Homer : Returning to Ithaca ( Odyssey - Rhapsody 13 )

The Phaeacians then began talking among themselves, and one would turn towards his neighbour, saying, "Bless my heart, who is it that can have rooted the ship in the sea just as she was getting into port? We could see the whole of her only a moment ago." This was how they talked, but they knew nothing about it; and Alcinous said, "I remember now the old prophecy of my father. He said that Neptune would be angry with us for taking every one so safely over the sea, and would one day wreck a Phaeacian ship as it was returning from an escort, and bury our city under a high mountain. This was what my old father used to say, and now it is all coming true. Now therefore let us all do as I say; in the first place we must leave off giving people escorts when they come here, and in the next let us sacrifice twelve picked bulls to Neptune that he may have mercy upon us, and not bury our city under the high mountain." When the people heard this they were afraid and got ready the bulls. Thus did the chiefs and rulers of the Phaeacians pray to king Neptune, standing round his altar;

οἱ δὲ πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἔπεα πτερόεντ΄ ἀγόρευον Φαίηκες δολιχήρετμοι͵ ναυσικλυτοὶ ἄνδρες. ὧδε δέ τις εἴπεσκεν ἰδὼν ἐς πλησίον ἄλλον· ὤ μοι͵ τίς δὴ νῆα θοὴν ἐπέδησ΄ ἐνὶ πόντῳ οἴκαδ΄ ἐλαυνομένην; καὶ δὴ προὐφαίνετο πᾶσα. ὣς ἄρα τις εἴπεσκε· τὰ δ΄ οὐκ ἴσαν ὡς ἐτέτυκτο. τοῖσιν δ΄ Ἀλκίνοος ἀγορήσατο καὶ μετέειπεν· ὢ πόποι͵ ἦ μάλα δή με παλαίφατα θέσφαθ΄ ἱκάνει πατρὸς ἐμοῦ͵ ὃς ἔφασκε Ποσειδάων΄ ἀγάσασθαι ἡμῖν͵ οὕνεκα πομποὶ ἀπήμονές εἰμεν ἁπάντων. φῆ ποτε Φαιήκων ἀνδρῶν περικαλλέα νῆα ἐκ πομπῆς ἀνιοῦσαν ἐν ἠεροειδέϊ πόντῳ ῥαισέμεναι͵ μέγα δ΄ ἧμιν ὄρος πόλει ἀμφικαλύψειν. ὣς ἀγόρευ΄ ὁ γέρων· τὰ δὲ δὴ νῦν πάντα τελεῖται. ἀλλ΄ ἄγεθ΄͵ ὡς ἂν ἐγὼ εἴπω͵ πειθώμεθα πάντες· πομπῆς μὲν παύεσθε βροτῶν͵ ὅτε κέν τις ἵκηται ἡμέτερον προτὶ ἄστυ· Ποσειδάωνι δὲ ταύρους δώδεκα κεκριμένους ἱερεύσομεν͵ αἴ κ΄ ἐλεήσῃ μηδ΄ ἥμιν περίμηκες ὄρος πόλει ἀμφικαλύψῃ. ὣς ἔφαθ΄͵ οἱ δ΄ ἔδδεισαν͵ ἑτοιμάσσαντο δὲ ταύρους. ὣς οἱ μέν ῥ΄ εὔχοντο Ποσειδάωνι ἄνακτι δήμου Φαιήκων ἡγήτορες ἠδὲ μέδοντες͵ ἑσταότες περὶ βωμόν.

Homer Bilingual Anthology : RETURNING TO ITHACA - 8

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