The Omen of the Two Eagles and the Prophecy — Odyssey §2.142-2.216 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

ἔμμεναι¹, ἀνδρὸς ἑνὸς βίοτον νήποινον ὀλέσθαι,

to be, that the livelihood of one man should be destroyed without recompense,

κείρετʼ· ἐγὼ δὲ θεοὺς ἐπιβώσομαι αἰὲν ἐόντας,

waste it! But I will call upon the ever-living gods,

αἴ κέ ποθι Ζεὺς δῷσι παλίντιτα ἔργα γενέσθαι.

if perchance Zeus might grant that deeds of retribution be done.

νήποινοί κεν ἔπειτα δόμων ἔντοσθεν ὄλοισθε.

Then you might perish without recompense within my halls."

ὣς φάτο Τηλέμαχος, τῷ δʼ αἰετὼ εὐρύοπα Ζεὺς

So Telemachus spoke, and for him far-sounding Zeus

ὑψόθεν ἐκ κορυφῆς ὄρεος προέηκε πέτεσθαι.

sent forth two eagles to fly from on high, from a mountain peak.

τὼ δʼ ἕως μέν ῥʼ ἐπέτοντο μετὰ πνοιῇς ἀνέμοιο

For a time they flew with the breath of the wind,

πλησίω ἀλλήλοισι τιταινομένω πτερύγεσσιν·

side by side, straining their wings;

ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ μέσσην ἀγορὴν πολύφημον ἱκέσθην,

but when they reached the middle of the assembly of many voices,

ἔνθʼ ἐπιδινηθέντε τιναξάσθην πτερὰ πυκνά,

there, wheeling about, they shook their thick wings,

ἐς δʼ ἰδέτην πάντων κεφαλάς, ὄσσοντο δʼ ὄλεθρον·

and looked upon the heads of all, foreboding destruction.

δρυψαμένω² δʼ ὀνύχεσσι παρειὰς ἀμφί τε δειρὰς

And tearing with their talons their own cheeks and necks,

δεξιὼ ἤιξαν διά τʼ οἰκία καὶ πόλιν αὐτῶν.

they darted away to the right, through their houses and city.

θάμβησαν δʼ ὄρνιθας, ἐπεὶ ἴδον ὀφθαλμοῖσιν·

And the people wondered at the birds when they saw them with their eyes,

ὥρμηναν δʼ ἀνὰ θυμὸν ἅ περ τελέεσθαι ἔμελλον.

and they pondered in their hearts what things were to be fulfilled.

τοῖσι δὲ καὶ μετέειπε γέρων ἥρως Ἁλιθέρσης

Then among them spoke the old hero Halitherses,

Μαστορίδης· ὁ γὰρ οἶος ὁμηλικίην ἐκέκαστο

son of Mastor; for he alone excelled his peers

ὄρνιθας γνῶναι καὶ ἐναίσιμα μυθήσασθαι·

in knowing birds and uttering things fated.

ὅ σφιν ἐὺ φρονέων ἀγορήσατο καὶ μετέειπε·

He with well-meaning mind addressed them and spoke:

κέκλυτε δὴ νῦν μευ, Ἰθακήσιοι, ὅττι κεν εἴπω·

"Hearken now to me, Ithacans, to what I shall say;

μνηστῆρσιν δὲ μάλιστα πιφαυσκόμενος τάδε εἴρω·

and especially to the suitors do I declare and speak these things.

τοῖσιν γὰρ μέγα πῆμα κυλίνδεται· οὐ γὰρ Ὀδυσσεὺς

For upon them a great woe is rolling; for Odysseus will not

δὴν ἀπάνευθε φίλων ὧν ἔσσεται, ἀλλά που ἤδη

long be far from his friends, but even now, I think,

ἐγγὺς ἐὼν τοῖσδεσσι φόνον καὶ κῆρα φυτεύει

being near, he is sowing slaughter and fate for these men,

πάντεσσιν· πολέσιν δὲ καὶ ἄλλοισιν κακὸν ἔσται,

one and all; and to many others of us also it will be an evil,

οἳ νεμόμεσθʼ Ἰθάκην ἐυδείελον. ἀλλὰ πολὺ πρὶν

who dwell in clear-seen Ithaca. But long before this

φραζώμεσθʼ, ὥς κεν καταπαύσομεν· οἱ δὲ καὶ αὐτοὶ

let us consider how we may check them; and let them also

παυέσθων· καὶ γάρ σφιν ἄφαρ τόδε λώιόν ἐστιν.

cease; for indeed this is straightway better for them.

οὐ γὰρ ἀπείρητος μαντεύομαι, ἀλλʼ ἐὺ εἰδώς·

For I do not prophesy without trial, but with clear knowledge;

καὶ γὰρ κείνῳ³ φημὶ τελευτηθῆναι ἅπαντα,

for I say that for him all things have been fulfilled,

ὥς οἱ ἐμυθεόμην, ὅτε Ἴλιον εἰσανέβαινον

just as I told him when the Argives went on board for Ilium,

Ἀργεῖοι, μετὰ δέ σφιν ἔβη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς.

and with them went Odysseus of many counsels.

φῆν κακὰ πολλὰ παθόντʼ, ὀλέσαντʼ ἄπο πάντας ἑταίρους,

I said that after suffering many evils and losing all his companions,

ἄγνωστον πάντεσσιν ἐεικοστῷ ἐνιαυτῷ

unknown to all, in the twentieth year

οἴκαδʼ ἐλεύσεσθαι· τὰ δὲ δὴ νῦν πάντα τελεῖται.

he should come home; and now indeed all these things are being fulfilled."

τὸν δʼ αὖτʼ Εὐρύμαχος Πολύβου πάϊς ἀντίον ηὔδα·

Then Eurymachus, son of Polybus, answered him:

ὦ γέρον, εἰ δʼ ἄγε νῦν μαντεύεο σοῖσι τέκεσσιν

"Old man, go now, prophesy to your own children,

οἴκαδʼ ἰών, μή πού τι κακὸν πάσχωσιν ὀπίσσω·

going home, lest they suffer some evil hereafter.

ταῦτα δʼ ἐγὼ σέο πολλὸν ἀμείνων μαντεύεσθαι.

In these matters I am much better than you at prophesying.

ὄρνιθες δέ τε πολλοὶ ὑπʼ αὐγὰς ἠελίοιο

Many birds indeed under the rays of the sun

φοιτῶσʼ, οὐδέ τε πάντες ἐναίσιμοι· αὐτὰρ Ὀδυσσεὺς

fly about, and not all are significant; but Odysseus

ὤλετο τῆλʼ, ὡς καὶ σὺ καταφθίσθαι σὺν ἐκείνῳ

perished far away, as you also ought to have perished

ὤφελες⁴. οὐκ ἂν τόσσα θεοπροπέων ἀγόρευες,

with him. Then you would not speak so many prophecies,

οὐδέ κε Τηλέμαχον κεχολωμένον ὧδʼ ἀνιείης,

nor would you thus egg on Telemachus in his anger,

σῷ οἴκῳ δῶρον ποτιδέγμενος, αἴ κε πόρῃσιν.

expecting a gift for your house, if he should give one.

ἀλλʼ ἔκ τοι ἐρέω, τὸ δὲ καὶ τετελεσμένον ἔσται·

But I will tell you, and this shall indeed be fulfilled:

αἴ κε νεώτερον ἄνδρα παλαιά τε πολλά τε εἰδὼς

if you, knowing many things of old,

παρφάμενος ἐπέεσσιν ἐποτρύνῃς χαλεπαίνειν,

beguile a younger man with words and urge him to be angry,

αὐτῷ μέν οἱ πρῶτον ἀνιηρέστερον ἔσται,

to him himself first it will be the more grievous,

πρῆξαι δʼ ἔμπης οὔ τι δυνήσεται εἵνεκα τῶνδε·

and he will be able to accomplish nothing at all because of these men;

σοὶ δέ, γέρον, θωὴν ἐπιθήσομεν, ἥν κʼ ἐνὶ θυμῷ

and upon you, old man, we will lay a fine, which in your heart

τίνων ἀσχάλλῃς· χαλεπὸν δέ τοι ἔσσεται ἄλγος.

you will grieve to pay; and hard sorrow shall be yours.

Τηλεμάχῳ δʼ ἐν πᾶσιν ἐγὼν ὑποθήσομαι αὐτός·

And to Telemachus I myself will give counsel before all:

μητέρα ἣν ἐς πατρὸς ἀνωγέτω ἀπονέεσθαι·

let him bid his mother return to her father's house;

οἱ δὲ γάμον τεύξουσι καὶ ἀρτυνέουσιν ἔεδνα

they will make a marriage feast, and prepare gifts of wooing,

πολλὰ μάλʼ, ὅσσα ἔοικε φίλης ἐπὶ παιδὸς ἕπεσθαι.

very many, such as are fitting to follow a dear daughter.

οὐ γὰρ πρὶν παύσεσθαι ὀίομαι υἷας Ἀχαιῶν

For not before, I think, will the sons of the Achaeans cease

μνηστύος ἀργαλέης, ἐπεὶ οὔ τινα δείδιμεν ἔμπης,

from their grievous wooing, since we fear no one at all,

οὔτʼ οὖν Τηλέμαχον μάλα περ πολύμυθον ἐόντα,

neither Telemachus, though he is very wordy,

οὔτε θεοπροπίης ἐμπαζόμεθʼ, ἣν σύ, γεραιέ,

nor do we care for any prophecy which you, old man,

μυθέαι ἀκράαντον, ἀπεχθάνεαι δʼ ἔτι μᾶλλον.

utter in vain, and you are only hated the more.

χρήματα δʼ αὖτε κακῶς βεβρώσεται, οὐδέ ποτʼ ἶσα

And his possessions shall again be miserably devoured, and never shall there be recompense,

ἔσσεται, ὄφρα κεν ἥ γε διατρίβῃσιν Ἀχαιοὺς

as long as she puts off the Achaeans

ὃν γάμον· ἡμεῖς δʼ αὖ ποτιδέγμενοι ἤματα πάντα

regarding her marriage; and we, waiting day after day,

εἵνεκα τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐριδαίνομεν, οὐδὲ μετʼ ἄλλας

contend for her excellence, and do not go after others,

ἐρχόμεθʼ, ἃς ἐπιεικὲς ὀπυιέμεν ἐστὶν ἑκάστῳ.

whom it is fitting for each to woo."

τὸν δʼ αὖ Τηλέμαχος πεπνυμένος ἀντίον ηὔδα·

Then wise Telemachus answered him:

Εὐρύμαχʼ ἠδὲ καὶ ἄλλοι, ὅσοι μνηστῆρες ἀγαυοί,

"Eurymachus and all the rest of you, proud suitors,

ταῦτα μὲν οὐχ ὑμέας ἔτι λίσσομαι οὐδʼ ἀγορεύω·

concerning these things I no longer entreat you nor speak;

ἤδη γὰρ τὰ ἴσασι θεοὶ καὶ πάντες Ἀχαιοί.

for now the gods know them, and all the Achaeans.

ἀλλʼ ἄγε μοι δότε νῆα θοὴν καὶ εἴκοσʼ ἑταίρους,

But come, give me a swift ship and twenty companions,

οἵ κέ μοι ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα διαπρήσσωσι κέλευθον.

who may accomplish my journey for me to and fro.

εἶμι γὰρ ἐς Σπάρτην τε καὶ ἐς Πύλον ἠμαθόεντα

For I am going to Sparta and to sandy Pylos,

νόστον πευσόμενος πατρὸς δὴν οἰχομένοιο,

to inquire of the return of my father, who has long been gone,

ἤν τίς μοι εἴπῃσι βροτῶν ἢ ὄσσαν ἀκούσω

if any mortal might tell me, or if I might hear a rumor

Syntax notes4 items

2.142ἔμμεναι
Infinitives depending on the condition of the previous line (2.141). ἔμμεναι (epic form of εἶναι) and ὀλέσθαι (second aorist middle infinitive of ἀπόλλυμι, used intransitively) are parallel: "if it seems to you to be (ἔμμεναι) better... that the livelihood of one man should be destroyed (ὀλέσθαι) without recompense."
2.153δρυψαμένω
Dual middle participle. It expresses the action of tearing their own (or each other's) cheeks and necks. The middle voice acts reflexively or reciprocally, representing a self-harming omen of destruction.
2.171κείνῳ
Dative masculine singular of ἐκεῖνος, referring to Odysseus. It functions as a dative of interest ("for him, all things have been fulfilled") or a dative of reference ("in his case").
2.183ὤφελες
Second-person singular of ὤφελον (second aorist of ὀφείλω) followed by the infinitive καταφθίσθαι. It expresses an unfulfilled wish in the past: "how I wish you too had perished with him" or "you ought to have perished."

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:2.142-2.216