The Fate of the Dead and the Parade of Noble Women — Odyssey §11.213-11.285 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

ἦ τί μοι εἴδωλον τόδʼ ἀγαυὴ Περσεφόνεια

"Or why has noble Persephone sent me this phantom,

ὤτρυνʼ, ὄφρʼ ἔτι μᾶλλον ὀδυρόμενος στεναχίζω;

so that I may lament and groan even more?"

ὣς ἐφάμην, ἡ δʼ αὐτίκʼ ἀμείβετο πότνια μήτηρ·

So I spoke, and straightway my noble mother answered:

ὤ μοι, τέκνον ἐμόν, περὶ πάντων κάμμορε φωτῶν,

"Ah me, my child, ill-fated beyond all men,

οὔ τί σε Περσεφόνεια Διὸς θυγάτηρ ἀπαφίσκει,

in no wise does Persephone, daughter of Zeus, deceive you,

ἀλλʼ αὕτη δίκη¹ ἐστὶ βροτῶν, ὅτε τίς κε θάνῃσιν·

but this is the way of mortals, when anyone dies;

οὐ γὰρ ἔτι σάρκας τε καὶ ὀστέα ἶνες ἔχουσιν,

for the sinews no longer hold the flesh and the bones together,

ἀλλὰ τὰ μέν τε πυρὸς κρατερὸν μένος αἰθομένοιο

but these the strong might of blazing fire

δαμνᾷ, ἐπεί κε πρῶτα λίπῃ λεύκʼ ὀστέα θυμός,

destroys, as soon as the life first leaves the white bones,

ψυχὴ δʼ ἠύτʼ ὄνειρος ἀποπταμένη πεπότηται.

and the soul like a dream flits away and hovers.

ἀλλὰ φόωσδε τάχιστα λιλαίεο· ταῦτα δὲ πάντα

But strive for the light with all speed; and know all these things,

ἴσθʼ, ἵνα καὶ μετόπισθε τεῇ εἴπῃσθα γυναικί.

so that hereafter you may tell them to your wife."

νῶι μὲν ὣς ἐπέεσσιν ἀμειβόμεθʼ, αἱ δὲ γυναῖκες

Thus we two made exchange of words, but the women

ἤλυθον, ὤτρυνεν γὰρ ἀγαυὴ Περσεφόνεια,

came, for noble Persephone urged them on,

ὅσσαι ἀριστήων ἄλοχοι ἔσαν ἠδὲ θύγατρες.

all those who were wives and daughters of chieftains.

αἱ δʼ ἀμφʼ αἷμα κελαινὸν ἀολλέες ἠγερέθοντο,

And they gathered in throngs around the dark blood,

αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ βούλευον ὅπως ἐρέοιμι ἑκάστην.

but I took counsel how I might question each one.

ἥδε δέ μοι κατὰ θυμὸν ἀρίστη φαίνετο βουλή·

And this seemed to my mind the best counsel:

σπασσάμενος τανύηκες ἄορ παχέος παρὰ μηροῦ

drawing my long-edged sword from beside my stout thigh,

οὐκ εἴων πίνειν ἅμα πάσας αἷμα κελαινόν.

I did not suffer them all to drink the dark blood at once.

αἱ δὲ προμνηστῖναι ἐπήισαν, ἠδὲ ἑκάστη

So they came up one after another, and each one

ὃν γόνον ἐξαγόρευεν· ἐγὼ δʼ ἐρέεινον ἁπάσας.

declared her lineage; and I questioned them all.

ἔνθʼ ἦ τοι πρώτην Τυρὼ ἴδον εὐπατέρειαν,

There truly first I saw Tyro of noble parentage,

ἣ φάτο Σαλμωνῆος ἀμύμονος ἔκγονος εἶναι,

who said she was the offspring of noble Salmoneus,

φῆ δὲ Κρηθῆος γυνὴ ἔμμεναι Αἰολίδαο·

and declared herself the wife of Cretheus, son of Aeolus;

ἣ ποταμοῦ ἠράσσατʼ Ἐνιπῆος θείοιο,

she had fallen in love with the divine river Enipeus,

ὃς πολὺ κάλλιστος ποταμῶν ἐπὶ γαῖαν ἵησι,

which flows far the fairest of rivers over the earth,

καί ῥʼ ἐπʼ Ἐνιπῆος πωλέσκετο καλὰ ῥέεθρα.

and she was wont to haunt the fair streams of Enipeus.

τῷ δʼ ἄρα εἰσάμενος² γαιήοχος ἐννοσίγαιος

In his likeness then the Earth-embracer, Earth-shaker,

ἐν προχοῇς ποταμοῦ παρελέξατο δινήεντος·

lay with her at the mouth of the eddying river;

πορφύρεον δʼ ἄρα κῦμα περιστάθη, οὔρεϊ ἶσον,

and a dark purple wave stood around them, arched like a mountain,

κυρτωθέν, κρύψεν δὲ θεὸν θνητήν τε γυναῖκα.

and hid the god and the mortal woman.

λῦσε δὲ παρθενίην ζώνην, κατὰ δʼ ὕπνον ἔχευεν.

And he loosed her maiden girdle, and shed sleep upon her.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεί ῥʼ ἐτέλεσσε θεὸς φιλοτήσια ἔργα,

But when the god had ended his works of love,

ἔν τʼ ἄρα οἱ φῦ χειρί, ἔπος τʼ ἔφατʼ ἔκ τʼ ὀνόμαζε·

he clasped her by the hand, and spoke, and addressed her:

χαῖρε, γύναι, φιλότητι· περιπλομένου δʼ ἐνιαυτοῦ

"Be glad, woman, in our love; and as the year rolls round

τέξεις ἀγλαὰ τέκνα, ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἀποφώλιοι εὐναὶ

you shall bear glorious children, for not fruitless are the beds

ἀθανάτων· σὺ δὲ τοὺς κομέειν ἀτιταλλέμεναί τε³.

of the immortals; do you tend and cherish them.

νῦν δʼ ἔρχευ πρὸς δῶμα, καὶ ἴσχεο μηδʼ ὀνομήνῃς·

But now go to your house, and hold your peace and name me not;

αὐτὰρ ἐγώ τοί εἰμι Ποσειδάων ἐνοσίχθων.

yet I tell you, I am Poseidon, the shaker of the earth."

ὣς εἰπὼν ὑπὸ πόντον ἐδύσετο κυμαίνοντα.

So saying, he plunged beneath the surging sea.

ἡ δʼ ὑποκυσαμένη Πελίην τέκε καὶ Νηλῆα,

And she conceived and bore Pelias and Neleus,

τὼ κρατερὼ θεράποντε Διὸς μεγάλοιο γενέσθην

who both became strong servants of great Zeus;

ἀμφοτέρω· Πελίης μὲν ἐν εὐρυχόρῳ Ἰαωλκῷ

Pelias indeed dwelt in spacious Iolcus,

ναῖε πολύρρηνος, ὁ δʼ ἄρʼ ἐν Πύλῳ ἠμαθόεντι.

rich in flocks, and the other dwelt in sandy Pylos.

τοὺς δʼ ἑτέρους Κρηθῆι τέκεν βασίλεια γυναικῶν,

And the queen of women bore other children to Cretheus,

Αἴσονά τʼ ἠδὲ Φέρητʼ Ἀμυθάονά θʼ ἱππιοχάρμην.

Aeson and Pheres and Amythaon, who fought from chariots.

τὴν δὲ μετʼ Ἀντιόπην ἴδον, Ἀσωποῖο θύγατρα,

And next after her I saw Antiope, daughter of Asopus,

ἣ δὴ καὶ Διὸς εὔχετʼ ἐν ἀγκοίνῃσιν ἰαῦσαι,

who boasted that she had slept even in the arms of Zeus,

καί ῥʼ ἔτεκεν δύο παῖδʼ, Ἀμφίονά τε Ζῆθόν τε,

and she bore two sons, Amphion and Zethus,

οἳ πρῶτοι Θήβης ἕδος ἔκτισαν ἑπταπύλοιο,

who first founded the seat of seven-gated Thebes,

πύργωσάν τʼ, ἐπεὶ οὐ μὲν ἀπύργωτόν γʼ ἐδύναντο

and built walls around it, since they could not,

ναιέμεν εὐρύχορον Θήβην, κρατερώ περ ἐόντε.

strong though they were, dwell in spacious Thebes without walls.

τὴν δὲ μετʼ Ἀλκμήνην ἴδον, Ἀμφιτρύωνος ἄκοιτιν,

And next after her I saw Alcmene, wife of Amphitryon,

ἥ ῥʼ Ἡρακλῆα θρασυμέμνονα θυμολέοντα

who bore Heracles, bold in heart, lion-spirited,

γείνατʼ ἐν ἀγκοίνῃσι Διὸς μεγάλοιο μιγεῖσα·

having mingled in the arms of great Zeus;

καὶ Μεγάρην, Κρείοντος ὑπερθύμοιο θύγατρα,

and Megara, daughter of high-spirited Creon,

τὴν ἔχεν Ἀμφιτρύωνος υἱὸς μένος αἰὲν ἀτειρής.

whom the son of Amphitryon, whose might was ever unwearied, wedded.

μητέρα τʼ Οἰδιπόδαο ἴδον, καλὴν Ἐπικάστην,

And I saw the mother of Oedipus, fair Epicaste,

ἣ μέγα ἔργον ἔρεξεν ἀιδρείῃσι νόοιο

who did a monstrous deed in the ignorance of her mind,

γημαμένη ᾧ υἷι· ὁ δʼ ὃν πατέρʼ ἐξεναρίξας

marrying her own son; and he, when he had slain his own father,

γῆμεν· ἄφαρ δʼ ἀνάπυστα θεοὶ θέσαν ἀνθρώποισιν.

married her; but straightway the gods made these things known among men.

ἀλλʼ ὁ μὲν ἐν Θήβῃ πολυηράτῳ ἄλγεα πάσχων

Yet he in lovely Thebes, suffering woes,

Καδμείων ἤνασσε θεῶν ὀλοὰς διὰ βουλάς·

ruled over the Cadmeians through the destructive counsels of the gods;

ἡ δʼ ἔβη εἰς Ἀίδαο πυλάρταο κρατεροῖο,

but she went down to the house of Hades, the strong gate-keeper,

ἁψαμένη βρόχον αἰπὺν ἀφʼ ὑψηλοῖο μελάθρου,

having fastened a steep noose from the high roof,

ᾧ ἄχεϊ σχομένη· τῷ δʼ ἄλγεα κάλλιπʼ ὀπίσσω

held by her own grief; and she left behind for him woes

πολλὰ μάλʼ, ὅσσα τε μητρὸς Ἐρινύες⁴ ἐκτελέουσιν.

very many, even all that the Furies of a mother accomplish.

καὶ Χλῶριν εἶδον περικαλλέα, τήν ποτε Νηλεὺς

And I saw very beautiful Chloris, whom once Neleus

γῆμεν ἑὸν διὰ κάλλος, ἐπεὶ πόρε μυρία ἕδνα,

married because of her beauty, when he had given countless bridal gifts,

ὁπλοτάτην κούρην Ἀμφίονος Ἰασίδαο,

the youngest daughter of Amphion, son of Iasus,

ὅς ποτʼ ἐν Ὀρχομενῷ Μινυείῳ ἶφι ἄνασσεν·

who once ruled with might in Minyeian Orchomenus;

ἡ δὲ Πύλου βασίλευε, τέκεν δέ οἱ ἀγλαὰ τέκνα,

and she was queen of Pylos, and bore him glorious children,

Syntax notes4 items

11.218δίκη
The noun δίκη here does not mean "justice" or "judgment," but rather the unavoidable "way" or "nature" of mortals. The following clause ὅτε κε θάνῃσιν (ὅτε κεν + subjunctive) expresses a general condition: "whenever anyone dies."
11.241τῷ δʼ ἄρα εἰσάμενος
The dative demonstrative pronoun τῷ refers to the river Enipeus in the preceding line. εἰσάμενος is the aorist middle participle of εἴδομαι (to resemble, appear), which governs the dative and means "making himself like" the river. The subject is the "Earth-shaker" (Poseidon) in the following line.
11.250κομέειν ἀτιταλλέμεναί τε
The two infinitives, the present active κομέειν and the Epic present active ἀτιταλλέμεναί, are both used in the sense of an imperative (infinitivus pro imperativo), directing the second-person subject (Tyro) to care for and cherish the children.
11.280μητρὸς Ἐρινύες
The genitive μητρὸς is a subjective genitive, meaning "the Furies summoned or caused by the mother (Epicaste)," referring to the agents of vengeance resulting from a mother's tragic death or anger.

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:11.213-11.285