Slaughter of the Suitors and the Sparing of Phemius — Odyssey §22.285-22.356 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

Κτήσιππον δʼ ἄρʼ ἔπειτα βοῶν ἐπιβουκόλος ἀνὴρ

Then the herdsman of the cattle smote Ctesippus

βεβλήκει πρὸς στῆθος, ἐπευχόμενος δὲ προσηύδα·

upon the breast, and spoke to him, exulting over him:

ὦ Πολυθερσεΐδη φιλοκέρτομε, μή ποτε πάμπαν

"O son of Polytherses, lover of mockery, do not ever entirely

εἴκων ἀφραδίῃς μέγα εἰπεῖν, ἀλλὰ θεοῖσιν

yield to folly to speak big, but to the gods

μῦθον ἐπιτρέψαι¹, ἐπεὶ ἦ πολὺ φέρτεροί εἰσι.

commit the matter, since indeed they are far stronger.

τοῦτό τοι ἀντὶ ποδὸς ξεινήϊον, ὅν ποτʼ ἔδωκας

This is thy guest-gift in return for the foot which once thou gavest

ἀντιθέῳ Ὀδυσῆϊ δόμον κάτʼ ἀλητεύοντι.

to godlike Odysseus when he went begging through the hall."

ἦ ῥα βοῶν ἑλίκων ἐπιβουκόλος· αὐτὰρ Ὀδυσσεὺς

So spoke the herdsman of the crook-horned cattle; but Odysseus

οὖτα Δαμαστορίδην αὐτοσχεδὸν ἔγχεϊ μακρῷ.

wounded the son of Damastor in close fight with his long spear.

Τηλέμαχος δʼ Εὐηνορίδην Λειώκριτον οὖτα

And Telemachus wounded Leiocritus, son of Evenor,

δουρὶ μέσον κενεῶνα, διαπρὸ δὲ χαλκὸν ἔλασσεν·

with his spear in the middle of the flank, and drove the bronze clean through;

ἤριπε δὲ πρηνής, χθόνα δʼ ἤλασε παντὶ μετώπῳ.

and he fell headlong and struck the ground with his whole forehead.

δὴ τότʼ Ἀθηναίη φθισίμβροτον αἰγίδʼ ἀνέσχεν

Then indeed Athena held up her destroying aegis

ὑψόθεν ἐξ ὀροφῆς· τῶν δὲ φρένες ἐπτοίηθεν.

from on high from the roof; and their minds were dismayed.

οἱ δʼ ἐφέβοντο κατὰ μέγαρον βόες ὣς ἀγελαῖαι·

And they fled through the hall like herded cattle

τὰς μέν τʼ αἰόλος οἶστρος ἐφορμηθεὶς ἐδόνησεν

which the fleeting gadfly attacks and drives in confusion

ὥρῃ ἐν εἰαρινῇ, ὅτε τʼ ἤματα μακρὰ πέλονται.

in the spring season when the days are long.

οἱ δʼ ὥς τʼ αἰγυπιοὶ γαμψώνυχες ἀγκυλοχεῖλαι,

And even as vultures with crooked talons and curved beaks,

ἐξ ὀρέων ἐλθόντες ἐπʼ ὀρνίθεσσι θόρωσι·

coming from the mountains, swoop upon the birds,

ταὶ μέν τʼ ἐν πεδίῳ νέφεα πτώσσουσαι ἵενται,

which fly low, cowering beneath the clouds on the plain,

οἱ δέ τε τὰς ὀλέκουσιν ἐπάλμενοι, οὐδέ τις ἀλκὴ

but the vultures leap upon them and destroy them, nor is there any defense

γίγνεται οὐδὲ φυγή· χαίρουσι δέ τʼ ἀνέρες ἄγρῃ·

or escape; and men rejoice in the sport;

ὣς ἄρα τοὶ μνηστῆρας ἐπεσσύμενοι κατὰ δῶμα

so did they rush upon the suitors through the house

τύπτον ἐπιστροφάδην· τῶν δὲ στόνος ὤρνυτʼ ἀεικὴς

and smote them on every side; and an unseemly groaning arose

κράτων τυπτομένων, δάπεδον δʼ ἅπαν αἵματι θῦε.

as their heads were smitten, and all the floor ran with blood.

Λειώδης δʼ Ὀδυσῆος ἐπεσσύμενος λάβε γούνων,

But Leiodes rushed forward and clasped the knees of Odysseus,

καί μιν λισσόμενος ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·

and besought him, and spoke winged words:

γουνοῦμαί σʼ, Ὀδυσεῦ· σὺ δέ μʼ αἴδεο καί μʼ ἐλέησον·

"I supplicate thee, Odysseus; but do thou respect me and have mercy on me.

οὐ γάρ πώ τινά φημι γυναικῶν ἐν μεγάροισιν

For I declare that I have never yet spoken or done any wanton thing

εἰπεῖν οὐδέ τι ῥέξαι ἀτάσθαλον· ἀλλὰ καὶ ἄλλους

to any of the women in thy halls; but I sought to restrain the other

παύεσκον μνηστῆρας, ὅτις τοιαῦτά γε ῥέζοι².

suitors, whosoever did such things.

ἀλλά μοι οὐ πείθοντο κακῶν ἄπο χεῖρας ἔχεσθαι·

But they would not listen to me to keep their hands from evil;

τῷ καὶ ἀτασθαλίῃσιν ἀεικέα πότμον ἐπέσπον.

therefore by their wantonness they have met an unseemly fate.

αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ μετὰ τοῖσι θυοσκόος οὐδὲν ἐοργὼς

But I, a priest among them, who have done no wrong,

κείσομαι, ὡς οὐκ ἔστι χάρις μετόπισθʼ εὐεργέων·

shall lie low, as there is no gratitude hereafter for good deeds."

τὸν δʼ ἄρʼ ὑπόδρα ἰδὼν προσέφη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς·

Then with an angry glance at him, Odysseus of many wiles spoke:

εἰ μὲν δὴ μετὰ τοῖσι θυοσκόος εὔχεαι εἶναι,

"If indeed thou declarest that thou art a priest among them,

πολλάκι που μέλλεις ἀρήμεναι³ ἐν μεγάροισι

often, I ween, thou must have prayed in the halls

τηλοῦ ἐμοὶ νόστοιο τέλος γλυκεροῖο γενέσθαι,

that the end of my sweet return might be far from me,

σοὶ δʼ ἄλοχόν τε φίλην σπέσθαι καὶ τέκνα τεκέσθαι·

and that my dear wife might follow thee and bear thee children;

τῷ οὐκ ἂν θάνατόν γε δυσηλεγέα προφύγοισθα.

therefore thou shalt not escape bitter death."

ὣς ἄρα φωνήσας ξίφος εἵλετο χειρὶ παχείῃ

So he spoke, and took up in his thick hand the sword

κείμενον, ὅ ῥʼ Ἀγέλαος ἀποπροέηκε χαμᾶζε

which Agelaus had let fall to the ground as he was slain;

κτεινόμενος· τῷ τόν γε κατʼ αὐχένα μέσσον ἔλασσε.

therewith he smote him full on the neck.

φθεγγομένου δʼ ἄρα τοῦ γε κάρη κονίῃσιν ἐμίχθη.

And even as he was speaking, his head was mingled with the dust.

Τερπιάδης δʼ ἔτʼ ἀοιδὸς ἀλύσκανε κῆρα μέλαιναν,

But the minstrel, the son of Terpius, was still seeking to escape black fate,

Φήμιος, ὅς ῥʼ ἤειδε μετὰ μνηστῆρσιν ἀνάγκῃ.

even Phemius, who sang among the suitors of necessity.

ἔστη δʼ ἐν χείρεσσίν ἔχων φόρμιγγα λίγειαν

He stood holding the clear-toned lyre in his hands

ἄγχι παρʼ ὀρσοθύρην· δίχα δὲ φρεσὶ μερμήριζεν,

near the postern door, and pondered twofold in his heart,

ἢ ἐκδὺς μεγάροιο Διὸς μεγάλου ποτὶ βωμὸν

whether he should go out from the hall and sit by the well-built altar of great Zeus,

ἑρκείου ἵζοιτο⁴ τετυγμένον, ἔνθʼ ἄρα πολλὰ

protector of the court, whereon Laertes and Odysseus had burned many thighs of oxen,

Λαέρτης Ὀδυσεύς τε βοῶν ἐπὶ μηρίʼ ἔκηαν,

or whether he should rush forward and clasp the knees of Odysseus in prayer.

ἦ γούνων λίσσοιτο προσαΐξας Ὀδυσῆα.

And as he pondered, this seemed to him the better way,

ὧδε δέ οἱ φρονέοντι δοάσσατο κέρδιον εἶναι,

to clasp the knees of Odysseus, son of Laertes.

γούνων ἅψασθαι Λαερτιάδεω Ὀδυσῆος.

So he laid the hollow lyre on the ground

ἦ τοι ὁ φόρμιγγα γλαφυρὴν κατέθηκε χαμᾶζε

between the mixing-bowl and the silver-studded chair,

μεσσηγὺς κρητῆρος ἰδὲ θρόνου ἀργυροήλου,

and he himself rushed forward and clasped the knees of Odysseus,

αὐτὸς δʼ αὖτʼ Ὀδυσῆα προσαΐξας λάβε γούνων,

and besought him, and spoke winged words:

καί μιν λισσόμενος ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·

"I supplicate thee, Odysseus; but do thou respect me and have mercy on me.

γουνοῦμαί σʼ, Ὀδυσεῦ· σὺ δέ μʼ αἴδεο καί μʼ ἐλέησον·

To thine own self hereafter will there be sorrow, if thou slayest a minstrel,

αὐτῷ τοι μετόπισθʼ ἄχος ἔσσεται, εἴ κεν ἀοιδὸν

who sings to gods and men.

πέφνῃς, ὅς τε θεοῖσι καὶ ἀνθρώποισιν ἀείδω.

I am self-taught, and a god has planted in my heart paths of song

αὐτοδίδακτος δʼ εἰμί, θεὸς δέ μοι ἐν φρεσὶν οἴμας

of every kind; and I am fit to sing before thee

παντοίας ἐνέφυσεν· ἔοικα δέ τοι παραείδειν⁵

as before a god; therefore do not desire to cut my throat.

ὥς τε θεῷ· τῷ μή με λιλαίεο δειροτομῆσαι.

And Telemachus too would say this, thy dear son,

καί κεν Τηλέμαχος τάδε γʼ εἴποι, σὸς φίλος υἱός,

how I was not at all willing or in need when I frequented thy house

ὡς ἐγὼ οὔ τι ἑκὼν ἐς σὸν δόμον οὐδὲ χατίζων

to sing to the suitors after their feasts,

πωλεύμην μνηστῆρσιν ἀεισόμενος μετὰ δαῖτας,

but they, being far more and stronger, brought me by constraint."

ἀλλὰ πολὺ πλέονες καὶ κρείσσονες ἦγον ἀνάγκῃ.

So he spoke, and the holy strength of Telemachus heard him,

ὣς φάτο, τοῦ δʼ ἤκουσʼ ἱερὴ ἲς Τηλεμάχοιο,

and quickly spoke to his father who was near:

αἶψα δʼ ἑὸν πατέρα προσεφώνεεν ἐγγὺς ἐόντα·

"Hold thy hand, and do not wound this guiltless man with the bronze."

ἴσχεο μηδέ τι τοῦτον ἀναίτιον οὔταε χαλκῷ·

Syntax notes5 items

§22.288ἐπιτρέψαι
An infinitive of command (imperative infinitive). Following the prohibition with the present participle "εἴκων" (yielding) in "εἴκων ... μή ... μέγα εἰπεῖν", it expresses a positive command "(but rather) commit" after "ἀλλά".
§22.315ῥέζοι
Present optative. Since the main verb is the iterative imperfect "παύεσκον" (I used to restrain), the optative in the relative clause expresses a past iterative or indefinite frequency ("whoever did such things").
§22.322μέλλεις ἀρήμεναι
The combination of "μέλλω" with the infinitive expressing probability or strong presumption regarding the past: "you must have prayed" or "you were surely bound to pray".
§22.333ἵζοιτο
A deliberative optative (or optative of indirect deliberative question). Governed by the verb of pondering "μερμήριζεν", it expresses a choice between two courses of action ("whether he should sit... or whether he should supplicate"), correlating with "λίσσοιτο" in 22.337.
§22.348παραείδειν
An infinitive governed by the impersonal-like expression "ἔοικα" (it is fitting / I am fit). The dative "τοι" (before thee) depends on "παραείδειν".

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:22.285-22.356