Removal of the Weapons and Melantho's Abuse — Odyssey §19.1-19.69 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

αὐτὰρ ὁ ἐν μεγάρῳ ὑπελείπετο δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς,

But noble Odysseus was left behind in the hall,

μνηστήρεσσι φόνον σὺν Ἀθήνῃ μερμηρίζων·

planning murder for the suitors with Athena's aid;

αἶψα δὲ Τηλέμαχον ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·

and straightway he spoke winged words to Telemachus:

Τηλέμαχε, χρὴ τεύχεʼ ἀρήϊα κατθέμεν εἴσω

"Telemachus, you must lay away all the weapons of war inside,

πάντα μάλʼ· αὐτὰρ μνηστῆρας μαλακοῖς ἐπέεσσι

every one of them; but when the suitors miss them and question you,

παρφάσθαι¹, ὅτε κέν σε μεταλλῶσιν ποθέοντες·

deceive them with gentle words, when they question you and miss them:

ἐκ καπνοῦ κατέθηκʼ, ἐπεὶ οὐκέτι τοῖσιν ἐῴκει

'I have laid them away out of the smoke, since they no longer look like

οἷά ποτε Τροίηνδε κιὼν κατέλειπεν Ὀδυσσεύς,

those which Odysseus once left behind when he went to Troy,

ἀλλὰ κατῄκισται, ὅσσον πυρὸς ἵκετʼ ἀϋτμή.

but are marred, as far as the breath of the fire has reached them.

πρὸς δʼ ἔτι καὶ τόδε μεῖζον ἐνὶ φρεσὶν ἔβαλε δαίμων

And besides, a god has put this even greater fear in my mind,

μή πως οἰνωθέντες, ἔριν στήσαντες ἐν ὑμῖν,

lest by any chance, when you are drunk with wine, having raised a quarrel among you,

ἀλλήλους τρώσητε καταισχύνητέ τε δαῖτα

you should wound one another, and bring shame on the feast

καὶ μνηστύν· αὐτὸς γὰρ ἐφέλκεται ἄνδρα σίδηρος.

and on your wooing; for iron of itself draws a man onward.'"

ὣς φάτο, Τηλέμαχος δὲ φίλῳ ἐπεπείθετο πατρί,

So he spoke, and Telemachus obeyed his dear father;

ἐκ δὲ καλεσσάμενος προσέφη τροφὸν Εὐρύκλειαν·

and calling out the nurse Eurycleia, he addressed her:

μαῖʼ, ἄγε δή μοι ἔρυξον ἐνὶ μεγάροισι γυναῖκας,

"Nurse, come now, shut up the women in their rooms,

ὄφρα κεν ἐς θάλαμον καταθείομαι ἔντεα πατρὸς

while I lay away in the storeroom my father's beautiful weapons,

καλά, τά μοι κατὰ οἶκον ἀκηδέα καπνὸς ἀμέρδει

which the smoke is ruining in the house uncared for,

πατρὸς ἀποιχομένοιο· ἐγὼ δʼ ἔτι νήπιος ἦα.

while my father was gone; and I was still a child.

νῦν δʼ ἐθέλω καταθέσθαι, ἵνʼ οὐ πυρὸς ἵξετʼ ἀϋτμή.

But now I wish to lay them away where the breath of fire will not reach them."

τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε φίλη τροφὸς Εὐρύκλεια·

Then his dear nurse Eurycleia addressed him in turn:

αἲ γὰρ δή ποτε, τέκνον, ἐπιφροσύνας ἀνέλοιο

"Would indeed, my child, that you might at last take thought

οἴκου κήδεσθαι καὶ κτήματα πάντα φυλάσσειν.

to care for the house and guard all its possessions.

ἀλλʼ ἄγε, τίς τοι ἔπειτα μετοιχομένη φάος οἴσει;

But come, who then will go with you and carry a light for you?

δμῳὰς δʼ οὐκ εἴας προβλωσκέμεν, αἵ κεν ἔφαινον.

For you would not allow the handmaids to go before you, who would have given light."

τὴν δʼ αὖ Τηλέμαχος πεπνυμένος ἀντίον ηὔδα·

Then wise Telemachus answered her:

ξεῖνος ὅδʼ· οὐ γὰρ ἀεργὸν ἀνέξομαι ὅς κεν ἐμῆς γε

"This stranger; for I will not suffer any man to be idle who touches

χοίνικος² ἅπτηται, καὶ τηλόθεν εἰληλουθώς.

my measure of corn, even though he has come from afar."

ὣς ἄρʼ ἐφώνησεν, τῇ δʼ ἄπτερος ἔπλετο μῦθος³.

So he spoke, and her word remained unwinged.

κλήϊσεν δὲ θύρας μεγάρων εὖ ναιεταόντων.

And she locked the doors of the well-built halls.

τὼ δʼ ἄρʼ ἀναΐξαντʼ Ὀδυσεὺς καὶ φαίδιμος υἱὸς

Then the two sprang up, Odysseus and his glorious son,

ἐσφόρεον κόρυθάς τε καὶ ἀσπίδας ὀμφαλοέσσας

and carried in the helmets, and the bossed shields,

ἔγχεά τʼ ὀξυόεντα· πάροιθε δὲ Παλλὰς Ἀθήνη,

and the sharp spears; and before them Pallas Athena,

χρύσεον λύχνον ἔχουσα, φάος περικαλλὲς ἐποίει.

holding a golden lamp, made a most beautiful light.

δὴ τότε Τηλέμαχος προσεφώνεεν ὃν πατέρʼ αἶψα·

Then Telemachus straightway spoke to his father:

ὦ πάτερ, ἦ μέγα θαῦμα τόδʼ ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ὁρῶμαι.

"Father, truly a great wonder is this that I behold with my eyes.

ἔμπης μοι τοῖχοι μεγάρων καλαί τε μεσόδμαι,

Assuredly the walls of the hall, and the beautiful alcoves,

εἰλάτιναί τε δοκοί, καὶ κίονες ὑψόσʼ ἔχοντες

and the pine beams, and the pillars that hold them high,

φαίνοντʼ ὀφθαλμοῖς ὡς εἰ πυρὸς αἰθομένοιο⁴.

appear to my eyes as if they were of blazing fire.

ἦ μάλα τις θεὸς ἔνδον, οἳ οὐρανὸν εὐρὺν ἔχουσι.

Surely some god is within, of those who hold the wide heaven."

τὸν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς·

Then Odysseus of many wiles addressed him in answer:

σίγα καὶ κατὰ σὸν νόον ἴσχανε μηδʼ ἐρέεινε·

"Hush, and keep it in your mind, and do not ask;

αὕτη τοι δίκη ἐστὶ θεῶν, οἳ Ὄλυμπον ἔχουσιν.

this is the way of the gods who hold Olympus.

ἀλλὰ σὺ μὲν κατάλεξαι, ἐγὼ δʼ ὑπολείψομαι αὐτοῦ,

But go now and lay down, and I will remain behind here,

ὄφρα κʼ ἔτι δμῳὰς καὶ μητέρα σὴν ἐρεθίζω·

so that I may yet stir up the handmaids and your mother;

ἡ δέ μʼ ὀδυρομένη εἰρήσεται ἀμφὶς ἕκαστα.

and she in her sorrow will ask me of everything."

ὣς φάτο, Τηλέμαχος δὲ διὲκ μεγάροιο βεβήκει

So he spoke, and Telemachus went out through the hall

κείων ἐς θάλαμον, δαΐδων ὕπο λαμπομενάων,

to his chamber to lay down to sleep, under the light of blazing torches,

ἔνθα πάρος κοιμᾶθʼ, ὅτε μιν γλυκὺς ὕπνος ἱκάνοι·

where he used to sleep before, when sweet sleep came upon him.

ἔνθʼ ἄρα καὶ τότʼ ἔλεκτο καὶ Ἠῶ δῖαν ἔμιμνεν.

There indeed he lay down then too, and awaited the bright Dawn.

αὐτὰρ ὁ ἐν μεγάρῳ ὑπελείπετο δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς,

But noble Odysseus was left behind in the hall,

μνηστήρεσσι φόνον σὺν Ἀθήνῃ μερμηρίζων.

planning murder for the suitors with Athena's aid.

ἡ δʼ ἴεν ἐκ θαλάμοιο περίφρων Πηνελόπεια,

And from her chamber came wise Penelope,

Ἀρτέμιδι ἰκέλη ἠὲ χρυσέῃ Ἀφροδίτῃ.

like unto Artemis or golden Aphrodite.

τῇ παρὰ μὲν κλισίην πυρὶ κάτθεσαν, ἔνθʼ ἄρʼ ἐφῖζε,

For her they set a chair beside the fire, where she was wont to sit,

δινωτὴν ἐλέφαντι καὶ ἀργύρῳ· ἥν ποτε τέκτων

carved with ivory and silver, which once the craftsman

ποίησʼ Ἰκμάλιος, καὶ ὑπὸ θρῆνυν ποσὶν ἧκε

Ikmalios had made, and he had joined to it a footstool

προσφυέʼ ἐξ αὐτῆς, ὅθʼ ἐπὶ μέγα βάλλετο κῶας.

beneath for her feet, upon which a great fleece was cast.

ἔνθα καθέζετʼ ἔπειτα περίφρων Πηνελόπεια.

There then wise Penelope sat down.

ἦλθον δὲ δμῳαὶ λευκώλενοι ἐκ μεγάροιο.

And the white-armed handmaids came out from the hall.

αἱ δʼ ἀπὸ μὲν σῖτον πολὺν ᾕρεον ἠδὲ τραπέζας

And they cleared away the abundant food, and the tables,

καὶ δέπα, ἔνθεν ἄρʼ ἄνδρες ὑπερμενέοντες ἔπινον·

and the cups from which the arrogant men had been drinking.

πῦρ δʼ ἀπὸ λαμπτήρων χαμάδις βάλον, ἄλλα δʼ ἐπʼ αὐτῶν

And they threw the fire from the braziers upon the ground, and piled upon them

νήησαν ξύλα πολλά, φόως ἔμεν ἠδὲ θέρεσθαι.

fresh wood in abundance, to give light and warmth.

ἡ δʼ Ὀδυσῆʼ ἐνένιπε Μελανθὼ δεύτερον αὖτις·

And Melantho chid Odysseus a second time:

ξεῖνʼ, ἔτι καὶ νῦν ἐνθάδʼ ἀνιήσεις διὰ νύκτα

"Stranger, will you even now still plague us here through the night,

δινεύων κατὰ οἶκον, ὀπιπεύσεις δὲ γυναῖκας;

roaming through the house, and spying on the women?

ἀλλʼ ἔξελθε θύραζε, τάλαν, καὶ δαιτὸς ὄνησο·

Go forth, you wretch, and be content with your feast,

ἢ τάχα καὶ δαλῷ βεβλημένος εἶσθα θύραζε.

or quickly you will be pelted with a torch and go outside."

Syntax notes4 items

§19.6παρφάσθαι
The infinitive παρφάσθαι ("to soothe/beguile") can be construed as depending on χρή ("it is necessary") in line 4, but since it is set off by the conjunction αὐτάρ, it is more naturally interpreted as an "imperative infinitive" expressing an independent command.
§19.28χοίνικος
A χοίνιξ (choenix) was a measure of capacity (about one liter), representing a man's daily ration of grain. Serving as the genitive object of the verb ἅπτομαι ("to touch/partake of"), it is used metaphorically here to refer to "one who partakes of my provisions," meaning the stranger.
§19.29ἄπτερος ἔπλετο μῦθος
The expression "her word became unwinged" describes how the spoken words did not vanish into the air but remained deeply in her mind, signifying that she obeyed in silence without making any reply.
§19.39ὡς εἰ πυρὸς αἰθομένοιο
The combination of ὡς εἰ ("as if") followed by the genitive noun πυρός and its participle αἰθομένοιο forms a genitive absolute construction, creating a simile: "as if of a blazing fire," to describe the hall illuminated by divine light.

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:19.1-19.69