Humanitext Reader

Aeschylus · Agamemnon §724-840

Parable of the Lion and Agamemnon's Return

Passage 8 of 17 · Greek

Summary

The Chorus sings of Helen bringing ruin to Ilium through the parable of a lion cub reared in a house, and reflects on how hubris begets further destruction. They then welcome the returning Agamemnon with frank words, to which Agamemnon responds by addressing the gods and reflecting on the hypocrisy of human friendship.

§724νεοτρόφου τέκνου δίκαν, §725φαιδρωπὸς ποτὶ χεῖρα σαί- §726νων τε γαστρὸς ἀνάγκαις.
like a newly-reared child, bright-eyed toward the hand, and fawning through the necessities of the belly.
§727χρονισθεὶς δ᾽ ἀπέδειξεν ἦ- §728θος τὸ πρὸς τοκέων: χάριν §729γὰρ τροφεῦσιν ἀμείβων §730μηλοφόνοισι σὺν ἄταις §731δαῖτ᾽ ἀκέλευστος ἔτευξεν: §732αἵματι δ᾽ οἶκος ἐφύρθη, §733ἄμαχον ἄλγος οἰκέταις §734μέγα σίνος πολύκτονον.
But in time he showed the character inherited from his parents; for in return for his rearing, with disastrous slaughter of sheep, he prepared a banquet unbidden; and the house was defiled with blood, an irresistible grief to the servants, a great, murderous, and destructive mischief.
§735ἐκ θεοῦ δ᾽ ἱερεύς τις ἄ- §736τας δόμοις προσεθρέφθη.
And by the will of god, some priest of ruin was reared in the house.
§737πάραυτα δ᾽ ἐλθεῖν ἐς Ἰλίου πόλιν §738λέγοιμ᾽ ἂν φρόνημα μὲν §740νηνέμου γαλάνας, §741ἀκασκαῖον <δ᾽> ἄγαλμα πλούτου, §742μαλθακὸν ὀμμάτων βέλος, §743δηξίθυμον ἔρωτος ἄνθος.
Likewise, I would say there came to the city of Ilium at first a spirit of windless calm, a gentle ornament of wealth, a soft dart of the eyes, a soul-biting flower of love.
§744παρακλίνασ᾽ ἐπέκρανεν §745δὲ γάμου πικρὰς τελευτάς, §746δύσεδρος καὶ δυσόμιλος §747συμένα Πριαμίδαισιν, §748πομπᾷ Διὸς ξενίου, §749νυμφόκλαυτος Ἐρινύς.
But swerving aside, she brought a bitter end to the marriage, an ill-seated and ill-associating visitor, rushing upon the sons of Priam, under the guidance of Zeus, god of hospitality, a bride-lamented Erinys.
§750παλαίφατος δ᾽ ἐν βροτοῖς γέρων λόγος §751τέτυκται, μέγαν τελε- §752σθέντα φωτὸς ὄλβον §753τεκνοῦσθαι μηδ᾽ ἄπαιδα θνῄσκειν, §755ἐκ δ᾽ ἀγαθᾶς τύχας γένει §756βλαστάνειν ἀκόρεστον οἰζύν.
An ancient proverb has been fashioned among mortals, that a man's great wealth, when fully grown, begets offspring and does not die childless, and that from good fortune there sprouts for the race insatiable misery.
§757δίχα δ᾽ ἄλλων μονόφρων εἰ- §758μί.
But I hold a different opinion, separate from others.
τὸ δυσσεβὲς γὰρ ἔργον §759μετὰ μὲν πλείονα τίκτει, §760σφετέρᾳ δ᾽ εἰκότα γέννᾳ.
For the impious deed begets more after it, resembling their own breed.
§761οἴκων δ᾽ ἄρ᾽ εὐθυδίκων §762καλλίπαις πότμος ἀεί.
But for houses of straight justice, the lot is always blessed with fair children.
§763φιλεῖ δὲ τίκτειν ὕβρις §764μὲν παλαιὰ νεά- §765ζουσαν ἐν κακοῖς βροτῶν §766ὕβριν τότ᾽ ἢ τόθ᾽, ὅτε τὸ κύριον μόλῃ §767φάος τόκου, §768δαίμονά τε τὰν ἄμαχον, ἀπόλεμον, §769ἀνίερον θράσος, μελαί- §770νας μελάθροισιν Ἄτας, §771εἰδομένας τοκεῦσιν.
An old insolence is wont to beget a young insolence among the evils of mortals, now or then, whenever the appointed day of birth arrives, and the demon irresistible, unconquerable, unholy recklessness, black Ruin upon the halls, resembling its parents.
§772Δίκα δὲ λάμπει μὲν ἐν §773δυσκάπνοις δώμασιν, §775τὸν δ᾽ ἐναίσιμον τίει [βίον].
But Justice shines in smoky dwellings, and honors the righteous life.
§776τὰ χρυσόπαστα δ᾽ ἔδεθλα σὺν πίνῳ χερῶν §777παλιντρόποις §778ὄμμασι λιποῦσ᾽, ὅσια προσέμολε §779δύναμιν οὐ σέβουσα πλού- §780του παράσημον αἴνῳ: §781πᾶν δ᾽ ἐπὶ τέρμα νωμᾷ.
But leaving gold-spangled dwellings with filth of hands, with eyes turned away, she goes to holy things, not revering the power of wealth and she guides everything to its end.
§782ἄγε δή, βασιλεῦ, Τροίας πτολίπορθ᾽, §783Ἀτρέως γένεθλον,
Come then, king, destroyer of Troy, offspring of Atreus, how shall I address you?
§785πῶς σε προσείπω; πῶς σε σεβίζω §786μήθ᾽ ὑπεράρας μήθ᾽ ὑποκάμψας §787καιρὸν χάριτος;
How shall I revere you, neither overshooting nor falling short of the proper measure of gratitude?
§788πολλοὶ δὲ βροτῶν τὸ δοκεῖν εἶναι §789προτίουσι δίκην παραβάντες.
Many among mortals prefer appearance to reality, transgressing justice.
§790τῷ δυσπραγουντι δ᾽ ἐπιστενάχειν §791πᾶς τις ἕτοιμος: δῆγμα δὲ λύπης §792οὐδὲν ἐφ᾽ ἧπαρ προσικνεῖται:
And to groan over one who fares ill everyone is ready; but no bite of grief reaches to the liver at all.
§793καὶ ξυγχαίρουσιν ὁμοιοπρεπεῖς §794ἀγέλαστα πρόσωπα βιαζόμενοι.
And they rejoice with others, pretending to match their mood, forcing their unsmiling faces.
§795ὅστις δ᾽ ἀγαθὸς προβατογνώμων, §796οὐκ ἔστι λαθεῖν ὄμματα φωτός, §797τὰ δοκοῦντ᾽ εὔφρονος ἐκ διανοίας §798ὑδαρεῖ σαίνειν φιλότητι.
But whoever is a good judge of sheep, the eyes of a man cannot escape him, which, seeming to come from a friendly mind, fawn with a watery friendship.
§799σὺ δέ μοι τότε μὲν στέλλων στρατιὰν §800Ἑλένης ἕνεκ᾽, οὐ γάρ <σ᾽> ἐπικεύσω, §801κάρτ᾽ ἀπομούσως ἦσθα γεγραμμένος, §802οὐδ᾽ εὖ πραπίδων οἴακα νέμων §803†θράσος ἑκούσιον† §804ἀνδράσι θνῄσκουσι κομίζων.
And you, when you were sending the army for the sake of Helen then, for I will not hide it from you, were depicted as exceedingly lacking in wisdom, not steering well the rudder of your mind, by trying to bring courage to dying men.
§805νῦν δ᾽ οὐκ ἀπ᾽ ἄκρας φρενὸς οὐδ᾽ ἀφίλως §806εὔφρων πόλις εὖ τελέσασιν.
But now, not from the surface of the mind nor unfriendly, the city is friendly to those who have accomplished their task well.
§807γνώσει δὲ χρόνῳ διαπευθόμενος §808τόν τε δικαίως καὶ τὸν ἀκαίρως §809πόλιν οἰκουροῦντα πολιτῶν.
And in time, by inquiring, you will know who among the citizens has ruled the city justly, and who inappropriately.
§810πρῶτον μὲν Ἄργος καὶ θεοὺς ἐγχωρίους §811δίκη προσειπεῖν, τοὺς ἐμοὶ μεταιτίους §812νόστου δικαίων θ᾽ ὧν ἐπραξάμην πόλιν §813Πριάμου: δίκας γὰρ οὐκ ἀπὸ γλώσσης θεοὶ §814κλύοντες ἀνδροθνῆτας Ἰλίου φθορὰς §815εἰς αἱματηρὸν τεῦχος οὐ διχορρόπως §816ψήφους ἔθεντο: τῷ δ᾽ ἐναντίῳ κύτει §817ἐλπὶς προσῄει χειρὸς οὐ πληρουμένῳ.
First, it is just to address Argos and the gods of the land, who are joint-authors with me of my return and of the justice I exacted from the city of Priam; for the gods, hearing cases not from the tongue, cast their votes without doubt into the bloody urn for the destruction of Troy and the slaughter of men; while to the opposite urn hope of a hand approached, though it remained unfilled.
§818καπνῷ δ᾽ ἁλοῦσα νῦν ἔτ᾽ εὔσημος πόλις.
And by its smoke the captured city is still clearly visible.
§819ἄτης θύελλαι ζῶσι: συνθνῄσκουσα δὲ §820σποδὸς προπέμπει πίονας πλούτου πνοάς.
The storms of ruin live; and the dying ash sends forth rich blasts of wealth.
§821τούτων θεοῖσι χρὴ πολύμνηστον χάριν §822τίνειν, ἐπείπερ καὶ πάγας ὑπερκότους §823ἐφραξάμεσθα καὶ γυναικὸς οὕνεκα §824πόλιν διημάθυνεν Ἀργεῖον δάκος, §825ἵππου νεοσσός, ἀσπιδοστρόφος λεώς, §826πήδημ᾽ ὀρούσας ἀμφὶ Πλειάδων δύσιν:
For these things we must pay highly mindful thanks to the gods, since we have both cast furious nets around them, and for the sake of a woman the Argive monster has ground the city to dust, the offspring of the horse, a shield-wielding host, having leaped its leap around the setting of the Pleiades.
§827ὑπερθορὼν δὲ πύργον ὠμηστὴς λέων §828ἄδην ἔλειξεν αἵματος τυραννικοῦ.
And leaping over the tower, a raw-flesh-eating lion has licked its fill of royal blood.
§829θεοῖς μὲν ἐξέτεινα φροίμιον τόδε:
To the gods indeed I have extended this prelude.
§830τὰ δ᾽ ἐς τὸ σὸν φρόνημα, μέμνημαι κλύων, §831καὶ φημὶ ταὐτὰ καὶ συνήγορόν μ᾽ ἔχεις.
But as to your sentiment, I remember having heard it, and I say the same things, and you have me as your advocate.
§832παύροις γὰρ ἀνδρῶν ἐστι συγγενὲς τόδε, §833φίλον τὸν εὐτυχοῦντ᾽ ἄνευ φθόνου σέβειν.
For to few men is this inborn, to revere a prosperous friend without envy.
§834δύσφρων γὰρ ἰὸς καρδίαν προσήμενος §835ἄχθος διπλοίζει τῷ πεπαμένῳ νόσον, §836τοῖς τ᾽ αὐτὸς αὑτοῦ πήμασιν βαρύνεται §837καὶ τὸν θυραῖον ὄλβον εἰσορῶν στένει.
For a malevolent poison sitting at the heart doubles the burden for him who possesses the disease; he is both weighed down by his own troubles and groans as he looks upon the prosperity of others.
§838εἰδὼς λέγοιμ᾽ ἄν, εὖ γὰρ ἐξεπίσταμαι, §839ὁμιλίας κάτοπτρον, εἴδωλον σκιᾶς, §840δοκοῦντας εἶναι κάρτα πρευμενεῖς ἐμοί.
With knowledge I can speak, for I know well that mirror of companionship, a shadow of a shade, were those who seemed to be exceedingly well-disposed to me.

Notes

  1. 737ἐλθεῖν ἐς Ἰλίου πόλιν λέγοιμ᾽ ἂν φρόνημα μὲν... — An accusative with infinitive construction governed by λέγοιμ᾽ ἂν ('I would say'). The neuter nouns φρόνημα ('spirit'), ἄγαλμα ('ornament'), βέλος ('dart'), and ἄνθος ('flower') function as the subject of the infinitive ἐλθεῖν ('to have come'), metaphorically describing Helen upon her initial arrival in Ilium.
  2. 763φιλεῖ δὲ τίκτειν ὕβρις μὲν παλαιὰ νεάζουσαν... — The verb φιλεῖ ('is wont to') governs the infinitive τίκτειν ('to beget'), whose subject is ὕβρις παλαιά ('old insolence'). The direct object of τίκτειν is νεάζουσαν ὕβριν ('young insolence'). This complex structure is further layered with the temporal clause ὅτε τὸ κύριον μόλῃ... ('whenever the appointed time of birth arrives') and a second coordinate object in the accusative, δαίμονά τε... Ἄτας ('and the demon of Ruin').
  3. 801κάρτ᾽ ἀπομούσως ἦσθα γεγραμμένος — The perfect passive periphrastic construction ἦσθα γεγραμμένος ('you had been depicted') means 'you were painted (in my mind as someone lacking in wisdom)'. The participles νέμων ('steering') and κομίζων ('bringing') modify the subject (Agamemnon), expressing the Chorus's retrospective criticism of his past decision-making during the mobilization.
  4. 813δίκας γὰρ οὐκ ἀπὸ γλώσσης θεοὶ κλύοντες... — The phrase οὐκ ἀπὸ γλώσσης ('not from the tongue', meaning 'not based on mere oral pleadings, but on facts') emphasizes that the gods were not deceived by human rhetoric but judged Ilium's injustice directly. The lines draw a metaphor from the Athenian judicial system of casting voting pebbles into two urns (τεῦχος and κύτει).

Cite this passage

Aeschylus, Agamemnon §724-840. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0085.tlg005.humanitext-grc1:724-840

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