§887οἰκτρὰ πάσχετον δύʼ οὖσαι· δεινὰ δʼ Ἀγαμέμνων ἔτλη.
[Old Servant] You two, being two, suffer piteous things; and Agamemnon has dared dreadful deeds.
§888οἴχομαι τάλαινα, δακρύων τʼ ὄμματʼ οὐκέτι στέγω.
[Clytemnestra] I am undone, wretched woman, and I can no longer hold back the tears in my eyes.
§889εἴπερ ἀλγεινὸν τὸ τέκνων στερόμενον, δακρυρρόει.
[Old Servant] If indeed it is painful to be deprived of children, shed tears.
§890σὺ δὲ τάδʼ, ὦ γέρον, πόθεν φῂς εἰδέναι πεπυσμένος;
[Clytemnestra] But you, old man, from whom do you say you learned and know these things?
§891δέλτον ᾠχόμην φέρων σοι πρὸς τὰ πρὶν γεγραμμένα.
[Old Servant] I went carrying a tablet to you, contrary to what had been written before.
§892οὐκ ἐῶν ἢ ξυγκελεύων παῖδʼ ἄγειν θανουμένην;
[Clytemnestra] Forbidding or urging to bring the child, who is to die?
§893μὴ μὲν οὖν ἄγειν· φρονῶν γὰρ ἔτυχε σὸς πόσις τότʼ εὖ.
[Old Servant] Indeed, not to bring her; for your husband happened to be of sound mind then.
§894κᾆτα πῶς φέρων γε δέλτον οὐκ ἐμοὶ δίδως λαβεῖν;
[Clytemnestra] And then, how is it that, carrying the tablet, you did not give it to me to take?
§895Μενέλεως ἀφείλεθʼ ἡμᾶς, ὃς κακῶν τῶνδʼ αἴτιος.
[Old Servant] Menenaus snatched it from me, he who is the cause of these evils.
§896ὦ τέκνον Νηρῇδος, ὦ παῖ Πηλέως, κλύεις τάδε;
[Clytemnestra] O child of the Nereid, O son of Peleus, do you hear this?
§897ἔκλυον οὖσαν ἀθλίαν σε, τὸ δʼ ἐμὸν οὐ φαύλως φέρω.
[Achilles] I heard that you are wretched, and I do not bear what concerns me lightly.
§898παῖδά μου κατακτενοῦσι σοῖς δολώσαντες γάμοις.
[Clytemnestra] They will kill my child, having used your marriage as a decoy.
§899μέμφομαι κἀγὼ πόσει σῷ, κοὐχ ἁπλῶς οὕτω φέρω.
[Achilles] I too blame your husband, and I do not bear it in just any simple way.
[Clytemnestra] I shall not indeed be ashamed to fall at your knee, [Clytemnestra] you who are born of a goddess, though I am mortal; for why should I put on airs?
§902ἢ τίνος σπουδαστέον μοι μᾶλλον ἢ τέκνου πέρι;
[Clytemnestra] Or for whom must I be more earnest than for my child?
§903ἀλλʼ ἄμυνον, ὦ θεᾶς παῖ, τῇ τʼ ἐμῇ δυσπραξίᾳ §904τῇ τε λεχθείσῃ δάμαρτι σῇ — μάτην μέν, ἀλλʼ ὅμως.
[Clytemnestra] But help, O child of the goddess, both my misfortune [Clytemnestra] and her who was called your wife—in vain, indeed, but nevertheless.
§905σοὶ καταστέψασʼ ἐγώ νιν ἦγον ὡς γαμουμένην, §906νῦν δʼ ἐπὶ σφαγὰς κομίζω· σοὶ δʼ ὄνειδος ἵξεται, §907ὅστις οὐκ ἤμυνας· εἰ γὰρ μὴ γάμοισιν ἐζύγης, §908ἀλλʼ ἐκλήθης γοῦν ταλαίνης παρθένου φίλος πόσις.
[Clytemnestra] Wreathing her for you, I brought her as one to be married, [Clytemnestra] but now I bring her to slaughter; and reproach will come upon you, [Clytemnestra] who did not defend her; for even if you were not joined in marriage, [Clytemnestra] yet you were at least called the beloved husband of the wretched maiden.
§909πρὸς γενειάδος σε, πρός σε δεξιᾶς, πρὸς μητέρος — §910ὄνομα γὰρ τὸ σόν μʼ ἀπώλεσʼ, ᾧ σʼ ἀμυναθεῖν χρεών — §911οὐκ ἔχω βωμὸν καταφυγεῖν ἄλλον ἢ τὸ σὸν γόνυ· §912οὐδὲ φίλος οὐδεὶς γελᾷ μοι· τὰ δʼ Ἀγαμέμνονος κλύεις, §913ὠμὰ καὶ πάντολμʼ· ἀφῖγμαι δʼ, ὥσπερ εἰσορᾷς, γυνὴ §914ναυτικὸν στράτευμʼ ἄναρχον κἀπὶ τοῖς κακοῖς θρασύ— §915χρήσιμον δʼ, ὅταν θέλωσιν.
[Clytemnestra] By your beard I entreat you, by your right hand, by your mother— [Clytemnestra] for your name destroyed me, which you ought to defend— [Clytemnestra] I have no other altar to flee to except your knee; [Clytemnestra] and no friend smiles on me; and you hear Agamemnon's deeds, [Clytemnestra] savage and all-daring; and I have come, as you see, a woman [Clytemnestra] to a naval host without rule and bold for mischief— [Clytemnestra] yet useful, when they wish.
ἢν δὲ τολμήσῃς σύ μου §916χεῖρʼ ὑπερτεῖναι, σεσῴσμεθʼ· εἰ δὲ μή, οὐ σεσῴσμεθα.
But if you dare [Clytemnestra] to stretch forth your hand over me, we are saved; but if not, we are not saved.
[Chorus] To give birth is a wondrous thing, and it brings a great love [Chorus] and common to all, so as to toil on behalf of children.
§919ὑψηλόφρων μοι θυμὸς αἴρεται πρόσω· §920ἐπίσταμαι δὲ τοῖς κακοῖσί τʼ ἀσχαλᾶν §921μετρίως τε χαίρειν τοῖσιν ἐξωγκωμένοις.
[Achilles] My high-minded spirit is raised aloft; [Achilles] and I know how to be vexed at evils [Achilles] and to rejoice moderately in puffed-up things.
[Achilles] For such among mortals are reasoned [Achilles] to live through their life rightly with wisdom.
[Achilles] Now indeed there is a time when it is sweet not to think too much, [Achilles] but there is also a time where it is useful to have judgment.
[Achilles] And I, reared by the most pious man, [Achilles] Chiron, learned to have simple ways.
[Achilles] And to the Atreidae, if indeed they lead well, [Achilles] we will obey; but when not well, I will not obey.
[Achilles] But here and in Troy, displaying a free nature, [Achilles] I will adorn Ares with my spear as far as lies in me.
§932σὲ δʼ, ὦ σχέτλια παθοῦσα πρὸς τῶν φιλτάτων, §933ἃ δὴ κατʼ ἄνδρα γίγνεται νεανίαν, §934τοσοῦτον οἶκτον περιβαλὼν καταστελῶ, §935κοὔποτε κόρη σὴ πρὸς πατρὸς σφαγήσεται, §936ἐμὴ φατισθεῖσʼ· οὐ γὰρ ἐμπλέκειν πλοκὰς §937ἐγὼ παρέξω σῷ πόσει τοὐμὸν δέμας.
[Achilles] But you, who have suffered cruel things from those dearest to you, [Achilles] with those things indeed which belong to a young man, [Achilles] covering you with so great pity, I will set things right; [Achilles] and never shall your daughter be slaughtered by her father, [Achilles] having been called mine; for I will not allow your husband to entangle [Achilles] my body in his plots.
[Achilles] For my name, even if it did not lift the sword, [Achilles] will murder your child.
τὸ δʼ αἴτιον §940πόσις σός.
And the cause [Achilles] is your husband.
ἁγνὸν δʼ οὐκέτʼ ἐστὶ σῶμʼ ἐμόν, §941εἰ διʼ ἔμʼ ὀλεῖται διά τε τοὺς ἐμοὺς γάμους §942ἡ δεινὰ τλᾶσα κοὐκ ἀνεκτὰ παρθένος, §943θαυμαστὰ δʼ ὡς ἀνάξιʼ ἠτιμασμένη.
And my body is no longer pure, [Achilles] if because of me and because of my marriage [Achilles] the maiden, who has suffered dreadful and intolerable things, [Achilles] and has been dishonored with wondrous unworthiness, shall perish.
§944ἐγὼ κάκιστος ἦν ἄρʼ Ἀργείων ἀνήρ, §945ἐγὼ τὸ μηδέν, Μενέλεως δʼ ἐν ἀνδράσιν, §946ὡς οὐχὶ Πηλέως, ἀλλʼ ἀλάστορος γεγώς, §947εἴπερ φονεύει τοὐμὸν ὄνομα σῷ πόσει.
[Achilles] I should then be the basest man of the Argives, [Achilles] I a mere nothing, and Menelaus among men, [Achilles] as one born not of Peleus but of an avenging spirit, [Achilles] if indeed my name does murder for your husband.
§948μὰ τὸν διʼ ὑγρῶν κυμάτων τεθραμμένον §949Νηρέα, φυτουργὸν Θέτιδος ἥ μʼ ἐγείνατο, §950οὐχ ἅψεται σῆς θυγατρὸς Ἀγαμέμνων ἄναξ, §951οὐδʼ εἰς ἄκραν χεῖρʼ, ὥστε προσβαλεῖν πέπλοις· §952ἢ Σίπυλος ἔσται πόλις, ὅρισμα βαρβάρων, §953ὅθεν πεφύκασʼ οἱ στρατηλάται γένος, §954Φθίας δὲ τοὔνομʼ οὐδαμοῦ κεκλήσεται.
[Achilles] No, by Nereus nurtured amid the wet waves, [Achilles] the father of Thetis who bore me, [Achilles] King Agamemnon shall not touch your daughter, [Achilles] not even with the tip of his hand, so as to touch her robes; [Achilles] otherwise Sipylus shall be a city, a boundary of barbarians, [Achilles] whence the generals trace their race, [Achilles] and the name of Phthia shall nowhere be named.
[Achilles] And bitter barley-groats and lustral water shall Calchas the seer initiate.
τίς δὲ μάντις ἔστʼ ἀνήρ,
[Achilles] And what kind of man is a seer,