Violent exchange: dramatic dialogue
The second passage I wish to consider is taken from the Choephoroi and it is a passage from the highly dramatic dialogue as Clytemnestra and Orestes come face to face. Again I will first transliterate the Greek and then offer a translation, this time from Grene and Lattimore (though without their stage-directions):
Clyt. ti esti khre¯ma? tina boe¯n histe¯s domois?
Servant. ton zo¯nta kainein tous tethne¯kotas lego¯.
Clyt. oi’ go¯, xune¯ka toupos ex ainigmato¯n. dolois oloumeth’ ho¯sper oun ekteinamen. doie¯ tis androkme¯ta pelekun ho¯s takhos. eido¯men ei niko¯men e¯ niko¯metha. entautha gar de¯ toud’ aphikome¯n kakou.
Orestes. se kai mateuo¯. to¯ide d’arkounto¯s ekhei.
Clyt. oi’ go¯, tethne¯kas, philtat’ Aigisthou bia.
Orestes. phileis ton andra? toigar en tauto¯i tapho¯i keise¯i, thanonta d’ outi me¯ prodo¯is pote.
[Ellopos’ note: the text in the original Greek characters (ed. Murray):
Κλ. τί δ΄ ἐστὶ χρῆμα; τίνα βοὴν ἵστης δόμοις;
Οι. τὸν ζῶντα καίνειν τοὺς τεθνηκότας λέγω.
Κλ. οἲ ΄γώ͵ ξυνῆκα τοὔπος ἐξ αἰνιγμάτων. δόλοις ὀλούμεθ΄͵ ὥσπερ οὖν ἐκτείναμεν. δοίη τις ἀνδροκμῆτα πέλεκυν ὡς τάχος· εἰδῶμεν εἰ νικῶμεν͵ ἢ νικώμεθα. ἐνταῦθα γὰρ δὴ τοῦδ΄ ἀφικόμην κακοῦ.
Ορ. σὲ καὶ ματεύω· τῷδε δ΄ ἀρκούντως ἔχει.
Κλ. οἲ ΄γώ. τέθνηκας͵ φίλτατ΄͵ Αἰγίσθου βία.
Ορ. φιλεῖς τὸν ἄνδρα; τοιγὰρ ἐν ταὐτῷ τάφῳ κείσῃ. θανόντα δ΄ οὔτι μὴ προδῷς ποτε.
]
Clyt. What is this and why are you shouting in the house?
Servant. I tell you, he is alive and killing the dead.
Clyt. Ah so. You speak in riddles but I read the rhyme. / We have been won with treachery by which we slew. / Bring me quick, somebody, an axe to kill a man, / And we shall see if we can beat him before we go down – so far gone are we in this wretched fight.
Orestes. You next: the other one in there has had enough.
Clyt. Beloved, strong Aegisthus, are you dead indeed?
Orestes. You love your man? You shall lie in the same grave / With him, and never be unfaithful even in death.
