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.
- yet shall this deed be brought to pass by me.
- Lady, full well I understand thou hast a dire quarrel with this man, and ’tis pardonable.
- Woman, be sure I will not flatter thee nor say aught to save my life,
- that can give any occasion for a charge of cowardice. It was not of my own free will I took this quarrel up; I am aware that I was born thy cousin, and kinsman to Heracles, thy son; but whether I would or no,
- Hera, by her power divine, caused me to be afflicted thus. Still, when I undertook to be his foe, and when I knew I had to enter on this struggle, I set myself to devise trouble in plenty, and oft from time to time my midnight communing bore fruit,
- scheming how to push aside and slay my foes, and for the future divorce myself from fear; for I knew that son of thine was no mere cipher, but a man indeed; yea, for, though he was my foe, I will speak well of him, because he was a man of worth.
- Now, after he was taken hence, was I not forced, by reason of these children’s hatred, and because I was conscious of an hereditary feud, to leave no stone unturned by slaying, banishing, and plotting against them? So long as I did so, my safety was assured.
- Suppose thyself hadst had my lot, wouldst not thou have set to harassing the lion’s angry whelps, instead of letting them dwell at Argos undisturbed? Thou wilt not persuade us otherwise. Now therefore, since they did not slay me then,
- when I was prepared to die, by the laws of Hellas my death becomes a curse on him, who slays me now. The city wisely let me go, in that she regarded the gods more than her hatred of me. Thou hast had my answer to thy words; henceforth must
- I be called avenging spirit[*](Or, guilty of blood. Lat. homo piacularis.) and noble hero too.[*](i.e. I will meet my doom like a hero, and haunt you after death.) ’Tis even thus with me; to die have I no wish, but, if I leave my life, I shall in no way be grieved.
- Alcmena, fain I would advise thee somewhat; let this man go, for ’tis the city’s will.
- Suppose he die, and yet I obey the city?
- That would be best of all; but how can this be?
- I will teach thee easily. I will slay him and then give up his corpse to those of his friends, who come for it, for, as regards his body, I will not disobey[*](ἀπιστήσω is suspected by Nauck, and certainly it is difficult to extract any satisfactory meaning from it. Liddell and Scott, citing this passage, alone say will not hesitate to commit it to the ground—a doubtful usage.) the state;
- but by his death shall he pay me the penalty.
- Slay me, I do not ask thee for mercy; yet since this city let me go and shrunk from slaying me, I will reward it with an old oracle of Loxias, which in time will benefit them more than doth appear.
- Bury my body after death in its destined grave in front of the shrine of the virgin goddess[*](Pallas.) at Pallene. And I will be thy friend and guardian of thy city for ever, where I lie buried in a foreign soil, but a bitter foe to these children’s descendants,
- whensoe’er[*](Referring to invasions by the Peloponnesians, descendants of the Heracleidae.) with gathered host they come against this land, traitors to your kindness now; such are the strangers ye have championed. Why then came I hither, if I knew all this, instead of regarding the god’s oracle? Because I thought, that Hera was mightier far than any oracle,
- and would not betray me. Waste no drink-offering on my tomb, nor spill the victim’s blood; for I will requite them for my treatment here with a journey they shall rue; and ye shall have double gain from me, for I will help you and harm them by my death.
- Why, why delay to kill this man, after hearing this, since this is needed to secure the safety of your city and your children? Himself points out the safest road. Though the man is now our foe, yet after death is he our gain.