Odyssey Book 6 175 to 274 Written by David Gravolet Lesson XIII ἀλλά, ἄνασσ, ἐλέαιρε: σὲ γὰρ κακὰ πολλὰ μογήσας 175 ἐς πρώτην ἱκόμην, τῶν δ ἄλλων οὔ τινα οἶδα ἀνθρώπων, οἳ τήνδε πόλιν καὶ γαῖαν ἔχουσιν. ἄστυ δέ μοι δεῖξον, δὸς δὲ ῥάκος ἀμφιβαλέσθαι, εἴ τί που εἴλυμα σπείρων ἔχες ἐνθάδ ἰοῦσα. σοὶ δὲ θεοὶ τόσα δοῖεν ὅσα φρεσὶ σῇσι μενοινᾷς, 180 ἄνδρα τε καὶ οἶκον, καὶ ὁμοφροσύνην ὀπάσειαν ἐσθλήν: οὐ μὲν γὰρ τοῦ γε κρεῖσσον καὶ ἄρειον, ἢ ὅθ ὁμοφρονέοντε νοήμασιν οἶκον ἔχητον ἀνὴρ ἠδὲ γυνή: πόλλ ἄλγεα δυσμενέεσσι, χάρματα δ εὐμενέτῃσι, μάλιστα δέ τ ἔκλυον αὐτοί." 185 τὸν δ αὖ Ναυσικάα λευκώλενος ἀντίον ηὔδα: ξεῖν, ἐπεὶ οὔτε κακῷ οὔτ ἄφρονι φωτὶ ἔοικας: Ζεὺς δ αὐτὸς νέμει ὄλβον Ὀλύμπιος ἀνθρώποισιν, ἐσθλοῖς ἠδὲ κακοῖσιν, ὅπως ἐθέλῃσιν, ἑκάστῳ: καί που σοὶ τάδ ἔδωκε, σὲ δὲ χρὴ τετλάμεν ἔμπης. 190 But, queen, pity (me), for having suffered (μογήσας aor. m. nom. sg. part. act.) many bad things, I came (ἱκόμην aor. 1st sg. indic. dep.) to you first (σὲ in the previous line is the obj. of ἐς), not knowing anyone of other men, Who hold this city and land. Show (δεῖξον aor.sg. act. imperative) me the town, give a rag to throw around myself (ἀμφιβαλέσθαι mid. aor. inf.), If you have a wrapper of clothes here going (ἰοῦσα pres. f. act. part. of εἶμι). May the gods give (δοῖεν opt. of wish) you as many things as you have in mind (μενοινᾷς contracted 2nd sg. act. pres. indic., orig. μενοιναεις), Both a man and a home, and may they send (ὀπάσειαν aor. 3rd pl. opt.) you excellent oneness of mind, For nothing is better and mightier than this (τοῦ gen. of comparison), When (ὅθ = ὁτε) man and women, being of like mind (ὁμοφρονέοντε pres. act. nom. dual part.) with thoughts, have (ἔχητον 3rd dual pres. indic. act.) a house, There are (understood) many (πόλλ = πολλα) pains to hostile men, but there are (understood) causes of joy to well- wishers, And they hear (ἔκλυον aor. or imperf. 3rd pl. act. indic., syllabically augmented) it most of all themselves." And the white- armed Nausicaa addressed (ηὔδα syllabically augmented 3rd sg. imperf. Available at dgdissemination.wordpress.com 1
indic. act.) him in reply, "Stranger, since you seem (ἔοικας 2nd sg. perf. indic. act. w/ pres. force) like to neither a bad man nor a fool, And the Olympian Zeus himself assigns prosperity to men, To excellent and bad men, as he desires (ἐθέλῃσιν alternate 3rd sg. act. subj. ending, = ἐθελῃ) for each: And perhaps he gave these things to you, and it is necessary for you nevertheless to endure (τετλάμεν perf. act. inf.). Lesson XIV νῦν δ, ἐπεὶ ἡμετέρην τε πόλιν καὶ γαῖαν ἱκάνεις, οὔτ οὖν ἐσθῆτος δευήσεαι οὔτε τευ ἄλλου, ὧν ἐπέοιχ ἱκέτην ταλαπείριον ἀντιάσαντα. ἄστυ δέ τοι δείξω, ἐρέω δέ τοι οὔνομα λαῶν. Φαίηκες μὲν τήνδε πόλιν καὶ γαῖαν ἔχουσιν, 195 εἰμὶ δ ἐγὼ θυγάτηρ μεγαλήτορος Ἀλκινόοιο, τοῦ δ ἐκ Φαιήκων ἔχεται κάρτος τε βίη τε." ἦ ῥα καὶ ἀμφιπόλοισιν ἐυπλοκάμοισι κέλευσε: "στῆτέ μοι, ἀμφίπολοι: πόσε φεύγετε φῶτα ἰδοῦσαι; ἦ μή πού τινα δυσμενέων φάσθ ἔμμεναι ἀνδρῶν; 200 οὐκ ἔσθ οὗτος ἀνὴρ διερὸς βροτὸς οὐδὲ γένηται, ὅς κεν Φαιήκων ἀνδρῶν ἐς γαῖαν ἵκηται δηιοτῆτα φέρων: μάλα γὰρ φίλοι ἀθανάτοισιν. οἰκέομεν δ ἀπάνευθε πολυκλύστῳ ἐνὶ πόντῳ, ἔσχατοι, οὐδέ τις ἄμμι βροτῶν ἐπιμίσγεται ἄλλος. 205 And now, since you come to our city and our land, You will lack neither (δευήσεαι fut. 2nd sg. indic. dep.) clothes nor anything else, Of those things which it is fitting for a much- suffering suppliant, having met (someone), not to lack. And I will show you the town and I will tell you the name of our people, The Phaecians hold (ἔχουσιν 3rd pl. pres. indic. act.) this city and land, And I am the daughter of great- hearted Alcinous, On whom (τοῦ...ἐκ anastrophe) hinge both the strength and the force of the Phaecians." Thus she spoke (ἦ 3rd sg. imperf. indic. act.), and she commanded the fair- tressed maidens: "Stand (στῆτέ aor. imperative 2nd pl.) for my sake (μοι ethical dat.) handmaids, whither did you flee, having seen (ἰδοῦσαι aor. act. part. fem. nom. pl.) the man? Surely you don't say (φάσθ 2nd pl. aor. indic. mid., an ε is elided) that he is a certain man of hostile men? There is (ἔσθ = ἐστι, 3rd sg. indic.) not such a living man, nor may a mortal be born (γένηται aor. subj. 3rd sg. dep.), Who may come into the land of the Phaecian men, Available at dgdissemination.wordpress.com 2
Bearing (φέρων pres. nom. masc. sg. part.) strife, for we are very much friendly to the immortals, And we, the most remote, dwell far away on the much- surging sea, And nome other of the mortals mingles with us (ἄμμι = ἡμιν, dat. pl. 1st). Lesson XV ἀλλ ὅδε τις δύστηνος ἀλώμενος ἐνθάδ ἱκάνει, τὸν νῦν χρὴ κομέειν: πρὸς γὰρ Διός εἰσιν ἅπαντες ξεῖνοί τε πτωχοί τε, δόσις δ ὀλίγη τε φίλη τε. ἀλλὰ δότ, ἀμφίπολοι, ξείνῳ βρῶσίν τε πόσιν τε, λούσατέ τ ἐν ποταμῷ, ὅθ ἐπὶ σκέπας ἔστ ἀνέμοιο." 210 ὣς ἔφαθ, αἱ δ ἔσταν τε καὶ ἀλλήλῃσι κέλευσαν, κὰδ δ ἄρ Ὀδυσσῆ εἷσαν ἐπὶ σκέπας, ὡς ἐκέλευσε Ναυσικάα θυγάτηρ μεγαλήτορος Ἀλκινόοιο: πὰρ δ ἄρα οἱ φᾶρός τε χιτῶνά τε εἵματ ἔθηκαν, δῶκαν δὲ χρυσέῃ ἐν ληκύθῳ ὑγρὸν ἔλαιον, 215 ἤνωγον δ ἄρα μιν λοῦσθαι ποταμοῖο ῥοῇσιν. δή ῥα τότ ἀμφιπόλοισι μετηύδα δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς: "ἀμφίπολοι, στῆθ οὕτω ἀπόπροθεν, ὄφρ ἐγὼ αὐτὸς ἅλμην ὤμοιιν ἀπολούσομαι, ἀμφὶ δ ἐλαίῳ χρίσομαι: ἦ γὰρ δηρὸν ἀπὸ χροός ἐστιν ἀλοιφή. 220 ἄντην δ οὐκ ἂν ἐγώ γε λοέσσομαι: αἰδέομαι γὰρ γυμνοῦσθαι κούρῃσιν ἐυπλοκάμοισι μετελθών." But this certain unfortunate wandering (ἀλώμενος contracted from ἀλαομενος, pres. part. m. sg. nom.) man comes here, And it is now necessary to tend (κομέειν pres. act. inf.) to him, For both all strangers and beggars are from Zeus, And the gift is (understood) both small and dear. But give, handmaids both food and water to the stranger, And wash (λούσατέ aor. 2nd sg. imperative act.) (him) in the river, Where shelter from the winds is at hand (adverbial use of ἐπὶ)." Thus she spoke, and they both stood (ἔσταν augmented alternate 3rd pl. aor. indic act., = στησαν) and ordered the others. And they sat (εἷσαν temporally augmented aor. 3rd pl.) Odysseus down near food, as Nausicaa, The daughter of great- hearted Alcinous, commanded (ἐκέλευσε syllabically augmented aor. 3rd sg.), And they put a mantle and tunic near him for clothing (εἵματ (α) predicative), And gave him fluid olive oil in a golden flask, And they urged (ἤνωγον temporally augmented imperf. 3rd pl. indic.) him to wash himself (λοῦσθαι contracted pres. mid. inf., = λουεσθαι) with the currents (dat. of means) of the river, Available at dgdissemination.wordpress.com 3
Indeed then glorious Odysseus spoke among (μετηύδα temporally augmented and contracted 3rd sg. indic. imperf. act., = μεταυδαε) the handmaidens, "Handmaids, stand (στῆθ aor. pl. imp., an ε is elided, and the final τ became a θ) thus far away, so that I myself, May wash off (ἀπολούσομαι 1st sg. pres. subj. mid.., shortened from ἀπολουσωμαι), the brine from my shoulders (ὤμοιιν dual gen. of separation) and anoint myself (χρίσομαι aor. 1st sg. subj. mid., shortened from χρισωμαι), Around with olive oil, for truly ointment is away from my skin for a long time. And openly I would not wash myself, for I shrink from making myself naked, having mingled (μετελθών aor. act. m. sg. nom. part.) among fair- tressed maidens. Lesson XVI ὣς ἔφαθ, αἱ δ ἀπάνευθεν ἴσαν, εἶπον δ ἄρα κούρῃ. αὐτὰρ ὁ ἐκ ποταμοῦ χρόα νίζετο δῖος Ὀδυσσεὺς ἅλμην, ἥ οἱ νῶτα καὶ εὐρέας ἄμπεχεν ὤμους, 225 ἐκ κεφαλῆς δ ἔσμηχεν ἁλὸς χνόον ἀτρυγέτοιο. αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ δὴ πάντα λοέσσατο καὶ λίπ ἄλειψεν, ἀμφὶ δὲ εἵματα ἕσσαθ ἅ οἱ πόρε παρθένος ἀδμής, τὸν μὲν Ἀθηναίη θῆκεν Διὸς ἐκγεγαυῖα μείζονά τ εἰσιδέειν καὶ πάσσονα, κὰδ δὲ κάρητος 230 οὔλας ἧκε κόμας, ὑακινθίνῳ ἄνθει ὁμοίας. ὡς δ ὅτε τις χρυσὸν περιχεύεται ἀργύρῳ ἀνὴρ ἴδρις, ὃν Ἥφαιστος δέδαεν καὶ Παλλὰς Ἀθήνη τέχνην παντοίην, χαρίεντα δὲ ἔργα τελείει, ὣς ἄρα τῷ κατέχευε χάριν κεφαλῇ τε καὶ ὤμοις. 235 ἕζετ ἔπειτ ἀπάνευθε κιὼν ἐπὶ θῖνα θαλάσσης, κάλλεϊ καὶ χάρισι στίλβων: θηεῖτο δὲ κούρη. Thus he spoke, and they went away (ἴσαν imperf. 3rd pl. of εἶμι) and spoke to the daughter, But the glorious Odysseus with water from the river ( = ἐκ ποταμοῦ, "with water" is idiomatic) washed (νίζετο mid. aor. 3rd sg. indic.) brine off his flesh, which covered his wide shoulders and back (νῶτα poetic plural): And he wiped from his head the brine of the barren sea. But when he washed all things and anointed himself plenteously, He put (ἕσσαθ aor. 3rd sg. indic. mid.) clothes around himself, which the young maiden gave to him, And Athena, born from Zeus, made him larger and thicker to see (εἰσιδέειν explanatory infinitive), And sent wooly hairs down from his head, similar to a hyacinth flower, As when a certain skilled man overlays gold with silver, Whom Hephaestus and Pallas Athena taught every sort of skill, and he accomplishes Available at dgdissemination.wordpress.com 4
(τελείει = τελεει, pres. 3rd sg. indic. act.) graceful work, Thus did she pour (κατέχευε syllabically augmented aor. 3rd sg. indic. act.) grace down him, both his head and shoulders. And then he sat (ἕζετ 3rd sg. indic. act. dep.) far away going to the beach of the sea, Resplendent with beauty and graces, and the daughter gazed (θηεῖτο contracted imperf. dep. 3rd sg. indic., = θηεετο) at him. Lesson XVII δή ῥα τότ ἀμφιπόλοισιν ἐυπλοκάμοισι μετηύδα: "κλῦτέ μευ, ἀμφίπολοι λευκώλενοι, ὄφρα τι εἴπω. οὐ πάντων ἀέκητι θεῶν, οἳ Ὄλυμπον ἔχουσιν, 240 Φαιήκεσσ ὅδ ἀνὴρ ἐπιμειξεται ἀντιθέοισι: πρόσθεν μὲν γὰρ δή μοι ἀεικέλιος δέατ εἶναι, νῦν δὲ θεοῖσιν ἔοικε, τοὶ οὐρανὸν εὐρὺν ἔχουσιν. αἲ γὰρ ἐμοὶ τοιόσδε πόσις κεκλημένος εἴη ἐνθάδε ναιετάων, καὶ οἱ ἅδοι αὐτόθι μίμνειν. 245 ἀλλὰ δότ, ἀμφίπολοι, ξείνῳ βρῶσίν τε πόσιν τε." ὣς ἔφαθ, αἱ δ ἄρα τῆς μάλα μὲν κλύον ἠδ ἐπίθοντο, πὰρ δ ἄρ Ὀδυσσῆι ἔθεσαν βρῶσίν τε πόσιν τε. ἦ τοι ὁ πῖνε καὶ ἦσθε πολύτλας δῖος Ὀδυσσεὺς ἁρπαλέως: δηρὸν γὰρ ἐδητύος ἦεν ἄπαστος. 250 Then indeed she spoke among (μετηύδα temporally augmented and contracted 3rd sg. indic. imperf. act., = μεταυδαε) the fair- tressed handmaidens: "Attend (κλῦτέ pres. pl. imperative) to me, white- armed handmaidens, so that I may say (εἴπω aor. subj, 3rd sg.) something. Not against the will of the gods, who hold Olympus, Will this man mingle (ἐπιμειξεται fut. dep. indic. 3rd sg.) with the god- like Phaecians: For at first he seemed to be shabby to me, But now he seems like the gods who (τοὶ ὁ, ἡ, το as a relative pronoun) hold broad heaven. If only such a man might be called (κεκλημένος εἴη perf. part. w/ opt. of εἰμι, translate as "might.") my (ἐμοὶ dat. of possession) husband, Of all the women dwelling here (ναιετάων pres. act. fem. gen. part.), and it might be pleasing (ἅδοι aor. 3rd sg. opt act.) to him to remain here. But give, handmaids, both food and drink to the stranger. Thus she spoke, and they heard her and obeyed very willingly. And they put both food and drink near Odysseus. Indeed glorious unflinching Odysseus voraciously ate (ἦσθε temporally augmented imperf. 3rd sg.) and drank, For he was long not partaking of food. Available at dgdissemination.wordpress.com 5
Lesson XVIII αὐτὰρ Ναυσικάα λευκώλενος ἄλλ ἐνόησεν: εἵματ ἄρα πτύξασα τίθει καλῆς ἐπ ἀπήνης, ζεῦξεν δ ἡμιόνους κρατερώνυχας, ἂν δ ἔβη αὐτή, ὤτρυνεν δ Ὀδυσῆα, ἔπος τ ἔφατ ἔκ τ ὀνόμαζεν: "ὄρσεο δὴ νῦν, ξεῖνε, πόλινδ ἴμεν ὄφρα σε πέμψω 255 πατρὸς ἐμοῦ πρὸς δῶμα δαΐφρονος, ἔνθα σέ φημι πάντων Φαιήκων εἰδησέμεν ὅσσοι ἄριστοι. ἀλλὰ μάλ ὧδ ἔρδειν, δοκέεις δέ μοι οὐκ ἀπινύσσειν: ὄφρ ἂν μέν κ ἀγροὺς ἴομεν καὶ ἔργ ἀνθρώπων, τόφρα σὺν ἀμφιπόλοισι μεθ ἡμιόνους καὶ ἄμαξαν 260 καρπαλίμως ἔρχεσθαι: ἐγὼ δ ὁδὸν ἡγεμονεύσω. αὐτὰρ ἐπὴν πόλιος ἐπιβήομεν, ἣν πέρι πύργος ὑψηλός, καλὸς δὲ λιμὴν ἑκάτερθε πόληος, λεπτὴ δ εἰσίθμη: νῆες δ ὁδὸν ἀμφιέλισσαι εἰρύαται: πᾶσιν γὰρ ἐπίστιόν ἐστιν ἑκάστῳ. 265 ἔνθα δέ τέ σφ ἀγορὴ καλὸν Ποσιδήιον ἀμφίς, ῥυτοῖσιν λάεσσι κατωρυχέεσσ ἀραρυῖα. ἔνθα δὲ νηῶν ὅπλα μελαινάων ἀλέγουσι, πείσματα καὶ σπεῖρα, καὶ ἀποξύνουσιν ἐρετμά. οὐ γὰρ Φαιήκεσσι μέλει βιὸς οὐδὲ φαρέτρη, 270 ἀλλ ἱστοὶ καὶ ἐρετμὰ νεῶν καὶ νῆες ἐῖσαι, ᾗσιν ἀγαλλόμενοι πολιὴν περόωσι θάλασσαν. τῶν ἀλεείνω φῆμιν ἀδευκέα, μή τις ὀπίσσω μωμεύῃ: μάλα δ εἰσὶν ὑπερφίαλοι κατὰ δῆμον: But white- armed Nausicaa thought other things. Having folded the clothes, she placed them upon the beautiful wagon, And yoked the solid- hoofed mules under, and she herself went up. And she urged on Odysseus and spoke a word and called him out by name. "Now rush, stranger, to go to the city so that I may send you, To the house of my sagacious father, Where I say you will know of all the Phaecians as many are best. But do thus very much: you do not seem to me to lack understanding. While we go through the fields and works of men, For so long with the handmaidens go swiftly behind the mules and wagon, and I will lead the way. But when we come upon the city around which, Is the high turreted wall, and there is a beautiful, Harbor on either side of the city, and there is a Narrow entrance, and maneuverable ships are drawn up along the road for there is a boat slip for all, one for each, And there is their assembly around a beautiful temple of Poseidon, Available at dgdissemination.wordpress.com 6
Fitted with quarried stones embedded in the ground. There they care for the tools of dark ships, Ropes and cables, and they sharpen oars. For the bow and the quiver are not a care to the Phaecians, But masts and oars of ships and well- balanced ships, Exalting in which they traverse the grey sea. I avoid their harsh speech lest someone reproach me hereafter, And they are very overbearing according to the people. Available at dgdissemination.wordpress.com 7