The Siren Vase — Odysseus bound to the mast; Attic red-figure, c. 480 BC, British Museum
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Odyssey 10.475 · Book 10, lines 475–477

One last day at Circe's table

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ὣς ἔφαν, αὐτὰρ ἐμοί γʼ ἐπεπείθετο θυμὸς ἀγήνωρ. ὣς τότε μὲν πρόπαν ἦμαρ ἐς ἠέλιον καταδύντα ἥμεθα, δαινύμενοι κρέα τʼ ἄσπετα καὶ μέθυ ἡδύ·

So they spoke, but in me, at least, my proud spirit was won over. So then, indeed, the whole day long, until the sun went down, we sat, feasting on boundless meat and sweet mellow wine.

Word by word

ὣςhṑssoἔφανéphanthey spoke,αὐτὰρautàrbutἐμοίemoíin meγʼg’(indeed)ἐπεπείθετοepepeíthetowas won overθυμὸςthymòsspiritἀγήνωρagḗnōrproud.ὣςhṑssoτότεtótethenμὲνmèn(indeed)πρόπανprópanthe wholeἦμαρêmardayἐςesuntilἠέλιονēélionthe sunκαταδύνταkatadýntawent downἥμεθαhḗmethawe sat,δαινύμενοιdainýmenoifeastingκρέαkréameatτʼt’(and)ἄσπεταáspetaboundlessκαὶkaìandμέθυméthymellow wineἡδύhēdýsweet·

The setting

The same speech-closing formula answers the crew, and Odysseus agrees. They spend the whole of that day, until sunset, in a final feast before departure.

A note on this passage

The formula repeats with one telling change: last time Circe's words won the men's spirit; now the crew's words win Odysseus's. He yields, and they hold one more daylong feast, the same meat and wine, until the sun sets.

Homer reuses line 466 almost exactly, swapping only who persuades whom. The repetition marks the hinge of the episode: the year of ease is ending, and the last feast is a farewell, not a beginning. The identical wine and meat now taste of departure rather than rescue.

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