Eidothea's Counsel to Capture Proteus — Odyssey §4.360-4.429 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

ἔνθα μʼ ἐείκοσιν ἤματʼ ἔχον θεοί, οὐδέ ποτʼ οὖροι

There for twenty days the gods held me, nor did the sea-breezes

πνείοντες φαίνονθʼ ἁλιαέες, οἵ ῥά τε νηῶν

ever appear blowing, which are the

πομπῆες γίγνονται ἐπʼ εὐρέα νῶτα θαλάσσης.

guides of ships over the broad back of the sea.

καί νύ κεν ἤια πάντα κατέφθιτο¹ καὶ μένεʼ ἀνδρῶν,

And now would all our food have been spent and the strength of our men,

εἰ μή τίς με θεῶν ὀλοφύρατο καί μʼ ἐσάωσε,

had not one of the gods taken pity on me and saved me,

Πρωτέος ἰφθίμου θυγάτηρ ἁλίοιο γέροντος,

even Eidothea, daughter of mighty Proteus, the old man of the sea;

Εἰδοθέη· τῇ γάρ ῥα μάλιστά γε θυμὸν ὄρινα.

for her heart above all did I move.

ἥ μʼ οἴῳ ἔρροντι συνήντετο νόσφιν ἑταίρων·

She met me as I wandered alone, apart from my companions;

αἰεὶ γὰρ περὶ νῆσον ἀλώμενοι ἰχθυάασκον

for they ever roamed about the island fishing

γναμπτοῖς ἀγκίστροισιν, ἔτειρε δὲ γαστέρα λιμός.

with curved hooks, and hunger pinched their bellies.

ἡ δέ μευ ἄγχι στᾶσα ἔπος φάτο φώνησέν τε·

And she stood near me, and spoke, and addressed me:

νήπιός εἰς, ὦ ξεῖνε, λίην τόσον ἠδὲ χαλίφρων,

'Are you so utterly foolish, stranger, and light of mind,

ἦε ἑκὼν μεθίεις καὶ τέρπεαι ἄλγεα πάσχων;

or do you willingly give up and take pleasure in suffering pain,

ὡς δὴ δήθʼ ἐνὶ νήσῳ ἐρύκεαι, οὐδέ τι τέκμωρ

seeing that you are so long cooped up in this island, and can find no

εὑρέμεναι δύνασαι, μινύθει δέ τοι ἦτορ ἑταίρων.

way out, while the heart of your companions wastes away?'

ὣς ἔφατʼ, αὐτὰρ ἐγώ μιν ἀμειβόμενος προσέειπον·

So she spoke, and I answered her, saying:

ἐκ μέν τοι ἐρέω, ἥ τις σύ πέρ ἐσσι θεάων,

'I will tell you plainly, whoever of the goddesses you may be,

ὡς ἐγὼ οὔ τι ἑκὼν κατερύκομαι, ἀλλά νυ μέλλω

that I am in no wise willingly held back, but I must

ἀθανάτους ἀλιτέσθαι, οἳ οὐρανὸν εὐρὺν ἔχουσιν.

have sinned against the immortals, who hold the broad heaven.

ἀλλὰ σύ πέρ μοι εἰπέ, θεοὶ δέ τε πάντα ἴσασιν,

But tell me, for the gods know all things,

ὅς τίς μʼ ἀθανάτων πεδάᾳ καὶ ἔδησε κελεύθου,

who of the immortals binds me and bars me from my path,

νόστον θʼ, ὡς ἐπὶ πόντον ἐλεύσομαι ἰχθυόεντα.

and tell me of my return, how I may go over the teeming sea.'

ὣς ἐφάμην, ἡ δʼ αὐτίκʼ ἀμείβετο δῖα θεάων·

So I spoke, and the beautiful goddess straightway answered:

τοιγὰρ ἐγώ τοι, ξεῖνε, μάλʼ ἀτρεκέως ἀγορεύσω.

'Then, stranger, will I tell you most truly.

πωλεῖταί τις δεῦρο γέρων ἅλιος νημερτὴς

There comes hither a certain unerring old man of the sea,

ἀθάνατος Πρωτεὺς Αἰγύπτιος, ὅς τε θαλάσσης

immortal Proteus of Egypt, who knows the depths of

πάσης βένθεα οἶδε, Ποσειδάωνος ὑποδμώς·

every sea, and is the servant of Poseidon;

τὸν δέ τʼ ἐμόν φασιν πατέρʼ ἔμμεναι ἠδὲ τεκέσθαι.

him they say is my father and the one who begot me.

τόν γʼ εἴ πως σὺ δύναιο² λοχησάμενος λελαβέσθαι,

If you could somehow lay an ambush and seize him,

ὅς κέν τοι εἴπῃσιν ὁδὸν καὶ μέτρα κελεύθου

he will tell you your way and the measure of your path,

νόστον θʼ, ὡς ἐπὶ πόντον ἐλεύσεαι ἰχθυόεντα.

and of your return, how you may go over the teeming sea.

καὶ δέ κέ τοι εἴπῃσι, διοτρεφές, αἴ κʼ ἐθέλῃσθα,

And he will also tell you, nurtured of Zeus, if you wish,

ὅττι τοι ἐν μεγάροισι κακόν τʼ ἀγαθόν τε τέτυκται

what evil and what good has been wrought in your halls

οἰχομένοιο σέθεν δολιχὴν ὁδὸν ἀργαλέην τε.

while you have been gone on this long and grievous way.'

ὣς ἔφατʼ, αὐτὰρ ἐγώ μιν ἀμειβόμενος προσέειπον·

So she spoke, and I answered her, saying:

αὐτὴ νῦν φράζευ σὺ λόχον θείοιο γέροντος,

'Do you yourself now devise the ambush against the divine old man,

μή πώς με προϊδὼν ἠὲ προδαεὶς ἀλέηται·

lest by any means he see me beforehand or know of me and escape;

ἀργαλέος γάρ τʼ ἐστὶ θεὸς βροτῷ ἀνδρὶ δαμῆναι.

for hard is a god for a mortal man to master.'

ὣς ἐφάμην, ἡ δʼ αὐτίκʼ ἀμείβετο δῖα θεάων·

So I spoke, and the beautiful goddess straightway answered:

τοιγὰρ ἐγώ τοι, ξεῖνε, μάλʼ ἀτρεκέως ἀγορεύσω.

'Then, stranger, will I tell you most truly.

ἦμος δʼ ἠέλιος μέσον οὐρανὸν ἀμφιβεβήκῃ,

When the sun has reached mid-heaven,

τῆμος ἄρʼ ἐξ ἁλὸς εἶσι γέρων ἅλιος νημερτὴς

then comes the unerring old man of the sea from the deep,

πνοιῇ ὕπο Ζεφύροιο μελαίνῃ φρικὶ καλυφθείς,

veiled in a dark ripple under the breath of the West Wind,

ἐκ δʼ ἐλθὼν κοιμᾶται ὑπὸ σπέσσι γλαφυροῖσιν·

and having come forth he sleeps beneath the hollow caves;

ἀμφὶ δέ μιν φῶκαι νέποδες καλῆς ἁλοσύδνης

and around him the seals, the brood of the fair daughter of the sea,

ἁθρόαι εὕδουσιν, πολιῆς ἁλὸς ἐξαναδῦσαι,

sleep in a herd, rising from the gray sea,

πικρὸν ἀποπνείουσαι ἁλὸς πολυβενθέος ὀδμήν.

breathing out the bitter smell of the deep sea.

ἔνθα σʼ ἐγὼν ἀγαγοῦσα ἅμʼ ἠοῖ φαινομένηφιν

Thither will I lead you at the dawning of the day,

εὐνάσω ἑξείης· σὺ δʼ ἐὺ κρίνασθαι ἑταίρους

and lay you in order; but do you choose well three companions

τρεῖς, οἵ τοι παρὰ νηυσὶν ἐυσσέλμοισιν ἄριστοι.

who are the best you have by your well-benched ships.

πάντα δέ τοι ἐρέω ὀλοφώια τοῖο γέροντος.

And I will tell you all the magic arts of this old man.

φώκας μέν τοι πρῶτον ἀριθμήσει καὶ ἔπεισιν·

First he will count the seals and go over them;

αὐτὰρ ἐπὴν πάσας πεμπάσσεται ἠδὲ ἴδηται,

but when he has numbered them all and beheld them,

λέξεται ἐν μέσσῃσι νομεὺς ὣς πώεσι μήλων.

he will lay himself down in their midst, like a shepherd among his flocks of sheep.

τὸν μὲν ἐπὴν δὴ πρῶτα κατευνηθέντα ἴδησθε,

And as soon as you see him first laid to rest,

καὶ τότʼ ἔπειθʼ ὑμῖν μελέτω κάρτος τε βίη τε,

then let strength and force be your care,

αὖθι δʼ ἔχειν³ μεμαῶτα καὶ ἐσσύμενόν περ ἀλύξαι.

and hold him firmly there, though he be eager and strive to escape.

πάντα δὲ γιγνόμενος πειρήσεται, ὅσσʼ ἐπὶ γαῖαν

He will make trial of you by turning into all things that are

ἑρπετὰ γίγνονται, καὶ ὕδωρ καὶ θεσπιδαὲς πῦρ·

beasts upon the earth, and into water, and into wondrous burning fire;

ὑμεῖς δʼ ἀστεμφέως ἐχέμεν μᾶλλόν τε πιέζειν.

but do you hold him unflinchingly and press him yet more.

ἀλλʼ ὅτε κεν δή σʼ αὐτὸς ἀνείρηται ἐπέεσσι,

But when at last he himself questions you with words,

τοῖος ἐὼν οἷόν κε κατευνηθέντα ἴδησθε,

being in such shape as you saw him when he was laid to rest,

καὶ τότε δὴ σχέσθαι τε βίης λῦσαί τε γέροντα,

then hold your force, and set the old man free,

ἥρως, εἴρεσθαι δέ, θεῶν ὅς τίς σε χαλέπτει,

hero, and ask him which of the gods is angry with you,

νόστον θʼ, ὡς ἐπὶ πόντον ἐλεύσεαι ἰχθυόεντα.

and of your return, how you may go over the teeming sea.'

ὣς εἰποῦσʼ ὑπὸ πόντον ἐδύσετο κυμαίνοντα.

So saying, she plunged beneath the surging sea.

αὐτὰρ ἐγὼν ἐπὶ νῆας, ὅθʼ ἕστασαν ἐν ψαμάθοισιν,

But I went toward my ships where they stood in the sands,

ἤια· πολλὰ δέ μοι κραδίη πόρφυρε κιόντι.

and my heart was dark with many thoughts as I went.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεί ῥʼ ἐπὶ νῆα κατήλυθον ἠδὲ θάλασσαν,

But when I had come down to the ship and the sea,

δόρπον θʼ ὁπλισάμεσθʼ, ἐπί τʼ ἤλυθεν ἀμβροσίη νύξ·

we made ready our supper, and immortal night came on.

Syntax notes3 items

4.363κατέφθιτο
The third-person singular unaugmented aorist middle of the verb φθίνω (to decay, waste away). It is a root aorist form, agreeing in the singular with the neuter plural subject ἤια. Combined with the adverb κεν, it forms the apodosis of a past contrary-to-fact conditional sentence, whose protasis is introduced by εἰ μή (had not one of the gods taken pity on me).
4.388δύναιο
The second-person singular present optative of δύναμαι (to be able). Introduced by the conditional conjunction εἴ πως (if somehow), it expresses a wish or an attempt. The main clause (apodosis) is omitted, leaving the conditional clause to imply the attempt or hope of capture. The infinitive λελαβέσθαι is a Homeric reduplicated second aorist infinitive of λαμβάνω (to seize).
4.416ἔχειν
An infinitive used in place of an imperative (infinitive for imperative). Standing alongside the imperative μελέτω, it conveys a direct, forceful command. The participles μεμαῶτα (eager, striving) and ἐσσύμενόν (hastening, anxious) are accusatives modifying the object (Proteus) in his desperate state, with the infinitive ἀλύξαι (to escape) depending on them.

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:4.360-4.429