§726ὡς ἰδεῖν τέλος πάρεστιν οἷον ἤνυσεν κακόν.
Indeed, we can see the outcome, what kind of evil he accomplished.
§727καὶ τί δὴ πράξασιν αὐτοῖς ὧδ᾽ ἐπιστενάζετε;
And at what fate of theirs do you groan so?
§728ναυτικὸς στρατὸς κακωθεὶς πεζὸν ὤλεσε στρατόν.
The naval force being ruined destroyed the land force.
§729ὧδε παμπήδην δὲ λαὸς πᾶς κατέφθαρται δορί;
And has the entire people been completely destroyed by the spear?
§730πρὸς τάδ᾽ ὡς Σούσων μὲν ἄστυ πᾶν κενανδρίαν στένειν.
Because of this, the whole city of Susa groans for its lack of men.
§731ὦ πόποι κεδνῆς ἀρωγῆς κἀπικουρίας στρατοῦ.
Alas for the noble help and alliance of the army.
§732Βακτρίων δ᾽ ἔρρει πανώλης δῆμος, οὐδέ τις γέρων.
And the whole race of the Bactrians has perished utterly, not even any elder remains.
§733ὦ μέλεος, οἵαν ἄρ᾽ ἥβην ξυμμάχων ἀπώλεσεν.
Alas, wretched one, what youth of allies he destroyed.
§734μονάδα δὲ Ξέρξην ἔρημόν φασιν οὐ πολλῶν μέτα—
And they say Xerxes is alone and abandoned, with not many...
§735πῶς τε δὴ καὶ ποῖ τελευτᾶν;
How indeed and where does he end?
ἔστι τις σωτηρία;
Is there any safety?
§736ἄσμενον μολεῖν γέφυραν γαῖν δυοῖν ζευκτηρίαν.
Gladly to have reached the bridge yoking the two lands.
§737καὶ πρὸς ἤπειρον σεσῶσθαι τήνδε, τοῦτ᾽ ἐτήτυμον;
And that he has been saved to this continent, is this true?
§738ναί: λόγος κρατεῖ σαφηνὴς τοῦτό γ᾽, οὐδ᾽ ἔνι στάσις.
Yes, clear report prevails on this, nor is there any dispute.
§739φεῦ, ταχεῖά γ᾽ ἦλθε χρησμῶν πρᾶξις, ἐς δὲ παῖδ᾽ ἐμὸν §740Ζεὺς ἐπέσκηψεν τελευτὴν θεσφάτων: ἐγὼ δέ που §741διὰ μακροῦ χρόνου τάδ᾽ ηὔχουν ἐκτελευτήσειν θεούς:
Alas, swift came the fulfillment of the oracles, and upon my son Zeus hurled the fulfillment of the decrees; but I, I suppose, expected that after a long time the gods would fulfill these.
§742ἀλλ᾽ ὅταν σπεύδῃ τις αὐτός, χὠ θεὸς συνάπτεται.
But when a man himself hastens, the god also joins in.
§743νῦν κακῶν ἔοικε πηγὴ πᾶσιν ηὑρῆσθαι φίλοις.
Now a fountain of evils seems to have been found for all friends.
§744παῖς δ᾽ ἐμὸς τάδ᾽ οὐ κατειδὼς ἤνυσεν νέῳ θράσει:
And my son, not understanding this, accomplished it with youthful rashness.
He who hoped to restrain the sacred Hellespont with bonds like a slave, as it flowed, the Bosporus, the stream of a god.
§747καὶ πόρον μετερρύθμιζε, καὶ πέδαις σφυρηλάτοις §748περιβαλὼν πολλὴν κέλευθον ἤνυσεν πολλῷ στρατῷ,
And he altered its shape, and casting hammer-beaten fetters around it, he completed a great path for his great army.
Though mortal, he thought, not with good counsel, that he would master all the gods, even Poseidon.
πῶς τάδ᾽ οὐ νόσος φρενῶν §751εἶχε παῖδ᾽ ἐμόν;
How was this not a disease of the mind that possessed my son?
δέδοικα μὴ πολὺς πλούτου πόνος §752οὑμὸς ἀνθρώποις γένηται τοῦ φθάσαντος ἁρπαγή.
I fear lest my great labor for wealth should become a prey for the first comer.
§753ταῦτά τοι κακοῖς ὁμιλῶν ἀνδράσιν διδάσκεται
By associating with bad men, impetuous Xerxes learned these things.
§754θούριος Ξέρξης: λέγουσι δ᾽ ὡς σὺ μὲν μέγαν τέκνοις §755πλοῦτον ἐκτήσω ξὺν αἰχμῇ, τὸν δ᾽ ἀνανδρίας ὕπο §756ἔνδον αἰχμάζειν, πατρῷον δ᾽ ὄλβον οὐδὲν αὐξάνειν.
And they say that while you acquired great wealth for your children with the spear, he, through lack of manhood, plays the warrior at home, and does not increase his father's prosperity.
§757τοιάδ᾽ ἐξ ἀνδρῶν ὀνείδη πολλάκις κλύων κακῶν §758τήνδ᾽ ἐβούλευσεν κέλευθον καὶ στράτευμ᾽ ἐφ᾽ Ἑλλάδα.
Hearing often such reproaches from bad men he planned this expedition and army against Greece.
§759τοιγάρ σφιν ἔργον ἐστὶν ἐξειργασμένον §760μέγιστον, ἀείμνηστον, οἷον οὐδέπω §761τόδ᾽ ἄστυ Σούσων ἐξεκείνωσεν πεσόν,
Therefore by them a deed has been performed, the greatest, ever to be remembered, such as never yet emptied this city of Susa, falling upon it.
§762ἐξ οὗτε τιμὴν Ζεὺς ἄναξ τήνδ᾽ ὤπασεν, §763ἕν᾽ ἄνδρ᾽ ἁπάσης Ἀσίδος μηλοτρόφου §764ταγεῖν, ἔχοντα σκῆπτρον εὐθυντήριον.
Since Lord Zeus granted this honor, that one man should rule over all sheep-nourishing Asia, holding the ruling sceptre.
§765Μῆδος γὰρ ἦν ὁ πρῶτος ἡγεμὼν στρατοῦ:
For a Mede was the first leader of the host.
§766ἄλλος δ᾽ ἐκείνου παῖς τόδ᾽ ἔργον ἤνυσεν:
And another, his son, completed this work.
§767φρένες γὰρ αὐτοῦ θυμὸν ᾠακοστρόφουν.
For his understanding steered his passion.
And third from him Cyrus, a fortunate man, ruling, established peace for all his friends.
And he acquired the people of the Lydians and Phrygians, and drove all Ionia by force.
§772θεὸς γὰρ οὐκ ἤχθηρεν, ὡς εὔφρων ἔφυ.
For god did not hate him, since he was wise.
§773Κύρου δὲ παῖς τέταρτος ηὔθυνε στρατόν.
And Cyrus' son fourth ruled the army.
§774πέμπτος δὲ Μάρδος ἦρξεν, αἰσχύνη πάτρᾳ §775θρόνοισί τ᾽ ἀρχαίοισι: τὸν δὲ σὺν δόλῳ §776Ἀρταφρένης ἔκτεινεν ἐσθλὸς ἐν δόμοις, §777ξὺν ἀνδράσιν φίλοισιν, οἷς τόδ᾽ ἦν χρέος.
And fifth Mardos ruled, a disgrace to his fatherland and ancient thrones; but him with guile noble Artaphrenes killed in his palace, along with friendly men whose duty this was.
§778[ἕκτος δὲ Μάραφις, ἕβδομος δ᾽ Ἀρταφρένης. ] §779κἀγὼ πάλου τ᾽ ἔκυρσα τοῦπερ ἤθελον, §780κἀπεστράτευσα πολλὰ σὺν πολλῷ στρατῷ.
[And sixth was Maraphis, and seventh Artaphrenes.] And I too obtained the lot which I desired, and I made many expeditions with a great army.
§781ἀλλ᾽ οὐ κακὸν τοσόνδε προσέβαλον πόλει.
But I did not bring so great an evil upon the city.
§782Ξέρξης δ᾽ ἐμὸς παῖς ὢν νέος νέα φρονεῖ, §783κοὐ μνημονεύει τὰς ἐμὰς ἐπιστολάς: §784εὖ γὰρ σαφῶς τόδ᾽ ἴστ᾽, ἐμοὶ ξυνήλικες, §785ἅπαντες ἡμεῖς, οἳ κράτη τάδ᾽ ἔσχομεν, §786οὐκ ἂν φανεῖμεν πήματ᾽ ἔρξαντες τόσα.
But Xerxes my son, being young, thinks young thoughts, and does not remember my instructions: For know this well and clearly, peers of my youth, that all of us who held these powers would not appear to have done so great evils.
What then, King Darius, whither do you turn the end of your words?
πῶς ἂν ἐκ τούτων ἔτι §789πράσσοιμεν ὡς ἄριστα Περσικὸς λεώς;
How indeed from this state could we, the Persian people, still fare best?
If you should not campaign against the land of the Greeks, not even if the Median army be greater.
§792αὐτὴ γὰρ ἡ γῆ ξύμμαχος κείνοις πέλει.
For the land itself is an ally to them.
§793πῶς τοῦτ᾽ ἔλεξας, τίνι τρόπῳ δὲ συμμαχεῖ;
How did you say this? In what way does it ally with them?
§794κτείνουσα λιμῷ τοὺς ὑπερπόλλους ἄγαν.
By killing with famine those who are excessively numerous.
§795ἀλλ᾽ εὐσταλῆ τοι λεκτὸν ἀροῦμεν στόλον.
But indeed we shall raise an easily-moved, chosen force.
But not even the army that has now remained in the lands of Greece shall obtain a safe return.
§798πῶς εἶπας;
How say you?
οὐ γὰρ πᾶν στράτευμα βαρβάρων §799περᾷ τὸν Ἕλλης πορθμὸν Εὐρώπης ἄπο;
For does not the whole army of the barbarians cross the strait of Helle from Europe?