§583λόγους ματαίους οὕσπερ ἠνέγκω λαβών.
Take back those vain words you brought and depart.
§584περαίνομεν γὰρ οὐδέν.
For we are accomplishing nothing.
§584bὁρμᾶσθαι χρεὼν §585πάντʼ ἄνδρʼ ὁπλίτην ἁρμάτων τʼ ἐπεμβάτην, §586μοναμπύκων τε φάλαρα κινεῖσθαι στόμα §587ἀφρῷ καταστάζοντα Καδμείαν χθόνα.
It is necessary to set forth, every hoplite and chariot-rider, and to move the bits of single-reined horses, dripping foam, toward the Cadmean land.
For I myself will go to the seven gates of Cadmus, holding sharp iron in my own hands, and being my own herald.
But to you, Adrastus, I command to remain, and not to mix your fortunes with mine.
ἐγὼ γὰρ δαίμονος τοὐμοῦ μέτα §593στρατηλατήσω καινὸς ἐν καινῷ δορί.
For I, with my own guiding spirit, will lead the army, a new commander with a new spear.
§594ἓν δεῖ μόνον μοι· τοὺς θεοὺς ἔχειν, ὅσοι §595δίκην σέβονται· ταῦτα γὰρ ξυνόνθʼ ὁμοῦ §596νίκην δίδωσιν.
Only one thing is necessary for me: to have the gods, as many as revere justice; for these things being present together gives victory.
ἁρετὴ δʼ οὐδὲν λέγει §597βροτοῖσιν, ἢ μὴ τὸν θεὸν χρῄζοντʼ ἔχῃ.
Valor means nothing to mortals, unless it has the willing god.
O wretched mothers of wretched chieftains, how pale fear sits beneath my liver!
§600— τίνʼ αὐδὰν τάνδε προσφέρεις νέαν;
— What new cry is this that you bring?
§601— στράτευμα πᾷ Παλλάδος κριθήσεται;
— Where will the army of Pallas be judged?
§602— διὰ δορὸς εἶπας, ἢ λόγων ξυναλλαγαῖς;
— Do you mean through the spear, or by exchange of words?
§603— γένοιτʼ ἂν κέρδος· εἰ δʼ ἀρείφατοι §604φόνοι μάχαι στερνοτυπεῖς τʼ ἀνὰ πτόλιν §605κτύποι φανήσονται, τάλαι- §606να, τίνα λόγον, τίνʼ ἂν τῶνδʼ αἰτία λάβοιμι;
— That would be a gain; but if blood-stained slaughter and chest-beating clashes throughout the city shall appear, wretched me, what word, what blame could I receive for these things?
— But one who was bright with good fortune, fate might overthrow again; this confidence surrounds me.
§610— δικαίους δαίμονας σύ γʼ ἐννέπεις.
— You speak of just gods.
§611— τίνες γὰρ ἄλλοι νέμουσι συμφοράς;
— For who else distributes fortunes?
§612— διάφορα πολλὰ θεῶν βροτοῖσιν εἰσορῶ.
— I see many differences in the gods' ways to mortals.
§613— φόβῳ γὰρ τῷ πάρος διόλλυσαι· §614δίκα δίκαν δʼ ἐκάλεσε καὶ φόνος φόνον, §615κακῶν δʼ ἀναψυχὰς θεοὶ §617βροτοῖς νέμουσι, πάντων τέρμʼ ἔχοντες αὐτοί.
— For you are being destroyed by your former fear; justice calls for justice, and slaughter for slaughter, and relief from evils the gods distribute to mortals, holding themselves the end of all things.
§618— τὰ καλλίπυργα πεδία πῶς ἱκοίμεθʼ ἄν, §619Καλλίχορον θεᾶς ὕδωρ λιποῦσαι — §620— ποτανὰν εἴ σέ τις θεῶν κτίσαι.
— How could we reach those plains of beautiful towers, leaving the beautiful water of Callichorus of the goddess— — If only some of the gods would make you winged!
§621— διπόταμον ἵνα πόλιν μόλω.
— So that I might go to the city of two rivers.
§622— εἰδείης ἂν φίλων εἰδείης ἂν τύχας.
— Then you would know, indeed you would know, the fortunes of your loved ones.
— What fate, what destiny then awaits the brave ruler of this land?
— We call upon again the gods who have been invoked; — but this is the first assurance in fears.
— O Zeus, child-begetting father of the heifer Io, the ancient mother of Inachus' line.
§630— πόλει μοι ξύμμαχος γενοῦ τᾷδʼ εὐμενής.
— Become a favorable ally to this city.
— Your own statue, your own shrine of the city, I wish to rescue, abused as they are, to the funeral pyre.
§634γυναῖκες, ἥκω πόλλʼ ἔχων λέγειν φίλα, §635αὐτός τε σωθείς· ᾑρέθην γὰρ ἐν μάχῃ, §636ἣν οἱ θανόντων ἑπτὰ δεσποτῶν λόχοι §637ἠγωνίσαντο ῥεῦμα Διρκαῖον πάρα· §638νίκην τε Θησέως ἀγγελῶν.
Women, I come having many welcome things to say, myself having been saved; for I was captured in the battle, which the companies of the seven dead chieftains fought by the Dircean stream; and to announce the victory of Theseus.
I will release you from a long speech: for I was a servant of Capaneus, whom Zeus incinerated with fire-bringing lightning.
§641ὦ φίλτατʼ, εὖ μὲν νόστον ἀγγέλλεις σέθεν §642τήν τʼ ἀμφὶ Θησέως βάξιν· εἰ δὲ καὶ στρατὸς §643σῶς ἐστʼ Ἀθηνῶν, πάντʼ ἂν ἀγγέλλοις φίλα.
O dearest one, well indeed you announce your own return and the report concerning Theseus; and if also the army of Athens is safe, you would be announcing all things welcome.
§644σῶς, καὶ πέπραγεν ὡς Ἄδραστος ὤφελεν §645πρᾶξαι ξὺν Ἀργείοισιν, οὓς ἀπʼ Ἰνάχου §646στείλας ἐπεστράτευσε Καδμείων πόλιν.
Safe, and it has fared as Adrastus ought to have fared with the Argives, whom, having sent them from Inachus, he led as an army against the city of the Cadmeans.
How then did the son of Aegeus erect the trophies of Zeus, and those who shared the spear with him?
§649λέξον· παρὼν γὰρ οὐ παρόντας εὐφρανεῖς.
Speak; for being present you will gladden those who were not.
§650λαμπρὰ μὲν ἀκτὶς ἡλίου, κανὼν σαφής, §651ἔβαλλε γαῖαν· ἀμφὶ δʼ Ἠλέκτρας πύλας §652ἔστην θεατὴς πύργον εὐαγῆ λαβών.
The bright ray of the sun, a clear rule, was striking the earth; and near the Electran gates I stood as a spectator, having taken a clear-viewing tower.
§653ὁρῶ δὲ φῦλα τρία τριῶν στρατευμάτων· §654τευχεσφόρον μὲν λαὸν ἐκτείνοντʼ ἄνω §655Ἰσμήνιον πρὸς ὄχθον, ὡς μὲν ἦν λόγος, §656αὐτόν τʼ ἄνακτα, παῖδα κλεινὸν Αἰγέως, §657καὶ τοὺς σὺν αὐτῷ, δεξιὸν τεταγμένους §658κέρας, παλαιᾶς Κεκροπίας τʼ οἰκήτορας, §662ἴσους ἀριθμόν· ἁρμάτων δʼ ὀχήματα §659αὐτόν τε Πάραλον ἐστολισμένον δορὶ §660κρήνην παρʼ αὐτὴν Ἄρεος· ἱππότην δʼ ὄχλον §661πρὸς κρασπέδοισι στρατοπέδου τεταγμένον.
And I saw three bodies of three armies: the armor-bearing host extending upwards toward the Ismenian hill, as the report went, the king himself, the famous son of Aegeus, and those with him, stationed on the right wing, the inhabitants of ancient Cecropia, equal in number; and the chariot vehicles and Paralus himself adorned with a spear by the very spring of Ares; and the cavalry crowd stationed near the edges of the army.
§664Κάδμου δὲ λαὸς ἧστο πρόσθε τειχέων, §665νεκροὺς ὄπισθεν θέμενος, ὧν ἔκειτʼ ἀγών, §663ἔνερθε σεμνῶν μνημάτων Ἀμφίονος.
And the people of Cadmus sat before the walls, placing the dead behind them, for whom the contest lay, beneath the sacred monuments of Amphion.
And against the horsemen, horsemen were armed, and against the four-horse chariots, opposing chariots.
And the herald of Theseus spoke to all as follows: 'Silence, people!
σῖγα, Καδμείων στίχες, §670ἀκούσαθʼ· ἡμεῖς ἥκομεν νεκροὺς μέτα, §671θάψαι θέλοντες, τὸν Πανελλήνων νόμον §672σῴζοντες, οὐδὲν δεόμενοι τεῖναι φόνον. §673κοὐδὲν Κρέων τοῖσδʼ ἀντεκήρυξεν λόγοις, §674ἀλλʼ ἧστʼ ἐφʼ ὅπλοις σῖγα.
Be silent, ranks of Cadmeans,' 'hear: we have come for the dead,' 'wishing to bury them, preserving the common law' 'of all Greeks, in no way wishing to extend slaughter.' And Creon made no counter-announcement to these words, but sat silently in arms.