Medea 576–626

Question 1

ΧΟΡΟΣ
Ἰᾶσον, εὖ μὲν τούσδ᾿ ἐκόσμησας λόγους·
ὅμως δ᾿ ἔμοιγε, κεἰ παρὰ γνώμην ἐρῶ,
δοκεῖς προδοὺς σὴν ἄλοχον οὐ δίκαια δρᾶν.
ΜΗΔΕΙΑ
ἦ πολλὰ πολλοῖς εἰμι διάφορος βροτῶν·
580ἐμοὶ γὰρ ὅστις ἄδικος ὢν σοφὸς λέγειν
πέφυκε πλείστην ζημίαν ὀφλισκάνει·
γλώσσῃ γὰρ αὐχῶν τἄδικ᾿ εὖ περιστελεῖν
τολμᾷ πανουργεῖν· ἔστι δ᾿ οὐκ ἄγαν σοφός.
ὡς καὶ σύ· μή νυν εἰς ἔμ᾿ εὐσχήμων γένῃ
585λέγειν τε δεινός. ἓν γὰρ ἐκτενεῖ σ᾿ ἔπος·
χρῆν σ᾿, εἴπερ ἦσθα μὴ κακός, πείσαντά με
γαμεῖν γάμον τόνδ᾿, ἀλλὰ μὴ σιγῇ φίλων.

Answer 1

Chorus
Jason, you laid out these words well, nevertheless to me, even though I will speak against your judgement, you appear, in betraying your wife, not to act justly.

Medea
truly, I am different in many respects to other mortals, for to my, he who is unjust and speaks wisely, brings the greatest punishment on himself. For since with his tongue he boasts to cover up injustices well and he dares to make mischief, but he is not too wise. And it’s the same to you, now do not put on a show of goodness to me and speak cleverly. for one word will bring you down. You should have, if indeed you were not wicked, you would have persuaded me to make this marriage, and not been silent towards your friends.

ἦ πολλὰ πολλοῖς - η (truly), in many respects

Question 2

ΙΑΣΩΝ
καλῶς γ᾿ ἄν, οἶμαι, τῷδ᾿ ὑπηρέτεις λόγῳ,
εἴ σοι γάμον κατεῖπον, ἥτις οὐδὲ νῦν
590τολμᾷς μεθεῖναι καρδίας μέγαν χόλον.
ΜΗΔΕΙΑ
οὐ τοῦτό σ᾿ εἶχεν, ἀλλὰ βάρβαρον λέχος
πρὸς γῆρας οὐκ εὔδοξον ἐξέβαινέ σοι.
ΙΑΣΩΝ
εὖ νυν τόδ᾿ ἴσθι, μὴ γυναικὸς οὕνεκα
γῆμαί με λέκτρα βασιλέων ἃ νῦν ἔχω,
595ἀλλ᾿, ὥσπερ εἶπον καὶ πάρος, σῶσαι θέλων
σέ, καὶ τέκνοισι τοῖς ἐμοῖς ὁμοσπόρους
φῦσαι τυράννους παῖδας, ἔρυμα δώμασιν.
ΜΗΔΕΙΑ
μή μοι γένοιτο λυπρὸς εὐδαίμων βίος
μηδ᾿ ὄλβος ὅστις τὴν ἐμὴν κνίζοι φρένα.
ΙΑΣΩΝ
600οἶσθ᾿ ὡς μετεύξῃ καὶ σοφωτέρα φανῇ;
τὰ χρηστὰ μή σοι λυπρὰ φαίνεσθαί ποτε,
μηδ᾿ εὐτυχοῦσα δυστυχὴς εἶναι δοκεῖν.
ΜΗΔΕΙΑ
ὕβριζ᾿, ἐπειδὴ σοὶ μὲν ἔστ᾿ ἀποστροφή,
ἐγὼ δ᾿ ἔρημος τήνδε φευξοῦμαι χθόνα.

Answer 2

Jason
You would have supported my plan finely, I know, if I had reported the marriage to you, the thing which now you cannot bear to give up the great rage of your heart.

Medea
this was not what you thought, but a barbarian bed would not turn out respectable to you approaching old age.

Jason
now know this well, I did not marry a royal bride on account of a woman which I now have, but, just as I said before, I wanted to save you, and make my children kindred to royalty, to be a safeguard of the house.

Medea
may I never get a blessed life that is distressing nor bliss which harms my heart.

Jason
you know how to change your mind and appear cleverer? useful things appear distressing to you, and being lucky you seem to be unlucky.

Medea
Insult me, since you have a resort to turn to, while I am exiled from this land, alone.

μετεύχομαι - μετεύχομαι, change one’s mind

Question 3

ΙΑΣΩΝ
605αὐτὴ τάδ᾿ εἵλου· μηδέν᾿ ἄλλον αἰτιῶ.
ΜΗΔΕΙΑ
τί δρῶσα; μῶν γαμοῦσα καὶ προδοῦσά σε;
ΙΑΣΩΝ
ἀρὰς τυράννοις ἀνοσίους ἀρωμένη.
ΜΗΔΕΙΑ
καὶ σοῖς ἀραία γ᾿ οὖσα τυγχάνω δόμοις.
ΙΑΣΩΝ
ὡς οὐ κρινοῦμαι τῶνδέ σοι τὰ πλείονα.
610ἀλλ᾿, εἴ τι βούλῃ παισὶν ἢ σαυτῇ φυγῆς
προσωφέλημα χρημάτων ἐμῶν λαβεῖν,
λέγ᾿· ὡς ἕτοιμος ἀφθόνῳ δοῦναι χερὶ
ξένοις τε πέμπειν σύμβολ᾿, οἳ δράσουσί σ᾿ εὖ.
καὶ ταῦτα μὴ θέλουσα μωρανεῖς, γύναι·
615λήξασα δ᾿ ὀργῆς κερδανεῖς ἀμείνονα.

Answer 3

Jason
you chose this yourself, blame no one else.

Medea
Doing what? surely you mean marrying and betraying you?

Jason
you prayed unholy prayers against the royal house.

Medea
and I am a curse against your house.

Jason
Thus, I will not dispute all of these things with you. But, if you want to take some of my money as help for you or the children in exile, then say, since I am ready to give with a generous hand and to send a token to friends, who will treat you well. you will be foolish not to want this, woman. If you cease your anger, you will gain better.

Question 4

ΜΗΔΕΙΑ
οὔτ᾿ ἂν ξένοισι τοῖσι σοῖς χρησαίμεθ᾿ ἂν
οὔτ᾿ ἄν τι δεξαίμεσθα, μηδ᾿ ἡμῖν δίδου·
κακοῦ γὰρ ἀνδρὸς δῶρ᾿ ὄνησιν οὐκ ἔχει.
ΙΑΣΩΝ
ἀλλ᾿ οὖν ἐγὼ μὲν δαίμονας μαρτύρομαι
620ὡς πάνθ᾿ ὑπουργεῖν σοί τε καὶ τέκνοις θέλω·
σοὶ δ᾿ οὐκ ἀρέσκει τἀγάθ᾿, ἀλλ᾿ αὐθαδίᾳ
φίλους ἀπωθῇ· τοιγὰρ ἀλγυνῇ πλέον.
ΜΗΔΕΙΑ
χώρει· πόθῳ γὰρ τῆς νεοδμήτου κόρης
αἱρῇ χρονίζων δωμάτων ἐξώπιος.
625νύμφευ᾿· ἴσως γάρ—σὺν θεῷ δ᾿ εἰρήσεται—γαμεῖς
τοιοῦτον ὥστε θρηνεῖσθαι γάμον.

Answer 4

Medea
I would not use friends of yours, nor will I accept anything, so do not give it to me. for the gifts of a wicked man are of no benefit to me.

Jason
At any rate, I call the gods to witness how I am willing to help you and the children in any way. good things are not pleasing to you but you push away your friends with stubbornness, therefore you will grieve more.

Medea
Farewell, you are taken by longing for your new bride, lingering out of sight of the house. Go be married, for equally - it will be said with the god’s favour- you marry such a kind that the marriage will be bewailed.