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		<title>Euripides -- Medea [Μήδεια], l. 248ff (431 BC) [tr. Ewans (2022)]</title>
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		<pubDate>Tue, 16 Dec 2025 18:13:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dave</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Euripides]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[battle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[childbirth]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[MEDEA: Men say we live a safe life in the home, While they do battle with the spear. But they are wrong; I&#8217;d rather stand three times with shield in hand than give birth once. [ΜΉΔΕΙΑ: λέγουσι δ᾽ ἡμᾶς ὡς ἀκίνδυνον βίον ζῶμεν κατ᾽ οἴκους, οἱ δὲ μάρνανται δορί, κακῶς φρονοῦντες: ὡς τρὶς ἂν παρ᾽ [&#8230;]]]></description>
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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p class="hangingindent">MEDEA: Men say we live a safe life in the home,<br />
While they do battle with the spear.<br />
But they are wrong; I&#8217;d rather stand three times<br />
with shield in hand than give birth once.</p>
<p></p>
<p class="hangingindent">[ΜΉΔΕΙΑ: λέγουσι δ᾽ ἡμᾶς ὡς ἀκίνδυνον βίον<br />
ζῶμεν κατ᾽ οἴκους, οἱ δὲ μάρνανται δορί,<br />
κακῶς φρονοῦντες: ὡς τρὶς ἂν παρ᾽ ἀσπίδα<br />
στῆναι θέλοιμ᾽ ἂν μᾶλλον ἢ τεκεῖν ἅπαξ.]</p>
<p></p>
<br><b>Euripides</b> (485?-406? BC) Greek tragic dramatist<br><i>Medea</i> [Μήδεια], l. 248ff (431 BC) [tr. Ewans (2022)] 
									<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(<a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/Euripides_Medea/kNBUEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=%22men%20say%20we%20live%22" target="_blank">Source</a>)
										<br><br><span class="cite">
						

This passage was often used by woman suffragists.<br><br>

(<a href="https://sententiaeantiquae.com/2015/01/30/warfare-vs-childbirth-euripides-medea-248-51/">Source (Greek)</a>). Other translations: <br><br>

<blockquote><span class="tab"><span class="tab"><span class="tab"><span class="tab"><span class="tab"><span class="tab"><span class="tab"><span class="tab">They still contend <br>
That we, at home remaining, lead a life <br>
Exempt from danger, while they launch the spear: <br>
False are these judgements; rather would I thrice, <br>
Arm'd with a target, in th' embattled field <br>
Maintain my stand, than suffer once the throes <br>
Of childbirth. <br>
[tr. <a href="https://archive.org/details/nineteentragedi01wodhgoog/page/260/mode/2up?q=%22They+still+contend%22">Wodhull</a> (1782)] </blockquote><br>

<blockquote><span class="tab"><span class="tab"><span class="tab"><span class="tab"><span class="tab"><span class="tab"><span class="tab"><span class="tab">Yet will they say<br>
We live an easy life, at home, secure<br>
From danger, whilst they lift the spear in war:<br>
Misjudging men; thrice would I stand in arms<br>
On the rough edge of battle, e'er once bear<br>
The pangs of childbirth.<br>
[tr. <a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Bacch%C3%A6_Ion_Alcestis_Medea_Hippolytu/L8tCAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=%22yet%20will%20they%20say%22">Potter</a> (1814)] </blockquote><br>

<blockquote>But, say they, we, while they fight with the spear,<br>
Lead in our homes a life undangerous:<br>
Judging amiss; for I would liefer thrice<br>
Bear brunt of arms than once bring forth a child.<br>
[tr. <a href="https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Medea_(Webster_1868)#:~:text=But%2C%20say%20they%2C%20we%2C%20while%20they%20fight%20with%20the%20spear%2C%0ALead%20in%20our%20homes%20a%20life%20undangerous%3A%0AJudging%20amiss%3B%20for%20I%20would%20liefer%20thrice%0ABear%20brunt%20of%20arms%20than%20once%20bring%20forth%20a%20child.">Webster</a> (1868)]</blockquote><br>

<blockquote>And yet they say we live secure at home, while they are at the wars, with their sorry reasoning, for I would gladly take my stand in battle array three times o'er, than once give birth.<br>
[tr. <a href="https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Plays_of_Euripides_(Coleridge)/Medea#:~:text=And%20yet%20they%20say%20we%20live%20secure%20at%20home%2C%20while%20they%20are%20at%20the%20wars%2C%20with%20their%20sorry%20reasoning%2C%20for%20I%20would%20gladly%20take%20my%20stand%20in%20battle%20array%20three%20times%20o%27er%2C%20than%20once%20give%20birth.">Coleridge</a> (1891)]</blockquote><br>

<blockquote>But they say of us that we live a life of ease at home, but they are fighting with the spear; judging ill, since I would rather thrice stand in arms, than once suffer the pangs of child-birth.<br>
[tr. <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/15081/pg15081-images.html#MEDEA:~:text=But%20they%20say%20of%20us%20that%20we%20live%20a%20life%20of%20ease%20at%20home%2C%20but%20they%20are%20fighting%20with%20the%20spear%3B%20judging%20ill%2C%20since%20I%20would%20rather%20thrice%20stand%20in%20arms%2C%20than%20once%20suffer%20the%20pangs%20of%20child%2Dbirth.">Buckley</a> (1892)]</blockquote><br>

<blockquote>But we, say they, live an unperilled life<br>
At home, while they do battle with the spear.<br>
Falsely they deem: twice would I under shield<br>
Stand, rather than bear childbirth peril once.<br>
[tr. <a href="https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Tragedies_of_Euripides_(Way)/Medea#:~:text=But%20we%2C%20say,childbirth%20peril%20once.">Way</a> (Loeb) (1894)]</blockquote><br>

<blockquote>And then, forsooth, 'tis they that face the call<br>
Of war, while we sit sheltered, hid from all<br>
Peril! -- False mocking! Sooner would I stand<br>
Three times to face their battles, shield in hand,<br>
Than bear one child.<br>
[tr. <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/35451/pg35451-images.html#:~:text=And%20then%2C%20forsooth%2C%20%27tis%20they%20that%20face%20the%20call%0AOf%20war%2C%20while%20we%20sit%20sheltered%2C%20hid%20from%20all%0APeril!%E2%80%94False%20mocking!%20Sooner%20would%20I%20stand%0AThree%20times%20to%20face%20their%20battles%2C%20shield%20in%20hand%2C%0AThan%20bear%20one%20child.">Murray</a> (1906)]</blockquote><br>

<blockquote>But we, they say, live a safe life at home,<br>
While they, the men, go forth in arms to war.<br>
Fools! Three times would I rather take my stand<br>
With sword and shield than bring to birth one child.<br>
[tr. <a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/A_Dictionary_of_Classical_Greek_Quotatio/knv1DwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=%22but%20we%20they%20say%22">Murray</a> (1906), per Yeroulanos]</blockquote><br>

<blockquote>They tell us we live a sheltered life at home while they go to the wars; but that is nonsense. For I would rather go into battle twice than bear a child once.<br>
[<a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/A_Short_History_of_Women/keDSAAAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=%22they%20tell%20us%20we%22">Source</a> (1927)]</blockquote><br>

<blockquote>What they say of us is that we have a peaceful time <br>
Living at home, while they do the fighting in war. <br>
How wrong they are! I would very much rather stand <br>
Three times in the front of battle than bear one child.<br>
[tr. <a href="https://archive.org/details/euripides-medea-warner.ocr/page/66/mode/2up?q=%22they+say+of+us%22">Warner</a> (1944)]</blockquote><br>




<blockquote><span class="tab">Men boast their battles: I tell you this, and we know it:<br>
<span class="tab">It is easier to stand in battle three times, in the front line, in the stabbing fury, than to bear one child.<br>
[tr. <a href="https://archive.org/details/medeafreelyadapt0000robi/page/28/mode/2up?q=%22it+is+easier%22">Jeffers</a> (1946)]</blockquote><br>



<blockquote><span class="tab"><span class="tab"><span class="tab"><span class="tab"><span class="tab">And, they tell us, we at home<br>
Live free from danger, they go out to battle: fools!<br>
I'd rather stand three times in the front line than bear<br>
One child.<br>
[tr. <a href="https://archive.org/details/medeaotherplays0000euri/page/24/mode/2up?q=%22we+at+home%22">Vellacott</a> (1963)]</blockquote><br>

<blockquote>They say that we spend all our time at home,<br>
And live safe lives, while they go out to battle.<br>
What fools they are! I'd rather stand three times<br>
Behind a shield, than bear a child once!<br>
[tr. <a href="https://archive.org/details/euripides-medea-podlecki_20220818/page/23/mode/2up?q=%22all+our+time%22">Podlecki</a> (1989)]</blockquote><br>

<blockquote>Men say that we live a life free from danger at home while they fight with the spear.  How wrong they are! I would rather stand three times with a shield in battle than give birth once.<br>
[tr. <a href="https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0114%3Acard%3D214#:~:text=Men%20say%20that%20we%20live%20a%20life%20free%20from%20danger%20at%20home%20while%20they%20fight%20with%20the%20spear.%20%5B250%5D%20How%20wrong%20they%20are!%20I%20would%20rather%20stand%20three%20times%20with%20a%20shield%20in%20battle%20than%20give%20birth%20once.">Kovacs</a> (1994)]</blockquote><br>

<blockquote>They say we live sheltered lives in the home, free from danger, while they wield their spears in battle -- what fools they are! I would rather face the enemy three times over than bear a child once.<br>
[tr. <a href="https://archive.org/details/medeaotherplays0000euri_d3q9/page/56/mode/2up?q=%22live+sheltered+lives%22">Davie</a> (1996)]</blockquote><br>

<blockquote>Then people also say that while we live quietly and without any danger at home, the men go off to war.  Wrong!  One birth alone is worse than three times in the battlefield behind a shield.<br>
[tr. <a href="https://bacchicstage.wpcomstaging.com/euripides/medea/#:~:text=Then%20people%20also%20say%20that%20while%20we%20live%20quietly%20and%20without%20any%20danger%20at%20home%2C%20the%20men%20go%20off%20to%20war.%C2%A0%20Wrong!%C2%A0%20One%20birth%20alone%20is%20worse%20than%20three%20times%20in%20the%20battlefield%20behind%20a%20shield.">Theodoridis</a> (2004)]</blockquote><br>

<blockquote>They say that we live a life free of danger <br>
at home while they face battle with the spear. <br>
How wrong they are. I would rather stand three times<br>
in the line of battle than once bear a child. <br>
[tr. <a href="https://diotima-doctafemina.org/translations/greek/euripides-medea/#:~:text=They%20say%20that%20we%20live%20a%20life%20free%20of%20danger%C2%A0%0Aat%20home%20while%20they%20face%20battle%20with%20the%20spear.%C2%A0%0AHow%20wrong%20they%20are.%20I%20would%20rather%20stand%20three%20times250%0Ain%20the%20line%20of%20battle%20than%20once%20bear%20a%20child.%C2%A0">Luschnig</a> (2007)]</blockquote><br>

<blockquote>[...] I would rather stand behind a shield three times than give birth once.<br>
[tr. <a href="https://sententiaeantiquae.com/2011/12/13/euripides-medea-250-251/">@sentantiq</a> (2011)]</blockquote><br>

<blockquote>They say that we live a peaceful life at home, while they do battle at spear point, but they reckon wrongly: I would rather stand armed with a shield thrice than give birth once.<br>
[tr. <a href="https://sententiaeantiquae.com/2015/01/30/warfare-vs-childbirth-euripides-medea-248-51/">@sentantiq</a> [Erik] (2015)]</blockquote><br>

<blockquote>They say we live secure in our households <i>[oikoi],</i> while they are off at war -- how worthlessly <i>[kakōs]</i> they think! How gladly would I three times over take my stand behind a shield rather than once give birth!<br>
[tr. <a href="https://chs.harvard.edu/primary-source/euripides-medea/#:~:text=They%20say%20we%20live%20secure%20in%20our%20households%20%5Boikoi%5D%2C%20while%20they%20are%20off%20at%20war%E2%80%94%20%7C250%20how%20worthlessly%20%5Bkak%C5%8Ds%5D%20they%20think!%20How%20gladly%20would%20I%20three%20times%20over%20take%20my%20stand%20behind%20a%20shield%20rather%20than%20once%20give%20birth!">Coleridge / Ceragioli / Nagy / Hour25</a>]</blockquote><br>						</span>
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