MESS. There is no one who may put him to death.
ALC. I will. And yet I say that I am some one.
MESS. You will indeed have much blame if you do this.
ALC. I love this city. It can not be denied. But as for this man, since he
has come into my power, there is no mortal who shall take him from me. For
this, whoever will may call me bold, and thinking things too much for a
woman; but this deed shall be done by me.
CHOR. It is a serious and excusable thing, O lady, for you to have hatred
against this man, I well know it.
EURYSTHEUS. O woman, know plainly that I will not flatter you, nor say any
thing else for my life, whence I may incur any imputation of cowardice. But
not of my own accord did I undertake this strife--I knew that I was your
cousin by birth, and a relation to your son Hercules; but whether I wished
it or not, Juno, for it was a Goddess, forced me to toil through this ill.
But when I took up enmity against him, and determined to contest this
contest, I became a contriver of many evils, and sitting continually in
council with myself, I brought forth many plans by night, how dispersing
and slaying my enemies, I might dwell for the future not with fear, knowing
that your son was not one of the many, but truly a man; for though he be
mine enemy, yet shall he be well spoken of, as he was a doughty man. And
when he was released [from life], did it not behoove me, being hated by
these children, and knowing their father's hatred to me, to move every
stone, slaying and banishing them, and contriving, that, doing such things,
my own affairs would have been safe? You, therefore, had you obtained my
fortunes, would not have oppressed with evils the hostile offspring of a
hated lion, but would wisely have permitted them to live in Argos; you will
persuade no one of this. Now then, since they did not destroy me then, when
I was willing, by the laws of the Greeks I shall, if slain, bear pollution
to my slayer; and the city, being wise, has let me go, having greater honor
for God than for its enmity toward me. And to what you said you have heard
a reply: and now you may call me at once suppliant and brave.[34] Thus is
the case with me, I do not wish to die, but I should not be grieved at
leaving life.
CHOR. I wish, O Alcmena, to advise you a little, to let go this man, since
it seems so to the city.
ALC. But how, if he both die, and still we obey the city?
CHOR. That would be best; but how can that be?
ALC. I will teach you, easily; for having slain him, then I will give his
corpse to those of his friends who come after him; for I will not deny his
body to the earth, but he dying, shall satisfy my revenge.
EU. Slay me, I do not deprecate thy wrath. But this city indeed, since it
has released me, and feared to slay me, I will present with an ancient
oracle of Apollo, which, in time, will be of greater profit than you would
expect; for ye will bury me when I am dead, where it is fated, before the
temple of the divine virgin of Pallene; and being well disposed to you, and
a protector to the city, I shall ever lie as a sojourner under the ground,
but most hostile to their descendants when they come hither with much
force, betraying this kindness: such strangers do ye now defend. How then
did I, knowing this, come hither, and not respect the oracle of the God?
Thinking Juno far more powerful than oracles, and that she would not betray
me, [I did so.] But suffer neither libations nor blood to be poured on my
tomb, for I will give them an evil return as a requital for these things;
and ye shall have a double gain from me, I will both profit you and injure
them by dying.
ALC. Why then do ye delay, if you are fated to accomplish safety to the
city and to your descendants, to slay this man, hearing these things? for
they show us the safest path. The man is an enemy, but he will profit us
dying. Take him away, O servants; then having slain him, ye must give him
to the dogs; for hope not thou, that living, thou shalt again banish me
from my native land.
CHOR. These things seem good to me, proceed, O attendants, for every thing
on our part shall be done completely for our sovereigns.
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