Euripides' PHOENISSAE Complete

Translated by E. Coleridge.

Euripides Bilingual Anthology  Studies  Euripides in Print

81 pages - You are on Page 24

Again, if Polyneices win the day and his Argive warriors rout the
ranks of Thebes, thou wilt see this city conquered and many a captive
maid brutally dishonoured by the foe; so will that wealth thou art
so bent on getting become a grievous bane to Thebes; but still ambition
fills thee. This I say to thee; and this to thee, Polyneices; Adrastus
hath conferred a foolish favour on thee; and thou too hast shown little
sense in coming to lay thy city waste. Suppose thou conquer this land
(which Heaven forefend!) tell me, I conjure thee, how wilt thou rear
a trophy to Zeus? how wilt thou begin the sacrifice after thy country's
conquest or inscribe the spoils at the streams of Inachus with "Polyneices
gave Thebes to the flames and dedicated these shields to the gods"?
Oh! never, my son, be it thine to win such fame from Hellas! If, on
the other hand, thou art worsted and thy brother's cause prevail,
how shalt thou return to Argos, leaving countless dead behind? Some
one will be sure to say, "Out on thee! Adrastus, for the evil bridegroom
thou hast brought unto thy house; thanks to one maid's marriage, ruin
is come on us."

Towards two evils, my son, art thou hasting,-loss of influence there
and ruin in the midst of thy efforts here. Oh! my children, lay aside
your violence; two men's follies, once they meet, result in very deadly
evil.

Leader: O heaven, avert these troubles and reconcile the sons of Oedipus
in some way!

Previous Page / First / Next Page of Phoenissae

Euripides Home Page ||| Elpenor's Free Greek Lessons
Aeschylus ||| Sophocles

Reference address : https://ellopos.net/elpenor/greek-texts/ancient-greece/euripides/phoenissae.asp?pg=24