Book 18 - Blows and A Queen's Beauty

Another beggar, as far as I know, by the name of Arnaeus, wanderred into the palace. For a beggar, he was rather brash: he insulted me, Odysseus and challenged me to a boxing match. He actually thought he would win. I pitied the poor fellow, but told him not the fate that awaited him. He thought that he would make quick work of the old man, that was supposed to be me, but Athena gave me extra strength and stature. Irus soon regreted challenging me and tried to escape, but by now the suitors took notice and were egging on the fight for the sake of their own entertainment. It was a good think they were under the infulence, otherwise they just might've noticed me. It ended quickly as I floored Irus and stopped just short of killing him. As I said before, I pitied the poor guy. The suitors congratulated me. One in particular, the moderate Amphinomous, toasted me and gave me food. I felt the irony, getting food as a grace by others in my own house. I really did felt Irus' pain, being floored, but in another sense. Irus was physically florred, but I, I was insulted and thrown to the ground in my own house. I felt pity for myself as I took the food to my mouth. I was fully aware of the bloodshed to come and was also overcome by pity for Amphinomus, so I pulled the man aside. I predicted to Amphinomus that I, Odysseus, would soon be home and gave him a thinly veiled warning to abandon the palace and return to his own land. But Amphinomus didn’t depart, despite being fraught with grave forebodings, for Athena had bound him to death at the hands of Telemachus, I think. Actually, I think I don't think I would be able to kill a man who pitied me and gave me food, no matter who I was. Athena then put it into Penelope’s head to make an appearance before her suitors. The goddess gave her extra stature and beauty to inflame their hearts. I assume that happened, because that is the way she came out. Pehaps it was just that it was so long since I saw her appealing beauty that she looked even more beautiful when my eyes actually beheld her. When Penelope spoke to the suitors, she led them on by telling them that I had instructed her to take a new husband if I would fail to return before Telemachus began growing facial hair. She then tricked them, to my silent delight, into bringing her gifts by claiming that any suitor worth his salt would try to win her hand by giving things to her instead of taking what’s rightfully hers. The suitors showered her with presents, and, as they celebrated, I instructed the maidservants to go to Penelope. The maidservant Melantho, Melanthius’s sister, insulted me as an inferior being and a drunk; I was so pissed off, that I then scared them off with threats. Hoping to make me even more angry at the suitors, Athena then inspired Eurymachus to insult me. This was the last straw. Somtimes, its fine, but other times, a man's just got to stand up for himself, no matter who is trying to walk over hiim. When I responded with insults of my own, Eurymachus threw a stool at me but missed, hitting a servant instead. Just as a riot was about to break out, Telemachus stepped in and diffused the situation, to the consternation of the suitors. Lucky that he did, or else I would've began the battle right then and there, not caring how many of them were in thier primes, or whatever it was Telly had told me earlier.