The Tragedies of Euripides Part 20

[27] ?a???pa??, _lovely_, not lovely in her children: so in Phn. 1634.

e?te???? ???????.

[28] Argos, so called from the Cyclopes, a nation of Thrace, who, being called in as allies, afterward settled here.

[29] ?ete???? may perhaps seem to make the construction plainer than ?ete???; but Porson has received the latter into his text on account of the metre.

[30] Myrtilus was the son of Mercury, who therefore sowed this dissension between the two brothers in revenge for his death by Pelops. See note at line 802.

[31] Some would understand by ???p???? not that Aurora was borne on one horse, but that this alteration in the course of nature took place for one day. SCHOL.

[32] ?a? ap? t??de, ?t?? eta ta?ta. PARAPH.

[33] pa?ase???? is used to signify a loose horse tied abreast of another in the shaft, and is technically termed "the outrigger." The metaphorical application of it to Pylades, who voluntarily attached himself to the misfortunes of his friend, is extremely beautiful.

[34] Or, _"I will not be at all behind thy slaughter."_

[35] e? in this pa.s.sage _interrogat oblique_, see Hoogeveen, xvi. -- 1. 15.

[36] Strophius, the father of Pylades, married Anaxibia, Agamemnon's sister.

[37] ??e?d?, t?? e?e??es??? ta? ??p???se??. SCHOL. Ter. And. i. 1. "isthaec commemoratio quasi exprobratio est immemoris benefici."

[38] i.e. being a barbarian, and therefore not knowing whither to go.

[39] ?a?ate???, such a strain as that raised over Hector, ?e???e??, d?a t?? ?a?at??. See two other explanations in the Scholia.

[40] ??pp?s??a, ??t?? ??p???e? ??pp??as?a t?? G. BRUNCK.

[41] Literally, _her Mycenian slipper_.

[41a] Read ?a?e?? with Pors. Dind.

ADDITIONAL NOTES.

[A] But Dindorf reads ?t?p?? ? ??a?et'. ????; interrogatively, thus: "Ye were making a noise. Will ye not ... enable him," etc.?

[B] Dindorf would continue this verse to Orestes.

[C] Dindorf supposes something to be wanting after vs. 314.

[D] The use of a???? ?ete??? is learnedly ill.u.s.trated by Dindorf.

[E] Elmsley, on Heracl. 852, more simply regards the datives s?? s?? t'

ade?f? as dependent upon ep?se?s?, understanding ??ste d???a? d????. This is better than to suppose (with Porson) that d???a? d???? can mean to _inflict_ punishment.

[F] Dindorf (in his notes) agrees with Porson in omitting the following verse.

[G] Dindorf's text and punctuation must be altered.

THE PHNICIAN VIRGINS.

PERSONS REPRESENTED.

JOCASTA.

TUTOR.

ANTIGONE.

CHORUS OF PHNICIAN VIRGINS.

POLYNICES.

ETEOCLES.

CREON.

MENCEUS.

TIRECIAS.

MESSENGERS.

DIPUS.

_The Scene is in the Court before the royal palace at Thebes_.

THE ARGUMENT.

Eteocles having gotten possession of the throne of Thebes, deprived his brother Polynices of his share; but he having come as an exile to Argos, married the daughter of the king Adrastus; but ambitious of returning to his country, and having persuaded his father-in-law, he a.s.sembled a great army for Thebes against his brother. His mother Jocasta made him come into the city, under sanction of a truce, and first confer with his brother respecting the empire. But Eteocles being violent and fierce from having possessed the empire, Jocasta could not reconcile her children.--Polynices, prepared as against an enemy, rushed out of the city. Now Tiresias prophesied that victory should be on the side of the Thebans, if Menceus the son of Creon would give himself up to be sacrificed to Mars. Creon refused to give his son to the city, but the youth was willing, and, his father pointing out to him the means of flight and giving him money, he put himself to death.--The Thebans slew the leaders of the Argives. Eteocles and Polynices in a single combat slew each other, and their mother having found the corses of her sons laid violent hands on herself; and Creon her brother received the kingdom. The Argives defeated in battle retired. But Creon, being morose, would not give up those of the enemy who had fallen at Thebes, for sepulture, and exposed the body of Polynices without burial, and banished dipus from his country; in the one instance disregarding the laws of humanity, in the other giving way to pa.s.sion, nor feeling pity for him after his calamity.

THE PHNICIAN VIRGINS.

JOCASTA.

O thou that cuttest thy path through the constellations[1] of heaven, and art mounted on thy golden-joined seats, thou sun, whirling thy flame with[2] thy swift steeds, how inauspicious didst thou dart thy ray on that day when Cadmus came to this land having left the sea-washed coast of Phnicia; who in former time having married Harmonia, daughter of Venus, begat Polydorus; from him they say sprung Labdacus, and from him Laius. But I am[3] the daughter of Menceus, and Creon my brother was born of the same mother; me they call Jocasta (for this name[4] my father gave me), and Laius takes me for his wife; but after that he was childless, for a long time sharing my bed in the palace, he went and inquired of Apollo, and at the same time demands the mutual offspring of male children in his family; but the G.o.d said, "O king of Thebes renowned for its chariots, sow not for such a harvest of children against the will of the G.o.ds, for if thou shalt beget a son, he that is born shall slay thee, and the whole of thy house shall wade through blood." But having yielded to pleasure, and having fallen into inebriety, he begot to us a son, and having begot him, feeling conscious of his error and the command of the G.o.d, gives the babe to some herdsmen to expose at the meads of Juno and the rock of Cithaeron, having bored sharp-pointed iron through the middle of his ankles, from which circ.u.mstance Greece gave him the name of dipus. But him the grooms who attend the steeds of Polybus find and carry home, and placed him in the arms of their mistress. But she rested beneath her bosom him that gave me a mother's pangs, and persuades her husband that she had brought forth. But now my son showing signs of manhood in his darkening cheek, either having suspected it by instinct, or having learned it from some one, went to the temple of Apollo, desirous of discovering his parents; at the same time went Laius my husband, seeking to gain intelligence of his son who had been exposed, if he were no longer living; and both met at the same point of the road at Phocis where it divides itself; and the charioteer of Laius commands him, "Stranger, withdraw out of the way of princes;" but he moved slowly, in silence, with haughty spirit; but the steeds with their hoof dyed with blood the tendons of his feet. At this (but why need I relate each horrid circ.u.mstance besides the deed itself?) the son kills his father, and having taken the chariot, sends it as a present to his foster-father Polybus. Now at this time the sphinx preyed vulture-like[5]

upon the city with rapacity, my husband now no more, Creon my brother proclaims that he will give my bed as a reward to him who would solve the enigma of the crafty virgin. But by some chance or other dipus my son happens to discover the riddle of the sphinx, [and he receives as a prize the sceptre of this land,][5a] and marries me, his mother, wretched he not knowing it, nor knew his mother that she was lying down with her son. And I bear children to my child, two sons, Eteocles and the ill.u.s.trious Polynices, and two daughters, one her father named Ismene, the elder I called Antigone. But dipus, after having gone through all sufferings, having discovered in my bed the marriage with his mother, he perpetrated a deed of horror on his own eyes, having drenched in blood their pupils with his golden buckles. But after that the cheek of my children grows dark with manly down, they hid their father confined with bolts that his sad fortune might be forgotten, which indeed required the greatest policy. He is still living in the palace, but sick in mind through his misfortunes he imprecates the most unhallowed curses on his children, that they may share this house with the sharpened sword. But these two, dreading lest the G.o.ds should bring to completion these curses,[6] should they dwell together, in friendly compact determined that Polynices the younger son should first go a willing exile from this land, but that Eteocles remaining here should hold the sceptre for a year, changing in his turn; but after that he sat on the throne of power, he moves not from his seat, but drives Polynices an exile from this land. But he having fled to Argos, and having contracted an alliance with Adrastus, a.s.sembles together and leads a vast army of Argives; and having marched to these very walls with seven gates he demands his father's sceptre and his share of the land. But I to quell this strife persuaded my son to come to his brother, confiding in a truce before he grasped the spear. And the messenger who was sent declares that he will come. But, O thou that inhabitest the shining clouds of heaven, Jove, preserve us, give reconciliation to my children; it becomes thee, if thou art wise, not to suffer the same man always to be unfortunate.

TUTOR, ANTIGONE.

TUT. O thou fair bud in thy father's house, Antigone, since thy mother has permitted thee to leave the virgin's apartments for the extreme chamber[7]

of the mansion, in order to view the Argive army in compliance with thy entreaties, yet stay, until I shall first investigate the path, lest any citizen should appear in the pa.s.s, and to me taunts should come as a slave, and to thee as a princess: and I who well know each circ.u.mstance will tell you all that I saw or heard from the Argives, when I went bearing the offer of a truce to thy brother, from this place thither, and again to this place from him. But no citizen approaches this house; come, ascend with thy steps these ancient stairs of cedar, and survey the plains, and by the streams of Ismenus and Dirce's fount how great is the host of the enemy.