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
ὦ1
ô
O
τέκν’2
tékn’
children
ἀκούεθ’3
akoúeth’
do you hear
οἷος4
hoîos
what kind ofsuch as
πατήρ5
patḗr
father
he is
εἰς6
eis
towardto
ὑμᾶς7
hymâs
you
? ὄλοιτο8
óloito
May he dieperish
μὲν9
mèn
—
μή10
mḗ
not
; γάρ11
gár
for
ἐστ’12
est’
he is
ἐμός13
emós
my
δεσπότης14
despótēs
master
; ἀτὰρ15
atàr
but
ἁλίσκεται16
halísketai
he is caughtis convicted
ὢν17
ṑn
being
κακός18
kakós
badbase
γ’19
g’
—
ἐς20
es
to
φίλους21
phílous
his ownfriends, family
. Tutor
δ’22
d’
And
τίς23
tís
who
θνητῶν24
thnētôn
of mortals
οὐχὶ25
ouchì
is not
? γιγνώσκεις26
gignṓskeis
Do you learn
ἄρτι27
árti
only nowjust now
τόδε28
tóde
this
, ὡς29
hōs
that
πᾶς30
pâs
everyall
τις31
tis
mansomeone
φιλεῖ32
phileî
loves
αὑτὸν33
hautòn
himself
μᾶλλον34
mâllon
more thanrather
τοῦ35
toû
his
πέλας36
pélas
neighbornear
, οἳ37
hoì
some
μὲν38
mèn
—
δικαίως39
dikaíōs
rightlyjustly
, δὲ40
dè
and
οἳ41
hoì
others
καὶ42
kaì
even
χάριν43
chárin
forfor the sake of
κέρδους44
kérdous
profitgain
, εἰ45
ei
if
πατήρ46
patḗr
their father
οὐ47
ou
does not
στέργει48
stérgei
lovecherish
τούσδε49
toúsde
these boys
γ’50
g’
—
οὕνεκ’51
hoúnek’
for the sake ofbecause of
εὐνῆς52
eunês
a marriage bed
? 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? 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?
Interpretation
Nurse: Children, do you hear what kind of father he is to you? I would wish him dead, but no: he is my master. Still, he has been caught being bad to his own. Tutor: Who among mortals is not? Are you only now learning that every man loves himself more than his neighbor, some with reason and some for gain, when their father does not love these boys for the sake of a bed?
The nurse turns to the children: do you hear what kind of father you have? She stops herself in mid-curse, ὄλοιτο μὲν μή, "may he die... no, he is my master," and then says it anyway: he has been caught being bad to his own.
The tutor's answer is cold: who among mortals is not? Everyone loves himself more than his neighbor, some with justice and some for gain. His last word for Jason's motive is εὐνή, the plain word for a bed, and it names the motive exactly.
89
Medea 89 · Keep them away from her89Keep them away from her
Lines 89–95. The nurse sends the children indoors and says what she has seen in Medea's eyes.
· · ·
Nurse: Go into the house, children, for it will be well. And you, keep them apart as far as you can, and don't bring them near their mother in her dark mood. For already I have seen her, her eye turned bull-like on them, as if wanting to do something; nor will she stop her anger, I know well, before she strikes someone… May she do something to enemies, at least, not to friends!