Odysseus preferred his request. "Deem me not ungrateful," he said, "if
my heart turns ever to my wife and home. I am but a mortal man, with
human needs and frailties, and no fit mate for a goddess like thee.
And my men weary me with their importunity, when thou art not near."

Circe heard him graciously, knowing well that they must part. "I will
not keep thee," she said, "against thy will. But a long journey lies
before thee, even to the very ends of the earth, and not until that is
past canst thou set thy sail for home. To the halls of Hades thou must
go, and consult the spirit of Theban Teiresias, who alone among all
the dead hath an understanding heart, while the rest are but flitting
shadows. Now hearken, and I will tell thee all that thou must do. When
thou leavest these shores thou shalt sail ever southward, until thou
hast reached the farther side of the River Oceanus, and come to the
shadowy grove which stands at the confines of the realm of Persephone.
There thou shalt land with thy company, and dig a trench a cubit in
length and breadth, and pour about it a libation of mead and water and
wine; and after that thou shalt offer a sacrifice of black sheep, in
such wise that the blood thereof shall flow into the trench and fill
it. Thither will flock the whole multitude of departed spirits, to
drink of the blood; but do thou draw thy sword, and hold it over the
trench, nor suffer any of the other spirits to draw near until thou
hast seen Teiresias and hearkened to his lore."

All that night Odysseus remained in deep conference with Circe, and as
soon as day dawned he went to rouse his men who were sleeping in the
outer chamber. "Up, comrades!" he cried, "all is prepared, and we must
embark without delay." His loud summons proved fatal to one of the
company, a certain Elpenor, the youngest of them all, who, the night
before, had lain down to sleep on the housetop, for the sake of the