Μedea 386–445

Question 1

Μήδεια
εἶἑν: καὶ δὴ τεθνᾶσι: τίς με δέξεται πόλις;
τίς γῆν ἄσυλον καὶ δόμους ἐχεγγύους
ξένος παρασχὼν ῥύσεται τοὐμὸν δέμας;
οὐκ ἔστι. μείνασ᾽ οὖν ἔτι σμικρὸν χρόνον,
390ἢν μέν τις ἡμῖν πύργος ἀσφαλὴς φανῇ,
δόλῳ μέτειμι τόνδε καὶ σιγῇ φόνον:
ἢν δ᾽ ἐξελαύνῃ ξυμφορά μ᾽ ἀμήχανος,
αὐτὴ ξίφος λαβοῦσα, κεἰ μέλλω θανεῖν,
κτενῶ σφε, τόλμης δ᾽ εἶμι πρὸς τὸ καρτερόν.
395οὐ γὰρ μὰ τὴν δέσποιναν ἣν ἐγὼ σέβω
μάλιστα πάντων καὶ ξυνεργὸν εἱλόμην,
Ἑκάτην, μυχοῖς ναίουσαν ἑστίας ἐμῆς,
χαίρων τις αὐτῶν τοὐμὸν ἀλγυνεῖ κέαρ.
πικροὺς δ᾽ ἐγώ σφιν καὶ λυγροὺς θήσω γάμους,
400πικρὸν δὲ κῆδος καὶ φυγὰς ἐμὰς χθονός.
ἀλλ᾽ εἶα φείδου μηδὲν ὧν ἐπίστασαι,
Μήδεια, βουλεύουσα καὶ τεχνωμένη:
ἕρπ᾽ ἐς τὸ δεινόν: νῦν ἀγὼν εὐψυχίας.
ὁρᾷς ἃ πάσχεις; οὐ γέλωτα δεῖ σ᾽ ὀφλεῖν
405τοῖς Σισυφείοις τοῖσδ᾽ Ἰάσονος γάμοις,
γεγῶσαν ἐσθλοῦ πατρὸς Ἡλίου τ᾽ ἄπο.
ἐπίστασαι δέ: πρὸς δὲ καὶ πεφύκαμεν
γυναῖκες, ἐς μὲν ἔσθλ᾽ ἀμηχανώταται,
κακῶν δὲ πάντων τέκτονες σοφώταται.

Answer 1

Medea
Alas, they(?) have died. What city will receive me? What stranger will take me from harm and offer a safe land and secure home to me? There is no one. Now, I wait a little time yet, if some tower appears safe to me, I will go (about) this murder with cunning and in silence. But if unchangeable fate drives me out, I will take up a sword, even if I must die, I will kill them, I will go with incredible daring.
By the goddess I worship the most of all, I chose to work with, Hecate, who dwells in the corners of my hearth, none of them will be happy or grieve my heart. I will make their marriage bed and union anger/bitter, and bitter the marriage and my exile from the land. But away, spare nothing of which you know, Medea, of planning and cunning. creep into danger, now is a contest of courage. Do you see what you are suffering? it is not nec to incur mockery by the marriage of Sispysus and Jason, being from a noble father and from Helios. You know indeed, moreover we are women, the most helpless towards bravery, the wisest craftsmen of all harm.

ξυμφορά… ἀμήχανος - unchangeable fate.
τόλμης δ᾽ εἶμι πρὸς τὸ καρτερόν - towards the strong of daring.

Question 2

Χορός
410ἄνω ποταμῶν ἱερῶν χωροῦσι παγαί,
καὶ δίκα καὶ πάντα πάλιν στρέφεται:
ἀνδράσι μὲν δόλιαι βουλαί, θεῶν δ᾽
οὐκέτι πίστις ἄραρεν.
415τὰν δ᾽ ἐμὰν εὔκλειαν ἔχειν βιοτὰν στρέψουσι φᾶμαι:
ἔρχεται τιμὰ γυναικείῳ γένει:
οὐκέτι δυσκέλαδος
420φάμα γυναῖκας ἕξει.
μοῦσαι δὲ παλαιγενέων λήξουσ᾽ ἀοιδῶν
τὰν ἐμὰν ὑμνεῦσαι ἀπιστοσύναν.
οὐ γὰρ ἐν ἁμετέρᾳ γνώμᾳ λύρας
425ὤπασε θέσπιν ἀοιδὰν
Φοῖβος ἁγήτωρ μελέων: ἐπεὶ ἀντάχησ᾽ ἂν ὕμνον
ἀρσένων γέννᾳ. μακρὸς δ᾽ αἰὼν ἔχει
πολλὰ μὲν ἁμετέραν
430ἀνδρῶν τε μοῖραν εἰπεῖν.

Answer 2

Chorus

streams of sacred rivers flow upwards,
both justice and all things turn backwards.
Councils of men are deceitful, and trust in the gods can no longer fit together.
Reputation will turn my life to good repute, glory comes to the race of women.
No longer will rumour hold women as ill-sounding.
Music of long ago will cease from the singers singing of my untrustworthiness. for Phoebus, the leader of songs, does not give godly songs of the lyre in our mind, since I would echo the song to the race of men. Long time can say many things about our fate and of men.

Question 3

Χορός
σὺ δ᾽ ἐκ μὲν οἴκων πατρίων ἔπλευσας
μαινομένᾳ κραδίᾳ διδύμους ὁρίσασα Πόν-
435του πέτρας: ἐπὶ δὲ ξένᾳ
ναίεις χθονί, τᾶς ἀνάν-
δρου κοίτας ὀλέσασα λέκτρον,
τάλαινα, φυγὰς δὲ χώ-
ρας ἄτιμος ἐλαύνῃ.
βέβακε δ᾽ ὅρκων χάρις, οὐδ᾽ ἔτ᾽ αἰδὼς
440Ἑλλάδι τᾷ μεγάλᾳ μένει, αἰθερία δ᾽ ἀνέ-
πτα. σοὶ δ᾽ οὔτε πατρὸς δόμοι,
δύστανε, μεθορμίσα-
σθαι μόχθων πάρα, σῶν τε λέκτρων
ἄλλα βασίλεια κρείσ-
445σων δόμοισιν ἐπέστα.

Answer 3

Chorus
You sailed from your father’s home, with a heart of rage, passing through the twin rocks of the sea. You dwell on a strange land, husbandless now that you’ve lost the bed of your marriage, miserable, you are driven out from this land as an exile, dishonoured.
The grace of oaths is gone and respect of heaven is no longer in great Greece but has flown away. Wretched one, there is no home of your father to change anchor from your troubles, and another princess, greater than your wedding bed, has taken charge of your home.