The Sneeze as an Omen and Odysseus Postponing the Interview — Odyssey §17.542-17.606 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

σμερδαλέον κονάβησε· γέλασσε δὲ Πηνελόπεια,

The hall rang terribly; and Penelope laughed,

αἶψα δʼ ἄρʼ Εὔμαιον ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·

and straightway she spoke winged words to Eumaeus:

ἔρχεό μοι, τὸν ξεῖνον ἐναντίον ὧδε κάλεσσον.

'Go, I pray, call the stranger hither before me.

οὐχ ὁράᾳς ὅ¹ μοι υἱὸς ἐπέπταρε πᾶσιν ἔπεσσι;

Do you not see that my son has sneezed at all my words?

τῷ κε καὶ οὐκ ἀτελὴς θάνατος μνηστῆρσι γένοιτο²

Therefore, a death not unfulfilled may come upon the suitors,

πᾶσι μάλʼ, οὐδέ κέ τις θάνατον καὶ κῆρας ἀλύξει.

one and all, nor shall any one of them escape death and the fates.

ἄλλο δέ τοι ἐρέω, σὺ δʼ ἐνὶ φρεσὶ βάλλεο σῇσιν·

And another thing I will tell you, and do you lay it to heart:

αἴ κʼ αὐτὸν γνώω νημερτέα πάντʼ ἐνέποντα,

if I find that he speaks all things truly,

ἕσσω μιν χλαῖνάν τε χιτῶνά τε, εἵματα καλά.

I will clothe him with a cloak and a tunic, beautiful garments.'

ὣς φάτο, βῆ δὲ συφορβός, ἐπεὶ τὸν μῦθον ἄκουσεν·

So she spoke, and the swineherd went when he had heard her words;

ἀγχοῦ δʼ ἱστάμενος ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·

and standing near him, he spoke winged words:

ξεῖνε πάτερ, καλέει σε περίφρων Πηνελόπεια,

'Stranger father, wise Penelope calls you,

μήτηρ Τηλεμάχοιο· μεταλλῆσαί τί ἑ θυμὸς

the mother of Telemachus; her heart bids her

ἀμφὶ πόσει κέλεται, καὶ κήδεά περ πεπαθυίῃ.

to ask you something about her husband, though she has suffered many griefs.

εἰ δέ κέ σε γνώῃ νημερτέα πάντʼ ἐνέποντα,

And if she finds that you speak all things truly,

ἕσσει σε χλαῖνάν τε χιτῶνά τε, τῶν σὺ μάλιστα

she will clothe you with a cloak and a tunic, of which you have most

χρηΐζεις· σῖτον δὲ καὶ αἰτίζων κατὰ δῆμον

need; and by begging food through the land

γαστέρα βοσκήσεις· δώσει δέ τοι ὅς κʼ ἐθέλῃσι.

you shall feed your belly; and whoever wills shall give to you.'

τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε πολύτλας δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς·

To him in turn spoke the steadfast, noble Odysseus:

Εὔμαιʼ, αἶψά κʼ ἐγὼ νημερτέα πάντʼ ἐνέποιμι

'Eumaeus, straightway would I tell all things truly

κούρῃ Ἰκαρίοιο, περίφρονι Πηνελοπείῃ·

to the daughter of Icarius, wise Penelope;

οἶδα γὰρ εὖ περὶ κείνου, ὁμὴν δʼ ἀνεδέγμεθʼ ὀϊζύν.

for well I know of him, and we have borne the same distress.

ἀλλὰ μνηστήρων χαλεπῶν ὑποδείδιʼ ὅμιλον,

But I fear the throng of the harsh suitors,

τῶν ὕβρις τε βίη τε σιδήρεον οὐρανὸν ἵκει.

whose insolence and violence reach the iron heaven.

καὶ γὰρ νῦν, ὅτε μʼ οὗτος ἀνὴρ κατὰ δῶμα κιόντα

For indeed, even now, when, as I was going through the hall,

οὔ τι κακὸν ῥέξαντα βαλὼν ὀδύνῃσιν ἔδωκεν,

doing no evil, this man struck me and gave me over to pains,

οὔτε τι Τηλέμαχος τό γʼ ἐπήρκεσεν οὔτε τις ἄλλος.

neither Telemachus did anything to ward it off, nor anyone else.

τῷ νῦν Πηνελόπειαν ἐνὶ μεγάροισιν ἄνωχθι

Therefore now bid Penelope to remain

μεῖναι, ἐπειγομένην περ, ἐς ἠέλιον καταδύντα³·

in her halls, eager though she be, until the setting of the sun;

καὶ τότε μʼ εἰρέσθω πόσιος πέρι νόστιμον ἦμαρ,

and then let her ask me concerning her husband's return,

ἀσσοτέρω καθίσασα παραὶ πυρί· εἵματα γάρ τοι

seating me nearer to the fire; for indeed garments

λύγρʼ ἔχω· οἶσθα καὶ αὐτός, ἐπεί σε πρῶθʼ ἱκέτευσα.

wretched I have; and you know it yourself, since you I first petitioned.'

ὣς φάτο, βῆ δὲ συφορβός, ἐπεὶ τὸν μῦθον ἄκουσε.

So he spoke, and the swineherd departed when he had heard his words.

τὸν δʼ ὑπὲρ οὐδοῦ βάντα προσηύδα Πηνελόπεια·

And as he passed over the threshold Penelope addressed him:

οὐ σύ γʼ ἄγεις, Εὔμαιε· τί τοῦτʼ ἐνόησεν ἀλήτης;

'You do not bring him, Eumaeus; what does the wanderer mean by this?

ἦ τινά που δείσας ἐξαίσιον ἦε καὶ ἄλλως

Is it that he fears some individual exceedingly, or otherwise

αἰδεῖται κατὰ δῶμα; κακὸς δʼ αἰδοῖος ἀλήτης.

is he shamefaced in the house? A bashful wanderer is a poor beggar.'

τὴν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφης, Εὔμαιε συβῶτα·

To her answering you did speak, Eumaeus, swineherd:

μυθεῖται κατὰ μοῖραν, ἅ πέρ κʼ οἴοιτο καὶ ἄλλος,

'He speaks rightly, as any other man would think,

ὕβριν ἀλυσκάζων ἀνδρῶν ὑπερηνορεόντων.

shunning the insolence of overbearing men.

ἀλλά σε μεῖναι ἄνωγεν ἐς ἠέλιον καταδύντα.

But he bids you to wait until the setting of the sun.

καὶ δὲ σοὶ ὧδʼ αὐτῇ πολὺ κάλλιον, ὦ βασίλεια,

And for yourself too, O Queen, it is much better thus,

οἴην πρὸς ξεῖνον φάσθαι ἔπος ἠδʼ ἐπακοῦσαι.

to speak to the stranger alone, and to listen to his word.'

τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε περίφρων Πηνελόπεια·

To her in turn wise Penelope spoke:

οὐκ ἄφρων ὁ ξεῖνος· ὀΐεται, ὥς περ ἂν εἴη⁴·

'The stranger is not mindless; he thinks how it might be;

οὐ γάρ πού τινες ὧδε καταθνητῶν ἀνθρώπων

for nowhere among mortal men do any

ἀνέρες ὑβρίζοντες ἀτάσθαλα μηχανόωνται.

insolent men devise such outrageous deeds.'

ἡ μὲν ἄρʼ ὣς ἀγόρευεν, ὁ δʼ ᾤχετο δῖος ὑφορβὸς

So she spoke, and the noble swineherd went

μνηστήρων ἐς ὅμιλον, ἐπεὶ διεπέφραδε πάντα.

into the throng of suitors, when he had made all clear.

αἶψα δὲ Τηλέμαχον ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα,

And straightway he spoke winged words to Telemachus,

ἄγχι σχὼν κεφαλήν, ἵνα μὴ πευθοίαθʼ οἱ ἄλλοι·

holding his head close, so that the others might not hear:

ὦ φίλʼ, ἐγὼ μὲν ἄπειμι, σύας καὶ κεῖνα φυλάξων,

'Dear friend, I am going, to guard the swine and all there,

σὸν καὶ ἐμὸν βίοτον· σοὶ δʼ ἐνθάδε πάντα μελόντων.

your livelihood and mine; but let all things here be your care.

αὐτὸν μέν σε πρῶτα σάω, καὶ φράζεο θυμῷ

First of all save yourself, and take thought in your heart

μή τι πάθῃς· πολλοὶ δὲ κακὰ φρονέουσιν Ἀχαιῶν,

lest you suffer some harm; for many of the Achaeans devise evil,

τοὺς Ζεὺς ἐξολέσειε πρὶν ἡμῖν πῆμα γενέσθαι.

whom may Zeus destroy before harm comes to us.'

τὸν δʼ αὖ Τηλέμαχος πεπνυμένος ἀντίον ηὔδα·

To him in turn wise Telemachus spoke:

ἔσσεται οὕτως, ἄττα· σὺ δʼ ἔρχεο δειελιήσας·

'So shall it be, father; but go when you have had your evening meal.

ἠῶθεν δʼ ἰέναι καὶ ἄγειν ἱερήϊα καλά·

And at dawn come, and bring beautiful victims for sacrifice;

αὐτὰρ ἐμοὶ τάδε πάντα καὶ ἀθανάτοισι μελήσει.

but as for all things here, they shall be a care to me and the immortals.'

ὣς φάθʼ, ὁ δʼ αὖτις ἄρʼ ἕζετʼ ἐϋξέστου ἐπὶ δίφρου,

So he spoke, and the swineherd sat down again on the well-polished chair,

πλησάμενος δʼ ἄρα θυμὸν ἐδητύος ἠδὲ ποτῆτος

and when he had satisfied his heart with food and drink,

βῆ ῥʼ ἴμεναι μεθʼ ὕας, λίπε δʼ ἕρκεά τε μέγαρόν τε,

he went to go to his swine, leaving the courts and the hall

πλεῖον δαιτυμόνων· οἱ δʼ ὀρχηστυῖ καὶ ἀοιδῇ

full of banqueters; and they with dance and song

τέρποντʼ· ἤδη γὰρ καὶ ἐπήλυθε δείελον ἦμαρ.

were making merry; for already the evening was coming on.

Syntax notes4 items

§17.545ὅ
Used in place of the conjunction ὅτι, introducing a noun clause ('that my son sneezed') functioning as the object of οὐχ ὁράᾳς.
§17.546τῷ κε ... γένοιτο
The combination of the dative demonstrative τῷ ('therefore', 'by this') and the optative γένοιτο with the particle κε (equivalent to ἄν) expresses a confident prediction or potential optative ('would surely come upon'), rather than a mere wish or weak possibility, prompted by the favorable omen of the sneeze.
§17.570ἐς ἠέλιον καταδύντα
The preposition ἐς combined with the accusative noun ἠέλιον and its aorist active participle καταδύντα (accusative masculine singular) forms an idiomatic temporal phrase meaning 'until the sun goes down' or 'until sunset.'
§17.586ὥς περ ἂν εἴη
The conjunction ὥς followed by the particle ἄν and the optative εἴη expresses a potential condition ('as it would indeed be' or 'just as is likely to happen'), indicating the stranger's realistic and accurate assessment of the situation.

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:17.542-17.606