§186hostem nec altis montium structae iugis §187arces; relictis bellicum totus canat §188populus My cenis, quisquis invisum caput §189tegit ac tuetur, clade funesta occidat, §190haec ipsa pollens incliti Pelopis domus §191ruat vel in me, dummodo in fratrem ruat.
Let neither the forests cover the enemy, nor the citadels built on high ridges of the mountains; let all the people, having left Mycenae, sound the war-signal, whoever covers and protects that hated head, let him perish by a deadly ruin, let this very powerful house of famous Pelops fall even upon me, provided that it falls upon my brother.
§192age, anime, fac quod nulla posteritas probet, §193sed nulla taceat, aliquod audendum est nefas §194atrox, cruentum, tale quod frater meus §195suum esse mallet— scelera non ulciscens, §196nisi vineis, et quid esse tam saevum potest
Come, my soul, do what no posterity will approve, but none will keep silent; some unspeakable crime must be dared, atrocious, bloody, such as my brother would have preferred to be his own—you do not avenge crimes, unless you surpass him; and what can be so savage that it could surpass him?
§197quod superet illum? numquid abiectus iacet?
Does he lie cast down?
§198numquid secundis patitur in rebus modum, §199fessis quietem? novi ego ingenium viri §200indocile: flecti non potest— frangi potest.
Does he admit any limit in prosperity, or rest in exhaustion? I know the man's unteachable temper: it cannot be bent—it can be broken.
Therefore, before he strengthens himself or prepares his forces, let him be attacked first, lest he attack me when I am at rest.
He will either destroy or perish: the crime is placed in the middle for the one who seizes it first.
Satelles: Does the hostile reputation of the people terrify you not at all?
§205bMaximum hoc regni bonum est, §206quod facta domini cogitur populus sui §207tam ferre quam laudare.
Atreus: This is the greatest benefit of kingly power: that the people are forced to bear the deeds of their lord as much as to praise them.
§207bQuos cogit metus §208laudare, eosdem reddit inimicos metus, §209at qui favoris gloriam veri petit, §210animo magis quam. voce laudari volet.
Satelles: Those whom fear forces to praise, the same fear renders enemies; but he who seeks the glory of true favor will wish to be praised by the heart more than by the voice.
Atreus: True praise often falls to the humble man, false praise only to the powerful, so that they must wish what they do not wish.
§213Rex velit honesta: nemo non eadem volet.
Satelles: Let the king wish for honorable things: everyone will wish for the same.
Atreus: Wherever only honorable things are permitted to the ruler, rule is held precariously.
Satelles: Where there is no shame, nor care for law, sanctity, piety, faith, the kingdom is unstable.
Atreus: Sanctity, piety, faith are private goods; let kings go where it pleases them.
§219Nefas nocere vel malo fratri puta.
Satelles: Think it a crime to harm even a bad brother.
§220Fas est in illo quicquid in fratre est nefas.
Atreus: Whatever is a crime against a brother is lawful against that man.
§221quid enim reliquit crimine intactum aut ubi §222sceleri pepercit? coniugem stupro abstulit §223regnumque furto: specimen antiquum imperi §224fraude est adeptus, fraude turbavit domum,
For what has he left untouched by crime, or where has he spared wickedness? He took away my wife by adultery and my kingdom by theft; the ancient emblem of power he obtained by fraud, and by fraud he threw the house into confusion.
§225est Pelopis altis nobile in stabulis pecus, §226arcanus aries, ductor opulenti gregis, §227huius per omne corpus effuso coma §228dependet auro, cuius e tergo novi §229aurata reges sceptra Tantalici gerunt; §230possessor huius regnat, hunc tantae domus §231fortuna sequitur, tuta seposita sacer §232in parte carpit prata, quae cludit lapis §233fatale saxeo pascuum muro tegens.
There is in the high stables of Pelops a noble beast, a secret ram, the leader of a rich flock; over its entire body hangs a fleece of poured gold, from whose back the new kings of Tantalus' line bear gilded sceptres; its possessor reigns, and the fortune of this great house follows it; in a safe, secluded part, the sacred beast grazes on the meadows, which a stone encloses, covering the fateful pasture with a stone wall.
This, having dared a monstrous deed, having taken as a partner in crime the companion of our bed chamber, that treacherous man carried away.
§236hinc omne cladis mutuae fluxit malum: §237per regna trepidus exul erravi mea, §238pars nulla generis tuta ab insidiis vacat, §239corrupta coniunx, imperi quassa est fides, §240domus aegra, dubius sanguis est— certi nihil
From here flowed all the evil of mutual ruin: I have wandered as a trembling exile through my own kingdoms, no part of my race is safe and free from plots, my wife is corrupted, the trust of power is shattered, my house is sick, my lineage is doubtful—nothing is certain, except that my brother is my enemy.
§241nisi frater hostis, quid stupes? tandem incipe
Why are you dazed?
Finally begin and take courage: look upon Tantalus and Pelops; to these examples my hands are summoned.
§244profare, dirum qua caput mactem via.
Satelles: Speak, by what way shall I slaughter that dreadful person?
§245Ferro peremptus spiritum inimicum expuat.
Slain by the sword, let him spit out his hostile breath.
§246De fine poenae. loqueris; ego poenam volo.
Atreus: You speak of the end of punishment; I want punishment itself.
Let a mild tyrant kill: in my kingdom death is granted as a prayer.
§248bNulla te pietas movet?
Satelles: Does no piety move you?
§249Excede, Pietas, si modo in nostra domo §250umquam fuisti, dira Furiarum cohors §251discorsque Erinys veniat et geminas faces §252Megaera quatiens: non satis magno meum §253ardet furore pectus, impleri iuvat §254maiore monstro.
Atreus: Depart, Piety, if indeed in our house you have ever been; let the dreadful cohort of Furies, and the discordant Erinys come, and Megaera shaking her twin torches: my breast does not burn with a sufficiently great fury; it pleases me to be filled with a greater monster.
§254bQuid novi rabidus struis?
Satelles: What new thing do you plot in your madness?
Atreus: Nothing that the measure of accustomed grief can contain; I shall leave no crime undone, and no crime is enough.
§257Ferrum?
Satelles: The sword?
§257bParum est
Atreus: It is too little.
§275cQuid ignis?
Satelles: What of fire?
§257dEtiamnunc parum est.
Atreus: Even now it is too little.
§258Quonam ergo telo tantus utetur dolor?
Satelles: What weapon, then, will such great resentment use?
§259Ipso Thyeste.
Atreus: Thyestes himself.
§259bMaius hoc ira est malum.
Satelles: This is an evil greater than anger.
§260Fateor, tumultus pectora attonitus quatit
Atreus: I confess it.
A stunned tumult shakes my breast and turns it deep within; I am swept away, and I know not where, but I am swept away.
imo mugit e fundo solum, §263tonat dies serenus ac totis domus §264ut fracta tectis crepuit et. moti lares §265vertere voltum: fiat hoc, fiat nefas §266quod. di. timebis,
The earth groans from its lowest depth, the clear day thunders, and the whole house creaked as if with shattered roofs, and the moved Lares turned away their faces: let it be done, let the unspeakable crime be done which you, O gods, shall fear.
§266bFacere quid tandem paras?
Satelles: What, after all, are you preparing to do?
§267Nescio quid animo maius et solito amplius
Atreus: I know not what, something greater in my mind and larger than usual...