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Euripides · Hecuba §366-441

Polyxena's Farewell to Hecuba and Departure

Passage 5 of 15 · Greek

Summary

Polyxena resolutely accepts her sacrificial death to avoid the humiliation of slavery, advising her pleading mother Hecuba to yield. As Odysseus leads her away, she bids a final, sorrowful farewell to her mother and siblings, wishing for the destruction of Helen before going to the altar.

§366χρανεῖ, τυράννων πρόσθεν ἠξιωμένα.
will defile my bed, which was formerly deemed worthy of kings.
§367οὐ δῆτʼ·
No, indeed!
ἀφίημʼ ὀμμάτων ἐλευθέρων §368φέγγος τόδʼ, Ἅιδῃ προστιθεῖσʼ ἐμὸν δέμας.
I let go of this light of free eyes, yielding my body to Hades.
§369ἄγου μʼ, Ὀδυσσεῦ, καὶ διέργασαί μʼ ἄγων· §370οὔτʼ ἐλπίδος γὰρ οὔτε του δόξης ὁρῶ §371θάρσος παρʼ ἡμῖν ὥς ποτʼ εὖ πρᾶξαί με χρή.
Lead me away, Odysseus, and slay me as you lead me; for I see in myself no confidence of hope or of any expectation that I should ever fare well.
§372μῆτερ, σὺ δʼ ἡμῖν μηδὲν ἐμποδὼν γένῃ, §373λέγουσα μηδὲ δρῶσα· συμβούλου δέ μοι §374θανεῖν πρὶν αἰσχρῶν μὴ κατʼ ἀξίαν τυχεῖν.
Mother, do not stand in my way in any way, by speaking or by acting; but consent with me to die before meeting with shameful things undeservedly.
§375ὅστις γὰρ οὐκ εἴωθε γεύεσθαι κακῶν, §376φέρει μέν, ἀλγεῖ δʼ αὐχένʼ ἐντιθεὶς ζυγῷ· §377θανὼν δʼ ἂν εἴη μᾶλλον εὐτυχέστερος §378ἢ ζῶν· τὸ γὰρ ζῆν μὴ καλῶς μέγας πόνος.
For whoever is not accustomed to taste of evils, bears them indeed, but suffers when putting his neck into the yoke; and in death he would be much more fortunate than in life; for to live not well is a great toil.
§379δεινὸς χαρακτὴρ κἀπίσημος ἐν βροτοῖς §380ἐσθλῶν γενέσθαι, κἀπὶ μεῖζον ἔρχεται §381τῆς εὐγενείας ὄνομα τοῖσιν ἀξίοις.
A noble birth is a wondrous and distinctive mark among mortals, and the name of nobility advances to something even greater for those who are worthy of it.
§382καλῶς μὲν εἶπας, θύγατερ, ἀλλὰ τῷ καλῷ §383λύπη πρόσεστιν.
You have spoken nobly, daughter, but with that nobility comes grief.
εἰ δὲ δεῖ τῷ Πηλέως §384χάριν γενέσθαι παιδὶ καὶ ψόγον φυγεῖν §385ὑμᾶς, Ὀδυσσεῦ, τήνδε μὲν μὴ κτείνετε, §386ἡμᾶς δʼ ἄγοντες πρὸς πυρὰν Ἀχιλλέως §387κεντεῖτε, μὴ φείδεσθʼ·
But if it is necessary to do a favor for Peleus' son, and for you, Odysseus, to escape blame, do not kill this girl, but lead me to the pyre of Achilles and stab me, spare me not!
ἐγὼ ῎τεκον Πάριν, very odd crasis mark here §388ὃς παῖδα Θέτιδος ὤλεσεν τόξοις βαλών.
It was I who gave birth to Paris, who destroyed the son of Thetis, striking him with his arrows.
§389οὐ σʼ, ὦ γεραιά, κατθανεῖν Ἀχιλλέως §390φάντασμʼ Ἀχαιούς, ἀλλὰ τήνδʼ, ᾐτήσατο.
It was not your death, old lady, that the phantom of Achilles demanded of the Achaeans, but hers.
§391ὑμεῖς δέ μʼ ἀλλὰ θυγατρὶ συμφονεύσατε, §392καὶ δὶς τόσον πῶμʼ αἵματος γενήσεται §393γαίᾳ νεκρῷ τε τῷ τάδʼ ἐξαιτουμένῳ.
Then at least slay me along with my daughter, and there will be twice as much draft of blood for the earth and for the dead man who demands these things.
§394ἅλις κόρης σῆς θάνατος, οὐ προσοιστέος §395ἄλλος πρὸς ἄλλῳ·
The death of your daughter is enough; another must not be added to it.
μηδὲ τόνδʼ ὠφείλομεν.
We ought not even to owe this one.
§396πολλή γʼ ἀνάγκη θυγατρὶ συνθανεῖν ἐμέ.
There is a great necessity for me to die with my daughter.
§397πῶς;
How so?
οὐ γὰρ οἶδα δεσπότας κεκτημένος.
For I do not know that I have acquired a master.
§398ὁποῖα κισσὸς δρυός, ὅπως τῆσδʼ ἕξομαι.
Like ivy to an oak, so will I cling to her.
§399οὔκ, ἤν γε πείθῃ τοῖσι σοῦ σοφωτέροις.
Not so, if at least you obey those who are wiser than you.
§400ὡς τῆσδʼ ἑκοῦσα παιδὸς οὐ μεθήσομαι.
Know that I will never willingly let go of this child.
§401ἀλλʼ οὐδʼ ἐγὼ μὴν τήνδʼ ἄπειμʼ αὐτοῦ λιπών.
But neither indeed will I depart, leaving her here.
§402μῆτερ, πιθοῦ μοι· καὶ σύ, παῖ Λαερτίου, §403χάλα τοκεῦσιν εἰκότως θυμουμένοις, §404σύ τʼ, ὦ τάλαινα, τοῖς κρατοῦσι μὴ μάχου.
Mother, obey me; and you, son of Laertes, yield to parents who are naturally angry; and you, unhappy mother, do not fight with those who have power.
§405βούλῃ πεσεῖν πρὸς οὖδας ἑλκῶσαί τε σὸν §406γέροντα χρῶτα πρὸς βίαν ὠθουμένη, §407ἀσχημονῆσαί τʼ ἐκ νέου βραχίονος §408σπασθεῖσʼ, ἃ πείσῃ;
Do you wish to fall to the ground and tear your aged flesh, thrust away by force, and to be shamefully dragged away by a young arm— things which you will suffer?
μὴ σύ γʼ· οὐ γὰρ ἄξιον.
Do not do so; for it is not worthy of you.
§409ἀλλʼ, ὦ φίλη μοι μῆτερ, ἡδίστην χέρα §410δὸς καὶ παρειὰν προσβαλεῖν παρηίδι· §411ὡς οὔποτʼ αὖθις, ἀλλὰ νῦν πανύστατον §412ἀκτῖνα κύκλον θʼ ἡλίου προσόψομαι.
But, my beloved mother, give me your dearest hand and let me press my cheek to your cheek; since never again, but now for the very last time, shall I behold the beam and orb of the sun.
§413τέλος δέχῃ δὴ τῶν ἐμῶν προσφθεγμάτων.
Receive now the end of my greetings.
§414ὦ μῆτερ, ὦ τεκοῦσʼ, ἄπειμι δὴ κάτω.
Oh mother, oh you who bore me, I am going below.
§415ὦ θύγατερ, ἡμεῖς δʼ ἐν φάει δουλεύσομεν.
Oh daughter, while we shall serve as slaves in the light.
§416ἄνυμφος ἀνυμέναιος ὧν μʼ ἐχρῆν τυχεῖν.
Bride-less, without a wedding song, of those things which I ought to have obtained.
§417οἰκτρὰ σύ, τέκνον, ἀθλία δʼ ἐγὼ γυνή.
Pitiable are you, my child, and a wretched woman am I.
§418ἐκεῖ δʼ ἐν Ἅιδου κείσομαι χωρὶς σέθεν.
And there in Hades I shall lie apart from you.
§419οἴμοι·
Alas!
τί δράσω;
What shall I do?
ποῖ τελευτήσω βίον;
Where shall I end my life?
§420δούλη θανοῦμαι, πατρὸς οὖσʼ ἐλευθέρου.
I shall die a slave, though born of a free father.
§421ἡμεῖς δὲ πεντήκοντά γʼ ἄμμοροι τέκνων.
And we am deprived of fifty children.
§422τί σοι πρὸς Ἕκτορʼ ἢ γέροντʼ εἴπω πόσιν;
What message shall I speak for you to Hector, or to your aged husband?
§423ἄγγελλε πασῶν ἀθλιωτάτην ἐμέ.
Report that I am the most wretched of all women.
§424ὦ στέρνα μαστοί θʼ, οἵ μʼ ἐθρέψαθʼ ἡδέως.
Oh breasts and chest, which nurtured me so sweetly!
§425ὦ τῆς ἀώρου θύγατερ ἀθλίας τύχης.
Oh daughter of an untimely, wretched fortune!
§426χαῖρʼ, ὦ τεκοῦσα, χαῖρε Κασάνδρα τʼ ἐμοί,
Farewell, mother, and farewell to my Cassandra!
§427χαίρουσιν ἄλλοι, μητρὶ δʼ οὐκ ἔστιν τόδε.
And others fare well, but for your mother this is not possible.
§428ὅ τʼ ἐν φιλίπποις Θρῃξὶ Πολύδωρος κάσις.
And my brother Polydorus, who is among the horse-loving Thracians.
§429εἰ ζῇ γʼ· ἀπιστῶ δʼ· ὧδε πάντα δυστυχῶ.
If at least he lives; but I doubt it; in this way I am unfortunate in all things.
§430ζῇ καὶ θανούσης ὄμμα συγκλῄσει τὸ σόν.
He lives, and will close your eyes when you die.
§431τέθνηκʼ ἔγωγε πρὶν θανεῖν κακῶν ὕπο.
I indeed am dead before my death because of my miseries.
§432κόμιζʼ, Ὀδυσσεῦ, μʼ ἀμφιθεὶς κάρα πέπλοις §433ὡς πρὶν σφαγῆναί γʼ ἐκτέτηκα καρδίαν §434θρήνοισι μητρὸς τήνδε τʼ ἐκτήκω γόοις.
Take me, Odysseus, covering my head with veils; for even before I am slaughtered, my heart is melted away by my mother’s laments, and I melt her in turn by my wailings.
§435ὦ φῶς·
Oh light!
προσειπεῖν γὰρ σὸν ὄνομʼ ἔξεστί μοι, §436μέτεστι δʼ οὐδὲν πλὴν ὅσον χρόνον ξίφους §437βαίνω μεταξὺ καὶ πυρᾶς Ἀχιλλέως.
For it is allowed me to speak your name, but I have no share in you, except for the time I walk between the sword and the pyre of Achilles.
§438οἲ ʼγώ, προλείπω·
Alas!
λύεται δέ μου μέλη.
I faint; my limbs are loosened.
§439ὦ θύγατερ, ἅψαι μητρός, ἔκτεινον χέρα, §440δός·
Oh daughter, touch your mother, stretch out your hand, give it to me!
μὴ λίπῃς μʼ ἄπαιδʼ.
Do not leave me childless!
ἀπωλόμην, φίλαι
I am ruined, my friends.
§441ὣς τὴν Λάκαιναν σύγγονον Διοσκόροιν
Thus may I see the Spartan woman, the sister of the Dioscuri, perish.

Notes

  1. §366χρανεῖ — The verb continuing from the clause in §365 (λέχη δὲ τἀμὰ δοῦλος ὠνητός ποθεν). The subject is the nominative noun phrase δοῦλος ὠνητός ('a bought slave'), and the object is the noun phrase λέχη τἀμὰ ('my bed'). The participle ἠξιωμένα agrees in gender, number, and case (neuter plural accusative) with λέχη, carrying a concessive force: 'although formerly deemed worthy.'
  2. §373συμβούλου — The middle imperative form συμβουλοῦ (from συμβουλεύω / συμβουλεύομαι, meaning 'counsel' or 'agree with'). It is addressed to the mother, taking the infinitive θανεῖν, meaning 'advise/consent with me to die.' It must not be confused with the genitive of the noun σύμβουλος ('advisor').
  3. §374μὴ — The negative particle placed inside the infinitive clause (τυχεῖν) introduced by the conjunction πρίν ('before'). In classical Greek idiom, when avoiding an undesirable outcome, μὴ is often added after πρίν + infinitive to reinforce the negative sense or simply negate the infinitive, here translated as 'before meeting with shameful things undeservedly.'
  4. §380ἐσθλῶν γενέσθαι — The infinitive γενέσθαι depends on the genitive of origin ἐσθλῶν ('noble parents'), forming a subject-like noun phrase 'to be born of noble parents.' This acts as the subject or explanatory phrase for δεινὸς χαρακτὴρ κἀπίσημος ('a wondrous and distinctive mark').
  5. §416ὧν μʼ ἐχρῆν τυχεῖν — The relative pronoun ὧν is the object of the genitive-governing verb τυχεῖν ('to obtain'). Its antecedent is an omitted neuter plural concept (such as bridal rites or honors). Combined with the impersonal verb ἐχρῆν ('it was necessary/owed') and the accusative-with-infinitive construction (με τυχεῖν), it expresses regret: 'without those things which I ought to have obtained.'
  6. §441ὣς τὴν Λάκαιναν σύγγονον Διοσκόροιν — The accented adverb ὣς ('thus' / 'in this manner') refers back to the previous ἀπωλόμην ('I perished'). The sentence lacks a main verb, which is a common tragic formula of cursing where an optative verb of wishing like ἴδοιμι ('may I see') is omitted, expressing a strong curse: 'would that I might see the Spartan woman, sister of the Dioscuri, perish in this same manner.'

Cite this passage

Euripides, Hecuba §366-441. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0006.tlg007.humanitext-grc2:366-441

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