Euripides, The Suppliant Maidens, ed. Gilbert Murray, 162

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Ἄδραστος

ὃ δή γε πολλοὺς ὤλεσε στρατηλάτας.

ἀλλʼ, ὦ καθʼ Ἑλλάδʼ ἀλκιμώτατον κάρα,

ἄναξ Ἀθηνῶν, ἐν μὲν αἰσχύναις ἔχω

πίτνων πρὸς οὖδας γόνυ σὸν ἀμπίσχειν χερί,
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πολιὸς ἀνὴρ τύραννος εὐδαίμων πάρος·

ὅμως δʼ ἀνάγκη συμφοραῖς εἴκειν ἐμαῖς.

σῶσον νεκρούς μοι, τἀμά τʼ οἰκτίρας κακὰ

καὶ τῶν θανόντων τάσδε μητέρας τέκνων,

αἷς γῆρας ἥκει πολιὸν εἰς ἀπαιδίαν,
170

ἐλθεῖν δʼ ἔτλησαν δεῦρο καὶ ξένον πόδα

θεῖναι μόλις γεραιὰ κινοῦσαι μέλη,

πρεσβεύματʼ οὐ Δήμητρος ἐς μυστήρια,

ἀλλʼ ὡς νεκροὺς θάψωσιν, ἃς αὐτὰς ἐχρῆν

κείνων ταφείσας χερσὶν ὡραίων τυχεῖν.
175

σοφὸν δὲ πενίαν τʼ εἰσορᾶν τὸν ὄλβιον,

πένητά τʼ εἰς τοὺς πλουσίους ἀποβλέπειν

ζηλοῦνθʼ, ἵνʼ αὐτὸν χρημάτων ἔρως ἔχῃ,

τά τʼ οἰκτρὰ τοὺς μὴ δυστυχεῖς δεδοικέναι.

τόν θʼ ὑμνοποιὸν αὐτὸς ἃν τίκτῃ μέλη
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χαίροντα τίκτειν· ἢν δὲ μὴ πάσχῃ τόδε,

οὔτοι δύναιτʼ ἂν οἴκοθέν γʼ ἀτώμενος

τέρπειν ἂν ἄλλους· οὐδὲ γὰρ δίκην ἔχει.

τάχʼ οὖν ἂν εἴποις· Πελοπίαν παρεὶς χθόνα

πῶς ταῖς Ἀθήναις τόνδε προστάσσεις πόνον;
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ἐγὼ δίκαιός εἰμʼ ἀφηγεῖσθαι τάδε.

Σπάρτη μὲν ὠμὴ καὶ πεποίκιλται τρόπους,

τὰ δʼ ἄλλα μικρὰ κἀσθενῆ· πόλις δὲ σὴ

μόνη δύναιτʼ ἂν τόνδʼ ὑποστῆναι πόνον·

τά τʼ οἰκτρὰ γὰρ δέδορκε καὶ νεανίαν
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ἔχει σὲ ποιμένʼ ἐσθλόν· οὗ χρείᾳ πόλεις

πολλαὶ διώλοντʼ, ἐνδεεῖς στρατηλάτου.

Χορός

κἀγὼ τὸν αὐτὸν τῷδέ σοι λόγον λέγω,

Θησεῦ, διʼ οἴκτου τὰς ἐμὰς λαβεῖν τύχας.

The Suppliant Maidens. Euripides. ed. Gilbert Murray. Oxford. 1913.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.

Current edition Perseus

Ἱκέτιδες (Greek) (Euripides. Euripidis Fabulae, Vol. II. Murray, Gilbert, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1913. (Reprinted 1921-1962))

Translations (3)

The Suppliants Perseus (Euripides. The Plays of Euripides, Vol. I. Coleridge, Edward P., translator. London: George Bell and Sons, 1906.) — 162 focus

Adrastus

¹ True; and many a general owes defeat to that. O king of Athens , bravest of the sons of Hellas , I blush

to throw myself upon the ground and clasp thy knees, I a grey-haired king, blest in days gone by; yet needs must I yield to my misfortunes. I pray thee save the dead; have pity on my sorrows and on these, the mothers of the slain,
165

whom hoary eld finds reft of their sons; yet they endured to journey hither and tread a foreign soil with aged tottering steps, bearing no embassy to Demeter’s mysteries; only seeking burial for their dead, which lot should have been theirs,
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e’en burial by the hands of sons still in their prime.² And ’tis wise in the rich to see the poor man’s poverty, and in the poor man to turn ambitious eyes toward the rich, that so he may himself indulge a longing for property; and they, whom fortune frowns not on, should gaze on misery’s presentment;
175

likewise, who maketh songs should take a pleasure in their making; for if it be not so with him, he will in no wise avail to gladden others, if himself have sorrow in his home; nay, ’tis not even right to expect it. Mayhap thou’lt say, Why pass the land of Pelops o’er,
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and lay this toil on Athens ? This am I bound to declare. Sparta is cruel, her customs variable; the other states are small and weak. Thy city alone would be able to undertake this labour;
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for it turns an eye on suffering, and hath in thee a young and gallant king, for want whereof to lead their hosts states ere now have often perished.
190

Chorus

I too, Theseus, urge the same plea to thee; have pity on my hard fate.

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

No corresponding passage available

German (J. J. C. Donner, 1852; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (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.) — 162 focus

Doch du, vor Hellas' Sohnen hoch mit Macht begabt,

Athens Gebieter, zwar errothen muß der Greis,

Zur Erde hin zu sinken und die Kniee dir
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Bu fassen, ich, ein Herrscher und so glucklich einst:¹

Doch meinem Leid zu weichen zwingt mich strenge Noth.

Rett' uns die Todten: meiner Noth erbarme dich,

Erbarme dich der kinderlosen Mütter hier,

Die, grau von Alter, einsam und verlassen stehn!
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Hieher zu kommen und hieher den fremden Fuß

Bu sezen, der kaum ihre matten Glieder trågt,

Das konnten diese, nicht zu Deo's Weih'n gesandt,

Nein, Junglinge zu bestatten, deren Hände sie,²

Die greisen Frauen, besser selbst bestatteten!
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Klug ist es, wenn ein Reicher auf den Armen blickt,

Klug, wenn der Arme lustern auf den Reichen schaut,

Mit dem er, ringend um Besiz, wetteifere,

Klug auch, befürchtet Ungemach ein Glucklicher.³

Du fragst vielleicht, warum ich Pelops' Land verließ,
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Warum Athen ich solche Last aufbürden will.

Ich will es dir erklären, wie mir's wohl gebührt.

Hart, grausam sind die Sparter, wandelbar von Sinn,⁴

Machtlos und schwach die Andern: deine Stadt allein

Mag dieses mühevolle Werk mit Glück bestehn.
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Sie sah mein Ungluck, ihr erwuchs im Junglinge,

In dir, ein guter Hirte, dessen manches Volk

Entbehrte, daß es ohne Führer unterging.

Euripides The Suppliant Maidens 162

ed. Gilbert Murray

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Χορός

κἀγὼ τὸν αὐτὸν τῷδέ σοι λόγον λέγω,

Θησεῦ, διʼ οἴκτου τὰς ἐμὰς λαβεῖν τύχας.

Current edition Perseus

Chorus

I too, Theseus, urge the same plea to thee; have pity on my hard fate.

Der Chor.

Auch ich, o Theseus, rufe dir, was dieser, zu:

O daß du dich erbarmtest über mein Geschick!
185

Theseus.

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Χορός κἀγὼ τὸν αὐτὸν τῷδέ σοι λόγον λέγω, Θησεῦ, διʼ οἴκτου τὰς ἐμὰς λαβεῖν τύχας.

Current edition Perseus

Chorus I too, Theseus, urge the same plea to thee; have pity on my hard fate.

Der Chor. Auch ich, o Theseus, rufe dir, was dieser, zu: O daß du dich erbarmtest über mein Geschick! 185

Theseus.

Stable identifiers

Χορός

κἀγὼ τὸν αὐτὸν τῷδέ σοι λόγον λέγω,

Θησεῦ, διʼ οἴκτου τὰς ἐμὰς λαβεῖν τύχας.

Chorus

I too, Theseus, urge the same plea to thee; have pity on my hard fate.

Der Chor.

Auch ich, o Theseus, rufe dir, was dieser, zu:

O daß du dich erbarmtest über mein Geschick!
185