The Blinding of the Cyclops and Odysseus' Escape — Euripides, Cyclops, lines 625–709, Greek & English

625

συνθέντες ἄρθρα στόματος· οὐδὲ πνεῖν ἐῶ,

ODYSSEUS: Having closed the joints of your mouths; I do not even allow you to breathe,

οὐ σκαρδαμύσσειν οὐδὲ χρέμπτεσθαί τινα,¹

nor anyone to blink, nor to clear their throat,

ὡς μὴ’ξεγερθῇ τὸ κακόν, ἔστ’ ἂν ὄμματος

lest the evil one be awakened, until the sight

ὄψις Κύκλωπος ἐξαμιλληθῇ πυρί.

of the eye of the Cyclops is driven out by fire.

σιγῶμεν ἐγκάψαντες αἰθέρα γνάθοις.

CHORUS: Let us be silent, having locked the air in our jaws.

630

ἄγε νυν ὅπως ἅψεσθε τοῦ δαλοῦ χεροῖν

ODYSSEUS: Come now, see that you grasp the brand with both your hands,

ἔσω μολόντες· διάπυρος δ’ ἐστὶν καλῶς.

going inside; for it is beautifully red-hot.

οὐκοῦν σὺ τάξεις οὕστινας πρώτους χρεὼν

CHORUS: Then will you arrange who must be the first

καυτὸν μοχλὸν λαβόντας ἐκκάειν τὸ φῶς

to take the burning bar and burn out the light

Κύκλωπος, ὡς ἂν τῆς τύχης κοινώμεθα;

of the eye of the Cyclops, so that we may share in this fortune?

635

ἡμεῖς μέν ἐσμεν μακροτέρω πρὸ τῶν θυρῶν

CHORUS A: We indeed are standing too far before the doors

ἑστῶτες ὠθεῖν² ἐς τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν τὸ πῦρ.

to thrust the fire into his eye.

ἡμεῖς δὲ χωλοί γ’ ἀρτίως γεγενήμεθα.

CHORUS B: And we have just now become lame.

ταὐτὸν πεπόνθατ’ ἆρ’ ἐμοί· τοὺς γὰρ πόδας

LEADER: You have suffered the same thing as I then; for while standing,

ἑστῶτες ἐσπάσθημεν οὐκ οἶδ’ ἐξ ὅτου.

our feet were seized with cramp, I know not from what.

640

ἑστῶτες ἐσπάσθητε;

ODYSSEUS: You had cramp while standing?

καὶ τά γ’ ὄμματα

CHORUS: Yes, and

μέστ’ ἐστὶν ἡμῖν κόνεος ἢ τέφρας ποθέν.

our eyes are full of dust or ashes from somewhere.

ἄνδρες πονηροὶ κοὐδὲν οἵδε σύμμαχοι.

ODYSSEUS: Cowardly men, and no allies at all are these!

ὁτιὴ τὸ νῶτον τὴν ῥάχιν τ’ οἰκτίρομεν

CHORUS: Because we pity our back and spine,

καὶ τοὺς ὀδόντας ἐκβαλεῖν οὐ βούλομαι

and I do not wish to have my teeth knocked out

645

τυπτόμενος, αὕτη γίγνεται πονηρία;

by being beaten, does this become cowardice?

ἀλλ’ οἶδ’ ἐπῳδὴν Ὀρφέως ἀγαθὴν πάνυ,

But I know a very good incantation of Orpheus,

ὡς αὐτόματον τὸν δαλὸν ἐς τὸ κρανίον

so that the brand, of its own accord, into the skull

στείχονθ’ ὑφάπτειν τὸν μονῶπα παῖδα γῆς.

marching, may set fire to the one-eyed son of Earth.

πάλαι μὲν ᾔδη σ’ ὄντα τοιοῦτον φύσει,

ODYSSEUS: I knew long ago that you were such by nature,

650

νῦν δ’ οἶδ’ ἄμεινον. τοῖσι δ’ οἰκείοις φίλοις

and now I know it better. I must use

χρῆσθαί μ’ ἀνάγκη. χειρὶ δ’ εἰ μηδὲν σθένεις,

my own friends. But if you have no strength of hand,

ἀλλ’ οὖν ἐπεγκέλευέ γ’, ὡς εὐψυχίαν

yet at least cheer us on, so that we may gain courage

φίλων κελευσμοῖς τοῖσι σοῖς κτησώμεθα.

through those encouragements of yours.

δράσω τάδ’. ἐν τῷ Καρὶ κινδυνεύσομεν.³

CHORUS: I will do this. We shall run the risk in the person of the Carian.

655

κελευσμάτων δ’ ἕκατι τυφέσθω Κύκλωψ.

And for the sake of our cheers, let the Cyclops be singed!

ἰὼ ἰώ· γενναιότατ’ ὠ-

Io, io! Push most nobly,

θεῖτε σπεύδετ’. ἐκκαίετε τὰν ὀφρὺν

hurry! Burn out the brow

θηρὸς τοῦ ξενοδαίτα

of the beast who devours guests.

τυφέτω, καιέτω

Let it singe, let it burn

660

τὸν Αἴτνας μηλονόμον.

the sheep-pasturing lord of Etna.

τόρνευ’, ἕλκε, μή σ’ ἐξοδυνηθεὶς

Twist it, drag it, lest in his agony

δράσῃ τι μάταιον.

he do some reckless deed.

ὤμοι, κατηνθρακώμεθ’ ὀφθαλμοῦ σέλας.

CYCLOPS: Alas, my eye’s bright light has been turned to ash!

καλός γ’ ὁ παιάν· μέλπε μοι τόνδ’, ὦ Κύκλωψ.

CHORUS: A beautiful paean indeed! Sing this one for me, Cyclops.

665

ὤμοι μάλ’, ὡς ὑβρίσμεθ’, ὡς ὀλώλαμεν.

CYCLOPS: Alas indeed, how I have been outraged, how I am ruined!

ἀλλ’ οὔτι μὴ φύγητε τῆσδ’ ἔξω πέτρας

But you shall by no means escape out of this rock cave

χαίροντες, οὐδὲν ὄντες· ἐν πύλαισι γὰρ

rejoicing, you nobodies! For standing at the gates

σταθεὶς φάραγγος τάσδ’ ἐναρμόσω χέρας.

of the cavern, I will fit these hands of mine to block it.

τί χρῆμ’ ἀυτεῖς, ὦ Κύκλωψ;

CHORUS: What are you shouting for, Cyclops?

ἀπωλόμην.

CYCLOPS: I am ruined!

670

αἰσχρός γε φαίνῃ.

CHORUS: You look quite shameful.

κἀπὶ τοῖσδέ γ’ ἄθλιος.

CYCLOPS: And on top of that, miserable!

μεθύων κατέπεσες ἐς μέσους τοὺς ἄνθρακας;

CHORUS: Did you fall into the middle of the coals while drunk?

Οὖτίς μ’ ἀπώλεσ’.

CYCLOPS: “Nobody” ruined me!

οὐκ ἄρ’ οὐδεὶς ἠδίκει.⁴

CHORUS: Then nobody was doing you wrong.

Οὖτίς με τυφλοῖ βλέφαρον.

CYCLOPS: “Nobody” blinds my eye!

οὐκ ἄρ’ εἶ τυφλός.

CHORUS: Then you are not blind.

ὡς δὴ σύ—

CYCLOPS: May you—!

καὶ πῶς σ’ οὔτις ἂν θείη τυφλόν;

CHORUS: And how could “nobody” make you blind?

675

σκώπτεις. ὁ δ’ Οὖτις ποῦ’στιν;

CYCLOPS: You are mocking. But where is “Nobody”?

οὐδαμοῦ, Κύκλωψ.

CHORUS: Nowhere, Cyclops.

ὁ ξένος, ἵν’ ὀρθῶς ἐκμάθῃς, μ’ ἀπώλεσεν,

CYCLOPS: The stranger, so that you may learn the truth, ruined me,

ὁ μιαρός, ὅς μοι δοὺς τὸ πῶμα κατέκλυσεν.

that vile wretch, who by giving me the drink overwhelmed me.

δεινὸς γὰρ οἷνος καὶ παλαίεσθαι βαρύς.

CHORUS: Yes, for wine is formidable and hard to wrestle with.

πρὸς θεῶν, πεφεύγασ’ ἢ μένουσ’ ἔσω δόμων;

CYCLOPS: By the gods, have they fled or do they remain inside the house?

680

οὗτοι σιωπῇ τὴν πέτραν ἐπήλυγα

CHORUS: They are standing in silence, using the rock as a shelter

λαβόντες ἑστήκασι.

to hide.

ποτέρας τῆς χερός;

CYCLOPS: On which hand?

ἐν δεξιᾷ σου.

CHORUS: On your right.

ποῦ;

CYCLOPS: Where?

πρὸς αὐτῇ τῇ πέτρᾳ.

CHORUS: Right by the rock itself.

ἔχεις;

CHORUS: Have you got them?

κακόν γε πρὸς κακῷ· τὸ κρανίον

CYCLOPS: Evil upon evil indeed! I have struck my skull

παίσας κατέαγα.

and broken it.

καί σε διαφεύγουσί γε.

CHORUS: And they are escaping you.

685

οὐ τῇδ’· ἐπεὶ τῇδ’ εἶπας;

CYCLOPS: Not this way; since did you say this way?

οὔ· ταύτῃ λέγω.

CHORUS: No, I mean that way.

πῇ γάρ;

CYCLOPS: Which way then?

περιάγου, κεῖσε, πρὸς τἀριστερά.

CHORUS: Turn around, over there, to the left.

οἴμοι γελῶμαι· κερτομεῖτέ μ’ ἐν κακοῖς.

CYCLOPS: Alas, I am mocked! You are jeering at me in my misfortunes.

ἀλλ’ οὐκέτ’, ἀλλὰ πρόσθεν οὗτός ἐστί σου.

CHORUS: But no longer; rather, here he is right in front of you.

ὦ παγκάκιστε, ποῦ ποτ’ εἶ;

CYCLOPS: Oh you utter villain, where on earth are you?

τηλοῦ σέθεν

ODYSSEUS: Far from you,

690

φυλακαῖσι φρουρῶ σῶμ’ Ὀδυσσέως τόδε.

I am guarding with watches this body of Odysseus.

πῶς εἶπας; ὄνομα μεταβαλὼν καινὸν λέγεις.

CYCLOPS: What did you say? You have changed your name and are telling a new one.

ὅπερ γ’ ὁ φύσας ὠνόμαζ’ Ὀδυσσέα.

ODYSSEUS: The very one which my father gave me, Odysseus.

δώσειν δ’ ἔμελλες ἀνοσίου δαιτὸς δίκας·

And you were destined to pay the penalty for your unholy feast;

κακῶς γὰρ ἂν Τροίαν γε διεπυρωσάμην

for I would have burned down Troy in vain,

695

εἰ μή σ’ ἑταίρων φόνον ἐτιμωρησάμην.⁵

if I had not avenged the murder of my companions on you.

αἰαῖ· παλαιὸς χρησμὸς ἐκπεραίνεται.

CYCLOPS: Alas! An ancient oracle is being fulfilled.

τυφλὴν γὰρ ὄψιν ἐκ σέθεν σχήσειν μ’ ἔφη

For it said that I would have my sight blinded by you,

Τροίας ἀφορμηθέντος. ἀλλὰ καὶ σέ τοι

when you set out from Troy. But it also prophesied

δίκας ὑφέξειν ἀντὶ τῶνδ’ ἐθέσπισεν,

that you indeed would pay the penalty for this,

700

πολὺν θαλάσσῃ χρόνον ἐναιωρούμενον.

tossing about for a long time on the sea.

κλαίειν σ’ ἄνωγα· καὶ δέδραχ’ ὅπερ λέγεις.

ODYSSEUS: I bid you weep! And I have already done what you say.

ἐγὼ δ’ ἐπ’ ἀκτὰς εἶμι καὶ νεὼς σκάφος

But I will go to the shores, and launch the hull

ἥσω’πὶ πόντον Σικελὸν ἔς τ’ ἐμὴν πάτραν.

of my ship onto the Sicilian sea, and to my homeland.

οὐ δῆτ’, ἐπεί σε τῆσδ’ ἀπορρήξας πέτρας

CYCLOPS: No indeed, for I will break off a piece of this rock,

705

αὐτοῖσι συνναύταισι συντρίψω βαλών.

and throw it to crush you together with your sailors.

ἄνω δ’ ἐπ’ ὄχθον εἶμι, καίπερ ὢν τυφλός,

And I will go up onto the ridge, although I am blind,

δι’ ἀμφιτρῆτος τῆσδε προσβαίνων ποδί.

advancing with my feet through this double-mouthed cave.

ἡμεῖς δὲ συνναῦταί γε τοῦδ’ Ὀδυσσέως

CHORUS: And we, becoming the fellow-sailors of this Odysseus,

ὄντες τὸ λοιπὸν Βακχίῳ δουλεύσομεν.

will for the future serve Bacchus.

Syntax notes5 items

625οὐδὲ πνεῖν ἐῶ, οὐ σκαρδαμύσσειν οὐδὲ χρέμπτεσθαί τινα
The verb ἐῶ (allow) takes supplementary infinitives (πνεῖν, σκαρδαμύσσειν, χρέμπτεσθαι), with the accusative indefinite pronoun τινά acting as the subject accusative of these infinitives.
635μακροτέρω πρὸ τῶν θυρῶν ἑστῶτες ὠθεῖν
Following the comparative adverb μακροτέρω (too far), the infinitive ὠθεῖν (to thrust) expresses result, degree, or limitation ("standing too far before the doors to thrust the fire").
654ἐν τῷ Καρὶ κινδυνεύσομεν
Based on the ancient Greek proverb "to run the risk in the person of a Carian" (meaning to expose a low-status person to danger instead of oneself). Here, the Satyrs ironically justify leaving the dangerous task to Odysseus and his men.
672bοὐκ ἄρ’ οὐδεὶς ἠδίκει
A wordplay where the Cyclops shouts the name "Outis" (Nobody) as a proper noun, while the Chorus interprets it as the common pronoun "nobody" (οὐδείς). Since Greek double negation (οὐκ... οὐδείς) strengthens the negative, it translates as "Then indeed nobody was doing wrong."
694κακῶς γὰρ ἂν Τροίαν γε διεπυρωσάμην εἰ μή σ’ ἐτιμωρησάμην
A past contrary-to-fact conditional sentence, structured with εἰ + aorist indicative in the protasis, and ἄν + aorist indicative (διεπυρωσάμην) in the apodosis ("I would have burned Troy in vain, if I had not avenged...").

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0006.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:625-709