Odyssey 2.416 · Book 2, lines 416–420

Aboard, and the wind sent

ἂν δʼ ἄρα Τηλέμαχος νηὸς βαῖνʼ, ἦρχε δʼ Ἀθήνη, νηὶ δʼ ἐνὶ πρυμνῇ κατʼ ἄρʼ ἕζετο· ἄγχι δʼ ἄρʼ αὐτῆς ἕζετο Τηλέμαχος. τοὶ δὲ πρυμνήσιʼ ἔλυσαν, ἂν δὲ καὶ αὐτοὶ βάντες ἐπὶ κληῖσι καθῖζον. τοῖσιν δʼ ἴκμενον οὖρον ἵει γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη,

Then Telemachus stepped up onto the ship, and Athena led; she sat down at the ship's stern, and close beside her sat Telemachus. And they loosed the stern-cables, and they themselves too went aboard and took their seats at the oarlocks. And for them bright-eyed Athena sent a favorable wind,

Word by word

ἂνàn(up)δʼd’(and)ἄραára(then)ΤηλέμαχοςTēlémachosTelemachusνηὸςnēòsonto the shipβαῖνʼbaîn’stepped aboard,ἦρχεêrcheled the wayδʼd’(and)ἈθήνηAthḗnēAthena,νηὶnēìin the shipδʼd’(and)ἐνὶenìinπρυμνῇprymnê̂ithe sternκατʼkat’(down)ἄρʼár’(then)ἕζετοhézetosat down·ἄγχιánchiclose byδʼd’(and)ἄρʼár’(then)αὐτῆςautêsherἕζετοhézetosatΤηλέμαχοςTēlémachosTelemachus.τοὶtoìtheyδὲdè(and)πρυμνήσιʼprymnḗsi’the stern-cablesἔλυσανélysanloosed,ἂνàn(up)δὲdè(and)καὶkaìtooαὐτοὶautoìthey themselvesβάντεςbánteshaving gone aboardἐπὶepìatκληῖσιklēîsithe oarlocksκαθῖζονkathîzontook their seats.τοῖσινtoîsinfor themδʼd’(and)ἴκμενονíkmenona favorableοὖρονoûronwindἵειhíeisentγλαυκῶπιςglaukôpisbright-eyedἈθήνηAthḗnēAthena,

The setting

The loading done, the voyage begins. Telemachus boards with Athena, who takes the stern; the crew casts off, mans the oarlocks, and the goddess sends a following wind to speed them out to sea.

A note on this passage

The embarkation is told step by step: Telemachus boards, the goddess takes the helmsman's place at the stern, the cables are cast off, the men settle at the oarlocks, and Athena sends the wind. Each move is a small verb, and together they carry the ship off the beach and out onto the water — the mechanics of a launch rendered as ritual sequence.

The undercurrent is where Athena sits. She takes the stern, beside Telemachus — the steering place, the position of the one who directs the ship's course. Literally and figuratively she is at the helm of his journey, and the fair wind she sends is her gift, not the sea's luck. The boy sails, but the goddess steers and the goddess breathes the ship forward.

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Odyssey 2.416 — The Great Library Project interlinear edition · greatlibraryproject.com/book/odyssey/2.416/