The Oracle Demanding Sacrifice and the Entrance of Macaria — Euripides, Children of Heracles, lines 401–479, Greek & English

401

θυηπολεῖται δʼ ἄστυ μάντεων ὕπο.

The city is performing sacrifices under the direction of the seers.

χρησμῶν δʼ ἀοιδοὺς πάντας εἰς ἓν ἁλίσας

And having gathered all the singers of oracles into one place,

ἤλεγξα καὶ βέβηλα καὶ κεκρυμμένα

I examined both the public and the hidden ancient sayings,

405

λόγια παλαιά, τῇδε γῇ σωτήρια.

which are saviors of this land.

καὶ τῶν μὲν ἄλλων διάφορʼ ἐστὶ θεσφάτοις

In many other things there is disagreement among the oracles;

πόλλʼ· ἓν δὲ πᾶσι γνῶμα ταὐτὸν ἐμπρέπει·

but one and the same judgment shines clear in all of them.

σφάξαι κελεύουσίν με παρθένον Κόρῃ

They order me to sacrifice to Demeter’s Daughter a maiden

Δήμητρος, ἥτις ἐστὶ πατρὸς εὐγενοῦς.¹

who is of a noble father.

410

ἐγὼ δʼ ἔχω μέν, ὡς ὁρᾷς, προθυμίαν

And I have indeed, as you see, such great goodwill toward you;

τοσήνδʼ ἐς ὑμᾶς· παῖδα δʼ οὔτʼ ἐμὴν κτενῶ

but I will neither kill my own daughter

οὔτʼ ἄλλον ἀστῶν τῶν ἐμῶν ἀναγκάσω

nor compel any other of my citizens against his will.

ἄκονθʼ· ἑκὼν δὲ τίς κακῶς οὕτω φρονεῖ,

For who is so foolish of his own free will as to give

ὅστις τὰ φίλτατʼ ἐκ χερῶν δώσει τέκνα;

his dearest children out of his hands?

415

καὶ νῦν πικρὰς ἂν συστάσεις ἂν εἰσίδοις,²

And now you might see bitter factions,

τῶν μὲν λεγόντων ὡς δίκαιον ἦν ξένοις

some saying that it was just to aid the stranger suppliants,

ἱκέταις ἀρήγειν, τῶν δὲ μωρίαν ἐμὴν

and others accusing me of folly;

κατηγορούντων· εἰ δὲ δὴ δράσω τόδε,

and if indeed I do this thing,

οἰκεῖος ἤδη πόλεμος ἐξαρτύεται.

a civil war is already being prepared.

420

ταῦτʼ οὖν ὅρα σὺ καὶ συνεξεύρισχʼ ὅπως

Therefore look to this, and help to find a way how

αὐτοί τε σωθήσεσθε καὶ πέδον τόδε,

both you yourselves and this land may be saved,

κἀγὼ πολίταις μὴ διαβληθήσομαι.

and I shall not be slandered among the citizens.

οὐ γὰρ τυραννίδʼ ὥστε βαρβάρων ἔχω·

For I do not hold a tyranny like that of the barbarians;

ἀλλʼ, ἢν δίκαια δρῶ, δίκαια πείσομαι.

but if I do what is just, I shall be treated justly.

425

ἀλλʼ ἦ πρόθυμον οὖσαν οὐκ ἐᾷ θεὸς

[Chorus] But does the god indeed not allow this city, though it is eager,

ξένοις ἀρήγειν τήνδε χρῄζουσιν πόλιν;

to aid the strangers who need it?

ὦ τέκνʼ, ἔοιγμεν ναυτίλοισιν, οἵτινες

[Iolaus] O children, we seem to be like sailors who,

χειμῶνος ἐκφυγόντες ἄγριον μένος

having escaped the fierce wrath of a storm,

ἐς χεῖρα γῇ συνῆψαν, εἶτα χερσόθεν

have touched the land with their hand, and then from the shore

430

πνοιαῖσιν ἠλάθησαν ἐς πόντον πάλιν.

are driven by blasts back into the deep sea again.

οὕτω δὲ χἡμεῖς τῆσδʼ ἀπωθούμεσθα γῆς

And so we too are being pushed away from this land,

ἤδη πρὸς ἀκταῖς ὄντες ὡς σεσῳσμένοι.

though we are already at the shores as if saved.

οἴμοι· τί δῆτʼ ἔτερψας ὦ τάλαινά με

Alas! Why then did you delight me, O wretched hope,

ἐλπὶς τότʼ, οὐ μέλλουσα διατελεῖν χάριν;³

when you did not mean to fulfill your favor to the end?

435

συγγνωστὰ γάρ τοι καὶ τὰ τοῦδʼ, εἰ μὴ θέλει

For indeed his actions are pardonable, if he does not wish

κτείνειν πολιτῶν παῖδας· αἰνέσαι δʼ ἔχω

to kill the children of the citizens; and I can praise

καὶ τἀνθάδ’· εἰ θεοῖσι δὴ δοκεῖ τάδε

the things here too. If indeed it pleases the gods that I should suffer these things,

πράσσειν ἔμʼ, οὔτοι σή γʼ ἀπόλλυται χάρις.

your favor is by no means lost.

ὦ παῖδες, ὑμῖν δʼ οὐκ ἔχω τί χρήσομαι.

O children, I do not know what I shall do with you.

440

ποῖ τρεψόμεσθα; τίς γὰρ ἄστεπτος θεῶν;

Whither shall we turn? For which of the gods has not been decorated with our suppliant wreaths?

ποῖον δὲ γαίας ἕρκος οὐκ ἀφίγμεθα;

To what bulwark of the earth have we not come?

ὀλούμεθʼ, ὦ τέκνʼ· ἐκδοθησόμεσθα δή.

We shall perish, O children; we shall indeed be surrendered.

κἀμοῦ μὲν οὐδὲν εἴ με χρὴ θανεῖν μέλει,

And as for me, if I must die, it matters nothing to me, except if by dying I shall bring some pleasure to my enemies;

πλὴν εἴ τι τέρψω τοὺς ἐμοὺς ἐχθροὺς θανών·

but for you I weep and feel pity, children,

445

ὑμᾶς δὲ κλαίω καὶ κατοικτίρω, τέκνα,

and for the aged mother of your father, Alcmene.

καὶ τὴν γεραιὰν μητέρʼ Ἀλκμήνην πατρός.

O wretched because of your long life,

ὦ δυστάλαινα τοῦ μακροῦ βίου σέθεν,

and miserable too am I, having toiled so much in vain.

τλήμων δὲ κἀγὼ πολλὰ μοχθήσας μάτην.

It was indeed destined for us to fall into the hands of a hostile man

χρῆν χρῆν ἄρʼ ἡμᾶς ἀνδρὸς εἰς ἐχθροῦ χέρας

and to leave life disgracefully and miserably.

450

πεσόντας αἰσχρῶς καὶ κακῶς λιπεῖν βίον.

But do you know what you can do for me?

ἀλλʼ οἶσθ’ ὅ μοι σύμπραξον;⁴ οὐχ ἅπασα γὰρ

For not all hope of salvation for these children has vanished;

πέφευγεν ἐλπὶς τῶνδέ μοι σωτηρίας·

hand me over to the Argives in their stead, O king,

ἔμʼ ἔκδος Ἀργείοισιν ἀντὶ τῶνδʼ, ἄναξ,

and do not run risks, and let the children be saved for me;

καὶ μήτε κινδύνευε, σωθήτω τέ μοι

there is no need to love my life; let it go.

455

τέκνʼ· οὐ φιλεῖν δεῖ τὴν ἐμὴν ψυχήν· ἴτω.

And especially Eurystheus would wish to take me,

μάλιστα δʼ Εὐρυσθεύς με βούλοιτʼ ἂν λαβὼν

the ally of Heracles, and insult me;

τὸν Ἡράκλειον σύμμαχον καθυβρίσαι·

for the man is foolish. For the wise it is desirable to join enmity with a wise man,

σκαιὸς γὰρ ἁνήρ. τοῖς σοφοῖς δʼ εὐκτὸν σοφῷ

not with an ignorant mind;

ἔχθραν συνάπτειν, μὴ ἀμαθεῖ φρονήματι·

for one would obtain much respect and justice.

460

πολλῆς γὰρ αἰδοῦς καὶ δίκης τις ἂν τύχοι.

[Chorus] O elder, do not now accuse this city;

ὦ πρέσβυ, μή νυν τήνδʼ ἐπαιτιῶ πόλιν·

for perhaps a false but nevertheless shameful reproach might come upon us,

τάχʼ ἂν γὰρ ἡμῖν ψευδὲς ἀλλʼ ὅμως κακὸν

that we betrayed our guests.

γένοιτʼ ὄνειδος ὡς ξένους προυδώκαμεν.

[Demophon] You have spoken noble words indeed, but they are impossible.

γενναῖα μὲν τάδʼ εἶπας, ἀλλʼ ἀμήχανα.

The king does not lead his army here in want of you;

465

οὐ σοῦ χατίζων δεῦρʼ ἄναξ στρατηλατεῖ·

for what advantage is there to Eurystheus in an old man dying?

τί γὰρ γέροντος ἀνδρὸς Εὐρυσθεῖ πλέον

Rather, he wants to kill these children.

θανόντος; ἀλλὰ τούσδε βούλεται κτανεῖν.

For it is a terrible thing for enemies when noble youths grow up,

δεινὸν γὰρ ἐχθροῖς βλαστάνοντες εὐγενεῖς,

remembering the mistreatment of their father;

νεανίαι τε καὶ πατρὸς μεμνημένοι

all of which he must look out for.

470

λύμας· ἃ κεῖνον πάντα προσκοπεῖν χρεών.

But, if you know any other more seasonable counsel,

ἀλλʼ, εἴ τινʼ ἄλλην οἶσθα καιριωτέραν

make it ready, since I am helpless having heard the oracles

βουλήν, ἑτοίμαζʼ, ὡς ἔγωγʼ ἀμήχανος

and am full of fear.

χρησμῶν ἀκούσας εἰμὶ καὶ φόβου πλέως.

[Macaria] Strangers, do not attribute any boldness to me because of my coming out;

ξένοι, θράσος μοι μηδὲν ἐξόδοις ἐμαῖς

for first of all I shall entreat this:

475

προσθῆτε· πρῶτον γὰρ τόδʼ ἐξαιτήσομαι·

for a woman, silence and self-restraint are the most beautiful things,

γυναικὶ γὰρ σιγή τε καὶ τὸ σωφρονεῖν

and to remain quietly within the house.

κάλλιστον, εἴσω θʼ ἥσυχον μένειν δόμων.

But having heard your lamentations, Iolaus,

τῶν σῶν δʼ ἀκούσασʼ, Ἰόλεως, στεναγμάτωνἐξῆλθον, οὐ ταχθεῖσα πρεσβεύειν γένους.⁵

I came out, not having been appointed to represent my family.

Syntax notes5 items

409ἥτις ἐστὶ πατρὸς εὐγενοῦς
The clause introduced by the relative pronoun ἥτις describes the condition of the antecedent παρθένον (maiden). πατρὸς εὐγενοῦς is a genitive of origin or parentage, meaning 'born of a noble father.'
415πικρὰς ἂν συστάσεις ἂν εἰσίδοις
The potential particle ἄν is used twice (ἂν ... ἄν) to emphasize the potentiality with the optative εἰσίδοις (from εἰσοράω), meaning 'you might see' or 'you would see' as a conclusion of an implied condition.
434οὐ μέλλουσα διατελεῖν χάριν
The participle μέλλουσα (feminine singular nominative, agreeing with ἐλπίς) is negated by οὐ, conveying a concessive or causal sense, 'although you did not intend to complete the favor to the end.' διατελεῖν acts as a complementary infinitive.
451ἀλλʼ οἶσθ’ ὅ μοι σύμπραξον;
This idiom, literally 'But do you know what you must do for me?', functions as an urgent request: 'Do you know what you should cooperate with me on?' The relative pronoun ὅ is the object of the imperative σύμπραξον.
479οὐ ταχθεῖσα πρεσβεύειν γένους
The participle ταχθεῖσα (aorist passive participle of τάσσω, feminine singular nominative, referring to Macaria) takes the infinitive πρεσβεύειν (to act as a representative or ambassador). γένους is the genitive object showing 'on behalf of the family.'

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0006.tlg004.humanitext-grc2:401-479