αὐτὰρ ὁ ἐκ ποταμοῦ χρόα νίζετο δῖος Ὀδυσσεὺς ἅλμην, ἥ οἱ νῶτα καὶ εὐρέας ἄμπεχεν ὤμους, 225 ἐκ κεφαλῆς δ᾽ ἔσμηχεν ἁλὸς χνόον ἀτρυγέτοιο.
αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ δὴ πάντα λοέσσατο καὶ λίπ᾽ ἄλειψεν, ἀμφὶ δὲ εἵματα ἕσσαθ᾽ ἅ οἱ πόρε παρθένος ἀδμής, τὸν μὲν Ἀθηναίη θῆκεν Διὸς ἐκγεγαυῖα
μείζονά τ᾽ εἰσιδέειν καὶ πάσσονα, κὰδ δὲ κάρητος 230 οὔλας ἧκε κόμας, ὑακινθίνῳ ἄνθει ὁμοίας. ὡς δ᾽ ὅτε τις χρυσὸν περιχεύεται ἀργύρῳ ἀνὴρ
ἴδρις, ὃν Ἥφαιστος δέδαεν καὶ Παλλὰς Ἀθήνη τέχνην παντοίην, χαρίεντα δὲ ἔργα τελείει, ὣς ἄρα τῷ κατέχευε χάριν κεφαλῇ τε καὶ ὤμοις. 235
ἕζετ᾽ ἔπειτ᾽ ἀπάνευθε κιὼν ἐπὶ θῖνα θαλάσσης, κάλλεϊ καὶ χάρισι στίλβων· θηεῖτο δὲ κούρη. δή ῥα τότ᾽ ἀμφιπόλοισιν ἐυπλοκάμοισι μετηύδα·
ʺκλῦτέ μευ, ἀμφίπολοι λευκώλενοι, ὄφρα τι εἴπω. οὐ πάντων ἀέκητι θεῶν, οἳ Ὄλυμπον ἔχουσιν, 240 Φαιήκεσσ᾽ ὅδ᾽ ἀνὴρ ἐπιμίσγεται ἀντιθέοισι·
πρόσθεν μὲν γὰρ δή μοι ἀεικέλιος δέατ᾽ εἶναι, νῦν δὲ θεοῖσιν ἔοικε, τοὶ οὐρανὸν εὐρὺν ἔχουσιν. αἲ γὰρ ἐμοὶ τοιόσδε πόσις κεκλημένος εἴη
ἐνθάδε ναιετάων, καὶ οἱ ἅδοι αὐτόθι μίμνειν. 245 ἀλλὰ δότ᾽, ἀμφίπολοι, ξείνῳ βρῶσίν τε πόσιν τε.ʺ ὣς ἔφαθ᾽, αἱ δ᾽ ἄρα τῆς μάλα μὲν κλύον ἠδ᾽ ἐπίθοντο,
πὰρ δ᾽ ἄρ᾽ Ὀδυσσῆι ἔθεσαν βρῶσίν τε πόσιν τε. ἦ τοι ὁ πῖνε καὶ ἦσθε πολύτλας δῖος Ὀδυσσεὺς
| Mighty Odysseus bathed in the river, washing his body, sluicing the sea-brine coating his back and his broad shoulders, scrubbing away the dandruff of salt-crust scaling his head.
Once he had bathed, and was glistening with oil, he put on the clothing the princess had given him, while divine Athena enhanced his appearance, making him seem taller, more muscled and powerful, and down from his forehead
running his curls in ringlets like clusters of hyacinth blossom. Masterly as an artisan pouring gold upon silver (and one whom Hephaestus and Athena had tutored in skillful technique), as he perfects his creation,
Athena now lavished such glory on Odysseus’ head and shoulders. Walking to the shore, he sat there, alone, shimmering with glamour; and the breath-taken princess stood and stared at him, lost in wonder.
Turning to her handmaids with the long-braided-hair, she spoke to them, saying: “Listen to me now, my girls with white arms, the gods on Olympus surely are not all against this man who visits among us.
Shameful and crude, at first he seemed, but now I confess that if only a man like this were my husband, and stayed on forever! Just be sure, my girls, he has plenty to eat and to drink.”
They listened attentively, and hurried away to do her bidding, bringing Odysseus food and drink; and he feasted greedily; god-like Odysseus, so hungry, so long since he tasted meat
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