§1162τί φροιμιάζῃ νεοχμόν;
[Thoas]: Why do you make such an ominous prelude?
ἐξαύδα σαφῶς.
Speak out clearly.
§1163οὐ καθαρά μοι τὰ θύματʼ ἠγρεύσασθʼ, ἄναξ.
[Iphigenia]: O king, the victims you captured are not pure.
§1164τί τοὐκδιδάξαν τοῦτό σʼ;
[Thoas]: What taught you this?
ἢ δόξαν λέγεις;
Or do you speak of an opinion?
§1165βρέτας τὸ τῆς θεοῦ πάλιν ἕδρας ἀπεστράφη.
[Iphigenia]: The goddess' image turned back from its seat.
§1166αὐτόματον, ἤ νιν σεισμὸς ἔστρεψε χθονός;
[Thoas]: Of its own accord, or did an earthquake turn it?
§1167αὐτόματον· ὄψιν δʼ ὀμμάτων ξυνήρμοσεν.
[Iphigenia]: Of its own accord; and it closed its eyes.
§1168ἡ δʼ αἰτία τίς;
[Thoas]: And what is the cause?
ἦ τὸ τῶν ξένων μύσος;
Was it the impurity of the strangers?
§1169ἥδʼ, οὐδὲν ἄλλο· δεινὰ γὰρ δεδράκατον.
[Iphigenia]: That, and nothing else; for they have done a terrible deed.
§1170ἀλλʼ ἦ τινʼ ἔκανον βαρβάρων ἀκτῆς ἔπι;
[Thoas]: Did they slay someone of the barbarians on the shore?
§1171οἰκεῖον ἦλθον τὸν φόνον κεκτημένοι.
[Iphigenia]: They came possessing the guilt of slaying their own kin.
§1172τίνʼ;
[Thoas]: Whom?
εἰς ἔρον γὰρ τοῦ μαθεῖν πεπτώκαμεν.
For I have fallen into a desire to learn.
§1173μητέρα κατειργάσαντο κοινωνῷ ξίφει.
[Iphigenia]: They slew their mother with a shared sword.
§1174Ἄπολλον, οὐδʼ ἐν βαρβάροις ἔτλη τις ἄν.
[Thoas]: Apollo! Not even among barbarians would anyone dare that.
§1175πάσης διωγμοῖς ἠλάθησαν Ἑλλάδος.
[Iphigenia]: They were driven in flight from the whole of Greece.
§1176ἦ τῶνδʼ ἕκατι δῆτʼ ἄγαλμʼ ἔξω φέρεις;
[Thoas]: Is it for their sake indeed that you carry the image outside?
§1177σεμνόν γʼ ὑπʼ αἰθέρʼ, ὡς μεταστήσω φόνου.
[Iphigenia]: Under the sacred air, so that I may remove it from the blood-pollution.
§1178μίασμα δʼ ἔγνως τοῖν ξένοιν ποίῳ τρόπῳ;
[Thoas]: But in what way did you recognize the pollution of the two strangers?
§1179ἤλεγχον, ὡς θεᾶς βρέτας ἀπεστράφη πάλιν.
[Iphigenia]: I questioned them, when the goddess' image turned back.
§1180σοφήν σʼ ἔθρεψεν Ἑλλάς, ὡς ᾔσθου καλῶς.
[Thoas]: Greece bred you wise, since you perceived it so well.
§1181καὶ μὴν καθεῖσαν δέλεαρ ἡδύ μοι φρενῶν.
[Iphigenia]: And indeed they cast a sweet bait for my mind.
§1182τῶν Ἀργόθεν τι φίλτρον ἀγγέλλοντέ σοι;
[Thoas]: By announcing to you some charm from Argos?
§1183τὸν μόνον Ὀρέστην ἐμὸν ἀδελφὸν εὐτυχεῖν.
[Iphigenia]: That my only brother Orestes is faring well.
§1184ὡς δή σφε σῴσαις ἡδοναῖς ἀγγελμάτων.
[Thoas]: So that indeed you might save them because of the joy of their news.
§1185καὶ πατέρα γε ζῆν καὶ καλῶς πράσσειν ἐμόν.
[Iphigenia]: And also that my father is living and faring well.
§1186σὺ δʼ ἐς τὸ τῆς θεοῦ γʼ ἐξένευσας εἰκότως.
[Thoas]: But you, naturally, turned aside to the side of the goddess.
§1187πᾶσάν γε μισοῦσʼ Ἑλλάδʼ, ἥ μʼ ἀπώλεσεν.
[Iphigenia]: Yes, hating all of Greece, which destroyed me.
§1188τί δῆτα δρῶμεν, φράζε, τοῖν ξένοιν πέρι;
[Thoas]: What then should we do, tell me, concerning the two strangers?
§1189τὸν νόμον ἀνάγκη τὸν προκείμενον σέβειν.
[Iphigenia]: It is necessary to respect the established law.
§1190οὔκουν ἐν ἔργῳ χέρνιβες ξίφος τε σόν;
[Thoas]: Are not then the lustral waters and your sword ready for action?
§1191ἁγνοῖς καθαρμοῖς πρῶτά νιν νίψαι θέλω.
[Iphigenia]: I wish to wash them first with holy purifications.
§1192πηγαῖσιν ὑδάτων ἢ θαλασσίᾳ δρόσῳ;
[Thoas]: With spring waters or with the sea's spray?
§1193θάλασσα κλύζει πάντα τἀνθρώπων κακά.
[Iphigenia]: The sea washes away all the evils of men.
§1194ὁσιώτερον γοῦν τῇ θεῷ πέσοιεν ἄν.
[Thoas]: At any rate, they would fall as more holy victims for the goddess.
§1195καὶ τἀμά γʼ οὕτω μᾶλλον ἂν καλῶς ἔχοι.
[Iphigenia]: And my own affairs would also turn out better this way.
§1196οὔκουν πρὸς αὐτὸν ναὸν ἐκπίπτει κλύδων;
[Thoas]: Does not the surf break right against the temple itself?
§1197ἐρημίας δεῖ· καὶ γὰρ ἄλλα δράσομεν.
[Iphigenia]: There is need of solitude; for we shall perform other deeds as well.
§1198ἄγʼ ἔνθα χρῄζεις· οὐ φιλῶ τἄρρηθʼ ὁρᾶν.
[Thoas]: Lead them where you wish; I do not like to look upon forbidden things.
§1199ἁγνιστέον μοι καὶ τὸ τῆς θεοῦ βρέτας.
[Iphigenia]: I must also purify the goddess' image.
§1200εἴπερ γε κηλὶς ἔβαλέ νιν μητροκτόνος.
[Thoas]: If indeed the pollution of matricide has struck it.
§1201οὐ γάρ ποτʼ ἄν νιν ἠράμην βάθρων ἄπο.
[Iphigenia]: For otherwise I would never have lifted it from its pedestal.
§1202δίκαιος ηὑσέβεια καὶ προμηθία.
[Thoas]: Your piety and foresight are just.
§1203οἶσθά νυν ἅ μοι γενέσθω;
[Iphigenia]: Do you know, then, what must be done for me?
§1203bσὸν τὸ σημαίνειν τόδε.
[Thoas]: It is your task to declare this.
§1204δεσμὰ τοῖς ξένοισι πρόσθες.
[Iphigenia]: Bind the strangers with bonds.
§1204bποῖ δέ σʼ ἐκφύγοιεν ἄν;
[Thoas]: And where could they escape from you?
§1205πιστὸν Ἑλλὰς οἶδεν οὐδέν.
[Iphigenia]: Greece knows nothing trustworthy.
§1205bἴτʼ ἐπὶ δεσμά, πρόσπολοι.
[Thoas]: Go and bind them, servants.
[Iphigenia]: And let them bring the strangers out here— [Thoas]: This shall be done.
§1207κρᾶτα κρύψαντες πέπλοισιν.
[Iphigenia]: —having covered their heads with robes.
§1207bἡλίου πρόσθεν φλογός.
[Thoas]: Before the light of the sun.
§1208σῶν τέ μοι σύμπεμπʼ ὀπαδῶν.
[Iphigenia]: And send some of your attendants with me.
§1208bοἵδʼ ὁμαρτήσουσί σοι.
[Thoas]: These men will accompany you.
[Iphigenia]: And send someone to the city, who will signal— [Thoas]: What kind of fortune?
§1210ἐν δόμοις μίμνειν ἅπαντας.
[Iphigenia]: —that everyone remain in their houses.
§1210bμὴ συναντῷεν φόνῳ;
[Thoas]: Lest they meet with the murder-pollution?
§1211μυσαρὰ γὰρ τὰ τοιάδʼ ἐστί.
[Iphigenia]: Yes, for such things are defiling.
[Thoas]: Go and make the signal, you— [Iphigenia]: —that no one approach into sight.
§1212bεὖ γε κηδεύεις πόλιν.
[Thoas]: Excellently do you care for the city.
§1213καὶ φίλων γʼ οὓς δεῖ μάλιστα.
[Iphigenia]: And my friends, whom I must care for most of all.
§1213bτοῦτʼ ἔλεξας εἰς ἐμέ.
[Thoas]: You spoke this with reference to me.
§1214bὡς εἰκότως σε πᾶσα θαυμάζει πόλις.
[Thoas]: Naturally does the whole city admire you.
[Iphigenia]: And you, remaining there before the temple for the goddess— [Thoas]: What should I do?
§1216ἅγνισον πυρσῷ μέλαθρον.
[Iphigenia]: —purify the palace with a torch.
§1216bκαθαρὸν ὡς μόλῃς πάλιν.
[Thoas]: So that it may be clean when you return.
[Iphigenia]: And when the strangers go forth outside— [Thoas]: What must I do?
§1218πέπλον ὀμμάτων προθέσθαι.
[Iphigenia]: —hold a robe before your eyes.
§1218bμὴ παλαμναῖον λάβω.
[Thoas]: Lest I receive the pollution of murder.
[Iphigenia]: And if I seem to linger too long— [Thoas]: What is the limit of this for me?
§1220θαυμάσῃς μηδέν.
[Iphigenia]: —do not wonder at all.
§1220bτὰ τῆς θεοῦ πρᾶσσʼ — ἐπεὶ σχολή — καλῶς.
[Thoas]: Perform the goddess' rites well—since there is time.
§1221εἰ γὰρ ὡς θέλω καθαρμὸς ὅδε πέσοι.
[Iphigenia]: May this purification turn out as I wish!
§1221bσυνεύχομαι.
[Thoas]: I join in your prayer.
§1222τούσδʼ ἄρʼ ἐκβαίνοντας ἤδη δωμάτων ὁρῶ ξένους §1223καὶ θεᾶς κόσμους νεογνούς τʼ ἄρνας, ὡς φόνῳ φόνον §1224μυσαρὸν ἐκνίψω, σέλας τε λαμπάδων τά τʼ ἄλλʼ ὅσα §1225προυθέμην ἐγὼ ξένοισι καὶ θεᾷ καθάρσια.
[Iphigenia]: And now I see the strangers coming out of the temple, and the goddess' ornaments, and newborn lambs, so that with blood I may wash away the defiling blood, and the brightness of torches, and whatever other purifications I prescribed for the strangers and the goddess.
§1226ἐκποδὼν δʼ αὐδῶ πολίταις τοῦδʼ ἔχειν μιάσματος, §1227εἴ τις ἢ ναῶν πυλωρὸς χεῖρας ἁγνεύει θεοῖς §1228ἢ γάμον στείχει συνάψων ἢ τόκοις βαρύνεται, §1229φεύγετʼ, ἐξίστασθε, μή τῳ προσπέσῃ μύσος τόδε.
And I bid the citizens to keep out of the way of this pollution, whether one is a temple gatekeeper keeping hands pure for the gods, or one who goes to join in marriage, or is heavy with childbirth, flee, stand aside, lest this pollution fall upon anyone.