The Capture of Proteus and His Prophecy to Menelaus — Odyssey §4.430-4.497 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

δὴ τότε κοιμήθημεν ἐπὶ ῥηγμῖνι θαλάσσης.

Then indeed we fell asleep upon the breaker-line of the sea.

ἦμος δʼ ἠριγένεια φάνη ῥοδοδάκτυλος Ἠώς,

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

καὶ τότε δὴ παρὰ θῖνα θαλάσσης εὐρυπόροιο

then indeed along the shore of the wide-wayed sea

ἤια πολλὰ θεοὺς γουνούμενος· αὐτὰρ ἑταίρους

I walked, making many prayers to the gods; but my companions

τρεῖς ἄγον, οἷσι μάλιστα πεποίθεα πᾶσαν ἐπʼ ἰθύν.

I took, three of them, in whom I most trusted for every enterprise.

τόφρα δʼ ἄρʼ ἥ γʼ ὑποδῦσα θαλάσσης εὐρέα κόλπον

Meanwhile she, having plunged beneath the wide bosom of the sea,

τέσσαρα φωκάων ἐκ πόντου δέρματʼ ἔνεικε·

brought out from the deep four skins of seals;

πάντα δʼ ἔσαν νεόδαρτα· δόλον δʼ ἐπεμήδετο πατρί.

and all were newly flayed; and she was plotting a trick against her father.

εὐνὰς δʼ ἐν ψαμάθοισι διαγλάψασʼ ἁλίῃσιν

And having scooped out sleeping-places in the sea-sands,

ἧστο μένουσʼ· ἡμεῖς δὲ μάλα σχεδὸν ἤλθομεν αὐτῆς·

she sat waiting; and we came very near her;

ἑξείης δʼ εὔνησε, βάλεν δʼ ἐπὶ δέρμα ἑκάστῳ.

she laid us down in order, and cast a skin over each.

ἔνθα κεν αἰνότατος λόχος ἔπλετο¹· τεῖρε γὰρ αἰνῶς

There indeed would have been a most dreadful ambush; for terribly did pinch us

φωκάων ἁλιοτρεφέων ὀλοώτατος ὀδμή·

the most destructive smell of the sea-nourished seals;

τίς γάρ κʼ εἰναλίῳ παρὰ κήτεϊ κοιμηθείη;

for who indeed would lie down beside a monster of the sea?

ἀλλʼ αὐτὴ ἐσάωσε καὶ ἐφράσατο μέγʼ ὄνειαρ·

But she herself saved us and devised a great help;

ἀμβροσίην ὑπὸ ῥῖνα ἑκάστῳ θῆκε φέρουσα

she brought and placed ambrosia under the nose of each,

ἡδὺ μάλα πνείουσαν, ὄλεσσε δὲ κήτεος ὀδμήν.

breathing very sweetly, and she destroyed the smell of the monster.

πᾶσαν δʼ ἠοίην μένομεν τετληότι θυμῷ·

And all the morning we waited with enduring heart;

φῶκαι δʼ ἐξ ἁλὸς ἦλθον ἀολλέες. αἱ μὲν ἔπειτα

and the seals came from the sea in crowds. Then they

ἑξῆς εὐνάζοντο παρὰ ῥηγμῖνι θαλάσσης·

laid themselves down in order along the breaker-line of the sea.

ἔνδιος δʼ ὁ γέρων ἦλθʼ ἐξ ἁλός, εὗρε δὲ φώκας

And at midday the old man came from the sea, and found the well-fed

ζατρεφέας, πάσας δʼ ἄρʼ ἐπῴχετο, λέκτο δʼ ἀριθμόν·

seals, and went over them all, and counted their number;

ἐν δʼ ἡμέας πρώτους λέγε κήτεσιν, οὐδέ τι θυμῷ

and among them he counted us first among the monsters, nor did his heart

ὠΐσθη δόλον εἶναι· ἔπειτα δὲ λέκτο καὶ αὐτός.

suspect that there was a trick; and then he too laid himself down.

ἡμεῖς δὲ ἰάχοντες ἐπεσσύμεθʼ, ἀμφὶ δὲ χεῖρας

But we with a shout rushed upon him, and threw our arms

βάλλομεν· οὐδʼ ὁ γέρων δολίης ἐπελήθετο τέχνης,

around him; nor did the old man forget his cunning art,

ἀλλʼ ἦ τοι πρώτιστα λέων γένετʼ ἠυγένειος,

but indeed first of all he became a well-maned lion,

αὐτὰρ ἔπειτα δράκων καὶ πάρδαλις ἠδὲ μέγας σῦς·

and then a serpent, and a leopard, and a great boar;

γίγνετο δʼ ὑγρὸν ὕδωρ καὶ δένδρεον ὑψιπέτηλον·

and he became flowing water, and a tree of lofty foliage;

ἡμεῖς δʼ ἀστεμφέως ἔχομεν τετληότι θυμῷ.

but we held him unflinchingly with enduring heart.

ἀλλʼ ὅτε δή ῥʼ ἀνίαζʼ ὁ γέρων ὀλοφώια εἰδώς,

But when at last the old man, knowing mischievous arts, grew weary,

καὶ τότε δή μʼ ἐπέεσσιν ἀνειρόμενος προσέειπε·

then indeed questioning me with words he spoke:

τίς νύ τοι, Ἀτρέος υἱέ, θεῶν συμφράσσατο βουλάς,

'Who of the gods, son of Atreus, planned counsels with you,

ὄφρα μʼ ἕλοις ἀέκοντα λοχησάμενος; τέο σε χρή;

that you might take me against my will by ambush? What is there need of for you?'

ὣς ἔφατʼ, αὐτὰρ ἐγώ μιν ἀμειβόμενος προσέειπον·

So he spoke, and I answered him, saying:

οἶσθα, γέρον, τί με ταῦτα παρατροπέων ἐρεείνεις;

'You know, old man; why do you question me with these things, trying to turn me aside?

ὡς δὴ δήθʼ ἐνὶ νήσῳ ἐρύκομαι, οὐδέ τι τέκμωρ

Seeing that I am so long cooped up in this island, and can find

εὑρέμεναι δύναμαι, μινύθει δέ μοι ἔνδοθεν ἦτορ.

no way out, and my heart within me wastes away.

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, ὁ δέ μʼ αὐτίκʼ ἀμειβόμενος προσέειπεν·

So I spoke, and he straightway answered, saying:

ἀλλὰ μάλʼ ὤφελλες Διί τʼ ἄλλοισίν τε θεοῖσι

'Nay, surely you ought to have made to Zeus and the other gods

ῥέξας ἱερὰ κάλʼ ἀναβαινέμεν², ὄφρα τάχιστα

fine sacrifices before embarking, so that most quickly

σὴν ἐς πατρίδʼ ἵκοιο πλέων ἐπὶ οἴνοπα πόντον.

you might reach your fatherland, sailing over the wine-dark sea.

οὐ γάρ τοι πρὶν μοῖρα φίλους τʼ ἰδέειν καὶ ἱκέσθαι

For it is not your fate to see your friends and to reach

οἶκον ἐυκτίμενον καὶ σὴν ἐς πατρίδα γαῖαν,

your well-built house and your fatherland,

πρίν γʼ ὅτʼ ἂν Αἰγύπτοιο, διιπετέος ποταμοῖο,

until you go back to the water of Egypt, the heaven-fallen river,

αὖτις ὕδωρ ἔλθῃς³ ῥέξῃς θʼ ἱερὰς ἑκατόμβας

and offer sacred hecatombs

ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖσι, τοὶ οὐρανὸν εὐρὺν ἔχουσι·

to the immortal gods who hold the broad heaven;

καὶ τότε τοι δώσουσιν ὁδὸν θεοί, ἣν σὺ μενοινᾷς.

and then indeed the gods will grant you the path which you desire.'

ὣς ἔφατʼ, αὐτὰρ ἐμοί γε κατεκλάσθη φίλον ἦτορ,

So he spoke, and my heart was broken within me,

οὕνεκά μʼ αὖτις ἄνωγεν ἐπʼ ἠεροειδέα πόντον

because he bade me go again over the misty sea

Αἴγυπτόνδʼ ἰέναι, δολιχὴν ὁδὸν ἀργαλέην τε.

to Egypt, a long and grievous way.

ἀλλὰ καὶ ὣς μύθοισιν ἀμειβόμενος προσέειπον·

But even so, answering him with words I spoke:

ταῦτα μὲν οὕτω δὴ τελέω, γέρον, ὡς σὺ κελεύεις.

'These things indeed will I perform, old man, even as you bid.

ἀλλʼ ἄγε μοι τόδε εἰπὲ καὶ ἀτρεκέως κατάλεξον,

But come, tell me this and relate it truly,

ἢ πάντες σὺν νηυσὶν ἀπήμονες ἦλθον Ἀχαιοί,

whether all the Achaeans came home safely with their ships,

οὓς Νέστωρ καὶ ἐγὼ λίπομεν Τροίηθεν ἰόντες,

whom Nestor and I left when we went from Troy,

ἦέ τις ὤλετʼ ὀλέθρῳ ἀδευκέι ἧς ἐπὶ νηὸς

or did anyone perish by a cruel death on his ship,

ἠὲ φίλων ἐν χερσίν, ἐπεὶ πόλεμον τολύπευσεν.

or in the hands of his friends, after he had wound up the war.'

ὣς ἐφάμην, ὁ δέ μʼ αὐτίκʼ ἀμειβόμενος προσέειπεν·

So I spoke, and he straightway answered, saying:

Ἀτρεΐδη, τί με ταῦτα διείρεαι; οὐδέ τί σε χρὴ

'Son of Atreus, why do you question me of these things? You have no need

ἴδμεναι, οὐδὲ δαῆναι ἐμὸν νόον· οὐδέ σέ φημι

to know, nor to learn my mind; nor do I think

δὴν ἄκλαυτον ἔσεσθαι, ἐπὴν ἐὺ πάντα πύθηαι.

you will long be tearless, when you have heard all clearly.

πολλοὶ μὲν γὰρ τῶν γε δάμεν, πολλοὶ δὲ λίποντο·

For many of them indeed were subdued, and many were left;

ἀρχοὶ δʼ αὖ δύο μοῦνοι Ἀχαιῶν χαλκοχιτώνων

but of the leaders only two of the bronze-clad Achaeans

ἐν νόστῳ ἀπόλοντο· μάχῃ δέ τε καὶ σὺ παρῆσθα.

perished on their return; and in the battle you yourself were present.

Syntax notes3 items

4.441ἔνθα κεν αἰνότατος λόχος ἔπλετο
The indicative past ἔπλετο with κεν (equivalent to ἄν) expresses a past counterfactual condition. In this context, it indicates that the ambush 'would have been most dreadful' due to the seals' smell, but was avoided thanks to Eidothea placing the ambrosia under their noses.
4.472ἀλλὰ μάλʼ ὤφελλες... ἀναβαινέμεν
A construction expressing an unfulfilled obligation or regret in the past. ὤφελλον (the aorist indicative of ὀφείλω, 'to owe / ought') combined with an infinitive (here, ἀναβαινέμεν) means 'you ought to have embarked (but you did not)'.
4.475οὐ γάρ τοι πρὶν μοῖρα... πρίν γʼ ὅτʼ ἂν... ἔλθῃς
A double πρίν structure. The first πρίν functions adverbially as 'not before,' while the second πρίν (introducing πρίν γ' ὅτ' ἂν... ἔλθῃς) acts as a conjunction meaning 'until.' This emphasizes the strict condition 'not... until...' in a negative clause.

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:4.430-4.497