Verse
Odyssey
Book 17, Line 311 by Samuel Butler (English)
"This hound," answered Eumaios, "belonged to him who has died in a far country. If he were what he was when Odysseus left for Troy , he would soon show you what he could do. There was not a wild beast in the forest that could get away from him when he was once on its tracks. But now he has fallen on evil times, for his master is dead and gone, and the women take no care of him. Servants never do their work when their master's hand is no longer over them, for Zeus takes half the goodness [ aretê ] out of a man when he makes a slave of him."
OdysseyBook 17, Line 311Samuel ButlerEnglishVerse permalinkRead in Book 17
HomerProseID odyssey-odyssey-butler-en-prose-17-311