§750οὗτος ἦλθʼ, ὁ τὰς ἀρίστας θυγατέρας σπείρας πατήρ.
He has come, the father who begot those most "excellent" daughters.
§751Τυνδάρεων λέγεις·
Do you mean Tyndareus?
ἴσως σοι θυγατέρος θυμούμενος;
Perhaps he is angry with you because of his daughter?
§752αἰσθάνῃ.
You perceive it.
τὸ τοῦδε κῆδος μᾶλλον εἵλετʼ ἢ πατρός.
He chose kinship with this man rather than with my father.
§753κοὐκ ἐτόλμησεν πόνων σῶν ἀντιλάζυσθαι παρών;
And did he not dare to help you bear your labors, though he was present?
§754οὐ γὰρ αἰχμητὴς πέφυκεν, ἐν γυναιξὶ δʼ ἄλκιμος.
For he is no warrior by nature, but brave only among women.
§755ἐν κακοῖς ἄρʼ εἶ μεγίστοις· καί σʼ ἀναγκαῖον θανεῖν;
You are then in the greatest evils; and is it necessary for you to die?
§756ψῆφον ἀμφʼ ἡμῶν πολίτας ἐπὶ φόνῳ θέσθαι χρεών.
The citizens must cast their votes concerning us, on a charge of murder.
§757ἣ κρινεῖ τί χρῆμα;
Which will decide what?
λέξον· διὰ φόβου γὰρ ἔρχομαι.
Tell me; for I am filled with fear.
§758ἢ θανεῖν ἢ ζῆν· ὁ μῦθος οὐ μακρὸς μακρῶν πέρι.
Death or life; the words are not long, though concerning great things.
§759φεῦγέ νυν λιπὼν μέλαθρα σὺν κασιγνήτῃ σέθεν.
Flee then, leaving the palace with your sister.
§760οὐχ ὁρᾷς;
Do you not see?
φυλασσόμεσθα φρουρίοισι πανταχῇ.
We are guarded on all sides by sentries.
§761εἶδον ἄστεως ἀγυιὰς τεύχεσιν πεφραγμένας.
I saw the streets of the city blocked with armed men.
§762ὡσπερεὶ πόλις πρὸς ἐχθρῶν σῶμα πυργηρούμεθα.
We are besieged as to our bodies, just like a city by enemies.
§763κἀμὲ νῦν ἐροῦ τί πάσχω· καὶ γὰρ αὐτὸς οἴχομαι.
Now ask me also what I suffer; for I too am ruined.
§764πρὸς τίνος;
By whom?
τοῦτʼ ἂν προσείη τοῖς ἐμοῖς κακοῖς κακόν.
This would be an evil added to my evils.
§765Στρόφιος ἤλασέν μʼ ἀπʼ οἴκων φυγάδα θυμωθεὶς πατήρ.
Strophius, my father, in his anger has driven me from home as an exile.
§766ἴδιον ἢ κοινὸν πολίταις ἐπιφέρων ἔγκλημά τι;
Bringing against you some private charge, or one shared with the citizens?
§767ὅτι συνηράμην φόνον σοι μητρός, ἀνόσιον λέγων.
Because I helped you in your mother's murder, calling it impious.
§768ὦ τάλας, ἔοικε καὶ σὲ τἀμὰ λυπήσειν κακά.
O wretched man, it seems my evils will grieve you as well.
§769οὐχὶ Μενέλεω τρόποισι χρώμεθʼ· οἰστέον τάδε.
We do not act according to Menelaus' ways; this must be borne.
§770οὐ φοβῇ μή σʼ Ἄργος ὥσπερ κἄμʼ ἀποκτεῖναι θέλῃ;
Do you not fear lest Argos wish to slay you, just as they do me?
§771οὐ προσήκομεν κολάζειν τοῖσδε, Φωκέων δὲ γῇ.
It is not for these people to punish us, but for the land of the Phocians.
§772δεινὸν οἱ πολλοί, κακούργους ὅταν ἔχωσι προστάτας.
The multitude is a terrible thing when they have evil leaders.
§773ἀλλʼ ὅταν χρηστοὺς λάβωσι, χρηστὰ βουλεύουσʼ ἀεί.
But when they obtain good ones, they always counsel good things.
§774εἶἑν.
Well then.
ἐς κοινὸν λέγειν χρή.
We must consult in common.
§774bτίνος ἀναγκαίου πέρι;
Concerning what necessity?
If I should go and speak to the citizens— —that you acted justly?
§776πατρὶ τιμωρῶν ἐμαυτοῦ;
—avenging my own father?
§776bμὴ λάβωσί σʼ ἄσμενοι.
I fear lest they eagerly seize you.
§777ἀλλʼ ὑποπτήξας σιωπῇ κατθάνω;
But should I die cowering in silence?
§777bδειλὸν τόδε.
That is cowardly.
§778πῶς ἂν οὖν δρῴην;
How then should I act?
§778bἔχεις τινʼ, ἢν μένῃς, σωτηρίαν;
Have you any safety if you remain?
§779οὐκ ἔχω.
I have none.
§779bμολόντι δʼ ἐλπίς ἐστι σωθῆναι κακῶν;
But if you go, is there hope of being saved from evils?
§780εἰ τύχοι, γένοιτʼ ἄν.
If it should chance, it might be.
§780bοὐκοῦν τοῦτο κρεῖσσον ἢ μένειν.
Surely then this is better than remaining.
§781ἀλλὰ δῆτʼ ἔλθω.
Then indeed I will go.
§781bθανὼν γοῦν ὧδε κάλλιον θανῇ.
Dying at least in this way you will die more nobly.
§783εὖ λέγεις· φεύγω τὸ δειλὸν τῇδε.
You speak well; in this way I escape cowardice.
§783bμᾶλλον ἢ μένων.
More than by remaining.
§782καὶ τὸ πρᾶγμά γʼ ἔνδικόν μοι.
And indeed my deed is just.
§782bτῷ Δοκεῖν εὔχου μόνον.
Pray only that it may seem so.
And someone might pity me— —for your noble birth is a great thing.
§785θάνατον ἀσχάλλων πατρῷον.
—grieving for my father's death.
§785bπάντα ταῦτʼ ἐν ὄμμασιν.
All these things are before their eyes.
§786ἰτέον, ὡς ἄνανδρον ἀκλεῶς κατθανεῖν.
I must go, for to die unmanfully is without glory.
§786bαἰνῶ τάδε.
I praise this.
§787ἦ λέγωμεν οὖν ἀδελφῇ ταῦτʼ ἐμῇ;
Should we then tell this to my sister?
§787bμὴ πρὸς θεῶν.
Not by the gods.
§788δάκρυα γοῦν γένοιτʼ ἄν.
At any rate, tears would follow.
§788bοὐκοῦν οὗτος οἰωνὸς μέγας.
That would be a great ill omen.
§789δηλαδὴ σιγᾶν ἄμεινον.
Clearly indeed it is better to be silent.
§789bτῷ χρόνῳ δὲ κερδανεῖς.
And you will gain time.
§790κεῖνό μοι μόνον πρόσαντες.
Only that one thing is difficult for me.
§790bτί τόδε καινὸν αὖ λέγεις;
What new thing is this you say again?
§791μὴ θεαί μʼ οἴστρῳ κατάσχωσι.
Lest the goddesses seize me with madness.
§791bἀλλὰ κηδεύσω σʼ ἐγώ.
But I will tend you.
§792δυσχερὲς ψαύειν νοσοῦντος ἀνδρός.
It is unpleasant to touch a sick man.
§792bοὐκ ἔμοιγε σοῦ.
Not to me, in your case.
§793εὐλαβοῦ λύσσης μετασχεῖν τῆς ἐμῆς.
Take care lest you share in my madness.
§793bτόδʼ οὖν ἴτω.
Let that go then as it will.
§794οὐκ ἄρʼ ὀκνήσεις;
Will you not hesitate then?
§794bὄκνος γὰρ τοῖς φίλοις κακὸν μέγα.
For hesitation is a great evil to friends.
§795ἕρπε νυν οἴαξ ποδός μοι.
Move on then, as the helmsman of my feet.
§795bφίλα γʼ ἔχων κηδεύματα.
Holding you with loving care.
§796καί με πρὸς τύμβον πόρευσον πατρός.
And conduct me to my father's tomb.
§796bὡς τί δὴ τόδε;
Why indeed is this?
§797ὥς νιν ἱκετεύσω με σῶσαι.
That I may supplicate him to save me.
§797bτό γε δίκαιον ὧδʼ ἔχει.
That indeed is just.
§798μητέρος δὲ μηδʼ ἴδοιμι μνῆμα.
But let me not even see my mother's tomb.
§798bπολεμία γὰρ ἦν.
For she was an enemy.
§799ἀλλʼ ἔπειγʼ, ὡς μή σε πρόσθε ψῆφος Ἀργείων ἕλῃ, §800περιβαλὼν πλευροῖς ἐμοῖσι πλευρὰ νωχελῆ νόσῳ· §801ὡς ἐγὼ διʼ ἄστεώς σε, σμικρὰ φροντίζων ὄχλου, §802οὐδὲν αἰσχυνθεὶς ὀχήσω.
But hasten, lest the vote of the Argives catch you beforehand, casting your frame, weak with disease, upon my body; as I will carry you through the city, caring little for the crowd, and feeling no shame.
ποῦ γὰρ ὢν δείξω φίλος, §803εἴ σε μὴ ʼν δειναῖσιν ὄντα συμφοραῖς ἐπαρκέσω;
For where shall I show myself a friend, if I do not assist you when you are in terrible misfortunes?
§804τοῦτʼ ἐκεῖνο,
κτᾶσθʼ ἑταίρους, μὴ τὸ συγγενὲς μόνον
· §805ὡς ἀνὴρ ὅστις τρόποισι συντακῇ, θυραῖος ὢν §806μυρίων κρείσσων ὁμαίμων ἀνδρὶ κεκτῆσθαι φίλος.
This is indeed that saying: obtain companions, and not kinship alone; for a man who is fused with one in character, though an outsider, is better for a man to possess as a friend than ten thousand relatives.
§807ὁ μέγας ὄλβος ἅ τʼ ἀρετὰ §808μέγα φρονοῦσʼ ἀνʼ Ἑλλάδα καὶ §809παρὰ Σιμουντίοις ὀχετοῖς §810πάλιν ἀνῆλθʼ ἐξ εὐτυχίας Ἀτρείδαις §811πάλαι παλαιᾶς ἀπὸ συμφορᾶς δόμων, §812ὁπότε χρυσείας ἔρις ἀρνὸς §813ἤλυθε Τανταλίδαις, §814οἰκτρότατα θοινάματα καὶ §815σφάγια γενναίων τεκέων· §816ὅθεν φόνῳ φόνος ἐξαμεί- §817βων διʼ αἵματος οὐ προλεί- §818πει δισσοῖσιν Ἀτρείδαις.
The great wealth and the valor that boasted throughout Greece and by the streams of Simois, have returned from prosperity to misfortune for the Atreidae, from the ancient misfortune of their house, when the strife of the golden lamb came upon the descendants of Tantalus, bringing most pitiable banquets and the slaughter of noble children; whence murder, succeeding murder, through blood, never leaves the two sons of Atreus.