Seba.Health

The Odyssey 23.231–245

The Odyssey 23.231–245
has smitten on the sea as it was driven on by the wind and the swollen wave, and but few have made their escape from the gray sea to the shore by swimming, and thickly are their bodies crusted with brine, and gladly have they set foot on the land and escaped from their evil case; even so welcome to her was her husband, as she gazed upon him, and from his neck she could in no wise let her white arms go. And now would the rosy-fingered Dawn have arisen upon their weeping, had not the goddess, flashing-eyed Athena, taken other counsel. The long night she held back at the end of its course, and likewise stayed the golden-throned Dawn at the streams of Oceanus, and would not suffer her to yoke her swift-footed horses that bring light to men, Lampus and Phaethon, who are the colts that bear the Dawn. Then to his wife said Odysseus of many wiles: “Wife, we have not yet come to the end of all our trials, but still hereafter there is to be measureless toil,
ὣς φάτο, τῷ δʼ ἔτι μᾶλλον ὑφʼ ἵμερον ὦρσε γόοιο· κλαῖε δʼ ἔχων ἄλοχον θυμαρέα, κεδνὰ ἰδυῖαν. ὡς δʼ ὅτʼ ἂν ἀσπάσιος γῆ νηχομένοισι φανήῃ, ὧν τε Ποσειδάων εὐεργέα νῆʼ ἐνὶ πόντῳ ῥαίσῃ, ἐπειγομένην ἀνέμῳ καὶ κύματι πηγῷ· παῦροι δʼ ἐξέφυγον πολιῆς ἁλὸς ἤπειρόνδε νηχόμενοι, πολλὴ δὲ περὶ χροῒ τέτροφεν ἅλμη, ἀσπάσιοι δʼ ἐπέβαν γαίης, κακότητα φυγόντες· ὣς ἄρα τῇ ἀσπαστὸς ἔην πόσις εἰσοροώσῃ, δειρῆς δʼ οὔ πω πάμπαν ἀφίετο πήχεε λευκώ. καί νύ κʼ ὀδυρομένοισι φάνη ῥοδοδάκτυλος Ἠώς, εἰ μὴ ἄρʼ ἄλλʼ ἐνόησε θεὰ γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη. νύκτα μὲν ἐν περάτῃ δολιχὴν σχέθεν, Ἠῶ δʼ αὖτε ῥύσατʼ ἐπʼ Ὠκεανῷ χρυσόθρονον, οὐδʼ ἔα ἵππους ζεύγνυσθʼ ὠκύποδας, φάος ἀνθρώποισι φέροντας,
Read in context →