| Homer, Odyssey (English) (XML Header) [genre: poetry; hexameter] [word count] [lemma count] [Hom. Od.]. | ||
| <<Hom. Od. 14.1 | Hom. Od. 14.72 (Greek English(2)) | >>Hom. Od. 14.191 |
14.29When the hounds saw Odysseus they
set up a furious barking and flew at him, but Odysseus was cunning
enough to sit down and loose his hold of the stick that he had in his
hand: still, he would have been torn by them in his own homestead had
not the swineherd dropped his ox hide, rushed full speed through the
gate of the yard and driven the dogs off by shouting and throwing
stones at them. Then he said to Odysseus, "Old man, the dogs were
likely to have made short work of you, and then you would have got me
into trouble. The gods have given me quite enough worries without
that, for I have lost the best of masters, and am in continual grief
on his account. I have to attend swine for other people to eat, while
he, if he yet lives to see the light of day, is starving in some
distant dêmos . But come inside, and when you have had
your fill of bread and wine, tell me where you come from, and all
about your misfortunes."
nostos ] of him who would have been always
good to me and given me something of my own - a house, a piece of
land, a good looking wife, and all else that a liberal master allows
a servant who has worked hard for him, and whose labor the gods have
prospered as they have mine in the situation which I hold. If my
master had grown old here he would have done great things by me, but
he is gone, and I wish that Helen's whole race were utterly
destroyed, for she has been the death of many a good man. It was this
matter that took my master to Ilion , the land of noble steeds, to
fight the Trojans in the cause of king Agamemnon."
dikê ]. Even the fierce
free-booters who go raiding on other people's land, and Zeus
gives them their spoil - even they, when they have filled their ships
and got home again live conscience-stricken, and look fearfully for
judgment; but some god seems to have told these people that Odysseus
is dead and gone; they will not, therefore, go back to their own
homes and make their offers of marriage in the proper way
[dikaios ], but waste his estate by force, without fear
or stint. Not a day or night comes out of heaven, but they sacrifice
not one victim nor two only, and they take the run of his wine, for
he was exceedingly rich. No other great man either in Ithaca or on
the mainland is as rich as he was; he had as much as twenty men put
together. I will tell you what he had. There are twelve herds of
cattle upon the mainland, and as many flocks of sheep, there are also
twelve droves of pigs, while his own men and hired strangers feed him
twelve widely spreading herds of goats. Here in Ithaca he runs even
large flocks of goats on the far end of the island, and they are in
the charge of excellent goatherds. Each one of these sends the
suitors the best goat in the flock every day. As for myself, I am in
charge of the pigs that you see here, and I have to keep picking
[krinô ] out the best I have and sending it to
them."
alêthês ]; every one who finds his way to
the Ithacan dêmos goes to my mistress and tells her
falsehoods, whereon she takes them in, makes much of them, and asks
them all manner of questions, crying all the time as women will when
they have lost their husbands. And you too, old man, for a shirt and
a cloak would doubtless make up a very pretty story. But the wolves
and birds of prey have long since torn Odysseus to pieces, and his
psukhê left him behind; or the fishes of the sea have
eaten him, and his bones are lying buried deep in sand upon some
foreign shore; he is dead and gone, and a bad business it is for all
his friends - for me especially; go where I may I shall never find so
good a master, not even if I were to go home to my mother and father
where I was bred and born. I do not so much care, however, about my
parents now, though I should dearly like to see them again in my own
country; it is the loss of Odysseus that grieves me most; I cannot
speak of him without reverence though he is here no longer, for he
was very fond of me, and took such care of me that wherever he may be
I shall always honor his memory."
14.48On this the swineherd led the way into the hut and bade him sit down. He strewed a good thick bed of rushes upon the floor, and on the top of this he threw the shaggy chamois skin - a great thick one - on which he used to sleep by night. Odysseus was pleased at being made thus welcome, and said "May Zeus, sir, and the rest of the gods grant you your heart's desire in return for the kind way in which you have received me."
14.55To this you answered, O swineherd Eumaios, "Stranger, though a still poorer man should come here, it would not be right for me to insult him, for all strangers and beggars are from Zeus. You must take what you can get and be thankful, for servants live in fear when they have young lords for their masters; and this is my misfortune now, for heaven has hindered the return [
14.72As he spoke he bound his belt round him and went to the sties where the young sucking pigs were penned. He picked out two which he brought back with him and sacrificed. He singed them, cut them up, and spitted on them; when the meat was cooked he brought it all in and set it before Odysseus, hot and still on the spit, whereon Odysseus sprinkled it over with white barley meal. The swineherd then mixed wine in a bowl of ivy-wood, and taking a seat opposite Odysseus told him to begin.
14.80"Fall to, stranger," said he, "on a dish of servant's pork. The fat pigs have to go to the suitors, who eat them up without shame or scruple; but the blessed gods love not such shameful doings, and respect those who do what is lawful and right [
14.109This was his story, but Odysseus went on eating and drinking ravenously without a word, brooding his revenge. When he had eaten enough and was satisfied, the swineherd took the bowl from which he usually drank, filled it with wine, and gave it to Odysseus, who was pleased, and said as he took it in his hands, "My friend, who was this master of yours that bought you and paid for you, so rich and so powerful as you tell me? You say he perished in the cause of King Agamemnon; tell me who he was, in case I may have met with such a person. Zeus and the other gods know, but I may be able to give you news of him, for I have traveled much."
14.121Eumaios answered, "Old man, no traveler who comes here with news will get Odysseus’ wife and son to believe his story. Nevertheless, tramps in want of a lodging keep coming with their mouths full of lies, and not a word of truth [
| Homer, Odyssey (English) (XML Header) [genre: poetry; hexameter] [word count] [lemma count] [Hom. Od.]. | ||
| <<Hom. Od. 14.1 | Hom. Od. 14.72 (Greek English(2)) | >>Hom. Od. 14.191 |
