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Euripides · Trojan Women Τρῳάδες

Euripides, Trojan Women 568–602b: Second episode: Andromache arrives with Astyanax

Ancient Sources / Euripides / Trojan Women / 568–602b

The Chorus sees Andromache coming on a foreign chariot, with her child, Astyanax, Hector's son, at her breast, and the weapons of Troy piled beside her. Andromache says that her Achaean masters are leading her away, and tells Hecuba of the destruction of Troy and of the dead who lie by the shrine of Pallas for vultures to carry off.

Lines 568–602b · 305 words · click a number to copy its link

Chorus Leader

568–576
568Ἑκάβη, λεύσσεις τήνδʼ Ἀνδρομάχην ξενικοῖς ἐπʼ ὄχοις πορθμευομένην; 570παρὰ δʼ εἰρεσίᾳ μαστῶν ἕπεται φίλος Ἀστυάναξ, Ἕκτορος ἶνις. ποῖ ποτʼ ἀπήνης νώτοισι φέρῃ, δύστανε γύναι, πάρεδρος χαλκέοις Ἕκτορος ὅπλοις σκύλοις τε Φρυγῶν δοριθηράτοις, 575οἷσιν Ἀχιλλέως παῖς Φθιώτας στέψει ναοὺς ἀπὸ Τροίας;

Hecuba, do you see Andromache advancing here on a foreign chariot? and with her, clasped to her throbbing breast, is her dear Astyanax, Hector’s child. Where are you being carried, unhappy wife, mounted on that chariot, side by side with Hector’s brazen arms and Phrygian spoils of war, with which Achilles’ son will deck the shrines of Phthia on his return from Troy?

577–581b
Ἀνδρομάχη 577Ἀχαιοὶ δεσπόται μʼ ἄγουσιν. Ἑκάβη οἴμοι. Ἀνδρομάχη τί παιᾶνʼ ἐμὸν στενάζεις; Ἑκάβη αἰαῖ — Ἀνδρομάχη τῶνδʼ ἀλγέων — Ἑκάβη 580ὦ Ζεῦ — Ἀνδρομάχη καὶ συμφορᾶς. Ἑκάβη τέκεα, Ἀνδρομάχη πρίν ποτʼ ἦμεν.

Andromache My Achaean masters are leading me away.

Hecuba Ah me!

Andromache Why do you in note of woe utter the dirge that is mine?

Hecuba Alas—

Andromache For these sorrows—

Hecuba O Zeus—

Andromache And for this calamity.

Hecuba O my children!

Andromache Our day is past.

582–586b
Ἑκάβη 582βέβακʼ ὄλβος, βέβακε Τροία Ἀνδρομάχη τλάμων. Ἑκάβη ἐμῶν τʼ εὐγένεια παίδων. Ἀνδρομάχη φεῦ φεῦ. Ἑκάβη φεῦ δῆτʼ ἐμῶν Ἀνδρομάχη 585κακῶν. Ἑκάβη οἰκτρὰ τύχα Ἀνδρομάχη πόλεος, Ἑκάβη ἃ καπνοῦται.

Hecuba Joy is gone, Troy is gone.

Andromache Unhappy!

Hecuba For my gallant sons

Andromache Alas!

Hecuba Alas indeed, for my

Andromache Misery!

Hecuba Piteous the fate

Andromache Of our city,

Hecuba Smouldering in the smoke.

587–590
Ἀνδρομάχη 587μόλοις, ὦ πόσις, μοι — Ἑκάβη βοᾷς τὸν παρʼ Ἅιδᾳ παῖδʼ ἐμόν, ὦ μελέα. Ἀνδρομάχη 590σᾶς δάμαρτος ἄλκαρ.

Andromache Come to me, my husband, come to me!

Hecuba Ah, hapless wife! you call on my son who lies in the tomb.

Andromache Your wife’s defender!

Hecuba

591–594
591σύ τʼ, ὦ λῦμʼ Ἀχαιῶν, τέκνων δέσποθʼ ἁμῶν, πρεσβυγενὲς Πρίαμε, κοίμισαί μʼ ἐς Ἅιδου.

Oh, you, who before made the Achaeans grieve, eldest of the sons I bore to Priam, take me to your rest in Hades’ halls!

595–600a
Ἀνδρομάχη 595οἵδε πόθοι μεγάλοι […] Ἑκάβη σχετλία, τάδε πάσχομεν ἄλγη. Ἀνδρομάχη οἰχομένας πόλεως […] Ἑκάβη ἐπὶ δʼ ἄλγεσιν ἄλγεα κεῖται. Ἀνδρομάχη δυσφροσύναισι θεῶν, ὅτε σὸς γόνος ἔκφυγεν Ἅιδαν, ὃς λεχέων στυγερῶν χάριν ὤλεσε πέργαμα Τροίας· αἱματόεντα δὲ θεᾷ παρὰ Παλλάδι σώματα νεκρῶν 600γυψὶ φέρειν τέταται· ζυγὰ δʼ ἤνυσε δούλια Τροίᾳ.

Andromache These great griefs—

Hecuba Unhappy one, bitter these woes to bear.

Andromache Our city ruined—

Hecuba And sorrow to sorrow added.

Andromache Through the will of angry heaven, since the day that son of yours escaped death, he that for a hated bride brought destruction on the Trojan citadel. There lie the gory corpses of the slain by the shrine of Pallas for vultures to carry off; and Troy has come to slavery’s yoke.

601–602b
Ἑκάβη 601ὦ πατρίς, ὦ μελέα […] Ἀνδρομάχη καταλειπομέναν σε δακρύω, Ἑκάβη νῦν τέλος οἰκτρὸν ὁρᾷς. Ἀνδρομάχη καὶ ἐμὸν δόμον ἔνθʼ ἐλοχεύθην.

Hecuba O my country, O unhappy land—

Andromache I weep for you now left behind.

Hecuba Now do you behold your piteous end.

Andromache And you, my house, where I gave birth.

People and places in this passage

Passages in other works that tell of the same people and places, oldest and closest first.

  1. Euripides, Andromache 232–273First episode: Hermione threatens Andromache at the altar
  2. Euripides, Hecuba 986–1022Fourth episode: Hecuba lures Polymestor into the tent
  3. Ovid, Metamorphoses 13.481–575Hecuba and Polymestor
  4. Apollodorus, The Library (Bibliotheca), with the Epitome 3.12.1–7Dardanus, Priam and the royal house of Troy
  5. Quintus Smyrnaeus, The Fall of Troy (Posthomerica) 1.1–133Penthesileia comes to Troy
  6. Homer, Iliad 24.677–804Hermes wakes Priam; Hector's funeral

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.