Execution of the Disloyal Maids and Purification — Odyssey §22.429-22.501 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

εἴπω¹ σῇ ἀλόχῳ, τῇ τις θεὸς ὕπνον ἐπῶρσε.

to tell thy wife, upon whom some god has sent sleep."

τὴν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς

Then Odysseus of many wiles answered her and said:

μή πω τήνδʼ ἐπέγειρε· σὺ δʼ ἐνθάδε εἰπὲ γυναιξὶν

"Wake her not yet; but do thou bid the women hither

ἐλθέμεν², αἵ περ πρόσθεν ἀεικέα μηχανόωντο.

to come, even those who before devised unseemly deeds."

ὣς ἄρʼ ἔφη, γρηῢς δὲ διὲκ μεγάροιο βεβήκει

So he spoke, and the old dame went forth through the hall

ἀγγελέουσα γυναιξὶ καὶ ὀτρυνέουσα νέεσθαι.

to bear tidings to the women and to bid them come.

αὐτὰρ ὁ Τηλέμαχον καὶ βουκόλον ἠδὲ συβώτην

But he called Telemachus and the neatherd and the swineherd

εἰς ἓ καλεσσάμενος ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·

to himself, and spoke to them winged words:

ἄρχετε νῦν νέκυας φορέειν καὶ ἄνωχθε γυναῖκας·

"Begin now to carry out the dead, and bid the women do so too;

αὐτὰρ ἔπειτα θρόνους περικαλλέας ἠδὲ τραπέζας

and thereafter cleanse the beautiful chairs and the tables

ὕδατι καὶ σπόγγοισι πολυτρήτοισι καθαίρειν.

with water and with porous sponges.

αὐτὰρ ἐπὴν δὴ πάντα δόμον κατακοσμήσησθε,

But when ye have set all the house in order,

δμῳὰς ἐξαγαγόντες ἐϋσταθέος μεγάροιο,

lead the handmaidens forth from the well-built hall,

μεσσηγύς τε θόλου καὶ ἀμύμονος ἕρκεος αὐλῆς,

between the dome and the faultless wall of the court,

θεινέμεναι³ ξίφεσιν τανυήκεσιν, εἰς ὅ κε πασέων

and strike them down with your long-edged swords, until of all of them

ψυχὰς ἐξαφέλησθε καὶ ἐκλελάθωντʼ Ἀφροδίτης,

ye take away the life, and they forget the love of Aphrodite,

τὴν ἄρʼ ὑπὸ μνηστῆρσιν ἔχον μίσγοντό τε λάθρη.

which they had in secret when they lay with the suitors."

ὣς ἔφαθʼ, αἱ δὲ γυναῖκες ἀολλέες ἦλθον ἅπασαι,

So he spoke, and the women came all in a body,

αἴνʼ ὀλοφυρόμεναι, θαλερὸν κατὰ δάκρυ χέουσαι.

wailing terribly and shedding big tears.

πρῶτα μὲν οὖν νέκυας φόρεον κατατεθνηῶτας,

First then they carried out the bodies of the dead,

κὰδ δʼ ἄρʼ ὑπʼ αἰθούσῃ τίθεσαν εὐερκέος αὐλῆς,

and laid them down beneath the portico of the well-fenced court,

ἀλλήλοισιν ἐρείδουσαι· σήμαινε δʼ Ὀδυσσεὺς

propping them one against another; and Odysseus himself

αὐτὸς ἐπισπέρχων· ταὶ δʼ ἐκφόρεον καὶ ἀνάγκῃ.

gave them direction, hastening them on, and they carried them out of necessity.

αὐτὰρ ἔπειτα θρόνους περικαλλέας ἠδὲ τραπέζας

And thereafter they cleansed the beautiful chairs and the tables

ὕδατι καὶ σπόγγοισι πολυτρήτοισι κάθαιρον.

with water and with porous sponges.

αὐτὰρ Τηλέμαχος καὶ βουκόλος ἠδὲ συβώτῃς

But Telemachus and the neatherd and the swineherd

λίστροισιν δάπεδον πύκα ποιητοῖο δόμοιο

scraped with shovels the floor of the well-built house,

ξῦον· ταὶ δʼ ἐφόρεον δμῳαί, τίθεσαν δὲ θύραζε.

and the handmaidens carried the scrapings and cast them out of doors.

αὐτὰρ ἐπειδὴ πᾶν μέγαρον διεκοσμήσαντο,

But when they had set the whole hall in order,

δμῳὰς δʼ ἐξαγαγόντες ἐϋσταθέος μεγάροιο,

they led the handmaidens forth from the well-built hall,

μεσσηγύς τε θόλου καὶ ἀμύμονος ἕρκεος αὐλῆς,

between the dome and the faultless wall of the court,

εἴλεον ἐν στείνει, ὅθεν οὔ πως ἦεν ἀλύξαι.

and pent them up in a narrow space, whence there was no way to escape.

τοῖσι δὲ Τηλέμαχος πεπνυμένος ἦρχʼ ἀγορεύειν·

Then wise Telemachus was the first to speak to them:

μὴ μὲν δὴ καθαρῷ θανάτῳ ἀπὸ θυμὸν ἑλοίμην⁴

"By no clean death would I take the lives of these women,

τάων, αἳ δὴ ἐμῇ κεφαλῇ κατʼ ὀνείδεα χεῦαν

who have poured insults upon my head and upon

μητέρι θʼ ἡμετέρῃ παρά τε μνηστῆρσιν ἴαυον.

our mother, and were wont to sleep with the suitors."

ὣς ἄρʼ ἔφη, καὶ πεῖσμα νεὸς κυανοπρῴροιο

So he spoke, and tied the cable of a dark-prowed ship

κίονος ἐξάψας μεγάλης περίβαλλε θόλοιο,

to a great pillar, and cast it round the dome,

ὑψόσʼ ἐπεντανύσας, μή τις ποσὶν οὖδας ἵκοιτο.

stretching it high up, that none might reach the ground with her feet.

ὡς δʼ ὅτʼ ἂν⁵ ἢ κίχλαι τανυσίπτεροι ἠὲ πέλειαι

And as when long-winged thrushes or doves

ἕρκει ἐνιπλήξωσι, τό θʼ ἑστήκῃ ἐνὶ θάμνῳ,

fall into a snare that is set in a thicket

αὖλιν ἐσιέμεναι, στυγερὸς δʼ ὑπεδέξατο κοῖτος,

as they seek their roosting-place, and a hateful bed receives them,

ὣς αἵ γʼ ἑξείης κεφαλὰς ἔχον, ἀμφὶ δὲ πάσαις

so these held their heads in a row, and round the necks of all

δειρῇσι βρόχοι ἦσαν, ὅπως οἴκτιστα θάνοιεν.

were nooses, that they might die most piteously.

ἤσπαιρον δὲ πόδεσσι μίνυνθά περ οὔ τι μάλα δήν.

And they gasped with their feet for a little space, but not for long.

ἐκ δὲ Μελάνθιον ἦγον ἀνὰ πρόθυρόν τε καὶ αὐλήν·

And they led Melanthius out through the doorway and the court;

τοῦ δʼ ἀπὸ μὲν ῥῖνάς τε καὶ οὔατα νηλέϊ χαλκῷ

his nose and his ears they cut off with the pitiless bronze,

τάμνον, μήδεά τʼ ἐξέρυσαν, κυσὶν ὠμὰ δάσασθαι,

and drew out his vitals for the dogs to eat raw,

χεῖράς τʼ ἠδὲ πόδας κόπτον κεκοτηότι θυμῷ.

and cut off his hands and his feet in the anger of their hearts.

οἱ μὲν ἔπειτʼ ἀπονιψάμενοι χεῖράς τε πόδας τε

Thereupon they washed their hands and their feet

εἰς Ὀδυσῆα δόμονδε κίον, τετέλεστο δὲ ἔργον·

and went into the house of Odysseus, and the work was done.

αὐτὰρ ὅ γε προσέειπε φίλην τροφὸν Εὐρύκλειαν·

But he spoke to the dear nurse Eurycleia:

οἶσε θέειον, γρηΰ, κακῶν ἄκος, οἶσε δέ μοι πῦρ,

"Bring sulphur, old dame, the cure of ills, and bring me fire,

ὄφρα θεειώσω μέγαρον· σὺ δὲ Πηνελόπειαν

that I may sulphur the hall; and do thou bid Penelope

ἐλθεῖν ἐνθάδʼ ἄνωχθι σὺν ἀμφιπόλοισι γυναιξί·

to come hither with her handmaidens,

πάσας δʼ ὄτρυνον δμῳὰς κατὰ δῶμα νέεσθαι.

and bid all the handmaidens in the house to come."

τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε φίλη τροφὸς Εὐρύκλεια·

Then the dear nurse Eurycleia spoke to him in turn:

ναὶ δὴ ταῦτά γε, τέκνον ἐμόν, κατὰ μοῖραν ἔειπες.

"Yea, in truth, my child, thou hast spoken aright.

ἀλλʼ ἄγε τοι χλαῖνάν τε χιτῶνά τε εἵματʼ ἐνείκω,

But come, let me bring thee a cloak and a tunic for raiment,

μηδʼ οὕτω ῥάκεσιν πεπυκασμένος εὐρέας ὤμους

and stand not thus in the halls with thy broad shoulders covered

ἕσταθʼ ἐνὶ μεγάροισι· νεμεσσητὸν δέ κεν εἴη.

only with rags; that would indeed be a cause for indignation."

τὴν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς·

Then Odysseus of many wiles answered her and said:

πῦρ νῦν μοι πρώτιστον ἐνὶ μεγάροισι γενέσθω.

"First of all let a fire be made for me in the hall."

ὣς ἔφατʼ, οὐδʼ ἀπίθησε φίλη τροφὸς Εὐρύκλεια,

So he spoke, and the dear nurse Eurycleia did not disobey,

ἤνεικεν δʼ ἄρα πῦρ καὶ θήϊον· αὐτὰρ Ὀδυσσεὺς

but brought fire and sulphur; and Odysseus

εὖ διεθείωσεν μέγαρον καὶ δῶμα καὶ αὐλήν.

thoroughly sulphured the hall and the house and the court.

γρηῢς δʼ αὖτʼ ἀπέβη διὰ δώματα κάλʼ Ὀδυσῆος

Then the old dame went back through the beautiful house of Odysseus

ἀγγελέουσα γυναιξὶ καὶ ὀτρυνέουσα νέεσθαι·

to bear tidings to the women and to bid them come;

αἱ δʼ ἴσαν ἐκ μεγάροιο δάος μετὰ χερσὶν ἔχουσαι.

and they came forth from the hall with torches in their hands.

αἱ μὲν ἄρʼ ἀμφεχέοντο καὶ ἠσπάζοντʼ Ὀδυσῆα,

They poured round Odysseus and embraced him,

καὶ κύνεον ἀγαπαξόμεναι κεφαλήν τε καὶ ὤμους

and kissed his head and his shoulders in loving welcome,

χεῖράς τʼ αἰνύμεναι· τὸν δὲ γλυκὺς ἵμερος ᾕρει

and clasped his hands; and a sweet longing seized him

κλαυθμοῦ καὶ στοναχῆς, γίγνωσκε δʼ ἄρα φρεσὶ πάσας.

to weep and wail, for in his heart he knew them all.

Syntax notes5 items

§22.429εἴπω
An aorist active subjunctive first-person singular, functioning as a deliberative subjunctive expressing intention or a question to oneself ("Shall I tell...?").
§22.432ἐλθέμεν
An aorist infinitive (with the Epic ending -émen), dependent on the preceding imperative `εἰπέ`, functioning to express the indirect command ("tell them to come").
§22.443θεινέμεναι
A present infinitive (with the Epic ending -émenαι), used here as an infinitive for imperative (commanding infinitive), conveying a direct order ("strike them down!").
§22.462ἑλοίμην
An aorist middle optative first-person singular. With the negative `μή`, it expresses a strong wish or determination of refusal ("I would not by any clean death take...").
§22.468ὡς δʼ ὅτʼ ἂν
A typical introduction to an Epic simile. `ὅτε ἄν` is followed by the subjunctive (`ἐνιπλήξωσι`), establishing a hypothetical or repeated scenario ("as when... fall into").

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:22.429-22.501