Who threw thee down thus pitiably?

IOLAUS

Behold the man who flouts your gods, kind sirs, and tries by force to drag me from my seat before the altar of Zeus.

CHORUS (chanting)

From what land, old stranger, art thou come to this confederate state of four cities? or have ye left Euboea's cliffs, and, with the oar that sweeps the sea, put in here from across the firth?

IOLAUS

Sirs, no island life I lead, but from Mycenae to thy land I come.

CHORUS (chanting)

What do they call thee, aged sir, those folk in Mycenae?

IOLAUS

Maybe ye have heard of Iolaus, the comrade of Heracles, for he was not unknown to fame.

CHORUS (chanting)

Yea, I have heard of him in bygone days; but tell me, whose are the tender boys thou bearest in thine arms?

IOLAUS

These, sirs, are the sons of Heracles, come as suppliants to you and your city.

CHORUS (chanting)

What is their quest? Are they anxious, tell me, to obtain an audience of the state?

IOLAUS

That so they may escape surrender, nor be torn with violence from thy altars, and brought to Argos.

COPREUS

Nay, this will nowise satisfy thy masters, who o'er thee have a right, and so have tracked thee hither.

CHORUS (chanting)

Stranger, 'tis but right we should reverence the gods' suppliants, suffering none with violent hand to make them leave the altars, for that will dread justice ne'er permit.

COPREUS

Do thou then drive these subjects of Eurystheus forth, and this hand of mine shall abstain from violence.

CHORUS (chanting)

'Twere impious for the state to neglect the suppliant stranger's prayer.

COPREUS

Yet 'tis well to keep clear of troubles, by adopting that counsel, which is the wiser.

LEADER

Thou then shouldst have told the monarch of this land thy errand before being so bold, out of regard to his country's freedom, instead of trying to drag strangers by force from the altars of the gods.

COPREUS

Who is monarch of this land and state?

LEADER

Demophon, son of gallant Theseus.

COPREUS

Surely it were most to the purpose to discuss this matter somewhat with him; all else has been said in vain.

LEADER

Lo! here he comes in person, in hot haste, and Acamas his brother, to hear what thou hast to say. -

(DEMOPHON, Acamas, and their retinue enter.) -

DEMOPHON

Since thou for all thy years hast outstripped younger men in coming to the rescue to this altar of Zeus, do thou tell me what hath chanced to bring this crowd together.

LEADER

There sit the sons of Heracles as suppliants, having wreathed the altar, as thou seest, O king, and with them is Iolaus, trusty comrade of their sire.

DEMOPHON

Why should this event have called for cries of pain?

LEADER (turning to COPREUS)

This fellow caused the uproar by trying to drag them forcibly from this altar, and he hurled down the old man, till my tears for pity flowed.

DEMOPHON

Hellenic dress and fashion in his robes doth he no doubt adopt, but deeds like these betray the barbarian. Thou, sirrah, tell me straight the country whence thou camest thither.

COPREUS

An Argive I; since that thou seek'st to know. Who sent me, and the object of my coming, will I freely tell. Eurystheus, king of Mycenae, sends me hither to fetch these back; and I have come, sir stranger, with just grounds in plenty, alike for speech or action. An Argive myself, Argives I come to fetch, taking with me these runaways from my native city, on whom the doom of death was passed by our laws there; and we have right, since we rule our city independently, to ratify its sentences. And though they have come as suppliants to the altars of numerous others, we have taken our stand on these same arguments, and no one has ventured to bring upon himself evils of his own getting. But they have come hither, either because they perceived some folly in thee, or, in their perplexity, staking all on one risky throw to win or lose; for surely they do not suppose that thou, if so thou hast thy senses still, and only thou, in all the breadth of Hellas they have traversed, wilt pity their foolish troubles. Come now, put argument against argument: what will be thy gain, suppose thou admit them to thy land, or let us take them hence? From us these benefits are thine to win: this city can secure as friends Argos, with its far-reaching arm, and Eurystheus' might complete; whilst if thou lend an ear to their piteous pleading and grow soft, the matter must result in trial of arms; for be sure we shall not yield this struggle without appealing to the sword. What pretext wilt thou urge? Of what domains art thou robbed that thou shouldst take and wage war with the Tirynthian Argives? What kind of allies art thou aiding? For whom will they have fallen whom thou buriest? Surely thou wilt get an evil name from the citizens, if for the sake of an old man near the grave, a mere shadow I may say, and for these children, thou wilt plunge into troublous waters. The best thou canst say is, that thou wilt find in them a hope, and nothing more; and yet this falls far short of the present need; for these would be but a poor match for Argives even when fully armed and in their prime, if haply that raises thy spirits; moreover, the time 'twixt now and then is long, wherein ye may be blotted out. Nay, hearken to me; give me naught, but let me take mine own, and so gain Mycenae; but forbear to act now, as is your Athenian way, and take the weaker side, when it is in thy power to choose the stronger as thy friends.

LEADER

Who can decide a cause or ascertain its merits, till from both sides he clearly learn what they would say?