Menelaus's Wanderings and Nestor's Offer of Hospitality — Odyssey §3.289-3.357 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

ἐφράσατο, λιγέων δʼ ἀνέμων ἐπʼ ἀυτμένα χεῦε,

devised it, and poured a blast of shrill winds,

κύματά τε τροφέοντο πελώρια, ἶσα ὄρεσσιν.

and huge waves swelled, equal to mountains.

ἔνθα διατμήξας τὰς μὲν Κρήτῃ ἐπέλασσεν,

There, having parted the ships, he drove some of them to Crete,

ἧχι Κύδωνες ἔναιον Ἰαρδάνου ἀμφὶ ῥέεθρα.

where the Cydonians dwelt around the streams of Iardanus.

ἔστι δέ τις λισσὴ αἰπεῖά τε εἰς ἅλα πέτρη

Now there is a certain smooth and steep rock in the sea,

ἐσχατιῇ Γόρτυνος ἐν ἠεροειδέι πόντῳ·

at the border of Gortyn, in the misty sea;

ἔνθα Νότος μέγα κῦμα ποτὶ σκαιὸν ῥίον ὠθεῖ,

there the South Wind pushes a great wave against the left headland,

ἐς Φαιστόν, μικρὸς δὲ λίθος μέγα κῦμʼ ἀποέργει.

towards Phaestus, but a small rock keeps back the great wave.

αἱ μὲν ἄρʼ ἔνθʼ ἦλθον, σπουδῇ δʼ ἤλυξαν ὄλεθρον

The ships indeed came there, and with difficulty the men escaped destruction,

ἄνδρες, ἀτὰρ νῆάς γε ποτὶ σπιλάδεσσιν ἔαξαν

but the waves shattered the ships against the reefs.

κύματʼ· ἀτὰρ τὰς πέντε νέας κυανοπρῳρείους

But the other five dark-prowed ships

Αἰγύπτῳ ἐπέλασσε φέρων ἄνεμός τε καὶ ὕδωρ.

the wind and the water carried and brought to Egypt.

ὣς ὁ μὲν ἔνθα πολὺν βίοτον καὶ χρυσὸν ἀγείρων

So he indeed, gathering much wealth and gold,

ἠλᾶτο ξὺν νηυσὶ κατʼ ἀλλοθρόους ἀνθρώπους·

wandered with his ships among men of alien speech;

τόφρα δὲ ταῦτʼ Αἴγισθος ἐμήσατο οἴκοθι λυγρά.

meanwhile Aegisthus devised these grievous deeds at home.

ἑπτάετες δʼ ἤνασσε πολυχρύσοιο Μυκήνης,

For seven years he ruled over golden Mycenae,

κτείνας Ἀτρεΐδην, δέδμητο δὲ λαὸς ὑπʼ αὐτῷ.

having slain the son of Atreus, and the people were subdued under him.

τῷ δέ οἱ ὀγδοάτῳ κακὸν ἤλυθε δῖος Ὀρέστης

But in the eighth year noble Orestes came as a bane to him,

ἂψ ἀπʼ Ἀθηνάων, κατὰ δʼ ἔκτανε πατροφονῆα,

back from Athens, and slew his father's slayer,

Αἴγισθον δολόμητιν, ὅ οἱ πατέρα κλυτὸν ἔκτα.

crafty Aegisthus, who had slain his glorious father.

ἦ τοι ὁ τὸν κτείνας δαίνυ τάφον Ἀργείοισιν

Having slain him indeed, he gave a funeral feast to the Argives

μητρός τε στυγερῆς καὶ ἀνάλκιδος Αἰγίσθοιο·

for his hateful mother and cowardly Aegisthus;

αὐτῆμαρ δέ οἱ ἦλθε βοὴν ἀγαθὸς Μενέλαος

and on the self-same day came Menelaus, good at the war-cry,

πολλὰ κτήματʼ ἄγων, ὅσα οἱ νέες ἄχθος ἄειραν.

bringing many treasures, as much as his ships could carry as their load.

καὶ σύ, φίλος, μὴ δηθὰ δόμων ἄπο τῆλʼ ἀλάλησο,

"And you, my friend, do not wander long far from home,

κτήματά τε προλιπὼν ἄνδρας τʼ ἐν σοῖσι δόμοισιν

leaving behind your property and men in your halls

οὕτω ὑπερφιάλους, μή τοι κατὰ πάντα φάγωσιν

so arrogant, lest they devour all your goods,

κτήματα δασσάμενοι, σὺ δὲ τηϋσίην ὁδὸν ἔλθῃς.

dividing them, and you go on a fruitless journey.

ἀλλʼ ἐς μὲν Μενέλαον ἐγὼ κέλομαι καὶ ἄνωγα

But I urge and bid you to go

ἐλθεῖν· κεῖνος γὰρ νέον ἄλλοθεν εἰλήλουθεν,

to Menelaus; for he has newly come from elsewhere,

ἐκ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ὅθεν οὐκ ἔλποιτό γε θυμῷ

from those people, whence one could not hope in his heart

ἐλθέμεν, ὅν τινα πρῶτον ἀποσφήλωσιν ἄελλαι¹

to return, whomsoever the tempests have once driven astray

ἐς πέλαγος μέγα τοῖον, ὅθεν τέ περ οὐδʼ οἰωνοὶ

into a sea so great, whence not even the birds

αὐτόετες οἰχνεῦσιν, ἐπεὶ μέγα τε δεινόν τε.

return in the same year, since it is great and terrible.

ἀλλʼ ἴθι νῦν σὺν νηί τε σῇ καὶ σοῖς ἑτάροισιν·

But go now with your ship and your companions;

εἰ δʼ ἐθέλεις πεζός, πάρα τοι δίφρος τε καὶ ἵπποι,

or if you wish to go by land, you have a chariot and horses,

πὰρ δέ τοι υἷες ἐμοί, οἵ τοι πομπῆες ἔσονται

and my sons are at hand to be your guides

ἐς Λακεδαίμονα δῖαν, ὅθι ξανθὸς Μενέλαος.

to divine Lacedaemon, where yellow-haired Menelaus is.

λίσσεσθαι δέ μιν αὐτός, ἵνα νημερτὲς ἐνίσπῃ·

And do you yourself entreat him that he may tell you the truth;

ψεῦδος δʼ οὐκ ἐρέει· μάλα γὰρ πεπνυμένος ἐστίν.

and he will not tell a lie, for he is very wise."

ὣς ἔφατʼ, ἠέλιος δʼ ἄρʼ ἔδυ καὶ ἐπὶ κνέφας ἦλθε.

So he spoke, and the sun set and darkness came on.

τοῖσι δὲ καὶ μετέειπε θεά, γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη·

And among them spoke the goddess, grey-eyed Athena:

ὦ γέρον, ἦ τοι ταῦτα κατὰ μοῖραν κατέλεξας·

"Old man, indeed you have spoken these things aright;

ἀλλʼ ἄγε τάμνετε μὲν γλώσσας, κεράασθε δὲ οἶνον,

but come, cut the tongues of the victims, and mix the wine,

ὄφρα Ποσειδάωνι καὶ ἄλλοις ἀθανάτοισιν

so that having poured libations to Poseidon and the other immortals,

σπείσαντες κοίτοιο μεδώμεθα· τοῖο γὰρ ὥρη.

we may think of sleep; for it is the hour for it.

ἤδη γὰρ φάος οἴχεθʼ ὑπὸ ζόφον, οὐδὲ ἔοικεν·

For already the light has gone under the darkness, and it is not seemly

δηθὰ θεῶν ἐν δαιτὶ θαασσέμεν, ἀλλὰ νέεσθαι.

to sit long at a feast of the gods, but to depart."

ἦ ῥα Διὸς θυγάτηρ, οἱ δʼ ἔκλυον αὐδησάσης.

So spoke the daughter of Zeus, and they hearkened to her voice.

τοῖσι δὲ κήρυκες μὲν ὕδωρ ἐπὶ χεῖρας ἔχευαν,

And the heralds poured water over their hands,

κοῦροι δὲ κρητῆρας ἐπεστέψαντο ποτοῖο,

and the youths filled the bowls brim-full with drink,

νώμησαν δʼ ἄρα πᾶσιν ἐπαρξάμενοι δεπάεσσι·

and distributed it to all, pouring first a drop into the cups;

γλώσσας δʼ ἐν πυρὶ βάλλον, ἀνιστάμενοι δʼ ἐπέλειβον.

and they cast the tongues into the fire, and standing up, poured libations.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ σπεῖσάν τʼ ἔπιον θʼ, ὅσον ἤθελε θυμός,

But when they had poured libations and drunk as much as their heart desired,

δὴ τότʼ Ἀθηναίη καὶ Τηλέμαχος θεοειδὴς

then indeed Athena and godlike Telemachus

ἄμφω ἱέσθην κοίλην ἐπὶ νῆα νέεσθαι.

both set out to go to the hollow ship.

Νέστωρ δʼ αὖ κατέρυκε καθαπτόμενος ἐπέεσσιν·

But Nestor in turn detained them, addressing them with words:

Ζεὺς τό γʼ ἀλεξήσειε καὶ ἀθάνατοι θεοὶ ἄλλοι,

"May Zeus ward off this, and the other immortal gods,

ὡς ὑμεῖς παρʼ ἐμεῖο θοὴν ἐπὶ νῆα κίοιτε²

that you should go from me to your swift ship,

ὥς τέ τευ ἦ παρὰ πάμπαν ἀνείμονος ἠδὲ πενιχροῦ,

as though from one utterly without clothing and poor,

ᾧ οὔ τι χλαῖναι καὶ ῥήγεα πόλλʼ ἐνὶ οἴκῳ,

who has not cloaks and many rugs in his house,

οὔτʼ αὐτῷ μαλακῶς οὔτε ξείνοισιν ἐνεύδειν.

for either himself or his guests to sleep softly.

αὐτὰρ ἐμοὶ πάρα μὲν χλαῖναι καὶ ῥήγεα καλά.

But with me indeed there are cloaks and beautiful rugs.

οὔ θην δὴ τοῦδʼ ἀνδρὸς Ὀδυσσῆος φίλος υἱὸς

Surely the dear son of this man Odysseus shall not

νηὸς ἐπʼ ἰκριόφιν καταλέξεται³, ὄφρʼ ἂν ἐγώ γε

lie down on the deck of a ship, as long as I

ζώω, ἔπειτα δὲ παῖδες ἐνὶ μεγάροισι λίπωνται,

live, and my sons are left in my halls after me

ξείνους ξεινίζειν, ὅς τίς κʼ ἐμὰ δώμαθʼ ἵκηται.

to entertain guests, whoever comes to my house."

τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε θεά, γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη·

To him in turn spoke the goddess, grey-eyed Athena:

εὖ δὴ ταῦτά γʼ ἔφησθα, γέρον φίλε· σοὶ δὲ ἔοικεν

"Well indeed have you spoken this, dear old man; and it is fitting for you..."

Syntax notes3 items

3.320ὅν τινα πρῶτον ἀποσφήλωσιν ἄελλαι
The subjunctive ἀποσφήλωσιν is used without ἄν / κε in a generalizing relative clause acting like a conditional. ὅν τινα ('whoever') is the object of the verb in this clause.
3.347ὡς ὑμεῖς παρʼ ἐμεῖο θοὴν ἐπὶ νῆα κίοιτε
Following the optative of wish ἀλεξήσειε (line 346), the conjunction ὡς introduces the content of what is to be prevented. The verb κίοιτε is in the optative by assimilation to the main verb's mood (attraction of mood).
3.352οὔ θην δὴ τοῦδʼ ἀνδρὸς Ὀδυσσῆος φίλος υἱὸς / νηὸς ἐπʼ ἰκριόφιν καταλέξεται
The combination of the particle group οὔ θην δή with the future indicative καταλέξεται expresses a strong, emphatic denial ('surely shall not...'). The genitive τοῦδʼ ἀνδρὸς Ὀδυσσῆος is possessive, modifying υἱός.

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:3.289-3.357