A source-book of ancient history - The Search For Mecca

A Palace 85
on, and the youths well-woven doublets faintly ghstening
with oil.
Fair wreaths had the maidens, and the youths
daggers of gold hanging from silver baldrics. And now
would they run round with deft feet exceeding lightly,
as when a potter sitting by his wheel that fitteth between
his hands maketh trial of it whether it run : and now^ anon
they would run in hnes to meet each other. And a great
company stood round the lovely dance in joy; and among
them a di\ane minstrel was making music on his lyre, and
through the midst of them, leading the measure, two tumblers
whirled.
II.
The Palace of Alcinous
The hero Odysseus, returning home from Troy, after its capture and
destruction, wandered far and wide, driven about by the sea-god
Poseidon, who was angry with him; Ancient World, 96.
In these
travels he was ship-wrecked upon the island of the Phaeacians.
Received hospitably by Nausicaa, a princess of these people, he came
to the palace of her father. King Alcinous.
Especially interesting is
the description of the palace and its inmates and of the garden in the
great front court. Homer, Odyssey, vii. 81-132.
Meanwhile Odysseus went to the famous palace of Interior
Alcinous, and his heart was full of many thoughts as he
stood there or ever he had reached the threshold of bronze, ^"
g'^^'*'
si
For there was a gleam as it were of sun and moon through
the high-roofed hall of great-hearted Alcinous. Brazen Greece, 5-7.
were the walls that ran this way and that from the threshold
to the inmost chamber, and round them was a frieze
of blue, and golden were the doors that closed in the good
house. Silver were the door-posts that were set on the
brazen threshold, and silver the lintel thereupon, and the
hook of the door was of gold. And on either side stood
golden hounds and silver, which Hephsestus wrought with