Telemachus on the Suitors and Sending Eumaeus to Penelope — Odyssey §16.68-16.137 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

τὸν δʼ αὖ Τηλέμαχος πεπνυμένος ἀντίον ηὔδα·

And him in turn wise Telemachus answered:

Εὔμαιʼ, ἦ μάλα τοῦτο ἔπος θυμαλγὲς ἔειπες·

"Eumaeus, surely this word you spoke is very painful to my heart;

πῶς γὰρ δὴ τὸν ξεῖνον ἐγὼν ὑποδέξομαι οἴκῳ;

for how indeed shall I receive the stranger in my house?

αὐτὸς μὲν νέος εἰμὶ καὶ οὔ πω χερσὶ πέποιθα

I myself am young, and do not yet trust in my hands

ἄνδρʼ ἀπαμύνασθαι, ὅτε τις πρότερος χαλεπήνῃ·

to ward off a man, when someone first acts aggressively against me;

μητρὶ δʼ ἐμῇ δίχα θυμὸς ἐνὶ φρεσὶ μερμηρίζει¹,

and for my mother, her heart in her breast is divided in counsel,

ἢ αὐτοῦ παρʼ ἐμοί τε μένῃ καὶ δῶμα κομίζῃ,

whether she should remain here with me and look after the house,

εὐνήν τʼ αἰδομένη πόσιος δήμοιό τε φῆμιν,

revering the bed of her husband and the talk of the people,

ἦ ἤδη ἅμʼ ἕπηται Ἀχαιῶν ὅς τις ἄριστος

or whether she should now follow whoever of the Achaians is the best man

μνᾶται ἐνὶ μεγάροισιν ἀνὴρ καὶ πλεῖστα πόρῃσιν.

who woos her in her halls and offers the most gifts.

ἀλλʼ ἦ τοὶ τὸν ξεῖνον, ἐπεὶ τεὸν ἵκετο δῶμα,

But as for the stranger, since he has come to your house,

ἕσσω μιν χλαῖνάν τε χιτῶνά τε, εἵματα καλά,

I will clothe him in a cloak and a tunic, beautiful garments,

δώσω δὲ ξίφος ἄμφηκες καὶ ποσσὶ πέδιλα,

and I will give him a two-edged sword and sandals for his feet,

πέμψω δʼ ὅππη μιν κραδίη θυμός τε κελεύει.

and send him wherever his heart and spirit bid him.

εἰ δʼ ἐθέλεις, σὺ κόμισσον ἐνὶ σταθμοῖσιν ἐρύξας·

But if you wish, you keep him here and care for him in the station;

εἵματα δʼ ἐνθάδʼ ἐγὼ πέμψω καὶ σῖτον ἅπαντα

and I will send garments here and all the food to eat,

ἔδμεναι, ὡς ἂν μή σε κατατρύχῃ καὶ ἑταίρους.

so that he may not wear out you and your companions.

κεῖσε δʼ ἂν οὔ μιν ἐγώ γε μετὰ μνηστῆρας ἐῷμι

But thither among the suitors I would not allow him

ἔρχεσθαι· λίην γὰρ ἀτάσθαλον ὕβριν ἔχουσι·

to go; for they have too insolent an outrage,

μή μιν κερτομέωσιν, ἐμοὶ δʼ ἄχος ἔσσεται αἰνόν.

lest they insult him, and to me there shall be terrible sorrow.

πρῆξαι δʼ ἀργαλέον τι μετὰ πλεόνεσσιν ἐόντα

And it is hard for a man, even a strong one, to achieve anything

ἄνδρα καὶ ἴφθιμον, ἐπεὶ ἦ πολὺ φέρτεροί εἰσι.

when he is among many; for indeed they are much stronger."

τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε πολύτλας δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς·

And him in turn spoke the patient, noble Odysseus:

ὦ φίλʼ, ἐπεί θήν μοι καὶ ἀμείψασθαι θέμις ἐστίν,

"O friend, since indeed it is right for me also to answer,

ἦ μάλα μευ καταδάπτετʼ ἀκούοντος φίλον ἦτορ,

surely my dear heart is torn within me as I listen,

οἷά φατε μνηστῆρας ἀτάσθαλα μηχανάασθαι

at the kind of outrageous deeds you say the suitors devise

ἐν μεγάροις, ἀέκητι σέθεν τοιούτου ἐόντος.

in the halls against your will, you being such a man.

εἰπέ μοι ἠὲ ἑκὼν ὑποδάμνασαι, ἦ σέ γε λαοὶ

Tell me, are you willingly subdued, or do the people

ἐχθαίρουσʼ ἀνὰ δῆμον, ἐπισπόμενοι θεοῦ ὀμφῇ,

hate you throughout the land, following the voice of a god?

ἦ τι κασιγνήτοις ἐπιμέμφεαι, οἷσί περ ἀνὴρ

Or do you blame brothers, in whom a man trusts

μαρναμένοισι πέποιθε, καὶ εἰ μέγα νεῖκος ὄρηται.

as they fight, even if a great strife arises.

αἲ γάρ ἐγὼν οὕτω νέος εἴην τῷδʼ ἐπὶ θυμῷ²,

Would that I were as young as you with this spirit,

ἢ παῖς ἐξ Ὀδυσῆος ἀμύμονος ἠὲ καὶ αὐτός·

or were the son of blameless Odysseus, or Odysseus himself;

αὐτίκʼ ἔπειτʼ ἀπʼ ἐμεῖο κάρη τάμοι ἀλλότριος φώς³,

straightway then might an alien man cut off my head from me,

εἰ μὴ ἐγὼ κείνοισι κακὸν πάντεσσι γενοίμην,

if I did not become a plague to all of those men,

ἐλθὼν ἐς μέγαρον Λαερτιάδεω Ὀδυσῆος.

when I had come to the hall of Odysseus, son of Laertes.

εἰ δʼ αὖ με πληθυῖ δαμασαίατο μοῦνον ἐόντα,

But if in turn they should subdue me by their numbers, I being alone,

βουλοίμην κʼ ἐν ἐμοῖσι κατακτάμενος μεγάροισι

I would rather die, slain in my own halls,

τεθνάμεν ἢ τάδε γʼ αἰὲν ἀεικέα ἔργʼ ὁράασθαι,

than forever behold these unseemly deeds,

ξείνους τε στυφελιζομένους δμῳάς τε γυναῖκας

strangers being maltreated, and women servants

ῥυστάζοντας ἀεικελίως κατὰ δώματα καλά,

dragged shamefully through the beautiful house,

καὶ οἶνον διαφυσσόμενον, καὶ σῖτον ἔδοντας

and wine being drawn, and men eating food

μὰψ αὔτως, ἀτέλεστον, ἀνηνύστῳ ἐπὶ ἔργῳ.

recklessly, without end, for a work that yields no result."

τὸν δʼ αὖ Τηλέμαχος πεπνυμένος ἀντίον ηὔδα·

And him in turn wise Telemachus answered:

τοιγὰρ ἐγώ τοι, ξεῖνε, μάλʼ ἀτρεκέως ἀγορεύσω.

"Indeed, stranger, I will tell you the very truth.

οὔτε τί μοι πᾶς δῆμος ἀπεχθόμενος χαλεπαίνει,

Neither is the whole people angry with me out of hatred,

οὔτε κασιγνήτοις ἐπιμέμφομαι, οἷσί περ ἀνὴρ

nor do I blame brothers, in whom a man trusts

μαρναμένοισι πέποιθε, καὶ εἰ μέγα νεῖκος ὄρηται.

as they fight, even if a great strife arises.

ὧδε γὰρ ἡμετέρην γενεὴν μούνωσε Κρονίων·

For in this way the son of Kronos made our lineage single:

μοῦνον Λαέρτην Ἀρκείσιος υἱὸν ἔτικτε,

Arkeisios begot an only son, Laertes,

μοῦνον δʼ αὖτʼ Ὀδυσῆα πατὴρ τέκεν· αὐτὰρ Ὀδυσσεὺς

and his father begot only Odysseus; but Odysseus

μοῦνον ἔμʼ ἐν μεγάροισι τεκὼν λίπεν οὐδʼ ἀπόνητο⁴.

begot only me and left me in the halls, and had no joy of me.

τῷ νῦν δυσμενέες μάλα μυρίοι εἴσʼ ἐνὶ οἴκῳ.

Therefore now are there countless enemies in the house.

ὅσσοι γὰρ νήσοισιν ἐπικρατέουσιν ἄριστοι,

For as many nobles as hold power over the islands,

Δουλιχίῳ τε Σάμῃ τε καὶ ὑλήεντι Ζακύνθῳ,

Dulichium and Same and wooded Zacynthus,

ἠδʼ ὅσσοι κραναὴν Ἰθάκην κάτα κοιρανέουσι,

and as many as lord it over rugged Ithaca,

τόσσοι μητέρʼ ἐμὴν μνῶνται, τρύχουσι δὲ οἶκον.

so many woo my mother and waste my house.

ἡ δʼ οὔτʼ ἀρνεῖται στυγερὸν γάμον οὔτε τελευτὴν

And she neither refuses the hateful marriage nor is able to make

ποιῆσαι δύναται· τοὶ δὲ φθινύθουσιν ἔδοντες

an end; and they waste away my house by eating;

οἶκον ἐμόν· τάχα δή με διαρραίσουσι καὶ αὐτόν.

soon they will utterly destroy me myself also.

ἀλλʼ ἦ τοι μὲν ταῦτα θεῶν ἐν γούνασι κεῖται·

But indeed, these things lie on the knees of the gods.

ἄττα, σὺ δʼ ἔρχεο θᾶσσον, ἐχέφρονι Πηνελοπείῃ

Father, you go quickly and tell wise Penelope

εἴφʼ ὅτι οἱ σῶς εἰμὶ καὶ ἐκ Πύλου εἰλήλουθα.

that I am safe and have returned from Pylos.

αὐτὰρ ἐγὼν αὐτοῦ μενέω, σὺ δὲ δεῦρο νέεσθαι,

And I will remain here, and you come back hither,

οἴῃ ἀπαγγείλας· τῶν δʼ ἄλλων μή τις Ἀχαιῶν

having told her alone; and let no other of the Achaians

πευθέσθω· πολλοὶ γὰρ ἐμοὶ κακὰ μηχανόωνται.

know of it; for many are devising evils against me."

τὸν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφης, Εὔμαιε συβῶτα·

To him in turn you answered, Eumaeus the swineherd:

γιγνώσκω, φρονέω· τά γε δὴ νοέοντι κελεύεις.

"I know, I understand; you command these things to one who has mind.

ἀλλʼ ἄγε μοι τόδε εἰπὲ καὶ ἀτρεκέως κατάλεξον,

But come, tell me this and relate it accurately,

Syntax notes4 items

§§16.73δίχα θυμὸς ἐνὶ φρεσὶ μερμηρίζει
The verb `μερμηρίζει` expresses a dilemma and introduces the alternative clauses with `ἢ... ἦ...` (lines 74–76). It describes the inner conflict of Penelope, torn between staying at the palace to guard her marriage bed and marrying one of the suitors.
§§16.99αἲ γάρ ἐγὼν οὕτω νέος εἴην τῷδʼ ἐπὶ θυμῷ
The particle `αἲ γάρ` with the optative `εἴην` expresses an unattainable wish in the present. Odysseus laments his physical state (or his disguise as an old man) while asserting his fierce spirit: "Would that I were as young as I am spirited."
§§16.102αὐτίκʼ ἔπειτʼ ἀπʼ ἐμεῖο κάρη τάμοι ἀλλότριος φώς
This is the apodosis to the condition `εἰ μὴ... γενοίμην` in line 103. The optative `τάμοι` is used to express a strong self-imprecation: "let a stranger cut off my head if I do not bring ruin to them all."
§§16.120οὐδʼ ἀπόνητο
The third-person singular aorist indicative middle of the verb `ἀπονίναμαι` (to have joy of, benefit from). It touchingly expresses how Odysseus, having begotten his only son Telemachus, had to leave for Troy immediately and was thus unable to enjoy the pleasure of fatherhood.

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:16.68-16.137