§240τὸ συγγενές τε καὶ τὸ προυφείλειν καλῶς §241πράσσειν παρʼ ἡμῶν τούσδε πατρῴαν χάριν· §242τό τʼ αἰσχρόν, οὗπερ δεῖ μάλιστα φροντίσαι· §243εἰ γὰρ παρήσω τόνδε συλᾶσθαι βίᾳ §244ξένου πρὸς ἀνδρὸς βωμόν, οὐκ ἐλευθέραν §245οἰκεῖν δοκήσω γαῖαν, Ἀργείων δʼ ὄκνῳ §246ἱκέτας προδοῦναι· καὶ τάδʼ ἀγχόνης πέλας.
Kinship, and the obligation that we should well requite these boys with ancestral gratitude from our side; and disgrace, which must be cared for most of all; for if I allow this altar to be plundered by force by a stranger, I shall not seem to dwell in a free land, but out of fear of Argives to have betrayed suppliants; and this is close to hanging.
§247ἀλλʼ ὤφελες μὲν εὐτυχέστερος μολεῖν, §248ὅμως δὲ καὶ νῦν μὴ τρέσῃς ὅπως σέ τις §249σὺν παισὶ βωμοῦ τοῦδʼ ἀποσπάσει βίᾳ.
But indeed you ought to have come more fortunate, nevertheless even now do not fear that anyone will drag you with the children by force away from this altar.
§250σὺ δʼ Ἄργος ἐλθὼν ταῦτά τʼ Εὐρυσθεῖ φράσον, §251πρὸς τοῖσδέ τʼ, εἴ τι τοισίδʼ ἐγκαλεῖ ξένοις, §252δίκης κυρήσειν· τούσδε δʼ οὐκ ἄξεις ποτέ.
And you, go to Argos and tell these things to Eurystheus, and in addition to these, if he accuses these strangers of anything, he will obtain justice; but these you will never lead away.
§253οὐκ ἢν δίκαιον ᾖ τι καὶ νικῶ λόγῳ;
[Herald] Not even if it is just and I win in argument?
§254καὶ πῶς δίκαιον τὸν ἱκέτην ἄγειν βίᾳ;
[Demophon] And how is it just to lead away a suppliant by force?
§255οὐκ οὖν ἐμοὶ τόδʼ αἰσχρόν, ἀλλʼ οὐ σοὶ βλάβος;
[Herald] Is this then disgraceful to me, but not a harm to you?
§256ἐμοί γʼ, ἐάν σοι τούσδʼ ἐφέλκεσθαι μεθῶ.
[Demophon] To me indeed, if I permit you to drag these boys away.
§257σὺ δʼ ἐξόριζε, κᾆτʼ ἐκεῖθεν ἄξομεν.
[Herald] Then banish them beyond your borders, and we will lead them from there.
§258σκαιὸς πέφυκας τοῦ θεοῦ πλείω φρονῶν.
[Demophon] You are foolish, thinking you are wiser than the god.
§259δεῦρʼ, ὡς ἔοικε, τοῖς κακοῖσι φευκτέον.
[Herald] Here, it seems, is where the wicked must flee.
§260ἅπασι κοινὸν ῥῦμα δαιμόνων ἕδρα.
[Demophon] The seat of the gods is a common protection for all.
§261ταῦτʼ οὐ δοκήσει τοῖς Μυκηναίοις ἴσως.
[Herald] These things will perhaps not seem right to the Mycenaeans.
§262οὐκ οὖν ἐγὼ τῶν ἐνθάδʼ εἰμὶ κύριος;
[Demophon] Am I then not master of the things here?
§263βλάπτων γʼ ἐκείνους μηδέν, ἢν σὺ σωφρονῇς.
[Herald] As long as you do not harm them, if you are wise.
§264βλάπτεσθʼ, ἐμοῦ γε μὴ μιαίνοντος θεούς.
[Demophon] Let them be harmed, as long as I do not defile the gods.
§265οὐ βούλομαί σε πόλεμον Ἀργείοις ἔχειν.
[Herald] I do not wish you to have war with the Argives.
§266κἀγὼ τοιοῦτος· τῶνδε δʼ οὐ μεθήσομαι.
[Demophon] I too am of such a mind; but these I will not let go.
§267ἄξω γε μέντοι τοὺς ἐμοὺς ἐγὼ λαβών.
[Herald] I will indeed, however, take and lead away my own.
§268οὐκ ἆρ’ ἐς Ἄργος ῥᾳδίως ἄπει πάλιν.
[Demophon] Then you will not easily go back to Argos.
§269πειρώμενος δὴ τοῦτό γʼ αὐτίκʼ εἴσομαι.
[Herald] By trying indeed, I shall know this immediately.
§270κλαίων ἄρʼ ἅψῃ τῶνδε κοὐκ ἐς ἀμβολάς.
[Demophon] To your cost then you will touch them, and that without delay.
§271μὴ πρὸς θεῶν κήρυκα τολμήσῃς θενεῖν.
[Herald] By the gods, do not dare to strike a herald.
§272εἰ μή γʼ ὁ κῆρυξ σωφρονεῖν μαθήσεται.
[Demophon] Unless the herald shall learn to be wise.
§273ἄπελθε· καὶ σὺ τοῦδε μὴ θίγῃς, ἄναξ.
[Chorus] Depart; and you, king, do not touch this man.
§274στείχω· μιᾶς γὰρ χειρὸς ἀσθενὴς μάχη.
[Herald] I go; for weak is the battle of a single hand.
But I will come, bringing a great bronze-clad spear of Argive Ares here.
μυρίοι δέ με §277μένουσιν ἀσπιστῆρες Εὐρυσθεύς τʼ ἄναξ §278αὐτὸς στρατηγῶν· Ἀλκάθου δʼ ἐπʼ ἐσχάτοις §279καραδοκῶν τἀνθένδε τέρμασιν μένει.
Tens of thousands of shield-bearing men await me, and king Eurystheus himself commanding; and at the far borders of Alkathoos he waits, watching out for the outcome here.
§280λαμπρὸς δʼ ἀκούσας σὴν ὕβριν φανήσεται §281σοὶ καὶ πολίταις γῇ τε τῇδε καὶ φυτοῖς· §282μάτην γὰρ ἥβην ὧδέ γʼ ἂν κεκτῄμεθα §283πολλὴν ἐν Ἄργει, μή σε τιμωρούμενοι.
And hearing of your insolence, he will appear in his glory to you and to the citizens, and to this land and its crops; for in vain indeed would we possess so much youth in Argos, if we did not punish you.
§284φθείρου·
[Demophon] Go to ruin!
τὸ σὸν γὰρ Ἄργος οὐ δέδοικʼ ἐγώ.
For I do not fear your Argos.
§285ἐνθένδε δʼ οὐκ ἔμελλες αἰσχύνας ἐμὲ §286ἄξειν βίᾳ τούσδʼ· οὐ γὰρ Ἀργείων πόλει §287ὑπήκοον τήνδʼ ἀλλʼ ἐλευθέραν ἔχω.
And from here you were not going, by disgracing me, to lead these boys away by force; for I do not hold this as subject to the city of the Argives, but as free.
§288ὥρα προνοεῖν, πρὶν ὅροις πελάσαι §289στρατὸν Ἀργείων· §290μάλα δʼ ὀξὺς Ἄρης ὁ Μυκηναίων, §291ἐπὶ τοῖσι δὲ δὴ μᾶλλον ἔτʼ ἢ πρίν.
[Chorus] It is time to look ahead, before to the borders approaches the army of the Argives; for very sharp is the Ares of the Mycenaeans, and regarding these matters, even more so than before.
For this is a custom for all heralds, to exaggerate twice as much what has happened.
§294πόσα νιν λέξειν βασιλεῦσι δοκεῖς, §295ὡς δείνʼ ἔπαθεν καὶ παρὰ μικρὸν §296ψυχὴν ἦλθεν διακναῖσαι;
How much do you think he will tell his kings, how terribly he suffered, and how very nearly he came to losing his life?
§297οὐκ ἔστι τοῦδε παισὶ κάλλιον γέρας, §298ἢ πατρὸς ἐσθλοῦ κἀγαθοῦ πεφυκέναι §302τὸ δυστυχὲς γὰρ ηὑγένει’ ἀμύνεται §303τῆς δυσγενείας μᾶλλον· ἡμεῖς γὰρ κακῶν §304ἐς τοὔσχατον πεσόντες ηὕρομεν φίλους §305καὶ ξυγγενεῖς τούσδʼ, οἳ τοσῆσδʼ οἰκουμένης §306Ἑλληνίδος γῆς τῶνδε προύστησαν μόνοι.
[Iolaus] There is no fairer prize for children than this, to be born of a noble and good father, for nobility repels misfortune better than low birth; for we, having fallen into the extreme of evils, found these friends and kinsmen, who, alone of this so great inhabited Greek land, stood up in defense of these boys.
Give, O children, your right hand to them, give it; and you to the children, and come close.
§309ὦ παῖδες, ἐς μὲν πεῖραν ἤλθομεν φίλων· §310ἢν δʼ οὖν ποθʼ ὑμῖν νόστος ἐς πάτραν φανῇ §311καὶ δώματʼ οἰκήσητε καὶ τιμὰς πατρός §312σωτῆρας αἰεὶ καὶ φίλους νομίζετε, §313καὶ μήποτʼ ἐς γῆν ἐχθρὸν αἴρεσθαι δόρυ §314μέμνησθέ μοι τήνδʼ, ἀλλὰ φιλτάτην πόλιν §315πασῶν νομίζετʼ.
O children, we have indeed come to a trial of friends; and if ever indeed a return to your fatherland appears for you and you inhabit your homes and inherit the honors of your father, always consider them your saviors and friends, and never to raise an enemy spear against this land, remember this for me, but hold it as the dearest city of all.