Agamemnon's Warning and the Encounter with Achilles — Odyssey §11.428-11.495 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

ἥ τις δὴ τοιαῦτα μετὰ φρεσὶν ἔργα βάληται¹·

who would cast such deeds in her mind.

οἷον δὴ καὶ κείνη ἐμήσατο ἔργον ἀεικές,

even as she too devised a shameful deed,

κουριδίῳ τεύξασα πόσει φόνον. ἦ τοι ἔφην γε

having fashioned death for her wedded husband. Indeed I thought

ἀσπάσιος παίδεσσιν ἰδὲ δμώεσσιν ἐμοῖσιν

that I should return home welcomed by my children

οἴκαδʼ ἐλεύσεσθαι· ἡ δʼ ἔξοχα λυγρὰ ἰδυῖα

and my servants; but she, knowing pre-eminently evil things,

οἷ τε κατʼ αἶσχος ἔχευε καὶ ἐσσομένῃσιν ὀπίσσω

has shed shame upon herself and upon women hereafter

θηλυτέρῃσι γυναιξί, καὶ ἥ κʼ ἐυεργὸς ἔῃσιν.

to come, even upon her who does what is right.

ὣς ἔφατʼ, αὐτὰρ ἐγώ μιν ἀμειβόμενος προσέειπον·

So he spoke, and I answering addressed him:

ὢ πόποι, ἦ μάλα δὴ γόνον Ἀτρέος εὐρύοπα Ζεὺς

"Alas! Truly and exceedingly does wide-seeing Zeus hate the race of Atreus

ἐκπάγλως ἤχθηρε γυναικείας διὰ βουλὰς

through the counsels of women from the very beginning.

ἐξ ἀρχῆς· Ἑλένης μὲν ἀπωλόμεθʼ εἵνεκα πολλοί,

For the sake of Helen many of us perished,

σοὶ δὲ Κλυταιμνήστρη δόλον ἤρτυε τηλόθʼ ἐόντι.

and to you, while you were far away, Clytemnestra devised a snare."

ὣς ἐφάμην, ὁ δέ μʼ αὐτίκʼ ἀμειβόμενος προσέειπε·

So I spoke, and he straightway answering addressed me:

τῷ νῦν μή ποτε καὶ σὺ γυναικί περ ἤπιος εἶναι²·

"Therefore do not you now ever be too gentle even to your wife,

μή οἱ μῦθον ἅπαντα πιφαυσκέμεν, ὅν κʼ ἐὺ εἰδῇς,

nor reveal to her every word that you know well,

ἀλλὰ τὸ μὲν φάσθαι, τὸ δὲ καὶ κεκρυμμένον εἶναι.

but speak of one part, and let the other be hidden.

ἀλλʼ οὐ σοί γʼ, Ὀδυσεῦ, φόνος ἔσσεται ἔκ γε γυναικός·

But not upon you, Odysseus, will death come from your wife;

λίην γὰρ πινυτή τε καὶ εὖ φρεσὶ μήδεα οἶδε

for she is passing wise and knows noble counsels in her heart,

κούρη Ἰκαρίοιο, περίφρων Πηνελόπεια.

the daughter of Icarius, circumspect Penelope.

ἦ μέν μιν νύμφην γε νέην κατελείπομεν ἡμεῖς

Truly we left her as a young bride

ἐρχόμενοι πόλεμόνδε· πάϊς δέ οἱ ἦν ἐπὶ μαζῷ

when we went to the war; and she had a child at her breast,

νήπιος, ὅς που νῦν γε μετʼ ἀνδρῶν ἵζει ἀριθμῷ,

an infant, who now, I ween, sits in the number of men,

ὄλβιος· ἦ γὰρ τόν γε πατὴρ φίλος ὄψεται ἐλθών,

happy one; for surely his dear father will see him when he comes,

καὶ κεῖνος πατέρα προσπτύξεται, ἣ θέμις ἐστίν.

and he will embrace his father, as is right.

ἡ δʼ ἐμὴ οὐδέ περ υἷος ἐνιπλησθῆναι ἄκοιτις

But my wife did not even suffer me to sate my eyes

ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ἔασε· πάρος δέ με πέφνε καὶ αὐτόν.

with the sight of my son; before that she slew even me myself.

ἄλλο δέ τοι ἐρέω, σὺ δʼ ἐνὶ φρεσὶ βάλλεο σῇσιν·

And another thing I will tell you, and do you lay it to heart:

κρύβδην, μηδʼ ἀναφανδά, φίλην ἐς πατρίδα γαῖαν

secretly, and not openly, bring your ship to land

νῆα κατισχέμεναι· ἐπεὶ οὐκέτι πιστὰ γυναιξίν.

in your dear fatherland; since there is no longer trust in women.

ἀλλʼ ἄγε μοι τόδε εἰπὲ καὶ ἀτρεκέως κατάλεξον,

But come, tell me this and relate it precisely,

εἴ που ἔτι ζώοντος ἀκούετε παιδὸς ἐμοῖο,

if you hear of my son as still living anywhere,

ἤ που ἐν Ὀρχομενῷ ἢ ἐν Πύλῳ ἠμαθόεντι,

whether in Orchomenus, or in sandy Pylos,

ἤ που πὰρ Μενελάῳ ἐνὶ Σπάρτῃ εὐρείῃ·

or perhaps with Menelaus in wide Sparta;

οὐ γάρ πω τέθνηκεν ἐπὶ χθονὶ δῖος Ὀρέστης.

for not yet has noble Orestes died upon the earth."

ὣς ἔφατʼ, αὐτὰρ ἐγώ μιν ἀμειβόμενος προσέειπον·

So he spoke, and I answering addressed him:

Ἀτρεΐδη, τί με ταῦτα διείρεαι; οὐδέ τι οἶδα,

"Son of Atreus, why do you question me of this? I know nothing at all,

ζώει ὅ γʼ ἦ τέθνηκε· κακὸν δʼ ἀνεμώλια βάζειν.

whether he lives or is dead; and it is an ill thing to speak words vain as wind."

νῶι μὲν ὣς ἐπέεσσιν ἀμειβομένω στυγεροῖσιν

So we two stood exchanging grim words,

ἕσταμεν ἀχνύμενοι θαλερὸν κατὰ δάκρυ χέοντες·

sorrowing, shedding copious tears;

ἦλθε δʼ ἐπὶ ψυχὴ Πηληϊάδεω Ἀχιλῆος

and there came up the spirit of Achilles, son of Peleus,

καὶ Πατροκλῆος καὶ ἀμύμονος Ἀντιλόχοιο

and that of Patroclus, and of noble Antilochus,

Αἴαντός θʼ, ὃς ἄριστος ἔην εἶδός τε δέμας τε

and of Ajax, who was the noblest in form and in stature

τῶν ἄλλων Δαναῶν μετʼ ἀμύμονα Πηλεΐωνα.

of all the other Danaans after the noble son of Peleus.

ἔγνω δὲ ψυχή με ποδώκεος Αἰακίδαο

And the spirit of the swift-footed grandson of Aeacus knew me,

καί ῥʼ ὀλοφυρομένη ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·

and weeping spoke to me winged words:

διογενὲς Λαερτιάδη, πολυμήχανʼ Ὀδυσσεῦ,

'Son of Laertes, sprung from Zeus, resourceful Odysseus,

σχέτλιε, τίπτʼ ἔτι μεῖζον ἐνὶ φρεσὶ μήσεαι ἔργον;

rash man, what deed yet greater will you devise in your heart?

πῶς ἔτλης Ἄϊδόσδε κατελθέμεν, ἔνθα τε νεκροὶ

How did you dare to descend to Hades, where dwell the unheeding dead,

ἀφραδέες ναίουσι, βροτῶν εἴδωλα καμόντων;

the phantoms of outworn mortals?'

ὣς ἔφατʼ, αὐτὰρ ἐγώ μιν ἀμειβόμενος προσέειπον·

So he spoke, and I answering addressed him:

ὦ Ἀχιλεῦ Πηλῆος υἱέ, μέγα φέρτατʼ Ἀχαιῶν,

'O Achilles, son of Peleus, far the mightiest of the Achaeans,

ἦλθον Τειρεσίαο κατὰ χρέος, εἴ τινα βουλὴν

I came because of need of Teiresias, if he might speak some counsel,

εἴποι, ὅπως Ἰθάκην ἐς παιπαλόεσσαν ἱκοίμην·

how I might reach rugged Ithaca;

οὐ γάρ πω σχεδὸν ἦλθον Ἀχαιΐδος, οὐδέ πω ἁμῆς

for not yet have I come near to the Achaean land, nor yet have I set foot on my own

γῆς ἐπέβην, ἀλλʼ αἰὲν ἔχω κακά. σεῖο δʼ, Ἀχιλλεῦ,

land, but always have troubles. But than you, Achilles,

οὔ τις ἀνὴρ προπάροιθε μακάρτατος οὔτʼ ἄρʼ ὀπίσσω.

no man in times past was more blessed, nor shall be in hereafter.

πρὶν μὲν γάρ σε ζωὸν ἐτίομεν ἶσα θεοῖσιν

For formerly, when you were alive, we Argives honored you as equal to the gods,

Ἀργεῖοι, νῦν αὖτε μέγα κρατέεις νεκύεσσιν

and now again you rule mightily over the dead

ἐνθάδʼ ἐών· τῷ μή τι θανὼν ἀκαχίζευ, Ἀχιλλεῦ.

being here; therefore, do not be at all grieved at your death, Achilles.'

ὣς ἐφάμην, ὁ δέ μʼ αὐτίκʼ ἀμειβόμενος προσέειπε·

So he spoke, and he straightway answering addressed me:

μὴ δή μοι θάνατόν γε παραύδα, φαίδιμʼ Ὀδυσσεῦ.

'Speak not soothingly to me of death, glorious Odysseus.

βουλοίμην³ κʼ ἐπάρουρος ἐὼν θητευέμεν ἄλλῳ,

I would rather be on the soil and serve another,

ἀνδρὶ παρʼ ἀκλήρῳ, ᾧ μὴ βίοτος πολὺς εἴη,

even a portionless man who has not much livelihood,

ἢ πᾶσιν νεκύεσσι καταφθιμένοισιν ἀνάσσειν.

than to rule over all the dead who have perished.

ἀλλʼ ἄγε μοι τοῦ παιδὸς ἀγαυοῦ μῦθον ἐνίσπες,

But come, tell me tidings of my noble son,

ἢ ἕπετʼ ἐς πόλεμον πρόμος ἔμμεναι, ἦε καὶ οὐκί.

whether he followed to the war to be a leader, or not.

εἰπὲ δέ μοι Πηλῆος ἀμύμονος, εἴ τι πέπυσσαι,

And tell me of noble Peleus, if you have heard anything,

ἢ ἔτʼ ἔχει τιμὴν πολέσιν μετὰ Μυρμιδόνεσσιν,

whether he still holds honor among the many Myrmidons,

Syntax notes3 items

11.428βάληται
The subjunctive βάληται in the relative clause introduced by ἥ τις expresses a general condition or characteristic (“any woman who would…”).
11.441εἶναι
The infinitive εἶναι is used with imperative force (infinitive of command), addressing the second person σὺ.
11.489βουλοίμην
The optative βουλοίμην with the particle κʼ (κε) expresses a potential or modest wish (“I should prefer to…”).

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:11.428-11.495