The Odyssey
Teiresias

Now came the soul of Antikleia, dead,

my mother, daughter of Autolykos,

dead now, though living still when I took ship

for holy Troy. Seeing this ghost I grieved,

but held her off, through pang on pang of tears,

till I should know the presence of Teiresias.

Soon from the dark that prince of Thebes came forward

bearing a golden staff; and he addressed me:



'Son of Laertes and the gods of old,

Odysseus, master of land ways and sea ways,

why leave the blazing sun, O man of woe,

to see the cold dead and the joyless region?

Stand clear, put up your sword;

let me but taste of blood, I shall speak true.'



At this I stepped aside, and in the scabbard

let my long sword ring home to the pommel silver,

as he bent down to the sombre blood. Then spoke

the prince of those with gift of speech:



‘Great captain,

a fair wind and the honey lights of home

are all you seek. But anguish lies ahead;

the god who thunders on the land prepares it,

not to be shaken from your track, implacable,

in rancor for the son whose eye you blinded.

One narrow strait may take you through his blows:

denial of yourself, restraint of shipmates.

When you make landfall on Thrinakia first

and quit the violet sea, dark on the land

you'll find the grazing herds of Helios

by whom all things are seen, all speech is known.

Avoid those kine, hold fast to your intent,

and hard seafaring brings you all to Ithaka.

But if you raid the beeves, I see destruction

for ship and crew. Though you survive alone,

bereft of all companions, lost for years,

under strange sail shall you come home, to find

your own house filled with trouble: insolent men

eating your livestock as they court your lady.

Aye, you shall make those men atone in blood!

But after you have dealt out death—in open

combat or by stealth—to all the suitors,

go overland on foot, and take an oar,

until one day you come where men have lived

with meat unsalted, never known the sea,

nor seen seagoing ships, with crimson bows

and oars that fledge light hulls for dipping flight.

The spot will soon be plain to you, and I

can tell you how: some passerby will say,

"What winnowing fan is that upon your shoulder?"

Halt, and implant your smooth oar in the turf

and make fair sacrifice to Lord Poseidon:

a ram, a bull, a great buck boar; turn back,

and carry out pure hekatombs at home

to all wide heaven's lords, the undying gods,

to each in order. Then a seaborne death

soft as this hand of mist will come upon you

when you are wearied out with rich old age,

your country folk in blessed peace around you.

And all this shall be just as I foretell.'





In The Odyssey - Teiresias, when Teiresias describes the conflicts that Odysseus will face, how do these conflicts relate to the story’s theme?
a The conflicts describe the theme.
b The conflicts contrast with the theme.
c The conflicts reveal the theme.
d The conflicts hide the theme.