Telemachus' Report of His Journey and Menelaus' Prophecy — Odyssey §17.68-17.138 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

ἀλλʼ ἵνα Μέντωρ ἧστο καὶ Ἄντιφος ἠδʼ Ἁλιθέρσης,

But to where Mentor sat, and Antiphus and Halitherses,

οἵ τε οἱ ἐξ ἀρχῆς πατρώϊοι ἦσαν ἑταῖροι,

who from the beginning were his father's companions,

ἔνθα καθέζετʼ ἰών· τοὶ δʼ ἐξερέεινον ἕκαστα.

there he went and sat down; and they questioned him about everything.

τοῖσι δὲ Πείραιος δουρικλυτὸς ἐγγύθεν ἦλθεν

And to them Peiraeus, famous with the spear, came near,

ξεῖνον ἄγων ἀγορήνδε διὰ πτόλιν· οὐδʼ ἄρʼ ἔτι δὴν

leading the stranger through the city to the assembly place; nor indeed for much longer

Τηλέμαχος ξείνοιο ἑκὰς τράπετʼ, ἀλλὰ παρέστη.

did Telemachus turn away far from the stranger, but he stood beside him.

τὸν καὶ Πείραιος πρότερος πρὸς μῦθον ἔειπε·

And Peiraeus was the first to speak to him and said:

Τηλέμαχʼ, αἶψʼ ὄτρυνον ἐμὸν ποτὶ δῶμα γυναῖκας,

"Telemachus, quickly send serving-women to my house,

ὥς τοι δῶρʼ ἀποπέμψω, ἅ τοι Μενέλαος ἔδωκε.

so that I may send you the gifts which Menelaus gave you."

τὸν δʼ αὖ Τηλέμαχος πεπνυμένος ἀντίον ηὔδα·

And wise Telemachus answered him and said:

Πείραιʼ, οὐ γάρ τʼ ἴδμεν ὅπως ἔσται τάδε ἔργα.

"Peiraeus, for we do not know how these matters will turn out.

εἴ κεν ἐμὲ μνηστῆρες ἀγήνορες ἐν μεγάροισι

If the proud suitors in the halls

λάθρη κτείναντες πατρώϊα πάντα δάσωνται,

should secretly slay me and divide all my father's goods among themselves,

αὐτὸν ἔχοντά σε βούλομʼ ἐπαυρέμεν, ἤ τινα τῶνδε·

I would rather you yourself keep and enjoy them, than any of these men.

εἰ δέ κʼ ἐγὼ τούτοισι φόνον καὶ κῆρα φυτεύσω,

But if I shall sow slaughter and death for them,

δὴ τότε μοι χαίροντι φέρειν¹ πρὸς δώματα χαίρων.

then indeed, to me in my joy, bring them to my house in your joy."

ὣς εἰπὼν ξεῖνον ταλαπείριον ἦγεν ἐς οἶκον.

So saying, he led the patient stranger to his house.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεί ῥʼ ἵκοντο δόμους εὖ ναιετάοντας,

But when they reached the well-built house,

χλαίνας μὲν κατέθεντο κατὰ κλισμούς τε θρόνους τε,

they laid down their cloaks on the couches and chairs,

ἐς δʼ ἀσαμίνθους βάντες ἐϋξέστας λούσαντο.

and stepping into well-polished baths they washed themselves.

τοὺς δʼ ἐπεὶ οὖν δμῳαὶ λοῦσαν καὶ χρῖσαν ἐλαίῳ,

When the serving-women had washed them and anointed them with oil,

ἀμφὶ δʼ ἄρα χλαίνας οὔλας βάλον ἠδὲ χιτῶνας,

and had cast thick cloaks and tunics about them,

ἔκ ῥʼ ἀσαμίνθων βάντες ἐπὶ κλισμοῖσι καθῖζον.

they stepped out of the baths and sat on the couches.

χέρνιβα δʼ ἀμφίπολος προχόῳ ἐπέχευε φέρουσα

And a handmaid poured water from a beautiful golden pitcher,

καλῇ χρυσείῃ, ὑπὲρ ἀργυρέοιο λέβητος,

over a silver basin,

νίψασθαι· παρὰ δὲ ξεστὴν ἐτάνυσσε τράπεζαν.

for them to wash their hands; and she drew up a polished table beside them.

σῖτον δʼ αἰδοίη ταμίη παρέθηκε φέρουσα,

And the grave housekeeper brought and set bread before them,

εἴδατα πόλλʼ ἐπιθεῖσα, χαριζομένη παρεόντων.

laying on many dainties, giving freely of what she had.

μήτηρ δʼ ἀντίον ἷζε παρὰ σταθμὸν μεγάροιο

And his mother sat opposite, by the doorpost of the hall,

κλισμῷ κεκλιμένη, λέπτʼ ἠλάκατα στρωφῶσα.

leaning against a couch, spinning fine yarn on her spindle.

οἱ δʼ ἐπʼ ὀνείαθʼ ἑτοῖμα προκείμενα χεῖρας ἴαλλον,

And they stretched forth their hands to the good things ready before them.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ πόσιος καὶ ἐδητύος ἐξ ἔρον ἕντο,

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

τοῖσι δὲ μύθων ἦρχε περίφρων Πηνελόπεια·

then wise Penelope was the first to speak among them:

Τηλέμαχʼ, ἦ τοι ἐγὼν ὑπερώϊον εἰσαναβᾶσα

"Telemachus, indeed I will go up to my upper chamber

λέξομαι εἰς εὐνήν, ἥ μοι στονόεσσα τέτυκται,

and lay myself on my bed, which has become a place of wailing for me,

αἰεὶ δάκρυσʼ ἐμοῖσι πεφυρμένη, ἐξ οὗ Ὀδυσσεὺς

ever wet with my tears, since Odysseus

ᾤχεθʼ ἅμʼ Ἀτρεΐδῃσιν ἐς Ἴλιον· οὐδέ μοι ἔτλης²,

went with the sons of Atreus to Ilium; and you did not have the heart,

πρὶν ἐλθεῖν μνηστῆρας ἀγήνορας ἐς τόδε δῶμα,

before the proud suitors came into this house,

νόστον σοῦ πατρὸς σάφα εἰπέμεν, εἴ που ἄκουσας.

to tell me plainly of your father's return, if anywhere you had heard of it."

τὴν δʼ αὖ Τηλέμαχος πεπνυμένος ἀντίον ηὔδα·

And wise Telemachus answered her:

τοιγὰρ ἐγώ τοι, μῆτερ, ἀληθείην καταλέξω.

"Therefore, mother, I will indeed tell you the truth.

ᾠχόμεθʼ ἔς τε Πύλον καὶ Νέστορα, ποιμένα λαῶν·

We went to Pylos and to Nestor, the shepherd of the people;

δεξάμενος δέ με κεῖνος ἐν ὑψηλοῖσι δόμοισιν

and he, receiving me in his lofty house,

ἐνδυκέως ἐφίλει, ὡς εἴ τε πατὴρ ἑὸν υἱὸν

welcomed me warmly, even as a father welcomes his own son

ἐλθόντα χρόνιον νέον ἄλλοθεν· ὣς ἐμὲ κεῖνος

who has newly returned from afar after a long time; even so he

ἐνδυκέως ἐκόμιζε σὺν υἱάσι κυδαλίμοισιν.

cared for me kindly with his glorious sons.

αὐτὰρ Ὀδυσσῆος ταλασίφρονος οὔ ποτʼ ἔφασκεν,

But of patient Odysseus, he said he had never

ζωοῦ οὐδὲ θανόντος, ἐπιχθονίων τευ ἀκοῦσαι·

heard from any man on earth, whether he was alive or dead;

ἀλλά μʼ ἐς Ἀτρεΐδην, δουρικλειτὸν Μενέλαον,

but he sent me to the son of Atreus, Menelaus, famous with the spear,

ἵπποισι προὔπεμψε καὶ ἅρμασι κολλητοῖσιν.

with horses and well-jointed chariots.

ἔνθʼ ἴδον Ἀργείην Ἑλένην, ἧς εἵνεκα πολλὰ

There I saw Argive Helen, for whose sake many things

Ἀργεῖοι Τρῶές τε θεῶν ἰότητι μόγησαν.

the Argives and Trojans suffered by the will of the gods.

εἴρετο δʼ αὐτίκʼ ἔπειτα βοὴν ἀγαθὸς Μενέλαος

And straightway Menelaus, good at the war-cry, asked me

ὅττευ χρηΐζων ἱκόμην Λακεδαίμονα δῖαν·

what need had brought me to Lacedaemon's divine land;

αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ τῷ πᾶσαν ἀληθείην κατέλεξα·

and I told him all the truth;

καὶ τότε δή με ἔπεσσιν ἀμειβόμενος προσέειπεν·

and then indeed he answered me and said:

ὢ πόποι, ἦ μάλα δὴ κρατερόφρονος ἀνδρὸς ἐν εὐνῇ

'Out upon them! Indeed they would lay themselves in the bed of a strong-hearted man,

ἤθελον εὐνηθῆναι, ἀνάλκιδες αὐτοὶ ἐόντες.

being themselves cowards.

ὡς δʼ ὁπότʼ³ ἐν ξυλόχῳ ἔλαφος κρατεροῖο λέοντος

And as when a hind has laid her newborn, suckling fawns

νεβροὺς κοιμήσασα νεηγενέας γαλαθηνοὺς

to sleep in the thicket of a mighty lion,

κνημοὺς ἐξερέῃσι καὶ ἄγκεα ποιήεντα

and ranges the mountain slopes and grassy glens

βοσκομένη, ὁ δʼ ἔπειτα ἑὴν εἰσήλυθεν εὐνήν,

grazing, and then the lion enters into his lair,

ἀμφοτέροισι δὲ τοῖσιν ἀεικέα πότμον ἐφῆκεν,

and brings a cruel doom upon both of them,

ὣς Ὀδυσεὺς κείνοισιν ἀεικέα πότμον ἐφήσει.

so will Odysseus bring a cruel doom upon those men.

αἲ γάρ, Ζεῦ τε πάτερ καὶ Ἀθηναίη καὶ Ἄπολλον,

Would that, Father Zeus and Athena and Apollo,

τοῖος ἐὼν οἷός ποτʼ ἐϋκτιμένῃ ἐνὶ Λέσβῳ

being such a man as once in well-built Lesbos

ἐξ ἔριδος Φιλομηλεΐδῃ ἐπάλαισεν ἀναστάς,

he rose up and wrestled with the son of Philomeleides in rivalry,

κὰδ δʼ ἔβαλε κρατερῶς, κεχάροντο δὲ πάντες Ἀχαιοί,

and threw him mightily, and all the Achaeans rejoiced,

τοῖος ἐὼν μνηστῆρσιν ὁμιλήσειεν⁴ Ὀδυσσεύς·

in such strength might Odysseus encounter the suitors;

πάντες κʼ ὠκύμοροί τε γενοίατο πικρόγαμοί τε.

then would they all find a swift death and a bitter marriage.'

ταῦτα δʼ ἅ μʼ εἰρωτᾷς καὶ λίσσεαι, οὐκ ἂν ἐγώ γε

But as for these things which you ask me and entreat, I would not

Syntax notes4 items

§17.83φέρειν
Infinitive used for imperative (infinitive of command), meaning "bring" as a direct command, independent of the preceding βούλομʼ.
§17.104οὐδέ μοι ἔτλης
Second-person singular aorist indicative of τλάω (to dare, to bring oneself to do). Here it means "you did not have the heart to tell me," governing the infinitive εἰπέμεν in line 106.
§17.126ὡς δʼ ὁπότʼ
Introduces a classic Homeric simile. Lines 126–130 form the simile clause describing the hind and the lion, while line 131 begins the correlative main clause with ὣς Ὀδυσεὺς...
§17.136ὁμιλήσειεν
Optative of wish. It acts as the protasis in a conditional thought, corresponding with the potential optative with κʼ (γενοίατο) in line 137: "May Odysseus encounter the suitors in such strength (then they would meet a swift death)."

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:17.68-17.138