Iolaus' Plea and Demophon's Pledge of Protection — Euripides, Children of Heracles, lines 163–239, Greek & English

163

τί ῥυσιασθείς, πόλεμον Ἀργείοις ἔχειν;¹

for what seized in reprisal, so as to have war with the Argives?

ποίοις δʼ ἀμύνων συμμάχοις, τίνος δʼ ὕπερ

And defending what allies, and on whose behalf

165

θάψεις νεκροὺς πεσόντας; ἦ κακὸν λόγον

will you bury the fallen dead? Surely an evil reputation

κτήσῃ πρὸς ἀστῶν, εἰ γέροντος οὕνεκα,

you will acquire from the citizens, if for the sake of an old man,

τύμβου, τὸ μηδὲν ὄντος,² ὡς εἰπεῖν ἔπος,

a tomb, who is as good as nothing, so to speak,

παίδων τε τῶνδʼ, ἐς ἄντλον ἐμβήσῃ πόδα.

and of these children, you step your foot into the bilge.

ἐρεῖς τὸ λῷστον ἐλπίδʼ εὑρήσειν μόνον.

You will say that you will find only hope as the best.

170

καὶ τοῦτο πολλῷ τοῦ παρόντος ἐνδεές·

And this is far short of the present reality;

κακῶς γὰρ Ἀργείοισιν οἵδ’ ὡπλισμένοις

for poorly would these boys, having grown up, fight against

μάχοιντʼ ἂν ἡβήσαντες,³ εἴ τι τοῦτό σε

the Argives, if this in any way

ψυχὴν ἐπαίρει· χοὑν μέσῳ πολὺς χρόνος

heart elates; and in the intervening time is much time,

ἐν ᾧ διεργασθεῖτʼ ἄν. ἀλλʼ ἐμοὶ πιθοῦ·

in which they might be destroyed. But obey me:

175

δοὺς μηδέν, ἀλλὰ τἄμ’ ἐῶν ἄγειν ἐμὲ

giving nothing, but allowing me to lead away my own,

κτῆσαι Μυκήνας, μηδʼ ὅπερ φιλεῖτε δρᾶν

acquire Mycenae as a friend, and do not suffer what you usually do,

πάθῃς σὺ τοῦτο, τοὺς ἀμείνονας παρὸν

so that, when it is possible to choose the better friends,

φίλους ἑλέσθαι, τοὺς κακίονας λάβῃς.

you select the worse ones.

τίς ἂν δίκην κρίνειεν ἢ γνοίη λόγον,

[Chorus] Who could judge a cause or understand an argument,

180

πρὶν ἂν παρʼ ἀμφοῖν μῦθον ἐκμάθῃ σαφῶς;

before he has clearly learned the story from both?

ἄναξ — ὑπάρχει μὲν τόδʼ ἐν τῇ σῇ χθονί —

[Iolaus] O king, — this indeed exists in your land —

εἰπεῖν ἀκοῦσαί τʼ ἐν μέρει πάρεστί μοι,

it is allowed for me to speak and to hear in turn,

κοὐδείς μʼ ἀπώσει πρόσθεν, ὥσπερ ἄλλοθεν.

and no one will drive me away beforehand, as from elsewhere.

ἡμῖν δὲ καὶ τῷδʼ οὐδέν ἐστιν ἐν μέρει·

But between us and this man there is nothing in common;

185

ἐπεὶ γὰρ Ἄργους οὐ μέτεσθʼ ἡμῖν ἔτι,

since we no longer have any share in Argos,

ψήφῳ δοκῆσαν, ἀλλὰ φεύγομεν πάτραν,

by a decree, but we are exiles from our fatherland,

πῶς ἂν δικαίως ὡς Μυκηναίους ἄγοι

how could he justly lead us away as Mycenaeans,

ὧδʼ ὄντας ἡμᾶς, οὓς ἀπήλασαν χθονός;

us being here, whom they drove out of the land?

ξένοι γάρ ἐσμεν. ἢ τὸν Ἑλλήνων ὅρον

For we are strangers. Or do you deem it right that whoever flees Argos

190

φεύγειν δικαιοῦθʼ ὅστις ἂν τἄργος φύγῃ;

must flee the boundary of all Greece?

οὔκουν Ἀθήνας γʼ· οὐ γὰρ Ἀργείων φόβῳ

Not Athens, at any rate; for they will not out of fear of Argives

τοὺς Ἡρακλείους παῖδας ἐξελῶσι γῆς.

drive the children of Heracles from the land.

οὐ γάρ τι Τραχίς ἐστιν οὐδʼ Ἀχαιικὸν

For it is not Trachis, nor an Achaean

πόλισμʼ, ὅθεν σὺ τούσδε, τῇ δίκῃ μὲν οὔ,

town, from where you, not by justice,

195

τὸ δʼ Ἄργος ὀγκῶν, οἷάπερ καὶ νῦν λέγεις,

but puffing up Argos, just as you say even now,

ἤλαυνες ἱκέτας βωμίους καθημένους.

drove away suppliants sitting at the altars.

εἰ γὰρ τόδʼ ἔσται καὶ λόγους κρινοῦσι σούς,

For if this shall be, and they judge your words as right,

οὐκ οἶδʼ Ἀθήνας τάσδʼ ἐλευθέρας ἔτι.

I no longer know these Athens as free.

ἀλλʼ οἶδʼ ἐγὼ τὸ τῶνδε λῆμα καὶ φύσιν·

But I know the spirit and nature of these men:

200

θνῄσκειν θελήσουσʼ· ἡ γὰρ αἰσχύνη πάρος

they will wish to die; for disgrace, rather than

τοῦ ζῆν παρʼ ἐσθλοῖς ἀνδράσιν νομίζεται.

life, is considered preferred among noble men.

πόλιν μὲν ἀρκεῖ· καὶ γὰρ οὖν ἐπίφθονον

This is enough for the city; for indeed, excessive praise

λίαν ἐπαινεῖν ἐστι, πολλάκις δὲ δὴ

is invidious, and indeed often

καὐτὸς βαρυνθεὶς οἶδʼ ἄγαν αἰνούμενος.

I myself have known being vexed when praised too much.

205

σοὶ δʼ ὡς ἀνάγκη τούσδε βούλομαι φράσαι

But to you I wish to tell how it is necessary

σῴζειν, ἐπείπερ τῆσδε προστατεῖς χθονός.

to save these boys, since you are the ruler of this land.

Πιτθεὺς μέν ἐστι Πέλοπος, ἐκ δὲ Πιτθέως

Pittheus is the son of Pelops, and from Pittheus

Αἴθρα, πατὴρ δʼ ἐκ τῆσδε γεννᾶται σέθεν

Aethra, and from her is born your father

Θησεύς. πάλιν δὲ τῶνδʼ ἄνειμί σοι γένος.

Theseus. And in turn I will trace the lineage of these boys for you.

210

Ἡρακλέης ἦν Ζηνὸς Ἀλκμήνης τε παῖς,

Heracles was the son of Zeus and Alcmene,

κείνη δὲ Πέλοπος θυγατρός. αὐτανεψίων⁴

and she was the daughter of Pelops’ daughter.

πατὴρ ἂν εἴη σός τε χὡ τούτων γεγώς.

Therefore, your father would be first cousin to the one who begot these boys.

γένους μὲν ἥκεις ὧδε τοῖσδε, Δημοφῶν·

Thus you are related by birth to these boys, Demophon.

ἃ δʼ ἐκτὸς ἤδη τοῦ προσήκοντός σε δεῖ

And what you must pay to these children, which is beyond mere kinship,

215

τεῖσαι λέγω σοι παισί· φημὶ γάρ ποτε

I will tell you; for I say that once

σύμπλους γενέσθαι τῶνδʼ ὑπασπίζων πατρὶ

I was a fellow-voyager, shielding their father,

ζωστῆρα Θησεῖ τὸν πολυκτόνον μέτα·

with Theseus after the belt that caused much slaughter;

Ἅιδου τʼ ἐρυμνῶν ἐξανήγαγεν μυχῶν

and from the secure depths of Hades he brought back

πατέρα σόν· Ἑλλὰς πᾶσα τοῦτο μαρτυρεῖ.

your father; all Greece witnesses this.

220

ὧν ἀντιδοῦναί σʼ οἵδʼ ἀπαιτοῦσιν χάριν,

In return for these, they demand that you repay the favor,

μήτʼ ἐκδοθῆναι μήτε πρὸς βίαν θεῶν

neither to be surrendered nor, dragged away by force against

τῶν σῶν ἀποσπασθέντες ἐκπεσεῖν χθονός.

your gods, to be dragged away and cast out of the land.

σοὶ γὰρ τόδʼ αἰσχρὸν χωρίς, ἔν τε πόλει κακόν,⁵

For this is shameful to you individually, and evil in the city,

ἱκέτας ἀλήτας συγγενεῖς, οἴμοι, κακῶς —

that suppliants, wanderers, relatives, alas! miserably —

225

βλέψον πρὸς αὐτοὺς βλέψον· — ἕλκεσθαι βίᾳ.

look at them, look! — should be dragged away by force.

ἀλλʼ ἄντομαί σε καὶ καταστέφω χεροῖν,

But I entreat you and crown you with my hands,

καὶ πρὸς γενείου, μηδαμῶς ἀτιμάσῃς

and by your chin, by no means dishonor

τοὺς Ἡρακλείους παῖδας ἐς χέρας λαβών·

the children of Heracles, receiving them into your hands.

γενοῦ δὲ τοῖσδε συγγενής, γενοῦ φίλος

Become a kinsman to them, become a friend,

230

πατὴρ ἀδελφὸς δεσπότης· ἅπαντα γὰρ

father, brother, master; for all

ταῦτʼ ἐστὶ κρείσσω πλὴν ὑπʼ Ἀργείοις πεσεῖν.

these things are better than to fall under the Argives.

ᾤκτιρʼ ἀκούσας τούσδε συμφορᾶς, ἄναξ.

[Chorus] I pitied them, having heard of their misfortune, O king.

τὴν δʼ εὐγένειαν τῆς τύχης νικωμένην

And nobility being conquered by fortune

νῦν δὴ μάλιστʼ ἐσεῖδον· οἵδε γὰρ πατρὸς

now indeed most of all I saw; for these, born of a noble

235

ἐσθλοῦ γεγῶτες δυστυχοῦσʼ ἀναξίως.

father, suffer misfortune undeservedly.

τρισσαί μʼ ἀναγκάζουσι συμφορᾶς ὁδοί,

[Demophon] Three ways of necessity compel me,

Ἰόλαε, τοὺς σοὺς μὴ παρώσασθαι ξένους·

Iolaus, not to reject your strangers;

τὸ μὲν μέγιστον Ζεὺς ἐφʼ οὗ σὺ βώμιος

the greatest indeed, Zeus, at whose altar you

θακεῖς νεοσσῶν τήνδʼ ἔχων πανήγυριν·

sit, having this assembly of young ones;

Syntax notes5 items

163τί ῥυσιασθείς, πόλεμον Ἀργείοις ἔχειν;
The pronoun τί is an adverbial accusative ('why' or 'for what'). The passive participle ῥυσιασθείς indicates condition ('if plundered of what') or cause. The infinitive ἔχειν functions as an infinitive of result or an independent infinitive depending on an omitted governing verb like χρή.
167τύμβου, τὸ μηδὲν ὄντος
An appositive phrase modifying γέροντος ('the old man'), metaphorically equating old age with a 'tomb'. The subsequent phrase τὸ μηδὲν ὄντος ('being as good as nothing') is a participle phrase with a neuter singular article, also serving as an apposition to emphasize the old man's insignificance.
172μάχοιντʼ ἂν ἡβήσαντες
The particle ἄν with the optative μάχοιντο expresses potentiality. The participle ἡβήσαντες functions as a conditional participle ('if they should grow up'), standing in place of a conditional protasis (εἰ ἡβήσειαν) paired with the optative in the apodosis.
211αὐτανεψίων
A genitive plural of the noun meaning 'first cousins'. It functions predicatively with the subjects in line 212 (σός τε πατήρ, 'your father', and χὡ τούτων γεγώς, 'the one who begot these boys'), meaning 'your father and their father are first cousins'.
223σοὶ γὰρ τόδʼ αἰσχρὸν χωρίς, ἔν τε πόλει κακόν
In the structure of the sentence, the ultimate grammatical subject is the infinitive phrase ἕλκεσθαι βίᾳ ('to be dragged away by force') in line 225. The pronoun τόδε acts as a proleptic subject anticipating this infinitive phrase, with αἰσχρόν and κακόν serving as predicate adjectives.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0006.tlg004.humanitext-grc2:163-239