Euripides Electra 1035

ed. Gilbert Murray

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μῶρον μὲν οὖν γυναῖκες, οὐκ ἄλλως λέγω·
1035
ὅταν δʼ, ὑπόντος τοῦδʼ, ἁμαρτάνῃ πόσις
τἄνδον παρώσας λέκτρα, μιμεῖσθαι θέλει
γυνὴ τὸν ἄνδρα χἅτερον κτᾶσθαι φίλον.
κἄπειτʼ ἐν ἡμῖν ὁ ψόγος λαμπρύνεται,
οἱ δʼ αἴτιοι τῶνδʼ οὐ κλύουσʼ ἄνδρες κακῶς.
1040
εἰ δʼ ἐκ δόμων ἥρπαστο Μενέλεως λάθρᾳ,
κτανεῖν μʼ Ὀρέστην χρῆν, κασιγνήτης πόσιν
Μενέλαον ὡς σώσαιμι; σὸς δὲ πῶς πατὴρ
ἠνέσχετʼ ἂν ταῦτʼ; εἶτα τὸν μὲν οὐ θανεῖν
κτείνοντα χρῆν τἄμʼ, ἐμὲ δὲ πρὸς κείνου παθεῖν;
1045
ἔκτεινʼ, ἐτρέφθην ἥνπερ ἦν πορεύσιμον
πρὸς τοὺς ἐκείνῳ πολεμίους. φίλων γὰρ ἂν
τίς ἂν πατρὸς σοῦ φόνον ἐκοινώνησέ μοι;
λέγʼ, εἴ τι χρῄζεις, κἀντίθες παρρησίᾳ,
ὅπως τέθνηκε σὸς πατὴρ οὐκ ἐνδίκως.
1050

Electra. Euripides. ed. Gilbert Murray. Oxford. 1913.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.

Current edition Perseus

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

Translations (3)
Electra Perseus (Euripides. The Plays of Euripides, Vol. II. Coleridge, Edward P., translator. London: George Bell and Sons, 1891. (Modernized by Perseus.)) — 1035 focus
A woman is a foolish thing, I don’t deny it; but, this granted, whenever a husband goes astray and rejects his own bed, the woman is likely to imitate her husband and find another love. And then in us the blame shines clearly,
1035
while the men, who caused this, are not badly spoken of. Now if Menelaus had been secretly snatched from his home, should I have killed Orestes to save Menelaus, my sister’s husband? How would your father have endured this? And so isn’t it right for him to die
1040
when he had killed what was mine, since I would have suffered at his hands? I killed him, I turned where indeed it was possible to go—to his enemies. For which one of your father’s friends would have joined me in his murder? Speak, if you want to say anything, and make your retort with frankness,
1045
in what way your father died unfairly.
1050
Electra (OCR draft) Experimental (Electra. 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.) — 1035 focus
Wohl sind die Weiber thöricht, ich bestreit' es nicht;
Wenn solcher Thorin Gatte nun der Sunde fröhnt
Und seine Frau verachtet, will's das Weib dem Mann
1025
Nachthun und sieht nach einem andern Freund sich um.
Der laute Tadel brustet sich sofort an uns;
Die Männer, die Schuld haben, trifft der Tadel nicht.
Doch, führten Räuber ingeheim Menelaos fort,
Durst' ich Orestes todten, um der Schwester Mann,
1030
Menelaos, auszulösen? Ließ dein Vater dies
Geschehn? Doch er wohl durfte freveln wider mich,
Und ich ihm nicht vergelten, der mein Kind erschlug?
Ich tödtet' ihn: wohin zu gehen war, den Weg
Zu seinen Feinden schlug ich ein; denn welcher Freund
1035
Des Vaters håtte seinen Mord mit mir getheilt?
Nun sage, was du sagen willst, entgegne frei,
Daß euer Vater ohne Recht gemordet ward.