§406εἷς παῖς ὅδ’ ἦν μοι λοιπὸς ὀφθαλμὸς βίου· §407τοῦτον κτενεῖν μέλλουσιν οἷς δοκεῖ τάδε. §408οὐ δῆτα τοὐμοῦ γ’ εἵνεκ’ ἀθλίου βίου· §409ἐν τῷδε μὲν γὰρ ἐλπίς, εἰ σωθήσεται, §410ἐμοὶ δ’ ὄνειδος μὴ θανεῖν ὑπὲρ τέκνου. §411ἰδοὺ προλείπω βωμὸν ἥδε χειρία §412σφάζειν φονεύειν, δεῖν, ἀπαρτῆσαι δέρην. §413ὦ τέκνον, ἡ τεκοῦσά σ’, ὡς σὺ μὴ θάνῃς, §414στείχω πρὸς Ἅιδην· ἢν δ’ ὑπεκδράμῃς μόρον, §415μέμνησο μητρός, οἷα τλᾶσ’ ἀπωλόμην, §416καὶ πατρὶ τῷ σῷ διὰ φιλημάτων ἰὼν §417δάκρυά τε λείβων καὶ περιπτύσσων χέρας §418λέγ’ οἷ’ ἔπραξα.
child was the only remaining eye of my life; they are about to kill, those who have decided on this course., indeed, not for the sake of my wretched life; in him is my hope, if he should be saved, for me it is a disgrace not to die for my child., I leave the altar, putting myself in your hands, be slaughtered, to be killed, to be bound, to have my neck hanged. my child, I who bore you, that you may not die, going to Hades; but if you should escape death, your mother, what things I endured and perished, going to your father with kisses, shedding tears and throwing your arms around his neck, him what I have suffered.
πᾶσι δ’ ἀνθρώποις ἄρ’ ἦν §419ψυχὴ τέκν’· ὅστις δ’ αὔτ’ ἄπειρος ὢν ψέγει, §420ἧσσον μὲν ἀλγεῖ, δυστυχῶν δ’ εὐδαιμονεῖ. §421ᾤκτιρ’ ἀκούσασ’· οἰκτρὰ γὰρ τὰ δυστυχῆ §422βροτοῖς ἅπασι, κἂν θυραῖος ὢν κυρῇ. §423εἰς ξύμβασιν δὲ χρῆν σε παῖδα σὴν ἄγειν, §424Μενέλαε, καὶ τήνδ’, ὡς ἀπαλλαχθῇ πόνων. §425λάβεσθέ μοι τῆσδ’, ἀμφελίξαντες χέρας, §426δμῶες· λόγους γὰρ οὐ φίλους ἀκούσεται §427ἐγώ σ’, ἵν’ ἁγνὸν βωμὸν ἐκλίποις θεᾶς, §428προύτεινα παιδὸς θάνατον, ᾧ σ’ ὑπήγαγον §429εἰς χεῖρας ἐλθεῖν τὰς ἐμὰς ἐπὶ σφαγήν. §430καὶ τἀμφὶ σοῦ μὲν ὧδ’ ἔχοντ’ ἐπίστασο· §431τὰ δ’ ἀμφὶ παιδὸς τοῦδε παῖς ἐμὴ κρινεῖ, §432ἤν τε κτανεῖν νιν ἤν τε μὴ κτανεῖν θέλῃ. §433ἀλλ’ ἕρπ’ ἐς οἴκους τούσδ’, ἵν’ εἰς ἐλευθέρους §434δούλη γεγῶσα μήποθ’ ὑβρίζειν μάθῃς.
It seems then, for all human beings, are life; and whoever, being inexperienced, censures them, less indeed, but in his misfortune is only falsely happy. pity you as I listen; for misfortunes are pitiable all mortals, even if one happens to be a stranger. ought to lead your daughter to an agreement, Menelaus, this woman too, so that she may be freed from troubles. her for me, servants, binding her hands; she will hear words that are not friendly., in order that you might leave the goddess's holy altar, out your child's death, by which I induced you come into my hands for slaughter. as for your affairs, know that they are thus; as for this child, my daughter will decide, she wishes to kill him or not to kill him. go into this house, so that, being a slave, may never learn to insult those who are free.!
§435οἴμοι· δόλῳ μ’ ὑπῆλθες, ἠπατήμεθα. §436κήρυσσ’ ἅπασιν· οὐ γὰρ ἐξαρνούμεθα. §437ἦ ταῦτ’ ἐν ὑμῖν τοῖς παρ’ Εὐρώτᾳ σοφά; §438καὶ τοῖς γε Τροίᾳ, τοὺς παθόντας ἀντιδρᾶν. §439τὰ θεῖα δ’ οὐ θεῖ’ οὐδ’ ἔχειν ἡγῇ δίκην; §440ὅταν τάδ’ ᾖ, τότ’ οἴσομεν· σὲ δὲ κτενῶ. §441ἦ καὶ νεοσσὸν τόνδ’, ὑπὸ πτερῶν σπάσας; §442οὐ δῆτα· θυγατρὶ δ’, ἢν θέλῃ, δώσω κτανεῖν.
You came upon me with deceit; we have been deceived. it to everyone; for we do not deny it. this indeed wisdom among you who live by the Eurotas?, and for those in Troy, too, that those who suffer should retaliate. you not think divine things are divine, nor that they hold justice? these things happen, then we shall bear them; but you I will kill. you also kill this fledgling, dragging him from under my wings? indeed; but I will give him to my daughter to kill, if she wishes.!
§443οἴμοι· τί δῆτά σ’ οὐ καταστένω, τέκνον; §444οὔκουν θρασεῖά γ’ αὐτὸν ἐλπὶς ἀναμένει. §445ὦ πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποισιν ἔχθιστοι βροτῶν §446Σπάρτης ἔνοικοι, δόλια βουλευτήρια, §447ψευδῶν ἄνακτες, μηχανορράφοι κακῶν, §448ἑλικτὰ κοὐδὲν ὑγιές, ἀλλὰ πᾶν πέριξ §449φρονοῦντες, ἀδίκως εὐτυχεῖτ’ ἀν’ Ἑλλάδα.
Why then, child, do I not bewail you? least no confident hope awaits him. you most hateful of mortals to all mankind, of Sparta, treacherous councils, of lies, weavers of evils, and holding nothing sound, but thinking everything, unjustly you prosper throughout Greece. is not found among you?
Are there not most murders? you not sordidly greedy?
Are you not always discovered saying thing with your tongue, but thinking another? you perish!
ἐμοὶ μὲν θάνατος οὐχ οὕτω βαρὺς §454ὡς σοὶ δέδοκται· κεῖνα γάρ μ’ ἀπώλεσεν, §455ὅθ’ ἡ τάλαινα πόλις ἀνηλώθη Φρυγῶν §456πόσις θ’ ὁ κλεινός, ὅς σε πολλάκις δορὶ §457ναύτην ἔθηκεν ἀντὶ χερσαίου κακόν. §458νῦν δ’ εἰς γυναῖκα γοργὸς ὁπλίτης φανεὶς §459κτείνεις μ’.
To me, death is not so heavy as you think; those things destroyed me the wretched city of the Phrygians was destroyed, my famous husband, who with his spear often you a cowardly sailor instead of a landsman. now, appearing as a fierce hoplite against a woman, kill me.
ἀπόκτειν’·
Kill me!
ὡς ἀθώπευτόν γέ σε §460γλώσσης ἀφήσω τῆς ἐμῆς καὶ παῖδα σήν. §461ἐπεὶ σὺ μὲν πέφυκας ἐν Σπάρτῃ μέγας, §462ἡμεῖς δὲ Τροίᾳ γ’.
For I shall leave you and your child by my tongue. you indeed were born great in Sparta, we in Troy.
εἰ δ’ ἐγὼ πράσσω κακῶς, §463μηδὲν τόδ’ αὔχει· καὶ σὺ γὰρ πράξειας ἄν. §464οὐδέποτε δίδυμα λέκτρ’ ἐπαινέσω βροτῶν §466οὐδ’ ἀμφιμάτορας κόρους, §467ἔριδας οἴκων δυσμενεῖς τε λύπας. §468μίαν μοι στεργέτω πόσις γάμοις §469ἀκοινώ- §470νητον ἀνδρὸς εὐνάν. §471οὐδέ γ’ ἐνὶ πόλεσι δίπτυχοι τυραννίδες §472μιᾶς ἀμείνονες φέρειν, §475ἄχθος ἐπ’ ἄχθει καὶ στάσις πολίταις· §476τεκόντοιν θ’ ὕμνον ἐργάταιν δυοῖν §477ἔριν Mοῦ- §478σαι φιλοῦσι κραίνειν. §479πνοαὶ δ’ ὅταν φέρωσι ναυτίλους θοαί, §480κατὰ πηδαλίων δίδυμαι πραπίδων γνῶμαι, §481σοφῶν τε πλῆθος ἀθρόον ἀσθενέστερον §482φαυλοτέρας φρενὸς αὐτοκρατοῦς. §483ἑνὸς ἁ δύνασις ἀνά τε μέλαθρα §484κατά τε πόλιας, ὁπόταν εὑ- §485ρεῖν θέλωσι καιρόν. §486ἔδειξεν ἡ Λάκαινα τοῦ στρατηλάτα §487Μενέλα· διὰ γὰρ πυρὸς ἦλθ’ ἑτέρῳ λέχεϊ, §489κτείνει δὲ τὴν τάλαιναν Ἰλιάδα κόραν §490παῖδά τε δύσφρονος ἔριδος ὕπερ. §491ἄθεος ἄνομος ἄχαρις ὁ φόνος·
But if I am in a bad state, in no way of this; for you too might experience the same. will I praise double beds for mortals, children of different mothers, bring strife to homes and hostile griefs. a husband cherish one unshared bed, not shared with another. in cities are double tyrannies to bear than a single one; are a burden upon burden and a source of faction for citizens. of two craftsmen who produce a song, Muses love crown their strife. when swift winds carry sailors along, opinions of minds at the helm, a gathered crowd of wise men, are weaker a single, simpler mind with absolute power. belongs to one, both in homes in cities, whenever they wish find the right moment. Spartan daughter of the general has shown this; for she went through fire against another's bed, she kills the wretched Trojan girl her child because of a hateful strife. murder is godless, lawless, and without grace.