The Medea of Euripides Author:Euripides Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: MEDEA. i! Soaffitarov Sh/m xai To/./ic xtx/ia:. SOPHOKLES. NURSE. O would the Argo's hull had never winged To Colchian coast through the dark-purpled p... more »eaks Of the Symplegades, and ne'er had fallen The riven pine in Pelion's wooded dells, Nor had equipped the hands of those heroes Who went to seek for Pelias the fleece All-gold; for then had not Medea sailed. My mistress, to the land lolcus' towers, Soul-smitten with the love of Jason ; Nor had she won the maids of Pelias To "slay their sire; seen this Corinthian home With spouse and sons, gracious to citizens Whose country she had reached in flight, and prone To live in peace with Jason. Surest boon Of man and wife is harmony: But now discord invades, and tenderest ties Are languishing; for, false unto my mistress And her sons, Jason hath left her couch For royal marriage with Creon's child— Creon who lords it here in Corinth's realm. Medea, wretched, disavowed, evokes The oaths, recalls their plighted hands, the pledge Most sacred; and implores the gods to view Jason's perfidious return. Foodless she lies, whelming herself in grief; Dissolves herself in tears the tedious time Since once she knew herself maltreated bv Her husband, nor uplifts her eyes, nor bends Her visage from the earth, but like a rock Or deaf sea-wave heeds not her friends' address; Save ever and anon she turneth her Neck's snow, and to herself bewaileth sire And native land and hearth which she betrayed To follow him who now dishonors her. ;And she hath learned, poor wretch! of misery The blessing of an unforsaken home. She hates her very sons, delighteth not Upon their sight. I tremble lest she plan Some unexpected ill. Deep-purposed is f Her heart and brooks no wrong: I know and fear, For dread is she, nor who engages her In hate will easily be...« less