The Odyssey- Book 14 (IN EUMAEUS' HUT)

• Odysseus followed a rough track leading to the woods, following the route which Athene gave him where at the end he would find the swineherd Eumaeus. 
• He found him sitting in the porch of his hut in the farmyard. 
• Around him there were twelve sites which Eumaeus had made himself to protect his masters pigs when he went to Troy. 
• There were three-hundred and sixty swines which were kept outside and guarded every night by four savage gods. 
• When he saw Eumaeus he was shaping a pair of sandals made out of leather to his feet. 
• They baying dogs caught sight of Odysseus and flew at him barking loudly. Odysseus had the sense to get down and drop his staff. 
• The swineherd dashed through the gate upon hearing the noise and shouted at the dogs sending them away. 
• Eumaeus then addressed Odysseus (unknowingly that it was Odysseus as he was disguised as a beggar) and asked him to go with him to his hut as when he is there he can have all of the bread and wine he could possibly want. Eumaeus then tell Odsseus that he is to tell him where he has come from and what his troubles have been. 
• Eumaeus the led the way to his hut and let Odysseus in. He sat Odysseus down on some brushwood which he covered in the shaggy skin of a wild goat serving as his own mattress. 
• Odysseus was grateful for Eumaeus' hospitality and spoke out to Zeus and the other gods "grant you your dearest wish for recieving me so kindly". 
• Eumaeus replies saying that it would not have been right for him to tunr away someone who is in need of his help. He then tells the beggar Odysseus that his master is misfortuned as "the gods have set their faces against his return". 
• Eumaues then starts to bitch about Helen, as she is the reason why  his master had to go away in the first place and "she has been the death of many a good man". 
• Eumaeus then stopped talking and selected two of the pigs, carried them in and slaughtered both of them. He then signed them, chopped them up and skewered them. Once he has roasted the meat he put it in front of Odysseus, sprinkled it with white barley meal and then mixed some mellow wind in a wooden bowl.
• Eumaeus then sat down opposite Odysseus and asked him to eat some of the pig which he has prepared for him. he then goes on to explain how the suitors eat most of the fattened pigs yet the gods done do anything to stop this from happening. 
• He goes on to tell Odysseus about how his "master" was "enormously rich" and no one was up to his standard. 
• Whilst Eumaeus was talking Odysseus ate all of his food and drunk the wine without making any comment as his brain was toying with the idea of what he would do to get revenge on the suitors. 
• Odysseus then asked Eumaeus who had brought him and who was the master which he was talking about (obviously fishing for compliments ) as he could give him news of the man. 
• Eumaeus tells Odysseus that many people have dresses up as beggars and said they ahve news on Odysseus when really they dont, they just want Penelope's hand in marriage.
• He goes on to tell Odysseus that his master is "dead and gone" and his death has brought nothing but grief for his friends and family, especially to Eumaeus as he will never find such a kind master again. "I still call him my beloved master". 
• Odysseus replies saying that "I will not merely state that Odysseus is coming back, I will swear to it" telling him that Odysseus will be home within the next month and will punish anyone who dishonours I his wife and his noble son. 
• Eumaeus replies saying that Odysseus wont be coming home again so they should just drink in peace and move the conversation on. Eumaeus then breaks the news to Odysseus that the suitors are planning to ambush Telemachus on his way home from Pylos. 
• Eumaues then asks Odysseus who he is and where he comes from and how he ended up in Ithaca. 
• Odysseus makes up the story that he is from Crete and is the son of a rich man. He says that he won a wife from a rich family who own a lot of land. He makes up that he fought at Troy and afterwards spent a month with his children and wife at home before he sailed to Egypt. He siad that when he got to Egypt they were having trouble themselves and so when he saw the Kings chariot and clasped before his knees, kissing them. The king pities Odysseus and soared his life. And shave Odysseus the seat beside him. Odysseus tells Eumaeus that he then spent several years in Egypt making a fortune and then one day managed to persuade the king to let him go on a voyage to Phoenicia. As they were passing Sound of Crete, Poseidon send them a storm and they ended up on the coast of Thesprotia which is where Odysseus' beggar character first heard of Odysseus. Odysseus told Eumaeus that Odysseus had gone to Dodona to learn the will of Zeus. Odysseus then said that his crew were extremely against him and stripped him of his cloak and his tunic in replacement of filthy new clothes and when they reached the island of Ithaca they tied him under the decks and left to have supper on the beach but Odysseus managed to free himself from the ropes and they escaped them. 
• Eumaeus then speaks saying that he feels sorry for him but why is there a need to tell such pointless lies? He goes on to explain that he is a hermit and never goes to the town except when Penelope invites him in. He says that he has lost all interest in questioning peoples news on Odysseus as one say a man from Aetolia told him that he has seen odysseus with Idomeneus in Crete repairing the damage which his fleet had suffered in Crete. He says that Odysseus would be back by autumn bringing back a fortune. 
• Odysseus then says that Eumaeus has a "suspicious nature" but that if Odysseus does return Eumaeus will give him a cloak and tunic to wear ans send him on his way to Dulchium. 
• However if Odysseus does not return he shall, tell his men to kill him to teach that the next beggar to not tell lies. 
• Eumaues says that he would not kill him as it is a crime against the gods. 
• The herdsmen then came up with their pigs and drive them into the sties for the night. Eumaues chopped some firewood with his sharp axe no to men dragged in a five year old hog. And held it by the hearth Eumaeus prayed to the gods of Odysseus' return before he struck the animal and slit its throat. 
• The chopped up the rest of the meat and roasted it thoroughly.