§11.428ἥ τις δὴ τοιαῦτα μετὰ φρεσὶν ἔργα βάληται·
who would cast such deeds in her mind.
even as she too devised a shameful deed, having fashioned death for her wedded husband.
ἦ τοι ἔφην γε §11.431ἀσπάσιος παίδεσσιν ἰδὲ δμώεσσιν ἐμοῖσιν §11.432οἴκαδʼ ἐλεύσεσθαι· ἡ δʼ ἔξοχα λυγρὰ ἰδυῖα §11.433οἷ τε κατʼ αἶσχος ἔχευε καὶ ἐσσομένῃσιν ὀπίσσω §11.434θηλυτέρῃσι γυναιξί, καὶ ἥ κʼ ἐυεργὸς ἔῃσιν.
Indeed I thought that I should return home welcomed by my children and my servants; but she, knowing pre-eminently evil things, has shed shame upon herself and upon women hereafter to come, even upon her who does what is right.
§11.435ὣς ἔφατʼ, αὐτὰρ ἐγώ μιν ἀμειβόμενος προσέειπον·
So he spoke, and I answering addressed him: "Alas!
§11.436ὢ πόποι, ἦ μάλα δὴ γόνον Ἀτρέος εὐρύοπα Ζεὺς §11.437ἐκπάγλως ἤχθηρε γυναικείας διὰ βουλὰς §11.438ἐξ ἀρχῆς·
Truly and exceedingly does wide-seeing Zeus hate the race of Atreus through the counsels of women from the very beginning.
Ἑλένης μὲν ἀπωλόμεθʼ εἵνεκα πολλοί, §11.439σοὶ δὲ Κλυταιμνήστρη δόλον ἤρτυε τηλόθʼ ἐόντι. §11.440ὣς ἐφάμην, ὁ δέ μʼ αὐτίκʼ ἀμειβόμενος προσέειπε· §11.441τῷ νῦν μή ποτε καὶ σὺ γυναικί περ ἤπιος εἶναι· §11.442μή οἱ μῦθον ἅπαντα πιφαυσκέμεν, ὅν κʼ ἐὺ εἰδῇς, §11.443ἀλλὰ τὸ μὲν φάσθαι, τὸ δὲ καὶ κεκρυμμένον εἶναι.
For the sake of Helen many of us perished, and to you, while you were far away, Clytemnestra devised a snare." So I spoke, and he straightway answering addressed me: "Therefore do not you now ever be too gentle even to your wife, nor reveal to her every word that you know well, but speak of one part, and let the other be hidden.
§11.444ἀλλʼ οὐ σοί γʼ, Ὀδυσεῦ, φόνος ἔσσεται ἔκ γε γυναικός· §11.445λίην γὰρ πινυτή τε καὶ εὖ φρεσὶ μήδεα οἶδε §11.446κούρη Ἰκαρίοιο, περίφρων Πηνελόπεια.
But not upon you, Odysseus, will death come from your wife; for she is passing wise and knows noble counsels in her heart, the daughter of Icarius, circumspect Penelope.
§11.447ἦ μέν μιν νύμφην γε νέην κατελείπομεν ἡμεῖς §11.448ἐρχόμενοι πόλεμόνδε· πάϊς δέ οἱ ἦν ἐπὶ μαζῷ §11.449νήπιος, ὅς που νῦν γε μετʼ ἀνδρῶν ἵζει ἀριθμῷ, §11.450ὄλβιος· ἦ γὰρ τόν γε πατὴρ φίλος ὄψεται ἐλθών, §11.451καὶ κεῖνος πατέρα προσπτύξεται, ἣ θέμις ἐστίν.
Truly we left her as a young bride when we went to the war; and she had a child at her breast, an infant, who now, I ween, sits in the number of men, happy one; for surely his dear father will see him when he comes, and he will embrace his father, as is right.
§11.452ἡ δʼ ἐμὴ οὐδέ περ υἷος ἐνιπλησθῆναι ἄκοιτις §11.453ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ἔασε· πάρος δέ με πέφνε καὶ αὐτόν.
But my wife did not even suffer me to sate my eyes with the sight of my son; before that she slew even me myself.
§11.454ἄλλο δέ τοι ἐρέω, σὺ δʼ ἐνὶ φρεσὶ βάλλεο σῇσιν· §11.455κρύβδην, μηδʼ ἀναφανδά, φίλην ἐς πατρίδα γαῖαν §11.456νῆα κατισχέμεναι· ἐπεὶ οὐκέτι πιστὰ γυναιξίν.
And another thing I will tell you, and do you lay it to heart: secretly, and not openly, bring your ship to land in your dear fatherland; since there is no longer trust in women.
§11.457ἀλλʼ ἄγε μοι τόδε εἰπὲ καὶ ἀτρεκέως κατάλεξον, §11.458εἴ που ἔτι ζώοντος ἀκούετε παιδὸς ἐμοῖο, §11.459ἤ που ἐν Ὀρχομενῷ ἢ ἐν Πύλῳ ἠμαθόεντι, §11.460ἤ που πὰρ Μενελάῳ ἐνὶ Σπάρτῃ εὐρείῃ· §11.461οὐ γάρ πω τέθνηκεν ἐπὶ χθονὶ δῖος Ὀρέστης. §11.462ὣς ἔφατʼ, αὐτὰρ ἐγώ μιν ἀμειβόμενος προσέειπον· §11.463Ἀτρεΐδη, τί με ταῦτα διείρεαι;
But come, tell me this and relate it precisely, if you hear of my son as still living anywhere, whether in Orchomenus, or in sandy Pylos, or perhaps with Menelaus in wide Sparta; for not yet has noble Orestes died upon the earth." So he spoke, and I answering addressed him: "Son of Atreus, why do you question me of this?
οὐδέ τι οἶδα, §11.464ζώει ὅ γʼ ἦ τέθνηκε· κακὸν δʼ ἀνεμώλια βάζειν. §11.465νῶι μὲν ὣς ἐπέεσσιν ἀμειβομένω στυγεροῖσιν §11.466ἕσταμεν ἀχνύμενοι θαλερὸν κατὰ δάκρυ χέοντες· §11.467ἦλθε δʼ ἐπὶ ψυχὴ Πηληϊάδεω Ἀχιλῆος §11.468καὶ Πατροκλῆος καὶ ἀμύμονος Ἀντιλόχοιο §11.469Αἴαντός θʼ, ὃς ἄριστος ἔην εἶδός τε δέμας τε §11.470τῶν ἄλλων Δαναῶν μετʼ ἀμύμονα Πηλεΐωνα.
I know nothing at all, whether he lives or is dead; and it is an ill thing to speak words vain as wind." So we two stood exchanging grim words, sorrowing, shedding copious tears; and there came up the spirit of Achilles, son of Peleus, and that of Patroclus, and of noble Antilochus, and of Ajax, who was the noblest in form and in stature of all the other Danaans after the noble son of Peleus.
§11.471ἔγνω δὲ ψυχή με ποδώκεος Αἰακίδαο §11.472καί ῥʼ ὀλοφυρομένη ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα· §11.473διογενὲς Λαερτιάδη, πολυμήχανʼ Ὀδυσσεῦ, §11.474σχέτλιε, τίπτʼ ἔτι μεῖζον ἐνὶ φρεσὶ μήσεαι ἔργον;
And the spirit of the swift-footed grandson of Aeacus knew me, and weeping spoke to me winged words: 'Son of Laertes, sprung from Zeus, resourceful Odysseus, rash man, what deed yet greater will you devise in your heart?
§11.475πῶς ἔτλης Ἄϊδόσδε κατελθέμεν, ἔνθα τε νεκροὶ §11.476ἀφραδέες ναίουσι, βροτῶν εἴδωλα καμόντων; §11.477ὣς ἔφατʼ, αὐτὰρ ἐγώ μιν ἀμειβόμενος προσέειπον· §11.478ὦ Ἀχιλεῦ Πηλῆος υἱέ, μέγα φέρτατʼ Ἀχαιῶν, §11.479ἦλθον Τειρεσίαο κατὰ χρέος, εἴ τινα βουλὴν §11.480εἴποι, ὅπως Ἰθάκην ἐς παιπαλόεσσαν ἱκοίμην· §11.481οὐ γάρ πω σχεδὸν ἦλθον Ἀχαιΐδος, οὐδέ πω ἁμῆς §11.482γῆς ἐπέβην, ἀλλʼ αἰὲν ἔχω κακά.
How did you dare to descend to Hades, where dwell the unheeding dead, the phantoms of outworn mortals?' So he spoke, and I answering addressed him: 'O Achilles, son of Peleus, far the mightiest of the Achaeans, I came because of need of Teiresias, if he might speak some counsel, how I might reach rugged Ithaca; for not yet have I come near to the Achaean land, nor yet have I set foot on my own land, but always have troubles.
σεῖο δʼ, Ἀχιλλεῦ, §11.483οὔ τις ἀνὴρ προπάροιθε μακάρτατος οὔτʼ ἄρʼ ὀπίσσω.
But than you, Achilles, no man in times past was more blessed, nor shall be in hereafter.
§11.484πρὶν μὲν γάρ σε ζωὸν ἐτίομεν ἶσα θεοῖσιν §11.485Ἀργεῖοι, νῦν αὖτε μέγα κρατέεις νεκύεσσιν §11.486ἐνθάδʼ ἐών· τῷ μή τι θανὼν ἀκαχίζευ, Ἀχιλλεῦ. §11.487ὣς ἐφάμην, ὁ δέ μʼ αὐτίκʼ ἀμειβόμενος προσέειπε· §11.488μὴ δή μοι θάνατόν γε παραύδα, φαίδιμʼ Ὀδυσσεῦ.
For formerly, when you were alive, we Argives honored you as equal to the gods, and now again you rule mightily over the dead being here; therefore, do not be at all grieved at your death, Achilles.' So he spoke, and he straightway answering addressed me: 'Speak not soothingly to me of death, glorious Odysseus.
§11.489βουλοίμην κʼ ἐπάρουρος ἐὼν θητευέμεν ἄλλῳ, §11.490ἀνδρὶ παρʼ ἀκλήρῳ, ᾧ μὴ βίοτος πολὺς εἴη, §11.491ἢ πᾶσιν νεκύεσσι καταφθιμένοισιν ἀνάσσειν.
I would rather be on the soil and serve another, even a portionless man who has not much livelihood, than to rule over all the dead who have perished.