"When the child of morning,
rosy-fingered Dawn, appeared, we admired the island and wandered all
over it, while the nymphs, Zeus’ daughters, roused the wild
goats that we might get some meat for our dinner. On this we fetched
our spears and bows and arrows from the ships, and dividing ourselves
into three bands began to shoot the goats. Heaven sent us excellent
sport; I had twelve ships with me, and each ship got nine goats,
while my own ship had ten; thus through the livelong day to the going
down of the sun we ate and drank our fill, - and we had plenty of
wine left, for each one of us had taken many jars full when we sacked
the city of the Kikones, and this had not yet run out. While we were
feasting we kept turning our eyes towards the land of the Cyclopes,
which was hard by, and saw the smoke of their stubble fires. We could
almost fancy we heard their voices and the bleating of their sheep
and goats, but when the sun went down and it came on dark, we camped
down upon the beach, and next morning I called a council.
"‘Stay here, my brave
men,’ said I, ‘all the rest of you, while I go with my ship
and make trial of these people myself: I want to see if they are
uncivilized [not dikaios] savages, or a race
hospitable and endowed with a god-fearing
noos.’
"I went on board, bidding my men
to do so also and loose the hawsers; so they took their places and
smote the gray sea with their oars. When we got to the land, which
was not far, there, on the face of a cliff near the sea, we saw a
great cave overhung with laurels. It was a station for a great many
sheep and goats, and outside there was a large yard, with a high wall
round it made of stones built into the ground and of trees both pine
and oak. This was the abode of a huge monster who was then away from
home shepherding his flocks. He would have nothing to do with other
people, but led the life of an outlaw. He was a horrid creature, not
like a human being at all, but resembling rather some crag that
stands out boldly against the sky on the top of a high
mountain.
"I told my men to draw the ship
ashore, and stay where they were, all but the twelve best
[krînô] among them, who were to go along
with myself. I also took a goatskin of sweet black wine which had
been given me by Maron, Apollo son of Euanthes, who was priest of
Apollo the patron god of Ismaros, and lived within the wooded
precincts of the temple. When we were sacking the city we respected
him, and spared his life, as also his wife and child; so he made me
some presents of great value - seven talents of fine gold, and a bowl
of silver, with twelve jars of sweet wine, unblended, and of the most
exquisite flavor. Not a man nor maid in the house knew about it, but
only himself, his wife, and one housekeeper: when he drank it he
mixed twenty parts of water to one of wine, and yet the fragrance
from the mixing-bowl was so exquisite that it was impossible to
refrain from drinking. I filled a large skin with this wine, and took
a wallet full of provisions with me, for my mind misgave me that I
might have to deal with some savage who would be of great strength,
and would respect neither right [dikê] nor
law.
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