11.568-600

"ἔνθ᾽ ἦ τοι Μίνωα ἴδον, Διὸς ἀγλαὸν υἱόν,

χρύσεον σκῆπτρον ἔχοντα, θεμιστεύοντα νέκυσσιν,

ἥμενον, οἱ δέ μιν ἀμφὶ δίκας εἴροντο ἄνακτα,570

ἥμενοι ἑσταότες τε κατ᾽ εὐρυπυλὲς Ἄϊδος δῶ.

τὸν δὲ μετ᾽ Ὠρίωνα πελώριον εἰσενόησα

θῆρας ὁμοῦ εἰλεῦντα κατ᾽ ἀσφοδελὸν λειμῶνα,

τοὺς αὐτὸς κατέπεφνεν ἐν οἰοπόλοισιν ὄρεσσι

χερσὶν ἔχων ῥόπαλον παγχάλκεον, αἰὲν ἀαγές.575

καὶ Τιτυὸν εἶδον, Γαίης ἐρικυδέος υἱόν,

κείμενον ἐν δαπέδῳ· ὁ δ᾽ ἐπ᾽ ἐννέα κεῖτο πέλεθρα,

γῦπε δέ μιν ἑκάτερθε παρημένω ἧπαρ ἔκειρον,

δέρτρον ἔσω δύνοντες, ὁ δ᾽ οὐκ ἀπαμύνετο χερσί·

Λητὼ γὰρ ἕλκησε, Διὸς κυδρὴν παράκοιτιν,580

Πυθώδ᾽ ἐρχομένην διὰ καλλιχόρου Πανοπῆος.

καὶ μὴν Τάνταλον εἰσεῖδον κρατέρ᾽ ἄλγε᾽ ἔχοντα

ἑστεῶτ᾽ ἐν λίμνῃ: ἡ δὲ προσέπλαζε γενείῳ·

στεῦτο δὲ διψάων, πιέειν δ᾽ οὐκ εἶχεν ἑλέσθαι·

ὁσσάκι γὰρ κύψει᾽ ὁ γέρων πιέειν μενεαίνων,585

τοσσάχ᾽ ὕδωρ ἀπολέσκετ᾽ ἀναβροχέν, ἀμφὶ δὲ ποσσὶ

γαῖα μέλαινα φάνεσκε, καταζήνασκε δὲ δαίμων.

δένδρεα δ᾽ ὑψιπέτηλα κατὰ κρῆθεν χέε καρπόν,

ὄγχναι καὶ ῥοιαὶ καὶ μηλέαι ἀγλαόκαρποι

συκέαι τε γλυκεραὶ καὶ ἐλαῖαι τηλεθόωσαι·590

τῶν ὁπότ᾽ ἰθύσει᾽ ὁ γέρων ἐπὶ χερσὶ μάσασθαι,

τὰς δ᾽ ἄνεμος ῥίπτασκε ποτὶ νέφεα σκιόεντα.

καὶ μὴν Σίσυφον εἰσεῖδον κρατέρ᾽ ἄλγε᾽ ἔχοντα

λᾶαν βαστάζοντα πελώριον ἀμφοτέρῃσιν.

ἦ τοι ὁ μὲν σκηριπτόμενος χερσίν τε ποσίν τε595

λᾶαν ἄνω ὤθεσκε ποτὶ λόφον: ἀλλ᾽ ὅτε μέλλοι

ἄκρον ὑπερβαλέειν, τότ᾽ ἀποστρέψασκε κραταιίς·

αὖτις ἔπειτα πέδονδε κυλίνδετο λᾶας ἀναιδής.

αὐτὰρ ὅ γ᾽ ἂψ ὤσασκε τιταινόμενος, κατὰ δ᾽ ἱδρὼς

ἔρρεεν ἐκ μελέων, κονίη δ᾽ ἐκ κρατὸς ὀρώρει.600

    Odysseus sees but does not speak to the ghosts of Minos, Orion, Tityos, Tantalus, and Sisyphus.

    Aristarchus of Samothrace (217–145 BCE), a Hellenistic scholar whose marginal comments on the Homeric epics have come down to us, thought that verses 568–627 were added to the main composition of the Odyssey by a later poet and some modern scholars have agreed with him. Though our purpose here is to understand the version of the poem that we have now, rather than entering into scholarly controversies about the history of the poem’s composition, looking briefly at some of the objections to these verses can help to us to clarify their function in the overall structure of Book Eleven.

    read full essay

    At first glance, the passage describing six figures who follow Ajax recalls the earlier catalogue of heroines: the language, with variations on the verb εἴδω (568, 576, 582, 593; cf., 235, 261, 266, 281, 298, 306); the parade of mythical figures with identifying details. But this latter group stands apart from the heroines, in that none of them has any meaningful connection to Odysseus outside the poem. As a group, they represent no threat to him, unlike the women, who always embody danger for the hero. With the exception of Herakles, they appear only at a distance from Odysseus, inside Hades itself. None of the six drinks blood from the trench. Though Herakles does speak to Odysseus, he receives no answer. The immediacy of the encounters with Agamemnon, Achilles, and Ajax is missing here, as the poet seems to be lowering the dramatic intensity at the end of the katabasis. The ongoing implied comparison between the lives of the dead heroes and Odysseus’s different kind of heroism fades away.

    Despite the differences between this last section and the earlier encounters, we can see a larger structural symmetry in Book Eleven: three figures who have significant exchanges with Odysseus, Elpenor, Tiresias, and Antikleia, are echoed by Agamemnon, Achilles, and Ajax; then comes the catalogue of heroines, mirrored by the catalogue of male figures from myth. This kind of structural interpretation can also be applied to the last scenes of the poem, after the reunion of Odysseus and Penelope, which also show a marked fall-off in dramatic intensity and were also found unsatisfactory by Aristarchus. We might account for the second underworld scene (24.1-240) by noting that, though quite dreary, it corresponds to the katabasis and rounds off the story of the suitors, while the remainder of the book tidies up loose ends with Laertes and the families of the suitors.

    In both Book Eleven and Book Twenty-Four, the falling-off of dramatic tension has been a let-down for many, with the structural patterns seeming inadequate compensation for the lowered energy. But this kind of arc is not in fact unusual in Greek literature, where often a story will reach a dramatic climax some distance from the end of the work, with the remaining scenes devoted to realizing the implications of that climax. The death of Hector is followed in the Iliad by the funeral games for Patroclus and the ransoming of Hector; Oedipus’ shattering realization in Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannus comes well before the play’s end, leaving the survivors to cope with the wreckage. All that being said, it is hard to see how this last part of the katabasis addresses the implications of encounters with the Iliadic warriors, the dramatic high point of the Book.

    Herakles, the last of the parade of heroes, makes an impressive entrance at the end of Book Eleven:

    ἀμφὶ δέ μιν κλαγγὴ νεκύων ἦν οἰωνῶν ὥς,

    πάντοσ᾽ ἀτυζομένων: ὁ δ᾽ ἐρεμνῇ νυκτὶ ἐοικώς,

    γυμνὸν τόξον ἔχων καὶ ἐπὶ νευρῆφιν ὀιστόν,

    δεινὸν παπταίνων, αἰεὶ βαλέοντι ἐοικώς.

    σμερδαλέος δέ οἱ ἀμφὶ περὶ στήθεσσιν ἀορτὴρ

    χρύσεος ἦν τελαμών, ἵνα θέσκελα ἔργα τέτυκτο,

    ἄρκτοι τ᾽ ἀγρότεροί τε σύες χαροποί τε λέοντες,

    ὑσμῖναί τε μάχαι τε φόνοι τ᾽ ἀνδροκτασίαι τε.

    Around him was a clamor of the dead, like birds,

    scattering, frightened, and he came on like black night,

    holding a bare bow, an arrow notched in the string,

    glaring dreadfully, always ready to strike.

    A terrible belt crossed his chest, a golden

    baldric, where marvelous works of art were figured,

    bears and fierce boars and lions with eyes that glared,

    and battles and quarrels, murders and slaughter.

    Odyssey 11.605–612

    Here is a compelling spirit Odysseus would surely want to follow and question. But he is not interested:

    αὐτὰρ ἐγὼν αὐτοῦ μένον ἔμπεδον, εἴ τις ἔτ᾽ ἔλθοι

    ἀνδρῶν ἡρώων, οἳ δὴ τὸ πρόσθεν ὄλοντο.

    But I remained there, in case any other of the

    heroes would come, who were killed before.

    Odyssey 11.628–629

    The inertia that kept him from following Ajax seems to have grown. There he at least questioned the great warrior. The repeated rhythm of the two encounters, each ending with Odysseus turning away from a famous hero, brings the katabasis to an end in a fitting way. Typically for him, restless curiosity pushes him onward. Perhaps this conclusion also reflects the poet’s own restlessness?

    Further Reading

    Clay, J. 1983. The Wrath of Athena: Gods and Men in the Odyssey, 94–96. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

    Heubeck, A. and Hoekstra, A. ed. 1989. A Commentary on Homer’s Odyssey, vol. II, Books IX–XVI, 110-114. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Morrison, J. 2003. A Companion to Homer’s Odyssey, 109–110. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.

    Thalman, W. 1992. The Odyssey: an epic of return, 73–75. New York: Twayne Publishers.

    Tracy, S. 1990. The Story of the Odyssey, 72–73. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

    569  νέκυσσιν: dative of interest.

    570  οἱ: relative pronoun. The antecedent is νεκύσσιν.

    570  μιν ἀμφὶ: ἀμφί can follow its object without change of accent (anastrophe).

    570  δίκας εἴροντο ἄνακτα: “were asking the lord about judgements.” Imperfect, > εἴρομαι. The verb can take a double accusative of person questioned and thing inquired about (Smyth 1628).

    571  ἑσταότες: perfect active participle masculine plural, >ἵστημι.

    571  κατ᾽ … δῶ: “throughout the … house.”

    572  τὸν δὲ μέτ᾽: “after him,” anastrophe.

    573  ὁμοῦ εἰλεῦντα: “corralling” (literally, “shutting in together”).

    577  ἐν δαπέδῳ: “on the ground.”

    577  ἐπ᾽ ἐννέα κεῖτο πέλεθρα: “he was lying up to nine pelethra” (i.e., he was 900 feet long). κεῖτο, imperfect, unaugmented.

    578  γῦπε … παρημένω: duals.

    578  ἔκειρον: “tore off bits of.”

    579  ἔσω: “into ...,” with δέρτρον.

    580  Λητὼ: accusative.

    580  ἕλκησε: “abducted," "assaulted." The root meaning of the word is "to drag," but also can have connotations of violence.

    581  Πυθώδ᾽: "to Delphi." The Pytho is the priestess of Apollo at Delphi. 

    581  καλλιχόρου Πανοπῆος: Pausanias (10.4.3) has an explanation of why Panopeus is said to have "beautiful dancing floors." Panopeus was the home of Tityos (Strabo 9.3.14), who attempted to rape Leto and was killed by her children Apollo and Artemis. 

    583  : the pool (or the water of the pool).

    583  προσέπλαζε: takes a dative.

    584  στεῦτο: “he was making an effort.”

    584  πιέειν: aorist infinitive of purpose, > πίνω.

    584  οὐκ εἶχεν ἑλέσθαι: “he was unable to get hold of it (the water).”

    585  ὁσσάκι: ὁσάκις, introducing a general temporal clause.

    585  κύψει(ε): optative in a general temporal clause (> κύπτω).

    586  τοσσάχ᾽: τοσάκις, correlative with ὁσσάκι.

    586  ἀπολέσκετ᾽: “was lost,” “slipped away,” > ἀπόλλυμι.

    586  ἀναβροχέν: aorist passive participle, modifying ὕδωρ.

    588  κατὰ … χέε: “dropped down,” “bent down,” tmesis. The singular verb has the neuter plural subject δένδρεα.

    588  κρῆθεν: the trees dropped fruit “from their tops” (LSJ κράς II).

    591  τῶν: “them” (i.e., the fruits), partitive genitive with a verb of touching (Smyth 1345).

    591  ἰθύσει᾽: ἰθύσειε, “reached,” aorist optative in a general temporal clause.

    591  μάσασθαι: infinitive of purpose.

    592  ῥίπτασκε: “would fling,” iterative imperfect, unaugmented.

    592  ποτὶ: = πρὸς

    594  πελώριον: “huge.”

    594  ἀμφοτέρῃσιν: supply χερσί, dative of means.

    595  χερσίν τε ποσίν τε: datives of means.

    596  ποτὶ λόφον: “toward the top of the hill.”

    596  ὅτε μέλλοι: general temporal clause with optative in secondary sequence.

    597  ὑπερβαλέειν: “to push it over.”

    597  ἀποστρέψασκε: iterative imperfect.

    598  κυλίνδετο: imperfect, unaugmented.

    599  ὤσασκε: iterative aorist, > ὠθέω.

    599  κατὰ … ἔρρεεν: “poured down,” tmesis, > καταρρέω.

    τοι: let me tell you, surely

    Μίνως –ω ὁ: Minos

    Ζεύς Διός ὁ: Zeus

    ἀγλαός –ή –όν: splendid, shining, bright

    χρύσεος –η –ον: golden, gold-inlaid

    σκῆπτρον –ου τό: a staff

    θεμιστεύω θεμιστεύσω ἐθεμίστευσα: to render justice; to govern, command (+ gen.)

    νέκυς –υος τό: dead body, corpse

    ἧμαι (or κάθημαι) ––– ––– ––– ––– –––: sit 570

    μιν: (accusative singular third person pronoun) him, her, it; himself, herself, itself

    ἄναξ –ακτος ὁ: ruler, lord

    ἧμαι (or κάθημαι) ––– ––– ––– ––– –––: sit

    εὐρυπυλής –ές: with broad gates

    Ἀΐδης –ου ὁ: Hades

    δῶμα –ατος τό: house (often in plural)

    Ὠρίων –ωνος ὁ: Orīon, the mighty hunter, beloved of Eos

    πελώριος –ον: gigantic, colossal, prodigious, monstrous

    εἰσνοέω εἰσνοήσω εἰσενόησα εἰσνενόηκα εἰσνενόημαι εἰσενοήθην: to perceive, remark

    θήρ θηρός ὁ: wild animal

    ὁμοῦ: together, at the same place or time

    εἴλω εἰλήσω εἴλησα ––– εἴλημαι εἰλήθην: to roll up, pack, shut in, corral

    ἀσφόδελος –η –ον: asphodel, filled with asphodels

    λειμών –ῶνος ὁ: grassland, meadow, field

    καταφένω ––– κατέπεφνον: to kill, slay

    οἰοπόλος –ον: traversed by sheep

    ῥόπαλον –ου τό: a club, cudgel 575

    παγχάλκεος –ον: all-brazen, all-brass

    ἀαγής –ές: unbroken, not to be broken, hard, strong

    Τιτυός –οῦ ὁ: Tityus, a giant, the son of Gaea, punished in Hades

    Γαίη –ης ἡ: Gaia

    ἐρικυδής –ές: very famous, glorious, splendid

    δάπεδον –ου τό: surface, pavement, floor

    πλέθριον or πέλεθρον –ου τό: wrestling-ground

    γύψ γυπός ὁ: a vulture

    μιν: (accusative singular third person pronoun) him, her, it; himself, herself, itself

    ἑκάτερθε: on each side, on either hand

    πάρημαι (properly perf. pass. of παρίζω): to be seated beside

    ἧπαρ –ατος τό: the liver

    κείρω κερῶ ἔκειρα κέκαρκα κέκαρμαι ἐκέρθην: to cut

    δέρτρον –ου τό: intestines, bowels

    εἴσω (or ἔσω): in, into, inside

    δὐω δύσω έδυσα/ἔδυν δέδυκα δέδυμαι εδύθην: plunge in, go into, sink

    ἀπαμύνω ἀπαμυνῶ ἀπήμυνα: to keep off, ward off

    Λητώ –οῦς ἡ: Leto (Latona), mother of Apollo and Artemis 580

    ἑλκέω ἑλκήσω ἥλκωσα: to carry off, abduct

    κυδρός –ά –όν: glorious, illustrious, noble

    παράκοιτις –ιος ἡ: a wife, spouse

    Πυθώδε: to Pytho

    καλλίχορος –ον: with beautiful places

    Πανοπεύς –έως ὁ: Panopeus, a city in Phocis

    μήν: verily, truly, then

    Τάνταλος –ου ὁ: Tantalus, son of Zeus, and father of Pelops, a king of Sipylus, who revealed the secrets of the gods, and was punished in Hades

    εἰσοράω εἰσόψομαι εἰσεῖδον εἰσεόρακα/εἰσεώρακα/εἰσόπωπα εἰσεόραμαι/εἰσεώραμαι/εἰσῶμμαι εἰσώφθην: to look into, look upon, view, behold

    κρατερός –ά –όν: strong, powerful, mighty

    ἄλγος –ους τό: pain

    λίμνη (λίμνα) –ης ἡ: pool, swamp

    προσπλάζω – – – – –: to come near, approach

    γένειον –ου τό: chin

    στεῦμαι – – – – –: to press forward

    διψάω διψήσω ἐδίψησα δεδίψηκα: to be thirsty

    ὁσάκις: as many times as, as often as 585

    κύπτω κύψω ἔκυψα κέκυφα: to bend forward, stoop down

    γέρων –οντος ὁ: old man

    μενεαίνω – – – – –: to desire earnestly

    τοσάκις: so many times, so often

    ἀναβρόχω ἀναβρόξω ἀνέβροξα: to gulp back

    γαίη –ης ἡ: land, region, district

    μέλας μέλαινα μέλαν: black, dark, obscure

    καταζαίνω καταζανῶ κατήζηνα: to dry up

    δένδρον –ου τό: tree

    ὑψιπέτηλος –ον: with high foliage, towering

    κράς –ατός τό: head, top, highest point

    χέω χέω ἔχεα or ἔχευα κέχυκα κέχυμαι ἐχύθην: to pour, shed

    καρπός –οῦ ὁ: fruit (of the earth), produce

    ὄγχνη –ης ἡ: a pear-tree

    ῥοιά –ᾶς ἡ: pomegranate; pomegranate tree (see ῥόα)

    μηλέα –ας ἡ: an apple-tree

    ἀγλαόκαρπος –ον: bearing beautiful

    συκῆ –ῆς ἡ: fig tree 590

    γλυκύς γλυκεῖα γλυκύ: sweet, pleasant

    ἐλαία –ας ἡ: the olive-tree

    τηλεθάω – – – – –: (in the pres. partic.) blooming, flourishing

    ὁπότε: when

    ἰθύω ἰθύσω ἴθυσα: to reach, go straight, press right on

    γέρων –οντος ὁ: old man

    μάσσω μάξω ἔμαξα μέμαχα μέμαγμαι ἐμάχθην: to handle, touch

    ἄνεμος –ου ὁ: wind

    ῥίπτω ῥίζψω ἔρριψα ἔρριμμαι ἐρρίφθην: to throw, cast, hurl

    νέφος –ους τό: a cloud

    σκιόεις –εσσα –εν: shady, shadowy

    μήν: verily, truly, then

    Σίσυφος –ου ὁ: Sisyphus, son of Aeolus, father of Glaucus, and founder of Ephyra (Corinth), renowned for craft and wiles

    εἰσοράω εἰσόψομαι εἰσεῖδον εἰσεόρακα/εἰσεώρακα/εἰσόπωπα εἰσεόραμαι/εἰσεώραμαι/εἰσῶμμαι εἰσώφθην: to look into, look upon, view, behold

    κρατερός –ά –όν: strong, powerful, mighty

    ἄλγος –ους τό: pain

    λᾶας –ου ὁ: stone

    βαστάζω βαστάσω ἐβάστασα ––– ––– –––: to lift, lift up, raise

    πελώριος –ον: gigantic, colossal, prodigious, monstrous

    τοι: let me tell you, surely 595

    σκηρίπτομαι – – – – –: to support oneself

    ἀνύω or ἄνω ἀνύσω ἤνυσα ἤνυκα ἤνυσμαι ἠνύσθην: to accomplish, finish

    ὠθέω ὤσω ἔωσα (or ὦσα) ἔωκα ἔωσμαι ἐώσθην: to thrust, push, shove, force onwards

    λόφος –ου ὁ: crest, summit

    ἄκρον –ου τό: summit, peak, point

    ὑπερβάλλω ὑπερβαλῶ ὑπειρέβαλον ὑπερβέβληκα ὑπερβέβλημαι ὑπερεβλήθην: to push over

    ἀποστρέφω ἀποστρέψομαι ἀπεστρέψα ἀπέστροφα ἀπέστραμμαι ἀπεστράφην: to turn back, roll back

    κραταιίς –ίδος ἡ: mighty force

    αὖθις: again, in turn

    πέδονδε: to the ground, earthwards

    κυλίνδω ἐκύλισα κεκύλισμαι ἐκυλίσθην: to roll, roll along; to wallow

    ἀναιδής –ές: shameless

    ἀτάρ (or αὐτάρ): but, yet

    ἄψ: back

    ὠθέω ὤσω ἔωσα (or ὦσα) ἔωκα ἔωσμαι ἐώσθην: to thrust, push, shove, force onwards

    τιταίνω – – – – –: to stretch; to set out

    ἱδρώς –ῶτος ὁ/ἡ: sweat

    ῥέω ῥυήσομαι ––– ἐρρύηκα ––– ἐρρύην: to flow, run, stream 600

    μέλος –ους τό: a limb

    κονία –ας ἡ: dust, a cloud of dust

    κράς –ατός τό: head, top, highest point

    ὄρνυμι ὄρσω ὦρσα ὄρωρα ὀρώρεμαι –––: to stir up, move; (mid.) to rise, get up

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    Suggested Citation

    Thomas Van Nortwick and Rob Hardy, Homer: Odyssey 9-12. Carlisle, Pennsylvania: Dickinson College Commentaries, 20122. ISBN: 978-1-947822-17-7 https://dcc.dickinson.edu/homer-odyssey/xi-567-600