Eurylochus’s Revolt

23“I spoke; their hearts were broken as they heard,
And bitterly Eurylochus replied: —

24“ ‘Austere are you, Odysseus; you are strong
Exceedingly; no labor tires your limbs;
They must be made of iron, since your will
Denies your comrades, overcome with toil
And sleeplessness, to tread the land again,
And in that isle amid the waters make
A generous banquet. You would have us sail
Into the swiftly coming night, and stray
Far from the island, through the misty sea.
By night spring up the mighty winds that make
A wreck of ships, and how can one escape
Destruction, should a sudden hurricane
Rise from the south or the hard-blowing west,
Such as, in spite of all the sovereign gods,
Will cause a ship to founder in the deep?
Let us obey the dark-browed Night, and take
Our evening meal, remaining close beside
Our gallant barque, and go on board again
When morning breaks, and enter the wide sea.’

25“So spoke Eurylochus; the rest approved.
And then I knew that some divinity
Was meditating evil to our band,
And I bespoke him thus in winged words: —

26“ ‘Eurylochus, you force me to your will,
Since I am only one. Now all of you
Bind yourselves to me firmly, by an oath,
That if you haply here shall meet a herd
Of beeves or flock of sheep, you will not dare
To slay a single ox or sheep, but feed
Contented on the stores that Circe gave.’