Iphigenia in Tauris
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Original / primary: Perseus Eng2
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When my mother’s evil deeds, that I cannot speak of, came into my hands, I was driven to flight by the Furies’ pursuit; then Loxias sent me to Athens, to stand trial with the goddesses who may not be named.
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For there is a holy tribunal there, which Zeus once established for Ares, when his hands were stained with blood-pollution. I came there . . . at first, no host would willingly take me in, as one hated by the gods; then some who felt shame offered me a table apart, as a guest,
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themselves being under the same roof, and in silence they kept me from speaking, so that I might be apart from them in food and drink, and into each private cup they poured an equal measure of wine and had their delight.
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And I did not think it right to blame my hosts, but I grieved in silence and seemed not to know, while I sighed deeply, that I was the murderer of my mother. I hear that my misfortunes have become a festival at Athens, and they still hold this custom
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and the people of Pallas honor the cup that belongs to the Feast of Pitchers. When I came to the hill of Ares to stand my trial, I took one seat, and the eldest of the Furies took the other. I spoke and heard arguments on the murder of my mother,
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and Phoebus saved me by bearing witness; Pallas counted out equal votes for me; and I went away victorious in my ordeal of blood. Some of the Furies who sat there, persuaded by the judgment, marked out a holy place for themselves beside this very tribunal;
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but others were not persuaded by the law, and drove me always in vagabond courses until I came to the holy plain of Phoebus in turn. Stretched out before his shrine and fasting, I swore to break off my life and die there,
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if Phoebus, who had destroyed me, did not save me. And then Phoebus cried out a golden voice from the tripod, and sent me here, to get the image Zeus hurled down, and set it up in Athena’s land. But what he marked out for my safety
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you must help me with; for if we possess the statue of the goddess, I will be released from madness and will put you on my ship of many oars and establish you again in Mycenae. But, my beloved sister, save our father’s house and save me;
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for so I perish and all the race of Pelops, unless we take the heavenly image of the goddess.
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Chorus Leader
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A terrible anger from the gods has boiled up against the race of Tantalus and drives them through torments.
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Iphigenia
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Before you came here, I was eager
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to be in Argos and see you, my brother. Your wish is mine: to release you from torment, and restore our father’s afflicted house, for I am not angry at the one who killed me; it is my wish. I would set my hand free from your slaughter
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and save our house. But I worry about concealment from the goddess and the king, when he finds the stone pedestal empty of the statue. How will I escape death? What argument will I have? But if this one thing happens all together,
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that you take the statue and bear me away on your lovely ship, the venture is a noble one. If I am separated from this, I am lost, but you might settle your affairs well and have a safe return. Indeed, I do not shrink from it, not even if I must die
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to save you. No, for when a man dies and is gone from the home, he is longed for; but women are powerless.
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Orestes
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I would not be the murderer of you as well as my mother; her blood is enough; I would rather have an equal share of life or death, in common with you.
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I will bring you home, if I myself escape from here, or if I die, I will remain here with you. Listen to what I think: if Artemis were hostile to this, how could Loxias have prophesied that I would take the statue of the goddess to Pallas’ city . . .
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and see your face. Putting all these things together, I have hope of our return.
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Iphigenia
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But how may we live, and take what we want? For our return home suffers from this; but the will is present.
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Orestes
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Could we murder the king?
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Iphigenia
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A fearful suggestion, for foreigners to kill their host!
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Orestes
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But we must dare it, if it brings our safety.
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Iphigenia
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I could not; yet I approve your eagerness.
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Orestes
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What if you were to hide me secretly in the shrine?
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Iphigenia
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So that we might take advantage of the darkness and escape?
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Orestes
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Yes, for the night belongs to thieves, the light to truth.
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Iphigenia
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There are secred guards within, who will notice us.
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Orestes
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Alas, we are ruined! How can we be saved?
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Iphigenia
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I think I have a new stratagem.
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Orestes
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What is it? Let me know; share your thought.
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Iphigenia
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I will use your sorrows as my contrivance.
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Orestes
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Women are wonderfully good at devising crafty plans!
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Iphigenia
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I will say that you came from Argos after killing your mother.
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Orestes
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Make use of my troubles, if you gain by it.
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Iphigenia
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And that it is not right to sacrifice you to the goddess.
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Orestes
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With what reason? I have a suspicion.
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Iphigenia
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Because you are not pure; I will frighten what is sacred.
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Orestes
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How does this help us to seize the statue of the goddess?
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Iphigenia
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I shall want to purify you in the waves of the sea—
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Orestes
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The image that we have sailed for is still in the temple.
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Iphigenia
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I will say that I have washed that also, since you have touched it.
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Orestes
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Where? Do you mean the watery inlet of the sea?
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Iphigenia
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Where your ship is moored by its roped anchor.
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Orestes
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Will you or some other bear the image in your hands?
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Iphigenia
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I shall; it is holy for me alone to touch it.
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Orestes
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But Pylades here—how will he be assigned to our labor?
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Iphigenia
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His hands, it will be said, are stained like yours with blood-pollution.
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Orestes
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Will you do all this secretly from the king, or with his knowledge?
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Iphigenia
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I shall persuade him; I could not hide it from him.
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Orestes
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Well then, my ship, with its quick stroke of oars, is at hand.
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Iphigenia
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You must indeed take care of the rest, so that it goes well.
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Orestes
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We need only one thing more, that these women conceal our plans; you approach them and find persuasive words. A woman has power over pity.
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The rest, perhaps—. May all turn out well!
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Iphigenia
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My dearest friends, I look to you; I am in your hands, whether I am to succeed, or come to nothing and lose my country, and my dear brother and dearest sister.
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And first of all, I begin my speech with this: we are women, and have hearts naturally formed to love each other, and keep our common interests most secure. Be silent for us and assist us in our flight. It is good to have trustworthy speech.
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You see how one fortune holds us three, most dear to each other, either to return to our native land, or to die. If I am saved, I will bring you safe to Hellas, so that you may share my fortune. By your right hand, I entreat you, and you, and you; (addressing different members of the Chorus.) you by your dear face,
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by your knees, by all that is dearest to you in your home: father, mother, child, if you have children. What do you reply? Who agrees with us, or is not willing to do this—speak! For if you do not acquiesce in my words, both I and my unhappy brother must die.
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Chorus Leader
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Have courage, dear mistress, only see to your safety; I will be silent on all that you have charged me with—great Zeus be my witness.
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Iphigenia
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Bless you for your words, may you be happy! It is your work now, and yours, To Orestes and Pylades to enter the temple;
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for soon the ruler of this land will come, inquiring if the sacrifice of the strangers has been carried out.
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Lady Artemis, you who saved me from my father’s slaughtering hand by the clefts of Aulis, save me now also, and these men; or through you Loxias’
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prophetic voice will no longer be held true by mortals But leave this barbarian land for Athens with good will; it is not fitting for you to dwell here, when you could have so fortunate a city. Exeunt Iphigenia, Orestes, and Pylades.
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Chorus
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Halcyon bird, you that sing your fate as a lament
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beside the rocky ridges of the sea, a cry easily understood by the wise, that you are always chanting for your husband; I, wingless bird that I am, compare
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my laments with yours, in my longing for the festivals of Hellas, and for Artemis of childbirth, who dwells beside the Cynthian mountain and the palm with delicate leaves
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and the well-grown laurel and the holy shoot of gray-green olive, Leto’s dear child, and the lake that rolls about its ripples, where the melodious swan
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serves the Muses.
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Chorus
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O streams of tears that fell onto my cheeks, when my city was destroyed and the enemy forced me to sail,
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by their oars, by their spears! Purchased by gold, I came to a barbarian home, where I serve Agamemnon’s daughter,
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the attendant maid of the deer-killing goddess, and the altars where no sheep are sacrificed; and I envy ruin that is wretched throughout, for when you are brought up in harsh necessity, you do not suffer.
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Misery changes; life is hard for mortals, when they are treated badly after happiness.
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Thoas
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Where is the gate-keeper of this temple, the woman of Hellas? Has she already begun the rites on the strangers?
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Are they glowing with fire in the holy sanctuary?
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Chorus Leader
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Here she is, to tell you everything clearly, lord.
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Thoas
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Oh! Daughter of Agamemnon, why have you lifted up in your arms the statue of the goddess from its pedestal that must not be moved?
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Iphigenia
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Lord, stand there in the entrance!
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Thoas
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Iphigenia, what has happened in the temple?
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Iphigenia
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I spit out the pollution; (turning to Thoas to explain.) I say this for Holiness.
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Thoas
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What is this news in your introduction? Tell it clearly.
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Iphigenia
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The victims you caught for me are not pure, lord.
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Thoas
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What taught you this? Or are you only saying what you think?
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Iphigenia
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The image of the goddess turned back from its place.
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Thoas
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By itself, or did an earthquake turn it?
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Iphigenia
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By itself; it closed up its eyes.
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Thoas
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What was the reason? Was it the uncleanness of the strangers?
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Iphigenia
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That was the reason, and nothing else; for they have done dreadful things.
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Thoas
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What, have they killed one of the barbarians on the shore?
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Iphigenia
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They come with murder done at home.
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Thoas
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What murder? For I strongly want to know.
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Iphigenia
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They killed their mother together with their swords.
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Thoas
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Apollo! No barbarian would have dared this.
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Iphigenia
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They were driven in pursuit from all of Hellas.
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Thoas
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Is it for this that you bring the statue outside?
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Iphigenia
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Yes, to the holy air, to remove it from slaughter.
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Thoas
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How did you know the blood-pollution of the strangers?
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Iphigenia
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I questioned them, because the image of the goddess had turned back.
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Thoas
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Hellas has brought you up to be clever; how well you understood this.
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Iphigenia
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And yet they dangled a sweet lure for my heart.
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Thoas
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Reporting to you some charm of news from Argos?