lotus fruit that they wished to remain in the country, but Ulysses
compelled them to embark again and continued his voyage. He next came to
the island of Sicily, and fell into the hands of the giant Polyphemus,
one of the Cyclopes. After several of his comrades had been killed by
this monster, Ulysses made his escape by stratagem and reached the
country of the winds. Here he received the help of Aeolus, king of the
winds, and having set sail again, arrived within sight of Ithaca; but
owing to the folly of his companions, the winds became suddenly adverse
and he was again driven back. He then touched at an island which was the
home of Circe, a powerful enchantress, who exercised her charms on his
companions and turned them into swine. By the help of the god Mercury,
Ulysses not only escaped this fate himself, but also forced Circe to
restore her victims to human shape. After staying a year with Circe, he
again set out and eventually reached his home_.


81. _HOMEWARD BOUND_

Urbem Troiam a Graecis decem annos obsessam esse satis constat; de hoc
enim bello Homerus, maximus poetarum Graecorum, Iliadem opus notissimum
scripsit. Troia tandem per insidias capta, Graeci longo bello fessi domum
redire maturaverunt. Omnibus rebus igitur ad profectionem paratis navis
deduxerunt, et tempestatem idoneam nacti magno cum gaudio solverunt. Erat
inter primos Graecorum Ulixes quidam, vir summae virtutis ac prudentiae,
quem dicunt nonnulli dolum istum excogitasse quo Troiam captam esse
constat. Hic regnum insulae Ithacae obtinuerat, et paulo antequam cum
reliquis Graecis ad bellum profectus est, puellam formosissimam, nomine
Penelopen, in matrimonium duxerat. Nunc igitur cum iam decem annos quasi
in exsilio consumpsisset, magna cupiditate patriae et uxoris videndae
ardebat.