Assembly Convened

1When Eos appeared, the rosy-fingered child
Of dawn, Alcinous, mighty and revered,
Rose from his bed. Odysseus, noble chief,
Spoiler of cities, also left his couch.
Alcinous, mighty and revered, went forth
Before, and led him to the marketplace
Of the Phaeacians, built beside the fleet,
And there on polished stones they took their seats
Near to each other. Athena, who now seemed
A herald of the wise Alcinous, went
Through all the city, planning how to send
Magnanimous Odysseus to his home,
And came and stood by every chief and said: —

2“Leaders and chiefs of the Phaeacians, come
Speedily to the marketplace, and there
Hear of the stranger who from wandering over
The deep has come where wise Alcinous holds
His court; in aspect he is like the gods.”

3She spoke, and every mind and heart was moved,
And all the marketplace and all its seats
Were quickly filled with people. Many gazed,
Admiring, on Laertes’ well-graced son;
For on his face and form had Athena shed
A glory, and had made him seem more tall
And of an ampler bulk, that he might find
Favor with the Phaeacians, and be deemed
Worthy of awe and able to achieve
The many feats which the Phaeacian chiefs,
To try the stranger’s prowess, might propose.

4And now when all the summoned had arrived,
Alcinous to the full assembly spoke: —

5“Princes and chiefs of the Phaeacians, hear:
I speak the promptings of my heart. This guest —
I know him not —has come to my abode,
A wanderer —haply from the tribes who dwell
In the far East, or haply from the West —
And asked an escort and safe-conduct home;
And let us make them ready, as our wont
Has ever been. No stranger ever comes
Across my threshold who is suffered long
To pine for his departure. Let us draw
A dark-hulled ship down to the holy sea
On her first voyage. Let us choose her crew
Among the people, two-and-fifty youths
Of our best seamen. Then make fast the oars
Beside the benches, leave them there, and come
Into our palace and partake in haste
A feast which I will liberally spread
For all of you. This I command the youths;
But you, you sceptred princes, come at once
To my fair palace, that we there may pay
The honors due our guest; let none refuse.
Call also the divine Demodocus,
The bard, on whom a deity bestowed
In ample measure the sweet gift of song,
Delightful when the spirit prompts the lay.”