appearing naked without the prizes of valor, of which Telamon himself won the great crown of glory?
§466οὐκ ἔστι τοὔργον τλητόν.
This deed is not to be endured.
ἀλλὰ δῆτʼ ἰὼν §467πρὸς ἔρυμα Τρώων, ξυμπεσὼν μόνος μόνοις §468καὶ δρῶν τι χρηστόν, εἶτα λοίσθιον θάνω;
But then, should I go to the fortress of the Trojans, falling upon them alone against them alone, and having done some good deed, then at last die?
§469ἀλλʼ ὧδέ γʼ Ἀτρείδας ἂν εὐφράναιμί που.
But in this way indeed I would surely please the Atreidae.
§470οὐκ ἔστι ταῦτα.
That is impossible.
πεῖρά τις ζητητέα §471τοιάδʼ ἀφʼ ἧς γέροντι δηλώσω πατρὶ §472μή τοι φύσιν γʼ ἄσπλαγχνος ἐκ κείνου γεγώς.
Some trial must be sought by which I shall show to my aged father that I am not indeed born of him as a coward by nature.
For it is shameful for a man to desire long life who finds no change from his troubles.
For what pleasure can day after day bring by adding and deferring dying?
I would not buy at any price a mortal who warms himself with empty hopes.
But either to live honorably or to die honorably behoves the noble-born.
πάντʼ ἀκήκοας λόγον.
You have heard the whole speech.
No one will ever say that you have spoken a counterfeit speech, Ajax, but one from your own mind.
Yet, cease indeed and grant to your friends to prevail over your purpose, letting go these anxieties.
O master Ajax, of necessary fortune there is no greater evil among men.
§487ἐγὼ δʼ ἐλευθέρου μὲν ἐξέφυν πατρός, §488εἴπερ τινὸς σθένοντος ἐν πλούτῳ Φρυγῶν· §489νῦν δʼ εἰμὶ δούλη.
I was born of a free father, if any Phrygian was powerful in wealth; but now I am a slave.
θεοῖς γὰρ ὧδʼ ἔδοξέ που §490καὶ σῇ μάλιστα χειρί.
For so it pleased the gods, no doubt, and especially your hand.
τοιγαροῦν, ἐπεὶ §491τὸ σὸν λέχος ξυνῆλθον, εὖ φρονῶ τὰ σά, §492καί σʼ ἀντιάζω πρός τʼ ἐφεστίου Διὸς §493εὐνῆς τε τῆς σῆς, ᾗ συνηλλάχθης ἐμοί, §494μή μʼ ἀξιώσῃς βάξιν ἀλγεινὴν λαβεῖν §495τῶν σῶν ὑπʼ ἐχθρῶν, χειρίαν ἀφείς τινι.
Therefore, since I came to your bed, I am well-disposed to your interests, and I entreat you by Zeus of the hearth and by your bed in which you were united with me, do not think it right for me to receive painful slander from your enemies, leaving me in subjection to someone.
§496εἰ γὰρ θάνῃς σὺ καὶ τελευτήσας ἀφῇς, §497ταύτῃ νόμιζε κἀμὲ τῇ τόθʼ ἡμέρᾳ §498βίᾳ ξυναρπασθεῖσαν Ἀργείων ὕπο §499ξὺν παιδὶ τῷ σῷ δουλίαν ἕξειν τροφήν.
For if you die and by your death desert me, reckon that on that very day I too shall be seized by force by the Argives and with your child shall have a slave's livelihood.
§500καί τις πικρὸν πρόσφθεγμα δεσποτῶν ἐρεῖ §501λόγοις ἰάπτων, ἴδετε τὴν ὁμευνέτιν §502Αἴαντος, ὃς μέγιστον ἴσχυσε στρατοῦ, §503οἵας λατρείας ἀνθʼ ὅσου ζήλου τρέφει. §504τοιαῦτʼ ἐρεῖ τις· κἀμὲ μὲν δαίμων ἐλᾷ, §505σοὶ δʼ αἰσχρὰ τἄπη ταῦτα καὶ τῷ σῷ γένει.
And someone of my masters will speak a bitter word, shooting with his tongue: "See the bedfellow of Ajax, who was of greatest power in the army, what slave-service she gets in exchange for how great envy." Such things someone will say; and fate will drive me on, but to you and to your race these words will be a shame.
§506ἀλλʼ αἴδεσαι μὲν πατέρα τὸν σὸν ἐν λυγρῷ §507γήρᾳ προλείπων, αἴδεσαι δὲ μητέρα §508πολλῶν ἐτῶν κληροῦχον, ἥ σε πολλάκις §509θεοῖς ἀρᾶται ζῶντα πρὸς δόμους μολεῖν· §510οἴκτιρε δʼ, ὦναξ, παῖδα τὸν σόν, εἰ νέας §511τροφῆς στερηθεὶς σοῦ διοίσεται μόνος §512ὑπʼ ὀρφανιστῶν μὴ φίλων, ὅσον κακὸν §513κείνῳ τε κἀμοὶ τοῦθʼ, ὅταν θάνῃς, νεμεῖς.
But respect your father, whom you leave behind in miserable old age, and respect your mother allotted many years, who often prays to the gods that you may return alive to your home; and pity, O king, your child, if deprived of his youthful nurture, he shall lead his life apart from you, under unfriendly guardians; how great an evil this is that you will assign to him and to me when you die.
For I have nothing else to look to except you.
σὺ γάρ μοι πατρίδʼ ᾔστωσας δορί, §516καὶ μητέρʼ ἄλλη μοῖρα τὸν φύσαντά τε §517καθεῖλεν Ἅιδου θανασίμους οἰκήτορας.
For you have destroyed my fatherland with the spear, and another fate brought down my mother and him who begat me to be deadly inhabitants of Hades.
§518τίς δῆτʼ ἐμοὶ γένοιτʼ ἂν ἀντὶ σοῦ πατρίς;
What fatherland then could I have instead of you?
§519τίς πλοῦτος;
What wealth?
ἐν σοὶ πᾶσʼ ἔγωγε σῴζομαι.
In you I am entirely saved.
But have remembrance of me too; indeed, it is right for a man to have memory, if he has received any pleasure anywhere.
§522χάρις χάριν γάρ ἐστιν ἡ τίκτουσʼ ἀεί· §523ὅτου δʼ ἀπορρεῖ μνῆστις εὖ πεπονθότος, §524οὐκ ἂν γένοιτʼ ἔθʼ οὗτος εὐγενὴς ἀνήρ.
For it is favor that always generates favor; but from whomever the memory of a benefit fades away, he can no longer be a noble man.
Ajax, I would wish that you had pity in your heart as I have; for then you would approve her words.
Indeed, she shall obtain much praise from me at least, if only she dares to perform well what is commanded.
§529ἀλλʼ, ὦ φίλʼ Αἴας, πάντʼ ἔγωγε πείσομαι.
Indeed, dear Ajax, I will obey in everything.
§530κόμιζέ νύν μοι παῖδα τὸν ἐμόν, ὡς ἴδω.
Bring then my child to me, so that I may see him.
§531καὶ μὴν φόβοισί γʼ αὐτὸν ἐξελυσάμην.
Nay, indeed I released him from my hands through fears.
§532ἐν τοῖσδε τοῖς κακοῖσιν, ἢ τί μοι λέγεις;
In these troubles, or what do you mean?
§533μὴ σοί γέ που δύστηνος ἀντήσας θάνοι.
Lest indeed, poor child, meeting you he should die.
§534πρέπον γέ τἂν ἦν δαίμονος τοὐμοῦ τόδε.
That indeed would have been suitable to my fate.
§535ἀλλʼ οὖν ἐγὼ ʼφύλαξα τοῦτό γʼ ἀρκέσαι.
But at all events I guarded against this to prevent it.
§536ἐπῄνεσʼ ἔργον καὶ πρόνοιαν ἣν ἔθου.
I praise your deed and the foresight which you showed.
§537τί δῆτʼ ἂν ὡς ἐκ τῶνδʼ ἂν ὠφελοῖμί σε;
What then could I do to help you in this situation?
§538δός μοι προσειπεῖν αὐτὸν ἐμφανῆ τʼ ἰδεῖν.
Give him to me to speak to and to see face to face.
§539καὶ μὴν πέλας γε προσπόλοις φυλάσσεται.
Indeed, he is guarded near by by the servants.