Euripides' HELEN Complete

Translated by E. Coleridge.

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90 pages - You are on Page 85

But the son of Atreus, standing where he slew the bull,
called to his comrades, "Why do ye, the pick of Hellas, delay to smite
and slay the barbarians and fling them from the ship into the waves?"
While to thy crew the boatswain cried the opposite command: "Ho! some
of you catch up chance spars, break up the benches, or snatch the
oar-blade from the thole, and beat out the brains of these our foreign
foes." Forthwith up sprang each man, the one part armed with poles
that sailors use, the other with swords. And the ship ran down with
blood; while Helen from her seat upon the stern thus cheered them
on: "Where is the fame ye won in Troy? show it against these barbarians."
Then as they hasted to the fray, some would fall and some rise up
again, while others hadst thou seen laid low in death. But Menelaus
in full armour, made his way, sword in hand, to any point where his
watchful eye perceived his comrades in distress; so we leapt from
the ship and swam, and he cleared the benches of thy rowers. Then
did the prince set himself to steer, and bade them make a straight
course to Hellas. So they set up the mast, and favouring breezes blew;
and they are clear away, while I, from death escaped, let myself down
by the anchor chain into the sea; and, just as I was spent, one threw
me a rope and rescued me, and drew me to land to bring to thee this
message. Ah! there is naught more serviceable to mankind than a prudent
distrust.

Leader of the Chorus: I would never have believed that Menelaus could
have eluded us and thee, O king, in the way he did on his coming.

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