For he too went, for the sake of Agamemnon's honor, to Ilios famed for horses, that he might fight with the Trojans.
So saying, he quickly girded his tunic with his belt, and went to the sties, where the herds of swine were penned.
§14.74ἔνθεν ἑλὼν δύʼ ἔνεικε καὶ ἀμφοτέρους ἱέρευσεν, §14.75εὗσέ τε μίστυλλέν τε καὶ ἀμφʼ ὀβελοῖσιν ἔπειρεν.
Taking two from there, he brought them and slaughtered both, and singed them, sliced them, and spitted them on spits.
§14.76ὀπτήσας δʼ ἄρα πάντα φέρων παρέθηκʼ Ὀδυσῆϊ §14.77θέρμʼ αὐτοῖς ὀβελοῖσιν· ὁ δʼ ἄλφιτα λευκὰ πάλυνεν·
And having roasted all, he brought and set them before Odysseus, hot on the spits themselves; and he sprinkled white barley over them.
§14.78ἐν δʼ ἄρα κισσυβίῳ κίρνη μελιηδέα οἶνον, §14.79αὐτὸς δʼ ἀντίον ἷζεν, ἐποτρύνων δὲ προσηύδα· §14.80ἔσθιε νῦν, ὦ ξεῖνε, τά τε δμώεσσι πάρεστι, §14.81χοίρεʼ· ἀτὰρ σιάλους γε σύας μνηστῆρες ἔδουσιν,
And in a wooden bowl he mixed honey-sweet wine, and sat down opposite him, and encouraging him, addressed him: “Eat now, stranger, such things as are at hand for the servants, young pigs; but the fat-fed hogs the suitors eat, caring nothing in their hearts for the wrath of heaven nor pity.
§14.82οὐκ ὄπιδα φρονέοντες ἐνὶ φρεσὶν οὐδʼ ἐλεητύν. §14.83οὐ μὲν σχέτλια ἔργα θεοὶ μάκαρες φιλέουσιν, §14.84ἀλλὰ δίκην τίουσι καὶ αἴσιμα ἔργʼ ἀνθρώπων.
Surely the blessed gods do not love wicked deeds, but they honor justice and the righteous deeds of men.
§14.85καὶ μὲν δυσμενέες καὶ ἀνάρσιοι, οἵ τʼ ἐπὶ γαίης §14.86ἀλλοτρίης βῶσιν καί σφι Ζεὺς ληΐδα δώῃ, §14.87πλησάμενοι δέ τε νῆας ἔβαν οἶκόνδε νέεσθαι, §14.88καὶ μὲν τοῖς ὄπιδος κρατερὸν δέος ἐν φρεσὶ πίπτει.
Even hostile and lawless men, who go upon the land of others, and Zeus grants them booty, and having filled their ships, they depart to return home, even upon their hearts falls a strong fear of the wrath of heaven.
§14.89οἵδε δὲ καί τι ἴσασι, θεοῦ δέ τινʼ ἔκλυον αὐδήν, §14.90κείνου λυγρὸν ὄλεθρον, ὅτʼ οὐκ ἐθέλουσι δικαίως §14.91μνᾶσθαι οὐδὲ νέεσθαι ἐπὶ σφέτερʼ, ἀλλὰ ἕκηλοι §14.92κτήματα δαρδάπτουσιν ὑπέρβιον, οὐδʼ ἔπι φειδώ.
But these men know something, or have heard some voice of a god, concerning his dismal destruction, since they are unwilling justly to woo, nor to return to their own homes, but at ease they greedily devour his possessions overbearingly, and there is no sparing.
§14.93ὅσσαι γὰρ νύκτες τε καὶ ἡμέραι ἐκ Διός εἰσιν, §14.94οὔ ποθʼ ἓν ἱρεύουσʼ ἱερήϊον, οὐδὲ δύʼ οἴω· §14.95οἶνον δὲ φθινύθουσιν ὑπέρβιον ἐξαφύοντες.
For as many nights and days as come from Zeus, never do they slaughter only one victim, nor two only, I think; and they waste his wine, drawing it off in overbearing fashion.
§14.96ἦ γάρ οἱ ζωή γʼ ἦν ἄσπετος· οὔ τινι τόσση §14.97ἀνδρῶν ἡρώων, οὔτʼ ἠπείροιο μελαίνης §14.98οὔτʼ αὐτῆς Ἰθάκης· οὐδὲ ξυνεείκοσι φωτῶν §14.99ἔστʼ ἄφενος τοσσοῦτον· ἐγὼ δέ κέ τοι καταλέξω.
For indeed his livelihood was boundless; to no one of hero men was there so much, neither on the dark mainland nor in Ithaca itself; not even twenty men together have so much wealth; and I will reckon it up for you.
§14.100δώδεκʼ ἐν ἠπείρῳ ἀγέλαι· τόσα πώεα οἰῶν, §14.101τόσσα συῶν συβόσια, τόσʼ αἰπόλια πλατέʼ αἰγῶν §14.102βόσκουσι ξεῖνοί τε καὶ αὐτοῦ βώτορες ἄνδρες.
Twelve herds of kine on the mainland; as many flocks of sheep, as many droves of swine, as many wide-ranging herds of goats strangers and his own herdsmen pasture there.
§14.103ἐνθάδε δʼ αἰπόλια πλατέʼ αἰγῶν ἕνδεκα πάντα §14.104ἐσχατιῇ βόσκοντʼ, ἐπὶ δʼ ἀνέρες ἐσθλοὶ ὄρονται.
And here in Ithaca eleven wide-ranging herds of goats in all pasture at the border, and trusty men watch over them.
§14.105τῶν αἰεί σφιν ἕκαστος ἐπʼ ἤματι μῆλον ἀγινεῖ, §14.106ζατρεφέων αἰγῶν ὅς τις φαίνηται ἄριστος.
Of these, each man ever brings a beast day by day, whichever of the fat-fed goats appears the best.
§14.107αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ σῦς τάσδε φυλάσσω τε ῥύομαί τε, §14.108καί σφι συῶν τὸν ἄριστον ἐῢ κρίνας ἀποπέμπω. §14.109ὣς φάθʼ, ὁ δʼ ἐνδυκέως κρέα τʼ ἤσθιε πῖνέ τε οἶνον §14.110ἁρπαλέως ἀκέων, κακὰ δὲ μνηστῆρσι φύτευεν.
But I guard and protect these swine, and choosing well, I send the best of the swine to them.” So he spoke, and Odysseus eagerly ate the meat and drank the wine greedily in silence, and was planting evils for the suitors.
§14.111αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ δείπνησε καὶ ἤραρε θυμὸν ἐδωδῇ, §14.112καί οἱ πλησάμενος δῶκε σκύφον, ᾧ περ ἔπινεν, §14.113οἴνου ἐνίπλειον· ὁ δʼ ἐδέξατο, χαῖρε δὲ θυμῷ, §14.114καί μιν φωνήσας ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα· §14.115ὦ φίλε, τίς γάρ σε πρίατο κτεάτεσσιν ἑοῖσιν, §14.116ὧδε μάλʼ ἀφνειὸς καὶ καρτερὸς ὡς ἀγορεύεις;
But when he had dined and satisfied his soul with food, and the swineherd filled and gave him the cup from which he himself drank, full of wine; and he received it, and rejoiced in his heart, and speaking, he addressed him with winged words: “Friend, who then bought you with his own possessions, being so very rich and mighty as you say?
§14.117φῆς δʼ αὐτὸν φθίσθαι Ἀγαμέμνονος εἵνεκα τιμῆς.
And you say he perished for the sake of Agamemnon's honor.
§14.118εἰπέ μοι, αἴ κέ ποθι γνώω τοιοῦτον ἐόντα.
Tell me, if perchance I might know such a man.
§14.119Ζεὺς γάρ που τό γε οἶδε καὶ ἀθάνατοι θεοὶ ἄλλοι, §14.120εἴ κέ μιν ἀγγείλαιμι ἰδών· ἐπὶ πολλὰ δʼ ἀλήθην. §14.121τὸν δʼ ἠμείβετʼ ἔπειτα συβώτης, ὄρχαμος ἀνδρῶν· §14.122ὦ γέρον, οὔ τις κεῖνον ἀνὴρ ἀλαλήμενος ἐλθὼν §14.123ἀγγέλλων πείσειε γυναῖκά τε καὶ φίλον υἱόν, §14.124ἀλλʼ ἄλλως κομιδῆς κεχρημένοι ἄνδρες ἀλῆται §14.125ψεύδοντʼ, οὐδʼ ἐθέλουσιν ἀληθέα μυθήσασθαι.
For Zeus, I suppose, knows this, and the other immortal gods, whether I might bring news of having seen him; for I have wandered far.” Then the swineherd, leader of men, answered him: “Old man, no wandering man who comes and brings news would convince his wife and dear son, but on the contrary, wandering men in need of shelter lie, and are unwilling to speak the truth.
§14.126ὃς δέ κʼ ἀλητεύων Ἰθάκης ἐς δῆμον ἵκηται, §14.127ἐλθὼν ἐς δέσποιναν ἐμὴν ἀπατήλια βάζει· §14.128ἡ δʼ εὖ δεξαμένη φιλέει καὶ ἕκαστα μεταλλᾷ, §14.129καί οἱ ὀδυρομένῃ βλεφάρων ἄπο δάκρυα πίπτει, §14.130ἣ θέμις ἐστὶ γυναικός, ἐπὴν πόσις ἄλλοθʼ ὄληται.
And whoever in his wanderings comes to the land of Ithaca, go to my mistress and speak deceitful words; and she, welcoming him kindly, treats him with love and questions each thing, and as she mourns, tears fall from her eyelids, as is the custom for a woman when her husband perishes elsewhere.