e critical
moment. The Suitors feared not the Gods, were violators of the Divine
Order, for which violation man was to punish them. Again the two sides,
the divine and human, are put together. In vain Eurymachus, a spokesman
for the Suitors, offers amends, guilt cannot now buy itself free when
caught. Ulysses answers: "If thou shouldst offer all that thou hast and
all that thy father has, and other gifts, I would not desist." So
Eurymachus, perishes by the second arrow and still another Suitor,
Amphinomus is pierced by the spear of Telemachus. Thus three leaders
are slain in this preliminary stage.

(2) The second stage of the conflict begins by Telemachus bringing a
shield, two spears, and a helmet for his father, whose arrows are not
enough for the enemies. Also he brings armor for the cowherd and
swineherd, as well as for himself; thus the four men get themselves
fully equipped.

But in order to make a fair fight, it is necessary that the Suitors be
armed, in part at least. Melanthius, the goatherd, finds his way to the
chamber where the arms are deposited. Arms for twelve he brings, and
then goes for more, when he is caught. But now Pallas has to appear in
the form of Mentor, in order to put courage into the heart of Ulysses.
The first armed set of Suitors advance and throw their javelins without
effect, while the four on the side of Ulysses kill four men. Four more
Suitors are slain in a fresh onset, then two more; now their store of
weapons is exhausted. Thirteen mentioned here by name have fallen
beside those unnamed ones whom the arrows of Ulysses slew. The most
prominent Suitors are weltering in their blood, there are no more
weapons, the result is a panic.

(3) This is the third stage of the battle. A large majority of the
Suitors, probably 80 or more out of the 108 plus 10 attendants are
still alive, though without weapons and completely paralyzed with
terror. "Pallas held from the roof her man-destroying aegis, their
hearts trembled with fear, they fled through the palace like a drove of
cattle." The four men now use their swords upon the terrified,
defenseless crowd, and cut them down. Leiodes, the soothsayer of the
Suitors, begs for mercy and recounts his attempts to restrain their
violent deeds; vain is his prayer, he perishes with his company of
brigands, "for if thou wert their soothsayer, thou must often in my
palace have prayed the Gods against my return" and for the Suitors.
Thus the priestly man