Odysseus' Boast and Demodocus' Song of Ares — Odyssey §8.221-8.293 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

τῶν δʼ ἄλλων ἐμέ φημι πολὺ προφερέστερον εἶναι,

"But of all the rest, I declare that I am far superior,

ὅσσοι νῦν βροτοί εἰσιν ἐπὶ χθονὶ σῖτον ἔδοντες.

as many as are now mortals eating bread upon the earth.

ἀνδράσι δὲ προτέροισιν ἐριζέμεν¹ οὐκ ἐθελήσω,

But with the men of former times I will not care to strive,

οὔθʼ Ἡρακλῆι οὔτʼ Εὐρύτῳ Οιχαλιῆι,

neither with Heracles nor with Eurytus of Oechalia,

οἵ ῥα καὶ ἀθανάτοισιν ἐρίζεσκον περὶ τόξων.

who even strove with the deathless gods in archery.

τῷ ῥα καὶ αἶψʼ ἔθανεν μέγας Εὔρυτος, οὐδʼ ἐπὶ γῆρας

Therefore great Eurytus died suddenly, nor did he reach

ἵκετʼ ἐνὶ μεγάροισι· χολωσάμενος γὰρ Ἀπόλλων

old age in his halls; for Apollo, being angered,

ἔκτανεν, οὕνεκά μιν προκαλίζετο τοξάζεσθαι.

slew him, because he challenged him to a contest with the bow.

δουρὶ δʼ ἀκοντίζω ὅσον οὐκ ἄλλος τις ὀιστῷ.

And with the spear I throw further than anyone else can shoot an arrow.

οἴοισιν δείδοικα ποσὶν μή τίς με παρέλθῃ²

Only for my feet do I fear, lest some of the Phaeacians

Φαιήκων· λίην γὰρ ἀεικελίως ἐδαμάσθην

should pass me; for too shamefully was I subdued

κύμασιν ἐν πολλοῖς, ἐπεὶ οὐ κομιδὴ κατὰ νῆα

amid the many waves, since there was no constant care for me

ἦεν ἐπηετανός· τῷ μοι φίλα γυῖα λέλυνται.

on the ship; therefore my dear limbs are weakened."

ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἱ δʼ ἄρα πάντες ἀκὴν ἐγένοντο σιωπῇ.

So he spoke, and they all became hushed in silence.

Ἀλκίνοος δέ μιν οἶος ἀμειβόμενος προσέειπεν·

And Alcinous alone answered him and spoke:

ξεῖνʼ, ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἀχάριστα μεθʼ ἡμῖν ταῦτʼ ἀγορεύεις,

"Stranger, since you speak these things not ungraciously among us,

ἀλλʼ ἐθέλεις ἀρετὴν σὴν φαινέμεν, ἥ τοι ὀπηδεῖ,

but wish to show your excellence which attends you,

χωόμενος ὅτι σʼ οὗτος ἀνὴρ ἐν ἀγῶνι παραστὰς

being angered because this man stood by you in the arena and

νείκεσεν, ὡς ἂν σὴν ἀρετὴν βροτὸς οὔ τις ὄνοιτο³,

reviled you, so that no mortal might make light of your excellence,

ὅς τις ἐπίσταιτο ᾗσι φρεσὶν ἄρτια βάζειν·

whoever knows in his heart how to speak fitting words;

ἀλλʼ ἄγε νῦν ἐμέθεν ξυνίει ἔπος, ὄφρα καὶ ἄλλῳ

come now, understand my word, so that you may tell it to some other

εἴπῃς ἡρώων, ὅτε κεν σοῖς ἐν μεγάροισι

of the heroes, when in your own halls

δαινύῃ παρὰ σῇ τʼ ἀλόχῳ καὶ σοῖσι τέκεσσιν,

you feast beside your wife and your children,

ἡμετέρης ἀρετῆς μεμνημένος, οἷα καὶ ἡμῖν

remembering our excellence, what kinds of deeds Zeus

Ζεὺς ἐπὶ ἔργα τίθησι διαμπερὲς ἐξ ἔτι πατρῶν.

has laid upon us continually even from the time of our fathers.

οὐ γὰρ πυγμάχοι εἰμὲν ἀμύμονες οὐδὲ παλαισταί,

For we are not blameless boxers nor wrestlers,

ἀλλὰ ποσὶ κραιπνῶς θέομεν καὶ νηυσὶν ἄριστοι,

but we run swiftly with our feet and are the best in ships,

αἰεὶ δʼ ἡμῖν δαίς τε φίλη κίθαρις τε χοροί τε

and always to us the feast is dear, and the lyre, and dances,

εἵματά τʼ ἐξημοιβὰ λοετρά τε θερμὰ καὶ εὐναί.

and changes of raiment, and warm baths, and bed.

ἀλλʼ ἄγε, Φαιήκων βητάρμονες ὅσσοι ἄριστοι,

But come, as many of the Phaeacian dancers as are the best,

παίσατε, ὥς χʼ ὁ ξεῖνος ἐνίσπῃ οἷσι φίλοισιν

make sport, so that the stranger may tell his friends

οἴκαδε νοστήσας, ὅσσον περιγιγνόμεθʼ ἄλλων

when he returns home, how far we surpass all others

ναυτιλίῃ καὶ ποσσὶ καὶ ὀρχηστυῖ καὶ ἀοιδῇ.

in seamanship and in speed of foot, and in dancing and song.

Δημοδόκῳ δέ τις αἶψα κιὼν φόρμιγγα λίγειαν

And let someone go quickly and bring for Demodocus the clear-toned lyre

οἰσέτω, ἥ που κεῖται ἐν ἡμετέροισι δόμοισιν.

which lies somewhere in our halls."

ὣς ἔφατʼ Ἀλκίνοος θεοείκελος, ὦρτο δὲ κῆρυξ

So spoke Alcinous the godlike, and the herald rose

οἴσων φόρμιγγα γλαφυρὴν δόμου ἐκ βασιλῆος.

to bring the hollow lyre from the king's palace.

αἰσυμνῆται δὲ κριτοὶ ἐννέα πάντες ἀνέσταν

And nine chosen judges in all, leaders of the people,

δήμιοι, οἳ κατʼ ἀγῶνας ἐὺ πρήσσεσκον ἕκαστα,

who in the contests used to order all things well, stood up,

λείηναν δὲ χορόν, καλὸν δʼ εὔρυναν ἀγῶνα.

and they smoothed the dancing-place, and widened the fair arena.

κῆρυξ δʼ ἐγγύθεν ἦλθε φέρων φόρμιγγα λίγειαν

And the herald came near, bearing the clear-toned lyre

Δημοδόκῳ· ὁ δʼ ἔπειτα κίʼ ἐς μέσον· ἀμφὶ δὲ κοῦροι

for Demodocus; and he then went into the midst; and around him stood boys

πρωθῆβαι ἵσταντο, δαήμονες ὀρχηθμοῖο,

in their first youth, skilled in dancing,

πέπληγον δὲ χορὸν θεῖον ποσίν. αὐτὰρ Ὀδυσσεὺς

and they beat the divine dancing-place with their feet. And Odysseus

μαρμαρυγὰς θηεῖτο ποδῶν, θαύμαζε δὲ θυμῷ.

gazed at the twinklings of their feet, and wondered in his heart.

αὐτὰρ ὁ φορμίζων ἀνεβάλλετο καλὸν ἀείδειν

But the minstrel, playing on his lyre, began to sing beautifully

ἀμφʼ Ἄρεος φιλότητος εὐστεφάνου τʼ Ἀφροδίτης,

about the love of Ares and fair-crowned Aphrodite,

ὡς τὰ πρῶτα μίγησαν ἐν Ἡφαίστοιο δόμοισι

how first they lay together in the halls of Hephaestus

λάθρῃ, πολλὰ δʼ ἔδωκε, λέχος δʼ ᾔσχυνε καὶ εὐνὴν

secretly, and he gave her many gifts, and dishonored the bed and couch

Ἡφαίστοιο ἄνακτος. ἄφαρ δέ οἱ ἄγγελος ἦλθεν

of lord Hephaestus. But quickly to him came as messenger

Ἥλιος, ὅ σφʼ ἐνόησε μιγαζομένους φιλότητι.

Helios, who had perceived them mingling in love.

Ἥφαιστος δʼ ὡς οὖν θυμαλγέα μῦθον ἄκουσε,

And Hephaestus, when he heard the heart-grieving story,

βῆ ῥʼ ἴμεν ἐς χαλκεῶνα κακὰ φρεσὶ βυσσοδομεύων,

went on his way to his smithy, brooding evils in his deep mind,

ἐν δʼ ἔθετʼ ἀκμοθέτῳ μέγαν ἄκμονα, κόπτε δὲ δεσμοὺς

and set on the anvil-block a great anvil, and forged bonds

ἀρρήκτους ἀλύτους, ὄφρʼ ἔμπεδον αὖθι μένοιεν.

unbreakable, not to be loosed, that they might remain fast there.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ δὴ τεῦξε δόλον κεχολωμένος Ἄρει,

But when he had fashioned the snare, being angered against Ares,

βῆ ῥʼ ἴμεν ἐς θάλαμον, ὅθι οἱ φίλα δέμνιʼ ἔκειτο,

he went to the chamber where his dear bed lay,

ἀμφὶ δʼ ἄρʼ ἑρμῖσιν χέε δέσματα κύκλῳ ἁπάντῃ·

and poured the bonds in a circle all around the bedposts;

πολλὰ δὲ καὶ καθύπερθε μελαθρόφιν⁴ ἐξεκέχυντο,

and many also from above, from the roof-beams, were hung down,

ἠύτʼ ἀράχνια λεπτά, τά γʼ οὔ κέ τις οὐδὲ ἴδοιτο,

like fine spider-webs, which no one could even see,

οὐδὲ θεῶν μακάρων· πέρι γὰρ δολόεντα τέτυκτο.

not even of the blessed gods; for they were fashioned exceedingly cunningly.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ δὴ πάντα δόλον περὶ δέμνια χεῦεν,

But when he had poured all the snare around the bed,

εἴσατʼ ἴμεν⁵ ἐς Λῆμνον, ἐυκτίμενον πτολίεθρον,

he pretended to go to Lemnos, the well-built city,

ἥ οἱ γαιάων πολὺ φιλτάτη ἐστὶν ἁπασέων.

which is to him far the dearest of all lands.

οὐδʼ ἀλαοσκοπιὴν εἶχε χρυσήνιος Ἄρης,

Nor did Ares of the golden rein keep a blind watch,

ὡς ἴδεν Ἥφαιστον κλυτοτέχνην νόσφι κιόντα·

when he saw Hephaestus, famous for his art, going away;

βῆ δʼ ἰέναι πρὸς δῶμα περικλυτοῦ Ἡφαίστοιο

but he went to the house of famous Hephaestus,

ἰσχανόων φιλότητος ἐυστεφάνου Κυθερείης.

longing for the love of fair-crowned Cytherea.

ἡ δὲ νέον παρὰ πατρὸς ἐρισθενέος Κρονίωνος

And she had just newly come from the presence of her father, the mighty son of Cronos,

ἐρχομένη κατʼ ἄρʼ ἕζεθʼ· ὁ δʼ εἴσω δώματος ᾔει,

and was sitting down; and he went within the house,

ἔν τʼ ἄρα οἱ φῦ χειρί, ἔπος τʼ ἔφατʼ ἔκ τʼ ὀνόμαζε·

and clasped her hand, and spoke a word and addressed her:

δεῦρο, φίλη, λέκτρονδε τραπείομεν εὐνηθέντες·

"Come hither, beloved, let us turn to bed and lie together;

οὐ γὰρ ἔθʼ Ἥφαιστος μεταδήμιος, ἀλλά που ἤδη

for Hephaestus is no longer here among the people, but is now, I ween,..."

Syntax notes5 items

8.223ἐριζέμεν
The Homeric present infinitive of the verb ἐρίζω (to strive/contend). The epic suffix -έμεν is used instead of the classical Attic -ειν.
8.230δείδοικα... μή τίς με παρέλθῃ
A clause of apprehension introduced by the verb of fearing δείδοικα (I fear), followed by the negative conjunction μή (lest) and the aorist subjunctive παρέλθῃ, denoting a singular future event of being passed.
8.239ὡς ἂν... ὄνοιτο
The conjunction ὡς (so that/in order that) paired with the potential particle ἄν and the optative ὄνοιτο (from ὄνομαι, to criticize/disparage), expressing a potential purpose or hypothetical result: 'so that no mortal could possibly disparage your excellence.'
8.279μελαθρόφιν
The noun μέλαθρον (roof-beam) combined with the archaic Homeric suffix -φι(ν), here functioning as a genitive of separation (or ablative) without a preposition, meaning 'from the roof-beams.'
8.283εἴσατʼ ἴμεν
The third-person singular aorist indicative εἴσατο (from εἴδομαι, to seem or make oneself look like) paired with the present infinitive ἴμεν (from εἶμι, to go), yielding the idiomatic meaning 'he made as if to go' or 'he pretended to depart.'

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:8.221-8.293