Naming of Odysseus and Origin of the Boar Scar — Odyssey §19.405-19.471 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

τὴν δʼ αὖτʼ Αὐτόλυκος ἀπαμείβετο φώνησέν τε·

Then Autolycus answered her in turn and spoke:

γαμβρὸς ἐμὸς θυγάτηρ τε, τίθεσθʼ ὄνομʼ ὅττι κεν εἴπω·

"My son-in-law and daughter, give him whatever name I shall say.

πολλοῖσιν γὰρ ἐγώ γε ὀδυσσάμενος¹ τόδʼ ἱκάνω,

For since I come here having become angry with (or having been hated by) many,

ἀνδράσιν ἠδὲ γυναιξὶν ἀνὰ χθόνα πουλυβότειραν·

both men and women throughout the nourishing earth,

τῷ δʼ Ὀδυσεὺς ὄνομʼ ἔστω ἐπώνυμον· αὐτὰρ ἐγώ γε,

let him have the name Odysseus as a name-sake. But for my part,

ὁππότʼ ἂν ἡβήσας μητρώϊον ἐς μέγα δῶμα

whenever he, having grown to manhood, comes to the great maternal home

ἔλθῃ Παρνησόνδʼ, ὅθι πού μοι κτήματʼ ἔασι,

at Parnassus, where indeed my possessions are,

τῶν² οἱ ἐγὼ δώσω καί μιν χαίροντʼ ἀποπέμψω.

of those I will give to him and send him away rejoicing."

τῶν ἕνεκʼ ἦλθʼ Ὀδυσεύς, ἵνα οἱ πόροι ἀγλαὰ δῶρα.

For the sake of these things Odysseus went, so that he might give him glorious gifts.

τὸν μὲν ἄρʼ Αὐτόλυκός τε καὶ υἱέες Αὐτολύκοιο

Autolycus and the sons of Autolycus welcomed him

χερσίν τʼ ἠσπάζοντο ἔπεσσί τε μειλιχίοισι·

with their hands and with gentle words;

μήτηρ δʼ Ἀμφιθέη μητρὸς περιφῦσʼ Ὀδυσῆϊ

and his mother's mother, Amphithea, clasping Odysseus,

κύσσʼ ἄρα μιν κεφαλήν τε καὶ ἄμφω φάεα καλά.

kissed his head and both his beautiful eyes.

Αὐτόλυκος δʼ υἱοῖσιν ἐκέκλετο κυδαλίμοισι

And Autolycus called to his glorious sons

δεῖπνον ἐφοπλίσσαι· τοὶ δʼ ὀτρύνοντος ἄκουσαν,

to prepare dinner; and they listened to his urging,

αὐτίκα δʼ εἰσάγαγον βοῦν ἄρσενα πενταέτηρον·

and immediately brought in a five-year-old male ox.

τὸν δέρον ἀμφί θʼ ἕπον, καί μιν διέχευαν ἅπαντα,

They flayed it and busied themselves about it, and cut it all up,

μίστυλλόν τʼ ἄρʼ ἐπισταμένως πεῖράν τʼ ὀβελοῖσιν,

and divided it skillfully into small pieces and pierced them with spits,

ὤπτησάν τε περιφραδέως, δάσσαντό τε μοίρας.

and roasted them carefully, and distributed the portions.

ὣς τότε μὲν πρόπαν ἦμαρ ἐς ἠέλιον καταδύντα

Thus then for the whole day until the going down of the sun

δαίνυντʼ, οὐδέ τι θυμὸς ἐδεύετο δαιτὸς ἐΐσης·

they feasted, nor did their heart lack anything of the equal feast.

ἦμος δʼ ἠέλιος κατέδυ καὶ ἐπὶ κνέφας ἦλθεν,

But when the sun went down and darkness came on,

δὴ τότε κοιμήσαντο καὶ ὕπνου δῶρον ἕλοντο.

then indeed they lay down and took the gift of sleep.

ἦμος δʼ ἠριγένεια φάνη ῥοδοδάκτυλος Ἠώς,

And when the early-rising, rosy-fingered Dawn appeared,

βάν ῥʼ ἴμεν ἐς θήρην, ἠμὲν κύνες ἠδὲ καὶ αὐτοὶ

they went to the hunt, both the dogs and the sons

υἱέες Αὐτολύκου· μετὰ τοῖσι δὲ δῖος Ὀδυσσεὺς

of Autolycus themselves; and with them noble Odysseus

ἤϊεν· αἰπὺ δʼ ὄρος προσέβαν καταειμένον ὕλῃ

went; and they climbed the steep mountain of Parnassus

Παρνησοῦ, τάχα δʼ ἵκανον πτύχας ἠνεμοέσσας.

clothed with forest, and soon they reached the windy folds.

Ἠέλιος μὲν ἔπειτα νέον προσέβαλλεν ἀρούρας

The sun was then newly striking the fields

ἐξ ἀκαλαρρείταο βαθυρρόου Ὠκεανοῖο,

from the gently-flowing, deep-currented Oceanus,

οἱ δʼ ἐς βῆσσαν ἵκανον ἐπακτῆρες· πρὸ δʼ ἄρʼ αὐτῶν

when the huntsmen came to the glade; and before them

ἴχνιʼ ἐρευνῶντες κύνες ἤϊσαν, αὐτὰρ ὄπισθεν

the dogs went searching for tracks, but behind

υἱέες Αὐτολύκου· μετὰ τοῖσι δὲ δῖος Ὀδυσσεὺς

the sons of Autolycus; and with them noble Odysseus

ἤϊεν ἄγχι κυνῶν, κραδάων δολιχόσκιον ἔγχος.

went close to the dogs, brandishing his long-shadowing spear.

ἔνθα δʼ ἄρʼ ἐν λόχμῃ πυκινῇ κατέκειτο μέγας σῦς·

And there in a thick lair lay a great boar;

τὴν μὲν ἄρʼ οὔτʼ ἀνέμων διάει μένος ὑγρὸν ἀέντων,

through this neither did the force of wet-blowing winds blow,

οὔτε μιν Ἠέλιος φαέθων ἀκτῖσιν ἔβαλλεν,

nor did the beaming sun strike it with his rays,

οὔτʼ ὄμβρος περάασκε διαμπερές· ὣς ἄρα πυκνὴ

nor did the rain penetrate through; so thick

ἦεν, ἀτὰρ φύλλων ἐνέην χύσις ἤλιθα πολλή.

it was, and there was a vast abundance of fallen leaves within.

τὸν δʼ ἀνδρῶν τε κυνῶν τε περὶ κτύπος ἦλθε ποδοῖϊν,

And around him came the noise of the feet of men and dogs,

ὡς ἐπάγοντες ἐπῇσαν· ὁ δʼ ἀντίος ἐκ ξυλόχοιο

as they came on driving him; and he, facing them from his lair,

φρίξας εὖ λοφιήν, πῦρ δʼ ὀφθαλμοῖσι δεδορκώς,

bristling well his crest, and with fire shining in his eyes,

στῆ ῥʼ αὐτῶν σχεδόθεν· ὁ δʼ ἄρα πρώτιστος Ὀδυσσεὺς

stood near them; and Odysseus was the very first

ἔσσυτʼ ἀνασχόμενος δολιχὸν δόρυ χειρὶ παχείῃ,

to rush, holding up the long spear in his thick hand,

οὐτάμεναι μεμαώς· ὁ δέ μιν φθάμενος³ ἔλασεν σῦς

eager to wound him; but the boar forestalled him and struck

γουνὸς ὕπερ, πολλὸν δὲ διήφυσε σαρκὸς ὀδόντι

above the knee, and tore away much flesh with his tusk

λικριφὶς ἀΐξας, οὐδʼ ὀστέον ἵκετο φωτός.

rushing sideways, yet he did not reach the bone of the man.

τὸν δʼ Ὀδυσεὺς οὔτησε τυχὼν κατὰ δεξιὸν ὦμον,

But Odysseus wounded him, hitting him on the right shoulder,

ἀντικρὺ δὲ διῆλθε φαεινοῦ δουρὸς ἀκωκή·

and straight through went the point of the shining spear;

κὰδ δʼ ἔπεσʼ ἐν κονίῃσι μακών, ἀπὸ δʼ ἔπτατο θυμός.

and he fell down in the dust, crying out, and his life flew away.

τὸν μὲν ἄρʼ Αὐτολύκου παῖδες φίλοι ἀμφεπένοντο,

Him then the dear sons of Autolycus busied themselves about,

ὠτειλὴν δʼ Ὀδυσῆος ἀμύμονος ἀντιθέοιο

and the wound of noble, godlike Odysseus

δῆσαν ἐπισταμένως, ἐπαοιδῇ δʼ αἷμα κελαινὸν

they bound up skillfully, and with a charm the dark blood

ἔσχεθον, αἶψα δʼ ἵκοντο φίλου πρὸς δώματα πατρός.

they stayed, and quickly they came to the house of their dear father.

τὸν μὲν ἄρʼ Αὐτόλυκός τε καὶ υἱέες Αὐτολύκοιο

Him then Autolycus and the sons of Autolycus,

εὖ ἰησάμενοι ἠδʼ ἀγλαὰ δῶρα πορόντες

having healed him well and having given him glorious gifts,

καρπαλίμως χαίροντα φίλην ἐς πατρίδʼ ἔπεμπον

quickly sent him rejoicing to his dear native land,

εἰς Ἰθάκην. τῷ μέν ῥα πατὴρ καὶ πότνια μήτηρ

to Ithaca. To him his father and revered mother

χαῖρον νοστήσαντι καὶ ἐξερέεινον ἕκαστα,

rejoiced at his return and questioned him about everything,

οὐλὴν ὅττι πάθοι· ὁ δʼ ἄρα σφίσιν εὖ κατέλεξεν

what wound he had suffered; and he recounted to them well

ὥς μιν θηρεύοντʼ ἔλασεν σῦς λευκῷ ὀδόντι,

how a boar had struck him with his white tusk while hunting,

Παρνησόνδʼ ἐλθόντα σὺν υἱάσιν Αὐτολύκοιο.

when he had gone to Parnassus with the sons of Autolycus.

τὴν γρηῢς χείρεσσι καταπρηνέσσι λαβοῦσα

The old woman, taking it with the palms of her hands facing down,

γνῶ ῥʼ ἐπιμασσαμένη⁴, πόδα δὲ προέηκε φέρεσθαι·

recognized it by feeling it, and she let go of the foot to fall;

ἐν δὲ λέβητι πέσε κνήμη, κανάχησε δὲ χαλκός,

and his shin fell into the basin, and the bronze rang out,

ἂψ δʼ ἑτέρωσʼ ἐκλίθη· τὸ δʼ ἐπὶ χθονὸς ἐξέχυθʼ ὕδωρ.

and it was tilted backward to the other side; and the water was spilled on the ground.

τὴν δʼ ἅμα χάρμα καὶ ἄλγος ἕλε φρένα, τὼ δέ οἱ ὄσσε

And joy and pain seized her heart at the same time, and her two eyes

Syntax notes4 items

§§19.407ὀδυσσάμενος
A participle of the verb ὀδύσσομαι (primarily used in the middle voice). It allows for a double interpretation: active ('having harbored anger against many') or passive ('having been hated or caused anger in many'). This serves as the etymological explanation of the name Odysseus (Ὀδυσσεύς).
§§19.412τῶν
A partitive genitive of the relative pronoun. The antecedent is κτήματα ('possessions') in the preceding line (411), representing 'some of those things' as the direct object of the verb δώσω ('I will give').
§§19.449φθάμενος
A participle expressing temporal priority in relation to the main verb ἔλασεν, idiomatically translated as 'anticipating him' or 'forestalling him'. It denotes that the boar struck first before Odysseus could deliver his blow.
§§19.468γνῶ ῥʼ ἐπιμασσαμένη
The aorist participle ἐπιμασσαμένη ('having touched' or 'feeling') expresses the means or simultaneous action associated with the main verb γνῶ ('recognized'). It describes the physical process of recognition: 'she recognized it by touching it'.

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:19.405-19.471