Euripides, The Trojan Women, ed. Gilbert Murray, 860

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Μενέλαος

ὦ καλλιφεγγὲς ἡλίου σέλας τόδε,
860

ἐν ᾧ δάμαρτα τὴν ἐμὴν χειρώσομαι

Ἑλένην· ὁ γὰρ δὴ πολλὰ μοχθήσας ἐγὼ

Μενέλαός εἰμι καὶ στράτευμʼ Ἀχαιϊκόν.

ἦλθον δὲ Τροίαν οὐχ ὅσον δοκοῦσί με

γυναικὸς οὕνεκʼ, ἀλλʼ ἐπʼ ἄνδρʼ ὃς ἐξ ἐμῶν
865

δόμων δάμαρτα ξεναπάτης ἐλῄσατο.

κεῖνος μὲν οὖν δέδωκε σὺν θεοῖς δίκην

αὐτός τε καὶ γῆ δορὶ πεσοῦσʼ Ἑλληνικῷ.

ἥκω δὲ τὴν τάλαιναν — οὐ γὰρ ἡδέως

ὄνομα δάμαρτος ἥ ποτʼ ἦν ἐμὴ λέγω —
870

ἄξων· δόμοις γὰρ τοῖσδʼ ἐν αἰχμαλωτικοῖς

κατηρίθμηται Τρῳάδων ἄλλων μέτα.

οἵπερ γὰρ αὐτὴν ἐξεμόχθησαν δορί,

κτανεῖν ἐμοί νιν ἔδοσαν, εἴτε μὴ κτανὼν

θέλοιμʼ ἄγεσθαι πάλιν ἐς Ἀργείαν χθόνα.
875

ἐμοὶ δʼ ἔδοξε τὸν μὲν ἐν Τροίᾳ μόρον

Ἑλένης ἐᾶσαι, ναυπόρῳ δʼ ἄγειν πλάτῃ

Ἑλληνίδʼ ἐς γῆν κᾆτʼ ἐκεῖ δοῦναι κτανεῖν,

ποινὰς ὅσοις τεθνᾶσʼ ἐν Ἰλίῳ φίλοι.

ἀλλʼ εἶα χωρεῖτʼ ἐς δόμους, ὀπάονες,
880

κομίζετʼ αὐτὴν τῆς μιαιφονωτάτης

κόμης ἐπισπάσαντες· οὔριοι δʼ ὅταν

πνοαὶ μόλωσι, πέμψομέν νιν Ἑλλάδα.

Ἑκάβη

ὦ γῆς ὄχημα κἀπὶ γῆς ἔχων ἕδραν,

ὅστις ποτʼ εἶ σύ, δυστόπαστος εἰδέναι,
885

Ζεύς, εἴτʼ ἀνάγκη φύσεος εἴτε νοῦς βροτῶν,

προσηυξάμην σε· πάντα γὰρ διʼ ἀψόφου

βαίνων κελεύθου κατὰ δίκην τὰ θνήτʼ ἄγεις.

Μενέλαος

τί δʼ ἔστιν; εὐχὰς ὡς ἐκαίνισας θεῶν.

Ἑκάβη

αἰνῶ σε, Μενέλαʼ, εἰ κτενεῖς δάμαρτα σήν.
890

ὁρᾶν δὲ τήνδε φεῦγε, μή σʼ ἕλῃ πόθῳ.

αἱρεῖ γὰρ ἀνδρῶν ὄμματʼ, ἐξαιρεῖ πόλεις,

πίμπρησιν οἴκους· ὧδʼ ἔχει κηλήματα.

ἐγώ νιν οἶδα, καὶ σύ, χοἱ πεπονθότες.

The Trojan Women. Euripides. ed. Gilbert Murray. Oxford. 1913.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.

Current edition Perseus

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

Translations (3)

The Trojan Women Perseus (Euripides. The Plays of Euripides, Vol. I. Coleridge, Edward P., translator. London: George Bell and Sons, 1906. (Modernized by Perseus.)) — 860 focus

Menelaus

Hail! you radiant flare of the sun, by whose fair light I now shall capture her that was my wife, Helen; for I am that Menelaus, who has toiled so hard, I and Achaea ’s army. I came to Troy , not so much as men suppose
860

for, the sake of a woman, but to punish the man who from my house stole my wife, traitor to my hospitality. But he, by the gods’ will, has paid the penalty, ruined, and his country too, by the spear of Hellas . And I have come to bear that wretched woman away—wife I have no mind
865

to call her, though she once was mine—for now she is one among the other Trojan women who share these tents as captives. For they, the very men who who toiled to take her with the spear, have granted to me to slay her,
870

or, if I will, to spare and carry back with me to Argos . Now my purpose is not to put her to death in Troy , but to carry her to Hellas in my sea-borne ship, and then surrender her to death, a recompense to all whose friends were slain in Ilium .
875

Ho! my servants, enter the tent, and drag her out to me by her hair foul with murder; and when a favoring breeze shall blow, to Hellas will we convey her.
880

Hecuba

O you that do support the earth and rest thereupon,

whoever you are, a riddle past our knowledge! Zeus, owhether you are natural necessity, or man’s intellect, to you I pray; for, though you tread over a noiseless path, all your dealings with mankind are guided by justice.
885

Menelaus

What is this? Strange the prayer you offer to the gods!

Hecuba

I thank you, Menelaus, if you will slay that wife of yours. Yet shun the sight of her, lest she strike you with longing. For she ensnares the eyes of men, overthrows their towns, and burns their houses, so potent are her witcheries! Well I know her; so do you and those her victims too.
890

The Trojan Dames (OCR draft) Experimental (The Trojan Dames. 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.) — 860 focus

O Sonne dieses Tages, goldenstrahlende,
850

Wo mir vergånnt wird, meine Gattin Helena

Bu fahen: ich bin jener Vielgequålte, bin

Menelaos, diese Männer sind von Argos' Heer.

Ich kam gen Troja, nicht des Weibes wegen, wie

Sie wähnen, sondern um den Mann zu züchtigen,
855

Der sie, den Freund berückend, meinem Haus entführt.

Doch dieser hat mit Götterhulfe schon gebust,

Er samt dem Lande, das vor Hellas' Speer erlag.

Nun komm' ich, die von Sparta (denn ich nenne sie

Ungerne Gattin, die vordem die Meine war,)
860

Hinwegzuführen. Hier im Zelte wurde sie

Den Troërfrau'n als Kriegsgefangne beigezählt.

Denn die sie mir erſtritten, übergaben sie

Mir nun zu tödten, oder, woll' ich dieses nicht,

Sie wieder heimzuführen in's Argeierland.
865

Doch mir gefiel es, nicht in Troja's Gauen ihr

Den Tod zu geben, sondern sie heimwårts im Schiff

Zu führen, daß zur Sühne dort die Danaer

Sie todten, deren Freunde hier gefallen sind.

Nun auf, o Diener, gehet ihr in's Belt hinein,
870

Und bringt sie her, die blutbefleckte Mörderin,

Geschleppt am Haare! Wenn die Wind' uns gunstig wehn,

Soll sie mit uns heimziehen in's Hellenenland.

Hekabe.

O du, der Erden Stuze, der auf Erden thront,

Zeus, wer du seist auch, Hoher, Unerforschlicher,
875

Ob Geist des Menschen, ob Naturnothwendigkeit,

Ich flehe dich an: denn du lenkst, auf stiller Bahn

Hinwandelnd, alles Menschenloos zum rechten Ziel.

Menelaos.

Was gibt es, daß du wiederum die Götter rufst?

Hekabe.

Ich lob' es, König, gibst du deinem Weib den Tod,
880

Doch, siehst du sie, so fliehe; Sehnen faßte dich.

Sie fesselt Månneraugen, stürzt die Stadt' in Staub,

Entflammt die Häuser: solcher Zauber wohnt in ihr.

Ich, du und Jeder kennt ihn, der's mit uns erfuhr.

Helena wird von den Dienern herbeigeführt. Die Vorigen,

Euripides The Trojan Women 860

ed. Gilbert Murray

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Μενέλαος

τί δʼ ἔστιν; εὐχὰς ὡς ἐκαίνισας θεῶν.

Current edition Perseus

Hecuba

O you that do support the earth and rest thereupon,

whoever you are, a riddle past our knowledge! Zeus, owhether you are natural necessity, or man’s intellect, to you I pray; for, though you tread over a noiseless path, all your dealings with mankind are guided by justice.
885

Menelaus

What is this? Strange the prayer you offer to the gods!

Hecuba

I thank you, Menelaus, if you will slay that wife of yours. Yet shun the sight of her, lest she strike you with longing. For she ensnares the eyes of men, overthrows their towns, and burns their houses, so potent are her witcheries! Well I know her; so do you and those her victims too.
890

Hekabe.

O du, der Erden Stuze, der auf Erden thront,

Zeus, wer du seist auch, Hoher, Unerforschlicher,
875

Ob Geist des Menschen, ob Naturnothwendigkeit,

Ich flehe dich an: denn du lenkst, auf stiller Bahn

Hinwandelnd, alles Menschenloos zum rechten Ziel.

Menelaos.

Was gibt es, daß du wiederum die Götter rufst?

Helena.

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Μενέλαος τί δʼ ἔστιν; εὐχὰς ὡς ἐκαίνισας θεῶν.

Current edition Perseus

Hecuba O you that do support the earth and rest thereupon, whoever you are, a riddle past our knowledge! Zeus, owhether you are natural necessity, or man’s intellect, to you I pray; for, though you tread over a noiseless path, all your dealings with mankind are guided by justice. 885

Menelaus What is this? Strange the prayer you offer to the gods!

Hecuba I thank you, Menelaus, if you will slay that wife of yours. Yet shun the sight of her, lest she strike you with longing. For she ensnares the eyes of men, overthrows their towns, and burns their houses, so potent are her witcheries! Well I know her; so do you and those her victims too. 890

Hekabe. O du, der Erden Stuze, der auf Erden thront, Zeus, wer du seist auch, Hoher, Unerforschlicher, 875 Ob Geist des Menschen, ob Naturnothwendigkeit, Ich flehe dich an: denn du lenkst, auf stiller Bahn Hinwandelnd, alles Menschenloos zum rechten Ziel.

Menelaos. Was gibt es, daß du wiederum die Götter rufst?

Helena.

Stable identifiers

Μενέλαος

τί δʼ ἔστιν; εὐχὰς ὡς ἐκαίνισας θεῶν.

Hecuba

O you that do support the earth and rest thereupon,

whoever you are, a riddle past our knowledge! Zeus, owhether you are natural necessity, or man’s intellect, to you I pray; for, though you tread over a noiseless path, all your dealings with mankind are guided by justice.
885

Menelaus

What is this? Strange the prayer you offer to the gods!

Hecuba

I thank you, Menelaus, if you will slay that wife of yours. Yet shun the sight of her, lest she strike you with longing. For she ensnares the eyes of men, overthrows their towns, and burns their houses, so potent are her witcheries! Well I know her; so do you and those her victims too.
890

Hekabe.

O du, der Erden Stuze, der auf Erden thront,

Zeus, wer du seist auch, Hoher, Unerforschlicher,
875

Ob Geist des Menschen, ob Naturnothwendigkeit,

Ich flehe dich an: denn du lenkst, auf stiller Bahn

Hinwandelnd, alles Menschenloos zum rechten Ziel.

Menelaos.

Was gibt es, daß du wiederum die Götter rufst?