Helen
Choose a text
id="mobileReaderAuthor" class="mobile-reader-author" href="/authors/euripides" aria-label="More works by Euripides">
—
⋯
Original / primary: Perseus Eng2
310
310
Helen
310
My mother is no more; through shame of my disgraceful marriage she tied a noose around her neck.
311
311
Menelaos
311
Alas! Is our daughter Hermione alive?
312
312
Helen
312
Ah, my husband! Unmarried, and without children, she mourns my
313
fatal marriage.
314
314
Menelaos
314
O Paris, who utterly destroyed my whole house, these things ruined you also, and countless bronze-clad Danaans.
315
315
Helen
315
The god cast me out, ill-fated and accursed, from my country,
316
from my city, and from you, when I left my home and bed—yet I did not leave them—for a shameful marriage.
317
317
Chorus Leader
317
If indeed you should find happiness in the future, it would be a match for the past.
318
318
Messenger
318
Menelaos, give me as well a share of that joy which I understand, but not clearly.
319
319
Menelaos
319
Come and take part in our talk, old man, you too.
320
320
Messenger
320
This woman is not the arbitrator of all the trouble in Troy?
321
321
Menelaos
321
She is not; I was tricked by the gods
322
and had in my arms the baneful image of a cloud.
323
323
Messenger
323
What are you saying? We suffered in vain for the sake of a cloud?
324
324
Menelaos
324
It was the work of Hera, and the rivalry of the three goddesses.
325
325
Messenger
325
And the one who is truly your wife is this woman here?
326
326
Menelaos
326
This is she; trust my word for that.
327
327
Messenger
327
O daughter, how intricate and hard to trace out is the nature of the god! In some way that is good, he twists everything about, now up, now down; one man suffers, and one who has not suffered comes afterwards to a bad end,
328
having no security in his current fortune. You and your husband have had your share of trouble, you in repute, he in the heat of battle. In his eagerness, while he was eager, he got nothing; but now that he has achieved the greatest good fortune, he has it without cause.
329
You did not, after all, bring shame upon your old father or on the twin sons of Zeus, nor did you do such things as were spoken of. Now again I renew your wedding rites and remember the blazing torch I bore, running beside the four yoked horses; and you,
330
in the chariot as a bride, were leaving your happy home with this man here. Whoever pays no reverence to his master’s affairs, rejoicing with him and grieving with his troubles, is worthless. Although I was born a servant, let me still be numbered among honest
331
slaves; my mind is free, if not my name. For this is better than to suffer double misery as one man: to have a worthless heart and, being a slave, to owe obedience to any other.
332
332
Menelaos
332
Come, old man—often by my shield
333
you have had your full share of trouble and hard work—now also have a share in my success, and go tell the friends I left behind the state of matters here, as you found them, and how my fortune stands; and bid them wait at the beach and watch eagerly for the
334
struggle which I expect awaits me; and if we should be able somehow to steal this woman away from the land, tell them to keep good watch so that we may share the luck and escape, if we can, from the barbarians.
335
335
Messenger
335
It shall be done, lord. Now indeed I see how worthless
336
the seers’ doings are, and how full of falsehood; there was no health in the blaze of sacrifice after all, or in the cry of winged birds; even to think that birds can help mankind is certainly foolish. For Calchas gave no word or sign to the army,
337
when he saw his friends dying on behalf of a cloud, nor did Helenos; but the city was taken by storm in vain. You might say: because the god did not want them to? Then why do we consult prophets? We ought to sacrifice to the gods and ask a blessing, but leave divination alone;
338
for this was invented otherwise, as a bait for a livelihood, and no man grows rich by sacrifices if he is idle. But sound judgment and discernment are the best of seers. Exit Messenger.
339
339
Chorus Leader
339
My views about seers coincide exactly with this old man’s; whoever has the gods as friends
340
would have the best prophecy at home.
341
341
Helen
341
All right; so far all is well. But how you were saved, my poor husband, from Troy, there is no gain in knowing, yet friends have a desire to learn what their friends have suffered.
342
342
Menelaos
342
Truly you have asked a great deal all at once. Why should I tell you about our losses in the Aegean, and Nauplios’ beacons on Euboia, and my visits to Crete and the cities of Libya, and the mountain-peaks of Perseus? For I would not satisfy you with the tale,
343
and by telling you these evils I would suffer still, as I did when I experienced them; and so my grief would be doubled.
344
344
Helen
344
Your answer is better than my question. Leave out the rest, and tell me only this: how long were you a weary wanderer over the surface of the sea?
345
345
Menelaos
345
Besides those ten years in Troy, I went through seven cycles of years on board ship.
346
346
Helen
346
Alas, poor man, you have spoken of a long time; and, saved from there, you have come here to the slaughter.
347
347
Menelaos
347
What do you mean? What will you say? Ah, my wife, you have ruined me.
348
348
Helen
348
Escape from this land and flee as quickly as possible. The man who lives in this house will kill you.
349
349
Menelaos
349
What have I done to deserve such a fate?
350
350
Helen
350
You have come unexpectedly to hinder my marriage.
351
351
Menelaos
351
What! Does someone plan to marry my wife?
352
352
Helen
352
And to act in violence against me, which I have endured.
353
353
Menelaos
353
Does he have private power, or is he the ruler of the country?
354
354
Helen
354
He is the lord of this land, the son of Proteus.
355
355
Menelaos
355
This is that riddle I heard from the servant.
356
356
Helen
356
Which one of the barbarian’s gates were you standing beside?
357
357
Menelaos
357
This one, from which I was being driven away like a beggar.
358
358
Helen
358
You were surely not begging for food, were you? How unhappy I am!
359
359
Menelaos
359
That was the deed, though it did not have that name.
360
360
Helen
360
Then you know everything, it seems, about my marriage.
361
361
Menelaos
361
I do. But if you have escaped his bed—that I do not know.
362
362
Helen
362
Know that I have saved myself untouched for you.
363
363
Menelaos
363
What could persuade me of this? If true, your words are sweet.
364
364
Helen
364
Do you see my wretched sanctuary at this tomb?
365
365
Menelaos
365
I see a miserable bed of straw, but what do you have to do with it?
366
366
Helen
366
Here, as a suppliant, I am asking for an escape from his bed.
367
367
Menelaos
367
For want of an altar, or because it is the barbarians’ way?
368
368
Helen
368
This was as good a protection to me as the temples of the gods.
369
369
Menelaos
369
Then it’s not possible for me to take you home by ship?
370
370
Helen
370
A sword is waiting for you, rather than my bed.
371
371
Menelaos
371
So I would be the most wretched of mortals.
372
372
Helen
372
Do not feel shame now, but escape from this land.
373
373
Menelaos
373
Leaving you behind? I ravaged Troy for your sake.
374
374
Helen
374
Yes, for that is better than that our union should cause your death.
375
375
Menelaos
375
Oh! these are coward’s words, unworthy of those days at Troy.
376
376
Helen
376
You could not kill the tyrant, your possible intention.
377
377
Menelaos
377
Does he then have a body that cannot be wounded by a sword?
378
378
Helen
378
You will hear. But to undertake impossibilities is no mark of wisdom.
379
379
Menelaos
379
And so I am to offer my hands to be bound, in silence?
380
380
Helen
380
You are in a dilemma; we need some contrivance.
381
381
Menelaos
381
Yes, for it is sweeter to die in action than by not acting.
382
382
Helen
382
There is one hope, and only one, for our safety.
383
383
Menelaos
383
Are we to buy it, or dare it, or win it with words?
384
384
Helen
384
If the tyrant were not to learn of your arrival.
385
385
Menelaos
385
Will any one tell him about me? He will certainly not know who I am.
386
386
Helen
386
He has within an ally equal to the gods.
387
387
Menelaos
387
A voice that has settled in the inmost parts of his house?
388
388
Helen
388
No, but his sister; she is called Theonoe.
389
389
Menelaos
389
The name is prophetic; tell me what she does.
390
390
Helen
390
She knows everything, and she will tell her brother that you are here.
391
391
Menelaos
391
We must die; for I cannot escape her notice.
392
392
Helen
392
Perhaps we might persuade her by supplication—
393
393
Menelaos
393
To do what? What hope are you leading me to?
394
394
Helen
394
Not to tell her brother that you are here in this land.
395
395
Menelaos
395
If we persuade her, could we get away from this country?
396
396
Helen
396
Easily, in common with her; but secretly we could not.
397
397
Menelaos
397
The task is yours; it is suitable for women to deal with women.
398
398
Helen
398
Be sure that I will clasp her knees.
399
399
Menelaos
399
Well, then, what if she rejects our proposals?
400
400
Helen
400
You will die. And I, the unhappy one, will be married by force.
401
401
Menelaos
401
You would be a traitor; that force of yours is all an excuse.
402
402
Helen
402
But I have sworn a sacred oath by your life—
403
403
Menelaos
403
What do you mean? To die? And never to take his bed in exchange for mine?
404
404
Helen
404
Yes, by the same sword; I will lie at your side.
405
405
Menelaos
405
Then on these conditions touch my right hand.
406
406
Helen
406
I touch it, swearing that I will leave the light of day if you die.
407
407
Menelaos
407
And I will end my life if I lose you.
408
408
Helen
408
How then shall we die so as to insure our reputation for this?
409
409
Menelaos
409
I will kill you on the tomb’s surface, and then kill myself. But first I will fight a great contest for your bed. Let anyone who wishes come near!