Hermes' Message and Calypso's Submission — Odyssey §5.73-5.144 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

θήλεον. ἔνθα κʼ ἔπειτα καὶ ἀθάνατός περ ἐπελθὼν

grew rich. There even an immortal, if he came,

θηήσαιτο¹ ἰδὼν καὶ τερφθείη φρεσὶν ᾗσιν.

would gaze and wonder, and be delighted in his heart.

ἔνθα στὰς θηεῖτο διάκτορος ἀργεϊφόντης.

There standing, the messenger Argeiphontes gazed and wondered.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ δὴ πάντα ἑῷ θηήσατο θυμῷ,

But when he had gazed at all of them to his heart's content,

αὐτίκʼ ἄρʼ εἰς εὐρὺ σπέος ἤλυθεν. οὐδέ μιν ἄντην

straightway he went into the wide cave. And Calypso,

ἠγνοίησεν ἰδοῦσα Καλυψώ, δῖα θεάων·

the beautiful goddess, did not fail to know him when she saw him face to face;

οὐ γάρ τʼ ἀγνῶτες θεοὶ ἀλλήλοισι πέλονται

for the immortal gods are not unknown to one another,

ἀθάνατοι, οὐδʼ εἴ τις ἀπόπροθι δώματα ναίει.

even if one dwells in a home far away.

οὐδʼ ἄρʼ Ὀδυσσῆα μεγαλήτορα ἔνδον ἔτετμεν,

But he did not find great-hearted Odysseus within,

ἀλλʼ ὅ γʼ ἐπʼ ἀκτῆς κλαῖε καθήμενος, ἔνθα πάρος περ,

but he was sitting on the shore and weeping, as was his wont,

δάκρυσι καὶ στοναχῇσι καὶ ἄλγεσι θυμὸν ἐρέχθων.

tearing his heart with tears and groans and griefs.

πόντον ἐπʼ ἀτρύγετον δερκέσκετο δάκρυα λείβων.

He kept looking over the barren sea, shedding tears.

Ἑρμείαν δʼ ἐρέεινε Καλυψώ, δῖα θεάων,

And Calypso, the beautiful goddess, questioned Hermes,

ἐν θρόνῳ ἱδρύσασα φαεινῷ σιγαλόεντι·

having seated him on a bright, splendid throne:

τίπτε μοι, Ἑρμεία χρυσόρραπι, εἰλήλουθας

"Why, Hermes of the golden wand, have you come to me,

αἰδοῖός τε φίλος τε; πάρος γε μὲν οὔ τι θαμίζεις.

honored and welcome? In times past you did not visit often.

αὔδα ὅ τι φρονέεις· τελέσαι δέ με θυμὸς ἄνωγεν,

Speak what is in your mind; my heart bids me fulfill it,

εἰ δύναμαι τελέσαι γε καὶ εἰ τετελεσμένον ἐστίν.

if I can fulfill it and if it is a thing that can be done.

ἀλλʼ ἕπεο προτέρω, ἵνα τοι πὰρ ξείνια θείω.

But follow me further, that I may set hospitality before you."

ὥς ἄρα φωνήσασα θεὰ παρέθηκε τράπεζαν

So speaking, the goddess set a table before him,

ἀμβροσίης πλήσασα, κέρασσε δὲ νέκταρ ἐρυθρόν.

ἀμβροςίης πλήσασα, κέρασσε δὲ νέκταρ ἐρυθρόν. having filled it with ambrosia, and mixed the red nectar.

αὐτὰρ ὁ πῖνε καὶ ἦσθε διάκτορος ἀργεϊφόντης.

And the messenger Argeiphontes drank and ate.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ δείπνησε καὶ ἤραρε θυμὸν ἐδωδῇ,

But when he had dined and satisfied his soul with food,

καὶ τότε δή μιν ἔπεσσιν ἀμειβόμενος προσέειπεν·

then indeed he answered her and addressed her, saying:

εἰρωτᾷς μʼ ἐλθόντα θεὰ θεόν· αὐτὰρ ἐγώ τοι

"You, a goddess, ask me, a god, who has come here; and I

νημερτέως τὸν μῦθον ἐνισπήσω· κέλεαι γάρ.

will tell you my story truly, for you bid me.

Ζεὺς ἐμέ γʼ ἠνώγει δεῦρʼ ἐλθέμεν οὐκ ἐθέλοντα·

Zeus bade me come hither against my will.

τίς δʼ ἂν ἑκὼν τοσσόνδε διαδράμοι ἁλμυρὸν ὕδωρ

For who of his own free will would speed over so much salt water,

ἄσπετον; οὐδέ τις ἄγχι βροτῶν πόλις, οἵ τε θεοῖσιν

unspeakable? Nor is there any city of mortal men near, who to the gods

ἱερά τε ῥέζουσι καὶ ἐξαίτους ἑκατόμβας.

offer sacrifices and choice hecatombs.

ἀλλὰ μάλʼ οὔ πως ἔστι Διὸς νόον αἰγιόχοιο

But it is in no wise possible for any other god

οὔτε παρεξελθεῖν ἄλλον θεὸν οὔθʼ ἁλιῶσαι.

to evade or make void the will of aegis-bearing Zeus.

φησί τοι ἄνδρα παρεῖναι ὀιζυρώτατον ἄλλων,

He says that you have with you a man who is most wretched above all others,

τῶν ἀνδρῶν, οἳ ἄστυ πέρι Πριάμοιο μάχοντο

of those men who fought around the city of Priam

εἰνάετες, δεκάτῳ δὲ πόλιν πέρσαντες ἔβησαν

for nine years, and in the tenth sacked the city and departed

οἴκαδʼ· ἀτὰρ ἐν νόστῳ Ἀθηναίην ἀλίτοντο,

homeward. But on their return they sinned against Athena,

ἥ σφιν ἐπῶρσʼ ἄνεμόν τε κακὸν καὶ κύματα μακρά.

who raised against them an evil wind and long waves.

ἔνθʼ ἄλλοι μὲν πάντες ἀπέφθιθεν ἐσθλοὶ ἑταῖροι,

Then all the rest of his goodly companions perished,

τὸν δʼ ἄρα δεῦρʼ ἄνεμός τε φέρων καὶ κῦμα πέλασσε.

but as for him, the wind and the wave bore him and brought him hither.

τὸν νῦν σʼ ἠνώγειν ἀποπεμπέμεν² ὅττι τάχιστα·

Him he now bids you send away as quickly as may be;

οὐ γάρ οἱ τῇδʼ αἶσα φίλων ἀπονόσφιν ὀλέσθαι,

for it is not his fate to perish here far from his friends,

ἀλλʼ ἔτι οἱ μοῖρʼ ἐστὶ φίλους τʼ ἰδέειν καὶ ἱκέσθαι

but it is still his lot to see his friends and return

οἶκον ἐς ὑψόροφον καὶ ἑὴν ἐς πατρίδα γαῖαν.

to his high-roofed home and to his native land."

ὣς φάτο, ῥίγησεν δὲ Καλυψώ, δῖα θεάων,

So he spoke, and Calypso, the beautiful goddess, shuddered,

καί μιν φωνήσασʼ ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·

and she spoke, and addressed him with winged words:

σχέτλιοί ἐστε, θεοί, ζηλήμονες ἔξοχον ἄλλων,

"Hard are you, gods, and jealous beyond all others,

οἵ τε θεαῖς ἀγάασθε παρʼ ἀνδράσιν εὐνάζεσθαι

who grudge that goddesses should sleep with men

ἀμφαδίην, ἤν τίς τε φίλον ποιήσετʼ ἀκοίτην.

openly, if any makes one her dear husband.

ὣς μὲν ὅτʼ Ὠρίωνʼ ἕλετο ῥοδοδάκτυλος Ἠώς,

Even so, when rosy-fingered Dawn took Orion,

τόφρα οἱ ἠγάασθε θεοὶ ῥεῖα ζώοντες,

you gods who live at ease grudged him,

ἧος ἐν Ὀρτυγίῃ χρυσόθρονος Ἄρτεμις ἁγνὴ

until in Ortygia chaste Artemis of the golden throne

οἷς ἀγανοῖς βελέεσσιν ἐποιχομένη κατέπεφνεν.

assailed him with her gentle shafts and slew him.

ὣς δʼ ὁπότʼ Ἰασίωνι ἐυπλόκαμος Δημήτηρ,

And so, when fair-tressed Demeter,

ᾧ θυμῷ εἴξασα, μίγη φιλότητι καὶ εὐνῇ

yielding to her love, lay with Iasion

νειῷ ἔνι τριπόλῳ· οὐδὲ δὴν ἦεν ἄπυστος

in the thrice-ploughed fallow; and not for long was Zeus

Ζεύς, ὅς μιν κατέπεφνε βαλὼν ἀργῆτι κεραυνῷ.

unwitting of it, who struck him with his bright thunderbolt and slew him.

ὥς δʼ αὖ νῦν μοι ἄγασθε, θεοί, βροτὸν ἄνδρα παρεῖναι.

Even so now you gods grudge that a mortal man should be with me.

τὸν μὲν ἐγὼν ἐσάωσα περὶ τρόπιος βεβαῶτα

Him I saved when he was riding astride the keel

οἶον, ἐπεί οἱ νῆα θοὴν ἀργῆτι κεραυνῷ

alone, when Zeus had struck his swift ship with his bright thunderbolt

Ζεὺς ἔλσας ἐκέασσε μέσῳ ἐνὶ οἴνοπι πόντῳ.

and shattered it in the midst of the wine-dark sea.

ἔνθʼ ἄλλοι μὲν πάντες ἀπέφθιθεν ἐσθλοὶ ἑταῖροι,

There all the rest of his goodly companions perished,

τὸν δʼ ἄρα δεῦρʼ ἄνεμός τε φέρων καὶ κῦμα πέλασσε.

but as for him, the wind and the wave bore him and brought him hither.

τὸν μὲν ἐγὼ φίλεόν τε καὶ ἔτρεφον, ἠδὲ ἔφασκον

Him I loved and cherished, and I said

θήσειν ἀθάνατον καὶ ἀγήραον ἤματα πάντα.

I would make him immortal and ageless for all time.

ἀλλʼ ἐπεὶ οὔ πως ἔστι Διὸς νόον αἰγιόχοιο

But since it is in no wise possible for any other god

οὔτε παρεξελθεῖν ἄλλον θεὸν οὔθʼ ἁλιῶσαι,

to evade or make void the will of aegis-bearing Zeus,

ἐρρέτω³, εἴ μιν κεῖνος ἐποτρύνει καὶ ἀνώγει,

let him go his way, if that other spurs him on and bids him,

πόντον ἐπʼ ἀτρύγετον· πέμψω δέ μιν οὔ πῃ ἐγώ γε·

over the barren sea; but I will not speed him on his way;

οὐ γάρ μοι πάρα νῆες ἐπήρετμοι καὶ ἑταῖροι,

for I have no oared ships and no companions

οἵ κέν μιν πέμποιεν ἐπʼ εὐρέα νῶτα θαλάσσης.

who might speed him on his way over the broad back of the sea.

αὐτάρ οἱ πρόφρων ὑποθήσομαι, οὐδʼ ἐπικεύσω,

Yet I will freely prompt him, and hide nothing,

ὥς κε μάλʼ ἀσκηθὴς ἣν πατρίδα γαῖαν ἵκηται.

so that he may reach his native land quite unscathed."

Syntax notes3 items

5.73κʼ ἔπειτα καὶ ἀθάνατός περ ἐπελθὼν θηήσαιτο
The combination of the particle `κʼ` (`κε` = `ἄν`) with the optative mood (`θηήσαιτο` and `τερφθείη`) expresses a potential or hypothetical situation ("even an immortal, if he were to come, would gaze in wonder"). The participle `ἐπελθὼν` functions circumstantially with a conditional force ("if he came").
5.112τὸν νῦν σʼ ἠνώγειν ἀποπεμπέμεν
`σʼ` is the elided accusative second person singular pronoun `σε`, which functions as the subject of the Homeric infinitive `ἀποπεμπέμεν` (= `ἀποπέμπειν`) in an accusative and infinitive construction (ACI). `ἠνώγειν` is a pluperfect form of `ἀνώγω` used with an imperfect/present force ("he bids/ordered").
5.139ἐρρέτω
A third-person singular present imperative of `ἔρρω` ("to go to ruin, perish, go away"), meaning "let him go his way" or "let him begone." The subject is not Zeus (`κεῖνος`), but Odysseus (`μιν`) from the context ("let him [Odysseus] depart").

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:5.73-5.144