The Death of Alcestis and Admetus's Call for Mourning — Euripides, Alcestis, lines 361–457, Greek & English

361

οὔθ’ οὑπὶ κώπῃ ψυχοπομπὸς ἂν Χάρων

nor would Charon, the ferryman of souls at the oar,

ἔσχον,¹ πρὶν ἐς φῶς σὸν καταστῆσαι βίον.

have held me back, until I had restored your life to the light.

ἀλλ’ οὖν ἐκεῖσε προσδόκα μʼ, ὅταν θάνω,

But at least expect me there, when I die,

καὶ δῶμ’ ἑτοίμαζʼ, ὡς συνοικήσουσά μοι.

and prepare a home, to dwell together with me.

365

ἐν ταῖσιν αὐταῖς γάρ μ’ ἐπισκήψω² κέδροις

For I shall command these children to place me in the same cedar coffin with

σοὶ τούσδε θεῖναι πλευρά τ’ ἐκτεῖναι πέλας

you, and to stretch out my side close to

πλευροῖσι τοῖς σοῖς· μηδὲ γὰρ θανών ποτε

your side; for even in death may I never

σοῦ χωρὶς εἴην τῆς μόνης πιστῆς ἐμοί.

be apart from you, who alone are faithful to me.

καὶ μὴν ἐγώ σοι πένθος ὡς φίλος φίλῳ

(Chorus) And indeed I shall bear with you this grievous

370

λυπρὸν συνοίσω τῆσδε· καὶ γὰρ ἀξία.

mourning for her, as a friend for a friend; for she is worthy.

ὦ παῖδες, αὐτοὶ δὴ τάδ’ εἰσηκούσατε

(Alcestis) O children, you yourselves have heard these things

πατρὸς λέγοντος μὴ γαμεῖν ἄλλην ποτὲ

from your father, saying that he will never marry another

γυναῖκ’ ἐφ’ ὑμῖν μηδ’ ἀτιμάσειν ἐμέ.

woman over you nor dishonor me.

καὶ νῦν γέ φημι, καὶ τελευτήσω τάδε.

(Admetus) And now indeed I say it, and I shall fulfill these things.

375

ἐπὶ τοῖσδε παῖδας χειρὸς ἐξ ἐμῆς δέχου.

(Alcestis) On these terms receive the children from my hand.

δέχομαι, φίλον γε δῶρον ἐκ φίλης χερός.

(Admetus) I receive them, a dear gift indeed from a dear hand.

σὺ νῦν γενοῦ τοῖσδ’ ἀντ’ ἐμοῦ μήτηρ τέκνοις.

(Alcestis) Now indeed become a mother to these children in my stead.

πολλή μ’ ἀνάγκη, σοῦ γ’ ἀπεστερημένοις.

(Admetus) There is great necessity, since they are deprived of you.

ὦ τέκνʼ, ὅτε ζῆν χρῆν μʼ, ἀπέρχομαι κάτω.

(Alcestis) O children, when I ought to be living, I go below.

380

οἴμοι, τί δράσω δῆτα σοῦ μονούμενος;

(Admetus) Ah me, what indeed shall I do, left solitary of you?

χρόνος μαλάξει σʼ· οὐδέν ἐσθ’ ὁ κατθανών.

(Alcestis) Time will soften you; he who has died is nothing.

ἄγου με σὺν σοί, πρὸς θεῶν, ἄγου κάτω.

(Admetus) Lead me with you, by the gods, lead me below.

ἀρκοῦμεν ἡμεῖς οἱ προθνῄσκοντες σέθεν.

(Alcestis) We are sufficient, we who die before you.

ὦ δαῖμον, οἵας συζύγου μ’ ἀποστερεῖς.

(Admetus) O fate, of what a spouse you deprive me.

385

καὶ μὴν σκοτεινὸν ὄμμα μου βαρύνεται.

(Alcestis) And indeed my darkened eye grows heavy.

ἀπωλόμην ἄρ’, εἴ με δὴ λείψεις, γύναι.

(Admetus) I am ruined then, if indeed you will leave me, wife.

ὡς οὐκέτ’ οὖσαν οὐδὲν ἂν λέγοις ἐμέ.

(Alcestis) You might speak of me as one who is no more.

ὄρθου πρόσωπον, μὴ λίπῃς παῖδας σέθεν.

(Admetus) Raise your face, do not leave your children.

οὐ δῆθ’ ἑκοῦσά γʼ, ἀλλὰ χαίρετʼ, ὦ τέκνα.

(Alcestis) Not indeed willingly, but farewell, o children.

390

βλέψον πρὸς αὐτοὺς βλέψον.

(Admetus) Look at them, look.

οὐδέν εἰμ’ ἔτι.

(Alcestis) I am nothing anymore.

τί δρᾷς; προλείπεις;

(Admetus) What are you doing? Are you leaving us?

χαῖρʼ.

(Alcestis) Farewell.

ἀπωλόμην τάλας.

(Admetus) I am ruined, wretched one.

βέβηκεν, οὐκέτ’ ἔστιν Ἀδμήτου γυνή.

(Chorus) She is gone, the wife of Admetus is no more.

ἰώ μοι τύχας. μαῖα δὴ κάτω

(Eumelus) Alas for my fortunes. My mother indeed

βέβακεν, οὐκέτ’ ἔστιν, ὦ

has gone below, she is no more, o

395

πάτερ, ὑφ’ ἁλίῳ.

father, beneath the sun.

προλιποῦσα δ’ ἀμὸν

Leaving my

βίον ὠρφάνισσε τλάμων.

life, she has made me a wretched orphan.

ἴδε γὰρ ἴδε βλέφαρον καὶ παρατόνους χέρας.

For look, look at her eyelid and outstretched hands.

400

ὑπάκουσον ἄκουσον, ὦ μᾶτερ, ἀντιάζω.

Listen, listen, o mother, I implore you.

ἐγώ σ’ ἐγώ, μᾶτερ,

I, I, o mother,

καλοῦμαί σ’ ὁ σὸς ποτὶ σοῖσι πίτ-

call you, your

στόμασιν νεοσσός.

chick, falling upon your lips.

+ extra markers: 403 (translation introduced markers absent in the source; merged into this section)

τὴν οὐ κλύουσαν οὐδ’ ὁρῶσαν· ὥστ’ ἐγὼ

(Admetus) She who neither hears nor sees; so that both I

405

καὶ σφὼ βαρείᾳ συμφορᾷ πεπλήγμεθα.

and you two are struck with a heavy calamity.

νέος ἐγώ, πάτερ, λείπομαι φίλας

(Eumelus) Young as I am, father, I am left by my dear

μονόστολός τε ματρός· ὦ

mother, and go solitary; o

σχέτλια δὴ παθὼν

having suffered indeed terrible things,

ἐγὼ ἐργὰ..,

I...

410

σύ τέ μοι σύγκασι κούρα

and you, my sister,

συνέτλας· ὦ πάτερ,

suffered with me. O father,

ἀνόνατ’ ἀνόνατ’ ἐνύμφευσας, οὐδὲ γήρως

in vain, in vain you married, nor to the end of old age

ἔβας τέλος σὺν τᾷδʼ·

did you come with her;

ἔφθιτο γὰρ πάρος· οἰχομένας δὲ σοῦ,

for she perished before; and with you gone,

415

μᾶτερ, ὄλωλεν οἶκος.

mother, the house is ruined.

Ἄδμητʼ, ἀνάγκη τάσδε συμφορὰς φέρειν·

(Chorus Leader) Admetus, it is necessary to bear these calamities;

οὐ γάρ τι πρῶτος οὐδὲ λοίσθιος βροτῶν

for not first nor last of mortals

γυναικὸς ἐσθλῆς ἤμπλακες· γίγνωσκε δὲ

have you lost a noble wife; and know

ὡς πᾶσιν ἡμῖν κατθανεῖν ὀφείλεται.

that to all of us dying is owed.

420

ἐπίσταμαί γε, κοὐκ ἄφνω κακὸν τόδε

(Admetus) I know it indeed, and not suddenly did this evil

προσέπτατʼ· εἰδὼς δ’ αὔτ’ ἐτειρόμην πάλαι.

fly upon me; knowing it, I was worn out long ago.

ἀλλʼ, ἐκφορὰν γὰρ τοῦδε θήσομαι νεκροῦ,

But, for I shall perform the burial of this dead one,

πάρεστε καὶ μένοντες ἀντηχήσατε

be present and, remaining, sing in response

παιᾶνα τῷ κάτωθεν ἀσπόνδῳ θεῷ.

a paean to the god below who accepts no libation.

425

πᾶσιν δὲ Θεσσαλοῖσιν ὧν ἐγὼ κρατῶ

And to all Thessalians whom I rule

πένθους γυναικὸς τῆσδε κοινοῦσθαι λέγω

I command to share in the mourning for this woman

κουρᾷ ξυρήκει καὶ μελαμπέπλῳ στολῇ·

with shorn hair and black-robed dress;

τέθριππά θ’ οἳ ζεύγνυσθε καὶ μονάμπυκας

and you who yoke four-horse chariots and single

πώλους, σιδήρῳ τέμνετ’ αὐχένων φόβην.

steeds, cut the manes of their necks with iron.

430

αὐλῶν δὲ μὴ κατ’ ἄστυ, μὴ λύρας κτύπος

Let there be no sound of flutes in the city, nor of lyre

ἔστω σελήνας δώδεκ’ ἐκπληρουμένας·

until twelve moons are fulfilled;

οὐ γάρ τιν’ ἄλλον φίλτερον θάψω νεκρὸν

for I shall bury no other dearer corpse

τοῦδ’ οὐδ’ ἀμείνον’ εἰς ἔμʼ· ἀξία δέ μοι

than this, nor better to me; and she is worthy of

τιμῆς, ἐπεὶ τέθνηκεν ἀντ’ ἐμοῦ μόνη.

honor from me, since she alone died in my stead.

435

ὦ Πελίου θύγατερ,

(Chorus) O daughter of Pelias,

χαίρουσά μοι εἰν Ἀίδαο δόμοις

rejoicing, I pray, in the halls of Hades,

τὸν ἀνάλιον οἶκον οἰκετεύοις.

may you dwell in the sunless house.

ἴστω³ δ’ Ἀίδας ὁ μελαγχαίτας θεὸς ὅς τ’ ἐπὶ κώπᾳ

And let Hades, the dark-haired god, know, and the old man

440

πηδαλίῳ τε γέρων

at the oar and rudder,

νεκροπομπὸς ἵζει,

the conductor of the dead,

πολὺ δὴ πολὺ δὴ γυναῖκ’ ἀρίσταν

that by far, by far the best of women

λίμναν Ἀχεροντίαν πορεύ-

he has ferried across the Acherontian

σας ἐλάτᾳ δικώπῳ.

lake with his double-oared pine boat.

445

πολλά σε μουσοπόλοι

Often of you shall the servants of the Muses

μέλψουσι καθ’ ἑπτάτονόν τ’ ὀρείαν

sing on the seven-stringed mountain

χέλυν ἔν τ’ ἀλύροις κλέοντες ὕμνοις,

tortoise-lyre and in songless hymns praising you,

Σπάρτᾳ κύκλος ἁνίκα Καρνείου περινίσσεται ὥρας

at Sparta when the circle of the Carneian season returns

450

μηνός, ἀειρομένας

of the month, when the all-night moon

παννύχου σελάνας,

is raised high,

λιπαραῖσί τ’ ἐν ὀλβίαις Ἀθάναις.

and in splendid and wealthy Athens.

τοίαν ἔλιπες θανοῦσα μολ-

Such a song you left by dying

πὰν μελέων ἀοιδοῖς.

to the singers of melodies.

455

εἴθ’ ἐπ’ ἐμοὶ μὲν εἴη,

O that it were in my power,

δυναίμαν δέ σε πέμψαι

and that I could send you

φάος ἐξ Ἀίδα τεράμνων

to the light from the chambers of Hades.

Syntax notes3 items

361ἂν ἔσχον
Serves as the apodosis of the contrary-to-fact conditional sentence starting in line 357 with 'εἰ δ’ Ὀρφέως μοι γλῶσσα καὶ μέλος παρῆν'. The verb 'ἔχω' with an infinitive ('καταστῆσαι' in line 362) means 'to prevent' or 'to hold back' from doing something.
365ἐπισκήψω
A volitive future of 'ἐπισκήπτω' with an accusative subject of the infinitive ('τούσδε', referring to the children) and a dative ('σοὶ', referring to Alcestis) and infinitives ('θεῖναι' and 'ἐκτεῖναι' in line 366), meaning 'I shall enjoin' or 'I shall command'.
438ἴστω
Third-person singular imperative of 'οἶδα', taking a supplementary participle ('πορεύσας' in line 443) to mean 'let him know that...'.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22) · Revision history (2, latest 2026-09-21)

2026-09-21 AI review — note 1
2026-09-21 AI review — translation 1

urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0006.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:361-457