A Reading Course in Homeric Greek
ἔξω δ’ ἐξίσχει κεφαλὰς δεινοῖο βερέθρου·
αὐτοῦ δ’ ἰχθυάᾳ, σκόπελον περιμαιμώωσα, 95
δελφῖνάς τε κύνας τε καὶ εἴ ποθι μεῖζον ἕλῃσι
κῆτος, ἃ μυρία βόσκει ἀγάστονος Ἀμφιτρίτη.
τῇ δ’ οὔ πώ ποτε ναῦται ἀκήριοι εὐχετόωνται
παρφυγέειν σὺν νηΐ· φέρει δέ τε κρατὶ ἑκάστῳ
φῶτ’ ἐξαρπάξασα νεὸς κυανοπρῴροιο. 100ἀγάστονος, -ον much-roaring [epithet of
Amphitrite]
αἰζήϊος, -η, -ον vigorous
αἴθρη, -ης [f.] clear sky
ἀκήριος, -ον unharmed
ἀμφι-βαίνω, ἀμφι- βήσομαι, ἀμφι-βῆν, ἀμφι-βέβηκα
I go around; I envelop
ἄωρος, -η, -ον pendulous
βέρεθρον, -ου [n.] deep recess, hollow
δειρή, -ῆς neck
δελφ ́ῑς, -ῖνος [m.] dolphin
ἐ είκοσι(ν) [indecl.] twent y
ἐξ-αρπάζω, ἐξ-αρπάξω , ἐξ-άρπαξα I snatch away
from [+ gen.]
ἐξ-ίσχω I hold outside
ἔξω [prep. + gen.] outside of
Ἔρεβος, gen. Ἔρέβευς [n.] Erebus [a place of nether
darkness, above Hades]
ἐρωέω I retire, I draw back
εὐχετάομαι I boast [+ inf.]
ζόφος, -ου [m.] darkness; the quarter of the setting
sun
ἠεροειδής, -ές mistyθαμέες [m. pl. adj.] close-set
θέρος, -εος [n.] summer
ἰχθυάω I fish for [+ acc.]
κῆτος, -εος [n.] sea-monster
κύων, κυνός [m. or f.] sea-dog
λάσκω I shriek, I howl
λίς = λισσή
λισσός, -ή, -όν smooth, sheer
ναύτης, -ᾱο [m.] sailor
νεογῑλός, -ή, -όν newly born
ὀϊστεύω, ὀϊστεύσω, ὀΐστευσα I shoot arrows
ὀδούς, -όντος [m.] tooth
ὀπώρη, -ης [f.] late summer; harvest-time
παρα-φεύγω, etc. I pass in safety, I escape past
πέλωρ, -ωρος [n.] a being of uncommon size,
monster
περι-μαιμάω I gaze eagerly around [+ acc.]
περί-ξεστος, -ον very polished
πλεῖος, -η, -ον full of [+ gen.]
ποθί [enclitic adv.] somewhere, anywhere
σκύλαξ, σκύλακος [m. or f.] puppy
τρίστοιχος, -η, -ον set in three rows- NOTES
73ff. οἱ δὲ δύω σκόπελοι... Circe nows describes the second alternative (cf. 56f.), the route
between Scylla and Charybdis. This nominative has no verb, and may be translated as a
partitive genitive: “of the two crags, the one (ὁ μὲν)...” ὁ μὲν : the rock that has Scylla’s
cave. Charybdis’ rock will be described at 101ff. (τὸν δ’...).
75 τὸ μὲν = the entire clause νεφέλη δέ μιν ἀμφιβέβηκε / κυανέη (rather than νεφέλη κυανέη,
whose gender is feminine).
76 ἔχει : “envelops.”
77f. οὐδέ κεν ἀμβαίη ... /οὐδ’ εἴ ... εἶεν : Fut. Less Vivid construction (§285a in Book 1).
81 τετραμμένον : pf. m.-p. ptc. of τρέπω. Its subject is σπέος in 80. ᾗ περ : “where”
82 ἰθύνετε : aor. subj. The first aorist subjunctive in Homer often has the short thematic
vowels ε and o for Attic η and ω. This subjunctive, with ἂν in 81, has the force of a future
indicative in a potential sense, as is common in prophecies.
83f. οὐδέ κεν ... εἰσαφίκοιτο : potential opt. See §285b in Book 1.