Euripides, Heracleidae, Johann Jakob Christian Donner (Translator), 73

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Welch lauter Ruf erhob sich bei'm Altare dort?

Ha! Welches Ungluck stellt er bald vor Augen uns?

Jolaos.

Sehet den schwachen Greis zur Erd' hingestreckt!
75

Ich Unglücklicher!

Wer warf dich so zu Boden, Unglückseliger?

Der hier, o Fremdling! Deine Götter höhnend, schleppt

Er uns gewaltsam vom Altar des Zeus hinweg.

Der Chor.

Aus welchem Lande kamest du zum Volk, o Greis,
80

Der vier vereinten Städte?¹

Zoget ihr von drüben her

Mit Meeresrudern, von Eubda's Kuste?²

Jolaos.

O Freunde, nicht auf einer Insel leben wir;

Nein, aus Mykend kamen wir in dein Gebiet.
85

Der Chor.

Mit welchem Namen, Greis, nannte dich Mykene's Volk?

Jolaos.

Ihr kennt den Waffenträger wohl des Herakles,

Jolaos? Denn der Name blieb nicht ungenannt.

Der Chor.

Ich weiß, vernahm ihn ehe schon. Doch wessen sind, sage mir,

Die Kleinen da, die du führst an deiner Hand?
90

Jolaos.

Das sind Herakles' Sohne: dich und deine Stadt

Um Schuz, o Fremdling, anzuslehn, erschienen sie.

Der Chor.

Heracleidae. Euripides. Johann Jakob Christian Donner (Translator). . .

Current edition Experimental

German (J. J. C. Donner, 1852; OCR review) (OCR draft) (German) (Euripides. Deutsch in den Versmaßen der Urschrift. Volume 3, Heidelberg: C. F. Winter, 1852. Harvard OCR compared with an independent BSB copy. Native Donner verse citations, Murray reference cards, explicitly located notes and page facsimiles. Unresolved OCR, verse divisions, unlocated notes and printed errata are documented in the source review.)

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (1)

Ἡρακλεῖδαι Perseus (Euripides. Euripidis Fabulae, Vol. I. Murray, Gilbert, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1902.) — 73-110a focus

Χορός

— ἔα ἔα· τίς ἡ βοὴ βωμοῦ πέλας

ἕστηκε; ποίαν συμφορὰν δείξει τάχα;

Χορός

— ἴδετε τὸν γέροντʼ ἀμαλὸν ἐπὶ πέδῳ
75

χύμενον· ὦ τάλας.

— πρὸς τοῦ ποτʼ ἐν γῇ πτῶμα δύστηνον πίτνεις;

Ἰόλαος

ὅδʼ, ὦ ξένοι, με σοὺς ἀτιμάζων θεοὺς

ἕλκει βιαίως Ζηνὸς ἐκ προβωμίων.

Χορός

σὺ δʼ ἐκ τίνος γῆς, ὦ γέρον, τετράπτολιν
80

ξύνοικον ἦλθες λαόν; ἢ πέρα-

θεν ἁλίῳ πλάτᾳ

κατέχετʼ ἐκλιπόντες Εὐβοῖδʼ ἀκτάν;

Ἰόλαος

οὐ νησιώτην, ὦ ξένοι, τρίβω βίον,

ἀλλʼ ἐκ Μυκηνῶν σὴν ἀφίγμεθα χθόνα.
85

Χορός

ὄνομα τί σε, γέρον,

Μυκηναῖος ὠνόμαζεν λεώς;

Ἰόλαος

τὸν Ἡράκλειον ἴστε που παραστάτην

Ἰόλαον· οὐ γὰρ σῶμʼ ἀκήρυκτον τόδε.

Χορός

οἶδʼ εἰσακούσας καὶ πρίν· ἀλλὰ τοῦ ποτὲ
90

ἐν χερὶ σᾷ κομίζεις κόρους

νεοτρεφεῖς; φράσον.

Ἰόλαος

Ἡρακλέους οἵδʼ εἰσὶ παῖδες, ὦ ξένοι,

ἱκέται σέθεν τε καὶ πόλεως ἀφιγμένοι.

Χορός

τί χρέος; ἢ λόγων πόλεος, ἔνεπέ μοι,
95

μελόμενοι τυχεῖν;

Ἰόλαος

μήτʼ ἐκδοθῆναι μήτε πρὸς βίαν θεῶν

τῶν σῶν ἀποσπασθέντες εἰς Ἄργος μολεῖν.

Κῆρυξ

ἀλλʼ οὔτι τοῖς σοῖς δεσπόταις τάδʼ ἀρκέσει,

οἳ σοῦ κρατοῦντες ἐνθάδʼ εὑρίσκουσί σε.
100

Χορός

εἰκὸς θεῶν ἱκτῆρας αἰδεῖσθαι, ξένε,

καὶ μὴ βιαίῳ χερὶ δαιμόνων

ἀπολείπειν σʼ ἕδη·

πότνια γὰρ Δίκα τάδʼ οὐ πείσεται.

Κῆρυξ

ἔκπεμπέ νυν γῆς τούσδε τοὺς Εὐρυσθέως,
105

κοὐδὲν βιαίῳ τῇδε χρήσομαι χερί.

Χορός

ἄθεον ἱκεσίαν

μεθεῖναι πόλει ξένων προστροπάν.

Κῆρυξ

καλὸν δέ γʼ ἔξω πραγμάτων ἔχειν πόδα,

εὐβουλίας τυχόντα τῆς ἀμείνονος.
110

Translations (2)

Heracleidae Perseus (Euripides. The Plays of Euripides, Vol. I. Coleridge, Edward P., translator. London: George Bell and Sons, 1906.) — 73-110 focus

Chorus

Hark, hark! What cry is this that rises near the altar? At once explain the nature of the trouble.

Iolaus

See this aged frame hurled in its feebleness upon the ground! Woe is me!
75

Chorus

Who threw thee down thus pitiably?

Iolaus

Behold the man who flouts your gods, kind sirs, and tries by force to drag me from my seat before the altar of Zeus.

Chorus

From what land, old stranger, art thou come to this confederate state of four cities? or have ye left Euboea’s cliffs, and, with the oar that sweeps the sea, put in here from across the firth?¹
80

Iolaus

Sirs, no island life I lead,

but from Mycenae to thy land I come.
85

Chorus

What do they call thee, aged sir, those folk in Mycenae?

Iolaus

Maybe ye have heard of Iolaus, the comrade of Heracles, for he was not unknown to fame.

Chorus

Yea, I have heard of him in bygone days; but tell me, whose are the tender boys thou bearest in thine arms?
90

Iolaus

These, sirs, are the sons of Heracles, come as suppliants to you and your city.

Chorus

What is their quest? Are they anxious, tell me, to obtain an audience of the state?
95

Iolaus

That so they may escape surrender, nor be tom with violence from thy altars, and brought to Argos.

Copreus

Nay, this will nowise satisfy thy masters,

who o’er thee have a right, and so have tracked thee hither.
100

Chorus

Stranger, ’tis but right we should reverence the gods’ suppliants, suffering none with violent hand to make them² leave the altars, for that will dread Justice ne’er permit.

Copreus

Do thou then drive these subjects of Eurystheus forth, and this hand of mine shall abstain from violence.
105

Chorus

’Twere impious for the state to neglect the suppliant stranger’s prayer.

Copreus

Yet ’tis well to keep clear of troubles,

by adopting that counsel, which is the wiser.
110

The Heraclidae (OCR draft) Experimental (The Heraclidae. Robert Potter's English verse translation, first published in 1781–1783; text from the 1808 Oxford printing.)

No corresponding passage available

Notes on the current edition

Heracleidae

1. [OCR note; compare the printed page.] Ein Theil von Attika hieß Vierstadt (Tetrapolis), weil er aus vier Städten bestand, Marathon, Denoë, Probalinthos und Trikorythos.

2. [OCR note; compare the printed page.] Euböa liegt der Küste von Attika gegenüber.

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Welch lauter Ruf erhob sich bei'm Altare dort? Ha! Welches Ungluck stellt er bald vor Augen uns?

Jolaos. Sehet den schwachen Greis zur Erd' hingestreckt! 75 Ich Unglücklicher! Wer warf dich so zu Boden, Unglückseliger? Der hier, o Fremdling! Deine Götter höhnend, schleppt Er uns gewaltsam vom Altar des Zeus hinweg.

Der Chor. Aus welchem Lande kamest du zum Volk, o Greis, 80 Der vier vereinten Städte? 1 Zoget ihr von drüben her Mit Meeresrudern, von Eubda's Kuste? 2

Jolaos. O Freunde, nicht auf einer Insel leben wir; Nein, aus Mykend kamen wir in dein Gebiet. 85

Der Chor. Mit welchem Namen, Greis, nannte dich Mykene's Volk?

Jolaos. Ihr kennt den Waffenträger wohl des Herakles, Jolaos? Denn der Name blieb nicht ungenannt.

Der Chor. Ich weiß, vernahm ihn ehe schon. Doch wessen sind, sage mir, Die Kleinen da, die du führst an deiner Hand? 90

Jolaos. Das sind Herakles' Sohne: dich und deine Stadt Um Schuz, o Fremdling, anzuslehn, erschienen sie.

Der Chor.

Current edition Experimental

Χορός — ἔα ἔα· τίς ἡ βοὴ βωμοῦ πέλας ἕστηκε; ποίαν συμφορὰν δείξει τάχα;

Χορός — ἴδετε τὸν γέροντʼ ἀμαλὸν ἐπὶ πέδῳ 75 χύμενον· ὦ τάλας. — πρὸς τοῦ ποτʼ ἐν γῇ πτῶμα δύστηνον πίτνεις;

Ἰόλαος ὅδʼ, ὦ ξένοι, με σοὺς ἀτιμάζων θεοὺς ἕλκει βιαίως Ζηνὸς ἐκ προβωμίων.

Χορός σὺ δʼ ἐκ τίνος γῆς, ὦ γέρον, τετράπτολιν 80 ξύνοικον ἦλθες λαόν; ἢ πέρα- θεν ἁλίῳ πλάτᾳ κατέχετʼ ἐκλιπόντες Εὐβοῖδʼ ἀκτάν;

Ἰόλαος οὐ νησιώτην, ὦ ξένοι, τρίβω βίον, ἀλλʼ ἐκ Μυκηνῶν σὴν ἀφίγμεθα χθόνα. 85

Χορός ὄνομα τί σε, γέρον, Μυκηναῖος ὠνόμαζεν λεώς;

Ἰόλαος τὸν Ἡράκλειον ἴστε που παραστάτην Ἰόλαον· οὐ γὰρ σῶμʼ ἀκήρυκτον τόδε.

Χορός οἶδʼ εἰσακούσας καὶ πρίν· ἀλλὰ τοῦ ποτὲ 90 ἐν χερὶ σᾷ κομίζεις κόρους νεοτρεφεῖς; φράσον.

Ἰόλαος Ἡρακλέους οἵδʼ εἰσὶ παῖδες, ὦ ξένοι, ἱκέται σέθεν τε καὶ πόλεως ἀφιγμένοι.

Χορός τί χρέος; ἢ λόγων πόλεος, ἔνεπέ μοι, 95 μελόμενοι τυχεῖν;

Ἰόλαος μήτʼ ἐκδοθῆναι μήτε πρὸς βίαν θεῶν τῶν σῶν ἀποσπασθέντες εἰς Ἄργος μολεῖν.

Κῆρυξ ἀλλʼ οὔτι τοῖς σοῖς δεσπόταις τάδʼ ἀρκέσει, οἳ σοῦ κρατοῦντες ἐνθάδʼ εὑρίσκουσί σε. 100

Χορός εἰκὸς θεῶν ἱκτῆρας αἰδεῖσθαι, ξένε, καὶ μὴ βιαίῳ χερὶ δαιμόνων ἀπολείπειν σʼ ἕδη· πότνια γὰρ Δίκα τάδʼ οὐ πείσεται.

Κῆρυξ ἔκπεμπέ νυν γῆς τούσδε τοὺς Εὐρυσθέως, 105 κοὐδὲν βιαίῳ τῇδε χρήσομαι χερί.

Χορός ἄθεον ἱκεσίαν μεθεῖναι πόλει ξένων προστροπάν.

Κῆρυξ καλὸν δέ γʼ ἔξω πραγμάτων ἔχειν πόδα, εὐβουλίας τυχόντα τῆς ἀμείνονος. 110

Chorus Hark, hark! What cry is this that rises near the altar? At once explain the nature of the trouble.

Iolaus See this aged frame hurled in its feebleness upon the ground! Woe is me! 75

Chorus Who threw thee down thus pitiably?

Iolaus Behold the man who flouts your gods, kind sirs, and tries by force to drag me from my seat before the altar of Zeus.

Chorus From what land, old stranger, art thou come to this confederate state of four cities? or have ye left Euboea’s cliffs, and, with the oar that sweeps the sea, put in here from across the firth? 1 80

Iolaus Sirs, no island life I lead, but from Mycenae to thy land I come. 85

Chorus What do they call thee, aged sir, those folk in Mycenae?

Iolaus Maybe ye have heard of Iolaus, the comrade of Heracles, for he was not unknown to fame.

Chorus Yea, I have heard of him in bygone days; but tell me, whose are the tender boys thou bearest in thine arms? 90

Iolaus These, sirs, are the sons of Heracles, come as suppliants to you and your city.

Chorus What is their quest? Are they anxious, tell me, to obtain an audience of the state? 95

Iolaus That so they may escape surrender, nor be tom with violence from thy altars, and brought to Argos.

Copreus Nay, this will nowise satisfy thy masters, who o’er thee have a right, and so have tracked thee hither. 100

Chorus Stranger, ’tis but right we should reverence the gods’ suppliants, suffering none with violent hand to make them 2 leave the altars, for that will dread Justice ne’er permit.

Copreus Do thou then drive these subjects of Eurystheus forth, and this hand of mine shall abstain from violence. 105

Chorus ’Twere impious for the state to neglect the suppliant stranger’s prayer.

Copreus Yet ’tis well to keep clear of troubles, by adopting that counsel, which is the wiser. 110

Notes on the current edition

Stable identifiers

Welch lauter Ruf erhob sich bei'm Altare dort?

Ha! Welches Ungluck stellt er bald vor Augen uns?

Jolaos.

Sehet den schwachen Greis zur Erd' hingestreckt!
75

Ich Unglücklicher!

Wer warf dich so zu Boden, Unglückseliger?

Der hier, o Fremdling! Deine Götter höhnend, schleppt

Er uns gewaltsam vom Altar des Zeus hinweg.

Der Chor.

Aus welchem Lande kamest du zum Volk, o Greis,
80

Der vier vereinten Städte?¹

Zoget ihr von drüben her

Mit Meeresrudern, von Eubda's Kuste?²

Jolaos.

O Freunde, nicht auf einer Insel leben wir;

Nein, aus Mykend kamen wir in dein Gebiet.
85

Der Chor.

Mit welchem Namen, Greis, nannte dich Mykene's Volk?

Jolaos.

Ihr kennt den Waffenträger wohl des Herakles,

Jolaos? Denn der Name blieb nicht ungenannt.

Der Chor.

Ich weiß, vernahm ihn ehe schon. Doch wessen sind, sage mir,

Die Kleinen da, die du führst an deiner Hand?
90

Jolaos.

Das sind Herakles' Sohne: dich und deine Stadt

Um Schuz, o Fremdling, anzuslehn, erschienen sie.

Χορός

— ἔα ἔα· τίς ἡ βοὴ βωμοῦ πέλας

ἕστηκε; ποίαν συμφορὰν δείξει τάχα;

Χορός

— ἴδετε τὸν γέροντʼ ἀμαλὸν ἐπὶ πέδῳ
75

χύμενον· ὦ τάλας.

— πρὸς τοῦ ποτʼ ἐν γῇ πτῶμα δύστηνον πίτνεις;

Ἰόλαος

ὅδʼ, ὦ ξένοι, με σοὺς ἀτιμάζων θεοὺς

ἕλκει βιαίως Ζηνὸς ἐκ προβωμίων.

Χορός

σὺ δʼ ἐκ τίνος γῆς, ὦ γέρον, τετράπτολιν
80

ξύνοικον ἦλθες λαόν; ἢ πέρα-

θεν ἁλίῳ πλάτᾳ

κατέχετʼ ἐκλιπόντες Εὐβοῖδʼ ἀκτάν;

Ἰόλαος

οὐ νησιώτην, ὦ ξένοι, τρίβω βίον,

ἀλλʼ ἐκ Μυκηνῶν σὴν ἀφίγμεθα χθόνα.
85

Χορός

ὄνομα τί σε, γέρον,

Μυκηναῖος ὠνόμαζεν λεώς;

Ἰόλαος

τὸν Ἡράκλειον ἴστε που παραστάτην

Ἰόλαον· οὐ γὰρ σῶμʼ ἀκήρυκτον τόδε.

Χορός

οἶδʼ εἰσακούσας καὶ πρίν· ἀλλὰ τοῦ ποτὲ
90

ἐν χερὶ σᾷ κομίζεις κόρους

νεοτρεφεῖς; φράσον.

Ἰόλαος

Ἡρακλέους οἵδʼ εἰσὶ παῖδες, ὦ ξένοι,

ἱκέται σέθεν τε καὶ πόλεως ἀφιγμένοι.

Χορός

τί χρέος; ἢ λόγων πόλεος, ἔνεπέ μοι,
95

μελόμενοι τυχεῖν;

Ἰόλαος

μήτʼ ἐκδοθῆναι μήτε πρὸς βίαν θεῶν

τῶν σῶν ἀποσπασθέντες εἰς Ἄργος μολεῖν.

Κῆρυξ

ἀλλʼ οὔτι τοῖς σοῖς δεσπόταις τάδʼ ἀρκέσει,

οἳ σοῦ κρατοῦντες ἐνθάδʼ εὑρίσκουσί σε.
100

Χορός

εἰκὸς θεῶν ἱκτῆρας αἰδεῖσθαι, ξένε,

καὶ μὴ βιαίῳ χερὶ δαιμόνων

ἀπολείπειν σʼ ἕδη·

πότνια γὰρ Δίκα τάδʼ οὐ πείσεται.

Κῆρυξ

ἔκπεμπέ νυν γῆς τούσδε τοὺς Εὐρυσθέως,
105

κοὐδὲν βιαίῳ τῇδε χρήσομαι χερί.

Χορός

ἄθεον ἱκεσίαν

μεθεῖναι πόλει ξένων προστροπάν.

Κῆρυξ

καλὸν δέ γʼ ἔξω πραγμάτων ἔχειν πόδα,

εὐβουλίας τυχόντα τῆς ἀμείνονος.
110

Chorus

Hark, hark! What cry is this that rises near the altar? At once explain the nature of the trouble.

Iolaus

See this aged frame hurled in its feebleness upon the ground! Woe is me!
75

Chorus

Who threw thee down thus pitiably?

Iolaus

Behold the man who flouts your gods, kind sirs, and tries by force to drag me from my seat before the altar of Zeus.

Chorus

From what land, old stranger, art thou come to this confederate state of four cities? or have ye left Euboea’s cliffs, and, with the oar that sweeps the sea, put in here from across the firth?¹
80

Iolaus

Sirs, no island life I lead,

but from Mycenae to thy land I come.
85

Chorus

What do they call thee, aged sir, those folk in Mycenae?

Iolaus

Maybe ye have heard of Iolaus, the comrade of Heracles, for he was not unknown to fame.

Chorus

Yea, I have heard of him in bygone days; but tell me, whose are the tender boys thou bearest in thine arms?
90

Iolaus

These, sirs, are the sons of Heracles, come as suppliants to you and your city.

Chorus

What is their quest? Are they anxious, tell me, to obtain an audience of the state?
95

Iolaus

That so they may escape surrender, nor be tom with violence from thy altars, and brought to Argos.

Copreus

Nay, this will nowise satisfy thy masters,

who o’er thee have a right, and so have tracked thee hither.
100

Chorus

Stranger, ’tis but right we should reverence the gods’ suppliants, suffering none with violent hand to make them² leave the altars, for that will dread Justice ne’er permit.

Copreus

Do thou then drive these subjects of Eurystheus forth, and this hand of mine shall abstain from violence.
105

Chorus

’Twere impious for the state to neglect the suppliant stranger’s prayer.

Copreus

Yet ’tis well to keep clear of troubles,

by adopting that counsel, which is the wiser.
110