[Pylades]: Indeed, there is, there is, even excessive misfortune that brings great changes, when it so happens.
[Orestes]: Silence; for the words of Phoebus profit me nothing; for this woman is coming out of the temple.
[Iphigenia]: Go away, you, and going within, prepare the things inside for those who preside over the slaughter.
Here, strangers, are the many-leaved folds of the tablet; but hear what I wish in addition to these.
No man is the same when in distress and when he falls from fear into confidence.
§731ἐγὼ δὲ ταρβῶ μὴ ἀπονοστήσας χθονὸς §732θῆται παρʼ οὐδὲν τὰς ἐμὰς ἐπιστολὰς §733ὁ τήνδε μέλλων δέλτον εἰς Ἄργος φέρειν.
But I am afraid lest, having departed from this land, he who is to carry this tablet to Argos should set at naught my letters.
§734τί δῆτα βούλῃ;
[Orestes]: What then do you wish?
τίνος ἀμηχανεῖς πέρι;
About what are you at a loss?
[Iphigenia]: Let him give me an oath to convey these writings to Argos, to those of my friends to whom I wish to send them.
§737ἦ κἀντιδώσεις τῷδε τοὺς αὐτοὺς λόγους;
[Orestes]: Will you also in return give him the same words?
§738τί χρῆμα δράσειν ἢ τί μὴ δράσειν;
[Iphigenia]: To do what thing or not to do what thing?
λέγε.
Speak.
§739ἐκ γῆς ἀφήσειν μὴ θανόντα βαρβάρου.
[Orestes]: To send him away from this barbarian land, not dying.
§740δίκαιον εἶπας· πῶς γὰρ ἀγγείλειεν ἄν;
[Iphigenia]: You speak justly; for how else could he report it?
§741ἦ καὶ τύραννος ταῦτα συγχωρήσεται;
[Orestes]: Will the ruler also agree to these things?
[Iphigenia]: Yes; I will persuade him, and myself embark him on the hull of the ship.
§743ὄμνυ· σὺ δʼ ἔξαρχʼ ὅρκον ὅστις εὐσεβής.
[Orestes]: Swear; and do you lead the oath which is pious.
[Iphigenia]: You must say: "I will give this to your friends." [Pylades]: I will deliver these writings to your friends.
§746κἀγὼ σὲ σώσω κυανέας ἔξω πέτρας.
[Iphigenia]: And I will save you outside the dark blue rocks.
§747τίνʼ οὖν ἐπόμνυς τοισίδʼ ὅρκιον θεῶν;
[Pylades]: Which of the gods then do you swear by for these things as an oath?
§748Ἄρτεμιν, ἐν ἧσπερ δώμασιν τιμὰς ἔχω.
[Iphigenia]: Artemis, in whose temple indeed I hold honors.
§749ἐγὼ δʼ ἄνακτά γʼ οὐρανοῦ, σεμνὸν Δία.
[Pylades]: And I swear by the lord of heaven, solemn Zeus.
§750εἰ δʼ ἐκλιπὼν τὸν ὅρκον ἀδικοίης ἐμέ;
[Iphigenia]: And what if, leaving the oath, you should wrong me?
§751ἄνοστος εἴην· τί δὲ σύ, μὴ σῴσασά με;
[Pylades]: May I have no return; but what of you, if you do not save me?
§752μήποτε κατʼ Ἄργος ζῶσʼ ἴχνος θείην ποδός.
[Iphigenia]: May I never set my footstep living in Argos.
§753ἄκουε δή νυν ὃν παρήλθομεν λόγον.
[Pylades]: Listen now to the point which we passed over.
§754ἀλλʼ αὖθις ἔσται καινός, ἢν καλῶς ἔχῃ.
[Iphigenia]: But it will be a new one again, if it is well.
§755ἐξαίρετόν μοι δὸς τόδʼ, ἤν τι ναῦς πάθῃ, §756χἡ δέλτος ἐν κλύδωνι χρημάτων μέτα §757ἀφανὴς γένηται, σῶμα δʼ ἐκσῴσω μόνον, §758τὸν ὅρκον εἶναι τόνδε μηκέτʼ ἔμπεδον.
[Pylades]: Give me this exception: if the ship should suffer anything, and the tablet should disappear in the surge along with the cargo, and I save only my body, that this oath is no longer binding.
§759ἀλλʼ οἶσθʼ ὃ δράσω;
[Iphigenia]: But do you know what I will do?
πολλὰ γὰρ πολλῶν κυρεῖ·
For many things turn out in many ways.
I will tell you in words all that is inside and written in the folds of the tablet, for you to report to my friends.
§762ἐν ἀσφαλεῖ γάρ· ἢν μὲν ἐκσῴσῃς γραφήν, §763αὐτὴν φράσει σιγῶσα τἀγγεγραμμένα· §764ἢν δʼ ἐν θαλάσσῃ γράμματʼ ἀφανισθῇ τάδε, §765τὸ σῶμα σῴσας τοὺς λόγους σῴσεις ἐμοί.
For that is safe: if you save the writing, it will itself silently tell what is written; but if these letters disappear in the sea, by saving your body you will save my words.
§766καλῶς ἔλεξας τῶν θεῶν ἐμοῦ θʼ ὕπερ.
[Pylades]: You have spoken well for the gods' sake and mine.
Indicate to whom I must carry these letters to Argos, and what I must say having heard it from you.
§769ἄγγελλʼ Ὀρέστῃ, παιδὶ τῷ Ἀγαμέμνονος· §770Ἡ ʼν Αὐλίδι σφαγεῖσʼ ἐπιστέλλει τάδε §771ζῶσʼ Ἰφιγένεια, τοῖς ἐκεῖ δʼ οὐ ζῶσʼ ἔτι — §772ποῦ δʼ ἔστʼ ἐκείνη;
[Iphigenia]: Report to Orestes, the son of Agamemnon: "She who was slaughtered in Aulis sends this message, Iphigenia, still living, though to those there she is no longer alive—" [Orestes]: And where is she?
κατθανοῦσʼ ἥκει πάλιν;
Has she come back after dying?
§773ἥδʼ ἣν ὁρᾷς σύ· μὴ λόγοις ἔκπλησσέ με.
[Iphigenia]: This is she whom you see; do not distract me with words.
§774Κόμισαί μʼ ἐς Ἄργος, ὦ σύναιμε, πρὶν θανεῖν, §775ἐκ βαρβάρου γῆς καὶ μετάστησον θεᾶς §776σφαγίων, ἐφʼ οἷσι ξενοφόνους τιμὰς ἔχω. §777Πυλάδη, τί λέξω; ποῦ ποτʼ ὄνθʼ ηὑρήμεθα;
"Convey me to Argos, O my brother, before I die, from this barbarian land, and remove me from the sacrifice of the goddess, in which I hold the office of killing strangers." [Orestes]: Pylades, what shall I say? Where in the world are we found to be?
[Iphigenia]: "Or I shall become a curse to your house, Orestes—" so that you may learn, hearing the name twice again.
§780ὦ θεοί.
[Orestes]: O gods!
§780bτί τοὺς θεοὺς ἀνακαλεῖς ἐν τοῖς ἐμοῖς;
[Iphigenia]: Why do you call upon the gods during my words?
§781οὐδέν· πέραινε δʼ· ἐξέβην γὰρ ἄλλοσε.
[Orestes]: Nothing; but continue; for my mind wandered elsewhere.
§782τάχʼ οὐκ ἐρωτῶν σʼ εἰς ἄπιστʼ ἀφίξομαι.
Perhaps without questioning you I shall arrive at things past belief.
§783λέγʼ οὕνεκʼ ἔλαφον ἀντιδοῦσά μου θεὰ §784Ἄρτεμις ἔσῳσέ μʼ, ἣν ἔθυσʼ ἐμὸς πατήρ, §785δοκῶν ἐς ἡμᾶς ὀξὺ φάσγανον βαλεῖν, §786ἐς τήνδε δʼ ᾤκισʼ αἶαν. αἵδʼ ἐπιστολαί, §787τάδʼ ἐστὶ τἀν δέλτοισιν ἐγγεγραμμένα.
[Iphigenia]: "Say that the goddess Artemis saved me, offering a stag in exchange for me, whom my father sacrificed, thinking he plunged the sharp sword into me, and she settled me in this land." These are the letters, these are the things written in the tablet.
§788ὦ ῥᾳδίοις ὅρκοισι περιβαλοῦσά με, §789κάλλιστα δʼ ὀμόσασʼ, οὐ πολὺν σχήσω χρόνον, §790τὸν δʼ ὅρκον ὃν κατώμοσʼ ἐμπεδώσομεν.
[Pylades]: O you who have bound me with easy oaths, and have sworn most beautifully, I will not delay long, but we will make firm the oath which I swore.
Behold, Orestes, I bring and deliver to you the tablet from this sister of yours.
[Orestes]: I accept it; and letting pass the folds of the letters, I will first take my pleasure not in words.
§795ὦ φιλτάτη μοι σύγγονʼ, ἐκπεπληγμένος §796ὅμως σʼ ἀπίστῳ περιβαλὼν βραχίονι §797ἐς τέρψιν εἶμι, πυθόμενος θαυμάστʼ ἐμοί.
O dearest sister, though astounded, yet throwing my arm around you in disbelief, I will go to my joy, having heard things wonderful to me.
§798ξένʼ, οὐ δικαίως τῆς θεοῦ τὴν πρόσπολον
[Chorus]: Stranger, not justly do you touch the servant of the goddess