Gifts of the Suitors and the Taunts of Melantho — Odyssey §18.284-18.357 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

τὴν δʼ αὖτʼ Ἀντίνοος προσέφη, Εὐπείθεος υἱός,

Antinous, son of Eupeithes, addressed her in turn:

κούρη Ἰκαρίοιο, περίφρον Πηνελόπεια,

"Daughter of Icarius, wise Penelope,

δῶρα μὲν ὅς κʼ ἐθέλῃσιν Ἀχαιῶν ἐνθάδʼ ἐνεῖκαι,

gifts indeed, whosoever of the Achaeans wishes to bring them here,

δέξασθʼ¹. οὐ γὰρ καλὸν ἀνήνασθαι δόσιν ἐστίν·

do you accept; for it is not well to refuse a gift.

ἡμεῖς δʼ οὔτʼ ἐπὶ ἔργα πάρος γʼ ἴμεν οὔτε πῃ ἄλλῃ,

But we will not go to our lands before, nor anywhere else,

πρίν γέ σε τῷ γήμασθαι² Ἀχαιῶν ὅς τις ἄριστος.

until you marry that one of the Achaeans who is best."

ὣς ἔφατʼ Ἀντίνοος, τοῖσιν δʼ ἐπιήνδανε μῦθος·

So spoke Antinous, and his word was pleasing to them.

δῶρα δʼ ἄρʼ οἰσέμεναι πρόεσαν κήρυκα ἕκαστος.

And they sent forth each a herald to bring gifts.

Ἀντινόῳ μὲν ἔνεικε μέγαν περικαλλέα πέπλον,

For Antinous his herald brought a great, most beautiful robe,

ποικίλον· ἐν δʼ ἀρʼ ἔσαν περόναι δυοκαίδεκα πᾶσαι

embroidered, and in it were clasps, twelve in all,

χρύσειαι, κληῗσιν ἐϋγνάμπτοις ἀραρυῖαι.

all of gold, fitted with well-curved clasps.

ὅρμον δʼ Εὐρυμάχῳ πολυδαίδαλον αὐτίκʼ ἔνεικε.

And for Eurymachus his herald straightway brought a golden necklace, richly wrought,

χρύσεον, ἠλέκτροισιν ἐερμένον ἠέλιον ὥς.

set with amber beads, like the sun.

ἕρματα δʼ Εὐρυδάμαντι δύω θεράποντες ἔνεικαν,

And for Eurydamas two servants brought a pair of earrings,

τρίγληνα μορόεντα· χάρις δʼ ἀπελάμπετο πολλή.

with three drops, mulberry-shaped, and from them shone great grace.

ἐκ δʼ ἄρα Πεισάνδροιο Πολυκτορίδαο ἄνακτος

And from the house of lord Peisander, son of Polyctor,

ἴσθμιον ἤνεικεν θεράπων, περικαλλὲς ἄγαλμα.

a servant brought a neck-band, a most beautiful ornament.

ἄλλο δʼ ἄρʼ ἄλλος δῶρον Ἀχαιῶν καλὸν ἔνεικεν.

And others of the Achaeans brought each some other beautiful gift.

ἡ μὲν ἔπειτʼ ἀνέβαινʼ ὑπερώϊα δῖα γυναικῶν,

Then she, the noble lady, went up to her upper chamber,

τῇ δʼ ἄρʼ ἅμʼ ἀμφίπολοι ἔφερον περικαλλέα δῶρα

and her handmaids carried for her the beautiful gifts.

οἱ δʼ εἰς ὀρχηστύν τε καὶ ἱμερόεσσαν ἀοιδὴν

But the suitors turned to dancing and delightful song,

τρεψάμενοι τέρποντο, μένον δʼ ἐπὶ ἕσπερον ἐλθεῖν.

and made merry, and they waited for evening to come.

τοῖσι δὲ τερπομένοισι μέλας ἐπὶ ἕσπερος ἦλθεν.

And as they made merry, dark evening came upon them.

αὐτίκα λαμπτῆρας τρεῖς ἵστασαν ἐν μεγάροισιν,

Straightway they set up three braziers in the halls,

ὄφρα φαείνοιεν· περὶ δὲ ξύλα κάγκανα θῆκαν,

to give light; and round about them they placed dry wood,

αὖα πάλαι, περίκηλα, νέον κεκεασμένα χαλκῷ,

long dried, well-seasoned, newly split with the bronze,

καὶ δαΐδας μετέμισγον· ἀμοιβηδὶς δʼ ἀνέφαινον

and they mixed in torches; and by turns they kept them burning,

δμῳαὶ Ὀδυσσῆος ταλασίφρονος. αὐτὰρ ὁ τῇσιν

the handmaids of much-enduring Odysseus. But to them

αὐτὸς διογενῆς μετέφη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς·

he himself, the Zeus-born, heavy-witted Odysseus, spoke:

δμῳαὶ Ὀδυσσῆος, δὴν οἰχομένοιο ἄνακτος,

"Handmaids of Odysseus, the lord who has been long gone,

ἔρχεσθε πρὸς δώμαθʼ, ἵνʼ αἰδοίη βασίλεια·

go to the chambers where the revered queen is;

τῇ δὲ παρʼ ἠλάκατα στροφαλίζετε, τέρπετε δʼ αὐτὴν

and spin the yarn by her side, and delight her,

ἥμεναι ἐν μεγάρῳ, ἢ εἴρια πείκετε χερσίν·

sitting in the hall, or card the wool with your hands;

αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ τούτοισι φάος πάντεσσι παρέξω.

but I will provide light for all these men.

ἤν περ γάρ κʼ ἐθέλωσιν ἐΰθρονον Ἠῶ μίμνειν,

For even if they wish to wait for the fair-throned Dawn,

οὔ τί με νικήσουσι· πολυτλήμων δὲ μάλʼ εἰμί.

they shall not conquer me; for I am much-enduring."

ὣς ἔφαθʼ, αἱ δʼ ἐγέλασσαν, ἐς ἀλλήλας δὲ ἴδοντο.

So he spoke, and they laughed, and looked at one another.

τὸν δʼ αἰσχρῶς ἐνένιπε Μελανθὼ καλλιπάρῃος,

But Melantho of the fair cheeks rated him shamefully—

τὴν Δολίος μὲν ἔτικτε, κόμισσε δὲ Πηνελόπεια,

she whom Dolius begot, but Penelope reared her,

παῖδα δὲ ὣς ἀτίταλλε, δίδου δʼ ἄρʼ ἀθύρματα θυμῷ·

and cherished her as her own child, and gave her playthings to her heart's desire;

ἀλλʼ οὐδʼ ὣς ἔχε πένθος ἐνὶ φρεσὶ Πηνελοπείης,

yet even so she had no sorrow in her heart for Penelope,

ἀλλʼ ἥ γʼ Εὐρυμάχῳ μισγέσκετο καὶ φιλέεσκεν.

but was ever trysting with Eurymachus and was his lemman.

ἥ ῥʼ Ὀδυσῆʼ ἐνένιπεν ὀνειδείοις ἐπέεσσιν·

She then rated Odysseus with abusive words:

ξεῖνε τάλαν, σύ γέ τις φρένας ἐκπεπαταγμένος ἐσσί,

"Wretched stranger, you are surely one whose wits are clean gone,

οὐδʼ ἐθέλεις εὕδειν χαλκήϊον ἐς δόμον ἐλθών,

since you will not go to sleep at a smithy,

ἠέ που ἐς λέσχην, ἀλλʼ ἐνθάδε πόλλʼ ἀγορεύεις,

or somewhere to a public lounge, but chatter here so much,

θαρσαλέως πολλοῖσι μετʼ ἀνδράσιν, οὐδέ τι θυμῷ

boldly among many men, and have no fear in your heart.

ταρβεῖς· ἦ ῥά σε οἶνος ἔχει φρένας, ἤ νύ τοι αἰεὶ

Surely wine has mastered your wits, or else your mind is ever

τοιοῦτος νόος ἐστίν· ὃ καὶ μεταμώνια βάζεις.

such, and that is why you babble vainly.

ἦ ἀλύεις, ὅτι Ἶρον ἐνίκησας τὸν ἀλήτην;

Are you beside yourself because you have beaten the vagabond Irus?

μή τίς τοι τάχα Ἴρου ἀμείνων ἄλλος ἀναστῇ³,

Take care lest some other, better than Irus, rise up soon,

ὅς τίς σʼ ἀμφὶ κάρη κεκοπὼς χερσὶ στιβαρῇσι

who shall smite you about the head with sturdy hands

δώματος ἐκπέμψῃσι, φορύξας αἵματι πολλῷ.

and send you out of the house, befouled with much blood."

τὴν δʼ ἄρʼ ὑπόδρα ἰδὼν προσέφη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς·

Then looking grimly at her, Odysseus of many wiles addressed her:

ἦ τάχα Τηλεμάχῳ ἐρέω, κύον, οἷʼ ἀγορεύεις,

"Surely I will straightway tell Telemachus, you bitch, what things you say,

κεῖσʼ ἐλθών, ἵνα σʼ αὖθι διὰ μελεϊστὶ τάμῃσιν.

going over there, so that he may cut you limb from limb on the spot."

ὣς εἰπὼν ἐπέεσσι διεπτοίησε γυναῖκας.

So speaking, he dismayed the women with his words.

βὰν δʼ ἴμεναι διὰ δῶμα, λύθεν δʼ ὑπὸ γυῖα ἑκάστης

And they went through the hall, and the limbs of each were loosened

ταρβοσύνῃ· φὰν γάρ μιν ἀληθέα μυθήσασθαι.

with fear; for they thought he spoke the truth.

αὐτὰρ ὁ πὰρ λαμπτῆρσι φαείνων αἰθομένοισιν

But he stood by the burning braziers, giving light,

ἑστήκειν ἐς πάντας ὁρώμενος· ἄλλα δέ οἱ κῆρ

looking upon them all; but other things his heart

ὥρμαινε φρεσὶν ᾗσιν, ἅ ῥʼ οὐκ ἀτέλεστα γένοντο.

was pondering, things which were not to remain unfulfilled.

μνηστῆρας δʼ οὐ πάμπαν ἀγήνορας εἴα Ἀθήνη

But Athena would by no means suffer the proud suitors

λώβης ἴσχεσθαι θυμαλγέος, ὄφρʼ ἔτι μᾶλλον

to refrain from heart-wounding outrage, so that yet more

δύη ἄχος κραδίην Λαερτιάδεω Ὀδυσῆος.

grief might sink into the heart of Odysseus, son of Laertes.

τοῖσιν δʼ Εὐρύμαχος, Πολύβου πάϊς, ἦρχʼ ἀγορεύειν,

And among them Eurymachus, son of Polybus, began to speak,

κερτομέων Ὀδυσῆα· γέλω δʼ ἑτάροισιν ἔτευχε.

mocking Odysseus; and he made laughter for his companions:

κέκλυτέ μευ, μνηστῆρες ἀγακλειτῆς βασιλείης,

"Hear me, suitors of the glorious queen,

ὄφρʼ εἴπω τά με θυμὸς ἐνὶ στήθεσσι κελεύει.

that I may say what the heart in my breast bids me.

οὐκ ἀθεεὶ ὅδʼ ἀνὴρ Ὀδυσήϊον ἐς δόμον ἵκει·

Not without the will of the gods does this man come to the house of Odysseus;

ἔμπης μοι δοκέει δαίδων σέλας ἔμμεναι αὐτοῦ

at any rate, I think the light of the torches comes from him,

κὰκ κεφαλῆς⁴, ἐπεὶ οὔ οἱ ἔνι τρίχες οὐδʼ ἠβαιαί.

even from his head, since there is no hair on it, not even a little."

ἦ ῥʼ, ἅμα τε προσέειπεν Ὀδυσσῆα πτολίπορθον·

He spoke, and therewith addressed Odysseus, the sacker of cities:

ξεῖνʼ, ἦ ἄρ κʼ ἐθέλοις θητευέμεν, εἴ σʼ ἀνελοίμην,

"Stranger, would you indeed be willing to serve, if I should take you,

Syntax notes4 items

§18.287δέξασθʼ
An infinitive (δέξασθαι) used in an imperative sense, expressing a command addressed to the second-person singular subject (Penelope).
§18.289πρίν γέ σε τῷ γήμασθαι
The conjunction πρίν is followed by an accusative subject (σε) and an infinitive (γήμασθαι). The demonstrative pronoun τῷ functions as the antecedent of the relative pronoun ὅς τις.
§18.334μή τίς τοι τάχα Ἴρου ἀμείνων ἄλλος ἀναστῇ
The conjunction μή followed by the subjunctive (ἀναστῇ) in an independent clause, expressing a negative apprehension or a warning ("lest someone else should rise up").
§18.354ἔμπης μοι δοκέει δαίδων σέλας ἔμμεναι αὐτοῦ / κὰκ κεφαλῆς
κὰκ κεφαλῆς is an apocopated form of κατά with the genitive (κεφαλῆς). The genitive pronoun αὐτοῦ depends on κεφαλῆς ("from his own head"). δαιδῶν σέλας is the subject of the infinitive clause.

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:18.284-18.357