The Odyssey 12.16–30
And the beautiful goddess stood in our midst, and spoke among us, saying:
“‘Rash men, who have gone down alive to the house of Hades to meet death twice, while other men die but once. Nay, come, eat food and drink wine here this whole day through; but at the coming of Dawn ye shall set sail, and I will point out the way and declare to you each thing, in order that ye may not suffer pain and woes through wretched ill-contriving either by sea or on land.’
“So she spoke, and our proud hearts consented. So then all day long till set of sun we sat feasting on abundant flesh and sweet wine. But when the sun set and darkness came on, they lay down to rest beside the stern cables of the ship; but Circe took me by the hand, and leading me apart from my dear comrades, made me to sit, and herself lay down close at hand and asked me all the tale.
ἡμεῖς μὲν τὰ ἕκαστα διείπομεν· οὐδʼ ἄρα
Κίρκην
ἐξ Ἀίδεω ἐλθόντες ἐλήθομεν, ἀλλὰ μάλʼ ὦκα
ἦλθʼ ἐντυναμένη· ἅμα δʼ ἀμφίπολοι φέρον αὐτῇ
σῖτον καὶ κρέα πολλὰ καὶ αἴθοπα οἶνον ἐρυθρόν.
ἡ δʼ ἐν μέσσῳ στᾶσα μετηύδα δῖα θεάων·
σχέτλιοι, οἳ ζώοντες ὑπήλθετε δῶμʼ Ἀίδαο,
δισθανέες, ὅτε τʼ ἄλλοι ἅπαξ θνῄσκουσʼ ἄνθρωποι.
ἀλλʼ ἄγετʼ ἐσθίετε βρώμην καὶ πίνετε οἶνον
αὖθι πανημέριοι· ἅμα δʼ ἠοῖ φαινομένηφι
πλεύσεσθʼ· αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ δείξω ὁδὸν ἠδὲ ἕκαστα
σημανέω, ἵνα μή τι κακορραφίῃ ἀλεγεινῇ
ἢ ἁλὸς ἢ ἐπὶ γῆς ἀλγήσετε πῆμα παθόντες.
ὣς ἔφαθʼ, ἡμῖν δʼ αὖτʼ ἐπεπείθετο θυμὸς
ἀγήνωρ.
ὣς τότε μὲν πρόπαν ἦμαρ ἐς ἠέλιον καταδύντα
ἥμεθα δαινύμενοι κρέα τʼ ἄσπετα καὶ μέθυ ἡδύ·