NESTOR


At sunrise the ship came to Pylos, where Nestor dwelt. Now it so
chanced that the people were offering a great sacrifice upon the
shore to Poseidon. Nine companies there were, and in each company
five hundred men, and for the five hundred there were nine bulls.
And they had tasted of the inner parts and were burning the slices
of flesh on the thigh-bones to the god, when Telemachus's company
moored the ship and came forth from it to the shore. Athene spake
to Telemachus, saying: "Now thou hast no need to be ashamed. Thou
hast sailed across the sea to hear tidings of thy father. Go,
therefore, to Nestor, and learn what counsel he hath in the deep
of his heart."

But Telemachus answered, "How shall I speak to him, being so
untried and young?"

"Nay," said the goddess; "but thou shalt think of something
thyself, and something the gods will put into thy mouth."

So saying she led the way, and they came to where Nestor sat, with
his sons, and a great company round him, making ready the feast.
When these saw the strangers, they clasped their hands, and made
them sit down on soft fleeces of wool. And Nestor's son
Peisistratus [Footnote: Pei-sis'-tra-tus] brought to them food,
and wine in a cup of gold. To Athene first he gave the wine, for
he judged her to be the elder of the two, saying, "Pray now to the
Lord Poseidon, and make thy drink offering, and when thou hast so