Ctesippus' Insult and Telemachus' Threat — Odyssey §20.262-20.327 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

ἐνταυθοῖ νῦν ἧσο μετʼ ἀνδράσιν οἰνοποτάζων·

"Sit here now, drinking your wine among the men;

κερτομίας δέ τοι αὐτὸς ἐγὼ καὶ χεῖρας ἀφέξω

and I myself will ward off from you the taunts and the hands

πάντων μνηστήρων¹, ἐπεὶ οὔ τοι δήμιός ἐστιν

of all the suitors, since this is by no means a public

οἶκος ὅδʼ, ἀλλʼ Ὀδυσῆος, ἐμοὶ δʼ ἐκτήσατο κεῖνος.

house, but of Odysseus, and he acquired it for me.

ὑμεῖς δέ, μνηστῆρες, ἐπίσχετε θυμὸν ἐνιπῆς

And you, suitors, restrain your urge for abuse

καὶ χειρῶν, ἵνα μή τις ἔρις καὶ νεῖκος ὄρηται.

and hands, so that no strife and quarrel may arise."

ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἱ δʼ ἄρα πάντες ὀδὰξ ἐν χείλεσι φύντες

So he spoke, and they all bit their lips,

Τηλέμαχον θαύμαζον, ὃ θαρσαλέως ἀγόρευε.

and marveled at Telemachus, because he spoke so boldly.

τοῖσιν δʼ Ἀντίνοος μετέφη, Εὐπείθεος υἱός·

Then Antinous, son of Eupeithes, spoke among them:

καὶ χαλεπόν περ ἐόντα δεχώμεθα μῦθον, Ἀχαιοί,

"Hard though it is, let us accept this speech, Achaeans,

Τηλεμάχου· μάλα δʼ ἧμιν ἀπειλήσας ἀγορεύει.

from Telemachus; for he speaks with great threats to us.

οὐ γὰρ Ζεὺς εἴασε Κρονίων· τῷ κέ μιν ἤδη

For Zeus, son of Cronos, did not permit it; otherwise we would have already

παύσαμεν² ἐν μεγάροισι, λιγύν περ ἐόντʼ ἀγορητήν.

silenced him in the halls, clear-voiced speaker though he is."

ὣς ἔφατʼ Ἀντίνοος· ὁ δʼ ἄρʼ οὐκ ἐμπάζετο μύθων.

So spoke Antinous; but Telemachus paid no heed to his words.

κήρυκες δʼ ἀνὰ ἄστυ θεῶν ἱερὴν ἑκατόμβην

Meanwhile, the heralds were leading the sacred hecatomb of the gods through the town;

ἦγον· τοὶ δʼ ἀγέροντο κάρη κομόωντες Ἀχαιοὶ

and the long-haired Achaeans gathered

ἄλσος ὕπο σκιερὸν ἑκατηβόλου Ἀπόλλωνος.

beneath the shady grove of far-shooting Apollo.

οἱ δʼ ἐπεὶ ὤπτησαν κρέʼ ὑπέρτερα καὶ ἐρύσαντο,

But when they had roasted the outer meats and drawn them off,

μοίρας δασσάμενοι δαίνυντʼ ἐρικυδέα δαῖτα·

they divided the portions and feasted on the glorious feast;

πὰρ δʼ ἄρʼ Ὀδυσσῆϊ μοῖραν θέσαν οἳ πονέοντο

and beside Odysseus those who served set a portion

ἴσην, ὡς αὐτοί περ ἐλάγχανον· ὣς γὰρ ἀνώγει

equal to what they themselves received; for so

Τηλέμαχος, φίλος υἱὸς Ὀδυσσῆος θείοιο.

Telemachus, the dear son of divine Odysseus, had commanded.

μνηστῆρας δʼ οὐ πάμπαν ἀγήνορας εἴα Ἀθήνη

But Athena would by no means allow the arrogant suitors

λώβης ἴσχεσθαι θυμαλγέος, ὄφρʼ ἔτι μᾶλλον

to refrain from heart-grieving insult, so that still more

δύη ἄχος κραδίην Λαερτιάδην Ὀδυσῆα.

pain might sink into the heart of Odysseus, son of Laertes.

ἦν δέ τις ἐν μνηστῆρσιν ἀνὴρ ἀθεμίστια εἰδώς,

Now there was a certain man among the suitors who knew lawless deeds,

Κτήσιππος δʼ ὄνομʼ ἔσκε, Σάμῃ δʼ ἐνὶ οἰκία ναῖεν·

and his name was Ctesippus, and he dwelt in a house in Same;

ὃς δή τοι κτεάτεσσι πεποιθὼς θεσπεσίοισι

he, trusting in his wondrous possessions,

μνάσκετʼ Ὀδυσσῆος δὴν οἰχομένοιο δάμαρτα.

courted the wife of Odysseus, who had long been gone.

ὅς ῥα τότε μνηστῆρσιν ὑπερφιάλοισι μετηύδα·

He then spoke among the haughty suitors:

κέκλυτέ μευ, μνηστῆρες ἀγήνορες, ὄφρα τι εἴπω·

"Hear me, arrogant suitors, so that I may say something:

μοῖραν μὲν δὴ ξεῖνος ἔχει πάλαι, ὡς ἐπέοικεν,

the stranger has indeed long had an equal portion, as is fitting;

ἴσην· οὐ γὰρ καλὸν ἀτέμβειν οὐδὲ δίκαιον

for it is not noble nor just to deny

ξείνους Τηλεμάχου, ὅς κεν τάδε δώμαθʼ ἵκηται.

the guests of Telemachus, whoever comes to this house.

ἀλλʼ ἄγε οἱ καὶ ἐγὼ δῶ ξείνιον, ὄφρα καὶ αὐτὸς

But come, let me also give him a guest-gift, so that he too

ἠὲ λοετροχόῳ δώῃ γέρας ἠέ τῳ ἄλλῳ

may give a reward either to the bath-pourer or to some other

δμώων, οἳ κατὰ δώματʼ Ὀδυσσῆος θείοιο.

of the servants who are in the house of divine Odysseus."

ὣς εἰπὼν ἔρριψε βοὸς πόδα χειρὶ παχείῃ.

So saying, he threw a hoof of an ox with his stout hand,

κείμενον ἐκ κανέοιο λαβών· ὁ δʼ ἀλεύατʼ Ὀδυσσεὺς

taking it where it lay from the basket; but Odysseus avoided it,

ἦκα παρακλίνας κεφαλήν, μείδησε δὲ θυμῷ

gently dodging with his head, and he smiled in his heart

σαρδάνιον³ μάλα τοῖον· ὁ δʼ εὔδμητον βάλε τοῖχον.

a very grim smile; and the hoof struck the well-built wall.

Κτήσιππον δʼ ἄρα Τηλέμαχος ἠνίπαπε μύθῳ·

Then Telemachus rebuked Ctesippus with words:

Κτήσιππʼ, ἦ μάλα τοι τόδε κέρδιον ἔπλετο θυμῷ·

"Ctesippus, indeed this was far better for your heart:

οὐκ ἔβαλες τὸν ξεῖνον· ἀλεύατο γὰρ βέλος αὐτός.

you did not hit the stranger, for he himself avoided the missile.

ἦ γάρ κέν σε μέσον βάλον ἔγχεϊ⁴ ὀξυόεντι,

For surely I would have struck you through the middle with my sharp spear,

καί κέ τοι ἀντὶ γάμοιο πατὴρ τάφον ἀμφεπονεῖτο

and instead of a wedding, your father would have been busy with a grave

ἐνθάδε. τῷ μή τίς μοι ἀεικείας ἐνὶ οἴκῳ

for you here. Therefore let no one show unseemly behavior

φαινέτω· ἤδη γὰρ νοέω καὶ οἶδα ἕκαστα,

in my house; for now I perceive and know everything,

ἐσθλά τε καὶ τὰ χέρηα· πάρος δʼ ἔτι νήπιος ἦα.

both the good and the bad; but before this I was still a child.

ἀλλʼ ἔμπης τάδε μὲν καὶ τέτλαμεν εἰσορόωντες⁵,

Yet nevertheless we endure to look on these things,

μήλων σφαζομένων οἴνοιό τε πινομένοιο

the slaughter of sheep, the drinking of wine,

καὶ σίτου· χαλεπὸν γὰρ ἐρυκακέειν ἕνα πολλούς.

and the eating of bread; for it is hard for one man to restrain many.

ἀλλʼ ἄγε μηκέτι μοι κακὰ ῥέζετε δυσμενέοντες·

But come, do me no more evil out of malice;

εἰ δʼ ἤδη μʼ αὐτὸν κτεῖναι μενεαίνετε χαλκῷ,

but if you are already eager to kill me myself with the bronze,

καί κε τὸ βουλοίμην, καί κεν πολὺ κέρδιον εἴη

even that I would wish, and it would be far better

τεθνάμεν ἢ τάδε γʼ αἰὲν ἀεικέα ἔργʼ ὁράασθαι,

to die than to look forever on these unseemly deeds,

ξείνους τε στυφελιζομένους δμῳάς τε γυναῖκας

strangers being ill-treated, and the servant women

ῥυστάζοντας ἀεικελίως κατὰ δώματα καλά.

being dragged disgracefully through the beautiful house."

ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἱ δʼ ἄρα πάντες ἀκὴν ἐγένοντο σιωπῇ·

So he spoke, and they all became hushed in silence;

ὀψὲ δὲ δὴ μετέειπε Δαμαστορίδης Ἀγέλαος·

but at last Agelaus, son of Damastor, spoke among them:

ὦ φίλοι, οὐκ ἂν δή τις ἐπὶ ῥηθέντι δικαίῳ

"Friends, no one surely would be angry and attack with hostile words

ἀντιβίοις ἐπέεσσι καθαπτόμενος χαλεπαίνοι·

a speech that has been justly spoken;

μήτε τι τὸν ξεῖνον στυφελίζετε μήτε τινʼ ἄλλον

do not ill-treat the stranger, nor any other

δμώων, οἳ κατὰ δώματʼ Ὀδυσσῆος θείοιο.

of the servants who are in the house of divine Odysseus.

Τηλεμάχῳ δέ κε μῦθον ἐγὼ καὶ μητέρι φαίην

And to Telemachus and his mother I would speak a gentle

ἤπιον, εἴ σφωϊν κραδίῃ ἅδοι ἀμφοτέροιϊν.

word, if it might please the hearts of both."

Syntax notes5 items

§20.263ἀφέξω / πάντων μνηστήρων
The active verb `ἀπέχω` (future `ἀφέξω`) is used transitively with the dative `τοί` (serving as an ethical dative or indirect object "for you/from you") and governs the genitive of separation `πάντων μνηστήρων` ("from all the suitors"), meaning "I will ward off/keep away [the suitors] from you."
§20.273τῷ κέ μιν ἤδη / παύσαμεν
A past counterfactual apodosis formed by the particle `κέ` and the aorist indicative `παύσαμεν`, meaning "we would have already silenced him," with the implied protasis "if Zeus had allowed it."
§20.302σαρδάνιον
A cognate or adverbial accusative of the neuter singular adjective, modifying the verb `μείδησε` ("smiled"), describing a "sardonic smile"—a cold, bitter smile of inner pain or contempt.
§20.306ἦ γάρ κέν σε μέσον βάλον ἔγχεϊ
A past counterfactual apodosis expressed by the aorist `βάλον` with the particle `κέν`, indicating "for indeed I would have struck you in the middle with my spear," based on the unrealized condition of hitting the guest.
§20.311τάδε μὲν καὶ τέτλαμεν εἰσορόωντες
The perfect verb `τέτλαμεν` (1st person plural epic syncopated form of `τλάω`, meaning "to endure") is used with the supplementary participle `εἰσορόωντες` ("looking on"), expressing "we endure to look on these things."

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:20.262-20.327