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Euripides · The Phoenician Women §543-613

Jocasta's Praise of Equality and the Brothers' Rupture

Passage 7 of 20 · Greek

Summary

Jocasta advises Eteocles on the importance of equality and moderation, and warns Polyneices of the folly of attacking his own homeland, but the two brothers reject reconciliation and, after a fierce verbal dispute, reach a ruinous rupture.

§543νυκτός τʼ ἀφεγγὲς βλέφαρον ἡλίου τε φῶς §544ἴσον βαδίζει τὸν ἐνιαύσιον κύκλον, §545κοὐδέτερον αὐτῶν φθόνον ἔχει νικώμενον.
Jocasta: And the lightless eye of night and the sun's light pace equally the year's cycle, and neither of them has envy when defeated.
§546εἶθʼ ἥλιος μὲν νύξ τε δουλεύει βροτοῖς §547σὺ δʼ οὐκ ἀνέξῃ δωμάτων ἔχων ἴσον §548καὶ τῷδε νεῖμαι;
Then, while the sun and night serve mortals, will you not endure to hold an equal share of the house and allot it to him?
κᾆτα ποῦ ʼστιν ἡ δίκη;
And then, where is justice?
§549τί τὴν τυραννίδʼ, ἀδικίαν εὐδαίμονα, §550τιμᾷς ὑπέρφευ καὶ μέγʼ ἥγησαι τόδε;
Why do you honor tyranny, a prosperous injustice, excessively, and think this a great thing?
§551περιβλέπεσθαι τίμιον;
Is it honorable to be gazed at?
κενὸν μὲν οὖν.
Nay, it is empty.
§552ἢ πολλὰ μοχθεῖν πόλλʼ ἔχων ἐν δώμασι §553βούλῃ;
Or do you wish to labor much, having much in your house?
τί δʼ ἔστι τὸ πλέον;
What is this "more"?
ὄνομʼ ἔχει μόνον· §554ἐπεὶ τά γʼ ἀρκοῦνθʼ ἱκανὰ τοῖς γε σώφροσιν.
It has a name only; since what is enough is sufficient for the wise.
§555οὔτοι τὰ χρήματʼ ἴδια κέκτηνται βροτοί, §556τὰ τῶν θεῶν δʼ ἔχοντες ἐπιμελούμεθα· §557ὅταν δὲ χρῄζωσʼ, αὔτʼ ἀφαιροῦνται πάλιν.
Indeed, mortals do not possess riches as their own, but we care for what belongs to the gods, holding them; and whenever they wish, they take them away again.
§559ἄγʼ, ἤν σʼ ἔρωμαι δύο λόγω προθεῖσʼ ἅμα, §560πότερα τυραννεῖν ἢ πόλιν σῷσαι θέλεις, §561ἐρεῖς τυραννεῖν;
Come, if I ask you, putting forward two propositions at once, whether you wish to rule as a tyrant or to save the city, will you say to rule as a tyrant?
ἢν δὲ νικήσῃ σʼ ὅδε;
And what if this man defeats you?
§563ὄψῃ δαμασθὲν ἄστυ Θηβαῖον τόδε, §564ὄψῃ δὲ πολλὰς αἰχμαλωτίδας κόρας §565βίᾳ πρὸς ἀνδρῶν πολεμίων πορθουμένας.
You will see this Theban city subdued, and you will see many captive maidens ravished by force by enemy men.
§566ὀδυνηρὸς ἆρʼ ὁ πλοῦτος, ὃν ζητεῖς ἔχειν, §567γενήσεται Θήβαισι, φιλότιμος δὲ σύ.
Then the wealth which you seek to hold will become painful to Thebes, and you will be a man of ambition.
§568σοὶ μὲν τάδʼ αὐδῶ.
To you indeed I say these things.
σοὶ δέ, Πολύνεικες, λέγω· §569ἀμαθεῖς Ἄδραστος χάριτας ἔς σʼ ἀνήψατο, §570ἀσύνετα δʼ ἦλθες καὶ σὺ πορθήσων πόλιν.
But to you, Polyneices, I speak: Adrastus bestowed foolish favors upon you, and you too have come foolishly to ravage the city.
§571φέρʼ, ἢν ἕλῃς γῆν τήνδʼ — ὃ μὴ τύχοι ποτέ — §572πρὸς θεῶν, τρόπαια πῶς ἀναστήσεις Διί;
Come, if you conquer this land — which may it never happen — by the gods, how will you erect trophies to Zeus?
§573πῶς δʼ αὖ κατάρξῃ θυμάτων, ἑλὼν πάτραν, §574καὶ σκῦλα γράψεις πῶς ἐπʼ Ἰνάχου ῥοαῖς;
And how in turn will you begin the sacrifices, having conquered your fatherland, and how will you inscribe the spoils by the streams of Inachus?
§575Θήβας πυρώσας τάσδε Πολυνείκης θεοῖς §576ἀσπίδας ἔθηκε;
"Having burned this Thebes, Polyneices dedicated these shields to the gods"?
μήποτʼ, ὦ τέκνον, κλέος §577τοιόνδε σοι γένοιθʼ ὑφʼ Ἑλλήνων λαβεῖν.
Never, my child, may fame such as this be yours to receive from the Greeks.
§578ἢν δʼ αὖ κρατηθῇς καὶ τὰ τοῦδʼ ὑπερδράμῃ, §579πῶς Ἄργος ἥξεις μυρίους λιπὼν νεκρούς;
But if on the other hand you are defeated, and this man's forces prevail, how will you return to Argos, leaving behind countless dead?
§580ἐρεῖ δὲ δή τις· ὦ κακὰ μνηστεύματα §581Ἄδραστε προσθείς, διὰ μιᾶς νύμφης γάμον §582ἀπωλόμεσθα. δύο κακὼ σπεύδεις, τέκνον, §583κείνων στέρεσθαι τῶνδέ τʼ ἐν μέσῳ πεσεῖν.
And indeed someone will say: "Adrastus, by contracting an evil marriage, through the wedding of a single bride we have perished." You are hastening toward two evils, child: to be deprived of those things and to fall in the midst of these.
§584μέθετον τὸ λίαν, μέθετον·
Let go of excess, both of you, let go of it!
ἀμαθία δυοῖν, §585ἐς ταὔθʼ ὅταν μόλητον, ἔχθιστον κακόν.
The ignorance of two, when they meet in the same place, is the most hateful of evils.
§586ὦ θεοί, γένοισθε τῶνδʼ ἀπότροποι κακῶν §587καὶ ξύμβασίν τινʼ Οἰδίπου τέκνοις δότε.
Chorus: Oh gods, become averters of these evils, and grant some reconciliation to the children of Oedipus.
§588μῆτερ, οὐ λόγων ἔθʼ ἁγών, ἀλλʼ ἀναλοῦται χρόνος §589οὑν μέσῳ μάτην, περαίνει δʼ οὐδὲν ἡ προθυμία·
Eteocles: Mother, the contest is no longer one of words, but the intervening time is wasted in vain, and our eagerness accomplishes nothing.
§590οὐ γὰρ ἂν ξυμβαῖμεν ἄλλως ἢ ʼπὶ τοῖς εἰρημένοις, §591ὥστʼ ἐμὲ σκήπτρων κρατοῦντα τῆσδʼ ἄνακτʼ εἶναι χθονός· §592τῶν μακρῶν δʼ ἀπαλλαγεῖσα νουθετημάτων μʼ ἔα.
For we would not agree otherwise than on the terms already stated, so that I, holding the scepters, should be king of this land; therefore, rid of your long admonitions, let me be.
§593καὶ σὺ τῶνδʼ ἔξω κομίζου τειχέων, ἢ κατθανῇ.
And you, get yourself outside of these walls, or you shall die.
§594πρὸς τίνος;
Polyneices: By whose hand?
τίς ὧδʼ ἄτρωτος, ὅστις εἰς ἡμᾶς ξίφος §595φόνιον ἐμβαλὼν τὸν αὐτὸν οὐκ ἀποίσεται μόρον;
Who is so woundless that, having plunged a murderous sword into us, he will not carry away the same fate?
§596ἐγγύς, οὐ πρόσω βέβηκεν·
Eteocles: He stands near, not far off.
ἐς χέρας λεύσσεις ἐμάς;
Do you look upon my hands?
§597εἰσορῶ·
Polyneices: I see them.
δειλὸν δʼ ὁ πλοῦτος καὶ φιλόψυχον κακόν.
But wealth is a cowardly and life-loving evil.
§598κᾆτα σὺν πολλοῖσιν ἦλθες πρὸς τὸν οὐδὲν ἐς μάχην;
Eteocles: And then, did you come with so many against one who is nothing in battle?
§599ἀσφαλὴς γάρ ἐστʼ ἀμείνων ἢ θρασὺς στρατηλάτης.
Polyneices: Yes, for a cautious general is better than a rash one.
§600κομπὸς εἶ σπονδαῖς πεποιθώς, αἵ σε σῴζουσιν θανεῖν.
Eteocles: You are boastful, trusting in the truce which saves you from dying.
§601καὶ σέ·
Polyneices: And you too!
δεύτερον δʼ ἀπαιτῶ σκῆπτρα καὶ μέρη χθονός.
And for the second time, I demand the scepter and my share of the land.
§602οὐκ ἀπαιτούμεσθʼ· ἐγὼ γὰρ τὸν ἐμὸν οἰκήσω δόμον.
Eteocles: We are not to be demanded; for I will inhabit my own house.
§603τοῦ μέρους ἔχων τὸ πλεῖον;
Polyneices: Having more than your share?
§603bφήμʼ· ἀπαλλάσσου δὲ γῆς.
Eteocles: I admit it; now get out of the land.
§604ὦ θεῶν βωμοὶ πατρῴων — §604bοὓς σὺ πορθήσων πάρει.
Polyneices: Oh, ancestral altars of the gods — Eteocles: Which you are here to ravage.
§605κλύετέ μου — §605bτίς δʼ ἂν κλύοι σου πατρίδʼ ἐπεστρατευμένου;
Polyneices: Hear me — Eteocles: And who would hear you, when you have marched against your fatherland?
§606καὶ θεῶν τῶν λευκοπώλων δώματα — §606bοἳ στυγοῦσί σε.
Polyneices: And the temples of the white-horsed gods — Eteocles: Who hate you.
§607ἐξελαυνόμεσθα πατρίδος — §607bκαὶ γὰρ ἦλθες ἐξελῶν.
Polyneices: We are being driven from the fatherland — Eteocles: Yes, for you came to drive me out.
§608ἀδικίᾳ γʼ, ὦ θεοί.
Polyneices: By injustice indeed, oh gods!
§608bΜυκήναις, μὴ ʼνθάδʼ ἀνακάλει θεούς.
Eteocles: Call upon the gods in Argos, not here.
§609ἀνόσιος πέφυκας — §609bἀλλʼ οὐ πατρίδος, ὡς σύ, πολέμιος.
Polyneices: You are impious — Eteocles: But not an enemy of my fatherland, as you are.
§610ὅς μʼ ἄμοιρον ἐξελαύνεις.
Polyneices: You who drive me out without a share!
§610bκαὶ κατακτενῶ γε πρός.
Eteocles: And I will kill you besides.
§611ὦ πάτερ, κλύεις ἃ πάσχω;
Polyneices: Oh father, do you hear what I suffer?
§611bκαὶ γὰρ οἷα δρᾷς κλύει.
Eteocles: Yes, for he hears what you do.
§612καὶ σύ, μῆτερ;
Polyneices: And you, mother?
§612bἀθέμιτόν σοι μητρὸς ὀνομάζειν κάρα.
Eteocles: It is unlawful for you to name your mother's head.
§613ὦ πόλις.
Polyneices: Oh, city!

Notes

  1. §544ἴσον — Used adverbially to mean "equally" or "in equal measure," describing how day and night share the yearly cycle in equal halves.
  2. §545νικώμενον — Present passive participle in the neuter singular, modifying the subject οὐδέτερον. It functions temporally or concessively: "when defeated" or "even though defeated."
  3. §546εἶθʼ — Elision of εἶτα ("then," "and yet"). It serves to introduce a sharp, indignant contrast between the cosmic order serving humanity and Eteocles' refusal to share with his brother.
  4. §568σοὶ μὲν ... σοὶ δέ — The repetition of the second-person singular dative pronoun, contrasted by μέν and δέ, marks the dramatic shift in Jocasta's address as she turns from Eteocles to Polyneices.
  5. §571ὃ μὴ τύχοι ποτέ — A parenthetical relative clause expressing a strong negative wish (optative of wish), using the aorist optative third-person singular τύχοι with the negative particle μή: "may which never happen!"
  6. §580Ἄδραστε προσθείς — The nominative aorist participle προσθείς is used in apposition to the vocative Ἄδραστε, a poetic construction that directly attributes the action and its blame to the person addressed.
  7. §584μέθετον — The second-person dual aorist active imperative of μεθίημι, explicitly addressing the two brothers (Eteocles and Polyneices) as a pair.
  8. §599ἀσφαλὴς — A nominative singular adjective. In contrast with the following phrase θρασὺς στρατηλάτης ("a rash general"), the noun στρατηλάτης is understood to be omitted here.
  9. §600θανεῖν — An infinitive of result or limitation after the verb σῴζω. In Greek, verbs of preventing, saving, or sparing are often followed by a simple infinitive expressing the state from which one is saved (i.e., "saves you from dying").
  10. §612bμητρὸς ... κάρα — Literally "the mother's head," a common tragic periphrasis (circumlocution) used to refer respectfully or solemnly to the person of the mother herself.

Cite this passage

Euripides, The Phoenician Women §543-613. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0006.tlg015.humanitext-grc2:543-613

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