The Slaying of Antinous and the Demand for Retribution — Odyssey §22.1-22.69 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

αὐτὰρ ὁ γυμνώθη ῥακέων πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς,

But Odysseus of many wiles stripped off his rags,

ἆλτο δʼ ἐπὶ μέγαν οὐδόν, ἔχων βιὸν ἠδὲ φαρέτρην

and leaped upon the great threshold, holding his bow and the quiver

ἰῶν ἐμπλείην, ταχέας δʼ ἐκχεύατʼ ὀϊστοὺς

full of arrows; and he poured out the swift shafts

αὐτοῦ πρόσθε ποδῶν, μετὰ δὲ μνηστῆρσιν ἔειπεν·

right before his feet, and spoke among the suitors:

οὗτος μὲν δὴ ἄεθλος ἀάατος¹ ἐκτετέλεσται·

"This decisive contest is now ended.

νῦν αὖτε σκοπὸν ἄλλον, ὃν οὔ πώ τις βάλεν ἀνήρ,

Now indeed I will try another mark, which no man has yet hit,

εἴσομαι², αἴ κε τύχωμι, πόρῃ δέ μοι εὖχος Ἀπόλλων.

if I may chance to strike it, and Apollo grant me glory."

ἦ καὶ ἐπʼ Ἀντινόῳ ἰθύνετο πικρὸν ὀϊστόν.

He spoke, and aimed a bitter arrow at Antinous.

ἦ τοι ὁ καλὸν ἄλεισον ἀναιρήσεσθαι ἔμελλε,

Verily he was about to raise a beautiful cup,

χρύσεον ἄμφωτον, καὶ δὴ μετὰ χερσὶν ἐνώμα,

a two-eared cup of gold, and was already handling it in his hands

ὄφρα πίοι οἴνοιο· φόνος δέ οἱ οὐκ ἐνὶ θυμῷ

that he might drink of the wine; and slaughter was not in his thoughts.

μέμβλετο· τίς κʼ οἴοιτο μετʼ ἀνδράσι δαιτυμόνεσσι

Who indeed would think that among men banqueting,

μοῦνον ἐνὶ πλεόνεσσι³, καὶ εἰ μάλα καρτερὸς εἴη,

a single man among many, even if he were very strong,

οἷ τεύξειν θάνατόν τε κακὸν καὶ κῆρα μέλαιναν;

would bring upon him evil death and black fate?

τὸν δʼ Ὀδυσεὺς κατὰ λαιμὸν ἐπισχόμενος βάλεν ἰῷ,

But Odysseus aimed and hit him with an arrow in the throat,

ἀντικρὺ δʼ ἁπαλοῖο διʼ αὐχένος ἤλυθʼ ἀκωκή.

and straight through his tender neck went the point.

ἐκλίνθη δʼ ἑτέρωσε, δέπας δέ οἱ ἔκπεσε χειρὸς

He sank to one side, and the cup fell from his hand

βλημένου, αὐτίκα δʼ αὐλὸς ἀνὰ ῥῖνας παχὺς ἦλθεν

as he was struck, and straightway a thick stream of human blood

αἵματος ἀνδρομέοιο· θοῶς δʼ ἀπὸ εἷο τράπεζαν

came up through his nostrils; and quickly he pushed

ὦσε ποδὶ πλήξας, ἀπὸ δʼ εἴδατα χεῦεν ἔραζε·

the table from him, striking it with his foot, and spilled the food on the ground.

σῖτός τε κρέα τʼ ὀπτὰ φορύνετο. τοὶ δʼ ὁμάδησαν

And the bread and roasted meat were befouled. Then the suitors

μνηστῆρες κατὰ δώμαθʼ, ὅπως ἴδον ἄνδρα πεσόντα,

clamored in the halls when they saw the man fallen,

ἐκ δὲ θρόνων ἀνόρουσαν ὀρινθέντες κατὰ δῶμα,

and leaped up from their seats, taking alarm throughout the house,

πάντοσε παπταίνοντες ἐϋδμήτους ποτὶ τοίχους·

peering everywhere toward the well-built walls;

οὐδέ πη ἀσπὶς ἔην οὐδʼ ἄλκιμον ἔγχος ἑλέσθαι.

but nowhere was there a shield or a mighty spear to lay hold of.

νείκειον δʼ Ὀδυσῆα χολωτοῖσιν ἐπέεσσι·

And they rated Odysseus with angry words:

ξεῖνε, κακῶς ἀνδρῶν τοξάζεαι· οὐκέτʼ ἀέθλων

"Stranger, you shoot at men to your hurt! No more other contests

ἄλλων ἀντιάσεις· νῦν τοι σῶς αἰπὺς ὄλεθρος.

shall you meet with; now indeed sheer destruction is sure for you.

καὶ γὰρ δὴ νῦν φῶτα κατέκτανες ὃς μέγʼ ἄριστος

For now you have slain the man who is far the best

κούρων εἰν Ἰθάκῃ· τῷ σʼ ἐνθάδε γῦπες ἔδονται.

of the youths in Ithaca; therefore shall vultures devour you here."

ἴσκεν⁴ ἕκαστος ἀνήρ, ἐπεὶ ἦ φάσαν οὐκ ἐθέλοντα

Each man guessed thus, because they thought he had slain

ἄνδρα κατακτεῖναι· τὸ δὲ νήπιοι οὐκ ἐνόησαν,

the man without intending it; but, fools, they did not perceive

ὡς δή σφιν καὶ πᾶσιν ὀλέθρου πείρατʼ ἐφῆπτο.

that the bonds of destruction were already fastened upon them all.

τοὺς δʼ ἄρʼ ὑπόδρα ἰδὼν προσέφη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς·

Then Odysseus of many wiles looked grimly at them and said:

ὦ κύνες, οὔ μʼ ἔτʼ ἐφάσκεθʼ ὑπότροπον οἴκαδʼ ἱκέσθαι

"Dogs! You thought that I should no more return home

δήμου ἄπο Τρώων, ὅτι μοι κατεκείρετε οἶκον,

from the land of the Trojans, because you devoured my house,

δμῳῇσιν δὲ γυναιξὶ παρευνάζεσθε βιαίως,

and lay with my maidservants by force,

αὐτοῦ τε ζώοντος ὑπεμνάασθε γυναῖκα,

and while I was yet alive wooed my wife,

οὔτε θεοὺς δείσαντες, οἳ οὐρανὸν εὐρὺν ἔχουσιν,

neither fearing the gods who hold the broad heaven,

οὔτε τινʼ ἀνθρώπων νέμεσιν κατόπισθεν ἔσεσθαι·

nor thinking that any vengeance of men would follow after.

νῦν ὑμῖν καὶ πᾶσιν ὀλέθρου πείρατʼ ἐφῆπται.

Now upon you all the bonds of destruction are fastened."

ὣς φάτο, τοὺς δʼ ἄρα πάντας ὑπὸ χλωρὸν δέος εἷλεν·

So he spoke, and green fear seized them all;

πάπτηνεν δὲ ἕκαστος ὅπη φύγοι αἰπὺν ὄλεθρον.

and each peered about to see how he might escape sheer destruction.

Εὐρύμαχος δέ μιν οἶος ἀμειβόμενος προσέειπεν·

Eurymachus alone answered him and said:

εἰ μὲν δὴ Ὀδυσεὺς Ἰθακήσιος εἰλήλουθας,

"If indeed you are Odysseus of Ithaca come back,

ταῦτα μὲν αἴσιμα εἶπας, ὅσα ῥέζεσκον Ἀχαιοί,

then what you have said is right concerning all that the Achaeans have done,

πολλὰ μὲν ἐν μεγάροισιν ἀτάσθαλα, πολλὰ δʼ ἐπʼ ἀγροῦ.

many reckless deeds in your halls, and many in the field.

ἀλλʼ ὁ μὲν ἤδη κεῖται ὃς αἴτιος ἔπλετο πάντων,

But he already lies dead who was the cause of all,

Ἀντίνοος· οὗτος γὰρ ἐπίηλεν τάδε ἔργα,

Antinous; for it was he who set on foot these deeds,

οὔ τι γάμου τόσσον κεχρημένος οὐδὲ χατίζων,

not so much desiring or needing marriage,

ἀλλʼ ἄλλα φρονέων, τά οἱ οὐκ ἐτέλεσσε Κρονίων,

but planning other things, which the son of Cronos did not accomplish for him,

ὄφρʼ Ἰθάκης κατὰ δῆμον ἐϋκτιμένης βασιλεύοι

that he might himself be king over the people of well-built Ithaca,

αὐτός, ἀτὰρ σὸν παῖδα κατακτείνειε λοχήσας.

and lie in wait for your son and slay him.

νῦν δʼ ὁ μὲν ἐν μοίρῃ πέφαται, σὺ δὲ φείδεο λαῶν

But now he has been slain according to his desert; so do you spare your own

σῶν⁵· ἀτὰρ ἄμμες ὄπισθεν ἀρεσσάμενοι κατὰ δῆμον,

people. And we will hereafter make amends throughout the land

ὅσσα τοι ἐκπέποται καὶ ἐδήδοται ἐν μεγάροισι,

for all that has been drunk and eaten in your halls,

τιμὴν ἀμφὶς ἄγοντες ἐεικοσάβοιον ἕκαστος,

bringing each for himself a compensation of the value of twenty oxen,

χαλκόν τε χρυσόν τʼ ἀποδώσομεν, εἰς ὅ κε σὸν κῆρ

and will pay you back in bronze and gold, until your heart

ἰανθῇ· πρὶν δʼ οὔ τι νεμεσσητὸν κεχολῶσθαι.

is softened; but till then no one can blame you for being angry."

τὸν δʼ ἄρʼ ὑπόδρα ἰδὼν προσέφη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς·

Then Odysseus of many wiles looked grimly at them and said:

Εὐρύμαχʼ, οὐδʼ εἴ μοι πατρώϊα πάντʼ ἀποδοῖτε,

"Eurymachus, not even if you should give me all your heritage from your fathers,

ὅσσα τε νῦν ὔμμʼ ἐστὶ καὶ εἴ ποθεν ἄλλʼ ἐπιθεῖτε,

all that you now have, and if you should add yet other things from elsewhere,

οὐδέ κεν ὣς ἔτι χεῖρας ἐμὰς λήξαιμι φόνοιο

not even so would I stay my hands from slaughter,

πρὶν πᾶσαν μνηστῆρας ὑπερβασίην ἀποτῖσαι.

until the suitors have paid for all their transgressions.

νῦν ὑμῖν παράκειται ἐναντίον ἠὲ μάχεσθαι

Now it lies before you to fight face to face

ἢ φεύγειν, ὅς κεν θάνατον καὶ κῆρας ἀλύξῃ·

or to flee, whoever may escape death and fate;

ἀλλά τινʼ οὐ φεύξεσθαι ὀΐομαι αἰπὺν ὄλεθρον.

but I do not think that any one shall escape sheer destruction."

ὣς φάτο, τῶν δʼ αὐτοῦ λύτο γούνατα καὶ φίλον ἦτορ.

So he spoke, and their knees and heart were loosened on the spot.

τοῖσιν δʼ Εὐρύμαχος προσεφώνεε δεύτερον αὖτις·

And to them Eurymachus spoke a second time:

Syntax notes5 items

§22.5ἀάατος
A difficult adjective with various interpretations: "decisive," "irreparable," "harmless," or "highly destructive." It could derive from the alpha privative and the stem of āatē (harm), meaning "not to be trifled with" or "decisive," describing a contest that is now irrevocably completed.
§22.7εἴσομαι
This future form can be derived either from οἶδα (to know, hence "I shall find out [if I can hit]") or from εἶμι (to go, hence "I shall go after [another mark]"). The former reading ("I will try/know") is adopted here, matching the following conditional clause αἴ κε τύχωμι.
§22.12τίς κʼ οἴοιτο μετʼ ἀνδράσι δαιτυμόνεσσι μοῦνον ἐνὶ πλεόνεσσι
A long rhetorical question governed by τίς κʼ οἴοιτο ("who would think..."). The infinitive phrase οἷ τεύξειν ("would bring [death] upon him") has for its subject μοῦνον ("a single man [among many]"), which refers to Odysseus. The pronoun οἷ is the third-person singular dative referring to Antinous.
§22.31ἴσκεν
Derived from ἴσκω, which can mean "to make like" or "to speak/assert," but in this context means "to guess/deem." It describes how each suitor guessed that the shooting of Antinous was an accident, as explained in the subsequent causal clause.
§22.54φείδεο λαῶν σῶν
Literally "spare your own people." Eurymachus strategically refers to the suitors (or the people of Ithaca they represent) as Odysseus's "own people" to appeal to his duty as a rightful king and to beg for mercy.

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:22.1-22.69