The Wine Bowl of Freedom, pt. 3 of 3

‘δαιμονίη μή μοί τι λίην ἀκαχίζεο θυμῷ:

οὐ γάρ τίς μ᾽ ὑπὲρ αἶσαν ἀνὴρ Ἄϝϊδι προϊάψει:

μοῖραν δ᾽ οὔ τινά φημι πεφυγμένον ἔμμεναι ἀνδρῶν,

οὐ κακὸν οὐδὲ μὲν ἐσθλόν, ἐπὴν τὰ πρῶτα γένηται.

ἀλλ᾽ εἰς ϝοἶκον ἰοῦσα τὰ σ᾽ αὐτῆς ϝἔργα κόμιζε

ἱστόν τ᾽ ἠλακάτην τε, καὶ ἀμφιπόλοισι κέλευε

ϝἔργον ἐποίχεσθαι: πόλεμος δ᾽ ἄνδρεσσι μελήσει

πᾶσι, μάλιστα δ᾽ ἐμοί, τοὶ Ἰλίῳ ἐγγεγάασιν.’ (VI.486-493)

‘Divinity, do not on my account grieve yourself too much at heart;

For there is no one, no man, who beyond my fate will throw me forth into Hades:

No one escapes his portion; I say, no such man exists,

Not a coward, not even a brave man, from the moment he was first born.

But go into the house, and manage the works that do belong to you—

The loom and the distaff—and instruct the assistants

Going back and forth at the work. War shall be the concern of men—

All of us, but me especially, of those who are native in Ilium.’

Recording and Lecture © A. P. David 2022.