Euripides' IPHIGENIA AT AULIS Complete

Translated by E. Coleridge.

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Agamemnon: Leda, the daughter of Thestius, had three children, maidens,
Phoebe, Clytaemnestra my wife, and Helen; this last it was who had
for wooers the foremost of the favoured sons of Hellas; but terrible
threats of spilling his rival's blood were uttered by each of them,
should he fail to win the maid. Now the matter filled Tyndareus, her
father, with perplexity; at length this thought occurred to him; the
suitors should swear unto each other and join right hands thereon
and pour libations with burnt sacrifice, binding themselves by this
curse, "Whoever wins the child of Tyndareus for wife, him will we
assist, in case a rival takes her from his house and goes his way,
robbing her husband of his rights; and we will march against that
man in armed array and raze his city to the ground, Hellene no less
than barbarian."

Now when they had once pledged their word and old Tyndareus with no
small cleverness had beguiled them by his shrewd device, he allowed
his daughter to choose from among her suitors the one towards whom
the breath of love might fondly waft her. Her choice fell on Menelaus;
would she had never taken him! Anon there came to Lacedaemon from
Phrygia's folk the man who, legend says, adjudged the goddesses' dispute;
in robes of gorgeous hue, ablaze with gold, in true barbaric pomp;
and he, finding Menelaus gone from home, carried Helen off with him
to his steading on Ida, a willing paramour. Goaded to frenzy Menelaus
flew through Hellas, invoking the ancient oath exacted by Tyndareus
and declaring the duty of helping the injured husband. Whereat the
chivalry of Hellas, brandishing their spears and donning their harness,
came hither to the narrow straits of Aulis with armaments of ships
and troops, with many a steed and many a car, and they chose me to
captain them all for the sake of Menelaus, since I was his brother.

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