Heracles Entrusts a Woman and Admetus' Refusal — Euripides, Alcestis, lines 1002–1082, Greek & English

1002

Αὕτα ποτὲ προύθαν’ ἀνδρός,

”She once died for her husband,

νῦν δ’ ἐστὶ μάκαιρα δαίμων·

and now she is a blessed divinity.

χαῖρʼ, ὦ πότνι’, εὖ δὲ δοίης. τοῖαί νιν προσεροῦσι

Hail, O revered mistress, and grant us favor.” Such words will address her

1005

φῆμαι.

in praise.

—καὶ μὴν ὅδʼ, ὡς ἔοικεν, Ἀλκμήνης γόνος,

Chorus: And look, as it seems, the son of Alcmene,

Ἄδμητε, πρὸς σὴν ἑστίαν πορεύεται.

Admetus, is making his way to your hearth.

φίλον πρὸς ἄνδρα χρὴ λέγειν ἐλευθέρως,

Heracles: To a friendly man, one ought to speak freely,

Ἄδμητε, μομφὰς δ’ οὐχ ὑπὸ σπλάγχνοις ἔχειν¹

Admetus, and not keep reproaches silent beneath one’s heart.

1010

σιγῶντʼ. ἐγὼ δὲ σοῖς κακοῖσιν ἠξίουν

I deemed myself worthy, standing near your evils,

ἐγγὺς παρεστὼς ἐξετάζεσθαι φίλος·

to be proved a friend by standing by;

σὺ δ’ οὐκ ἔφραζες σῆς προκείμενον νέκυν

but you did not tell me that the corpse laid out was that of your wife,

γυναικός, ἀλλά μ’ ἐξένιζες ἐν δόμοις.

but instead you entertained me in your house,

ὡς δὴ θυραίου πήματος σπουδὴν ἔχων.

pretending you were concerned with a stranger’s grief.

1015

κἄστεψα κρᾶτα καὶ θεοῖς ἐλειψάμην

And I crowned my head and poured libations to the gods

σπονδὰς ἐν οἴκοις δυστυχοῦσι τοῖσι σοῖς.

in your house, even while it was suffering misfortune.

καὶ μέμφομαι μέν, μέμφομαι, παθὼν τάδε,

And indeed I blame you, I blame you for having suffered this,

οὐ μήν σε λυπεῖν ἐν κακοῖσι βούλομαι.

yet I do not wish to grieve you in your troubles.

ὧν δ’ οὕνεχ’ ἥκω δεῦρ’ ὑποστρέψας πάλιν

But the reason for which I have come here, turning back again,

1020

λέξω. γυναῖκα τήνδε μοι σῷσον λαβών,

I will tell. Take this woman and keep her safe for me,

ἕως ἂν ἵππους δεῦρο Θρῃκίας ἄγων

until I come leading the Thracian horses hither,

ἔλθω, τύραννον Βιστόνων κατακτανών.

after slaying the king of the Bistones.

πράξας δ’ ὃ μὴ τύχοιμι²—νοστήσαιμι γάρ—

But if I should fare as I pray I may not—for may I return!—

τήνδε σοῖσι προσπολεῖν δόμοις.

I give her to serve in your house.

1025

πολλῷ δὲ μόχθῳ χεῖρας ἦλθεν εἰς ἐμάς·

She came into my hands through much labor;

ἀγῶνα γὰρ πάνδημον εὑρίσκω τινὰς

for I found some people holding a public contest,

τιθέντας, ἀθληταῖσιν ἄξιον πόνον,

a struggle worthy of athletes,

ὅθεν κομίζω τήνδε νικητήρια

whence I bring this woman, having received her

λαβών· τὰ μὲν γὰρ κοῦφα τοῖς νικῶσιν ἦν

prize; for to those who won the light contests,

1030

ἵππους ἄγεσθαι, τοῖσι δ’ αὖ τὰ μείζονα

horses were given to take away; and again, to those who won the greater ones,

νικῶσι, πυγμὴν καὶ πάλην, βουφόρβια·

boxing and wrestling, herds of oxen;

γυνὴ δ’ ἐπ’ αὐτοῖς εἵπετʼ· ἐντυχόντι δὲ

and a woman followed along with them. Having come upon this,

αἰσχρὸν παρεῖναι κέρδος ἦν τόδ’ εὐκλεές.

it was a shameful thing to pass by this glorious gain.

ἀλλʼ, ὥσπερ εἶπον, σοὶ μέλειν γυναῖκα χρή·

But, as I said, you must care for the woman;

1035

οὐ γὰρ κλοπαίαν, ἀλλὰ σὺν πόνῳ λαβὼν

for I have come not having stolen her, but having won her with labor;

ἥκω· χρόνῳ δὲ καὶ σύ μ’ αἰνέσεις ἴσως.

and in time perhaps you too will praise me.

οὔτοι σ’ ἀτίζων οὐδ’ ἐν αἰσχροῖσιν τιθεὶς

Admetus: Not indeed because I dishonor you, nor because I place you among the shameful,

ἔκρυψ’ ἐμῆς γυναικὸς ἀθλίου τύχας·

did I hide the wretched fate of my wife;

ἀλλ’ ἄλγος ἄλγει τοῦτ’ ἂν ἦν προσκείμενον,

but this would have been grief added to grief,

1040

εἴ του πρὸς ἄλλου δώμαθ’ ὡρμήθης ξένου·

if you had hastened to the house of another host;

ἅλις δὲ κλαίειν τοὐμὸν ἦν ἐμοὶ κακόν.

and it was enough for me to weep for my own misfortune.

γυναῖκα δʼ, εἴ πως ἔστιν, αἰτοῦμαί σʼ, ἄναξ,

But as for the woman, if it is somehow possible, I entreat you, lord,

ἄλλον τιν’ ὅστις μὴ πέπονθεν οἷ’ ἐγὼ

bid some other of the Thessalians to keep her,

σῴζειν ἄνωχθι Θεσσαλῶν· πολλοὶ δέ σοι

one who has not suffered what I have; for you have many

1045

ξένοι Φεραίων· μή μ’ ἀναμνήσῃς κακῶν.

friends among the Pheraeans. Do not remind me of my evils.

οὐκ ἂν δυναίμην τήνδ’ ὁρῶν ἐν δώμασιν

I could not, seeing her in the house,

ἄδακρυς εἶναι· μὴ νοσοῦντί μοι νόσον

be without tears; do not add a sickness to me who am already sick,

προσθῇς· ἅλις γὰρ συμφορᾷ βαρύνομαι.

for I am burdened enough by my misfortune.

ποῦ καὶ τρέφοιτ’ ἂν δωμάτων νέα γυνή;

And where in the house could a young woman be kept?

1050

νέα γάρ, ὡς ἐσθῆτι καὶ κόσμῳ πρέπει.

For she is young, as is clear from her dress and ornaments.

πότερα κατ’ ἀνδρῶν δῆτ’ ἐνοικήσει στέγην;

Shall she then dwell in the quarters of the men?

καὶ πῶς ἀκραιφνὴς ἐν νέοις στρωφωμένη

And how shall she remain pure, moving about among young men?

ἔσται; τὸν ἡβῶνθʼ, Ἡράκλεις, οὐ ῥᾴδιον

To restrain a young man, Heracles, is not easy;

εἴργειν· ἐγὼ δὲ σοῦ προμηθίαν ἔχω.

and I am taking thought for you.

1055

ἢ τῆς θανούσης θάλαμον ἐσβήσας τρέφω;

Or shall I keep her, bringing her into the chamber of the deceased?

καὶ πῶς ἐπεσφρῶ τήνδε τῷ κείνης λέχει;

And how shall I introduce her to her bed?

διπλῆν φοβοῦμαι μέμψιν, ἔκ τε δημοτῶν,

I fear a double blame, both from my citizens,

μή τίς μ’ ἐλέγξῃ τὴν ἐμὴν εὐεργέτιν

lest someone accuse me of having betrayed my benefactress

προδόντ’ ἐν ἄλλης δεμνίοις πίτνειν νέας,

and falling into the bed of another young woman,

1060

καὶ τῆς θανούσης· ἀξία δέ μοι σέβειν·

and also from the deceased; and she is worthy of my reverence.

πολλὴν πρόνοιαν δεῖ μ’ ἔχειν. σὺ δʼ, ὦ γύναι,

I must take great care. But you, O woman,

ἥτις ποτ’ εἶ σύ, ταὔτ’ ἔχουσ’ Ἀλκήστιδι

whoever you are, know that you have the same

μορφῆς μέτρ’ ἴσθι· καὶ προσήιξαι δέμας.

measure of form as Alcestis; and your body resembles hers.

οἴμοι. κόμιζε πρὸς θεῶν ἐξ ὀμμάτων

Alas! Take this woman, by the gods, out of my sight,

1065

γυναῖκα τήνδε, μή μ’ ἕλῃς ᾑρημένον.³

lest you destroy me who am already destroyed.

δοκῶ γὰρ αὐτὴν εἰσορῶν γυναῖχ’ ὁρᾶν

For looking at her I seem to see my own

ἐμήν· θολοῖ δὲ καρδίαν, ἐκ δ’ ὀμμάτων

wife; and it troubles my heart, and from my eyes

πηγαὶ κατερρώγασιν· ὦ τλήμων ἐγώ,

fountains of tears burst forth. O wretched me,

ὡς ἄρτι πένθους τοῦδε γεύομαι πικροῦ.

how lately I taste this bitter grief.

1070

ἐγὼ μὲν οὐκ ἔχοιμ’ ἂν εὖ λέγειν τύχην·

Chorus: Indeed I cannot speak well of this fortune;

χρὴ δʼ, ὅστις εἶ σύ, καρτερεῖν θεοῦ δόσιν.

but one must endure, whoever you are, the gift of the god.

εἰ γὰρ τοσαύτην δύναμιν εἶχον⁴ ὥστε σὴν

Heracles: If only I had such power as to bring

ἐς φῶς πορεῦσαι νερτέρων ἐκ δωμάτων

your wife from the chambers of those below into the light,

γυναῖκα καί σοι τήνδε πορσῦναι χάριν.

and to bestow this favor upon you!

1075

σάφ’ οἶδα βούλεσθαί σ’ ἄν. ἀλλὰ ποῦ τόδε;

Admetus: I know well that you would wish it. But where is this possible?

οὐκ ἔστι τοὺς θανόντας ἐς φάος μολεῖν.

It is not possible for the dead to come into the light.

μή νυν ὑπέρβαλλʼ, ἀλλ’ ἐναισίμως φέρε.

Heracles: Do not then exceed, but bear it with moderation.

ῥᾷον παραινεῖν ἢ παθόντα καρτερεῖν.

Admetus: It is easier to advise than to endure when suffering.

τί δ’ ἂν προκόπτοις, εἰ θέλοις ἀεὶ στένειν;

Heracles: But what would you gain if you should wish to lament forever?

1080

ἔγνωκα καὐτός, ἀλλ’ ἔρως τις ἐξάγει.

Admetus: I know it myself, but a certain love drives me wild.

τὸ γὰρ φιλῆσαι τὸν θανόντ’ ἄγει δάκρυ.

Heracles: For to love the dead brings tears.

ἀπώλεσέν με, κἄτι μᾶλλον ἢ λέγω.

Admetus: She has destroyed me, and even more than I can say.

Syntax notes4 items

1009μομφὰς δ’ οὐχ ὑπὸ σπλάγχνοις ἔχειν
Accusative with infinitive construction governed by the impersonal verb χρή in the preceding line (1008), with the participle σιγῶντα functioning as the semantic subject of the infinitive ἔχειν. It means "to keep reproaches beneath one's heart while remaining silent."
1023ὃ μὴ τύχοιμι
A parenthetical clause containing the aorist optative τύχοιμι with the negative particle μή, expressing a wish against an occurrence ("may I not meet with this"). It qualifies the preceding relative pronoun ὅ, referring to a hypothetical failure ("if I should fare as I pray I may not").
1065μή μ’ ἕλῃς ᾑρημένον
A wordplay combining the active subjunctive ἕλῃς and the perfect passive participle ᾑρημένον of the verb αἱρέω (to take, conquer, or destroy). It means "do not capture/destroy me who have already been captured/destroyed (by grief)."
1072εἰ γὰρ τοσαύτην δύναμιν εἶχον
The conjunction εἰ γάρ followed by the imperfect indicative εἶχον, expressing an unattainable wish in the present ("if only I had such power"). Although it lacks an explicit apodosis, the counterfactual potential is clearly implied in the context.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0006.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:1002-1082