Medea (700-756)

The alliance he is so much enamoured of is with a princess.

Who gives his daughter to him? go on, I pray.

Creon, who is lord of this land of Corinth.

Lady, I can well pardon thy grief.

I am undone, and more than that, am banished from the land.

By whom? fresh woe this word of thine unfolds.

Creon drives me forth in exile from Corinth.

Doth Jason allow it? This too I blame him for.

Not in words, but he will not stand out against it. Ο, I implore thee by this beard

and by thy knees, in suppliant posture, pity, O pity my sorrows; do not see me cast forth forlorn, but receive me in thy country, to a seat within thy halls. So may thy wish by heaven’s grace be crowned with a full harvest

of offspring, and may thy life close in happiness! Thou knowest not the rare good luck thou findest here, for I will make thy childlessness to cease and cause thee to beget fair issue; so potent are the spells I know.

Lady, on many grounds I am most fain to grant thee this thy boon,

first for the gods’ sake, next for the children whom thou dost promise I shall beget; for in respect of this I am completely lost.[*] ’Tis thus with me; if e’er thou reach my land, I will attempt to champion thee as I am bound to do.

Only one warning I do give thee first, lady; I will not from this land bear thee away, yet if of thyself thou reach my halls, there shalt thou bide in safety and I will never yield thee up to any man. But from this land escape without my aid,

for I have no wish to incur the blame of my allies as well.[*]

It shall be even so; but wouldst thou pledge thy word to this, I should in all be well content with thee.

Surely thou dost trust me? or is there aught that troubles thee?

Thee I trust; but Pelias’ house and Creon are my foes.

Wherefore, if thou art bound by an oath, thou wilt not give[*] me up to them when they come to drag me from the land, but, having entered into a compact and sworn[*] by heaven as well, thou wilt become my friend and disregard their overtures. Weak is any aid of mine,

whilst they have wealth and a princely house.

Lady, thy words show much foresight, so if this is thy will, I do not refuse. For I shall feel secure and safe if I have some pretext to offer to thy foes,

and thy case too the firmer stands. Now name thy gods.

Swear by the plain of Earth, by Helios my father’s sire, and, in one comprehensive oath, by all the race of gods.

What shall I swear to do, from what refrain? tell me that.

Swear that thou wilt never of thyself expel me from thy land,

nor, whilst life is thine, permit any other, one of my foes maybe, to hale me thence if so he will.

By earth I swear, by the sun-god’s holy beam and by all the host of heaven that I will stand fast to the terms, I hear thee make.

’Tis enough. If thou shouldst break this oath, what curse dost thou invoke upon thyself?

Whate’er betides the impious.

Go in peace; all is well, and I with what speed I may, will to thy city come, when I have wrought my purpose and obtained my wish.