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Euripides · Iphigenia in Aulis §1447-1551

Iphigenia's Departure and the Messenger's Report

Passage 18 of 19 · Greek

Summary

Iphigenia bids her final farewell to her mother and sisters and willingly proceeds to the altar of Artemis. Subsequently, a messenger arrives from the sacrifice to report to Clytemnestra the marvelous and miraculous event that transpired there.

§1447τί δὴ κασιγνήταισιν ἀγγελῶ σέθεν;
[Clytemnestra] What indeed shall I announce to your sisters from you?
§1448μηδʼ ἀμφὶ κείναις μέλανας ἐξάψῃ πέπλους.
[Iphigenia] Do not put black robes around them either.
§1449εἴπω δὲ παρὰ σοῦ φίλον ἔπος τι παρθένοις;
[Clytemnestra] And shall I say some loving word from you to the maidens?
§1450χαίρειν γε.
[Iphigenia] Farewell, at least.
Ὀρέστην τʼ ἔκτρεφʼ ἄνδρα τόνδε μοι.
And bring up this Orestes to be a man for me.
§1451προσέλκυσαί νιν ὕστατον θεωμένη.
[Clytemnestra] Embrace him, looking upon him for the last time.
§1452ὦ φίλτατʼ, ἐπεκούρησας ὅσον εἶχες φίλοις.
[Iphigenia] O dearest, you helped your friends as much as you had power.
§1453ἔσθʼ ὅ τι κατʼ Ἄργος δρῶσά σοι χάριν φέρω;
[Clytemnestra] Is there anything that I, by doing in Argos, may bring pleasure to you?
§1454πατέρα τὸν ἀμὸν μὴ στύγει, πόσιν γε σόν.
[Iphigenia] Do not hate my father, who is your husband.
§1455δεινοὺς ἀγῶνας διὰ σὲ δεῖ κεῖνον δραμεῖν.
[Clytemnestra] He must run terrible courses because of you.
§1456ἄκων μʼ ὑπὲρ γῆς Ἑλλάδος διώλεσεν.
[Iphigenia] Unwillingly he destroyed me for the sake of the land of Greece.
§1457δόλῳ δʼ, ἀγεννῶς Ἀτρέως τʼ οὐκ ἀξίως.
[Clytemnestra] But by guile, unnobly and unworthily of Atreus.
§1458τίς μʼ εἶσιν ἄξων πρὶν σπαράσσεσθαι κόμης;
[Iphigenia] Who will go to lead me before my hair is torn?
§1459ἐγώ, μετά γε σοῦ— §1459bμὴ σύ γʼ· οὐ καλῶς λέγεις.
[Clytemnestra] I will, with you at least— [Iphigenia] Do not do so; you do not speak well.
§1460πέπλων ἐχομένη σῶν.
[Clytemnestra] Holding onto your robes.
§1460bἐμοί, μῆτερ, πιθοῦ·
[Iphigenia] Obey me, mother.
§1461μένʼ· ὡς ἐμοί τε σοί τε κάλλιον τόδε.
[Iphigenia] Stay; as this is more beautiful for both me and you.
§1462πατρὸς δʼ ὀπαδῶν τῶνδέ τίς με πεμπέτω §1463Ἀρτέμιδος ἐς λειμῶνʼ, ὅπου σφαγήσομαι.
[Iphigenia] Let one of my father's attendants here escort me [Iphigenia] to the meadow of Artemis, where I shall be sacrificed.
§1464ὦ τέκνον, οἴχῃ;
[Clytemnestra] O child, are you going?
§1464bκαὶ πάλιν γʼ οὐ μὴ μόλω.
[Iphigenia] Yes, and I shall certainly never return.
§1465λιποῦσα μητέρα;
[Clytemnestra] Leaving your mother?
§1465bὡς ὁρᾷς γʼ, οὐκ ἀξίως.
[Iphigenia] As you see, unworthily.
§1466σχές, μή με προλίπῃς.
[Clytemnestra] Stay, do not abandon me.
§1466bοὐκ ἐῶ στάζειν δάκρυ.
[Iphigenia] I do not allow you to shed tears.
§1467ὑμεῖς δʼ ἐπευφημήσατʼ, ὦ νεάνιδες, §1468παιᾶνα τἠμῇ συμφορᾷ Διὸς κόρην §1469Ἄρτεμιν· ἴτω δὲ Δαναΐδαις εὐφημία.
[Iphigenia] And you, O maidens, sing a holy song [Iphigenia] of paean to the daughter of Zeus, Artemis, for my fate; [Iphigenia] and let a solemn silence go to the sons of Danaus.
§1470κανᾶ δʼ ἐναρχέσθω τις, αἰθέσθω δὲ πῦρ §1471προχύταις καθαρσίοισι, καὶ πατὴρ ἐμὸς §1472ἐνδεξιούσθω βωμόν· ὡς σωτηρίαν §1473Ἕλλησι δώσουσʼ ἔρχομαι νικηφόρον.
[Iphigenia] And let someone begin with the barley baskets, and let the fire burn [Iphigenia] with purifying meal, and let my father [Iphigenia] encircle the altar to the right; since I am going [Iphigenia] to give victorious salvation to the Greeks.
§1475ἄγετέ με τὰν Ἰλίου §1476καὶ Φρυγῶν ἑλέπτολιν.
[Iphigenia] Lead me, the destroyer of the city of Ilium [Iphigenia] and of the Phrygians.
§1477στέφεα περίβολα δίδοτε, φέρετε §1478— πλόκαμος ὅδε καταστέφειν — §1479χερνίβων τε παγάς.
[Iphigenia] Give me wreaths to put around me, bring them— [Iphigenia] this lock of hair is to be crowned— [Iphigenia] and the springs of holy water.
§1480ἑλίσσετʼ ἀμφὶ ναὸν §1481ἀμφὶ βωμὸν Ἄρτεμιν, §1482τὰν ἄνασσαν Ἄρτεμιν, §1483τὰν μάκαιραν· ὡς ἐμοῖσιν, εἰ χρεών, §1485αἵμασι θύμασί §1486θέσφατʼ ἐξαλείψω.
[Iphigenia] Dance around the temple, [Iphigenia] around the altar of Artemis, [Iphigenia] queen Artemis, [Iphigenia] the blessed one; since with my blood, if it must be, [Iphigenia] and my sacrifices, [Iphigenia] wipe out the oracle.
§1487ὦ πότνια πότνια μᾶτερ, οὐ δάκρυά γέ σοι §1489δώσομεν ἁμέτερα· §1490παρʼ ἱεροῖς γὰρ οὐ πρέπει.
[Iphigenia] O revered, revered mother, we shall not give you [Iphigenia] our tears; [Iphigenia] for at the sacred rites it is not fitting.
§1491ἰὼ ἰὼ νεάνιδες, §1492συνεπαείδετʼ Ἄρτεμιν §1493Χαλκίδος ἀντίπορον, §1495ἵνα τε δόρατα μέμονε δάϊʼ §1496ὄνομα διʼ ἐμὸν Αὐλίδος §1497στενοπόροις ἐν ὅρμοις.
[Iphigenia] Io, io, maidens, [Iphigenia] sing along with me of Artemis, [Iphigenia] who faces Chalcis, [Iphigenia] where hostile spears are eager [Iphigenia] in the narrow harbors of Aulis because of my name.
§1498ἰὼ γᾶ μᾶτερ ὦ Πελασγία, §1499Μυκηναῖαί τʼ ἐμαὶ θεράπναι— §1500καλεῖς πόλισμα Περσέως, §1501Κυκλωπίων πόνον χερῶν;
[Iphigenia] [Iphigenia] Io, mother earth, O Pelasgia, [Iphigenia] and Mycenaean homes of mine— [Chorus] Do you call upon the city of Perseus, [Chorus] the work of Cyclopean hands?
§1502ἐθρέψαθʼ Ἑλλάδι με φάος· §1503θανοῦσα δʼ οὐκ ἀναίνομαι.
[Iphigenia] You reared me as a light for Greece; [Iphigenia] and dying, I do not refuse.
§1504κλέος γὰρ οὔ σε μὴ λίπῃ.
[Chorus] For fame shall surely never leave you.
§1505ἰὼ ἰώ.
[Iphigenia] Io, io.
§1506λαμπαδοῦχος ἁμέρα §1507Διός τε φέγγος, ἕτερον ἕτερον
[Iphigenia] O torch-bearing day, [Iphigenia] and light of Zeus!
§1508αἰῶνα καὶ μοῖραν οἰκήσομεν.
We shall inhabit another, another [Iphigenia] life and destiny.
§1509χαῖρέ μοι, φίλον φάος.
[Iphigenia] Farewell, O dear light!
§1510ἰὼ ἰώ.
[Iphigenia] Io, io.
§1510aἴδεσθε τὰν Ἰλίου §1511καὶ Φρυγῶν ἑλέπτολιν §1512στείχουσαν, ἐπὶ κάρα στέφη §1513βαλουμέναν χερνίβων τε παγάς, §1514βωμόν γε δαίμονος θεᾶς §1515ῥανίσιν αἱματορρύτοις §1516χρανοῦσαν εὐφυῆ τε σώματος δέρην
[Chorus] Behold her walking, [Chorus] the destroyer of the city of Ilium and of the Phrygians, [Chorus] cast wreaths upon her head, [Chorus] and sprinkling the springs of holy water, [Chorus] as she defiles the altar of the goddess deity [Chorus] with blood-flowing drops, even her beautiful neck of body.
§1517εὔδροσοι παγαὶ §1518πατρῷαι μένουσι χέρνιβές τέ σε §1519στρατός τʼ Ἀχαιῶν θέλων §1520Ἰλίου πόλιν μολεῖν.
[Chorus] [Chorus] Well-watered springs of your fatherland and holy waters await you, [Chorus] and the army of the Achaeans wishing [Chorus] to go to the city of Ilium.
§1521ἀλλὰ τὰν Διὸς κόραν §1522κλῄσωμεν Ἄρτεμιν, §1523θεῶν ἄνασσαν, ὡς ἐπʼ εὐτυχεῖ πότμῳ.
[Chorus] [Chorus] But let us sing of Artemis, [Chorus] the daughter of Zeus, queen of the gods, [Chorus] as if for a fortunate destiny.
§1524ὦ πότνια, πότνια, θύμασιν βροτησίοις §1525χαρεῖσα, πέμψον ἐς Φρυγῶν §1526γαῖαν Ἑλλάνων στρατὸν §1527καὶ δολόεντα Τροίας ἕδη, §1528Ἀγαμέμνονά τε λόγχαις §1529Ἑλλάδι κλεινότατον στέφανον §1530δὸς ἀμφὶ κάρα ἑὸν §1531κλέος ἀείμνηστον ἀμφιθεῖναι.
[Chorus] O revered, revered one, pleased with mortal sacrifices, [Chorus] send the army of the Greeks to the land of the Phrygians, [Chorus] and to the deceitful seats of Troy, [Chorus] and grant Agamemnon to place around his head [Chorus] a crown most famous for Greece, [Chorus] to wrap him in everlasting fame.
§1532ὦ Τυνδαρεία παῖ, Κλυταιμήστρα, δόμων §1533ἔξω πέρασον, ὡς κλύῃς ἐμῶν λόγων.
[Chorus] [Chorus] [Messenger] O daughter of Tyndareus, Clytemnestra, come outside the house, [Messenger] so that you may hear my words.
§1534φθογγῆς κλύουσα δεῦρο σῆς ἀφικόμην, §1535ταρβοῦσα τλήμων κἀκπεπληγμένη φόβῳ· §1536μή μοί τινʼ ἄλλην ξυμφορὰν ἥκεις φέρων §1537πρὸς τῇ παρούσῃ;
[Clytemnestra] Hearing your voice I have come hither, [Clytemnestra] wretched and overwhelmed with fear, trembling: [Clytemnestra] lest you come bringing some other misfortune to me [Clytemnestra] besides the present one?
§1537bσῆς μὲν οὖν παιδὸς πέρι §1538θαυμαστά σοι καὶ δεινὰ σημῆναι θέλω.
[Messenger] Rather, concerning your daughter, [Messenger] I wish to declare to you wonderful and terrible things.
§1539μὴ μέλλε τοίνυν, ἀλλὰ φράζʼ ὅσον τάχος.
[Clytemnestra] Do not delay then, but speak as quickly as possible.
§1540ἀλλʼ, ὦ φίλη δέσποινα, πᾶν πεύσῃ σαφῶς.
[Messenger] Indeed, dear mistress, you shall learn everything clearly.
§1541λέξω δʼ ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς, ἤν τι μὴ σφαλεῖσά μου §1542γνώμη ταράξῃ γλῶσσαν ἐν λόγοις ἐμήν.
[Messenger] I will speak from the beginning, unless my mind, [Messenger] being somehow tripped, should trouble my tongue in its words.
§1543ἐπεὶ γὰρ ἱκόμεσθα τῆς Διὸς κόρης §1544Ἀρτέμιδος ἄλσος λείμακάς τʼ ἀνθεσφόρους, §1545ἵνʼ ἦν Ἀχαιῶν σύλλογος στρατεύματος, §1546σὴν παῖδʼ ἄγοντες, εὐθὺς Ἀργείων ὄχλος §1547ἠθροίζεθʼ.
[Messenger] For when we arrived at the grove of Zeus' daughter [Messenger] Artemis, and the flower-bearing meadows, [Messenger] where the gathering of the Achaean army was, [Messenger] bringing your daughter, immediately the crowd of Argives [Messenger] was assembled.
ὡς δʼ ἐσεῖδεν Ἀγαμέμνων ἄναξ §1548ἐπὶ σφαγὰς στείχουσαν εἰς ἄλσος κόρην, §1549ἀνεστέναξε, κἄμπαλιν στρέψας κάρα §1550δάκρυε, πρόσθεν ὀμμάτων πέπλον προθείς.
And when king Agamemnon saw [Messenger] the maiden stepping into the grove for the sacrifice, [Messenger] he groaned, and turning his head back, [Messenger] wept, putting his robe before his eyes.
§1551ἣ δὲ σταθεῖσα τῷ τεκόντι πλησίον
[Messenger] But she, having stood near to her father,

Notes

  1. 1458σπαράσσεσθαι κόμης — The passive infinitive `σπαράσσεσθαι` ('to be torn') is constructed with the genitive of separation `κόμης` ('hair'), implying the violent act of being dragged by the hair prior to the sacrificial slaughter.
  2. 1464bοὐ μὴ μόλω — The combination of the double negative `οὐ μή` with the aorist subjunctive (`μόλω`) expresses an extremely emphatic denial or negative future ('I shall certainly never return'), which is a characteristic feature of Attic Greek.
  3. 1537bσῆς μὲν οὖν παιδὸς πέρι — The particle combination `μὲν οὖν` serves to correct or strongly refute the previous speaker's anxious question ('Nay rather, on the contrary'), turning the dialogue toward the miraculous and astonishing news regarding her daughter.

Cite this passage

Euripides, Iphigenia in Aulis §1447-1551. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0006.tlg018.humanitext-grc2:1447-1551

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