The Suitors' Mad Laughter and Theoclymenus' Prophecy — Odyssey §20.328-20.394 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

ὄφρα μὲν ὑμῖν θυμὸς ἐνὶ στήθεσσιν ἐώλπει

"As long as the heart in your breasts hoped

νοστήσειν Ὀδυσῆα πολύφρονα ὅνδε δόμονδε,

that wise Odysseus would return to his own home,

τόφρʼ οὔ τις νέμεσις μενέμεν τʼ ἦν ἰσχέμεναί τε¹

so long there was no blame in waiting and keeping

μνηστῆρας κατὰ δώματʼ, ἐπεὶ τόδε κέρδιον ἦεν,

the suitors in the halls, since this was better,

εἰ νόστησʼ Ὀδυσεὺς καὶ ὑπότροπος ἵκετο δῶμα·

if Odysseus had returned and come back to his house.

νῦν δʼ ἤδη τόδε δῆλον, ὅ τʼ οὐκέτι νόστιμός ἐστιν.

But now this is already clear, that he is no longer to return.

ἀλλʼ ἄγε, σῇ τάδε μητρὶ παρεζόμενος κατάλεξον,

But come, sit by your mother and tell her this,

γήμασθʼ ὅς τις ἄριστος ἀνὴρ καὶ πλεῖστα πόρῃσιν,

to marry whoever is the best man and offers the most gifts,

ὄφρα σὺ μὲν χαίρων πατρώϊα πάντα νέμηαι,

so that you may joyfully manage all your patrimony,

ἔσθων καὶ πίνων, ἡ δʼ ἄλλου δῶμα κομίζῃ.

eating and drinking, while she looks after the house of another."

τὸν δʼ αὖ Τηλέμαχος πεπνυμένος ἀντίον ηὔδα·

Then wise Telemachus spoke in answer to him:

οὐ μὰ Ζῆνʼ, Ἀγέλαε, καὶ ἄλγεα πατρὸς ἐμοῖο,

"No, by Zeus, Agelaus, and by the sufferings of my father,

ὅς που τῆλʼ Ἰθάκης ἢ ἔφθιται ἢ ἀλάληται,

who somewhere far from Ithaca has either perished or is wandering,

οὔ τι διατρίβω μητρὸς γάμον, ἀλλὰ κελεύω

I do not delay my mother's marriage, but I urge her

γήμασθʼ ᾧ κʼ ἐθέλῃ, ποτὶ δʼ ἄσπετα δῶρα δίδωμι.

to marry whom she will, and I offer countless gifts besides.

αἰδέομαι δʼ ἀέκουσαν ἀπὸ μεγάροιο δίεσθαι

But I am ashamed to drive her from the halls against her will

μύθῳ ἀναγκαίῳ· μὴ τοῦτο θεὸς τελέσειεν.

with a compelling word; may God not bring this to pass."

ὣς φάτο Τηλέμαχος· μνηστῆρσι δὲ Παλλὰς Ἀθήνη

So spoke Telemachus; and Pallas Athena among the suitors

ἄσβεστον γέλω ὦρσε, παρέπλαγξεν δὲ νόημα.

aroused unquenchable laughter, and turned their minds astray.

οἱ δʼ ἤδη γναθμοῖσι γελοίων ἀλλοτρίοισιν²,

And now they laughed with jaws that were not their own,

αἱμοφόρυκτα δὲ δὴ κρέα ἤσθιον· ὄσσε δʼ ἄρα σφέων

and they were eating meat defiled with blood; and their eyes

δακρυόφιν πίμπλαντο, γόον δʼ ὠΐετο θυμός.

were filled with tears, and their hearts foreboded lamentation.

τοῖσι δὲ καὶ μετέειπε Θεοκλύμενος θεοειδής·

Then the godlike Theoclymenus also spoke among them:

ἆ δειλοί, τί κακὸν τόδε πάσχετε; νυκτὶ μὲν ὑμέων

"Ah, wretched men, what evil is this you suffer? Your heads

εἰλύαται κεφαλαί τε πρόσωπά τε νέρθε τε γοῦνα.

and your faces and your knees beneath are wrapped in night.

οἰμωγὴ δὲ δέδηε, δεδάκρυνται δὲ παρειαί,

And wailing has blazed up, and your cheeks are wet with tears,

αἵματι δʼ ἐρράδαται τοῖχοι καλαί τε μεσόδμαι·

and the walls and the beautiful cross-beams are sprinkled with blood;

εἰδώλων δὲ πλέον πρόθυρον, πλείη δὲ καὶ αὐλή,

and the porch is full of phantoms, and the court is full of them also,

ἱεμένων Ἔρεβόσδε ὑπὸ ζόφον· ἠέλιος δὲ

hastening to Erebus under the darkness; and the sun

οὐρανοῦ ἐξαπόλωλε, κακὴ δʼ ἐπιδέδρομεν ἀχλύς.

has perished out of heaven, and an evil mist has spread over all."

ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἱ δʼ ἄρα πάντες ἐπʼ αὐτῷ ἡδὺ γέλασσαν.

So he spoke, and they all laughed merrily at him.

τοῖσιν δʼ Εὐρύμαχος, Πολύβου πάϊς, ἦρχʼ ἀγορεύειν·

And Eurymachus, son of Polybus, began to speak among them:

ἀφραίνει ξεῖνος νέον ἄλλοθεν εἰληλουθώς.

"The stranger is mad, having newly come from elsewhere.

ἀλλά μιν αἶψα, νέοι, δόμου ἐκπέμψασθε θύραζε

But quickly, young men, send him out of doors

εἰς ἀγορὴν ἔρχεσθαι, ἐπεὶ τάδε νυκτὶ ἐΐσκει.

to go to the assembly, since he likens these things to night."

τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε Θεοκλύμενος θεοειδής·

Then godlike Theoclymenus spoke to him in turn:

Εὐρύμαχʼ, οὔ τί σʼ ἄνωγα ἐμοὶ πομπῆας ὀπάζειν·

"Eurymachus, I do not bid you send guides with me;

εἰσί μοι ὀφθαλμοί τε καὶ οὔατα καὶ πόδες ἄμφω

I have eyes and ears and both my feet,

καὶ νόος ἐν στήθεσσι τετυγμένος οὐδὲν ἀεικής.

and a mind in my breast well-fashioned, in no way unseemly.

τοῖς ἔξειμι θύραζε, ἐπεὶ νοέω κακὸν ὔμμιν

With these I will go out of doors, for I perceive evil coming

ἐρχόμενον, τό κεν οὔ τις ὑπεκφύγοι οὐδʼ ἀλέαιτο

upon you, which no one of the suitors could escape or avoid,

μνηστήρων, οἳ δῶμα κάτʼ ἀντιθέου Ὀδυσῆος

who in the house of godlike Odysseus

ἀνέρας ὑβρίζοντες ἀτάσθαλα μηχανάασθε.

insult men and devise reckless deeds."

ὣς εἰπὼν ἐξῆλθε δόμων εὖ ναιεταόντων,

So saying, he went out of the well-built halls,

ἵκετο δʼ ἐς Πείραιον, ὅ μιν πρόφρων ὑπέδεκτο.

and came to Peiraeus, who received him with a friendly heart.

μνηστῆρες δʼ ἄρα πάντες ἐς ἀλλήλους ὁρόωντες

Then all the suitors, looking at one another,

Τηλέμαχον ἐρέθιζον, ἐπὶ ξείνοις γελόωντες·

tried to provoke Telemachus by laughing at his guests;

ὧδε δέ τις εἴπεσκε νέων ὑπερηνορεόντων·

and thus would one of the proud young men say:

Τηλέμαχʼ, οὔ τις σεῖο κακοξεινώτερος ἄλλος·

"Telemachus, no one is more unfortunate in guests than you;

οἷον μέν τινα τοῦτον ἔχεις ἐπίμαστον ἀλήτην,

what a vagabond you have here as a guest,

σίτου καὶ οἴνου κεχρημένον, οὐδέ τι ἔργων

craving bread and wine, and skilled in no works

ἔμπαιον οὐδὲ βίης, ἀλλʼ αὔτως ἄχθος ἀρούρης.

nor in strength, but simply a burden on the earth.

ἄλλος δʼ αὖτέ τις οὗτος ἀνέστη μαντεύεσθαι.

And now this other one stood up to play the prophet.

ἀλλʼ εἴ μοί τι πίθοιο, τό κεν πολὺ κέρδιον εἴη·

But if you would obey me, it would be far better;

τοὺς ξείνους ἐν νηῒ πολυκληῗδι βαλόντες

let us throw these guests into a many-benched ship

ἐς Σικελοὺς πέμψωμεν, ὅθεν κέ τοι ἄξιον ἄλφοι.

and send them to the Sicilians, whence they would bring you a worthy price."

ὣς ἔφασαν μνηστῆρες· ὁ δʼ οὐκ ἐμπάζετο μύθων,

So spoke the suitors; but he paid no heed to their words,

ἀλλʼ ἀκέων πατέρα προσεδέρκετο, δέγμενος αἰεί,

but in silence looked toward his father, always waiting

ὁππότε δὴ μνηστῆρσιν ἀναιδέσι χεῖρας ἐφήσει.

for the time when he should lay his hands upon the shameless suitors.

ἡ δὲ κατʼ ἄντηστιν θεμένη περικαλλέα δίφρον

And she, having set her beautiful chair opposite,

κούρη Ἰκαρίοιο, περίφρων Πηνελόπεια,

the daughter of Icarius, wise Penelope,

ἀνδρῶν ἐν μεγάροισιν ἑκάστου μῦθον ἄκουεν.

heard the speech of each of the men in the halls.

δεῖπνον μὲν γάρ τοί γε γελοίωντες τετύκοντο

For laughing they had prepared a dinner,

ἡδὺ τε καὶ μενοεικές, ἐπεὶ μάλα πόλλʼ ἱέρευσαν·

sweet and heart-satisfying, since they had slaughtered very many beasts;

δόρπου³ δʼ οὐκ ἄν πως ἀχαρίστερον ἄλλο γένοιτο,

but there could never be another supper more unpleasant

οἷον δὴ τάχʼ ἔμελλε θεὰ καὶ καρτερὸς ἀνὴρ

than that which the goddess and the strong man were soon

θησέμεναι· πρότεροι γὰρ ἀεικέα μηχανόωντο.

to set before them; for they were the first to devise unseemly deeds.

Syntax notes3 items

§§20.330μενέμεν τʼ ἦν ἰσχέμεναί τε
The infinitives μενέμεν (to remain) and ἰσχέμεναί (to restrain) function as the subjects of the impersonal construction οὔ τις νέμεσις ἦν (there was no blame). μνηστῆρας acts as the direct object of ἰσχέμεναί and simultaneously as the subject accusative of μενέμεν.
§§20.347γναθμοῖσι γελοίων ἀλλοτρίοισιν
Literally 'they laughed with jaws that were not their own.' An idiomatic expression describing the suitors, driven mad by Athena, laughing hysterically and unnaturally as if their own facial muscles were no longer under their control.
§§20.392δόρπου
Genitive of comparison depending on the comparative adjective ἀχαρίστερον (more unpleasant). The subsequent relative clause οἷον δὴ... (such as...) stands in apposition to it, foreboding the disastrous nature of the suitors' final 'supper'.

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:20.328-20.394