Orestes Enters the Palace and Slays Clytemnestra — Sophocles, Electra, lines 1340–1430, Greek & English

1340

καλῶς· ὑπάρχει γάρ σε μὴ γνῶναί τινα.¹

Orestes: It is well; for it is possible for no one to recognize you.

ἤγγειλας, ὡς ἔοικεν, ὡς τεθνηκότα.

Paidagogos: You reported, as it seems, that he was dead.

εἷς τῶν ἐν Ἅιδου μάνθανʼ ἐνθάδʼ ὢν ἀνήρ.²

Orestes: Know that you are here as one of those in Hades.

χαίρουσιν οὖν τούτοισιν; ἢ τίνες λόγοι;

Paidagogos: Do they rejoice in these things then? Or what words were there?

τελουμένων εἴποιμʼ ἄν· ὡς δὲ νῦν ἔχει,

Orestes: I would tell when things are finished; but as it is now,

1345

καλῶς τὰ κείνων πάντα, καὶ τὰ μὴ καλῶς.

all their affairs, even those not well, are going well.

τίς οὗτός ἐστʼ, ἀδελφέ; πρὸς θεῶν φράσον.

Electra: Who is this, brother? Tell me, by the gods.

οὐχὶ ξυνίης;

Orestes: Do you not understand?

οὐδέ γʼ ἐς θυμὸν φέρω.

Electra: No, nor do I bring it to mind.

οὐκ οἶσθʼ ὅτῳ μʼ ἔδωκας εἰς χέρας ποτέ;

Orestes: Do you not know to whom you once delivered me?

ποίῳ; τί φωνεῖς;

Electra: To whom? What do you say?

οὗ τὸ Φωκέων πέδον

Orestes: By whose hands,

1350

ὑπεξεπέμφθην σῇ προμηθίᾳ χεροῖν.

through your foresight, I was secretly sent away to the Phocian plain.

ἦ κεῖνος οὗτος, ὅν ποτʼ ἐκ πολλῶν ἐγὼ

Electra: Is this indeed he whom once, out of many,

μόνον προσηῦρον πιστὸν ἐν πατρὸς φόνῳ;

I alone found faithful at my father’s murder?

ὅδʼ ἐστί· μή μʼ ἔλεγχε πλείοσιν λόγοις.

Orestes: This is he; do not examine me with more words.

ὦ φίλτατον φῶς, ὦ μόνος σωτὴρ δόμων

Electra: O dearest light, O sole savior of the house of Agamemnon,

1355

Ἀγαμέμνονος, πῶς ἦλθες; ἦ σὺ κεῖνος εἶ,

how have you come? Are you indeed he

ὃς τόνδε κἄμʼ ἔσωσας ἐκ πολλῶν πόνων;

who saved him and me from many troubles?

ὦ φίλταται μὲν χεῖρες, ἥδιστον δʼ ἔχων

O dearest hands, and you who have the sweetest

ποδῶν ὑπηρέτημα, πῶς οὕτω πάλαι

service of feet, how, being with me so long, did you escape my notice

ξυνών μʼ ἔληθες οὐδʼ ἔφαινες, ἀλλά με

and not reveal yourself, but destroy me with words,

1360

λόγοις ἀπώλλυς, ἔργʼ ἔχων ἥδιστʼ ἐμοί;³

while having deeds sweetest to me?

χαῖρʼ, ὦ πάτερ· πατέρα γὰρ εἰσορᾶν δοκῶ·

Hail, father! For I seem to look upon my father.

χαῖρʼ· ἴσθι δʼ ὡς μάλιστά σʼ ἀνθρώπων ἐγὼ

Hail! Know that of all men I have hated you

ἤχθηρα κἀφίλησʼ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ μιᾷ.

and loved you most in a single day.

ἀρκεῖν δοκεῖ μοι· τοὺς γὰρ ἐν μέσῳ λόγους

Paidagogos: It seems to me to be enough; for as for the words in between,

1365

πολλαὶ κυκλοῦνται νύκτες ἡμέραι τʼ ἴσαι,

many rolling nights and equal days

αἳ ταῦτά σοι δείξουσιν, Ἠλέκτρα, σαφῆ.

will show these things clearly to you, Electra.

σφῷν δʼ ἐννέπω γε τοῖν παρεστώτοιν ὅτι

But I say to you two who stand by that

νῦν καιρὸς ἔρδειν· νῦν Κλυταιμνήστρα μόνη,

now is the time to act; now Clytemnestra is alone,

νῦν οὔτις ἀνδρῶν ἔνδον· εἰ δʼ ἐφέξετον,

now no man is inside; but if you delay,

1370

φροντίζεθʼ ὡς τούτοις τε καὶ σοφωτέροις

consider that you will have to fight with these

ἄλλοισι τούτων πλείοσιν μαχούμενοι.⁴

and other enemies more numerous and wiser than these.

οὐκ ἂν μακρῶν ἔθʼ ἡμὶν οὐδὲν ἂν λόγων,

Orestes: Pylades, this would no longer be a matter of long words for us,

Πυλάδη, τόδʼ εἴη τοὔργον, ἀλλʼ ὅσον τάχος

but as quickly as possible

χωρεῖν ἔσω, πατρῷα προσκύσανθʼ ἕδη

to go inside, having worshipped the ancestral seats of the gods,

1375

θεῶν, ὅσοιπερ πρόπυλα ναίουσιν τάδε.

as many as dwell in this vestibule.

ἄναξ Ἄπολλον, ἵλεως αὐτοῖν κλύε

Electra: Lord Apollo, listen kindly to them,

ἐμοῦ τε πρὸς τούτοισιν, ἥ σε πολλὰ δὴ

and to me besides them, who have often stood before you

ἀφʼ ὧν ἔχοιμι λιπαρεῖ προύστην χερί.

with a pleading hand from what I possessed.

νῦν δʼ, ὦ Λύκειʼ Ἄπολλον, ἐξ οἵων ἔχω

And now, Lycean Apollo, with what I have

1380

αἰτῶ, προπίτνω, λίσσομαι, γενοῦ πρόφρων

I ask, I fall before you, I implore: be favorable

ἡμῖν ἀρωγὸς τῶνδε τῶν βουλευμάτων,

and help us in these plans,

καὶ δεῖξον ἀνθρώποισι τἀπιτίμια

and show to men what kind of rewards for impiety

τῆς δυσσεβείας οἷα δωροῦνται θεοί.

the gods bestow.

ἴδεθʼ ὅποι προνέμεται

Chorus: See where Ares goes forward,

1385

τὸ δυσέριστον αἷμα φυσῶν Ἄρης.

breathing hard-to-fight blood.

βεβᾶσιν ἄρτι δωμάτων ὑπόστεγοι

Just now the inescapable hounds, pursuers of evil crimes,

μετάδρομοι κακῶν πανουργημάτων ἄφυκτοι κύνες,

have gone beneath the roof of the house;

ὥστʼ οὐ μακρὰν ἔτʼ ἀμμενεῖ

so that the dream hovering in my mind

1390

τοὐμὸν φρενῶν ὄνειρον αἰωρούμενον.

will no longer wait long.

παράγεται γὰρ ἐνέρων

For the stealthy-footed helper of the dead

δολιόπους ἀρωγὸς εἴσω στέγας,

is being led inside the house,

ἀρχαιόπλουτα πατρὸς εἰς ἑδώλια,

to the anciently wealthy dwelling of his father,

νεακόνητον αἷμα χειροῖν ἔχων· ὁ Μαίας δὲ παῖς

holding newly-sharpened blood in his hands; and Hermes, son of Maia,

1395

Ἑρμῆς σφʼ ἄγει δόλον σκότῳ

leads him, having hidden the guile in darkness,

κρύψας πρὸς αὐτὸ τέρμα κοὐκέτʼ ἀμμένει.

to the very goal and waits no longer.

ὦ φίλταται γυναῖκες, ἅνδρες αὐτίκα

Electra: O dearest women, the men will immediately

τελοῦσι τοὔργον· ἀλλὰ σῖγα πρόσμενε.

finish the deed; but wait in silence.

πῶς δή; τί νῦν πράσσουσιν;

Chorus: How indeed? What are they doing now?

1400

ἡ μὲν ἐς τάφον

Electra: She is preparing the urn for burial,

λέβητα κοσμεῖ, τὼ δʼ ἐφέστατον πέλας.

and the two are standing close by.

σὺ δʼ ἐκτὸς ᾖξας πρὸς τί;

Chorus: But why did you rush outside?

φρουρήσουσʼ ὅπως

Electra: To keep watch, so that

Αἴγισθος ἡμᾶς μὴ λάθῃ μολὼν ἔσω.

Aegisthus may not enter inside without our notice.

αἰαῖ. ἰὼ στέγαι

Clytemnestra: Alas! O house,

1405

φίλων ἔρημοι, τῶν δʼ ἀπολλύντων πλέαι.

empty of friends, but full of destroyers.

βοᾷ τις ἔνδον· οὐκ ἀκούετʼ, ὦ φίλαι;

Electra: Someone cries inside; do you not hear, friends?

ἤκουσʼ ἀνήκουστα δύστανος, ὥστε φρῖξαι.

Chorus: I heard, wretched, things unheard of, so as to shudder.

οἴμοι τάλαινʼ· Αἴγισθε, ποῦ ποτʼ ὢν κυρεῖς;

Clytemnestra: Ah, wretched me! Aegisthus, where in the world are you?

ἰδοὺ μάλʼ αὖ θροεῖ τις.

Electra: Look, someone speaks very loudly again.

1410

ὦ τέκνον τέκνον, οἴκτιρε τὴν τεκοῦσαν.

Clytemnestra: O child, child, pity her who bore you!

ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἐκ σέθεν

Electra: But he received no pity from you,

ᾠκτίρεθʼ οὗτος⁵ οὐδʼ ὁ γεννήσας πατήρ.

nor did the father who begot him.

ὦ πόλις, ὦ γενεὰ τάλαινα, νῦν σοι

Chorus: O city, O wretched race, now your

μοῖρα καθαμερία φθίνει φθίνει.

daily doom is wasting away, wasting away.

1415

ὤμοι πέπληγμαι.

Clytemnestra: Ah! I am struck.

παῖσον, εἰ σθένεις, διπλῆν.

Electra: Strike a double blow, if you have strength!

ὤμοι μάλʼ αὖθις.

Clytemnestra: Ah! Yet again.

εἰ γὰρ Αἰγίσθῳ θʼ ὁμοῦ.

Electra: If only to Aegisthus also at the same time!

τελοῦσʼ ἀραί· ζῶσιν οἱ γᾶς ὑπαὶ κείμενοι.

Chorus: The curses are being fulfilled; those lying under the earth are alive.

1420

παλίρρυτον γὰρ αἷμʼ ὑπεξαιροῦσι τῶν

For those dead of old are draining the back-flowing blood

κτανόντων οἱ πάλαι θανόντες.

from those who slew them.

καὶ μὴν πάρεισιν οἵδε· φοινία δὲ χεὶρ

And indeed they are here; and a bloody hand

στάζει θυηλῆς Ἄρεος, οὐδʼ ἔχω ψέγειν.

drips with the sacrifice of Ares, nor can I blame it.

Ὀρέστα, πῶς κυρεῖτε;

Electra: Orestes, how is it going with you?

τἀν δόμοισι μὲν

Orestes: Things in the house are well,

1425

καλῶς, Ἀπόλλων εἰ καλῶς ἐθέσπισεν.

if Apollo prophesied well.

τέθνηκεν ἡ τάλαινα;

Electra: Is the wretched woman dead?

μηκέτʼ ἐκφοβοῦ

Orestes: No longer fear

μητρῷον ὥς σε λῆμʼ ἀτιμάσει ποτέ.

that your mother’s spirit will ever dishonor you.

παύσασθε· λεύσσω γὰρ Αἴγισθον ἐκ προδήλου.

Electra: Stop! For I see Aegisthus clearly.

1430

ὦ παῖδες, οὐκ ἄψορρον;

Orestes: Young men, will you not go back inside?

Syntax notes5 items

1340ὑπάρχει γάρ σε μὴ γνῶναί τινα
The verb ὑπάρχει is used impersonally to mean 'it is possible / a baseline condition exists', followed by an accusative and infinitive construction. Here, 'σε' (you) is the object of the infinitive 'γνῶναι', and 'τινα' (anyone) is its subject. Combined with 'μή', it means 'it is possible for no one to recognize you', which fits Orestes' current disguised status.
1342εἷς τῶν ἐν Ἅιδου μάνθανʼ ἐνθάδʼ ὢν ἀνήρ
The participial phrase 'ἐνθάδʼ ὢν ἀνήρ' (being a man here / living on earth) modifies the subject of the imperative 'μάνθανε' (know/learn), which refers to Orestes himself. It is a self-ironic remark indicating that although he is officially reported dead ('one of those in Hades'), he is physically alive and present.
1360λόγοις ἀπώλλυς, ἔργʼ ἔχων ἥδιστʼ ἐμοί
This presents an antithesis between 'λόγοις' (by words, i.e., the false report of Orestes' death) and the accusative object 'ἔργα' (deeds/reality, i.e., his actual survival and presence). The participle 'ἔχων' (having/holding) emphasizes that the Paidagogos was torturing her with mere words while actually holding the reality that would bring her the greatest joy.
1370φροντίζεθʼ ὡς τούτοις τε καὶ σοφωτέροις / ἄλλοισι τούτων πλείοσιν μαχούμενοι
The imperative 'φροντίζεθʼ' (consider/take thought) governs the particle 'ὡς' combined with the future participle 'μαχούμενοι' (about to fight). This construction denotes an expected or inevitable future circumstance that the agents must anticipate and prepare themselves for.
1411ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἐκ σέθεν / ᾠκτίρεθʼ οὗτος
The preposition 'ἐκ' in 'ἐκ σέθεν' (from you) denotes the source of the verbal action (pity). The demonstrative pronoun 'οὗτος' refers to Orestes, indicating that he (and Agamemnon) received no pity from Clytemnestra in the past, countering her current pleas for mercy.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0011.tlg005.humanitext-grc2:1340-1430