§367altus sepultas obruet gentes cinis.
Deep ash will cover the buried nations.
To wish for peace to be restored is advantageous to the victor, necessary to the vanquished.
particeps regno veni; §370sociemur animis, pignus hoc fidei cape: §371continge dextram, quid truci vultu siles?
Come as a sharer of my kingdom; let us be joined in minds, take this pledge of faith: touch my right hand. Why do you remain silent with a fierce countenance?
Should I touch a hand splattered with my father's blood and with the double slaughter of my brothers?
§374extinguet ortus, referet occasus diem, §375pax ante fida nivibus et flammis erit §376et Scylla Siculum iunget Ausonio latus, §377priusque multo vicibus alternis fugax §378Euripus unda stabit Euboica piger.
Sooner will the east extinguish the light, and the west bring back the day, sooner will there be faithful peace between snows and flames, and Scylla join her Sicilian side to the Ausonian shore, and much sooner will the Euripus, fleeting in alternating turns, stand sluggish with Euboean waves.
You have taken away my father, my kingdom, my brothers, my paternal hearth— what is there beyond?
§381fratre ac parente carior, regno ac lare: §382odium tui, quod esse cum populo mihi §383commune doleo: pars quota ex illo mea est?
One thing remains to me dearer than brother and father, than kingdom and hearth: hatred of you, which I grieve to have in common with the people; how small is my share of that?
Dominate in your swelling pride, carry high spirits: an avenging god follows the proud from behind.
§386Thebana novi regna: quid matres loquar §387passas et ausas scelera? quid geminum nefas §388mixtumque nomen coniugis nati patris?
I know the Theban realms: why should I speak of mothers who suffered and dared crimes? why of the double sin and the mixed name of wife, son, and father?
§389quid bina fratrum castra? quid totidem rogos?
why of the twin camps of the brothers? why of as many funeral pyres?
The proud daughter of Tantalus stiffens as a mother in her grief, and a mournful stone weeps on Phrygian Sipylus.
§392quin ipse torvum subrigens crista caput §393Illyrica Cadmus regna permensus fuga §394longas reliquit corporis tracti notas.
Nay, Cadmus himself, raising his fierce head with a crest, traversing the Illyrian realms in his flight, left long marks of his dragged body.
These examples await you: dominate as you please, so long as the accustomed fates of our kingdom call you.
Come now, put away your fierce and mad words, and learn from Alcides to endure the commands of kings.
§399ego rapta quamvis sceptra victrici geram §400dextra regamque cuncta sine legum metu §401quas arma vincunt, pauca pro causa loquar §402nostra, cruento cecidit in bello pater?
Although I bear the snatched scepter in my victorious right hand, and rule all things without fear of laws, which arms conquer, I will speak a few words for our cause: did your father fall in bloody war?
§403cecidere fratres? arma non servant modum; §404nec temperari facile nec reprimi potest §405stricti ensis ira, bella delectat cruor.
Did your brothers fall? Arms do not keep measure; the wrath of a drawn sword can neither easily be tempered nor repressed; blood delights war.
§406sed ille regno pro suo, nos improba
But did he fight for his kingdom, and we driven by wicked desire?
§407cupidine acti? quaeritur belli exitus,
The outcome of war is sought, not the cause.
§408non causa, sed nunc pereat omnis memoria: §409cum victor arma posuit, et victum decet §410deponere odia.
But now let all memory perish: when the victor has laid down arms, it also becomes the vanquished to lay down hatred.
non ut inflexo genu §411regnantem adores petimus: hoc ipsum placet §412animo ruinas quod capis magno tuas; §413es rege coniunx digna: sociemus toros.
We do not ask that with bended knee you adore the ruler: this itself pleases me, that you receive your ruins with a great mind; you are a wife worthy of a king: let us join our beds.
§414Gelidus per artus vadit exanguis tremor.
A cold and bloodless tremor runs through my limbs.
§415quod facinus aures pepulit? haut equidem horrui,
What outrage has struck my ears?
§416cum pace rupta bellicus muros fragor §417circumsonaret, pertuli intrepide omnia: §418thalamos tremesco; capta nunc videor mihi.
Indeed I did not shudder, when, with peace broken, the clamor of war resounded around the walls; I bore all things intrepidly: I tremble at the marriage bed; now I seem captive to myself.
§419gravent catenae corpus et longa fame §420mors protrahatur lenta: non vincet fidem §421vis ulla nostram; moriar, Alcide, tua.
Let chains weigh down my body, and by long hunger let a slow death be prolonged: no force will conquer our faith; Alcides, I shall die as yours.
§422Animosne mersus inferis coniunx facit?
Does a husband sunk in the underworld give you these spirits?
§423Inferna tetigit, posset ut supera assequi.
He touched the underworld, so that he might reach the heights of heaven.
§424Telluris illum pondus immensae premit.
The weight of the immense earth oppresses him.
§425Nullo premetur onere, qui caelum tulit.
He will be oppressed by no burden, who bore the heavens.
§426Cogere.
Be forced.
§426bCogi qui potest nescit mori.
He who can be forced does not know how to die.
Speak rather, what royal gift I should prepare for our new marriage.
§428bAut tuam mortem aut meam.
Either your death or mine.
§429Moriere demens,
You will die, madwoman.
§429bConiugi occurram meo.
I shall go to meet my husband.
§430Sceptrone nostro famulus est potior tibi?
Is a slave preferable to you than our scepter?
§431Quot iste famulus tradidit reges neci.
How many kings that slave has delivered to death.
§432Cur ergo regi servit et patitur iugum?
Why then does he serve a king and endure the yoke?
§433Imperia dura tolle: quid virtus erit?
Remove harsh commands: what will virtue be?
§434Obici feris monstrisque virtutem putas?
Do you think it is virtue to be thrown to beasts and monsters?
§435Virtutis est domare quae cuncti pavent.
It is the part of virtue to subdue what all dread.
§436Tenebrae loquentem magna Tartareae premunt.
Tartarean darkness oppresses him who speaks great things.
§437Non est ad astra mollis e terris via.
The path from the earth to the stars is not easy.
§438Quo patre genitus caelitum sperat domos? i
Begotten of what father does he hope for the homes of the gods?
Pitiful wife of great Hercules, be silent: my part is to restore to Alcides his father and true race.
§441genusque verum, post tot ingentis viri §442memoranda facta postque pacatum manu §443quodcumque Titan ortus et labens videt, §444post monstra tot perdomita, post Phlegram impio §445sparsam cruore postque defensos deos §446nondum liquet de patre? mentimur Iovem:
After so many memorable deeds of that great man, and after everything has been pacified by his hand which the rising and setting sun sees, after so many monsters subdued, after Phlegra was splattered with impious blood, and after the gods were defended, is it not yet clear about his father?
§447Iunonis odio crede.
We lie about Jove: believe the hatred of Juno.
§447bQuid violas Iovem?
Why do you violate Jove?
§448mortale caelo non potest iungi genus.
A mortal race cannot be joined to heaven.
§449Communis ista pluribus causa est deis.
That cause is common to many gods.
§450Famuline fuerant ante quam fierent dei?
Were they slaves before they became gods?