15.78–91 | Dickinson College Commentaries

ἀμφότερον, κῦδός τε καὶ ἀγλαΐη καὶ ὄνειαρ,

δειπνήσαντας ἴμεν πολλὴν ἐπʼ ἀπείρονα γαῖαν.

εἰ δʼ ἐθέλεις τραφθῆναι ἀνʼ Ἑλλάδα καὶ μέσον Ἄργος,80

ὄφρα τοι αὐτὸς ἕπωμαι, ὑποζεύξω δέ τοι ἵππους,

ἄστεα δʼ ἀνθρώπων ἡγήσομαι· οὐδέ τις ἡμέας

αὔτως ἀππέμψει, δώσει δέ τι ἕν γε φέρεσθαι,

ἠέ τινα τριπόδων εὐχάλκων ἠὲ λεβήτων,

ἠὲ δύʼ ἡμιόνους ἠὲ χρύσειον ἄλεισον.85

τὸν δʼ αὖ Τηλέμαχος πεπνυμένος ἀντίον ηὔδα·

Ἀτρεΐδη Μενέλαε διοτρεφές, ὄρχαμε λαῶν,

βούλομαι ἤδη νεῖσθαι ἐφʼ ἡμέτερʼ· οὐ γὰρ ὄπισθεν

οὖρον ἰὼν κατέλειπον ἐπὶ κτεάτεσσιν ἐμοῖσιν·

μὴ πατέρʼ ἀντίθεον διζήμενος αὐτὸς ὄλωμαι,90

ἤ τί μοι ἐκ μεγάρων κειμήλιον ἐσθλὸν ὄληται.

notes

Telemachus asks Menelaus to send him home

78 ἀμφότερον: “it is both … for (acc.) to (infin.) …,” understand ἐστί .

79 δειπνήσαντας: “(for guests) having dined,” substantive, masc. acc. pl. aor. act. ptc. > δειπνέω. The sense is: “for guests to dine before going …”

80 τραφθῆναι: aor. pass. infin. > τρέπω (LSJ τρέπω I.2).

80 ἀν᾽ Ἑλλάδα καὶ μέσον Ἄργος: not referring to specific locations, but a more general formula (like “all over Greece”).

81 ὄφρα: probably temporal, “as long as,” followed by the subjunctive ἕπωμαι without ἄν (LSJ ὄφρα B.I.2), rather than final, “in order that.”

82 ἄστεα: “to cities” (terminal accusative, Smyth 1588).

83 αὔτως: “as we were,” “empty-handed.”

83 ἀππέμψει: ἀποπέμψει, apocope (Smyth 75D).

83 τι ἕν γε: “on thing at least.”

83 φέρεσθαι: infinitive of purpose.

88 ἐφ᾽ ἡμέτερ(α): “to my home” (ἐφ᾽ ἡμέτερα δώματα).

89 οὖρον: “guard” (LSJ οὖρος B)

90 μὴ … ὄλωμαι : prohibitive subj.

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