Alcestis's Plea and the Vow of Admetus — Euripides, Alcestis, lines 282–360, Greek & English

282

ἐγώ σε πρεσβεύουσα κἀντὶ τῆς ἐμῆς

I, honoring you and having established you to look upon this

ψυχῆς καταστήσασα φῶς τόδ’ εἰσορᾶν,

light in place of my own life,

θνῄσκω, παρόν μοι μὴ θανεῖν, ὑπὲρ σέθεν,

am dying for you, though it was possible for me not to die,

285

ἀλλ’ ἄνδρα τε σχεῖν Θεσσαλῶν ὃν ἤθελον,

but to have as a husband whichever of the Thessalians I wished,

καὶ δῶμα ναίειν ὄλβιον τυραννίδι.

and to dwell in a home blessed with royal power.

οὐκ ἠθέλησα ζῆν ἀποσπασθεῖσά σου

I did not wish to live torn away from you

σὺν παισὶν ὀρφανοῖσιν, οὐδ’ ἐφεισάμην

with orphaned children, nor did I spare

ἥβης, ἔχουσ’ ἐν οἷς ἐτερπόμην ἐγώ.

my youth, although possessing those things in which I rejoiced.

290

καίτοι σ’ ὁ φύσας χἠ τεκοῦσα προύδοσαν,

And yet the father who begot you and the mother who bore you betrayed you,

καλῶς μὲν αὐτοῖς κατθανεῖν ἧκον βίου,

although it had come to a good point of life for them to die,

καλῶς δὲ σῶσαι παῖδα κεὐκλεῶς θανεῖν.

and a good point to save their child and die gloriously.

μόνος γὰρ αὐτοῖς ἦσθα, κοὔτις ἐλπὶς ἦν

For you were their only one, and there was no hope,

σοῦ κατθανόντος ἄλλα φιτύσειν τέκνα.

if you died, of producing other children.

295

κἀγώ τ’ ἂν ἔζων καὶ σὺ τὸν λοιπὸν χρόνον,

And so both I and you would be living for the remaining time,

κοὐκ ἂν μονωθεὶς σῆς δάμαρτος ἔστενες

and you would not be groaning, left solitary of your wife,

καὶ παῖδας ὠρφάνευες. ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν

and rearing orphaned children. But indeed

θεῶν τις ἐξέπραξεν ὥσθ’ οὕτως ἔχειν.

some god has brought these things to pass so that they are this way.

εἶεν· σὺ νῦν μοι τῶνδ’ ἀπόμνησαι χάριν·

Well then; do you now remember to pay me return for these things.

300

αἰτήσομαι γάρ σ’—ἀξίαν μὲν οὔποτε·¹

For I shall ask of you a return—never an equal one indeed,

ψυχῆς γὰρ οὐδέν ἐστι τιμιώτερον—

for nothing is more precious than life—

δίκαια δʼ, ὡς φήσεις σύ· τούσδε γὰρ φιλεῖς

but a just one, as you yourself will say; for you love

οὐχ ἧσσον ἢ ʼγὼ παῖδας, εἴπερ εὖ φρονεῖς·

these children no less than I do, if you are wise.

τούτους ἀνάσχου δεσπότας ἐμῶν δόμων,

Allow these to be masters of my house,

305

καὶ μὴ ʼπιγήμῃς τοῖσδε μητρυιὰν τέκνοις,

and do not marry a stepmother over these children,

ἥτις κακίων οὖσ’ ἐμοῦ γυνὴ φθόνῳ

who, being a worse woman than I, will out of envy

τοῖς σοῖσι κἀμοῖς παισὶ χεῖρα προσβαλεῖ.

lay her hand upon your children and mine.

μὴ δῆτα δράσῃς ταῦτά γʼ, αἰτοῦμαί σ’ ἐγώ.

Do not indeed do these things, I beg of you.

ἐχθρὰ γὰρ ἡ ʼπιοῦσα μητρυιὰ τέκνοις

For the incoming stepmother is hostile to the children

310

τοῖς πρόσθʼ, ἐχίδνης οὐδὲν ἠπιωτέρα.

of the former marriage, in no way gentler than a viper.

καὶ παῖς μὲν ἄρσην πατέρ’ ἔχει πύργον μέγαν,

And a male child indeed has his father as a great tower of defense,

σὺ δʼ, ὦ τέκνον μοι, πῶς κορευθήσῃ καλῶς;

but you, my child, how will you be brought up well as a maiden?

ποίας τυχοῦσα συζύγου τῷ σῷ πατρί;

What sort of wife will you find for your father?

315

μή σοί τιν’ αἰσχρὰν προσβαλοῦσα κληδόνα

lest, having cast some shameful rumor upon you,

ἥβης ἐν ἀκμῇ σοὺς διαφθείρῃ γάμους.

she ruin your marriage in the bloom of your youth.

οὐ γάρ σε μήτηρ οὔτε νυμφεύσει ποτὲ

For your mother will never either give you in marriage

οὔτ’ ἐν τόκοισι σοῖσι θαρσυνεῖ, τέκνον,

or encourage you in your childbirths, my child,

παροῦσʼ, ἵν’ οὐδὲν μητρὸς εὐμενέστερον.

by being present, where nothing is more well-disposed than a mother.

320

δεῖ γὰρ θανεῖν με· καὶ τόδ’ οὐκ ἐς αὔριον

For I must die; and this evil comes to me not tomorrow,

οὐδ’ ἐς τρίτην μοι μηνὸς ἔρχεται κακόν,

nor on the third day of the month,

ἀλλ’ αὐτίκ’ ἐν τοῖς οὐκέτ’ οὖσι λέξομαι.

but straightway I shall be counted among those who are no more.

χαίροντες εὐφραίνοισθε· καὶ σοὶ μέν, πόσι,

Farewell, may you rejoice! And for you, husband,

γυναῖκ’ ἀρίστην ἔστι κομπάσαι λαβεῖν,

it is possible to boast that you obtained the best of wives,

325

ὑμῖν δέ, παῖδες, μητρὸς ἐκπεφυκέναι.

and for you, children, that you were born of such a mother.

θάρσει· πρὸ τούτου² γὰρ λέγειν οὐχ ἅζομαι·

(Chorus) Take heart! For I do not shrink from speaking on his behalf;

δράσει τάδʼ, εἴπερ μὴ φρενῶν ἁμαρτάνει.

he will do these things, if indeed he does not fail in his senses.

ἔσται τάδ’ ἔσται, μὴ τρέσῃς· ἐπεὶ σ’ ἐγὼ

(Admetus) These things shall be, they shall be, do not fear; since I

καὶ ζῶσαν εἶχον καὶ θανοῦσ’ ἐμὴ γυνὴ

both possessed you when living, and in death you alone shall

330

μόνη κεκλήσῃ, κοὔτις ἀντὶ σοῦ ποτε

be called my wife, and never shall any Thessalian bride

τόνδ’ ἄνδρα νύμφη Θεσσαλὶς προσφθέγξεται.

address this man in your stead.

οὐκ ἔστιν οὕτως οὔτε πατρὸς εὐγενοῦς

There is no woman so noble of father,

οὔτ’ εἶδος ἄλλως ἐκπρεπεστάτη γυνή.

nor otherwise so exceedingly preeminent in beauty of form.

ἅλις δὲ παίδων· τῶνδ’ ὄνησιν εὔχομαι

And I have enough of children; I pray to the gods that I may have joy in these;

335

θεοῖς γενέσθαι· σοῦ γὰρ οὐκ ὠνήμεθα.

for of you we have not had the enjoyment.

οἴσω δὲ πένθος οὐκ ἐτήσιον τὸ σόν,

And I shall bear mourning for you, not for a year,

ἀλλ’ ἔστ’ ἂν αἰὼν οὑμὸς ἀντέχῃ, γύναι,

but as long as my life holds out, wife,

στυγῶν μὲν ἥ μ’ ἔτικτεν, ἐχθαίρων δ’ ἐμὸν

loathing her who bore me, and hating my

πατέρα· λόγῳ γὰρ ἦσαν οὐκ ἔργῳ φίλοι.

father; for they were friends in word, not in deed.

340

σὺ δ’ ἀντιδοῦσα³ τῆς ἐμῆς τὰ φίλτατα

But you, giving in exchange what was dearest for my

ψυχῆς ἔσωσας. ἆρά μοι στένειν πάρα

life, saved it. Is it not then permitted to me to groan,

τοιᾶσδ’ ἁμαρτάνοντι συζύγου σέθεν;

losing such a spouse as you?

παύσω δὲ κώμους συμποτῶν θ’ ὁμιλίας

And I shall put an end to revels and the gatherings of banqueters,

στεφάνους τε μοῦσάν θ’ ἣ κατεῖχ’ ἐμοὺς δόμους.

and garlands and the music which used to possess my house.

345

οὐ γάρ ποτ’ οὔτ’ ἂν βαρβίτου θίγοιμ’ ἔτι

For never would I either touch the lyre again,

οὔτ’ ἂν φρέν’ ἐξαίροιμι πρὸς Λίβυν λακεῖν

nor lift my heart to sing to the Libyan

αὐλόν· σὺ γάρ μου τέρψιν ἐξείλου βίου.

flute; for you have taken away the pleasure of my life.

σοφῇ δὲ χειρὶ τεκτόνων δέμας τὸ σὸν

And your image, fashioned by the skilled hand of craftsmen,

εἰκασθὲν ἐν λέκτροισιν ἐκταθήσεται,

shall be stretched out on the bed,

350

ᾧ προσπεσοῦμαι καὶ περιπτύσσων χέρας

upon which I shall fall and, wrapping my hands around it,

ὄνομα καλῶν σὸν τὴν φίλην ἐν ἀγκάλαις

calling your name, I shall seem to hold my dear wife

δόξω γυναῖκα καίπερ οὐκ ἔχων ἔχειν·⁴

in my arms, although not holding her;

ψυχρὰν μέν, οἶμαι, τέρψιν, ἀλλ’ ὅμως βάρος

a cold pleasure indeed, I think, but yet I might

ψυχῆς ἀπαντλοίην ἄν. ἐν δ’ ὀνείρασι

drain off the heavy burden of my soul. And visiting me in dreams

355

φοιτῶσά μ’ εὐφραίνοις ἄν· ἡδὺ γὰρ φίλους

you might delight me; for it is sweet to behold loved ones

κἀν νυκτὶ λεύσσειν, ὅντιν’ ἂν παρῇ χρόνον.

even in the night, for whatever time is allowed.

εἰ δ’ Ὀρφέως μοι γλῶσσα καὶ μέλος παρῆν,

And if the tongue and song of Orpheus were mine,

ὥστ’ ἢ κόρην Δήμητρος ἢ κείνης πόσιν

so that, having charmed either Demeter’s daughter or her husband

ὕμνοισι κηλήσαντά σ’ ἐξ Ἅιδου λαβεῖν,⁵

with hymns, I could take you from Hades,

360

κατῆλθον ἄν, καί μ’ οὔθ’ ὁ Πλούτωνος κύων

I would have gone down, and neither Pluto’s dog...

Syntax notes5 items

300ἀξίαν μὲν οὔποτε
Meaning "never an equal return". It is understood with the omission of χάριν (gratitude/favor) or a similar noun like ἀμοιβήν in the accusative feminine singular.
326πρὸ τούτου
The preposition πρὸ with the genitive pronoun τούτου here expresses "on behalf of him" or "in his stead", indicating that the Chorus is answering on behalf of Admetus.
340ἀντιδοῦσα
Nominative feminine singular aorist participle of ἀντιδίδωμι ("to give in exchange"). The genitive phrase τῆς ἐμῆς ψυχῆς ("for my life") depends on the participle as a genitive of exchange.
352καίπερ οὐκ ἔχων ἔχειν
The participle οὐκ ἔχων accompanied by the concessive particle καίπερ ("although not having/holding") governs the infinitive ἔχειν ("to hold"), forming a paradoxical expression: "seeming to hold, although not actually holding."
358ὥστ’ ... λαβεῖν
The conjunction ὥστε introduces a consecutive (result) clause with the infinitive λαβεῖν ("to take/bring"). The active aorist participle κηλήσαντα ("having charmed") agrees in the accusative with the implied subject of the infinitive.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0006.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:282-360