Orestes
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Original / primary: Perseus Eng2
717
717
Orestes
717
Ask the gods for her; but I will kill your daughter.
718
718
Menelaus
718
This matricide is adding murder to murder.
719
719
Orestes
719
This champion of his father, betrayed by you to death.
720
720
Menelaus
720
Are you not content with the present stain of your mother’s blood?
721
721
Orestes
721
I would not grow tired if I had these wicked women to slay for ever.
722
722
Menelaus
722
Are you too, Pylades, a partner in this bloody work?
723
723
Orestes
723
His silence says he is; let it suffice for me to say it.
724
724
Menelaus
724
You’ll say it to your cost, unless you fly away!
725
725
Orestes
725
We will not try to escape; we will set fire to the palace.
726
726
Menelaus
726
What! will you destroy the home of your ancestors?
727
727
Orestes
727
Yes, so that you don’t have it, and I will offer this girl in sacrifice on the fire.
728
728
Menelaus
728
Kill her; and if you do, I will punish you for it.
729
729
Orestes
729
All right, then.
730
730
Orestes
730
Silence! Your sufferings are just; endure them.
731
731
Menelaus
731
Well, is it just that you should live?
732
732
Menelaus
732
A kingdom, where?
733
733
Menelaus
733
You are so well qualified to handle holy water!
734
734
Menelaus
734
And to slay victims before battle!
735
735
Menelaus
735
Yes, my hands are clean.
736
736
Menelaus
736
Who would speak to you?
737
737
Menelaus
737
And the one who honors his mother?
738
738
Menelaus
738
Not like you!
739
739
Menelaus
739
Remove that sword from my daughter!
740
740
Menelaus
740
Will you kill my daughter?
741
741
Menelaus
741
Ah me! what shall I do?
742
742
Menelaus
742
Persuade them what?
743
743
Menelaus
743
Or you will slay my child?
744
744
Menelaus
744
O wretched Helen—
745
745
Menelaus
745
I brought you back from Troy to be a victim—
746
746
Menelaus
746
After innumerable troubles.
747
747
Menelaus
747
I have suffered dreadfully!
748
748
Menelaus
748
You have me there.
749
kindle the parapet of these walls. The palace is seen to be ablaze.
750
750
Menelaus
750
O Danaid earth! Dwellers in Argos, city of horses, put on your armor and come to help! For this fellow is forcing his life from your whole city, though he has caused pollution by shedding his mother’s blood.
751
751
Apollo
751
Appearing in the clouds. Menelaus, calm your anger that has been whetted; I am Phoebus, the son of Leto, drawing near to call you by name. And you also, Orestes, who are keeping guard on the girl, sword in hand, so that you may hear what I have come to say. Helen, whom all your eagerness
752
failed to destroy, when you were seeking to anger Menelaus, is here as you see in the enfolding air, rescued from death and not slain by you. I saved her and snatched her from beneath your sword at the bidding of father Zeus,
753
for she, his child, must be immortal, and take her seat with Castor and Polydeuces in the enfolding air, a savior to mariners. Choose another bride and take her to your home; for the gods by that one’s loveliness
754
joined Troy and Hellas in battle, causing death so that they might draw off from the earth the outrage of unstinting numbers of mortals.
755
So much for Helen; as for you, Orestes, you must cross the broders of this land
756
and dwell for one whole year on Parrhasian soil, which from your flight shall be called the land of Orestes by Azanians and Arcadians. And when you return from there to the city of Athens, undergo your trial by the Avenging Three for your mother’s murder;
757
the gods will be arbitrators of your trial, and will take a most righteous vote on you at the hill of Ares, where you are to win your case. And it is destined, Orestes, that you will marry Hermione, at whose neck you are holding your sword;
758
Neoptolemus shall never marry her, though he thinks he will; for he is fated to die by a Delphian sword, when he claims satisfaction of me for the death of his father Achilles. Give your sister in marriage to Pylades, to whom you formerly promised her; the life awaiting him is one of happiness.
759
Menelaus, leave Orestes to rule Argos; go and reign over the Spartan land, keeping it as the dowry of a wife who till this day never ceased causing you innumerable troubles. I will set matters straight between Orestes and the citizens,
760
for I forced him to murder his mother.
761
761
Orestes
761
Hail, prophetic Loxias, for your oracles! You were not a lying prophet after all, but a true seer; and yet I was afraid that it was some fiend I had listened to, when I seemed to hear your voice;
762
but all is ending well, and I obey your word. There! I release Hermione from slaughter and agree to make her my wife whenever her father gives her.
763
763
Menelaus
763
All hail, Helen, daughter of Zeus! I wish you joy of your home in heaven’s happy courts.
764
To you, Orestes, I betroth my daughter, as Phoebus said; being noble yourself, may you have benefit from a noble wife, and may I also, in giving her to you.
765
765
Apollo
765
Go now each one to the place appointed by me; reconcile your quarrels.
766
766
Orestes
766
And so must I; I make a truce with my fate, Menelaus, and with your oracles, Loxias.
767
767
Apollo
767
Go your ways, and honor Peace, fairest of goddesses; I will bring Helen to the halls of Zeus,
768
when I have come to the sky, bright with stars. There, enthroned beside Hera and Hebe, the bride of Heracles, she will be honored by men with libations as a goddess for ever; along with those Zeus-born sons of Tyndareus,
769
she will be a guardian of the sea, for the good of sailors.
770
770
Chorus
770
Greatly revered Victory, may you occupy my life, and never cease to crown me!
70
70
Chorus
70
Do you see? He stirs beneath his robe!
71
71
Electra
71
Alas! Your noisy chatter has roused him from his sleep.
72
72
Chorus
72
No, I think he is asleep.
73
73
Electra
73
Leave us, go away from the house! circle back again! cease this noise!
74
74
Chorus
74
He is asleep.
173b
173b
Electra
173b
You are right.These words are assigned to the Chorus in the translation but have been moved to correlate to the Greek. O Lady Night,
75
giver of sleep to hard-working mortals, come from Erebus, come, wing your way to the palace of Agamemnon.
76
For with misery and woe we are lost, we are gone.
77
There! To the Chorus. that noise again! Do be still and keep the sound of your voice
78
away from his couch; let him enjoy his sleep in peace, my dear!
79
79
Chorus
79
Tell me, what end of troubles awaits him.
80
80
Electra
80
Death, death; what else? For he has no desire for food.
81
81
Chorus
81
Then his destiny is already clear.
82
82
Electra
82
Phoebus offered us up for sacrifice, when he ordered the pitiable, unnatural murder of our mother, who killed our father.
83
83
Chorus
83
It was just.
194b
194b
Electra
194b
But it was not well done.
84
You killed and were killed, my mother! and you have slain a father and your own children;
85
for we are dead or as good as dead. You are in your grave, and the greater part of my life is spent in weeping and wailing,
86
and tears at night; unmarried, childless, I drag out forever a joyless existence.
276b
Ah! why am I raving, gasping? Where, oh! where have I leapt, from my couch? Once more the storm is past, I see a calm.
774b
774b
Pylades
774b
About what necessity?
775b
775b
Pylades
775b
That your action was just?
776b
776b
Pylades
776b
I am afraid they would be glad to catch you.
777b
777b
Pylades
777b
That is cowardly.
778b
778b
Pylades
778b
Suppose you stay here, what means of safety do you have?
779b
779b
Pylades
779b
And if you go, is there any hope of escaping your troubles?
780b
780b
Pylades
780b
Then that is better than staying.
781b
781b
Pylades
781b
At least you die in this way, you will die more honorably.
782b
782b
Pylades
782b
Better than by staying.
783b
783b
Pylades
783b
Pray that this may be the only view they take.
784b
784b
Pylades
784b
Yes, your noble birth is a great point.
785b
785b
Pylades
785b
That is all quite clear.
786b
786b
Pylades
786b
Well said.
787b
787b
Pylades
787b
God forbid!
788b
788b
Pylades
788b
That would be a grave omen.
789b
789b
Pylades
789b
And you will gain time.
790b
790b
Pylades
790b
What fresh objection now?
791b
791b
Pylades
791b
But I will take care of you.
792b
792b
Pylades
792b
Not to me, when it is you.
793b
793b
Pylades
793b
Let that pass.
794b
794b
Pylades
794b
No, for hesitation is a grave mischief among friends.
795b
795b
Pylades
795b
A service I am glad to render.
796b
796b
Pylades
796b
For what purpose?
797b
797b
Pylades
797b
Yes, that is the proper way.
798b
798b
Pylades
798b
No; she was an enemy. But hasten, so that the vote of Argos may not catch you first,
1235b
1235b
Electra
1235b
I held the sword—