Admetus' Lamentation and Choric Ode to Necessity — Euripides, Alcestis, lines 889–1001, Greek & English

889

—τύχα τύχα δυσπάλαιστος ἥκει·

Chorus: Fortune, a fortune hard to wrestle with, has come.

αἰαῖ.

Admetus: Alas!

890

—πέρας δέ γ’ οὐδὲν ἀλγέων τίθης.

Chorus: And yet you place no end to your grief.

ἒ ἔ.

Admetus: Ah, ah!

—βαρέα μὲν φέρειν, ὅμως δὲ...

Chorus: Heavy to bear, but still...

φεῦ φεῦ.

Admetus: Alas, alas!

—τλᾶθʼ· οὐ σὺ πρῶτος ὤλεσας...

Chorus: Endure; you are not the first to lose...

ἰώ μοί μοι.

Admetus: Ah me, ah me!

—γυναῖκα· συμφορὰ δ’ ἑτέρους ἑτέρα

Chorus:...a wife. One misfortune after another presses upon

πιέζει φανεῖσα θνατῶν.

and crushes mortal men.

895

ὦ μακρὰ πένθη λῦπαί τε φίλων

Admetus: O long mournings and griefs for loved ones

τῶν ὑπὸ γαῖαν.

under the earth!

τί μ’ ἐκώλυσας ῥῖψαι¹ τύμβου

Why did you prevent me from throwing myself

τάφρον ἐς κοίλην καὶ μετ’ ἐκείνης

into the hollow trench of the tomb, and lying dead

τῆς μέγ’ ἀρίστης κεῖσθαι φθίμενον;

with her, who was by far the best?

900

δύο δ’ ἀντὶ μιᾶς Ἅιδης ψυχὰς

Hades would have held two most faithful souls

τὰς πιστοτάτας σὺν ἂν ἔσχεν, ὁμοῦ

instead of one, crossing together

χθονίαν λίμνην διαβάντε.

the subterranean lake.

ἐμοί τις ἦν

Chorus: There was a certain man

ἐν γένει, ᾧ κόρος ἀξιόθρηνος

of my kin, whose only son, worthy of lamentation,

905

ὤλετ’ ἐν δόμοισιν²

perished in his house,

μονόπαις· ἀλλ’ ἔμπας

an only child. But nevertheless

ἔφερε κακὸν ἅλις, ἄτεκνος ὤν,

he bore the evil with moderation, being childless,

πολιὰς ἐπὶ χαίτας

though he had gray hair,

ἤδη προπετὴς ὢν

and was already leaning toward the end,

910

βιότου τε πόρσω.

and far advanced in life.

ὦ σχῆμα δόμων, πῶς εἰσέλθω;

Admetus: O form of the house, how shall I enter?

πῶς δ’ οἰκήσω μεταπίπτοντος

How shall I dwell in it, now that my fortune is changing?

δαίμονος; οἴμοι. πολὺ γὰρ τὸ μέσον·

Alas! For the difference is great.

915

τότε μὲν πεύκαις σὺν Πηλιάσιν

Then, indeed, with Pelian torches

σύν θ’ ὑμεναίοις ἔστειχον ἔσω,

and bridal songs I entered within,

φιλίας ἀλόχου χέρα βαστάζων,

holding the hand of my beloved wife,

πολυάχητος δ’ εἵπετο κῶμος,

and a loud-sounding revelry followed,

τήν τε θανοῦσαν κἄμ’ ὀλβίζων,

blessing both the deceased and me,

920

ὡς εὐπατρίδαι καὶ ἀπ’ ἀμφοτέρων

saying that we, being noble and from best parents

ὄντες ἀρίστων σύζυγες εἶμεν·

on both sides, were united as spouses;

νῦν δ’ ὑμεναίων γόος ἀντίπαλος

but now, instead of bridal songs, a hostile wailing,

λευκῶν τε πέπλων μέλανες στολμοὶ

and instead of white garments, black robes

πέμπουσί μ’ ἔσω

send me within

925

λέκτρων κοίτας ἐς ἐρήμους.

to the empty couches of my bed.

παρ’ εὐτυχῆ

Chorus: Alongside a happy

σοὶ πότμον ἦλθεν ἀπειροκάκῳ τόδ’

fate, this grief came to you who had been inexperienced

ἄλγος· ἀλλ’ ἔσωσας

in evil. But you saved

βίοτον καὶ ψυχάν.

your life and soul.

930

ἔθανε δάμαρ, ἔλιπε φιλίαν·

Your wife died, she left her love behind.

τί νέον τόδε; πολλοῖς

What is new in this? Already for many men

ἤδη παρέλυσεν

has death loosed

θάνατος δάμαρτας.

their wives from them.

935

φίλοι, γυναικὸς δαίμον’ εὐτυχέστερον

Admetus: Friends, I consider the fate of my wife more fortunate

τοὐμοῦ νομίζω, καίπερ οὐ δοκοῦνθ’ ὅμως·

than my own, although it does not seem so.

τῆς μὲν γὰρ οὐδὲν ἄλγος ἅψεταί ποτε,

For no pain will ever touch her,

πολλῶν δὲ μόχθων εὐκλεὴς ἐπαύσατο.

and she has ceased from many labors with glory.

ἐγὼ δʼ, ὃν οὐ χρῆν ζῆν,³ παρεὶς τὸ μόρσιμον

But I, who ought not to live, having escaped my destiny,

940

λυπρὸν διάξω βίοτον· ἄρτι μανθάνω.

shall drag out a painful life; now at last I understand.

πῶς γὰρ δόμων τῶνδ’ εἰσόδους ἀνέξομαι;

For how shall I endure the entrances of this house?

τίν’ ἂν προσειπών, τοῦ δὲ προσρηθεὶς ὕπο,

Whom should I address, and by whom addressed,

τερπνῆς τύχοιμ’ ἂν ἐξόδου; ποῖ τρέψομαι;

might I find a pleasant entry? Whither shall I turn?

ἡ μὲν γὰρ ἔνδον ἐξελᾷ μ’ ἐρημία,

For the desolation within will drive me out,

945

γυναικὸς εὐνὰς εὖτ’ ἂν εἰσίδω κενὰς

whenever I see the bed of my wife empty,

θρόνους τ’ ἐν οἷσιν ἷζε, καὶ κατὰ στέγας

and the chairs on which she sat, and throughout the house

αὐχμηρὸν οὖδας, τέκνα δ’ ἀμφὶ γούνασι

the dusty floor, and the children falling at my knees

πίπτοντα κλαίῃ μητέρʼ, οἳ δὲ δεσπότιν

weeping for their mother, and the servants

στένωσιν οἵαν ἐκ δόμων ἀπώλεσαν.

lamenting what a mistress they have lost from the house.

950

τὰ μὲν κατ’ οἴκους τοιάδʼ· ἔξωθεν δέ με

Such are the things within the house; but from without,

γάμοι τ’ ἐλῶσι Θεσσαλῶν καὶ ξύλλογοι

the marriages of Thessalians and the assemblies

γυναικοπληθεῖς· οὐ γὰρ ἐξανέξομαι

thronged with women will drive me away; for I shall not endure

λεύσσων δάμαρτος τῆς ἐμῆς ὁμήλικας.

looking at the age-mates of my wife.

ἐρεῖ δέ μ’ ὅστις ἐχθρὸς ὢν κυρεῖ τάδε·

And whoever happens to be my enemy will say this:

955

Ἰδοῦ τὸν αἰσχρῶς ζῶνθʼ, ὃς οὐκ ἔτλη θανεῖν,

’Look at him living shamefully, who did not dare to die,

ἀλλ’ ἣν ἔγημεν ἀντιδοὺς ἀψυχίᾳ

but escaped Hades by giving in exchange the woman he married,

πέφευγεν Ἅιδην· εἶτ’ ἀνὴρ εἶναι δοκεῖ;

through cowardice. And then does he seem to be a man?

στυγεῖ δὲ τοὺς τεκόντας, αὐτὸς οὐ θέλων

He hates his parents, though he himself is unwilling

θανεῖν. τοιάνδε πρὸς κακοῖσι κληδόνα

to die.’ Such a reputation, in addition to my evils,

960

ἕξω. τί μοι ζῆν δῆτα κέρδιον, φίλοι,

I shall have. Why then is it better for me to live, friends,

κακῶς κλύοντι καὶ κακῶς πεπραγότι;

hearing evil of myself and having fared evilly?

ἐγὼ καὶ διὰ μούσας

Chorus: I too have flown through the Muses

καὶ μετάρσιος ᾖξα, καὶ

and soared aloft, and

πλείστων ἁψάμενος λόγων

having touched upon very many doctrines,

965

κρεῖσσον οὐδὲν Ἀνάγκας

I found nothing stronger than Necessity (Ananke),

ηὗρον,⁴ οὐδέ τι φάρμακον

nor any remedy

Θρῄσσαις ἐν σανίσιν, τὰς

on the Thracian tablets, which

Ὀρφεία κατέγραψεν

the voice of Orpheus

970

γῆρυς, οὐδ’ ὅσα Φοῖβος Ἀσκληπιάδαις ἔδωκε

wrote down, nor any remedies which Phoebus gave to the sons of Asclepius,

φάρμακα πολυπόνοις ἀντιτεμὼν βροτοῖσιν.

prescribing them for weary mortals.

μόνας δ’ οὔτ’ ἐπὶ βωμοὺς

She alone has no altars

ἔστιν οὔτε βρέτας θεᾶς

nor image of a goddess to approach,

975

ἐλθεῖν, οὐ σφαγίων κλύει.

nor does she listen to sacrifices.

μή μοι, πότνια, μείζων

Do not, O mistress, come upon me

ἔλθοις ἢ τὸ πρὶν ἐν βίῳ.

more heavily than in my past life.

καὶ γὰρ Ζεὺς ὅ τι νεύσῃ,

For whatever Zeus nods to,

σὺν σοὶ τοῦτο τελευτᾷ.

with your help he accomplishes this.

980

καὶ τὸν ἐν Χαλύβοις δαμάζεις σὺ βίᾳ σίδαρον,

You subdue even the iron among the Chalybes by force,

οὐδέ τις ἀποτόμου λήματός ἐστιν αἰδώς.

nor is there any pity in your severe resolve.

καὶ σ’ ἐν ἀφύκτοισι χερῶν εἷλε θεὰ δεσμοῖς.

And you, too, the goddess has seized in the inescapable bonds of her hands.

985

τόλμα δʼ· οὐ γὰρ ἀνάξεις ποτ’ ἔνερθεν

But endure; for you will never bring up

κλαίων τοὺς φθιμένους ἄνω.

by weeping those who have died below.

καὶ θεῶν σκότιοι φθίνουσι

Even the dark children of the gods

990

παῖδες ἐν θανάτῳ.

fade away in death.

φίλα μὲν ὅτ’ ἦν μεθ’ ἡμῶν,

Beloved she was when she was with us,

φίλα δὲ καὶ θανοῦσ’ ἔσται,

and beloved she will be even in death,

γενναιοτάταν δὲ πασᾶν ἐζεύξω κλισίαις ἄκοιτιν.

and you yoked to your bed the most noble wife of all.

995

μηδὲ νεκρῶν ὡς φθιμένων χῶμα νομιζέσθω

Let not the mound of your wife be deemed

τύμβος σᾶς ἀλόχου, θεοῖσι δ’ ὁμοίως

as a tomb of the perished dead, but let her be honored

τιμάσθω, σέβας ἐμπόρων.

equally with the gods, an object of reverence for travelers.

1000

καί τις δοχμίαν κέλευθον

And someone, turning aside from the winding road,

ἐκβαίνων τόδ’ ἐρεῖ·

shall say this:

Syntax notes4 items

897τί μ’ ἐκώλυσας ῥῖψαι
The verb ἐκώλυσας ('you prevented') takes the infinitive ῥῖψαι ('to throw') as its direct object, indicating the action of preventing someone from doing something. It refers to the Chorus's past action of restraining Admetus from committing suicide.
904ᾧ κόρος ἀξιόθρηνος ὤλετ’ ἐν δόμοισιν
The relative pronoun ᾧ (dative) refers back to the antecedent τις ('a certain man') and functions as a dative of possession ('to whom a son perished', i.e., 'whose son perished'). The subject is κόρος ('son'), and ὤλετο is the middle-passive aorist of ὄλλυμι.
939ὃν οὐ χρῆν ζῆν
The relative pronoun ὃν is the accusative singular of the relative referring back to ἐγώ ('I'), functioning as the subject accusative in the accusative and infinitive construction with the impersonal imperfect χρῆν ('it was necessary', 'ought to have'). Thus, it means 'I, who ought not to be living'.
965κρεῖσσον οὐδὲν Ἀνάγκας ηὗρον
The comparative adjective κρεῖσσον ('stronger', 'greater') is followed by the genitive of comparison Ἀνάγκας ('than Necessity'). This highlights the absolute inescapability of fate in Greek tragedy, stating that nothing is found to be superior to Necessity.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0006.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:889-1001