§4.75ὅσσα τάδʼ ἄσπετα πολλά·
"how countless and many are these things!
σέβας μʼ ἔχει εἰσορόωντα. §4.76τοῦ δʼ ἀγορεύοντος ξύνετο ξανθὸς Μενέλαος, §4.77καί σφεας φωνήσας ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα· §4.78τέκνα φίλʼ, ἦ τοι Ζηνὶ βροτῶν οὐκ ἄν τις ἐρίζοι· §4.79ἀθάνατοι γὰρ τοῦ γε δόμοι καὶ κτήματʼ ἔασιν·
Awe possesses me as I look upon them." As he was speaking, fair-haired Menelaus noticed him, and addressing them, he spoke winged words: "Dear children, truly no one of mortals could rival Zeus; for his halls and possessions are immortal.
But of men, someone may rival me, or perhaps not, in possessions.
ἦ γὰρ πολλὰ παθὼν καὶ πόλλʼ ἐπαληθεὶς §4.82ἠγαγόμην ἐν νηυσὶ καὶ ὀγδοάτῳ ἔτει ἦλθον, §4.83Κύπρον Φοινίκην τε καὶ Αἰγυπτίους ἐπαληθείς, §4.84Αἰθίοπάς θʼ ἱκόμην καὶ Σιδονίους καὶ Ἐρεμβοὺς §4.85καὶ Λιβύην, ἵνα τʼ ἄρνες ἄφαρ κεραοὶ τελέθουσι.
For indeed, after suffering much and wandering far, I brought these in my ships and came home in the eighth year, having wandered to Cyprus, Phoenicia, and the Egyptians, and I came to the Ethiopians, and Sidonians, and Erembi, and to Libya, where the lambs quickly become horned.
§4.86τρὶς γὰρ τίκτει μῆλα τελεσφόρον εἰς ἐνιαυτόν.
For the flocks bring forth young three times within the full year.
§4.87ἔνθα μὲν οὔτε ἄναξ ἐπιδευὴς οὔτε τι ποιμὴν §4.88τυροῦ καὶ κρειῶν οὐδὲ γλυκεροῖο γάλακτος, §4.89ἀλλʼ αἰεὶ παρέχουσιν ἐπηετανὸν γάλα θῆσθαι.
There neither master nor shepherd is in want of cheese and meat, nor of sweet milk, but they always yield abundant milk to be milked.
§4.90ἧος ἐγὼ περὶ κεῖνα πολὺν βίοτον συναγείρων §4.91ἠλώμην, τῆός μοι ἀδελφεὸν ἄλλος ἔπεφνεν §4.92λάθρῃ, ἀνωιστί, δόλῳ οὐλομένης ἀλόχοιο· §4.93ὣς οὔ τοι χαίρων τοῖσδε κτεάτεσσιν ἀνάσσω.
While I was wandering about those lands gathering much livelihood, another slew my brother secretly, unexpectedly, by the guile of his accursed wife; thus in no way with joy do I rule over these possessions.
§4.94καὶ πατέρων τάδε μέλλετʼ ἀκουέμεν, οἵ τινες ὑμῖν §4.95εἰσίν, ἐπεὶ μάλα πολλὰ πάθον, καὶ ἀπώλεσα οἶκον §4.96εὖ μάλα ναιετάοντα, κεχανδότα πολλὰ καὶ ἐσθλά.
And of these things you must have heard from your fathers, whoever they may be, since I suffered very much, and destroyed a house that was very well established, containing many excellent treasures.
§4.97ὧν ὄφελον τριτάτην περ ἔχων ἐν δώμασι μοῖραν §4.98ναίειν, οἱ δʼ ἄνδρες σόοι ἔμμεναι, οἳ τότʼ ὄλοντο §4.99Τροίῃ ἐν εὐρείῃ ἑκὰς Ἄργεος ἱπποβότοιο.
Of these things I wish I dwelt in my halls with even a third part, and that those men were safe, who then perished in wide Troy, far from horse-rearing Argos.
§4.100ἀλλʼ ἔμπης πάντας μὲν ὀδυρόμενος καὶ ἀχεύων §4.101πολλάκις ἐν μεγάροισι καθήμενος ἡμετέροισιν §4.102ἄλλοτε μέν τε γόῳ φρένα τέρπομαι, ἄλλοτε δʼ αὖτε §4.103παύομαι· αἰψηρὸς δὲ κόρος κρυεροῖο γόοιο.
But nevertheless, though I mourn and grieve for them all often as I sit in our halls, sometimes indeed I comfort my heart with weeping, but at other times again I cease; for quickly comes satiety of chill weeping.
§4.104τῶν πάντων οὐ τόσσον ὀδύρομαι, ἀχνύμενός περ, §4.105ὡς ἑνός, ὅς τέ μοι ὕπνον ἀπεχθαίρει καὶ ἐδωδὴν §4.106μνωομένῳ, ἐπεὶ οὔ τις Ἀχαιῶν τόσσʼ ἐμόγησεν, §4.107ὅσσʼ Ὀδυσεὺς ἐμόγησε καὶ ἤρατο.
For all of them I do not mourn so much, grieved though I am, as for one, who makes sleep and food hateful to me when I remember him, since no one of the Achaeans labored so much as Odysseus labored and accomplished.
τῷ δʼ ἄρʼ ἔμελλεν §4.108αὐτῷ κήδεʼ ἔσεσθαι, ἐμοὶ δʼ ἄχος αἰὲν ἄλαστον §4.109κείνου, ὅπως δὴ δηρὸν ἀποίχεται, οὐδέ τι ἴδμεν, §4.110ζώει ὅ γʼ ἦ τέθνηκεν.
But for him, it seems, troubles were to be his lot, and for me an ever unforgettable grief for him, because he is so long gone, nor do we know at all whether he is alive or dead.
ὀδύρονταί νύ που αὐτὸν §4.111Λαέρτης θʼ ὁ γέρων καὶ ἐχέφρων Πηνελόπεια §4.112Τηλέμαχός θʼ, ὃν ἔλειπε νέον γεγαῶτʼ ἐνὶ οἴκῳ. §4.113ὣς φάτο, τῷ δʼ ἄρα πατρὸς ὑφʼ ἵμερον ὦρσε γόοιο.
Surely now they mourn him, the old man Laertes and wise Penelope and Telemachus, whom he left a newborn in his house." So he spoke, and in him he aroused the desire of weeping for his father.
§4.114δάκρυ δʼ ἀπὸ βλεφάρων χαμάδις βάλε πατρὸς ἀκούσας, §4.115χλαῖναν πορφυρέην ἄντʼ ὀφθαλμοῖιν ἀνασχὼν §4.116ἀμφοτέρῃσιν χερσί.
And he let fall a tear from his eyelids to the ground on hearing of his father, holding up his purple cloak before his eyes with both his hands.
νόησε δέ μιν Μενέλαος, §4.117μερμήριξε δʼ ἔπειτα κατὰ φρένα καὶ κατὰ θυμόν, §4.118ἠέ μιν αὐτὸν πατρὸς ἐάσειε μνησθῆναι §4.119ἦ πρῶτʼ ἐξερέοιτο ἕκαστά τε πειρήσαιτο.
And Menelaus noticed him, and then he pondered in mind and heart, whether he should leave him to speak of his father himself, or first question him and test him in details.
§4.120ἧος ὁ ταῦθʼ ὥρμαινε κατὰ φρένα καὶ κατὰ θυμόν, §4.121ἐκ δʼ Ἑλένη θαλάμοιο θυώδεος ὑψορόφοιο §4.122ἤλυθεν Ἀρτέμιδι χρυσηλακάτῳ ἐικυῖα.
While he was revolving these things in mind and heart, Helen came forth from her fragrant, high-roofed chamber, like Artemis of the golden spindle.
§4.123τῇ δʼ ἄρʼ ἅμʼ Ἀδρήστη κλισίην εὔτυκτον ἔθηκεν, §4.124Ἀλκίππη δὲ τάπητα φέρεν μαλακοῦ ἐρίοιο, §4.125Φυλὼ δʼ ἀργύρεον τάλαρον φέρε, τόν οἱ ἔθηκεν §4.126Ἀλκάνδρη, Πολύβοιο δάμαρ, ὃς ἔναιʼ ἐνὶ Θήβῃς §4.127Αἰγυπτίῃς, ὅθι πλεῖστα δόμοις ἐν κτήματα κεῖται· §4.128ὃς Μενελάῳ δῶκε δύʼ ἀργυρέας ἀσαμίνθους, §4.129δοιοὺς δὲ τρίποδας, δέκα δὲ χρυσοῖο τάλαντα.
And with her Adraste set a well-made chair, and Alcippe brought a rug of soft wool, and Phylo brought a silver basket, which she had received from Alcandre, the wife of Polybus, who dwelt in Egyptian Thebes, where very many possessions lie stored in the houses; he had given to Menelaus two silver baths, and two tripods, and ten talents of gold.
§4.130χωρὶς δʼ αὖθʼ Ἑλένῃ ἄλοχος πόρε κάλλιμα δῶρα· §4.131χρυσέην τʼ ἠλακάτην τάλαρόν θʼ ὑπόκυκλον ὄπασσεν §4.132ἀργύρεον, χρυσῷ δʼ ἐπὶ χείλεα κεκράαντο.
And besides, his wife gave beautiful gifts to Helen; she presented a golden spindle and a basket on wheels of silver, and its rims were finished with gold.
§4.133τόν ῥά οἱ ἀμφίπολος Φυλὼ παρέθηκε φέρουσα §4.134νήματος ἀσκητοῖο βεβυσμένον· αὐτὰρ ἐπʼ αὐτῷ §4.135ἠλακάτη τετάνυστο ἰοδνεφὲς εἶρος ἔχουσα.
This then her handmaid Phylo brought and set beside her, stuffed with finely spun yarn; and upon it the spindle was laid, holding violet-colored wool.
§4.136ἕζετο δʼ ἐν κλισμῷ, ὑπὸ δὲ θρῆνυς ποσὶν ἦεν.
And she sat down on the chair, and a footstool was under her feet.
§4.137αὐτίκα δʼ ἥ γʼ ἐπέεσσι πόσιν ἐρέεινεν ἕκαστα· §4.138ἴδμεν δή, Μενέλαε διοτρεφές, οἵ τινες οἵδε §4.139ἀνδρῶν εὐχετόωνται ἱκανέμεν ἡμέτερον δῶ;
And at once she questioned her husband about everything in words: "Do we know indeed, O Menelaus, nurtured by Zeus, who these men declare themselves to be, who have come to our house?
§4.140ψεύσομαι ἦ ἔτυμον ἐρέω;
Shall I speak falsely, or shall I speak the truth?
κέλεται δέ με θυμός.
My heart bids me.
§4.141οὐ γάρ πώ τινά φημι ἐοικότα ὧδε ἰδέσθαι §4.142οὔτʼ ἄνδρʼ οὔτε γυναῖκα, σέβας μʼ ἔχει εἰσορόωσαν, §4.143ὡς ὅδʼ Ὀδυσσῆος μεγαλήτορος υἷι ἔοικε, §4.144Τηλεμάχῳ, τὸν ἔλειπε νέον γεγαῶτʼ ἐνὶ οἴκῳ §4.145κεῖνος ἀνήρ, ὅτʼ ἐμεῖο κυνώπιδος εἵνεκʼ Ἀχαιοὶ
For I say I have never yet seen anyone so like, whether man or woman—awe possesses me as I look upon him— as this youth is like the son of great-hearted Odysseus, Telemachus, whom that hero left a newborn in his house, when for the sake of shameless me the Achaeans