Seba.Health

The Odyssey 19.309–334

The Odyssey 19.309–334
Then shouldest thou straightway know of kindness and many a gift from me, so that one who met thee would call thee blessed. Yet in my heart I forebode it thus, even as it shall be. Neither shall Odysseus any more come home, nor shalt thou obtain a convoy hence, since there are not now in the house such masters as Odysseus was among men—as sure as ever such a man there was—to send reverend strangers on their way, and to welcome them. And right early in the morning bathe him and anoint him, that in our house at the side of Telemachus he may bethink him of food as he sits in the hall. And worse shall it be for any man among them who vexes this man's soul with pain; naught thereafter shall he accomplish here, how fierce soever his wrath. For how shalt thou learn of me, stranger, whether I in any wise excel other women in wit and prudent counsel, if all unkempt and clad in poor raiment thou sittest at meat in my halls? Men are but short-lived. If one be himself hard, and have a hard heart, on him do all mortal men invoke woes for the time to come, while he still lives, and when he is dead all men mock at him. But if one be blameless and have a blameless heart, his fame do strangers bear far and wide among all men, and many call him a true man.”
αἲ γὰρ τοῦτο, ξεῖνε, ἔπος τετελεσμένον εἴη· τῷ κε τάχα γνοίης φιλότητά τε πολλά τε δῶρα ἐξ ἐμεῦ, ὡς ἄν τίς σε συναντόμενος μακαρίζοι. ἀλλά μοι ὧδʼ ἀνὰ θυμὸν ὀΐεται, ὡς ἔσεταί περ· οὔτʼ Ὀδυσεὺς ἔτι οἶκον ἐλεύσεται, οὔτε σὺ πομπῆς τεύξῃ, ἐπεὶ οὐ τοῖοι σημάντορές εἰσʼ ἐνὶ οἴκῳ οἷος Ὀδυσσεὺς ἔσκε μετʼ ἀνδράσιν, εἴ ποτʼ ἔην γε, ξείνους αἰδοίους ἀποπεμπέμεν ἠδὲ δέχεσθαι. ἀλλά μιν, ἀμφίπολοι, ἀπονίψατε, κάτθετε δʼ εὐνήν, δέμνια καὶ χλαίνας καὶ ῥήγεα σιγαλόεντα, ὥς κʼ εὖ θαλπιόων χρυσόθρονον Ἠῶ ἵκηται. ἠῶθεν δὲ μάλʼ ἦρι λοέσσαι τε χρῖσαί τε, ὥς κʼ ἔνδον παρὰ Τηλεμάχῳ δείπνοιο μέδηται ἥμενος ἐν μεγάρῳ· τῷ δʼ ἄλγιον ὅς κεν ἐκείνων τοῦτον ἀνιάζῃ θυμοφθόρος· οὐδέ τι ἔργον ἐνθάδʼ ἔτι πρήξει, μάλα περ κεχολωμένος αἰνῶς. πῶς γὰρ ἐμεῦ σύ, ξεῖνε, δαήσεαι εἴ τι γυναικῶν ἀλλάων περίειμι νόον καὶ ἐπίφρονα μῆτιν, εἴ κεν ἀϋσταλέος, κακὰ εἱμένος ἐν μεγάροισιν δαινύῃ; ἄνθρωποι δὲ μινυνθάδιοι τελέθουσιν. ὃς μὲν ἀπηνὴς αὐτὸς ἔῃ καὶ ἀπηνέα εἰδῇ, τῷ δὲ καταρῶνται πάντες βροτοὶ ἄλγεʼ ὀπίσσω ζωῷ, ἀτὰρ τεθνεῶτί γʼ ἐφεψιόωνται ἅπαντες· ὃς δʼ ἂν ἀμύμων αὐτὸς ἔῃ καὶ ἀμύμονα εἰδῇ, τοῦ μέν τε κλέος εὐρὺ δὶα ξεῖνοι φορέουσι πάντας ἐπʼ ἀνθρώπους, πολλοί τέ μιν ἐσθλὸν ἔειπον.
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