Ἐπὶ δὲ τῷ δείπνῳ μουσικῇ τε καὶ ᾡδαῖς σχολάζουσιν· ᾄδεται δὲ αὐτοῖς τὰ Ὁμήρου ἔπη μάλιστα· καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ πάρεστι καὶ συνευωχεῖται αὐτοῖς ὑπὲρ τὸν Ὀδυσσέα κατακείμενος. οἱ μὲν οὖν χοροὶ ἐκ παίδων εἰσὶν καὶ παρθένων· ἐξάρχουσι δὲ καὶ συνᾴδουσιν Εὔνομός τε ὁ Λοκρὸς καὶ Ἀρίων ὁ Λέσβιος καὶ Ἀνακρέων καὶ Στησίχορος· καὶ γὰρ τοῦτον παρ᾽ αὐτοῖς ἐθεασάμην, ἤδη τῆς Ἑλένης αὐτῷ διηλλαγμένης. ἐπειδὰν δὲ οὗτοι παύσωνται ᾄδοντες, δεύτερος χορὸς παρέρχεται ἐκ κύκνων καὶ χελιδόνων καὶ ἀηδόνων. ἐπειδὰν δὲ καὶ οὗτοι ᾄσωσιν, τότε ἤδη πᾶσα ἡ ὕλη ἐπαυλεῖ τῶν ἀνέμων καταρχόντων.
notes
ᾄδεται: pr. of ᾄδω, “are recited”
τὰ Ὁμήρου ἔπη: “the Homeric epics”
καὶ αὐτὸς: “and he himself” (i.e. Homer)
συνευωχεῖται: impf. of συν-εὐ-οἴχομαι, “shares the revelry”
ὑπὲρ...κατακείμενος: “being seated higher than...”
ἐξάρχουσι δὲ καὶ συνᾴδουσιν: “lead the dancing and singing”
Εὔνομός ὁ Λοκρὸς: Eunomus of Lokri, in southern Italy, was a renowned harp-player.
Ἀρίων ὁ Λέσβιος: a poet credited with inventing the dithyramb. His story is told by Herodotus in Histories 1.23.
Ἀνακρέων Anacreon of Teos (570 – 488) was a lyric poet known for his drinking songs.
Στησίχορος: Stesichorus or Himera (640 - 555) was the first great poet of the Greek west, writing lyrical poems on epic subjects.
διηλλαγμένης: perf. part. gen. s. of διαλλάσσω, gen. abs, “Helen already having forgiven him.” Steisichorus lost his sight after lampooning Helen, recovering it only after writing a retraction ("palinode").
ἐπειδὰν...παύσωνται (ao. subj.): general temporal clause, “whenever they cease”
ἐπειδὰν...ᾄσωσιν (ao. subj of ᾄδω): general temporal clause, “whenever they sing”
ἐπαυλεῖ: “accompanies on the flute”
τῶν ἀνέμων καταρχόντων: gen. abs. “with the winds leading”
ἡδόμενοι καὶ γελῶντες: part. nom. pl. complementing διάγουσιν, “they pass time enjoying and laughing”
vocabulary
δεῖπνον, τό: the principal meal
μουσικός, -ή, -όν: of or for music, musical
ᾠδή, ἡ: a song, lay, ode
σχολάζω: have leisure or spare time, be at leisure
ᾄδω: sing
συνευωχέομαι: fare sumptuously or feast together
κατάκειμαι: lie down, lie outstretched
χορός, ὁ: a chorus
παρθένος, ἡ: a maiden, virgin, girl
ἐξάρχω: begin with, make a beginning of
συνᾴδω: sing with or together
θεάομαι: look on, gaze at, view, behold
διαλλάσσω: forgive
δεύτερος, -α, -ον: second
χορός, ὁ: a round dance
παρέρχομαι: go by, beside or past, pass by, pass
κύκνος, ὁ: a swan
χελιδών, -όνος: the swallow
ἀηδών, -όνος, ὁ: nightingale
ὕλη, ἡ: a forest
ἐπαυλέω: accompany on the flute
ἄνεμος, ὁ: wind
κατάρχω: make beginning of