Praise by Iolaus and Preparations against Argos — Euripides, Children of Heracles, lines 318–402, Greek & English

318

πτωχοὺς ἀλήτας εἰσορῶντες· ἀλλʼ ὅμως

beholding us as poor vagabonds; but nevertheless

οὐκ ἐξέδωκαν οὐδʼ ἀπήλασαν χθονός.

they did not betray us, nor drive us from their land.

320

ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ ζῶν καὶ θανών, ὅταν θάνω,

And I, both living and dead, whenever I die,

πολλῷ σʼ ἐπαίνῳ Θησέως, ὦ τᾶν, πέλας¹

shall raise you high with much praise near Theseus, my friend,

ὑψηλὸν ἀρῶ καὶ λέγων τάδʼ εὐφρανῶ

and saying these things I shall delight him:

ὡς εὖ τʼ ἐδέξω καὶ τέκνοισιν ἤρκεσας

how well you received us and how you aided the children

τοῖς Ἡρακλείοις, εὐγενὴς δʼ ἀνʼ Ἑλλάδα

of Heracles, and how as a noble man throughout Greece

325

σῴζεις πατρῴαν δόξαν, ἐξ ἐσθλῶν δὲ φὺς

you preserve your father’s glory, and having sprung from noble parents

οὐδὲν κακίων τυγχάνεις γεγὼς πατρός,

you turn out to be in no way inferior to your father—

παύρων μετʼ ἄλλων· ἕνα γὰρ ἐν πολλοῖς ἴσως

one among few others; for among many you might perhaps

εὕροις ἂν ὅστις ἐστὶ μὴ χείρων πατρός.

find only one who is not worse than his father.

ἀεί ποθʼ ἥδε γαῖα τοῖς ἀμηχάνοις

Always indeed this land wishes to assist those in difficulty

330

σὺν τῷ δικαίῳ βούλεται προσωφελεῖν.

along with justice.

τοιγὰρ πόνους δὴ μυρίους ὑπὲρ φίλων

Therefore indeed it has borne countless toils for friends,

ἤνεγκε, καὶ νῦν τόνδʼ ἀγῶνʼ ὁρῶ πέλας.

and now I see this contest close at hand.

σοί τʼ εὖ λέλεκται, καὶ τὰ τῶνδʼ αὐχῶ, γέρον,

[Demophon] Both you have spoken well, and I boast, old man, that the affairs of these children

τοιαῦτʼ ἔσεσθαι· μνημονεύσεται χάρις.

will be such; the favor will be remembered.

335

κἀγὼ μὲν ἀστῶν σύλλογον ποήσομαι,

And I indeed will make an assembly of the citizens,

τάξω δʼ, ὅπως ἂν τὸν Μυκηναίων στρατὸν

and I will arrange so that I may receive the Mycenaean army

πολλῇ δέχωμαι χειρί· πρῶτα μὲν σκοποὺς

with a strong hand; first indeed I will send scouts

πέμψω πρὸς αὐτόν, μὴ λάθῃ με προσπεσών·

towards them, lest they fall upon me unawares;

ταχὺς γὰρ Ἄργει πᾶς ἀνὴρ βοηδρόμος·

for quick is every man in Argos to run to the battle-cry.

340

μάντεις δʼ ἀθροίσας θύσομαι. σὺ δʼ ἐς δόμους

And having gathered the seers, I will sacrifice. But you, to the house,

σὺν παισὶ χώρει, Ζηνὸς ἐσχάραν λιπών.

go with the children, leaving the altar of Zeus.

εἰσὶν γὰρ οἵ σου, κἂν ἐγὼ θυραῖος ὦ,

For there are those who, even if I am outdoors,

μέριμναν ἕξουσʼ. ἀλλʼ ἴθʼ ἐς δόμους, γέρον.

will have care of you. But go to the house, old man.

οὐκ ἂν λίποιμι βωμόν· ἑζώμεσθα δὴ

[Iolaus] I would not leave the altar; we shall indeed sit here

345

ἱκέται μένοντες ἐνθάδʼ εὖ πρᾶξαι πόλιν·

remaining as suppliants for the city to fare well;

ὅταν δʼ ἀγῶνος τοῦδʼ ἀπαλλαχθῇς καλῶς,

and when you are well rid of this contest,

ἴμεν πρὸς οἴκους. θεοῖσι δʼ οὐ κακίοσιν

we shall go to the house. And we have no worse

χρώμεσθα συμμάχοισιν Ἀργείων, ἄναξ·

allies among the gods than the Argives, O king;

τῶν μὲν γὰρ Ἥρα προστατεῖ, Διὸς δάμαρ,

for Hera, the wife of Zeus, stands as their protector,

350

ἡμῶν δʼ Ἀθηνᾶ. φημὶ δʼ εἰς εὐπραξίαν

while Athena is ours. And I say that for success

καὶ τοῦθʼ ὑπάρχειν, θεῶν ἀμεινόνων τυχεῖν·

this also is a support, to obtain better gods;

νικωμένη γὰρ Παλλὰς οὐκ ἀνέξεται.

for Pallas will not endure being defeated.

Εἰ σὺ μέγʼ αὐχεῖς, ἕτεροι

[Chorus] If you boast greatly, others

σοῦ πλέον οὐ μέλονται,

do not care for you more,

355

ὦ ξεῖν’ Ἀργόθεν ἐλθών,

O stranger coming from Argos,

μεγαληγορίαισι δʼ ἐμὰς

and with big words you will not frighten

φρένας οὐ φοβήσεις.

my mind.

μήπω ταῖς μεγάλαισιν οὕ-

May this never be so for great

τω καὶ καλλιχόροις Ἀθή-

and beautiful-dancing Athens;

360

ναις εἴη· σὺ δʼ ἄφρων, ὅ τʼ Ἄρ-

but you are foolish, and so is the tyrant

γει Σθενέλου τύραννος.

in Argos, the son of Sthenelus,

ὃς πόλιν ἐλθὼν ἑτέραν

who, having come to another city,

οὐδὲν ἐλάσσονʼ Ἄργους,

in no way inferior to Argos,

θεῶν ἱκτῆρας ἀλάτας

drags by force the suppliant wanderers of the gods,

365

καὶ ἐμᾶς χθονὸς ἀντομένους

who are entreating my land,

ξένος ὢν βιαίως

though you are a stranger,

ἕλκεις, οὐ βασιλεῦσιν εἴ-

yielding not to its kings, nor having spoken

ξας, οὐκ ἄλλο δίκαιον εἰ-

any other just thing.

πών· ποῦ ταῦτα καλῶς ἂν εἴ-

How could these things be well

370

η παρά γʼ εὖ φρονοῦσιν;

among the wise?

Εἰρήνα μὲν ἐμοί γʼ ἀρέ-

Peace indeed pleases me;

σκει· σὺ δʼ, ὦ κακόφρων ἄναξ,

but you, O evil-minded king,

λέγω, εἰ πόλιν ἥξεις,

I tell you, if you come to this city,

οὐχ οὕτως ἃ δοκεῖς κυρή-

you will not obtain what you expect in this way;

375

σεις· οὐ σοὶ μόνῳ ἔγχος οὐδʼ

spear is not for you alone, nor the bronze-clad

ἰτέα κατάχαλκός

shield of willow,

ἀλλʼ οὐ, πολέμων ἐραστάς,

but do not, lover of wars,

μή μοι δορὶ συνταράξεις

disturb with your spear

τὰν εὖ χαρίτων ἔχουσαν

this city which is full of graces,

380

πόλιν, ἀλλʼ ἀνάσχου.

but restrain yourself.

ὦ παῖ, τί μοι σύννοιαν ὄμμασιν φέρων

[Iolaus] O child, why have you come with anxiety

ἥκεις; νέον τι πολεμίων λέξεις πέρι;

in your eyes? Will you tell something new about the enemy?

μέλλουσιν ἢ πάρεισιν ἢ τί πυνθάνῃ;

Are they waiting, or are they present, or what have you learned?

οὐ γάρ τι μὴ ψεύσῃς² γε κήρυκος λόγους·

For you will certainly not prove the herald’s words to be false;

385

ὁ γὰρ στρατηγὸς εὐτυχὴς τὰ πρὸς θεῶν

for that general, prosperous in the things from the gods,

εἶσιν, σάφʼ οἶδα, καὶ μάλʼ οὐ σμικρὸν φρονῶν,

will come, I know well, thinking not a little of himself,

ἐς τὰς Ἀθήνας. ἀλλὰ τῶν φρονημάτων

against Athens. But of such thoughts

ὁ Ζεὺς κολαστὴς τῶν ἄγαν ὑπερφρόνων.

Zeus is the punisher, of those that are excessively proud.

ἥκει στράτευμʼ Ἀργεῖον Εὐρυσθεύς τʼ ἄναξ·

[Demophon] The Argive army has come, and king Eurystheus;

390

ἐγώ νιν αὐτὸς εἶδον. ἄνδρα γὰρ χρεών,³

I myself saw them. For it behooves a man

ὅστις στρατηγεῖν φησʼ ἐπίστασθαι καλῶς,

who claims to know well how to command an army,

οὐκ ἀγγέλοισι τοὺς ἐναντίους ὁρᾶν.

to see the enemy himself, not through messengers.

πεδία μὲν οὖν γῆς ἐς τάδʼ οὐκ ἐφῆκέ πω

Therefore he has not yet let his army down into the plains

στρατόν, λεπαίαν δʼ ὀφρύην καθήμενος

of this land, but sitting on a rocky ridge

395

σκοπεῖ — δόκησιν δὴ τόδʼ ἂν λέγοιμί σοι —

he watches—and this I might tell you as my conjecture—

ποίᾳ προσάξει στρατόπεδον τὰ νῦν δορὸς

by what way he will now lead his army of spears

ἐν ἀσφαλεῖ τε τῆσδʼ ἱδρύσεται χθονός.

and establish it in safety within this land.

καὶ τἀμὰ μέντοι πάντʼ ἄραρʼ ἤδη καλῶς·

And indeed my affairs are already perfectly arranged;

πόλις τʼ ἐν ὅπλοις, σφάγιά θʼ ἡτοιμασμένα

the city is in arms, and the sacrificial victims stand ready,

400

ἕστηκεν οἷς χρὴ ταῦτα τέμνεσθαι θεῶν,

which must be slaughtered for those of the gods,

τροπαῖά τʼ ἐχθρῶν καὶ πόλει σωτήρια,

as trophies over the enemy and as salvation for the city.

Syntax notes3 items

321Θησέως... πέλας
'Near Theseus'. This refers to the idea that when Iolaus dies and goes to the underworld, he will stand near the shade of Theseus (Demophon's father) and delight him by praising Demophon's noble deeds.
384οὐ γάρ τι μὴ ψεύσῃς
The combination of οὐ μή with the subjunctive (first aorist ψεύσῃς) functions as a strong negative future: 'For you will certainly not prove the herald's words to be false' (i.e., the enemy is definitely coming).
390ἄνδρα γὰρ χρεών...
An accusative and infinitive construction dependent on the impersonal χρεών (with ἐστί omitted). The accusative subject ἄνδρα is modified by the relative clause beginning with ὅστις. The core structure is 'It behooves a man (ἄνδρα)... to see (ὁρᾶν) the enemy himself'.

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

2026-09-21 AI review — note 1

urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0006.tlg004.humanitext-grc2:318-402