Chapter X
Iphigenia
Original
Literary translation
§ 10.1
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You appeased the winds with blood and a maiden slain when you Danaans first came to the Trojan shores.
§ 10.2
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Long ago, two brothers, Agamemnon and Menelaus by name, lived in Greece.
§ 10.3
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The Greeks called the brothers the sons of Atreus, because they were sons of Atreus.
§ 10.4
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Agamemnon was king of all the Argives.
§ 10.5
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Menelaus ruled the Spartans.
§ 10.6
, , , .
Helen, Menelaus’s wife, a celebrated and beautiful queen, lived for many years with her husband in the palace.
§ 10.7
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But at last Paris, a prince of the Trojans, came as a guest to Menelaus’s house.
§ 10.8
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The guest was treacherous and cowardly, but he shone in embroidered clothes and with gleaming hair.
§ 10.9
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He stayed a long time in the palace, and the handsome guest was pleasing to the queen’s mind.
§ 10.10
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Finally, on a dark night, he secretly abducted Helen and put her aboard a ship.
§ 10.11
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He gave the white sails to favorable winds and hurried across the sea toward the city of Troy.
§ 10.12
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When Menelaus saw his guest’s treachery, he hurried to his brother and told him everything.
§ 10.13
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Agamemnon cried out in terrible anger: “Paris is treacherous; the whole race of Trojans is treacherous, but they will pay for their treachery and folly.
§ 10.14
; , .
I will summon my entire army to the coast; we will put the cavalry and infantry onto ships and attack Troy by land and sea.
§ 10.15
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Thus we will destroy the wicked city and send the treacherous people to the underworld.
§ 10.16
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We will also carry home a great deal of plunder.
§ 10.17
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You too will take Helen back with you, home to your palace.”
§ 10.18
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So Agamemnon summoned his whole army to the harbor.
§ 10.19
; .
Many horsemen and many foot soldiers were there; all the leaders from throughout Greece also gathered there.
§ 10.20
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But contrary winds held the ships in harbor for a long time.
§ 10.21
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And so Agamemnon sent a messenger to the Delphic oracle and sought an answer from the god.
§ 10.22
; " , .
Apollo gave a sad and dreadful reply: “Because of anger, Diana keeps the Greek ships in port and does not provide favorable winds.
§ 10.23
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The Greeks will never sail to Asia unless they have appeased the goddess’s divine power with a maiden’s blood.”
§ 10.24
, , .
When the king heard the oracle’s response, he wept to himself for a long time.
§ 10.25
" ," , " , , .
“At home I have a beloved daughter,” he said, “a girl of sixteen named Iphigenia.
§ 10.26
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Without doubt Diana demands Iphigenia as a sacrifice.
§ 10.27
; , ."
The goddess is fearsome and cruel; but we will not sail to Troy without the immortal gods, and we will bring Helen home from that treacherous city.”
§ 10.28
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So he sent a messenger to Clytemnestra, his wife.
§ 10.29
" ," , " , .
“O queen,” he said, “dress our daughter for her wedding and send her to the harbor with faithful attendants.
§ 10.30
, , ."
Achilles, a brave and renowned man, will marry the maiden.”
§ 10.31
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When Clytemnestra heard the king’s words, she prepared her daughter for the wedding with great joy; she adorned the girl with costly gems and embroidered garments, and finally sent her to the harbor with faithful attendants.
§ 10.32
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And so Iphigenia arrived at the Greek camp full of high hopes.
§ 10.33
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As soon as she saw the king, she ran to her father and threw her white arms around his dear neck.
§ 10.34
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But when she saw the king’s sorrowful face, she said, “Why, my father, do you greet your daughter with a sad expression and bowed head?
§ 10.35
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Are you not happy to see your daughter?”
§ 10.36
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Then Agamemnon told his daughter the whole matter.
§ 10.37
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But when Iphigenia heard the oracle’s dreadful response, an icy trembling ran through every limb of the girl.
§ 10.38
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She threw herself to the ground and clasped her father’s knees and hands.
§ 10.39
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With many tears she begged for mercy.
§ 10.40
"," , " ?
“Will a chorus of young men never lead me home to my husband?” she asked.
§ 10.41
, ?"
Will I never see sweet children and hold little ones in my arms, but instead descend unmarried to the spirits of the dead?”
§ 10.42
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But when she realized that fate was fixed and unchangeable, she steeled herself for death and showed herself a brave and noble girl.
§ 10.43
" ," , " .
“I do not reject death,” she said, “but cowardice.
§ 10.44
; .
Gladly I will descend to the dead; by my death I will save the Greek soldiers and Greece, my homeland.
§ 10.45
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I shall not go down to the dead unmarried or without dear children.
§ 10.46
; .
Hades will take me in marriage; the Greek soldiers and Greece, my homeland, will be as children to me.
§ 10.47
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So both the gods below and the gods above will hold me in the highest honor, because I shall willingly have departed life for my country.”
§ 10.48
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She spoke, walked to the altar with a serene expression, and poured out her life along with her blood.
§ 10.49
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When the Greeks, full of pity and love, saw the brave maiden, scarcely anyone among all the soldiers held back his tears; instead, they all gave a deep groan.
§ 10.50
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Therefore, as soon as the Greeks had appeased Diana’s divine power with a maiden’s blood, they set their white sails to the favorable wind and sailed to the coast of Asia.
§ 10.51
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There they besieged Troy for many years, in vain, by force of arms.
§ 10.52
, , .
At last, with the help of the immortal gods, they burned the city and carried enormous plunder home.
§ 10.53
.
Menelaus also brought Helen back to Sparta, to his palace.
§ 10.54
?
Do you not consider Iphigenia a noble and distinguished maiden?
§ 10.55
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Always keep Iphigenia in memory, for she willingly gave up her life for her country.
§ 10.56
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Have not many others also died for their country?
§ 10.57
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Many Greeks, Romans, and Britons willingly gave up their lives for their country.