§598μίασμα λῦσαι;
to cleanse the pollution?
ποῖ τις οὖν ἔτʼ ἂν φύγοι, §599εἰ μὴ ὁ κελεύσας ῥύσεταί με μὴ θανεῖν;
Where indeed could anyone flee further, if he who ordered it will not rescue me from dying?
But do not say that these things have not been done well; though for us who did them, not happily.
§602γάμοι δʼ ὅσοις μὲν εὖ καθεστᾶσιν βροτῶν, §603μακάριος αἰών· οἷς δὲ μὴ πίπτουσιν εὖ, §604τά τʼ ἔνδον εἰσὶ τά τε θύραζε δυστυχεῖς.
For those of mortals whose marriages are well established, life is blessed; but for those whose marriages do not turn out well, they are unfortunate both within and without.
Women always by nature stand in the way of men's fortunes, leading them toward the more unfortunate.
§607ἐπεὶ θρασύνῃ κοὐχ ὑποστέλλῃ λόγῳ, §608οὕτω δʼ ἀμείβῃ μʼ ὥστε μʼ ἀλγῆσαι φρένα, §609μᾶλλόν μʼ ἀνάξεις ἐπὶ σὸν ἐξελθεῖν φόνον· §610καλὸν πάρεργον δʼ αὐτὸ θήσομαι πόνων §611ὧν εἵνεκʼ ἦλθον θυγατρὶ κοσμήσων τάφον.
Since you are bold and do not restrain yourself in speech, and so reply to me as to pain my heart, you will rather urge me to go forth to bring about your death; and I will make it a fine byproduct of my labors, for the sake of which I came to adorn my daughter's grave.
§612μολὼν γὰρ εἰς ἔκκλητον Ἀργείων ὄχλον §613ἑκοῦσαν οὐχ ἑκοῦσαν ἐπισείσω πόλιν §614σοὶ σῇ τʼ ἀδελφῇ, λεύσιμον δοῦναι δίκην.
For going to the select assembly of the Argives, I will incite the city, whether willing or unwilling, to impose on you and your sister the penalty of stoning.
§615μᾶλλον δʼ ἐκείνη σοῦ θανεῖν ἐστʼ ἀξία, §616ἣ τῇ τεκούσῃ σʼ ἠγρίωσʼ, ἐς οὖς ἀεὶ §617πέμπουσα μύθους ἐπὶ τὸ δυσμενέστερον, §618ὀνείρατʼ ἀγγέλλουσα τὰ Ἀγαμέμνονος, §619καὶ τοῦθʼ — ὃ μισήσειαν — Αἰγίσθου λέχος — §620οἱ νέρτεροι θεοί· καὶ γὰρ ἐνθάδʼ ἦν πικρόν· §621ἕως ὑφῆψε δῶμʼ ἀνηφαίστῳ πυρί.
And indeed she is more deserving of death than you, who made you savage against her who bore you, always sending words into your ears toward the more hostile, announcing the dreams of Agamemnon, and this—which may they hate!—the bed of Aegisthus— the gods below; for even here it was bitter— until she set the house on fire with un-Vulcanian flame.
§622Μενέλαε, σοὶ δὲ τάδε λέγω δράσω τε πρός· §623εἰ τοὐμὸν ἔχθος ἐναριθμῇ κῆδός τʼ ἐμόν, §624μὴ τῷδʼ ἀμύνειν φόνον ἐναντίον θεοῖς· §625ἔα δʼ ὑπʼ ἀστῶν καταφονευθῆναι πέτροις, §626ἢ μὴ ʼπίβαινε Σπαρτιάτιδος χθονός.
Menelaus, to you I say this and will act upon it: if you value my hatred and my alliance, do not protect this man from death, contrary to the gods; but suffer him to be put to death by the citizens with stones, or do not set foot on Spartan land.
§627τοσαῦτʼ ἀκούσας ἴσθι, μηδὲ δυσσεβεῖς §628ἕλῃ, παρώσας εὐσεβεστέρους φίλους· §629ἡμᾶς δʼ ἀπʼ οἴκων ἄγετε τῶνδε, πρόσπολοι.
Having heard so much, understand it, and do not choose impious friends, thrusting aside more pious ones; and lead us away from this house, servants.
Go, so that without clamor the speech that is to come between us may reach this man, escaping your old age.
Menelaus, where are you turning your foot in deep thought, traveling the double paths of twofold worry?
Let me be; reflecting on something within myself, I am at a loss as to where of my fortune I should turn.
Do not then finish your deciding, but having heard my words first, deliberate then.
Speak; for you have spoken well; and there are times when silence would be better than speech, and times when speech is better than silence.
§640λέγοιμʼ ἂν ἤδη.
I would speak now.
τὰ μακρὰ τῶν σμικρῶν λόγων §641ἐπίπροσθέν ἐστι καὶ σαφῆ μᾶλλον κλύειν.
Long speeches rather than short ones are preferable and more clear to hear.
Do you, Menelaus, give me nothing of your own, but return what you received, having taken it from my father.
§644— οὐ χρήματʼ εἶπον· χρήματʼ, ἢν ψυχὴν ἐμὴν §645σῴσῃς, ἅπερ μοι φίλτατʼ ἐστὶ τῶν ἐμῶν. — §646ἀδικῶ· λαβεῖν χρή μʼ ἀντὶ τοῦδε τοῦ κακοῦ §647ἄδικόν τι παρὰ σοῦ· καὶ γὰρ Ἀγαμέμνων πατὴρ §648ἀδίκως ἀθροίσας Ἑλλάδʼ ἦλθʼ ὑπʼ Ἴλιον, §649οὐκ ἐξαμαρτὼν αὐτός, ἀλλʼ ἁμαρτίαν §650τῆς σῆς γυναικὸς ἀδικίαν τʼ ἰώμενος.
—I did not mean money; money, if you save my life, which is the dearest of my possessions to me.— I am wronged; I must receive in return for this evil something unjust from you; for indeed Agamemnon my father unjustly gathering Greece went under Ilium, not having sinned himself, but curing the sin and injustice of your wife.
§651ἓν μὲν τόδʼ ἡμῖν ἀνθʼ ἑνὸς δοῦναί σε χρή.
This one thing indeed you ought to give us in return for one thing.
§652ἀπέδοτο δʼ, ὡς χρὴ τοῖς φίλοισι τοὺς φίλους, §653τὸ σῶμʼ ἀληθῶς, σοὶ παρʼ ἀσπίδʼ ἐκπονῶν, §654ὅπως σὺ τὴν σὴν ἀπολάβοις ξυνάορον.
And he gave up, as friends ought to do for friends, his body truly, laboring by your shield, so that you might recover your wife.
§655ἀπότεισον οὖν μοι ταὐτὸ τοῦτʼ ἐκεῖ λαβών, §656μίαν πονήσας ἡμέραν, ἡμῶν ὕπερ §657σωτήριος στάς, μὴ δέκʼ ἐκπλήσας ἔτη.
Pay me back then this same thing, having received it there, laboring for one single day on our behalf, standing as a savior, not fulfilling ten years.
But what sacrifices Aulis took of my sister, I let you have those; do not kill Hermione.
For you must, with me faring as I fare now, have the advantage, and I must have tolerance.
§662ψυχὴν δʼ ἐμὴν δὸς τῷ ταλαιπώρῳ πατρὶ §663κἀμῆς ἀδελφῆς, παρθένου μακρὸν χρόνον· §664θανὼν γὰρ οἶκον ὀρφανὸν λείψω πατρός.
But give my life to my wretched father and that of my sister, a maiden for a long time; for if I die, I shall leave my father's house desolate.
§665ἐρεῖς· ἀδύνατον. αὐτὸ τοῦτο· τοὺς φίλους §666ἐν τοῖς κακοῖς χρὴ τοῖς φίλοισιν ὠφελεῖν· §667ὅταν δʼ ὁ δαίμων εὖ διδῷ, τί δεῖ φίλων;
You will say, 'Impossible.' This is the very thing: friends must help friends in times of evil; for when the god gives well, what need is there of friends?
§668ἀρκεῖ γὰρ αὐτὸς ὁ θεὸς ὠφελεῖν θέλων.
For the god himself is sufficient when he wishes to help.
§669φιλεῖν δάμαρτα πᾶσιν Ἕλλησιν δοκεῖς· §670κοὐχ ὑποτρέχων σε τοῦτο θωπείᾳ λέγω· §671ταύτης ἱκνοῦμαί σʼ — ὦ μέλεος ἐμῶν κακῶν, §672ἐς οἷον ἥκω.
You seem to all Greeks to love your wife; and I do not say this flattering you with servility; by her I entreat you—O wretched of my evils, to what a point have I come!
τί δέ;
But why?
ταλαιπωρεῖν με δεῖ· §673ὑπὲρ γὰρ οἴκου παντὸς ἱκετεύω τάδε.
I must suffer; for on behalf of the whole house I supplicate these things.