Euripides, Electra, ed. Gilbert Murray, 1238

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Διόσκουροι

Ἀγαμέμνονος παῖ, κλῦθι· δίπτυχοι δέ σε

καλοῦσι μητρὸς σύγγονοι Διόσκοροι,

Κάστωρ κασίγνητός τε Πολυδεύκης ὅδε.
1240

δεινὸν δὲ ναυσὶν ἀρτίως πόντου σάλον

παύσαντʼ ἀφίγμεθʼ Ἄργος, ὡς ἐσείδομεν

σφαγὰς ἀδελφῆς τῆσδε, μητέρος δὲ σῆς.

δίκαια μέν νυν ἥδʼ ἔχει, σὺ δʼ οὐχὶ δρᾷς·

Φοῖβός τε, Φοῖβος — ἀλλʼ ἄναξ γάρ ἐστʼ ἐμός,
1245

σιγῶ· σοφὸς δʼ ὢν οὐκ ἔχρησέ σοι σοφά.

αἰνεῖν δʼ ἀνάγκη ταῦτα· τἀντεῦθεν δὲ χρὴ

πράσσειν ἃ Μοῖρα Ζεύς τʼ ἔκρανε σοῦ πέρι.

Πυλάδῃ μὲν Ἠλέκτραν δὸς ἄλοχον ἐς δόμους,

σὺ δʼ Ἄργος ἔκλιπʼ· οὐ γὰρ ἔστι σοι πόλιν
1250

τήνδʼ ἐμβατεύειν, μητέρα κτείναντι σήν.

δειναὶ δὲ κῆρές σʼ αἱ κυνώπιδες θεαὶ

τροχηλατήσουσʼ ἐμμανῆ πλανώμενον.

ἐλθὼν δʼ Ἀθήνας Παλλάδος σεμνὸν βρέτας

πρόσπτυξον· εἵρξει γάρ νιν ἐπτοημένας
1255

δεινοῖς δράκουσιν ὥστε μὴ ψαύειν σέθεν,

γοργῶφʼ ὑπερτείνουσα σῷ κάρᾳ κύκλον.

ἔστιν δʼ Ἄρεώς τις ὄχθος, οὗ πρῶτον θεοὶ

ἕζοντʼ ἐπὶ ψήφοισιν αἵματος πέρι,

Ἁλιρρόθιον ὅτʼ ἔκτανʼ ὠμόφρων Ἄρης,
1260

μῆνιν θυγατρὸς ἀνοσίων νυμφευμάτων,

πόντου κρέοντος παῖδʼ, ἵνʼ εὐσεβεστάτη

ψῆφος βεβαία τʼ ἐστὶν ἔκ τε τοῦ θεοῖς.

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.)) — 1238 focus

Dioskouroi

Son of Agamemnon, listen; the twin sons of Zeus, your mother’s brothers,

Castor and his brother Polydeuces, are calling you. Having just now calmed the swell of the sea, terrible for ships, we have come to Argos when we saw the slaying of our sister, your mother. Now she has her just reward, but you have not acted justly,
1240

and Phoebus, Phoebus—but I am silent, for he is my lord; although he is wise, he gave you oracles that were not. But it is necessary to accept these things. As to what remains, you must do what Fate and Zeus have accomplished for you. Give Electra to Pylades as his wife to take to his home;
1245

but you leave Argos ; for it is not for you, who killed your mother, to set foot in this city. And the dread goddesses of death, the one who glare like hounds, will drive you up and down, a maddened wanderer. Go to Athens and embrace the holy image of Pallas;
1250

for she will prevent them, flickering with dreadful serpents, from touching you, as she stretches over your head her Gorgon-faced shield. There is a hill of Ares, where the gods first sat over their votes to decide on bloodshed,
1255

when savage Ares killed Halirrothius, son of the ocean’s ruler, in anger for the unholy violation of his daughter, so that the tribunal is most sacred and secure in the eyes of the gods.
1260

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.) — 1238 focus

Sohn Agamemnons, hore mich: es rufen dir

Der Mutter Brüder beide zu, die Sohne Zeus',

Ich Kastor und mein Bruder Polydeukes hier.

Wir dåmpften eben grausen Sturm in wilder See,

Und eilten her nach Argos, als wir sahen, wie
1220

Die Schwester, deine Mutter hier, gemordet ward.

Sie bußt gerecht wohl, aber du thuſt nicht gerecht,

Noch Phobos. Phobos

doch ich schweige, denn er ist

Mein Herr - so weise, sprach er dir unweisen Spruch.

Indeß - man muß es tragen: fortan mußt du thun,
1225

Was Zeus und was das Schicksal über dich beschloß.

Elektra führe Pylades als Gattin heim,

Und du verlaß Mykene; denn dir ziemt es nicht,

Dem Muttermårder, einzugehn in diese Stadt.

Die grausen Keren treiben dich, die Göttinnen¹
1230

Mit Hundesblicken, ruhelos voll Wuth umher.

Athen erreichend, mußt du Pallas' heilig Bild,

Umschlingen; denn die Nachegeister schreckt es fort

Im Schlangenhaar, daß ihrer keiner dich beruhrt,

Und streckt den runden Gorgoschild dir über's Haupt.
1235

Dort ist ein Areshugel, wo die Götter einst

Zuerst zum Blutgerichte sich versammelten,

Als, um der Tochter frevle Lieb' in Zorn entbrannt,

Ares den Halirrhothios grausam mordete,²

Den Sohn des Meerbeherrschers. Seitdem sprechen dort
1240

Untrůglich, heilig, unverrückt die Götter Recht.

Euripides Electra 1238

ed. Gilbert Murray

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