Odysseus Supplicates Arete and Is Welcomed by Alcinous — Odyssey §7.143-7.212 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

καὶ τότε δή ῥʼ αὐτοῖο¹ πάλιν χύτο θέσφατος ἀήρ.

And just then the wondrous mist was poured back away from him.

οἱ δʼ ἄνεῳ ἐγένοντο, δόμον κάτα φῶτα ἰδόντες·

And they became speechless, seeing a man through the house;

θαύμαζον δʼ ὁρόωντες. ὁ δὲ λιτάνευεν Ὀδυσσεύς·

they marveled as they looked upon him. But Odysseus made his prayer:

Ἀρήτη, θύγατερ Ῥηξήνορος ἀντιθέοιο,

"Arete, daughter of godlike Rexenor,

σόν τε πόσιν σά τε γούναθʼ ἱκάνω πολλὰ μογήσας

to your husband and to your knees I come, after having suffered much,

τούσδε τε δαιτυμόνας· τοῖσιν θεοὶ ὄλβια δοῖεν

and to these guests as well; to them may the gods grant happiness

ζωέμεναι, καὶ παισὶν ἐπιτρέψειεν ἕκαστος

to live, and may each one hand down to his children

κτήματʼ ἐνὶ μεγάροισι γέρας θʼ ὅ τι δῆμος ἔδωκεν·

the possessions in his halls and the honor which the people have given;

αὐτὰρ ἐμοὶ πομπὴν ὀτρύνετε πατρίδʼ ἱκέσθαι

but for me, urge a convoy that I may reach my homeland

θᾶσσον, ἐπεὶ δὴ δηθὰ φίλων ἄπο πήματα πάσχω.

more swiftly, since indeed for a long time far from friends I suffer hardships."

ὣς εἰπὼν κατʼ ἄρʼ ἕζετʼ ἐπʼ ἐσχάρῃ ἐν κονίῃσιν

So saying, he sat down upon the hearth in the ashes

πὰρ πυρί· οἱ δʼ ἄρα πάντες ἀκὴν ἐγένοντο σιωπῇ.

by the fire; and they all became hushed in silence.

ὀψὲ δὲ δὴ μετέειπε γέρων ἥρως Ἐχένηος,

But at last the old hero Echeneus spoke among them,

ὃς δὴ Φαιήκων ἀνδρῶν προγενέστερος ἦεν

who indeed was the eldest of the Phaeacian men

καὶ μύθοισι κέκαστο, παλαιά τε πολλά τε εἰδώς·

and excelled in speech, knowing many ancient things;

ὅ σφιν ἐὺ φρονέων ἀγορήσατο καὶ μετέειπεν·

who with wise intent addressed them and spoke:

Ἀλκίνοʼ, οὐ μέν τοι τόδε κάλλιον², οὐδὲ ἔοικε,

"Alcinous, this is indeed not the better way, nor is it fitting,

ξεῖνον μὲν χαμαὶ ἧσθαι ἐπʼ ἐσχάρῃ ἐν κονίῃσιν,

that a guest should sit on the ground upon the hearth in the ashes,

οἵδε δὲ σὸν μῦθον ποτιδέγμενοι ἰσχανόωνται.

while these men, waiting for your word, hold back.

ἄλλʼ ἄγε δὴ ξεῖνον μὲν ἐπὶ θρόνου ἀργυροήλου

But come, raise the guest and seat him upon a silver-studded seat,

εἷσον ἀναστήσας, σὺ δὲ κηρύκεσσι κέλευσον

and command the heralds

οἶνον ἐπικρῆσαι, ἵνα καὶ Διὶ τερπικεραύνῳ

to mix wine, so that we may pour libations also to Zeus who delights in thunder,

σπείσομεν, ὅς θʼ ἱκέτῃσιν ἅμʼ αἰδοίοισιν ὀπηδεῖ·

who attends upon revered suppliants;

δόρπον δὲ ξείνῳ ταμίη δότω ἔνδον ἐόντων.

and let the housekeeper give supper to the guest from what is within."

αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ τό γʼ ἄκουσʼ ἱερὸν μένος Ἀλκινόοιο,

But when the sacred might of Alcinous heard this,

χειρὸς ἑλὼν Ὀδυσῆα δαΐφρονα ποικιλομήτην

taking by the hand the wise and crafty Odysseus,

ὦρσεν ἀπʼ ἐσχαρόφιν καὶ ἐπὶ θρόνου εἷσε φαεινοῦ,

he raised him from the hearth and seated him upon a shining seat,

υἱὸν ἀναστήσας ἀγαπήνορα Λαοδάμαντα,

having made his manly son Laodamas rise,

ὅς οἱ πλησίον ἷζε, μάλιστα δέ μιν φιλέεσκεν.

who sat near him, and whom he loved most.

χέρνιβα δʼ ἀμφίπολος προχόῳ ἐπέχευε φέρουσα

And a handmaid brought water for the hands and poured it from a pitcher,

καλῇ χρυσείῃ ὑπὲρ ἀργυρέοιο λέβητος,

beautiful and golden, over a silver basin,

νίψασθαι· παρὰ δὲ ξεστὴν ἐτάνυσσε τράπεζαν.

to wash; and beside him she drew a polished table.

σῖτον δʼ αἰδοίη ταμίη παρέθηκε φέρουσα,

And the revered housekeeper brought and set before him food,

εἴδατα πόλλʼ ἐπιθεῖσα, χαριζομένη παρεόντων.

putting on many dainties, giving freely from what was at hand.

αὐτὰρ ὁ πῖνε καὶ ἦσθε πολύτλας δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς.

But he drank and ate, the much-enduring noble Odysseus.

καὶ τότε κήρυκα προσέφη μένος Ἀλκινόοιο·

And then the might of Alcinous spoke to the herald:

Ποντόνοε, κρητῆρα κερασσάμενος μέθυ νεῖμον

"Pontonous, mix the bowl and distribute wine

πᾶσιν ἀνὰ μέγαρον, ἵνα καὶ Διὶ τερπικεραύνῳ

to all through the hall, so that we may pour libations also to Zeus who delights in thunder,

σπείσομεν, ὅς θʼ ἱκέτῃσιν ἅμʼ αἰδοίοισιν ὀπηδεῖ.

who attends upon revered suppliants."

ὣς φάτο, Ποντόνοος δὲ μελίφρονα οἶνον ἐκίρνα,

So he spoke, and Pontonous mixed the honey-hearted wine,

νώμησεν δʼ ἄρα πᾶσιν ἐπαρξάμενος δεπάεσσιν.

and distributed it to all, pouring first into the cups.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ σπεῖσάν τʼ ἔπιόν θʼ, ὅσον ἤθελε θυμός,

But when they had poured libations and drunk as much as their heart wished,

τοῖσιν δʼ Ἀλκίνοος ἀγορήσατο καὶ μετέειπε·

Alcinous addressed them and spoke:

κέκλυτε, Φαιήκων ἡγήτορες ἠδὲ μέδοντες

"Hear me, leaders and counselors of the Phaeacians,

ὄφρʼ εἴπω τά με θυμὸς ἐνὶ στήθεσσι κελεύει.

that I may say what the heart in my breast commands me.

νῦν μὲν δαισάμενοι κατακείετε οἴκαδʼ ἰόντες·

Now, having feasted, go home and lay down to rest;

ἠῶθεν δὲ γέροντας ἐπὶ πλέονας καλέσαντες

and in the morning, having called more elders together,

ξεῖνον ἐνὶ μεγάροις ξεινίσσομεν ἠδὲ θεοῖσιν

we shall entertain the guest in our halls and to the gods

ῥέξομεν ἱερὰ καλά, ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ περὶ πομπῆς

we shall offer fine sacrifices, and then also concerning the convoy

μνησόμεθʼ, ὥς χʼ ὁ ξεῖνος ἄνευθε πόνου καὶ ἀνίης

we shall take thought, so that the guest without toil and pain,

πομπῇ ὑφʼ ἡμετέρῃ ἣν πατρίδα γαῖαν ἵκηται

under our convoy, may reach his native land,

χαίρων καρπαλίμως, εἰ καὶ μάλα τηλόθεν ἐστί,

rejoicing swiftly, even if it is very far away,

μηδέ τι μεσσηγύς γε κακὸν καὶ πῆμα πάθῃσι,

nor suffer any evil and hardship in the meantime,

πρίν γε τὸν ἧς γαίης ἐπιβήμεναι· ἔνθα δʼ ἔπειτα

before he sets foot on his own land; but there thereafter

πείσεται, ἅσσα³ οἱ αἶσα κατὰ κλῶθές τε βαρεῖαι

he shall suffer whatever fate and the heavy Spinners

γιγνομένῳ νήσαντο λίνῳ, ὅτε μιν τέκε μήτηρ.

spun for him with their thread at his birth, when his mother bore him.

εἰ δέ τις ἀθανάτων γε κατʼ οὐρανοῦ εἰλήλουθεν,

But if indeed some immortal has come down from heaven,

ἄλλο τι δὴ τόδʼ ἔπειτα θεοὶ περιμηχανόωνται.

then this is some other thing indeed that the gods are planning.

αἰεὶ γὰρ τὸ πάρος γε θεοὶ φαίνονται ἐναργεῖς

For always in the past indeed the gods appear manifest

ἡμῖν, εὖτʼ ἔρδωμεν ἀγακλειτὰς ἑκατόμβας,

to us, when we offer glorious hecatombs,

δαίνυνταί τε παρʼ ἄμμι καθήμενοι ἔνθα περ ἡμεῖς.

and they feast beside us, sitting where we sit.

εἰ δʼ ἄρα τις καὶ μοῦνος ἰὼν ξύμβληται ὁδίτης,

And if indeed someone meeting them as a wayfarer going alone,

οὔ τι κατακρύπτουσιν, ἐπεί σφισιν ἐγγύθεν εἰμέν,

they do not hide themselves at all, since we are near to them,

ὥς περ Κύκλωπές τε καὶ ἄγρια φῦλα Γιγάντων.

just as the Cyclopes and the wild tribes of the Giants are."

τὸν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς·

Then addressing him in reply spoke resourceful Odysseus:

Ἀλκίνοʼ, ἄλλο τί τοι μελέτω φρεσίν· οὐ γὰρ ἐγώ γε

"Alcinous, let something else be a care to your mind; for I indeed

ἀθανάτοισιν ἔοικα, τοὶ οὐρανὸν εὐρὺν ἔχουσιν,

am not like the immortals, who hold wide heaven,

οὐ δέμας οὐδὲ φυήν, ἀλλὰ θνητοῖσι βροτοῖσιν.

neither in stature nor in build, but to mortal humans.

οὕς τινας ὑμεῖς ἴστε μάλιστʼ ὀχέοντας ὀιζὺν

Whomever of men you know who bear the most misery,

ἀνθρώπων, τοῖσίν κεν ἐν ἄλγεσιν ἰσωσαίμην⁴.

to them indeed I would equal myself in pains.

Syntax notes4 items

7.143αὐτοῖο
Genitive of separation, indicating that the mist departed "from him" (Odysseus).
7.159κάλλιον
Although comparative in form, it is used here as an absolute comparative (meaning "better" or "desirable") with a negative, expressing that the present treatment of the guest is completely unfitting.
7.197ἅσσα
The Homeric form of the neuter plural accusative of the compound relative pronoun ὅστις (equivalent to ἅτινα), serving as the direct object of the preceding verb πείσεται. The subjects of the clause are αἶσα and κλῶθές...βαρεῖαι.
7.212ἰσωσαίμην
First aorist middle optative with the particle κεν (equivalent to ἄν), expressing a potential meaning ("I would equal myself" or "I might compare myself").

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:7.143-7.212