TYND. Where, where can I see my daughter's husband Menelaus? For as I was
pouring my libations on the tomb of Clytæmnestra, I heard that he was come
to Nauplia with his wife, safe through a length of years. Conduct me, for I
long to stand by his hand and salute him, seeing my friend after a long
lapse of time.
MEN. O hail! old man, who sharest thy bed with Jove.
TYND. O hail! thou also, Menelaus my dear relation,--ah! what an evil is it
not to know the future! This dragon here, the murderer of his mother,
glares before the house his pestilential gleams--the object of my
detestation--Menelaus, dost thou speak to this unholy wretch?
MEN. Why not? he is the son of a father who was dear to me.
TYND. What! was he sprung from him, being such as he is?
MEN. He was; but, though he be unfortunate, he should be respected.
TYND. Having been a long time with barbarians, thou art thyself turned
barbarian.
MEN. Nay! it is the Grecian fashion always to honor one of kindred blood.
TYND. _Yes_, and also not to wish to be above the laws.
MEN. Every thing proceeding from necessity is considered as subservient to
her[13] among the wise.
TYND. Do thou then keep to this, but I'll have none of it.
MEN. _No_, for anger joined with thine age, is not wisdom.
TYND. With this man what controversy can there be regarding wisdom? If what
things are virtuous, and what are not virtuous, are plain to all, what man
was ever more unwise that this man? who did not indeed consider justice,
nor applied to the common existing law of the Grecians. For after that
Agamemnon breathed forth his last, struck by my daughter on the head, a
most foul deed (for never will I approve of this), it behooved him indeed
to lay against her a sacred charge of bloodshed, following up the
accusation, and to cast his mother from out of the house; and he would have
taken the wise side in the calamity, and would have kept to law, and would
have been pious. But now has he come to the same fate with his mother. For
with justice thinking her wicked, himself has become more wicked in slaying
his mother.
But thus much, Menelaus, will I ask thee; If the wife that shared his bed
were to kill him, and his son again kills his mother in return, and he that
is born of him shall expiate the murder with murder, whither then will the
extremes of these evils proceed? Well did our fathers of old lay down these
things; they suffered not him to come into the sight of their eyes, not to
their converse, who was under an attainder[14] of blood; but they made him
atone by banishment; they suffered however none to kill him in return. For
always were one about to be attainted of murder, taking the pollution last
into his hands. But I hate indeed impious women, but first among them my
daughter, who slew her husband. But never will I approve of Helen thy wife,
nor would I speak to her, neither do I commend[15] thee for going to the
plain of Troy on account of a perfidious woman. But I will defend the law,
as far at least as I am able, putting a stop to this brutish and murderous
practice, which is ever destructive both of the country and the state.--For
what feelings of humanity hadst thou, thou wretched man, when she bared her
breast in supplication, thy mother? I indeed, though I witnessed not that
scene of misery, melt in my aged eyes with tears through wretchedness. One
thing however goes to the scale of my arguments; thou art both hated by the
Gods, and sufferest vengeance of thy mother, wandering about with madness
and terrors; why must I hear by the testimony of others, what it is in my
power to see? That thou mayest know then _once for all_, Menelaus, do not
things contrary to the Gods, through thy wishes to assist this man. But
suffer him to be slain by the citizens with stones, or set not thy foot on
Spartan ground. But my daughter in dying met with justice, but it was not
fitting that she should die by him.[16] In other respects indeed have I
been a happy man, except in my daughters, but in this I am not happy.
CHOR. He is enviable, who is fortunate in his children, and has not on him
some notorious calamities.
ORES. O old man, I tremble to speak to thee, wherein I am about to grieve
thee and thy mind. But I am unholy in that I slew my mother; but holy at
least in another point of view, having avenged my father. Let then thine
age, which hinders me through fear from speaking, be removed out of the way
of my words, and I will go on in a direct path; but now do I fear thy gray
hairs. What could I do? for oppose the facts, two against two. My father
indeed begat me, but thy daughter brought me forth, a field receiving the
seed from another; but without a father there never could be a child. I
reasoned therefore with myself, that I should assist the prime author of my
birth rather than the aliment which under him produced me. But thy daughter
(I am ashamed to call her mother), in secret and unchaste nuptials, had
approached the bed of another man; of myself, if I speak ill of her, shall
I be speaking, but yet will I tell it. Ægisthus was her secret husband in
her palace. Him I slew, and after him I sacrificed my mother, doing indeed
unholy things, but avenging my father. But as touching those things for
which thou threatenest that I must be stoned, hear, how I shall assist all
Greece. For if the women shall arrive at such a pitch of boldness as to
murder the men, making good their escape with regard to their children,
seeking to captivate their pity by their breasts, it would be as nothing
with them to slay their husbands, having any pretext that might chance; but
I having done dreadful things (as thou sayest), have put a stop to this
law, but hating my mother deservedly I slew her, who betrayed her husband
absent from home in arms, the generalissimo of the whole land of Greece,
and kept not her bed undefiled. But when she perceived that she had done
amiss, she inflicted not vengeance on herself, but, that she might not
suffer vengeance from her husband, punished and slew my father. By the
Gods, (in no good cause have I named the Gods, pleading against a charge of
murder,) had I by my silence praised my mother's actions, what then would
the deceased have done to me? To my mother indeed the Furies are present as
allies, but would they not be present to him, who has received the greater
injury? Would he not, detesting me, have haunted me with the Furies? Thou
then, O old man, by begetting a bad daughter, hast destroyed me; for
through her boldness deprived of my father, I became a matricide. Dost see?
Telemachus slew not the wife of Ulysses, for she married not a husband on a
husband, but her marriage-bed remains unpolluted in the palace. Dost see?
Apollo, who, dwelling in his habitation in the midst of the earth, gives
the most clear oracles to mortals, by whom we are entirely guided, whatever
he may say, on him relying slew I my mother. 'Twas he who erred, not I:
what could I do? Is not the God sufficient for me, who transfer _the deed_
to him, to do away with the pollution? Whither then can any fly for succor,
unless he that commanded me shall deliver me from death? But say not these
things have been done "not well;" but _say_ "not fortunately" for us who
did them. But to whatsoever men their marriages are well established, there
is a happy life, but to those to whom they fall not out well, with regard
to their affairs both at home and abroad they are unfortunate.
CHOR. Women were born always to be in the way of what may happen to men, to
the making of things unfortunate.
TYND. Since thou art bold, and yieldest not to my speech, but thus
answerest me so as to grieve my mind, thou wilt rather inflame me to urge
thy death. But this I shall consider a handsome addition to those labors
for which I came, _namely_, to deck my daughter's tomb. For going to the
multitude of the Argives assembled, I will rouse the state willing and not
unwilling, to pass the sentence[16a] of being stoned on thee and on thy
sister; but she is worthy of death rather than thee, who irritated thee
against her mother, always pealing in thine ear words to increase thy
hatred, relating dreams she had of Agamemnon, and this also, that the
infernal Gods detested the bed of Ægisthus; for even here _on earth_ it
were hard _to be endured_; until she set the house in flames with fire more
strong than Vulcan's.--Menelaus, but to thee I speak this, and will
moreover perform it. If thou regard my hate, and my alliance, ward not off
death from this man in opposition to the Gods; but suffer him to be slain
by the citizens with stones, or set not thy foot on Spartan ground. Thus
much having heard, depart, nor choose the impious for thy friends, passing
over the pious.--But O attendants, conduct us from this house.
ORES. Depart, that the remainder of my speech may reach this man
uninterrupted by the clamors of thy age: Menelaus, whither dost thou roam
in thought, entering on a double path of double care?
MEN. Suffer me; having some thoughts with myself, I am perplexed to which
side of fortune to turn me.
ORES. Do not make up thy opinion, but having first heard my words, then
deliberate.
MEN. Say on; for thou hast spoken rightly; but there are seasons where
silence may be better than talking, and there are seasons where talking may
be better than silence.
ORES. I will speak then forthwith: Long speeches have the preference before
short ones, and are more plain to hear. Give thou to me nothing of what
thou hast, O Menelaus, but what thou hast received from my father, return;
I mean not riches--yet riches, which are the most dear of what I possess,
if thou wilt preserve my life. Say I am unjust, I ought to receive from
thee, instead of this evil, something contrary to what justice demands; for
Agamemnon my father having collected Greece in arms, in a way justice did
not demand, went to Troy, not having erred himself, but in order to set
right the error, and injustice of thy wife. This one thing indeed thou
oughtest to give me for one thing, but he, as friends should for friends,
of a truth exposed his person for thee toiling at the shield, that thou
mightest receive back thy wife. Repay me then this kindness for that which
thou receivedst there, toiling for one day in standing as my succor, not
completing ten years. But the sacrifice of my sister, which Aulis received,
this I suffer thee to have; do not kill Hermione, _I ask it not_. For, I
being in the state in which I now am, thou must of necessity have the
advantage, and I must suffer it to be so. But grant my life to my wretched
father, and my sister's, who has been a virgin a long time. For dying I
shall leave my father's house destitute. Thou wilt say "impossible:" this
is the very thing _I have been urging_, it behooves friends to help their
friends in misfortunes. But when the God gives prosperity, what need is
there of friends? For the God himself sufficeth, being willing to assist.
Thou appearest to all the Greeks to be fond of thy wife; (and this I say,
not stealing under thee imperceptibly with flattery;) by her I implore
thee; O wretched me for my woes, to what have I come? but why must I suffer
thus? For in behalf of the whole house I make this supplication. O divine
brother of my father, conceive that the dead man beneath the earth hears
these things, and that his spirit is hovering over thee, and speaks what I
speak. These things have I said, with tears, and groans, and miseries,[17]
and have prayed earnestly, looking for preservation, which all, and not I
only, seek.
CHOR. I too implore thee, although a woman, yet still I implore thee to
succor those in need, but thou art able.
MEN. Orestes, I indeed reverence thy person, and I am willing to labor with
thee in thy misfortunes. For thus it is right to endure together the
misfortunes of one's relations, if the God gives the ability, even so far
as to die, and to kill the adversary; but this ability again I want from
the Gods. For I am come having my single spear unaided by allies, having
wandered with infinite labors with small assistance of friends left me. In
battle therefore we can not come off superior to Pelasgian Argos; but if we
can by soft speeches, to that hope are we equal. For how can any one
achieve great actions with small means? For when the rabble is in full
force falling into a rage, it is equally difficult to extinguish as a
fierce fire. But if one quietly yields to it as it is spreading, and gives
in to it, watching well his opportunity, perhaps it may spend its rage, but
when it has remitted from its blast, you may without difficulty have it
your own way, as much as you please. For there is inherent in them pity,
but there is inherent also vehement passion, to one who carefully watches
his opportunity a most excellent advantage. But I will go and endeavor to
persuade Tyndarus, and the city, to use their great power in a becoming
manner. For a ship, the main sheet stretched out to a violent degree, is
wont to pitch, but stands upright again, if you slacken the main sheet. For
the God hates too great vehemence, and the citizens hate it; but I must (I
speak as I mean) save thee by wisdom, not by opposing my superiors. But I
can not by force, as perchance thou thinkest, preserve thee; for it is no
easy matter to erect from one single spear trophies from the evils, which
are about thee. For never have we approached the land of Argos by way of
supplication; but now there is necessity for the wise to become the slaves
of fortune.