Athena's Arrival in Ithaca and Telemachus' Welcome — Odyssey §1.77-1.154 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

νόστον, ὅπως ἔλθῃσι· Ποσειδάων δὲ μεθήσει

his return, so that he may come. And Poseidon shall let go

ὃν χόλον· οὐ μὲν γάρ τι δυνήσεται ἀντία πάντων

his anger; for he will not be able, against the will of all

ἀθανάτων ἀέκητι θεῶν ἐριδαινέμεν οἶος¹.

the immortal gods, to strive alone.

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,

εἰ μὲν δὴ νῦν τοῦτο φίλον μακάρεσσι θεοῖσιν,

if indeed this is now well-pleasing to the blessed gods,

νοστῆσαι Ὀδυσῆα πολύφρονα ὅνδε δόμονδε²,

that the wise Odysseus should return to his own home,

Ἑρμείαν μὲν ἔπειτα διάκτορον ἀργεϊφόντην

then let us speed Hermes, the messenger, the slayer of Argus,

νῆσον ἐς Ὠγυγίην ὀτρύνομεν, ὄφρα τάχιστα

to the island of Ogygia, so that with all speed

νύμφῃ ἐυπλοκάμῳ εἴπῃ νημερτέα βουλήν,

he may declare to the fair-tressed nymph our unerring counsel,

νόστον Ὀδυσσῆος ταλασίφρονος, ὥς κε νέηται·

even the return of the steadfast Odysseus, that he may return.

αὐτὰρ ἐγὼν Ἰθάκηνδʼ ἐσελεύσομαι, ὄφρα οἱ υἱὸν

But I will go to Ithaca, that I may the more

μᾶλλον ἐποτρύνω καί οἱ μένος ἐν φρεσὶ θείω,

rouse his son and put courage in his heart,

εἰς ἀγορὴν καλέσαντα κάρη κομόωντας Ἀχαιοὺς³

calling the long-haired Achaeans to the assembly,

πᾶσι μνηστήρεσσιν ἀπειπέμεν, οἵ τέ οἱ αἰεὶ

to speak his mind to all the suitors, who are ever

μῆλʼ ἁδινὰ σφάζουσι καὶ εἰλίποδας ἕλικας βοῦς.

slaughtering his thronging sheep and his shambling, crook-horned kine.

πέμψω δʼ ἐς Σπάρτην τε καὶ ἐς Πύλον ἠμαθόεντα

And I will send him to Sparta and to sandy Pylos,

νόστον πευσόμενον πατρὸς φίλου, ἤν που ἀκούσῃ,

to seek tidings of his dear father's return, if so be he may hear of it,

ἠδʼ ἵνα μιν κλέος ἐσθλὸν ἐν ἀνθρώποισιν ἔχῃσιν.

and that he may win good report among men."

ὣς εἰποῦσʼ ὑπὸ ποσσὶν ἐδήσατο καλὰ πέδιλα,

So she spoke, and bound beneath her feet her beautiful sandals,

ἀμβρόσια χρύσεια, τά μιν φέρον ἠμὲν ἐφʼ ὑγρὴν

immortal, golden, which bore her both over the wet sea

ἠδʼ ἐπʼ ἀπείρονα γαῖαν ἅμα πνοιῇς ἀνέμοιο·

and over the boundless earth, fleet as the blasts of the wind.

εἵλετο δʼ ἄλκιμον ἔγχος, ἀκαχμένον ὀξέι χαλκῷ,

And she took her mighty spear, tipped with sharp bronze,

βριθὺ μέγα στιβαρόν, τῷ δάμνησι στίχας ἀνδρῶν

heavy and huge and strong, with which she vanquishes the ranks of warrior

ἡρώων, τοῖσίν τε κοτέσσεται ὀβριμοπάτρη.

men, whensoever she is wroth, she of the mighty sire.

βῆ δὲ κατʼ Οὐλύμποιο καρήνων ἀίξασα,

Down from the peaks of Olympus she went darting,

στῆ δʼ Ἰθάκης ἐνὶ δήμῳ ἐπὶ προθύροις Ὀδυσῆος,

and stood in the land of Ithaca at the outer gate of Odysseus,

οὐδοῦ ἐπʼ αὐλείου· παλάμῃ δʼ ἔχε χάλκεον ἔγχος,

on the threshold of the courtyard; and in her hand she held her bronze spear,

εἰδομένη ξείνῳ, Ταφίων ἡγήτορι Μέντῃ.

pretending to be a guest, Mentes, leader of the Taphians.

εὗρε δʼ ἄρα μνηστῆρας ἀγήνορας. οἱ μὲν ἔπειτα

There she found the lordly suitors. They were then

πεσσοῖσι προπάροιθε θυράων θυμὸν ἔτερπον

with dice before the doors, making merry,

ἥμενοι ἐν ῥινοῖσι βοῶν, οὓς ἔκτανον αὐτοί·

sitting on the hides of oxen which they themselves had slain.

κήρυκες δʼ αὐτοῖσι καὶ ὀτρηροὶ θεράποντες

And heralds and busy squires were with them;

οἱ μὲν οἶνον ἔμισγον ἐνὶ κρητῆρσι καὶ ὕδωρ,

some mixing wine and water in mixing-bowls,

οἱ δʼ αὖτε σπόγγοισι πολυτρήτοισι τραπέζας

and others wiping the tables with porous sponges

νίζον καὶ πρότιθεν, τοὶ δὲ κρέα πολλὰ δατεῦντο.

and setting them forth, and others carving much meat.

τὴν δὲ πολὺ πρῶτος ἴδε Τηλέμαχος θεοειδής,

And her godlike Telemachus was far the first to see,

ἧστο γὰρ ἐν μνηστῆρσι φίλον τετιημένος ἦτορ,

for he was sitting among the suitors, sad at heart,

ὀσσόμενος πατέρʼ ἐσθλὸν ἐνὶ φρεσίν, εἴ ποθεν ἐλθὼν⁴

seeing his noble father in his mind's eye, if he might come from somewhere

μνηστήρων τῶν μὲν σκέδασιν κατὰ δώματα θείη,

and make a scattering of the suitors in his halls,

τιμὴν δʼ αὐτὸς ἔχοι καὶ δώμασιν οἷσιν ἀνάσσοι.

and himself hold his honors and rule over his own house.

τὰ φρονέων, μνηστῆρσι μεθήμενος, εἴσιδʼ Ἀθήνην.

Thinking on these things, as he sat among the suitors, he saw Athena.

βῆ δʼ ἰθὺς προθύροιο, νεμεσσήθη δʼ ἐνὶ θυμῷ

And he went straight to the outer door, and was vexed in his heart

ξεῖνον δηθὰ θύρῃσιν ἐφεστάμεν· ἐγγύθι δὲ στὰς

that a guest should stand long at the gates. Standing near,

χεῖρʼ ἕλε δεξιτερὴν καὶ ἐδέξατο χάλκεον ἔγχος,

he took her right hand and received her bronze spear,

καί μιν φωνήσας ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·

and spoke, and addressed her with winged words:

χαῖρε, ξεῖνε, παρʼ ἄμμι φιλήσεαι· αὐτὰρ ἔπειτα

"Welcome, guest, you shall be well-treated with us; and then

δείπνου πασσάμενος μυθήσεαι ὅττεό σε χρή.

when you have tasted food, you shall tell of what you have need."

ὣς εἰπὼν ἡγεῖθʼ, ἡ δʼ ἕσπετο Παλλὰς Ἀθήνη.

So saying he led the way, and Pallas Athena followed him.

οἱ δʼ ὅτε δή ῥʼ ἔντοσθεν ἔσαν δόμου ὑψηλοῖο,

And when they were within the lofty house,

ἔγχος μέν ῥʼ ἔστησε φέρων πρὸς κίονα μακρὴν

he took the spear and leaned it against a tall pillar,

δουροδόκης ἔντοσθεν ἐυξόου, ἔνθα περ ἄλλα

within the well-polished spear-stand, where also many

ἔγχεʼ Ὀδυσσῆος ταλασίφρονος ἵστατο πολλά,

other spears of steadfast Odysseus were standing,

αὐτὴν δʼ ἐς θρόνον εἷσεν ἄγων, ὑπὸ λῖτα πετάσσας,

And he led her to a chair and seated her, spreading a linen cloth beneath,

καλὸν δαιδάλεον· ὑπὸ δὲ θρῆνυς ποσὶν ἦεν.

beautiful and daintily carved; and beneath was a footstool for her feet.

πὰρ δʼ αὐτὸς κλισμὸν θέτο ποικίλον, ἔκτοθεν ἄλλων

And by her side he placed for himself an inlaid seat, apart from the others,

μνηστήρων, μὴ ξεῖνος ἀνιηθεὶς ὀρυμαγδῷ

even the suitors, lest the guest, annoyed by the din,

δείπνῳ ἁδήσειεν⁵, ὑπερφιάλοισι μετελθών,

should lose his appetite for the feast, coming among arrogant men,

ἠδʼ ἵνα μιν περὶ πατρὸς ἀποιχομένοιο ἔροιτο.

and also that he might ask her about his absent father.

χέρνιβα δʼ ἀμφίπολος προχόῳ ἐπέχευε φέρουσα

And a handmaid brought water in a fair golden pitcher, and poured it

καλῇ χρυσείῃ, ὑπὲρ ἀργυρέοιο λέβητος,

over a silver basin, for washing;

νίψασθαι· παρὰ δὲ ξεστὴν ἐτάνυσσε τράπεζαν.

and beside them she drew a polished table.

σῖτον δʼ αἰδοίη ταμίη παρέθηκε φέρουσα,

And the grave housekeeper brought and set before them bread,

εἴδατα πόλλʼ ἐπιθεῖσα, χαριζομένη παρεόντων·

and added thereto many dainties, giving freely of her store.

δαιτρὸς δὲ κρειῶν πίνακας παρέθηκεν ἀείρας

And a carver lifted and placed before them platters of meats

παντοίων, παρὰ δέ σφι τίθει χρύσεια κύπελλα·

of all kinds, and set by them golden cups;

κῆρυξ δʼ αὐτοῖσιν θάμʼ ἐπῴχετο οἰνοχοεύων.

and a herald went to and fro continually, pouring them wine.

ἐς δʼ ἦλθον μνηστῆρες ἀγήνορες. οἱ μὲν ἔπειτα

Then in came the lordly suitors. And they

ἑξείης ἕζοντο κατὰ κλισμούς τε θρόνους τε,

sat down in order on the seats and chairs;

τοῖσι δὲ κήρυκες μὲν ὕδωρ ἐπὶ χεῖρας ἔχευαν,

and heralds poured water over their hands,

σῖτον δὲ δμῳαὶ παρενήνεον ἐν κανέοισιν,

and handmaids heaped bread in baskets,

κοῦροι δὲ κρητῆρας ἐπεστέψαντο ποτοῖο.

and youths filled the mixing-bowls brim-full of drink.

οἱ δʼ ἐπʼ ὀνείαθʼ ἑτοῖμα προκείμενα χεῖρας ἴαλλον.

And they stretched forth their hands to the good things set ready before them.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ πόσιος καὶ ἐδητύος ἐξ ἔρον ἕντο

But when they had put from them the desire of food and drink,

μνηστῆρες, τοῖσιν μὲν ἐνὶ φρεσὶν ἄλλα μεμήλει,

the suitors, other things were in their minds,

μολπή τʼ ὀρχηστύς τε· τὰ γάρ τʼ ἀναθήματα δαιτός·

even song and dance, for these are the crown of a feast.

κῆρυξ δʼ ἐν χερσὶν κίθαριν περικαλλέα θῆκεν

And a herald placed the beautiful lyre in the hands

Φημίῳ, ὅς ῥʼ ἤειδε παρὰ μνηστῆρσιν ἀνάγκῃ.

of Phemius, who was wont to sing before the suitors perforce.

Syntax notes5 items

1.79ἀντία πάντων / ἀθανάτων ἀέκητι θεῶν ἐριδαινέμεν οἶος
The prepositional adverbs ἀντία and ἀέκητι (against the will of) both govern the genitive πάντων ἀθανάτων θεῶν (of all the immortal gods). The adjective οἶος (alone) is in the nominative case, agreeing with the subject of the main verb (Poseidon). The infinitive ἐριδαινέμεν acts as the complement of δυνήσεται.
1.83νοστῆσαι Ὀδυσῆα πολύφρονα ὅνδε δόμονδε
This infinitive clause headed by νοστῆσαι stands in apposition to the pronoun τοῦτο in the preceding line, explaining its content. Ὀδυσῆα πολύφρονα functions as the accusative subject of the infinitive.
1.90εἰς ἀγορὴν καλέσαντα κάρη κομόωντας Ἀχαιοὺς
The aorist participle καλέσαντα (accusative masculine singular) agrees with υἱόν (his son, Telemachus), the direct object of ἐποτρύνω in line 88. It sets up the action before the main infinitive ἀπειπέμεν (to speak out/forbid).
1.115εἴ ποθεν ἐλθὼν
The particle εἰ here introduces a clause of hope or expectation after ὀσσόμενος (seeing in his mind). The subsequent verbs θείη, ἔχοι, and ἀνάσσοι are all in the optative mood, representing either an oblique optative after the past-tense main verb ἧστο or a remote potential wish.
1.134δείπνῳ ἁδήσειεν
The verb ἁδήσειεν is the aorist optative third-person singular of ἁνδάνω (to please, satisfy). Combined with the dative δείπνῳ, it forms a negative purpose clause introduced by μή, meaning 'lest he should be displeased with the meal'.

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:1.77-1.154