430　BC
  ANDROMACHE
  by　Euripides
  translated　by　E。　P。　Coleridge
  CHARACTERS　IN　THE　PLAY
  ANDROMACHE
  MAID　OF　ANDROMACHE
  CHORUS　OF　PHTHIAN　WOMEN
  HERMIONE；　daughter　of　MENELAUS　and　wife　of　Neoptolemus
  MENELAUS；　King　of　Sparta
  MOLOSSUS；　son　of　ANDROMACHE　and　Neoptolemus
  PELEUS；　father　of　Achilles
  NURSE　OF　HERMIONE
  ORESTES；　son　of　Agamemnon
  MESSENGER
  THETIS；　the　goddess；　wife　of　PELEUS
  Various　attendants
  ANDROMACHE
  ANDROMACHE
  （SCENE：…Before　the　temple　of　THETIS　in　Thessaly。
  ANDROMACHE；　dressed　as　a　suppliant；　is　clinging
  to　the　altar　in　front　of　the　temple。　The　palace
  of　Achilles　is　nearby。）
  ANDROMACHE
  O　CITY　of　Thebes；　glory　of　Asia；　whence　on　a　day　I　came　to　Priam's
  princely　home　with　many　a　rich　and　costly　thing　in　my　dower；　affianced
  unto　Hector　to　be　the　mother　of　his　children；　I　Andromache；　envied
  name　in　days　of　yore；　but　now　of　all　women　that　have　been　or　yet　shall
  be　the　most　unfortunate；　for　I　have　lived　to　see　my　husband　Hector
  slain　by　Achilles；　and　the　babe　Astyanax；　whom　I　bore　my　lord；
  hurled　from　the　towering　battlements；　when　the　Hellenes　sacked　our
  Trojan　home；　and　I　myself　am　come　to　Hellas　as　a　slave；　though　I　was
  esteemed　a　daughter　of　a　race　most　free；　given　to　Neoptolemus　that
  island…prince；　and　set　apart　for　him　as　his　special　prize　from　the
  spoils　of　Troy。　And　here　I　dwell　upon　the　boundaries　of　Phthia　and
  Pharsalia's　town；　where　Thetis　erst；　the　goddess　of　the　sea；　abode
  with　Peleus　apart　from　the　world；　avoiding　the　throng　of　men；
  wherefore　the　folk　of　Thessaly　call　it　the　sacred　place　of　Thetis；
  in　honour　of　the　goddess's　marriage。　Here　dwells　the　son　of　Achilles
  and　suffers　Peleus　still　to　rule　Pharsalia；　not　wishing　to　assume
  the　sceptre　while　the　old　man　lives。　Within　these　halls　have　borne　a
  boy　to　the　son　of　Achilles；　my　master。　Now　aforetime　for　all　my　misery
  I　ever　had　a　hope　to　lead　me　on；　that；　if　my　child　were　safe；　I
  might　find　some　help　and　protection　from　my　woes；　but　since　my　lord　in
  scorn　of　his　bondmaid's　charms　hath　wedded　that　Spartan　Hermione；　I　am
  tormented　by　her　most　cruelly；　for　she　saith　that　I　by　secret
  enchantment　am　making　her　barren　and　distasteful　to　her　husband；　and
  that　I　design　to　take　her　place　in　this　house；　ousting　her　the
  rightful　mistress　by　force；　whereas　I　at　first　submitted　against　my
  will　and　now　have　resigned　my　place；　be　almighty　Zeus　my　witness
  that　it　was　not　of　my　own　free　will　I　became　her　rival！
  But　I　cannot　convince　her；　and　she　longs　to　kill　me；　and　her
  father　Menelaus　is　an　accomplice　in　this。　E'en　now　is　he　within；
  arrived　from　Sparta　for　this　very　purpose；　while　I　in　terror　am　come
  to　take　up　position　here　in　the　shrine　of　Thetis　adjoining　the
  house；　if　haply　it　may　save　me　from　death；　for　Peleus　and　his
  descendants　hold　it　in　honour　as　symbol　of　his　marriage　with　the
  Nereid。　My　only　son　am　I　secretly　conveying　to　a　neighbour's　house
  in　fear　for　his　life。　For　his　sire　stands　not　by　my　side　to　lend　his
  aid　and　cannot　avail　his　child　at　all；　being　absent　in　the　land　of
  Delphi；　where　he　is　offering　recompense　to　Loxias　for　the　madness　he
  committed；　when　on　a　day　he　went　to　Pytho　and　demanded　of　Phoebus
  satisfaction　for　his　father's　death；　if　haply　his　prayer　might　avert
  those　past　sins　and　win　for　him　the　god's　goodwill　hereafter。
  （The　MAID　OF　ANDROMACHE　enters。）
  MAID
  Mistress　mine；　be　sure　I　do　not　hesitate　to　call　thee　by　that
  name；　seeing　that　I　thought　it　thy　right　in　thine　own　house　also；　when
  we　dwelt　in　Troy…land；　as　I　was　ever　thy　friend　and　thy　husband's
  while　yet　he　was　alive；　so　now　have　I　come　with　strange　tidings；　in
  terror　lest　any　of　our　masters　learn　hereof　but　still　out　of　pity
  for　thee；　for　Menelaus　and　his　daughter　are　forming　dire　plots　against
  thee；　whereof　thou　must　beware。
  ANDROMACHE
  Ah！　kind　companion　of　my　bondage；　for　such　thou　art　to　her；　who；
  erst　thy　queen；　is　now　sunk　in　misery；　what　are　they　doing？　What　new
  schemes　are　they　devising　in　their　eagerness　to　take　away　my
  wretched　life？
  MAID
  Alas！　poor　lady；　they　intend　to　slay　thy　son；　whom　thou　hast
  privily　conveyed　from　out　the　house。
  ANDROMACHE
  Ah　me！　Has　she　heard　that　my　babe　was　put　out　of　her　reach？　Who
  told　her？　Woe　is　me！　how　utterly　undone！
  MAID
  I　know　not；　but　thus　much　of　their　schemes　I　heard　myself；　and
  Menelaus　has　left　the　house　to　fetch　him。
  ANDROMACHE
  Then　am　I　lost；　ah；　my　child！　those　vultures　twain　will　take　and
  slay　thee；　while　he　who　is　called　thy　father　lingers　still　in　Delphi。
  MAID
  True；　for　had　he　been　here　thou　wouldst　not　have　fared　so
  hardly；　am　sure；　but；　as　it　is；　thou　art　friendless。
  ANDROMACHE
  Have　no　tidings　come　that　Peleus　may　arrive？
  MAID
  He　is　too　old　to　help　thee　if　he　came。
  ANDROMACHE
  And　yet　I　sent　for　him　more　than　once。
  MAID
  Surely　thou　dost　not　suppose　that　any　of　thy　messengers　heed　thee？
  ANDROMACHE
  Why　should　they？　Wilt　thou　then　go　for　me？
  MAID
  How　shall　I　explain　my　long　absence　from　the　house？
  ANDROMACHE
  Thou　art　a　woman；　thou　canst　invent　a　hundred　ways。
  MAID
  There　is　a　risk；　for　Hermione　keeps　no　careless　guard。
  ANDROMACHE
  Dost　look　to　that？　Thou　art　disowning　thy　friends　in　distress。
  MAID
  Not　so；　never　taunt　me　with　that。　I　will　go；　for　of　a　truth　a
  woman　and　a　slave　is　not　of　much　account；　e'en　if　aught　befall　me。
  （The　MAID　withdraws。）
  ANDROMACHE
  Go　then；　while　I　will　tell　to　heaven　the　lengthy　tale　of
  lamentation；　mourning；　and　weeping；　that　has　ever　been　my　hard　lot；
  for　'tis　woman's　way　to　delight　in　present　misfortunes　even　to　keeping
  them　always　on　her　tongue　and　lips。　But　I　have　many　reasons；　not
  merely　one　for　tears；…my　city's　fall；　my　Hector's　death；　the
  hardness　of　the　lot　to　which　I　am　bound；　since　I　fell　on　slavery's
  evil　days　undeservedly。　'Tis　never　right　to　call　a　son　of　man　happy；
  till　thou　hast　seen　his　end；　to　judge　from　the　way　he　passes　it　how　he
  will　descend　to　that　other　world。
  （She　begins　to　chant。）
  'Twas　no　bride　Paris　took　with　him　to　the　towers　of　Ilium；　but
  curse　to　his　bed　when　he　brought　Helen　to　her　bower。　For　her　sake；
  Troy；　did　eager　warriors；　sailing　from　Hellas　in　a　thousand　ships；
  capture　and　make　thee　a　prey　to　fire　and　sword；　and　the　son　of
  sea…born　Thetis　mounted　on　his　chariot　dragged　my　husband　Hector　round
  the　walls；　ah　woe　is　me！　while　I　was　hurried　from　my　chamber　to　the
  beach；　with　slavery's　hateful　pall　upon　me。　And　many　tear　I　shed　as
  I　left　my　city；　my　bridal　bower；　and　my　husband　in　the　dust。　Woe；
  woe　is　me！　why　should　I　prolong　my　life；　to　serve　Hermione？　Her
  cruelty　it　is　that　drives　me　hither　to　the　image　of　the　goddess　to
  throw　my　suppliant　arms　about　it；　melting　to　tears　as　doth　a　spring
  that　gushes　from　the　rock。
  （The　CHORUS　OF　PHTHIAN　WOMEN　enters。）
  CHORUS　（singing）
  strophe　1
  Lady；　thus　keeping　thy　weary　station　without　pause　upon　the
  floor　of　Thetis'　shrine；　Phthian　though　I　am；　to　thee　a　daughter　of
  Asia　I　come；　to　see　if　I　can　devise　some　remedy　for　these　perplexing
  troubles；　which　have　involved　thee　and　Hermione　in　fell　discord；
  because　to　thy　sorrow　thou　sharest　with　her　the　love　of　Achilles'　son。
  antistrophe　1
  Recognize　thy　position；　weigh　the　present　evil　into　the　which　thou
  art　come。　Thou　art　a　Trojan　captive；　thy　rival　is　thy　mistress；　a
  true…born　daughter　of　Sparta。　Leave　then　this　home　of　sacrifice；　the
  shrine　of　our　sea…goddess。　How　can　it　avail　thee　to　waste　thy
  comeliness　and　disfigure　it　by　weeping　by　reason　of　a　mistress's　harsh
  usage？　Might　will　prevail　against　thee；　why　vainly　toil　in　thy
  feebleness？
  strophe　2
  Come；　quit　the　bright　sanctuary　of　the　Nereid　divine。　Recognize
  that　thou　art　in　bondage　on　a　foreign　soil；　in　a　strange　city；　where
  thou　seest　none　of　all　thy　friends；　luckless　lady；　cast　on　evil　days。
  antistrophe　2
  Yea；　I　did　pity　thee　most　truly；　Trojan　dame；　when　thou　camest
  to　this　house；　but　from　fear　of　my　mistress　I　hold　my　peace；　albeit
  I　sympathize　with　thee；　lest　she；　whom　Zeus's　daughter　bore；
  discover　my　good　will　toward　thee。
  （HERMIONE　enters；　in　complete　royal　regalia。）
  HERMIONE
  With　a　crown　of　golden　workmanship　upon　my　head　and　about　my
  body　t