---
title: "Electra · Ἠλέκτρα"
author: "Euripides"
translator: "Edward P. Coleridge"
languages: [grc, en]
shelf: "Classical Greek"
url: https://scriptura.si/works/euripides-electra/
cite: "Euripides, tr. Edward P. Coleridge, Electra · Ἠλέκτρα. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/euripides-electra/"
---

# Electra · Ἠλέκτρα

*Euripides, tr. Edward P. Coleridge*

Married off to a farmer, Electra plots her mother’s death with Orestes.

> Greek: ed. Gilbert Murray, from the Perseus Digital Library (canonical-greekLit, tlg0006.tlg012, CC BY-SA 4.0).

> English: Edward P. Coleridge, from the Perseus Digital Library (tlg0006.tlg012.perseus-eng2). Notes are not included.

> Rows follow the references the two texts share (line numbers), cut where both reach the end of a sentence.

## Contents

1. [Lines 1–463](https://scriptura.si/works/euripides-electra/1.md)
2. [Lines 464–902](https://scriptura.si/works/euripides-electra/2.md)
3. [Lines 903–1359](https://scriptura.si/works/euripides-electra/3.md)

## 1. Lines 1–463

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/euripides-electra/1/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/euripides-electra/1/#p-N

[¶0] On the borders of Argolis.
Peasant:
O ancient plain of land, the streams of Inachus, from which king Agamemnon once mounted war on a thousand ships and sailed to the land of Troy. After he had slain Priam, the ruler of Ilium,
and captured the famous city of Dardanus, he came here to Argos and set up on the high temples many spoils of the barbarians. And in Troy he was successful; but at home he died by the guile of his wife Clytemnestra
and the hand of Aegisthus, son of Thyestes. And he left behind the ancient scepter of Tantalus, and is dead; but Aegisthus rules the land, possessing Agamemnon’s wife, the daughter of Tyndareus. Now as for those whom he left in his house when he sailed to Troy,
his son Orestes and his young daughter Electra: when Orestes was about to die at the hand of Aegisthus, his father’s old servant stole him away and gave him to Strophius to bring up in the land of the Phocians. Electra stayed in her father’s house,
and when she came to the blooming season of youth, the foremost suitors of the land of Hellas asked for her in marriage. But Aegisthus feared she might bear to some chieftain a son who would avenge Agamemnon, and so he kept her at home and did not betroth her to any bridegroom.

> Greek: Αὐτουργός:
ὦ γῆς παλαιὸν ἄργος, Ἰνάχου ῥοαί,
ὅθεν ποτʼ ἄρας ναυσὶ χιλίαις Ἄρη
ἐς γῆν ἔπλευσε Τρῳάδʼ Ἀγαμέμνων ἄναξ.
κτείνας δὲ τὸν κρατοῦντʼ ἐν Ἰλιάδι χθονὶ
Πρίαμον, ἑλών τε Δαρδάνου κλεινὴν πόλιν,
ἀφίκετʼ ἐς τόδʼ Ἄργος, ὑψηλῶν δʼ ἐπὶ
ναῶν ἔθηκε σκῦλα πλεῖστα βαρβάρων.
κἀκεῖ μὲν εὐτύχησεν· ἐν δὲ δώμασι
θνῄσκει γυναικὸς πρὸς Κλυταιμήστρας δόλῳ
καὶ τοῦ Θυέστου παιδὸς Αἰγίσθου χερί.
χὣ μὲν παλαιὰ σκῆπτρα Ταντάλου λιπὼν
ὄλωλεν, Αἴγισθος δὲ βασιλεύει χθονός,
ἄλοχον ἐκείνου Τυνδαρίδα κόρην ἔχων.
οὓς δʼ ἐν δόμοισιν ἔλιφʼ ὅτʼ ἐς Τροίαν ἔπλει,
ἄρσενά τʼ Ὀρέστην θῆλύ τʼ Ἠλέκτρας θάλος,
τὸν μὲν πατρὸς γεραιὸς ἐκκλέπτει τροφεὺς
μέλλοντʼ Ὀρέστην χερὸς ὑπʼ Αἰγίσθου θανεῖν
Στροφίῳ τʼ ἔδωκε Φωκέων ἐς γῆν τρέφειν·
ἣ δʼ ἐν δόμοις ἔμεινεν Ἠλέκτρα πατρός,
ταύτην ἐπειδὴ θαλερὸς εἶχʼ ἥβης χρόνος,
μνηστῆρες ᾔτουν Ἑλλάδος πρῶτοι χθονός.
δείσας δὲ μή τῳ παῖδʼ ἀριστέων τέκοι
Ἀγαμέμνονος ποινάτορʼ, εἶχεν ἐν δόμοις
Αἴγισθος οὐδʼ ἥρμοζε νυμφίῳ τινί.

[¶1] When even this filled him with great fear, that she might secretly bear children to some noble lord, Aegisthus planned to kill her, but her mother, although cruel at heart, rescued her from his hand. For she had a pretext for having slain her husband,
but she feared that she would be despised for the murder of her children. So then, for these reasons, Aegisthus devised such a scheme: he promised gold to anyone who should kill Agamemnon’s son, who had left the country as an exile, while Electra he gave
in marriage to me. My ancestors were Mycenaeans; in that respect at least I am not to blame. My family was noble in race but poor in money—which is the ruin of good birth. He gave her to a powerless man so that his fear might lose its power.

> Greek: ἐπεὶ δὲ καὶ τοῦτʼ ἦν φόβου πολλοῦ πλέων,
μή τῳ λαθραίως τέκνα γενναίῳ τέκοι,
κτανεῖν σφε βουλεύσαντος, ὠμόφρων ὅμως
μήτηρ νιν ἐξέσῳσεν Αἰγίσθου χερός.
ἐς μὲν γὰρ ἄνδρα σκῆψιν εἶχʼ ὀλωλότα,
παίδων δʼ ἔδεισε μὴ φθονηθείη φόνῳ.
ἐκ τῶνδε δὴ τοιόνδʼ ἐμηχανήσατο
Αἴγισθος· ὃς μὲν γῆς ἀπηλλάχθη φυγὰς
Ἀγαμέμνονος παῖς, χρυσὸν εἶφʼ ὃς ἂν κτάνῃ,
ἡμῖν δὲ δὴ δίδωσιν Ἠλέκτραν ἔχειν
δάμαρτα, πατέρων μὲν Μυκηναίων ἄπο
γεγῶσιν — οὐ δὴ τοῦτό γʼ ἐξελέγχομαι·
λαμπροὶ γὰρ ἐς γένος γε, χρημάτων δὲ δὴ
πένητες, ἔνθεν ηὑγένειʼ ἀπόλλυται —
ὡς ἀσθενεῖ δοὺς ἀσθενῆ λάβοι φόβον.

[¶2] For if some man of high position got her, he would have roused the sleeping blood of Agamemnon and judgment would have come at some time to Aegisthus. But I have never (Cypris knows this too) dishonored her in bed; she is still a virgin indeed.

> Greek: εἰ γάρ νιν ἔσχεν ἀξίωμʼ ἔχων ἀνήρ,
εὕδοντʼ ἂν ἐξήγειρε τὸν Ἀγαμέμνονος
φόνον δίκη τʼ ἂν ἦλθεν Αἰγίσθῳ τότε.
ἣν οὔποθʼ ἁνὴρ ὅδε — σύνοιδέ μοι Κύπρις —
ᾔσχυνεν εὐνῇ· παρθένος δʼ ἔτʼ ἐστὶ δή.

[¶3] I am ashamed to have the daughter of a wealthy man and violate her, when I was not born of equal rank. And I groan for the wretched Orestes, called my kinsman, if he shall ever return to Argos and see the unfortunate marriage of his sister.

> Greek: αἰσχύνομαι γὰρ ὀλβίων ἀνδρῶν τέκνα
λαβὼν ὑβρίζειν, οὐ κατάξιος γεγώς.
στένω δὲ τὸν λόγοισι κηδεύοντʼ ἐμοὶ
ἄθλιον Ὀρέστην, εἴ ποτʼ εἰς Ἄργος μολὼν
γάμους ἀδελφῆς δυστυχεῖς ἐσόψεται.

[¶4] And whoever says I am a fool if I do not touch a young girl when I have her in my house, let him know that he measures soundness of mind by worthless standards of judgment, and he himself is a fool.

> Greek: ὅστις δέ μʼ εἶναί φησι μῶρον, εἰ λαβὼν
νέαν ἐς οἴκους παρθένον μὴ θιγγάνω,
γνώμης πονηροῖς κανόσιν ἀναμετρούμενος
τὸ σῶφρον ἴστω καὐτὸς αὖ τοιοῦτος ὤν.

[¶5] Electra:
O black night, nurse of the golden stars,
in which I go to the river’s streams, bearing this pitcher resting on my head—not because I have come to such a point of necessity, but so that I may show to the gods Aegisthus’ insolence—and send forth laments into the wide sky, to my father.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
ὦ νὺξ μέλαινα, χρυσέων ἄστρων τροφέ,
ἐν ᾗ τόδʼ ἄγγος τῷδʼ ἐφεδρεῦον κάρᾳ
φέρουσα πηγὰς ποταμίας μετέρχομαι —
οὐ δή τι χρείας ἐς τοσόνδʼ ἀφιγμένη,
ἀλλʼ ὡς ὕβριν δείξωμεν Αἰγίσθου θεοῖς —
γόους τʼ ἀφίημʼ αἰθέρʼ ἐς μέγαν πατρί.

[¶6] For the deadly daughter of Tyndareus, my mother, has cast me out of the house to please her husband; since she has borne other children in her union with Aegisthus, she considers Orestes and me secondary in the home.
Peasant:
Why, unhappy one, do you do this work, laboring for my sake,
though you were well brought up before, and do not stop, even when I tell you this?

> Greek: ἡ γὰρ πανώλης Τυνδαρίς, μήτηρ ἐμή,
ἐξέβαλέ μʼ οἴκων, χάριτα τιθεμένη πόσει·
τεκοῦσα δʼ ἄλλους παῖδας Αἰγίσθῳ πάρα
πάρεργʼ Ὀρέστην κἀμὲ ποιεῖται δόμων —
Αὐτουργός:
τί γὰρ τάδʼ, ὦ δύστηνʼ, ἐμὴν μοχθεῖς χάριν
πόνους ἔχουσα, πρόσθεν εὖ τεθραμμένη,
καὶ ταῦτʼ ἐμοῦ λέγοντος οὐκ ἀφίστασαι;

[¶7] Electra:
I hold you equal to the gods in kindness, for in my distress you have not insulted me. It is a great allotment for mortals
to find a healer for ill fortune, such as I have in you. And so, even though unbidden, I ought to share your labors, relieving you of work as far as I have strength, so that you may bear it more easily. You have enough to do outside; I must keep the house
in order. It is pleasant for the worker coming in from outside to find things within right.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
ἐγώ σʼ ἴσον θεοῖσιν ἡγοῦμαι φίλον·
ἐν τοῖς ἐμοῖς γὰρ οὐκ ἐνύβρισας κακοῖς.
μεγάλη δὲ θνητοῖς μοῖρα συμφορᾶς κακῆς
ἰατρὸν εὑρεῖν, ὡς ἐγὼ σὲ λαμβάνω.
δεῖ δή με κἀκέλευστον εἰς ὅσον σθένω
μόχθου ʼπικουφίζουσαν, ὡς ῥᾷον φέρῃς,
συνεκκομίζειν σοι πόνους. ἅλις δʼ ἔχεις
τἄξωθεν ἔργα· τἀν δόμοις δʼ ἡμᾶς χρεὼν
ἐξευτρεπίζειν. εἰσιόντι δʼ ἐργάτῃ
θύραθεν ἡδὺ τἄνδον εὑρίσκειν καλῶς.

[¶8] Peasant:
Go, then, if you wish; and in fact the springs are not far from my house. When it is day, I will drive the oxen to my lands and sow the fields.

> Greek: Αὐτουργός:
εἴ τοι δοκεῖ σοι, στεῖχε· καὶ γὰρ οὐ πρόσω
πηγαὶ μελάθρων τῶνδʼ. ἐγὼ δʼ ἅμʼ ἡμέρᾳ
βοῦς εἰς ἀρούρας ἐσβαλὼν σπερῶ γύας.

[¶9] For no idler, though he has the gods’ names always on his lips, can gather a livelihood without hard work. Exeunt Peasant and Electra. Enter Orestes and Pylades.

> Greek: ἀργὸς γὰρ οὐδεὶς θεοὺς ἔχων ἀνὰ στόμα
βίον δύναιτʼ ἂν ξυλλέγειν ἄνευ πόνου.

[¶10] Orestes:
Pylades, I hold you first among men as a kind and trusted friend to me. You alone of my friends have honored me, Orestes,
being as I am in dreadful suffering from Aegisthus, who killed my father, he and my most deadly mother. I have come from the mystic shrine of the god to Argive land, and no one knows it, to repay my father’s murderers with murder.

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
Πυλάδη, σὲ γὰρ δὴ πρῶτον ἀνθρώπων ἐγὼ
πιστὸν νομίζω καὶ φίλον ξένον τʼ ἐμοί·
μόνος δʼ Ὀρέστην τόνδʼ ἐθαύμαζες φίλων,
πράσσονθʼ ἃ πράσσω δείνʼ ὑπʼ Αἰγίσθου παθών,
ὅς μου κατέκτα πατέρα — χἡ πανώλεθρος
μήτηρ. ἀφῖγμαι δʼ ἐκ θεοῦ μυστηρίων
Ἀργεῖον οὖδας οὐδενὸς ξυνειδότος,
φόνον φονεῦσι πατρὸς ἀλλάξων ἐμοῦ.

[¶11] During this past night, going to my father’s tomb, I wept and cut off a lock of my hair as an offering and sacrificed over the altar the blood of a slaughtered sheep, unnoticed by the tyrants who rule this land. And now I do not set foot within the walls,
but I have come to the borders of this land combining two desires: I may escape to another country if anyone on the watch should recognize me; and, looking for my sister (for they say that she lives here, joined in marriage, and is no longer a virgin),
I may meet with her and, having her as an accomplice for murder, I may learn clearly what is happening within the walls. And now, since dawn is lifting up her bright eye, let us step aside from this path. For either some plowman or serving maid
will come in our sight, from whom we may ask if my sister lives in this place. But now that I see this maidservant, bearing a weight of water on her shorn head, let us sit down, and inquire
of this slave girl, if we may receive some word about the matter, Pylades, for which we have come to this land. They retire a little.

> Greek: νυκτὸς δὲ τῆσδε πρὸς τάφον μολὼν πατρὸς
δάκρυά τʼ ἔδωκα καὶ κόμης ἀπηρξάμην
πυρᾷ τʼ ἐπέσφαξʼ αἷμα μηλείου φόνου,
λαθὼν τυράννους οἳ κρατοῦσι τῆσδε γῆς.
καὶ τειχέων μὲν ἐντὸς οὐ βαίνω πόδα,
δυοῖν δʼ ἅμιλλαν ξυντιθεὶς ἀφικόμην
πρὸς τέρμονας γῆς τῆσδʼ, ἵνʼ ἐκβάλω ποδὶ
ἄλλην ἐπʼ αἶαν, εἴ μέ τις γνοίη σκοπῶν,
ζητῶν τʼ ἀδελφήν· φασὶ γάρ νιν ἐν γάμοις
ζευχθεῖσαν οἰκεῖν οὐδὲ παρθένον μένειν·
ὡς συγγένωμαι καὶ φόνου ξυνεργάτιν
λαβὼν τά γʼ εἴσω τειχέων σαφῶς μάθω.
νῦν οὖν — ἕως γὰρ λευκὸν ὄμμʼ ἀναίρεται —
ἔξω τρίβου τοῦδʼ ἴχνος ἀλλαξώμεθα.
ἢ γάρ τις ἀροτὴρ ἤ τις οἰκέτις γυνὴ
φανήσεται νῷν, ἥντινʼ ἱστορήσομεν
εἰ τούσδε ναίει σύγγονος τόπους ἐμή.
ἀλλʼ — εἰσορῶ γὰρ τήνδε προσπόλον τινά,
πηγαῖον ἄχθος ἐν κεκαρμένῳ κάρᾳ
φέρουσαν — ἑζώμεσθα κἀκπυθώμεθα
δούλης γυναικός, ἤν τι δεξώμεσθʼ ἔπος
ἐφʼ οἷσι, Πυλάδη, τήνδʼ ἀφίγμεθα χθόνα.

[¶12] Electra:
Hasten your step, it is time; go onward, onward, weeping! Ah me!

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
σύντεινʼ — ὥρα — ποδὸς ὁρμάν· ὤ,
ἔμβα, ἔμβα κατακλαίουσα·
ἰώ μοί μοι.

[¶13] I am Agamemnon’s child, and Clytemnestra, hated daughter of Tyndareus, bore me; the citizens call me unhappy Electra.

> Greek: ἐγενόμαν Ἀγαμέμνονος
καί μʼ ἔτεκεν Κλυταιμήστρα
στυγνὰ Τυνδάρεω κόρα,
κικλήσκουσι δέ μʼ ἀθλίαν
Ἠλέκτραν πολιῆται.

[¶14] Alas for my cruel pain and hateful life! O father, Agamemnon, you lie in Hades, by the butchery of your wife and Aegisthus.

> Greek: φεῦ φεῦ σχετλίων πόνων
καὶ στυγερᾶς ζόας.
ὦ πάτερ, σὺ δʼ ἐν Ἀΐδα
κεῖσαι, σᾶς ἀλόχου σφαγαῖς
Αἰγίσθου τʼ, Ἀγάμεμνον.

[¶15] Electra:
Come, waken the same lament, take up the enjoyment of long weeping.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
ἴθι τὸν αὐτὸν ἔγειρε γόον,
ἄναγε πολύδακρυν ἁδονάν.

[¶16] Electra:
Hasten your step, it is time; go onward, onward, weeping. Ah me!

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
σύντεινʼ — ὥρα — ποδὸς ὁρμάν· ὤ,
ἔμβα, ἔμβα, κατακλαίουσα·
ἰώ μοί μοι.

[¶17] In what city and what household do you wander about, my wretched brother, leaving your pitiable sister in our ancestral home, to great pain?

> Greek: τίνα πόλιν, τίνα δʼ οἶκον, ὦ
τλᾶμον σύγγονʼ, ἀλατεύεις
οἰκτρὰν ἐν θαλάμοις λιπὼν
πατρῴοις ἐπὶ συμφοραῖς
ἀλγίσταισιν ἀδελφάν;

[¶18] Come to me, the unhappy one, as a deliverer from this pain, oh Zeus, Zeus, and as a defender for my father against his most hateful bloodshed; bring the wanderer to shore in Argos.

> Greek: ἔλθοις τῶνδε πόνων ἐμοὶ
τᾷ μελέᾳ λυτήρ,
ὦ Ζεῦ Ζεῦ, πατρί θʼ αἱμάτων
ἐχθίστων ἐπίκουρος, Ἄρ-
γει κέλσας πόδʼ ἀλάταν.

[¶19] Electra:
Take this pitcher from my head and put it down, so that I may cry aloud the night-time laments for my father. A wail, a song of death, of death, for you, father, under the earth, I speak the laments
in which I am always engaged, day by day, tearing my skin with my nails, and striking my cropped head with my hand, for your death.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
θὲς τόδε τεῦχος ἐμῆς ἀπὸ κρατὸς ἑ-
λοῦσʼ, ἵνα πατρὶ γόους νυχίους
ἐπορθροβοάσω,
ἰαχάν, Ἀΐδα μέλος,
Ἀΐδα, πάτερ, σοι
κατὰ γᾶς ἐνέπω γόους
οἷς ἀεὶ τὸ κατʼ ἦμαρ
διέπομαι, κατὰ μὲν φίλαν
ὄνυχι τεμνομένα δέραν
χέρα τε κρᾶτʼ ἐπὶ κούριμον
τιθεμένα θανάτῳ σῷ.

[¶20] Electra:
Oh, oh, tear my face; as a clear-sounding swan beside the river’s streams calls to its dearest father, dying in the crafty snares of the
net, so I lament you, my unhappy father,

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
αἶ αἶ, δρύπτε κάρα·
οἷα δέ τις κύκνος ἀχέτας
ποταμίοις παρὰ χεύμασιν
πατέρα φίλτατον καλεῖ,
ὀλόμενον δολίοις βρόχων
ἕρκεσιν, ὣς σὲ τὸν ἄθλιον,
πάτερ, ἐγὼ κατακλαίομαι,

[¶21] Electra:
washed by the very last bath, in the most piteous bed of death. Oh, me,
your bitter cleaving by the axe, father, the bitter plans of the way from Troy! Your wife welcomed you with no victor’s garlands or crowns, but with a two-edged sword,
making you the mournful victim of Aigisthus, she got a treacherous bed-fellow.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
λουτρὰ πανύσταθʼ ὑδρανάμενον χροῒ
κοίτᾳ ἐν οἰκτροτάτᾳ θανάτου.
ἰώ μοι, ⟨ἰώ⟩ μοι
πικρᾶς μὲν πελέκεως τομᾶς
σᾶς, πάτερ, πικρᾶς δʼ ἐκ
Τροΐας ὁδίου βουλᾶς·
οὐ μίτραισι γυνή σε
δέξατʼ οὐδʼ ἐπὶ στεφάνοις,
ξίφεσι δʼ ἀμφιτόμοις λυγρὰν
Αἰγίσθου λώβαν θεμένα
δόλιον ἔσχεν ἀκοίταν.

[¶22] Chorus:
O Electra, daughter of Agamemnon, I have come to your rustic courtyard. A milk-drinker from Mycenae has come, he has come,
a mountain walker; he reports that the Argives are proclaiming a sacrifice for the third day from now, and that all maidens are to go to Hera’s temple.

> Greek: Χορός:
Ἀγαμέμνονος ὦ κόρα,
ἤλυθον, Ἠλέκτρα, ποτὶ
σὰν ἀγρότειραν αὐλάν.
ἔμολέ τις ἔμολεν γαλακτοπότας ἀνὴρ
Μυκηναῖος ὀρειβάτας·
ἀγγέλλει δʼ ὅτι νῦν τριταί-
αν καρύσσουσιν θυσίαν
Ἀργεῖοι, πᾶσαι δὲ παρʼ Ἥ-
ραν μέλλουσιν παρθενικαὶ στείχειν.

[¶23] Electra:
My unhappy heart beats fast, friends, but not at adornment or gold; nor will I set up choruses with the maidens of Argos
and beat my foot in the mazes of the dance. By tears I pass the night; tears are my unhappy care day by day. See if my filthy hair,
and the rags of my dress, will be fit for a princess, a daughter of Agamemnon, or for Troy, once taken, which remembers my father.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
οὐκ ἐπʼ ἀγλαΐαις, φίλαι,
θυμὸν οὐδʼ ἐπὶ χρυσέοις
ὅρμοις ἐκπεπόταμαι
τάλαινʼ, οὐδʼ ἱστᾶσα χοροὺς
Ἀργείαις ἅμα νύμφαις
εἱλικτὸν κρούσω πόδʼ ἐμόν.
δάκρυσι νυχεύ-
ω, δακρύων δέ μοι μέλει
δειλαίᾳ τὸ κατʼ ἦμαρ.
σκέψαι μου πιναρὰν κόμαν
καὶ τρύχη τάδʼ ἐμῶν πέπλων,
εἰ πρέποντʼ Ἀγαμέμνονος
κούρᾳ ʼσται βασιλείᾳ
τᾷ Τροίᾳ θʼ, ἃ ʼμοῦ πατέρος
μέμναταί ποθʼ ἁλοῦσα.

[¶24] Chorus:
Mighty is the goddess; come then, and borrow from me thick-woven clothes to wear, and gold—as a favor to me—accessories to adornment. Do you think to rule over your enemies by tears, if you do not revere the gods?
Honoring the gods not by lamentation but by prayers, you will have good fortune, child.

> Greek: Χορός:
μεγάλα θεός· ἀλλʼ ἴθι,
καὶ παρʼ ἐμοῦ χρῆσαι πολύ-
πηνα φάρεα δῦναι,
χρύσεά τε — χαρίσαι — προσθήματʼ ἀγλαΐας.
δοκεῖς τοῖσι σοῖς δακρύοις
μὴ τιμῶσα θεούς, κρατή-
σειν ἐχθρῶν; οὔτοι στοναχαῖς,
ἀλλʼ εὐχαῖσι θεοὺς σεβί-
ζουσʼ ἕξεις εὐαμερίαν, ὦ παῖ.

[¶25] Electra:
No god attends to the voice of the ill-fated one,
or to the slaying of my father long ago. Alas for the dead, and for the living vagabond, who dwells in another land somewhere,
miserably wandering to a slave’s hearth, yet born of that renowned father. I myself live in a poor man’s house, wasting my life away, an exile from my father’s house,
on the mountain crags. But my mother, with a new husband, makes her home in a bed stained by blood.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
οὐδεὶς θεῶν ἐνοπᾶς κλύει
τᾶς δυσδαίμονος, οὐ παλαι-
ῶν πατρὸς σφαγιασμῶν.
οἴμοι τοῦ καταφθιμένου
τοῦ τε ζῶντος ἀλάτα,
ὅς που γᾶν ἄλλαν κατέχει,
μέλεος ἀλαί-
νων ποτὶ θῆσσαν ἑστίαν,
τοῦ κλεινοῦ πατρὸς ἐκφύς.
αὐτὰ δʼ ἐν χερνῆσι δόμοις
ναίω ψυχὰν τακομένα
δωμάτων πατρίων φυγάς,
οὐρείας ἀνʼ ἐρίπνας.
μάτηρ δʼ ἐν λέκτροις φονίοις
ἄλλῳ σύγγαμος οἰκεῖ.

[¶26] Chorus Leader:
Helen, your mother’s sister, is the cause of many evils to the Hellenes and to your house.

> Greek: Χορός:
πολλῶν κακῶν Ἕλλησιν αἰτίαν ἔχει
σῆς μητρὸς Ἑλένη σύγγονος δόμοις τε σοῖς.

[¶27] Electra: Catching sight of Orestes and Pylades
Ah! Women, I have broken off my lament; strangers, who had their lair at the altar, are rising from ambush towards the household. Let us escape the villains by flight, you along the path and I to the house.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
οἴμοι, γυναῖκες, ἐξέβην θρηνημάτων.
ξένοι τινὲς παρʼ οἶκον οἵδʼ ἐφεστίους
εὐνὰς ἔχοντες ἐξανίστανται λόχου·
φυγῇ σὺ μὲν κατʼ οἶμον, ἐς δόμους δʼ ἐγὼ
φῶτας κακούργους ἐξαλύξωμεν ποδί.

[¶28] Orestes:
Stay, poor girl; do not fear my hand.

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
μένʼ, ὦ τάλαινα· μὴ τρέσῃς ἐμὴν χέρα.

[¶29] Electra:
O Phoebus Apollo! I beseech you to spare my life.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
ὦ Φοῖβʼ Ἄπολλον· προσπίτνω σε μὴ θανεῖν.

[¶30] Orestes:
May I kill others more hated than you!

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
ἄλλους κτάνοιμι μᾶλλον ἐχθίους σέθεν.

[¶31] Electra:
Go away! Do not touch one whom you must not touch.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
ἄπελθε, μὴ ψαῦʼ ὧν σε μὴ ψαύειν χρεών.

[¶32] Orestes:
There is no one I have a better right to touch.

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
οὐκ ἔσθʼ ὅτου θίγοιμʼ ἂν ἐνδικώτερον.

[¶33] Electra:
Then why are you in ambush, with drawn sword, near my house?

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
καὶ πῶς ξιφήρης πρὸς δόμοις λοχᾷς ἐμοῖς;

[¶34] Orestes:
Wait and hear, and you will soon say the same.

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
μείνασʼ ἄκουσον, καὶ τάχʼ οὐκ ἄλλως ἐρεῖς.

[¶35] Electra:
I am still; in any case, I am yours, since you are the stronger.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
ἕστηκα· πάντως δʼ εἰμὶ σή· κρείσσων γὰρ εἶ.

[¶36] Orestes:
I have come to bring you word from your brother.

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
ἥκω φέρων σοι σοῦ κασιγνήτου λόγους.

[¶37] Electra:
Oh best of friends! Is he alive or dead?

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
ὦ φίλτατʼ, ἆρα ζῶντος ἢ τεθνηκότος;

[¶38] Orestes:
Alive; for I want to tell you the good news first.

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
ζῇ· πρῶτα γάρ σοι τἀγάθʼ ἀγγέλλειν θέλω.

[¶39] Electra:
May you be happy, as a reward for your most welcome tidings.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
εὐδαιμονοίης, μισθὸν ἡδίστων λόγων.

[¶40] Orestes:
I give that blessing for us two to have in common.

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
κοινῇ δίδωμι τοῦτο νῷν ἀμφοῖν ἔχειν.

[¶41] Electra:
Where does the unhappy one live, in his unhappy exile?

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
ποῦ γῆς ὁ τλήμων τλήμονας φυγὰς ἔχων;

[¶42] Orestes:
He goes miserably about, not following the customs of any one city.

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
οὐχ ἕνα νομίζων φθείρεται πόλεως νόμον.

[¶43] Electra:
Surely he does not want for a living, day by day?

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
οὔ που σπανίζων τοῦ καθʼ ἡμέραν βίου;

[¶44] Orestes:
He has that, but an exile is a helpless man at best.

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
ἔχει μέν, ἀσθενὴς δὲ δὴ φεύγων ἀνήρ.

[¶45] Electra:
What is this message you have come bringing from him?

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
λόγον δὲ δὴ τίνʼ ἦλθες ἐκ κείνου φέρων;

[¶46] Orestes:
If you are alive, and if so, how you are.

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
εἰ ζῇς, ὅπως τε ζῶσα συμφορᾶς ἔχεις.

[¶47] Electra:
Well then, you see first of all how withered my body is.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
οὐκοῦν ὁρᾷς μου πρῶτον ὡς ξηρὸν δέμας.

[¶48] Orestes:
Yes, so wasted with sorrow that I sigh for it.

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
λύπαις γε συντετηκός, ὥστε με στένειν.

[¶49] Electra:
And my head and hair, close shaven as if by a Scythian’s razor.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
καὶ κρᾶτα πλόκαμόν τʼ ἐσκυθισμένον ξυρῷ.

[¶50] Orestes:
Your brother and your dead father perhaps gnaw at your heart.

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
δάκνει σʼ ἀδελφὸς ὅ τε θανὼν ἴσως πατήρ.

[¶51] Electra:
Alas! For what is dearer to me than they?

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
οἴμοι, τί γάρ μοι τῶνδέ γʼ ἐστὶ φίλτερον;

[¶52] Orestes:
Ah! What are you to your brother, do you think?

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
φεῦ φεῦ· τί δαὶ σὺ σῷ κασιγνήτῳ, δοκεῖς;

[¶53] Electra:
He is far away, not here to be my friend.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
ἀπὼν ἐκεῖνος, οὐ παρὼν ἡμῖν φίλος.

[¶54] Orestes:
Why are you living here, far from the city?

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
ἐκ τοῦ δὲ ναίεις ἐνθάδʼ ἄστεως ἑκάς;

[¶55] Electra:
I am married, stranger; a deadly match.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
ἐγημάμεσθʼ, ὦ ξεῖνε, θανάσιμον γάμον.

[¶56] Orestes:
I pity your brother. Is your husband a Mycenaean?

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
ᾤμωξʼ ἀδελφὸν σόν. Μυκηναίων τίνι;

[¶57] Electra:
Not one to whom my father ever hoped to give me.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
οὐχ ᾧ πατήρ μʼ ἤλπιζεν ἐκδώσειν ποτέ.

[¶58] Orestes:
Tell me so that I may hear and inform your brother.

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
εἴφʼ, ὡς ἀκούσας σῷ κασιγνήτῳ λέγω.

[¶59] Electra:
I live in his house, at a distance from the city.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
ἐν τοῖσδʼ ἐκείνου τηλορὸς ναίω δόμοις.

[¶60] Orestes:
A ditch-digger or a herdsman is worthy of the house.

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
σκαφεύς τις ἢ βουφορβὸς ἄξιος δόμων.

[¶61] Electra:
He is a man poor but noble, and respectful to me.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
πένης ἀνὴρ γενναῖος ἔς τʼ ἔμʼ εὐσεβής.

[¶62] Orestes:
What is this respect that your husband has?

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
ἡ δʼ εὐσέβεια τίς πρόσεστι σῷ πόσει;

[¶63] Electra:
He has never dared to touch me in bed.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
οὐπώποτʼ εὐνῆς τῆς ἐμῆς ἔτλη θιγεῖν.

[¶64] Orestes:
Does he hold some form of religious chastity, or does he think you unworthy?

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
ἅγνευμʼ ἔχων τι θεῖον ἤ σʼ ἀπαξιῶν;

[¶65] Electra:
He did not think himself worthy to insult my family.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
γονέας ὑβρίζειν τοὺς ἐμοὺς οὐκ ἠξίου.

[¶66] Orestes:
And how was he not delighted to make such a marriage?

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
καὶ πῶς γάμον τοιοῦτον οὐχ ἥσθη λαβών;

[¶67] Electra:
He thinks the person who gave me did not have that right, stranger.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
οὐ κύριον τὸν δόντα μʼ ἡγεῖται, ξένε.

[¶68] Orestes:
I understand; he fears that he may someday be punished by Orestes.

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
ξυνῆκʼ· Ὀρέστῃ μή ποτʼ ἐκτείσῃ δίκην.

[¶69] Electra:
He does fear that, but he is also a virtuous man.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
τοῦτʼ αὐτὸ ταρβῶν, πρὸς δὲ καὶ σώφρων ἔφυ.

[¶70] Orestes:
Ah! You have described a noble man, and he must be treated well.

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
φεῦ·
γενναῖον ἄνδρʼ ἔλεξας, εὖ τε δραστέον.

[¶71] Electra:
Yes, if ever the one now absent comes home.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
εἰ δή ποθʼ ἥξει γʼ ἐς δόμους ὁ νῦν ἀπών.

[¶72] Orestes:
But did your mother, who gave you birth, endure this?

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
μήτηρ δέ σʼ ἡ τεκοῦσα ταῦτʼ ἠνέσχετο;

[¶73] Electra:
Women love their husbands, stranger, not their children.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
γυναῖκες ἀνδρῶν, ὦ ξένʼ, οὐ παίδων φίλαι.

[¶74] Orestes:
Why did Aegisthus insult you in this way?

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
τίνος δέ σʼ οὕνεχʼ ὕβρισʼ Αἴγισθος τάδε;

[¶75] Electra:
He planned for me to bear powerless children, when he gave me to such a man.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
τεκεῖν μʼ ἐβούλετʼ ἀσθενῆ, τοιῷδε δούς.

[¶76] Orestes:
So that you might not bear sons to punish him, of course?

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
ὡς δῆθε παῖδας μὴ τέκοις ποινάτορας;

[¶77] Electra:
That was his plan; may he make amends to me for it!

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
τοιαῦτʼ ἐβούλευσʼ· ὧν ἐμοὶ δοίη δίκην.

[¶78] Orestes:
Does your mother’s husband know that you are a virgin?

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
οἶδεν δέ σʼ οὖσαν παρθένον μητρὸς πόσις;

[¶79] Electra:
He does not know; we steal that from him by our silence.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
οὐκ οἶδε· σιγῇ τοῦθʼ ὑφαιρούμεσθά νιν.

[¶80] Orestes:
Are these women who hear our talk friends of yours?

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
αἵδʼ οὖν φίλαι σοι τούσδʼ ἀκούουσιν λόγους;

[¶81] Electra:
They will keep both your words and mine well hidden.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
ὥστε στέγειν γε τἀμὰ καὶ σʼ ἔπη καλῶς.

[¶82] Orestes:
What then could Orestes do in this matter if he comes to Argos?

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
τί δῆτʼ Ὀρέστης πρὸς τόδʼ, Ἄργος ἢν μόλῃ;

[¶83] Electra:
Do you ask this? You have said a shameful word; isn’t it the critical time now?

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
ἤρου τόδʼ; αἰσχρόν γʼ εἶπας· οὐ γὰρ νῦν ἀκμή;

[¶84] Orestes:
But if he does come, how might he kill his father’s murderers?

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
ἐλθὼν δὲ δὴ πῶς φονέας ἂν κτάνοι πατρός;

[¶85] Electra:
By daring such things as his enemies dared against my father.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
τολμῶν ὑπʼ ἐχθρῶν οἷʼ ἐτολμήθη πατήρ.

[¶86] Orestes:
And would you dare, with him, to kill your mother?

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
ἦ καὶ μετʼ αὐτοῦ μητέρʼ ἂν τλαίης κτανεῖν;

[¶87] Electra:
Yes, with that same axe by which my father died.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
ταὐτῷ γε πελέκει τῷ πατὴρ ἀπώλετο.

[¶88] Orestes:
Am I to tell him this, and that your purpose is steadfast?

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
λέγω τάδʼ αὐτῷ, καὶ βέβαια τἀπὸ σοῦ;

[¶89] Electra:
Once I had shed my mother’s blood, I might die!

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
θάνοιμι μητρὸς αἷμʼ ἐπισφάξασʼ ἐμῆς.

[¶90] Orestes:
Ah! Would that Orestes were near by, to hear that!

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
φεῦ·
εἴθʼ ἦν Ὀρέστης πλησίον κλύων τάδε.

[¶91] Electra:
But, stranger, I would not know him if I saw him.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
ἀλλʼ, ὦ ξένʼ, οὐ γνοίην ἂν εἰσιδοῦσά νιν.

[¶92] Orestes:
No wonder, for you were both young when you were parted.

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
νέα γάρ, οὐδὲν θαῦμʼ, ἀπεζεύχθης νέου.

[¶93] Electra:
There is only one of my friends who would recognize him.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
εἷς ἂν μόνος νιν τῶν ἐμῶν γνοίη φίλων.

[¶94] Orestes:
The man who is said to have stolen him away from murder?

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
ἆρʼ ὃν λέγουσιν αὐτὸν ἐκκλέψαι φόνου;

[¶95] Electra:
Yes, the old man, my father’s old servant.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
πατρός γε παιδαγωγὸς ἀρχαῖος γέρων.

[¶96] Orestes:
Did the dead man, your father, find burial?

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
ὁ κατθανὼν δὲ σὸς πατὴρ τύμβου κυρεῖ;

[¶97] Electra:
He found what he could, cast out of the house.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
ἔκυρσεν ὡς ἔκυρσεν, ἐκβληθεὶς δόμων.

[¶98] Orestes:
Alas, the things you have said! For perception of suffering, even another’s, gnaws at mortals. Speak, so that when I know, I may tell your brother the story, unpleasant, but necessary to hear. Pity is not present at all in clownishness,
but in wise men. And indeed it is not without mischief for the wise to have overly profound thoughts.

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
οἴμοι, τόδʼ οἷον εἶπας· — αἴσθησις γὰρ οὖν
κἀκ τῶν θυραίων πημάτων δάκνει βροτούς.
λέξον δʼ, ἵνʼ εἰδὼς σῷ κασιγνήτῳ φέρω
λόγους ἀτερπεῖς, ἀλλʼ ἀναγκαίους κλύειν.
ἔνεστι δʼ οἶκτος ἀμαθίᾳ μὲν οὐδαμοῦ,
σοφοῖσι δʼ ἀνδρῶν· καὶ γὰρ οὐδʼ ἀζήμιον
γνώμην ἐνεῖναι τοῖς σοφοῖς λίαν σοφήν.

[¶99] Chorus Leader:
And I have the same desire in my heart as this man. Being far from the town, I do not know the city’s scandals, and now I want to learn them.

> Greek: Χορός:
κἀγὼ τὸν αὐτὸν τῷδʼ ἔρον ψυχῆς ἔχω.
πρόσω γὰρ ἄστεως οὖσα τἀν πόλει κακὰ
οὐκ οἶδα, νῦν δὲ βούλομαι κἀγὼ μαθεῖν.

[¶100] Electra:
I will speak, if I must—and one must speak to a friend—about my own and my father’s heavy misfortunes. Since you are setting the tale in motion, I entreat you, stranger, tell Orestes of our sorrows, mine and his. First of all, in what clothes I live like a beast in a stall,
with what filth I am weighted down, under what roof I dwell, having lived in a royal home; I myself working hard on my clothes at the loom, or else I shall go barely clad and do without; always carrying water from the springs myself,
with no share in the festival rites, no part in the dance. I turn away from married women, as a virgin; and I turn away from Castor, who sought me in marriage before he joined the gods, for I was his relative. But my mother, in the spoils of Troy,
is seated on her throne, and at her chair stand slaves from Asia, my father’s plunder, fastening their Trojan robes with golden brooches. And still my father’s blood has rotted black on the wall, while the one who killed him
mounts the same chariot and goes forth; and is proud to hold in his blood-stained hands the scepter with which my father used to command the Hellenes. Agamemnon’s grave, dishonoured, has not yet ever received any libations, or branch of myrtle,
but his altar is barren of ornament. That famous one, my mother’s husband, leaps on the grave, they say, when soaked in drink, and pelts my father’s marble monument with stones, and dares to say this to us:

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
λέγοιμʼ ἄν, εἰ χρή — χρὴ δὲ πρὸς φίλον λέγειν —
τύχας βαρείας τὰς ἐμὰς κἀμοῦ πατρός.
ἐπεὶ δὲ κινεῖς μῦθον, ἱκετεύω, ξένε,
ἄγγελλʼ Ὀρέστῃ τἀμὰ καὶ κείνου κακά,
πρῶτον μὲν οἵοις ἐν πέπλοις αὐλίζομαι,
πίνῳ θʼ ὅσῳ βέβριθʼ, ὑπὸ στέγαισί τε
οἵαισι ναίω βασιλικῶν ἐκ δωμάτων,
αὐτὴ μὲν ἐκμοχθοῦσα κερκίσιν πέπλους,
ἢ γυμνὸν ἕξω σῶμα κἀστερήσομαι,
αὐτὴ δὲ πηγὰς ποταμίους φορουμένη,
ἀνέορτος ἱερῶν καὶ χορῶν τητωμένη.
ἀναίνομαι γυναῖκας οὖσα παρθένος,
ἀναίνομαι δὲ Κάστορʼ, ᾧ πρὶν ἐς θεοὺς
ἐλθεῖν ἔμʼ ἐμνήστευον, οὖσαν ἐγγενῆ.
μήτηρ δʼ ἐμὴ Φρυγίοισιν ἐν σκυλεύμασιν
θρόνῳ κάθηται, πρὸς δʼ ἕδραισιν Ἀσίδες
δμωαὶ στατίζουσʼ, ἃς ἔπερσʼ ἐμὸς πατήρ,
Ἰδαῖα φάρη χρυσέαις ἐζευγμέναι
πόρπαισιν. αἷμα δʼ ἔτι πατρὸς κατὰ στέγας
μέλαν σέσηπεν, ὃς δʼ ἐκεῖνον ἔκτανεν,
ἐς ταὐτὰ βαίνων ἅρματʼ ἐκφοιτᾷ πατρί,
καὶ σκῆπτρʼ ἐν οἷς Ἕλλησιν ἐστρατηλάτει
μιαιφόνοισι χερσὶ γαυροῦται λαβών.
Ἀγαμέμνονος δὲ τύμβος ἠτιμασμένος
οὔπω χοάς ποτʼ οὐδὲ κλῶνα μυρσίνης
ἔλαβε, πυρὰ δὲ χέρσος ἀγλαϊσμάτων.
μέθῃ δὲ βρεχθεὶς τῆς ἐμῆς μητρὸς πόσις
ὁ κλεινός, ὡς λέγουσιν, ἐνθρῴσκει τάφῳ
πέτροις τε λεύει μνῆμα λάινον πατρός,
καὶ τοῦτο τολμᾷ τοὔπος εἰς ἡμᾶς λέγειν·

[¶101] “Where is your son Orestes? Is he here to defend the tomb for you nobly?” Orestes is insulted in this way while absent. But, stranger, I beg you, report these things. There are many calling him to come—I am their interpreter—these hands, this tongue, my broken heart,
my shorn head, and his own father. For it is shameful, if his father exterminated the Trojans but Orestes is unable to kill a man, one against one, being young and born from a more noble father.

> Greek: ποῦ παῖς Ὀρέστης; ἆρά σοι τύμβῳ καλῶς
παρὼν ἀμύνει; — ταῦτʼ ἀπὼν ὑβρίζεται.
ἀλλʼ, ὦ ξένʼ, ἱκετεύω σʼ, ἀπάγγειλον τάδε.
πολλοὶ δʼ ἐπιστέλλουσιν, ἑρμηνεὺς δʼ ἐγώ,
αἱ χεῖρες ἡ γλῶσσʼ ἡ ταλαίπωρός τε φρήν,
κάρα τʼ ἐμὸν ξυρῆκες, ὅ τʼ ἐκεῖνον τεκών.
αἰσχρὸν γάρ, εἰ πατὴρ μὲν ἐξεῖλεν Φρύγας,
ὁ δʼ ἄνδρʼ ἕνʼ εἷς ὢν οὐ δυνήσεται κτανεῖν,
νέος πεφυκὼς κἀξ ἀμείνονος πατρός.

[¶102] Chorus Leader:
And look, I see him, I mean your husband,
on his way home, his day’s work done.
Peasant: Entering and catching sight of strangers talking to Electra.

> Greek: Χορός:
καὶ μὴν δέδορκα τόνδε, σὸν λέγω πόσιν,
λήξαντα μόχθου πρὸς δόμους ὡρμημένον.

[¶103] Oh! who are these strangers I see at my door? Why have they come here to my rustic gate? Do they want something from me? For it is shameful for a woman to be standing with young men.

> Greek: Αὐτουργός:
ἔα· τίνας τούσδʼ ἐν πύλαις ὁρῶ ξένους;
τίνος δʼ ἕκατι τάσδʼ ἐπʼ ἀγραύλους πύλας
προσῆλθον; ἦ ʼμοῦ δεόμενοι; γυναικί τοι
αἰσχρὸν μετʼ ἀνδρῶν ἑστάναι νεανιῶν.

[¶104] Electra:
Dearest, do not be suspicious of me; you shall hear the truth; for these strangers have come to me as messengers of news from Orestes. But, strangers, pardon him for what he said.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
ὦ φίλτατʼ, εἰς ὕποπτα μὴ μόλῃς ἐμοί·
τὸν ὄντα δʼ εἴσῃ μῦθον· οἵδε γὰρ ξένοι
ἥκουσʼ Ὀρέστου πρός με κήρυκες λόγων.
ἀλλʼ, ὦ ξένοι, σύγγνωτε τοῖς εἰρημένοις.

[¶105] Peasant:
What do they say? The man is alive and sees the light of day?

> Greek: Αὐτουργός:
τί φασίν; ἁνὴρ ἔστι καὶ λεύσσει φάος;

[¶106] Electra:
He is, at least in their report, and I believe them.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
ἔστιν λόγῳ γοῦν, φασὶ δʼ οὐκ ἄπιστʼ ἐμοί.

[¶107] Peasant:
Surely then he remembers something of your father’s wrongs and your own?

> Greek: Αὐτουργός:
ἦ καί τι πατρὸς σῶν τε μέμνηται κακῶν;

[¶108] Electra:
These are things to hope for; a man in exile is powerless.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
ἐν ἐλπίσιν ταῦτʼ· ἀσθενὴς φεύγων ἀνήρ.

[¶109] Peasant:
What message from Orestes have they come to declare?

> Greek: Αὐτουργός:
ἦλθον δʼ Ὀρέστου τίνʼ ἀγορεύοντες λόγον;

[¶110] Electra:
He sent them as spies of my wrongs.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
σκοποὺς ἔπεμψε τούσδε τῶν ἐμῶν κακῶν.

[¶111] Peasant:
Then they see a part of it, and perhaps you are telling them the rest.

> Greek: Αὐτουργός:
οὐκοῦν τὰ μὲν λεύσσουσι, τὰ δὲ σύ που λέγεις.

[¶112] Electra:
They know; they have all these things in abundance.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
ἴσασιν, οὐδὲν τῶνδʼ ἔχουσιν ἐνδεές.

[¶113] Peasant:
Then shouldn’t you have opened the doors to them long before? Go into the house; for in return for your good tidings, you shall find as much hospitality as my house holds in store.

> Greek: Αὐτουργός:
οὐκοῦν πάλαι χρῆν τοῖσδʼ ἀνεπτύχθαι πύλας;
χωρεῖτʼ ἐς οἴκους· ἀντὶ γὰρ χρηστῶν λόγων
ξενίων κυρήσεθʼ, οἷʼ ἐμὸς κεύθει δόμος.

[¶114] Servants, take their baggage within the house. Do not contradict me, since you are friends coming from a friend; for, even if I am poor, I will not display manners that are ill-bred.

> Greek: αἴρεσθʼ, ὀπαδοί, τῶνδʼ ἔσω τεύχη δόμων.
καὶ μηδὲν ἀντείπητε, παρὰ φίλου φίλοι
μολόντες ἀνδρός· καὶ γὰρ εἰ πένης ἔφυν,
οὔτοι τό γʼ ἦθος δυσγενὲς παρέξομαι.

[¶115] Orestes:
By the gods! Is this the man who makes a fraud of your marriage,
because he does not want to shame Orestes?

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
πρὸς θεῶν, ὅδʼ ἁνὴρ ὃς συνεκκλέπτει γάμους
τοὺς σούς, Ὀρέστην οὐ καταισχύνειν θέλων;

[¶116] Electra:
This is the one who is called my husband, unhappy as I am.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
οὗτος κέκληται πόσις ἐμὸς τῆς ἀθλίας.

[¶117] Orestes:
Ah! There is no exact way to test a man’s worth; for human nature has confusion in it. For instance, I have seen before now the son of a noble father
worth nothing, and good children from evil parents; famine in a rich man’s spirit, and a mighty soul in a poor man’s body. How then does one rightly distinguish and judge these things? By wealth? A sorry test to use.

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
φεῦ·
οὐκ ἔστʼ ἀκριβὲς οὐδὲν εἰς εὐανδρίαν·
ἔχουσι γὰρ ταραγμὸν αἱ φύσεις βροτῶν.
ἤδη γὰρ εἶδον ἄνδρα γενναίου πατρὸς
τὸ μηδὲν ὄντα, χρηστά τʼ ἐκ κακῶν τέκνα,
λιμόν τʼ ἐν ἀνδρὸς πλουσίου φρονήματι,
γνώμην τε μεγάλην ἐν πένητι σώματι.
πῶς οὖν τις αὐτὰ διαλαβὼν ὀρθῶς κρινεῖ;
πλούτῳ; πονηρῷ τἄρα χρήσεται κριτῇ.

[¶118] Or by those who have nothing? But poverty has a disease, it teaches a man to be wicked in his need. But shall I turn to warfare? Who, facing the enemy’s spear, could be a witness as to who is brave? It is best to leave these matters alone, at random.

> Greek: ἢ τοῖς ἔχουσι μηδέν; ἀλλʼ ἔχει νόσον
πενία, διδάσκει δʼ ἄνδρα τῇ χρείᾳ κακόν.
ἀλλʼ εἰς ὅπλʼ ἔλθω; τίς δὲ πρὸς λόγχην βλέπων
μάρτυς γένοιτʼ ἂν ὅστις ἐστὶν ἁγαθός;
κράτιστον εἰκῇ ταῦτʼ ἐᾶν ἀφειμένα.

[¶119] For this man, neither important in Argos, nor puffed up by the good reputation of his family, but one of the many, has been found to be the best. Do not be foolish, you who wander about full of empty notions, but judge those noble among men by their company
and by their habits. For such men rule well both states and homes; while those bodies that are empty of mind are only ornaments in the market-place. For the strong arm does not await the battle any better than the weak;

> Greek: οὗτος γὰρ ἁνὴρ οὔτʼ ἐν Ἀργείοις μέγας
οὔτʼ αὖ δοκήσει δωμάτων ὠγκωμένος,
ἐν τοῖς δὲ πολλοῖς ὤν, ἄριστος ηὑρέθη.
οὐ μὴ ἀφρονήσεθʼ, οἳ κενῶν δοξασμάτων
πλήρεις πλανᾶσθε, τῇ δʼ ὁμιλίᾳ βροτοὺς
κρινεῖτε καὶ τοῖς ἤθεσιν τοὺς εὐγενεῖς;
οἱ γὰρ τοιοῦτοι καὶ πόλεις οἰκοῦσιν εὖ
καὶ δώμαθʼ· αἱ δὲ σάρκες αἱ κεναὶ φρενῶν
ἀγάλματʼ ἀγορᾶς εἰσιν. οὐδὲ γὰρ δόρυ
μᾶλλον βραχίων σθεναρὸς ἀσθενοῦς μένει·

[¶120] this depends on natural courage. But, since Agamemnon’s son, both present and not present, for whose sake we have come, is worthy of it, let us accept a lodging in this house. Calling to his servants. We must go within this house, slaves. May a man poor
but eager be a better host for me than a rich man! And so I am content with the reception into this man’s house, though I would have wanted your brother, in good fortune, to lead me to his fortunate home. Perhaps he may come; the oracles of Loxias are
sure, but human prophecy I dismiss. Exeunt Orestes and Pylades.

> Greek: ἐν τῇ φύσει δὲ τοῦτο κἀν εὐψυχίᾳ.
ἀλλʼ — ἄξιος γὰρ ὅ τε παρὼν ὅ τʼ οὐ παρὼν
Ἀγαμέμνονος παῖς, οὗπερ οὕνεχʼ ἥκομεν —
δεξώμεθʼ οἴκων καταλύσεις. χωρεῖν χρεών,
δμῶες, δόμων τῶνδʼ ἐντός. ὡς ἐμοὶ πένης
εἴη πρόθυμος πλουσίου μᾶλλον ξένος.
αἰνῶ μὲν οὖν τοῦδʼ ἀνδρὸς ἐσδοχὰς δόμων,
ἐβουλόμην δʼ ἄν, εἰ κασίγνητός με σὸς
ἐς εὐτυχοῦντας ἦγεν εὐτυχῶν δόμους.
ἴσως δʼ ἂν ἔλθοι· Λοξίου γὰρ ἔμπεδοι
χρησμοί, βροτῶν δὲ μαντικὴν χαίρειν ἐῶ.

[¶121] Chorus Leader:
Now more than before, Electra, I feel the warmth of joy at my heart; for perhaps good fortune, advancing with difficulty, might come to a good resting-place.

> Greek: Χορός:
νῦν ἢ πάροιθεν μᾶλλον, Ἠλέκτρα, χαρᾷ
θερμαινόμεσθα καρδίαν· ἴσως γὰρ ἂν
μόλις προβαίνουσʼ ἡ τύχη σταίη καλῶς.

[¶122] Electra:
O reckless man, why, knowing the poverty of your house,
did you welcome these strangers, greater than you?

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
ὦ τλῆμον, εἰδὼς δωμάτων χρείαν σέθεν
τί τούσδʼ ἐδέξω μείζονας σαυτοῦ ξένους;

[¶123] Peasant:
What? If they are really as noble as they seem, won’t they be equally content among great and small?

> Greek: Αὐτουργός:
τί δʼ; εἴπερ εἰσὶν ὡς δοκοῦσιν εὐγενεῖς,
οὐκ ἔν τε μικροῖς ἔν τε μὴ στέρξουσʼ ὁμῶς;

[¶124] Electra:
Since you, one of the small, have now made this error, go to my father’s dear old servant,
who tends his flocks, an outcast from the city, by the river Tanaus which cuts a boundary between Argive land and the land of Sparta; bid him come, since these men have arrived at my house, and provide something for the guests’ meal.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
ἐπεί νυν ἐξήμαρτες ἐν σμικροῖσιν ὤν,
ἔλθʼ ὡς παλαιὸν τροφὸν ἐμοῦ φίλον πατρός,
ὃς ἀμφὶ ποταμὸν Τάναον Ἀργείας ὅρους
τέμνοντα γαίας Σπαρτιάτιδός τε γῆς
ποίμναις ὁμαρτεῖ πόλεος ἐκβεβλημένος·
κέλευε δʼ αὐτὸν τῶνδʼ ἐμοὐσαφιγμένων
ἐλθεῖν, ξένων τʼ ἐς δαῖτα πορσῦναί τινα.

[¶125] He will be glad, and will offer prayers to the gods, when he hears that the child, whom he once saved, is alive. I cannot get anything from my mother or from my father’s house; for we would bring bitter news, if she, the hard-hearted, were to learn that Orestes is still alive.

> Greek: ἡσθήσεταί τοι καὶ προσεύξεται θεοῖς,
ζῶντʼ εἰσακούσας παῖδʼ ὃν ἐκσῴζει ποτέ.
οὐ γὰρ πατρῴων ἐκ δόμων μητρὸς πάρα
λάβοιμεν ἄν τι· πικρὰ δʼ ἀγγείλαιμεν ἄν,
εἰ ζῶντʼ Ὀρέστην ἡ τάλαινʼ αἴσθοιτʼ ἔτι.

[¶126] Peasant:
I will take this message to the old man, if you wish; but go inside the house at once and make things ready there. Surely a woman, if she wants to, can find many additions to a meal. Really there is still enough in the house
to cram them with food for one day at least. It is in such cases, whenever I fail in my intentions, that I see how wealth has great power, to give to strangers, and to expend in curing the body when it falls sick; but money for our daily food
comes to little; for every man when full, rich or poor, gets an equal amount. Exeunt Electra and Peasant.

> Greek: Αὐτουργός:
ἀλλʼ, εἰ δοκεῖ σοι, τούσδʼ ἀπαγγελῶ λόγους
γέροντι· χώρει δʼ ἐς δόμους ὅσον τάχος
καὶ τἄνδον ἐξάρτυε. πολλά τοι γυνὴ
χρῄζουσʼ ἂν εὕροι δαιτὶ προσφορήματα.
ἔστιν δὲ δὴ τοσαῦτά γʼ ἐν δόμοις ἔτι,
ὥσθʼ ἕν γʼ ἐπʼ ἦμαρ τούσδε πληρῶσαι βορᾶς.
ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις δʼ ἡνίκʼ ἂν γνώμης πέσω,
σκοπῶ τὰ χρήμαθʼ ὡς ἔχει μέγα σθένος,
ξένοις τε δοῦναι σῶμά τʼ ἐς νόσους πεσὸν
δαπάναισι σῷσαι· τῆς δʼ ἐφʼ ἡμέραν βορᾶς
ἐς σμικρὸν ἥκει· πᾶς γὰρ ἐμπλησθεὶς ἀνὴρ
ὁ πλούσιός τε χὡ πένης ἴσον φέρει.

[¶127] Chorus:
O famous ships, you that once with countless oars went to Troy, conducting dances with the Nereids,
where the music-loving dolphin leapt and rolled at your dark-blue prows, bringing Achilles, the son of Thetis, light in the leap of his foot,
with Agamemnon to the banks of Trojan Simois.

> Greek: Χορός:
κλειναὶ νᾶες, αἵ ποτʼ ἔβατε Τροίαν
τοῖς ἀμετρήτοις ἐρετμοῖς
πέμπουσαι χοροὺς μετὰ Νηρῄδων,
ἵνʼ ὁ φίλαυλος ἔπαλλε δελ-
φὶς πρῴραις κυανεμβόλοι-
σιν εἱλισσόμενος,
πορεύων τὸν τᾶς Θέτιδος
κοῦφον ἅλμα ποδῶν Ἀχιλῆ
σὺν Ἀγαμέμνονι Τρωίας
ἐπὶ Σιμουντίδας ἀκτάς.

[¶128] Chorus:
The Nereids, leaving Euboea’s headlands, brought from Hephaestus’ anvil his shield-work of golden armor,
up to Pelion and the glens at the foot of holy Ossa, the Nymphs’ watch-tower... where his father, the horseman, was training the son of Thetis as a light for Hellas,
sea-born, swift-footed for the sons of Atreus.

> Greek: Χορός:
Νηρῇδες δʼ Εὐβοῖδας ἄκρας λιποῦσαι
μόχθους ἀσπιστὰς ἀκμόνων
Ἡφαίστου χρυσέων ἔφερον τευχέων,
ἀνά τε Πήλιον ἀνά τε πρυ-
μνὰς Ὄσσας ἱερᾶς νάπας
Νυμφαίας σκοπιὰς
κόρας μάτευσʼ, ἔνθα πατὴρ
ἱππότας τρέφεν Ἑλλάδι φῶς
Θέτιδος εἰνάλιον γόνον
ταχύπορον πόδʼ Ἀτρείδαις.

[¶129] Chorus:
I heard, from someone who had arrived at the harbor of Nauplia from Ilium, that
on the circle of your famous shield, O son of Thetis, were wrought these signs, a terror to the Phrygians: on the surrounding base of the shield’s rim, Perseus the throat-cutter, over
the sea with winged sandals, was holding the Gorgon’s body, with Hermes, Zeus’ messenger, the rustic son of Maia.

> Greek: Χορός:
Ἰλιόθεν δʼ ἔκλυόν τινος ἐν λιμέσιν
Ναυπλίοισι βεβῶτος
τᾶς σᾶς, ὦ Θέτιδος παῖ,
κλεινᾶς ἀσπίδος ἐν κύκλῳ
τοιάδε σήματα, δείματα
Φρύγια, τετύχθαι·
περιδρόμῳ μὲν ἴτυος ἕδρᾳ
Περσέα λαιμοτόμαν ὑπὲρ
ἁλὸς ποτανοῖσι πεδί-
λοισι φυὰν Γοργόνος ἴ-
σχειν, Διὸς ἀγγέλῳ σὺν Ἑρ-
μᾷ, τῷ Μαί-
ας ἀγροτῆρι κούρῳ·

## 2. Lines 464–902

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/euripides-electra/2/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/euripides-electra/2/#p-N

[¶0] Chorus:
In the center of the shield the sun’s bright circle
was shining on winged horses, and the heavenly chorus of stars, Pleiades, Hyades, bringing defeat to the eyes of Hector;

> Greek: Χορός:
ἐν δὲ μέσῳ κατέλαμπε σάκει φαέθων
κύκλος ἀελίοιο
ἵπποις ἂμ πτεροέσσαις
ἄστρων τʼ αἰθέριοι χοροί,
Πλειάδες, Ὑάδες, Ἕκτορος
ὄμμασι τροπαῖοι·

[¶1] and upon his gold-forged helmet were sphinxes, bearing in their talons prey from singing. On his breast-plate a lioness, breathing flame, was eager in flight, with her claws,
seeing the colt of Pirene.

> Greek: ἐπὶ δὲ χρυσοτύπῳ κράνει
Σφίγγες ὄνυξιν ἀοίδιμον
ἄγραν φέρουσαι· περιπλεύ-
ρῳ δὲ κύτει πύρπνοος ἔ-
σπευδε δρόμῳ λέαινα χαλ-
αῖς Πειρη-
ναῖον ὁρῶσα πῶλον.

[¶2] Chorus:
On the bloody hilt four-footed horses were prancing, while over their backs black dust rose up. But your adultery killed the lord of such mighty warriors,
evil-minded daughter of Tyndareus! For this the gods of heaven will one day send you to death;
truly the day will come when I shall see, under your red throat, blood gushing forth at the sword.

> Greek: Χορός:
ἄορι δʼ ἐν φονίῳ τετραβάμονες ἵπποι ἔπαλ-
λον, κελαινὰ δʼ ἀμφὶ νῶθʼ ἵετο κόνις.
τοιῶνδʼ ἄνακτα δοριπόνων
ἔκανεν ἀνδρῶν, Τυνδαρίς,
σὰ λέχεα, κακόφρων κούρα.
τοιγάρ σέ ποτʼ οὐρανίδαι
πέμψουσιν θανάτοις· ἦ σὰν
ἔτʼ ἔτι φόνιον ὑπὸ δέραν
ὄψομαι αἷμα χυθὲν σιδάρῳ.

[¶3] Old man:
Where, where is my young queen and mistress, Agamemnon’s child, whom I once brought up? How steep is the approach to her house,
for a wrinkled old man to ascend with this foot! Still, for these friends, I must drag along my back bent double and sinking knees. Oh, daughter—for I see you now before the house—I have come, bringing you from my own sheep
this newborn nursling of the flock, having drawn it away from its mother, and garlands, and cheeses I have taken from the press, and this old treasure of Dionysus, furnished with fragrance, small, but sweet to pour a cup of it into a weaker drink.

> Greek: Πρέσβυς:
ποῦ ποῦ νεᾶνις πότνιʼ ἐμὴ δέσποινά τε,
Ἀγαμέμνονος παῖς, ὅν ποτʼ ἐξέθρεψʼ ἐγώ;
ὡς πρόσβασιν τῶνδʼ ὀρθίαν οἴκων ἔχει
ῥυσῷ γέροντι τῷδε προσβῆναι ποδί.
ὅμως δὲ πρός γε τοὺς φίλους ἐξελκτέον
διπλῆν ἄκανθαν καὶ παλίρροπον γόνυ.
ὦ θύγατερ — ἄρτι γάρ σε πρὸς δόμοις ὁρῶ —
ἥκω φέρων σοι τῶν ἐμῶν βοσκημάτων
ποίμνης νεογνὸν θρέμμʼ ὑποσπάσας τόδε
στεφάνους τε τευχέων τʼ ἐξελὼν τυρεύματα,
παλαιόν τε θησαύρισμα Διονύσου τόδε
ὀσμῇ κατῆρες, μικρόν, ἀλλʼ ἐπεσβαλεῖν
ἡδὺ σκύφον τοῦδʼ ἀσθενεστέρῳ ποτῷ.

[¶4] Let some one carry these gifts into the house for the guests. I have moistened my eyes with tears, and wish to wipe them off on this shred of my robe.

> Greek: ἴτω φέρων τις τοῖς ξένοις τάδʼ ἐς δόμους·
ἐγὼ δὲ τρύχει τῷδʼ ἐμῶν πέπλων κόρας
δακρύοισι τέγξας ἐξομόρξασθαι θέλω.

[¶5] Electra:
Why are your eyes wet, old man? Have my troubles stirred your memory, after an interval of time?

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
τί δʼ, ὦ γεραιέ, διάβροχον τόδʼ ὄμμʼ ἔχεις;
μῶν τἀμὰ διὰ χρόνου σʼ ἀνέμνησεν κακά;

[¶6] Or are you groaning over the sad exile of Orestes, and over my father, whom you once held in your arms and brought up, in vain for you and for your friends?

> Greek: ἢ τὰς Ὀρέστου τλήμονας φυγὰς στένεις
καὶ πατέρα τὸν ἐμόν, ὅν ποτʼ ἐν χεροῖν ἔχων
ἀνόνητʼ ἔθρεψας σοί τε καὶ τοῖς σοῖς φίλοις;

[¶7] Old man:
In vain; but still I could not endure this: for I came to his grave, an addition to my journey,
and falling on it I wept for its desolation; then I opened the wine-skin which I am bringing to the guests, and poured a libation, and set myrtle-sprigs round the tomb. On the alter itself I saw a black-fleeced ram as an offering, and there was blood, not long poured out,
and severed locks of yellow hair. And I wondered, child, who ever dared come to the the tomb; for it was no Argive at least. But perhaps your brother has somehow come secretly and on his return has done honor to his father’s wretched grave.

> Greek: Πρέσβυς:
ἀνόνηθʼ· ὅμως δʼ οὖν τοῦτό γʼ οὐκ ἠνεσχόμην.
ἦλθον γὰρ αὐτοῦ πρὸς τάφον πάρεργʼ ὁδοῦ
καὶ προσπεσὼν ἔκλαυσʼ ἐρημίας τυχών,
σπονδάς τε, λύσας ἀσκὸν ὃν φέρω ξένοις,
ἔσπεισα, τύμβῳ δʼ ἀμφέθηκα μυρσίνας.
πυρᾶς δʼ ἐπʼ αὐτῆς οἶν μελάγχιμον πόκῳ
σφάγιον ἐσεῖδον αἷμά τʼ οὐ πάλαι χυθὲν
ξανθῆς τε χαίτης βοστρύχους κεκαρμένους.
κἀθαύμασʼ, ὦ παῖ, τίς ποτʼ ἀνθρώπων ἔτλη
πρὸς τύμβον ἐλθεῖν· οὐ γὰρ Ἀργείων γέ τις.
ἀλλʼ ἦλθʼ ἴσως που σὸς κασίγνητος λάθρᾳ,
μολὼν δʼ ἐθαύμασʼ ἄθλιον τύμβον πατρός.

[¶8] Go look to see if the color of the cut lock is the same as yours, putting it to your own hair; it is usual for those who have the same paternal blood to have a close bodily resemblance in most points.

> Greek: σκέψαι δὲ χαίτην προστιθεῖσα σῇ κόμῃ,
εἰ χρῶμα ταὐτὸν κουρίμης ἔσται τριχός·
φιλεῖ γάρ, αἷμα ταὐτὸν οἷς ἂν ᾖ πατρός,
τὰ πόλλʼ ὅμοια σώματος πεφυκέναι.

[¶9] Electra:
Old man, your words are unworthy of a wise man,
if you think my own brave brother would come to this land secretly for fear of Aegisthus. Then, how will a lock of hair correspond, the one made to grow in the wrestling schools of a well-bred man, the other, a woman’s lock, by combing? No, it is impossible.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
οὐκ ἄξιʼ ἀνδρός, ὦ γέρον, σοφοῦ λέγεις,
εἰ κρυπτὸν ἐς γῆν τήνδʼ ἂν Αἰγίσθου φόβῳ
δοκεῖς ἀδελφὸν τὸν ἐμὸν εὐθαρσῆ μολεῖν.
ἔπειτα χαίτης πῶς συνοίσεται πλόκος,
ὁ μὲν παλαίστραις ἀνδρὸς εὐγενοῦς τραφείς,
ὁ δὲ κτενισμοῖς θῆλυς; ἀλλʼ ἀμήχανον.

[¶10] But you could find in many people hair very similar, although they are not of the same blood, old man.

> Greek: πολλοῖς δʼ ἂν εὕροις βοστρύχους ὁμοπτέρους
καὶ μὴ γεγῶσιν αἵματος ταὐτοῦ, γέρον.

[¶11] Old man:
Then stand in the footprint and see if the tread of the boot will measure with your own foot, child.

> Greek: Πρέσβυς:
σὺ δʼ εἰς ἴχνος βᾶσʼ ἀρβύλης σκέψαι βάσιν
εἰ σύμμετρος σῷ ποδὶ γενήσεται, τέκνον.

[¶12] Electra:
How could there be an imprint of feet on a stony plot of ground?
And if there is, the foot of brother and sister would not be the same in size, for the male conquers.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
πῶς δʼ ἂν γένοιτʼ ἂν ἐν κραταιλέῳ πέδῳ
γαίας ποδῶν ἔκμακτρον; εἰ δʼ ἔστιν τόδε,
δυοῖν ἀδελφοῖν ποὺς ἂν οὐ γένοιτʼ ἴσος
ἀνδρός τε καὶ γυναικός, ἀλλʼ ἅρσην κρατεῖ.

[¶13] Old man:
There is not, even if your brother, coming to this land... by which you might know your loom’s weaving,
in which I once stole him away from death?

> Greek: Πρέσβυς:
οὐκ ἔστιν, εἰ καὶ γῆν κασίγνητος μολών,
…
κερκίδος ὅτῳ γνοίης ἂν ἐξύφασμα σῆς,
ἐν ᾧ ποτʼ αὐτὸν ἐξέκλεψα μὴ θανεῖν;

[¶14] Electra:
Don’t you know that I was still young when Orestes was driven out of the land? And even if I had woven him a robe, how could he, a child then, have the same one now, unless his clothes grew together with his body?

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
οὐκ οἶσθʼ, Ὀρέστης ἡνίκʼ ἐκπίπτει χθονός,
νέαν μʼ ἔτʼ οὖσαν; εἰ δὲ κἄκρεκον πέπλους,
πῶς ἂν τότʼ ὢν παῖς ταὐτὰ νῦν ἔχοι φάρη,
εἰ μὴ ξυναύξοινθʼ οἱ πέπλοι τῷ σώματι;

[¶15] But either a stranger, taking pity on his grave...
Old man:
Where are the guests? I want to see them and question them about your brother.

> Greek: ἀλλʼ ἤ τις αὐτοῦ τάφον ἐποικτίρας ξένος
ἐκείρατʼ, ἢ τῆσδε σκοποὺς λαβὼν χθονὸς —
Πρέσβυς:
οἱ δὲ ξένοι ποῦ; βούλομαι γὰρ εἰσιδὼν
αὐτοὺς ἔρεσθαι σοῦ κασιγνήτου πέρι.

[¶16] Electra:
There they are, coming quickly out of the house.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
οἵδʼ ἐκ δόμων βαίνουσι λαιψηρῷ ποδί.

[¶17] Old man:
They are well-born, but that may ring false; for many of the well-born are base. However; I give the guests welcome.

> Greek: Πρέσβυς:
ἀλλʼ εὐγενεῖς μέν, ἐν δὲ κιβδήλῳ τόδε·
πολλοὶ γὰρ ὄντες εὐγενεῖς εἰσιν κακοί.
ὅμως δέ. — χαίρειν τοὺς ξένους προσεννέπω.

[¶18] Orestes:
Welcome, old man! To which of your friends, Electra, does this ancient remnant of a man belong?

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
χαῖρʼ, ὦ γεραιέ. — τοῦ ποτʼ, Ἠλέκτρα, τόδε
παλαιὸν ἀνδρὸς λείψανον φίλων κυρεῖ;

[¶19] Electra:
This is the one who brought up my father, stranger.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
οὗτος τὸν ἁμὸν πατέρʼ ἔθρεψεν, ὦ ξένε.

[¶20] Orestes:
What are you saying? Is this the one who stole away your brother?

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
τί φῄς; ὅδʼ ὃς σὸν ἐξέκλεψε σύγγονον;

[¶21] Electra:
This is the one who saved him, if indeed he is still alive.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
ὅδʼ ἔσθʼ ὁ σώσας κεῖνον, εἴπερ ἔστʼ ἔτι.

[¶22] Orestes:
Oh! Why does he look at me, as if he were examining the clear mark impressed on a silver coin? Is he comparing me to someone?

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
ἔα·
τί μʼ ἐσδέδορκεν ὥσπερ ἀργύρου σκοπῶν
λαμπρὸν χαρακτῆρʼ; ἢ προσεικάζει μέ τῳ;

[¶23] Electra:
Perhaps he is glad to see in you a companion of Orestes.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
ἴσως Ὀρέστου σʼ ἥλιχʼ ἥδεται βλέπων.

[¶24] Orestes:
A beloved man, yes. But why is he circling all around me?

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
φίλου γε φωτός. τί δὲ κυκλεῖ πέριξ πόδα;

[¶25] Electra:
I too am amazed, looking at this, stranger.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
καὐτὴ τόδʼ εἰσορῶσα θαυμάζω, ξένε.

[¶26] Old man:
O mistress, daughter Electra, pray to the gods.

> Greek: Πρέσβυς:
ὦ πότνιʼ, εὔχου, θύγατερ Ἠλέκτρα, θεοῖς.

[¶27] Electra:
For what thing, present or absent?

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
τί τῶν ἀπόντων ἢ τί τῶν ὄντων πέρι;

[¶28] Old man:
To have a beloved treasure, which the god is revealing.

> Greek: Πρέσβυς:
λαβεῖν φίλον θησαυρόν, ὃν φαίνει θεός.

[¶29] Electra:
See: I call on the gods. Or whatever do you mean, old man?

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
ἰδού· καλῶ θεούς. ἢ τί δὴ λέγεις, γέρον;

[¶30] Old man:
Look now at this man, my child, your dearest one.

> Greek: Πρέσβυς:
βλέψον νυν ἐς τόνδʼ, ὦ τέκνον, τὸν φίλτατον.

[¶31] Electra:
I have been looking for a long time, to see whether you have lost your mind.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
πάλαι δέδορκα, μὴ σύ γʼ οὐκέτʼ εὖ φρονῇς.

[¶32] Old man:
Lost my mind, because I see your brother?

> Greek: Πρέσβυς:
οὐκ εὖ φρονῶ ʼγὼ σὸν κασίγνητον βλέπων;

[¶33] Electra:
What do you mean, old man, by this word, unhoped for?

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
πῶς εἶπας, ὦ γεραίʼ, ἀνέλπιστον λόγον;

[¶34] Old man:
That I see Orestes here, Agamemnon’s son.

> Greek: Πρέσβυς:
ὁρᾶν Ὀρέστην τόνδε τὸν Ἀγαμέμνονος.

[¶35] Electra:
What mark do you see, by which I shall be persuaded?

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
ποῖον χαρακτῆρʼ εἰσιδών, ᾧ πείσομαι;

[¶36] Old man:
A scar along his brow, where he fell and drew blood one day in his father’s home when chasing a fawn with you.

> Greek: Πρέσβυς:
οὐλὴν παρʼ ὀφρύν, ἥν ποτʼ ἐν πατρὸς δόμοις
νεβρὸν διώκων σοῦ μέθʼ ᾑμάχθη πεσών.

[¶37] Electra:
What are you saying? I see the sign of the fall.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
πῶς φῄς; ὁρῶ μὲν πτώματος τεκμήριον.

[¶38] Old man:
Then do you hesitate to embrace your dearest one?

> Greek: Πρέσβυς:
ἔπειτα μέλλεις προσπίτνειν τοῖς φιλτάτοις;

[¶39] Electra:
Not any longer, old man; for my heart is persuaded by your tokens. O you who have appeared at last, I hold you, beyond all hope.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
ἀλλʼ οὐκέτʼ, ὦ γεραιέ· συμβόλοισι γὰρ
τοῖς σοῖς πέπεισμαι θυμόν. — ὦ χρόνῳ φανείς,
ἔχω σʼ ἀέλπτως —

[¶40] Orestes:
And you are held by me at last.

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
κἀξ ἐμοῦ γʼ ἔχῃ χρόνῳ.

[¶41] Electra:
I never expected it.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
οὐδέποτε δόξασα.

[¶42] Orestes:
Nor did I hope.

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
οὐδʼ ἐγὼ γὰρ ἤλπισα.

[¶43] Electra:
Are you that one?

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
ἐκεῖνος εἶ σύ;

[¶44] Orestes:
Yes, your one ally. If I draw back the cast of the net I am aiming for—but I have confidence; or else we must no longer believe in gods, if wrong is to be victorious over right.

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
σύμμαχός γέ σοι μόνος.
ἢν δʼ ἀνσπάσωμαί γʼ ὃν μετέρχομαι βόλον —
πέποιθα δʼ· ἢ χρὴ μηκέθʼ ἡγεῖσθαι θεούς,
εἰ τἄδικʼ ἔσται τῆς δίκης ὑπέρτερα.

[¶45] Chorus:
You have come, you have come, oh, long-delayed day, you have lighted up, you have made visible a beacon to the city, who in long ago exile went forth from his father’s house, unhappily wandering.

> Greek: Χορός:
ἔμολες ἔμολες, ὤ, χρόνιος ἁμέρα,
κατέλαμψας, ἔδειξας ἐμφανῆ
πόλει πυρσόν, ὃς παλαιᾷ φυγᾷ
πατρίων ἀπὸ δωμάτων τάλας
ἀλαίνων ἔβα.

[¶46] A god, now, a god brings our victory, my dear. Lift up your hands, lift up your words, send prayers to the gods for your brother with fortune, with fortune,
to enter the city.

> Greek: θεὸς αὖ θεὸς ἁμετέραν τις ἄγει
νίκαν, ὦ φίλα.
ἄνεχε χέρας, ἄνεχε λόγον, ἵει λιτὰς
ἐς θεούς, τύχᾳ σοι τύχᾳ
κασίγνητον ἐμβατεῦσαι πόλιν.

[¶47] Orestes:
Well; I have the loving pleasures of your greeting and later I will give them back in turn. You, old man, for you have come at the right time, tell me, what should I do to avenge myself on my father’s murderer
[and on my mother, the partner in his unholy marriage]? Do I still have any well-disposed friends in Argos? Or am I wholly bankrupt, just as my fortunes are? With whom shall I ally myself? By night or day? What course shall I take against my enemies?

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
εἶἑν· φίλας μὲν ἡδονὰς ἀσπασμάτων
ἔχω, χρόνῳ δὲ καὖθις αὐτὰ δώσομεν.
σὺ δʼ, ὦ γεραιέ — καίριος γὰρ ἤλυθες —
λέξον, τί δρῶν ἂν φονέα τεισαίμην πατρός;
[μητέρα τε κοινωνὸν ἀνοσίων γάμων;]
ἔστιν τί μοι κατʼ Ἄργος εὐμενὲς φίλων;
ἢ πάντʼ ἀνεσκευάσμεθʼ, ὥσπερ αἱ τύχαι;
τῷ ξυγγένωμαι; νύχιος ἢ καθʼ ἡμέραν;
ποίαν ὁδὸν τραπώμεθʼ εἰς ἐχθροὺς ἐμούς;

[¶48] Old man:
Child, you have no friend in your misfortune. For this thing is a godsend indeed, to share in common, both good and bad. But you—for you have been destroyed from the foundations, in the eyes of your friends, and you have left them no hope—hear it from me and know:
all that you have is in your own arm and fortune, to win your father’s home and your city.

> Greek: Πρέσβυς:
ὦ τέκνον, οὐδεὶς δυστυχοῦντί σοι φίλος.
εὕρημα γάρ τοι χρῆμα γίγνεται τόδε,
κοινῇ μετασχεῖν τἀγαθοῦ καὶ τοῦ κακοῦ.
σὺ δʼ — ἐκ βάθρων γὰρ πᾶς ἀνῄρησαι φίλοις
οὐδʼ ἐλλέλοιπας ἐλπίδʼ — ἴσθι μου κλύων,
ἐν χειρὶ τῇ σῇ πάντʼ ἔχεις καὶ τῇ τύχῃ,
πατρῷον οἶκον καὶ πόλιν λαβεῖν σέθεν.

[¶49] Orestes:
What must I do then to accomplish this?

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
τί δῆτα δρῶντες τοῦδʼ ἂν ἐξικοίμεθα;

[¶50] Old man:
Kill Thyestes’ son and your mother.

> Greek: Πρέσβυς:
κτανὼν Θυέστου παῖδα σήν τε μητέρα.

[¶51] Orestes:
I have come for that victor’s crown; but how shall I grasp it?

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
ἥκω ʼπὶ τόνδε στέφανον· ἀλλὰ πῶς λάβω;

[¶52] Old man:
Not by going within the walls, even if you wanted to.

> Greek: Πρέσβυς:
τειχέων μὲν ἐλθὼν ἐντὸς οὐδʼ ἂν εἰ θέλοις.

[¶53] Orestes:
Is he well furnished with garrisons and body-guards?

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
φρουραῖς κέκασται δεξιαῖς τε δορυφόρων;

[¶54] Old man:
You have understood; for, clearly, he is afraid of you, and does not sleep.

> Greek: Πρέσβυς:
ἔγνως· φοβεῖται γάρ σε κοὐχ εὕδει σαφῶς.

[¶55] Orestes:
Well; it is for you to plan the next step, old man.

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
εἶἑν· σὺ δὴ τοὐνθένδε βούλευσον, γέρον.

[¶56] Old man:
Hear me then; for something has just come to me.

> Greek: Πρέσβυς:
κἀμοῦ γʼ ἄκουσον· ἄρτι γάρ μʼ ἐσῆλθέ τι.

[¶57] Orestes:
May you reveal something good, and may I understand it.

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
ἐσθλόν τι μηνύσειας, αἰσθοίμην δʼ ἐγώ.

[¶58] Old man:
I saw Aegisthus, when I was on my way here.

> Greek: Πρέσβυς:
Αἴγισθον εἶδον, ἡνίχʼ εἷρπον ἐνθάδε.

[¶59] Orestes:
I approve what you have said. Where was he?

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
προσηκάμην τὸ ῥηθέν. ἐν ποίοις τόποις;

[¶60] Old man:
Near these fields, at his stables.

> Greek: Πρέσβυς:
ἀγρῶν πέλας τῶνδʼ ἱπποφορβίων ἔπι.

[¶61] Orestes:
What was he doing? I see some hope, out of difficulties.

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
τί δρῶνθʼ; ὁρῶ γὰρ ἐλπίδʼ ἐξ ἀμηχάνων.

[¶62] Old man:
He was preparing a feast for the Nymphs, I thought.

> Greek: Πρέσβυς:
Νύμφαις ἐπόρσυνʼ ἔροτιν, ὡς ἔδοξέ μοι.

[¶63] Orestes:
In return for the bringing up of children or for a coming birth?

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
τροφεῖα παίδων ἢ πρὸ μέλλοντος τόκου;

[¶64] Old man:
I only know this: he was preparing to sacrifice an ox.

> Greek: Πρέσβυς:
οὐκ οἶδα πλὴν ἕν· βουσφαγεῖν ὡπλίζετο.

[¶65] Orestes:
With how many men? Or alone with his slaves?

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
πόσων μετʼ ἀνδρῶν; ἢ μόνος δμώων μέτα;

[¶66] Old man:
No Argive was there, but a band of his own servants.

> Greek: Πρέσβυς:
οὐδεὶς παρῆν Ἀργεῖος, οἰκεία δὲ χείρ.

[¶67] Orestes:
Surely there isn’t anyone who will know me if he sees me, old man?

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
οὔ πού τις ὅστις γνωριεῖ μʼ ἰδών, γέρον;

[¶68] Old man:
There are slaves, who have never even seen you.

> Greek: Πρέσβυς:
δμῶες μέν εἰσιν, οἳ σέ γʼ οὐκ εἶδόν ποτε.

[¶69] Orestes:
Would they be well disposed to me, if I should prevail?

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
ἡμῖν ἂν εἶεν, εἰ κρατοῖμεν, εὐμενεῖς;

[¶70] Old man:
Yes, for that is the way of slaves, luckily for you.

> Greek: Πρέσβυς:
δούλων γὰρ ἴδιον τοῦτο, σοὶ δὲ σύμφορον.

[¶71] Orestes:
However might I approach him then?

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
πῶς οὖν ἂν αὐτῷ πλησιασθείην ποτέ;

[¶72] Old man:
By going where he will see you as he sacrifices.

> Greek: Πρέσβυς:
στείχων ὅθεν σε βουθυτῶν ἐσόψεται.

[¶73] Orestes:
He has fields by the road, it seems?

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
ὁδὸν παρʼ αὐτήν, ὡς ἔοικʼ, ἀγροὺς ἔχει;

[¶74] Old man:
Yes, and when he sees you there, he will invite you to the feast.

> Greek: Πρέσβυς:
ὅθεν γʼ ἰδών σε δαιτὶ κοινωνὸν καλεῖ.

[¶75] Orestes:
I shall be a bitter companion in the feast, if the god wishes it.

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
πικρόν γε συνθοινάτορʼ, ἢν θεὸς θέλῃ.

[¶76] Old man:
After that, you yourself invent something, as it falls out.

> Greek: Πρέσβυς:
τοὐνθένδε πρὸς τὸ πῖπτον αὐτὸς ἐννόει.

[¶77] Orestes:
Well said. But my mother, where is she?

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
καλῶς ἔλεξας. — ἡ τεκοῦσα δʼ ἐστὶ ποῦ;

[¶78] Old man:
At Argos; but she will join her husband for the feast.

> Greek: Πρέσβυς:
Ἄργει· παρέσται δʼ οὖν πόσει θοίνην ἔπι.

[¶79] Orestes:
Why didn’t my mother set out with her husband?

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
τί δʼ οὐχ ἅμʼ ἐξωρμᾶτʼ ἐμὴ μήτηρ πόσει;

[¶80] Old man:
From fear of the citizens’ reproach she stayed behind.

> Greek: Πρέσβυς:
ψόγον τρέμουσα δημοτῶν ἐλείπετο.

[¶81] Orestes:
I understand; she knows that the city suspects her.

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
ξυνῆχʼ· ὕποπτος οὖσα γιγνώσκει πόλει.

[¶82] Old man:
Something like that; for an unholy woman is an object of hatred.

> Greek: Πρέσβυς:
τοιαῦτα· μισεῖται γὰρ ἀνόσιος γυνή.

[¶83] Orestes:
How then shall I kill her and him at once?

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
πῶς οὖν ἐκείνην τόνδε τʼ ἐν ταὐτῷ κτενῶ;

[¶84] Electra:
I shall prepare my mother’s slaughter!

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
ἐγὼ φόνον γε μητρὸς ἐξαρτύσομαι.

[¶85] Orestes:
And as for the other matter, fortune will ordain well.

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
καὶ μὴν ἐκεῖνά γʼ ἡ τύχη θήσει καλῶς.

[¶86] Electra:
Let this man here help us with both.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
ὑπηρετείτω μὲν δυοῖν ὄντοιν ὅδε.

[¶87] Old man:
I will; but how will you find a way to kill your mother?

> Greek: Πρέσβυς:
ἔσται τάδʼ· εὑρίσκεις δὲ μητρὶ πῶς φόνον;

[¶88] Electra:
Go to Clytemnestra, old man, and say this: report that I have given birth to a male child.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
λέγʼ, ὦ γεραιέ, τάδε Κλυταιμήστρᾳ μολών·
λεχώ μʼ ἀπάγγελλʼ οὖσαν ἄρσενος τόκῳ.

[¶89] Old man:
That you have given birth some time ago, or quite recently?

> Greek: Πρέσβυς:
πότερα πάλαι τεκοῦσαν ἢ νεωστὶ δή;

[¶90] Electra:
Ten days ago, in which a woman who has given birth stays pure.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
δέχʼ ἡλίους, ἐν οἷσιν ἁγνεύει λεχώ.

[¶91] Old man:
And how does this grant us the slaughter of your mother?

> Greek: Πρέσβυς:
καὶ δὴ τί τοῦτο μητρὶ προσβάλλει φόνον;

[¶92] Electra:
She will come, when she hears of my childbirth pangs.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
ἥξει κλύουσα λόχιά μου νοσήματα.

[¶93] Old man:
How is that? Do you think she cares for you, child?

> Greek: Πρέσβυς:
πόθεν; τί δʼ αὐτῇ σοῦ μέλειν δοκεῖς, τέκνον;

[¶94] Electra:
Yes; and she will weep, surely, over my child’s low rank.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
ναί· καὶ δακρύσει γʼ ἀξίωμʼ ἐμῶν τόκων.

[¶95] Old man:
Perhaps; bring your story back again to the turning-point.

> Greek: Πρέσβυς:
ἴσως· πάλιν τοι μῦθον ἐς καμπὴν ἄγε.

[¶96] Electra:
Well then, if she comes, it is clear that she will die.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
ἐλθοῦσα μέντοι δῆλον ὡς ἀπόλλυται.

[¶97] Old man:
Yes, she will come right up to the door of your house.

> Greek: Πρέσβυς:
καὶ μὴν ἐπʼ αὐτάς γʼ εἶσι σῶν δόμων πύλας.

[¶98] Electra:
Won’t it then be a little thing for her to turn aside to Hades?

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
οὐκοῦν τραπέσθαι σμικρὸν εἰς Ἅιδου τόδε;

[¶99] Old man:
May I die, once I have seen this!

> Greek: Πρέσβυς:
εἰ γὰρ θάνοιμι τοῦτʼ ἰδὼν ἐγώ ποτε.

[¶100] Electra:
First of all, old man, guide my brother—

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
πρώτιστα μέν νυν τῷδʼ ὑφήγησαι, γέρον —

[¶101] Old man:
To the place where Aegisthus is now sacrificing to the gods?

> Greek: Πρέσβυς:
Αἴγισθος ἔνθα νῦν θυηπολεῖ θεοῖς;

[¶102] Electra:
Then, going to meet my mother, give her my message.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
ἔπειτʼ ἀπαντῶν μητρὶ τἀπʼ ἐμοῦ φράσον.

[¶103] Old man:
So that the very words will seem to have been said by you.

> Greek: Πρέσβυς:
ὥστʼ αὐτά γʼ ἐκ σοῦ στόματος εἰρῆσθαι δοκεῖν.

[¶104] Electra: To Orestes
Your work begins at once; you have drawn the first lot in the slaughter.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
σὸν ἔργον ἤδη· πρόσθεν εἴληχας φόνου.

[¶105] Orestes:
I would go, if some one would show me the way.

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
στείχοιμʼ ἄν, εἴ τις ἡγεμὼν γίγνοιθʼ ὁδοῦ.

[¶106] Old man:
Yes, I can escort you myself, not against my will.

> Greek: Πρέσβυς:
καὶ μὴν ἐγὼ πέμποιμʼ ἂν οὐκ ἀκουσίως.

[¶107] Orestes:
O Zeus, god of my fathers, be also the vanquisher of my enemies—

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
ὦ Ζεῦ Πατρῷε, καὶ Τροπαῖʼ ἐχθρῶν γενοῦ —

[¶108] Electra:
And have pity on us; for we have suffered pitiably—

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
οἴκτιρέ θʼ ἡμᾶς· οἰκτρὰ γὰρ πεπόνθαμεν —

[¶109] Old man:
Yes, indeed, have pity on your own descendants.

> Greek: Πρέσβυς:
οἴκτιρε δῆτα σούς γε φύντας ἐκγόνους.

[¶110] Electra:
And Hera, you who rule Mycenae’s altars—

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
Ἥρα τε, βωμῶν ἣ Μυκηναίων κρατεῖς —

[¶111] Orestes:
Give us victory, if we are asking for what is right.

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
νίκην δὸς ἡμῖν, εἰ δίκαιʼ αἰτούμεθα.

[¶112] Old man:
Yes, indeed, give them the right of vengeance for their father.

> Greek: Πρέσβυς:
δὸς δῆτα πατρὸς τοῖσδε τιμωρὸν δίκην.

[¶113] Orestes:
You too, father, living below the earth through an unholy deed—

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
σύ τʼ, ὦ κάτω γῆς ἀνοσίως οἰκῶν πάτερ —

[¶114] Electra:
And Lady Earth, to whom I give my hands—

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
καὶ Γαῖʼ ἄνασσα, χεῖρας ᾗ δίδωμʼ ἐμὰς —

[¶115] Old man:
Defend, defend these, your dearest children.

> Greek: Πρέσβυς:
ἄμυνʼ ἄμυνε τοῖσδε φιλτάτοις τέκνοις.

[¶116] Orestes:
Now come and bring with you all the dead as allies.

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
νῦν πάντα νεκρὸν ἐλθὲ σύμμαχον λαβών.

[¶117] Electra:
Those who destroyed the Trojans in war with you—

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
οἵπερ γε σὺν σοὶ Φρύγας ἀνήλωσαν δορὶ —

[¶118] Old man:
And all who hate the unholy and polluted.

> Greek: Πρέσβυς:
χὥσοι στυγοῦσιν ἀνοσίους μιάστορας.

[¶119] Electra:
Do you hear me, you who suffered dreadful things from my mother?

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
ἤκουσας, ὦ δείνʼ ἐξ ἐμῆς μητρὸς παθών;

[¶120] Old man:
Your father hears everything, I know; but it is time to be on our way.

> Greek: Πρέσβυς:
πάντʼ, οἶδʼ, ἀκούει τάδε πατήρ· στείχειν δʼ ἀκμή.

[¶121] Electra:
And I tell you therefore that Aegisthus is to die; if you fall dead in the struggle, I am also dead, do not count me as alive; for I will strike my heart with a two-edged sword. I will go indoors and make things ready there.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
καί σοι προφωνῶ πρὸς τάδʼ Αἴγισθον θανεῖν·
ὡς εἰ παλαισθεὶς πτῶμα θανάσιμον πεσῇ,
τέθνηκα κἀγώ, μηδέ με ζῶσαν λέγε·
παίσω γὰρ ἧπαρ τοὐμὸν ἀμφήκει ξίφει.
δόμων ἔσω βᾶσʼ εὐτρεπὲς ποήσομαι.

[¶122] So that if a good report comes from you, the whole house will cry aloud in triumph; but, if you die, it will be the opposite of that. These are my words to you.

> Greek: ὡς ἢν μὲν ἔλθῃ πύστις εὐτυχὴς σέθεν,
ὀλολύξεται πᾶν δῶμα· θνῄσκοντος δέ σου
τἀναντίʼ ἔσται τῶνδε· ταῦτά σοι λέγω.

[¶123] Orestes:
I know it all.

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
πάντʼ οἶδα.

[¶124] Electra:
Therefore you must be a man. Exeunt Orestes, Pylades, and Old Man. And you, women, please take care to give
a shout in signal of this contest. I will keep a sword ready, holding it in my hand, for I will not ever, if defeated, submit to my enemies the right to insult my body. Exit Electra.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
πρὸς τάδʼ ἄνδρα γίγνεσθαί σε χρή.
ὑμεῖς δέ μοι, γυναῖκες, εὖ πυρσεύετε
κραυγὴν ἀγῶνος τοῦδε· φρουρήσω δʼ ἐγὼ
πρόχειρον ἔγχος χειρὶ βαστάζουσʼ ἐμῇ.
οὐ γάρ ποτʼ ἐχθροῖς τοῖς ἐμοῖς νικωμένη
δίκην ὑφέξω, σῶμʼ ἐμὸν καθυβρίσαι.

[¶125] Chorus:
The story remains in old legends
that Pan, the keeper of wild beasts, breathing sweet-voiced music on his well-joined pipes, once brought from its tender mother on Argive hills
a lamb with beautiful golden fleece. A herald stood on the stone platform and cried aloud, “To assembly, Mycenaeans, go to assembly”
“to see the omens given to our blessed rulers.”... and they honored the house of Atreus.

> Greek: Χορός:
ἀταλᾶς ὑπὸ ματρὸς ⟨ἄρνʼ⟩
Ἀργείων
ὀρέων ποτὲ κληδὼν ἐν
πολιαῖσι μένει φήμαις
εὐαρμόστοις ἐν καλάμοις
Πᾶνα μοῦσαν ἡδύθροον
πνέοντʼ, ἀγρῶν ταμίαν,
χρυσέαν καλλιπλόκαμον
πορεῦσαι. πετρίνοις δʼ ἐπι-
στὰς κᾶρυξ ἰάχει βάθροις·
Ἀγορὰν ἀγοράν, Μυκη-
ναῖοι, στείχετε μακαρίων
ὀψόμενοι τυράννων
φάσματα δείματα … χοροὶ δʼ Ἀτρει-
δᾶν ἐγέραιρον οἴκους·

[¶126] Chorus:
The altars of beaten gold were set out; and through the town the
altar fires of the Argives blazed; the flute, handmaid of the Muse’s song, sounded its note sweetly, and lovely songs of the golden lamb swelled forth, saying that Thyestes had the luck; for he
persuaded Atreus’ own wife to secret love, and carried off to his house the portent; coming before the assembly he declared that he had in his
house the horned sheep with fleece of gold.

> Greek: Χορός:
θυμέλαι δʼ ἐπίτναντο χρυ-
σήλατοι,
σελαγεῖτο δʼ ἀνʼ ἄστυ πῦρ
ἐπιβώμιον Ἀργείων·
λωτὸς δὲ φθόγγον κελάδει
κάλλιστον, Μουσᾶν θεράπων·
μολπαὶ δʼ ηὔξοντʼ ἐραταί,
χρυσέας ἀρνὸς ἐπίλογοι,
Θυέστου· κρυφίαις γὰρ εὐ-
ναῖς πείσας ἄλοχον φίλαν
Ἀτρέως, τέρας ἐκκομί-
ζει πρὸς δώματα· νεόμενος δʼ
εἰς ἀγόρους ἀυτεῖ
τὰν κερόεσσαν ἔχειν χρυσεόμαλ-
λον κατὰ δῶμα ποίμναν.

[¶127] Chorus:
Then, it was then that Zeus changed the radiant paths of the stars, and the light of the sun, and the
bright face of dawn; and the sun drove across the western back of the sky with hot flame from heaven’s fires, while the rain-clouds went northward and Ammon’s
lands grew parched and faint, not knowing moisture, robbed of heaven’s fairest showers of rain.

> Greek: Χορός:
τότε δὴ τότε φαεν-
νὰς ἄστρων μετέβασʼ ὁδοὺς
Ζεὺς καὶ φέγγος ἀελίου
λευκόν τε πρόσωπον ἀ-
οῦς, τὰ δʼ ἕσπερα νῶτʼ ἐλαύ-
νει θερμᾷ φλογὶ θεοπύρῳ,
νεφέλαι δʼ ἔνυδροι πρὸς ἄρ-
κτον, ξηραί τʼ Ἀμμωνίδες ἕ-
δραι φθίνουσʼ ἀπειρόδροσοι,
καλλίστων ὄμβρων Διόθεν στερεῖσαι.

[¶128] Chorus:
It is said, but I have small belief in it, that the sun turned round his glowing
throne of gold, changing it to the misfortune of mankind, for the punishment of mortals. But tales that frighten men are profitable for service to the gods; of whom you had no thought, when you
killed your husband, you who are the relative of famous brothers.

> Greek: Χορός:
λέγεται, τὰν δὲ πί-
στιν σμικρὰν παρʼ ἔμοιγʼ ἔχει,
στρέψαι θερμὰν ἀέλιον
χρυσωπὸν ἕδραν ἀλλά-
ξαντα δυστυχίᾳ βροτεί-
ῳ θνατᾶς ἕνεκεν δίκας.
φοβεροὶ δὲ βροτοῖσι μῦ-
θοι κέρδος πρὸς θεῶν θεραπεί-
αν. ὧν οὐ μνασθεῖσα πόσιν
κτείνεις, κλεινῶν συγγενέτειρʼ ἀδελφῶν.

[¶129] Chorus Leader:
Oh, oh! My friends, did you hear a noise—or did an empty notion come to me?—like the underground rumbling from Zeus? Look, the breeze rises, bringing with it a sign.

> Greek: Χορός:
ἔα ἔα·
φίλαι, βοῆς ἠκούσατʼ — ἢ δοκὼ κενὴ
ὑπῆλθέ μʼ; — ὥστε νερτέρα βροντὴ Διός;
ἰδού, τάδʼ οὐκ ἄσημα πνεύματʼ αἴρεται·

[¶130] Mistress, Electra, leave the house!
Electra: Rushing out
My friends, what is it? How do we stand in the contest?

> Greek: δέσποινʼ, ἄμειψον δώματʼ, Ἠλέκτρα, τάδε.
Ἠλέκτρα:
φίλαι, τί χρῆμα; πῶς ἀγῶνος ἥκομεν;

[¶131] Leader:
I only know this; I hear a wailing that means bloodshed.

> Greek: Χορός:
οὐκ οἶδα πλὴν ἕν· φόνιον οἰμωγὴν κλύω.

[¶132] Electra:
I heard it also, far off, but still heard.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
ἤκουσα κἀγώ, τηλόθεν μέν, ἀλλʼ ὅμως.

[¶133] Leader:
Yes, the sound is coming a long way, but it is clear.

> Greek: Χορός:
μακρὰν γὰρ ἕρπει γῆρυς, ἐμφανής γε μήν.

[¶134] Electra:
The groan was of an Argive; was it from my friends?

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
Ἀργεῖος ὁ στεναγμός· ἦ φίλων ἐμῶν;

[¶135] Leader:
I don’t know; for the whole tune of the shout is confused.

> Greek: Χορός:
οὐκ οἶδα· πᾶν γὰρ μείγνυται μέλος βοῆς.

[¶136] Electra:
You are calling out to me my death; why do I delay?

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
σφαγὴν ἀυτεῖς τήνδε μοι· τί μέλλομεν;

[¶137] Leader:
Hold back, to learn your fortune clearly.

> Greek: Χορός:
ἔπισχε, τρανῶς ὡς μάθῃς τύχας σέθεν.

[¶138] Electra:
No, no; we are vanquished; where are the messengers?

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
οὐκ ἔστι· νικώμεσθα· ποῦ γὰρ ἄγγελοι;

[¶139] Leader:
They will come; it is no trivial matter to kill a king.

> Greek: Χορός:
ἥξουσιν· οὔτοι βασιλέα φαῦλον κτανεῖν.

[¶140] Messenger:
O victorious maidens of Mycenae, I report to all his friends that Orestes has conquered, and Aegisthus, the murderer of Agamemnon, lies on the ground; but we must offer prayers to the gods.

> Greek: Ἄγγελος:
ὦ καλλίνικοι παρθένοι Μυκηνίδες,
νικῶντʼ Ὀρέστην πᾶσιν ἀγγέλλω φίλοις,
Ἀγαμέμνονος δὲ φονέα κείμενον πέδῳ
Αἴγισθον· ἀλλὰ θεοῖσιν εὔχεσθαι χρεών.

[¶141] Electra:
Who are you? How trustworthy is your announcement?

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
τίς δʼ εἶ σύ; πῶς μοι πιστὰ σημαίνεις τάδε;

[¶142] Messenger:
Don’t you know your brother’s servant when you look at me?

> Greek: Ἄγγελος:
οὐκ οἶσθʼ ἀδελφοῦ μʼ εἰσορῶσα πρόσπολον;

[¶143] Electra:
O best of friends! I could not recognize your face out of fear; but now I know you well. What are you saying? Is my father’s hated murderer dead?

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
ὦ φίλτατʼ, ἔκ τοι δείματος δυσγνωσίαν
εἶχον προσώπου· νῦν δὲ γιγνώσκω σε δή.
τί φῄς; τέθνηκε πατρὸς ἐμοῦ στυγνὸς φονεύς;

[¶144] Messenger:
He is dead; I am telling you twice what you certainly want to hear.

> Greek: Ἄγγελος:
τέθνηκε· δίς σοι ταὔθʼ, ἃ γοῦν βούλῃ, λέγω.

[¶145] Electra:
O gods, and all-seeing justice, at last you have come. In what way and by what form of death did he kill Thyestes’ son? I would like to learn.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
ὦ θεοί, Δίκη τε πάνθʼ ὁρῶσʼ, ἦλθές ποτε.
ποίῳ τρόπῳ δὲ καὶ τίνι ῥυθμῷ φόνου
κτείνει Θυέστου παῖδα; βούλομαι μαθεῖν.

[¶146] Messenger:
After we had left this house,
we stepped onto the broad highway and went to the place where the famous King of Mycenae was. He turned out to be walking in a well-watered garden, plucking a wreath of tender myrtle-sprays for his head; when he saw us, he called out, “Welcome, strangers! Who are you”
“and from where do you come? from what country?” Orestes said, “We are Thessalians, going to the Alpheus river to sacrifice to Olympian Zeus.” When Aegisthus heard that, he said, “You must be my guests for the feast”
“with us now, for I happen to be sacrificing an ox to the Nymphs; and if you get out of bed at dawn, it will make no difference to you. But let us go within—while he was addressing us, he took us by the hand and led us off the road—you must not refuse.”

> Greek: Ἄγγελος:
ἐπεὶ μελάθρων τῶνδʼ ἀπήραμεν πόδα,
ἐσβάντες ᾖμεν δίκροτον εἰς ἁμαξιτὸν
ἔνθʼ ἦν ὁ κλεινὸς τῶν Μυκηναίων ἄναξ.
κυρεῖ δὲ κήποις ἐν καταρρύτοις βεβώς,
δρέπων τερείνης μυρσίνης κάρᾳ πλόκους·
ἰδών τʼ ἀυτεῖ· Χαίρετʼ, ὦ ξένοι· τίνες
πόθεν πορεύεσθʼ; ἔστε τʼ ἐκ ποίας χθονός;
ὁ δʼ εἶπʼ Ὀρέστης· Θεσσαλοί· πρὸς δʼ Ἀλφεὸν
θύσοντες ἐρχόμεσθʼ Ὀλυμπίῳ Διί.
κλύων δὲ ταῦτʼ Αἴγισθος ἐννέπει τάδε·
νῦν μὲν παρʼ ἡμῖν χρὴ συνεστίους ἐμοὶ
θοίνης γενέσθαι· τυγχάνω δὲ βουθυτῶν
νύμφαις· ἑῷοι δʼ ἐξαναστάντες λέχους
ἐς ταὐτὸν ἥξετʼ. ἀλλʼ ἴωμεν ἐς δόμους —
καὶ ταῦθʼ ἅμʼ ἠγόρευε καὶ χερὸς λαβὼν
παρῆγεν ἡμᾶς — οὐδʼ ἀπαρνεῖσθαι χρεών·

[¶147] [And when we were in the house, he gave the command:] “Let someone bring water immediately for my guests, so that they may stand around the altar near the basin.” But Orestes said: “Just now we purified ourselves in clean water from the river’s streams.”

> Greek: [ἐπεὶ δʼ ἐν οἴκοις ἦμεν, ἐννέπει τάδε·]
λούτρʼ ὡς τάχιστα τοῖς ξένοις τις αἰρέτω,
ὡς ἀμφὶ βωμὸν στῶσι χερνίβων πέλας.
ἀλλʼ εἶπʼ Ὀρέστης· Ἀρτίως ἡγνίσμεθα
λουτροῖσι καθαροῖς ποταμίων ῥείθρων ἄπο.

[¶148] “So if strangers must join in the sacrifice with citizens, Aegisthus, we are ready and will not refuse, lord.” So they ended their public conversation. The slaves who formed the master’s bodyguard laid aside their spears, and all applied their hands to the work.

> Greek: εἰ δὲ ξένους ἀστοῖσι συνθύειν χρεών,
Αἴγισθʼ, ἕτοιμοι κοὐκ ἀπαρνούμεσθʼ, ἄναξ.
τοῦτον μὲν οὖν μεθεῖσαν ἐκ μέσου λόγον·
λόγχας δὲ θέντες δεσπότου φρουρήματα
δμῶες πρὸς ἔργον πάντες ἵεσαν χέρας·

[¶149] Some brought the bowl to catch the blood, others took up baskets, while others kindled fire and set cauldrons around the hearth, and the whole roof rang. Then your mother’s bed-fellow took barley for sprinkling, and cast it upon the altar with these words,
“Nymphs of the rocks, may I and my wife, the daughter of Tyndareus, often sacrifice at home, in good fortune as now, and may my enemies suffer”—meaning you and Orestes. But my master prayed for the opposite, not speaking the words aloud,
that he might win his father’s house. Aegisthus took from a basket a long straight knife, and cutting off some of the calf’s hair laid it with his right hand on the sacred fire, and then cut the calf’s throat when the servants had lifted it upon their shoulders, and said this to your brother:

> Greek: οἳ μὲν σφαγεῖον ἔφερον, οἳ δʼ ᾖρον κανᾶ,
ἄλλοι δὲ πῦρ ἀνῆπτον ἀμφί τʼ ἐσχάρας
λέβητας ὤρθουν· πᾶσα δʼ ἐκτύπει στέγη.
λαβὼν δὲ προχύτας μητρὸς εὐνέτης σέθεν
ἔβαλλε βωμούς, τοιάδʼ ἐννέπων ἔπη·
νύμφαι πετραῖαι, πολλάκις με βουθυτεῖν
καὶ τὴν κατʼ οἴκους Τυνδαρίδα δάμαρτʼ ἐμὴν
πράσσοντας ὡς νῦν, τοὺς δʼ ἐμοὺς ἐχθροὺς κακῶς
— λέγων Ὀρέστην καὶ σέ. δεσπότης δʼ ἐμὸς
τἀναντίʼ ηὔχετʼ, οὐ γεγωνίσκων λόγους,
λαβεῖν πατρῷα δώματʼ. ἐκ κανοῦ δʼ ἑλὼν
Αἴγισθος ὀρθὴν σφαγίδα, μοσχείαν τρίχα
τεμὼν ἐφʼ ἁγνὸν πῦρ ἔθηκε δεξιᾷ,
κἄσφαξʼ ἐπʼ ὤμων μόσχον ὡς ἦραν χεροῖν
δμῶες, λέγει δὲ σῷ κασιγνήτῳ τάδε·

[¶150] “They boast that this is among the honorable accomplishments for the Thessalians: to cut up a bull rightly and to tame horses; take the knife, stranger, and show us if the report about the Thessalians is true.”

> Greek: Ἐκ τῶν καλῶν κομποῦσι τοῖσι Θεσσαλοῖς
εἶναι τόδʼ, ὅστις ταῦρον ἀρταμεῖ καλῶς
ἵππους τʼ ὀχμάζει· λαβὲ σίδηρον, ὦ ξένε,
δεῖξόν τε φήμην ἔτυμον ἀμφὶ Θεσσαλῶν.

[¶151] Orestes seized in his hands the well-hammered Dorian knife and
threw from his shoulders his graceful buckled robe; he chose Pylades as an assistant in the work and drove back the servants; and taking the calf by the hoof, he laid bare its white flesh, with arm outstretched, and flayed the hide quicker than a runner
finishes the two laps of the horses’ race-course; and then he laid the flanks open. Aegisthus took the entrails in his hands and inspected them. Now the liver had no lobe, while the portal vein and near-by gall-bladder revealed threatening approaches to the one who was observing it.

> Greek: ὁ δʼ εὐκρότητον Δωρίδʼ ἁρπάσας χεροῖν,
ῥίψας ἀπʼ ὤμων εὐπρεπῆ πορπάματα,
Πυλάδην μὲν εἵλετʼ ἐν πόνοις ὑπηρέτην,
δμῶας δʼ ἀπωθεῖ· καὶ λαβὼν μόσχου πόδα,
λευκὰς ἐγύμνου σάρκας ἐκτείνων χέρα·
θᾶσσον δὲ βύρσαν ἐξέδειρεν ἢ δρομεὺς
δισσοὺς διαύλους ἱππίους διήνυσε,
κἀνεῖτο λαγόνας. ἱερὰ δʼ ἐς χεῖρας λαβὼν
Αἴγισθος ἤθρει. καὶ λοβὸς μὲν οὐ προσῆν
σπλάγχνοις, πύλαι δὲ καὶ δοχαὶ χολῆς πέλας
κακὰς ἔφαινον τῷ σκοποῦντι προσβολάς.

[¶152] Aegisthus was angry, but my master asked, “Why are you disheartened?” “Stranger, I fear some treachery from abroad. Agamemnon’s son is the man I hate most, and an enemy to my house.” But Orestes said, “Do you really fear treachery from an exile,”
“when you rule the city? Instead of the Dorian knife, let someone bring me a Thessalian axe and let me split the breast-bone, so that we may hold the sacrificial feast.” He took the axe and cut. Now Aegisthus took up the entrails, and was inspecting and sorting them out. As he was bending down,
your brother rose on tiptoe and struck him on the spine; his back-bone broke apart; with his whole body he struggled up and down, and cried out, dying hard in his blood. As soon as the servants saw it, they rushed to arms,
many to fight against two; yet Pylades and Orestes in their bravery stood to face them, brandishing their weapons. Then he said: “I do not come hostile to this city or to my own servants; I, the unhappy Orestes, have avenged myself on the murderer of my father;”
“but do not kill me, old servants of my father!” They, when they heard his words, held back their spears, and he was recognized by an old man, who had been long in the household. Immediately they crowned your brother with a wreath, and shouted with joy.
And he comes bringing a head to show you, not that of the Gorgon, but of the one you hate, Aegisthus; his death today has paid in blood a bitter debt of blood.

> Greek: χὣ μὲν σκυθράζει, δεσπότης δʼ ἀνιστορεῖ·
τί χρῆμʼ ἀθυμεῖς; — ὦ ξένʼ, ὀρρωδῶ τινα
δόλον θυραῖον. ἔστι δʼ ἔχθιστος βροτῶν
Ἀγαμέμνονος παῖς πολέμιός τʼ ἐμοῖς δόμοις·
ὃ δʼ εἶπε· φυγάδος δῆτα δειμαίνεις δόλον,
πόλεως ἀνάσσων; οὐχ, ὅπως παστήρια
θοινασόμεσθα, Φθιάδʼ ἀντὶ Δωρικῆς
οἴσει τις ἡμῖν κοπίδʼ, ἀπορρήξω χέλυν;
λαβὼν δὲ κόπτει. σπλάγχνα δʼ Αἴγισθος λαβὼν
ἤθρει διαιρῶν. τοῦ δὲ νεύοντος κάτω
ὄνυχας ἐπʼ ἄκρους στὰς κασίγνητος σέθεν
ἐς σφονδύλους ἔπαισε, νωτιαῖα δὲ
ἔρρηξεν ἄρθρα· πᾶν δὲ σῶμʼ ἄνω κάτω
ἤσπαιρεν ἠλάλαζε δυσθνῄσκων φόνῳ.
δμῶες δʼ ἰδόντες εὐθὺς ᾖξαν ἐς δόρυ,
πολλοὶ μάχεσθαι πρὸς δύʼ· ἀνδρείας δʼ ὕπο
ἔστησαν ἀντίπρῳρα σείοντες βέλη
Πυλάδης Ὀρέστης τʼ. εἶπε δʼ· οὐχὶ δυσμενὴς
ἥκω πόλει τῇδʼ οὐδʼ ἐμοῖς ὀπάοσιν,
φονέα δὲ πατρὸς ἀντετιμωρησάμην
τλήμων Ὀρέστης· ἀλλὰ μή με καίνετε,
πατρὸς παλαιοὶ δμῶες. οἳ δʼ, ἐπεὶ λόγων
ἤκουσαν, ἔσχον κάμακας· ἐγνώσθη δʼ ὑπὸ
γέροντος ἐν δόμοισιν ἀρχαίου τινός.
στέφουσι δʼ εὐθὺς σοῦ κασιγνήτου κάρα
χαίροντες ἀλαλάζοντες. ἔρχεται δὲ σοὶ
κάρα ʼπιδείξων οὐχὶ Γοργόνος φέρων,
ἀλλʼ ὃν στυγεῖς Αἴγισθον· αἷμα δʼ αἵματος
πικρὸς δανεισμὸς ἦλθε τῷ θανόντι νῦν.

[¶153] Chorus:
Set your step to the dance, my dear,
like a fawn leaping high up to heaven with joy. Your brother is victorious and has accomplished the wearing of a crown... beside the streams of Alpheus. Come sing
a glorious victory ode, to my dance.

> Greek: Χορός:
θὲς ἐς χορόν, ὦ φίλα, ἴχνος,
ὡς νεβρὸς οὐράνιον
πήδημα κουφίζουσα σὺν ἀγλαΐᾳ.
νικᾷ στεφαναφορίαν
κρείσσω τοῖς παρʼ Ἀλφειοῦ ῥεέθροισι τελέσσας
κασίγνητος σέθεν· ἀλλʼ ἐπάειδε
καλλίνικον ᾠδὰν ἐμῷ χορῷ.

[¶154] Electra:
O light, O blaze of the sun, drawn by its team! O earth and night, all that I saw before; now I am free to open my eyes, for Aegisthus, my father’s murderer, has fallen.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
ὦ φέγγος, ὦ τέθριππον ἡλίου σέλας,
ὦ γαῖα καὶ νὺξ ἣν ἐδερκόμην πάρος,
νῦν ὄμμα τοὐμὸν ἀμπτυχαί τʼ ἐλεύθεροι,
ἐπεὶ πατρὸς πέπτωκεν Αἴγισθος φονεύς.

[¶155] Come, let me bring out whatever adornment for hair that I have and my house contains, friends, and I shall wreath the head of my conquering brother.

> Greek: φέρʼ, οἷα δὴ χω καὶ δόμοι κεύθουσί μου
κόμης ἀγάλματʼ ἐξενέγκωμαι, φίλαι,
στέψω τʼ ἀδελφοῦ κρᾶτα τοῦ νικηφόρου.

[¶156] Chorus:
It is for you to bring adornment now for his head;
our dance, dear to the Muses, will go on. Now, those who were once our dear kings will rule our land justly, having destroyed the unjust. So let the shout, harmonious with joy, go up.

> Greek: Χορός:
σὺ μέν νυν ἀγάλματʼ ἄειρε
κρατί· τὸ δʼ ἁμέτερον
χωρήσεται Μούσαισι χόρευμα φίλον.
νῦν οἱ πάρος ἁμέτεροι
γαίας τυραννεύσουσι φίλοι βασιλῆες,
δικαίως … τοὺς ἀδίκους καθελόντες.
ἀλλʼ ἴτω ξύναυλος βοὰ χαρᾷ.

[¶157] Electra:
O glorious victor, Orestes, son of a father victorious in battle under Troy, receive this band for the locks of your hair. You have come home, running a contest of the stadium that was not useless, but rather killing
Aegisthus, the murderer of your father and mine. And you, his companion, Pylades, taught by a most pious father, receive a garland from my hand; for you also bear an equal part of the contest, with Orestes. May you always seem to me fortunate!

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
ὦ καλλίνικε, πατρὸς ἐκ νικηφόρου
γεγώς, Ὀρέστα, τῆς ὑπʼ Ἰλίῳ μάχης,
δέξαι κόμης σῆς βοστρύχων ἀνδήματα.
ἥκεις γὰρ οὐκ ἀχρεῖον ἔκπλεθρον δραμὼν
ἀγῶνʼ ἐς οἴκους, ἀλλὰ πολέμιον κτανὼν
Αἴγισθον, ὃς σὸν πατέρα κἀμὸν ὤλεσε.
σύ τʼ, ὦ παρασπίστʼ, ἀνδρὸς εὐσεβεστάτου
παίδευμα Πυλάδη, στέφανον ἐξ ἐμῆς χερὸς
δέχου· φέρῃ γὰρ καὶ σὺ τῷδʼ ἴσον μέρος
ἀγῶνος· αἰεὶ δʼ εὐτυχεῖς φαίνοισθέ μοι.

[¶158] Orestes:
First believe that the gods, Electra, are the leaders of our fortune, and then praise me as the servant of them and of fate. I come, having killed Aegisthus not in word but in deed; to add this proof to your knowledge,
I am bringing you his corpse, which, if you wish, you may expose as prey for wild animals or impale and press it down on a stake as spoil for birds, the children of the air; for now he is your slave, once called your master.

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
θεοὺς μὲν ἡγοῦ πρῶτον, Ἠλέκτρα, τύχης
ἀρχηγέτας τῆσδʼ, εἶτα κἄμʼ ἐπαίνεσον
τὸν τῶν θεῶν τε τῆς τύχης θʼ ὑπηρέτην.
ἥκω γὰρ οὐ λόγοισιν ἀλλʼ ἔργοις κτανὼν
Αἴγισθον· ὡς δὲ τῷ σάφʼ εἰδέναι τάδε
προσθῶμεν, αὐτὸν τὸν θανόντα σοι φέρω,
ὃν εἴτε χρῄζεις θηρσὶν ἁρπαγὴν πρόθες,
ἢ σκῦλον οἰωνοῖσιν, αἰθέρος τέκνοις,
πήξασʼ ἔρεισον σκόλοπι· σὸς γάρ ἐστι νῦν
[δοῦλος, πάροιθε δεσπότης κεκλημένος.]

[¶159] Electra:
I am ashamed, but equally I wish to speak.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
αἰσχύνομαι μέν, βούλομαι δʼ εἰπεῖν ὅμως.

[¶160] Orestes:
What is it? Speak, as you are free from fear.

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
τί χρῆμα; λέξον· ὡς φόβου γʼ ἔξωθεν εἶ.

[¶161] Electra:
I am ashamed to insult the dead, for fear someone might hurl malice at me.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
νεκροὺς ὑβρίζειν, μή μέ τις φθόνῳ βάλῃ.

## 3. Lines 903–1359

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/euripides-electra/3/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/euripides-electra/3/#p-N

[¶0] Orestes:
There is no one who would blame you.

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδεὶς ὅστις ἂν μέμψαιτό σε.

[¶1] Electra:
Our citizens are hard to please, and love scandal.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
δυσάρεστος ἡμῶν καὶ φιλόψογος πόλις.

[¶2] Orestes:
Speak, if you need to say anything, sister; for we engaged in hostilities with him on terms without truce.

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
λέγʼ, εἴ τι χρῄζεις, σύγγονʼ· ἀσπόνδοισι γὰρ
νόμοισιν ἔχθραν τῷδε συμβεβλήκαμεν.

[¶3] Electra: Turning to the corpse of Aegisthus
Well then! Which of your evil acts shall I tell of first, as a beginning? What sort of end shall I make? What part of my speech shall I assign to the middle place? And yet I never ceased, throughout the early mornings,
repeating what I wished to say to your face, if ever I were free from my old terrors. And now I am; so I will pay you back with those reproaches I wanted to make when you were alive. You destroyed me, and orphaned me
and this man here of a dear father, though you were wronged in no way by us; and you made a shameful marriage with my mother, and killed her husband, who led the armies of Hellas, though you never went to Troy. You were so foolish that you really expected, in marrying my mother, that she would not be unfaithful to you,
though you were wronging my father’s bed. Know that whoever ruins another’s wife, in secret love, and then is forced to take her himself, is pitiable, if he thinks that the chastity which did not govern her before will do so with him.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
εἶἑν· τίνʼ ἀρχὴν πρῶτά σʼ ἐξείπω κακῶν,
ποίας τελευτάς; τίνα μέσον τάξω λόγον;
καὶ μὴν διʼ ὄρθρων γʼ οὔποτʼ ἐξελίμπανον
θρυλοῦσʼ ἅ γʼ εἰπεῖν ἤθελον κατʼ ὄμμα σόν,
εἰ δὴ γενοίμην δειμάτων ἐλευθέρα
τῶν πρόσθε. νῦν οὖν ἐσμεν· ἀποδώσω δέ σοι
ἐκεῖνʼ ἅ σε ζῶντʼ ἤθελον λέξαι κακά.
ἀπώλεσάς με κὠρφανὴν φίλου πατρὸς
καὶ τόνδʼ ἔθηκας, οὐδὲν ἠδικημένος,
κἄγημας αἰσχρῶς μητέρʼ ἄνδρα τʼ ἔκτανες
στρατηλατοῦνθʼ Ἕλλησιν, οὐκ ἐλθὼν Φρύγας.
ἐς τοῦτο δʼ ἦλθες ἀμαθίας ὥστʼ ἤλπισας
ὡς ἐς σὲ ἐμὴν δὴ μητέρʼ οὐχ ἕξοις κακὴν
γήμας, ἐμοῦ δὲ πατρὸς ἠδίκεις λέχη.
ἴστω δʼ, ὅταν τις διολέσας δάμαρτά του
κρυπταῖσιν εὐναῖς εἶτʼ ἀναγκασθῇ λαβεῖν,
δύστηνός ἐστιν, εἰ δοκεῖ τὸ σωφρονεῖν
ἐκεῖ μὲν αὐτὴν οὐκ ἔχειν, παρʼ οἷ δʼ ἔχειν.

[¶4] You lived most miserably, although you thought it otherwise; you knew well that you had made an unholy marriage, and my mother knew that she had in you an impious husband. Both being wicked, she took up your fortune, you her evil.

> Greek: ἄλγιστα δʼ ᾤκεις, οὐ δοκῶν οἰκεῖν κακῶς·
ᾔδησθα γὰρ δῆτʼ ἀνόσιον γήμας γάμον,
μήτηρ δὲ σʼ ἄνδρα δυσσεβῆ κεκτημένη.
ἄμφω πονηρὼ δʼ ὄντʼ ἀνῃρεῖσθον τύχην
κείνη τε τὴν σὴν καὶ σὺ τοὐκείνης κακόν.

[¶5] Among all the Argives you would hear this: “That woman’s husband,” not “that man’s wife.” Although this is a shameful thing, for the wife to rule the house and not the husband; and I hate those children who are called in the city not the sons of the man, their father,
but of their mother. For instance, when a man makes a remarkable marriage, one above his rank, there is no talk of the husband but only of the wife. This deceived you the most, in your ignorance: you professed to be some one, strong in your wealth,
but that is nothing, except to associate with briefly. It is nature that is secure, not wealth; for, always standing by, it takes away troubles; but prosperity, when it lives wickedly and with fools, flies out of the house, flowering for a short time.

> Greek: πᾶσιν δʼ ἐν Ἀργείοισιν ἤκουες τάδε·
Ὁ τῆς γυναικός — οὐχὶ τἀνδρὸς ἡ γυνή.
καίτοι τόδʼ αἰσχρόν, προστατεῖν γε δωμάτων
γυναῖκα, μὴ τὸν ἄνδρα· κἀκείνους στυγῶ
τοὺς παῖδας, ὅστις τοῦ μὲν ἄρσενος πατρὸς
οὐκ ὠνόμασται, τῆς δὲ μητρὸς ἐν πόλει.
ἐπίσημα γὰρ γήμαντι καὶ μείζω λέχη
τἀνδρὸς μὲν οὐδείς, τῶν δὲ θηλειῶν λόγος.
ὃ δʼ ἠπάτα σε πλεῖστον οὐκ ἐγνωκότα,
ηὔχεις τις εἶναι τοῖσι χρήμασι σθένων·
τὰ δʼ οὐδὲν εἰ μὴ βραχὺν ὁμιλῆσαι χρόνον.
ἡ γὰρ φύσις βέβαιος, οὐ τὰ χρήματα.
ἣ μὲν γὰρ αἰεὶ παραμένουσʼ αἴρει κακά·
ὁ δʼ ὄλβος ἀδίκως καὶ μετὰ σκαιῶν ξυνὼν
ἐξέπτατʼ οἴκων, σμικρὸν ἀνθήσας χρόνον.

[¶6] As to your women, I am silent—for it is not good for a maiden to speak of this—but I will tell riddles that can be understood. You were insolent because you had a king’s house and were endowed with good looks. May I never have a husband with a girl’s face, but one with a man’s ways.

> Greek: ἃ δʼ ἐς γυναῖκας — παρθένῳ γὰρ οὐ καλὸν
λέγειν — σιωπῶ, γνωρίμως δʼ αἰνίξομαι.
ὕβριζες, ὡς δὴ βασιλικοὺς ἔχων δόμους
κάλλει τʼ ἀραρώς. ἀλλʼ ἔμοιγʼ εἴη πόσις
μὴ παρθενωπός, ἀλλὰ τἀνδρείου τρόπου.

[¶7] For the children of the latter cling to a life of arms, while the fair ones are only an ornament in the dance. Spurning the corpse with her foot Begone, knowing nothing of how you were discovered and paid the penalty in time. So let no evildoer suppose, even if he runs the first step well,
that he will get the better of Justice, until he comes to the end of the finish-line and makes the last turn in life.

> Greek: τὰ γὰρ τέκνʼ αὐτῶν Ἄρεος ἐκκρεμάννυται,
τὰ δʼ εὐπρεπῆ δὴ κόσμος ἐν χοροῖς μόνον.
ἔρρʼ, οὐδὲν εἰδὼς ὧν ἐφευρεθεὶς χρόνῳ
δίκην δέδωκας. — ὧδέ τις κακοῦργος ὢν
μή μοι τὸ πρῶτον βῆμʼ ἐὰν δράμῃ καλῶς,
νικᾶν δοκείτω τὴν Δίκην, πρὶν ἂν πέλας
γραμμῆς ἵκηται καὶ τέλος κάμψῃ βίου.

[¶8] Chorus Leader:
He did terrible things, and repaid them to you and Orestes; for Justice has great strength.

> Greek: Χορός:
ἔπραξε δεινά, δεινὰ δʼ ἀντέδωκε σοὶ
καὶ τῷδʼ· ἔχει γὰρ ἡ Δίκη μέγα σθένος.

[¶9] Electra:
Well then; you must carry the body of this man inside
and hide it, slaves, so that when my mother comes, she may not see his corpse before her slaughter.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
εἶἑν· κομίζειν τοῦδε σῶμʼ ἔσω χρεὼν
σκότῳ τε δοῦναι, δμῶες, ὡς, ὅταν μόλῃ
μήτηρ, σφαγῆς πάροιθε μὴ εἰσίδῃ νεκρόν.

[¶10] Orestes:
Wait! Let us go into another matter.

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
ἐπίσχες· ἐμβάλωμεν εἰς ἄλλον λόγον.

[¶11] Electra:
What? Those are not rescuers from Mycenae whom I see?

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
τί δʼ; ἐκ Μυκηνῶν μῶν βοηδρόμους ὁρῶ;

[¶12] Orestes:
No, but the mother who bore me.

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
οὔκ, ἀλλὰ τὴν τεκοῦσαν ἥ μʼ ἐγείνατο.

[¶13] Electra:
Then finely she walks to the middle of the net. —And here she comes, splendid in her chariot and dress.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
καλῶς ἄρʼ ἄρκυν ἐς μέσην πορεύεται —
καὶ μὴν ὄχοις γε καὶ στολῇ λαμπρύνεται.

[¶14] Orestes:
What are we going to do? Shall we kill our mother?

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
τί δῆτα δρῶμεν; μητέρʼ ἦ φονεύσομεν;

[¶15] Electra:
Surely pity did not seize you, when you saw your mother?

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
μῶν σʼ οἶκτος εἷλε, μητρὸς ὡς εἶδες δέμας;

[¶16] Orestes:
Ah! How can I kill her when she bore me and brought me up?

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
φεῦ·
πῶς γὰρ κτάνω νιν, ἥ μʼ ἔθρεψε κἄτεκεν;

[¶17] Electra:
As she killed your father and mine.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
ὥσπερ πατέρα σὸν ἥδε κἀμὸν ὤλεσεν.

[¶18] Orestes:
O Phoebus, you prophesied a great folly—

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
ὦ Φοῖβε, πολλήν γʼ ἀμαθίαν ἐθέσπισας —

[¶19] Electra:
Where Apollo is a fool, who are the wise?

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
ὅπου δʼ Ἀπόλλων σκαιὸς ᾖ, τίνες σοφοί;

[¶20] Orestes:
You who declared I was to kill my mother, whom it is clearly wrong to kill.

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
ὅστις μʼ ἔχρησας μητέρʼ, ἣν οὐ χρῆν, κτανεῖν.

[¶21] Electra:
How can you be hurt by avenging your father?

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
βλάπτῃ δὲ δὴ τί πατρὶ τιμωρῶν σέθεν;

[¶22] Orestes:
I shall stand trial as a matricide, though I was pure before.

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
μητροκτόνος νῦν φεύξομαι, τόθʼ ἁγνὸς ὤν.

[¶23] Electra:
And by not defending your father, you will be impious.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
καὶ μή γʼ ἀμύνων πατρὶ δυσσεβὴς ἔσῃ.

[¶24] Orestes:
I, my mother—? To whom will I pay the penalty for her murder?

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
ἐγὼ δὲ μητρὸς —; τῷ φόνου δώσω δίκας;

[¶25] Electra:
And to whom, if you give up our father’s vengeance?

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
τῷ δʼ ἢν πατρῴαν διαμεθῇς τιμωρίαν;

[¶26] Orestes:
Was it a fiend who spoke in the likeness of the god?

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
ἆρʼ αὔτʼ ἀλάστωρ εἶπʼ ἀπεικασθεὶς θεῷ;

[¶27] Electra:
Seated on the holy tripod? I do not think so.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
ἱερὸν καθίζων τρίποδʼ; ἐγὼ μὲν οὐ δοκῶ.

[¶28] Orestes:
I cannot believe that this oracle was well prophesied.

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
οὐδʼ ἂν πιθοίμην εὖ μεμαντεῦσθαι τάδε.

[¶29] Electra:
Do not become a coward and fall into unmanliness!

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
οὐ μὴ κακισθεὶς εἰς ἀνανδρίαν πεσῇ.

[¶30] Orestes:
Am I to devise the same crafty scheme for her?

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
ἀλλʼ ἦ τὸν αὐτὸν τῇδʼ ὑποστήσω δόλον;

[¶31] Electra:
The same death that you gave to her husband, Aegisthus.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
ᾧ καὶ πόσιν καθεῖλες, Αἴγισθον κτανών.

[¶32] Orestes:
I will go in; it is a dreadful task I am beginning and I will do dreadful things. If the gods approve, let it be; to me the contest is bitter and also sweet.
Orestes withdraws into the house.

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
ἔσειμι· δεινοῦ δʼ ἄρχομαι προβλήματος
καὶ δεινὰ δράσω γε — εἰ θεοῖς δοκεῖ τάδε,
ἔστω· πικρὸν δὲ χἡδὺ τἀγώνισμά μοι.

[¶33] Chorus:
Hail, Queen of the land of Argos, child of Tyndareus,
and sister of those two noble sons of Zeus who dwell in the fiery heavens among the stars, whose honored office it is to save mortals in the high waves. Welcome, I give you worship equal to the blessed gods
for your wealth and great prosperity. Now is the time to pay our court to your fortunes. Welcome, o queen.

> Greek: Χορός:
[ἰώ,]
βασίλεια γύναι χθονὸς Ἀργείας,
παῖ Τυνδάρεω,
καὶ τοῖν ἀγαθοῖν ξύγγονε κούροιν
Διός, οἳ φλογερὰν αἰθέρʼ ἐν ἄστροις
ναίουσι, βροτῶν ἐν ἁλὸς ῥοθίοις
τιμὰς σωτῆρας ἔχοντες·
χαῖρε, σεβίζω σʼ ἴσα καὶ μάκαρας
πλούτου μεγάλης τʼ εὐδαιμονίας.
τὰς σὰς δὲ τύχας θεραπεύεσθαι
καιρός. ⟨χαῖρʼ,⟩ ὦ βασίλεια.

[¶34] Clytemnestra:
Come out of the wagon, Trojan maids, and take my hand, that I may step down from the chariot.

> Greek: Κλυταιμήστρα:
ἔκβητʼ ἀπήνης, Τρῳάδες, χειρὸς δʼ ἐμῆς
λάβεσθʼ, ἵνʼ ἔξω τοῦδʼ ὄχου στήσω πόδα.

[¶35] The homes of the gods are adorned with Phrygian spoils, but I have obtained these women, choice objects from the land of Troy, in return for the daughter whom I lost, a slight reward but an ornament to my house.

> Greek: σκύλοισι μὲν γὰρ θεῶν κεκόσμηνται δόμοι
Φρυγίοις, ἐγὼ δὲ τάσδε, Τρῳάδος χθονὸς
ἐξαίρετʼ, ἀντὶ παιδὸς ἣν ἀπώλεσα
σμικρὸν γέρας, καλὸν δὲ κέκτημαι δόμοις.

[¶36] Electra:
And, mother—for I live as a slave
in this miserable house, cast out from my father’s home—may I not take that blessed hand of yours?

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
οὔκουν ἐγώ — δούλη γὰρ ἐκβεβλημένη
δόμων πατρῴων δυστυχεῖς οἰκῶ δόμους —
μῆτερ, λάβωμαι μακαρίας τῆς σῆς χερός;

[¶37] Clytemnestra:
These slaves are here; take no trouble on my account.

> Greek: Κλυταιμήστρα:
δοῦλαι πάρεισιν αἵδε, μὴ σύ μοι πόνει.

[¶38] Electra:
What? You sent me away from home, a captive; I was taken when my home was taken, like these,
all of us orphaned of a father.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
τί δʼ; αἰχμάλωτόν τοί μʼ ἀπῴκισας δόμων,
ᾑρημένων δὲ δωμάτων ᾑρήμεθα,
ὡς αἵδε, πατρὸς ὀρφαναὶ λελειμμέναι.

[¶39] Clytemnestra:
Well, your father laid such plots against those whom least of all he should have, his own family. I will tell you; although when a woman gets an evil reputation, her tongue is bitter.

> Greek: Κλυταιμήστρα:
τοιαῦτα μέντοι σὸς πατὴρ βουλεύματα
ἐς οὓς ἐχρῆν ἥκιστʼ ἐβούλευσεν φίλων.
λέξω δὲ … καίτοι δόξʼ ὅταν λάβῃ κακὴ
γυναῖκα, γλώσσῃ πικρότης ἔνεστί τις.

[¶40] In my opinion, not rightly; but it is correct for those who learn about the matter to hate, if it deserves hatred; if not, why hate at all? Now Tyndareus gave me to your father not so that I or any children I might bear should die.

> Greek: ὡς μὲν παρʼ ἡμῖν, οὐ καλῶς· τὸ πρᾶγμα δὲ
μαθόντας, ἢν μὲν ἀξίως μισεῖν ἔχῃ,
στυγεῖν δίκαιον· εἰ δὲ μή, τί δεῖ στυγεῖν;
ἡμᾶς ἔδωκε Τυνδάρεως τῷ σῷ πατρί,
οὐχ ὥστε θνῄσκειν, οὐδʼ ἃ γειναίμην ἐγώ.

[¶41] But that man went from the house, taking my child, with the persuasion of a marriage with Achilles, to Aulis which held the fleet; and there he stretched Iphigenia over the pyre, and cut her white cheek. And if, as a cure for the capture of the city,
or as a benefit to his house, or to save his other children, he had killed one on behalf of many, I would have pardoned him. But, because Helen was lustful and the one who had her as a wife did not know how to punish the betrayer—for these reasons he destroyed my child.

> Greek: κεῖνος δὲ παῖδα τὴν ἐμὴν Ἀχιλλέως
λέκτροισι πείσας ᾤχετʼ ἐκ δόμων ἄγων
πρυμνοῦχον Αὖλιν, ἔνθʼ ὑπερτείνας πυρᾶς
λευκὴν διήμησʼ Ἰφιγόνης παρηΐδα.
κεἰ μὲν πόλεως ἅλωσιν ἐξιώμενος,
ἢ δῶμʼ ὀνήσων τἄλλα τʼ ἐκσῴζων τέκνα,
ἔκτεινε πολλῶν μίαν ὕπερ, συγγνώστʼ ἂν ἦν·
νῦν δʼ οὕνεχʼ Ἑλένη μάργος ἦν ὅ τʼ αὖ λαβὼν
ἄλοχον κολάζειν προδότιν οὐκ ἠπίστατο,
τούτων ἕκατι παῖδʼ ἐμὴν διώλεσεν.

[¶42] Well, although I was wronged, I would not have been angry at this, nor would I have killed my husband. But he came back to me with a girl, raving and possessed, and put her in his bed, and had two brides at once in the same house.

> Greek: ἐπὶ τοῖσδε τοίνυν καίπερ ἠδικημένη
οὐκ ἠγριώμην οὐδʼ ἂν ἔκτανον πόσιν·
ἀλλʼ ἦλθʼ ἔχων μοι μαινάδʼ ἔνθεον κόρην
λέκτροις τʼ ἐπεισέφρηκε, καὶ νύμφα δύο
ἐν τοῖσιν αὐτοῖς δώμασιν κατείχομεν.

[¶43] A woman is a foolish thing, I don’t deny it; but, this granted, whenever a husband goes astray and rejects his own bed, the woman is likely to imitate her husband and find another love. And then in us the blame shines clearly,
while the men, who caused this, are not badly spoken of. Now if Menelaus had been secretly snatched from his home, should I have killed Orestes to save Menelaus, my sister’s husband? How would your father have endured this? And so isn’t it right for him to die
when he had killed what was mine, since I would have suffered at his hands? I killed him, I turned where indeed it was possible to go—to his enemies. For which one of your father’s friends would have joined me in his murder? Speak, if you want to say anything, and make your retort with frankness,
in what way your father died unfairly.

> Greek: μῶρον μὲν οὖν γυναῖκες, οὐκ ἄλλως λέγω·
ὅταν δʼ, ὑπόντος τοῦδʼ, ἁμαρτάνῃ πόσις
τἄνδον παρώσας λέκτρα, μιμεῖσθαι θέλει
γυνὴ τὸν ἄνδρα χἅτερον κτᾶσθαι φίλον.
κἄπειτʼ ἐν ἡμῖν ὁ ψόγος λαμπρύνεται,
οἱ δʼ αἴτιοι τῶνδʼ οὐ κλύουσʼ ἄνδρες κακῶς.
εἰ δʼ ἐκ δόμων ἥρπαστο Μενέλεως λάθρᾳ,
κτανεῖν μʼ Ὀρέστην χρῆν, κασιγνήτης πόσιν
Μενέλαον ὡς σώσαιμι; σὸς δὲ πῶς πατὴρ
ἠνέσχετʼ ἂν ταῦτʼ; εἶτα τὸν μὲν οὐ θανεῖν
κτείνοντα χρῆν τἄμʼ, ἐμὲ δὲ πρὸς κείνου παθεῖν;
ἔκτεινʼ, ἐτρέφθην ἥνπερ ἦν πορεύσιμον
πρὸς τοὺς ἐκείνῳ πολεμίους. φίλων γὰρ ἂν
τίς ἂν πατρὸς σοῦ φόνον ἐκοινώνησέ μοι;
λέγʼ, εἴ τι χρῄζεις, κἀντίθες παρρησίᾳ,
ὅπως τέθνηκε σὸς πατὴρ οὐκ ἐνδίκως.

[¶44] Chorus Leader:
Justly spoken, but this justice is shameful. For a woman should yield to her husband in all things, if she has sense; anyone who does not agree does not come within the scope of what I say.

> Greek: Χορός:
δίκαιʼ ἔλεξας· ἡ δίκη δʼ αἰσχρῶς ἔχει.
γυναῖκα γὰρ χρὴ πάντα συγχωρεῖν πόσει,
ἥτις φρενήρης· ᾗ δὲ μὴ δοκεῖ τάδε,
οὐδʼ εἰς ἀριθμὸν τῶν ἐμῶν ἥκει λόγων.

[¶45] Electra:
Remember, mother, those last words of yours, giving me frankness towards you.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
μέμνησο, μῆτερ, οὓς ἔλεξας ὑστάτους
λόγους, διδοῦσα πρὸς σέ μοι παρρησίαν.

[¶46] Clytemnestra:
I say it again, and I do not deny it, child.

> Greek: Κλυταιμήστρα:
καὶ νῦν γέ φημι κοὐκ ἀπαρνοῦμαι, τέκνον.

[¶47] Electra:
Then will you treat me badly, when you hear it?

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
ἆρα κλύουσα, μῆτερ, εἶτʼ ἔρξεις κακῶς;

[¶48] Clytemnestra:
No, no, I will give some pleasure to your heart.

> Greek: Κλυταιμήστρα:
οὐκ ἔστι, τῇ σῇ δʼ ἡδὺ προσθήσω φρενί.

[¶49] Electra:
I will speak, and this is the beginning of my preface: oh, mother, I wish that you had a better heart. For though your beauty, and Helen’s, is worthy to bring you praise, yet you two were born true sisters, both frivolous, not worthy of Castor.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
λέγοιμʼ ἄν· ἀρχὴ δʼ ἥδε μοι προοιμίου·
εἴθʼ εἶχες, ὦ τεκοῦσα, βελτίους φρένας.
τὸ μὲν γὰρ εἶδος αἶνον ἄξιον φέρειν
Ἑλένης τε καὶ σοῦ, δύο δʼ ἔφυτε συγγόνω,
ἄμφω ματαίω Κάστορός τʼ οὐκ ἀξίω.

[¶50] She was carried off, willingly ruined; and you have destroyed the bravest man in Greece, putting forward the excuse that you killed a husband for the sake of a child; for they don’t know you so well as I do. You who, before your daughter’s death was decided,
as soon as your husband had started from home, were adorning the golden locks of your hair at the mirror. A wife who decks herself out for beauty, when her husband is gone from home—strike her off the list as worthless.
There is no need for her to show her pretty face out of doors, unless she is seeking some mischief. Of all the women in Hellas you were the only one I know to be joyful when Troy was fortunate, and with a clouded face when it was weaker, since you did not want Agamemnon to return from Troy.

> Greek: ἣ μὲν γὰρ ἁρπασθεῖσʼ ἑκοῦσʼ ἀπώλετο,
σὺ δʼ ἄνδρʼ ἄριστον Ἑλλάδος διώλεσας,
σκῆψιν προτείνουσʼ, ὡς ὑπὲρ τέκνου πόσιν
ἔκτεινας· οὐ γάρ σʼ ὡς ἔγωγʼ ἴσασιν εὖ.
ἥτις, θυγατρὸς πρὶν κεκυρῶσθαι σφαγάς,
νέον τʼ ἀπʼ οἴκων ἀνδρὸς ἐξωρμημένου,
ξανθὸν κατόπτρῳ πλόκαμον ἐξήσκεις κόμης.
γυνὴ δʼ, ἀπόντος ἀνδρός ἥτις ἐκ δόμων
ἐς κάλλος ἀσκεῖ, διάγραφʼ ὡς οὖσαν κακήν.
οὐδὲν γὰρ αὐτὴν δεῖ θύρασιν εὐπρεπὲς
φαίνειν πρόσωπον, ἤν τι μὴ ζητῇ κακόν.
μόνη δὲ πασῶν οἶδʼ ἐγὼ σʼ Ἑλληνίδων,
εἰ μὲν τὰ Τρώων εὐτυχοῖ, κεχαρμένην,
εἰ δʼ ἥσσονʼ εἴη, συννεφοῦσαν ὄμματα,
Ἀγαμέμνονʼ οὐ χρῄζουσαν ἐκ Τροίας μολεῖν.

[¶51] And yet it was in your power to be chaste, and rightly; you had a husband, no worse than Aegisthus, whom Hellas chose to be its commander; and when your sister Helen had done her work, it was possible for you to achieve great fame,
for the bad gives a standard of comparison to the good and provides a spectacle. But if, as you say, my father killed your daughter, what is the wrong I and and my brother have done you? How was it that after you had killed your husband, you did not assign to us our father’s home,
but you brought the goods belonging to another to bed, buying your marriage with wages? And how is it that your husband is not exiled in the place of your son, nor has he died in my place, although he has killed me, alive, twice as much as my sister? If murder, giving judgment, requites murder, your
son Orestes and I must kill you to avenge our father. For if that was just, then so is this. [Whoever marries a wicked woman, looking to wealth or noble birth, is a fool; for humble wives, if chaste, are better in the home than great ones.]

> Greek: καίτοι καλῶς γε σωφρονεῖν παρεῖχέ σοι·
ἄνδρʼ εἶχες οὐ κακίονʼ Αἰγίσθου πόσιν,
ὃν Ἑλλὰς αὑτῆς εἵλετο στρατηλάτην·
Ἑλένης δʼ ἀδελφῆς τοιάδʼ ἐξειργασμένης
ἐξῆν κλέος σοι μέγα λαβεῖν· τὰ γὰρ κακὰ
παράδειγμα τοῖς ἐσθλοῖσιν εἴσοψίν τʼ ἔχει.
εἰ δʼ, ὡς λέγεις, σὴν θυγατέρʼ ἔκτεινεν πατήρ,
ἐγὼ τί σʼ ἠδίκησʼ ἐμός τε σύγγονος;
πῶς οὐ πόσιν κτείνασα πατρῴους δόμους
ἡμῖν προσῆψας, ἀλλʼ ἐπηνέγκω λέχει
τἀλλότρια, μισθοῦ τοὺς γάμους ὠνουμένη;
κοὔτʼ ἀντιφεύγει παιδὸς ἀντὶ σοῦ πόσις,
οὔτʼ ἀντʼ ἐμοῦ τέθνηκε, δὶς τόσως ἐμὲ
κτείνας ἀδελφῆς ζῶσαν. εἰ δʼ ἀμείψεται
φόνον δικάζων φόνος, ἀποκτενῶ σʼ ἐγὼ
καὶ παῖς Ὀρέστης πατρὶ τιμωρούμενοι·
εἰ γὰρ δίκαιʼ ἐκεῖνα, καὶ τάδʼ ἔνδικα.
[ὅστις δὲ πλοῦτον ἢ εὐγένειαν εἰσιδὼν]
[γαμεῖ πονηράν, μῶρός ἐστι· μικρὰ γὰρ]
[μεγάλων ἀμείνω σώφρονʼ ἐν δόμοις λέχη.]

[¶52] Chorus Leader:
[Chance is in the marriages of women; among mankind, I see some fall out well, others not.]

> Greek: Χορός:
[τύχη γυναικῶν ἐς γάμους. τὰ μὲν γὰρ εὖ,]
[τὰ δʼ οὐ καλῶς πίπτοντα δέρκομαι βροτῶν.]

[¶53] Clytemnestra:
Child, it was always your nature to love your father. This is what happens: some children are for their fathers, others in turn love their mothers more than a father.

> Greek: Κλυταιμήστρα:
ὦ παῖ, πέφυκας πατέρα σὸν στέργειν ἀεί·
ἔστιν δὲ καὶ τόδʼ· οἳ μέν εἰσιν ἀρσένων,
οἳ δʼ αὖ φιλοῦσι μητέρας μᾶλλον πατρός.

[¶54] I will forgive you; for I do not rejoice so very much at what I have done, child.
You, a woman who has just given birth—why is your body so unwashed and meanly clad? Alas for my schemes!

> Greek: συγγνώσομαί σοι· καὶ γὰρ οὐχ οὕτως ἄγαν
χαίρω τι, τέκνον, τοῖς δεδραμένοις ἐμοί.
σὺ δʼ ὧδʼ ἄλουτος καὶ δυσείματος χρόα
λεχὼ νεογνῶν ἐκ τόκων πεπαυμένη;
οἴμοι τάλαινα τῶν ἐμῶν βουλευμάτων·

[¶55] I drove on in anger against my husband more than I should have.

> Greek: ὡς μᾶλλον ἢ χρῆν ἤλασʼ εἰς ὀργὴν πόσιν.

[¶56] Electra:
You sigh too late, when you have no remedy. My father is dead; but why do you not recall that exile, your own wandering son?

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
ὀψὲ στενάζεις, ἡνίκʼ οὐκ ἔχεις ἄκη.
πατὴρ μὲν οὖν τέθνηκε· τὸν δʼ ἔξω χθονὸς
πῶς οὐ κομίζῃ παῖδʼ ἀλητεύοντα σόν;

[¶57] Clytemnestra:
l am afraid; I am looking to my interests, not his.

> Greek: Κλυταιμήστρα:
δέδοικα· τοὐμὸν δʼ, οὐχὶ τοὐκείνου, σκοπῶ.

[¶58] For he is angry, they say, over the murder of his father.

> Greek: πατρὸς γάρ, ὡς λέγουσι, θυμοῦται φόνῳ.

[¶59] Electra:
And why do you cause your husband to be cruel to me?

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
τί δαὶ πόσιν σὸν ἄγριον εἰς ἡμᾶς ἔχεις;

[¶60] Clytemnestra:
Such are his ways. You have a stubborn nature also.

> Greek: Κλυταιμήστρα:
τρόποι τοιοῦτοι· καὶ σὺ δʼ αὐθάδης ἔφυς.

[¶61] Electra:
Yes, for I am in distress. Yet I will cease from my anger.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
ἀλγῶ γάρ· ἀλλὰ παύσομαι θυμουμένη.

[¶62] Clytemnestra:
And then he will no longer be harsh to you.

> Greek: Κλυταιμήστρα:
καὶ μὴν ἐκεῖνος οὐκέτʼ ἔσται σοι βαρύς.

[¶63] Electra:
He is proud; for he lives in my home.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
φρονεῖ μέγʼ· ἐν γὰρ τοῖς ἐμοῖς ναίει δόμοις.

[¶64] Clytemnestra:
You see? Again you are rekindling new quarrels.

> Greek: Κλυταιμήστρα:
ὁρᾷς; ἀνʼ αὖ σὺ ζωπυρεῖς νείκη νέα.

[¶65] Electra:
I am silent; I fear him—as I fear him.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
σιγῶ· δέδοικα γάρ νιν ὡς δέδοικʼ ἐγώ.

[¶66] Clytemnestra:
Stop this talk! But why did you summon me, child?

> Greek: Κλυταιμήστρα:
παῦσαι λόγων τῶνδε. ἀλλὰ τί μʼ ἐκάλεις, τέκνον;

[¶67] Electra:
You have heard, I suppose, that I have given birth;

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
ἤκουσας, οἶμαι, τῶν ἐμῶν λοχευμάτων·

[¶68] in thanks for this, please sacrifice—for I do not know how—on the tenth day, as is the custom for the child. For I have no experience, being childless before.

> Greek: τούτων ὕπερ μοι θῦσον — οὐ γὰρ οἶδʼ ἐγώ —
δεκάτῃ σελήνῃ παιδὸς ὡς νομίζεται·
τρίβων γὰρ οὐκ εἴμʼ, ἄτοκος οὖσʼ ἐν τῷ πάρος.

[¶69] Clytemnestra:
This is work for another, the one who delivered you.

> Greek: Κλυταιμήστρα:
ἄλλης τόδʼ ἔργον, ἥ σʼ ἔλυσεν ἐκ τόκων.

[¶70] Electra:
I was all alone in my labor and at the baby’s birth.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
αὐτὴ ʼλόχευον κἄτεκον μόνη βρέφος.

[¶71] Clytemnestra:
Is this household situated with no friends as neighbors?

> Greek: Κλυταιμήστρα:
οὕτως ἀγείτων οἶκος ἵδρυται φίλων;

[¶72] Electra:
No one is willing to have the poor as friends.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
πένητας οὐδεὶς βούλεται κτᾶσθαι φίλους.

[¶73] Clytemnestra:
But I will go to make the tenth-day sacrifice to the gods for the child; and when I have done you this favor, I will go to the field where my husband is sacrificing to the
Nymphs. Take this team away, my attendants, and bring it to the stalls; and when you think that I have finished this sacrifice to the gods, be ready; for I must also please my husband.

> Greek: Κλυταιμήστρα:
ἀλλʼ εἶμι, παιδὸς ἀριθμὸν ὡς τελεσφόρον
θύσω θεοῖσι· σοὶ δʼ ὅταν πράξω χάριν
τήνδʼ, εἶμʼ ἐπʼ ἀγρὸν οὗ πόσις θυηπολεῖ
νύμφαισιν. ἀλλὰ τούσδʼ ὄχους, ὀπάονες,
φάτναις ἄγοντες πρόσθεθʼ· ἡνίκʼ ἂν δέ με
δοκῆτε θυσίας τῆσδʼ ἀπηλλάχθαι θεοῖς,
πάρεστε· δεῖ γὰρ καὶ πόσει δοῦναι χάριν.

[¶74] Electra:
Go into a poor house; but please take care
that my smoke-grimed walls do not smear your robes with soot. For you will make the sacrifice to the gods that you ought to make. Going in to the house. The basket is ready, and the knife sharpened, the same that killed the bull by whose side you will lie, struck down. Even in Hades’ house you will be the bride of the one
whom you slept with in life. This is the favor I will give you, and you will give me retribution for my father. Exit Electra.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
χώρει πένητας ἐς δόμους· φρούρει δέ μοι
μή σʼ αἰθαλώσῃ πολύκαπνον στέγος πέπλους.
θύσεις γὰρ οἷα χρή σε δαίμοσιν θύη.
κανοῦν δʼ ἐνῆρκται καὶ τεθηγμένη σφαγίς,
ἥπερ καθεῖλε ταῦρον, οὗ πέλας πεσῇ
πληγεῖσα· νυμφεύσῃ δὲ κἀν Ἅιδου δόμοις
ᾧπερ ξυνηῦδες ἐν φάει. τοσήνδʼ ἐγὼ
δώσω χάριν σοι, σὺ δὲ δίκην ἐμοὶ πατρός.

[¶75] Chorus:
Requital for evils; the breezes of the house shift and blow. At another time my leader, my own, fell murdered in the bath,
and the roof and stone walls of the house cried aloud, while he said: “O cruelty! My wife, why are you murdering me on my return to my dear country in the tenth year?”...

> Greek: Χορός:
ἀμοιβαὶ κακῶν· μετάτροποι πνέου-
σιν αὖραι δόμων. τότε μὲν ⟨ἐν⟩ λουτροῖς
ἔπεσεν ἐμὸς ἐμὸς ἀρχέτας,
ἰάχησε δὲ στέγα λάινοί τε θριγκοὶ δόμων,
τάδʼ ἐνέποντος· Ὦ σχέτλια· τί με, γύναι, φονεύσεις φίλαν
πατρίδα δεκέτεσιν σποραῖσιν ἐλθόντʼ ἐμάν;
…
…

[¶76] Chorus:
Retribution for straying love has flowed back and brings to judgment the one who killed her wretched husband, when he came at last to his home and to the towering Cyclopean walls; with her own hand she killed him with the sharp-edged weapon,
holding the axe in her hands. Unhappy husband! whatever the curse that possessed that wretched woman. Like a lioness of the hills that ranges through the meadowland woods, she accomplished these things.
within

> Greek: Χορός:
παλίρρους δὲ τάνδʼ ὑπάγεται δίκα
διαδρόμου λέχους μέλεον ἃ πόσιν
χρόνιον ἱκόμενον εἰς οἴκους
Κυκλώπειά τʼ οὐράνια τείχεʼ ὀξυθήκτου βέλους
ἔκανεν αὐτόχειρ, πέλεκυν ἐν χεροῖν λαβοῦσʼ· ἆ τλάμων
πόσις, ὅ τί ποτε τὰν τάλαιναν ἔσχεν κακόν.
ὀρεία τις ὡς λέαινʼ ὀργάδων
δρύοχα νεμομένα, τάδε κατήνυσεν.

[¶77] Clytemnestra:
O children, by the gods, do not kill your mother.

> Greek: Κλυταιμήστρα:
ὦ τέκνα, πρὸς θεῶν, μὴ κτάνητε μητέρα.

[¶78] Chorus:
Do you hear her cries within the house?

> Greek: Χορός:
κλύεις ὑπώροφον βοάν;

[¶79] Clytemnestra:
O God! Ah me!

> Greek: Κλυταιμήστρα:
ἰώ μοί μοι.

[¶80] Chorus:
I also wail for you, overpowered by your children. Truly the god deals out justice, whenever it befalls.

> Greek: Χορός:
ᾤμωξα κἀγὼ πρὸς τέκνων χειρουμένης.
νέμει τοι δίκαν θεός, ὅταν τύχῃ·

[¶81] You have suffered cruelly, unhappy one, yet you did unholy things to your husband.

> Greek: σχέτλια μὲν ἔπαθες, ἀνόσια δʼ εἰργάσω,
τάλαινʼ, εὐνέταν.

[¶82] Chorus Leader:
But here they come from the house, defiled in the newly shed blood of their mother, a triumphal rout, evidence of the pitiable sacrifice.

> Greek: Χορός:
ἀλλʼ οἵδε μητρὸς νεοφόνοις ἐν αἵμασι
πεφυρμένοι βαίνουσιν ἐξ οἴκων πόδα,
τροπαῖα δείγματʼ ἀθλίων προσφαγμάτων.

[¶83] There is no house more pitiable than the race of Tantalus, nor has there ever been.
The two corpses are shown.

> Greek: οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδεὶς οἶκος ἀθλιώτερος
τῶν Τανταλείων οὐδʼ ἔφυ ποτʼ ἐκγόνων.

[¶84] Orestes:
O Earth, and Zeus who sees all mortal acts, look at these loathsome bloody deeds, these two bodies
lying on the earth at the blow from my hand, atonement for my suffering...

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
ἰὼ Γᾶ καὶ Ζεῦ πανδερκέτα
βροτῶν, ἴδετε τάδʼ ἔργα φόνι-
α μυσαρά, δίγονα σώματʼ ἐν
χθονὶ κείμενα πλαγᾷ
χερὸς ὑπʼ ἐμᾶς, ἄποινʼ ἐμῶν
πημάτων …
…

[¶85] Electra:
Too many tears, my brother, and I am the cause. Unhappy, that I came to fiery rage against this woman, who was my mother!

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
δακρύτʼ ἄγαν, ὦ σύγγονʼ, αἰτία δʼ ἐγώ.
διὰ πυρὸς ἔμολον ἁ τάλαινα ματρὶ τᾷδʼ,
ἅ μʼ ἔτικτε κούραν.

[¶86] Chorus:
Alas for your fate; you gave birth to unbearable pain, and you suffered it, miserably and beyond, from your children. Yet you have rightly paid for their father’s murder.

> Greek: Χορός:
ἰὼ τύχας, σᾶς τύχας,
μᾶτερ τεκοῦσʼ ⟨ἄλαστα⟩,
ἄλαστα μέλεα καὶ πέρα
παθοῦσα σῶν τέκνων ὑπαί.
πατρὸς δʼ ἔτεισας φόνον δικαίως.

[¶87] Orestes:
Ah, Phoebus! you proclaimed in song unclear justice, but you have brought about clear woes, and granted me a bloody destiny far from the land of Hellas. To what other city can I go?

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
ἰὼ Φοῖβʼ, ἀνύμνησας δίκαιʼ
ἄφαντα, φανερὰ δʼ ἐξέπρα-
ξας ἄχεα, φόνια δʼ ὤπασας
λάχεʼ ἀπὸ γᾶς [τᾶς] Ἑλλανίδος.
τίνα δʼ ἑτέραν μόλω πόλιν;

[¶88] What host, what pious man will look at me, who killed my mother?

> Greek: τίς ξένος, τίς εὐσεβὴς
ἐμὸν κάρα προσόψεται
ματέρα κτανόντος;

[¶89] Electra:
Ah me! Where can I go, to what dance, to what marriage? What husband will receive me
into the bridal bed?

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
ἰὼ ἰώ μοι. ποῖ δʼ ἐγώ, τίνʼ ἐς χορόν,
τίνα γάμον εἶμι; τίς πόσις με δέξεται
νυμφικὰς ἐς εὐνάς;

[¶90] Chorus:
Again, again your thought changes with the breeze; for now you think piously, though you did not before, and you did dreadful things,
my dear, to your unwilling brother.

> Greek: Χορός:
πάλιν, πάλιν φρόνημα σὸν
μετεστάθη πρὸς αὔραν·
φρονεῖς γὰρ ὅσια νῦν, τότʼ οὐ
φρονοῦσα, δεινὰ δʼ εἰργάσω,
φίλα, κασίγνητον οὐ θέλοντα.

[¶91] Orestes:
Did you see how the unhappy one threw off her robe and showed her bosom in the slaughter, alas, hurling to the ground the limbs that gave me birth? And her hair, I—

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
κατεῖδες, οἷον ἁ τάλαινʼ ἔξω πέπλων
ἔβαλεν, ἔδειξε μαστὸν ἐν φοναῖσιν,
ἰώ μοι, πρὸς πέδῳ
τιθεῖσα γόνιμα μέλεα; τὰν κόμαν δʼ ἐγὼ —

[¶92] Chorus:
I know it well; you passed through agony, hearing the mournful wail of the mother that bore you.

> Greek: Χορός:
σάφʼ οἶδα, διʼ ὀδύνας ἔβας,
ἰήιον κλύων γόον
ματρός, ἅ σʼ ἔτικτε.

[¶93] Orestes:
She uttered this cry, putting her hand to my chin:
“My child, I entreat you!” And she clung to my cheeks, so that the sword fell from my hand.

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
βοὰν δʼ ἔλασκε τάνδε, πρὸς γένυν ἐμὰν
τιθεῖσα χεῖρα· Τέκος ἐμόν, λιταίνω·
παρῄδων τʼ ἐξ ἐμᾶν
ἐκρίμναθʼ, ὥστε χέρας ἐμὰς λιπεῖν βέλος.

[¶94] Chorus:
The unhappy one! How did you endure to see the blood
of your mother, breathing her last before your eyes?

> Greek: Χορός:
τάλαινα· πῶς ἔτλας φόνον
διʼ ὀμμάτων ἰδεῖν σέθεν
ματρὸς ἐκπνεούσας;

[¶95] Orestes:
I threw my cloak over my eyes, and began the sacrifice by plunging the sword into my mother’s throat.

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
ἐγὼ μὲν ἐπιβαλὼν φάρη κόραις ἐμαῖς
φασγάνῳ κατηρξάμαν
ματέρος ἔσω δέρας μεθείς.

[¶96] Electra:
And I urged you on and
put my hand to the sword together with you.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
ἐγὼ δʼ ἐπεγκέλευσά σοι
ξίφους τʼ ἐφηψάμαν ἅμα.

[¶97] Chorus:
You have done the most dreadful of deeds.

> Greek: Χορός:
δεινότατον παθέων ἔρεξας.

[¶98] Orestes:
Take and hide the limbs of our mother beneath a robe, and close the wounds. Turning to the corpse Ah! You gave birth to your own murderers.

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
λαβοῦ, κάλυπτε μέλεα ματέρος πέπλοις
⟨καὶ⟩ καθάρμοσον σφαγάς.
φονέας ἔτικτες ἆρά σοι.

[¶99] Electra: Covering the corpse
There, I am putting this cloak over the one loved and not loved.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
ἰδού, φίλᾳ τε κοὐ φίλᾳ
φάρεα τάδʼ ἀμφιβάλλομεν.

[¶100] Chorus:
An end of great troubles for the house.

> Greek: Χορός:
τέρμα κακῶν μεγάλων δόμοισιν.

[¶101] Chorus Leader:
Divine forms are seen above the house. But see the ones who are appearing over the top of the house—spirits or gods from heaven?
For this path does not belong to men. Why ever do they come into the clear sight of mortals?

> Greek: Χορός:
ἀλλʼ οἵδε δόμων ὑπὲρ ἀκροτάτων
φαίνουσι τίνες — δαίμονες ἢ θεῶν
τῶν οὐρανίων; οὐ γὰρ θνητῶν γʼ
ἥδε κέλευθος· τί ποτʼ ἐς φανερὰν
ὄψιν βαίνουσι βροτοῖσιν;

[¶102] Dioskouroi:
Son of Agamemnon, listen; the twin sons of Zeus, your mother’s brothers,
Castor and his brother Polydeuces, are calling you. Having just now calmed the swell of the sea, terrible for ships, we have come to Argos when we saw the slaying of our sister, your mother. Now she has her just reward, but you have not acted justly,
and Phoebus, Phoebus—but I am silent, for he is my lord; although he is wise, he gave you oracles that were not. But it is necessary to accept these things. As to what remains, you must do what Fate and Zeus have accomplished for you. Give Electra to Pylades as his wife to take to his home;
but you leave Argos; for it is not for you, who killed your mother, to set foot in this city. And the dread goddesses of death, the one who glare like hounds, will drive you up and down, a maddened wanderer. Go to Athens and embrace the holy image of Pallas;
for she will prevent them, flickering with dreadful serpents, from touching you, as she stretches over your head her Gorgon-faced shield. There is a hill of Ares, where the gods first sat over their votes to decide on bloodshed,
when savage Ares killed Halirrothius, son of the ocean’s ruler, in anger for the unholy violation of his daughter, so that the tribunal is most sacred and secure in the eyes of the gods.

> Greek: Διόσκουροι:
Ἀγαμέμνονος παῖ, κλῦθι· δίπτυχοι δέ σε
καλοῦσι μητρὸς σύγγονοι Διόσκοροι,
Κάστωρ κασίγνητός τε Πολυδεύκης ὅδε.
δεινὸν δὲ ναυσὶν ἀρτίως πόντου σάλον
παύσαντʼ ἀφίγμεθʼ Ἄργος, ὡς ἐσείδομεν
σφαγὰς ἀδελφῆς τῆσδε, μητέρος δὲ σῆς.
δίκαια μέν νυν ἥδʼ ἔχει, σὺ δʼ οὐχὶ δρᾷς·
Φοῖβός τε, Φοῖβος — ἀλλʼ ἄναξ γάρ ἐστʼ ἐμός,
σιγῶ· σοφὸς δʼ ὢν οὐκ ἔχρησέ σοι σοφά.
αἰνεῖν δʼ ἀνάγκη ταῦτα· τἀντεῦθεν δὲ χρὴ
πράσσειν ἃ Μοῖρα Ζεύς τʼ ἔκρανε σοῦ πέρι.
Πυλάδῃ μὲν Ἠλέκτραν δὸς ἄλοχον ἐς δόμους,
σὺ δʼ Ἄργος ἔκλιπʼ· οὐ γὰρ ἔστι σοι πόλιν
τήνδʼ ἐμβατεύειν, μητέρα κτείναντι σήν.
δειναὶ δὲ κῆρές ⟨σʼ⟩ αἱ κυνώπιδες θεαὶ
τροχηλατήσουσʼ ἐμμανῆ πλανώμενον.
ἐλθὼν δʼ Ἀθήνας Παλλάδος σεμνὸν βρέτας
πρόσπτυξον· εἵρξει γάρ νιν ἐπτοημένας
δεινοῖς δράκουσιν ὥστε μὴ ψαύειν σέθεν,
γοργῶφʼ ὑπερτείνουσα σῷ κάρᾳ κύκλον.
ἔστιν δʼ Ἄρεώς τις ὄχθος, οὗ πρῶτον θεοὶ
ἕζοντʼ ἐπὶ ψήφοισιν αἵματος πέρι,
Ἁλιρρόθιον ὅτʼ ἔκτανʼ ὠμόφρων Ἄρης,
μῆνιν θυγατρὸς ἀνοσίων νυμφευμάτων,
πόντου κρέοντος παῖδʼ, ἵνʼ εὐσεβεστάτη
ψῆφος βεβαία τʼ ἐστὶν ἔκ τε τοῦ θεοῖς.

[¶103] You also must run your risk here, for murder.

> Greek: ἐνταῦθα καὶ σὲ δεῖ δραμεῖν φόνου πέρι.

[¶104] An equal number of votes cast will save you from dying by the verdict; for Loxias will take the blame upon himself, since it was his oracle that advised your mother’s murder. And this law will be set for posterity, that the accused will always win his case if he has equal votes.

> Greek: ἴσαι δέ σʼ ἐκσῴζουσι μὴ θανεῖν δίκῃ
ψῆφοι τεθεῖσαι· Λοξίας γὰρ αἰτίαν
ἐς αὑτὸν οἴσει, μητέρος χρήσας φόνον.
καὶ τοῖσι λοιποῖς ὅδε νόμος τεθήσεται,
νικᾶν ἴσαις ψήφοισι τὸν φεύγοντʼ ἀεί.

[¶105] Then the dread goddesses, stricken with grief at this, will sink into a cleft of the earth beside this hill, a holy, revered prophetic shrine for mortals. You must found an Arcadian city beside the streams of Alpheus near the sacred enclosure to Lycaean Apollo;

> Greek: δειναὶ μὲν οὖν θεαὶ τῷδʼ ἄχει πεπληγμέναι
πάγον παρʼ αὐτὸν χάσμα δύσονται χθονός,
σεμνὸν βροτοῖσιν εὐσεβὲς χρηστήριον·
σὲ δʼ Ἀρκάδων χρὴ πόλιν ἐπʼ Ἀλφειοῦ ῥοαῖς
οἰκεῖν Λυκαίου πλησίον σηκώματος·

[¶106] and the city will be called after your name. I say this to you. As for this corpse of Aegisthus, the citizens of Argos will cover it in the earth in burial. But as for your mother, Menelaus, who has arrived at Nauplia only now after capturing Troy,
will bury her, with Helen helping him; for she has come from Proteus’ house, leaving Egypt, and she never went to Troy; Zeus, to stir up strife and bloodshed among mortals, sent a phantom of Helen to Ilium. Now let Pylades, having one who is both a virgin and a married woman,
go home from the Achaean land, and let him conduct the one called your brother-in-law to the land of Phocis, and give him a weight of riches. But you set out along the narrow Isthmus, and go to Cecropia’s blessed hill.

> Greek: ἐπώνυμος δὲ σοῦ πόλις κεκλήσεται.
σοὶ μὲν τάδʼ εἶπον· τόνδε δʼ Αἰγίσθου νέκυν
Ἄργους πολῖται γῆς καλύψουσιν τάφῳ.
μητέρα δὲ τὴν σὴν ἄρτι Ναυπλίαν παρὼν
Μενέλαος, ἐξ οὗ Τρωικὴν εἷλε χθόνα,
Ἑλένη τε θάψει· Πρωτέως γὰρ ἐκ δόμων
ἥκει λιποῦσʼ Αἴγυπτον οὐδʼ ἦλθεν Φρύγας·
Ζεὺς δʼ, ὡς ἔρις γένοιτο καὶ φόνος βροτῶν,
εἴδωλον Ἑλένης ἐξέπεμψʼ ἐς Ἴλιον.
Πυλάδης μὲν οὖν κόρην τε καὶ δάμαρτʼ ἔχων
Ἀχαιίδος γῆς οἴκαδʼ ἐσπορευέτω,
καὶ τὸν λόγῳ σὸν πενθερὸν κομιζέτω
Φωκέων ἐς αἶαν καὶ δότω πλούτου βάρος·
σὺ δʼ Ἰσθμίας γῆς αὐχένʼ ἐμβαίνω ποδὶ
χώρει πρὸς ὄχθον Κεκροπίας εὐδαίμονα.

[¶107] For once you have completed your appointed lot of murder, you will be happy, freed from these troubles.

> Greek: πεπρωμένην γὰρ μοῖραν ἐκπλήσας φόνου
εὐδαιμονήσεις τῶνδʼ ἀπαλλαχθεὶς πόνων.

[¶108] Chorus:
Sons of Zeus, is it right for us to draw near to speak with you?

> Greek: Χορός:
ὦ παῖδε Διός, θέμις ἐς φθογγὰς
τὰς ὑμετέρας ἡμῖν πελάθειν;

[¶109] Dioskouroi:
It is right, for those not polluted by this murder.

> Greek: Διόσκουροι:
θέμις, οὐ μυσαραῖς τοῖσδε σφαγίοις.

[¶110] Electra:
May I too share your conversation, sons of Tyndareus?

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
κἀμοὶ μύθου μέτα, Τυνδαρίδαι;

[¶111] Dioskouroi:
You too; to Phoebus I will attribute this bloody deed.

> Greek: Διόσκουροι:
καὶ σοί· Φοίβῳ τήνδʼ ἀναθήσω
πρᾶξιν φονίαν.

[¶112] Chorus:
How was it that you, being gods and the brothers of this murdered woman,
did not keep the death-goddesses away from her house?

> Greek: Χορός:
πῶς ὄντε θεὼ τῆσδέ τʼ ἀδελφὼ
τῆς καπφθιμένης
οὐκ ἠρκέσατον κῆρας μελάθροις;

[¶113] Dioskouroi:
Necessity’s fate led to what must be, and unwise speech from the mouth of Phoebus.

> Greek: Διόσκουροι:
μοῖρά τʼ ἀνάγκης ἦγʼ ἐς τὸ χρεών,
Φοίβου τʼ ἄσοφοι γλώσσης ἐνοπαί.

[¶114] Electra:
But what Apollo, what sort of oracles, ordained for me to be my mother’s murderer?

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
τίς δʼ ἔμʼ Ἀπόλλων, ποῖοι χρησμοὶ
φονίαν ἔδοσαν μητρὶ γενέσθαι;

[¶115] Dioskouroi:
The deeds were shared, the fates were shared; one ancestral curse has ground down both.

> Greek: Διόσκουροι:
κοιναὶ πράξεις, κοινοὶ δὲ πότμοι,
μία δʼ ἀμφοτέρους
ἄτη πατέρων διέκναισεν.

[¶116] Orestes:
Ah, my sister, seeing you after a long time, at once I am robbed of your affection,
and I must abandon you, abandoned by you.

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
ὦ σύγγονέ μοι, χρονίαν σʼ ἐσιδὼν
τῶν σῶν εὐθὺς φίλτρων στέρομαι
καὶ σʼ ἀπολείψω σοῦ λειπόμενος.

[¶117] Dioskouroi:
She has a husband and a home; she does not suffer pitiably, except that she leaves the city of the Argives.

> Greek: Διόσκουροι:
πόσις ἔστʼ αὐτῇ καὶ δόμος· οὐχ ἥδʼ
οἰκτρὰ πέπονθεν, πλὴν ὅτι λείπει
πόλιν Ἀργείων.

[¶118] Electra:
And what other unhappiness is greater
than to leave the boundary of one’s native land?

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
καὶ τίνες ἄλλαι στοναχαὶ μείζους
ἢ γῆς πατρίας ὅρον ἐκλείπειν;

[¶119] Orestes:
But I shall leave my father’s house, and at a stranger’s tribunal undergo trial for my mother’s murder.

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
ἀλλʼ ἐγὼ οἴκων ἔξειμι πατρὸς
καὶ ἐπʼ ἀλλοτρίαις ψήφοισι φόνον
μητρὸς ὑφέξω.

[¶120] Dioskouroi:
Have courage; you will go
to the holy town of Pallas; only hold out.

> Greek: Διόσκουροι:
θάρσει· Παλλάδος
ὁσίαν ἥξεις πόλιν· ἀλλʼ ἀνέχου.

[¶121] Electra:
Clasp me to your breast, my dearest brother; for the curse of our mother’s blood is separating us from our father’s home.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
περί μοι στέρνοις στέρνα πρόσαψον,
σύγγονε φίλτατε·
διὰ γὰρ ζευγνῦσʼ ἡμᾶς πατρίων
μελάθρων μητρὸς φόνιοι κατάραι.

[¶122] Orestes:
Throw your arms in close embrace about me. Lament as if I were dead, over my grave.

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
βάλε, πρόσπτυξον σῶμα· θανόντος δʼ
ὡς ἐπὶ τύμβῳ καταθρήνησον.

[¶123] Dioskouroi:
Alas! You have said things terrible even for gods to hear. For in me and in the Olympians there is
pity for much-suffering mortals.

> Greek: Διόσκουροι:
φεῦ φεῦ· δεινὸν τόδʼ ἐγηρύσω
καὶ θεοῖσι κλύειν.
ἔνι γὰρ κἀμοὶ τοῖς τʼ οὐρανίδαις
οἶκτοι θνητῶν πολυμόχθων.

[¶124] Orestes:
I shall no longer see you!

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
οὐκέτι σʼ ὄψομαι.

[¶125] Electra:
Nor will I draw near your sight!

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
οὐδʼ ἐγὼ ἐς σὸν βλέφαρον πελάσω.

[¶126] Orestes:
These are my last words to you.

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
τάδε λοίσθιά μοι προσφθέγματά σου.

[¶127] Electra:
Farewell, my city!

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
ὦ χαῖρε, πόλις·

[¶128] And a long farewell to you, my fellow-countrywomen!

> Greek: χαίρετε δʼ ὑμεῖς πολλά, πολίτιδες.

[¶129] Orestes:
Are you going already, most faithful one?

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
ὦ πιστοτάτη, στείχεις ἤδη;

[¶130] Electra:
I am going, my young eye wet with tears.

> Greek: Ἠλέκτρα:
στείχω βλέφαρον τέγγουσʼ ἁπαλόν.

[¶131] Orestes:
Go, Pylades, and be happy; marry Electra.

> Greek: Ὀρέστης:
Πυλάδη, χαίρων ἴθι, νυμφεύου
δέμας Ἠλέκτρας.

[¶132] Dioskouroi:
Marriage will be for them to think of. But go towards Athens, seeking to escape these hounds of hell, for they are pursuing you fearfully,
the dark-skinned ones, with snakes for hands, holding a reward of dreadful pains. But we two must go in haste over the Sicilian sea to rescue the seagoing ships. As we go through the plains of the air,
we do not come to the aid of those who are polluted; but we save and release from severe hardships those who love piety and justice in their ways of life. And so, let no one wish to act unjustly,
or set sail with perjurers; as a god, I give this address to mortals.

> Greek: Διόσκουροι:
τοῖσδε μελήσει γάμος· ἀλλὰ κύνας
τάσδʼ ὑποφεύγων στεῖχʼ ἐπʼ Ἀθηνῶν·
δεινὸν γὰρ ἴχνος βάλλουσʼ ἐπὶ σοὶ
χειροδράκοντες χρῶτα κελαιναί,
δεινῶν ὀδυνῶν καρπὸν ἔχουσαι·
νὼ δʼ ἐπὶ πόντον Σικελὸν σπουδῇ
σῴσοντε νεῶν πρῴρας ἐνάλους.
διὰ δʼ αἰθερίας στείχοντε πλακὸς
τοῖς μὲν μυσαροῖς οὐκ ἐπαρήγομεν,
οἷσιν δʼ ὅσιον καὶ τὸ δίκαιον
φίλον ἐν βιότῳ, τούτους χαλεπῶν
ἐκλύοντες μόχθων σῴζομεν.
οὕτως ἀδικεῖν μηδεὶς θελέτω
μηδʼ ἐπιόρκων μέτα συμπλείτω·
θεὸς ὢν θνητοῖς ἀγορεύω.

[¶133] Chorus:
Farewell! Any mortal who is able to fare well, and is not worn down by any misfortune, achieves happiness.

> Greek: Χορός:
χαίρετε· χαίρειν δʼ ὅστις δύναται
καὶ ξυντυχίᾳ μή τινι κάμνει
θνητῶν, εὐδαίμονα πράσσει.