Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 19.djvu/714

* TJLYSSES. 620 TJMA. ppnuity of resource he is the foremost of the Hellenic chiefs, while in courage he is inferior t<) none. His later trait of trickery is seen in llie episode of Dolon, but in the Homeric poems he is generally represented as a model of the older, as Achilles is of the younger, hero. After the fall of Troy, the Homeric narrative of his long wandering on his return to Ithaca is con- tained in the Otlyssey. Setting sail for home, his ships were driven by a storm on the coast of Thrace, where he plundered the land of the Ci- cones. but lost a numlier of his crew. Having re- embarked, a north wind blew them to the coun- try of the Lotophagi (the 'Lotus-eaters'), on the coasts of Libya, where some of the com- panions of Ulysses ate of the wondrous fruit, and wished to rest forever. But their leader compelled them to leave the land. and. sailing north again, they touched at the 'island of goats.' where Uly.sses left all his ships but one. Thence he proceeded to the 'land of the Cy- clopes,' where occurred the adventure in the cave of Polyphenuis (q.v.). With his reunited fleet he now visited the island of .Eolus, ruler of the winds, who gave him a favoring breeze, and the unfavorable winds tied in a skin. This his com])anions, in search of treasure, opened, and at once they were swept back to the island, from which they were now sternly excluded. They then reached the land of the Liestrygonians, a race of cannibals, who destroyed all the ships but one. Escaping with his solitary ship, he next landed on the island of .E;pa, inhabited by the sorceress Circe { q.v. ). After a year's so- journ he was sent by Circe to the Kingdom of Hades, to inquire about his return froih the blind seer Tiresias. Tiresias disclosed to Ulysses the fact of the implacable enmity of Poseidon, whose son. Polyphemus, he had blinded, but encouraged him at the same time with the assurance that he would yet reach Ithaca in safety, if he would not meddle with the herds of Helios (the sun-god) in Thrinacia. He passed in safety the perilous island of the Sirens (q.v.). but in sailing between Scylla and Charybdis the monster that inhabited the first of these rocks devoured six of Ulysses's com- panions. He next came to Thrinacia, where his crew insisted on landing, and while storm-bound killed, in spite of their oath, some of the cattle of Helios while Ulysses was asleep. WTien they had sailed away, a fierce storm arose, and Zeus sent forth a flash of lightning that destroyed the ship. Every one on board was drowned except Ulysses himself, who. clinging to the mast, was finally washed ashore on the island of Ogygia, the abode of the nymph Calypso, with whom he lived for eight years. The nymph offered him immortality if he would remain, but his love for Penelope and longing for his home were too deep, and at the entreaty of his special guardian, Athena, Zeus sent Hermes to command his re- lease. Sailing eastward in a skiff of his own building, he was seen by the implacable Poseidon, who roused against him a terrible storm, which wrecked his ship and from which he barely es- caped with his life by the aid of Leucothea to the land of the Phneacians. Naked and worn by fatigue, he fell asleep, but was awakened by the sport of Nausicaa. daughter of the King. AI- cinous, and her maidens. She received him kind- ly, and brought him to the city. Entering the ]);ijace under Athena's protection, he was enter- tained by the King, who promised him safe con- voy to his home. On the magic Pha>acian ship he" fell asleep, and was landed, with the rich presents of the Phijeacians.. while still uncon- scious. DLsguised as a beggar, he repaired to the hut of the swineherd Euma?us, where he met and re- vealed himself to Telemachus. The next day he was brought hj' Eumaeus to the palace, where he was recogiiized by his old dog, Argus. Here he was har.shly treated by the suitors of his wife, who were living riotously on his estate. After an interview with Penelope, to whom he foretold her husband's return, he was recognized by his old nurse, Eurycleia. whom he bound to silence. W'lien the suitors all failed to string the great bow, he took it, easily strung it, and sliot the arrow through a row of twelve axes, thus ac- complishing the test Penelope had projiosed for the suitors. Then, aided by Telemachus, EumiE- us, and the neatherd Phila>tius. he slew all the insolent suitors. The last book of the Odi/ssey records his recognition by his father, Laertes, and a final reconciliation with the friends of the suitors, brought about by Athena's aid. The Homeric poems have a tradition of further wan- derings to appease Poseidon, by introducing his worship among a people who knew not the sea, and finally a happy old age and painless death. Allusions show that to L'lj'sses was also given a prominent place in other episodes of the Trojan War, such as the battle over the body of Achilles, the Invention of the device of the wooden horse, and the final sack of Troy. The other epics en- larged these episodes and added others, in which Lilysses frequently played but a mean-spirited part. This degradation of his character con- tinued in many of the plays of the Attic tragedy, and was further developed in later writers, especially the comedians. His death in these narratives was usually attributed to his son by Circe, Telegonus, who had been sent by his mother in search of his father. Landing in Ithaca, he was met in arms by Ulysses, and slew him with a spear tipped with the sting of a ray, thus fulfilling the prophecy that death should come to him from the sea. TJMA, oo'ma. In Hindu mythology, one of the principal names of the consort of the god Siva (q.v.), also called Durga, Devi, Kali, Parvati, Bhavani, and, less frequently, Katyayani, Ara- bika, and Haimavati. The myths relating to this goddess, who is worshiped in various parts of India, but especially in Bengal, are recounted in the great epic poems and Piiranas (q.v.), and in poetical works, but the text-book of her wor- shipers is the Dci-hiifihatmi/n. or the majesty of Devi, and a portion of the MurkantJOiia I'liri'nja. In the lianuliiana (q.v.) she is the daugliter of the nymph Mena ancl of Mount Himalaya?, whence her names Parvati, Haimavati. Adrija, (Sirija, and similar ones, meaning 'the mount- ainous' or 'the mountain-born.' According to the Puranas, in a former life she was Sati, the daughter of Dak.sha ( q.v. ) . but it was only as I'ma that she bore to Siva Ganesa (q.v.). the god of wisdom, and Kartikeya (q.v.). the god of war. According to the Bnrix^an~<a (q.v.), in another life she was born as the daughter of Yasoda, and