t not about to die childless and leave a desolate house for others
to plunder. Thou canst not however say of me, that I gave thee up to die,
dishonoring thine old age, whereas I was particularly respectful toward
thee; and for this behavior both thou, and she that bare me, have made me
such return. Wherefore you have no more time to lose[35] in getting
children, who will succor thee in thine old age, and deck thee when dead,
and lay out thy corse; for I will not bury thee with this mine hand; for I
in sooth died, as far as in thee lay; but if, having met with, another
deliverer, I view the light, I say that I am both his child, and the
friendly comforter of his old age. In vain then do old men pray to be dead,
complaining of age, and the long time of life: but if death come near, not
one is willing to die, and old age is no longer burdensome to them.[36]

CHOR. Desist, for the present calamity is sufficient; and do not, O son,
provoke thy father's mind.

PHE. O son, whom dost thou presume thou art gibing with thy reproaches, a
Lydian or a Phrygian bought with thy money?[37] Knowest thou not that I am
a Thessalian, and born from a Thessalian father, truly free? Thou art too
insolent, and casting the impetuous words of youth against us, shalt not
having cast them thus depart. But I begat thee the lord of my house, and
brought thee up, but I am not thy debtor to die for thee; for I received no
paternal law like this, nor Grecian law, that fathers should die for their
children; for for thyself thou wert born, whether unfortunate or fortunate,
but what from us thou oughtest to have, thou hast. Thou rulest indeed over
many, and I will leave thee a large demesne of lands, for these I received
from my father. In what then have I injured thee? Of what do I deprive
thee? Thou joyest to see the light, and dost think thy father does not
joy?[38] Surely I count the time we must spend beneath long, and life is
short, but still sweet. Thou too didst shamelessly fight off from dying,
and livest, having passed over thy destined fate, by slaying her; then dost
thou talk of my nothingness of soul, O most vile one, when thou art
surpassed by a woman who died for thee, the handsome youth? But thou hast
made a clever discovery, so that thou mayst never die, if thou wilt
persuade the wife that is thine from time to time to die for thee: and then
reproachest thou thy friends who are not willing to do this, thyself being
a coward? Hold thy peace