§674ὦ πατρὸς ὅμαιμε θεῖε, τὸν κατὰ χθονὸς §675θανόντʼ ἀκούειν τάδε δόκει, ποτωμένην §676ψυχὴν ὑπὲρ σοῦ, καὶ λέγειν ἃ ἐγὼ λέγω, §677ταὔτʼ ἔς τε δάκρυα καὶ γόους καὶ συμφοράς.
O uncle, brother of my father, imagine that he who died under the earth is hearing these things, and that his spirit, hovering over you, is saying what I am saying, joining in my tears, groans, and misfortunes.
I have spoken and demanded back my safety, seeking what all men, and not I alone, hunt for.
I too entreat you, though being but a woman, nevertheless to help those in need; and you are able to do so.
§682Ὀρέστʼ, ἐγώ τοι σὸν καταιδοῦμαι κάρα §683καὶ ξυμπονῆσαι σοῖς κακοῖσι βούλομαι· §684καὶ χρὴ γὰρ οὕτω τῶν ὁμαιμόνων κακὰ §685ξυνεκκομίζειν, δύναμιν ἢν διδῷ θεός, §686θνῄσκοντα καὶ κτείνοντα τοὺς ἐναντίους· §687τὸ δʼ αὖ δύνασθαι πρὸς θεῶν χρῄζω τυχεῖν.
Orestes, I respect your person and I wish to labor with you in your misfortunes; for indeed it is necessary to help bear the evils of kinsmen in this way, if the god grants power, dying and killing the opponents; but in turn I need to obtain that very power from the gods.
§688ἥκω γὰρ ἀνδρῶν συμμάχων κενὸν δόρυ §689ἔχων, πόνοισι μυρίοις ἀλώμενος, §690σμικρᾷ σὺν ἀλκῇ τῶν λελειμμένων φίλων.
For I am come having an empty spear of allied men, wandering in countless labors, with a small strength of the friends who are left.
§691μάχῃ μὲν οὖν ἂν οὐχ ὑπερβαλοίμεθα §692Πελασγὸν Ἄργος· εἰ δὲ μαλθακοῖς λόγοις §693δυναίμεθʼ, ἐνταῦθʼ ἐλπίδος προσήκομεν.
By battle then we would not overcome Pelasgian Argos; but if we could by soft words, to this point we direct our hope.
§694σμικροῖσι μὲν γὰρ μεγάλα πῶς ἕλοι τις ἄν;
For how could anyone with small means win great things?
§696ὅταν γὰρ ἡβᾷ δῆμος εἰς ὀργὴν πεσών, §697ὅμοιον ὥστε πῦρ κατασβέσαι λάβρον· §698εἰ δʼ ἡσύχως τις αὑτὸν ἐντείνοντι μὲν §699χαλῶν ὑπείκοι καιρὸν εὐλαβούμενος, §700ἴσως ἂν ἐκπνεύσειεν· ἢν δʼ ἀνῇ πνοάς, §701τύχοις ἂν αὐτοῦ ῥᾳδίως ὅσον θέλεις.
For when the populace in youth falls into anger, it is like trying to quench a raging fire; but if someone should quietly yield to it when it is straining, slackening and taking heed of the right moment, it might perhaps blow itself out; and if it lets go of its blasts, you would easily obtain from it as much as you wish.
For there is pity in them, and there is also great anger, a most valuable possession for one who watches the opportunity.
And going, I will try to persuade both Tyndareus and the city to use their power with moderation.
For a ship too, when strained violently by its sheet, dips, but stands upright again if one slackens the sheet.
§708μισεῖ γὰρ ὁ θεὸς τὰς ἄγαν προθυμίας, §709μισοῦσι δʼ ἀστοί· δεῖ δέ μʼ — οὐκ ἄλλως λέγω — §710σῴζειν σε σοφίᾳ, μὴ βίᾳ τῶν κρεισσόνων.
For the god hates over-eagerness, and the citizens hate it; and I must—I do not say otherwise— save you by wisdom, not by force against those who are stronger.
§711ἀλκῇ δέ σʼ οὐκ ἄν, ᾗ σὺ δοξάζεις ἴσως, §712σῴσαιμʼ ἄν· οὐ γὰρ ῥᾴδιον λόγχῃ μιᾷ §713στῆσαι τροπαῖα τῶν κακῶν ἅ σοι πάρα.
And by strength I would not, as you perhaps expect, save you; for it is not easy with a single spear to set up trophies over the evils which are present to you.
For never did we bring the land of Argos to gentleness by soft means; but now it is necessary.
§717ὦ πλὴν γυναικὸς οὕνεκα στρατηλατεῖν §718τἄλλʼ οὐδέν, ὦ κάκιστε τιμωρεῖν φίλοις, §720φεύγεις ἀποστραφείς με, τὰ δʼ Ἀγαμέμνονος §721φροῦδʼ;
O you who are fit for nothing else than to lead an army for the sake of a woman, O worst helper to your friends, do you turn away and flee from me, and are Agamemnon's fortunes gone?
ἄφιλος ἦσθʼ ἄρʼ, ὦ πάτερ, πράσσων κακῶς.
You were friendless then, O father, in your adversity.
§722οἴμοι, προδέδομαι, κοὐκέτʼ εἰσὶν ἐλπίδες, §723ὅποι τραπόμενος θάνατον Ἀργείων φύγω· §724οὗτος γὰρ ἦν μοι καταφυγὴ σωτηρίας.
Alas, I am betrayed, and there are no longer hopes where I may turn and escape death from the Argives; for this man was my refuge of safety.
§725ἀλλʼ εἰσορῶ γὰρ τόνδε φίλτατον βροτῶν §726Πυλάδην δρόμῳ στείχοντα Φωκέων ἄπο, §727ἡδεῖαν ὄψιν· πιστὸς ἐν κακοῖς ἀνὴρ §728κρείσσων γαλήνης ναυτίλοισιν εἰσορᾶν.
But indeed I see this dearest of mortals, Pylades, coming at a run from Phocis, a joyful sight; a faithful man in misfortunes is better to look upon for sailors than a calm sea.
§729θᾶσσον ᾗ με χρῆν προβαίνων ἱκόμην διʼ ἄστεως, §730σύλλογον πόλεως ἀκούσας, τὸν δʼ ἰδὼν αὐτὸς σαφῶς, §731ἐπὶ σὲ σύγγονόν τε τὴν σήν, ὡς κτενοῦντας αὐτίκα.
I have come through the city faster than I ought, having heard of the assembly of the citizens, and having seen it clearly myself, against you and your sister, to kill you immediately.
§732τί τάδε;
What is this?
πῶς ἔχεις;
How are you?
τί πράσσεις, φίλταθʼ ἡλίκων ἐμοὶ §733καὶ φίλων καὶ συγγενείας;
How do you fare, dearest of my equals and friends and kin?
πάντα γὰρ τάδʼ εἶ σύ μοι.
For you are all these things to me.
§734οἰχόμεσθʼ, ὡς ἐν βραχεῖ σοι τἀμὰ δηλώσω κακά.
We are ruined, to show you my evils in brief.
§735συγκατασκάπτοις ἂν ἡμᾶς· κοινὰ γὰρ τὰ τῶν φίλων.
You may pull me down with you; for the things of friends are common.
§736Μενέλεως κάκιστος ἐς ἐμὲ καὶ κασιγνήτην ἐμήν.
Menelaus was worst to me and to my sister.
§737εἰκότως, κακῆς γυναικὸς ἄνδρα γίγνεσθαι κακόν.
Naturally; that the husband of a bad woman should be bad.
§738ὥσπερ οὐκ ἐλθὼν ἔμοιγε ταὐτὸν ἀπέδωκεν μολών.
As if he had not come, he gave me back the same by coming.
§739ἦ γάρ ἐστιν ὡς ἀληθῶς τήνδʼ ἀφιγμένος χθόνα;
Has he really arrived in this land?
§740χρόνιος· ἀλλʼ ὅμως τάχιστα κακὸς ἐφωράθη φίλοις.
After a long time; but nevertheless he was quickly detected as bad to his friends.
§741καὶ δάμαρτα τὴν κακίστην ναυστολῶν ἐλήλυθεν;
And has he come sailing with his most wicked wife?
§742οὐκ ἐκεῖνος, ἀλλʼ ἐκείνη κεῖνον ἐνθάδʼ ἤγαγεν.
Not he, but she brought him here.
§743ποῦ ʼστιν ἣ πλείστους Ἀχαιῶν ὤλεσεν γυνὴ μία;
Where is she, the single woman who destroyed most of the Achaeans?
§744ἐν δόμοις ἐμοῖσιν, εἰ δὴ τούσδʼ ἐμοὺς καλεῖν χρεών.
In my house, if indeed I must call this house mine.
§745σὺ δὲ τίνας λόγους ἔλεξας σοῦ κασιγνήτῳ πατρός;
But what words did you say to your father's brother?
§746μή μʼ ἰδεῖν θανόνθʼ ὑπʼ ἀστῶν καὶ κασιγνήτην ἐμήν.
Not to see me and my sister put to death by the citizens.
§747πρὸς θεῶν, τί πρὸς τάδʼ εἶπε;
By the gods, what did he say to this?
τόδε γὰρ εἰδέναι θέλω.
For this I wish to know.
§748εὐλαβεῖθʼ, ὃ τοῖς φίλοισι δρῶσιν οἱ κακοὶ φίλοι.
He was cautious, which bad friends do to their friends.
§749σκῆψιν ἐς ποίαν προβαίνων;
Making what kind of excuse?
τοῦτο πάντʼ ἔχω μαθών.
This is all I need to learn.