Euripides
Herakleidae
[The Children of Herakles]
Translated by Ian Johnston
Vancouver Island University
Nanaimo, BC.
2022
This translation, first published on the internet in 2022, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution CC by 4.0 and thus, provided the source is acknowledged, it may be (a) downloaded and distributed, in whole or in part, without permission and without charge and (b) freely edited and adapted to suit the particular needs of the person using it (e.g., for a dramatic production).
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Introductory Note
In numbering the lines in the following English text,
the translator has normally included a short indented line with the short line
immediately above it, so that two or three partial lines count as a single line
in the reckoning. The line numbers in square brackets refer to the Greek text;
line numbers without brackets refer to the English text.
Herakleidae was first performed in Athens in
430 BC.
I wish to acknowledge the valuable help of David
Kovac’s edition of the Greek text and the accompanying translation, available
online at Perseus.
Dramatis Personae
IOLAUS: a friend of Herakles,
an old man.
COPREUS: a herald for Eurystheus.
DEMOPHON: king of Athens, a son of Theseus.
MAKARIA: daughter of Herakles.
SERVANT: a slave of Hyllus (a son of Herakles)
ALCMENE: mother of Herakles.
MESSENGER: a slave of Alcmene
EURYSTHEUS: king of Argos.
CHORUS: elderly citizens of Athens.
ACAMAS: brother of Demophon.
ATTENDANTS, SOLDIERS, SERVANTS
[In front of an altar and temple of Zeus at
Marathon. Iolaus and the young sons of Herakles are sitting on the steps of the
altar.]
IOLAUS
Long ago I came to this conclusion—
a virtuous man is, by his nature,
someone who helps his fellow
citizens,
even though he fall into
misfortune,
whereas the man whose heart is
wholly set
on profit is useless to his city
and difficult for his associates,
though to himself he is the best of
friends.
I learned the truth of this not by
hearsay,
but from experience. I could have
lived
10
a quiet life in Argos, but from
self-respect
and a reverence for blood kinship
ties,
I worked hard—more than any other
man—
to help Herakles complete
his labours,
while he was still with us.(1)
But now he lives
in heaven, so I protect his
children,
keeping them all safe, here beneath
my wings,
[10]
though I myself need to be
protected.(2)
For when their father passed on
from the earth,
first, king Eurystheus wished to
kill us.
20
But we ran away. We left our city,
but we saved our lives and became
exiles,
wanderers driven off from one town
to another. For king Eurystheus,
in addition to the other hardships
he had caused us, thought it
appropriate
to abuse us. Whenever he found out
the land where we were going to
settle,
he would send out his heralds,
demanding
[20]
we be surrendered or forbidden
entry
30
to that country and pointing out to
them
that it was no trivial matter to
make
the city of Argos one’s friend or
foe.
He also stressed to them that he
himself
was very prosperous. These people
saw
that I had little strength, that
the children
were still small and did not have a
father,
so they bowed their heads to the
stronger side
and prevented us from entering
their land.
These children are exiles, and so
am I.
40
I share their adversities with my
own.
I am reluctant to abandon them,
in case someone should say, “Look
at that.
Those young children do not have a
father,
and Iolaus is not protecting them,
[30]
although he is their kinsman!” That
is why,
after being shut out from
everywhere
in Greece, we have come to Marathon
and its neighbouring land as
suppliants,
sitting here, at the altars of the
gods,
50
praying for assistance. For people
say
two sons of Theseus live in this
land,
somewhere on these plains, a
territory
they acquired thanks to a lottery
held
among the descendants of king
Pandion.(3)
They are both related to these children,
and that is why we have made this
journey
to the borderlands of glorious
Athens.
Our flight is organized by two old
guides—
I worry about these boys, while
Alcmene,
60
[40]
Herakles’s mother, guards his
daughters,
holding them in her arms within the
shrine.
We feel too much shame to allow
young girls
to come near the crowd or to stand
outside
as suppliants at the altar. Hyllus
and his older brothers are
searching for
some place on earth where we can
live
in safety, in case we are pushed
away,
against our will, and have to leave
this land.
[Iolaus sees the herald Copreus approaching.]
O children, children, come
here. Clutch my robe. 70
I see that herald from Eurystheus
coming for us. He’s been following
me
[50]
and getting us banished as
wanderers
from everywhere on earth.
[Enter Copreus.]
A curse on you,
you despicable man, and on the one
who sent you for the many evil
things
that foul mouth of yours has
reported
about these
young children’s noble father!
COPREUS(4)
No doubt you think that sitting here like this
is a good refuge and that you have
reached
80
a city that will help you. What a
fool
you are to think so! For there is
no one
who will prefer your feeble
influence
to the power of Eurystheus. Get
out!
Why go to all this trouble? You
must
stand up and go to Argos, where
justice
is waiting for you—a death by
stoning.
[60]
IOLAUS
No. For the god’s altar will
protect me,
and the country where we stand is
free.
COPREUS
Do you wish to give my hands more
work to do?
90
IOLAUS
Surely you will not use force to
haul
these children and myself away from
here?
COPREUS
You’ll see. As a prophet in this
matter,
you are no expert.
IOLAUS
That will not happen,
not as long as I’m alive!
COPREUS
Out of my way!
[Iolaus and Copreus tussle, and Copreus throws
Iolaus down.]
Whether you agree or not, I will
take
these boys—I claim they are the
property
of Eurystheus, as, in fact, they
are.
IOLAUS [shouting]
O you citizens
who have lived a long time here in
Athens,
help us! We are suppliants at the
altar
100
[70]
of Zeus Agoraios
and are being
violently attacked.(5)
Our suppliant wreaths
have been defiled—bringing shame to
Athens
and dishonouring the gods!
[Enter the CHORUS of elderly
Athenian citizens.]
CHORUS(6)
Hold on!
That shout coming from beside the
altar—
what was it? Are we about to
witness
some kind of disturbance? Look at
that—
a weak old man lying there on the
ground.
You poor fellow, who threw you in
the dirt
and made you suffer such a wretched
fall?
110
IOLAUS [pointing to Copreus]
This man here, strangers—he insults
your gods
and drags me away from Zeus’s
altar,
against my will.
CHORUS
But you, old man,
what place have
you come from to reach this land
[80]
of four federated towns?(7)
Have you left
Euboea’s shores and with your sea
oars
crossed the waters and put in here?
IOLAUS
Strangers,
I do not live an island life. We
have come
to your country from Mycenae.
CHORUS
What do people in Mycenae call you?
120
IOLAUS
Perhaps you have heard of Iolaus,
a man who was Herakles’s comrade.
He was not unknown to fame.
CHORUS
I learned of him
some years ago. Tell us who these
young boys
you are leading by the hand belong
to.
IOLAUS
Strangers, these boys are sons of
Herakles.
They come as suppliants to your
city.
CHORUS
What do you want? Are you
interested
in talking to the city? Tell me.
IOLAUS
We do not wish to be handed over
130
or hauled off against the will of
the gods
and end up in Argos.
COPREUS
That will not satisfy
your masters. They own you and have
found you
[100]
here in Attica.
CHORUS
Stranger, it is right
to honour these suppliants to the
gods.
No one should use force to make
them leave
their sanctuary. For such violence
would leave sacred Justice
unsatisfied.
COPREUS
Then send this property of
Eurystheus
out of Attica right now. In that
case,
140
my hands will use no force.
CHORUS
It is unholy
to neglect the prayers of suppliant
strangers.
COPREUS
But it is good not to get into
trouble
and to come up with a more useful
plan.
[110]
CHORUS
Should you not have told the king
of Attica
before attempting something so
reckless,
rather than just dragging these
strangers off
from Zeus’s sanctuary against their
will?
You need to respect this country’s
freedom.
COPREUS
Who is the ruler of this land and
city?
150
CHORUS
Demophon, who is nobly born, the
son
of Theseus.
COPREUS
S0 he is the one
I really need to see to plead my
case.
Those other things I said have been
futile.
CHORUS
Look, here he comes in person—in a
hurry—
with Acamas, his brother, to listen
to what you have to say.
[Enter Demophon and Acamas and attendants.]
DEMOPHON [to Chorus Leader]
You are an old man,
yet you were quicker than the
younger men
[120]
in coming to Zeus’s altar to help
out.
S0 tell me, why has this crowd
gathered here?
160
What happened?
CHORUS
These children are suppliants,
sitting with their wreaths laid on
the altar,
as you can see, my lord. They are
the sons
of Herakles. With them is Iolaus,
a trusted comrade of their father.
DEMOPHON
What happened to cause the cries
for help?
CHORUS
This man tried to drag them from
the altar
against their will. They started
shouting out,
and the old man was knocked down in
the dirt.
He looked so pitiful I shed a tear.
170
DEMOPHRON
The cut of this man’s clothing and
the style
[130]
are Greek, but his actions are
barbaric.
[Demophon turns to address Copreus.]
It is now up to you to inform me,
without wasting my time, where you
come from.
What country did you leave to get
here?
COPREUS
I am from Argos. That is my answer
to what you wish to know. But I
would like
to tell you why I have come and who
it was
that sent me. I was dispatched to
Attica
by king Eurystheus of Mycenae,
180
to apprehend these children. I have
come,
stranger, with many lawful rights
to justify
what I say and do. I am an Argive,
and I am taking back these Argives,
who have absconded from my native
land.
[140]
Our country’s laws have sentenced
them to death,
and the inhabitants of any city
state
have the power, on their own, to
enforce
stringent sentences on their own
citizens.
We have visited the homes of many
others
190
and have appealed to these same
principles.
No one has yet dared to make more
trouble
for himself. But these Argives have
come here
because they see some weaknesses in
you,
or, not knowing what to do,
are risking
a roll of the dice to ascertain
whether
you are or are not a naïve, witless
fool.
For surely they do not assume that
you,
[150]
if you are thinking clearly, will
somehow
be the only one of all Hellenic
states
200
they have approached to sympathize
with them
and their foolish troubles. Come
then, weigh
both arguments—you can either allow
these people into your state, or
let us
apprehend them. Which of these two
options
brings you the greater benefit?
From us
you will gain the following—your
city
will be allied to Argos and its
army
and to all of Eurystheus’s power.
But if you listen to their
proposals
210
and their lamentations and grow
soft,
that will bring this matter to a
contest
with our spears. For you should not
assume
[160]
that we will abandon this argument
without a clash of steel. What will
you say
is your pretext for going to war?
Have you
been robbed of any land? What has
been stolen
that has made you launch a fight with
Argos?
What allies are you defending?
Those men
who perish—for whose sake were they
buried?
220
Your citizens will have harsh
things to say
against you, if, for the sake of
one old man,
a walking corpse who, as the saying
goes,
is only half alive, and for these
children,
you step into a quagmire. The best
thing
you can say is that at present
these children
offer hope, nothing more, and this
hope
will not do very much to satisfy
[170]
your present needs. Even when fully
grown,
these boys would not do well in any
war
230
against the armed might of the
Argives—
if that is something that excites
your heart—
and the time between then and now
is long,
during which you could be utterly
destroyed.
Take my advice. Do not give me
anything,
but permit me to take with me what
is mine,
and you will gain Mycenae as an
ally.
Do not do what you Athenians love
to do,
make the weaker side your friends
at a time
you could have chosen much stronger
allies.
240
CHORUS
Who can decide a case or judge a
plea
without clearly hearing from both
sides?
[180]
IOLAUS
My lord, in your land it is well
established
that I have a right to hear and
speak in turn,
without being pushed away by anyone
before I finish, as people do
elsewhere.
[Iolaus turns to indicate Copreus.]
We have nothing in common with
this man.
For since the vote was passed, we
no longer
have anything at all to do with
Argos—
we are exiles from our native land.
250
How is it right that this man leads
us off
as Mycenaeans, when we have been
banished
from Mycenae? For we are
foreigners.
Or do you think it right that
anyone
[190]
exiled from Argos should be
banished
from all of Greece? Surely not from
Athens.
They will not drive Herakles’s
children
out of their land because they fear
the Argives.
This is not Trachis or an Achaean
town,
from which you had these children
banished,
260
though they were suppliants at the
altars.
You cited no legal right but
boasted
about Argos, just as you have done
today
in what you said. If that happens
again,
and these people declare your
argument
the winner, I will not think that
Athens
is a free country any more. But
still,
I know the nature and spirit of
these people.
They are willing to die, for in
good men
[200]
honour is more valuable than life
itself.
270
Enough about the city—too much
praise
can be invidious. I myself
acknowledge
I have often been annoyed by praise
that is excessive.
[Iolaus turns his attention to Demophon.]
But I wish to tell you
it is your duty, as ruler of this
land,
to save these children. For
Pittheus
was the son of Pelops, and he
fathered
Aethra, who was mother of Theseus,
your father. Now I will trace the
ancestry
of these children. Herakles was the
son
280
[210]
of Zeus and Alcmene, who was
a child
of Pelops. Thus, their father and
your father
were the sons of cousins. And that
is how,
Demophon, you are related to these
boys.
But I will tell you of an
obligation,
apart from kinship, you have to
these lads.
I maintain that years ago, while I
was
Herakles’s shield bearer, I sailed
off
with Theseus to fetch that
murderous belt
belonging to Hippolyta. As reward
290
Herakles gave Theseus fair Antiope.
After that Herakles brought your
father
back from the dark fortresses of
Hades.
All Greece bears witness to this
story.
Because of this, his children now
request
[220]
repayment from you—not to be
surrendered
or dragged away by force from the
altars
of your gods or banished from your
country.
For it reflects a special shame on
you
and trouble for the city, if
suppliants,
300
wanderers, and kinsmen are hauled
away
against their will. Alas for all
the suffering,
Look at them, just look!
[Iolaus kneels down in front of Demophon.]
I entreat you,
placing in your arms my suppliant wreath
and touching your beard, do not
dishonour
the sons of Herakles. They are in
your hands.
Be their kinsman, friend, father,
brother, master,
[230]
for anything is better than falling
into Argive hands.
CHORUS
My lord, I have heard
about their troubles, and I pity
them.
310
Their noble birth has been
overpowered
by misfortune. I understand that
now,
more so than ever. For these young
children,
born from a noble father, are
victims
of circumstances they do not
deserve.
DEMOPHON
There are three main concerns,
Iolaus,
that compel me not to dismiss your
words.
The most important is Zeus. You are
sitting
at his altar with this group of
fledglings.
Second, kinship ties and the
ancient debt ne
320
[240]
that I should treat these children
very well
for their father’s sake. And last,
my honour,
the issue that must be my main
concern.
For if I permit a foreign stranger
to violate this altar, people will
think
that the land I live in is no
longer free
and that I surrendered the
suppliants
because I feared the Argives—and
that thought
almost makes me want to hang
myself.
I wish that you had come with
better luck,
330
but even so, do not fear that
anyone
will forcibly remove you and the
children
from this altar.
[Demophon turns his attention to Copreus.]
As for you, go to Argos.
[250]
Report what happened here to
Eurystheus.
Tell him, in addition, that if he
wishes
to level charges against these
strangers,
he will be treated justly. But
never
will you take these children.
COPREUS
Not even
if I have a lawful case and win
the verbal arguments?
DEMOPHON
How is it just
340
to forcibly kidnap a suppliant?
COPREUS
Surely that would bring disgrace to
me
but do no harm to you?
DEMOPHON
The shame is mine,
if I allow you to take these
children.
COPREUS
Just banish them. Then leave the
rest to us.
DEMOPHON
You are foolish to think you know
better
than the gods.
COPREUS
It seems Athens is a place
where evildoers will find a refuge.
DEMOPHON
A god’s sanctuary is a defence
[260]
all people share in common.
350
COPREUS
Those in Mycenae may not think the
same.
DEMOPHON
Am I not in control of matters
here?
COPREUS
Yes, if you are wise and do not
harm them.
DEMOPHON
Let them be harmed! I will not
offend the gods.
COPREUS
I would prefer it if you did not
wage war
with Argos.
DEMOPHON
So would I. But these suppliants
will not be handed over.
COPREUS
Then I will seize them
and lead them off, for they belong
to me.
DEMOPHON
Your trip back to Argos may not be
easy.
COPREUS
I could make the attempt, and then
I’ll see.
360
DEMOPHON
If you touch them, you will have
good reason
[270]
an instant later to regret it.
CHORUS
By the gods,
you must not dare to strike a
herald!
DEMOPHON
I will, unless he learns some
common sense.
CHORUS [to Copreus]
You should go.
[Turning to Demophon]
And you, my lord, should not touch him.
COPREUS
I am going. To fight with just one
arm
is feeble, but I will come back
here
with a great many Argive infantry,
all bronze-clad spearmen. Thousands
of men
are expecting me, all warriors,
370
led by Eurystheus, their commander,
on the borders of Alcathous’s
realm,
waiting to see how these events
turn out
in Attica. When he learns of my
report
[280]
about your insolence, he will be
here
in all his fury for you, your
citizens,
your property, and your harvest
crops.
It would be senseless for Argos to
possess
a large army of young soldiers in their
prime
if we did not punish you.
[Exit Copreus and his attendants.]
DEMOPHON
Get out of here!
380
Your Argos does not inspire fear in
me,
and you will not be leading
suppliants
from here by force and putting me
to shame.
For the city I control is
independent
and not subject to the rule of
Argos.
CHORUS
Time now for us to prepare
ourselves,
before the Argive army marches near
the borders of our land. The spirit
of war
in the Mycenaeans is very sharp,
[290]
especially now, after what happened
here.
390
For heralds like to exaggerate
reports—
it’s a habit they all share—they
inflate
a story until it is twice as large
as what really happened. How big a
tale
do you think he is reporting to the
king—
how he suffered terrible
mistreatment
and only just escaped here with his
life?
IOLAUS
Being born from a good and noble
father
is the finest honour for his
children
and marrying into a noble family.
400
I will not praise a man conquered
by lust
who, for the sake of his own
pleasure,
associates with low-born women and
leaves
[300]
his children an inheritance of
shame.
Noble birth protects against
misfortune
better than base parentage. We have
found,
after falling into the deepest
misery,
friends and relatives here, the
only men
in all of Greece who will defend
these boys.
Come children, give these men your
right hands,
410
and you men, give the children
yours. Come closer.
[The Chorus and the children shake hands.]
Children, we have just
experienced
what it means to have good friends.
So if ever
you go back home one day and occupy
[310]
your ancestral home and regain once
more
your father’s honours, you must
always think
of those who rule Athens as your
saviours
and your friends. Remember this,
and never
raise a hostile force against this
land.
Consider Athens your greatest
friend of all.
420
Its citizens deserve your
reverence,
for they have helped us out and in
exchange
they have earned the enmity of
Argos,
a great land with a powerful army.
Even though they could easily
perceive
that we were poor wanderers and
beggars,
they did not hand us over or drive
us
from their land. While I am still
alive,
I shall not stop proclaiming your
nobility
[320]
to everyone and once I have passed
on—
430
whenever that may be—I will be
standing
close to Theseus and singing your
praise.
I will delight his heart by telling
him
how kind you were to welcome and
protect
Herakles’s children, and how nobly
you preserve your father’s
reputation
throughout Greece, and how, though
nobly born,
you are no less worthy than your
father.
Of few others can one say that one
man
out of a great many may perhaps be
found
440
who is not inferior to his father.
CHORUS
This land has always sought to help
the weak
when their cause is just. That is
the reason
[330]
Athens has undertaken countless
tasks
to help out her friends. And now I
see
we have another struggle on our
hands.
DEMOPHON
You have spoken well, old man. I am
sure
these boys will act just as you
suggested—
they will not forget our kindness
to them.
I will call the citizens together
450
and organize them, so that we can
meet
the Mycenaean army with substantial
force.
First I will sent out scouts to spy
on them,
so they do not attack me unawares.
For in Argos every man is very
quick
to answer the call. Then I will
summon
the prophets and prepare a
sacrifice.
[340]
You should leave Zeus’s altar, old man,
and with the children go to the palace.
There are people there who will
care for you,
460
even in my absence. You should go
there.
IOLAUS
I will not leave the altar. We
suppliants
will remain here and pray that the
city
is successful. When Athens has
emerged
victorious from the struggle, we
will move
into the palace. The gods we have
as allies
are no worse than those the Argives
have,
my lord. For their champion is
Hera,
Zeus’s wife. Our chief god is
Athena,
and I say that is fortunate for us—
470
[350]
we have the stronger god—for Pallas
will never accept suffering a
defeat.
[Exit Demophon and his attendants.]
CHORUS
O stranger from Argos, you may have
uttered
an impressive boast, but that does
not make
men think of you as greater than
you are.
Your grand talk does not fill my
heart with fear.
I pray that it will be many a year
before that happens to mighty
Athens,
a city with such lovely dancing
grounds!
But you are foolish, as is
Eurystheus,
480
[360]
son of Sthenelus, your Argive
tyrant.
You have now come to another city,
no less a power than Argos, and
tried,
though you are a foreigner, to drag
away
by force these suppliants to the
gods,
these wanderers begging my land for
help,
without deferring to our king or
making
any plea for justice. How can such
things
be considered fair by those who
reason well?
[370]
As for me, I love peace. But I tell
you,
490
you malicious king, if you march to
Athens,
you will not get what you expect to
gain.
You are not the only one with a
spear
and a shield of bronze. No, you may
love war,
but do not disturb our graceful
city
with your sword. Hold yourself in
check.
[380]
[Enter Demophon with attendants.]
IOLAUS
My son, why have you returned to us
with such a look of worry in your
eyes?
Are you going to speak of something
new
about the enemy? Are they delaying?
500
Are they already here? What have
you heard?
Surely you will not contradict
those words
the herald uttered. For their
commander,
who has enjoyed success before,
will march
to Athens—I am sure of that. His
ambitions
are not small. But as you are well
aware,
Zeus punishes ideas that are too
proud.
DEMOPHON
The army of the Argives has
arrived,
led by Eurystheus. I have seen him
[390]
with my own eyes, for anyone who
claims
510
to possess a thorough understanding
of what it means to be a general
should not observe an enemy’s
forces
merely by means of messengers. So
far
he has not yet brought his forces
down
onto the plains of Attica. Instead,
he is encamped on a rock-covered
ridge,
weighing his options (I am telling
you
what I think is going on), figuring
out
the route to take to bring his
great army
520
safely down to the borders of our
lands
and then to set up camp. My own
plans
have been carefully
prepared already—
the city is armed, sacrificial
beasts
stand ready to be slaughtered to
the gods
[400]
to whom such gifts are due, and in
the city
prophets are dedicating offerings.
After assembling together in one
place
all those who chant the oracles, I
looked
very closely at what they had been
saying
530
in public and in old secret
prophecies
dealing with the safety of the
city.
These utterances were very
different
in many ways in what they
prophesied,
but on one issue they were all the
same—
they told me that if I wanted to
defeat
the enemy forces and save the city
I should sacrifice to Demeter’s
daughter
a young girl born to a noble
father.(8)
Now, as you can see, I am very
eager
540
[410]
to assist you. But I will not
slaughter
my own daughter, and I will not
compel
any of my citizens to do so,
against their will. Who is so
misguided
that he would quite willingly hand
over
the child he loves more than any
other?
Now you may be seeing crowded
meetings
where some people argue that it was
right
to help out strangers who are
suppliants,
while others denounce me for my
folly.
550
If I do what the oracles demand,
we will immediately have civil war.
You should bear all this in mind
and help me
[420]
find a way to save you and this
land, as well,
without making the citizens resent
me.
I am not like some barbarian
tyrant—
the citizens will deal with me
justly
only if what I do for them is just.
CHORUS
But is a god really telling our
city
not to assist strangers who need
our help,
560
when Athens is eager to protect
them?
IOLAUS
My children, we are just like
seafarers
who have escaped the fierce rage of
a storm
and have dry land almost within
their grasp,
then are driven by winds away from
shore
[430]
out into the sea again. That is how
we are being driven away from land
when we had already reached the
coast
and were feeling safe. Alas! Cruel
hope,
why then did you offer me so much
joy
570
if you did not mean to complete the
gift?
I can understand Demophon’s
position—
he does not wish to sacrifice the
children
of his citizens. I am even thankful
for the way we have been treated
here.
If the gods wish me to end up like
this,
my gratitude to you remains the
same.
I do not know what I can do for
you,
my children. Where can we turn?
What god
[440]
have we not petitioned with our
garlands?
580
In what land have we not sought
protection?
We will be handed over, my
children.
We will be killed. I do not really
care
that I must die, except that by
dying
I might give pleasure to my
enemies.
But I weep for you, children. I
pity you—
and old Alcmene, your father’s
mother.
How wretched she must feel to live
so long!
How miserable I am to have worked
so many years in vain. It is our
fate.
590
Yes, our fate—to fall into enemy
hands
and lose our lives in misery and
shame.
[450]
[Iolaus turns his attention to Demophon.]
But I have not lost all hope
of rescuing
the children—and I know you will
assist me.
Hand me over to the Argives, my
lord,
rather than these children. Do not
place yourself
in danger, but save the children
for me.
I do not need to cling to life—let
it go.
Eurystheus would be especially
pleased
to capture me and mock an old ally
600
of Herakles. He is a stupid man.
Wise men should pray they have an
enemy
known for his wisdom, not someone
proud
and senseless—with the former one
may get
a full measure of respect and
justice.
[460]
CHORUS
Old friend, do not blame the city
for this.
Although it would be telling lies
about us,
to say we have betrayed these
strangers
is a harsh rebuke.
DEMOPHON [to Iolaus]
What you have proposed
is noble, but it is not feasible.
610
The king has not come here with an
army
because he wants to capture you.
What good
is there for Eurystheus in the
death
of an old man? No, he wishes to
kill
the children. The offspring of
noble men
are terrifying to their enemies
when they grow up and still
remember
how their father was abused.
Eurystheus
has to take all of this into
account.
[470]
Still, if you can come up with a
plan,
620
something more suitable than the
last one,
let me know. For I have heard the
oracles—
they fill me with fear, and I feel
helpless.
[Enter Makaria, Herakles’s daughter, from inside
the temple.]
MAKARIA(9)
Strangers, please do not think I am
too bold
in coming out here. That is my
first request.
For a woman, it is best to stay
silent
and act prudently, remaining quiet
inside the house. But when I heard
you groan,
Iolaus, I came outside. The family
has not designated me their
spokesman,
630
but in some ways I am fit to be
that,
[480]
because I truly care about my
brothers
and myself, and I would like to ask
you
if, in addition to all our ancient
grief,
some new trouble is gnawing at your
heart.
IOLAUS
My child, for some time now I have
praised you
as the very best of Herakles’s
children.
It seemed to us that that things
were going well,
but now they have changed back once
again
and we are beyond all help. The
king declares
640
that those who chant the oracles
have said
that we and Athens will survive
this war
only if we make a sacrificial offering
to Demeter’s daughter, not with a
bull
[490]
or calf, but with a nobly born
young girl.
But this we cannot do. The king
asserts
he will not sacrifice his own
children
or those of anyone else. And he
tells me—
not explicitly, but with subtle
hints—
that, if we cannot resolve this
problem,
650
we must find some other land to go
to,
for he desires to keep this country
safe.
MAKARIA
That prophecy is threatening our
safety?
IOLAUS
Yes, the prophecy. In everything
else
our fortunes are just fine.
MAKARIA
Then you no longer
[500]
need to fear the enemy’s Argive
spear.
For I am prepared, old man, quite
freely
and before some man gives me an
order,
to offer myself up for sacrifice
and to be killed. For what will we
say
660
if this city considers it
worthwhile
to run great risks on our behalf,
while we
load our own troubles onto other
people
and run from death, when we could
save them?
That is not right. It would be
ridiculous
if we sit groaning as suppliants to
the gods
and yet demonstrate that we are
cowards,
[510]
though we are all children of
Herakles,
our great father. How can this be
fitting
among men of honour? It would be
finer,
670
I suppose, if this city were
captured—
may the gods prevent that from
taking place!
Then I, daughter of a noble father,
would be dishonoured and go to my
death,
and thus the end result would be
the same.
Should I then be banished from
Attica
and become a wanderer? Would I not
feel ashamed if someone said to me,
”Why have you come here with
suppliant boughs,
when you are afraid to die? Leave
this land.
680
We are not prepared to help out
cowards.”
But if these boys perished and I
lived on,
[520]
I would have no hope of being
happy.
Before now many have sought
happiness
by betraying their friends. Who
would desire
to have a girl without family as a
wife
or make me the mother of his
children?
Surely it is better to die than to
endure
this fate, which I do not deserve,
a fate
that is more appropriate for
someone
690
who is not as nobly born as I am.
Take me to the place where I will
die,
crown me with garlands, and begin
the rites,
if that is what you want, and then
defeat
the enemy. For I offer you my life
[530]
willingly and under no compulsion.
I affirm that I am ready to die
for my brothers’ sake and for my
own.
For I have discovered a splendid
fact—
by not being too much in love with
life,
700
as cowards are, I can die with
glory.
CHORUS
Ah, what shall I say after
listening
to the courageous words of this
young girl,
who is ready to die for her
brothers?
Who could utter more noble words
than these?
What mortal man could later act on
them?
IOLAUS
My child, you can be no one else’s
daughter
but his—born from the seed of
Herakles,
[540]
from his godlike spirit. I feel so
proud
of what you have just said,
although I grieve
710
for your fate. But I will suggest a
method
that is more just for deciding what
to do.
We have to summon all your sisters
here,
and the one who draws the lot must
die
to save the family. It is not right
for you to die without a lottery.
MAKARIA
I will not die by some chance
lottery!
For in that, old man, there is no
glory.
Do not suggest it. Instead, if you
approve
of me and wish to act as I propose,
720
[550]
I am prepared to die for my
brothers—
but not if I am compelled to do it.
IOLAUS
Ah, this last speech of yours is
more noble
than the one before, and that was
excellent!
Your bravery and your noble
language
are more impressive every time you
speak.
I am not telling you to die, my
child,
but I am not forbidding you to do
it.
Still, your death will benefit your
brothers.
MAKARIA
You are wise to absolve yourself of
guilt.
730
You need not fear that you will
share the stain
of murder. I go to my death quite
freely.
But follow me, old friend, for I
would like
[560]
to perish in your arms. Stand
beside me,
and cover my dead body with my
robe.
Follow me, for I am now on my way
to the terrors of a bloody sacrifice,
if I am truly born from that great
man
who I claim is my father.
IOLAUS
To stand by
as you meet your death—I cannot do
that!
740
MAKARIA
Well then, can you ask this man if
I might
draw my last breath in the hands of
women,
rather than of men.
DEMOPHON
Your wish is granted,
you poor, suffering girl. I would
be shamed
if you were not treated with great
honour.
There are many reasons—your bravery
and the justice of what you are
asking.
[570]
You are the most courageous of all
women,
the bravest these eyes of mine have
ever seen.
Now, if you wish, you should say
your last words
750
to the old man and your brothers.
Then go.
MAKARIA
Farewell, old man, farewell. Please
teach these boys,
for my sake, to be men just like
yourself,
wise in all things—no need for more
than that,
which will be quite enough. With
all your heart
strive to rescue them from death. We
are your babes,
raised by your hands. You see me
sacrifice
my married life and going to my
death
[580]
for their sake. And you, my
brothers, gathered
here with me, may you have a happy
life
760
and experience all those things my
heart
will never know. Treat with all due
respect
this old man and the old woman in
the house,
Alcmene, my grandmother, and these
men,
your hosts. And if the gods ever
grant you
a release from hardship and a
journey home,
remember what kind of burial rights
you ought to give the young girl
who saved you.
for I think they should be the very
finest,
for I was willing to stand up for
you 770
and was sacrificed to save my
family.
[590]
These things I have as valuable
treasures
instead of children and my virgin
life,
if, in fact, we exist beneath the
earth.
I hope we do not, for if we mortals
about to die have to deal with
troubles
even in that place, then I do not
know
where anyone can turn. For people
claim
that death is the greatest cure for
pain.
IOLAUS
O you most courageous of all women,
780
know this—in life and in death we
hold you
in the very greatest honour!
Farewell.
I dare not speak ill of the deity
[600]
to whom your body is being
sacrificed—
the daughter of the goddess
Demeter.
[Demophon escorts Makaria away.]
My children,
I am done for. My limbs are giving
way
from grief. Take me and set me down
right here,
on a seat beside the altar. Use my
clothes
to conceal my head. What has
happened
brings me no joy, yet if the oracle
790
is not fulfilled, I could not go on
living,
for my ruin would be even greater.
What we have now is a catastrophe.
[Iolaus is helped to a seat, he lies down, and his
head is covered.]
CHORUS
I say no man is blessed or cursed
by Fate
except by the will of the gods. The
same house
does not always follow good
fortune’s path.
[610]
One fate after another hunts us
down—
it takes a man from his eminent
rank
and reduces him to insignificance.
It makes a vagabond a wealthy man.
800
No one can flee from Fate or use
his wisdom
to set it aside, and any man who
tries
will always face a host of futile
struggles.
But do not prostrate yourself and
lament
what the gods have given, or spend
your time
in constant grieving, heart full of
pain.
[620]
For the poor girl has won a
glorious death,
dying for this land and her
brothers too,
and men will celebrate her glorious
fame.
True virtue walks through paths of
hardship.
810
What she is doing is worthy of her
father,
and worthy of her noble family.
If you will honour the virtuous dead,
then I will share in honouring them,
too.
[Enter a servant of Hyllus.]
SERVANT
Greetings, children! Old man Iolaus
[630]
and your grandmother have left the
altar.
Where have they gone?
IOLAUS
I am over here,
if my presence means anything at
all.
SERVANT
Why are you lying there? Why the
sad face?
IOLAUS
A pressing family matter—I was
preoccupied.
820
SERVANT
It is time to rouse yourself. Lift
your head.
IOLAUS
I am an old man. I do not have the
strength.
SERVANT
But I have come bringing you joyful
news.
IOLAUS
Who are you? Where have I met you?
I forget.
SERVANT
I am a slave belonging to Hyllus.
Do you not recognize me?
IOLAUS
My dear man,
[640]
you got here safely then?
SERVANT
Yes I did.
Not only that but at the moment
your fortunes are looking
favourable.
IOLAUS [shouting into the temple]
Alcmene,
you mother of a noble son, come out
here
830
and listen to the encouraging words
of this man here. You have been
anxious,
heart sick with worry, for a long
time now,
wondering if those who have just
arrived
would ever make it back.
[Enter Alcmene from the temple.]
ALCMENE
Iolaus,
why this shouting through the
entire shrine?
Has another herald come from Argos
to force us out? My body may be
frail,
stranger, but you should consider
this—
you will never take away these
children
840
[650]
while I am still alive, or else let
me
no longer be called Herakles’s
mother.
If you lay a hand on them, you will
face
a bitter struggle with two ancient
foes.
IOLAUS
Be brave, old woman. Do not be
afraid.
No herald has come from Argos
bearing
a threatening report.
ALCMENE
Then why did you shout
and make me think you were afraid?
IOLAUS
To make you come out from the temple
and meet this man.
ALCMENE
I do not understand.
850
Who is he?
IOLAUS
A messenger with news—
your grandson has returned.
ALCMENE
Greetings to you,
and may you find joy for bringing
us this news!
[660]
If he has set foot in Attica, then
why
has he not returned to us? Where is
he?
What misfortune stops him from
coming here
with you and bringing joy into my
heart?
SERVANT
He is setting up camp and
marshalling troops
for the army he has brought here with
him.
ALCMENE
That news
about his army is no concern of
mine.
860
IOLAUS
Yes, it is. And my business is to
ask about it.
SERVANT
What do you want to know about the
army?
IOLAUS
How many allies does he have with
him?
SERVANT
A great many. I cannot provide you
a more detailed number.
IOLAUS
I assume
[670]
the leaders of the Athenians know
this.
SERVANT
They do. What’s more, they have
placed his army
on our left wing.
IOLAUS
What? Is our army
already prepared for battle?
SERVANT
It is—
they have brought the sacrificial offerings
870
into the ranks.
IOLAUS
And the Argive forces—
how far away are they?
SERVANT
They are close enough.
One can clearly make out their
commander.
IOLAUS
What is he doing? Drawing up the
enemy lines?
SERVANT
We think so. But we could not hear
his voice.
But I must go. I do not want my
master
to charge the enemy without me
there
doing my part.
IOLAUS
I will go with you.
[680]
It seems we both share the
same idea—
we should be with our friends and
help them out.
880
SERVANT
It is not at all like you to speak
such nonsense.
IOLAUS
It is not like me not to assist my
friends
in battle.
SERVANT
The strength you used to have,
my friend, has long since left you.
IOLAUS
Well, in any case,
I can fight as many warriors as
before.
SERVANT
What you add to your friends’ force
is minuscule.
[690]
IOLAUS
None of the enemy will dare
confront me.
SERVANT
The sight of you will not harm
anyone,
unless your hand and arm can do their
work.
IOLAUS
What? Could not a blow from me
smash their shields?
890
SERVANT
You might strike a blow, but before
that happens,
you could collapse.
IOLAUS
Do not try to stop me
when I am prepared and keen to
fight.
SERVANT
You may perhaps be eager to take
part,
but you lack the strength.
IOLAUS
I am not staying here
no matter what you say.
SERVANT
You have no weapons.
How are you going to play the
warrior?
IOLAUS
Inside the temple there are
captured weapons.
I will use them. If I am still
alive,
I will give them back, but if I
die,
900
the god will not ask me to return
them.
Go inside, and take a set of armour
from its peg. Then bring it here to
me
as quickly as you can. Staying at
home,
while some men join in the fighting
[700]
and the cowards hang back, is
disgraceful.
[The Servant exits into the temple.]
CHORUS
Time has not yet dimmed your
spirit—
it is still young, though your
physical strength
has disappeared. Why do you toil so
hard
in vain struggles that might well
injure you
910
and bring no benefits to our city?
At your age you should curb your
urge to fight
and forget about what is
impossible—
you will never live your youthful
years again.
ALCMENE
What are you doing? Have you lost
your mind?
[710]
Are you intending to abandon me
with my grandchildren?
IOLAUS
Fighting is men’s concern.
You need to watch out for the
children.
ALCMENE
But if you are killed, how will I
survive?
IOLAUS
Your son’s children will look after
all those
920
who are left behind.
ALCMENE
But what if—heaven forbid!—
something bad happens to them?
IOLAUS
Do not be afraid.
Our hosts here will not hand you
over.
ALCMENE
That is my only hope. There is
nothing else.
IOLAUS
And Zeus, I know, cares for your
suffering.
ALCMENE
Ah yes, Zeus. He will not hear me
saying
bad things about him. But he
himself knows
whether he has treated me with
justice.
[Enter Servant from the temple, carrying armour.]
SERVANT
You see here a complete set of
armour.
[720]
It is time to put it on and get
going,
930
for the fighting is about to start,
and war god Ares has no love for those
who dawdle. If the weight of these
weapons
worries you, you can go out as you
are,
without them, and when you are in
the ranks
you can put on your gear. In the
meantime
I will carry it.
IOLAUS
That is a good idea.
Keep the armour close to me and
ready.
Put a spear in my hand and support
me
by my left forearm, directing my
steps.
940
SERVANT
Must I guide a warrior like a
child?
IOLAUS
I must not stumble—it’s a bad omen.
[730]
SERVANT
I wish your power to act matched
your spirit.
IOLAUS
Hurry up! It will be a disaster
if I miss the fighting.
SERVANT
You are the one
who is moving slowly, not me. You
think
you are marching quickly, but you
are not.
IOLAUS
Can’t you see how fast my legs are
moving.
SERVANT
I see you think you are moving
quickly,
but you are very slow.
IOLAUS
When you see me there,
950
you will not be saying things like
that.
SERVANT
What will you be doing? At any
rate,
I wish you great success!
IOLAUS
I will be smashing
one of the enemy . . . right through his shield.
SERVANT
Perhaps . . . if we ever get there.
I fear
we may not be in time.
IOLAUS
Ah, how I wish
you arms of mine, my allies in this
fight,
[740]
could be as strong as you were in
your prime!
I still remember how with Herakles
you ransacked Sparta! If so, I
could make
960
king Eurystheus turn and run! I
tell you
that man is too much a coward to
face
a hostile spear. And it is wrong to
think
that one who has success is
therefore brave,
though all of us assume a
prosperous man
is fortunate in everything he does.
[Iolaus and the Servant leave.]
CHORUS
O Earth and night-lingering Moon,
O dazzling radiance of the god
who sends rays of light to mortal
men,
[750]
carry this message for me—shout it
out
970
to heaven, to the throne of Zeus,
and in grey-eyed Athena’s shrine.
For we have welcomed suppliants
here,
and now, for the sake of our native
land,
for the sake our homes, we must
slice
through danger with our gleaming
steel.
It makes me fearful that a wealthy
city
like Mycenae, famous for its power
[760]
in war, should feel such hatred for
my land.
But, my countrymen, it is
disgraceful
980
if we surrender suppliant strangers
in obedience to commands from
Argos.
Zeus is my ally, and I am not
afraid.
Zeus justly shows goodwill to me—
so I shall never assert that gods
are lesser beings than mortal men.
But, divine Athena, you possess
[770]
this land and city—you are its
mother,
its queen, its guardian. Turn
aside
the man who is unjustly leading
here
990
a spear-brandishing force from
Argos.
For we are virtuous, so it is not
right
that we be driven from our homes.
For we are always offering
grand sacrifices in your honour—
as the month reaches its final day,
we do not forget our youthful songs
[780]
or the chanting choruses. Shouts of
joy
ring out on wind-swept hills all
night
to the rhythm of young girls’
dancing feet.
1000
[Enter a Messenger.]
MESSENGER
My lady, I bring a very short
report,
but it will sound like music to
your ears—
we have overpowered the Argives!
Trophies of victory are being set
up
bearing the armour of your enemies.
ALCMENE
Dear friend, this day is a happy
one for you—
this message of yours gives you
your freedom!
But you have not yet relieved my
mind
[790]
of one misfortune—for I am anxious
whether those I cherish are still
alive.
1010
MESSENGER
They are alive, and throughout the
army
they have won great fame.
ALCMENE
And old Iolaus?
Is he still living?
SERVANT
Yes, indeed he is.
The gods have granted him the best
of fortunes.
ALCMENE
What do you mean? Did he fight
bravely?
MESSENGER
He has changed. The old man is
young again!
ALCMENE
What you say is amazing! But first
of all
I would like you to tell me that
our friends
and family have prevailed in
battle.
MESSENGER
I will describe the entire fight to
you
1020
in a single speech. Once the
warriors
had been drawn up into extended
lines
[800]
facing one another, Hyllus stepped
down
from his four-horse chariot and
stood there,
in the middle ground between the
armies.
Then he cried, “Commander of the
Argives,
why can you not leave this land of
ours alone!
You would not make Athens your
enemy,
nor would you inflict damage on
Mycenae,
by killing off its soldiers.
Instead of that,
1030
you and I should fight in single
combat.
If you kill me, then you can take
away
Herakles’s children. If I kill you,
I regain the honours and the
estates
[810]
belonging to my father.” The army
indicated its approval of the
speech,
for his words were splendidly
courageous
and they relieved them of the pains
of war.
But Eurystheus paid no attention
to the soldiers who had heard the
challenge
1040
and felt no shame at his own
cowardice,
though he was commander of the
army,
for he did not dare to venture within
range
of a hostile spear. Is this the
craven fool
who came to enslave Herakles’s
children?
Hyllus moved back into the ranks
once more.
When the priests realized that
there would be
[820]
no conclusion to the war brought
about
by single combat, they at once
began
to slaughter the sacrificial
animals
1050
and let streams of auspicious blood
flow out
from the gullets of the beasts.
Some warriors
mounted their chariots. Others
bunched up,
shoulder to shoulder, protected by
their shields.
The leader of the Athenian army
urged on his troops the way a brave
man should:
”Fellow citizens, now we must
protect
the land that gave us birth and
nurtured us.”
The enemy general, Eurystheus,
entreated his allies not to
disgrace
1060
Argos and Mycenae. When the shrill
cry
of the Tuscan trumpet gave the
signal,
the two armies charged at one
another.
Can you imagine the tremendous din
of clashing shields and groans and
cries of pain,
all intermingled? At first the
onslaught
of the Argive spearmen broke
through our ranks,
but they pulled back again, and
then the troops
went at it, foot against foot, man
to man,
in fiercely contested battle. Many
men died.
1070
You could hear the shouts from both
the armies,
“You Athenians,” or “You who sow
the fields
in Argos, will you not protect our
city
[840]
from disgrace?” We fought on with
all our strength
and, with a tremendous effort, at
last
turned the Argive line and put them
to flight.
When old Iolaus saw Hyllus moving
off,
he stretched out his right arm and
begged Hyllus
to let him mount up into his
chariot.
Then he grabbed the reins and
started chasing
1080
Eurystheus’ horses. Up to this
point
what I have described I saw for
myself,
but from here on the events I
mention
I heard from others. As Iolaus
was riding past the rock in
Pallenis,
sacred to divine Athena, chasing [850]
the chariot of Eurystheus, he
prayed
to Hebe and to Zeus that he could
be
young again for just one day and
exact
righteous vengeance from his
enemies.(10)
1090
Now you will hear something
astonishing.
Twin stars now stood above the
chariot yoke
and wrapped the chariot in a dark
cloud.
Those who are wise about such matters
say
the stars were your son Herakles
and Hebe.
Then from the murky darkness Iolaus
appeared, a young man with strong
youthful arms.
Glorious Iolaus captured Eurystheus
in his chariot near the cliffs of
Sciron,
[860]
bound his arms with rope, and made
his way back
1100
leading that general, once so
prosperous,
now the most splendid initial prize
of war.
With this present twist of fate,
Eurystheus
announces clearly that all mortal
beings
should not envy those whom fortune
favours,
until you witness how they meet
their death,
for fortune’s gifts last but a
single day.
CHORUS
O Zeus, who brings this victory,
now I see the day when I am freed
from terrible fear!
ALCMENE
O Zeus,
1110
at last you have turned a favouring
eye
on my misfortunes—yet I am grateful
[870]
for what you have done. Before this
moment
I did not believe my son Herakles
now lived among the gods, but after
this
I am convinced he does. O children,
now you will be free from
suffering,
free from Eurystheus, who is going
to face a dreadful death. You will
now see
your father’s city and come to
possess
1120
your own estates. And you will
sacrifice
to the gods of your ancestors, from
whom
you have been cut off, living the
pitiful life
of vagrant strangers. But what
clever plan
did Iolaus have in mind when he
spared
[880]
the life of Eurystheus? Explain
that.
For in my opinion it is not
prudent,
after you have captured your
enemies,
not to make them pay the penalty.
MESSENGER
He was honouring you, so you might
see
1130
Eurystheus with your own
eyes—terrified
and entirely subject to your
wishes.
He did not come willingly. Iolaus
used force to yolk him to
necessity,
for Eurystheus did not wish to move
into your presence while he was
alive
and meet his punishment. And now
farewell,
old lady. Please remember what you
said
at the start when I began my story—
you promised me I could have my
freedom.
1140
In such matters what well born
people say
[890]
ought to be the truth.
[Exit Messenger.]
CHORUS
At a feast I love to dance and
listen
to the joyful, shrill notes of a
flute,
as Aphrodite spreads out her
delights,
and there is joy in witnessing our
friends
become successful, when earlier
no one thought they would amount to
much.
For Life, Time’s child, engenders
many things,
[900]
and Fate brings all matters to a
close.
1150
O my city, you tread the path of
justice.
Never abandon this course of
action—
honouring the gods. The man who
asserts
you are not just is veering close
to madness,
as these events establish. I tell
you this,
the testimony of gods is very clear—
they always curb the pride of the
unjust.
Your son, old lady, is now in
heaven.
[910]
It is not right to claim that
Herakles,
his body eaten by the searing flames, 1160
descended to the home of Hades.(11)
No. He shares a bed with lovely
Hebe
in that golden palace on Olympus.
O Hymen, you have honoured both,
two children of great Zeus.(12)
Many things have come together
here.
Men say Athena assisted Herakles,
[920]
the father of these boys, and now
Athens,
that goddess’s city, and its people
have saved these children and
checked the pride
1170
of the man whose heart was filled
with violence
without a sense of justice. May my
heart,
my spirit, never crave such excess!
[Enter Servant and Soldiers with Eurystheus
bound.]
SERVANT
My lady, although your eyes can see
him,
I will still report that we have
come here
bringing Eurystheus to you, a sight
you did not expect, and no less for
him
[930]
a stroke of evil luck he did not
foresee
when he and his hard-working
infantry
marched here from Mycenae,
intending,
1180
with high ambitions beyond all
justice,
to sack Athena’s city. But a god
changed his fortune and gave us a
result
that was the opposite of what he
hoped.
Hyllus and courageous Iolaus
are putting up, as a memorial,
a splendid statue of Zeus
Triumphant,
god of victory. But they ordered me
to bring this man to you—they want
to fill
your heart with joy, for nothing is
more sweet
1190
than witnessing an enemy collapse
from great prosperity into
disaster.
[940]
ALCMEME [to Eurystheus]
You despicable man, you have
marched here,
have you? Has Justice finally
caught you?
You should begin by turning your
head
to me and daring to look your
enemies
in the face, for now you are no
longer
the one who rules. No. Now you are
a slave.
Are you the man—and this I wish to
know—
who thought it right to inflict
your malice
1200
so often on my son, wherever he is
now?
You monster, you sent him off with
orders
to slay hydras and lions, not to
mention
[950]
the other evils you prepared for
him—
they would make my speech to you
far too long.
What arrogant insults against
Herakles
were beyond your daring? You even
sent him
down to Hades while he was still
alive.
But for you these harsh tasks were
not enough.`
Though we were suppliants to the
gods
1210
and some of us were very old, while
others
were still infants, you had to
drive us out
of every city in Greece. But here
you found
a city and citizens who were free
and did not fear you. And now you
must go
to a miserable death that will be
in every way a benefit to you,
for you have caused us so much
trouble,
you should not die just once, but
many times.
[960]
SERVANT
You will not be allowed to kill
this man.
1220
ALCMENE
Then what is the point of making
him
our prisoner? And what law prevents
us
from putting him to death?
SERVANT
Those who rule this land
do not consider it appropriate.
ALCMENE
Why is that? Do people here in
Athens
not think it splendid to kill their
enemies?
SERVANT
No, not when they are captured in a
fight
and are still alive.
ALCMENE
What about Hyllus?
Did he approve of this position?
SERVANT
I suppose he should have disobeyed
1230
his country’s laws.
ALCMENE
But Eurystheus
should not be alive, still gazing
at the light.
SERVANT
He was not treated justly when he
was captured--
[970]
that was the moment he should have
been killed.
ALCMENE
Surely it is still a glorious thing
for him to receive his punishment?
SERVANT
There is no one who may put him to
death.
ALCMENE
I can. I claim to be somebody.
SERVANT
If you do, you will receive much
blame.
ALCMENE
I love this city—no one can deny
that.
1240
But since this man has come into my
hands,
there is no mortal being who will
save him.
This being the case, anyone who
wishes
may call me arrogant or too
presumptuous
for a woman—nonetheless this
killing
[980]
is something I will carry out.
CHORUS
Lady,
your extreme hostility to this man
is something I can fully
understand—
you can be forgiven for it.
EURYSTHEUS
Lady,
understand this clearly: I will not flatter you
1250
or say anything else to save my
life
that would make someone call me
coward.
I did not choose this quarrel
willingly.
I knew I was your cousin and
kinsman
of your son Herakles, but willing
or not—
for there was a god involved—Hera
caused me to be stricken with this
illness.(13) [990]
So once I vowed to be an enemy
of Herakles and grasped that I
would be
playing my part in these hostilities 1260
I became very skilled at stirring
up
all sorts of trouble. At night I
stayed awake
and constantly came up with many
plans
to keep at bay or kill my enemies,
so I would not spend my future days
in fear.
I knew your son was no nonentity,
but a real man, for although
Herakles
was my enemy, I will speak well of
him,
[1000]
because he was so worthy. But now
he is gone, his children all
despise me,
1270
and I am aware of their ancestral
hate,
so why should I leave any stone
unturned
devising ways to kill or banish
them?
By doing that I would remain
secure.
If you had been in my place, I
suppose,
and the lion had been your enemy,
you would not have harassed its
measly cubs
but let them live on modestly in
Argos.
If you said that, no one would
believe you.
So now, since they did not kill me
back then,
1280
on the battlefield, when I wished
to die,
[1010]
according to the customs of Greeks,
the man who kills me carries out an
act
that is unholy. Your city spared my
life,
wisely deciding that honouring the
gods
was much more important than hating
me.
You have spoken and have heard my
answer.
From now on, you must call me by
two names—
an Avenging and a Noble Spirit.
Anyway, this is how things stand with
me— 1290
I do not wish to die, but leaving
life
I would not find distressful.
CHORUS
Alcmene, I would like to give you
a word of advice—let this man go
free,
since that is what the city thinks
is right.
ALCMENE
What if he died, and I obeyed the
city?
CHORUS
That would be better. How could it
be done?
ALCMENE
I will explain—it is simple. I kill
him
and then hand the corpse over to
his friends
who come to get it. So with the
body
1300
I will not be disobeying the city,
and by his death I will get
justice.
EURYSTHEUS
Kill me. I am not asking to be
spared.
But since this city let me go and
refused
to slay me, I will offer it a gift—
an ancient oracle of Loxias,
which in time will bring greater
benefits
than you might imagine. When I am dead,
you must bury me in my destined
place—
in front of the shrine of the
virgin goddess
1300
who dwells in Pallene.(14) And I shall lie
forever beneath your land, a
foreigner
who is kind to you and guards the
city,
but a bitter enemy to the
descendants
of Herakles’s children when they
come here
with a huge force, betraying your
kindness.
That is what they are like, these
suppliants
you are protecting. You may well
ask me
why I came here instead of
honouring
the oracle of the god. I came
because
1310
I thought that Hera was far more
powerful
and would not fail me. But do not
let
[1040]
libations or the victims’ blood
drip down
into my grave. If you do this, in
return
I will give them a disastrous
journey home.
You will get a double benefit from
me—
by my death I will be helping
Athens
and harming descendants of
Herakles.
ALCMENE [to the soldiers guarding Eurystheus]
You heard what he said. Why
hesitate
to kill this man if, by doing that,
1320
you can make Athens and your
children safe?
He is showing us the safest path.
The man is our enemy, but his death
bring us benefits. You slaves, take
him away
[1050]
to the place where you will kill
him
and then throw his body to the
dogs.
[Alcmene turns to Eurystheus.]
You can give up any hopes you
have
that you will live to banish me
again
from my native land.
CHORUS
That seems best to me, as well.
Move on, you servants. What we are
doing
1330
will keep our rulers free from
guilt.
[Exeunt Eurystheus, Attendants, Guards, and
Chorus.]
ENDNOTES
(1) The term “labours of Herakles” usually refers to a set of twelve very difficult tasks given to Herakles by Eurystheus, king of Argos. [Back to Text]
(2) Because of his divine heritage (as a son of Zeus) and his many exploits, Herakles was granted the very rare reward of being admitted, after death, to the company of the gods on mount Olympus.] [Back to Text]
(3) Theseus had been king of Athens and a comrade of Herakles. The “descendants of king Pandion” are the Athenians. [Back to Text]
(4) The Greek text uses the term Herald to indicate Copreus’s speeches. I have changed that and used his name instead. [Back to Text]
(5) Agoraios meaning “of the market place” is an epithet sometimes given to Zeus. [Back to Text]
(6) Speeches assigned to the Chorus may be spoken by the entire Chorus, part of the Chorus, or by a Chorus Leader, and a particular speech may be broken up into sections, each spoken by different members of the Chorus, as a director of a production of the play will determine. [Back to Text]
(7) The “four federated towns” were Marathon, Oenoe, Probalinthus, and Tricorythus, all in Attica, the area around Athens (D. Kovacs). [Back to Text]
(8) Demeter’s daughter is Persephone, a goddess married to Hades, god of the underworld and the dead. [Back to Text]
(9) The Greek text uses the word for young girl (parthenos) to designate Herakles’s daughter. I have substituted her name throughout. [Back to Text]
(10) Hebe was the goddess of youth. She was also the wife of Herakles in heaven. [Back to Text]
(11) Herakles took some time to die from the effects of a poisoned tunic. In terrible pain, he arranged for a funeral pyre to be built and set alight with him lying on the fire. [Back to Text]
(12) Hymen is the god of marriage. He is usually identified as a son of Apollo. Hebe is a daughter of Zeus and Hera. [Back to Text]
(13) Hera, divine wife of Zeus, was always hostile to Herakles, because he
was the result of Zeus’s adulterous sexual encounter with a mortal.
{Back to Text}
(14) This is a reference to the goddess Athena. Pallene was a district within the city of Athens. [Back to Text]