Homer : The Underworld ( Odyssey - Rhapsody 11 )

Then came also the ghost of Theban Teiresias, with his golden sceptre in his hand. He knew me and said, 'Ulysses, noble son of Laertes, why, poor man, have you left the light of day and come down to visit the dead in this sad place? Stand back from the trench and withdraw your sword that I may drink of the blood and answer your questions truly.'

So I drew back, and sheathed my sword, whereon when he had drank of the blood he began with his prophecy.

'You want to know,' said he, 'about your return home, but heaven will make this hard for you. I do not think that you will escape the eye of Neptune, who still nurses his bitter grudge against you for having blinded his son. Still, after much suffering you may get home if you can restrain yourself and your companions when your ship reaches the Thrinacian island, where you will find the sheep and cattle belonging to the sun, who sees and gives ear to everything. If you leave these flocks unharmed and think of nothing but of getting home, you may yet after much hardship reach Ithaca; but if you harm them, then I forewarn you of the destruction both of your ship and of your men. Even though you may yourself escape, you will return in bad plight after losing all your men in another man's ship, and you will find trouble in your house, which will be overrun by high-handed people, who are devouring your substance under the pretext of paying court and making presents to your wife.

Ἦλθε δ΄ ἐπὶ ψυχὴ Θηβαίου Τειρεσίαο͵ χρύσεον σκῆπτρον ἔχων͵ ἐμὲ δ΄ ἔγνω καὶ προσέειπε· [διογενὲς Λαερτιάδη͵ πολυμήχαν΄ Ὀδυσσεῦ͵] τίπτ΄ αὖτ΄͵ ὦ δύστηνε͵ λιπὼν φάος ἠελίοιο ἤλυθες͵ ὄφρα ἴδῃ νέκυας καὶ ἀτερπέα χῶρον; ἀλλ΄ ἀποχάζεο βόθρου͵ ἄπισχε δὲ φάσγανον ὀξύ͵ αἵματος ὄφρα πίω καί τοι νημερτέα εἴπω.

ὣς φάτ΄͵ ἐγὼ δ΄ ἀναχασσάμενος ξίφος ἀργυρόηλον κουλεῷ ἐγκατέπηξ΄. ὁ δ΄ ἐπεὶ πίεν αἷμα κελαινόν͵ καὶ τότε δή μ΄ ἐπέεσσι προσηύδα μάντις ἀμύμων·

νόστον δίζηαι μελιηδέα͵ φαίδιμ΄ Ὀδυσσεῦ· τὸν δέ τοι ἀργαλέον θήσει θεός. οὐ γὰρ ὀΐω λήσειν ἐννοσίγαιον͵ ὅ τοι κότον ἔνθετο θυμῷ͵ χωόμενος ὅτι οἱ υἱὸν φίλον ἐξαλάωσας. ἀλλ΄ ἔτι μέν κε καὶ ὧς͵ κακά περ πάσχοντες͵ ἵκοισθε͵ αἴ κ΄ ἐθέλῃς σὸν θυμὸν ἐρυκακέειν καὶ ἑταίρων͵ ὁππότε κεν πρῶτον πελάσῃς εὐεργέα νῆα Θρινακίῃ νήσῳ͵ προφυγὼν ἰοειδέα πόντον͵ βοσκομένας δ΄ εὕρητε βόας καὶ ἴφια μῆλα Ἠελίου͵ ὃς πάντ΄ ἐφορᾷ καὶ πάντ΄ ἐπακούει. τὰς εἰ μέν κ΄ ἀσινέας ἐάᾳς νόστου τε μέδηαι͵ καί κεν ἔτ΄ εἰς Ἰθάκην͵ κακά περ πάσχοντες͵ ἵκοισθε· εἰ δέ κε σίνηαι͵ τότε τοι τεκμαίρομ΄ ὄλεθρον νηΐ τε καὶ ἑτάροισ΄. αὐτὸς δ΄ εἴ πέρ κεν ἀλύξῃς͵ ὀψὲ κακῶς νεῖαι͵ ὀλέσας ἄπο πάντας ἑταίρους͵ νηὸς ἐπ΄ ἀλλοτρίης· δήεις δ΄ ἐν πήματα οἴκῳ͵ ἄνδρας ὑπερφιάλους͵ οἵ τοι βίοτον κατέδουσι μνώμενοι ἀντιθέην ἄλοχον καὶ ἕδνα διδόντες.

Homer Bilingual Anthology : THE UNDERWORLD - 4

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