the heracleidae-第2部分

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　　　　Demophon；　son　of　gallant　Theseus。
　　COPREUS
　　　　Surely　it　were　most　to　the　purpose　to　discuss　this　matter　somewhat
with　him；　all　else　has　been　said　in　vain。
　　LEADER
　　　　Lo！　here　he　comes　in　person；　in　hot　haste；　and　Acamas　his　brother；
to　hear　what　thou　hast　to　say。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　（DEMOPHON；　Acamas；　and　their　retinue　enter。）

　　DEMOPHON
　　　　Since　thou　for　all　thy　years　hast　outstripped　younger　men　in
coming　to　the　rescue　to　this　altar　of　Zeus；　do　thou　tell　me　what
hath　chanced　to　bring　this　crowd　together。
　　LEADER
　　　　There　sit　the　sons　of　Heracles　as　suppliants；　having　wreathed
the　altar；　as　thou　seest；　O　king；　and　with　them　is　Iolaus；　trusty
comrade　of　their　sire。
　　DEMOPHON
　　　　Why　should　this　event　have　called　for　cries　of　pain？
　　LEADER　（turning　to　COPREUS）
　　　　This　fellow　caused　the　uproar　by　trying　to　drag　them　forcibly　from
this　altar；　and　he　hurled　down　the　old　man；　till　my　tears　for　pity
flowed。
　　DEMOPHON
　　　　Hellenic　dress　and　fashion　in　his　robes　doth　he　no　doubt　adopt；
but　deeds　like　these　betray　the　barbarian。　Thou；　sirrah；　tell　me
straight　the　country　whence　thou　camest　thither。
　　COPREUS
　　　　An　Argive　I；　since　that　thou　seek'st　to　know。　Who　sent　me；　and　the
object　of　my　coming；　will　I　freely　tell。　Eurystheus；　king　of
Mycenae；　sends　me　hither　to　fetch　these　back；　and　I　have　come；　sir
stranger；　with　just　grounds　in　plenty；　alike　for　speech　or　action。
An　Argive　myself；　Argives　I　come　to　fetch；　taking　with　me　these
runaways　from　my　native　city；　on　whom　the　doom　of　death　was　passed
by　our　laws　there；　and　we　have　right；　since　we　rule　our　city
independently；　to　ratify　its　sentences。　And　though　they　have　come　as
suppliants　to　the　altars　of　numerous　others；　we　have　taken　our　stand
on　these　same　arguments；　and　no　one　has　ventured　to　bring　upon　himself
evils　of　his　own　getting。　But　they　have　come　hither；　either　because
they　perceived　some　folly　in　thee；　or；　in　their　perplexity；　staking
all　on　one　risky　throw　to　win　or　lose；　for　surely　they　do　not
suppose　that　thou；　if　so　thou　hast　thy　senses　still；　and　only　thou；　in
all　the　breadth　of　Hellas　they　have　traversed；　wilt　pity　their　foolish
troubles。　Come　now；　put　argument　against　argument：　what　will　be　thy
gain；　suppose　thou　admit　them　to　thy　land；　or　let　us　take　them
hence？　From　us　these　benefits　are　thine　to　win：　this　city　can　secure
as　friends　Argos；　with　its　far…reaching　arm；　and　Eurystheus'　might
complete；　whilst　if　thou　lend　an　ear　to　their　piteous　pleading　and
grow　soft；　the　matter　must　result　in　trial　of　arms；　for　be　sure　we
shall　not　yield　this　struggle　without　appealing　to　the　sword。　What
pretext　wilt　thou　urge？　Of　what　domains　art　thou　robbed　that　thou
shouldst　take　and　wage　war　with　the　Tirynthian　Argives？　What　kind　of
allies　art　thou　aiding？　For　whom　will　they　have　fallen　whom　thou
buriest？　Surely　thou　wilt　get　an　evil　name　from　the　citizens；　if　for
the　sake　of　an　old　man　near　the　grave；　a　mere　shadow　I　may　say；　and
for　these　children；　thou　wilt　plunge　into　troublous　waters。　The　best
thou　canst　say　is；　that　thou　wilt　find　in　them　a　hope；　and　nothing
more；　and　yet　this　falls　far　short　of　the　present　need；　for　these
would　be　but　a　poor　match　for　Argives　even　when　fully　armed　and　in
their　prime；　if　haply　that　raises　thy　spirits；　moreover；　the　time
'twixt　now　and　then　is　long；　wherein　ye　may　be　blotted　out。　Nay；
hearken　to　me；　give　me　naught；　but　let　me　take　mine　own；　and　so　gain
Mycenae；　but　forbear　to　act　now；　as　is　your　Athenian　way；　and　take　the
weaker　side；　when　it　is　in　thy　power　to　choose　the　stronger　as　thy
friends。
　　LEADER
　　　　Who　can　decide　a　cause　or　ascertain　its　merits；　till　from　both
sides　he　clearly　learn　what　they　would　say？
　　IOLAUS
　　　　O　king；　in　thy　land　I　start　with　this　advantage；　the　right　to　hear
and　speak　in　turn；　and　none；　ere　that；　will　drive　me　hence　as
elsewhere　they　would。　'Twixt　us　and　him　is　naught　in　common；　for　we　no
longer　have　aught　to　do　with　Argos　since　that　decree　was　passed；　but
we　are　exiles　from　our　native　land；　how　then　can　he　justly　drag　us
back　as　subjects　of　Mycenae；　seeing　that　they　have　banished　us？　For　we
are　strangers。　Or　do　ye　claim　that　every　exile　from　Argos　is　exiled
from　the　bounds　of　Hellas？　Not　from　Athens　surely；　for　ne'er　will
she　for　fear　of　Argos　drive　the　children　of　Heracles　from　her　land。
Here　is　no　Trachis；　not　at　all；　no！　nor　that　Achaean　town；　whence
thou；　defying　justice；　but　boasting　of　the　might　of　Argos　in　the
very　words　thou　now　art　using；　didst　drive　the　suppliants　from　their
station　at　the　altar。　If　this　shall　be；　and　they　thy　words　approve；
why　then　I　trow　this　is　no　more　Athens；　the　home　of　freedom。　Nay；
but　I　know　the　temper　and　nature　of　these　citizens；　they　would
rather　die；　for　honour　ranks　before　mere　life　with　men　of　worth。
Enough　of　Athens！　for　excessive　praise　is　apt　to　breed　disgust；　and
oft　ere　now　have　myself　felt　vexed　at　praise　that　knows　no　bounds。　But
to　thee；　as　ruler　of　this　land；　fain　would　show　the　reason　why　thou
art　bound　to　save　these　children。　Pittheus　was　the　son　of　Pelops；　from
him　sprung　Aethra；　and　from　her　Theseus　thy　sire　was　born。　And　now
will　I　trace　back　these　children's　lineage　for　thee。　Heracles　was
son　of　Zeus　and　Alcmena；　Alcmena　sprang　from　Pelops'　daughter；
therefore　thy　father　and　their　father　would　be　the　sons　of　first
cousins。　Thus　then　art　thou　to　them　related；　O　Demophon；　but　thy
just　debt　to　them　beyond　the　ties　of　kinship　do　I　now　declare　to　thee；
for　I　assert；　in　days　gone　by；　I　was　with　Theseus　on　the　ship；　as
their　father's　squire；　when　they　went　to　fetch　that　girdle　fraught
with　death；　yea；　and　from　Hades'　murky　dungeons　did　Heracles　bring　thy
father　up；　as　all　Hellas　doth　attest。　Wherefore　in　return　they　crave
this　boon　of　thee；　that　they　be　not　surrendered　up　nor　torn　by　force
from　the　altars　of　thy　gods　and　cast　forth　from　the　land。　For　this
were　shame　on　thee；　and　hurtful　likewise　in　thy　state；　should
suppliants；　exiles；　kith　and　kin　of　thine；　be　haled　away　by　force。
In　pity　cast　one　glance　at　them。　I　do　entreat　thee；　laying　my
suppliant　bough　upon　thee；　by　thy　hands　and　beard；　slight　not　the　sons
of　Heracles；　now　that　thou　hast　them　in　thy　power　to　help。　Show
thyself　their　kinsman　and　their　friend；　be　to　them　father；　brother；
lord；　for　better　each　and　all　of　these　than　to　fall　beneath　the
Argives'　hand。
　　LEADER
　　　　O　king；　I　pity　them；　hearing　their　sad　lot。　Now　more　than　ever
do　see　noble　birth　o'ercome　by　fortune；　for　these；　though　sprung
from　noble　sire；　are　suffering　what　they　ne'er　deserved。
　　DEMOPHON
　　　　Three　aspects　of　the　circumstance　constrain　me；　Iolaus；　not　to
spurn　the　guests　thou　bringest；　first　and　foremost；　there　is　Zeus；
at　whose　altar　thou　art　seated　with　these　tender　children　gathered
round　thee；　next　come　ties　of　kin；　and　the　debt　I　owe　to　treat　them
kindly　for　their　father's　sake；　and　last；　mine　honour；　which　before
all　I　must　regard；　for　if　I　permit　this　altar　to　be　violently
despoiled　by　stranger　hands；　men　will　think　the　land　I　inhabit　is　free
no　more；　and　that　through　fear　I　have　surrendered　suppliants　to
Argives；　and　this　comes　nigh　to　make　one　hang　oneself。　Would　that　thou
hadst　come　un