ἑξῆμαρ μὲν ἔπειτα ἐμοὶ ἐρίηρες ἑταῖροι
δαίνυντ᾽ Ἠελίοιο βοῶν ἐλάσαντες ἀρίστας·
ἀλλ᾽ ὅτε δὴ ἕβδομον ἦμαρ ἐπὶ Ζεὺς θῆκε Κρονίων,
καὶ τότ᾽ ἔπειτ᾽ ἄνεμος μὲν ἐπαύσατο λαίλαπι θύων,400
ἡμεῖς δ᾽ αἶψ᾽ ἀναβάντες ἐνήκαμεν εὐρέι πόντῳ,
ἱστὸν στησάμενοι ἀνά θ᾽ ἱστία λεύκ᾽ ἐρύσαντες.
ἀλλ᾽ ὅτε δὴ τὴν νῆσον ἐλείπομεν, οὐδέ τις ἄλλη
φαίνετο γαιάων, ἀλλ᾽ οὐρανὸς ἠδὲ θάλασσα,
δὴ τότε κυανέην νεφέλην ἔστησε Κρονίων405
νηὸς ὕπερ γλαφυρῆς, ἤχλυσε δὲ πόντος ὑπ᾽ αὐτῆς.
ἡ δ᾽ ἔθει οὐ μάλα πολλὸν ἐπὶ χρόνον· αἶψα γὰρ ἦλθε
κεκληγὼς Ζέφυρος μεγάλῃ σὺν λαίλαπι θύων,
ἱστοῦ δὲ προτόνους ἔρρηξ᾽ ἀνέμοιο θύελλα
ἀμφοτέρους· ἱστὸς δ᾽ ὀπίσω πέσεν, ὅπλα τε πάντα410
εἰς ἄντλον κατέχυνθ᾽. ὁ δ᾽ ἄρα πρυμνῇ ἐνὶ νηὶ
πλῆξε κυβερνήτεω κεφαλήν, σὺν δ᾽ ὀστέ᾽ ἄραξε
πάντ᾽ ἄμυδις κεφαλῆς· ὁ δ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἀρνευτῆρι ἐοικὼς
κάππεσ᾽ ἀπ᾽ ἰκριόφιν, λίπε δ᾽ ὀστέα θυμὸς ἀγήνωρ.
Ζεὺς δ᾽ ἄμυδις βρόντησε καὶ ἔμβαλε νηὶ κεραυνόν·415
ἡ δ᾽ ἐλελίχθη πᾶσα Διὸς πληγεῖσα κεραυνῷ,
ἐν δὲ θεείου πλῆτο, πέσον δ᾽ ἐκ νηὸς ἑταῖροι.
οἱ δὲ κορώνῃσιν ἴκελοι περὶ νῆα μέλαιναν
κύμασιν ἐμφορέοντο, θεὸς δ᾽ ἀποαίνυτο νόστον.
αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ διὰ νηὸς ἐφοίτων, ὄφρ᾽ ἀπὸ τοίχους420
λῦσε κλύδων τρόπιος, τὴν δὲ ψιλὴν φέρε κῦμα,
ἐκ δέ οἱ ἱστὸν ἄραξε ποτὶ τρόπιν. αὐτὰρ ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ
ἐπίτονος βέβλητο, βοὸς ῥινοῖο τετευχώς·
τῷ ῥ᾽ ἄμφω συνέεργον, ὁμοῦ τρόπιν ἠδὲ καὶ ἱστόν,
ἑζόμενος δ᾽ ἐπὶ τοῖς φερόμην ὀλοοῖς ἀνέμοισιν.425
notes
The crew feasts for six days, the weather changes and they set sail for home. Zeus sends a storm that destroys the ships and all the crew drowns. Odysseus survives by lashing the keel and mast together and riding them in the sea.
After six days of gloomy dining, the crew sets sail and darkness envelopes them one more time (403–6). The next eight verses cover in great detail the destruction of the ship: forestays snapped, mast flattened, the helmsman’s head crushed as he goes overboard like an acrobat—this last a variation on the earlier gruesome simile of the crew yanked out of the ship by Skylla like fish on the hook (12.251–56). Then Zeus finishes them off, leaving all but Odysseus to die, bobbing like crows in the sea.
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The long, exciting journey home ends for the crew with this grim simile. As the poem’s opening lines foretold, their lack of self-control finally catches up with them. Odysseus notes their fate but expresses no particular sadness over it, even though we might see reasons for him to feel some remorse for the times when his curiosity cost lives. Odysseus is the right hero for this story, emotionally closed off from others, relentlessly self-disciplined, ready to lie at any time to anyone if it will give him leverage over others. The rhetoric of the poem always urges us to valorize any act, no matter how callous, that ensures the survival of its hero. Emotional entanglements are only a hindrance in this perspective and the crew members become interchangeable with the suitors, immature men who are unable to control their impulses and die for it at Odysseus’s hands. We may think of the Iliad, with its many violent, graphic deaths, its heroes vaunting cruelly over their victims, as the darker of the two Homeric epics. But that poem, for all its violence, bends finally toward forgiveness, compassion, and healing, forces rarely present in the Odyssey or its hero.
We might be surprised to find that part of this dramatic shipwreck, with all its vivid relevance to the particular place in the story, appears again, almost verbatim, in a false tale that Odysseus delivers in Book 14 to Eumaeus, describing a shipwreck off Crete:
ἀλλ᾽ ὅτε δὴ Κρήτην μὲν ἐλείπομεν, οὐδέ τις ἄλλη
φαίνετο γαιάων, ἀλλ᾽ οὐρανὸς ἠδὲ θάλασσα,
δὴ τότε κυανέην νεφέλην ἔστησε Κρονίων
νηὸς ὕπερ γλαφυρῆς, ἤχλυσε δὲ πόντος ὑπ᾽ αὐτῆς.
Ζεὺς δ᾽ ἄμυδις βρόντησε καὶ ἔμβαλε νηῒ κεραυνόν:
ἡ δ᾽ ἐλελίχθη πᾶσα Διὸς πληγεῖσα κεραυνῷ,
ἐν δὲ θεείου πλῆτο: πέσον δ᾽ ἐκ νηὸς ἅπαντες.
οἱ δὲ κορώνῃσιν ἴκελοι περὶ νῆα μέλαιναν
κύμασιν ἐμφορέοντο: θεὸς δ᾽ ἀποαίνυτο νόστον
Odyssey 14.301–9
Lines 301–4 replicate 403–6 in our passage verbatim, with one small change: Κρήτην μὲν (14.301) replaces τὴν νῆσον (12.403). The next eight verses in Book 12, describing in detail how the ship is destroyed, do not appear in Book 14. Then the parallels resume, with 14.305–9 echoing 12.415–19, again with one small change to accommodate the differing circumstances: ἅπαντες (14.307) replaces ἑταῖροι—the shipmates in the beggar’s false tale are not his companions, only fellow travelers.
Comparing these two passages offers a window into the mysterious creative process whereby Homer builds his story, using repeated traditional words, phrases, or larger narrative units to compose scenes that are unfailingly fresh in their context. In Book 12, we witness the final obliteration of Odysseus’s crew, men who have been with him since Troy. The horrific events in 12.407–15 vividly mark this terrible conclusion. In Book 14, such detail is not necessary for the story to be exciting to the beggar’s audience of one. Likewise, the identical language in the two passages has a different impact in each. The darkness that falls on Odysseus and his crew in Book 12 is the crescendo of a long series of potentially obliterating events, stretching back as far as Odysseus’s suffocating existence on Calypso’s island in Book 5. In the beggar’s tale, which we know is false, the story is merely entertainment to get the two men through the night. We do not care about the lost sailors because we’ve been told they are not real.
Alone again, Odysseus lashes together the keel and mast and floats onward in the storm. The South Wind picks up and he is carried back toward Skylla and Charybdis, establishing the circular rhythm of the story here, foreshadowing the “return” to Calypso. This time through, he avoids Skylla, but Charybdis swallows his makeshift boat, one last encounter with the dark, suffocating forces he has faced all along the way. He escapes that oblivion by clinging like a bat to a tree trunk jutting out over the whirlpool. The unusual simile Odysseus uses to measure how long he has to wait for the timbers to surface breaks through the magical folktale milieu we have been in for most of the adventures, perhaps signaling imminent the arrival back on Ithaka, a world far removed from sucking whirlpools and alluring Sirens.
399 ἐπὶ … θῆκε: “added,” tmesis > ἐπιτίθημι.
400 θύων: “raging,” complementary ptc. > θύω, with ἐπαύσατο.
401 ἐνήκαμεν: “launched (our ships),” aor. > ἐνίημι.
402 ἀνά … ἐρύσαντες: “hoisting” (lit., “drawing up”), tmesis.
407 οὐ μάλα …χρόνον: “for a not very long time” (an example of litotes, Smyth 3032).
408 κεκληγὼς: “howling,” nom. sing. pf. act. ptc. > κλάζω, attributive.
409 ἔρρηξ(ε): aor. > ῥήγνυμι.
410 ὅπλα: “tackle,” “equipment”
411 ἄντλον: “the bilge” (the curved bottom of the ship’s hull) or “the bilge-water” (water that collects in the bilge).
411 κατέχυνθ᾽: = κατέχυντο, 3rd pl. aor. mid. indic. > καταχέω.
411 ὁ: i.e., the mast (ἱστός).
411 πρύμνῃ ἐνὶ νηΐ: “in the stern" (lit., "in the hindmost part of the ship").
412 σὺν: “completely,” adverbial.
412 ἄραξε: “smashed,” “crushed,” > ἀράσσω.
414 κάππεσ(ε): 3rd sing. aor. > καταπίπτω.
414 ἰκριόφιν: dative of place where.
416 ἐλελίχθη: aor. pass. > ἐλελίζω.
416 πᾶσα: “completely.”
417 ἐν … πλῆτο: tmesis, aor. mid./pass. > ἐμπίμπλημι (“to fill full of” + gen.).
418 κορώνῃσιν: "sea crows," often identified as shearwaters.
419 ἐμφορέοντο: "were borne about on," with dative. In Homer the verb only appears in the imperfect middle/passive, here and in 14.309 (where this same simile is repeated).
420 ὄφρ(α): “until.”
420 ἀπὸ … λῦσε: “loosened,” tmesis > ἀπολύω.
420 τοίχους: “sides.”
421 τὴν: i.e., the ship.
421 ψιλὴν: predicate.
421 φέρε: “carried (it) away,” unaugmented impf.
422 ἐκ ... ἄραξε: "broke," "shattered," tmesis > ἐξαράσσω.
422 ποτὶ: “against.”
422 ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ: "against it" (i.e., against the keel).
423 βέβλητο: "was thrown," unaugmented 3rd sing. plupf. pass. > βάλλω.
423 τετευχώς: “made,” nom. sing. pf. act. ptc. > τεύχω, with passive sense.
424 τῷ: “with it.”
424 ἄμφω: “both” (modifying τρόπις and ἱστός), dual.
424 συνέεργον ὁμοῦ: “I lashed together” > συνέργω. Odysseus describes fashioning a raft out of bits broken from his ship.
vocabulary
ἑξῆμαρ: for six days, six days long
ἐρίηρος –ον: faithful, devoted, trusty
ἑταῖρος –ου ὁ: comrade, companion
δαίνυμι δαίσω ἔδαισα: (act.) to give a banquet, distribute (food); (mid.) to share a meal; to feast (on), eat (+ acc.)
ἦμαρ –ατος τό: day
Ζεύς Διός ὁ: Zeus
Κρονίων –ωνος ὁ: son of Cronus
ἄνεμος –ου ὁ: wind 400
λαῖλαψ –απος ἡ: a tempest, furious storm, hurricane
θύω: to rage, seethe, cover
αἶψα: rapidly, speedily, suddenly
ἀναβαίνω ἀναβήσομαι ἀνέβην ἀναβέβηκα ––– –––: to board, go up
ἐνίημι ἐνήσω ἐνῆκα ἐνεῖκα ἐνεῖμαι ἐνείθην: to launch a ship into the sea; to send in, set out
εὐρύς –εῖα –ύ: broad
πόντος –ου ὁ: sea, open sea
ἱστός –οῦ ὁ: mast, beam; loom
ἱστίον –ου τό: a sail
λευκός –ή –όν: white; light, bright
εἰρύω/ἐρύω ἐρύσω/ἐρύω εἴρυσα/ἔρυσα/ἔρυσσα εἴρυσα/ἔρυσα/ἔρυσσα –– –– εἰρύσθην: to pull, draw, drag; to guard
γαίη –ης ἡ: land, region, district
ἠδέ: and
κυάνεος –α –ον: dark-blue, glossy-blue 405
νεφέλη –ης ἡ: cloud
Κρονίων –ωνος ὁ: son of Cronus
γλαφῠρός –ά –όν: hollow, deep
ἀχλύω ἀχλύσω ἤχλυσα: to be or grow dark
πόντος –ου ὁ: sea, open sea
θέω θεύσομαι ἔδραμον δεδράμηκα ––– –––: to run, speed, move forward
αἶψα: rapidly, speedily, suddenly
κλάζω κλάγξω ἔκλαγξα κέκλαγγα ––– –––: to make a sharp piercing sound
Ζέφυρος –ου ὁ: Zephyrus, the west wind
λαῖλαψ –απος ἡ: a tempest, furious storm, hurricane
ἱστός –οῦ ὁ: mast, beam; loom 410
πρότονοι –ων οἱ: ropes from the masthead to the forepart of a ship, the forestays
ρήγνυμι ῥήξω ἔρρηξα ἔρρηχα ἔρρηγμαι ἐρρήχθην: break, shatter, tear
ἄνεμος –ου ὁ: wind
θύελλα –ης ἡ: storm, eruption
ἱστός –οῦ ὁ: mast, beam; loom
ὀπίσω or ὀπίσσω: backwards, behind; in the future
ἄντλος –ου ὁ: the hold of a ship
καταχέω καταχῶ κατέχεα/κατέχυσα κατακέχυκα κατακέχυμαι κατεχύθην: to pour down upon, pour over
ἄρα: now, then, next, thus
πρυμνός –ή –όν: the hindmost, undermost, end-most
πλήττω πλήξω ἔπληξα πέπληγα πέπληγμαι ἐπλήγην (–επλάγην): strike, smite
κυβερνήτης –ου ὁ: a steersman, helmsman, pilot
ὀστέον –ου τό: a bone
ἀράσσω ἀράξω ἤραξα ––– ––– ἠράχθην: to knock, beat, strike
ἄμυδις: together, at the same time
ἄρα: now, then, next, thus
ἀρνευτήρ –ῆρος ὁ: a diver, tumbler
καταπίπτω καταπεσοῦμα κατέπεσον καταπέπτωκα: to fall
ἴκρια –ων τά: the half-decks
ὀστέον –ου τό: a bone
ἀγήνωρ –ορος: manly, courageous, heroic
Ζεύς Διός ὁ: Zeus 415
ἄμυδις: together, at the same time
βροντάω βροντήσω ἐβρόντησα – βεβρόντημαι ἐβροντήθην: to thunder
ἐμβάλλω ἐμβαλῶ ἐνέβαλον ἐμβέβληκα ἐμβέβλημαι ἐνεβλήθην: to throw (into or onto); to cause to enter, embark, put
κεραυνός –οῦ ὁ: a thunderbolt
ἐλελίζω ἐλελίξω ἠλέλιξα: to whirl round
Ζεύς Διός ὁ: Zeus
πλήττω πλήξω ἔπληξα πέπληγα πέπληγμαι ἐπλήγην (–επλάγην): strike, smite
κεραυνός –οῦ ὁ: a thunderbolt
θέεον –ου τό: brimstone, sulfurous smell
πίμπλημι πλήσω ἔπλησα πέπληκα πέπλησμαι ἐπλήσθην: to fill
ἑταῖρος –ου ὁ: comrade, companion
κορώνη –ης ἡ: sea-crow
ἴκελος –η –ον: like, resembling
μέλας μέλαινα μέλαν: black, dark, obscure
κῦμα –ατος τό: wave
ἐμφορέω ἐμφορέσω/ἐμφορήσω ἐνεφόρεσα/ἐνεφόρησα ἐμπεφόρηκα ἐμπεφόρημαι ἐνεφορήθην: (pass.) to be borne about in
ἀπαίνυμαι – – – – –: to take away, withdraw
νόστος –ου ὁ: return (home)
ἀτάρ (or αὐτάρ): but, yet 420
φοιτάω φοιτήσω ἐφοίτησα πεφοίτηκα ––– –––: to go to and fro, roam, to resort to
ὄφρα: while; until; so that; ὄφρα … τόφρα, while … for so long
τοῖχος –ου ὁ: the wall of a house
κλύδων –ωνος ὁ: a wave, billow
τρόπις –εως ἡ: a ship's keel
ψιλός –ή –όν: bare, stripped; (soldier) without heavy armor, light troops
κῦμα –ατος τό: wave
ἕ: him, her, it; himself, herself, itself
ἱστός –οῦ ὁ: mast, beam; loom
ἀράσσω ἀράξω ἤραξα ––– ––– ἠράχθην: to knock, beat, strike
τρόπις –εως ἡ: a ship's keel
ἀτάρ (or αὐτάρ): but, yet
ἐπίτονος –ου ὁ: the back-stay of a mast
ῥινός –οῦ ἡ: the skin
ἄμφω ἀμφοῖν: both (dual)
συνέργω συνείρξω συνεῖρξα ––– ––– –––: to fasten, join; to close or tighten together, secure
ὁμοῦ: together, at the same place or time
τρόπις –εως ἡ: a ship's keel
ἠδέ: and
ἱστός –οῦ ὁ: mast, beam; loom
ἕζομαι – – – – –: to sit down 425
ὀλοός –ή –όν: destroying, destructive, fatal, deadly, murderous
ἄνεμος –ου ὁ: wind