Of Tydeus next the lofty praise I will express in brief; no brilliant spokesman he, but a clever craftsman in the art of war, with many a shrewdValckenaer σοφός for MS. σοφά. Porson condemns the line. device; inferior in judgment to his brother Meleager, yet through his warrior skill lending his name to equal praise, for he had found in arms a perfect science; his was an ambitious nature, a spirit rich in store of deeds, with words less fully dowered. From this account then wonder not, Theseus, that they dared to die before the towers; for noble nurture carries honour with it, and every man, when once he hath practised virtue, scorns the name of villain. Courage may be learnt, for even a babe doth learn to speak and hear things it cannot comprehend; and whatso’er a childReading παῖς with Valckenaer. hath learnt, this it is his wont to treasure up till he is old. So train up your children in a virtuous way.

ChorusAlas! my son, to sorrow I bare thee and carried thee within my womb, enduring the pangs of travail; but now Hades takes the fruit of all my hapless toil, and I that; had a son am left, ah me! with none to nurse my age.

TheseusAs for the noble son of Oecleus, him, while yet he lived, the gods snatched hence to the bowels of the earth, and. his chariot too, manifestly blessing him; while I myself may truthfully tell the praises of the son of Oedipus, that is, Polynices, for he was my guest-friend ere he left the town of Cadmus and crossed to Argos in voluntary exile. But dost thou know what I would have thee do in this matter?AdrastusI know naught save this,—to yield obedience to thy hests. TheseusAs for yon Capaneus, stricken by the bolt of Zeus—AdrastusWilt bury him apart as a consecrated corpse? TheseusEven so; but all the rest on one funeral pyre. AdrastusWhere wilt thou set the tomb apart for him? TheseusHere near this temple have I builded him a sepulchre.AdrastusThy thralls forthwith must undertake this toil.TheseusMyself will look to those others; let the biers advance.AdrastusApproach your sons, unhappy mothers.TheseusThis thy proposal, Adrastus, is anything but good.AdrastusMust not the mothers touch their sons?TheseusIt would kill them to see how they are altered.Adrastus’Tis bitter, truly, to see the dead evenThe MS. reading, χἄμα τῷ τέλει νεκρῶν has been conjecturally altered by Toup into αἶμα κώτειλαὶ νεκρῶν which bold emendation has been followed by several editors. Hartung has χρῶμα κὠτειλαὶ. at the moment of death.TheseusWhy then wilt thou add fresh grief to them?AdrastusThou art right. YeNauck brackets from μένειν—θησεύς as spurious. needs must patiently abide, for the words of Theseus are good. But when we have committed them unto the flames, ye shall collect their bones. O wretched sons of men! Why do ye get you weapons and bring slaughter on one another? Cease therefrom, give o’er your toiling, and in mutual peace keep safe your cities. Short is the span of life, so ’twere best to run its course as lightly as we may, from trouble free.

ChorusNo more a happy mother I, with children blest; no more I share, among Argive women, who have sons, their happy lot; nor any more will Artemis in the hour of travail kindly greet these childless mothers. Most dreary is my life, and like some wandering cloud I drift before the howling blast.