Euripides, Heracles, ed. Gilbert Murray, 655

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Χορός

εἰ δὲ θεοῖς ἦν ξύνεσις
655

καὶ σοφία κατʼ ἄνδρας,

δίδυμον ἂν ἥβαν ἔφερον

φανερὸν χαρακτῆρʼ ἀρετᾶς

ὅσοισιν μέτα, κατθανόντες τʼ
660

εἰς αὐγὰς πάλιν ἁλίου

δισσοὺς ἂν ἔβαν διαύλους,

ἁ δυσγένεια δʼ ἁπλοῦν ἂν

εἶχεν ζόας βίοτον,

καὶ τῷδʼ ἦν τούς τε κακοὺς ἂν
665

γνῶναι καὶ τοὺς ἀγαθούς,

ἴσον ἅτʼ ἐν νεφέλαισιν ἄ-

στρων ναύταις ἀριθμὸς πέλει.

νῦν δʼ οὐδεὶς ὅρος ἐκ θεῶν

χρηστοῖς οὐδὲ κακοῖς σαφής,
670

ἀλλʼ εἱλισσόμενός τις αἰ-

ὼν πλοῦτον μόνον αὔξει.

Heracles. Euripides. ed. Gilbert Murray. Oxford. 1913.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.

Current edition Perseus

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

Translations (3)

Heracles Mad Perseus (Euripides. The Plays of Euripides, Vol. II. Coleridge, Edward P., translator. London: George Bell and Sons, 1891. (Modernized by Perseus.)) — 655 focus

Chorus

Had the gods shown discernment and wisdom, as mortals count these things, men would have won youth twice over, a visible mark of worth
655

among whomever found, and after death these would have run a double course once more to the sun-light, while the low born would have had a single portion of life;
660

and thus would it have been possible to distinguish the good and the bad, just as sailors know the number of the stars amid the clouds. But, as it is, the gods have set no certain boundary
665

between good and bad, but time’s onward roll brings increase only to man’s wealth.
670

Hercules (OCR draft) Experimental (Hercules. 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.) — 655 focus

Wåret ihr klug, Götter, und wågt Menschengeschick mit Weisheit;

Schenktet ihr wohl doppelte Jugend, ein helles Merkmal

Des Verdienstes, dem, welchen es schmuckt; vom Hades
645

Kehrt' er wieder zum Sonnenlicht,

Die neuen Bahnen zu wandeln;

Unedeln aber verlieh't ihr

Ein einfach Lebensgeschick.

So würden die Bisen am ehsten
650

Und die wackeren Männer erkannt,

Wie durch nachtlich Gewölke den

Schiffern blinkt der Gestirne Zahl.

Doch kein göttliches Zeichen grånzt

Nun die Guten und Bösen ab;
655

Ewig wechselnd und wogend ringt

Nur nach Schäzen das Leben.

Zweite Strophe.

Euripides Heracles 655

ed. Gilbert Murray

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