A Reading Course in Homeric Greek
ἡμῖν δ’ αὖ κατόπισθε νεὸς κυανοπρῴροιο
ἴκμενον οὖρον ἵει πλησίστιον, ἐσθλὸν ἑταῖρον,
Κίρκη ἐϋπλόκαμος, δεινὴ θεὸς αὐδήεσσα. 150
αὐτίκα δ’ ὅπλα ἕκαστα πονησάμενοι κατὰ νῆα
ἥμεθα· τὴν δ’ ἄνεμός τε κυβερνήτης τ’ ἴθυνε.ἀγέλη, -ης [f.] herd [of cattle]
ἀπ-οικίζω, — , ἀπ-οἴκισα I send away from home
ἀσινής, -ές unharmed
αὐδήεις, -εσσα, -εν using (mortal) speech
γόνος, -ου [m.] offspring
ἕλιξ, -ικος [adj.] bent-horned [epithet of oxen]
ἐπιποιμήν, -ένος [m.] herdsman
ἴκμενος, -ου [adj.] favorable [epithet of οὖρος]
κατόπισθε [prep. + gen.] behind, following
Θρῑνακίη, -ης [f.] Thrinacia [mythical island, home
of Helius and his cattle]
̓ῑθῡ ́νω I steer
Λαμπετίη, -ης [f.] Lampetia [a nymph, daughter of
Helius and Neaera]
μέδομαι I take thought for, I remember [+ gen.]
Νέαιρα, -ης [f.] Neaera [a nymph]ὀψέ [adv.] late, after the lapse of a long time
πατρώϊος, -η, -ον paternal, hereditary
πε ν τ ήκον τα [indecl.] fift y
πλησίστιος, -η, -ον swelling the sail
πρυμνήσια [n. pl.] stern-cables
σίνομαι I harm
τεκμαίρομαι I foretell
τηλόθι [adv.] far away
Ὑπ ε ρῑ ́ων, -ονος [m.] son of Hyperion [epithet of
Helius]
Φαέθουσα, -ης [f.] Phaethusa [a nymph, daughter
of Helius and Neaera]
φθινύθω I waste away; I pass away
χρυσόθρονος, -ον golden-throned [epithet of
Dawn, Hera, and Artemis]- NOTES
130 γίνεται = γίγνεται. See also line 12. 87 above.
132 Φαέθουσά τε Λαμπετίη τε : These names mean “radiant” and “gleaming”— suitable for
daughters of the Sun.
135 ναίειν : inf. expressing purpose (§25, above and §588 in Book 1).
136 φυλασσέμεναι : inf. expressing purpose (§25, above and §588 in Book 1).
137 ἐάᾳς = ἐάῃς. The regular contracted form of ἐάῃς would be ἐᾷς. Here, the vowel and
diphthong (α and ῃ) that would ordinarily be contracted have been assimilated so as to
give a double α (alpha). εἰ ... ἐάᾳς ... τε μέδηαι, ... ἂν ... ἵκοισθε : Protasis of a general
condition, with a potential opt. in the apodosis.
138 κακά περ πάσχοντες : concessive use of the participle (§199 in Book 1).
139 δέ picks up μέν in 137.
141 νεῖαι : contracted 2 sg. pres. ind. of νέομαι (= νέεαι), or possibly subj. (short ε for η in νέεαι).
Either way, the verb has a future sense.
143 ἡ ... δῖα θεάων is Circe.
149 ἵει : impf. ind. act. of ἵημι (cf. §473 in Book 1).
151 ὅπλα ἕκαστα πονησάμενοι : “having attended to all of the rigging.”
152 ἥμεθα : See §15, above.