Retrieval of Odysseus' Bow and Proposal of the Contest — Odyssey §21.1-21.75 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

τῇ δʼ ἄρʼ ἐπὶ φρεσὶ θῆκε θεὰ γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη,

Then the goddess, flashing-eyed Athena, put it in the mind

κούρῃ Ἰκαρίοιο, περίφρονι Πηνελοπείῃ,

of Penelope, the wise daughter of Icarius,

τόξον μνηστήρεσσι θέμεν πολιόν τε σίδηρον

to set the bow and the grey iron before the suitors

ἐν μεγάροις Ὀδυσῆος, ἀέθλια καὶ φόνου ἀρχήν¹.

in the halls of Odysseus, as a contest and the beginning of slaughter.

κλίμακα δʼ ὑψηλὴν προσεβήσετο οἷο δόμοιο,

And she went up the high stairway of her house,

εἵλετο δὲ κληῗδʼ εὐκαμπέα χειρὶ παχείῃ

and took the well-curved key in her strong hand,

καλὴν χαλκείην· κώπη δʼ ἐλέφαντος ἐπῆεν.

a beautiful bronze key; and a handle of ivory was upon it.

βῆ δʼ ἴμεναι θάλαμόνδε σὺν ἀμφιπόλοισι γυναιξὶν

And she went to the outermost chamber with her handmaids,

ἔσχατον· ἔνθα δέ οἱ κειμήλια κεῖτο ἄνακτος,

where the treasures of the lord lay,

χαλκός τε χρυσός τε πολύκμητός τε σίδηρος.

bronze and gold and laboriously wrought iron.

ἔνθα δὲ τόξον κεῖτο παλίντονον ἠδὲ φαρέτρη

And there lay the back-bent bow and the quiver

ἰοδόκος, πολλοὶ δʼ ἔνεσαν στονόεντες ὀϊστοί,

that held the arrows, and many groaning shafts were in it,

δῶρα τά οἱ ξεῖνος Λακεδαίμονι δῶκε τυχήσας²

gifts which a guest had given him when he met him in Lacedaemon,

Ἴφιτος Εὐρυτίδης, ἐπιείκελος ἀθανάτοισι.

Iphitus, son of Eurytus, like to the immortals.

τὼ δʼ ἐν Μεσσήνῃ ξυμβλήτην ἀλλήλοιϊν

And the two met each other in Messene,

οἴκῳ ἐν Ὀρτιλόχοιο δαΐφρονος. ἦ τοι Ὀδυσσεὺς

in the house of wise Ortilochus. Indeed Odysseus

ἦλθε μετὰ χρεῖος, τό ῥά οἱ πᾶς δῆμος ὄφελλε·

had come for a debt, which all the people owed him;

μῆλα γὰρ ἐξ Ἰθάκης Μεσσήνιοι ἄνδρες ἄειραν

for Messenian men had carried off from Ithaca

νηυσὶ πολυκλήϊσι τριηκόσιʼ ἠδὲ νομῆας.

three hundred sheep in many-benched ships, and the shepherds with them.

τῶν ἕνεκʼ ἐξεσίην πολλὴν ὁδὸν ἦλθεν³ Ὀδυσσεὺς

On account of these Odysseus came a long way on an embassy,

παιδνὸς ἐών· πρὸ γὰρ ἧκε πατὴρ ἄλλοι τε γέροντες.

though he was but a youth; for his father and other elders had sent him forth.

Ἴφιτος αὖθʼ ἵππους διζήμενος, αἵ οἱ ὄλοντο

And Iphitus on his part was seeking his horses, which had been lost to him,

δώδεκα θήλειαι, ὑπὸ δʼ ἡμίονοι ταλαεργοί·

twelve female horses, and under them hard-working mules;

αἳ δή οἱ καὶ ἔπειτα φόνος καὶ μοῖρα γένοντο,

and these indeed were thereafter to be his death and fate,

ἐπεὶ δὴ Διὸς υἱὸν ἀφίκετο καρτερόθυμον,

when he came to the strong-hearted son of Zeus,

φῶθʼ Ἡρακλῆα, μεγάλων ἐπιίστορα ἔργων,

the man Heracles, knower of mighty deeds,

ὅς μιν ξεῖνον ἐόντα κατέκτανεν ᾧ ἐνὶ οἴκῳ,

who slew him, though he was his guest, in his own house,

σχέτλιος, οὐδὲ θεῶν ὄπιν ᾐδέσατʼ οὐδὲ τράπεζαν,

ruthless man, nor did he respect the vengeance of the gods, nor the table

τὴν ἥν οἱ παρέθηκεν· ἔπειτα δὲ πέφνε καὶ αὐτόν,

which he set before him; and after that he slew him too,

ἵππους δʼ αὐτὸς ἔχε κρατερώνυχας ἐν μεγάροισι.

and himself kept the strong-hooved horses in his halls.

τὰς ἐρέων Ὀδυσῆϊ συνήντετο, δῶκε δὲ τόξον,

In seeking these he met Odysseus, and gave him the bow,

τὸ πρὶν μέν ῥʼ ἐφόρει μέγας Εὔρυτος, αὐτὰρ ὁ παιδὶ

which of old great Eurytus used to bear, but he to his son

κάλλιπʼ ἀποθνῄσκων ἐν δώμασιν ὑψηλοῖσι.

had left it when he died in his high house.

τῷ δʼ Ὀδυσεὺς ξίφος ὀξὺ καὶ ἄλκιμον ἔγχος ἔδωκεν,

And to him Odysseus gave a sharp sword and a mighty spear,

ἀρχὴν ξεινοσύνης προσκηδέος· οὐδὲ τραπέζῃ

the beginning of a loving guest-friendship; but at the table

γνώτην ἀλλήλων⁴· πρὶν γὰρ Διὸς υἱὸς ἔπεφνεν

they did not know each other; for before that the son of Zeus slew

Ἴφιτον Εὐρυτίδην, ἐπιείκελον ἀθανάτοισιν,

Iphitus, son of Eurytus, like to the immortals,

ὅς οἱ τόξον ἔδωκε. τὸ δʼ οὔ ποτε δῖος Ὀδυσσεὺς

who had given him the bow. That bow noble Odysseus never took

ἐρχόμενος πόλεμόνδε μελαινάων ἐπὶ νηῶν

when he went to war on his black ships,

ᾑρεῖτʼ, ἀλλʼ αὐτοῦ μνῆμα ξείνοιο φίλοιο

but it lay in his halls as a memorial of his dear guest,

κέσκετʼ ἐνὶ μεγάροισι, φόρει δέ μιν ἧς ἐπὶ γαίης.

and he wore it only upon his own land.

ἡ δʼ ὅτε δὴ θάλαμον τὸν ἀφίκετο δῖα γυναικῶν

Now when the noble lady came to that chamber,

οὐδόν τε δρύϊνον προσεβήσετο, τόν ποτε τέκτων

and stepped upon the oaken threshold, which once the carpenter

ξέσσεν ἐπισταμένως καὶ ἐπὶ στάθμην ἴθυνεν,

had skillfully planed and made straight by the line,

ἐν δὲ σταθμοὺς ἄρσε, θύρας δʼ ἐπέθηκε φαεινάς,

and fitted the doorposts in it, and set upon it the shining doors,

αὐτίκʼ ἄρʼ ἥ γʼ ἱμάντα θοῶς ἀπέλυσε κορώνης,

at once then she quickly loosed the strap from the ring,

ἐν δὲ κληῗδʼ ἧκε, θυρέων δʼ ἀνέκοπτεν ὀχῆας

and put in the key, and shot back the bolts of the doors,

ἄντα τιτυσκομένη· τὰ δʼ ἀνέβραχεν ἠΰτε ταῦρος

aiming straight; and they bellowed like a bull

βοσκόμενος λειμῶνι· τόσʼ ἔβραχε καλὰ θύρετρα

grazing in a meadow; so loud did the beautiful doors bellow

πληγέντα κληΐδι, πετάσθησαν δέ οἱ ὦκα.

when struck by the key, and they were opened quickly before her.

ἡ δʼ ἄρʼ ἐφʼ ὑψηλῆς σανίδος βῆ· ἔνθα δὲ χηλοὶ

Then she stepped upon the high floor, where the chests

ἕστασαν, ἐν δʼ ἄρα τῇσι θυώδεα εἵματʼ ἔκειτο.

were standing, and in them lay the fragrant garments.

ἔνθεν ὀρεξαμένη ἀπὸ πασσάλου αἴνυτο τόξον

From there she reached out and took the bow from the peg,

αὐτῷ γωρυτῷ, ὅς οἱ περίκειτο φαεινός.

together with the shining case which enclosed it.

ἑζομένη δὲ κατʼ αὖθι, φίλοις ἐπὶ γούνασι θεῖσα,

And sitting down there, having laid it on her dear knees,

κλαῖε μάλα λιγέως, ἐκ δʼ ᾕρεε τόξον ἄνακτος.

she wept very loudly, and took out the bow of the lord.

ἡ δʼ ἐπεὶ οὖν τάρφθη πολυδακρύτοιο γόοιο,

But when she was satisfied with tearful lamentation,

βῆ ῥʼ ἴμεναι μέγαρόνδε μετὰ μνηστῆρας ἀγαυοὺς

she went to the hall to meet the proud suitors,

τόξον ἔχουσʼ ἐν χειρὶ παλίντονον ἠδὲ φαρέτρην

holding the back-bent bow in her hand and the quiver

ἰοδόκον· πολλοὶ δʼ ἔνεσαν στονόεντες ὀϊστοί.

that held the arrows; and many groaning shafts were in it.

τῇ δʼ ἄρʼ ἅμʼ ἀμφίπολοι φέρον ὄγκιον, ἔνθα σίδηρος

And with her the handmaids carried the chest, where iron

κεῖτο πολὺς καὶ χαλκός, ἀέθλια τοῖο ἄνακτος.

lay in plenty, and bronze, the contest prizes of the lord.

ἡ δʼ ὅτε δὴ μνηστῆρας ἀφίκετο δῖα γυναικῶν,

And when the noble lady came to the suitors,

στῆ ῥα παρὰ σταθμὸν τέγεος πύκα ποιητοῖο,

she stood by the doorpost of the well-built roof,

ἄντα παρειάων σχομένη λιπαρὰ κρήδεμνα.

holding her bright veil before her cheeks;

ἀμφίπολος δʼ ἄρα οἱ κεδνὴ ἑκάτερθε παρέστη.

and a faithful handmaid stood on either side of her.

αὐτίκα δὲ μνηστῆρσι μετηύδα καὶ φάτο μῦθον·

And straightway she spoke to the suitors and said:

κέκλυτέ μευ, μνηστῆρες ἀγήνορες, οἳ τόδε δῶμα

"Hear me, proud suitors, who have devoured this house,

ἐχράετʼ ἐσθιέμεν καὶ πινέμεν ἐμμενὲς αἰεὶ

constantly eating and drinking always without ceasing,

ἀνδρὸς ἀποιχομένοιο πολὺν χρόνον· οὐδέ τινʼ ἄλλην

while the master has been gone for a long time; nor any other

μύθου ποιήσασθαι ἐπισχεσίην ἐδύνασθε⁵,

pretext for your conduct have you been able to make,

ἀλλʼ ἐμὲ ἱέμενοι γῆμαι θέσθαι τε γυναῖκα.

except that you are eager to marry me and take me as your wife.

ἀλλʼ ἄγετε, μνηστῆρες, ἐπεὶ τόδε φαίνετʼ ἄεθλον.

But come, suitors, since this contest is shown to you;

θήσω γὰρ μέγα τόξον Ὀδυσσῆος θείοιο·

for I will set the great bow of godlike Odysseus;

ὃς δέ κε ῥηΐτατʼ ἐντανύσῃ βιὸν ἐν παλάμῃσι

and whosoever shall most easily bend the bow in his hands,

Syntax notes5 items

§21.4ἀέθλια καὶ φόνου ἀρχήν
The nouns "ἀέθλια" (contests) and "ἀρχήν" (beginning) are in apposition to the preceding infinitive clause "τόξον μνηστήρεσσι θέμεν πολιόν τε σίδηρον" (to set the bow and the grey iron before the suitors), describing its purpose or result.
§21.13δῶρα τά οἱ ξεῖνος Λακεδαίμονι δῶκε τυχήσας
"τυχήσας" is the aorist active participle of "τυγχάνω", agreeing with the subject "Ἴφιτος" to express the temporal sense of "when they met." "τά" functions as a relative pronoun with "δῶρα" as its antecedent.
§21.20τῶν ἕνεκʼ ἐξεσίην πολλὴν ὁδὸν ἦλθεν
"ἐξεσίην" is the accusative of "ἐξεσίη" (embassy) used as a cognate accusative with the intransitive verb "ἦλθεν" (went), expressing the purpose of the journey ("on an embassy").
§21.35γνώτην ἀλλήλων
The dual verb form "γνώτην" (third-person dual aorist active) indicates that the subject consists of two individuals, namely Odysseus and Iphitus.
§21.71μύθου ποιήσασθαι ἐπισχεσίην ἐδύνασθε
"ἐπισχεσίην" (pretext, delay) is the object of the infinitive "ποιήσασθαι" (to make), and "μύθου" (of speech) is a genitive modifying "ἐπισχεσίην," meaning "you were unable to make any other pretext of speech."

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:21.1-21.75