Eurystheus Brought in Chains and Alcmene's Condemnation — Euripides, Children of Heracles, lines 889–975, Greek & English

889

ὃ πρῶτον εἶπας, ἡνίκʼ ἠρχόμην λόγου,

[Messenger] What you said first, when I was beginning my speech,

890

ἐλευθερώσειν μʼ· ἐν δὲ τοῖς τοιοῖσδε¹ χρὴ

that you would free me; and in such matters,

ἀψευδὲς εἶναι τοῖσι γενναίοις στόμα.

noble people ought to have a truthful mouth.

Ἐμοὶ χορὸς μὲν ἡδύς, εἰ λίγεια λω-

[Chorus] To me, a chorus is sweet, if the clear

τοῦ χάρις ενι δαι·

grace of the flute is present at the feast;

εἴη δʼ εὔχαρις Ἀφροδί-

and may Aphrodite be gracious.

895

τα· τερπνὸν δέ τι καὶ φίλων ἆρʼ

And it is a delightful thing to see

εὐτυχίαν ἰδέσθαι

the good fortune of friends

τῶν πάρος οὐ δοκούντων.

who previously did not seem to be fortunate.

πολλὰ γὰρ

For Fate, the bringer of fulfillment,

τίκτει Μοῖρα τελεσσιδώ-

and Time, the child of Chronos,

900

τειρʼ Αἰών τε Χρόνου παῖς.

bring forth many things.

ἔχεις ὁδόν τινʼ, ὦ πόλις, δίκαιον — οὐ

You have a certain path, O city, a just one —

χρή ποτε τοῦδʼ ἀφέσθαι, —

never must you let go of this —

τιμᾶν θεούς· ὁ δὲ μή σε φά-

to honor the gods. And he who denies

σκων ἐγγὺς μανιῶν ἐλαύνει,

this to you drives near to madness,

905

δεικνυμένων ἐλέγχων

when these proofs

τῶνδʼ· ἐπίσημα γάρ τοι

are shown; for indeed,

θεὸς παραγ-

god signals clearly,

γέλλει, τῶν ἀδίκων παραι-

always taking away the pride

ρῶν φρονήματος αἰεί.

of the unjust.

910

ἔστιν ἐν οὐρανῷ βεβα-

Your offspring, O old woman,

κὼς τεὸς γόνος, ὦ γεραι-

has gone to heaven;

ά· φεύγει λόγον ὡς² τὸν Ἅι-

he escapes the story that he went down

δα δόμον κατέβα, πυρὸς

to the house of Hades, having his body

δεινᾷ φλογὶ σῶμα δαισθείς·

consumed by the terrible flame of fire;

915

Ἥβας τʼ ἐρατὸν χροΐζει

and he shares the lovely bed of Hebe

λέχος χρυσέαν κατʼ αὐλάν.

in the golden hall.

ὦ Ὑμέναιε, δισσοὺς παῖ-

O Hymenaeus, two children of Zeus

δας Διὸς ἠξίωσας.

you have deemed worthy to join.

συμφέρεται τὰ πολλὰ πολ-

Many things agree for many people;

920

λοῖς· καὶ γὰρ πατρὶ τῶνδʼ Ἀθά-

for indeed, for their father, they say Athena

ναν λέγουσʼ ἐπίκουρον εἶ-

was a helper,

ναι, καὶ τούσδε θεᾶς πόλις

and these children the city of the goddess

καὶ λαὸς ἔσωσε κείνας·

and her people saved;

ἔσχεν δʼ ὕβριν ἀνδρὸς ᾧ θυ-

and it checked the outrage of a man whose

925

μὸς ἦν πρὸ δίκας βίαιος.³

spirit was violent before justice.

μήποτʼ ἐμοὶ φρόνημα ψυ-

Never may there be in me a proud spirit

χά τʼ ἀκόρεστος εἴη.

and an insatiable soul.

δέσποινʼ, ὁρᾷς μέν, ἀλλʼ ὅμως εἰρήσεται,

[Messenger] Mistress, you see, but yet it shall be said,

Εὐρυσθέα σοι τόνδʼ ἄγοντες ἥκομεν,

we have come bringing this Eurystheus to you,

930

ἄελπτον ὄψιν, τῷδέ τʼ οὐχ ἧσσον τύχην·

an unexpected sight, and for him no less a turn of fortune;

οὐ γάρ ποτʼ ηὔχει χεῖρας ἵξεσθαι σέθεν,

for he never expected to come into your hands,

ὅτʼ ἐκ Μυκηνῶν πολυπόνῳ σὺν ἀσπίδι

when he marched from Mycenae with a troublesome shield,

ἔστειχε μείζω τῆς δίκης φρονῶν, πόλιν

thinking thoughts greater than justice, to destroy the city

πέρσων Ἀθηνᾶς. ἀλλὰ τὴν ἐναντίαν

of Athena. But the divinity made the opposite,

935

δαίμων ἔθηκε, καὶ μετέστησεν τύχην.

and shifted his fortune.

Ὕλλος μὲν οὖν ὅ τʼ ἐσθλὸς Ἰόλεως βρέτας

So Hyllus and the noble Iolaus are setting up

Διὸς τροπαίου καλλίνικον ἵστασαν·

a victorious trophy of Zeus Giver of Victory;

ἐμοὶ δὲ πρὸς σὲ τόνδʼ ἐπιστέλλουσʼ ἄγειν,

and they commanded me to lead this man to you,

τέρψαι θέλοντες σὴν φρένʼ· ἐκ γὰρ εὐτυχοῦς⁴

wishing to delight your heart; for from a state of prosperity

940

ἥδιστον ἐχθρὸν ἄνδρα δυστυχοῦνθʼ ὁρᾶν.

it is sweetest to see a hated enemy suffering misfortune.

ὦ μῖσος, ἥκεις; εἷλέ σʼ ἡ Δίκη χρόνῳ;

[Alcmene] O hated one, have you come? Has Justice caught you in time?

πρῶτον μὲν οὖν μοι δεῦρʼ ἐπίστρεψον κάρα

First indeed, turn your head here to me,

καὶ τλῆθι τοὺς σοὺς προσβλέπειν ἐναντίον

and dare to look your enemies in the face;

ἐχθρούς· κρατῇ γὰρ νῦν γε κοὐ κρατεῖς ἔτι.

for now indeed you are ruled, and you no longer rule.

945

ἐκεῖνος εἶ σύ — βούλομαι γὰρ εἰδέναι —

Are you that man — for I wish to know —

ὃς πολλὰ μὲν τὸν ὄνθʼ ὅπου’στὶ νῦν ἐμὸν

who deemed my son, who is now where he is,

παῖδʼ ἠξίωσας, ὦ πανοῦργʼ, ἐφυβρίσαι;

worthy to be insulted in many ways, O scoundrel?

τί γὰρ σὺ κεῖνον οὐκ ἔτλης καθυβρίσαι;

For what did you not dare to insult him with?

ὃς καὶ παρʼ Ἅιδην ζῶντά νιν κατήγαγες,

You who even sent him down alive to Hades,

950

ὕδρας λέοντάς τʼ ἐξαπολλύναι λέγων

and sent him, telling him to destroy

ἔπεμπες. ἄλλα δʼ οἷ’ ἐμηχανῶ κακὰ

hydras and lions. And other evils which you devised

σιγῶ· μακρὸς γὰρ μῦθος ἂν γένοιτό μοι.

I keep silent; for it would be a long story for me.

κοὐκ ἤρκεσέν σοι ταῦτα τολμῆσαι μόνον,

And it did not suffice for you to dare these things alone,

ἀλλʼ ἐξ ἁπάσης κἀμὲ καὶ τέκνʼ Ἑλλάδος

but from all of Greece you drove both me and the children,

955

ἤλαυνες ἱκέτας δαιμόνων καθημένους,

sitting as suppliants of the gods,

τοὺς μὲν γέροντας, τοὺς δὲ νηπίους ἔτι.

some of us old, and some still infants.

ἀλλʼ ηὗρες ἄνδρας καὶ πόλισμʼ ἐλεύθερον,

But you found men and a free city,

οἵ σʼ οὐκ ἔδεισαν. δεῖ σε κατθανεῖν κακῶς,

who did not fear you. You must die miserably,

καὶ κερδανεῖς ἅπαντα·⁵ χρῆν γὰρ οὐχ ἅπαξ

and you will gain everything; for you ought not to die

960

θνῄσκειν σὲ πολλὰ πήματʼ ἐξειργασμένον.

only once, having committed so many evils.

οὐκ ἔστʼ ἀνυστὸν τόνδε σοι κατακτανεῖν.

[Messenger] It is not possible for you to kill this man.

ἄλλως ἄρʼ αὐτὸν αἰχμάλωτον εἵλομεν;

[Alcmene] In vain, then, did we capture him as a prisoner?

εἴργει δὲ δὴ τίς τόνδε μὴ θνῄσκειν νόμος;

[Alcmene] And indeed what law prevents this man from dying?

τοῖς τῆσδε χώρας προστάταισιν οὐ δοκεῖ.

[Messenger] It does not seem good to the leaders of this land.

965

τί δὴ τόδʼ; ἐχθροὺς τοισίδʼ οὐ καλὸν κτανεῖν;

[Alcmene] What is this? Is it not a fine thing to kill enemies for these people?

οὐχ ὅντινʼ ἄν γε ζῶνθʼ ἕλωσιν ἐν μάχῃ.

[Messenger] Not anyone whom they capture alive in battle.

καὶ ταῦτα δόξανθʼ Ὕλλος ἐξηνέσχετο;

[Alcmene] And did Hyllus tolerate these decisions?

χρῆν δʼ αὐτόν, οἶμαι, τῇδʼ ἀπιστῆσαι χθονί;

[Messenger] Was it necessary for him, I think, to disobey this land?

χρῆν τόνδε μὴ ζῆν μηδʼ ὁρᾶν φάος ἔτι.

[Alcmene] This man ought not to live or see the light any longer.

970

τότʼ ἠδικήθη πρῶτον οὐ θανὼν ὅδε.⁶

[Messenger] Then first indeed was wrong done, when this man did not die.

οὐκ οὖν ἔτʼ ἐστὶν ἐν καλῷ δοῦναι δίκην;

[Alcmene] Is it then no longer in a proper place to pay the penalty?

οὐκ ἔστι τοῦτον ὅστις ἂν κατακτάνοι.

[Messenger] There is no one who would kill this man.

ἔγωγε· καίτοι φημὶ κἄμʼ εἶναί τινα.

[Alcmene] I will; and yet I say that I too am someone.

πολλὴν ἄρʼ ἕξεις μέμψιν, εἰ δράσεις τόδε.

[Messenger] Much blame indeed you will have, if you do this.

975

φιλῶ πόλιν τήνδʼ· οὐδὲν ἀντιλεκτέον.

[Alcmene] I love this city; there is nothing to be said against that.

Syntax notes6 items

890ἐν δὲ τοῖς τοιοῖσδε
The neuter plural demonstrative τοῖσι τοιοῖσδε ("in such matters/circumstances") refers to the situation where the fulfillment of a promise (here, the freeing of the messenger) is at stake.
912φεύγει λόγον ὡς
The verb φεύγει ("escapes / avoids") is used here in the sense of rejecting or refuting a report or rumor (λόγον). The ὡς clause functions as an appositive explaining the content of the rumor.
924ἔσχεν δʼ ὕβριν ἀνδρὸς ᾧ θυμὸς ἦν πρὸ δίκας βίαιος
The preposition πρό (usually "before") is used here in a figurative sense of preference or priority, meaning "(choosing violence) rather than / in preference to justice (δίκας)."
939ἐκ γὰρ εὐτυχοῦς
The prepositional phrase ἐκ with the genitive εὐτυχοῦς indicates a situational starting point or a point of view, meaning either "from a state of prosperity" or "from the perspective of a prosperous person."
959καὶ κερδανεῖς ἅπαντα
"And you will gain everything" is used ironically; it implies that simply being put to death is too light a punishment for Eurystheus's numerous crimes, and thus dying would actually be a gain (an easy way out) for him.
970τότʼ ἠδικήθη πρῶτον οὐ θανὼν ὅδε
Syntactically, οὐ θανὼν ("not having died") functions as part of the subject context. The Messenger argues from the Athenian perspective that the initial violation of the law (which forbids killing captives taken alive in battle) already occurred when Eurystheus was spared on the battlefield.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0006.tlg004.humanitext-grc2:889-975