§378τοῖον [γὰρ] ἐπὶ κνέφας ἀνδρὶ μύσος πεπόταται, §379καὶ δνοφεράν τιν᾽ ἀχλὺν κατὰ δώματος αὐδᾶ- §380ται πολύστονος φάτις.
"For such a darkness, a pollution, hovers over the man, and a gloomy mist over the house is spoken of by much-sighing rumour.
§381μένει γάρ: εὐμήχανοί §382τε καὶ τέλειοι, κακῶν §383τε μνήμονες, σεμναὶ §384καὶ δυσπαρήγοροι βροτοῖς, §385ἄτιμ᾽ ἀτίετα διόμεναι §386λάχη θεῶν διχοστατοῦντ᾽ ἀνηλίῳ §387λάμπᾳ, †δυσοδοπαίπαλα §388δερκομένοισι καὶ δυσομμάτοις ὁμῶς.
For it remains: we are resourceful and bringing to completion, mindful of evils, solemn and hard for mortals to appease, pursuing our lot, unhonoured and uncared-for, separated from the gods in sunless light, a path rugged and hard for those who see and those who cannot see alike.
§389τίς οὖν τάδ᾽ οὐχ ἅζεταί §390τε καὶ δέδοικεν βροτῶν, §391ἐμοῦ κλύων θεσμὸν §392τὸν μοιρόκραντον ἐκ θεῶν §393δοθέντα τέλεον;
Who then of mortals does not revere and fear these things, when he hears my ordinance, decreed by fate, given from the gods as complete?
ἔτι δέ μοι §394<μένει> γέρας παλαιόν, οὐδ᾽ ἀτιμίας §395κύρω, καίπερ ὑπὸ χθόνα §396τάξιν ἔχουσα καὶ δυσήλιον κνέφας. §397πρόσωθεν ἐξήκουσα κληδόνος βοὴν §398ἀπὸ Σκαμάνδρου γῆν καταφθατουμένη, §399ἣν δῆτ᾽ Ἀχαιῶν ἄκτορές τε καὶ πρόμοι, §400τῶν αἰχμαλώτων χρημάτων λάχος μέγα, §401ἔνειμαν αὐτόπρεμνον ἐς τὸ πᾶν ἐμοί, §402ἐξαίρετον δώρημα Θησέως τόκοις:
And still my ancient privilege remains to me, nor do I meet with dishonour, although I have my station beneath the earth and in sunless darkness." Athena: "From afar I heard the sound of a summons from the Scamander, while I was taking possession of the land, which indeed the leaders and chiefs of the Achaeans, a great portion of the captured spoils, assigned entirely to me, root and branch, as a choice gift for the sons of Theseus.
§403ἔνθεν διώκουσ᾽ ἦλθον ἄτρυτον πόδα, §404πτερῶν ἄτερ ῥοιβδοῦσα κόλπον αἰγίδος, §405πώλοις ἀκμαίοις τόνδ᾽ ἐπιζεύξασ᾽ ὄχον.
Thence I came, urging on my unwearied foot, without wings, making the fold of my aegis rustle, having yoked this chariot to vigorous steeds.
And seeing this strange company of the land, I fear nothing indeed, but wonder is before my eyes.
§408τίνες ποτ᾽ ἐστέ;
Who on earth are you?
πᾶσι δ᾽ ἐς κοινὸν λέγω: §409βρέτας τε τοὐμὸν τῷδ᾽ ἐφημένῳ ξένῳ, §410ὑμᾶς θ᾽ ὁμοίας οὐδενὶ σπαρτῶν γένει, §411οὔτ᾽ ἐν θεαῖσι πρὸς θεῶν ὁρωμένας §412οὔτ᾽ οὖν βροτείοις ἐμφερεῖς μορφώμασι.
I speak to all in common: both to this stranger sitting by my image, and to you, who are like no race of the begotten, neither seen by the gods among goddesses, nor resembling mortal shapes.
§413λέγειν δ᾽ ἄμομφον ὄντα τοὺς πέλας κακῶς §414πρόσω δικαίων ἠδ᾽ ἀποστατεῖ θέμις. §415πεύσει τὰ πάντα συντόμως, Διὸς κόρη.
But for one who is blameless to speak ill of one's neighbours is far from justice, and divine law recoils from it." Chorus: "You shall hear all things briefly, daughter of Zeus.
§416ἡμεῖς γάρ ἐσμεν Νυκτὸς αἰανῆς τέκνα.
For we are the children of eternal Night.
§417Ἀραὶ δ᾽ ἐν οἴκοις γῆς ὑπαὶ κεκλήμεθα. §418γένος μὲν οἶδα κληδόνας τ᾽ ἐπωνύμους. §419τιμάς γε μὲν δὴ τὰς ἐμὰς πεύσει τάχα. §420μάθοιμ᾽ ἄν, εἰ λέγοι τις ἐμφανῆ λόγον. §421βροτοκτονοῦντας ἐκ δόμων ἐλαύνομεν. §422καὶ τῷ κτανόντι ποῦ τὸ τέρμα τῆς φυγῆς; §423ὅπου τὸ χαίρειν μηδαμοῦ νομίζεται. §424ἦ καὶ τοιαύτας τῷδ᾽ ἐπιρροιζεῖς φυγάς; §425φονεὺς γὰρ εἶναι μητρὸς ἠξιώσατο. §426ἄλλαις ἀνάγκαις, ἤ τινος τρέων κότον; §427ποῦ γὰρ τοσοῦτο κέντρον ὡς μητροκτονεῖν; §428δυοῖν παρόντοιν ἥμισυς λόγος πάρα. §429ἀλλ᾽ ὅρκον οὐ δέξαιτ᾽ ἄν, οὐ δοῦναι θέλοι.
And we are called Curses in our homes beneath the earth." Athena: "Your race indeed I know, and your renowned names." Chorus: "You shall indeed soon learn my privileges." Athena: "I would learn them, if someone should speak a clear word." Chorus: "We drive murderers from their homes." Athena: "And for the killer, where is the end of his flight?" Chorus: "Where rejoicing is nowhere customary." Athena: "Do you indeed shriek of such a flight for this man?" Chorus: "For he deemed it right to be the murderer of his mother." Athena: "By other necessities, or fearing someone's wrath?" Chorus: "For where is there a spur so great as to compel mother-slaying?" Athena: "Since two are present, only half the argument is here." Chorus: "But he would not accept an oath, nor wish to give one." Athena: "You wish to be called just rather than to act justly." Chorus: "How so?
§430κλύειν δίκαιος μᾶλλον ἢ πρᾶξαι θέλεις. §431πῶς δή; δίδαξον: τῶν σοφῶν γὰρ οὐ πένει. §432ὅρκοις τὰ μὴ δίκαια μὴ νικᾶν λέγω. §433ἀλλ᾽ ἐξέλεγχε, κρῖνε δ᾽ εὐθεῖαν δίκην.
Teach me; for you are not poor in wisdom." Athena: "I say that unjust things must not win by oaths." Chorus: "Then examine him, and judge with straight justice." Athena: "Would you indeed turn the final decision of the charge over to me?" Chorus: "Why not?
Since we revere you, a worthy daughter of a worthy father." Athena: "What do you wish to say to this in turn, O stranger?
§436τί πρὸς τάδ᾽ εἰπεῖν, ὦ ξέν᾽, ἐν μέρει θέλεις; §437λέξας δὲ χώραν καὶ γένος καὶ ξυμφορὰς §438τὰς σάς, ἔπειτα τόνδ᾽ ἀμυναθοῦ ψόγον: §439εἴπερ πεποιθὼς τῇ δίκῃ βρέτας τόδε §440ἧσαι φυλάσσων ἑστίας ἁμῆς πέλας §441σεμνὸς προσίκτωρ ἐν τρόποις Ἰξίονος:
Speak of your land, your race, and your misfortunes, and then ward off this blame; if indeed, trusting in justice, you sit guarding this image near my hearth, a solemn suppliant in the manner of Ixion.
§442τούτοις ἀμείβου πᾶσιν εὐμαθές τί μοι. §443ἄνασσ᾽ Ἀθάνα, πρῶτον ἐκ τῶν ὑστάτων §444τῶν σῶν ἐπῶν μέλημ᾽ ἀφαιρήσω μέγα.
Reply to all of these in a way easy for me to understand." Orestes: "Queen Athena, first from the last of your words I will remove a great concern.
I am not a suppliant seeking purification, nor did I sit at your image with pollution on my hand.
§447τεκμήριον δὲ τῶνδέ σοι λέξω μέγα: §448ἄφθογγον εἶναι τὸν παλαμναῖον νόμος, §449ἔς τ᾽ ἂν πρὸς ἀνδρὸς αἵματος καθαρσίου §450σφαγαὶ καθαιμάξωσι νεοθήλου βοτοῦ.
And I will tell you a great proof of these things: it is the law for the murderer to be speechless, until by a man of purifying blood the slaughter of a young beast shall drench him with blood.
Long ago I was purified of these things at other houses, both with beasts and flowing streams.
§453ταύτην μὲν οὕτω φροντίδ᾽ ἐκποδὼν λέγω.
Thus indeed I declare this concern out of the way.
§454γένος δὲ τοὐμὸν ὡς ἔχει πεύσει τάχα.
And my race, how it stands, you shall soon learn.
§455Ἀργεῖός εἰμι, πατέρα δ᾽ ἱστορεῖς καλῶς, §456Ἀγαμέμνον᾽, ἀνδρῶν ναυβατῶν ἁρμόστορα: §457ξὺν ᾧ σὺ Τροίαν ἄπολιν Ἰλίου πόλιν §458ἔθηκας.
I am an Argive, and you know well my father, Agamemnon, the marshal of the seafaring men; with whom you made Ilium, the city of Troy, no longer a city.
ἔφθιθ᾽ οὗτος οὐ καλῶς, μολὼν §459εἰς οἶκον: ἀλλά νιν κελαινόφρων ἐμὴ §460μήτηρ κατέκτα, ποικίλοις ἀγρεύμασιν §461κρύψασ᾽, ἃ λουτρῶν ἐξεμαρτύρει φόνον.
He perished ingloriously, having come home; for my dark-minded mother slew him, having concealed him with decorated nets, which bore witness to the murder of the bath.