Ἡρακλῆς
σὺ δ᾽ οὖν ἄκουε τοὔργον: ἐξήκεις δ᾽ ἵνα
φανεῖς ὁποῖος ὢν ἀνὴρ ἐμὸς καλεῖ.
ἐμοὶ γὰρ ἦν πρόφαντον ἐκ πατρὸς πάλαι,
1160τῶν ἐμπνεόντων μηδενὸς θανεῖν ὕπο,
ἀλλ᾽ ὅστις Ἅιδου φθίμενος οἰκήτωρ πέλοι.
ὅδ᾽ οὖν ὁ θὴρ Κένταυρος, ὡς τὸ θεῖον ἦν
πρόφαντον, οὕτω ζῶντά μ᾽ ἔκτεινεν θανών.
φανῶ δ᾽ ἐγὼ τούτοισι συμβαίνοντ᾽ ἴσα
1165μαντεῖα καινά, τοῖς πάλαι ξυνήγορα,
ἃ τῶν ὀρείων καὶ χαμαικοιτῶν ἐγὼ
Σελλῶν ἐσελθὼν ἄλσος εἰσεγραψάμην
πρὸς τῆς πατρῴας καὶ πολυγλώσσου δρυός,
ἥ μοι χρόνῳ τῷ ζῶντι καὶ παρόντι νῦν
1170ἔφασκε μόχθων τῶν ἐφεστώτων ἐμοὶ
λύσιν τελεῖσθαι: κἀδόκουν πράξειν καλῶς.
τὸ δ᾽ ἦν ἄρ᾽ οὐδὲν ἄλλο πλὴν θανεῖν ἐμέ.
τοῖς γὰρ θανοῦσι μόχθος οὐ προσγίγνεται.
ταῦτ᾽ οὖν ἐπειδὴ λαμπρὰ συμβαίνει, τέκνον,
1175δεῖ σ᾽ αὖ γενέσθαι τῷδε τἀνδρὶ σύμμαχον
καὶ μὴ 'πιμεῖναι τοὐμὸν ὀξῦναι στόμα,
ἀλλ᾽ αὐτὸν εἰκαθόντα συμπράσσειν, νόμον
κάλλιστον ἐξευρόντα, πειθαρχεῖν πατρί.
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Sophocles. Sophocles. Vol 2: Ajax. Electra. Trachiniae. Philoctetes With an English translation by F. Storr. The Loeb classical library, 21. Francis Storr. London; New York. William Heinemann Ltd.; The Macmillan Company. 1913.
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