Conversation with the Shade of Anticleia — Odyssey §11.145-11.212 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

ὣς ἐφάμην, ὁ δέ μʼ αὐτίκʼ ἀμειβόμενος προσέειπεν·

So I spoke, and he straightway answering addressed me:

ῥηΐδιόν τοι ἔπος ἐρέω καὶ ἐπὶ φρεσὶ θήσω.

"An easy word I will tell you, and lay it upon your mind.

ὅν τινα μέν κεν ἐᾷς¹ νεκύων κατατεθνηώτων

Whomever of the dead that are departed you permit

αἵματος ἆσσον ἴμεν, ὁ δέ τοι νημερτὲς ἐνίψει·

to come near the blood, he will speak the truth to you;

ᾧ δέ κʼ ἐπιφθονέῃς, ὁ δέ τοι πάλιν εἶσιν ὀπίσσω.

but whomever you grudge it to, he will go back again."

ὣς φαμένη ψυχὴ μὲν ἔβη δόμον Ἄϊδος εἴσω

So saying, the soul of lord Teiresias went into the house of Hades,

Τειρεσίαο ἄνακτος, ἐπεὶ κατὰ θέσφατʼ ἔλεξεν·

when he had declared his prophecies.

αὐτὰρ ἐγὼν αὐτοῦ μένον ἔμπεδον, ὄφρʼ ἐπὶ μήτηρ

But I remained there steadfast, until my mother

ἤλυθε καὶ πίεν αἷμα κελαινεφές· αὐτίκα δʼ ἔγνω,

came and drank the dark blood; and straightway she knew me,

καί μʼ ὀλοφυρομένη ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·

and weeping she addressed me with winged words:

τέκνον ἐμόν, πῶς ἦλθες ὑπὸ ζόφον ἠερόεντα

"My child, how did you come beneath the murky darkness,

ζωὸς ἐών; χαλεπὸν δὲ τάδε ζωοῖσιν ὁρᾶσθαι.

being still alive? It is hard for the living to see these things.

μέσσῳ γὰρ μεγάλοι ποταμοὶ καὶ δεινὰ ῥέεθρα,

For between us are great rivers and terrible streams,

Ὠκεανὸς μὲν πρῶτα, τὸν οὔ πως ἔστι περῆσαι

Oceanus first of all, which there is no way to cross

πεζὸν ἐόντʼ, ἢν μή τις ἔχῃ ἐυεργέα νῆα.

on foot, unless one has a well-built ship.

ἦ νῦν δὴ Τροίηθεν ἀλώμενος ἐνθάδʼ ἱκάνεις

Are you only now come hither, wandering from Troy

νηί τε καὶ ἑτάροισι πολὺν χρόνον; οὐδέ πω ἦλθες

with your ship and companions for a long time? Have you not yet come

εἰς Ἰθάκην, οὐδʼ εἶδες ἐνὶ μεγάροισι γυναῖκα;

to Ithaca, nor seen your wife in your halls?"

ὣς ἔφατʼ, αὐτὰρ ἐγώ μιν ἀμειβόμενος προσέειπον·

So she spoke, but I answering addressed her:

μῆτερ ἐμή, χρειώ με κατήγαγεν εἰς Ἀίδαο

"My mother, necessity brought me down to the house of Hades,

ψυχῇ χρησόμενον Θηβαίου Τειρεσίαο·

to consult the soul of Theban Teiresias.

οὐ γάρ πω σχεδὸν ἦλθον Ἀχαιΐδος, οὐδέ πω ἁμῆς

For I have not yet come near the Achaean land, nor yet

γῆς ἐπέβην, ἀλλʼ αἰὲν ἔχων ἀλάλημαι ὀιζύν,

set foot on my own country, but I have been wandering ever with troubles,

ἐξ οὗ τὰ πρώτισθʼ ἑπόμην Ἀγαμέμνονι δίῳ

ever since I first followed noble Agamemnon

Ἴλιον εἰς ἐύπωλον, ἵνα Τρώεσσι μαχοίμην.

to Ilios famed for horses, that I might fight with the Trojans.

ἀλλʼ ἄγε μοι τόδε εἰπὲ καὶ ἀτρεκέως κατάλεξον·

But come, tell me this, and declare it truly:

τίς νύ σε κὴρ ἐδάμασσε τανηλεγέος θανάτοιο;

what doom of death that lays men low overcame you?

ἦ δολιχὴ νοῦσος, ἦ Ἄρτεμις ἰοχέαιρα

Was it a long disease, or did Artemis, who pours forth arrows,

οἷς ἀγανοῖς βελέεσσιν ἐποιχομένη κατέπεφνεν;

assail you with her gentle shafts and slay you?

εἰπὲ δέ μοι πατρός τε καὶ υἱέος, ὃν κατέλειπον,

And tell me of my father and my son, whom I left behind,

ἢ ἔτι πὰρ κείνοισιν ἐμὸν γέρας, ἦέ τις ἤδη

whether my honor is still with them, or does some other

ἀνδρῶν ἄλλος ἔχει, ἐμὲ δʼ οὐκέτι φασὶ νέεσθαι.

of men now hold it, and they say I shall return no more.

εἰπὲ δέ μοι μνηστῆς ἀλόχου βουλήν τε νόον τε,

And tell me of my wedded wife, her counsel and her mind,

ἠὲ μένει παρὰ παιδὶ καὶ ἔμπεδα πάντα φυλάσσει

whether she abides with her child and keeps all things safe,

ἦ ἤδη μιν ἔγημεν Ἀχαιῶν ὅς τις ἄριστος.

or has already been wedded to whoever is best of the Achaeans."

ὣς ἐφάμην, ἡ δʼ αὐτίκʼ ἀμείβετο πότνια μήτηρ·

So I spoke, and straightway my noble mother answered:

καὶ λίην κείνη γε μένει τετληότι θυμῷ

"And indeed she abides with steadfast heart

σοῖσιν ἐνὶ μεγάροισιν· ὀιζυραὶ δέ οἱ αἰεὶ

in your halls; and ever sorrowful to her

φθίνουσιν νύκτες τε καὶ ἤματα δάκρυ χεούσῃ.

the nights and days waste away as she sheds tears.

σὸν δʼ οὔ πώ τις ἔχει καλὸν γέρας, ἀλλὰ ἕκηλος

But no one yet holds your fair honor, but in peace

Τηλέμαχος τεμένεα νέμεται καὶ δαῖτας ἐίσας

Telemachus possesses your lands, and feasts on equal banquets,

δαίνυται, ἃς ἐπέοικε δικασπόλον ἄνδρʼ ἀλεγύνειν²·

such as it is fitting for a man who dispenses justice to care for;

πάντες γὰρ καλέουσι. πατὴρ δὲ σὸς αὐτόθι μίμνει

for all men invite him. But your father abides there

ἀγρῷ, οὐδὲ πόλινδε κατέρχεται. οὐδέ οἱ εὐναὶ

in the field, and does not go down to the city. Nor has he

δέμνια καὶ χλαῖναι καὶ ῥήγεα σιγαλόεντα,

bedding and blankets and bright rugs for his bed,

ἀλλʼ ὅ γε χεῖμα μὲν εὕδει ὅθι δμῶες ἐνὶ οἴκῳ,

but in winter he sleeps where the slaves sleep in the house,

ἐν κόνι ἄγχι πυρός, κακὰ δὲ χροῒ εἵματα εἷται·

in the dust near the fire, and wears poor clothing on his body.

αὐτὰρ ἐπὴν ἔλθῃσι θέρος τεθαλυῖά τʼ ὀπώρη,

But when summer comes and fruitful autumn,

πάντῃ οἱ κατὰ γουνὸν ἀλωῆς οἰνοπέδοιο

everywhere along the rising ground of his vineyard-plot

φύλλων κεκλιμένων χθαμαλαὶ βεβλήαται³ εὐναί.

lowly beds of fallen leaves are strewn for him.

ἔνθʼ ὅ γε κεῖτʼ ἀχέων, μέγα δὲ φρεσὶ πένθος ἀέξει

There he lies grieving, and nurses great sorrow in his heart,

σὸν νόστον ποθέων, χαλεπὸν δʼ ἐπὶ γῆρας ἱκάνει.

longing for your return; and hard old age has come upon him.

οὕτω γὰρ καὶ ἐγὼν ὀλόμην καὶ πότμον ἐπέσπον·

For even so did I perish and meet my doom.

οὔτʼ ἐμέ γʼ ἐν μεγάροισιν ἐύσκοπος ἰοχέαιρα

Neither did the keen-sighted archer Artemis in my halls

οἷς ἀγανοῖς βελέεσσιν ἐποιχομένη κατέπεφνεν,

assail me with her gentle shafts and slay me,

οὔτε τις οὖν μοι νοῦσος ἐπήλυθεν, ἥ τε μάλιστα

nor did any disease come upon me, such as especially

τηκεδόνι στυγερῇ μελέων ἐξείλετο θυμόν·

with hateful wasting takes the spirit from the limbs;

ἀλλά με σός τε πόθος σά τε μήδεα, φαίδιμʼ Ὀδυσσεῦ,

but longing for you, and your counsels, glorious Odysseus,

σή τʼ ἀγανοφροσύνη μελιηδέα θυμὸν ἀπηύρα⁴.

and your gentle-heartedness, took away my honey-sweet life."

ὣς ἔφατʼ, αὐτὰρ ἐγώ γʼ ἔθελον φρεσὶ μερμηρίξας

So she spoke, but I in my heart was eager, pondering,

μητρὸς ἐμῆς ψυχὴν ἑλέειν κατατεθνηυίης.

to embrace the soul of my dead mother.

τρὶς μὲν ἐφωρμήθην, ἑλέειν τέ με θυμὸς ἀνώγει,

Thrice I sprang forward, and my heart urged me to embrace her,

τρὶς δέ μοι ἐκ χειρῶν σκιῇ εἴκελον ἢ καὶ ὀνείρῳ

and thrice she flitted from my hands like a shadow or a dream.

ἔπτατʼ. ἐμοὶ δʼ ἄχος ὀξὺ γενέσκετο κηρόθι μᾶλλον,

And a sharp pain arose in my heart yet more,

καί μιν φωνήσας ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδων·

and speaking I addressed her with winged words:

μῆτερ ἐμή, τί νύ μʼ οὐ μίμνεις ἑλέειν μεμαῶτα,

"My mother, why do you not abide me, who am eager to embrace you,

ὄφρα καὶ εἰν Ἀίδαο φίλας περὶ χεῖρε βαλόντε

so that even in the house of Hades, throwing our arms around each other,

ἀμφοτέρω κρυεροῖο τεταρπώμεσθα γόοιο;

we both may take our fill of chill lamentation?"

Syntax notes4 items

11.147ὅν τινα μέν κεν ἐᾷς
A relative clause expressing a general condition with κεν (epic form of ἄν) + present indicative (or epic/Ionic subjunctive) meaning 'whomever you permit'. The subsequent ὁ δέ (§11.148) acts as a demonstrative pronoun serving as the subject of the main clause.
11.186ἃς ἐπέοικε δικασπόλον ἄνδρʼ ἀλεγύνειν
An accusative with infinitive construction introduced by the impersonal verb ἐπέοικε ('it is fitting'). δικασπόλον ἄνδρα ('a man who dispenses justice') is the subject accusative of the infinitive ἀλεγύνειν ('to prepare/care for'), while the relative pronoun ἃς (referring back to δαῖτας) is its object.
11.194βεβλήαται
The Epic and Ionic third-person plural perfect passive form of the verb βάλλω, equivalent to βέβληνται in Attic Greek. The subject is the plural nominative χθαμαλαὶ εὐναί ('lowly beds').
11.203μελιηδέα θυμὸν ἀπηύρα
The verb ἀπαυράω ('to take away/deprive') takes a double accusative of person and thing. Here, both the personal pronoun με ('from me', §11.202) and the thing taken away, μελιηδέα θυμόν ('honey-sweet life'), are placed in the accusative.

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:11.145-11.212