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O children, children, come hither! hold unto my robe; for lo! I see a herald coming towards us from Eurystheus,
by whom we are persecuted, wanderers excluded from every land. A curse on thee and him that sent thee, hateful wretch! for that same tongue of thine hath oft announced its master’s evil hests to these children’s noble sire as well.
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O children, children, come hither! hold unto my robe; for lo! I see a herald coming towards us from Eurystheus,
by whom we are persecuted, wanderers excluded from every land. A curse on thee and him that sent thee, hateful wretch! for that same tongue of thine hath oft announced its master’s evil hests to these children’s noble sire as well.
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Copreus
Doubtless thy folly lets thee think this is a good position to have taken up, and that thou art come to a city that will help thee. No ! there is none that will prefer thy feeble arm to the might of Eurystheus. Begone! why take this trouble? Thou must arise and go
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to Argos, where awaits thee death by stoning.
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Doubtless thy folly lets thee think this is a good position to have taken up, and that thou art come to a city that will help thee. No ! there is none that will prefer thy feeble arm to the might of Eurystheus. Begone! why take this trouble? Thou must arise and go
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to Argos, where awaits thee death by stoning.
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Iolaus
Not so, for the god’s altar will protect me, and this land of freedom, wherein we have set foot.
Not so, for the god’s altar will protect me, and this land of freedom, wherein we have set foot.
Copreus
Wilt give me the trouble of laying hands on thee?
Wilt give me the trouble of laying hands on thee?
Iolaus
By force at least shalt thou never drag these children hence.
By force at least shalt thou never drag these children hence.
Copreus
That shalt thou soon learn; it seems thou wert a poor prophet, after all, in this.
[Copreus here seizes the children.
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That shalt thou soon learn; it seems thou wert a poor prophet, after all, in this.
[Copreus here seizes the children.
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Iolaus
This shall never happen while I live.
This shall never happen while I live.
Copreus
Begone! for I will take them hence, for all thy refusals, for I hold
1
that they belong to Eurystheus, as they do indeed.
Begone! for I will take them hence, for all thy refusals, for I hold
1
that they belong to Eurystheus, as they do indeed.
Iolaus
Help, ye who long nave had your home in Athens!
we suppliants at Zeus’ altar in your market-place are being haled by force away, our sacred wreaths defiled, shame to your city, to the gods dishonour.
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Help, ye who long nave had your home in Athens!
we suppliants at Zeus’ altar in your market-place are being haled by force away, our sacred wreaths defiled, shame to your city, to the gods dishonour.
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Heracleidae. Euripides. Edward P. Coleridge (Translator). London. 1906.
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