Euripides Medea 652

Aegeus

All hail, Medea! no man knoweth fairer prelude to the greeting of friends than this.

Medea

All hail to thee likewise, Aegeus, son of wise Pandion. Whence comest thou to this land?

665

Aegeus

From Phoebus’ ancient oracle.

Medea

What took thee on thy travels to the prophetic centre of the earth?

Aegeus

The wish to ask how I might raise up seed unto myself.

Medea

Pray tell me, hast thou till now dragged on a childless life?

670

Aegeus

I have no child owing to the visitation of some god.

Medea

Hast thou a wife, or hast thou never known the married state?

Aegeus

I have a wife joined to me in wedlock’s bond.

Medea

What said Phoebus to thee as to children?

Aegeus

Words too subtle for man to comprehend.

675

Medea

Surely I may learn the god’s answer?

Aegeus

Most assuredly, for it is just thy subtle wit it needs.

Medea

What said the god? speak, if I may hear it.

Aegeus

He bade me not loose the wineskin’s pendent neck. ¹

Medea

Till when? what must thou do first, what country visit?

680

Aegeus

Till I to my native home return.

Medea

What object hast thou in sailing to this land?

Aegeus

O’er Troezen’s realm is Pittheus king.

Medea

Pelops’ son, a man devout they say.

Aegeus

To him I fain would impart the oracle of the god.

685

Medea

The man is shrewd and versed in such-like lore.

Aegeus

Aye, and to me the dearest of all my warrior friends.

Medea

Good luck to thee! success to all thy wishes!

Aegeus

But why that downcast eye, that wasted cheek?

Medea

O Aegeus, my husband has proved a monster of iniquity.

690

Aegeus

What meanest thou? explain to me clearly the cause of thy despondency.

Medea

Jason is wronging me though I have given him no cause.

Aegeus

What hath he done? tell me more clearly.

Medea

He is taking another wife to succeed me as mistress of his house.

Aegeus

Can he have brought himself to such a dastard deed?

695

Medea

Be assured thereof; I, whom he loved of yore, am in dishonour now.

Aegeus

Hath he found a new love? or does he loathe thy bed?

Medea

Much in love is he! A traitor to his friend is he become.

Aegeus

Enough! if he is a villain as thou sayest.

Medea

The alliance he is so much enamoured of is with a princess.

700

Aegeus

Who gives his daughter to him? go on, I pray.

Medea

Creon, who is lord of this land of Corinth.

Aegeus

Lady, I can well pardon thy grief.

Medea

I am undone, and more than that, am banished from the land.

Aegeus

By whom? fresh woe this word of thine unfolds.

705

Medea

Creon drives me forth in exile from Corinth.

Aegeus

Doth Jason allow it? This too I blame him for.

Medea

Not in words, but he will not stand out against it. Ο, I implore thee by this beard

and by thy knees, in suppliant posture, pity, O pity my sorrows; do not see me cast forth forlorn, but receive me in thy country, to a seat within thy halls. So may thy wish by heaven’s grace be crowned with a full harvest

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of offspring, and may thy life close in happiness! Thou knowest not the rare good luck thou findest here, for I will make thy childlessness to cease and cause thee to beget fair issue; so potent are the spells I know.

715

Aegeus

Lady, on many grounds I am most fain to grant thee this thy boon,

first for the gods’ sake, next for the children whom thou dost promise I shall beget; for in respect of this I am completely lost. ² ’Tis thus with me; if e’er thou reach my land, I will attempt to champion thee as I am bound to do.

720

Only one warning I do give thee first, lady; I will not from this land bear thee away, yet if of thyself thou reach my halls, there shalt thou bide in safety and I will never yield thee up to any man. But from this land escape without my aid,

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for I have no wish to incur the blame of my allies as well. ³

730

Medea

It shall be even so; but wouldst thou pledge thy word to this, I should in all be well content with thee.

Aegeus

Surely thou dost trust me? or is there aught that troubles thee?

Medea

Thee I trust; but Pelias’ house and Creon are my foes.

Wherefore, if thou art bound by an oath, thou wilt not give ⁴ me up to them when they come to drag me from the land, but, having entered into a compact and sworn ⁵ by heaven as well, thou wilt become my friend and disregard their overtures. Weak is any aid of mine,

735

whilst they have wealth and a princely house.

740

Aegeus

Lady, thy words show much foresight, so if this is thy will, I do not refuse. For I shall feel secure and safe if I have some pretext to offer to thy foes,

and thy case too the firmer stands. Now name thy gods.

745

Medea

Swear by the plain of Earth, by Helios my father’s sire, and, in one comprehensive oath, by all the race of gods.

Aegeus

What shall I swear to do, from what refrain? tell me that.

Medea

Swear that thou wilt never of thyself expel me from thy land,

nor, whilst life is thine, permit any other, one of my foes maybe, to hale me thence if so he will.

750

Aegeus

By earth I swear, by the sun-god’s holy beam and by all the host of heaven that I will stand fast to the terms, I hear thee make.

Medea

’Tis enough. If thou shouldst break this oath, what curse dost thou invoke upon thyself?

Aegeus

Whate’er betides the impious.

755

Medea

Go in peace; all is well, and I with what speed I may, will to thy city come, when I have wrought my purpose and obtained my wish.