Eksodos
Messenger
O you that guard the temple and stand by the altar,
where has Thoas, the lord of this land, gone? Open the well-fastened gates, and call forth from this shrine the ruler of the land.
1285
Chorus Leader
What is it, if I may speak when not commanded?
Messenger
The two young men are gone away,
through the plots of Agamemnon’s daughter; they are escaping from this land, with the holy image deep within a Hellene ship.
1290
Chorus Leader
What you say is incredible; but the one you want to see, the lord of the country, has gone in haste from the temple.
Messenger
Where? For he should know what has been done.
1295
Chorus Leader
We don’t know; but go after him, and report these things to him where you find him.
Messenger
See, what a faithless race you women are! You also have a share in what has been done.
Chorus Leader
You are mad! What do we have to do the the flight of the strangers? Go as quickly as you can to the ruler’s door!
1300
Messenger
No! Not until this interpreter brings word if the king is inside or not. Ho there! Unbar the doors—I am speaking to those within—
and inform the master that I am at the gate with a burden of bad news.
1305
Thoas
(appearing at the temple door.) Who is raising this clamor at the temple of the goddess, striking at the gates and sending his noise within?
Messenger
Ah! These women told me that you were outside; they would have driven me away from the temple,
but you were inside after all.
1310
Thoas
What advantage were they expecting and hunting after?
Messenger
I will tell you about them later; hear what is currently at hand. The girl who presided at this altar, Iphigenia, has left the country
with the strangers, and takes with her the holy statue of the goddess; the purification was a cheat.
1315
Thoas
What are you saying? What influence in her character brought her to this?
Messenger
To save Orestes; here is a marvel for you!
Thoas
To save whom? Clytemnestra’s son?
Messenger
The one whom the goddess was dedicating to herself at this altar.
1320
Thoas
Marvelous! for what more can it be called?
Messenger
Do not think of that, but listen to me; consider it clearly and when you hear, devise a pursuit to hunt down the strangers.
Thoas
Speak; you have said well; for their flight is not so brief a voyage as to escape my spear.
1325
Messenger
When we came to the sea-shore, where Orestes’ ship was moored in hiding,
Agamemnon’s daughter motioned to those of us you sent with the strangers’ bonds to stand far off, as if her sacrifice of purifying flame, that she had come for, were secret. But she went on alone, holding the strangers’ chains in her hands, behind them. Your servants, lord, were suspicious,
1330
but we allowed it. After a while, so that we might think that she was accomplishing something, she raised a shout, and chanted strange songs and spells, as if she were washing off the pollution of murder. When we had sat a long time,
1335
it occurred to us that the strangers, loosed from their bonds, might kill her and escape by flight. But we were afraid of seeing what we ought not, and sat in silence. But at length we all resolved to go where they were, although we were not allowed.
1340
There we saw a Hellene ship, winged with ready blade for the stroke, and at the oar-locks were fifty rowers with their oars; the two youths stood by the stern, freed from their chains.
1345
