Circe's Instructions for Hades and the Death of Elpenor — Odyssey §10.501-10.574 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

ὢ Κίρκη, τίς γὰρ ταύτην ὁδὸν ἡγεμονεύσει;

"O Circe, for who will guide us on this journey?

εἰς Ἄϊδος δʼ οὔ πώ τις ἀφίκετο νηὶ μελαίνῃ.

To the house of Hades no one has ever yet reached in a black ship."

ὣς ἐφάμην, ἡ δʼ αὐτίκʼ ἀμείβετο δῖα θεάων·

So I spoke, and she at once answered, the divine among goddesses:

διογενὲς Λαερτιάδη, πολυμήχανʼ Ὀδυσσεῦ,

"Son of Laertes, sprung from Zeus, Odysseus of many devices,

μή τί τοι ἡγεμόνος γε ποθὴ παρὰ νηὶ μελέσθω¹,

let not the lack of a guide beside your ship be any care to you,

ἱστὸν δὲ στήσας, ἀνά θʼ ἱστία λευκὰ πετάσσας

but set up your mast, and spread your white sails,

ἧσθαι· τὴν δέ κέ τοι πνοιὴ Βορέαο φέρῃσιν.

and sit still; and the breath of Boreas will carry her.

ἀλλʼ ὁπότʼ ἂν δὴ νηὶ διʼ Ὠκεανοῖο περήσῃς,

But when you have crossed through Oceanus in your ship,

ἔνθʼ ἀκτή τε λάχεια καὶ ἄλσεα Περσεφονείης,

where is a low shore and the groves of Persephone,

μακραί τʼ αἴγειροι καὶ ἰτέαι ὠλεσίκαρποι,

tall poplars and willows that shed their fruit,

νῆα μὲν αὐτοῦ κέλσαι ἐπʼ Ὠκεανῷ βαθυδίνῃ,

there beach your ship by deep-eddying Oceanus,

αὐτὸς δʼ εἰς Ἀίδεω ἰέναι δόμον εὐρώεντα.

and go yourself to the moldering house of Hades.

ἔνθα μὲν εἰς Ἀχέροντα Πυριφλεγέθων τε ῥέουσιν

There Pyriphlegethon and Cocytus flow into Acheron,

Κώκυτός θʼ, ὃς δὴ Στυγὸς ὕδατός ἐστιν ἀπορρώξ,

Cocytus, which is a branch of the water of Styx,

πέτρη τε ξύνεσίς τε δύω ποταμῶν ἐριδούπων·

and there is a rock and the meeting-place of the two roaring rivers.

ἔνθα δʼ ἔπειθʼ, ἥρως, χριμφθεὶς πέλας, ὥς σε κελεύω,

There then, O hero, draw near as I bid you,

βόθρον ὀρύξαι, ὅσον τε πυγούσιον ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα,

and dig a pit, about a cubit's length each way,

ἀμφʼ αὐτῷ δὲ χοὴν χεῖσθαι πᾶσιν νεκύεσσιν,

and pour a libation about it to all the dead,

πρῶτα μελικρήτῳ, μετέπειτα δὲ ἡδέι οἴνῳ,

first with honeyed milk, and thereafter with sweet wine,

τὸ τρίτον αὖθʼ ὕδατι· ἐπὶ δʼ ἄλφιτα λευκὰ παλύνειν.

and the third time with water; and sprinkle white barley meal upon it.

πολλὰ δὲ γουνοῦσθαι² νεκύων ἀμενηνὰ κάρηνα,

And make many prayers to the strengthless heads of the dead,

ἐλθὼν εἰς Ἰθάκην στεῖραν βοῦν, ἥ τις ἀρίστη,

promising that when you come to Ithaca you will sacrifice a barren heifer, the best you have,

ῥέξειν ἐν μεγάροισι πυρήν τʼ ἐμπλησέμεν ἐσθλῶν,

in your halls, and will fill the pyre with good things,

Τειρεσίῃ δʼ ἀπάνευθεν ὄιν ἱερευσέμεν οἴῳ

and to Teiresias alone apart you will sacrifice a sheep,

παμμέλανʼ, ὃς μήλοισι μεταπρέπει ὑμετέροισιν.

all black, which is outstanding among your sheep.

αὐτὰρ ἐπὴν εὐχῇσι λίσῃ κλυτὰ ἔθνεα νεκρῶν,

But when you have supplicated with prayers the glorious hosts of the dead,

ἔνθʼ ὄιν ἀρνειὸν ῥέζειν θῆλύν τε μέλαιναν

then sacrifice a ram and a black ewe,

εἰς Ἔρεβος στρέψας, αὐτὸς δʼ ἀπονόσφι τραπέσθαι

turning them toward Erebus, but do you yourself turn away, striving toward

ἱέμενος³ ποταμοῖο ῥοάων· ἔνθα δὲ πολλαὶ

the streams of the river; and there many

ψυχαὶ ἐλεύσονται νεκύων κατατεθνηώτων.

souls of the dead who are departed come.

δὴ τότʼ ἔπειθʼ ἑτάροισιν ἐποτρῦναι καὶ ἀνῶξαι

Then indeed urge on your companions and command them

μῆλα, τὰ δὴ κατάκειτʼ ἐσφαγμένα νηλέι χαλκῷ,

to flay and burn the sheep which lie there slaughtered by the pitiless bronze,

δείραντας κατακῆαι, ἐπεύξασθαι δὲ θεοῖσιν,

and to pray to the gods,

ἰφθίμῳ τʼ Ἀίδῃ καὶ ἐπαινῇ Περσεφονείῃ·

to mighty Hades and dread Persephone.

αὐτὸς δὲ ξίφος ὀξὺ ἐρυσσάμενος παρὰ μηροῦ

But do you yourself, having drawn your sharp sword from beside your thigh,

ἧσθαι, μηδὲ ἐᾶν νεκύων ἀμενηνὰ κάρηνα

sit still and not permit the strengthless heads of the dead

αἵματος ἆσσον ἴμεν, πρὶν Τειρεσίαο πυθέσθαι.

to draw near to the blood, until you have questioned Teiresias.

ἔνθα τοι αὐτίκα μάντις ἐλεύσεται, ὄρχαμε λαῶν,

There straightway the prophet will come to you, leader of men,

ὅς κέν τοι εἴπῃσιν ὁδὸν καὶ μέτρα κελεύθου

who will tell you your way and the measure of your path,

νόστον θʼ, ὡς ἐπὶ πόντον ἐλεύσεαι ἰχθυόεντα.

and your return, how you shall go over the fish-abundant sea."

ὣς ἔφατʼ, αὐτίκα δὲ χρυσόθρονος ἤλυθεν Ἠώς.

So she spoke, and straightway golden-throned Dawn came.

ἀμφὶ δέ με χλαῖνάν τε χιτῶνά τε εἵματα ἕσσεν·

And she clothed me in a cloak and a tunic as garments.

αὐτὴ δʼ ἀργύφεον φᾶρος μέγα ἕννυτο νύμφη,

And she, the nymph, clothed herself in a great silvery-white robe,

λεπτὸν καὶ χαρίεν, περὶ δὲ ζώνην βάλετʼ ἰξυῖ

thin and graceful, and cast a beautiful golden girdle

καλὴν χρυσείην, κεφαλῇ δʼ ἐπέθηκε καλύπτρην.

about her waist, and put a veil upon her head.

αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ διὰ δώματʼ ἰὼν ὤτρυνον ἑταίρους

But I went through the halls and urged on my companions,

μειλιχίοις ἐπέεσσι παρασταδὸν ἄνδρα ἕκαστον·

standing beside each man with gentle words:

μηκέτι νῦν εὕδοντες ἀωτεῖτε γλυκὺν ὕπνον,

"No longer now sleep and cull the flower of sweet sleep,

ἀλλʼ ἴομεν· δὴ γάρ μοι ἐπέφραδε πότνια Κίρκη.

but let us go; for now queenly Circe has revealed all to me."

ὣς ἐφάμην, τοῖσιν δʼ ἐπεπείθετο θυμὸς ἀγήνωρ.

So I spoke, and their proud heart complied.

οὐδὲ μὲν οὐδʼ ἔνθεν περ ἀπήμονας ἦγον ἑταίρους.

Yet not even from there did I lead my companions scatheless.

Ἐλπήνωρ δέ τις ἔσκε νεώτατος, οὔτε τι λίην

There was a certain Elpenor, the youngest of all, not very

ἄλκιμος ἐν πολέμῳ οὔτε φρεσὶν ᾗσιν ἀρηρώς·

valiant in war nor very sound in his wits,

ὅς μοι ἄνευθʼ ἑτάρων ἱεροῖς ἐν δώμασι Κίρκης,

who, apart from his companions in the sacred house of Circe,

ψύχεος ἱμείρων, κατελέξατο οἰνοβαρείων.

seeking the cool, had laid down to sleep, heavy with wine.

κινυμένων δʼ ἑτάρων ὅμαδον καὶ δοῦπον ἀκούσας

And hearing the noise and the din of his companions moving,

ἐξαπίνης ἀνόρουσε καὶ ἐκλάθετο φρεσὶν ᾗσιν

he suddenly sprang up, and forgot in his mind

ἄψορρον καταβῆναι ἰὼν ἐς κλίμακα μακρήν,

to go back down by the long ladder,

ἀλλὰ καταντικρὺ τέγεος πέσεν· ἐκ δέ οἱ αὐχὴν

but fell headlong from the roof; and his neck

ἀστραγάλων ἐάγη, ψυχὴ δʼ Ἄϊδόσδε κατῆλθεν.

was broken from the vertebrae, and his soul went down to the house of Hades.

ἐρχομένοισι δὲ τοῖσιν ἐγὼ μετὰ μῦθον ἔειπον·

And as they were coming, I spoke a word among them:

φάσθε νύ που οἶκόνδε φίλην ἐς πατρίδα γαῖαν

"You think, perhaps, that you are going home to your dear fatherland;

ἔρχεσθʼ· ἄλλην δʼ ἧμιν ὁδὸν τεκμήρατο Κίρκη,

but Circe has pointed out for us another journey,

εἰς Ἀίδαο δόμους καὶ ἐπαινῆς Περσεφονείης

to the house of Hades and dread Persephone,

ψυχῇ χρησομένους Θηβαίου Τειρεσίαο.

to consult the soul of Theban Teiresias."

ὣς ἐφάμην, τοῖσιν δὲ κατεκλάσθη φίλον ἦτορ,

So I spoke, and their dear heart was broken;

ἑζόμενοι δὲ κατʼ αὖθι γόων τίλλοντό τε χαίτας·

and sitting down right there they wept and tore their hair.

ἀλλʼ οὐ γάρ τις πρῆξις ἐγίγνετο μυρομένοισιν.

Yet indeed no advantage came to them from their lamentation.

ἀλλʼ ὅτε δή ῥʼ ἐπὶ νῆα θοὴν καὶ θῖνα θαλάσσης

But when we were going to the swift ship and the shore of the sea,

ᾔομεν ἀχνύμενοι θαλερὸν κατὰ δάκρυ χέοντες,

grieving and shedding big tears,

τόφρα δʼ ἄρʼ οἰχομένη Κίρκη παρὰ νηὶ μελαίνῃ

meanwhile Circe had gone to the black ship

ἀρνειὸν κατέδησεν ὄιν θῆλύν τε μέλαιναν,

and tied there a ram and a black ewe,

ῥεῖα παρεξελθοῦσα· τίς ἂν θεὸν οὐκ ἐθέλοντα

passing by us easily; for who could see a god against his will,

ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ἴδοιτʼ ἢ ἔνθʼ ἢ ἔνθα κιόντα;

going this way or that, with his eyes?

Syntax notes4 items

10.505μή τί τοι ἡγεμόνος γε ποθὴ παρὰ νηὶ μελέσθω
`μελέσθω` is the third-person singular present imperative of `μέλω` ("to be a care to"). The subject is `ποθή` ("lack, longing") and `τοι` is the dative of interest ("to you"). Literally, "let not the lack of a guide be any care to you beside the ship," meaning "you need not worry about the lack of a guide."
10.521πολλὰ δὲ γουνοῦσθαι
The infinitives in this and the following lines (`γουνοῦσθαι` in 521, `ῥέξειν` and `ἐμπλησέμεν` in 523, `ἱερευσέμεν` in 524) are used as "infinitives for the imperative" (infinitivus pro imperio), carrying the force of command from the main clause. Circe is instructing Odysseus on the ritual steps to be taken in the Underworld.
10.528αὐτὸς δʼ ἀπονόσφι τραπέσθαι ἱέμενος
`τραπέσθαι` is another infinitive for the imperative ("turn away yourself"). The present participle `ἱέμενος` means "eagerly desiring, striving toward" and governs the genitive `ποταμοῖο ῥοάων` ("the streams of the river"). In the ritual, the sheep's heads are turned toward Erebus, while Odysseus himself must turn away, physically moving or striving toward the river's streams.
10.562φάσθε νύ που οἶκόνδε φίλην ἐς πατρίδα γαῖαν ἔρχεσθαι
`φάσθε` is the second-person plural middle indicative present of `φημί` ("you think/suppose"). It introduces an accusative and infinitive (AcI) construction with the accusative of direction `οἶκόνδε φίλην ἐς πατρίδα γαῖαν` ("homeward to your dear fatherland") and the infinitive `ἔρχεσθαι` ("to go/be going").

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:10.501-10.574