§808μάχην συνάψας, ἢ κτανὼν ἄγου λαβὼν §809τοὺς Ἡρακλείους παῖδας ἢ θανὼν ἐμοὶ §810τιμὰς πατρῴους καὶ δόμους ἔχειν ἄφες. §811στρατὸς δʼ ἐπῄνεσ’, ἔς τʼ ἀπαλλαγὰς πόνων §812καλῶς λελέχθαι μῦθον ἔς τʼ εὐψυχίαν.
[Messenger] "having joined battle, either kill me and take away the children of Heracles, or having died, leave to me to hold my paternal honors and house." And the army applauded, both that the speech was well spoken with respect to release from labors, and with respect to courage.
§813ὃ δʼ οὔτε τοὺς κλύοντας αἰδεσθεὶς λόγων §814οὔτʼ αὐτὸς αὑτοῦ δειλίαν στρατηγὸς ὢν §815ἐλθεῖν ἐτόλμησʼ ἐγγὺς ἀλκίμου δορός, §816ἀλλʼ ἦν κάκιστος· εἶτα τοιοῦτος γεγὼς §817τοὺς Ἡρακλείους ἦλθε δουλώσων γόνους.
But he, neither respecting those who heard the words, nor his own cowardice, though being a general, did not dare to go near the brave spear, but was most cowardly; and then, being such a one, he came to enslave the offspring of Heracles.
§818Ὕλλος μὲν οὖν ἀπῴχετ’ ἐς τάξιν πάλιν· §819μάντεις δʼ, ἐπειδὴ μονομάχου διʼ ἀσπίδος §820διαλλαγὰς ἔγνωσαν οὐ τελουμένας, §821ἔσφαζον, οὐκ ἔμελλον, ἀλλʼ ἀφίεσαν §822λαιμῶν βροτείων εὐθὺς οὔριον φόνον.
So Hyllus went back to his rank again; and the seers, when they knew that the reconciliation by means of single combat of shield was not being accomplished, slaughtered, they did not delay, but immediately let loose the auspicious blood from human throats.
§823οἳ δʼ ἅρματʼ εἰσέβαινον, οἳ δʼ ὑπʼ ἀσπίδων §824πλευροῖς ἔκρυπτον πλεύρʼ· Ἀθηναίων δʼ ἄναξ §825στρατῷ παρήγγελλ’ οἷα χρὴ τὸν εὐγενῆ· §826Ὦ ξυμπολῖται, τῇ τε βοσκούσῃ χθονὶ §827καὶ τῇ τεκούσῃ νῦν τινʼ ἀρκέσαι χρεών. §828ὃ δʼ αὖ τό τʼ Ἄργος μὴ καταισχῦναι θέλειν §829καὶ τὰς Μυκήνας συμμάχους ἐλίσσετο.
And some entered their chariots, and some under their shields covered side with side; and the king of the Athenians commanded the army such things as fit the noble: "O fellow citizens, for the land that feeds us and the one that bore us, now it is necessary for each to help." And he on his part begged the allies of Mycenae not to disgrace Argos.
§830ἐπεὶ δʼ ἐσήμηνʼ ὄρθιον Τυρσηνικῇ §831σάλπιγγι καὶ συνῆψαν ἀλλήλοις μάχην, §832πόσον τινʼ αὐχεῖς πάταγον ἀσπίδων βρέμειν, §833πόσον τινὰ στεναγμὸν οἰμωγήν θʼ ὁμοῦ;
But when it signaled shrilly with the Tyrrhenian trumpet and they joined battle with one another, how great a crash of shields do you think rattled, and how great a groaning and wailing at the same time?
At first indeed the onslaught of the Argive spear broke us; then they retreated.
§836τὸ δεύτερον δὲ ποὺς ἐπαλλαχθεὶς ποδί, §837ἀνὴρ δʼ ἐπʼ ἀνδρὶ στάς, ἐκαρτέρει μάχη· §838πολλοὶ δʼ ἔπιπτον.
But the second time, foot was locked with foot, and man standing against man, the battle held out; and many were falling.
ἦν δὲ τοῦ κελεύματος· §839Ὦ τὰς Ἀθήνας — Ὦ τὸν Ἀργείων γύην §840σπείροντες — οὐκ ἀρήξετʼ αἰσχύνην πόλει; §841μόλις δὲ πάντα δρῶντες οὐκ ἄτερ πόνων §842ἐτρεψάμεσθʼ Ἀργεῖον ἐς φυγὴν δόρυ.
And there was this of the shouting: "O you who sow Athens — O you who sow the soil of the Argives — will you not ward off disgrace from the city?" And with difficulty, doing everything, not without labors, we turned the Argive spear to flight.
§843κἀνταῦθʼ ὁ πρέσβυς Ὕλλον ἐξορμώμενον §844ἰδών, ὀρέξας ἱκέτευσε δεξιὰν §845Ἰόλαος ἐμβῆσαί νιν ἵππειον δίφρον.
And there the old man, seeing Hyllus rushing forth, having stretched out his right hand, implored him, Iolaus implored him to mount him onto the horse-drawn chariot.
And taking the reins in his hands, he pressed hard on Eurystheus' fillies.
τἀπὸ τοῦδʼ ἤδη κλύων §848λέγοιμʼ ἂν ἄλλων, δεῦρο δʼ αὐτὸς εἰσιδών.
From this point on indeed, hearing from others I would speak, but up to here seeing it myself.
§849Παλληνίδος γὰρ σεμνὸν ἐκπερῶν πάγον §850δίας Ἀθάνας, ἅρμʼ ἰδὼν Εὐρυσθέως, §851ἠράσαθʼ Ἥβῃ Ζηνί θʼ, ἡμέραν μίαν §852νέος γενέσθαι κἀποτείσασθαι δίκην §853ἐχθρούς.
For as he crossed the solemn hill of Pallene of divine Athena, seeing the chariot of Eurystheus, he prayed to Hebe and Zeus, for one day to become young and to exact punishment from his enemies.
κλύειν δὴ θαύματος πάρεστί σοι.
Indeed, it is possible for you to hear of a wonder.
§854δισσὼ γὰρ ἀστέρʼ ἱππικοῖς ἐπὶ ζυγοῖς §855σταθέντʼ ἔκρυψαν ἅρμα λυγαίῳ νέφει· §856σὸν δὴ λέγουσι παῖδά γʼ οἱ σοφώτεροι §857Ἥβην θʼ· ὃ δʼ ὄρφνης ἐκ δυσαιθρίου νέων §858βραχιόνων ἔδειξεν ἡβητὴν τύπον.
For two stars, having stood upon the horse-yokes, hid the chariot in a dark cloud; indeed, the wiser say they were your son and Hebe; and from the stormy darkness he showed the youthful form of new arms.
§859αἱρεῖ δʼ ὁ κλεινὸς Ἰόλεως Εὐρυσθέως §860τέτρωρον ἅρμα πρὸς πέτραις Σκιρωνίσιν, §861δεσμοῖς τε δήσας χεῖρας ἀκροθίνιον §862κάλλιστον ἥκει τὸν στρατηλάτην ἄγων §863τὸν ὄλβιον πάροιθε.
And the famous Iolaus captured Eurystheus' four-horse chariot near the Scironian rocks, and having bound his hands with bonds, he comes leading the general as a most beautiful first-fruit of victory, him who was prosperous before.
τῇ δὲ νῦν τύχῃ §864βροτοῖς ἅπασι λαμπρὰ κηρύσσει μαθεῖν, §865τὸν εὐτυχεῖν δοκοῦντα μὴ ζηλοῦν, πρὶν ἂν §866θανόντʼ ἴδῃ τις· ὡς ἐφήμεροι τύχαι.
But by his present fortune he proclaims clearly to all mortals to learn, not to envy the one who seems to be successful, until one sees him dead; since fortunes are transient.
[Alcmene] O Zeus Giver of Victory, now it is possible for me to see a day free from terrible fear.
§869ὦ Ζεῦ, χρόνῳ μὲν τἄμ’ ἐπεσκέψω κακά, §870χάριν δʼ ὅμως σοι τῶν πεπραγμένων ἔχω· §871καὶ παῖδα τὸν ἐμὸν πρόσθεν οὐ δοκοῦσʼ ἐγὼ §872θεοῖς ὁμιλεῖν νῦν ἐπίσταμαι σαφῶς.
O Zeus, though in time you have looked upon my ills, yet I have gratitude to you for what has been done; and my son, whom before I did not believe associated with the gods, I now know clearly.
§873ὦ τέκνα, νῦν δὴ νῦν ἐλεύθεροι πόνων, §874ἐλεύθεροι δὲ τοῦ κακῶς ὀλουμένου §875Εὐρυσθέως ἔσεσθε καὶ πόλιν πατρὸς §876ὄψεσθε, κλήρους δʼ ἐμβατεύσετε χθονὸς §877καὶ θεοῖς πατρῴοις θύσεθʼ, ὧν ἀπειργμένοι §878ξένοι πλανήτην εἴχετʼ ἄθλιον βίον.
O children, now indeed, now you will be free from labors, and free from Eurystheus who is about to perish miserably, and you will see the city of your father, and you will enter into the lots of the land, and you will sacrifice to your paternal gods, from whom being excluded, as strangers you held a miserable wandering life.
But hiding what clever thing did Iolaus ever spare Eurystheus, so as not to kill him?
Speak; for with us indeed this is not wise, having captured enemies not to exact punishment.
[Messenger] Honoring your interest, so that you might see him with your eyes conquered and mastered by your hand.
§885οὐ μὴν ἑκόντα γʼ αὐτόν, ἀλλὰ πρὸς βίαν §886ἔζευξʼ ἀνάγκῃ· καὶ γὰρ οὐκ ἐβούλετο §887ζῶν ἐς σὸν ἐλθεῖν ὄμμα καὶ δοῦναι δίκην.
Indeed, not of his own will, but by force he yoked him by necessity; for he did not wish living to come to your sight and to pay the penalty.
§888ἀλλʼ, ὦ γεραιά, χαῖρε καὶ μέμνησό μοι
But, O old woman, farewell, and remember for me...