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"While we were conversing thus, the shades of Achilles and Patroklos came near. The soul of Achilles recognized me, and he said: 'Odysseus, son of Laertes, how darest thou descend into the gloomy habitation of the dead? This is the greatest labor thou hast undertaken.'
"I answered: 'Godlike Achilles, I came here to consult the seer Tiresias about my return to my own country, for I have never yet reached Grecian soil, but have wandered about suffering great misfortunes. No one is happier than thou art, O Achilles. When thou wert alive all men honored thee as if thou wert a god, and now thou art a king and rulest over the dead.'
"Then he replied: 'Do not try to console me, Odysseus. I would rather be the slave of a poor man, and in the light of the sun, than to be in Hades and rule over all the dead. But tell me, Odysseus, how fares my noble son? Does he fight in the wars, and is he in the front ranks? And Peleus, my aged father, tell me of him. Is he still king of the Myrmidons? Or do they hold him in contempt, now that he is old, and I am not there to uphold him?'
"I answered him: 'I know nothing about thy aged father, O Achilles, but I have many things to tell thee about thy son. I brought him from Skyros, myself, in a ship to Troy, and placed him in the Greek army. There he surpassed everyone except Nestor and myself in the wisdom of his advice, and when we went forth to battle he fought among the foremost, slaying many illustrious foes.
"'Above all, his powers shone forth when we were hidden in the wooden horse. All the other leaders of the Greeks gave signs of fear. They grew white and shed tears; but his face never turned pale, and no tear came into his eyes. He called on me to leave the horse and rush upon the foe, and he smote the Trojans, carrying death and destruction among them. When we finally subdued the city, thy son took rich booty and safely reached his own country.'
"As soon as Achilles heard this news he rejoiced. He strode proudly off over the field of Elysian asphodels, well pleased that he had left such a mighty son on earth.
"After Achilles had departed, many other souls came and talked with me. Only the soul of Ajax kept aloof, still angry over a victory which I gained near the ships when I took the weapons of Achilles as my share of the booty. Little did that victory and the arms please me, since they caused the grave to close over such a hero as Ajax.
"I spoke to his soul in gentle words: 'Ajax, son of Telamon, did not even death appease the anger against me which thou didst feel on account of my receiving the arms that brought such a calamity upon the Greeks? For thou wast our tower of strength, and the weapons proved fatal to thee. Come nearer and speak to me, for I bewail thy death.' I spoke soothingly yet Ajax gave no answer. His spirit vanished away among the other spirits.
"Then I beheld Minos, the lawgiver of Crete, who held a golden sceptre in his hand and judged the dead. He had under him the great wrong-doers of one part of Hades. With him I saw Tantalos, who stood in a pool of water, suffering at the same time a painful thirst. As often as he tried to put his lips to the water it sank down away from him so that he could not reach it.
"I saw Sisyphos, also, who suffered great punishment, for he rolled a large rock uphill with both hands, straining every muscle of his body to the utmost to move it. No sooner had he pushed it to the top of the hill than it rolled back with deafening noise to the bottom of the valley. Again the unfortunate man toiled to move it upward, the sweat covering his body and clouds of dust hovering over his head.
"Then I saw the shade of Herakles, but the hero himself sits among the gods on Mount Olympos. And there came myriads of souls, making a terrible noise, which filled me with dread, lest I might look upon the Gorgon, and I hastened back to the ship. I ordered the crew to go on board, and they took their oars and rowed until we reached the open sea, where favorable winds caught by the sails wafted us back to Circè's isle."