Heracleidae

Euripides

Euripides. The Plays of Euripides, Translated into English Prose from the Text of Paley. Vol. I. Coleridge, Edward P., translator. London: George Bell and Sons, 1906.

  1. Sweet is the dance to me, whenso the clear-toned flute and lovely Aphrodite shed grace upon the feast;
  2. and a joyful thing too it is, I trow, to witness the good luck of friends, who till then ne’er dreamt of it. For numerous is the offspring of Fate,
  3. that bringeth all to pass, and of Time, the son of Cronos.
Chorus
  1. Thine is the path of justice, O my city; this must no man wrest from thee, thy reverence for the gods, and, whoso denieth it of thee, draws nigh to frenzy’s goal,
  2. with these plain proofs in view. Yea, for the god proclaims it clearly, by cutting short the bad man’s pride in every case.
Chorus
  1. In heaven, mother, lives thy son, passed from earth away; that he went down to Hades’ halls, his body burnt by the fire’s fierce flame, is past belief;
  2. in golden halls reclined he has to wife Hebe, lovely nymph. Thou, O Hymen, hast honoured them, children both of Zeus.
Chorus
  1. Things for the most part form a single chain;
  2. for instance, men say Athene used to champion their father, and now the citizens of that goddess have saved his children, and checked the insolence of him, whose heart
  3. preferred violence to justice. God save me from such arrogance, such greed of soul! [Eurystheus is brought in bound.
Messenger
  1. Mistress, though thine eyes see him, yet will I announce we have brought Eurystheus hither for thy pleasure,
  2. an unexpected sight, for him no less a chance he ne’er foresaw; for little he thought of ever falling into thy hands, what time he marched from Mycenae with his toil-worn warriors, to sack Athens, thinking himself far above fortune. But a power
  3. divine hath reversed our destinies, changing their position. Now Hyllus and brave Iolaus I left raising
    an image to Zeus, who routs the foe, for their triumphant victory, whilst they bid me bring this prisoner to thee, wishing to gladden thy heart; for ’tis the sweetest
  4. sight to see a foe fall on evil days after prosperity.
Alcmena
  1. Art come, thou hateful wretch? Hath Justice caught thee then at last? First, turn thy head this way to me, and endure to look thy enemies in the face, for thou art no more the ruler, but the slave.
  2. Art[*](Nauck condemns this line; as also line 948.) thou the man—for this I fain would learn—who didst presume to heap thy insults on my son, who now is where he is, thou miscreant? What outrage didst thou abstain from putting upon him? Thou that didst make him go down alive even to Hades,
  3. and wouldst send him with an order to slay hydras and lions? Thy other evil schemes I mention not, for to tell them were a tedious task for me. Nor did it content thee to venture thus far only; no! but from all Hellas wouldst thou drive me and my children,
  4. heaven’s suppliants though we were, grey-heads some of us, and some still tender babes. But here hast thou found men and a free city, that feared not thee. Die in torment must thou, and e’en so wilt thou gain in every way, for one death is not
  5. thy due, after all the sorrow thou hast caused.
Messenger
  1. Thou mayst not slay him.
Alcmena
  1. Then have we taken him captive in vain. But say, what law forbids his death?
Messenger
  1. It is not the will of the rulers of this land.