Of all things that have life and sense we women are the most hapless creatures; first must we buy a husband at an exorbitant price, and o'er ourselves a tyrant set which is an evil worse than the first; and herein lies the most important issue, whether bur choice be good or bad.

Of all things upon earth that bleed and grow, / A herb most bruised is woman. We must pay / Our store of gold, hoarded for that one day, / To buy us some man's love; and lo, they bring / A master of our flesh! There comes the sting / Of the whole shame. And then the jeopardy, / For good or ill, what shall that master be. / (tr. Gilbert Murray)

ll. 230–236, Medea (tr. Coleridge) | But sure among all those Who have with breath and reason been endued. We women are the most unhappy race, First with abundant gold are we constrain'd To buy a husband, and in him receive A haughty master. Still doth there remain One mischief than this mischief yet more grievous. The hazard whether we. procure a mate Worthless or virtuous. (tr. Michael Wodhull, 1782, 1809; The Nineteen Tragedies and Fragments of Euripides (London, 1809) vol. 1 of 3) | But of all things as many as have life and intellect, we women are the most wretched race. Who indeed first must purchase a husband with excess of money, and receive him a lord of our persons; for this is a still greater ill than the former. And in this is the greatest risk, whether we receive a bad one or a good one. (tr. Theodore A. Buckley, 1858; The tragedies of Euripides (London: Henry G. Bohn, 1858) vol. 1) | Surely, of creatures that have life and wit, We women are of all things wretchedest, Who, first, must needs, as buys the highest bidder, Thus buy a husband, and our body's master So win—for deeper depth of ill is this. Nay, risk is dire herein, — or shall we gain An evil lord or good? (tr. Arthur S. Way, 1894) | We women are the most unfortunate creatures. Firstly, with an excess of wealth it is required For us to buy a husband and take for our bodies A master; for not to take one is even worse. And now the question is serious whether we take A good or bad one. (tr. Rex Warner, 1944) | Surely, of all creatures that have life and will, we women Are the most wretched. When, for an extravagant sum, We have bought a husband, we must then accept him as Possessor of our body. This is to aggravate Wrong with worse wrong. Then the great question: will the man We get be bad or good? (tr. Philip Vellacott, 1963) | Of all creatures that live and have understanding We women are the wretchedest breed alive; First, we must us