Odysseus among the Phaeacians

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The land on which Odysseus had thus been cast like a piece of broken wreckage was called Phaeacia, and derived its name from the Phaeacians, a race of famous mariners, who had settled there some fifty years before, having been driven from their former seat by the Cyclopes, a savage tribe, who dwelt on their borders.  The Phaeacians were an unwarlike people, and being in no condition to resist the fierce assaults of these lawless neighbours, they abandoned their homes and built a new city on a little peninsula, connected with the mainland by a narrow isthmus.  Defended by strong walls they were now safe against all attacks, and they soon grew rich and prosperous in the exercise of a thriving trade.

At this time the king of the Phaeacians was Alcinous, who had a fair daughter, named Nausicaae.  On the night when Odysseus lay couched in his bed of leaves Nausicaae was sleeping in her bower, and with her were two handmaids, whose beds were set on either side of the door.  And in a dream she seemed to hear one of her girlish friends, the daughter of a neighbouring house, speaking to her thus:  “Nausicaae, why art thou grown so careless as to suffer all the raiment in thy father’s house to remain unwashen, when thy bridal day is so near?  Wouldst thou be wedded in soiled attire, and have all thy friends clad unseemly, to put thee to shame?  These are a woman’s cares, by which she wins a good report among men, and gladdens her mother’s heart.  Arise, therefore, at break of day, and beg thy father to let harness the mules to the wain, that thou mayest take the linen to the place of washing, far away by the river’s side.  I will go with thee, and help thee in the work.”

So dreamed Nausicaae, and so spake the vision.  But the voice which seemed the voice of her friend came from no mortal lips; it was Athene herself who had visited the maiden’s bower, in her care for Odysseus, that he might get safe conduct to the city of the Phaeacians.  And when she had done her errand the goddess went back to Olympus, where is the steadfast, everlasting seat of the blessed gods, not shaken of any wind, nor wet with rain, nor chilled by snow, but steeped for ever in cloudless, sunny air.  There the gods abide for ever and take their delight.

Nausicaae rose betimes, with her mind full of the dream, and went down to the hall, where she found her mother sitting by the hearth with her women, spinning the bright sea-purple thread.  Inquiring for her father she learnt that he had but that moment gone forth to attend the council of elders, and hastening after him she found him before the doors of the house.

“Father,” she said, “may I have the waggon to take the household raiment to the place of washing?  Thou thyself hast ever need of clean garments when thou goest to the council, and my brothers will reproach me if they lack clean raiment when they go to the dance.”