Page:Sophocles (Storr 1919) v2.djvu/181

 Justly or not, what matters? But I’ll prove

There was no justice in it; ’twas the lure

Of a vile wretch that hurried thee along,—

Thy lover’s. Ask the Huntress Artemis

For what offence she prisoned every gust

That blows at Aulis; rather, as from her

Thou mayst not win an answer, I will tell thee.

My father once—so have I heard the tale—

Taking his pleasure in her sacred glade

Started an antlered stag with dappled hide,

Shot it, and shooting made some careless vaunt.

Latona’s daughter, wroth thereat, detained

The Achaeans, that in quittance for her hart

My sire might give his daughter, life for life.

And so it came to pass that she was slain:

The fleet becalmed no other way could win

Homeward or Troyward. For that cause alone

Reluctantly, by hard constraint, at last

He slew her, no wise for his brother’s sake.

But if, as thou interpretest the deed,

’Twas done to please his brother, even thus

Should he for that have died by hand of thine?

What law is this? In laying down such law

See that against thyself thou lay not up

Dire retribution; for if blood for blood

Be justice, thou wouldst justly die the first.

Look, if thy pleading be not all a lie.

Say, if thou wilt, why thou art living now

A life of shame as partner of his bed,

The wretch who aided thee to slay my sire,

Bearing him children, casting out for them

The rightful heirs in rightful wedlock born.

Can I approve such acts? Or wilt thou say 169