So saying she bound on her glittering golden sandals, imperishable, with which she can fly 
like the wind over land or sea; she grasped the redoubtable bronze-shod spear, so stout 
and sturdy and strong, wherewith she quells the ranks of heroes who have displeased her,
and down she darted from the topmost summits of Olympus, whereon forthwith she was in Ithaca,
at the gateway of Ulysses' house, disguised as a visitor, Mentes, chief of the Taphians, and
she held a bronze spear in her hand. There she found the lordly suitors seated on hides of the 
oxen which they had killed and eaten, and playing draughts in front of the house. Men-servants 
and pages were bustling about to wait upon them, some mixing wine with water in the mixing-bowls,
some cleaning down the tables with wet sponges and laying them out again, and some cutting up
great quantities of meat. Telemachus saw her long before any one else did. He was sitting moodily 
among the suitors thinking about his brave father, and how he would send them flying out of the
house, if he were to come to his own again and be honoured as in days gone by. Thus brooding as
he sat among them, he caught sight of Minerva and went straight to the gate, for he was vexed
that a stranger should be kept waiting for admittance. He took her right hand in his own, and 
bade her give him her spear. "Welcome," said he, "to our house, and when you have partaken of 
food you shall tell us what you have come for." He led the way as he spoke, and Minerva followed 
him. When they were within he took her spear and set it in the spear- stand against a strong 
bearing-post along with the many other spears of his unhappy father, and he conducted her to 
a richly decorated seat under which he threw a cloth of damask. There was a footstool also 
for her feet, and he set another seat near her for himself, away from the suitors, that she 
might not be annoyed while eating by their noise and insolence, and that he might ask her 
more freely about his father. A maid servant then brought them water in a beautiful golden 
ewer and poured it into a silver basin for them to wash their hands, and she drew a clean table 
beside them. An upper servant brought them bread, and offered them many good things of what 
there was in the house, the carver fetched them plates of all manner of meats and set cups of 
gold by their side, and a man-servant brought them wine and poured it out for them. Then the
suitors came in and took their places on the benches and seats. Forthwith men servants poured 
water over their hands, maids went round with the bread-baskets, pages filled the mixing-bowls
with wine and water, and they laid their hands upon the good things that were before them. As
soon as they had had enough to eat and drink they wanted music and dancing, which are the crowning
embellishments of a banquet, so a servant brought a lyre to Phemius, whom they compelled perforce 
to sing to them. As soon as he touched his lyre and began to sing Telemachus spoke low to Minerva,
with his head close to hers that no man might hear.
