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Homer · Odyssey §23.223-23.296

The Prolonged Night and Teiresias' Prophecy

Passage 164 of 173 · Greek

Summary

Penelope finally recognizes Odysseus as her husband, and they embrace with tears. While Athena prolongs the night, Odysseus tells her of his future trials and final peaceful death prophesied by Teiresias, and they happily return to their ancient marriage bed.

§23.223τὴν δʼ ἄτην οὐ πρόσθεν ἑῷ ἐγκάτθετο θυμῷ §23.224λυγρήν, ἐξ ἧς πρῶτα καὶ ἡμέας ἵκετο πένθος.
She did not beforehand lay up in her own heart that grievous ruin, from which first grief came also upon us.
§23.225νῦν δʼ, ἐπεὶ ἤδη σήματʼ ἀριφραδέα κατέλεξας §23.226εὐνῆς ἡμετέρης, ἣν οὐ βροτὸς ἄλλος ὀπώπει, §23.227ἀλλʼ οἶοι σύ τʼ ἐγώ τε καὶ ἀμφίπολος μία μούνη, §23.228Ἀκτορίς, ἥν μοι δῶκε πατὴρ ἔτι δεῦρο κιούσῃ, §23.229ἣ νῶϊν εἴρυτο θύρας πυκινοῦ θαλάμοιο, §23.230πείθεις δή μευ θυμόν, ἀπηνέα περ μάλʼ ἐόντα. §23.231ὣς φάτο, τῷ δʼ ἔτι μᾶλλον ὑφʼ ἵμερον ὦρσε γόοιο· §23.232κλαῖε δʼ ἔχων ἄλοχον θυμαρέα, κεδνὰ ἰδυῖαν.
But now, since you have told the clear signs of our bed, which no other mortal has seen, but only you and I, and one single handmaid, Actoris, whom my father gave me when I came here, she who guarded for us the doors of our strong bridal chamber— now you convince my heart, though it be very stubborn." So she spoke, and in him she stirred still more the desire for weeping; and he wept, holding his beloved, true-hearted wife.
§23.233ὡς δʼ ὅτʼ ἂν ἀσπάσιος γῆ νηχομένοισι φανήῃ, §23.234ὧν τε Ποσειδάων εὐεργέα νῆʼ ἐνὶ πόντῳ §23.235ῥαίσῃ, ἐπειγομένην ἀνέμῳ καὶ κύματι πηγῷ· §23.236παῦροι δʼ ἐξέφυγον πολιῆς ἁλὸς ἤπειρόνδε §23.237νηχόμενοι, πολλὴ δὲ περὶ χροῒ τέτροφεν ἅλμη, §23.238ἀσπάσιοι δʼ ἐπέβαν γαίης, κακότητα φυγόντες· §23.239ὣς ἄρα τῇ ἀσπαστὸς ἔην πόσις εἰσοροώσῃ, §23.240δειρῆς δʼ οὔ πω πάμπαν ἀφίετο πήχεε λευκώ.
And as when land is welcome to swimming men, whose well-built ship Poseidon has wrecked in the sea, driven by the wind and the swollen wave; and a few have escaped from the grey sea to the mainland by swimming, and much brine has crusted on their flesh, and welcome they step upon the land, escaping ruin— even so welcome to her was her husband as she gazed upon him, and she could in no wise let her white arms go from his neck.
§23.241καί νύ κʼ ὀδυρομένοισι φάνη ῥοδοδάκτυλος Ἠώς, §23.242εἰ μὴ ἄρʼ ἄλλʼ ἐνόησε θεὰ γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη.
And now rose-fingered Dawn would have shone upon them weeping, had not the goddess, flashing-eyed Athena, thought of another thing.
§23.243νύκτα μὲν ἐν περάτῃ δολιχὴν σχέθεν, Ἠῶ δʼ αὖτε §23.244ῥύσατʼ ἐπʼ Ὠκεανῷ χρυσόθρονον, οὐδʼ ἔα ἵππους §23.245ζεύγνυσθʼ ὠκύποδας, φάος ἀνθρώποισι φέροντας, §23.246Λάμπον καὶ Φαέθονθʼ, οἵ τʼ Ἠῶ πῶλοι ἄγουσι.
She held the long night back at its limit, and Dawn of the golden throne she held at Oceanus, and did not suffer her to yoke her swift-footed horses that bring light to men, Lampus and Phaethon, the colts that bear Dawn.
§23.247καὶ τότʼ ἄρʼ ἣν ἄλοχον προσέφη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς §23.248ὦ γύναι, οὐ γάρ πω πάντων ἐπὶ πείρατʼ ἀέθλων §23.249ἤλθομεν, ἀλλʼ ἔτʼ ὄπισθεν ἀμέτρητος πόνος ἔσται, §23.250πολλὸς καὶ χαλεπός, τὸν ἐμὲ χρὴ πάντα τελέσσαι.
And then wise Odysseus spoke to his wife: "O wife, we have not yet come to the end of all our trials, but still hereafter there shall be measureless toil, much and hard, which I must perform to the end.
§23.251ὣς γάρ μοι ψυχὴ μαντεύσατο Τειρεσίαο §23.252ἤματι τῷ ὅτε δὴ κατέβην δόμον Ἄϊδος εἴσω, §23.253νόστον ἑταίροισιν διζήμενος ἠδʼ ἐμοὶ αὐτῷ.
For so the soul of Teiresias prophesied to me on the day when I went down into the house of Hades, seeking a return for my comrades and for myself.
§23.254ἀλλʼ ἔρχευ, λέκτρονδʼ ἴομεν, γύναι, ὄφρα καὶ ἤδη §23.255ὕπνῳ ὕπο γλυκερῷ ταρπώμεθα κοιμηθέντε. §23.256τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε περίφρων Πηνελόπεια· §23.257εὐνὴ μὲν δή σοί γε τότʼ ἔσσεται ὁππότε θυμῷ §23.258σῷ ἐθέλῃς, ἐπεὶ ἄρ σε θεοὶ ποίησαν ἱκέσθαι §23.259οἶκον ἐϋκτίμενον καὶ σὴν ἐς πατρίδα γαῖαν·
But come, let us go to bed, wife, that even now we may find sweet sleep and take our rest." Then wise Penelope answered him: "Your bed shall be ready for you whenever you desire it in your heart, since the gods have indeed made you return to your well-built house and to your native land.
§23.260ἀλλʼ ἐπεὶ ἐφράσθης καί τοι θεὸς ἔμβαλε θυμῷ, §23.261εἴπʼ ἄγε μοι τὸν ἄεθλον, ἐπεὶ καὶ ὄπισθεν, ὀΐω, §23.262πεύσομαι, αὐτίκα δʼ ἐστὶ δαήμεναι οὔ τι χέρειον. §23.263τὴν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς· §23.264δαιμονίη, τί τʼ ἄρʼ αὖ με μάλʼ ὀτρύνουσα κελεύεις
But since you have thought of this, and a god has put it into your heart, come, tell me of this trial; since hereafter, I think, I shall learn of it, and to know it at once is no worse thing." And wise Odysseus answered her, saying: "Strange woman, why do you so urgently bid me speak?
§23.265εἰπέμεν; αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ μυθήσομαι οὐδʼ ἐπικεύσω.
Yet I will tell you and hide nothing.
§23.266οὐ μέν τοι θυμὸς κεχαρήσεται· οὐδὲ γὰρ αὐτὸς §23.267χαίρω, ἐπεὶ μάλα πολλὰ βροτῶν ἐπὶ ἄστεʼ ἄνωγεν §23.268ἐλθεῖν, ἐν χείρεσσιν ἔχοντʼ εὐῆρες ἐρετμόν, §23.269εἰς ὅ κε τοὺς ἀφίκωμαι οἳ οὐκ ἴσασι θάλασσαν §23.270ἀνέρες, οὐδέ θʼ ἅλεσσι μεμιγμένον εἶδαρ ἔδουσιν· §23.271οὐδʼ ἄρα τοί γʼ ἴσασι νέας φοινικοπαρῄους, §23.272οὐδʼ εὐήρεʼ ἐρετμά, τά τε πτερὰ νηυσὶ πέλονται.
Your heart indeed will not be glad, for I myself do not rejoice, since he bade me go to many cities of men, holding a well-shapen oar in my hands, until I come to men who know not the sea, and eat no food mixed with salt; nor do they know red-cheeked ships, nor well-shapen oars, which are the wings of ships.
§23.273σῆμα δέ μοι τόδʼ ἔειπεν ἀριφραδές, οὐδέ σε κεύσω· §23.274ὁππότε κεν δή μοι ξυμβλήμενος ἄλλος ὁδίτης §23.275φήῃ ἀθηρηλοιγὸν ἔχειν ἀνὰ φαιδίμῳ ὤμῳ, §23.276καὶ τότε μʼ ἐν γαίῃ πήξαντʼ ἐκέλευεν ἐρετμόν, §23.277ἔρξανθʼ ἱερὰ καλὰ Ποσειδάωνι ἄνακτι, §23.278ἀρνειὸν ταῦρόν τε συῶν τʼ ἐπιβήτορα κάπρον, §23.279οἴκαδʼ ἀποστείχειν, ἔρδειν θʼ ἱερὰς ἑκατόμβας §23.280ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖσι, τοὶ οὐρανὸν εὐρὺν ἔχουσι, §23.281πᾶσι μάλʼ ἑξείης·
And he told me this clear sign, and I will not hide it from you: when another wayfarer meeting me shall say that I have a winnowing fan on my bright shoulder, then he bade me plant my oar in the earth, and offer rich sacrifices to lord Poseidon, a ram, a bull, and a boar that mates with sows, and then depart for home, and offer sacred hecatombs to the immortal gods who hold broad heaven, to all in order.
θάνατος δέ μοι ἐξ ἁλὸς αὐτῷ §23.282ἀβληχρὸς μάλα τοῖος ἐλεύσεται, ὅς κέ με πέφνῃ §23.283γήρα’ ὕπο λιπαρῷ ἀρημένον· ἀμφὶ δὲ λαοὶ §23.284ὄλβιοι ἔσσονται·
And death shall come to me myself from the sea, a death so very gentle, which shall lay me low when I am overcome by sleek old age; and the people about me shall be prosperous.
τὰ δέ μοι φάτο πάντα τελεῖσθαι. §23.285τὸν δʼ αὖτε προσέειπε περίφρων Πηνελόπεια· §23.286εἰ μὲν δὴ γῆράς γε θεοὶ τελέουσιν ἄρειον, §23.287ἐλπωρή τοι ἔπειτα κακῶν ὑπάλυξιν ἔσεσθαι. §23.288ὣς οἱ μὲν τοιαῦτα πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἀγόρευον· §23.289τόφρα δʼ ἄρʼ Εὐρυνόμη τε ἰδὲ τροφὸς ἔντυον εὐνὴν §23.290ἐσθῆτος μαλακῆς, δαΐδων ὕπο λαμπομενάων.
All these things he said should be fulfilled." Then wise Penelope answered him: "If indeed the gods make your old age better, then there is hope that there shall be an escape from evils." Thus they spoke to one another; and meanwhile Eurynome and the nurse prepared the bed of soft raiment, under the light of blazing torches.
§23.291αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ στόρεσαν πυκινὸν λέχος ἐγκονέουσαι, §23.292γρηῢς μὲν κείουσα πάλιν οἶκόνδε βεβήκει, §23.293τοῖσιν δʼ Εὐρυνόμη θαλαμηπόλος ἡγεμόνευεν §23.294ἐρχομένοισι λέχοσδε, δάος μετὰ χερσὶν ἔχουσα· §23.295ἐς θάλαμον δʼ ἀγαγοῦσα πάλιν κίεν.
But when they had busily strewn the stout bedstead, the old nurse went back to her own place to sleep, and Eurynome, the chamberlain, led them as they went to their bed, holding a torch in her hands; and when she had led them into their chamber, she went back.
οἱ μὲν ἔπειτα §23.296ἀσπάσιοι λέκτροιο παλαιοῦ θεσμὸν ἵκοντο·
And they then gladly came to the custom of their old bed.

Notes

  1. §23.223τὴν δʼ ἄτην — Continuing the example of Helen from the previous lines. The accusative `τὴν δʼ ἄτην` placed at the beginning is the direct object of `ἐγκάτθετο`, emphasizing through hyperbaton that Helen did not consciously or willingly lay up such destructive folly in her own heart from the start.
  2. §23.233ὡς δʼ ὅτʼ ἂν — A formulaic expression introducing a simile. The combination `ὅτʼ ἂν` followed by the subjunctive (here `φανήῃ`) forms a characteristic Homeric generic simile, portraying a hypothetical yet recurring scenario.
  3. §23.241καί νύ κʼ ... φάνη ... εἰ μὴ ... ἐνόησε — An unreal (contrary-to-fact) conditional construction. The apodosis consists of the modal particle `κʼ` (`κε`) with the past indicative (the augmentless aorist `φάνη`), while the protasis has `εἰ μὴ` with the aorist indicative (`ἐνόησε`), indicating that Dawn would have risen upon their weeping had Athena not intervened.
  4. §23.281ἐξ ἁλὸς — A famous crux in Teiresias' prophecy regarding Odysseus' death. Depending on how the preposition `ἐξ` is interpreted, it can mean either 'from the sea' (coming from the sea or on the sea) or 'away from the sea' (far from the sea on dry land).

Cite this passage

Homer, Odyssey §23.223-23.296. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:23.223-23.296

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