Medea (131-205)

’Tis a house no more; all that is passed away long since;

a royal bride keeps Jason at her side, while our mistress pines away in her bower, finding no comfort for her soul in aught her friends can say.

(within). Oh, oh! Would that Heaven’s levin bolt would cleave this head in twain!

What gain is life to me? Woe, woe is me! O, to die and win release, quitting this loathed existence!

(within). Great Themis, and husband[*] of Themis, behold what I am suffering now, though I did bind that accursed one, my husband, by strong oaths to me? O, to see him and his bride some day brought to utter destruction, they and their house with them,

for that they presume to wrong me thus unprovoked. O my father, my country, that I have left to my shame, after slaying my own brother.

Do ye hear her words, how loudly she adjures Themis, oft invoked, and Zeus, whom

men regard as keeper of their oaths? On no mere trifle surely will our mistress spend her rage.

This will I do; but I have my doubts whether I shall persuade

my mistress; still willingly will I undertake this trouble for you; albeit, she glares upon her servants with the look of a lioness with cubs, whenso anyone draws nigh to speak to her.

Wert thou to call the men of old time rude uncultured boors thou wouldst not err, seeing that they devised their hymns for festive occasions, for banquets, and to grace the board, a pleasure to catch the ear, shed o’er our life,

but no man hath found a way to allay hated grief by music and the minstrel’s varied strain, whence arise slaughters and fell strokes of fate to o’erthrow the homes of men. And yet this were surely a gain,

to heal men’s wounds by music’s spell, but why tune they their idle song where rich banquets are spread? for of itself doth the rich banquet, set before them, afford to men delight.