Medea passage 7

?
  • Created by: Lydia22
  • Created on: 07-03-19 17:23
πάντων δ᾽ ὅσ᾽ ἔστ᾽ ἔμψυχα καὶ γνώμην ἔχει γυναῖκές ἐσμεν ἀθλιώτατον φυτόν:
Of all those that are animals and that have a mind, we women are the most wretched creatures.
1 of 10
ἃς πρῶτα μὲν δεῖ χρημάτων ὑπερ βολῇπόσιν πρίασθαι, δεσπότην τε σώματος [λαβεῖν: κακοῦ γὰρ τοῦτ᾽ ἔτ᾽ ἄλγιον κακόν].
Who must first we must buy a husband with an excess of wealth and take a master of our body. [the latter evil is still more painful than the former evil.]
2 of 10
κἀν τῷδ᾽ ἀγὼν μέγιστος, ἢ κακὸν λαβεῖν ἢ χρηστόν:
And the competition is fiercest in this, to take a bad or a good husband.
3 of 10
οὐ γὰρ εὐκλεεῖς ἀπαλλαγαὶ γυναιξὶν οὐδ᾽ οἷόν τ᾽ ἀνήνασθαι πόσιν.
For divorce is not respectable for women, nor is it possible to spurn the [advances] of a husband.
4 of 10
ἐς καινὰ δ᾽ ἤθη καὶ νόμους ἀφιγμένην δεῖ μάντιν εἶναι, μὴ μαθοῦσαν οἴκοθεν, ὅπως ἄριστα χρήσεται ξυνευνέτῃ.
It is necessary for women, having arrived into new customs and practices, if she has not learned these things at home, to be a prophetess, so that she will deal exactly with her bed-fellow.
5 of 10
κἂν μὲν τάδ᾽ ἡμῖν ἐκπονουμέναισιν εὖ πόσις ξυνοικῇ μὴ βίᾳ φέρων ζυγόν, ζηλωτὸς αἰών: εἰ δὲ μή, θανεῖν χρεών.
And in the case that our husbands live with us, when we sort out these things well, not bearing the marriage-yoke unwillingly, life is enviable. Otherwise, one must die.
6 of 10
ἀνὴρ δ᾽, ὅταν τοῖς ἔνδον ἄχθηται ξυνών, ἔξω μολὼν ἔπαυσε καρδίαν ἄσης.
But a man, whenever he is vexed, being with those in the house, he stopped his heart from vexation by going elsewhere.
7 of 10
ἡμῖν δ᾽ ἀνάγκη πρὸς μίαν ψυχὴν βλέπειν.
But for us it is necessary to gaze towards one soul.
8 of 10
λέγουσι δ᾽ ἡμᾶς ὡς ἀκίνδυνον βίον ζῶμεν κατ᾽ οἴκους, οἱ δὲ μάρνανται δορί,
they say that we live a danger-less life at home while they fight with the spear.
9 of 10
κακῶς φρονοῦντες: ὡς τρὶς ἂν παρ᾽ ἀσπίδα στῆναι θέλοιμ᾽ ἂν μᾶλλον ἢ τεκεῖν ἅπαξ.
They are foolish! Since I would wish rather to stand three times beside a shield than give birth once.
10 of 10

Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

Who must first we must buy a husband with an excess of wealth and take a master of our body. [the latter evil is still more painful than the former evil.]

Back

ἃς πρῶτα μὲν δεῖ χρημάτων ὑπερ βολῇπόσιν πρίασθαι, δεσπότην τε σώματος [λαβεῖν: κακοῦ γὰρ τοῦτ᾽ ἔτ᾽ ἄλγιον κακόν].

Card 3

Front

And the competition is fiercest in this, to take a bad or a good husband.

Back

Preview of the back of card 3

Card 4

Front

For divorce is not respectable for women, nor is it possible to spurn the [advances] of a husband.

Back

Preview of the back of card 4

Card 5

Front

It is necessary for women, having arrived into new customs and practices, if she has not learned these things at home, to be a prophetess, so that she will deal exactly with her bed-fellow.

Back

Preview of the back of card 5
View more cards

Comments

No comments have yet been made

Similar Classics resources:

See all Classics resources »See all Literature resources »