74
Medea 74 · Old ties give way to new74Old ties give way to new
Lines 74–81. The nurse cannot believe Jason will allow it; the tutor tells her to keep quiet.
· · ·
Nurse
καὶ1
kaì
Andeven
Ἰάσων2
Iásōn
Jason
ἐξανέξεται3
exanéxetai
will put up withwill endure
παῖδας4
paîdas
his children
πάσχοντας5
páschontas
suffering
ταῦτ’6
taût’
thisthese things
, καὶ7
kaì
even
εἰ8
ei
if
ἔχει9
échei
he has
διαφορὰν10
diaphoràn
a quarreldifference
μητρὶ11
mētrì
with their mother
? Tutor
παλαιὰ12
palaià
Old tiesold things
λείπεται13
leípetai
give wayfall behind
καινῶν14
kainôn
to new
κηδευμάτων15
kēdeumátōn
marriage tiesalliance by marriage
, κοὐκ16
kouk
and not
φίλος17
phílos
a friendfriendly
τοῖσδε18
toîsde
to this
δώμασιν19
dṓmasin
house
ἔστ’20
ést’
is
ἐκεῖνος21
ekeînos
that manhe
. Nurse
ἄρ’22
ár’
Then
ἀπωλόμεσθ’23
apōlómesth’
we are ruinedwe perished
, εἰ24
ei
if
προσοίσομεν25
prosoísomen
we addwill bring to
νέον26
néon
new
κακὸν27
kakòn
troubleevil
παλαιῷ28
palaiôi
to oldto the old
, πρὶν29
prìn
before
ἐξηντληκέναι30
exēntlēkénai
we have bailed outto have drained
τόδ’31
tód’
this
. Tutor
ἀτὰρ32
atàr
But
σύ33
sý
you
γ’34
g’
—
, γὰρ35
gàr
for
it is
οὐ36
ou
not
καιρὸς37
kairòs
the timeright moment
δέσποιναν38
déspoinan
for our mistressthe mistress
εἰδέναι39
eidénai
to know
τόδε40
tóde
this
, ἡσύχαζε41
hēsýchaze
keep quiet
καὶ42
kaì
and
σίγα43
síga
say nothing ofkeep silent
λόγον44
lógon
the storyword
. Nurse
And Jason will put up with his children suffering this, even if he has a quarrel with their mother? Tutor
Old ties give way to new marriage ties, and not a friend to this house is that man. Nurse
Then we are ruined, if we add new trouble to old, before we have bailed out this. Tutor
But you, for it is not the time for our mistress to know this, keep quiet and say nothing of the story. Nurse: And Jason will put up with his children suffering this, even if he has a quarrel with their mother? Tutor: Old ties give way to new marriage ties, and not a friend to this house is that man. Nurse: Then we are ruined, if we add new trouble to old, before we have bailed out this. Tutor: But you, for it is not the time for our mistress to know this, keep quiet and say nothing of the story.
Interpretation
Nurse: And will Jason let his children be treated so, even if he has a quarrel with their mother? Tutor: Old ties give way to new marriages, and that man is no friend to this house. Nurse: Then we are lost, if we add a new trouble to the old before we have bailed the first one out. Tutor: But you, since this is no time for our mistress to know, keep quiet and say nothing.
The nurse cannot believe that Jason will let his own children suffer this, quarrel with their mother or not. The tutor answers with a hard line: old ties give way to new marriage ties, and Jason is no friend to this house.
The nurse's verb for what they cannot yet do, ἐξαντλέω, is to drain off; its root ἀντλέω is to bale bilge water out of a ship. It brings a ship back into her speech, after the one she wished had never sailed. The tutor tells her to keep quiet; it is not the time for Medea to know.
82
Medea 82 · Everyone loves himself more82Everyone loves himself more
Lines 82–88. The nurse speaks to the children about their father; the tutor answers.
· · ·
Nurse: O children, do you hear what kind of father he is toward you? May he die… not; for he is my master; but he is caught being bad to his own. Tutor: And who of mortals is not? Do you learn only now this, that every man loves himself more than his neighbor, some rightly, and others even for profit, if their father does not love these boys for the sake of a marriage bed?