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Odysseus stood before the threshold of bronze and many thoughts were in his mind.  But at last with a prayer to Zeus he crossed the threshold and went through the great hall.  Now on that evening the Captains and the Councillors of the Phaeacians sat drinking wine with the King.  Odysseus passed by them, and stayed not at the King’s chair, but went where Arete, the Queen, sat.  And he knelt before her and clasped her knees with his hands and spoke to her in supplication: 

’Arete, Queen!  After many toils and perils I am come to thee and to thy husband, and to these, thy guests!  May the gods give all who are here a happy life and may each see his children in safe possession of his halls.  I have come to thee to beg that thou wouldst put me on my way to my own land, for long have I suffered sore affliction far from my friends.’

Then, having spoken, Odysseus went and sat down in the ashes of the hearth with his head bowed.  No one spoke for long.  Then an aged Councillor who was there spoke to the King.

‘O Alcinous,’ he said, ’it is not right that a stranger should sit in the ashes by thy hearth.  Bid the stranger rise now and let a chair be given him and supper set before him.’

Then Alcinous took Odysseus by the hand, and raised him from where he sat, and bade his son Laodamas give place to him.  He sat on a chair inlaid with silver and the housedame brought him bread and wine and dainties.  He ate, and King Alcinous spoke to the company and said: 

’To-morrow I shall call you together and we will entertain this stranger with a feast in our halls, and we shall take counsel to see in what way we can convoy him to his own land.’

The Captains and Councillors assented to this, and then each one arose and went to his own house.  Odysseus was left alone in the hall with the King and the Queen.  Now Arete, looking closely at Odysseus, recognized the mantle he wore, for she herself had wrought it with her handmaids.  And when all the company had gone she spoke to Odysseus and said: 

’Stranger, who art thou?  Didst thou not speak of coming to us from across the deep?  And if thou didst come that way, who gave thee the raiment that thou hast on?’

Said Odysseus, ’Lady, for seven and ten days I sailed across the deep, and on the eighteenth day I sighted the hills of thy land.  But my woes were not yet ended.  The storm winds shattered my raft, and when I strove to land the waves overwhelmed me and dashed me against great rocks in a desolate place.  At length I came to a river, and I swam through its mouth and I found a shelter from the wind.  There I lay amongst the leaves all the night long and from dawn to mid-day.  Then came thy daughter down to the river.  I was aware of her playing with her friends, and to her I made my supplication.  She gave me bread and wine, and she bestowed these garments upon me, and she showed an understanding that was far beyond her years.’