The Cyclops' Brutality and the Sharpening of the Stake — Odyssey §9.287-9.354 (Homer) | Greek text & English translation

ὣς ἐφάμην, ὁ δέ μʼ οὐδὲν ἀμείβετο νηλέι θυμῷ,

So I spoke, and he straightway answered me nothing with pitiless heart,

ἀλλʼ ὅ γʼ ἀναΐξας ἑτάροις ἐπὶ χεῖρας ἴαλλε,

but leaping up, he laid hands upon my companions,

σὺν δὲ δύω μάρψας¹ ὥς τε σκύλακας ποτὶ γαίῃ

snatching two together, like puppies against the ground

κόπτʼ· ἐκ δʼ ἐγκέφαλος χαμάδις ῥέε, δεῦε δὲ γαῖαν.

he dashed them; and the brain flowed out upon the ground, and wet the earth.

τοὺς δὲ διὰ μελεϊστὶ ταμὼν ὡπλίσσατο δόρπον·

And cutting them limb by limb, he prepared his supper;

ἤσθιε δʼ ὥς τε λέων ὀρεσίτροφος, οὐδʼ ἀπέλειπεν,

and he ate like a mountain-bred lion, and left nothing,

ἔγκατά τε σάρκας τε καὶ ὀστέα μυελόεντα.

both the entrails and the flesh and the marrowy bones.

ἡμεῖς δὲ κλαίοντες ἀνεσχέθομεν Διὶ χεῖρας,

And we, weeping, lifted up our hands to Zeus,

σχέτλια ἔργʼ ὁρόωντες, ἀμηχανίη δʼ ἔχε θυμόν.

beholding the cruel deeds, and helplessness possessed our heart.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ Κύκλωψ μεγάλην ἐμπλήσατο νηδὺν

But when the Cyclops had filled his great belly,

ἀνδρόμεα κρέʼ ἔδων καὶ ἐπʼ ἄκρητον γάλα πίνων,

eating human flesh and drinking unmixed milk after it,

κεῖτʼ ἔντοσθʼ ἄντροιο τανυσσάμενος διὰ μήλων.

he lay down inside the cave, stretching himself out among the sheep.

τὸν μὲν ἐγὼ βούλευσα κατὰ μεγαλήτορα θυμὸν

Him indeed I planned in my great-hearted soul

ἆσσον ἰών, ξίφος ὀξὺ ἐρυσσάμενος παρὰ μηροῦ,

to go near, drawing my sharp sword from beside my thigh,

οὐτάμεναι πρὸς στῆθος, ὅθι φρένες ἧπαρ ἔχουσι,

and stab him in the chest where the midriff holds the liver,

χείρʼ ἐπιμασσάμενος· ἕτερος δέ με θυμὸς ἔρυκεν.

groping with my hand; but another heart withheld me.

αὐτοῦ γάρ κε καὶ ἄμμες ἀπωλόμεθʼ² αἰπὺν ὄλεθρον·

For there indeed we too should have perished in sheer destruction;

οὐ γάρ κεν δυνάμεσθα θυράων ὑψηλάων

for we should not have been able from the lofty doorway

χερσὶν ἀπώσασθαι λίθον ὄβριμον, ὃν προσέθηκεν.

to push away with our hands the mighty stone which he had set there.

ὣς τότε μὲν στενάχοντες ἐμείναμεν Ἠῶ δῖαν.

So then indeed, groaning, we awaited the bright Dawn.

ἦμος δʼ ἠριγένεια φάνη ῥοδοδάκτυλος Ἠώς,

But when early-born, rosy-fingered Dawn appeared,

καὶ τότε πῦρ ἀνέκαιε καὶ ἤμελγε κλυτὰ μῆλα,

then indeed also he kindled the fire and milked his wondrous flocks,

πάντα κατὰ μοῖραν, καὶ ὑπʼ ἔμβρυον ἧκεν ἑκάστῃ.

all in due order, and under each he put its young.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ δὴ σπεῦσε πονησάμενος τὰ ἃ ἔργα,

But when indeed he had busily finished his tasks,

σὺν δʼ ὅ γε δὴ αὖτε δύω μάρψας ὡπλίσσατο δεῖπνον.

then seizing two together again, he prepared his meal.

δειπνήσας δʼ ἄντρου ἐξήλασε πίονα μῆλα,

And having dined, he drove the fat flocks out of the cave,

ῥηιδίως ἀφελὼν θυρεὸν μέγαν· αὐτὰρ ἔπειτα

easily removing the great door-stone; but then

ἂψ ἐπέθηχʼ, ὡς εἴ τε φαρέτρῃ πῶμʼ ἐπιθείη.

he put it back again, as if one would put a lid on a quiver.

πολλῇ δὲ ῥοίζῳ πρὸς ὄρος τρέπε πίονα μῆλα

And with a loud whistling the Cyclops turned the fat flocks toward the mountain;

Κύκλωψ· αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ λιπόμην κακὰ βυσσοδομεύων,

but I was left behind, brooding deep-seated evils,

εἴ πως τισαίμην, δοίη δέ μοι εὖχος Ἀθήνη.

if by any means I might take vengeance, and Athena might grant me glory.

ἥδε δέ μοι κατὰ θυμὸν ἀρίστη φαίνετο βουλή.

And this seemed to me in my heart the best plan.

Κύκλωπος γὰρ ἔκειτο μέγα ῥόπαλον παρὰ σηκῷ,

For beside the pen lay a great club of the Cyclops,

χλωρὸν ἐλαΐνεον· τὸ μὲν ἔκταμεν, ὄφρα φοροίη

green, of olive-wood, which he had cut so that he might carry it

αὐανθέν. τὸ μὲν ἄμμες ἐίσκομεν εἰσορόωντες

when dried. Looking upon it, we likened it

ὅσσον θʼ ἱστὸν νηὸς ἐεικοσόροιο μελαίνης,

to as great as the mast of a black ship of twenty oars,

φορτίδος εὐρείης, ἥ τʼ ἐκπεράᾳ μέγα λαῖτμα·

a broad merchantman which crosses the great gulf;

τόσσον ἔην μῆκος, τόσσον πάχος εἰσοράασθαι.

so great was its length and so great its thickness to look upon.

τοῦ μὲν ὅσον τʼ ὄργυιαν ἐγὼν ἀπέκοψα παραστὰς

Standing by it, I cut off as much as a fathom

καὶ παρέθηχʼ ἑτάροισιν, ἀποξῦναι δʼ ἐκέλευσα·

and set it before my companions, and ordered them to scrape it smooth;

οἱ δʼ ὁμαλὸν ποίησαν· ἐγὼ δʼ ἐθόωσα παραστὰς

and they made it smooth, while I, standing by, sharpened

ἄκρον, ἄφαρ δὲ λαβὼν ἐπυράκτεον ἐν πυρὶ κηλέῳ.

the point, and straightway taking it, hardened it in the burning fire.

καὶ τὸ μὲν εὖ κατέθηκα κατακρύψας ὑπὸ κόπρῳ,

And this indeed I laid away carefully, hiding it under the dung,

ἥ ῥα κατὰ σπείους κέχυτο μεγάλʼ ἤλιθα πολλή·

which was strewn throughout the cave in great abundance.

αὐτὰρ τοὺς ἄλλους κλήρῳ πεπαλάσθαι ἄνωγον³,

But the others I ordered to cast lots,

ὅς τις τολμήσειεν ἐμοὶ σὺν μοχλὸν ἀείρας

who would dare to lift the bar together with me

τρῖψαι ἐν ὀφθαλμῷ, ὅτε τὸν γλυκὺς ὕπνος ἱκάνοι.

and grind it in his eye when sweet sleep should come upon him.

οἱ δʼ ἔλαχον τοὺς ἄν κε καὶ ἤθελον αὐτὸς ἑλέσθαι,

And they drew the lot, those whom indeed I myself would have wished to choose,

τέσσαρες, αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ πέμπτος μετὰ τοῖσιν ἐλέγμην.

four, and I myself was numbered among them as the fifth.

ἑσπέριος δʼ ἦλθεν καλλίτριχα μῆλα νομεύων.

And in the evening he came, shepherding his fair-fleeced flocks.

αὐτίκα δʼ εἰς εὐρὺ σπέος ἤλασε πίονα μῆλα

And straightway he drove the fat flocks into the wide cave,

πάντα μάλʼ, οὐδέ τι λεῖπε βαθείης ἔκτοθεν αὐλῆς,

indeed all of them, and left not anything outside the deep yard,

ἤ τι ὀισάμενος, ἢ καὶ θεὸς ὣς ἐκέλευσεν.

whether foreboding something, or indeed because some god so ordered.

αὐτὰρ ἔπειτʼ ἐπέθηκε θυρεὸν μέγαν ὑψόσʼ ἀείρας,

But then he put the great door-stone in place, lifting it high,

ἑζόμενος δʼ ἤμελγεν ὄις καὶ μηκάδας αἶγας,

and sitting down, he milked the sheep and bleating goats,

πάντα κατὰ μοῖραν, καὶ ὑπʼ ἔμβρυον ἧκεν ἑκάστῃ.

all in due order, and under each he put its young.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ δὴ σπεῦσε πονησάμενος τὰ ἃ ἔργα,

But when indeed he had busily finished his tasks,

σὺν δʼ ὅ γε δὴ αὖτε δύω μάρψας ὡπλίσσατο δόρπον.

then seizing two together again, he prepared his supper.

καὶ τότʼ ἐγὼ Κύκλωπα προσηύδων ἄγχι παραστάς,

And then indeed I addressed the Cyclops, standing close by,

κισσύβιον μετὰ χερσὶν ἔχων μέλανος οἴνοιο·

holding in my hands an ivy-wood bowl of dark wine:

Κύκλωψ, τῆ, πίε οἶνον, ἐπεὶ φάγες ἀνδρόμεα κρέα,

"Cyclops, take, drink wine, since you have eaten human flesh,

ὄφρʼ εἰδῇς οἷόν τι ποτὸν τόδε νηῦς ἐκεκεύθει

so that you may know what kind of drink this is our ship contained.

ἡμετέρη. σοὶ δʼ αὖ λοιβὴν φέρον, εἴ μʼ ἐλεήσας

And to you indeed I brought it as a libation, if pitying me you might send me home; but you rage no longer tolerably.

οἴκαδε πέμψειας· σὺ δὲ μαίνεαι οὐκέτʼ ἀνεκτῶς.

Cruel one, how indeed would any other come to you hereafter

σχέτλιε, πῶς κέν τίς σε καὶ ὕστερον ἄλλος ἵκοιτο

of many men, since you have not acted rightly?"

ἀνθρώπων πολέων, ἐπεὶ οὐ κατὰ μοῖραν ἔρεξας;

So I spoke, and he received it and drank it off, and was terribly pleased

ὣς ἐφάμην, ὁ δʼ ἔδεκτο καὶ ἔκπιεν· ἥσατο δʼ αἰνῶς

drinking the sweet drink, and asked me again for a second time.

ἡδὺ ποτὸν πίνων καὶ μʼ ᾔτεε δεύτερον αὖτις·

Syntax notes3 items

9.289σὺν δὲ δύω μάρψας
The preposition `σύν` is separated from the participle `μάρψας` (tmesis). This is a characteristic feature of epic poetry, functioning practically as the compound verb `συμμάρψας` ("seizing together").
9.303κε καὶ ἄμμες ἀπωλόμεθʼ
This is a past indicative (`ἀπωλόμεθα`) with the modal particle `κε` (equivalent to `ἄν`), expressing a past contrary-to-fact condition ("for we too should have perished there"). The following `οὐ γάρ κεν δυνάμεσθα` similarly expresses an impossibility contrary to the present state.
9.331κλήρῳ πεπαλάσθαι ἄνωγον
The perfect middle infinitive `πεπαλάσθαι` ("to cast lots") functions as the object of the verb `ἄνωγον` ("I ordered"). The subject of the infinitive is `τοὺς ἄλλους` (accusative), forming an accusative with infinitive construction.

Model: gemini-3.5-flashurn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:9.287-9.354