“Indeed I am ill-starred, for even if he dies I have no hope of happiness; with Jason dead, I should taste real misery. Away with modesty, farewell to my good name! Saved from all harm by me, let him go where he pleases, and let me die. On the very day of his success I could hang myself from a rafter or take a deadly poison. Yet even so my death would never save me from their wicked tongues. My fate would be the talk of every city in the world; and here the Colchian women would bandy my name about and drag it in mud – the girl who fancied a foreigner enough to die for him, disgraced her parents and her home, went off her head for love. What infamy would not be mine? Ah, how I grieve now for the folly of my passion! Better to die here in my room this very night, passing from life unnoticed, unreproached, than to carry through this horrible, this despicable scheme.”

— Apollonius of Rhodes , book Argonautica

Source: Argonautica (3rd century BC), Book III. Jason and Medea, Lines 783–801

Original

Δύσμορος· οὐ μὲν ἔολπα καταφθιμένοιό περ ἔμπης λωφήσειν ἀχέων· τότε δ᾽ ἂν κακὸν ἄμμι πέλοιτο, κεῖνος ὅτε ζωῆς ἀπαμείρεται. ἐρρέτω αἰδώς, ἐρρέτω ἀγλαΐη· ὁ δ᾽ ἐμῇ ἰότητι σαωθεὶς ἀσκηθής, ἵνα οἱ θυμῷ φίλον, ἔνθα νέοιτο. αὐτὰρ ἐγὼν αὐτῆμαρ, ὅτ᾽ ἐξανύσειεν ἄεθλον, τεθναίην, ἢ λαιμὸν ἀναρτήσασα μελάθρῳ, ἢ καὶ πασσαμένη ῥαιστήρια φάρμακα θυμοῦ. ἀλλὰ καὶ ὧς φθιμένῃ μοι ἐπιλλίξουσιν ὀπίσσω κερτομίας· τηλοῦ δὲ πόλις περὶ πᾶσα βοήσει πότμον ἐμόν· καί κέν με διὰ στόματος φορέουσαι Κολχίδες ἄλλυδις ἄλλαι ἀεικέα μωμήσονται· ἥτις κηδομένη τόσον ἀνέρος ἀλλοδαποῖο κάτθανεν, ἥτις δῶμα καὶ οὓς ᾔσχυνε τοκῆας, μαργοσύνῃ εἴξασα. τί δ᾽ οὐκ ἐμὸν ἔσσεται αἶσχος; ᾤ μοι ἐμῆς ἄτης. ἦ τ᾽ ἂν πολὺ κέρδιον εἴη αὐτῇ ἐν νυκτὶ λιπεῖν βίον ἐν θαλάμοισιν πότμῳ ἀνωίστῳ, κάκ᾽ ἐλέγχεα πάντα φυγοῦσαν, πρὶν τάδε λωβήεντα καὶ οὐκ ὀνομαστὰ τελέσσαι.

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "Indeed I am ill-starred, for even if he dies I have no hope of happiness; with Jason dead, I should taste real misery. …" by Apollonius of Rhodes?

Apollonius of Rhodes 34

ancient Greek poet -295–-215 BC

Related quotes

“The first time my brothers saw me, when I was a day or two old and still in the hospital, my brother Mark could not pronounce the name "Kimberley," and I was an especially happy baby, so he decided it would be easier to call me "Happy." From that moment on, my family members never used the name Kimberley.”

Happy Rhodes (1965) American singer-songwriter

On her lifelong use of the name "Happy", in "The Happy Rhodes Interview" in Homeground #48 (Summer 1993) http://web.archive.org/web/20091023165015/http://geocities.com/SoHo/Studios/3450/homeground.html
Context: The first time my brothers saw me, when I was a day or two old and still in the hospital, my brother Mark could not pronounce the name "Kimberley," and I was an especially happy baby, so he decided it would be easier to call me "Happy." From that moment on, my family members never used the name Kimberley. I was forced, however, to use my given name while attending school. As soon as I turned sixteen, my name was legally changed to Happy Tyler Rhodes. As far as I'm concerned, it's the ony name I've ever had. When people ask me if it's my real name, I always say "yes."

“Mine. He was mine, and not even death would take him from me—not if I could help it.”

Patricia Briggs book River Marked

Source: River Marked

“I had reasoned dis out in my mind; there was one of two things I had a right to, liberty, or death; if I could not have one, I would have de oder; for no man should take me alive; I should fight for my liberty as long as my strength lasted, and when de time came for me to go, de Lord would let dem take me.”

Harriet Tubman (1820–1913) African-American abolitionist and humanitarian

Modernized rendition: I had reasoned this out in my mind; there was one of two things I had a right to, liberty, or death; if I could not have one, I would have the other; for no man should take me alive; I should fight for my liberty as long as my strength lasted, and when the time came for me to go, the Lord would let them take me.
The phrase "Liberty or Death" is a slogan made famous during the independence struggle of several countries.
1880s, Harriet, The Moses of Her People (1886)

“More men than I have put men to death, but I am the last man in the world that would take a man's life. Two years ago—even if my own life was at stake—and I am confident, if I thought a man would shoot me—I would give him a chance of keeping his life, and would part with my own; but if I knew that through him innocent persons' lives were at stake, I certainly would have to shoot him if he forced me to do so; but I would want to know that he was really going to take my innocent life.”

Ned Kelly (1855–1880) Australian bushranger

Sentencing (1880)

“I beg you, if I die, don't let me go piecemeal into the public collections, my work would not be fairly judged. I want to get in complete or not at all... Please, please, promise me one thing, never let my things go into a museum piecemeal.”

Edouard Manet (1832–1883) French painter

remark to his friend Antonin Proust; as cited in: Manet by Himself, p. 304; as quoted in The private lives of the Impressionists Sue Roe; Harpen Collins Publishers, New York 2006, p. 241
Antonin Proust had recently become minister of Arts in France
1876 - 1883

“I could never kill myself. What if it doesn't work. Then I'll have failed at the only thing that could save me from my failures. Where do you go from there?”

Tucker Max book Assholes Finish First

Source: Assholes Finish First

“God spoke to me and God told me, "Keep your son,” And I did and he saved my life. My son saved my life. Had I not had my son, I would probably be dead right now.”

Stacey Dash (1967) American actress

EXCLUSIVE: Stacey Dash Says Not Having an Abortion 'Saved' Her Life, Reveals She's Abstaining From Sex Before Marriage http://www.etonline.com/news/190126_stacey_dash_says_not_having_an_abortion_saved_my_life_exclusive/ (June 2, 2016)