Euripides' MedeaThe Indignity of Womankind

1 Euripides’ Medea, 214-266: “The Indignity of Womankind” Women of Corinth, here I am, out of the house, so that you don’t blame me. For I, better than anyone, know that many mortals are arrogant, some in private and some in public, while others silently garner ill repute for their indifference. There is no justice in the eyes of mortals, my friends: they hate another person as soon as they see them, without truly understanding the other’s soul, even though the stranger has done nothing wrong. Therefore, a foreigner, such as I, must make themselves pleasing to the city. After all, I can’t stand any stubborn person who, without knowing, offends their fellow citizens. But oh, this blow has indeed been unexpected, falling upon me and utterly destroying my soul. I might as well be dead. I’ve given up the joy of life, my friends – oh, how I wish I were dead! My whole existence was bound up with Jason, my husband, who has proved himself to be the most despicable of all men. Of all living creatures who have a mind, we women are by far the most wretched. First, we must spend a ridiculous amount of money to buy a husband, a master of our bodies. Then, as if that wasn’t bad enough, we must suffer even more, for the greatest struggle for us women is not in the buying but in the choosing: either to take an honorable or a disgraceful man as husband. Divorce brings only ill repute, yet women cannot refuse a husband either. A newly married woman, coming into the unfamiliar customs of her husband’s home, must be like a prophet, divining how best to deal with this man. If the wife works hard and manages to figure her husband out, he might stay without force, and this is considered to be an enviable life. But if the wife can’t figure him out, if the marriage fails and the husband leaves, the woman will yearn for death as her only escape. What kind of existence is this? If a man is vexed with his family, he can soothe his heart by going out and spending time with some friend or old companion, yet us 2 women must invest ourselves entirely in one person, depend completely on one soul. Where can we turn when we are vexed, when we are wronged? How might we soothe our heartache? Those men, they say that we live safe and comfortable lives, quietly tending the home while they risk their lives fighting with spears, but let me tell you this: I would rather stand among the shields in battles three times over than have to give birth once. The real pain, my friends, is not in dying, but in having to bring new life into this miserable world. But oh, pay no attention to me, for our stories are not the same. You have a city, your family home, the advantage of life, and the companionship of friends. What do I have? I am lonely, separated from my city, insulted by my husband, floating adrift with no mother, brother, or relation in which I can seek refuge. Ah, what it must be like to belong! Medea 214-266 Μήδεια Κορίνθιαι γυναῖκες, ἐξῆλθον δόμων μή μοί τι μέμψησθ᾽: οἶδα γὰρ πολλοὺς βροτῶν (215) σεμνοὺς γεγῶτας, τοὺς μὲν ὀμμάτων ἄπο, τοὺς δ᾽ ἐν θυραίοις: οἱ δ᾽ ἀφ᾽ ἡσύχου ποδὸς δύσκλειαν ἐκτήσαντο καὶ ῥᾳθυμίαν. δίκη γὰρ οὐκ ἔνεστ᾽ ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς βροτῶν, ὅστις πρὶν ἀνδρὸς σπλάγχνον ἐκμαθεῖν σαφῶς (220) στυγεῖ δεδορκώς, οὐδὲν ἠδικημένος. χρὴ δὲ ξένον μὲν κάρτα προσχωρεῖν πόλει: οὐδ᾽ ἀστὸν ᾔνεσ᾽ ὅστις αὐθάδης γεγὼς πικρὸς πολίταις ἐστὶν ἀμαθίας ὕπο. ἐμοὶ δ᾽ ἄελπτον πρᾶγμα προσπεσὸν τόδε (225) ψυχὴν διέφθαρκ᾽: οἴχομαι δὲ καὶ βίου χάριν μεθεῖσα κατθανεῖν χρῄζω, φίλαι. ἐν ᾧ γὰρ ἦν μοι πάντα, γιγνώσκω καλῶς, κάκιστος ἀνδρῶν ἐκβέβηχ᾽ οὑμὸς πόσις. πάντων δ᾽ ὅσ᾽ ἔστ᾽ ἔμψυχα καὶ γνώμην ἔχει (230) γυναῖκές ἐσμεν ἀθλιώτατον φυτόν: ἃς πρῶτα μὲν δεῖ χρημάτων ὑπερβολῇ πόσιν πρίασθαι, δεσπότην τε σώματος [λαβεῖν: κακοῦ γὰρ τοῦτ᾽ ἔτ᾽ ἄλγιον κακόν]. κἀν τῷδ᾽ ἀγὼν μέγιστος, ἢ κακὸν λαβεῖν (235) ἢ χρηστόν: οὐ γὰρ εὐκλεεῖς ἀπαλλαγαὶ γυναιξὶν οὐδ᾽ οἷόν τ᾽ ἀνήνασθαι πόσιν. ἐς καινὰ δ᾽ ἤθη καὶ νόμους ἀφιγμένην δεῖ μάντιν εἶναι, μὴ μαθοῦσαν οἴκοθεν, ὅπως ἄριστα χρήσεται ξυνευνέτῃ. (240) κἂν μὲν τάδ᾽ ἡμῖν ἐκπονουμέναισιν εὖ πόσις ξυνοικῇ μὴ βίᾳ φέρων ζυγόν, ζηλωτὸς αἰών: εἰ δὲ μή, θανεῖν χρεών. ἀνὴρ δ᾽, ὅταν τοῖς ἔνδον ἄχθηται ξυνών, ἔξω μολὼν ἔπαυσε καρδίαν ἄσης (245) [ἢ πρὸς φίλον τιν᾽ ἢ πρὸς ἥλικα τραπείς]: ἡμῖν δ᾽ ἀνάγκη πρὸς μίαν ψυχὴν βλέπειν. λέγουσι δ᾽ ἡμᾶς ὡς ἀκίνδυνον βίον ζῶμεν κατ᾽ οἴκους, οἱ δὲ μάρνανται δορί, κακῶς φρονοῦντες: ὡς τρὶς ἂν παρ᾽ ἀσπίδα (250) στῆναι θέλοιμ᾽ ἂν μᾶλλον ἢ τεκεῖν ἅπαξ. ἀλλ᾽ οὐ γὰρ αὑτὸς πρὸς σὲ κἄμ᾽ ἥκει λόγος: σοὶ μὲν πόλις θ᾽ ἥδ᾽ ἐστὶ καὶ πατρὸς δόμοι βίου τ᾽ ὄνησις καὶ φίλων συνουσία, ἐγὼ δ᾽ ἔρημος ἄπολις οὖσ᾽ ὑβρίζομαι (255) πρὸς ἀνδρός, ἐκ γῆς βαρβάρου λελῃσμένη, οὐ μητέρ᾽, οὐκ ἀδελφόν, οὐχὶ συγγενῆ μεθορμίσασθαι τῆσδ᾽ ἔχουσα συμφορᾶς. τοσοῦτον οὖν σου τυγχάνειν βουλήσομαι, ἤν μοι πόρος τις μηχανή τ᾽ ἐξευρεθῇ (260) πόσιν δίκην τῶνδ᾽ ἀντιτείσασθαι κακῶν [τὸν δόντα τ᾽ αὐτῷ θυγατέρ᾽ ἥ τ᾽ ἐγήματο], σιγᾶν. γυνὴ γὰρ τἄλλα μὲν φόβου πλέα κακή τ᾽ ἐς ἀλκὴν καὶ σίδηρον εἰσορᾶν: ὅταν δ᾽ ἐς εὐνὴν ἠδικημένη κυρῇ, οὐκ ἔστιν ἄλλη φρὴν μιαιφονωτέρα. (265)