followed the wedding feast she threw a golden apple amongst the guests, and on the apple
was written "For the fairest."
Each of the three goddesses who was there wished to be known as the fairest and each
claimed the golden apple--Aphrodite who inspired love; Athene who gave wisdom; and
Hera who was the wife of Zeus, the greatest of the gods. But no one at the wedding
would judge between the goddesses and say which was the fairest. And then the shepherd
Paris came by, and him the guests asked to give judgment.
Said Hera to Paris, 'Award the apple to me and I will give you a great kingship.' Said
Athene, 'Award the golden apple to me and I will make you the wisest of men.' And
Aphrodite came to him and whispered, 'Paris, dear Paris, let me be called the fairest and I
will make you beautiful, and the fairest woman in the world will be your wife.' Paris
looked on Aphrodite and in his eyes she was the fairest. To her he gave the golden apple
and ever afterwards she was his friend. But Hera and Athene departed from the company
in wrath.
The minstrel sang how Paris went back to his father's City and was made a prince of Troy.
Through the favor of Aphrodite he was the most beautiful