Athena's Assistance and the Secret Departure of Telemachus — Odyssey §2.362-2.434 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

καί ῥʼ ὀλοφυρομένη ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·

And she weeping spoke winged words to him:

τίπτε δέ τοι, φίλε τέκνον, ἐνὶ φρεσὶ τοῦτο νόημα

"Why indeed, dear child, has this thought come into

ἔπλετο; πῇ δʼ ἐθέλεις ἰέναι πολλὴν ἐπὶ γαῖαν

your mind? Where do you wish to go over much land,

μοῦνος ἐὼν ἀγαπητός; ὁ δʼ ὤλετο τηλόθι πάτρης

being an only and beloved child? And he has perished far from his country,

διογενὴς Ὀδυσεὺς ἀλλογνώτῳ ἐνὶ δήμῳ.

heaven-born Odysseus, in a land of strangers.

οἱ δέ τοι αὐτίκʼ ἰόντι κακὰ φράσσονται ὀπίσσω,

And they will immediately plot evils against you when you have gone,

ὥς κε δόλῳ φθίῃς, τάδε δʼ αὐτοὶ πάντα δάσονται.

so that you may perish by guile, and they themselves will divide all these things.

ἀλλὰ μένʼ αὖθʼ ἐπὶ σοῖσι καθήμενος¹· οὐδέ τί σε χρὴ

But stay here sitting on your own possessions; nor is there any need for you

πόντον ἐπʼ ἀτρύγετον κακὰ πάσχειν οὐδʼ ἀλάλησθαι.

to suffer evils on the barren sea, nor to wander."

τὴν δʼ αὖ Τηλέμαχος πεπνυμένος ἀντίον ηὔδα·

And to her in turn wise Telemachus answered:

θάρσει, μαῖʼ, ἐπεὶ οὔ τοι ἄνευ θεοῦ ἥδε γε βουλή.

"Take heart, nurse, since indeed not without a god is this plan.

ἀλλʼ ὄμοσον μὴ μητρὶ φίλῃ τάδε μυθήσασθαι,

But swear not to tell these things to my dear mother,

πρίν γʼ ὅτʼ ἂν ἑνδεκάτη τε δυωδεκάτη τε γένηται,

before at least the eleventh or twelfth day has come,

ἢ αὐτὴν ποθέσαι καὶ ἀφορμηθέντος ἀκοῦσαι²,

or she herself misses me and hears of my departure,

ὡς ἂν μὴ κλαίουσα κατὰ χρόα καλὸν ἰάπτῃ.

so that she may not, by weeping, ruin her fair skin."

ὣς ἄρʼ ἔφη, γρῆυς δὲ θεῶν μέγαν ὅρκον ἀπώμνυ.

So he spoke, and the old woman swore a great oath of the gods.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεί ῥʼ ὄμοσέν τε τελεύτησέν τε τὸν ὅρκον,

But when indeed she had sworn and completed the oath,

αὐτίκʼ ἔπειτά οἱ οἶνον ἐν ἀμφιφορεῦσιν ἄφυσσεν,

immediately then she drew him wine in two-handled jars,

ἐν δέ οἱ ἄλφιτα χεῦεν ἐϋρραφέεσσι δοροῖσι.

and poured him barley-meal in well-sewn skins.

Τηλέμαχος δʼ ἐς δώματʼ ἰὼν μνηστῆρσιν ὁμίλει.

And Telemachus, going to the halls, mingled with the suitors.

ἔνθʼ αὖτʼ ἄλλʼ ἐνόησε θεά, γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη.

Then in turn another thing did the goddess, flashing-eyed Athena, devise.

Τηλεμάχῳ ἐικυῖα κατὰ πτόλιν ᾤχετο πάντῃ,

Likenend to Telemachus she went everywhere through the city,

καί ῥα ἑκάστῳ φωτὶ παρισταμένη φάτο μῦθον,

and standing beside each man she spoke her word,

ἑσπερίους δʼ ἐπὶ νῆα θοὴν ἀγέρεσθαι ἀνώγει.

and bade them gather in the evening to the swift ship.

ἡ δʼ αὖτε Φρονίοιο Νοήμονα φαίδιμον υἱὸν

And she in turn of Noemon, the glorious son of Phronios,

ᾔτεε νῆα θοήν· ὁ δέ οἱ πρόφρων ὑπέδεκτο.

asked a swift ship; and he readily promised it to her.

δύσετό τʼ ἠέλιος σκιόωντό τε πᾶσαι ἀγυιαί,

And the sun set, and all the ways grew dark,

καὶ τότε νῆα θοὴν ἅλαδʼ εἴρυσε, πάντα δʼ ἐν αὐτῇ

and then she drew the swift ship into the sea, and in it

ὅπλʼ ἐτίθει, τά τε νῆες ἐύσσελμοι φορέουσι.

she put all the gear which well-benched ships carry.

στῆσε δʼ ἐπʼ ἐσχατιῇ λιμένος, περὶ δʼ ἐσθλοὶ ἑταῖροι

And she moored her at the end of the harbor, and around her noble companions

ἁθρόοι ἠγερέθοντο· θεὰ δʼ ὤτρυνεν ἕκαστον.

gathered in a crowd; and the goddess encouraged each one.

ἔνθʼ αὖτʼ ἄλλʼ ἐνόησε θεά, γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη.

Then in turn another thing did the goddess, flashing-eyed Athena, devise.

βῆ ῤʼ ἰέναι πρὸς δώματʼ Ὀδυσσῆος θείοιο·

She went to go to the house of divine Odysseus;

ἔνθα μνηστήρεσσιν ἐπὶ γλυκὺν ὕπνον ἔχευε,

there she poured sweet sleep upon the suitors,

πλάζε δὲ πίνοντας, χειρῶν δʼ ἔκβαλλε κύπελλα.

and she made them wander while drinking, and cast the cups from their hands.

οἱ δʼ εὕδειν ὤρνυντο κατὰ πτόλιν, οὐδʼ ἄρʼ ἔτι δὴν

And they hastened to sleep through the city, nor did they sit

ἥατʼ, ἐπεί σφισιν ὕπνος ἐπὶ βλεφάροισιν ἔπιπτεν.

long, since sleep was falling upon their eyelids.

αὐτὰρ Τηλέμαχον προσέφη γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη

But to Telemachus spoke flashing-eyed Athena,

ἐκπροκαλεσσαμένη μεγάρων ἐὺ ναιεταόντων,

having called him out of the well-built halls,

Μέντορι εἰδομένη ἠμὲν δέμας ἠδὲ καὶ αὐδήν·

likened to Mentor both in form and in voice:

Τηλέμαχʼ, ἤδη μέν τοι ἐυκνήμιδες ἑταῖροι

"Telemachus, already indeed your well-greaved companions

ἥατʼ ἐπήρετμοι τὴν σὴν ποτιδέγμενοι ὁρμήν·

sit at the oars, waiting for your departure;

ἀλλʼ ἴομεν, μὴ δηθὰ διατρίβωμεν ὁδοῖο.

but let us go, that we may not for a long time delay the journey."

ὣς ἄρα φωνήσασʼ ἡγήσατο Παλλὰς Ἀθήνη

So having spoken, Pallas Athena led the way

καρπαλίμως· ὁ δʼ ἔπειτα μετʼ ἴχνια βαῖνε θεοῖο.

quickly; and he then followed in the footsteps of the goddess.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεί ῥʼ ἐπὶ νῆα κατήλυθον ἠδὲ θάλασσαν,

But when indeed they had come down to the ship and the sea,

εὗρον ἔπειτʼ ἐπὶ θινὶ κάρη κομόωντας ἑταίρους.

they found then on the shore their long-haired companions.

τοῖσι δὲ καὶ μετέειφʼ ἱερὴ ἲς Τηλεμάχοιο³·

And to them spoke the sacred strength of Telemachus:

δεῦτε, φίλοι, ἤια φερώμεθα· πάντα γὰρ ἤδη

"Come, friends, let us carry the provisions; for all indeed

ἁθρόʼ ἐνὶ μεγάρῳ. μήτηρ δʼ ἐμὴ οὔ τι πέπυσται,

are gathered in the hall. And my mother has not heard at all,

οὐδʼ ἄλλαι δμωαί, μία δʼ οἴη μῦθον ἄκουσεν.

nor the other maidservants, but one alone has heard the word."

ὣς ἄρα φωνήσας ἡγήσατο, τοὶ δʼ ἅμʼ ἕποντο.

So having spoken he led the way, and they followed together.

οἱ δʼ ἄρα πάντα φέροντες ἐυσσέλμῳ ἐπὶ νηὶ

And they carrying all things put them on the well-benched ship,

κάτθεσαν, ὡς ἐκέλευσεν Ὀδυσσῆος φίλος υἱός.

as the dear son of Odysseus commanded.

ἂν δʼ ἄρα Τηλέμαχος νηὸς βαῖνʼ, ἦρχε δʼ Ἀθήνη,

And Telemachus went up on the ship, and Athena led,

νηὶ δʼ ἐνὶ πρυμνῇ κατʼ ἄρʼ ἕζετο· ἄγχι δʼ ἄρʼ αὐτῆς

and she sat down in the stern of the ship; and near her

ἕζετο Τηλέμαχος. τοὶ δὲ πρυμνήσιʼ ἔλυσαν,

sat Telemachus. And they loosed the stern cables,

ἂν δὲ καὶ αὐτοὶ βάντες ἐπὶ κληῖσι καθῖζον.

and going on board themselves sat upon the benches.

τοῖσιν δʼ ἴκμενον οὖρον ἵει γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη,

And to them a favorable wind sent flashing-eyed Athena,

ἀκραῆ Ζέφυρον, κελάδοντʼ ἐπὶ οἴνοπα πόντον.

a strong West Wind, blowing hard over the wine-dark sea.

Τηλέμαχος δʼ ἑτάροισιν ἐποτρύνας ἐκέλευσεν

And Telemachus urging his companions commanded them

ὅπλων ἅπτεσθαι· τοὶ δʼ ὀτρύνοντος ἄκουσαν.

to lay hold of the gear; and they heard him urging.

ἱστὸν δʼ εἰλάτινον κοίλης ἔντοσθε μεσόδμης

And the fir mast inside the hollow mast-holder

στῆσαν ἀείραντες, κατὰ δὲ προτόνοισιν ἔδησαν,

they set up, raising it, and bound it with the forestays,

ἕλκον δʼ ἱστία λευκὰ ἐυστρέπτοισι βοεῦσιν.

and they hauled the white sails with well-twisted ox-hide ropes.

ἔπρησεν δʼ ἄνεμος μέσον ἱστίον, ἀμφὶ δὲ κῦμα

And the wind filled the middle of the sail, and around the keel

στείρῃ πορφύρεον μεγάλʼ ἴαχε νηὸς ἰούσης·

the purple wave screamed loudly as the ship went;

ἡ δʼ ἔθεεν κατὰ κῦμα διαπρήσσουσα κέλευθον.

and she ran through the wave, accomplishing her path.

δησάμενοι δʼ ἄρα ὅπλα θοὴν ἀνὰ νῆα μέλαιναν

And having bound the gear throughout the swift black ship,

στήσαντο κρητῆρας ἐπιστεφέας οἴνοιο,

they set up mixing-bowls crowned with wine,

λεῖβον δʼ ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖς αἰειγενέτῃσιν,

and poured libations to the immortal gods who live forever,

ἐκ πάντων δὲ μάλιστα Διὸς γλαυκώπιδι κούρῃ.

and of all most of all to the flashing-eyed daughter of Zeus.

παννυχίη⁴ μέν ῥʼ ἥ γε καὶ ἠῶ πεῖρε κέλευθον.

And all night long and through the dawn she cleft her path.

Syntax notes4 items

2.369ἐπὶ σοῖσι καθήμενος
The preposition ἐπί with the neuter plural pronoun σοῖσι ('your things', 'your possessions'). It means 'sitting on your own possessions', i.e., staying quietly at home in control of your estate. Here, καθήμενος carries the nuance of remaining inactive or passive.
2.375ἢ αὐτὴν ποθέσαι καὶ ἀφορμηθέντος ἀκοῦσαι
The infinitives ποθέσαι and ἀκοῦσαι depend on the temporal construction introduced by πρίν in the preceding lines, representing actions of the mother. ἀφορμηθέντος is a genitive absolute participle meaning 'he having departed' (i.e., of his departure).
2.409ἱερὴ ἲς Τηλεμάχοιο
A periphrastic formula 'the sacred strength of Telemachus', a characteristic Homeric expression used as a grand equivalent for 'the noble Telemachus' himself.
2.434παννυχίη
A feminine nominative adjective qualifying the ship (νῆυς, represented by ἡ in the previous line), but functioning adverbially to mean 'all night long'.

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:2.362-2.434