Iphigenia at Aulis 1368–1402: Iphigenia chooses to die for…

Euripides, Iphigenia at Aulis 1368–1402: Fifth episode: Iphigenia chooses to die for Hellas

Iphigenia tells her mother that she is angry with her husband to no purpose, and says that she will give her life for Hellas, so that barbarians may no longer seize Greek women. She says that it is right that Hellenes should rule barbarians, that one man's life is worth more than ten thousand women's, and that she will not let Achilles fight for her. The Chorus Leader calls her a noble girl.

1368–1373

Ἀχιλλεύς 1368ἀλλὰ μὴν ἐς τοῦτό γʼ ἥξει. Ἰφιγένεια μῆτερ, εἰσακούσατε τῶν ἐμῶν λόγων· μάτην γάρ σʼ εἰσορῶ θυμουμένην 1370σῷ πόσει· τὰ δʼ ἀδύναθʼ ἡμῖν καρτερεῖν οὐ ῥᾴδιον. τὸν μὲν οὖν ξένον δίκαιον αἰνέσαι προθυμίας· ἀλλὰ καὶ σὲ τοῦθʼ ὁρᾶν χρή, μὴ διαβληθῇ στρατῷ, καὶ πλέον πράξωμεν οὐδέν, ὅδε δὲ συμφορᾶς τύχῃ.

Achilles Believe me, it will come to this.

Iphigenia Mother, hear me while I speak, for I see that you are angry with your husband to no purpose; it is hard for us to persist in impossibilities. Our thanks are due to this stranger for his ready help; but you must also see to it that he is not reproached by the army, leaving us no better off and himself involved in trouble.

Iphigenia

1374–1401

1374οἷα δʼ εἰσῆλθέν μʼ, ἄκουσον, μῆτερ, ἐννοουμένην·
1375κατθανεῖν μέν μοι δέδοκται· τοῦτο δʼ αὐτὸ βούλομαι
εὐκλεῶς πρᾶξαι, παρεῖσά γʼ ἐκποδὼν τὸ δυσγενές.
δεῦρο δὴ σκέψαι μεθʼ ἡμῶν, μῆτερ, ὡς καλῶς λέγω·
εἰς ἔμʼ Ἑλλὰς ἡ μεγίστη πᾶσα νῦν ἀποβλέπει,
κἀν ἐμοὶ πορθμός τε ναῶν καὶ Φρυγῶν κατασκαφαὶ
1380τάς τε μελλούσας γυναῖκας, ἤν τι δρῶσι βάρβαροι,
μηκέθʼ ἁρπάζειν ἐᾶν τούσδʼ ὀλβίας ἐξ Ἑλλάδος,
τὸν Ἑλένης τείσαντας ὄλεθρον, ἣν ἀνήρπασεν Πάρις.
ταῦτα πάντα κατθανοῦσα ῥύσομαι, καί μου κλέος,
Ἑλλάδʼ ὡς ἠλευθέρωσα, μακάριον γενήσεται.
1385καὶ γὰρ οὐδέ τοί τι λίαν ἐμὲ φιλοψυχεῖν χρεών·
πᾶσι γάρ μʼ Ἕλλησι κοινὸν ἔτεκες, οὐχὶ σοὶ μόνῃ.
ἀλλὰ μυρίοι μὲν ἄνδρες ἀσπίσιν πεφραγμένοι,
μυρίοι δʼ ἐρέτμʼ ἔχοντες, πατρίδος ἠδικημένης,
δρᾶν τι τολμήσουσιν ἐχθροὺς χὑπὲρ Ἑλλάδος θανεῖν,
1390ἡ δʼ ἐμὴ ψυχὴ μίʼ οὖσα πάντα κωλύσει τάδε;
τί τὸ δίκαιον τοῦτό γε; ἆρʼ ἔχοιμʼ ἂν ἀντειπεῖν ἔπος;
κἀπʼ ἐκεῖνʼ ἔλθωμεν· οὐ δεῖ τόνδε διὰ μάχης μολεῖν
πᾶσιν Ἀργείοις γυναικὸς εἵνεκʼ οὐδὲ κατθανεῖν.
εἷς γʼ ἀνὴρ κρείσσων γυναικῶν μυρίων ὁρᾶν φάος.
1395εἰ βεβούληται δὲ σῶμα τοὐμὸν Ἄρτεμις λαβεῖν,
ἐμποδὼν γενήσομαι ʼγὼ θνητὸς οὖσα τῇ θεῷ;
ἀλλʼ ἀμήχανον· δίδωμι σῶμα τοὐμὸν Ἑλλάδι.
θύετʼ, ἐκπορθεῖτε Τροίαν. ταῦτα γὰρ μνημεῖά μου
διὰ μακροῦ, καὶ παῖδες οὗτοι καὶ γάμοι καὶ δόξʼ ἐμή.
1400βαρβάρων δʼ Ἕλληνας ἄρχειν εἰκός, ἀλλʼ οὐ βαρβάρους,
μῆτερ, Ἑλλήνων· τὸ μὲν γὰρ δοῦλον, οἳ δʼ ἐλεύθεροι.

Listen, mother; hear what thoughts have passed across my mind. I am resolved to die; and this I want to do with honor, dismissing from me what is mean. Towards this now, mother turn your thoughts, and with me weigh how well I speak; to me the whole of mighty Hellas looks; on me the passage over the sea depends; on me the sack of Troy; and in my power it lies to check henceforth barbarian raids on happy Hellas, if ever in the days to come they seek to seize her women, when once they have atoned by death for the violation of Helen’s marriage by Paris. All this deliverance will my death insure, and my fame for setting Hellas free will be a happy one. Besides, I have no right at all to cling too fondly to my life; for you did not bear me for myself alone, but as a public blessing to all Hellas. What! shall countless warriors, armed with shields, those myriads sitting at the oar, find courage to attack the foe and die for Hellas, because their fatherland is wronged, and my one life prevent all this? What kind of justice is that? could I find a word in answer? Now let us turn to that other point. It is not right that this man should enter into battle with all Argos or be slain for a woman’s sake. Better a single man should see the light than ten thousand women. If Artemis has decided to take my body, am I, a mortal, to thwart the goddess? no, that is impossible. I give my body to Hellas; sacrifice it and make an utter end of Troy. This is my enduring monument; marriage, motherhood, and fame—all these is it to me. And it is right, mother, that Hellenes should rule barbarians, but not barbarians Hellenes, those being slaves, while these are free.

Chorus Leader

1402–1402

1402τὸ μὲν σόν, ὦ νεᾶνι, γενναίως ἔχει·

You play a noble part, maiden; but the whims of Fate and the goddess are diseased.

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English translation by Edward P. Coleridge (1891). Original text: Greek text: Gilbert Murray (ed.), Euripidis Fabulae, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1913, as digitised by Perseus. English: Edward P. Coleridge, The Plays of Euripides, London: George Bell and Sons, first published 1891 (Bohn's Classical Library; the Perseus header records a later printing).

Greek text and translation from the Perseus Digital Library, Tufts University, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Perseus Digital Library); translation public domain. Introductions, summaries and notes © GreekMythology.com.

Euripides, Iphigenia at Aulis 1368–1402: Fifth episode: Iphigenia chooses to die for Hellas

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