Now then, either boast that you have better judgment than Zeus, or admit that the gods justly destroy the wicked.
§506φιλεῖν μὲν οὖν χρὴ τοὺς σοφοὺς πρῶτον τέκνα, §507ἔπειτα τοκέας πατρίδα θʼ, ἣν αὔξειν χρεὼν §508καὶ μὴ κατᾶξαι.
Therefore, the wise must first love their children, then their parents and their homeland, which they must increase and not ruin.
σφαλερὸν ἡγεμὼν θρασύς· §509νεώς τε ναύτης ἥσυχος, καιρῷ σοφός.
A bold leader is dangerous; and a sailor on a ship is quiet, wise at the right moment.
§510καὶ τοῦτʼ ἐμοὶ τἀνδρεῖον, ἡ προμηθία.
And this is courage to me: foresight.
Zeus, who punishes, was sufficient, and it was not right for you to commit such insolence.
§513ὦ παγκάκιστε — §513bσῖγʼ, Ἄδραστʼ, ἔχε στόμα, §514καὶ μὴ ʼπίπροσθεν τῶν ἐμῶν τοὺς σοὺς λόγους §515θῇς· οὐ γὰρ ἥκει πρὸς σὲ κηρύσσων ὅδε, §516ἀλλʼ ὡς ἔμʼ·
(Adrastus) O most wicked wretch— (Theseus) Silence, Adrastus, hold your tongue, and do not place your words before mine; for this man has not come bringing a message to you, but to me; and it is for me to answer.
ἡμᾶς κἀποκρίνασθαι χρεών. §517καὶ πρῶτα μέν σε πρὸς τὰ πρῶτʼ ἀμείψομαι.
And first I will answer you concerning your first points.
§518οὐκ οἶδʼ ἐγὼ Κρέοντα δεσπόζοντʼ ἐμοῦ §519οὐδὲ σθένοντα μεῖζον, ὥστʼ ἀναγκάσαι §520δρᾶν τὰς Ἀθήνας ταῦτʼ· ἄνω γὰρ ἂν ῥέοι §521τὰ πράγμαθʼ οὕτως, εἰ ʼπιταξόμεσθα δή.
I do not know Creon as my master, nor as having greater power, so as to compel Athens to do these things; for things would flow backwards, if indeed we are to receive orders.
And I do not initiate this war, I who did not even come with these men to the land of Cadmus.
§524νεκροὺς δὲ τοὺς θανόντας, οὐ βλάπτων πόλιν §525οὐδʼ ἀνδροκμῆτας προσφέρων ἀγωνίας, §526θάψαι δικαιῶ, τὸν Πανελλήνων νόμον §527σῴζων.
But the dead corpses, without harming the city nor bringing man-slaying contests, I deem it right to bury, preserving the common law of all Greeks.
τί τούτων ἐστὶν οὐ καλῶς ἔχον;
What of this is not right?
§528εἰ γάρ τι καὶ πεπόνθατʼ Ἀργείων ὕπο, §529τεθνᾶσιν, ἠμύνασθε πολεμίους καλῶς, §530αἰσχρῶς δʼ ἐκείνοις, χἡ δίκη διοίχεται.
For even if you suffered something at the hands of the Argives, they are dead; you defended yourselves against your enemies well, but shamefully to them, and justice is gone.
§531ἐάσατʼ ἤδη γῇ καλυφθῆναι νεκρούς, §532ὅθεν δʼ ἕκαστον ἐς τὸ φῶς ἀφίκετο, §533ἐνταῦθʼ ἀπελθεῖν, πνεῦμα μὲν πρὸς αἰθέρα, §534τὸ σῶμα δʼ ἐς γῆν· οὔτι γὰρ κεκτήμεθα §535ἡμέτερον αὐτὸ πλὴν ἐνοικῆσαι βίον, §536κἄπειτα τὴν θρέψασαν αὐτὸ δεῖ λαβεῖν.
Allow the dead now to be covered by the earth, and let each part go back to where it came into the light, to depart there: the breath to the ether, and the body to the earth; for we do not possess it as our own, except to inhabit life in it, and then she who nourished it must receive it back.
§537δοκεῖς κακουργεῖν Ἄργος οὐ θάπτων νεκρούς;
Do you think you are harming Argos by not burying the dead?
§538ἥκιστα· πάσης Ἑλλάδος κοινὸν τόδε, §539εἰ τοὺς θανόντας νοσφίσας ὧν χρῆν λαχεῖν §540ἀτάφους τις ἕξει· δειλίαν γὰρ ἐσφέρει §541τοῖς ἀλκίμοισιν οὗτος ἢν τεθῇ νόμος.
Not at all; this is a common matter for all of Greece, if someone, depriving the dead of what they ought to receive, will keep them unburied; for it introduces cowardice to the brave, if this law is established.
And to me indeed you came to threaten with terrible words, but do you fear the dead, if they are hidden in the earth?
§544τί μὴ γένηται;
Lest what should happen?
μὴ κατασκάψωσι γῆν §545ταφέντες ὑμῶν;
Lest they dig up the earth, once buried, of yours?
ἢ τέκνʼ ἐν μυχῷ χθονὸς §546φύσωσιν, ἐξ ὧν εἶσί τις τιμωρία;
Or produce children in the depths of the earth, from whom some vengeance will come?
This is indeed a foolish expenditure of tongue, to fear bad and empty fears.
§549ἀλλʼ, ὦ μάταιοι, γνῶτε τἀνθρώπων κακά· §550παλαίσμαθʼ ἡμῶν ὁ βίος· εὐτυχοῦσι δὲ §551οἳ μὲν τάχʼ, οἳ δʼ ἐσαῦθις, οἳ δʼ ἤδη βροτῶν, §552τρυφᾷ δʼ ὁ δαίμων· πρός τε γὰρ τοῦ δυστυχοῦς, §553ὡς εὐτυχήσῃ, τίμιος γεραίρεται, §554ὅ τʼ ὄλβιός νιν πνεῦμα δειμαίνων λιπεῖν §555ὑψηλὸν αἴρει.
But, O foolish ones, learn the ills of mortals: our life is a struggle; and some of mortals prosper soon, others later, and others already, and fortune is wanton; for by the unfortunate, so that he may become fortunate, she is honored and revered, and the prosperous man, fearing lest the wind leave him, extols her high.
γνόντας οὖν χρεὼν τάδε §556ἀδικουμένους τε μέτρια μὴ θυμῷ φέρειν §557ἀδικεῖν τε τοιαῦθʼ οἷα μὴ βλάψαι πόλιν.
Knowing these things, therefore, one must bear moderate wrongs without anger, and commit only such wrongs as will not harm the city.
§558πῶς οὖν ἂν εἴη;
How then should it be?
τοὺς ὀλωλότας νεκροὺς §559θάψαι δὸς ἡμῖν τοῖς θέλουσιν εὐσεβεῖν.
The dead corpses, give us to bury, who wish to act piously.
§560ἢ δῆλα τἀνθένδʼ· εἶμι καὶ θάψω βίᾳ.
Or else the consequence is clear: I will go and bury them by force.
§561οὐ γάρ ποτʼ εἰς Ἕλληνας ἐξοισθήσεται §562ὡς εἰς ἔμʼ ἐλθὼν καὶ πόλιν Πανδίονος §563νόμος παλαιὸς δαιμόνων διεφθάρη.
For never shall it be reported among the Greeks that, having come to me and the city of Pandion, the ancient law of the gods was destroyed.
Take heart; for preserving the light of Justice, you would escape many censures of men.
§566βούλῃ συνάψω μῦθον ἐν βραχεῖ σέθεν;
(Herald) Do you want me to join a brief speech with yours?
§567λέγʼ, εἴ τι βούλῃ· καὶ γὰρ οὐ σιγηλὸς εἶ.
(Theseus) Speak, if you want; for you are indeed not silent.
§568οὐκ ἄν ποτʼ ἐκ γῆς παῖδας Ἀργείων λάβοις.
(Herald) You would never receive the sons of the Argives from our land.
§569κἀμοῦ νυν ἀντάκουσον, εἰ βούλῃ, πάλιν.
(Theseus) And now listen to me in turn, if you want.
§570κλύοιμʼ ἄν· οὐ γὰρ ἀλλὰ δεῖ δοῦναι μέρος.
(Herald) I would listen; for indeed one must give a turn.
§571θάψω νεκροὺς γῆς ἐξελὼν Ἀσωπίας.
(Theseus) I will bury the dead, taking them from the Asopian land.
§572ἐν ἀσπίσιν σοι πρῶτα κινδυνευτέον.
(Herald) First you must run the risk in shields.
§573πολλοὺς ἔτλην δὴ χἁτέρους ἄλλους πόνους.
(Theseus) I have endured indeed many other labors.
§574ἦ πᾶσιν οὖν σʼ ἔφυσεν ἐξαρκεῖν πατήρ;
(Herald) Did your father then beget you to be sufficient against all?
§575ὅσοι γʼ ὑβρισταί· χρηστὰ δʼ οὐ κολάζομεν.
(Theseus) At least against all who are insolent; but we do not punish the good.
§576πράσσειν σὺ πόλλʼ εἴωθας ἥ τε σὴ πόλις.
(Herald) You are accustomed to busy yourself with many things, and so is your city.
§577τοιγὰρ πονοῦσα πολλὰ πόλλʼ εὐδαιμονεῖ.
(Theseus) Therefore, by laboring much, it prospers much.
§578ἔλθʼ, ὥς σε λόγχη σπαρτὸς ἐν πόλει λάβῃ.
(Herald) Come then, so that the sown-spear may catch you in the city.
§579τίς δʼ ἐκ δράκοντος θοῦρος ἂν γένοιτʼ Ἄρης;
(Theseus) What fierce Ares could come from a dragon?
§580γνώσῃ σὺ πάσχων· νῦν δʼ ἔτʼ εἶ νεανίας.
(Herald) You will know by suffering; but now you are still a young man.