§295ἡμεῖς δὲ συσταλέντες, ὡς θαμβούμενοι, §296σιγῇ καθήμεθʼ· ὃ δὲ χερὶ σπάσας ξίφος, §297μόσχους ὀρούσας ἐς μέσας λέων ὅπως, §298παίει σιδήρῳ λαγόνας ἐς πλευράς θʼ ἱείς, §299δοκῶν Ἐρινῦς θεὰς ἀμύνεσθαι τάδε, §300ὡς αἱματηρὸν πέλαγος ἐξανθεῖν ἁλός.
And we, shrinking back as though in terror, sat in silence; but he, drawing his sword with his hand, rushing like a lion into the midst of the calves, struck with the iron, aiming at their flanks and ribs, thinking that he was thus warding off the goddess Furies, so that the sea-brine bloomed with a bloody wave.
§301κἀν τῷδε πᾶς τις, ὡς ὁρᾷ βουφόρβια §302πίπτοντα καὶ πορθούμενʼ, ἐξωπλίζετο, §303κόχλους τε φυσῶν συλλέγων τʼ ἐγχωρίους· §304πρὸς εὐτραφεῖς γὰρ καὶ νεανίας ξένους §305φαύλους μάχεσθαι βουκόλους ἡγούμεθα.
And at this, everyone, as he saw the cattle falling and being plundered, began to arm himself, blowing horns and gathering the local inhabitants; for against well-fed and youthful strangers, we thought that we, mere herdsmen, were poor fighters.
§306πολλοὶ δʼ ἐπληρώθημεν ἐν μακρῷ χρόνῳ.
And in a long time we were filled in great numbers.
And the stranger fell, releasing the fit of madness, dripping foam from his chin.
And when we saw him fallen so opportunely, every man took up the task of throwing and striking.
ἅτερος δὲ τοῖν ξένοιν §311ἀφρόν τʼ ἀπέψη σώματός τʼ ἐτημέλει §312πέπλων τε προυκάλυπτεν εὐπήνους ὑφάς, §313καραδοκῶν μὲν τἀπιόντα τραύματα, §314φίλον δὲ θεραπείαισιν ἄνδρʼ εὐεργετῶν.
But the other of the two strangers wiped away the foam and tended to his body, and covered him with the well-woven texture of his robes, watching out for the incoming wounds, benefiting his friend with caring services.
§315ἔμφρων δʼ ἀνᾴξας ὁ ξένος πεσήματος §316ἔγνω κλύδωνα πολεμίων προσκείμενον §317καὶ τὴν παροῦσαν συμφορὰν αὐτοῖν πέλας, §318ᾤμωξέ θʼ· ἡμεῖς δʼ οὐκ ἀνίεμεν πέτροις §319βάλλοντες, ἄλλος ἄλλοθεν προσκείμενοι.
But the stranger, recovering his senses, leaped up from his fall and recognized the wave of enemies pressing upon them and the present ruin close at hand for them both, and groaned; but we did not relent in throwing with stones, pressing upon them from every side.
§320οὗ δὴ τὸ δεινὸν παρακέλευσμʼ ἠκούσαμεν· §321Πυλάδη, θανούμεθʼ, ἀλλʼ ὅπως θανούμεθα §322κάλλισθʼ·
Whereupon we heard his dread encouragement: "Pylades, we shall die, but let us die in the most noble way!
ἕπου μοι, φάσγανον σπάσας χερί. — §323ὡς δʼ εἴδομεν δίπαλτα πολεμίων ξίφη, §324φυγῇ λεπαίας ἐξεπίμπλαμεν νάπας.
Follow me, drawing your sword in your hand!" And when we saw the double brandished swords of our foes, we filled the rocky glen in flight.
§325ἀλλʼ, εἰ φύγοι τις, ἅτεροι προσκείμενοι §326ἔβαλλον αὐτούς· εἰ δὲ τούσδʼ ὠσαίατο, §327αὖθις τὸ νῦν ὑπεῖκον ἤρασσεν πέτροις.
Yet, if one group fled, the others pressing on would pelt them; and if they drove these off, again those who had just yielded would strike them with stones.
But it was past belief: for out of thousands of hands, no one was fortunate enough to hit the goddess's victims.
§330μόλις δέ νιν τόλμῃ μὲν οὐ χειρούμεθα, §331κύκλῳ δὲ περιβαλόντες ἐξεκλέψαμεν §332πέτροισι χειρῶν φάσγανʼ, ἐς δὲ γῆν γόνυ §333καμάτῳ καθεῖσαν.
And with difficulty, not indeed by courage did we master them, but surrounding them in a circle, we struck the swords from their hands with stones, and they let down their knees to the ground with fatigue.
πρὸς δʼ ἄνακτα τῆσδε γῆς §334κομίζομέν νιν.
And to the ruler of this land we brought them.
ὃ δʼ ἐσιδὼν ὅσον τάχος §335ἐς χέρνιβάς τε καὶ σφαγεῖʼ ἔπεμπέ σοι.
And he, seeing them, as quickly as possible, sent them to you for the lustral waters and the sacrificial vessels.
§336ηὔχου δὲ τοιάδʼ, ὦ νεᾶνί, σοι ξένων §337σφάγια παρεῖναι· κἂν ἀναλίσκῃς ξένους §338τοιούσδε, τὸν σὸν Ἑλλὰς ἀποτείσει φόνον §339δίκας τίνουσα τῆς ἐν Αὐλίδι σφαγῆς.
And pray, O maiden, that such strangers may be present as victims for you; and if you consume such strangers, Greece will pay for your murder, paying the penalty for the slaughter in Aulis.
You have told amazing things of the madman, whoever he is, who has come from the land of Greece to the inhospitable sea.
§342εἶἑν· σὺ μὲν κόμιζε τοὺς ξένους μολών, §343τὰ δʼ ἐνθάδʼ ἡμεῖς ὅσια φροντιούμεθα — §344ὦ καρδία τάλαινα, πρὶν μὲν ἐς ξένους §345γαληνὸς ἦσθα καὶ φιλοικτίρμων ἀεί, §346ἐς θοὑμόφυλον ἀναμετρουμένη δάκρυ, §347Ἕλληνας ἄνδρας ἡνίκʼ ἐς χέρας λάβοις.
Well then; do you go and bring the strangers, and we shall take care of the holy rites here. — O wretched heart of mine, previously towards strangers you were always gentle and full of pity, measuring out a tear for those of your own race, whenever you received Greek men into your hands.
§348νῦν δʼ ἐξ ὀνείρων οἷσιν ἠγριώμεθα, §349δοκοῦσʼ Ὀρέστην μηκέθʼ ἥλιον βλέπειν, §350δύσνουν με λήψεσθʼ, οἵτινές ποθʼ ἥκετε.
But now, because of the dreams by which I have been made wild, thinking that Orestes no longer beholds the sun, you will find me ill-disposed, whoever you are who have come.
§351καὶ τοῦτʼ ἄρʼ ἦν ἀληθές, ᾐσθόμην, φίλαι· §352οἱ δυστυχεῖς γὰρ τοῖσι δυστυχεστέροις §353αὐτοὶ κακῶς πράξαντες οὐ φρονοῦσιν εὖ.
And this, then, was true, as I have realized, my friends: for the unfortunate, when they themselves fare badly, feel no goodwill towards those who are more unfortunate.
§354ἀλλʼ οὔτε πνεῦμα Διόθεν ἦλθε πώποτε, §355οὐ πορθμίς, ἥτις διὰ πέτρας Συμπληγάδας §356Ἑλένην ἀπήγαγʼ ἐνθάδʼ, ἥ μʼ ἀπώλεσεν, §357Μενέλεών θʼ, ἵνʼ αὐτοὺς ἀντετιμωρησάμην, §358τὴν ἐνθάδʼ Αὖλιν ἀντιθεῖσα τῆς ἐκεῖ, §359οὗ μʼ ὥστε μόσχον Δαναΐδαι χειρούμενοι §360ἔσφαζον, ἱερεὺς δʼ ἦν ὁ γεννήσας πατήρ.
But neither has a breeze from Zeus ever come, nor any vessel, which through the Symplegades rocks brought Helen here, who destroyed me, and Menelaus, so that I might have taken vengeance on them, opposing the Aulis here to the one there, where the Danai, mastering me like a calf, were slaughtering me, and the father who begot me was the priest.
§361οἴμοι — κακῶν γὰρ τῶν τότʼ οὐκ ἀμνημονῶ — §362ὅσας γενείου χεῖρας ἐξηκόντισα §363γονάτων τε τοῦ τεκόντος, ἐξαρτωμένη, §364λέγουσα τοιάδʼ· ὦ πάτερ, νυμφεύομαι §365νυμφεύματʼ αἰσχρὰ πρὸς σέθεν· μήτηρ δʼ ἐμὲ §366σέθεν κατακτείνοντος Ἀργεῖαί τε νῦν §367ὑμνοῦσιν ὑμεναίοισιν, αὐλεῖται δὲ πᾶν §368μέλαθρον· ἡμεῖς δʼ ὀλλύμεσθα πρὸς σέθεν.
Ah me — for I do not forget the evils of that time — how many times did I stretch out my hands to the chin and knees of him who begot me, clinging to him, saying such words: "O father, I am wedded to shameful nuptials by you; while my mother and the Argive women now celebrate me with hymeneal songs, and all the palace resounds with flutes; but I am being destroyed by you.
§369Ἅιδης Ἀχιλλεὺς ἦν ἄρʼ, οὐχ ὁ Πηλέως, §370ὅν μοι προσείσας πόσιν, ἐν ἁρμάτων ὄχοις §371ἐς αἱματηρὸν γάμον ἐπόρθμευσας δόλῳ.
Hades, then, was Achilles, not the son of Peleus, whom you held out to me as a husband, and in the chariot's car brought me to a bloody marriage by deceit.
§372ἐγὼ δὲ λεπτῶν ὄμμα διὰ καλυμμάτων §373ἔχουσʼ, ἀδελφόν τʼ οὐκ ἀνειλόμην χεροῖν, §374— ὃς νῦν ὄλωλεν — οὐ κασιγνήτῃ στόμα §375συνῆψʼ ὑπʼ αἰδοῦς, ὡς ἰοῦσʼ ἐς Πηλέως §376μέλαθρα· πολλὰ δʼ ἀπεθέμην ἀσπάσματα §377ἐς αὖθις, ὡς ἥξουσʼ ἐς Ἄργος αὖ πάλιν.
But I, keeping my eyes covered by thin veils, did not take up my brother in my hands, — who now is dead — nor did I press my lips to my sister's, out of shame, as if going to Peleus's halls; and I put off many greetings for hereafter, as if I would come back to Argos again.
§378ὦ τλῆμον, εἰ τέθνηκας, ἐξ οἵων καλῶν
O unhappy one, if you are dead, from what glorious fortunes..."