The Suitors' Departure and Penelope's Vision — Odyssey §4.777-4.847 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

μῦθον¹, ὃ δὴ καὶ πᾶσιν ἐνὶ φρεσὶν ἤραρεν ἡμῖν.

the word, which indeed was pleasing to all of us in our hearts.

ὣς εἰπὼν ἐκρίνατʼ ἐείκοσι φῶτας ἀρίστους,

So saying, he chose twenty of the best men,

βὰν δʼ ἰέναι ἐπὶ νῆα θοὴν καὶ θῖνα θαλάσσης.

and they went their way to the swift ship and the shore of the sea.

νῆα μὲν οὖν πάμπρωτον ἁλὸς βένθοσδε ἔρυσσαν,

First of all, indeed, they drew the ship down to the deep of the sea,

ἐν δʼ ἱστόν τʼ ἐτίθεντο καὶ ἱστία νηὶ μελαίνῃ,

and they placed the mast and sails in the black ship,

ἠρτύναντο δʼ ἐρετμὰ τροποῖς ἐν δερματίνοισιν,

and they fitted the oars in the leather thongs,

πάντα κατὰ μοῖραν, ἀνά θʼ ἱστία λευκὰ πέτασσαν·

all in due order, and they spread out the white sails;

τεύχεα δέ σφʼ ἤνεικαν ὑπέρθυμοι θεράποντες.

and their high-hearted attendants bore their armor for them.

ὑψοῦ δʼ ἐν νοτίῳ τήν γʼ ὥρμισαν, ἐκ δʼ ἔβαν αὐτοί·

High in the deep water they moored her, and they themselves stepped out;

ἔνθα δὲ δόρπον ἕλοντο, μένον δʼ ἐπὶ ἕσπερον ἐλθεῖν.

and there they took their supper, and waited for evening to come.

ἡ δʼ ὑπερωίῳ αὖθι περίφρων Πηνελόπεια

But she, the wise Penelope, in her upper chamber

κεῖτʼ ἄρʼ ἄσιτος, ἄπαστος ἐδητύος ἠδὲ ποτῆτος,

lay fast, tasting neither food nor drink,

ὁρμαίνουσʼ ἤ οἱ θάνατον φύγοι υἱὸς ἀμύμων,

pondering whether her noble son would escape death,

ἦ ὅ γʼ ὑπὸ μνηστῆρσιν ὑπερφιάλοισι δαμείη.

or whether he would be slain by the insolent suitors.

ὅσσα δὲ μερμήριξε λέων² ἀνδρῶν ἐν ὁμίλῳ

And as a lion in a crowd of men ponders with fear,

δείσας, ὁππότε μιν δόλιον περὶ κύκλον ἄγωσι,

when they draw their crafty circle about him,

τόσσα μιν ὁρμαίνουσαν ἐπήλυθε νήδυμος ὕπνος·

even so many things was she pondering when sweet sleep came upon her;

εὗδε δʼ ἀνακλινθεῖσα, λύθεν δέ οἱ ἅψεα πάντα.

and she slept, leaning back, and all her limbs were relaxed.

ἔνθʼ αὖτʼ ἄλλʼ ἐνόησε θεά, γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη·

Then again the goddess, flashing-eyed Athena, thought of another thing;

εἴδωλον ποίησε, δέμας δʼ ἤικτο γυναικί,

she made a phantom, and in form it was like to a woman,

Ἰφθίμῃ, κούρῃ μεγαλήτορος Ἰκαρίοιο,

Iphthime, daughter of great-hearted Icarius,

τὴν Εὔμηλος ὄπυιε Φερῇς ἔνι οἰκία ναίων.

whom Eumelus wedded, who had his dwelling in Pherae.

πέμπε δέ μιν πρὸς δώματʼ Ὀδυσσῆος θείοιο,

And she sent it to the house of godlike Odysseus,

ἧος³ Πηνελόπειαν ὀδυρομένην γοόωσαν

that it might make Penelope, wailing and lamenting,

παύσειε κλαυθμοῖο γόοιό τε δακρυόεντος.

cease from her weeping and tearful wailing.

ἐς θάλαμον δʼ εἰσῆλθε παρὰ κληῖδος ἱμάντα,

And it entered into the chamber by the strap of the bolt,

στῆ δʼ ἄρʼ ὑπὲρ κεφαλῆς, καί μιν πρὸς μῦθον ἔειπεν·

and stood above her head, and spoke to her, saying:

εὕδεις, Πηνελόπεια, φίλον τετιημένη ἦτορ;

"Are you sleeping, Penelope, grieved in your dear heart?

οὐ μέν σʼ οὐδὲ ἐῶσι θεοὶ ῥεῖα ζώοντες

Verily, the gods who live at ease do not suffer you

κλαίειν οὐδʼ ἀκάχησθαι, ἐπεί ῥʼ ἔτι νόστιμός ἐστι

to weep or be sorrowful, since your son is still

σὸς παῖς· οὐ μὲν γάρ τι θεοῖς ἀλιτήμενός ἐστι.

to return; for he is in no wise a sinner in the eyes of the gods."

τὴν δʼ ἠμείβετʼ ἔπειτα περίφρων Πηνελόπεια,

Then wise Penelope answered her,

ἡδὺ μάλα κνώσσουσʼ ἐν ὀνειρείῃσι πύλῃσιν·

slumbering very sweetly at the gates of dreams:

τίπτε, κασιγνήτη, δεῦρʼ ἤλυθες; οὔ τι πάρος γε

"Why, sister, have you come hither? In no wise did you before

πωλέʼ, ἐπεὶ μάλα πολλὸν ἀπόπροθι δώματα ναίεις·

visit us, since you dwell in a home very far away;

καί με κέλεαι παύσασθαι ὀιζύος ἠδʼ ὀδυνάων

and you bid me cease from my grief and my many pains,

πολλέων, αἵ μʼ ἐρέθουσι κατὰ φρένα καὶ κατὰ θυμόν,

which vex me in my mind and in my heart,

ἣ πρὶν μὲν πόσιν ἐσθλὸν ἀπώλεσα θυμολέοντα,

I 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 παῖς ἀγαπητὸς ἔβη κοίλης ἐπὶ νηός,

and now again my beloved son has gone on board a hollow ship,

νήπιος, οὔτε πόνων ἐὺ εἰδὼς οὔτʼ ἀγοράων⁴.

a child, knowing well neither of labors nor of assemblies.

τοῦ δὴ ἐγὼ καὶ μᾶλλον ὀδύρομαι ἤ περ ἐκείνου·

For him indeed I lament even more than for that other;

τοῦ δʼ ἀμφιτρομέω καὶ δείδια, μή τι πάθῃσιν,

and for him I tremble and fear lest he suffer some harm,

ἢ ὅ γε τῶν ἐνὶ δήμῳ, ἵνʼ οἴχεται, ἢ ἐνὶ πόντῳ·

either from those in the land where he has gone, or on the sea;

δυσμενέες γὰρ πολλοὶ ἐπʼ αὐτῷ μηχανόωνται,

for many enemies are plotting against him,

ἱέμενοι κτεῖναι πρὶν πατρίδα γαῖαν ἱκέσθαι.

eager to kill him before he reaches his native land."

τὴν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενον προσέφη εἴδωλον ἀμαυρόν·

Then the dim phantom answered her and said:

θάρσει, μηδέ τι πάγχυ μετὰ φρεσὶ δείδιθι λίην·

"Take courage, and do not fear too much in your heart;

τοίη γάρ οἱ πομπὸς ἅμʼ ἔρχεται, ἥν τε καὶ ἄλλοι

for such a guide goes with him, whom others also

ἀνέρες ἠρήσαντο παρεστάμεναι, δύναται γάρ,

have prayed to stand by them, for she has the power,

Παλλὰς Ἀθηναίη· σὲ δʼ ὀδυρομένην ἐλεαίρει·

Pallas Athena; and she pities you in your lamenting;

ἣ νῦν με προέηκε τεῒν τάδε μυθήσασθαι.

she it is who has now sent me forth to tell you these things."

τὴν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε περίφρων Πηνελόπεια·

Then wise Penelope spoke to her again:

εἰ μὲν δὴ θεός ἐσσι θεοῖό τε ἔκλυες αὐδῆς,

"If indeed you are a god, and have heard the voice of a god,

εἰ δʼ ἄγε μοι καὶ κεῖνον ὀιζυρὸν κατάλεξον,

come, tell me also of that luckless one,

ἤ που ἔτι ζώει καὶ ὁρᾷ φάος ἠελίοιο,

whether he still lives and sees the light of the sun,

ἦ ἤδη τέθνηκε καὶ εἰν Ἀίδαο δόμοισι.

or whether he is already dead and in the house of Hades."

τὴν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενον προσέφη εἴδωλον ἀμαυρόν·

Then the dim phantom answered her and said:

οὐ μέν τοι κεῖνόν γε διηνεκέως ἀγορεύσω,

"Of him indeed I will not speak to you at length,

ζώει ὅ γʼ ἦ τέθνηκε⁵· κακὸν δʼ ἀνεμώλια βάζειν.

whether he lives or is dead; for it is an evil thing to speak vain words."

ὣς εἰπὸν σταθμοῖο παρὰ κληῖδα λιάσθη

So saying, the phantom glided away by the bolt of the doorpost

ἐς πνοιὰς ἀνέμων. ἡ δʼ ἐξ ὕπνου ἀνόρουσε

into the breath of the winds. And she started up from sleep,

κούρη Ἰκαρίοιο· φίλον δέ οἱ ἦτορ ἰάνθη,

the daughter of Icarius, and her dear heart was warmed,

ὥς οἱ ἐναργὲς ὄνειρον ἐπέσσυτο νυκτὸς ἀμολγῷ.

so vivid a dream had sped to her in the darkness of the night.

μνηστῆρες δʼ ἀναβάντες ἐπέπλεον ὑγρὰ κέλευθα

But the suitors embarked and sailed over the watery ways,

Τηλεμάχῳ φόνον αἰπὺν ἐνὶ φρεσὶν ὁρμαίνοντες.

harboring in their hearts sheer slaughter for Telemachus.

ἔστι δέ τις νῆσος μέσσῃ ἁλὶ πετρήεσσα,

There is a rocky island in the midst of the sea,

μεσσηγὺς Ἰθάκης τε Σάμοιό τε παιπαλοέσσης,

between Ithaca and rugged Samos,

Ἀστερίς, οὐ μεγάλη· λιμένες δʼ ἔνι ναύλοχοι αὐτῇ

Asteris, of no great size; and in it are double harbors,

ἀμφίδυμοι· τῇ τόν γε μένον λοχόωντες Ἀχαιοί.

safe for ships; there the Achaeans waited, lying in ambush for him.

Syntax notes5 items

4.777μῦθον
Accusative of inner object or directly referring back to the proposal in the previous line (§4.776, τελέωμεν). Contextually, it refers to the entire plan of ambush proposed by Antinous.
4.791ὅσσα δὲ μερμήριξε λέων
Marks the beginning of a simile. The relative adjective ὅσσα (as many things as...) correlates with τόσσα (so many things...) in §4.793, comparing the anxious thoughts of a lion surrounded by enemies to Penelope’s anxiety for her son.
4.800ἧος
The conjunction ἧος (until, in order that) is here followed by the optative παύσειε (§4.801) instead of the subjunctive, because it depends on a main verb in a past tense (πέμπε in §4.799), expressing Athena's purpose (to stop Penelope's grieving).
4.818πόνων ἐὺ εἰδὼς οὔτʼ ἀγοράων
The participle εἰδώς (from οἶδα, to know) here governs genitives of object (πόνων, ἀγοράων) expressing things known or experienced; meaning "knowing well neither of labors (physical struggles) nor of assemblies (public and civic life)."
4.837ζώει ὅ γʼ ἦ τέθνηκε
Two alternative question clauses (ζώει / τέθνηκε) are juxtaposed without introductory particles, functioning as an indirect question clause dependent on the negative statement "I will not speak" in the previous line.

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:4.777-4.847