Portents of Justice and Clytemnestra's Defense — Sophocles, Electra, lines 458–555, Greek & English

458

χερσὶν στέφωμεν ἢ τανῦν δωρούμεθα.¹

May we adorn it with richer hands than those with which we now make these gifts.

οἶμαι μὲν οὖν, οἶμαί τι κἀκείνῳ μέλον²

For I think, yes, I think that he too had some care

460

πέμψαι τάδʼ αὐτῇ δυσπρόσοπτʼ ὀνείρατα·

To send these ill-favored dreams to her.

ὅμως δʼ, ἀδελφή, σοί θʼ ὑπούργησον τάδε

Yet, sister, perform this service both for yourself

ἐμοί τʼ ἀρωγὰ τῷ τε φιλτάτῳ βροτῶν

And as a help to me, and to the dearest of all mortals,

πάντων, ἐν Ἅιδου κειμένῳ κοινῷ πατρί.

Our common father who lies in Hades.

πρὸς εὐσέβειαν ἡ κόρη λέγει· σὺ δέ,

The maiden speaks with piety; and you,

465

εἰ σωφρονήσεις, ὦ φίλη, δράσεις τάδε.

Dear friend, if you are wise, will do this.

δράσω· τὸ γὰρ δίκαιον οὐχ ἔχει λόγον

I will do so; for there is no reason for two

δυοῖν ἐρίζειν, ἀλλʼ ἐπισπεύδειν τὸ δρᾶν.

To dispute about what is right, but rather to hasten the deed.

πειρωμένῃ δὲ τῶνδε τῶν ἔργων ἐμοὶ

But as I attempt these deeds,

σιγὴ παρʼ ὑμῶν, πρὸς θεῶν, ἔστω, φίλαι·

Let there be silence on your part, by the gods, my friends;

470

ὡς εἰ τάδʼ ἡ τεκοῦσα πεύσεται, πικρὰν

For if she who bore me hears of this, I think

δοκῶ³ με πεῖραν τήνδε τολμήσειν ἔτι.

I shall yet venture on a bitter attempt.

εἰ μὴ ʼγὼ παράφρων μάντις ἔφυν καὶ γνώμας

If I am not a foolish prophet and lacking

λειπομένα σοφᾶς,

In wise judgment,

εἶσιν ἁ πρόμαντις

Justice, the foreteller of the future, will come,

475

Δίκα δίκαια φερομένα χεροῖν κράτη·

Bringing in her hands righteous victory;

μέτεισιν, ὦ τέκνον, οὐ μακροῦ χρόνου.

She will pursue them, my child, before long.

ὕπεστί μοι θάρσος,

Confidence rises within me,

480

ἁδυπνόων κλύουσαν

Having just heard the sweet-breathing

ἀρτίως ὀνειράτων.

Dreams.

οὐ γάρ ποτʼ ἀμναστεῖ γʼ ὁ φύσας σʼ Ἑλλάνων ἄναξ,

For the lord of the Hellenes who begot you never forgets,

485

οὐδʼ ἁ παλαιὰ χαλκόπλακτος ἀμφάκης γένυς,

Nor does that ancient double-edged axe clad in bronze,

ἅ νιν κατέπεφνεν αἰσχίσταις ἐν αἰκίαις.

Which slew him with the most shameful outrages.

ἥξει καὶ πολύπους καὶ πολύχειρ ἁ δεινοῖς

She of many feet and many hands,

490

κρυπτομένα λόχοις

Who is hidden in dread ambush,

χαλκόπους Ἐρινύς.

The bronze-shod Erinys, will come.

ἄλεκτρʼ ἄνυμφα γὰρ ἐπέβα μιαιφόνων

For there rushed upon them the weddingless, unhallowed rivalries

γάμων ἁμιλλήμαθʼ οἷσιν οὐ θέμις.

Of blood-stained marriages, which are not lawful.

495

πρὸ τῶνδέ τοί μʼ ἔχει⁴

Therefore I am confident

μή ποτε μή ποθʼ ἡμῖν

That a blameless sign will never, never

ἀψεγὲς πελᾶν τέρας

Draw near to us without bringing punishment

500

τοῖς δρῶσι καὶ συνδρῶσιν. ἤ τοι μαντεῖαι βροτῶν

To those who did and helped to do the deed. Truly, there are no prophecies for mortals in dread dreams or in oracles,

οὐκ εἰσὶν ἐν δεινοῖς ὀνείροις οὐδʼ ἐν θεσφάτοις,

If this vision of the night does not find a happy fulfillment.

εἰ μὴ τόδε φάσμα νυκτὸς εὖ κατασχήσει.

(same as above)

ὦ Πέλοπος ἁ πρόσθεν

O of old, Pelops’

505

πολύπονος ἱππεία,

Horse-race of many sorrows,

ὡς ἔμολες αἰανὴς

How dismal did you come

τᾷδε γᾷ.

To this land!

εὖτε γὰρ ὁ ποντισθεὶς

For ever since Myrtilus,

Μυρτίλος ἐκοιμάθη,

Cast into the sea, was laid to rest,

510

παγχρύσων δίφρων

Hurled headlong from the all-golden chariot

δυστάνοις αἰκίαις

In wretched outrages,

πρόρριζος ἐκριφθείς,

Root and branch,

οὔ τί πω

Never yet

ἔλειπεν ἐκ τοῦδʼ οἴκου

Has sorrowful outrage

515

πολύπονος αἰκία.

Left this house.

ἀνειμένη μέν, ὡς ἔοικας, αὖ στρέφει·

You are roaming about at large again, so it seems;

οὐ γὰρ πάρεστʼ Αἴγισθος, ὅς σʼ ἐπεῖχʼ ἀεὶ

For Aegisthus is not here, who always kept you

μή τοι θυραίαν γʼ οὖσαν αἰσχύνειν φίλους·

From going outside to disgrace your family.

νῦν δʼ ὡς ἄπεστʼ ἐκεῖνος, οὐδὲν ἐντρέπει

But now that he is away, you pay no heed

520

ἐμοῦ γε· καίτοι πολλὰ πρὸς πολλούς με δὴ

To me; though indeed you have often said to many

ἐξεῖπας ὡς θρασεῖα καὶ πέρα δίκης

That I rule with insolence, acting beyond justice,

ἄρχω, καθυβρίζουσα καὶ σὲ καὶ τὰ σά·

And insulting you and yours.

ἐγὼ δʼ ὕβριν μὲν οὐκ ἔχω, κακῶς δέ σε

But I have no insolence, but I speak ill

λέγω κακῶς κλύουσα πρὸς σέθεν θαμά.

Of you because I am often spoken ill of by you.

525

πατὴρ γάρ, οὐδὲν ἄλλο, σοὶ πρόσχημʼ ἀεὶ

For your father, and nothing else, is always your pretext—

ὡς ἐξ ἐμοῦ τέθνηκεν. ἐξ ἐμοῦ· καλῶς

That he died by my hand. By my hand; I know it well,

ἔξοιδα· τῶνδʼ ἄρνησις οὐκ ἔνεστί μοι·

And there is no denial of this in me.

ἡ γὰρ Δίκη νιν εἷλεν, οὐκ ἐγὼ μόνη,

For Justice seized him, not I alone;

ᾗ χρῆν σʼ ἀρήγειν, εἰ φρονοῦσʼ ἐτύγχανες·

And you ought to have helped her, if you happened to have wisdom.

530

ἐπεὶ πατὴρ σὸς οὗτος, ὃν θρηνεῖς ἀεί,

Since this father of yours, whom you always lament,

τὴν σὴν ὅμαιμον μοῦνος Ἑλλήνων ἔτλη

Alone of the Hellenes had the heart to sacrifice your sister

θῦσαι θεοῖσιν, οὐκ ἴσον καμὼν ἐμοὶ

To the gods, though he did not suffer an equal pain of grief

λύπης,⁵ ὅς ἔσπειρʼ, ὥσπερ ἡ τίκτουσʼ ἐγώ.

As I, who bore her, while he only begat her.

εἶεν, δίδαξον δή με τοῦ χάριν, τίνων

Well then, teach me for whose sake

535

ἔθυσεν αὐτήν· πότερον Ἀργείων ἐρεῖς;

He sacrificed her; will you say it was for the sake of the Argives?

ἀλλʼ οὐ μετῆν αὐτοῖσι τήν γʼ ἐμὴν κτανεῖν.

But they had no right to kill what was mine.

ἀλλʼ ἀντʼ ἀδελφοῦ δῆτα Μενέλεω κτανὼν

But if indeed he killed my child for the sake of his brother Menelaus,

τἄμʼ, οὐκ ἔμελλε τῶνδέ μοι δώσειν δίκην;

Was he not bound to pay me the penalty for this?

πότερον ἐκείνῳ παῖδες οὐκ ἦσαν διπλοῖ,

Had Menelaus no two children,

540

οὓς τῆσδε μᾶλλον εἰκὸς ἦν θνῄσκειν, πατρὸς

Who more than this girl ought to have died,

καὶ μητρὸς ὄντας, ἧς ὁ πλοῦς ὅδʼ ἦν χάριν;

Being born of the father and mother for whose sake this voyage was made?

ἢ τῶν ἐμῶν Ἅιδης τινʼ ἵμερον τέκνων

Or had Hades some greater desire to feast

ἢ τῶν ἐκείνης ἔσχε δαίσασθαι πλέον;

Upon my children than upon hers?

ἢ τῷ πανώλει πατρὶ τῶν μὲν ἐξ ἐμοῦ

Or had that ruinous father lost all affection

545

παίδων πόθος παρεῖτο, Μενέλεω δʼ ἐνῆν;

For the children born of me, while he had it for those of Menelaus?

οὐ ταῦτʼ ἀβούλου καὶ κακοῦ γνώμην πατρός;

Was this not the act of a father foolish and evil in judgment?

δοκῶ μέν, εἰ καὶ σῆς δίχα γνώμης λέγω·

I think so, even if I speak apart from your judgment;

φαίη δʼ ἂν ἡ θανοῦσά γʼ, εἰ φωνὴν λάβοι.

And she who died would say so, if she could find a voice.

ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν οὐκ εἰμὶ τοῖς πεπραγμένοις

Therefore, indeed, I am not downcast

550

δύσθυμος· εἰ δὲ σοὶ δοκῶ φρονεῖν κακῶς,

Because of what has been done; and if I seem to you to judge badly,

γνώμην δικαίαν σχοῦσα τοὺς πέλας ψέγε.

First hold a righteous judgment yourself, and then blame your neighbors.

ἐρεῖς μὲν οὐχὶ νῦν γέ μʼ ὡς ἄρξασά τι

You will not say this time that I began some painful word

λυπηρὸν εἶτα σοῦ τάδʼ ἐξήκουσʼ ὕπο·

And then heard this from you;

ἀλλʼ ἢν ἐφῇς μοι, τοῦ τεθνηκότος θʼ ὕπερ

But if you permit me, I would speak truly on behalf of the dead man

555

λέξαιμʼ ἂν ὀρθῶς τῆς κασιγνήτης θʼ ὁμοῦ.

And my sister alike.

Syntax notes5 items

458δωρούμεθα
The relative pronoun αἷς is omitted before τανῦν δωρούμεθα, in a clause directly depending on the comparative structure with ἤ which contrasts 'richer hands' (χερσὶν ἀφνεωτέραις) with the current offerings.
459μέλον
Neuter singular participle of the impersonal verb μέλει in the accusative absolute construction (μέλον τι), expressing the reason: 'since it was of some concern to him (Agamemnon) too' to send the dreams.
471δοκῶ
Governs the accusative and infinitive construction (με ... τολμήσειν), expressing Electra's subjective conviction or apprehension: 'I think that I shall (still venture)...'
495μʼ ἔχει
An expression of confidence ('holds me'). It governs the infinitive clause with μή (μή ποτε ... πελᾶν), signifying 'confidence possesses me that a sign will never draw near to us without bringing punishment'.
533λύπης
A genitive of relation (or quantity) depending on the adjective ἴσον, meaning 'an equal amount of pain'. The aorist participle καμών (from κάμνω) contrasts his lack of suffering with Clytemnestra's.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0011.tlg005.humanitext-grc2:458-555