Prophecy of Teiresias on Odysseus's Return — Odyssey §11.74-11.144 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

ἀλλά με κακκῆαι σὺν τεύχεσιν, ἅσσα μοι ἔστιν,

But burn me with my armor, whatever is mine,

σῆμά τέ μοι χεῦαι πολιῆς ἐπὶ θινὶ θαλάσσης,

and heap up a mound for me on the shore of the gray sea,

ἀνδρὸς δυστήνοιο¹ καὶ ἐσσομένοισι πυθέσθαι.

of an unhappy man, that those to come may hear of it.

ταῦτά τέ μοι τελέσαι πῆξαί τʼ ἐπὶ τύμβῳ ἐρετμόν,

Perform these things for me, and plant my oar upon my tomb,

τῷ καὶ ζωὸς ἔρεσσον ἐὼν μετʼ ἐμοῖς ἑτάροισιν.

with which I rowed when I was alive among my companions."

ὣς ἔφατʼ, αὐτὰρ ἐγώ μιν ἀμειβόμενος προσέειπον·

So he spoke, but I answering addressed him:

ταῦτά τοι, ὦ δύστηνε, τελευτήσω τε καὶ ἔρξω.

"These things for you, O unhappy man, I will perform and do."

νῶι μὲν ὣς ἐπέεσσιν ἀμειβομένω στυγεροῖσιν

Thus we two sat exchanging gloomy words,

ἥμεθʼ, ἐγὼ μὲν ἄνευθεν ἐφʼ αἵματι φάσγανον ἴσχων,

sitting, I on my part holding my sword over the blood from afar,

εἴδωλον δʼ ἑτέρωθεν ἑταίρου πόλλʼ ἀγόρευεν·

while on the other side the phantom of my companion spoke at length.

ἦλθε δʼ ἐπὶ ψυχὴ μητρὸς κατατεθνηυίης,

And there came the soul of my dead mother,

Αὐτολύκου θυγάτηρ μεγαλήτορος Ἀντίκλεια,

Anticleia, daughter of great-hearted Autolycus,

τὴν ζωὴν κατέλειπον ἰὼν εἰς Ἴλιον ἱρήν.

whom I had left alive when I went to sacred Ilios.

τὴν μὲν ἐγὼ δάκρυσα ἰδὼν ἐλέησά τε θυμῷ·

Her I wept for when I saw her, and pitied her in my heart;

ἀλλʼ οὐδʼ ὣς εἴων προτέρην, πυκινόν περ ἀχεύων,

but even so, though grieving deeply, I would not permit her first

αἵματος ἆσσον ἴμεν, πρὶν Τειρεσίαο πυθέσθαι.

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

ἦλθε δʼ ἐπὶ ψυχὴ Θηβαίου Τειρεσίαο

And there came the soul of Theban Teiresias,

χρύσεον σκῆπτρον ἔχων, ἐμὲ δʼ ἔγνω καὶ προσέειπεν·

holding a golden sceptre, and he knew me and addressed me:

διογενὲς Λαερτιάδη, πολυμήχανʼ Ὀδυσσεῦ,

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

τίπτʼ αὖτʼ, ὦ δύστηνε, λιπὼν φάος ἠελίοιο

why now, O unhappy man, leaving the light of the sun,

ἤλυθες, ὄφρα ἴδῃ νέκυας καὶ ἀτερπέα χῶρον;

have you come to see the dead and this joyless place?

ἀλλʼ ἀποχάζεο βόθρου, ἄπισχε δὲ φάσγανον ὀξύ,

But draw back from the pit, and hold off your sharp sword,

αἵματος ὄφρα πίω καί τοι νημερτέα εἴπω.

so that I may drink of the blood and speak the truth to you."

ὣς φάτʼ, ἐγὼ δʼ ἀναχασσάμενος ξίφος ἀργυρόηλον

So he spoke, and I, drawing back, fixed my silver-studded sword

κουλεῷ ἐγκατέπηξʼ. ὁ δʼ ἐπεὶ πίεν αἷμα κελαινόν,

into its sheath. And when he had drunk the dark blood,

καὶ τότε δή μʼ ἐπέεσσι προσηύδα μάντις ἀμύμων·

then indeed the noble seer addressed me with words:

νόστον δίζηαι μελιηδέα, φαίδιμʼ Ὀδυσσεῦ·

"You seek a sweet return, glorious Odysseus;

τὸν δέ τοι ἀργαλέον θήσει θεός· οὐ γὰρ ὀίω

but a god will make it hard for you; for I do not think

λήσειν ἐννοσίγαιον, ὅ τοι κότον ἔνθετο θυμῷ

you will escape the Earth-shaker, who has laid up wrath in his heart against you,

χωόμενος ὅτι οἱ υἱὸν φίλον ἐξαλάωσας.

angered because you blinded his dear son.

ἀλλʼ ἔτι μέν κε καὶ ὣς κακά περ πάσχοντες ἵκοισθε,

Yet even so, though suffering evils, you might reach home,

αἴ κʼ ἐθέλῃς σὸν θυμὸν ἐρυκακέειν καὶ ἑταίρων²,

if you are willing to restrain your own heart and your companions',

ὁππότε κε πρῶτον πελάσῃς ἐυεργέα νῆα

when first you bring your well-built ship near

Θρινακίῃ νήσῳ, προφυγὼν ἰοειδέα πόντον,

to the Thrinacian island, escaping the violet sea,

βοσκομένας δʼ εὕρητε βόας καὶ ἴφια μῆλα

and you find the grazing cattle and fat sheep

Ἠελίου, ὃς πάντʼ ἐφορᾷ καὶ πάντʼ ἐπακούει.

of the Sun, who sees all things and hears all things.

τὰς³ εἰ μέν κʼ ἀσινέας ἐάᾳς νόστου τε μέδηαι,

If you leave these unharmed and mind your return,

καί κεν ἔτʼ εἰς Ἰθάκην κακά περ πάσχοντες ἵκοισθε·

you might yet reach Ithaca, though suffering evils;

εἰ δέ κε σίνηαι, τότε τοι τεκμαίρομʼ ὄλεθρον,

but if you harm them, then I foretell ruin for you,

νηί τε καὶ ἑτάροις. αὐτὸς δʼ εἴ πέρ κεν ἀλύξῃς,

both for your ship and your companions. And even if you yourself escape,

ὀψὲ κακῶς νεῖαι, ὀλέσας ἄπο πάντας ἑταίρους,

late and wretchedly shall you return, having lost all your companions,

νηὸς ἐπʼ ἀλλοτρίης· δήεις δʼ ἐν πήματα οἴκῳ,

on a foreign ship; and you shall find troubles in your house,

ἄνδρας ὑπερφιάλους, οἵ τοι βίοτον κατέδουσι

overbearing men who devour your substance,

μνώμενοι ἀντιθέην ἄλοχον καὶ ἕδνα διδόντες.

wooing your godlike wife and offering bridal gifts.

ἀλλʼ ἦ τοι κείνων γε βίας ἀποτίσεαι ἐλθών·

Yet you shall surely avenge their violence when you come;

αὐτὰρ ἐπὴν μνηστῆρας ἐνὶ μεγάροισι τεοῖσι

but when you have slain the suitors in your halls,

κτείνῃς ἠὲ δόλῳ ἢ ἀμφαδὸν ὀξέι χαλκῷ,

either by guile or openly with the sharp bronze,

ἔρχεσθαι δὴ ἔπειτα λαβὼν ἐυῆρες ἐρετμόν,

then go, taking a well-fitted oar,

εἰς ὅ κε τοὺς ἀφίκηαι οἳ οὐκ ἴσασι θάλασσαν

until you come to those who know not the sea,

ἀνέρες, οὐδέ θʼ ἅλεσσι μεμιγμένον εἶδαρ ἔδουσιν·

men who eat not food mixed with salt,

οὐδʼ ἄρα τοί γʼ ἴσασι νέας φοινικοπαρῄους

nor do they know of purple-cheeked ships,

οὐδʼ ἐυήρεʼ ἐρετμά, τά τε πτερὰ νηυσὶ πέλονται.

nor of well-fitted oars, which are the wings of ships.

σῆμα δέ τοι ἐρέω μάλʼ ἀριφραδές, οὐδέ σε λήσει·

And I will tell you a very clear sign, nor shall it escape you:

ὁππότε κεν δή τοι συμβλήμενος ἄλλος ὁδίτης

when another traveler meeting you

φήῃ ἀθηρηλοιγὸν⁴ ἔχειν ἀνὰ φαιδίμῳ ὤμῳ,

says that you have a winnowing-fan on your bright shoulder,

καὶ τότε δὴ γαίῃ πήξας ἐυῆρες ἐρετμόν,

then fix your well-fitted oar in the ground,

ῥέξας ἱερὰ καλὰ Ποσειδάωνι ἄνακτι,

and make goodly sacrifices to Lord Poseidon,

ἀρνειὸν ταῦρόν τε συῶν τʼ ἐπιβήτορα κάπρον,

a ram, a bull, and a boar that mounts sows,

οἴκαδʼ ἀποστείχειν ἔρδειν θʼ ἱερᾶς ἑκατόμβας

and go back home and offer sacred hecatombs

ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖσι, τοὶ οὐρανὸν εὐρὺν ἔχουσι,

to the immortal gods who hold the wide heaven,

πᾶσι μάλʼ ἑξείης. θάνατος δέ τοι ἐξ ἁλὸς αὐτῷ

to all of them in order. And death shall come to you away from the sea,

ἀβληχρὸς μάλα τοῖος ἐλεύσεται, ὅς κέ σε πέφνῃ

a very gentle death, which shall end you

γήραι ὕπο λιπαρῷ ἀρημένον· ἀμφὶ δὲ λαοὶ

when you are worn out with a sleek old age; and your people

ὄλβιοι ἔσσονται. τὰ δέ τοι νημερτέα εἴρω.

shall be happy about you. These things I tell you truly."

ὣς ἔφατʼ, αὐτὰρ ἐγώ μιν ἀμειβόμενος προσέειπον·

So he spoke, but I answering addressed him:

Τειρεσίη, τὰ μὲν ἄρ που ἐπέκλωσαν θεοὶ αὐτοί.

"Teiresias, these things, I ween, the gods themselves have spun.

ἀλλʼ ἄγε μοι τόδε εἰπὲ καὶ ἀτρεκέως κατάλεξον·

But come, tell me this and declare it truly:

μητρὸς τήνδʼ ὁρόω ψυχὴν κατατεθνηυίης·

I see here the soul of my dead mother;

ἡ δʼ ἀκέουσʼ ἧσται σχεδὸν αἵματος, οὐδʼ ἑὸν υἱὸν

she sits in silence near the blood, nor does she dare to look

ἔτλη ἐσάντα ἰδεῖν οὐδὲ προτιμυθήσασθαι.

her own son in the face, nor to speak to him.

εἰπέ, ἄναξ, πῶς κέν με ἀναγνοίη τὸν ἐόντα;

Tell me, O king, how she may know that I am he?"

Syntax notes4 items

11.76ἀνδρὸς δυστήνοιο
A genitive of possession or definition modifying σῆμα (tomb, mound) in the preceding line. Literally "the mound of an unhappy man," serving contextually to mean "as a monument to an unhappy man (myself)."
11.105καὶ ἑταίρων
The genitive ἑταίρων following the conjunction καὶ is understood as modifying the omitted noun θυμόν from the preceding phrase σὸν θυμόν ("your own heart and that of your companions").
11.110τὰς
A demonstrative pronoun in the feminine plural accusative, referring back to the cattle (βόας) and sheep (μῆλα) mentioned previously. In Homeric Greek, it functions as a demonstrative ("these") at the beginning of the clause rather than a relative pronoun.
11.128ἀθηρηλοιγὸν
Meaning "a winnowing-fan" (an agricultural tool for separating grain from chaff). It describes a situation where someone who does not know the sea mistakes the oar (ἐρετμόν) on Odysseus's shoulder for a farming tool, serving as the definitive sign that he has reached a land utterly remote from the sea.

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:11.74-11.144