Odysseus Reveals His Identity and Reunited with Laertes — Odyssey §24.281-24.346 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

ξεῖνʼ, ἦ τοι μὲν γαῖαν ἱκάνεις, ἣν ἐρεείνεις,

“Stranger, surely indeed you have come to the land which you ask of,

ὑβρισταὶ δʼ αὐτὴν καὶ ἀτάσθαλοι ἄνδρες ἔχουσιν·

but insolent and reckless men hold it.

δῶρα δʼ ἐτώσια ταῦτα χαρίζεο, μυρίʼ ὀπάζων·

And those countless gifts you bestowed in vain.

εἰ γάρ μιν ζωόν γʼ ἐκίχεις Ἰθάκης ἐνὶ δήμῳ,

For if you had found him alive in the land of Ithaca,

τῷ κέν σʼ εὖ δώροισιν ἀμειψάμενος ἀπέπεμψε

then he would have sent you on your way with a good return of gifts

καὶ ξενίῃ ἀγαθῇ ἡ γὰρ θέμις, ὅς τις ὑπάρξῃ¹.

and with good entertainment; for that is the custom of him who begins it.

ἀλλʼ ἄγε μοι τόδε εἰπὲ καὶ ἀτρεκέως κατάλεξον,

But come, tell me this and declare it truly,

πόστον δὴ ἔτος ἐστίν, ὅτε ξείνισσας ἐκεῖνον

how many years is it now since you entertained him,

σὸν ξεῖνον δύστηνον, ἐμὸν παῖδʼ, εἴ ποτʼ ἔην γε²,

that guest of yours, unhappy one, my son—if he ever was—

δύσμορον; ὅν που τῆλε φίλων καὶ πατρίδος αἴης

ill-fated one? Whom surely far from his friends and native land

ἠέ που ἐν πόντῳ φάγον ἰχθύες, ἢ ἐπὶ χέρσου

either the fish in the sea devoured, or on the dry land

θηρσὶ καὶ οἰωνοῖσιν ἕλωρ γένετʼ· οὐδέ ἑ μήτηρ

he became a prey to beasts and birds. Nor did his mother

κλαῦσε περιστείλασα πατήρ θʼ, οἵ μιν τεκόμεσθα·

weep over him and wrap him for burial, nor his father, we who begot him;

οὐδʼ ἄλοχος πολύδωρος, ἐχέφρων Πηνελόπεια,

nor did his wife of many dowries, wise Penelope,

κώκυσʼ ἐν λεχέεσσιν ἑὸν πόσιν, ὡς ἐπεῴκει,

wail over her own husband on his bed, as was fitting,

ὀφθαλμοὺς καθελοῦσα· τὸ γὰρ γέρας ἐστὶ θανόντων.

closing his eyes; for that is the honor due to the dead.

καί μοι τοῦτʼ ἀγόρευσον ἐτήτυμον, ὄφρʼ ἐῢ εἰδῶ·

And tell me this truly, so that I may know well:

τίς πόθεν εἶς ἀνδρῶν; πόθι τοι πόλις ἠδὲ τοκῆες;

who are you among men, and from where? Where are your city and parents?

ποῦ δὲ νηῦς ἕστηκε θοή, ἥ σʼ ἤγαγε δεῦρο

And where is the swift ship stationed that brought you here

ἀντιθέους θʼ ἑτάρους; ἦ ἔμπορος εἰλήλουθας

and your godlike companions? Or did you come as a passenger

νηὸς ἐπʼ ἀλλοτρίης, οἱ δʼ ἐκβήσαντες ἔβησαν;

on another's ship, and they set you ashore and departed?”

τὸν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς·

Then in answer to him spoke resourceful Odysseus:

τοιγὰρ ἐγώ τοι πάντα μάλʼ ἀτρεκέως καταλέξω.

“Therefore I will tell you all very truly.

εἰμὶ μὲν ἐξ Ἀλύβαντος, ὅθι κλυτὰ δώματα ναίω,

I am from Alybas, where I dwell in a glorious home,

υἱὸς Ἀφείδαντος Πολυπημονίδαο ἄνακτος·

the son of Apheidas, son of the lord Polypemon;

αὐτὰρ ἐμοί γʼ ὄνομʼ ἐστὶν Ἐπήριτος· ἀλλά με δαίμων

and my own name is Eperitus. But some deity

πλάγξʼ ἀπὸ Σικανίης δεῦρʼ ἐλθέμεν οὐκ ἐθέλοντα·

drove me from Sicania to come here against my will;

νηῦς δέ μοι ἥδʼ ἕστηκεν ἐπʼ ἀγροῦ νόσφι πόληος.

and my ship is stationed yonder by the field, away from the city.

αὐτὰρ Ὀδυσσῆϊ τόδε δὴ πέμπτον ἔτος ἐστίν,

But for Odysseus, this is now the fifth year

ἐξ οὗ κεῖθεν ἔβη καὶ ἐμῆς ἀπελήλυθε πάτρης,

since he went thence and departed from my country,

δύσμορος· ἦ τέ οἱ ἐσθλοὶ ἔσαν ὄρνιθες ἰόντι,

ill-fated one; and yet there were good birds for him as he went,

δεξιοί, οἷς χαίρων μὲν ἐγὼν ἀπέπεμπον ἐκεῖνον,

on the right, in which I rejoiced as I sent him on his way,

χαῖρε δὲ κεῖνος ἰών· θυμὸς δʼ ἔτι νῶϊν³ ἐώλπει

and he rejoiced as he went; and our hearts still hoped

μίξεσθαι ξενίῃ ἠδʼ ἀγλαὰ δῶρα διδώσειν.

to join in friendship and to give splendid gifts.”

ὣς φάτο, τὸν δʼ ἄχεος νεφέλη ἐκάλυψε μέλαινα·

So he spoke, and a black cloud of grief covered Laertes.

ἀμφοτέρῃσι δὲ χερσὶν ἑλὼν κόνιν αἰθαλόεσσαν

With both hands he took the dusty ashes

χεύατο κὰκ κεφαλῆς πολιῆς, ἁδινὰ στεναχίζων.

and poured them over his gray head, groaning deeply.

τοῦ δʼ ὠρίνετο θυμός, ἀνὰ ῥῖνας δέ οἱ ἤδη

And the heart of Odysseus was stirred, and already through his nostrils

δριμὺ μένος προὔτυψε⁴ φίλον πατέρʼ εἰσορόωντι.

a sharp pain struck as he looked upon his dear father.

κύσσε δέ μιν περιφὺς ἐπιάλμενος, ἠδὲ προσηύδα·

He sprang toward him, embraced and kissed him, and spoke:

κεῖνος μέν τοι ὅδʼ αὐτὸς ἐγώ, πάτερ, ὃν σὺ μεταλλᾷς,

“That very man indeed am I, father, whom you ask about;

ἤλυθον εἰκοστῷ ἔτεϊ ἐς πατρίδα γαῖαν.

I have come in the twentieth year to my native land.

ἀλλʼ ἴσχεο κλαυθμοῖο γόοιό τε δακρυόεντος.

But hold yourself from weeping and tearful wailing,

ἐκ γάρ τοι ἐρέω· μάλα δὲ χρὴ σπευδέμεν ἔμπης·

for I will tell you—and we must indeed make great haste—

μνηστῆρας κατέπεφνον ἐν ἡμετέροισι δόμοισι,

I have slain the suitors in our halls,

λώβην τινύμενος θυμαλγέα καὶ κακὰ ἔργα.

avenging their painful insolence and evil deeds.”

τὸν δʼ αὖ Λαέρτης ἀπαμείβετο φώνησέν τε·

And Laertes in turn answered him and said:

εἰ μὲν δὴ Ὀδυσεύς γε ἐμὸς πάϊς ἐνθάδʼ ἱκάνεις,

“If you are indeed Odysseus, my son, come here,

σῆμά τί μοι νῦν εἰπὲ ἀριφραδές, ὄφρα πεποίθω.

tell me now some clear sign, so that I may be sure.”

τὸν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς·

Then in answer to him spoke resourceful Odysseus:

οὐλὴν μὲν πρῶτον τήνδε φράσαι ὀφθαλμοῖσι,

“First examine this scar with your eyes,

τὴν ἐν Παρνησῷ μʼ ἔλασεν σῦς λευκῷ ὀδόντι

which a boar inflicted on me with his white tusk on Parnassus

οἰχόμενον· σὺ δέ με προΐεις καὶ πότνια μήτηρ

when I went there; and you sent me forth, and my lady mother,

ἐς πατέρʼ Αὐτόλυκον μητρὸς φίλον, ὄφρʼ ἂν ἑλοίμην

to Autolycus, my mother's dear father, so that I might receive

δῶρα, τὰ δεῦρο μολών μοι ὑπέσχετο καὶ κατένευσεν.

the gifts which he promised and agreed to give when I came here.

εἰ δʼ ἄγε τοι καὶ δένδρεʼ ἐϋκτιμένην κατʼ ἀλωὴν

And come, let me tell you also of the trees in the well-tilled orchard

εἴπω, ἅ μοί ποτʼ ἔδωκας, ἐγὼ δʼ ᾔτεόν σε ἕκαστα

which you once gave me, and I asked you for each of them

παιδνὸς ἐών, κατὰ κῆπον ἐπισπόμενος· διὰ δʼ αὐτῶν

when I was a child, following you through the garden; and through them

ἱκνεύμεσθα, σὺ δʼ ὠνόμασας καὶ ἔειπες ἕκαστα.

we passed, and you named them and told me of each.

ὄγχνας μοι δῶκας τρισκαίδεκα καὶ δέκα μηλέας,

Pears you gave me thirteen, and ten apple trees,

συκέας τεσσαράκοντʼ· ὄρχους δέ μοι ὧδʼ ὀνόμηνας

and forty fig trees; and rows you named to me thus,

δώσειν πεντήκοντα, διατρύγιος δὲ ἕκαστος

that you would give fifty, and each was harvested at different times;

ἤην· ἔνθα δʼ ἀνὰ σταφυλαὶ παντοῖαι ἔασιν—

there were grapes of all kinds in them,

ὁππότε δὴ Διὸς ὧραι ἐπιβρίσειαν ὕπερθεν.

whenever the seasons of Zeus weighed them down from above.”

ὣς φάτο, τοῦ δʼ αὐτοῦ λύτο γούνατα καὶ φίλον ἦτορ,

So he spoke, and his knees and his heart at once were loosened,

σήματʼ ἀναγνόντος τά οἱ ἔμπεδα πέφραδʼ Ὀδυσσεύς.

as he recognized the signs which Odysseus declared to him so surely.

Syntax notes4 items

§24.286ὅς τις ὑπάρξῃ
The relative pronoun ὅς τις followed by the subjunctive ὑπάρξῃ forms a general relative clause, meaning 'whoever has taken the lead (in entertaining).'
§24.289εἴ ποτʼ ἔην γε
A formulaic expression ('if he ever was') conveying deep grief and doubt regarding the lost son, as if his very existence now seems like a distant dream.
§24.313νῶϊν
The dative dual pronoun νῶϊν ('for us two'), serving as the reference or subject of interest for the pluperfect verb ἐώλπει ('had hoped').
§24.318-319ἀνὰ ῥῖνας ... δριμὺ μένος προὔτυψε
A highly realistic physical description: 'a sharp sting struck up through his nostrils,' representing the somatic sensation of holding back tears under intense emotional pressure.

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:24.281-24.346