Odyssey

Then Hermes of Cyllene summoned the ghosts [ psukhai ] of the suitors, and in his hand he held the fair golden wand with which he seals men's eyes in sleep or wakes them just as he pleases; with this he roused the ghosts and led them, while they followed whining and gibbering behind him. As bats fly squealing in the hollow of some great cave, when one of them has fallen out of the cluster in which they hang, even so did the ghosts whine and squeal as Hermes the healer of sorrow led them down into the dark abode of death. When they had passed the waters of Okeanos and the rock Leukas , they came to the gates of the sun and the dêmos of dreams, whereon they reached the meadow of asphodel where dwell the souls and shadows of them that can labor no more.

Ἑρμῆς δὲ ψυχὰς Κυλλήνιος ἐξεκαλεῖτο

ἀνδρῶν μνηστήρων· ἔχε δὲ ῥάβδον μετὰ χερσὶν

καλὴν χρυσείην, τῇ τʼ ἀνδρῶν ὄμματα θέλγει

ὧν ἐθέλει, τοὺς δʼ αὖτε καὶ ὑπνώοντας ἐγείρει·

τῇ ῥʼ ἄγε κινήσας, ταὶ δὲ τρίζουσαι ἕποντο.

ὡς δʼ ὅτε νυκτερίδες μυχῷ ἄντρου θεσπεσίοιο

τρίζουσαι ποτέονται, ἐπεί κέ τις ἀποπέσῃσιν

ὁρμαθοῦ ἐκ πέτρης, ἀνά τʼ ἀλλήλῃσιν ἔχονται,

ὣς αἱ τετριγυῖαι ἅμʼ ἤϊσαν· ἦρχε δʼ ἄρα σφιν

Ἑρμείας ἀκάκητα κατʼ εὐρώεντα κέλευθα.

πὰρ δʼ ἴσαν Ὠκεανοῦ τε ῥοὰς καὶ Λευκάδα πέτρην,

ἠδὲ παρʼ Ἠελίοιο πύλας καὶ δῆμον ὀνείρων

ἤϊσαν· αἶψα δʼ ἵκοντο κατʼ ἀσφοδελὸν λειμῶνα,

ἔνθα τε ναίουσι ψυχαί, εἴδωλα καμόντων.

Here they found the ghost [ psukhê ] of Achilles son of Peleus, with those of Patroklos, Antilokhos, and Ajax, who was the finest and handsomest man of all the Danaans after the son of Peleus himself.

εὗρον δὲ ψυχὴν Πηληϊάδεω Ἀχιλῆος

καὶ Πατροκλῆος καὶ ἀμύμονος Ἀντιλόχοιο

Αἴαντός θʼ, ὃς ἄριστος ἔην εἶδός τε δέμας τε

τῶν ἄλλων Δαναῶν μετʼ ἀμύμονα Πηλεΐδαο

They gathered round the ghost of the son of Peleus, and the ghost [ psukhê ] of Agamemnon joined them, sorrowing bitterly. Round him were gathered also the ghosts of those who had perished with him in the house of Aigisthos; and the ghost [ psukhê ] of Achilles spoke first.

ὣς οἱ μὲν περὶ κεῖνον ὁμίλεον· ἀγχίμολον δὲ

ἤλυθʼ ἔπι ψυχὴ Ἀγαμέμνονος Ἀτρεΐδαο

ἀχνυμένη· περὶ δʼ ἄλλαι ἀγηγέραθʼ, ὅσσαι ἅμʼ αὐτῷ

οἴκῳ ἐν Αἰγίσθοιο θάνον καὶ πότμον ἐπέσπον.

τὸν προτέρη ψυχὴ προσεφώνεε Πηλεΐωνος·

"Son of Atreus," it said, "we used to say that Zeus had loved you better from first to last than any other hero, for you were leader over many and brave men, when we were all fighting together in the dêmos of the Trojans; yet the hand of death, which no mortal can escape, was laid upon you all too early. Better for you had you fallen in the Trojan dêmos in the hey-day of your renown, for the Achaeans would have built a mound over your ashes, and your son would have been heir to your kleos , whereas it has now been your lot to come to a most miserable end."

Ἀτρεΐδη, περὶ μέν σʼ ἔφαμεν Διὶ τερπικεραύνῳ

ἀνδρῶν ἡρώων φίλον ἔμμεναι ἤματα πάντα,

οὕνεκα πολλοῖσίν τε καὶ ἰφθίμοισιν ἄνασσες

δήμῳ ἔνι Τρώων, ὅθι πάσχομεν ἄλγεʼ Ἀχαιοί.

ἦ τʼ ἄρα καὶ σοὶ πρῶϊ παραστήσεσθαι ἔμελλεν

μοῖρʼ ὀλοή, τὴν οὔ τις ἀλεύεται ὅς κε γένηται.

ὡς ὄφελες τιμῆς ἀπονήμενος, ἧς περ ἄνασσες,

δήμῳ ἔνι Τρώων θάνατον καὶ πότμον ἐπισπεῖν·

τῷ κέν τοι τύμβον μὲν ἐποίησαν Παναχαιοί,

ἠδέ κε καὶ σῷ παιδὶ μέγα κλέος ἤραʼ ὀπίσσω·

νῦν δʼ ἄρα σʼ οἰκτίστῳ θανάτῳ εἵμαρτο ἁλῶναι.

"Happy [ olbios ] son of Peleus," answered the ghost [ psukhê ] of Agamemnon, "for having died at Troy far from Argos , while the bravest of the Trojans and the Achaeans fell round you fighting for your body. There you lay in the whirling clouds of dust, all huge and hugely, heedless now of your chivalry. We fought the whole of the livelong day, nor should we ever have left off if Zeus had not sent a gale to stay us. Then, when we had borne you to the ships out of the fray, we laid you on your bed and cleansed your fair skin with warm water and with ointments. The Danaans tore their hair and wept bitterly round about you. Your mother, when she heard, came with her immortal nymphs from out of the sea, and the sound of a great wailing went forth over the waters so that the Achaeans quaked for fear. They would have fled panic-stricken to their ships had not wise old Nestor whose counsel was ever truest checked them saying, ‘Hold, Argives, flee not sons of the Achaeans, this is his mother coming from the sea with her immortal nymphs to view the body of her son.’

τὸν δʼ αὖτε ψυχὴ προσεφώνεεν Ἀτρείδαο·

ὄλβιε Πηλέος υἱέ, θεοῖς ἐπιείκελʼ Ἀχιλλεῦ,

ὃς θάνες ἐν Τροίῃ ἑκὰς Ἄργεος· ἀμφὶ δέ σʼ ἄλλοι

κτείνοντο Τρώων καὶ Ἀχαιῶν υἷες ἄριστοι,

μαρνάμενοι περὶ σεῖο· σὺ δʼ ἐν στροφάλιγγι κονίης

κεῖσο μέγας μεγαλωστί, λελασμένος ἱπποσυνάων.

ἡμεῖς δὲ πρόπαν ἦμαρ ἐμαρνάμεθʼ· οὐδέ κε πάμπαν

παυσάμεθα πτολέμου, εἰ μὴ Ζεὺς λαίλαπι παῦσεν.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεί σʼ ἐπὶ νῆας ἐνείκαμεν ἐκ πολέμοιο,

κάτθεμεν ἐν λεχέεσσι, καθήραντες χρόα καλὸν

ὕδατί τε λιαρῷ καὶ ἀλείφατι· πολλὰ δέ σʼ ἀμφὶ

δάκρυα θερμὰ χέον Δαναοὶ κείροντό τε χαίτας.

μήτηρ δʼ ἐξ ἁλὸς ἦλθε σὺν ἀθανάτῃς ἁλίῃσιν

ἀγγελίης ἀΐουσα· βοὴ δʼ ἐπὶ πόντον ὀρώρει

θεσπεσίη, ὑπὸ δὲ τρόμος ἔλλαβε πάντας Ἀχαιούς·

καί νύ κʼ ἀναΐξαντες ἔβαν κοίλας ἐπὶ νῆας,

εἰ μὴ ἀνὴρ κατέρυκε παλαιά τε πολλά τε εἰδώς,

Νέστωρ, οὗ καὶ πρόσθεν ἀρίστη φαίνετο βουλή·

ὅ σφιν ἐϋφρονέων ἀγορήσατο καὶ μετέειπεν·

ἴσχεσθʼ, Ἀργεῖοι, μὴ φεύγετε, κοῦροι Ἀχαιῶν·

μήτηρ ἐξ ἁλὸς ἥδε σὺν ἀθανάτῃς ἁλίῃσιν

ἔρχεται, οὗ παιδὸς τεθνηότος ἀντιόωσα.

"Thus he spoke, and the Achaeans feared no more. The daughters of the old man of the sea stood round you weeping bitterly, and clothed you in immortal raiment. The nine muses also came and lifted up their sweet voices in lament - calling and answering one another; there was not an Argive but wept for pity of the dirge they chanted. Days and nights seven and ten we mourned you, mortals and immortals, but on the eighteenth day we gave you to the flames, and many a fat sheep with many an ox did we slay in sacrifice around you. You were burnt in raiment of the gods, with rich resins and with honey, while heroes, horse and foot, clashed their armor round the pile as you were burning, with the tramp as of a great multitude. But when the flames of heaven had done their work, we gathered your white bones at daybreak and laid them in ointments and in pure wine. Your mother brought us a golden vase to hold them - gift of Bacchus, and work of Hephaistos himself; in this we mingled your bleached bones with those of Patroklos who had gone before you, and separate we enclosed also those of Antilokhos, who had been closer to you than any other of your comrades now that Patroklos was no more.

ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἱ δʼ ἔσχοντο φόβου μεγάθυμοι Ἀχαιοί·

ἀμφὶ δέ σʼ ἔστησαν κοῦραι ἁλίοιο γέροντος

οἴκτρʼ ὀλοφυρόμεναι, περὶ δʼ ἄμβροτα εἵματα ἕσσαν.

Μοῦσαι δʼ ἐννέα πᾶσαι ἀμειβόμεναι ὀπὶ καλῇ

θρήνεον· ἔνθα κεν οὔ τινʼ ἀδάκρυτόν γʼ ἐνόησας

Ἀργείων· τοῖον γὰρ ὑπώρορε Μοῦσα λίγεια.

ἑπτὰ δὲ καὶ δέκα μέν σε ὁμῶς νύκτας τε καὶ ἦμαρ

κλαίομεν ἀθάνατοί τε θεοὶ θνητοί τʼ ἄνθρωποι·

ὀκτωκαιδεκάτῃ δʼ ἔδομεν πυρί, πολλὰ δέ σʼ ἀμφὶ

μῆλα κατεκτάνομεν μάλα πίονα καὶ ἕλικας βοῦς.

καίεο δʼ ἔν τʼ ἐσθῆτι θεῶν καὶ ἀλείφατι πολλῷ

καὶ μέλιτι γλυκερῷ· πολλοὶ δʼ ἥρωες Ἀχαιοὶ

τεύχεσιν ἐρρώσαντο πυρὴν πέρι καιομένοιο,

πεζοί θʼ ἱππῆές τε· πολὺς δʼ ὀρυμαγδὸς ὀρώρει

αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ δή σε φλὸξ ἤνυσεν Ἡφαίστοιο,

ἠῶθεν δή τοι λέγομεν λεύκʼ ὀστέʼ, Ἀχιλλεῦ,

οἴνῳ ἐν ἀκρήτῳ καὶ ἀλείφατι· δῶκε δὲ μήτηρ

χρύσεον ἀμφιφορῆα· Διωνύσοιο δὲ δῶρον

φάσκʼ ἔμεναι, ἔργον δὲ περικλυτοῦ Ἡφαίστοιο.

ἐν τῷ τοι κεῖται λεύκʼ ὀστέα, φαίδιμʼ Ἀχιλλεῦ,

μίγδα δὲ Πατρόκλοιο Μενοιτιάδαο θανόντος,

χωρὶς δʼ Ἀντιλόχοιο, τὸν ἔξοχα τῖες ἁπάντων

τῶν ἄλλων ἑτάρων, μετὰ Πάτροκλόν γε θανόντα.

"Over these the host of the Argives built a noble tomb, on a point jutting out over the open Hellespont , that it might be seen from far out upon the sea by those now living and by them that shall be born hereafter. Your mother begged prizes from the gods, and offered them to be contended for [ agôn ] by the noblest of the Achaeans. You must have been present at the funeral of many a hero, when the young men gird themselves and make ready to contend for prizes on the death of some great chieftain, but you never saw such prizes as silver-footed Thetis offered in your honor; for the gods loved you well. Thus even in death your kleos , Achilles, has not been lost, and your name lives evermore among all humankind. But as for me, what solace had I when the days of my fighting were done? For Zeus willed my destruction on my return [ nostos ], by the hands of Aigisthos and those of my wicked wife."

ἀμφʼ αὐτοῖσι δʼ ἔπειτα μέγαν καὶ ἀμύμονα τύμβον

χεύαμεν Ἀργείων ἱερὸς στρατὸς αἰχμητάων

ἀκτῇ ἔπι προὐχούσῃ, ἐπὶ πλατεῖ Ἑλλησπόντῳ,

ὥς κεν τηλεφανὴς ἐκ ποντόφιν ἀνδράσιν εἴη

τοῖς οἳ νῦν γεγάασι καὶ οἳ μετόπισθεν ἔσονται.

μήτηρ δʼ αἰτήσασα θεοὺς περικαλλέʼ ἄεθλα

θῆκε μέσῳ ἐν ἀγῶνι ἀριστήεσσιν Ἀχαιῶν.

ἤδη μὲν πολέων τάφῳ ἀνδρῶν ἀντεβόλησας

ἡρώων, ὅτε κέν ποτʼ ἀποφθιμένου βασιλῆος

ζώννυνταί τε νέοι καὶ ἐπεντύνονται ἄεθλα·

ἀλλά κε κεῖνα μάλιστα ἰδὼν θηήσαο θυμῷ,

οἷʼ ἐπὶ σοὶ κατέθηκε θεὰ περικαλλέʼ ἄεθλα,

ἀργυρόπεζα Θέτις· μάλα γὰρ φίλος ἦσθα θεοῖσιν.

ὣς σὺ μὲν οὐδὲ θανὼν ὄνομʼ ὤλεσας, ἀλλά τοι αἰεὶ

πάντας ἐπʼ ἀνθρώπους κλέος ἔσσεται ἐσθλόν, Ἀχιλλεῦ,

αὐτὰρ ἐμοὶ τί τόδʼ ἦδος, ἐπεὶ πόλεμον τολύπευσα;

ἐν νόστῳ γάρ μοι Ζεὺς μήσατο λυγρὸν ὄλεθρον

Αἰγίσθου ὑπὸ χερσὶ καὶ οὐλομένης ἀλόχοιο.

Thus did they converse, and presently Hermes came up to them with the ghosts of the suitors who had been killed by Odysseus. The ghosts [ psukhai ] of Agamemnon and Achilles were astonished at seeing them, and went up to them at once. The ghost [ psukhê ] of Agamemnon recognized Amphimedon son of Melaneus, who lived in Ithaca and had been his host, so it began to talk to him.

ὣς οἱ μὲν τοιαῦτα πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἀγόρευον,

ἀγχίμολον δέ σφʼ ἦλθε διάκτορος ἀργεϊφόντης,

ψυχὰς μνηστήρων κατάγων Ὀδυσῆϊ δαμέντων,

τὼ δʼ ἄρα θαμβήσαντʼ ἰθὺς κίον, ὡς ἐσιδέσθην.

ἔγνω δὲ ψυχὴ Ἀγαμέμνονος Ἀτρεΐδαο

παῖδα φίλον Μελανῆος, ἀγακλυτὸν Ἀμφιμέδοντα·

ξεῖνος γάρ οἱ ἔην Ἰθάκῃ ἔνι οἰκία ναίων.

τὸν προτέρη ψυχὴ προσεφώνεεν Ἀτρεΐδαο·

"Amphimedon," it said, "what has happened to all you choice [ krînô ] young men - all of an age too - that you are come down here under the ground? One could select [ krînô ] no finer body of men from any city. Did Poseidon raise his winds and waves against you when you were at sea, or did your enemies make an end of you on the mainland when you were cattle-lifting or sheep-stealing, or while fighting in defense of their wives and city? Answer my question, for I have been your guest. Do you not remember how I came to your house with Menelaos, to persuade Odysseus to join us with his ships against Troy ? It was a whole month ere we could resume our voyage, for we had hard work to persuade Odysseus to come with us."

Ἀμφίμεδον, τί παθόντες ἐρεμνὴν γαῖαν ἔδυτε

πάντες κεκριμένοι καὶ ὁμήλικες; οὐδέ κεν ἄλλως

κρινάμενος λέξαιτο κατὰ πτόλιν ἄνδρας ἀρίστους.

ἦ ὔμμʼ ἐν νήεσσι Ποσειδάων ἐδάμασσεν,

ὄρσας ἀργαλέους ἀνέμους καὶ κύματα μακρά;

ἦ που ἀνάρσιοι ἄνδρες ἐδηλήσαντʼ ἐπὶ χέρσου

βοῦς περιταμνομένους ἠδʼ οἰῶν πώεα καλά,

ἠὲ περὶ πτόλιος μαχεούμενοι ἠδὲ γυναικῶν;

εἰπέ μοι εἰρομένῳ· ξεῖνος δέ τοι εὔχομαι εἶναι.

ἦ οὐ μέμνῃ ὅτε κεῖσε κατήλυθον ὑμέτερον δῶ,

ὀτρυνέων Ὀδυσῆα σὺν ἀντιθέῳ Μενελάῳ

Ἴλιον εἰς ἅμʼ ἕπεσθαι ἐϋσσέλμων ἐπὶ νηῶν;

μηνὶ δʼ ἄρʼ οὔλῳ πάντα περήσαμεν εὐρέα πόντον,

σπουδῇ παρπεπιθόντες Ὀδυσσῆα πτολίπορθον.

And the ghost [ psukhê ] of Amphimedon answered, "Agamemnon, son of Atreus, king of men, I remember everything that you have said, and will tell you fully and accurately about the way in which our end was brought about. Odysseus had been long gone, and we were courting his wife, who did not say point blank that she would not marry, nor yet bring matters to an end, for she meant to compass our destruction: this, then, was the trick she played us. She set up a great tambour frame in her room and began to work on an enormous piece of fine needlework. ‘Sweethearts,’ said she, ‘Odysseus is indeed dead, still, do not press me to marry again immediately; wait - for I would not have my skill in needlework perish unrecorded - till I have completed a shroud for the hero Laertes , against the time when death shall take him. He is very rich, and the women of the dêmos will talk if he is laid out without a shroud.’ This is what she said, and we assented; whereupon we could see her working upon her great web all day long, but at night she would unpick the stitches again by torchlight. She fooled us in this way for three years without our finding it out, but as time [ hôra ] wore on and she was now in her fourth year, and the waning of moons and many days had been accomplished, one of her maids who knew what she was doing told us, and we caught her in the act of undoing her work, so she had to finish it whether she would or not; and when she showed us the robe she had made, after she had had it washed, its splendor was as that of the sun or moon.

τὸν δʼ αὖτε ψυχὴ προσεφώνεεν Ἀμφιμέδοντος·

Ἀτρεΐδη κύδιστε, ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν Ἀγάμεμνον,

μέμνημαι τάδε πάντα, διοτρεφές, ὡς ἀγορεύεις·

σοὶ δʼ ἐγὼ εὖ μάλα πάντα καὶ ἀτρεκέως καταλέξω,

ἡμετέρου θανάτοιο κακὸν τέλος, οἷον ἐτύχθη.

μνώμεθʼ Ὀδυσσῆος δὴν οἰχομένοιο δάμαρτα·

ἡ δʼ οὔτʼ ἠρνεῖτο στυγερὸν γάμον οὔτʼ ἐτελεύτα,

ἡμῖν φραζομένη θάνατον καὶ κῆρα μέλαιναν,

ἀλλὰ δόλον τόνδʼ ἄλλον ἐνὶ φρεσὶ μερμήριξε·

στησαμένη μέγαν ἱστὸν ἐνὶ μεγάροισιν ὕφαινε,

λεπτὸν καὶ περίμετρον· ἄφαρ δʼ ἡμῖν μετέειπε·

κοῦροι ἐμοὶ μνηστῆρες, ἐπεὶ θάνε δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς,

μίμνετʼ ἐπειγόμενοι τὸν ἐμὸν γάμον, εἰς ὅ κε φᾶρος

ἐκτελέσω, μή μοι μεταμώνια νήματʼ ὄληται,

Λαέρτῃ ἥρωϊ ταφήϊον, εἰς ὅτε κέν μιν

μοῖρʼ ὀλοὴ καθέλῃσι τανηλεγέος θανάτοιο,

μή τίς μοι κατὰ δῆμον Ἀχαιϊάδων νεμεσήσῃ,

αἴ κεν ἄτερ σπείρου κεῖται πολλὰ κτεατίσσας.

ὣς ἔφαθʼ, ἡμῖν δʼ αὖτʼ ἐπεπείθετο θυμὸς ἀγήνωρ.

ἔνθα καὶ ἠματίη μὲν ὑφαίνεσκεν μέγαν ἱστόν,

νύκτας δʼ ἀλλύεσκεν, ἐπεὶ δαΐδας παραθεῖτο.

ὣς τρίετες μὲν ἔληθε δόλῳ καὶ ἔπειθεν Ἀχαιούς·

ἀλλʼ ὅτε τέτρατον ἦλθεν ἔτος καὶ ἐπήλυθον ὧραι,

μηνῶν φθινόντων, περὶ δʼ ἤματα πόλλʼ ἐτελέσθη,

καὶ τότε δή τις ἔειπε γυναικῶν, ἣ σάφα ᾔδη,

καὶ τήν γʼ ἀλλύουσαν ἐφεύρομεν ἀγλαὸν ἱστόν.

ὣς τὸ μὲν ἐξετέλεσσε καὶ οὐκ ἐθέλουσʼ, ὑπʼ ἀνάγκης.

εὖθʼ ἡ φᾶρος ἔδειξεν, ὑφήνασα μέγαν ἱστόν,

πλύνασʼ, ἠελίῳ ἐναλίγκιον ἠὲ σελήνῃ,

"Then some malicious daimôn conveyed Odysseus to the upland farm where his swineherd lives. Thither presently came also his son, returning from a voyage to Pylos , and the two came to the town when they had hatched their plot for our destruction. Telemakhos came first, and then after him, accompanied by the swineherd, came Odysseus, clad in rags and leaning on a staff as though he were some miserable old beggar. He came so unexpectedly that none of us knew him, not even the older ones among us, and we reviled him and threw things at him. He endured both being struck and insulted without a word, though he was in his own house; but when the will [ noos ] of Aegis-bearing Zeus inspired him, he and Telemakhos took the armor and hid it in an inner chamber, bolting the doors behind them. Then he cunningly made his wife offer his bow and a quantity of iron to be contended for by us ill-fated suitors; and this was the beginning of our end, for not one of us could string the bow - nor nearly do so. When it was about to reach the hands of Odysseus, we all of us shouted out that it should not be given him, no matter what he might say, but Telemakhos insisted on his having it. When he had got it in his hands he strung it with ease and sent his arrow through the iron. Then he stood on the floor of the room and poured his arrows on the ground, glaring fiercely about him. First he killed Antinoos, and then, aiming straight before him, he let fly his deadly darts and they fell thick on one another. It was plain that some one of the gods was helping them, for they fell upon us with might and main throughout the cloisters, and there was a hideous sound of groaning as our brains were being battered in, and the ground seethed with our blood. This, Agamemnon, is how we came by our end, and our bodies are lying still un-cared for in the house of Odysseus, for our friends at home do not yet know what has happened, so that they cannot lay us out and wash the black blood from our wounds, making moan over us according to the offices due to the departed."

καὶ τότε δή ῥʼ Ὀδυσῆα κακός ποθεν ἤγαγε δαίμων

ἀγροῦ ἐπʼ ἐσχατιήν, ὅθι δώματα ναῖε συβώτης.

ἔνθʼ ἦλθεν φίλος υἱὸς Ὀδυσσῆος θείοιο,

ἐκ Πύλου ἠμαθόεντος ἰὼν σὺν νηῒ μελαίνῃ·

τὼ δὲ μνηστῆρσιν θάνατον κακὸν ἀρτύναντε

ἵκοντο προτὶ ἄστυ περικλυτόν, ἦ τοι Ὀδυσσεὺς

ὕστερος, αὐτὰρ Τηλέμαχος πρόσθʼ ἡγεμόνευε.

τὸν δὲ συβώτης ἦγε κακὰ χροῒ εἵματʼ ἔχοντα,

πτωχῷ λευγαλέῳ ἐναλίγκιον ἠδὲ γέροντι

σκηπτόμενον· τὰ δὲ λυγρὰ περὶ χροῒ εἵματα ἕστο·

οὐδέ τις ἡμείων δύνατο γνῶναι τὸν ἐόντα

ἐξαπίνης προφανέντʼ, οὐδʼ οἳ προγενέστεροι ἦσαν,

ἀλλʼ ἔπεσίν τε κακοῖσιν ἐνίσσομεν ἠδὲ βολῇσιν.

αὐτὰρ ὁ τῆος ἐτόλμα ἐνὶ μεγάροισιν ἑοῖσι

βαλλόμενος καὶ ἐνισσόμενος τετληότι θυμῷ·

ἀλλʼ ὅτε δή μιν ἔγειρε Διὸς νοός αἰγιόχοιο,

σὺν μὲν Τηλεμάχῳ περικαλλέα τεύχεʼ ἀείρας

ἐς θάλαμον κατέθηκε καὶ ἐκλήϊσεν ὀχῆας,

αὐτὰρ ὁ ἣν ἄλοχον πολυκερδείῃσιν ἄνωγε

τόξον μνηστήρεσσι θέμεν πολιόν τε σίδηρον,

ἡμῖν αἰνομόροισιν ἀέθλια καὶ φόνου ἀρχήν.

οὐδέ τις ἡμείων δύνατο κρατεροῖο βιοῖο

νευρὴν ἐντανύσαι, πολλὸν δʼ ἐπιδευέες ἦμεν.

ἀλλʼ ὅτε χεῖρας ἵκανεν Ὀδυσσῆος μέγα τόξον,

ἔνθʼ ἡμεῖς μὲν πάντες ὁμοκλέομεν ἐπέεσσι

τόξον μὴ δόμεναι, μηδʼ εἰ μάλα πολλʼ ἀγορεύοι·

Τηλέμαχος δέ μιν οἶος ἐποτρύνων ἐκέλευσεν.

αὐτὰρ ὁ δέξατο χειρὶ πολύτλας δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς,

ῥηϊδίως δʼ ἐτάνυσσε βιόν, διὰ δʼ ἧκε σιδήρου,

στῆ δʼ ἄρʼ ἐπʼ οὐδὸν ἰών, ταχέας δʼ ἐκχεύατʼ ὀϊστοὺς

δεινὸν παπταίνων, βάλε δʼ Ἀντίνοον βασιλῆα.

αὐτὰρ ἔπειτʼ ἄλλοις ἐφίει βέλεα στονόεντα,

ἄντα τιτυσκόμενος· τοὶ δʼ ἀγχιστῖνοι ἔπιπτον.

γνωτὸν δʼ ἦν ὅ ῥά τίς σφι θεῶν ἐπιτάρροθος ἦεν·

αὐτίκα γὰρ κατὰ δώματʼ ἐπισπόμενοι μένεϊ σφῷ

κτεῖνον ἐπιστροφάδην, τῶν δὲ στόνος ὤρνυτʼ ἀεικὴς

κράτων τυπτομένων, δάπεδον δʼ ἅπαν αἵματι θῦεν.

ὣς ἡμεῖς, Ἀγάμεμνον, ἀπωλόμεθʼ, ὧν ἔτι καὶ νῦν

σώματʼ ἀκηδέα κεῖται ἐνὶ μεγάροις Ὀδυσῆος·

οὐ γάρ πω ἴσασι φίλοι κατὰ δώμαθʼ ἑκάστου,

οἵ κʼ ἀπονίψαντες μέλανα βρότον ἐξ ὠτειλέων

κατθέμενοι γοάοιεν· ὃ γὰρ γέρας ἐστὶ θανόντων.

"Happy Odysseus, son of Laertes ," replied the ghost [ psukhê ] of Agamemnon, "you are indeed blessed [ olbios ] in the possession of a wife endowed with such rare excellence [ aretê ] of understanding, and so faithful to her wedded lord as Penelope the daughter of Ikarios. The kleos , therefore, of her excellence [ aretê ] shall never die, and the immortals shall compose a song that shall be welcome to all humankind in honor of the constancy of Penelope. How far otherwise was the wickedness of the daughter of Tyndareus who killed her lawful husband; her song shall be hateful among men, for she has brought disgrace on all womankind even on the good ones."

τὸν δʼ αὖτε ψυχὴ προσεφώνεεν Ἀτρεΐδαο·

ὄλβιε Λαέρταο πάϊ, πολυμήχανʼ Ὀδυσσεῦ,

ἦ ἄρα σὺν μεγάλῃ ἀρετῇ ἐκτήσω ἄκοιτιν.

ὡς ἀγαθαὶ φρένες ἦσαν ἀμύμονι Πηνελοπείῃ,

κούρῃ Ἰκαρίου· ὡς εὖ μέμνητʼ Ὀδυσῆος,

ἀνδρὸς κουριδίου· τῷ οἱ κλέος οὔ ποτʼ ὀλεῖται

ἧς ἀρετῆς, τεύξουσι δʼ ἐπιχθονίοισιν ἀοιδὴν

ἀθάνατοι χαρίεσσαν ἐχέφρονι Πηνελοπείῃ,

οὐχ ὡς Τυνδαρέου κούρη κακὰ μήσατο ἔργα,

κουρίδιον κτείνασα πόσιν, στυγερὴ δέ τʼ ἀοιδὴ

ἔσσετʼ ἐπʼ ἀνθρώπους, χαλεπὴν δέ τε φῆμιν ὀπάσσει

θηλυτέρῃσι γυναιξί, καὶ ἥ κʼ εὐεργὸς ἔῃσιν.

Thus did they converse in the house of Hades deep down within the bowels of the earth. Meanwhile Odysseus and the others passed out of the town and soon reached the fair and well-tilled farm of Laertes , which he had reclaimed with infinite labor. Here was his house, with a lean-to running all round it, where the slaves who worked for him slept and sat and ate, while inside the house there was an old Sicel woman, who looked after him in this his country-farm. When Odysseus got there, he said to his son and to the other two:

ὣς οἱ μὲν τοιαῦτα πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἀγόρευον,

ἑσταότʼ εἰν Ἀΐδαο δόμοις, ὑπὸ κεύθεσι γαίης·

οἱ δʼ ἐπεὶ ἐκ πόλιος κατέβαν, τάχα δʼ ἀγρὸν ἵκοντο

καλὸν Λαέρταο τετυγμένον, ὅν ῥά ποτʼ αὐτὸς

Λαέρτης κτεάτισσεν, ἐπεὶ μάλα πόλλʼ ἐμόγησεν.

ἔνθα οἱ οἶκος ἔην, περὶ δὲ κλίσιον θέε πάντη,

ἐν τῷ σιτέσκοντο καὶ ἵζανον ἠδὲ ἴαυον

δμῶες ἀναγκαῖοι, τοί οἱ φίλα ἐργάζοντο.

ἐν δὲ γυνὴ Σικελὴ γρηῢς πέλεν, ἥ ῥα γέροντα

ἐνδυκέως κομέεσκεν ἐπʼ ἀγροῦ, νόσφι πόληος.

ἔνθʼ Ὀδυσεὺς δμώεσσι καὶ υἱέϊ μῦθον ἔειπεν·

"Go to the house, and kill the best pig that you can find for dinner. Meanwhile I want to see whether my father will know me, or fail to recognize me after so long an absence."

ὑμεῖς μὲν νῦν ἔλθετʼ ἐϋκτίμενον δόμον εἴσω,

δεῖπνον δʼ αἶψα συῶν ἱερεύσατε ὅς τις ἄριστος·

αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ πατρὸς πειρήσομαι ἡμετέροιο,

αἴ κέ μʼ ἐπιγνώῃ καὶ φράσσεται ὀφθαλμοῖσιν,

ἦέ κεν ἀγνοιῇσι, πολὺν χρόνον ἀμφὶς ἐόντα.

He then took off his armor and gave it to Eumaios and Philoitios, who went straight on to the house, while he turned off into the vineyard to make trial of his father. As he went down into the great orchard, he did not see Dolios, nor any of his sons nor of the other bondsmen, for they were all gathering thorns to make a fence for the vineyard, at the place where the old man had told them; he therefore found his father alone, hoeing a vine. He had on a dirty old shirt, patched and very shabby; his legs were bound round with thongs of oxhide to save him from the brambles, and he also wore sleeves of leather; he had a goat skin cap on his head, and was looking very woe-begone [ penthos ]. When Odysseus saw him so worn, so old and full of sorrow [ penthos ], he stood still under a tall pear tree and began to weep. He doubted whether to embrace him, kiss him, and tell him all about his having come home, or whether he should first question him and see what he would say. In the end he deemed it best to be crafty with him, so in this mind he went up to his father, who was bending down and digging about a plant.

ὣς εἰπὼν δμώεσσιν ἀρήϊα τεύχεʼ ἔδωκεν.

οἱ μὲν ἔπειτα δόμονδε θοῶς κίον, αὐτὰρ Ὀδυσσεὺς

ἆσσον ἴεν πολυκάρπου ἀλωῆς πειρητίζων.

οὐδʼ εὗρεν Δολίον, μέγαν ὄρχατον ἐσκαταβαίνων,

οὐδέ τινα δμώων οὐδʼ υἱῶν· ἀλλʼ ἄρα τοί γε

αἱμασιὰς λέξοντες ἀλωῆς ἔμμεναι ἕρκος

ᾤχοντʼ, αὐτὰρ ὁ τοῖσι γέρων ὁδὸν ἡγεμόνευε.

τὸν δʼ οἶον πατέρʼ εὗρεν ἐϋκτιμένῃ ἐν ἀλωῇ,

λιστρεύοντα φυτόν· ῥυπόωντα δὲ ἕστο χιτῶνα

ῥαπτὸν ἀεικέλιον, περὶ δὲ κνήμῃσι βοείας

κνημῖδας ῥαπτὰς δέδετο, γραπτῦς ἀλεείνων,

χειρῖδάς τʼ ἐπὶ χερσὶ βάτων ἕνεκʼ· αὐτὰρ ὕπερθεν

αἰγείην κυνέην κεφαλῇ ἔχε, πένθος ἀέξων.

τὸν δʼ ὡς οὖν ἐνόησε πολύτλας δῖος Ὀδυσσεὺς

γήραϊ τειρόμενον, μέγα δὲ φρεσὶ πένθος ἔχοντα,

στὰς ἄρʼ ὑπὸ βλωθρὴν ὄγχνην κατὰ δάκρυον εἶβε.

μερμήριξε δʼ ἔπειτα κατὰ φρένα καὶ κατὰ θυμὸν

κύσσαι καὶ περιφῦναι ἑὸν πατέρʼ, ἠδὲ ἕκαστα

εἰπεῖν, ὡς ἔλθοι καὶ ἵκοιτʼ ἐς πατρίδα γαῖαν,

ἦ πρῶτʼ ἐξερέοιτο ἕκαστά τε πειρήσαιτο.

ὧδε δέ οἱ φρονέοντι δοάσσατο κέρδιον εἶναι,

πρῶτον κερτομίοις ἐπέεσσιν πειρηθῆναι.

τὰ φρονέων ἰθὺς κίεν αὐτοῦ δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς.

ἦ τοι ὁ μὲν κατέχων κεφαλὴν φυτὸν ἀμφελάχαινε·

τὸν δὲ παριστάμενος προσεφώνεε φαίδιμος υἱός·

"I see, sir," said Odysseus, "that you are an excellent gardener - what pains you take with it, to be sure. There is not a single plant, not a fig tree, vine, olive, pear, nor flower bed, but bears the trace of your attention. I trust, however, that you will not be offended if I say that you take better care of your garden than of yourself. You are old, unsavory, and very meanly clad. It cannot be because you are idle that your master takes such poor care of you, indeed your face and figure have nothing of the slave about them, and proclaim you of noble birth. I should have said that you were one of those who should wash well, eat well, and lie soft at night as old men have a right [ dikê ] to do; but tell me, and tell me true, whose laborer are you, and in whose garden are you working? Tell me also about another matter. Is this place that I have come to really Ithaca ? I met a man just now who said so, but he was a dull fellow, and had not the patience to hear my story out when I was asking him about an old friend of mine, whether he was still living, or was already dead and in the house of Hades. Believe me when I tell you that this man came to my house once when I was in my own country and never yet did any stranger come to me whom I liked better. He said that his family came from Ithaca and that his father was Laertes , son of Arceisius. I received him hospitably, making him welcome to all the abundance of my house, and when he went away I gave him all customary presents. I gave him seven talents of fine gold, and a cup of solid silver with flowers chased upon it. I gave him twelve light cloaks, and as many pieces of tapestry; I also gave him twelve cloaks of single fold, twelve rugs, twelve fair mantles, and an equal number of shirts. To all this I added four good looking women skilled in all useful arts, and I let him take his choice."

ὦ γέρον, οὐκ ἀδαημονίη σʼ ἔχει ἀμφιπολεύειν

ὄρχατον, ἀλλʼ εὖ τοι κομιδὴ ἔχει, οὐδέ τι πάμπαν,

οὐ φυτόν, οὐ συκέη, οὐκ ἄμπελος, οὐ μὲν ἐλαίη,

οὐκ ὄγχνη, οὐ πρασιή τοι ἄνευ κομιδῆς κατὰ κῆπον.

ἄλλο δέ τοι ἐρέω, σὺ δὲ μὴ χόλον ἔνθεο θυμῷ

αὐτόν σʼ οὐκ ἀγαθὴ κομιδὴ ἔχει, ἀλλʼ ἅμα γῆρας

λυγρὸν ἔχεις αὐχμεῖς τε κακῶς καὶ ἀεικέα ἕσσαι.

οὐ μὲν ἀεργίης γε ἄναξ ἕνεκʼ οὔ σε κομίζει,

οὐδέ τί τοι δούλειον ἐπιπρέπει εἰσοράασθαι

εἶδος καὶ μέγεθος· βασιλῆϊ γὰρ ἀνδρὶ ἔοικας.

τοιούτῳ δὲ ἔοικας, ἐπεὶ λούσαιτο φάγοι τε,

εὑδέμεναι μαλακῶς· ἡ γὰρ δίκη ἐστὶ γερόντων.

ἀλλʼ ἄγε μοι τόδε εἰπὲ καὶ ἀτρεκέως κατάλεξον,

τεῦ δμὼς εἶς ἀνδρῶν; τεῦ δʼ ὄρχατον ἀμφιπολεύεις;

καὶ μοι τοῦτʼ ἀγόρευσον ἐτήτυμον, ὄφρʼ ἐῢ εἰδῶ,

εἰ ἐτεόν γʼ Ἰθάκην τήνδʼ ἱκόμεθʼ, ὥς μοι ἔειπεν

οὗτος ἀνὴρ νῦν δὴ ξυμβλήμενος ἐνθάδʼ ἰόντι,

οὔ τι μάλʼ ἀρτίφρων, ἐπεὶ οὐ τόλμησεν ἕκαστα

εἰπεῖν ἠδʼ ἐπακοῦσαι ἐμὸν ἔπος, ὡς ἐρέεινον

ἀμφὶ ξείνῳ ἐμῷ, ἤ που ζώει τε καὶ ἔστιν

ἦ ἤδη τέθνηκε καὶ εἰν Ἀΐδαο δόμοισιν.

ἐκ γάρ τοι ἐρέω, σὺ δὲ σύνθεο καί μευ ἄκουσον·

ἄνδρα ποτʼ ἐξείνισσα φίλῃ ἐνὶ πατρίδι γαίῃ

ἡμέτερόνδʼ ἐλθόντα, καὶ οὔ πω τις βροτὸς ἄλλος

ξείνων τηλεδαπῶν φιλίων ἐμὸν ἵκετο δῶμα·

εὔχετο δʼ ἐξ Ἰθάκης γένος ἔμμεναι, αὐτὰρ ἔφασκε

Λαέρτην Ἀρκεισιάδην πατέρʼ ἔμμεναι αὐτῷ.

τὸν μὲν ἐγὼ πρὸς δώματʼ ἄγων ἐῢ ἐξείνισσα,

ἐνδυκέως φιλέων, πολλῶν κατὰ οἶκον ἐόντων,

καί οἱ δῶρα πόρον ξεινήϊα, οἷα ἐῴκει.

χρυσοῦ μέν οἱ δῶκʼ εὐεργέος ἑπτὰ τάλαντα,

δῶκα δέ οἱ κρητῆρα πανάργυρον ἀνθεμόεντα,

δώδεκα δʼ ἁπλοΐδας χλαίνας, τόσσους δὲ τάπητας,

τόσσα δὲ φάρεα καλά, τόσους δʼ ἐπὶ τοῖσι χιτῶνας,

χωρὶς δʼ αὖτε γυναῖκας, ἀμύμονα ἔργα ἰδυίας,

τέσσαρας εἰδαλίμας, ἃς ἤθελεν αὐτὸς ἑλέσθαι.

His father shed tears and answered, "Sir, you have indeed come to the country that you have named, but it is fallen into the hands of wicked people. All this wealth of presents has been given to no purpose. If you could have found your friend here alive in the dêmos of Ithaca , he would have entertained you hospitably and would have required your presents amply when you left him - as would have been only right considering what you have already given him. But tell me, and tell me true, how many years is it since you entertained this guest - my unhappy son, as ever was? Alas! He has perished far from his own country; the fishes of the sea have eaten him, or he has fallen a prey to the birds and wild beasts of some continent. Neither his mother, nor I his father, who were his parents, could throw our arms about him and wrap him in his shroud, nor could his excellent and richly dowered wife Penelope bewail her husband as was natural upon his death bed, and close his eyes according to the offices due to the departed. But now, tell me truly for I want to know. Who and whence are you - tell me of your town and parents? Where is the ship lying that has brought you and your men to Ithaca ? Or were you a passenger on some other man's ship, and those who brought you here have gone on their way and left you?"

τὸν δʼ ἠμείβετʼ ἔπειτα πατὴρ κατὰ δάκρυον εἴβων·

ξεῖνʼ, ἦ τοι μὲν γαῖαν ἱκάνεις, ἣν ἐρεείνεις,

ὑβρισταὶ δʼ αὐτὴν καὶ ἀτάσθαλοι ἄνδρες ἔχουσιν·

δῶρα δʼ ἐτώσια ταῦτα χαρίζεο, μυρίʼ ὀπάζων·

εἰ γάρ μιν ζωόν γʼ ἐκίχεις Ἰθάκης ἐνὶ δήμῳ,

τῷ κέν σʼ εὖ δώροισιν ἀμειψάμενος ἀπέπεμψε

καὶ ξενίῃ ἀγαθῇ ἡ γὰρ θέμις, ὅς τις ὑπάρξῃ.

ἀλλʼ ἄγε μοι τόδε εἰπὲ καὶ ἀτρεκέως κατάλεξον,

πόστον δὴ ἔτος ἐστίν, ὅτε ξείνισσας ἐκεῖνον

σὸν ξεῖνον δύστηνον, ἐμὸν παῖδʼ, εἴ ποτʼ ἔην γε,

δύσμορον; ὅν που τῆλε φίλων καὶ πατρίδος αἴης

ἠέ που ἐν πόντῳ φάγον ἰχθύες, ἢ ἐπὶ χέρσου

θηρσὶ καὶ οἰωνοῖσιν ἕλωρ γένετʼ· οὐδέ ἑ μήτηρ

κλαῦσε περιστείλασα πατήρ θʼ, οἵ μιν τεκόμεσθα·

οὐδʼ ἄλοχος πολύδωρος, ἐχέφρων Πηνελόπεια,

κώκυσʼ ἐν λεχέεσσιν ἑὸν πόσιν, ὡς ἐπεῴκει,

ὀφθαλμοὺς καθελοῦσα· τὸ γὰρ γέρας ἐστὶ θανόντων.

καί μοι τοῦτʼ ἀγόρευσον ἐτήτυμον, ὄφρʼ ἐῢ εἰδῶ·

τίς πόθεν εἶς ἀνδρῶν; πόθι τοι πόλις ἠδὲ τοκῆες;

ποῦ δὲ νηῦς ἕστηκε θοή, ἥ σʼ ἤγαγε δεῦρο

ἀντιθέους θʼ ἑτάρους; ἦ ἔμπορος εἰλήλουθας

νηὸς ἐπʼ ἀλλοτρίης, οἱ δʼ ἐκβήσαντες ἔβησαν;

"I will tell you everything," answered Odysseus, "quite truly. I come from Alybas, where I have a fine house. I am son of king Apheidas, who is the son of Polypemon. My own name is Eperitus; a daimôn drove me off my course as I was leaving Sicania, and I have been carried here against my will. As for my ship it is lying over yonder, off the open country outside the town, and this is the fifth year since Odysseus left my country. Poor fellow, yet the omens were good for him when he left me. The birds all flew on our right hands, and both he and I rejoiced to see them as we parted, for we had every hope that we should have another friendly meeting and exchange presents."

τὸν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς·

τοιγὰρ ἐγώ τοι πάντα μάλʼ ἀτρεκέως καταλέξω.

εἰμὶ μὲν ἐξ Ἀλύβαντος, ὅθι κλυτὰ δώματα ναίω,

υἱὸς Ἀφείδαντος Πολυπημονίδαο ἄνακτος·

αὐτὰρ ἐμοί γʼ ὄνομʼ ἐστὶν Ἐπήριτος· ἀλλά με δαίμων

πλάγξʼ ἀπὸ Σικανίης δεῦρʼ ἐλθέμεν οὐκ ἐθέλοντα·

νηῦς δέ μοι ἥδʼ ἕστηκεν ἐπʼ ἀγροῦ νόσφι πόληος.

αὐτὰρ Ὀδυσσῆϊ τόδε δὴ πέμπτον ἔτος ἐστίν,

ἐξ οὗ κεῖθεν ἔβη καὶ ἐμῆς ἀπελήλυθε πάτρης,

δύσμορος· ἦ τέ οἱ ἐσθλοὶ ἔσαν ὄρνιθες ἰόντι,

δεξιοί, οἷς χαίρων μὲν ἐγὼν ἀπέπεμπον ἐκεῖνον,

χαῖρε δὲ κεῖνος ἰών· θυμὸς δʼ ἔτι νῶϊν ἐώλπει

μίξεσθαι ξενίῃ ἠδʼ ἀγλαὰ δῶρα διδώσειν.

A dark cloud of sorrow [ akhos ] fell upon Laertes as he listened. He filled both hands with the dust from off the ground and poured it over his gray head, groaning heavily as he did so. The heart of Odysseus was touched, and his nostrils quivered as he looked upon his father; then he sprang towards him, flung his arms about him and kissed him, saying, "I am he, father, about whom you are asking - I have returned after having been away for twenty years. But cease your sighing and lamentation - we have no time to lose, for I should tell you that I have been killing the suitors in my house, to punish them for their insolence and crimes."

ὣς φάτο, τὸν δʼ ἄχεος νεφέλη ἐκάλυψε μέλαινα·

ἀμφοτέρῃσι δὲ χερσὶν ἑλὼν κόνιν αἰθαλόεσσαν

χεύατο κὰκ κεφαλῆς πολιῆς, ἁδινὰ στεναχίζων.

τοῦ δʼ ὠρίνετο θυμός, ἀνὰ ῥῖνας δέ οἱ ἤδη

δριμὺ μένος προὔτυψε φίλον πατέρʼ εἰσορόωντι.

κύσσε δέ μιν περιφὺς ἐπιάλμενος, ἠδὲ προσηύδα·

κεῖνος μέν τοι ὅδʼ αὐτὸς ἐγώ, πάτερ, ὃν σὺ μεταλλᾷς,

ἤλυθον εἰκοστῷ ἔτεϊ ἐς πατρίδα γαῖαν.

ἀλλʼ ἴσχεο κλαυθμοῖο γόοιό τε δακρυόεντος.

ἐκ γάρ τοι ἐρέω· μάλα δὲ χρὴ σπευδέμεν ἔμπης·

μνηστῆρας κατέπεφνον ἐν ἡμετέροισι δόμοισι,

λώβην τινύμενος θυμαλγέα καὶ κακὰ ἔργα.

"If you really are my son Odysseus," replied Laertes , "and have come back again, you must give me such manifest proof [ sêma ] of your identity as shall convince me."

τὸν δʼ αὖ Λαέρτης ἀπαμείβετο φώνησέν τε·

εἰ μὲν δὴ Ὀδυσεύς γε ἐμὸς πάϊς ἐνθάδʼ ἱκάνεις,

σῆμά τί μοι νῦν εἰπὲ ἀριφραδές, ὄφρα πεποίθω.

"First observe this scar," answered Odysseus, "which I got from a boar's tusk when I was hunting on Mount Parnassus. You and my mother had sent me to Autolykos, my mother's father, to receive the presents which when he was over here he had promised to give me. Furthermore I will point out to you the trees in the vineyard which you gave me, and I asked you all about them as I followed you round the garden. We went over them all, and you told me their names and what they all were. You gave me thirteen pear trees, ten apple trees, and forty fig trees; you also said you would give me fifty rows of vines; there was wheat planted between each row, and they yield grapes of every kind when the seasons [ hôrai ] of Zeus have been laid heavy upon them."

τὸν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς·

οὐλὴν μὲν πρῶτον τήνδε φράσαι ὀφθαλμοῖσι,

τὴν ἐν Παρνησῷ μʼ ἔλασεν σῦς λευκῷ ὀδόντι

οἰχόμενον· σὺ δέ με προΐεις καὶ πότνια μήτηρ

ἐς πατέρʼ Αὐτόλυκον μητρὸς φίλον, ὄφρʼ ἂν ἑλοίμην

δῶρα, τὰ δεῦρο μολών μοι ὑπέσχετο καὶ κατένευσεν.

εἰ δʼ ἄγε τοι καὶ δένδρεʼ ἐϋκτιμένην κατʼ ἀλωὴν

εἴπω, ἅ μοί ποτʼ ἔδωκας, ἐγὼ δʼ ᾔτεόν σε ἕκαστα

παιδνὸς ἐών, κατὰ κῆπον ἐπισπόμενος· διὰ δʼ αὐτῶν

ἱκνεύμεσθα, σὺ δʼ ὠνόμασας καὶ ἔειπες ἕκαστα.

ὄγχνας μοι δῶκας τρισκαίδεκα καὶ δέκα μηλέας,

συκέας τεσσαράκοντʼ· ὄρχους δέ μοι ὧδʼ ὀνόμηνας

δώσειν πεντήκοντα, διατρύγιος δὲ ἕκαστος

ἤην· ἔνθα δʼ ἀνὰ σταφυλαὶ παντοῖαι ἔασιν—

ὁππότε δὴ Διὸς ὧραι ἐπιβρίσειαν ὕπερθεν.

Laertes ’ strength failed him when he heard the convincing proofs [ sêmata ] which his son had given him. He threw his arms about him, and Odysseus had to support him, or he would have gone off into a swoon; but as soon as he came to, and was beginning to recover his senses, he said, "O father Zeus, then you gods are still in Olympus after all, if the suitors have really been punished for their insolence [ hubris ] and folly. Nevertheless, I am much afraid that I shall have all the townspeople of Ithaca up here directly, and they will be sending messengers everywhere throughout the cities of the Cephallênians."

ὣς φάτο, τοῦ δʼ αὐτοῦ λύτο γούνατα καὶ φίλον ἦτορ,

σήματʼ ἀναγνόντος τά οἱ ἔμπεδα πέφραδʼ Ὀδυσσεύς.

ἀμφὶ δὲ παιδὶ φίλῳ βάλε πήχεε· τὸν δὲ ποτὶ οἷ

εἷλεν ἀποψύχοντα πολύτλας δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεί ῥʼ ἄμπνυτο καὶ ἐς φρένα θυμὸς ἀγέρθη,

ἐξαῦτις μύθοισιν ἀμειβόμενος προσέειπε·

Ζεῦ πάτερ, ἦ ῥα ἔτʼ ἔστε θεοὶ κατὰ μακρὸν Ὄλυμπον,

εἰ ἐτεὸν μνηστῆρες ἀτάσθαλον ὕβριν ἔτισαν.

νῦν δʼ αἰνῶς δείδοικα κατὰ φρένα μὴ τάχα πάντες

ἐνθάδʼ ἐπέλθωσιν Ἰθακήσιοι, ἀγγελίας δὲ

πάντη ἐποτρύνωσι Κεφαλλήνων πολίεσσι.

Odysseus answered, "Take heart and do not trouble yourself about that, but let us go into the house hard by your garden. I have already told Telemakhos, Philoitios, and Eumaios to go on there and get dinner ready as soon as possible."

τὸν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς·

θάρσει, μή τοι ταῦτα μετὰ φρεσὶ σῇσι μελόντων.

ἀλλʼ ἴομεν προτὶ οἶκον, ὃς ὀρχάτου ἐγγύθι κεῖται·

ἔνθα δὲ Τηλέμαχον καὶ βουκόλον ἠδὲ συβώτην

προὔπεμψʼ, ὡς ἂν δεῖπνον ἐφοπλίσσωσι τάχιστα.

Thus conversing the two made their way towards the house. When they got there they found Telemakhos with the stockman and the swineherd cutting up meat and mixing wine with water. Then the old Sicel woman took Laertes inside and washed him and anointed him with oil. She put him on a good cloak, and Athena came up to him and gave him a more imposing presence, making him taller and stouter than before. When he came back his son was surprised to see him looking so like an immortal, and said to him, "My dear father, some one of the gods has been making you much taller and better-looking."

ὣς ἄρα φωνήσαντε βάτην πρὸς δώματα καλά.

οἱ δʼ ὅτε δή ῥʼ ἵκοντο δόμους εὖ ναιετάοντας,

εὗρον Τηλέμαχον καὶ βουκόλον ἠδὲ συβώτην

ταμνομένους κρέα πολλὰ κερῶντάς τʼ αἴθοπα οἶνον.

τόφρα δὲ Λαέρτην μεγαλήτορα ᾧ ἐνὶ οἴκῳ

ἀμφίπολος Σικελὴ λοῦσεν καὶ χρῖσεν ἐλαίῳ,

ἀμφὶ δʼ ἄρα χλαῖναν καλὴν βάλεν· αὐτὰρ Ἀθήνη

ἄγχι παρισταμένη μέλεʼ ἤλδανε ποιμένι λαῶν,

μείζονα δʼ ἠὲ πάρος καὶ πάσσονα θῆκεν ἰδέσθαι.

ἐκ δʼ ἀσαμίνθου βῆ· θαύμαζε δέ μιν φίλος υἱός,

ὡς ἴδεν ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖς ἐναλίγκιον ἄντην·

καί μιν φωνήσας ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·

ὦ πάτερ, ἦ μάλα τίς σε θεῶν αἰειγενετάων

εἶδός τε μέγεθός τε ἀμείνονα θῆκεν ἰδέσθαι.

Laertes answered, "Would, by Father Zeus, Athena, and Apollo, that I were the man I was when I ruled among the Cephallênians, and took Nericum, that strong fortress on the foreland. If I were still what I then was and had been in our house yesterday with my armor on, I should have been able to stand by you and help you against the suitors. I should have killed a great many of them, and you would have rejoiced to see it."

τὸν δʼ αὖ Λαέρτης πεπνυμένος ἀντίον ηὔδα·

αἲ γάρ, Ζεῦ τε πάτερ καὶ Ἀθηναίη καὶ Ἄπολλον,

οἷος Νήρικον εἷλον, ἐϋκτίμενον πτολίεθρον,

ἀκτὴν ἠπείροιο, Κεφαλλήνεσσιν ἀνάσσων,

τοῖος ἐών τοι χθιζὸς ἐν ἡμετέροισι δόμοισιν,

τεύχεʼ ἔχων ὤμοισιν, ἐφεστάμεναι καὶ ἀμύνειν

ἄνδρας μνηστῆρας· τῷ κε σφέων γούνατʼ ἔλυσα

πολλῶν ἐν μεγάροισι, σὺ δὲ φρένας ἔνδον ἐγήθεις.

Thus did they converse; but the others, when they had finished their work and the feast was ready, left off working [ ponos ], and took each his proper place on the benches and seats. Then they began eating; by and by old Dolios and his sons left their work and came up, for their mother, the Sicel woman who looked after Laertes now that he was growing old, had been to fetch them. When they saw Odysseus and were certain it was he, they stood there lost in astonishment; but Odysseus scolded them good-naturedly and said, "Sit down to your dinner, old man, and never mind about your surprise; we have been wanting to begin for some time and have been waiting for you."

ὣς οἷ μὲν τοιαῦτα πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἀγόρευον.

οἱ δʼ ἐπεὶ οὖν παύσαντο πόνου τετύκοντό τε δαῖτα,

ἑξείης ἕζοντο κατὰ κλισμούς τε θρόνους τε·

ἔνθʼ οἱ μὲν δείπνῳ ἐπεχείρεον, ἀγχίμολον δὲ

ἦλθʼ ὁ γέρων Δολίος, σὺν δʼ υἱεῖς τοῖο γέροντος,

ἐξ ἔργων μογέοντες, ἐπεὶ προμολοῦσα κάλεσσεν

μήτηρ γρηῦς Σικελή, ἥ σφεας τρέφε καί ῥα γέροντα

ἐνδυκέως κομέεσκεν, ἐπεὶ κατὰ γῆρας ἔμαρψεν.

οἱ δʼ ὡς οὖν Ὀδυσῆα ἴδον φράσσαντό τε θυμῷ,

ἔσταν ἐνὶ μεγάροισι τεθηπότες· αὐτὰρ Ὀδυσσεὺς

μειλιχίοις ἐπέεσσι καθαπτόμενος προσέειπεν·

ὦ γέρον, ἵζʼ ἐπὶ δεῖπνον, ἀπεκλελάθεσθε δὲ θάμβευς·

δηρὸν γὰρ σίτῳ ἐπιχειρήσειν μεμαῶτες

μίμνομεν ἐν μεγάροις, ὑμέας ποτιδέγμενοι αἰεί.

Then Dolios put out both his hands and went up to Odysseus. "Sir," said he, seizing his master's hand and kissing it at the wrist, "we have long been wishing you home: and now heaven has restored you to us after we had given up hoping. All hail, therefore, and may the gods prosper you [ olbios ]. But tell me, does Penelope already know of your return, or shall we send some one to tell her?"

ὣς ἄρ ἔφη, Δολίος δʼ ἰθὺς κίε χεῖρε πετάσσας

ἀμφοτέρας, Ὀδυσεῦς δὲ λαβὼν κύσε χεῖρʼ ἐπὶ καρπῷ,

καί μιν φωνήσας ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·

ὦ φίλʼ, ἐπεὶ νόστησας ἐελδομένοισι μάλʼ ἡμῖν

οὐδʼ ἔτʼ ὀϊομένοισι, θεοὶ δέ σʼ ἀνήγαγον αὐτοί,

οὖλέ τε καὶ μάλα χαῖρε, θεοὶ δέ τοι ὄλβια δοῖεν.

καί μοι τοῦτʼ ἀγόρευσον ἐτήτυμον, ὄφρʼ ἐῢ εἰδῶ,

ἢ ἤδη σάφα οἶδε περίφρων Πηνελόπεια

νοστήσαντά σε δεῦρʼ, ἦ ἄγγελον ὀτρύνωμεν.

τὸν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς

"Old man," answered Odysseus, "she knows already, so you need not trouble about that." On this he took his seat, and the sons of Dolios gathered round Odysseus to give him greeting and embrace him one after the other; then they took their seats in due order near Dolios their father.

ὦ γέρον, ἤδη οἶδε· τί σε χρὴ ταῦτα πένεσθαι;

ὣς φάθʼ, ὁ δʼ αὖτις ἄρʼ ἕζετʼ ἐϋξέστου ἐπὶ δίφρου.

ὣς δʼ αὔτως παῖδες Δολίου κλυτὸν ἀμφʼ Ὀδυσῆα

δεικανόωντʼ ἐπέεσσι καὶ ἐν χείρεσσι φύοντο,

ἑξείης δʼ ἕζοντο παραὶ Δολίον, πατέρα σφόν.

While they were thus busy getting their dinner ready, Rumor went round the town, and noised abroad the terrible fate that had befallen the suitors; as soon, therefore, as the people heard of it they gathered from every quarter, groaning and hooting before the house of Odysseus. They took the dead away, buried every man his own, and put the bodies of those who came from elsewhere on board the fishing vessels, for the fishermen to take each of them to his own place. They then met angrily in the place of assembly, and when they were got together Eupeithes rose to speak. He was overwhelmed with grief [ penthos ] for the death of his son Antinoos, who had been the first man killed by Odysseus, so he said, weeping bitterly, "My friend, this man has done the Achaeans great wrong. He took many of our best men away with him in his fleet, and he has lost both ships and men; now, moreover, on his return he has been killing all the foremost men among the Cephallênians. Let us be up and doing before he can get away to Pylos or to Elis where the Epeans rule, or we shall be ashamed of ourselves for ever afterwards. It will be an everlasting disgrace to us if we do not avenge the murder of our sons and brothers. For my own part I should have no more pleasure in life, but had rather die at once. Let us be up, then, and after them, before they can cross over to the mainland."

ὣς οἱ μὲν περὶ δεῖπνον ἐνὶ μεγάροισι πένοντο·

Ὄσσα δʼ ἄρʼ ἄγγελος ὦκα κατὰ πτόλιν ᾤχετο πάντη,

μνηστήρων στυγερὸν θάνατον καὶ κῆρʼ ἐνέπουσα.

οἱ δʼ ἄρʼ ὁμῶς ἀΐοντες ἐφοίτων ἄλλοθεν ἄλλος

μυχμῷ τε στοναχῇ τε δόμων προπάροιθʼ Ὀδυσῆος,

ἐκ δὲ νέκυς οἴκων φόρεον καὶ θάπτον ἕκαστοι,

τοὺς δʼ ἐξ ἀλλάων πολίων οἶκόνδε ἕκαστον

πέμπον ἄγειν ἁλιεῦσι θοῇς ἐπὶ νηυσὶ τιθέντες·

αὐτοὶ δʼ εἰς ἀγορὴν κίον ἀθρόοι, ἀχνύμενοι κῆρ.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεί ῥʼ ἤγερθεν ὁμηγερέες τʼ ἐγένοντο,

τοῖσιν δʼ Εὐπείθης ἀνά θʼ ἵστατο καὶ μετέειπε·

παιδὸς γάρ οἱ ἄλαστον ἐνὶ φρεσὶ πένθος ἔκειτο,

Ἀντινόου, τὸν πρῶτον ἐνήρατο δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς·

τοῦ ὅ γε δάκρυ χέων ἀγορήσατο καὶ μετέειπεν·

ὦ φίλοι, ἦ μέγα ἔργον ἀνὴρ ὅδʼ ἐμήσατʼ Ἀχαιούς·

τοὺς μὲν σὺν νήεσσιν ἄγων πολέας τε καὶ ἐσθλοὺς

ὤλεσε μὲν νῆας γλαφυράς, ἀπὸ δʼ ὤλεσε λαούς·

τοὺς δʼ ἐλθὼν ἔκτεινε Κεφαλλήνων ὄχʼ ἀρίστους,

ἀλλʼ ἄγετε, πρὶν τοῦτον ἢ ἐς Πύλον ὦκα ἱκέσθαι

ἢ καὶ ἐς Ἤλιδα δῖαν, ὅθι κρατέουσιν Ἐπειοί,

ἴομεν· ἦ καὶ ἔπειτα κατηφέες ἐσσόμεθʼ αἰεί·

λώβη γὰρ τάδε γʼ ἐστὶ καὶ ἐσσομένοισι πυθέσθαι,

εἰ δὴ μὴ παίδων τε κασιγνήτων τε φονῆας

τισόμεθʼ. οὐκ ἂν ἐμοί γε μετὰ φρεσὶν ἡδὺ γένοιτο

ζωέμεν, ἀλλὰ τάχιστα θανὼν φθιμένοισι μετείην.

ἀλλʼ ἴομεν, μὴ φθέωσι περαιωθέντες ἐκεῖνοι.

He wept as he spoke and every one pitied him. But Medon and the bard Phemios had now woke up, and came to them from the house of Odysseus. Every one was astonished at seeing them, but they stood in the middle of the assembly, and Medon said, "Hear me, men of Ithaca . Odysseus did not do these things against the will of heaven. I myself saw an immortal god take the form of Mentor and stand beside him. This god appeared, now in front of him encouraging him, and now going furiously about the court and attacking the suitors whereon they fell thick on one another."

ὣς φάτο δάκρυ χέων, οἶκτος δʼ ἕλε πάντας Ἀχαιούς.

ἀγχίμολον δέ σφʼ ἦλθε Μέδων καὶ θεῖος ἀοιδὸς

ἐκ μεγάρων Ὀδυσῆος, ἐπεί σφεας ὕπνος ἀνῆκεν,

ἔσταν δʼ ἐν μέσσοισι· τάφος δʼ ἕλεν ἄνδρα ἕκαστον.

τοῖσι δὲ καὶ μετέειπε Μέδων πεπνυμένα εἰδώς·

κέκλυτε δὴ νῦν μευ, Ἰθακήσιοι· οὐ γὰρ Ὀδυσσεὺς

ἀθανάτων ἀέκητι θεῶν τάδʼ ἐμήσατο ἔργα·

αὐτὸς ἐγὼν εἶδον θεὸν ἄμβροτον, ὅς ῥʼ Ὀδυσῆϊ

ἐγγύθεν ἑστήκει καὶ Μέντορι πάντα ἐῴκει.

ἀθάνατος δὲ θεὸς τοτὲ μὲν προπάροιθʼ Ὀδυσῆος

φαίνετο θαρσύνων, τοτὲ δὲ μνηστῆρας ὀρίνων

θῦνε κατὰ μέγαρον· τοὶ δʼ ἀγχιστῖνοι ἔπιπτον.

On this pale fear laid hold of them, and old Halitherses, son of Mastor, rose to speak, for he was the only man among them who knew both past and future; so he spoke to them plainly and in all honesty, saying,

ὣς φάτο, τοὺς δʼ ἄρα πάντας ὑπὸ χλωρὸν δέος ᾕρει.

τοῖσι δὲ καὶ μετέειπε γέρων ἥρως Ἁλιθέρσης

Μαστορίδης· ὁ γὰρ οἶος ὅρα πρόσσω καὶ ὀπίσσω·

ὅ σφιν ἐϋφρονέων ἀγορήσατο καὶ μετέειπε·

"Men of Ithaca , it is all your own fault that things have turned out as they have; you would not listen to me, nor yet to Mentor, when we bade you check the folly of your sons who were doing much wrong in the wantonness of their hearts - wasting the substance and dishonoring the wife of a chieftain who they thought would not return. Now, however, let it be as I say, and do as I tell you. Do not go out against Odysseus, or you may find that you have been drawing down evil on your own heads."

κέκλυτε δὴ νῦν μευ, Ἰθακήσιοι, ὅττι κεν εἴπω·

ὑμετέρῃ κακότητι, φίλοι, τάδε ἔργα γένοντο·

οὐ γὰρ ἐμοὶ πείθεσθʼ, οὐ Μέντορι ποιμένι λαῶν,

ὑμετέρους παῖδας καταπαυέμεν ἀφροσυνάων,

οἳ μέγα ἔργον ἔρεξαν ἀτασθαλίῃσι κακῇσι,

κτήματα κείροντες καὶ ἀτιμάζοντες ἄκοιτιν

ἀνδρὸς ἀριστῆος· τὸν δʼ οὐκέτι φάντο νέεσθαι.

καὶ νῦν ὧδε γένοιτο. πίθεσθέ μοι ὡς ἀγορεύω·

μὴ ἴομεν, μή πού τις ἐπίσπαστον κακὸν εὕρῃ.

This was what he said, and more than half raised a loud shout, and at once left the assembly. But the rest stayed where they were, for the speech of Halitherses displeased them, and they sided with Eupeithes; they therefore hurried off for their armor, and when they had armed themselves, they met together in front of the city, and Eupeithes led them on in their folly. He thought he was going to avenge the murder of his son, whereas in truth he was never to return, but was himself to perish in his attempt.

ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἱ δʼ ἄρʼ ἀνήϊξαν μεγάλῳ ἀλαλητῷ

ἡμίσεων πλείους· τοὶ δʼ ἀθρόοι αὐτόθι μίμνον·

οὐ γὰρ σφιν ἅδε μῦθος ἐνὶ φρεσίν, ἀλλʼ Εὐπείθει

πείθοντʼ· αἶψα δʼ ἔπειτʼ ἐπὶ τεύχεα ἐσσεύοντο.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεί ῥʼ ἕσσαντο περὶ χροῒ νώροπα χαλκόν,

ἀθρόοι ἠγερέθοντο πρὸ ἄστεος εὐρυχόροιο.

τοῖσιν δʼ Εὐπείθης ἡγήσατο νηπιέῃσι·

φῆ δʼ ὅ γε τίσεσθαι παιδὸς φόνον, οὐδʼ ἄρʼ ἔμελλεν

ἂψ ἀπονοστήσειν, ἀλλʼ αὐτοῦ πότμον ἐφέψειν.

Then Athena said to Zeus, "Father, son of Kronos, king of kings, answer me this question - What does your noos bid you? Will you set them fighting still further, or will you make peace between them?"

αὐτὰρ Ἀθηναίη Ζῆνα Κρονίωνα προσηύδα·

ὦ πάτερ ἡμέτερε, Κρονίδη, ὕπατε κρειόντων,

εἰπέ μοι εἰρομένῃ, τί νύ τοι νόος ἔνδοθι κεύθει;

ἢ προτέρω πόλεμόν τε κακὸν καὶ φύλοπιν αἰνὴν

τεύξεις, ἦ φιλότητα μετʼ ἀμφοτέροισι τίθησθα;

And Zeus answered, "My child, why should you ask me? Was it not by your own arrangement [ noos ] that Odysseus came home and took his revenge upon the suitors? Do whatever you like, but I will tell you what I think will be the most reasonable arrangement. Now that Odysseus is revenged, let them swear to a solemn covenant, in virtue of which he shall continue to rule, while we cause the others to forgive and forget the massacre of their sons and brothers. Let them then all become friends as heretofore, and let peace and plenty reign."

τὴν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη νεφεληγερέτα Ζεύς·

τέκνον ἐμόν, τί με ταῦτα διείρεαι ἠδὲ μεταλλᾷς;

οὐ γὰρ δὴ τοῦτον μὲν ἐβούλευσας νόον αὐτή,

ὡς ἦ τοι κείνους Ὀδυσεὺς ἀποτίσεται ἐλθών;

ἔρξον ὅπως ἐθέλεις· ἐρέω τέ τοι ὡς ἐπέοικεν.

ἐπεὶ δὴ μνηστῆρας ἐτίσατο δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς,

ὅρκια πιστὰ ταμόντες ὁ μὲν βασιλευέτω αἰεί,

ἡμεῖς δʼ αὖ παίδων τε κασιγνήτων τε φόνοιο

ἔκλησιν θέωμεν· τοὶ δʼ ἀλλήλους φιλεόντων

ὡς τὸ πάρος, πλοῦτος δὲ καὶ εἰρήνη ἅλις ἔστω.

This was what Athena was already eager to bring about, so down she darted from off the topmost summits of Olympus .

ὣς εἰπὼν ὤτρυνε πάρος μεμαυῖαν Ἀθήνην,

βῆ δὲ κατʼ Οὐλύμποιο καρήνων ἀΐξασα.

Now when Laertes and the others had done dinner, Odysseus began by saying, "Some of you go out and see if they are not getting close up to us." So one of Dolios’ sons went as he was bid. Standing on the threshold he could see them all quite near, and said to Odysseus, "Here they are, let us put on our armor at once."

οἱ δʼ ἐπεὶ οὖν σίτοιο μελίφρονος ἐξ ἔρον ἕντο,

τοῖς δʼ ἄρα μύθων ἦρχε πολύτλας δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς·

ἐξελθών τις ἴδοι μὴ δὴ σχεδὸν ὦσι κιόντες.

ὣς ἔφατʼ· ἐκ δʼ υἱὸς Δολίου κίεν, ὡς ἐκέλευεν·

στῆ δʼ ἄρʼ ἐπʼ οὐδὸν ἰών, τοὺς δὲ σχεδὸν ἔσιδε πάντας·

αἶψα δʼ Ὀδυσσῆα ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·

οἵδε δὴ ἐγγὺς ἔασʼ· ἀλλʼ ὁπλιζώμεθα θᾶσσον.

They put on their armor as fast as they could - that is to say Odysseus, his three men, and the six sons of Dolios. Laertes also and Dolios did the same - warriors by necessity in spite of their gray hair. When they had all put on their armor, they opened the gate and sallied forth, Odysseus leading the way.

ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἱ δʼ ὤρνυντο καὶ ἐν τεύχεσσι δύοντο,

τέσσαρες ἀμφʼ Ὀδυσῆʼ, ἓξ δʼ υἱεῖς οἱ Δολίοιο·

ἐν δʼ ἄρα Λαέρτης Δολίος τʼ ἐς τεύχεʼ ἔδυνον,

καὶ πολιοί περ ἐόντες, ἀναγκαῖοι πολεμισταί.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεί ῥʼ ἕσσαντο περὶ χροῒ νώροπα χαλκόν,

ὤϊξάν ῥα θύρας, ἐκ δʼ ἤϊον, ἄρχε δʼ Ὀδυσσεύς.

Then Zeus’ daughter Athena came up to them, having assumed the form and voice of Mentor. Odysseus was glad when he saw her, and said to his son Telemakhos, "Telemakhos, now that you are about to fight in an engagement, which will show every man's mettle, be sure not to disgrace your ancestors, who were eminent for their strength and courage all the world over."

τοῖσι δʼ ἐπʼ ἀγχίμολον θυγάτηρ Διὸς ἦλθεν Ἀθήνη

Μέντορι εἰδομένη ἠμὲν δέμας ἠδὲ καὶ αὐδήν.

τὴν μὲν ἰδὼν γήθησε πολύτλας δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς·

αἶψα δὲ Τηλέμαχον προσεφώνεεν ὃν φίλον υἱόν·

Τηλέμαχʼ, ἤδη μὲν τόδε γʼ εἴσεαι αὐτὸς ἐπελθών,

ἀνδρῶν μαρναμένων ἵνα τε κρίνονται ἄριστοι,

μή τι καταισχύνειν πατέρων γένος, οἳ τὸ πάρος περ

ἀλκῇ τʼ ἠνορέῃ τε κεκάσμεθα πᾶσαν ἐπʼ αἶαν.

"You say truly, my dear father," answered Telemakhos, "and you shall see, if you will, that I am in no mind to disgrace your family."

τὸν δʼ αὖ Τηλέμαχος πεπνυμένος ἀντίον ηὔδα·

ὄψεαι, αἴ κʼ ἐθέλῃσθα, πάτερ φίλε, τῷδʼ ἐπὶ θυμῷ

οὔ τι καταισχύνοντα τεὸν γένος, ὡς ἀγορεύεις.

Laertes was delighted when he heard this. "Good heavens, he exclaimed, "what a day I am enjoying: I do indeed rejoice at it. My son and grandson are vying with one another in the matter of valor [ aretê ]."

ὣς φάτο, Λαέρτης δʼ ἐχάρη καὶ μῦθον ἔειπε·

τίς νύ μοι ἡμέρη ἥδε, θεοὶ φίλοι; ἦ μάλα χαίρω·

υἱός θʼ υἱωνός τʼ ἀρετῆς πέρι δῆριν ἔχουσιν.

On this Athena came close up to him and said, "Son of Arceisius - best friend I have in the world - pray to the gray-eyed damsel, and to Zeus her father; then poise your spear and hurl it."

τὸν δὲ παρισταμένη προσέφη γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη·

ὦ Ἀρκεισιάδη, πάντων πολὺ φίλταθʼ ἑταίρων,

εὐξάμενος κούρῃ γλαυκώπιδι καὶ Διὶ πατρί,

αἶψα μαλʼ ἀμπεπαλὼν προΐει δολιχόσκιον ἔγχος.

As she spoke she infused fresh vigor into him, and when he had prayed to her he poised his spear and hurled it. He hit Eupeithes’ helmet, and the spear went right through it, for the helmet stayed it not, and his armor rang rattling round him as he fell heavily to the ground. Meantime Odysseus and his son fell the front line of the foe and smote them with their swords and spears; indeed, they would have killed every one of them, and prevented them from ever getting home again, only Athena raised her voice aloud, and made every one pause. "Men of Ithaca ," she cried, "cease this dreadful war, and settle the matter at once without further bloodshed."

ὣς φάτο, καί ῥʼ ἔμπνευσε μένος μέγα Παλλὰς Ἀθήνη

εὐξάμενος δʼ ἄρʼ ἔπειτα Διὸς κούρῃ μεγάλοιο,

αἶψα μάλʼ ἀμπεπαλὼν προΐει δολιχόσκιον ἔγχος,

καὶ βάλεν Εὐπείθεα κόρυθος διὰ χαλκοπαρῄου.

ἡ δʼ οὐκ ἔγχος ἔρυτο, διαπρὸ δὲ εἴσατο χαλκός,

δούπησεν δὲ πεσών, ἀράβησε δὲ τεύχεʼ ἐπʼ αὐτῷ.

ἐν δʼ ἔπεσον προμάχοις Ὀδυσεὺς καὶ φαίδιμος υἱός,

τύπτον δὲ ξίφεσίν τε καὶ ἔγχεσιν ἀμφιγύοισι.

καί νύ κε δὴ πάντας ὄλεσαν καὶ ἔθηκαν ἀνόστους,

εἰ μὴ Ἀθηναίη, κούρη Διὸς αἰγιόχοιο,

ἤϋσεν φωνῇ, κατὰ ἔσχεθε λαὸν ἅπαντα.

ἴσχεσθε πτολέμου, Ἰθακήσιοι, ἀργαλέοιο,

ὥς κεν ἀναιμωτί γε διακρινθῆτε τάχιστα.

On this pale fear seized every one; they were so frightened that their arms dropped from their hands and fell upon the ground at the sound of the goddess’ voice, and they fled back to the city for their lives. But Odysseus gave a great cry, and gathering himself together swooped down like a soaring eagle. Then the son of Kronos sent a thunderbolt of fire that fell just in front of Athena, so she said to Odysseus, "Odysseus, noble son of Laertes, stop this warful strife, or Zeus will be angry with you."

ὣς φάτʼ Ἀθηναίη, τοὺς δὲ χλωρὸν δέος εἷλεν·

τῶν δʼ ἄρα δεισάντων ἐκ χειρῶν ἔπτατο τεύχεα,

πάντα δʼ ἐπὶ χθονὶ πῖπτε, θεᾶς ὄπα φωνησάσης·

πρὸς δὲ πόλιν τρωπῶντο λιλαιόμενοι βιότοιο.

σμερδαλέον δʼ ἐβόησε πολύτλας δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς,

οἴμησεν δὲ ἀλεὶς ὥς τʼ αἰετὸς ὑψιπετήεις.

καὶ τότε δὴ Κρονίδης ἀφίει ψολόεντα κεραυνόν,

κὰδ δʼ ἔπεσε πρόσθε γλαυκώπιδος ὀβριμοπάτρης.

δὴ τότʼ Ὀδυσσῆα προσέφη γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη·

διογενὲς Λαερτιάδη, πολυμήχανʼ Ὀδυσσεῦ,

ἴσχεο, παῦε δὲ νεῖκος ὁμοιΐου πολέμοιο,

μή πως τοι Κρονίδης κεχολώσεται εὐρύοπα Ζεύς.

Thus spoke Athena, and Odysseus obeyed her gladly. Then Athena assumed the form and voice of Mentor, and presently made a covenant of peace between the two contending parties.

ὣς φάτʼ Ἀθηναίη, ὁ δʼ ἐπείθετο, χαῖρε δὲ θυμῷ.

ὅρκια δʼ αὖ κατόπισθε μετʼ ἀμφοτέροισιν ἔθηκεν

Παλλὰς Ἀθηναίη, κούρη Διὸς αἰγιόχοιο,

Μέντορι εἰδομένη ἠμὲν δέμας ἠδὲ καὶ αὐδήν.