Kidnapping of Eumaeus and His Fall into Slavery — Odyssey §15.426-15.491 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

κούρη δʼ εἴμʼ Ἀρύβαντος ἐγὼ ῥυδὸν ἀφνειοῖο·

'I boast to be the daughter of Arybas, rich in flowing wealth.

ἀλλά μʼ ἀνήρπαξαν Τάφιοι ληΐστορες ἄνδρες

But Taphians, men of plunder, snatched me away

ἀγρόθεν ἐρχομένην, πέρασαν δέ τε δεῦρʼ ἀγαγόντες

as I was coming from the field, and carried me hither and sold me

τοῦδʼ ἀνδρὸς πρὸς δώμαθʼ· ὁ δʼ ἄξιον ὦνον ἔδωκε.

to the house of this man; and he paid a worthy price.'

τὴν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπεν ἀνήρ, ὃς ἐμίσγετο λάθρη·

Then the man who lay with her in secret spoke to her again:

ἦ ῥά κε νῦν πάλιν αὖτις ἅμʼ ἡμῖν οἴκαδʼ ἕποιο,

'Would you then now go back home again with us,

ὄφρα ἴδῃ πατρὸς καὶ μητέρος ὑψερεφὲς δῶ

that you may see the high-roofed house of your father and mother,

αὐτούς τʼ; ἦ γὰρ ἔτʼ εἰσὶ καὶ ἀφνειοὶ καλέονται.

and themselves? For indeed they are still alive and are called rich.'

τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε γυνὴ καὶ ἀμείβετο μύθῳ·

To him in turn the woman spoke and answered with words:

εἴη κεν καὶ τοῦτʼ, εἴ μοι ἐθέλοιτέ γε, ναῦται,

'This too might be, if you would be willing, sailors,

ὅρκῳ πιστωθῆναι¹ ἀπήμονά μʼ οἴκαδʼ ἀπάξειν.

to bind yourselves by an oath to bring me home unharmed.'

ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἱ δʼ ἄρα πάντες ἐπώμνυον ὡς ἐκέλευεν.

So she spoke, and they all swore as she bade them.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεί ῥʼ ὄμοσάν τε τελεύτησάν τε τὸν ὅρκον,

But when they had sworn and completed their oath,

τοῖς δʼ αὖτις μετέειπε γυνὴ καὶ ἀμείβετο μύθῳ·

to them again the woman spoke and answered with words:

σιγῇ νῦν, μή τίς με προσαυδάτω ἐπέεσσιν

'Be silent now; let none of your companions address me with words,

ὑμετέρων ἑτάρων, ξυμβλήμενος ἢ ἐν ἀγυιῇ,

meeting me either in the street,

ἤ που ἐπὶ κρήνῃ· μή τις ποτὶ δῶμα γέροντι

or perhaps at the spring; lest some one should go and tell the old man in the house,

ἐλθὼν ἐξείπῃ, ὁ δʼ ὀϊσάμενος καταδήσῃ²

and he, becoming suspicious, should bind me in hard bonds,

δεσμῷ ἐν ἀργαλέῳ, ὑμῖν δʼ ἐπιφράσσετʼ ὄλεθρον.

and devise destruction for you.

ἀλλʼ ἔχετʼ ἐν φρεσὶ μῦθον, ἐπείγετε δʼ ὦνον ὁδαίων.

But keep the plan in your minds, and hasten the purchase of your homeward freight.

ἀλλʼ ὅτε κεν δὴ νηῦς πλείη βιότοιο γένηται,

But when indeed the ship is full of livelihood,

ἀγγελίη μοι ἔπειτα θοῶς ἐς δώμαθʼ ἱκέσθω·

then let a message come to me quickly at the house;

οἴσω γὰρ καὶ χρυσόν, ὅτις χʼ ὑποχείριος ἔλθῃ·

for I will also bring whatever gold comes under my hand;

καὶ δέ κεν ἄλλʼ ἐπίβαθρον ἐγὼν ἐθέλουσά γε δοίην.

and gladly would I give another passage-fee besides.

παῖδα γὰρ ἀνδρὸς ἑῆος ἐνὶ μεγάροις ἀτιτάλλω,

For I nurse the child of that good man in the halls,

κερδαλέον δὴ τοῖον³, ἅμα τροχόωντα θύραζε·

so wily a child, who runs abroad with me;

τόν κεν ἄγοιμʼ ἐπὶ νηός, ὁ δʼ ὑμῖν μυρίον ὦνον

him would I bring on board, and he would fetch you a countless price,

ἄλφοι, ὅπῃ περάσητε κατʼ ἀλλοθρόους ἀνθρώπους.

wherever you may sell him among men of strange speech.'

ἡ μὲν ἄρʼ ὣς εἰποῦσʼ ἀπέβη πρὸς δώματα καλά,

She, having thus spoken, departed to the beautiful house.

οἱ δʼ ἐνιαυτὸν ἅπαντα παρʼ ἡμῖν αὖθι μένοντες

But they remained there with us for a whole year,

ἐν νηῒ γλαφυρῇ βίοτον πολὺν ἐμπολόωντο.

and bought and sold much livelihood in their hollow ship.

ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ κοίλη νηῦς ἤχθετο τοῖσι νέεσθαι,

But when indeed the hollow ship was laden for their return,

καὶ τότʼ ἄρʼ ἄγγελον ἧκαν, ὃς ἀγγείλειε γυναικί.

then indeed they sent a messenger to tell the woman.

ἤλυθʼ ἀνὴρ πολύϊδρις ἐμοῦ πρὸς δώματα πατρὸς

There came a very wily man to the house of my father,

χρύσεον ὅρμον ἔχων, μετὰ δʼ ἠλέκτροισιν ἔερτο.

bringing a golden necklace, and it was strung with amber.

τὸν μὲν ἄρʼ ἐν μεγάρῳ δμῳαὶ καὶ πότνια μήτηρ

In the hall the handmaids and my lady mother

χερσίν τʼ ἀμφαφόωντο καὶ ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ὁρῶντο,

were handling it and gazing on it with their eyes,

ὦνον ὑπισχόμεναι· ὁ δὲ τῇ κατένευσε σιωπῇ⁴.

promising a price; but he nodded to her in silence.

ἦ τοι ὁ καννεύσας κοίλην ἐπὶ νῆα βεβήκει,

Having nodded, he went back to the hollow ship,

ἡ δʼ ἐμὲ χειρὸς ἑλοῦσα δόμων ἐξῆγε θύραζε.

and she took me by the hand and led me forth from the house.

εὗρε δʼ ἐνὶ προδόμῳ ἠμὲν δέπα ἠδὲ τραπέζας

In the porch she found the cups and tables of the men

ἀνδρῶν δαιτυμόνων, οἵ μευ πατέρʼ ἀμφεπένοντο.

who had been feasting, who were attending upon my father.

οἱ μὲν ἄρʼ ἐς θῶκον πρόμολον, δήμοιό τε φῆμιν,

They had gone forth to the seat of assembly and the talk of the people,

ἡ δʼ αἶψα τρίʼ ἄλεισα κατακρύψασʼ ὑπὸ κόλπῳ

but she quickly hid three goblets under her bosom

ἔκφερεν· αὐτὰρ ἐγὼν ἑπόμην ἀεσιφροσύνῃσι⁵.

and carried them out; and I followed in my childish innocence.

δύσετό τʼ ἠέλιος, σκιόωντό τε πᾶσαι ἀγυιαί·

And the sun set, and all the ways grew dark;

ἡμεῖς δʼ ἐς λιμένα κλυτὸν ἤλθομεν ὦκα κιόντες,

and we came quickly to the famous harbor,

ἔνθʼ ἄρα Φοινίκων ἀνδρῶν ἦν ὠκύαλος νηῦς.

where was the swift-sailing ship of the Phoenicians.

οἱ μὲν ἔπειτʼ ἀναβάντες ἐπέπλεον ὑγρὰ κέλευθα,

Then they went on board and sailed over the watery ways,

νὼ ἀναβησάμενοι· ἐπὶ δὲ Ζεὺς οὖρον ἴαλλεν.

having put us two on board; and Zeus sent a favorable wind.

ἑξῆμαρ μὲν ὁμῶς πλέομεν νύκτας τε καὶ ἦμαρ·

For six days we sailed alike by night and day;

ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ ἕβδομον ἦμαρ ἐπὶ Ζεὺς θῆκε Κρονίων,

but when indeed the son of Cronos, Zeus, brought the seventh day,

τὴν μὲν ἔπειτα γυναῖκα βάλʼ Ἄρτεμις ἰοχέαιρα,

then Artemis, who delights in arrows, smote the woman,

ἄντλῳ δʼ ἐνδούπησε πεσοῦσʼ ὡς εἰναλίη κήξ.

and she fell with a thud into the bilge like a sea-bird.

καὶ τὴν μὲν φώκῃσι καὶ ἰχθύσι κύρμα γενέσθαι

And her they cast out to be a prey to seals and fish,

ἔκβαλον· αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ λιπόμην ἀκαχήμενος ἦτορ·

but I was left behind, grieving in my heart;

τοὺς δʼ Ἰθάκῃ ἐπέλασσε φέρων ἄνεμός τε καὶ ὕδωρ,

and the wind and the water brought them near to Ithaca,

ἔνθα με Λαέρτης πρίατο κτεάτεσσιν ἑοῖσιν.

where Laertes bought me with his own wealth.

οὕτω τήνδε τε γαῖαν ἐγὼν ἴδον ὀφθαλμοῖσι.

Thus it was that I saw this land with my eyes.'

τὸν δʼ αὖ διογενὴς Ὀδυσεὺς ἠμείβετο μύθῳ·

To him in turn Zeus-born Odysseus answered with words:

Εὔμαιʼ, ἦ μάλα δή μοι ἐνὶ φρεσὶ θυμὸν ὄρινας

'Eumaeus, indeed you have deeply stirred the heart in my breast

ταῦτα ἕκαστα λέγων, ὅσα δὴ πάθες ἄλγεα θυμῷ.

by telling each of these things, all the griefs you have suffered in your heart.

ἀλλʼ ἦ τοι σοὶ μὲν παρὰ καὶ κακῷ ἐσθλὸν ἔθηκε

Yet surely for you, Zeus has set good even alongside the evil,

Ζεύς, ἐπεὶ ἀνδρὸς δώματʼ ἀφίκεο πολλὰ μογήσας

since you have come to the house of a gentle master, after suffering much,

ἠπίου, ὃς δή τοι παρέχει βρῶσίν τε πόσιν τε

who indeed provides you food and drink

ἐνδυκέως, ζώεις δʼ ἀγαθὸν βίον· αὐτὰρ ἐγώ γε

kindly, and you live a good life; but as for me...'

Syntax notes5 items

§15.435-436εἴη κεν καὶ τοῦτʼ, εἴ μοι ἐθέλοιτέ γε, ναῦται, ὅρκῳ πιστωθῆναι
'εἴη κεν' is a potential optative (optative 'εἴη' with the particle 'κεν'), expressing a possibility ('this too might be'). The protasis is 'εἴ ... ἐθέλοιτέ γε' (present optative), meaning 'if you would be willing.' The aorist passive infinitive 'πιστωθῆναι' functions as the object of 'ἐθέλοιτε', with the vocative 'ναῦται' (sailors) as its implied subject.
§15.442-444μή τις ποτὶ δῶμα γέροντι ἐλθὼν ἐξείπῃ, ὁ δʼ ὀϊσάμενος καταδήσῃ
A negative purpose or fear clause introduced by the conjunction 'μή', governing the coordinated aorist subjunctives 'ἐξείπῃ' and 'καταδήσῃ'. The demonstrative pronoun in 'ὁ δʼ' marks a shift of subject from the indefinite 'τις' (someone) in the first clause to the 'γέροντι' (the old master, Laertes) in the second.
§15.451κερδαλέον δὴ τοῖον
The adjective 'κερδαλέος' (wily, clever) is modified by the adverbial accusative 'τοῖον' (so, to such a degree) and the emphatic particle 'δη', forming a Homeric idiomatic expression meaning 'really so very wily,' highlighting the child's suitability for abduction and sale.
§15.463ὁ δὲ τῇ κατένευσε σιωπῇ
The dative demonstrative pronoun 'τῇ' refers back to the accomplice, the Phoenician woman, rather than the mother of Eumaeus mentioned in the previous line. The phrase means 'he nodded in silence to her (the Phoenician woman)' as a signal before returning to the ship.
§15.470ἀεσιφροσύνῃσι
A dative plural abstract noun derived from 'ἀεσίφρων' (witless, silly), referring here to 'childish thoughtlessness' or 'innocence.' The plural form functions adverbially to describe the naive state of mind in which the young Eumaeus followed the woman.

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:15.426-15.491