§677παραιβάτας ἔστησαν ἐς τάξιν δορός.
fighters who stepped down from the chariots were drawn up in the line of spear.
some fought with iron weapons, while others turned their horses back to the fight to aid the combatants again.
§680ἰδὼν δὲ Φόρβας, ὃς μοναμπύκων ἄναξ §681ἦν τοῖς Ἐρεχθείδαισιν, ἁρμάτων ὄχλον, §682οἵ τʼ αὖ τὸ Κάδμου διεφύλασσον ἱππικόν, §683συνῆψαν ἀλκὴν κἀκράτουν ἡσσῶντό τε.
Phorbas, who was the leader of the single-harnessed horses for the sons of Erechtheus, when he saw the crowd of chariots, those who in turn were guarding the cavalry of Cadmus, joined battle, and now they prevailed, now they were defeated.
§684λεύσσων δὲ ταῦτα κοὐ κλύων — ἐκεῖ γὰρ ἦ §685ἔνθʼ ἅρματʼ ἠγωνίζεθʼ οἵ τʼ ἐπεμβάται — §686τἀκεῖ παρόντα πολλὰ πήματʼ, οὐκ ἔχω §687τί πρῶτον εἴπω, πότερα τὴν ἐς οὐρανὸν §688κόνιν προσαντέλλουσαν, ὡς πολλὴ παρῆν, §689ἢ τοὺς ἄνω τε καὶ κάτω φορουμένους §690ἱμᾶσιν, αἵματός τε φοινίου ῥοάς, §691τῶν μὲν πιτνόντων, τῶν δὲ θραυσθέντων δίφρων §692ἐς κρᾶτα πρὸς γῆν ἐκκυβιστώντων βίᾳ §693πρὸς ἁρμάτων τʼ ἀγαῖσι λειπόντων βίον;
these things and not merely hearing them—for I was there where the chariots and their riders were contending— many miseries present there, I do not know what to speak of first: the dust rising up to heaven, so vast it was, those dragged up and down by the reins, and the streams of crimson blood, some fell, and others, from shattered chariots, were violently pitched headlong to the ground, beside the wreckage of the chariots were leaving their lives?
§694νικῶντα δʼ ἵπποις ὡς ὑπείδετο στρατὸν §695Κρέων τὸν ἐνθένδʼ, ἰτέαν λαβὼν χερὶ §696χωρεῖ, πρὶν ἐλθεῖν ξυμμάχοις δυσθυμίαν.
when Creon perceived our army winning with the cavalry, taking a shield in his hand, he advanced before despair could come upon his allies.
§699καὶ συμπατάξαντες μέσον πάντα στρατὸν §700ἔκτεινον ἐκτείνοντο, καὶ παρηγγύων §701κελευσμὸν ἀλλήλοισι σὺν πολλῇ βοῇ· §702Θεῖνʼ·
clashing in the midst of the whole army, they slew and were slain, and passed the battle-cry to one another with a great shout: "Strike!
ἀντέρειδε τοῖς Ἐρεχθείδαις δόρυ. §697καὶ μὴν τὰ Θησέως γʼ οὐκ ὄκνῳ διεφθάρη, §698ἀλλʼ ἵετʼ εὐθὺς λάμπρʼ ἀναρπάσας ὅπλα·
Thrust the spear against the sons of Erechtheus!" indeed, Theseus' cause was not ruined by hesitation, but he rushed forward at once, snatching up his gleaming weapons.
§703λόχος δʼ ὀδόντων ὄφεος ἐξηνδρωμένος §704δεινὸς παλαιστὴς ἦν· ἔκλινε γὰρ κέρας §705τὸ λαιὸν ἡμῶν· δεξιοῦ δʼ ἡσσώμενον §706φεύγει τὸ κείνων· ἦν δʼ ἀγὼν ἰσόρροπος.
the troop of the dragon's teeth, grown into manhood, was a terrible wrestler; for they bent back our left wing, but their left wing, defeated by our right, fled; and the contest was evenly balanced.
§707κἀν τῷδε τὸν στρατηγὸν αἰνέσαι παρῆν· §708οὐ γὰρ τὸ νικῶν τοῦτʼ ἐκέρδαινεν μόνον, §709ἀλλʼ ᾤχετʼ ἐς τὸ κάμνον οἰκείου στρατοῦ.
here one might praise the general; for he did not care only for the winning part, but went to the struggling part of his own army.
§710ἔρρηξε δʼ αὐδήν, ὥσθʼ ὑπηχῆσαι χθόνα· §711Ὦ παῖδες, εἰ μὴ σχήσετε στερρὸν δόρυ §712σπαρτῶν τόδʼ ἀνδρῶν, οἴχεται τὰ Παλλάδος. §713θάρσος δʼ ἐνῶρσε παντὶ Κραναϊδῶν στρατῷ.
he let loose a cry so that the earth echoed: "O youths, if you do not hold back the stout spear of these Spartoi, the cause of Pallas is gone!" he inspired courage in the whole host of the sons of Cranaus.
§714αὐτός θʼ ὅπλισμα τοὐπιδαύριον λαβὼν §715δεινῆς κορύνης διαφέρων ἐσφενδόνα §716ὁμοῦ τραχήλους κἀπικείμενον κάρα, §717κυνέας θερίζων κἀποκαυλίζων ξύλῳ.
he himself, taking his Epidaurian weapon, a terrible club, swung it around, shattering at once necks and the heads upon them, harvesting helmets and snapping them off with his wooden club.
§718μόλις δέ πως ἔτρεψαν ἐς φυγὴν πόδα.
with difficulty, somehow, they turned their feet to flight.
I raised a shout of joy and danced and clapped my hands; and they pressed on toward the gates.
there was shouting and wailing through the city, from young and old, and they filled the temples with fear.
παρὸν δὲ τειχέων ἔσω μολεῖν, §724Θησεὺς ἐπέσχεν· οὐ γὰρ ὡς πέρσων πόλιν §725μολεῖν ἔφασκεν, ἀλλʼ ἀπαιτήσων νεκρούς.
though it was possible to go inside the walls, Theseus held back; for he said he had come not to sack the city, but to demand the dead.
§726τοιόνδε τὸν στρατηγὸν αἱρεῖσθαι χρεών, §727ὃς ἔν τε τοῖς δεινοῖσίν ἐστιν ἄλκιμος §728μισεῖ θʼ ὑβριστὴν λαόν, ὃς πράσσων καλῶς §729ἐς ἄκρα βῆναι κλιμάκων ἐνήλατα §730ζητῶν ἀπώλεσʼ ὄλβον ᾧ χρῆσθαι παρῆν.
a general one ought to choose, who is brave in dangers and hates an insolent people, who, when faring well, by seeking to mount to the very top rungs of the ladder, lose the prosperity they might have enjoyed.
§731νῦν τήνδʼ ἄελπτον ἡμέραν ἰδοῦσʼ ἐγὼ §732θεοὺς νομίζω, καὶ δοκῶ τῆς συμφορᾶς §733ἔχειν ἔλασσον, τῶνδε τεισάντων δίκην.
, seeing this unexpected day, I believe in the gods, and I think I feel less of my misfortune, since these men have paid the penalty.
Zeus, why indeed do they say that wretched mortals have wisdom?
σοῦ γὰρ ἐξηρτήμεθα §736δρῶμέν τε τοιαῦθʼ ἃν σὺ τυγχάνῃς θέλων.
For we are dependent on you, and we do such things as you happen to wish.
§737ἡμῖν γὰρ ἦν τό τʼ Ἄργος οὐχ ὑποστατόν, §738αὐτοί τε πολλοὶ καὶ νέοι βραχίοσιν· §739Ἐτεοκλέους τε σύμβασιν ποιουμένου, §740μέτρια θέλοντος, οὐκ ἐχρῄζομεν λαβεῖν, §741κἄπειτʼ ἀπωλόμεσθα.
to us Argos was irresistible, and we ourselves were many and young of arm; when Eteocles proposed a settlement, desiring moderate terms, we did not wish to accept them, and then we were ruined.
ὁ δʼ αὖ τότʼ εὐτυχής, §742λαβὼν πένης ὣς ἀρτίπλουτα χρήματα, §743ὕβριζʼ, ὑβρίζων τʼ αὖθις ἀνταπώλετο §744Κάδμου κακόφρων λαός.
on the other hand, the foolish people of Cadmus, then successful, acting insolently like a poor man who has suddenly obtained rich possessions, was in turn ruined because of their insolence. foolish people of Cadmus.
ὦ καιροῦ πέρα §745τὸ τόξον ἐντείνοντες·
O you who stretch the bow beyond due measure!
ὦ κενοὶ βροτῶν, §746καὶ πρὸς δίκης γε πολλὰ πάσχοντες κακά, §747φίλοις μὲν οὐ πείθεσθε, τοῖς δὲ πράγμασιν·
O foolish mortals, who indeed suffer many evils justly, you do not yield to friends, but to actual events.
cities, though able to escape evils through reason, settle your affairs by slaughter, not by reason.
§750ἀτὰρ τί ταῦτα;
why these words?
κεῖνο βούλομαι μαθεῖν, §751πῶς ἐξεσώθης· εἶτα τἄλλʼ ἐρήσομαι.
I wish to learn that other thing, how you were saved; then I will ask the rest.
the confusion stirred the city with the spear, I went through the gates by which the army entered.
§754ὧν δʼ οὕνεχʼ ἁγὼν ἦν, νεκροὺς κομίζετε;
the dead, for whose sake the contest was, are you bringing them?
§755ὅσοι γε κλεινοῖς ἕπτʼ ἐφέστασαν δόμοις.
least those who were leaders of the seven famous houses.
§756πῶς φῄς;
do you mean?
ὁ δʼ ἄλλος ποῦ κεκμηκότων ὄχλος;
And where is the other multitude of the dead?
§757τάφῳ δέδονται πρὸς Κιθαιρῶνος πτυχαῖς.
have been given burial near the folds of Cithaeron.
§758τοὐκεῖθεν ἢ τοὐνθένδε;
that side or on this?
τίς δʼ ἔθαψέ νιν;
And who buried them?
§759Θησεύς, σκιώδης ἔνθʼ Ἐλευθερὶς πέτρα.
, where is the shady rock of Eleutheris.
§760οὓς δʼ οὐκ ἔθαψε ποῦ νεκροὺς ἥκεις λιπών;
the dead whom he did not bury there, where have you left them that you are here?
§761ἐγγύς· πέλας γὰρ πᾶν ὅ τι σπουδάζεται.
; for everything that is pursued with haste is close at hand.