Euripides, Helen, ed. Gilbert Murray, 734

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Μενελέως

ἄγʼ, ὦ γεραιέ, πολλὰ μὲν παρʼ ἀσπίδα

μοχθήματʼ ἐξέπλησας ἐκπονῶν ἐμοί,
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καὶ νῦν μετασχὼν τῆς ἐμῆς εὐπραξίας

ἄγγειλον ἐλθὼν τοῖς λελειμμένοις φίλοις

τάδʼ ὡς ἔχονθʼ ηὕρηκας οἷ τʼ ἐσμὲν τύχης,

μένειν τʼ ἐπʼ ἀκταῖς τούς τʼ ἐμοὺς καραδοκεῖν

ἀγῶνας οἳ μένουσί μʼ, ὡς ἐλπίζομεν,
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κεἰ τήνδε πως δυναίμεθʼ ἐκκλέψαι χθονός,

φρουρεῖν ὅπως ἂν εἰς ἓν ἐλθόντες τύχης

ἐκ βαρβάρων σωθῶμεν, ἢν δυνώμεθα.

Ἄγγελος

ἔσται τάδʼ, ὦναξ. ἀλλά τοι τὰ μάντεων

ἐσεῖδον ὡς φαῦλʼ ἐστὶ καὶ ψευδῶν πλέα.
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οὐδʼ ἦν ἄρʼ ὑγιὲς οὐδὲν ἐμπύρου φλογὸς

οὐδὲ πτερωτῶν φθέγματʼ· εὔηθες δέ τοι

τὸ καὶ δοκεῖν ὄρνιθας ὠφελεῖν βροτούς.

Κάλχας γὰρ οὐκ εἶπʼ οὐδʼ ἐσήμηνε στρατῷ

νεφέλης ὑπερθνῄσκοντας εἰσορῶν φίλους
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οὐδʼ Ἕλενος, ἀλλὰ πόλις ἀνηρπάσθη μάτην.

εἴποις ἄν· οὕνεχʼ ὁ θεὸς οὐκ ἠβούλετο;

τί δῆτα μαντευόμεθα; τοῖς θεοῖσι χρὴ

θύοντας αἰτεῖν ἀγαθά, μαντείας δʼ ἐᾶν·

βίου γὰρ ἄλλως δέλεαρ ηὑρέθη τόδε,
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κοὐδεὶς ἐπλούτησʼ ἐμπύροισιν ἀργὸς ὤν·

γνώμη δʼ ἀρίστη μάντις ἥ τʼ εὐβουλία.

Helen. Euripides. ed. Gilbert Murray. Oxford. 1913.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.

Current edition Perseus

Ἑλένη (Greek) (Euripides. Euripidis Fabulae, Vol. III. Murray, Gilbert, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1913. (Reprinted 1920-1978))

Translations (3)

Helen Perseus (Euripides. The Plays of Euripides, Vol. I. Coleridge, Edward P., translator. London: George Bell and Sons, 1906. (Modernized by Perseus.)) — 734 focus

Menelaos

Come, old man—often by my shield

you have had your full share of trouble and hard work—now also have a share in my success, and go tell the friends I left behind the state of matters here, as you found them, and how my fortune stands; and bid them wait at the beach and watch eagerly for the
735

struggle which I expect awaits me; and if we should be able somehow to steal this woman away from the land, tell them to keep good watch so that we may share the luck and escape, if we can, from the barbarians.
740

Messenger

It shall be done, lord. Now indeed I see how worthless

the seers’ doings are, and how full of falsehood; there was no health in the blaze of sacrifice after all, or in the cry of winged birds; even to think that birds can help mankind is certainly foolish. For Calchas gave no word or sign to the army,
745

when he saw his friends dying on behalf of a cloud, nor did Helenos; but the city was taken by storm in vain. You might say: because the god did not want them to? Then why do we consult prophets? We ought to sacrifice to the gods and ask a blessing, but leave divination alone;
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for this was invented otherwise, as a bait for a livelihood, and no man grows rich by sacrifices if he is idle. But sound judgment and discernment are the best of seers. Exit Messenger.
755

Helen (OCR draft) Experimental (Helen. 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, 1845; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (Euripides. Deutsch in den Versmaßen der Urschrift. Volume 2, Heidelberg: C. F. Winter, 1845. 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.) — 734 focus

Wohlan, o Greis! Viel Mühen hast du, neben mir

Im Kampfe stehend, ausgeduldet mir zulieb;

Und jezo nimm auch deinen Theil an meinem Glück.

Geh hin und melde, was du sahst, den Freunden, die

Zurickgeblieben, melde, was mit uns geschah,
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Und heiß' am Strand sie bleiben, daß sie meinen Kampf

Abwarten dort, der, wie wir ahnen, unser harrt,

Und spåhen, wie wir unverlezt aus diesem Land

Heimsegeln, daß wir, frohvereint zu gleichem Gluck,

Dem wilden Volk entfliehen, wenn's uns möglich ist.
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Der Bote.

So sei's, o König! Aber, traun, Weissagungen

Sind eitel alle, seh' ich, und der Lügen voll.

Nichts also magst du lernen aus der Flamme Glut,

Nichts aus der Vogel Gauten. Thorheit ist es, nur

zu wähnen, Vögel schafften Rath den Sterblichen.
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Nie sagte Kalchas, oder riefs dem Heere zu:

„Für eine Wolke sterben seh' ich Hellas' Volk."

Nie wahrlich! Fruchtlos ward die Troërstadt zerstört.

Du sagst: er schwieg wohl, weil der Gott es ihm gebot.

Was fragt ihr dann die Seher? Fleht die Götter an
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Um Heil und opfert, doch die Kunst der Seher laßt!

Denn diese ward als eitler Köder nur erdacht,

Und durch der Flamme Zeichen ward kein Träger reich:

Der beste Scher ist der Geist, ist kluger Sinn.

Euripides Helen 734

ed. Gilbert Murray

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