Don't Raid The Beeves

Last night, I finished cramming in a re-reading of The Odyssey in advance of seeing the movie tonight. The translation was done in the 60's by Robert Fitzgerald, and has a great balance between modern readability and the lofty blank verse style deserved by the epic text. Overall, I came away impressed. However, one word kept popping up, and I found it hilarious: "Beeves" In nine instances, herds of cattle are described using this antique plural for "beef." I don't know why this tickled me so much, but it did: Book II: No; these men spend their days around our house killing our beeves and sheep and fatted goats, carousing, soaking up our good dark wine, not caring what they do. Book XI & XII: But if you raid the beeves, I see destruction for ship and crew. Book XII: The silken beeves of Hêlios were dead. Book XIV: Not a day goes by, and not a night comes under Zeus, but they make butchery of our beeves and swine— not one or two beasts at a time, either. Book XVII: But these men spend…