Antinous' Reply and the Trick of Penelope's Shroud — Odyssey §2.71-2.141 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

τείρεσθʼ¹, εἰ μή πού τι πατὴρ ἐμὸς ἐσθλὸς Ὀδυσσεὺς

to be worn out by grievous sorrow. Unless indeed my noble father Odysseus

δυσμενέων κάκʼ ἔρεξεν ἐυκνήμιδας Ἀχαιούς,

in hostility did evil to the well-greaved Achaeans,

τῶν μʼ ἀποτινύμενοι κακὰ ῥέζετε δυσμενέοντες,

in requital for which you do me evil in your hostility,

τούτους ὀτρύνοντες. ἐμοὶ δέ κε κέρδιον εἴη

by encouraging these men. But for me it would be better

ὑμέας ἐσθέμεναι κειμήλιά τε πρόβασίν τε.

that you yourselves should consume my treasures and my herds.

εἴ χʼ ὑμεῖς γε φάγοιτε, τάχʼ ἄν ποτε καὶ τίσις εἴη·

If you should consume them, soon there might be some recompense;

τόφρα γὰρ ἂν κατὰ ἄστυ ποτιπτυσσοίμεθα μύθῳ

for then we should go about the city with our words,

χρήματʼ ἀπαιτίζοντες, ἕως κʼ ἀπὸ πάντα δοθείη·

demanding our goods, until all should be given back.

νῦν δέ μοι ἀπρήκτους ὀδύνας ἐμβάλλετε θυμῷ.

But now you cast incurable pains into my heart."

ὣς φάτο χωόμενος, ποτὶ δὲ σκῆπτρον βάλε γαίῃ

So he spoke in anger, and dashed the staff to the ground,

δάκρυʼ ἀναπρήσας· οἶκτος δʼ ἕλε λαὸν ἅπαντα.

bursting into tears; and pity seized all the people.

ἔνθʼ ἄλλοι μὲν πάντες ἀκὴν ἔσαν, οὐδέ τις ἔτλη

Then all the others were silent, and no one dared

Τηλέμαχον μύθοισιν ἀμείψασθαι χαλεποῖσιν·

to answer Telemachus with harsh words;

Ἀντίνοος δέ μιν οἶος ἀμειβόμενος προσέειπε·

Antinous alone answered him and spoke:

Τηλέμαχʼ ὑψαγόρη, μένος ἄσχετε, ποῖον ἔειπες

"Telemachus, boastful speaker, unrestrained in anger, what a thing you have said

ἡμέας αἰσχύνων· ἐθέλοις δέ κε μῶμον ἀνάψαι.

to shame us; you would wish to fasten blame upon us.

σοὶ δʼ οὔ τι μνηστῆρες Ἀχαιῶν αἴτιοί εἰσιν,

For you the Achaean suitors are not at all to blame,

ἀλλὰ φίλη μήτηρ, ἥ τοι πέρι κέρδεα οἶδεν.

but your own dear mother, who knows exceeding craft.

ἤδη γὰρ τρίτον ἐστὶν ἔτος, τάχα δʼ εἶσι τέταρτον,

For already it is the third year, and soon will be the fourth,

ἐξ οὗ ἀτέμβει θυμὸν ἐνὶ στήθεσσιν Ἀχαιῶν.

since she has been cheating the hearts in the breasts of the Achaeans.

πάντας μέν ῥʼ ἔλπει καὶ ὑπίσχεται ἀνδρὶ ἑκάστῳ

She gives hope to all, and promises each man,

ἀγγελίας προϊεῖσα, νόος δέ οἱ ἄλλα μενοινᾷ.

sending messages, but her mind purposes other things.

ἡ δὲ δόλον τόνδʼ ἄλλον ἐνὶ φρεσὶ μερμήριξε·

And she devised this other deceit in her heart:

στησαμένη μέγαν ἱστὸν ἐνὶ μεγάροισιν ὕφαινε,

setting up a great loom in her halls, she wove,

λεπτὸν καὶ περίμετρον· ἄφαρ δʼ ἡμῖν μετέειπε·

fine and very wide; and straightway she spoke to us:

κοῦροι ἐμοὶ μνηστῆρες, ἐπεὶ θάνε δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς,

'Young men, my suitors, since noble Odysseus is dead,

μίμνετʼ ἐπειγόμενοι τὸν ἐμὸν γάμον, εἰς ὅ κε φᾶρος

wait, though eager for my marriage, until I finish this robe,

ἐκτελέσω, μή μοι μεταμώνια νήματʼ ὄληται,

lest my threads perish in vain—

Λαέρτῃ ἥρωι ταφήιον, εἰς ὅτε κέν μιν

a shroud for the hero Laertes, against the time when

μοῖρʼ ὀλοὴ καθέλῃσι τανηλεγέος θανάτοιο,

the ruinous fate of brings-grief death shall lay him low,

μή τίς μοι κατὰ δῆμον Ἀχαιϊάδων νεμεσήσῃ.

lest any of the Achaean women in the land should be angry with me,

αἴ κεν ἄτερ σπείρου κεῖται πολλὰ κτεατίσσας.

if he should lie without a shroud, who possessed many riches.'

ὣς ἔφαθʼ, ἡμῖν δʼ αὖτʼ ἐπεπείθετο θυμὸς ἀγήνωρ.

So she spoke, and our proud heart consented.

ἔνθα καὶ ἠματίη μὲν ὑφαίνεσκεν μέγαν ἱστόν,

There by day she wove the great web,

νύκτας δʼ ἀλλύεσκεν, ἐπεὶ δαΐδας παραθεῖτο.

but by night she unravelled it, when she had set torches beside her.

ὣς τρίετες μὲν ἔληθε δόλῳ καὶ ἔπειθεν Ἀχαιούς·

Thus for three years she deceived by her craft and persuaded the Achaeans;

ἀλλʼ ὅτε τέτρατον ἦλθεν ἔτος καὶ ἐπήλυθον ὧραι,

but when the fourth year came and the seasons returned,

καὶ τότε δή τις ἔειπε γυναικῶν, ἣ σάφα ᾔδη,

then indeed one of her women, who knew clearly, told us,

καὶ τήν γʼ ἀλλύουσαν ἐφεύρομεν ἀγλαὸν ἱστόν.

and we caught her unravelling the splendid web.

ὣς τὸ μὲν ἐξετέλεσσε καὶ οὐκ ἐθέλουσʼ ὑπʼ ἀνάγκης·

So she finished it, against her will, by necessity.

σοὶ δʼ ὧδε μνηστῆρες ὑποκρίνονται, ἵνʼ εἰδῇς

To you, then, the suitors make answer thus, so that you may know

αὐτὸς σῷ θυμῷ, εἰδῶσι δὲ πάντες Ἀχαιοί·

in your own heart, and that all the Achaeans may know:

μητέρα σὴν ἀπόπεμψον, ἄνωχθι δέ μιν γαμέεσθαι

send away your mother, and bid her marry

τῷ ὅτεῴ τε πατὴρ κέλεται καὶ ἁνδάνει αὐτῇ.

whomsoever her father commands and she herself pleases.

εἰ δʼ ἔτʼ ἀνιήσει γε πολὺν χρόνον υἷας Ἀχαιῶν,

But if she shall continue to vex the sons of the Achaeans for a long time,

τὰ φρονέουσʼ ἀνὰ θυμόν, ὅ οἱ πέρι δῶκεν Ἀθήνη

priding herself on the gifts which Athena has given her in abundance—

ἔργα τʼ ἐπίστασθαι περικαλλέα καὶ φρένας ἐσθλὰς

skill in beautiful works, an excellent mind,

κέρδεά θʼ, οἷʼ οὔ πώ τινʼ ἀκούομεν οὐδὲ παλαιῶν,

and wits such as we have never heard of even in the women of old,

τάων αἳ πάρος ἦσαν ἐυπλοκαμῖδες Ἀχαιαί,

of those who long ago were fair-tressed Achaean women,

Τυρώ τʼ Ἀλκμήνη τε ἐυστέφανός τε Μυκήνη·

Tyro and Alcmene and Mycene of the fair crown;

τάων οὔ τις ὁμοῖα νοήματα Πηνελοπείῃ

of these, no one had thoughts like those of Penelope.

ᾔδη· ἀτὰρ μὲν τοῦτό γʼ ἐναίσιμον οὐκ ἐνόησε².

Yet in this, indeed, she did not devise what is right.

τόφρα γὰρ οὖν βίοτόν τε τεὸν καὶ κτήματʼ ἔδονται,

For so long shall they consume your livelihood and your goods,

ὄφρα κε κείνη τοῦτον ἔχῃ νόον, ὅν τινά οἱ νῦν

as long as she keeps this mind which the gods now

ἐν στήθεσσι τιθεῖσι θεοί. μέγα μὲν κλέος αὐτῇ

put in her breast. Great fame for herself

ποιεῖτʼ, αὐτὰρ σοί γε ποθὴν πολέος βιότοιο³.

she wins, but for you the loss of much livelihood.

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

But we will not go to our own lands, nor elsewhere,

πρίν γʼ αὐτὴν γήμασθαι Ἀχαιῶν ᾧ κʼ ἐθέλῃσι.

until she marries whomsoever of the Achaeans she will."

τὸν δʼ αὖ Τηλέμαχος πεπνυμένος ἀντίον ηὔδα·

Then wise Telemachus answered him:

Ἀντίνοʼ, οὔ πως ἔστι δόμων ἀέκουσαν ἀπῶσαι

"Antinous, in no way is it possible to thrust from my house, against her will,

ἥ μʼ ἔτεχʼ, ἥ μʼ ἔθρεψε· πατὴρ δʼ ἐμὸς ἄλλοθι γαίης,

her who bore me and reared me; and my father is in some other land,

ζώει ὅ γʼ ἦ τέθνηκε· κακὸν δέ με πόλλʼ ἀποτίνειν

whether he is alive or dead. And it is a hard thing for me to pay much

Ἰκαρίῳ, αἴ κʼ αὐτὸς ἑκὼν ἀπὸ μητέρα πέμψω.

to Icarius, if I of my own will send my mother away.

ἐκ γὰρ τοῦ πατρὸς κακὰ πείσομαι⁴, ἄλλα δὲ δαίμων

For from her father I shall suffer evil, and a god

δώσει, ἐπεὶ μήτηρ στυγερὰς ἀρήσετʼ ἐρινῦς

will give other evils, since my mother will invoke the hateful Furies

οἴκου ἀπερχομένη· νέμεσις δέ μοι ἐξ ἀνθρώπων

as she leaves the house; and there will be indignation from men

ἔσσεται· ὣς οὐ τοῦτον ἐγώ ποτε μῦθον ἐνίψω.

upon me. Therefore, I will never speak this word.

ὑμέτερος δʼ εἰ μὲν θυμὸς νεμεσίζεται αὐτῶν,

And if your own heart is indignant at this,

ἔξιτέ μοι μεγάρων, ἄλλας δʼ ἀλεγύνετε δαῖτας

go forth from my halls, and prepare other feasts,

ὑμὰ κτήματʼ ἔδοντες ἀμειβόμενοι κατὰ οἴκους.

eating your own possessions, changing from house to house.

εἰ δʼ ὑμῖν δοκέει τόδε λωίτερον καὶ ἄμεινον

But if this seems to you to be better and more profitable...

Syntax notes4 items

2.71τείρεσθʼ
Elided form of the complementary infinitive `τείρεσθαι`, dependent on `ἐάσατε` and its object `με` in line 70, meaning "leave me to be worn out by grievous sorrow."
2.122ἀτὰρ μὲν τοῦτό γʼ ἐναίσιμον οὐκ ἐνόησε
`τοῦτό γʼ` refers to Penelope's current stratagem of delaying the suitors. With `ἐναίσιμον` (fitting, proper) used as an object or adverbially, the phrase expresses the suitors' complaint: "yet in this, indeed, she did not devise what is right (proper)."
2.126ποθὴν πολέος βιότοιο
`ποθή` means "longing for what is lost, regret, want." Here, in the genitive construction with `πολέος βιότοιο`, it indicates that Telemachus will suffer "the loss of much livelihood (and the subsequent longing for it)" due to the suitors' consumption.
2.134ἐκ γὰρ τοῦ πατρὸς κακὰ πείσομαι
`τοῦ πατρὸς` can refer either to Telemachus's own father Odysseus (who would be angry at the expulsion of his wife) or to Penelope's father Icarius (who would resent his daughter being sent away). Given the mention of `Ἰκαρίῳ` in line 133, it is more consistent to interpret it here as "her father (Icarius)."

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:2.71-2.141