Euripides, The Suppliant Maidens, ed. Gilbert Murray, 399

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

View: By Scene

← Previous Next →

Κῆρυξ

τίς γῆς τύραννος; πρὸς τίνʼ ἀγγεῖλαί με χρὴ

λόγους Κρέοντος, ὃς κρατεῖ Κάδμου χθονὸς
400

Ἐτεοκλέους θανόντος ἀμφʼ ἑπταστόμους

πύλας ἀδελφῇ χειρὶ Πολυνείκους ὕπο;

Θησεύς

πρῶτον μὲν ἤρξω τοῦ λόγου ψευδῶς, ξένε,

ζητῶν τύραννον ἐνθάδʼ· οὐ γὰρ ἄρχεται

ἑνὸς πρὸς ἀνδρός, ἀλλʼ ἐλευθέρα πόλις.
405

δῆμος δʼ ἀνάσσει διαδοχαῖσιν ἐν μέρει

ἐνιαυσίαισιν, οὐχὶ τῷ πλούτῳ διδοὺς

τὸ πλεῖστον, ἀλλὰ χὡ πένης ἔχων ἴσον.

Κῆρυξ

ἓν μὲν τόδʼ ἡμῖν ὥσπερ ἐν πεσσοῖς δίδως

κρεῖσσον· πόλις γὰρ ἧς ἐγὼ πάρειμʼ ἄπο
410

ἑνὸς πρὸς ἀνδρός, οὐκ ὄχλῳ κρατύνεται·

οὐδʼ ἔστιν αὐτὴν ὅστις ἐκχαυνῶν λόγοις

πρὸς κέρδος ἴδιον ἄλλοτʼ ἄλλοσε στρέφει,

τὸ δʼ αὐτίχʼ ἡδὺς καὶ διδοὺς πολλὴν χάριν,

ἐσαῦθις ἔβλαψʼ, εἶτα διαβολαῖς νέαις
415

κλέψας τὰ πρόσθε σφάλματʼ ἐξέδυ δίκης.

ἄλλως τε πῶς ἂν μὴ διορθεύων λόγους

ὀρθῶς δύναιτʼ ἂν δῆμος εὐθύνειν πόλιν;

ὁ γὰρ χρόνος μάθησιν ἀντὶ τοῦ τάχους

κρείσσω δίδωσι. γαπόνος δʼ ἀνὴρ πένης,
420

εἰ καὶ γένοιτο μὴ ἀμαθής, ἔργων ὕπο

οὐκ ἂν δύναιτο πρὸς τὰ κοίνʼ ἀποβλέπειν.

ἦ δὴ νοσῶδες τοῦτο τοῖς ἀμείνοσιν,

ὅταν πονηρὸς ἀξίωμʼ ἀνὴρ ἔχῃ

γλώσσῃ κατασχὼν δῆμον, οὐδὲν ὢν τὸ πρίν.
425

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.) — 399 focus

Herald

Who is the despot of this land? To whom must I announce

the message of Creon, who rules o’er the land of Cadmus, since Eteocles was slain by the hand of his brother Polynices, at the sevenfold gates of Thebes ?
400

Theseus

Sir stranger, thou hast made a false beginning to thy speech, in seeking here a despot. For this city is not ruled

by one man, but is free. The people rule in succession year by year, allowing no preference to wealth, but the poor man shares equally with the rich.
405

Herald

Thou givest me here an advantage, as it might be in a game of draughts¹;

for the city, whence I come, is ruled by one man only, not by the mob; none there puffs up the citizens with specious words, and for his own advantage twists them this way or that,—one moment dear to them and lavish of his favours,
410

the next a bane to all; and yet by fresh calumnies of others he hides his former failures and escapes punishment. Besides, how shall the people, if it cannot form true judgments, be able rightly to direct the state? Nay, ’tis time, not haste, that affords a better
415

understanding. A poor hind, granted he be not all unschooled, would still be unable from his toil to give his mind to politics. Verily² the better sort count it no healthy sign when the worthless man obtains a reputation
420

by beguiling with words the populace, though aforetime he was naught.
425

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.) — 399 focus

Wer ist des Landes Herrscher? Wem verkunden wir
390

Die Worte Kreons, der in Kadmos' Land gebeut,

Seit Eteokles vor den sieben Pforten fiel,

Von Polyneikes', seines Bruders, Hand entseelt?

Theseus.

Freund, gleich der Anfang deiner Red' ist falsch: du suchst

Hier einen Herrscher; aber nicht Ein Mann gebeut
395

In diesem Volke, sondern frei ist unsre Stadt.

Abwechselnd herrschen unter sich der Reihe nach

Ein Jahr die Bürger; nicht dem Reichthum geben sie

Die Ehre, nein, der Arme hat hier gleiches Recht.

Der Herold.

Dies Eine magst du, wie bei Würfelspielen, uns
400

Vorausgewähren: denn die Stadt, die mich gesandt,

Wird nur von Einem Manne, nicht vom Schwarm, beherrscht;

Durch Neden blåht die Menge keiner auf und lenkt

Sie dort- und hierhin, wie sein Vortheil ihm gebeut.

Denn wer begunstigt eben noch viel Dank gewann,
405

Wird bald gehaßt auch und entrinnt der Strafe nur,

Indem er, neu anklagend, alte Schuld bedeckt.

Und wieder, wie vermochte seinen Staat ein Volk

Geschickt zu lenken, wenn es nicht die Reden prüft?

Die Zeit ja, nicht die Eile, gibt den besten Rath,
410

Die besten Lehren. Nie vermag der dürftige

Landmann, und wär' er kundig auch, (sein muhsames

Geschäft verwehrt's ihm,) zum Gemeinwohl aufzuschaun.

Schmerzhaft, empörend ist es, traun, für Edlere,

Wenn durch der Zunge Schmeichellaut ein schlechter Mann,
415

Der nichts zuvor gewesen, Macht im Volk erringt.

Euripides The Suppliant Maidens 399

ed. Gilbert Murray

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Current edition Perseus

Herald

Who is the despot of this land? To whom must I announce

the message of Creon, who rules o’er the land of Cadmus, since Eteocles was slain by the hand of his brother Polynices, at the sevenfold gates of Thebes ?
400

Theseus

Sir stranger, thou hast made a false beginning to thy speech, in seeking here a despot. For this city is not ruled

by one man, but is free. The people rule in succession year by year, allowing no preference to wealth, but the poor man shares equally with the rich.
405

Wer ist des Landes Herrscher? Wem verkunden wir
390

Die Worte Kreons, der in Kadmos' Land gebeut,

Seit Eteokles vor den sieben Pforten fiel,

Von Polyneikes', seines Bruders, Hand entseelt?

Theseus.

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Current edition Perseus

Herald Who is the despot of this land? To whom must I announce the message of Creon, who rules o’er the land of Cadmus, since Eteocles was slain by the hand of his brother Polynices, at the sevenfold gates of Thebes ? 400

Theseus Sir stranger, thou hast made a false beginning to thy speech, in seeking here a despot. For this city is not ruled by one man, but is free. The people rule in succession year by year, allowing no preference to wealth, but the poor man shares equally with the rich. 405

Wer ist des Landes Herrscher? Wem verkunden wir 390 Die Worte Kreons, der in Kadmos' Land gebeut, Seit Eteokles vor den sieben Pforten fiel, Von Polyneikes', seines Bruders, Hand entseelt?

Theseus.

Stable identifiers

Herald

Who is the despot of this land? To whom must I announce

the message of Creon, who rules o’er the land of Cadmus, since Eteocles was slain by the hand of his brother Polynices, at the sevenfold gates of Thebes ?
400

Theseus

Sir stranger, thou hast made a false beginning to thy speech, in seeking here a despot. For this city is not ruled

by one man, but is free. The people rule in succession year by year, allowing no preference to wealth, but the poor man shares equally with the rich.
405

Wer ist des Landes Herrscher? Wem verkunden wir
390

Die Worte Kreons, der in Kadmos' Land gebeut,

Seit Eteokles vor den sieben Pforten fiel,

Von Polyneikes', seines Bruders, Hand entseelt?