Antinous

“The gods seem to have given you lessons in bluster and tall talking; may Jove never grant you to be chief in Ithaca as your father was before you”

“‘Telemachus, insolent braggart that you are, how dare you try to throw the blame upon us suitors?”

“Antinous came up to him at once and laughed as he took his hand in his own”

“Antinous and Eurymachus, who were their ringleaders and much the foremost among them all”

“They were astounded when they heard this, for they had made sure that Telemachus had not gone to the city of Neleus. They thought he was only away somewhere on the farms, and was with the sheep, or with the swineherd; so Antinous said, ‘When did he go? Tell me truly, and what young men did he take with him? Were they freemen or his own bondsmen—for he might manage that too? Tell me also, did you let him have the ship of your own free will because he asked you, or did he take it without your leave?’ ”

“His heart was black with rage, and his eyes flashed fire”

“I will lie in wait for him in the straits between Ithaca and Samos”

“let there be no loud talking, lest some of it get carried inside. Let us be up and do that in silence”

“they would not let any one old or young sit along with them, and Antinous, son of Eupeithes, spoke first”

“Let us consider how we can make an end of him. He must not escape us; our affair is never likely to come off while he is alive, for he is very shrewd, and public feeling is by no means all on our side. We must make haste before he can call the Achaeans in assembly; he will lose no time in doing so, for he will be furious with us, and will tell all the world how we plotted to kill him, but failed to take him. The people will not like this when they come to know of it; we must see that they do us no hurt, nor drive us from our own country into exile. Let us try and lay hold of him either on his farm away from the town, or on the road hither. Then we can divide up his property amongst us, and let his mother and the man who marries her have the house”

“insolent and wicked schemer, they say you are the best speaker and counsellor of any man your own age in Ithaca, but you are nothing of the kind. Madman, why should you try to compass the death of Telemachus, and take no heed of suppliants, whose witness is Jove himself? It is not right for you to plot thus against one another. Do you not remember how your father fled to this house in fear of the people, who were enraged against him for having gone with some Taphian pirates and plundered the Thesprotians who were at peace with us? They wanted to tear him in pieces and eat up everything he had, but Ulysses stayed their hands although they were infuriated, and now you devour his property without paying for it, and break my heart by wooing his wife and trying to kill his son. Leave off doing so, and stop the others also”

“On this Antinous began to abuse the swineherd. ‘You precious idiot,’ he cried, ‘what have you brought this man to town for?”

“You are always harder on Ulysses’ servants than any of the other suitors are, and above all on me”

“Antinous has the bitterest tongue of all the suitors, and he makes the others worse”

“you are more fond of eating things yourself than of giving them to other people”

“Get out, into the open part of the court, {145} or I will give you Egypt and Cyprus over again for your insolence and importunity”

“Your looks, my fine sir, are better than your breeding”

“he threw a footstool at him, and hit him on the right shoulder blade near the top of his back”

“I will have you dragged hand and foot through the courts, and the servants shall flay you alive”

“when Antinous saw what was going on he laughed heartily and said to the others, ‘This is the finest sport that you ever saw; heaven never yet sent anything like it into this house. The stranger and Irus have quarreled and are going to fight, let us set them on to do so at once”