"ὣς ἔφατ᾽, αὐτὰρ ἐγώ μιν ἀμειβόμενος προσέειπον·
‘εἰ δ᾽ ἄγε δή μοι τοῦτο, θεά, νημερτὲς ἐνίσπες,
εἴ πως τὴν ὀλοὴν μὲν ὑπεκπροφύγοιμι Χάρυβδιν,
τὴν δέ κ᾽ ἀμυναίμην, ὅτε μοι σίνοιτό γ᾽ ἑταίρους.’
"ὣς ἐφάμην, ἡ δ᾽ αὐτίκ᾽ ἀμείβετο δῖα θεάων·115
‘σχέτλιε, καὶ δὴ αὖ τοι πολεμήια ἔργα μέμηλε
καὶ πόνος· οὐδὲ θεοῖσιν ὑπείξεαι ἀθανάτοισιν;
ἡ δέ τοι οὐ θνητή, ἀλλ᾽ ἀθάνατον κακόν ἐστι,
δεινόν τ᾽ ἀργαλέον τε καὶ ἄγριον οὐδὲ μαχητόν·
οὐδέ τις ἔστ᾽ ἀλκή· φυγέειν κάρτιστον ἀπ᾽ αὐτῆς.120
ἢν γὰρ δηθύνῃσθα κορυσσόμενος παρὰ πέτρῃ,
δείδω, μή σ᾽ ἐξαῦτις ἐφορμηθεῖσα κίχῃσι
τόσσῃσιν κεφαλῇσι, τόσους δ᾽ ἐκ φῶτας ἕληται.
ἀλλὰ μάλα σφοδρῶς ἐλάαν, βωστρεῖν δὲ Κράταιιν,
μητέρα τῆς Σκύλλης, ἥ μιν τέκε πῆμα βροτοῖσιν·125
ἥ μιν ἔπειτ᾽ ἀποπαύσει ἐς ὕστερον ὁρμηθῆναι.
Θρινακίην δ᾽ ἐς νῆσον ἀφίξεαι· ἔνθα δὲ πολλαὶ
βόσκοντ᾽ Ἠελίοιο βόες καὶ ἴφια μῆλα,
ἑπτὰ βοῶν ἀγέλαι, τόσα δ᾽ οἰῶν πώεα καλά,
πεντήκοντα δ᾽ ἕκαστα. γόνος δ᾽ οὐ γίγνεται αὐτῶν,130
οὐδέ ποτε φθινύθουσι. θεαὶ δ᾽ ἐπιποιμένες εἰσίν,
νύμφαι ἐϋπλόκαμοι, Φαέθουσά τε Λαμπετίη τε,
ἃς τέκεν Ἠελίῳ Ὑπερίονι δῖα Νέαιρα.
τὰς μὲν ἄρα θρέψασα τεκοῦσά τε πότνια μήτηρ
Θρινακίην ἐς νῆσον ἀπῴκισε τηλόθι ναίειν,135
μῆλα φυλασσέμεναι πατρώια καὶ ἕλικας βοῦς.
τὰς εἰ μέν κ᾽ ἀσινέας ἐάᾳς νόστου τε μέδηαι,
ἦ τ᾽ ἂν ἔτ᾽ εἰς Ἰθάκην κακά περ πάσχοντες ἵκοισθε·
εἰ δέ κε σίνηαι, τότε τοι τεκμαίρομ᾽ ὄλεθρον,
νηί τε καὶ ἑτάροις· αὐτὸς δ᾽ εἴ πέρ κεν ἀλύξῃς,140
ὀψὲ κακῶς νεῖαι, ὀλέσας ἄπο πάντας ἑταίρους.’
ὣς ἔφατ᾽, αὐτίκα δὲ χρυσόθρονος ἤλυθεν Ἠώς.
ἡ μὲν ἔπειτ᾽ ἀνὰ νῆσον ἀπέστιχε δῖα θεάων·
αὐτὰρ ἐγὼν ἐπὶ νῆα κιὼν ὤτρυνον ἑταίρους
αὐτούς τ᾽ ἀμβαίνειν ἀνά τε πρυμνήσια λῦσαι·145
οἱ δ᾽ αἶψ᾽ εἴσβαινον καὶ ἐπὶ κληῖσι καθῖζον.
ἑξῆς δ᾽ ἑζόμενοι πολιὴν ἅλα τύπτον ἐρετμοῖς.
ἡμῖν δ᾽ αὖ κατόπισθε νεὸς κυανοπρῴροιο
ἴκμενον οὖρον ἵει πλησίστιον, ἐσθλὸν ἑταῖρον,
Κίρκη ἐυπλόκαμος, δεινὴ θεὸς αὐδήεσσα.150
αὐτίκα δ᾽ ὅπλα ἕκαστα πονησάμενοι κατὰ νῆα
ἥμεθα· τὴν δ᾽ ἄνεμός τε κυβερνήτης τ᾽ ἴθυνε.
notes
Circe warns Odysseus about harming the Cattle of the Sun, then sends the Greeks on their way.
Odysseus is not inclined to take Circe’s advice and resign himself to losing six of his crew. Couldn’t Circe tell him how to avoid Charybdis while keeping Skylla from killing any of his men? As she did when exclaiming over the return of the crew from Hades, Circe calls Odysseus σχέτλιε (116; cf., 12.21), the meaning of which ranges from “cruel” to “stubborn,” “enduring.” As Circe uses it here, the word seems to signal disapproval mixed with a certain grudging admiration.
read full essay
Despite Athena’s description of him as “sweet” (5.9, 12), when we see him at work in the story, Odysseus is seldom kind. What sparks admiration in others is rather his fierce determination to survive, to never give up. The tone of Circe’s response here is affectionate: “you won’t even back down from gods, you stubborn rascal.” Athena will sound the same way when she confronts him on Ithaka, admiring the way he lies to her (13.288–95). In both cases, the goddesses exhibit feelings toward Odysseus that smack of a mother’s exasperated love for her difficult son. This role for Athena is not new in the poem, but we note that Circe has come some distance from the would-be dominatrix of Book 10. Though Antikleia is dead, others step forward to look after the hero. (We may include Calypso in this category. She takes the same tone with Odysseus after he refuses her offer of immortality, though using different adjectives (5.180–83).)
Thrinakia will be next, another test of the crew’s self-control. We have known since the poem’s opening verses that they will fail:
πολλὰ δ᾽ ὅ γ᾽ ἐν πόντῳ πάθεν ἄλγεα ὃν κατὰ θυμόν,
ἀρνύμενος ἥν τε ψυχὴν καὶ νόστον ἑταίρων.
ἀλλ᾽ οὐδ᾽ ὣς ἑτάρους ἐρρύσατο, ἱέμενός περ:
αὐτῶν γὰρ σφετέρῃσιν ἀτασθαλίῃσιν ὄλοντο,
νήπιοι, οἳ κατὰ βοῦς Ὑπερίονος Ἠελίοιο
ἤσθιον: αὐτὰρ ὁ τοῖσιν ἀφείλετο νόστιμον ἦμαρ.
Many pains he suffered in his heart on the sea,
trying to protect his own life and the homecoming of his companions.
But he could not save his comrades, though he tried:
for they perished through their own blind folly,
fools, who ate the cattle of Helios, Hyperion’s son;
and he took away their homecoming day.
Odyssey 1.4–9
No suspense about the outcome of this encounter then, but the details of the episode signal its place in the larger plan of the poem. The first thing to notice is that the herd of cattle, at least, is all cows (πολλαὶ…βόες, 127–28) and their shepherds are also female. (The flocks of sheep do not figure in this recurring motif. The Greek sailors will eat only cattle.) Once again, we see the poet building his story by drawing on a recurring narrative pattern: Odysseus penetrating a feminized milieu and effecting his own rebirth from oblivion, in this case a place characterized by timeless immortality, like Ogygia. The series begins on Calypso’s island with Hermes in the role of male visitor, but thereafter Odysseus takes over, on Scheria, in the cave of Polyphemus, in the lair of Circe, and finally, in his own palace. The feminized nature of each place is marked variously, but the pattern remains the same.
The obvious sexual imagery implied in the motif will be particularly resonant in this episode. The herds of Helios, we’re told, never vary in number. Circe tells Odysseus to sail on by Thrinakia and no wonder: no births—or rebirths—allowed. Ithaka will present a yet more intense version of this potential conflict between generation and stasis. Odysseus, disguised as a beggar, will penetrate the precincts of his own palace, which is without the guidance of masculine authority and subject to the awakening intelligence of Penelope, then eventually effect his own rebirth as king, husband, father, and son. At the same time, it becomes clear that the kingdom Athena wants to restore in Ithaka is one founded on the insistence that everything that existed before Odysseus left for Troy can be brought back again. Odysseus can rule in his family and his kingdom just as he once did. But the pressures for change are also powerful, Telemachus’ growth into manhood and maybe even Penelope’s taking of a new husband. The tension from these competing movements permeates the last six books of the poem.
Dawn comes and Circe leaves with no apparent ceremony. The rest of the episode features familiar traditional language, as Odysseus and crew launch their ship and head out to sea. This seems a remarkably quiet end to the momentous interlude that began in Book 10. Circe’s last gesture is from afar:
"ἡμῖν δ᾽ αὖ κατόπισθε νεὸς κυανοπρῴροιο
ἴκμενον οὖρον ἵει πλησίστιον, ἐσθλὸν ἑταῖρον,
Κίρκη ἐυπλόκαμος, δεινὴ θεὸς αὐδήεσσα."
"But for us from behind the dark-prowed ship
Circe with lovely hair, dread goddess with human speech,
sent a following wind, an excellent companion, filling the sails."
Odyssey 12.148–50
These verses repeat verbatim the send-off Circe gives to the crew when they head for Hades (11.5–7), marking the boundaries of the katabasis.
Circe will not appear again, and we should pause to admire the way the poet has used her mysterious presence to enliven and structure this part of his story. In creating his Circe, Homer modulates deftly through a series of mythical archetypes. When we first meet her, she exudes the dangerous, unchecked female sexuality that we have seen in Calypso. Her transformation of the first scouting party into pigs makes concrete the threats associated with the nymph in Book 5: emasculation, loss of personal autonomy and identity, subservience to female power. After the intervention of Hermes, she turns from a frightening witch into both a willing but subservient sexual partner and a nurturing, almost maternal presence. From then on, she plays the role of a boundary figure like Siduri in the Epic of Gilgamesh, marking the crew’s entrance and exit from the Underworld. By advising Odysseus about what awaits him in Hades, she resonates with what in a tragic narrative would be an anima figure, a female guide to the mysterious darkness awaiting the Greeks, a figure realized more fully in the Sibyl of Book 6 of Vergil’s Aeneid. We trace the various sources for the character of Circe by thumbing through our mythological dictionaries and scholarly commentaries. That the poet of the Odyssey could marshal this rich and varied tradition so seamlessly to tell his story is one measure of the unfathomable mystery of the poem’s creative power.
Further Reading
Dimock, G. 1989. The Unity of the Odyssey, 171–174. Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts Press.
Morrison, J. 2003. A Companion to Homer’s Odyssey, 115–116. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.
Page, D. 1973. Folktales in Homer’s Odyssey, 78–83. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Van Nortwick, T. 2008. The Unknown Odysseus: Alternate Worlds in Homer’s Odyssey, 61–62. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.
112 εἰ δ᾽ ἄγε: “come now!” (Smyth 2348).
112 τοῦτο: the object of ἐνίσπες.
112 ἐνίσπες: 2nd sing. imperat. > ἔνέπω.
113 εἴ … ὑπεκπροφύγοιμι: indirect question, introduced by ἐνίσπες, with potential optative, in apposition to τοῦτο ("say this, if ...").
114 κ᾽ ἀμυναίμην: “might ward off,” potential optative. The object of the verb is τὴν, “that (other) one” (i.e., Scylla).
115 δῖα θεάων: "(most) radiant of goddesses," with a partitive genitive. The adjective has a superlative force (LSJ δῖος I.1).
116 καὶ δὴ αὖ: “once again” (Smyth 2845).
116 τοι … μέμηλε: “have become your concern” ( > μέλω + dat.), with neuter plural subject.
117 ὑπείξεαι: 2nd sing. fut. mid. ( > ὑπείκω).
118 ἡ: i.e., Scylla.
121 ἢν … δηθύνῃσθα: ἐάν + subj.. The conditional is a future more vivid, and the tense of the verb in the apodosis (δείδω) is a “present of anticipation” (Smyth 1879, 2326b).
121 κορυσσόμενος: “arming yourself.”
122 κίχῃσι: 3rd sing. pres. subj., in a clause of fearing.
123 τόσσῃσιν: “with so many …”
123 ἐκ … ἕληται: tmesis, aor. subj. > ἐξαιρέω, in a clause of fearing.
124 ἐλάαν: infin. > ἐλαύνω, used as an imperative.
124 βωστρεῖν: infin., used as an imperative.
125 πῆμα: "as a cause of suffering," in apposition to μιν.
126 ἀποπαύσει: παύω (ἀποπαύω) + infin. means “to prevent (acc.) from doing something (infin.)” (Smyth 2140).
126 ἐς ὕστερον: “again," "a second time.”
135 ναίειν: infinitive of purpose.
136 φυλασσέμεναι: infinitive of purpose.
137 εἰ ..κ᾽ … ἐάᾳς … τε μέδηαι, / … ἂν … ἵκοισθε: mixed conditional. The protasis, ἐάν (εἰ κε) + subj., belongs to a future more vivid, while the apodosis, ἄν + opt., belongs to a future less vivid.
137 ἐάᾳς: pres. subj. > ἐάω. The verb takes an object and a predicate accusative.
137 μέδηαι: 2nd sing. pres. subj. > μέδομαι, with genitive object.
139 εἰ … κε σίνηαι, ... τεκμαίρομ(αι): ἐάν + subj. The conditional is a future more vivid, and the tense of the verb in the apodosis (τεκμαίρομαι) is a “present of anticipation” (Smyth 1879, 2326b).
140 αυτός δ᾽ εἴ πέρ κεν ἀλύξῃς ... ...: "and even if you yourself escape ..." Protasis of a future more vivid conditional.
141 νεῖαι: 2nd sing. fut. mid. > νέομαι.
141 ὀλέσας ἄπο: tmesis > ἀπόλλυμι.
143 ἀνὰ νῆσον: "up the island," "up through the island."
145 ἀνά ... λῦσαι: tmesis > ἀναλύω.
147 τύπτον: unaugmented 3rd pl. impf. act. indic.
148 κατόπισθε: “behind,” with genitive.
149 ἵει: “sent”; 3rd sing. impf., contracted form. The form is identical to the present active, but Homer never employs the “historical present” (Smyth 1883).
151 ὅπλα ἕκαστα: “all the tackle” (i.e., rigging, cables, etc.).
152 ἴθυνε: “was steering,” 3rd sing. impf. act. indic.
vocabulary
ἀτάρ (or αὐτάρ): but, yet
μιν: (accusative singular third person pronoun) him, her, it; himself, herself, itself
ἀμείβω ἀμείψω ἤμειψα ἤμειφα ἤμειμμαι ἠμείφθην: to respond, answer; to exchange; (mid.) to take turns, alternate; to change, place, pass
προσεῖπον (aor. 2 of προσαγορεύω and προσφωνέω); Εp. προσέειπον: to speak to one, address, accost
ἄγε: come! come on! well!
θεά –ᾶς ἡ: goddess
νημερτής –ές: unerring, infallible; (adv.) truthfully
ἐνέπω ἐνισπήσω/ἐνίψω ἔνισπον ––– ––– –––: to tell, tell of, relate, describe
ὀλοός –ή –όν: destroying, destructive, fatal, deadly, murderous
ὑπεκπροφεύγω ὑπεκπροφευξοῦμαι/ὑπεκπροφεύξομαι ὑπεκπροέφυγον ὑπεκπροπέφευγα: to flee away secretly, escape and flee
Χάρυβδις –εως ἡ: Charybdis, the whirlpool opposite Scylla
ἀμύνω ἀμυνῶ ἤμυνα ἤμυκα ἤμυμαι ἠμύνηθην: to ward off, avert (+ acc.); to defend (+ dat.) from (+ acc.)
σίνομαι σινήσομαι ἐσινάμην σέσιμμαι: to do harm
ἑταῖρος –ου ὁ: comrade, companion
ἀμείβω ἀμείψω ἤμειψα ἤμειφα ἤμειμμαι ἠμείφθην: to respond, answer; to exchange; (mid.) to take turns, alternate; to change, place, pass 115
δῖος –α –ον: divine, godlike, shining
θεά –ᾶς ἡ: goddess
σχέτλιος –α –ον: strong, unwearying; stubborn, cruel, merciless
πολεμήϊος –α –ον: warlike
μέλω μέλησω ἐμέλησα μεμέληκα ––– –––: be an object of care or interest
ὑπείκω ὑπείξω ὑπεῖξα ––– ––– –––: to yield, submit (+ dat.); to withdraw, retire (+ gen.)
ἀθάνατος –ον: immortal, deathless; (plur.) the gods
τοι: let me tell you, surely
θνητός –ή –όν: mortal
ἀθάνατος –ον: immortal, deathless; (plur.) the gods
ἀργαλέος –α –ον: hard to endure or deal with, difficult
ἄγριος –α –ον: savage; wild; fierce
μαχητός –ή –όν: to be fought with
ἀλκή –ής ἡ: defense, resistance; strength, courage 120
κράτιστος –η –ον: strongest, best
δηθύνω – – – – –: to tarry, be long, delay
κορύσσω κορύσω ἐκόρυσσα: (act.) to arm someone; (mid.) to arm oneself, to prepare to fight
πέτρη –ης ἡ: rock, cliffs, shelf of rock
δείδω δείσομαι ἔδεισα δέδοικα (or δίδια) ––– –––: to fear
ἐξαῦτις: over again, once more, anew
ἐφορμάω ἐφορμήσω ἐφώρμησα ἐφώρμηκα ἐφώρμημαι ἐφωρμήθην: to stir up, rouse against; to be eager, desire
κιχάνω κιχήσομαι ἔκιχον: to reach, overtake, meet with (+ acc.)
τόσος –η –ον: so great, so vast
τόσος –η –ον: so great, so vast
φώς φωτός ὁ: man
σφοδρός [–ά] –όν: vehement, violent, excessive; (adv.) vigorously, forcefully
βωστρέω βωστρήσω ἐβώστρησα: to call on
Κράταιις –ίδος ἡ: Krataiis, Mighty one, mother of Scylla
Σκύλλη –ης ἡ: Scylla, a cave-dwelling sea monster 125
μιν: (accusative singular third person pronoun) him, her, it; himself, herself, itself
πῆμα –ατος τό: suffering, misery, calamity, woe, bane; cause of suffering
βροτός –οῦ ὁ: mortal
μιν: (accusative singular third person pronoun) him, her, it; himself, herself, itself
ἀποπαύω ἀποπαύσω ἀπέπαυσα ἀποπέπαυκα ἀποπέπαυμαι ἀπεπαύθην/ἀπεπαύσθην: to stop
Θρινακίη –ης ἡ: Thrinacia, a fabulous island, the pasture of the cattle of the Sun
βόσκω βοσκήσω ἐβόσκησα βεβόσκηκα βεβόσκημαι ἐβοσκήθην: (act.) to feed; (mid.) to feed oneself; (trans.) to feed someone
ἴφιος –α –ον: stout, fat
μῆλον –ου τό: sheep or goat; (plur.) flock
βοάω βοήσομαι ἐβόησα βεβόηκα βεβόημαι ἐβοήθην: to shout, roar
ἀγέλη –ης ἡ: a herd
τόσος –η –ον: so great, so vast
ὄϊς ὄϊος ὁ/ἡ: sheep
πῶυ –ους τό: a flock
πεντήκοντα: fifty 130
γόνος –ου ὁ: that which is begotten, offspring, a child, lineage
φθινύθω – – – – –: to perish, waste away; to waste, consume
θεά –ᾶς ἡ: goddess
ἐπιποιμήν –ένος ὁ/ἡ: a chief shepherd
νύμφη –ης ἡ: a young wife, bride; nymph, a divinity of waters or woods
ἐϋπλόκαμος –ον: fairhaired
Φαέθουσα –ης ἡ: Phaethusa, daughter of Helius and Neaera
Λαμπετίη –ης ἡ: Lampetia, a nymph, daughter of Helius
Ὑπερίων –ονος ὁ: Hyperion, the Sun-god
δῖος –α –ον: divine, godlike, shining
Νέαιρα –ας ἡ: Neaera, a nymph, the mother of Lampetie and Phaethūsa by Helius
ἄρα: now, then, next, thus
πότνια –ας ἡ: mistress, queen
Θρινακίη –ης ἡ: Thrinacia, a fabulous island, the pasture of the cattle of the Sun 135
ἀποικίζω ἀποικιῶ ἀπῴκισα ἀπῴκικα ἀπῴκισμαι ἀπῳκίσθην: to move to a new home
τηλόθι: afar, at a distance
ναίω – – – – –: dwell, inhabit, be situated
μῆλον –ου τό: sheep or goat; (plur.) flock
πατρῷος –α –ον (Ion. πατρώϊος): of or belonging to the father
ἕλιξ –ικος: with curving horns; twisted, curving
ἀσῐνής –ές: unhurt, unharmed
νόστος –ου ὁ: return (home)
μέδομαι μεδήσομαι μεδησάμην: to provide for, think on, be mindful of
Ἰθάκη –ης ἡ: Ithaca, the home of Odysseus, an island on the West coast of Greece
ἱκνέομαι ἵξομαι ἱκόμην ––– ἷγμαι –––: to come, reach
σίνομαι σινήσομαι ἐσινάμην σέσιμμαι: to do harm
τεκμαίρομαι τεκμαροῦμαι ἐτεκμηράμην: to ordain, settle upon; to foretell
ὄλεθρος –ου ὁ: ruin, destruction, death
ἑταῖρος –ου ὁ: comrade, companion 140
ἀλύσκω ἀλύξω ἤλυξα ––– ––– –––: to flee from, shun, avoid, forsake
ὀψέ: late; too late; at last
νέομαι ––– ––– ––– ––– –––: to return (often in present with future sense), go home, go
ὄλλυμι ὀλῶ ὤλεσα (or ὠλόμην) ὀλώλεκα (or ὄλωλα) ––– –––: to demolish, kill; to lose, suffer the loss of (+ acc.); (mid.) to die, perish, be killed
ἑταῖρος –ου ὁ: comrade, companion
χρυσόθρονος –ον: gold-enthroned
ἠώς ἠοῦς ἡ: dawn; Dawn
ἀποστείχω ἀποστείξω ἀπέστιχον: to go, come, walk, proceed
δῖος –α –ον: divine, godlike, shining
θεά –ᾶς ἡ: goddess
ἀτάρ (or αὐτάρ): but, yet
κίω – – – – –: go, go away
ὀτρύνω ὀτρυνῶ ὤτρυνα ––– ––– –––: to urge on
ἑταῖρος –ου ὁ: comrade, companion
ἀναβαίνω ἀναβήσομαι ἀνέβην ἀναβέβηκα ––– –––: to board, go up 145
πρυμνήσια –ων τά: mooring cables (of a ship)
αἶψα: rapidly, speedily, suddenly
εἰσβαίνω (Ion. ἐσβαίνω) εἰσβήσομαι εἰσέβην εἰσβέβηκα ––– –––: to go into
κληΐς κληῖδος ἡ: bolt; (pl.) oarlocks
καθίζω (Ion. κατίζω) καθιῶ (Ion. κατίσω) καθῖσα/ἐκάθισα (or κατῖσα) κεκάθικα: to sit down; to set, place
ἑξῆς: one after another, in order, in a row
ἕζομαι – – – – –: to sit down
πολιός –ή –όν: white
ἅλς ἁλός ὁ: salt (m.); sea (f.)
τύπτω τύψω ἔτυψα τέτῠφα (or τετύπτηκα) τέτυμμαι ἐτύφθην (or ἐτυπτήθην or ἐτύπην): to beat, strike
ἐρετμόν –οῦ τό: oar
κατόπισθεν: behind, after, in the rear
κυανόπρῳρος –ον: with dark-blue prow, dark-prowed
ἴκμενος –ον: following, favourable
οὖρος –ου ὁ: a fair wind
πλησίστιος –ον: filling the sails
ἐσθλός –ή –όν: good
ἑταῖρος –ου ὁ: comrade, companion
Κίρκη –ης ἡ: Circe, the enchantress, daughter of Helius, sister of Aeētes, dwelling in the isle of Aeaea 150
ἐϋπλόκαμος –ον: fairhaired
αὐδήεις –εσσα –εν: speaking with human voice
πονέω πονέσω/πονήσω ἐπόνεσα/ἐπόνησα πεπόνηκα πεπόνημαι ἐπονήθην: to work; to labor over, prepare; (mid.) to busy oneself with; to put in order
ἧμαι (or κάθημαι) ––– ––– ––– ––– –––: sit
ἄνεμος –ου ὁ: wind
κυβερνήτης –ου ὁ: a steersman, helmsman, pilot
ἰθύνω ἴθυνα ἴθυμμαι ἰθύνθην: to straighten; guide directly, steer