ΙΦΙΓΕΝΕΙΑ Η ΕΝ ΤΑΥΡΟΙΣ I T Euripides Lines 1 57. Iphigeneia enters and eaks the Prologue. She describes her ancestry and how her father Agamemnon intended to sacrifice her to Artemis at Aulis in order to obtain good weather for the assembled fleet to sail to Troy, but Artemis substituted a deer on the altar and carried her off to be her priestess in the land of the Taurians, where she has to prepare for sacrifice any Greeks who come to the land. She then relates a dream she has just had, from which she infers that her brother Orestes, who was an infant at the time of her supposed sacrifice, is dead. Πέλοψ ὁ Ταντάλειος ἐς Πῖσαν μολὼν Pelops, the son of Tantalus, coming to Pisa by means of swift θοαῖσιν ἵπποις Οἰνομάου γαμεῖ κόρην, horses, marries the daughter of Oinomaus, from whom Atreus ἐξ ἧς Ἀτρεὺς ἔβλαστεν Ἀτρέως δ ἄπο was born. From Atreus came both Menelaus and Agamemnon. Μενέλαος Ἀγαμέμνων τε τοῦ δ ἔφυν ἐγώ, From him came myself, 5 Iphigeneia the child of the daughter of 5 τῆς Τυνδαρείας θυγατρὸς Ἰφιγένεια παῖς, Tyndareus, whom, beside the eddies which often the Euripus ἣν ἀμφὶ δίναις ἃς θάμ Εὔριπος πυκναῖς whirls around with frequent gusts of wind and ru es the dark αὔραις ἑλίσσων κυανέαν ἅλα στρέφει, blue sea, my father sacri ced me as it seems for the sake of Helen, ἔσφαξεν Ἑλένης οὕνεχ, ὡς δοκεῖ, πατὴρ to Artemis, in the famous valley-folds of Aulis. Ἀρτέμιδι κλειναῖς ἐν πτυχαῖσιν Αὐλίδος. 10 ἐνταῦθα γὰρ δὴ χιλίων ναῶν στόλον 10 For there the Lord Agamemnon gathered together a Greek ex- Ἑλληνικὸν συνήγαγ Ἀγαμέμνων ἄναξ, pedition of a thousand ships, wishing to take for the Achaeans τὸν καλλίνῖκον στέφανον Ἰλίου θέλων the glorious victory-crown of Ilium, and to avenge the insulted λαβεῖν Ἀχαιοῖς τούς θ ὑβρισθέντας γάμους marriage of Helen, bringing a favour to Menelaus. 15 But meeting Ἑλένης μετελθεῖν, Μενέλεῳ χάριν φέρων. with terrible weather, un t for sailing, and with contrary winds, 15 δεινῆς δ ἀπλοίας πνευμάτων τε τυγχάνων, he cam to burnt sacri ces, and Calchas spoke as follows. O Lord ἐς ἔμπυρ ἦλθε, καὶ λέγει Κάλχας τάδε of this Greek military expedition, Agamemnon, you will not un- Ὦ τῆσδ ἀνάσσων Ἑλλάδος στρατηγίας, moor your ships from the land before Artemis takes your daugh- Ἀγάμεμνον, οὐ μὴ ναῦς ἀφορμίσῃ χθονός, ter Iphigeneia slaughtered. 20 For the fairest thing which a year πρὶν ἂν κόρην σὴν Ἰφιγένειαν Ἄρτεμις would produce, you prayed that you would bring to the lightλάβῃ 20 σφαγεῖσαν ὅ τι γὰρ ἐνιαυτὸς τέκοι bearing goddess. And so in you halls your wife Clytemnestra κάλλιστον, ηὔξω φωσφόρ, θύσειν θεᾷ. bears you a child, ascribing the title Fairest to me which παῖδ οὖν ἐν οἴκοις σὴ Κλυταιμήστρα δάμαρ it is necessary for you to sacri ce. τίκτει τὸ καλλιστεῖον εἰς ἔμ ἀναφέρων ἣν χρή σε θῦσαι. 1
καί μ Ὀδυσσέως τέχναις And by the trickery of Odysseus, they took me from my 25 mother 25 μητρὸς παρείλοντ ἐπὶ γάμοις Ἀχιλλέως. to marriage to Achilles. Having come to Aulis I, wretched one, ἐλθοῦσα δ Αὐλίδ ἡ τάλαιν ὑπὲρ πυρᾶς was taken and lifted above the pyre and was being killed with μεταρσ ια ληφθεῖσ ἐκαινόμην ξίφει a sword but Artemis stole me, substituting a deer for me for ἀλλ ἐξέκλεψεν ἔλαφον ἀντιδοῦσά μον the Achaeans, 30 sending me through the shining air and settled Ἄρτεμις Ἀχαιοῖς, διὰ δὲ λαμπρὸν αἰθέρα me in this land of the Taurians where the barbarian Thoas rules 30 πέμψασά μ ἐς τήνδ ᾤκισεν Ταύρων χθόνα, over the barbarians, who having made his swift foot equal to the οὗ γῆς ἀνάσσει βαρβάροισι βάρβαρος wings of birds, came to his name for the sake of his swiftfooted- Θόας, ὃς ὠκὺν πόδα τιθεὶς ἴσον πτεροῖς ness, and made me a priestess in this temple here. ἐς τοὔνομ ἦλθε τόδε ποδωκείας χάριν. ναοῖσι δ ἐν τοῖσδ ἱερέαν τίθηδί με. 35 ἃ καινὰ δ ἥκει νὺξ φέρουσα φάσματα, 35 The new dreams which the night came bringing to me, I will λέξω πρὸς αἰθέρ, εἴ τι δὴ τόδ ἔστ ἄκος. tell to the heavens, if this is some remedy. In my sleep I seemed to ἔδοξ ἐν ὕπνῳ τῆσδ ἀπαλλαχθεῖσα γῆς have departed from this land and to be living in Argos, and sleepοἰκεῖν ἐν Ἄργει, παρθένοισι δ ἐν μέσαις ing there among my maidservants, and the surface of the land to εὕδειν, χθονὸς δὲ νῶτα σεισθῆναι σάλῳ, have been shaken by an earthquake, 40 and I escaped and, standφεύγειν 40 δὲ κἄξω στᾶσα θριγκὸν εἰσιδεῖν ing outside, I saw the cornice of the house falling, and the whole δόμων πίτνοντᾳ πᾶν δ ἐπείψιμον στέγος roof in ruins thrown down to the ground from the tops of the βεβλημένον πρὸς οὖδας ἐξ ἄκρων σταθμῶν. columns. One column alone seemed to me to be left of my father s μόνος λελεῖφθαι στῦλος εἷς ἔδοξέ μοι house, and to pour forth golden hair from the capital, 45 and to δόμων πατρῴων, ἐκ δ ἐπικράνων κόμας take the voice of my father, and I, duly observing the strangerξανθὰς 45 καθεῖφθαι, φθέγμα δ ἀνθρώπου λαβεῖν, killing skill which I have, sprinkled it with water as being about κἀγὼ τέχνην τήνδ ἣν ἔχω ξενοκτόνον to die, weeping. Thus I interpret the dream as follows. Orestes τιμῶσ ὑδραίνειν αὐτὸν ὡς θανούμενον, has died, who I prepared for sacri ce. 50 For the columns of the κλαίουσα. τοὔναρ δ ὧδε συμβάλλω τόδε house are the male children. Those whom my sprinklings of holy τέθνηκ Όρέστης, οὗ κατηρξάμην ἐγώ. water have struck, have died. And so now I want to give libation 50 στῦλοι γὰρ οἴκων παῖδές εἰσιν ἄρσενεσ to my brother, being present here, he far o for we could do θνῄσκουσι δ οὓς ἂν χέρνιβες βάλωσ ἑμαί. this along with my maidservants, 55 Greek women, whom my νῦν οὖν ἀδελφῷ βούλομαι δοῦναι χοὰς lord has given me. But for some reason they are not yet here? I παροῦσ ἀπόντι ταῦτα γὰρ δυναίμεθ ἄν will go inside the building of this temple of the goddess in which σὺν προσπόλοισιν, ἃς ἔδωχ ἡμῖν ἄναξ I dwell. 55 Ἑλληνίδας γυναῖκας. ἀλλ ἐξ αἰτίας οὔπω τίνος πάρεισιν εἶμ ἔσω δόμων ἐν οἷσι ναίω τῶνδ ἀνακτόρων θεᾶς. [Exeunt Enter Orestes and his friend Pylades. ey see the grim relics of human sacrifice on the altar. Lines 58 93. Orestes describes how he has been driven in madness from land to land by the Furies because he killed his mother Clytemnestra to avenge her murder of his father and how Apollo bade him fetch an image of Artemis from this Tauric land. Pylades advises waiting until night, when they may be able to steal the image from the temple. 2
ὦ Φοῖβε, ποῖ μ αὖ τήνδ ἐς ἄρκυν ἤγαγες Phoebus, why have you brought me again into this snare having χρήσας, ἐπειδὴ πατρὸς αἷμ ἐτεισάμην, given an oracle, since I avenged my father s blood having killed 60 μητέρα κατακτάς διαδοχαῖς δ Έρινύων my mother? 60 By successions of Furies, we have been pursued ἠλαυνόμεσθα φθγάδες ἔξεδροι χθονὸς as exiles driven from our land and I have completed many races, δρόμους τε πολλοὺς ἐξέπλησα καμπίμους. doubling back. And coming I asked you how I might come to ἐλθὼν δέ σ ἠρώτησα πῶς τροχηλάτου the end of my whirling madness and of my toils, 65 which I have μανίας ἂν ἔλθοιμ ἐς τέλος πόνων τ ἐμῶν, laboured over, wandering throughout Greece. You told me to 65 οὓς ἐξεμόχθουν περιπολῶν καθ Ἑλλάδα. come to the borders of the Taurian land, where Artemis, your σὺ δ εἶπας ἐλθεῖν Ταυρικῆς μ ὅρους χθονός, sister, has her altars, to take the statue of the goddess, which, ἔνθ Ἄρτεμις σὴ σθ γγονος βωμοὺς ἔχοι, they say fell from the heavens into this temple here. 70 Taking it λαβεῖν τ ἄγαλμα θεᾶς, ὅ φασιν ἐνθάδε either by stratagems or by some good fortune, having risked all ἐς τούσδε ναοὺς οὺρανοῦ πεσεῖν ἄπο danger, to the Athenians land to give it nothing beyond this 70 λαβόντα δ ἢ τέχναισιν ἢ τύχῃ τινί, was instructed to me and, having done this, to have a respite κίνδυνον ἐκπλήσαντ, Ἀθηναίων χθονὶ from my labours. δοῦναι τὸ δ ἐνθένδ οὐδεὲν ἐρρήθη πέρα καὶ ταῦτα δράσαντ ἀμπνοὰς ἕξειν πόνων. ἥκω δὲ πεισθεὶς σοῖς λόγοισιν ἐνθάδε I have come here, persuaded by your words, to this land 75 ἄγνωστον ἐς γῆν, ἄξενον. σὲ δ ἑστορῶ, 75 unknown, and hostile to strangers. I ask you, Pylades for Πυλάδη σὺ γὰρ μοι τοῦδε συλλήπτωρ πόνου you are my partner in my labour what are we to do? For do τί δρῶμεν ἀμφίβληστρα γὰρ τοίχων ὁρᾷς you see the high encirclements of the walls? Do we go up the ὑφηλά πότερα δωμάτων προσαμβάσεις stairways of the buildings? And so how would we escape no- ἐμβησόμεσθα πῶς ἂν οὗν λάθοιμεν ἄν tice doing this? Or should we loosed, with our crowbars, 80 the 80 ἢ χαλκότεθκτα κλῇθρα λύσαντες μοχλοῖς bronze-made bolts of which we know nothing? If when opening ὧν οὐδὲν ἴσμεν ἢν δ ἀνοίγοντες πύλας the gates and devising entrances we will die. But before we die, ληφθῶμεν ἐσβάσεις τε μηχανώμενοι, let us ee to our ship, by means of which we made our journey θανούμεθ. ἀλλὰ πρὶν θανεῖν, νεὼς ἔπι here. φεύγωμεν, ᾗπερ δεῦρ ἐναυστολήσαμεν 85 φεύγειν μὲν οὐκ ἀνεκτὸν οὐδ εἰώθαμεν, 85 It is not tolerable to ee nor are we accustomed to, and we must τὸν τοῦ θεοῦ δὲ χρησμὸν οὐ κακιστέον not bring reproach on the oracle of the god. Having departed ναοῦ δ ἀπαλλαχθέντε κρύψωμεν δέμας from the temple let us hide our bodies in a cave which the dark κατ ἄντρ ἃ πόντος νοτίδι διακλύζει μέλας sea washes with the tidal surge far from our ship, lest someone, νεὼς ἄπωθεν, μή τις εἰσιδὼν σκάφος seeing our boat, tell the 90 rulers, and then we are taken by force. 90 βασιλεῦσιν εἴπῃ κᾆτα ληφθῶμεν βίᾳ. But when the eye of murky night comes, we must dare to take ὅταν δὲ νυκτὸς ὄμμα λυγαίας μόλῃ, the polished e gy from the temple, using every device. τολμητέον τοι ξεστὸν ἐκ ναοῦ λαβεῖν ἄγαλμα πάσας προσφέροντε μηχανάς. [Exeunt 3
e Chorus of captive Greek maidens, now a endants on Iphigeneia, sings a lament for the ruined house of Atreus and for the hard lot of Greek exiles in the Tauric land. A herdsman enters to tell Iphigeneia that two Greek strangers, one named Pylades, have reached the land and have been captured a er the other one in a fit of madness a acked some ca le. It is Iphigeneia s duty to consecrate them to the altar for sacrifice. inking that her brother is dead and remembering her own intended slaughter at Aulis for the sake of Helen, she steels herself to be ruthless. e Chorus sings an ode wondering who the strangers are and wishing that Helen, the cause of so many wœs, might be slain on the altar here. e captives are brought onto the stage, where Iphigeneia sees her brother for the first time without knowing who he is. Lines 94 171. Iphigeneia asks Orestes his name, which he refuses to ve, and enquires about the return of the Greeks from Troy, and about her own parents, of whose death she now hears for the first time. She also learns that de ite her dream Orestes is somewhere alive. Ιφ. ποτερος ἄρ ὑμῶν ἐνθάδ ὠνομασμένος Iph. Which of the two of you here is called by name Pylades? 95 Πυλάδης κέκληται τόδε μαθεῖν πρῶτον θέλω. This is the rst thing I wish to learn. Ορ. ὅδ, εἴ τι δή σοι τοῦτ ἐν ἡδονῇ μαθεῖν. Or. This man is. If this is something for you to learn in Ιφ. ποίας πολίτης πατρίδος Ἕλληνος γεγώς Iph. A citizen of what Greek state is he born? [pleasure. Ορ. τί δ ἄν μαθοῦσα τόδε πλέον λάβοις, γύναι Or. What more would you gain by learning this, lady? Ιφ. πότερον ἀδελφὼ μητρός ἐστον ἐκ μιᾶς Iph. Are you brothers of one mother? 100 Ορ. φιλότητί γ ἐσμὲν δ οὐ κασιγνήτω, γύναι. Or. In friendship yes. But we are nor brothers, madam. Ιφ. σοὶ δ ὄνομα ποῖον ἔθεθ ὁ γεννήσας πατήρ Iph. What is the name that your father who begat you gave you? Ορ. τὸ μὲν δίκαιον Δθστθχὴς καλοίμεθ ἄν. Or. Justly I would be called Unfortunate. Ιφ. οὐ τοῦτ ἐρωτῶ τοῦτο μὲν δὸς τῇ τύχῃ. Iph. I do not ask for this. Ascribe this to Fortune. Ορ. ἀνώνυμοι θανόντες οὐ γελῴμεθ ἄν. Or. If I were to die nameless I would not be mocked. 105 Ιφ. τί δὲ φθνεῖς τοῦτ ἦ φρονεῖς οὕτω μέγα Iph. Why do you begrudge me this? Or are you so proud? Ορ. τὸ σῶμα θύσεις τοὐμόν, οὐχὶ τοὔνομα. Or. You will sacri ce my body, not my name. Ιφ. οὐδ ἂν πόλιν φράσειας ἥτις ἐστί σοι Iph. Would you not name the city which is yours? Ορ. ζητεῖς γὰρ οὐδὲν κέρδος, ὡς θανουμένῳ. Or. No, for you are seeking something of no bene t to me since I am Ιφ. χάριν δὲ δοῦναι τήνδε κωλύει τί σε Iph. What prevents you from giving me this favour? [about to di 110 Ορ. τὸ κλεινὸν Ἄργος πατρίδ ἐμὴν ἐπεύχομαι. Or. I boast that famous Argos is my homeland. Ιφ. πρὸς θεῶν, ἀληθῶς, ὦ ξέν, εἶ κεῖθεν γεγώς Iph. By Heavens, truly, stranger, are you born from there? Ορ. ἐκ τῶν Μυκηνῶν γ, αἵ ποτ ἦσαν ὄλβιαι. Or. Indeed from Mycenae, which was one prosperous. Ιφ. φυγὰς δ ἀπῆρας πατρίδος, ἢ ποίᾳ τύχῃ Iph. Have you departed from your country as an exile, or by what Ορ. φεύγω τρόπον γε δή τιν οὐχ ἑκὼν ἑκών. Or. I ee in a certain way, both willingly and unwillingly. [fortune 115 Ιφ. καὶ μὴν ποθεινός γ ἦλθες ἐξ Ἄργους μολών. Iph. And indeed you have come longed-for from Argos. Ορ. οὔκουν ἐμαυτῷ γ εἰ δὲ σοί, σὺ τοῦτ ἔρα. Or. Not for me; but if to you, then you enjoy this. Ιφ. ἆρ ἄν τί μοι φράσειας ὧν ἐγὼ θέλω Iph. Would you then tell me something of what I want to know? Ορ. ὡς ἐν παρέργῳ τῆς ἐμῆς δυσπραξίας. Or. Yes, it is a minor point in my present misfortune. Ιφ. Τροίαν ἴσως οἶσθ, ἧς ἁπανταχοῦ λόγος. Iph. Perhaps you know Troy, whose reputation is everywhere. 120 Ορ. ὡς μήποτ ὤφελόν γε μηδ ἰδὼν ὄναρ. Or. How I wish that I had never known of it, not even seeing it in Ιφ. φασίν νιν οὐκέτ οὖσαν οἴχεσθαι δορί. Iph. They say that it is no longer, destroyed by the spear. [a dream Ορ. ἔστιν γὰρ οὕτως οὐδ ἄκραντ ἠκούσατε. Or. For thus it is, and you have heard things not unful lled. Ιφ. Ἑλένη δ ἀφῖκται δῶμα Μενέλεω πάλιν Iph. Has Helen come back again to the house of Menelaus? Ορ. ἥκει, κακῶς γ ἐλθοῦσα τῶν ἐμῶν τινι. Or. She came; she came evilly for any of my kin. 4
125 Ιφ. καὶ ποῦ στι κἀμοὶ γάρ τι πτουφείλει κακόν. Iph. And where is she? For she owed me some evil debt. Ορ. Σπάρτῃ ξυνοικεῖ τῷ πάρος ξυνευνέτῃ. Or. She lives in Sparta with her previous husband. Ιφ. ὦ μῖσος εἰς Ἕλληνας, οὐκ ἐμοὶ μόνῃ. Iph. O hateful thing to the Hellenes, not to me alone. Ορ. ἀπέλαυσα κἀγὼ δή τι τῶν κείνης γάμων. Or. I too have bene ted somewhat from her marriage. Ιφ. νόστος δ Άχαιῶν ἐγένεθ, ὡς κηρύσσεται Iph. Did the Achaeans journey home, as it is reported? 130 Ορ. ὡς πάνθ ἅπαξ με συλλαβοῦσ ἀνιστορεῖς. Or. Taking all together at once you question me. Ιφ. πρὶν γὰρ θανεῖν σε, τοῦδ ἐπαυρέσθαι θέλω. Iph. Before you die, I want to gain this advantage. Ορ. ἔλεγχ, ἐπειδὴ τοῦδ ἐρᾷς λέζω δ ἐγώ. Or. Ask then, since you desire this. And I will speak. Ιφ. Κάλχας τις ἦλθε μάντις ἐκ Τροίας πάλιν Iph. Did a certain Calchas, a seer, come back again from Troy? Ορ. ὄλωλεν, ὡς ἦν ἐν Μυκηναίοις λόγος. Or. He has died, as the story went in Mycenae. 135 Ιφ. ὦ πότνι, ὡς εὖ τί γὰρ ὁ Λαέρτου γόνος Iph. Oh Queen, how justly! And what of the son of Laertes? Ορ. οὔπω νενόστηκ οἶκον, ἔστι δ, ὡς λόγος. Or. He has not yet completed his journey home, but he is alive, as the story goes. Ιφ. ὄλοιτο, νόστου μήποτ ἐς πάτραν τυχών. Iph. May he perish! May he never gain the journey back to his Ορ. μηδὲν κατεύχου πάντα τἀκείνου νοσεῖ. Or. Do not curse him. All his a airs are in distress. [homeland Ιφ. Θέτιδος δ ὁ τῆς Νηρῇδος ἔστι παῖς ἔτι Iph. Is the son of Thetis the Nereid still alive? 140 Ορ. οὐκ ἔστιν ἄλλως λέκτρ ἔγημ ἐν Αὐλίδι. Or. He is not. His marriage in Aulis was in vain. Ιφ. δόλια γάρ, ὡς ἴσασιν οἱ πεπονθότες. Iph. It was a trick, as those who su ered know. Ορ. τίς εἶ ποθ ὡς εὖ πυνθάνῃ τἀφ Ἑλλάδος Or. Who are you? How well you ascertain things concerning Ιφ. ἐκεῖθέν εἰμι παῖς ἔτ οὖσ ἀπωλόμην. Iph. I am from there. Being a child I was lost to Greece. [Greece. Ορ. ὀρθῶς ποθεῖς ἄρ εἰδέναι τἀκεῖ, γύναι. Or. Rightly you desire to know things there, lady. 145 Ιφ. τί δ ὁ στρατηγός, ὃν λέγουσ εὐδαιμονεῖν Iph. What of the commander whom they call the prosperous? Ορ. τίς οὐ γὰρ ὅν γ ἐγᾦδα τῶν εὐδαιμόνων. Or. Who? For I do not know of one that belongs to the Ιφ. Ἀτρέως ἐλέγετο δή τις Ἀγαμέμνων ἄναξ. Iph. He was called Agamemnon, the son of Atreus. [prosperous Ορ. οὐκ οἶδ ἄπελθε τοῦ λόγου τούτου, γύναι. Or. I do not know. Depart from this story, lady. Ιφ. μὴ πρὸς θεῶν, ἀλλ εἴφ, ἵν εὐφρανθῶ, ζένε. Iph. No by Heavens, but tell it, stranger, that I may be gladdened. 150 Ορ. τέθνηχ ὁ τλήμων, πρὸς δ ἀπώλεσέν τινα. Or. The wretched man has died; he has died in addition to Ιφ. τέθνηκε πόᾳ συμφορᾷ τάλαιν ἐγώ. Iph. He has died? By what disaster? Ah, wretched me! [another. Ορ. τί δ ἐστέναξας τοῦτο μῶν προσῆκέ σοι Or. Why do you groan like this? Was he related to you? Ιφ. τὸν ὄλβον αὐτοῦ τὸν πάροιθ ἀναστένω. Iph. I groan for his former happiness. Ορ. δεινῶς γὰρ ἐκ γυναικὸς οἴχεται σφαγείς. Or. He was killed in a terrible way, slain by his wife. 155 Ιφ. ὦ πανδάκρυτος ἡ κτανοῦσα χὡ κτανών. Iph. Oh all-lamented, she who slew him and he who slew me. Ορ. παῦσαί νυν ἤδη μηδ ἐρωτήσῃς πέρα. Or. Cease now already and do not ask questions further. Ιφ. τοσόνδε γ, εἰ ζῇ τοῦ ταλαιπώρου δάμαρ. Iph. Just this at any rate, if the wide of the wretched man still Ορ. οὐκ ἔστι παῖς νιν ὃν ἔτεχ, οὗτος ὤλεσεν. Or. She is no more. The son, whom she bore, slew her. [lives? Ιφ. ὦ συνταραχθεὶς οἶκος. ὡς τί δὴ θέλων Iph. Oh house distraught! With what purpose? 160 Ορ. πατρὸς θανόντος τήνδε τιμωρούμενος. Or. Taking vengeance on her for the death of his father. Ιφ. φεῦ Iph. Alas! ὡς εὖ κακὸν δίκαιον εἰσεπράξατο. How well he exacted an evil justice! Ορ. ἀλλ οὐ τὰ πρὸς θεῶν εὐτυχεῖ δίκαιος ὤν. Or. But he does not prosper as far as the gods are concerned, although he is righteous. Ιφ. λείπει δ ἐν οἴκοις ἄλλον Ἀγαμέμνων γόνων Iph. Does Agamemnon leave any other children in his house? Ορ. λέλοιπεν Ἠλέκτραν γε παρθένον μίαν. Or. He has left one unmarried girl, Electra. 5
165 Ιφ. τί δέ σφαγείσης θυγατρὸς ἔστι τις λόγος Iph. What then? Is there any news of the daughter who was sacri- Ορ. οὐδείς γε, πλὴν θανοῦσαν οὐχ ὁρᾶν φάος. Or. None, except that being dead she does not see the light. [ ced Ιφ. τάλαιν ἐκείνη χὡ κτανὼν αὐτὴν πατήρ. Iph. That poor wretched girl, and wretched too the father who Ορ. κακῆς γυναικὸς χάριν ἄχαριν ἀπώλετο. Or. She perished for the worthless sake of a bad woman. [killed h Ιφ. ὁ τοῦ θανόντος δ ἔστι παῖς Ἄργει πατρός Iph. And does the son of the dead father still live in Argos? 170 Ορ. ἔστ, ἄθλιός γε, κοὐδαμοῦ καὶ πανταχοῦ. Or. He lives, poor wretch, both nowhere and everywhere. Ιφ. ψευδεῖς ὄνειροι, χαίρετ οὐδὲν ἦτ ἄρα. Iph. Farewell, false dreams. You were nothing, then. 6