Thine is the madness rather in wishing to recover a wicked wife,once thou hadst lost her-a stroke of Heaven-sent luck.Those foolish suitors swore that oath to Tyndareus in their longing to wed;but Hope was the goddess that led them on,Itrow,and she it was that brought it about rather then thou and thy mightiness.So take the field with them;they are ready for it in the folly of their hearts;for the deity is not without insight,but is able to discern where oaths have been wrongly pledged or forcibly extorted.Iwill not slay my children,nor shall thy interests be prospered by justice in thy vengeance for a worthless wife,while Iam left wasting,night and day,in sorrow for what Idid to one of my own flesh and blood,contrary to all law and justice.There is thy answer shortly'given,clear and easy to understand;and if thou wilt not come to thy senses,Ishall do the best for myself.
CHORUS
This differs from thy previous declaration,but there is good in it-thy child's reprieve.
MENELAUS
Ah me,how sad my lot!Ihave no friends then after all.
AGAMEMNON
Friends thou hast,if thou seek not their destruction.
MENELAUS
Where wilt thou find any proof that thou art sprung from the same sire as I?
AGAMEMNON
Thy moderation,not thy madness do Ishare by nature.
MENELAUS
Friends should sympathize with friends in sorrow.
AGAMEMNON
Claim my help by kindly service,not by paining me.
MENELAUS
So thou hast no mind to share this trouble with Hellas?
AGAMEMNON
No,Hellas is diseased like thee according to some god's design.
MENELAUS
Go vaunt thee then on thy sceptre,after betraying thine own brother!while seek some different means and other friends.
Enter MESSENGER.
MESSENGER
Agamemnon,lord of all Hellenes!Iam come and bring thee thy daughter,whom thou didst call Iphigenia in thy home;and her mother,thy wife Clytemnestra,is with her,and the child Orestes,a sight to gladden thee after thy long absence from thy palace;but,as they had been travelling long and far,they are now refreshing their tender feet at the waters of a fair spring,they and their horses,for we turned these loose in the grassy meadow to browse their fill;but Iam come as their forerunner to prepare thee for their reception;for the army knows already of thy daughter's arrival,so quickly did the rumour spread;and all the folk are running together to the sight,that they may see thy child;for Fortune's favourites enjoy a worldwide fame and have all eyes fixed on them."Is it a wedding?"some ask,"or what is happening?or has king Agamemnon from fond yearning summoned his daughter hither?"From others thou wouldst have heard:"They are presenting the maiden to Artemis,queen of Aulis,previous to marriage;who can the bridegroom be,that is to lead her home?"Come,then,begin the rites-that is the next step-by getting the baskets ready;crown your heads;prepare the wedding-hymn,thou and prince Menelaus with thee;let flutes resound throughout the tents with noise of dancer's feet;for this is a happy day,that is come for the maid.
AGAMEMNON
Thou hast my thanks;now go within;for the rest it will be well,as Fate proceeds.
Exit MESSENGER.
Ah,woe is me!unhappy wretch,what can Isay?where shall Ibegin?Into what cruel straits have Ibeen plunged!Fortune has outwitted me,proving far cleverer than any cunning of mine.What an advantage humble birth possesses!for it is easy for her sons to weep and tell out all their sorrows;while to the high-born man come these same sorrows,but we have dignity throned o'er our life and are the people's slaves.I,for instance,am ashamed to weep,nor less,poor wretch,to check my tears at the awful pass to which Iam brought.Oh!what am Ito tell my wife?how shall Iwelcome her?
with what face meet her?for she too has undone me by coming uninvited in this my hour of sorrow;yet it was but natural she should come with her daughter to prepare the bride and perform the fondest duties,where she will discover my villainy.And for this poor maid-why maid?Death,methinks,will soon make her his bride-how Ipity her!
Thus will she plead to me,Itrow:"My father will thou slay me?Be such the wedding thou thyself mayst find,and whosoever is a friend to thee!"while Orestes,from his station near us,will cry in childish accents,inarticulate,yet fraught with meaning.Alas!to what utter ruin Paris,the son of Priam,the cause of these troubles,has brought me by his union with Helen!
CHORUS
Ipity her myself,in such wise as a woman,and she a stranger,may bemoan the misfortunes of royalty.
MENELAUS(Offering his hand)
Thy hand,brother!let me grasp it.
AGAMEMNON
Igive it;thine is the victory,mine the sorrow.
MENELAUS
By Pelops our reputed grandsire and Atreus our father Iswear to tell thee the truth from my heart,without any covert purpose,but only what Ithink.The sight of thee in tears made me pity thee,and in return Ished a tear for thee myself;Iwithdraw from my former proposals,ceasing to be a cause of fear to thee;yea,and Iwill put myself in thy present position;and Icounsel thee,slay not thy child nor prefer my interests to thine;for it is not just that thou shouldst grieve,while Iam glad,or that thy children should die,while mine still see the light of day.What is it,after all,Iseek?If Iam set on marriage,could Inot find a bride as choice elsewhere?Was Ito lose a brother-the last Ishould have lost-to win a Helen,getting bad for good?Iwas mad,impetuous as a youth,till Iperceived,on closer view,what slaying children really meant.Moreover Iam filled with compassion for the hapless maiden,doomed to bleed that Imay wed,when Ireflect that we are kin.What has thy daughter to do with Helen?Let the army be disbanded and leave Aulis;dry those streaming eyes,brother,and provoke me not to tears.