§22.429εἴπω σῇ ἀλόχῳ, τῇ τις θεὸς ὕπνον ἐπῶρσε. §22.430τὴν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς §22.431μή πω τήνδʼ ἐπέγειρε· σὺ δʼ ἐνθάδε εἰπὲ γυναιξὶν §22.432ἐλθέμεν, αἵ περ πρόσθεν ἀεικέα μηχανόωντο. §22.433ὣς ἄρʼ ἔφη, γρηῢς δὲ διὲκ μεγάροιο βεβήκει §22.434ἀγγελέουσα γυναιξὶ καὶ ὀτρυνέουσα νέεσθαι.
to tell thy wife, upon whom some god has sent sleep." Then Odysseus of many wiles answered her and said: "Wake her not yet; but do thou bid the women hither to come, even those who before devised unseemly deeds." So he spoke, and the old dame went forth through the hall to bear tidings to the women and to bid them come.
§22.435αὐτὰρ ὁ Τηλέμαχον καὶ βουκόλον ἠδὲ συβώτην §22.436εἰς ἓ καλεσσάμενος ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα· §22.437ἄρχετε νῦν νέκυας φορέειν καὶ ἄνωχθε γυναῖκας· §22.438αὐτὰρ ἔπειτα θρόνους περικαλλέας ἠδὲ τραπέζας §22.439ὕδατι καὶ σπόγγοισι πολυτρήτοισι καθαίρειν.
But he called Telemachus and the neatherd and the swineherd to himself, and spoke to them winged words: "Begin now to carry out the dead, and bid the women do so too; and thereafter cleanse the beautiful chairs and the tables with water and with porous sponges.
§22.440αὐτὰρ ἐπὴν δὴ πάντα δόμον κατακοσμήσησθε, §22.441δμῳὰς ἐξαγαγόντες ἐϋσταθέος μεγάροιο, §22.442μεσσηγύς τε θόλου καὶ ἀμύμονος ἕρκεος αὐλῆς, §22.443θεινέμεναι ξίφεσιν τανυήκεσιν, εἰς ὅ κε πασέων §22.444ψυχὰς ἐξαφέλησθε καὶ ἐκλελάθωντʼ Ἀφροδίτης, §22.445τὴν ἄρʼ ὑπὸ μνηστῆρσιν ἔχον μίσγοντό τε λάθρη. §22.446ὣς ἔφαθʼ, αἱ δὲ γυναῖκες ἀολλέες ἦλθον ἅπασαι, §22.447αἴνʼ ὀλοφυρόμεναι, θαλερὸν κατὰ δάκρυ χέουσαι.
But when ye have set all the house in order, lead the handmaidens forth from the well-built hall, between the dome and the faultless wall of the court, and strike them down with your long-edged swords, until of all of them ye take away the life, and they forget the love of Aphrodite, which they had in secret when they lay with the suitors." So he spoke, and the women came all in a body, wailing terribly and shedding big tears.
§22.448πρῶτα μὲν οὖν νέκυας φόρεον κατατεθνηῶτας, §22.449κὰδ δʼ ἄρʼ ὑπʼ αἰθούσῃ τίθεσαν εὐερκέος αὐλῆς, §22.450ἀλλήλοισιν ἐρείδουσαι· σήμαινε δʼ Ὀδυσσεὺς §22.451αὐτὸς ἐπισπέρχων· ταὶ δʼ ἐκφόρεον καὶ ἀνάγκῃ.
First then they carried out the bodies of the dead, and laid them down beneath the portico of the well-fenced court, propping them one against another; and Odysseus himself gave them direction, hastening them on, and they carried them out of necessity.
§22.452αὐτὰρ ἔπειτα θρόνους περικαλλέας ἠδὲ τραπέζας §22.453ὕδατι καὶ σπόγγοισι πολυτρήτοισι κάθαιρον.
And thereafter they cleansed the beautiful chairs and the tables with water and with porous sponges.
§22.454αὐτὰρ Τηλέμαχος καὶ βουκόλος ἠδὲ συβώτῃς §22.455λίστροισιν δάπεδον πύκα ποιητοῖο δόμοιο §22.456ξῦον· ταὶ δʼ ἐφόρεον δμῳαί, τίθεσαν δὲ θύραζε.
But Telemachus and the neatherd and the swineherd scraped with shovels the floor of the well-built house, and the handmaidens carried the scrapings and cast them out of doors.
§22.457αὐτὰρ ἐπειδὴ πᾶν μέγαρον διεκοσμήσαντο, §22.458δμῳὰς δʼ ἐξαγαγόντες ἐϋσταθέος μεγάροιο, §22.459μεσσηγύς τε θόλου καὶ ἀμύμονος ἕρκεος αὐλῆς, §22.460εἴλεον ἐν στείνει, ὅθεν οὔ πως ἦεν ἀλύξαι.
But when they had set the whole hall in order, they led the handmaidens forth from the well-built hall, between the dome and the faultless wall of the court, and pent them up in a narrow space, whence there was no way to escape.
§22.461τοῖσι δὲ Τηλέμαχος πεπνυμένος ἦρχʼ ἀγορεύειν· §22.462μὴ μὲν δὴ καθαρῷ θανάτῳ ἀπὸ θυμὸν ἑλοίμην §22.463τάων, αἳ δὴ ἐμῇ κεφαλῇ κατʼ ὀνείδεα χεῦαν §22.464μητέρι θʼ ἡμετέρῃ παρά τε μνηστῆρσιν ἴαυον. §22.465ὣς ἄρʼ ἔφη, καὶ πεῖσμα νεὸς κυανοπρῴροιο §22.466κίονος ἐξάψας μεγάλης περίβαλλε θόλοιο, §22.467ὑψόσʼ ἐπεντανύσας, μή τις ποσὶν οὖδας ἵκοιτο.
Then wise Telemachus was the first to speak to them: "By no clean death would I take the lives of these women, who have poured insults upon my head and upon our mother, and were wont to sleep with the suitors." So he spoke, and tied the cable of a dark-prowed ship to a great pillar, and cast it round the dome, stretching it high up, that none might reach the ground with her feet.
§22.468ὡς δʼ ὅτʼ ἂν ἢ κίχλαι τανυσίπτεροι ἠὲ πέλειαι §22.469ἕρκει ἐνιπλήξωσι, τό θʼ ἑστήκῃ ἐνὶ θάμνῳ, §22.470αὖλιν ἐσιέμεναι, στυγερὸς δʼ ὑπεδέξατο κοῖτος, §22.471ὣς αἵ γʼ ἑξείης κεφαλὰς ἔχον, ἀμφὶ δὲ πάσαις §22.472δειρῇσι βρόχοι ἦσαν, ὅπως οἴκτιστα θάνοιεν.
And as when long-winged thrushes or doves fall into a snare that is set in a thicket as they seek their roosting-place, and a hateful bed receives them, so these held their heads in a row, and round the necks of all were nooses, that they might die most piteously.
§22.473ἤσπαιρον δὲ πόδεσσι μίνυνθά περ οὔ τι μάλα δήν.
And they gasped with their feet for a little space, but not for long.
§22.474ἐκ δὲ Μελάνθιον ἦγον ἀνὰ πρόθυρόν τε καὶ αὐλήν· §22.475τοῦ δʼ ἀπὸ μὲν ῥῖνάς τε καὶ οὔατα νηλέϊ χαλκῷ §22.476τάμνον, μήδεά τʼ ἐξέρυσαν, κυσὶν ὠμὰ δάσασθαι, §22.477χεῖράς τʼ ἠδὲ πόδας κόπτον κεκοτηότι θυμῷ.
And they led Melanthius out through the doorway and the court; his nose and his ears they cut off with the pitiless bronze, and drew out his vitals for the dogs to eat raw, and cut off his hands and his feet in the anger of their hearts.
§22.478οἱ μὲν ἔπειτʼ ἀπονιψάμενοι χεῖράς τε πόδας τε §22.479εἰς Ὀδυσῆα δόμονδε κίον, τετέλεστο δὲ ἔργον·
Thereupon they washed their hands and their feet and went into the house of Odysseus, and the work was done.
§22.480αὐτὰρ ὅ γε προσέειπε φίλην τροφὸν Εὐρύκλειαν· §22.481οἶσε θέειον, γρηΰ, κακῶν ἄκος, οἶσε δέ μοι πῦρ, §22.482ὄφρα θεειώσω μέγαρον· σὺ δὲ Πηνελόπειαν §22.483ἐλθεῖν ἐνθάδʼ ἄνωχθι σὺν ἀμφιπόλοισι γυναιξί· §22.484πάσας δʼ ὄτρυνον δμῳὰς κατὰ δῶμα νέεσθαι. §22.485τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε φίλη τροφὸς Εὐρύκλεια· §22.486ναὶ δὴ ταῦτά γε, τέκνον ἐμόν, κατὰ μοῖραν ἔειπες.
But he spoke to the dear nurse Eurycleia: "Bring sulphur, old dame, the cure of ills, and bring me fire, that I may sulphur the hall; and do thou bid Penelope to come hither with her handmaidens, and bid all the handmaidens in the house to come." Then the dear nurse Eurycleia spoke to him in turn: "Yea, in truth, my child, thou hast spoken aright.
§22.487ἀλλʼ ἄγε τοι χλαῖνάν τε χιτῶνά τε εἵματʼ ἐνείκω, §22.488μηδʼ οὕτω ῥάκεσιν πεπυκασμένος εὐρέας ὤμους §22.489ἕσταθʼ ἐνὶ μεγάροισι· νεμεσσητὸν δέ κεν εἴη. §22.490τὴν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς· §22.491πῦρ νῦν μοι πρώτιστον ἐνὶ μεγάροισι γενέσθω. §22.492ὣς ἔφατʼ, οὐδʼ ἀπίθησε φίλη τροφὸς Εὐρύκλεια, §22.493ἤνεικεν δʼ ἄρα πῦρ καὶ θήϊον· αὐτὰρ Ὀδυσσεὺς §22.494εὖ διεθείωσεν μέγαρον καὶ δῶμα καὶ αὐλήν.
But come, let me bring thee a cloak and a tunic for raiment, and stand not thus in the halls with thy broad shoulders covered only with rags; that would indeed be a cause for indignation." Then Odysseus of many wiles answered her and said: "First of all let a fire be made for me in the hall." So he spoke, and the dear nurse Eurycleia did not disobey, but brought fire and sulphur; and Odysseus thoroughly sulphured the hall and the house and the court.
§22.495γρηῢς δʼ αὖτʼ ἀπέβη διὰ δώματα κάλʼ Ὀδυσῆος §22.496ἀγγελέουσα γυναιξὶ καὶ ὀτρυνέουσα νέεσθαι· §22.497αἱ δʼ ἴσαν ἐκ μεγάροιο δάος μετὰ χερσὶν ἔχουσαι.
Then the old dame went back through the beautiful house of Odysseus to bear tidings to the women and to bid them come; and they came forth from the hall with torches in their hands.
§22.498αἱ μὲν ἄρʼ ἀμφεχέοντο καὶ ἠσπάζοντʼ Ὀδυσῆα, §22.499καὶ κύνεον ἀγαπαξόμεναι κεφαλήν τε καὶ ὤμους §22.500χεῖράς τʼ αἰνύμεναι· τὸν δὲ γλυκὺς ἵμερος ᾕρει §22.501κλαυθμοῦ καὶ στοναχῆς, γίγνωσκε δʼ ἄρα φρεσὶ πάσας.
They poured round Odysseus and embraced him, and kissed his head and his shoulders in loving welcome, and clasped his hands; and a sweet longing seized him to weep and wail, for in his heart he knew them all.