"αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ κατὰ μῆρε κάη καὶ σπλάγχνα πάσαντο,

μίστυλλόν τ᾽ ἄρα τἆλλα καὶ ἀμφ᾽ ὀβελοῖσιν ἔπειραν.365

καὶ τότε μοι βλεφάρων ἐξέσσυτο νήδυμος ὕπνος,

βῆν δ᾽ ἰέναι ἐπὶ νῆα θοὴν καὶ θῖνα θαλάσσης.

ἀλλ᾽ ὅτε δὴ σχεδὸν ἦα κιὼν νεὸς ἀμφιελίσσης,

καὶ τότε με κνίσης ἀμφήλυθεν ἡδὺς ἀυτμή.

οἰμώξας δὲ θεοῖσι μετ᾽ ἀθανάτοισι γεγώνευν·370

‘Ζεῦ πάτερ ἠδ᾽ ἄλλοι μάκαρες θεοὶ αἰὲν ἐόντες,

ἦ με μάλ᾽ εἰς ἄτην κοιμήσατε νηλέι ὕπνῳ.

οἱ δ᾽ ἕταροι μέγα ἔργον ἐμητίσαντο μένοντες.’

ὠκέα δ᾽ Ἠελίῳ Ὑπερίονι ἄγγελος ἦλθε

Λαμπετίη τανύπεπλος, ὅ οἱ βόας ἔκταμεν ἡμεῖς.375

αὐτίκα δ᾽ ἀθανάτοισι μετηύδα χωόμενος κῆρ·

‘Ζεῦ πάτερ ἠδ᾽ ἄλλοι μάκαρες θεοὶ αἰὲν ἐόντες,

τῖσαι δὴ ἑτάρους Λαερτιάδεω Ὀδυσῆος,

οἵ μευ βοῦς ἔκτειναν ὑπέρβιον, ᾗσιν ἐγώ γε

χαίρεσκον μὲν ἰὼν εἰς οὐρανὸν ἀστερόεντα,380

ἠδ᾽ ὁπότ᾽ ἂψ ἐπὶ γαῖαν ἀπ᾽ οὐρανόθεν προτραποίμην.

εἰ δέ μοι οὐ τίσουσι βοῶν ἐπιεικέ᾽ ἀμοιβήν,

δύσομαι εἰς Ἀίδαο καὶ ἐν νεκύεσσι φαείνω.’

τὸν δ᾽ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη νεφεληγερέτα Ζεύς·

‘ Ἠέλι᾽, ἦ τοι μὲν σὺ μετ᾽ ἀθανάτοισι φάεινε385

καὶ θνητοῖσι βροτοῖσιν ἐπὶ ζείδωρον ἄρουραν·

τῶν δέ κ᾽ ἐγὼ τάχα νῆα θοὴν ἀργῆτι κεραυνῷ

τυτθὰ βαλὼν κεάσαιμι μέσῳ ἐνὶ οἴνοπι πόντῳ.’

ταῦτα δ᾽ ἐγὼν ἤκουσα Καλυψοῦς ἠυκόμοιο·

ἡ δ᾽ ἔφη Ἑρμείαο διακτόρου αὐτὴ ἀκοῦσαι.390

αὐτὰρ ἐπεί ῥ᾽ ἐπὶ νῆα κατήλυθον ἠδὲ θάλασσαν,

νείκεον ἄλλοθεν ἄλλον ἐπισταδόν, οὐδέ τι μῆχος

εὑρέμεναι δυνάμεσθα, βόες δ᾽ ἀποτέθνασαν ἤδη.

τοῖσιν δ᾽ αὐτίκ᾽ ἔπειτα θεοὶ τέραα προύφαινον·

εἷρπον μὲν ῥινοί, κρέα δ᾽ ἀμφ᾽ ὀβελοῖσι μεμύκει,395

ὀπταλέα τε καὶ ὠμά, βοῶν δ᾽ ὣς γίγνετο φωνή.

    Odysseus is awakened by the smell of cooking meat. Lampetia tells her father Helios of the Greeks’ transgression. He complains to Zeus, who promises punishment for the crew.

    Awake from his nap, Odysseus heads back to the ship, only to encounter yet another dangerously seductive fragrance. The temptation that overwhelmed his crew seems to be carried by the savor of cooking cattle. These are female cows (καλαὶ βόες, 12.262), tended by nymphs. The savor “surrounds” Odysseus, like the female voices (θῆλυς ἀυτή, 6.121) that swirl around him on the beach at Scheria. Once more before the final destruction of his ship and crew, a seductive female force wafts around him, threatening to blur the clear outlines of his heroic resolve.

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    The nymph shepherdess Lampetia, “Sunny,” tattles to Helios, who complains to Zeus, threatening to move his sunshine to the land of the dead, another cosmic dislocation that the crew’s transgression could bring on. Zeus assures Helios that he will take care of the situation. In his role as sky god, he will unleash yet another destructive storm on the hapless sailors. The exchange takes us back once more to the beginning of the poem, where the crew’s folly and consequent destruction are announced (1.7). As we near the end of Odysseus’s story, the poet circles back to its beginnings. Homer has not drawn attention to any of the inconsistencies, from a naturalistic point of view, that pop up in the course of Odysseus recounting of the adventures in 9–12 (for instance how he knows what Eurylochus says to the crew when he (Odysseus) is sleeping) so it is somewhat surprising that Odysseus fastidiously tells his audience that he knows of the conversation between Zeus and Helios because Calypso told him later. As the story of Odysseus’s adventures ends, Homer gently reminds us that there are layers of narrators guiding us and that the present storyteller will relinquish control to the poet again soon.

    Once discovered by their captain, the crew members blame each other halfheartedly, but there is no remedy now. A resigned mood seems to hang over their feasting, as if they know these will be their last meals together. Distortion of the natural order continues as the gods send creepy portents, rippling flesh on the spits, bellowing like the mooing of cows.

     

    Further Reading

    Segal, C. (1992) 1996. “Divine Justice in the Odyssey: Poseidon, Cyclops, and Helios.” In Reading the Odyssey, edited by S. Schein, 191–199. Reprint. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

     

    364  κατὰ … κάη: tmesis, 3rd sing. aor. pass. > κατακαίω, “to burn up.” The subject is dual.

    364  μῆρε: dual > μηρός, ὁ.

    364  πάσαντο: 3rd pl. aor. mid. > πατέομαι.

    365  ἀμφ(ί): “on both sides,” i.e., the meat is pierced so the spit passes through from one side to the other.

    366  ἐξέσσυτο: “fled,” “left,” 3rd sing. impf. > ἐκσεύομαι.

    367  βῆν δ᾽ ἰέναι: “I set out to go. A repetition of 10.407.

    370  θεοῖσι μετ᾽ ἀθανάτοισι: "among the immortal gods" is strange, since Odysseus not, in fact, among the gods. It may mean that he makes his voice heard among the gods. Or perhaps we should accept the emendation μέγ᾽, "greatly" or "loudly."

    372  με ... εἰς ἄτην: "to my hurt" (Cunliffe ἄτη 4).

    373  μέγα: here, “outrageous,” “evil.”

    374  ὠκέα: adverbial acc.

    375  : ὅτι, in indirect discourse, introduced by a verb of announcing implied by the noun ἄγγελος (i.e., "and announced that ...").

    375  οἱ: dative of possession.

    375  ἔκταμεν: 1st pl. aor. > κτείνω, “to kill” (not from ἐκτέμνω).

    376  μετηύδα: 3rd sing. impf. The subject is Helios.

    378  τῖσαι: “make (acc.) pay,” “punish,” 2nd aor. mid. imperat. > τίνω.

    379  ὑπέρβιον: “insolently,” “hubristically,” adverbial acc.

    379  ᾗσιν: rel. pron., the antecedent is βοῦς (contraction of βόας). The dative object of χαίρεσκον.

    380  χαίρεσκον: “used to rejoice,” “used to take pleasure,” unaugmented iterative impf. > χαίρω.

    381  προτραποίμην: “turn,” 1st sing. aor. mid. opt. > προτρέπω, in a general temporal clause in secondary sequence.

    382  τίσουσι: here, simply “pay,” 3rd pl. fut. act. indic., in an “emotional future condition” (Smyth 2328).

    383  εἰς Ἁΐδαο: “into the house of Hades.” Helios threatens to withdraw his light from the upper world and take it to the Underworld if Odysseus's men aren't punished.

    383  φαείνω: "I shine." Helios shifts to the present as his threat becomes even more vivid and emotional. Smyth (1879) calls this the “present of anticipation,” which is “used instead of the future in statements of what is immediate, likely, certain, or threatening.”

    387  κ(ε) … κεάσαιμι: potential opt. > κεάζω.

    388  τυτθὰ: "into little pieces," with κεάσαιμι.

    388  βαλὼν: "striking," with ἀργῆτι κεραυνῷ in line 387.

    389  Καλυψοῦς: “from …,” genitive of source. Hermes reported the conversation of Zeus and Helios to Calypso (line 390), who reported it to Odysseus.

    392  νείκεον: “I started to blame …,” unaugmented 1st sing. inchoative impf.

    392  ἄλλοθεν ἄλλον ἐπισταδὸν: “standing next to a man on one side and another man on another side,” “left and right.”

    393  εὑρέμεναι: aor. infin. > εὑρίσκω.

    393  δυνάμεσθα: unaugmented 1st pl. impf.

    393  ἀποτέθνασαν: 3rd pl. plupf. > ἀποθνῄσκω.

    394  τέραα: = τέρατα.

    395  ῥινοί: i.e., the hides of the slaughtered cattle.

    395  μεμύκει: unaugmented 3rd sing. plupf., with imperfect sense; singular verb with neuter plural subject.

    ἀτάρ (or αὐτάρ): but, yet

    καίω καύσω ἔκαυσα –κέκαυκα κέκαυμαι ἐκαύθην: to light, kindle, burn

    σπλάγχνον –ου τό: the inward parts

    πατέομαι πάσομαι ἐπασάμην πέπασμαι: to eat

    μιστύλλω – – – – –: to cut up 365

    ἄρα: now, then, next, thus

    ὀβελός –οῦ ὁ: a spit

    πείρω πειρῶ ἔπειρα – πέπαρμαι ἐπάρην: to pierce quite through, fix

    βλέφαρον –ου τό: eyelid (mostly in plur.)

    ἐκσεύομαι ἐκσεύσομαι ἐξέσσυμαι ἐξεσύθην: to rush out

    νήδυμος –ον: sweet, delightful;

    ὕπνος –ου ὁ: sleep

    θοός –ή –όν: swift

    θίς θινός ὁ: shore, beach

    σχεδόν: near; almost

    κίω – – – – –: go, go away

    ἀμφιέλισσα (fem. only): rowed on both sides

    κνῖσα –ης ἡ: fat; scent or smoke of burnt sacrifice

    ἀμφέρχομαι ἀμφελεύσομαι ἀμφῆλθον ἀμφιλήλυθα: to come round one, surround

    ἀϋτμή –ῆς ἡ: breath, puff, air, gust

    οἰμώζω οἰμώξομαι ᾤμωξα ––– ––– –––: to wail aloud, lament 370

    ἀθάνατος –ον: immortal, deathless; (plur.) the gods

    γεγωνέω γεγωνήσω ἐγεγώνησα γέγωνα: to tell out, proclaim

    Ζεύς Διός ὁ: Zeus

    ἠδέ: and

    μάκαρ μάκαρος: blessed, happy; blessed ones, gods

    ἄτη –ης ἡ: blindness, destruction

    κοιμάω κοιμήσω ἐκοίμησα κεκοίμηκα κεκοίμημαι ἐκοιμήθην: (act.) to put to bed, lull; (mid. and pass.) to go to bed, lay down

    νηλής –ές: pitiless, ruthless

    ὕπνος –ου ὁ: sleep

    ἑταῖρος –ου ὁ: comrade, companion

    μητίομαι μητίσομαι ἐμητισάμην: to devise, contrive, plan

    ὠκύς ὠκεῖα ὠκύ: quick, swift, fast

    Ὑπερίων –ονος ὁ: Hyperion, the Sun-god

    ἄγγελος –ου ὁ: messenger

    Λαμπετίη –ης ἡ: Lampetia, a nymph, daughter of Helius 375

    τανύπεπλος –ον: with flowing peplos

    ἕ: him, her, it; himself, herself, itself

    ἐκτάμνω, aor. ἐξέταμον or ἔκταμε: to cut out

    ἀθάνατος –ον: immortal, deathless; (plur.) the gods

    μεταυδάω μεταυδήσω μετηύδησα μετηύδηκα μετηύδημαι μετηυδήθην: to speak among

    χώομαι χώσομαι ἐχωσάμην – κέχωσμαι ἐχώσθην: to be angry, indignant

    κῆρ κῆρος τό: heart, mind

    Ζεύς Διός ὁ: Zeus

    ἠδέ: and

    μάκαρ μάκαρος: blessed, happy; blessed ones, gods

    τίνω τείσω ἔτεισα/ἔτισα τέτεικα/τέτικα τέτεισμαι/τέτισμαι ἐτείσθην/ἐτίσθην: to pay, pay for, atone; (mid.) to make pay, punish, avenge oneself

    ἑταῖρος –ου ὁ: comrade, companion

    Λαερτιάδης –ου ὁ: son of Laertes (Odysseus)

    Ὀδυσσεύς –έως ὁ: Odysseus, king of Ithaca, hero of the Odyssey

    ἐκτείνω ἐκτενῶ ἐξέτεινα ἐκτέτακα ἐκτέταμαι ἐξετάθην: kill

    ὑπέρβιος –ον: (adv.) insolently, recklessly, lawlessly

    ἀστερόεις –εσσα –εν: starred, starry 380

    ἠδέ: and

    ὁπότε: when

    ἄψ: back

    γαίη –ης ἡ: land, region, district

    οὐρανόθεν: from heaven, down from heaven

    προτρέπω προτρέψω πρέτρεψα προτέτροφα προτέτραμμαι πρετράφθην (or πρετράπην): (mid. to go, turn

    τίνω τείσω ἔτεισα/ἔτισα τέτεικα/τέτικα τέτεισμαι/τέτισμαι ἐτείσθην/ἐτίσθην: to pay, pay for, atone; (mid.) to make pay, punish, avenge oneself

    ἐπιεικής –ές: fitting, meet, suitable

    ἀμοιβή –ῆς ἡ: a requital, recompense, compensation, return, payment

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

    ᾍδης –ου ὁ: Hades

    νέκυς –υος τό: dead body, corpse

    ἀπαμείβομαι ἀπαμείψομαι ἀπημειψάμην ἀπημείφθην: to reply, answer

    πρόσφημι πρόσφησω προσέφησα: to speak to, address

    νεφεληγερέτα –ου ὁ: cloud-gatherer

    Ζεύς Διός ὁ: Zeus

    τοι: let me tell you, surely 385

    ἀθάνατος –ον: immortal, deathless; (plur.) the gods

    θνητός –ή –όν: mortal

    βροτός –οῦ ὁ: mortal

    ζείδωρος –ον: wheat-producing, fertile

    ἄρουρα –ας ἡ: plowed or arable land; πατρίς ἄρουρα fatherland, homeland

    τάχα: quickly; perhaps

    θοός –ή –όν: swift

    ἀργής –ῆτος: bright, glancing

    κεραυνός –οῦ ὁ: a thunderbolt

    τυτθός [–ή] –όν: little, small

    κεάζω κεάσσω ἐκέασσα – – ἐκεάσθην: to split, cleave

    οἶνοψ –οπος: wine-coloured, wine-dark

    πόντος –ου ὁ: sea, open sea

    Καλυψώ –οῦς ἡ: Calypso, a goddess, daughter of Atlas

    εὔκομος –ον: fair-haired

    Ἑρμῆς (or Ἑρμείας) –οῦ ὁ: Hermes, herm 390

    διάκτορος –ου ὁ: the Messenger

    ἀτάρ (or αὐτάρ): but, yet

    ἄρα: now, then, next, thus

    κατέρχομαι κατελεύσομαι/κάτειμι κατῆλθον κατελήλυθα ––– –––: to go down, descend; to go towards the shore

    ἠδέ: and

    νεικέω νεικέσω ἐνείκεσα: to quarrel

    ἄλλοθεν: from elsewhere

    ἐπισταδόν: standing over each in turn

    μῆχος –ους τό: a means, expedient, remedy

    τέρας –ατος τό: portent, monster

    προφαίνω προφανῶ πρέφηνα προπέφηνα προπέφασμαι πρεφάν(θ)ην: to show, put into view; (mid.-pass.) to appear to the view

    ἕρπω/ἑρπύζω ἕρψω/ἑρπύσω εἵρπυσα ––– ––– –––: to creep, crawl 395

    ῥινός –οῦ ἡ: the skin

    κρέας κρέως and κρέατος, gen. pl. κρειῶν, τό: meat, piece of meat

    ὀβελός –οῦ ὁ: a spit

    μυκάομαι μυκήσομαι ἐμυκησάμην: to moo, bellow, roar

    ὀπταλέος –α –ον: roasted, broiled

    ὠμός –ή –όν: raw

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    Suggested Citation

    Thomas Van Nortwick and Rob Hardy, Homer: Odyssey 5–12. Carlisle, Pennsylvania: Dickinson College Commentaries, 2024. ISBN: 978-1-947822-17-7 https://dcc.dickinson.edu/homer-odyssey/xii-364-396