Athena's Advice to Telemachus to Seek His Father — Odyssey §1.225-1.296 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

τίς δαίς, τίς δὲ ὅμιλος ὅδʼ ἔπλετο; τίπτε δέ σε χρεώ;

"What feast, what throng is this? What need has come upon you?

εἰλαπίνη ἠὲ γάμος; ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἔρανος τάδε γʼ ἐστίν·

Is it a banquet or a wedding? For this is surely no potluck-feast.

ὥς τέ μοι ὑβρίζοντες ὑπερφιάλως δοκέουσι

For so insolently they seem to me

δαίνυσθαι κατὰ δῶμα. νεμεσσήσαιτό κεν ἀνὴρ

to feast in the house. Any right-minded man would be wroth

αἴσχεα πόλλʼ ὁρόων, ὅς τις πινυτός γε μετέλθοι.

beholding so many outrages, if any sensible man should come among them."

τὴν δʼ αὖ Τηλέμαχος πεπνυμένος ἀντίον ηὔδα·

And to her wise Telemachus answered in turn:

ξεῖνʼ, ἐπεὶ ἂρ δὴ ταῦτά μʼ ἀνείρεαι ἠδὲ μεταλλᾷς,

"Guest, since indeed you ask and inquire of me concerning these things,

μέλλεν¹ μέν ποτε οἶκος ὅδʼ ἀφνειὸς καὶ ἀμύμων

this house was once destined to be rich and noble,

ἔμμεναι, ὄφρʼ ἔτι κεῖνος ἀνὴρ ἐπιδήμιος ἦεν·

as long as that man was still at home.

νῦν δʼ ἑτέρως ἐβόλοντο θεοὶ κακὰ μητιόωντες,

But now the gods have willed otherwise, devising evil,

οἳ κεῖνον μὲν ἄιστον ἐποίησαν περὶ πάντων

they who have made him unseen beyond all

ἀνθρώπων, ἐπεὶ οὔ κε θανόντι περ ὧδʼ ἀκαχοίμην,

men; since I would not grieve so much for him even though he were dead,

εἰ μετὰ οἷς ἑτάροισι δάμη Τρώων ἐνὶ δήμῳ,

if he had been slain among his comrades in the land of the Trojans,

ἠὲ φίλων ἐν χερσίν, ἐπεὶ πόλεμον τολύπευσεν.

or in the arms of his friends, when he had wound up the war.

τῷ κέν οἱ τύμβον μὲν ἐποίησαν Παναχαιοί,

In that case the whole Achaean host would have made him a tomb,

ἠδέ κε καὶ ᾧ παιδὶ μέγα κλέος ἤρατʼ ὀπίσσω.

and for his son too he would have won great glory for the future.

νῦν δέ μιν ἀκλειῶς ἅρπυιαι ἀνηρείψαντο·

But now the storm-winds have snatched him away ingloriously;

οἴχετʼ ἄιστος ἄπυστος, ἐμοὶ δʼ ὀδύνας τε γόους τε

he is gone, unseen and unheard of, and to me he has left pain and weeping.

κάλλιπεν. οὐδέ τι κεῖνον ὀδυρόμενος στεναχίζω

Nor do I groan and weep for him

οἶον, ἐπεί νύ μοι ἄλλα θεοὶ κακὰ κήδεʼ ἔτευξαν.

alone, since now the gods have brought upon me other evil cares.

ὅσσοι γὰρ νήσοισιν ἐπικρατέουσιν ἄριστοι,

For all the nobles who rule over the islands,

Δουλιχίῳ τε Σάμῃ τε καὶ ὑλήεντι Ζακύνθῳ,

Dulichium and Same and wooded Zacynthus,

ἠδʼ ὅσσοι κραναὴν Ἰθάκην κάτα κοιρανέουσιν,

and all those who hold sway in rugged Ithaca,

τόσσοι μητέρʼ ἐμὴν μνῶνται, τρύχουσι δὲ οἶκον.

so many are wooing my mother and wasting my house.

ἡ δʼ οὔτʼ ἀρνεῖται στυγερὸν γάμον οὔτε τελευτὴν

And she neither refuses the hateful marriage nor can she make

ποιῆσαι δύναται· τοὶ δὲ φθινύθουσιν ἔδοντες

an end of it; but they consume and waste

οἶκον ἐμόν· τάχα δή με διαρραίσουσι καὶ αὐτόν.

my house; and soon they will destroy me myself also."

τὸν δʼ ἐπαλαστήσασα προσηύδα Παλλὰς Ἀθήνη·

Then, filled with indignation, Pallas Athena spoke to him:

ὢ πόποι, ἦ δὴ πολλὸν ἀποιχομένου Ὀδυσῆος

"Alas! truly you have great need of the absent Odysseus,

δεύῃ, ὅ κε μνηστῆρσιν ἀναιδέσι χεῖρας ἐφείη².

who might lay hands upon these shameless suitors.

εἰ γὰρ νῦν ἐλθὼν δόμου ἐν πρώτῃσι θύρῃσι

For if he should now come and stand at the outer gates of the house,

σταίη, ἔχων πήληκα καὶ ἀσπίδα καὶ δύο δοῦρε,

with helmet and shield and two spears,

τοῖος ἐὼν οἷόν μιν ἐγὼ τὰ πρῶτʼ ἐνόησα

such a man as he was when I first saw him

οἴκῳ ἐν ἡμετέρῳ πίνοντά τε τερπόμενόν τε,

drinking and making merry in our house,

ἐξ Ἐφύρης ἀνιόντα παρʼ Ἴλου Μερμερίδαο—

on his way back from Ephyra, from Ilus, son of Mermerus—

ᾤχετο γὰρ καὶ κεῖσε θοῆς ἐπὶ νηὸς Ὀδυσσεὺς

for Odysseus had gone thither also on his swift ship

φάρμακον ἀνδροφόνον διζήμενος, ὄφρα οἱ εἴη

seeking a deadly drug, that he might have it

ἰοὺς χρίεσθαι χαλκήρεας· ἀλλʼ ὁ μὲν οὔ οἱ

to smear on his bronze-tipped arrows; but Ilus would not

δῶκεν, ἐπεί ῥα θεοὺς νεμεσίζετο αἰὲν ἐόντας,

give it to him, since he feared the gods who live forever,

ἀλλὰ πατήρ οἱ δῶκεν ἐμός· φιλέεσκε γὰρ αἰνῶς—

but my father gave it to him, for he loved him exceedingly—

τοῖος ἐὼν μνηστῆρσιν ὁμιλήσειεν Ὀδυσσεύς·

if only Odysseus, such a man as he was, might encounter the suitors!

πάντες κʼ ὠκύμοροί τε γενοίατο³ πικρόγαμοί τε.

They would all find a swift death and a bitter wedding.

ἀλλʼ ἦ τοι μὲν ταῦτα θεῶν ἐν γούνασι κεῖται,

Yet, truly, these things lie on the knees of the gods,

ἤ κεν νοστήσας ἀποτίσεται, ἦε καὶ οὐκί,

whether he shall return and take vengeance, or not,

οἷσιν ἐνὶ μεγάροισι· σὲ δὲ φράζεσθαι ἄνωγα,

in his own halls; but I bid you to consider

ὅππως κε μνηστῆρας ἀπώσεαι ἐκ μεγάροιο.

how you may thrust the suitors out of the hall.

εἰ δʼ ἄγε νῦν ξυνίει καὶ ἐμῶν ἐμπάζεο μύθων·

Come now, listen and give heed to my words:

αὔριον εἰς ἀγορὴν καλέσας ἥρωας Ἀχαιοὺς

Tomorrow call the Achaean heroes to the assembly,

μῦθον πέφραδε πᾶσι, θεοὶ δʼ ἐπὶ μάρτυροι ἔστων.

and speak your word to them all, and let the gods be witnesses.

μνηστῆρας μὲν ἐπὶ σφέτερα σκίδνασθαι ἄνωχθι,

Bid the suitors disperse each to his own,

μητέρα δʼ, εἴ οἱ θυμὸς ἐφορμᾶται γαμέεσθαι,

and your mother, if her heart is set on marriage,

ἂψ ἴτω ἐς μέγαρον πατρὸς μέγα δυναμένοιο·

let her go back to the hall of her father, great in power;

οἱ δὲ⁴ γάμον τεύξουσι καὶ ἀρτυνέουσιν ἔεδνα

and they will arrange the marriage, and make ready the bridal gifts,

πολλὰ μάλʼ, ὅσσα ἔοικε φίλης ἐπὶ παιδὸς ἕπεσθαι.

very many, such as should accompany a beloved daughter.

σοὶ δʼ αὐτῷ πυκινῶς ὑποθήσομαι, αἴ κε πίθηαι·

And to yourself I will give a wise counsel, if you will obey:

νῆʼ ἄρσας ἐρέτῃσιν ἐείκοσιν, ἥ τις ἀρίστη,

fit out a ship with twenty oars, the best you can find,

ἔρχεο πευσόμενος πατρὸς δὴν οἰχομένοιο,

and go to make inquiry of your father, who has been long gone,

ἤν τίς τοι εἴπῃσι βροτῶν, ἢ ὄσσαν ἀκούσῃς

if any mortal may tell you, or if you may hear a voice

ἐκ Διός, ἥ τε μάλιστα φέρει κλέος ἀνθρώποισι.

from Zeus, which above all brings tidings to men.

πρῶτα μὲν ἐς Πύλον ἐλθὲ καὶ εἴρεο Νέστορα δῖον,

First go to Pylos and inquire of noble Nestor,

κεῖθεν δὲ Σπάρτηνδε παρὰ ξανθὸν Μενέλαον·

and from thence to Sparta to fair-haired Menelaus;

ὃς γὰρ δεύτατος ἦλθεν Ἀχαιῶν χαλκοχιτώνων.

for he was the last of the bronze-clad Achaeans to return.

εἰ μέν κεν πατρὸς βίοτον καὶ νόστον ἀκούσῃς,

If you hear that your father is alive and on his way home,

ἦ τʼ ἂν τρυχόμενός περ ἔτι τλαίης ἐνιαυτόν·

then indeed, though sorely tried, you might endure for yet a year;

εἰ δέ κε τεθνηῶτος ἀκούσῃς μηδʼ ἔτʼ ἐόντος,

but if you hear that he is dead and no longer living,

νοστήσας δὴ ἔπειτα φίλην ἐς πατρίδα γαῖαν

then return to your own dear native land,

σῆμά τέ οἱ χεῦαι καὶ ἐπὶ κτέρεα κτερεΐξαι

and heap up a mound for him, and perform funeral rites

πολλὰ μάλʼ, ὅσσα ἔοικε, καὶ ἀνέρι μητέρα δοῦναι.

very many, as is fitting, and give your mother to a husband.

αὐτὰρ ἐπὴν δὴ ταῦτα τελευτήσῃς τε καὶ ἔρξῃς,

But when you have finished and done all these things,

φράζεσθαι δὴ ἔπειτα κατὰ φρένα καὶ κατὰ θυμὸν

then consider in your mind and in your heart

ὅππως κε μνηστῆρας ἐνὶ μεγάροισι τεοῖσι

how you may slay the suitors in your halls,

κτείνῃς ἠὲ δόλῳ ἢ ἀμφαδόν· οὐδέ τί σε χρὴ

whether by guile or openly; for it behaves you not to..."

Syntax notes4 items

1.232μέλλεν
The imperfect form indicating past intention, likelihood, or a destiny that was not realized ("was destined to be"). Used with the infinitive `ἔμμεναι` to emphasize that the house's past prosperity has now been cut short due to Odysseus's absence.
1.254ὅ κε... ἐφείη
A relative clause containing the relative pronoun `ὅς` with the particle `κε` (`ἄν`) and the optative mood. Following the main clause's negative idea `δεύῃ` ("you lack"), it expresses a future purpose or a hypothetical consequence ("such a man as would lay hands").
1.265-266ὁμιλήσειεν... γενοίατο
`ὁμιλήσειεν` (line 265) is an optative without `ἄν`, expressing a strong or unattainable wish ("would that he might encounter!"). In contrast, `γενοίατο` (line 266) is an optative with `κε` (Ionic form for the 3rd person plural), expressing the hypothetical conclusion if that wish were fulfilled ("they would all find"), forming a conditional structure.
1.277οἱ δὲ
This third-person pronoun can contextually refer to either Penelope's father (Icarius) and his kinsmen, or the suitors. Here, following the "hall of her father" (`πατρὸς μέγα δυναμένοιο`) in line 276, the interpretation that Penelope's kinsmen (her father and relatives) will arrange the wedding is adopted, and the translation reflects this.

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:1.225-1.296