Ion (361-429)

Oh! call me not back to piteous thoughts I had forgotten.

I am dumb; proceed with that which touches my inquiry.

Dost know the one weak point in this thy story?

’Tis all weak in that poor lady’s case.

How should the god declare that which he wishes hidden?

He must, if here upon the tripod he sits for all Hellas to seek to.

He is ashamed of the deed; do not question him.

Aye, but his victim has her sorrows too.

There is none who will act as thy medium in this.

For were Phoebus in his own temple proved a villain, he would justly wreak his vengeance on the man who expounded to thee his oracles; desist then, lady; we must not prophesy against the god’s will,

for it would be the height of folly in us, were we to try and make the gods against their will declare reluctant truths either by sacrifice of sheep at their altars, or by omens from birds. For those answers we strive to extort from heaven, lady, are goods that bring no blessing on our getting;

but what they freely offer, thereby we profit.

Many are the chances that befall the many tribes of men, and diverse are their forms. But scarce one happy scene canst thou find in all the life of man.

Ah! Phoebus, here as there, art thou unjust

to that absent sufferer, whose cause I now am pleading. Thou didst not preserve thy child, as in duty bound, nor wilt thou, for all thy prophetic skill, answer his mother’s questioning, that, if he be no more, a mound may be raised o’er him, or, if he live, he may some day be restored to his mother’s eyes.

In vain is this the home of oracles if the god prevents me from learning what I wish to ask. But lo! I see my noble lord, Xuthus, nigh at hand, returning 278 from the lair of Trophonius; say nothing,

sir, to my husband of what I have told thee, lest I incur reproach for troubling about secrets, and the matter take a different turn to that which I sought to give it. For women stand towards men in a difficult position, and the virtuous from being mingled with the wicked amongst us are hated;

such is our unhappy destiny.

First to the god all hail! for he must receive the first-fruits of my salutation, and next all hail to thee, my wife! Has my delay in arriving caused thee alarm?

By no means; but thou art come at an anxious time.

Tell me what response thou bringest from Trophonius, touching our future hopes of mutual offspring.

He deigned not to forestal the prophecies of Phoebus. This only did he say, that neither thou nor I should return unto our house childless from the shrine.

Majestic mother of Phoebus, to our journey grant success, and may our previous dealings with thy son now find a better issue!

It will be so; but who acts as the god’s spokesman here?

I serve outside the shrine, others within,

who stand near the tripod, even the noblest of the Delphians chosen by lot, sir stranger.

’Tis well; I have attained the utmost of my wishes. I will go within; for I am told that a victim has been slain in public before the temple for strangers,

and to-day,—for it is a lucky day,—I would fain receive the god’s oracle. Do thou, my wife, take branches of laurel, and seated at the altars pray to the gods that I may carry home from Apollo’s shrine an answer that bodeth well for offspring.

All this shall be. Now, at any rate, if Loxias would retrieve his former sins, e’en though he cannot be my friend entirely, yet will I accept whate’er he deigns to give, because he is a god.

Why doth this stranger lady hint dark reproaches against the god