Sparing of Medon and Summons of Eurycleia — Odyssey §22.357-22.428 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

καὶ κήρυκα Μέδοντα σαώσομεν, ὅς τέ μευ αἰεὶ

"And let us save Medon the herald, who always

οἴκῳ ἐν ἡμετέρῳ κηδέσκετο παιδὸς ἐόντος¹,

cared for me in our house when I was a child,

εἰ δὴ μή μιν ἔπεφνε Φιλοίτιος ἠὲ συβώτης,

unless indeed Philoetius or the swineherd has already slain him,

ἠὲ σοὶ ἀντεβόλησεν ὀρινομένῳ κατὰ δῶμα.

or he met thee as thou didst rage through the hall."

ὣς φάτο, τοῦ δʼ ἤκουσε Μέδων πεπνυμένα εἰδώς·

So he spoke, and Medon, wise of heart, heard him;

πεπτηὼς γὰρ ἔκειτο ὑπὸ θρόνον, ἀμφὶ δὲ δέρμα

for he lay cowering under a chair, and round about him

ἕστο βοὸς νεόδαρτον, ἀλύσκων κῆρα μέλαιναν.

he had wrapped a newly flayed ox-hide, seeking to escape black fate.

αἶψα δʼ ἀπὸ θρόνου ὦρτο, θοῶς δʼ ἀπέδυνε βοείην.

Straightway he rose from under the chair, and quickly put off the ox-hide,

Τηλέμαχον δʼ ἄρʼ ἔπειτα προσαΐξας λάβε γούνων,

and then rushed forward and clasped the knees of Telemachus,

καί μιν λισσόμενος ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·

and besought him, and spoke winged words:

ὦ φίλʼ, ἐγὼ μὲν ὅδʼ εἰμί, σὺ δʼ ἴσχεο εἰπὲ δὲ πατρὶ

"O friend, here I am; but do thou stay thy hand, and speak to thy father

μή με περισθενέων δηλήσεται ὀξέϊ χαλκῷ,

lest, in his exceeding strength, he destroy me with the sharp bronze,

ἀνδρῶν μνηστήρων κεχολωμένος, οἵ οἱ ἔκειρον

being wroth with the suitors, who wasted

κτήματʼ ἐνὶ μεγάροις, σὲ δὲ νήπιοι οὐδὲν ἔτιον.

his possessions in his halls, and in their folly held thee of no account."

τὸν δʼ ἐπιμειδήσας προσέφη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς·

Then with a smile Odysseus of many wiles spoke to him:

θάρσει, ἐπεὶ δή σʼ οὗτος ἐρύσσατο καὶ ἐσάωσεν,

"Be of good cheer, since he has saved and delivered thee,

ὄφρα γνῷς κατὰ θυμόν, ἀτὰρ εἴπῃσθα καὶ ἄλλῳ,

that thou mayest know in thy heart, and tell also to another,

ὡς κακοεργίης εὐεργεσίη μέγʼ ἀμείνων.

how far better is well-doing than ill-doing.

ἀλλʼ ἐξελθόντες μεγάρων ἕζεσθε θύραζε

But go forth from the hall and sit outside

ἐκ φόνου εἰς αὐλήν, σύ τε καὶ πολύφημος ἀοιδός,

in the court, away from the slaughter, thou and the minstrel of many songs,

ὄφρʼ ἂν ἐγὼ κατὰ δῶμα πονήσομαι ὅττεό με χρή.

until I shall have finished what I must needs do in the house."

ὣς φάτο, τὼ δʼ ἔξω βήτην μεγάροιο κιόντε,

So he spoke, and the two went out from the hall

ἑζέσθην δʼ ἄρα τώ γε Διὸς μεγάλου ποτὶ βωμόν,

and sat down by the altar of great Zeus,

πάντοσε παπταίνοντε, φόνον ποτιδεγμένω αἰεί.

looking about on every side, ever expecting death.

πάπτηνεν δʼ Ὀδυσεὺς καθʼ ἑὸν δόμον, εἴ τις ἔτʼ ἀνδρῶν

And Odysseus peered through his house to see if any man

ζωὸς ὑποκλοπέοιτο, ἀλύσκων κῆρα μέλαιναν.

yet lived and was hiding, seeking to escape black fate.

τοὺς δὲ ἴδεν μάλα πάντας ἐν αἵματι καὶ κονίῃσι

And he saw them one and all fallen in blood and dust,

πεπτεῶτας πολλούς, ὥστʼ ἰχθύας, οὕς θʼ ἁλιῆες

many of them, like fish which fishermen

κοῖλον ἐς αἰγιαλὸν πολιῆς ἔκτοσθε θαλάσσης

have drawn forth from the grey sea in a net with many meshes

δικτύῳ ἐξέρυσαν πολυωπῷ· οἱ δέ τε πάντες

onto the curving beach; and they all,

κύμαθʼ ἁλὸς ποθέοντες ἐπὶ ψαμάθοισι κέχυνται·

longing for the waves of the sea, lie heaped upon the sand,

τῶν μέν τʼ Ἠέλιος φαέθων ἐξείλετο θυμόν·

and the bright sun takes away their life;

ὣς τότʼ ἄρα μνηστῆρες ἐπʼ ἀλλήλοισι κέχυντο.

so then the suitors lay heaped upon one another.

δὴ τότε Τηλέμαχον προσέφη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς·

Then indeed Odysseus of many wiles spoke to Telemachus:

Τηλέμαχʼ, εἰ δʼ ἄγε μοι κάλεσον τροφὸν Εὐρύκλειαν,

"Telemachus, go, call me the nurse Eurycleia,

ὄφρα ἔπος εἴπωμι τό μοι καταθύμιόν ἐστιν.

that I may speak to her the word that is in my mind."

ὣς φάτο, Τηλέμαχος δὲ φίλῳ ἐπεπείθετο πατρί,

So he spoke, and Telemachus obeyed his dear father,

κινήσας δὲ θύρην προσέφη τροφὸν Εὐρύκλειαν·

and shook the door, and spoke to the nurse Eurycleia:

δεῦρο δὴ ὄρσο, γρηῢ παλαιγενές, ἥ τε γυναικῶν

"Hither, rise up, aged dame, who art

δμῳάων σκοπός ἐσσι κατὰ μέγαρʼ ἡμετεράων·

the watcher over our handmaidens in the halls;

ἔρχεο· κικλήσκει σε πατὴρ ἐμός, ὄφρα τι εἴπῃ.

come, my father calls thee, that he may say something to thee."

ὣς ἄρʼ ἐφώνησεν, τῇ δʼ ἄπτερος ἔπλετο μῦθος²,

So he spoke, and her word remained wingless;

ὤϊξεν δὲ θύρας μεγάρων εὖ ναιεταόντων,

and she opened the doors of the well-peopled hall,

βῆ δʼ ἴμεν· αὐτὰρ Τηλέμαχος πρόσθʼ ἡγεμόνευεν.

and came forth; and Telemachus led the way before her.

εὗρεν ἔπειτʼ Ὀδυσῆα μετὰ κταμένοισι νέκυσσιν,

Then she found Odysseus among the slain corpses,

αἵματι καὶ λύθρῳ πεπαλαγμένον ὥστε λέοντα,

spattered with blood and filth like a lion

ὅς ῥά τε βεβρωκὼς βοὸς ἔρχεται ἀγραύλοιο·

that comes from feeding on an ox of the pasture;

πᾶν δʼ ἄρα οἱ στῆθός τε παρήϊά τʼ ἀμφοτέρωθεν

and all his breast and his cheeks on either side

αἱματόεντα πέλει, δεινὸς δʼ εἰς ὦπα ἰδέσθαι·

are bloody, and he is terrible to look upon;

ὣς Ὀδυσεὺς πεπάλακτο πόδας καὶ χεῖρας ὕπερθεν.

so was Odysseus spattered, his feet and his hands above.

ἡ δʼ ὡς οὖν νέκυάς τε καὶ ἄσπετον εἴσιδεν αἷμα,

And she, when she saw the corpses and the measureless blood,

ἴθυσέν ῥʼ ὀλολύξαι, ἐπεὶ μέγα εἴσιδεν ἔργον·

was about to cry out in triumph, when she saw the great deed;

ἀλλʼ Ὀδυσεὺς κατέρυκε καὶ ἔσχεθεν ἱεμένην περ,

but Odysseus held her back and checked her, eager though she was,

καί μιν φωνήσας ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·

and spoke and addressed her with winged words:

ἐν θυμῷ, γρηῦ, χαῖρε καὶ ἴσχεο μηδʼ ὀλόλυζε·

"Rejoice in thy heart, old dame, and restrain thyself, and cry not out;

οὐχ ὁσίη³ κταμένοισιν ἐπʼ ἀνδράσιν εὐχετάασθαι.

it is an unholy thing to boast over slain men.

τούσδε δὲ μοῖρʼ ἐδάμασσε θεῶν καὶ σχέτλια ἔργα·

These has the destiny of the gods destroyed, and their own reckless deeds;

οὔ τινα γὰρ τίεσκον ἐπιχθονίων ἀνθρώπων,

for they respected no one of earthly men,

οὐ κακὸν οὐδὲ μὲν ἐσθλόν, ὅτις σφέας εἰσαφίκοιτο·

whether bad or good, whosoever came among them;

τῷ καὶ ἀτασθαλίῃσιν ἀεικέα πότμον ἐπέσπον.

therefore by their wantonness they have met an unseemly fate.

ἀλλʼ ἄγε μοι σὺ γυναῖκας ἐνὶ μεγάροις κατάλεξον,

But come, do thou name to me the women in the halls,

αἵ τέ μʼ ἀτιμάζουσι καὶ αἳ νηλείτιδές εἰσιν.

both those who dishonor me and those who are guiltless."

τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε φίλη τροφὸς Εὐρύκλεια·

Then the dear nurse Eurycleia spoke to him in turn:

τοιγὰρ ἐγώ τοι, τέκνον, ἀληθείην καταλέξω.

"Then indeed, my child, I will tell thee the truth.

πεντήκοντά τοί εἰσιν ἐνὶ μεγάροισι γυναῖκες

Fifty handmaidens hast thou in thy halls,

δμῳαί, τὰς μέν τʼ ἔργα διδάξαμεν ἐργάζεσθαι,

whom we have taught to do their work,

εἴριά τε ξαίνειν καὶ δουλοσύνην ἀνέχεσθαι·

to card wool and to endure slavery;

τάων δώδεκα πᾶσαι ἀναιδείης ἐπέβησαν,

of these twelve in all have gone the way of shamelessness,

οὔτʼ ἐμὲ τίουσαι οὔτʼ αὐτὴν Πηνελόπειαν.

honoring neither me nor Penelope herself.

Τηλέμαχος δὲ νέον μὲν ἀέξετο, οὐδέ ἑ μήτηρ

And Telemachus was but newly grown, and his mother

σημαίνειν εἴασκεν ἐπὶ δμῳῇσι γυναιξίν.

would not suffer him to have command over the handmaidens.

ἀλλʼ ἄγʼ ἐγὼν ἀναβᾶσʼ ὑπερώϊα σιγαλόεντα

But come, let me go up to the bright upper chamber..."

Syntax notes3 items

§22.358παιδὸς ἐόντος
A genitive absolute construction meaning "when I was a child." The logical subject of the participle `ἐόντος` is Telemachus himself, represented by the genitive pronoun `μευ` in the preceding line (357).
§22.398ἄπτερος ἔπλετο μῦθος
Literally, "the word remained wingless." A Homeric formulaic expression indicating that the speech was received in silence without any reply, and was immediately acted upon.
§22.412οὐχ ὁσίη
An impersonal expression with the feminine adjective `ὁσίη` as predicate (with the copula `ἐστί` omitted), governing the infinitive `εὐχετάασθαι` ("to boast"). It means "it is not a holy thing to boast [over slain men]."

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:22.357-22.428