§889ὃ πρῶτον εἶπας, ἡνίκʼ ἠρχόμην λόγου, §890ἐλευθερώσειν μʼ· ἐν δὲ τοῖς τοιοῖσδε χρὴ §891ἀψευδὲς εἶναι τοῖσι γενναίοις στόμα.
[Messenger] What you said first, when I was beginning my speech, that you would free me; and in such matters, noble people ought to have a truthful mouth.
[Chorus] To me, a chorus is sweet, if the clear grace of the flute is present at the feast; and may Aphrodite be gracious.
And it is a delightful thing to see the good fortune of friends who previously did not seem to be fortunate.
For Fate, the bringer of fulfillment, and Time, the child of Chronos, bring forth many things.
You have a certain path, O city, a just one — never must you let go of this — to honor the gods.
ὁ δὲ μή σε φά- §904σκων ἐγγὺς μανιῶν ἐλαύνει, §905δεικνυμένων ἐλέγχων §906τῶνδʼ· ἐπίσημα γάρ τοι §907θεὸς παραγ- §908γέλλει, τῶν ἀδίκων παραι- §909ρῶν φρονήματος αἰεί.
And he who denies this to you drives near to madness, when these proofs are shown; for indeed, god signals clearly, always taking away the pride of the unjust.
§910ἔστιν ἐν οὐρανῷ βεβα- §911κὼς τεὸς γόνος, ὦ γεραι- §912ά· φεύγει λόγον ὡς τὸν Ἅι- §913δα δόμον κατέβα, πυρὸς §914δεινᾷ φλογὶ σῶμα δαισθείς· §915Ἥβας τʼ ἐρατὸν χροΐζει §916λέχος χρυσέαν κατʼ αὐλάν.
Your offspring, O old woman, has gone to heaven; he escapes the story that he went down to the house of Hades, having his body consumed by the terrible flame of fire; and he shares the lovely bed of Hebe in the golden hall.
O Hymenaeus, two children of Zeus you have deemed worthy to join.
§919συμφέρεται τὰ πολλὰ πολ- §920λοῖς· καὶ γὰρ πατρὶ τῶνδʼ Ἀθά- §921ναν λέγουσʼ ἐπίκουρον εἶ- §922ναι, καὶ τούσδε θεᾶς πόλις §923καὶ λαὸς ἔσωσε κείνας· §924ἔσχεν δʼ ὕβριν ἀνδρὸς ᾧ θυ- §925μὸς ἦν πρὸ δίκας βίαιος.
Many things agree for many people; for indeed, for their father, they say Athena was a helper, and these children the city of the goddess and her people saved; and it checked the outrage of a man whose spirit was violent before justice.
Never may there be in me a proud spirit and an insatiable soul.
§928δέσποινʼ, ὁρᾷς μέν, ἀλλʼ ὅμως εἰρήσεται, §929Εὐρυσθέα σοι τόνδʼ ἄγοντες ἥκομεν, §930ἄελπτον ὄψιν, τῷδέ τʼ οὐχ ἧσσον τύχην· §931οὐ γάρ ποτʼ ηὔχει χεῖρας ἵξεσθαι σέθεν, §932ὅτʼ ἐκ Μυκηνῶν πολυπόνῳ σὺν ἀσπίδι §933ἔστειχε μείζω τῆς δίκης φρονῶν, πόλιν §934πέρσων Ἀθηνᾶς.
[Messenger] Mistress, you see, but yet it shall be said, we have come bringing this Eurystheus to you, an unexpected sight, and for him no less a turn of fortune; for he never expected to come into your hands, when he marched from Mycenae with a troublesome shield, thinking thoughts greater than justice, to destroy the city of Athena.
ἀλλὰ τὴν ἐναντίαν §935δαίμων ἔθηκε, καὶ μετέστησεν τύχην.
But the divinity made the opposite, and shifted his fortune.
§936Ὕλλος μὲν οὖν ὅ τʼ ἐσθλὸς Ἰόλεως βρέτας §937Διὸς τροπαίου καλλίνικον ἵστασαν· §938ἐμοὶ δὲ πρὸς σὲ τόνδʼ ἐπιστέλλουσʼ ἄγειν, §939τέρψαι θέλοντες σὴν φρένʼ· ἐκ γὰρ εὐτυχοῦς §940ἥδιστον ἐχθρὸν ἄνδρα δυστυχοῦνθʼ ὁρᾶν.
So Hyllus and the noble Iolaus are setting up a victorious trophy of Zeus Giver of Victory; and they commanded me to lead this man to you, wishing to delight your heart; for from a state of prosperity it is sweetest to see a hated enemy suffering misfortune.
§941ὦ μῖσος, ἥκεις;
[Alcmene] O hated one, have you come?
εἷλέ σʼ ἡ Δίκη χρόνῳ;
Has Justice caught you in time?
§942πρῶτον μὲν οὖν μοι δεῦρʼ ἐπίστρεψον κάρα §943καὶ τλῆθι τοὺς σοὺς προσβλέπειν ἐναντίον §944ἐχθρούς· κρατῇ γὰρ νῦν γε κοὐ κρατεῖς ἔτι.
First indeed, turn your head here to me, and dare to look your enemies in the face; for now indeed you are ruled, and you no longer rule.
§945ἐκεῖνος εἶ σύ — βούλομαι γὰρ εἰδέναι — §946ὃς πολλὰ μὲν τὸν ὄνθʼ ὅπου’στὶ νῦν ἐμὸν §947παῖδʼ ἠξίωσας, ὦ πανοῦργʼ, ἐφυβρίσαι;
Are you that man — for I wish to know — who deemed my son, who is now where he is, worthy to be insulted in many ways, O scoundrel?
§948τί γὰρ σὺ κεῖνον οὐκ ἔτλης καθυβρίσαι;
For what did you not dare to insult him with?
You who even sent him down alive to Hades, and sent him, telling him to destroy hydras and lions.
ἄλλα δʼ οἷ’ ἐμηχανῶ κακὰ §952σιγῶ· μακρὸς γὰρ μῦθος ἂν γένοιτό μοι.
And other evils which you devised I keep silent; for it would be a long story for me.
§953κοὐκ ἤρκεσέν σοι ταῦτα τολμῆσαι μόνον, §954ἀλλʼ ἐξ ἁπάσης κἀμὲ καὶ τέκνʼ Ἑλλάδος §955ἤλαυνες ἱκέτας δαιμόνων καθημένους, §956τοὺς μὲν γέροντας, τοὺς δὲ νηπίους ἔτι.
And it did not suffice for you to dare these things alone, but from all of Greece you drove both me and the children, sitting as suppliants of the gods, some of us old, and some still infants.
But you found men and a free city, who did not fear you.
δεῖ σε κατθανεῖν κακῶς, §959καὶ κερδανεῖς ἅπαντα· χρῆν γὰρ οὐχ ἅπαξ §960θνῄσκειν σὲ πολλὰ πήματʼ ἐξειργασμένον.
You must die miserably, and you will gain everything; for you ought not to die only once, having committed so many evils.
§961οὐκ ἔστʼ ἀνυστὸν τόνδε σοι κατακτανεῖν.
[Messenger] It is not possible for you to kill this man.
§962ἄλλως ἄρʼ αὐτὸν αἰχμάλωτον εἵλομεν;
[Alcmene] In vain, then, did we capture him as a prisoner?
§963εἴργει δὲ δὴ τίς τόνδε μὴ θνῄσκειν νόμος;
[Alcmene] And indeed what law prevents this man from dying?
§964τοῖς τῆσδε χώρας προστάταισιν οὐ δοκεῖ.
[Messenger] It does not seem good to the leaders of this land.
§965τί δὴ τόδʼ;
[Alcmene] What is this?
ἐχθροὺς τοισίδʼ οὐ καλὸν κτανεῖν;
Is it not a fine thing to kill enemies for these people?
§966οὐχ ὅντινʼ ἄν γε ζῶνθʼ ἕλωσιν ἐν μάχῃ.
[Messenger] Not anyone whom they capture alive in battle.
§967καὶ ταῦτα δόξανθʼ Ὕλλος ἐξηνέσχετο;
[Alcmene] And did Hyllus tolerate these decisions?
§968χρῆν δʼ αὐτόν, οἶμαι, τῇδʼ ἀπιστῆσαι χθονί;
[Messenger] Was it necessary for him, I think, to disobey this land?
§969χρῆν τόνδε μὴ ζῆν μηδʼ ὁρᾶν φάος ἔτι.
[Alcmene] This man ought not to live or see the light any longer.
§970τότʼ ἠδικήθη πρῶτον οὐ θανὼν ὅδε.
[Messenger] Then first indeed was wrong done, when this man did not die.
§971οὐκ οὖν ἔτʼ ἐστὶν ἐν καλῷ δοῦναι δίκην;
[Alcmene] Is it then no longer in a proper place to pay the penalty?
§972οὐκ ἔστι τοῦτον ὅστις ἂν κατακτάνοι.
[Messenger] There is no one who would kill this man.
§973ἔγωγε· καίτοι φημὶ κἄμʼ εἶναί τινα.
[Alcmene] I will; and yet I say that I too am someone.
§974πολλὴν ἄρʼ ἕξεις μέμψιν, εἰ δράσεις τόδε.
[Messenger] Much blame indeed you will have, if you do this.
§975φιλῶ πόλιν τήνδʼ· οὐδὲν ἀντιλεκτέον.
[Alcmene] I love this city; there is nothing to be said against that.