Eurycleia's Consolation and Penelope's Prayer — Odyssey §4.707-4.776 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

κῆρυξ, τίπτε δέ μοι πάϊς οἴχεται; οὐδέ τί μιν χρεὼ¹

"Herald, why indeed has my son gone? He had no need at all

νηῶν ὠκυπόρων ἐπιβαινέμεν, αἵ θʼ ἁλὸς ἵπποι

to embark on swift-faring ships, which are horses of the sea

ἀνδράσι γίγνονται, περόωσι δὲ πουλὺν ἐφʼ ὑγρήν.

for men, and cross the wide watery waste.

ἦ ἵνα μηδʼ ὄνομʼ αὐτοῦ ἐν ἀνθρώποισι λίπηται;

Is it so that not even his name may be left among men?"

τὴν δʼ ἠμείβετʼ ἔπειτα Μέδων πεπνυμένα εἰδώς·

Then Medon answered her, with wise understanding:

οὐκ οἶδʼ ἤ τίς μιν θεὸς ὤρορεν, ἦε καὶ αὐτοῦ

"I know not whether some god impelled him, or if his own

θυμὸς ἐφωρμήθη ἴμεν ἐς Πύλον, ὄφρα πύθηται

heart was stirred to go to Pylos, so that he might learn

πατρὸς ἑοῦ ἢ νόστον ἢ ὅν τινα πότμον ἐπέσπεν.

of his father’s return or what fate he has met."

ὣς ἄρα φωνήσας ἀπέβη κατὰ δῶμʼ Ὀδυσῆος.

So saying, he went away through the house of Odysseus.

τὴν δʼ ἄχος ἀμφεχύθη θυμοφθόρον, οὐδʼ ἄρʼ ἔτʼ ἔτλη

But heart-wasting grief was poured around her, nor did she still endure

δίφρῳ ἐφέζεσθαι πολλῶν κατὰ οἶκον ἐόντων,

to sit upon any of the chairs that were many in the house,

ἀλλʼ ἄρʼ ἐπʼ οὐδοῦ ἷζε πολυκμήτου θαλάμοιο

but down she sat upon the threshold of her well-wrought chamber,

οἴκτρʼ ὀλοφυρομένη· περὶ δὲ δμῳαὶ μινύριζον

piteously wailing; and all around her her handmaids whimpered,

πᾶσαι, ὅσαι κατὰ δώματʼ ἔσαν νέαι ἠδὲ παλαιαί.

all that were in the house, both young and old.

τῇς δʼ ἁδινὸν γοόωσα μετηύδα Πηνελόπεια·

To them, wailing aloud, Penelope spoke:

κλῦτε, φίλαι· πέρι γάρ μοι Ὀλύμπιος ἄλγεʼ ἔδωκεν

"Listen, my friends! For the Olympian has given me sorrows beyond

ἐκ πασέων, ὅσσαι² μοι ὁμοῦ τράφεν ἠδʼ ἐγένοντο·

all those who were bred and born with me.

ἣ πρὶν μὲν πόσιν ἐσθλὸν ἀπώλεσα θυμολέοντα,

Who first lost a noble husband of lion-hearted spirit,

παντοίῃς ἀρετῇσι κεκασμένον ἐν Δαναοῖσιν,

adorned with all manner of virtues among the Danaans,

ἐσθλόν, τοῦ κλέος εὐρὺ καθʼ Ἑλλάδα καὶ μέσον Ἄργος.

noble, whose fame was wide through Hellas and mid-Argos.

νῦν αὖ παῖδʼ ἀγαπητὸν ἀνηρείψαντο θύελλαι

And now again the storm-winds have snatched away my beloved son

ἀκλέα ἐκ μεγάρων, οὐδʼ ὁρμηθέντος ἄκουσα.

ingloriously from the halls, nor did I hear of his setting forth.

σχέτλιαι, οὐδʼ ὑμεῖς περ ἐνὶ φρεσὶ θέσθε ἑκάστη

Cruel ones, not even you laid it in your hearts, each of you,

ἐκ λεχέων μʼ ἀνεγεῖραι, ἐπιστάμεναι σάφα θυμῷ,

to rouse me from my bed, though you knew it clearly in your hearts,

ὁππότʼ ἐκεῖνος ἔβη κοίλην ἐπὶ νῆα μέλαιναν.

when he went on board the hollow black ship.

εἰ γὰρ ἐγὼ πυθόμην ταύτην ὁδὸν ὁρμαίνοντα,

For had I learned that he was planning this journey,

τῷ κε μάλʼ ἤ κεν ἔμεινε³ καὶ ἐσσύμενός περ ὁδοῖο,

then would he surely either have remained, however eager for the journey,

ἤ κέ με τεθνηκυῖαν ἐνὶ μεγάροισιν ἔλειπεν.

or would have left me dead in the halls.

ἀλλά τις ὀτρηρῶς Δολίον καλέσειε γέροντα,

But let someone quickly call the old man Dolius,

δμῶʼ ἐμόν, ὅν μοι δῶκε πατὴρ ἔτι δεῦρο κιούσῃ,

my servant, whom my father gave me when I was yet coming hither,

καί μοι κῆπον ἔχει πολυδένδρεον, ὄφρα τάχιστα

and who keeps for me my garden of many trees, so that with all speed

Λαέρτῃ τάδε πάντα παρεζόμενος καταλέξῃ,

he may sit by Laertes and tell him all these things,

εἰ δή πού τινα κεῖνος ἐνὶ φρεσὶ μῆτιν ὑφήνας

if perchance he may weave some counsel in his heart,

ἐξελθὼν λαοῖσιν ὀδύρεται, οἳ μεμάασιν

and go out and lament to the people, who are eager

ὃν καὶ Ὀδυσσῆος φθῖσαι γόνον ἀντιθέοιο.

to destroy his offspring and that of godlike Odysseus."

τὴν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε φίλη τροφὸς Εὐρύκλεια·

Then her beloved nurse Eurycleia spoke to her:

νύμφα φίλη, σὺ μὲν ἄρ με κατάκτανε νηλέι χαλκῷ

"Dear bride, do you then slay me with the pitiless bronze,

ἢ ἔα ἐν μεγάρῳ· μῦθον δέ τοι οὐκ ἐπικεύσω.

or let me be in the hall; but I will not hide my word from you.

ᾔδεʼ ἐγὼ τάδε πάντα, πόρον δέ οἱ ὅσσʼ ἐκέλευε,

I knew all these things, and gave him whatever he commanded,

σῖτον καὶ μέθυ ἡδύ· ἐμεῦ δʼ ἕλετο μέγαν ὅρκον

bread and sweet wine; but he took from me a great oath

μὴ πρὶν σοὶ ἐρέειν, πρὶν δωδεκάτην γε γενέσθαι

not to tell you until the twelfth day should come,

ἢ σʼ αὐτὴν ποθέσαι καὶ ἀφορμηθέντος ἀκοῦσαι⁴,

or until you yourself should miss him and hear of his setting forth,

ὡς ἂν μὴ κλαίουσα κατὰ χρόα καλὸν ἰάπτῃς.

that you might not weep and mar your fair skin.

ἀλλʼ ὑδρηναμένη, καθαρὰ χροῒ εἵμαθʼ ἑλοῦσα,

But wash yourself, and take clean raiment for your body,

εἰς ὑπερῷʼ ἀναβᾶσα σὺν ἀμφιπόλοισι γυναιξὶν

and go up to your upper chamber with your handmaidens,

εὔχεʼ Ἀθηναίῃ κούρῃ Διὸς αἰγιόχοιο·

and pray to Athena, daughter of Zeus who bears the aegis;

ἡ γάρ κέν μιν ἔπειτα καὶ ἐκ θανάτοιο σαώσαι.

for she may then save him even from death.

μηδὲ γέροντα κάκου κεκακωμένον· οὐ γὰρ ὀίω

And do not vex an old man already vexed; for I do not think

πάγχυ θεοῖς μακάρεσσι γονὴν Ἀρκεισιάδαο

that the race of the son of Arceisius is utterly hated

ἔχθεσθʼ, ἀλλʼ ἔτι πού τις ἐπέσσεται ὅς κεν ἔχῃσι

by the blessed gods, but there shall still be someone, I ween, to possess

δώματά θʼ ὑψερεφέα καὶ ἀπόπροθι πίονας ἀγρούς.

the high-roofed halls and the rich fields far away."

ὣς φάτο, τῆς δʼ εὔνησε γόον, σχέθε δʼ ὄσσε γόοιο.

So she spoke, and she lulled her grief, and stayed her eyes from wailing.

ἡ δʼ ὑδρηναμένη, καθαρὰ χροῒ εἵμαθʼ ἑλοῦσα

Then Penelope washed herself, and took clean raiment for her body,

εἰς ὑπερῷʼ ἀνέβαινε σὺν ἀμφιπόλοισι γυναιξίν,

and went up to her upper chamber with her handmaidens,

ἐν δʼ ἔθετʼ οὐλοχύτας κανέῳ, ἠρᾶτο δʼ Ἀθήνῃ·

and she laid barley-grains in a basket, and prayed to Athena:

κλῦθί μευ, αἰγιόχοιο Διὸς τέκος, Ἀτρυτώνη,

"Hear me, child of Zeus who bears the aegis, unwearied one!

εἴ ποτέ τοι πολύμητις ἐνὶ μεγάροισιν Ὀδυσσεὺς

If ever Odysseus of many counsels burned for you in his halls

ἢ βοὸς ἢ ὄϊος κατὰ πίονα μηρίʼ ἔκηε,

fat thigh-pieces of heifer or of sheep,

τῶν νῦν μοι μνῆσαι, καί μοι φίλον υἷα σάωσον,

of these things pray be mindful now, and save my beloved son,

μνηστῆρας δʼ ἀπάλαλκε κακῶς ὑπερηνορέοντας.

and ward off the suitors who are so wickedly insolent."

ὣς εἰποῦσʼ ὀλόλυξε, θεὰ δέ οἱ ἔκλυεν ἀρῆς.

So she spoke, and raised the ritual cry, and the goddess heard her prayer.

μνηστῆρες δʼ ὁμάδησαν ἀνὰ μέγαρα σκιόεντα·

But the suitors clamored through the shadowy halls,

ὧδε δέ τις εἴπεσκε νέων ὑπερηνορεόντων·

and thus would one of the insolent youths say:

ἦ μάλα δὴ γάμον ἄμμι πολυμνήστη βασίλεια

"Verily, the queen of many suitors is preparing our marriage,

ἀρτύει, οὐδέ τι οἶδεν ὅ οἱ φόνος υἷι τέτυκται.

nor does she know at all that slaughter is prepared for her son."

ὣς ἄρα τις εἴπεσκε, τὰ δʼ οὐκ ἴσαν ὡς ἐτέτυκτο.

So they would say, but they knew not how things were accomplished.

τοῖσιν δʼ Ἀντίνοος ἀγορήσατο καὶ μετέειπε·

But Antinous spoke to them and said:

δαιμόνιοι, μύθους μὲν ὑπερφιάλους ἀλέασθε

"Foolish ones, avoid insolent words entirely,

πάντας ὁμῶς, μή πού τις ἀπαγγείλῃσι καὶ εἴσω.

all of you alike, lest perchance someone report them even within.

ἀλλʼ ἄγε σιγῇ τοῖον⁵ ἀναστάντες τελέωμεν

But come, let us rise up in silence and accomplish our purpose thus."

Syntax notes5 items

4.707οὐδέ τί μιν χρεὼ
The impersonal `χρεώ` ("there is need") takes the accusative `μιν` (him, referring to Telemachus) and the infinitive `ἐπιβαινέμεν` to form the construction "there was no need at all for him to embark." `τί` is an adverbial accusative ("at all").
4.723ἐκ πασέων, ὅσσαι
`πασέων` (genitive feminine plural) implies women of her generation (`γυναικῶν`), serving as the antecedent to the relative pronoun `ὅσσαι`. The preceding `πέρι` is used adverbially to mean "exceedingly" or "beyond measure," rather than as a preposition.
4.733τῷ κε μάλʼ ἤ κεν ἔμεινε
This is the apodosis of a past contrary-to-fact condition, continuing from `εἰ γάρ` (if only) in line 732. `τῷ` is the dative of the demonstrative pronoun, meaning "thereby" or "in that case." The particle `κε` / `κεν` is repeated, modifying the verbs `ἔμεινε` and `ἔλειπεν` (line 734) in an alternative construction with `ἤ... ἤ...` ("either... or...").
4.748ἀφορμηθέντος ἀκοῦσαι
`ἀφορμηθέντος` is a participle (aorist passive) meaning "having departed," with the pronoun `αὐτοῦ` (referring to Telemachus) omitted. It stands in the genitive as the object of the verb of hearing `ἀκοῦσαι`.
4.776σιγῇ τοῖον
`τοῖον`, the neuter accusative singular of the demonstrative adjective, is used here adverbially to mean "thus" or "just so," emphasizing the adverbial dative `σιγῇ` ("in silence").

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:4.707-4.776