The Fate of Amphinomus and Athena Beautifies Penelope — Odyssey §18.140-18.212 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

πατρί τʼ ἐμῷ πίσυνος καὶ ἐμοῖσι κασιγνήτοισι.

trusting in my father and my brothers.

τῷ¹ μή τίς ποτε πάμπαν ἀνὴρ ἀθεμίστιος εἴη,

Therefore let no man ever be lawless at all,

ἀλλʼ ὅ γε σιγῇ δῶρα θεῶν ἔχοι, ὅττι διδοῖεν.

but let him hold in silence whatever gifts the gods may give.

οἷʼ ὁρόω μνηστῆρας ἀτάσθαλα μηχανόωντας,

Even as I see the suitors devising reckless deeds,

κτήματα κείροντας καὶ ἀτιμάζοντας ἄκοιτιν

wasting the possessions and dishonoring the wife

ἀνδρός, ὃν οὐκέτι φημὶ φίλων καὶ πατρίδος αἴης

of a man who, I tell you, will not long be away from his friends and his native land,

δηρὸν ἀπέσσεσθαι· μάλα δὲ σχεδόν. ἀλλά σε δαίμων

but is very near. But may some deity lead you away home

οἴκαδʼ ὑπεξαγάγοι, μηδʼ ἀντιάσειας ἐκείνῳ,

lest you meet him when he returns to his dear native land;

ὁππότε νοστήσειε φίλην ἐς πατρίδα γαῖαν·

when he returns to his dear native land;

οὐ γὰρ ἀναιμωτί γε διακρινέεσθαι ὀΐω

for I do not think without blood will be decided

μνηστῆρας καὶ κεῖνον, ἐπεί κε μέλαθρον ὑπέλθῃ.

the suitors and he, when he enters under this roof.

ὣς φάτο, καὶ σπείσας ἔπιεν μελιηδέα οἶνον,

So he spoke, and having poured a libation, drank the honey-sweet wine,

ἂψ δʼ ἐν χερσὶν ἔθηκε δέπας κοσμήτορι λαῶν.

and put the cup back into the hands of the leader of the people.

αὐτὰρ ὁ βῆ διὰ δῶμα φίλον τετιημένος ἦτορ,

But he went through the house with a sorrowful heart,

νευστάζων κεφαλῇ· δὴ γὰρ κακὸν ὄσσετο θυμός.

nodding his head; for his mind foreboded evil.

ἀλλʼ οὐδʼ ὣς φύγε κῆρα· πέδησε δὲ καὶ τὸν Ἀθήνη

But even so he did not escape his fate; for Athena bound him too,

Τηλεμάχου ὑπὸ χερσὶ καὶ ἔγχεϊ ἶφι δαμῆναι².

to be subdued by the hands and spear of Telemachus.

ἂψ δʼ αὖτις κατʼ ἄρʼ ἕζετʼ ἐπὶ θρόνου ἔνθεν ἀνέστη.

And he sat down again on the chair from which he had risen.

τῇ δʼ ἄρʼ ἐπὶ φρεσὶ θῆκε θεὰ γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη,

Then the goddess, flashing-eyed Athena, put it in the mind

κούρῃ Ἰκαρίοιο, περίφρονι Πηνελοπείῃ,

of the daughter of Icarius, wise Penelope,

μνηστήρεσσι φανῆναι, ὅπως πετάσειε μάλιστα

to appear before the suitors, that she might set their hearts a-flutter

θυμὸν μνηστήρων ἰδὲ τιμήεσσα γένοιτο

and become more honored by her husband and her son than before.

μᾶλλον πρὸς πόσιός τε καὶ υἱέος ἢ πάρος ἦεν.

than before.

ἀχρεῖον δʼ ἐγέλασσεν ἔπος τʼ ἔφατʼ ἔκ τʼ ὀνόμαζεν·

And she laughed foolishly, and spoke and addressed her:

Εὐρυνόμη, θυμός μοι ἐέλδεται, οὔ τι πάρος γε,

'Eurynome, my heart desires, though not before,

μνηστήρεσσι φανῆναι, ἀπεχθομένοισί περ ἔμπης·

to appear before the suitors, hateful though they are.

παιδὶ δέ κεν εἴποιμι ἔπος, τό κε κέρδιον εἴη,

And I would say a word to my son, which would be better,

μὴ πάντα μνηστῆρσιν ὑπερφιάλοισιν ὁμιλεῖν,

not to associate entirely with the arrogant suitors,

οἵ τʼ εὖ μὲν βάζουσι, κακῶς δʼ ὄπιθεν φρονέουσι.

who speak well, but devise evil behind his back.'

τὴν δʼ αὖτʼ Εὐρυνόμη ταμίη πρὸς μῦθον ἔειπεν·

Then the housekeeper Eurynome spoke to her in answer:

ναὶ δὴ ταῦτά γε πάντα, τέκος, κατὰ μοῖραν ἔειπες.

'Indeed, all this, my child, you have spoken aright.

ἀλλʼ ἴθι καὶ σῷ παιδὶ ἔπος φάο μηδʼ ἐπίκευθε,

But go and speak to your son, and do not hide it,

χρῶτʼ ἀπονιψαμένη καὶ ἐπιχρίσασα παρειάς·

having washed your body and anointed your cheeks;

μηδʼ οὕτω δακρύοισι πεφυρμένη ἀμφὶ πρόσωπα

and do not go thus with your face stained with tears,

ἔρχευ, ἐπεὶ κάκιον πενθήμεναι ἄκριτον αἰεί.

since it is worse to mourn endlessly without ceasing.

ἤδη μὲν γάρ τοι παῖς τηλίκος, ὃν σὺ μάλιστα

For now indeed your son is of such an age, whom you most

ἠρῶ ἀθανάτοισι γενειήσαντα ἰδέσθαι³.

prayed to the immortals to see with a beard.'

τὴν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε περίφρων Πηνελόπεια·

Then wise Penelope answered her again:

Εὐρυνόμη, μὴ ταῦτα παραύδα, κηδομένη περ,

'Eurynome, do not advise me this, though you care for me,

χρῶτʼ ἀπονίπτεσθαι καὶ ἐπιχρίεσθαι ἀλοιφῇ·

to wash my body and anoint myself with oil;

ἀγλαΐην γὰρ ἐμοί γε θεοί, τοὶ Ὄλυμπον ἔχουσιν,

for the gods who hold Olympus destroyed my beauty

ὤλεσαν, ἐξ οὗ κεῖνος ἔβη κοίλῃς ἐνὶ νηυσίν.

since the day he departed in the hollow ships.

ἀλλά μοι Αὐτονόην τε καὶ Ἱπποδάμειαν ἄνωχθι

But tell Autonoe and Hippodameia to come,

ἐλθέμεν, ὄφρα κέ μοι παρστήετον ἐν μεγάροισιν·

that they may stand by me in the hall;

οἴη δʼ οὐκ εἴσειμι μετʼ ἀνέρας· αἰδέομαι γάρ.

for I will not go alone among men; for I am ashamed.'

ὣς ἄρʼ ἔφη, γρηῢς δὲ διὲκ μεγάροιο βεβήκει

So she spoke, and the old woman went through the hall

ἀγγελέουσα γυναιξὶ καὶ ὀτρυνέουσα νέεσθαι.

to tell the women and urge them to come.

ἔνθʼ αὖτʼ ἄλλʼ ἐνόησε θεὰ γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη·

Then the goddess, flashing-eyed Athena, thought of another thing;

κούρῃ Ἰκαρίοιο κατὰ γλυκὺν ὕπνον ἔχευεν,

she shed sweet sleep upon the daughter of Icarius,

εὗδε δʼ ἀνακλινθεῖσα, λύθεν δέ οἱ ἅψεα πάντα

and she slept leaning back, and all her joints were relaxed

αὐτοῦ ἐνὶ κλιντῆρι· τέως δʼ ἄρα δῖα θεάων

there on her couch; and meanwhile the beautiful goddess

ἄμβροτα δῶρα δίδου, ἵνα μιν θησαίατʼ Ἀχαιοί.

gave her immortal gifts, that the Achaeans might admire her.

κάλλεϊ μέν οἱ πρῶτα προσώπατα καλὰ κάθηρεν

First she cleansed her beautiful face with beauty

ἀμβροσίῳ, οἵῳ περ ἐϋστέφανος Κυθέρεια

immortal, such as with which beautiful Cytherea

χρίεται, εὖτʼ ἂν ἴῃ Χαρίτων χορὸν ἱμερόεντα·

anoints herself, when she goes to the lovely dance of the Graces;

καί μιν μακροτέρην καὶ πάσσονα θῆκεν ἰδέσθαι,

and she made her taller and statelier to look upon,

λευκοτέρην δʼ ἄρα μιν θῆκε πριστοῦ ἐλέφαντος.

and made her whiter than sawn ivory.

ἡ μὲν ἄρʼ ὣς ἔρξασʼ ἀπεβήσετο δῖα θεάων,

Having thus done, the beautiful goddess departed,

ἦλθον δʼ ἀμφίπολοι λευκώλενοι ἐκ μεγάροιο

and the white-armed handmaids came from the hall

φθόγγῳ ἐπερχόμεναι· τὴν δὲ γλυκὺς ὕπνος ἀνῆκε,

with voices approaching; and sweet sleep released her,

καί ῥʼ ἀπομόρξατο χερσὶ παρειὰς φώνησέν τε·

and she wiped her cheeks with her hands and said:

ἦ με μάλʼ αἰνοπαθῆ μαλακὸν περὶ κῶμʼ ἐκάλυψεν.

'Indeed, a very soft sleep covered me, miserable that I am.

αἴθε μοι ὣς μαλακὸν θάνατον πόροι Ἄρτεμις ἁγνὴ

Would that pure Artemis would grant me such a soft death

αὐτίκα νῦν, ἵνα μηκέτʼ ὀδυρομένη κατὰ θυμὸν

straightway now, that I might no longer pine in my heart with mourning,

αἰῶνα φθινύθω, πόσιος ποθέουσα φίλοιο

longing for the manifold virtues of my dear husband, since he was pre-eminent among the Achaeans.'

παντοίην ἀρετήν, ἐπεὶ ἔξοχος ἦεν Ἀχαιῶν.

since he was pre-eminent among the Achaeans.

ὣς φαμένη κατέβαινʼ ὑπερώϊα σιγαλόεντα,

So she spoke, and went down from the shining upper chamber,

οὐκ οἴη· ἅμα τῇ γε καὶ ἀμφίπολοι δύʼ ἕποντο.

not alone; along with her two handmaids followed.

ἡ δʼ ὅτε δὴ μνηστῆρας ἀφίκετο δῖα γυναικῶν,

And when the beautiful woman came to the suitors,

στῆ ῥα παρὰ σταθμὸν τέγεος πύκα ποιητοῖο,

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

ἄντα παρειάων σχομένη λιπαρὰ κρήδεμνα·

holding her bright veil before her cheeks;

ἀμφίπολος δʼ ἄρα οἱ κεδνὴ ἑκάτερθε παρέστη.

and a faithful handmaid stood on either side of her.

τῶν δʼ αὐτοῦ λύτο γούνατʼ, ἔρῳ δʼ ἄρα θυμὸν ἔθελχθεν,

And their knees were loosened there, and their hearts were charmed with love,

Syntax notes3 items

§18.141τῷ
Dative neuter singular of the demonstrative pronoun used adverbially to mean "therefore" or "wherefore," referring back to the previous statement. The following εἴη is an optative of wish.
§18.156δαμῆναι
Aorist passive infinitive of δάμνημι, functioning as an infinitive of purpose or result after the main verb πέδησε ("bound"), meaning "so as to be subdued."
§18.195ἰδέσθαι
Aorist middle (with passive force) infinitive of ὁράω, serving as an infinitive of specification (or respect) qualifying the comparative adjectives μακροτέρην and πάσσονα ("to look upon").

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:18.140-18.212