- Source
- Euripides. Euripidis Fabulae, Vol. I. Murray, Gilbert, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1902.
- Translation
- AI-generated (gemini-3.5-flash) — machine translation; may contain errors
- Languages
- 日本語 · English · 简体中文 · 한국어
- CTS URN
- urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0006.tlg004.humanitext-grc2:1-79
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-27
Iolaus delivers a prologue detailing his flight to Marathon with Heracles' children to escape Eurystheus. As Eurystheus' herald Copreus arrives and attempts to drag them away by force, Iolaus resists and cries out to the Athenian elders for assistance.
Πάλαι ποτʼ ἐστὶ τοῦτʼ ἐμοὶ δεδογμένον·
For a long time now this has been my firm conviction:
ὁ μὲν δίκαιος τοῖς πέλας πέφυκʼ ἀνήρ,
the just man is born for his neighbors,
ὃ δʼ ἐς τὸ κέρδος λῆμʼ ἔχων ἀνειμένον
while he who has a mind unbridled for gain
πόλει τʼ ἄχρηστος καὶ συναλλάσσειν βαρύς,
is both useless to the city and difficult to deal with,
αὑτῷ δʼ ἄριστος· οἶδα δʼ οὐ λόγῳ μαθών.
but best for himself. I know this not from hearsay but by experience.
ἐγὼ γὰρ αἰδοῖ καὶ τὸ συγγενὲς σέβων,
For I, respecting reverence and kinship,
ἐξὸν1 κατʼ Ἄργος ἡσύχως ναίειν, πόνων
though it was possible for me to dwell quietly in Argos, shared
πλείστων μετέσχον εἷς ἀνὴρ Ἡρακλέει,
in the greatest of labors, as one man with Heracles,
ὅτʼ ἦν μεθʼ ἡμῶν· νῦν δʼ, ἐπεὶ κατʼ οὐρανὸν
when he was with us. But now, since he dwells in heaven,
ναίει, τὰ κείνου τέκνʼ ἔχων ὑπὸ πτεροῖς
I keep his children under my wings
σῴζω τάδʼ αὐτὸς δεόμενος σωτηρίας.
and protect them, though I myself am in need of safety.
ἐπεὶ γὰρ αὐτῶν γῆς ἀπηλλάχθη πατήρ,
For when their father departed from the earth,
πρῶτον μὲν ἡμᾶς ἤθελʼ Εὐρυσθεὺς κτανεῖν·
Eurystheus first wanted to kill us.
ἀλλʼ ἐξέδραμεν· καὶ πόλις μὲν οἴχεται,
But we escaped. And though our city is lost,
ψυχὴ δʼ ἐσώθη. φεύγομεν δʼ ἀλώμενοι
our lives were saved. And we flee, wandering,
ἄλλην ἀπʼ ἄλλης ἐξορίζοντες πόλιν.
driven out from one city to another.
πρὸς τοῖς γὰρ ἄλλοις καὶ τόδʼ Εὐρυσθεὺς κακοῖς
For in addition to our other ills, Eurystheus has seen fit
ὕβρισμʼ ἐς ἡμᾶς ἠξίωσεν ὑβρίσαι·
to inflict this outrage upon us:
πέμπων ὅπου γῆς πυνθάνοιθʼ2 ἱδρυμένους
sending heralds wherever on earth he learns we are settled,
κήρυκας ἐξαιτεῖ τε κἀξείργει χθονός,
he demands our surrender and drives us from the land,
πόλιν προτείνων Ἄργος οὐ σμικρὸν φίλην
offering the city of Argos as no small friend
ἐχθράν τε θέσθαι, χαὑτὸν εὐτυχοῦνθʼ ἅμα.
or as an enemy to be made, while himself being prosperous at the same time.
οἳ δʼ ἀσθενῆ μὲν τἀπ’ ἐμοῦ δεδορκότες,
And they, seeing the weakness on my part,
σμικροὺς δὲ τούσδε καὶ πατρὸς τητωμένους,
and these children small and deprived of their father,
τοὺς κρείσσονας σέβοντες ἐξείργουσι γῆς.
and respecting the stronger, drive us from their land.
ἐγὼ δὲ σὺν φεύγουσι συμφεύγω τέκνοις
But I flee together with the fleeing children,
καὶ σὺν κακῶς πράσσουσι συμπράσσω κακῶς,
and suffer misfortune together with those who fare ill,
ὀκνῶν προδοῦναι, μή τις ὧδ’ εἴπῃ βροτῶν·
shrinking from betraying them, lest any mortal should say:
Ἴδεσθ’, ἐπειδὴ παισὶν οὐκ ἔστιν πατήρ,
‘Look, since the children have no father,
Ἰόλαος οὐκ ἤμυνε συγγενὴς γεγώς.
Iolaus, though being a kinsman, did not defend them.’
πάσης δὲ χώρας Ἑλλάδος τητώμενοι,
And deprived of every land of Greece,
Μαραθῶνα καὶ σύγκληρον ἐλθόντες χθόνα
having come to Marathon and the neighboring territory,
ἱκέται καθεζόμεσθα βώμιοι θεῶν,
we sit as suppliants at the altars of the gods,
προσωφελῆσαι· πεδία γὰρ τῆσδε χθονὸς
to seek aid; for the plains of this land,
δισσοὺς κατοικεῖν Θησέως παῖδας λόγος,
as the story goes, are inhabited by the twin sons of Theseus,
κλήρῳ λαχόντας ἐκ γένους Πανδίονος,
who received them by lot from the line of Pandion,
τοῖσδʼ ἐγγὺς ὄντας· ὧν ἕκατι τέρμονας
and are closely related to these children. For their sake, to the boundaries
κλεινῶν Ἀθηνῶν τόνδʼ ἀφικόμεσθʼ ὅρον.
of glorious Athens we have come, to this boundary.
δυοῖν γερόντοιν δὲ στρατηγεῖται φυγή·
This flight is led by two old people:
ἐγὼ μὲν ἀμφὶ τοῖσδε καλχαίνων τέκνοις,
I, on the one hand, anxiously caring for these children,
ἣ δʼ αὖ τὸ θῆλυ παιδὸς Ἀλκμήνη γένος
and she, on the other hand, Alcmene, protecting the female offspring of her son
ἔσωθε ναοῦ τοῦδʼ ὑπηγκαλισμένη
inside this temple, holding them in her arms,
σῴζει· νέας γὰρ παρθένους αἰδούμεθα
preserves them. For we are ashamed to let young virgins
ὄχλῳ πελάζειν κἀπιβωμιοστατεῖν.
approach the crowd and stand before the altar.
Ὕλλος δʼ ἀδελφοί θʼ οἷσι πρεσβεύει γένος3
And Hyllus and his brothers, of whom he is the eldest,
ζητοῦσʼ ὅπου γῆς πύργον οἰκιούμεθα,
are seeking where on earth we may establish a stronghold,
ἢν τῆσδʼ ἀπωθώμεσθα πρὸς βίαν χθονός.
if we should be driven by force from this land.
ὦ τέκνα τέκνα, δεῦρο, λαμβάνεσθʼ ἐμῶν
O children, children, come here, take hold of my
πέπλων· ὁρῶ κήρυκα τόνδʼ Εὐρυσθέως
robes. I see this herald of Eurystheus
στείχοντʼ ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς, οὗ διωκόμεσθʼ ὕπο
walking toward us, by whom we are pursued
πάσης ἀλῆται γῆς ἀπεστερημένοι.
as wanderers, deprived of every land.
ὦ μῖσος, εἴθʼ ὄλοιο χὡ πέμψας σ’ ἀνήρ·
O hateful wretch, may you perish, and the man who sent you!
ὡς πολλὰ δὴ καὶ τῶνδε γενναίῳ πατρὶ
For how many evils indeed, to the noble father of these children,
ἐκ τοῦδε ταὐτοῦ στόματος ἤγγειλας κακά.
did you announce from this very same mouth.
ἦ που καθῆσθαι τήνδʼ ἕδραν καλὴν δοκεῖς
[Copreus] No doubt you think that sitting in this seat is fine,
πόλιν τʼ ἀφῖχθαι σύμμαχον, κακῶς φρονῶν·
and that you have come to an allied city, in your foolishness;
οὐ γάρ τις ἔστιν ὃς πάροιθʼ αἱρήσεται
for there is no one who will choose
τὴν σὴν ἀχρεῖον δύναμιν ἀντʼ Εὐρυσθέως.
your useless power instead of Eurystheus.
χώρει· τί μοχθεῖς ταῦτʼ; ἀνίστασθαί σε χρὴ
Go! Why do you trouble yourself with this? You must get up
ἐς Ἄργος, οὗ σε λεύσιμος μένει δίκη.
to Argos, where a judgment of stoning awaits you.
οὐ δῆτʼ, ἐπεί μοι βωμὸς ἀρκέσει θεοῦ,
[Iolaus] No indeed, since the altar of the god will protect me,
ἐλευθέρα τε γαῖʼ ἐν ᾗ βεβήκαμεν.
and free is this land on which we have stepped.
βούλῃ πόνον μοι τῇδε προσθεῖναι χερί;
[Copreus] Do you wish to cause trouble for this hand of mine?
οὔτοι βίᾳ γέ μʼ οὐδὲ τούσδʼ ἄξεις λαβών.
[Iolaus] Surely you will not lead me or these children away by force.
γνώσῃ σύ· μάντις δʼ ἦσθʼ ἄρʼ οὐ καλὸς τάδε.
[Copreus] You shall see. It seems you were a poor prophet in this.
οὐκ ἂν γένοιτο τοῦτʼ ἐμοῦ ζῶντός ποτε.
[Iolaus] That will never happen while I am alive.
ἄπαιρʼ· ἐγὼ δὲ τούσδε, κἂν σὺ μὴ θέλῃς,
[Copreus] Stand back! But these children, even if you do not wish it,
ἄξω νομίζων, οὗπέρ εἰσʼ, Εὐρυσθέως.4
I shall lead away, considering them to belong to Eurystheus, as indeed they do.
ὦ τὰς Ἀθήνας δαρὸν οἰκοῦντες χρόνον,
[Iolaus] O you who have inhabited Athens for a long time,
ἀμύνεθʼ· ἱκέται δʼ ὄντες ἀγοραίου Διὸς
help us! Though we are suppliants of Zeus of the Market,
βιαζόμεσθα καὶ στέφη μιαίνεται —
we are being forced, and our garlands are desecrated —
πόλει τʼ ὄνειδος καὶ θεῶν ἀτιμία.
a disgrace to the city and a dishonor to the gods!
— ἔα ἔα· τίς ἡ βοὴ βωμοῦ πέλας
[Chorus] Ah, ah! What is this shout that has arisen near the altar?
ἕστηκε; ποίαν συμφορὰν δείξει τάχα;
What misfortune will it soon display?
— ἴδετε τὸν γέροντʼ ἀμαλὸν ἐπὶ πέδῳ
Look at the weak old man cast upon the ground!
χύμενον· ὦ τάλας.
Oh, wretched man!
— πρὸς τοῦ ποτʼ ἐν γῇ πτῶμα δύστηνον πίτνεις;
By whom, pray, have you been cast to this miserable fall upon the ground?
ὅδʼ, ὦ ξένοι, με σοὺς ἀτιμάζων θεοὺς
[Iolaus] This man, O strangers, dishonoring your gods,
ἕλκει βιαίως Ζηνὸς ἐκ προβωμίων.
drags me by force from the steps of the altar of Zeus.
- 7ἐξόν
The neuter accusative singular present participle of the impersonal verb ἔξεστι ('it is possible'), used in the accusative absolute construction. It functions concessionally to mean 'although it was possible'.
- 19πυνθάνοιθʼ
The present optative (πυνθάνοιτο). Although the main verbs (ἐξαιτεῖ and ἐξείργει) are historical presents representing habitual past actions, the relative clause uses the optative of past repetition ('whenever he heard') under secondary sequence.
- 45οἷσι πρεσβεύει γένος
A relative clause introduced by the dative plural relative pronoun οἷσι (= οἷς). γένος ('birth/age') is the subject, and πρεσβεύει ('is the eldest/takes precedence') is the verb, meaning 'among whom his birth makes him the eldest'.
- 68νομίζων, οὗπέρ εἰσʼ, Εὐρυσθέως
Εὐρυσθέως is a possessive genitive. The infinitive εἶναι is omitted after νομίζων ('considering them to belong to Eurystheus'). The relative clause οὗπέρ εἰσʼ ('where/whose indeed they are') is parenthetical and emphasizes their factual belonging to Eurystheus.