Page:The Odyssey of Homer, with the Hymns, Epigrams, and Battle of the Frogs and Mice (Buckley 1853).djvu/93

514—549. him. But when he was now immediately about to come to the lofty mountain of the Maleans, then at length, the storm snatching him away bore him along, mourning greatly, through the fishy sea, to the extreme part of the country, where Thyestes before dwelt in his house, but then Ægisthus, son of Thyestes, dwelt there. But when his return from thence at length appeared safe, and the gods turned the wind back, and they came home, he indeed rejoicing stept on his paternal land, and touching his country kissed it; and many warm tears were shed by him, as he gladly beheld his land. The spy indeed saw him from a place of look-out, whom crafty-counselling Ægisthus having led, had seated there; and he promised him two talents of gold as a reward. And he watched for a year, lest coming he [Agamemnon] should escape him, and be mindful of doughty valour. And he hastened to tell it at the house of the shepherd of the people; and Ægisthus immediately planned a deceitful stratagem. Having chosen out of the people twenty of the most excellent men, he set them in ambush, and elsewhere he ordered a banquet to be prepared. But he himself went to invite Agamemnon, the shepherd of the people, with horses and chariots, meditating disgraceful deeds. Entertaining him at a banquet he led him unawares to death, and slew him, as if any one has slain an ox at its manger. Nor was any one left of the companions of the son of Atreus, who had followed him, nor any one of those of Ægisthus; but they were [all] slain in the palace.'

"Thus he spoke; but my heart was broken: and sitting on the sands I wept; nor did my heart desire to live any longer and behold the light of the sun. But when I was satiated with weeping, and rolling myself [on the ground], then the unerring old man of the sea addressed me. 'No longer, O son of Atreus, weep thus for a long time without ceasing, since we shall not find any profit from it; but try as quickly as possible, by what means thou mayest now reach thy paternal land. For thou wilt either find him alive; or Orestes being before-hand has slain him; but thou wilt be present at the burial feast.'

"Thus he spoke. But my heart and noble mind was again delighted in my breast, although I was sorrowful; and ad-