Homer : Returning to Ithaca ( Odyssey - Rhapsody 13 )

It grows any quantity of corn and also wine, for it is watered both by rain and dew; it breeds cattle also and goats; all kinds of timber grow here, and there are watering places where the water never runs dry; so, sir, the name of Ithaca is known even as far as Troy, which I understand to be a long way off from this Achaean country." Ulysses was glad at finding himself, as Minerva told him, in his own country, and he began to answer, but he did not speak the truth, and made up a lying story in the instinctive wiliness of his heart. "I heard of Ithaca," said he, "when I was in Crete beyond the seas, and now it seems I have reached it with all these treasures. I have left as much more behind me for my children, but am flying because I killed Orsilochus son of Idomeneus, the fleetest runner in Crete. I killed him because he wanted to rob me of the spoils I had got from Troy with so much trouble and danger both on the field of battle and by the waves of the weary sea; he said I had not served his father loyally at Troy as vassal, but had set myself up as an independent ruler, so I lay in wait for him with one of my followers by the road side, and speared him as he was coming into town from the country. It was a very dark night and nobody saw us; it was not known, therefore, that I had killed him, but as soon as I had done so I went to a ship and besought the owners, who were Phoenicians, to take me on board and set me in Pylos or in Elis where the Epeans rule, giving them as much spoil as satisfied them.

ἐν μὲν γάρ οἱ σῖτος ἀθέσφατος͵ ἐν δέ τε οἶνος γίνεται· αἰεὶ δ΄ ὄμβρος ἔχει τεθαλυῖά τ΄ ἐέρση. αἰγίβοτος δ΄ ἀγαθὴ καὶ βούβοτος· ἔστι μὲν ὕλη παντοίη͵ ἐν δ΄ ἀρδμοὶ ἐπηετανοὶ παρέασι. τῶ τοι͵ ξεῖν΄͵ Ἰθάκης γε καὶ ἐς Τροίην ὄνομ΄ ἵκει͵ τήν περ τηλοῦ φασὶν Ἀχαιΐδος ἔμμεναι αἴης. ὣς φάτο͵ γήθησεν δὲ πολύτλας δῖος Ὀδυσσεὺς χαίρων ᾗ γαίῃ πατρωΐῃ͵ ὥς οἱ ἔειπε Παλλὰς Ἀθηναίη͵ κούρη Διὸς αἰγιόχοιο· καί μιν φωνήσας ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα· οὐδ΄ ὅ γ΄ ἀληθέα εἶπε͵ πάλιν δ΄ ὅ γε λάζετο μῦθον͵ αἰὲν ἐνὶ στήθεσσι νόον πολυκερδέα νωμῶν· πυνθανόμην Ἰθάκης γε καὶ ἐν Κρήτῃ εὐρείῃ͵ τηλοῦ ὑπὲρ πόντου· νῦν δ΄ εἰλήλουθα καὶ αὐτὸς χρήμασι σὺν τοίσδεσσι· λιπὼν δ΄ ἔτι παισὶ τοσαῦτα φεύγω͵ ἐπεὶ φίλον υἷα κατέκτανον Ἰδομενῆος͵ Ὀρσίλοχον πόδας ὠκύν͵ ὃς ἐν Κρήτῃ εὐρείῃ ἀνέρας ἀλφηστὰς νίκα ταχέεσσι πόδεσσιν͵ οὕνεκά με στερέσαι τῆς ληΐδος ἤθελε πάσης Τρωϊάδος͵ τῆς εἵνεκ΄ ἐγὼ πάθον ἄλγεα θυμῷ͵ ἀνδρῶν τε πτολέμους ἀλεγεινά τε κύματα πείρων͵ οὕνεκ΄ ἄρ΄ οὐχ ᾧ πατρὶ χαριζόμενος θεράπευον δήμῳ ἔνι Τρώων͵ ἀλλ΄ ἄλλων ἦρχον ἑταίρων. τὸν μὲν ἐγὼ κατιόντα βάλον χαλκήρεϊ δουρὶ ἀγρόθεν͵ ἐγγὺς ὁδοῖο λοχησάμενος σὺν ἑταίρῳ· νὺξ δὲ μάλα δνοφερὴ κάτεχ΄ οὐρανόν͵ οὐδέ τις ἥμεας ἀνθρώπων ἐνόησε͵ λάθον δέ ἑ θυμὸν ἀπούρας. αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ δὴ τόν γε κατέκτανον ὀξέϊ χαλκῷ͵ αὐτίκ΄ ἐγὼν ἐπὶ νῆα κιὼν Φοίνικας ἀγαυοὺς ἐλλισάμην καί σφιν μενοεικέα ληΐδα δῶκα· τούς μ΄ ἐκέλευσα Πύλονδε καταστῆσαι καὶ ἐφέσσαι ἢ εἰς ῎Ηλιδα δῖαν͵ ὅθι κρατέουσιν Ἐπειοί.

Homer Bilingual Anthology : RETURNING TO ITHACA - 11

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