[596] His very religion, when put to the test, is mostly intellectual. Apollo’s moral shortcomings only cause him to shake his head gravely; but when the god’s truthfulness is exploded, the whole fabric of his belief collapses. [597] vv. 369-72. [598] vv. 436-51. The above paraphrase is probably not too colloquial (cp. especially v. 437: τί πάσχει; and v. 439: μὴ σύ γε). In fact, as the speech is so very explicit and unadorned, and as Ion is probably uttering it while he performs his tasks (see 434-6, after which these reflections begin in the middle of a line), we perhaps overhear thoughts rather than words. [599] vv. 589 _sqq._ [600] vv. 1312 _sqq._ [601] vv. 1546 _sqq._ [602] vv. 369 _sqq._ [603] vv. 308, etc. [604] vv. 1397 _sqq._ [605] vv. 1468 _sq._ [606] _Arrangement_ (probable): protagonist, Hecuba; deuteragonist, Athena, Cassandra, Andromache, Helen; tritagonist, Poseidon, Talthybius, Menelaus. [607] Ælian, _Var. Hist._ ii. 8. [608] There are reminders of the western lands in vv. 220 _sqq._ [609] vv. 703 _sqq._ [610] vv. 1158 _sqq._ [611] v. 764: ὦ βάρβαρ’ ἐξευρόντες Ἕλληνες κακά (Andromache’s phrase). [612] vv. 884 _sqq._ (The first line refers to air.) If we possess any evidence as to the theological belief of the poet himself it is probably contained in these lines. [613] vv. 469 _sqq._, 841 _sqq._, 1060 _sqq._ (especially the poignant μέλει μέλει μοι), 1240 _sqq._ [614] vv. 1204 _sqq._:— τοῖς τρόποις γὰρ αἱ τύχαι, ἔμπληκτος ὡς ἄνθρωπος, ἄλλοτ’ ἄλλοσε πηδῶσι. The phrasing points back effectively to Poseidon’s description of Athena’s fickleness (vv. 67 _sq._: τί δ’ ὧδε πηδᾷς ἄλλοτ’ εἰς ἄλλους τρόπους;). [615] The _arrangement_ is uncertain. Perhaps: protagonist, Iphigenia; deuteragonist, Orestes, messenger, Athena; tritagonist, herdsman, Pylades, Thoas. [616] Murray and others place it about 414-2, Wilamowitz, 411-9. [617] v. 1205: πιστὸν Ἑλλὰς οἶδεν οὐδέν. [618] v. 626: πῦρ ἱερὸν ἔνδον, χάσμα δ’ εὐρωπὸν πέτρας—a marvellous line. [619] vv. 823-6. [620] v. 677: Φωκέων τ’ ἐν πολυπτύχῳ χθονί. [621] See especially the lovely song, vv. 1089 _sqq._ [622] vv. 968 _sqq._ [623] One can hardly doubt that this is the intention of the scene on the Taurian beach (vv. 281-94). [624] vv. 711 _sqq._ The feelings of the Delphian hierarchy, when Orestes after all actually returned, bringing with him the image—about which they cared not a farthing—may be imagined by the irreverent. [625] v. 77. [626] v. 275. [627] vv. 380 _sqq._ [628] vv. 719 _sq._ [629] See Verrall, _Eur. the Rationalist_, pp. 217-30 (_Euripides in a Hymn_). [630] Longinus, _de Subl._ xv. 3. [631] vv. 970 _sqq._ [632] v. 73: ἐξ αἱμάτων γοῦν ξάνθ’ ἔχει τριχώματα, a grotesque thought which we have just heard (as Murray points out in his _apparatus_) from Iphigenia as part of her dream. [633] vv. 281 _sqq._ [634] vv. 961 _sqq._