But when I, on my part, asked him that I might depart and bade him send me on my way, he, too, denied me nothing, but furthered my sending. options are on the right side and top of the page. And art thou come to release them? queenly Circe has told me all.’. [144] "But when fair-tressed Dawn brought to its birth the third day, then I took my spear and my sharp sword, and quickly went up from the ship to a place of wide prospect, in the hope that I might see the works of men, and hear their voice. But come, tell the fate of the others, our comrades.’, [422] “So they spoke, and I answered them with gentle words: `First of all let us draw the ship up on the land, and store our goods and all the tackling in caves. Then haste you, one and all, to go with me that you may see your comrades in the sacred halls of Circe, drinking and eating, for they have unfailing store.’, [428] “So I spoke, and they quickly hearkened to my words. Then I told off in two bands all my well-greaved comrades, and appointed a leader for each band. But when I had my fill of weeping and writhing, then I made answer, and addressed her, saying: `O Circe, who will guide us on this journey? Then from their limbs the bristles fell away which the baneful drug that queenly Circe gave them had before made to grow, and they became men again, younger than they were before, and far comelier and taller to look upon. And now Aeolus has given him these gifts, granting them freely of his love. The Odyssey with an English Translation by A.T. Murray, PH.D. in two volumes. But when with prayers thou hast made supplication to the glorious tribes of the dead, then sacrifice a ram and a black ewe, turning their heads toward Erebus but thyself turning backward, and setting thy face towards the streams of the river. Memory and Grief. So they were penned there weeping, and before them Circe flung mast and acorns, and the fruit of the cornel tree, to eat, such things as wallowing swine are wont to feed upon. But when a year was gone and the seasons turned, as the months waned and the long days were brought in their course, then my trusty comrades called me forth, and said: `Strange man, bethink thee now at last of thy native land, if it is fated for thee to be saved, and to reach thy high-roofed house and thy native land.’, [475] “So they spoke, and my proud heart consented. Now while they were slaying those within the deep harbor, I meanwhile drew my sharp sword from beside my thigh, and cut therewith the cables of my dark-prowed ship; and quickly calling to my comrades bade them fall to their oars, that we might escape from out our evil plight. So they stood there before her, and she went through the midst of them, and anointed each man with another charm. And she prepared me a potion in a golden cup, that I might drink, and put therein a drug, with evil purpose in her heart. (3). From their faces they drew their cloaks, and marvelled at the stag on the shore of the unresting sea, for he was a very mighty beast. Then their father answered and said: `Begone from our island with speed, thou vilest of all that live. And worn was the spirit of the men by the grievous rowing, because of our own folly, for no longer appeared any breeze to bear us on our way. Then we disembarked, and lay there for two days and two nights, eating our hearts for weariness and sorrow. (1): Cross-references in notes to this page Piety, Customs, and Justice. For no man else soever hath withstood this charm, when once he has drunk it, and it has passed the barrier of his teeth. line to jump to another position: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License, Pleiades ancient places geospacial dataset for this text, http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.perseus-eng1:10.133-10.177, http://data.perseus.org/texts/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.perseus-eng1, http://data.perseus.org/texts/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002, http://data.perseus.org/catalog/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.perseus-eng1. View a map of the most frequently mentioned places in this document. Current location in this text. [388] “So I spoke, and Circe went forth through the hall holding her wand in her hand, and opened the doors of the sty, and drove them out in the form of swine of nine years old. But when they saw and recognized one another, face to face, they wept and wailed, and the house rang around. Od. Nay, thou needest in no wise fear, for already have I sworn a mighty oath to do thee no harm.’, [383] “So she spoke, but I answered her, and said: `Circe, what man that is right-minded could bring himself to taste of food or drink, ere yet he had won freedom for his comrades, and beheld them before his face? Theoi Project © Copyright 2000 - 2017 Aaron J. Atsma, New Zealand. [135] [118] Then he raised a cry throughout the city, and as they heard it the mighty Laestrygonians came thronging from all sides, a host past counting, not like men but like the Giants. Commentary references to this page And do thou earnestly entreat the powerless heads of the dead, vowing that when thou comest to Ithaca thou wilt sacrifice in thy halls a barren heifer, the best thou hast, and wilt fill the altar with rich gifts; and that to Teiresias alone thou wilt sacrifice separately a ram, wholly black, the goodliest of thy flock. Hide browse bar So I stood at the gates of the fair-tressed goddess. Of myself I know both all the woes you have suffered on the teeming deep, and all the wrong that cruel men have done you on the land. Then come back thyself, and bring thy trusty comrades.’, [406] “So she spoke, and my proud heart consented. Hide browse bar Then the seer will presently come to thee, leader of men, and he will tell thee thy way and the measures of thy path, and of thy return, how thou mayest go over the teeming deep.’, [541] “So she spoke, and straightway came golden-throned Dawn. Themes and Colors Key LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Odyssey, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. Dost thou haply forbode some other guile? with the additional restriction that you offer Perseus any modifications you make. And I debated in mind and heart, whether I should go and make search, when I had seen the flaming smoke. [10] Lo, thy comrades yonder in the house of Circe are penned like swine in close-barred sties. Nay, come, let us quickly see what is here, what store of gold and silver is in the wallet.’. But no good came of their mourning. At the root it was black, but its flower was like milk. For it was through this man's folly that they too perished.’, [439] “So he spoke, and I pondered in heart, whether to draw my long sword from beside my stout thigh, and therewith strike off his head, and bring it to the ground, near kinsman of mine by marriage though he was; but my comrades one after another sought to check me with gentle words: `O thou sprung from Zeus, as for this man, we will leave him, if thou so biddest, to abide here by the ship, and to guard the ship, but as for us, do thou lead us to the sacred house of Circe.’, [446] “So saying, they went up from the ship and the sea. Begone, for thou comest hither as one hated of the immortals.’. Nay, with these that are here let us flee with all speed, for still we may haply escape the evil day.’, [270] “So he spoke, but I answered him, and said: `Eurylochus, do thou stay here in this place, eating and drinking by the hollow, black ship; but I will go, for strong necessity is laid upon me.’, [274] “So saying, I went up from the ship and the sea. Thither, prince, do thou draw nigh, as I bid thee, and dig a pit of a cubit's length this way and that, and around it pour a libation to all the dead, first with milk and honey, thereafter with sweet wine, and in the third place with water, and sprinkle thereon white barley meal. Nay, come, while there is yet food and drink in our swift ship, let us bethink us of food, that we pine not with hunger.’, [178] “So I spoke, and they quickly hearkened to my words. Then they all vanished together, nor did one of them appear again, though I sat long and watched.’, [261] “So he spoke, and I cast my silver-studded sword about my shoulders, a great sword of bronze, and slung my bow about me, and bade him lead me back by the self-same road. He was coming down to the river from his pasture in the wood to drink, for the might of the sun oppressed him; and as he came out I struck him on the spine in the middle of the back, and the bronze spear passed right through him, and down he fell in the dust with a moan, and his spirit flew from him. [46] “So they spoke, and the evil counsel of my comrades prevailed. To him even in death Persephone has granted reason, that he alone should have understanding; but the others flit about as shadows.’, [496] “So she spoke, and my spirit was broken within me, and I wept as I sat on the bed, nor had my heart any longer desire to live and behold the light of the sun. Glory and Honor . Your current position in the text is marked in blue. There a man who never slept could have earned a double wage, one by herding cattle, and one by pasturing white sheep; for the out goings of the night and of the day are close together. Then she bade me eat, but my heart inclined not thereto. with the additional restriction that you offer Perseus any modifications you make. Moly the gods call it, and it is hard for mortal men to dig; but with the gods all things are possible. And thus would one speak, with a glance at his neighbor: `Out on it, how beloved and honored this man is by all men, to whose city and land soever he comes! And she came forth straightway, and opened the bright doors, and bade them in; and they all went with her in their folly. But when we were on our way to the swift ship and the shore of the sea, sorrowing and shedding big tears, meanwhile Circe had gone forth and made fast beside the black ship a ram and a black ewe, for easily had she passed us by. So then all day long till set of sun we sat feasting on abundant flesh and sweet wine. An XML version of this text is available for download, And they all tossed the sea with their oar-blades in fear of death, and joyfully seaward, away from the beetling cliffs, my ship sped on; but all those other ships were lost together there. In no wise may I help or send upon his way that man who is hated of the blessed gods. Straightway then she came forth, and opened the bright doors, and bade me in; and I went with her, my heart sore troubled. Straightway he seized one of my comrades and made ready his meal, but the other two sprang up and came in flight to the ships. Fate, the Gods, and Free Will. There was one, Elpenor, the youngest of all, not over valiant in war nor sound of understanding, who had laid him down apart from his comrades in the sacred house of Circe, seeking the cool air, for he was heavy with wine.