CHOR. I know, having heard of it before; but say whose youthful children you are leading in your hand.
IOL. These, O strangers, are the sons of Hercules, who are come as suppliants of you and the city.
CHOR. What do ye seek? or, tell me, is it wanting to have speech of the city?
IOL. Not to be given up, and not to go to Argos, being dragged from your Gods by force.
COP. But this will not be sufficient for your masters, who, having power over you, find you here.
CHOR. It is right, O stranger, to reverence the suppliants of the Gods, and not for you to leave by violent hands the habitations of the deities, for venerable Justice will not suffer this.
COP. Send now Eurystheus's subjects out of this land, and I will not use this hand violently.
CHOR. It is impious for a state to reject the suppliant prayer of strangers.
COP. But it is good to have one's foot out of trouble, being possessed of the better counsel.
CHOR. You should then have dared this, having spoken to the king of this land, but you should not drag strangers away from the Gods by force, if you respect a free land.