Uprising of the Kinsmen and the Council of Zeus and Athena — Odyssey §24.415-24.481 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

οἱ δʼ ἄρʼ ὁμῶς ἀΐοντες ἐφοίτων ἄλλοθεν ἄλλος

They, hearing at the same time, went from here and there,

μυχμῷ τε στοναχῇ τε δόμων προπάροιθʼ Ὀδυσῆος,

with moaning and groaning before the house of Odysseus;

ἐκ δὲ νέκυς οἴκων φόρεον καὶ θάπτον ἕκαστοι,

and they carried the dead out of the house and buried them, each family their own,

τοὺς δʼ ἐξ ἀλλάων πολίων οἶκόνδε ἕκαστον

and those from other cities they sent each to their own home,

πέμπον ἄγειν ἁλιεῦσι¹ θοῇς ἐπὶ νηυσὶ τιθέντες·

placing them on swift ships for fishermen to carry;

αὐτοὶ δʼ εἰς ἀγορὴν κίον ἀθρόοι, ἀχνύμενοι κῆρ.

and they themselves went to the assembly place in a crowd, grieving in their hearts.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεί ῥʼ ἤγερθεν ὁμηγερέες τʼ ἐγένοντο,

But when they were gathered and came together,

τοῖσιν δʼ Εὐπείθης ἀνά θʼ ἵστατο καὶ μετέειπε·

Eupeithes stood up among them and spoke;

παιδὸς γάρ οἱ ἄλαστον ἐνὶ φρεσὶ πένθος ἔκειτο,

for an unforgettable grief for his son lay in his heart,

Ἀντινόου, τὸν πρῶτον ἐνήρατο δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς·

Antinoos, whom noble Odysseus had slain first;

τοῦ ὅ γε δάκρυ χέων ἀγορήσατο καὶ μετέειπεν·

shedding tears for him, he addressed the assembly and spoke:

ὦ φίλοι, ἦ μέγα ἔργον ἀνὴρ ὅδʼ ἐμήσατʼ Ἀχαιούς·

"O friends, surely a monstrous deed this man has devised against the Achaians!

τοὺς μὲν σὺν νήεσσιν ἄγων πολέας τε καὶ ἐσθλοὺς

Some he took with him in his ships, many and brave men,

ὤλεσε μὲν νῆας γλαφυράς, ἀπὸ δʼ ὤλεσε λαούς·

and he lost the hollow ships, and lost the people;

τοὺς δʼ ἐλθὼν ἔκτεινε Κεφαλλήνων ὄχʼ ἀρίστους,

others he came and killed, by far the best of the Cephallenians.

ἀλλʼ ἄγετε, πρὶν τοῦτον ἢ ἐς Πύλον ὦκα ἱκέσθαι

But come, before this man reaches Pylos quickly,

ἢ καὶ ἐς Ἤλιδα δῖαν, ὅθι κρατέουσιν Ἐπειοί,

or even divine Elis, where the Epeians rule,

ἴομεν· ἦ καὶ ἔπειτα κατηφέες ἐσσόμεθʼ αἰεί·

let us go; surely indeed even hereafter we shall be disgraced forever.

λώβη γὰρ τάδε γʼ ἐστὶ καὶ ἐσσομένοισι πυθέσθαι²,

For this is a shame even for future generations to hear of,

εἰ δὴ μὴ παίδων τε κασιγνήτων τε φονῆας

if indeed we do not avenge the murderers of our sons and brothers.

τισόμεθʼ. οὐκ ἂν ἐμοί γε μετὰ φρεσὶν ἡδὺ γένοιτο

It would not be sweet to my heart

ζωέμεν, ἀλλὰ τάχιστα θανὼν φθιμένοισι μετείην.

to live, but dying as quickly as possible I would be among the dead.

ἀλλʼ ἴομεν, μὴ φθέωσι περαιωθέντες ἐκεῖνοι.

But let us go, lest they cross over first and forestall us."

ὣς φάτο δάκρυ χέων, οἶκτος δʼ ἕλε πάντας Ἀχαιούς.

So he spoke shedding tears, and pity seized all the Achaians.

ἀγχίμολον δέ σφʼ ἦλθε Μέδων καὶ θεῖος ἀοιδὸς

And near them came Medon and the divine singer

ἐκ μεγάρων Ὀδυσῆος, ἐπεί σφεας ὕπνος ἀνῆκεν,

from the halls of Odysseus, when sleep had released them,

ἔσταν δʼ ἐν μέσσοισι· τάφος δʼ ἕλεν ἄνδρα ἕκαστον.

and they stood in the midst; and amazement seized every man.

τοῖσι δὲ καὶ μετέειπε Μέδων πεπνυμένα εἰδώς·

And Medon, knowing wise things, spoke among them:

κέκλυτε δὴ νῦν μευ, Ἰθακήσιοι· οὐ γὰρ Ὀδυσσεὺς

"Hear me now, Ithacans; for not without the will of the immortal

ἀθανάτων ἀέκητι θεῶν τάδʼ ἐμήσατο ἔργα·

gods did Odysseus devise these deeds.

αὐτὸς ἐγὼν εἶδον θεὸν ἄμβροτον, ὅς ῥʼ Ὀδυσῆϊ

I myself saw an immortal god, who to Odysseus

ἐγγύθεν ἑστήκει καὶ Μέντορι πάντα ἐῴκει.

stood close by, and in everything was like Mentor.

ἀθάνατος δὲ θεὸς τοτὲ μὲν προπάροιθʼ Ὀδυσῆος

And the immortal god at one time in front of Odysseus

φαίνετο θαρσύνων, τοτὲ δὲ μνηστῆρας ὀρίνων

appeared encouraging him, and at another time rousing the suitors

θῦνε κατὰ μέγαρον· τοὶ δʼ ἀγχιστῖνοι ἔπιπτον.

rushed through the hall; and they fell close to one another."

ὣς φάτο, τοὺς δʼ ἄρα πάντας ὑπὸ χλωρὸν δέος ᾕρει.

So he spoke, and green fear seized them all.

τοῖσι δὲ καὶ μετέειπε γέρων ἥρως Ἁλιθέρσης

And among them spoke the old hero Halitherses,

Μαστορίδης· ὁ γὰρ οἶος ὅρα πρόσσω καὶ ὀπίσσω³·

son of Mastor; for he alone saw before and behind;

ὅ σφιν ἐϋφρονέων ἀγορήσατο καὶ μετέειπε·

who with good intent addressed them and spoke:

κέκλυτε δὴ νῦν μευ, Ἰθακήσιοι, ὅττι κεν εἴπω·

"Hear me now, Ithacans, what I shall say;

ὑμετέρῃ κακότητι, φίλοι, τάδε ἔργα γένοντο·

by your own wickedness, friends, these deeds have come to pass.

οὐ γὰρ ἐμοὶ πείθεσθʼ, οὐ Μέντορι ποιμένι λαῶν,

For you would not obey me, nor Mentor, the shepherd of the people,

ὑμετέρους παῖδας καταπαυέμεν ἀφροσυνάων,

to make your sons cease from their folly,

οἳ μέγα ἔργον ἔρεξαν ἀτασθαλίῃσι κακῇσι,

who did a monstrous deed in their evil recklessness,

κτήματα κείροντες καὶ ἀτιμάζοντες ἄκοιτιν

wasting the property and dishonoring the wife

ἀνδρὸς ἀριστῆος· τὸν δʼ οὐκέτι φάντο νέεσθαι.

of a noble man; and they thought he would no longer return.

καὶ νῦν ὧδε γένοιτο. πίθεσθέ μοι ὡς ἀγορεύω·

And now let it be thus; obey me as I speak:

μὴ ἴομεν, μή πού τις ἐπίσπαστον κακὸν εὕρῃ.

let us not go, lest perchance someone find a self-inflicted evil."

ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἱ δʼ ἄρʼ ἀνήϊξαν μεγάλῳ ἀλαλητῷ

So he spoke, and they started up with a great shout,

ἡμίσεων πλείους· τοὶ δʼ ἀθρόοι αὐτόθι μίμνον·

more than half of them; but the others remained there together;

οὐ γὰρ σφιν ἅδε μῦθος ἐνὶ φρεσίν, ἀλλʼ Εὐπείθει

for his speech did not please them in their hearts, but to Eupeithes

πείθοντʼ· αἶψα δʼ ἔπειτʼ ἐπὶ τεύχεα ἐσσεύοντο.

they yielded; and straightway then they rushed for their armor.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεί ῥʼ ἕσσαντο περὶ χροῒ νώροπα χαλκόν,

But when they had put the gleaming bronze about their bodies,

ἀθρόοι ἠγερέθοντο πρὸ ἄστεος εὐρυχόροιο.

they gathered in a crowd before the wide-spaced city.

τοῖσιν δʼ Εὐπείθης ἡγήσατο νηπιέῃσι·

And Eupeithes led them in his folly;

φῆ δʼ ὅ γε τίσεσθαι παιδὸς φόνον, οὐδʼ ἄρʼ ἔμελλεν

he said indeed that he would avenge his son's murder, but he was not destined

ἂψ ἀπονοστήσειν, ἀλλʼ αὐτοῦ πότμον ἐφέψειν.

to return back, but to meet his fate right there.

αὐτὰρ Ἀθηναίη Ζῆνα Κρονίωνα προσηύδα·

But Athena spoke to Zeus, son of Kronos:

ὦ πάτερ ἡμέτερε, Κρονίδη, ὕπατε κρειόντων,

"O our father, son of Kronos, highest of rulers,

εἰπέ μοι εἰρομένῃ, τί νύ τοι νόος ἔνδοθι κεύθει;

tell me as I ask, what does your mind now hide within?

ἢ προτέρω πόλεμόν τε κακὸν καὶ φύλοπιν αἰνὴν

Will you make evil war and terrible strife continue,

τεύξεις, ἦ φιλότητα μετʼ ἀμφοτέροισι τίθησθα;

or do you establish friendship between both sides?"

τὴν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη νεφεληγερέτα Ζεύς·

And cloud-gathering Zeus spoke in answer to her:

τέκνον ἐμόν, τί με ταῦτα διείρεαι ἠδὲ μεταλλᾷς;

"My child, why do you ask and question me of these things?

οὐ γὰρ δὴ τοῦτον μὲν ἐβούλευσας νόον αὐτή,

For did you not yourself devise this plan,

ὡς ἦ τοι κείνους Ὀδυσεὺς ἀποτίσεται ἐλθών;

that Odysseus should return and take vengeance on them?

ἔρξον ὅπως ἐθέλεις· ἐρέω τέ τοι ὡς ἐπέοικεν⁴.

Do as you wish; but I will tell you how it is fitting."

Syntax notes4 items

§§24.419ἁλιεῦσι
The dative ἁλιεῦσι ('to/for the fishermen') acts as the subject of the infinitive ἄγειν ('to carry'), meaning 'for the fishermen to carry [them] home.'
§§24.433ἐσσομένοισι πυθέσθαι
The combination of the future participle ἐσσομένοισι ('those who are to be/future generations') and the infinitive πυθέσθαι ('to learn/hear') means 'even for future generations to hear of.'
§§24.452πρόσσω καὶ ὀπίσσω
Literally 'forward and backward,' used metaphorically here to mean 'the future and the past,' representing Halitherses' prophetic ability to foresee both future consequences and past causes.
§§24.481ὡς ἐπέοικεν
Meaning 'as is fitting' or 'how it is proper,' this anticipates Zeus's explanation in the following lines of how the reconciliation he plans is the most appropriate and just solution.

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:24.415-24.481