This was what he said, but all the
time he was expecting to be able to string the bow and shoot through
the iron, whereas in fact he was to be the first that should taste of
the arrows from the hands of Odysseus, whom he was dishonoring in his
own house - egging the others on to do so also.
Then Telemakhos spoke. "Great
heavens!" he exclaimed, "Zeus must have robbed me of my senses. Here
is my dear and excellent mother saying she will quit this house and
marry again, yet I am laughing and enjoying myself as though there
were nothing happening. But, suitors, as the contest
[athlos] has been agreed upon, let it go forward. It
is for a woman whose peer is not to be found in Pylos, Argos, or
Mycenae, nor yet in Ithaca nor on the mainland. You know this as well
as I do; what need have I to speak in praise [ainos]
of my mother? Come on, then, make no excuses for delay, but let us
see whether you can string the bow or no. I too will make trial of
it, for if I can string it and shoot through the iron, I shall not
suffer my mother to quit this house with a stranger, not if I can win
the prizes which my father won before me."
As he spoke he sprang from his
seat, threw his crimson cloak from him, and took his sword from his
shoulder. First he set the axes in a row, in a long groove which he
had dug for them, and had made straight by line. Then he stamped the
earth tight round them, and everyone was surprised when they saw him
set up so orderly, though he had never seen anything of the kind
before. This done, he went on to the pavement to make trial of the
bow; thrice did he tug at it, trying with all his might to draw the
string, and thrice he had to rest his strength
[biê], though he had hoped to string the bow and
shoot through the iron. He was trying forcefully
[biê] for the fourth time, and would have strung
it had not Odysseus made a sign to check him in spite of all his
eagerness. So he said:
"Alas! I shall either be always
feeble and of no prowess, or I am too young, and have not yet reached
my full strength so as to be able to hold my own if any one attacks
me. You others, therefore, who are stronger
[biê] than I, make trial of the bow and get this
contest [athlos] settled."
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