§360Ἀγαμέμνονος μὲν γὰρ τύχας ἠπιστάμην §361καὶ θάνατον, οἵῳ πρὸς δάμαρτος ὤλετο, §362Μαλέᾳ προσίσχων πρῷραν· ἐκ δὲ κυμάτων §363ὁ ναυτίλοισι μάντις ἐξήγγειλέ μοι §364Νηρέως προφήτης Γλαῦκος, ἀψευδὴς θεός, §365ὅς μοι τόδʼ εἶπεν ἐμφανῶς κατασταθείς· §366Μενέλαε, κεῖται σὸς κασίγνητος θανών, §367λουτροῖσιν ἀλόχου περιπεσὼν πανυστάτοις. §368δακρύων δʼ ἔπλησεν ἐμέ τε καὶ ναύτας ἐμοὺς
For indeed I knew the fortunes of Agamemnon and his death, by what kind of death he perished at the hands of his wife, as I was bringing my prow to Malea; but from the waves the prophet for sailors announced to me, Nereus' spokesman Glaucus, an unerring god, who spoke this to me, appearing visibly: "Menelaus, your brother lies dead, having fallen into the last baths of his wife." And he filled both me and my sailors with many tears.
§369πολλῶν. ἐπεὶ δὲ Ναυπλίας ψαύω χθονός, §370ἤδη δάμαρτος ἐνθάδʼ ἐξορμωμένης, §371δοκῶν Ὀρέστην παῖδα τὸν Ἀγαμέμνονος §372φίλαισι χερσὶ περιβαλεῖν καὶ μητέρα, §373ὡς εὐτυχοῦντας, ἔκλυον ἁλιτύπων τινὸς §374τῆς Τυνδαρείας παιδὸς ἀνόσιον φόνον.
But when I touched the land of Nauplia, my wife already being sent forth from here, expecting to embrace Orestes, the child of Agamemnon, with friendly hands, and his mother, as being fortunate; but I heard from some seafaring man of the unholy murder of the child of Tyndareus.
And now tell me where he is, young women, the child of Agamemnon, who endured these terrible evils.
§377βρέφος γὰρ ἦν τότʼ ἐν Κλυταιμήστρας χεροῖν, §378ὅτʼ ἐξέλειπον μέλαθρον ἐς Τροίαν ἰών, §379ὥστʼ οὐκ ἂν αὐτὸν γνωρίσαιμʼ ἂν εἰσιδών.
For he was an infant then in Clytemnestra's hands, when I left the palace going to Troy, so that I would not recognize him if I saw him.
§380ὅδʼ εἴμʼ Ὀρέστης, Μενέλεως, ὃν ἱστορεῖς.
I am Orestes here, Menelaus, whom you inquire about.
§381ἑκὼν ἐγώ σοι τἀμὰ μηνύσω κακά.
Willingly I will declare my evils to you.
§382τῶν σῶν δὲ γονάτων πρωτόλεια θιγγάνω §383ἱκέτης, ἀφύλλου στόματος ἐξάπτων λιτάς· §384σῷσόν μʼ· ἀφῖξαι δʼ αὐτὸς ἐς καιρὸν κακῶν.
As a suppliant, I touch your knees as a first offering, fastening prayers from a leafless mouth: save me; and you yourself have arrived at the critical moment of my troubles.
§385ὦ θεοί, τί λεύσσω;
O gods, what do I behold?
τίνα δέδορκα νερτέρων;
Whom of the dead do I see?
§386εὖ γʼ εἶπας· οὐ γὰρ ζῶ κακοῖς, φάος δʼ ὁρῶ.
You say well; for I do not live because of my evils, though I see the light.
§387ὡς ἠγρίωσαι πλόκαμον αὐχμηρόν, τάλας.
How you are wild in your parched hair, wretched one!
§388οὐχ ἡ πρόσοψίς μʼ, ἀλλὰ τἄργʼ αἰκίζεται.
It is not my appearance, but my deeds that torture me.
§389δεινὸν δὲ λεύσσεις ὀμμάτων ξηραῖς κόραις.
And you look terrible with the dry pupils of your eyes.
§390τὸ σῶμα φροῦδον· τὸ δʼ ὄνομʼ οὐ λέλοιπέ μοι.
My body is gone; but my name has not left me.
§391ὦ παρὰ λόγον μοι σὴ φανεῖσʼ ἀμορφία.
O your deformity, which has appeared to me contrary to expectation.
§392ὅδʼ εἰμὶ μητρὸς τῆς ταλαιπώρου φονεύς.
I am the murderer of my wretched mother.
§393ἤκουσα, φείδου δʼ· ὀλιγάκις λέγειν κακά.
I heard; but spare yourself; to speak of evils is for few times.
§394φειδόμεθʼ· ὁ δαίμων δʼ ἐς ἐμὲ πλούσιος κακῶν.
We spare indeed; but the divinity is rich in evils towards me.
§395τί χρῆμα πάσχεις;
What thing do you suffer?
τίς σʼ ἀπόλλυσιν νόσος;
What disease destroys you?
§396ἡ σύνεσις, ὅτι σύνοιδα δείνʼ εἰργασμένος.
Comprehension, because I am conscious of having done terrible deeds.
§397πῶς φῄς;
How do you say?
σοφόν τοι τὸ σαφές, οὐ τὸ μὴ σαφές.
Clarity is indeed wise, not obscurity.
Grief, most of all, is what destroys me— for that goddess is terrible, but yet curable.
§400μανίαι τε, μητρὸς αἵματος τιμωρίαι.
—and madnesses, the revenges for mother's blood.
§401ἤρξω δὲ λύσσης πότε;
And when did you begin your madness?
τίς ἡμέρα τότʼ ἦν;
What day was it then?
§402ἐν ᾗ τάλαιναν μητέρʼ ἐξώγκουν τάφῳ.
On which I was raising a mound for my wretched mother's grave.
§403πότερα κατʼ οἴκους ἢ προσεδρεύων πυρᾷ;
Was it within the house, or as you were attending the funeral pyre?
§404νυκτὸς φυλάσσων ὀστέων ἀναίρεσιν.
Watching by night for the gathering up of the bones.
§405παρῆν τις ἄλλος, ὃς σὸν ὤρθευεν δέμας;
Was there anyone else present who kept your body upright?
§406Πυλάδης, ὁ συνδρῶν αἷμα καὶ μητρὸς φόνον.
Pylades, who helped in the bloodshed and murder of my mother.
§407ἐκ φασμάτων δὲ τάδε νοσεῖς·
And from what apparitions do you suffer this disease?
ποίων ὕπο;
Under what kind?
§408ἔδοξʼ ἰδεῖν τρεῖς νυκτὶ προσφερεῖς κόρας.
I seemed to see three maidens resembling night.
§409οἶδʼ ἃς ἔλεξας, ὀνομάσαι δʼ οὐ βούλομαι.
I know those whom you speak of, but I do not wish to name them.
§410σεμναὶ γάρ· εὐπαίδευτα δʼ ἀπετρέπου λέγειν.
For they are reverend; and you, being well-bred, turned away from speaking.
§411αὗταί σε βακχεύουσι συγγενῆ φόνον;
Do these women drive you to madness for kindred murder?
§412οἴμοι διωγμῶν, οἷς ἐλαύνομαι τάλας.
Alas for the pursuits with which I, wretched one, am driven!
§413οὐ δεινὰ πάσχειν δεινὰ τοὺς εἰργασμένους.
It is not strange for those who have done terrible things to suffer terrible things.
§414ἀλλʼ ἔστιν ἡμῖν ἀναφορὰ τῆς συμφορᾶς.
But we have a recourse from our misfortune.
§415μὴ θάνατον εἴπῃς· τοῦτο μὲν γὰρ οὐ σοφόν.
Do not say death; for this is not wise.
§416Φοῖβος, κελεύσας μητρὸς ἐκπρᾶξαι φόνον.
Phoebus, who ordered me to accomplish the murder of my mother.
§417ἀμαθέστερός γʼ ὢν τοῦ καλοῦ καὶ τῆς δίκης.
He being rather ignorant of beauty and justice.
§418δουλεύομεν θεοῖς, ὅ τι ποτʼ εἰσὶν οἱ θεοί.
We serve the gods, whatever the gods may be.
§419κᾆτʼ οὐκ ἀμύνει Λοξίας τοῖς σοῖς κακοῖς;
And then does Loxias not defend you in your evils?
§420μέλλει· τὸ θεῖον δʼ ἐστὶ τοιοῦτον φύσει.
He is about to; but the divine is such by nature.
§421πόσον χρόνον δὲ μητρὸς οἴχονται πνοαί;
And how much time have the breaths of your mother been gone?
§422ἕκτον τόδʼ ἦμαρ· ἔτι πυρὰ θερμὴ τάφου.
This is the sixth day; the funeral pyre of her grave is still warm.
§423ὡς ταχὺ μετῆλθόν σʼ αἷμα μητέρος θεαί.
How quickly the goddesses of mother's blood pursued you!
§424οὐ σοφός, ἀληθὴς δʼ ἐς φίλους ἔφυν φίλος.
I was not wise, but I was born a true friend to my friends.
§425πατρὸς δὲ δή τι σʼ ὠφελεῖ τιμωρία;
And does the avenging of your father help you at all?
§426οὔπω· τὸ μέλλον δʼ ἴσον ἀπραξίᾳ λέγω.
Not yet; and I call what is future equal to inaction.
§427τὰ πρὸς πόλιν δὲ πῶς ἔχεις δράσας τάδε;
And how do you stand with the city, having done these things?
§428μισούμεθʼ οὕτως ὥστε μὴ προσεννέπειν.
We are hated so much as not to be spoken to.
§429οὐδʼ ἥγνισαι σὸν αἷμα κατὰ νόμον χεροῖν;
Have you not even purified the blood from your hands according to custom?
§430ἐκκλῄομαι γὰρ δωμάτων ὅποι μόλω.
For I am shut out from houses wherever I may go.
§431τίνες πολιτῶν ἐξαμιλλῶνταί σε γῆς;
Who of the citizens are striving to drive you from the land?
§432Οἴαξ, τὸ Τροίας μῖσος ἀναφέρων πατρί.
Oeax, bringing back the hatred of Troy against my father.
§433συνῆκα· Παλαμήδους σε τιμωρεῖ φόνου.
I understand; he is avenging the murder of Palamedes on you.
§434οὗ γʼ οὐ μετῆν μοι· διὰ τριῶν δʼ ἀπόλλυμαι.
In which I had no part; but I am ruined by three things.
§435τίς δʼ ἄλλος;
And who else?
ἦ που τῶν ἀπʼ Αἰγίσθου φίλων;
Is it perhaps someone of the friends of Aegisthus?
§436οὗτοί μʼ ὑβρίζουσʼ, ὧν πόλις τὰ νῦν κλύει.
These insult me, whose words the city now listens to.
§437Ἀγαμέμνονος δὲ σκῆπτρʼ ἐᾷ σʼ ἔχειν πόλις;
And does the city allow you to hold the sceptre of Agamemnon?