§612μάχῃ κρατήσας ἢ θεᾶς δωρήμασιν;
Was it by conquering in battle, or by the gifts of the goddess?
§613μάχῃ· τὰ μυστῶν δʼ ὄργιʼ εὐτύχησʼ ἰδών.
In battle; and I was fortunate enough to see the initiation rites of the mystics.
§614ἦ καὶ κατʼ οἴκους ἐστὶν Εὐρυσθέως ὁ θήρ;
Is the beast indeed still at the house of Eurystheus?
§615Χθονίας νιν ἄλσος Ἑρμιών τʼ ἔχει πόλις.
The grove of Chthonia and the city of Hermione hold it.
§616οὐδʼ οἶδεν Εὐρυσθεύς σε γῆς ἥκοντʼ ἄνω;
And does Eurystheus not know that you have come up to the earth?
§617οὐκ οἶδʼ· ἵνʼ ἐλθὼν τἀνθάδʼ εἰδείην πάρος.
He does not know; so that I might come and know the state of things here first.
§618χρόνον δὲ πῶς τοσοῦτον ἦσθʼ ὑπὸ χθονί;
But why were you under the earth for so long a time?
§619Θησέα κομίζων ἐχρόνισʼ ἐξ Ἅιδου, πάτερ.
In bringing Theseus back from Hades, father, I delayed.
§620καὶ ποῦ ʼστιν;
And where is he?
ἢ γῆς πατρίδος οἴχεται πέδον;
Has he gone to the plain of his fatherland?
§621βέβηκʼ Ἀθήνας νέρθεν ἄσμενος φυγών.
He has gone to Athens, having gladly fled from the depths below.
§622ἀλλʼ εἶʼ, ὁμαρτεῖτʼ, ὦ τέκνʼ, ἐς δόμους πατρί· §623καλλίονές τἄρʼ εἴσοδοι τῶν ἐξόδων §624πάρεισιν ὑμῖν.
But come, follow, O children, into your father's house; indeed, your entry will be more beautiful than your exit.
ἀλλὰ θάρσος ἴσχετε §625καὶ νάματʼ ὄσσων μηκέτʼ ἐξανίετε· §626σύ τʼ, ὦ γύναι μοι, σύλλογον ψυχῆς λαβὲ §627τρόμου τε παῦσαι, καὶ μέθεσθʼ ἐμῶν πέπλων· §628οὐ γὰρ πτερωτὸς οὐδὲ φευξείω φίλους.
But have courage, and no longer let streams of tears flow from your eyes; and you, O my wife, gather your spirit, and cease from trembling, and let go of my garments; for I am not winged, nor do I wish to flee from my loved ones.
Ah, these children do not let go, but cling to my garments all the more; did you stand on such a razor's edge?
§631ἄξω λαβών γε τούσδʼ ἐφολκίδας χεροῖν, §632ναῦς δʼ ὣς ἐφέλξω· καὶ γὰρ οὐκ ἀναίνομαι §633θεράπευμα τέκνων.
I will lead them, taking these with my hands like towed boats, and like a ship I will tow them; for indeed I do not refuse the care of my children.
πάντα τἀνθρώπων ἴσα· §634φιλοῦσι παῖδας οἵ τʼ ἀμείνονες βροτῶν §635οἵ τʼ οὐδὲν ὄντες· χρήμασιν δὲ διάφοροι· §636ἔχουσιν, οἳ δʼ οὔ· πᾶν δὲ φιλότεκνον γένος.
All things of men are equal: both the better of mortals and those who are nothing love their children; they differ only in wealth; some have it, and others do not; but the whole race of men is fond of children.
§637ἁ νεότας μοι φίλον αἰ- §638εί· τὸ δὲ γῆρας ἄχθος §639βαρύτερον Αἴτνας σκοπέλων §640ἐπὶ κρατὶ κεῖται, βλεφάρων §642σκοτεινὸν φάος ἐπικαλύψαν.
Youth is ever dear to me; but old age lies as a burden heavier than the crags of Etna upon my head, having veiled the dark light of my eyes.
§643μή μοι μήτʼ Ἀσιήτιδος §644τυραννίδος ὄλβος εἴη, §645μὴ χρυσοῦ δώματα πλήρη §646τᾶς ἥβας ἀντιλαβεῖν, §647ἃ καλλίστα μὲν ἐν ὄλβῳ, §648καλλίστα δʼ ἐν πενίᾳ.
May I have neither the wealth of Asian tyranny, nor halls filled with gold, to receive in exchange for youth, which is most beautiful in wealth, and most beautiful in poverty.
§649τὸ δὲ λυγρὸν φόνιόν τε γῆ- §650ρας μισῶ· κατὰ κυμάτων δʼ §651ἔρροι, μηδέ ποτʼ ὤφελεν §652θνατῶν δώματα καὶ πόλεις §653ἐλθεῖν, ἀλλὰ κατʼ αἰθέρʼ αἰ- §654εὶ πτεροῖσι φορείσθω.
But I hate dismal, murderous old age; let it perish down among the waves, and would that it had never come to the homes and cities of mortals, but let it ever be carried through the air upon wings.
§655εἰ δὲ θεοῖς ἦν ξύνεσις §656καὶ σοφία κατʼ ἄνδρας, §657δίδυμον ἂν ἥβαν ἔφερον §659φανερὸν χαρακτῆρʼ ἀρετᾶς §660ὅσοισιν μέτα, κατθανόντες τʼ §661εἰς αὐγὰς πάλιν ἁλίου §662δισσοὺς ἂν ἔβαν διαύλους, §663ἁ δυσγένεια δʼ ἁπλοῦν ἂν §664εἶχεν ζόας βίοτον, §665καὶ τῷδʼ ἦν τούς τε κακοὺς ἂν §666γνῶναι καὶ τοὺς ἀγαθούς, §667ἴσον ἅτʼ ἐν νεφέλαισιν ἄ- §668στρων ναύταις ἀριθμὸς πέλει.
If the gods had understanding and wisdom according to the measure of men, they would have brought a double youth as a visible stamp of virtue to those who have a share in it, and having died they would have gone back to the rays of the sun and run a double course of life; but low birth would have had a single course of life, and by this it would have been possible to know both the bad and the good, just as the number of stars among the clouds is clear to sailors.
§669νῦν δʼ οὐδεὶς ὅρος ἐκ θεῶν §670χρηστοῖς οὐδὲ κακοῖς σαφής, §671ἀλλʼ εἱλισσόμενός τις αἰ- §672ὼν πλοῦτον μόνον αὔξει.
But now, no clear boundary from the gods exists for the good nor for the bad, but a rolling life only increases wealth.
I will not cease from mingling the Graces with the Muses, the sweetest union.
§676μὴ ζῴην μετʼ ἀμουσίας, §677αἰεὶ δʼ ἐν στεφάνοισιν εἴ- §678ην· ἔτι τοι γέρων ἀοι- §679δὸς κελαδεῖ Μναμοσύναν· §680ἔτι τὰν Ἡρακλέους §681καλλίνικον ἀείδω §682παρά τε Βρόμιον οἰνοδόταν §683παρά τε χέλυος ἑπτατόνου §684μολπὰν καὶ Λίβυν αὐλόν· §685οὔπω καταπαύσομεν §686Μούσας, αἵ μʼ ἐχόρευσαν.
May I not live without the Muses, and may I always be among crowns; still indeed the aged singer sings of Mnemosyne; still I sing the victorious song of Heracles, both beside Bromius the giver of wine, and beside the song of the seven-toned lyre and the Libyan flute; we will not yet cease the Muses, who set me dancing.
§687παιᾶνα μὲν Δηλιάδες §688ὑμνοῦσʼ ἀμφὶ πύλας τὸν §689Λατοῦς εὔπαιδα γόνον §690εἱλίσσουσαι καλλίχορον· §691παιᾶνας δʼ ἐπὶ σοῖς μελά- §692θροις κύκνος ὣς γέρων ἀοι- §693δὸς πολιᾶν ἐκ γενύων §694κελαδήσω· τὸ γὰρ εὖ §695τοῖς ὕμνοισιν ὑπάρχει· §696Διὸς ὁ παῖς· τᾶς δʼ εὐγενίας §697πλέον ὑπερβάλλων ἀρετᾷ §698μοχθήσας τὸν ἄκυμον §699θῆκεν βίοτον βροτοῖς §700πέρσας δείματα θηρῶν.
The Delian maidens indeed hymn the fair offspring of Leto about the gates, whirling in the beautiful dance; and at your halls, like a swan, the aged singer from his grey jaws will sing praise; for that which is good belongs to hymns; he is the son of Zeus; but surpassing even his noble birth in virtue, by his labors he made a calm life for mortals, having destroyed the terrors of beasts.
§701ἐς καιρὸν οἴκων Ἀμφιτρύων ἔξω περᾷ· §702χρόνος γὰρ ἤδη δαρὸς ἐξ ὅτου πέπλοις §703κοσμεῖσθε σῶμα καὶ νεκρῶν ἀγάλμασιν.
In good time Amphitryon comes out of the house; for it is now a long time since you began to adorn your body with garments and the ornaments of the dead.
§704ἀλλʼ εἶα, παῖδας καὶ δάμαρθʼ Ἡρακλέους §705ἔξω κέλευε τῶνδε φαίνεσθαι δόμων, §706ἐφʼ οἷς ὑπέστητʼ αὐτεπάγγελτοι θανεῖν.
But come, command the children and wife of Heracles to appear outside of these halls, since you yourselves undertook to die.
§707ἄναξ, διώκεις μʼ ἀθλίως πεπραγότα §708ὕβριν θʼ ὑβρίζεις ἐπὶ θανοῦσι τοῖς ἐμοῖς· §709ἃ χρῆν σε μετρίως, κεἰ κρατεῖς, σπουδὴν ἔχειν.
King, you pursue me when I am in a wretched state, and you heap insult upon my dead family; you should have had moderation in your zeal, even if you are powerful.
But since you impose on us the necessity to die, we must submit; we must do what seems good to you.
§712ποῦ δῆτα Μεγάρα;
Where then is Megara?
ποῦ τέκνʼ Ἀλκμήνης γόνου;
Where are the children of Alcmene's offspring?
I think indeed, to conjecture from the outside— What kind of opinion is this?
τοῦ δʼ ἔχεις τεκμήριον;
What proof of it do you have?