§455κἀγὼ μὲν αἰεὶ βασιλέων θυμουμένων §456ὀργὰς ἀφῄρουν καί σ’ ἐβουλόμην μένειν· §457σὺ δ’ οὐκ ἀνίεις μωρίας, λέγουσ’ ἀεὶ §458κακῶς τυράννους· τοιγὰρ ἐκπεσῇ χθονός.
And I indeed was always, when the kings were angry, trying to soothe their rages and wishing you to remain; but you would not cease from your folly, always speaking ill of the rulers; therefore you will be cast out of the land.
§459ὅμως δὲ κἀκ τῶνδ’ οὐκ ἀπειρηκὼς φίλοις §460ἥκω, τὸ σὸν δὲ προσκοπούμενος, γύναι, §461ὡς μήτ’ ἀχρήμων σὺν τέκνοισιν ἐκπέσῃς §462μήτ’ ἐνδεής του· πόλλ’ ἐφέλκεται φυγὴ §463κακὰ ξὺν αὑτῇ.
But nevertheless, even after this, not having abandoned my loved ones, I have come, looking out for your interest, woman, so that you may not be cast out penniless with the children nor in need of anything; for banishment drags many evils along with itself.
καὶ γὰρ εἰ σύ με στυγεῖς, §464οὐκ ἂν δυναίμην σοὶ κακῶς φρονεῖν ποτε.
For even if you hate me, I could never bear ill will towards you.
§465ὦ παγκάκιστε, τοῦτο γάρ σ’ εἰπεῖν ἔχω,
O utter scoundrel!
For this indeed I can say of you, the greatest evil in speech against your unmanliness; have you come to us, have you come having become most hateful?
§469οὔτοι θράσος τόδ’ ἐστὶν οὐδ’ εὐτολμία, §470φίλους κακῶς δράσαντ’ ἐναντίον βλέπειν, §471ἀλλ’ ἡ μεγίστη τῶν ἐν ἀνθρώποις νόσων §472πασῶν, ἀναίδει’·
This is indeed not daring, nor is it courage, to look one's loved ones in the face after doing them harm, but it is the greatest of all diseases among men, shamelessness.
But you did well to come; for I shall lighten my soul by speaking ill of you, and you will be pained to hear it.
§475ἐκ τῶν δὲ πρώτων πρῶτον ἄρξομαι λέγειν.
And I shall begin to speak from the very first things first.
§476ἔσῳσά σ’, ὡς ἴσασιν Ἑλλήνων ὅσοι §477ταὐτὸν συνεισέβησαν Ἀργῷον σκάφος, §478πεμφθέντα ταύρων πυρπνόων ἐπιστάτην §479ζεύγλῃσι καὶ σπεροῦντα θανάσιμον γύην· §480δράκοντά θ’, ὃς πάγχρυσον ἀμπέχων δέρας §481σπείραις ἔσῳζε πολυπλόκοις ἄυπνος ὤν, §482κτείνασ’ ἀνέσχον σοὶ φάος σωτήριον.
I saved you, as all of the Greeks know who embarked with you on the same ship, Argo, when you were sent to master the fire-breathing bulls with yokes and to sow the deadly field; and the dragon, which, encompassing the all-golden fleece, was guarding it with its many-coiled folds, remaining sleepless, I killed it and held up for you a saving light.
§483αὐτὴ δὲ πατέρα καὶ δόμους προδοῦσ’ ἐμοὺς §484τὴν Πηλιῶτιν εἰς Ἰωλκὸν ἱκόμην §485σὺν σοί, πρόθυμος μᾶλλον ἢ σοφωτέρα· §486Πελίαν τ’ ἀπέκτειν’, ὥσπερ ἄλγιστον θανεῖν, §487παίδων ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ, πάντα τ’ ἐξεῖλον δόμον.
And myself, having betrayed both my father and my home, I came to Iolcus under Pelion with you, more eager than wise; and I killed Pelias, by the most painful way to die, at the hands of his own children, and I ruined his whole house.
§488καὶ ταῦθ’ ὑφ’ ἡμῶν, ὦ κάκιστ’ ἀνδρῶν, παθὼν §489προύδωκας ἡμᾶς, καινὰ δ’ ἐκτήσω λέχη— §490παίδων γεγώτων· εἰ γὰρ ἦσθ’ ἄπαις ἔτι, §491συγγνώστ’ ἂν ἦν σοι τοῦδ’ ἐρασθῆναι λέχους.
And having received these benefits from us, O worst of men, you betrayed us, and acquired a new bed— though children had been born to you; for if you were still childless, it would have been pardonable for you to be enamored of this bed.
§492ὅρκων δὲ φρούδη πίστις, οὐδ’ ἔχω μαθεῖν §493ἦ θεοὺς νομίζεις τοὺς τότ’ οὐκ ἄρχειν ἔτι, §494ἢ καινὰ κεῖσθαι θέσμι’ ἀνθρώποις τὰ νῦν, §495ἐπεὶ σύνοισθά γ’ εἰς ἔμ’ οὐκ εὔορκος ὤν.
But the trust of oaths is gone, nor can I understand whether you believe that the gods of that time no longer rule, or that new laws are now established for men, since you are conscious of not having kept your oath to me.
§496φεῦ δεξιὰ χείρ, ἧς σὺ πόλλ’ ἐλαμβάνου, §497καὶ τῶνδε γονάτων, ὡς μάτην κεχρῴσμεθα §498κακοῦ πρὸς ἀνδρός, ἐλπίδων δ’ ἡμάρτομεν.
Alas, right hand, which you so often took hold of, and these knees, how in vain we were touched by an evil man, and we failed in our hopes.
Come, for I will share with you as if you were a friend —though thinking I shall get what good from you?
But nevertheless, for when questioned you will appear more shameful— now whither shall I turn?
πότερα πρὸς πατρὸς δόμους, §503οὓς σοὶ προδοῦσα καὶ πάτραν ἀφικόμην;
Shall I go to my father's house, which, having betrayed along with my homeland, I came here?
§504ἢ πρὸς ταλαίνας Πελιάδας;
Or to the wretched daughters of Pelias?
καλῶς γ’ ἂν οὖν §505δέξαιντό μ’ οἴκοις ὧν πατέρα κατέκτανον.
Nobly indeed would they receive me in their house, whose father I killed.
§506ἔχει γὰρ οὕτω· τοῖς μὲν οἴκοθεν φίλοις §507ἐχθρὰ καθέστηχ’, οὓς δέ μ’ οὐκ ἐχρῆν κακῶς §508δρᾶν, σοὶ χάριν φέρουσα πολεμίους ἔχω.
For this is how it is: to my loved ones at home I have become an enemy, and those whom I ought not to have harmed, by doing you a favor, I have them as enemies.
§509τοιγάρ με πολλαῖς μακαρίαν Ἑλληνίδων §510ἔθηκας ἀντὶ τῶνδε· θαυμαστὸν δέ σε §511ἔχω πόσιν καὶ πιστὸν ἡ τάλαιν’ ἐγώ, §512εἰ φεύξομαί γε γαῖαν ἐκβεβλημένη, §513φίλων ἔρημος, σὺν τέκνοις μόνη μόνοις— §514καλόν γ’ ὄνειδος τῷ νεωστὶ νυμφίῳ, §515πτωχοὺς ἀλᾶσθαι παῖδας ἥ τ’ ἔσῳσά σε.
Therefore indeed you have made me happy in the eyes of many Greek women in return for these things; and a wonderful husband I have in you, and faithful, wretched that I am, if indeed I am to flee, cast out of the land, destitute of friends, alone with my children alone— a fine reproach indeed to the new bridegroom, that your children and I, who saved you, wander as beggars.
§516ὦ Ζεῦ, τί δὴ χρυσοῦ μὲν ὃς κίβδηλος ᾖ §517τεκμήρι’ ἀνθρώποισιν ὤπασας σαφῆ, §518ἀνδρῶν δ’ ὅτῳ χρὴ τὸν κακὸν διειδέναι, §519οὐδεὶς χαρακτὴρ ἐμπέφυκε σώματι;
O Zeus, why indeed, while of gold which is counterfeit you gave to men clear tests, but of men, by which one must distinguish the evil one, no stamp is nature-implanted on the body?
A terrible anger and hard to heal is it, whenever friends clash in strife with friends.
§522δεῖ μ’, ὡς ἔοικε, μὴ κακὸν φῦναι λέγειν, §523ἀλλ’ ὥστε ναὸς κεδνὸν οἰακοστρόφον §524ἄκροισι λαίφους κρασπέδοις ὑπεκδραμεῖν §525τὴν σὴν στόμαργον, ὦ γύναι, γλωσσαλγίαν.
It is necessary for me, as it seems, to be not a poor speaker, but, like a good helmsman of a ship, with the very edges of the sail to run out from under your loud-mouthed, O woman, wordy storm.
§526ἐγὼ δ’, ἐπειδὴ καὶ λίαν πυργοῖς χάριν, §527Κύπριν νομίζω τῆς ἐμῆς ναυκληρίας §528σώτειραν εἶναι θεῶν τε κἀνθρώπων μόνην.
And I, since you build up your favor too high, believe that Cypris alone of gods and men was the savior of my voyage.
§529σοὶ δ’ ἔστι μὲν νοῦς λεπτός—ἀλλ’ ἐπίφθονος §530λόγος διελθεῖν, ὡς Ἔρως σ’ ἠνάγκασε §531τόξοις ἀφύκτοις τοὐμὸν ἐκσῷσαι δέμας.
And you indeed have a subtle mind—but it is an invidious story to go through, how Eros forced you with his inescapable arrows to save my body.
But I will not set this down too precisely; for in whatever way you did help, it is not bad.
§534μείζω γε μέντοι τῆς ἐμῆς σωτηρίας
However, indeed, you received greater things than my safety...