Yes, indeed I permit you; and if you had always begun your words to me in this way, you would not have been painful to listen to.
§558καὶ δὴ λέγω σοι.
Indeed I speak to you.
πατέρα φὴς κτεῖναι.
You say that you killed my father.
What claim could ever be more shameful than this, whether with justice or without?
But I will tell you that you did not kill him with justice, but the persuasion of a wicked man, with whom you now live, dragged you on.
§563ἐροῦ δὲ τὴν κυναγὸν Ἄρτεμιν, τίνος §564ποινὰς τὰ πολλὰ πνεύματʼ ἔσχʼ ἐν Αὐλίδι· §565ἢ ʼγὼ φράσω· κείνης γὰρ οὐ θέμις μαθεῖν.
Ask the huntress Artemis for what offense she held back the many winds in Aulis; or I will tell you, for it is not permitted for you to learn from her.
§566πατήρ ποθʼ οὑμός, ὡς ἐγὼ κλύω, θεᾶς §567παίζων κατʼ ἄλσος ἐξεκίνησεν ποδοῖν §568στικτὸν κεράστην ἔλαφον, οὗ κατὰ σφαγὰς §569ἐκκομπάσας ἔπος τι τυγχάνει βαλών.
My father once, as I hear, playing in the sacred grove of the goddess, startled with his feet a dappled horned stag, and having hit it, happened to boast some word at its slaughter.
§570κἀκ τοῦδε μηνίσασα Λητῴα κόρη §571κατεῖχʼ Ἀχαιούς, ὡς πατὴρ ἀντίσταθμον §572τοῦ θηρὸς ἐκθύσειε τὴν αὑτοῦ κόρην.
And because of this, the daughter of Leto was angered and held back the Achaeans, so that my father, as an equivalent for the beast, should sacrifice his own daughter.
Thus were her sacrifices; for there was no other release for the army to go home nor to Ilium.
Therefore, being forced by many things and resisting, he reluctantly sacrificed her, and not for the sake of Menelaus.
But even if—for I will speak also your side—wishing to benefit him he did this, ought he for this reason to have died by your hand?
§579χρῆν αὐτὸν οὕνεκʼ ἐκ σέθεν; ποίῳ νόμῳ;
By what law?
See to it, in establishing this law for mortals, that you do not lay down pain and repentance for yourself.
For if we shall kill one in return for another, you indeed would be the first to die, if you should meet with justice.
§584ἀλλʼ εἰσόρα μὴ σκῆψιν οὐκ οὖσαν τίθης.
But see to it that you are not setting up an excuse that does not exist.
§585εἰ γὰρ θέλεις, δίδαξον ἀνθʼ ὅτου τανῦν §586αἴσχιστα πάντων ἔργα δρῶσα τυγχάνεις, §587ἥτις ξυνεύδεις τῷ παλαμναίῳ, μεθʼ οὗ §588πατέρα τὸν ἀμὸν πρόσθεν ἐξαπώλεσας, §589καὶ παιδοποιεῖς, τοὺς δὲ πρόσθεν εὐσεβεῖς §590κἀξ εὐσεβῶν βλαστόντας ἐκβαλοῦσʼ ἔχεις.
For if you wish, teach me for what reason you happen now to be doing the most shameful of all deeds, you who sleep with the murderer, with whom you formerly destroyed my father, and bear children, while you have cast out those who were formerly pious and born of the pious.
§591πῶς ταῦτʼ ἐπαινέσαιμʼ ἄν;
How could I praise this?
ἢ καὶ ταῦτʼ ἐρεῖς §592ὡς τῆς θυγατρὸς ἀντίποινα λαμβάνεις;
Or will you say also this, that you are taking vengeance for your daughter?
Shamefully indeed, even if you say it; for it is not beautiful to marry enemies for the sake of a daughter.
But indeed it is not even possible to admonish you, who let loose every tongue to say that we speak ill of our mother.
καί σʼ ἔγωγε δεσπότιν §598ἢ μητέρʼ οὐκ ἔλασσον εἰς ἡμᾶς νέμω, §599ἣ ζῶ βίον μοχθηρόν, ἔκ τε σοῦ κακοῖς §600πολλοῖς ἀεὶ ξυνοῦσα τοῦ τε συννόμου· §601ὃ δʼ ἄλλος ἔξω, χεῖρα σὴν μόλις φυγών, §602τλήμων Ὀρέστης δυστυχῆ τρίβει βίον· §603ὃν πολλὰ δή με σοὶ τρέφειν μιάστορα §604ἐπῃτιάσω· καὶ τόδʼ, εἴπερ ἔσθενον, §605ἔδρων ἄν, εὖ τοῦτʼ ἴσθι·
And indeed I regard you as a mistress rather than a mother to us, who live a wretched life, always present with many evils from you and your companion; and the other one outside, having barely escaped your hand, the wretched Orestes drags out a miserable life; whom you have often accused me of rearing as an avenger for you; and this, if I had the power, I would have done, be well assured of this.
τοῦδέ γʼ οὕνεκα §606κήρυσσέ μʼ εἰς ἅπαντας, εἴτε χρῇς κακὴν §607εἴτε στόμαργον εἴτʼ ἀναιδείας πλέαν.
For this, proclaim me to all, whether you wish to call me wicked, or loud-mouthed, or full of shamelessness.
For if I am by nature skilled in these deeds, I do not altogether disgrace your nature.
I see her breathing rage; but whether it is with justice, I no longer see any concern for this.
§612ποίας δʼ ἐμοὶ δεῖ πρός γε τήνδε φροντίδος, §613ἥτις τοιαῦτα τὴν τεκοῦσαν ὕβρισεν, §614καὶ ταῦτα τηλικοῦτος;
And what concern do I need to have for this girl, who has so insulted her mother, and that too at such an age?
ἆρά σοι δοκεῖ §615χωρεῖν ἂν εἰς πᾶν ἔργον αἰσχύνης ἄτερ;
Does she not seem to you to be ready to go to any deed without shame?
§616εὖ νυν ἐπίστω τῶνδέ μʼ αἰσχύνην ἔχειν, §617κεἰ μὴ δοκῶ σοι· μανθάνω δʼ ὁθούνεκα §618ἔξωρα πράσσω κοὐκ ἐμοὶ προσεικότα.
Be well assured now that I feel shame for these things, even if I do not seem so to you; and I understand that I act out of season and in a way not fitting for me.
§619ἀλλʼ ἡ γὰρ ἐκ σοῦ δυσμένεια καὶ τὰ σὰ §620ἔργʼ ἐξαναγκάζει με ταῦτα δρᾶν βίᾳ· §621αἰσχροῖς γὰρ αἰσχρὰ πράγματʼ ἐκδιδάσκεται.
But indeed your hostility and your deeds force me to do these things by constraint; for shameful deeds are taught by shameful things.
O shameless creature, indeed I and my words and my many deeds make you speak too much.
It is you who speak them, not I; for you do the deed, and the deeds find the words.
But indeed, by the mistress Artemis, you shall not escape the consequence of this boldness when Aegisthus returns.
§628ὁρᾷς;
Do you see?
πρὸς ὀργὴν ἐκφέρει, μεθεῖσά μοι §629λέγειν ἃ χρῄζοιμʼ, οὐδʼ ἐπίστασαι κλύειν.
She is carried away to anger, having permitted me to say what I wished, yet you do not know how to listen.
Will you not then let me sacrifice even with auspicious silence, since I permitted you to say everything?
§632ἐῶ, κελεύω, θῦε· μηδʼ ἐπαιτιῶ
I permit you, I bid you, sacrifice; and do not blame me further.