Plotting Against Suitors and Disguise as a Beggar — Odyssey §13.368-13.440 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

ἆσσον πάντʼ ἐφόρει, χρυσὸν καὶ ἀτειρέα χαλκὸν

He carried everything closer, the gold and the weariless bronze,

εἵματά τʼ εὐποίητα, τά οἱ Φαίηκες ἔδωκαν.

and the well-made garments, which the Phaeacians had given him.

καὶ τὰ μὲν εὖ κατέθηκε, λίθον δʼ ἐπέθηκε θύρῃσι

And he placed them well, and Pallas Athena,

Παλλὰς Ἀθηναίη, κούρη Διὸς αἰγιόχοιο.

daughter of aegis-bearing Zeus, placed a stone at the entrance.

τὼ δὲ καθεζομένω¹ ἱερῆς παρὰ πυθμένʼ ἐλαίης

And the two sat down by the trunk of the sacred olive tree,

φραζέσθην μνηστῆρσιν ὑπερφιάλοισιν ὄλεθρον.

and planned destruction for the overbearing suitors.

τοῖσι δὲ μύθων ἦρχε θεὰ γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη·

And to them the goddess, flashing-eyed Athena, began speaking:

διογενὲς Λαερτιάδη, πολυμήχανʼ Ὀδυσσεῦ,

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

φράζευ ὅπως μνηστῆρσιν ἀναιδέσι χεῖρας ἐφήσεις,

consider how you will lay hands on the shameless suitors,

οἳ δή τοι τρίετες μέγαρον κάτα κοιρανέουσι,

who indeed for three years now have been lording it in your hall,

μνώμενοι ἀντιθέην ἄλοχον καὶ ἕδνα διδόντες·

wooing your godlike wife and offering bridal gifts;

ἡ δὲ σὸν αἰεὶ νόστον ὀδυρομένη κατὰ θυμὸν

but she, always mourning in her heart for your return,

πάντας μέν ῥʼ ἔλπει καὶ ὑπίσχεται ἀνδρὶ ἑκάστῳ,

gives hope to all and makes promises to each man,

ἀγγελίας προϊεῖσα, νόος δέ οἱ ἄλλα μενοινᾷ.

sending messages, but her mind intends other things.”

τὴν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς·

Then the wise Odysseus answered her and said:

ὢ πόποι, ἦ μάλα δὴ Ἀγαμέμνονος Ἀτρεΐδαο

“Ah, truly I was like to have perished by the evil fate

φθίσεσθαι κακὸν οἶτον ἐνὶ μεγάροισιν ἔμελλον²,

of Agamemnon, son of Atreus, in my halls,

εἰ μή μοι σὺ ἕκαστα, θεά, κατὰ μοῖραν ἔειπες.

had you not, goddess, told me each thing rightly.

ἀλλʼ ἄγε μῆτιν ὕφηνον, ὅπως ἀποτίσομαι αὐτούς·

But come, weave a plan, how I may take vengeance on them;

πὰρ δέ μοι αὐτὴ στῆθι, μένος πολυθαρσὲς ἐνεῖσα,

and stand yourself beside me, infusing great courage,

οἷον ὅτε Τροίης λύομεν λιπαρὰ κρήδεμνα.

even as when we loosened the bright diadem of Troy.

αἴ κέ μοι ὣς μεμαυῖα παρασταίης, γλαυκῶπι,

If you would stand by me thus eagerly, flashing-eyed one,

καί κε τριηκοσίοισιν ἐγὼν ἄνδρεσσι μαχοίμην

I would even fight against three hundred men,

σὺν σοί, πότνα θεά, ὅτε μοι πρόφρασσʼ ἐπαρήγοις.

with you, lady goddess, when you would graciously aid me.”

τὸν δʼ ἠμείβετʼ ἔπειτα θεὰ γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη·

Then the goddess, flashing-eyed Athena, answered him:

καὶ λίην τοι ἐγώ γε παρέσσομαι, οὐδέ με λήσεις,

“Indeed I will be with you, and you shall not escape my notice,

ὁππότε κεν δὴ ταῦτα πενώμεθα· καί τινʼ ὀΐω

when indeed we busy ourselves with these tasks; and I think

αἵματί τʼ ἐγκεφάλῳ τε παλαξέμεν ἄσπετον οὖδας

that some of the suitors who devour your livelihood

ἀνδρῶν μνηστήρων, οἵ τοι βίοτον κατέδουσιν.

will splash the boundless floor with blood and brains.

ἀλλʼ ἄγε σʼ ἄγνωστον τεύξω πάντεσσι βροτοῖσι·

But come, I will make you unrecognized to all mortals;

κάρψω μὲν χρόα καλὸν ἐνὶ γναμπτοῖσι μέλεσσι,

I will wither your fair skin on your supple limbs,

ξανθὰς δʼ ἐκ κεφαλῆς ὀλέσω τρίχας, ἀμφὶ δὲ λαῖφος

and destroy the yellow hair from your head, and clothe you in a rag

ἕσσω ὅ κε στυγέῃσιν ἰδὼν ἄνθρωπον ἔχοντα,

which anyone seeing a man wear would loathe,

κνυζώσω δέ τοι ὄσσε πάρος περικαλλέʼ ἐόντε,

and I will dim your two eyes that were before so beautiful,

ὡς ἂν ἀεικέλιος πᾶσι μνηστῆρσι φανήῃς

so that you may appear unsightly to all the suitors

σῇ τʼ ἀλόχῳ καὶ παιδί, τὸν ἐν μεγάροισιν ἔλειπες.

and to your wife and the child whom you left in your halls.

αὐτὸς δὲ πρώτιστα συβώτην εἰσαφικέσθαι³,

But do you yourself go first of all to the swineherd,

ὅς τοι ὑῶν ἐπίουρος, ὁμῶς δέ τοι ἤπια οἶδε,

who is the keeper of your swine, and yet is well-disposed to you,

παῖδά τε σὸν φιλέει καὶ ἐχέφρονα Πηνελόπειαν.

and loves your son and wise Penelope.

δήεις τόν γε σύεσσι παρήμενον· αἱ δὲ νέμονται

You will find him sitting by the swine; and they are feeding

πὰρ Κόρακος πέτρῃ ἐπί τε κρήνῃ Ἀρεθούσῃ,

near the rock of Korax and by the spring Arethusa,

ἔσθουσαι βάλανον μενοεικέα καὶ μέλαν ὕδωρ

eating abundant acorns and drinking dark water,

πίνουσαι, τά θʼ ὕεσσι τρέφει τεθαλυῖαν ἀλοιφήν.

which foster rich fat in swine.

ἔνθα μένειν καὶ πάντα παρήμενος ἐξερέεσθαι,

Remain there, and sitting beside him, inquire of everything,

ὄφρʼ ἂν ἐγὼν ἔλθω Σπάρτην ἐς καλλιγύναικα

while I go to Sparta, land of beautiful women,

Τηλέμαχον καλέουσα, τεὸν φίλον υἱόν, Ὀδυσσεῦ·

to summon Telemachus, your dear son, Odysseus;

ὅς τοι ἐς εὐρύχορον Λακεδαίμονα πὰρ Μενέλαον

who went to spacious Lacedaemon to Menelaus,

ᾤχετο πευσόμενος μετὰ σὸν κλέος, εἴ που ἔτʼ εἴης.

to inquire after news of you, if you were still anywhere alive.”

τὴν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς·

Then the wise Odysseus answered her and said:

τίπτε τʼ ἄρʼ οὔ οἱ ἔειπες, ἐνὶ φρεσὶ πάντα ἰδυῖα;

“Why then did you not tell him, since you know all things in your heart?

ἦ ἵνα που καὶ κεῖνος ἀλώμενος ἄλγεα πάσχῃ

Was it indeed so that he too might wander and suffer pains

πόντον ἐπʼ ἀτρύγετον· βίοτον δέ οἱ ἄλλοι ἔδουσι;

on the barren sea, while others devour his livelihood?”

τὸν δʼ ἠμείβετʼ ἔπειτα θεὰ γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη·

Then the goddess, flashing-eyed Athena, answered him:

μὴ δή τοι κεῖνός γε λίην ἐνθύμιος ἔστω.

“Let him not indeed be too much of a care in your heart.

αὐτή μιν πόμπευον, ἵνα κλέος ἐσθλὸν ἄροιτο

I myself escorted him, so that he might win good fame

κεῖσʼ ἐλθών· ἀτὰρ οὔ τινʼ ἔχει πόνον, ἀλλὰ ἕκηλος

by going there; and he has no trouble, but in peace

ἧσται ἐν Ἀτρεΐδαο δόμοις, παρὰ δʼ ἄσπετα κεῖται.

sits in the palace of Atreus' son, and abundance lies beside him.

ἦ μέν μιν λοχόωσι νέοι σὺν νηῒ μελαίνῃ,

Truly young men lie in wait for him with a black ship,

ἱέμενοι κτεῖναι, πρὶν⁴ πατρίδα γαῖαν ἱκέσθαι·

eager to kill him before he reaches his native land;

ἀλλὰ τά γʼ οὐκ ὀΐω, πρὶν καί τινα γαῖα καθέξει

but I do not think this will be, before the earth shall cover some

ἀνδρῶν μνηστήρων, οἵ τοι βίοτον κατέδουσιν.

of the suitors who devour your livelihood.”

ὣς ἄρα μιν φαμένη ῥάβδῳ ἐπεμάσσατʼ Ἀθήνη.

So saying, Athena touched him with her wand.

κάρψεν μὲν χρόα καλὸν ἐνὶ γναμπτοῖσι μέλεσσι,

She withered his fair skin on his supple limbs,

ξανθὰς δʼ ἐκ κεφαλῆς ὄλεσε τρίχας, ἀμφὶ δὲ δέρμα

and destroyed the yellow hair from his head, and placed the skin

πάντεσσιν μελέεσσι παλαιοῦ θῆκε γέροντος,

of an aged old man over all his limbs,

κνύζωσεν δέ οἱ ὄσσε πάρος περικαλλέʼ ἐόντε·

and she dimmed his two eyes that were before so beautiful;

ἀμφὶ δέ μιν ῥάκος ἄλλο κακὸν βάλεν ἠδὲ χιτῶνα,

and she threw about him another evil rag and a tunic,

ῥωγαλέα ῥυπόωντα, κακῷ μεμορυγμένα καπνῷ·

tattered and filthy, begrimed with foul smoke;

ἀμφὶ δέ μιν μέγα δέρμα ταχείης ἕσσʼ ἐλάφοιο,

and about him she cast a large skin of a swift hind,

ψιλόν· δῶκε δέ οἱ σκῆπτρον καὶ ἀεικέα πήρην,

hairless; and she gave him a staff and an unsightly pouch,

πυκνὰ ῥωγαλέην· ἐν δὲ στρόφος ἦεν ἀορτήρ.

full of holes; and within it was a twisted cord as a strap.

τώ γʼ ὣς βουλεύσαντε διέτμαγεν. ἡ μὲν ἔπειτα

The two, having thus taken counsel, parted. She then

ἐς Λακεδαίμονα δῖαν ἔβη μετὰ παῖδʼ Ὀδυσῆος.

went to divine Lacedaemon after the son of Odysseus.

Syntax notes4 items

13.372καθεζομένω
Nominative dual masculine present participle. Together with the main verb φραζέσθην (third-person dual imperfect), it refers to Athena and Odysseus. This is a classic example of the dual number in Homer.
13.383ἔμελλον
Imperfect indicative. Used with the future infinitive φθίσεσθαι to express a past intention, destiny, or contrary-to-fact likelihood ('I was destined to perish'). It forms the apodosis corresponding to the protasis of the conditional clause εἰ μή ... ἔειπες.
13.404εἰσαφικέσθαι
Aorist infinitive. Used as an imperative for the second person (imperative infinitive). The subject is αὐτός in the nominative case (13.404); the nominative is used instead of the accusative because it agrees with the addressed person. A similar usage occurs in 13.411 with μένειν and ἐξερέεσθαι.
13.427πρίν
The conjunction πρίν introduces the future indicative (καθέξει), meaning 'before...'. Following a main clause with negative import (οὐκ ὀΐω), it functions to strongly predict an event that will inevitably happen first.

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:13.368-13.440