§904λήξαντα δʼ οἴκτων κἀπʼ ἐκεῖνʼ ἐλθεῖν χρεών, §905ὅπως τὸ κλεινὸν ὄνομα τῆς σωτηρίας §906λαβόντες ἐκ γῆς βησόμεσθα βαρβάρου.
[Pylades]: It is necessary to cease from lamentations and go to that, how, having obtained the glorious name of safety, we shall go out of this barbarian land.
For this is the way of wise men: not departing from fortune, when they have seized opportunity, to obtain other pleasures.
§909καλῶς ἔλεξας·
[Orestes]: You speak well.
τῇ τύχῃ δʼ οἶμαι μέλειν §910τοῦδε ξὺν ἡμῖν· ἢν δέ τις πρόθυμος ᾖ, §911σθένειν τὸ θεῖον μᾶλλον εἰκότως ἔχει.
But I think fortune cares for this together with us; and if someone is eager, the divine power is reasonably more strong.
§912μηδέν μʼ ἐπίσχῃ γʼ· οὐδʼ ἀποστήσει λόγου, §913πρῶτον πυθέσθαι τίνα ποτʼ Ἠλέκτρα πότμον §914εἴληχε βιότου· φίλα γὰρ ἔστε πάντʼ ἐμοί.
[Iphigenia]: Nothing shall hold me back, nor turn me from the speech, to ask first what fate of life Electra has received; for all things regarding them are dear to me.
§915τῷδε ξυνοικεῖ βίον ἔχουσʼ εὐδαίμονα.
[Orestes]: She dwells with this man, having a happy life.
§916οὗτος δὲ ποδαπὸς καὶ τίνος πέφυκε παῖς;
[Iphigenia]: From what land is this man, and of whom is he born a son?
§917Στρόφιος ὁ Φωκεὺς τοῦδε κλῄζεται πατήρ.
[Orestes]: Strophius the Phocian is called his father.
§918ὁ δʼ ἐστί γʼ Ἀτρέως θυγατρός, ὁμογενὴς ἐμός;
[Iphigenia]: Is he then the son of Atreus' daughter, a kinsman of mine?
§919ἀνεψιός γε, μόνος ἐμοὶ σαφὴς φίλος.
[Orestes]: Yes, a cousin, and my only true friend.
§920οὐκ ἦν τόθʼ οὗτος ὅτε πατὴρ ἔκτεινέ με.
[Iphigenia]: This man was not yet born when our father slew me.
§921οὐκ ἦν· χρόνον γὰρ Στρόφιος ἦν ἄπαις τινά.
[Orestes]: He was not; for Strophius was childless for some time.
§922χαῖρʼ ὦ πόσις μοι τῆς ἐμῆς ὁμοσπόρου.
[Iphigenia]: Greetings, O husband of my sister.
§923κἀμός γε σωτήρ, οὐχὶ συγγενὴς μόνον.
[Orestes]: And my savior too, not just a kinsman.
§924τὰ δεινὰ δʼ ἔργα πῶς ἔτλης μητρὸς πέρι;
[Iphigenia]: But how did you dare that terrible deed concerning our mother?
§925σιγῶμεν αὐτά· πατρὶ τιμωρῶν ἐμῷ.
[Orestes]: Let us keep silent about it; I did it to avenge my father.
§926ἡ δʼ αἰτία τίς ἀνθʼ ὅτου κτείνει πόσιν;
[Iphigenia]: And what was the cause for which she slew her husband?
§927ἔα τὰ μητρός· οὐδὲ σοὶ κλύειν καλόν.
[Orestes]: Leave the matters of our mother; it is not good even for you to hear.
§928σιγῶ·
[Iphigenia]: I am silent.
τὸ δʼ Ἄργος πρὸς σὲ νῦν ἀποβλέπει;
But does Argos now look to you?
§929Μενέλαος ἄρχει· φυγάδες ἐσμὲν ἐκ πάτρας.
[Orestes]: Menelaus rules; we are exiles from our fatherland.
§930οὔ που νοσοῦντας θεῖος ὕβρισεν δόμους;
[Iphigenia]: Surely our uncle did not outrage our ailing house?
§931οὔκ, ἀλλʼ Ἐρινύων δεῖμά μʼ ἐκβάλλει χθονός.
[Orestes]: No, but the terror of the Erinyes drives me out of the land.
§932ταῦτʼ ἆρʼ ἐπʼ ἀκταῖς κἀνθάδʼ ἠγγέλης μανείς;
[Iphigenia]: Is this why you were reported as being mad on the shores here?
§933ὤφθημεν οὐ νῦν πρῶτον ὄντες ἄθλιοι.
[Orestes]: We were seen being wretched, and not for the first time now.
§934ἔγνωκα· μητρός σʼ οὕνεκʼ ἠλάστρουν θεαί.
[Iphigenia]: I understand; it was on account of our mother that the goddesses pursued you.
§935ὥσθʼ αἱματηρὰ στόμιʼ ἐπεμβαλεῖν ἐμοί.
[Orestes]: So as to cast bloody bits upon me.
§936τί γάρ ποτʼ ἐς γῆν τήνδʼ ἐπόρθμευσας πόδα;
[Iphigenia]: Why then did you ever voyage with your foot to this land?
§937Φοίβου κελευσθεὶς θεσφάτοις ἀφικόμην.
[Orestes]: Commanded by the oracles of Phoebus, I arrived.
§938τί χρῆμα δράσειν;
[Iphigenia]: To do what?
ῥητὸν ἢ σιγώμενον;
Is it to be spoken, or kept silent?
§939λέγοιμʼ ἄν· ἀρχαὶ δʼ αἵδε μοι πολλῶν πόνων.
[Orestes]: I would speak; and this is the beginning of many troubles for me.
§940ἐπεὶ τὰ μητρὸς ταῦθʼ ἃ σιγῶμεν κακὰ §941ἐς χεῖρας ἦλθε, μεταδρομαῖς Ἐρινύων §942ἠλαυνόμεσθα φυγάδες, ἔνθεν μοι πόδα §943ἐς τὰς Ἀθήνας δῆτʼ ἔπεμψε Λοξίας,
When those evils of my mother, which we keep silent about, came into my hands, by the pursuits of the Erinyes we were driven as exiles, and from there Loxias sent my foot to Athens, to submit to judgment by the nameless goddesses.
§944δίκην παρασχεῖν ταῖς ἀνωνύμοις θεαῖς. §945ἔστιν γὰρ ὁσία ψῆφος, ἣν Ἄρει ποτὲ §946Ζεὺς εἵσατʼ ἔκ του δὴ χερῶν μιάσματος.
For there is a holy vote, which once for Ares Zeus established because of some defilement of hands.
And when I went there, at first none of the hosts willingly received me, as one hated by the gods.
§949οἳ δʼ ἔσχον αἰδῶ, ξένια μονοτράπεζά μοι §950παρέσχον, οἴκων ὄντες ἐν ταὐτῷ στέγει, §951σιγῇ δʼ ἐτεκτήναντʼ ἀπόφθεγκτόν μʼ, ὅπως §952δαιτὸς γενοίμην πώματός τʼ αὐτοῖς δίχα, §953ἐς δʼ ἄγγος ἴδιον ἴσον ἅπασι βακχίου §954μέτρημα πληρώσαντες εἶχον ἡδονήν.
But those who had respect, provided for me separate tables of hospitality, though being under the same roof of the house, and in silence they contrived me to be speechless, so that I might be apart from them in food and drink, and filling into a private vessel an equal measure of wine for all, they had their pleasure.
§955κἀγὼ ʼξελέγξαι μὲν ξένους οὐκ ἠξίουν, §956ἤλγουν δὲ σιγῇ κἀδόκουν οὐκ εἰδέναι, §957μέγα στενάζων οὕνεκʼ ἦ μητρὸς φονεύς.
And I did not think fit to accuse my hosts, but I grieved in silence and pretended not to know, groaning deeply because I was indeed my mother’s murderer.
§958κλύω δʼ Ἀθηναίοισι τἀμὰ δυστυχῆ §959τελετὴν γενέσθαι, κἄτι τὸν νόμον μένειν, §960χοῆρες ἄγγος Παλλάδος τιμᾶν λεών.
And I hear that my misfortunes have become for the Athenians a ritual, and that the custom still remains, for the people of Pallas to honor the vessel of the libation-feast.
§961ὡς δʼ εἰς Ἄρειον ὄχθον ἧκον, ἐς δίκην §962ἔστην, ἐγὼ μὲν θάτερον λαβὼν βάθρον, §963τὸ δʼ ἄλλο πρέσβειρʼ ἥπερ ἦν Ἐρινύων.
But when I came to the Areopagus hill, and stood for judgment, I taking one of the platforms, and the other was held by the eldest of the Erinyes.
§964εἰπὼν δʼ ἀκούσας θʼ αἵματος μητρὸς πέρι, §965Φοῖβός μʼ ἔσῳσε μαρτυρῶν, ἴσας δέ μοι §966ψήφους διηρίθμησε Παλλὰς ὠλένῃ·
And having spoken and heard concerning my mother's blood, Phoebus saved me by bearing witness, and Pallas numbered equal votes for me with her arm.
§967νικῶν δʼ ἀπῆρα φόνια πειρατήρια.
And winning, I departed from the bloody trial.
Now as many of them as sat down, persuaded by the judgment, resolved to have a sanctuary near the court itself.
§970ὅσαι δʼ Ἐρινύων οὐκ ἐπείσθησαν νόμῳ, §971δρόμοις ἀνιδρύτοισιν ἠλάστρουν μʼ ἀεί, §972ἕως ἐς ἁγνὸν ἦλθον αὖ Φοίβου πέδον,
But as many of the Erinyes as were not persuaded by the law, ever pursued me with unresting flights, until I came again to the holy ground of Phoebus.
§973καὶ πρόσθεν ἀδύτων ἐκταθείς, νῆστις βορᾶς, §974ἐπώμοσʼ αὐτοῦ βίον ἀπορρήξειν θανών, §975εἰ μή με σώσει Φοῖβος, ὅς μʼ ἀπώλεσεν.
And stretched out before the inner shrine, fasting from food, I swore on oath that I would break my life and die right there, unless Phoebus, who ruined me, would save me.
§976ἐντεῦθεν αὐδὴν τρίποδος ἐκ χρυσοῦ λακὼν §977Φοῖβός μʼ ἔπεμψε δεῦρο, διοπετὲς λαβεῖν §978ἄγαλμʼ Ἀθηνῶν τʼ ἐγκαθιδρῦσαι χθονί.
Then Phoebus, uttering a voice from the golden tripod, sent me hither, to take the image fallen from heaven and to establish it in the land of Athens.
But that safety which he ordained for us, help me accomplish.