If someone standing by were to slay you, the just one, right now, would you ask whether the one slaying you was your father, or would you avenge yourself straightway?
I think, if indeed you love to live, you would avenge yourself on the guilty one, and would not look around for what is just.
§997τοιαῦτα μέντοι καὐτὸς εἰσέβην κακά, §998θεῶν ἀγόντων· οἷς ἐγὼ οὐδὲ τὴν πατρὸς §999ψυχὴν ἂν οἶμαι ζῶσαν ἀντειπεῖν ἐμοί.
Into such evils did I myself enter, led by the gods; against which I think not even the soul of my father, were it living, would speak back to me.
§1000σὺ δʼ, εἶ γὰρ οὐ δίκαιος, ἀλλʼ ἅπαν καλὸν §1001λέγειν νομίζων ῥητὸν ἄρρητόν τʼ ἔπος, §1002τοιαῦτʼ ὀνειδίζεις με τῶνδʼ ἐναντίον.
But you, since you are not just, but deeming it good to speak every word, both what is speakable and unspeakable, reproach me with such things in front of these people.
§1003καί σοι τὸ Θησέως ὄνομα θωπεῦσαι καλόν, §1004καὶ τὰς Ἀθήνας, ὡς κατῴκηνται καλῶς· §1005κᾆθʼ ὧδʼ ἐπαινῶν πολλὰ τοῦδʼ ἐκλανθάνει, §1006ὁθούνεκʼ εἴ τις γῆ θεοὺς ἐπίσταται §1007τιμαῖς σεβίζειν, ἥδε τοῦθʼ ὑπερφέρει·
And for you it is fine to flatter the name of Theseus, and Athens, how beautifully it is ordered; and then, while praising thus, you forget many things, namely that if any land knows how to revere the gods with honors, this land excels in this.
From which you, having stolen me, the old suppliant, and tried to lay hands on me, have gone off taking my daughters.
§1010ἀνθʼ ὧν ἐγὼ νῦν τάσδε τὰς θεὰς ἐμοὶ §1011καλῶν ἱκνοῦμαι καὶ κατασκήπτω λιταῖς §1012ἐλθεῖν ἀρωγοὺς ξυμμάχους θʼ, ἵνʼ ἐκμάθῃς §1013οἵων ὑπʼ ἀνδρῶν ἥδε φρουρεῖται πόλις.
For which things I now entreat these goddesses with prayers and fall down before them to come as helpers and allies, so that you may learn by what kind of men this city is guarded.
Chorus: The stranger, O King, is worthy; and his misfortunes are utterly destructive, yet worthy of defense.
Theseus: Enough of words, since those who have committed the deed are hastening away, while we, the sufferers, stand still.
§1018τί δῆτʼ ἀμαυρῷ φωτὶ προστάσσεις ποεῖν;
Creon: What then do you command a powerless man to do?
§1019ὁδοῦ κατάρχειν τῆς ἐκεῖ, πομπὸν δέ με §1020χωρεῖν, ἵνʼ, εἰ μὲν ἐν τόποισι τοῖσδʼ ἔχεις §1021τὰς παῖδας ἡμῖν αὐτὸς ἐκδείξῃς ἐμοί· §1022εἰ δʼ ἐγκρατεῖς φεύγουσιν, οὐδὲν δεῖ πονεῖν.
Theseus: To lead the way there, and that I should go as your guide so that, if you have the girls in these places, you may point them out to me yourself; but if those who hold them are fleeing, there is no need to toil.
For others are those who are hastening in pursuit, whom never shall they escape from this land to offer thanks to the gods.
§1025ἀλλʼ ἐξυφηγοῦ· γνῶθι δʼ ὡς ἔχων ἔχει §1026καί σʼ εἷλε θηρῶνθʼ ἡ τύχη· τὰ γὰρ δόλῳ §1027τῷ μὴ δικαίῳ κτήματʼ οὐχὶ σῴζεται.
But lead on; and know that as you hold, you are held, and fortune has caught you who were hunting; for possessions gained by unjust deceit are not preserved.
§1028κοὐκ ἄλλον ἕξεις εἰς τάδʼ· ὡς ἔξοιδά σε §1029οὐ ψιλὸν οὐδʼ ἄσκευον ἐς τοσήνδʼ ὕβριν §1030ἥκοντα τόλμης τῆς παρεστώσης τανῦν, §1031ἀλλʼ ἔσθʼ ὅτῳ σὺ πιστὸς ὢν ἔδρας τάδε.
And you shall have no other helper in this; since I know well that you have not come to such an outrage of daring as is now present, naked or without equipment, but there is someone in whom you trusted when you did this.
Which things I must look into, and not make this city weaker than a single man.
Do you understand any of this, or does it seem to you to have been spoken in vain both now and when you were plotting these things?
Creon: You will say nothing to find fault with here while I am here; but at home we too shall know what we must do.
§1038χωρῶν ἀπείλει νῦν· σὺ δʼ ἡμίν, Οἰδίπους, §1039ἕκηλος αὐτοῦ μίμνε, πιστωθεὶς ὅτι, §1040ἢν μὴ θάνω ʼγὼ πρόσθεν, οὐχὶ παύσομαι §1041πρὶν ἄν σε τῶν σῶν κύριον στήσω τέκνων.
Theseus: Threaten now while going; and you, Oedipus, remain here in peace, trusting that, unless I die before then, I shall not cease until I set you in control of your children.
Oedipus: May you benefit, Theseus, both for your noble nature and for your just forethought for us.
§1044εἴην ὅθι δαΐων §1045ἀνδρῶν τάχʼ ἐπιστροφαὶ §1046τὸν χαλκοβόαν Ἄρη §1047μείξουσιν, ἢ πρὸς Πυθίαις §1048ἢ λαμπάσιν ἀκταῖς, §1050οὗ πότνιαι σεμνὰ τιθηνοῦνται τέλη §1051θνατοῖσιν, ὧν καὶ χρυσέα §1052κλῂς ἐπὶ γλώσσᾳ βέβακε §1053προσπόλων Εὐμολπιδᾶν· §1054ἔνθʼ οἶμαι τὸν ἐγρεμάχαν §1055Θησέα καὶ τὰς διστόλους §1056ἀδμῆτας ἀδελφὰς §1057αὐτάρκει τάχʼ ἐμμίξειν βοᾷ §1058τούσδʼ ἀνὰ χώρους· §1059ἤ που τὸν ἐφεσπέρου §1060πέτρας νιφάδος πελῶσʼ §1061Οἰάτιδος εἰς νόμον, §1062πώλοισιν ἢ ῥιμφαρμάτοις §1063φεύγοντες ἁμίλλαις.
Chorus: Would that I were where the sudden onslaughts of hostile men will soon mingle with the bronze-clad Ares, either at the Pythian shores or at the torch-lit coasts, where the solemn goddesses nurse the holy rites for mortals, on whose tongue a golden key has been placed by the attendant Eumolpidae; there, I think, the battle-wakening Theseus and the twin-captured, virgin sisters will soon join in a self-sufficient shout within these regions; or perhaps they are approaching the snowy rock of Oiatis on the west, fleeing into its pastures with horses or with rapid-chariot rivalries.
He will be captured; terrible is the Ares of the dwellers, and terrible is the strength of the sons of Theseus.
§1067πᾶς γὰρ ἀστράπτει χαλινός, §1068πᾶσα δʼ ὁρμᾶται καθεῖσʼ §1069ἀμπυκτήρια στομίων §1070ἄμβασις, οἳ τὰν ἱππίαν §1071τιμῶσιν Ἀθάναν §1072καὶ τὸν πόντιον γαιάοχον §1073Ῥέας φίλον υἱόν.
For every bridle flashes, and every rider hastens, letting loose the headbands of the bits, they who honor equestrian Athena and the earth-shaking lord of the sea, the beloved son of Rhea.
§1074ἔρδουσʼ ἢ μέλλουσιν;
Are they doing, or are they about to?
ὡς §1075προμνᾶταί τί μοι §1076γνώμα τάχʼ ἀντάσειν §1077τᾶν δεινὰ τλασᾶν, δεινὰ δʼ εὑρουσᾶν πρὸς αὐθαίμων πάθη.
How my mind presages that I shall soon meet those who have suffered terrible things and found terrible sufferings from their kinsmen.
Zeus will accomplish, will accomplish something today; I am a prophet of good struggles.
§1079aεἴθʼ ἀελλαία ταχύρρωστος πελειὰς §1080αἰθερίας νεφέλας κύρσαιμʼ ἄνωθʼ ἀγώνων §1081αἰωρήσασα τοὐμὸν ὄμμα.
Would that I, a swift-winged dove of the storm, might reach the ethereal clouds from above the struggles, raising my eye.
§1085ἰὼ θεῶν πάνταρχε, παντ- §1086όπτα Ζεῦ, πόροις §1087γᾶς τᾶσδε δαμούχοις §1088σθένει ʼπινικείῳ τὸν εὔαγρον τελειῶσαι λόχον, §1090σεμνά τε παῖς Παλλὰς Ἀθάνα. §1091καὶ τὸν ἀγρευτὰν Ἀπόλλω
O all-ruling, all-seeing Zeus of the gods, grant to the rulers of this land to accomplish the successful ambush with victorious strength, and your solemn daughter Pallas Athena; and the hunter Apollo.