Euripides' IPHIGENIA AT AULIS Complete

Translated by E. Coleridge.

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Menelaus: Aye, but a mind unstable is an unjust possession, disloyal
to friends. Now I am anxious to test thee, and seek not thou from
rage to turn aside from the truth, nor will I on my part overstrain
the case. Thou rememberest when thou wert all eagerness to captain
the Danai against Troy, making a pretence of declining, though eager
for it in thy heart; how humble thou wert then! taking each man by
the hand and keeping open doors for every fellow townsman who cared
to enter, affording each in turn a chance to speak with thee, even
though some desired it not, seeking by these methods to purchase popularity
from all bidders; then when thou hadst secured the command, there
came a change over thy manners; thou wert no longer so cordial before
to whilom friends, but hard of access, seldom to be found at home.
But the man of real worth ought not to change his manners in the hour
of prosperity, but should then show himself most staunch to friends,
when his own good fortune can help them most effectually. This was
the first cause I had to reprove thee, for it was here I first discovered
thy villainy; but afterwards, when thou camest to Aulis with all the
gathered hosts of Hellas, thou wert of no account; no! the want of
a favourable breeze filled thee with consternation at the chance dealt
out by Heaven. Anon the Danai began demanding that thou shouldst send
the fleet away instead of vainly toiling on at Aulis; what dismay
and confusion was then depicted in thy looks, to think that thou,
with a thousand ships at thy command, hadst not occupied the plains
of Priam with thy armies! And thou wouldst ask my counsel, "What am
I to do? what scheme can I devise. where find one?" to save thyself
being stripped of thy command and losing thy fair fame. Next when
Calchas bade thee offer thy daughter in sacrifice to Artemis, declaring
that the Danai should then sail, thou wert overjoyed, and didst gladly
undertake to offer the maid, and of thine own accord-never allege
compulsion!-thou art sending word to thy wife to despatch thy daughter
hither on pretence of wedding Achilles. This is the same air that
heard thee say it; and after all thou turnest round and hast been
caught recasting thy letter to this effect, "I will no longer be my
daughter's murderer." Exactly so! Countless others have gone through
this phase in their conduct of public affairs; they make an effort
while in power, and then retire dishonourably, sometimes owing to
the senselessness of the citizens, sometimes deservedly, because they
are too feeble of themselves to maintain their watch upon the state.
For my part, I am more sorry for our unhappy Hellas, whose purpose
was to read these worthless foreigners a lesson, while now she will
let them escape and mock her, thanks to thee and thy daughter. May
I never then appoint a man to rule my country or lead its warriors
because his kinship! Ability what the general must have; since any
man, with ordinary intelligence, can govern a state.

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