MEDEA

πάντων δ᾽ὅσ᾽ἔστ᾽ἔµψυχακαὶ γνώµηνἔχει

γυναῖκές ἐσµεν ἀθλιώτατον φυτόν·

ἃς πρῶτα µὲν δεῖ χρηµάτων ὑπερβολῇ

πόσιν πρίασθαι, δεσπότην τε σώµατος

λαβεῖν· κακοῦ γὰρ τοῦτ’ ἔτ᾽ ἄλγιον κακόν

Of all the [beings] that are gifted with life and have sense, we women are the most hapless creature; for whom first it is necessary to purchase a husband at an excessive cost of money, and to get [in return] a master over our body; for this [is] an evil even worse than [the initial] evil.

κἀν τῷδ᾽ ἀγὼν µέγιστος, ἢ κακὸν λαβεῖν

ἢ χρηστόν· οὐ γὰρ εὐκλεεῖς ἀπαλλαγαὶ

γυναιξὶν οὐδ᾽ οἷόν τ᾽ ἀνήνασθαι πόσιν.

And in this [lies] the most important issue, whether to get [a husband] good or bad. For divorce[s] [is] not creditable to women, nor [is it] possible to refuse a husband.

ἐς καινὰ δ᾽ ἤθη καὶ νόµους ἀφιγµένην

δεῖ µάντιν εἶναι, µὴ µαθοῦσαν οἴκοθεν,                    

οἵῳ µάλιστα χρήσεται ξυνευνέτῃ.

And [for her] having come to new ways and customs, it is necessary to be a diviner, [if] not having learnt [any of this] at home in what [way] best she should manage the one who shares her bed.

κἂν µὲν τάδ᾽ ἡµῖν ἐκπονουµέναισιν εὖ

πόσις ξυνοικῇ µὴ βίᾳ φέρων ζυγόν,

ζηλωτὸς αἰών· εἰ δὲ µή, θανεῖν χρεών.

And if with us performing well these tasks our husband should live happily, not bearing unwilling the yolk [of marriage), our life [is] an invisible one; but if not, it would be best to die.

ἀνὴρ δ᾽, ὅταν τοῖς ἔνδον ἄχθηται ξυνών,                   15

ἔξω µολὼν ἔπαυσε καρδίαν ἄσης

ἢ πρὸς φίλον τιν᾽ ἢ πρὸς ἥλικα τραπείς·

ἡµῖν δ᾽ ἀνάγκη πρὸς µίαν ψυχὴν βλέπειν

But a man, whenever he is irritated [at] sharing life with those at home going out of the house, he rids his heart of its disgust, turning either to some friend or comrade of his own age; while for us [it is] necessary to look [=to rely on] one single individual.

λέγουσι δ᾽ ἡµᾶς ὡς ἀκίνδυνον βίον

ζῶµεν κατ᾽ οἴκους, οἱ δὲ µάρνανται δορί,                 20

κακῶς φρονοῦντες· ὡς τρὶς ἂν παρ᾽ ἀσπίδα

στῆναι θέλοιµ᾽ ἂν µᾶλλον ἢ τεκεῖν ἅπαξ.

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

And yet they say of us that we live a life safe and secure life at home, while they are fighting with the spear, reasoning poorly!

How three times would I be glad to take my stand beside a shield rather than to give birth just once!

But enough of this! For the same case does not apply to you and me.

σοὶ µὲν πόλις θ᾽ ἥδ᾽ ἐστὶ καὶ πατρὸς δόµοι

βίου τ᾽ ὄνησις καὶ φίλων συνουσία,                           25

ἐγὼ δ᾽ ἔρηµος ἄπολις οὖσ᾽ ὑβρίζοµαι

πρὸς ἀνδρός, ἐκ γῆς βαρβάρου λελῃσµένη,

οὐ µητέρ᾽, οὐκ ἀδελφόν, οὐχὶ συγγενῆ

µεθορµίσασθαι τῆσδ᾽ ἔχουσα συµφορᾶς.

For you there is this city and the father’s house and enjoyment of life, and the companionship of friends. But I, being alone [and] without a city, am scorned by my husband, I, taken as plunder from a foreign land, having no mother, no brother, no kinsman [in whom] to find a new haven of refuge from this calamity.

τοσοῦτον οὖν σου τυγχάνειν βουλήσοµαι,               30

ἤν µοι πόρος τις µηχανή τ᾽ ἐξευρεθῇ

πόσιν δίκην τῶνδ᾽ ἀντιτείσασθαι κακῶν

τὸν δόντα τ᾽ αὐτῷ θυγατέρ᾽ ἥ τ᾽ ἐγήµατο,

σιγᾶν

Therefore I will wish to obtain from you this important thing – if for me some way or contrivance may be found to exact vengeance in return on my husband for these wrongs, and on the man who gave him his daughter, and [on her] who has married him – to be silent!

γυνὴ γὰρ τἄλλα µὲν φόβου πλέα

κακή τ᾽ ἐς ἀλκὴν καὶ σίδηρον εἰσορᾶν·                           35

ὅταν δ᾽ ἐς εὐνὴν ἠδικηµένη κυρῇ,

οὐκ ἔστιν ἄλλη φρὴν µιαιφονωτέρα.

 For a woman [may be] in all else full of fear, and cowardly as regards battle, and at seeing steel, yet whenever she finds herself wronged as regards the marriage bed, there is no other mind more filled with bloody murder

CHORUS

δράσω τάδ᾽· ἐνδίκως γὰρ ἐκτείσῃ πόσιν,

Μήδεια. πενθεῖν δ᾽ οὔ σε θαυµάζω τύχας.

 

ὁρῶ δὲ καὶ Κρέοντα, τῆσδ᾽ ἄνακτα γῆς,                         40

στείχοντα, καινῶν ἄγγελον βουλευµάτων.

 I will do this; for justly will you be taking vengeance on your husband, O Medea. And for you to be aggrieved at your misfortunes, I do not feel surprise. But I see now Creon, king of this land, coming this way, announcer of [some] new decisions.

CREON

σὲ τὴν σκυθρωπὸν καὶ πόσει θυµουµένην,

Μήδει᾽, ἀνεῖπον τῆσδε γῆς ἔξω περᾶν

φυγάδα, λαβοῦσαν δισσὰ σὺν σαυτῇ τέκνα,

καὶ µή τι µέλλειν· ὡς ἐγὼ βραβεὺς λόγου                      45

τοῦδ᾽ εἰµί, κοὐκ ἄπειµι πρὸς δόµους πάλιν

πρὶν ἄν σε γαίας τερµόνων ἔξω βάλω

 You, you were the sullen look and angry thoughts against your husband, Medea, I’ve told you to make your way out of this land as an exile, taking your two children with you, and not to be slow about it.

For I am the final judge in this decision, and I will not return back to my house till I have expelled you beyond the borders of the land.

αἰαῖ· πανώλης ἡ τάλαιν᾽ ἀπόλλυµαι·

ἐχθροὶ γὰρ ἐξιᾶσι πάντα δὴ κάλων,

κοὐκ ἔστιν ἄτης εὐπρόσοιστος ἔκβασις.                        50

ἐρήσοµαι δὲ καὶ κακῶς πάσχουσ᾽ ὅµως·

τίνος µ᾽ ἕκατι γῆς ἀποστέλλεις, Κρέον;

Alas! Unhappy me, I am ruined – utterly destroyed. For my enemies are letting out every sail-rope [in pursuit] and a landing-place from ruin that is easy to come into there is not [for me]. But I will ask nevertheless, even though being badly treated. On account of what [reason] are you driving me from the land, O Creon?

CREON

δέδοικά σ᾽ (οὐδὲν δεῖ παραµπίσχειν λόγους)

µή µοί τι δράσῃς παῖδ᾽ ἀνήκεστον κακόν.

συµβάλλεται δὲ πολλὰ τοῦδε δείγµατα·                        55

σοφὴ πέφυκας καὶ κακῶν πολλῶν ἴδρις,

λυπῇ δὲ λέκτρων ἀνδρὸς ἐστερηµένη.

κλύω δ᾽ ἀπειλεῖν σ᾽, ὡς ἀπαγγέλλουσί µοι,

τὸν δόντα καὶ γήµαντα καὶ γαµουµένην

δράσειν τι. ταῦτ᾽ οὖν πρὶν παθεῖν φυλάξοµαι.

I am afraid of you – there is no need at all to wrap words around [my fear] – lest you devise against my daughter some incurable evil. Many proofs of this [my fear] are coming together. You are a clever one, and expert in numerous evils and you are grieving, having been deprived of your husband‘s bed. I hear, too, that you make threats, so they tell me, that you are going to harm in some way the one giving [her in marriage], and the man who’s married her, and her the woman be married. So before suffering this [harm], I will take precautions.

CREON

[It is] better for me now to make myself hateful to you, lady, than having [allowed myself] to be softened, later to bitterly lament [it].

[It is] better for me now to make myself hateful to you, lady, than having [allowed myself] to be softened, later to bitterly lament [it].

Chorus:

φεῦ φεῦ, µελέα τῶν σῶν ἀχέων, δύστηνε γύναι,

ποῖ ποτε τρέψῃ; τίνα πρὸς ξενίαν

ἢ δόµον ἢ χθόνα σωτῆρα κακῶν ἐξευρήσεις;              65

ὡς εἰς ἄπορόν σε κλύδωνα θεός,

Μήδεια, κακῶν ἐπόρευσεν.

Alas, alas; wretched in your woes, O unhappy lady. Where on earth will you turn to? To what protection? Will you find a home or country [to be] saviour from your troubles? O Medea, how the God has brought you into a hopeless sea of misery!

κακῶς πέπρακται πανταχῇ· τίς ἀντερεῖ;

ἀλλ᾽ οὔτι ταύτῃ ταῦτα, µὴ δοκεῖτέ πω.

It has gone badly on all sides [for me]. Who will deny this? But these things [are] not a bit that way; do not think that yet.

κακῶς πέπρακται πανταχῇ· τίς ἀντερεῖ;

ἀλλ᾽ οὔτι ταύτῃ ταῦτα, µὴ δοκεῖτέ πω.

ἔτ᾽ εἴσ᾽ ἀγῶνες τοῖς νεωστὶ νυµφίοις                             70

καὶ τοῖσι κηδεύσασιν οὐ σµικροὶ πόνοι.

δοκεῖς γὰρ ἄν µε τόνδε θωπεῦσαί ποτε

εἰ µή τι κερδαίνουσαν ἢ τεχνωµένην;

οὐδ᾽ ἂν προσεῖπον οὐδ᾽ ἂν ἡψάµην χεροῖν.

There are issues yet for those newly weds, and for those who have made the marriage alliance no small troubles [either]. For do you think that I would have fawned upon that man ever, unless [I were] gaining or scheming something? Not even would I have spoken [to him], nor even would I have touched him with my [two] hands.

ὁ δ᾽ ἐς τοσοῦτον µωρίας ἀφίκετο                                    75

ὥστ᾽, ἐξὸν αὐτῷ τἄµ᾽ ἑλεῖν βουλεύµατα

γῆς ἐκβαλόντι, τήνδ᾽ ἐφῆκεν ἡµέραν

µεῖναί µ᾽, ἐν ᾗ τρεῖς τῶν ἐµῶν ἐχθρῶν νεκροὺς

θήσω, πατέρα τε καὶ κόρην πόσιν τ᾽ ἐµόν.

 But he has reached such a pitch of folly that, though it being possible for him to crush my plans [by] banishing me from the land, for this day today he has allowed me to remain, [a day] in which I will make into corpses three of my enemies – a father and his daughter and my husband too.

πολλὰς δ᾽ ἔχουσα θανασίµους αὐτοῖς ὁδούς,              80

οὐκ οἶδ᾽ ὁποίᾳ πρῶτον ἐγχειρῶ, φίλαι·

πότερον ὑφάψω δῶµα νυµφικὸν πυρί,

ἢ θηκτὸν ὤσω φάσγανον δι᾽ ἥπατος,

σιγῇ δόµους ἐσβᾶσ᾽, ἵν᾽ ἔστρωται λέχος.

ἀλλ᾽ ἕν τί µοι πρόσαντες

Though having many paths [of] bringing death to them, I am not sure which I should try first, my friends. [Whether] shall I set alight with fire the bridal house, or shall I drive a sharp-horned sword through their liver, silently stealing into the palace, where their marriage couch is spread? But [there is] one thing blocking my path

εἰ ληφθήσοµαι                      85

δόµους ὑπερβαίνουσα καὶ τεχνωµένη,

θανοῦσα θήσω τοῖς ἐµοῖς ἐχθροῖς γέλων.

κράτιστα τὴν εὐθεῖαν, ᾗ πεφύκαµεν

σοφοὶ µάλιστα, φαρµάκοις αὐτοὺς ἑλεῖν.

If I will be [=am] caught making my way into their house and being intent my plan, then being put to death I will make [myself] a mockery to my enemies. Best [is to take] the straight [path], in which we [women] are especially skilled, by poisons to destroy them.

εἶἑν·

καὶ δὴ τεθνᾶσι· τίς µε δέξεται πόλις;                          90

τίς γῆν ἄσυλον καὶ δόµους ἐχεγγύους

ξένος παρασχὼν ῥύσεται τοὐµὸν δέµας;

οὐκ ἔστι. µείνασ᾽ οὖν ἔτι σµικρὸν χρόνον,

ἢν µέν τις ἡµῖν πύργος ἀσφαλὴς φανῇ,

δόλῳ µέτειµι τόνδε καὶ σιγῇ φόνον·

All right; now they are dead. What city will receive me? What stranger, giving [me] his land as a safe haven, and a home secure, will protect my person? There is none.

So waiting yet a little while, in case some secure defence may rise up for me; [then] with cunning and with silence will I proceed with this bloody murder; 

ἢν δ᾽ ἐξελαύνῃ ξυµφορά µ᾽ ἀµήχανος,

αὐτὴ ξίφος λαβοῦσα, κεἰ µέλλω θανεῖν,

κτενῶ σφε, τόλµης δ᾽ εἶµι πρὸς τὸ καρτερόν.

οὐ γὰρ µὰ τὴν δέσποιναν ἣν ἐγὼ σέβω

µάλιστα πάντων καὶ ξυνεργὸν εἱλόµην,  

but if some ineluctable force of events should drive me out myself seizing the sword – even though I am destined to die – I will slay them, and I will go onto the resolute [path] of daring. For never, by that dread queen, whom I revere most of all, and have chosen as my partner in this task

Ἑκάτην, µυχοῖς ναίουσαν ἑστίας ἐµῆς,

χαίρων τις αὐτῶν τοὐµὸν ἀλγυνεῖ κέαρ.

πικροὺς δ᾽ ἐγώ σφιν καὶ λυγροὺς θήσω γάµους,

πικρὸν δὲ κῆδος καὶ φυγὰς ἐµὰς χθονός.

Hecate, who[se image] dwells in the recess above my hearth, [never] shall one of them wound my heart rejoicing [=with impunity]. I will make marriage bitter and grievous for them; bitter [will I make] their marriage-tie, and [bitter] my exile from this land.

ἀλλ᾽ εἶα φείδου µηδὲν ὧν ἐπίστασαι,                             105

Μήδεια, βουλεύουσα καὶ τεχνωµένη·

ἕρπ᾽ ἐς τὸ δεινόν· νῦν ἀγὼν εὐψυχίας.

ὁρᾷς ἃ πάσχεις; οὐ γέλωτα δεῖ σ᾽ ὀφλεῖν

τοῖς Σισυφείοις τοῖσδ᾽ Ἰάσονος γάµοις,

γεγῶσαν ἐσθλοῦ πατρὸς Ἡλίου τ᾽ ἄπο

 So up, then. Spend nothing of what [skills] you are expert, O Medea, in plotting and devising; press on towards the danger. Now [comes] a trial of your courage. You see what you are suffering. It is not right for you to incur mockery from this marriage of a descendant of Sisyphus and [the marriage] of Jason [you] born from a noble father, and from the Sun God.

ἐπίστασαι δέ· πρὸς δὲ καὶ πεφύκαµεν

γυναῖκες, ἐς µὲν ἔσθλ᾽ ἀµηχανώταται,

κακῶν δὲ πάντων τέκτονες σοφώταται.

You are skilled; and more than this also we are [=I am a] woman as to brave deeds completely helpless but of every evil the most skilful engineers.