Oedipus at Colonus (879-939)

Then I think this city no longer exists.

For men who are just, you see, the weak vanquishes the strong.

Do you hear his words?

Yes, but he will not achieve them.

Zeus knows perhaps, but you do not.

This is an outrage!

An outrage which you must bear.

Hear people, hear rulers of the land! Come quickly, come!

These men are on their way to cross our borders!

What is this shout? What is the trouble? What fear has moved you to stop my sacrifice at the altar to the sea-god, the lord of your Colonus? Speak, so that I may know the situation; for that is why I have sped

here more swiftly than was pleasant.

Dearest of men! I know your voice. Terrible are the things I have just suffered at the hands of this man here.

What things are these? And who has pained you? Speak!

Creon, whom you see here,

has torn from me my children—my only two.

What is that you say?

You have heard my wrongs.

Hurry, one of you attendants, to the altars there, and order the people to leave the sacrifice

and race on foot and by horse full speed, to the region where the two highways meet, so that the maidens may not pass, and I not become a mockery to this stranger as one worsted by force. Quick, I say, away with you!

As for this man, if my

anger went as far as he deserves, I would not let him go uninjured from my hand. But now, just such law as he himself has brought will be the rule for his correction.

You will never leave this land

until you bring those maidens and produce them in my sight. For your action is a disgrace to me, and to your own ancestors, and to your country. You have come to a city that practices justice and sanctions nothing without law,

yet you have spurned her lawful authorities and made this violent assault. You are taking captives at will and subjugating them by force, as if you believed that my city was void of men, or manned by slaves, and that I counted for nothing. Yet it was not Thebes that trained you to be evil. Thebes is not accustomed to rearing unjust men;—

nor would she praise you, if she learned that you are despoiling me, and despoiling the gods, when by force you drive off their unfortunate suppliants. If my foot were upon your land, never would I drag off or lead away someone

without permission from the ruler of the land, whoever he might be—no, even if my claim were the most just of all. I would know how a stranger ought to live among citizens. But you are disgracing a city that does not deserve it: your own,

and your years, despite their fullness, bring you an old age barren of sense. Now, I have said before, and I say it once again: let the maidens be brought here speedily, unless you wish to be an unwilling immigrant to this country by force.

These are the words of my lips; my mind is in accord.

Do you see your plight, stranger? You are judged to be just by where you are from, but your deeds are found to be evil.

It is not because I thought this city void of men, son of Aegeus, or of counsel, as you say,