Up went Akróneôs Top-Ship, Okýalos Quick-Sea, the Paddler,Yes, the Phaeacians were a seafaring folk, and yes, most of the names in this passage are redende Namen, significant names. But I cannot help regarding Mendelsohn's translation here as grotesque, freakish, and extremely distracting. To my mind, the proper way to indicate the meaning of the names would be in the Introduction, or the Notes and Commentary, or the Glossary of Proper Nouns, not in this outlandish manner.
Sea-Man Nauteús and Aft-Deck, Beach-Man, Eretmeús the Rower,
Deep-Sea Ponteús and Fore-Deck, Full-Speed and All-Aboard,
And Amphíalos Sea-Girt, the son of Many-Ships, child of Sea-Wright;
Up stood Eurýalos Broad-Sea, the equal of Ares, that plague on mortals—
The son of Naúbolos the Sounder, who in looks and physique surpassed
All of the other Phaiêkians after handsome Laodámas.
There arose as well three children of handsome Alkínoös:
Laodámas and Hálios Sea-Lad, and godlike Klytónêos Ship-Fame.
ὦρτο μὲν Ἀκρόνεώς τε καὶ Ὠκύαλος καὶ Ἐλατρεύς,
Ναυτεύς τε Πρυμνεύς τε καὶ Ἀγχίαλος καὶ Ἐρετμεύς,
Ποντεύς τε Πρωρεύς τε, Θόων Ἀναβησίνεώς τε
Ἀμφίαλός θ᾽, υἱὸς Πολυνήου Τεκτονίδαο·
ἂν δὲ καὶ Εὐρύαλος, βροτολοιγῷ ἶσος Ἄρηϊ, 115
Ναυβολίδης, ὃς ἄριστος ἔην εἶδός τε δέμας τε
πάντων Φαιήκων μετ᾽ ἀμύμονα Λαοδάμαντα.
ἂν δ᾽ ἔσταν τρεῖς παῖδες ἀμύμονος Ἀλκινόοιο,
Λαοδάμας θ᾽ Ἅλιός τε καὶ ἀντίθεος Κλυτόνηος.
In addition, the treatment of some names is inconsistent — Εὐρύαλος, for example, appears as both "Eurýalos Broad-Sea" here and in line 140, but simply as "Eurýalos" in line 158.
I'm aware that W.H.D. Rouse and Robert Fitzgerald did something similar.
W.H.D. Rouse:
Young champions were found in plenty: Topship and Quicksea and Paddler, Seaman and Poopman, Beacher and Oarsman, Deepsea and Lookout, Goahead and Upaboard; there was Seagirt the son of Manyclipper Shipwrightson; there was Broadsea, the very spit of bloody Arês himself, and Admiraltidês, the finest man in stature and strength after the admirable Laodamas. And there were three sons of Alcinoös, Laodamas, and deep-sea Halios, and Clytoneos of naval renown.Robert Fitzgerald:
[A]nd many a young athlete now came forwardI prefer Peter Green's straightforward translation:
with seaside names like Tipmast, Tiderace, Sparwood,
Hullman, Sternman, Beacher and Pullerman,
Bluewater, Shearwater, Runningwake, Boardalee,
Seabelt, son of Grandfleet Shipwrightson;
Seareach stepped up, son of the Launching Master,
rugged as Ares, bane of men: his build
excelled all but the Prince Laódamas;
and Laódamas made entry with his brothers,
Halios and Klytóneus, sons of the king.
Up got Akroneōs, Ōkyalos and Elatreus,See Hans von Kamptz, Homerische Personennamen: Sprachwissenschaftliche und historische Klassifikation (Göttingen: Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht, 1982), p. 28.
Nauteus and Prymneus, Anchialos and Eretmeus,
Ponteus and Prōreus, Thoōn and Anabēsineōs,
with Amphialos, the son of Polynēos, Tektōn's son;
up, too, Euryalos, peer of man-killing Arēs,
Naubolos’ son, the best in looks and stature—
bar only peerless Laodamas—of all the Phaiakians;
and up got the three sons of matchless Alkinoös:
Laodamas, Halios, and godlike Klytonēos.
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