Athena's Departure and Nestor's Sacrificial Vow — Odyssey §3.358-3.428 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

Τηλέμαχον πείθεσθαι¹, ἐπεὶ πολὺ κάλλιον οὕτως.

for Telemachus to obey, since it is much better thus.

ἀλλʼ οὗτος μὲν νῦν σοὶ ἅμʼ ἕψεται, ὄφρα κεν εὕδῃ

But he indeed shall now follow with you, so that he may sleep

σοῖσιν ἐνὶ μεγάροισιν· ἐγὼ δʼ ἐπὶ νῆα μέλαιναν

in your halls; but I will go to the black ship

εἶμʼ, ἵνα θαρσύνω θʼ ἑτάρους εἴπω τε ἕκαστα.

to encourage my companions and tell them everything.

οἶος γὰρ μετὰ τοῖσι γεραίτερος εὔχομαι εἶναι·

For I alone among them boast to be older;

οἱ δʼ ἄλλοι φιλότητι νεώτεροι ἄνδρες ἕπονται,

the others follow out of friendship, being younger men,

πάντες ὁμηλικίη μεγαθύμου Τηλεμάχοιο.

all of them of the same age as great-hearted Telemachus.

ἔνθα κε λεξαίμην² κοίλῃ παρὰ νηὶ μελαίνῃ

There would I lie down by the hollow black ship

νῦν· ἀτὰρ ἠῶθεν μετὰ Καύκωνας μεγαθύμους

now; but in the morning I will go to the great-hearted Cauconians,

εἶμʼ ἔνθα χρεῖός μοι ὀφέλλεται, οὔ τι νέον γε

where a debt is owed to me, by no means recent

οὐδʼ ὀλίγον. σὺ δὲ τοῦτον, ἐπεὶ τεὸν ἵκετο δῶμα,

nor small. But do you, since he has come to your house,

πέμψον σὺν δίφρῳ τε καὶ υἱέι· δὸς δέ οἱ ἵππους,

send him with a chariot and your son; and give him horses,

οἵ τοι ἐλαφρότατοι θείειν καὶ κάρτος ἄριστοι.

which are lightest for you to run and best in strength."

ὣς ἄρα φωνήσασʼ ἀπέβη γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη

Having thus spoken, grey-eyed Athena departed,

φήνῃ εἰδομένη· θάμβος δʼ ἕλε πάντας ἰδόντας.

in the likeness of an osprey; and wonder seized all who saw it.

θαύμαζεν δʼ ὁ γεραιός, ὅπως ἴδεν ὀφθαλμοῖς·

And the old man marveled, when he saw it with his eyes;

Τηλεμάχου δʼ ἕλε χεῖρα, ἔπος τʼ ἔφατʼ ἔκ τʼ ὀνόμαζεν·

and he took Telemachus by the hand, and spoke, and addressed him:

ὦ φίλος, οὔ σε ἔολπα κακὸν καὶ ἄναλκιν ἔσεσθαι,

"My friend, I do not expect that you will be base and cowardly,

εἰ δή τοι νέῳ ὧδε θεοὶ πομπῆες ἕπονται.

if indeed when you are so young the gods follow you as guides.

οὐ μὲν γάρ τις ὅδʼ ἄλλος Ὀλύμπια δώματʼ ἐχόντων,

For this is no other of those who hold Olympus' halls,

ἀλλὰ Διὸς θυγάτηρ, κυδίστη Τριτογένεια,

but the daughter of Zeus, most glorious Tritogeneia,

ἥ τοι καὶ πατέρʼ ἐσθλὸν ἐν Ἀργείοισιν ἐτίμα.

she who also honored your noble father among the Argives.

ἀλλὰ ἄνασσʼ ἵληθι, δίδωθι δέ μοι κλέος ἐσθλόν,

But, O Queen, be gracious, and grant me noble fame,

αὐτῷ καὶ παίδεσσι καὶ αἰδοίῃ παρακοίτι·

to myself and my children and my revered wife;

σοὶ δʼ αὖ ἐγὼ ῥέξω βοῦν ἦνιν εὐρυμέτωπον

and to you in turn I will sacrifice a yearling heifer, broad-browed,

ἀδμήτην, ἣν οὔ πω ὑπὸ ζυγὸν ἤγαγεν ἀνήρ·

untamed, which no man has yet led under the yoke;

τήν τοι ἐγὼ ῥέξω χρυσὸν κέρασιν περιχεύας.

this one I will sacrifice to you, pouring gold about her horns."

ὣς ἔφατʼ εὐχόμενος, τοῦ δʼ ἔκλυε Παλλὰς Ἀθήνη.

So he spoke praying, and Pallas Athena heard him.

τοῖσιν δʼ ἡγεμόνευε Γερήνιος ἱππότα Νέστωρ,

And among them led Gerenian horseman Nestor,

υἱάσι καὶ γαμβροῖσιν, ἑὰ πρὸς δώματα καλά.

his sons and sons-in-law, to his beautiful halls.

ἀλλʼ ὅτε δώμαθʼ ἵκοντο ἀγακλυτὰ τοῖο ἄνακτος,

But when they reached the glorious halls of that king,

ἑξείης ἕζοντο κατὰ κλισμούς τε θρόνους τε·

they sat down in order on the couches and high chairs;

τοῖς δʼ ὁ γέρων ἐλθοῦσιν³ ἀνὰ κρητῆρα κέρασσεν

and for them when they came the old man mixed a bowl

οἴνου ἡδυπότοιο, τὸν ἑνδεκάτῳ ἐνιαυτῷ

of sweet-drinking wine, which in the eleventh year

ὤιξεν ταμίη καὶ ἀπὸ κρήδεμνον ἔλυσε·

the housekeeper opened and undid the seal;

τοῦ ὁ γέρων κρητῆρα κεράσσατο, πολλὰ δʼ Ἀθήνῃ

of this the old man mixed a bowl, and to Athena he prayed

εὔχετʼ ἀποσπένδων, κούρῃ Διὸς αἰγιόχοιο.

much, pouring libations, the daughter of aegis-bearing Zeus.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ σπεῖσάν τʼ ἔπιον θʼ, ὅσον ἤθελε θυμός,

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

οἱ μὲν κακκείοντες ἔβαν οἶκόνδε ἕκαστος,

they went indeed to lie down, each to his own house,

τὸν δʼ αὐτοῦ κοίμησε Γερήνιος ἱππότα Νέστωρ,

but there Nestor, Gerenian horseman, laid to sleep

Τηλέμαχον, φίλον υἱὸν Ὀδυσσῆος θείοιο,

Telemachus, the dear son of divine Odysseus,

τρητοῖς ἐν λεχέεσσιν ὑπʼ αἰθούσῃ ἐριδούπῳ,

on corded beds under the echoing portico,

πὰρʼ δʼ ἄρʼ⁴ ἐυμμελίην Πεισίστρατον, ὄρχαμον ἀνδρῶν,

and beside him the spear-famed Pisistratus, leader of men,

ὅς οἱ ἔτʼ ἠίθεος παίδων ἦν ἐν μεγάροισιν·

who of his sons was still an unmarried youth in the halls;

αὐτὸς δʼ αὖτε καθεῦδε μυχῷ δόμου ὑψηλοῖο,

and he himself in turn slept in the inner chamber of the high house,

τῷ δʼ ἄλοχος δέσποινα λέχος πόρσυνε καὶ εὐνήν.

and for him his lady wife prepared the bed and bedding.

ἦμος δʼ ἠριγένεια φάνη ῥοδοδάκτυλος Ἠώς,

And when the early-born, rosy-fingered Dawn appeared,

ὤρνυτʼ ἄρʼ ἐξ εὐνῆφι Γερήνιος ἱππότα Νέστωρ,

then Gerenian horseman Nestor arose from his bed,

ἐκ δʼ ἐλθὼν κατʼ ἄρʼ ἕζετʼ ἐπὶ ξεστοῖσι λίθοισιν,

and going out, sat down upon the polished stones,

οἵ οἱ ἔσαν προπάροιθε θυράων ὑψηλάων,

which were before his high doors,

λευκοί, ἀποστίλβοντες ἀλείφατος· οἷς ἔπι μὲν πρὶν

white, glistening with oil; upon which in former times

Νηλεὺς ἵζεσκεν, θεόφιν μήστωρ ἀτάλαντος·

Neleus used to sit, a counselor equal to the gods;

ἀλλʼ ὁ μὲν ἤδη κηρὶ δαμεὶς Ἄϊδόσδε βεβήκει,

but he indeed, already subdued by fate, had gone to Hades,

Νέστωρ αὖ τότʼ ἐφῖζε Γερήνιος, οὖρος Ἀχαιῶν,

and in turn Gerenian Nestor, the warden of the Achaeans, then sat there,

σκῆπτρον ἔχων. περὶ δʼ υἷες ἀολλέες ἠγερέθοντο

holding his scepter. And around him his sons gathered in a crowd,

ἐκ θαλάμων ἐλθόντες, Ἐχέφρων τε Στρατίος τε

coming from their chambers, Echephron and Stratius,

Περσεύς τʼ Ἄρητός τε καὶ ἀντίθεος Θρασυμήδης.

Perseus and Aretus, and godlike Thrasymedes.

τοῖσι δʼ ἔπειθʼ ἕκτος Πεισίστρατος ἤλυθεν ἥρως,

And after them as the sixth came the hero Pisistratus,

πὰρ δʼ ἄρα Τηλέμαχον θεοείκελον εἷσαν ἄγοντες.

and they brought godlike Telemachus and seated him beside them.

τοῖσι δὲ μύθων ἦρχε Γερήνιος ἱππότα Νέστωρ·

And among them spoke the Gerenian horseman Nestor:

καρπαλίμως μοι, τέκνα φίλα, κρηήνατʼ⁵ ἐέλδωρ,

"Quickly for me, dear children, fulfill my desire,

ὄφρʼ ἦ τοι πρώτιστα θεῶν ἱλάσσομʼ Ἀθήνην,

so that indeed first of all the gods I may propitiate Athena,

ἥ μοι ἐναργὴς ἦλθε θεοῦ ἐς δαῖτα θάλειαν.

who came to me in visible form to the rich feast of the god.

ἀλλʼ ἄγʼ ὁ μὲν πεδίονδʼ ἐπὶ βοῦν, ἴτω, ὄφρα τάχιστα

But come, let one go to the plain for a heifer, so that most quickly

ἔλθῃσιν, ἐλάσῃ δὲ βοῶν ἐπιβουκόλος ἀνήρ·

she may come, and let the ox-herdsman drive her;

εἷς δʼ ἐπὶ Τηλεμάχου μεγαθύμου νῆα μέλαιναν

and let another go to the black ship of great-hearted Telemachus

πάντας ἰὼν ἑτάρους ἀγέτω, λιπέτω δὲ δύʼ οἴους·

and bring all his companions, and let him leave only two;

εἷς δʼ αὖ χρυσοχόον Λαέρκεα δεῦρο κελέσθω

and let another again bid the goldsmith Laerces hither

ἐλθεῖν, ὄφρα βοὸς χρυσὸν κέρασιν περιχεύῃ.

to come, so that he may pour gold about the horns of the heifer.

οἱ δʼ ἄλλοι μένετʼ αὐτοῦ ἀολλέες, εἴπατε δʼ εἴσω

And do you others remain here together, and bid those within

δμῳῇσιν κατὰ δώματʼ ἀγακλυτὰ δαῖτα πένεσθαι,

the handmaids in the glorious halls to prepare a feast,"

Syntax notes5 items

3.358Τηλέμαχον πείθεσθαι
The infinitive `πείθεσθαι` (present middle/passive) and its accusative subject `Τηλέμαχον` depend on `σοὶ δὲ ἔοικεν` (and it is fitting for you) in line 3.357, meaning 'for Telemachus to obey you is fitting.'
3.365ἔνθα κε λεξαίμην
The aorist middle optative `λεξαίμην` (from `λέχομαι`, to lie down) with the particle `κε` (epic for `ἄν`) expresses a potential or a mild intention of the speaker in Homer, signifying 'there I would lie down' or 'I would like to lie down.'
3.390τοῖσι δʼ ὁ γέρων ἐλθοῦσιν
The dative plural participle `τοῖσι... ἐλθοῦσιν` functions either as a dative of interest (dativus commodi), meaning 'for them when they arrived,' or as the indirect object of the verb `κέρασσεν` (mixed).
3.400πὰρʼ δʼ ἄρʼ
The preposition `πὰρʼ` (apocope of `παρά`) is used adverbially or in tmesis with an omitted verb of placing or sleeping (such as `κοίμησε` in line 3.397), meaning 'and beside (him) [he laid]...'
3.418κρηήνατʼ
`κρηήνατʼ` is the 2nd person plural aorist active imperative `κρηήνατε` (from `κραίνω` / `κραιαίνω`, to fulfill), with the final vowel elided before the following word.

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:3.358-3.428