§1597ἔσθει βορὰν ἄσωτον, ὡς ὁρᾷς, γένει. §1598κἄπειτ᾽ ἐπιγνοὺς ἔργον οὐ καταίσιον §1599ᾤμωξεν, ἀμπίπτει δ᾽ ἀπὸ σφαγὴν ἐρῶν, §1600μόρον δ᾽ ἄφερτον Πελοπίδαις ἐπεύχεται, §1601λάκτισμα δείπνου ξυνδίκως τιθεὶς ἀρᾷ, §1602οὕτως ὀλέσθαι πᾶν τὸ Πλεισθένους γένος. §1603ἐκ τῶνδέ σοι πεσόντα τόνδ᾽ ἰδεῖν πάρα. §1604κἀγὼ δίκαιος τοῦδε τοῦ φόνου ῥαφεύς. §1605τρίτον γὰρ ὄντα μ᾽ ἐπὶ δυσαθλίῳ πατρὶ §1606συνεξελαύνει τυτθὸν ὄντ᾽ ἐν σπαργάνοις: §1607τραφέντα δ᾽ αὖθις ἡ δίκη κατήγαγεν. §1608καὶ τοῦδε τἀνδρὸς ἡψάμην θυραῖος ὤν, §1609πᾶσαν συνάψας μηχανὴν δυσβουλίας. §1610οὕτω καλὸν δὴ καὶ τὸ κατθανεῖν ἐμοί, §1611ἰδόντα τοῦτον τῆς δίκης ἐν ἕρκεσιν. §1612Αἴγισθ᾽, ὑβρίζειν ἐν κακοῖσιν οὐ σέβω. §1613σὺ δ᾽ ἄνδρα τόνδε φῂς ἑκὼν κατακτανεῖν, §1614μόνος δ᾽ ἔποικτον τόνδε βουλεῦσαι φόνον: §1615οὔ φημ᾽ ἀλύξειν ἐν δίκῃ τὸ σὸν κάρα §1616δημορριφεῖς, σάφ᾽ ἴσθι, λευσίμους ἀράς. §1617σὺ ταῦτα φωνεῖς νερτέρᾳ προσήμενος §1618κώπῃ, κρατούντων τῶν ἐπὶ ζυγῷ δορός; §1619γνώσει γέρων ὢν ὡς διδάσκεσθαι βαρὺ §1620τῷ τηλικούτῳ, σωφρονεῖν εἰρημένον. §1621δεσμὸς δὲ καὶ τὸ γῆρας αἵ τε νήστιδες §1622δύαι διδάσκειν ἐξοχώταται φρενῶν §1623ἰατρομάντεις.
(Aegisthus) He ate a ruinous food, as you see, for his race. And then, recognizing the unholy deed, he groaned, and fell back, vomiting up the slaughtered meat, and prayed for an unbearable fate upon the Pelopidae, kicking over the banquet to make his curse companion to justice, "Thus may the whole race of Pleisthenes perish!" Because of these things, you can see this man fallen here. And I am the rightful weaver of this murder. For me, being the third beside my wretched father, he drove out with him when I was a tiny babe in swaddling clothes. But when I grew up, Justice brought me back again. And I reached out to touch this man, though I was abroad, having woven together every plan of conspiracy. Thus indeed even to die is beautiful for me, now that I have seen this man in the nets of Justice. (Chorus) Aegisthus, I do not respect insolence in misfortune. And you say you killed this man of your own free will, and alone plotted this pitiable murder; But I say your head will not escape in justice, know well, the stoning curses thrown by the people. (Aegisthus) Do you speak thus, sitting at the lower oar, while those on the upper bench rule the ship? You will know, old as you are, how hard it is to be taught for one of your age, when commanded to be wise. But bonds and the pangs of hunger are the most excellent physicians of the mind to teach, physicians of the mind.
οὐχ ὁρᾷς ὁρῶν τάδε; §1624πρὸς κέντρα μὴ λάκτιζε, μὴ παίσας μογῇς. §1625γύναι, σὺ τοὺς ἥκοντας ἐκ μάχης μένων §1626οἰκουρὸς εὐνὴν ἀνδρὸς αἰσχύνας ἅμα §1627ἀνδρὶ στρατηγῷ τόνδ᾽ ἐβούλευσας μόρον; §1628καὶ ταῦτα τἄπη κλαυμάτων ἀρχηγενῆ. §1629Ὀρφεῖ δὲ γλῶσσαν τὴν ἐναντίαν ἔχεις. §1630ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἦγε πάντ᾽ ἀπὸ φθογγῆς χαρᾷ, §1631σὺ δ᾽ ἐξορίνας νηπίοις ὑλάγμασιν §1632ἄξει: κρατηθεὶς δ᾽ ἡμερώτερος φανεῖ. §1633ὡς δὴ σύ μοι τύραννος Ἀργείων ἔσει, §1634ὃς οὐκ, ἐπειδὴ τῷδ᾽ ἐβούλευσας μόρον, §1635δρᾶσαι τόδ᾽ ἔργον οὐκ ἔτλης αὐτοκτόνως. §1636τὸ γὰρ δολῶσαι πρὸς γυναικὸς ἦν σαφῶς: §1637ἐγὼ δ᾽ ὕποπτος ἐχθρὸς ἦ παλαιγενής. §1638ἐκ τῶν δὲ τοῦδε χρημάτων πειράσομαι §1639ἄρχειν πολιτῶν: τὸν δὲ μὴ πειθάνορα §1640ζεύξω βαρείαις οὔτι μοι σειραφόρον §1641κριθῶντα πῶλον: ἀλλ᾽ ὁ δυσφιλεῖ σκότῳ §1642λιμὸς ξύνοικος μαλθακόν σφ᾽ ἐπόψεται. §1643τί δὴ τὸν ἄνδρα τόνδ᾽ ἀπὸ ψυχῆς κακῆς §1644οὐκ αὐτὸς ἠνάριζες, ἀλλά νιν γυνὴ §1645χώρας μίασμα καὶ θεῶν ἐγχωρίων §1646ἔκτειν᾽;
Do you not see, though you have eyes? Kick not against the pricks, lest you strike them and suffer. (Chorus) Woman, did you, staying at home for those returning from battle, guarding the house and defiling the husband's bed at the same time, did you plot this death for a man who was general? (Aegisthus) These words too are the prime cause of tears. You have a tongue opposite to Orpheus. For he led all things by his voice with joy, but you, having provoked them with silly barkings, will be led away; and when subdued, you will show yourself tamer. (Chorus) As if you indeed shall be tyrant of the Argives, you who, when you had plotted death for this man, did not dare to do this deed with your own hand! (Aegisthus) For to deceive him was clearly the part of a woman; while I was a suspected, ancient enemy. And from this man's wealth I will attempt to rule the citizens; and him who is disobedient I will yoke with a heavy collar, by no means as a trace-horse well-fed with barley; but hateful hunger in darkness dwelling with him will see him softened. (Chorus) Why then, from your cowardly soul, did you not kill this man yourself, but a woman, a pollution to the country and its local gods, slew him?
Ὀρέστης ἆρά που βλέπει φάος, §1647ὅπως κατελθὼν δεῦρο πρευμενεῖ τύχῃ §1648ἀμφοῖν γένηται τοῖνδε παγκρατὴς φονεύς; §1649ἀλλ᾽ ἐπεὶ δοκεῖς τάδ᾽ ἔρδειν καὶ λέγειν, γνώσει τάχα. §1650εἶα δή, φίλοι λοχῖται, τοὔργον οὐχ ἑκὰς τόδε. §1651εἶα δή, ξίφος πρόκωπον πᾶς τις εὐτρεπιζέτω. §1652ἀλλὰ μὴν κἀγὼ πρόκωπος οὐκ ἀναίνομαι θανεῖν. §1653δεχομένοις λέγεις θανεῖν σε: τὴν τύχην δ᾽ αἱρούμεθα. §1654μηδαμῶς, ὦ φίλτατ᾽ ἀνδρῶν, ἄλλα δράσωμεν κακά. §1655ἀλλὰ καὶ τάδ᾽ ἐξαμῆσαι πολλὰ δύστηνον θέρος: §1656πημονῆς δ᾽ ἅλις γ᾽ ὑπάρχει: μηδὲν αἱματώμεθα. §1657στεῖχε καὶ σὺ χοἰ γέροντες πρὸς δόμους πεπρωμένους §1658[τούσδε], §1659πρὶν παθεῖν ἔρξαντες: ἀρκεῖν χρῆν τάδ᾽ ὡς ἐπράξαμεν.
Does Orestes perchance still see the light, so that returning hither with favoring fortune he may become the all-conquering slayer of both of these? (Aegisthus) Well, since you resolve to act and speak thus, you shall soon know. Come then, friendly guards, this work is not far off. Come then, let everyone make ready his sword, hand on hilt. (Chorus) But indeed, I too, hand on hilt, do not refuse to die. (Aegisthus) You speak of your death to those who welcome it; we accept the omen. (Clytemnestra) By no means, dearest of men, let us do other evils. Even to reap these is a harvest of many woes. Of pain there is enough already; let us shed no blood. Go, you too, and you elders, to your appointed homes, [these homes], before you suffer, having acted; we must be content with what we have done.
εἰ δέ τοι μόχθων γένοιτο τῶνδ᾽ ἅλις, δεχοίμεθ᾽ ἄν, §1660δαίμονος χηλῇ βαρείᾳ δυστυχῶς πεπληγμένοι. §1661ὧδ᾽ ἔχει λόγος γυναικός, εἴ τις ἀξιοῖ μαθεῖν. §1662ἀλλὰ τούσδ᾽ ἐμοὶ ματαίαν γλῶσσαν ὧδ᾽ ἀπανθίσαι §1663κἀκβαλεῖν ἔπη τοιαῦτα δαίμονος πειρωμένους, §1664σώφρονος γνώμης δ᾽ ἁμαρτεῖν τὸν κρατοῦντά <θ᾽ ὑβρίσαι>. §1665οὐκ ἂν Ἀργείων τόδ᾽ εἴη, φῶτα προσσαίνειν κακόν. §1666ἀλλ᾽ ἐγώ σ᾽ ἐν ὑστέραισιν ἡμέραις μέτειμ᾽ ἔτι. §1667οὔκ, ἐὰν δαίμων Ὀρέστην δεῦρ᾽ ἀπευθύνῃ μολεῖν. §1668οἶδ᾽ ἐγὼ φεύγοντας ἄνδρας ἐλπίδας σιτουμένους. §1669πρᾶσσε, πιαίνου, μιαίνων τὴν δίκην, ἐπεὶ πάρα. §1670ἴσθι μοι δώσων ἄποινα τῆσδε μωρίας χάριν. §1671κόμπασον θαρσῶν, ἀλέκτωρ ὥστε θηλείας πέλας. §1672μὴ προτιμήσῃς ματαίων τῶνδ᾽ ὑλαγμάτων: <ἐγὼ> §1673καὶ σὺ θήσομεν κρατοῦντε τῶνδε δωμάτων <καλῶσ>.
If indeed there could be enough of these troubles, we would accept it, wretchedly struck by the heavy hoof of the daemon. Such is a woman's word, if anyone deigns to learn from it. (Aegisthus) But that these men should thus blossom out a foolish tongue against me, and cast out such words, tempting fortune, and miss wise judgment, and insult the ruler... (Chorus) It would not be like Argives to fawn upon an evil man. (Aegisthus) But I will pursue you yet in days to come. (Chorus) Not if the daemon guides Orestes to return here. (Aegisthus) I know that exiled men feed on hopes. (Chorus) Go on, grow fat, defiling justice, since you have the power. (Aegisthus) Know that you shall pay me the penalty for this folly. (Chorus) Boast with confidence, like a cock beside his hen. (Clytemnestra) Pay no heed to these idle barkings; I and you, ruling this house, will order it well.