"εἴπ᾽ ὄνομ᾽ ὅττι σε κεῖθι κάλεον μήτηρ τε πατήρ τε550

ἄλλοι θ᾽ οἳ κατὰ ἄστυ καὶ οἳ περιναιετάουσιν.

οὐ μὲν γάρ τις πάμπαν ἀνώνυμός ἐστ᾽ ἀνθρώπων,

οὐ κακὸς οὐδὲ μὲν ἐσθλός, ἐπὴν τὰ πρῶτα γένηται,

ἀλλ᾽ ἐπὶ πᾶσι τίθενται, ἐπεί κε τέκωσι, τοκῆες.

εἰπὲ δέ μοι γαῖάν τε τεὴν δῆμόν τε πόλιν τε,555

ὄφρα σε τῇ πέμπωσι τιτυσκόμεναι φρεσὶ νῆες·

οὐ γὰρ Φαιήκεσσι κυβερνητῆρες ἔασιν,

οὐδέ τι πηδάλι᾽ ἔστι, τά τ᾽ ἄλλαι νῆες ἔχουσιν·

ἀλλ᾽ αὐταὶ ἴσασι νοήματα καὶ φρένας ἀνδρῶν,

καὶ πάντων ἴσασι πόλιας καὶ πίονας ἀγροὺς560

ἀνθρώπων, καὶ λαῖτμα τάχισθ᾽ ἁλὸς ἐκπερόωσιν

ἠέρι καὶ νεφέλῃ κεκαλυμμέναι· οὐδέ ποτέ σφιν

οὔτε τι πημανθῆναι ἔπι δέος οὔτ᾽ ἀπολέσθαι.

ἀλλὰ τόδ᾽ ὥς ποτε πατρὸς ἐγὼν εἰπόντος ἄκουσα

Ναυσιθόου, ὃς ἔφασκε Ποσειδάων᾽ ἀγάσασθαι565

ἡμῖν, οὕνεκα πομποὶ ἀπήμονές εἰμεν ἁπάντων.

φῆ ποτὲ Φαιήκων ἀνδρῶν ἐυεργέα νῆα

ἐκ πομπῆς ἀνιοῦσαν ἐν ἠεροειδέι πόντῳ

ῥαισέμεναι, μέγα δ᾽ ἧμιν ὄρος πόλει ἀμφικαλύψειν.

ὣς ἀγόρευ᾽ ὁ γέρων· τὰ δέ κεν θεὸς ἢ τελέσειεν570

ἤ κ᾽ ἀτέλεστ᾽ εἴη, ὥς οἱ φίλον ἔπλετο θυμῷ·

ἀλλ᾽ ἄγε μοι τόδε εἰπὲ καὶ ἀτρεκέως κατάλεξον,

ὅππῃ ἀπεπλάγχθης τε καὶ ἅς τινας ἵκεο χώρας

ἀνθρώπων, αὐτούς τε πόλιάς τ᾽ ἐὺ ναιετοώσας,

ἠμὲν ὅσοι χαλεποί τε καὶ ἄγριοι οὐδὲ δίκαιοι,575

οἵ τε φιλόξεινοι, καί σφιν νόος ἐστὶ θεουδής.

εἰπὲ δ᾽ ὅ τι κλαίεις καὶ ὀδύρεαι ἔνδοθι θυμῷ

Ἀργείων Δαναῶν ἠδ᾽ Ἰλίου οἶτον ἀκούων.

τὸν δὲ θεοὶ μὲν τεῦξαν, ἐπεκλώσαντο δ᾽ ὄλεθρον

ἀνθρώποις, ἵνα ᾖσι καὶ ἐσσομένοισιν ἀοιδή.580

ἦ τίς τοι καὶ πηὸς ἀπέφθιτο Ἰλιόθι πρὸ

ἐσθλὸς ἐών, γαμβρὸς ἢ πενθερός, οἵ τε μάλιστα

κήδιστοι τελέθουσι μεθ᾽ αἷμά τε καὶ γένος αὐτῶν;

ἦ τίς που καὶ ἑταῖρος ἀνὴρ κεχαρισμένα εἰδώς,

ἐσθλός; ἐπεὶ οὐ μέν τι κασιγνήτοιο χερείων585

γίγνεται, ὅς κεν ἑταῖρος ἐὼν πεπνυμένα εἰδῇ."

    Alcinous asks Odysseus to describe his wanderings.

    550  ὅττι: “that which,” rel. pron.

    550  κεῖθι: “there,” i.e., at home.

    551  οἳ κατὰ ἄστυ: understand the verb εἰσί.

    552  ἀνθρώπων: partitive gen.

    553  ἐπὴν τὰ πρῶτα γένηται: temporal clause with subjunctive. ἐπὴν = ἐπεὶ ἄν. τὰ πρῶτα is adverbial ("first," "as soon as").

    554  ἐπὶ πᾶσι τίθενται: “assign (a name) to all” (see Cunliffe ἐπί II.1.a).

    554  ἐπεί κε τέκωσι: temporal clause with subjunctive.

    555  τε: the first τε in the line is the untranslatable Homeric τε, here used in a command (LSJ τε C.2).

    556  ὄφρα … πέμπωσι: purpose clause.

    556  τῇ: “there.”

    556  τιτυσκόμεναι φρεσὶ: “aiming with their minds,” modifying (and personifying) νῆες, as explained in the following lines.

    557  Φαιήκεσσι: dative of possession.

    557  ἔασιν: 3rd pl. pres. act. indic. >εἰμί.

    559  αὐταὶ: “(the ships) themselves.”

    560  πάντων: with ἀνθρώπων.

    562  κεκαλυμμέναι: fem. nom. pl. pf. pass. ptc. >καλύπτω.

    562  οὐδέσφιν / … ἔπι δέος: “they have no fear of,” with infinitive. ἔπι = ἔπεστι.

    564  ἀλλὰ τόδ᾽ ὥς ποτε .. ἄκουσα: “but this (is the story) as I once heard it …”

    565  ἔφασκε: introducing indirect discourse with accusative and infinitive.

    565  ἀγάσασθαι: “bears a grudge against,” with dat. (LSJ ἄγαμαι II).

    567  φῆ: unaugmented impf. The subject now is Poseidon.

    569  ῥαισέμεναι: “(that he would) wreck,” fut. infin. > ῤαιώ, in indirect discourse. The accusative subject of the infinitive is omitted because it is the same as the subject of the main verb.

    569  μέγα … ὄρος: acc., subject of the future infinitive ἀμφικαλύψειν in indirect discourse.

    569  ἧμιν: dative of possession.

    570  κεν θεὸς ἢ τελέσειεν / ἤ κ᾽ ἀτέλεστ᾽ εἴη: potential optatives.

    573  ὅππῃ: “in what direction.”

    573  ἀπεπλάγχθης: “have wandered,” 2nd sing. aor. pass. indic. >ἀποπλάζω.

    573  ἵκεο: 2nd sing. aor. mid./pass. indic. >ἱκνέομαι.

    574  αὐτούς τε: “both (the people) themselves …”

    574  ἐὺ ναιετοώσας: "pleasant to dwell in," "well-situated" (Cunliffe ναιετάω 2).

    575  ἠμὲν ὅσοι: “on the one hand, who many (were) …”

    576  σφιν: dative of possession.

    579  τὸν: “it,” referring to οἶτον in line 578.

    580  ἵνα ᾖσι: “to be …,” purpose clause, 3rd sing. pres. subj. >εἰμί.

    580  ἐσσομένοισιν: “for those to come,” lit., “for those going to be,” fut. act. (mid. in form) ptc. > εἰμί; substantive.

    581  τίς … πηὸς: “some near kinsman.”

    581  Ἰλιόθι πρὸ: “in front of Ilium.” πρό only follows the noun it modifies in the case of Epic forms ending in -θι (LSJ πρό B).

    583  μεθ᾽ αἷμά τε καὶ γένος αὐτῶν: “after one’s own blood and kin.”

    584  κεχαρισμένα εἰδώς: “with an agreeable mind,” lit. “knowing agreeable things.” 

    584  κεχαρισμένα: neut. acc. pl. pf. pass. ptc. > χαρίζω; substantive.

    585  κασιγνήτοιο: genitive of comparison.

    586  ὅς κεν … εἰδῇ: present general condition relative clause. 

    586  εἰδῇ: pres. act. subj. >οἶδα.

    586  πεπνυμένα: neut. acc. pl. pf. pass. ptc. >πέπνυμαι; substantive, used in the same way κεχαρισμένα is used in line 584.

    ἐκεῖθι: there, in that place 550

    ἄστυ ἄστεως τό: town

    περιναιετάω περιναιετήσω περιναιέτησα: to dwell round about

    πάμπαν: quite, wholly, altogether

    ἀνώνυμος –ον: without name, nameless

    ἐσθλός –ή –όν: good

    ἐπήν = ἐπεὶ ἄν: when, after

    τοκεύς –έως ὁ: parent

    γαίη –ης ἡ: land, region, district

    τεός –ή –όν: = σός, 'your' 555

    ὄφρα: while; until; so that; ὄφρα … τόφρα, while … for so long

    τιτύσκομαι – – – – –: to make, make ready, prepare

    φρήν φρενός ἡ: diaphragm; heart, mind, wits

    Φαίαξ –ακος ὁ: a Phaeacian

    κυβερνήτης –ου ὁ: a steersman, helmsman, pilot

    πηδάλιον –ου τό: a rudder

    νόημα –ατος τό: thought, idea, notion; mind; purpose, design, intension; device

    φρήν φρενός ἡ: diaphragm; heart, mind, wits

    πίων –ονος ὁ/ἡ: fat, plump; rich, opulent 

    ἀγρός –οῦ ὁ: field, arable land

    λαῖτμα –ατος τό: the depths of the sea

    ἅλς ἁλός ὁ: salt (m.); sea (f.)

    ἐκπεράω ἐκπεράσω ἐξεπέρασα ἐκπεπέρακα ––– –––: to pass over, cross; pass through, penetrate, pierce

    ἀήρ ἀέρος ὁ: mist, vapor, haze, cloud

    νεφέλη –ης ἡ: cloud

    καλύπτω καλύψω ἐκάλυψα κεκάλυμμαι ἐκαλύφθην: to cover, enclose

    σφεῖς: they

    πημαίνω πημανῶ ἐπήμηνα ––– ––– ἐπημάνθην: to bring into misery, plunge into ruin, undo

    δέος –ους τό: fear

    Ναυσίθοος –ου ὁ: Nausithous, a son of Poseidon, the father of Alcinous, colonizes the Phaeacians in Scheria

    φάσκω impf. ἔφασκον ––– ––– ––– –––: to say, affirm, think, deem 565

    Ποσειδῶν (or Ποσειδάων) –ῶνος ὁ: Poseidon

    ἄγαμαι ἀγασθήσομαι ἠγασάμην ἠγάσθην: to wonder, be astonished; to be jealous

    οὕνεκα: on account of which, wherefore

    πομπός –οῦ ὁ: a conductor, escort, guide

    ἀπήμων –ον gen. –ονος: unharmed, unhurt; doing no harm; favorable

    Φαίαξ –ακος: Phaeacian

    εὐεργής –ές: well-wrought, well-made

    πομπή –ῆς ἡ: escort, guidance; arrangement for one's departure

    ἄνειμι: go up, reach; return

    ἠεροειδής –ές: of dark and cloudy look, cloud-streaked

    πόντος –ου ὁ: sea, open sea

    ῥαίω ῥαίσω ἔρραισα ––– ––– –––: to break, shiver, shatter, wreck

    ἀμφικαλύπτω ἀμφικαλύψω ἀμφεκάλυψα ἀμφικεκάλυφα ἀμφικεκάλυμμαι ἀμφεκαλύφθην: to cover all round, enwrap, enfold, contain, overshadow

    ἀγορεύω ἀγορεύσω ἠγόρευσα ἠγόρευκα ἠγόρευμαι ἠγορεύθην: to speak, say 570

    γέρων –οντος ὁ: old man

    τελέω τελῶ or τελέσω ἐτέλεσα τετέλεκα τετέλεσμαι ἐτελέσθην: to finish, complete, carry out

    ἀτέλεστος –ον: unaccomplished, unfinished

    οὗ, οἷ, ἕ and encl. οὑ, οἱ, ἑ: him, her, it; himself, herself, itself

    φίλος –η –ον: friend; loved, beloved, dear

    πέλω ––– ἔπλον ––– ––– –––: to be (the aor. has pres. signif.)

    ἄγε: come! come on! well!

    ἀτρεκής –ές: real, genuine, exact

    καταλέγω καταλέξω κατέλεξα κατείλοχα κατείλεγμαι κατελέχθην: to recount, tell at length and in order; (mid.) καταλέχομαι to lie down

    ὅπη: by which way

    ἀποπλάζω ἀποπλάγξω ἀπέπλαγξα (aor. Pass.) ἀπεπλάγχθην: to divert, distract; (aor. pass.) to be diverted, get lost

    ἱκνέομαι ἵξομαι ἱκόμην ––– ἷγμαι –––: to come, reach

    ναιετάω νάσσομαι ἐνασσάμην ––– νένασμαι ἐνάσθην: to dwell

    ἠμέν: both.. (and), as well.. (as) 575

    ἄγριος –α –ον: savage; wild; fierce

    φιλόξενος –ον: loving strangers, hospitable

    σφεῖς: they

    νόος νόου ὁ: mind, perception

    θεουδής –ές: god-fearing, pious, religious

    κλαίω/κλάω κλαύσομαι/κλαήσω ἔκλαυσα ––– κέκλαυμαι/κέκλαυσμαι ἐκλαύσθην: weep, cry

    ὀδύρομαι ὀδυροῦμαι ὠδυράμην ––– ––– κατωδύρθην/ὠδύρθην: grieve

    ἔνδοθι: within, at home

    Ἀργεῖος –η –ον: Argive, of or from Argos (Greece)

    Δαναοί –ῶν οἱ: the Danaans

    ἠδέ: and

    Ἴλιον –ου τό: Ilium

    οἶτος –ου ὁ: fate, doom

    τεύχω τεύξω ἔτευξα τέτευχα τέτυγμαι ἐτύχθην: to make, build, prepare, fasten; to bring about; (pass.) to be brought about, to be

    ἐπικλώθω ἐπικλώσω ἐπέκλωσα – ἐπικέκλωσμαι ἐπεκλώσθην: to spin the thread of one's destiny; to assign as one's proportion or lot

    ὄλεθρος –ου ὁ: ruin, destruction, death

    ἀοιδή –ῆς ἡ: song, a singing 580

    πηός –οῦ ὁ: a kinsman by marriage

    ἀποφθίνω ἀποφθίσω ἀπέφθισα/ἀπέφθιθον ἀπέφθικα ἀπέφθιμαι –––: to perish utterly, die away

    Ἰλιόθι: at Troy

    ἐσθλός –ή –όν: good

    γαμβρός –οῦ ὁ: son-in-law

    πενθερός –οῦ ὁ: a father-in-law

    κήδιστος –η –ον: very close to one's heart, dearest, most worthy of affection

    τελέθω – – – – –: to come into being, to be quite, to be

    ἑταῖρος –ου ὁ: comrade, companion

    χαρίζομαι χαρίσομαι ἐχαρισάμην κεχάρισμαι ––– ἐχαρίσθην: to do a kindness, favor, gratify, give freely

    ἐσθλός –ή –όν: good

    κασίγνητος –ου ὁ or –η –ον: a brother; adj of a brother; sibling 585

    χερείων –ον: meaner, inferior 

    πέπνυμαι (old Epic perf. pass. of πνέω with pres. sense): to be wise, to be prudent

    ἑταῖρος –ου ὁ: comrade, companion

    πέπνυμαι (old Epic perf. pass. of πνέω with pres. sense): to have breath

    article nav
    Previous
    Next

    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/viii-550-586