[2,40] σχεδὸν γὰρ οὖν ἔοικεν οὐδὲ τῶν ἄλλων οὐδὲν μάτην ὁ ποιητὴς οὗτος λέγειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ στολὴν καὶ οἴκησιν καὶ δίαιταν πρὸς τὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἦθος πολλάκις ἀπεικάζει. διὰ τοῦτο τὰ μὲν ἐν Φαίαξι βασίλεια ἐκόσμησεν (41) ἄλσεσί τε καὶ ὀπώραις δι´ ἔτους καὶ κρήναις ἀενάοις, ἔτι δὲ μᾶλλον τὸ τῆς Καλυψοῦς, ἅτε ὡραίας καὶ φιλανθρώπου θεᾶς, ἐν νήσῳ καθ´ αὑτὴν ἀπῳκισμένης· τοῦτο μὲν γὰρ εὐώδη διαφερόντως φησὶ τὴν νῆσον τῶν ἡδίστων ἐν αὐτῇ καιομένων θυμιαμάτων, τοῦτο δὲ σύσκιον δένδροις εὐθαλέσι, κύκλῳ δὲ περὶ τὸ σπήλαιον ἄμπελον περιήκουσαν ὡραίαν, βότρυσι βριθομένην, ἔμπροσθεν δὲ λειμῶνας ἁπαλοὺς ἀναμὶξ σελίνων τε καὶ ἑτέρων, ἐν δὲ τῷ μέσῳ κρήνας τέτταρας λαμπροῦ καὶ διαφανοῦς ὕδατος πάντοσε ἀπορρέοντος, ἅτε οὐκ ὄντος ἑτεροκλινοῦς οὐδὲ ἀνίσου τοῦ χωρίου. πάντα γὰρ ταῦτα ὑπερφυῶς ἐρωτικὰ καὶ ἡδέα, κατὰ τὸν τρόπον οἶμαι τῆς θεᾶς. (42) {τὴν δέ γε τοῦ Μενελάου πολυχρήματον καὶ πολύχρυσον αὐλήν, καθάπερ οἶμαι τῶν Ἀσιαγενῶν τινος βασιλέων. καὶ γὰρ οὗτος ἦν οὐ μακρὰν τοῦ τε Ταντάλου καὶ Πέλοπος, ὅθεν οἶμαι καὶ τὸν χορὸν Εὐριπίδης {εἰς} τοῦτο αἰνιττόμενον πεποίηκεν ἐν τῇ προσόδῳ τοῦ βασιλέως, Μενέλαος δὲ πολὺ δ´ ἁβροσύνῃ δῆλος ὁρᾶσθαι τοῦ Τανταλιδᾶν ἐξ αἵματος ὤν.} (43) οὐ μὴν τήν γε τοῦ Ὀδυσσέως οἴκησιν οὐδαμῶς τούτοις ὁμοίαν, ἀλλ´ ὡς ἂν ἀσφαλοῦς ἀνδρὸς πεποίηκε πρὸς αὐτὸ τοῦτο παρεσκευασμένην. λέγει γὰρ οὕτως· ἐξ ἑτέρων ἕτερ´ ἐστίν, ἐπήσκηται δέ οἱ αὐλὴ τοίχῳ καὶ θριγκοῖσι· θύραι δ´ εὐεργέες εἰσὶ δίκλιδες· οὐκ ἂν τίς μιν ἀνὴρ ὑπεροπλίσσαιτο. (44) δεῖ δὲ τοῦ ποιητοῦ τὰ μὲν ὡς συμβουλεύοντος καὶ παραινοῦντος ἀποδέχεσθαι, τὰ δὲ ὡς ἐξηγουμένου μόνον, πολλὰ δὲ ὡς ὀνειδίζοντος καὶ καταγελῶντος. ἔοικέ γε μὴν καὶ τὰ περὶ κοίτην καὶ τὴν καθ´ ἡμέραν δίαιταν ἱκανὸς εἶναι παιδεύειν Ὅμηρος ἡρωικήν τινα καὶ βασιλικὴν τῷ ὄντι παίδευσιν, ὡς {τὰς Λακωνικὰς ἑστιάσεις τῶν φιλιτίων δείπνων} μαθόντα παρ´ ἐκείνου Λυκοῦργον νομοθετῆσαι τοῖς Σπαρτιάταις.

[2,40] Indeed it is fairly clear that this poet never elsewhere speaks without a purpose, but repeatedly depicts the dress, dwelling, and manner of life of people so as to accord with their character. This is why he beautified the palace of the Phaeacians with groves, perennial fruits, and ever-flowing springs ; and again, with even greater skill, the grotto of Calypso, since she was a beautiful and kindly goddess living off by herself on an island. For he says that the island was wonderfully fragrant with the odours of sweetest incense burning there ; and again, that it was overshaded with luxuriant trees ; that round about the grotto rambled a beautiful vine laden with clusters, while before it lay soft meadows with a confusion of parsley and other plants ; and, finally, that in its centre were four springs of crystal-clear water which flowed out in all directions, seeing that the ground was not on a slope or uneven. Now all these touches are marvellously suggestive of love and pleasure, and to my thinking reveal the character of the goddess. The court of Menelaus, however, he depiets as rich in possessions and rich in gold, as though he were some Asiatic king, it seems to me. And, in fact, Menelaus was not far removed in line of descent from Tantalus and Pelops ; which I think is the reason why Euripides has his chorus make a veiled allusion to his effeminacy when the king comes in : `And Menelaus, By his daintiness so clear to behold, Sprung from the Tantalid stock.' (43) The dwelling of Odysseus, however, is of a different kind altogether; he being a cautions man, Homer has given him a home furnished to suit his character. For he says : 'Rooms upon rooms are there : around its court Are walls and battlements, and folding doors Shut fast the entrance ; no man may contemn Its strength.' (44) "But there are passages where we must understand the poet to be giving advice and admonition, others where he merely narrates, and many where his purpose is censure and ridicule. Certainly, when he describes going to bed or the routine of daily life, Homer seems a competent instructor for an education that may truthfully be described as heroic and kingly. Lycurgus, for instance, may have got from him his idea of the common mess of the Spartans when he founded their institutions.