to gaze upon the light is man’s most cherished gift; that life below is nothingness, and whoever longs for death is mad. Better live a life of woe than die a death of glory!Chorus LeaderAh, wretched Helen! Great is the struggle that has come sons to the of Atreus and their children, thanks to you and those marriages of yours.AgamemnonWhile loving my own children, I yet understand what should move my pity and what should not; I would be a madman otherwise. It is terrible for me to bring myself to this, nor is it less terrible to refuse, daughter; for I must do this.Paley follows Kirchhoff in reading ταὐτὰ. Others retain τοῦτο and render I must do this deed. You see the vastness of that naval army,and the numbers of bronze-clad warriors from Hellas, who can neither make their way to Ilium’s towers nor raze the far-famed citadel of Troy, unless I offer you according to the word of Calchas the seer. The following passage from 1. 1264-75 is regarded by Dindorf as spurious. Hennig thinks 1. 1269 and ll. 1271-75 are genuine.Some mad desire possesses the army of Hellasto sail at once to the land of the barbarians, and put a stop to the rape of wives from Hellas, and they will slay my daughter in Argos as well as you and me, if I disregard the goddess’s commands. It is not Menelaus who has enslaved me to him, child,