ὣς φάτο , καί ῥ᾽ ἔμπνευσε μένος μέγα Παλλὰς Ἀθήνη
εὐξάμενος δ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἔπειτα Διὸς κούρῃ μεγάλοιο ,
αἶψα μάλ᾽ ἀμπεπαλὼν προΐει δολιχόσκιον ἔγχος ,
καὶ βάλεν Εὐπείθεα κόρυθος διὰ χαλκοπαρῄου .
ἡ δ᾽ οὐκ ἔγχος ἔρυτο , διαπρὸ δὲ εἴσατο χαλκός ,
δούπησεν δὲ πεσών , ἀράβησε δὲ τεύχε᾽ ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ .
ἐν δ᾽ ἔπεσον προμάχοις Ὀδυσεὺς καὶ φαίδιμος υἱός ,
τύπτον δὲ ξίφεσίν τε καὶ ἔγχεσιν ἀμφιγύοισι .
καί νύ κε δὴ πάντας ὄλεσαν καὶ ἔθηκαν ἀνόστους ,
εἰ μὴ Ἀθηναίη , κούρη Διὸς αἰγιόχοιο ,
ἤϋσεν φωνῇ , κατὰ ἔσχεθε λαὸν ἅπαντα .

‘ἴσχεσθε πτολέμου , Ἰθακήσιοι , ἀργαλέοιο ,
ὥς κεν ἀναιμωτί γε διακρινθῆτε τάχιστα . ’

ὣς φάτ᾽ Ἀθηναίη , τοὺς δὲ χλωρὸν δέος εἷλεν :
τῶν δ᾽ ἄρα δεισάντων ἐκ χειρῶν ἔπτατο τεύχεα ,
πάντα δ᾽ ἐπὶ χθονὶ πῖπτε , θεᾶς ὄπα φωνησάσης :
πρὸς δὲ πόλιν τρωπῶντο λιλαιόμενοι βιότοιο .
σμερδαλέον δ᾽ ἐβόησε πολύτλας δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς ,
οἴμησεν δὲ ἀλεὶς ὥς τ᾽ αἰετὸς ὑψιπετήεις .
καὶ τότε δὴ Κρονίδης ἀφίει ψολόεντα κεραυνόν ,
κὰδ δ᾽ ἔπεσε πρόσθε γλαυκώπιδος ὀβριμοπάτρης .
δὴ τότ᾽ Ὀδυσσῆα προσέφη γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη :

‘διογενὲς Λαερτιάδη , πολυμήχαν᾽ Ὀδυσσεῦ ,
ἴσχεο , παῦε δὲ νεῖκος ὁμοιΐου πολέμοιο ,
μή πως τοι Κρονίδης κεχολώσεται εὐρύοπα Ζεύς . ’

ὣς φάτ᾽ Ἀθηναίη , ὁ δ᾽ ἐπείθετο , χαῖρε δὲ θυμῷ .
ὅρκια δ᾽ αὖ κατόπισθε μετ᾽ ἀμφοτέροισιν ἔθηκεν
Παλλὰς Ἀθηναίη , κούρη Διὸς αἰγιόχοιο ,
Μέντορι εἰδομένη ἠμὲν δέμας ἠδὲ καὶ αὐδήν .

She spoke--and gifted him the stalwart force .
He called upon the daughter of great Zeus ,
then , quick to brandish his long shaft , he cast
his lance ; he struck Eupeithes in his casque’s
bronze cheeks . That spearhead did not stop ; it pierced
straight through . He thudded down , his armor clanged .
Odysseus and his stout son fell upon
the forward ranks ; with swords and two-edged spears ,
they thrust and would have killed them all , cut off
all chance of their returning home , had not
Athena , daughter of aegis-bearing Zeus ,
cried out . She checked the crowd of warriors :

" This gruesome war has lasted long enough .
Stop now , shed no more blood , and stand apart . "

These were Athena’s words . The townsmen heard ;
and pale with fear , they lost their weapons : spears
and swords flew from their hands , dropped to the ground--
the goddess’ voice had terrifying force .
They wheeled back , toward the city , keen to live .

Then patient , bright Odysseus’ battle cry
was savage ; like an eagle from on high ,
he gathered force and swooped in fierce pursuit .
But now the son of Cronos cast a bolt
of blazing thunder , and it fell before
the daughter of the mighty lord of lords .
At that , Athena , gray-eyed goddess , warned :

" Laértes’ son , Odysseus , sprung from Zeus ,
o man of many wiles , this is too much .
Halt now ; have done with this relentless war ,
lest you provoke the wrath of Zeus , the lord
of thunder , he whose voice is carried far . "

He heard Athena’s words and , glad at heart ,
obeyed . A pact was sworn between the parts ,
a treaty for all time : Athena’s work
when she , the daughter of aegis-bearing Zeus ,
had taken on lord Mentor’s form and voice .

Power flowed through him from Pallas Athena ,
whom he invoked as Zeus’ virgin child ,
and he let fly his heavy spear .

It struck
Eupeithes on the cheekplate of his helmet ,
and undeflected the bronze head punched through .
He toppled , and his armor clanged upon him .
Odysseus and his son now furiously
closed , laying on with broadswords , hand to hand ,
and pikes ; they would have cut the enemy down
to the last man , leaving not one survivor ,
had not Athena raised a shout
that stopped the fighters in their tracks .

" Now hold ! "
She cried . " Break off this bitter skirmish ;
end your bloodshed , Ithakans , and make peace . "

Their faces paled with dread before Athena ,
and swords dropped from their hands unnerved , to lie
strewing the ground , at the great voice of the goddess .
Those from the town turned fleeing for their lives .
But with a cry to freeze their hearts
and ruffling like an eagle on the pounce ,
the Lord Odysseus reared himself to follow--
at which the son of Kronos dropped a thunderbolt
smoking at his daughter’s feet .

Athena
cast a gray glance at her friend and said :
" Son of Laertes and the gods of old ,
Odysseus , master of land and sea ways ,
command yourself . Call off this battle now ,
or Zeus who views the wide world may be angry . "

He yielded to her , and his heart was glad .
Both parties later swore to the terms of peace
set by their arbiter , Athena , daughter
of Zeus who bears the storm cloud as a shield--
though still she kept the form and voice of Mentor .