§569οὐκ οἶδʼ· ἐφʼ οἷς γὰρ μὴ φρονῶ σιγᾶν φιλῶ.
I do not know; for on matters where I have no understanding I prefer to keep silent.
§570τοσόνδε γʼ οἶσθα καὶ λέγοις ἂν εὖ φρονῶν.
At least this much you know, and you would say it if you were wise.
§571ποῖον τόδʼ;
What is this?
εἰ γὰρ οἶδά γʼ, οὐκ ἀρνήσομαι.
For if I know it, I will not deny it.
That, if he had not met with you, he would never have spoken of my slaying of Laius.
If he says this, you know it yourself; but I claim the right to learn from you the same things as you now demand from me.
§576ἐκμάνθανʼ· οὐ γὰρ δὴ φονεὺς ἁλώσομαι.
Learn then; for I shall certainly not be convicted as a murderer.
§577τί δῆτʼ;
What then?
ἀδελφὴν τὴν ἐμὴν γήμας ἔχεις;
Have you married my sister and hold her as wife?
§578ἄρνησις οὐκ ἔνεστιν ὧν ἀνιστορεῖς.
There is no denial of what you ask.
§579ἄρχεις δʼ ἐκείνῃ ταὐτὰ γῆς ἴσον νέμων;
And do you rule this land, sharing equal power with her?
§580ἃν ᾖ θέλουσα πάντʼ ἐμοῦ κομίζεται.
All that she desires she obtains from me.
§581οὔκουν ἰσοῦμαι σφῷν ἐγὼ δυοῖν τρίτος;
And am I not, as the third, equal to you both?
§582ἐνταῦθα γὰρ δὴ καὶ κακὸς φαίνει φίλος.
Indeed, it is just there that you show yourself a false friend.
§583οὔκ, εἰ διδοίης γʼ ὡς ἐγὼ σαυτῷ λόγον.
Not so, if you would reason with yourself as I do.
§584σκέψαι δὲ τοῦτο πρῶτον, εἴ τινʼ ἂν δοκεῖς §585ἄρχειν ἑλέσθαι ξὺν φόβοισι μᾶλλον ἢ §586ἄτρεστον εὕδοντʼ, εἰ τά γʼ αὔθʼ ἕξει κράτη.
Consider this first, whether you think anyone would choose to rule with fears rather than to sleep untroubled, if he is to have the same power.
§587ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν οὔτʼ αὐτὸς ἱμείρων ἔφυν §588τύραννος εἶναι μᾶλλον ἢ τύραννα δρᾶν, §589οὔτʼ ἄλλος ὅστις σωφρονεῖν ἐπίσταται.
For my part, I have no natural desire to be king rather than to do a king's deeds, nor has any other man who knows how to be wise.
For now I obtain everything from you without fear; but if I were ruler myself, I should have to do many things even against my will.
How then could kingship be sweeter for me to hold than painless rule and power?
I am not yet so far self-deceived as to desire things other than those which are honorable and profitable.
§596νῦν πᾶσι χαίρω, νῦν με πᾶς ἀσπάζεται, §597νῦν οἱ σέθεν χρῄζοντες ἐκκαλοῦσί με· §598τὸ γὰρ τυχεῖν αὐτοῖσι πᾶν ἐνταῦθʼ ἔνι.
Now all welcome me, now everyone greets me, now those who want anything from you call me out; for their success in everything lies therein.
§599πῶς δῆτʼ ἐγὼ κεῖνʼ ἂν λάβοιμʼ ἀφεὶς τάδε;
How then should I let these things go and choose those?
§600οὐκ ἂν γένοιτο νοῦς κακὸς καλῶς φρονῶν.
A mind that thinks well could never become treasonous.
But I have no natural love for this design, nor would I ever brook to share in it with another who acts.
And as proof of these things, first go to Pytho and inquire whether I have reported the oracle to you correctly.
§605τοῦτʼ ἄλλʼ, ἐάν με τῷ τερασκόπῳ λάβῃς §606κοινῇ τι βουλεύσαντα, μή μʼ ἁπλῇ κτάνῃς §607ψήφῳ, διπλῇ δέ, τῇ τʼ ἐμῇ καὶ σῇ, λαβών·
Secondly, if you catch me having plotted anything in common with the seer, put me to death not by a single vote, but by a double one—both mine and yours.
§608γνώμῃ δʼ ἀδήλῳ μή με χωρὶς αἰτιῶ.
But do not accuse me on unproved suspicion alone.
For it is not just to regard bad men without reason as good, nor good men as bad.
For to cast away a true friend is, I say, equal to casting away one's own life, which one loves most.
§613ἀλλʼ ἐν χρόνῳ γνώσει τάδʼ ἀσφαλῶς, ἐπεὶ §614χρόνος δίκαιον ἄνδρα δείκνυσιν μόνος· §615κακὸν δὲ κἂν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ γνοίης μιᾷ.
But in time you will know these things surely, since time alone shows a just man; whereas you might discern a bad man even in a single day.
He has spoken well, my king, for one who is careful not to fall; for those who are quick to judge are not safe.
When a conspirator moves swiftly in secret, I too must plan swiftly in turn.
But if I wait in silence, his affairs will be accomplished, while mine will have failed.
§622τί δῆτα χρῄζεις;
What then do you want?
ἦ με γῆς ἔξω βαλεῖν;
To cast me out of the land?
§623ἥκιστα· θνῄσκειν, οὐ φυγεῖν σε βούλομαι.
Far from it; I want you to die, not to flee.
§624ὡς ἂν προδείξῃς οἷόν ἐστι τὸ φθονεῖν.
So that you may first show what kind of thing envy is.
§625ὡς οὐχ ὑπείξων οὐδὲ πιστεύσων λέγεις;
Do you speak as one who will not yield or believe?
§626οὐ γὰρ φρονοῦντά σʼ εὖ βλέπω.
For I see you are not in your right mind.
§626aτὸ γοῦν ἐμόν.
At least as far as my own interest is concerned.
§627ἀλλʼ ἐξ ἴσου δεῖ κἀμόν.
But you ought to be so for mine as well.
§627aἀλλʼ ἔφυς κακός.
But you are a born villain.
§628εἰ δὲ ξυνίης μηδέν;
What if you understand nothing?
§628aἀρκτέον γʼ ὅμως.
Still, I must rule.
§629οὔτοι κακῶς γʼ ἄρχοντος.
Not when you rule badly.
§629aὦ πόλις πόλις.
Oh, city, city!
§630κἀμοὶ πόλεως μέτεστιν, οὐχί σοι μόνῳ.
I too have a share in the city, not you alone.
§631παύσασθʼ, ἄνακτες·
Cease, princes!
καιρίαν δʼ ὑμῖν ὁρῶ §632τήνδʼ ἐκ δόμων στείχουσαν Ἰοκάστην, μεθʼ ἧς §633τὸ νῦν παρεστὸς νεῖκος εὖ θέσθαι χρεών.
Seasonably for you I see Jocasta here coming from the house, with whom you ought to settle well the present quarrel.
Why, unhappy men, have you raised this foolish strife of tongues?
§636οὕτω νοσούσης ἴδια κινοῦντες κακά;
Are you not ashamed, while the land is so sick, to stir up private grievances?
Go you inside, and you, Creon, go to your house, and do not magnify a nothing of a pain into a greatness.