The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-08-21

has stiu the same greatness, but not
the same ardor of force" The Odyssey
Is rather a reflective, moralIzing epic,
devoted more to simply narration and
the painting of manners and customs
than to the fire and fury which sweep
through the Had. Yet it is not want
ing in sublimity nor is it entirely de-
void of fire, though the fire is less than
that of the Had. Aristotle regarded
the dad and the Odyssey as OF equal
worth and Horace gave his preference
TO the latter poem. Except that the
epic is the story of the adventurous
Ulysses or Odessus. one of the Grecian
princes at the siege of Troy, the Odys.
sey Is not a continuation of the Had.
though many characters of the Iliad
are referred TO or appear for a mo-
ment upon the stage.
7 T LYSSEs King of Ithaca, after the
fall of Troy, set sail with the
~ other victorious princes OF
Greece for his native shores. But as
his brave opponent in the great war,
Aeneas. was much tossed over sea and
land by the powers supernal before he
found in Latium a resting place for
his gods. SO Ulysses for 10 years wan
dered over the seas before he again
saw the far blue bill of ithaca rise,
cloudlike, from the waves and heard
the surges around the craggy rocks
which shelter Phorcys' port sing his
welcome home from his 20 years abb
sence.
The 10 years struggle against the
might of Ilium had reduced the forces
of Ulysses to COO men and his ships
numbered u. With this force the re-
turning king decided to leave the rest
of the fleet and make a descent upon
the shore of Ciconia. The Cicons had
been allies of Troy in the long strug-
gle, which resulted in the destruction
of nium, and their country lay in
Thrace and could be reached by a short
detour 10 the northward, Ulysses
thought it worth while to punish and
plumber them by way of a diversion on
his passage home. With his men he
landed at the principal port, sacked
the city and killed those of the OPP
posing forces who stood against him.
Having done this the king wished to
return quickly TO the ships with the
spoil.
ing in the town, prolonging the wild
license of the fight and continuing the
wild revels of the sack. The Cicons
gathered in force outside the town;
from all parts of their country swarmed |
vast numbers to repel the invaders. |
When morning broke the whole con-
tinent seemed bright with arms and
soldiers as thick as budding leaves or
rising flowers oyerspread the land and
rnenaced the forces of Ithaca. The fight
began close to the SHIPS, toward which
the Ithacans had run when they saw
the numbers of their foes. 1t was only
with the greatest difficulty and by
the hardest fighting that the men of
Ulysses. reduced in numbers by the
swords of Cieons were able to regain |
their vessels and put to sea. On an |
average six out of every ship We're
killed in that unfortunate adventure.
They had not proceeded far from shore |
when new danger menaced them. A
great storm came sweeping over the wa
tiers, and night closed down upon tenn
pestuous sea, which threatened every
minute the destruction of the fleet Fin |
ally, by hard work at the oars, they man
aged to make roadstead, where they lay
for two long nights and days, buffeted by
winds and seas.
The dawn of the third day broke fair
with gentle winds that seemed to whisper
ithaca in every weary ear. Down through
the ever glorious Cyclades, by the shores
of Attica and Argolis they sailed until
70 hn
Greece, and, doubling the cape, bore up
for the blue Ionian sea and home But
scarce had the cape been doubled when a
furious storm came out of the north
and, aided by a strong tide, drove the fleet
far out of it's course and to the south.
The sight of land was lost nine days
the ships bore the brunt and fury of the
storm, and when on the tenth day the
tempest abated they saw stretching before
them the land of the Lotus-eaters, flow
cry coast which lay upon the northern
shores of Africa.
The weary and storm-tossed sailors as
cended the beach and found refreshing
springs of sweet water, beside which
they spread hasty meal, and sent three
men, one of them herald, to find out
what sort of people dwelt in that strange
land They found kindly and hospitable
people, but one wholly given up to the
languid pleasures which are induced by
the constant eating Of the lotus, which
in that land grows in great abundance.
Whoever coming to that land eats of the
lotus or drinks of the nectarious juice
which is expressed from it forgets home
and friends and cares browsing the
dreamy years away, idle while the long
tides ebb and flow.
The herald and his two companions
were well received, and, eating of the
lotus, forgot their mission and their duty.
Ulysses with a body of men, going to
see what had become of the messengers,
discovered at once that he had CHANGED
upon the lotus-eaters' land and resolved
to put to sea again at once, less he and
all of his should become victims of the
languorous lotus flower. The herald and
his two companions they had to bind
and drag away by main force from the
lotus feast at which they sat in order
to get them back to the ships
Then, placed in order at their banks Of
oars, the rowers sweep the seas smooth
face and cleave the deep, lobaring with
heavy hearts to shores unknown and
oceans yet untried. For Ulysses had lost
his reckoning and steered by guess the
way he thought lay Ithaca. But the first
land that rose from out the deep to greet
t<1t.. OF