§543—μάκαρες οἳ μετρίας θεοῦ §544μετά τε σωφροσύνας μετέ- §545σχον λέκτρων Ἀφροδίτας, §546γαλανείᾳ χρησάμενοι §547μανιάδων οἴστρων, ὅθι δὴ §548δίδυμʼ Ἔρως ὁ χρυσοκόμας §549τόξʼ ἐντείνεται χαρίτων, §550τὸ μὲν ἐπʼ εὐαίωνι πότμῳ, §551τὸ δʼ ἐπὶ συγχύσει βιοτᾶς.
—Blessed are they who with a moderate goddess and with self-control share in the marriage-bed of Aphrodite, enjoying tranquility from the mad stings of passion, where indeed golden-haired Eros stretches his double bow of the Graces, the one for a happy fate, the other for the ruin of life.
I banish the latter from our bridal chambers, most beautiful Cypris.
§554εἴη δέ μοι μετρία μὲν §555χάρις, πόθοι δʼ ὅσιοι, §556καὶ μετέχοιμι τᾶς Ἀφροδί- §557τας, πολλὰν δʼ ἀποθείμαν.
May moderate grace be mine, and holy desires, and may I share in Aphrodite, but reject her excess.
—Diverse are the natures of mortals, and diverse their ways; but that which is rightly good is always clear.
And education, when received, brings great guidance to virtue.
§563τό τε γὰρ αἰδεῖσθαι σοφία, §564τάν τʼ ἐξαλλάσσουσαν ἔχει §565χάριν ὑπὸ γνώμας ἐσορᾶν §566τὸ δέον, ἔνθα δόξα φέρει §567κλέος ἀγήρατον βιοτᾷ.
For to have reverence is wisdom, and it possesses the extraordinary grace to see what is necessary by judgment, where fame brings ageless glory to life.
§568μέγα τι θηρεύειν ἀρετάν, §569γυναιξὶ μὲν κατὰ Κύπριν §570κρυπτάν, ἐν ἀνδράσι δʼ αὖ §571κόσμος ἐνὼν ὁ μυριοπλη- §572θὴς μείζω πόλιν αὔξει.
It is a great thing to pursue virtue, for women in secret Aphrodite (chastity), but among men, on the other hand, the manifold order increases the state further.
§573—ἔμολες, ὦ Πάρις, ᾗτε σύ γε §574βουκόλος ἀργενναῖς ἐτράφης §575Ἰδαίαις παρὰ μόσχοις, §576βάρβαρα συρίζων, Φρυγίων §577αὐλῶν Ὀλύμπου καλάμοις §578μιμήματα πνείων.
—You came, O Paris, where you were bred as a herdsman beside the white Idaean heifers, piping barbarian tunes, breathing on the reeds of Olympus the imitation of Phrygian flutes.
§579εὔθηλοι δὲ τρέφοντο βόες, §580ὅτε σε κρίσις ἔμηνε θεᾶν, §581ἅ σʼ Ἑλλάδα πέμπει· §582ἐλεφαντοδέτων πάροι- §583θεν δόμων δὲ στὰς Ἑλένας §584ἐν ἀντωποῖς βλεφάροισιν §585ἔρωτά τʼ ἔδωκας, ἔρωτι δʼ §586αὐτὸς ἐπτοάθης.
Well-uddered cows were being fed when the judgment of the goddesses drove you mad, which sent you to Greece; and standing before the ivory-adorned palace of Helen, you gave love in her responding eyes, and were yourself excited by love.
From where discord brings discord to Greece with spear and ships to the citadels of Troy.
§590ἰὼ ἰώ·
Alas, alas!
μεγάλαι μεγάλων §591εὐδαιμονίαι· τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως §592ἴδετʼ Ἰφιγένειαν, ἄνασσαν ἐμήν, §593τὴν Τυνδάρεω τε Κλυταιμήστραν·
Great are the great fortunes; behold the king's daughter Iphigenia, my queen, and Clytemnestra, daughter of Tyndareus; how from great ancestors they have sprung and have come to high fortunes.
§594ὡς ἐκ μεγάλων ἐβλαστήκασʼ §595ἐπί τʼ εὐμήκεις ἥκουσι τύχας. §596θεοί γʼ οἱ κρείσσους οἵ τʼ ὀλβοφόροι §597τοῖς οὐκ εὐδαίμοσι θνητῶν.
The stronger and wealth-bearing gods are indeed superior to those of mortals who are not fortunate.
§598στῶμεν, Χαλκίδος ἔκγονα θρέμματα, §599τὴν βασίλειαν δεξώμεθʼ ὄχων §600ἄπο μὴ σφαλερῶς ἐπὶ γαῖαν, §601ἀγανῶς δὲ χεροῖν μαλακῇ ῥώμῃ, §602μὴ ταρβήσῃ νεωστί μοι μολὸν §603κλεινὸν τέκνον Ἀγαμέμνονος, §604μηδὲ θόρυβον μηδʼ ἔκπληξιν §605ταῖς Ἀργείαις §606ξεῖναι ξείναις παρέχωμεν.
Let us stand, offspring of Chalcis, let us receive the queen from the carriage without slipping onto the ground, gently with the soft strength of our hands, so that the famous child of Agamemnon, newly arrived, may not be afraid, and let us not cause noise or alarm to the Argive women, we, foreign women, to foreign guests.
§607ὄρνιθα μὲν τόνδʼ αἴσιον ποιούμεθα, §608τὸ σόν τε χρηστὸν καὶ λόγων εὐφημίαν· §609ἐλπίδα δʼ ἔχω τινʼ ὡς ἐπʼ ἐσθλοῖσιν γάμοις §610πάρειμι νυμφαγωγός.
[Clytemnestra] I make this an auspicious omen, both your kindness and the propitious words; and I have some hope that for a good marriage I am present as the bridal escort.
But from the carriage carry out the dowry which I bring for the girl, and send it into the palace with care.
And you, my child, leave the horse-drawn carriage, placing your delicate and at the same time weak limb.
And you, young maidens, receive her in your arms and conduct her from the carriage.
And let someone give me a support of the hand, so that I may leave the seat of the carriage gracefully.
§619αἳ δʼ ἐς τὸ πρόσθεν στῆτε πωλικῶν ζυγῶν· §620φοβερὸν γὰρ ἀπαράμυθον ὄμμα πωλικόν· §621καὶ παῖδα τόνδε, τὸν Ἀγαμέμνονος γόνον, §622λάζυσθʼ, Ὀρέστην· ἔτι γάρ ἐστι νήπιος.
And others, stand in front of the horses' yokes; for the horse's eye is fearful and inconsolable; and this child, the offspring of Agamemnon, receive, Orestes; for he is still an infant.
§623τέκνον, καθεύδεις πωλικῷ δαμεὶς ὄχῳ;
Child, do you sleep, overcome by the horse-drawn carriage?
§624ἔγειρʼ ἀδελφῆς ἐφʼ ὑμέναιον εὐτυχῶς· §625ἀνδρὸς γὰρ ἀγαθοῦ κῆδος αὐτὸς ἐσθλὸς ὢν §626λήψῃ, κόρης Νηρῇδος ἰσόθεον γένος.
Awake happily for your sister's wedding-hymn; for being noble yourself, you will receive an alliance with a good man, the godlike race of the Nereid's daughter.
§627ἑξῆς κάθησο δεῦρό μου ποδός, τέκνον· §628πρὸς μητέρʼ, Ἰφιγένεια, μακαρίαν δέ με §629ξέναισι ταῖσδε πλησία σταθεῖσα δός, §630καὶ — δεῦρο δὴ — πατέρα πρόσειπε σὸν φίλον.
Sit here next to my foot, child; and standing near, Iphigenia, give me, your mother, a happy state before these foreign women, and—come here now—address your dear father.
[Iphigenia] O mother, running before you; do not be angry; I will throw my chest against my father's chest.
[Clytemnestra] O greatest object of reverence to me, King Agamemnon, we have come, not disobeying your commands.
§637ποθῶ γὰρ ὄμμα δὴ σόν.
[Iphigenia] For indeed I long for your face.
ὀργισθῇς δὲ μή.
Do not be angry.
[Agamemnon] Nay, my child, you must; you are always fond of your father most of all the children I begot.
§640ὦ πάτερ, ἐσεῖδόν σʼ ἀσμένη πολλῷ χρόνῳ.
[Iphigenia] O father, I see you gladly after a long time.
§641καὶ γὰρ πατὴρ σέ· τόδʼ ἴσον ὑπὲρ ἀμφοῖν λέγεις.
[Agamemnon] And your father sees you; you speak this equally for both of us.
§642χαῖρʼ· εὖ δέ μʼ ἀγαγὼν πρὸς σʼ ἐποίησας, πάτερ.
[Iphigenia] Hail; and you did well in bringing me to you, father.
§643οὐκ οἶδʼ ὅπως φῶ τοῦτο καὶ μὴ φῶ, τέκνον.
[Agamemnon] I know not how to say this and how not to say it, child.
§644ἔα·
[Iphigenia] Ah!
§644aὡς οὐ βλέπεις ἕκηλον ἄσμενός μʼ ἰδών.
How you do not look at me with a calm eye, though seeing me gladly.