Pages

Friday, August 30, 2024

Vengeance

Homer, Odyssey 24.433-436 (Eupeithes speaking; tr. A.T. Murray):
For a shame is this even for men that are yet to be to hear of, if we shall not take vengeance on the slayers of our sons and our brothers. To me surely life would then no more be sweet; rather would I die at once and be among the dead.

λώβη γὰρ τάδε γ᾽ ἐστὶ καὶ ἐσσομένοισι πυθέσθαι,
εἰ δὴ μὴ παίδων τε κασιγνήτων τε φονῆας
τισόμεθ᾽. οὐκ ἂν ἐμοί γε μετὰ φρεσὶν ἡδὺ γένοιτο        435
ζωέμεν, ἀλλὰ τάχιστα θανὼν φθιμένοισι μετείην.
Murray omitted μετὰ φρεσὶν (435) in his translation, a rare slip.

See Hubert J. Treston, Poine: A Study in Ancient Greek Blood-Vengeance (London: Longmans, Green and Co., 1923).