§8.221τῶν δʼ ἄλλων ἐμέ φημι πολὺ προφερέστερον εἶναι, §8.222ὅσσοι νῦν βροτοί εἰσιν ἐπὶ χθονὶ σῖτον ἔδοντες.
"But of all the rest, I declare that I am far superior, as many as are now mortals eating bread upon the earth.
§8.223ἀνδράσι δὲ προτέροισιν ἐριζέμεν οὐκ ἐθελήσω, §8.224οὔθʼ Ἡρακλῆι οὔτʼ Εὐρύτῳ Οιχαλιῆι, §8.225οἵ ῥα καὶ ἀθανάτοισιν ἐρίζεσκον περὶ τόξων.
But with the men of former times I will not care to strive, neither with Heracles nor with Eurytus of Oechalia, who even strove with the deathless gods in archery.
§8.226τῷ ῥα καὶ αἶψʼ ἔθανεν μέγας Εὔρυτος, οὐδʼ ἐπὶ γῆρας §8.227ἵκετʼ ἐνὶ μεγάροισι· χολωσάμενος γὰρ Ἀπόλλων §8.228ἔκτανεν, οὕνεκά μιν προκαλίζετο τοξάζεσθαι.
Therefore great Eurytus died suddenly, nor did he reach old age in his halls; for Apollo, being angered, slew him, because he challenged him to a contest with the bow.
§8.229δουρὶ δʼ ἀκοντίζω ὅσον οὐκ ἄλλος τις ὀιστῷ.
And with the spear I throw further than anyone else can shoot an arrow.
§8.230οἴοισιν δείδοικα ποσὶν μή τίς με παρέλθῃ §8.231Φαιήκων· λίην γὰρ ἀεικελίως ἐδαμάσθην §8.232κύμασιν ἐν πολλοῖς, ἐπεὶ οὐ κομιδὴ κατὰ νῆα §8.233ἦεν ἐπηετανός· τῷ μοι φίλα γυῖα λέλυνται. §8.234ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἱ δʼ ἄρα πάντες ἀκὴν ἐγένοντο σιωπῇ.
Only for my feet do I fear, lest some of the Phaeacians should pass me; for too shamefully was I subdued amid the many waves, since there was no constant care for me on the ship; therefore my dear limbs are weakened." So he spoke, and they all became hushed in silence.
§8.235Ἀλκίνοος δέ μιν οἶος ἀμειβόμενος προσέειπεν· §8.236ξεῖνʼ, ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἀχάριστα μεθʼ ἡμῖν ταῦτʼ ἀγορεύεις, §8.237ἀλλʼ ἐθέλεις ἀρετὴν σὴν φαινέμεν, ἥ τοι ὀπηδεῖ, §8.238χωόμενος ὅτι σʼ οὗτος ἀνὴρ ἐν ἀγῶνι παραστὰς §8.239νείκεσεν, ὡς ἂν σὴν ἀρετὴν βροτὸς οὔ τις ὄνοιτο, §8.240ὅς τις ἐπίσταιτο ᾗσι φρεσὶν ἄρτια βάζειν· §8.241ἀλλʼ ἄγε νῦν ἐμέθεν ξυνίει ἔπος, ὄφρα καὶ ἄλλῳ §8.242εἴπῃς ἡρώων, ὅτε κεν σοῖς ἐν μεγάροισι §8.243δαινύῃ παρὰ σῇ τʼ ἀλόχῳ καὶ σοῖσι τέκεσσιν, §8.244ἡμετέρης ἀρετῆς μεμνημένος, οἷα καὶ ἡμῖν §8.245Ζεὺς ἐπὶ ἔργα τίθησι διαμπερὲς ἐξ ἔτι πατρῶν.
And Alcinous alone answered him and spoke: "Stranger, since you speak these things not ungraciously among us, but wish to show your excellence which attends you, being angered because this man stood by you in the arena and reviled you, so that no mortal might make light of your excellence, whoever knows in his heart how to speak fitting words; come now, understand my word, so that you may tell it to some other of the heroes, when in your own halls you feast beside your wife and your children, remembering our excellence, what kinds of deeds Zeus has laid upon us continually even from the time of our fathers.
§8.246οὐ γὰρ πυγμάχοι εἰμὲν ἀμύμονες οὐδὲ παλαισταί, §8.247ἀλλὰ ποσὶ κραιπνῶς θέομεν καὶ νηυσὶν ἄριστοι, §8.248αἰεὶ δʼ ἡμῖν δαίς τε φίλη κίθαρις τε χοροί τε §8.249εἵματά τʼ ἐξημοιβὰ λοετρά τε θερμὰ καὶ εὐναί.
For we are not blameless boxers nor wrestlers, but we run swiftly with our feet and are the best in ships, and always to us the feast is dear, and the lyre, and dances, and changes of raiment, and warm baths, and bed.
§8.250ἀλλʼ ἄγε, Φαιήκων βητάρμονες ὅσσοι ἄριστοι, §8.251παίσατε, ὥς χʼ ὁ ξεῖνος ἐνίσπῃ οἷσι φίλοισιν §8.252οἴκαδε νοστήσας, ὅσσον περιγιγνόμεθʼ ἄλλων §8.253ναυτιλίῃ καὶ ποσσὶ καὶ ὀρχηστυῖ καὶ ἀοιδῇ.
But come, as many of the Phaeacian dancers as are the best, make sport, so that the stranger may tell his friends when he returns home, how far we surpass all others in seamanship and in speed of foot, and in dancing and song.
§8.254Δημοδόκῳ δέ τις αἶψα κιὼν φόρμιγγα λίγειαν §8.255οἰσέτω, ἥ που κεῖται ἐν ἡμετέροισι δόμοισιν. §8.256ὣς ἔφατʼ Ἀλκίνοος θεοείκελος, ὦρτο δὲ κῆρυξ §8.257οἴσων φόρμιγγα γλαφυρὴν δόμου ἐκ βασιλῆος.
And let someone go quickly and bring for Demodocus the clear-toned lyre which lies somewhere in our halls." So spoke Alcinous the godlike, and the herald rose to bring the hollow lyre from the king's palace.
§8.258αἰσυμνῆται δὲ κριτοὶ ἐννέα πάντες ἀνέσταν §8.259δήμιοι, οἳ κατʼ ἀγῶνας ἐὺ πρήσσεσκον ἕκαστα, §8.260λείηναν δὲ χορόν, καλὸν δʼ εὔρυναν ἀγῶνα.
And nine chosen judges in all, leaders of the people, who in the contests used to order all things well, stood up, and they smoothed the dancing-place, and widened the fair arena.
§8.261κῆρυξ δʼ ἐγγύθεν ἦλθε φέρων φόρμιγγα λίγειαν §8.262Δημοδόκῳ· ὁ δʼ ἔπειτα κίʼ ἐς μέσον· ἀμφὶ δὲ κοῦροι §8.263πρωθῆβαι ἵσταντο, δαήμονες ὀρχηθμοῖο, §8.264πέπληγον δὲ χορὸν θεῖον ποσίν.
And the herald came near, bearing the clear-toned lyre for Demodocus; and he then went into the midst; and around him stood boys in their first youth, skilled in dancing, and they beat the divine dancing-place with their feet.
αὐτὰρ Ὀδυσσεὺς §8.265μαρμαρυγὰς θηεῖτο ποδῶν, θαύμαζε δὲ θυμῷ.
And Odysseus gazed at the twinklings of their feet, and wondered in his heart.
§8.266αὐτὰρ ὁ φορμίζων ἀνεβάλλετο καλὸν ἀείδειν §8.267ἀμφʼ Ἄρεος φιλότητος εὐστεφάνου τʼ Ἀφροδίτης, §8.268ὡς τὰ πρῶτα μίγησαν ἐν Ἡφαίστοιο δόμοισι §8.269λάθρῃ, πολλὰ δʼ ἔδωκε, λέχος δʼ ᾔσχυνε καὶ εὐνὴν §8.270Ἡφαίστοιο ἄνακτος.
But the minstrel, playing on his lyre, began to sing beautifully about the love of Ares and fair-crowned Aphrodite, how first they lay together in the halls of Hephaestus secretly, and he gave her many gifts, and dishonored the bed and couch of lord Hephaestus.
ἄφαρ δέ οἱ ἄγγελος ἦλθεν §8.271Ἥλιος, ὅ σφʼ ἐνόησε μιγαζομένους φιλότητι.
But quickly to him came as messenger Helios, who had perceived them mingling in love.
§8.272Ἥφαιστος δʼ ὡς οὖν θυμαλγέα μῦθον ἄκουσε, §8.273βῆ ῥʼ ἴμεν ἐς χαλκεῶνα κακὰ φρεσὶ βυσσοδομεύων, §8.274ἐν δʼ ἔθετʼ ἀκμοθέτῳ μέγαν ἄκμονα, κόπτε δὲ δεσμοὺς §8.275ἀρρήκτους ἀλύτους, ὄφρʼ ἔμπεδον αὖθι μένοιεν.
And Hephaestus, when he heard the heart-grieving story, went on his way to his smithy, brooding evils in his deep mind, and set on the anvil-block a great anvil, and forged bonds unbreakable, not to be loosed, that they might remain fast there.
§8.276αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ δὴ τεῦξε δόλον κεχολωμένος Ἄρει, §8.277βῆ ῥʼ ἴμεν ἐς θάλαμον, ὅθι οἱ φίλα δέμνιʼ ἔκειτο, §8.278ἀμφὶ δʼ ἄρʼ ἑρμῖσιν χέε δέσματα κύκλῳ ἁπάντῃ· §8.279πολλὰ δὲ καὶ καθύπερθε μελαθρόφιν ἐξεκέχυντο, §8.280ἠύτʼ ἀράχνια λεπτά, τά γʼ οὔ κέ τις οὐδὲ ἴδοιτο, §8.281οὐδὲ θεῶν μακάρων· πέρι γὰρ δολόεντα τέτυκτο.
But when he had fashioned the snare, being angered against Ares, he went to the chamber where his dear bed lay, and poured the bonds in a circle all around the bedposts; and many also from above, from the roof-beams, were hung down, like fine spider-webs, which no one could even see, not even of the blessed gods; for they were fashioned exceedingly cunningly.
§8.282αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ δὴ πάντα δόλον περὶ δέμνια χεῦεν, §8.283εἴσατʼ ἴμεν ἐς Λῆμνον, ἐυκτίμενον πτολίεθρον, §8.284ἥ οἱ γαιάων πολὺ φιλτάτη ἐστὶν ἁπασέων.
But when he had poured all the snare around the bed, he pretended to go to Lemnos, the well-built city, which is to him far the dearest of all lands.
§8.285οὐδʼ ἀλαοσκοπιὴν εἶχε χρυσήνιος Ἄρης, §8.286ὡς ἴδεν Ἥφαιστον κλυτοτέχνην νόσφι κιόντα· §8.287βῆ δʼ ἰέναι πρὸς δῶμα περικλυτοῦ Ἡφαίστοιο §8.288ἰσχανόων φιλότητος ἐυστεφάνου Κυθερείης.
Nor did Ares of the golden rein keep a blind watch, when he saw Hephaestus, famous for his art, going away; but he went to the house of famous Hephaestus, longing for the love of fair-crowned Cytherea.
§8.289ἡ δὲ νέον παρὰ πατρὸς ἐρισθενέος Κρονίωνος §8.290ἐρχομένη κατʼ ἄρʼ ἕζεθʼ· ὁ δʼ εἴσω δώματος ᾔει, §8.291ἔν τʼ ἄρα οἱ φῦ χειρί, ἔπος τʼ ἔφατʼ ἔκ τʼ ὀνόμαζε· §8.292δεῦρο, φίλη, λέκτρονδε τραπείομεν εὐνηθέντες· §8.293οὐ γὰρ ἔθʼ Ἥφαιστος μεταδήμιος, ἀλλά που ἤδη
And she had just newly come from the presence of her father, the mighty son of Cronos, and was sitting down; and he went within the house, and clasped her hand, and spoke a word and addressed her: "Come hither, beloved, let us turn to bed and lie together; for Hephaestus is no longer here among the people, but is now, I ween,..."