"νῶι μὲν ὣς ἐπέεσσιν ἀμειβόμεθ᾽, αἱ δὲ γυναῖκες225
ἤλυθον, ὤτρυνεν γὰρ ἀγαυὴ Περσεφόνεια,
ὅσσαι ἀριστήων ἄλοχοι ἔσαν ἠδὲ θύγατρες.
αἱ δ᾽ ἀμφ᾽ αἷμα κελαινὸν ἀολλέες ἠγερέθοντο,
αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ βούλευον ὅπως ἐρέοιμι ἑκάστην.
ἥδε δέ μοι κατὰ θυμὸν ἀρίστη φαίνετο βουλή·230
σπασσάμενος τανύηκες ἄορ παχέος παρὰ μηροῦ
οὐκ εἴων πίνειν ἅμα πάσας αἷμα κελαινόν.
αἱ δὲ προμνηστῖναι ἐπήισαν, ἠδὲ ἑκάστη
ὃν γόνον ἐξαγόρευεν· ἐγὼ δ᾽ ἐρέεινον ἁπάσας.
ἔνθ᾽ ἦ τοι πρώτην Τυρὼ ἴδον εὐπατέρειαν,235
ἣ φάτο Σαλμωνῆος ἀμύμονος ἔκγονος εἶναι,
φῆ δὲ Κρηθῆος γυνὴ ἔμμεναι Αἰολίδαο·
ἣ ποταμοῦ ἠράσσατ᾽ Ἐνιπῆος θείοιο,
ὃς πολὺ κάλλιστος ποταμῶν ἐπὶ γαῖαν ἵησι,
καί ῥ᾽ ἐπ᾽ Ἐνιπῆος πωλέσκετο καλὰ ῥέεθρα.240
τῷ δ᾽ ἄρα εἰσάμενος γαιήοχος ἐννοσίγαιος
ἐν προχοῇς ποταμοῦ παρελέξατο δινήεντος·
πορφύρεον δ᾽ ἄρα κῦμα περιστάθη, οὔρεϊ ἶσον,
κυρτωθέν, κρύψεν δὲ θεὸν θνητήν τε γυναῖκα.
λῦσε δὲ παρθενίην ζώνην, κατὰ δ᾽ ὕπνον ἔχευεν.245
αὐτὰρ ἐπεί ῥ᾽ ἐτέλεσσε θεὸς φιλοτήσια ἔργα,
ἔν τ᾽ ἄρα οἱ φῦ χειρί, ἔπος τ᾽ ἔφατ᾽ ἔκ τ᾽ ὀνόμαζε·
‘χαῖρε, γύναι, φιλότητι· περιπλομένου δ᾽ ἐνιαυτοῦ
τέξεις ἀγλαὰ τέκνα, ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἀποφώλιοι εὐναὶ
ἀθανάτων· σὺ δὲ τοὺς κομέειν ἀτιταλλέμεναί τε.250
νῦν δ᾽ ἔρχευ πρὸς δῶμα, καὶ ἴσχεο μηδ᾽ ὀνομήνῃς·
αὐτὰρ ἐγώ τοί εἰμι Ποσειδάων ἐνοσίχθων.’
ὣς εἰπὼν ὑπὸ πόντον ἐδύσετο κυμαίνοντα.
ἡ δ᾽ ὑποκυσαμένη Πελίην τέκε καὶ Νηλῆα,
τὼ κρατερὼ θεράποντε Διὸς μεγάλοιο γενέσθην255
ἀμφοτέρω· Πελίης μὲν ἐν εὐρυχόρῳ Ἰαωλκῷ
ναῖε πολύρρηνος, ὁ δ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἐν Πύλῳ ἠμαθόεντι.
τοὺς δ᾽ ἑτέρους Κρηθῆι τέκεν βασίλεια γυναικῶν,
Αἴσονά τ᾽ ἠδὲ Φέρητ᾽ Ἀμυθάονά θ᾽ ἱππιοχάρμην.
τὴν δὲ μέτ᾽ Ἀντιόπην ἴδον, Ἀσωποῖο θύγατρα,260
ἣ δὴ καὶ Διὸς εὔχετ᾽ ἐν ἀγκοίνῃσιν ἰαῦσαι,
καί ῥ᾽ ἔτεκεν δύο παῖδ᾽, Ἀμφίονά τε Ζῆθόν τε,
οἳ πρῶτοι Θήβης ἕδος ἔκτισαν ἑπταπύλοιο,
πύργωσάν τ᾽, ἐπεὶ οὐ μὲν ἀπύργωτόν γ᾽ ἐδύναντο
ναιέμεν εὐρύχορον Θήβην, κρατερώ περ ἐόντε.265
τὴν δὲ μέτ᾽ Ἀλκμήνην ἴδον, Ἀμφιτρύωνος ἄκοιτιν,
ἥ ῥ᾽ Ἡρακλῆα θρασυμέμνονα θυμολέοντα
γείνατ᾽ ἐν ἀγκοίνῃσι Διὸς μεγάλοιο μιγεῖσα·
καὶ Μεγάρην, Κρείοντος ὑπερθύμοιο θύγατρα,
τὴν ἔχεν Ἀμφιτρύωνος υἱὸς μένος αἰὲν ἀτειρής.270
notes
Odysseus sees the ghosts of famous women.
The so-called Catalogue of Heroines, when Odysseus meets the ψύχαι of famous women from mythology (225–332), has long been considered suspect by some classical scholars, who have complained that the content does not seem directly relevant to the main themes of the underworld episode. Some have suggested that the verses were a later addition to the original 8th century BCE poem based on a 6th century BCE work attributed to Hesiod in antiquity, but now thought to be later, called the Ehoiai. This poem exists only in fragments found on papyrus and in some quotations from ancient authors, about 1300 whole or partial verses, maybe about one-fourth of the original. Given what we now understand about the oral tradition out of which all early Greek hexameter poetry seems to have come, it’s much more likely that both the Odyssey passage and the Ehoiai are descended from a third, earlier source. Though the pre-history of the Odyssey is not our concern here, the objections raised by scholars to lines 225–334 do challenge us to think about how the catalog fits into the poem as we have it now.
read full essay
The catalogue is probably one of the earliest forms of Greek hexameter poetry and some scholars have suggested that Homeric epic owes its origins to this kind of narrative. The “Catalogue of Ships” in Book 2 of the Iliad (484–877) seems, for instance, to represent a much older geography for Greece than what existed in the 8th century BCE, when we think the Homeric epics came into the form we now have. Hesiod’s Theogony, probably composed about the same time or slightly later than the Odyssey, is an extended catalogue describing the origins of the gods and the rule of Zeus, with significant parallels to earlier Near Eastern myths. The form has persisted, from Virgil’s catalogue of the armies in the Aeneid (7.641–817) to Whitman’s Leaves of Grass. The examples from early Greek hexameter poetry suggest one reason why the form might have attracted poets. The frequency of place names and proper names, often lengthy and filled with more long syllables than usually appear in Greek, must have made composing these verses, in a relatively strict meter with few substitutions, very challenging. A catalog would be a virtuoso performance for an improvising poet. Perhaps the chance to show off this kind of mastery would be enough justification for including catalogues. At the same time, indulging too freely in lengthy show pieces would run afoul of the imperative to hold the audience’s attention at all costs. However absorbing the “Catalogue of Women” might be as a triumph of poetic skill, we still need to think about how it contributes to the overall plan of the Odyssey.
The first three women, Tyro, Antiope, and Alcmene, all bore illustrious children after sleeping with gods. In the patriarchal world of the Homeric epics, to be singled out by a god to bear his children is presented as a great honor. Today, these liaisons look too much like rapes for us to be comfortable rejoicing with the mothers. The children resulting from these sexual encounters are familiar to us from other stories: Neleus, son of Tyro by the river god Salmoneus, is the father of Nestor, king of Pylos, who entertains Telemachus in Book 4 with stories of Odysseus; Antiope’s children by Zeus, Amphion and Zethus, were the founders of Thebes, the site of a cycle of myths that includes the sufferings of Oedipus and his children; Alcmene, another of Zeus’s chosen women, is the mother of Herakles. These women, then, are important because they give birth to male heroes. Their appearance here links them to Antikleia and like her, they fade away as soon as their contributions to the glories of male heroism are noted.
Further Reading
Beye, C.R. 1964. “Homeric Battle Narrative and Catalogues.” Harvard Studies in Classical Philology 68, 345–373.
Dimock, G. 1989. The Unity of the Odyssey, 151–154. Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts Press.
Heubeck, A. and Hoekstra, A. ed. 1989. A Commentary on Homer’s Odyssey, vol. II, Books IX–XVI, 90–91. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Morrison, J. 2003. A Companion to Homer’s Odyssey, 106. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.
Ormand, K. 2014. The Hesiodic Catalog of Women and Ancient Greece. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Page, D. 1955. The Homeric Odyssey, 21–51. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
225 νῶϊ: “we two,” dual > ἐγώ.
225 ὣς: “thus.”
229 βούλευον ὅπως ἐρέοιμι: clause of effort with optative in secondary sequence (Smyth 2212).
232 εἴων: 1st sing. impf. act. > ἐάω, with infinitive.
232 ἅμα: “at the same time.”
233 ἐπήϊσαν: 3rd pl. impf. act. > ἔπειμι.
234 ὃν: “her,” possessive adj.
234 γόνον: "lineage," "descent."
234 ἐρέεινον: “questioned.” unaugmented 1st sing. impf.
235 Τυρὼ: acc.
236 ἣ (ἐ)φάτο … εἶναι: “who said that she was….” indirect discourse.
237 ἔμμεναι: infin. > εἰμί, in indirect discourse, as in line 236.
238 ἠράσσατ᾽: = ἠράσσατο, 3rd sing. mid. aor. > ἔραμαι. In the aorist, the verb means “fell in love with,” with a genitive (ingressive aorist, Smyth 1925).
239 ἵησι: “sends its waters,” “rushes.” 3rd sing. pres. act. indic. > ἵημι.
240 ἐπ(ι) ... πωλέσκετο: “she used to visit,” tmesis, unaugmented 3rd sing. impf. mid., iterative > ἐπιπωλέομαι.
241 τῷ … εἰσάμενος: “appearing like this one,” “in the guise of this one” (i.e., Enipeus).
242 ἐν προχοῇς ποταμοῦ: “at the mouth of the river.”
242 παρελέξατο: understand “her” (i.e., Tyro) as the object of the verb.
243 περιστάθη: “encircled.” 3rd sing. aor. dep. > περιίστημι.
243 οὔρεϊ ἶσον: “equal to a mountain.”
244 κυρτωθέν: “arched over them.” neut. nom. sing. aor. pass. ptc. > κυρτόω, agreeing with κῦμα.
245 λῦσε: = ἔλυσε, unaugmented.
245 κατὰ … ἔχευεν: “poured down.” Tmesis > καταχέω.
247 ἐν … οἱ (ἐ)φῦ χειρὶ: “he grabbed her” (lit., “he grew onto her with his hand”).
247 ἔπος τ᾽ ἔφατ᾽ ἔκ τ᾽ ὀνόμαζε: according to Cunliffe, a formula “apparently meaning no more than ‘to address’” (lit., “he said a word and called out loud by name”).
248 χαῖρε: “rejoice in,” > χαίρω, with dative imperative.
248 περιπλομένου … ἐνιαυτοῦ: gen. absol., > περιπέλομαι.
249 τέξεις: fut. > τίκτω.
249 ἀποφώλιοι: pred. adj., supply εἰσίν.
250 τοὺς: “them” (i.e., her children).
250 κομέειν ἀτιταλλέμεναί τε: infinitives used as imperatives (Monro 241).
251 ἔρχευ … ἴσχεο: imperatives; in the middle, the verb ἴσχω is reflexive, “restrain yourself.”
251 μηδ᾽ ὀνομήνῃς: "Don't disclose my name." prohibitive subjunctive (Smyth 1800).
252 αὐτὰρ … τοί: “but you know.”
254 τέκε: = ἔτεκε, unaugmented aor. > τίκτω.
255 τὼ … θεράποντε … γενέσθην ἀμφοτέρω: dual.
255 τὼ: “who,” dual rel. pron.
257 ναῖε: ἔναιε, unaugmented impf.
257 ὁ δ᾽: “but he” (i.e., Neleus), supply the verb ἔναιε.
258 τοὺς ἑτέρους: “these others” (mentioned in line 259).
258 βασίλεια: i.e., Tyro.
260 τὴν δὲ μέτ᾽: “and after her.” Anastrophe.
261 εὔχετ᾽: “boasted (that she),” with infinitive (ἰαῦσαι) of indirect discourse.
263 ἔκτισαν: 3rd pl. aor. > κτίζω.
264 ἐπεὶ: “since.”
265 ναιέμεν: infin., complementing ἐδύναντο.
265 κρατερώ περ ἐόντε: dual.
266 τὴν δὲ μέτ᾽: “and after her.” Anastrophe.
268 μιγεῖσα: “having sexual intercourse,” aor. ptc. > μείγνυμι (μίγνυμι/μίσγω Cunliffe)
270 ἔχεν: “had (as a wife).” unaugmented 3rd sing. impf. > ἔχω.
vocabulary
ἀμείβω ἀμείψω ἤμειψα ἤμειφα ἤμειμμαι ἠμείφθην: to respond, answer; to exchange; (mid.) to take turns, alternate; to change, place, pass 225
ὀτρύνω ὀτρυνῶ ὤτρυνα ––– ––– –––: to urge on
ἀγαυός –ή –όν: illustrious, noble
Περσεφόνη –ης ἡ: Persephone, Proserpine
ἀριστεύς –έως ὁ: the best man; (plur.) leaders
ἄλοχος –ου ἡ: wife
ἠδέ: and
κελαινός –ή –όν: black, dark, murky
ἀολλής –ές: all together, in throngs or crowds
ἠγερέθομαι – – – – –: to gather together, assemble
ἀτάρ (or αὐτάρ): but, yet
ἐρῶ εἴρηκα ἐρρήθην: to say, tell, speak 230
σπάω σπάσω ἔσπασα ἔσπακα ἔσπασμαι ἐσπάσθην: to pull, pull out, gather
τανυήκης –ες: with long point
ἄορ ἄορος τό: sword
παχύς –εῖα –ύ: thick, stout
μηρός –οῦ ὁ: the thigh
κελαινός –ή –όν: black, dark, murky
προμνηστῖνοι: one by one, one after the other
ἐπειμί ἐπέσομαι ––– ––– ––– –––: to go, come to/upon; to attack
ἠδέ: and
ἑός ἑή ἑόν: his, her, own
γόνος –ου ὁ: that which is begotten, offspring, a child, lineage
ἐξαγορεύω ἐξαγορεύσω ἐξηγόρευσα ἐξείρηκα/ἐξηγόρευκα ἐξείρημαι/ἐξηγόρευμαι ἐξερρήθην/ἐξηγορεύθην: to tell out, make known, declare; to tell one's lineage
ἐρεείνω – – – – –: to ask
τοι: let me tell you, surely 235
Τυρώ –οῦς ἡ: Tyro
εὐπατέρεια –ας ἡ: daughter of a noble sire
Σαλμωνεύς –έως ὁ: Salmoneus, son of Aeolus
ἀμύμων –ον: blameless, noble, excellent
ἔκγονος –ον: born of, sprung from
Κρηθεύς –έως ὁ: Cretheus, of Iolcus, the husband of Tyro
Αἰολίδης –ου ὁ: son of Aeolus
ἔραμαι ἐρασθήσομαι ἠράσθην ἤρασμαι: to love, to be in love with
Ἐνιπεύς –έως ὁ: Enipeus, river-god, river in Phthiōtis
γαίη –ης ἡ: land, region, district
ἄρα: now, then, next, thus 240
Ἐνιπεύς –έως ὁ: Enipeus, river-god, river in Phthiōtis
ἐπιπωλέομαι ἐπιπέπραμαι ἐπεπωλήθην: to go about, pass through, visit, explore
ῥεῖθρον (or ῥέεθρον) –ου τό: river, stream
ἄρα: now, then, next, thus
εἴδομαι εἴσομαι εἰσάμην: to be visible, appear; to seem; to know, understand
γαιήοχος –ον: that holds the earth (epithet of Poseidon)
ἐννοσίγαιος –ου ὁ: earth-shaker (epithet of Poseidon)
προχοή –ῆς ἡ: outpouring
παραλέγω παραλέξω παρέλεξα παραλέλεχα παραλελέγμαι παρελέχθην : to lay beside
δινήεις –εσσα –εν: whirling, eddying
πορφύρεος –η –ον: agitated; dyed purple
ἄρα: now, then, next, thus
κῦμα –ατος τό: wave
περιίστημι περιστήσω περιέστησα (or περιέστην) περιέστηκα περιέσταμαι περιεστάθην: to place round; to stand around
κυρτόω κυρτώσω ἐκύρτωσα κεκύρτωκα – ἐκυρτώθην: to curve
κρύπτω κρύψω ἔκρυψα κέκρυμμαι ἐκρύφθην: hide, cover over
θνητός –ή –όν: mortal
παρθένιος [–α] –ον: of a maiden 245
ζώνη –ης ἡ: a belt, girdle
ὕπνος –ου ὁ: sleep
χέω χέω ἔχεα or ἔχευα κέχυκα κέχυμαι ἐχύθην: to pour, shed
ἀτάρ (or αὐτάρ): but, yet
ἄρα: now, then, next, thus
τελέω τελῶ or τελέσω ἐτέλεσα τετέλεκα τετέλεσμαι ἐτελέσθην: to finish, complete, carry out
φιλοτήσιος –α –ον: of love
ἄρα: now, then, next, thus
ἕ: him, her, it; himself, herself, itself
φιλότης –ητος ἡ: love, friendship
περιπέλομαι περιπλοῦμαι περιεπλόμην: to move round, be round about
ἐνιαυτός –οῦ ὁ: anniversary, year
ἀγλαός –ή –όν: splendid, shining, bright
ἀποφώλιος –ον: empty, vain, idle, useless, fruitless
εὐνή εὐνῆς ἡ: pallet, bed, den; (pl.) stones (to anchor a ship), anchors
ἀθάνατος –ον: immortal, deathless; (plur.) the gods 250
κομέω κομήσω ἐκόμησα: to take care of, attend to, tend
ἀτιτάλλω ἀτιταλῶ ἀτίτηλα: to rear, raise
δῶμα –ατος τό: house (often in plural)
ἴσχω ––– ––– ––– ––– –––: to hold; to hold back, check, restrain
ὀνομαίνω οὐνομανῶ ὠνόμηνα: to name
ἀτάρ (or αὐτάρ): but, yet
τοι: let me tell you, surely
Ποσειδῶν (or Ποσειδάων) –ῶνος ὁ: Poseidon
ἐνοσίχθων –ονος ὁ: earth-shaker (epithet of Poseidon)
πόντος –ου ὁ: sea, open sea
δὐω δύσω έδυσα/ἔδυν δέδυκα δέδυμαι εδύθην: plunge in, go into, sink
κυμαίνω κυμανῶ ἐκύμανα: to rise in waves
ὑποκύομαι: to conceive, become pregnant
Πελίης –ου ὁ: Pelias, king of Iolcus
Νηλεύς –έως ὁ: Neleus, father of Nestor
κρατερός –ά –όν: strong, powerful, mighty 255
θεράπων –ονος ὁ: attendant, servant
Ζεύς Διός ὁ: Zeus
εὐρύχορος –ον: with broad dancing places; broad, spacious
Ἰαωλκός –οῦ ὁ: Iolcus, a town in Thessaly on the Pagasaean gulf
ναίω – – – – –: dwell, inhabit, be situated
πολύρρηνος –ον: rich in sheep
ἄρα: now, then, next, thus
Πύλος –ου ἡ: Pylos, a city in Elis
ἠμαθόεις –εσσα –εν: sandy
Κρηθεύς –έως ὁ: Cretheus, of Iolcus, the husband of Tyro
βασίλεια –ας ἡ: queen, princess
Αἴσων –ονος ὁ: Aeson, son of Cretheus and Tyro, father of Jason, and king in Iolcus
ἠδέ: and
Φέρης –ητος ὁ: Pheres, son of Cretheus and Tyro, father of Admētus
Ἀμυθάων –ονος ὁ: Amythaon, son of Cretheus and Tyro, father of Bias and Melampus
ἱππιοχάρμης –ου ὁ: one who fights from a chariot
Ἀντιόπη –ης ἡ: Antiope, daughter of Asōpus, mother of Amphīon and Zethus 260
Ἀσωπός –οῦ ὁ: Asopus, a river in Boeotia
εὔχομαι εὔξομαι ηὐξάμην ηὖγμαι: to pray; to make a vow, promise; to declare, affirm; to glory in, boast of (for good reason)
ἀγκοίνη –ης ἡ: the bent arm
ἰαύω ––– ––– ––– ––– –––: to sleep, to pass the night
ἄρα: now, then, next, thus
Ἀμφίων –ονος ὁ: Amphion
Ζῆθος –ου ὁ: Zethus, son of Zeus and Antiope, brother of Amphīon, with whom he founded Thebes
ἕδος –ους τό: a sitting-place
ἐκτίνω ἐκτείσω ἐξέτεισα ἐκτέτεικα: to pay, pay for, atone; (mid.) to make pay, punish, avenge oneself
ἑπτάπυλος –ον: with seven gates
πυργόω πυργώσω ἐπύργωσα – πεπύργωμαι ἐπυργώθην: to provide with towers; to protect, to raise to lofty heights
ἀπύργωτος –ον: not girt with towers
ναίω – – – – –: dwell, inhabit, be situated 265
εὐρύχορος –ον: with broad dancing places; broad, spacious
Θήβη –ης ἡ: Thebes (usu. plural)
κρατερός –ά –όν: strong, powerful, mighty
Ἀλκμήνη –ης ἡ: Alcmene, wife of Amphitryon in Thebes, mother of Heracles by Zeus, and of Iphicles by Amphitryon
Ἀμφιτρύων –ωνος ὁ: Amphitryon, king of Tiryns, husband of Alcmēna and reputed father of Heracles
ἄκοιτις –ιος ἡ: a spouse, wife
ἄρα: now, then, next, thus
ἡρακλέης –ους ὁ: Heracles
θρασυμέμνων –ον: bravely steadfast
θυμολέων –οντος: lion-hearted
γείνομαι ––– ἐγεινάμην ––– ––– –––: to be born; to beget, give birth to
ἀγκοίνη –ης ἡ: the bent arm
Μεγάρη (Μεγάρα) –ης ἡ: Megara (person)
Κρείων –οντος ὁ: Creon, a king of Thebes, the father of Megara, or, father of Lycomēdes
ὑπέρθυμος –ον: high-spirited, high-minded, daring
Ἀμφιτρύων –ωνος ὁ: Amphitryon, king of Tiryns, husband of Alcmēna and reputed father of Heracles 270
μένος –ους τό: might
ἀτειρής –ές: not to be worn away, indestructible