Ancient Greek · The Telemachy

Ὀδυσσείας α

Book 1. The Gods in Council; Athena Counsels Telemachus

The gods meet while Odysseus sits on Calypso's island. Athena, in disguise, sends Telemachus to look for news of his father. The suitors feast in his hall.

444 lines · 82 notes

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Tell me, Muse, of the man of many turns, who wandered
Metre
ἄνδραμοιἔννεπεμοῦσα‖πολύτροπονὃςμάλαπολλὰ
ἄνδραmanἀνήρ · accusative singular masculine noundirect object of ἔννεπε
The poem begins with the object, not the verb: Greek case lets ἄνδρα stand first for emphasis.
μοιto meἐγώ · enclitic dative singular first-person pronounindirect object of ἔννεπε
ἔννεπεtellἐνέπω · present imperative active, second singularmain verb addressed to the Muse
μοῦσαMuseμοῦσα · vocative singular feminine noundirect address
πολύτροπονof many turnsπολύτροπος · accusative singular masculine adjectiveepithet agreeing with ἄνδρα
The adjective shares ἄνδρα's accusative singular masculine form, tying Odysseus' identity to the object of the invocation.
ὃςwhoὅς · nominative singular masculine relative pronounsubject of the relative clause that continues the sentence
πολλὰmany things / muchπολύς · accusative plural neuter adjective used adverbiallyextent of wandering with πλάγχθη in the next line
Grammar"Of many turns" πολύτροπον is an accusative epithet of ἄνδρα, the object of ἔννεπε. It means both "much-traveled" and "of many devices," a defining ambiguity for Odysseus.
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far and wide, once he had sacked the sacred citadel of Troy.
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Many were the men whose cities he saw and whose minds he learned,
Wordnoos: mind, way of thinking νόος denotes not just intellect but the whole mindset or disposition of a person. To "learn the noos" of many men is to understand their characters and customs.
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and many the sorrows he suffered at heart upon the sea,
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striving to win his own life and his companions’ homecoming.
Wordnostos: homecoming νόστος is the return home from war, the central theme of the poem and the root of our word "nostalgia."
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Yet even so he could not save his companions, hard as he strove —
GrammarConcessive participle ἱέμενός ("striving, eager") is a participle, and the particle περ gives it concessive force: "although striving."
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for by their own reckless follies they perished,
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fools, who devoured the cattle of Hyperion the Sun —
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and so the god took from them their day of return.
GrammarHomeric article = demonstrative «αὐτὰρ ὁ τοῖσιν ἀφείλετο» ('but he took from them'): here «ὁ» is not 'the' but a demonstrative/personal 'he, that one' (Helios) — in Homer ὁ/ἡ/τό is still mostly a pronoun, and true 'the' is often left unexpressed.
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Of all this, goddess, daughter of Zeus, tell us too, from where you will.
GrammarAorist imperative εἰπέ is the aorist imperative "tell!" — the poet's direct command to the Muse that frames the entire invocation.
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Then all the others, as many as had escaped sheer destruction,
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were at home, having fled both the war and the sea;
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him alone, longing for his return and for his wife,
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the queenly nymph Calypso, bright among goddesses, kept back
GrammarPartitive genitive θεάων is a genitive plural, "of goddesses": Calypso is "bright among goddesses." Homeric genitives of this type single out one from a group.
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in her hollow caves, yearning that he be her husband.
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But when the year came, as the seasons wheeled around,
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in which the gods had spun for him his return to his home,
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to Ithaca — not even there was he free of trials
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even among his own people. All the gods pitied him
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except Poseidon; he raged unrelenting
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at godlike Odysseus until he reached his own land.
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But Poseidon had gone off to the Ethiopians, who dwell far away,
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the Ethiopians, who are split in two, the most remote of men:
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some where Hyperion sets, and some where he rises,
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to receive a hecatomb of bulls and rams.
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There he sat at the feast and took his pleasure; but the other gods
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were gathered together in the halls of Olympian Zeus.
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Among them the father of men and gods began to speak;
Grammarmen-de / te...te pairing The doubled τε...τε ("both...and") binds "men" and "gods" into a single formula, "father of men and gods," a standard epithet of Zeus.
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for in his heart he remembered noble Aegisthus,
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whom the far-famed Orestes, son of Agamemnon, had killed;
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remembering him, he spoke out among the immortals:
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"Ah, how mortals do blame the gods!
Wordaitiaomai: to blame The verb means "to hold responsible, to accuse." Zeus's complaint—that men charge the gods for self-inflicted ruin—opens a key theme of the poem.
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They say evils come from us, yet they themselves
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by their own follies have sorrows beyond their lot,
Word"Beyond fate" ὑπὲρ μόρον means "beyond what is fated." Homer allows that men can bring suffering on themselves past their allotted measure, by their own recklessness.
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just as now Aegisthus, beyond his lot, took to wife
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the wedded wife of Atreus' son, and killed him on his return,
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though he knew sheer ruin would come, since we had warned him first,
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sending Hermes, the keen-eyed slayer of Argus,
GrammarSlayer of Argus ἀργεϊφόντην is a fixed accusative epithet of Hermes, traditionally "slayer of Argus," the hundred-eyed guardian. Such epithets fill the metrical line.
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telling him neither to kill the man nor to court his wife;
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for vengeance would come from Orestes for Atreus' son,
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once he came of age and longed for his own land.
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So Hermes spoke, but for all his good intent he did not
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persuade the mind of Aegisthus; and now he has paid for it all at once."
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Then the goddess, bright-eyed Athena, answered him:
GrammarBright-eyed Athena γλαυκῶπις, "gleaming-eyed" or "owl-eyed," is Athena's standing epithet. Whole formulaic half-lines like this recur to introduce her speeches.
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"Our father, son of Kronos, highest of rulers,
GrammarVocative of address πάτερ is the vocative case, the form used for direct address: "O father." Athena opens her appeal by naming Zeus directly.
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that man indeed lies in a death he richly deserved;
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so may any other perish who does such deeds!
GrammarOptative of wish ἀπόλοιτο is an optative expressing a wish: "may he perish." The optative is the regular mood for prayers and curses in Greek.
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But my heart is torn for wise Odysseus,
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ill-fated man, who far from his friends has long suffered hardships
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on a sea-girt island, where the navel of the sea lies.
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A wooded island, and a goddess dwells in its halls,
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the daughter of baleful-minded Atlas, who knows
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the depths of all the sea, and himself holds up the pillars,
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the great pillars that keep earth and heaven apart.
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His daughter holds back that wretched, grieving man,
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and always with soft and coaxing words
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she beguiles him, so that he forgets Ithaca; but Odysseus,
Wordthelgo: to enchant, beguile θέλγω means to charm or bewitch, often with words or magic. It captures Calypso's seductive spellbinding power over Odysseus.
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longing even to see the smoke rising up
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from his own land, yearns to die. And yet your
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heart is unmoved, Olympian one. Did Odysseus not
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win your favor with sacrifices beside the Argive ships
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in broad Troy? Why then are you so angry with him, Zeus?"
WordA pun on Odysseus' name The verb ὀδύσσομαι ("to be angry, to bear a grudge") echoes the name Ὀδυσσεύς. Homer plays on the hero's name as "the man of wrath / the one others rage at."
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Then Zeus the cloud-gatherer answered her:
GrammarCloud-gatherer νεφεληγερέτα is Zeus's standing epithet, "gatherer of clouds." Though the ending looks feminine, it is a masculine Homeric formula.
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"My child, what a word has escaped the barrier of your teeth!
Word"The barrier of the teeth" ἕρκος ὀδόντων, "the fence of the teeth," is a vivid Homeric formula for the mouth: words slip past the teeth as past a gate.
GrammarThe lost digamma (ϝέπος) «ποῖόν σε ἔπος φύγεν» — «ἔπος» ('word') was once «ϝέπος», with initial digamma (w). Though unwritten, its ghost blocks the expected elision, leaving the hiatus «σε ἔπος» instead of «σ' ἔπος» — and the line scans once you restore the w.
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How could I ever forget godlike Odysseus,
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who is beyond all mortals in mind, and beyond all in offerings
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he gave to the immortal gods who hold the broad heaven?
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But Poseidon, holder of the earth, is forever
GrammarEarth-holder Poseidon γαιήοχος (earth-holder / earth-embracer) is Poseidon's fixed epithet, marking him as the god who encircles or sustains the earth. The distinct epithet ἐνοσίχθων (earth-shaker) describes his seismic power and appears at line 74.
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stubbornly enraged over the Cyclops, whose eye he blinded —
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godlike Polyphemus, whose strength is greatest
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of all the Cyclopes; the nymph Thoosa bore him,
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daughter of Phorcys, lord of the barren sea,
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after she lay with Poseidon in the hollow caves.
GrammarAorist passive participle μιγεῖσα is an aorist passive participle ("having been joined / having lain with"), a euphemism for sexual union. It agrees with Thoosa.
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Because of this, Poseidon the earth-shaker
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does not kill Odysseus outright, but drives him from his fatherland.
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But come, let us all here take thought together
GrammarHortatory subjunctive περιφραζώμεθα is a first-person plural subjunctive in the middle voice: "let us deliberate together." This is the standard way Greek says "let us..."
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of his return, how he may come home; and Poseidon will let go
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his anger, for he can in no way, against all
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the immortal gods, strive on alone against their will."
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Then the goddess, bright-eyed Athena, answered him:
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"Our father, son of Kronos, highest of rulers,
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if indeed this is now the pleasure of the blessed gods,
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that wise Odysseus return to his own home,
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then let us send Hermes the guide, slayer of Argus,
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to the island of Ogygia, so that with all speed
GrammarPurpose clause ὄφρα introduces a purpose clause ("so that"), here with τάχιστα, "as quickly as possible." Athena lays out her plan in linked purpose clauses.
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he may tell the fair-haired nymph our unerring decree,
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the homecoming of steadfast Odysseus, that he may return.
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And I myself will go to Ithaca, so that his son
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I may rouse the more, and put courage in his heart,
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to call the long-haired Achaeans into assembly
GrammarLong-haired Achaeans "Long-haired Achaeans" is a recurring epithet-formula for the Greeks, marking warrior status. The hair was a sign of free-born nobility.
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and to renounce all the suitors, who keep on
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slaughtering his thronging sheep and his shambling, twist-horned cattle.
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And I will send him to Sparta and to sandy Pylos
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to learn of his dear father's return, if he may hear of it,
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and so that noble fame may be his among men."
Wordkleos: glory, fame κλέος is the renown won through great deeds and preserved in song—the hero's path to a kind of immortality. Here Telemachus is to earn his own.
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So saying, she bound beneath her feet her lovely sandals,
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immortal, golden, which bore her over the water
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and over the boundless earth with the breath of the wind.
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She took her strong spear, tipped with sharp bronze,
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heavy, huge, and stout, with which she subdues the ranks of men,
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of heroes against whom she, daughter of a mighty father, is angered.
Grammar"Of a mighty father" ὀβριμοπάτρη is an epithet of Athena, "daughter of a strong father" (Zeus). The compound packs a whole relationship into one word.
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She went darting down from the peaks of Olympus,
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and stood in the land of Ithaca, at the gates of Odysseus,
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on the threshold of the court; in her hand she held the bronze spear,
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in the likeness of a stranger, Mentes, leader of the Taphians.
GrammarParticiple of disguise εἰδομένη is a middle participle, "making herself look like." Athena's habit of taking mortal disguise is conveyed by this recurring participle.
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There she found the proud suitors. They at that moment
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were delighting their hearts with draughts before the doors,
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sitting on the hides of the oxen they themselves had slaughtered;
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and the heralds and busy attendants were with them,
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some mixing wine and water in the bowls,
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while others with porous sponges wiped down the tables
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and set them out, and still others carved many portions of meat.
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Godlike Telemachus was by far the first to see her,
Word"godlike" Telemachus A standard formulaic epithet, literally "godlike in form." Homer applies such fixed descriptors to many heroes regardless of context.
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for he sat among the suitors with his heart grieved,
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imagining his noble father in his mind, in case from somewhere he might come
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and scatter the suitors throughout the halls,
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and hold the honor himself and be lord over his own house.
GrammarOptatives of wish Both verbs are present optatives expressing the content of Telemachus' hoped-for scenario. The optative often marks unreal or merely imagined situations in Homer.
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Thinking of these things, sitting among the suitors, he caught sight of Athena.
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He went straight to the doorway, indignant in his heart
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that a stranger should stand long at the doors; and standing near her
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he took her right hand and received the bronze spear,
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and speaking to her he addressed her with winged words:
Word"winged words" One of Homer's most famous formulas, introducing direct speech. The image is of words flying swiftly from speaker to listener.
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"Welcome, stranger; you will be treated kindly among us; and then later,
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once you have tasted dinner, you shall tell us what you need."
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So saying he led the way, and Pallas Athena followed.
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And when they were inside the lofty house,
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he carried the spear and set it against a tall pillar,
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inside the well-polished spear-rack, where also many other
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spears of enduring-hearted Odysseus were standing,
Word"enduring-hearted" Odysseus A recurring epithet of Odysseus, marking his capacity to endure hardship. Homer's epithets characterize a hero with a single fixed trait across the poem.
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and he led her to a chair and seated her, spreading a linen cloth beneath,
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a fine and finely-wrought one; and there was a footstool under her feet.
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Beside it he set for himself an inlaid seat, apart from the others,
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from the suitors, so that the stranger, troubled by the uproar,
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should not be put off his food, falling among arrogant men,
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and so that he might ask him about his absent father.
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A maidservant brought water and poured it from a pitcher
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of fine gold, over a silver basin,
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for washing; and she drew up a polished table beside them.
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A respected housekeeper brought bread and set it out,
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laying on many dishes, freely giving from her stores;
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and a carver lifted and set before them platters of meat
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of every kind, and set golden cups beside them;
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and a herald came round to them again and again, pouring the wine.
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Then the lordly suitors came in. They then
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sat down in order on the seats and chairs,
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and heralds poured water over their hands,
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and serving-women heaped up bread in baskets,
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and young men filled the mixing-bowls to the brim with drink.
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And they reached out their hands to the good things laid ready before them.
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But when they had put away their desire for drink and food,
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the suitors, other things were on their minds,
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song and dancing; for these are the ornaments of a feast.
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A herald placed a beautiful lyre in the hands
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of Phemius, who sang among the suitors under compulsion.
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He struck up on the lyre and began to sing a fine song.
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But Telemachus spoke to gray-eyed Athena,
Word"gray-eyed" Athena The fixed epithet of Athena, variously rendered "gray-eyed" or "bright-eyed." The root suggests a piercing, gleaming gaze associated with the goddess.
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holding his head close, so that the others would not hear:
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"Dear stranger, will you be angry with me at what I am about to say?
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These men care only for such things, the lyre and song,
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easily, since they devour another man's livelihood unpunished,
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a man whose white bones, I suppose, are rotting in the rain
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lying somewhere on the mainland, or the wave rolls them in the sea.
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If they were to see him returned to Ithaca,
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they would all pray to be swifter of foot
GrammarOptative with the particle κε The optative with κε (ἄν) expresses a hypothetical result: "they would pray." Homer often spells this third-plural middle ending -αίατο instead of later -αιντο.
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rather than richer in gold and clothing.
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But now he has perished by an evil fate, nor is there for us
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any comfort, even if some one of the men upon the earth
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should say he will come; gone is the day of his return.
Word"day of homecoming" A recurring phrase meaning the day of safe return home. To lose one's "homecoming day" is to die or be lost abroad.
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But come, tell me this and recount it truly:
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who are you among men, and from where? Where is your city and your parents?
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On what kind of ship did you come? How did the sailors
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bring you to Ithaca? Who did they claim to be?
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For I do not think you came here on foot.
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And tell me this truly, so that I may know it well:
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are you a newcomer, or are you a guest-friend of my father's
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from old? Since many other men used to come to our house
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as well, for he too was a man much given to visiting people."
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Then the goddess, gray-eyed Athena, addressed him in turn:
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"Well then, I will tell you these things quite truly.
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I declare that I am Mentes, son of wise Anchialus,
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and I rule over the oar-loving Taphians.
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Now I have put in here with my ship and crew,
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sailing over the wine-dark sea to men of foreign speech,
Word"wine-dark sea" A celebrated Homeric formula, literally "wine-faced sea." It evokes the deep, dark color of the open water rather than any taste.
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to Temesa for copper, and I carry gleaming iron.
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My ship stands there in the countryside, away from the city,
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in the harbor of Rheithron, below wooded Neion.
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We declare ourselves to be guest-friends of each other through our fathers,
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from of old, if you go and ask the old man
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Laertes the hero, who they say no longer comes to town,
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but suffers hardships apart, off in the countryside,
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with an old serving-woman, who sets food and drink
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beside him, whenever weariness takes hold of his limbs
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as he creeps along the ridge of his vineyard plot.
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Now I have come; for they said that he was home,
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your father; but the gods, it seems, are blocking his way.
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For godlike Odysseus has not yet died upon the earth,
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but somewhere, still alive, he is held back on the wide sea
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on a sea-girt island, and harsh men hold him,
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savages, who keep him there, I suppose, against his will.
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But now I will prophesy to you, as the immortals
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cast it into my heart, and as I think it will come to pass,
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though I am no seer, nor one who reads bird-omens clearly.
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He will not long be away from his dear homeland
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now, not even if bonds of iron hold him;
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he will devise a way to return, since he is full of resource.
Word"of many devices" A signature epithet of Odysseus, praising his resourcefulness and cunning. The same quality drives the whole plot of his homecoming.
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But come, tell me this and recount it truly:
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are you really, big as you are, the very son of Odysseus?
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Astonishingly, in your head and fine eyes, you resemble
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that man, since we used to meet often with each other,
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before he went up to Troy, where the others as well,
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the best of the Argives, went in their hollow ships.
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Since then I have not seen Odysseus, nor he me."
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Then thoughtful Telemachus answered her in turn:
Word"thoughtful" Telemachus A recurring epithet of Telemachus, marking his prudence and good sense. It is a perfect participle used adjectivally, "having understanding."
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"Well then, stranger, I will tell you quite truly.
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My mother says that I am his son, but I myself
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do not know; for no one yet has known his own begetting on his own.
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How I wish I were the son of some fortunate man
GrammarUnattainable wish ὤφελον ("ought to have") with an infinitive expresses a wish for what is impossible: "would that I were." It conveys Telemachus' bitter longing for a different parentage.
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whom old age overtook among his own possessions.
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But now, of the man who was born most ill-fated of mortals,
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of him they say I was born, since you ask me this."
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Then the goddess, gray-eyed Athena, spoke to him again:
GrammarEpithet of Athena The recurring formula 'gray-eyed Athena' (γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη) is a fixed epithet that fills the line's end. Such standing epithets are a hallmark of oral hexameter composition.
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"Surely the gods have not made your line nameless for time to come,
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since Penelope bore a son like you.
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But come, tell me this and recount it truly:
GrammarImperatives in a formula Both verbs are aorist imperatives, the standard request-formula 'tell me and recount.' The aorist here gives a simple, decisive command rather than ongoing action.
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what feast is this, what gathering? What need brought it on you?
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A banquet or a wedding? For this is no shared-cost meal,
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the way they seem to me to be feasting with outrageous insolence
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through the house. A man would be filled with indignation
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to see so many shameful things, anyone of sense who came among them."
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Then thoughtful Telemachus answered her in turn:
Grammar'Thoughtful' Telemachus πεπνυμένος is a perfect participle used as a fixed epithet, 'sound-minded, prudent.' The perfect denotes a settled state—Telemachus is characterized as one possessed of good sense.
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"Stranger, since indeed you ask me this and inquire,
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this house was once likely to be rich and blameless,
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as long as that man was still here among his people;
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but now the gods have willed otherwise, plotting evil,
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they who have made him vanished beyond all
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men, since I would not grieve so for him even dead,
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if he had gone down among his comrades in the land of the Trojans,
GrammarAorist passive 'was brought down' δάμη is a root aorist passive of δάμνημι, 'he was subdued/slain.' The passive frames death as something suffered at others' hands in battle.
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or in the arms of his friends, once he had wound up the war.
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Then all the Achaeans would have made a tomb for him,
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and he would have won great glory for his son in days to come.
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But now the storm-winds have snatched him away inglorious;
WordThe snatching winds The Harpies (ἅρπυιαι) are 'snatchers,' here standing for the storm-winds that carry a man off without a trace. The image is of disappearance, not a marked death.
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he is gone, unseen and unheard of, and to me he has left
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pain and lamentation. Nor do I groan grieving for him
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alone, since now the gods have made me other evil cares.
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For all the nobles who hold sway over the islands,
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over Dulichium and Same and wooded Zacynthus,
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and all who lord it over rugged Ithaca,
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all these are courting my mother and wearing down the house.
GrammarPresent tense of ongoing harm Both verbs are present indicative, marking the suitors' wooing and ruining of the household as continuous, ongoing action—a wrong still in progress.
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And she neither refuses the hateful marriage nor is able
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to make an end of it; and they keep wasting away by their eating
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my house; soon they will tear me apart as well."
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Then in deep anger Pallas Athena spoke to him:
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"Alas, truly you greatly need Odysseus, gone so long,
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to lay his hands upon these shameless suitors.
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If only he would come now and stand at the outer gate of the house
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with helmet and shield and two spears,
GrammarDual: 'two spears' δοῦρε is the dual form of δόρυ, used for natural pairs and small sets of two. Homeric Greek keeps the dual alive alongside the plural.
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such as he was when I first saw him,
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drinking and making merry in our house,
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on his way back from Ephyra, from Ilus son of Mermerus—
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for Odysseus had gone there too on his swift ship
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seeking a man-killing poison, so that he might have it
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to smear on his bronze-tipped arrows; but the man would not
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give it to him, for he held the everlasting gods in awe,
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but my father gave it to him, for he loved him dearly—
GrammarIterative imperfect φιλέεσκε is an imperfect with the -σκ- iterative suffix, 'he used to love / kept loving.' Homer uses this form for habitual or repeated past action.
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such as he was then, may Odysseus come among the suitors:
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they would all meet a swift death and a bitter wedding.
Word'Bitter-wedded' πικρόγαμοι is a coined compound, 'bitterly married.' The grim pun turns the suitors' would-be wedding into their doom.
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But truly these things lie on the knees of the gods,
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whether he will come home and take revenge, or not,
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in his own halls; but I bid you take thought,
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how you may drive the suitors from the hall.
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Come now, listen and heed my words:
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tomorrow call the Achaean heroes to assembly
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and speak your case to all, and let the gods be your witnesses.
GrammarThird-person imperative ἔστων is a third-person plural imperative, 'let them be.' Greek can command third parties directly: 'let the gods be witnesses.'
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Order the suitors to scatter, each to his own;
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and your mother, if her heart urges her to marry,
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let her go back to the hall of her mighty father;
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and they will arrange the wedding and prepare the bride-gifts,
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very many, as is fitting to follow a beloved daughter.
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And to you yourself I will give shrewd counsel, if you will heed it:
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fit out a ship with twenty oarsmen, the best there is,
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and go to learn of your father, gone so long,
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in case some mortal tells you, or you hear a rumor
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from Zeus, which above all brings fame to men.
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First go to Pylos and ask noble Nestor,
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and from there to Sparta, to fair-haired Menelaus;
Grammar'Fair-haired Menelaus' ξανθόν, 'tawny, blond,' is the standing epithet of Menelaus, agreeing in the accusative with his name. Such name-plus-epithet pairs are formulaic building blocks of the verse.
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for he came home last of the bronze-clad Achaeans.
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If you hear that your father lives and is coming home,
288
then, worn down though you are, you could hold out a year more;
289
but if you hear he is dead and no longer alive,
290
then return to your dear native land,
291
heap up a tomb for him and pay the funeral rites
292
in full, as is fitting, and give your mother to a husband.
293
But once you have finished and done all this,
294
then consider, deep in your mind and heart,
295
how you may kill the suitors in your halls,
296
whether by guile or openly; you must no longer
GrammarSubjunctive of deliberation κτείνῃς is aorist subjunctive in an indirect deliberative clause introduced by ὅππως, 'how you may kill.' The subjunctive marks the contemplated, not-yet-real action.
297
cling to childish ways, since you are no longer of that age.
298
Or have you not heard what glory noble Orestes won
299
among all men, when he killed his father's slayer,
300
the cunning Aegisthus, who had slain his famous father?
301
You too, my friend—for I see you are handsome and tall—
302
be brave, so that men of later days may speak well of you.
303
But now I will go down to my swift ship
304
and my comrades, who must be greatly chafing as they wait for me.
305
Let this be your own concern, and heed my words."
306
Then thoughtful Telemachus answered her in turn:
307
"Stranger, truly you speak these things meaning me well,
308
as a father to his son, and I will never forget them.
309
But come, stay a while now, eager though you are for the road,
310
so that when you have bathed and delighted your heart
311
you may go to your ship with a gift, rejoicing in your spirit,
312
a precious one, very fine, to be a treasure for you
313
from me, such as dear friends give to friends."
314
Then the goddess, gray-eyed Athena, answered him:
315
"Do not hold me back any longer now, eager as I am for the road.
316
Whatever gift your heart bids you give me,
317
give it when I come again, to carry home with me,
318
and choose a very fine one; it will earn you a fitting return."
319
So saying, gray-eyed Athena departed,
320
flying up like a bird; and in his heart
WordA disputed word ἀνόπαια is obscure even to ancient readers—taken variously as a kind of bird, 'up through the smoke-hole,' or 'unseen.' The image is of Athena vanishing in sudden upward flight.
321
she set strength and courage, and made him remember his father
322
even more than before. And he, perceiving it in his mind,
323
was amazed in his heart, for he sensed that she was a god.
GrammarAorist middle of perception ὀίσατο is aorist of ὀίομαι, a deponent (middle-form) verb of supposing or sensing. The middle voice fits inward, mental acts—'he sensed within himself.'
324
At once the godlike man went among the suitors.
325
To them a famous bard was singing, and they in silence
326
sat listening; he sang of the Achaeans' homecoming,
WordNostos: the homecoming Nostos, 'return home,' is the keyword of the whole poem. Here the bard sings of the Achaeans' return from Troy—a theme that cuts close to Telemachus' own loss.
327
the grievous one Pallas Athena laid on them out of Troy.
328
caught his marvelous song from her upper chamber,
329
But the daughter of Icarius, wise Penelope,
330
and she came down the high stairway of her house,
331
not alone, for two handmaids came with her.
332
And when she reached the suitors, that radiant woman,
Word"radiant among women" A formulaic epithet, literally "shining/divine of women," marking a woman of exceptional beauty or rank. Used here of Penelope as she comes before the suitors.
333
she stopped beside the doorpost of the strongly built hall,
334
holding her shining veil before her cheeks,
335
and a faithful handmaid stood on either side of her.
336
Then, weeping, she spoke to the divine singer:
GrammarAorist participle An aorist participle of δακρύω ("to weep"), agreeing with Penelope. It frames her speech: "having burst into tears, she then spoke."
337
"Phemius, you know many other charms for mortals,
338
the deeds of men and gods that singers make famous.
339
Sing them one of those as you sit there, and let them in silence
340
drink their wine; but cease from this song,
GrammarMiddle imperative ἀποπαύεο is a present middle imperative, "cease for yourself, leave off." The middle voice turns the verb back on the subject: stop your own singing.
341
this grievous one, which always in my breast wears down
342
the dear heart in me, since unforgettable grief has struck me hardest.
Word"grief unforgettable" πένθος is deep mourning; ἄλαστον means "not to be forgotten," grief that cannot be put out of mind. The phrase marks Penelope's enduring sorrow for Odysseus.
343
For I long, remembering him always, for such a head,
344
for the man whose fame is wide through Hellas and the heart of Argos."
Wordkleos: glory, fame kleos is the renown that spreads in song and report, the reputation that outlives a man. Penelope means Odysseus' fame is known across the whole Greek world.
345
Then prudent Telemachus answered her in turn:
Word"prudent, thoughtful" A recurring epithet of Telemachus, from a perfect participle meaning "having good sense." It marks him as level-headed and well-spoken, a standard formula introducing his replies.
346
"My mother, why do you begrudge the trusty singer
347
giving pleasure however his mind is moved? Singers are not
348
to blame; it is Zeus, rather, who is to blame, who gives
Wordaitios: responsible, to blame aitios marks the cause or guilty party. Telemachus shifts blame from the singer to Zeus, who apportions men's fortunes; the word becomes a key term in the poem's debate over responsibility.
349
to men who live by bread, to each as he wills.
350
There is no blame in this man's singing the evil fate of the Danaans;
Wordnemesis: righteous blame nemesis is the indignation a deed rightly arouses, the sense that something deserves reproach. Telemachus says the singer's choice of subject earns no such censure.
351
for people give greater praise to that song
352
which comes round newest to the ears of its hearers.
353
Let your heart and spirit endure to listen;
GrammarThird-person imperative ἐπιτολμάτω is a present imperative in the third person, "let it endure." Greek can command a third party directly; here Telemachus tells his mother's heart to bear up.
354
for not Odysseus alone lost the day of his homecoming
Word"the day of homecoming" A formula built on nostos (homecoming/return). To "lose the homecoming day" is to die abroad and never return; it recurs throughout the Odyssey.
355
at Troy; many other men perished as well.
356
Go into the house and attend to your own work,
357
the loom and the distaff, and order your handmaids
358
to go about their tasks; speech will be the men's concern,
359
of all men, and mine above all; for the authority in this house is mine."
Wordkratos: power, authority kratos is dominating power or rule. Telemachus claims mastery of the household, his first assertion of adult authority in the poem.
360
Amazed, she went back into the house,
361
for she took her son's prudent word to heart.
362
Going up to her upper room with her serving women,
363
she wept then for Odysseus, her dear husband, until sleep,
364
sweet sleep, was cast upon her eyelids by gray-eyed Athena.
Word"gray-eyed" Athena γλαυκῶπις, the standard epithet of Athena, suggests bright, gleaming, or owl-like eyes. We keep the familiar "gray-eyed," though "bright-eyed" captures the gleam.
365
The suitors made an uproar throughout the shadowy halls,
366
and every one of them prayed to lie beside her in bed.
367
But prudent Telemachus began to speak among them:
368
"Suitors of my mother, with your overbearing insolence,
Wordhubris: insolence, outrage hubris is arrogant violence that violates due order and another's honor. The suitors' hubris, consuming Telemachus' house, is the central wrong the poem will punish.
369
for now let us take our pleasure in the feast, and let there be no shouting,
370
since it is a fine thing to hear a singer
371
such as this one is, like the gods in voice.
372
But at dawn let us all go and sit in assembly,
Wordagora: assembly The agora is the gathering of the people for public speech and decision, also the place where it meets. Telemachus' call to assembly is his first formal political act.
373
so that I may declare my word to you without reserve:
374
to leave my halls. See to other feasts,
375
eating your own goods, taking turns from house to house.
376
But if it seems to you better and finer
377
that one man's livelihood be wasted without payment,
378
then devour it; and I will call upon the gods who live forever,
379
in hope that Zeus may grant deeds of requital to be done:
Word"deeds of requital" παλίντιτα means "paid back, requited." Telemachus prays Zeus may bring retribution on the suitors, deeds that repay their plunder in kind.
380
then within these halls you would perish unavenged."
Word"unavenged, without recompense" νήποινος means "without penalty paid"; here, applied to the suitors' deaths, it means no blood-price would be exacted for them. The same word in 377 described the wasted livelihood for which no payment is made.
381
So he spoke, and they all bit their lips,
Word"biting their lips" Literally "sinking their teeth into their lips," a vivid idiom for swallowing anger or astonishment. The suitors are taken aback by Telemachus' boldness.
382
marveling at Telemachus, that he spoke so boldly.
383
Then Antinous, son of Eupeithes, addressed him:
384
"Telemachus, surely the gods themselves are teaching you
385
to be a lofty speaker and to talk so boldly.
Word"lofty talker" ὑψαγόρης combines "high" and "speaker," a sneering term for one who talks big or grandly. Antinous mocks Telemachus' new assertiveness.
386
May the son of Kronos never make you king
387
in sea-girt Ithaca, though it is yours by birthright."
Word"sea-girt" Ithaca ἀμφίαλος means "with sea on both sides, sea-girt," a standard epithet for the island Ithaca, fixing its character as surrounded by water.
388
Then prudent Telemachus answered him in turn:
389
"Antinous, will you be angry with me at what I say?
390
I would gladly take even this, if Zeus should grant it.
GrammarPotential optative ἐθέλοιμι is a present optative with κεν, expressing a polite, hypothetical wish: "I would be willing." The optative with the particle marks possibility rather than fact.
391
Do you say this is the worst thing that can befall a man?
392
It is no bad thing to be king; swiftly one's house
393
grows rich, and the man himself more honored.
394
But there are indeed other kings of the Achaeans,
395
many in sea-girt Ithaca, young and old,
396
one of whom may hold this honor, since noble Odysseus is dead;
397
but I will be lord of our own house
Wordanax: lord, master anax is a title of lordship and mastery over a household or realm. Telemachus retreats from the contested kingship to a claim he can hold: master of his own house.
398
and of the slaves that noble Odysseus won for me."
399
Then Eurymachus, son of Polybus, answered him in turn:
400
"Telemachus, this surely lies on the knees of the gods,
401
whoever shall be king of the Achaeans in sea-girt Ithaca;
402
but may you keep your possessions and rule your own house.
403
May no man ever come who against your will, by force,
404
would tear your possessions from you, while Ithaca is still inhabited.
405
But I wish, my good man, to ask you about the stranger:
406
where this man comes from, of what land he claims to be,
407
and where his family is, and his native soil.
408
Does he bring some news of your father's coming,
409
or has he come here pressing some need of his own?
410
How he sprang up and was gone at once, and did not wait
411
to be known; yet he did not seem a base man to look at."
412
Then prudent Telemachus answered him in turn:
413
"Eurymachus, surely my father's homecoming is lost.
Wordnostos: homecoming, return nostos is the safe return home, the theme that drives the whole poem. Telemachus declares his father's nostos lost, that is, hopeless.
414
So I no longer trust any message, wherever it may come from,
415
nor do I heed any prophecy that my mother
416
summons a seer into the hall to inquire of.
Wordtheopropos: prophet, seer A θεοπρόπος is one who declares the will of the gods, a diviner consulted for guidance. Telemachus dismisses such consultations as useless to him now.
417
This stranger is a guest-friend of my father's, from Taphos,
418
and he claims to be Mentes, son of wise Anchialus,
419
and he rules over the oar-loving Taphians."
Word"oar-loving" φιλήρετμος, "loving the oar," is a fitting epithet for the seafaring Taphians, marking them as a people of sailors and rowers.
420
So Telemachus spoke, but in his heart he knew the immortal goddess.
421
Then they turned to dancing and to lovely song,
422
and took their pleasure, and waited for evening to come.
423
And as they took their pleasure, dark evening came upon them;
424
and then, longing for their beds, each went off to his own house.
425
But Telemachus, where his chamber within the beautiful court
426
had been built high, in a place with a view all around,
427
went there to his bed, turning many thoughts over in his mind.
Word"pondering anxiously" μερμηρίζω means to ponder or be torn between thoughts, often with worry. Telemachus lies awake weighing the day's events and Athena's counsel.
428
And alongside him faithful, knowing Eurycleia carried blazing torches,
429
Eurycleia, daughter of Ops, son of Pisenor,
430
whom Laertes once bought with his own wealth
431
when she was still in her early youth, and gave the worth of twenty oxen for her,
432
and he honored her equally with his faithful wife in the halls,
433
but never lay with her in bed, and avoided his wife's anger.
434
She it was who carried the blazing torches beside him, and of all
435
the serving women she loved him most, and had nursed him when he was little.
GrammarIterative imperfect φιλέεσκε has the -σκ- suffix marking repeated or habitual past action: "she used to love, kept loving." The imperfect underscores her enduring devotion.
436
He opened the doors of the strongly built chamber,
437
sat down on the bed, and took off his soft tunic,
438
and put it into the hands of the wise old woman.
439
She folded and smoothed the tunic,
440
hung it on a peg beside the corded bedstead,
441
She went out from the chamber, and pulled the door shut by the handle
GrammarAorist of motion βῆ is a short (root) aorist of βαίνω, "she went/stepped." Homer often pairs it with the infinitive ἴμεν ("to go") to mark the start of a journey.
442
the silver one, and drew the bolt home by its strap.
443
There, all night long, wrapped in a fleece of sheep's wool,
Word"all night long" An adjective used adverbially: literally "of the whole night," describing how Telemachus lay awake until dawn.
444
he pondered in his heart the journey Athena had shown him.
GrammarReduplicated aorist πέφραδε is an aorist of φράζω formed with reduplication (πε-), "she pointed out, made clear." Despite having reduplication (πε-) that normally signals the perfect, this is an archaic Homeric reduplicated aorist: the form uses perfect-type morphology but is aorist in function and meaning. It looks like a perfect but behaves as a narrative past.

The particulars

The text: Ὀδύσσεια, Homer. The Telemachy.
Translation: Public-domain Greek (Homer, ancient; text via the Perseus Digital Library). English translation © 2026 1732 Studios, LLC.
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