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The Trojan Women (175-250)

urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0006.tlg011.perseus-eng2:175-250
Refs {'start': {'reference': '175', 'human_reference': 'Line 175'}, 'end': {'reference': '250', 'human_reference': 'Line 250'}}
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who are leaving you behind!
176
Second Semi-Chorus
With trembling step, alas! I leave this tent of Agamemnon to learn of you, my royal mistress, whether the Argives have resolved to take my wretched life, or
whether the sailors at the prow are making ready to ply their oars.
Hecuba
My child, your wakeful heart!
Second Semi-Chorus
I have come, stricken with terror. Has a herald from the Danaids already arrived?
To whom am I, poor captive, given as a slave?
Hecuba
You are not far from being allotted now.
Second Semi-Chorus
Alas! What man of Argos or Phthia will bear me in sorrow far from Troy, to his home, or to some island fastness?
Hecuba
Ah! ah! Whose slave shall I become in my old age? in what land? a poor old drone, the wretched copy of a corpse, alas! set to keep the gate
or tend their children, I who once held royal rank in Troy.
197
Chorus
Alas, alas! What piteous dirge will you devise to mourn the outrage done you? No more through Ida’s looms
shall I ply the shuttle to and fro. I look my last on my children’s bodies, my last; I shall endure surpassing misery, it may be as the unwilling bride of some Hellene (perish the night and fortune that brings me to this!);
it may be as a wretched slave from Peirene’s sacred fount I shall draw their store of water. Oh! may it be ours to come to Theseus’ famous realm, a land of joy.
Never, never let me see Eurotas’ swirling tide, hateful home of Helen, there to meet and be the slave of Menelaus, whose hand laid Troy waste!
214
Chorus
That holy land by Peneus fed,
nestling in all its beauty at Olympus’ foot, is said, so have I heard, to be a very granary of wealth and teeming fruitfulness; next to the sacred soil of Theseus, I could wish to reach that land.
They tell me too Hephaestus’ home, beneath the shadow of Aetna, fronting Phoenicia, the mother of Sicilian hills, is famous for the crowns it gives to valor. Or may I find a home on that shore which lies very near
Ionia’s sea, a land watered by Crathis, lovely stream, that dyes the hair an auburn tint, feeding with its holy waves and making glad the home of heroes.
230
Chorus Leader
But see! a herald from the army of Danaids, with a store of fresh proclamations, comes hastening here. What is his errand? What does he say? For we are indeed slaves now to Dorian lords.
Talthybius
Hecuba, you know me from my many journeys to and fro as herald between the Achaean army and Troy; I was no stranger to you, lady, even before: I, Talthybius, now sent with a fresh message.
239
In the following lines, Talthybius makes spoken responses to Hecuba’s sung questions.
Hecuba
Ah, kind friends, it has come! what I so long have dreaded.
Talthybius
The lot has decided your fates already, if that was what you feared.
Hecuba
Ah me! What city did you say, Thessalian, Phthian, or Cadmean?
Talthybius
Each warrior took his prize in turn; you were not all at once assigned.
Hecuba
To whom has the lot assigned us severally? Which of us Trojan women
does a happy fortune await?
Talthybius
I know, but ask your questions separately, not all at once.
Hecuba
Then tell me, whose prize is my daughter, hapless Cassandra?
Talthybius
King Agamemnon has chosen her out for himself.
Hecuba
To be the slave-girl of his Spartan wife? Ah me!
who 1 w 3
are 1 w 6
leaving 1 w 13
you 1 w 16
behind 1 w 22
Second 1 w 29
Semi-Chorus 1 w 40
With 1 w 44
trembling 1 w 53
step 1 w 57
alas 1 w 62
I 1 w 64
leave 1 w 69
this 1 w 73
tent 1 w 77
of 1 w 79
Agamemnon 1 w 88
to 1 w 90
learn 1 w 95
of 2 w 97
you 2 w 100
my 1 w 103
royal 1 w 108
mistress 1 w 116
whether 1 w 124
the 2 w 127
Argives 1 w 134
have 1 w 138
resolved 1 w 146
to 2 w 148
take 1 w 152
my 2 w 154
wretched 1 w 162
life 1 w 166
or 2 w 169
whether 2 w 176
the 4 w 179
sailors 1 w 186
at 1 w 188
the 5 w 191
prow 1 w 195
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making 1 w 204
ready 1 w 209
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ply 1 w 214
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oars 1 w 223
Hecuba 1 w 230
My 1 w 232
child 1 w 237
your 1 w 242
wakeful 1 w 249
heart 1 w 254
Second 2 w 261
Semi-Chorus 2 w 272
I 2 w 273
have 2 w 277
come 1 w 281
stricken 1 w 290
with 1 w 294
terror 1 w 300
Has 1 w 304
a 22 w 305
herald 1 w 311
from 1 w 315
the 7 w 318
Danaids 1 w 325
already 1 w 332
arrived 1 w 339
To 1 w 342
whom 1 w 346
am 2 w 348
I 3 w 349
poor 1 w 354
captive 1 w 361
given 1 w 367
as 3 w 369
a 32 w 370
slave 1 w 375
Hecuba 2 w 382
You 1 w 385
are 3 w 388
not 1 w 391
far 1 w 394
from 2 w 398
being 1 w 403
allotted 1 w 411
now 1 w 414
Second 3 w 421
Semi-Chorus 3 w 432
Alas 1 w 436
What 1 w 441
man 1 w 444
of 3 w 446
Argos 1 w 451
or 8 w 453
Phthia 1 w 459
will 1 w 463
bear 1 w 467
me 3 w 469
in 6 w 471
sorrow 1 w 477
far 2 w 480
from 3 w 484
Troy 1 w 488
to 4 w 491
his 2 w 494
home 1 w 498
or 10 w 501
to 5 w 503
some 1 w 507
island 1 w 513
fastness 1 w 521
Hecuba 3 w 528
Ah 1 w 530
ah 1 w 533
Whose 1 w 539
slave 2 w 544
shall 1 w 549
I 4 w 550
become 1 w 556
in 7 w 558
my 3 w 560
old 1 w 563
age 1 w 566
in 8 w 569
what 1 w 573
land 2 w 577
a 53 w 579
poor 2 w 583
old 2 w 586
drone 1 w 591
the 8 w 595
wretched 2 w 603
copy 1 w 607
of 4 w 609
a 54 w 610
corpse 1 w 616
alas 2 w 621
set 1 w 625
to 6 w 627
keep 1 w 631
the 9 w 634
gate 1 w 638
or 13 w 640
tend 1 w 644
their 2 w 649
children 1 w 657
I 5 w 659
who 3 w 662
once 1 w 666
held 1 w 670
royal 2 w 675
rank 1 w 679
in 9 w 681
Troy 2 w 685
Chorus 4 w 692
Alas 2 w 696
alas 3 w 701
What 2 w 706
piteous 1 w 713
dirge 1 w 718
will 2 w 722
you 4 w 725
devise 1 w 731
to 7 w 733
mourn 1 w 738
the 11 w 741
outrage 1 w 748
done 1 w 752
you 5 w 755
No 1 w 758
more 1 w 762
through 1 w 769
Ida 1 w 772
s 40 w 774
looms 1 w 779
shall 2 w 784
I 7 w 785
ply 2 w 788
the 12 w 791
shuttle 1 w 798
to 8 w 800
and 3 w 803
fro 4 w 806
I 8 w 808
look 1 w 812
my 4 w 814
last 1 w 818
on 8 w 820
my 5 w 822
children 2 w 830
s 45 w 832
bodies 1 w 838
my 6 w 841
last 2 w 845
I 9 w 847
shall 3 w 852
endure 1 w 858
surpassing 1 w 868
misery 1 w 874
it 4 w 877
may 1 w 880
be 5 w 882
as 12 w 884
the 13 w 887
unwilling 1 w 896
bride 1 w 901
of 5 w 903
some 2 w 907
Hellene 1 w 914
perish 1 w 921
the 14 w 924
night 1 w 929
and 4 w 932
fortune 1 w 939
that 1 w 943
brings 1 w 949
me 8 w 951
to 9 w 953
this 2 w 957
it 5 w 962
may 2 w 965
be 6 w 967
as 13 w 969
a 78 w 970
wretched 3 w 978
slave 3 w 983
from 4 w 987
Peirene 1 w 994
s 60 w 996
sacred 1 w 1002
fount 1 w 1007
I 10 w 1008
shall 4 w 1013
draw 1 w 1017
their 3 w 1022
store 1 w 1027
of 6 w 1029
water 1 w 1034
Oh 1 w 1037
may 3 w 1041
it 6 w 1043
be 7 w 1045
ours 1 w 1049
to 11 w 1051
come 3 w 1055
to 12 w 1057
Theseus 1 w 1064
famous 1 w 1071
realm 1 w 1076
a 87 w 1078
land 3 w 1082
of 7 w 1084
joy 1 w 1087
Never 1 w 1093
never 1 w 1099
let 1 w 1102
me 10 w 1104
see 1 w 1107
Eurotas 1 w 1114
swirling 1 w 1123
tide 1 w 1127
hateful 1 w 1135
home 2 w 1139
of 8 w 1141
Helen 1 w 1146
there 1 w 1152
to 13 w 1154
meet 1 w 1158
and 6 w 1161
be 8 w 1163
the 17 w 1166
slave 4 w 1171
of 9 w 1173
Menelaus 1 w 1181
whose 1 w 1187
hand 1 w 1191
laid 1 w 1195
Troy 3 w 1199
waste 1 w 1204
Chorus 5 w 1211
That 1 w 1215
holy 1 w 1219
land 4 w 1223
by 1 w 1225
Peneus 1 w 1231
fed 1 w 1234
nestling 1 w 1243
in 15 w 1245
all 6 w 1248
its 1 w 1251
beauty 1 w 1257
at 10 w 1259
Olympus 1 w 1266
foot 1 w 1271
is 9 w 1274
said 1 w 1278
so 5 w 1281
have 3 w 1285
I 11 w 1286
heard 1 w 1291
to 14 w 1294
be 10 w 1296
a 105 w 1297
very 1 w 1301
granary 1 w 1308
of 10 w 1310
wealth 1 w 1316
and 9 w 1319
teeming 1 w 1326
fruitfulness 1 w 1338
next 1 w 1343
to 15 w 1345
the 18 w 1348
sacred 2 w 1354
soil 1 w 1358
of 11 w 1360
Theseus 2 w 1367
I 12 w 1369
could 1 w 1374
wish 1 w 1378
to 16 w 1380
reach 1 w 1385
that 2 w 1389
land 5 w 1393
They 1 w 1398
tell 1 w 1402
me 13 w 1404
too 1 w 1407
Hephaestus 1 w 1417
home 3 w 1422
beneath 1 w 1430
the 19 w 1433
shadow 1 w 1439
of 12 w 1441
Aetna 1 w 1446
fronting 1 w 1455
Phoenicia 1 w 1464
the 20 w 1468
mother 1 w 1474
of 13 w 1476
Sicilian 1 w 1484
hills 1 w 1489
is 11 w 1492
famous 2 w 1498
for 2 w 1501
the 22 w 1504
crowns 1 w 1510
it 9 w 1512
gives 2 w 1517
to 18 w 1519
valor 1 w 1524
Or 1 w 1527
may 4 w 1530
I 13 w 1531
find 1 w 1535
a 123 w 1536
home 4 w 1540
on 10 w 1542
that 3 w 1546
shore 1 w 1551
which 1 w 1556
lies 1 w 1560
very 2 w 1564
near 1 w 1568
Ionia 1 w 1573
s 100 w 1575
sea 1 w 1578
a 128 w 1580
land 6 w 1584
watered 1 w 1591
by 2 w 1593
Crathis 1 w 1600
lovely 1 w 1607
stream 1 w 1613
that 4 w 1618
dyes 1 w 1622
the 23 w 1625
hair 1 w 1629
an 17 w 1631
auburn 1 w 1637
tint 1 w 1641
feeding 1 w 1649
with 2 w 1653
its 2 w 1656
holy 2 w 1660
waves 1 w 1665
and 12 w 1668
making 2 w 1674
glad 1 w 1678
the 24 w 1681
home 5 w 1685
of 14 w 1687
heroes 1 w 1693
Chorus 6 w 1700
Leader 1 w 1706
But 1 w 1709
see 2 w 1712
a 142 w 1714
herald 2 w 1720
from 5 w 1724
the 25 w 1727
army 1 w 1731
of 15 w 1733
Danaids 2 w 1740
with 3 w 1745
a 147 w 1746
store 2 w 1751
of 16 w 1753
fresh 1 w 1758
proclamations 1 w 1771
comes 1 w 1777
hastening 1 w 1786
here 2 w 1790
What 3 w 1795
is 13 w 1797
his 5 w 1800
errand 1 w 1806
What 4 w 1811
does 1 w 1815
he 41 w 1817
say 1 w 1820
For 1 w 1824
we 2 w 1826
are 4 w 1829
indeed 1 w 1835
slaves 1 w 1841
now 2 w 1844
to 20 w 1846
Dorian 1 w 1852
lords 1 w 1857
Talthybius 1 w 1868
Hecuba 4 w 1874
you 6 w 1878
know 1 w 1882
me 18 w 1884
from 6 w 1888
my 8 w 1890
many 1 w 1894
journeys 1 w 1902
to 21 w 1904
and 14 w 1907
fro 9 w 1910
as 17 w 1912
herald 3 w 1918
between 1 w 1925
the 26 w 1928
Achaean 1 w 1935
army 2 w 1939
and 15 w 1942
Troy 4 w 1946
I 15 w 1948
was 2 w 1951
no 6 w 1953
stranger 1 w 1961
to 22 w 1963
you 7 w 1966
lady 1 w 1971
even 1 w 1976
before 1 w 1982
I 16 w 1984
Talthybius 2 w 1995
now 4 w 1999
sent 1 w 2003
with 4 w 2007
a 172 w 2008
fresh 2 w 2013
message 1 w 2020
In 1 w 2023
the 27 w 2026
following 1 w 2035
lines 1 w 2040
Talthybius 3 w 2051
makes 1 w 2056
spoken 1 w 2062
responses 1 w 2071
to 23 w 2073
Hecuba 5 w 2079
s 140 w 2081
sung 1 w 2085
questions 1 w 2094
Hecuba 6 w 2101
Ah 2 w 2103
kind 1 w 2108
friends 1 w 2115
it 14 w 2118
has 2 w 2121
come 5 w 2125
what 2 w 2130
I 18 w 2131
so 7 w 2133
long 1 w 2137
have 4 w 2141
dreaded 1 w 2148
Talthybius 4 w 2159
The 4 w 2162
lot 2 w 2165
has 3 w 2168
decided 1 w 2175
your 2 w 2179
fates 1 w 2184
already 2 w 2191
if 2 w 2194
that 5 w 2198
was 3 w 2201
what 3 w 2205
you 9 w 2208
feared 1 w 2214
Hecuba 7 w 2221
Ah 3 w 2223
me 21 w 2225
What 5 w 2230
city 1 w 2234
did 1 w 2237
you 10 w 2240
say 2 w 2243
Thessalian 1 w 2254
Phthian 1 w 2262
or 28 w 2265
Cadmean 1 w 2272
Talthybius 5 w 2283
Each 1 w 2287
warrior 1 w 2294
took 1 w 2298
his 6 w 2301
prize 1 w 2306
in 27 w 2308
turn 1 w 2312
you 11 w 2316
were 1 w 2320
not 2 w 2323
all 7 w 2326
at 25 w 2328
once 2 w 2332
assigned 1 w 2340
Hecuba 8 w 2347
To 2 w 2349
whom 2 w 2353
has 4 w 2356
the 28 w 2359
lot 3 w 2362
assigned 2 w 2370
us 21 w 2372
severally 1 w 2381
Which 1 w 2387
of 17 w 2389
us 22 w 2391
Trojan 1 w 2397
women 1 w 2402
does 2 w 2406
a 210 w 2407
happy 1 w 2412
fortune 2 w 2419
await 1 w 2424
Talthybius 6 w 2435
I 19 w 2436
know 2 w 2440
but 1 w 2444
ask 1 w 2447
your 3 w 2451
questions 2 w 2460
separately 1 w 2470
not 3 w 2474
all 9 w 2477
at 27 w 2479
once 3 w 2483
Hecuba 9 w 2490
Then 1 w 2494
tell 2 w 2498
me 24 w 2500
whose 2 w 2506
prize 2 w 2511
is 16 w 2513
my 10 w 2515
daughter 1 w 2523
hapless 1 w 2531
Cassandra 1 w 2540
Talthybius 7 w 2551
King 1 w 2555
Agamemnon 2 w 2564
has 5 w 2567
chosen 1 w 2573
her 10 w 2576
out 2 w 2579
for 5 w 2582
himself 1 w 2589
Hecuba 10 w 2596
To 3 w 2598
be 14 w 2600
the 29 w 2603
slave-girl 1 w 2613
of 18 w 2615
his 7 w 2618
Spartan 1 w 2625
wife 1 w 2629
Ah 4 w 2632
me 26 w 2634