§461alimus tributo gentium, nullus mihi §462ultra Getas metatur et Parthos ager; §463non ture colimur nec meae excluso Iove §464ornantur arae; nulla culminibus meis §465imposita nutat silva nec fumant manu §466succensa multa stagna nec somno dies §467Bacchoque nox iungenda pervigil! datur:
we do not feed with the tribute of nations; no field is measured out for me beyond the Getae and the Parthians; we are not worshipped with incense, nor, to the exclusion of Jupiter, are my altars adorned; no artificial forest placed upon my roofs nods, nor do many pools, heated by hand, smoke, nor is the day to be joined to sleep, and the watchful night to Bacchus!
§468sed non timemur, tuta sine telo est domus §469rebusque parvis magna praestatur quies— §470immane regnum est posse sine regno pati.
But this is granted: we are not feared, my house is safe without a weapon, and to small means great quiet is afforded— to be able to endure without a kingdom is a mighty kingdom.
Tantalus: Neither should it be refused, if a god gives the rule, nor should it be sought: your brother asks that you rule.
§473Rogat? timendum est.
Thyestes: He asks? It is to be feared.
errat hic aliquis dolus.
Some trick is at work here.
Piety is wont to return to where it was driven from, and a just love repairs its lost strength.
§476Amat Thyesten frater? aetherias prius §477perfundet Arctos pontus et Siculi rapax §478consistet aestus unda et Ionio seges §479matura pelago surget et lucem dabit §480nox atra terris, ante cum flammis aquae. §481cum morte vita. cum mari ventus fidem §482foedusque iungent.
Does a brother love Thyestes? Sooner will the sea submerge the heavenly Bears, and the greedy wave of the Sicilian tide stand still, and mature crops rise in the Ionian sea, and dark night give light to the earth; sooner will water join faith with flames, life with death, and the wind with the sea join faith and alliance.
§482bQuam tamen fraudem times?
Tantalus: What trick, however, do you fear?
§483Omnem: timori quem meo statuam modum?
Thyestes: Every trick: what limit shall I set to my fear?
§484tantum potest quantum odit.
He is capable of doing as much as he hates.
§484bIn te quid potest?
Tantalus: What can he do against you?
Thyestes: For myself I fear nothing now: you make Atreus to be feared by me.
§486bDecipi cautus times?
Tantalus: Do you, being cautious, fear to be deceived?
Thyestes: It is too late to be cautious in the midst of evils: let us go.
unum genitor hoc testor tamen: §489ego vos sequor, non duco.
One thing, however, I, your father, attest: I follow you, I do not lead.
Tantalus: A god will look with favor upon well-thought plans; proceed with no doubtful step.
§491Plagis tenetur clausa dispositis fera: §492et ipsum et una generis invisi indolem §493iunctam parenti cerno, iam tuto in loco §494vorsantur odia.
Atreus: The wild beast is held enclosed by the nets laid out: I see both him and at the same time the offspring of the hated race joined to their parent; now in a safe place is my hatred active.
venit in nostras manus §495tandem Thyestes, venit, et totus quidem.
He has come into my hands at last, Thyestes, he has come, and indeed completely!
§496vix tempero animo, vix dolor frenos capit
Scarcely do I control my mind, scarcely does my resentment accept reins.
§497sic, cum feras vestigat et longo sagax §498loro tenetur Vmber ac presso vias §499scrutatur ore, dum procul lento suem §500odore sentit, paret et tacito locum §501rostro pererrat; praeda cum propior fuit, §502cervice tota pugnat et gemitu vocat §503dominum morantem seque retinenti eripit: §504cum sperat ira sanguinem, nescit tegi; §505tamen tegatur.
Just as when an Umbrian hound, wise, tracks wild beasts and is held by a long leash, and with snout pressed low searches the paths, while from afar it senses the boar with a faint scent, it obeys and wanders over the ground with silent snout; when the prey has come closer, it struggles with its whole neck and with a whimper calls its lingering master, and tears itself away from the one holding it back: when anger hopes for blood, it knows not how to be hidden; yet let it be hidden.
aspice, ut multo gravis §506squalore vultus obruat maestos coma, §507quam foeda iaceat barba, praestetur fides—
See how, heavy with much squalor, his hair covers his sad face, how filthy his beard lies.
Let good faith be shown!— Brother, it is a joy to see you; give back to me the long-sought embraces.
quicquid irarum fuit §510transierit; ex hoc sanguis ac pietas die §511colantur, animis odia damnata excidant.
Whatever anger there was, let it have passed; from this day let blood and piety be cherished, let condemned hatreds fall from our minds.
§512Diluere possem cuncta, nisi talis fores.
Thyestes: I could clear myself of everything, if you were not such as this.
§513sed fateor, Atreu, fateor, admisi omnia §514quae credidisti, pessimam causam meam §515hodierna, pietas fecit, est prorsus nocens §516quicumque visus tam bono fratri est nocens.
But I confess, Atreus, I confess, I committed all things which you believed; my extremely bad case your piety today has made; he is completely guilty whoever has appeared guilty to so good a brother.
§517lacrimis agendum est: supplicem primus vides; §518hae te precantur pedibus intactae manus: §519ponatur omnis ira et ex animo tumor §520erasus abeat.
I must plead with tears: you are the first to see me as a suppliant; these hands, not having touched your feet, pray to you: let all anger be laid aside, and let the swelling, erased from your heart, depart.
obsides fidei accipe §521hos innocentes, frater,
Take as pledges of my faith these innocent children, brother.
Atreus: Take your hand away from my knees, and seek rather my embraces.
§523vos quoque, senum praesidia, tot iuvenes, meo
You too, protections of an old man, so many youths, hang on my neck!
Strip off your squalid clothing, and spare our eyes, and take garments equal to mine.
§526pares meis. laetusque fraterni imperi
And, glad, take a share of your brother's rule.
§527capesse partem, maior haec laus est mea, §528fratri paternum reddere incolumi decus: §529habere regnum casus est, virtus dare.
This is my greater glory, to restore the ancestral honor to my brother safe and sound: to possess a kingdom is a matter of chance; to give it is virtue.
Thyestes: May the gods repay you equal rewards, brother, for such great merits.
regiam capitis notam §532squalor recusat noster et sceptrum manus
The royal emblem of the head our squalor refuses, and my ill-fated hand shrinks from the scepter.
Let it be allowed to me to lurk in the midst of the crowd.
§534bRecipit hoc regnum duos.
Atreus: This kingdom receives two.
§535Meum esse credo quicquid est, frater, tuum.
Thyestes: I believe that whatever is yours, brother, is mine.
§536Quis influentis dona fortunae abnuit?
Atreus: Who refuses the gifts of flowing fortune?
§537Expertus est quicumque quam facile effluant.
Thyestes: Whoever has experienced how easily they flow away.
§538Fratrem potiri gloria ingenti vetas?
Atreus: Do you forbid your brother to possess huge glory?
Thyestes: Your glory is already achieved, mine remains: my decision to reject kingdoms is fixed.
§541Meam relinquam, nisi tuam partem accipis.
Atreus: I shall abandon mine, unless you accept your part.
Thyestes: I accept: I will bear the name of the imposed kingdom, but laws and arms shall serve you along with me.