Telemachus' Attempt and the Suitors' Trial — Odyssey §21.76-21.147 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

καὶ διοϊστεύσῃ πελέκεων δυοκαίδεκα πάντων,

and shoot an arrow through all twelve axes,

τῷ κεν ἅμʼ ἑσποίμην, νοσφισσαμένη τόδε δῶμα

with him would I go, separating myself from this house

κουρίδιον, μάλα καλόν, ἐνίπλειον βιότοιο,

of my wedded husband, very beautiful and full of life's substance,

τοῦ¹ ποτὲ μεμνήσεσθαι ὀΐομαι ἔν περ ὀνείρῳ.

which I think I shall remember, even if only in a dream.”

ὣς φάτο, καί ῥʼ Εὔμαιον ἀνώγει, δῖον ὑφορβόν,

So she spoke, and ordered Eumaeus, the noble swineherd,

τόξον μνηστήρεσσι θέμεν πολιόν τε σίδηρον.

to set before the suitors the bow and the grey iron.

δακρύσας δʼ Εὔμαιος ἐδέξατο καὶ κατέθηκε·

And Eumaeus took it with tears and laid it down;

κλαῖε δὲ βουκόλος ἄλλοθʼ, ἐπεὶ ἴδε τόξον ἄνακτος.

and the herdsman wept in another place, when he saw the bow of the lord.

Ἀντίνοος δʼ ἐνένιπεν ἔπος τʼ ἔφατʼ ἔκ τʼ ὀνόμαζε·

But Antinous rebuked them, and spoke and addressed them:

νήπιοι ἀγροιῶται, ἐφημέρια φρονέοντες,

“Foolish rustics, who think only of the day,

ἆ δειλώ, τί νυ δάκρυ κατείβετον ἠδὲ γυναικὶ

ah, wretched men, why now do you shed tears and stir up the heart

θυμὸν ἐνὶ στήθεσσιν ὀρίνετον; ᾗ τε καὶ ἄλλως

in the breast of the lady? Even without this her heart

κεῖται ἐν ἄλγεσι θυμός, ἐπεὶ φίλον ὤλεσʼ ἀκοίτην.

lies in sorrows, since she has lost her dear husband.

ἀλλʼ ἀκέων δαίνυσθε καθήμενοι, ἠὲ θύραζε

But sit down and feast in silence, or go outside

κλαίετον ἐξελθόντε, κατʼ αὐτόθι τόξα λιπόντε,

and weep, leaving the bow right here,

μνηστήρεσσιν ἄεθλον ἀάατον· οὐ γὰρ ὀΐω

a decisive contest for the suitors; for I do not think

ῥηϊδίως τόδε τόξον ἐΰξοον ἐντανύεσθαι.

that this well-polished bow will be easily strung.

οὐ γάρ τις μέτα τοῖος ἀνὴρ ἐν τοίσδεσι πᾶσιν

For there is no man among all these here

οἷος Ὀδυσσεὺς ἔσκεν· ἐγὼ δέ μιν αὐτὸς ὄπωπα,

such as Odysseus was; and I myself saw him,

καὶ γὰρ μνήμων εἰμί, πάϊς δʼ ἔτι νήπιος ἦα.

for I have a good memory, though I was still a foolish child.”

ὣς φάτο, τῷ δʼ ἄρα θυμὸς ἐνὶ στήθεσσιν ἐώλπει

So he spoke, but the heart in his breast hoped

νευρὴν ἐντανύσειν διοϊστεύσειν τε σιδήρου.

to string the bow and shoot through the iron.

ἦ τοι ὀϊστοῦ γε πρῶτος γεύσεσθαι ἔμελλεν

Yet truly, he was to be the first to taste the arrow

ἐκ χειρῶν Ὀδυσῆος ἀμύμονος, ὃν τότʼ ἀτίμα

from the hands of peerless Odysseus, whom he then dishonored

ἥμενος ἐν μεγάροις, ἐπὶ δʼ ὤρνυε πάντας ἑταίρους.

as he sat in the halls, and urged on all his comrades.

τοῖσι δὲ καὶ μετέειφʼ ἱερὴ ἲς Τηλεμάχοιο·

And to them spoke the sacred strength of Telemachus:

ὢ πόποι, ἦ μάλα με Ζεὺς ἄφρονα θῆκε Κρονίων·

“Ah, surely Zeus, son of Cronos, has made me utterly foolish.

μήτηρ μέν μοί φησι φίλη, πινυτή περ ἐοῦσα,

My dear mother, wise though she is, says

ἄλλῳ ἅμʼ ἕψεσθαι νοσφισσαμένη τόδε δῶμα·

that she will follow another, separating herself from this house;

αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ γελόω καὶ τέρπομαι ἄφρονι θυμῷ.

but I laugh and am glad in my foolish mind.

ἀλλʼ ἄγετε, μνηστῆρες, ἐπεὶ τόδε φαίνετʼ ἄεθλον,

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

οἵη νῦν οὐκ ἔστι γυνὴ κατʼ Ἀχαιΐδα γαῖαν,

a woman such as there is not now in the Achaean land,

οὔτε Πύλου ἱερῆς οὔτʼ Ἄργεος οὔτε Μυκήνης·

neither in sacred Pylos, nor in Argos, nor in Mycenae,

οὔτʼ αὐτῆς Ἰθάκης οὔτʼ ἠπείροιο μελαίνης·

nor in Ithaca itself, nor on the dark mainland;

καὶ δʼ αὐτοὶ τόδε γʼ ἴστε· τί με χρὴ μητέρος αἴνου;

and you yourselves know this; why do I need to praise my mother?

ἀλλʼ ἄγε μὴ μύνῃσι παρέλκετε μηδʼ ἔτι τόξου

But come, do not delay with excuses, nor turn away

δηρὸν ἀποτρωπᾶσθε τανυστύος, ὄφρα ἴδωμεν.

any longer from stringing the bow, so that we may see.

καὶ δέ κεν αὐτὸς ἐγὼ τοῦ τόξου πειρησαίμην·

And indeed, I myself would make trial of the bow;

εἰ δέ κεν ἐντανύσω διοϊστεύσω τε σιδήρου,

and if I string it and shoot through the iron,

οὔ κέ μοι ἀχνυμένῳ τάδε δώματα πότνια μήτηρ

my lady mother would not leave these halls, to my sorrow,

λείποι² ἅμʼ ἄλλῳ ἰοῦσʼ, ὅτʼ ἐγὼ κατόπισθε λιποίμην

going with another, when I should be left behind

οἷός τʼ ἤδη πατρὸς ἀέθλια κάλʼ ἀνελέσθαι.

as one now able to take up the beautiful prizes of my father.”

ἦ καὶ ἀπʼ ὤμοιϊν χλαῖναν θέτο φοινικόεσσαν

He spoke, and casting off his scarlet cloak from his shoulders,

ὀρθὸς ἀναΐξας, ἀπὸ δὲ ξίφος ὀξὺ θέτʼ ὤμων.

rose up straight, and put away the sharp sword from his shoulders.

πρῶτον μὲν πελέκεας στῆσεν, διὰ τάφρον ὀρύξας

First then he set up the axes, having dug a trench

πᾶσι μίαν μακρήν, καὶ ἐπὶ στάθμην ἴθυνεν,

for all of them, one long trench, and made it straight according to the line,

ἀμφὶ δὲ γαῖαν ἔναξε· τάφος δʼ ἕλε πάντας ἰδόντας,

and stamped down the earth around them. And wonder took all who saw him,

ὡς εὐκόσμως στῆσε· πάρος δʼ οὐ πώ ποτʼ ὀπώπει.

how orderly he set them up, though before he had never seen it.

στῆ δʼ ἄρʼ ἐπʼ οὐδὸν ἰὼν καὶ τόξου πειρήτιζε.

Then he went and stood upon the threshold, and began to try the bow.

τρὶς μέν μιν πελέμιξεν ἐρύσσεσθαι μενεαίνων,

Thrice he made it tremble, eager to draw it,

τρὶς δὲ μεθῆκε βίης, ἐπιελπόμενος τό γε θυμῷ,

and thrice he relaxed his strength, though hoping in his heart

νευρὴν ἐντανύειν διοϊστεύσειν τε σιδήρου.

to string the bow and shoot through the iron.

καί νύ κε δή ῥʼ ἐτάνυσσε³ βίῃ τὸ τέταρτον ἀνέλκων,

And now indeed he would have strung it by force, pulling it for the fourth time,

ἀλλʼ Ὀδυσεὺς ἀνένευε καὶ ἔσχεθεν ἱέμενόν περ.

but Odysseus shook his head and restrained him, eager though he was.

τοῖς δʼ αὖτις μετέειφʼ ἱερὴ ἲς Τηλεμάχοιο·

And to them spoke again the sacred strength of Telemachus:

ὢ πόποι, ἦ καὶ ἔπειτα κακός τʼ ἔσομαι καὶ ἄκικυς,

“Alas, indeed I shall be both a coward and weak hereafter,

ἠὲ νεώτερός εἰμι καὶ οὔ πω χερσὶ πέποιθα

or I am too young and do not yet trust my hands

ἄνδρʼ ἀπαμύνασθαι, ὅτε τις πρότερος χαλεπήνῃ.

to ward off a man when someone is the first to provoke me.

ἀλλʼ ἄγεθʼ, οἵ περ ἐμεῖο βίῃ προφερέστεροί ἐστε,

But come, you who are superior to me in strength,

τόξου πειρήσασθε, καὶ ἐκτελέωμεν ἄεθλον.

try the bow, and let us finish the contest.”

ὣς εἰπὼν τόξον μὲν ἀπὸ ἕο θῆκε χαμᾶζε,

So speaking, he set the bow down from him on the ground,

κλίνας κολλητῇσιν ἐϋξέστῃς σανίδεσσιν,

leaning it against the well-polished, close-fitting door-planks,

αὐτοῦ δʼ ὠκὺ βέλος καλῇ προσέκλινε κορώνῃ,

and leaned the swift arrow there against the beautiful handle,

ἂψ δʼ αὖτις κατʼ ἄρʼ ἕζετʼ ἐπὶ θρόνου ἔνθεν ἀνέστη.

and sat down again on the seat from which he had risen.

τοῖσιν δʼ Ἀντίνοος μετέφη, Εὐπείθεος υἱός·

Then Antinous spoke among them, the son of Eupeithes:

ὄρνυσθʼ ἑξείης ἐπιδέξια πάντες ἑταῖροι,

“Rise up in order, all comrades, from left to right,

ἀρξάμενοι τοῦ χώρου ὅθεν τέ περ οἰνοχοεύει.

beginning from the place where the wine is poured.”

ὣς ἔφατʼ Ἀντίνοος, τοῖσιν δʼ ἐπιήνδανε μῦθος.

So spoke Antinous, and the saying pleased them.

Λειώδης δὲ πρῶτος ἀνίστατο, Οἴνοπος υἱός,

And Leiodes was the first to rise, the son of Oenops,

ὅ σφι θυοσκόος ἔσκε, παρὰ κρητῆρα δὲ καλὸν

who was their priest, and by the beautiful mixing-bowl

ἷζε μυχοίτατος αἰέν· ἀτασθαλίαι δέ οἱ οἴῳ

he always sat in the innermost corner; and to him alone their wickedness

ἐχθραὶ ἔσαν, πᾶσιν δὲ νεμέσσα μνηστήρεσσιν·

was hateful, and he was indignant with all the suitors.

Syntax notes3 items

§§21.79τοῦ
Genitive of the relative pronoun whose antecedent is the neuter noun `δῶμα` (line 77), acting as the object of the verb `μεμνήσεσθαι` (μνάομαι), which governs the genitive case.
§§21.115λείποι
An optative of possibility (potential optative, `οὔ κέ ... λείποι`) in the apodosis, corresponding to the protasis in line 114, `εἰ δέ κεν ἐντανύσω...` (subjunctive + κεν), expressing a future possibility based on the assumption of Telemachus himself being able to string the bow.
§§21.128ἐτάνυσσε
An aorist indicative with the particle `κε` expressing a past counterfactual result (apodosis of a past contrary-to-fact condition). The subsequent `ἀλλʼ` clause shows that this outcome was prevented in reality.

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:21.76-21.147