South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-04-25

at Achilles hands, other stories car
red on the tale through the death
Of Achilles. the capture OF Troy By
the Greeks by means OF the strata
gem OF the wooden horse, the sack
ing and burning OF the city. the
death OF Priam and his queen, the
slavery OF AndrOmache which Hec-
tor had foreseen. the slaughter Of
the little son he loved so dearly. the
escape OF Aeneas with his aged
father.
After the booty had been divided
the Greek chiefs took leisurely
courses 20 their homes. The great
King Agamemnon sent his dramatic
night letter. announcing 10 his queen
at home by the light OF flames leap
fag from hilltop to hilltop across
the sea that Troy had fallen; for
his pains he met the dramatic death
Ht the hand OF Queen Klytaimnes-
TIA which Aeschylus has made for
ever famous in his great play. Aga
uemnon'. the latter has in IL the
beginning OF the story OF Orestes
the close Greek counterpart Of
Hamlet The kings brother Meme
iaus had better fortune: he had
jOurneyed homeward with his erst-
while queen Helen, as II the great
Trojan episode had never been. and
was reigning again in peace and
quiet with The Worlds Desire by
his side at Sparta with no dread Of
g. marauding Paris sent on the quest
Of beauty by Aphrodite. And so.
too. the other princes had returned
with varying fortunes
But not so the Great Adventurer.
Troy had taken 10 years 20 capture:
10 years more still found the willy
Odysseus detained Is the Isle Of
Ogygia by the fair Calypso. Mean
while the patient Penelops bides at
home. beset by the riotous suitors
who make Liberty hall Of the alb
sent kings palace and would force
the queen 20 wed one OF them. She.
ever as alert and resOurceful as her
wandering lord, puts off her promise
till she has woven "A web-Of which
she each night unravels what she
has done during the day.
This first great story Of wandering
adventure has a much more perfect
unity than the Had. II centers
closely about the person of Odysseus.
and divides itself into three parts.
the adventures OF Telemachus in
quest OF Odysseus. the wanderings
of the hero. and his return home.
where with the few still faithful 90
him he makes himself his own de
teCtive, lays the scene for the de-
~ ruction of the villains. and finally
brings about the happy ending
which has so constantly distressed
critics Of the novel and the theater
since man began 10 write and or
binary folk 10 listen or 10 read.
In the first chapter. which com
prises the first four books" OF the
Odyssey young TelemaChus amidst
the mockery Of the suitors starts
IN quest Of his father, and makes
the rounds OF the courts OF our old
friend Nestor. king of Pylos. and of
AIcnelaus and Helen AZ Sparta, where
he learns the whereabouts Of his
father. and then starts HON eward.
AT this moment 10 is at last made
possible for Odysseus TO start on
his way home But the sea. ever his
enemy, again plays him false, and
he is wrecked once more though
he is cast ashore on the land Of
the PhaeCians There begins in the
land of this fabulous folks one of
the most marvellous adventures Of
the man Of marvels. Probably the
scene that remains in the minds Of
the great majority OF readers of
Greek literature as the fairest bit
of idealized beauty I'm IL all is the
picture Of the young Princess Nau-
sicaa. She had gone down 10 the
river mouth with her handmaidens
20 wash linen; their work done. they
fell TO playing ball upon the shore,
where Odvsseus. beneath the shade
Of the bushes was sleeping off the
weary travail OF his long swim.
Then having bathed and anointed
themselves sIeeklv with olive oil.
they took their meal 10y the banks OF
The river and waited for the clothes
To dry i'm the bright rays Of the sun.
And when they had Cheered them
selves with food. maids and mis-
treSs alike. they began to play at
ball. casting aside their wells. And
FOR them faiT-aTmed Nausicaa be-
gan the song AS Artemis the ar
cher-gOddess goeth down from a
mountain. either lofty Taygetus or
Ervmanthus. taking her sport with
bears and swift deer. and with her
the wood -nymphs sport, daughters Of
aegis-bearing Zeus. and Leto re-
foiCcth i'm heart. and over all she
noldcth head and brows. and easy
10 mark is she. though all be fair
eo was the unwed maid conspicuous
among her attendants"
The days work and the sport were
over: they were about 20 depart
and leave the weary sleeper under
the bushes-wheu one last throw
sent the bali spinning into the water.
Instant and unanimous scream from
princess and from maids,
So Odysseus was introduced TO
Phaeacia. and the introduction
proved well that the hero knew not
only the WAYS of men. but of maids
as we'll OF the many pleasing
things he said TO the princess to
win her favor, one stands out con-
spiCuous-his comparison OF her
perfect youth TO the young shoot
of a palm-tree he had seen in Delos.
Whoever has a gardeners eve knows
instantly the perfect tribute.
Then followed the presentation of
the royal wanderer at the court OF
King Alcinous and Queen Arete and
the tale OF his adventures since leav-
ing Calypso's isle. The king IS
moved and promises 10 help the