ELEC. Alas me! for I bewail thee, my brother, seeing thee before the tomb,
and before the pyre of thy departed shade: alas me! again and again, how am
I bereft of my senses, seeing with my eyes the very last sight of thee.
ORES. Wilt thou not in silence, ceasing from womanish groans, make up thy
mind to what is decreed? These things indeed are lamentable, but yet we
must bear our present fate.
ELEC. And how can I be silent? We wretched no longer are permitted to view
this light of the God.
ORES. Do not thou kill me; I, the unhappy, have died enough already under
the hands of the Argives; but pass over our present ills.
ELEC. O Orestes! oh wretched in thy youth, and thy fate, and thy untimely
death, then oughtest thou to live, when thou art no more.
ORES. Do not by the Gods throw cowardice around me, bringing the
remembrance of my woes so as to cause tears.
ELEC. We shall die; it is not possible not to groan our misfortunes; for
the dear life is a cause of pity to all mortals.
ORES. This is the day appointed for us! but we must either fit the
suspended noose, or whet the sword with our hand.
ELEC. Do thou then kill me, my brother; let none of the Argives kill me,
putting a contumely on the offspring of Agamemnon.
ORES. I have enough of thy mother's blood, but thee I will not slay; but
die by thine own hand in whatever manner thou wilt.
ELEC. These things shall be; I will not be deserted by thy sword;[34] but I
wish to clasp my hands around thy neck.
ORES. Thou enjoyest a vain gratification, if this be an enjoyment, to throw
thy hands around those who are hard at death's door.
ELEC. Oh thou most dear! oh thou that hast the desirable and most sweet
name, and one soul with thy sister!
ORES. Thou wilt melt me; and still I wish to answer thee in the endearment
of encircling arms, for why am I any longer ashamed? O bosom of my sister,
O dear object of my caresses, these embraces are allowed to us miserable
beings instead of children and the bridal bed.
ELEC. Alas! How can the same sword (if this request be lawful) kill us, and
one tomb wrought of cedar receive us?
ORES. This would be most sweet; but thou seest how destitute we are, in
respect to being able to share our sepulture.
ELEC. Did not Menelaus speak in behalf of thee, taking a decided part
against thy death, the base man, the deserter of my father? [Note [G].]
ORES. He showed it not even in his countenance, but keeping his hopes on
the sceptre, he was cautious how he saved his friends. But let be, he will
die acting in a manner nobly, and most worthily of Agamemnon. And I indeed
will show my high descent to the city, striking home to my heart with the
sword; but thee, on the other hand, it behooveth to act in concert with my
bold attempts. But do thou, Pylades, be the umpire of our death, and well
compose the bodies of us when dead, and bury us together, bearing us to our
father's tomb. And farewell--but I am going to the deed, as thou seest.
PYL. Hold. This one thing indeed first I bring in charge against thee--Dost
thou think that I can wish to live when thou diest?[35]
ORES. For how does it concern thee to die with me?
PYL. Dost ask? But how does it to live without thy company?
ORES. Thou didst not slay my mother, as I did, a wretch.
PYL. With thee I did at least; I ought also to suffer these things in
common with thee.
ORES. Take thyself back to thy father, do not die with me. For thou indeed
hast a city (but I no longer have), and the mansion of thy father, and a
great harbor of wealth. But thou art frustrated in thy marriage with this
unhappy virgin, whom I betrothed to thee, revering thy friendship.
Nevertheless do thou, contracting other nuptials, be a blest father, but
the connection between me and thee no longer subsists, But thou, O darling
name of my converse, farewell, be happy, for this is not allowed me, but it
is to thee; for we, the dead, are deprived of happiness.
PYL. Surely thou art wide astray from my purposes. Nor may the fruitful
plain receive my blood, nor the bright air, if ever I betraying thee,
having freed myself, forsake thee; for I committed the slaughter with thee
(I will not deny it), and I planned all things, for which now thou
sufferest vengeance. Die then I must with thee and her together, for her,
whose marriage I have courted, I consider as my wife; for what good excuse
ever shall I give, going to the Delphian land to the citadel of the
Phocians, I, who was present with you, your friend, before indeed you were
unfortunate, but now, when you are unfortunate, am no longer thy friend? It
is not possible--but these things are my care also. But since we are about
to die, let us come to a common conference, how Menelaus may be involved in
our calamity.
ORES. O thou dearest man: for would I see this and die.
PYL. Be persuaded then, but defer the slaughtering sword.
ORES. I will defer, if any how I can avenge myself on my enemy.
PYL. Be silent then, for I have but small confidence in women.
ORES. Do not at all fear these, for they are friends that are present.
PYL. Let us kill Helen, which will cause great grief to Menelaus.
ORES. How? for the will is here, if it can be done with glory.
PYL. Stabbing her; but she is lurking in thy house.
ORES. Yes indeed, and is putting her seal on all my effects.
PYL. But she shall seal no more, having Pluto for her bridegroom.
ORES. And how can this be? for she has a train of barbarian attendants.
PYL. Whom? for I would be afraid of no Phrygian.
ORES. Such men as should preside over mirrors and scents.
PYL. For has she brought hither her Trojan fineries?
ORES. _Oh yes!_ so that Greece is but a cottage for her.
PYL. A race of slaves is a mere nothing against a race that will not be
slaves.
ORES. In good truth, this if I could achieve, I shrink not from two deaths.
PYL. But neither do I indeed, if I could revenge thee at least.
ORES. Disclose thy purpose, and go through it as thou sayest.
PYL. We will enter then the house, as men about to die.
ORES. Thus far I comprehend, but the rest I do not comprehend.
PYL. We will make our lamentation to her of the things we suffer.
ORES. So that she shall weep, though joyed within her heart.
PYL. And the same things will be for us to do afterward, which she does
then.
ORES. Then how shall we finish the contest?
PYL. We will wear our swords concealed beneath our robes.
ORES. But what slaughter can there be before her attendants?
PYL. We will bolt them out, scattered in different parts of the house.
ORES. And him that is not silent we must kill.
PYL. Then the circumstances of the moment will point out what steps to
take.
ORES. To kill Helen, I understand the sign.
PYL. Thou seest: but hear on what honorable principles I meditate it. For,
if we draw our sword on a more modest woman, the murder will blot our names
with infamy. But in the present instance, she shall suffer vengeance for
the whole of Greece, whose fathers she slew, and made the brides bereaved
of their spouses; there shall be a shout, and they will kindle up fire to
the Gods, praying for many blessings to fall to thee and me, inasmuch as we
shed the blood of a wicked woman. But thou shalt not be called the
matricide, when thou hast slain her, but dropping this name thou shalt
arrive at better things, being styled the slayer of the havoc-dealing
Helen. It never, never were right that Menelaus should be prosperous, and
that thy father, and thou, and thy sister should die, and thy mother; (this
I forbear, for it is not decorous to mention;) and that he should seize thy
house, having recovered his bride by the means of Agamemnon's valor. For
may I live no longer, if I draw not my black sword upon her. But if then we
do not compass the murder of Helen, having fired the palace we will die,
for we shall have glory, succeeding in one of these two things, nobly
dying, or nobly rescued.
CHOR. The daughter of Tyndarus is an object of detestation to all women,
being one that has given rise to scandal against the sex.
ORES. Alas! There is no better thing than a real friend, not riches, not
kingdoms; but the popular applause becomes a thing of no account to receive
in exchange for a generous friend. For thou contrivedst the destruction
that befell Ægisthus, and wast close to me in my dangers. But now again
thou givest me to revenge me on mine enemies, and art not out of the
way--but I will leave off praising thee, since there is some burden even in
this "to be praised to excess." But I altogether in a state of death, wish
to do something to my foes and die, that I may in turn destroy those who
betrayed me, and those may groan who also made me unhappy. I am the son of
Agamemnon, who ruled over Greece by general consent; no tyrant, but yet he
had the power as it were of a God, whom I will not disgrace, suffering a
slavish death, but breathe out my soul in freedom, but on Menelaus will I
revenge me. For if we could gain this one thing, we should be prosperous,
if from any chance safety should come unhoped for on the slayers _then_,
not the slain: this I pray for. For what I wish is sweet to delight the
mind without fear of cost, though with but fleeting words uttered through
the mouth.
ELEC. I, O brother, think that this very thing brings safety to thee, and
thy friend, and in the third place to me.
ORES. Thou meanest the providence of the Gods: but where is this? for I
know that there is understanding in thy mind.
ELEC. Hear me then, and thou too give thy attention.
ORES. Speak, since the existing prospect of good affords some pleasure.
ELEC. Art thou acquainted with the daughter of Helen? Thou knowest her of
whom I ask.
ORES. I know her, Hermione, whom my mother brought up.
ELEC. She is gone to Clytæmnestra's tomb.
ORES. For what purpose? what hope dost thou suggest?
ELEC. To pour libations on the tomb in behalf of her mother.
ORES. And what is this, thou hast told me of, that regards our safety?
ELEC. Seize her as a pledge as she is coming back.
ORES. What remedy for the three friends is this thou sayest?
ELEC. When Helen is dead, if Menelaus does any harm to thee or Pylades, or
me (for this firm of friendship is all one), say that thou wilt kill
Hermione; but thou oughtest to draw thy sword, and hold it to the neck of
the virgin. And if indeed Menelaus save thee, anxious that the virgin may
not die; when he sees Helen's corse weltering in blood, give back the
virgin for her father to enjoy; but should he, not governing his angry
temper, slay thee, do thou also plunge the sword into the virgin's neck,
and I think that he, though at first he come to us very big, will after a
season soften his heart; for neither is he brave nor valiant: this is the
fortress of our safety that I have; my arguments on the subject have been
spoken.
ORES. O thou that hast indeed the mind of a man, but a form among women
beautiful, to what a degree art thou more worthy of life than death!
Pylades, wilt thou miserably be disappointed of such a woman, or dwelling
with her obtain this happy marriage?
PYL. For would it could be so! and she could come to the city of the
Phocians meeting with her deserts in splendid nuptials!
ORES. But when will Hermione come to the house? Since for the rest thou
saidst most admirably, if we could succeed in taking the whelp of the
impious father.
ELEC. Even now I guess that she must be near the house, for _with this
supposition_ the space itself of the time coincides.
ORES. It is well; do thou therefore, my sister Electra, waiting before the
house, meet the arrival of the virgin. And watch, lest any one, either some
ally, or the brother of my father, should be beforehand with us coming to
the palace: and make some noise toward the house, either knocking at the
doors, or sending thy voice within. But let us, O Pylades (for thou
undertakest this labor with me), entering in, arm our hands with the sword
to one last attempt. O my father, that inhabitest the realms of gloomy
night, Orestes thy son invokes thee to come a succor to thy suppliants; for
on thy account I wretched suffer unjustly, and am betrayed by thy brother,
myself having acted justly: whose wife I wish to take and destroy; but be
thou our accomplice in this affair.
ELEC. O father, come then, if beneath the earth thou hearest thy children
calling, who die for thee.
PYL. O thou relation[36] of my father, give ear, O Agamemnon, to my prayers
also, preserve thy children.
ORES. I slew my mother.
PYL. But I directed the sword.
ELEC. But I at least incited you, and freed you from delay.
ORES. Succoring thee, my father.
ELEC. Neither did I forsake thee.
PYL. Wilt thou not therefore, hearing these things that are brought against
thee,[37] defend thy children?
ORES. I pour libations on thee with my tears.
ELEC. And I with lamentations.
PYL. Cease, and let us haste forth to the work, for if prayers penetrate
under the earth, he hears; but, O Jove our ancestor, and thou revered deity
of justice, grant us to succeed, him, and myself, and this virgin, for over
us three friends one hazard, one cause impends, either for all to live, or
all to die!