The Proem and the Council of Gods on Odysseus — Odyssey §1.1-1.76 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

ἄνδρα¹ μοι ἔννεπε, μοῦσα, πολύτροπον, ὃς μάλα πολλὰ

Tell me, Muse, of the man of many devices, who full many a time

πλάγχθη, ἐπεὶ Τροίης ἱερὸν πτολίεθρον ἔπερσεν·

was driven off course, after he had sacked the sacred citadel of Troy.

πολλῶν δʼ ἀνθρώπων ἴδεν ἄστεα καὶ νόον ἔγνω,

Many were the men whose cities he saw and whose mind he learned,

πολλὰ δʼ ὅ γʼ ἐν πόντῳ πάθεν ἄλγεα ὃν κατὰ θυμόν,

and many were the pains he suffered in his heart upon the sea,

ἀρνύμενος ἥν τε ψυχὴν καὶ νόστον ἑταίρων.

seeking to win his own life and the return of his comrades.

ἀλλʼ οὐδʼ ὣς ἑτάρους ἐρρύσατο, ἱέμενός περ²·

Yet not even so did he save his comrades, though he desired it sore;

αὐτῶν γὰρ σφετέρῃσιν ἀτασθαλίῃσιν ὄλοντο,

for through their own blind folly they perished,

νήπιοι, οἳ κατὰ βοῦς Ὑπερίονος Ἠελίοιο

fools, who devoured the cattle of Hyperion Helios;

ἤσθιον· αὐτὰρ ὁ τοῖσιν ἀφείλετο νόστιμον ἦμαρ.

and he took from them the day of their returning.

τῶν ἁμόθεν γε, θεά, θύγατερ Διός, εἰπὲ καὶ ἡμῖν.

Of these things, goddess, daughter of Zeus, from what point you will, tell to us also.

ἔνθʼ ἄλλοι μὲν πάντες, ὅσοι φύγον αἰπὺν ὄλεθρον,

Then all the others, as many as had escaped sheer destruction,

οἴκοι ἔσαν, πόλεμόν τε πεφευγότες ἠδὲ θάλασσαν·

were at home, having escaped both war and the sea;

τὸν δʼ οἶον νόστου κεχρημένον ἠδὲ γυναικὸς

but him alone, filled with longing for his return and for his wife,

νύμφη πότνιʼ ἔρυκε Καλυψὼ δῖα θεάων

did the queenly nymph Calypso detain, that bright goddess,

ἐν σπέσσι γλαφυροῖσι, λιλαιομένη πόσιν εἶναι.

in her hollow caves, yearning to have him as her husband.

ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ ἔτος ἦλθε περιπλομένων ἐνιαυτῶν,

But when, as the years rolled round, the year came

τῷ οἱ ἐπεκλώσαντο θεοὶ οἶκόνδε νέεσθαι

in which the gods had spun his destiny that he should return home

εἰς Ἰθάκην, οὐδʼ ἔνθα πεφυγμένος ἦεν³ ἀέθλων

to Ithaca—even there he was not free from trials,

καὶ μετὰ οἷσι φίλοισι. θεοὶ δʼ ἐλέαιρον ἅπαντες

even among his own folk. And all the gods pitied him,

νόσφι Ποσειδάωνος· ὁ δʼ ἀσπερχὲς μενέαινεν

save Poseidon; but he raged continually

ἀντιθέῳ Ὀδυσῆι πάρος ἣν γαῖαν ἱκέσθαι.

against godlike Odysseus until he reached his own land.

ἀλλʼ ὁ μὲν Αἰθίοπας μετεκίαθε τηλόθʼ ἐόντας,

But Poseidon had gone to the Ethiopians who dwell afar off,

Αἰθίοπας τοὶ διχθὰ δεδαίαται, ἔσχατοι ἀνδρῶν,

the Ethiopians who are divided in two, the outermost of men,

οἱ μὲν δυσομένου Ὑπερίονος οἱ δʼ ἀνιόντος,

some where Hyperion sets and some where he rises,

ἀντιόων ταύρων τε καὶ ἀρνειῶν ἑκατόμβης.

to receive a hecatomb of bulls and rams.

ἔνθʼ ὅ γʼ ἐτέρπετο δαιτὶ παρήμενος· οἱ δὲ δὴ ἄλλοι

There he sat at the feast and took his joy; but the other gods

Ζηνὸς ἐνὶ μεγάροισιν Ὀλυμπίου ἁθρόοι ἦσαν.

were gathered together in the halls of Olympian Zeus.

τοῖσι δὲ μύθων ἦρχε πατὴρ ἀνδρῶν τε θεῶν τε·

And among them the father of men and gods began to speak;

μνήσατο γὰρ κατὰ θυμὸν ἀμύμονος Αἰγίσθοιο,

for he remembered in his heart noble Aegisthus,

τόν ῥʼ Ἀγαμεμνονίδης τηλεκλυτὸς ἔκτανʼ Ὀρέστης·

whom far-famed Orestes, the son of Agamemnon, had slain.

τοῦ ὅ γʼ ἐπιμνησθεὶς ἔπεʼ ἀθανάτοισι μετηύδα·

Mindful of him he spoke among the immortals:

ὢ πόποι, οἷον δή νυ θεοὺς βροτοὶ αἰτιόωνται·

"Ah, how shameless are these mortals in their accusations of the gods!

ἐξ ἡμέων γάρ φασι κάκʼ ἔμμεναι, οἱ δὲ καὶ αὐτοὶ

For they say that evil comes from us, whereas they themselves

σφῇσιν ἀτασθαλίῃσιν ὑπὲρ μόρον⁴ ἄλγεʼ ἔχουσιν,

through their own blind folly have sorrows beyond what is ordained.

ὡς καὶ νῦν Αἴγισθος ὑπὲρ μόρον Ἀτρεΐδαο

Even as now Aegisthus, beyond what was ordained, took to himself

γῆμʼ ἄλοχον μνηστήν, τὸν δʼ ἔκτανε νοστήσαντα,

the wedded wife of the son of Atreus, and slew him on his return,

εἰδὼς αἰπὺν ὄλεθρον, ἐπεὶ πρό οἱ εἴπομεν ἡμεῖς,

though he knew of sheer destruction, since we forewarned him,

Ἑρμείαν πέμψαντες, ἐύσκοπον ἀργεϊφόντην,

sending Hermes, the keen-sighted slayer of Argus,

μήτʼ αὐτὸν κτείνειν μήτε μνάασθαι ἄκοιτιν·

that he should neither slay the man nor woo his wife;

ἐκ γὰρ Ὀρέσταο τίσις ἔσσεται Ἀτρεΐδαο,

for from Orestes shall come vengeance for the son of Atreus,

ὁππότʼ ἂν ἡβήσῃ τε καὶ ἧς ἱμείρεται αἴης.

whensoever he shall come to manhood and long for his own land.

ὣς ἔφαθʼ Ἑρμείας, ἀλλʼ οὐ φρένας Αἰγίσθοιο

So spoke Hermes, but he did not persuade the heart of Aegisthus,

πεῖθʼ ἀγαθὰ φρονέων· νῦν δʼ ἁθρόα πάντʼ ἀπέτισεν.

for all his good intent; and now he has paid the price for all at once."

τὸν δʼ ἠμείβετʼ ἔπειτα θεά, γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη·

And him the goddess, flashing-eyed Athena, answered then:

ὦ πάτερ ἡμέτερε Κρονίδη, ὕπατε κρειόντων,

"Our father, son of Cronus, highest of ruling powers,

καὶ λίην κεῖνός γε ἐοικότι κεῖται ὀλέθρῳ·

indeed that man lies low in a fitting destruction;

ὡς ἀπόλοιτο καὶ ἄλλος, ὅτις τοιαῦτά γε ῥέζοι·

so perish also any other who does such deeds!

ἀλλά μοι ἀμφʼ Ὀδυσῆι δαΐφρονι δαίεται ἦτορ,

But my heart is torn for wise Odysseus,

δυσμόρῳ, ὃς δὴ δηθὰ φίλων ἄπο πήματα πάσχει

ill-fated man, who far from his friends has long been suffering woes

νήσῳ ἐν ἀμφιρύτῃ, ὅθι τʼ ὀμφαλός ἐστι θαλάσσης.

in a seagirt island, where is the navel of the sea.

νῆσος δενδρήεσσα, θεὰ δʼ ἐν δώματα ναίει,

A wooded island it is, and a goddess has her dwelling there,

Ἄτλαντος θυγάτηρ ὀλοόφρονος, ὅς τε θαλάσσης

the daughter of Atlas of baneful mind, who knows

πάσης βένθεα οἶδεν, ἔχει δέ τε κίονας αὐτὸς

the depths of all the sea, and himself keeps the pillars

μακράς, αἳ γαῖάν τε καὶ οὐρανὸν ἀμφὶς ἔχουσιν.

tall, which hold earth and heaven apart.

τοῦ θυγάτηρ δύστηνον ὀδυρόμενον κατερύκει,

His daughter it is who keeps back that wretched, sorrowing man,

αἰεὶ δὲ μαλακοῖσι καὶ αἱμυλίοισι λόγοισιν

and ever with soft and wheedling words

θέλγει, ὅπως Ἰθάκης ἐπιλήσεται· αὐτὰρ Ὀδυσσεύς,

beguiles him, so that he may forget Ithaca; but Odysseus,

ἱέμενος καὶ καπνὸν ἀποθρῴσκοντα νοῆσαι

yearning to see even the smoke leaping up from his own land,

ἧς γαίης, θανέειν ἱμείρεται. οὐδέ νυ σοί περ

longs to die. And yet your heart is not turned,

ἐντρέπεται φίλον ἦτορ, Ὀλύμπιε. οὔ νύ τʼ Ὀδυσσεὺς

Olympian. Did not Odysseus please you

Ἀργείων παρὰ νηυσὶ χαρίζετο ἱερὰ ῥέζων

by offering sacrifices near the ships of the Argives

Τροίῃ ἐν εὐρείῃ; τί νύ οἱ τόσον ὠδύσαο⁵, Ζεῦ;

in wide Troy? Why then are you so wroth with him, Zeus?"

τὴν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη νεφεληγερέτα Ζεύς·

Then cloud-gathering Zeus answered her and said:

τέκνον ἐμόν, ποῖόν σε ἔπος φύγεν ἕρκος ὀδόντων.

"My child, what a word has escaped the barrier of your teeth!

πῶς ἂν ἔπειτʼ Ὀδυσῆος ἐγὼ θείοιο λαθοίμην,

How could I ever forget godlike Odysseus,

ὃς περὶ μὲν νόον ἐστὶ βροτῶν, περὶ δʼ ἱρὰ θεοῖσιν

who is beyond all mortals in wisdom, and beyond all has offered sacrifice to the immortal gods,

ἀθανάτοισιν ἔδωκε, τοὶ οὐρανὸν εὐρὺν ἔχουσιν;

who hold the wide heaven?

ἀλλὰ Ποσειδάων γαιήοχος ἀσκελὲς αἰεὶ

But Poseidon, the earth-enfolder, is stubbornly wroth

Κύκλωπος κεχόλωται, ὃν ὀφθαλμοῦ ἀλάωσεν,

because of the Cyclops whom Odysseus blinded of his eye,

ἀντίθεον Πολύφημον, ὅου κράτος ἐστὶ μέγιστον

even godlike Polyphemus, whose strength is greatest

πᾶσιν Κυκλώπεσσι· Θόωσα δέ μιν τέκε νύμφη,

among all the Cyclopes. The nymph Thoosa bore him,

Φόρκυνος θυγάτηρ ἁλὸς ἀτρυγέτοιο μέδοντος,

daughter of Phorcys, lord of the barren sea,

ἐν σπέσσι γλαφυροῖσι Ποσειδάωνι μιγεῖσα.

after she lay with Poseidon in the hollow caves.

ἐκ τοῦ δὴ Ὀδυσῆα Ποσειδάων ἐνοσίχθων

Since that time Poseidon, the shaker of the earth,

οὔ τι κατακτείνει, πλάζει δʼ ἀπὸ πατρίδος αἴης.

does not indeed slay Odysseus, but drives him wandering from his native land.

ἀλλʼ ἄγεθʼ, ἡμεῖς οἵδε περιφραζώμεθα πάντες

But come, let us who are here all take counsel

Syntax notes5 items

1.1ἄνδρα
The accusative noun placed at the very beginning of the poem to present the theme of the entire work. It serves as the direct object of the following imperative `ἔννεπε` (sing/tell).
1.6ἱέμενός περ
The participle `ἱέμενος` (desiring) accompanied by the particle `περ` expresses concession ("although desiring/though he wished").
1.18πεφυγμένος ἦεν
A periphrastic construction combining the perfect participle and the imperfect `ἦεν` (was), indicating the continuation of a completed state in the past ("had escaped" or "was free from").
1.34ὑπὲρ μόρον
The preposition `ὑπέρ` with the accusative means "beyond fate/what is ordained." It is a key thematic expression indicating how human action and folly bring about sufferings exceeding their allotted destiny.
1.62ὠδύσαο
Second-person singular aorist of the verb `ὀδύσσομαι` (to be angry/wroth). It functions as an etymological pun on the name of Odysseus (`Ὀδυσσεύς`), which was traditionally associated with being the object of divine anger or causing anger.

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:1.1-1.76