Medea 214–270 Flashcards
Μήδεια
Κορίνθιαι γυναῖκες, ἐξῆλθον δόμων
μή μοί τι μέμψησθ᾽: οἶδα γὰρ πολλοὺς βροτῶν
σεμνοὺς γεγῶτας, τοὺς μὲν ὀμμάτων ἄπο,
τοὺς δ᾽ ἐν θυραίοις: οἱ δ᾽ ἀφ᾽ ἡσύχου ποδὸς
δύσκλειαν ἐκτήσαντο καὶ ῥᾳθυμίαν.
δίκη γὰρ οὐκ ἔνεστ᾽ ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς βροτῶν,
ὅστις πρὶν ἀνδρὸς σπλάγχνον ἐκμαθεῖν σαφῶς
στυγεῖ δεδορκώς, οὐδὲν ἠδικημένος.
χρὴ δὲ ξένον μὲν κάρτα προσχωρεῖν πόλει:
οὐδ᾽ ἀστὸν ᾔνεσ᾽ ὅστις αὐθάδης γεγὼς
πικρὸς πολίταις ἐστὶν ἀμαθίας ὕπο.
ἐμοὶ δ᾽ ἄελπτον πρᾶγμα προσπεσὸν τόδε
ψυχὴν διέφθαρκ᾽: οἴχομαι δὲ καὶ βίου
χάριν μεθεῖσα κατθανεῖν χρῄζω, φίλαι.
ἐν ᾧ γὰρ ἦν μοι πάντα, γιγνώσκω καλῶς,
κάκιστος ἀνδρῶν ἐκβέβηχ᾽ οὑμὸς πόσις.
Medea
Corinthian women, I have come out of my house lest you find some fault with me, for I know that many mortals are proud/haughty, some away from public eyes and others in public, others acquire infamy and indifference from a silent foot. For there is no justice in the eyes of mortals, the very sort who hate before they clearly see and learn a man’s heart, although they have not been wronged. it is nec for strangers to excessively agree with the polis, nor do I praise the citizen who is stubbon and is harsh to other citizens by their ill breeding. The unexpected blow has fallen on me and destroyed my life in this way. I am ruined and I need/want to die, loosening the grace of life, beloved ones. for I know well that my husband, in whom there was everything to me, has turned out to be the worst of men.
Μήδεια
πάντων δ᾽ ὅσ᾽ ἔστ᾽ ἔμψυχα καὶ γνώμην ἔχει
γυναῖκές ἐσμεν ἀθλιώτατον φυτόν:
ἃς πρῶτα μὲν δεῖ χρημάτων ὑπερβολῇ
πόσιν πρίασθαι, δεσπότην τε σώματος
[λαβεῖν: κακοῦ γὰρ τοῦτ᾽ ἔτ᾽ ἄλγιον κακόν].
κἀν τῷδ᾽ ἀγὼν μέγιστος, ἢ κακὸν λαβεῖν
ἢ χρηστόν: οὐ γὰρ εὐκλεεῖς ἀπαλλαγαὶ
γυναιξὶν οὐδ᾽ οἷόν τ᾽ ἀνήνασθαι πόσιν.
ἐς καινὰ δ᾽ ἤθη καὶ νόμους ἀφιγμένην
δεῖ μάντιν εἶναι, μὴ μαθοῦσαν οἴκοθεν,
240ὅπως ἄριστα χρήσεται ξυνευνέτῃ.
κἂν μὲν τάδ᾽ ἡμῖν ἐκπονουμέναισιν εὖ
πόσις ξυνοικῇ μὴ βίᾳ φέρων ζυγόν,
ζηλωτὸς αἰών: εἰ δὲ μή, θανεῖν χρεών.
ἀνὴρ δ᾽, ὅταν τοῖς ἔνδον ἄχθηται ξυνών,
245ἔξω μολὼν ἔπαυσε καρδίαν ἄσης
[ἢ πρὸς φίλον τιν᾽ ἢ πρὸς ἥλικα τραπείς]:
ἡμῖν δ᾽ ἀνάγκη πρὸς μίαν ψυχὴν βλέπειν.
λέγουσι δ᾽ ἡμᾶς ὡς ἀκίνδυνον βίον
ζῶμεν κατ᾽ οἴκους, οἱ δὲ μάρνανται δορί,
250κακῶς φρονοῦντες: ὡς τρὶς ἂν παρ᾽ ἀσπίδα
στῆναι θέλοιμ᾽ ἂν μᾶλλον ἢ τεκεῖν ἅπαξ.
of everything that has life and thoughts, we women are the most miserable creatures, who first it is nec to buy a husband at an excessive price, as a master of our bodies (to take one, this evil is so much worse than evil). And in this way, it is the greatest struggle, whether to take a bad one or a good one. It is a good reputation for women to divorce and it is not possible to refuse a husband. When a woman arrives at new customs and practises, she must be divine/a seer, not having learned about the house, how she will best deal with her husband. And if, after doing our work well, our husbands live with us, bearing the yoke without violence, our time is enviable. If not, it is nec to die. men, whenever he is annoyed with those living in the house, goes out and ends the loathing of his heart (or to a friend of his or to someone his own age), we depend on one soul. They say that we live a danger-free life at home, while they fight with the spear, they think wrongly, since I would rather stand shield to shield three times over than bear children once.
Μήδεια
ἀλλ᾽ οὐ γὰρ αὑτὸς πρὸς σὲ κἄμ᾽ ἥκει λόγος:
σοὶ μὲν πόλις θ᾽ ἥδ᾽ ἐστὶ καὶ πατρὸς δόμοι
βίου τ᾽ ὄνησις καὶ φίλων συνουσία,
255ἐγὼ δ᾽ ἔρημος ἄπολις οὖσ᾽ ὑβρίζομαι
πρὸς ἀνδρός, ἐκ γῆς βαρβάρου λελῃσμένη,
οὐ μητέρ᾽, οὐκ ἀδελφόν, οὐχὶ συγγενῆ
μεθορμίσασθαι τῆσδ᾽ ἔχουσα συμφορᾶς.
τοσοῦτον οὖν σου τυγχάνειν βουλήσομαι,
260ἤν μοι πόρος τις μηχανή τ᾽ ἐξευρεθῇ
πόσιν δίκην τῶνδ᾽ ἀντιτείσασθαι κακῶν
[τὸν δόντα τ᾽ αὐτῷ θυγατέρ᾽ ἥ τ᾽ ἐγήματο],
σιγᾶν. γυνὴ γὰρ τἄλλα μὲν φόβου πλέα
κακή τ᾽ ἐς ἀλκὴν καὶ σίδηρον εἰσορᾶν:
265ὅταν δ᾽ ἐς εὐνὴν ἠδικημένη κυρῇ,
οὐκ ἔστιν ἄλλη φρὴν μιαιφονωτέρα.
Χορός
δράσω τάδ᾽: ἐνδίκως γὰρ ἐκτείσῃ πόσιν,
Μήδεια. πενθεῖν δ᾽ οὔ σε θαυμάζω τύχας.
ὁρῶ δὲ καὶ Κρέοντα, τῆσδ᾽ ἄνακτα γῆς,
270στείχοντα, καινῶν ἄγγελον βουλευμάτων.
Medea
But the story does not come the same towards you and me. You still have a city and homes of your father, the enjoyment of life and keep company with loved ones. While I am alone and cityless, mistreated by my husband, carried off as booty from a foreign land, having no mother, no brother, no relatives to seek refuge from this disaster. I want to attain just so much/little from you, if some device is found by me to inflict justice on my husband for these wrongs (and the one he married and the one who gave her), keep quiet. in other respects, a woman is filled with fear, bad towards strength/battle and looking at steel, but whenever she meets with dishonour towards her bed, there is no other mind more murderous.
Chorus
I will do this. For you will exact justice on your husband, Medea. I don’t wonder that you lament this misfortune.
I see Creon approaching, ruler of this land, he has a new message of purpose.
σιγᾶν - infin as imp.
