§535εἴληφας ἢ δέδωκας, ὡς ἐγὼ φράσω.
whether you received more than you gave, as I shall explain.
§536πρῶτον μὲν Ἑλλάδ’ ἀντὶ βαρβάρου χθονὸς §537γαῖαν κατοικεῖς καὶ δίκην ἐπίστασαι §538νόμοις τε χρῆσθαι μὴ πρὸς ἰσχύος χάριν·
First, indeed, in place of a barbarian land you dwell in the Greek territory, and you understand justice and how to use laws, not to favor brute force.
§539πάντες δέ σ’ ᾔσθοντ’ οὖσαν Ἕλληνες σοφὴν §540καὶ δόξαν ἔσχες· εἰ δὲ γῆς ἐπ’ ἐσχάτοις §541ὅροισιν ᾤκεις, οὐκ ἂν ἦν λόγος σέθεν.
All the Greeks have perceived that you are wise, and you have gained a reputation; but if you were dwelling at the outermost boundaries of the earth, there would be no talk of you.
§542εἴη δ’ ἔμοιγε μήτε χρυσὸς ἐν δόμοις §543μήτ’ Ὀρφέως κάλλιον ὑμνῆσαι μέλος, §544εἰ μὴ’πίσημος ἡ τύχη γένοιτό μοι.
But for me, may I have neither gold in my house nor the power to sing a song sweeter than Orpheus, unless my fortune should become illustrious.
So much I have said to you concerning my own labors; for you yourself proposed this contest of words.
§547ἃ δ’ ἐς γάμους μοι βασιλικοὺς ὠνείδισας, §548ἐν τῷδε δείξω πρῶτα μὲν σοφὸς γεγώς, §549ἔπειτα σώφρων, εἶτα σοὶ μέγας φίλος §550καὶ παισὶ τοῖς ἐμοῖσιν—ἀλλ’ ἔχ’ ἥσυχος.
As for the royal marriage with which you have reproached me, in this I will show first that I have been wise, then self-controlled, then a great friend to you and to my children—nay, keep quiet!
§551ἐπεὶ μετέστην δεῦρ’ Ἰωλκίας χθονὸς §552πολλὰς ἐφέλκων συμφορὰς ἀμηχάνους, §553τί τοῦδ’ ἂν εὕρημ’ ηὗρον εὐτυχέστερον §554ἢ παῖδα γῆμαι βασιλέως φυγὰς γεγώς;
Since I moved here from the land of Iolcus, dragging along many helpless disasters, what luckier windfall than this could I have found, as an exile, than to marry the daughter of the king?
§555οὐχ, ᾗ σὺ κνίζῃ, σὸν μὲν ἐχθαίρων λέχος, §556καινῆς δὲ νύμφης ἱμέρῳ πεπληγμένος, §557οὐδ’ εἰς ἅμιλλαν πολύτεκνον σπουδὴν ἔχων· §558ἅλις γὰρ οἱ γεγῶτες οὐδὲ μέμφομαι·
Not because—where you are stung—I hated your bed, nor because I was smitten with desire for a new bride, nor because I had a zealous rivalry for a large family; for the children already born are enough, and I do not complain.
§559ἀλλ’ ὡς, τὸ μὲν μέγιστον, οἰκοῖμεν καλῶς §560καὶ μὴ σπανιζοίμεσθα, γιγνώσκων ὅτι §561πένητα φεύγει πᾶς τις ἐκποδὼν φίλος, §562παῖδας δὲ θρέψαιμ’ ἀξίως δόμων ἐμῶν §563σπείρας τ’ ἀδελφοὺς τοῖσιν ἐκ σέθεν τέκνοις §564ἐς ταὐτὸ θείην, καὶ ξυναρτήσας γένος §565εὐδαιμονοῖμεν.
But so that—this is the greatest thing—we might live well and not be in want, knowing that everyone flees out of the way of a poor man, even a friend; and that I might rear the children in a manner worthy of my house, and, having begotten brothers to the children born of you, I might place them on the same level, and, joining the family together, we might be prosperous.
σοί τε γὰρ παίδων τί δεῖ;
For what need have you of children?
And for me, it is profitable to benefit the living children by means of those who are to come.
μῶν βεβούλευμαι κακῶς;
Have I resolved badly?
§568οὐδ’ ἂν σὺ φαίης, εἴ σε μὴ κνίζοι λέχος.
Not even you would say so, if the bed did not sting you.
§569ἀλλ’ ἐς τοσοῦτον ἥκεθ’ ὥστ’ ὀρθουμένης §570εὐνῆς γυναῖκες πάντ’ ἔχειν νομίζετε, §571ἢν δ’ αὖ γένηται ξυμφορά τις ἐς λέχος, §572τὰ λῷστα καὶ κάλλιστα πολεμιώτατα §573τίθεσθε.
But you women have come to such a point that, if the bed is going well, you think you have everything; but if, on the other hand, some misfortune happens to the bed, you make the best and most beautiful things your bitterest enemies.
χρῆν γὰρ ἄλλοθέν ποθεν βροτοὺς §574παῖδας τεκνοῦσθαι, θῆλυ δ’ οὐκ εἶναι γένος· §575χοὕτως ἂν οὐκ ἦν οὐδὲν ἀνθρώποις κακόν.
For mortals ought to have begotten children from somewhere else, and there should be no female race; and thus there would be no evil for men.
§576Ἰᾶσον, εὖ μὲν τούσδ’ ἐκόσμησας λόγους· §577ὅμως δ’ ἔμοιγε, κεἰ παρὰ γνώμην ἐρῶ, §578δοκεῖς προδοὺς σὴν ἄλοχον οὐ δίκαια δρᾶν.
Chorus: Jason, you have adorned these words well; yet to me, even if I speak against your mind, you seem to have done an unjust thing in betraying your wife.
§579ἦ πολλὰ πολλοῖς εἰμι διάφορος βροτῶν.
Medea: Truly, in many things I differ from many of mortals.
For to me, whoever is unjust but clever at speaking by nature, incurs the greatest penalty.
For boasting that he will cover up injustice well with his tongue, he dares to do any villainy; yet he is not so very wise.
And so you, do not now be specious to me and clever at speaking.
ἓν γὰρ ἐκτενεῖ σ’ ἔπος· §586χρῆν σ’, εἴπερ ἦσθα μὴ κακός, πείσαντά με §587γαμεῖν γάμον τόνδ’, ἀλλὰ μὴ σιγῇ φίλων.
For a single word will lay you low: you ought, if you were not base, to have persuaded me before contracting this marriage, and not in silence from your loved ones.
§588καλῶς γ’ ἄν, οἶμαι, τῷδ’ ὑπηρέτεις λόγῳ, §589εἴ σοι γάμον κατεῖπον, ἥτις οὐδὲ νῦν §590τολμᾷς μεθεῖναι καρδίας μέγαν χόλον.
Jason: Fine support, I suppose, you would have given to this proposal, if I had told you of the marriage, you who even now do not dare to let go of the great anger of your heart.
Medea: It was not this that held you back, but a barbarian bed would turn out to be not glorious for you as you approach old age.
§593εὖ νῦν τόδ’ ἴσθι, μὴ γυναικὸς οὕνεκα §594γῆμαί με λέκτρα βασιλέων ἃ νῦν ἔχω, §595ἀλλ’, ὥσπερ εἶπον καὶ πάρος, σῷσαι θέλων §596σέ, καὶ τέκνοισι τοῖς ἐμοῖς ὁμοσπόρους §597φῦσαι τυράννους παῖδας, ἔρυμα δώμασι.
Jason: Know this well now, that it was not for the sake of a woman that I contracted the royal marriage which I now have, but, just as I said before, wishing to save you, and to produce royal children as brothers to my children, as a protection for the house.
Medea: May I not have a painful happy life, nor wealth that stings my heart!
§600οἶσθ’ ὡς μέτευξαι, καὶ σοφωτέρα φανῇ;
Jason: Do you know how to pray otherwise, and you will appear wiser?
§601τὰ χρηστὰ μή σοι λυπρὰ φαίνεσθαι ποτέ, §602μηδ’ εὐτυχοῦσα δυστυχὴς εἶναι δοκεῖν. §603ὕβριζ’, ἐπειδὴ σοὶ μὲν ἔστ’ ἀποστροφή, §604ἐγὼ δ’ ἔρημος τήνδε φευξοῦμαι χθόνα.
"May good things never appear painful to me, nor, when in good fortune, may I seem to be unfortunate." Medea: Go on, insult me, since you have a refuge, while I, abandoned, shall flee this land.
§605αὐτὴ τάδ’ εἵλου· μηδέν’ ἄλλον αἰτιῶ.
Jason: You yourself chose this; blame no one else.
§606τί δρῶσα;
Medea: By doing what?
μῶν γαμοῦσα καὶ προδοῦσά σε;
By marrying and betraying you?
§607ἀρὰς τυράννοις ἀνοσίους ἀρωμένη.
Jason: By uttering unholy curses against the rulers.
§608καὶ σοῖς ἀραία γ’ οὖσα τυγχάνω δόμοις.
Medea: And to your house, indeed, I happen to be a curse.
§609ὡς οὐ κρινοῦμαι τῶνδέ σοι τὰ πλείονα.
Jason: I will not argue more of these things with you.