The Capture of Melanthius and Athena as Mentor — Odyssey §22.141-22.211 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

τεύχεα κατθέσθην¹ Ὀδυσεὺς καὶ φαίδιμος υἱός.

where Odysseus and his glorious son had laid down the arms.

ὣς εἰπὼν ἀνέβαινε Μελάνθιος, αἰπόλος αἰγῶν,

So saying, Melanthius, the goatherd, went up

εἰς θαλάμους Ὀδυσῆος ἀνὰ ῥῶγας μεγάροιο.

to the storerooms of Odysseus by the openings of the hall.

ἔνθεν δώδεκα μὲν σάκεʼ ἔξελε, τόσσα δὲ δοῦρα

Thence he took twelve shields, and as many spears,

καὶ τόσσας κυνέας χαλκήρεας ἱπποδασείας·

and as many helmets of bronze with thick plumes of horsehair;

βῆ δʼ ἴμεναι, μάλα δʼ ὦκα φέρων μνηστῆρσιν ἔδωκεν.

and he went and carried them, and very quickly gave them to the suitors.

καὶ τότʼ Ὀδυσσῆος λύτο γούνατα καὶ φίλον ἦτορ,

Then the knees of Odysseus and his dear heart were loosened,

ὡς περιβαλλομένους ἴδε τεύχεα χερσί τε δοῦρα

when he saw them putting on the armor, and in their hands

μακρὰ τινάσσοντας· μέγα δʼ αὐτῷ φαίνετο ἔργον.

shaking the long spears; and a great task it seemed to him.

αἶψα δὲ Τηλέμαχον ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·

And straightway he spoke winged words to Telemachus:

Τηλέμαχʼ, ἦ μάλα δή τις ἐνὶ μεγάροισι γυναικῶν

"Telemachus, surely indeed some one of the women in the hall

νῶϊν² ἐποτρύνει πόλεμον κακὸν ἠὲ Μελανθεύς.

is stirring up an evil battle against us, or else Melanthius."

τὸν δʼ αὖ Τηλέμαχος πεπνυμένος ἀντίον ηὔδα·

To him again wise Telemachus made answer:

ὦ πάτερ, αὐτὸς ἐγὼ τόδε γʼ ἤμβροτον—οὐδέ τις ἄλλος

"Father, I myself erred in this—and no other

αἴτιος—ὃς θαλάμοιο θύρην πυκινῶς ἀραρυῖαν

is to blame—who left the close-fitting door of the chamber

κάλλιπον ἀγκλίνας· τῶν³ δὲ σκοπὸς ἦεν ἀμείνων.

ajar; and their watchman was better than I.

ἀλλʼ ἴθι, δῖʼ Εὔμαιε, θύρην ἐπίθες θαλάμοιο

But go, noble Eumaeus, close the door of the chamber,

καὶ φράσαι ἤ τις ἄρʼ ἐστὶ γυναικῶν ἣ τάδε ῥέζει,

and see whether it is indeed one of the women who does this,

ἢ υἱὸς Δολίοιο, Μελανθεύς, τόν περ ὀΐω.

or the son of Dolius, Melanthius, whom I suspect."

ὣς οἱ μὲν τοιαῦτα πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἀγόρευον,

Thus they spoke such words to one another,

βῆ δʼ αὖτις θάλαμόνδε Μελάνθιος, αἰπόλος αἰγῶν,

and Melanthius, the goatherd, went again to the chamber

οἴσων τεύχεα καλά. νόησε δὲ δῖος ὑφορβός,

to bring beautiful armor. But the noble swineherd marked him,

αἶψα δʼ Ὀδυσσῆα προσεφώνεεν ἐγγὺς ἐόντα·

and straightway spoke to Odysseus, who was near:

διογενὲς Λαερτιάδη, πολυμήχανʼ Ὀδυσσεῦ,

"Laertes-born, sprung from Zeus, Odysseus of many wiles,

κεῖνος δʼ αὖτʼ ἀΐδηλος ἀνήρ, ὃν ὀϊόμεθʼ αὐτοί,

that destructive man, whom we ourselves suspect,

ἔρχεται ἐς θάλαμον· σὺ δέ μοι νημερτὲς ἐνίσπες,

is going again to the chamber; but tell me truly,

ἤ μιν ἀποκτείνω, αἴ κε κρείσσων γε γένωμαι,

whether I shall kill him, if indeed I prove the stronger,

ἦε σοὶ ἐνθάδʼ ἄγω, ἵνʼ ὑπερβασίας ἀποτίσῃ

or bring him hither to thee, that he may pay for the many

πολλάς, ὅσσας οὗτος ἐμήσατο σῷ ἐνὶ οἴκῳ.

outrages he has devised in thy house."

τὸν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς·

Then Odysseus of many wiles answered him and said:

ἦ τοι ἐγὼ καὶ Τηλέμαχος μνηστῆρας ἀγαυοὺς

"Verily I and Telemachus will hold back the lordly suitors

σχήσομεν ἔντοσθεν μεγάρων, μάλα περ μεμαῶτας.

within the hall, howsoever fiercely they rage.

σφῶϊ δʼ ἀποστρέψαντε πόδας καὶ χεῖρας ὕπερθεν

But do you two twist his feet and hands behind him

ἐς θάλαμον βαλέειν⁴, σανίδας δʼ ἐκδῆσαι ὄπισθε,

and cast him into the chamber, and bind the doors fast behind him;

σειρὴν δὲ πλεκτὴν ἐξ αὐτοῦ πειρήναντε

and having bound a plaited rope around him,

κίονʼ ἀνʼ ὑψηλὴν ἐρύσαι πελάσαι τε δοκοῖσιν,

drag him up the high pillar and bring him near the beams,

ὥς κεν δηθὰ ζωὸς ἐὼν χαλέπʼ ἄλγεα πάσχῃ·

that he may live for a long time and suffer grievous torments."

ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἱ δʼ ἄρα τοῦ μάλα μὲν κλύον ἠδʼ ἐπίθοντο,

So he spoke, and they listened to him and obeyed,

βὰν δʼ ἴμεν ἐς θάλαμον, λαθέτην⁵ δέ μιν ἔνδον ἐόντα.

and went to the chamber, but they were unnoticed by him who was within.

ἦ τοι ὁ μὲν θαλάμοιο μυχὸν κάτα τεύχεʼ ἐρεύνα,

He indeed was searching for armor in the innermost part of the chamber,

τὼ δʼ ἔσταν ἑκάτερθε παρὰ σταθμοῖσι μένοντε.

and the two stood waiting on either side of the doorposts.

εὖθʼ ὑπὲρ οὐδὸν ἔβαινε Μελάνθιος, αἰπόλος αἰγῶν,

When Melanthius, the goatherd, was stepping over the threshold,

τῇ ἑτέρῃ μὲν χειρὶ φέρων καλὴν τρυφάλειαν,

bearing in one hand a beautiful helmet,

τῇ δʼ ἑτέρῃ σάκος εὐρὺ γέρον, πεπαλαγμένον ἄζῃ,

and in the other a broad old shield, splattered with dirt,

Λαέρτεω ἥρωος, ὃ κουρίζων φορέεσκε·

of the hero Laertes, which he was wont to bear in his youth;

δὴ τότε γʼ ἤδη κεῖτο, ῥαφαὶ δὲ λέλυντο ἱμάντων·

but then indeed it had long lain there, and the seams of its straps were loosened;

τὼ δʼ ἄρʼ ἐπαΐξανθʼ ἑλέτην ἔρυσάν τέ μιν εἴσω

then the two rushed upon him and seized him, and dragged him inside

κουρίξ, ἐν δαπέδῳ δὲ χαμαὶ βάλον ἀχνύμενον κῆρ,

by his hair, and cast him down on the floor, grieving in his heart,

σὺν δὲ πόδας χεῖράς τε δέον θυμαλγέϊ δεσμῷ

and bound his feet and hands together with a painful bond,

εὖ μάλʼ ἀποστρέψαντε διαμπερές, ὡς ἐκέλευσεν

twisting them back thoroughly, even as he commanded,

υἱὸς Λαέρταο, πολύτλας δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς·

the son of Laertes, much-enduring noble Odysseus;

σειρὴν δὲ πλεκτὴν ἐξ αὐτοῦ πειρήναντε

and having bound a plaited rope around him,

κίονʼ ἀνʼ ὑψηλὴν ἔρυσαν πέλασάν τε δοκοῖσι.

they dragged him up the high pillar and brought him near the beams.

τὸν δʼ ἐπικερτομέων προσέφης⁶, Εὔμαιε συβῶτα·

Then didst thou mock him and address him, swineherd Eumaeus:

νῦν μὲν δὴ μάλα πάγχυ, Μελάνθιε, νύκτα φυλάξεις,

"Now indeed, Melanthius, shalt thou watch through the whole night,

εὐνῇ ἔνι μαλακῇ καταλέγμενος, ὥς σε ἔοικεν·

lying on a soft bed, as is fitting for thee;

οὐδέ σέ γʼ ἠριγένεια παρʼ Ὠκεανοῖο ῥοάων

nor shall the early-born, golden-throned Dawn from the streams of Oceanus

λήσει ἐπερχομένη χρυσόθρονος, ἡνίκʼ ἀγινεῖς

escape thee as she comes up, when thou bringest

αἶγας μνηστήρεσσι δόμον κάτα δαῖτα πένεσθαι.

the goats for the suitors to prepare the feast in the house."

ὣς ὁ μὲν αὖθι λέλειπτο, ταθεὶς ὀλοῷ ἐνὶ δεσμῷ·

Thus he was left there, stretched in the deadly bond.

τὼ δʼ ἐς τεύχεα δύντε, θύρην ἐπιθέντε φαεινήν,

But the two put on their armor, and closed the bright door,

βήτην εἰς Ὀδυσῆα δαΐφρονα, ποικιλομήτην.

and went to wise and crafty Odysseus.

ἔνθα μένος πνείοντες ἐφέστασαν, οἱ μὲν ἐπʼ οὐδοῦ

There they stood, breathing fury, those on the threshold

τέσσαρες, οἱ δʼ ἔντοσθε δόμων πολέες τε καὶ ἐσθλοί.

four, and those within the house many and brave.

τοῖσι δʼ ἐπʼ ἀγχίμολον θυγάτηρ Διὸς ἦλθεν Ἀθήνη,

And near to them came Athena, daughter of Zeus,

Μέντορι εἰδομένη ἠμὲν δέμας ἠδὲ καὶ αὐδήν.

likened to Mentor both in form and in voice.

τὴν δʼ Ὀδυσεὺς γήθησεν ἰδὼν καὶ μῦθον ἔειπε·

And Odysseus rejoiced when he saw her, and spoke:

Μέντορ, ἄμυνον ἀρήν, μνῆσαι δʼ ἑτάροιο φίλοιο,

"Mentor, ward off ruin, and remember thy dear companion,

ὅς σʼ ἀγαθὰ ῥέζεσκον· ὁμηλικίην δέ μοί ἐσσι.

who was wont to do thee good; and thou art of like age with me."

ὣς φάτʼ, ὀϊόμενος λαοσσόον ἔμμεν Ἀθήνην.

So he spoke, though he deemed that she was Athena, driver of hosts.

μνηστῆρες δʼ ἑτέρωθεν ὁμόκλεον ἐν μεγάροισι·

But the suitors on the other side shouted aloud in the hall;

Syntax notes6 items

§§22.141κατθέσθην
Third-person dual aorist middle indicative, referring to the action of Odysseus and Telemachus laying down the arms. It forms a relative clause with the relative pronoun omitted, qualifying the "storeroom" mentioned in the previous line.
§§22.152νῶϊν
First-person dual dative pronoun, meaning "for/against the two of us." It functions as a dative of disadvantage/affect, modified by the verb ἐποτρύνει ("stirs up").
§§22.156τῶν
Genitive plural of the demonstrative (or relative) pronoun, referring here to the suitors (or Melanthius' party). It functions as a possessive genitive ("their watchman") in a comparative context.
§§22.173βαλέειν
Along with the subsequent ἐκδῆσαι and ἐρύσαι, this infinitive lacks a governing main verb. It functions as an "imperative infinitive" expressing Odysseus's command to his servants.
§§22.179λαθέτην
Third-person dual aorist active verb. The subject is the two servants (Eumaeus and Philoetius), and the object is Melanthius (μιν). It represents a dual usage of λανθάνω, meaning "the two went unnoticed by him."
§§22.194προσέφης
Second-person singular imperfect verb. This is an instance of "apostrophe," where the epic poet directly addresses a character (here, Eumaeus the swineherd), heightening the audience's emotional involvement.

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:22.141-22.211