§11.569χρύσεον σκῆπτρον ἔχοντα, θεμιστεύοντα νέκυσσιν, §11.570ἥμενον, οἱ δέ μιν ἀμφὶ δίκας εἴροντο ἄνακτα, §11.571ἥμενοι ἑσταότες τε κατʼ εὐρυπυλὲς Ἄϊδος δῶ.
holding a golden scepter, dispensing justice to the dead, seated, while they asked him, their king, for judgments, seated and standing throughout the wide-gated house of Hades.
§11.572τὸν δὲ μετʼ Ὠρίωνα πελώριον εἰσενόησα §11.573θῆρας ὁμοῦ εἰλεῦντα κατʼ ἀσφοδελὸν λειμῶνα, §11.574τοὺς αὐτὸς κατέπεφνεν ἐν οἰοπόλοισιν ὄρεσσι §11.575χερσὶν ἔχων ῥόπαλον παγχάλκεον, αἰὲν ἀαγές.
After him I descried giant Orion, driving wild beasts together across the asphodel meadow, those which he himself had slain on the lonely mountains, holding in his hands a club of all bronze, ever unbroken.
§11.576καὶ Τιτυὸν εἶδον, Γαίης ἐρικυδέος υἱόν, §11.577κείμενον ἐν δαπέδῳ· ὁ δʼ ἐπʼ ἐννέα κεῖτο πέλεθρα, §11.578γῦπε δέ μιν ἑκάτερθε παρημένω ἧπαρ ἔκειρον, §11.579δέρτρον ἔσω δύνοντες, ὁ δʼ οὐκ ἀπαμύνετο χερσί· §11.580Λητὼ γὰρ ἕλκησε, Διὸς κυδρὴν παράκοιτιν, §11.581Πυθώδʼ ἐρχομένην διὰ καλλιχόρου Πανοπῆος.
And I saw Tityus, son of glorious Earth, lying on the ground; and he stretched over nine plethra, and two vultures sitting on either side of him tore his liver, plunging deep into his bowels, and he did not ward them off with his hands; for he had violated Leto, the glorious consort of Zeus, as she went to Pytho through lovely Panopeus.
§11.582καὶ μὴν Τάνταλον εἰσεῖδον κρατέρʼ ἄλγεʼ ἔχοντα §11.583ἑστεῶτʼ ἐν λίμνῃ· ἡ δὲ προσέπλαζε γενείῳ· §11.584στεῦτο δὲ διψάων, πιέειν δʼ οὐκ εἶχεν ἑλέσθαι· §11.585ὁσσάκι γὰρ κύψειʼ ὁ γέρων πιέειν μενεαίνων, §11.586τοσσάχʼ ὕδωρ ἀπολέσκετʼ ἀναβροχέν, ἀμφὶ δὲ ποσσὶ §11.587γαῖα μέλαινα φάνεσκε, καταζήνασκε δὲ δαίμων.
And indeed I saw Tantalus in violent torment, standing in a pool; and it lapped close to his chin; he stood thirsting, but had no power to take and drink; for as often as the old man stooped, eager to drink, so often the water was swallowed up and vanished, and at his feet the black earth appeared, as a divinity dried it up.
§11.588δένδρεα δʼ ὑψιπέτηλα κατὰ κρῆθεν χέε καρπόν, §11.589ὄγχναι καὶ ῥοιαὶ καὶ μηλέαι ἀγλαόκαρποι §11.590συκέαι τε γλυκεραὶ καὶ ἐλαῖαι τηλεθόωσαι· §11.591τῶν ὁπότʼ ἰθύσειʼ ὁ γέρων ἐπὶ χερσὶ μάσασθαι, §11.592τὰς δʼ ἄνεμος ῥίπτασκε ποτὶ νέφεα σκιόεντα.
And trees with lofty foliage poured down their fruit from above, pears and pomegranates and apple trees with bright fruit, and sweet figs and luxuriant olives; of these as often as the old man reached out with his hands to clutch them, the wind would toss them toward the shadowy clouds.
And indeed I saw Sisyphus in violent torment, heaving a monstrous stone with both his hands.
§11.595ἦ τοι ὁ μὲν σκηριπτόμενος χερσίν τε ποσίν τε §11.596λᾶαν ἄνω ὤθεσκε ποτὶ λόφον· ἀλλʼ ὅτε μέλλοι §11.597ἄκρον ὑπερβαλέειν, τότʼ ἀποστρέψασκε κραταιίς· §11.598αὖτις ἔπειτα πέδονδε κυλίνδετο λᾶας ἀναιδής.
Verily he, bracing himself with hands and feet, kept pushing the stone upward toward the hill; but when he was about to cast it over the crest, then a mighty force would turn it back; then back again to the plain rolled the shameless stone.
§11.599αὐτὰρ ὅ γʼ ἂψ ὤσασκε τιταινόμενος, κατὰ δʼ ἱδρὼς §11.600ἔρρεεν ἐκ μελέων, κονίη δʼ ἐκ κρατὸς ὀρώρει.
But he would push it back again, straining, and the sweat poured down from his limbs, and dust rose from his head.
§11.601τὸν δὲ μετʼ εἰσενόησα βίην Ἡρακληείην, §11.602εἴδωλον· αὐτὸς δὲ μετʼ ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖσι §11.603τέρπεται ἐν θαλίῃς καὶ ἔχει καλλίσφυρον Ἥβην, §11.604παῖδα Διὸς μεγάλοιο καὶ Ἥρης χρυσοπεδίλου.
After him I descried the mighty Heracles, his phantom; for he himself among the immortal gods rejoices in banquets, and has to wife fair-ankled Hebe, daughter of great Zeus and Hera of the golden sandals.
§11.605ἀμφὶ δέ μιν κλαγγὴ νεκύων ἦν οἰωνῶν ὥς, §11.606πάντοσʼ ἀτυζομένων· ὁ δʼ ἐρεμνῇ νυκτὶ ἐοικώς, §11.607γυμνὸν τόξον ἔχων καὶ ἐπὶ νευρῆφιν ὀιστόν, §11.608δεινὸν παπταίνων, αἰεὶ βαλέοντι ἐοικώς.
And around him was a clamor of the dead, like that of birds, scattering in terror everywhere; but he, like dark night, holding his bare bow and with an arrow on the string, glaring terribly, ever like one about to shoot.
§11.609σμερδαλέος δέ οἱ ἀμφὶ περὶ στήθεσσιν ἀορτὴρ §11.610χρύσεος ἦν τελαμών, ἵνα θέσκελα ἔργα τέτυκτο, §11.611ἄρκτοι τʼ ἀγρότεροί τε σύες χαροποί τε λέοντες, §11.612ὑσμῖναί τε μάχαι τε φόνοι τʼ ἀνδροκτασίαι τε.
And terrible about his breast was the baldric, a golden strap, whereon wondrous works were wrought, bears and wild boars and lions with flashing eyes, and conflicts and battles and slaughters and slayings of men.
May he who by his art designed that belt never make any other work, once he had stored that up in his craft.
§11.615ἔγνω δʼ αὖτʼ ἔμʼ ἐκεῖνος, ἐπεὶ ἴδεν ὀφθαλμοῖσιν, §11.616καί μʼ ὀλοφυρόμενος ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα· §11.617διογενὲς Λαερτιάδη, πολυμήχανʼ Ὀδυσσεῦ, §11.618ἆ δείλʼ, ἦ τινὰ καὶ σὺ κακὸν μόρον ἡγηλάζεις, §11.619ὅν περ ἐγὼν ὀχέεσκον ὑπʼ αὐγὰς ἠελίοιο.
And he in turn recognized me, when he saw me with his eyes, and pitying me spoke winged words: "Shorn of heaven, son of Laertes, Odysseus of many devices, ah, wretched man, do you too drag out a miserable fate, such as I used to bear under the rays of the sun?
§11.620Ζηνὸς μὲν πάϊς ἦα Κρονίονος, αὐτὰρ ὀιζὺν §11.621εἶχον ἀπειρεσίην· μάλα γὰρ πολὺ χείρονι φωτὶ §11.622δεδμήμην, ὁ δέ μοι χαλεποὺς ἐπετέλλετʼ ἀέθλους.
I was a son of Zeus, son of Cronos, yet I had infinite misery; for to a man far worse than myself I was subjected, and he laid difficult labors upon me.
§11.623καί ποτέ μʼ ἐνθάδʼ ἔπεμψε κύνʼ ἄξοντʼ· οὐ γὰρ ἔτʼ ἄλλον §11.624φράζετο τοῦδέ γέ μοι κρατερώτερον εἶναι ἄεθλον·
And once he sent me hither to fetch the dog, for no other labor did he think would be harder for me than this.
§11.625τὸν μὲν ἐγὼν ἀνένεικα καὶ ἤγαγον ἐξ Ἀίδαο· §11.626Ἑρμείας δέ μʼ ἔπεμψεν ἰδὲ γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη. §11.627ὣς εἰπὼν ὁ μὲν αὖτις ἔβη δόμον Ἄϊδος εἴσω, §11.628αὐτὰρ ἐγὼν αὐτοῦ μένον ἔμπεδον, εἴ τις ἔτʼ ἔλθοι §11.629ἀνδρῶν ἡρώων, οἳ δὴ τὸ πρόσθεν ὄλοντο.
That dog I brought up and led away from Hades, and Hermeias escorted me, and flashing-eyed Athena." So saying, he went back into the house of Hades, but I remained there steadfastly, in case any other should yet come of the hero-men who had perished in times of old.
§11.630καί νύ κʼ ἔτι προτέρους ἴδον ἀνέρας, οὓς ἔθελόν περ, §11.631Θησέα Πειρίθοόν τε, θεῶν ἐρικυδέα τέκνα· §11.632ἀλλὰ πρὶν ἐπὶ ἔθνεʼ ἀγείρετο μυρία νεκρῶν §11.633ἠχῇ θεσπεσίῃ· ἐμὲ δὲ χλωρὸν δέος ᾕρει, §11.634μή μοι Γοργείην κεφαλὴν δεινοῖο πελώρου §11.635ἐξ Ἀίδεω πέμψειεν ἀγαυὴ Περσεφόνεια.
And now I might have seen yet earlier men, whom I wished to see, Theseus and Pirithous, glorious children of the gods; but before that, myriads of tribes of the dead gathered together with an awful clamor; and pale fear seized me, lest the dread Persephone should send upon me the Gorgon head of the terrible monster out of Hades.
§11.636αὐτίκʼ ἔπειτʼ ἐπὶ νῆα κιὼν ἐκέλευον ἑταίρους §11.637αὐτούς τʼ ἀμβαίνειν ἀνά τε πρυμνήσια λῦσαι.
Straightway then I went to the ship and bade my companions themselves to embark and to loose the stern-cables.
§11.638οἱ δʼ αἶψʼ εἴσβαινον καὶ ἐπὶ κληῖσι καθῖζον.
And they quickly went on board and sat down upon the benches.