Electra's Rebuttal and Clytemnestra's Prayer — Sophocles, Electra, lines 556–632, Greek & English

556

καὶ μὴν ἐφίημʼ· εἰ δέ μʼ ὧδʼ ἀεὶ λόγουςἐξῆρχες, οὐκ ἂν ἦσθα λυπηρὰ κλύειν.¹

Yes, indeed I permit you; and if you had always begun your words to me in this way, you would not have been painful to listen to.

καὶ δὴ λέγω σοι. πατέρα φὴς κτεῖναι. τίς ἂντούτου λόγος γένοιτʼ ἂν αἰσχίων ἔτι,

Indeed I speak to you. You say that you killed my father. What claim could ever be more shameful than this,

560

εἴτʼ οὖν δικαίως εἴτε μή; λέξω δέ σοιὡς οὐ δίκῃ γʼ ἔκτεινας, ἀλλά σʼ ἔσπασενπειθὼ κακοῦ πρὸς ἀνδρός, ᾧ τανῦν ξύνει.

whether with justice or without? But I will tell you that you did not kill him with justice, but the persuasion of a wicked man, with whom you now live, dragged you on.

ἐροῦ δὲ τὴν κυναγὸν Ἄρτεμιν, τίνοςποινὰς τὰ πολλὰ πνεύματʼ ἔσχʼ ἐν Αὐλίδι·

Ask the huntress Artemis for what offense she held back the many winds in Aulis;

565

ἢ ʼγὼ φράσω· κείνης γὰρ οὐ θέμις μαθεῖν.²

or I will tell you, for it is not permitted for you to learn from her.

πατήρ ποθʼ οὑμός, ὡς ἐγὼ κλύω, θεᾶςπαίζων κατʼ ἄλσος ἐξεκίνησεν ποδοῖνστικτὸν κεράστην ἔλαφον, οὗ κατὰ σφαγὰςἐκκομπάσας ἔπος τι τυγχάνει βαλών.

My father once, as I hear, playing in the sacred grove of the goddess, startled with his feet a dappled horned stag, and having hit it, happened to boast some word at its slaughter.

570

κἀκ τοῦδε μηνίσασα Λητῴα κόρηκατεῖχʼ Ἀχαιούς, ὡς πατὴρ ἀντίσταθμοντοῦ θηρὸς ἐκθύσειε τὴν αὑτοῦ κόρην.

And because of this, the daughter of Leto was angered and held back the Achaeans, so that my father, as an equivalent for the beast, should sacrifice his own daughter.

ὧδʼ ἦν τὰ κείνης θύματʼ· οὐ γὰρ ἦν λύσιςἄλλη στρατῷ πρὸς οἶκον οὐδʼ εἰς Ἴλιον.

Thus were her sacrifices; for there was no other release for the army to go home nor to Ilium.

575

ἀνθʼ ὧν, βιασθεὶς πολλὰ κἀντιβάς, μόλιςἔθυσεν αὐτήν, οὐχὶ Μενέλεω χάριν.

Therefore, being forced by many things and resisting, he reluctantly sacrificed her, and not for the sake of Menelaus.

εἰ δʼ οὖν, ἐρῶ γὰρ καὶ τὸ σόν, κεῖνον θέλωνἐπωφελῆσαι ταῦτʼ ἔδρα, τούτου θανεῖνχρῆν αὐτὸν οὕνεκʼ ἐκ σέθεν; ποίῳ νόμῳ;

But even if—for I will speak also your side—wishing to benefit him he did this, ought he for this reason to have died by your hand? By what law?

580

ὅρα τιθεῖσα τόνδε τὸν νόμον βροτοῖςμὴ πῆμα σαυτῇ καὶ μετάγνοιαν τιθῇς.³

See to it, in establishing this law for mortals, that you do not lay down pain and repentance for yourself.

εἰ γὰρ κτενοῦμεν ἄλλον ἀντʼ ἄλλου, σύ τοιπρώτη θάνοις ἄν, εἰ δίκης γε τυγχάνοις.

For if we shall kill one in return for another, you indeed would be the first to die, if you should meet with justice.

ἀλλʼ εἰσόρα μὴ σκῆψιν οὐκ οὖσαν τίθης.

But see to it that you are not setting up an excuse that does not exist.

585

εἰ γὰρ θέλεις, δίδαξον ἀνθʼ ὅτου τανῦναἴσχιστα πάντων ἔργα δρῶσα τυγχάνεις,

For if you wish, teach me for what reason you happen now to be doing the most shameful of all deeds,

ἥτις ξυνεύδεις τῷ παλαμναίῳ, μεθʼ οὗπατέρα τὸν ἀμὸν πρόσθεν ἐξαπώλεσας,

you who sleep with the murderer, with whom you formerly destroyed my father,

καὶ παιδοποιεῖς, τοὺς δὲ πρόσθεν εὐσεβεῖςκἀξ εὐσεβῶν βλαστόντας ἐκβαλοῦσʼ ἔχεις.

and bear children, while you have cast out those who were formerly pious and born of the pious.

πῶς ταῦτʼ ἐπαινέσαιμʼ ἄν; ἢ καὶ ταῦτʼ ἐρεῖςὡς τῆς θυγατρὸς ἀντίποινα λαμβάνεις;

How could I praise this? Or will you say also this, that you are taking vengeance for your daughter?

αἰσχρῶς δʼ, ἐάν περ καὶ λέγῃς· οὐ γὰρ καλὸνἐχθροῖς γαμεῖσθαι τῆς θυγατρὸς οὕνεκα.

Shamefully indeed, even if you say it; for it is not beautiful to marry enemies for the sake of a daughter.

595

ἀλλʼ οὐ γὰρ οὐδὲ νουθετεῖν ἔξεστί σε,ἣ πᾶσαν ἵης γλῶσσαν ὡς τὴν μητέρα

But indeed it is not even possible to admonish you, who let loose every tongue to say that we speak ill of our mother.

κακοστομοῦμεν. καί σʼ ἔγωγε δεσπότινἢ μητέρʼ οὐκ ἔλασσον εἰς ἡμᾶς νέμω,

And indeed I regard you as a mistress rather than a mother to us,

ἣ ζῶ βίον μοχθηρόν, ἔκ τε σοῦ κακοῖςπολλοῖς ἀεὶ ξυνοῦσα τοῦ τε συννόμου·

who live a wretched life, always present with many evils from you and your companion;

ὃ δʼ ἄλλος ἔξω, χεῖρα σὴν μόλις φυγών,τλήμων Ὀρέστης δυστυχῆ τρίβει βίον·

and the other one outside, having barely escaped your hand, the wretched Orestes drags out a miserable life;

ὃν πολλὰ δή με σοὶ τρέφειν μιάστοραἐπῃτιάσω· καὶ τόδʼ, εἴπερ ἔσθενον,

whom you have often accused me of rearing as an avenger for you; and this, if I had the power,

605

ἔδρων ἄν, εὖ τοῦτʼ ἴσθι· τοῦδέ γʼ οὕνεκακήρυσσέ μʼ εἰς ἅπαντας, εἴτε χρῇς κακὴν

I would have done, be well assured of this. For this, proclaim me to all, whether you wish to call me wicked,

εἴτε στόμαργον εἴτʼ ἀναιδείας πλέαν.

or loud-mouthed, or full of shamelessness.

εἰ γὰρ πέφυκα τῶνδε τῶν ἔργων ἴδρις,σχεδόν τι τὴν σὴν οὐ καταισχύνω φύσιν.

For if I am by nature skilled in these deeds, I do not altogether disgrace your nature.

610

ὁρῶ μένος πνέουσαν· εἰ δὲ σὺν δίκῃξύνεστι, τοῦδε φροντίδʼ οὐκέτʼ εἰσορῶ.⁴

I see her breathing rage; but whether it is with justice, I no longer see any concern for this.

ποίας δʼ ἐμοὶ δεῖ πρός γε τήνδε φροντίδος,ἥτις τοιαῦτα τὴν τεκοῦσαν ὕβρισεν,

And what concern do I need to have for this girl, who has so insulted her mother,

καὶ ταῦτα τηλικοῦτος; ἆρά σοι δοκεῖχωρεῖν ἂν εἰς πᾶν ἔργον αἰσχύνης ἄτερ;

and that too at such an age? Does she not seem to you to be ready to go to any deed without shame?

εὖ νυν ἐπίστω τῶνδέ μʼ αἰσχύνην ἔχειν,κεἰ μὴ δοκῶ σοι· μανθάνω δʼ ὁθούνεκα

Be well assured now that I feel shame for these things, even if I do not seem so to you; and I understand that

ἔξωρα πράσσω κοὐκ ἐμοὶ προσεικότα.

I act out of season and in a way not fitting for me.

ἀλλʼ ἡ γὰρ ἐκ σοῦ δυσμένεια καὶ τὰ σὰἔργʼ ἐξαναγκάζει με ταῦτα δρᾶν βίᾳ·

But indeed your hostility and your deeds force me to do these things by constraint;

αἰσχροῖς γὰρ αἰσχρὰ πράγματʼ ἐκδιδάσκεται.

for shameful deeds are taught by shameful things.

ὦ θρέμμʼ ἀναιδές, ἦ σʼ ἐγὼ καὶ τἄμʼ ἔπηκαὶ τἄργα τἀμὰ πόλλʼ ἄγαν λέγειν ποεῖ.

O shameless creature, indeed I and my words and my many deeds make you speak too much.

σύ τοι λέγεις νιν, οὐκ ἐγώ· σὺ γὰρ ποεῖςτοὔργον· τὰ δʼ ἔργα τοὺς λόγους εὑρίσκεται.

It is you who speak them, not I; for you do the deed, and the deeds find the words.

ἀλλʼ οὐ μὰ τὴν δέσποιναν Ἄρτεμιν θράσουςτοῦδʼ οὐκ ἀλύξεις, εὖτʼ ἂν Αἴγισθος μόλῃ.

But indeed, by the mistress Artemis, you shall not escape the consequence of this boldness when Aegisthus returns.

ὁρᾷς; πρὸς ὀργὴν ἐκφέρει, μεθεῖσά μοιλέγειν ἃ χρῄζοιμʼ, οὐδʼ ἐπίστασαι κλύειν.

Do you see? She is carried away to anger, having permitted me to say what I wished, yet you do not know how to listen.

630

οὔκουν ἐάσεις οὐδʼ ὑπʼ εὐφήμου βοῆςθῦσαί μʼ, ἐπειδὴ σοί γʼ ἐφῆκα πᾶν λέγειν;

Will you not then let me sacrifice even with auspicious silence, since I permitted you to say everything?

ἐῶ, κελεύω, θῦε· μηδʼ ἐπαιτιῶ

I permit you, I bid you, sacrifice; and do not blame me further.

Syntax notes4 items

557οὐκ ἂν ἦσθα λυπηρὰ κλύειν
A conclusion of a contrafactual conditional sentence, where the adjective λυπηρά is a neuter plural predicate adjective referring to the subject 'you' (Clytemnestra). The infinitive κλύειν is epexegetical, indicating restriction ('to hear').
565κείνης γὰρ οὐ θέμις μαθεῖν
κείνης is a genitive of source (or separation) depending on μαθεῖν. It means 'for it is not permitted to learn from her (Artemis)'. The unexpressed subject of the infinitive is Clytemnestra, or people in general.
581μὴ πῆμα σαυτῇ καὶ μετάγνοιαν τιθῇς
A clause of precaution with μὴ introduced by ὅρα in the previous line. The present subjunctive τιθῇς is used, meaning 'see to it that you do not lay down for yourself pain and repentance'.
611τοῦδε φροντίδʼ οὐκέτʼ εἰσορῶ
The genitive τοῦδε is either a neuter demonstrative pronoun referring to 'this' (whether she has justice on her side), serving as an objective genitive with φροντίδʼ, or referring to 'her' (Electra). Here, the former interpretation is logically preferred: 'I no longer see any concern for this'.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0011.tlg005.humanitext-grc2:556-632