Exchange of Past Hardships and Departure for Laertes — Odyssey §23.297-23.372 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

αὐτὰρ Τηλέμαχος καὶ βουκόλος ἠδὲ συβώτης

And Telemachus and the neatherd and the swineherd

παῦσαν ἄρʼ ὀρχηθμοῖο πόδας, παῦσαν δὲ γυναῖκας,

stayed their feet from dancing, and stayed the women,

αὐτοὶ δʼ εὐνάζοντο κατὰ μέγαρα σκιόεντα.

and themselves lay down to sleep in the shadowy halls.

τὼ δʼ ἐπεὶ οὖν φιλότητος ἐταρπήτην¹ ἐρατεινῆς,

But when the two had had their fill of lovely love,

τερπέσθην μύθοισι, πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἐνέποντε,

they took delight in tales, speaking to one another,

ἡ μὲν ὅσʼ ἐν μεγάροισιν ἀνέσχετο δῖα γυναικῶν,

she, the noble lady, telling how much she had endured in the halls,

ἀνδρῶν μνηστήρων ἐσορῶσʼ ἀΐδηλον ὅμιλον,

as she looked upon the ruinous throng of the suitors,

οἳ ἕθεν εἵνεκα πολλά, βόας καὶ ἴφια μῆλα,

who for her sake slaughtered many cattle and fat sheep,

ἔσφαζον, πολλὸς δὲ πίθων ἠφύσσετο οἶνος·

and much wine was drawn from the jars;

αὐτὰρ ὁ διογενὴς Ὀδυσεὺς ὅσα κήδεʼ ἔθηκεν

and he, the Zeus-born Odysseus, told of all the griefs he had wrought

ἀνθρώποις ὅσα τʼ αὐτὸς ὀϊζύσας ἐμόγησε,

upon men, and all that he himself had suffered in his sorrow,

πάντʼ ἔλεγʼ· ἡ δʼ ἄρʼ ἐτέρπετʼ ἀκούουσʼ, οὐδέ οἱ ὕπνος

and he told all; and she took delight in listening, nor did sleep

πῖπτεν ἐπὶ βλεφάροισι πάρος καταλέξαι ἅπαντα².

fall upon her eyelids before he had told the whole story.

ἤρξατο δʼ ὡς πρῶτον Κίκονας δάμασʼ³, αὐτὰρ ἔπειτα

He began with how at the first he conquered the Cicones, and how thereafter

ἦλθʼ ἐς Λωτοφάγων ἀνδρῶν πίειραν ἄρουραν·

he came to the rich land of the Lotus-eaters;

ἠδʼ ὅσα Κύκλωψ ἔρξε, καὶ ὡς ἀπετίσατο ποινὴν

and all that the Cyclops did, and how he took vengeance for

ἰφθίμων ἑτάρων, οὓς ἤσθιεν οὐδʼ ἐλέαιρεν·

his mighty comrades, whom the Cyclops had eaten and pitied not;

ἠδʼ ὡς Αἴολον ἵκεθʼ, ὅ μιν πρόφρων ὑπέδεκτο

and how he came to Aeolus, who welcomed him kindly

καὶ πέμπʼ, οὐδέ πω αἶσα φίλην ἐς πατρίδʼ ἱκέσθαι

and sent him on his way, but it was not yet his fate to reach his dear fatherland,

ἤην, ἀλλά μιν αὖτις ἀναρπάξασα θύελλα

nay, the tempest snatched him up again

πόντον ἐπʼ ἰχθυόεντα φέρεν βαρέα στενάχοντα·

and bore him over the fish-teeming deep, groaning heavily;

ἠδʼ ὡς Τηλέπυλον Λαιστρυγονίην ἀφίκανεν,

and how he came to Telepylus of the Laestryginians,

οἳ νῆάς τʼ ὄλεσαν καὶ ἐϋκνήμιδας ἑταίρους

who destroyed his ships and his well-greaved comrades

πάντας· Ὀδυσσεὺς δʼ οἶος ὑπέκφυγε νηῒ μελαίνῃ·

all; and Odysseus alone escaped with his black ship;

καὶ Κίρκης κατέλεξε δόλον πολυμηχανίην τε,

and he told of the guile and many devices of Circe,

ἠδʼ ὡς εἰς Ἀΐδεω δόμον ἤλυθεν εὐρώεντα,

and how he went to the moldering house of Hades,

ψυχῇ χρησόμενος Θηβαίου Τειρεσίαο,

to consult the soul of Teiresias of Thebes,

νηῒ πολυκλήϊδι, καὶ εἴσιδε πάντας ἑταίρους

in his many-benched ship, and saw all his comrades

μητέρα θʼ, ἥ μιν ἔτικτε καὶ ἔτρεφε τυτθὸν ἐόντα·

and his mother, who bore him and reared him when he was a child;

ἠδʼ ὡς Σειρήνων ἁδινάων φθόγγον ἄκουσεν,

and how he heard the voice of the Sirens thronging,

ὥς θʼ ἵκετο Πλαγκτὰς πέτρας δεινήν τε Χάρυβδιν

and how he came to the Wandering Rocks, and to dread Charybdis,

Σκύλλην θʼ, ἣν οὔ πώ ποτʼ ἀκήριοι ἄνδρες ἄλυξαν·

and Scylla, whom never yet had men escaped unharmed;

ἠδʼ ὡς Ἠελίοιο βόας κατέπεφνον ἑταῖροι·

and how his comrades slaughtered the cattle of Helios;

ἠδʼ ὡς νῆα θοὴν ἔβαλε ψολόεντι κεραυνῷ

and how Zeus, thundering on high, smote his swift ship with a smoldering bolt,

Ζεὺς ὑψιβρεμέτης, ἀπὸ δʼ ἔφθιθεν ἐσθλοὶ ἑταῖροι

and his goodly comrades perished,

πάντες ὁμῶς, αὐτὸς δὲ κακὰς ὑπὸ κῆρας ἄλυξεν·

all together, but he himself escaped from the evil fates;

ὥς θʼ ἵκετʼ Ὠγυγίην νῆσον νύμφην τε Καλυψώ,

and how he came to the island Ogygia and to the nymph Calypso,

ἣ δή μιν κατέρυκε, λιλαιομένη πόσιν εἶναι,

who held him there, desiring him to be her husband,

ἐν σπέσσι γλαφυροῖσι, καὶ ἔτρεφεν ἠδὲ ἔφασκε

in her hollow caves, and nurtured him, and said

θήσειν ἀθάνατον καὶ ἀγήραον ἤματα πάντα·

she would make him immortal and ageless for all time;

ἀλλὰ τοῦ οὔ ποτε θυμὸν ἐνὶ στήθεσσιν ἔπειθεν·

yet she could never persuade the heart in his breast;

ἠδʼ ὡς ἐς Φαίηκας ἀφίκετο πολλὰ μογήσας,

and how he came to the Phaeacians after many labors,

οἳ δή μιν περὶ κῆρι θεὸν ὣς τιμήσαντο

who honored him from their heart even as a god,

καὶ πέμψαν σὺν νηῒ φίλην ἐς πατρίδα γαῖαν,

and sent him with a ship to his dear fatherland,

χαλκόν τε χρυσόν τε ἅλις ἐσθῆτά τε δόντες.

giving him bronze and gold in abundance, and clothing.

τοῦτʼ ἄρα δεύτατον εἶπεν ἔπος, ὅτε οἱ γλυκὺς ὕπνος

This was the last word he spoke, when sweet sleep,

λυσιμελὴς ἐπόρουσε, λύων μελεδήματα θυμοῦ.

that loosens the limbs, leapt upon him, releasing the cares of his heart.

ἡ δʼ αὖτʼ ἄλλʼ ἐνόησε θεὰ γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη·

Then the goddess, flashing-eyed Athena, took other counsel.

ὁππότε δή ῥʼ Ὀδυσῆα ἐέλπετο ὃν κατὰ θυμὸν

When she deemed in her heart that Odysseus

εὐνῆς ἧς ἀλόχου ταρπήμεναι ἠδὲ καὶ ὕπνου,

had had his fill of his wife's bed and of sleep,

αὐτίκʼ ἀπʼ Ὠκεανοῦ χρυσόθρονον ἠριγένειαν

straightway from Oceanus she roused the golden-throned, early-born Dawn,

ὦρσεν, ἵνʼ ἀνθρώποισι φόως φέροι· ὦρτο δʼ Ὀδυσσεὺς

that she might bring light to men; and Odysseus arose

εὐνῆς ἐκ μαλακῆς, ἀλόχῳ δʼ ἐπὶ μῦθον ἔτελλεν·

from his soft bed, and laid a charge upon his wife, saying:

ὦ γύναι, ἤδη μὲν πολέων κεκορήμεθʼ ἀέθλων

"O lady, already have we both had our fill of many trials,

ἀμφοτέρω, σὺ μὲν ἐνθάδʼ ἐμὸν πολυκηδέα νόστον

thou here weeping over my grievous return,

κλαίουσʼ. αὐτὰρ ἐμὲ Ζεὺς ἄλγεσι καὶ θεοὶ ἄλλοι

while Zeus and the other gods bound me fast in fetters of pain,

ἱέμενον πεδάασκον ἐμῆς ἀπὸ πατρίδος αἴης·

eager as I was to return, far from my native land.

νῦν δʼ ἐπεὶ ἀμφοτέρω πολυήρατον ἱκόμεθʼ εὐνήν,

But now that we have both come to our long-desired bed,

κτήματα μὲν τά μοι ἔστι, κομιζέμεν ἐν μεγάροισι,

do thou care for the property that is mine in the halls,

μῆλα δʼ ἅ μοι μνηστῆρες⁴ ὑπερφίαλοι κατέκειραν,

and as for the sheep which the insolent suitors have slaughtered,

πολλὰ μὲν αὐτὸς ἐγὼ ληΐσσομαι, ἄλλα δʼ Ἀχαιοὶ

many will I myself take as booty, and others the Achaeans

δώσουσʼ, εἰς ὅ κε πάντας ἐνιπλήσωσιν ἐπαύλους.

shall give, until they fill all my folds.

ἀλλʼ ἦ τοι μὲν ἐγὼ πολυδένδρεον ἀγρὸν ἔπειμι,

But lo, I am going to my well-wooded farm

ὀψόμενος πατέρʼ ἐσθλόν, ὅ μοι πυκινῶς ἀκάχηται·

to see my noble father, who is sorely grieved for my sake.

σοὶ δέ, γύναι, τάδʼ ἐπιτέλλω, πινυτῇ περ ἐούσῃ·

And on thee, lady, I lay this charge, wise though thou art:

αὐτίκα γὰρ φάτις εἶσιν ἅμʼ ἠελίῳ ἀνιόντι

for straightway with the rising sun a rumor will go abroad

ἀνδρῶν μνηστήρων, οὓς ἔκτανον ἐν μεγάροισιν·

concerning the suitors whom I slew in the halls.

εἰς ὑπερῷʼ ἀναβᾶσα σὺν ἀμφιπόλοισι γυναιξὶν

Go up to thy upper chamber with thy handmaids,

ἧσθαι, μηδέ τινα προτιόσσεο μηδʼ ἐρέεινε.

and sit there, and look upon no man, nor ask any question."

ἦ ῥα καὶ ἀμφʼ ὤμοισιν ἐδύσετο τεύχεα καλά,

He spoke, and put his beautiful armor about his shoulders,

ὦρσε δὲ Τηλέμαχον καὶ βουκόλον ἠδὲ συβώτην,

and roused Telemachus and the neatherd and the swineherd,

πάντας δʼ ἔντεʼ ἄνωγεν ἀρήϊα χερσὶν ἑλέσθαι.

and bade them all take their weapons of war in their hands.

οἱ δέ οἱ οὐκ ἀπίθησαν, ἐθωρήσσοντο δὲ χαλκῷ,

And they did not disobey him, but clad themselves in bronze,

ὤϊξαν δὲ θύρας, ἐκ δʼ ἤϊον· ἦρχε δʼ Ὀδυσσεύς.

and opened the doors and went out; and Odysseus led the way.

ἤδη μὲν φάος ἦεν ἐπὶ χθόνα, τοὺς δʼ ἄρʼ Ἀθήνη

And now there was light upon the earth, but Athena,

νυκτὶ κατακρύψασα θοῶς ἐξῆγε πόληος.

hiding them in night, led them swiftly out of the city.

Syntax notes4 items

§§23.300τὼ δʼ ἐπεὶ οὖν φιλότητος ἐταρπήτην
The dual pronoun τὼ and the third-person dual aorist verb ἐταρπήτην refer to the couple, Odysseus and Penelope. The verb τέρπομαι (to enjoy) governs the genitive φιλότητος, meaning 'to have one's fill of love.'
§§23.308πάρος καταλέξαι ἅπαντα
The conjunctive adverb πάρος here functions like πρίν (before), introducing the infinitive καταλέξαι without an accusative subject. Combined with the negative expression in the main clause (οὐδέ... πῖπτεν), it means 'sleep did not fall upon her until he had told the whole story.'
§§23.310ἤρξατο δʼ ὡς πρῶτον Κίκονας δάμασʼ
The sequence of clauses introduced by ὡς (and ἠδʼ ὡς) from line 310 down to line 341 (ending with δόντες) are indirect question clauses dependent on the main verb ἔλεγε (he told) in line 308. This long hyperbaton structure unpacks the entire scope of Odysseus's adventures.
§§23.356μῆλα δʼ ἅ μοι μνηστῆρες
The noun μῆλα at the beginning of the sentence is modified by the relative clause ἅ μοι μνηστῆρες... but the actual object of the main verb ληΐσσομαι is πολλὰ in line 357. This is a proleptic or pendens-like topicalization where the topic μῆλα is introduced first and then partially picked up by the accusative πολλά.

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:23.297-23.372