Penelope's Rebuke of the Suitors and Eumaeus' Return — Odyssey §16.412-16.481 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

κῆρυξ γὰρ οἱ ἔειπε Μέδων, ὃς ἐπεύθετο βουλάς¹.

For the herald Medon told her, who had heard of their counsels.

βῆ δʼ ἰέναι μέγαρόνδε σὺν ἀμφιπόλοισι γυναιξίν.

And she went to go to the hall with her serving-women.

ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ μνηστῆρας ἀφίκετο δῖα γυναικῶν,

But when the noble lady reached the suitors,

στῆ ῥα παρὰ σταθμὸν τέγεος πύκα ποιητοῖο,

she stood by the doorpost of the well-built hall,

ἄντα παρειάων σχομένη λιπαρὰ κρήδεμνα,

holding her bright veil before her cheeks,

Ἀντίνοον δʼ ἐνένιπεν ἔπος τʼ ἔφατʼ ἔκ τʼ ὀνόμαζεν·

and she rebuked Antinous, and spoke, and addressed him by name:

Ἀντίνοʼ, ὕβριν ἔχων, κακομήχανε, καὶ δέ σέ φασιν

"Antinous, full of insolence, deviser of evil! Yet they say that you

ἐν δήμῳ Ἰθάκης μεθʼ ὁμήλικας ἔμμεν ἄριστον

In the land of Ithaca among those of your own age are the best

βουλῇ καὶ μύθοισι· σὺ δʼ οὐκ ἄρα τοῖος ἔησθα.

In counsel and in speech; but you were not such a man.

μάργε, τίη δὲ σὺ Τηλεμάχῳ θάνατόν τε μόρον τε

Madman, why do you plot death and doom for Telemachus,

ῥάπτεις, οὐδʼ ἱκέτας ἐμπάζεαι, οἷσιν ἄρα Ζεὺς

and do not care for suppliants, for whom Zeus

μάρτυρος²; οὐδʼ ὁσίη κακὰ ῥάπτειν ἀλλήλοισιν.

is witness? It is not right to plot evil against one another.

ἦ οὐκ οἶσθʼ ὅτε δεῦρο πατὴρ τεὸς ἵκετο φεύγων,

Do you not know when your father came here as a fugitive,

δῆμον ὑποδείσας; δὴ γὰρ κεχολώατο λίην,

fearing the people? For they were very angry with him,

οὕνεκα ληϊστῆρσιν ἐπισπόμενος Ταφίοισιν

because he had followed the Taphian pirates

ἤκαχε Θεσπρωτούς· οἱ δʼ ἡμῖν ἄρθμιοι ἦσαν·

and harassed the Thesprotians, who were in alliance with us;

τόν ῥʼ ἔθελον φθῖσαι καὶ ἀπορραῖσαι φίλον ἦτορ

him they wished to destroy, and to tear out his dear life,

ἠδὲ κατὰ ζωὴν φαγέειν μενοεικέα πολλήν·

and to consume his rich and abundant livelihood;

ἀλλʼ Ὀδυσεὺς κατέρυκε καὶ ἔσχεθεν ἱεμένους περ.

but Odysseus held them back and stayed them, though they were eager.

τοῦ νῦν οἶκον ἄτιμον ἔδεις, μνάᾳ δὲ γυναῖκα

His house you now consume without honor, and you woo his wife,

παῖδά τʼ ἀποκτείνεις, ἐμὲ δὲ μεγάλως ἀκαχίζεις·

and seek to slay his son, and grieve me greatly.

ἀλλά σε παύσασθαι κέλομαι καὶ ἀνωγέμεν ἄλλους.

But I bid you cease, and command the others to do so."

τὴν δʼ αὖτʼ Εὐρύμαχος, Πολύβου πάϊς, ἀντίον ηὔδα·

Then Eurymachus, son of Polybus, answered her and said:

κούρη Ἰκαρίοιο, περίφρον Πηνελόπεια,

"Daughter of Icarius, wise Penelope,

θάρσει· μή τοι ταῦτα μετὰ φρεσὶ σῇσι μελόντων.

be of good courage; let not these things trouble your heart.

οὐκ ἔσθʼ οὗτος ἀνὴρ οὐδʼ ἔσσεται οὐδὲ γένηται³,

There is no such man, nor will there be, nor can there ever be,

ὅς κεν Τηλεμάχῳ σῷ υἱέϊ χεῖρας ἐποίσει

who shall lay hands upon your son Telemachus,

ζώοντός γʼ ἐμέθεν καὶ ἐπὶ χθονὶ δερκομένοιο.

while I live and behold the light upon the earth.

ὧδε γὰρ ἐξερέω, καὶ μὴν τετελεσμένον ἔσται·

For thus I declare, and surely it shall be accomplished:

αἶψά οἱ αἷμα κελαινὸν ἐρωήσει περὶ δουρὶ

quickly his dark blood shall gush forth about our spear

ἡμετέρῳ, ἐπεὶ ἦ καὶ ἐμὲ πτολίπορθος Ὀδυσσεὺς

when I hold it, since indeed even me did Odysseus, sacker of cities,

πολλάκι γούνασιν οἷσιν ἐφεσσάμενος κρέας ὀπτὸν

often set upon his knees, and put roasted meat

ἐν χείρεσσιν ἔθηκεν, ἐπέσχε τε οἶνον ἐρυθρόν.

into my hands, and held the red wine to my lips.

τῷ μοι Τηλέμαχος πάντων πολὺ φίλτατός ἐστιν

Therefore Telemachus is by far the dearest of all men

ἀνδρῶν, οὐδέ τί μιν θάνατον τρομέεσθαι ἄνωγα

to me, and I bid him have no fear of death

ἔκ γε μνηστήρων· θεόθεν δʼ οὐκ ἔστʼ ἀλέασθαι.

from the suitors; but from the gods there is no escaping."

ὣς φάτο θαρσύνων, τῷ δʼ ἤρτυεν αὐτὸς ὄλεθρον.

So he spoke, encouraging her, but he himself was plotting his destruction.

ἡ μὲν ἄρʼ εἰσαναβᾶσʼ ὑπερώϊα σιγαλόεντα

Then she went up to her bright upper chamber,

κλαῖεν ἔπειτʼ Ὀδυσῆα, φίλον πόσιν, ὄφρα οἱ ὕπνον

and wept for Odysseus, her dear husband, until grey-eyed Athena

ἡδὺν ἐπὶ βλεφάροισι βάλε γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη.

cast sweet sleep upon her eyelids.

ἑσπέριος δʼ Ὀδυσῆϊ καὶ υἱέϊ δῖος ὑφορβὸς

In the evening the noble swineherd came to Odysseus and his son;

ἤλυθεν· οἱ δʼ ἄρα δόρπον ἐπισταδὸν ὡπλίζοντο,

and they were standing by and preparing their supper,

σῦν ἱερεύσαντες ἐνιαύσιον. αὐτὰρ Ἀθήνη,

having sacrificed a yearling pig. But Athena,

ἄγχι παρισταμένη, Λαερτιάδην Ὀδυσῆα

standing near, struck Odysseus, son of Laertes,

ῥάβδῳ πεπληγυῖα πάλιν ποίησε γέροντα,

with her wand, and made him an old man again,

λυγρὰ δὲ εἵματα ἕσσε περὶ χροΐ, μή ἑ συβώτης

and clothed him in miserable garments, lest the swineherd

γνοίη ἐσάντα ἰδὼν καὶ ἐχέφρονι Πηνελοπείῃ

should know him looking face to face, and go to announce it to wise Penelope,

ἔλθοι ἀπαγγέλλων μηδὲ φρεσὶν εἰρύσσαιτο⁴.

and might not keep it in his heart.

τὸν καὶ Τηλέμαχος πρότερος πρὸς μῦθον ἔειπεν·

And Telemachus first spoke to him, saying:

ἦλθες, δῖʼ Εὔμαιε. τί δὴ κλέος ἔστʼ ἀνὰ ἄστυ;

"You have come, noble Eumaeus. What news is there in the city?

ἦ ῥʼ ἤδη μνηστῆρες ἀγήνορες ἔνδον ἔασιν

Are the proud suitors already within from their ambush,

ἐκ λόχου, ἦ ἔτι μʼ αὖτʼ εἰρύαται οἴκαδʼ ἰόντα;

or are they still watching for me as I come home?"

τὸν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφης, Εὔμαιε συβῶτα·

To him you answered, swineherd Eumaeus, saying:

οὐκ ἔμελέν μοι ταῦτα μεταλλῆσαι καὶ ἐρέσθαι

"It was not my care to search and ask of these things

ἄστυ καταβλώσκοντα· τάχιστά με θυμὸς ἀνώγει

as I went down the city; my heart urged me quickly

ἀγγελίην εἰπόντα πάλιν δεῦρʼ ἀπονέεσθαι.

to return back here after telling my message.

ὡμήρησε δέ μοι παρʼ ἑταίρων ἄγγελος ὠκύς,

And there met me a swift messenger from your companions,

κῆρυξ, ὃς δὴ πρῶτος ἔπος σῇ μητρὶ ἔειπεν.

a herald, who was indeed the first to speak to your mother.

ἄλλο δέ τοι τό γε οἶδα· τὸ γὰρ ἴδον ὀφθαλμοῖσιν.

But another thing I know, for I saw it with my eyes.

ἤδη ὑπὲρ πόλιος, ὅθι θʼ Ἕρμαιος λόφος ἐστίν,

Already above the city, where the hill of Hermes is,

ἦα κιών, ὅτε νῆα θοὴν ἰδόμην κατιοῦσαν

I was going, when I saw a swift ship coming down

ἐς λιμένʼ ἡμέτερον· πολλοὶ δʼ ἔσαν ἄνδρες ἐν αὐτῇ,

into our harbor; and there were many men in her,

βεβρίθει δὲ σάκεσσι καὶ ἔγχεσιν ἀμφιγύοισι·

and she was heavy with shields and two-edged spears;

καὶ σφέας ὠΐσθην τοὺς ἔμμεναι, οὐδέ τι οἶδα.

and I thought they were those men, but I do not know for certain."

ὣς φάτο, μείδησεν δʼ ἱερὴ ἲς Τηλεμάχοιο

So he spoke, and the sacred strength of Telemachus smiled,

ἐς πατέρʼ ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ἰδών, ἀλέεινε δʼ ὑφορβόν.

looking with his eyes at his father, but he avoided the swineherd's eyes.

οἱ δʼ ἐπεὶ οὖν παύσαντο πόνου τετύκοντό τε δαῖτα,

And when they had ceased from their labor and prepared the feast,

δαίνυντʼ, οὐδέ τι θυμὸς ἐδεύετο δαιτὸς ἐΐσης.

they feasted, nor did their heart lack anything of the equal feast.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ πόσιος καὶ ἐδητύος ἐξ ἔρον ἕντο,

But when they had put away desire for drink and food,

κοίτου τε μνήσαντο καὶ ὕπνου δῶρον ἕλοντο.

they thought of rest, and took the gift of sleep.

Syntax notes4 items

§§16.412ὃς ἐπεύθετο βουλάς
The relative pronoun ὃς refers back to Medon. The clause explains that his hearing of the suitors' plots (βουλάς) was the reason he was able to inform Penelope.
§§16.422οἷσιν ἄρα Ζεὺς μάρτυρος
The relative pronoun οἷσιν has ἱκέτας (suppliants) as its antecedent, indicating that Zeus acts as a witness (and thus protector) over the sacred act of supplication.
§§16.437οὐδʼ ἔσσεται οὐδὲ γένηται
The future indicative ἔσσεται is paired with the aorist subjunctive γένηται after the negative οὐδέ. This is a Homeric construction expressing strong negative assertion about the future.
§§16.459μηδὲ φρεσὶν εἰρύσσαιτο
The optative in a clause of purpose or fear (continuing from μή ἕ... γνοίη in the previous verse). Here εἰρύσσαιτο means 'to keep or guard in one's heart', expressing the apprehension that the swineherd might not be able to keep the secret.

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:16.412-16.481