busy
decking pillars and statues with garlands of flowers and making wreaths
to crown the victors in the next day's games.

Odysseus comes out of the palace; he cannot sleep; he thinks of his
home, his father, his wife and child. He sees a temple to Athene on
the right and resolves to spend the night there praying to the gods to
restore him to his home. He passes across the stage and goes into the
temple.

Nausikaa now comes out of the palace with some of her companions. She
presently dismisses them and remains alone in the moonlight. She prays
to Aphrodite to deliver her from the {427} importunate wooing of
Euryalos and to grant her the love of the stranger.

The vision of Aphrodite appears; with a threatening gesture she seems
to refuse Nausikaa's request. While Nausikaa sinks fainting on the
steps of the terrace the voice of Euryalos is heard in the background
singing a love song, and soon after he comes forward and stormily
declares his love to Nausikaa who rushes away from him with a cry into
the temple of Athene. As the bold youth is about to follow Odysseus
appears at the door of the temple and forces Euryalos to retire. The
baffled suitor rushes upon Odysseus with his drawn sword in blind rage;
but Odysseus instantly disarms him, breaks the sword, and Euryalos
vowing vengeance goes into the palace.

Though deeply moved by Nausikaa's passionate gratitude and affection
for her protector, Odysseus remains faithful to the memory of his wife
and child and prays the gods to help him to be strong.

Act III.

In a great court in front of the gymnasium where games and wrestling
matches are going on a procession of priests and young boys enter
singing; they offer prayers and burn incense before the altars of the
gods, particularly before that of Poseidon the special patron of the
Phaeakens. Girls and matrons follow in a like procession and deck the
statue and altar of Athene with flowers. The shouts of the people in
the gymnasium greeting the victors in the games are heard at intervals.

{428}

Among the maidens is Nausikaa. Her brother Leodamus enters soon
afterwards in great excitement and begs his sister to come and witness
the feats of Euryalos who is victor in all the games. But she coldly
asks if the stranger has entered into competition with him, and hearing
he has not done so she refuses to go into the gymnasium.

Queen Arete enters and Nausikaa throws herself into her mother's arms.
Aret