§2.217ἐκ Διός, ἥ τε μάλιστα φέρει κλέος ἀνθρώποισιν·
from Zeus, which indeed especially brings fame to men.
§2.218εἰ μέν κεν πατρὸς βίοτον καὶ νόστον ἀκούσω, §2.219ἦ τʼ ἄν, τρυχόμενός περ, ἔτι τλαίην ἐνιαυτόν·
If indeed I shall hear of the life and return of my father, then truly, though worn out, I would still endure for another year.
§2.220εἰ δέ κε τεθνηῶτος ἀκούσω μηδʼ ἔτʼ ἐόντος, §2.221νοστήσας δὴ ἔπειτα φίλην ἐς πατρίδα γαῖαν §2.222σῆμά τέ οἱ χεύω καὶ ἐπὶ κτέρεα κτερεΐξω §2.223πολλὰ μάλʼ, ὅσσα ἔοικε, καὶ ἀνέρι μητέρα δώσω. §2.224ἦ τοι ὅ γʼ ὣς εἰπὼν κατʼ ἄρʼ ἕζετο, τοῖσι δʼ ἀνέστη §2.225Μέντωρ, ὅς ῥʼ Ὀδυσῆος ἀμύμονος ἦεν ἑταῖρος, §2.226καί οἱ ἰὼν ἐν νηυσὶν ἐπέτρεπεν οἶκον ἅπαντα, §2.227πείθεσθαί τε γέροντι καὶ ἔμπεδα πάντα φυλάσσειν·
But if I shall hear that he is dead and no longer living, then returning to my dear native land, I will heap up a mound for him and pay funeral rites, very many, such as are fitting, and I will give my mother to a husband." He indeed, having spoken thus, sat down; and among them rose up Mentor, who was the companion of noble Odysseus, and to whom, as he went on the ships, Odysseus entrusted all his house, that they should obey the old man and keep all things secure.
§2.228ὅ σφιν ἐὺ φρονέων ἀγορήσατο καὶ μετέειπεν· §2.229κέκλυτε δὴ νῦν μευ, Ἰθακήσιοι, ὅττι κεν εἴπω· §2.230μή τις ἔτι πρόφρων ἀγανὸς καὶ ἤπιος ἔστω §2.231σκηπτοῦχος βασιλεύς, μηδὲ φρεσὶν αἴσιμα εἰδώς, §2.232ἀλλʼ αἰεὶ χαλεπός τʼ εἴη καὶ αἴσυλα ῥέζοι· §2.233ὡς οὔ τις μέμνηται Ὀδυσσῆος θείοιο §2.234λαῶν οἷσιν ἄνασσε, πατὴρ δʼ ὣς ἤπιος ἦεν.
He with well-meaning mind addressed them and spoke: "Hearken now to me, Ithacans, to what I shall say; let no sceptre-bearing king hereafter be purposely gentle and kind, nor let him know what is right in his mind, but let him always be harsh and do unrighteous deeds; since no one remembers divine Odysseus among the people whom he ruled, and he was gentle as a father.
§2.235ἀλλʼ ἦ τοι μνηστῆρας ἀγήνορας οὔ τι μεγαίρω §2.236ἔρδειν ἔργα βίαια κακορραφίῃσι νόοιο· §2.237σφὰς γὰρ παρθέμενοι κεφαλὰς κατέδουσι βιαίως §2.238οἶκον Ὀδυσσῆος, τὸν δʼ οὐκέτι φασὶ νέεσθαι.
But indeed I do not grudge the proud suitors doing violent deeds in the wickedness of their minds; for risking their own lives they violently devour the house of Odysseus, saying that he will no longer return.
§2.239νῦν δʼ ἄλλῳ δήμῳ νεμεσίζομαι, οἷον ἅπαντες §2.240ἧσθʼ ἄνεῳ, ἀτὰρ οὔ τι καθαπτόμενοι ἐπέεσσι §2.241παύρους μνηστῆρας καταπαύετε πολλοὶ ἐόντες. §2.242τὸν δʼ Εὐηνορίδης Λειώκριτος ἀντίον ηὔδα· §2.243Μέντορ ἀταρτηρέ, φρένας ἠλεέ, ποῖον ἔειπες §2.244ἡμέας ὀτρύνων καταπαυέμεν.
But now I am angry with the rest of the people, because you all sit in silence, and not at all rebuking them with words do you, being many, check the suitors who are few." Then Leiocritus, son of Evenor, answered him: "Troublesome Mentor, foolish in mind, what a word have you spoken, urging them to check us!
ἀργαλέον δὲ §2.245ἀνδράσι καὶ πλεόνεσσι μαχήσασθαι περὶ δαιτί.
And it is hard even for more numerous men to fight over a feast.
§2.246εἴ περ γάρ κʼ Ὀδυσεὺς Ἰθακήσιος αὐτὸς ἐπελθὼν §2.247δαινυμένους κατὰ δῶμα ἑὸν μνηστῆρας ἀγαυοὺς §2.248ἐξελάσαι μεγάροιο μενοινήσειʼ ἐνὶ θυμῷ, §2.249οὔ κέν οἱ κεχάροιτο γυνή, μάλα περ χατέουσα, §2.250ἐλθόντʼ, ἀλλά κεν αὐτοῦ ἀεικέα πότμον ἐπίσποι, §2.251εἰ πλεόνεσσι μάχοιτο· σὺ δʼ οὐ κατὰ μοῖραν ἔειπες.
For even if Ithacan Odysseus himself should come and find the proud suitors feasting in his house, and should desire in his heart to drive them out of the hall, his wife would have no joy in his coming, though she longs for him ever so much, but here he would meet an unseemly fate, if he should fight with more numerous men; and you have not spoken rightly.
§2.252ἀλλʼ ἄγε, λαοὶ μὲν σκίδνασθʼ ἐπὶ ἔργα ἕκαστος, §2.253τούτῳ δʼ ὀτρυνέει Μέντωρ ὁδὸν ἠδʼ Ἁλιθέρσης, §2.254οἵ τέ οἱ ἐξ ἀρχῆς πατρώιοί εἰσιν ἑταῖροι.
But come, let the people scatter, each to his own work, and for this man, Mentor and Halitherses will speed his journey, who from the beginning are his father's companions.
§2.255ἀλλʼ ὀίω, καὶ δηθὰ καθήμενος ἀγγελιάων §2.256πεύσεται εἰν Ἰθάκῃ, τελέει δʼ ὁδὸν οὔ ποτε ταύτην. §2.257ὣς ἄρʼ ἐφώνησεν, λῦσεν δʼ ἀγορὴν αἰψηρήν.
But I think that sitting long in Ithaca, he will inquire of news, and will never accomplish this journey." So he spoke, and dissolved the assembly quickly.
§2.258οἱ μὲν ἄρʼ ἐσκίδναντο ἑὰ πρὸς δώμαθʼ ἕκαστος, §2.259μνηστῆρες δʼ ἐς δώματʼ ἴσαν θείου Ὀδυσῆος.
They indeed scattered, each to his own house, and the suitors went to the house of divine Odysseus.
§2.260Τηλέμαχος δʼ ἀπάνευθε κιὼν ἐπὶ θῖνα θαλάσσης, §2.261χεῖρας νιψάμενος πολιῆς ἁλὸς εὔχετʼ Ἀθήνῃ· §2.262κλῦθί μευ, ὃ χθιζὸς θεὸς ἤλυθες ἡμέτερον δῶ §2.263καί μʼ ἐν νηὶ κέλευσας ἐπʼ ἠεροειδέα πόντον §2.264νόστον πευσόμενον πατρὸς δὴν οἰχομένοιο §2.265ἔρχεσθαι· τὰ δὲ πάντα διατρίβουσιν Ἀχαιοί, §2.266μνηστῆρες δὲ μάλιστα κακῶς ὑπερηνορέοντες. §2.267ὣς ἔφατʼ εὐχόμενος, σχεδόθεν δέ οἱ ἦλθεν Ἀθήνη, §2.268Μέντορι εἰδομένη ἠμὲν δέμας ἠδὲ καὶ αὐδήν, §2.269καί μιν φωνήσασʼ ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα· §2.270Τηλέμαχʼ, οὐδʼ ὄπιθεν κακὸς ἔσσεαι οὐδʼ ἀνοήμων, §2.271εἰ δή τοι σοῦ πατρὸς ἐνέστακται μένος ἠύ, §2.272οἷος κεῖνος ἔην τελέσαι ἔργον τε ἔπος τε· §2.273οὔ τοι ἔπειθʼ ἁλίη ὁδὸς ἔσσεται οὐδʼ ἀτέλεστος.
But Telemachus, going apart to the shore of the sea, having washed his hands in the grey sea, prayed to Athena: "Hear me, you who came yesterday as a god to our house and bade me go in a ship over the misty deep to inquire of the return of my father, who has long been gone; but the Achaeans delay all these things, and especially the suitors in their evil arrogance." So he spoke in prayer, and Athena came near to him, likening herself to Mentor both in form and voice, and speaking to him she addressed him with winged words: "Telemachus, neither hereafter will you be a coward or foolish, if indeed the goodly might of your father is instilled in you, such as he was to accomplish both deed and word; then your journey will not be in vain or unaccomplished.
§2.274εἰ δʼ οὐ κείνου γʼ ἐσσὶ γόνος καὶ Πηνελοπείης, §2.275οὐ σέ γʼ ἔπειτα ἔολπα τελευτήσειν, ἃ μενοινᾷς.
But if you are not the offspring of him and Penelope, then I do not expect that you will accomplish what you desire.
§2.276παῦροι γάρ τοι παῖδες ὁμοῖοι πατρὶ πέλονται, §2.277οἱ πλέονες κακίους, παῦροι δέ τε πατρὸς ἀρείους.
For few children indeed are like their father; the more part are worse, and few are better than their father.
§2.278ἀλλʼ ἐπεὶ οὐδʼ ὄπιθεν κακὸς ἔσσεαι οὐδʼ ἀνοήμων, §2.279οὐδέ σε πάγχυ γε μῆτις Ὀδυσσῆος προλέλοιπεν, §2.280ἐλπωρή τοι ἔπειτα τελευτῆσαι τάδε ἔργα.
But since neither hereafter will you be a coward or foolish, nor has the wisdom of Odysseus entirely failed you, you have hope then to accomplish these deeds.
§2.281τῶ νῦν μνηστήρων μὲν ἔα βουλήν τε νόον τε §2.282ἀφραδέων, ἐπεὶ οὔ τι νοήμονες οὐδὲ δίκαιοι· §2.283οὐδέ τι ἴσασιν θάνατον καὶ κῆρα μέλαιναν, §2.284ὃς δή σφι σχεδόν ἐστιν, ἐπʼ ἤματι πάντας ὀλέσθαι.
Therefore now let be the counsel and mind of the foolish suitors, since they are not at all wise or just; nor do they know anything of death and black fate, which is indeed near them, that all should perish in one day.
§2.285σοὶ δʼ ὁδὸς οὐκέτι δηρὸν ἀπέσσεται ἣν σὺ μενοινᾷς· §2.286τοῖος γάρ τοι ἑταῖρος ἐγὼ πατρώιός εἰμι, §2.287ὅς τοι νῆα θοὴν στελέω καὶ ἅμʼ ἕψομαι αὐτός.
But for you, the journey you desire will no longer be far off; for such a companion of your father am I to you, who will equip a swift ship for you and myself follow with you.