Ritual at the Underworld and the Shade of Elpenor — Odyssey §11.1-11.73 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

αὐτὰρ ἐπεί ῥʼ ἐπὶ νῆα κατήλθομεν ἠδὲ θάλασσαν,

But when we had come down to the ship and the sea,

νῆα μὲν ἂρ πάμπρωτον ἐρύσσαμεν εἰς ἅλα δῖαν,

first of all we dragged the ship into the divine sea,

ἐν δʼ ἱστὸν τιθέμεσθα καὶ ἱστία νηὶ μελαίνῃ,

and set up the mast and the sails in the black ship,

ἐν δὲ τὰ μῆλα λαβόντες ἐβήσαμεν, ἂν δὲ καὶ αὐτοὶ

and taking the sheep we put them on board, and we ourselves

βαίνομεν ἀχνύμενοι θαλερὸν κατὰ δάκρυ χέοντες.

embarked, grieving and shedding big tears.

ἡμῖν δʼ αὖ κατόπισθε νεὸς κυανοπρῴροιο

And for us, from behind the dark-prowed ship,

ἴκμενον οὖρον ἵει πλησίστιον, ἐσθλὸν ἑταῖρον¹,

she sent a favorable wind that filled the sails, a good companion,

Κίρκη εὐπλόκαμος, δεινὴ θεὸς αὐδήεσσα.

fair-tressed Circe, the dread goddess of human speech.

ἡμεῖς δʼ ὅπλα ἕκαστα πονησάμενοι κατὰ νῆα

And we, having worked at each of the tacklings throughout the ship,

ἥμεθα· τὴν δʼ ἄνεμός τε κυβερνήτης τʼ ἴθυνε.

sat down; and the wind and the helmsman guided her straight.

τῆς δὲ πανημερίης² τέταθʼ ἱστία ποντοπορούσης·

And all day long her sails were stretched as she journeyed over the sea;

δύσετό τʼ ἠέλιος σκιόωντό τε πᾶσαι ἀγυιαί.

and the sun set and all the ways grew dark.

ἡ δʼ ἐς πείραθʼ ἵκανε βαθυρρόου Ὠκεανοῖο.

And she reached the limits of deep-flowing Oceanus.

ἔνθα δὲ Κιμμερίων ἀνδρῶν δῆμός τε πόλις τε,

There is the land and city of the Cimmerian men,

ἠέρι καὶ νεφέλῃ κεκαλυμμένοι· οὐδέ ποτʼ αὐτοὺς

shrouded in mist and cloud; nor does the shining sun

ἠέλιος φαέθων καταδέρκεται ἀκτίνεσσιν,

ever look down upon them with his rays,

οὔθʼ ὁπότʼ ἂν στείχῃσι πρὸς οὐρανὸν ἀστερόεντα,

neither when he climbs toward the starry heaven,

οὔθʼ ὅτʼ ἂν ἂψ ἐπὶ γαῖαν ἀπʼ οὐρανόθεν προτράπηται,

nor when he turns back again from heaven to earth;

ἀλλʼ ἐπὶ νὺξ ὀλοὴ τέταται δειλοῖσι βροτοῖσι.

but deadly night is stretched over wretched mortals.

νῆα μὲν ἔνθʼ ἐλθόντες ἐκέλσαμεν, ἐκ δὲ τὰ μῆλα

There we came and beached our ship, and took out the sheep;

εἱλόμεθʼ· αὐτοὶ δʼ αὖτε παρὰ ῥόον Ὠκεανοῖο

and we ourselves went beside the stream of Oceanus,

ᾔομεν, ὄφρʼ ἐς χῶρον ἀφικόμεθʼ, ὃν φράσε Κίρκη.

until we arrived at the place which Circe had told us of.

ἔνθʼ ἱερήια μὲν Περιμήδης Εὐρύλοχός τε

There Perimedes and Eurylochus held

ἔσχον· ἐγὼ δʼ ἄορ ὀξὺ ἐρυσσάμενος παρὰ μηροῦ

the victims; and I, having drawn my sharp sword from beside my thigh,

βόθρον ὄρυξʼ ὅσσον τε πυγούσιον ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα,

dug a pit about a cubit's length each way,

ἀμφʼ αὐτῷ δὲ χοὴν χεόμην πᾶσιν νεκύεσσι,

and poured 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 πάλυνον.

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

πολλὰ δὲ γουνούμην νεκύων ἀμενηνὰ κάρηνα,

And I made many prayers to the strengthless heads of the dead,

ἐλθὼν εἰς Ἰθάκην στεῖραν βοῦν, ἥ τις ἀρίστη,

promising that when I came to Ithaca I would sacrifice a barren heifer, the best I had,

ῥέξειν ἐν μεγάροισι πυρήν τʼ ἐμπλησέμεν ἐσθλῶν,

in my halls, and would fill the pyre with good things,

Τειρεσίῃ δʼ ἀπάνευθεν ὄιν ἱερευσέμεν οἴῳ

and to Teiresias alone apart I would sacrifice a sheep,

παμμέλανʼ, ὃς μήλοισι μεταπρέπει ἡμετέροισι.

all black, which was outstanding among our sheep.

τοὺς³ δʼ ἐπεὶ εὐχωλῇσι λιτῇσί τε, ἔθνεα νεκρῶν,

But when I had supplicated them with prayers and vows, the hosts of the dead,

ἐλλισάμην, τὰ δὲ μῆλα λαβὼν ἀπεδειροτόμησα

I took the sheep and cut their throats over the pit,

ἐς βόθρον, ῥέε δʼ αἷμα κελαινεφές· αἱ δʼ ἀγέροντο

and the dark blood flowed; and they assembled,

ψυχαὶ ὑπὲξ Ἐρέβευς νεκύων κατατεθνηώτων.

the souls of the dead who are departed from out of Erebus.

νύμφαι τʼ ἠίθεοί τε πολύτλητοί τε γέροντες

Brides and youths, and old men who had suffered much,

παρθενικαί τʼ ἀταλαὶ νεοπενθέα θυμὸν ἔχουσαι,

and tender maidens with hearts yet new to sorrow,

πολλοὶ δʼ οὐτάμενοι χαλκήρεσιν ἐγχείῃσιν,

and many wounded with bronze-shod spears,

ἄνδρες ἀρηίφατοι βεβροτωμένα τεύχεʼ ἔχοντες·

men slain in battle, wearing their blood-stained armor.

οἳ πολλοὶ περὶ βόθρον ἐφοίτων ἄλλοθεν ἄλλος

These flitted in great numbers about the pit from every side with a wondrous cry;

θεσπεσίῃ ἰαχῇ· ἐμὲ δὲ χλωρὸν δέος ᾕρει.

and pale fear seized me.

δὴ τότʼ ἔπειθʼ ἑτάροισιν ἐποτρύνας ἐκέλευσα

Then indeed I urged on my companions and commanded them

μῆλα, τὰ δὴ κατέκειτʼ ἐσφαγμένα νηλέι χαλκῷ,

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

δείραντας κατακῆαι, ἐπεύξασθαι δὲ θεοῖσιν,

and to pray to the gods,

ἰφθίμῳ τʼ Ἀΐδῃ καὶ ἐπαινῇ Περσεφονείῃ·

to mighty Hades and dread Persephone.

αὐτὸς δὲ ξίφος ὀξὺ ἐρυσσάμενος παρὰ μηροῦ

But I myself, having drawn my sharp sword from beside my thigh,

ἥμην, οὐδʼ εἴων νεκύων ἀμενηνὰ κάρηνα

sat still, and would not permit the strengthless heads of the dead

αἵματος ἆσσον ἴμεν, πρὶν Τειρεσίαο πυθέσθαι.

to draw near to the blood, until I had questioned Teiresias.

πρώτη δὲ ψυχὴ Ἐλπήνορος ἦλθεν ἑταίρου·

And first came the soul of my companion Elpenor;

οὐ γάρ πω ἐτέθαπτο ὑπὸ χθονὸς εὐρυοδείης·

for he had not yet been buried beneath the wide-wayed earth;

σῶμα γὰρ ἐν Κίρκης μεγάρῳ κατελείπομεν ἡμεῖς

for we had left his body in the hall of Circe

ἄκλαυτον καὶ ἄθαπτον, ἐπεὶ πόνος ἄλλος ἔπειγε.

unwept and unburied, since another task was pressing us.

τὸν μὲν ἐγὼ δάκρυσα ἰδὼν ἐλέησά τε θυμῷ,

Him I wept for when I saw him, and pitied him in my heart,

καί μιν φωνήσας ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδων·

and I spoke and addressed him with winged words:

Ἐλπῆνορ, πῶς ἦλθες ὑπὸ ζόφον ἠερόεντα;

"Elpenor, how did you come beneath the misty darkness?

ἔφθης πεζὸς ἰὼν ἢ ἐγὼ σὺν νηὶ μελαίνῃ.

You have outstripped me, coming on foot, faster than I in my black ship."

ὣς ἐφάμην, ὁ δέ μʼ οἰμώξας ἠμείβετο μύθῳ·

So I spoke, and he with a wail answered me in speech:

διογενὲς Λαερτιάδη, πολυμήχανʼ Ὀδυσσεῦ,

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

ἆσέ με δαίμονος αἶσα κακὴ καὶ ἀθέσφατος οἶνος.

a bad fate of some god and measureless wine ruined me.

Κίρκης δʼ ἐν μεγάρῳ καταλέγμενος οὐκ ἐνόησα

Having laid down to sleep in Circe's hall, I did not think

ἄψορρον καταβῆναι ἰὼν ἐς κλίμακα μακρήν,

to go back down by going to the long ladder,

ἀλλὰ καταντικρὺ τέγεος πέσον· ἐκ δέ μοι αὐχὴν

but fell headlong from the roof; and my neck

ἀστραγάλων ἐάγη, ψυχὴ δʼ Ἄϊδόσδε κατῆλθε.

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

νῦν δέ σε τῶν ὄπιθεν⁴ γουνάζομαι, οὐ παρεόντων,

But now I supplicate you by those left behind, who are not present,

πρός τʼ ἀλόχου καὶ πατρός, ὅ σʼ ἔτρεφε τυτθὸν ἐόντα,

by your wife and your father, who reared you when you were little,

Τηλεμάχου θʼ, ὃν μοῦνον ἐνὶ μεγάροισιν ἔλειπες·

and Telemachus, whom you left all alone in your halls;

οἶδα γὰρ ὡς ἐνθένδε κιὼν δόμου ἐξ Ἀίδαο

for I know that when you go hence, from the house of Hades,

νῆσον ἐς Αἰαίην σχήσεις ἐυεργέα νῆα·

you will touch at the Aeaean island with your well-built ship;

ἔνθα σʼ ἔπειτα, ἄναξ, κέλομαι μνήσασθαι ἐμεῖο.

there then, O king, I bid you to remember me.

μή μʼ ἄκλαυτον ἄθαπτον ἰὼν ὄπιθεν καταλείπειν

Go not and leave me behind unwept and unburied,

νοσφισθείς, μή τοί τι θεῶν μήνιμα γένωμαι,

turning away, lest I become some cause of the gods' wrath against you,"

Syntax notes4 items

11.7ἐσθλὸν ἑταῖρον
An appositive to οὖρον (fair wind). The wind sent by Circe is metaphorically described as a "good companion" that assists their voyage.
11.11πανημερίης
Genitive of time denoting duration, meaning "all day long". It functions adverbially, describing the continuous sailing of the ship (referred to by the feminine pronoun τῆς) throughout the entire day.
11.34τοὺς
An accusative pronoun functioning proleptically in the clause introduced by ἐπεὶ, referring to the subsequent noun phrase ἔθνεα νεκρῶν (the hosts of the dead) with which it stands in apposition.
11.66τῶν ὄπιθεν
A genitive phrase ("those left behind") consisting of the article acting as a demonstrative/relative pronoun, referring to the people not present. It anticipates and summarizes the specific individuals (wife, father, Telemachus) introduced by the preposition πρός in the subsequent lines.

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:11.1-11.73