Hecuba, By Euripides

expedition against the Phrygian land and harry and lay waste these plains of Thrace hereafter, for the neighbours of Troy to experience the very troubles we were lately suffering, O king. Now Hecuba, having discovered the death of her son, brought me hither on this pretext, saying she would tell me of hidden treasure stored up in Ilium by the race of Priam; and she led me apart with my children into the tent, that none but I might hear her news. So I sat me down on a couch in their midst to rest; for there were many of the Trojan maidens seated there, some on my right hand, some on my left, as it had been beside a friend; and they were praising the weaving of our Thracian handiwork, looking at this robe as they held it up to the light; meantime others examined my Thracian spear and so stripped me of the protection of both. And those that were young mothers were dandling my children in their arms, with loud admiration, as they passed them on from hand to hand to remove them far from their father; and then after their smooth speeches (wouldst thou believe it?) in an instant snatching daggers from some secret place in their dress they stab my children; whilst others, like foes, seized me hand and foot; and if I tried to raise my head, anxious to help my babes, they would clutch me by the hair; while if I stirred my hands, I could do nothing, poor wretch! for the numbers of the women. At last they wrought a fearful deed,

for the numbers of the women. At last they wrought a fearful deed, worse than what had gone before; for they took their brooches and stabbed the pupils of my hapless eyes, making them gush with blood, and then fled through the chambers; up I sprang like a wild beast in pursuit of the shameless murderesses, searching along each wall with hunter's care, dealing buffets, spreading ruin. This then is what I have suffered because of my zeal for thee, O Agamemnon, for slaying an enemy of thine. But to spare thee a lengthy speech; if any of the men of former times have spoken ill of women, if any doth so now, or shall do so hereafter, all this in one short sentence will say; for neither land or sea produces a race so pestilent, as whosoever hath had to do with them knows full well. LEADER Curb thy bold tongue, and do not, because of thy own woes, thus embrace the whole race of women in one reproach; for though some of us, and those a numerous class, deserve to be disliked, there are others amongst us who rank naturally amongst the good. HECUBA Never ought words to have outweighed deeds in this world, Agamemnon. No! if a man's deeds had been good, so should his words have been; if, on the other hand, evil, his words should have betrayed their unsoundness, instead of its being possible at times to give a fair complexion to injustice. There are, 'tis true, clever persons, who have made a science of this, but their cleverness cannot last

who have made a science of this, but their cleverness cannot last for ever; a miserable end awaits them; none ever yet escaped. This is a warning I give thee at the outset. Now will I turn to this fellow, and will give thee thy answer, thou who sayest it was to save Achaea double toil and for Agamemnon's sake that thou didst slay my son. Nay, villain, in the first place how could the barbarian race ever be friends with Hellas? Impossible, ever. Again, what interest hadst thou to further by thy zeal? was it to form some marriage, or on the score of kin, or, prithee, why? or was it likely that they would sail hither again and destroy thy country's crops? Whom dost thou expect to persuade into believing that? Wouldst thou but speak the truth, it was the gold that slew my son, and thy greedy spirit. Now tell me this; why, when Troy was victorious, when her ramparts still stood round her, when Priam was alive, and Hector's warring prospered, why didst thou not, if thou wert really minded to do Agamemnon a service, then slay the child, for thou hadst him in thy palace 'neath thy care, or bring him with thee alive to the Argives? Instead of this, when our sun was set and the smoke of our city showed it was in the enemy's power, thou didst murder the guest who had come to thy hearth. Furthermore, to prove thy villainly, hear this; if thou wert really a friend to those Achaeans, thou shouldst have brought the gold, which thou sayst

those Achaeans, thou shouldst have brought the gold, which thou sayst thou art keeping not for thyself but for Agamemnon, and given it to them, for they were in need and had endured a long exile from their native land. Whereas not even now canst thou bring thyself to part with it, but persistest in keeping it in thy palace. Again, hadst thou kept my son safe and sound, as thy duty was, a fair renown would have been thy reward, for it is in trouble's hour that the good most clearly show their friendship; though prosperity of itself in every case finds friends. Wert thou in need of money and he prosperous, that son of mine would have been as a mighty treasure for thee to draw upon; but now thou hast him no longer to be thy friend, and the benefit of the gold is gone from thee, thy children too are dead, and thyself art in this sorry plight. To thee, Agamemnon, I say, if thou help this man, thou wilt show thy worthlessness; for thou wilt be serving one devoid of honour or piety, a stranger to the claims of good faith, a wicked host; while I shall say thou delightest in evil-doers, being such an one thyself; but I rail not at my masters. LEADER Look you! how a good cause ever affords men an opening for a good speech. AGAMEMNON To be judge in a stranger's troubles goes much against my grain, but still I must; yea, for to take this matter in hand and then put it from me is a shameful course. My opinion, that thou mayst

then put it from me is a shameful course. My opinion, that thou mayst know it, is that it was not for the sake of the Achaeans or me that thou didst slay thy guest, but to keep that gold in thy own house. In thy trouble thou makest a case in thy own interests. Maybe amongst you 'tis a light thing to murder guests, but with us in Hellas 'tis a disgrace. How can I escape reproach if I judge the not guilty? I cannot do it. Nay, since thou didst dare thy horrid crime, endure as well its painful consequence. POLYMESTOR Woe is me! worsted by a woman and a slave, I am, it seems, to suffer by unworthy hands. HECUBA Is it not just for thy atrocious crime? POLYMESTOR Ah, my children! ah, my blinded eyes! woe is me! HECUBA Dost thou grieve? what of me? thinkst thou I grieve not for my son? POLYMESTOR Thou wicked wretch! thy delight is in mocking me. HECUBA I am avenged on thee; have I not cause for joy? POLYMESTOR The joy will soon cease, in the day when ocean's flood- HECUBA Shall convey me to the shores of Hellas? POLYMESTOR Nay, but close o'er thee when thou fallest from the masthead. HECUBA Who will force me to take the leap? POLYMESTOR Of thy own accord wilt thou climb the ship's mast. HECUBA With wings upon my back, or by what means? POLYMESTOR Thou wilt become a dog with bloodshot eyes. HECUBA How knowest thou of my transformation? POLYMESTOR Dionysus, our Thracian prophet, told me so.

POLYMESTOR Dionysus, our Thracian prophet, told me so. HECUBA And did he tell thee nothing of thy present trouble? POLYMESTOR No; else hadst thou never caught me thus by guile. HECUBA Shall I die or live, and so complete my life on earth? POLYMESTOR Die shalt thou; and to thy tomb shall be given a name- HECUBA Recalling my form, or what wilt thou tell me? POLYMESTOR "The hapless hound's grave," a mark for mariners." HECUBA 'Tis naught to me, now that thou hast paid me forfeit. POLYMESTOR Further, thy daughter Cassandra must die. HECUBA I scorn the prophecy! I give it to thee to keep for thyself. POLYMESTOR Her shall the wife of Agamemnon, grim keeper of his palace, slay. HECUBA Never may the daughter of Tyndareus do such a frantic deed! POLYMESTOR And she shall slay this king as well, lifting high the axe. AGAMEMNON Ha! sirrah, art thou mad? art so eager to find sorrow? POLYMESTOR Kill me, for in Argos there awaits thee a murderous bath. AGAMEMNON Ho! servants, hale him from my sight POLYMESTOR Ha! my words gall thee? AGAMEMNON Stop his mouth! POLYMESTOR Close it now; for I have spoken. AGAMEMNON Haste and cast him upon some desert island, since his mouth is full of such exceeding presumption. Go thou, unhappy Hecuba, and bury thy two corpses; and you, Trojan women, to your masters' tents repair, for lo! I perceive a breeze just rising to waft us home. God grant we reach our country and find all well at home, released from

troubles here! (POLYMESTOR is dragged away by AGAMEMNON'S guards.) CHORUS (chanting) Away to the harbour and the tents, my friends, to prove the toils of slavery! for such is fate's relentless hest. THE END