Euripides -- Translations into English; Mythology, Greek -- Drama
[23] The place of her burial was called Cynosema, a promontory of the
Thracian Chersonese. It was here that the Athenians gained a naval victory
over the Peloponnesians and Syracusans, in the twenty-first year of the
Peloponnesian war. Thucydides, book viii.
* * * *
ADDITIONAL NOTES.
* * * *
[A] Vs. 246, ενθανειν γε. "Pravam esse scripturam dici Brunckius et Corayus
viderunt; quorum ille legere voluit ‛ωστ' εντακηναι, hic vero ‛ωστ'
εμβαλειν. Sed neuter rem acu tetigit. Euripides scripsit: ‛ωστ' εν γε
φυναι, uti patet ex Hom. Il. Ζ. 253, εν τ' αρα ‛οι φυ χειρι, Od. Π. 21,
παντα κυσεν περιφυς, Theocrit. Id. xiii. 47, ται δ' εν χερι πασαι εφυσαν,
et, quod rem conficit, ex Euripidis ipsius Ion. 891, λευκοις δ' εμφυσας
καρποις χειρων." G. BURGES, apud _Revue de Philologie_, vol. i. No. 5. p.
457.
[B] We must, I think, read τολμαιν.
[C] Dindorf disposes these lines differently, but I prefer Porson's
arrangement, as follows:
ΕΚ. εκβλητον, η πες. φ. δορος;
ΘΕΡ. εν ψαμαθωι λευραι
ποντου νιν, κ.τ.λ.
* * * * * *
ORESTES.
* * * *
PERSONS REPRESENTED.
ELECTRA.
HELEN.
HERMIONE.
CHORUS.
ORESTES.
MENELAUS.
TYNDARUS.
PYLADES.
A PHRYGIAN.
APOLLO.
* * * * *
THE ARGUMENT.
* * * *
Orestes, in revenge for the murder of his father, took off Ægisthus and
Clyætmnestra; but having dared to slay his mother, he was instantly
punished for it by being afflicted with madness. But on Tyndarus, the
father of her who was slain, laying an accusation against him, the Argives
were about to give a public decision on this question, "What ought he, who
has dared this impious deed, to suffer?" By chance Menelaus, having
returned from his wanderings, sent in Helen indeed by night, but himself
came by day, and being entreated by Orestes to aid him, he rather feared
Tyndarus the accuser: but when the speeches came to be spoken among the
populace, the multitude were stirred up to kill Orestes. * * * * But
Pylades, his friend, accompanying him, counseled him first to take revenge
on Menelaus by killing Helen. As they were going on this project, they were
disappointed of their hope by the Gods snatching away Helen from them. But
Electra delivered up Hermione, when she made her appearance, into their
hands, and they were about to kill her. When Menelaus came, and saw himself
bereft by them at once of his wife and child, he endeavored to storm the
palace; but they, anticipating his purpose, threatened to set it on fire.
Apollo, however, having appeared, said that he had conducted Helen to the
Gods, and commanded Orestes to take Hermione to wife, and Electra to dwell
with Pylades, and, after that he was purified of the murder, to reign over
Argos.
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