Odyssey 2.288 · Book 2, lines 288–290
The marrow of men
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ἀλλὰ σὺ μὲν πρὸς δώματʼ ἰὼν μνηστῆρσιν ὁμίλει, ὅπλισσόν τʼ ἤια καὶ ἄγγεσιν ἄρσον ἅπαντα, οἶνον ἐν ἀμφιφορεῦσι, καὶ ἄλφιτα, μυελὸν ἀνδρῶν,
But you, for your part, go to the house and mingle with the suitors; make ready provisions, and stow it all in vessels — wine in jars, and barley-meal, the marrow of men,
Word by word
The setting
The plan turns concrete. Athena tells Telemachus how to outfit the voyage without alerting the suitors: go home, act normally, and lay in supplies.
A note on this passage
Practical instructions, delivered fast: return home, blend in with the suitors so as not to rouse them, and quietly gather stores — wine in jars, barley in leather bags. It is the logistics of a first voyage, told as a checklist.
One phrase lifts out of the list: μυελὸν ἀνδρῶν, ‘the marrow of men,’ for the barley. The staple grain is the very strength of mortals, the food that marks the human condition — men eat bread and are mortal, while the gods take only ambrosia. Under the errand runs a quiet reminder of what Telemachus is, and of the secrecy his life now requires: he must move among his enemies without letting them read his purpose.
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Odyssey 2.288 — The Great Library Project interlinear edition · greatlibraryproject.com/book/odyssey/2.288/