Meeting with Disguised Athena and Odysseus' False Tale — Odyssey §13.224-13.295 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

δίπτυχον ἀμφʼ ὤμοισιν ἔχουσʼ¹ εὐεργέα λώπην·

wearing a well-wrought mantle folded double about her shoulders;

ποσσὶ δʼ ὑπὸ λιπαροῖσι πέδιλʼ ἔχε, χερσὶ δʼ ἄκοντα.

and beneath her shining feet she had sandals, and in her hands a spear.

τὴν δʼ Ὀδυσεὺς γήθησεν ἰδὼν καὶ ἐναντίος ἦλθε,

And Odysseus rejoiced when he saw her, and came to meet her,

καί μιν φωνήσας ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·

and spoke and addressed her with winged words:

ὦ φίλʼ, ἐπεί σε πρῶτα κιχάνω τῷδʼ ἐνὶ χώρῳ,

“Friend, since you are the first I meet in this place,

χαῖρέ τε καὶ μή μοί τι κακῷ νόῳ ἀντιβολήσαις,

I greet you, and pray that you may meet me with no evil intent,

ἀλλὰ σάω μὲν ταῦτα, σάω δʼ ἐμέ· σοὶ γὰρ ἐγώ γε

but save these treasures, and save me; for to you

εὔχομαι ὥς τε θεῷ καί σευ φίλα γούναθʼ ἱκάνω.

I pray as to a god, and come to your dear knees.

καί μοι τοῦτʼ ἀγόρευσον ἐτήτυμον, ὄφρʼ ἐῢ εἰδῶ·

And tell me this truly, so that I may know well:

τίς γῆ, τίς δῆμος, τίνες ἀνέρες ἐγγεγάασιν;

what land is this, what people, what men dwell here?

ἦ πού τις νήσων εὐδείελος, ἦέ τις ἀκτὴ

Is it some clear-seen island, or is it some shore

κεῖθʼ ἁλὶ κεκλιμένη ἐριβώλακος ἠπείροιο²;

sloping down to the sea from the fertile mainland?”

τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε θεὰ γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη·

Then the goddess, flashing-eyed Athena, spoke to him in turn:

νήπιός εἰς, ὦ ξεῖνʼ, ἢ τηλόθεν εἰλήλουθας,

“You are foolish, stranger, or you have come from afar,

εἰ δὴ τήνδε τε γαῖαν ἀνείρεαι. οὐδέ τι λίην

if indeed you ask about this land. For it is not

οὕτω νώνυμός ἐστιν· ἴσασι δέ μιν μάλα πολλοί,

so utterly nameless; rather, very many know it,

ἠμὲν ὅσοι ναίουσι πρὸς ἠῶ τʼ ἠέλιόν τε,

both all those who dwell toward the dawn and the sun,

ἠδʼ ὅσσοι μετόπισθε ποτὶ ζόφον ἠερόεντα.

and all those who dwell behind toward the misty gloom.

ἦ τοι μὲν τρηχεῖα καὶ οὐχ ἱππήλατός ἐστιν,

To be sure, it is rugged and not fit for driving horses,

οὐδὲ λίην λυπρή, ἀτὰρ οὐδʼ εὐρεῖα τέτυκται.

yet it is not utterly poor, though it is not wide.

ἐν μὲν γάρ οἱ σῖτος ἀθέσφατος, ἐν δέ τε οἶνος

For in it grain grows beyond measure, and wine too

γίγνεται· αἰεὶ δʼ ὄμβρος ἔχει τεθαλυῖά τʼ ἐέρση·

is produced; and always the rain falls on it, and rich dew;

αἰγίβοτος δʼ ἀγαθὴ καὶ βούβοτος· ἔστι μὲν ὕλη

and it is good for feeding goats and cattle; there is timber

παντοίη, ἐν δʼ ἀρδμοὶ ἐπηετανοὶ παρέασι.

of all kinds, and watering-places never failing are there.

τῷ τοι, ξεῖνʼ, Ἰθάκης γε καὶ ἐς Τροίην ὄνομʼ ἵκει,

Therefore, stranger, the name of Ithaca has reached even to Troy,

τήν περ τηλοῦ φασὶν Ἀχαιΐδος ἔμμεναι αἴης.

which they say is far from the Achaean land.”

ὣς φάτο, γήθησεν δὲ πολύτλας δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς,

So she spoke, and the much-enduring noble Odysseus was glad,

χαίρων ᾗ γαίῃ πατρωΐῃ, ὥς οἱ ἔειπε

rejoicing in his native land, as Pallas Athena,

Παλλὰς Ἀθηναίη, κούρη Διὸς, αἰγιόχοιο·

daughter of Zeus who bears the aegis, had told him.

καί μιν φωνήσας ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·

And he spoke and addressed her with winged words;

οὐδʼ ὅ γʼ ἀληθέα εἶπε, πάλιν δʼ ὅ γε λάζετο μῦθον³,

yet he did not speak the truth, but held back his story,

αἰεὶ ἐνὶ στήθεσσι νόον πολυκερδέα νωμῶν·

always keeping a very cunning mind within his breast:

πυνθανόμην Ἰθάκης γε καὶ ἐν Κρήτῃ εὐρείῃ,

“I heard of Ithaca even in wide Crete,

τηλοῦ ὑπὲρ πόντου· νῦν δʼ εἰλήλουθα καὶ αὐτὸς

far across the sea; and now I myself have come

χρήμασι σὺν τοίσδεσσι· λιπὼν δʼ ἔτι παισὶ τοσαῦτα

with these treasures; and leaving just as much for my children,

φεύγω, ἐπεὶ φίλον υἷα κατέκτανον Ἰδομενῆος,

I am in flight, since I killed the dear son of Idomeneus,

Ὀρσίλοχον πόδας ὠκύν, ὃς ἐν Κρήτῃ εὐρείῃ

Orsilochus, swift of foot, who in wide Crete

ἀνέρας ἀλφηστὰς νίκα ταχέεσσι πόδεσσιν,

surpassed industrious men with his swift feet,

οὕνεκά με στερέσαι τῆς ληΐδος ἤθελε πάσης

because he wished to rob me of all my Trojan booty,

Τρωϊάδος, τῆς εἵνεκʼ ἐγὼ πάθον ἄλγεα θυμῷ,

for which I suffered woes in my heart,

ἀνδρῶν τε πτολέμους ἀλεγεινά τε κύματα πείρων,

cleaving through wars of men and painful waves,

οὕνεκʼ ἄρʼ οὐχ ᾧ πατρὶ χαριζόμενος θεράπευον

since indeed I did not serve his father, pleasing him

δήμῳ ἔνι Τρώων, ἀλλʼ ἄλλων ἦρχον ἑταίρων.

in the land of the Trojans, but led other companions of my own.

τὸν μὲν ἐγὼ κατιόντα βάλον χαλκήρεϊ δουρὶ

Him I struck with a bronze-tipped spear as he was coming down

ἀγρόθεν, ἐγγὺς ὁδοῖο λοχησάμενος σὺν ἑταίρῳ·

from the country, lying in wait near the road with a companion;

νὺξ δὲ μάλα δνοφερὴ κάτεχʼ οὐρανόν, οὐδέ τις ἡμέας

and a very dark night covered the heaven, nor did any of men

ἀνθρώπων ἐνόησε, λάθον δέ ἑ θυμὸν ἀπούρας.

notice us, and I took his life without being seen.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ δὴ τόν γε κατέκτανον ὀξέϊ χαλκῷ,

But when I had killed him with the sharp bronze,

αὐτίκʼ ἐγὼν ἐπὶ νῆα κιὼν Φοίνικας ἀγαυοὺς

straightway I went to a ship and implored the noble Phoenicians,

ἐλλισάμην, καί σφιν μενοεικέα ληΐδα δῶκα·

and gave them a satisfying portion of the booty;

τούς μʼ ἐκέλευσα Πύλονδε καταστῆσαι καὶ ἐφέσσαι

them I bid to set me down and land me at Pylos,

ἢ εἰς Ἤλιδα δῖαν, ὅθι κρατέουσιν Ἐπειοί.

or at noble Elis, where the Epeians rule.

ἀλλʼ ἦ τοι σφέας κεῖθεν ἀπώσατο ἲς ἀνέμοιο

But indeed the force of the wind drove them away from there,

πόλλʼ ἀεκαζομένους, οὐδʼ ἤθελον ἐξαπατῆσαι.

sorely against their will, nor did they wish to deceive me.

κεῖθεν δὲ πλαγχθέντες ἱκάνομεν ἐνθάδε νυκτός.

So, driven off from there, we arrived here by night.

σπουδῇ δʼ ἐς λιμένα προερέσσαμεν, οὐδέ τις ἡμῖν

With effort we rowed into the harbor, nor did we have

δόρπου μνῆστις ἔην, μάλα περ χατέουσιν ἑλέσθαι,

any thought of supper, though we were very much in need of taking it,

ἀλλʼ αὔτως ἀποβάντες ἐκείμεθα νηὸς ἅπαντες.

but just as we landed, we all lay down from the ship.

ἔνθʼ ἐμὲ μὲν γλυκὺς ὕπνος ἐπήλυθε κεκμηῶτα,

There sweet sleep came upon me in my weariness,

οἱ δὲ χρήματʼ ἐμὰ γλαφυρῆς ἐκ νηὸς ἑλόντες

and they, taking my treasures out of the hollow ship,

κάτθεσαν, ἔνθα περ αὐτὸς ἐπὶ ψαμάθοισιν ἐκείμην.

set them down where I myself was lying on the sand.

οἱ δʼ ἐς Σιδονίην εὖ ναιομένην ἀναβάντες

And they, embarking, went away to well-peopled Sidonia;

ᾤχοντʼ· αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ λιπόμην ἀκαχήμενος ἦτορ.

but I was left behind, grieved in my heart.”

ὣς φάτο, μείδησεν δὲ θεὰ γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη,

So he spoke, and the goddess, flashing-eyed Athena, smiled,

χειρί τέ μιν κατέρεξε· δέμας δʼ ἤϊκτο γυναικὶ

and caressed him with her hand; and her form was changed to that of a woman,

καλῇ τε μεγάλῃ τε καὶ ἀγλαὰ ἔργα ἰδυίῃ·

both beautiful and tall, and skilled in glorious handiworks.

καί μιν φωνήσασʼ ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·

And she spoke and addressed him with winged words:

κερδαλέος κʼ εἴη καὶ ἐπίκλοπος ὅς σε παρέλθοι

“Cunning indeed and deceitful would he be who should surpass you

ἐν πάντεσσι δόλοισι, καὶ εἰ θεὸς ἀντιάσειε.

in all kinds of wiles, even if a god should meet you.

σχέτλιε, ποικιλομῆτα, δόλων ἆτʼ, οὐκ ἄρʼ ἔμελλες,

O hard man, of diverse wiles, insatiate of deceit, you were not then,

οὐδʼ ἐν σῇ περ ἐὼν γαίῃ, λήξειν ἀπατάων

even in your own land, to cease from deceits

μύθων τε κλοπίων, οἵ τοι πεδόθεν⁴ φίλοι εἰσίν.

and knavish words, which are dear to you from the root.”

Syntax notes4 items

13.224ἔχουσʼ
Although describing Athena in the guise of a young man (l. 222), the feminine singular nominative participle ἔχουσα (elided to ἔχουσʼ) agrees grammatically with the subject Ἀθήνη (l. 221).
13.235κεῖθʼ ἁλὶ κεκλιμένη ἐριβώλακος ἠπείροιο
κεῖθʼ is an elided form of κεῖται (3rd sg. pres. indic. mid.). The genitive phrase ἐριβώλακος ἠπείροιο functions as a genitive of separation, describing the land as sloping down to the sea away from the fertile mainland.
13.254πάλιν δʼ ὅ γε λάζετο μῦθον
The combination of πάλιν (back, conversely) and λάζετο (took, seized) forms an idiomatic expression meaning 'he took his words back' or 'turned his story the other way,' i.e., he fabricated a false story instead of telling the truth.
13.295πεδόθεν
An adverb formed from the noun πέδον (ground, soil) with the suffix -θεν indicating origin or source, meaning 'from the ground up,' and metaphorically 'from the very root' or 'by nature.'

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:13.224-13.295