Euripides Iphigenia in Aulis 1185

Edward P. Coleridge (Translator)

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Well; suppose you sacrifice the child; what prayer will you utter, when it is done? what will the blessing be that you will invoke upon yourself as you are slaying our daughter? An ill returning, seeing the disgrace that speeds your going forth? Is it right that I should pray for any luck to attend you? Surely we should deem the gods devoid of sense,
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if we harbored a kindly feeling towards murder? Shall you embrace your children on your coming back to Argos ? No, you have no right. Will any child of yours ever face you, if you have surrendered one of them to death? 1 Has this ever entered into your calculations, or does your one duty consist
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in carrying a scepter about and marching at the head of an army? When you might have made this fair proposal among the Argives; Is it your wish, Achaeans, to sail for Phrygia ’s shores? Why then, cast lots whose daughter has to die. For that would have been a fair course for you to pursue, instead of picking out
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your own child for the victim and presenting her to the Danaids; or Menelaus, as it was his concern, should have slain Hermione for her mother. As it is, I, who still am true to your bed, must lose my child; while she, who went astray,
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will return with her daughter, and live in happiness at Sparta . If I am wrong in my words, answer me; but if they have been fairly urged, do not still 2 slay your child, who is mine too, and you will be wise.
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Iphigenia in Aulis. Euripides. Edward P. Coleridge (Translator). London. 1891.

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Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.

Current edition Perseus

Iphigenia at Aulis (English) (Euripides. The Plays of Euripides, Vol. II. Coleridge, Edward P., translator. London: George Bell and Sons, 1891. (Modernized by Perseus.))

Editions (1)
Ἰφιγένεια ἐν Αὐλίδι Perseus (Euripides. Euripidis Fabulae, Vol. III. Murray, Gilbert, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1913. (Reprinted 1920-1978)) — 1185 focus
εἶἑν·
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θύσεις δὲ παῖδʼ, ἔνθα τίνας εὐχὰς ἐρεῖς;
τί σοι κατεύξῃ τἀγαθόν, σφάζων τέκνον;
νόστον πονηρόν, οἴκοθέν γʼ αἰσχρῶς ἰών;
ἀλλʼ ἐμὲ δίκαιον ἀγαθὸν εὔχεσθαί τί σοι;
οὔ τἄρʼ ἀσυνέτους τοὺς θεοὺς ἡγοίμεθʼ ἄν,
εἰ τοῖσιν αὐθένταισιν εὖ φρονήσομεν;
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ἥκων δʼ ἂν Ἄργος προσπέσοις τέκνοισι σοῖς;
ἀλλʼ οὐ θέμις σοι. τίς δὲ καὶ προσβλέψεται
παίδων σʼ, ἵνʼ αὐτῶν προσέμενος κτάνῃς τινά;
ταῦτʼ ἦλθες ἤδη διὰ λόγων, ἢ σκῆπτρά σοι
μόνον διαφέρειν καὶ στρατηλατεῖν μέλει;
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ὃν χρῆν δίκαιον λόγον ἐν Ἀργείοις λέγειν·
Βούλεσθʼ, Ἀχαιοί, πλεῖν Φρυγῶν ἐπὶ χθόνα;
κλῆρον τίθεσθε παῖδʼ ὅτου θανεῖν χρεών.
ἐν ἴσῳ γὰρ ἦν τόδʼ, ἀλλὰ μὴ σὲ ἐξαίρετον
σφάγιον παρασχεῖν Δαναΐδαισι παῖδα σήν,
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ἢ Μενέλεων πρὸ μητρὸς Ἑρμιόνην κτανεῖν,
οὗπερ τὸ πρᾶγμʼ ἦν. νῦν δʼ ἐγὼ μὲν ἡ τὸ σὸν
σῴζουσα λέκτρον παιδὸς ἐστερήσομαι,
ἡ δʼ ἐξαμαρτοῦσʼ, ὑπότροφον νεάνιδα
Σπάρτῃ κομίζουσʼ, εὐτυχὴς γενήσεται.
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τούτων ἄμειψαί μʼ εἴ τι μὴ καλῶς λέγω·
εἰ δʼ εὖ λέλεκται, νῶι μὴ δή γε κτάνῃς
τὴν σήν τε κἀμὴν παῖδα, καὶ σώφρων ἔσῃ.
Translations (2)
Iphigenia in Aulis (OCR draft) Experimental (Iphigenia in Aulis. Robert Potter's English verse translation, first published in 1781–1783; text from the 1808 Oxford printing.)

No corresponding passage available

German (J. J. C. Donner, 1845; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (Euripides. Deutsch in den Versmaßen der Urschrift. Volume 2, Heidelberg: C. F. Winter, 1845. Harvard OCR compared with an independent BSB copy. Native Donner verse citations, Murray reference cards, explicitly located notes and page facsimiles. Unresolved OCR, verse divisions, unlocated notes and printed errata are documented in the source review.) — 1185 focus
Du wirst die Tochter opfern; dann wie betest du?
Was wirst du Gutes dir erslehn bei Kindesmord?
Schmachvolle Heimkehr, wie du schlecht vom Hause zogst?
Doch mir geziemt wohl, Gutes dir herabzuflehn? 1
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Traun, unverständig måsten mir die Götter dann 2
Erscheinen, wär' ich Mördern liebevoll gesinnt.
Heimkehrend druckst du deine Kinder wohl an's Herz?
Du darfst es nimmer! Welches Kind auch mochte dich
Anblicken, wenn du eines kalt ermordetest?
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Dies hatt' ich dir zu sagen. Oder gilt bei dir
Allein das Zepter, mußt du bloß Heerführer sein?
Dann ziemt' in Argos' Heere dir ein wackres Wort:
,, Ihr wollt, Achaer, schiffen nach dem Phrygerland?
So werft das Loos denn, wessen Tochter sterben soll. "
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Das wåre billig, aber nicht, daß du dein Kind
Als auserlesnes Opfer botst den Danaern.
Menelaos, ihm gilt euer Zug, er opfere
Hermione für die Mutter! Nun soll ich, die treu 3
Dein Bett bewahrte, mich beraubt des Kindes sehn,
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Und jene Lasterhafte wird in Sparta sich,
Heimkehrend, ihrer Tochter freun und glucklich sein!
Antworte hierauf, wenn ich unrecht redete;
Doch wenn ich wohl gesprochen, o dann wirst du nicht
Dein Kind und meines morden, wirst besonnen sein.
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Notes on the current edition

Iphigenia in Aulis

1. Reading ἐὰν σφῶν προέμενος, as Nauck edits from the joint correction of Hartung and Elmsley.
2. The reading adopted by Paley is εἰ δ᾽ εὖ λέλεκται τάμὰ, μηκέτι . . . for the admittedly corrupt reading of the MSS.