Odyssey Book 12 Lines 1 to 65

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1 Odyssey Book 12 Lines 1 to 65 Translated by David Gravolet Lesson XXIII Αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ ποταµοῖο λίπεν ῥόον Ὠκεανοῖο 1 νηῦς, ἀπὸ δ ἵκετο κῦµα θαλάσσης εὐρυπόροιο νῆσόν τ Αἰαίην, ὅθι τ Ἠοῦς ἠριγενείης οἰκία καὶ χοροί εἰσι καὶ ἀντολαὶ Ἠελίοιο, νῆα µὲν ἔνθ ἐλθόντες ἐκέλσαµεν ἐν ψαµάθοισιν, 5 ἐκ δὲ καὶ αὐτοὶ βῆµεν ἐπὶ ῥηγµῖνι θαλάσσης: ἔνθα δ ἀποβρίξαντες ἐµείναµεν Ἠῶ δῖαν. ἦµος δ ἠριγένεια φάνη ῥοδοδάκτυλος Ἠώς, δὴ τότ ἐγὼν ἑτάρους προΐην ἐς δώµατα Κίρκης οἰσέµεναι νεκρόν Ἐλπήνορα τεθνηῶτα. 10 φιτροὺς δ αἶψα ταµόντες, ὅθ ἀκροτάτη πρόεχ ἀκτή, θάπτοµεν ἀχνύµενοι θαλερὸν κατὰ δάκρυ χέοντες. αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ νεκρός τ ἐκάη καὶ τεύχεα νεκροῦ, τύµβον χεύαντες καὶ ἐπὶ στήλην ἐρύσαντες πήξαµεν ἀκροτάτῳ τύµβῳ ἐυῆρες ἐρετµόν. 15 But when the ship left (λίπεν aor. 3rd sg. indic. act.) the current of the river Ocean, And it arrived (ἀπὸ...ἵκετο tmesis) at a wave of the broad sea and the Aeaean island, Where the dancing and house of early-born dawn are, And the rising sun, having come there, we put the ship to shore, On the sand (ψαµάθοισιν dat. pl., trans. as sg.), and we ourselves also went (ἐκ...βῆµεν tmesis) out on the surf of the sea, And then having fallen sound asleep (ἀποβρίξαντες aor. part. m. pl. nom. act.), they awaited (ἐµείναµεν aor. 1 pl. act. indic. syllabically augmented) bright dawn. And when young-born, rosy-fingered dawn appeared (φάνη aor. pass. 3rd sg. indic. act. of φαινω), Then indeed I sent forth my companions into Circe's house, To bring(οἰσέµεναι aor. inf. of φερω expressing purpose) the corpse Elpenor, having died (τεθνηῶτα perf. act. part. acc. masc. nom. sg.). And having quickly cut (ταµόντες aor. act. part. m. nom. pl.) logs, where the highest shore jutted out (πρόεχ an ε was elided, 3rd sg. imperf. act. indic.), We paid funeral rites (θάπτοµεν imperf. 1st pl. indic. act.), grieving (ἀχνύµενοι pres. masc. pl. part. dep.), shedding (κατὰ...χέοντες tmesis, pres. masc. pl. act. part.) a lusty tear down. But when the corpse and the arms of the corpse were burned (ἐκάη 3rd sg. aor. pass. indic.), Having heaped up a grave mound and having dragged (χεύαντες and ἐρύσαντες aor. act. part. masc. nom. pl.) a stele on it, Available at dgdissemination.wordpress.com 1

2 We planted (πήξαµεν aor. 1st pl. act. indic.) a well-fitted oar in the highest gravemound (τύµβῳ dat. of place where). Lesson XXIV ἡµεῖς µὲν τὰ ἕκαστα διείποµεν: οὐδ ἄρα Κίρκην ἐξ Ἀίδεω ἐλθόντες ἐλήθοµεν, ἀλλὰ µάλ ὦκα ἦλθ ἐντυναµένη: ἅµα δ ἀµφίπολοι φέρον αὐτῇ σῖτον καὶ κρέα πολλὰ καὶ αἴθοπα οἶνον ἐρυθρόν. ἡ δ ἐν µέσσῳ στᾶσα µετηύδα δῖα θεάων: 20 "σχέτλιοι, οἳ ζώοντες ὑπήλθετε δῶµ Ἀίδαο, δισθανέες, ὅτε τ ἄλλοι ἅπαξ θνῄσκουσ ἄνθρωποι. ἀλλ ἄγετ ἐσθίετε βρώµην καὶ πίνετε οἶνον αὖθι πανηµέριοι: ἅµα δ ἠοῖ φαινοµένηφι πλεύσεσθ : αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ δείξω ὁδὸν ἠδὲ ἕκαστα 25 σηµανέω, ἵνα µή τι κακορραφίῃ ἀλεγεινῇ ἢ ἁλὸς ἢ ἐπὶ γῆς ἀλγήσετε πῆµα παθόντες." ὣς ἔφαθ, ἡµῖν δ αὖτ ἐπεπείθετο θυµὸς ἀγήνωρ. And we attended to (διείποµεν temporally augmented imperf. 1st pl. indic. act.) each of these things, And having gone (ἐλθόντες aor. masc. part. nom. pl. act.) from Hades, we did not elude (ἐλήθοµεν syllabically augmented imperf. 1st pl. indic. act.) Circe, But very swiftly she came (ἦλθ an ε was elided, temporally augmented aor. 3rd sg. indic. act.) having prepared herself (ἐντυναµένη aor. mid. part. fem. sg. nom.), And together with her (αὐτῇ often functions as simple personal pronoun), the handmaidens bore (φέρον aor. 3rd pl. indic. act.) food and much flesh and sparkling red wine, And having stood (στᾶσα aor. part. fem. nom. sg. act.) in the middle, she spoke, brilliant (δῖα the adj., not the prep.) of the goddesses (θεάων partitive gen). "Wicked men, who, living (ζώοντες pres. part. masc. nom. pl. act.), entered (ὑπήλθετε temporally augmented aor. 2nd pl. indic. act.) the house of Hades, Twice-dying, when other men die (θνῄσκουσ an ι was elided, 3rd pl. pres. indic. act.) once, But come (ἄγετ pl. act. imperative of αγω, adds force to second imperative) eat food and drink wine all day long here, And together with the appearing (φαινοµένηφι mid. pres. part. fem. sg. dat., φι is added as a special dat. ending) dawn, you will sail (πλεύσεσθ an ε was elided, fut. 2nd pl. indic. act.), But I will show the way and will indicate each thing (ἕκαστα pl. in Greek), So that you may not suffer (ἀλγήσετε 2nd pl. aor. subj. act.) (by/with) a grievous evil device somehow (τι adv.), Either on sea or on land, having suffered (παθόντες aor. masc. part. nom. pl. act.) pain." Thus she spoke (ἔφαθ syllabically augmented imperf. 3rd sg. dep., τ became a θ) and the manly heart obeyed (ἐπεπείθετο syllabically augmented imperf. 3 sg. mid.) us. Available at dgdissemination.wordpress.com 2

3 Lesson XXV ὣς τότε µὲν πρόπαν ἦµαρ ἐς ἠέλιον καταδύντα ἥµεθα δαινύµενοι κρέα τ ἄσπετα καὶ µέθυ ἡδύ: 30 ἦµος δ ἠέλιος κατέδυ καὶ ἐπὶ κνέφας ἦλθεν, οἱ µὲν κοιµήσαντο παρὰ πρυµνήσια νηός, ἡ δ ἐµὲ χειρὸς ἑλοῦσα φίλων ἀπονόσφιν ἑταίρων εἷσέ τε καὶ προσέλεκτο καὶ ἐξερέεινεν ἕκαστα: αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ τῇ πάντα κατὰ µοῖραν κατέλεξα. 35 καὶ τότε δή µ ἐπέεσσι προσηύδα πότνια Κίρκη: "ταῦτα µὲν οὕτω πάντα πεπείρανται, σὺ δ ἄκουσον, ὥς τοι ἐγὼν ἐρέω, µνήσει δέ σε καὶ θεὸς αὐτός. Σειρῆνας µὲν πρῶτον ἀφίξεαι, αἵ ῥά τε πάντας ἀνθρώπους θέλγουσιν, ὅτις σφεας εἰσαφίκηται. 40 ὅς τις ἀιδρείῃ πελάσῃ καὶ φθόγγον ἀκούσῃ Σειρήνων, τῷ δ οὔ τι γυνὴ καὶ νήπια τέκνα οἴκαδε νοστήσαντι παρίσταται οὐδὲ γάνυνται, ἀλλά τε Σειρῆνες λιγυρῇ θέλγουσιν ἀοιδῇ ἥµεναι ἐν λειµῶνι, πολὺς δ ἀµφ ὀστεόφιν θὶς 45 ἀνδρῶν πυθοµένων, περὶ δὲ ῥινοὶ µινύθουσιν. ἀλλὰ παρεξ ελάαν, ἐπὶ δ οὔατ ἀλεῖψαι ἑταίρων κηρὸν δεψήσας µελιηδέα, µή τις ἀκούσῃ τῶν ἄλλων: ἀτὰρ αὐτὸς ἀκουέµεν αἴ κ ἐθέλῃσθα, δησάντων σ ἐν νηὶ θοῇ χεῖράς τε πόδας τε 50 ὀρθὸν ἐν ἱστοπέδῃ, ἐκ δ αὐτοῦ πείρατ ἀνήφθω, ὄφρα κε τερπόµενος ὄπ ἀκούσῃς Σειρήνοιιν. εἰ δέ κε λίσσηαι ἑτάρους λῦσαί τε κελεύῃς, οἱ δέ σ ἔτι πλεόνεσσι τότ ἐν δεσµοῖσι διδέντων. Thus then for all day (πρόπαν ἦµαρ acc. of duration of time) to the sun having set (καταδύντα aor. act. part. acc. sg. masc.), We sat (ἥµεθα imperf. 1st pl. act. indic.) feasting (δαινύµενοι mid. part. masc. nom. pl.) on both immeasurable meats and sweet wine. And when the sun set (κατέδυ syllabically augmented aor. 3rd sg. indic. act.), and the evening dusk came to (ἐπὶ...ἦλθεν tmesis, temporally augmented aor. 3rd sg. indic. act.), And they lay down to sleep (κοιµήσαντο 3rd pl. mid. aor. indic.) near the ship's stern cables, She (Circe), having taken (ἑλοῦσα aor. part. act. fem. nom. sg.) me by the hand (χειρὸς gen. of part grasped) far away from my dear comrades, Sat me down and reclined beside (me) and inquired (ἐξερέεινεν imperf. 3rd sg. indic. act.) about each thing: Available at dgdissemination.wordpress.com 3

4 But I narrated (κατέλεξα syllabically augmented aor. 1st sg. act. indic.) everything properly (κατὰ µοῖραν idiomatic) to her, And then indeed with words Queen Circe addressed (προσηύδα temporally augmented, contracted 3rd sg. imperf. indic. act., = προσαυδαε) me: "All such things have thus been brought to an end, and hear (ἄκουσον aor. sg. act. imperative) me, Thus I will speak to you (τοι = σοι), and a god himself will remind (µνήσει 3rd sg. fut. indic. act.) you. First you will come (ἀφίξεαι fut. 2nd sg. indic. dep.) to the Sirens, who bewitch all men, Whoever may come (εἰσαφίκηται aor. 3rd sg. subj. mid.) to them. Whoever may go near out of ignorance and hears (πελάσῃ and ἀκούσῃ aor. subj. 3rd sg. act.) the voice of the Sirens, His wife and foolish children will not in any way (adverbial τι), Stand by and delight in him having returned (νοστήσαντι aor. part. act. masc. dat. sg.)home (οἴκαδε suffix "δε" indicated motion towards), But the Sirens bewitch him with their clear song (ἀοιδῇ dat. of means), Sitting (ἥµεναι pres. part. fem. pl. dep.) in a meadow, and there is (implied) much (πολὺς = πολλος) sand around the bones, Of rotting men, and their skins especially waste away (µινύθουσιν 3rd pl. pres. indic. act.). But drive (the ship) past, and stop (ελάαν and ἀλεῖψαι inf. as imper.) the ears of your companions, Having kneaded (δεψήσας aor. part. masc. nom. sg.) honey-sweet wax Lest anyone of the others hear (ἀκούσῃ aor. subj. 3rd sg. act.) it, but (if) you yourself wish (ἐθέλῃσθα = ἐθελῃς, 2nd sg. subj. act.) to hear them. Let them bind (δησάντων 3rd person imperative) you, straight, on the swift ship, On your hands and feet (χεῖράς τε πόδας acc. of specification) on the mast stay, and let ropes be tied (ἀνήφθω 3rd person imperative) from it, So that turning, you may hear the Sirens' (Σειρήνοιιν gen. dual) voice, If you beg (λίσσηαι subj. 2nd sg. mid.)your companions to loose you and order them, Then let them bind (διδέντων 3rd person imperative) you in more bonds still. Lesson XXVI αὐτὰρ ἐπὴν δὴ τάς γε παρὲξ ἐλάσωσιν ἑταῖροι, ἔνθα τοι οὐκέτ ἔπειτα διηνεκέως ἀγορεύσω, ὁπποτέρη δή τοι ὁδὸς ἔσσεται, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸς θυµῷ βουλεύειν: ἐρέω δέ τοι ἀµφοτέρωθεν. ἔνθεν µὲν γὰρ πέτραι ἐπηρεφέες, προτὶ δ αὐτὰς κῦµα µέγα ῥοχθεῖ κυανώπιδος Ἀµφιτρίτης: 60 Πλαγκτὰς δή τοι τάς γε θεοὶ µάκαρες καλέουσι. τῇ µέν τ οὐδὲ ποτητὰ παρέρχεται οὐδὲ πέλειαι τρήρωνες, ταί τ ἀµβροσίην Διὶ πατρὶ φέρουσιν, ἀλλά τε καὶ τῶν αἰὲν ἀφαιρεῖται λὶς πέτρη: ἀλλ ἄλλην ἐνίησι πατὴρ ἐναρίθµιον εἶναι. 65 Available at dgdissemination.wordpress.com 4

5 But when the comrades indeed drive by these things, Then no longer at length I will relate to you, By which way of the two your way will be, But even consider it yourself in your heart, and I will speak to you from both sides, For then there are overhanging stones, And a great wave of dark-eyed Amphitrite roars toward them, Indeed the blessed gods call them the Wanderers. Neither winged things nor shy doves pass by here, Which bear the food of the gods to father Zeus, But smooth rock always bears them away even from them, But the father sends in another dove to be making up the full number. Available at dgdissemination.wordpress.com 5