rchant ship, a tradesman, not a sportsman.

At this Ulysses was ill pleased, and replied that while he was young and
happy, he was well skilled in all sports, but now he was heavy and weak
with war and wandering. Still, he would show what he could do. Then he
seized a heavy weight, much heavier than any that the Phaeacians used in
putting the stone. He whirled it up, and hurled it far--far beyond the
furthest mark that the Phaeacians had reached when putting a lighter
weight. Then he challenged any man to run a race with him or box with
him, or shoot at a mark with him. Only his speed in running did he
doubt, for his limbs were stiffened by the sea. Perhaps Alcinous saw
that it would go ill with any man who matched himself against the
stranger, so he sent for the harper, who sang a merry song, and then he
made the young men dance and play ball, and bade the elder men go and
bring rich presents of gold and garments for the wanderer. Alcinous
himself gave a beautiful coffer and chest, and a great golden cup, and
Arete tied up all the gifts in the coffer, while the damsels took
Ulysses to the bath, and bathed him and anointed him with oil.

As he left the bath he met Nausicaa, standing at the entrance of the
hall. She bade him good-bye, rather sadly, saying: 'Farewell, and do not
soon forget me in your own country, for to me you owe the ransom of your
life.' 'May God grant to me to see my own country, lady,' he answered,
'for there I will think of you with worship, as I think of the blessed
Gods, all my days, for to you, lady, I owe my very life.' These were the
last words they spoke to each other, for Nausicaa did not sit at meat in
the hall with the great company of men. When they had taken supper, the
blind harper sang again a song about the deeds of Ulysses at Troy, and
again Ulysses wept, so that Alcinous asked him: 'Hast thou lost a dear
friend or a kinsman in the great war?' Then Ulysses spoke out: 'I am
Ulysses, Laertes' son, of whom all men have heard tell.' While they sat
amazed, he began, and told them the whole story of his adventures, from
the day when he left Troy till he arrived at Calypso's island; he had
already told them how he was shipwrecked on his way thence to Phaeacia.

All that wonderful story he told to their pleasure, and Euryalus made
amends for his rude words at the games, and gave Ulysses a beautiful
sword of bronze, with an ivory hilt set with studs of gold. Many other
gifts were given to him