Euripides' ORESTES Complete

Translated by E. Coleridge.

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Apollo: Menelaus, calm thy excited mood; I am Phoebus, the son of
Latona, who draw nigh to call thee by name, and thou no less, Orestes,
who, sword in hand, art keeping guard on yonder maid, that thou mayst
hear what have come to say. Helen, whom all thy eagerness failed to
destroy, when thou wert seeking to anger Menelaus, is here as ye see
in the enfolding air, rescued from death instead of slain by thee.
'Twas I that saved her and snatched her from beneath thy sword at
the bidding of her father Zeus; for she his child must put on immortality,
and take her place with Castor and Polydeuces in the bosom of the
sky, a saviour to mariners. Choose thee then another bride and take
her to thy home, for the gods by means of Helen's loveliness embroiled
Troy and Hellas, causing death thereby, that they might lighten mother
Earth of the outrage done her by the increase of man's number. Such
is Helen's end.

But as for thee, Orestes, thou must cross the frontier of this land
and dwell for one whole year on Parrhasian soil, which from thy flight
thither shall be called the land of Orestes by Azanians and Arcadians;
and when thou returnest thence to the city of Athens, submit to be
brought to trial by "the Avenging Three" for thy mother's murder,
for the gods will be umpires between you and will pass a most righteous
sentence on thee upon the hill of Ares, where thou art to win thy
case. Likewise, it is ordained, Orestes, that thou shalt wed Hermione,
at whose neck thou art pointing thy sword; Neoptolemus shall never
marry her, though he thinks he will; for his death is fated to o'ertake
him by a Delphian sword, when he claims satisfaction of me for the
death of his father Achilles. Bestow thy sister's hand on Pylades,
to whom thou didst formerly promise her; the life awaiting him henceforth
is one of bliss.

Menelaus, leave Orestes to rule Argos; go thou and reign oer Sparta,
keeping it as the dowry of a wife, who till this day ne'er ceased
exposing thee to toils innumerable. Between Orestes and the citizens,
I, who forced his mother's murder on him, will bring about a reconciliation.

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