§1Κάδμου πολῖται, χρὴ λέγειν τὰ καίρια §2ὅστις φυλάσσει πρᾶγος ἐν πρύμνῃ πόλεως §3οἴακα νωμῶν, βλέφαρα μὴ κοιμῶν ὕπνῳ.
Citizens of Cadmus, it is necessary to speak to the point for him who guards the state at the stern of the city, wielding the rudder and not closing his eyelids in sleep.
§4εἰ μὲν γὰρ εὖ πράξαιμεν, αἰτία θεοῦ: §5εἰ δ᾽ αὖθ᾽, ὃ μὴ γένοιτο, συμφορὰ τύχοι, §6Ἐτεοκλέης ἂν εἷς πολὺς κατὰ πτόλιν §7ὑμνοῖθ᾽ ὑπ᾽ ἀστῶν φροιμίοις πολυρρόθοις §8οἰμώγμασίν θ᾽, ὧν Ζεὺς ἀλεξητήριος §9ἐπώνυμος γένοιτο Καδμείων πόλει.
For if we should succeed, the cause is attributed to God; but if, on the other hand—which may it not happen—misfortune should befall us, Eteocles alone, as one name on many lips throughout the city, would be chanted by the citizens with clamorous preludes and wailings, against which may Zeus the Defender prove true to his name for the city of the Cadmeans.
§10ὑμᾶς δὲ χρὴ νῦν, καὶ τὸν ἐλλείποντ᾽ ἔτι §11ἥβης ἀκμαίας καὶ τὸν ἔξηβον χρόνῳ, §12βλαστημὸν ἀλδαίνοντα σώματος πολύν, §13ὥραν τ᾽ ἔχονθ᾽ ἕκαστον ὥστε συμπρεπές, §14πόλει τ᾽ ἀρήγειν καὶ θεῶν ἐγχωρίων §15βωμοῖσι, τιμὰς μὴ Ξ̓αλειφθῆναί ποτε: §16τέκνοις τε, Γῇ τε μητρί, φιλτάτῃ τροφῷ:
But now it is necessary for you—both him who still falls short of prime youth and him who is past it by time, each nourishing the abundant growth of his body, and each having his youth as is fitting, to succor the city and the altars of the gods of the country, so that their honors may never be wiped out, and to aid your children, and Earth your mother, most beloved nurse.
§17ἡ γὰρ νέους ἕρποντας εὐμενεῖ πέδῳ, §18ἅπαντα πανδοκοῦσα παιδείας ὄτλον, §19ἐθρέψατ᾽ οἰκητῆρας ἀσπιδηφόρους §20πιστοὺς ὅπως γένοισθε πρὸς χρέος τόδε.
For she, when you were young ones crawling on her kindly soil, welcoming all the toil of your education, reared you to be shield-bearing inhabitants, so that you might become faithful to this need.
§21καὶ νῦν μὲν ἐς τόδ᾽ ἦμαρ εὖ ῥέπει θεός: §22χρόνον γὰρ ἤδη τόνδε πυργηρουμένοις §23καλῶς τὰ πλείω πόλεμος ἐκ θεῶν κυρεῖ.
And now, indeed, up to this day, God inclines well towards us; for to us who have been besieged all this time, the war has gone well for the most part, by the favor of the gods.
§24νῦν δ᾽ ὡς ὁ μάντις φησίν, οἰωνῶν βοτήρ, §25ἐν ὠσὶ νωμῶν καὶ φρεσίν, πυρὸς δίχα, §26χρηστηρίους ὄρνιθας ἀψευδεῖ τέχνῃ: §27οὗτος τοιῶνδε δεσπότης μαντευμάτων §28λέγει μεγίστην προσβολὴν Ἀχαιίδα §29νυκτηγορεῖσθαι κἀπιβούλευσιν πόλει.
But now, as the prophet says—the tender of birds, wielding in his ears and mind, without fire, the prophetic birds with unerring art— he, being master of such prophecies, says that the greatest Achaean assault is being planned at night and plotted against the city.
But to the battlements and the gates of the towers hasten all of you, rush with full armor!
§32πληροῦτε θωρακεῖα, κἀπὶ σέλμασιν §33πύργων στάθητε, καὶ πυλῶν ἐπ᾽ ἐξόδοις §34μίμνοντες εὖ θαρσεῖτε, μηδ᾽ ἐπηλύδων §35ταρβεῖτ᾽ ἄγαν ὅμιλον: εὖ τελεῖ θεός.
Fill the breastworks, and on the platforms of the towers stand, and at the exits of the gates waiting, keep good courage, and do not fear the crowd of invaders too much; God will bring a good end.
§36σκοποὺς δὲ κἀγὼ καὶ κατοπτῆρας στρατοῦ §37ἔπεμψα, τοὺς πέποιθα μὴ ματᾶν ὁδῷ: §38καὶ τῶνδ᾽ ἀκούσας οὔ τι μὴ ληφθῶ δόλῳ.
And I too have sent scouts and watchers of the army, whom I trust will not make their journey in vain; and having heard from them, I shall by no means be caught by trickery.
§39Ἐτεόκλεες, φέριστε Καδμείων ἄναξ, §40ἥκω σαφῆ τἀκεῖθεν ἐκ στρατοῦ φέρων, §41αὐτὸς κατόπτης δ᾽ εἴμ᾽ ἐγὼ τῶν πραγμάτων:
Eteocles, most noble king of the Cadmeans, I have come bringing clear intelligence from the army there, and I myself am an eyewitness of the facts.
§42ἄνδρες γὰρ ἑπτά, θούριοι λοχαγέται, §43ταυροσφαγοῦντες ἐς μελάνδετον σάκος §44καὶ θιγγάνοντες χερσὶ ταυρείου φόνου, §45Ἄρη τ᾽, Ἐνυώ, καὶ φιλαίματον Φόβον §46ὡρκωμότησαν ἢ πόλει κατασκαφὰς §47θέντες λαπάξειν ἄστυ Καδμείων βίᾳ, §48ἢ γῆν θανόντες τήνδε φυράσειν φόνῳ:
For seven men, fierce commanders of companies, slaughtering a bull over a black-bound shield and touching with their hands the bull’s blood, swore by Ares, Enyo, and blood-loving Phobos, either that they will lay the city in ruins and sack the town of the Cadmeans by force, or that they will die and mingle this earth with blood.
§49μνημεῖά θ᾽ αὑτῶν τοῖς τεκοῦσιν ἐς δόμους §50πρὸς ἅρμ᾽ Ἀδράστου χερσὶν ἔστεφον, δάκρυ §51λείβοντες: οἶκτος δ᾽ οὔτις ἦν διὰ στόμα.
And memorials of themselves to their parents at home, they were hanging with their hands upon Adrastus’ chariot, shedding tears; but there was no pity on their lips.
For their iron-minded spirit, blazing with courage, panted, like lions with Ares in their eyes.
§54καὶ τῶνδε πίστις οὐκ ὄκνῳ χρονίζεται. §55κληρουμένους δ᾽ ἔλειπον, ὡς πάλῳ λαχὼν §56ἕκαστος αὐτῶν πρὸς πύλας ἄγοι λόχον.
And the proof of these things is not delayed by hesitation; for I left them casting lots, so that each of them by lot might lead his company against a gate.
Therefore, choose the best men of the city and marshal them quickly at the exits of the gates.
§59ἐγγὺς γὰρ ἤδη πάνοπλος Ἀργείων στρατὸς §60χωρεῖ, κονίει, πεδία δ᾽ ἀργηστὴς ἀφρὸς §61χραίνει σταλαγμοῖς ἱππικῶν ἐκ πλευμόνων.
For already nearby the fully-armed Argive host approaches, raising dust, and white foam stains the plain with droplets from the lungs of the horses.
§62σὺ δ᾽ ὥστε ναὸς κεδνὸς οἰακοστρόφος §63φράξαι πόλισμα, πρὶν καταιγίσαι πνοὰς §64Ἄρεως: βοᾷ γὰρ κῦμα χερσαῖον στρατοῦ:
And you, like a prudent steersman of a ship, secure the town before the blasts of Ares strike; for the land-wave of the army roars.
§65καὶ τῶνδε καιρὸν ὅστις ὤκιστος λαβέ:
And take the swiftest opportunity for these things.
§66κἀγὼ τὰ λοιπὰ πιστὸν ἡμεροσκόπον §67ὀφθαλμὸν ἕξω, καὶ σαφηνείᾳ λόγου §68εἰδὼς τὰ τῶν θύραθεν ἀβλαβὴς ἔσι.
And I, for the rest, will keep my eye as a faithful day-watchman, and knowing the things outside through clarity of speech, I shall keep you safe.
§69ὦ Ζεῦ τε καὶ Γῆ καὶ πολισσοῦχοι θεοί, §70Ἀρά τ᾽ Ἐρινὺς πατρὸς ἡ μεγασθενής, §71μή μοι πόλιν γε πρυμνόθεν πανώλεθρον §72ἐκθαμνίσητε δῃάλωτον, Ἑλλάδος §73φθόγγον χέουσαν, καὶ δόμους ἐφεστίους: §74ἐλευθέραν δὲ γῆν τε καὶ Κάδμου πόλιν §75ζυγοῖσι δουλίοισι μήποτε σχεθεῖν:
O Zeus and Earth and city-guarding gods, and Curse, the mighty Erinys of my father, do not tear up my city from its roots, utterly destroyed, taken by the enemy, a city pouring forth the speech of Hellas, and do not destroy our hearths and homes; but may they never hold this free land and the city of Cadmus under the yokes of slavery.
§76γένεσθε δ᾽ ἀλκή: ξυνὰ δ᾽ ἐλπίζω λέγειν:
Become our strength!
§77πόλις γὰρ εὖ πράσσουσα δαίμονας τίει.
I trust I speak of our common interest; for a prosperous city honors the gods.
§78θρέομαι φοβερὰ μεγάλ᾽ ἄχη:
I wail of fearful, great woes!
§79μεθεῖται στρατός: στρατόπεδον λιπὼν
The army is let loose!
§80ῥεῖ πολὺς ὅδε λεὼς πρόδρομος ἱππότας:
Leaving the camp, this great host of horsemen flows forward in advance.
The dust appearing in the air persuades me, a voiceless, clear, and true messenger.
— §83ἔτι δὲ γᾶς ἐμᾶς πεδί᾽ ὁπλόκτυπ᾽ ὠ- §84τὶ χρίμπτει βοάν: ποτᾶται, βρέμει δ᾽ §85ἀμαχέτου δίκαν ὕδατος ὀροτύπου.
And still the shield-clashing sound on the plains of my land approaches my ear; it flies, it roars like an irresistible mountain-beating torrent.
Oh, oh, gods and goddesses, avert the rising evil!
A cry rises over the walls, the white-shielded host rushes on, ready [advancing] against the city.
Who then will rescue, who then will assist of gods or goddesses?