Medea pages 1-5

πάντων δ᾽ ὅσ᾽ ἔστ᾽ ἔμψυχα καὶ γνώμην ἔχει γυναῖκές ἐσμεν ἀθλιώτατον φυτόν.

Of all things that are alive and have intelligence, we women are the most wretched creatures:

ἃς πρῶτα μὲν δεῖ χρημάτων ὑπερβολῇ πόσιν πρίασθαι,

for whom first it is necessary to buy a husband for an excessive amount of money,

δεσπότην τε σώματος λαβεῖν.

and indeed to take a master of our body:

κακοῦ γὰρ τοῦτ᾽ ἔτ᾽ ἄλγιον κακόν.

for this evil is more painful than that evil.

κἀν τῷδ᾽ ἀγὼν μέγιστος, ἢ κακὸν λαβεῖν ἢ χρηστόν:

And in this, is the greatest challenge, whether to take a bad or a good husband;

οὐ γὰρ εὐκλεεῖς ἀπαλλαγαὶ γυναιξὶν οὐδ᾽ οἷόν τ᾽ ἀνήνασθαι πόσιν.

for divorce does not have a good reputation for women and nor is it possible to refuse a husband.

ἐς καινὰ δ᾽ ἤθη καὶ νόμους ἀφιγμένην δεῖ μάντιν εἶναι,

It is necessary for a woman who has come into new customs and rules to be a mind reader,

μὴ μαθοῦσαν οἴκοθεν, ὅπως ἄριστα χρήσεται ξυνευνέτῃ.

not having learned from home how to best treat her husband.

κἂν μὲν τάδ᾽ ἡμῖν ἐκπονουμέναισιν εὖ πόσις ξυνοικῇ

And if on the one hand a husband should live with us, having worked this out well,

μὴ βίᾳ φέρων ζυγόν, ζηλωτὸς αἰών:

not bearing the yoke by force, life is good,

εἰ δὲ μή, θανεῖν χρεών.

if not on the other hand, one would rather die.

ἀνὴρ δ᾽, ὅταν τοῖς ἔνδον ἄχθηται ξυνών, ἔξω μολὼν

A man, whenever he is annoyed, being with those inside, having gone outside

παυσε καρδίαν ἄσης· ἢ πρὸς φίλον τιν᾽ ἢ πρὸς ἥλικα τραπείς·

he releases his heart from annoyance by turning either to a friend or to a peer:

ἡμῖν δ᾽ ἀνάγκη πρὸς μίαν ψυχὴν βλέπειν.

but for us, it is necessary to look to one person (soul).

λέγουσι δ᾽ ἡμᾶς ὡς ἀκίνδυνον βίον ζῶμεν κατ᾽ οἴκους,

They say that we live a life without danger at home,

οἳ δὲ μάρνανται δορί· κακῶς φρονοῦντες·

but they do battle with a spear; they are wrong in their thinking:

ὡς τρὶς ἂν παρ᾽ ἀσπίδα στῆναι θέλοιμ᾽ ἂν μᾶλλον ἢ τεκεῖν ἅπαξ.

how I would choose to stand three times by my shield rather than give birth once.

ἀλλ᾽ οὐ γὰρ αὑτὸς πρὸς σὲ κἄμ᾽ ἥκει λόγος·

But in fact this very story does not apply to you and me.

σοὶ μὲν πόλις θ᾽ ἥδ᾽ ἐστὶ καὶ πατρὸς δόμοι

You have both this city and the home of your father

βίου τ᾽ ὄνησις καὶ φίλων συνουσία,

and the enjoyment of life and the company of friends,

ἐγὼ δ᾽ ἔρημος ἄπολις οὖσ᾽ ὑβρίζομαι πρὸς ἀνδρός,

but I, being abandoned and city-less, am treated badly by my husband,

ἐκ γῆς βαρβάρου λελῃσμένη,

having been plundered from a foreign land,

οὐ μητέρ᾽, οὐκ ἀδελφόν, οὐχὶ συγγενῆ μεθορμίσασθαι τῆσδ᾽ ἔχουσα συμφορᾶς.

having no mother, no brother, no relative (in whom) to find shelter from this calamity.

τοσοῦτον οὖν σου τυγχάνειν βουλήσομαι,

Therefore this much I ask to obtain from you,

ἤν μοι πόρος τις μηχανή τ᾽ ἐξευρεθῇ πόσιν δίκην τῶνδ᾽ ἀντιτείσασθαι κακῶν,

if some means of contrivance may be found by me to exact justice on my husband for his sins,

τὸν δόντα τ᾽ αὐτῷ θυγατέρ᾽ ἥ τ᾽ ἐγήματο σιγᾶν.

the one who gave his daughter to him or the one who got married, stay silent.

γυνὴ γὰρ τἄλλα μὲν φόβου πλέα

For in other respects a woman is full of fear,

κακή τ᾽ ἐς ἀλκὴν καὶ σίδηρον εἰσορᾶν·

cowardly with regard to looking upon combat or steel:

ὅταν δ᾽ ἐς εὐνὴν ἠδικημένη κυρῇ,

but whenever she happens to be wronged in the marriage bed,

οὐκ ἔστιν ἄλλη φρὴν μιαιφονωτέρα.

there is no other heart so murderous.

δράσω τάδ᾽· ἐνδίκως γὰρ ἐκτείσῃ πόσιν, Μήδεια.

I will do this: for you will be right to take vengeance on your husband, Medea.

πενθεῖν δ᾽ οὔ σε θαυμάζω τύχας.

I do not wonder that you lament your misfortunes.