ATTENDANT(Calling through the tent-door)
Stranger of the race of Aeacus,stay awhile!Ho there!thee Imean,Ogoddess-born,and thee,daughter of Leda.
ACHILLES
Who is it calling through the half-opened door?what fear his voice betrays!
ATTENDANT
Aslave am I;of that Iam not proud,for fortune permits it not.
ACHILLES
Whose slave art thou?not mine;for mine and Agamemnon's goods are separate.
ATTENDANT
Ibelong to this lady who stands before the tent,a gift to her from Tyndareus her father.
ACHILLES
Iam waiting;tell me,if thou art desirous,why thou hast stayed me.
ATTENDANT
Are ye really all alone here at the door?
CLYTAEMNESTRA
To us alone wilt thou address thyself;come forth from the king's tent.
ATTENDANT(Coming out)
OFortune and my own foresight,preserve whom Idesire!
ACHILLES
That speech will save them-in the future;it has a certain pompous air.
CLYTAEMNESTRA
Delay not for the sake of touching my right hand,if there is aught that thou wouldst say to me.
ATTENDANT
Well,thou knowest my character and my devotion to thee and thy children.
CLYTAEMNESTRA
Iknow thou hast grown old in the service of my house.
ATTENDANT
Likewise thou knowest it was in thy dowry king Agamemnon received me.
CLYTAEMNESTRA
Yes,thou camest to Argos with me,and hast been mine this long time past.
ATTENDANT
True;and though Ibear thee all goodwill,Ilike not thy lord so well.
CLYTAEMNESTRA
Come,come,unfold whate'er thou hast to say.
ATTENDANT
Her father,he that begat her,is on the point of slaying thy daughter with his own hand.
CLYTAEMNESTRA
How?Out upon thy story,old dotard!thou art mad.
ATTENDANT
Severing with a sword the hapless maid's white throat.
CLYTAEMNESTRA
Ah,woe is me!Is my husband haply mad?
ATTENDANT
Nay;sane,except where thou and thy daughter are concerned;there he is mad.
CLYTAEMNESTRA
What is his reason?what vengeful fiend impels him?
ATTENDANT
Oracles-at least so Calchas says,in order that the host may start CLYTAEMNESTRAWhither?Woe is me,and woe is thee,thy father's destined victim!
ATTENDANT
To the halls of Dardanus,that Menelaus may recover Helen.
CLYTAEMNESTRA
So Helen's return then was fated to affect Iphigenia?
ATTENDANT
Thou knowest all;her father is about to offer thy child to Artemis.
CLYTAEMNESTRA
But that marriage-what pretext had it for bringing me from home?
ATTENDANT
An inducement to thee to bring thy daughter cheerfully,to wed her to Achilles.
CLYTAEMNESTRA
On a deadly errand art thou come,my daughter,both thou,and I,thy mother.
ATTENDANT
Piteous the lot of both of you-and fearful Agamemnon's venture.
CLYTAEMNESTRA
Alas!Iam undone;my eyes can no longer stem their tears.
ATTENDANT
What more natural than to weep the loss of thy children?
CLYTAEMNESTRA
Whence,old man,dost say thou hadst this news?
ATTENDANT
Ihad started to carry thee a letter referring to the former writing.
CLYTAEMNESTRA
Forbidding or combining to urge my bringing the child to her death?
ATTENDANT
Nay,forbidding it,for thy lord was then in his sober senses.
CLYTAEMNESTRA
How comes it then,if thou wert really bringing me a letter,that thou dost not now deliver into my hands?
ATTENDANT
Menelaus snatched it from me-he who caused this trouble.
CLYTAEMNESTRA
Dost thou hear that,son of Peleus,the Nereid's child?
ACHILLES
Ihave been listening to the tale of thy sufferings,and Iam indignant to think Iwas used as a tool.
CLYTAEMNESTRA
They will slay my child;they have tricked her with thy marriage.
ACHILLES
Like thee Iblame thy lord,nor do Iview it with mere indifference.
CLYTAEMNESTRA
No longer will Ilet shame prevent my kneeling to thee,a mortal to one goddess-born;why do Iaffect reserve?whose interests should Iconsult before my child's?(Throwing herself before ACHILLES)Oh!help me,goddess-born,in my sore distress,and her that was called thy bride-in vain,'tis true,yet called she was.For thee it was Iwreathed her head and led her forth as if to marriage,but now it is to slaughter Iam bringing her.On thee will come reproach because thou didst not help her;for though not wedded to her,yet wert thou the loving husband of my hapless maid in name at any rate.
By thy beard,right hand,and mother too Ido implore thee;for thy name it was that worked my ruin,and thou art bound to stand by that.Except thy knees Ihave no altar whereunto to fly;and not a friend stands at my side.Thou hast heard the cruel abandoned scheme of Agamemnon;and I,a woman,am come,as thou seest,to a camp of lawless sailor-folk,bold in evil's cause,though useful when they list;wherefore if thou boldly stretch forth thine arm in my behalf,our safety is assured;but if thou withhold it,we are lost.
CHORUS
Awondrous thing is motherhood,carrying with it a potent spell,wherein all share,so that for their children's sake they will endure affliction.
ACHILLES
My proud spirit is stirred to range aloft,but it has learnt to grieve in misfortune and rejoice in high prosperity with equal moderation.For these are the men who can count on ordering all their life aright by wisdom's rules.True,there are cases where 'tis pleasant not to be too wise,but there are others,where some store of wisdom helps.Brought up in godly Chiron's halls myself,Ilearnt to keep a single heart;and provided the Atridae lead aright,Iwill obey them;but when they cease therefrom,no more will Iobey.