Alcmene's Joy and Iolaus's Resolve to Fight — Euripides, Children of Heracles, lines 643–717, Greek & English

643

ἔξελθʼ, ἄκουσον τοῦδε φιλτάτους λόγους.

[Iolaus] Come out, listen to the dearest words from this man.

πάλαι γὰρ ὠδίνουσα τῶν ἀφιγμένωνψυχὴν ἐτήκου¹ νόστος εἰ γενήσεται.

For having long been in pain for those who arrived, you were wasting your soul in anxiety as to whether a return home would happen.

τί χρῆμʼ ἀϋτῆς πᾶν τόδʼ ἐπλήσθη στέγοςἸόλαε; μῶν τίς σʼ αὖ βιάζεται παρὼνκῆρυξ ἀπʼ Ἄργους; ἀσθενὴς μὲν ἥ γʼ ἐμὴῥώμη, τοσόνδε δʼ εἰδέναι σʼ ἐχρῆν, ξένε,οὐκ ἔστʼ ἄγειν σε τούσδʼ ἐμοῦ ζώσης ποτέ.

[Alcmene] Iolaus, why has this whole house been filled with this shout? Surely a herald from Argos has not come again to force you? My strength is indeed weak, but, stranger, you should know this much, that you can never lead these away while I am living.

ἦ τἄρ’ ἐκείνου μὴ νομιζοίμην ἐγὼμήτηρ ἔτʼ· εἰ δὲ τῶνδε προσθίξῃ χερί,δυοῖν γερόντοιν οὐ καλῶς ἀγωνιῇ.

Indeed, in that case, may I no longer be considered his mother; and if you touch these with your hand, you will contend not beautifully against two old people.

θάρσει, γεραιά, μὴ τρέσῃς· οὐκ Ἀργόθενκῆρυξ ἀφῖκται πολεμίους λόγους ἔχων.

[Servant] Take heart, old woman, do not fear; no herald from Argos has arrived carrying hostile words.

τί γὰρ βοὴν ἔστησας ἄγγελον φόβου;

[Alcmene] Then why did you raise a shout, a messenger of fear?

σέ, πρόσθε ναοῦ τοῦδʼ ὅπως βαίης πέλας.

[Servant] In order that you might come near before this temple.

οὐκ ἴσμεν ἡμεῖς ταῦτα· τίς γάρ ἐσθʼ ὅδε;

[Alcmene] We do not know these things; for who is this man?

ἥκοντα παῖδα παιδὸς ἀγγέλλει σέθεν.

[Iolaus] He announces that your grandson has arrived.

660

ὦ χαῖρε καὶ σὺ τοῖσδε τοῖς ἀγγέλμασιν.ἀτὰρ τί χώρᾳ τῇδε προσβαλὼν πόδαποῦ νῦν ἄπεστι; τίς νιν εἶργε συμφορὰσὺν σοὶ φανέντα δεῦρʼ ἐμὴν τέρψαι φρένα;

[Alcmene] O farewell to you too for these tidings. But why, having set foot in this land, where is he now absent? What calamity prevented him from appearing here with you to delight my heart?

στρατὸν καθίζει τάσσεταί θʼ ὃν ἦλθʼ ἔχων.

[Servant] He is settling and drawing up the army which he came with.

665

τοῦδʼ οὐκέθʼ ἡμῖν τοῦ λόγου μέτεστι δή.

[Alcmene] This matter no longer concerns us.

μέτεστιν· ἡμῶν δʼ ἔργον ἱστορεῖν τάδε.

[Iolaus] It does concern us; and it is our task to inquire into these things.

τί δῆτα βούλῃ τῶν πεπραγμένων μαθεῖν;

[Servant] What then do you wish to learn of what has been done?

πόσον τι πλῆθος συμμάχων πάρεστʼ ἔχων;

[Iolaus] How great a multitude of allies has he come with?

πολλούς· ἀριθμὸν δʼ ἄλλον οὐκ ἔχω φράσαι.

[Servant] Many; but I cannot tell you another specific number.

670

ἴσασιν, οἶμαι, ταῦτʼ· Ἀθηναίων πρόμοι;

[Iolaus] The leaders of the Athenians, I think, know this?

ἴσασι· καὶ δὴ λαιὸν ἕστηκεν κέρας.

[Servant] They know; and indeed the left wing stands ready.

ἤδη γὰρ ὡς ἐς ἔργον ὥπλισται στρατός;

[Iolaus] Is the army already armed as if for action?

καὶ δὴ παρῆκται σφάγια τάξεων ἑκάς.

[Servant] Indeed, the victims have been brought near, far from the ranks.

πόσον τι δʼ ἔστʼ ἄπωθεν Ἀργεῖον δόρυ;

[Iolaus] How far off is the Argive force?

675

ὥστʼ ἐξορᾶσθαι τὸν στρατηγὸν ἐμφανῶς.

[Servant] So that the general can be clearly seen.

τί δρῶντα; μῶν τάσσοντα πολεμίων στίχας;

[Iolaus] Doing what? Surely not drawing up the ranks of the enemy?

ᾐκάζομεν ταῦτʼ· οὐ γὰρ ἐξηκούομεν.

[Servant] We guessed so; for we did not hear clearly.

ἀλλʼ εἶμ’· ἐρήμους δεσπότας τοὐμὸν μέροςοὐκ ἂν θέλοιμι πολεμίοισι συμβαλεῖν.

[Iolaus] But I will go; for my part, I would not wish to leave my masters defenseless to face the enemy.

680

κἄγωγε σὺν σοί· ταὐτὰ γὰρ φροντίζομεν,φίλοις παρόντες, ὡς ἔοιγμεν, ὠφελεῖν.

[Servant] And I with you; for we are of the same mind, wishing, as it seems, to help our friends by being present.

ἥκιστα πρὸς σοῦ μῶρον ἦν εἰπεῖν ἔπος.²

[Servant] It is a foolish word, least fitting for you to say.

καὶ μὴ μετασχεῖν γʼ ἀλκίμου μάχης φίλοις.

[Iolaus] And not to share in a brave battle for one’s friends?

οὐκ ἔστʼ ἐν ὄψει τραῦμα μὴ δρώσης χερός.

[Servant] There is no visible wound for a hand that does not act.

685

τί δʼ; οὐ σθένοιμι κἂν ἐγὼ δι’ ἀσπίδος;

[Iolaus] What? Could not I too have strength through a shield?

σθένοις ἄν, ἀλλὰ πρόσθεν αὐτὸς ἂν πέσοις.

[Servant] You might have strength, but you would fall first yourself.

οὐδεὶς ἔμʼ ἐχθρῶν προσβλέπων ἀνέξεται.

[Iolaus] No one of the enemies will endure looking at me.

οὐκ ἔστιν, ὦ τᾶν, ἥ ποτʼ ἦν ῥώμη σέθεν.

[Servant] There is not, my good sir, the strength that once was yours.

ἀλλʼ οὖν μαχοῦνται γʼ ἀριθμὸν οὐκ ἐλάσσοσι.

[Iolaus] But at any rate they will fight against no fewer in number.

690

σμικρὸν τὸ σὸν σήκωμα προστίθης φίλοις.

[Servant] You add a small weight to the scale for your friends.

μή τοί μʼ ἔρυκε δρᾶν παρεσκευασμένον.

[Iolaus] Do not keep me back from acting when I am prepared.

δρᾶν μὲν σύ γʼ οὐχ οἷός τε, βούλεσθαι δʼ ἴσως.

[Servant] You are not capable of acting, though perhaps of wishing.

ὡς μὴ μενοῦντα τἄλλα σοι λέγειν πάρα.³

[Iolaus] Speak of other things, on the assumption that I will not remain.

πῶς οὖν ὁπλίταις τευχέων ἄτερ φανῇ;

[Servant] How then will you appear before the hoplites without armor?

695

ἔστʼ ἐν δόμοισιν ἔνδον αἰχμάλωθʼ ὅπλα,τοῖς δʼ οὖσι χρησόμεσθα· κἀποδώσομενζῶντες, θανόντας δʼ οὐκ ἀπαιτήσει θεός.

[Iolaus] There is captured armor inside the house; we shall use what is there. And we will return them if we live, and if we die, the god will not demand them back.

ἀλλʼ εἴσιθʼ εἴσω κἀπὸ πασσάλων ἑλὼνἔνεγχ’ ὁπλίτην κόσμον ὡς τάχιστά μοι.

But go inside and, taking them from the pegs, bring the hoplite armor to me as quickly as possible.

700

αἰσχρὸν γὰρ οἰκούρημα γίγνεται τόδε,τοὺς μὲν μάχεσθαι, τοὺς δὲ δειλίᾳ μένειν.

For this is a shameful staying at home, for some to fight, and others to remain through cowardice.

λῆμα μὲν οὔπω στόρνυσι χρόνοςτὸ σόν, ἀλλʼ ἡβᾷ, σῶμα δὲ φροῦδον.τί πονεῖς ἄλλως ἃ σὲ μὲν βλάψει,σμικρὰ δʼ ὀνήσει πόλιν ἡμετέραν;χρὴ γνωσιμαχεῖν τὴν ἡλικίαν,τὰ δʼ ἀμήχανʼ ἐᾶν· οὐκ ἔστιν ὅπωςἥβην κτήσῃ πάλιν αὖθις.

[Chorus] Time does not yet subdue your spirit, but it is youthful, though your body is gone. Why do you labor in vain at what will harm you, and profit our city but little? You must recognize your age, and let impossible things go; there is no way for you to acquire youth again.

τί χρῆμα μέλλεις σῶν φρενῶν οὐκ ἔνδον ὢνλιπεῖν μʼ ἔρημον σὺν τέκνοις ἐμοῖς;

[Alcmene] What is this? Are you out of your mind, intending to leave me deserted with my children?

ἀνδρῶν γὰρ ἀλκή· σοὶ δὲ χρῆν τούτων μέλειν.

[Iolaus] Battle is for men; and it is your duty to care for these.

τί δʼ; ἢν θάνῃς σύ, πῶς ἐγὼ σωθήσομαι;

[Alcmene] What? If you die, how shall I be saved?

παιδὸς μελήσει παισὶ τοῖς λελειμμένοις.

[Iolaus] Your grandson will care for the children who are left.

ἢν δʼ οὖν, ὃ μὴ γένοιτο, χρήσωνται τύχῃ;

[Alcmene] But what if, which may not happen, they meet with bad fortune?

715

οἵδ’ οὐ προδώσουσίν σε, μὴ τρέσῃς, ξένοι.

[Iolaus] These strangers will not betray you, do not fear.

τοσόνδε γάρ τοι θάρσος, οὐδὲν ἄλλʼ ἔχω.

[Alcmene] Such is your confidence, indeed, and I have nothing else.

καὶ Ζηνὶ τῶν σῶν, οἶδʼ ἐγώ, μέλει πόνων.

[Iolaus] And Zeus, I know, cares for your labors.

Syntax notes3 items

644ὠδίνουσα τῶν ἀφιγμένων / ψυχὴν ἐτήκου
The participle ὠδίνουσα ("grieving / in pain") governs the genitive τῶν ἀφιγμένων ("those who arrived"). Together with the following ψυχὴν ἐτήκου ("you were wasting your soul"), it expresses how Alcmene had been mentally exhausted due to her deep concern over the children of Heracles.
682ἥκιστα πρὸς σοῦ μῶρον ἦν εἰπεῖν ἔπος.
The line assignment in this stichomythia is debated, but it is most coherent to interpret this as the servant reproaching the aged Iolaus for his reckless declaration to go to the battlefield, meaning "it is least fitting of you to say such a foolish word" (πρὸς σοῦ denoting what is characteristic of a person).
693ὡς μὴ μενοῦντα τἄλλα σοι λέγειν πάρα.
The conjunction ὡς expressing subjective assumption combined with the future participle μενοῦντα (accusative, representing Iolaus himself as the subject) functions as: "on the assumption that I will not remain, you may speak of other things." This emphasizes Iolaus's unshakeable determination to go to battle.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0006.tlg004.humanitext-grc2:643-717