Humanitext Reader

Euripides · Medea §708-787

Oath of Aegeus and Medea's Plan for Revenge

Passage 9 of 16 · Greek

Summary

Medea obtains an oath from Aegeus, King of Athens, guaranteeing her safe asylum. Afterwards, she reveals her plan of revenge: to deceive Jason and kill his new bride with poisoned gifts.

§708λόγῳ μὲν οὐχί, καρτερεῖν δὲ βούλεται.
Not in words, but he is willing to tolerate it.
§709ἀλλ’ ἄντομαί σε τῆσδε πρὸς γενειάδος §710γονάτων τε τῶν σῶν ἱκεσία τε γίγνομαι, §711οἴκτιρον οἴκτιρόν με τὴν δυσδαίμονα §712καὶ μή μ’ ἔρημον ἐκπεσοῦσαν εἰσίδῃς, §713δέξαι δὲ χώρᾳ καὶ δόμοις ἐφέστιον.
But I entreat you by this beard and by your knees, and I become your suppliant: pity, pity me, the unhappy one, and do not look on while I am cast out in desolation, but receive me into your land and your home at your hearth.
§714οὕτως ἔρως σοὶ πρὸς θεῶν τελεσφόρος §715γένοιτο παίδων, καὐτὸς ὄλβιος θάνοις.
So may your desire for children be fulfilled by the gods, and may you yourself die happy.
§716εὕρημα δ’ οὐκ οἶσθ’ οἷον ηὕρηκας τόδε· §717παύσω δέ σ’ ὄντ’ ἄπαιδα καὶ παίδων γονὰς §718σπεῖραί σε θήσω· τοιάδ’ οἶδα φάρμακα.
You do not know what a find you have found in this; I will make you cease from being childless, and I will make you sow the seed of offspring; such are the drugs I know.
§719πολλῶν ἕκατι τήνδε σοι δοῦναι χάριν, §720γύναι, πρόθυμός εἰμι, πρῶτα μὲν θεῶν, §721ἔπειτα παίδων ὧν ἐπαγγέλλῃ γονάς· §722ἐς τοῦτο γὰρ δὴ φροῦδός εἰμι πᾶς ἐγώ.
For many reasons, woman, I am eager to grant you this favor: first for the sake of the gods, and then for the offspring whose birth you promise; for in this regard I am entirely gone.
§723οὕτω δ’ ἔχει μοι· σοῦ μὲν ἐλθούσης χθόνα, §724πειράσομαί σου προξενεῖν δίκαιος ὤν.
But my position is this: if you come to my land, I will try to act as your protector, being just.
§725τόσον γε μέντοι σοι προσημαίνω, γύναι· §726ἐκ τῆσδε μὲν γῆς οὔ σ’ ἄγειν βουλήσομαι, §727αὐτὴ δ’ ἐάνπερ εἰς ἐμοὺς ἔλθῃς δόμους, §728μενεῖς ἄσυλος κοὔ σε μὴ μεθῶ τινι.
Yet this much I forewarn you, woman: I will not wish to lead you out of this land, but if you yourself come to my house, you shall remain inviolable and I will not surrender you to anyone.
§729ἐκ τῆσδε δ’ αὐτὴ γῆς ἀπαλλάσσου πόδα· §730ἀναίτιος γὰρ καὶ ξένοις εἶναι θέλω.
But from this land, make your own departure; for I wish to be blameless to my hosts as well.
§731ἔσται τάδ’·
So shall it be.
ἀλλὰ πίστις εἰ γένοιτό μοι §732τούτων, ἔχοιμ’ ἂν πάντα πρὸς σέθεν καλῶς.
But if there were a pledge of these things to me, I should have everything handsomely from you.
§733μῶν οὐ πέποιθας;
Do you not trust me?
ἢ τί σοι τὸ δυσχερές;
Or what is your difficulty?
§734πέποιθα· Πελίου δ’ ἐχθρός ἐστί μοι δόμος §735Κρέων τε.
I trust you; but the house of Pelias is hostile to me, and Creon too.
τούτοις δ’ ὁρκίοισι μὲν ζυγεὶς §736ἄγουσιν οὐ μεθεῖ’ ἂν ἐκ γαίας ἐμέ· §737λόγοις δὲ συμβὰς καὶ θεῶν ἀνώμοτος §738φίλος γένοι’ ἂν τἀπικηρυκεύματα· — §739οὐκ ἂν πίθοιο· τἀμὰ μὲν γὰρ ἀσθενῆ, §740τοῖς δ’ ὄλβος ἐστὶ καὶ δόμος τυραννικός.
Bound by oaths, you would not surrender me from your land to them when they try to lead me away; but if you agree in words only and are unsworn by the gods, you might become their friend and yield to their heraldic demands; for my cause is weak, while they have wealth and a royal house.
§741πολλὴν ἔλεξας ἐν λόγοις προμηθίαν· §742ἀλλ’, εἰ δοκεῖ σοι, δρᾶν τάδ’ οὐκ ἀφίσταμαι.
You have spoken of much foresight in your words; but, if it seems good to you, I do not refuse to do this.
§743ἐμοί τε γὰρ τάδ’ ἐστὶν ἀσφαλέστατα, §744σκῆψίν τιν’ ἐχθροῖς σοῖς ἔχοντα δεικνύναι, §745τὸ σόν τ’ ἄραρε μᾶλλον·
For to me too this is safest, to have a pretext to show to your enemies, and your position is better secured.
ἐξηγοῦ θεούς.
Dictate the gods.
§746ὄμνυ πέδον Γῆς, πατέρα θ’ Ἥλιον πατρὸς §747τοὐμοῦ, θεῶν τε συντιθεὶς ἅπαν γένος.
Swear by the plain of the Earth, and by Helios, the father of my father, and join together the whole race of the gods.
§748τί χρῆμα δράσειν ἢ τί μὴ δράσειν;
To do what, or not to do what?
λέγε.
Speak.
§749μήτ’ αὐτὸς ἐκ γῆς σῆς ἔμ’ ἐκβαλεῖν ποτε, §750μήτ’ ἄλλος ἤν τις τῶν ἐμῶν ἐχθρῶν ἄγειν §751χρῄζῃ, μεθήσειν ζῶν ἑκουσίῳ τρόπῳ.
That you yourself will never cast me out of your land, and that if any other of my enemies wishes to lead me away, you will not release me willingly as long as you live.
§752ὄμνυμι Γαῖαν Ἡλίου θ’ ἁγνὸν σέβας §753θεούς τε πάντας ἐμμενεῖν ἅ σου κλύω.
I swear by the Earth, and the holy majesty of Helios, and all the gods, to abide by what I hear from you.
§754ἀρκεῖ·
It is enough.
τί δ’ ὅρκῳ τῷδε μὴ’μμένων πάθοις;
And what would you suffer if you do not abide by this oath?
§755ἃ τοῖσι δυσσεβοῦσι γίγνεται βροτῶν.
That which happens to the impious among mortals.
§756χαίρων πορεύου· πάντα γὰρ καλῶς ἔχει.
Go in joy; for all is well.
§757κἀγὼ πόλιν σὴν ὡς τάχιστ’ ἀφίξομαι, §758πράξασ’ ἃ μέλλω καὶ τυχοῦσ’ ἃ βούλομαι.
And I will arrive at your city as quickly as possible, having done what I must do and having obtained what I wish.
§759ἀλλά σ’ ὁ Μαίας πομπαῖος ἄναξ §760πελάσειε δόμοις, ὧν τ’ ἐπίνοιαν §761σπεύδεις κατέχων πράξειας, ἐπεὶ §762γενναῖος ἀνήρ, §763Αἰγεῦ, παρ’ ἐμοὶ δεδόκησαι.
But may the escorting lord, the son of Maia, bring you close to your home, and may you accomplish the thoughts you speed to achieve, since Aegeus, as a noble man you have been deemed in my eyes.
§764ὦ Ζεῦ Δίκη τε Ζηνὸς Ἡλίου τε φῶς,
O Zeus, and Justice, child of Zeus, and light of Helios!
§765νῦν καλλίνικοι τῶν ἐμῶν ἐχθρῶν, φίλαι, §766γενησόμεσθα κεἰς ὁδὸν βεβήκαμεν·
Now, my friends, we shall become gloriously victorious over our enemies, and we have stepped onto the path.
§767νῦν ἐλπὶς ἐχθροὺς τοὺς ἐμοὺς τείσειν δίκην.
Now there is hope that my enemies will pay the penalty.
§768οὗτος γὰρ ἁνὴρ ᾗ μάλιστ’ ἐκάμνομεν §769λιμὴν πέφανται τῶν ἐμῶν βουλευμάτων· §770ἐκ τοῦδ’ ἀναψόμεσθα πρυμνήτην κάλων, §771μολόντες ἄστυ καὶ πόλισμα Παλλάδος.
For this man, where we were most in distress, has appeared as a harbor for my plans; from him we shall tie our stern-cable, having gone to the city and town of Pallas.
§772ἤδη δὲ πάντα τἀμά σοι βουλεύματα §773λέξω· δέχου δὲ μὴ πρὸς ἡδονὴν λόγους.
And now I will tell you all my plans; receive my words not to your pleasure.
§774πέμψασ’ ἐμῶν τιν’ οἰκετῶν Ἰάσονα §775ἐς ὄψιν ἐλθεῖν τὴν ἐμὴν αἰτήσομαι· §776μολόντι δ’ αὐτῷ μαλθακοὺς λέξω λόγους, §777ὡς καὶ δοκεῖ μοι ταὐτά, καὶ καλῶς ἔχειν §778γάμους τυράννων οὓς προδοὺς ἡμᾶς ἔχει· §779καὶ ξύμφορ’ εἶναι καὶ καλῶς ἐγνωσμένα.
Sending one of my servants, I will ask Jason to come into my presence; and when he comes, I will speak soft words to him, saying that I agree with him, and that it is well— the marriage with the royal family which he has by betraying us; and that it is advantageous and well decided.
§780παῖδας δὲ μεῖναι τοὺς ἐμοὺς αἰτήσομαι, §781οὐχ ὡς λιποῦσ’ ἂν πολεμίας ἐπὶ χθονὸς §782ἐχθροῖσι παῖδας τοὺς ἐμοὺς καθυβρίσαι, §783ἀλλ’ ὡς δόλοισι παῖδα βασιλέως κτάνω.
And I will request that my children remain, not as if I would leave my children on a hostile land for my enemies to insult, but so that by guile I may kill the king's daughter.
§784πέμψω γὰρ αὐτοὺς δῶρ’ ἔχοντας ἐν χεροῖν, §785νύμφῃ φέροντας, τήνδε μὴ φυγεῖν χθόνα, §786λεπτόν τε πέπλον καὶ πλόκον χρυσήλατον· §787κἄνπερ λαβοῦσα κόσμον ἀμφιθῇ χροΐ,
For I will send them carrying gifts in their hands, bringing them to the bride, so that they may not flee this land: a fine robe and a gold-wrought crown; and if she takes the ornaments and puts them on her skin,

Notes

  1. 722φροῦδός εἰμι πᾶς ἐγώ — The phrase φροῦδός εἰμι ("I am gone", "I am ruined") combined with πᾶς ("entirely") expresses Aegeus's complete sense of helplessness or intense longing regarding his childlessness and the threat of his line ending.
  2. 724πειράσομαί σου προξενεῖν δίκαιος ὤν — The nominative participle δίκαιος ὤν ("being just/righteous") agrees with the subject of the main verb. It implies "as is my duty/in accordance with justice," asserting that once Medea arrives in his land on her own, he will fulfill his duty as a *proxenos* (protector) in accordance with divine and human justice.
  3. 738λόγοις δὲ συμβὰς καὶ θεῶν ἀνώμοτος φίλος γένοι’ ἂν τἀπικηρυκεύματα — τἀπικηρυκεύματα refers to "heralded demands" or "embassies' requests for extradition." Medea points out that if Aegeus only agrees in words (λόγοις συμβάς) without an oath (ἀνώμοτος), he might become friendly to (φίλος γένοι’ ἄν) or yield to their diplomatic pressures when her enemies demand her surrender.
  4. 781οὐχ ὡς λιποῦσ’ ἂν ... καθυβρίσαι — οὐχ ὡς denies the purpose or intention. The participle λιποῦσα accompanied by ἄν ("as if I would leave them behind") highlights a hypothetical scenario, and the infinitive καθυβρίσαι functions as a result or purpose clause expressing "so that my enemies might insult my children."

Cite this passage

Euripides, Medea §708-787. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0006.tlg003.humanitext-grc2:708-787

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