---
title: "Medea · Μήδεια"
author: "Euripides"
translator: "Edward P. Coleridge"
title_ru: "Медея"
author_ru: "Еврипид"
languages: [grc, en]
shelf: "Classical Greek"
url: https://scriptura.si/works/euripides-medea/
cite: "Euripides, tr. Edward P. Coleridge, Medea · Μήδεια. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/euripides-medea/"
---

# Medea · Μήδεια

*Euripides, tr. Edward P. Coleridge*

Russian: Медея, Еврипид

Abandoned by Jason in Corinth, Medea takes a terrible revenge.

> Greek: ed. Gilbert Murray, from the Perseus Digital Library (canonical-greekLit, tlg0006.tlg003, CC BY-SA 4.0).

> English: Edward P. Coleridge, from the Perseus Digital Library (tlg0006.tlg003.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 1–491](https://scriptura.si/works/euripides-medea/1.md)
2. [Lines 492–958](https://scriptura.si/works/euripides-medea/2.md)
3. [Lines 959–1419](https://scriptura.si/works/euripides-medea/3.md)

## 1. Lines 1–491

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

[¶0] Scene.—Before the Palace of Creon at Corinth.
Nurse:
Ah! would to Heaven the good ship Argo ne’er had sped its course to the Colchian land through the misty blue Symplegades, nor ever in the glens of Pelion the pine been felled to furnish with oars the chieftain’s hands,
who went to fetch the golden fleece for Pelias; for then would my own mistress Medea never have sailed to the turrets of Iolcos, her soul with love for Jason smitten, nor would she have beguiled the daughters of Pelias
to slay their father and come to live here in the land of Corinth with her husband and children, where her exile found favour with the citizens to whose land she had come, and in all things of her own accord was she at one with Jason, the greatest safeguard this
when wife and husband do agree; but now their love is all turned to hate, and tenderest ties are weak. For Jason hath betrayed his own children and my mistress dear for the love of a royal bride, for he hath wedded the daughter of Creon, lord of this land.

> Greek: Τροφός:
Εἴθ’ ὤφελ’ Ἀργοῦς μὴ διαπτάσθαι σκάφος
Κόλχων ἐς αἶαν κυανέας Συμπληγάδας,
μηδ’ ἐν νάπαισι Πηλίου πεσεῖν ποτε
τμηθεῖσα πεύκη, μηδ’ ἐρετμῶσαι χέρας
ἀνδρῶν ἀρίστων, οἳ τὸ πάγχρυσον δέρας
Πελίᾳ μετῆλθον. οὐ γὰρ ἂν δέσποιν’ ἐμὴ
Μήδεια πύργους γῆς ἔπλευσ’ Ἰωλκίας
ἔρωτι θυμὸν ἐκπλαγεῖσ’ Ἰάσονος·
οὐδ’ ἂν κτανεῖν πείσασα Πελιάδας κόρας
πατέρα κατῴκει τήνδε γῆν Κορινθίαν
ξὺν ἀνδρὶ καὶ τέκνοισιν, ἁνδάνουσα μὲν
φυγῇ πολιτῶν ὧν ἀφίκετο χθόνα,
αὐτή τε πάντα ξυμφέρουσ’ Ἰάσονι·
ἥπερ μεγίστη γίγνεται σωτηρία,
ὅταν γυνὴ πρὸς ἄνδρα μὴ διχοστατῇ.
νῦν δ’ ἐχθρὰ πάντα, καὶ νοσεῖ τὰ φίλτατα.
προδοὺς γὰρ αὑτοῦ τέκνα δεσπότιν τ’ ἐμὴν
γάμοις Ἰάσων βασιλικοῖς εὐνάζεται,
γήμας Κρέοντος παῖδ’, ὃς αἰσύμνᾷ χθονός·

[¶1] While Medea his hapless wife, thus scorned, appeals to the oaths he swore, recalls the strong pledge his right hand gave, and bids heaven be witness what requital she is finding from Jason. And here she lies fasting, yielding her body to her grief,
wasting away in tears ever since she learnt that she was wronged by her husband, never lifting her eye nor raising her face from off the ground; and she lends as deaf an ear to her friend’s warning as if she were a rock or ocean billow, save when she turns her snow-white neck aside
and softly to herself bemoans her father dear, her country and her home, which she gave up to come hither with the man who now holds her in dishonour. She, poor lady, hath by sad experience learnt how good a thing it is
never to quit one’s native land. And she hates her children now and feels no joy at seeing them; I am afeard she may contrive some untoward scheme; for her mood is dangerous nor will she brook her cruel treatment; full well I know her, and I much do dread
that she will plunge the keen sword through their heart, stealing without a word into the chamber where their marriage couch is spread, or else that she will slay the prince and bridegroom too, and so find some calamity still more grievous than the present; for dreadful is her wrath;
verily the man that doth incur her hate will have no easy task to raise o’er her a song of triumph. Lo! where her sons come hither from their childish sports; little they reck of their mother’s woes, for the soul of the young is no inend to sorrow.

> Greek: Μήδεια δ’ ἡ δύστηνος ἠτιμασμένη
βοᾷ μὲν ὅρκους, ἀνακαλεῖ δὲ δεξιάς,
πίστιν μεγίστην, καὶ θεοὺς μαρτύρεται
οἵας ἀμοιβῆς ἐξ Ἰάσονος κυρεῖ.
κεῖται δ’ ἄσιτος, σῶμ’ ὑφεῖσ’ ἀλγηδόσι,
τὸν πάντα συντήκουσα δακρύοις χρόνον,
ἐπεὶ πρὸς ἀνδρὸς ᾔσθετ’ ἠδικημένη,
οὔτ’ ὄμμ’ ἐπαίρουσ’ οὔτ’ ἀπαλλάσσουσα γῆς
πρόσωπον· ὡς δὲ πέτρος ἢ θαλάσσιος
κλύδων ἀκούει νουθετουμένη φίλων·
ἢν μή ποτε στρέψασα πάλλευκον δέρην
αὐτὴ πρὸς αὑτὴν πατέρ’ ἀποιμώξῃ φίλον
καὶ γαῖαν οἴκους θ’, οὓς προδοῦσ’ ἀφίκετο
μετ’ ἀνδρὸς ὅς σφε νῦν ἀτιμάσας ἔχει.
ἔγνωκε δ’ ἡ τάλαινα συμφορᾶς ὕπο
οἷον πατρῴας μὴ ἀπολείπεσθαι χθονός.
στυγεῖ δὲ παῖδας οὐδ’ ὁρῶσ’ εὐφραίνεται.
δέδοικα δ’ αὐτὴν μή τι βουλεύσῃ νέον·
βαρεῖα γὰρ φρήν, οὐδ’ ἀνέξεται κακῶς
πάσχουσ’· ἐγᾦδα τήνδε, δειμαίνω τέ νιν
μὴ θηκτὸν ὤσῃ φάσγανον δι’ ἥπατος,
σιγῇ δόμους εἰσβᾶσ’, ἵν’ ἔστρωται λέχος,
ἢ καὶ τύραννον τόν τε γήμαντα κτάνῃ,
κἄπειτα μείζω συμφορὰν λάβῃ τινά.
δεινὴ γάρ· οὔτοι ῥᾳδίως γε συμβαλὼν
ἔχθραν τις αὐτῇ καλλίνικον οἴσεται.
ἀλλ’ οἵδε παῖδες ἐκ τρόχων πεπαυμένοι
στείχουσι, μητρὸς οὐδὲν ἐννοούμενοι
κακῶν· νέα γὰρ φροντὶς οὐκ ἀλγεῖν φιλεῖ.

[¶2] Attendant:
Why dost thou, so long my lady’s own handmaid,
stand here at the gate alone, loudly lamenting to thyself the piteous tale? how comes it that Medea will have thee leave her to herself?

> Greek: Παιδαγωγός:
παλαιὸν οἴκων κτῆμα δεσποίνης ἐμῆς,
τί πρὸς πύλαισι τήνδ’ ἄγουσ’ ἐρημίαν
ἕστηκας, αὐτὴ θρεομένη σαυτῇ κακά;
πῶς σοῦ μόνη Μήδεια λείπεσθαι θέλει;

[¶3] Nurse:
Old man, attendant on the sons of Jason, our masters’ fortunes when they go awry make good slaves grieve
and touch their hearts. Oh! I have come to such a pitch of grief that there stole a yearning wish upon me to come forth hither and proclaim to heaven and earth my mistress’s hard fate.

> Greek: Τροφός:
τέκνων ὀπαδὲ πρέσβυ τῶν Ἰάσονος,
χρηστοῖσι δούλοις ξυμφορὰ τὰ δεσποτῶν
κακῶς πίτνοντα, καὶ φρενῶν ἀνθάπτεται.
ἐγὼ γὰρ ἐς τοῦτ’ ἐκβέβηκ’ ἀλγηδόνος,
ὥσθ’ ἵμερός μ’ ὑπῆλθε γῇ τε κοὐρανῷ
λέξαι μολούσῃ δεῦρο δεσποίνης τύχας.

[¶4] Attendant:
What! has not the poor lady ceased yet from her lamentation?

> Greek: Παιδαγωγός:
οὔπω γὰρ ἡ τάλαινα παύεται γόων;

[¶5] Nurse:
Would I were as thou art! the mischief is but now beginning; it has not reached its climax yet.

> Greek: Τροφός:
ζηλῶ σ’· ἐν ἀρχῇ πῆμα κοὐδέπω μεσοῖ.

[¶6] Attendant:
O foolish one, if I may call my mistress such a name; how little she recks of evils yet more recent!

> Greek: Παιδαγωγός:
ὦ μῶρος—εἰ χρὴ δεσπότας εἰπεῖν τόδε·
ὡς οὐδὲν οἶδε τῶν νεωτέρων κακῶν.

[¶7] Nurse:
What mean’st, old man? grudge not to tell me.

> Greek: Τροφός:
τί δ’ ἔστιν, ὦ γεραιέ; μὴ φθόνει φράσαι.

[¶8] Attendant:’Tis naught; I do repent me even of the words I have spoken.

> Greek: Παιδαγωγός:
οὐδέν· μετέγνων καὶ τὰ πρόσθ’ εἰρημένα.

[¶9] Nurse:
Nay, by thy beard I conjure thee, hide it not from thy fellow-slave; I will be silent, if need be, on that text.

> Greek: Τροφός:
μή, πρὸς γενείου, κρύπτε σύνδουλον σέθεν·
σιγὴν γάρ, εἰ χρή, τῶνδε θήσομαι πέρι.

[¶10] Attendant:
I heard one say, pretending not to listen as I approached the place where our greybeards sit playing draughts near Pirene’s sacred spring,
that Creon, the ruler of this land, is bent on driving these children and their mother from the boundaries of Corinth; but I know not whether the news is to be relied upon, and would fain it were not.

> Greek: Παιδαγωγός:
ἤκουσά του λέγοντος, οὐ δοκῶν κλύειν,
πεσσοὺς προσελθών, ἔνθα δὴ παλαίτατοι
θάσσουσι, σεμνὸν ἀμφὶ Πειρήνης ὕδωρ,
ὡς τούσδε παῖδας γῆς ἐλᾶν Κορινθίας
σὺν μητρὶ μέλλοι τῆσδε κοίρανος χθονὸς
Κρέων. ὁ μέντοι μῦθος εἰ σαφὴς ὅδε
οὐκ οἶδα· βουλοίμην δ’ ἂν οὐκ εἶναι τόδε.

[¶11] Nurse:
What! will Jason brook such treatment of his sons,
even though he be at variance with their mother?

> Greek: Τροφός:
καὶ ταῦτ’ Ἰάσων παῖδας ἐξανέξεται
πάσχοντας, εἰ καὶ μητρὶ διαφορὰν ἔχει;

[¶12] Attendant:
Old ties give way to new; he bears no longer any love to this family.

> Greek: Παιδαγωγός:
παλαιὰ καινῶν λείπεται κηδευμάτων,
κοὐκ ἔστ’ ἐκεῖνος τοῖσδε δώμασιν φίλος.

[¶13] Nurse:
Undone, it seems, are we, if to old woes fresh ones we add, ere we have drained the former to the dregs.

> Greek: Τροφός:
ἀπωλόμεσθ’ ἄρ’, εἰ κακὸν προσοίσομεν
νέον παλαιῷ, πρὶν τόδ’ ἐξηντληκέναι.

[¶14] Attendant:
Hold thou thy peace, say not a word of this;’tis no time for our mistress to learn hereof.

> Greek: Παιδαγωγός:
ἀτὰρ σύ γ’—οὐ γὰρ καιρὸς εἰδέναι τόδε
δέσποιναν—ἡσύχαζε καὶ σίγα λόγον.

[¶15] Nurse:
O children, do ye hear how your father feels towards you? Perdition catch him, but no! he is my master still; yet is he proved a veiy traitor to his nearest and dearest.

> Greek: Τροφός:
ὦ τέκν’, ἀκούεθ’ οἷος εἰς ὑμᾶς πατήρ;
ὄλοιτο μὲν μή· δεσπότης γάρ ἐστ’ ἐμός·
ἀτὰρ κακός γ’ ὢν ἐς φίλους ἁλίσκεται.

[¶16] Attendant:
And who ’mongst men is not? Art learning only now, that every single man cares for himself more than for his neighbour, some from honest, motives, others for mere gain’s sake? seeing that to indulge his passion their father has ceased to love these children.

> Greek: Παιδαγωγός:
τίς δ’ οὐχὶ θνητῶν; ἄρτι γιγνώσκεις τόδε,
ὡς πᾶς τις αὑτὸν τοῦ πέλας μᾶλλον φιλεῖ,
οἳ μὲν δικαίως, οἳ δὲ καὶ κέρδους χάριν,
εἰ τούσδε γ’ εὐνῆς οὕνεκ’ οὐ στέργει πατήρ.

[¶17] Nurse:
Go, children, within the house; all will be well.

> Greek: Τροφός:
ἴτ’—εὖ γὰρ ἔσται—δωμάτων ἔσω, τέκνα.

[¶18] Do thou keep them as far away as may be, and bring them not near their mother in her evil hour. For ere this have I seen her eyeing them savagely, as though she were minded to do them some hurt, and well I know she will not cease from her fury till she have pounced on some victim.

> Greek: σὺ δ’ ὡς μάλιστα τούσδ’ ἐρημώσας ἔχε
καὶ μὴ πέλαζε μητρὶ δυσθυμουμένῃ.
ἤδη γὰρ εἶδον ὄμμα νιν ταυρουμένην
τοῖσδ’, ὥς τι δρασείουσαν· οὐδὲ παύσεται
χόλου, σάφ’ οἶδα, πρὶν κατασκῆψαί τινα...

[¶19] At least may she turn her hand against her foes, and not against her friends.
Medea:
(within). Ah, me! a wretched suffering woman I! O would that I could die!

> Greek: ἐχθρούς γε μέντοι, μὴ φίλους, δράσειέ τι.
⟨
Μήδεια: ἔνδοθεν⟩
ἰώ,
δύστανος ἐγὼ μελέα τε πόνων,
ἰώ μοί μοι, πῶς ἂν ὀλοίμαν;

[¶20] Nurse:’Tis as I said, my dear children; wild fancies stir your mother’s heart, wild fury goads her on.

> Greek: Τροφός:
τόδ’ ἐκεῖνο, φίλοι παῖδες· μήτηρ
κινεῖ κραδίαν, κινεῖ δὲ χόλον.

[¶21] Into the house without delay, come not near her eye, approach her not, beware her savage mood, the fell tempest of her reckless heart.
In, in with what speed ye may. For ’tis plain she will soon redouble her fury; that cry is but the herald of the gathering storm-cloud whose lightning soon will flash; what will her proud restless
soul, in the anguish of despair, be guilty of? [Exit Attendant with the children.

> Greek: σπεύσατε θᾶσσον δώματος εἴσω
καὶ μὴ πελάσητ’ ὄμματος ἐγγύς,
μηδὲ προσέλθητ’, ἀλλὰ φυλάσσεσθ’
ἄγριον ἦθος στυγεράν τε φύσιν
φρενὸς αὐθάδους.—
ἴτε νῦν, χωρεῖθ’ ὡς τάχος εἴσω.—
δῆλον δ’ ἀρχῆς ἐξαιρόμενον
νέφος οἰμωγῆς ὡς τάχ’ ἀνάψει
μείζονι θυμῷ· τί ποτ’ ἐργάσεται
μεγαλόσπλαγχνος δυσκατάπαυστος
ψυχὴ δηχθεῖσα κακοῖσιν;

[¶22] Medea:
(within). Ah, me! the agony I have suffered, deep enough to call for these laments! Curse you and your father too, ye children damned, sons of a doomed mother! Ruin seize the whole family!

> Greek: Μήδεια:
αἰαῖ,
ἔπαθον τλάμων ἔπαθον μεγάλων
ἄξι’ ὀδυρμῶν· ὦ κατάρατοι
παῖδες ὄλοισθε στυγερᾶς ματρὸς
σὺν πατρί, καὶ πᾶς δόμος ἔρροι.

[¶23] Nurse:
Ah me! ah me! the pity of it! Why, pray, do thy children share their father’s crime? Why hatest thou them? Woe is you, poor children, how do I grieve for you lest ye suffer some outrage! Strange are the tempers of princes,
and maybe because they seldom have to obey, and mostly lord it over others, change they their moods with difficulty.’Tis better then to have been trained to live on equal terms. Be it mine to reach old age, not in proud pomp, but in security!

> Greek: Τροφός:
ἰώ μοί μοι, ἰὼ τλήμων.
τί δέ σοι παῖδες πατρὸς ἀμπλακίας
μετέχουσι; τί τούσδ’ ἔχθεις; οἴμοι,
τέκνα, μή τι πάθηθ’ ὡς ὑπεραλγῶ.
δεινὰ τυράννων λήματα καί πως
ὀλίγ’ ἀρχόμενοι, πολλὰ κρατοῦντες
χαλεπῶς ὀργὰς μεταβάλλουσιν.
τὸ γὰρ εἰθίσθαι ζῆν ἐπ’ ἴσοισιν
κρεῖσσον· ἐμοὶ γοῦν ἐν μὴ μεγάλοις
ὀχυρῶς γ’ εἴη καταγηράσκειν.

[¶24] Moderation wins the day first as a better word for men to use, and likewise it is far the best course for them to pursue; but greatness that doth o’erreach itself, brings no blessing to mortal men; but pays a penalty of greater ruin whenever
fortune is wroth with a family.

> Greek: τῶν γὰρ μετρίων πρῶτα μὲν εἰπεῖν
τοὔνομα νικᾷ, χρῆσθαί τε μακρῷ
λῷστα βροτοῖσιν· τὰ δ’ ὑπερβάλλοντ’
οὐδένα καιρὸν δύναται θνητοῖς·
μείζους δ’ ἄτας, ὅταν ὀργισθῇ
δαίμων οἴκοις, ἀπέδωκεν.

[¶25] Chorus:
I heard the voice, uplifted loud, of our poor Colchian lady, nor yet is she quiet; speak, aged dame,
for as I stood by the house with double gates I heard a voice of weeping from within, and I do grieve, lady, for the sorrows of this house, for it hath won my love.

> Greek: Χορός:
ἔκλυον φωνάν, ἔκλυον δὲ βοὰν
τᾶς δυστάνου Κολχίδος, οὐδέ πω
ἤπιος· ἀλλ’ ὦ γηραιά,
λέξον· ἐπ’ ἀμφιπύλου γὰρ ἔσω μελάθρου βοὰν
ἔκλυον· οὐδὲ συνήδομαι, ὦ γύναι, ἄλγεσιν
δώματος· ἐπεί μοι φίλον κέκρανται.

[¶26] Nurse:’Tis a house no more; all that is passed away long since;

> Greek: Τροφός:
οὐκ εἰσὶ δόμοι· φροῦδα τάδ’ ἤδη.

[¶27] a royal bride keeps Jason at her side, while our mistress pines away in her bower, finding no comfort for her soul in aught her friends can say.

> Greek: τὸν μὲν γὰρ ἔχει λέκτρα τυράννων,
ἃ δ’ ἐν θαλάμοις τάκει βιοτὰν
δέσποινα, φίλων οὐδενὸς οὐδὲν
παραθαλπομένα φρένα μύθοις.

[¶28] Medea:
(within). Oh, oh! Would that Heaven’s levin bolt would cleave this head in twain!
What gain is life to me? Woe, woe is me! O, to die and win release, quitting this loathed existence!

> Greek: Μήδεια:
αἰαῖ· ⟨ὦ Ζεῦ καὶ Γᾶ καὶ Φῶς·⟩
διά μου κεφαλᾶς φλὸξ οὐρανία
βαίη· τί δέ μοι ζῆν ἔτι κέρδος;
φεῦ φεῦ· θανάτῳ καταλυσαίμαν
βιοτὰν στυγερὰν προλιποῦσα.

[¶29] Chorus:
Didst hear, O Zeus, thou earth, and thou, O light, the piteous note of woe
the hapless wife is uttering? How shall a yearning for that insatiate resting-place ever hasten for thee, poor reckless one, the end that death alone can bring? Never pray for that.

> Greek: Χορός:
—ἄιες· ὦ Ζεῦ καὶ γᾶ καὶ φῶς·
ἀχὰν οἵαν ἁ δύστανος
μέλπει νύμφα;
—τίς σοί ποτε τᾶς ἀπλάτου
κοίτας ἔρος, ὦ ματαία;
σπεύσει θανάτου τελευτά·
μηδὲν τόδε λίσσου.

[¶30] And if thy lord prefers a fresh love, be not angered with him for that; Zeus will judge ’twixt thee and him herein. Then mourn not for thy husband’s loss too much, nor waste thyself away.

> Greek: —εἰ δὲ σὸς πόσις
καινὰ λέχη σεβίζει,
κείνῳ τόδε· μὴ χαράσσου·
—Ζεύς σοι τάδε συνδικήσει. μὴ λίαν
τάκου δυρομένα σὸν εὐνάταν.

[¶31] Medea:
(within). Great Themis, and husband of Themis, behold what I am suffering now, though I did bind that accursed one, my husband, by strong oaths to me? O, to see him and his bride some day brought to utter destruction, they and their house with them,
for that they presume to wrong me thus unprovoked. O my father, my country, that I have left to my shame, after slaying my own brother.

> Greek: Μήδεια:
ὦ μεγάλα Θέμι καὶ πότνι’ Ἄρτεμι
λεύσσεθ’ ἃ πάσχω, μεγάλοις ὅρκοις
ἐνδησαμένα τὸν κατάρατον
πόσιν; ὅν ποτ’ ἐγὼ νύμφαν τ’ ἐσίδοιμ’
αὐτοῖς μελάθροις διακναιομένους,
οἷ’ ἐμὲ πρόσθεν τολμῶσ’ ἀδικεῖν.
ὦ πάτερ, ὦ πόλις, ὧν ἀπενάσθην
αἰσχρῶς τὸν ἐμὸν κτείνασα κάσιν.

[¶32] Nurse:
Do ye hear her words, how loudly she adjures Themis, oft invoked, and Zeus, whom
men regard as keeper of their oaths? On no mere trifle surely will our mistress spend her rage.

> Greek: Τροφός:
κλύεθ’ οἷα λέγει κἀπιβοᾶται
Θέμιν εὐκταίαν Ζῆνά θ’, ὃς ὅρκων
θνητοῖς ταμίας νενόμισται;
οὐκ ἔστιν ὅπως ἔν τινι μικρῷ
δέσποινα χόλον καταπαύσει.

[¶33] Chorus:
Would that she would come forth for us to see, and
listen to the words of counsel we might give, if haply she might lay aside the fierce fury of her wrath, and her temper stern. Never be my zeal at any rate denied my friends!

> Greek: Χορός:
—πῶς ἂν ἐς ὄψιν τὰν ἁμετέραν
ἔλθοι μύθων τ’ αὐδαθέντων
δέξαιτ’ ὀμφάν;
—εἴ πως βαρύθυμον ὀργὰν
καὶ λῆμα φρενῶν μεθείη,
μήτοι τό γ’ ἐμὸν πρόθυμον
φίλοισιν ἀπέστω.

[¶34] But go thou and bring her hither outside the house, and tell her this our friendly thought; haste thee ere she do some mischief to those inside the house, for this sorrow of hers is mounting high.

> Greek: —ἀλλὰ βᾶσά νιν
δεῦρο πόρευσον οἴκων
ἔξω· φίλα καὶ τάδ’ αὔδα.
—σπεῦσον πρίν τι κακῶσαι τοὺς εἴσω·
πένθος γὰρ μεγάλως τόδ’ ὁρμᾶται.

[¶35] Nurse:
This will I do; but I have my doubts whether I shall persuade
my mistress; still willingly will I undertake this trouble for you; albeit, she glares upon her servants with the look of a lioness with cubs, whenso anyone draws nigh to speak to her.

> Greek: Τροφός:
δράσω τάδ’· ἀτὰρ φόβος εἰ πείσω
δέσποιναν ἐμήν·
μόχθου δὲ χάριν τήνδ’ ἐπιδώσω.
καίτοι τοκάδος δέργμα λεαίνης
ἀποταυροῦται δμωσίν, ὅταν τις
μῦθον προφέρων πέλας ὁρμηθῇ.

[¶36] Wert thou to call the men of old time rude uncultured boors thou wouldst not err, seeing that they devised their hymns for festive occasions, for banquets, and to grace the board, a pleasure to catch the ear, shed o’er our life,
but no man hath found a way to allay hated grief by music and the minstrel’s varied strain, whence arise slaughters and fell strokes of fate to o’erthrow the homes of men. And yet this were surely a gain,
to heal men’s wounds by music’s spell, but why tune they their idle song where rich banquets are spread? for of itself doth the rich banquet, set before them, afford to men delight.

> Greek: σκαιοὺς δὲ λέγων κοὐδέν τι σοφοὺς
τοὺς πρόσθε βροτοὺς οὐκ ἂν ἁμάρτοις,
οἵτινες ὕμνους ἐπὶ μὲν θαλίαις
ἐπί τ’ εἰλαπίναις καὶ παρὰ δείπνοις
ηὕροντο βίου τερπνὰς ἀκοάς·
στυγίους δὲ βροτῶν οὐδεὶς λύπας
ηὕρετο μούσῃ καὶ πολυχόρδοις
ᾠδαῖς παύειν, ἐξ ὧν θάνατοι
δειναί τε τύχαι σφάλλουσι δόμους.
καίτοι τάδε μὲν κέρδος ἀκεῖσθαι
μολπαῖσι βροτούς· ἵνα δ’ εὔδειπνοι
δαῖτες, τί μάτην τείνουσι βοήν;
τὸ παρὸν γὰρ ἔχει τέρψιν ἀφ’ αὑτοῦ
δαιτὸς πλήρωμα βροτοῖσιν.

[¶37] Chorus:
I heard a bitter cry of lamentation!
loudly, bitterly she calls on the traitor of her marriage bed, her perfidious spouse; by grievous wrongs oppressed she invokes Themis, bride of Zeus, witness of oaths, who brought her
unto Hellas, the land that fronts the strand of Asia, o’er the sea by night through ocean’s boundless gate.

> Greek: Χορός:
ἰαχὰν ἄιον πολύστονον γόων,
λιγυρὰ δ’ ἄχεα μογερὰ βοᾷ
τὸν ἐν λέχει προδόταν κακόνυμφον·
θεοκλυτεῖ δ’ ἄδικα παθοῦσα
τὰν Ζηνὸς ὁρκίαν Θέμιν,
ἅ νιν ἔβασεν
Ἑλλάδ’ ἐς ἀντίπορον
δι’ ἅλα νύχιον ἐφ’ ἁλμυρὰν
πόντου κλῇδ’ ἀπέραντον.

[¶38] Medea:
From the house I have come forth, Corinthian ladies,
for fear lest you be blaming me; for well I know that amongst men many by showing pride have gotten them an ill name and a reputation for indifference, both those who shun men’s gaze and those who move amid the stranger crowd, and likewise they who choose a quiet walk in life. For there is no just discernment in the eyes of men,
for they, or ever they have surely learnt their neighbour’s heart, loathe him at first sight, though never wronged by him; and so a stranger most of all should adopt a city’s views; nor do I commend that citizen, who, in the stubbornness of his heart, from churlishness resents the city’s will.

> Greek: Μήδεια:
Κορίνθιαι γυναῖκες, ἐξῆλθον δόμων,
μή μοί τι μέμφησθ’· οἶδα γὰρ πολλοὺς βροτῶν
σεμνοὺς γεγῶτας, τοὺς μὲν ὀμμάτων ἄπο,
τοὺς δ’ ἐν θυραίοις· οἱ δ’ ἀφ’ ἡσύχου ποδὸς
δύσκλειαν ἐκτήσαντο καὶ ῥᾳθυμίαν.
δίκη γὰρ οὐκ ἔνεστ’ ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς βροτῶν,
ὅστις πρὶν ἀνδρὸς σπλάγχνον ἐκμαθεῖν σαφῶς
στυγεῖ δεδορκώς, οὐδὲν ἠδικημένος....
χρὴ δὲ ξένον μὲν κάρτα προσχωρεῖν πόλει...
οὐδ’ ἀστὸν ᾔνεσ’ ὅστις αὐθάδης γεγὼς
πικρὸς πολίταις ἐστὶν ἀμαθίας ὕπο.

[¶39] But on me hath fallen this unforeseen disaster, and sapped my life; ruined I am, and long to resign the boon of existence, kind friends, and die. For he who was all the world to me, as well thou knowest, hath turned out the veriest villain, my own husband.

> Greek: ἐμοὶ δ’ ἄελπτον πρᾶγμα προσπεσὸν τόδε
ψυχὴν διέφθαρκ’· οἴχομαι δὲ καὶ βίου
χάριν μεθεῖσα κατθανεῖν χρῄζω, φίλαι.
ἐν ᾧ γὰρ ἦν μοι πάντα γιγνώσκειν καλῶς,
κάκιστος ἀνδρῶν ἐκβέβηχ’ οὑμὸς πόσις.

[¶40] Of all things that have life and sense we women are the most hapless creatures; first must we buy a husband at an exorbitant price, and o’er ourselves a tyrant set which is an evil worse than the first;

> Greek: πάντων δ’ ὅσ’ ἔστ’ ἔμψυχα καὶ γνώμην ἔχει
γυναῖκές ἐσμεν ἀθλιώτατον φυτόν·
ἃς πρῶτα μὲν δεῖ χρημάτων ὑπερβολῇ
πόσιν πρίασθαι, δεσπότην τε σώματος
λαβεῖν· κακοῦ γὰρ τοῦτ’ ἔτ’ ἄλγιον κακόν.

[¶41] and herein lies the most important issue, whether our choice be good or bad. For divorce is discreditable to women, nor can we disown our lords. Next must the wife, coming as she does to ways and customs new, since she hath not learnt the lesson in her home, have a diviner’s eye to see
how best to treat the partner of her life. If haply we perform these tasks with thoroughness and tact, and the husband live with us, without resenting the yoke, our life is a happy one; if not,’twere best to die. But when a man is vexed with what he finds indoors,
he goeth forth and rids his soul of its disgust, betaking him to some friend or comrade of like age; whilst we must needs regard his single self.
And yet they say we live secure at home, while they are at the wars,
with their sorry reasoning, for I would gladly take my stand in battle array three times o’er, than once give birth.

> Greek: κἀν τῷδ’ ἀγὼν μέγιστος, ἢ κακὸν λαβεῖν
ἢ χρηστόν. οὐ γὰρ εὐκλεεῖς ἀπαλλαγαὶ
γυναιξίν, οὐδ’ οἷόν τ’ ἀνήνασθαι πόσιν.
ἐς καινὰ δ’ ἤθη καὶ νόμους ἀφιγμένην
δεῖ μάντιν εἶναι, μὴ μαθοῦσαν οἴκοθεν,
ὅτῳ μάλιστα χρήσεται ξυνευνέτῃ.
κἂν μὲν τάδ’ ἡμῖν ἐκπονουμέναισιν εὖ
πόσις ξυνοικῇ μὴ βίᾳ φέρων ζυγόν,
ζηλωτὸς αἰών· εἰ δὲ μή, θανεῖν χρεών.
ἀνὴρ δ’, ὅταν τοῖς ἔνδον ἄχθηται ξυνών,
ἔξω μολὼν ἔπαυσε καρδίαν ἄσης·
[ἢ πρὸς φίλον τιν’ ἢ πρὸς ἥλικα τραπείς·]
ἡμῖν δ’ ἀνάγκη πρὸς μίαν ψυχὴν βλέπειν.
λέγουσι δ’ ἡμᾶς ὡς ἀκίνδυνον βίον
ζῶμεν κατ’ οἴκους, οἳ δὲ μάρνανται δορί·
κακῶς φρονοῦντες· ὡς τρὶς ἂν παρ’ ἀσπίδα
στῆναι θέλοιμ’ ἂν μᾶλλον ἢ τεκεῖν ἅπαξ.

[¶42] But enough! this language suits not thee as it does me; thou hast a city here, a father’s house, some joy in life, and friends to share thy thoughts,
but I am destitute, without a city, and therefore scorned by my husband, a captive I from a foreign shore, with no mother, brother, or kinsman in whom to find a new haven of refuge from this calamity. Wherefore this one boon and only this I wish to win from thee,—
thy silence, if haply I can some way or means devise to avenge me on my husband for this cruel treatment, and on the man who gave to him his daughter, and on her who is his wife. For though a woman be timorous enough in all else, and as regards courage, a coward at the mere sight of steel,
yet in the moment she finds her honour wronged, no heart is filled with deadlier thoughts than hers.

> Greek: ἀλλ’ οὐ γὰρ αὑτὸς πρὸς σὲ κἄμ’ ἥκει λόγος·
σοὶ μὲν πόλις θ’ ἥδ’ ἐστὶ καὶ πατρὸς δόμοι
βίου τ’ ὄνησις καὶ φίλων συνουσία,
ἐγὼ δ’ ἔρημος ἄπολις οὖσ’ ὑβρίζομαι
πρὸς ἀνδρός, ἐκ γῆς βαρβάρου λελῃσμένη,
οὐ μητέρ’, οὐκ ἀδελφόν, οὐχὶ συγγενῆ
μεθορμίσασθαι τῆσδ’ ἔχουσα συμφορᾶς.
τοσοῦτον οὖν σου τυγχάνειν βουλήσομαι,
ἤν μοι πόρος τις μηχανή τ’ ἐξευρεθῇ
πόσιν δίκην τῶνδ’ ἀντιτείσασθαι κακῶν,
[τὸν δόντα τ’ αὐτῷ θυγατέρ’ ἥ τ’ ἐγήματο]
σιγᾶν. γυνὴ γὰρ τἄλλα μὲν φόβου πλέα
κακή τ’ ἐς ἀλκὴν καὶ σίδηρον εἰσορᾶν·
ὅταν δ’ ἐς εὐνὴν ἠδικημένη κυρῇ,
οὐκ ἔστιν ἄλλη φρὴν μιαιφονωτέρα.

[¶43] Chorus:
This will I do; for thou wilt be taking a just vengeance on thy husband, Medea. That thou shouldst mourn thy lot surprises me not. But lo! I see Creon, king of this land coming hither,
to announce some new resolve.

> Greek: Χορός:
δράσω τάδ’· ἐνδίκως γὰρ ἐκτείσῃ πόσιν,
Μήδεια. πενθεῖν δ’ οὔ σε θαυμάζω τύχας.
ὁρῶ δὲ καὶ Κρέοντα, τῆσδ’ ἄνακτα γῆς,
στείχοντα, καινῶν ἄγγελον βουλευμάτων.

[¶44] Creon:
Hark thee, Medea, I bid thee take those sullen looks and angry thoughts against thy husband forth from this land in exile, and with thee take both thy children and that without delay, for I am judge in this sentence,
and I will not return unto my house till I banish thee beyond the borders of the land.

> Greek: Κρέων:
σὲ τὴν σκυθρωπὸν καὶ πόσει θυμουμένην,
Μήδειαν, εἶπον τῆσδε γῆς ἔξω περᾶν
φυγάδα, λαβοῦσαν δισσὰ σὺν σαυτῇ τέκνα·
καὶ μή τι μέλλειν· ὡς ἐγὼ βραβεὺς λόγου
τοῦδ’ εἰμί, κοὐκ ἄπειμι πρὸς δόμους πάλιν,
πρὶν ἄν σε γαίας τερμόνων ἔξω βάλω.

[¶45] Medea:
Ah, me! now is utter destruction come upon me, unhappy that I am! For my enemies are bearing down on me full sail, nor have I any landing-place to come at in my trouble.

> Greek: Μήδεια:
αἰαῖ· πανώλης ἡ τάλαιν’ ἀπόλλυμαι.
ἐχθροὶ γὰρ ἐξιᾶσι πάντα δὴ κάλων,
κοὐκ ἔστιν ἄτης εὐπρόσοιστος ἔκβασις.

[¶46] Yet for all my wretched plight I will ask thee, Creon, wherefore dost thou drive me from the land?

> Greek: ἐρήσομαι δὲ καὶ κακῶς πάσχουσ’ ὅμως·
τίνος μ’ ἕκατι γῆς ἀποστέλλεις, Κρέον;

[¶47] Creon:
I fear thee,—no longer need I veil my dread ’neath words,—lest thou devise against my child some cureless ill. Many things contribute to this fear of mine;

> Greek: Κρέων:
δέδοικά σ’—οὐδὲν δεῖ παραμπίσχειν λόγους—
μή μοί τι δράσῃς παῖδ’ ἀνήκεστον κακόν.
συμβάλλεται δὲ πολλὰ τοῦδε δείματος·

[¶48] thou art a witch by nature, expert in countless sorceries, and thou art chafing for the loss of thy husband’s affection. I hear, too, so they tell me, that thou dost threaten the father of the bride, her husband, and herself with some mischief; wherefore I will take precautions ere our troubles come.

> Greek: σοφὴ πέφυκας καὶ κακῶν πολλῶν ἴδρις,
λυπῇ δὲ λέκτρων ἀνδρὸς ἐστερημένη.
κλύω δ’ ἀπειλεῖν σ’, ὡς ἀπαγγέλλουσί μοι,
τὸν δόντα καὶ γήμαντα καὶ γαμουμένην
δράσειν τι. ταῦτ’ οὖν πρὶν παθεῖν φυλάξομαι.

[¶49] For ’tis better for me to incur thy hatred now, lady, than to soften my heart and bitterly repent it hereafter.

> Greek: κρεῖσσον δέ μοι νῦν πρός σ’ ἀπεχθέσθαι, γύναι,
ἢ μαλθακισθένθ’ ὕστερον μέγα στένειν.

[¶50] Medea:
Alas! this is not now the first time, but oft before, O Creon, hath my reputation injured me and caused sore mischief. Wherefore whoso is wise in his generation ought
never to have his children taught to be too clever; for besides the reputation they get for idleness, they purchase bitter odium from the citizens. For if thou shouldst import new learning amongst dullards, thou will be thought a useless trifler, void of knowledge;

> Greek: Μήδεια:
φεῦ φεῦ.
οὐ νῦν με πρῶτον, ἀλλὰ πολλάκις, Κρέον,
ἔβλαψε δόξα μεγάλα τ’ εἴργασται κακά.
χρὴ δ’ οὔποθ’ ὅστις ἀρτίφρων πέφυκ’ ἀνὴρ
παῖδας περισσῶς ἐκδιδάσκεσθαι σοφούς·
χωρὶς γὰρ ἄλλης ἧς ἔχουσιν ἀργίας
φθόνον πρὸς ἀστῶν ἀλφάνουσι δυσμενῆ.
σκαιοῖσι μὲν γὰρ καινὰ προσφέρων σοφὰ
δόξεις ἀχρεῖος κοὐ σοφὸς πεφυκέναι·

[¶51] while if thy fame in the city o’ertops that of the pretenders to cunning knowledge, thou wilt win their dislike. I too myself share in this ill-luck. Some think me clever and hate me, [others say I am too reserved, and some the very reverse];
others find me hard to please and not so very clever after all. Be that as it may, thou dost fear me lest I bring on thee something to mar thy harmony. Fear me not, Creon, ray position scarce is such that I should seek to quarrel with princes. Why should I, for how hast thou injured me? Thou hast betrothed thy daughter
where thy fancy prompted thee. No,’tis my husband I hate, though I doubt not thou hast acted wisely herein. And now I grudge not thy prosperity; betroth thy child, good luck to thee, but let me abide in this land, for though I have been wronged
I will be still and yield to my superiors.

> Greek: τῶν δ’ αὖ δοκούντων εἰδέναι τι ποικίλον
κρείσσων νομισθεὶς ἐν πόλει λυπρὸς φανῇ.
ἐγὼ δὲ καὐτὴ τῆσδε κοινωνῶ τύχης.
σοφὴ γὰρ οὖσα, τοῖς μέν εἰμ’ ἐπίφθονος,
τοῖς δ’ ἡσυχαία, τοῖς δὲ θατέρου τρόπου,
τοῖς δ’ αὖ προσάντης· εἰμὶ δ’ οὐκ ἄγαν σοφή.
σὺ δ’ οὖν φοβῇ με· μὴ τί πλημμελὲς πάθῃς;
οὐχ ὧδ’ ἔχει μοι—μὴ τρέσῃς ἡμᾶς, Κρέον—
ὥστ’ ἐς τυράννους ἄνδρας ἐξαμαρτάνειν.
σὺ γὰρ τί μ’ ἠδίκηκας; ἐξέδου κόρην
ὅτῳ σε θυμὸς ἦγεν. ἀλλ’ ἐμὸν πόσιν
μισῶ· σὺ δ’, οἶμαι, σωφρονῶν ἔδρας τάδε.
καὶ νῦν τὸ μὲν σὸν οὐ φθονῶ καλῶς ἔχειν·
νυμφεύετ’, εὖ πράσσοιτε· τήνδε δὲ χθόνα
ἐᾶτέ μ’ οἰκεῖν. καὶ γὰρ ἠδικημένοι
σιγησόμεσθα, κρεισσόνων νικώμενοι.

[¶52] Creon:
Thy words are soft to hear, but much I dread lest thou art devising some mischief in thy heart, and less than ever do I trust thee now; for a cunning woman, and man likewise,
is easier to guard against when quick-tempered than when taciturn. Nay, begone at once! speak me no speeches, for this is decreed, nor hast thou any art whereby thou shalt abide amongst us, since thou hatest me.

> Greek: Κρέων:
λέγεις ἀκοῦσαι μαλθάκ’, ἀλλ’ ἔσω φρενῶν
ὀρρωδία μοι μή τι βουλεύσῃς κακόν,
τόσῳ δέ γ’ ἧσσον ἢ πάρος πέποιθά σοι·
γυνὴ γὰρ ὀξύθυμος, ὡς δ’ αὔτως ἀνήρ,
ῥᾴων φυλάσσειν ἢ σιωπηλὸς σοφός.
ἀλλ’ ἔξιθ’ ὡς τάχιστα, μὴ λόγους λέγε·
ὡς ταῦτ’ ἄραρε, κοὐκ ἔχεις τέχνην ὅπως
μενεῖς παρ’ ἡμῖν οὖσα δυσμενὴς ἐμοί.

[¶53] Medea:
O, say not so! by thy knees and by thy daughter newly-wed, I do implore!

> Greek: Μήδεια:
μή, πρός σε γονάτων τῆς τε νεογάμου κόρης.

[¶54] Creon:
Thou wastest words; thou wilt never persuade me.

> Greek: Κρέων:
λόγους ἀναλοῖς· οὐ γὰρ ἂν πείσαις ποτέ.

[¶55] Medea:
What, wilt thou banish me, and to my prayers no pity yield?

> Greek: Μήδεια:
ἀλλ’ ἐξελᾷς με κοὐδὲν αἰδέσῃ λιτάς;

[¶56] Creon:
I will, for I love not thee above my own family.

> Greek: Κρέων:
φιλῶ γὰρ οὐ σὲ μᾶλλον ἢ δόμους ἐμούς.

[¶57] Medea:
O my country! what fond memories I have of thee in this hour!

> Greek: Μήδεια:
ὦ πατρίς, ὥς σου κάρτα νῦν μνείαν ἔχω.

[¶58] Creon:
Yea, for I myself love my city best of all things save my children.

> Greek: Κρέων:
πλὴν γὰρ τέκνων ἔμοιγε φίλτατον πολύ.

[¶59] Medea:
Ah me! ah me! to mortal man how dread a scourge is love!

> Greek: Μήδεια:
φεῦ φεῦ, βροτοῖς ἔρωτες ὡς κακὸν μέγα.

[¶60] Creon:
That, I deem, is according to the turn our fortunes take.

> Greek: Κρέων:
ὅπως ἄν, οἶμαι, καὶ παραστῶσιν τύχαι.

[¶61] Medea:
O Zeus! let not the author of these my troubles escape thee.

> Greek: Μήδεια:
Ζεῦ, μὴ λάθοι σε τῶνδ’ ὃς αἴτιος κακῶν.

[¶62] Creon:
Begone, thou silly woman, and free me from my toil.

> Greek: Κρέων:
ἕρπ’, ὦ ματαία, καί μ’ ἀπάλλαξον πόνων.

[¶63] Medea:
The toil is mine, no lack of it.

> Greek: Μήδεια:
πονοῦμεν ἡμεῖς κοὐ πόνων κεχρήμεθα.

[¶64] Creon:
Soon wilt thou be thrust out forcibly by the hand of servants.

> Greek: Κρέων:
τάχ’ ἐξ ὀπαδῶν χειρὸς ὠσθήσῃ βίᾳ.

[¶65] Medea:
Not that, not that, I do entreat thee, Creon!

> Greek: Μήδεια:
μὴ δῆτα τοῦτό γ’, ἀλλά σ’ αἰτοῦμαι, Κρέον...

[¶66] Creon:
Thou wilt cause disturbance yet, it seems.

> Greek: Κρέων:
ὄχλον παρέξεις, ὡς ἔοικας, ὦ γύναι.

[¶67] Medea:
I will begone; I ask thee not this boon to grant.

> Greek: Μήδεια:
φευξούμεθ’· οὐ τοῦθ’ ἱκέτευσα σοῦ τυχεῖν.

[¶68] Creon:
Why then this violence? why dost thou not depart?

> Greek: Κρέων:
τί δαὶ βιάζῃ κοὐκ ἀπαλλάσσῃ χερός;

[¶69] Medea:
Suffer me to abide this single day and devise some plan for the manner of my exile, and means of living for my children, since their father cares not to provide his babes therewith. Then pity them; thou too hast children of thine own;
thou needs must have a kindly heart. For my own lot I care naught, though I an exile am, but for those babes I weep, that they should learn what sorrow means.

> Greek: Μήδεια:
μίαν με μεῖναι τήνδ’ ἔασον ἡμέραν
καὶ ξυμπερᾶναι φροντίδ’ ᾗ φευξούμεθα,
παισίν τ’ ἀφορμὴν τοῖς ἐμοῖς, ἐπεὶ πατὴρ
οὐδὲν προτιμᾷ μηχανήσασθαι τέκνοις.
οἴκτιρε δ’ αὐτούς· καὶ σύ τοι παίδων πατὴρ
πέφυκας· εἰκὸς δ’ ἐστὶν εὔνοιάν σ’ ἔχειν.
τοὐμοῦ γὰρ οὔ μοι φροντίς, εἰ φευξούμεθα,
κείνους δὲ κλαίω συμφορᾷ κεχρημένους.

[¶70] Creon:
Mine is a nature anything but harsh; full oft by showing pity have I suffered shipwreck;

> Greek: Κρέων:
ἥκιστα τοὐμὸν λῆμ’ ἔφυ τυραννικόν,
αἰδούμενος δὲ πολλὰ δὴ διέφθορα·

[¶71] and now albeit I clearly see my error, yet shalt thou gain this request, lady; but I do forewarn thee, if to-morrow’s rising sun shall find thee and thy children within the borders of this land, thou diest; my word is spoken and it will not lie.

> Greek: καὶ νῦν ὁρῶ μὲν ἐξαμαρτάνων, γύναι,
ὅμως δὲ τεύξῃ τοῦδε· προυννέπω δέ σοι,
εἴ σ’ ἡ ’πιοῦσα λαμπὰς ὄψεται θεοῦ
καὶ παῖδας ἐντὸς τῆσδε τερμόνων χθονός,
θανῇ· λέλεκται μῦθος ἀψευδὴς ὅδε.

[¶72] So now, if abide thou must, stay this one day only, for in it thou canst not do any of the fearful deeds I dread.

> Greek: νῦν δ’, εἰ μένειν δεῖ, μίμν’ ἐφ’ ἡμέραν μίαν·
οὐ γάρ τι δράσεις δεινὸν ὧν φόβος μ’ ἔχει.

[¶73] Chorus:
Ah! poor lady, woe is thee! Alas, for thy sorrows! Whither wilt thou turn? What protection,
what home or country to save thee from thy troubles wilt thou find? O Medea, in what a hopeless sea of misery heaven hath plunged thee!

> Greek: Χορός:
[δύστανε γύναι,]
φεῦ φεῦ, μελέα τῶν σῶν ἀχέων.
ποῖ ποτε τρέψῃ; τίνα πρὸς ξενίαν;
ἦ δόμον ἢ χθόνα σωτῆρα κακῶν
ἐξευρήσεις;
ὡς εἰς ἄπορόν σε κλύδωνα θεός,
Μήδεια, κακῶν ἐπόρευσε.

[¶74] Medea:
On all sides sorrow pens me in. Who shall gainsay this?

> Greek: Μήδεια:
κακῶς πέπρακται πανταχῇ· τίς ἀντερεῖ;

[¶75] But all is not yet lost! think not so. Still are there troubles in store for the new bride, and for her bridegroom no light toil. Dost think I would ever have fawned on yonder man, unless to gain some end or form some scheme?

> Greek: ἀλλ’ οὔτι ταύτῃ ταῦτα, μὴ δοκεῖτέ πω.
ἔτ’ εἴσ’ ἀγῶνες τοῖς νεωστὶ νυμφίοις
καὶ τοῖσι κηδεύσασιν οὐ σμικροὶ πόνοι.
δοκεῖς γὰρ ἄν με τόνδε θωπεῦσαί ποτε,
εἰ μή τι κερδαίνουσαν ἢ τεχνωμένην;

[¶76] Nay, I would not so much as have spoken to him or touched him with my hand. But he has in folly so far stepped in that, though he might have checked my plot by banishing me from the land, he hath allowed me to abide this day, in which I will lay low in death three of my enemies—
a father and his daughter and my husband too. Now, though I have many ways to compass their death, I am not sure, friends, which I am to try first. Shall I set fire to the bridal mansion, or plunge the whetted sword through their hearts,
softly stealing into the chamber where their couch is spread? One thing stands in my way. If I am caught making my way into the chamber, intent on my design, I shall be put to death and cause my foes to mock.’Twere best to take the shortest way—the way we women are
most skilled in—by poison to destroy them. Well, well, suppose them dead; what city will receive me? What friendly host will give me a shelter in his land, a home secure, and save my soul alive? None. So I will wait yet a little while
in case some tower of defence rise up for me; then will I proceed to this bloody deed in crafty silence; but if some unexpected mischance drive me forth, I will with mine own hand seize the sword, e’en though I die for it, and slay them, and go forth on my bold path of daring.

> Greek: οὐδ’ ἂν προσεῖπον οὐδ’ ἂν ἡψάμην χεροῖν.
ὃ δ’ ἐς τοσοῦτον μωρίας ἀφίκετο,
ὥστ’ ἐξὸν αὐτῷ τἄμ’ ἑλεῖν βουλεύματα
γῆς ἐκβαλόντι, τήνδ’ ἀφῆκεν ἡμέραν
μεῖναί μ’, ἐν ᾗ τρεῖς τῶν ἐμῶν ἐχθρῶν νεκροὺς
θήσω, πατέρα τε καὶ κόρην πόσιν τ’ ἐμόν.
πολλὰς δ’ ἔχουσα θανασίμους αὐτοῖς ὁδούς,
οὐκ οἶδ’ ὁποίᾳ πρῶτον ἐγχειρῶ, φίλαι·
πότερον ὑφάψω δῶμα νυμφικὸν πυρί,
ἢ θηκτὸν ὤσω φάσγανον δι’ ἥπάτος,
σιγῇ δόμους ἐσβᾶσ’, ἵν’ ἔστρωται λέχος.
ἀλλ’ ἕν τί μοι πρόσαντες· εἰ ληφθήσομαι
δόμους ὑπεσβαίνουσα καὶ τεχνωμένη,
θανοῦσα θήσω τοῖς ἐμοῖς ἐχθροῖς γέλων.
κράτιστα τὴν εὐθεῖαν, ᾗ πεφύκαμεν
σοφαὶ μάλιστα, φαρμάκοις αὐτοὺς ἑλεῖν.
εἶἑν·
καὶ δὴ τεθνᾶσι· τίς με δέξεται πόλις;
τίς γῆν ἄσυλον καὶ δόμους ἐχεγγύους
ξένος παρασχὼν ῥύσεται τοὐμὸν δέμας;
οὐκ ἔστι. μείνασ’ οὖν ἔτι σμικρὸν χρόνον,
ἢν μέν τις ἡμῖν πύργος ἀσφαλὴς φανῇ,
δόλῳ μέτειμι τόνδε καὶ σιγῇ φόνον·
ἢν δ’ ἐξελαύνῃ ξυμφορά μ’ ἀμήχανος,
αὐτὴ ξίφος λαβοῦσα, κεἰ μέλλω θανεῖν,
κτενῶ σφε, τόλμης δ’ εἶμι πρὸς τὸ καρτερόν.

[¶77] By that dread queen whom I revere before all others and have chosen to share my task, by Hecate who dwells within my inmost chamber, not one of them shall wound my heart and rue it not. Bitter and sad will I make their marriage for them;
bitter shall be the wooing of it, bitter my exile from the land. Up, then, Medea, spare not the secrets of thy art in plotting and devising; on to the danger. Now comes a struggle needing courage. Dost see what thou art suffering?’Tis not for thee to be a laughing-stock
to the race of Sisyphus by reason of this wedding of Jason, sprung, as thou art, from a noble sire, and of the Sun-god’s race. Thou hast cunning; and, more than this, we women, though by nature little apt for virtuous deeds, are most expert to fashion any mischief.

> Greek: οὐ γὰρ μὰ τὴν δέσποιναν ἣν ἐγὼ σέβω
μάλιστα πάντων καὶ ξυνεργὸν εἱλόμην,
Ἑκάτην, μυχοῖς ναίουσαν ἑστίας ἐμῆς,
χαίρων τις αὐτῶν τοὐμὸν ἀλγυνεῖ κέαρ.
πικροὺς δ’ ἐγώ σφιν καὶ λυγροὺς θήσω γάμους,
πικρὸν δὲ κῆδος καὶ φυγὰς ἐμὰς χθονός.
ἀλλ’ εἶα· φείδου μηδὲν ὧν ἐπίστασαι,
Μήδεια, βουλεύουσα καὶ τεχνωμένη·
ἕρπ’ ἐς τὸ δεινόν· νῦν ἀγὼν εὐψυχίας.
ὁρᾷς ἃ πάσχεις· οὐ γέλωτα δεῖ σ’ ὀφλεῖν
τοῖς Σισυφείοις τοῖς τ’ Ἰάσονος γάμοις,
γεγῶσαν ἐσθλοῦ πατρὸς Ἡλίου τ’ ἄπο.
ἐπίστασαι δέ· πρὸς δὲ καὶ πεφύκαμεν
γυναῖκες, ἐς μὲν ἔσθλ’ ἀμηχανώταται,
κακῶν δὲ πάντων τέκτονες σοφώταται.

[¶78] Chorus:
Back to their source the holy rivers turn their tide. Order and the universe are being reversed.’Tis men whose counsels are treacherous, whose oath by heaven is no longer sure.

> Greek: Χορός:
ἄνω ποταμῶν ἱερῶν χωροῦσι παγαί,
καὶ δίκα καὶ πάντα πάλιν στρέφεται.
ἀνδράσι μὲν δόλιαι βουλαί, θεῶν δ’
οὐκέτι πίστις ἄραρε·

[¶79] Rumour shall bring a change o’er my life, bringing it into good repute. Honour’s dawn is breaking for woman’s sex;

> Greek: τὰν δ’ ἐμὰν εὔκλειαν ἔχειν βιοτὰν στρέψουσι φᾶμαι·
ἔρχεται τιμὰ γυναικείῳ γένει·

[¶80] no more shall the foul tongue of slander fix upon us.

> Greek: οὐκέτι δυσκέλαδος φάμα γυναῖκας ἕξει.

[¶81] Chorus:
The songs of the poets of old shall cease to make our faithlessness their theme. Phoebus, lord of minstrelsy, hath not implanted in our mind
the gift of heavenly song, else had I sung an answering strain to the race of males, for time’s long chapter affords
many a theme on their sex as well as ours.

> Greek: Χορός:
μοῦσαι δὲ παλαιγενέων λήξουσ’ ἀοιδῶν
τὰν ἐμὰν ὑμνεῦσαι ἀπιστοσύναν.
οὐ γὰρ ἐν ἁμετέρᾳ γνώμᾳ λύρας
ὤπασε θέσπιν ἀοιδὰν
Φοῖβος, ἀγήτωρ μελέων· ἐπεὶ ἀντάχησ’ ἂν ὕμνον
ἀρσένων γέννᾳ. μακρὸς δ’ αἰὼν ἔχει
πολλὰ μὲν ἁμετέραν ἀνδρῶν τε μοῖραν εἰπεῖν.

[¶82] Chorus:
With mind distraught didst thou thy father’s house desert on thy voyage betwixt ocean’s twin rocks, and on a foreign
strand thou dwellest, thy bed left husbandless, poor lady and thou an exile from the land, dishonoured, persecuted.

> Greek: Χορός:
σὺ δ’ ἐκ μὲν οἴκων πατρίων ἔπλευσας
μαινομένᾳ κραδίᾳ, διδύμους ὁρίσασα πόντου
πέτρας· ἐπὶ δὲ ξένᾳ
ναίεις χθονί, τᾶς ἀνάνδρου
κοίτας ὀλέσασα λέκτρον,
τάλαινα, φυγὰς δὲ χώρας
ἄτιμος ἐλαύνῃ.

[¶83] Chorus:
Gone is the grace that oaths once had. Through all the breadth
of Hellas honour is found no more; to heaven hath it sped away. For thee no father’s house is open, woe is thee! to be a haven from the troublous storm, while o’er thy home is set another queen, the bride that is
preferred to thee.

> Greek: Χορός:
βέβακε δ’ ὅρκων χάρις, οὐδ’ ἔτ’ αἰδὼς
Ἑλλάδι τᾷ μεγάλᾳ μένει, αἰθερία δ’ ἀνέπτα.
σοὶ δ’ οὔτε πατρὸς δόμοι,
δύστανε, μεθορμίσασθαι
μόχθων πάρα, τῶν τε λέκτρων
ἄλλα βασίλεια κρείσσων
δόμοισιν ἐπέστα.

[¶84] Jason:
It is not now I first remark, but oft ere this, how unruly a pest is a harsh temper. For instance, thou, hadst thou but patiently endured the will of thy superiors, mightest have remained here in this land and house,
but now for thy idle words wilt thou be banished. Thy words are naught to roe. Cease not to call Jason basest of men; but for those words thou hast spoken against our rulers, count it all gain that exile is thy only punishment.

> Greek: Ἰάσων:
οὐ νῦν κατεῖδον πρῶτον ἀλλὰ πολλάκις
τραχεῖαν ὀργὴν ὡς ἀμήχανον κακόν.
σοὶ γὰρ παρὸν γῆν τήνδε καὶ δόμους ἔχειν
κούφως φερούσῃ κρεισσόνων βουλεύματα,
λόγων ματαίων οὕνεκ’ ἐκπεσῇ χθονός.
κἀμοὶ μὲν οὐδὲν πρᾶγμα· μὴ παύσῃ ποτὲ
λέγουσ’ Ἰάσον’ ὡς κάκιστός ἐστ’ ἀνήρ·
ἃ δ’ ἐς τυράννους ἐστί σοι λελεγμένα,
πᾶν κέρδος ἡγοῦ ζημιουμένη φυγῇ.

[¶85] I ever tried to check the outbursts of the angry monarch, and would have had thee stay, but thou wouldst not forego thy silly rage, always reviling our rulers, and so thou wilt be banished. Yet even after all this I weary not of my goodwill,
but am come with thus much forethought, lady, that thou mayst not be destitute nor want for aught, when, with thy sons, thou art cast out. Many an evil doth exile bring in its train with it; for even though thou hatest me, never will I harbour hard thoughts of thee.

> Greek: κἀγὼ μὲν αἰεὶ βασιλέων θυμουμένων
ὀργὰς ἀφῄρουν καί σ’ ἐβουλόμην μένειν·
σὺ δ’ οὐκ ἀνίεις μωρίας, λέγουσ’ ἀεὶ
κακῶς τυράννους· τοιγὰρ ἐκπεσῇ χθονός.
ὅμως δὲ κἀκ τῶνδ’ οὐκ ἀπειρηκὼς φίλοις
ἥκω, τὸ σὸν δὲ προσκοπούμενος, γύναι,
ὡς μήτ’ ἀχρήμων σὺν τέκνοισιν ἐκπέσῃς
μήτ’ ἐνδεής του· πόλλ’ ἐφέλκεται φυγὴ
κακὰ ξὺν αὑτῇ. καὶ γὰρ εἰ σύ με στυγεῖς,
οὐκ ἂν δυναίμην σοὶ κακῶς φρονεῖν ποτε.

[¶86] Medea:
Thou craven villain (for that is the only name my tongue can find for thee, a foul reproach on thy unmanliness)! comest thou to me, thou, most hated foe of gods, of me, and of all mankind? Tis no proof of courage or hardihood
to confront thy friends after injuring them, but that worst of all human diseases—loss of shame. Yet hast thou done well to come; for I shall ease ray soul by reviling thee, and thou wilt be vexed at my recital.

> Greek: Μήδεια:
ὦ παγκάκιστε, τοῦτο γάρ σ’ εἰπεῖν ἔχω,
γλώσσῃ μέγιστον εἰς ἀνανδρίαν κακόν·
ἦλθες πρὸς ἡμᾶς, ἦλθες ἔχθιστος γεγώς;
[θεοῖς τε κἀμοὶ παντί τ’ ἀνθρώπων γένει;]
οὔτοι θράσος τόδ’ ἐστὶν οὐδ’ εὐτολμία,
φίλους κακῶς δράσαντ’ ἐναντίον βλέπειν,
ἀλλ’ ἡ μεγίστη τῶν ἐν ἀνθρώποις νόσων
πασῶν, ἀναίδει’· εὖ δ’ ἐποίησας μολών·
ἐγώ τε γὰρ λέξασα κουφισθήσομαι
ψυχὴν κακῶς σε καὶ σὺ λυπήσῃ κλύων.

[¶87] I will begin at the very beginning. I saved thy life, as every Hellene knows who sailed with thee aboard the good ship Argo, when thou wert sent to tame and yoke fire-breathing bulls, and to sow the deadly tilth.

> Greek: ἐκ τῶν δὲ πρώτων πρῶτον ἄρξομαι λέγειν.
ἔσῳσά σ’, ὡς ἴσασιν Ἑλλήνων ὅσοι
ταὐτὸν συνεισέβησαν Ἀργῷον σκάφος,
πεμφθέντα ταύρων πυρπνόων ἐπιστάτην
ζεύγλῃσι καὶ σπεροῦντα θανάσιμον γύην·

[¶88] Yea, and I slew the dragon which guarded the golden fleece, keeping sleepless watch o’er it with many a wreathed coil, and I raised for thee a beacon of deliver arice. Father and home of my free will I left and came with thee to Iolcos,’neath Pelion’s hills,
for my love was stronger than my prudence. Next I caused the death of Pelias by a doom most grievous, even by his own children’s hand, beguiling them of all their fear. All this have I done for thee, thou traitor! and thou hast cast me over, taking to thyself another wife,
though children have been bom to us. Hadst thou been childless still, I could have pardoned thy desire for this new union.

> Greek: δράκοντά θ’, ὃς πάγχρυσον ἀμπέχων δέρας
σπείραις ἔσῳζε πολυπλόκοις ἄυπνος ὤν,
κτείνασ’ ἀνέσχον σοὶ φάος σωτήριον.
αὐτὴ δὲ πατέρα καὶ δόμους προδοῦσ’ ἐμοὺς
τὴν Πηλιῶτιν εἰς Ἰωλκὸν ἱκόμην
σὺν σοί, πρόθυμος μᾶλλον ἢ σοφωτέρα·
Πελίαν τ’ ἀπέκτειν’, ὥσπερ ἄλγιστον θανεῖν,
παίδων ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ, πάντα τ’ ἐξεῖλον δόμον.
καὶ ταῦθ’ ὑφ’ ἡμῶν, ὦ κάκιστ’ ἀνδρῶν, παθὼν
προύδωκας ἡμᾶς, καινὰ δ’ ἐκτήσω λέχη—
παίδων γεγώτων· εἰ γὰρ ἦσθ’ ἄπαις ἔτι,
συγγνώστ’ ἂν ἦν σοι τοῦδ’ ἐρασθῆναι λέχους.

## 2. Lines 492–958

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

[¶0] Gone is now the trust I put in oaths. I cannot even understand whether thou thinkest that the gods of old no longer rule, or that fresh decrees are now in vogue amongst mankind,
for thy conscience must tell thee thou hast not kept faith with me. Ah! poor right hand, which thou didst often grasp. These knees thou didst embrace! All in vain, I suffered a traitor to touch me! How short of my hopes I am fallen! But come, I will deal with thee as though thou wert my friend.
Yet what kindness can I expect from one so base as thee? but yet I will do it, for my questioning will show thee yet more base. Whither can I turn me now? to my father’s house, to my own country, which I for thee deserted to come hither? to the hapless daughters of Pelias? A glad
welcome, I trow, would they give me in their home, whose father’s death I compassed! My case stands even thus: I am become the bitter foe to those of mine own home, and those whom I need ne’er have wronged I have made mine enemies to pleasure thee. Wherefore to reward me for this thou hast made me doubly blest in the eyes of many a wife in Hellas;
and in thee I own a peerless, trusty lord. O woe is me, if indeed I am to be cast forth an exile from the land, without one friend; one lone woman with her babes forlorn! Yea, a fine reproach to thee in thy bridal hour,
that thy children and the wife who saved thy life are beggars and vagabonds! O Zeus! why hast thou granted unto man clear signs to know the sham in gold, white on man’s brow no brand is stamped whereby to gauge the villain’s heart?

> Greek: ὅρκων δὲ φρούδη πίστις, οὐδ’ ἔχω μαθεῖν
ἦ θεοὺς νομίζεις τοὺς τότ’ οὐκ ἄρχειν ἔτι,
ἢ καινὰ κεῖσθαι θέσμι’ ἀνθρώποις τὰ νῦν,
ἐπεὶ σύνοισθά γ’ εἰς ἔμ’ οὐκ εὔορκος ὤν.
φεῦ δεξιὰ χείρ, ἧς σὺ πόλλ’ ἐλαμβάνου,
καὶ τῶνδε γονάτων, ὡς μάτην κεχρῴσμεθα
κακοῦ πρὸς ἀνδρός, ἐλπίδων δ’ ἡμάρτομεν.
ἄγ’· ὡς φίλῳ γὰρ ὄντι σοι κοινώσομαι
—δοκοῦσα μὲν τί πρός γε σοῦ πράξειν καλῶς;
ὅμως δ’· ἐρωτηθεὶς γὰρ αἰσχίων φανῇ—
νῦν ποῖ τράπωμαι; πότερα πρὸς πατρὸς δόμους,
οὓς σοὶ προδοῦσα καὶ πάτραν ἀφικόμην;
ἢ πρὸς ταλαίνας Πελιάδας; καλῶς γ’ ἂν οὖν
δέξαιντό μ’ οἴκοις ὧν πατέρα κατέκτανον.
ἔχει γὰρ οὕτω· τοῖς μὲν οἴκοθεν φίλοις
ἐχθρὰ καθέστηχ’, οὓς δέ μ’ οὐκ ἐχρῆν κακῶς
δρᾶν, σοὶ χάριν φέρουσα πολεμίους ἔχω.
τοιγάρ με πολλαῖς μακαρίαν Ἑλληνίδων
ἔθηκας ἀντὶ τῶνδε· θαυμαστὸν δέ σε
ἔχω πόσιν καὶ πιστὸν ἡ τάλαιν’ ἐγώ,
εἰ φεύξομαί γε γαῖαν ἐκβεβλημένη,
φίλων ἔρημος, σὺν τέκνοις μόνη μόνοις—
καλόν γ’ ὄνειδος τῷ νεωστὶ νυμφίῳ,
πτωχοὺς ἀλᾶσθαι παῖδας ἥ τ’ ἔσῳσά σε.
ὦ Ζεῦ, τί δὴ χρυσοῦ μὲν ὃς κίβδηλος ᾖ
τεκμήρι’ ἀνθρώποισιν ὤπασας σαφῆ,
ἀνδρῶν δ’ ὅτῳ χρὴ τὸν κακὸν διειδέναι,
οὐδεὶς χαρακτὴρ ἐμπέφυκε σώματι;

[¶1] Chorus:
There is a something terrible and past all cure, when quarrels arise ’twixt those who are near and dear.

> Greek: Χορός:
δεινή τις ὀργὴ καὶ δυσίατος πέλει,
ὅταν φίλοι φίλοισι συμβάλωσ’ ἔριν.

[¶2] Jason:
Needs must I now, it seems, turn orator, and, like a good helmsman on a ship with close-reefed sails, weather
that wearisome tongue of thine. Now, I believe, since thou wilt exaggerate thy favours, that to Cypris alone of gods or men I owe the safety of my voyage. Thou hast a subtle wit enough; yet were it a hateful thing for me
to say that the Love-god constrained thee by his resistless shaft to save my life. However, I will not reckon this too nicely;’twas kindly done, however thou didst serve me. Yet for my safety
hast thou received more than ever thou gavest, as I will show. First, thou dwellest in Hellas, instead of thy barbarian land, and hast learnt what justice means find how to live by law, not by the dictates of brute force; and all the Hellenes recognize thy cleverness,
and thou hast gained a name; whereas, if thou hadst dwelt upon the confines of the earth, no tongue had mentioned thee. Give me no gold within my halls; nor skill to sing a fairer strain than ever Orpheus sang, unless therewith my fame be spread abroad!

> Greek: Ἰάσων:
δεῖ μ’, ὡς ἔοικε, μὴ κακὸν φῦναι λέγειν,
ἀλλ’ ὥστε ναὸς κεδνὸν οἰακοστρόφον
ἄκροισι λαίφους κρασπέδοις ὑπεκδραμεῖν
τὴν σὴν στόμαργον, ὦ γύναι, γλωσσαλγίαν.
ἐγὼ δ’, ἐπειδὴ καὶ λίαν πυργοῖς χάριν,
Κύπριν νομίζω τῆς ἐμῆς ναυκληρίας
σώτειραν εἶναι θεῶν τε κἀνθρώπων μόνην.
σοὶ δ’ ἔστι μὲν νοῦς λεπτός—ἀλλ’ ἐπίφθονος
λόγος διελθεῖν, ὡς Ἔρως σ’ ἠνάγκασε
τόξοις ἀφύκτοις τοὐμὸν ἐκσῷσαι δέμας.
ἀλλ’ οὐκ ἀκριβῶς αὐτὸ θήσομαι λίαν·
ὅπῃ γὰρ οὖν ὤνησας, οὐ κακῶς ἔχει.
μείζω γε μέντοι τῆς ἐμῆς σωτηρίας
εἴληφας ἢ δέδωκας, ὡς ἐγὼ φράσω.
πρῶτον μὲν Ἑλλάδ’ ἀντὶ βαρβάρου χθονὸς
γαῖαν κατοικεῖς καὶ δίκην ἐπίστασαι
νόμοις τε χρῆσθαι μὴ πρὸς ἰσχύος χάριν·
πάντες δέ σ’ ᾔσθοντ’ οὖσαν Ἕλληνες σοφὴν
καὶ δόξαν ἔσχες· εἰ δὲ γῆς ἐπ’ ἐσχάτοις
ὅροισιν ᾤκεις, οὐκ ἂν ἦν λόγος σέθεν.
εἴη δ’ ἔμοιγε μήτε χρυσὸς ἐν δόμοις
μήτ’ Ὀρφέως κάλλιον ὑμνῆσαι μέλος,
εἰ μὴ ’πίσημος ἡ τύχη γένοιτό μοι.

[¶3] So much I say to thee about my own toils, for ’twas thou didst challenge me to this retort. As for the taunts thou urgest against my marriage with the princess, I will prove to thee, first, that I am prudent herein, next chastened in my love, and last a powerful friend
to thee and to thy sons; only hold thy peace. Since I have here withdrawn from Iolcos with many a hopeless trouble at my back, what happier device could I, an exile, frame than marriage with the daughter of the king?

> Greek: τοσαῦτα μέν σοι τῶν ἐμῶν πόνων πέρι
ἔλεξ’· ἅμιλλαν γὰρ σὺ προύθηκας λόγων.
ἃ δ’ ἐς γάμους μοι βασιλικοὺς ὠνείδισας,
ἐν τῷδε δείξω πρῶτα μὲν σοφὸς γεγώς,
ἔπειτα σώφρων, εἶτα σοὶ μέγας φίλος
καὶ παισὶ τοῖς ἐμοῖσιν—ἀλλ’ ἔχ’ ἥσυχος.
ἐπεὶ μετέστην δεῦρ’ Ἰωλκίας χθονὸς
πολλὰς ἐφέλκων συμφορὰς ἀμηχάνους,
τί τοῦδ’ ἂν εὕρημ’ ηὗρον εὐτυχέστερον
ἢ παῖδα γῆμαι βασιλέως φυγὰς γεγώς;

[¶4] ’Tis not because I loathe thee for my wife—the thought that rankles in thy heart;’tis not because I am smitten with desire fot a new bride, nor yet that I am eager to vie with others in begetting many children, for those we have are quite enough, and I do not complain. Nay,’tis that we—and this is most important—
may dwell in comfort, instead of suffering want (for well I know that every whilom friend avoids the poor), and that I might rear my sons as doth befit my house; further, that I might be the father of brothers for the children thou hast born, and raise these to the same high rank, uniting the family in one,—
to my lasting bliss. Thou, indeed, hast no need of more children, but me it profits to help my present family by that which is to be. Have I miscarried here? Not even thou wouldest say so unless a rival’s charms rankled in thy bosom. No, but you women have such strange ideas,
that you think all is well so long as your married life runs smooth; but if some mischance occur to ruffle your love, all that was good and lovely erst you reckon as your foes. Yea, men should have begotten children from some other source, no female race existing;

> Greek: οὐχ, ᾗ σὺ κνίζῃ, σὸν μὲν ἐχθαίρων λέχος,
καινῆς δὲ νύμφης ἱμέρῳ πεπληγμένος,
οὐδ’ εἰς ἅμιλλαν πολύτεκνον σπουδὴν ἔχων·
ἅλις γὰρ οἱ γεγῶτες οὐδὲ μέμφομαι·
ἀλλ’ ὡς, τὸ μὲν μέγιστον, οἰκοῖμεν καλῶς
καὶ μὴ σπανιζοίμεσθα, γιγνώσκων ὅτι
πένητα φεύγει πᾶς τις ἐκποδὼν φίλος,
παῖδας δὲ θρέψαιμ’ ἀξίως δόμων ἐμῶν
σπείρας τ’ ἀδελφοὺς τοῖσιν ἐκ σέθεν τέκνοις
ἐς ταὐτὸ θείην, καὶ ξυναρτήσας γένος
εὐδαιμονοῖμεν. σοί τε γὰρ παίδων τί δεῖ;
ἐμοί τε λύει τοῖσι μέλλουσιν τέκνοις
τὰ ζῶντ’ ὀνῆσαι. μῶν βεβούλευμαι κακῶς;
οὐδ’ ἂν σὺ φαίης, εἴ σε μὴ κνίζοι λέχος.
ἀλλ’ ἐς τοσοῦτον ἥκεθ’ ὥστ’ ὀρθουμένης
εὐνῆς γυναῖκες πάντ’ ἔχειν νομίζετε,
ἢν δ’ αὖ γένηται ξυμφορά τις ἐς λέχος,
τὰ λῷστα καὶ κάλλιστα πολεμιώτατα
τίθεσθε. χρῆν γὰρ ἄλλοθέν ποθεν βροτοὺς
παῖδας τεκνοῦσθαι, θῆλυ δ’ οὐκ εἶναι γένος·

[¶5] thus would no evil ever have fallen on mankind.

> Greek: χοὕτως ἂν οὐκ ἦν οὐδὲν ἀνθρώποις κακόν.

[¶6] Chorus:
This speech, O Jason, hast thou with specious art arranged; but yet I think—albeit in saying so I betray indiscretion—that thou hast sinned in casting over thy wife.

> Greek: Χορός:
Ἰᾶσον, εὖ μὲν τούσδ’ ἐκόσμησας λόγους·
ὅμως δ’ ἔμοιγε, κεἰ παρὰ γνώμην ἐρῶ,
δοκεῖς προδοὺς σὴν ἄλοχον οὐ δίκαια δρᾶν.

[¶7] Medea:
No doubt I differ from the mass of men on many points;

> Greek: Μήδεια:
ἦ πολλὰ πολλοῖς εἰμι διάφορος βροτῶν.

[¶8] for, to my mind, whoso hath skill to fence with words in an unjust cause, incurs the heaviest penalty; for such an one, confident that he can cast a decent veil of words o’er his injustice, dares to practise it; and yet he is not so very clever after all. So do not thou put forth thy specious pleas
and clever words to me now, for one word of mine will lay thee low. Hadst thou not had a villain’s heart, thou shouldst have gained my consent, then made this match, instead of hiding it from those who loved thee.

> Greek: ἐμοὶ γὰρ ὅστις ἄδικος ὢν σοφὸς λέγειν
πέφυκε, πλείστην ζημίαν ὀφλισκάνει·
γλώσσῃ γὰρ αὐχῶν τἄδικ’ εὖ περιστελεῖν,
τολμᾷ πανουργεῖν· ἔστι δ’ οὐκ ἄγαν σοφός.
ὡς καὶ σὺ μή νυν εἰς ἔμ’ εὐσχήμων γένῃ
λέγειν τε δεινός. ἓν γὰρ ἐκτενεῖ σ’ ἔπος·
χρῆν σ’, εἴπερ ἦσθα μὴ κακός, πείσαντά με
γαμεῖν γάμον τόνδ’, ἀλλὰ μὴ σιγῇ φίλων.

[¶9] Jason:
Thou wouldest have lent me ready aid, no doubt, in this proposal, if I had told thee of my marriage, seeing that not even now
canst thou restrain thy soul’s hot fury.

> Greek: Ἰάσων:
καλῶς γ’ ἄν, οἶμαι, τῷδ’ ὑπηρέτεις λόγῳ,
εἴ σοι γάμον κατεῖπον, ἥτις οὐδὲ νῦν
τολμᾷς μεθεῖναι καρδίας μέγαν χόλον.

[¶10] Medea:
This was not what restrained thee; but thine eye was turned towards old age, and a foreign wife began to appear discreditable to thee.

> Greek: Μήδεια:
οὐ τοῦτό σ’ εἶχεν, ἀλλὰ βάρβαρον λέχος
πρὸς γῆρας οὐκ εὔδοξον ἐξέβαινέ σοι.

[¶11] Jason:
Be well assured of this:’twas not for the woman’s sake I wedded the king’s daughter, my present wife;
but, as I have already told thee, I wished to insure thy safety and to be the father of royal sons bound by blood to my own children—a bulwark to our house.

> Greek: Ἰάσων:
εὖ νῦν τόδ’ ἴσθι, μὴ γυναικὸς οὕνεκα
γῆμαί με λέκτρα βασιλέων ἃ νῦν ἔχω,
ἀλλ’, ὥσπερ εἶπον καὶ πάρος, σῷσαι θέλων
σέ, καὶ τέκνοισι τοῖς ἐμοῖς ὁμοσπόρους
φῦσαι τυράννους παῖδας, ἔρυμα δώμασι.

[¶12] Medea:
May that prosperity, whose end is woe, ne’er be mine, nor such wealth as would ever sting my heart!

> Greek: Μήδεια:
μή μοι γένοιτο λυπρὸς εὐδαίμων βίος
μηδ’ ὄλβος ὅστις τὴν ἐμὴν κνίζοι φρένα.

[¶13] Jason:
Change that prayer as I will teach thee, and thou wilt show more wisdom. Never let happiness appear in sorrow’s guise, nor, when thy fortune smiles, pretend she frowns!

> Greek: Ἰάσων:
οἶσθ’ ὡς μέτευξαι, καὶ σοφωτέρα φανῇ;
τὰ χρηστὰ μή σοι λυπρὰ φαίνεσθαι ποτέ,
μηδ’ εὐτυχοῦσα δυστυχὴς εἶναι δοκεῖν.

[¶14] Medea:
Mock on; thou hast a place of refuge; I am alone, an exile soon to be.

> Greek: Μήδεια:
ὕβριζ’, ἐπειδὴ σοὶ μὲν ἔστ’ ἀποστροφή,
ἐγὼ δ’ ἔρημος τήνδε φευξοῦμαι χθόνα.

[¶15] Jason:
Thy own free choice was this; blame no one else.

> Greek: Ἰάσων:
αὐτὴ τάδ’ εἵλου· μηδέν’ ἄλλον αἰτιῶ.

[¶16] Medea:
What did I do? Marry, then betray thee?

> Greek: Μήδεια:
τί δρῶσα; μῶν γαμοῦσα καὶ προδοῦσά σε;

[¶17] Jason:
Against the king thou didst invoke an impious curse.

> Greek: Ἰάσων:
ἀρὰς τυράννοις ἀνοσίους ἀρωμένη.

[¶18] Medea:
On thy house too maybe I bring the curse.

> Greek: Μήδεια:
καὶ σοῖς ἀραία γ’ οὖσα τυγχάνω δόμοις.

[¶19] Jason:
Know this, I will no further dispute this point with thee.

> Greek: Ἰάσων:
ὡς οὐ κρινοῦμαι τῶνδέ σοι τὰ πλείονα.

[¶20] But, if thou wilt of my fortune somewhat take for the children or thyself to help thy exile, say on; for I am ready to grant it with ungrudging hand, yea and to send tokens to my friends elsewhere who shall treat thee well. If thou refuse this offer, thou wilt do a foolish deed,
but if thou cease from anger the greater will be thy gain.

> Greek: ἀλλ’, εἴ τι βούλῃ παισὶν ἢ σαυτῆς φυγῇ
προσωφέλημα χρημάτων ἐμῶν λαβεῖν,
λέγ’· ὡς ἕτοιμος ἀφθόνῳ δοῦναι χερὶ
ξένοις τε πέμπειν σύμβολ’, οἳ δράσουσί σ’ εὖ.
καὶ ταῦτα μὴ θέλουσα μωρανεῖς, γύναι·
λήξασα δ’ ὀργῆς κερδανεῖς ἀμείνονα.

[¶21] Medea:
I will have naught to do with friends of thine, naught will I receive of thee, offer it not to me; a villain’s gifts can bring no blessing.

> Greek: Μήδεια:
οὔτ’ ἂν ξένοισι τοῖσι σοῖς χρησαίμεθ’ ἄν,
οὔτ’ ἄν τι δεξαίμεσθα, μηδ’ ἡμῖν δίδου·
κακοῦ γὰρ ἀνδρὸς δῶρ’ ὄνησιν οὐκ ἔχει.

[¶22] Jason:
At least I call the gods to witness,
that I am ready in all things to serve thee and thy children, but thou dost scorn my favours and thrustest thy friends stubbornly away; wherefore thy lot will be more bitter still.

> Greek: Ἰάσων:
ἀλλ’ οὖν ἐγὼ μὲν δαίμονας μαρτύρομαι,
ὡς πάνθ’ ὑπουργεῖν σοί τε καὶ τέκνοις θέλω·
σοὶ δ’ οὐκ ἀρέσκει τἀγάθ’, ἀλλ’ αὐθαδίᾳ
φίλους ἀπωθῇ· τοιγὰρ ἀλγυνῇ πλέον.

[¶23] Medea:
Away! By love for thy young bride entrapped, too long thou lingerest outside her chamber;

> Greek: Μήδεια:
χώρει· πόθῳ γὰρ τῆς νεοδμήτου κόρης
αἱρῇ χρονίζων δωμάτων ἐξώπιος.

[¶24] go wed, for, if God will, thou shalt have such a marriage as thou wouldst fain refuse.

> Greek: νύμφευ’· ἴσως γάρ—σὺν θεῷ δ’ εἰρήσεται—
γαμεῖς τοιοῦτον ὥστε σ’ ἀρνεῖσθαι γάμον.

[¶25] Chorus:
When in excess and past all limits Love doth come, he brings not glory or repute
to man; but if the Cyprian queen in moderate might approach, no goddess is so full of charm as she. Never, O never, lady mine, discharge at me from thy golden bow a shaft invincible, in passion’s venom dipped.

> Greek: Χορός:
ἔρωτες ὑπὲρ μὲν ἄγαν
ἐλθόντες οὐκ εὐδοξίαν
οὐδ’ ἀρετὰν παρέδωκαν
ἀνδράσιν· εἰ δ’ ἅλις ἔλθοι
Κύπρις, οὐκ ἄλλα θεὸς εὔχαρις οὕτως.
μήποτ’, ὦ δέσποιν’, ἐπ’ ἐμοὶ χρυσέων τόξων ἐφείης
ἱμέρῳ χρίσασ’ ἄφυκτον οἰστόν.

[¶26] Chorus:
On me may chastity, heaven’s fairest gift, look with a favouring eye;
never may Cypris, goddess dread, fasten on me a temper to dispute, or restless jealousy, smiting my soul with mad desire for unlawful love, but may she hallow peaceful married life and shrewdly decide whom each of us shall wed.

> Greek: Χορός:
στέργοι δέ με σωφροσύνα,
δώρημα κάλλιστον θεῶν·
μηδέ ποτ’ ἀμφιλόγους ὀργὰς
ἀκόρεστά τε νείκη
θυμὸν ἐκπλήξασ’ ἑτέροις ἐπὶ λέκτροις
προσβάλοι δεινὰ Κύπρις, ἀπτολέμους δ’ εὐνὰς σεβίζουσ’
ὀξύφρων κρίνοι λέχη γυναικῶν.

[¶27] Chorus:
O my country, O my own dear home! God grant I may never be an outcast from my city,
leading that cruel helpless life, whose every day is misery. Ere that may I this life complete and yield to death, ay, death;
for there is no misery that doth surpass the loss of fatherland.

> Greek: Χορός:
ὦ πατρίς, ὦ δώματα, μὴ
δῆτ’ ἄπολις γενοίμαν
τὸν ἀμηχανίας ἔχουσα
δυσπέρατον αἰῶν’,
οἰκτροτάτων ἀχέων.
θανάτῳ θανάτῳ πάρος δαμείην
ἁμέραν τάνδ’ ἐξανύσασα· μό-
χθων δ’ οὐκ ἄλλος ὕπερθεν ἢ
γᾶς πατρίας στέρεσθαι.

[¶28] Chorus:
I have seen with mine eyes, nor from the lips of others have I the lesson learnt;

> Greek: Χορός:
εἴδομεν, οὐκ ἐξ ἑτέρων
μῦθον ἔχω φράσασθαι·

[¶29] no city, not one friend doth pity thee in this thine awful woe. May he perish and find no favour,
whoso hath not in him honour for his friends, freely unlocking his heart to them. Never shall he be friend of mine.

> Greek: σὲ γὰρ οὐ πόλις, οὐ φίλων τις
ᾤκτισεν παθοῦσαν
δεινότατον παθέων.
ἀχάριστος ὄλοιθ’, ὅτῳ πάρεστιν
μὴ φίλους τιμᾶν καθαρᾶν ἀνοί-
ξαντα κλῇδα φρενῶν· ἐμοὶ
μὲν φίλος οὔποτ’ ἔσται.

[¶30] Aegeus:
All hail, Medea! no man knoweth fairer prelude to the greeting of friends than this.

> Greek: Αἰγεύς:
Μήδεια, χαῖρε· τοῦδε γὰρ προοίμιον
κάλλιον οὐδεὶς οἶδε προσφωνεῖν φίλους.

[¶31] Medea:
All hail to thee likewise, Aegeus, son of wise Pandion. Whence comest thou to this land?

> Greek: Μήδεια:
ὦ χαῖρε καὶ σύ, παῖ σοφοῦ Πανδίονος,
Αἰγεῦ. πόθεν γῆς τῆσδ’ ἐπιστρωφᾷ πέδον;

[¶32] Aegeus:
From Phoebus’ ancient oracle.

> Greek: Αἰγεύς:
Φοίβου παλαιὸν ἐκλιπὼν χρηστήριον.

[¶33] Medea:
What took thee on thy travels to the prophetic centre of the earth?

> Greek: Μήδεια:
τί δ’ ὀμφαλὸν γῆς θεσπιῳδὸν ἐστάλης;

[¶34] Aegeus:
The wish to ask how I might raise up seed unto myself.

> Greek: Αἰγεύς:
παίδων ἐρευνῶν σπέρμ’ ὅπως γένοιτό μοι.

[¶35] Medea:
Pray tell me, hast thou till now dragged on a childless life?

> Greek: Μήδεια:
πρὸς θεῶν—ἄπαις γὰρ δεῦρ’ ἀεὶ τείνεις βίον;

[¶36] Aegeus:
I have no child owing to the visitation of some god.

> Greek: Αἰγεύς:
ἄπαιδές ἐσμεν δαίμονός τινος τύχῃ.

[¶37] Medea:
Hast thou a wife, or hast thou never known the married state?

> Greek: Μήδεια:
δάμαρτος οὔσης, ἢ λέχους ἄπειρος ὤν;

[¶38] Aegeus:
I have a wife joined to me in wedlock’s bond.

> Greek: Αἰγεύς:
οὐκ ἐσμὲν εὐνῆς ἄζυγες γαμηλίου.

[¶39] Medea:
What said Phoebus to thee as to children?

> Greek: Μήδεια:
τί δῆτα Φοῖβος εἶπέ σοι παίδων πέρι;

[¶40] Aegeus:
Words too subtle for man to comprehend.

> Greek: Αἰγεύς:
σοφώτερ’ ἢ κατ’ ἄνδρα συμβαλεῖν ἔπη.

[¶41] Medea:
Surely I may learn the god’s answer?

> Greek: Μήδεια:
θέμις μὲν ἡμᾶς χρησμὸν εἰδέναι θεοῦ;

[¶42] Aegeus:
Most assuredly, for it is just thy subtle wit it needs.

> Greek: Αἰγεύς:
μάλιστ’, ἐπεί τοι καὶ σοφῆς δεῖται φρενός.

[¶43] Medea:
What said the god? speak, if I may hear it.

> Greek: Μήδεια:
τί δῆτ’ ἔχρησε; λέξον, εἰ θέμις κλύειν.

[¶44] Aegeus:
He bade me “not loose the wineskin’s pendent neck.”

> Greek: Αἰγεύς:
ἀσκοῦ με τὸν προύχοντα μὴ λῦσαι πόδα—

[¶45] Medea:
Till when? what must thou do first, what country visit?

> Greek: Μήδεια:
πρὶν ἂν τί δράσῃς ἢ τίν’ ἐξίκῃ χθόνα;

[¶46] Aegeus:
Till I to my native home return.

> Greek: Αἰγεύς:
πρὶν ἂν πατρῴαν αὖθις ἑστίαν μόλω.

[¶47] Medea:
What object hast thou in sailing to this land?

> Greek: Μήδεια:
σὺ δ’ ὡς τί χρῄζων τήνδε ναυστολεῖς χθόνα;

[¶48] Aegeus:
O’er Troezen’s realm is Pittheus king.

> Greek: Αἰγεύς:
Πιτθεύς τις ἔστι, γῆς ἄναξ Tροζηνίας....

[¶49] Medea:
Pelops’ son, a man devout they say.

> Greek: Μήδεια:
παῖς, ὡς λέγουσι, Πέλοπος, εὐσεβέστατος.

[¶50] Aegeus:
To him I fain would impart the oracle of the god.

> Greek: Αἰγεύς:
τούτῳ θεοῦ μάντευμα κοινῶσαι θέλω.

[¶51] Medea:
The man is shrewd and versed in such-like lore.

> Greek: Μήδεια:
σοφὸς γὰρ ἁνὴρ καὶ τρίβων τὰ τοιάδε.

[¶52] Aegeus:
Aye, and to me the dearest of all my warrior friends.

> Greek: Αἰγεύς:
κἀμοί γε πάντων φίλτατος δορυξένων.

[¶53] Medea:
Good luck to thee! success to all thy wishes!

> Greek: Μήδεια:
ἀλλ’ εὐτυχοίης καὶ τύχοις ὅσων ἐρᾷς.

[¶54] Aegeus:
But why that downcast eye, that wasted cheek?

> Greek: Αἰγεύς:
τί γὰρ σὸν ὄμμα χρώς τε συντέτηχ’ ὅδε;

[¶55] Medea:
O Aegeus, my husband has proved a monster of iniquity.

> Greek: Μήδεια:
Αἰγεῦ, κάκιστός ἐστί μοι πάντων πόσις.

[¶56] Aegeus:
What meanest thou? explain to me clearly the cause of thy despondency.

> Greek: Αἰγεύς:
τί φῄς; σαφῶς μοι σὰς φράσον δυσθυμίας.

[¶57] Medea:
Jason is wronging me though I have given him no cause.

> Greek: Μήδεια:
ἀδικεῖ μ’ Ἰάσων οὐδὲν ἐξ ἐμοῦ παθών.

[¶58] Aegeus:
What hath he done? tell me more clearly.

> Greek: Αἰγεύς:
τί χρῆμα δράσας; φράζε μοι σαφέστερον.

[¶59] Medea:
He is taking another wife to succeed me as mistress of his house.

> Greek: Μήδεια:
γυναῖκ’ ἐφ’ ἡμῖν δεσπότιν δόμων ἔχει.

[¶60] Aegeus:
Can he have brought himself to such a dastard deed?

> Greek: Αἰγεύς:
οὔ που τετόλμηκ’ ἔργον αἴσχιστον τόδε;

[¶61] Medea:
Be assured thereof; I, whom he loved of yore, am in dishonour now.

> Greek: Μήδεια:
σάφ’ ἴσθ’· ἄτιμοι δ’ ἐσμὲν οἱ πρὸ τοῦ φίλοι.

[¶62] Aegeus:
Hath he found a new love? or does he loathe thy bed?

> Greek: Αἰγεύς:
πότερον ἐρασθεὶς ἢ σὸν ἐχθαίρων λέχος;

[¶63] Medea:
Much in love is he! A traitor to his friend is he become.

> Greek: Μήδεια:
μέγαν γ’ ἔρωτα πιστὸς οὐκ ἔφυ φίλοις.

[¶64] Aegeus:
Enough! if he is a villain as thou sayest.

> Greek: Αἰγεύς:
ἴτω νυν, εἴπερ, ὡς λέγεις, ἐστὶν κακός.

[¶65] Medea:
The alliance he is so much enamoured of is with a princess.

> Greek: Μήδεια:
ἀνδρῶν τυράννων κῆδος ἠράσθη λαβεῖν.

[¶66] Aegeus:
Who gives his daughter to him? go on, I pray.

> Greek: Αἰγεύς:
δίδωσι δ’ αὐτῷ τίς; πέραινέ μοι λόγον.

[¶67] Medea:
Creon, who is lord of this land of Corinth.

> Greek: Μήδεια:
Κρέων, ὃς ἄρχει τῆσδε γῆς Κορινθίας.

[¶68] Aegeus:
Lady, I can well pardon thy grief.

> Greek: Αἰγεύς:
συγγνωστὰ μέν τἄρ’ ἦν σε λυπεῖσθαι, γύναι.

[¶69] Medea:
I am undone, and more than that, am banished from the land.

> Greek: Μήδεια:
ὄλωλα· καὶ πρός γ’ ἐξελαύνομαι χθονός.

[¶70] Aegeus:
By whom? fresh woe this word of thine unfolds.

> Greek: Αἰγεύς:
πρὸς τοῦ; τόδ’ ἄλλο καινὸν αὖ λέγεις κακόν.

[¶71] Medea:
Creon drives me forth in exile from Corinth.

> Greek: Μήδεια:
Κρέων μ’ ἐλαύνει φυγάδα γῆς Κορινθίας.

[¶72] Aegeus:
Doth Jason allow it? This too I blame him for.

> Greek: Αἰγεύς:
ἐᾷ δ’ Ἰάσων; οὐδὲ ταῦτ’ ἐπῄνεσα.

[¶73] Medea:
Not in words, but he will not stand out against it. Ο, I implore thee by this beard
and by thy knees, in suppliant posture, pity, O pity my sorrows; do not see me cast forth forlorn, but receive me in thy country, to a seat within thy halls. So may thy wish by heaven’s grace be crowned with a full harvest
of offspring, and may thy life close in happiness! Thou knowest not the rare good luck thou findest here, for I will make thy childlessness to cease and cause thee to beget fair issue; so potent are the spells I know.

> Greek: Μήδεια:
λόγῳ μὲν οὐχί, καρτερεῖν δὲ βούλεται.
ἀλλ’ ἄντομαί σε τῆσδε πρὸς γενειάδος
γονάτων τε τῶν σῶν ἱκεσία τε γίγνομαι,
οἴκτιρον οἴκτιρόν με τὴν δυσδαίμονα
καὶ μή μ’ ἔρημον ἐκπεσοῦσαν εἰσίδῃς,
δέξαι δὲ χώρᾳ καὶ δόμοις ἐφέστιον.
οὕτως ἔρως σοὶ πρὸς θεῶν τελεσφόρος
γένοιτο παίδων, καὐτὸς ὄλβιος θάνοις.
εὕρημα δ’ οὐκ οἶσθ’ οἷον ηὕρηκας τόδε·
παύσω δέ σ’ ὄντ’ ἄπαιδα καὶ παίδων γονὰς
σπεῖραί σε θήσω· τοιάδ’ οἶδα φάρμακα.

[¶74] Aegeus:
Lady, on many grounds I am most fain to grant thee this thy boon,
first for the gods’ sake, next for the children whom thou dost promise I shall beget; for in respect of this I am completely lost.’Tis thus with me; if e’er thou reach my land, I will attempt to champion thee as I am bound to do.

> Greek: Αἰγεύς:
πολλῶν ἕκατι τήνδε σοι δοῦναι χάριν,
γύναι, πρόθυμός εἰμι, πρῶτα μὲν θεῶν,
ἔπειτα παίδων ὧν ἐπαγγέλλῃ γονάς·
ἐς τοῦτο γὰρ δὴ φροῦδός εἰμι πᾶς ἐγώ.
οὕτω δ’ ἔχει μοι· σοῦ μὲν ἐλθούσης χθόνα,
πειράσομαί σου προξενεῖν δίκαιος ὤν.

[¶75] Only one warning I do give thee first, lady; I will not from this land bear thee away, yet if of thyself thou reach my halls, there shalt thou bide in safety and I will never yield thee up to any man. But from this land escape without my aid,
for I have no wish to incur the blame of my allies as well.

> Greek: τόσον γε μέντοι σοι προσημαίνω, γύναι·
ἐκ τῆσδε μὲν γῆς οὔ σ’ ἄγειν βουλήσομαι,
αὐτὴ δ’ ἐάνπερ εἰς ἐμοὺς ἔλθῃς δόμους,
μενεῖς ἄσυλος κοὔ σε μὴ μεθῶ τινι.
ἐκ τῆσδε δ’ αὐτὴ γῆς ἀπαλλάσσου πόδα·
ἀναίτιος γὰρ καὶ ξένοις εἶναι θέλω.

[¶76] Medea:
It shall be even so; but wouldst thou pledge thy word to this, I should in all be well content with thee.

> Greek: Μήδεια:
ἔσται τάδ’· ἀλλὰ πίστις εἰ γένοιτό μοι
τούτων, ἔχοιμ’ ἂν πάντα πρὸς σέθεν καλῶς.

[¶77] Aegeus:
Surely thou dost trust me? or is there aught that troubles thee?

> Greek: Αἰγεύς:
μῶν οὐ πέποιθας; ἢ τί σοι τὸ δυσχερές;

[¶78] Medea:
Thee I trust; but Pelias’ house and Creon are my foes.
Wherefore, if thou art bound by an oath, thou wilt not give me up to them when they come to drag me from the land, but, having entered into a compact and sworn by heaven as well, thou wilt become my friend and disregard their overtures. Weak is any aid of mine,
whilst they have wealth and a princely house.

> Greek: Μήδεια:
πέποιθα· Πελίου δ’ ἐχθρός ἐστί μοι δόμος
Κρέων τε. τούτοις δ’ ὁρκίοισι μὲν ζυγεὶς
ἄγουσιν οὐ μεθεῖ’ ἂν ἐκ γαίας ἐμέ·
λόγοις δὲ συμβὰς καὶ θεῶν ἀνώμοτος
φίλος γένοι’ ἂν τἀπικηρυκεύματα·—
οὐκ ἂν πίθοιο· τἀμὰ μὲν γὰρ ἀσθενῆ,
τοῖς δ’ ὄλβος ἐστὶ καὶ δόμος τυραννικός.

[¶79] Aegeus:
Lady, thy words show much foresight, so if this is thy will, I do not refuse. For I shall feel secure and safe if I have some pretext to offer to thy foes,
and thy case too the firmer stands. Now name thy gods.

> Greek: Αἰγεύς:
πολλὴν ἔλεξας ἐν λόγοις προμηθίαν·
ἀλλ’, εἰ δοκεῖ σοι, δρᾶν τάδ’ οὐκ ἀφίσταμαι.
ἐμοί τε γὰρ τάδ’ ἐστὶν ἀσφαλέστατα,
σκῆψίν τιν’ ἐχθροῖς σοῖς ἔχοντα δεικνύναι,
τὸ σόν τ’ ἄραρε μᾶλλον· ἐξηγοῦ θεούς.

[¶80] Medea:
Swear by the plain of Earth, by Helios my father’s sire, and, in one comprehensive oath, by all the race of gods.

> Greek: Μήδεια:
ὄμνυ πέδον Γῆς, πατέρα θ’ Ἥλιον πατρὸς
τοὐμοῦ, θεῶν τε συντιθεὶς ἅπαν γένος.

[¶81] Aegeus:
What shall I swear to do, from what refrain? tell me that.

> Greek: Αἰγεύς:
τί χρῆμα δράσειν ἢ τί μὴ δράσειν; λέγε.

[¶82] Medea:
Swear that thou wilt never of thyself expel me from thy land,
nor, whilst life is thine, permit any other, one of my foes maybe, to hale me thence if so he will.

> Greek: Μήδεια:
μήτ’ αὐτὸς ἐκ γῆς σῆς ἔμ’ ἐκβαλεῖν ποτε,
μήτ’ ἄλλος ἤν τις τῶν ἐμῶν ἐχθρῶν ἄγειν
χρῄζῃ, μεθήσειν ζῶν ἑκουσίῳ τρόπῳ.

[¶83] Aegeus:
By earth I swear, by the sun-god’s holy beam and by all the host of heaven that I will stand fast to the terms, I hear thee make.

> Greek: Αἰγεύς:
ὄμνυμι Γαῖαν ⟨Ἡλίου θ’ ἁγνὸν σέβας⟩
θεούς τε πάντας ἐμμενεῖν ἅ σου κλύω.

[¶84] Medea:’Tis enough. If thou shouldst break this oath, what curse dost thou invoke upon thyself?

> Greek: Μήδεια:
ἀρκεῖ· τί δ’ ὅρκῳ τῷδε μὴ ’μμένων πάθοις;

[¶85] Aegeus:
Whate’er betides the impious.

> Greek: Αἰγεύς:
ἃ τοῖσι δυσσεβοῦσι γίγνεται βροτῶν.

[¶86] Medea:
Go in peace; all is well, and I with what speed I may, will to thy city come, when I have wrought my purpose and obtained my wish.

> Greek: Μήδεια:
χαίρων πορεύου· πάντα γὰρ καλῶς ἔχει.
κἀγὼ πόλιν σὴν ὡς τάχιστ’ ἀφίξομαι,
πράξασ’ ἃ μέλλω καὶ τυχοῦσ’ ἃ βούλομαι.

[¶87] Chorus:
May Maia’s princely son
go with thee on thy way to bring thee to thy home, and mayest thou attain that on which thy soul is set so firmly, for to my mind thou seemest a generous man, O Aegeus.

> Greek: Χορός:
ἀλλά σ’ ὁ Μαίας πομπαῖος ἄναξ
πελάσειε δόμοις, ὧν τ’ ἐπίνοιαν
σπεύδεις κατέχων πράξειας, ἐπεὶ
γενναῖος ἀνήρ,
Αἰγεῦ, παρ’ ἐμοὶ δεδόκησαι.

[¶88] Medea:
O Zeus, and Justice, child of Zeus, and sun-god’s light,
now will I triumph o’er my foes, kind friends; on victory’s road have I set forth; good hope have I of wreaking vengeance on those I hate. For where we were in most distress this stranger hath appeared, to be a haven in my counsels;

> Greek: Μήδεια:
ὦ Ζεῦ Δίκη τε Ζηνὸς Ἡλίου τε φῶς,
νῦν καλλίνικοι τῶν ἐμῶν ἐχθρῶν, φίλαι,
γενησόμεσθα κεἰς ὁδὸν βεβήκαμεν·
νῦν [δ’] ἐλπὶς ἐχθροὺς τοὺς ἐμοὺς τείσειν δίκην.
οὗτος γὰρ ἁνὴρ ᾗ μάλιστ’ ἐκάμνομεν
λιμὴν πέφανται τῶν ἐμῶν βουλευμάτων·

[¶89] to him will we make fast the cables of our ship when we come to the town and citadel of Pallas. But now will I explain to thee my plans in full; do not expect to hear a pleasant tale. A servant of mine will I to Jason
send and crave an interview; then when he comes I will address him with soft words, say, “this pleases me,” and, “that is well,” [even the marriage with the princess, which my treacherous lord is celebrating, and add “it suits us both,’twas well thought out”];

> Greek: ἐκ τοῦδ’ ἀναψόμεσθα πρυμνήτην κάλων,
μολόντες ἄστυ καὶ πόλισμα Παλλάδος.
ἤδη δὲ πάντα τἀμά σοι βουλεύματα
λέξω· δέχου δὲ μὴ πρὸς ἡδονὴν λόγους.
πέμψασ’ ἐμῶν τιν’ οἰκετῶν Ἰάσονα
ἐς ὄψιν ἐλθεῖν τὴν ἐμὴν αἰτήσομαι·
μολόντι δ’ αὐτῷ μαλθακοὺς λέξω λόγους,
ὡς καὶ δοκεῖ μοι ταὐτά, καὶ καλῶς ἔχειν
γάμους τυράννων οὓς προδοὺς ἡμᾶς ἔχει·
καὶ ξύμφορ’ εἶναι καὶ καλῶς ἐγνωσμένα.

[¶90] then will I entreat that here my children may abide, not that I mean to leave them in a hostile land for foes to flout, but that I may slay the king’s daughter by guile. For I will send them with gifts in their hands,
carrying them unto the bride to save them from banishment, a robe of finest woof and a chaplet of gold. And if these ornaments she take and put them on, miserably shall she die, and likewise everyone who touches her; with such fell poisons will I smear my gifts.

> Greek: παῖδας δὲ μεῖναι τοὺς ἐμοὺς αἰτήσομαι,
οὐχ ὡς λιποῦσ’ ἂν πολεμίας ἐπὶ χθονὸς
ἐχθροῖσι παῖδας τοὺς ἐμοὺς καθυβρίσαι,
ἀλλ’ ὡς δόλοισι παῖδα βασιλέως κτάνω.
πέμψω γὰρ αὐτοὺς δῶρ’ ἔχοντας ἐν χεροῖν,
νύμφῃ φέροντας, τήνδε μὴ φυγεῖν χθόνα,
λεπτόν τε πέπλον καὶ πλόκον χρυσήλατον·
κἄνπερ λαβοῦσα κόσμον ἀμφιθῇ χροΐ,
κακῶς ὀλεῖται πᾶς θ’ ὃς ἂν θίγῃ κόρης·
τοιοῖσδε χρίσω φαρμάκοις δωρήματα.

[¶91] And here I quit this theme; but I shudder at the deed I must do next; for I will slay the children I have borne; there is none shall take them from my toils; and when I have utterly confounded Jason’s house
I will leave the land, escaping punishment for my dear children’s murder, after my most unholy deed. For I cannot endure the taunts of enemies, kind friends; enough! what gain is life to me? I have no country, home, or refuge left.

> Greek: ἐνταῦθα μέντοι τόνδ’ ἀπαλλάσσω λόγον·
ᾤμωξα δ’ οἷον ἔργον ἔστ’ ἐργαστέον
τοὐντεῦθεν ἡμῖν· τέκνα γὰρ κατακτενῶ
τἄμ’· οὔτις ἔστιν ὅστις ἐξαιρήσεται·
δόμον τε πάντα συγχέασ’ Ἰάσονος
ἔξειμι γαίας, φιλτάτων παίδων φόνον
φεύγουσα καὶ τλᾶσ’ ἔργον ἀνοσιώτατον.
οὐ γὰρ γελᾶσθαι τλητὸν ἐξ ἐχθρῶν, φίλαι.
ἴτω· τί μοι ζῆν κέρδος; οὔτε μοι πατρὶς
οὔτ’ οἶκος ἔστιν οὔτ’ ἀποστροφὴ κακῶν.

[¶92] Ο, I did wrong, that hour I left my father’s home, persuaded by that Hellene’s words, who now shall pay the penalty, so help me God. Never shall he see again alive the children I bore to him,
nor from his new bride shall he beget issue, for she must die a hideous death, slain by my drugs. Let no one deem me a poor weak woman who sits with folded hands, but of another mould, dangerous to foes and well-disposed to friends;

> Greek: ἡμάρτανον τόθ’ ἡνίκ’ ἐξελίμπανον
δόμους πατρῴους, ἀνδρὸς Ἕλληνος λόγοις
πεισθεῖσ’, ὃς ἡμῖν σὺν θεῷ τείσει δίκην.
οὔτ’ ἐξ ἐμοῦ γὰρ παῖδας ὄψεταί ποτε
ζῶντας τὸ λοιπὸν οὔτε τῆς νεοζύγου
νύμφης τεκνώσει παῖδ’, ἐπεὶ κακῶς κακὴν
θανεῖν σφ’ ἀνάγκη τοῖς ἐμοῖσι φαρμάκοις.
μηδείς με φαύλην κἀσθενῆ νομιζέτω
μηδ’ ἡσυχαίαν, ἀλλὰ θατέρου τρόπου,
βαρεῖαν ἐχθροῖς καὶ φίλοισιν εὐμενῆ·

[¶93] for they win the fairest fame who live their life like me.

> Greek: τῶν γὰρ τοιούτων εὐκλεέστατος βίος.

[¶94] Chorus:
Since thou hast imparted this design to me, I bid thee hold thy hand, both from a wish to serve thee and because I would uphold the laws men make.

> Greek: Χορός:
ἐπείπερ ἡμῖν τόνδ’ ἐκοίνωσας λόγον,
σέ τ’’ ὠφελεῖν θέλουσα, καὶ νόμοις βροτῶν
ξυλλαμβάνουσα, δρᾶν σ’ ἀπεννέπω τάδε.

[¶95] Medea:
It cannot but be so; thy words
I pardon since thou art not in the same sorry plight that I am.

> Greek: Μήδεια:
οὐκ ἔστιν ἄλλως· σοὶ δὲ συγγνώμη λέγειν
τάδ’ ἐστί, μὴ πάσχουσαν, ὡς ἐγώ, κακῶς.

[¶96] Chorus:
O lady, wilt thou steel thyself to slay thy children twain?

> Greek: Χορός:
ἀλλὰ κτανεῖν σὸν σπέρμα τολμήσεις, γύναι;

[¶97] Medea:
I will, for that will stab my husband to the heart.

> Greek: Μήδεια:
οὕτω γὰρ ἂν μάλιστα δηχθείη πόσις.

[¶98] Chorus:
It may, but thou wilt be the saddest wife alive.

> Greek: Χορός:
σὺ δ’ ἂν γένοιό γ’ ἀθλιωτάτη γυνή.

[¶99] Medea:
No matter; wasted is every word that comes ’twixt now and then.

> Greek: Μήδεια:
ἴτω· περισσοὶ πάντες οὑν μέσῳ λόγοι.

[¶100] (To the Nurse.) Ho! thou, go call me Jason hither, for thee I do employ on every mission of trust. No word divulge of all my purpose, as thou art to thy mistress loyal and likewise of my sex.

> Greek: ἀλλ’ εἶα χώρει καὶ κόμιζ’ Ἰάσονα·
ἐς πάντα γὰρ δὴ σοὶ τὰ πιστὰ χρώμεθα.
λέξῃς δὲ μηδὲν τῶν ἐμοὶ δεδογμένων,
εἴπερ φρονεῖς εὖ δεσπόταις γυνή τ’ ἔφυς.

[¶101] Chorus:
Sons of Erechtheus, heroes happy from of yore,
children of the blessed gods, fed on wisdom’s glorious food in a holy land ne’er pillaged by its foes, ye who move with sprightly step through a climate ever bright
and clear, where, as legend tells, the Muses nine, Pieria’s holy maids, were brought to birth by Harmonia with the golden hair;

> Greek: Χορός:
Ἐρεχθεΐδαι τὸ παλαιὸν ὄλβιοι
καὶ θεῶν παῖδες μακάρων, ἱερᾶς
χώρας ἀπορθήτου τ’ ἄπο, φερβόμενοι
κλεινοτάταν σοφίαν, αἰεὶ διὰ λαμπροτάτου
βαίνοντες ἁβρῶς αἰθέρος, ἔνθα ποθ’ ἁγνὰς
ἐννέα Πιερίδας Μούσας λέγουσι
ξανθὰν Ἁρμονίαν φυτεῦσαι·

[¶102] Chorus:
and poets sing how Cypris drawing water from the streams of fair-flowing Cephissus breathes o’er the land a gentle breeze
of balmy winds, and ever as she crowns her tresses with a garland of sweet rose-buds sends forth the Loves to sit by wisdom’s side,
to take a part in every excellence.

> Greek: Χορός:
τοῦ καλλινάου τ’ ἐπὶ Κηφισοῦ ῥοαῖς
τὰν Κύπριν κλῄζουσιν ἀφυσσαμέναν
χώραν καταπνεῦσαι μετρίας ἀνέμων
ἡδυπνόους αὔρας· αἰεὶ δ’ ἐπιβαλλομέναν
χαίταισιν εὐώδη ῥοδέων πλόκον ἀνθέων
τᾷ Σοφίᾳ παρέδρους πέμπειν Ἔρωτας,
παντοίας ἀρετᾶς ξυνεργούς.

[¶103] Chorus:
How then shall the city of sacred streams, the land that welcomes those it loves, receive thee, the murderess of thy children,
thee whose presence with others is a pollution? Think on the murder of thy children, consider the bloody deed thou takest on thee. Nay, by thy knees we, one and all, implore thee,
slay not thy babes.

> Greek: Χορός:
πῶς οὖν ἱερῶν ποταμῶν
ἢ πόλις; ἦ φίλων
πόμπιμός σε χώρα
τὰν παιδολέτειραν ἕξει,
τὰν οὐχ ὁσίαν μετ’ ἄλλων;
σκέψαι τεκέων πλαγάν,
σκέψαι φόνον οἷον αἴρῃ.
μή, πρὸς γονάτων σε πάντη
πάντως ἱκετεύομεν,
τέκνα φονεύσῃς.

[¶104] Chorus:
Where shall hand or heart find hardihood enough in wreaking such a fearsome deed upon thy sons?

> Greek: Χορός:
πόθεν θράσος ἢ φρενὸς ἢ
χειρὶ τέκνων σέθεν
καρδίᾳ τε λήψῃ
δεινὰν προσάγουσα τόλμαν;

[¶105] How wilt thou look upon thy babes, and still without a tear retain thy bloody purpose? Thou canst not, when they fall at thy feet for mercy, steel thy heart and dip
in their blood thy hand.

> Greek: πῶς δ’ ὄμματα προσβαλοῦσα
τέκνοις ἄδακρυν μοῖραν
σχήσεις φόνου; οὐ δυνάσῃ,
παίδων ἱκετᾶν πιτνόντων,
τέγξαι χέρα φοινίαν
τλάμονι θυμῷ.

[¶106] Jason:
I am come at thy bidding, for e’en though thy hate for me is bitter thou shalt not fail in this small boon, but I will hear what new request thou hast to make of me, lady.

> Greek: Ἰάσων:
ἥκω κελευσθείς· καὶ γὰρ οὖσα δυσμενὴς
οὔ τἂν ἁμάρτοις τοῦδέ γ’, ἀλλ’ ἀκούσομαι
τί χρῆμα βούλῃ καινὸν ἐξ ἐμοῦ, γύναι.

[¶107] Medea:
Jason, I crave thy pardon
for the words I spoke, and well thou mayest brook my burst of passion, for ere now we twain have shared much love. For I have reasoned with my soul and railed upon me thus, “Ah! poor heart 1 why am I thus distraught, why so angered ’gainst all good advice,”
“why have I come to hate the rulers of the land, my husband too, who does the best for me he can, in wedding with a princess and rearing for my children noble brothers? Shall I not cease to fret? What possesses me, when heaven its best doth offer?”

> Greek: Μήδεια:
Ἰᾶσον, αἰτοῦμαί σε τῶν εἰρημένων
συγγνώμον’ εἶναι· τὰς δ’ ἐμὰς ὀργὰς φέρειν
εἰκός σ’, ἐπεὶ νῷν πόλλ’ ὑπείργασται φίλα.
ἐγὼ δ’ ἐμαυτῇ διὰ λόγων ἀφικόμην
κἀλοιδόρησα· Σχετλία, τί μαίνομαι
καὶ δυσμεναίνω τοῖσι βουλεύουσιν εὖ,
ἐχθρὰ δὲ γαίας κοιράνοις καθίσταμαι
πόσει θ’, ὃς ἡμῖν δρᾷ τὰ συμφορώτατα,
γήμας τύραννον καὶ κασιγνήτους τέκνοις
ἐμοῖς φυτεύων; οὐκ ἀπαλλαχθήσομαι
θυμοῦ—τί πάσχω;—θεῶν ποριζόντων καλῶς;

[¶108] “Have I not my children to consider? do I forget that we are fugitives, in need of friends?” When I had thought all this I saw how foolish I had been, how senselessly enraged. So now I do commend thee and think thee most wise in forming
this connexion for us; but I was mad, I who should have shared in these designs, helped on thy plans, and lent my aid to bring about the match, only too pleased to wait upon thy bride. But what we are, we are, we women, evil I will not say;
wherefore thou shouldst not sink to our sorry level nor with our weapons meet our childishness.

> Greek: οὐκ εἰσὶ μέν μοι παῖδες, οἶδα δὲ χθόνα
φεύγοντας ἡμᾶς καὶ σπανίζοντας φίλων;
ταῦτ’ ἐννοήσασ’ ᾐσθόμην ἀβουλίαν
πολλὴν ἔχουσα καὶ μάτην θυμουμένη.
νῦν οὖν ἐπαινῶ· σωφρονεῖν τ’ ἐμοὶ δοκεῖς
κῆδος τόδ’ ἡμῖν προσλαβών, ἐγὼ δ’ ἄφρων,
ᾗ χρῆν μετεῖναι τῶνδε τῶν βουλευμάτων,
καὶ ξυγγαμεῖν σοι, καὶ παρεστάναι λέχει
νύμφην τε κηδεύουσαν ἥδεσθαι σέθεν.
ἀλλ’ ἐσμὲν οἷόν ἐσμεν, οὐκ ἐρῶ κακόν,
γυναῖκες· οὔκουν χρῆν σ’ ὁμοιοῦσθαι κακοῖς,
οὐδ’ ἀντιτείνειν νήπι’ ἀντὶ νηπίων.

[¶109] I yield and do confess that I was wrong then, but now have I come to a better mind. Come hither, my children, come, leave the house,
step forth, and with me greet and bid farewell to your father, be reconciled from all past bitterness unto your friends, as now your mother is; for we have made a truce and anger is no more. Enter the Children. Take his right hand; ah me! my sad fate!
when I reflect, as now, upon the hidden future. O my children, since there awaits you even thus a long, long life, stretch forth the hand to take a fond farewell. Ah me! how new to tears am I, how full of fear! For now that I have at last released me from my quarrel with your father,
I let the tear-drops stream adown my tender cheek.

> Greek: παριέμεσθα, καί φαμεν κακῶς φρονεῖν
τότ’, ἀλλ’ ἄμεινον νῦν βεβούλευμαι τάδε·
ὦ τέκνα τέκνα, δεῦτε, λείπετε στέγας,
ἐξέλθετ’, ἀσπάσασθε καὶ προσείπατε
πατέρα μεθ’ ἡμῶν, καὶ διαλλάχθηθ’ ἅμα
τῆς πρόσθεν ἔχθρας ἐς φίλους μητρὸς μέτα·
σπονδαὶ γὰρ ἡμῖν καὶ μεθέστηκεν χόλος.
λάβεσθε χειρὸς δεξιᾶς· οἴμοι, κακῶν
ὡς ἐννοοῦμαι δή τι τῶν κεκρυμμένων.
ἆρ’, ὦ τέκν’, οὕτω καὶ πολὺν ζῶντες χρόνον
φίλην ὀρέξετ’ ὠλένην; τάλαιν’ ἐγώ,
ὡς ἀρτίδακρύς εἰμι καὶ φόβου πλέα.
χρόνῳ δὲ νεῖκος πατρὸς ἐξαιρουμένη
ὄψιν τέρειναν τήνδ’ ἔπλησα δακρύων.

[¶110] Chorus:
From my eyes too bursts forth the copious tear; O, may no greater ill than the present e’er befall!

> Greek: Χορός:
κἀμοὶ κατ’ ὄσσων χλωρὸν ὡρμήθη δάκρυ·
καὶ μὴ προβαίη μεῖζον ἢ τὸ νῦν κακόν.

[¶111] Jason:
Lady, I praise this conduct, not that I blame what is past; for it is but natural to the female sex to vent their spleen against a husband
when he trafficks in other marriages besides his own. But thy heart is changed to wiser schemes and thou art determined on the better course, late though it be; this is acting like a woman of sober sense. And for you, my sons, hath your father provided
with all good heed a sure refuge, by God’s grace; for ye, I trow, shall with your brothers share hereafter the foremost rank in this Corinthian realm. Only grow up, for all the rest your sire and whoso of the gods is kind to us is bringing to pass.

> Greek: Ἰάσων:
αἰνῶ, γύναι, τάδ’, οὐδ’ ἐκεῖνα μέμφομαι·
εἰκὸς γὰρ ὀργὰς θῆλυ ποιεῖσθαι γένος
γάμου παρεμπολῶντος ἀλλοίου πόσει.
ἀλλ’ ἐς τὸ λῷον σὸν μεθέστηκεν κέαρ,
ἔγνως δὲ τὴν νικῶσαν, ἀλλὰ τῷ χρόνῳ,
βουλήν· γυναικὸς ἔργα ταῦτα σώφρονος.
ὑμῖν δέ, παῖδες, οὐκ ἀφροντίστως πατὴρ
πολλὴν ἔθηκε σὺν θεοῖς σωτηρίαν·
οἶμαι γὰρ ὑμᾶς τῆσδε γῆς Κορινθίας
τὰ πρῶτ’ ἔσεσθαι σὺν κασιγνήτοις ἔτι.
ἀλλ’ αὐξάνεσθε· τἄλλα δ’ ἐξεργάζεται
πατήρ τε καὶ θεῶν ὅστις ἐστὶν εὐμενής·

[¶112] May I see you reach man’s full estate, high o’er the heads of those I hate! But thou, lady, why with fresh tears dost thou thine eyelids wet, turning away thy wan cheek, with no welcome for these my happy tidings?

> Greek: ἴδοιμι δ’ ὑμᾶς εὐτραφεῖς ἥβης τέλος
μολόντας, ἐχθρῶν τῶν ἐμῶν ὑπερτέρους.
αὕτη, τί χλωροῖς δακρύοις τέγγεις κόρας,
στρέψασα λευκὴν ἔμπαλιν παρηίδα;
κοὐκ ἀσμένη τόνδ’ ἐξ ἐμοῦ δέχῃ λόγον;

[¶113] Medea:’Tis naught; upon these children my thoughts were turned.

> Greek: Μήδεια:
οὐδέν. τέκνων τῶνδ’ ἐννοουμένη πέρι.

[¶114] Jason:
Then take heart; for I will see that it is well with them.

> Greek: Ἰάσων:
θάρσει νυν· εὖ γὰρ τῶνδ’ ἐγὼ θήσω πέρι.

[¶115] Medea:
I will do so; nor will I doubt thy word; woman is a weak creature, ever given to tears.

> Greek: Μήδεια:
δράσω τάδ’· οὔτοι σοῖς ἀπιστήσω λόγοις·
γυνὴ δὲ θῆλυ κἀπὶ δακρύοις ἔφυ.

[¶116] Jason:
Why prithee, unhappy one, dost moan o’er these children?

> Greek: Ἰάσων:
τί δῆτα λίαν τοῖσδ’ ἐπιστένεις τέκνοις;

[¶117] Medea:
I gave them birth; and when thou didst pray long life for them, pity entered into my soul to think that these things must be. But the reason of thy coming hither to speak with me is partly told, the rest will I now mention. Since it is the pleasure of the rulers of the land to banish me,
and well I know ’twere best for me to stand not in the way of thee or of the rulers by dwelling here, enemy as I am thought unto their house, forth from this land in exile am I going, but these children,—that they may know thy fostering hand,
beg Creon to remit their banishment

> Greek: Μήδεια:
ἔτικτον αὐτούς· ζῆν δ’ ὅτ’ ἐξηύχου τέκνα,
ἐσῆλθέ μ’ οἶκτος εἰ γενήσεται τάδε.
ἀλλ’ ὧνπερ οὕνεκ’ εἰς ἐμοὺς ἥκεις λόγους,
τὰ μὲν λέλεκται, τῶν δ’ ἐγὼ μνησθήσομαι.
ἐπεὶ τυράννοις γῆς μ’ ἀποστεῖλαι δοκεῖ—
κἀμοὶ τάδ’ ἐστὶ λῷστα, γιγνώσκω καλῶς,
μήτ’ ἐμποδὼν σοὶ μήτε κοιράνοις χθονὸς
ναίειν· δοκῶ γὰρ δυσμενὴς εἶναι δόμοις—
ἡμεῖς μὲν ἐκ γῆς τῆσδ’ ἀπαίρομεν φυγῇ,
παῖδες δ’ ὅπως ἂν ἐκτραφῶσι σῇ χερί,
αἰτοῦ Κρέοντα τήνδε μὴ φεύγειν χθόνα.

[¶118] Jason:
I doubt whether I can persuade him, yet must I attempt it.

> Greek: Ἰάσων:
οὐκ οἶδ’ ἂν εἰ πείσαιμι, πειρᾶσθαι δὲ χρή.

[¶119] Medea:
At least do thou bid thy wife ask her sire this boon, to remit the exile of the children from this land.

> Greek: Μήδεια:
σὺ δ’ ἀλλὰ σὴν κέλευσον αἰτεῖσθαι πατρὸς
γυναῖκα παῖδας τήνδε μὴ φεύγειν χθόνα.

[¶120] Jason:
Yea, that will I; and her methinks I shall persuade,
since she is a woman like the rest.

> Greek: Ἰάσων:
μάλιστα, καὶ πείσειν γε δοξάζω σφ’ ἐγώ.
Μήδεια:
εἴπερ γυναικῶν ἐστι τῶν ἄλλων μία.

[¶121] Medea:
I too will aid thee in this task, for by the children’s hand I will send to her gifts that far surpass in beauty, I well know, aught that now is seen ’mongst men, a robe of finest tissue and a chaplet of chased gold.
But one of my attendants must haste and bring the ornaments hither. Happy shall she be not once alone but ten thousandfold, for in thee she wins the noblest soul to share her love, and gets these gifts as well which on a day my father’s sire, the Sun-god,
bestowed on his descendants. My children, take in your hands these wedding gifts, and bear them as an offering to the royal maid, the happy bride; for verily the gifts she shall receive are not to be scorned.

> Greek: συλλήψομαι δὲ τοῦδέ σοι κἀγὼ πόνου·
πέμψω γὰρ αὐτῇ δῶρ’ ἃ καλλιστεύεται
τῶν νῦν ἐν ἀνθρώποισιν, οἶδ’ ἐγώ, πολύ,
λεπτόν τε πέπλον καὶ πλόκον χρυσήλατον
παῖδας φέροντας. ἀλλ’ ὅσον τάχος χρεὼν
κόσμον κομίζειν δεῦρο προσπόλων τινά.
εὐδαιμονήσει δ’ οὐχ ἕν, ἀλλὰ μυρία,
ἀνδρός τ’ ἀρίστου σοῦ τυχοῦσ’ ὁμευνέτου
κεκτημένη τε κόσμον ὅν ποθ’ Ἥλιος
πατρὸς πατὴρ δίδωσιν ἐκγόνοισιν οἷς.
λάζυσθε φερνὰς τάσδε, παῖδες, ἐς χέρας
καὶ τῇ τυράννῳ μακαρίᾳ νύμφῃ δότε
φέροντες· οὔτοι δῶρα μεμπτὰ δέξεται.

## 3. Lines 959–1419

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

[¶0] Jason:
But why so rashly rob thyself of these gifts?

> Greek: Ἰάσων:
τί δ’, ὦ ματαία, τῶνδε σὰς κενοῖς χέρας;

[¶1] Dost think a royal palace wants for robes or gold? Keep them, nor give them to another. For well I know that if my lady hold me in esteem, she will set my price above all wealth.

> Greek: δοκεῖς σπανίζειν δῶμα βασίλειον πέπλων,
δοκεῖς δὲ χρυσοῦ; σῷζε, μὴ δίδου τάδε.
εἴπερ γὰρ ἡμᾶς ἀξιοῖ λόγου τινὸς
γυνή, προθήσει χρημάτων, σάφ’ οἶδ’ ἐγώ.

[¶2] Medea:
Say not so;’tis said that gifts tempt even gods;

> Greek: Μήδεια:
μή μοι σύ· πείθειν δῶρα καὶ θεοὺς λόγος·

[¶3] and o’er men’s minds gold holds more potent sway than countless words. Fortune smiles upon thy bride, and heaven now doth swell her triumph; youth is hers and princely power; yet to save my children from exile I would barter life, not dross alone. Children, when ye are come to the rich palace,
pray your father’s new bride, my mistress, with suppliant voice to save you from exile, offering her these ornaments the while; for it is most needful that she receive the gifts in her own hand. Now go and linger not; may ye succeed and to your mother bring back
the glad tidings she fain would hear!

> Greek: χρυσὸς δὲ κρείσσων μυρίων λόγων βροτοῖς.
κείνης ὁ δαίμων, κεῖνα νῦν αὔξει θεός,
νέα τυραννεῖ· τῶν δ’ ἐμῶν παίδων φυγὰς
ψυχῆς ἂν ἀλλαξαίμεθ’, οὐ χρυσοῦ μόνον.
ἀλλ’, ὦ τέκν’, εἰσελθόντε πλουσίους δόμους
πατρὸς νέαν γυναῖκα, δεσπότιν δ’ ἐμήν,
ἱκετεύετ’, ἐξαιτεῖσθε μὴ φυγεῖν χθόνα,
κόσμον διδόντες—τοῦδε γὰρ μάλιστα δεῖ—
ἐς χεῖρ’ ἐκείνης δῶρα δέξασθαι τάδε.
ἴθ’ ὡς τάχιστα· μητρὶ δ’ ὧν ἐρᾷ τυχεῖν
εὐάγγελοι γένοισθε πράξαντες καλῶς.

[¶4] Chorus:
Gone, gone is every hope I had that the children yet might live; forth to their doom they now proceed. The hapless bride will take, ay, take the golden crown that is to be her ruin;

> Greek: Χορός:
νῦν ἐλπίδες οὐκέτι μοι παίδων ζόας,
οὐκέτι· στείχουσι γὰρ ἐς φόνον ἤδη.
δέξεται νύμφα χρυσέων ἀναδεσμῶν
δέξεται δύστανος ἄταν·

[¶5] with her own hand will she lift and place upon her golden locks the garniture of death.

> Greek: ξανθᾷ δ’ ἀμφὶ κόμᾳ θήσει τὸν Ἅιδα
κόσμον αὐτὰ χεροῖν. [λαβοῦσα.]

[¶6] Chorus:
Its grace and sheen divine will tempt her to put on the robe and crown of gold,
and in that act will she deck herself to be a bride amid the dead. Such is the snare whereinto she will fall, such is the deadly doom that waits the hapless maid, nor shall she from the curse escape.

> Greek: Χορός:
πείσει χάρις ἀμβρόσιός τ’ αὐγὰ πέπλων
χρυσέων τευκτὸν στέφανον περιθέσθαι·
νερτέροις δ’ ἤδη πάρα νυμφοκομήσει.
τοῖον εἰς ἕρκος πεσεῖται
καὶ μοῖραν θανάτου δύστανος· ἄταν δ’
οὐχ ὑπεκφεύξεται.

[¶7] Chorus:
And thou, poor wretch, who to thy sorrow art wedding a king’s daughter, little thinkest of the doom thou art bringing on thy children’s life, or of the cruel death that waits thy bride.

> Greek: Χορός:
σὺ δ’, ὦ τάλαν, ὦ κακόνυμφε κηδεμὼν τυράννων,
παισὶν οὐ κατειδὼς
ὄλεθρον βιοτᾷ προσάγεις ἀλόχῳ τε
σᾷ στυγερὸν θάνατον.

[¶8] Woe is thee! how art thou fallen from thy high estate!

> Greek: δύστανε μοίρας ὅσον παροίχῃ.

[¶9] Chorus:
Next do I bewail thy sorrows, O mother hapless in thy children, thou who wilt slay thy babes because thou hast a rival, the babes
thy husband hath deserted impiously to join him to another bride.

> Greek: Χορός:
μεταστένομαι δὲ σὸν ἄλγος, ὦ τάλαινα παίδων
μᾶτερ, ἃ φονεύσεις
τέκνα νυμφιδίων ἕνεκεν λεχέων, ἅ
σοι προλιπὼν ἀνόμως
ἄλλᾳ ξυνοικεῖ πόσις συνεύνῳ.

[¶10] Attendant:
Thy children, lady, are from exile freed, and gladly did the royal bride accept thy gifts in her own hands, and so thy children made their peace with her.

> Greek: Παιδαγωγός:
δέσποιν’, ἀφεῖνται παῖδες οἵδε σοὶ φυγῆς,
καὶ δῶρα νύμφη βασιλὶς ἀσμένη χεροῖν
ἐδέξατ’· εἰρήνη δὲ τἀκεῖθεν τέκνοις.

[¶11] Medea:
Ah!
Attendant:
Why art so disquieted in thy prosperous hour? Why turnest thou thy cheek away, and hast no welcome for my glad news?

> Greek: ἔα.
τί συγχυθεῖσ’ ἕστηκας ἡνίκ’ εὐτυχεῖς;
[τί σὴν ἔστρεψας ἔμπαλιν παρηίδα]
[κοὐκ ἀσμένη τόνδ’ ἐξ ἐμοῦ δέχῃ λόγον;]

[¶12] Medea:
Ah me!

> Greek: Μήδεια:
αἰαῖ.

[¶13] Attendant:
These groans but ill accord with the news I bring.

> Greek: Παιδαγωγός:
τάδ’ οὐ ξυνῳδὰ τοῖσιν ἐξηγγελμένοις.

[¶14] Medea:
Ah me! once more I say.
Attendant:
Have I unwittingly announced some evil tidings?
Have I erred in thinking my news was good?

> Greek: Μήδεια:
αἰαῖ μάλ’ αὖθις.
Παιδαγωγός.:
μῶν τιν’ ἀγγέλλων τύχην
οὐκ οἶδα, δόξης δ’ ἐσφάλην εὐαγγέλου;

[¶15] Medea:
Thy news is as it is; I blame thee not.

> Greek: Μήδεια:
ἤγγειλας οἷ’ ἤγγειλας· οὐ σὲ μέμφομαι.·

[¶16] Attendant:
Then why this downcast eye, these floods of tears?

> Greek: Παιδαγωγός:
τί δαὶ κατηφεῖς ὄμμα καὶ δακρυρροεῖς;

[¶17] Medea:
Old friend, needs must I weep; for the gods and I with fell intent devised these schemes.

> Greek: Μήδεια:
πολλή μ’ ἀνάγκη, πρέσβυ· ταῦτα γὰρ θεοὶ
κἀγὼ κακῶς φρονοῦσ’ ἐμηχανησάμην.

[¶18] Attendant:
Be of good cheer; thou too of a surety shalt by thy sons yet be brought home again.

> Greek: Παιδαγωγός:
θάρσει· κάτει τοι καὶ σὺ πρὸς τέκνων ἔτι.

[¶19] Medea:
Ere that shall I bring others to their home, ah! woe is me!

> Greek: Μήδεια:
ἄλλους κατάξω πρόσθεν ἡ τάλαιν’ ἐγώ.

[¶20] Attendant:
Thou art not the only mother from thy children reft. Bear patiently thy troubles as a mortal must.

> Greek: Παιδαγωγός:
οὔτοι μόνη σὺ σῶν ἀπεζύγης τέκνων·
κούφως φέρειν χρὴ θνητὸν ὄντα συμφοράς.

[¶21] Medea:
I will obey; go thou within the house
and make the day’s provision for the children. O my babes, my babes, ye have still a city and a home, where far from me and my sad lot you will live your lives, reft of your mother for ever; while I must to another land in banishment,
or ever I have had my joy of you, or lived to see you happy, or ever I have graced your marriage couch, your bride, your bridal bower, or lifted high the wedding torch. Ah me! a victim of my own self-will. So it was all in vain I reared you, O my sons;
in vain did suffer, racked with anguish, enduring the cruel pangs of childbirth.’Fore Heaven I once had hope, poor me! high hope of ye that you would nurse me in my age and deck my corpse with loving hands,
a boon we mortals covet; but now is my sweet fancy dead and gone; for I must lose you both and in bitterness and sorrow drag through life. And ye shall never with fond eyes see your mother more, for o’er your life there comes a change.

> Greek: Μήδεια:
δράσω τάδ’. ἀλλὰ βαῖνε δωμάτων ἔσω
καὶ παισὶ πόρσυν’ οἷα χρὴ καθ’ ἡμέραν.
ὦ τέκνα τέκνα, σφῷν μὲν ἔστι δὴ πόλις
καὶ δῶμ’, ἐν ᾧ, λιπόντες ἀθλίαν ἐμέ,
οἰκήσετ’ αἰεὶ μητρὸς ἐστερημένοι·
ἐγὼ δ’ ἐς ἄλλην γαῖαν εἶμι δὴ φυγάς,
πρὶν σφῷν ὀνάσθαι κἀπιδεῖν εὐδαίμονας,
πρὶν λέκτρα καὶ γυναῖκα καὶ γαμηλίους
εὐνὰς ἀγῆλαι λαμπάδας τ’ ἀνασχεθεῖν.
ὦ δυστάλαινα τῆς ἐμῆς αὐθαδίας.
ἄλλως ἄρ’ ὑμᾶς, ὦ τέκν’, ἐξεθρεψάμην,
ἄλλως δ’ ἐμόχθουν καὶ κατεξάνθην πόνοις,
στερρὰς ἐνεγκοῦσ’ ἐν τόκοις ἀλγηδόνας.
ἦ μήν ποθ’ ἡ δύστηνος εἶχον ἐλπίδας
πολλὰς ἐν ὑμῖν, γηροβοσκήσειν τ’ ἐμὲ
καὶ κατθανοῦσαν χερσὶν εὖ περιστελεῖν,
ζηλωτὸν ἀνθρώποισι· νῦν δ’ ὄλωλε δὴ
γλυκεῖα φροντίς. σφῷν γὰρ ἐστερημένη
λυπρὸν διάξω βίοτον ἀλγεινόν τ’ ἐμοί.
ὑμεῖς δὲ μητέρ’ οὐκέτ’ ὄμμασιν φίλοις
ὄψεσθ’, ἐς ἄλλο σχῆμ’ ἀποστάντες βίου.

[¶22] Ah me! ah me! why do ye look at me so, my children? why smile that last sweet smile? Ah me! what am I to do? My heart gives way when I behold my children’s laughing eyes. Ο, I cannot; farewell to all my former schemes;
I will take the children from the land, the babes I bore. Why should I wound their sire by wounding them, and get me a twofold measure of sorrow? No, no, I will not do it. Farewell my scheming!

> Greek: φεῦ φεῦ· τί προσδέρκεσθέ μ’ ὄμμασιν, τέκνα;
τί προσγελᾶτε τὸν πανύστατον γέλων;
αἰαῖ· τί δράσω; καρδία γὰρ οἴχεται,
γυναῖκες, ὄμμα φαιδρὸν ὡς εἶδον τέκνων.
οὐκ ἂν δυναίμην· χαιρέτω βουλεύματα
τὰ πρόσθεν· ἄξω παῖδας ἐκ γαίας ἐμούς.
τί δεῖ με πατέρα τῶνδε τοῖς τούτων κακοῖς
λυποῦσαν αὐτὴν δὶς τόσα κτᾶσθαι κακά;
οὐ δῆτ’ ἔγωγε. χαιρέτω βουλεύματα.

[¶23] And yet what am I coming to? Can I consent
to let those foes of mine escape from punishment, and incur their mockery? I must face this deed. Out upon my craven heart! to think that I should even have let the soft words escape my soul. Into the house, children! and whoso feels he must not be present at my sacrifice,
must see to it himself; I will not spoil my handiwork. Ah! ah! do not, my heart, O do not do this deed! Let the children go, unhappy one, spare the babes! For if they live, they will cheer thee in our exile there. Nay, by the fiends of hell’s abyss,
never, never will I hand my children over to their foes to mock and flout. Die they must in any case, and since ’tis so, why I, the mother who bore them, will give the fatal blow. In any case their doom is fixed and there is no escape.

> Greek: καίτοι τί πάσχω; βούλομαι γέλωτ’ ὀφλεῖν
ἐχθροὺς μεθεῖσα τοὺς ἐμοὺς ἀζημίους;
τολμητέον τάδ’. ἀλλὰ τῆς ἐμῆς κάκης,
τὸ καὶ προσέσθαι μαλθακοὺς λόγους φρενί.
χωρεῖτε, παῖδες, ἐς δόμους. ὅτῳ δὲ μὴ
θέμις παρεῖναι τοῖς ἐμοῖσι θύμασιν,
αὐτῷ μελήσει· χεῖρα δ’ οὐ διαφθερῶ.
ἆ ἆ.
μὴ δῆτα, θυμέ, μὴ σύ γ’ ἐργάσῃ τάδε·
ἔασον αὐτούς, ὦ τάλαν, φεῖσαι τέκνων·
ἐκεῖ μεθ’ ἡμῶν ζῶντες εὐφρανοῦσί σε.
μὰ τοὺς παρ’ Ἅιδῃ νερτέρους ἀλάστορας,
οὔτοι ποτ’ ἔσται τοῦθ’ ὅπως ἐχθροῖς ἐγὼ
παῖδας παρήσω τοὺς ἐμοὺς καθυβρίσαι.
[πάντως σφ’ ἀνάγκη κατθανεῖν· ἐπεὶ δὲ χρή,]
[ἡμεῖς κτενοῦμεν οἵπερ ἐξεφύσαμεν.]
πάντως πέπρακται ταῦτα κοὐκ ἐκφεύξεται.

[¶24] Already the crown is on her head, the robe is round her, and she is dying, the royal bride; that do I know full well. But now since I have a piteous path to tread, and yet more piteous still the path I send my children on, fain would I say farewell to them. O my babes,
my babes, let your mother kiss your hands. Ah! hands I love so well, O lips most dear to me! O noble form and features of my children, I wish ye joy, but in that other land, for here your father robs you of your home. O the sweet embrace,
the soft young cheek, the fragrant breath! my children! Go, leave me; I cannot bear to longer look upon ye; my sorrow wins the day. At last I understand the awful deed I am to do; but passion, that cause of direst woes to mortal man,
hath triumphed o’er my sober thoughts.

> Greek: καὶ δὴ ’πὶ κρατὶ στέφανος, ἐν πέπλοισι δὲ
νύμφη τύραννος ὄλλυται, σάφ’ οἶδ’ ἐγώ.
ἀλλ’, εἶμι γὰρ δὴ τλημονεστάτην ὁδόν,
καὶ τούσδε πέμψω τλημονεστέραν ἔτι,
παῖδας προσειπεῖν βούλομαι.—δότ’, ὦ τέκνα,
δότ’ ἀσπάσασθαι μητρὶ δεξιὰν χέρα.
ὦ φιλτάτη χείρ, φίλτατον δέ μοι στόμα
καὶ σχῆμα καὶ πρόσωπον εὐγενὲς τέκνων,
εὐδαιμονοῖτον, ἀλλ’ ἐκεῖ· τὰ δ’ ἐνθάδε
πατὴρ ἀφείλετ’. ὦ γλυκεῖα προσβολή,
ὦ μαλθακὸς χρὼς πνεῦμά θ’ ἥδιστον τέκνων.
χωρεῖτε χωρεῖτ’· οὐκέτ’ εἰμὶ προσβλέπειν
οἵα τε πρὸς ὑμᾶς, ἀλλὰ νικῶμαι κακοῖς.
καὶ μανθάνω μὲν οἷα δρᾶν μέλλω κακά,
θυμὸς δὲ κρείσσων τῶν ἐμῶν βουλευμάτων,
ὅσπερ μεγίστων αἴτιος κακῶν βροτοῖς.

[¶25] Chorus:
Oft ere now have I pursued subtler themes and have faced graver issues than woman’s sex should seek to probe;

> Greek: Χορός:
πολλάκις ἤδη
διὰ λεπτοτέρων μύθων ἔμολον
καὶ πρὸς ἁμίλλας ἦλθον μείζους
ἢ χρὴ γενεὰν θῆλυν ἐρευνᾶν·

[¶26] but then e’en we aspire to culture, which dwells with us to teach us wisdom; I say not all; for small is the class amongst women—(one maybe shalt thou find ’mid many)— that is not incapable of culture.

> Greek: ἀλλὰ γὰρ ἔστιν μοῦσα καὶ ἡμῖν,
ἣ προσομιλεῖ σοφίας ἕνεκεν·
πάσαισι μὲν οὔ· παῦρον δὲ δὴ
γένος ἐν πολλαῖς εὕροις ἂν ἴσως
κοὐκ ἀπόμουσον τὸ γυναικῶν.

[¶27] And amongst mortals I do assert that they who are wholly without experience and have never had children far surpass in happiness those who are parents. The childless, because they have never proved
whether children grow up to be a blessing or curse to men are removed from all share in many troubles; whilst those who have a sweet race of children growing up in their houses do wear away, as I perceive,
their whole life through; first with the thought how they may train them up in virtue, next how they shall leave their sons the means to live; and after all this ’tis far from clear whether on good or bad children they bestow their toil.

> Greek: καί φημι βροτῶν οἵτινές εἰσιν
πάμπαν ἄπειροι μηδ’ ἐφύτευσαν
παῖδας, προφέρειν εἰς εὐτυχίαν
τῶν γειναμένων.
οἱ μὲν ἄτεκνοι δι’ ἀπειροσύνην
εἴθ’ ἡδὺ βροτοῖς εἴτ’ ἀνιαρὸν
παῖδες τελέθουσ’ οὐχὶ τυχόντες
πολλῶν μόχθων ἀπέχονται·
οἷσι δὲ τέκνων ἔστιν ἐν οἴκοις
γλυκερὸν βλάστημ’, ὁρῶ μελέτῃ
κατατρυχομένους τὸν ἅπαντα χρόνον,
πρῶτον μὲν ὅπως θρέψουσι καλῶς
βίοτόν θ’ ὁπόθεν λείψουσι τέκνοις·
ἔτι δ’ ἐκ τούτων εἴτ’ ἐπὶ φλαύροις
εἴτ’ ἐπὶ χρηστοῖς
μοχθοῦσι, τόδ’ ἐστὶν ἄδηλον.

[¶28] But one last crowning woe for every mortal man I now will name; suppose that they have found sufficient means to live, and seen their children grow to man’s estate and walk in virtue’s path, still if
fortune so befall, comes Death and bears the children’s bodies off to Hades. Can it be any profit to the gods to heap upon us mortal men beside our other woes this further grief for children lost,
a grief surpassing all?

> Greek: ἓν δὲ τὸ πάντων λοίσθιον ἤδη
πᾶσιν κατερῶ θνητοῖσι κακόν·
καὶ δὴ γὰρ ἅλις βίοτόν θ’ ηὗρον
σῶμά τ’ ἐς ἥβην ἤλυθε τέκνων
χρηστοί τ’ ἐγένοντ’· εἰ δὲ κυρήσαι
δαίμων οὕτως, φροῦδος ἐς Ἅιδην
θάνατος προφέρων σώματα τέκνων.
πῶς οὖν λύει πρὸς τοῖς ἄλλοις
τήνδ’ ἔτι λύπην ἀνιαροτάτην
παίδων ἕνεκεν
θνητοῖσι θεοὺς ἐπιβάλλειν;

[¶29] Medea:
Kind friends, long have I waited expectantly to know how things would at the palace chance. And lo! I see one of Jason’s servants coming hither, whose hurried gasps for breath
proclaim him the bearer of some fresh tidings.

> Greek: Μήδεια:
φίλαι, πάλαι τοι προσμένουσα τὴν τύχην
καραδοκῶ τἀκεῖθεν οἷ προβήσεται.
καὶ δὴ δέδορκα τόνδε τῶν Ἰάσονος
στείχοντ’ ὀπαδῶν· πνεῦμα δ’ ἠρεθισμένον
δείκνυσιν ὥς τι καινὸν ἀγγελεῖ κακόν.

[¶30] Messenger:
Fly, fly, Medea! who hast wrought an awful deed, transgressing every law; nor leave behind or sea-borne bark or car that scours the plain.

> Greek: Ἄγγελος:
ὦ δεινὸν ἔργον παρανόμως εἰργασμένη,
Μήδεια, φεῦγε φεῦγε, μήτε ναΐαν
λιποῦσ’ ἀπήνην μήτ’ ὄχον πεδοστιβῆ.

[¶31] Medea:
Why, what hath chanced that calls for such a flight of mine?

> Greek: Μήδεια:
τί δ’ ἄξιόν μοι τῆσδε τυγχάνει φυγῆς;

[¶32] Messenger:
The princess is dead, a moment gone, and Creon too, her sire, slain by those drugs of thine.

> Greek: Ἄγγελος:
ὄλωλεν ἡ τύραννος ἀρτίως κόρη
Κρέων θ’ ὁ φύσας φαρμάκων τῶν σῶν ὕπο.

[¶33] Medea:
Tidings most fair are thine! Henceforth shalt thou be ranked amongst my friends and benefactors.

> Greek: Μήδεια:
κάλλιστον εἶπας μῦθον, ἐν δ’ εὐεργέταις
τὸ λοιπὸν ἤδη καὶ φίλοις ἐμοῖς ἔσῃ.

[¶34] Messenger:
Ha! What? Art sane? Art not distraught, lady,
who hearest with joy the outrage to our royal house done, and art not at the horrid tale afraid?

> Greek: Ἄγγελος:
τί φῄς; φρονεῖς μὲν ὀρθὰ κοὐ μαίνῃ, γύναι,
ἥτις, τυράννων ἑστίαν ᾐκισμένη,
χαίρεις κλύουσα κοὐ φοβῇ τὰ τοιάδε;

[¶35] Medea:
Somewhat have I, too, to say in answer to thy words. Be not so hasty, friend, but tell the manner of their death, for thou wouldst give me double joy,
if so they perished miserably.

> Greek: Μήδεια:
ἔχω τι κἀγὼ τοῖς γε σοῖς ἐναντίον
λόγοισιν εἰπεῖν· ἀλλὰ μὴ σπέρχου, φίλος,
λέξον δέ· πῶς ὤλοντο; δὶς τόσον γὰρ ἂν
τέρψειας ἡμᾶς, εἰ τεθνᾶσι παγκάκως.

[¶36] Messenger:
When the children twain whom thou didst bear came with their father and entered the palace of the bride, right glad were we thralls who had shared thy griefs, for instantly from ear to ear a rumour spread
that thou and thy lord had made up your former quarrel. One kissed thy children’s hands, another their golden hair, while I for very joy went with them in person to the women’s chambers. Our mistress, whom now we do revere in thy room,
cast a longing glance at Jason, ere she saw thy children twain; but then she veiled her eyes and turned her blanching cheek away, disgusted at their coming; but thy husband
tried to check his young bride’s angry humour with these words: “O, be not angered ’gainst thy friends; cease from wrath and turn once more thy face this way, counting as friends whomso thy husband counts, and accept these gifts, and for my sake crave thy sire ”
“to remit these children’s exile.” Soon as she saw the ornaments, no longer she held out, but yielded to her lord in all; and ere the father and his sons were far from the palace gone, she took the broidered robe and put it on,
and set the golden crown about her tresses, arranging her hair at her bright mirror, with many a happy smile at her breathless counterfeit. Then rising from her seat she passed across the chamber, tripping lightly on her fair white foot,
exulting in the gift, with many a glance at her uplifted ankle. When lo! a scene of awful horror did ensue. In a moment she turned pale, reeled backwards, trembling in every limb,
and sinks upon a seat scarce soon enough to save herself from falling to the ground. An aged dame, one of her company, thinking belike it was a fit from Pan or some god sent, raised a cry of prayer, till from her mouth she saw the foam-flakes issue, her eyeballs
rolling in their sockets, and all the blood her face desert; then did she raise a loud scream far different fiom her former cry. Forthwith one handmaid rushed to her father’s house, another to her new bridegroom to tell his bride’s sad fate,
and the whole house echoed with their running to and fro.

> Greek: Ἄγγελος:
ἐπεὶ τέκνων σῶν ἦλθε δίπτυχος γονὴ
σὺν πατρί, καὶ παρῆλθε νυμφικοὺς δόμους,
ἥσθημεν οἵπερ σοῖς ἐκάμνομεν κακοῖς
δμῶες· δι’ ὤτων δ’ εὐθὺς ἦν πολὺς λόγος
σὲ καὶ πόσιν σὸν νεῖκος ἐσπεῖσθαι τὸ πρίν.
κυνεῖ δ’ ὃ μέν τις χεῖρ’, ὃ δὲ ξανθὸν κάρα
παίδων· ἐγὼ δὲ καὐτὸς ἡδονῆς ὕπο
στέγας γυναικῶν σὺν τέκνοις ἅμ’ ἑσπόμην.
δέσποινα δ’ ἣν νῦν ἀντὶ σοῦ θαυμάζομεν,
πρὶν μὲν τέκνων σῶν εἰσιδεῖν ξυνωρίδα,
πρόθυμον εἶχ’ ὀφθαλμὸν εἰς Ἰάσονα·
ἔπειτα μέντοι προὐκαλύψατ’ ὄμματα
λευκήν τ’ ἀπέστρεψ’ ἔμπαλιν παρηίδα,
παίδων μυσαχθεῖσ’ εἰσόδους· πόσις δὲ σὸς
ὀργάς τ’ ἀφῄρει καὶ χόλον νεάνιδος
λέγων τάδ’· Οὐ μὴ δυσμενὴς ἔσῃ φίλοις,
παύσῃ δὲ θυμοῦ καὶ πάλιν στρέψεις κάρα,
φίλους νομίζουσ’ οὕσπερ ἂν πόσις σέθεν,
δέξῃ δὲ δῶρα καὶ παραιτήσῃ πατρὸς
φυγὰς ἀφεῖναι παισὶ τοῖσδ’, ἐμὴν χάριν;
ἣ δ’ ὡς ἐσεῖδε κόσμον, οὐκ ἠνέσχετο,
ἀλλ’ ᾔνεσ’ ἀνδρὶ πάντα, καὶ πρὶν ἐκ δόμων
μακρὰν ἀπεῖναι πατέρα καὶ παῖδας, [σέθεν]
λαβοῦσα πέπλους ποικίλους ἠμπέσχετο,
χρυσοῦν τε θεῖσα στέφανον ἀμφὶ βοστρύχοις
λαμπρῷ κατόπτρῳ σχηματίζεται κόμην,
ἄψυχον εἰκὼ προσγελῶσα σώματος.
κἄπειτ’ ἀναστᾶσ’ ἐκ θρόνων διέρχεται
στέγας, ἁβρὸν βαίνουσα παλλεύκῳ ποδί,
δώροις ὑπερχαίρουσα, πολλὰ πολλάκις
τένοντ’ ἐς ὀρθὸν ὄμμασι σκοπουμένη.
τοὐνθένδε μέντοι δεινὸν ἦν θέαμ’ ἰδεῖν·
χροιὰν γὰρ ἀλλάξασα λεχρία πάλιν
χωρεῖ τρέμουσα κῶλα καὶ μόλις φθάνει
θρόνοισιν ἐμπεσοῦσα μὴ χαμαὶ πεσεῖν.
καί τις γεραιὰ προσπόλων, δόξασά που
ἢ Πανὸς ὀργὰς ἢ τινὸς θεῶν μολεῖν,
ἀνωλόλυξε, πρίν γ’ ὁρᾷ διὰ στόμα
χωροῦντα λευκὸν ἀφρόν, ὀμμάτων τ’ ἄπο
κόρας στρέφουσαν, αἷμά τ’ οὐκ ἐνὸν χροΐ·
εἶτ’ ἀντίμολπον ἧκεν ὀλολυγῆς μέγαν
κωκυτόν. εὐθὺς δ’ ἣ μὲν ἐς πατρὸς δόμους
ὥρμησεν, ἣ δὲ πρὸς τὸν ἀρτίως πόσιν
φράσουσα νύμφης συμφοράν· ἅπασα δὲ
στέγη πυκνοῖσιν ἐκτύπει δρομήμασιν.

[¶37] By this time would a quick walker have made the turn in a course of six plethra and reached the goal, when she with one awful shriek awoke, poor sufferer, from her speechless trance and oped her closed eyes,
for against her a twofold anguish was warring. The chaplet of gold about her head was sending forth a wondrous stream of ravening flame, while the fine raiment, thy children’s gift, was preying on the hapless maiden’s fair white flesh;

> Greek: ἤδη δ’ ἀνέλκων κῶλον ἔκπλεθρον δρόμου
ταχὺς βαδιστὴς τερμόνων ἂν ἥπτετο,
ἣ δ’ ἐξ ἀναύδου καὶ μύσαντος ὄμματος
δεινὸν στενάξασ’ ἡ τάλαιν’ ἠγείρετο.
διπλοῦν γὰρ αὐτῇ πῆμ’ ἐπεστρατεύετο·
χρυσοῦς μὲν ἀμφὶ κρατὶ κείμενος πλόκος
θαυμαστὸν ἵει νᾶμα παμφάγου πυρός,
πέπλοι δὲ λεπτοί, σῶν τέκνων δωρήματα,
λεπτὴν ἔδαπτον σάρκα τῆς δυσδαίμονος.

[¶38] and she starts from her seat in a blaze and seeks to fly, shaking her hair and head this way and that, to cast the crown therefrom; but the gold held firm to its fastenings, and the flame, as she shook her locks, blazed forth the more with double fury.

> Greek: φεύγει δ’ ἀναστᾶσ’ ἐκ θρόνων πυρουμένη,
σείουσα χαίτην κρᾶτά τ’ ἄλλοτ’ ἄλλοσε,
ῥῖψαι θέλουσα στέφανον· ἀλλ’ ἀραρότως
σύνδεσμα χρυσὸς εἶχε, πῦρ δ’, ἐπεὶ κόμην
ἔσεισε, μᾶλλον δὶς τόσως ἐλάμπετο.

[¶39] Then to the earth she sinks, by the cruel blow o’ercome, past all recognition now save to a father’s eye; for her eyes had lost their tranquil gaze, her face no more its natural look preserved, and from the crown of her head blood and fire in mingled stream ran down;
and from her bones the flesh kept peeling off beneath the gnawing of those secret drugs, e’en as when the pine-tree weeps its tears of pitch, a fearsome sight to see. And all were afraid to touch the corpse, for we were warned by what had chanced. Anon came her hapless father
unto the house, all unwitting of her doom, and stumbles o’er the dead, and loud he cried, and folding his arms about her kissed her, with words like these the while, “O my poor, poor child, which of the gods hath destroyed thee thus foully? Who is robbing me of thee, old as I am and ”
“ripe for death? O my child, alas! would I could die with thee!” He ceased his sad lament, and would have raised his aged frame, but found himself held fast by the finespun robe as ivy that clings to the branches of the bay, and then ensued a fearful struggle.

> Greek: πίτνει δ’ ἐς οὖδας συμφορᾷ νικωμένη,
πλὴν τῷ τεκόντι κάρτα δυσμαθὴς ἰδεῖν·
οὔτ’ ὀμμάτων γὰρ δῆλος ἦν κατάστασις
οὔτ’ εὐφυὲς πρόσωπον, αἷμα δ’ ἐξ ἄκρου
ἔσταζε κρατὸς συμπεφυρμένον πυρί,
σάρκες δ’ ἀπ’ ὀστέων ὥστε πεύκινον δάκρυ
γναθμοῖς ἀδήλοις φαρμάκων ἀπέρρεον,
δεινὸν θέαμα· πᾶσι δ’ ἦν φόβος θιγεῖν
νεκροῦ· τύχην γὰρ εἴχομεν διδάσκαλον.
πατὴρ δ’ ὁ τλήμων συμφορᾶς ἀγνωσίᾳ
ἄφνω προσελθὼν δῶμα προσπίτνει νεκρῷ·
ᾤμωξε δ’ εὐθύς, καὶ περιπτύξας χέρας
κυνεῖ προσαυδῶν τοιάδ’· Ὦ δύστηνε παῖ,
τίς σ’ ὧδ’ ἀτίμως δαιμόνων ἀπώλεσε;
τίς τὸν γέροντα τύμβον ὀρφανὸν σέθεν
τίθησιν; οἴμοι, συνθάνοιμί σοι, τέκνον.
ἐπεὶ δὲ θρήνων καὶ γόων ἐπαύσατο,
χρῄζων γεραιὸν ἐξαναστῆσαι δέμας
προσείχεθ’ ὥστε κισσὸς ἔρνεσιν δάφνης
λεπτοῖσι πέπλοις, δεινὰ δ’ ἦν παλαίσματα·

[¶40] He strove to rise, but she still held him back; and if ever he pulled with all his might, from off his bones his aged flesh he tore. At last he gave it up, and breathed forth his soul in awful suffering; for he could no longer master the pain.

> Greek: ὃ μὲν γὰρ ἤθελ’ ἐξαναστῆσαι γόνυ,
ἣ δ’ ἀντελάζυτ’. εἰ δὲ πρὸς βίαν ἄγοι,
σάρκας γεραιὰς ἐσπάρασσ’ ἀπ’ ὀστέων.
χρόνῳ δ’ ἀπέσβη καὶ μεθῆχ’ ὁ δύσμορος
ψυχήν· κακοῦ γὰρ οὐκέτ’ ἦν ὑπέρτερος.

[¶41] So there they lie, daughter and aged sire, dead side by side, a grievous sight that calls for tears. And as for thee, I leave thee out of my consideration, for thyself must discover a means to escape punishment. Not now for the first time I think this human life a shadow;
yea, and without shrinking I will say that they amongst men who pretend to wisdom and expend deep thought on words do incur a serious charge of folly; for amongst mortals no man is happy; wealth may pour in and make
one luckier than another, but none can happy be.

> Greek: κεῖνται δὲ νεκροὶ παῖς τε καὶ γέρων πατὴρ
πέλας, ποθεινὴ δακρύοισι συμφορά.
καί μοι τὸ μὲν σὸν ἐκποδὼν ἔστω λόγου·
γνώσῃ γὰρ αὐτὴ ζημίας ἀποστροφήν.
τὰ θνητὰ δ’ οὐ νῦν πρῶτον ἡγοῦμαι σκιάν,
οὐδ’ ἂν τρέσας εἴποιμι τοὺς σοφοὺς βροτῶν
δοκοῦντας εἶναι καὶ μεριμνητὰς λόγων
τούτους μεγίστην ζημίαν ὀφλισκάνειν.
θνητῶν γὰρ οὐδείς ἐστιν εὐδαίμων ἀνήρ·
ὄλβου δ’ ἐπιρρυέντος εὐτυχέστερος
ἄλλου γένοιτ’ ἂν ἄλλος, εὐδαίμων δ’ ἂν οὔ.

[¶42] Chorus:
This day the deity, it seems, will mass on Jason, as he well deserves, a heavy load of evils. Woe is thee, daughter of Creon! We pity thy sad fate, gone as thou art to Hades’ halls
as the price of thy marriage with Jason.

> Greek: Χορός:
ἔοιχ’ ὁ δαίμων πολλὰ τῇδ’ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ
κακὰ ξυνάπτειν ἐνδίκως Ἰάσονι.
ὦ τλῆμον, ὥς σου συμφορὰς οἰκτίρομεν,
κόρη Κρέοντος, ἥτις εἰς Ἅιδου δόμους
οἴχῃ γάμων ἕκατι τῶν Ἰάσονος.

[¶43] Medea:
My friends, I am resolved upon the deed; at once will I slay my children and then leave this land, without delaying long enough to hand them over to some more savage hand to butcher.

> Greek: Μήδεια:
φίλαι, δέδοκται τοὔργον ὡς τάχιστά μοι
παῖδας κτανούσῃ τῆσδ’ ἀφορμᾶσθαι χθονός,
καὶ μὴ σχολὴν ἄγουσαν ἐκδοῦναι τέκνα
ἄλλῃ φονεῦσαι δυσμενεστέρᾳ χερί.

[¶44] Needs must they die in any case; and since they must, I will slay them—I, the mother that bare them. O heart of mine, steel thyself! Why do I hesitate to do the awful deed that must be done? Come, take the sword, thou wretched hand of mine!
Take it, and advance to the post whence starts thy life of sorrow! Away with cowardice! Give not one thought to thy babes, how dear they are or how thou art their mother This one brief day forget thy children dear, and after that lament; for though thou wilt slay them yet
they were thy darlings still, and am a lady of sorrows.

> Greek: πάντως σφ’ ἀνάγκη κατθανεῖν· ἐπεὶ δὲ χρή,
ἡμεῖς κτενοῦμεν, οἵπερ ἐξεφύσαμεν.
ἀλλ’ εἶ’ ὁπλίζου, καρδία. τί μέλλομεν
τὰ δεινὰ κἀναγκαῖα μὴ πράσσειν κακά;
ἄγ’, ὦ τάλαινα χεὶρ ἐμή, λαβὲ ξίφος,
λάβ’, ἕρπε πρὸς βαλβῖδα λυπηρὰν βίου,
καὶ μὴ κακισθῇς μηδ’ ἀναμνησθῇς τέκνων,
ὡς φίλταθ’, ὡς ἔτικτες· ἀλλὰ τήνδε γε
λαθοῦ βραχεῖαν ἡμέραν παίδων σέθεν,
κἄπειτα θρήνει· καὶ γὰρ εἰ κτενεῖς σφ’, ὅμως
φίλοι γ’ ἔφυσαν—δυστυχὴς δ’ ἐγὼ γυνή.

[¶45] Chorus:
O earth, O sun whose beam illumines all, look, look upon this lost woman, ere she stretch forth, her murderous hand upon her sons for blood;

> Greek: Χορός:
ἰὼ Γᾶ τε καὶ παμφαὴς
ἀκτὶς Ἀελίου, κατίδετ’ ἴδετε τὰν
ὀλομέναν γυναῖκα, πρὶν φοινίαν
τέκνοις προσβαλεῖν χέρ’ αὐτοκτόνον·

[¶46] for lo! these are scions of thy own golden seed, and the blood of gods is in danger of being shed by man. O light, from Zeus proceeding, stay her, hold her hand, forth from the house
chase this fell bloody fiend by demons led.

> Greek: τεᾶς γὰρ ἀπὸ χρυσέας γονᾶς
ἔβλαστεν, θεοῦ δ’ αἷμά τι πίτνειν
φόβος ὑπ’ ἀνέρων.
ἀλλά νιν, ὦ φάος διογενές, κάτειρ-
γε κατάπαυσον, ἔξελ’ οἴκων φονίαν
τάλαινάν τ’ Ἐρινὺν ὑπ’ ἀλαστόρων.

[¶47] Chorus:
Vainly wasted were the throes thy children cost thee; vainly hast thou born, it seems, sweet babes, O thou who hast left behind thee that passage through the blue Symplegades, that strangers justly hate.

> Greek: Χορός:
μάταν μόχθος ἔρρει τέκνων,
ἆρα μάταν γένος φίλιον ἔτεκες, ὦ
κυανεᾶν λιποῦσα Συμπληγάδων
πετρᾶν ἀξενωτάταν ἐσβολάν;

[¶48] Ah! hapless one, why doth fierce anger thy soul assail? Why in its place is fell murder growing up? For grievous unto mortal men are pollutions that come of kindred blood poured on the earth,
woes to suit each crime hurled from heaven on the murderer’s house.
Sons: within
Ah!

> Greek: δειλαία, τί σοι φρενῶν βαρὺς
χόλος προσπίτνει καὶ δυσμενὴς
φόνος; ἀμείβεται
χαλεπὰ γὰρ βροτοῖς ὁμογενῆ μιά-
σματα ἐπὶ γαῖαν αὐτοφόνταις ξυνῳ-
δὰ θεόθεν πίτνοντ’ ἐπὶ δόμοις ἄχη.
⟨⟩ ⟨
Παῖδες: ἔνδοθεν.⟩
⟨αἰαῖ.⟩

[¶49] Chorus:
Didst hear, didst hear the children’s cry? O lady, born to sorrow, victim of an evil fate!

> Greek: Χορός:
—ἀκούεις βοὰν ἀκούεις τέκνων;
—ἰὼ τλᾶμον, ὦ κακοτυχὲς γύναι.

[¶50] 1st Son:
(within). Ah, me; what can I do? Whither fly to escape my mother’s blows?

> Greek: Παῖδες:
—οἴμοι, τί δράσω; ποῖ φύγω μητρὸς χέρας;

[¶51] 2nd Son:
(within). I know not, sweet brother mine; we are undone.

> Greek: —οὐκ οἶδ’, ἄδελφε φίλτατ’· ὀλλύμεσθα γάρ.

[¶52] Chorus:
Shall I enter the house? For the children’s sake I am resolved to ward off the murder.

> Greek: Χορός:
παρέλθω δόμους; ἀρῆξαι φόνον
δοκεῖ μοι τέκνοις.

[¶53] 1st Son:
(within). Yea, by heaven I adjure you; help, your aid is needed.

> Greek: Παῖδες:
—ναί, πρὸς θεῶν, ἀρήξατ’· ἐν δέοντι γάρ.

[¶54] 2nd Son:
(within). Even now the toils of the sword are closing round us.

> Greek: —ὡς ἐγγὺς ἤδη γ’ ἐσμὲν ἀρκύων ξίφους.

[¶55] Chorus:
O hapless mother, surely thou hast a heart of stone or steel
to slay the offspring of thy womb by such a murderous doom.

> Greek: Χορός:
—τάλαιν’, ὡς ἄρ’ ἦσθα πέτρος ἢ σίδα-
ρος, ἅτις τέκνων
ὃν ἔτεκες ἄροτον αὐτόχειρι μοίρᾳ κτενεῖς.

[¶56] Chorus:
Of all the wives of yore I know but one who laid her hand upon her children dear, even Ino, whom the gods did madden in the day
that the wife of Zeus drove her wandering from her home. But she, poor sufferer, flung herself into the sea because of the foul murder of her children, leaping o’er the wave-beat cliff, and in her death was she united to her children twain.

> Greek: Χορός:
—μίαν δὴ κλύω μίαν τῶν πάρος
γυναῖκ’ ἐν φίλοις χέρα βαλεῖν τέκνοις·
Ἰνὼ μανεῖσαν ἐκ θεῶν, ὅθ’ ἡ Διὸς
δάμαρ νιν ἐξέπεμψε δωμάτων ἄλῃ·
πίτνει δ’ ἁ τάλαιν’ ἐς ἅλμαν φόνῳ
τέκνων δυσσεβεῖ,
ἀκτῆς ὑπερτείνασα ποντίας πόδα,
δυοῖν τε παίδοιν συνθανοῦσ’ ἀπόλλυται.

[¶57] Can there be any deed of horror left to follow this? Woe for the wooing of women fraught with disaster! What sorrows hast thou caused for men ere now!

> Greek: τί δῆτ’ οὖν γένοιτ’ ἂν ἔτι δεινόν; ὦ
γυναικῶν λέχος
πολύπονον, ὅσα βροτοῖς ἔρεξας ἤδη κακά.

[¶58] Jason:
Ladies, stationed near this house, pray tell me is the author of these hideous deeds,
Medea, still within, or hath she fled from hence? For she must hide beneath the earth or soar on wings towards heaven’s vault, if she would avoid the vengeance of the royal house. Is she so sure she will escape herself unpunished from this house,
when she hath slain the rulers of the land? But enough of this! I am forgetting her children. As for her, those whom she hath wronged will do the like by her; but I am come to save the children’s life, lest the victim’s kin visit their wrath on me, in vengeance for the murder foul,
wrought by my children’s mother.

> Greek: Ἰάσων:
γυναῖκες, αἳ τῆσδ’ ἐγγὺς ἕστατε στέγης,
ἆρ’ ἐν δόμοισιν ἡ τὰ δείν’ εἰργασμένη
Μήδεια τοῖσδ’ ἔτ’, ἢ μεθέστηκεν φυγῇ;
δεῖ γάρ νιν ἤτοι γῆς γε κρυφθῆναι κάτω,
ἢ πτηνὸν ἆραι σῶμ’ ἐς αἰθέρος βάθος,
εἰ μὴ τυράννων δώμασιν δώσει δίκην·
πέποιθ’ ἀποκτείνασα κοιράνους χθονὸς
ἀθῷος αὐτὴ τῶνδε φεύξεσθαι δόμων;
ἀλλ’ οὐ γὰρ αὐτῆς φροντίδ’ ὡς τέκνων ἔχω·
κείνην μὲν οὓς ἔδρασεν ἔρξουσιν κακῶς,
ἐμῶν δὲ παίδων ἦλθον ἐκσῴσων βίον,
μή μοί τι δράσωσ’ οἱ προσήκοντες γένει,
μητρῷον ἐκπράσσοντες ἀνόσιον φόνον.

[¶59] Chorus:
Unhappy man, thou knowest not the full extent of thy misery, else had thou never said those words.

> Greek: Χορός:
ὦ τλῆμον, οὐκ οἶσθ’ οἷ κακῶν ἐλήλυθας,
Ἰᾶσον· οὐ γὰρ τούσδ’ ἂν ἐφθέγξω λόγους.

[¶60] Jason:
How now? Can she want to kill me too?

> Greek: Ἰάσων:
τί δ’ ἔστιν; ἦ που κἄμ’ ἀποκτεῖναι θέλει;

[¶61] Chorus:
Thy sons are dead; slain by their own mother’s hand.

> Greek: Χορός:
παῖδες τεθνᾶσι χειρὶ μητρῴᾳ σέθεν.

[¶62] Jason:
O God! what sayest thou? Woman, thou hast sealed my doom.

> Greek: Ἰάσων:
οἴμοι τί λέξεις; ὥς μ’ ἀπώλεσας, γύναι.

[¶63] Chorus:
Thy children are no more; be sure of this.

> Greek: Χορός:
ὡς οὐκέτ’ ὄντων σῶν τέκνων φρόντιζε δή.

[¶64] Jason:
Where slew she them; within the palace or outside?

> Greek: Ἰάσων:
ποῦ γάρ νιν ἔκτειν’; ἐντὸς ἢ ἔξωθεν δόμων;

[¶65] Chorus:
Throw wide the doors and see thy children’s murdered corpses.

> Greek: Χορός:
πύλας ἀνοίξας σῶν τέκνων ὄψῃ φόνον.

[¶66] Jason:
Haste, ye slaves, loose the bolts,
undo the fastenings, that I may see the sight of twofold woe, my murdered sons and her, whose blood in vengeance I will shed. [Medea in mid air, on a chariot drawn by dragons; the children’s corpses by her.

> Greek: Ἰάσων:
χαλᾶτε κλῇδας ὡς τάχιστα, πρόσπολοι,
ἐκλύεθ’ ἁρμούς, ὡς ἴδω διπλοῦν κακόν,
τοὺς μὲν θανόντας—τὴν δὲ τείσωμαι δίκην.

[¶67] Medea:
Why shake those doors and attempt to loose their bolts, in quest of the dead and me their murderess? From such toil desist. If thou wouldst aught with me,
say on, if so thou wilt; but never shalt thou lay hand on me, so swift the steeds the sun, my father’s sire, to me doth give to save me from the hand of my foes.

> Greek: Μήδεια:
τί τάσδε κινεῖς κἀναμοχλεύεις πύλας,
νεκροὺς ἐρευνῶν κἀμὲ τὴν εἰργασμένην;
παῦσαι πόνου τοῦδ’. εἰ δ’ ἐμοῦ χρείαν ἔχεις,
λέγ’, εἴ τι βούλῃ, χειρὶ δ’ οὐ ψαύσεις ποτέ.
τοιόνδ’ ὄχημα πατρὸς Ἥλιος πατὴρ
δίδωσιν ἡμῖν, ἔρυμα πολεμίας χερός.

[¶68] Jason:
Accursed woman! by gods, by me and all mankind abhorred as never woman was,
who hadst the heart to stab thy babes, thou their mother, leaving me undone and childless; this hast thou done and still dost gaze upon the sun and earth after this deed most impious. Curses on thee! I now perceive what then I missed
in the day I brought thee, fraught with doom, from thy home in a barbarian land to dwell in Hellas, traitress to thy sire and to the land that nurtured thee. On me the gods have hurled the curse that dogged thy steps, for thou didst slay thy brother at his hearth
ere thou cam’st aboard our fair ship “Argo.” Such was the outset of thy life of crime; then didst thou wed with me, and having born me sons to glut thy passion’s lust, thou now hast slain them. Not one amongst the wives of Hellas e’er had dared
this deed; yet before them all I chose thee for my wife, wedding a foe to be my doom, no woman, but a lioness fiercer than Tyrrhene Scylla in nature. But with reproaches heaped a thousandfold
I cannot wound thee, so brazen is thy nature. Perish, vile sorceress, murderess of thy babes! Whilst I must mourn my luckless fate, for I shall ne’er enjoy my new-found bride, nor shall I have the children,
whom I bred and reared, alive to say the last farewell to me; nay, I have lost them.

> Greek: Ἰάσων:
ὦ μῖσος, ὦ μέγιστον ἐχθίστη γύναι
θεοῖς τε κἀμοὶ παντί τ’ ἀνθρώπων γένει,
ἥτις τέκνοισι σοῖσιν ἐμβαλεῖν ξίφος
ἔτλης τεκοῦσα, κἄμ’ ἄπαιδ’ ἀπώλεσας·
καὶ ταῦτα δράσασ’ ἥλιόν τε προσβλέπεις
καὶ γαῖαν, ἔργον τλᾶσα δυσσεβέστατον·
ὄλοι’· ἐγὼ δὲ νῦν φρονῶ, τότ’ οὐ φρονῶν,
ὅτ’ ἐκ δόμων σε βαρβάρου τ’ ἀπὸ χθονὸς
Ἕλλην’ ἐς οἶκον ἠγόμην, κακὸν μέγα,
πατρός τε καὶ γῆς προδότιν ἥ σ’ ἐθρέψατο.
τὸν σὸν δ’ ἀλάστορ’ εἰς ἔμ’ ἔσκηψαν θεοί·
κτανοῦσα γὰρ δὴ σὸν κάσιν παρέστιον
τὸ καλλίπρῳρον εἰσέβης Ἀργοῦς σκάφος.
ἤρξω μὲν ἐκ τοιῶνδε· νυμφευθεῖσα δὲ
παρ’ ἀνδρὶ τῷδε καὶ τεκοῦσά μοι τέκνα,
εὐνῆς ἕκατι καὶ λέχους σφ’ ἀπώλεσας.
οὐκ ἔστιν ἥτις τοῦτ’ ἂν Ἑλληνὶς γυνὴ
ἔτλη ποθ’, ὧν γε πρόσθεν ἠξίουν ἐγὼ
γῆμαι σέ, κῆδος ἐχθρὸν ὀλέθριόν τ’ ἐμοί,
λέαιναν, οὐ γυναῖκα, τῆς Τυρσηνίδος
Σκύλλης ἔχουσαν ἀγριωτέραν φύσιν.
ἀλλ’ οὐ γὰρ ἄν σε μυρίοις ὀνείδεσι
δάκοιμι· τοιόνδ’ ἐμπέφυκέ σοι θράσος·
ἔρρ’, αἰσχροποιὲ καὶ τέκνων μιαιφόνε·
ἐμοὶ δὲ τὸν ἐμὸν δαίμον’ αἰάζειν πάρα,
ὃς οὔτε λέκτρων νεογάμων ὀνήσομαι,
οὐ παῖδας οὓς ἔφυσα κἀξεθρεψάμην
ἕξω προσειπεῖν ζῶντας, ἀλλ’ ἀπώλεσα.

[¶69] Medea:
To this thy speech I could have made a long retort, but Father Zeus knows well all I have done for thee, and the treatment thou hast given me. Yet thou wert not ordained to scorn my love
and lead a life of joy in mockery of me, nor was thy royal bride nor Creon, who gave thee a second wife, to thrust me from this land and rue it not. Wherefore, if thou wilt, call me e’en a lioness, and Scylla, whose home is in the Tyrrhene land;

> Greek: Μήδεια:
μακρὰν ἂν ἐξέτεινα τοῖσδ’ ἐναντίον
λόγοισιν, εἰ μὴ Ζεὺς πατὴρ ἠπίστατο
οἷ’ ἐξ ἐμοῦ πέπονθας οἷά τ’ εἰργάσω·
σὺ δ’ οὐκ ἔμελλες τἄμ’ ἀτιμάσας λέχη
τερπνὸν διάξειν βίοτον ἐγγελῶν ἐμοί·
οὐδ’ ἡ τύραννος, οὐδ’ ὁ σοὶ προσθεὶς γάμους
Κρέων ἀνατεὶ τῆσδέ μ’ ἐκβαλεῖν χθονός.
πρὸς ταῦτα καὶ λέαιναν, εἰ βούλῃ, κάλει
καὶ Σκύλλαν ἣ Τυρσηνὸν ᾤκησεν πέδον·

[¶70] for I in turn have wrung thy heart, as well I might.

> Greek: τῆς σῆς γὰρ ὡς χρὴ καρδίας ἀνθηψάμην.

[¶71] Jason:
Thou, too, art grieved thyself, and sharest in my sorrow.

> Greek: Ἰάσων:
καὐτή γε λυπῇ καὶ κακῶν κοινωνὸς εἶ.

[¶72] Medea:
Be well assured I am; but it relieves my pain to know thou canst not mock at me.

> Greek: Μήδεια:
σάφ’ ἴσθι· λύει δ’ ἄλγος, ἢν σὺ μὴ ’γγελᾷς.

[¶73] Jason:
O my children, how vile a mother ye have found!

> Greek: Ἰάσων:
ὦ τέκνα, μητρὸς ὡς κακῆς ἐκύρσατε.

[¶74] Medea:
My sons, your father’s feeble lust has been your ruin!

> Greek: Μήδεια:
ὦ παῖδες, ὡς ὤλεσθε πατρῴᾳ νόσῳ.

[¶75] Jason:’Twas not my hand, at any rate, that slew them.

> Greek: Ἰάσων:
οὔτοι νυν ἡμὴ δεξιά σφ’ ἀπώλεσεν.

[¶76] Medea:
No, but thy foul treatment of me, and thy new marriage.

> Greek: Μήδεια:
ἀλλ’ ὕβρις, οἵ τε σοὶ νεοδμῆτες γάμοι.

[¶77] Jason:
Didst think that marriage cause enough to murder them?

> Greek: Ἰάσων:
λέχους σφε κἠξίωσας οὕνεκα κτανεῖν.

[¶78] Medea:
Dost think a woman counts this a trifling injury?

> Greek: Μήδεια:
σμικρὸν γυναικὶ πῆμα τοῦτ’ εἶναι δοκεῖς;

[¶79] Jason:
So she be self-restrained; but in thy eyes all is evil.

> Greek: Ἰάσων:
ἥτις γε σώφρων· σοὶ δὲ πάντ’ ἐστὶν κακά.

[¶80] Medea:
Thy sons are dead and gone. That will stab thy heart.

> Greek: Μήδεια:
οἵδ’ οὐκέτ’ εἰσί· τοῦτο γάρ σε δήξεται.

[¶81] Jason:
They live, methinks, to bring a curse upon thy head.

> Greek: Ἰάσων:
οἵδ’ εἰσίν, οἴμοι, σῷ κάρᾳ μιάστορες.

[¶82] Medea:
The gods know, whoso of them began this troublous coil.

> Greek: Μήδεια:
ἴσασιν ὅστις ἦρξε πημονῆς θεοί.

[¶83] Jason:
Indeed, they know that hateful heart of thine.

> Greek: Ἰάσων:
ἴσασι δῆτα σήν γ’ ἀπόπτυστον φρένα.

[¶84] Medea:
Thou art as hateful. I am aweary of thy bitter tongue.

> Greek: Μήδεια:
στύγει· πικρὰν δὲ βάξιν ἐχθαίρω σέθεν.

[¶85] Jason:
And I likewise of thine. But parting is easy.

> Greek: Ἰάσων:
καὶ μὴν ἐγὼ σήν· ῥᾴδιον δ’ ἀπαλλαγαί.

[¶86] Medea:
Say how; what am I to do? for I am fain as thou to go.

> Greek: Μήδεια:
πῶς οὖν; τί δράσω; κάρτα γὰρ κἀγὼ θέλω.

[¶87] Jason:
Give up to me those dead, to bury and lament

> Greek: Ἰάσων:
θάψαι νεκρούς μοι τούσδε καὶ κλαῦσαι πάρες.

[¶88] Medea:
No, never! I will bury them myself, bearing them to Hera’s sacred field, who watches o’er the Cape,
that none of their foes may insult them by pulling down their tombs; and in this land of Sisyphus I will ordain hereafter a solemn feast and mystic rites to atone for this impious murder. Myself will now to the land of Erechtheus,
to dwell with Aegeus, Pandion’s son. But thou, as well thou mayest, shalt die a caitiff’s death, thy head crushed ’neath a shattered relic of Argo, when thou hast seen the bitter ending of my marriage.

> Greek: Μήδεια:
οὐ δῆτ’, ἐπεί σφας τῇδ’ ἐγὼ θάψω χερί,
φέρουσ’ ἐς Ἥρας τέμενος Ἀκραίας θεοῦ,
ὡς μή τις αὐτοὺς πολεμίων καθυβρίσῃ,
τύμβους ἀνασπῶν· γῇ δὲ τῇδε Σισύφου
σεμνὴν ἑορτὴν καὶ τέλη προσάψομεν
τὸ λοιπὸν ἀντὶ τοῦδε δυσσεβοῦς φόνου.
αὐτὴ δὲ γαῖαν εἶμι τὴν Ἐρεχθέως,
Αἰγεῖ συνοικήσουσα τῷ Πανδίονος.
σὺ δ’, ὥσπερ εἰκός, κατθανῇ κακὸς κακῶς,
Ἀργοῦς κάρα σὸν λειψάνῳ πεπληγμένος,
πικρὰς τελευτὰς τῶν ἐμῶν γάμων ἰδών.

[¶89] Jason:
The curse of our sons’ avenging spirit and of Justice,
that calls for blood, be on thee!

> Greek: Ἰάσων:
ἀλλά σ’ Ἐρινὺς ὀλέσειε τέκνων
φονία τε Δίκη.

[¶90] Medea:
What god or power divine hears thee, breaker of oaths and every law of hospitality?

> Greek: Μήδεια:
τίς δὲ κλύει σοῦ θεὸς ἢ δαίμων,
τοῦ ψευδόρκου καὶ ξειναπάτου;

[¶91] Jason:
Fie upon thee! cursed witch! child-murderess!

> Greek: Ἰάσων:
φεῦ φεῦ, μυσαρὰ καὶ παιδολέτορ.

[¶92] Medea:
To thy house! go, bury thy wife.

> Greek: Μήδεια:
στεῖχε πρὸς οἴκους καὶ θάπτ’ ἄλοχον.

[¶93] Jason:
I go, bereft of both my sons.

> Greek: Ἰάσων:
στείχω, δισσῶν γ’ ἄμορος τέκνων.

[¶94] Medea:
Thy grief is yet to come; wait till old age is with thee too.

> Greek: Μήδεια:
οὔπω θρηνεῖς· μένε καὶ γῆρας.

[¶95] Jason:
O my dear, dear children!

> Greek: Ἰάσων:
ὦ τέκνα φίλτατα.

[¶96] Medea:
Dear to their mother, not to thee.

> Greek: Μήδεια:
μητρί γε, σοὶ δ’ οὔ.

[¶97] Jason:
And yet thou didst slay them?

> Greek: Ἰάσων:
κἄπειτ’ ἔκανες;

[¶98] Medea:
Yea, to vex thy heart.

> Greek: Μήδεια:
σέ γε πημαίνουσ’.

[¶99] Jason:
One last fond kiss, ah me!
I fain would on their lips imprint.

> Greek: Ἰάσων:
ὤμοι, φιλίου χρῄζω στόματος
παίδων ὁ τάλας προσπτύξασθαι.

[¶100] Medea:
Embraces now, and fond farewells for them; but then a cold repulse!

> Greek: Μήδεια:
νῦν σφε προσαυδᾷς, νῦν ἀσπάζῃ,
τότ’ ἀπωσάμενος.

[¶101] Jason:
By heaven I do adjure thee, let me touch their tender skin.

> Greek: Ἰάσων:
δός μοι πρὸς θεῶν
μαλακοῦ χρωτὸς ψαῦσαι τέκνων.

[¶102] Medea:
No, no! in vain this word has sped its flight.

> Greek: Μήδεια:
οὐκ ἔστι· μάτην ἔπος ἔρριπται.

[¶103] Jason:
O Zeus, dost hear how I am driven hence; dost mark the treatment I receive from this she-lion, fell murderess of her young? Yet so far as I may and can, I raise for them a dirge,
and do adjure the gods to witness how thou hast slain my sons, and wilt not suffer me to embrace or bury their dead bodies. Would I had never begotten them to see thee slay them after all!

> Greek: Ἰάσων:
Ζεῦ, τάδ’ ἀκούεις ὡς ἀπελαυνόμεθ’,
οἷά τε πάσχομεν ἐκ τῆς μυσαρᾶς
καὶ παιδοφόνου τῆσδε λεαίνης;
ἀλλ’ ὁπόσον γοῦν πάρα καὶ δύναμαι
τάδε καὶ θρηνῶ κἀπιθεάζω,
μαρτυρόμενος δαίμονας ὥς μοι
τέκνα κτείνασ’ ἀποκωλύεις
ψαῦσαί τε χεροῖν θάψαι τε νεκρούς,
οὓς μήποτ’ ἐγὼ φύσας ὄφελον
πρὸς σοῦ φθιμένους ἐπιδέσθαι.

[¶104] Chorus:
Many a fate doth Zeus dispense, high on his Olympian throne; oft do the gods bring things to pass beyond man’s expectation; that, which we thought would be, is not fulfilled, while for the unlooked-for god finds out a way; and such hath been the issue of this matter.

> Greek: Χορός:
πολλῶν ταμίας Ζεὺς ἐν Ὀλύμπῳ,
πολλὰ δ’ ἀέλπτως κραίνουσι θεοί·
καὶ τὰ δοκηθέντ’ οὐκ ἐτελέσθη,
τῶν δ’ ἀδοκήτων πόρον ηὗρε θεός.
τοιόνδ’ ἀπέβη τόδε πρᾶγμα.