Ajax 1052-1090 (Menelaus)
Noah Kulak /
- Created on 2018-04-23 21:21:58
- Translated by Noah Kulak
- Aligned by Noah Kulak
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Ajax 1052-1090
Μενέλαος
ὁθούνεκ᾽ αὐτὸν ἐλπίσαντες οἴκοθεν
ἄγειν Ἀχαιοῖς ξύμμαχόν τε καὶ φίλον ,
ἐξηύρομεν ζητοῦντες ἐχθίω Φρυγῶν :
ὅστις στρατῷ ξύμπαντι βουλεύσας φόνον 1055
νύκτωρ ἐπεστράτευσεν , ὡς ἕλοι δόρει :
κεἰ μὴ θεῶν τις τήνδε πεῖραν ἔσβεσεν ,
ἡμεῖς μὲν ἂν τήνδ᾽ ἣν ὅδ᾽ εἴληχεν τύχην
θανόντες ἂν προυκείμεθ᾽ αἰσχίστῳ μόρῳ ,
οὗτος δ᾽ ἂν ἔζη . νῦν δ᾽ ἐνήλλαξεν θεὸς 1060
τὴν τοῦδ᾽ ὕβριν πρὸς μῆλα καὶ ποίμνας πεσεῖν .
ὧν εἵνεκ᾽ αὐτὸν οὔτις ἔστ᾽ ἀνὴρ σθένων
τοσοῦτον ὥστε σῶμα τυμβεῦσαι τάφῳ ,
ἀλλ᾽ ἀμφὶ χλωρὰν ψάμαθον ἐκβεβλημένος
ὄρνισι φορβὴ παραλίοις γενήσεται . 1065
πρὸς ταῦτα μηδὲν δεινὸν ἐξάρῃς μένος .
εἰ γὰρ βλέποντος μὴ ' δυνήθημεν κρατεῖν ,
πάντως θανόντος γ᾽ ἄρξομεν , κἂν μὴ θέλῃς ,
χερσὶν παρευθύνοντες : οὐ γὰρ ἔσθ᾽ ὅπου
λόγων γ᾽ ἀκοῦσαι ζῶν ποτ᾽ ἠθέλησ᾽ ἐμῶν . 1070
καίτοι κακοῦ πρὸς ἀνδρὸς ὄντα δημότην
μηδὲν δικαιοῦν τῶν ἐφεστώτων κλύειν .
οὐ γάρ ποτ᾽ οὔτ᾽ ἂν ἐν πόλει νόμοι καλῶς
φέροιντ᾽ ἄν , ἔνθα μὴ καθεστήκῃ δέος ,
οὔτ᾽ ἂν στρατός γε σωφρόνως ἄρχοιτ᾽ ἔτι , 1075
μηδὲν φόβου πρόβλημα μηδ᾽ αἰδοῦς ἔχων .
ἀλλ᾽ ἄνδρα χρή , κἂν σῶμα γεννήσῃ μέγα ,
δοκεῖν πεσεῖν ἂν κἂν ἀπὸ σμικροῦ κακοῦ .
δέος γὰρ ᾧ πρόσεστιν αἰσχύνη θ᾽ ὁμοῦ ,
σωτηρίαν ἔχοντα τόνδ᾽ ἐπίστασο : 1080
ὅπου δ᾽ ὑβρίζειν δρᾶν θ᾽ ἃ βούλεται παρῇ ,
ταύτην νόμιζε τὴν πόλιν χρόνῳ ποτὲ
ἐξ οὐρίων δραμοῦσαν εἰς βυθὸν πεσεῖν .
ἀλλ᾽ ἑστάτω μοι καὶ δέος τι καίριον ,
καὶ μὴ δοκῶμεν δρῶντες ἃν ἡδώμεθα 1085
οὐκ ἀντιτίσειν αὖθις ἂν λυπώμεθα .
ἕρπει παραλλὰξ ταῦτα . πρόσθεν οὗτος ἦν
αἴθων ὑβριστής , νῦν δ᾽ ἐγὼ μέγ᾽ αὖ φρονῶ .
καί σοι προφωνῶ τόνδε μὴ θάπτειν , ὅπως
μὴ τόνδε θάπτων αὐτὸς εἰς ταφὰς πέσῃς . 1090
ὁθούνεκ᾽ αὐτὸν ἐλπίσαντες οἴκοθεν
ἄγειν Ἀχαιοῖς ξύμμαχόν τε καὶ φίλον ,
ἐξηύρομεν ζητοῦντες ἐχθίω Φρυγῶν :
ὅστις στρατῷ ξύμπαντι βουλεύσας φόνον 1055
νύκτωρ ἐπεστράτευσεν , ὡς ἕλοι δόρει :
κεἰ μὴ θεῶν τις τήνδε πεῖραν ἔσβεσεν ,
ἡμεῖς μὲν ἂν τήνδ᾽ ἣν ὅδ᾽ εἴληχεν τύχην
θανόντες ἂν προυκείμεθ᾽ αἰσχίστῳ μόρῳ ,
οὗτος δ᾽ ἂν ἔζη . νῦν δ᾽ ἐνήλλαξεν θεὸς 1060
τὴν τοῦδ᾽ ὕβριν πρὸς μῆλα καὶ ποίμνας πεσεῖν .
ὧν εἵνεκ᾽ αὐτὸν οὔτις ἔστ᾽ ἀνὴρ σθένων
τοσοῦτον ὥστε σῶμα τυμβεῦσαι τάφῳ ,
ἀλλ᾽ ἀμφὶ χλωρὰν ψάμαθον ἐκβεβλημένος
ὄρνισι φορβὴ παραλίοις γενήσεται . 1065
πρὸς ταῦτα μηδὲν δεινὸν ἐξάρῃς μένος .
εἰ γὰρ βλέποντος μὴ ' δυνήθημεν κρατεῖν ,
πάντως θανόντος γ᾽ ἄρξομεν , κἂν μὴ θέλῃς ,
χερσὶν παρευθύνοντες : οὐ γὰρ ἔσθ᾽ ὅπου
λόγων γ᾽ ἀκοῦσαι ζῶν ποτ᾽ ἠθέλησ᾽ ἐμῶν . 1070
καίτοι κακοῦ πρὸς ἀνδρὸς ὄντα δημότην
μηδὲν δικαιοῦν τῶν ἐφεστώτων κλύειν .
οὐ γάρ ποτ᾽ οὔτ᾽ ἂν ἐν πόλει νόμοι καλῶς
φέροιντ᾽ ἄν , ἔνθα μὴ καθεστήκῃ δέος ,
οὔτ᾽ ἂν στρατός γε σωφρόνως ἄρχοιτ᾽ ἔτι , 1075
μηδὲν φόβου πρόβλημα μηδ᾽ αἰδοῦς ἔχων .
ἀλλ᾽ ἄνδρα χρή , κἂν σῶμα γεννήσῃ μέγα ,
δοκεῖν πεσεῖν ἂν κἂν ἀπὸ σμικροῦ κακοῦ .
δέος γὰρ ᾧ πρόσεστιν αἰσχύνη θ᾽ ὁμοῦ ,
σωτηρίαν ἔχοντα τόνδ᾽ ἐπίστασο : 1080
ὅπου δ᾽ ὑβρίζειν δρᾶν θ᾽ ἃ βούλεται παρῇ ,
ταύτην νόμιζε τὴν πόλιν χρόνῳ ποτὲ
ἐξ οὐρίων δραμοῦσαν εἰς βυθὸν πεσεῖν .
ἀλλ᾽ ἑστάτω μοι καὶ δέος τι καίριον ,
καὶ μὴ δοκῶμεν δρῶντες ἃν ἡδώμεθα 1085
οὐκ ἀντιτίσειν αὖθις ἂν λυπώμεθα .
ἕρπει παραλλὰξ ταῦτα . πρόσθεν οὗτος ἦν
αἴθων ὑβριστής , νῦν δ᾽ ἐγὼ μέγ᾽ αὖ φρονῶ .
καί σοι προφωνῶ τόνδε μὴ θάπτειν , ὅπως
μὴ τόνδε θάπτων αὐτὸς εἰς ταφὰς πέσῃς . 1090
MENELAUS
The reason’s this :
we hoped that we were leading Ajax here ,
away from home , so he’d be our ally ,
someone friendly to the Argives , but instead ,
when we saw him more closely , we found out
he was more hostile than the Phrygians . ( 24 )
He planned to destroy our entire army
and set off at night to take us with his spear .
If some god had not frustrated his attempt ,
we would have met the same fate he did— 1260
we’d be dead and lying there , struck down
by shameful fate , and he’d be still alive . [ 1060 ]
But now , it’s clear a god changed these events ,
and so the violence in his heart fell elsewhere ,
on sheep and cattle . And that’s the reason
there’s no one powerful enough right now
to take his corpse and set it in a grave .
Instead it will be tossed away somewhere
on the yellow sand , food for shore birds .
Remember that . Curb the anger in your heart . 1270
If we could not control him when he lived ,
at least he will obey us now he’s dead .
Even if you don’t agree , our forceful hands
will take charge of him . When he was alive ,
Ajax never listened to a word I said . [ 1070 ]
And it’s a fact that when a common man
thinks it’s appropriate to disobey
those in command , he truly demonstrates
his worthless character . Within the city
the laws could never foster benefits 1280
if there was no established place for fear .
Nor can one lead the troops with wise restraint
where there is neither fear or reverence
to act in their defence . So any man ,
no matter how powerful his body grows ,
must realize he’ll fall , even when
the harm to him seems trivial . A man
who has in him a sense of fear and shame
is quite secure—you can be sure of that— [ 1080 ]
but where there’s room for hostile arrogance 1290
and men do what they want , consider how
a state like that , though it has raced ahead
with favouring winds , will , in the course of time ,
sink in the ocean depths eventually .
And so for me let fear be set in place
where it’s appropriate . Let’s not believe
we can just do whatever we desire
and not pay the painful consequence .
These matters fluctuate—Ajax was once
a man of fiery insolence , but now 1300
it’s time for me to manifest my power .
And thus I warn you not to bury him . [ 1090 ]
If you do , you just might fall yourself
into your grave .
The reason’s this :
we hoped that we were leading Ajax here ,
away from home , so he’d be our ally ,
someone friendly to the Argives , but instead ,
when we saw him more closely , we found out
he was more hostile than the Phrygians . ( 24 )
He planned to destroy our entire army
and set off at night to take us with his spear .
If some god had not frustrated his attempt ,
we would have met the same fate he did— 1260
we’d be dead and lying there , struck down
by shameful fate , and he’d be still alive . [ 1060 ]
But now , it’s clear a god changed these events ,
and so the violence in his heart fell elsewhere ,
on sheep and cattle . And that’s the reason
there’s no one powerful enough right now
to take his corpse and set it in a grave .
Instead it will be tossed away somewhere
on the yellow sand , food for shore birds .
Remember that . Curb the anger in your heart . 1270
If we could not control him when he lived ,
at least he will obey us now he’s dead .
Even if you don’t agree , our forceful hands
will take charge of him . When he was alive ,
Ajax never listened to a word I said . [ 1070 ]
And it’s a fact that when a common man
thinks it’s appropriate to disobey
those in command , he truly demonstrates
his worthless character . Within the city
the laws could never foster benefits 1280
if there was no established place for fear .
Nor can one lead the troops with wise restraint
where there is neither fear or reverence
to act in their defence . So any man ,
no matter how powerful his body grows ,
must realize he’ll fall , even when
the harm to him seems trivial . A man
who has in him a sense of fear and shame
is quite secure—you can be sure of that— [ 1080 ]
but where there’s room for hostile arrogance 1290
and men do what they want , consider how
a state like that , though it has raced ahead
with favouring winds , will , in the course of time ,
sink in the ocean depths eventually .
And so for me let fear be set in place
where it’s appropriate . Let’s not believe
we can just do whatever we desire
and not pay the painful consequence .
These matters fluctuate—Ajax was once
a man of fiery insolence , but now 1300
it’s time for me to manifest my power .
And thus I warn you not to bury him . [ 1090 ]
If you do , you just might fall yourself
into your grave .