Page:Tragedies of Sophocles (Plumptre 1878).djvu/347

Rh That he would bring to bond-slave's low estate,

With wife and child, the man who caused this shame;

Nor did he speak in vain; but when his guilt

Was cleansed, he came, with army hired to help,

Against the town of Eurytos; for he,

So said he, of all men that live, alone

Was guilty of that suffering, in that he,

When Heracles had come, in hearth and home

An old guest-friend, provoked his soul with words,

And many things spake out in baneful mood;

As this, that he, though having in his hands

His deadly darts, in skill of archery

Would fall below his children, and that he

Wore out his life a slave instead of free;

And once at feast-time, staggering with the wine,

He cast him out. And then, in wrath for this,

When Iphitos to yon Tirynthian hill

Came tracking out the course of wandering steeds,

With eyes that looked this way, and thoughts turned that,

He hurled him headlong from the tower-like crag.

And full of wrath for this thing that he did,

Olympian Zeus, the father of us all,

Sent him forth sold in bondage, spared him not,

Because he slew this man, alone of men,

With base deceit; for, had he come on him

In open fight, then Zeus had pardoned him

With justice conquering; for wanton wrong

Not even Gods can bear with. Those that waxed

Too haughty in the pride of evil speech

Are dwellers now in Hades, all of them,

Their city captured. These thou look'st upon,

Falling from high estate to piteous life,

Now come to thee: for so thy husband charged,