Medea 271–323

Question 1

Κρέων
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
275τοῦδ᾽ εἰμί, κοὐκ ἄπειμι πρὸς δόμους πάλιν
πρὶν ἄν σε γαίας τερμόνων ἔξω βάλω.

Μήδεια
αἰαῖ: πανώλης ἡ τάλαιν᾽ ἀπόλλυμαι:
ἐχθροὶ γὰρ ἐξιᾶσι πάντα δὴ κάλων,
κοὐκ ἔστιν ἄτης εὐπρόσοιστος ἔκβασις.
280ἐρήσομαι δὲ καὶ κακῶς πάσχουσ᾽ ὅμως:
τίνος μ᾽ ἕκατι γῆς ἀποστέλλεις, Κρέον;

Κρέων
δέδοικά σ᾽ （οὐδὲν δεῖ παραμπίσχειν λόγους）
μή μοί τι δράσῃς παῖδ᾽ ἀνήκεστον κακόν.
συμβάλλεται δὲ πολλὰ τοῦδε δείγματα:
285σοφὴ 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.
290κρεῖσσον δέ μοι νῦν πρός σ᾽ ἀπεχθέσθαι, γύναι,
ἢ μαλθακισθένθ᾽ ὕστερον μεταστένειν.

Answer 1

Creon
You, Medea, sullen face angry towards your husband, I proclaim that as an exile you must pass out of this land, taking your two children with you, and do not delay at all. since I am the enforcer of this decree, I will not go back to my home before I throw you from the borders of this land.

Medea
alas, I am undone, all destructive wretchedness. my enemies send out everything reef (sail) and there is no easy approach for escape from ruin. Nevertheless, although I suffer badly, I will ask, why do you send me away from this land, Creon?

Creon
I fear (it is not nec to disguise my words) that you will do something fatal and bad to my daughter. Many things contribute to this, you are wise in nature and knowledgable about many bad things, you grieve that you have been robbed of your marriage bed and husband. I hear that you threaten, as they report to me, to do something to the bride, the one who gave her and her husband. I will keep watch before these things happen. It is now better to be hated by you, woman, than to soften and lament later.

τι μέλλειν - τι at all

συμβάλλεται δὲ πολλὰ τοῦδε δείγματα - partative gen.

Question 2

Μήδεια
φεῦ φεῦ.
οὐ νῦν με πρῶτον ἀλλὰ πολλάκις, Κρέον,
ἔβλαψε δόξα μεγάλα τ᾽ εἴργασται κακά.
χρὴ δ᾽ οὔποθ᾽ ὅστις ἀρτίφρων πέφυκ᾽ ἀνὴρ
295παῖδας περισσῶς ἐκδιδάσκεσθαι σοφούς:
χωρὶς γὰρ ἄλλης ἧς ἔχουσιν ἀργίας
φθόνον πρὸς ἀστῶν ἀλφάνουσι δυσμενῆ.
σκαιοῖσι μὲν γὰρ καινὰ προσφέρων σοφὰ
δόξεις ἀχρεῖος κοὐ σοφὸς πεφυκέναι:
300τῶν δ᾽ αὖ δοκούντων εἰδέναι τι ποικίλον
κρείσσων νομισθεὶς ἐν πόλει λυπρὸς φανῇ.
ἐγὼ δὲ καὐτὴ τῆσδε κοινωνῶ τύχης:
σοφὴ γὰρ οὖσα, τοῖς μέν εἰμ᾽ ἐπίφθονος,
[τοῖς δ᾽ ἡσυχαία, τοῖς δὲ θατέρου τρόπου,
305τοῖς δ᾽ αὖ προσάντης: εἰμὶ δ᾽ οὐκ ἄγαν σοφή,]
σὺ δ᾽ αὖ φοβῇ με: μὴ τί πλημμελὲς πάθῃς;
οὐχ ὧδ᾽ ἔχει μοι, μὴ τρέσῃς ἡμᾶς, Κρέον,
ὥστ᾽ ἐς τυράννους ἄνδρας ἐξαμαρτάνειν.
σὺ γὰρ τί μ᾽ ἠδίκηκας; ἐξέδου κόρην
310ὅτῳ σε θυμὸς ἦγεν. ἀλλ᾽ ἐμὸν πόσιν
μισῶ: σὺ δ᾽, οἶμαι, σωφρονῶν ἔδρας τάδε.
καὶ νῦν τὸ μὲν σὸν οὐ φθονῶ καλῶς ἔχειν:
νυμφεύετ᾽, εὖ πράσσοιτε: τήνδε δὲ χθόνα
ἐᾶτέ μ᾽ οἰκεῖν. καὶ γὰρ ἠδικημένοι
315σιγησόμεσθα, κρεισσόνων νικώμενοι.

Answer 2

Medea
Alas alas.
Not now for the first time but often, Creon, has my reputation has harmed me and I have suffered great harm. It is never nec for anyone of sound mind to educate their children to excessive wisdom. apart from this other thing, idleness which they have, they incur ill-will and hostility from the citizens. For bringing new wisdom to stupid people, you will seem to be useless, not wise. if you are thought of as greater in the city than those who appear to know something varied (many different things) you will appear annoying.
I share myself share this fate, for being wise, I hateful to some (quiet to others, (being of) another way to some, objectionable again to some, but I am not so very wise).
in turn, you fear me, what harm do you suffer? Don’t flee from me, Creon, I am not the type of the person to harm my ruler. How have you harmed me? you gave your daughter to the man who your heart led to to. I hate my husband, I think you did this wisely. and now I do not bear ill will to your happiness. You gave her in marriage, may it be well! but allow me to live in this land. For although I have been wronged, I will be silent, I have been conquered by my superiors.

θάτερος is crasis for τοῦ ἁτέρου (ἑτέρου)
ἠδικημένοι - pf pl part nom masc (but read as sg fem)

Question 3

Κρέων
λέγεις ἀκοῦσαι μαλθάκ᾽, ἀλλ᾽ ἔσω φρενῶν
ὀρρωδία μοι μή τι βουλεύσῃς κακόν,
τοσῷδε δ᾽ ἧσσον ἢ πάρος πέποιθά σοι:
γυνὴ γὰρ ὀξύθυμος, ὡς δ᾽ αὔτως ἀνήρ,
320ῥᾴων φυλάσσειν ἢ σιωπηλὸς σοφή.
ἀλλ᾽ ἔξιθ᾽ ὡς τάχιστα, μὴ λόγους λέγε:
ὡς ταῦτ᾽ ἄραρε, κοὐκ ἔχεις τέχνην ὅπως
μενεῖς παρ᾽ ἡμῖν οὖσα δυσμενὴς ἐμοί.

Answer 3

Creon
You speak soothing words to hear, but there is terror in my heart that you are planning something bad, but I am convinced by you much less than I was before. For woman who is quick to anger, in the same way as a man, is easier to guard than one who is wise and silent. Go away as quickly as possible, don’t speak words. towards this is fixed, you do not have a trick/means by which you can stay with us since you are hostile towards me.