Euripides The Trojan Women 987

ed. Gilbert Murray

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ἦν οὑμὸς υἱὸς κάλλος ἐκπρεπέστατος,
ὁ σὸς δʼ ἰδών νιν νοῦς ἐποιήθη Κύπρις·
τὰ μῶρα γὰρ πάντʼ ἐστὶν Ἀφροδίτη βροτοῖς,
καὶ τοὔνομʼ ὀρθῶς ἀφροσύνης ἄρχει θεᾶς.
990
ὃν εἰσιδοῦσα βαρβάροις ἐσθήμασι
χρυσῷ τε λαμπρὸν ἐξεμαργώθης φρένας.
ἐν μὲν γὰρ Ἄργει μίκρʼ ἔχουσʼ ἀνεστρέφου,
Σπάρτης δʼ ἀπαλλαχθεῖσα τὴν Φρυγῶν πόλιν
χρυσῷ ῥέουσαν ἤλπισας κατακλύσειν
995
δαπάναισιν· οὐδʼ ἦν ἱκανά σοι τὰ Μενέλεω
μέλαθρα ταῖς σαῖς ἐγκαθυβρίζειν τρυφαῖς.
εἶἑν· βίᾳ γὰρ παῖδα φῄς σʼ ἄγειν ἐμόν·
τίς Σπαρτιατῶν ᾔσθετʼ; ἢ ποίαν βοὴν
ἀνωλόλυξας — Κάστορος νεανίου
1000
τοῦ συζύγου τʼ ἔτʼ ὄντος, οὐ κατʼ ἄστρα πω;
ἐπεὶ δὲ Τροίαν ἦλθες Ἀργεῖοί τέ σου
κατʼ ἴχνος, ἦν δὲ δοριπετὴς ἀγωνία,
εἰ μὲν τὰ τοῦδε κρείσσονʼ ἀγγέλλοιτό σοι,
Μενέλαον ᾔνεις, παῖς ὅπως λυποῖτʼ ἐμὸς
1005
ἔχων ἔρωτος ἀνταγωνιστὴν μέγαν·
εἰ δʼ εὐτυχοῖεν Τρῶες, οὐδὲν ἦν ὅδε.
ἐς τὴν τύχην δʼ ὁρῶσα τοῦτʼ ἤσκεις, ὅπως
ἕποιʼ ἅμʼ αὐτῇ, τῇ ἀρετῇ δʼ οὐκ ἤθελες.
κἄπειτα πλεκταῖς σῶμα σὸν κλέπτειν λέγεις
1010
πύργων καθιεῖσʼ, ὡς μένουσʼ ἀκουσίως;
ποῦ δῆτʼ ἐλήφθης ἢ βρόχους ἀρτωμένη
ἢ φάσγανον θήγουσʼ, ἃ γενναία γυνὴ
δράσειεν ἂν ποθοῦσα τὸν πάρος πόσιν;
καίτοι σʼ ἐνουθέτουν γε πολλὰ πολλάκις·
1015
Ὦ θύγατερ, ἔξελθʼ· οἱ δʼ ἐμοὶ παῖδες γάμους
ἄλλους γαμοῦσι, σὲ δʼ ἐπὶ ναῦς Ἀχαιϊκὰς
πέμψω συνεκκλέψασα· καὶ παῦσον μάχης
Ἕλληνας ἡμᾶς τε. ἀλλὰ σοὶ τόδʼ ἦν πικρόν.
ἐν τοῖς Ἀλεξάνδρου γὰρ ὕβριζες δόμοις
1020
καὶ προσκυνεῖσθαι βαρβάρων ὕπʼ ἤθελες·
μεγάλα γὰρ ἦν σοι. — κἀπὶ τοῖσδε σὸν δέμας
ἐξῆλθες ἀσκήσασα κἄβλεψας πόσει
τὸν αὐτὸν αἰθέρʼ, ὦ κατάπτυστον κάρα·
ἣν χρῆν ταπεινὴν ἐν πέπλων ἐρειπίοις,
1025
φρίκῃ τρέμουσαν, κρᾶτʼ ἀπεσκυθισμένην
ἐλθεῖν, τὸ σῶφρον τῆς ἀναιδείας πλέον
ἔχουσαν ἐπὶ τοῖς πρόσθεν ἡμαρτημένοις.
Μενέλαʼ, ἵνʼ εἰδῇς οἷ τελευτήσω λόγον,
στεφάνωσον Ἑλλάδʼ ἀξίως τήνδε κτανὼν
1030
σαυτοῦ, νόμον δὲ τόνδε ταῖς ἄλλαισι θὲς
γυναιξί, θνῄσκειν ἥτις ἂν προδῷ πόσιν.

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.)) — 987 focus
No! my son was exceedingly handsome, and when you saw him your mind straight became your Aphrodite; for every folly that men commit, they lay upon this goddess,
and rightly does her name 1 begin the word for senselessness; so when you caught sight of him in gorgeous foreign clothes, ablaze with gold, your senses utterly forsook you. Yes, for in Argos you had moved in simple state, but, once free of Sparta ,
990
it was your hope to deluge by your lavish outlay Phrygia ’s town, that flowed with gold; nor was the palace of Menelaus rich enough for your luxury to riot in.
995
Enough of this! My son carried you off by force, so you say; what Spartan saw this? what cry for help
did you ever raise, though Castor was still alive, a vigorous youth, and his brother also, not yet among the stars? Then when you had come to Troy , and the Argives were on your track, and the mortal combat had begun, whenever tidings came to you of
1000
Menelaus’ prowess, you would praise him, to grieve my son, because he had so powerful a rival in his love; but if the Trojans prospered, Menelaus was nothing to you. Your eye was fixed on Fortune, and by such practice you were careful to follow in her steps, careless of virtue’s cause.
1005
And then you assert that you tried to let yourself down from the towers by stealth with twisted cords, as if unwilling to stay? Where were you ever found fastening the noose about your neck, or whetting the knife, as a noble wife would have done in regret for her former husband?
1010
And yet often I advised you saying, Get away, daughter; my sons will take other brides, and I will belp you to steal away, and convey you to the Achaean fleet; oh, end the strife between us and Hellas ! But this was bitter to you.
1015
For you were wantoning in Alexander’s house, wishing to have obeisance done you by barbarians. Yes, it was a proud time for you; and now after all this you have adorned yourself, and come forth and have dared to appear under the same sky as your husband, revolting wretch!
1020
Better if you had come in tattered raiment, cowering humbly in terror, with hair cut short, and if your feeling for your past sins were one of shame rather than effrontery. Menelaus, hear the conclusion of my argument;
1025
crown Hellas by slaying her as she deserves, and establish this law for all other women: death to every one who betrays her husband.
1030
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.) — 987 focus
Mein Paris glänzte Göttern gleich an Wohlgestalt; -
Dein Sinn, der ihn erblickte, ward zur Kypria.
Ihn sahst du goldenstrahlend in barbarischen
980
Gewanden prunken, und in Wuth entbranntest du.
Denn Argos, wo du weiltest, bot dir Wenigesв;
Von Sparta scheidend, hofftest du, die Phrygerstadt,
Von Golde stromend, werde dir im Uebermaß
Genusse spenden, weil des Gatten Haus dir nicht
985
Genugte, schwelgend deine Lust zu såttigen.
Wohlan!
Du sagst, gewaltsam håtte dich mein Sohn entführt.
Wer hörte das in Sparta? Welchen Jammerruf
Erhobst du, da doch Kastor, da sein Bruder doch
Noch lebte, noch nicht zugesellt den Sternen war?
990
Drauf als du kamst gen Troas und auf deiner Spur
Die Danaiden, und der Speere Kampf begann:
Da priesest du Menelaos, wenn ein Sieg von ihm
Verkündet wurde, daß mein Sohn sich angstigte,
Nun seiner Liebe solch gewalt'ger Feind erstand.
995
Doch wenn die Troër siegten, war Menelaos nichts.
Nur auf das Gluck hinschauend, allezeit bemüht,
Nur ihm zu folgen, folgtest du der Tugend nicht.
Dann ließest du dich ingeheim, behauptest du,
Am Strick den Thurm hinunter, bliebst mit Strauben nur.
1000
Wo sah man aber Seile dich befestigen,
Wo Schwerter scharfen, was ein tugendhaftes Weib
Thun mußte, die sich nach dem frühern Gatten sehnt?
Und doch ermahnt' ich wiederholt und dringend dich:
„Zieh' hin, o Tochter: meine Söhne freien dann
1005
Um andre Frauen; heimlich send' ich dich hinaus
Zum Heer Achaa's; ende du den blut'gen Kampf
Troja's mit Hellas!" Aber du verschmähtest dies.
Denn Paris' Haus behagte deinem Uebermuth,
Du wolltest angebetet von Barbaren sein.
1010
Dies war dir etwas Großes; drum erschienest du
Stets ausgeschmuckt, und sahst mit deinem Gatten doch
Denselben Aether! O der Abscheuwürdigen!
Dir ziemte nur geschoren, in zerrissnem Kleid,
Von Kålte zitternd, tiefgebeugt einherzugehn,
1015
Bescheidne Tugend übend statt Schamlosigkeit,
Nachdem du früher also dich versündiget!
Damit du weißt, Menelaos, wo ich enden will:
Zu Hellas' Ruhme todte sie und ehre so
Dich selbst; den andern Frauen, Herr, gib das Gesez,
1020
Daß Jede sterben müsse, die den Mann verrieth!