ĪPHIGENĪA (4)
Itaque magnā spē
Īphigenīa ad castrā Graecōrum vēnit. Simul ac rēgem vīdit, tum cito ad patrem
cucurrit,et collō cārō bracchia candida dedit. Sed ubi maestum rēgis vultum
vīdit, "Cūr," inquit, "mī pater, vultū maestō, capite dēmissō
fīliam tuam salūtās? Nōnne libenter fīliam vidēs?"
Tum Agamemnōn
tōtam rem nārrāvit. Ubi autem Īphigenīa dīrum ōrāculī respōnsum audīvit, tum
vērō gelidus tremor per omnēs puellae artūs cucurrit. Humī sē prōstrāvit, et
patris genua manūsque prehendit. Multīs lacrimīs veniam ōrāvit.
"Numquamne," inquit, "chorus iuvenum domum ad marītum mē dūcent?
Numquamne līberōs dulcēs vidēbō et parvulōs bracchiīs meīs tenēbō, sed innūpta
ad Mānēs dēscendam?"
Sed ubi fātum
fīxum immōtumque sēnsit, tum vērō animum ad mortem firmāvit et fortem
nōbilemque puellam sē praebuit. "Nōn mortem," inquit, "sed
ignāviam recūsō. Libenter ad Mānēs dēscendam; morte meā Graecōs mīlitēs et
Graeciam patriam cōnservābō. Nōn innūpta, nōn sine līberīs dulcibus ad Īnferōs
dēscendam. Hādēs mē in mātrimōnium dūcet; mīlitēs Graecī et Graecia patria mihi
prō līberīs erunt. Ita et Īnferī et Superī mē in summō honōre habēbunt, quia
libenter prō patriā ē vītā excesserō.”
Hādēs, -ae [1/m]:
Hades, the god of the dead (The realm of the dead)
Mānēs, -ium [3/m
pl]: departed spirits, gods of the dead
Superī, -ōrum [2/m
pl]: the people above, i.e. the living or the gods
[i]
artūs, -uum [4/m
pl]: limbs
bracchium, -ī
[2/n]: arm
chorus, -ī [2/m]:
band, group
collum, -ī [2/n]:
neck
fātum, -ī [2/n]:
fate
genu, -ūs [4/n]:
knee
ignāvia, -ae
[1/f]: cowardice
manus, -ūs [4/f]:
hand
marītus, -ī [2/m]:
husband
mors, mortis
[3/f]: death
rēs, reī [5/f]:
thing, affair
spēs, speī [5/f]:
hope
tremor, -ōris
[3/m]: trembling, tremor
venia, -ae [1/f]:
favour, pardon
vultus, -ūs [4/m]:
face, expression
[ii]
dēmissus, -a, -um:
cast down
dulcis, -e: sweet
fixus, -a, -um:
fixed
immōtus, -a, -um:
motionless, immovable
innupta, -ae:
unwedded
nōbilis, -e:
noble, famous
[iii]
descendō, -ere
[3]: go down
excēdō, -ere [3]:
depart; ē vītā excēdō: die, depart out of life
praebeō, -ēre [2]:
show, furnish, offer
prehendō, -ere
[3]: seize
recūsō, -āre [1]:
refuse
salūtō, -āre [1]:
greet
sentiō, -īre [4]:
feel, realize
[iv]
cūr: why
nōnne: an adverb,
showing that the question expects the answer "yes"
simul: at the same
time; simul āc: as soon as
____________________
Accordingly,
Iphigenia came to the camp of the Greeks with great hope. As soon as she saw
the king, she quickly ran to her father and threw her white arms around his
dear neck. But when she saw the king's sorrowful expression, she said:
“Why, my father,
do you greet your daughter with a sorrowful face and downcast head? Surely you
are glad to see your daughter?”
Then Agamemnon
told her the whole story. But when Iphigenia heard the dreadful answer of the
oracle, a cold shudder ran through all the girl's limbs. She threw herself upon
the ground and clasped her father's knees and hands. With many tears she begged
for mercy.
“Will no band of
young men ever lead me from home to a husband? Shall I never see sweet children
and hold little ones in my arms, but instead descend unwedded to the spirits of
the dead?”
But when she
realized that her fate was fixed and unchangeable, she strengthened her mind
for death and showed herself a brave and noble girl.
“It is not death
that I refuse,” she said, “but cowardice. I shall gladly descend to the spirits
of the dead; by my death I shall save the Greek soldiers and my fatherland,
Greece. I shall not descend to the Underworld unwedded and without sweet
children. Hades will take me in marriage; the Greek soldiers and my country
Greece will be my children. Thus both those below and those above will hold me
in the highest honour, because I shall willingly have given up my life for my
country.”