Homer : Returning to Ithaca ( Odyssey - Rhapsody 13 )

"Take heart, and do not trouble yourself about that," rejoined Minerva, "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." Therewith she went down into the cave to look for the safest hiding places, while Ulysses brought up all the treasure of gold, bronze, and good clothing which the Phaeacians had given him. They stowed everything carefully away, and Minerva 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. "Ulysses," said Minerva, "noble son of 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 lament your absence, giving hope and sending encouraging messages to every one of them, but meaning the very opposite of all she says." And Ulysses 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 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."

τὸν δ΄ αὖτε προσέειπε θεὰ γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη θάρσει͵ μή τοι ταῦτα μετὰ φρεσὶ σῇσι μελόντων· ἀλλὰ χρήματα μὲν μυχῷ ἄντρου θεσπεσίοιο θείομεν αὐτίκα νῦν͵ ἵνα περ τάδε τοι σόα μίμνῃ· αὐτοὶ δὲ φραζώμεθ΄͵ ὅπως ὄχ΄ ἄριστα γένηται. ὣς εἰποῦσα θεὰ δῦνε σπέος ἠεροειδές͵ μαιομένη κευθμῶνας ἀνὰ σπέος· αὐτὰρ Ὀδυσσεὺς ἄσσον πάντ΄ ἐφόρει͵ χρυσὸν καὶ ἀτειρέα χαλκὸν εἵματά τ΄ εὐποίητα͵ τά οἱ Φαίηκες ἔδωκαν. καὶ τὰ μὲν εὖ κατέθηκε͵ λίθον δ΄ ἐπέθηκε θύρῃσι Παλλὰς Ἀθηναίη͵ κούρη Διὸς αἰγιόχοιο. τὼ δὲ καθεζομένω ἱερῆς παρὰ πυθμέν΄ ἐλαίης φραζέσθην μνηστῆρσιν ὑπερφιάλοισιν ὄλεθρον. τοῖσι δὲ μύθων ἦρχε θεὰ γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη· διογενὲς Λαερτιάδη͵ πολυμήχαν΄ Ὀδυσσεῦ͵ φράζευ ὅπως μνηστῆρσιν ἀναιδέσι χεῖρας ἐφήσεις͵ οἳ δή τοι τρίετες μέγαρον κάτα κοιρανέουσι͵ μνώμενοι ἀντιθέην ἄλοχον καὶ ἕδνα διδόντες· ἡ δὲ σὸν αἰεὶ νόστον ὀδυρομένη κατὰ θυμὸν πάντας μέν ῥ΄ ἔλπει καὶ ὑπίσχεται ἀνδρὶ ἑκάστῳ͵ ἀγγελίας προϊεῖσα͵ νόος δέ οἱ ἄλλα μενοινᾷ. τὴν δ΄ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς· ὢ πόποι͵ ἦ μάλα δὴ Ἀγαμέμνονος Ἀτρεΐδαο φθείσεσθαι κακὸν οἶτον ἐνὶ μεγάροισιν ἔμελλον͵ εἰ μή μοι σὺ ἕκαστα͵ θεά͵ κατὰ μοῖραν ἔειπες. ἀλλ΄ ἄγε μῆτιν ὕφηνον͵ ὅπως ἀποτείσομαι αὐτούς· πὰρ δέ μοι αὐτὴ στῆθι μένος πολυθαρσὲς ἐνεῖσα͵ οἷον ὅτε Τροίης λύομεν λιπαρὰ κρήδεμνα. αἴ κέ μοι ὣς μεμαυῖα παρασταίης͵ γλαυκῶπι͵ καί κε τριηκοσίοισιν ἐγὼν ἄνδρεσσι μαχοίμην σὺν σοί͵ πότνα θεά͵ ὅτε μοι πρόφρασσ΄ ἐπαρήγοις.

Homer Bilingual Anthology : RETURNING TO ITHACA - 16

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