Agamemnon

Perseus Greek · Perseus Greek · 518 sections

1643
Why then, in the baseness of your soul, did you not kill him yourself, but leave his slaying to a woman,
1645
a plague to her country and her country’s gods? Oh, does Orestes perhaps still behold the light, that, with favoring fortune, he may come home and be the slayer of this pair with victory complete?
1649
Oh well, since you plan to act and speak like that, you shall be taught a lesson soon.
1650
On guard, my trusty guardsmen, your work lies close to hand.
1651
On guard then! Let every one make ready his sword with hand on hilt.
1652
My hand too is laid on my sword hilt, and I do not shrink from death.
1653
Death for yourself, you say. We hail the omen. We welcome fortune’s test.
1654
No, my dearest, let us work no further ills. Even these are many to reap, a wretched harvest. Of woe we have enough; let us have no bloodshed. Venerable elders, go back to your homes, and yield in time to destiny before you come to harm. What we did had to be done. But should this trouble prove enough, we will accept it,
1660
sorely battered as we are by the heavy hand of fate. Such is a woman’s counsel, if any care to learn from it.
1655
But to think that these men should let their wanton tongues thus blossom into speech against me and cast about such insults, putting their fortune to the test! To reject wise counsel and insult their master!
1662
It would not be like men of Argos to cringe before a man as low as you.
1665
Ha! I will visit you with vengeance yet in days to come.
1666
Not if fate shall guide Orestes to return home.
1667
From my own experience I know that exiles feed on hope.
1668
Keep on, grow fat, polluting justice, since you can.
1669
Know that you shall atone to me for your insolent folly.
1670
Brag in your bravery like a cock beside his hen.
1671
Do no care for their idle yelpings. I and you will be masters of this house and order it aright.

Perseus Greek. CTS URN tlg0085.tlg005.perseus-eng3. Via the Perseus Digital Library / Open Greek and Latin TEI corpora. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0. Source.