Praise for Alcestis and the Arrival of Heracles — Euripides, Alcestis, lines 458–540, Greek & English

458

καὶ Κωκυτοῖο ῥεέθρων

And from the streams of Cocytus,

ποταμίᾳ νερτέρᾳ τε κώπᾳ.

with the ferry oar of the underworld (if only I could send you back).

460

σὺ γὰρ ὤ, μόνα, ὦ φίλα γυναικῶν,

For you alone, o dear among women,

σὺ τὸν αὑτᾶς

you dared to exchange your

ἔτλας πόσιν ἀντὶ σᾶς ἀμεῖψαι

husband for your own life from Hades. May

ψυχᾶς ἐξ Ἅιδα. κούφα σοι

the earth fall lightly upon you, o wife. But if

χθὼν ἐπάνωθε πέσοι, γύναι. εἰ δέ τι

your husband should choose any new bed, indeed he would be

καινὸν ἕλοιτο πόσις λέχος, ἦ μάλ’ ἂν ἔμοιγ’ ἂν εἴηστυγηθεὶς τέκνοις τε τοῖς σοῖς.

greatly hated by me and by your children.

ματέρος οὐ θελούσας

Since his mother was not willing to hide her body in the earth

πρὸ παιδὸς χθονὶ κρύψαι

for her child, nor his aged father;

δέμας, οὐδὲ πατρὸς γεραιοῦ,

whom they begot, they dared not rescue,

ὃν ἔτεκον δʼ, οὐκ ἔτλαν ῥύεσθαι,

though having white hair,

470

σχετλίω,¹ πολιὰν ἔχοντε χαίταν.

wretched ones!

σὺ δ’ ἐν ἥβᾳ

But you in your young

νέᾳ προθανοῦσα φωτὸς οἴχῃ.

youth have gone, dying for your husband, from the light.

τοιαύτας εἴη μοι κῦρσαι

May it be my lot to meet such

συνδυάδος φιλίας· τοῦτο γὰρ

a loving companion; for this is

ἐν βιότῳ σπάνιον μέρος· ἦ γὰρ ἂν ἔμοιγ’ ἄλυπος

a rare portion in life; indeed she would dwell with me

475

δι’ αἰῶνος ἂν ξυνείη.

without grief through life.

ξένοι, Φεραίας τῆσδε κωμῆται χθονός,

(Hercules) Strangers, inhabitants of this Pheraean land,

Ἄδμητον ἐν δόμοισιν ἆρα κιγχάνω;

do I find Admetus in the palace?

ἔστ’ ἐν δόμοισι παῖς Φέρητος, Ἡράκλεις.

(Chorus Leader) The son of Pheres is in the palace, Hercules.

ἀλλ’ εἰπὲ χρεία τίς σε Θεσσαλῶν χθόνα

But tell us, what need sends you to the land of Thessalians,

480

πέμπει, Φεραῖον ἄστυ προσβῆναι τόδε.

to approach this Pheraean city?

Τιρυνθίῳ πράσσω τιν’ Εὐρυσθεῖ πόνον.

(Hercules) I am performing a labor for Eurystheus of Tiryns.

καὶ ποῖ πορεύῃ; τῷ προσέζευξαι πλάνῳ;

(Chorus Leader) And where are you journeying? To what wandering are you yoked?

Θρῃκὸς τέτρωρον ἅρμα Διομήδους μέτα.

(Hercules) For the four-horse chariot of Diomedes of Thrace.

πῶς οὖν δυνήσῃ; μῶν ἄπειρος εἶ ξένου;

(Chorus Leader) How then will you be able? Are you indeed inexperienced with the host?

485

ἄπειρος· οὔπω Βιστόνων ἦλθον χθόνα.

(Hercules) Inexperienced; I have not yet gone to the land of the Bistones.

οὐκ ἔστιν ἵππων δεσπόσαι σ’ ἄνευ μάχης.

(Chorus Leader) It is not possible to master the horses without a fight.

ἀλλ’ οὐδ’ ἀπειπεῖν μὴν πόνους οἷόν τ’ ἐμοί.

(Hercules) But neither indeed is it possible for me to refuse the labors.

κτανὼν ἄρ’ ἥξεις ἢ θανὼν αὐτοῦ μενεῖς.

(Chorus Leader) Then you will return having slain him, or you will remain there dead.

οὐ τόνδ’ ἀγῶνα πρῶτον ἂν δράμοιμ’² ἐγώ.

(Hercules) This would not be the first contest I have run.

490

τί δ’ ἂν κρατήσας δεσπότην πλέον λάβοις;

(Chorus Leader) And what more would you gain by conquering the master?

πώλους ἀπάξω κοιράνῳ Τιρυνθίῳ.

(Hercules) I shall lead the horses away to the ruler of Tiryns.

οὐκ εὐμαρὲς χαλινὸν ἐμβαλεῖν γνάθοις.

(Chorus Leader) It is not easy to put a bit in their jaws.

εἰ μή γε πῦρ πνέουσι μυκτήρων ἄπο.

(Hercules) Unless indeed they breathe fire from their nostrils.

ἀλλ’ ἄνδρας ἀρταμοῦσι λαιψηραῖς γνάθοις.

(Chorus Leader) But they tear men with swift jaws.

495

θηρῶν ὀρείων χόρτον, οὐχ ἵππων, λέγεις.

(Hercules) You speak of food for mountain beasts, not of horses.

φάτνας ἴδοις ἂν αἵμασιν πεφυρμένας.

(Chorus Leader) You might see the mangers defiled with blood.

τίνος δ’ ὁ θρέψας παῖς πατρὸς κομπάζεται;

(Hercules) And of what father does the one who bred them boast to be the son?

Ἄρεος, ζαχρύσου Θρῃκίας πέλτης ἄναξ.

(Chorus Leader) Of Ares, lord of the golden Thracian shield.

καὶ τόνδε τοὐμοῦ δαίμονος πόνον λέγεις·

(Hercules) And you speak of this labor of my destiny;

500

σκληρὸς γὰρ αἰεὶ καὶ πρὸς αἶπος ἔρχεται·

for it is always hard and goes against the steep;

εἰ χρή με παισὶν οἷς Ἄρης ἐγείνατο

if I must join battle with the children whom Ares begot,

μάχην συνάψαι, πρῶτα μὲν Λυκάονι,

first indeed with Lycaon,

αὖθις δὲ Κύκνῳ, τόνδε δ’ ἔρχομαι τρίτον

and again with Cycnus, and now I go to join this third

ἀγῶνα πώλοις δεσπότῃ τε συμβαλῶν.

contest with the horses and their master.

505

ἀλλ’ οὔτις ἔστιν ὃς τὸν Ἀλκμήνης γόνον

But there is no one who will ever see the offspring of Alcmene

τρέσαντα χεῖρα πολεμίαν ποτ’ ὄψεται.

trembling before an enemy’s hand.

καὶ μὴν ὅδ’ αὐτὸς τῆσδε κοίρανος χθονὸς

(Chorus Leader) And indeed here is the ruler of this land himself,

Ἄδμητος ἔξω δωμάτων πορεύεται.

Admetus, coming out of the palace.

χαῖρʼ, ὦ Διὸς παῖ Περσέως τ’ ἀφ’ αἵματος.

(Admetus) Greetings, o son of Zeus and of the blood of Perseus.

510

Ἄδμητε, καὶ σὺ χαῖρε, Θεσσαλῶν ἄναξ.

(Hercules) Admetus, greetings to you too, ruler of Thessalians.

θέλοιμ’ ἄν· εὔνουν δ’ ὄντα σ’ ἐξεπίσταμαι.

(Admetus) I would wish so; and I know well that you are well-disposed.

τί χρῆμα κουρᾷ τῇδε πενθίμῳ πρέπεις;

(Hercules) Why indeed do you appear with this mourning hair-cut?

θάπτειν τιν’ ἐν τῇδ’ ἡμέρᾳ μέλλω νεκρόν.

(Admetus) I am about to bury a certain corpse today.

ἀπ’ οὖν τέκνων σῶν πημονὴν εἴργοι θεός.

(Hercules) May the god then ward off calamity from your children.

515

ζῶσιν κατ’ οἴκους παῖδες οὓς ἔφυσ’ ἐγώ.

(Admetus) The children whom I begot are living in the house.

πατήρ γε μὴν ὡραῖος, εἴπερ οἴχεται.

(Hercules) Surely your father is of ripe age, if indeed he is gone.

κἀκεῖνος ἔστι χἡ τεκοῦσά μʼ, Ἡράκλεις.

(Admetus) Both he is and she who bore me, Hercules.

οὐ μὴν γυνή γ’ ὄλωλεν Ἄλκηστις σέθεν;

(Hercules) Surely your wife Alcestis has not perished?

διπλοῦς ἐπ’ αὐτῇ μῦθος ἔστι μοι λέγειν.³

(Admetus) I have a double story to tell about her.

520

πότερα θανούσης εἶπας ἢ ζώσης ἔτι;

(Hercules) Did you mean that she is dead or still living?

ἔστιν τε κοὐκέτ’ ἔστιν, ἀλγύνει δ’ ἐμέ.

(Admetus) She is and she is no more, and it grieves me.

οὐδέν τι μᾶλλον οἶδʼ· ἄσημα γὰρ λέγεις.

(Hercules) I know no more; for you speak obscurely.

οὐκ οἶσθα μοίρας ἧς τυχεῖν αὐτὴν χρεών;

(Admetus) Do you not know the fate which she must meet?

οἶδʼ, ἀντὶ σοῦ γε κατθανεῖν ὑφειμένην.

(Hercules) I know, that she undertook to die in your stead.

525

πῶς οὖν ἔτ’ ἔστιν, εἴπερ ᾔνεσεν τάδε;

(Hercules) How then is she still, if indeed she consented to this?

ἆ, μὴ πρόκλαι’ ἄκοιτιν, ἐς τότ’ ἀμβαλοῦ.

(Admetus) Ah, do not mourn your wife beforehand, defer it until then.

τέθνηχ’ ὁ μέλλων,⁴ κοὐκέτ’ ἔσθ’ ὁ κατθανών.

(Admetus) One who is about to die is dead, and the dead one is no more.

χωρὶς τό τ’ εἶναι καὶ τὸ μὴ νομίζεται.

(Hercules) Being and not being are considered separate things.

σὺ τῇδε κρίνεις, Ἡράκλεις, κείνῃ δ’ ἐγώ.

(Admetus) You judge in this way, Hercules, and I in that.

530

τί δῆτα κλαίεις; τίς φίλων ὁ κατθανών;

(Hercules) Why indeed do you weep? Who of your friends is dead?

γυνή· γυναικὸς ἀρτίως μεμνήμεθα.

(Admetus) A woman; we were just now speaking of a woman.

ὀθνεῖος ἢ σοὶ συγγενὴς γεγῶσά τις;

(Hercules) A stranger, or one born akin to you?

ὀθνεῖος, ἄλλως δ’ ἦν ἀναγκαία δόμοις.

(Admetus) A stranger, but otherwise she was necessary to the house.

πῶς οὖν ἐν οἴκοις σοῖσιν ὤλεσεν βίον;

(Hercules) How then did she lose her life in your house?

535

πατρὸς θανόντος ἐνθάδ’ ὠρφανεύετο.

(Admetus) Her father having died, she was brought up as an orphan here.

φεῦ.

(Hercules) Alas.

εἴθ’ ηὕρομέν σʼ, Ἄδμητε, μὴ λυπούμενον.

(Hercules) I wish we had found you, Admetus, not grieving.

ὡς δὴ τί δράσων τόνδ’ ὑπορράπτεις λόγον;

(Admetus) Wishing to do what indeed do you weave this speech?

ξένων πρὸς ἄλλων ἑστίαν πορεύσομαι.

(Hercules) I shall go to the hearth of other hosts.

οὐκ ἔστιν, ὦναξ· μὴ τοσόνδ’ ἔλθοι κακόν.

(Admetus) It cannot be, o king; may such an evil not happen.

540

λυπουμένοις ὀχληρός, εἰ μόλοι, ξένος.

(Hercules) A guest is troublesome to those who grieve, if he should come.

Syntax notes4 items

470σχετλίω
The nominative dual adjective σχετλίω and participle ἔχοντε refer to the "mother" and "father" introduced in the genitive absolute phrases ματέρος οὐ θελούσας... and οὐδὲ πατρὸς... Grammatically, they modify them in an exclamatory sense, meaning "the two wretched/cruel ones, although having white hair".
489ἂν δράμοιμʼ
The optative with the particle ἄν (potential optative) indicates a future possibility or confidence ("I would not run..."). Furthermore, ἀγῶνα (contest) stands in a cognate accusative relation with the verb τρέχω (to run, here in the optative form δράμοιμι), forming the metaphorical expression "to run a contest" (i.e., to undergo a struggle).
519ἔστι μοι λέγειν
A construction where the impersonally used ἔστι ("it is possible") is followed by the dative μοι and the infinitive λέγειν. Admetus uses this phrasing—"it is possible for me to tell a double story"—to vaguely express Alcestis's state (physically still alive, but as good as dead because her death is determined).
527ὁ μέλλων
The present participle ὁ μέλλων, used substantively, contextually means "the one who is about to (die)", originally abbreviated from ὁ μέλλων θανεῖσθαι. It functions as the subject of the perfect verb τέθνηκ’ ("is dead"), representing Admetus's paradoxical logic that "the one doomed to die is already dead".

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)

2026-09-21 AI review — translation 1

urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0006.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:458-540