The Hospitality of Aeolus and the Bag of Winds — Odyssey §10.1-10.71 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

Αἰολίην δʼ ἐς νῆσον ἀφικόμεθʼ· ἔνθα δʼ ἔναιεν

'Then we came to the Aeolian island; and there dwelt

Αἴολος Ἱπποτάδης, φίλος ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖσιν,

Aeolus, son of Hippotas, dear to the immortal gods,

πλωτῇ ἐνὶ νήσῳ¹· πᾶσαν δέ τέ μιν πέρι τεῖχος

on a floating island; and all around it a wall

χάλκεον ἄρρηκτον, λισσὴ δʼ ἀναδέδρομε πέτρη.

of unbroken bronze runs, and the sheer rock rises smooth.

τοῦ καὶ δώδεκα παῖδες ἐνὶ μεγάροις γεγάασιν,

And his twelve children were born within his halls,

ἓξ μὲν θυγατέρες, ἓξ δʼ υἱέες ἡβώοντες·

six daughters and six lusty sons;

ἔνθʼ ὅ γε θυγατέρας πόρεν υἱάσιν εἶναι ἀκοίτις.

and there he gave his daughters to his sons to be their wives.

οἱ δʼ αἰεὶ παρὰ πατρὶ φίλῳ καὶ μητέρι κεδνῇ

And they always feast beside their dear father and noble mother,

δαίνυνται, παρὰ δέ σφιν ὀνείατα μυρία κεῖται,

and before them lie countless dainties,

κνισῆεν δέ τε δῶμα περιστεναχίζεται αὐλῇ²

and the house, filled with the steam of sacrifice, echoes around the courtyard

ἤματα· νύκτας δʼ αὖτε παρʼ αἰδοίῃς ἀλόχοισιν

by day; and by night again they sleep beside their modest wives

εὕδουσʼ ἔν τε τάπησι καὶ ἐν τρητοῖσι λέχεσσι.

on rugs and on jointed bedsteads.

καὶ μὲν τῶν³ ἱκόμεσθα πόλιν καὶ δώματα καλά.

To their city and beautiful house indeed we came.

μῆνα δὲ πάντα φίλει με καὶ ἐξερέεινεν ἕκαστα,

And for a whole month he entertained me kindly and questioned me of each thing,

Ἴλιον Ἀργείων τε νέας καὶ νόστον Ἀχαιῶν·

of Ilium, the ships of the Argives, and the return of the Achaeans;

καὶ μὲν ἐγὼ τῷ πάντα κατὰ μοῖραν κατέλεξα.

and indeed I told him all things in order.

ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ καὶ ἐγὼν ὁδὸν ᾔτεον ἠδʼ ἐκέλευον

But when I too asked for our journey and urged him

πεμπέμεν, οὐδέ τι κεῖνος ἀνήνατο, τεῦχε δὲ πομπήν.

to send us on our way, he too refused nothing, but prepared our escort.

δῶκε δέ μʼ ἐκδείρας ἀσκὸν βοὸς ἐννεώροιο,

And he gave me a bag, made of the hide of a nine-year-old ox, which he had flayed,

ἔνθα δὲ βυκτάων ἀνέμων κατέδησε κέλευθα·

and therein he bound the paths of the blustering winds;

κεῖνον γὰρ ταμίην ἀνέμων ποίησε Κρονίων,

for him the son of Cronos made the keeper of the winds,

ἠμὲν παυέμεναι ἠδʼ ὀρνύμεν⁴, ὅν κʼ ἐθέλῃσι.

either to lull them or to rouse them, whichever he will.

νηὶ δʼ ἐνὶ γλαφυρῇ κατέδει μέρμιθι φαεινῇ

And in the hollow ship he bound it fast with a bright silver

ἀργυρέῃ, ἵνα μή τι παραπνεύσῃ ὀλίγον περ·

cord, so that not even a little breath might escape;

αὐτὰρ ἐμοὶ πνοιὴν Ζεφύρου προέηκεν ἀῆναι,

but for me he sent forth the breath of the West Wind to blow,

ὄφρα φέροι νῆάς τε καὶ αὐτούς· οὐδʼ ἄρʼ ἔμελλεν

that it might carry both the ships and ourselves; yet he was not destined

ἐκτελέειν· αὐτῶν γὰρ ἀπωλόμεθʼ ἀφραδίῃσιν⁵.

to bring it to fulfillment; for we perished by our own folly.

ἐννῆμαρ μὲν ὁμῶς πλέομεν νύκτας τε καὶ ἦμαρ,

For nine days we sailed alike, both night and day,

τῇ δεκάτῃ δʼ ἤδη ἀνεφαίνετο πατρὶς ἄρουρα,

and on the tenth day already our native land appeared,

καὶ δὴ πυρπολέοντας⁶ ἐλεύσσομεν ἐγγὺς ἐόντες·

and indeed we saw men tending fires, being close at hand;

ἔνθʼ ἐμὲ μὲν γλυκὺς ὕπνος ἐπήλυθε κεκμηῶτα,

then sweet sleep came upon me in my weariness,

αἰεὶ γὰρ πόδα⁷ νηὸς ἐνώμων, οὐδέ τῳ ἄλλῳ

for I always guided the sheet of the ship, and to no other

δῶχʼ ἑτάρων, ἵνα θᾶσσον ἱκοίμεθα πατρίδα γαῖαν·

of my companions did I give it, so that we might more quickly reach our native land;

οἱ δʼ ἕταροι ἐπέεσσι πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἀγόρευον,

but my companions spoke to one another with words,

καί μʼ ἔφασαν χρυσόν τε καὶ ἄργυρον οἴκαδʼ ἄγεσθαι

and said that I was bringing home gold and silver

δῶρα παρʼ Αἰόλου μεγαλήτορος Ἱπποτάδαο.

as gifts from great-hearted Aeolus, son of Hippotas.

ὧδε δέ τις εἴπεσκεν ἰδὼν ἐς πλησίον ἄλλον·

And thus would one speak, looking at his neighbor:

ὦ πόποι, ὡς ὅδε πᾶσι φίλος καὶ τίμιός ἐστιν

"Alas, how dear and honored this man is by all

ἀνθρώποις, ὅτεών τε πόλιν καὶ γαῖαν ἵκηται.

men, to whose city and land soever he comes!

πολλὰ μὲν ἐκ Τροίης ἄγεται κειμήλια καλὰ

Many beautiful treasures indeed he brings from Troy

ληίδος, ἡμεῖς δʼ αὖτε ὁμὴν ὁδὸν ἐκτελέσαντες

of the spoil, while we, who have accomplished the selfsame journey,

οἴκαδε νισσόμεθα κενεὰς σὺν χεῖρας ἔχοντες·

are returning home bringing empty hands;

καὶ νῦν οἱ τάδʼ ἔδωκε χαριζόμενος φιλότητι

and now Aeolus has given him these things, favoring him in friendship.

Αἴολος. ἀλλʼ ἄγε θᾶσσον ἰδώμεθα ὅττι τάδʼ ἐστίν,

But come, let us quickly see what these things are,

ὅσσος τις χρυσός τε καὶ ἄργυρος ἀσκῷ ἔνεστιν.

how much gold and silver is in the bag."

ὣς ἔφασαν, βουλὴ δὲ κακὴ νίκησεν ἑταίρων·

So they spoke, and the evil counsel of my companions prevailed;

ἀσκὸν μὲν λῦσαν, ἄνεμοι δʼ ἐκ πάντες ὄρουσαν.

they loosed the bag, and all the winds rushed forth.

τοὺς δʼ αἶψʼ ἁρπάξασα φέρεν πόντονδε θύελλα

And straightway the tempest seized them and bore them to the sea,

κλαίοντας, γαίης ἄπο πατρίδος. αὐτὰρ ἐγώ γε

weeping, away from their native land. But I,

ἐγρόμενος κατὰ θυμὸν ἀμύμονα μερμήριξα,

awakening, debated in my noble heart

ἠὲ πεσὼν ἐκ νηὸς ἀποφθίμην ἐνὶ πόντῳ,

whether I should throw myself from the ship and perish in the sea,

ἦ ἀκέων τλαίην καὶ ἔτι ζωοῖσι μετείην.

or endure in silence and still remain among the living.

ἀλλʼ ἔτλην καὶ ἔμεινα, καλυψάμενος δʼ ἐνὶ νηὶ

Yet I endured and remained, and covering myself in the ship

κείμην. αἱ δʼ ἐφέροντο κακῇ ἀνέμοιο θυέλλῃ

I lay down. And the ships were carried by the evil tempest of the wind

αὖτις ἐπʼ Αἰολίην νῆσον, στενάχοντο δʼ ἑταῖροι.

back to the Aeolian island, and my companions groaned.

ἔνθα δʼ ἐπʼ ἠπείρου βῆμεν καὶ ἀφυσσάμεθʼ ὕδωρ,

There we went on shore and drew water,

αἶψα δὲ δεῖπνον ἕλοντο θοῇς παρὰ νηυσὶν ἑταῖροι.

and straightway my companions took their meal beside the swift ships.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ σίτοιό τʼ ἐπασσάμεθʼ ἠδὲ ποτῆτος,

But when we had tasted of food and drink,

δὴ τότʼ ἐγὼ κήρυκά τʼ ὀπασσάμενος καὶ ἑταῖρον

then indeed, taking with me a herald and a companion,

βῆν εἰς Αἰόλου κλυτὰ δώματα· τὸν δʼ ἐκίχανον

I went to the famous house of Aeolus; and I found him

δαινύμενον παρὰ ᾗ τʼ ἀλόχῳ καὶ οἷσι τέκεσσιν.

feasting beside his wife and his children.

ἐλθόντες δʼ ἐς δῶμα παρὰ σταθμοῖσιν ἐπʼ οὐδοῦ

And having come to the house, by the doorposts on the threshold

ἑζόμεθʼ· οἱ δʼ ἀνὰ θυμὸν ἐθάμβεον ἔκ τʼ ἐρέοντο·

we sat down; and they in their hearts were amazed and questioned us:

πῶς ἦλθες, Ὀδυσεῦ; τίς τοι κακὸς ἔχραε δαίμων;

"How have you come, Odysseus? What evil deity has assailed you?

ἦ μέν σʼ ἐνδυκέως ἀπεπέμπομεν, ὄφρʼ ἀφίκοιο

Surely we sent you on your way kindly, so that you might reach

πατρίδα σὴν καὶ δῶμα καὶ εἴ πού τοι φίλον ἐστίν.

your native land and home, and whatever place is dear to you."

ὣς φάσαν, αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ μετεφώνεον ἀχνύμενος κῆρ·

So they spoke, but I addressed them, grieving in my heart:

ἄασάν μʼ ἕταροί τε κακοὶ πρὸς τοῖσί τε ὕπνος

"My evil companions ruined me, and in addition to them, cruel

σχέτλιος. ἀλλʼ ἀκέσασθε, φίλοι· δύναμις γὰρ ἐν ὑμῖν.

sleep. But heal us, friends; for the power is in you."

ὣς ἐφάμην μαλακοῖσι καθαπτόμενος ἐπέεσσιν,

So I spoke, addressing them with gentle words,

οἱ δʼ ἄνεῳ ἐγένοντο· πατὴρ δʼ ἠμείβετο μύθῳ·

but they became silent; and the father answered me with a speech:'

Syntax notes7 items

10.3πλωτῇ ἐνὶ νήσῳ
Meaning 'on a floating island.' The dative form of the adjective πλωτός ('floating' or 'navigable'), emphasizing the mythical and supernatural nature of Aeolus's island.
10.10περιστεναχίζεται αὐλῇ
Meaning 'the house echoes around the courtyard.' The noun αὐλῇ is a feminine singular dative ('courtyard'), functioning as either associative or locative. The subject is the house (δῶμα), depicting the lively sounds of the feast resonating through the premises.
10.13τῶν
A genitive plural relative pronoun referring back to the whole family of Aeolus and his children described in the preceding lines (10.5–12), meaning 'their (city)'.
10.22παυέμεναι ἠδʼ ὀρνύμεν
Homeric infinitive forms (corresponding to regular -ειν). They depend on the preceding noun ταμίην ('keeper' or 'steward'), serving as infinitives of purpose or result to explain the authority granted to Aeolus to lull or rouse the winds.
10.27αὐτῶν ... ἀφραδίῃσιν
Meaning 'by our own folly.' The word αὐτῶν is a genitive plural genitive of possession/emphasis ('of ourselves'), modifying ἀφραδίῃσιν, which is a dative plural of cause ('by follies').
10.30πυρπολέοντας
The active present participle, accusative plural, of the verb πυρπολέω ('to tend a fire'). It functions substantively to mean 'those tending fires' (such as herdsmen or watchmen on Ithaca) as the direct object or object complement of the verb of perception ἐλεύσσομεν ('we saw').
10.32πόδα
Meaning not the anatomical 'foot' but rather the nautical term 'sheet' (the rope used to control the lower corner of a sail). The accusative singular refers to the strenuous effort of Odysseus, who personally managed the sail's sheet without rest.

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:10.1-10.71