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
καὶ 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 .
ᾗ γὰρ θάνῃς σὺ καὶ τελευτήσας ἀφῇς ,
ταύτῃ νόμιζε κἀμὲ τῇ τόθ᾽ ἡμέρᾳ
βίᾳ ξυναρπασθεῖσαν Ἀργείων ὕπο
ξὺν παιδὶ τῷ σῷ δουλίαν ἕξειν τροφήν .
καί τις πικρὸν πρόσφθεγμα δεσποτῶν ἐρεῖ
λόγοις ἰάπτων · ἴδετε τὴν ὁμευνέτιν
Αἴαντος , ὃς μέγιστον ἴσχυσεν στρατοῦ ,
οἵας λατρείας ἀνθ᾽ ὅσου ζήλου τρέφει .
τοιαῦτ᾽ ἐρεῖ τις · κἀμὲ μὲν δαίμων ἐλᾷ ,
σοὶ δ᾽ αἰσχρὰ τἄπη ταῦτα καὶ τῷ σῷ γένει .
ἀλλ᾽ αἴδεσαι μὲν πατέρα τὸν σὸν ἐν λυγρῷ
γήρᾳ προλείπων , αἴδεσαι δὲ μητέρα
πολλῶν ἐτῶν κληροῦχον , ἥ σε πολλάκις
θεοῖς ἀρᾶται ζῶντα πρὸς δόμους μολεῖν ·
οἴκτιρε δ᾽ , ὦναξ , παῖδα τὸν σόν , εἰ νέας
τροφῆς στερηθεὶς σοῦ διοίσεται μόνος
ὑπ᾽ ὀρφανιστῶν μὴ φίλων , ὅσον κακὸν
κείνῳ τε κἀμοὶ τοῦθ᾽ , ὅταν θάνῃς , νεμεῖς .
ἐμοὶ γὰρ οὐκέτ᾽ ἔστιν εἰς ὅ τι βλέπω
πλὴν σοῦ . σὺ γάρ μοι πατρίδ᾽ ᾔστωσας δόρει ,
καὶ μητέρ᾽ ἄλλη μοῖρα τὸν φύσαντά τε
καθεῖλεν Ἅιδου θανασίμους οἰκήτορας .
τίς δῆτ᾽ ἐμοὶ γένοιτ᾽ ἂν ἀντὶ σοῦ πατρίς ;
τίς πλοῦτος ; ἐν σοὶ πᾶσ᾽ ἔγωγε σῴζομαι .
ἀλλ᾽ ἴσχε κἀμοῦ μνῆστιν · ἀνδρί τοι χρεὼν
μνήμην προσεῖναι , τερπνὸν εἴ τί που πάθοι .
χάρις χάριν γάρ ἐστιν ἡ τίκτουσ᾽ ἀεί ·
ὅτου δ᾽ ἀποῤῥεῖ μνῆστις εὖ πεπονθότος ,
οὐκ ἂν γένοιτ᾽ ἔθ᾽ οὗτος εὐγενὴς ἀνήρ .
Χορός

Αἴας , ἔχειν σ᾽ ἂν οἶκτον ὡς κἀγὼ φρενὶ
θέλοιμ᾽ ἄν · αἰνοίης γὰρ ἂν τὰ τῆσδ᾽ ἔπη .
Αἴας

καὶ κάρτ᾽ ἐπαίνου τεύξεται πρὸς γοῦν ἐμοῦ ,
ἐὰν μόνον τὸ ταχθὲν εὖ τολμᾷ τελεῖν .
Τέκμησσα

ἀλλ᾽ ὦ φίλ᾽ Αἴας , πάντ᾽ ἔγωγε πείσομαι .
Αἴας

κόμιζέ νύν μοι παῖδα τὸν ἐμόν , ὡς ἴδω .
Τέκμησσα

καὶ μὴν φόβοισί γ᾽ αὐτὸν ἐξελυσάμην .
Αἴας

ἐν τοῖσδε τοῖς κακοῖσιν ; ἢ τί μοι λέγεις ;
Τέκμησσα

μὴ σοί γέ που δύστηνος ἀντήσας θάνοι .
Αἴας

πρέπον γέ τἂν ἦν δαίμονος τοὐμοῦ τόδε .
Τέκμησσα

ἀλλ᾽ οὖν ἐγὼ ᾽φύλαξα τοῦτό γ᾽ ἀρκέσαι .
Αἴας

ἐπῄνεσ᾽ ἔργον καὶ πρόνοιαν ἣν ἔθου .
Τέκμησσα

τί δῆτ᾽ ἂν ὡς ἐκ τῶνδ᾽ ἂν ὠφελοῖμί σε ;
Αἴας

δός μοι προσειπεῖν αὐτὸν ἐμφανῆ τ᾽ ἰδεῖν .
Τέκμησσα

καὶ μὴν πέλας γε προσπόλοις φυλάσσεται .
Αἴας

τί δῆτα μέλλει μὴ οὐ παρουσίαν ἔχειν ;

O Lord Ajax , of the constraint of fortune
there is not one greater for men evil .
And I of a free father on the one hand grow ,
if indeed of one having strength in wealth of the Phrygians :
now on the other hand I am a slave woman : for by the gods thus it seemed doubtless
and by your hand certainly . Accordingly , since
your bed I shared , well I know your things ,
and you I entreat both from at the hearth Zeus
and from your bed , in which you have intercourse with me ,
do not deem me worthy a rumor painful to take
from your enemies , giving up captive to anyone .
For in which you die and coming to an end release ,
on such a day believe also me then
by force to be seized and carried off by the Argives
together with your son as a slave to bear the livelihood .
And someone of the slave-masters a bitter voice-giving will say
with words wounding : " See the one sleeping together
of Ajax , who greatest held strength of the army ,
what sort of service in response to as great jealousy she maintains . "
Such things someone will say : and me on the one hand a divine power will expel ,
to yours on the other hand shameful things these words and to you will become .
But be respectful on the one hand to your father in wretched
age you ( are ) departing from , be respectful on the other hand to the mother
of many years having as her lot , who many times to the gods
that you return living toward the home she prays :
And pity , oh lord , your child , if of youthful
education being deprived alone from you he will be torn asunder
by guardians not loving , of how much evil
to that boy and to me also , when you die , you will deal out .
For to me not any longer is there into who I seek aid
except you . For you the fatherland to me annihilated with a spear ,
and my mother another fate and the man producing
took down as fatal inhabitants of Hades .
What then to me would become against you of a fatherland ?
What wealth ? In you everything I am saved .
But have of me memory : to a man , let me tell you , necessity
that remembrance be present , if delightful what he somewhere might experience .
For kindness , kindness is which engendering always .
But when the memory flows away of being well off ,
not would he become still noble this man .

Ajax , that you have pity , as I also , in mind
I would wish : for you would speak of the words of this woman .

And extremely of praise it will happen from at least me ,
if only the thing drawn up well she take heart to fulfill .

But , oh dear Ajax , all things I indeed will obey .

Convey now to me the child of mine , so that I may see .

And indeed by panic this boy himself I set loose .

In these such troubles , or what to me do you say ?

Lest to you indeed somewhere the power he coming face to face with , he might die .

Such fitting thing at any rate was of the divine fate of mine .

But therefore I guarded at any rate that this I might ward off .

I would commend the deed and foresight which you put in place .

What then as from these could I help you ?

Give to me to speak to this boy and face to face to see .

And indeed nearby by servants he is being guarded .

Why then does it wait that his presence is not had ?

Oh Lord Ajax , than the fate of constraint there is no single greater evil for men . I come from a free father , a man as great in wealth as any Phrygian : now I am but a slave woman . For doubtless was thus decided by the gods , and especially by your hand . Accordingly , since I have shared your bed I have come to know you well , and I beg you , by Zeus of the hearth and your bed of our intercourse both , do not decide that I should suffer painful rumors from your enemies or be given to one as captive . For should you die and release me therein , on that day too know that I and your son will be seized by the Argives and carried off as slaves . And one master will say with wounding words a bitter address : " Behold Ajax’s companion , once strongest of the army , what slavery she suffers after once envied . " Someone will speak thus : and fate will expel me , but to you and yours these words will be shameful . But respect your father , leaving him in wretched age , respect your mother allotted many years , who prays often to the gods that you return home alive : and pity , m’lord , your child , the youthful education you when you die will deprive him of , torn and bereft by uncaring guardians , and pity me too . For I may seek aid from no one but you . For my fatherland you shattered with a spear , and another fate stole my mother and father as dead dwellers of Hades . What fatherland for me but you ? What wealth ? In you lies all my salvation . But remember me : a man should remember what delights him . For kindness always births kindness . But when such memory drains away , no longer would this man be well-born .

Ajax , I wish that you would take pity as I do : heed this woman’s words .

And greatly praise she shall get from me , at least , if she muster the courage to do as asked .

Dear Ajax , I will obey in truly everything .

Bring me my child , that I may see him .

And yet in panic I sent him out .

In these troubles , or what say you to me ?

Lest he might perish , encountering you somewhere .

Fitting , indeed , was this divine fate of mine .

Well , I guarded him to hold this off .

I commend your deed and quick thinking .

How then in this situation can I aid ?

Bring me the boy , to speak to and see his face .

Of course : he is guarded by servants nearby .

Why , then , has he not yet arrived ?