Demophon's Arrival and Copreus' Demands — Euripides, Children of Heracles, lines 80–162, Greek & English

σὺ δʼ ἐκ τίνος γῆς, ὦ γέρον, τετράπτολιν

[Chorus] From what land, old man, have you come to this co-dwelling

ξύνοικον ἦλθες λαόν; ἢ πέρα-

people of the Tetrapolis? Or from beyond,

θεν ἁλίῳ πλάτᾳ

with sea-rowing oar,

κατέχετʼ ἐκλιπόντες Εὐβοῖδʼ ἀκτάν;

have you put in, leaving the Euboean shore?

οὐ νησιώτην, ὦ ξένοι, τρίβω βίον,

[Iolaus] Strangers, I do not lead an islander’s life,

ἀλλʼ ἐκ Μυκηνῶν σὴν ἀφίγμεθα χθόνα.

but from Mycenae have we arrived at your land.

ὄνομα τί σε, γέρον,

[Chorus] By what name, old man,

Μυκηναῖος ὠνόμαζεν λεώς;

did the Mycenaean people call you?

τὸν Ἡράκλειον ἴστε που παραστάτην

[Iolaus] You surely know Iolaus, the companion of Heracles;

Ἰόλαον· οὐ γὰρ σῶμʼ ἀκήρυκτον τόδε.

for this body is not unheralded.

οἶδʼ εἰσακούσας καὶ πρίν· ἀλλὰ τοῦ ποτὲ

[Chorus] I know of you, having heard of you even before; but whose

ἐν χερὶ σᾷ κομίζεις κόρους

young-reared boys are these you carry

νεοτρεφεῖς; φράσον.

in your hand? Tell me.

Ἡρακλέους οἵδʼ εἰσὶ παῖδες, ὦ ξένοι,

[Iolaus] These are the children of Heracles, strangers,

ἱκέται σέθεν τε καὶ πόλεως ἀφιγμένοι.

having arrived as suppliants of you and of the city.

τί χρέος; ἢ λόγων πόλεος, ἔνεπέ μοι,

[Chorus] What is their need? Or are they anxious

μελόμενοι τυχεῖν;

to obtain words from the city? Tell me.

μήτʼ ἐκδοθῆναι μήτε πρὸς βίαν θεῶν

[Iolaus] Neither to be surrendered nor, dragged away by force against

τῶν σῶν ἀποσπασθέντες εἰς Ἄργος μολεῖν.

your gods, to go to Argos.

ἀλλʼ οὔτι τοῖς σοῖς δεσπόταις τάδʼ ἀρκέσει,

[Copreus] But this will in no way satisfy your masters,

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οἳ σοῦ κρατοῦντες ἐνθάδʼ εὑρίσκουσί σε.

who, having authority over you, find you here.

εἰκὸς θεῶν ἱκτῆρας αἰδεῖσθαι, ξένε,

[Chorus] It is right, stranger, to respect the suppliants of the gods,

καὶ μὴ βιαίῳ χερὶ δαιμόνων

and not with violent hand to make them leave

ἀπολείπειν ἕδη·

the seats of the deities;

πότνια γὰρ Δίκα τάδʼ οὐ πείσεται.

for mistress Justice will not tolerate this.

105

ἔκπεμπέ νυν γῆς τούσδε τοὺς Εὐρυσθέως,

[Copreus] Send then these subjects of Eurystheus out of the land,

κοὐδὲν βιαίῳ τῇδε χρήσομαι χερί.

and I shall not use a violent hand.

ἄθεον ἱκεσίαν

[Chorus] It is godless for a city

μεθεῖναι¹ πόλει ξένων προστροπάν.

to reject the supplication, the protective plea of strangers.

καλὸν δέ γʼ ἔξω πραγμάτων ἔχειν πόδα,

[Copreus] Yet it is a fine thing to keep one’s foot out of trouble,

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εὐβουλίας τυχόντα τῆς ἀμείνονος.

having obtained the better counsel.

οὐκοῦν τυράννῳ τῆσδε γῆς φράσαντά σε

[Chorus] Surely then you ought to have dared this only after informing

χρῆν ταῦτα τολμᾶν, ἀλλὰ μὴ βίᾳ ξένους

the ruler of this land, and not drag away strangers by force

θεῶν ἀφέλκειν, γῆν σέβοντʼ ἐλευθέραν.

from the gods, respecting a free land.

τίς δʼ ἐστὶ χώρας τῆσδε καὶ πόλεως ἄναξ;

[Copreus] And who is the ruler of this land and city?

115

ἐσθλοῦ πατρὸς παῖς Δημοφῶν ὁ Θησέως.

[Chorus] Demophon, the son of Theseus, child of a noble father.

πρὸς τοῦτον ἁγὼν ἆρα τοῦδε τοῦ λόγου

[Copreus] Then the contest of this argument would indeed

μάλιστʼ ἂν εἴη· τἄλλα δʼ εἴρηται μάτην.

be chiefly against him; the rest has been spoken in vain.

καὶ μὴν ὅδʼ αὐτὸς ἔρχεται σπουδὴν ἔχων

[Chorus] And indeed, here he comes himself in haste,

Ἀκάμας τʼ ἀδελφός, τῶνδʼ ἐπήκοοι λόγων.

and his brother Acamas, to be hearers of these words.

120

ἐπείπερ ἔφθης πρέσβυς ὢν νεωτέρους

[Demophon] Since you, though an old man, have anticipated the younger

βοηδρομήσας² τήνδʼ ἐπʼ ἐσχάραν Διός,

in running to help at this hearth of Zeus,

λέξον, τίς ὄχλον τόνδʼ ἀθροίζεται τύχη;

tell me, what event brings this crowd together?

ἱκέται κάθηνται παῖδες οἵδʼ Ἡρακλέους

[Chorus] Suppliants, these children of Heracles sit,

βωμὸν καταστέψαντες, ὡς ὁρᾷς, ἄναξ,

having crowned the altar, as you see, O king,

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πατρός τε πιστὸς Ἰόλεως παραστάτης.

and Iolaus, the faithful companion of their father.

τί δῆτʼ ἰυγμῶν ἥδʼ ἐδεῖτο συμφορά;

[Demophon] Why then did this misfortune require these shrieks?

βίᾳ νιν οὗτος τῆσδʼ ἀπʼ ἐσχάρας ἄγειν

[Chorus] This man, seeking to lead him by force away from this hearth,

ζητῶν βοὴν ἔστησε κἄσφηλεν γόνυ

caused him to raise a cry and tripped up the knee

γέροντος, ὥστε μʼ ἐκβαλεῖν οἴκτῳ δάκρυ.

of the old man, so that I shed a tear in pity.

130

καὶ μὴν στολήν γʼ Ἕλληνα καὶ ῥυθμὸν πέπλων

[Demophon] Indeed, he has a Greek dress and style of robes,

ἔχει, τὰ δʼ ἔργα βαρβάρου χερὸς τάδε.

but these deeds are of a barbarian hand.

σὸν δὴ τὸ φράζειν ἐστί, μὴ μέλλειν τ’, ἐμοὶ

Now it is indeed your part to tell me, and not to delay,

ποίας ἀφῖξαι δεῦρο γῆς ὅρους λιπών;

leaving the boundaries of what land have you come here?

Ἀργεῖός εἰμι· τοῦτο γὰρ θέλεις μαθεῖν·

[Copreus] I am an Argive; for this is what you wish to learn.

135

ἐφʼ οἷσι δʼ ἥκω καὶ παρʼ οὗ λέγειν θέλω.

But as to what purpose I have come for, and from whom, I wish to tell.

πέμπει Μυκηνῶν δεῦρό μʼ Εὐρυσθεὺς ἄναξ

Eurystheus, the king of Mycenae, sends me here

ἄξοντα τούσδε· πολλὰ δʼ ἦλθον, ὦ ξένε,

to lead these people away; and I have come, stranger, having many

δίκαιʼ ὁμαρτῇ δρᾶν τε καὶ λέγειν ἔχων.

just things at once to do and to say.

Ἀργεῖος ὢν γὰρ αὐτὸς Ἀργείους ἄγω

For being an Argive myself, I am leading away Argives,

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ἐκ τῆς ἐμαυτοῦ τούσδε δραπέτας ἔχων,

having these men as runaways from my own land,

νόμοισι τοῖς ἐκεῖθεν ἐψηφισμένους

who have been sentenced to death by the laws of that place.

θανεῖν· δίκαιοι δʼ ἐσμὲν οἰκοῦντες πόλιν

And it is just for us, who inhabit our own city,

αὐτοὶ καθʼ αὑτῶν κυρίους κραίνειν³ δίκας.

to ratify authoritative judgments ourselves against our own people.

πολλῶν δὲ κἄλλων ἑστίας ἀφιγμένοι

And though they have come to the hearths of many others,

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ἐν τοῖσιν αὐτοῖς τοισίδʼ ἕσταμεν λόγοις,

we have stood upon these very same arguments,

κοὐδεὶς ἐτόλμησʼ ἴδια προσθέσθαι κακά.

and no one has dared to take upon themselves private evils.

ἀλλʼ ἤ τινʼ ἐς σὲ μωρίαν ἐσκεμμένοι

But either they have come here having observed some folly in you,

δεῦρʼ ἦλθον ἢ κίνδυνον ἐξ ἀμηχάνων

or they are risking a hazard out of helpless circumstances,

ῥίπτοντες, εἴτʼ οὖν εἴτε μὴ γενήσεται·

whether, then, it will turn out well or not.

150

οὐ γὰρ φρενήρη γʼ ὄντα σʼ ἐλπίζουσί που

For they surely do not expect that you, being of sound mind,

μόνον τοσαύτης ἣν ἐπῆλθον Ἑλλάδος

alone out of all this great Greece which they have traversed,

τὰς τῶνδʼ ἀβούλους συμφορὰς κατοικτιεῖν.

will pity the foolish misfortunes of these people.

φέρʼ ἀντίθες γάρ· τούσδε τʼ ἐς γαῖαν παρεὶς

Come, weigh it in contrast: if you let these men go and allow

ἡμᾶς τʼ ἐάσας ἐξάγειν, τί κερδανεῖς;

us to lead them away, what will you gain?

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τὰ μὲν παρʼ ἡμῶν τοιάδʼ ἔστι σοι λαβεῖν,

On our part, there are such benefits for you to receive:

Ἄργους τοσήνδε χεῖρα τήν τʼ Εὐρυσθέως

to add to this city the great power of Argos

ἰσχὺν ἅπασαν τῇδε προσθέσθαι πόλει.

and all the strength of Eurystheus.

ἢν δʼ ἐς λόγους τε καὶ τὰ τῶνδʼ οἰκτίσματα

But if, looking to their words and their lamentations,

βλέψας πεπανθῇς, ἐς πάλην καθίσταται

you are softened, the matter will come to a trial of

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δορὸς τὸ πρᾶγμα· μὴ γὰρ ὡς μεθήσομεν

the spear; for do not think that we shall let go of

δόξῃς ἀγῶνα τόνδʼ ἄτερ χαλυβδικοῦ.

this struggle without the use of steel.

τί δῆτα φήσεις, ποῖα πεδίʼ ἀφαιρεθείς,

What then will you say? Having been deprived of what plains,

Syntax notes3 items

107ἄθεον ... μεθεῖναι
The copula (ἐστί) is omitted with the predicate adjective ἄθεον. The infinitive phrase "to reject the suppliant plea of strangers (μεθεῖναι ... προστροπάν)" functions as the subject of the entire sentence.
120ἔφθης ... βοηδρομήσας
A construction combining the verb φθάνω with a participle to mean "to do something before or in anticipation of someone else." Here, it refers to the old man running to help (βοηδρομήσας) before the younger people (νεωτέρους).
142δίκαιοι δʼ ἐσμὲν ... κραίνειν
A personal construction using the adjective δίκαιος, equivalent to the impersonal δίκαιόν ἐστιν ἡμᾶς κραίνειν ("it is just for us to decide"). This is a standard classical idiom emphasizing the attribute of the subject.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0006.tlg004.humanitext-grc2:80-162