Slaughter of Helios' Cattle and Wrath of the Gods — Odyssey §12.324-12.389 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

ὣς ἐφάμην, τοῖσιν δʼ ἐπεπείθετο θυμὸς ἀγήνωρ.

So I spoke, and their proud heart consented to it.

μῆνα¹ δὲ πάντʼ ἄλληκτος ἄη Νότος, οὐδέ τις ἄλλος

For a whole month the South Wind blew without ceasing, nor did any other

γίγνετʼ ἔπειτʼ ἀνέμων εἰ μὴ Εὖρός τε Νότος τε.

of the winds arise thereafter, save the East Wind and the South Wind.

οἱ δʼ ἧος μὲν σῖτον ἔχον καὶ οἶνον ἐρυθρόν,

Now as long as they had grain and red wine,

τόφρα βοῶν⁴ ἀπέχοντο λιλαιόμενοι βιότοιο².

so long they kept their hands off the cattle, desiring to save their lives.

ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ νηὸς ἐξέφθιτο ἤια πάντα,

But when all the provisions in the ship were spent,

καὶ δὴ ἄγρην ἐφέπεσκον ἀλητεύοντες ἀνάγκῃ,

and indeed they went roaming in search of game by necessity,

ἰχθῦς ὄρνιθάς τε, φίλας ὅ τι χεῖρας ἵκοιτο,

fish and birds, whatever might come to their hands,

γναμπτοῖς ἀγκίστροισιν, ἔτειρε δὲ γαστέρα λιμός·

with curved hooks, for hunger pinched their bellies.

δὴ τότʼ ἐγὼν ἀνὰ νῆσον ἀπέστιχον, ὄφρα θεοῖσιν

Then indeed I went away up into the island to pray to the gods,

εὐξαίμην, εἴ τίς μοι ὁδὸν φήνειε³ νέεσθαι.

if perchance one of them might show me a way to return.

ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ διὰ νήσου ἰὼν ἤλυξα ἑταίρους,

But when, going through the island, I had avoided my companions,

χεῖρας νιψάμενος, ὅθʼ ἐπὶ σκέπας ἦν ἀνέμοιο,

I washed my hands where there was shelter from the wind,

ἠρώμην πάντεσσι θεοῖς οἳ Ὄλυμπον ἔχουσιν·

and prayed to all the gods who hold Olympus;

οἱ δʼ ἄρα μοι γλυκὺν ὕπνον ἐπὶ βλεφάροισιν ἔχευαν.

and they poured sweet sleep upon my eyelids.

Εὐρύλοχος δʼ ἑτάροισι κακῆς ἐξήρχετο βουλῆς·

Meanwhile Eurylochus began to offer evil counsel to the companions:

κέκλυτέ μευ μύθων κακά περ πάσχοντες ἑταῖροι.

"Hear my words, my companions, though you are suffering evils.

πάντες μὲν στυγεροὶ θάνατοι δειλοῖσι βροτοῖσι,

All deaths are hateful to wretched mortals,

λιμῷ δʼ οἴκτιστον θανέειν καὶ πότμον ἐπισπεῖν.

but to die of hunger and meet one's fate is the most piteous thing.

ἀλλʼ ἄγετʼ, Ἠελίοιο βοῶν ἐλάσαντες ἀρίστας

But come, let us drive off the best of the cattle of the Sun

ῥέξομεν ἀθανάτοισι, τοὶ οὐρανὸν εὐρὺν ἔχουσιν.

and sacrifice them to the immortals who hold the wide heaven.

εἰ δέ κεν εἰς Ἰθάκην ἀφικοίμεθα, πατρίδα γαῖαν,

And if we should ever reach Ithaca, our native land,

αἶψά κεν Ἠελίῳ Ὑπερίονι πίονα νηὸν

straightway we will build a rich temple to Helios Hyperion,

τεύξομεν, ἐν δέ κε θεῖμεν ἀγάλματα πολλὰ καὶ ἐσθλά.

and place therein many noble offerings.

εἰ δὲ χολωσάμενός τι βοῶν ὀρθοκραιράων

But if, being wroth for his straight-horned cattle,

νῆʼ ἐθέλῃ ὀλέσαι, ἐπὶ δʼ ἕσπωνται θεοὶ ἄλλοι,

he should wish to destroy our ship, and the other gods consent,

βούλομʼ ἅπαξ πρὸς κῦμα χανὼν ἀπὸ θυμὸν ὀλέσσαι,

I would rather close my mouth upon the wave and lose my life once for all,

ἢ δηθὰ στρεύγεσθαι ἐὼν ἐν νήσῳ ἐρήμῃ.

than to pine away slowly here on a desert island."

ὣς ἔφατʼ Εὐρύλοχος, ἐπὶ δʼ ᾔνεον ἄλλοι ἑταῖροι.

So spoke Eurylochus, and the other companions agreed.

αὐτίκα δʼ Ἠελίοιο βοῶν ἐλάσαντες ἀρίστας

And straightway they drove off the best of the cattle of the Sun

ἐγγύθεν, οὐ γὰρ τῆλε νεὸς κυανοπρῴροιο

from near at hand, for not far from the dark-prowed ship

βοσκέσκονθʼ ἕλικες καλαὶ βόες εὐρυμέτωποι·

were grazing the crooked-horned, beautiful, broad-browed cattle.

τὰς δὲ περίστησάν τε καὶ εὐχετόωντο θεοῖσιν,

They stood around these and made their prayer to the gods,

φύλλα δρεψάμενοι τέρενα δρυὸς ὑψικόμοιο·

having plucked the tender leaves from a high-crested oak;

οὐ γὰρ ἔχον κρῖ λευκὸν ἐυσσέλμου ἐπὶ νηός.

for they had no white barley on their well-benched ship.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεί ῥʼ εὔξαντο καὶ ἔσφαξαν καὶ ἔδειραν,

But when they had made their prayer and had cut the throats of the cattle and flayed them,

μηρούς τʼ ἐξέταμον κατά τε κνίσῃ ἐκάλυψαν

they cut out the thigh-pieces and covered them with fat,

δίπτυχα ποιήσαντες, ἐπʼ αὐτῶν δʼ ὠμοθέτησαν.

making a double fold, and laid raw flesh upon them.

οὐδʼ εἶχον μέθυ λεῖψαι ἐπʼ αἰθομένοις ἱεροῖσιν,

Nor had they any wine to pour over the burning offerings,

ἀλλʼ ὕδατι σπένδοντες ἐπώπτων ἔγκατα πάντα.

but making libation with water they roasted all the entrails.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ κατὰ μῆρʼ ἐκάη καὶ σπλάγχνα πάσαντο,

But when the thigh-pieces were burned quite away and they had tasted the inner parts,

μίστυλλόν τʼ ἄρα τἆλλα καὶ ἀμφʼ ὀβελοῖσιν ἔπειραν.

they carved up the rest and pierced it with spits.

καὶ τότε μοι βλεφάρων ἐξέσσυτο νήδυμος ὕπνος,

And just then sweet sleep fled from my eyelids,

βῆν δʼ ἰέναι ἐπὶ νῆα θοὴν καὶ θῖνα θαλάσσης.

and I set out to go to the swift ship and the shore of the sea.

ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ σχεδὸν ἦα κιὼν νεὸς ἀμφιελίσσης,

But when, as I went, I was near the curved ship,

καὶ τότε με κνίσης ἀμφήλυθεν ἡδὺς ἀυτμή.

even then the sweet savor of the fat came floating around me.

οἰμώξας δὲ θεοῖσι μέγʼ ἀθανάτοισι γεγώνευν·

And I groaned and cried aloud to the immortal gods:

Ζεῦ πάτερ ἠδʼ ἄλλοι μάκαρες θεοὶ αἰὲν ἐόντες,

"Father Zeus, and you other blessed gods who exist forever,

ἦ με μάλʼ εἰς ἄτην κοιμήσατε νηλέι ὕπνῳ.

surely you have lulled me into a pitiless sleep to my ruin,

οἱ δʼ ἕταροι μέγα ἔργον ἐμητίσαντο μένοντες.

while my companions remaining behind have plotted a monstrous deed."

ὠκέα δʼ Ἠελίῳ Ὑπερίονι ἄγγελος ἦλθε

Swiftly then to Helios Hyperion came the messenger,

Λαμπετίη τανύπεπλος, ὅ οἱ βόας ἔκταμεν ἡμεῖς.

Lampetia of the flowing robes, to tell him that we had slain his cattle.

αὐτίκα δʼ ἀθανάτοισι μετηύδα χωόμενος κῆρ·

And straightway he spoke among the immortals, angry at heart:

Ζεῦ πάτερ ἠδʼ ἄλλοι μάκαρες θεοὶ αἰὲν ἐόντες,

"Father Zeus, and you other blessed gods who exist forever,

τῖσαι δὴ ἑτάρους Λαερτιάδεω Ὀδυσῆος,

take vengeance now on the companions of Odysseus, son of Laertes,

οἵ μευ βοῦς ἔκτειναν ὑπέρβιον, ᾗσιν ἐγώ γε

who have insolently slain my cattle, in which I was wont

χαίρεσκον μὲν ἰὼν εἰς οὐρανὸν ἀστερόεντα,

to take delight as I went into the starry heaven,

ἠδʼ ὁπότʼ ἂψ ἐπὶ γαῖαν ἀπʼ οὐρανόθεν προτραποίμην.

and when I turned back again to earth from heaven.

εἰ δέ μοι οὐ τίσουσι βοῶν ἐπιεικέʼ ἀμοιβήν,

But if they do not pay me fit recompense for the cattle,

δύσομαι εἰς Ἀίδαο καὶ ἐν νεκύεσσι φαείνω⁵.

I will go down to the house of Hades and shine among the dead."

τὸν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη νεφεληγερέτα Ζεύς·

And cloud-gatherer Zeus answered him and said:

Ἠέλιʼ, ἦ τοι μὲν σὺ μετʼ ἀθανάτοισι φάεινε

"Helios, do you indeed shine on among the immortals

καὶ θνητοῖσι βροτοῖσιν ἐπὶ ζείδωρον ἄρουραν·

and among mortal men upon the fruitful earth;

τῶν δέ κʼ ἐγὼ τάχα νῆα θοὴν ἀργῆτι κεραυνῷ

as for them, I will soon strike their swift ship with my bright thunderbolt

τυτθὰ βαλὼν κεάσαιμι μέσῳ ἐνὶ οἴνοπι πόντῳ.

and shatter it in pieces in the midst of the wine-dark sea."

ταῦτα δʼ ἐγὼν ἤκουσα Καλυψοῦς ἠυκόμοιο·

These things I heard from fair-haired Calypso.

Syntax notes5 items

12.325μῆνα
Accusative of duration of time, meaning "for a whole month."
12.328βιότοιο
Genitive governed by the participle λιλαιόμενοι ("desiring eagerly"). Here, βίοτος refers to "life" or "survival" rather than merely "livelihood."
12.334φήνειε
Third-person singular aorist optative of φαίνω. Used with εἴ (εἴ τις...) without an accompanying apodosis, it introduces a clause expressing expectancy or hope ("in the hope that someone might show...").
12.348βοῶν
Genitive of cause/reason, modifying the participle of emotion χολωσάμενος ("being angry").
12.383φαείνω
First-person singular present subjunctive (used with hortatory/volitive force) or future indicative. Coordinated with the future δύσομαι, it expresses Helios' strong resolve or threat to "shine" in the underworld.

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:12.324-12.389