Euripides, Ion
Robert Potter, Ed.

Tutor
But what harm is this to your enemies, daughter?

Creusa
Do you know Erichthonius? But of course you do, old man.

Tutor
[1000] The one whom the earth brought forth, first of your race?

Creusa
To him while an infant Pallas gave—

Tutor
What did she give? Your speech has such delays!

Creusa
Two drops of blood from the Gorgon.

Tutor
And what power do they have over mortals?

Creusa
[1005] One is deadly, the other heals disease.

Tutor
In what did she hang them around the infant's body?

Creusa
In gold chains; and he gave them to my father.

Tutor
And when he died, they came to you?

Creusa
Yes; I wear them on my wrist.

Tutor
[1010] How is this double gift of the goddess accomplished?

Creusa
This one, which dripped from the hollow vein, at the slaughter—

Tutor
What is its use? What can it do?

Creusa
It wards off diseases and nourishes life.

Tutor
The second one you speak of, what does it do?

Creusa
[1015] It kills, as it is poison from the Gorgon serpents.

Tutor
Do you wear them mixed together, or separately?

Creusa
Separate; for good does not mix with ill.

Tutor
O dearest child, you have all that you need.

Creusa
With this the boy shall die, and you will be the one to kill him.

Tutor
[1020] Where and how? It is for you to say it and for me to dare it.

Creusa
At Athens, when he comes to my home.

Tutor
That was not well said; I say this, for you have found fault with me.

Creusa
How? Do you suspect what has come to me also?

Tutor
You will appear to destroy the child, even if you don't kill him.

Creusa
[1025] Rightly; a stepmother is said to hate her stepchildren.

Tutor
Kill him here, so that you can deny the murder.

Creusa
And so I get the pleasure sooner in time.

Tutor
And you will conceal from your husband what he is eager to conceal from you.

Creusa
Do you know what you must do? Take from my hand [1030] this golden bracelet from Athena, an ancient work, and go where my husband is secretly preparing the sacrifice; when they finish dinner and are about to pour libations to the gods, with this in your robe, put it in the youth's cup. . . [1035] but keep the cup apart, for him alone, not everyone—the one who is going to be the master of my house! And when it has gone down his throat, he will never see glorious Athens, but he will die and remain here.She gives him the bracelet.

Tutor
You go now to your hosts; [1040] I will accomplish what I have been ordered to do. Come then, my aged foot, be young in action, even if you cannot be in years. Go with your master against the enemy, and help me kill him and remove him from the house. [1045] It is good for the fortunate to honor piety; but whenever someone wants to do harm to enemies, no law stands in the way.They both go out.