Escape to Ithaca and Proposed Pact with Eumaeus — Odyssey §14.336-14.401 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

ἔνθʼ ὅ γέ μʼ ἠνώγει πέμψαι βασιλῆϊ Ἀκάστῳ

There he ordered them to convey me to king Acastus

ἐνδυκέως· τοῖσιν δὲ κακὴ φρεσὶν ἥνδανε βουλὴ

carefully; but to them an evil counsel in their hearts was pleasing

ἀμφʼ ἐμοί, ὄφρʼ ἔτι πάγχυ δύης ἐπὶ πῆμα γενοίμην¹.

concerning me, so that I might yet come to the very pain of misery.

ἀλλʼ ὅτε γαίης πολλὸν ἀπέπλω ποντοπόρος νηῦς,

But when the seafaring ship had sailed far away from the land,

αὐτίκα δούλιον ἦμαρ ἐμοὶ περιμηχανόωντο.

straightway they began to devise for me the day of slavery.

ἐκ μέν με χλαῖνάν τε χιτῶνά τε εἵματʼ ἔδυσαν,

They stripped me of my cloak and tunic for garments,

ἀμφὶ δέ μοι ῥάκος ἄλλο κακὸν βάλον ἠδὲ χιτῶνα,

and cast about me another wretched rag and a tunic,

ῥωγαλέα, τὰ καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ὅρηαι²·

tattered, which you yourself also see before your eyes.

ἑσπέριοι δʼ Ἰθάκης εὐδειέλου ἔργʼ ἀφίκοντο.

At evening they arrived at the tilled fields of sunny Ithaca.

ἔνθʼ ἐμὲ μὲν κατέδησαν ἐϋσσέλμῳ ἐνὶ νηῒ

There they bound me tightly in the well-benched ship

ὅπλῳ ἐϋστρεφέϊ στερεῶς, αὐτοὶ δʼ ἀποβάντες

with a well-twisted rope, and they themselves disembarked

ἐσσυμένως παρὰ θῖνα θαλάσσης δόρπον ἕλοντο.

hastily and took their supper along the shore of the sea.

αὐτὰρ ἐμοὶ δεσμὸν μὲν ἀνέγναμψαν θεοὶ αὐτοὶ

But as for me, the gods themselves untied my bonds

ῥηϊδίως· κεφαλῇ δὲ κατὰ ῥάκος ἀμφικαλύψας,

easily; and wrapping a rag about my head,

ξεστὸν ἐφόλκαιον καταβὰς ἐπέλασσα θαλάσσῃ

sliding down the polished steering-oar, I brought my chest

στῆθος, ἔπειτα δὲ χερσὶ διήρεσσʼ ἀμφοτέρῃσι

close to the sea, and then with both my hands I rowed,

νηχόμενος, μάλα δʼ ὦκα θύρηθʼ ἔα³ ἀμφὶς ἐκείνων.

swimming, and very quickly I was away from them and out of their reach.

ἔνθʼ ἀναβάς, ὅθι τε δρίος ἦν πολυανθέος ὕλης,

There, having gone ashore where there was a thicket of flowering wood,

κείμην πεπτηώς. οἱ δὲ μεγάλα στενάχοντες

I lay crouching. But they, groaning greatly,

φοίτων· ἀλλʼ οὐ γάρ σφιν ἐφαίνετο κέρδιον εἶναι

went roaming about; but since it did not seem to them more profitable

μαίεσθαι προτέρω, τοὶ μὲν πάλιν αὖτις ἔβαινον

to search further, they went back again

νηὸς ἔπι γλαφυρῆς· ἐμὲ δʼ ἔκρυψαν θεοὶ αὐτοὶ

onboard their hollow ship. And me the gods themselves hid

ῥηϊδίως, καί με σταθμῷ ἐπέλασσαν ἄγοντες

easily, and guided me to the dwelling

ἀνδρὸς ἐπισταμένου· ἔτι γάρ νύ μοι αἶσα βιῶναι.

of a wise man; for still it was my fate to live.

τὸν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφης, Εὔμαιε συβῶτα·

To him in answer you spoke, Eumaeus, swineherd:

ἆ δειλὲ ξείνων, ἦ μοι μάλα θυμὸν ὄρινας

Eumaeus: "Ah, wretched stranger, truly you have deeply stirred my heart,

ταῦτα ἕκαστα λέγων, ὅσα δὴ πάθες ἠδʼ ὅσʼ ἀλήθης.

telling each of these things, how much you suffered and how much you wandered.

ἀλλὰ τά γʼ οὐ κατὰ κόσμον ὀΐομαι, οὐδέ με πείσεις

But these things, I think, are not in order, nor will you persuade me

εἰπὼν ἀμφʼ Ὀδυσῆϊ· τί σε χρὴ τοῖον ἐόντα

speaking about Odysseus. Why should you, being such as you are,

μαψιδίως ψεύδεσθαι⁴; ἐγὼ δʼ εὖ οἶδα καὶ αὐτὸς

lie to no purpose? I myself know well

νόστον ἐμοῖο ἄνακτος, ὅ τʼ ἤχθετο πᾶσι θεοῖσι

the return of my master, that he was utterly hated by all the gods,

πάγχυ μάλʼ, ὅττι μιν οὔ τι μετὰ Τρώεσσι δάμασσαν

because they did not destroy him among the Trojans,

ἠὲ φίλων ἐν χερσίν, ἐπεὶ πόλεμον τολύπευσε.

or in the hands of his friends, after he had wound up the war.

τῷ κέν οἱ τύμβον μὲν ἐποίησαν⁵ Παναχαιοί,

In that case all the Achaeans would have made a tomb for him,

ἠδέ κε καὶ ᾧ παιδὶ μέγα κλέος ἤρατʼ ὀπίσσω

and for his son also he would have won great glory hereafter.

νῦν δέ μιν ἀκλειῶς ἅρπυιαι ἀνηρείψαντο.

But now the storm-winds have snatched him away ingloriously.

αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ παρʼ ὕεσσιν ἀπότροπος· οὐδὲ πόλινδε

But I live apart with the swine; and to the city

ἔρχομαι, εἰ μή πού τι περίφρων Πηνελόπεια

I do not go, unless perchance wise Penelope

ἐλθέμεν ὀτρύνῃσιν⁶, ὅτʼ ἀγγελίη ποθὲν ἔλθῃ.

urges me to come, when some news comes from somewhere.

ἀλλʼ οἱ μὲν τὰ ἕκαστα παρήμενοι ἐξερέουσιν,

But they sit by and question everything,

ἠμὲν οἳ ἄχνυνται δὴν οἰχομένοιο ἄνακτος,

both those who grieve for our long-absent master

ἠδʼ οἳ χαίρουσιν βίοτον νήποινον ἔδοντες·

and those who rejoice, eating up his livelihood without payment.

ἀλλʼ ἐμοὶ οὐ φίλον ἐστὶ μεταλλῆσαι καὶ ἐρέσθαι,

But to me it is not pleasing to search and inquire,

ἐξ οὗ δή μʼ Αἰτωλὸς ἀνὴρ ἐξήπαφε μύθῳ,

since the time when an Aetolian man deceived me with his story,

ὅς ῥʼ ἄνδρα κτείνας, πολλὴν ἐπὶ γαῖαν ἀληθείς,

who having slain a man, after wandering over much land,

ἦλθεν ἐμὰ πρὸς δώματʼ· ἐγὼ δέ μιν ἀμφαγάπαζον.

came to my house, and I welcomed him warmly.

φῆ δέ μιν ἐν Κρήτεσσι παρʼ Ἰδομενῆϊ ἰδέσθαι

He said he had seen him among the Cretans at the house of Idomeneus,

νῆας ἀκειόμενον, τάς οἱ ξυνέαξαν ἄελλαι·

repairing his ships, which the tempests had shattered;

καὶ φάτʼ ἐλεύσεσθαι ἢ ἐς θέρος ἢ ἐς ὀπώρην,

and he said that he would return either in summer or in autumn,

πολλὰ χρήματʼ ἄγοντα, σὺν ἀντιθέοις ἑτάροισι.

bringing many possessions, with his godlike companions.

καὶ σύ, γέρον πολυπενθές, ἐπεί σέ μοι ἤγαγε δαίμων,

And you, old man of many sorrows, since a divinity has brought you to me,

μήτε τί μοι ψεύδεσσι χαρίζεο μήτε τι θέλγε·

neither please me with lies nor soothe me at all;

οὐ γὰρ τοὔνεκʼ ἐγώ σʼ αἰδέσσομαι οὐδὲ φιλήσω,

for not for that reason will I respect or welcome you,

ἀλλὰ Δία ξένιον δείσας αὐτόν τʼ ἐλεαίρων.

but from fear of Zeus the god of strangers, and from pitying you yourself."

τὸν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς

In answer to him spoke resourceful Odysseus:

ἦ μάλα τίς τοι θυμὸς ἐνὶ στήθεσσιν ἄπιστος,

Odysseus: "Truly a very unbelieving heart is in your breast,

οἷόν σʼ οὐδʼ ὀμόσας περ ἐπήγαγον οὐδέ σε πείθω.

since not even by swearing an oath did I bring you over, nor do I convince you.

ἀλλʼ ἄγε νῦν ῥήτρην ποιησόμεθʼ· αὐτὰρ ὄπισθε

But come now, let us make a covenant; and hereafter

μάρτυροι ἀμφοτέροισι θεοί, τοὶ Ὄλυμπον ἔχουσιν.

let the gods who hold Olympus be witnesses for both of us.

εἰ μέν κεν νοστήσῃ ἄναξ τεὸς ἐς τόδε δῶμα,

If indeed your master returns to this house,

ἕσσας με χλαῖνάν τε χιτῶνά τε εἵματα πέμψαι

clothe me in a cloak and a tunic for garments and send me

Δουλίχιόνδʼ ἰέναι, ὅθι μοι φίλον ἔπλετο θυμῷ·

to go to Dulichium, where it is pleasing to my heart;

εἰ δέ κε μὴ ἔλθῃσιν ἄναξ τεὸς ὡς ἀγορεύω,

but if your master does not come as I say,

δμῶας ἐπισσεύας βαλέειν μεγάλης κατὰ πέτρης,

set your servants upon me and cast me down from a great cliff,

ὄφρα καὶ ἄλλος πτωχὸς ἀλεύεται ἠπεροπεύειν.

so that another beggar also may avoid practicing deceit."

τὸν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσεφώνεε δῖος ὑφορβός·

In answer to him spoke the noble swineherd:

Syntax notes6 items

14.338γενοίμην
The optative γενοίμην is introduced by the conjunction ὄφρα in a purpose clause depending on the past verb ἥνδανε in the main clause.
14.343ὅρηαι
The second-person singular present indicative middle/passive of ὁράω. It is a Homeric dialectal form, equivalent to Attic ὁρᾷ.
14.352ἔα
The form ἔα is the first-person singular imperfect indicative of εἰμί ("to be"), which here with the adverb θύρηθε ("outside") means "I was out of their reach."
14.364τί σε χρὴ τοῖον ἐόντα / μαψιδίως ψεύδεσθαι
The impersonal verb χρή is used with the accusative subject (σε) and the infinitive (ψεύδεσθαι). The accusative neuter pronoun τί functions adverbially as 'why', and τοῖον ἐόντα stands in predicative apposition to σε.
14.369τῷ κέν οἱ τύμβον μὲν ἐποίησαν
The particle κεν with the aorist indicative ἐποίησαν forms the apodosis of a past contrary-to-fact conditional, indicating 'in that case they would have built a tomb for him'.
14.373εἰ μή πού τι περίφρων Πηνελόπεια / ἐλθέμεν ὀτρύνῃσιν
The conjunction εἰ combined with the third-person singular subjunctive ὀτρύνῃσιν (a Homeric form of ὀτρύνῃ) introduces a conditional clause expressing a future possibility or general condition, following a negative main clause.

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:14.336-14.401