Ajax 485-95
Kate Cottrell / GRK 102 Take Home
- Created on 2018-05-04 15:58:27
- Modified on 2018-05-04 18:18:41
- Translated by Jebb; Finglass
- Aligned by Kate Cottrell
Ἑλληνική
English
English
ὦ δέσποτ᾽ Αἴας , τῆς ἀναγκαίας τύχης
οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδὲν μεῖζον ἀνθρώποις κακόν .
ἐγὼ δ᾽ ἐλευθέρου μὲν ἐξέφυν πατρός ,
εἴπερ τινὸς σθένοντος ἐν πλούτῳ Φρυγῶν :
νῦν δ᾽ εἰμὶ δούλη : θεοῖς γὰρ ὧδ᾽ ἔδοξέ που
490καὶ σῇ μάλιστα χειρί . τοιγαροῦν , ἐπεὶ
τὸ σὸν λέχος ξυνῆλθον , εὖ φρονῶ τὰ σά ,
καί σ᾽ ἀντιάζω πρός τ᾽ ἐφεστίου Διὸς
εὐνῆς τε τῆς σῆς , ᾗ συνηλλάχθης ἐμοί ,
μή μ᾽ ἀξιώσῃς βάξιν ἀλγεινὴν λαβεῖν
τῶν σῶν ὑπ᾽ ἐχθρῶν , χειρίαν ἐφείς τινι .
οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδὲν μεῖζον ἀνθρώποις κακόν .
ἐγὼ δ᾽ ἐλευθέρου μὲν ἐξέφυν πατρός ,
εἴπερ τινὸς σθένοντος ἐν πλούτῳ Φρυγῶν :
νῦν δ᾽ εἰμὶ δούλη : θεοῖς γὰρ ὧδ᾽ ἔδοξέ που
490καὶ σῇ μάλιστα χειρί . τοιγαροῦν , ἐπεὶ
τὸ σὸν λέχος ξυνῆλθον , εὖ φρονῶ τὰ σά ,
καί σ᾽ ἀντιάζω πρός τ᾽ ἐφεστίου Διὸς
εὐνῆς τε τῆς σῆς , ᾗ συνηλλάχθης ἐμοί ,
μή μ᾽ ἀξιώσῃς βάξιν ἀλγεινὴν λαβεῖν
τῶν σῶν ὑπ᾽ ἐχθρῶν , χειρίαν ἐφείς τινι .
Ajax , my lord , the fortune that humans are compelled to endure is their gravest evil . I was the daughter of a free-born father mighty in wealth , if any Phrygian was . Now I am a slave , for somehow the gods so ordained , and even more so did your strong hand . Therefore , since I have come into your bed , I wish you well , and I do beg you , by the Zeus of our hearth , by your marriage-bed in which you coupled with me , do not condemn me to the cruel talk of your enemies , do not leave me to the hand of a stranger !
Lord Ajax , there is no greater evil for mortals than the fate imposed by compulsion . I am the offspring of a free father , mighty and wealthy , if any of the Phrygians was . But now I am a slave . For such , I suppose was the decision of the gods , and certainly of your hand . Therefore , since I came to your bed , I have been well disposed to you and I supplicate you by Zeus of the hearth and by your bed in which you entered into partnership with me , do no think it right that I should suffer painful words from your enemies , abandoning me to one of them as his subject .