§289et facinus atrox caedis ut thalamos vocent?
And that they should call this dreadful crime of slaughter a marriage?
I will not suffer it; the guilt of all returns upon me: he who does not forbid to sin, when he can, commands it.
§292Nullumne Achillis praemium manes ferent? 1
PYRRHUS: Will Achilles' shade receive no reward?
AGAMEMNON: It will, and all will sing his praises and unknown lands will hear his great name.
§295quod si levatur sanguine infuso cinis, §296opima Phrygii colla caedantur greges §297fluatque nulli flebilis matri cruor.
But if the ashes are comforted by shed blood, let the fat necks of the Phrygian flock be cut and let no blood flow that causes tears to any mother.
§298quis iste mos est, quando in inferias homo est §299impensus hominis? detrahe invidiam tuo §300odiumque patri, quem coli poena iubes.
What custom is this, that a human being is offered as a sacrifice to a deceased human? Remove the blame and hatred from your father, whom you command to be worshiped by slaughter.
§301O tumide, rerum dum secundarum status §302extollit animos, timide cum increpuit metus, §303regum tyranne! etiamne flammatum geris
PYRRHUS: Oh proud one, while the state of prosperity elevates your mind, yet you are fearful when terror sounds, tyrant of kings!
§304amoris aestu pectus ac veneris novae?
Do you still carry a heart inflamed by the heat of love and a new passion?
§305solusne totiens spolia de nobis feres?
Will you alone so many times carry off the spoils from us?
§306hac dextra Achilli victimam reddam suam.
With this right hand, I will give Achilles his victim.
§307quam si negas retinesque, maiorem dabo §308dignamque quam det Pyrrhus; et nimium diu §309a caede nostra regia cessat manus §310paremque poscit Priamus,
If you refuse and retain her, I will give a greater one, worthy of being given by Pyrrhus; and for too long our hand has rested from royal slaughter, and Priam demands his equal.
§310bHaud equidem nego §311hoc esse Pyrrhi maximum in bello decus, §312saevo peremptus ense quod Priamus iacet, §313supplex paternus,
AGAMEMNON: Indeed, I do not deny that this is Pyrrhus' greatest glory in war: that Priam lies slain by a savage sword, a suppliant of your father.
PYRRHUS: We know both the suppliants and the enemies of our father to be the same.
Priamus tamen §315praesens rogavit; tu gravi pavidus metu, §316nec ad rogandum fortis, Aiaci preces §317Ithacoque mandas clausus atque hostem tremens.
Yet Priam asked in person; but you, trembling with heavy fear, not brave enough to ask, commit your prayers to Ajax and the Ithacan, shut up in your tent and trembling at the enemy.
§318At non timebat tunc tuus, fateor, parens, §319interque caedes Graeciae atque ustas rates §320segnis iacebat belli et armorum immemor, §321levi canoram verberans plectro chelyn.
AGAMEMNON: But your father was not afraid then, I confess, when amid the slaughter of Greece and the burning ships he lay idle, forgetful of war and arms, striking the melodious lyre with a light plectrum.
§322Tunc magnus Hector, arma contemnens tua, §323cantus Achillis timuit, et tanto in metu §324navalibus pax alta Thessalicis fuit.
PYRRHUS: Then great Hector, despising your arms, feared the songs of Achilles, and in that great fear there was deep peace in the Thessalian camp.
AGAMEMNON: Indeed, in that same Thessalian camp there was deep peace again for Hector's father.
§327Est regis alti spiritum regi dare.
PYRRHUS: It is the custom of a noble king to give life to a king.
§328Cur dextra regi spiritum eripuit tua?
AGAMEMNON: Why then did your right hand take away the king's life?
§329Mortem misericors saepe pro vita dabit.
PYRRHUS: A merciful man will often give death instead of life.
§330Et nunc misericors virginem busto petis?
AGAMEMNON: And now, mercifully, do you demand a maiden for a tomb?
§331Iamne immolari virgines credis nefas?
PYRRHUS: Do you now believe it a sin to sacrifice maidens?
§332Praeferre patriam liberis regem decet.
AGAMEMNON: It becomes a king to prefer his country to his children.
§333Lex nulla capto parcit aut poenam impedit.
PYRRHUS: No law spares a captive or prevents punishment.
§334Quod non vetat lex, hoc vetat fieri pudor.
AGAMEMNON: What the law does not forbid, shame forbids to be done.
§335Quodcumque libuit facere victori licet.
PYRRHUS: Whatever the victor pleases to do is allowed.
§336Minimum decet libere cui multum licet.
AGAMEMNON: He whom much is allowed should least please himself.
PYRRHUS: Do you boast of these things to those whom Pyrrhus released from the heavy yoke of a ten-year rule?
§339Hos Scyrus animos?
AGAMEMNON: Does Scyros breed such pride?
§339bScelere quae fratrum
PYRRHUS: It is a place free from the crimes of brothers.
AGAMEMNON: Enclosed by the waves— PYRRHUS: Indeed, of our kindred sea: I know the famous house of Atreus and Thyestes.
§342EX virginis concepte furtivo stupro §343et ex Achilles nate, sed nondum viro— §344Illo ex Achille, genere qui mundum suo §345sparsus per omne caelitum regnum tenet: §346Thetide aequor, umbras Aeaco, caelum Iove.
AGAMEMNON: You, conceived from the stealthy rape of a maiden and born of Achilles, who was not yet a man— PYRRHUS: From that Achilles, who by his lineage fills the world and holds every kingdom of the heavenly gods: the sea through Thetis, the shades through Aeacus, the heavens through Jove.
§347Illo ex Achille, qui manu Paridis iacet.
AGAMEMNON: From that Achilles, who lies slain by the hand of Paris.
§348. Quem nec deorum comminus quisquam petit.
PYRRHUS: Whom not even any of the gods dared to attack hand to hand.
§349Compescere equidem verba et audacem malo §350* poteram domare: sed meus captis quoque §351scit parcere ensis, potius interpres deum §352Calchas vocetur: fata si poscent, dabo.
AGAMEMNON: Indeed, I could have restrained your words and tamed your boldness * with force; but my sword knows how to spare even captives. Let Calchas rather, the interpreter of the gods, be called: if the fates demand it, I will give her.
§353Tu qui Pelasgae vincla solvisti rati §354morasque bellis, arte qui reseras polum, §355cui viscerum secreta, cui mundi fragor §356et stella longa semitam flamina trahens §357dant signa fati, cuius ingenti mihi §358mercede constant ora: quid iubeat deus §359effare, Calchas, nosque consilio rege.
You who released the chains of the Pelasgian fleet and the delays to the wars, who by your art unlock the sky, to whom the secrets of entrails, to whom the crash of the world and the star drawing its path with a long flame give signs of fate, whose mouth costs me a great price: speak what the god commands, Calchas, and guide us by your counsel.
§360Dant fata Danais quo solent pretio viam: §361mactanda virgo est Thessali busto ducis; §362sed quo iugari Thessalae cultu solent §363Ionidesve vel Mycenaeae nurus, §364Pyrrhus parenti coniugem tradat suo:
CALCHAS: The fates give the Danai their path at the usual price: a maiden must be sacrificed at the tomb of the Thessalian leader; but in the attire with which Thessalian maidens or Ionian or Mycenaean brides are accustomed to be wedded, let Pyrrhus hand over the bride to his father: thus it will be duly given.
§365sic rite dabitur, non tamen nostras tenet §366haec una puppes causa: nobilior tuo, §367Polyxene, cruore debetur cruor, §368quem fata quaerunt, turre de summa cadat §369Priami nepos Hectoreus et letum oppetat.
Yet this is not the only cause that holds our ships: a blood more noble than yours, Polyxena, is owed, which the fates demand; let Priam's grandson, Hector's child, fall from the highest tower and meet his death.
§370tum mille velis impleat classis freta.
Then let the fleet fill the seas with a thousand sails.
§371Verum est an timidos fabula decipit §372umbras corporibus vivere conditis, §373cum coniunx oculis imposuit manum §374supremusque dies solibus obstitit §375et tristis cineres urna cohercuit?
CHORUS: Is it true, or does an empty fable deceive the fearful, that shades live on when bodies are buried, when the spouse has placed their hand upon the eyes, and the last day has shut out the sun, and the sad urn has enclosed the ashes?