§480ἀλλʼ, εἰμὶ γάρ πως πρόσφορος, μέλει δέ μοι §481μάλιστ’ ἀδελφῶν, τῶνδε κἀμαυτῆς πέρι §482θέλω πυθέσθαι, μὴ’πὶ τοῖς πάλαι κακοῖς §483προσκείμενόν τι πῆμα σὴν δάκνει φρένα. §484ὦ παῖ, μάλιστα σʼ οὐ νεωστὶ δὴ τέκνων §485τῶν Ἡρακλείων ἐνδίκως αἰνεῖν ἔχω. §486ἡμῖν δὲ δόξας εὖ προχωρῆσαι δρόμος §487πάλιν μεθέστηκʼ αὖθις ἐς τἀμήχανον· §488χρησμῶν γὰρ ᾠδούς φησι σημαίνειν ὅδε, §489οὐ ταῦρον οὐδὲ μόσχον, ἀλλὰ παρθένον §490σφάξαι Κόρῃ Δήμητρος ἥτις εὐγενής, §491εἰ χρὴ μὲν ἡμᾶς, χρὴ δὲ τήνδʼ εἶναι πόλιν. §492ταῦτʼ οὖν ἀμηχανοῦμεν· οὔτε γὰρ τέκνα §493σφάξειν ὅδʼ αὑτοῦ φησιν οὔτʼ ἄλλου τινός. §494κἀμοὶ λέγει μὲν οὐ σαφῶς, λέγει δέ πως, §495εἰ μή τι τούτων ἐξαμηχανήσομεν, §496ἡμᾶς μὲν ἄλλην γαῖαν εὑρίσκειν τινά, §497αὐτὸς δὲ σῶσαι τήνδε βούλεται χθόνα. §498ἐν τῷδε κἀχόμεσθα σωθῆναι λόγῳ; §499ἐν τῷδε, τἄλλα γʼ εὐτυχῶς πεπραγότες. §500μή νυν τρέσῃς ἔτʼ ἐχθρὸν Ἀργεῖον δόρυ· §501ἐγὼ γὰρ αὐτὴ πρὶν κελευσθῆναι, γέρον, §502θνῄσκειν ἑτοίμη καὶ παρίστασθαι σφαγῇ. §503τί φήσομεν γάρ, εἰ πόλις μὲν ἀξιοῖ §504κίνδυνον ἡμῶν οὕνεκʼ αἴρεσθαι μέγαν, §505αὐτοὶ δὲ προστιθέντες ἄλλοισιν πόνους, §506παρόν σφε σῷσαι, φευξόμεσθα μὴ θανεῖν; §507οὐ δῆτʼ, ἐπεί τοι καὶ γέλωτος ἄξια, §508στένειν μὲν ἱκέτας δαιμόνων καθημένους, §509πατρὸς δʼ ἐκείνου φύντας οὗ πεφύκαμεν §510κακοὺς ὁρᾶσθαι· ποῦ τάδʼ ἐν χρηστοῖς πρέπει; §511κάλλιον, οἶμαι, τῆσδʼ — ἃ μὴ τύχοι ποτέ — §512πόλεως ἁλούσης, χεῖρας εἰς ἐχθρῶν πεσεῖν, §513κἄπειτα τινὰ πατρὸς οὖσαν εὐγενοῦς §514παθοῦσαν Ἅιδην μηδὲν ἧσσον εἰσιδεῖν. §515ἀλλʼ ἐκπεσοῦσα τῆσδʼ ἀλητεύσω χθονός; §516κοὐκ αἰσχυνοῦμαι δῆτ’, ἐὰν δή τις λέγῃ· §517Τί δεῦρʼ ἀφίκεσθʼ ἱκεσίοισι σὺν κλάδοις §518αὐτοὶ φιλοψυχοῦντες;
"But — for I am in some way suitable, and I care most for my brothers — concerning them and myself I wish to inquire, lest some trouble added to the old evils is biting your heart." "O child, it is not just recently that I have had reason to praise you above all the children of Heracles justly. But our course, which seemed to go well, has turned back again into helplessness. For this man says that the singers of oracles declare, not a bull nor a calf, but a maiden who is of noble birth, must be sacrificed to Demeter's Daughter, if we, and if this city too, are to survive. Over this, then, we are in perplexity; for he says he will not sacrifice his own children nor those of anyone else. And to me he says, not clearly indeed, but in a way, unless we find some way out of these difficulties, that we must find some other land, while he himself wishes to save this land." "Does our safety indeed depend upon this condition?" "Upon this, though we have fared well in all other things." "Do not fear any longer, then, the hostile Argive spear; for I myself, before being ordered, old man, am ready to die and to offer myself for the sacrifice. For what shall we say, if this city thinks it right to undertake a great danger for our sake, while we, imposing troubles upon others, when it is in our power to save them, shall shun death? No indeed, since indeed it is worthy of laughter to lament as suppliants sitting before the gods, and, being born of that father from whom we are born, to be seen as cowards; where is this fitting among noble people? It is better, I think, if this city is captured — which may never happen — to fall into the hands of the enemy, and then, being the daughter of a noble father, to suffer outrage and face death nonetheless. Or shall I wander as an exile, cast out of this land? And shall I not be ashamed indeed, if someone says: 'Why did you come here with suppliant branches, clinging to life yourselves?
ἔξιτε χθονός· §519κακοὺς γὰρ ἡμεῖς οὐ προσωφελήσομεν. §520ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ μέντοι, τῶνδε μὲν τεθνηκότων, §521αὐτὴ δὲ σωθεῖσʼ, ἐλπίδʼ εὖ πράξειν ἔχω· §522— πολλοὶ γὰρ ἤδη τῇδε προύδοσαν φίλους. — §523τίς γὰρ κόρην ἔρημον ἢ δάμαρτʼ ἔχειν, §524ἢ παιδοποιεῖν ἐξ ἐμοῦ βουλήσεται; §525οὐκ οὖν θανεῖν ἄμεινον ἢ τούτων τυχεῖν §526ἀναξίαν;
Go out of the land! For we shall not help cowards.' But neither, if these die, and I myself am saved, can I have hope to fare well; — for many have already betrayed their friends by this hope. — For who will wish to have a destitute maiden as his wife, or to beget children from me? Is it not better, then, to die than to meet with such a fate, which I do not deserve?
ἄλλῃ δὲ κἂν πρέποι τινὶ §527μᾶλλον τάδʼ, ἥτις μὴ’πίσημος ὡς ἐγώ. §528ἡγεῖσθʼ ὅπου δεῖ σῶμα κατθανεῖν τόδε §529καὶ στεμματοῦτε καὶ κατάρχεσθʼ, εἰ δοκεῖ· §530νικᾶτε δʼ ἐχθρούς· ἥδε γὰρ ψυχὴ πάρα §531ἑκοῦσα κοὐκ ἄκουσα· κἀξαγγέλλομαι §532θνῄσκειν ἀδελφῶν τῶνδε κἀμαυτῆς ὕπερ. §533εὕρημα γάρ τοι μὴ φιλοψυχοῦσʼ ἐγὼ §534κάλλιστον ηὕρηκ’, εὐκλεῶς λιπεῖν βίον. §535φεῦ φεῦ, τί λέξω παρθένου μέγαν λόγον §536κλύων, ἀδελφῶν ἣ πάρος θέλει θανεῖν; §537τούτων τίς ἂν λέξειε γενναίους λόγους §538μᾶλλον, τίς ἂν δράσειεν ἀνθρώπων ἔτι; §539ὦ τέκνον, οὐκ ἔστʼ ἄλλοθεν τὸ σὸν κάρα, §540ἀλλʼ ἐξ ἐκείνου σπέρμα τῆς θείας φρενὸς §541πέφυκας Ἡράκλειος· οὐδʼ αἰσχύνομαι §542τοῖς σοῖς λόγοισι, τῇ τύχῃ δʼ ἀλγύνομαι. §543ἀλλʼ ᾗ γένοιτʼ ἂν ἐνδικωτέρως φράσω· §544πάσας ἀδελφὰς τῆσδε δεῦρο χρὴ καλεῖν, §545κᾆθʼ ἡ λαχοῦσα θνῃσκέτω γένους ὕπερ· §546σὲ δʼ οὐ δίκαιον κατθανεῖν ἄνευ πάλου. §547οὐκ ἂν θάνοιμι τῇ τύχῃ λαχοῦσʼ ἐγώ·
And to some other woman these things might be more fitting, who is not distinguished as I am. Lead me where this body of mine must die, and deck me with garlands, and begin the sacrificial rites, if it pleases you; and conquer your enemies; for this life of mine is ready, willing and not unwilling; and I offer myself to die on behalf of these my brothers and myself. For, not loving life, I have found a most beautiful prize: to leave life with good glory." [Chorus] "Alas, what shall I say, hearing the great speech of the maiden, who wishes to die on behalf of her brothers? Who of men could speak more noble words than these, or who could do a more noble deed?" [Iolaus] "O child, your head is not from elsewhere, but you are born Heraclean, a seed of that divine mind; I am not ashamed of your words, but I grieve for your fortune. But I will tell you how it might happen more justly: we must call all the sisters of this girl here, and then let her who draws the lot die on behalf of the family; but it is not right that you should die without a lot." [Macaria] "I would not die if I won by lot of chance; for there is no favor in that.
§548χάρις γὰρ οὐ πρόσεστι· μὴ λέξῃς, γέρον. §549ἀλλʼ, εἰ μὲν ἐνδέχεσθε καὶ βούλεσθέ μοι §550χρῆσθαι προθύμως, τὴν ἐμὴν ψυχὴν ἐγὼ §551δίδωμʼ ἑκοῦσα τοῖσδʼ, ἀναγκασθεῖσα δʼ οὔ. §552φεῦ· §553ὅδʼ αὖ λόγος σοι τοῦ πρὶν εὐγενέστερος· §554κἀκεῖνος ἦν ἄριστος·
Do not speak of this, old man. But if you accept and wish to make use of my eagerness, I give my life willingly to these, but not if forced." [Iolaus] "Alas! This speech of yours is even more noble than the previous one; and that one was excellent.
ἀλλʼ ὑπερφέρεις §555τόλμῃ τε τόλμαν καὶ λόγῳ χρηστῷ λόγον. §556οὐ μὴν κελεύω γʼ οὐδʼ ἀπεννέπω, τέκνον, §557θνῄσκειν σʼ· ἀδελφοὺς δʼ ὠφελεῖς θανοῦσα σούς.
But you surpass daring with daring, and noble speech with noble speech. Indeed, I do not order you, nor do I forbid you, child, to die; but by dying you benefit your brothers." [Macaria] "You counsel wisely.