Philoetius' Loyalty and the Suitors' Thwarted Plot — Odyssey §20.195-20.261 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

ἀλλὰ θεοὶ δυόωσι¹ πολυπλάγκτους ἀνθρώπους,

Yet the gods plunge far-wandering men into misery,

ὁππότε καὶ βασιλεῦσιν ἐπικλώσωνται ὀϊζύν.

whenever they spin out distress even for kings.

ἦ καὶ δεξιτερῇ δειδίσκετο χειρὶ παραστάς,

He spoke, and standing near, welcomed him with his right hand,

καί μιν φωνήσας ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·

and addressing him, spoke winged words:

χαῖρε, πάτερ ὦ ξεῖνε· γένοιτό τοι ἔς περ ὀπίσσω

"Welcome, father, stranger; may happiness be yours hereafter,

ὄλβος· ἀτὰρ μὲν νῦν γε κακοῖς ἔχεαι πολέεσσι.

though indeed now you are held by many evils.

Ζεῦ πάτερ, οὔ τις σεῖο θεῶν ὀλοώτερος ἄλλος·

Father Zeus, no other of the gods is more destructive than you;

οὐκ ἐλεαίρεις ἄνδρας, ἐπὴν δὴ γείνεαι αὐτός,

you have no pity on men, after you yourself have begotten them,

μισγέμεναι κακότητι καὶ ἄλγεσι λευγαλέοισιν.

to mingle them with misfortune and miserable pains.

ἴδιον², ὡς ἐνόησα, δεδάκρυνται δέ μοι ὄσσε

I broke into a sweat when I noticed this, and my eyes are wet with tears

μνησαμένῳ Ὀδυσῆος, ἐπεὶ καὶ κεῖνον ὀΐω

as I remember Odysseus, since I think that he too,

τοιάδε λαίφεʼ ἔχοντα κατʼ ἀνθρώπους ἀλάλησθαι,

wearing such rags, is wandering among men,

εἴ που ἔτι ζώει καὶ ὁρᾷ φάος ἠελίοιο.

if indeed he still lives anywhere and sees the light of the sun.

εἰ δʼ ἤδη τέθνηκε καὶ εἰν Ἀΐδαο δόμοισιν,

But if he is already dead and in the house of Hades,

ὤ μοι ἔπειτʼ Ὀδυσῆος³ ἀμύμονος, ὅς μʼ ἐπὶ βουσὶν

oh, woe is me then for blameless Odysseus, who set me over

εἷσʼ ἔτι τυτθὸν ἐόντα Κεφαλλήνων ἐνὶ δήμῳ.

his cattle when I was still a little one in the land of the Cephallenians.

νῦν δʼ αἱ μὲν γίγνονται ἀθέσφατοι, οὐδέ κεν ἄλλως

And now they are past counting, nor in any other way

ἀνδρί γʼ ὑποσταχύοιτο βοῶν γένος εὐρυμετώπων·

could the breed of broad-browed cattle multiply better for a man;

τὰς δʼ ἄλλοι με κέλονται ἀγινέμεναί σφισιν αὐτοῖς

yet others bid me bring them for themselves

ἔδμεναι· οὐδέ τι παιδὸς ἐνὶ μεγάροις ἀλέγουσιν,

to eat, and they care nothing for the son in the halls,

οὐδʼ ὄπιδα τρομέουσι θεῶν· μεμάασι γὰρ ἤδη

nor do they tremble at the wrath of the gods; for they are eager now

κτήματα δάσσασθαι δὴν οἰχομένοιο ἄνακτος.

to divide the possessions of the lord who has long been gone.

αὐτὰρ ἐμοὶ τόδε θυμὸς ἐνὶ στήθεσσι φίλοισι

But as for me, the heart within my breast

πόλλʼ ἐπιδινεῖται· μάλα μὲν κακὸν υἷος ἐόντος⁴

keeps turning this much over: it is very bad, while the son is living,

ἄλλων δῆμον ἱκέσθαι ἰόντʼ αὐτῇσι βόεσσιν,

to go to another land, departing with the cattle themselves,

ἄνδρας ἐς ἀλλοδαπούς· τὸ δὲ ῥίγιον, αὖθι μένοντα

to foreign men; but it is more horrible to remain here

βουσὶν ἐπʼ ἀλλοτρίῃσι καθήμενον ἄλγεα πάσχειν.

and suffer pains, sitting over cattle that belong to others.

καί κεν δὴ πάλαι ἄλλον ὑπερμενέων βασιλήων

And indeed I would long ago have fled and reached another

ἐξικόμην φεύγων, ἐπεὶ οὐκέτʼ ἀνεκτὰ πέλονται·

of the mighty kings, since things are no longer bearable;

ἀλλʼ ἔτι τὸν δύστηνον ὀΐομαι, εἴ ποθεν ἐλθὼν

but I still think of that unhappy man, if he might come from somewhere

ἀνδρῶν μνηστήρων σκέδασιν κατὰ δώματα θείῃ.

and make a scattering of the suitors throughout the halls."

τὸν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς·

Then wise Odysseus answered him and said:

βουκόλʼ, ἐπεὶ οὔτε κακῷ οὔτʼ ἄφρονι φωτὶ ἔοικας,

"Herdsman, since you seem to be neither a bad nor a foolish man,

γιγνώσκω δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς ὅ τοι πινυτὴ φρένας ἵκει,

and I myself also know that wisdom has come to your heart,

τοὔνεκά τοι ἐρέω καὶ ἐπὶ μέγαν ὅρκον ὀμοῦμαι·

therefore I will tell you, and will swear a great oath upon it:

ἴστω νῦν Ζεὺς πρῶτα θεῶν ξενίη τε τράπεζα

let Zeus be witness now first of the gods, and the hospitable table,

ἱστίη τʼ Ὀδυσῆος ἀμύμονος, ἣν ἀφικάνω,

and the hearth of blameless Odysseus, to which I have come,

ἦ σέθεν ἐνθάδʼ ἐόντος ἐλεύσεται οἴκαδʼ Ὀδυσσεύς·

that while you are still here, Odysseus shall come home;

σοῖσιν δʼ ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ἐπόψεαι, αἴ κʼ ἐθέλῃσθα,

and with your own eyes you shall see, if you wish,

κτεινομένους μνηστῆρας, οἳ ἐνθάδε κοιρανέουσιν.

the suitors being slain, who here play the master."

τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε βοῶν ἐπιβουκόλος ἀνήρ·

Then the herdsman of the cattle answered him in turn:

αἲ γὰρ τοῦτο, ξεῖνε, ἔπος τελέσειε Κρονίων·

"Would that, stranger, the son of Cronos might fulfill this word!

γνοίης χʼ οἵη ἐμὴ δύναμις καὶ χεῖρες ἕπονται.

You would know then what sort of power is mine, and how my hands follow."

ὣς δʼ αὔτως Εὔμαιος ἐπεύξατο πᾶσι θεοῖσι

And in the same way Eumaeus prayed to all the gods

νοστῆσαι Ὀδυσῆα πολύφρονα ὅνδε δόμονδε.

that wise Odysseus might return to his own home.

ὣς οἱ μὲν τοιαῦτα πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἀγόρευον,

So they spoke thus to one another,

μνηστῆρες δʼ ἄρα Τηλεμάχῳ θάνατόν τε μόρον τε

but the suitors were preparing death and doom for Telemachus;

ἤρτυον· αὐτὰρ ὁ τοῖσιν ἀριστερὸς ἤλυθεν ὄρνις,

yet there came to them a bird on the left,

αἰετὸς ὑψιπέτης, ἔχε δὲ τρήρωνα πέλειαν.

a high-flying eagle, and it held a timid dove.

τοῖσιν δʼ Ἀμφίνομος ἀγορήσατο καὶ μετέειπεν·

And Amphinomus spoke among them and addressed them:

ὦ φίλοι, οὐχ ἡμῖν συνθεύσεται ἥδε γε βουλή,

"Friends, this plan of ours will not run smooth,

Τηλεμάχοιο φόνος· ἀλλὰ μνησώμεθα δαιτός.

the murder of Telemachus; but let us think of the feast."

ὣς ἔφατʼ Ἀμφίνομος, τοῖσιν δʼ ἐπιήνδανε μῦθος.

So spoke Amphinomus, and his speech pleased them.

ἐλθόντες δʼ ἐς δώματʼ Ὀδυσσῆος θείοιο

And going into the house of divine Odysseus

χλαίνας μὲν κατέθεντο κατὰ κλισμούς τε θρόνους τε,

they laid down their cloaks on the chairs and high seats,

οἱ δʼ ἱέρευον ὄϊς μεγάλους καὶ πίονας αἶγας,

and they slaughtered great sheep and fat goats,

ἵρευον δὲ σύας σιάλους καὶ βοῦν ἀγελαίην·

and they slew fatted swine and a cow from the herd;

σπλάγχνα δʼ ἄρʼ ὀπτήσαντες ἐνώμων, ἐν δέ τε οἶνον

and having roasted the entrails they distributed them, and they mixed wine

κρητῆρσιν κερόωντο· κύπελλα δὲ νεῖμε συβώτης.

in the bowls; and the swineherd distributed the cups.

σῖτον δέ σφʼ ἐπένειμε Φιλοίτιος, ὄρχαμος ἀνδρῶν,

And Philoetius, a leader of men, distributed bread to them

καλοῖς ἐν κανέοισιν, ἐῳνοχόει δὲ Μελανθεύς.

in beautiful baskets, and Melantheus poured the wine.

οἱ δʼ ἐπʼ ὀνείαθʼ ἑτοῖμα προκείμενα χεῖρας ἴαλλον.

So they stretched forth their hands to the ready feast set before them.

Τηλέμαχος δʼ Ὀδυσῆα καθίδρυε, κέρδεα νωμῶν,

But Telemachus, with crafty design, made Odysseus sit

ἐντὸς ἐϋσταθέος μεγάρου, παρὰ λάϊνον οὐδόν,

inside the well-built hall, beside the stone threshold,

δίφρον ἀεικέλιον καταθεὶς ὀλίγην τε τράπεζαν·

having placed for him a mean seat and a small table;

πὰρ δʼ ἐτίθει σπλάγχνων μοίρας, ἐν δʼ οἶνον ἔχευεν

and he set before him portions of the entrails, and poured wine

ἐν δέπαϊ χρυσέῳ, καί μιν πρὸς μῦθον ἔειπεν·

in a golden cup, and spoke a word to him:

Syntax notes4 items

§§20.195δυόωσι
Present subjunctive (with Homeric metrical lengthening) of `δυόω`, derived from the noun δύη (misery, ruin), meaning 'to plunge into misery.' Although some interpret it as a causative of the intransitive `δύω` (to sink), meaning 'to submerge,' the parallel with the following `ὀϊζύν` (distress) strongly suggests the meaning of bringing misery upon humans.
§§20.204ἴδιον
The Homeric form of the first-person singular aorist (or imperfect) of the verb `ἰδίω` (to sweat), corresponding to 'I broke into a sweat.' Though easily confused with the adjective `ἴδιος` (private, own), it is a verb form indicating Philoetius's intense physical and emotional reaction upon noticing the disguised Odysseus.
§§20.209ὤ μοι ἔπειτʼ Ὀδυσῆος
A construction linking the interjection `ὤ μοι` (ah, woe is me) with the genitive of cause or object of lamentation, `Ὀδυσῆος`. The particle `ἔπειτα` is used here not in a temporal sense ('thereafter') but to mark a logical consequence ('since that is so'), expressing intense grief over Odysseus's presumed death.
§§20.218υἷος ἐόντος
A genitive absolute construction using the participle `ἐόντος` (genitive singular masculine present participle of `εἰμί`), meaning 'while the son (Telemachus) is still alive (present).' This expresses a concession or circumstance that highlights the absurdity of the following action, `ἄλλων δῆμον ἱκέσθαι` (going to another land).

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:20.195-20.261