# The Odyssey, Book 9: Odysseus Tells His Tale: The Cicones, the Lotus-Eaters, and the Cyclops

Ὀδύσσεια · Homer · The Wanderings

Odysseus tells his name and begins his story: the Cicones, the Lotus-Eaters, the cave of the Cyclops. He blinds Polyphemus and escapes under the sheep.

Source: https://1732studios.com/books/odyssey/9. Data: https://1732studios.com/books/odyssey/9.json. Audio: https://audio.1732studios.com/odyssey/<line id>.m4a.

**1** τὸν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς·  
Then Odysseus of many wiles answered him and said:
> Stock epithet of Odysseus: "Of many wiles / much resourcefulness" is one of Odysseus' fixed epithets, used to fill the verse and mark his character. Such formulaic epithets recur throughout the poem.

**2** Ἀλκίνοε κρεῖον, πάντων ἀριδείκετε λαῶν,  
"Lord Alcinous, most renowned of all the people,

**3** ἦ τοι μὲν τόδε καλὸν ἀκουέμεν ἐστὶν ἀοιδοῦ  
truly it is a fine thing to listen to a bard

**4** τοιοῦδʼ οἷος ὅδʼ ἐστί, θεοῖς ἐναλίγκιος αὐδήν.  
such as this man is, like the gods in his voice.

**5** οὐ γὰρ ἐγώ γέ τί φημι τέλος χαριέστερον εἶναι  
For I say there is no fulfillment more graceful

**6** ἢ ὅτʼ ἐυφροσύνη μὲν ἔχῃ κάτα δῆμον ἅπαντα,  
than when good cheer holds sway over the whole people,
> euphrosynê: festive joy: The word denotes the merriment of a shared feast, a high social good in Homeric society, not mere private happiness.

**7** δαιτυμόνες δʼ ἀνὰ δώματʼ ἀκουάζωνται ἀοιδοῦ  
and the banqueters throughout the halls listen to a bard

**8** ἥμενοι ἑξείης, παρὰ δὲ πλήθωσι τράπεζαι  
as they sit in their rows, and beside them the tables are laden

**9** σίτου καὶ κρειῶν, μέθυ δʼ ἐκ κρητῆρος ἀφύσσων  
with bread and meats, and drawing wine from the mixing-bowl

**10** οἰνοχόος φορέῃσι καὶ ἐγχείῃ δεπάεσσι·  
the cup-bearer carries it round and pours it into the cups.

**11** τοῦτό τί μοι κάλλιστον ἐνὶ φρεσὶν εἴδεται εἶναι.  
This seems to my mind to be the fairest thing of all.

**12** σοὶ δʼ ἐμὰ κήδεα θυμὸς ἐπετράπετο στονόεντα  
But your heart was moved to ask about my grievous sorrows,

**13** εἴρεσθʼ, ὄφρʼ ἔτι μᾶλλον ὀδυρόμενος στεναχίζω·  
so that I may grieve and groan still more in my mourning.

**14** τί πρῶτόν τοι ἔπειτα, τί δʼ ὑστάτιον καταλέξω;  
What, then, shall I tell you first, and what last of all?

**15** κήδεʼ ἐπεί μοι πολλὰ δόσαν θεοὶ Οὐρανίωνες.  
since the gods of heaven have given me sorrows in plenty.
> The Ouranian gods: "The sons of Heaven," a poetic title for the Olympian gods as descendants of Ouranos (Sky).

**16** νῦν δʼ ὄνομα πρῶτον μυθήσομαι, ὄφρα καὶ ὑμεῖς  
Now first I will tell my name, so that you too

**17** εἴδετʼ, ἐγὼ δʼ ἂν ἔπειτα φυγὼν ὕπο νηλεὲς ἦμαρ  
may know it, and that I, once I have escaped the pitiless day,
> "the pitiless day": A formulaic phrase for the day of doom or death; here Odysseus means surviving his perils. Homer often pairs ἦμαρ (day) with such adjectives.

**18** ὑμῖν ξεῖνος ἔω καὶ ἀπόπροθι δώματα ναίων.  
may be a guest-friend to you, though I dwell in a home far off.

**19** εἴμʼ Ὀδυσεὺς Λαερτιάδης, ὃς πᾶσι δόλοισιν  
I am Odysseus, son of Laertes, who for all my cunning

**20** ἀνθρώποισι μέλω, καί μευ κλέος οὐρανὸν ἵκει.  
am known to men, and my fame reaches to heaven.
> kleos: glory: kleos is the renown a hero wins and that survives in song; "my fame reaches heaven" is a recurring image of boundless glory.

**21** ναιετάω δʼ Ἰθάκην ἐυδείελον· ἐν δʼ ὄρος αὐτῇ  
I dwell in clear-skied Ithaca; on it there is a mountain,

**22** Νήριτον εἰνοσίφυλλον, ἀριπρεπές· ἀμφὶ δὲ νῆσοι  
Neriton, its leaves trembling, conspicuous; and round about lie islands,

**23** πολλαὶ ναιετάουσι μάλα σχεδὸν ἀλλήλῃσι,  
many of them, very close to one another,

**24** Δουλίχιόν τε Σάμη τε καὶ ὑλήεσσα Ζάκυνθος.  
Dulichium and Same and wooded Zacynthus.

**25** αὐτὴ δὲ χθαμαλὴ πανυπερτάτη εἰν ἁλὶ κεῖται  
Ithaca itself lies low, highest up in the sea,

**26** πρὸς ζόφον, αἱ δέ τʼ ἄνευθε πρὸς ἠῶ τʼ ἠέλιόν τε,  
toward the dark west, while the others lie apart toward the dawn and the sun,
> zophos: the gloomy west: zophos means the murky darkness associated with the west and the underworld, contrasted here with the dawn (ἠώς) in the east.

**27** τρηχεῖʼ, ἀλλʼ ἀγαθὴ κουροτρόφος· οὔ τοι ἐγώ γε  
a rugged land, but a good nurse of young men; and for myself

**28** ἧς γαίης δύναμαι γλυκερώτερον ἄλλο ἰδέσθαι.  
I can see nothing sweeter to behold than my own country.

**29** ἦ μέν μʼ αὐτόθʼ ἔρυκε Καλυψώ, δῖα θεάων,  
Truly Calypso, shining among goddesses, kept me there,

**30** ἐν σπέσσι γλαφυροῖσι, λιλαιομένη πόσιν εἶναι·  
in her hollow caves, longing to have me for her husband;

**31** ὣς δʼ αὔτως Κίρκη κατερήτυεν ἐν μεγάροισιν  
and in the same way Circe detained me in her halls,

**32** Αἰαίη δολόεσσα, λιλαιομένη πόσιν εἶναι·  
the guileful Aeaean, longing to have me for her husband;

**33** ἀλλʼ ἐμὸν οὔ ποτε θυμὸν ἐνὶ στήθεσσιν ἔπειθον.  
but never did they persuade the heart within my breast.

**34** ὣς οὐδὲν γλύκιον ἧς πατρίδος οὐδὲ τοκήων  
So there is nothing sweeter than one's own homeland and parents,

**35** γίγνεται, εἴ περ καί τις ἀπόπροθι πίονα οἶκον  
even if a man dwells in a rich house far away

**36** γαίῃ ἐν ἀλλοδαπῇ ναίει ἀπάνευθε τοκήων.  
in a foreign land, apart from his parents.

**37** εἰ δʼ ἄγε τοι καὶ νόστον ἐμὸν πολυκηδέʼ ἐνίσπω,  
But come, let me tell you also of my grievous homecoming,
> nostos: the homecoming: nostos, the return home, is the central theme of the whole poem; here it is qualified as πολυκηδέα, "full of woes."

**38** ὅν μοι Ζεὺς ἐφέηκεν ἀπὸ Τροίηθεν ἰόντι.  
which Zeus laid upon me as I journeyed from Troy.

**39** Ἰλιόθεν με φέρων ἄνεμος Κικόνεσσι πέλασσεν,  
From Ilium the wind carried me and brought me near the Cicones,

**40** Ἰσμάρῳ. ἔνθα δʼ ἐγὼ πόλιν ἔπραθον, ὤλεσα δʼ αὐτούς·  
to Ismarus. There I sacked the city and destroyed its men;

**41** ἐκ πόλιος δʼ ἀλόχους καὶ κτήματα πολλὰ λαβόντες  
and from the city, taking their wives and much treasure,

**42** δασσάμεθʼ, ὡς μή τίς μοι ἀτεμβόμενος κίοι ἴσης.  
we divided it up, so that none might go cheated of an equal share.

**43** ἔνθʼ ἦ τοι μὲν ἐγὼ διερῷ ποδὶ φευγέμεν ἡμέας  
Then indeed I urged that we flee with nimble foot,

**44** ἠνώγεα, τοὶ δὲ μέγα νήπιοι οὐκ ἐπίθοντο.  
but the great fools would not obey.
> nêpioi: blind fools: nêpios marks people who fail to grasp the consequences of their action; here the men's heedlessness leads to disaster.

**45** ἔνθα δὲ πολλὸν μὲν μέθυ πίνετο, πολλὰ δὲ μῆλα  
There much wine was drunk, and many sheep

**46** ἔσφαζον παρὰ θῖνα καὶ εἰλίποδας ἕλικας βοῦς·  
they slaughtered along the shore, and shambling crook-horned cattle.

**47** τόφρα δʼ ἄρʼ οἰχόμενοι Κίκονες Κικόνεσσι γεγώνευν,  
Meanwhile the Cicones went and called out to other Cicones,

**48** οἵ σφιν γείτονες ἦσαν, ἅμα πλέονες καὶ ἀρείους,  
who were their neighbors, more in number and better men,

**49** ἤπειρον ναίοντες, ἐπιστάμενοι μὲν ἀφʼ ἵππων  
dwelling inland, skilled at fighting men from chariots

**50** ἀνδράσι μάρνασθαι καὶ ὅθι χρὴ πεζὸν ἐόντα.  
and, where need be, on foot as well.

**51** ἦλθον ἔπειθʼ ὅσα φύλλα καὶ ἄνθεα γίγνεται ὥρῃ,  
They came then as many as the leaves and flowers that grow in their season,
> "as many as leaves and flowers": A classic Homeric simile of multitude; the enemy's numbers are likened to spring foliage and blossom.

**52** ἠέριοι· τότε δή ῥα κακὴ Διὸς αἶσα παρέστη  
at dawn; and then the evil doom of Zeus came upon

**53** ἡμῖν αἰνομόροισιν, ἵνʼ ἄλγεα πολλὰ πάθοιμεν.  
us, ill-fated men, that we might suffer many griefs.

**54** στησάμενοι δʼ ἐμάχοντο μάχην παρὰ νηυσὶ θοῇσι,  
They drew up and fought their battle beside the swift ships,

**55** βάλλον δʼ ἀλλήλους χαλκήρεσιν ἐγχείῃσιν.  
and they hurled at one another with bronze-tipped spears.

**56** ὄφρα μὲν ἠὼς ἦν καὶ ἀέξετο ἱερὸν ἦμαρ,  
So long as it was morning and the sacred day was waxing,

**57** τόφρα δʼ ἀλεξόμενοι μένομεν πλέονάς περ ἐόντας.  
so long we held our ground and beat them off, though they were more.

**58** ἦμος δʼ ἠέλιος μετενίσσετο βουλυτόνδε,  
But when the sun moved toward the hour of unyoking the oxen,

**59** καὶ τότε δὴ Κίκονες κλῖναν δαμάσαντες Ἀχαιούς.  
then the Cicones overpowered and routed the Achaeans.

**60** ἓξ δʼ ἀφʼ ἑκάστης νηὸς ἐυκνήμιδες ἑταῖροι  
Six well-greaved comrades from each ship

**61** ὤλονθʼ· οἱ δʼ ἄλλοι φύγομεν θάνατόν τε μόρον τε.  
perished; the rest of us escaped death and doom.

**62** ἔνθεν δὲ προτέρω πλέομεν ἀκαχήμενοι ἦτορ,  
From there we sailed onward, grieving in our hearts,

**63** ἄσμενοι ἐκ θανάτοιο, φίλους ὀλέσαντες ἑταίρους.  
glad to be alive after death, but having lost dear comrades.

**64** οὐδʼ ἄρα μοι προτέρω νῆες κίον ἀμφιέλισσαι,  
Yet my curved ships did not go onward

**65** πρίν τινα τῶν δειλῶν ἑτάρων τρὶς ἕκαστον ἀῦσαι,  
before we had called, three times each, on every one of our poor comrades

**66** οἳ θάνον ἐν πεδίῳ Κικόνων ὕπο δῃωθέντες.  
who died on the plain, cut down by the Cicones.

**67** νηυσὶ δʼ ἐπῶρσʼ ἄνεμον Βορέην νεφεληγερέτα Ζεὺς  
Then cloud-gathering Zeus roused the North Wind against our ships
> "cloud-gatherer" Zeus: A fixed epithet of Zeus as the storm-god who marshals the clouds. Such name-plus-epithet formulas are a hallmark of oral hexameter.

**68** λαίλαπι θεσπεσίῃ, σὺν δὲ νεφέεσσι κάλυψε  
with a tremendous tempest, and with clouds he covered

**69** γαῖαν ὁμοῦ καὶ πόντον· ὀρώρει δʼ οὐρανόθεν νύξ.  
land and sea alike; and night rose up from the sky.

**70** αἱ μὲν ἔπειτʼ ἐφέροντʼ ἐπικάρσιαι, ἱστία δέ σφιν  
The ships were driven headlong, and the force of the wind

**71** τριχθά τε καὶ τετραχθὰ διέσχισεν ἲς ἀνέμοιο.  
tore their sails into three and four pieces.

**72** καὶ τὰ μὲν ἐς νῆας κάθεμεν, δείσαντες ὄλεθρον,  
These we lowered into the ships, fearing destruction,

**73** αὐτὰς δʼ ἐσσυμένως προερέσσαμεν ἤπειρόνδε.  
and rowed the ships hard toward the mainland.

**74** ἔνθα δύω νύκτας δύο τʼ ἤματα συνεχὲς αἰεὶ  
There for two nights and two days continually

**75** κείμεθʼ, ὁμοῦ καμάτῳ τε καὶ ἄλγεσι θυμὸν ἔδοντες.  
we lay, eating our hearts out with weariness and pain alike.
> "eating our hearts out": A vivid Homeric idiom for inward grief: literally "devouring the spirit (thymos)."

**76** ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ τρίτον ἦμαρ ἐυπλόκαμος τέλεσʼ Ἠώς,  
But when fair-haired Dawn brought on the third day,

**77** ἱστοὺς στησάμενοι ἀνά θʼ ἱστία λεύκʼ ἐρύσαντες  
we set up our masts, hauled up the white sails,

**78** ἥμεθα, τὰς δʼ ἄνεμός τε κυβερνῆταί τʼ ἴθυνον.  
and sat, and the wind and the helmsmen kept the ships straight.

**79** καί νύ κεν ἀσκηθὴς ἱκόμην ἐς πατρίδα γαῖαν·  
And now I would have reached my homeland unharmed,

**80** ἀλλά με κῦμα ῥόος τε περιγνάμπτοντα Μάλειαν  
but as I was rounding Cape Malea the wave and the current

**81** καὶ Βορέης ἀπέωσε, παρέπλαγξεν δὲ Κυθήρων.  
and the North Wind drove me back and forced me past Cythera.

**82** ἔνθεν δʼ ἐννῆμαρ φερόμην ὀλοοῖς ἀνέμοισιν  
From there for nine days I was carried by deadly winds

**83** πόντον ἐπʼ ἰχθυόεντα· ἀτὰρ δεκάτῃ ἐπέβημεν  
over the fish-filled sea; but on the tenth we set foot

**84** γαίης Λωτοφάγων, οἵ τʼ ἄνθινον εἶδαρ ἔδουσιν.  
on the land of the Lotus-eaters, who eat a flowery food.

**85** ἔνθα δʼ ἐπʼ ἠπείρου βῆμεν καὶ ἀφυσσάμεθʼ ὕδωρ,  
There we went ashore on the mainland and drew water,

**86** αἶψα δὲ δεῖπνον ἕλοντο θοῇς παρὰ νηυσὶν ἑταῖροι.  
and at once my comrades took their meal beside the swift ships.

**87** αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ σίτοιό τʼ ἐπασσάμεθʼ ἠδὲ ποτῆτος,  
But when we had tasted of food and drink,

**88** δὴ τοτʼ ἐγὼν ἑτάρους προΐειν πεύθεσθαι ἰόντας,  
then I sent comrades ahead to go and learn

**89** οἵ τινες ἀνέρες εἶεν ἐπὶ χθονὶ σῖτον ἔδοντες  
what manner of men those were who eat bread upon the earth,

**90** ἄνδρε δύω κρίνας, τρίτατον κήρυχʼ ἅμʼ ὀπάσσας.  
choosing two men, and sending a third with them as a herald.
> Dual number: "two men": ἄνδρε δύω is in the dual, a special grammatical number for pairs that Homer still uses. It signals exactly two, distinct from the plural.

**91** οἱ δʼ αἶψʼ οἰχόμενοι μίγεν ἀνδράσι Λωτοφάγοισιν·  
They went at once and mingled with the Lotus-eating men.

**92** οὐδʼ ἄρα Λωτοφάγοι μήδονθʼ ἑτάροισιν ὄλεθρον  
Now the Lotus-eaters did not plot destruction

**93** ἡμετέροις, ἀλλά σφι δόσαν λωτοῖο πάσασθαι.  
against our comrades, but gave them lotus to taste.

**94** τῶν δʼ ὅς τις λωτοῖο φάγοι μελιηδέα καρπόν,  
And whoever of them ate the honey-sweet fruit of the lotus
> "honey-sweet": A stock epithet meaning "sweet as honey," applied to wine, fruit, sleep, and other pleasures throughout Homer.

**95** οὐκέτʼ ἀπαγγεῖλαι πάλιν ἤθελεν οὐδὲ νέεσθαι,  
no longer wished to bring back word or to return,

**96** ἀλλʼ αὐτοῦ βούλοντο μετʼ ἀνδράσι Λωτοφάγοισι  
but wished to stay there among the Lotus-eating men,

**97** λωτὸν ἐρεπτόμενοι μενέμεν νόστου τε λαθέσθαι.  
feeding on the lotus and forgetting their homecoming.

**98** τοὺς μὲν ἐγὼν ἐπὶ νῆας ἄγον κλαίοντας ἀνάγκῃ,  
These men I led back to the ships by force, weeping,

**99** νηυσὶ δʼ ἐνὶ γλαφυρῇσιν ὑπὸ ζυγὰ δῆσα ἐρύσσας.  
and dragging them I bound them fast beneath the benches in the hollow ships.

**100** αὐτὰρ τοὺς ἄλλους κελόμην ἐρίηρας ἑταίρους  
Then I ordered the rest of my trusty comrades

**101** σπερχομένους νηῶν ἐπιβαινέμεν ὠκειάων,  
to hurry and go aboard the swift ships,

**102** μή πώς τις λωτοῖο φαγὼν νόστοιο λάθηται.  
lest any of them eat of the lotus and forget his homecoming.

**103** οἱ δʼ αἶψʼ εἴσβαινον καὶ ἐπὶ κληῖσι καθῖζον,  
They went aboard at once and sat down at the oarlocks,

**104** ἑξῆς δʼ ἑζόμενοι πολιὴν ἅλα τύπτον ἐρετμοῖς.  
and sitting in their rows they struck the gray sea with their oars.
> "the gray sea": πολιός ("gray, hoary") is a recurring epithet of the sea, evoking its foam-flecked surface. A formulaic verse closing this rowing scene.

**105** ἔνθεν δὲ προτέρω πλέομεν ἀκαχήμενοι ἦτορ·  
From there we sailed onward, grieving in our hearts,

**106** Κυκλώπων δʼ ἐς γαῖαν ὑπερφιάλων ἀθεμίστων  
and we came to the land of the Cyclopes, overbearing and lawless,

**107** ἱκόμεθʼ, οἵ ῥα θεοῖσι πεποιθότες ἀθανάτοισιν  
who, trusting in the immortal gods,

**108** οὔτε φυτεύουσιν χερσὶν φυτὸν οὔτʼ ἀρόωσιν,  
neither plant any plant with their hands nor plow,

**109** ἀλλὰ τά γʼ ἄσπαρτα καὶ ἀνήροτα πάντα φύονται,  
but all things grow for them unsown and unplowed,

**110** πυροὶ καὶ κριθαὶ ἠδʼ ἄμπελοι, αἵ τε φέρουσιν  
wheat and barley and vines, which bear

**111** οἶνον ἐριστάφυλον, καί σφιν Διὸς ὄμβρος ἀέξει.  
the grapes for wine, and the rain of Zeus makes them grow.

**112** τοῖσιν δʼ οὔτʼ ἀγοραὶ βουληφόροι οὔτε θέμιστες,  
They have no assemblies for counsel, nor any laws,

**113** ἀλλʼ οἵ γʼ ὑψηλῶν ὀρέων ναίουσι κάρηνα  
but they dwell on the peaks of the high mountains

**114** ἐν σπέσσι γλαφυροῖσι, θεμιστεύει δὲ ἕκαστος  
in hollow caves, and each lays down the law

**115** παίδων ἠδʼ ἀλόχων, οὐδʼ ἀλλήλων ἀλέγουσιν.  
for his own children and wives, and they take no heed of one another.

**116** νῆσος ἔπειτα λάχεια παρὲκ λιμένος
                     τετάνυσται,  
Now a wooded island stretches out across from the harbor,

**117** γαίης Κυκλώπων οὔτε σχεδὸν οὔτʼ ἀποτηλοῦ,  
neither close to the land of the Cyclopes nor far off,

**118** ὑλήεσσʼ· ἐν δʼ αἶγες ἀπειρέσιαι γεγάασιν  
thick with forest; and on it wild goats beyond counting

**119** ἄγριαι· οὐ μὲν γὰρ πάτος ἀνθρώπων ἀπερύκει,  
breed, for no tread of men keeps them away,

**120** οὐδέ μιν εἰσοιχνεῦσι κυνηγέται, οἵ τε καθʼ ὕλην  
nor do hunters frequent it, who through the woodland

**121** ἄλγεα πάσχουσιν κορυφὰς ὀρέων ἐφέποντες.  
suffer hardship as they range over the mountain peaks.

**122** οὔτʼ ἄρα ποίμνῃσιν καταΐσχεται οὔτʼ ἀρότοισιν,  
It is held by no flocks and broken by no plowing,

**123** ἀλλʼ ἥ γʼ ἄσπαρτος καὶ ἀνήροτος ἤματα πάντα  
but unsown and unplowed all its days
> Unsown and unplowed: These two alpha-privative adjectives (negated by the prefix a-) emphasize the island's untouched wildness: never seeded, never tilled.

**124** ἀνδρῶν χηρεύει, βόσκει δέ τε μηκάδας αἶγας.  
it lies empty of men, and feeds only the bleating goats.

**125** οὐ γὰρ Κυκλώπεσσι νέες πάρα μιλτοπάρῃοι,  
For the Cyclopes have no red-cheeked ships beside them,
> Red-cheeked ships: A standing epithet for ships, whose bows were painted with red ochre (miltos). Lacking ships, the Cyclopes cannot trade or colonize.

**126** οὐδʼ ἄνδρες νηῶν ἔνι τέκτονες, οἵ κε κάμοιεν  
nor are there shipwrights among them who might labor to build

**127** νῆας ἐυσσέλμους, αἵ κεν τελέοιεν ἕκαστα  
well-benched ships, which would accomplish each errand,

**128** ἄστεʼ ἐπʼ ἀνθρώπων ἱκνεύμεναι, οἷά τε πολλὰ  
reaching the cities of men, as in the many ways

**129** ἄνδρες ἐπʼ ἀλλήλους νηυσὶν περόωσι θάλασσαν·  
that men cross the sea in ships to one another;

**130** οἵ κέ σφιν καὶ νῆσον ἐυκτιμένην ἐκάμοντο.  
such men would have made the island a well-built home for them.

**131** οὐ μὲν γάρ τι κακή γε, φέροι δέ κεν ὥρια πάντα·  
For it is not a poor land at all, and would bear everything in season.

**132** ἐν μὲν γὰρ λειμῶνες ἁλὸς πολιοῖο παρʼ ὄχθας  
There are meadows along the shores of the gray sea,

**133** ὑδρηλοὶ μαλακοί· μάλα κʼ ἄφθιτοι ἄμπελοι εἶεν.  
well-watered and soft; there vines would never fail.

**134** ἐν δʼ ἄροσις λείη· μάλα κεν βαθὺ λήιον αἰεὶ  
There is land smooth for plowing; a deep crop they could always

**135** εἰς ὥρας ἀμῷεν, ἐπεὶ μάλα πῖαρ ὑπʼ οὖδας.  
reap there in season, for the soil beneath is very rich.

**136** ἐν δὲ λιμὴν ἐύορμος, ἵνʼ οὐ χρεὼ πείσματός ἐστιν,  
And there is a sheltered harbor, where no mooring-rope is needed,

**137** οὔτʼ εὐνὰς βαλέειν οὔτε πρυμνήσιʼ ἀνάψαι,  
neither to cast anchor-stones nor to make fast the stern-cables,

**138** ἀλλʼ ἐπικέλσαντας μεῖναι χρόνον εἰς ὅ κε ναυτέων  
but a man may beach his ship and wait until the sailors'

**139** θυμὸς ἐποτρύνῃ καὶ ἐπιπνεύσωσιν ἀῆται.  
spirit urges him on and the breezes blow fair.

**140** αὐτὰρ ἐπὶ κρατὸς λιμένος ῥέει ἀγλαὸν ὕδωρ,  
And at the head of the harbor bright water flows,

**141** κρήνη ὑπὸ σπείους· περὶ δʼ αἴγειροι πεφύασιν.  
a spring from beneath a cave; and poplars grow round about.

**142** ἔνθα κατεπλέομεν, καί τις θεὸς ἡγεμόνευεν  
There we sailed in, and some god guided us
> A god guided us in: Odysseus credits an unseen god for steering the ships safely through the pitch-dark night. The imperfect tense pictures the guiding as ongoing through the whole approach.

**143** νύκτα διʼ ὀρφναίην, οὐδὲ προυφαίνετʼ ἰδέσθαι·  
through the murky night, and nothing showed itself to be seen;

**144** ἀὴρ γὰρ περὶ νηυσὶ βαθεῖʼ ἦν, οὐδὲ σελήνη  
for thick mist lay about the ships, nor did the moon

**145** οὐρανόθεν προύφαινε, κατείχετο δὲ νεφέεσσιν.  
shine from heaven, but was held down under the clouds.

**146** ἔνθʼ οὔ τις τὴν νῆσον ἐσέδρακεν ὀφθαλμοῖσιν,  
There no one caught sight of the island with his eyes,

**147** οὔτʼ οὖν κύματα μακρὰ κυλινδόμενα προτὶ χέρσον  
nor the long waves rolling in toward the shore

**148** εἰσίδομεν, πρὶν νῆας ἐυσσέλμους ἐπικέλσαι.  
did we see, before we ran the well-benched ships aground.

**149** κελσάσῃσι δὲ νηυσὶ καθείλομεν ἱστία πάντα,  
When the ships were beached we took down all the sails,

**150** ἐκ δὲ καὶ αὐτοὶ βῆμεν ἐπὶ ῥηγμῖνι θαλάσσης·  
and we ourselves stepped out onto the surf of the sea;

**151** ἔνθα δʼ ἀποβρίξαντες ἐμείναμεν Ἠῶ δῖαν.  
there we fell asleep and waited for bright Dawn.

**152** ἦμος δʼ ἠριγένεια φάνη ῥοδοδάκτυλος Ἠώς,  
When early-born, rosy-fingered Dawn appeared,

**153** νῆσον θαυμάζοντες ἐδινεόμεσθα κατʼ αὐτήν.  
marveling at the island, we wandered all about it.

**154** ὦρσαν δὲ νύμφαι, κοῦραι Διὸς αἰγιόχοιο,  
And the nymphs, daughters of Zeus who bears the aegis, roused

**155** αἶγας ὀρεσκῴους, ἵνα δειπνήσειαν ἑταῖροι.  
the mountain-roaming goats, so that my comrades might dine.

**156** αὐτίκα καμπύλα τόξα καὶ αἰγανέας δολιχαύλους  
At once we took our curved bows and long-socketed hunting-spears

**157** εἱλόμεθʼ ἐκ νηῶν, διὰ δὲ τρίχα κοσμηθέντες  
out of the ships, and dividing ourselves into three bands

**158** βάλλομεν· αἶψα δʼ ἔδωκε θεὸς μενοεικέα θήρην.  
we began to shoot; and soon the god granted us game to our hearts' content.

**159** νῆες μέν μοι ἕποντο δυώδεκα, ἐς δὲ ἑκάστην  
Twelve ships followed me, and to each one

**160** ἐννέα λάγχανον αἶγες· ἐμοὶ δὲ δέκʼ ἔξελον οἴῳ.  
nine goats fell by lot; for me alone they set apart ten.

**161** ὣς τότε μὲν πρόπαν ἦμαρ ἐς ἠέλιον καταδύντα  
So then, all day long until the setting of the sun

**162** ἥμεθα δαινύμενοι κρέα τʼ ἄσπετα καὶ μέθυ ἡδύ·  
we sat feasting on abundant meat and sweet wine;

**163** οὐ γάρ πω νηῶν ἐξέφθιτο οἶνος ἐρυθρός,  
for the red wine of the ships was not yet used up,

**164** ἀλλʼ ἐνέην· πολλὸν γὰρ ἐν ἀμφιφορεῦσιν ἕκαστοι  
but still remained; for each crew had drawn off plenty in jars

**165** ἠφύσαμεν Κικόνων. ἱερὸν πτολίεθρον ἑλόντες.  
when we took the sacred citadel of the Kikones.

**166** Κυκλώπων δʼ ἐς γαῖαν ἐλεύσσομεν ἐγγὺς ἐόντων,  
And we looked across to the land of the Cyclopes, who were near,

**167** καπνόν τʼ αὐτῶν τε φθογγὴν ὀίων τε καὶ αἰγῶν.  
to their smoke, and the sound of their sheep and goats.

**168** ἦμος δʼ ἠέλιος κατέδυ καὶ ἐπὶ κνέφας ἦλθε,  
When the sun went down and darkness came on,

**169** δὴ τότε κοιμήθημεν ἐπὶ ῥηγμῖνι θαλάσσης.  
then we lay down to sleep upon the surf of the sea.

**170** ἦμος δʼ ἠριγένεια φάνη ῥοδοδάκτυλος Ἠώς,  
When early-born, rosy-fingered Dawn appeared,

**171** καὶ τότʼ ἐγὼν ἀγορὴν θέμενος μετὰ πᾶσιν ἔειπον·  
then I called an assembly and spoke among them all:

**172** ἄλλοι μὲν νῦν μίμνετʼ, ἐμοὶ ἐρίηρες
                        ἑταῖροι·  
'The rest of you stay here now, my trusty comrades;
> Trusty comrades: A recurring formula for Odysseus's loyal crew. The epithet eriêres means "well-fitted, faithful."

**173** αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ σὺν νηί τʼ ἐμῇ καὶ ἐμοῖς ἑτάροισιν  
but I, with my own ship and my own comrades,

**174** ἐλθὼν τῶνδʼ ἀνδρῶν πειρήσομαι, οἵ τινές εἰσιν,  
will go and make trial of these men, to learn who they are,

**175** ἤ ῥʼ οἵ γʼ ὑβρισταί τε καὶ ἄγριοι οὐδὲ δίκαιοι,  
whether they are violent and savage, with no sense of justice,

**176** ἦε φιλόξεινοι, καί σφιν νόος ἐστὶ θεουδής.  
or hospitable, and have a god-fearing mind.'

**177** ὣς εἰπὼν ἀνὰ νηὸς ἔβην, ἐκέλευσα δʼ ἑταίρους  
So saying, I boarded the ship and ordered my comrades

**178** αὐτούς τʼ ἀμβαίνειν ἀνά τε πρυμνήσια λῦσαι.  
to come aboard themselves and to loose the stern-cables.

**179** οἱ δʼ αἶψʼ εἴσβαινον καὶ ἐπὶ κληῖσι καθῖζον,  
They quickly went aboard and sat down at the oarlocks,

**180** ἑξῆς δʼ ἑζόμενοι πολιὴν ἅλα τύπτον ἐρετμοῖς.  
and sitting in their rows they struck the gray sea with their oars.
> Striking the gray sea: A recurring formulaic verse for rowing out. "Gray sea" (poliê hals) is the standard epithet, and the imperfect verb pictures the steady, repeated beat of the oars.

**181** ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ τὸν χῶρον ἀφικόμεθʼ ἐγγὺς ἐόντα,  
But when we reached the place, which was near at hand,

**182** ἔνθα δʼ ἐπʼ ἐσχατιῇ σπέος εἴδομεν ἄγχι θαλάσσης,  
there at the edge, close to the sea, we saw a cave,

**183** ὑψηλόν, δάφνῃσι κατηρεφές. ἔνθα δὲ πολλὰ  
high, roofed over with laurels. And there many

**184** μῆλʼ, ὄιές τε καὶ αἶγες, ἰαύεσκον· περὶ δʼ αὐλὴ  
flocks, sheep and goats, used to rest; and around it a yard

**185** ὑψηλὴ δέδμητο κατωρυχέεσσι λίθοισι  
stood built high with stones sunk deep in the earth

**186** μακρῇσίν τε πίτυσσιν ἰδὲ δρυσὶν ὑψικόμοισιν.  
and with tall pines and high-crowned oaks.

**187** ἔνθα δʼ ἀνὴρ ἐνίαυε πελώριος, ὅς ῥα τὰ μῆλα  
There a monstrous man made his lair, who tended his flocks
> Monstrous: The adjective pelôrios marks the Cyclops as gigantic and prodigious, beyond human scale. Homer repeats it to keep his looming size before us.

**188** οἶος ποιμαίνεσκεν ἀπόπροθεν· οὐδὲ μετʼ ἄλλους  
alone, far off; and he did not mingle with others,

**189** πωλεῖτʼ, ἀλλʼ ἀπάνευθεν ἐὼν ἀθεμίστια ᾔδη.  
but kept apart, and his heart was set on lawlessness.

**190** καὶ γὰρ θαῦμʼ ἐτέτυκτο πελώριον, οὐδὲ ἐῴκει  
For he was fashioned a monstrous wonder, and did not look

**191** ἀνδρί γε σιτοφάγῳ, ἀλλὰ ῥίῳ ὑλήεντι  
like a man who eats bread, but rather like a wooded peak

**192** ὑψηλῶν ὀρέων, ὅ τε φαίνεται οἶον ἀπʼ ἄλλων.  
of high mountains, which stands out alone, apart from the rest.

**193** δὴ τότε τοὺς ἄλλους κελόμην ἐρίηρας ἑταίρους  
Then I ordered the rest of my trusty comrades

**194** αὐτοῦ πὰρ νηί τε μένειν καὶ νῆα ἔρυσθαι,  
to stay there by the ship and to guard the ship,

**195** αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ κρίνας ἑτάρων δυοκαίδεκʼ ἀρίστους  
but I, choosing the twelve best of my comrades,

**196** βῆν· ἀτὰρ αἴγεον ἀσκὸν ἔχον μέλανος οἴνοιο  
set out; and I carried a goatskin of dark wine,

**197** ἡδέος, ὅν μοι ἔδωκε Μάρων, Εὐάνθεος υἱός,  
sweet, which Maron, son of Euanthes, had given me,

**198** ἱρεὺς Ἀπόλλωνος, ὃς Ἴσμαρον ἀμφιβεβήκει,  
the priest of Apollo, who watched over Ismaros,

**199** οὕνεκά μιν σὺν παιδὶ περισχόμεθʼ ἠδὲ γυναικὶ  
because we had protected him, with his child and his wife,

**200** ἁζόμενοι· ᾤκει γὰρ ἐν ἄλσεϊ δενδρήεντι  
out of reverence; for he dwelt in the wooded grove

**201** Φοίβου Ἀπόλλωνος. ὁ δέ μοι πόρεν ἀγλαὰ δῶρα·  
of Phoebus Apollo. And he gave me splendid gifts:

**202** χρυσοῦ μέν μοι ἔδωκʼ ἐυεργέος ἑπτὰ τάλαντα,  
he gave me seven talents of well-wrought gold,

**203** δῶκε δέ μοι κρητῆρα πανάργυρον, αὐτὰρ ἔπειτα  
and he gave me a mixing-bowl of solid silver; and then

**204** οἶνον ἐν ἀμφιφορεῦσι δυώδεκα πᾶσιν ἀφύσσας  
he drew off wine into jars, twelve in all,

**205** ἡδὺν ἀκηράσιον, θεῖον ποτόν· οὐδέ τις αὐτὸν  
sweet and unmixed, a divine drink; and not one

**206** ἠείδη δμώων οὐδʼ ἀμφιπόλων ἐνὶ οἴκῳ,  
of the slaves or serving-women in the house knew of it,

**207** ἀλλʼ αὐτὸς ἄλοχός τε φίλη ταμίη τε μίʼ οἴη.  
but only himself, his dear wife, and one housekeeper.

**208** τὸν δʼ ὅτε πίνοιεν μελιηδέα οἶνον ἐρυθρόν,  
And whenever they drank that honey-sweet red wine,

**209** ἓν δέπας ἐμπλήσας ὕδατος ἀνὰ εἴκοσι μέτρα  
he would fill one cup and pour it into twenty measures

**210** χεῦʼ, ὀδμὴ δʼ ἡδεῖα ἀπὸ κρητῆρος ὀδώδει  
of water, and a sweet fragrance rose from the mixing-bowl,

**211** θεσπεσίη· τότʼ ἂν οὔ τοι ἀποσχέσθαι φίλον ἦεν.  
marvelous; then there was no pleasure in holding back from it.

**212** τοῦ φέρον ἐμπλήσας ἀσκὸν μέγαν, ἐν δὲ καὶ ᾖα  
I filled a great skin with this and carried it, and provisions too

**213** κωρύκῳ· αὐτίκα γάρ μοι ὀίσατο θυμὸς ἀγήνωρ  
in a leather bag; for at once my proud heart suspected
> Proud heart: The thumos is the seat of feeling and impulse; agênôr means "manly, lordly." Odysseus's foreboding here marks his characteristic foresight.

**214** ἄνδρʼ ἐπελεύσεσθαι μεγάλην ἐπιειμένον ἀλκήν,  
that a man would come upon us clothed in great strength,

**215** ἄγριον, οὔτε δίκας ἐὺ εἰδότα οὔτε θέμιστας.  
a savage, knowing well neither justice nor laws.

**216** καρπαλίμως δʼ εἰς ἄντρον ἀφικόμεθʼ, οὐδέ μιν
                     ἔνδον  
Swiftly we came to the cave, but we did not find him

**217** εὕρομεν, ἀλλʼ ἐνόμευε νομὸν κάτα πίονα μῆλα.  
inside; he was herding his fat flocks out in the pasture.

**218** ἐλθόντες δʼ εἰς ἄντρον ἐθηεύμεσθα ἕκαστα.  
Going into the cave, we gazed at each thing in turn.

**219** ταρσοὶ μὲν τυρῶν βρῖθον, στείνοντο δὲ σηκοὶ  
The racks were laden heavy with cheeses, and the pens were crowded

**220** ἀρνῶν ἠδʼ ἐρίφων· διακεκριμέναι δὲ ἕκασται  
with lambs and kids; and each kind was penned apart,

**221** ἔρχατο, χωρὶς μὲν πρόγονοι, χωρὶς δὲ μέτασσαι,  
were penned, the older-born apart, the middle-born apart,

**222** χωρὶς δʼ αὖθʼ ἕρσαι. ναῖον δʼ ὀρῷ ἄγγεα πάντα,  
and apart again the newborn lambs. With whey all his vessels swam,

**223** γαυλοί τε σκαφίδες τε, τετυγμένα, τοῖς ἐνάμελγεν.  
the pails and the bowls, well-made, into which he did his milking.

**224** ἔνθʼ ἐμὲ μὲν πρώτισθʼ ἕταροι λίσσοντʼ ἐπέεσσιν  
There first my companions begged me with their words

**225** τυρῶν αἰνυμένους ἰέναι πάλιν, αὐτὰρ ἔπειτα  
to take some cheeses and go back, and then afterward

**226** καρπαλίμως ἐπὶ νῆα θοὴν ἐρίφους τε καὶ ἄρνας  
quickly to drive the kids and lambs to the swift ship

**227** σηκῶν ἐξελάσαντας ἐπιπλεῖν ἁλμυρὸν ὕδωρ·  
out of the pens and sail away over the salt water;

**228** ἀλλʼ ἐγὼ οὐ πιθόμην, ἦ τʼ ἂν πολὺ κέρδιον ἦεν,  
but I would not listen — and far better had it been —
> Unaugmented aorist middle: πιθόμην is the aorist middle of πείθω, here 'I was not persuaded / I would not listen.' Odysseus narrates his fatal choice with the ironic regret 'far better had it been.'

**229** ὄφρʼ αὐτόν τε ἴδοιμι, καὶ εἴ μοι ξείνια δοίη.  
so that I might see the man himself, and whether he would give me guest-gifts.

**230** οὐδʼ ἄρʼ ἔμελλʼ ἑτάροισι φανεὶς ἐρατεινὸς ἔσεσθαι.  
But his appearing was not destined to be welcome to my companions.

**231** ἔνθα δὲ πῦρ κήαντες ἐθύσαμεν ἠδὲ καὶ αὐτοὶ  
There we kindled a fire and made sacrifice, and ourselves

**232** τυρῶν αἰνύμενοι φάγομεν, μένομέν τέ μιν ἔνδον  
took some of the cheeses and ate, and waited for him inside,

**233** ἥμενοι, ἧος ἐπῆλθε νέμων. φέρε δʼ ὄβριμον ἄχθος  
sitting, until he came back herding. He carried a heavy load

**234** ὕλης ἀζαλέης, ἵνα οἱ ποτιδόρπιον εἴη,  
of dry wood, to serve him for his supper,

**235** ἔντοσθεν δʼ ἄντροιο βαλὼν ὀρυμαγδὸν ἔθηκεν·  
and flinging it down inside the cave he made a great din;

**236** ἡμεῖς δὲ δείσαντες ἀπεσσύμεθʼ ἐς μυχὸν ἄντρου.  
and we in fear shrank away into a corner of the cave.

**237** αὐτὰρ ὅ γʼ εἰς εὐρὺ σπέος ἤλασε πίονα μῆλα  
Then he drove into the wide cavern his fat flocks,

**238** πάντα μάλʼ ὅσσʼ ἤμελγε, τὰ δʼ ἄρσενα λεῖπε θύρηφιν,  
all those he milked, but the males he left outside the door,

**239** ἀρνειούς τε τράγους τε, βαθείης ἔκτοθεν αὐλῆς.  
the rams and he-goats, out in the deep courtyard.

**240** αὐτὰρ ἔπειτʼ ἐπέθηκε θυρεὸν μέγαν ὑψόσʼ ἀείρας,  
Then he lifted high and set in place a great door-stone,

**241** ὄβριμον· οὐκ ἂν τόν γε δύω καὶ εἴκοσʼ ἄμαξαι  
a massive one: not twenty-two good four-wheeled wagons
> The stone's impossible weight: The potential optative ὀχλίσσειαν ('could not pry it up') with the count of twenty-two wagons conveys the boulder's monstrous mass — a hyperbole that also seals the men's trap.

**242** ἐσθλαὶ τετράκυκλοι ἀπʼ οὔδεος ὀχλίσσειαν·  
could have pried it up from the ground —

**243** τόσσην ἠλίβατον πέτρην ἐπέθηκε θύρῃσιν.  
so huge a sheer crag did he set against the doorway.

**244** ἑζόμενος δʼ ἤμελγεν ὄις καὶ μηκάδας αἶγας,  
Then sitting down he milked the ewes and bleating goats,

**245** πάντα κατὰ μοῖραν, καὶ ὑπʼ ἔμβρυον ἧκεν ἑκάστῃ.  
all in due order, and put her young beneath each one.

**246** αὐτίκα δʼ ἥμισυ μὲν θρέψας λευκοῖο γάλακτος  
At once he curdled half of the white milk,

**247** πλεκτοῖς ἐν ταλάροισιν ἀμησάμενος κατέθηκεν,  
gathered it up and laid it away in woven baskets,

**248** ἥμισυ δʼ αὖτʼ ἔστησεν ἐν ἄγγεσιν, ὄφρα οἱ εἴη  
and the other half he set up in vessels, so that he might have it

**249** πίνειν αἰνυμένῳ καί οἱ ποτιδόρπιον εἴη.  
to take and drink, and that it might serve him for his supper.

**250** αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ δὴ σπεῦσε πονησάμενος τὰ ἃ ἔργα,  
But when he had busily finished his tasks,

**251** καὶ τότε πῦρ ἀνέκαιε καὶ εἴσιδεν, εἴρετο δʼ ἡμέας·  
then he kindled the fire, and caught sight of us, and asked:

**252** ὦ ξεῖνοι, τίνες ἐστέ; πόθεν πλεῖθʼ ὑγρὰ
                        κέλευθα;  
"Strangers, who are you? From where do you sail the watery ways?
> 'The watery ways': ὑγρὰ κέλευθα, 'the wet paths,' is a standard Homeric phrase for sea-routes — the sea imagined as roads traveled by ships.

**253** ἦ τι κατὰ πρῆξιν ἦ μαψιδίως ἀλάλησθε,  
Is it on some business, or do you wander recklessly

**254** οἷά τε ληιστῆρες, ὑπεὶρ ἅλα, τοί τʼ ἀλόωνται  
like raiders over the sea, men who roam about

**255** ψυχὰς παρθέμενοι κακὸν ἀλλοδαποῖσι φέροντες;  
risking their own lives and bringing harm to strangers?"
> 'Staking their lives': The participle παρθέμενοι (aorist middle of παρατίθημι) means 'having set down as a stake' — pirates gamble their own ψυχαί. The participle modifies the wandering raiders of the line above.

**256** ὣς ἔφαθʼ, ἡμῖν δʼ αὖτε κατεκλάσθη φίλον
                     ἦτορ,  
So he spoke, and our hearts were broken within us,

**257** δεισάντων φθόγγον τε βαρὺν αὐτόν τε πέλωρον.  
in terror of his deep voice and his monstrous bulk.

**258** ἀλλὰ καὶ ὥς μιν ἔπεσσιν ἀμειβόμενος προσέειπον·  
But even so I answered him with words and said:

**259** ἡμεῖς τοι Τροίηθεν ἀποπλαγχθέντες Ἀχαιοὶ  
"We are Achaeans, driven off our course from Troy

**260** παντοίοις ἀνέμοισιν ὑπὲρ μέγα λαῖτμα θαλάσσης,  
by winds of every kind over the great gulf of the sea;

**261** οἴκαδε ἱέμενοι, ἄλλην ὁδὸν ἄλλα κέλευθα  
homeward bound, by another way, by other paths

**262** ἤλθομεν· οὕτω που Ζεὺς ἤθελε μητίσασθαι.  
we have come — so, I suppose, Zeus willed to contrive it.

**263** λαοὶ δʼ Ἀτρεΐδεω Ἀγαμέμνονος εὐχόμεθʼ εἶναι,  
We claim to be the men of Agamemnon, son of Atreus,

**264** τοῦ δὴ νῦν γε μέγιστον ὑπουράνιον κλέος ἐστί·  
whose fame is now the greatest under heaven,
> Kleos: κλέος is the renown a hero wins and that endures in song. Odysseus invokes Agamemnon's sky-high glory to impress — and intimidate — the Cyclops.

**265** τόσσην γὰρ διέπερσε πόλιν καὶ ἀπώλεσε λαοὺς  
so great a city did he sack, and destroyed a host of

**266** πολλούς. ἡμεῖς δʼ αὖτε κιχανόμενοι τὰ σὰ γοῦνα  
people. But we for our part, reaching your knees,

**267** ἱκόμεθʼ, εἴ τι πόροις ξεινήιον ἠὲ καὶ ἄλλως  
have come, hoping you might offer a guest-gift, or otherwise

**268** δοίης δωτίνην, ἥ τε ξείνων θέμις ἐστίν.  
give us a present, as is the right of strangers.

**269** ἀλλʼ αἰδεῖο, φέριστε, θεούς· ἱκέται δέ τοί εἰμεν,  
Respect the gods, mighty one: we are your suppliants,

**270** Ζεὺς δʼ ἐπιτιμήτωρ ἱκετάων τε ξείνων τε,  
and Zeus is the avenger of suppliants and of strangers,

**271** ξείνιος, ὃς ξείνοισιν ἅμʼ αἰδοίοισιν ὀπηδεῖ.  
Zeus the god of guests, who attends honored strangers."

**272** ὣς ἐφάμην, ὁ δέ μʼ αὐτίκʼ ἀμείβετο νηλέι
                     θυμῷ·  
So I spoke, and at once he answered me with a pitiless heart:

**273** νήπιός εἰς, ὦ ξεῖνʼ, ἢ τηλόθεν εἰλήλουθας,  
"You are a fool, stranger, or have come from far away,
> Reduplicated perfect: εἰλήλουθας is the perfect of ἔρχομαι, 'you have come.' The reduplicated stem marks the perfect, here describing the stranger's present state of having arrived from afar.

**274** ὅς με θεοὺς κέλεαι ἢ δειδίμεν ἢ ἀλέασθαι·  
you who bid me fear the gods or shun them.

**275** οὐ γὰρ Κύκλωπες Διὸς αἰγιόχου ἀλέγουσιν  
The Cyclopes care nothing for Zeus who bears the aegis,

**276** οὐδὲ θεῶν μακάρων, ἐπεὶ ἦ πολὺ φέρτεροί εἰμεν·  
nor for the blessed gods, since we are far stronger;

**277** οὐδʼ ἂν ἐγὼ Διὸς ἔχθος ἀλευάμενος πεφιδοίμην  
I would not spare you to escape the hatred of Zeus,

**278** οὔτε σεῦ οὔθʼ ἑτάρων, εἰ μὴ θυμός με κελεύοι.  
neither you nor your companions, unless my own heart bade me.

**279** ἀλλά μοι εἴφʼ ὅπῃ ἔσχες ἰὼν ἐυεργέα νῆα,  
But tell me, where did you moor your well-built ship when you came —

**280** ἤ που ἐπʼ ἐσχατιῆς, ἦ καὶ σχεδόν, ὄφρα δαείω.  
somewhere far off, or close by? — so that I may know."

**281** ὣς φάτο πειράζων, ἐμὲ δʼ οὐ λάθεν εἰδότα
                     πολλά,  
So he spoke, testing me, but he did not catch me, who knew much,
> 'He did not escape my notice': λάθεν (aorist of λανθάνω) takes the accusative participle εἰδότα, 'me knowing much.' The idiom means his trick did not slip past the much-knowing Odysseus.

**282** ἀλλά μιν ἄψορρον προσέφην δολίοις ἐπέεσσι·  
and I answered him back with cunning words:

**283** νέα μέν μοι κατέαξε Ποσειδάων ἐνοσίχθων  
"Poseidon the earth-shaker wrecked my ship,
> Earth-shaker: ἐνοσίχθων ('earth-shaker') is a fixed epithet of Poseidon. Odysseus' lie is pointed: he blames Poseidon — who will soon become his real enemy through this very encounter.

**284** πρὸς πέτρῃσι βαλὼν ὑμῆς ἐπὶ πείρασι γαίης,  
casting it against the rocks at the borders of your land,

**285** ἄκρῃ προσπελάσας· ἄνεμος δʼ ἐκ πόντου ἔνεικεν·  
driving it onto a headland; the wind bore it in from the sea.

**286** αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ σὺν τοῖσδε ὑπέκφυγον αἰπὺν ὄλεθρον.  
But I with these men here escaped sheer destruction."

**287** ὣς ἐφάμην, ὁ δέ μʼ οὐδὲν ἀμείβετο νηλέι
                     θυμῷ,  
So I spoke, and he answered me nothing with his pitiless heart,

**288** ἀλλʼ ὅ γʼ ἀναΐξας ἑτάροις ἐπὶ χεῖρας ἴαλλε,  
but springing up he laid his hands upon my companions,

**289** σὺν δὲ δύω μάρψας ὥς τε σκύλακας ποτὶ γαίῃ  
and seizing two together, like puppies, against the ground

**290** κόπτʼ· ἐκ δʼ ἐγκέφαλος χαμάδις ῥέε, δεῦε δὲ γαῖαν.  
he dashed them; their brains ran out upon the floor and soaked the earth.

**291** τοὺς δὲ διὰ μελεϊστὶ ταμὼν ὡπλίσσατο δόρπον·  
Cutting them limb from limb he made ready his meal,

**292** ἤσθιε δʼ ὥς τε λέων ὀρεσίτροφος, οὐδʼ ἀπέλειπεν,  
and ate like a mountain-bred lion, leaving nothing —

**293** ἔγκατά τε σάρκας τε καὶ ὀστέα μυελόεντα.  
entrails and flesh and marrow-filled bones alike.

**294** ἡμεῖς δὲ κλαίοντες ἀνεσχέθομεν Διὶ χεῖρας,  
And we, weeping, lifted up our hands to Zeus,

**295** σχέτλια ἔργʼ ὁρόωντες, ἀμηχανίη δʼ ἔχε θυμόν.  
seeing the brutal deeds; helplessness gripped our hearts.

**296** αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ Κύκλωψ μεγάλην ἐμπλήσατο νηδὺν  
But when the Cyclops had filled his huge belly,

**297** ἀνδρόμεα κρέʼ ἔδων καὶ ἐπʼ ἄκρητον γάλα πίνων,  
eating human flesh and drinking unmixed milk on top of it,

**298** κεῖτʼ ἔντοσθʼ ἄντροιο τανυσσάμενος διὰ μήλων.  
he lay down inside the cave, stretched out among his flocks.

**299** τὸν μὲν ἐγὼ βούλευσα κατὰ μεγαλήτορα θυμὸν  
Him I planned, in my great-hearted spirit,

**300** ἆσσον ἰών, ξίφος ὀξὺ ἐρυσσάμενος παρὰ μηροῦ,  
to approach, and drawing my sharp sword from my thigh,

**301** οὐτάμεναι πρὸς στῆθος, ὅθι φρένες ἧπαρ ἔχουσι,  
to stab him in the chest, where the midriff holds the liver,

**302** χείρʼ ἐπιμασσάμενος· ἕτερος δέ με θυμὸς ἔρυκεν.  
feeling for the spot; but another thought held me back.
> Imperfect of restraint: ἔρυκεν is imperfect, 'kept holding me back' — the ongoing inner check while Odysseus calculates. A 'second thought' restrains the first impulse.

**303** αὐτοῦ γάρ κε καὶ ἄμμες ἀπωλόμεθʼ αἰπὺν ὄλεθρον·  
For there we too would have perished in sheer destruction:

**304** οὐ γάρ κεν δυνάμεσθα θυράων ὑψηλάων  
for we could never have pushed away from the lofty doorway

**305** χερσὶν ἀπώσασθαι λίθον ὄβριμον, ὃν προσέθηκεν.  
with our hands the massive stone he had set against it.

**306** ὣς τότε μὲν στενάχοντες ἐμείναμεν Ἠῶ δῖαν.  
So then, groaning, we waited for the bright Dawn.

**307** ἦμος δʼ ἠριγένεια φάνη ῥοδοδάκτυλος Ἠώς,  
When early-born, rosy-fingered Dawn appeared,
> Rosy-fingered Dawn: This is Homer's recurring formulaic epithet for Dawn (Eos), used at line-end to open a new day. Such formulas are building blocks of oral hexameter verse.

**308** καὶ τότε πῦρ ἀνέκαιε καὶ ἤμελγε κλυτὰ μῆλα,  
then he kindled the fire and milked his splendid flocks,

**309** πάντα κατὰ μοῖραν, καὶ ὑπʼ ἔμβρυον ἧκεν ἑκάστῃ.  
all in due order, and put her young beneath each one.

**310** αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ δὴ σπεῦσε πονησάμενος τὰ ἃ ἔργα,  
But when he had busily finished his tasks,

**311** σὺν δʼ ὅ γε δὴ αὖτε δύω μάρψας ὡπλίσσατο δεῖπνον.  
again he seized two together and made ready his meal.

**312** δειπνήσας δʼ ἄντρου ἐξήλασε πίονα μῆλα,  
Having eaten, he drove his fat flocks out of the cave,

**313** ῥηιδίως ἀφελὼν θυρεὸν μέγαν· αὐτὰρ ἔπειτα  
easily lifting away the great door-stone; and then

**314** ἂψ ἐπέθηχʼ, ὡς εἴ τε φαρέτρῃ πῶμʼ ἐπιθείη.  
he set it back, as one might fit a lid upon a quiver.
> Lid on a quiver: The simile of capping a quiver underscores how effortlessly the monster handles a stone twenty-two wagons could not move.

**315** πολλῇ δὲ ῥοίζῳ πρὸς ὄρος τρέπε πίονα μῆλα  
With a loud whistle the Cyclops turned his fat flocks toward the mountain;

**316** Κύκλωψ· αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ λιπόμην κακὰ βυσσοδομεύων,  
but I was left there, brooding on evil,
> 'Building mischief in the depths': βυσσοδομεύω literally means 'to build deep down,' a vivid metaphor for plotting in secret — Odysseus laying the scheme of vengeance.

**317** εἴ πως τισαίμην, δοίη δέ μοι εὖχος Ἀθήνη.  
to find some way to take revenge, if Athena would grant me the triumph.

**318** ἥδε δέ μοι κατὰ θυμὸν ἀρίστη φαίνετο βουλή.  
And this in my mind seemed the best plan:

**319** Κύκλωπος γὰρ ἔκειτο μέγα ῥόπαλον παρὰ σηκῷ,  
There lay beside the pen a great club of the Cyclops,

**320** χλωρὸν ἐλαΐνεον· τὸ μὲν ἔκταμεν, ὄφρα φοροίη  
green olive wood; he had cut it so as to carry it

**321** αὐανθέν. τὸ μὲν ἄμμες ἐίσκομεν εἰσορόωντες  
once dried. Looking at it, we likened it

**322** ὅσσον θʼ ἱστὸν νηὸς ἐεικοσόροιο μελαίνης,  
to the mast of a black ship of twenty oars,

**323** φορτίδος εὐρείης, ἥ τʼ ἐκπεράᾳ μέγα λαῖτμα·  
a broad freighter that crosses the great gulf of the sea —

**324** τόσσον ἔην μῆκος, τόσσον πάχος εἰσοράασθαι.  
so great was it in length, so great in thickness to behold.

**325** τοῦ μὲν ὅσον τʼ ὄργυιαν ἐγὼν ἀπέκοψα παραστὰς  
Of it I stood beside it and cut off about a fathom's length,
> Aorist participle 'standing by': παραστάς (aorist participle of παρίστημι) sets the scene before the main verb ἀπέκοψα ('I cut off'): Odysseus first takes his stand by the club, then cuts.

**326** καὶ παρέθηχʼ ἑτάροισιν, ἀποξῦναι δʼ ἐκέλευσα·  
and handed it to my companions, and bade them shave it smooth;

**327** οἱ δʼ ὁμαλὸν ποίησαν· ἐγὼ δʼ ἐθόωσα παραστὰς  
they made it even, and I stood by and sharpened

**328** ἄκρον, ἄφαρ δὲ λαβὼν ἐπυράκτεον ἐν πυρὶ κηλέῳ.  
the tip, then took it at once and hardened it in the blazing fire.

**329** καὶ τὸ μὲν εὖ κατέθηκα κατακρύψας ὑπὸ κόπρῳ,  
And I stowed it well away, hiding it under the dung

**330** ἥ ῥα κατὰ σπείους κέχυτο μεγάλʼ ἤλιθα πολλή·  
that lay scattered in great heaps throughout the cave;

**331** αὐτὰρ τοὺς ἄλλους κλήρῳ πεπαλάσθαι ἄνωγον,  
Then I ordered the rest to draw lots,
> Casting lots: The phrase means to shake lots in a helmet to decide by chance. Odysseus lets fate choose who will share the deadly task.

**332** ὅς τις τολμήσειεν ἐμοὶ σὺν μοχλὸν ἀείρας  
to see who would dare, along with me, to lift the stake

**333** τρῖψαι ἐν ὀφθαλμῷ, ὅτε τὸν γλυκὺς ὕπνος ἱκάνοι.  
and grind it into his eye, once sweet sleep had come over him.
> Optative in a temporal clause: The optative marks an indefinite future moment within Odysseus's reported plan: 'whenever sleep should come.' It depends on the past-tense framing of the narrative.

**334** οἱ δʼ ἔλαχον τοὺς ἄν κε καὶ ἤθελον αὐτὸς ἑλέσθαι,  
And those drew the lot whom I myself would have wished to choose,

**335** τέσσαρες, αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ πέμπτος μετὰ τοῖσιν ἐλέγμην.  
four of them, and I was reckoned the fifth among them.

**336** ἑσπέριος δʼ ἦλθεν καλλίτριχα μῆλα νομεύων.  
At evening he came, herding his fine-fleeced flock.

**337** αὐτίκα δʼ εἰς εὐρὺ σπέος ἤλασε πίονα μῆλα  
At once he drove the fat flock into the wide cave,

**338** πάντα μάλʼ, οὐδέ τι λεῖπε βαθείης ἔκτοθεν αὐλῆς,  
all of them, and left nothing outside in the deep yard,

**339** ἤ τι ὀισάμενος, ἢ καὶ θεὸς ὣς ἐκέλευσεν.  
whether suspecting something, or because a god so ordered it.

**340** αὐτὰρ ἔπειτʼ ἐπέθηκε θυρεὸν μέγαν ὑψόσʼ ἀείρας,  
Then he lifted the great doorstone high and set it in place,

**341** ἑζόμενος δʼ ἤμελγεν ὄις καὶ μηκάδας αἶγας,  
and sitting down he milked the ewes and bleating goats,

**342** πάντα κατὰ μοῖραν, καὶ ὑπʼ ἔμβρυον ἧκεν ἑκάστῃ.  
each one in turn, and put her young beneath each.

**343** αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ δὴ σπεῦσε πονησάμενος τὰ ἃ ἔργα,  
But when he had hurried through and finished his tasks,

**344** σὺν δʼ ὅ γε δὴ αὖτε δύω μάρψας ὡπλίσσατο δόρπον.  
again he snatched up two men together and made them his supper.

**345** καὶ τότʼ ἐγὼ Κύκλωπα προσηύδων ἄγχι παραστάς,  
And then I came up close and spoke to the Cyclops,

**346** κισσύβιον μετὰ χερσὶν ἔχων μέλανος οἴνοιο·  
holding in my hands an ivy-wood bowl of dark wine:

**347** Κύκλωψ, τῆ, πίε οἶνον, ἐπεὶ φάγες ἀνδρόμεα
                        κρέα,  
"Here, Cyclops, drink wine, now that you have eaten human flesh,

**348** ὄφρʼ εἰδῇς οἷόν τι ποτὸν τόδε νηῦς ἐκεκεύθει  
so you may know what sort of drink our ship kept hidden

**349** ἡμετέρη. σοὶ δʼ αὖ λοιβὴν φέρον, εἴ μʼ ἐλεήσας  
within it. I was bringing you this libation, in hope you might pity me
> Libation: A libation is wine poured out as an offering. Odysseus frames his gift in the language of ritual hospitality, sharpening the irony of his guest-host relationship with the monster.

**350** οἴκαδε πέμψειας· σὺ δὲ μαίνεαι οὐκέτʼ ἀνεκτῶς.  
and send me home. But you rage on past all bearing.

**351** σχέτλιε, πῶς κέν τίς σε καὶ ὕστερον ἄλλος ἵκοιτο  
Hard wretch, how will any other man ever come to you again,

**352** ἀνθρώπων πολέων, ἐπεὶ οὐ κατὰ μοῖραν ἔρεξας;  
out of all the many people, since you have acted without decency?"

**353** ὣς ἐφάμην, ὁ δʼ ἔδεκτο καὶ ἔκπιεν· ἥσατο δʼ
                     αἰνῶς  
So I spoke, and he took it and drank it down. He was terribly pleased,

**354** ἡδὺ ποτὸν πίνων καὶ μʼ ᾔτεε δεύτερον αὖτις·  
drinking the sweet draught, and asked me for a second:

**355** δός μοι ἔτι πρόφρων, καί μοι τεὸν οὔνομα
                        εἰπὲ  
"Give me more, and freely, and tell me your name

**356** αὐτίκα νῦν, ἵνα τοι δῶ ξείνιον, ᾧ κε σὺ χαίρῃς·  
right now, so I may give you a guest-gift to delight you;

**357** καὶ γὰρ Κυκλώπεσσι φέρει ζείδωρος ἄρουρα  
for the grain-giving earth bears for the Cyclopes too

**358** οἶνον ἐριστάφυλον, καί σφιν Διὸς ὄμβρος ἀέξει·  
wine of great clusters, and the rain of Zeus swells it;

**359** ἀλλὰ τόδʼ ἀμβροσίης καὶ νέκταρός ἐστιν ἀπορρώξ.  
but this is a stream of pure ambrosia and nectar."

**360** ὣς φάτʼ, ἀτάρ οἱ αὖτις ἐγὼ πόρον αἴθοπα
                     οἶνον.  
So he spoke, and again I handed him the gleaming wine.

**361** τρὶς μὲν ἔδωκα φέρων, τρὶς δʼ ἔκπιεν ἀφραδίῃσιν.  
Three times I brought and gave it, three times he drank it in his folly.

**362** αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ Κύκλωπα περὶ φρένας ἤλυθεν οἶνος,  
But when the wine had stolen around the Cyclops's wits,

**363** καὶ τότε δή μιν ἔπεσσι προσηύδων μειλιχίοισι·  
then I addressed him with honeyed words:

**364** Κύκλωψ, εἰρωτᾷς μʼ ὄνομα κλυτόν, αὐτὰρ ἐγώ
                        τοι  
"Cyclops, you ask my famous name, and I

**365** ἐξερέω· σὺ δέ μοι δὸς ξείνιον, ὥς περ ὑπέστης.  
will tell it. But give me the guest-gift you promised.

**366** Οὖτις ἐμοί γʼ ὄνομα· Οὖτιν δέ με κικλήσκουσι  
Noman is my name. Noman they call me,
> Noman — the pun: Outis means 'no one.' Odysseus's false name sets up the trick: when the Cyclops cries that 'Noman' is killing him, his neighbors hear 'no one.' It also puns on mêtis, 'cunning.'

**367** μήτηρ ἠδὲ πατὴρ ἠδʼ ἄλλοι πάντες ἑταῖροι.  
my mother and father and all my companions besides."

**368** ὣς ἐφάμην, ὁ δέ μʼ αὐτίκʼ ἀμείβετο νηλέι
                     θυμῷ·  
So I spoke, and at once he answered me with pitiless heart:

**369** Οὖτιν ἐγὼ πύματον ἔδομαι μετὰ οἷς ἑτάροισιν,  
"Noman I will eat last, after his companions,

**370** τοὺς δʼ ἄλλους πρόσθεν· τὸ δέ τοι ξεινήιον ἔσται.  
and the others before him. That shall be your guest-gift."

**371** ἦ καὶ ἀνακλινθεὶς πέσεν ὕπτιος, αὐτὰρ ἔπειτα  
He spoke, and sank back and fell flat on his back, and then

**372** κεῖτʼ ἀποδοχμώσας παχὺν αὐχένα, κὰδ δέ μιν ὕπνος  
lay there, his thick neck lolling sideways, and sleep,

**373** ᾕρει πανδαμάτωρ· φάρυγος δʼ ἐξέσσυτο οἶνος  
the conqueror of all, seized him. From his gullet poured the wine
> Sleep, conqueror of all: Pandamatôr, 'all-subduing,' is a stock epithet for sleep. Here it underlines that the giant who fears no god is overcome by ordinary sleep and drink.

**374** ψωμοί τʼ ἀνδρόμεοι· ὁ δʼ ἐρεύγετο οἰνοβαρείων.  
and gobbets of human flesh, and he belched, heavy with wine.

**375** καὶ τότʼ ἐγὼ τὸν μοχλὸν ὑπὸ σποδοῦ ἤλασα πολλῆς,  
Then I drove the stake under the deep ashes,

**376** ἧος θερμαίνοιτο· ἔπεσσι δὲ πάντας ἑταίρους  
until it should grow hot, and with words I heartened all my companions,

**377** θάρσυνον, μή τίς μοι ὑποδείσας ἀναδύη.  
so that none of them, shrinking in fear, would draw back from me.

**378** ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ τάχʼ ὁ μοχλὸς ἐλάινος ἐν πυρὶ μέλλεν  
But when the olive-wood stake was about to catch fire in the flames,

**379** ἅψεσθαι, χλωρός περ ἐών, διεφαίνετο δʼ αἰνῶς,  
green though it was, and glowed terribly,

**380** καὶ τότʼ ἐγὼν ἆσσον φέρον ἐκ πυρός, ἀμφὶ δʼ ἑταῖροι  
then I carried it close from the fire, and around me my companions

**381** ἵσταντʼ· αὐτὰρ θάρσος ἐνέπνευσεν μέγα δαίμων.  
stood; and a god breathed great courage into us.

**382** οἱ μὲν μοχλὸν ἑλόντες ἐλάινον, ὀξὺν ἐπʼ ἄκρῳ,  
They took the olive-wood stake, sharp at its tip,

**383** ὀφθαλμῷ ἐνέρεισαν· ἐγὼ δʼ ἐφύπερθεν ἐρεισθεὶς  
and drove it into his eye; and I, bearing down from above,

**384** δίνεον, ὡς ὅτε τις τρυπῷ δόρυ νήιον ἀνὴρ  
twisted it, as when a man bores a ship's timber

**385** τρυπάνῳ, οἱ δέ τʼ ἔνερθεν ὑποσσείουσιν ἱμάντι  
with a drill, while others below keep it spinning with a strap,

**386** ἁψάμενοι ἑκάτερθε, τὸ δὲ τρέχει ἐμμενὲς αἰεί.  
gripping it at either end, and it runs round steadily on and on.

**387** ὣς τοῦ ἐν ὀφθαλμῷ πυριήκεα μοχλὸν ἑλόντες  
So we took the fire-pointed stake in his eye

**388** δινέομεν, τὸν δʼ αἷμα περίρρεε θερμὸν ἐόντα.  
and spun it, and the blood ran round it as it grew hot.

**389** πάντα δέ οἱ βλέφαρʼ ἀμφὶ καὶ ὀφρύας εὗσεν ἀυτμὴ  
The blast singed all his eyelids round about and his brows

**390** γλήνης καιομένης, σφαραγεῦντο δέ οἱ πυρὶ ῥίζαι.  
as the eyeball burned, and its roots crackled in the fire.

**391** ὡς δʼ ὅτʼ ἀνὴρ χαλκεὺς πέλεκυν μέγαν ἠὲ σκέπαρνον  
As when a smith dips a great axe or an adze

**392** εἰν ὕδατι ψυχρῷ βάπτῃ μεγάλα ἰάχοντα  
into cold water, and it hisses loud

**393** φαρμάσσων· τὸ γὰρ αὖτε σιδήρου γε κράτος ἐστίν  
as he tempers it — for in this lies the strength of iron —

**394** ὣς τοῦ σίζʼ ὀφθαλμὸς ἐλαϊνέῳ περὶ μοχλῷ.  
so his eye hissed around the olive-wood stake.

**395** σμερδαλέον δὲ μέγʼ ᾤμωξεν, περὶ δʼ ἴαχε πέτρη,  
He gave a great and terrible cry, and the rock rang around him,

**396** ἡμεῖς δὲ δείσαντες ἀπεσσύμεθʼ· αὐτὰρ ὁ μοχλὸν  
and we drew back in terror. He wrenched the stake

**397** ἐξέρυσʼ ὀφθαλμοῖο πεφυρμένον αἵματι πολλῷ.  
out of his eye, all fouled with streaming blood,

**398** τὸν μὲν ἔπειτʼ ἔρριψεν ἀπὸ ἕο χερσὶν ἀλύων,  
and flung it from him with his hands, frantic with pain,

**399** αὐτὰρ ὁ Κύκλωπας μεγάλʼ ἤπυεν, οἵ ῥά μιν ἀμφὶς  
and called aloud to the Cyclopes who all around him

**400** ᾤκεον ἐν σπήεσσι διʼ ἄκριας ἠνεμοέσσας.  
lived in their caves among the windswept headlands.

**401** οἱ δὲ βοῆς ἀίοντες ἐφοίτων ἄλλοθεν ἄλλος,  
They heard his shout and came thronging from every side,

**402** ἱστάμενοι δʼ εἴροντο περὶ σπέος ὅττι ἑ κήδοι·  
and standing around the cave they asked what troubled him:

**403** τίπτε τόσον, Πολύφημʼ, ἀρημένος ὧδʼ
                        ἐβόησας  
"Why, Polyphemus, so distressed, have you cried out like this

**404** νύκτα διʼ ἀμβροσίην καὶ ἀύπνους ἄμμε τίθησθα;  
through the immortal night, and made us sleepless?

**405** ἦ μή τίς σευ μῆλα βροτῶν ἀέκοντος ἐλαύνει;  
Surely no mortal is driving off your flocks against your will?

**406** ἦ μή τίς σʼ αὐτὸν κτείνει δόλῳ ἠὲ βίηφιν;  
Surely no one is killing you by trickery or by force?"
> By guile or by force: The pairing 'by trickery or by force' is a stock Homeric antithesis. The neighbors' innocent 'no one' (mê tis) unwittingly echoes the name Outis.

**407** τοὺς δʼ αὖτʼ ἐξ ἄντρου προσέφη κρατερὸς
                     Πολύφημος·  
And from inside the cave mighty Polyphemus answered them:

**408** ὦ φίλοι, Οὖτίς με κτείνει δόλῳ οὐδὲ βίηφιν.  
"Friends, Noman is killing me by guile and not by force!"

**409** οἱ δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενοι ἔπεα πτερόεντʼ ἀγόρευον·  
And answering they spoke winged words:
> Winged words: 'Winged words' is one of Homer's most familiar formulaic epithets for speech, used to introduce direct address.

**410** εἰ μὲν δὴ μή τίς σε βιάζεται οἶον ἐόντα,  
"If no one is using force on you, alone as you are,

**411** νοῦσον γʼ οὔ πως ἔστι Διὸς μεγάλου ἀλέασθαι,  
there is no escaping a sickness from great Zeus;

**412** ἀλλὰ σύ γʼ εὔχεο πατρὶ Ποσειδάωνι ἄνακτι.  
so pray to your father, lord Poseidon."

**413** ὣς ἄρʼ ἔφαν ἀπιόντες, ἐμὸν δʼ ἐγέλασσε φίλον
                     κῆρ,  
So they spoke and went away, and my own heart laughed,

**414** ὡς ὄνομʼ ἐξαπάτησεν ἐμὸν καὶ μῆτις ἀμύμων.  
to think how my name and my flawless cunning had deceived him.
> Flawless cunning: Mêtis is the practical, scheming intelligence that defines Odysseus. The line caps the Noman trick: name and cunning together undo the giant.

**415** Κύκλωψ δὲ στενάχων τε καὶ ὠδίνων ὀδύνῃσι  
But the Cyclops, groaning and writhing in his pains,

**416** χερσὶ ψηλαφόων ἀπὸ μὲν λίθον εἷλε θυράων,  
groped with his hands and took the stone away from the doorway,

**417** αὐτὸς δʼ εἰνὶ θύρῃσι καθέζετο χεῖρε πετάσσας,  
and sat himself in the doorway with both hands spread out,

**418** εἴ τινά που μετʼ ὄεσσι λάβοι στείχοντα θύραζε·  
in case he might catch any man slipping out among the sheep;

**419** οὕτω γάρ πού μʼ ἤλπετʼ ἐνὶ φρεσὶ νήπιον εἶναι.  
for so, it seems, he hoped in his mind that I was a fool.

**420** αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ βούλευον, ὅπως ὄχʼ ἄριστα γένοιτο,  
But I kept planning how things might turn out for the best,

**421** εἴ τινʼ ἑταίροισιν θανάτου λύσιν ἠδʼ ἐμοὶ αὐτῷ  
whether I could find for my companions and for myself

**422** εὑροίμην· πάντας δὲ δόλους καὶ μῆτιν ὕφαινον  
some release from death; and I wove all my tricks and cunning,

**423** ὥς τε περὶ ψυχῆς· μέγα γὰρ κακὸν ἐγγύθεν ἦεν.  
since it was a matter of life itself: great peril was near at hand.
> For his very life: The phrase 'concerning the psukhê' means with one's life at stake. Psukhê here is the life-breath that survival depends on.

**424** ἥδε δέ μοι κατὰ θυμὸν ἀρίστη φαίνετο βουλή.  
And this seemed in my heart the best plan:

**425** ἄρσενες ὄιες ἦσαν ἐυτρεφέες, δασύμαλλοι,  
There were rams, well fed and thick-fleeced,

**426** καλοί τε μεγάλοι τε, ἰοδνεφὲς εἶρος ἔχοντες·  
handsome and large, with wool dark as violets;

**427** τοὺς ἀκέων συνέεργον ἐυστρεφέεσσι λύγοισιν,  
these I bound together silently with the well-twisted withies

**428** τῇς ἔπι Κύκλωψ εὗδε πέλωρ, ἀθεμίστια εἰδώς,  
on which the lawless monster Cyclops used to sleep,

**429** σύντρεις αἰνύμενος· ὁ μὲν ἐν μέσῳ ἄνδρα φέρεσκε,  
taking them three by three: the middle one carried a man,

**430** τὼ δʼ ἑτέρω ἑκάτερθεν ἴτην σώοντες ἑταίρους.  
while the two on either side went along, keeping my companions safe.

**431** τρεῖς δὲ ἕκαστον φῶτʼ ὄιες φέρον· αὐτὰρ ἐγώ γε—  
Three rams carried each man. But I myself —

**432** ἀρνειὸς γὰρ ἔην μήλων ὄχʼ ἄριστος ἁπάντων,  
there was a ram, by far the best of all the flock —

**433** τοῦ κατὰ νῶτα λαβών, λασίην ὑπὸ γαστέρʼ ἐλυσθεὶς  
him I grasped by the back, and curling beneath his shaggy belly

**434** κείμην· αὐτὰρ χερσὶν ἀώτου θεσπεσίοιο  
I lay; and with my hands in the marvelous fleece

**435** νωλεμέως στρεφθεὶς ἐχόμην τετληότι θυμῷ.  
I clung, twisted around it, with an enduring heart.
> With an enduring heart: The phrase 'with a steadfast spirit' belongs to the same root that gives Odysseus the epithet polytlas, 'much-enduring.' It marks his signature capacity to hold on through hardship.

**436** ὣς τότε μὲν στενάχοντες ἐμείναμεν Ἠῶ δῖαν.  
So then, groaning, we waited for the divine Dawn.

**437** ἦμος δʼ ἠριγένεια φάνη ῥοδοδάκτυλος Ἠώς,  
When early-born, rosy-fingered Dawn appeared,
> Rosy-fingered Dawn: This whole line is a recurring formula. The fixed epithets 'early-born' and 'rosy-fingered' fill the verse and mark the start of a new day.

**438** καὶ τότʼ ἔπειτα νομόνδʼ ἐξέσσυτο ἄρσενα μῆλα,  
then the male sheep rushed out to pasture,

**439** θήλειαι δὲ μέμηκον ἀνήμελκτοι περὶ σηκούς·  
but the females bleated about the pens, unmilked,

**440** οὔθατα γὰρ σφαραγεῦντο. ἄναξ δʼ ὀδύνῃσι κακῇσι  
for their udders were bursting. And their master, worn with cruel pains,

**441** τειρόμενος πάντων ὀίων ἐπεμαίετο νῶτα  
worn down with pain, he felt along the backs of all the rams

**442** ὀρθῶν ἑσταότων· τὸ δὲ νήπιος οὐκ ἐνόησεν,  
as they stood upright; but the fool did not realize this,
> the fool: Homer applies nēpios to the Cyclops, the same word used for helpless infants. It marks his witlessness in failing to grasp the trick.

**443** ὥς οἱ ὑπʼ εἰροπόκων ὀίων στέρνοισι δέδεντο.  
how the men were bound beneath the breasts of his woolly sheep.

**444** ὕστατος ἀρνειὸς μήλων ἔστειχε θύραζε  
Last of the flock the ram walked out toward the door,

**445** λάχνῳ στεινόμενος καὶ ἐμοὶ πυκινὰ φρονέοντι.  
weighed down by his fleece and by me, my mind racing.

**446** τὸν δʼ ἐπιμασσάμενος προσέφη κρατερὸς Πολύφημος·  
Feeling him over, mighty Polyphemus spoke to him:
> Aorist participle: ἐπιμασσάμενος is an aorist middle participle, 'having felt over.' Such participles set an action just completed before the main verb.

**447** κριὲ πέπον, τί μοι ὧδε διὰ σπέος ἔσσυο
                        μήλων  
"Dear ram, why do you come through the cave like this, the last

**448** ὕστατος; οὔ τι πάρος γε λελειμμένος ἔρχεαι οἰῶν,  
of the flock? Never before have you trailed behind the sheep,

**449** ἀλλὰ πολὺ πρῶτος νέμεαι τέρενʼ ἄνθεα ποίης  
but far the first you grazed on the tender flowers of the grass,

**450** μακρὰ βιβάς, πρῶτος δὲ ῥοὰς ποταμῶν ἀφικάνεις,  
striding wide, and first you reached the river's streams,

**451** πρῶτος δὲ σταθμόνδε λιλαίεαι ἀπονέεσθαι  
and first you longed to come back home to the fold

**452** ἑσπέριος· νῦν αὖτε πανύστατος. ἦ σύ γʼ ἄνακτος  
at evening; but now you are last of all. Surely you grieve for your master's

**453** ὀφθαλμὸν ποθέεις, τὸν ἀνὴρ κακὸς ἐξαλάωσε  
eye, which an evil man blinded out,

**454** σὺν λυγροῖς ἑτάροισι δαμασσάμενος φρένας οἴνῳ,  
with his wretched companions, after mastering my wits with wine,
> mastered by wine: δαμάζω means to subdue or tame, often of taming animals or conquering foes; here wine 'masters' the mind, the same verb later used of the Cyclops himself.

**455** Οὖτις, ὃν οὔ πώ φημι πεφυγμένον εἶναι ὄλεθρον.  
Noman, who I say has not yet escaped destruction.
> Noman: Outis ('Noman') is the false name Odysseus gave; the pun let the other Cyclopes mistake the cry for 'no man is harming me.' The Cyclops still does not see the trick.

**456** εἰ δὴ ὁμοφρονέοις ποτιφωνήεις τε γένοιο  
If only you could share my mind and find a voice

**457** εἰπεῖν ὅππῃ κεῖνος ἐμὸν μένος ἠλασκάζει·  
to tell me where that man dodges away from my fury;

**458** τῷ κέ οἱ ἐγκέφαλός γε διὰ σπέος ἄλλυδις ἄλλῃ  
then his brains would be dashed throughout the cave, this way and that,

**459** θεινομένου ῥαίοιτο πρὸς οὔδεϊ, κὰδ δέ κʼ ἐμὸν κῆρ  
smashed against the ground, and my heart would find

**460** λωφήσειε κακῶν, τά μοι οὐτιδανὸς πόρεν Οὖτις.  
relief from the evils that worthless Noman has brought me."
> Wordplay on Noman: οὐτιδανός ('worthless, of no account') echoes the name Οὖτις ('Noman'), a bitter pun the Cyclops makes without grasping its meaning.

**461** ὣς εἰπὼν τὸν κριὸν ἀπὸ ἕο πέμπε θύραζε.  
So speaking he sent the ram out from himself through the door.

**462** ἐλθόντες δʼ ἠβαιὸν ἀπὸ σπείους τε καὶ αὐλῆς  
When we had gone a little way from the cave and the yard,

**463** πρῶτος ὑπʼ ἀρνειοῦ λυόμην, ὑπέλυσα δʼ ἑταίρους.  
first I freed myself from under the ram, then loosed my companions.

**464** καρπαλίμως δὲ τὰ μῆλα ταναύποδα, πίονα δημῷ,  
Quickly the long-legged sheep, fat with their tallow,

**465** πολλὰ περιτροπέοντες ἐλαύνομεν, ὄφρʼ ἐπὶ νῆα  
we drove, turning them often, until we reached the ship.

**466** ἱκόμεθʼ. ἀσπάσιοι δὲ φίλοις ἑτάροισι φάνημεν,  
A welcome sight we were to our dear companions,

**467** οἳ φύγομεν θάνατον, τοὺς δὲ στενάχοντο γοῶντες.  
we who had escaped death; but for the others they mourned, lamenting.

**468** ἀλλʼ ἐγὼ οὐκ εἴων, ἀνὰ δʼ ὀφρύσι νεῦον ἑκάστῳ,  
But I would not let them weep, and signaled each with my brows

**469** κλαίειν, ἀλλʼ ἐκέλευσα θοῶς καλλίτριχα μῆλα  
to stop; instead I ordered them quickly to throw the fine-fleeced sheep

**470** πόλλʼ ἐν νηὶ βαλόντας ἐπιπλεῖν ἁλμυρὸν ὕδωρ.  
in great numbers aboard the ship and sail the salt water.

**471** οἱ δʼ αἶψʼ εἴσβαινον καὶ ἐπὶ κληῖσι καθῖζον,  
They embarked at once and sat down at the oarlocks,

**472** ἑξῆς δʼ ἑζόμενοι πολιὴν ἅλα τύπτον ἐρετμοῖς.  
and sitting in their rows they struck the gray sea with their oars.
> Formulaic rowing line: This whole line is a recurring formula for putting out to sea. ἐρετμοῖς is dative of instrument, 'with their oars.'

**473** ἀλλʼ ὅτε τόσσον ἀπῆν, ὅσσον τε γέγωνε βοήσας,  
But when I was as far off as a man's shout carries,

**474** καὶ τότʼ ἐγὼ Κύκλωπα προσηύδων κερτομίοισι·  
then I called out to the Cyclops with taunting words:

**475** Κύκλωψ, οὐκ ἄρʼ ἔμελλες ἀνάλκιδος ἀνδρὸς
                        ἑταίρους  
"Cyclops, it was no weakling's companions you were going

**476** ἔδμεναι ἐν σπῆι γλαφυρῷ κρατερῆφι βίηφι.  
to devour in your hollow cave by your brute strength.
> Old instrumental ending -φι: The suffix -φι is an archaic Homeric ending serving as instrumental/dative, 'by mighty force.' It survives mainly in epic formulas.

**477** καὶ λίην σέ γʼ ἔμελλε κιχήσεσθαι κακὰ ἔργα,  
Your evil deeds were surely bound to catch up with you,

**478** σχέτλιʼ, ἐπεὶ ξείνους οὐχ ἅζεο σῷ ἐνὶ οἴκῳ  
you wretch, since you had no shame to eat your guests

**479** ἐσθέμεναι· τῷ σε Ζεὺς τίσατο καὶ θεοὶ ἄλλοι.  
in your own house; for this Zeus and the other gods have punished you."

**480** ὣς ἐφάμην, ὁ δʼ ἔπειτα χολώσατο κηρόθι
                     μᾶλλον,  
So I spoke, and then he grew still angrier at heart,

**481** ἧκε δʼ ἀπορρήξας κορυφὴν ὄρεος μεγάλοιο,  
and breaking off the peak of a great mountain he hurled it,

**482** κὰδ δʼ ἔβαλε προπάροιθε νεὸς κυανοπρῴροιο  
and threw it down in front of the dark-prowed ship,
> Dark-prowed: kyanoprōiros, 'dark-prowed,' is a standard epithet for ships. The -οιο ending is the old Homeric genitive singular.

**483** τυτθόν, ἐδεύησεν δʼ οἰήιον ἄκρον ἱκέσθαι,  
barely; it just missed striking the tip of the steering-oar.

**484** ἐκλύσθη δὲ θάλασσα κατερχομένης ὑπὸ πέτρης·  
The sea surged up as the rock came down into it,

**485** τὴν δʼ αἶψʼ ἤπειρόνδε παλιρρόθιον φέρε κῦμα,  
and the backward-rushing wave carried the ship toward the shore,

**486** πλημυρὶς ἐκ πόντοιο, θέμωσε δὲ χέρσον ἱκέσθαι.  
a flood-tide from the deep, and forced it to reach the land.

**487** αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ χείρεσσι λαβὼν περιμήκεα κοντὸν  
But I took in my hands a very long pole

**488** ὦσα παρέξ, ἑτάροισι δʼ ἐποτρύνας ἐκέλευσα  
and shoved us off, and urging my companions I ordered them

**489** ἐμβαλέειν κώπῃς, ἵνʼ ὑπὲκ κακότητα φύγοιμεν,  
to fall on the oars, so we might escape from disaster,
> Purpose with the optative: After a past main verb, the purpose clause ἵνα... φύγοιμεν takes the optative ('so that we might escape'), the regular sequence after secondary tenses.

**490** κρατὶ κατανεύων· οἱ δὲ προπεσόντες ἔρεσσον.  
nodding with my head; and they bent forward and rowed.

**491** ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ δὶς τόσσον ἅλα πρήσσοντες ἀπῆμεν,  
But when we were twice as far across the sea,

**492** καὶ τότε δὴ Κύκλωπα προσηύδων· ἀμφὶ δʼ ἑταῖροι  
then I called out to the Cyclops again; and around me my companions

**493** μειλιχίοις ἐπέεσσιν ἐρήτυον ἄλλοθεν ἄλλος·  
tried to hold me back with soothing words, one from this side, one from that:
> 'one from this side, one from that': The idiom ἄλλοθεν ἄλλος literally 'another from another place' conveys 'each from a different direction,' a common Homeric distributive pattern.

**494** σχέτλιε, τίπτʼ ἐθέλεις ἐρεθιζέμεν ἄγριον
                        ἄνδρα;  
"Reckless man, why do you want to provoke this savage creature?

**495** ὃς καὶ νῦν πόντονδε βαλὼν βέλος ἤγαγε νῆα  
Just now by hurling into the sea he brought the ship

**496** αὖτις ἐς ἤπειρον, καὶ δὴ φάμεν αὐτόθʼ ὀλέσθαι.  
back to the mainland, and we thought we would die right there.

**497** εἰ δὲ φθεγξαμένου τευ ἢ αὐδήσαντος ἄκουσε,  
If he had heard one of us speak or call out,

**498** σύν κεν ἄραξʼ ἡμέων κεφαλὰς καὶ νήια δοῦρα  
he would have crushed our heads and the ship's timbers together

**499** μαρμάρῳ ὀκριόεντι βαλών· τόσσον γὰρ ἵησιν.  
by hurling a jagged boulder; for he throws that far."

**500** ὣς φάσαν, ἀλλʼ οὐ πεῖθον ἐμὸν μεγαλήτορα
                     θυμόν,  
So they spoke, but they did not persuade my great-hearted spirit,
> Imperfect of attempted action: The imperfect πεῖθον here is conative, 'they kept trying to persuade' or 'they did not succeed in persuading,' showing an effort that failed.

**501** ἀλλά μιν ἄψορρον προσέφην κεκοτηότι θυμῷ·  
but again I spoke to him with an angry heart:

**502** Κύκλωψ, αἴ κέν τίς σε καταθνητῶν ἀνθρώπων  
"Cyclops, if any mortal man should ever

**503** ὀφθαλμοῦ εἴρηται ἀεικελίην ἀλαωτύν,  
ask you about the shameful blinding of your eye,

**504** φάσθαι Ὀδυσσῆα πτολιπόρθιον ἐξαλαῶσαι,  
say that Odysseus the sacker of cities blinded it,
> Sacker of cities: ptoliporthios, 'sacker of cities,' is a heroic epithet of Odysseus. The form ptoli- preserves an old initial consonant cluster of polis.

**505** υἱὸν Λαέρτεω, Ἰθάκῃ ἔνι οἰκίʼ ἔχοντα.  
the son of Laertes, whose home is in Ithaca."

**506** ὣς ἐφάμην, ὁ δέ μʼ οἰμώξας ἠμείβετο μύθῳ·  
So I spoke, and he answered me with a groan:

**507** ὢ πόποι, ἦ μάλα δή με παλαίφατα θέσφαθʼ ἱκάνει.  
"Oh no, indeed the old prophecies have come upon me!
> Cry of dismay: ō popoi is a Homeric exclamation of shock or grief, used by gods and mortals alike, roughly 'alas' or 'oh no.'

**508** ἔσκε τις ἐνθάδε μάντις ἀνὴρ ἠύς τε μέγας τε,  
There was a seer here once, a man both noble and tall,

**509** Τήλεμος Εὐρυμίδης, ὃς μαντοσύνῃ ἐκέκαστο  
Telemus son of Eurymus, who excelled in prophecy

**510** καὶ μαντευόμενος κατεγήρα Κυκλώπεσσιν·  
and grew old among the Cyclopes as their seer.

**511** ὅς μοι ἔφη τάδε πάντα τελευτήσεσθαι ὀπίσσω,  
He told me that all this would come to pass hereafter,
> Future infinitive in indirect speech: The future infinitive τελευτήσεσθαι reports what the seer foretold, expressing a prediction about time to come within indirect statement.

**512** χειρῶν ἐξ Ὀδυσῆος ἁμαρτήσεσθαι ὀπωπῆς.  
that I would lose my sight at the hands of Odysseus.

**513** ἀλλʼ αἰεί τινα φῶτα μέγαν καὶ καλὸν ἐδέγμην  
But I always expected some great and handsome man

**514** ἐνθάδʼ ἐλεύσεσθαι, μεγάλην ἐπιειμένον ἀλκήν·  
to come here, clothed in mighty strength;

**515** νῦν δέ μʼ ἐὼν ὀλίγος τε καὶ οὐτιδανὸς καὶ ἄκικυς  
but now a small, worthless, feeble thing
> small and feeble: The three contemptuous adjectives ('small, worthless, feeble') heighten the irony: the seemingly weak Odysseus has overcome the giant by cunning.

**516** ὀφθαλμοῦ ἀλάωσεν, ἐπεί μʼ ἐδαμάσσατο οἴνῳ.  
has blinded my eye, after mastering me with wine.

**517** ἀλλʼ ἄγε δεῦρʼ, Ὀδυσεῦ, ἵνα τοι πὰρ ξείνια θείω  
But come here, Odysseus, so I may set guest-gifts before you

**518** πομπήν τʼ ὀτρύνω δόμεναι κλυτὸν ἐννοσίγαιον·  
and urge the famous Earth-shaker to give you safe passage;
> Earth-shaker: ennosigaios, 'earth-shaker,' is a fixed epithet of Poseidon, here in the accusative as object of the verb.

**519** τοῦ γὰρ ἐγὼ πάϊς εἰμί, πατὴρ δʼ ἐμὸς εὔχεται εἶναι.  
for I am his son, and he claims to be my father.

**520** αὐτὸς δʼ, αἴ κʼ ἐθέλῃσʼ, ἰήσεται, οὐδέ τις ἄλλος  
He himself, if he wishes, will heal me, and no one else,

**521** οὔτε θεῶν μακάρων οὔτε θνητῶν ἀνθρώπων.  
neither of the blessed gods nor of mortal men."

**522** ὣς ἔφατʼ, αὐτὰρ ἐγώ μιν ἀμειβόμενος
                     προσέειπον·  
So he spoke, and I answered him, saying:

**523** αἲ γὰρ δὴ ψυχῆς τε καὶ αἰῶνός σε δυναίμην  
"If only I could rob you of your life and your days
> life and lifetime: psychē (life-breath) and aiōn (life-span) together mean the whole of one's living existence, which Odysseus wishes he could strip away.

**524** εὖνιν ποιήσας πέμψαι δόμον Ἄϊδος εἴσω,  
and send you into the house of Hades,

**525** ὡς οὐκ ὀφθαλμόν γʼ ἰήσεται οὐδʼ ἐνοσίχθων.  
as surely as not even the Earth-shaker will heal your eye."

**526** ὣς ἐφάμην, ὁ δʼ ἔπειτα Ποσειδάωνι ἄνακτι  
So I spoke, and then to lord Poseidon

**527** εὔχετο χεῖρʼ ὀρέγων εἰς οὐρανὸν ἀστερόεντα·  
he prayed, stretching his hands to the starry sky:

**528** κλῦθι, Ποσείδαον γαιήοχε κυανοχαῖτα,  
"Hear me, Poseidon, dark-haired holder of the earth,
> Aorist imperative: κλῦθι ('hear!') is an aorist imperative, the form regular at the start of prayers, calling for immediate attention.

**529** εἰ ἐτεόν γε σός εἰμι, πατὴρ δʼ ἐμὸς εὔχεαι εἶναι,  
if I am truly yours, and you claim to be my father,

**530** δὸς μὴ Ὀδυσσῆα πτολιπόρθιον οἴκαδʼ ἱκέσθαι  
grant that Odysseus the sacker of cities never reach his home,

**531** υἱὸν Λαέρτεω, Ἰθάκῃ ἔνι οἰκίʼ ἔχοντα.  
the son of Laertes, whose home is in Ithaca.

**532** ἀλλʼ εἴ οἱ μοῖρʼ ἐστὶ φίλους τʼ ἰδέειν καὶ ἱκέσθαι  
But if it is his fate to see his loved ones and reach

**533** οἶκον ἐυκτίμενον καὶ ἑὴν ἐς πατρίδα γαῖαν,  
his well-built house and his native land,

**534** ὀψὲ κακῶς ἔλθοι, ὀλέσας ἄπο πάντας ἑταίρους,  
let him come late and in misery, having lost all his companions,
> Optative of wish: ἔλθοι is an optative expressing a wish or prayer: 'may he come late and badly.' The optative is the standard mood for prayers.

**535** νηὸς ἐπʼ ἀλλοτρίης, εὕροι δʼ ἐν πήματα οἴκῳ.  
on another man's ship, and find troubles in his house."

**536** ὣς ἔφατʼ εὐχόμενος, τοῦ δʼ ἔκλυε
                     κυανοχαίτης.  
So he spoke in prayer, and the dark-haired god heard him.

**537** αὐτὰρ ὅ γʼ ἐξαῦτις πολὺ μείζονα λᾶαν ἀείρας  
Then once more he lifted a stone far larger than the first

**538** ἧκʼ ἐπιδινήσας, ἐπέρεισε δὲ ἶνʼ ἀπέλεθρον,  
and hurled it, whirling it, and put boundless force behind it,

**539** κὰδʼ δʼ ἔβαλεν μετόπισθε νεὸς κυανοπρῴροιο  
and threw it down behind the dark-prowed ship,

**540** τυτθόν, ἐδεύησεν δʼ οἰήιον ἄκρον ἱκέσθαι.  
barely; it just missed striking the tip of the steering-oar.

**541** ἐκλύσθη δὲ θάλασσα κατερχομένης ὑπὸ πέτρης·  
The sea surged up as the rock came down into it,

**542** τὴν δὲ πρόσω φέρε κῦμα, θέμωσε δὲ χέρσον ἱκέσθαι.  
and the wave bore the ship forward and forced it to reach the land.

**543** ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ τὴν νῆσον ἀφικόμεθʼ, ἔνθα περ
                     ἄλλαι  
But when we came to the island, where the other

**544** νῆες ἐύσσελμοι μένον ἁθρόαι, ἀμφὶ δʼ ἑταῖροι  
well-benched ships were waiting all together, and around them our companions

**545** ἥατʼ ὀδυρόμενοι, ἡμέας ποτιδέγμενοι αἰεί,  
sat lamenting, ever watching for us,

**546** νῆα μὲν ἔνθʼ ἐλθόντες ἐκέλσαμεν ἐν ψαμάθοισιν,  
coming there we ran the ship aground on the sand,

**547** ἐκ δὲ καὶ αὐτοὶ βῆμεν ἐπὶ ῥηγμῖνι θαλάσσης.  
and we ourselves stepped out onto the breaking surf of the sea.

**548** μῆλα δὲ Κύκλωπος γλαφυρῆς ἐκ νηὸς ἑλόντες  
Then taking the Cyclops' sheep from the hollow ship

**549** δασσάμεθʼ, ὡς μή τίς μοι ἀτεμβόμενος κίοι ἴσης.  
we divided them, so that none might leave cheated of an equal share.

**550** ἀρνειὸν δʼ ἐμοὶ οἴῳ ἐυκνήμιδες ἑταῖροι  
But the ram my well-greaved companions gave to me alone,
> Well-greaved: euknēmides, 'well-greaved' (wearing fine shin-armor), is a recurring epithet of the Achaeans/companions. It agrees with ἑταῖροι in the nominative.

**551** μήλων δαιομένων δόσαν ἔξοχα· τὸν δʼ ἐπὶ θινὶ  
as the sheep were shared out, they gave it to me as a special honor; and on the shore

**552** Ζηνὶ κελαινεφέι Κρονίδῃ, ὃς πᾶσιν ἀνάσσει,  
to Zeus of the dark clouds, son of Cronos, who is lord over all,

**553** ῥέξας μηρίʼ ἔκαιον· ὁ δʼ οὐκ ἐμπάζετο ἱρῶν,  
I made sacrifice and burned the thigh-pieces; but he paid no heed to the offerings,
> Imperfect of ritual: The imperfect ekaion ("was burning") views the sacrifice as an ongoing action, a vivid scene rather than a single completed event.

**554** ἀλλʼ ὅ γε μερμήριξεν ὅπως ἀπολοίατο πᾶσαι  
but instead he was pondering how they might all be destroyed,

**555** νῆες ἐύσσελμοι καὶ ἐμοὶ ἐρίηρες ἑταῖροι.  
my well-benched ships and my trusty companions.

**556** ὣς τότε μὲν πρόπαν ἦμαρ ἐς ἠέλιον καταδύντα  
So then for the whole day, until the sun went down,

**557** ἥμεθα δαινύμενοι κρέα τʼ ἄσπετα καὶ μέθυ ἡδύ·  
we sat feasting on endless meat and sweet wine.

**558** ἦμος δʼ ἠέλιος κατέδυ καὶ ἐπὶ κνέφας ἦλθε,  
But when the sun set and the darkness came on,

**559** δὴ τότε κοιμήθημεν ἐπὶ ῥηγμῖνι θαλάσσης.  
then we lay down to sleep on the breaking surf of the sea.

**560** ἦμος δʼ ἠριγένεια φάνη ῥοδοδάκτυλος Ἠώς,  
And when early-born, rosy-fingered Dawn appeared,

**561** δὴ τότʼ ἐγὼν ἑτάροισιν ἐποτρύνας ἐκέλευσα  
then I urged my companions on and gave the order

**562** αὐτούς τʼ ἀμβαίνειν ἀνά τε πρυμνήσια λῦσαι·  
for them to climb aboard and loose the stern-cables;

**563** οἱ δʼ αἶψʼ εἴσβαινον καὶ ἐπὶ κληῖσι καθῖζον,  
and they quickly embarked and sat down at the oarlocks,

**564** ἑξῆς δʼ ἑζόμενοι πολιὴν ἅλα τύπτον ἐρετμοῖς.  
and sitting in their rows they struck the gray sea with their oars.
> The gray sea: Polios means "gray" or "grizzled," describing the foam-flecked, weathered color of the sea. This is a recurring formula for rowing out.

**565** ἔνθεν δὲ προτέρω πλέομεν ἀκαχήμενοι ἦτορ,  
From there we sailed onward, grieving at heart,

**566** ἄσμενοι ἐκ θανάτοιο, φίλους ὀλέσαντες ἑταίρους.  
glad to be out of death's reach, yet having lost our dear companions.

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Source text: public domain (Homer, ancient; Greek per the Murray/Allen text via the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 3.0). English translation: © 2026 1732 Studios, LLC — original line-aligned draft, pending editorial review. Word-by-word morphology and syntax derived from the Perseus Ancient Greek Dependency Treebank (CC BY-SA 3.0); English glosses and notes © 2026 1732 Studios, LLC.