Hecuba:Ah! woe is me! you are surely not bringing here frenzied Cassandra, the prophetic maid?
Ἑκάβη:οἲ ʼγὼ τάλαινα· μῶν τὸ βακχεῖον κάρατῆς θεσπιῳδοῦ δεῦρο Κασάνδρας φέρεις;
Maid-servant:You speak of the living; but the dead you do not weep is here. Uncovering the corpse Mark well the body now laid bare;is not this a sight to fill you with wonder, and upset your hopes?
Θεράπαινα:ζῶσαν λέλακας, τὸν θανόντα δʼ οὐ στένειςτόνδʼ· ἀλλʼ ἄθρησον σῶμα γυμνωθὲν νεκροῦ,εἴ σοι φανεῖται θαῦμα καὶ παρʼ ἐλπίδας.
Hecuba:Ah me! it is the corpse of my son Polydorus I behold, whom the Thracian man was keeping safe for me in his halls. Alas! this is the end of all; my life is over. chanting O my son, my son,alas! I now begin the laments, a frantic strain I learned just now from some avenging fiend.
Ἑκάβη:οἴμοι, βλέπω δὴ παῖδʼ ἐμὸν τεθνηκότα,Πολύδωρον, ὅν μοι Θρῂξ ἔσῳζʼ οἴκοις ἀνήρ.ἀπωλόμην δύστηνος, οὐκέτʼ εἰμὶ δή.ὦ τέκνον τέκνον,αἰαῖ, κατάρχομαι γόων,βακχεῖον ἐξ ἀλάστοροςἀρτιμαθῆ νόμον.
Maid-servant:What! so you knew your son’s fate, poor lady?
Θεράπαινα:ἔγνως γὰρ ἄτην παιδός, ὦ δύστηνε σύ;
Hecuba:I cannot, cannot credit this fresh sight I see.chantingOne woe succeeds to another; no day will ever pass without groans and tears.
Ἑκάβη:ἄπιστʼ ἄπιστα, καινὰ καινὰ δέρκομαι.ἕτερα δʼ ἀφʼ ἑτέρων κακὰ κακῶν κυρεῖ·οὐδέ ποτʼ ἀστένακτος ἀδάκρυτος ἁ-μέρα [μʼ] ἐπισχήσει.
Chorus Leader:Alas! poor lady, our sufferings are cruel indeed.
Χορός:δείνʼ, ὦ τάλαινα, δεινὰ πάσχομεν κακά.
Hecuba: chantingO my son, child of a luckless mother,what was the manner of your death? by what fate do you lie here? by whose hands?
Ἑκάβη:ὦ τέκνον τέκνον ταλαίνας ματρός,τίνι μόρῳ θνῄσκεις,τίνι πότμῳ κεῖσαι;πρὸς τίνος ἀνθρώπων;
Maid-servant:I do not know. I found him on the sea-shore.
Θεράπαινα:οὐκ οἶδʼ· ἐπʼ ἀκταῖς νιν κυρῶ θαλασσίαις …
Hecuba: chantingCast up on the smooth sand, or thrown thereafter the murderous blow?
Ἑκάβη:ἔκβλητον, ἢ πέσημα φοινίου δορός,ἐν ψαμάθῳ λευρᾷ;
Maid-servant:The waves had washed him ashore.
Θεράπαινα:πόντου νιν ἐξήνεγκε πελάγιος κλύδων.
Hecuba: chantingAlas! alas! I now know the vision I saw in my sleep; the dusky-winged phantomdid not escape me, the vision I saw of you, my son, now no more within the bright sunshine.
Ἑκάβη:ὤμοι, αἰαῖ, ἔμαθον ἔνυπνον ὀμμάτωνἐμῶν ὄψιν· οὔ με παρέβαφάσμα μελανόπτερον, τὰν ἐσεῖδον ἀμφὶ σέ,ὦ τέκνον, οὐκέτʼ ὄντα Διὸς ἐν φάει.
Chorus Leader:Who slew him then? Can your dream-lore tell us that?
Χορός:τίς γάρ νιν ἔκτεινʼ; οἶσθʼ ὀνειρόφρων φράσαι;
Hecuba: chantingIt was my own familiar friend, the knight of Thrace, with whom his aged father had placed the boy in hiding.
Ἑκάβη:ἐμὸς ἐμὸς ξένος, Θρῄκιος ἱππότας,ἵνʼ ὁ γέρων πατὴρ ἔθετό νιν κρύψας.
Chorus Leader:O horror! what will you say? did he slay him to get the gold?
Χορός:οἴμοι, τί λέξεις; χρυσὸν ὡς ἔχοι κτανών;
Hecuba: chantingO dreadful crime! O deed without a name! beyond wonder!impious! intolerable! Where are the laws between guest and host? Accursed of men! how have you mangled his flesh, slashing the poor child’s limbswith ruthless sword, lost to all sense of pity!
Ἑκάβη:ἄρρητʼ ἀνωνόμαστα, θαυμάτων πέρα,οὐχ ὅσιʼ οὐδʼ ἀνεκτά. ποῦ δίκα ξένων;ὦ κατάρατʼ ἀνδρῶν, ὡς διεμοιράσωχρόα, σιδαρέῳ τεμὼν φασγάνῳμέλεα τοῦδε παιδὸς οὐδʼ ᾤκτισας.
Chorus Leader:Alas for you! how some deity, whose hand is heavy on you, has sent you troubles beyond all other mortals! But I see our lord and masterAgamemnon; so let us be still from now on, my friends.Agamemnon enters.
Χορός:ὦ τλῆμον, ὥς σε πολυπονωτάτην βροτῶνδαίμων ἔθηκεν ὅστις ἐστί σοι βαρύς.ἀλλʼ εἰσορῶ γὰρ τοῦδε δεσπότου δέμαςἈγαμέμνονος, τοὐνθένδε σιγῶμεν, φίλαι.
Agamemnon:Hecuba, why are you delaying to come and bury your daughter? for it was for this that Talthybius brought me your message begging that no one of the Argives should touch your child. And so we granted this, and are not touching her,but this delay of yours fills me with wonder. And so I have come to send you from here; for our part there is well performed—if here there is any place for “well.”
Ἀγαμέμνων:Ἑκάβη, τί μέλλεις παῖδα σὴν κρύπτειν τάφῳἐλθοῦσʼ, ἐφʼ οἷσπερ Ταλθύβιος ἤγγειλέ μοιμὴ θιγγάνειν σῆς μηδένʼ Ἀργείων κόρης;ἡμεῖς μὲν οὖν εἰῶμεν οὐδʼ ἐψαύομεν·σὺ δὲ σχολάζεις, ὥστε θαυμάζειν ἐμέ.ἥκω δʼ ἀποστελῶν σε· τἀκεῖθεν γὰρ εὖπεπραγμένʼ ἐστίν — εἴ τι τῶνδʼ ἐστὶν καλῶς.
He sees the body. Oh! what man is this I see near the tents, some Trojan’s corpse? It is not an Argive’s body;that the garments it is clad in tell me.Hecuba: asideUnhappy one! in naming you I name myself; Hecuba, what shall I do? throw myself here at Agamemnon’s knees, or bear my sorrows in silence?
ἔα· τίνʼ ἄνδρα τόνδʼ ἐπὶ σκηναῖς ὁρῶθανόντα Τρώων; οὐ γὰρ Ἀργεῖον πέπλοιδέμας περιπτύσσοντες ἀγγέλλουσί μοι.Ἑκάβη:δύστηνʼ, ἐμαυτὴν γὰρ λέγω λέγουσα σέ,Ἑκάβη, τί δράσω; πότερα προσπέσω γόνυἈγαμέμνονος τοῦδʼ ἢ φέρω σιγῇ κακά;
Agamemnon:Why do you turn your back towards me andweep, refusing to say what has happened? Who is this?
Ἀγαμέμνων:τί μοι προσώπῳ νῶτον ἐγκλίνασα σὸνδύρῃ, τὸ πραχθὲν δʼ οὐ λέγεις; — τίς ἔσθʼ ὅδε;
Hecuba: asideBut if he should count me as a slave and foe and spurn me from his knees, I would add to my anguish.
Ἑκάβη:ἀλλʼ, εἴ με δούλην πολεμίαν θʼ ἡγούμενοςγονάτων ἀπώσαιτʼ, ἄλγος ἂν προσθείμεθʼ ἄν.
Agamemnon:I am no prophet born; therefore, if I am not told, I cannot learn the current of your thoughts.
Ἀγαμέμνων:οὔτοι πέφυκα μάντις, ὥστε μὴ κλύωνἐξιστορῆσαι σῶν ὁδὸν βουλευμάτων.
Hecuba: asideCan it be that in estimating this man’s feelings I make him out too ill-disposed, when he is not really so?
Ἑκάβη:ἆρʼ ἐκλογίζομαί γε πρὸς τὸ δυσμενὲςμᾶλλον φρένας τοῦδʼ, ὄντος οὐχὶ δυσμενοῦς;
Agamemnon:If your wish really is that I should remain in ignorance, we are of one mind; for I have no wish myself to listen.
Ἀγαμέμνων:εἴ τοί με βούλῃ τῶνδε μηδὲν εἰδέναι,ἐς ταὐτὸν ἥκεις· καὶ γὰρ οὐδʼ ἐγὼ κλύειν.
Hecuba: asideWithout his aid I shall not be able to avengemy children. Why do I still ponder the matter? I must do and dare whether I win or lose. Turning to Agamemnon Agamemnon, by your knees, by your beard and conquering hand I implore you—
Ἑκάβη:οὐκ ἂν δυναίμην τοῦδε τιμωρεῖν ἄτερτέκνοισι τοῖς ἐμοῖσι. τί στρέφω τάδε;τολμᾶν ἀνάγκη, κἂν τύχω κἂν μὴ τύχω. —Ἀγάμεμνον, ἱκετεύω σε τῶνδε γουνάτωνκαὶ σοῦ γενείου δεξιᾶς τʼ εὐδαίμονος …
Agamemnon:What is your desire? to beset free? that is easily done.
Ἀγαμέμνων:τί χρῆμα μαστεύουσα; μῶν ἐλεύθεροναἰῶνα θέσθαι; ῥᾴδιον γάρ ἐστί σοι.
Hecuba:Not that; give me vengeance on the wicked, and I am willing to lead a life of slavery forever.
Ἑκάβη:οὐ δῆτα· τοὺς κακοὺς δὲ τιμωρουμένηαἰῶνα τὸν σύμπαντα δουλεύειν θέλω.
Agamemnon:Well, but why do you call me to your aid?
Ἀγαμέμνων:καὶ δὴ τίνʼ ἡμᾶς εἰς ἐπάρκεσιν καλεῖς;
Hecuba:It is a matter you little know of, king.Do you see this corpse, for whom my tears now flow?
Ἑκάβη:οὐδέν τι τούτων ὧν σὺ δοξάζεις, ἄναξ. —ὁρᾷς νεκρὸν τόνδʼ, οὗ καταστάζω δάκρυ;
Agamemnon:I do; but what is to follow, I cannot guess.
Ἀγαμέμνων:ὁρῶ· τὸ μέντοι μέλλον οὐκ ἔχω μαθεῖν.
Hecuba:He was once my child; I bore him in my womb.
Ἑκάβη:τοῦτόν ποτʼ ἔτεκον κἄφερον ζώνης ὕπο.
Agamemnon:Which of your sons is he, poor sufferer?
Ἀγαμέμνων:ἔστιν δὲ τίς σῶν οὗτος, ὦ τλῆμον, τέκνων;
Hecuba:Not one of Priam’s race who fell beneath Ilium’s walls.
Ἑκάβη:οὐ τῶν θανόντων Πριαμιδῶν ὑπʼ Ἰλίῳ.
Agamemnon:Did you indeed have another son besides those, lady?
Ἀγαμέμνων:ἦ γάρ τινʼ ἄλλον ἔτεκες ἢ κείνους, γύναι;
Hecuba:Yes, the one you see here, of whom it seems I have small gain.
Ἑκάβη:ἀνόνητά γʼ, ὡς ἔοικε, τόνδʼ ὃν εἰσορᾷς.
Agamemnon:Where then was he, when his city was being destroyed?
Ἀγαμέμνων:ποῦ δʼ ὢν ἐτύγχανʼ, ἡνίκʼ ὤλλυτο πτόλις;
Hecuba:His father, fearful of his death, conveyed him out of Troy.
Ἑκάβη:πατήρ νιν ἐξέπεμψεν ὀρρωδῶν θανεῖν.
Agamemnon:Where did he place him apart from the sons he then had?
Ἀγαμέμνων:ποῖ τῶν τότʼ ὄντων χωρίσας τέκνων μόνον;
Hecuba:In this very land, where his corpse was found.
Ἑκάβη:ἐς τήνδε χώραν, οὗπερ ηὑρέθη θανών.
Agamemnon:With Polymestor, the king of this country?
Ἀγαμέμνων:πρὸς ἄνδρʼ ὃς ἄρχει τῆσδε Πολυμήστωρ χθονός;
Hecuba:He was sent here in charge of gold, most bitter trust!
Ἑκάβη:ἐνταῦθʼ ἐπέμφθη πικροτάτου χρυσοῦ φύλαξ.
Agamemnon:By whom was he slain? What death overtook him?
Ἀγαμέμνων:θνῄσκει δὲ πρὸς τοῦ καὶ τίνος πότμου τυχών;
Hecuba:By whom but this man? His Thracian host slew him.
Ἑκάβη:τίνος γʼ ὑπʼ ἄλλου; Θρῄξ νιν ὤλεσε ξένος.
Agamemnon:The wretch! could he have been so eager for the gold?
Ἀγαμέμνων:ὦ τλῆμον· ἦ που χρυσὸν ἠράσθη λαβεῖν;
Hecuba:Just so, when he heard of the Phrygians’ disaster.
Ἑκάβη:τοιαῦτʼ, ἐπειδὴ συμφορὰν ἔγνω Φρυγῶν.
Agamemnon:Where did you find him? or did some one bring his corpse?
Ἀγαμέμνων:ηὗρες δὲ ποῦ νιν; ἢ τίς ἤνεγκεν νεκρόν;
Hecuba:This woman, who happened upon it on the sea-shore.
Ἑκάβη:ἥδʼ, ἐντυχοῦσα ποντίας ἀκτῆς ἔπι.
Agamemnon:Was she seeking it, or bent on other tasks?
Ἀγαμέμνων:τοῦτον ματεύουσʼ ἢ πονοῦσʼ ἄλλον πόνον;
Hecuba:She had gone to fetch water from the sea to wash Polyxena.
Ἑκάβη:λούτρʼ ᾤχετʼ οἴσουσʼ ἐξ ἁλὸς Πολυξένῃ.
Agamemnon:It seems then his host slew him and cast his body out to sea.
Ἀγαμέμνων:κτανών νιν, ὡς ἔοικεν, ἐκβάλλει ξένος.
Hecuba:Yes, for the waves to toss, after mangling him in this way.
Ἑκάβη:θαλασσόπλαγκτόν γʼ, ὧδε διατεμὼν χρόα.
Agamemnon:Woe to you for your measureless troubles!
Ἀγαμέμνων:ὦ σχετλία σὺ τῶν ἀμετρήτων πόνων.
Hecuba:I am ruined; no evil now is left, Agamemnon.
Ἑκάβη:ὄλωλα κοὐδὲν λοιπόν, Ἀγάμεμνον, κακῶν.
Agamemnon:Ah! what woman was ever born to such mischance?
Ἀγαμέμνων:φεῦ φεῦ· τίς οὕτω δυστυχὴς ἔφυ γυνή;
Hecuba:There is no one, unless you would name Chance herself. But hear my reason for throwing myself at your knees. If my treatment seems to you deserved, I will be content; but, if otherwise, help me to punishthis most godless host, fearless alike of gods in heaven or hell, who has done a most unholy deed; who, though often he had shared my board and been counted first of all my guest-friendsmeeting with every kindness he could claim—. And receiving my consideration, he slew my son, and bent though he was on murder, did not think it right to bury him, but cast his body forth to sea.
Ἑκάβη:οὐκ ἔστιν, εἰ μὴ τὴν Τύχην αὐτὴν λέγοις.ἀλλʼ ὧνπερ οὕνεκʼ ἀμφὶ σὸν πίπτω γόνυἄκουσον. εἰ μὲν ὅσιά σοι παθεῖν δοκῶ,στέργοιμʼ ἄν· εἰ δὲ τοὔμπαλιν, σύ μοι γενοῦτιμωρὸς ἀνδρός, ἀνοσιωτάτου ξένου,ὃς οὔτε τοὺς γῆς νέρθεν οὔτε τοὺς ἄνωδείσας δέδρακεν ἔργον ἀνοσιώτατον,κοινῆς τραπέζης πολλάκις τυχὼν ἐμοί,ξενίας τʼ ἀριθμῷ πρῶτʼ ἔχων ἐμῶν φίλων,τυχὼν δʼ ὅσων δεῖ —. καὶ λαβὼν προμηθίανἔκτεινε· τύμβου δʼ, εἰ κτανεῖν ἐβούλετο,οὐκ ἠξίωσεν, ἀλλʼ ἀφῆκε πόντιον.
I may be a slave and weak as well, but the gods are strong, and Custom too which prevails over them,for by custom it is that we believe in them and set up boundaries of right and wrong for our lives. Now if this principle, when referred to you, is to be set at nothing, and they are to escape punishment who murder guests or dare to plunder the temples of gods,then all fairness in human matters is at an end. Consider this then a disgrace and show regard for me, have pity on me, and, like an artist standing back from his picture, look on me and closely scan my piteous state. I was once a queen, but now I am your slave;a happy mother once, but now childless and old alike, bereft of city, utterly forlorn, the most wretched woman living.as Agamemnon is turning away. Ah! woe is me! where would you withdraw your steps from me? My efforts then will be in vain, ah me! Why, oh! why do we mortals toil, as we must, and seek out all other sciences,but Persuasion, the only real mistress of mankind, we take no further pains to master completely by offering to pay for the knowledge, so that any man could convince his fellows as he pleased and gain his point at once?
ἡμεῖς μὲν οὖν δοῦλοί τε κἀσθενεῖς ἴσως·ἀλλʼ οἱ θεοὶ σθένουσι χὡ κείνων κρατῶνΝόμος· νόμῳ γὰρ τοὺς θεοὺς ἡγούμεθακαὶ ζῶμεν ἄδικα καὶ δίκαιʼ ὡρισμένοι·ὃς ἐς σʼ ἀνελθὼν εἰ διαφθαρήσεται,καὶ μὴ δίκην δώσουσιν οἵτινες ξένουςκτείνουσιν ἢ θεῶν ἱερὰ τολμῶσιν φέρειν,οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδὲν τῶν ἐν ἀνθρώποις ἴσον.ταῦτʼ οὖν ἐν αἰσχρῷ θέμενος αἰδέσθητί με·οἴκτιρον ἡμᾶς, ὡς γραφεύς τʼ ἀποσταθεὶςἰδοῦ με κἀνάθρησον οἷʼ ἔχω κακά.τύραννος ἦ ποτʼ, ἀλλὰ νῦν δούλη σέθεν,εὔπαις ποτʼ οὖσα, νῦν δὲ γραῦς ἄπαις θʼ ἅμα,ἄπολις ἔρημος, ἀθλιωτάτη βροτῶν …οἴμοι τάλαινα, ποῖ μʼ ὑπεξάγεις πόδα;ἔοικα πράξειν οὐδέν· ὦ τάλαινʼ ἐγώ.τί δῆτα θνητοὶ τἄλλα μὲν μαθήματαμοχθοῦμεν ὡς χρὴ πάντα καὶ ματεύομεν,Πειθὼ δὲ τὴν τύραννον ἀνθρώποις μόνηνοὐδέν τι μᾶλλον ἐς τέλος σπουδάζομενμισθοὺς διδόντες μανθάνειν, ἵνʼ ἦν ποτεπείθειν ἅ τις βούλοιτο τυγχάνειν θʼ ἅμα;
How shall anyone hereafter hope for prosperity? All those my sons are gone from me, and she, my daughter, is a slave and suffers shame. I am lost; I see the smoke leaping over my city. Further—though this is perhaps idly urged,to plead your love, still I will put the case—at your side lies my daughter, Cassandra, the inspired maiden, as the Phrygians call her. How then, king, will you acknowledge those nights of rapture, or what return shall my daughter or I her mother havefor the love she has lavished on her lord? [For from darkness and the endearments of the night mortals have their keenest joys.] Listen, then; do you see this corpse? By doing him a service, you will do it to a kinsman of your bride’s.I have only one thing yet to urge. Oh! would I had a voice in arms, in hands, in hair and feet, placed there by the arts of Daedalus or some god, that all together they might with tears embrace your knees,bringing a thousand pleas to bear on you! O my lord and master, most glorious light of Hellas, listen, stretch forth a helping hand to this aged woman, for all she is a thing of nothing; still do so. For it is always a good man’s duty to help the right,and to punish evil-doers wherever found.
πῶς οὖν ἔτʼ ἄν τις ἐλπίσαι πράξειν καλῶς;οἱ μὲν γὰρ ὄντες παῖδες οὐκέτʼ εἰσί μοι,αὕτη δʼ ἐπʼ αἰσχροῖς αἰχμάλωτος. οἴχομαι·καπνὸν δὲ πόλεως τόνδʼ ὑπερθρῴσκονθʼ ὁρῶ.καὶ μήν — ἴσως μὲν τοῦ λόγου κενὸν τόδε,Κύπριν προβάλλειν· ἀλλʼ ὅμως εἰρήσεται·πρὸς σοῖσι πλευροῖς παῖς ἐμὴ κοιμίζεταιἡ φοιβάς, ἣν καλοῦσι Κασάνδραν Φρύγες.ποῦ τὰς φίλας δῆτʼ εὐφρόνας δείξεις, ἄναξ,ἢ τῶν ἐν εὐνῇ φιλτάτων ἀσπασμάτωνχάριν τίνʼ ἕξει παῖς ἐμή, κείνης δʼ ἐγώ;[ἐκ τοῦ σκότου τε τῶν τε νυκτερησίων][φίλτρων μεγίστη γίγνεται βροτοῖς χάρις.]ἄκουε δή νυν· τὸν θανόντα τόνδʼ ὁρᾷς;τοῦτον καλῶς δρῶν ὄντα κηδεστὴν σέθενδράσεις. ἑνός μοι μῦθος ἐνδεὴς ἔτι.εἴ μοι γένοιτο φθόγγος ἐν βραχίοσικαὶ χερσὶ καὶ κόμαισι καὶ ποδῶν βάσειἢ Δαιδάλου τέχναισιν ἢ θεῶν τινος,ὡς πάνθʼ ὁμαρτῇ σῶν ἔχοιντο γουνάτωνκλαίοντʼ, ἐπισκήπτοντα παντοίους λόγους.ὦ δέσποτʼ, ὦ μέγιστον Ἕλλησιν φάος,πιθοῦ, παράσχες χεῖρα τῇ πρεσβύτιδιτιμωρόν, εἰ καὶ μηδέν ἐστιν, ἀλλʼ ὅμως.ἐσθλοῦ γὰρ ἀνδρὸς τῇ δίκῃ θʼ ὑπηρετεῖνκαὶ τοὺς κακοὺς δρᾶν πανταχοῦ κακῶς ἀεί.
Chorus Leader:It is strange how each extreme meets in human life! Custom determines even our natural ties, making the most bitter foes friends, and regarding as foes those who formerly were friends.
Χορός:δεινόν γε, θνητοῖς ὡς ἅπαντα συμπίτνει,καὶ τὰς ἀνάγκας οἱ νόμοι διώρισαν,φίλους τιθέντες τούς γε πολεμιωτάτουςἐχθρούς τε τοὺς πρὶν εὐμενεῖς ποιούμενοι.
Agamemnon:Hecuba, I feel compassion for you and your son and your ill-fortune, as well as for your suppliant gesture, and I would gladly see that impious host pay you this forfeit for the sake of heaven and justice, if I could only find some way to help youwithout appearing to the army to have plotted the death of the Thracian king for Cassandra’s sake. For on one point I am assailed by perplexity: the army count this man their friend, the dead their foe; that he is dear to youis a matter apart, in which the army has no share. Reflect on this; for though you find me ready to share your toil and quick to lend my aid, yet the risk of being reproached by the Achaeans makes me hesitate.
Ἀγαμέμνων:ἐγὼ σὲ καὶ σὸν παῖδα καὶ τύχας σέθεν,Ἑκάβη, διʼ οἴκτου χεῖρά θʼ ἱκεσίαν ἔχω,καὶ βούλομαι θεῶν θʼ οὕνεκʼ ἀνόσιον ξένονκαὶ τοῦ δικαίου τήνδε σοι δοῦναι δίκην,εἴ πως φανείη γʼ ὥστε σοί τʼ ἔχειν καλῶς,στρατῷ τε μὴ δόξαιμι Κασάνδρας χάρινΘρῄκης ἄνακτι τόνδε βουλεῦσαι φόνον.ἔστιν γὰρ ᾗ ταραγμὸς ἐμπέπτωκέ μοι·— Τὸν ἄνδρα τοῦτον φίλιον ἡγεῖται στρατός,τὸν κατθανόντα δʼ ἐχθρόν· εἰ δὲ σοὶ φίλοςὅδʼ ἐστί, χωρὶς τοῦτο κοὐ κοινὸν στρατῷ. —πρὸς ταῦτα φρόντιζʼ· ὡς θέλοντα μέν μʼ ἔχειςσοὶ ξυμπονῆσαι καὶ ταχὺν προσαρκέσαι,βραδὺν δʼ, Ἀχαιοῖς εἰ διαβληθήσομαι.
Hecuba:Ah! there is not in the world a single man free;
Ἑκάβη:φεῦ.οὐκ ἔστι θνητῶν ὅστις ἔστʼ ἐλεύθερος·
for he is a slave either to money or to fortune, or else the people in their thousands or the fear of public prosecution prevents him from following the dictates of his heart.
ἢ χρημάτων γὰρ δοῦλός ἐστιν ἢ τύχης,ἢ πλῆθος αὐτὸν πόλεος ἢ νόμων γραφαὶεἴργουσι χρῆσθαι μὴ κατὰ γνώμην τρόποις.
But since you are afraid, deferring too much to the rabble, I will rid you of that fear.
ἐπεὶ δὲ ταρβεῖς τῷ τʼ ὄχλῳ πλέον νέμεις,ἐγώ σε θήσω τοῦδʼ ἐλεύθερον φόβου.
Thus: be aware of my plot if I devise mischief against this murderer, but refrain from any share in it. And if any uproar or attempt at rescue breaks out among the Achaeans, when the Thracian is suffering his doom, check it without seeming to do so on my account.
σύνισθι μὲν γάρ, ἤν τι βουλεύσω κακὸντῷ τόνδʼ ἀποκτείναντι, συνδράσῃς δὲ μή.ἢν δʼ ἐξ Ἀχαιῶν θόρυβος ἢ ʼπικουρίαπάσχοντος ἀνδρὸς Θρῃκὸς οἷα πείσεταιφανῇ τις, εἶργε μὴ δοκῶν ἐμὴν χάριν.
For what remains—take heart—I will arrange everything well.
τὰ δʼ ἄλλα — θάρσει — πάντʼ ἐγὼ θήσω καλῶς.
Agamemnon:How? what will you do? will you take a sword in your old hand and slay the barbarian, or do you have drugs or some means to aid you? Who will take your part? Where will you procure friends?
Ἀγαμέμνων:πῶς οὖν; τί δράσεις; πότερα φάσγανον χερὶλαβοῦσα γραίᾳ φῶτα βάρβαρον κτενεῖς,ἢ φαρμάκοισιν ἢ ʼπικουρίᾳ τινί;τίς σοι ξυνέσται χείρ; πόθεν κτήσῃ φίλους;
Hecuba:Sheltered beneath these tents is a crowd of Trojan women.
Ἑκάβη:στέγαι κεκεύθασʼ αἵδε Τρῳάδων ὄχλον.
Agamemnon:Do you mean the captives, the booty of the Hellenes?
Ἀγαμέμνων:τὰς αἰχμαλώτους εἶπας, Ἑλλήνων ἄγραν;
Hecuba:With their help I will punish my murderous foe.
Ἑκάβη:σὺν ταῖσδε τὸν ἐμὸν φονέα τιμωρήσομαι.
Agamemnon:How are women to master men?
Ἀγαμέμνων:καὶ πῶς γυναιξὶν ἀρσένων ἔσται κράτος;
Hecuba:Numbers are a fearful thing, and joined to craft a desperate foe.
Ἑκάβη:δεινὸν τὸ πλῆθος σὺν δόλῳ τε δύσμαχον.
Agamemnon:True; still I have a mean opinion of the female race.
Ἀγαμέμνων:δεινόν· τὸ μέντοι θῆλυ μέμφομαι γένος.
Hecuba:What? did not women slay the sons of Aegyptus, and utterly clear Lemnos of men? But let it be thus; put an end to our conference, and send this woman for me safely through the army.To a servant And you are to draw near my Thracian friend and say, “Hecuba, once queen of Ilium, summons you, on your own business no less than hers, your children too, for they also must hear what she has to say.” The servant goes out. Defer awhile, Agamemnon,the burial of Polyxena lately slain, so that brother and sister may be laid on the same pyre and buried side by side, a double cause of sorrow to their mother.
Ἑκάβη:τί δʼ; οὐ γυναῖκες εἷλον Αἰγύπτου τέκνακαὶ Λῆμνον ἄρδην ἀρσένων ἐξῴκισαν;ἀλλʼ ὣς γενέσθω· τόνδε μὲν μέθες λόγον,πέμψον δέ μοι τήνδʼ ἀσφαλῶς διὰ στρατοῦγυναῖκα. — καὶ σὺ Θρῃκὶ πλαθεῖσα ξένῳλέξον· Καλεῖ σʼ ἄνασσα δή ποτʼ ἸλίουἙκάβη, σὸν οὐκ ἔλασσον ἢ κείνης χρέος,καὶ παῖδας· ὡς δεῖ καὶ τέκνʼ εἰδέναι λόγουςτοὺς ἐξ ἐκείνης. — τὸν δὲ τῆς νεοσφαγοῦςΠολυξένης ἐπίσχες, Ἀγάμεμνον, τάφον,ὡς τώδʼ ἀδελφὼ πλησίον μιᾷ φλογί,δισσὴ μέριμνα μητρί, κρυφθῆτον χθονί.
Agamemnon:So shall it be; yet if the army were able to sail, I could not have granted you this favor;
Ἀγαμέμνων:ἔσται τάδʼ οὕτω· καὶ γὰρ εἰ μὲν ἦν στρατῷπλοῦς, οὐκ ἂν εἶχον τήνδε σοι δοῦναι χάριν·
but as it is, for the god sends forth no favoring breeze, the army must wait and look for a calm voyage. Good luck to you, for this is the interest alike of individual and state, that the wrong-doer be punished and the good man prosper. Agamemnon departs as Hecuba withdraws into the tent.
νῦν δʼ, οὐ γὰρ ἵησʼ οὐρίους πνοὰς θεός,μένειν ἀνάγκη πλοῦν ὁρῶντʼ ἐς ἥσυχον.γένοιτο δʼ εὖ πως· πᾶσι γὰρ κοινὸν τόδε,ἰδίᾳ θʼ ἑκάστῳ καὶ πόλει, τὸν μὲν κακὸνκακόν τι πάσχειν, τὸν δὲ χρηστὸν εὐτυχεῖν.
Chorus:No more, my native Ilium, shall you be counted among the towns never sacked; so thick a cloud of Hellene troops is settling all around, wasting you with the spear;
Χορός:σὺ μέν, ὦ πατρὶς Ἰλιάς,τῶν ἀπορθήτων πόλις οὐκέτι λέξῃ·τοῖον Ἑλλάνων νέφος ἀμφί σε κρύπτειδορὶ δὴ δορὶ πέρσαν.
you are shorn of your crown of towers, and fouled most piteously with filthy soot; no more, ah me! shall I tread your streets.
ἀπὸ δὲ στεφάναν κέκαρ-σαι πύργων, κατὰ δʼ αἰθάλουκηλῖδʼ οἰκτροτάταν κέχρω-σαι· τάλαινʼ,οὐκέτι σʼ ἐμβατεύσω.
Chorus:It was in the middle of the night my ruin came,in the hour when sleep steals sweetly over the eyes after the feast is done. After the music and dancing, my husband had brought the sacrifice to an end and was lying in our bridal-chamber,his spear hung on a peg; with never a thought of the sailor-throng encamped upon the Trojan shores.
Χορός:μεσονύκτιος ὠλλύμαν,ἦμος ἐκ δείπνων ὕπνος ἡδὺς ἐπʼ ὄσσοιςσκίδναται, μολπᾶν δʼ ἄπο καὶ χοροποιῶνθυσιᾶν καταλύσαςπόσις ἐν θαλάμοις ἔκει-το, ξυστὸν δʼ ἐπὶ πασσάλῳ,ναύταν οὐκέθʼ ὁρῶν ὅμι-λον ΤροίανἸλιάδʼ ἐμβεβῶτα.
Chorus:And I was braiding my tresses beneath a tight-drawn head-bandbefore my golden mirror’s countless rays, so that I might lie down to rest; when through the city rose a din, and a cry went ringing down the streets of Troy: “You”“sons of Hellas, when, oh! when will you sack the citadel of Ilium, and seek your homes?”
Χορός:ἐγὼ δὲ πλόκαμον ἀναδέτοιςμίτραισιν ἐρρυθμιζόμανχρυσέων ἐνόπτρων λεύσ-σουσʼ ἀτέρμονας εἰς αὐγάς,ἐπιδέμνιος ὡς πέσοιμʼ ἐς εὐνάν.ἀνὰ δὲ κέλαδος ἔμολε πόλιν·κέλευσμα δʼ ἦν κατʼ ἄστυ Τροί-ας τόδʼ· Ὦπαῖδες Ἑλλάνων, πότε δὴ πότε τὰνἸλιάδα σκοπιὰνπέρσαντες ἥξετʼ οἴκους;
Chorus:I left my bed, wearing only a tunic, like a Dorian girl,and sought in vain, ah me! to station myself at the holy hearth of Artemis; for, after seeing my husband slain, I was led away over the broad sea; with many a backward look at my city,when the ship began her homeward voyage and parted me from Ilium’s strand; till alas! for very grief I fainted,
Χορός:λέχη δὲ φίλια μονόπεπλοςλιποῦσα, Δωρὶς ὡς κόρα,σεμνὰν προσίζουσʼ οὐκἤνυσʼ Ἄρτεμιν ἁ τλάμων·ἄγομαι δὲ θανόντʼ ἰδοῦσʼ ἀκοίταντὸν ἐμὸν ἅλιον ἐπὶ πέλαγος,πόλιν τʼ ἀποσκοποῦσʼ, ἐπεὶνόστιμονναῦς ἐκίνησεν πόδα καί μʼ ἀπὸ γᾶςὥρισεν Ἰλιάδος·τάλαινʼ, ἀπεῖπον ἄλγει,
Chorus:Cursing Helen the sister of the Dioscuri, and Paris the baleful shepherd of Ida;for it was their marriage, which was no marriage but misery sent by some demon, that robbed me of my country and drove me from my home.
Χορός:τὰν τοῖν Διοσκούροιν Ἑλέναν κάσινἸδαῖόν τε βούταναἰνόπαριν κατάρᾳδιδοῦσʼ, ἐπεί με γᾶς ἐκπατρῴας ἀπώλεσενἐξῴκισέν τʼ οἴκων γάμος, οὐ γάμος ἀλλʼ ἀ-λάστορός τις οἰζύς·
Oh! may the sea’s salt flood never carry her home again; and may she never set foot in her father’s halls!Hecuba comes out of the tent as Polymestor, his children and guards enter.
ἃν μήτε πέλαγος ἅλιον ἀπαγάγοι πάλιν,μήτε πα-τρῷον ἵκοιτʼ ἐς οἶκον.
Polymestor:My dear friend Priam, and you no less, Hecuba, I weep to see you and your city thus, and your daughter lately slain.Ah! there is nothing to be relied on; fair fame is insecure, nor is there any guarantee that prosperity will not be turned to woe. For the gods confound our fortunes, tossing them to and fro, and introduce confusion, so that our perplexitymay make us worship them. But what use is it to lament these things, and make no advance ahead of trouble? If you are blaming me at all for my absence, stop a moment; I happened to be away in the very heart of Thrace when you came here; but on my return,just as I was starting from my home for the same purpose, your maid fell in with me, and gave me your message, which brought me here at once.
Πολυμήστωρ:ὦ φίλτατʼ ἀνδρῶν Πρίαμε, φιλτάτη δὲ σύ,Ἑκάβη, δακρύω σʼ εἰσορῶν πόλιν τε σὴντήν τʼ ἀρτίως θανοῦσαν ἔκγονον σέθεν.φεῦ·οὐκ ἔστι πιστὸν οὐδέν, οὔτʼ εὐδοξίαοὔτʼ αὖ καλῶς πράσσοντα μὴ πράξειν κακῶς.φύρουσι δʼ αὐτοὶ θεοὶ πάλιν τε καὶ πρόσωταραγμὸν ἐντιθέντες, ὡς ἀγνωσίᾳσέβωμεν αὐτούς. ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν τί δεῖθρηνεῖν, προκόπτοντʼ οὐδὲν ἐς πρόσθεν κακῶν;σὺ δʼ, εἴ τι μέμφῃ τῆς ἐμῆς ἀπουσίας,σχές· τυγχάνω γὰρ ἐν μέσοις Θρῄκης ὅροιςἀπών, ὅτʼ ἦλθες δεῦρʼ· ἐπεὶ δʼ ἀφικόμην,ἤδη πόδʼ ἔξω δωμάτων αἴροντί μοιἐς ταὐτὸν ἥδε συμπίτνει δμωὶς σέθενλέγουσα μύθους, ὧν κλύων ἀφικόμην.
Hecuba:Polymestor, I am held in such wretchedness that I blush to meet your eye;
Ἑκάβη:αἰσχύνομαί σε προσβλέπειν ἐναντίον,Πολυμῆστορ, ἐν τοιοῖσδε κειμένη κακοῖς.
for my present evil case makes me ashamed to face you who saw me in happier days, and I could not look on you with unfaltering gaze. Do not then think it ill-will towards you, Polymestor; there is another cause as well,I mean the custom which forbids women to meet men’s gaze.
ὅτῳ γὰρ ὤφθην εὐτυχοῦσʼ, αἰδώς μʼ ἔχειἐν τῷδε πότμῳ τυγχάνουσʼ ἵνʼ εἰμὶ νῦνκοὐκ ἂν δυναίμην προσβλέπειν ὀρθαῖς κόραις.ἀλλʼ αὐτὸ μὴ δύσνοιαν ἡγήσῃ σέθεν,Πολυμῆστορ· ἄλλως δʼ αἴτιόν τι καὶ νόμος,γυναῖκας ἀνδρῶν μὴ βλέπειν ἐναντίον.
Polymestor:No wonder, surely. But what need do you have of me? Why did you send for me to come here from my house?
Πολυμήστωρ:καὶ θαῦμά γʼ οὐδέν. ἀλλὰ τίς χρεία σʼ ἐμοῦ;τί χρῆμʼ ἐπέμψω τὸν ἐμὸν ἐκ δόμων πόδα·
Hecuba:I wish to tell you and your children a private matter of my own; please bidyour attendants withdraw from the tent.
Ἑκάβη:ἴδιον ἐμαυτῆς δή τι πρὸς σὲ βούλομαικαὶ παῖδας εἰπεῖν σούς· ὀπάονας δέ μοιχωρὶς κέλευσον τῶνδʼ ἀποστῆναι δόμων.
Polymestor: to his attendantsRetire; this desert spot is safe enough. The guards go out; to Hecuba You are my friend, and this Achaean army is well-disposed to me. But you must tell me how prosperityis to help its unlucky friends; for I am ready to do so.
Πολυμήστωρ:χωρεῖτʼ· ἐν ἀσφαλεῖ γὰρ ἥδʼ ἐρημία.φίλη μὲν εἶ σύ, προσφιλὲς δέ μοι τόδεστράτευμʼ Ἀχαιῶν. ἀλλὰ σημαίνειν σὲ χρῆν·τί χρὴ τὸν εὖ πράσσοντα μὴ πράσσουσιν εὖφίλοις ἐπαρκεῖν; ὡς ἕτοιμός εἰμʼ ἐγώ.
Hecuba:First tell me of the child Polydorus, whom you are keeping in your house, received from me and his father; is he alive? The rest I will ask you after that.
Ἑκάβη:πρῶτον μὲν εἰπὲ παῖδʼ ὃν ἐξ ἐμῆς χερὸςΠολύδωρον ἔκ τε πατρὸς ἐν δόμοις ἔχεις,εἰ ζῇ· τὰ δʼ ἄλλα δεύτερόν σʼ ἐρήσομαι.
Polymestor:Yes, you still have a share in fortune there.
Πολυμήστωρ:μάλιστα· τοὐκείνου μὲν εὐτυχεῖς μέρος.
Hecuba:Well said, dear friend! how worthy of you!
Ἑκάβη:ὦ φίλταθʼ, ὡς εὖ κἀξίως λέγεις σέθεν.
Polymestor:What next would you learn of me?
Πολυμήστωρ:τί δῆτα βούλῃ δεύτερον μαθεῖν ἐμοῦ;
Hecuba:has he any recollection of me his mother?
Ἑκάβη:εἰ τῆς τεκούσης τῆσδε … μέμνηταί τί μου;
Polymestor:Yes, he was longing to steal away here to you.
Πολυμήστωρ:καὶ δεῦρό γʼ ὡς σὲ κρύφιος ἐζήτει μολεῖν.
Hecuba:Is the gold safe, which he brought with him from Troy?
Ἑκάβη:χρυσὸς δὲ σῶς ὃν ἦλθεν ἐκ Τροίας ἔχων;
Polymestor:Safe under lock and key in my halls.
Πολυμήστωρ:σῶς, ἐν δόμοις γε τοῖς ἐμοῖς φρουρούμενος.
Hecuba:Do save it, but do not desire your neighbor’s goods.
Ἑκάβη:σῶσόν νυν αὐτὸν μηδʼ ἔρα τῶν πλησίον.
Polymestor:Not I; may I benefit by what I have, lady!
Πολυμήστωρ:ἥκιστʼ· ὀναίμην τοῦ παρόντος, ὦ γύναι.
Hecuba:Do you know what I wish to say to you and your children?
Ἑκάβη:οἶσθʼ οὖν ἃ λέξαι σοί τε καὶ παισὶν θέλω;
Polymestor:No; your words will declare it.
Πολυμήστωρ:οὐκ οἶδα· τῷ σῷ τοῦτο σημανεῖς λόγῳ.
Hecuba:O you who are as dear to me as you now are, there are—
Ἑκάβη:ἔστʼ, ὦ φιληθεὶς ὡς σὺ νῦν ἐμοὶ φιλῇ —
Polymestor:What is it that I and my children must learn?
Πολυμήστωρ:τί χρῆμʼ ὃ κἀμὲ καὶ τέκνʼ εἰδέναι χρεών;
Hecuba:Ancient vaults filled full of gold by Priam’s ancestors.
Ἑκάβη:χρυσοῦ παλαιαὶ Πριαμιδῶν κατώρυχες.
Polymestor:Is it this you would tell your son?
Πολυμήστωρ:ταῦτʼ ἔσθʼ ἃ βούλῃ παιδὶ σημῆναι σέθεν;
Hecuba:Certainly, through you; for you are a righteous man.
Ἑκάβη:μάλιστα, διὰ σοῦ γʼ· εἶ γὰρ εὐσεβὴς ἀνήρ.
Polymestor:What need then of these children’s presence?
Πολυμήστωρ:τί δῆτα τέκνων τῶνδε δεῖ παρουσίας;
Hecuba:It is better they should know it, in case of your death.
Ἑκάβη:ἄμεινον, ἢν σὺ κατθάνῃς, τούσδʼ εἰδέναι.
Polymestor:Well said; it is also the wiser way.
Πολυμήστωρ:καλῶς ἔλεξας· τῇδε καὶ σοφώτερον.
Hecuba:Then do you know where the shrine of Trojan Athena is?
Ἑκάβη:οἶσθʼ οὖν Ἀθάνας Ἰλίας ἵνα στέγαι;
Polymestor:Is the gold there? what is there to mark it?
Πολυμήστωρ:ἐνταῦθʼ ὁ χρυσός ἐστι; σημεῖον δὲ τί;
Hecuba:A black rock rising above the ground.
Ἑκάβη:μέλαινα πέτρα γῆς ὑπερτέλλουσʼ ἄνω.
Polymestor:Is there anything else you want to tell me about the place?
Πολυμήστωρ:ἔτʼ οὖν τι βούλῃ τῶν ἐκεῖ φράζειν ἐμοί;
Hecuba:I wish to keep safe the treasure I brought from Troy.
Ἑκάβη:σῶσαί σε χρήμαθʼ οἷς συνεξῆλθον θέλω.
Polymestor:Where can it be? inside your dress, or have you hidden it?
Πολυμήστωρ:ποῦ δῆτα; πέπλων ἐντὸς ἢ κρύψασʼ ἔχεις;
Hecuba:It is safe among a heap of spoils within these tents.
Ἑκάβη:σκύλων ἐν ὄχλῳ ταῖσδε σῴζεται στέγαις.
Polymestor:Where? This is the station built by the Achaeans to surround their fleet.
Πολυμήστωρ:ποῦ δʼ; αἵδʼ Ἀχαιῶν ναύλοχοι περιπτυχαί.
Hecuba:The captive women have huts of their own.
Ἑκάβη:ἰδίᾳ γυναικῶν αἰχμαλωτίδων στέγαι.
Polymestor:It is safe to enter? are there no men about?
Πολυμήστωρ:τἄνδον δὲ πιστὰ κἀρσένων ἐρημία;
Hecuba:There are no Achaeans within; we women are alone. Enter then the tent, for the Argivesare eager to set sail from Troy for home; and, when you have accomplished all that you must do, you shall return with your children to the place where you have lodged my son. Hecuba leads Polymestor and his children into the tent.
Ἑκάβη:οὐδεὶς Ἀχαιῶν ἔνδον, ἀλλʼ ἡμεῖς μόναι.ἀλλʼ ἕρπʼ ἐς οἴκους· καὶ γὰρ Ἀργεῖοι νεῶνλῦσαι ποθοῦσιν οἴκαδʼ ἐκ Τροίας πόδα·ὡς πάντα πράξας ὧν σε δεῖ στείχῃς πάλινξὺν παισὶν οὗπερ τὸν ἐμὸν ᾤκισας γόνον.
Chorus:Not yet have you paid the penalty, but perhaps you will.
Χορός:οὔπω δέδωκας, ἀλλʼ ἴσως δώσεις δίκην·
Chorus:Like one who slips and falls into the surge with no haven near, so shall you lose your own life for the life you have taken. For where liability to justice coincides with heaven’s law;
Χορός:ἀλίμενόν τις ὡς εἰς ἄντλον πεσὼνλέχριος ἐκπεσῇ φίλας καρδίας,ἀμέρσας βίοτον. τὸ γὰρ ὑπέγγυονΔίκᾳ καὶ θεοῖσιν οὐ συμπίτνει·
there is ruin full of death and doom. Your hopes of this journey shall cheat you, for it has led you, unhappy wretch! to the halls of death; and to no warrior’s hand shall you resign your life.Polymestor: within the tentO horror! I am blinded of the light of my eyes, ah me!
ὀλέθριον ὀλέθριον κακόν.ψεύσει σʼ ὁδοῦ τῆσδʼ ἐλπὶς ἥ σʼ ἐπήγαγενθανάσιμον πρὸς Ἅιδαν, ἰὼ τάλας·ἀπολέμῳ δὲ χειρὶ λείψεις βίον.Πολυμήστωρ:⟨ἔσωθεν⟩ὤμοι, τυφλοῦμαι φέγγος ὀμμάτων τάλας.
Chorus Leader:Did you hear, friends, that Thracian’s cry of woe?
Χορός:— ἠκούσατʼ ἀνδρὸς Θρῃκὸς οἰμωγήν, φίλαι;
Polymestor: withinO horror! horror! my children! 0 the cruel blow.
Πολυμήστωρ:ὤμοι μάλʼ αὖθις, τέκνα, δυστήνου σφαγῆς.
Chorus Leader:Friends, there is strange mischief afoot in yo.
Χορός:— φίλαι, πέπρακται καίνʼ ἔσω δόμων κακά.
Polymestor: withinNo, you shall never escape for all your hurried flight;
Πολυμήστωρ:ἀλλʼ οὔτι μὴ φύγητε λαιψηρῷ ποδί·
for with a blow I will burst open the inmost recesses of this building.
βάλλων γὰρ οἴκων τῶνδʼ ἀναρρήξω μυχούς.
Chorus Leader:Hark! how he launches a bolt with weighty hand! Shall we force an entry? The crisis calls on us to aid Hecuba and the Trojan women.Hecuba enters, calling back into the tent.
Χορός:— ἰδού, βαρείας χειρὸς ὁρμᾶται βέλος.— βούλεσθʼ ἐπεσπέσωμεν; ὡς ἀκμὴ καλεῖἙκάβῃ παρεῖναι Τρῳάσιν τε συμμάχους.
Hecuba:Strike on, spare not, burst the doors!
Ἑκάβη:ἄρασσε, φείδου μηδέν, ἐκβάλλων πύλας·
you shall never replace bright vision in your eyes or see your children, whom I have slain, alive again.
οὐ γάρ ποτʼ ὄμμα λαμπρὸν ἐνθήσεις κόραις,οὐ παῖδας ὄψῃ ζῶντας οὓς ἔκτεινʼ ἐγώ.
Chorus Leader:What! have you foiled the Thracian stranger and is he in your power, mistress? Is all your threat now brought to pass?
Χορός:ἦ γὰρ καθεῖλες Θρῇκα, καὶ κρατεῖς, ξένον,δέσποινα, καὶ δέδρακας οἷάπερ λέγεις;
Hecuba:A moment, and you shall see him before the tent,blind, advancing with blind random step; and the bodies of his two children whom I with my brave women of Troy killed; he has paid me the penalty; here he comes from the tent, as you see. I will withdraw out of his path and stand asidefrom the hot fury of the Thracian, my deadly foe.Polymestor rushes out. Blood is streaming from his eyes.
Ἑκάβη:ὄψῃ νιν αὐτίκʼ ὄντα δωμάτων πάροςτυφλὸν τυφλῷ στείχοντα παραφόρῳ ποδί,παίδων τε δισσῶν σώμαθʼ, οὓς ἔκτεινʼ ἐγὼσὺν ταῖς ἀρίσταις Τρῳάσιν· δίκην δέ μοιδέδωκε. χωρεῖ δʼ, ὡς ὁρᾷς, ὅδʼ ἐκ δόμων.ἀλλʼ ἐκποδὼν ἄπειμι κἀποστήσομαιθυμῷ ῥέοντι Θρῃκὶ δυσμαχωτάτῳ.
Polymestor:Woe is me! where can I go, where halt, or turn? shall I crawl like a wild four-footed beast on their track, as my reward? Which path shall I take first,this or that, eager as I am to clutch those Trojan murderesses that have destroyed me? You wretched, cursed daughtersof Phrygia! to what corner have you fled cowering before me? O sun-god, would you could heal, could heal my bleeding eyes, ridding me of my blindness!
Πολυμήστωρ:ὤμοι ἐγώ, πᾷ βῶ,πᾷ στῶ, πᾷ κέλσω;τετράποδος βάσιν θηρὸς ὀρεστέρουτιθέμενος ἐπίχειρα κατʼ ἴχνος; ποίανἢ ταύταν ἢ τάνδʼ ἐξαλλάξω, τὰςἀνδροφόνους μάρψαι χρῄζων Ἰλιάδας,αἵ με διώλεσαν;τάλαιναι κόραι τάλαιναι Φρυγῶν,ὦ κατάρατοι,ποῖ καί με φυγᾷ πτώσσουσι μυχῶν;εἴθε μοι ὀμμάτων αἱματόεν βλέφαρονἀκέσαιʼ ἀκέσαιο τυφλόν, Ἅλιε,φέγγος ἐπαλλάξας.
Ha! hush! I catch the stealthy footsteps of the women here. Where can I dart on them and gorge on their flesh and bones, making for myself a wild beasts’ meal, inflicting mutilationin requital of their outrage on me? Ah, woe is me! where am I rushing, leaving my children unguarded for maenads of hell to mangle, to be murdered and ruthlessly cast forth upon the hills, a feast of blood for dogs?
ἆ ἆ,σίγα· κρυπτὰν βάσιν αἰσθάνομαιτάνδε γυναικῶν. πᾷ πόδʼ ἐπᾴξαςσαρκῶν ὀστέων τʼ ἐμπλησθῶ,θοίναν ἀγρίων θηρῶν τιθέμενος,ἀρνύμενος λώβανλύμας ἀντίποινʼ ἐμᾶς; ὦ τάλας.ποῖ πᾷ φέρομαι τέκνʼ ἔρημα λιπὼνΒάκχαις Ἅιδου διαμοιρᾶσαι,σφακτά, κυσίν τε φοινίαν δαῖτʼ ἀνή-μερον τʼ οὐρείαν ἐκβολάν;
Where shall I stay or turn my steps, like a ship that lies anchored at sea, gathering close my linen robe and rushing to that chamber of death, to guard my children?
πᾷ στῶ, πᾷ κάμψω, [πᾷ βῶ,]ναῦς ὅπως ποντίοις πείσμασιν, λινόκροκονφᾶρος στέλλων, ἐπὶ τάνδε συθεὶςτέκνων ἐμῶν φύλαξ ὀλέθριον κοίταν;
Chorus Leader:Woe to you! what grievous outrage has been done to you! a fearful penalty for your foul deed [has the deity imposed, whoever he is whose hand is heavy upon you.]
Χορός:ὦ τλῆμον, ὥς σοι δύσφορʼ εἴργασται κακά·δράσαντι δʼ αἰσχρὰ δεινὰ τἀπιτίμια.[δαίμων ἔδωκεν ὅστις ἐστί σοι βαρύς.]
Polymestor:Woe is me! Ho! my Thracian spearmen, armed,a race of knights whom Ares inspires! Ho! Achaeans! sons of Atreus! To you I loudly call; come here, by the gods! Does any one hearken, or will no one help me? Why do you delay? Women, captive women have destroyed me.A fearful fate is mine; ah me! my hideous outrage! Where can I turn or go?
Πολυμήστωρ:αἰαῖ, ἰὼ Θρῄκης λογχοφόρον ἔνο-πλον εὔιππον Ἄρει κάτοχον γένος.ἰὼ Ἀχαιοί. — ἰὼ Ἀτρεῖδαι. — βοὰν βοὰν ἀυτῶ, βοάν.ὢ ἴτε· μόλετε πρὸς θεῶν.κλύει τις ἢ οὐδεὶς ἀρκέσει; τί μέλλετε;γυναῖκες ὤλεσάν με, γυναῖκες αἰχμαλωτίδες· δεινὰδεινὰ πεπόνθαμεν.ὤμοι ἐμᾶς λώβας.ποῖ τράπωμαι, ποῖ πορευθῶ;
Shall I take wings and soar aloft to the mansions of the sky, where Orion and Sirius dart from their eyesa flash as of fire, or shall I, in my misery, plunge to Hades’ murky flood?
ἀμπτάμενος οὐράνιονὑψιπετὲς ἐς μέλαθρον,Ὠαρίων ἢ Σείριος ἔνθα πυρὸς φλογέας ἀφίη-σιν ὄσσων αὐγάς, ἢ τὸν ἐς Ἀίδαμελάγχρωτα πορθμὸν ᾄξω τάλας;
Chorus Leader:It is pardonable, for a man suffering from evils too heavy to bear, to rid himself of a wretched existence.Agamemnon and his retinue enter.
Χορός:συγγνώσθʼ, ὅταν τις κρείσσονʼ ἢ φέρειν κακὰπάθῃ, ταλαίνης ἐξαπαλλάξαι ζόης.
Agamemnon:Hearing a cry I have come here; for Echo,child of the mountain-rock, has sent her voice loud-ringing through the army, causing a tumult. If we had not known that Troy’s towers were levelled by the might of Hellas, this uproar would have caused no slight panic.
Ἀγαμέμνων:κραυγῆς ἀκούσας ἦλθον· οὐ γὰρ ἥσυχοςπέτρας ὀρείας παῖς λέλακʼ ἀνὰ στρατὸνἨχὼ διδοῦσα θόρυβον· εἰ δὲ μὴ Φρυγῶνπύργους πεσόντας ᾖσμεν Ἑλλήνων δορί,φόβον παρέσχεν οὐ μέσως ὅδε κτύπος.
Polymestor:Best of friends! for by your voice I know you,Agamemnon; do you see my piteous state?
Πολυμήστωρ:ὦ φίλτατʼ· ᾐσθόμην γάρ, Ἀγάμεμνον, σέθενφωνῆς ἀκούσας· εἰσορᾷς ἃ πάσχομεν;
Agamemnon:What! hapless Polymestor, who has stricken you? who has blinded your eyes, staining the pupils with blood? who has slain these children? whoever he was, fierce must have been his wrath against you and your children.
Ἀγαμέμνων:ἔα·Πολυμῆστορ· ὦ δύστηνε, τίς σʼ ἀπώλεσεν;τίς ὄμμʼ ἔθηκε τυφλὸν αἱμάξας κόρας,παῖδάς τε τούσδʼ ἔκτεινεν; ἦ μέγαν χόλονσοὶ καὶ τέκνοισιν εἶχεν ὅστις ἦν ἄρα.
Polymestor:Hecuba, helped by the captive women, has destroyed me—not destroyed, far worse than that.
Πολυμήστωρ:Ἑκάβη με σὺν γυναιξὶν αἰχμαλωτίσινἀπώλεσʼ — οὐκ ἀπώλεσʼ, ἀλλὰ μειζόνως.
Agamemnon: addressing HecubaWhat do you say? Was it you that did this deed, as he says? You, Hecuba, that have ventured on this inconceivable daring?
Ἀγαμέμνων:τί φῄς; σὺ τοὔργον εἴργασαι τόδʼ, ὡς λέγει;σὺ τόλμαν, Ἑκάβη, τήνδʼ ἔτλης ἀμήχανον;
Polymestor:Ha! what is that? is she somewhere near?
Πολυμήστωρ:ὤμοι, τί λέξεις; ἦ γὰρ ἐγγύς ἐστί που;
Show me, tell me where, that I may grip her in my hands and rend her limb from limb, bespattering her with gore.
σήμηνον, εἰπὲ ποῦ ʼσθʼ, ἵνʼ ἁρπάσας χεροῖνδιασπάσωμαι καὶ καθαιμάξω χρόα.
Agamemnon:You creature, what are you about?
Ἀγαμέμνων:οὗτος, τί πάσχεις;
Polymestor:By the gods I entreat you, let me vent on her the fury of my arm.
Πολυμήστωρ:πρὸς θεῶν σε λίσσομαι,μέθες μʼ ἐφεῖναι τῇδε μαργῶσαν χέρα.
Agamemnon:Hold! banish that savage spirit from your heartand plead your cause, so that after hearing you and her in turn I may fairly decide what reason there is for your present sufferings.
Ἀγαμέμνων:ἴσχʼ· ἐκβαλὼν δὲ καρδίας τὸ βάρβαρονλέγʼ, ὡς ἀκούσας σοῦ τε τῆσδέ τʼ ἐν μέρεικρίνω δικαίως ἀνθʼ ὅτου πάσχεις τάδε.
Polymestor:I will tell my tale. There was a son of Priam, Polydorus, the youngest, a child by Hecuba, whom his father Priam sent to me from Troy to bring up in my halls,suspecting no doubt the fall of Troy. I killed him; but hear my reason for killing him, how cleverly and wisely I had thought it out. My fear was that if that child were left to be your enemy, he would repeople Troy and settle it afresh;and the Achaeans, knowing that a son of Priam survived, might bring another expedition against the Phrygian land, and then harry and lay waste these plains of Thrace, for the neighbours of Troy to experience the very troubles we were lately suffering, O king.
Πολυμήστωρ:λέγοιμʼ ἄν. ἦν τις Πριαμιδῶν νεώτατος,Πολύδωρος, Ἑκάβης παῖς, ὃν ἐκ Τροίας ἐμοὶπατὴρ δίδωσι Πρίαμος ἐν δόμοις τρέφειν,ὕποπτος ὢν δὴ Τρωικῆς ἁλώσεως.τοῦτον κατέκτεινʼ· ἀνθʼ ὅτου δʼ ἔκτεινά νιν,ἄκουσον, ὡς εὖ καὶ σοφῇ προμηθίᾳ.ἔδεισα μὴ σοὶ πολέμιος λειφθεὶς ὁ παῖςΤροίαν ἀθροίσῃ καὶ ξυνοικίσῃ πάλιν,γνόντες δʼ Ἀχαιοὶ ζῶντα Πριαμιδῶν τιναΦρυγῶν ἐς αἶαν αὖθις ἄρειαν στόλον,κἄπειτα Θρῄκης πεδία τρίβοιεν τάδελεηλατοῦντες, γείτοσιν δʼ εἴη κακὸνΤρώων, ἐν ᾧπερ νῦν, ἄναξ, ἐκάμνομεν.
Now Hecuba, having discovered the death of her son, brought me here on the following pretext, saying she would tell me of hidden treasure stored up in Ilium by the race of Priam; and she led me apart with my children into the tent, that no other might hear her news.
Ἑκάβη δὲ παιδὸς γνοῦσα θανάσιμον μόρονλόγῳ με τοιῷδʼ ἤγαγʼ, ὡς κεκρυμμέναςθήκας φράσουσα Πριαμιδῶν ἐν Ἰλίῳχρυσοῦ· μόνον δὲ σὺν τέκνοισί μʼ εἰσάγειδόμους, ἵνʼ ἄλλος μή τις εἰδείη τάδε.
So I sat down on a couch in their midst to rest; for there were many of the Trojan maidens seated there, some on my right hand, some on my left, as if beside a friend; and they were praising the weaving of our Edonian handiwork, looking at this robe as they held it up to the light;
ἵζω δὲ κλίνης ἐν μέσῳ κάμψας γόνυ·πολλαὶ δὲ χεῖρες, αἳ μὲν ἐξ ἀριστερᾶς,αἳ δʼ ἔνθεν, ὡς δὴ παρὰ φίλῳ, Τρώων κόραιθάκους ἔχουσαι, κερκίδʼ Ἠδωνῆς χερὸςᾔνουν, ὑπʼ αὐγὰς τούσδε λεύσσουσαι πέπλους·
while others examined my Thracian spear and so stripped me of two-fold protection. And those that were young mothers were dandling my children in their arms, with loud admiration, as they passed them on from hand to hand to remove them far from their father;
ἄλλαι δὲ κάμακα Θρῃκίαν θεώμεναιγυμνόν μʼ ἔθηκαν διπτύχου στολίσματος.ὅσαι δὲ τοκάδες ἦσαν, ἐκπαγλούμεναιτέκνʼ ἐν χεροῖν ἔπαλλον, ὡς πρόσω πατρὸςγένοιντο, διαδοχαῖς ἀμείβουσαι χερῶν·
and then after their smooth speeches—would you believe it?—in an instant snatching daggers from somewhere in their dress they stab my children; while others, like foes, seized me hand and foot;and if I tried to raise my head, anxious to help my children, they would clutch me by the hair; while if I stirred my hands, I could do nothing, poor wretch! for the numbers of the women. At last they did a fearful deed, worse than what had gone before; for they took their broochesand stabbed the hapless pupils of my eyes, making them gush with blood, and then fled through the chambers; up I sprang like a wild beast in pursuit of the shameless murderesses, searching along each wall with hunter’s care,dealing buffets, spreading ruin. This then is what I have suffered because of my zeal for you, Agamemnon, for slaying an enemy of yours. But to spare you a lengthy speech, if any of the men of former times have spoken ill of women, if any does so now, or shall do so hereafter,I will say all this in one short sentence; for neither land or sea produces such a race, as whoever has had to do with them knows.
κᾆτʼ ἐκ γαληνῶν — πῶς δοκεῖς; — προσφθεγμάτωνεὐθὺς λαβοῦσαι φάσγανʼ ἐκ πέπλων ποθὲνκεντοῦσι παῖδας, αἳ δὲ πολεμίων δίκηνξυναρπάσασαι τὰς ἐμὰς εἶχον χέραςκαὶ κῶλα· παισὶ δʼ ἀρκέσαι χρῄζων ἐμοῖς,εἰ μὲν πρόσωπον ἐξανισταίην ἐμόν,κόμης κατεῖχον, εἰ δὲ κινοίην χέρας,πλήθει γυναικῶν οὐδὲν ἤνυον τάλας.τὸ λοίσθιον δέ, πῆμα πήματος πλέον,ἐξειργάσαντο δείνʼ· ἐμῶν γὰρ ὀμμάτων,πόρπας λαβοῦσαι, τὰς ταλαιπώρους κόραςκεντοῦσιν, αἱμάσσουσιν· εἶτʼ ἀνὰ στέγαςφυγάδες ἔβησαν· ἐκ δὲ πηδήσας ἐγὼθὴρ ὣς διώκω τὰς μιαιφόνους κύνας,ἅπαντʼ ἐρευνῶν τοῖχον ὡς κυνηγέτηςβάλλων ἀράσσων. τοιάδε σπεύδων χάρινπέπονθα τὴν σὴν πολέμιόν τε σὸν κτανών,Ἀγάμεμνον. ὡς δὲ μὴ μακροὺς τείνω λόγους,εἴ τις γυναῖκας τῶν πρὶν εἴρηκεν κακῶςἢ νῦν λέγων ἔστιν τις ἢ μέλλει λέγειν,ἅπαντα ταῦτα συντεμὼν ἐγὼ φράσω·γένος γὰρ οὔτε πόντος οὔτε γῆ τρέφειτοιόνδʼ· ὁ δʼ αἰεὶ ξυντυχὼν ἐπίσταται.
Chorus Leader:Curb your bold tongue, and do not, because of your own woes, thus embrace the whole race of women in one reproach.
Χορός:μηδὲν θρασύνου μηδὲ τοῖς σαυτοῦ κακοῖςτὸ θῆλυ συνθεὶς ὧδε πᾶν μέμψῃ γένος.
[For though some of us, and those a numerous class, deserve to be disliked, there are others among us who rank naturally among the good.]
[πολλαὶ γὰρ ἡμῶν, αἳ μέν εἰσʼ ἐπίφθονοι,][αἳ δʼ εἰς ἀριθμὸν τῶν κακῶν πεφύκαμεν.]
Hecuba:Never ought words to have outweighed deeds in this world, Agamemnon. No! if a man’s deeds were good, so should his words have been;if, on the other hand, evil, his words should have been unsound, instead of its being possible at times to speak injustice well. There are, it is true, clever persons, who have made a science of this, but their cleverness cannot last for ever; a miserable end awaits them; no one ever yet escaped.
Ἑκάβη:Ἀγάμεμνον, ἀνθρώποισιν οὐκ ἐχρῆν ποτετῶν πραγμάτων τὴν γλῶσσαν ἰσχύειν πλέον·ἀλλʼ, εἴτε χρήστʼ ἔδρασε, χρήστʼ ἔδει λέγειν,εἴτʼ αὖ πονηρά, τοὺς λόγους εἶναι σαθρούς,καὶ μὴ δύνασθαι τἄδικʼ εὖ λέγειν ποτέ.σοφοὶ μὲν οὖν εἰσʼ οἱ τάδʼ ἠκριβωκότες,ἀλλʼ οὐ δύνανται διὰ τέλους εἶναι σοφοί,κακῶς δʼ ἀπώλοντʼ· οὔτις ἐξήλυξέ πω.
This part of my prelude belongs to you. Now will I turn to this fellow, and will give you your answer, you who say it was to save Achaea double toil and for Agamemnon’s sake that you killed my son. No, villain, in the first placethe barbarian race would never be friends with Hellas, nor could it be. Again, what interest did you have to further by your zeal? was it to form some marriage, or on the score of kinship, or what reason? or was it likely that they would sail here again and destroyyour country’s crops? Whom do you expect to persuade into believing that? If you would only speak the truth, it was the gold that slew my son, and your greedy spirit. Now tell me this: why, when Troy was victorious, when her ramparts still stood round her,when Priam was alive, and Hector’s warring prospered, why did you not then, if you were really minded to do Agamemnon a service, slay the child, for you had him in your palace beneath your care, or bring him with you alive to the Argives? But when the enemy took us from the lightand our city made a signal by its smoke, you murdered the guest who had come to your hearth.
καί μοι τὸ μὲν σὸν ὧδε φροιμίοις ἔχει·πρὸς τόνδε δʼ εἶμι καὶ λόγοις ἀμείψομαι·ὃς φῂς Ἀχαιῶν πόνον ἀπαλλάσσων διπλοῦνἈγαμέμνονός θʼ ἕκατι παῖδʼ ἐμὸν κτανεῖν.ἀλλʼ, ὦ κάκιστε, πρῶτον οὔποτʼ ἂν φίλοντὸ βάρβαρον γένοιτʼ ἂν Ἕλλησιν γένοςοὐδʼ ἂν δύναιτο. τίνα δὲ καὶ σπεύδων χάρινπρόθυμος ἦσθα; πότερα κηδεύσων τινὰἢ συγγενὴς ὤν, ἢ τίνʼ αἰτίαν ἔχων;ἢ σῆς ἔμελλον γῆς τεμεῖν βλαστήματαπλεύσαντες αὖθις; τίνα δοκεῖς πείσειν τάδε;ὁ χρυσός, εἰ βούλοιο τἀληθῆ λέγειν,ἔκτεινε τὸν ἐμὸν παῖδα, καὶ κέρδη τὰ σά.ἐπεὶ δίδαξον τοῦτο· πῶς, ὅτʼ εὐτύχειΤροία, πέριξ δὲ πύργος εἶχʼ ἔτι πτόλιν,ἔζη τε Πρίαμος Ἕκτορός τʼ ἤνθει δόρυ,τί δʼ οὐ τότʼ, εἴπερ τῷδʼ ἐβουλήθης χάρινθέσθαι, τρέφων τὸν παῖδα κἀν δόμοις ἔχωνἔκτεινας ἢ ζῶντʼ ἦλθες Ἀργείοις ἄγων;ἀλλʼ ἡνίχʼ ἡμεῖς οὐκέτʼ ἐσμὲν ἐν φάει —καπνῷ δʼ ἐσήμηνʼ ἄστυ — πολεμίων ὕπο,ξένον κατέκτας σὴν μολόντʼ ἐφʼ ἑστίαν.
Furthermore, to prove your villainy, hear this; if you were really a friend to those Achaeans, you should have brought the gold, which you say you are keeping not for yourself but for this man,and given it to them, for they were in need and had endured a long exile from their native land. But not even now can you bring yourself to part with it, but persist in keeping it in your palace. Again, had you kept my son safe and sound, as your duty was,a fair renown would have been your reward, for it is in trouble’s hour that the good most clearly show their friendship; though prosperity by itself in every case finds friends. If you were in need of money and he were prosperous, that son of mine would have been as a mighty treasure for you to draw upon;
πρὸς τοῖσδε νῦν ἄκουσον, ὡς φανῇς κακός.χρῆν σʼ, εἴπερ ἦσθα τοῖς Ἀχαιοῖσιν φίλος,τὸν χρυσὸν ὃν φῂς οὐ σὸν ἀλλὰ τοῦδʼ ἔχεινδοῦναι φέροντα πενομένοις τε καὶ χρόνονπολὺν πατρῴας γῆς ἀπεξενωμένοις·σὺ δʼ οὐδὲ νῦν πω σῆς ἀπαλλάξαι χερὸςτολμᾷς, ἔχων δὲ καρτερεῖς ἔτʼ ἐν δόμοις.καὶ μὴν τρέφων μὲν ὥς σε παῖδʼ ἐχρῆν τρέφεινσώσας τε τὸν ἐμόν, εἶχες ἂν καλὸν κλέος·ἐν τοῖς κακοῖς γὰρ ἁγαθοὶ σαφέστατοιφίλοι· τὰ χρηστὰ δʼ αὔθʼ ἕκαστʼ ἔχει φίλους.εἰ δʼ ἐσπάνιζες χρημάτων, ὃ δʼ εὐτύχει,θησαυρὸς ἄν σοι παῖς ὑπῆρχʼ οὑμὸς μέγας·
but now you have him no longer to be your friend, and the benefit of the gold is gone from you, your children too, and you yourself are in this sorry plight. I say to you, Agamemnon, if you help this man, you will show your worthlessness; for you will be serving a guest-friend neither pious nor to be trusted where he should be,not devout, not just; while I shall say you delight in evil-doers, being such a one yourself; but I do not abuse my masters.
νῦν δʼ οὔτʼ ἐκεῖνον ἄνδρʼ ἔχεις σαυτῷ φίλον,χρυσοῦ τʼ ὄνησις οἴχεται παῖδές τε σοί,αὐτός τε πράσσεις ὧδε. σοὶ δʼ ἐγὼ λέγω,Ἀγάμεμνον, εἰ τῷδʼ ἀρκέσεις, κακὸς φανῇ·οὔτʼ εὐσεβῆ γὰρ οὔτε πιστὸν οἷς ἐχρῆν,οὐχ ὅσιον, οὐ δίκαιον εὖ δράσεις ξένον·αὐτὸν δὲ χαίρειν τοῖς κακοῖς σὲ φήσομεντοιοῦτον ὄντα … δεσπότας δʼ οὐ λοιδορῶ.
Chorus Leader:Ah! how a good cause always affords men an opening for a good speech.
Χορός:φεῦ φεῦ· βροτοῖσιν ὡς τὰ χρηστὰ πράγματαχρηστῶν ἀφορμὰς ἐνδίδωσʼ ἀεὶ λόγων.
Agamemnon:To be judge in a stranger’s troubles goes much against my grain, but still I must; yes, for to take this matter in hand and then put it from me is a shameful course. My opinion, that you may know it, is that it was not for the sake of the Achaeans or me that you killed your guest,but to keep that gold in your own house. In your trouble you make a case in your own interests. Perhaps among you it is a light thing to murder guests, but with us in Hellas it is a disgrace. How can I escape reproach if I judge you not guilty?
Ἀγαμέμνων:ἀχθεινὰ μέν μοι τἀλλότρια κρίνειν κακά,ὅμως δʼ ἀνάγκη· καὶ γὰρ αἰσχύνην φέρει,πρᾶγμʼ ἐς χέρας λαβόντʼ ἀπώσασθαι τόδε.ἐμοὶ δʼ, ἵνʼ εἰδῇς, οὔτʼ ἐμὴν δοκεῖς χάρινοὔτʼ οὖν Ἀχαιῶν ἄνδρʼ ἀποκτεῖναι ξένον,ἀλλʼ ὡς ἔχῃς τὸν χρυσὸν ἐν δόμοισι σοῖς.λέγεις δὲ σαυτῷ πρόσφορʼ ἐν κακοῖσιν ὤν.τάχʼ οὖν παρʼ ὑμῖν ῥᾴδιον ξενοκτονεῖν·ἡμῖν δέ γʼ αἰσχρὸν τοῖσιν Ἕλλησιν τόδε.πῶς οὖν σε κρίνας μὴ ἀδικεῖν φύγω ψόγον;
I could not. No, since you endured your horrid crime, endure as well its painful consequence.
οὐκ ἂν δυναίμην. ἀλλʼ ἐπεὶ τὰ μὴ καλὰπράσσειν ἐτόλμας, τλῆθι καὶ τὰ μὴ φίλα.
Polymestor:Woe is me! worsted by a woman and a slave, I am, it seems, to suffer by unworthy hands.
Πολυμήστωρ:οἴμοι, γυναικός, ὡς ἔοιχʼ, ἡσσώμενοςδούλης ὑφέξω τοῖς κακίοσιν δίκην.
Hecuba:Is it not just for your atrocious crime?
Ἀγαμέμνων:οὔκουν δικαίως, εἴπερ εἰργάσω κακά;
Polymestor:Ah, my children! ah, my blinded eyes! woe is me!
Πολυμήστωρ:οἴμοι τέκνων τῶνδʼ ὀμμάτων τʼ ἐμῶν, τάλας.
Hecuba:You grieve; but what of me? Do you think I do not grieve for my son?
Ἑκάβη:ἀλγεῖς· τί δʼ; ἦ ʼμὲ παιδὸς οὐκ ἀλγεῖν δοκεῖς;
Polymestor:You wicked wretch! Is your delight in mocking me?
Πολυμήστωρ:χαίρεις ὑβρίζουσʼ εἰς ἔμʼ, ὦ πανοῦργε σύ;
Hecuba:Yes, for I am avenged on you; have I not cause for delight?
Ἑκάβη:οὐ γάρ με χαίρειν χρή σε τιμωρουμένην;
Polymestor:It will soon cease, when ocean’s flood—
Πολυμήστωρ:ἀλλʼ οὐ τάχʼ, ἡνίκʼ ἄν σε ποντία νοτὶς —
Hecuba:Shall convey me to the shores of Hellas?
Ἑκάβη:μῶν ναυστολήσῃ γῆς ὅρους Ἑλληνίδος;
Polymestor:No, but will close over you when you fall from the masthead.
Πολυμήστωρ:κρύψῃ μὲν οὖν πεσοῦσαν ἐκ καρχησίων.
Hecuba:Who will force me to take the leap?
Ἑκάβη:πρὸς τοῦ βιαίων τυγχάνουσαν ἁλμάτων;
Polymestor:Of your own accord you will climb the ship’s mast.
Πολυμήστωρ:αὐτὴ πρὸς ἱστὸν ναὸς ἀμβήσῃ ποδί.
Hecuba:With wings upon my back, or by what means?
Ἑκάβη:ὑποπτέροις νώτοισιν ἢ ποίῳ τρόπῳ;
Polymestor:You will become a dog with bloodshot gaze.
Πολυμήστωρ:κύων γενήσῃ πύρσʼ ἔχουσα δέργματα.
Hecuba:How did you know of my transformation?
Ἑκάβη:πῶς δʼ οἶσθα μορφῆς τῆς ἐμῆς μετάστασιν;
Polymestor:Dionysus, our Thracian prophet, told me so.
Πολυμήστωρ:ὁ Θρῃξὶ μάντις εἶπε Διόνυσος τάδε.
Hecuba:And did he prophesy to you nothing of your present trouble?
Ἑκάβη:σοὶ δʼ οὐκ ἔχρησεν οὐδὲν ὧν ἔχεις κακῶν;
Polymestor:No, for you would never have caught me thus by guile.
Πολυμήστωρ:οὐ γάρ ποτʼ ἂν σύ μʼ εἷλες ὧδε σὺν δόλῳ.
Hecuba:Dead or alive shall I complete my life here?
Ἑκάβη:θανοῦσα δʼ ἢ ζῶσʼ ἐνθάδʼ ἐκπλήσω βίον;
Polymestor:Dead; and to your tomb shall be given a name—;
Πολυμήστωρ:θανοῦσα· τύμβῳ δʼ ὄνομα σῷ κεκλήσεται —
Hecuba:Recalling my form, or what will you tell me?
Ἑκάβη:μορφῆς ἐπῳδόν, ἢ τί, τῆς ἐμῆς ἐρεῖς;
Polymestor:“The hapless hound’s grave,” a mark for mariners.
Πολυμήστωρ:κυνὸς ταλαίνης σῆμα, ναυτίλοις τέκμαρ.
Hecuba:It is nothing to me, now that you have paid me the penalty.
Ἑκάβη:οὐδὲν μέλει μοι σοῦ γέ μοι δόντος δίκην.
Polymestor:Further, your daughter Cassandra must die.
Πολυμήστωρ:καὶ σήν γʼ ἀνάγκη παῖδα Κασάνδραν θανεῖν.
Hecuba:I scorn the prophecy! I give it to you to keep for yourself.
Ἑκάβη:ἀπέπτυσʼ· αὐτῷ ταῦτα σοὶ δίδωμʼ ἔχειν.
Polymestor:The wife of Agamemnon, grim keeper of his palace, shall slay her.
Πολυμήστωρ:κτενεῖ νιν ἡ τοῦδʼ ἄλοχος, οἰκουρὸς πικρά.
Hecuba:Never may the daughter of Tyndareus do such a frantic deed!
Ἑκάβη:μήπω μανείη Τυνδαρὶς τοσόνδε παῖς.
Polymestor:And she shall slay this man as well, lifting high the axe.
Πολυμήστωρ:καὐτόν γε τοῦτον, πέλεκυν ἐξάρασʼ ἄνω.
Agamemnon:You creature, are you mad? are you so eager to find sorrow?
Ἀγαμέμνων:οὗτος σύ, μαίνῃ καὶ κακῶν ἐρᾷς τυχεῖν;
Polymestor:Kill me, for in Argos there awaits you a murderous bath.
Πολυμήστωρ:κτεῖνʼ, ὡς ἐν Ἄργει φόνια λουτρά σʼ ἀμμένει.
Agamemnon:Ho! servants, drag away him from my sight!
Ἀγαμέμνων:οὐχ ἕλξετʼ αὐτόν, δμῶες, ἐκποδὼν βίᾳ;
Polymestor:Do my words pain you?
Πολυμήστωρ:ἀλγεῖς ἀκούων;
Agamemnon:Stop his mouth!
Ἀγαμέμνων:οὐκ ἐφέξετε στόμα;
Polymestor:Close it now; for I have spoken.
Πολυμήστωρ:ἐγκλῄετʼ· εἴρηται γάρ.
Agamemnon:Make hasteand cast him upon some desert island, since his mouth is full of such exceeding presumption. Go, unhappy Hecuba, and bury your two corpses; and you, Trojan women, must draw near your masters’ tents, for lo! I perceive a breezejust rising to waft us home. May we reach our country well and find all well at home, released from troubles here! Polymestor is dragged away by Agamemnon’s guards.
Ἀγαμέμνων:οὐχ ὅσον τάχοςνήσων ἐρήμων αὐτὸν ἐκβαλεῖτέ που,ἐπείπερ οὕτω καὶ λίαν θρασυστομεῖ;Ἑκάβη, σὺ δʼ, ὦ τάλαινα, διπτύχους νεκροὺςστείχουσα θάπτε· δεσποτῶν δʼ ὑμᾶς χρεὼνσκηναῖς πελάζειν, Τρῳάδες· καὶ γὰρ πνοὰςπρὸς οἶκον ἤδη τάσδε πομπίμους ὁρῶ.εὖ δʼ ἐς πάτραν πλεύσαιμεν, εὖ δὲ τἀν δόμοιςἔχοντʼ ἴδοιμεν τῶνδʼ ἀφειμένοι πόνων.
Chorus:Away to the harbour and the tents, my friends, to prove the toils ofslavery! for such is fate’s relentless hest.
Χορός:ἴτε πρὸς λιμένας σκηνάς τε, φίλαι,τῶν δεσποσύνων πειρασόμεναιμόχθων· στερρὰ γὰρ ἀνάγκη.