§166σαίρειν τε δῶμα τοὐμὸν ἐκ χρυσηλάτων §167τευχέων χερὶ σπείρουσαν Ἀχελῴου δρόσον, §168γνῶναί θ’ ἵν’ εἶ γῆς.
and to sweep my house, and from gold-beaten vessels to sprinkle with your hand the water of Achelous, and to know where on earth you are.
οὐ γάρ ἐσθ’ Ἕκτωρ τάδε, §169οὐ Πρίαμος οὐδὲ χρυσός, ἀλλ’ Ἑλλὰς πόλις.
For Hector is not here, nor Priam, nor gold, but a Greek city.
§170εἰς τοῦτο δ’ ἥκεις ἀμαθίας, δύστηνε σύ, §171ἣ παιδὶ πατρός, ὃς σὸν ὤλεσεν πόσιν, §172τολμᾷς ξυνεύδειν καὶ τέκν’ αὐθέντου πάρα §173τίκτειν.
And to such a point of ignorance have you come, you wretched one, who dare to sleep with the son of the father who destroyed your husband, and to bear children from the murderer of your family.
τοιοῦτον πᾶν τὸ βάρβαρον γένος· §174πατήρ τε θυγατρὶ παῖς τε μητρὶ μίγνυται §175κόρη τ’ ἀδελφῷ, διὰ φόνου δ’ οἱ φίλτατοι §176χωροῦσι, καὶ τῶνδ’ οὐδὲν ἐξείργει νόμος.
Such is the whole barbarian race; father with daughter, and son with mother are joined, and daughter with brother, and through murder the dearest proceed, and law debars none of these things.
§177ἃ μὴ παρ’ ἡμᾶς εἴσφερ’· οὐδὲ γὰρ καλὸν §178δυοῖν γυναικοῖν ἄνδρ’ ἕν’ ἡνίας ἔχειν, §179ἀλλ’ εἰς μίαν βλέποντες εὐναίαν Κύπριν §180στέργουσιν, ὅστις μὴ κακῶς οἰκεῖν θέλει.
Do not introduce these things among us; for neither is it good for one man to hold the reins of two women, but looking to one single bridal Cypris men are content, whoever does not wish to have an ill-managed home.
Truly a jealous thing is the female mind, and always most hostile to sharers of the same marriage.
§183φεῦ φεῦ·
Alas, alas!
Indeed, youth is an evil thing for mortals, and in youth that man is wretched whoever has injustice in him.
§186ἐγὼ δὲ ταρβῶ μὴ τὸ δουλεύειν μέ σοι §187λόγων ἀπώσῃ πόλλ’ ἔχουσαν ἔνδικα, §188ἢν δ’ αὖ κρατήσω, μὴ’πὶ τῷδ’ ὄφλω βλάβην·
But I fear lest my being a slave to you should push back my words, though I have many just things to say; and on the other hand, if I should win, lest I should incur damage for this.
§189οἱ γὰρ πνέοντες μεγάλα τοὺς κρείσσους λόγους §190πικρῶς φέρουσι τῶν ἐλασσόνων ὕπο· §191ὅμως δ’ ἐμαυτὴν οὐ προδοῦσ’ ἁλώσομαι.
For those who are proud-minded bear bitterly the stronger arguments of their inferiors; yet I shall not be found betraying myself.
Speak, young woman, by what trustworthy argument persuaded do I try to push you from your legitimate marriage?
Is it that the Laconian city is less than that of the Phrygians, and excels in fortune, and you see me as a free woman?
§196ἢ τῷ νέῳ τε καὶ σφριγῶντι σώματι §197πόλεως τε μεγέθει καὶ φίλοις ἐπηρμένη §198οἶκον κατασχεῖν τὸν σὸν ἀντὶ σοῦ θέλω;
Or, puffed up by my young and vigorous body, and the greatness of my city, and my friends, do I wish to hold your house instead of you?
Is it so that I myself may bear children instead of you, to be slaves and a miserable drag for myself?
Or will anyone tolerate my children being rulers of Phthia, if you do not bear children?
§203φιλοῦσι γάρ μ’ Ἕλληνες Ἕκτορός τ’ ἄπο;
For do the Greeks love me because of Hector?
§204αὐτή τ’ ἀμαυρὰ κοὐ τύραννος ἦ Φρυγῶν;
And was I myself obscure and not a ruler of Phrygians?
It is not from my drugs that your husband hates you, but if you happen to be unfit for living together.
This is the love-charm: not beauty, O woman, but virtue delights bed-partners.
§209σὺ δ’ ἤν τι κνισθῇς, ἡ Λάκαινα μὲν πόλις §210μέγ’ ἐστί, τὴν δὲ Σκῦρον οὐδαμοῦ τίθης· §211πλουτεῖς δ’ ἐν οὐ πλουτοῦσι· Μενέλεως δέ σοι §212μείζων Ἀχιλλέως.
But you, if you are vexed at all, immediately boast that the Laconian city is great, and you hold Scyros as of no account; and you are rich among those who are not rich, and Menelaus is greater than Achilles to you.
ταῦτά τοί σ’ ἔχθει πόσις.
For these things indeed your husband hates you.
For a woman must, even if she is given to a bad husband, love him, and have no rivalry of pride.
§215εἰ δ’ ἀμφὶ Θρῄκην χιόνι τὴν κατάρρυτον §216τύραννον ἔσχες ἄνδρ’, ἵν’ ἐν μέρει λέχος §217δίδωσι πολλαῖς εἷς ἀνὴρ κοινούμενος, §218ἔκτεινας ἂν τάσδ’;
And if you had a ruling husband around snow-covered Thrace, where one man in turn shares his bed with many women, would you have killed them?
εἶτ’ ἀπληστίαν λέχους §219πάσαις γυναιξὶ προστιθεῖσ’ ἂν ηὑρέθης.
Then you would have been found bringing an insatiable desire for the bed to all women.
It is indeed shameful; and yet we suffer from this sickness worse than men, but we manage it well.
§222ὦ φίλταθ’ Ἕκτορ, ἀλλ’ ἐγὼ τὴν σὴν χάριν §223σοὶ καὶ ξυνήρων, εἴ τί σε σφάλλοι Κύπρις, §224καὶ μαστὸν ἤδη πολλάκις νόθοισι σοῖς §225ἐπέσχον, ἵνα σοι μηδὲν ἐνδοίην πικρόν.
O dearest Hector, but I for your sake even shared in your love, if ever Cypris tripped you, and many times already to your bastards I offered my breast, that I might offer you nothing bitter.
§226καὶ ταῦτα δρῶσα τῇ ἀρετῇ προσηγόμην §227πόσιν· σὺ δ’ οὐδὲ ῥανίδ’ ὑπαιθρίας δρόσου §228τῷ σῷ προσίζειν ἀνδρὶ δειμαίνουσ’ ἐᾷς.
And doing these things, by my virtue I won my husband; but you do not even allow a drop of outdoor dew to settle on your husband, because of your fear.
§229μὴ τὴν τεκοῦσαν τῇ φιλανδρίᾳ, γύναι, §230ζήτει παρελθεῖν· τῶν κακῶν γὰρ μητέρων §231φεύγειν τρόπους χρὴ τέκν’, ὅσοις ἔνεστι νοῦς.
Do not, O woman, seek to surpass the one who bore you in your love for men; for children of bad mothers must flee their ways, as many as have sense.
Mistress, as far as it easily comes to you, so far be persuaded to agree with her words.
Why do you speak solemnly and come to a contest of words, as if indeed you are moderate, and my affairs are not moderate?
§236οὔκουν ἐφ’ οἷς γε νῦν καθέστηκας λόγοις.
Not indeed under the arguments on which you now stand.
§237ὁ νοῦς ὁ σός μοι μὴ ξυνοικοίη, γύναι.
May your mind not dwell with me, O woman.
§238νέα πέφυκας καὶ λέγεις αἰσχρῶν πέρι.
You are young and you speak of shameful things.
§239σὺ δ’ οὐ λέγεις γε, δρᾷς δέ μ’ εἰς ὅσον δύνῃ.
You do not indeed speak of them, but you do them to me as much as you can.
§240οὐκ αὖ σιωπῇ Κύπριδος ἀλγήσεις πέρι;
Will you not, in turn, suffer in silence concerning the pain of Cypris?