offering as a pretext that you killed your husband on behalf of your child; for people do not know you as well as I do.
§1069ἥτις, θυγατρὸς πρὶν κεκυρῶσθαι σφαγάς, §1070νέον τʼ ἀπʼ οἴκων ἀνδρὸς ἐξωρμημένου, §1071ξανθὸν κατόπτρῳ πλόκαμον ἐξήσκεις κόμης.
You who, before your daughter's slaughter was even decided, and when your husband had just set out from home, were arranging the golden locks of your hair in a mirror.
And whatever woman, when her husband is away, adorns herself for beauty outside the home, write her down as wicked.
For she has no need to show a comely face out of doors, unless she is seeking some mischief.
§1076μόνη δὲ πασῶν οἶδʼ ἐγὼ σʼ Ἑλληνίδων, §1077εἰ μὲν τὰ Τρώων εὐτυχοῖ, κεχαρμένην, §1078εἰ δʼ ἥσσονʼ εἴη, συννεφοῦσαν ὄμματα, §1079Ἀγαμέμνονʼ οὐ χρῄζουσαν ἐκ Τροίας μολεῖν.
And I alone of all Greek women know that you, if the Trojans' cause fared well, rejoiced, but if it was worse, you clouded your eyes, not wishing Agamemnon to come back from Troy.
§1080καίτοι καλῶς γε σωφρονεῖν παρεῖχέ σοι· §1081ἄνδρʼ εἶχες οὐ κακίονʼ Αἰγίσθου πόσιν, §1082ὃν Ἑλλὰς αὑτῆς εἵλετο στρατηλάτην· §1083Ἑλένης δʼ ἀδελφῆς τοιάδʼ ἐξειργασμένης §1084ἐξῆν κλέος σοι μέγα λαβεῖν· τὰ γὰρ κακὰ §1085παράδειγμα τοῖς ἐσθλοῖσιν εἴσοψίν τʼ ἔχει.
And yet you had a fine opportunity to be chaste; you had a husband not inferior to Aegisthus, one whom Greece chose as her commander; and since your sister Helen had wrought such deeds, it was possible for you to win great glory; for evil deeds provide a warning and an object of comparison for the good.
But if, as you say, my father killed your daughter, how did I or my brother wrong you?
§1088πῶς οὐ πόσιν κτείνασα πατρῴους δόμους §1089ἡμῖν προσῆψας, ἀλλʼ ἐπηνέγκω λέχει §1090τἀλλότρια, μισθοῦ τοὺς γάμους ὠνουμένη;
Why did you, after killing your husband, not hand over our ancestral home to us, but instead brought a stranger to your bed, buying your marriage at a price?
§1091κοὔτʼ ἀντιφεύγει παιδὸς ἀντὶ σοῦ πόσις, §1092οὔτʼ ἀντʼ ἐμοῦ τέθνηκε, δὶς τόσως ἐμὲ §1093κτείνας ἀδελφῆς ζῶσαν.
And neither is your husband exiled in place of your son, nor has he died in place of me, though he has killed me twice as much as my sister, while I am still alive.
If blood for blood shall be repaid in judgment, I shall kill you, and so will your son Orestes, avenging our father.
§1096εἰ γὰρ δίκαιʼ ἐκεῖνα, καὶ τάδʼ ἔνδικα.
For if those deeds were just, these too are rightful.
§1102ὦ παῖ, πέφυκας πατέρα σὸν στέργειν ἀεί·
My child, you were born to love your father always.
It is also thus: some belong to their fathers, while others, again, love their mothers more than their father.
I will forgive you; for indeed I do not rejoice so very much, my child, at what I have done.
But why are you thus unwashed and poorly clad in body, a woman newly delivered and just ceased from childbirth?
§1109οἴμοι τάλαινα τῶν ἐμῶν βουλευμάτων·
Alas, wretched me for my counsels!
§1110ὡς μᾶλλον ἢ χρῆν ἤλασʼ εἰς ὀργὴν πόσιν.
How I drove my husband to anger more than I ought to have!
§1111ὀψὲ στενάζεις, ἡνίκʼ οὐκ ἔχεις ἄκη.
You groan too late, when you have no remedy.
My father, then, is dead; but why do you not bring back your son, who is wandering outside the land?
§1114δέδοικα· τοὐμὸν δʼ, οὐχὶ τοὐκείνου, σκοπῶ.
I am afraid; I look to my own interest, not to his.
§1115πατρὸς γάρ, ὡς λέγουσι, θυμοῦται φόνῳ.
For they say he is angry at his father's murder.
§1116τί δαὶ πόσιν σὸν ἄγριον εἰς ἡμᾶς ἔχεις;
Why then do you let your husband be harsh toward us?
§1117τρόποι τοιοῦτοι· καὶ σὺ δʼ αὐθάδης ἔφυς.
His ways are such; and you too were born stubborn.
§1118ἀλγῶ γάρ· ἀλλὰ παύσομαι θυμουμένη.
Yes, for I am in pain; but I will cease from anger.
§1119καὶ μὴν ἐκεῖνος οὐκέτʼ ἔσται σοι βαρύς.
Truly, then, he will no longer be heavy on you.
§1120φρονεῖ μέγʼ· ἐν γὰρ τοῖς ἐμοῖς ναίει δόμοις.
He is proud; for he dwells in my house.
§1121ὁρᾷς;
Do you see?
ἀνʼ αὖ σὺ ζωπυρεῖς νείκη νέα.
You are kindling new quarrels again.
§1122σιγῶ· δέδοικα γάρ νιν ὡς δέδοικʼ ἐγώ.
I am silent; for I fear him as I fear him.
§1123παῦσαι λόγων τῶνδε.
Cease from these words.
ἀλλὰ τί μʼ ἐκάλεις, τέκνον;
But why did you call me, my child?
§1124ἤκουσας, οἶμαι, τῶν ἐμῶν λοχευμάτων·
You have heard, I suppose, of my childbirth.
§1125τούτων ὕπερ μοι θῦσον — οὐ γὰρ οἶδʼ ἐγώ — §1126δεκάτῃ σελήνῃ παιδὸς ὡς νομίζεται· §1127τρίβων γὰρ οὐκ εἴμʼ, ἄτοκος οὖσʼ ἐν τῷ πάρος.
Sacrifice for me on behalf of this—for I do not know how— on the tenth day of the child's life, as is the custom; for I am not experienced, having been childless before this.
§1128ἄλλης τόδʼ ἔργον, ἥ σʼ ἔλυσεν ἐκ τόκων.
This is the task of another woman, she who delivered you of child.
§1129αὐτὴ ʼλόχευον κἄτεκον μόνη βρέφος.
I delivered myself and gave birth to the baby alone.
§1130οὕτως ἀγείτων οἶκος ἵδρυται φίλων;
Is your house established so friendless of neighbors?
§1131πένητας οὐδεὶς βούλεται κτᾶσθαι φίλους.
No one wishes to acquire the poor as friends.
§1132ἀλλʼ εἶμι, παιδὸς ἀριθμὸν ὡς τελεσφόρον §1133θύσω θεοῖσι· σοὶ δʼ ὅταν πράξω χάριν §1134τήνδʼ, εἶμʼ ἐπʼ ἀγρὸν οὗ πόσις θυηπολεῖ §1135νύμφαισιν.
Well, I will go to sacrifice to the gods for the child's fulfilled number of days; and when I have done this favor for you, I will go to the field where my husband is sacrificing to the nymphs.
ἀλλὰ τούσδʼ ὄχους, ὀπάονες, §1136φάτναις ἄγοντες πρόσθεθʼ· ἡνίκʼ ἂν δέ με §1137δοκῆτε θυσίας τῆσδʼ ἀπηλλάχθαι θεοῖς, §1138πάρεστε· δεῖ γὰρ καὶ πόσει δοῦναι χάριν.
But attendants, lead this carriage and place it at the stalls; and when you think I have finished this sacrifice to the gods, be present; for I must also do a favor for my husband.
Go into this poor house; and take care for me that the smoky roof does not blacken your robes with soot.
§1141θύσεις γὰρ οἷα χρή σε δαίμοσιν θύη.
For you shall offer such sacrifice as you must offer to the gods.
§1142κανοῦν δʼ ἐνῆρκται καὶ τεθηγμένη σφαγίς, §1143ἥπερ καθεῖλε ταῦρον, οὗ πέλας πεσῇ §1144πληγεῖσα·
The basket is prepared and the sacrificial knife is sharpened, the very one that brought down the bull, beside which you shall fall, struck down.
νυμφεύσῃ δὲ κἀν Ἅιδου δόμοις §1145ᾧπερ ξυνηῦδες ἐν φάει.
And you shall wed even in the house of Hades with him with whom you used to sleep in the light.
τοσήνδʼ ἐγὼ §1146δώσω χάριν σοι, σὺ δὲ δίκην ἐμοὶ πατρός.
Such is the favor I will grant to you, and you shall pay to me the penalty for my father.