Arrival at Eumaeus' Hut and His Warm Reception — Odyssey §14.1-14.69 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

αὐτὰρ ὁ ἐκ λιμένος προσέβη τρηχεῖαν ἀταρπὸν

But he went up from the harbor along a rough path,

χῶρον ἀνʼ ὑλήεντα διʼ ἄκριας, ᾗ οἱ Ἀθήνη

through the wooded country over the heights, where Athena

πέφραδε δῖον ὑφορβόν, ὅ¹ οἱ βιότοιο μάλιστα

had indicated to him the noble swineherd, who of all the servants

κήδετο οἰκήων, οὓς κτήσατο δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς.

whom noble Odysseus had acquired, cared most for his substance.

τὸν δʼ ἄρʼ ἐνὶ προδόμῳ εὗρʼ ἥμενον, ἔνθα οἱ αὐλὴ

And he found him sitting in the forecourt, where his high court

ὑψηλὴ δέδμητο, περισκέπτῳ ἐνὶ χώρῳ,

was built, in a place with a wide view,

καλή τε μεγάλη τε, περίδρομος· ἥν ῥα συβώτης

beautiful and great, with space all around; which the swineherd

αὐτὸς δείμαθʼ ὕεσσιν ἀποιχομένοιο ἄνακτος,

himself had built for the swine of his absent master,

νόσφιν δεσποίνης καὶ Λαέρταο γέροντος,

without the knowledge of his mistress or the old man Laertes,

ῥυτοῖσιν λάεσσι καὶ ἐθρίγκωσεν ἀχέρδῳ·

with stones dragged thither, and he hedged it with wild pear.

σταυροὺς δʼ ἐκτὸς ἔλασσε διαμπερὲς ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα,

And he drove stakes outside all along, this way and that,

πυκνοὺς καὶ θαμέας, τὸ μέλαν δρυὸς ἀμφικεάσσας·

thick and close, having split the dark oak down to the heartwood;

ἔντοσθεν δʼ αὐλῆς συφεοὺς δυοκαίδεκα ποίει

and within the yard he made twelve sties near to one another,

πλησίον ἀλλήλων, εὐνὰς συσίν· ἐν δὲ ἑκάστῳ

as beds for the swine; and in each

πεντήκοντα σύες χαμαιευνάδες ἐρχατόωντο,

fifty wallowing swine were penned, breeding females.

θήλειαι τοκάδες· τοὶ δʼ ἄρσενες ἐκτὸς ἴαυον,

But the males slept outside, far fewer in number;

πολλὸν παυρότεροι· τοὺς γὰρ μινύθεσκον ἔδοντες

for the godlike suitors diminished them by eating them,

ἀντίθεοι μνηστῆρες, ἐπεὶ προΐαλλε συβώτης

since the swineherd ever sent them

αἰεὶ ζατρεφέων σιάλων τὸν ἄριστον ἁπάντων·

the best of all the fat-fed hogs.

οἱ δὲ τριηκόσιοί τε καὶ ἑξήκοντα πέλοντο.

And they were three hundred and sixty in number.

πὰρ δὲ κύνες, θήρεσσιν ἐοικότες αἰὲν ἴαυον

And beside them always slept four dogs, like wild beasts,

τέσσαρες, οὓς ἔθρεψε συβώτης, ὄρχαμος ἀνδρῶν.

which the swineherd, leader of men, had reared.

αὐτὸς δʼ ἀμφὶ πόδεσσιν ἑοῖς ἀράρισκε πέδιλα,

He himself was fitting sandals to his feet,

τάμνων δέρμα βόειον ἐϋχροές· οἱ δὲ δὴ ἄλλοι

cutting a well-colored ox-hide; and the others

ᾤχοντʼ ἄλλυδις ἄλλος ἅμʼ ἀγρομένοισι σύεσσιν,

had gone, one here, one there, with the herded swine,

οἱ τρεῖς· τὸν δὲ τέταρτον ἀποπροέηκε πόλινδε

three of them; but the fourth he had sent to the city

σῦν ἀγέμεν μνηστῆρσιν ὑπερφιάλοισιν ἀνάγκῃ,

to drive a hog to the overbearing suitors of necessity,

ὄφρʼ ἱερεύσαντες κρειῶν κορεσαίατο θυμόν.

so that they might slaughter it and satisfy their soul with meat.

ἐξαπίνης δʼ Ὀδυσῆα ἴδον κύνες ὑλακόμωροι.

Suddenly the baying dogs saw Odysseus,

οἱ μὲν κεκλήγοντες ἐπέδραμον· αὐτὰρ Ὀδυσσεὺς

and they ran at him with loud barking. But Odysseus

ἕζετο κερδοσύνη, σκῆπτρον δέ οἱ ἔκπεσε χειρός.

sat down with cunning, and the staff fell from his hand.

ἔνθα κεν ᾧ πὰρ σταθμῷ ἀεικέλιον πάθεν ἄλγος·²

There indeed, beside his own steading, he would have suffered unseemly pain,

ἀλλὰ συβώτης ὦκα ποσὶ κραιπνοῖσι μετασπὼν

but the swineherd quickly, following with swift feet,

ἔσσυτʼ ἀνὰ πρόθυρον, σκῦτος δέ οἱ ἔκπεσε χειρός.

rushed through the gateway, and the hide fell from his hand.

τοὺς μὲν ὁμοκλήσας σεῦεν κύνας ἄλλυδις ἄλλον

He shouted at the dogs and drove them away, one this way, one that,

πυκνῇσιν λιθάδεσσιν· ὁ δὲ προσέειπεν ἄνακτα·

with thick stones; and he spoke to his master:

ὦ γέρον, ἦ ὀλίγου σε κύνες διεδηλήσαντο

“Old man, truly the dogs would have torn you to pieces of a sudden,

ἐξαπίνης, καί κέν μοι ἐλεγχείην κατέχευας.

and you would have poured shame upon me.

καὶ δέ μοι ἄλλα θεοὶ δόσαν ἄλγεά τε στοναχάς τε·

And the gods have given me other pains and groanings too;

ἀντιθέου γὰρ ἄνακτος ὀδυρόμενος καὶ ἀχεύων

for mourning and grieving for my godlike master

ἧμαι, ἄλλοισιν δὲ σύας σιάλους ἀτιτάλλω

I sit here, while I rear fat hogs for others

ἔδμεναι· αὐτὰρ κεῖνος ἐελδόμενός που ἐδωδῆς

to eat; while he, perhaps craving food,

πλάζετʼ ἐπʼ ἀλλοθρόων ἀνδρῶν δῆμόν τε πόλιν τε,

wanders in the land and city of men of strange speech,

εἴ που ἔτι ζώει καὶ ὁρᾷ φάος ἠελίοιο.

if indeed he still lives and sees the light of the sun.

ἀλλʼ ἕπεο, κλισίηνδʼ ἴομεν, γέρον, ὄφρα καὶ αὐτός,

But come, let us go to the hut, old man, so that you too,

σίτου καὶ οἴνοιο κορεσσάμενος κατὰ θυμόν,

when you have satisfied your heart with food and wine,

εἴπῃς ὁππόθεν ἐσσὶ καὶ ὁππόσα κήδεʼ ἀνέτλης.

may tell whence you are and what sorrows you have endured.”

ὣς εἰπὼν κλισίηνδʼ ἡγήσατο δῖος ὑφορβός,

So saying, the noble swineherd led the way to the hut,

εἷσεν δʼ εἰσαγαγών, ῥῶπας δʼ ὑπέχευε δασείας,

and brought him in and made him sit, and strewed thick brushwood beneath,

ἐστόρεσεν δʼ ἐπὶ δέρμα ἰονθάδος ἀγρίου αἰγός,

and spread over it the skin of a shaggy wild goat,

αὐτοῦ ἐνεύναιον, μέγα καὶ δασύ. χαῖρε δʼ Ὀδυσσεὺς

his own bed, large and thick. And Odysseus rejoiced

ὅττι μιν ὣς ὑπέδεκτο, ἔπος τʼ ἔφατʼ ἔκ τʼ ὀνόμαζεν·

that he welcomed him thus, and spoke a word and addressed him:

Ζεύς τοι δοίη, ξεῖνε, καὶ ἀθάνατοι θεοὶ ἄλλοι

“May Zeus, stranger, and the other immortal gods grant you

ὅττι μάλιστʼ ἐθέλεις, ὅτι με πρόφρων ὑπέδεξο.

whatever you most desire, because you have welcomed me so kindly.”

τὸν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφης, Εὔμαιε συβῶτα³·

Then in answer you spoke to him, swineherd Eumaeus:

ξεῖνʼ, οὔ μοι θέμις ἔστʼ, οὐδʼ εἰ κακίων σέθεν ἔλθοι,

“Stranger, it is not right for me, not even if one more wretched than you should come,

ξεῖνον ἀτιμῆσαι· πρὸς γὰρ Διός εἰσιν ἅπαντες

to dishonor a stranger; for from Zeus are all

ξεῖνοί τε πτωχοί τε· δόσις δʼ ὀλίγη τε φίλη τε

strangers and beggars; and a gift from us, though little,

γίγνεται ἡμετέρη· ἡ γὰρ δμώων δίκη ἐστὶν

is welcome; for this is the way of servants,

αἰεὶ δειδιότων, ὅτʼ ἐπικρατέωσιν ἄνακτες

always in fear when young masters rule over them.

οἱ νέοι. ἦ γὰρ τοῦ γε θεοὶ κατὰ νόστον ἔδησαν,

For indeed the gods have barred the return of him

ὅς κεν ἔμʼ ἐνδυκέως ἐφίλει καὶ κτῆσιν ὄπασσεν⁴,

who would have cared for me kindly and given me possessions,

οἶκόν τε κλῆρόν τε πολυμνήστην τε γυναῖκα,

a house, and a plot of land, and a wife wooed of many,

οἷά τε ᾧ οἰκῆϊ ἄναξ εὔθυμος ἔδωκεν,

such things as a kind master gives to his servant

ὅς οἱ πολλὰ κάμῃσι, θεὸς δʼ ἐπὶ ἔργον ἀέξῃ,

who has labored much for him, and whose work the god makes to prosper,

ὡς καὶ ἐμοὶ τόδε ἔργον ἀέξεται, ᾧ ἐπιμίμνω.

even as this work of mine prospers, whereat I abide.

τῷ κέ με πόλλʼ ὤνησεν ἄναξ, εἰ αὐτόθʼ ἐγήρα·

Thereby would my master have profited me much, had he grown old here;

ἀλλʼ ὄλεθʼ—ὡς ὤφελλʼ Ἑλένης ἀπὸ φῦλον ὀλέσθαι

but he has perished—as I wish the whole race of Helen had perished

πρόχνυ, ἐπεὶ πολλῶν ἀνδρῶν ὑπὸ γούνατʼ ἔλυσε·

utterly, since she loosened the knees of many men!”

Syntax notes4 items

14.3ὅ
An archaic form of the relative pronoun masculine nominative singular (or a demonstrative used relatively), referring back to the antecedent `ὑφορβόν` (swineherd). The subsequent `βιότοιο` (substance, livelihood) is a genitive governed by the verb `κήδετο` (cared for).
14.32ἔνθα κεν ᾧ πὰρ σταθμῷ ἀεικέλιον πάθεν ἄλγος·
The combination of the particle `κεν` and the indicative aorist `πάθεν` expresses a past contrary-to-fact condition, indicating what would have happened (suffering unseemly pain) if the swineherd had not intervened.
14.55προσέφης, Εὔμαιε συβῶτα
A poetic device called apostrophe, where the narrator directly addresses a character in the second person (`προσέφης`, "you spoke"). This direct address is characteristic of Homer's unique affection and sympathy for Eumaeus.
14.62ὅς κεν ἔμʼ ἐνδυκέως ἐφίλει καὶ κτῆσιν ὄπασσεν
A apodosis expressing a past contrary-to-fact situation using the particle `κεν` with indicative imperfect/aorist verbs (`ἐφίλει`, `ὄπασσεν`). Following the main clause in line 61, it implies: "who, had he returned, would have cared for me and given me possessions."

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:14.1-14.69