οἵαν ἐδήλωσας ἀνέρος αἴθονος
ἀγγελίαν ἄτλατον οὐδὲ φευκτάν ,
τῶν μεγάλων Δαναῶν ὕπο κλῃζομέναν , 225
τὰν ὁ μέγας μῦθος ἀέξει .
οἴμοι φοβοῦμαι τὸ προσέρπον · περίφαντος ἁνὴρ
θανεῖται , παραπλάκτῳ χερὶ συγκατακτὰς
κελαινοῖς ξίφεσιν βοτὰ καὶ βοτῆρας ἱππονώμας .

ὥρα τιν᾽ ἤδη τοι κρᾶτα καλύμμασι 245
κρυψάμενον ποδοῖν κλοπὰν ἀρέσθαι
ἢ θοὸν εἰρεσίας ζυγὸν ἑζόμενον
ποντοπόρῳ ναῒ μεθεῖναι . 250
τοίας ἐρέσσουσιν ἀπειλὰς δικρατεῖς Ἀτρεῖδαι
καθ᾽ ἡμῶν · πεφόβημαι λιθόλευστον Ἄρη
ξυναλγεῖν μετὰ τοῦδε τυπείς , τὸν αἶσ᾽ ἄπλατος ἴσχει .

Of what sort do you reveal of the fiery man
tidings , not to be borne and not to be avoided ,
above the great Danaans having been held glorious ,
which the great speech increases .
Oimoi , I fear the thing approaching : seen-around the man
will die , in the frenzy-stricken hand slaughtering
with a dark sword grazing beasts and herdsmen guiding .

Some fitting time already the head with a veil
having been hidden by feet a theft to take up
or on nimble bench of rowers having been seated
by a sea-faring ship to set loose .
Such threats they put in motion , the jointly-ruling Atreides ,
against us : I have been seized with fear stoned Ares
to share in suffering with this man struck , this man a dispensation monstrous holds .

What tidings do you reveal , unbearable yet unavoidable , of the fiery man considered glorious by the great Danaans , his fame exalted by rumor . Oimoi , I fear what comes : in the eyes of all the man will die , having slaughtered flocks and their herdsmen with a darkened sword in his maddened hand .

Now is the time that he veil his head and steal away , or sitting on the oar bench free himself by a seafaring ship . The Atreids , ruling together , threaten us such that I fear ruin by stoning , struck together with this man whom a monstrous fate holds .

ὦ κλεινὰ Σαλαμίς , σὺ μέν που
ναίεις ἁλίπλακτος , εὐδαίμων ,
πᾶσιν περίφαντος ἀεί ·
ἐγὼ δ᾽ ὁ τλάμων παλαιὸς ἀφ᾽ οὗ χρόνος 600
Ἰδαῖα μίμνων λειμώνι᾽ ἔπαυλα μηνῶν
ἀνήριθμος αἰὲν εὐνῶμαι
χρόνῳ τρυχόμενος , 605
κακὰν ἐλπίδ᾽ ἔχων
ἔτι μέ ποτ᾽ ἀνύσειν
τὸν ἀπότροπον ἀΐδηλον Ἅιδαν .
καί μοι δυσθεράπευτος Αἴας
ξύνεστιν ἔφεδρος , ὤμοι μοι , 610
θείᾳ μανίᾳ ξύναυλος ·
ὃν ἐξεπέμψω πρὶν δή ποτε θουρίῳ
κρατοῦντ᾽ ἐν Ἄρει · νῦν δ᾽ αὖ φρενὸς οἰοβώτας
φίλοις μέγα πένθος ηὕρηται . 615
τὰ πρὶν δ᾽ ἔργα χεροῖν
μεγίστας ἀρετᾶς
ἄφιλα παρ᾽ ἀφίλοις 620
ἔπεσ᾽ ἔπεσε μελέοις Ἀτρείδαις .

Oh renowned Salamis , you on the one hand
somewhere abide sea-beaten , gods-blessed ,
to all seen-around always :
I on the other hand the one enduring , old in years , from this time ,
in Idaian meadow dwellings holding fast ,
countless of months always I lie ,
by time having been worn away ,
the evil hope holding
still for me at some time to make a journey
toward horrible , unseen Hades .

And to me hard-to-cure Ajax
is together with sitting near , oimoi moi ,
with goddess-ly sickness dwelling :
whom you sent out before once being powerful
in hideous Ares : but now again , of the midriff feeding alone ,
to dear ones a great grief he has been found .
And these deeds before by two hands
of greatest excellence
without friends beside the friendless
with words fell to the idle Atreids .

Renowned Salamis , blessed by the gods you lie somewhere worn by the sea , always seen in the public eye , while I , enduring since a time long ago , lie on Ida’s meadow dwellings , ever waiting uncounted months , worn down by time , holding yet the grim hope that some day I may pass into Hades , far from the eyes of men .

And uncurable Ajax sits together with me , oimoi moi , living with mania sent by a goddess : the man you sent forth as a powerful champion into horrible warfare now stews alone , becoming a terrible grief to his friends . And the former deeds of greatest excellence , wrought by his two hands , have fallen friendless by words beside the friendless , idle Atreids .

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 ?

χωρῶ πρὸς ἔργον · σοὶ δὲ τοῦτ᾽ ἐφίεμαι ,
τοιάνδ᾽ ἀεί μοι σύμμαχον παρεστάναι .

ὁρᾷς , Ὀδυσσεῦ , τὴν θεῶν ἰσχὺν ὅση ;
τούτου τίς ἄν σοι τἀνδρὸς ἢ προνούστερος
ἢ δρᾶν ἀμείνων ηὑρέθη τὰ καίρια ;

ἐγὼ μὲν οὐδέν᾽ οἶδ᾽ · ἐποικτίρω δέ νιν
δύστηνον ἔμπας , καίπερ ὄντα δυσμενῆ ,
ὁθούνεκ᾽ ἄτῃ συγκατέζευκται κακῇ ,
οὐδὲν τὸ τούτου μᾶλλον ἢ τοὐμὸν σκοπῶν ·
ὁρῶ γὰρ ἡμᾶς οὐδὲν ὄντας ἄλλο πλὴν
εἴδωλ᾽ ὅσοιπερ ζῶμεν ἢ κούφην σκιάν .

Then I ' ll get back to work .
And I ' ll leave you with this request from me—
always stand beside me as my ally
the way you did today .

Do you see ,
Odysseus , how powerful the gods can be ?
Could you find anyone more sensible
than Ajax , a man with more ability
to carry out in every situation
the most appropriate action ?

No one I know .
All the same , although he despises me ,
I pity his misfortune under that yoke
of catastrophic madness . It makes me think
not just of his fate but my own as well .
I see that in our lives we are no more
than phantoms , insubstantial shadows .

I go to my work . And I give you this commission : be always for me the close-standing ally that you have been for me today !

Do you see , Odysseus , how great is the strength of the gods ? Whom could you have found more prudent than this man , or better able to do what the situation demanded ?

I know of no one , but in his misery I pity him all the same , even though he hates me , because he is yoked beneath a ruinous delusion—I think of my own lot no less than his . For I see that all we who live are nothing more than phantoms or fleeting shadow .