Here Melesigenes, who had already suffered in his eyes, became much worse, and Mentes, who was about to leave for Leucadia, left him to the medical superintendence of a friend of his, named Mentor, the son of Alcinor.

Under his hospitable and intelligent host, Melesigenes rapidly became acquainted with the legends respecting Ulysses, which afterwards formed the subject of the Odyssey.

The inhabitants of Ithaca assert, that it was here that Melesigenes became blind, but the Colophomans make their city the seat of that misfortune.

He then returned to Smyrna, where he applied himself to the study of poetry.( 3) But poverty soon drove him to Cumae.

Having passed over the Hermaean plain, he arrived at Neon Teichos, the New Wall, a colony of Cumae.