| Homer, Odyssey (English) (XML Header) [genre: poetry; hexameter] [word count] [lemma count] [Hom. Od.]. | ||
| <<Hom. Od. 13.256 | Hom. Od. 13.382 (Greek English(2)) | >>Hom. Od. 13.440 |
13.329"You are always taking something
of that sort into your head," replied Athena, "and that is why I
cannot desert you in your afflictions; you are so plausible, shrewd
and shifty. Any one but yourself on returning from so long a voyage
would at once have gone home to see his wife and children, but you do
not seem to care about asking after them or hearing any news about
them till you have made trial of your wife, who remains at home
vainly grieving for you, and having no peace night or day for the
tears she sheds on your behalf. As for my not coming near you, I was
never uneasy about you, for I was certain you would get back safely
though you would lose all your men, and I did not wish to quarrel
with my uncle Poseidon, who never forgave you for having blinded his
son. I will now, however, point out to you the lie of the land, and
you will then perhaps believe me. This is the haven of the Old One of
the Sea, Phorkys, and here is the olive tree that grows at the head
of it; [near it is the cave sacred to the Naiads;] here too
is the overarching cavern in which you have offered many an
acceptable hecatomb to the nymphs, and this is the wooded mountain
Neritum."
Laertes , think how you can lay hands on these disreputable
people who have been lording it in your house these three years,
courting your wife and making wedding presents to her, while she does
nothing but mourning your nostos , giving hope and sending
encouraging messages to every one of them, but meaning [in her
noos ] the very opposite of all she says."
Troy 's fair diadem from her brow. Help me now as you did then,
and I will fight three hundred men, if you, goddess, will be with
me."
Sparta and see your son, who is with Menelaos at Lacedaemon , where he
has gone to try and find a report [kleos ] on whether
you are still alive."
kleos ] of for having gone. He is in no sort of
difficulty [ponos ], but is staying quite comfortably
with Menelaos, and is surrounded with abundance of every kind. The
suitors have put out to sea and are lying in wait for him, for they
mean to kill him before he can get home. I do not much think they
will succeed, but rather that some of those who are now eating up
your estate will first find a grave themselves."
13.352As she spoke the goddess dispersed the mist and the land appeared. Then Odysseus rejoiced at finding himself again in his own land, and kissed the bounteous soil; he lifted up his hands and prayed to the nymphs, saying, "Naiad nymphs, daughters of Zeus, I made sure that I was never again to see you, now therefore I greet you with all loving salutations, and I will bring you offerings as in the old days, if Zeus’ redoubtable daughter will grant me life, and bring my son to manhood."
13.362"Take heart, and do not trouble yourself about that," rejoined Athena, "let us rather set about stowing your things at once in the cave, where they will be quite safe. Let us see how we can best manage it all."
13.366Therewith she went down into the cave to look for the safest hiding places, while Odysseus brought up all the treasure of gold, bronze, and good clothing which the Phaeacians had given him. They stowed everything carefully away, and Athena set a stone against the door of the cave. Then the two sat down by the root of the great olive, and consulted how to compass the destruction of the wicked suitors.
13.375"Odysseus," said Athena, "noble son of
13.382And Odysseus answered, "In good truth, goddess, it seems I should have come to much the same bad end in my own house as Agamemnon did, if you had not given me such timely information. Advise me how I shall best avenge myself. Stand by my side and put your courage into my heart as on the day when we loosed
13.393"Trust me for that," said she, "I will not lose sight of you when once we set about it, and I would imagine that some of those who are devouring your substance will then bespatter the pavement with their blood and brains. I will begin by disguising you so that no human being shall know you; I will cover your body with wrinkles; you shall lose all your yellow hair; I will clothe you in a garment that shall fill all who see it with loathing; I will blear your fine eyes for you, and make you an unseemly object in the sight of the suitors, of your wife, and of the son whom you left behind you. Then go at once to the swineherd who is in charge of your pigs; he has been always well affected towards you, and is devoted to Penelope and your son; you will find him feeding his pigs near the rock that is called Raven by the fountain Arethusa, where they are fattening on beechmast and spring water after their manner. Stay with him and find out how things are going, while I proceed to
13.416"But why," said Odysseus, "did you not tell him, for you knew all about it? Did you want him too to go sailing about amid all kinds of hardship while others are eating up his estate?"
13.420Athena answered, "Never mind about him, I sent him that he might be well spoken [
13.429As she spoke Athena touched him with her wand and covered him with wrinkles, took away all his yellow hair, and withered the flesh over his whole body; she bleared his eyes, which were naturally very fine ones; she changed his clothes and threw an old rag of a wrap about him, and a tunic, tattered, filthy, and begrimed with smoke; she also gave him an undressed deer skin as an outer garment, and furnished him with a staff and a wallet all in holes, with a twisted thong for him to sling it over his shoulder.
| Homer, Odyssey (English) (XML Header) [genre: poetry; hexameter] [word count] [lemma count] [Hom. Od.]. | ||
| <<Hom. Od. 13.256 | Hom. Od. 13.382 (Greek English(2)) | >>Hom. Od. 13.440 |
