Medea 446–505

Question 1

ΙΑΣΩΝ
οὐ νῦν κατεῖδον πρῶτον ἀλλὰ πολλάκις
τραχεῖαν ὀργὴν ὡς ἀμήχανον κακόν.
σοὶ γὰρ παρὸν γῆν τήνδε καὶ δόμους ἔχειν
κούφως φερούσῃ κρεισσόνων βουλεύματα,
450λόγων ματαίων οὕνεκ᾿ ἐκπεσῇ χθονός.
κἀμοὶ μὲν οὐδὲν πρᾶγμα· μὴ παύσῃ ποτὲ
λέγουσ᾿ Ἰάσον᾿ ὡς κάκιστός ἐστ᾿ ἀνήρ.
ἃ δ᾿ ἐς τυράννους ἐστί σοι λελεγμένα,
πᾶν κέρδος ἡγοῦ ζημιουμένη φυγῇ.
455κἀγὼ μὲν αἰεὶ βασιλέων θυμουμένων
ὀργὰς ἀφῄρουν καί σ᾿ ἐβουλόμην μένειν·
σὺ δ᾿ οὐκ ἀνίεις μωρίας, λέγουσ᾿ ἀεὶ
κακῶς τυράννους· τοιγὰρ ἐκπεσῇ χθονός.
ὅμως δὲ κἀκ τῶνδ᾿ οὐκ ἀπειρηκὼς φίλοις
460ἥκω, τὸ σὸν δὲ προσκοπούμενος, γύναι,
ὡς μήτ᾿ ἀχρήμων σὺν τέκνοισιν ἐκπέσῃς
μήτ᾿ ἐνδεής του· πόλλ᾿ ἐφέλκεται φυγὴ
κακὰ ξὺν αὑτῇ. καὶ γὰρ εἰ σύ με στυγεῖς,
οὐκ ἂν δυναίμην σοὶ κακῶς φρονεῖν ποτε.

Answer 1

Jason
Not now for the first time but often, I have considered that a savage mood is an impossible. for it was allowed to you to have this land and home by easily bearing the plans of your superiors, you are driven out of the land on account of your foolish speech. it is no matter to me, don’t stop saying that Jason is the worst of men. But those things which were said by you against the royal family, consider your punishment all advantage in exile. For, when the king was made angry, I always tried to take it away and wanted you to remain. But you did not cease your foolishness, always speaking badly about the royals, therefore you will be exiled from this land. nevertheless, even in these circumstances, I have not failed my loved ones, providing for you, woman, so that you are not driven out penniless or wanting with our children. Exile brings many misfortunes with it. for if you hate me, I would not ever be able to bear you illwill.

βασιλέων θυμουμένων- gen absl.
κἀκ τῶνδ᾿ - και εκ (from these things)
ἀπειρηκὼς - nom. pf. pple ἀπ-ερέ

Question 2

ΜΗΔΕΙΑ
465ὦ παγκάκιστε, τοῦτο γάρ σ᾿ εἰπεῖν ἔχω,
γλώσσῃ μέγιστον εἰς ἀνανδρίαν κακόν,
ἦλθες πρὸς ἡμᾶς, ἦλθες ἔχθιστος γεγώς
[θεοῖς τε κἀμοὶ παντί τ᾿ ἀνθρώπων γένει];
οὔτοι θράσος τόδ᾿ ἐστὶν οὐδ᾿ εὐτολμία,
470φίλους κακῶς δράσαντ᾿ ἐναντίον βλέπειν,
ἀλλ᾿ ἡ μεγίστη τῶν ἐν ἀνθρώποις νόσων
πασῶν, ἀναίδει᾿. εὖ δ᾿ ἐποίησας μολών·
ἐγώ τε γὰρ λέξασα κουφισθήσομαι
ψυχὴν κακῶς σὲ καὶ σὺ λυπήσῃ κλύων.
475ἐκ τῶν δὲ πρώτων πρῶτον ἄρξομαι λέγειν·
ἔσωσά σ᾿, ὡς ἴσασιν Ἑλλήνων ὅσοι
ταὐτὸν συνεισέβησαν Ἀργῷον σκάφος,
πεμφθέντα ταύρων πυρπνόων ἐπιστάτην
ζεύγλαισι καὶ σπεροῦντα θανάσιμον γύην·
δράκοντά θ᾿, ὃς πάγχρυσον ἀμπέχων δέρος
σπείραις ἔσῳζε πολυπλόκοις ἄυπνος ὤν,
κτείνασ᾿ ἀνέσχον σοι φάος σωτήριον.
αὐτὴ δὲ πατέρα καὶ δόμους προδοῦσ᾿ ἐμοὺς
τὴν Πηλιῶτιν εἰς Ἰωλκὸν ἱκόμην
485σὺν σοί, πρόθυμος μᾶλλον ἢ σοφωτέρα·
Πελίαν τ᾿ ἀπέκτειν᾿, ὥσπερ ἄλγιστον θανεῖν,
παίδων ὕπ᾿ αὐτοῦ, πάντα τ᾿ ἐξεῖλον δόμον.
καὶ ταῦθ᾿ ὑφ᾿ ἡμῶν, ὦ κάκιστ᾿ ἀνδρῶν, παθὼν
προύδωκας ἡμᾶς, καινὰ δ᾿ ἐκτήσω λέχη,
490παίδων γεγώτων· εἰ γὰρ ἦσθ᾿ ἄπαις ἔτι,
συγγνώστ᾿ ἂν ἦν σοι τοῦδ᾿ ἐρασθῆναι λέχους.

Answer 2

Medea
Oh utterly evil man, for I am able to call you that, the biggest by my tongue against bad unmanlyness, you come to me, having become most hateful (to the gods, to me and the whole human race)? these things are not courage nor boldness, treating your loved ones badly and look at them face to face, but the greatest of all sickness in mankind, is shamelessness. You did well coming here, for speaking badly about you will unburdon my soul and hearing it you will grieve.
I will start my speech from the beginning, I saved you, as those Greeks who went aboard the hull of the Argos know, when you were sent as master over the firebreathing bulls with a yoke and to sow the deadly field; and the dragon, who kept watch over the golden fleece and guarded it sleeplessly with twisted tangles, I killed and raised the saving light to you. I myself abandoned my father and home and came to Iolcus under Pelion with you, more eager than wise. I killed Pelias, so as to die more painfully, by his own daughters, and I destroyed his whole house. and you had (experienced) these thing because of me, most evil man, and you betrayed me, you acquired a new bed, although we had children, for if you were childless still, it would have been forgivable for you to desire this bed.

γεγώς: nom. sg. pf. pple γίγνοµαι

Question 3

ΜΗΔΕΙΑ
ὅρκων δὲ φρούδη πίστις, οὐδ᾿ ἔχω μαθεῖν
εἰ θεοὺς νομίζεις τοὺς τότ᾿ οὐκ ἄρχειν ἔτι
ἢ καινὰ κεῖσθαι θέσμι᾿ ἀνθρώποις τὰ νῦν,
495ἐπεὶ σύνοισθά γ᾿ εἰς ἔμ᾿ οὐκ εὔορκος ὤν.
φεῦ δεξιὰ χείρ, ἧς σὺ πόλλ᾿ ἐλαμβάνου
καὶ τῶνδε γονάτων, ὡς μάτην κεχρῴσμεθα
κακοῦ πρὸς ἀνδρός, ἐλπίδων δ᾿ ἡμάρτομεν.
ἄγ᾿, ὡς φίλῳ γὰρ ὄντι σοι κοινώσομαι
500(δοκοῦσα μὲν τί πρός γε σοῦ πράξειν καλῶς;
ὅμως δ᾿, ἐρωτηθεὶς γὰρ αἰσχίων φανῇ)·
νῦν ποῖ τράπωμαι; πότερα πρὸς πατρὸς δόμους,
οὓς σοὶ προδοῦσα καὶ πάτραν ἀφικόμην;
ἢ πρὸς ταλαίνας Πελιάδας; καλῶς γ᾿ ἂν οὖν
505δέξαιντό μ᾿ οἴκοις ὧν πατέρα κατέκτανον.

Answer 3

Medea
Trust in oaths is gone, I am unable to learn if you think the gods of old no longer rule or now new rules are set up by men, since you know that you did not keep your oath to me.
alas my right hand, which you often grasped with your knees, how in vain/fruitless having been touched by a bad man, heated of my hopes.
Come, I will share with you as a friend (expecting to have what fineness from you? nevertheless, having been asked you will appear more shameful). now where will I turn? first to my father’s house, which I betrayed, like my country, for you coming here? or to wretched Pelias? they would accept my finely in their house which I killed their father.

τοὺς τότ᾿ - τοτε (then) of old