The Tragedies of Euripides, Volume I.. Euripides
rites, as befits the happy mother; nor was Ismenus careful of the bridal rites in the luxury of the bath: and the entrance of thy bride was made in silence through the Theban city. May these ills perish, whether the sword, or discord, or thy father is the cause, or whether fate has rushed with violence upon the house of Œdipus; for the weight of these sorrows has fallen upon me.
CHOR. Parturition with the attendant throes has a wonderful effect on women;106 and somehow the whole race of women have strong affection toward their children.
POL. My mother, determining wisely, and yet not determining wisely, have I come to men my foes; but it is necessary that all must be enamored of their country; but whoever says otherwise, pleases himself with vain words, but has his heart there. But so far have I come to trouble and terror, lest any treachery from my brother should slay me, so that having my hand on my sword I proceeded through the city rolling round my eye; but one thing is on my side, the truce and thy faith, which has brought me within my paternal walls: but I have come with many tears, after a length of time beholding the courts and the altars of the Gods, and the schools wherein I was brought up, and the fount of Dirce, from which banished by injustice, I inhabit a foreign city, having a stream of tears flowing through my eyes. But, for from one woe springs a second, I behold thee having thy head shorn of its locks, and these sable garments; alas me! on account of my misfortunes. How dreadful a thing, mother, is the enmity of relations, having means of reconciliation seldom to be brought about! For how fares the old man my father in the palace, vainly looking upon darkness; and how fare my two sisters? Are they indeed bewailing my wretched banishment?
JOC. Some God miserably destroys the race of Œdipus; for thus began it, when I brought forth children in that unhallowed manner, and thy father married me in evil hour, and thou didst spring forth. But why relate these things? What is sent by the Gods we must bear. But how I may ask the questions I wish, I know not, for I fear lest I wound at all thy feelings; but I have a great desire.
POL. But inquire freely, leave nothing out. For what you wish, my mother, this is dear to me.
JOC. I ask thee therefore, first, for the information that I wish to obtain. What is the being deprived of one's country, is it a great ill?
POL. The greatest: and greater is it in deed than in word.
JOC. What is the reason of that? What is that so harsh to exiles?
POL. One thing, and that the greatest, not to have the liberty of speaking.
JOC. This that you have mentioned belongs to a slave, not to give utterance to what one thinks.
POL. It is necessary to bear with the follies of those in power.
JOC. And this is painful, to be unwise with the unwise.
POL. But for interest we must bend to slavery contrary to our nature.
JOC. But hopes support exiles, as report goes.
POL. They look upon them with favorable eyes, at least, but are slow of foot.
JOC. Hath not time shown them to be vain?
POL. They have a certain sweet delight to set against misfortunes.
JOC. But whence wert thou supported, before thou foundest means of sustenance by thy marriage?
POL. At one time I had food for the day, at another I had not.
JOC. And did the friends and hosts of your father not assist you?
POL. Be prosperous, and thou shalt have friends:107 but friends are none, should one be in adversity.
JOC. Did not thy noble birth raise thee to great distinction?
POL. To want is wretched; high birth fed me not.
JOC. Their own country, it appears, is the dearest thing to men.
POL. You can not express by words how dear it is.
JOC. But how camest thou to Argos? What intention hadst thou?
POL. Apollo gave a certain oracle to Adrastus.
JOC. What is this thou hast mentioned? I am unable to discover.
POL. To unite his daughters in marriage with a boar and lion.
JOC. And what part of the name of beasts belongs to you, my son.
POL. I know not. The God called me to this fortune.
JOC. For the God is wise. But in what manner didst thou obtain her bed?
POL. It was night; but I came to the portals of Adrastus.
JOC. In search of a couch to rest on, as a wandering exile?
POL. This was the case, and then indeed there came a second exile.
JOC. Who was this? how unfortunate then was he also!
POL. Tydeus, who they say sprung from Œneus his sire.
JOC. In what then did Adrastus liken you to beasts?
POL. Because we came to blows for lodging.
JOC. In this the son of Talaus understood the oracle.
POL. And gave in marriage to us two his two virgin daughters.
JOC. Art thou fortunate then in thy marriage alliance, or unfortunate?
POL. My marriage can not be found fault with up to this day.
JOC. But how didst thou persuade an army to follow you hither?
POL. Adrastus swore this oath to his two sons-in-law, that he would replace both in their own country, but me first. And many princes of the Argives and Mycenæans are at hand, rendering to me a sad, but necessary favor; for I am leading an army against this my own city; but I have called the Gods to witness how unwillingly I have raised the spear against my dearest parents. But the dissolution of these ills extends to thee, my mother, that having reconciled the friendly brothers, you may free from toil me and thyself, and the whole city. It is a proverb long ago chanted, but nevertheless I will repeat it; wealth is honored most of all things by men, and has the greatest influence of any thing among men. In pursuit of which I am come, leading hither ten thousand spears: for a nobly-born man in poverty is nothing.
CHOR. And see Eteocles here comes to this mediation; thy business it is, O Jocasta, being their mother, to speak words, with which thou shalt reconcile thy children.
ETEOCLES, POLYNICES, JOCASTA, CHORUS
ETEO. Mother, I am present; giving this grace to thee, I have come; what must I do? Let some one begin the conference. Since arranging also around the walls the chariots of the bands, I restrained the city, that I may hear from thee the common terms108 of reconciliation, for which thou hast permitted this man to come within the walls under sanction of a truce, having persuaded me.
JOC. Stay; precipitate haste has not justice; but slow counsels perform most deeds in wisdom. But repress that fierce eye and those blasts of rage; for thou art not looking on the Gorgon's head cut off at the neck, but thou art looking on thy brother who is come to thee. And do thou again, Polynices, turn thy face toward thy brother; for looking at the same point with thine eyes, thou wilt both speak better, and receive his words better. But I wish to give you a wise piece of advice. When a friend is enraged with a man his friend, having met him face to face, let him fix his eyes on his friend's eyes, this only ought he to consider, the end for which he is come, but to have no recollection of former grievances. Thy words then first, my son, Polynices; for thou art come leading an army of Argives, having suffered injustice, as thou sayest; and may some God be umpire and the reconciler of your strife.
POL. The speech of truth is simple, and those things which are just need not wily interpretations; for they have energy themselves; but the unjust speech, unsound in itself, requires cunning preparations to gloze it. But I have previously considered for my father's house, and my own advantage and that of this man; desiring to escape the curses, which Œdipus denounced formerly against us, I myself of my own accord departed from this land, having given him to rule over his own country for the space of a year, so that I myself
Cf. Æsch. Prom. 39. το συγγενες τοι δεινον ‛η θ' ‛ομιλια, where consult Schutz.
See Porson's note. A similar ellipse is to be found in Luke xiii. 9. Καιν μεν ποιησηι καρπον: ει δε μηγε, εις το μελλον εκκοψεις αυτην: which is thus translated in our version; "And if it bear fruit,
Βραβευς, properly, is the judge in a contest, who confers the prizes, and on whose decision the awarding of the prizes depends: βραβευτης is the same. Βραβειον is the prize. Βραβεια, and in the plural βραβειαι, the very act of deciding the contest.