All 50 Uses of
mortal
in
The Odyssey by Homer (translated by: Butcher & Lang)
- Thinking upon him he spake out among the Immortals: 'Lo you now, how vainly mortal men do blame the gods!†
Book 1
- Yea, how should I forget divine Odysseus, who in understanding is beyond mortals and beyond all men hath done sacrifice to the deathless gods, who keep the wide heaven?†
Book 1 *
- But now of him that is the most hapless of mortal men, his son they say that I am, since thou dost question me hereof.'†
Book 1
- Then she fell a weeping, and spake unto the divine minstrel: 'Phemius, since thou knowest many other charms for mortals, deeds of men and gods, which bards rehearse, some one of these do thou sing as thou sittest by them, and let them drink their wine in silence; but cease from this pitiful strain, that ever wastes my heart within my breast, since to me above all women hath come a sorrow comfortless.†
Book 1
- Now the sun arose and left the lovely mere, speeding to the brazen heaven, to give light to the immortals and to mortal men on the earth, the graingiver, and they reached Pylos, the stablished castle of Neleus.†
Book 3
- And many other ills we suffered beside these; who of mortal men could tell the tale?†
Book 3
- And as he spake Menelaus of the fair hair was ware of him, and uttering his voice spake to them winged words: 'Children dear, of a truth no one of mortal men may contend with Zeus, for his mansions and his treasures are everlasting: but of men there may be who will vie with me in treasure, or there may be none.†
Book 4
- {*}Not indeed that I deem it blame at all to weep for any mortal who hath died and met his fate.†
Book 4
- For a god is hard for mortal man to quell.†
Book 4
- Now the Dawn arose from her couch, from the side of the lordly Tithonus, to bear light to the immortals and to mortal men.†
Book 5
- Therewith he spake to Hermes, his dear son: 'Hermes, forasmuch as even in all else thou art our herald, tell unto the nymph of the braided tresses my unerring counsel, even the return of the patient Odysseus, how he is to come to his home, with no furtherance of gods or of mortal men.†
Book 5
- 'twas Zeus that bade me come hither, by no will of mine; nay, who of his free will would speed over such a wondrous space of brine, whereby is no city of mortals that do sacrifice to the gods, and offer choice hecatombs?†
Book 5
- So spake he, and Calypso, that fair goddess, shuddered and uttered her voice, and spake unto him winged words: 'Hard are ye gods and jealous exceeding, who ever grudge goddesses openly to mate with men, if any make a mortal her dear bed-fellow.†
Book 5
- So again ye gods now grudge that a mortal man should dwell with me.†
Book 5
- Not in sooth that I avow me to be less noble than she in form or fashion, for it is in no wise meet that mortal women should match them with immortals, in shape and comeliness.'†
Book 5
- But she is mortal and thou knowest not age nor death.†
Book 5
- But the daughter of Cadmus marked him, Ino of the fair ankles, Leucothea, who in time past was a maiden of mortal speech, but now in the depths of the salt sea she had gotten her share of worship from the gods.†
Book 5
- And as he thought within himself, it seemed better to stand apart, and beseech her with smooth words, lest the maiden should be angered with him if he touched her knees: so straightway he spake a sweet and cunning word: 'I supplicate thee, O queen, whether thou art a goddess or a mortal!†
Book 6
- Never have mine eyes beheld such an one among mortals, neither man nor woman; great awe comes upon me as I look on thee.†
Book 6
- That mortal breathes not, and never will be born, who shall come with war to the land of the Phaeacians, for they are very dear to the gods.†
Book 6
- Far apart we live in the wash of the waves, the outermost of men, and no other mortals are conversant with us.†
Book 6
- There is an isle, Ogygia, that lies far off in the sea; there dwells the daughter of Atlas, crafty Calypso, of the braided tresses, an awful goddess, nor is any either of gods or mortals conversant with her.†
Book 7
- But I avow myself far more excellent than all besides, of the mortals that are now upon the earth and live by bread.†
Book 8
- …'Stranger, forasmuch as these thy words are not ill-taken in our gathering, but thou wouldest fain show forth the valour which keeps thee company, being angry that yonder man stood by thee in the lists, and taunted thee, in such sort as no mortal would speak lightly of thine excellence, who had knowledge of sound words; nay now, mark my speech; so shalt thou have somewhat to tell another hero, when with thy wife and children thou suppest in thy halls, and recallest our prowess, what…†
Book 8
- Now after they had put from them the desire of meat and drink, then Odysseus of many counsels spake to Demodocus, saying: 'Demodocus, I praise thee far above all mortal men, whether it be the Muse, the daughter of Zeus, that taught thee, or even Apollo, for right duly dost thou chant the faring of the Achaeans, even all that they wrought and suffered, and all their travail, as if, methinks, thou hadst been present, or heard the tale from another.†
Book 8
- Surely no mortal driveth off thy flocks against thy will: surely none slayeth thyself by force or craft?†
Book 9
- }'So spake they, but they prevailed not on my lordly spirit, and I answered him again from out an angry heart: ' "Cyclops, if any one of mortal men shall ask thee of the unsightly blinding of thine eye, say that it was Odysseus that blinded it, the waster of cities, son of Laertes, whose dwelling is in Ithaca."†
Book 9
- And he himself will heal me, if it be his will; and none other of the blessed gods or of mortal men.†
Book 9
- And we came to the isle Aeaean, where dwelt Circe of the braided tresses, an awful goddess of mortal speech, own sister to the wizard Aeetes.†
Book 10
- Moly the gods call it, but it is hard for mortal men to dig; howbeit with the gods all things are possible.†
Book 10
- There is the land and the city of the Cimmerians, shrouded in mist and cloud, and never does the shining sun look down on them with his rays, neither when he climbs up the starry heavens, nor when again he turns earthward from the firmament, but deadly night is outspread over miserable mortals.†
Book 11
- 'So spake I, and my lady mother answered me anon: "Ah me, my child, of all men most ill-fated, Persephone, the daughter of Zeus, doth in no wise deceive thee, but even on this wise it is with mortals when they die.†
Book 11
- Then the dark wave stood around them like a hill-side bowed, and hid the god and the mortal woman.†
Book 11
- No mortal man may scale it or set foot thereon, not though he had twenty hands and feet.†
Book 12
- As for her, she is no mortal, but an immortal plague, dread, grievous, and fierce, and not to be fought with; and against her there is no defence; flight is the bravest way.†
Book 12
- So drive past with all thy force, and call on Cratais, mother of Scylla, which bore her for a bane to mortals.†
Book 12
- Truly every shape of death is hateful to wretched mortals, but to die of hunger and so meet doom is most pitiful of all.†
Book 12
- 'And Zeus the cloud-gatherer answered him, saying: "Helios, do thou, I say, shine on amidst the deathless gods, and amid mortal men upon the earth, the grain-giver.†
Book 12
- 'Thence for nine days was I borne, and on the tenth night the gods brought me nigh to the isle of Ogygia, where dwells Calypso of the braided tresses, an awful goddess of mortal speech, who took me in and entreated me kindly.†
Book 12
- But the shaker of the earth forgat not the threats, wherewith at the first he had threatened god like Odysseus, and he inquired into the counsel of Zeus, saying: 'Father Zeus, I for one shall no longer be of worship among the deathless gods, when mortal men hold me in no regard, even Phaeacians, who moreover are of mine own lineage.†
Book 13
- Cease ye from the convoy of mortals, whensoever any shall come unto our town, and let us sacrifice to Poseidon twelve choice bulls, if perchance he may take pity, neither overshadow our city with a great mountain.'†
Book 13
- So he started up, and stood and looked upon his native land, and then he made moan withal, and smote on both his thighs with the down-stroke of his hands, and making lament, he spake, saying: 'Oh, woe is me, unto what mortals' land am I now come?†
Book 13
- And Odysseus of many counsels answered her saying: 'Hard is it, goddess, for a mortal man that meets thee to discern thee, howsoever wise he be; for thou takest upon thee every shape.†
Book 13
- By the favour of Hermes, the messenger, who gives grace and glory to all men's work, no mortal may vie with me in the business of a serving-man, in piling well a fire, in cleaving dry faggots, and in carving and roasting flesh and in pouring of wine, those offices wherein meaner men serve their betters.'†
Book 15
- Dearth never enters the land, and no hateful sickness falls on wretched mortals.†
Book 15
- Of wide Crete he avows him to be by lineage, and he says that round many cities of mortals he has wandered at adventure; even so has some god spun for him the thread of fate.†
Book 16
- For it cannot be that a mortal man should contrive this by the aid of his own wit, unless a god were himself to visit him, and lightly of his own will to make him young or old.†
Book 16
- Easy it is for the gods who keep the wide heaven to glorify or to abase a mortal man.'†
Book 16
- Even as when a man gazes on a singer, whom the gods have taught to sing words of yearning joy to mortals, and they have a ceaseless desire to hear him, so long as he will sing; even so he charmed me, sitting by me in the halls.†
Book 17
- {*}For there are no mortal men, methinks, so wanton as these, and none that devise such infatuate deeds.'†
Book 17
Definition:
-
(mortal as in: mortal body) human (especially merely human); or subject to death