§339φεύγειν τὰ δεινά.
to flee from dangers.
For having done many noble deeds, I chose this habit among the Greeks, always to stand as a punisher of the wicked.
§342οὔκουν ἀπαυδᾶν δυνατόν ἐστί μοι πόνους.
Therefore it is not possible for me to refuse labors.
§343τί γάρ μʼ ἐροῦσιν οἵ γε δυσμενεῖς βροτῶν, §344ὅθʼ ἡ τεκοῦσα χὑπερορρωδοῦσʼ ἐμοῦ §345πρώτη κελεύεις τόνδʼ ὑποστῆναι πόνον;
For what will those of mortals who are ill-disposed say of me, when you, who bore me and who fear exceedingly for me, are the first to bid me undertake this labor?
§346δράσω τάδʼ·
I will do this.
εἶμι καὶ νεκροὺς ἐκλύσομαι §347λόγοισι πείθων· εἰ δὲ μή, βίᾳ δορὸς §348ἤδη τόδʼ ἔσται κοὐχὶ σὺν φθόνῳ θεῶν.
I will go and deliver the dead, persuading with words; but if not, by the violence of the spear this shall now be done, and not against the will of the gods.
§349δόξαι δὲ χρῄζω καὶ πόλει πάσῃ τόδε.
And I wish this to be resolved also by the whole city.
And it will be resolved, with me willing it; but by giving them a share in the proposal, I would have the people more well-disposed.
For indeed I established the people as sovereign, having freed this city and made it equal-voted.
§354λαβὼν δʼ Ἄδραστον δεῖγμα τῶν ἐμῶν λόγων §355ἐς πλῆθος ἀστῶν εἶμι· καὶ πείσας τάδε, §356λεκτοὺς ἀθροίσας δεῦρʼ Ἀθηναίων κόρους §357ἥξω· παρʼ ὅπλοις θʼ ἥμενος πέμψω λόγους §358Κρέοντι νεκρῶν σώματʼ ἐξαιτούμενος.
And taking Adrastus as a proof of my words, I will go to the multitude of citizens; and having persuaded them of this, gathering chosen youths of the Athenians, I will come here; and sitting under arms, I will send messengers to Creon, demanding the bodies of the dead.
§359ἀλλʼ, ὦ γεραιαί, σέμνʼ ἀφαιρεῖτε στέφη §360μητρός, πρὸς οἴκους ὥς νιν Αἰγέως ἄγω, §361φίλην προσάψας χεῖρα· τοῖς τεκοῦσι γὰρ §362δύστηνος ὅστις μὴ ἀντιδουλεύει τέκνων — §363κάλλιστον ἔρανον· δοὺς γὰρ ἀντιλάζυται §364παίδων παρʼ αὑτοῦ τοιάδʼ ἃν τοκεῦσι δῷ.
But, O aged women, take away the holy wreaths from my mother, so that I may lead her to the house of Aegeus, joining my loving hand to hers; for to parents, wretched is he among children who does not return their service— the most beautiful contribution; for having given, he receives back in turn from his own children such things as he may give to his parents.
§365— ἱππόβοτον Ἄργος, ὦ πάτριον ἐμὸν πέδον, §366ἐκλύετε τάδʼ, ἐκλύετε §367ἄνακτος ὅσια περὶ θεοὺς §368καὶ μεγάλα Πελασγίᾳ §368aκαὶ κατʼ Ἄργος.
(Chorus) O horse-rearing Argos, O my ancestral land, hear these things, hear the king's pious deeds towards the gods, and great deeds for Pelasgia and in Argos.
§369— εἰ γὰρ ἐπὶ τέρμα καὶ τὸ πλέον ἐμῶν κακῶν §370ἱκόμενος ἔτι ματέρος §371ἄγαλμα φόνιον ἐξέλοι, §372γᾶν δὲ φίλιον Ἰνάχου §372aθεῖτʼ ὀνήσας.
Would that, coming to the end and beyond of my woes, he might yet rescue the mothers' blood-stained pride, and make the land of Inachus friendly, having benefited it.
A pious labor is a noble ornament for cities, and it holds gratitude for ever.
§375τί μοι πόλις κρανεῖ ποτʼ;
What will the city decree for me?
ἆρα φίλιά μοι §376τεμεῖ, καὶ τέκνοις ταφὰς ληψόμεσθα;
Will it strike a friendly alliance with me, and shall we obtain burial for our children?
Help the mother, O city, help, city of Pallas, lest they defile the laws of mortals.
You indeed revere justice, and you assign the lesser portion to injustice, and you always rescue every unfortunate thing.
§381τέχνην μὲν αἰεὶ τήνδʼ ἔχων ὑπηρετεῖς §382πόλει τε κἀμοί, διαφέρων κηρύγματα· §383ἐλθὼν δʼ ὑπέρ τʼ Ἀσωπὸν Ἰσμηνοῦ θʼ ὕδωρ §384σεμνῷ τυράννῳ φράζε Καδμείων τάδε· §385Θησεύς σʼ ἀπαιτεῖ πρὸς χάριν θάψαι νεκρούς, §386συγγείτονʼ οἰκῶν γαῖαν, ἀξιῶν τυχεῖν, §387φίλον τε θέσθαι πάντʼ Ἐρεχθειδῶν λεών. §388κἂν μὲν θέλωσιν, αἰνέσας παλίσσυτος §389στεῖχʼ· ἢν δʼ ἀπιστῶσʼ, οἵδε δεύτεροι λόγοι· §390Κῶμον δέχεσθαι τὸν ἐμὸν ἀσπιδηφόρον.
(Theseus) Always holding this art, you serve the city and me, carrying proclamations; and going beyond Asopus and the water of Ismenus, say these things to the proud ruler of the Cadmeans: 'Theseus demands of you, as a favor, to bury the dead, living in a neighboring land, deeming it right to obtain this, and to make all the people of Erechtheus your friend.' And if indeed they are willing, praise them and come back in haste; but if they refuse, these are the second words: to expect my shield-bearing revel.
The army sits and is reviewed, present here and ready around the holy Callichorus.
And indeed, the city willingly and gladly accepted this labor, when it perceived that I willed it.
§395ἔα· λόγων τίς ἐμποδὼν ὅδʼ ἔρχεται;
Ah, who is this coming in the way of our words?
A Cadmean herald, as it seems to one who does not know clearly.
ἐπίσχες, ἤν σʼ ἀπαλλάξῃ πόνου §398μολὼν ὕπαντα τοῖς ἐμοῖς βουλεύμασιν.
Hold on, in case he frees you from labor, coming to meet my plans.
§399τίς γῆς τύραννος;
(Theban Herald) Who is the tyrant of this land?
πρὸς τίνʼ ἀγγεῖλαί με χρὴ §400λόγους Κρέοντος, ὃς κρατεῖ Κάδμου χθονὸς §401Ἐτεοκλέους θανόντος ἀμφʼ ἑπταστόμους §402πύλας ἀδελφῇ χειρὶ Πολυνείκους ὕπο;
To whom must I report the words of Creon, who rules the land of Cadmus, now that Eteocles has died around the seven-mouthed gates by the hand of his brother Polynices?
(Theseus) First of all, stranger, you began your speech falsely, seeking a tyrant here.
οὐ γὰρ ἄρχεται §405ἑνὸς πρὸς ἀνδρός, ἀλλʼ ἐλευθέρα πόλις.
For this city is not ruled by one man, but is free.
§406δῆμος δʼ ἀνάσσει διαδοχαῖσιν ἐν μέρει §407ἐνιαυσίαισιν, οὐχὶ τῷ πλούτῳ διδοὺς §408τὸ πλεῖστον, ἀλλὰ χὡ πένης ἔχων ἴσον.
The people rule by successions in turn, on annual terms, not giving the most to wealth, but even the poor man has an equal share.
(Herald) In this one point you give us an advantage, as in checkers.
πόλις γὰρ ἧς ἐγὼ πάρειμʼ ἄπο §411ἑνὸς πρὸς ἀνδρός, οὐκ ὄχλῳ κρατύνεται·
For the city from which I come is ruled by one man, not governed by a mob.
§412οὐδʼ ἔστιν αὐτὴν ὅστις ἐκχαυνῶν λόγοις §413πρὸς κέρδος ἴδιον ἄλλοτʼ ἄλλοσε στρέφει, §414τὸ δʼ αὐτίχʼ ἡδὺς καὶ διδοὺς πολλὴν χάριν, §415ἐσαῦθις ἔβλαψʼ, εἶτα διαβολαῖς νέαις §416κλέψας τὰ πρόσθε σφάλματʼ ἐξέδυ δίκης.
Nor is there anyone who, puffing it up with words, turns it this way and that for his own gain, who, pleasant for the moment and offering much gratification, harms it in the future, and then by new slanders, hiding his former errors, escapes justice.
And besides, how could a people, not guiding words correctly, be able to direct a city aright?
For time gives a better learning than haste.
γαπόνος δʼ ἀνὴρ πένης, §421εἰ καὶ γένοιτο μὴ ἀμαθής, ἔργων ὕπο §422οὐκ ἂν δύναιτο πρὸς τὰ κοίνʼ ἀποβλέπειν.
And a poor tiller of the soil, even if he were not unlearned, because of his labors would not be able to look towards public affairs.
§423ἦ δὴ νοσῶδες τοῦτο τοῖς ἀμείνοσιν,
Indeed this is a diseased thing for the better class,