Tiresias: The Ancient Mediterranean Religions Source Database

⁹⁸⁷ ὡς ἂν παρῇ μοι μάρτυς ἐν δίκῃ ποτέ, ⁹⁸⁸ ὡς τόνδʼ ἐγὼ μετῆλθον ἐνδίκως μόρον, ⁹⁸⁹ τὸν μητρός· Αἰγίσθου γὰρ οὐ λέγω μόρον·, ¹⁰¹⁷ ἄζηλα νίκης τῆσδʼ ἔχων μιάσματα. Χορός ¹⁰²⁷ κτανεῖν τέ φημι μητέρʼ οὐκ ἄνευ δίκης, ¹⁰²⁸ πατροκτόνον μίασμα καὶ θεῶν στύγος.

⁹⁸⁷ that he may see the impious work of my own mother, that he may be my witness in court that I justly pursued this death, my own mother’s. For I do not speak of Aegisthus’ death: he has suffered the penalty prescribed for adulterers. ⁹⁸⁹ that he may see the impious work of my own mother, that he may be my witness in court that I justly pursued this death, my own mother’s. For I do not speak of Aegisthus’ death: he has suffered the penalty prescribed for adulterers.
¹⁰¹⁷ Yet I grieve for the deed and the punishment and for my whole clan. My victory is an unenviable pollution. Chorus
¹⁰²⁷ But while I am still in my senses, I proclaim to those who hold me dear and declare that not without justice did I slay my mother, the unclean murderess of my father, and a thing loathed by the gods. And for the spells that gave me the courage for this deed I count Loxias, the prophet of Pytho, ¹⁰²⁸ But while I am still in my senses, I proclaim to those who hold me dear and declare that not without justice did I slay my mother, the unclean murderess of my father, and a thing loathed by the gods. And for the spells that gave me the courage for this deed I count Loxias, the prophet of Pytho,

μητροκτόνον μίασμα δʼ ἔκπλυτον πέλει·, ποταίνιον γὰρ ὂν πρὸς ἑστίᾳ θεοῦ, Φοίβου καθαρμοῖς ἠλάθη χοιροκτόνοις. εὐθυδίκαιοι δʼ οἰόμεθʼ εἶναι·, τὸν μὲν καθαρὰς χεῖρας προνέμοντʼ, οὔτις ἐφέρπει μῆνις ἀφʼ ἡμῶν, ἀσινὴς δʼ αἰῶνα διοιχνεῖ·, ὅστις δʼ ἀλιτὼν ὥσπερ ὅδʼ ἁνὴρ, χεῖρας φονίας ἐπικρύπτει, μάρτυρες ὀρθαὶ τοῖσι θανοῦσιν, παραγιγνόμεναι πράκτορες αἵματος, αὐτῷ τελέως ἐφάνημεν. Χορός, σὺ δʼ εἰ δικαίως εἴτε μὴ κρῖνον δίκην·, ἀλλʼ εἰ δίκαιον εἴτε μὴ τῇ σῇ φρενὶ, δοκεῖ τόδʼ αἷμα, κρῖνον, ὡς τούτοις φράσω. Ἀπόλλων, βρίζει γὰρ αἷμα καὶ μαραίνεται χερός,

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⁷⁵ προσφθέγμασιν γὰρ οὐ μιαίνομαι σέθεν, ⁷⁶ ἐς Φοῖβον ἀναφέρουσα τὴν ἁμαρτίαν. ⁵¹⁷ τὸ λοίσθιον μίασμα λαμβάνων χεροῖν. ⁵⁹⁷ ἢ οὐκ ἀξιόχρεως ὁ θεὸς ἀναφέροντί μοι, " ⁵⁹⁸ μίασμα λῦσαι; ποῖ τις οὖν ἔτ ἂν φύγοι,",

⁷⁵ For referring the sin as I do to Phoebus, I incur no pollution by addressing you; and yet I am truly sorry for the death of my sister Clytemnestra, whom I never saw after I was driven by heaven-sent frenzy to sail as I did to Ilium ; ⁷⁶ For referring the sin as I do to Phoebus, I incur no pollution by addressing you; and yet I am truly sorry for the death of my sister Clytemnestra, whom I never saw after I was driven by heaven-sent frenzy to sail as I did to Ilium ;
⁵¹⁷ but they purified him by exile, they did not kill him in revenge. Otherwise someone, by taking the pollution last upon his hands, is always going to be liable to have his own blood shed.
⁵⁹⁷ Find him guilty of the crime, slay him; his was the sin, not mine. What ought I to have done? or is the god not competent to expiate the pollution when I refer it to him? Where then should anyone flee, if he will not rescue me from death after giving his commands? ⁵⁹⁸ Find him guilty of the crime, slay him; his was the sin, not mine. What ought I to have done? or is the god not competent to expiate the pollution when I refer it to him? Where then should anyone flee, if he will not rescue me from death after giving his commands?

³⁵ Phoebus gave me the commandment which you will now hear: that alone, and by stealth, without the aid of arms or large numbers, I should carry off my right hand’s just slaughters. Accordingly, since I received this divine declaration, you must go into that house there, ³⁷ Phoebus gave me the commandment which you will now hear: that alone, and by stealth, without the aid of arms or large numbers, I should carry off my right hand’s just slaughters. Accordingly, since I received this divine declaration, you must go into that house there,
⁷⁰ ince I come by divine mandate to cleanse you as justice demands. Do not dismiss me from this land in dishonor, but grant that I may rule over my possessions and restore my house! I have said enough. Go now, old one, and take care to watch over your task.
¹³⁷⁶ King Apollo! Hear them with favor, and hear me besides, who so often have come before your altar with hands rich in such gifts as I could obtain! And now, O Lycean Apollo, with what means I have ¹³⁷⁷ King Apollo! Hear them with favor, and hear me besides, who so often have come before your altar with hands rich in such gifts as I could obtain! And now, O Lycean Apollo, with what means I have, ¹³⁷⁹ King Apollo! Hear them with favor, and hear me besides, who so often have come before your altar with hands rich in such gifts as I could obtain! And now, O Lycean Apollo, with what means I have, ¹³⁸⁰ I pray to you, I supplicate you, I implore you, be our ready champion in these designs, and show what rewards the gods bestow on humans in return for their impiety! Exit Electra, into the house. Choru, ¹³⁸³ I pray to you, I supplicate you, I implore you, be our ready champion in these designs, and show what rewards the gods bestow on humans in return for their impiety! Exit Electra, into the house. Choru,
¹⁴²⁴ And now they are here! The red hand drips with sacrifice to Ares, and I cannot blame the deed. Electra, ¹⁴²⁵ if Apollo’s oracle spoke well. Electra,
¹⁵⁰⁵ This just penalty ought to come straightaway upon all who would break the laws: the penalty of death. Then wrongdoing would not abound. Choru, ¹⁵⁰⁷ This just penalty ought to come straightaway upon all who would break the laws: the penalty of death. Then wrongdoing would not abound. Choru,