§22.285Κτήσιππον δʼ ἄρʼ ἔπειτα βοῶν ἐπιβουκόλος ἀνὴρ §22.286βεβλήκει πρὸς στῆθος, ἐπευχόμενος δὲ προσηύδα· §22.287ὦ Πολυθερσεΐδη φιλοκέρτομε, μή ποτε πάμπαν §22.288εἴκων ἀφραδίῃς μέγα εἰπεῖν, ἀλλὰ θεοῖσιν §22.289μῦθον ἐπιτρέψαι, ἐπεὶ ἦ πολὺ φέρτεροί εἰσι.
Then the herdsman of the cattle smote Ctesippus upon the breast, and spoke to him, exulting over him: "O son of Polytherses, lover of mockery, do not ever entirely yield to folly to speak big, but to the gods commit the matter, since indeed they are far stronger.
§22.290τοῦτό τοι ἀντὶ ποδὸς ξεινήϊον, ὅν ποτʼ ἔδωκας §22.291ἀντιθέῳ Ὀδυσῆϊ δόμον κάτʼ ἀλητεύοντι. §22.292ἦ ῥα βοῶν ἑλίκων ἐπιβουκόλος· αὐτὰρ Ὀδυσσεὺς §22.293οὖτα Δαμαστορίδην αὐτοσχεδὸν ἔγχεϊ μακρῷ.
This is thy guest-gift in return for the foot which once thou gavest to godlike Odysseus when he went begging through the hall." So spoke the herdsman of the crook-horned cattle; but Odysseus wounded the son of Damastor in close fight with his long spear.
§22.294Τηλέμαχος δʼ Εὐηνορίδην Λειώκριτον οὖτα §22.295δουρὶ μέσον κενεῶνα, διαπρὸ δὲ χαλκὸν ἔλασσεν· §22.296ἤριπε δὲ πρηνής, χθόνα δʼ ἤλασε παντὶ μετώπῳ.
And Telemachus wounded Leiocritus, son of Evenor, with his spear in the middle of the flank, and drove the bronze clean through; and he fell headlong and struck the ground with his whole forehead.
§22.297δὴ τότʼ Ἀθηναίη φθισίμβροτον αἰγίδʼ ἀνέσχεν §22.298ὑψόθεν ἐξ ὀροφῆς· τῶν δὲ φρένες ἐπτοίηθεν.
Then indeed Athena held up her destroying aegis from on high from the roof; and their minds were dismayed.
§22.299οἱ δʼ ἐφέβοντο κατὰ μέγαρον βόες ὣς ἀγελαῖαι· §22.300τὰς μέν τʼ αἰόλος οἶστρος ἐφορμηθεὶς ἐδόνησεν §22.301ὥρῃ ἐν εἰαρινῇ, ὅτε τʼ ἤματα μακρὰ πέλονται.
And they fled through the hall like herded cattle which the fleeting gadfly attacks and drives in confusion in the spring season when the days are long.
§22.302οἱ δʼ ὥς τʼ αἰγυπιοὶ γαμψώνυχες ἀγκυλοχεῖλαι, §22.303ἐξ ὀρέων ἐλθόντες ἐπʼ ὀρνίθεσσι θόρωσι· §22.304ταὶ μέν τʼ ἐν πεδίῳ νέφεα πτώσσουσαι ἵενται, §22.305οἱ δέ τε τὰς ὀλέκουσιν ἐπάλμενοι, οὐδέ τις ἀλκὴ §22.306γίγνεται οὐδὲ φυγή· χαίρουσι δέ τʼ ἀνέρες ἄγρῃ· §22.307ὣς ἄρα τοὶ μνηστῆρας ἐπεσσύμενοι κατὰ δῶμα §22.308τύπτον ἐπιστροφάδην· τῶν δὲ στόνος ὤρνυτʼ ἀεικὴς §22.309κράτων τυπτομένων, δάπεδον δʼ ἅπαν αἵματι θῦε.
And even as vultures with crooked talons and curved beaks, coming from the mountains, swoop upon the birds, which fly low, cowering beneath the clouds on the plain, but the vultures leap upon them and destroy them, nor is there any defense or escape; and men rejoice in the sport; so did they rush upon the suitors through the house and smote them on every side; and an unseemly groaning arose as their heads were smitten, and all the floor ran with blood.
§22.310Λειώδης δʼ Ὀδυσῆος ἐπεσσύμενος λάβε γούνων, §22.311καί μιν λισσόμενος ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα· §22.312γουνοῦμαί σʼ, Ὀδυσεῦ· σὺ δέ μʼ αἴδεο καί μʼ ἐλέησον·
But Leiodes rushed forward and clasped the knees of Odysseus, and besought him, and spoke winged words: "I supplicate thee, Odysseus; but do thou respect me and have mercy on me.
For I declare that I have never yet spoken or done any wanton thing to any of the women in thy halls; but I sought to restrain the other suitors, whosoever did such things.
ἀλλὰ καὶ ἄλλους §22.315παύεσκον μνηστῆρας, ὅτις τοιαῦτά γε ῥέζοι. §22.316ἀλλά μοι οὐ πείθοντο κακῶν ἄπο χεῖρας ἔχεσθαι· §22.317τῷ καὶ ἀτασθαλίῃσιν ἀεικέα πότμον ἐπέσπον.
But they would not listen to me to keep their hands from evil; therefore by their wantonness they have met an unseemly fate.
§22.318αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ μετὰ τοῖσι θυοσκόος οὐδὲν ἐοργὼς §22.319κείσομαι, ὡς οὐκ ἔστι χάρις μετόπισθʼ εὐεργέων· §22.320τὸν δʼ ἄρʼ ὑπόδρα ἰδὼν προσέφη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς· §22.321εἰ μὲν δὴ μετὰ τοῖσι θυοσκόος εὔχεαι εἶναι, §22.322πολλάκι που μέλλεις ἀρήμεναι ἐν μεγάροισι §22.323τηλοῦ ἐμοὶ νόστοιο τέλος γλυκεροῖο γενέσθαι, §22.324σοὶ δʼ ἄλοχόν τε φίλην σπέσθαι καὶ τέκνα τεκέσθαι· §22.325τῷ οὐκ ἂν θάνατόν γε δυσηλεγέα προφύγοισθα. §22.326ὣς ἄρα φωνήσας ξίφος εἵλετο χειρὶ παχείῃ §22.327κείμενον, ὅ ῥʼ Ἀγέλαος ἀποπροέηκε χαμᾶζε §22.328κτεινόμενος· τῷ τόν γε κατʼ αὐχένα μέσσον ἔλασσε.
But I, a priest among them, who have done no wrong, shall lie low, as there is no gratitude hereafter for good deeds." Then with an angry glance at him, Odysseus of many wiles spoke: "If indeed thou declarest that thou art a priest among them, often, I ween, thou must have prayed in the halls that the end of my sweet return might be far from me, and that my dear wife might follow thee and bear thee children; therefore thou shalt not escape bitter death." So he spoke, and took up in his thick hand the sword which Agelaus had let fall to the ground as he was slain; therewith he smote him full on the neck.
§22.329φθεγγομένου δʼ ἄρα τοῦ γε κάρη κονίῃσιν ἐμίχθη.
And even as he was speaking, his head was mingled with the dust.
§22.330Τερπιάδης δʼ ἔτʼ ἀοιδὸς ἀλύσκανε κῆρα μέλαιναν, §22.331Φήμιος, ὅς ῥʼ ἤειδε μετὰ μνηστῆρσιν ἀνάγκῃ.
But the minstrel, the son of Terpius, was still seeking to escape black fate, even Phemius, who sang among the suitors of necessity.
§22.332ἔστη δʼ ἐν χείρεσσίν ἔχων φόρμιγγα λίγειαν §22.333ἄγχι παρʼ ὀρσοθύρην· δίχα δὲ φρεσὶ μερμήριζεν, §22.334ἢ ἐκδὺς μεγάροιο Διὸς μεγάλου ποτὶ βωμὸν §22.335ἑρκείου ἵζοιτο τετυγμένον, ἔνθʼ ἄρα πολλὰ §22.336Λαέρτης Ὀδυσεύς τε βοῶν ἐπὶ μηρίʼ ἔκηαν, §22.337ἦ γούνων λίσσοιτο προσαΐξας Ὀδυσῆα.
He stood holding the clear-toned lyre in his hands near the postern door, and pondered twofold in his heart, whether he should go out from the hall and sit by the well-built altar of great Zeus, protector of the court, whereon Laertes and Odysseus had burned many thighs of oxen, or whether he should rush forward and clasp the knees of Odysseus in prayer.
And as he pondered, this seemed to him the better way, to clasp the knees of Odysseus, son of Laertes.
§22.340ἦ τοι ὁ φόρμιγγα γλαφυρὴν κατέθηκε χαμᾶζε §22.341μεσσηγὺς κρητῆρος ἰδὲ θρόνου ἀργυροήλου, §22.342αὐτὸς δʼ αὖτʼ Ὀδυσῆα προσαΐξας λάβε γούνων, §22.343καί μιν λισσόμενος ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα· §22.344γουνοῦμαί σʼ, Ὀδυσεῦ· σὺ δέ μʼ αἴδεο καί μʼ ἐλέησον·
So he laid the hollow lyre on the ground between the mixing-bowl and the silver-studded chair, and he himself rushed forward and clasped the knees of Odysseus, and besought him, and spoke winged words: "I supplicate thee, Odysseus; but do thou respect me and have mercy on me.
§22.345αὐτῷ τοι μετόπισθʼ ἄχος ἔσσεται, εἴ κεν ἀοιδὸν §22.346πέφνῃς, ὅς τε θεοῖσι καὶ ἀνθρώποισιν ἀείδω.
To thine own self hereafter will there be sorrow, if thou slayest a minstrel, who sings to gods and men.
§22.347αὐτοδίδακτος δʼ εἰμί, θεὸς δέ μοι ἐν φρεσὶν οἴμας §22.348παντοίας ἐνέφυσεν· ἔοικα δέ τοι παραείδειν §22.349ὥς τε θεῷ· τῷ μή με λιλαίεο δειροτομῆσαι.
I am self-taught, and a god has planted in my heart paths of song of every kind; and I am fit to sing before thee as before a god; therefore do not desire to cut my throat.
§22.350καί κεν Τηλέμαχος τάδε γʼ εἴποι, σὸς φίλος υἱός, §22.351ὡς ἐγὼ οὔ τι ἑκὼν ἐς σὸν δόμον οὐδὲ χατίζων §22.352πωλεύμην μνηστῆρσιν ἀεισόμενος μετὰ δαῖτας, §22.353ἀλλὰ πολὺ πλέονες καὶ κρείσσονες ἦγον ἀνάγκῃ. §22.354ὣς φάτο, τοῦ δʼ ἤκουσʼ ἱερὴ ἲς Τηλεμάχοιο, §22.355αἶψα δʼ ἑὸν πατέρα προσεφώνεεν ἐγγὺς ἐόντα· §22.356ἴσχεο μηδέ τι τοῦτον ἀναίτιον οὔταε χαλκῷ·
And Telemachus too would say this, thy dear son, how I was not at all willing or in need when I frequented thy house to sing to the suitors after their feasts, but they, being far more and stronger, brought me by constraint." So he spoke, and the holy strength of Telemachus heard him, and quickly spoke to his father who was near: "Hold thy hand, and do not wound this guiltless man with the bronze."