Odysseus Lands in Ithaca and the Wrath of Poseidon — Odyssey §13.76-13.150 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

σιγῇ· τοὶ δὲ καθῖζον ἐπὶ κληῗσιν ἕκαστοι

In silence; and they sat down upon the benches, each

κόσμῳ, πεῖσμα δʼ ἔλυσαν ἀπὸ τρητοῖο λίθοιο.

in order, and untied the cable from the pierced stone.

εὖθʼ οἱ ἀνακλινθέντες¹ ἀνερρίπτουν ἅλα πηδῷ,

When they leaned back and tossed up the sea with their oars,

καὶ τῷ νήδυμος ὕπνος ἐπὶ βλεφάροισιν ἔπιπτε,

then sweet sleep fell upon his eyelids,

νήγρετος, ἥδιστος, θανάτῳ ἄγχιστα ἐοικώς.

unawakening, most sweet, and very like to death.

ἡ δʼ, ὥς τʼ ἐν πεδίῳ τετράοροι ἄρσενες ἵπποι²,

And she—as when on a plain four-horsed male steeds,

πάντες ἅμʼ ὁρμηθέντες ὑπὸ πληγῇσιν ἱμάσθλης,

all starting together under the strokes of the whip,

ὑψόσʼ ἀειρόμενοι ῥίμφα πρήσσουσι κέλευθον,

springing high, swiftly speed on their way,

ὣς ἄρα τῆς πρύμνη μὲν ἀείρετο, κῦμα δʼ ὄπισθε

even so her stern was lifted high, and behind her the great dark wave

πορφύρεον μέγα θῦε πολυφλοίσβοιο θαλάσσης.

of the loud-sounding sea raged mightily.

ἡ δὲ μάλʼ ἀσφαλέως θέεν ἔμπεδον· οὐδέ κεν ἴρηξ

And she ran very safely and steadily; nor could a wheeling

κίρκος ὁμαρτήσειεν, ἐλαφρότατος πετεηνῶν.

hawk keep pace with her, the fleetest of winged things.

ὣς ἡ ῥίμφα θέουσα θαλάσσης κύματʼ ἔταμνεν,

Thus she ran swiftly, cutting the waves of the sea,

ἄνδρα φέρουσα θεοῖς ἐναλίγκια μήδεʼ ἔχοντα·

bearing a man whose counsel was like to that of the gods;

ὃς πρὶν μὲν μάλα πολλὰ πάθʼ ἄλγεα ὃν κατὰ θυμὸν

who before had suffered very many griefs in his heart,

ἀνδρῶν τε πτολέμους ἀλεγεινά τε κύματα πείρων,

cleaving through both the wars of men and the painful waves,

δὴ τότε γʼ ἀτρέμας εὗδε, λελασμένος ὅσσʼ ἐπεπόνθει.

but then he slept in peace, forgetting all that he had suffered.

εὖτʼ ἀστὴρ ὑπερέσχε φαάντατος, ὅς τε μάλιστα

When the brightest star arose, which especially

ἔρχεται ἀγγέλλων φάος Ἠοῦς ἠριγενείης,

comes to herald the light of early-born Dawn,

τῆμος δὴ νήσῳ προσεπίλνατο ποντοπόρος νηῦς.

then it was that the seafaring ship drew near to the island.

Φόρκυνος δέ τίς ἐστι λιμήν, ἁλίοιο γέροντος,

Now there is a certain harbor of Phorcys, the old man of the sea,

ἐν δήμῳ Ἰθάκης· δύο δὲ προβλῆτες ἐν αὐτῷ

in the land of Ithaca; and in it are two projecting

ἀκταὶ ἀπορρῶγες, λιμένος ποτιπεπτηυῖαι,

sheer cliffs, sloping toward the harbor,

αἵ τʼ ἀνέμων σκεπόωσι δυσαήων μέγα κῦμα

which break the great wave raised by heavy winds

ἔκτοθεν· ἔντοσθεν δέ τʼ ἄνευ δεσμοῖο μένουσι

without; but within, the well-timbered ships

νῆες ἐΰσσελμοι, ὅτʼ ἂν ὅρμου μέτρον ἵκωνται.

ride without tether when they have reached the limit of the anchorage.

αὐτὰρ ἐπὶ κρατὸς λιμένος τανύφυλλος ἐλαίη,

And at the head of the harbor is a long-leaved olive tree,

ἀγχόθι δʼ αὐτῆς ἄντρον ἐπήρατον ἠεροειδές,

and near it is a pleasant, shadowy cave,

ἱρὸν νυμφάων αἱ νηϊάδες καλέονται.

sacred to the nymphs that are called Naiads.

ἐν δὲ κρητῆρές τε καὶ ἀμφιφορῆες ἔασιν

And in it are stone mixing-bowls and jars,

λάϊνοι· ἔνθα δʼ ἔπειτα τιθαιβώσσουσι μέλισσαι.

and there the bees store their honey.

ἐν δʼ ἱστοὶ λίθεοι περιμήκεες, ἔνθα τε νύμφαι

And in it are very long looms of stone, where the nymphs

φάρεʼ ὑφαίνουσιν ἁλιπόρφυρα, θαῦμα ἰδέσθαι·

weave purple robes, a wonder to behold;

ἐν δʼ ὕδατʼ ἀενάοντα. δύω δέ τέ οἱ θύραι εἰσίν,

and in it are ever-flowing waters. And it has two doors,

αἱ μὲν πρὸς Βορέαο καταιβαταὶ ἀνθρώποισιν,

one toward the North, by which men go down,

αἱ δʼ αὖ πρὸς Νότου εἰσὶ θεώτεραι· οὐδέ τι κείνῃ

but the other, toward the South, is more divine; nor do

ἄνδρες ἐσέρχονται, ἀλλʼ ἀθανάτων ὁδός ἐστιν.

men enter by that way, but it is the path of the immortals.

ἔνθʼ οἵ γʼ εἰσέλασαν, πρὶν εἰδότες· ἡ μὲν ἔπειτα

There they rowed in, having known the place before; and the ship

ἠπείρῳ ἐπέκελσεν, ὅσον τʼ ἐπὶ ἥμισυ πάσης,

ran aground on the shore, as much as half her length,

σπερχομένη· τοῖον γὰρ ἐπείγετο χέρσʼ ἐρετάων·

in her swift course; so great was the thrust of the rowers' hands.

οἱ δʼ ἐκ νηὸς βάντες ἐϋζύγου ἤπειρόνδε

And they stepped out from the well-benched ship onto the land,

πρῶτον Ὀδυσσῆα γλαφυρῆς ἐκ νηὸς ἄειραν

and first they lifted Odysseus out of the hollow ship,

αὐτῷ σύν τε λίνῳ καὶ ῥήγεϊ σιγαλόεντι,

together with his linen sheet and bright blanket,

κὰδ δʼ ἄρʼ ἐπὶ ψαμάθῳ ἔθεσαν δεδμημένον ὕπνῳ,

and laid him down on the sand, fast bound in sleep;

ἐκ δὲ κτήματʼ ἄειραν, ἅ οἱ Φαίηκες ἀγαυοὶ

and they carried out the treasures which the noble Phaeacians

ὤπασαν οἴκαδʼ ἰόντι διὰ μεγάθυμον Ἀθήνην.

had given him on his homeward way through the high-hearted Athena.

καὶ τὰ μὲν οὖν παρὰ πυθμένʼ ἐλαίης ἀθρόα θῆκαν

And these they placed together by the trunk of the olive tree,

ἐκτὸς ὁδοῦ, μή πώς τις ὁδιτάων ἀνθρώπων,

out of the path, lest some wayfarer

πρίν γʼ Ὀδυσῆʼ ἔγρεσθαι, ἐπελθὼν δηλήσαιτο·

should come and despoil them before Odysseus awoke.

αὐτοὶ δʼ αὖτʼ οἶκόνδε πάλιν κίον. οὐδʼ ἐνοσίχθων

Then they themselves went back home. But the Earth-shaker

λήθετʼ ἀπειλάων, τὰς ἀντιθέῳ Ὀδυσῆϊ

did not forget the threats which he had first threatened

πρῶτον ἐπηπείλησε, Διὸς δʼ ἐξείρετο βουλήν·

against godlike Odysseus, and he asked the counsel of Zeus:

Ζεῦ πάτερ, οὐκέτʼ ἐγώ γε μετʼ ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖσι

“Father Zeus, no longer shall I be held in honor among the immortal gods,

τιμήεις ἔσομαι, ὅτε με βροτοὶ οὔ τι τίουσιν,

since mortal men do not honor me,

Φαίηκες, τοί πέρ τοι ἐμῆς ἔξ εἰσι γενέθλης.

even the Phaeacians, who are of my own lineage.

καὶ γὰρ νῦν Ὀδυσῆʼ ἐφάμην κακὰ πολλὰ παθόντα

For indeed I said that Odysseus, after suffering many evils,

οἴκαδʼ ἐλεύσεσθαι· νόστον δέ οἱ οὔ ποτʼ ἀπηύρων

should return home; but I did not utterly rob him of his return,

πάγχυ, ἐπεὶ σὺ πρῶτον ὑπέσχεο καὶ κατένευσας.

since you first promised it and nodded your assent.

οἱ δʼ εὕδοντʼ ἐν νηῒ θοῇ ἐπὶ πόντον ἄγοντες

But they have carried him sleeping in a swift ship over the sea

κάτθεσαν εἰν Ἰθάκῃ, ἔδοσαν δέ οἱ ἄσπετα δῶρα,

and placed him in Ithaca, and given him countless gifts,

χαλκόν τε χρυσόν τε ἅλις ἐσθῆτά θʼ ὑφαντήν,

bronze and gold in plenty, and woven garments,

πόλλʼ, ὅσʼ ἂν οὐδέ ποτε Τροίης ἐξήρατʼ Ὀδυσσεύς,

so many as Odysseus would never have won from Troy,

εἴ περ ἀπήμων ἦλθε, λαχὼν ἀπὸ ληΐδος αἶσαν.

even if he had come home unharmed, having received his due share of the spoil.”

τὸν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη νεφεληγερέτα Ζεὺς·

Then Zeus, the cloud-gatherer, answered him and said:

ὢ πόποι, ἐννοσίγαιʼ εὐρυσθενές, οἷον ἔειπες.

“Ah me, Earth-shaker of wide power, what a thing you have said!

οὔ τί σʼ ἀτιμάζουσι θεοί· χαλεπὸν δέ κεν εἴη

The gods do not dishonor you; indeed it would be hard

πρεσβύτατον καὶ ἄριστον ἀτιμίῃσιν ἰάλλειν.

to assail with dishonor the eldest and best of us.

ἀνδρῶν δʼ εἴ πέρ τίς σε βίῃ καὶ κάρτεϊ εἴκων

But if any man, yielding to his own power and strength,

οὔ τι τίει. σοὶ δʼ ἐστὶ καὶ ἐξοπίσω τίσις αἰεί.

holds you not in honor, you have ever your revenge hereafter.

ἔρξον ὅπως ἐθέλεις καί τοι φίλον ἔπλετο θυμῷ.

Do as you will, and as is pleasing to your heart.”

τὸν δʼ ἠμείβετʼ ἔπειτα Ποσειδάων ἐνοσίχθων·

Then Poseidon, the Earth-shaker, answered him:

αἶψά κʼ ἐγὼν ἔρξαιμι, κελαινεφές, ὡς ἀγορεύεις·

“Straightway would I do as you say, O lord of the dark cloud;

ἀλλὰ σὸν αἰεὶ θυμὸν ὀπίζομαι ἠδʼ ἀλεείνω.

but I ever revere and avoid your anger.

νῦν αὖ Φαιήκων ἐθέλω περικαλλέα νῆα,

Now indeed I wish to shatter the beautiful ship of the Phaeacians,

ἐκ πομπῆς ἀνιοῦσαν, ἐν ἠεροειδέϊ πόντῳ

as she comes back from her escort on the misty sea”

Syntax notes2 items

13.78ἀνακλινθέντες
Though grammatically passive, the participle here denotes a middle or active physical action of 'leaning back' to pull the oars.
13.81ἡ δʼ, ὥς τʼ ἐν πεδίῳ τετράοροι ἄρσενες ἵπποι
The feminine pronoun `ἡ` (referring to the ship) in §13.81 is suspended by a long simile comparing it to a four-horse chariot, with the main clause resuming in §13.84 with `ὣς ἄρα τῆς...`, exhibiting a notable hyperbaton.

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:13.76-13.150