ves; but the unjust
speech, unsound in itself, requires cunning preparations to gloze it. But I
have previously considered for my father's house, and my own advantage and
that of this man; desiring to escape the curses, which Oedipus denounced
formerly against us, I myself of my own accord departed from this land,
having given him to rule over his own country for the space of a year, so
that I myself should have the government again, having received it in turn,
and not having come into enmity and bloodshed with this man to perform some
evil deed, and to suffer what is now taking place. But he having assented
to this, and having brought the Gods to witness his oaths, has performed
nothing of what he promised, but himself holds the regal power and my share
of the palace. And now I am ready, having received my own right, to send
the army away from out of this land, and to regulate my house, having
received it in my turn, and to give it up again to this man for the same
space of time, and neither to lay my country waste, nor to apply to its
towers the means of ascent by the firmly-fixed ladders. Which, should I not
meet with justice, will I endeavor to put in execution: and I call the Gods
as witnesses of this, that acting in every thing with justice, I am without
justice deprived of my country in the most unrighteous manner. These
individual circumstances, mother, not having collected together intricacies
of argument, have I declared, but both to the wise and to the illiterate
just, as appears to me.

CHOR. To me indeed, although we have not been brought up according to the
Grecian land, nevertheless to me thou appearest to speak with judgment.

ETEO. If the same thing were judged honorable alike by all, and at the same
time wise, there would not be doubtful strife among men. But now nothing is
similar, nothing the same among mortals, except in names; but the sense is
not the same, for I, my mother, will speak having kept nothing back; I
would mount to the rising of the stars, and sink beneath the earth, were I
able to perform this, so that I might possess the greatest of the
Goddesses, kingly power.[25] This prize then, my mother, I am not willing
rather to give up to another, than to preserve for myself. For it implies
cowardice in him, whoever having lost the greater share, hath received the
less; but in addition to this I feel ashamed, that this man having come
with arms, and laying the country waste, should obtain what