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Homer · Odyssey §19.1-19.69

Removal of the Weapons and Melantho's Abuse

Passage 133 of 173 · Greek

Summary

Odysseus and Telemachus lay away the weapons from the hall, illuminated by the miraculous light of Athena. After Telemachus goes to sleep, Penelope enters the hall, but the handmaid Melantho insults Odysseus once again.

§19.1αὐτὰρ ὁ ἐν μεγάρῳ ὑπελείπετο δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς, §19.2μνηστήρεσσι φόνον σὺν Ἀθήνῃ μερμηρίζων· §19.3αἶψα δὲ Τηλέμαχον ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα· §19.4Τηλέμαχε, χρὴ τεύχεʼ ἀρήϊα κατθέμεν εἴσω §19.5πάντα μάλʼ· αὐτὰρ μνηστῆρας μαλακοῖς ἐπέεσσι §19.6παρφάσθαι, ὅτε κέν σε μεταλλῶσιν ποθέοντες· §19.7ἐκ καπνοῦ κατέθηκʼ, ἐπεὶ οὐκέτι τοῖσιν ἐῴκει §19.8οἷά ποτε Τροίηνδε κιὼν κατέλειπεν Ὀδυσσεύς, §19.9ἀλλὰ κατῄκισται, ὅσσον πυρὸς ἵκετʼ ἀϋτμή.
But noble Odysseus was left behind in the hall, planning murder for the suitors with Athena's aid; and straightway he spoke winged words to Telemachus: "Telemachus, you must lay away all the weapons of war inside, every one of them; but when the suitors miss them and question you, deceive them with gentle words, when they question you and miss them: 'I have laid them away out of the smoke, since they no longer look like those which Odysseus once left behind when he went to Troy, but are marred, as far as the breath of the fire has reached them.
§19.10πρὸς δʼ ἔτι καὶ τόδε μεῖζον ἐνὶ φρεσὶν ἔβαλε δαίμων §19.11μή πως οἰνωθέντες, ἔριν στήσαντες ἐν ὑμῖν, §19.12ἀλλήλους τρώσητε καταισχύνητέ τε δαῖτα §19.13καὶ μνηστύν· αὐτὸς γὰρ ἐφέλκεται ἄνδρα σίδηρος. §19.14ὣς φάτο, Τηλέμαχος δὲ φίλῳ ἐπεπείθετο πατρί, §19.15ἐκ δὲ καλεσσάμενος προσέφη τροφὸν Εὐρύκλειαν·
And besides, a god has put this even greater fear in my mind, lest by any chance, when you are drunk with wine, having raised a quarrel among you, you should wound one another, and bring shame on the feast and on your wooing; for iron of itself draws a man onward.'" So he spoke, and Telemachus obeyed his dear father; and calling out the nurse Eurycleia, he addressed her: "Nurse, come now, shut up the women in their rooms, while I lay away in the storeroom my father's beautiful weapons, which the smoke is ruining in the house uncared for, while my father was gone; and I was still a child.
§19.16μαῖʼ, ἄγε δή μοι ἔρυξον ἐνὶ μεγάροισι γυναῖκας, §19.17ὄφρα κεν ἐς θάλαμον καταθείομαι ἔντεα πατρὸς §19.18καλά, τά μοι κατὰ οἶκον ἀκηδέα καπνὸς ἀμέρδει §19.19πατρὸς ἀποιχομένοιο· ἐγὼ δʼ ἔτι νήπιος ἦα. §19.20νῦν δʼ ἐθέλω καταθέσθαι, ἵνʼ οὐ πυρὸς ἵξετʼ ἀϋτμή. §19.21τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε φίλη τροφὸς Εὐρύκλεια· §19.22αἲ γὰρ δή ποτε, τέκνον, ἐπιφροσύνας ἀνέλοιο §19.23οἴκου κήδεσθαι καὶ κτήματα πάντα φυλάσσειν.
But now I wish to lay them away where the breath of fire will not reach them." Then his dear nurse Eurycleia addressed him in turn: "Would indeed, my child, that you might at last take thought to care for the house and guard all its possessions.
§19.24ἀλλʼ ἄγε, τίς τοι ἔπειτα μετοιχομένη φάος οἴσει;
But come, who then will go with you and carry a light for you?
§19.25δμῳὰς δʼ οὐκ εἴας προβλωσκέμεν, αἵ κεν ἔφαινον. §19.26τὴν δʼ αὖ Τηλέμαχος πεπνυμένος ἀντίον ηὔδα· §19.27ξεῖνος ὅδʼ· οὐ γὰρ ἀεργὸν ἀνέξομαι ὅς κεν ἐμῆς γε §19.28χοίνικος ἅπτηται, καὶ τηλόθεν εἰληλουθώς. §19.29ὣς ἄρʼ ἐφώνησεν, τῇ δʼ ἄπτερος ἔπλετο μῦθος.
For you would not allow the handmaids to go before you, who would have given light." Then wise Telemachus answered her: "This stranger; for I will not suffer any man to be idle who touches my measure of corn, even though he has come from afar." So he spoke, and her word remained unwinged.
§19.30κλήϊσεν δὲ θύρας μεγάρων εὖ ναιεταόντων.
And she locked the doors of the well-built halls.
§19.31τὼ δʼ ἄρʼ ἀναΐξαντʼ Ὀδυσεὺς καὶ φαίδιμος υἱὸς §19.32ἐσφόρεον κόρυθάς τε καὶ ἀσπίδας ὀμφαλοέσσας §19.33ἔγχεά τʼ ὀξυόεντα· πάροιθε δὲ Παλλὰς Ἀθήνη, §19.34χρύσεον λύχνον ἔχουσα, φάος περικαλλὲς ἐποίει.
Then the two sprang up, Odysseus and his glorious son, and carried in the helmets, and the bossed shields, and the sharp spears; and before them Pallas Athena, holding a golden lamp, made a most beautiful light.
§19.35δὴ τότε Τηλέμαχος προσεφώνεεν ὃν πατέρʼ αἶψα· §19.36ὦ πάτερ, ἦ μέγα θαῦμα τόδʼ ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ὁρῶμαι.
Then Telemachus straightway spoke to his father: "Father, truly a great wonder is this that I behold with my eyes.
§19.37ἔμπης μοι τοῖχοι μεγάρων καλαί τε μεσόδμαι, §19.38εἰλάτιναί τε δοκοί, καὶ κίονες ὑψόσʼ ἔχοντες §19.39φαίνοντʼ ὀφθαλμοῖς ὡς εἰ πυρὸς αἰθομένοιο.
Assuredly the walls of the hall, and the beautiful alcoves, and the pine beams, and the pillars that hold them high, appear to my eyes as if they were of blazing fire.
§19.40ἦ μάλα τις θεὸς ἔνδον, οἳ οὐρανὸν εὐρὺν ἔχουσι. §19.41τὸν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς· §19.42σίγα καὶ κατὰ σὸν νόον ἴσχανε μηδʼ ἐρέεινε· §19.43αὕτη τοι δίκη ἐστὶ θεῶν, οἳ Ὄλυμπον ἔχουσιν.
Surely some god is within, of those who hold the wide heaven." Then Odysseus of many wiles addressed him in answer: "Hush, and keep it in your mind, and do not ask; this is the way of the gods who hold Olympus.
§19.44ἀλλὰ σὺ μὲν κατάλεξαι, ἐγὼ δʼ ὑπολείψομαι αὐτοῦ, §19.45ὄφρα κʼ ἔτι δμῳὰς καὶ μητέρα σὴν ἐρεθίζω· §19.46ἡ δέ μʼ ὀδυρομένη εἰρήσεται ἀμφὶς ἕκαστα. §19.47ὣς φάτο, Τηλέμαχος δὲ διὲκ μεγάροιο βεβήκει §19.48κείων ἐς θάλαμον, δαΐδων ὕπο λαμπομενάων, §19.49ἔνθα πάρος κοιμᾶθʼ, ὅτε μιν γλυκὺς ὕπνος ἱκάνοι·
But go now and lay down, and I will remain behind here, so that I may yet stir up the handmaids and your mother; and she in her sorrow will ask me of everything." So he spoke, and Telemachus went out through the hall to his chamber to lay down to sleep, under the light of blazing torches, where he used to sleep before, when sweet sleep came upon him.
§19.50ἔνθʼ ἄρα καὶ τότʼ ἔλεκτο καὶ Ἠῶ δῖαν ἔμιμνεν.
There indeed he lay down then too, and awaited the bright Dawn.
§19.51αὐτὰρ ὁ ἐν μεγάρῳ ὑπελείπετο δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς, §19.52μνηστήρεσσι φόνον σὺν Ἀθήνῃ μερμηρίζων.
But noble Odysseus was left behind in the hall, planning murder for the suitors with Athena's aid.
§19.53ἡ δʼ ἴεν ἐκ θαλάμοιο περίφρων Πηνελόπεια, §19.54Ἀρτέμιδι ἰκέλη ἠὲ χρυσέῃ Ἀφροδίτῃ.
And from her chamber came wise Penelope, like unto Artemis or golden Aphrodite.
§19.55τῇ παρὰ μὲν κλισίην πυρὶ κάτθεσαν, ἔνθʼ ἄρʼ ἐφῖζε, §19.56δινωτὴν ἐλέφαντι καὶ ἀργύρῳ· ἥν ποτε τέκτων §19.57ποίησʼ Ἰκμάλιος, καὶ ὑπὸ θρῆνυν ποσὶν ἧκε §19.58προσφυέʼ ἐξ αὐτῆς, ὅθʼ ἐπὶ μέγα βάλλετο κῶας.
For her they set a chair beside the fire, where she was wont to sit, carved with ivory and silver, which once the craftsman Ikmalios had made, and he had joined to it a footstool beneath for her feet, upon which a great fleece was cast.
§19.59ἔνθα καθέζετʼ ἔπειτα περίφρων Πηνελόπεια.
There then wise Penelope sat down.
§19.60ἦλθον δὲ δμῳαὶ λευκώλενοι ἐκ μεγάροιο.
And the white-armed handmaids came out from the hall.
§19.61αἱ δʼ ἀπὸ μὲν σῖτον πολὺν ᾕρεον ἠδὲ τραπέζας §19.62καὶ δέπα, ἔνθεν ἄρʼ ἄνδρες ὑπερμενέοντες ἔπινον·
And they cleared away the abundant food, and the tables, and the cups from which the arrogant men had been drinking.
§19.63πῦρ δʼ ἀπὸ λαμπτήρων χαμάδις βάλον, ἄλλα δʼ ἐπʼ αὐτῶν §19.64νήησαν ξύλα πολλά, φόως ἔμεν ἠδὲ θέρεσθαι.
And they threw the fire from the braziers upon the ground, and piled upon them fresh wood in abundance, to give light and warmth.
§19.65ἡ δʼ Ὀδυσῆʼ ἐνένιπε Μελανθὼ δεύτερον αὖτις· §19.66ξεῖνʼ, ἔτι καὶ νῦν ἐνθάδʼ ἀνιήσεις διὰ νύκτα §19.67δινεύων κατὰ οἶκον, ὀπιπεύσεις δὲ γυναῖκας;
And Melantho chid Odysseus a second time: "Stranger, will you even now still plague us here through the night, roaming through the house, and spying on the women?
§19.68ἀλλʼ ἔξελθε θύραζε, τάλαν, καὶ δαιτὸς ὄνησο· §19.69ἢ τάχα καὶ δαλῷ βεβλημένος εἶσθα θύραζε.
Go forth, you wretch, and be content with your feast, or quickly you will be pelted with a torch and go outside."

Notes

  1. 19.6παρφάσθαι — The infinitive παρφάσθαι ("to soothe/beguile") can be construed as depending on χρή ("it is necessary") in line 4, but since it is set off by the conjunction αὐτάρ, it is more naturally interpreted as an "imperative infinitive" expressing an independent command.
  2. 19.28χοίνικος — A χοίνιξ (choenix) was a measure of capacity (about one liter), representing a man's daily ration of grain. Serving as the genitive object of the verb ἅπτομαι ("to touch/partake of"), it is used metaphorically here to refer to "one who partakes of my provisions," meaning the stranger.
  3. 19.29ἄπτερος ἔπλετο μῦθος — The expression "her word became unwinged" describes how the spoken words did not vanish into the air but remained deeply in her mind, signifying that she obeyed in silence without making any reply.
  4. 19.39ὡς εἰ πυρὸς αἰθομένοιο — The combination of ὡς εἰ ("as if") followed by the genitive noun πυρός and its participle αἰθομένοιο forms a genitive absolute construction, creating a simile: "as if of a blazing fire," to describe the hall illuminated by divine light.

Cite this passage

Homer, Odyssey §19.1-19.69. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:19.1-19.69

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