Well, I turned back to the ship quickly, for
I could not endure the sight, said good-bye to
Nauplius, and sailed away. 
After a short time the Isle of Dreams came
in sight close by, faint and uncertain to the eye. It
had itself some likeness to a dream, for as we
approached it receded and retired and retreated
to a greater distance. Overtaking it at length and
sailing into the harbour called Sleep, we landed near
the ivory gates, where the sanctuary of the Cock is,
about dusk, and on entering the city, we saw many
dreams of all sorts. But first I desire to speak of the
city itself, since no one else has written about it, and
Homer, the only one to mention it at all, was not
quite accurate in what he said.
 Odyss. 19, 560 ff. 

 

On all sides of
it is a wood, in which the trees are tall poppies and
mandragoras, and they have a great number of bats
in them; for there is no other winged thing in the
island. A river flows near which they call Sleepwalker, and there are two springs by the gates,



 

named Soundly and Eight-hours. The wall of the
city is high and parti-coloured, very like a rainbow
in tint. The gates in it are not two, as Homer says,
but four. Two face Slowcoach Plain, one of which
is of iron and the other of earthenware; through
these, it is said, the fearful, murderous, revolting
dreams go out. The other two face the harbour
and the sea, one of which is of horn and the other,
through which we came in, of ivory. As one enters
the city, on the right is the temple of Night, for
the gods they worship most are Night and the Cock,
whose sanctuary is built near the harbour. On the left
is the palace of Sleep, who rules among them and has
appointed two satraps or lieutenants, Nightmare, son
of Causeless, and Rich, son of Fancy. In the centre
of the square is a spring which they call Drowsimere,
and close to it are two temples, that of Falsehood
and that of Truth. There too is their holy of holies
and their oracle, which Antiphon, the interpreter ot
dreams, presided over as prophet, having had this
office from Sleep.

 

As to the dreams themselves,
they differ from one another both in nature and in
looks. Some were tall, handsome and well-proportioned, while others were small and ugly; and
some were rich, I thought, while others were
humble and beggarly. There were winged and
portentous dreams among them, and there were
others dressed up as if for a carnival, being clothed to
represent kings and gods and different characters of
the sort. We actually recognised many of them,
whom we had seen long ago at home. These came


 

up to us and greeted us like old acquaintances, took
us with them, put us to sleep and entertained us
very splendidly and hospitably. They treated us
like lords in every way, and even promised to make
us kings and nabobs, A few of them actually took
us off home, gave us a sight of our friends and
families and brought us back the same day.

 

For
thirty days and thirty nights we stopped with them
and had a fine time—sleeping! Then of a ‘sudden a
great thunder-clap came; we woke up, sprang out of
bed and put to sea as soon as we had laid in
supplies. On the third day out from there we touched at
the island of Ogygia and landed. But first I opened
the letter and read what was in it. It was: Odysseus to Calypso, greeting. “Soon after I built the raft and sailed away from
you I was shipwrecked, and with the help of Leucothea
managed to reach the land of the Phaeacians in
safety. They sent me home, and there I found that
my wife had a number of suitors who were living on
the fat of the land at our house. I killed them all,
and was afterwards slain by Telegonus, my son by
Circe. Now I am on the Isle of the Blest, thoroughly
sorry to have given up my life with you and the
immortality which you offered me. Therefore, if I
get a chance, I shall run away and come to you.”
In addition to this, the letter said. that she was to
entertain us.