Euripides, The Phoenician Women, ed. Gilbert Murray, 1427

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Ἄγγελος

ἄκουε δή νυν καὶ τὰ πρὸς τούτοις κακά.

ἐπεὶ τέκνω πεσόντʼ ἐλειπέτην βίον,

ἐν τῷδε μήτηρ ἡ τάλαινα προσπίτνει

σὺν παρθένῳ τε καὶ προθυμίᾳ ποδός.
1430

τετρωμένους δʼ ἰδοῦσα καιρίους σφαγὰς

ᾤμωξεν· ὦ τέκνʼ, ὑστέρα βοηδρόμος

πάρειμι. προσπίτνουσα δʼ ἐν μέρει τέκνα

ἔκλαιʼ, ἐθρήνει, τὸν πολὺν μαστῶν πόνον

στένουσʼ, ἀδελφή θʼ ἡ παρασπίζουσʼ ὁμοῦ·
1435

ὦ γηροβοσκὼ μητρός, ὦ γάμους ἐμοὺς

προδόντʼ ἀδελφὼ φιλτάτω. στέρνων δʼ ἄπο

φύσημʼ ἀνεὶς δύσθνητον Ἐτεοκλῆς ἄναξ

ἤκουσε μητρός, κἀπιθεὶς ὑγρὰν χέρα

φωνὴν μὲν οὐκ ἀφῆκεν, ὀμμάτων δʼ ἄπο
1440

προσεῖπε δακρύοις, ὥστε σημῆναι φίλα.

ὃ δʼ ἦν ἔτʼ ἔμπνους, πρὸς κασιγνήτην δʼ ἰδὼν

γραῖάν τε μητέρʼ εἶπε Πολυνείκης τάδε·

Ἀπωλόμεσθα, μῆτερ· οἰκτίρω δὲ σὲ

καὶ τήνδʼ ἀδελφὴν καὶ κασίγνητον νεκρόν.
1445

φίλος γὰρ ἐχθρὸς ἐγένετʼ, ἀλλʼ ὅμως φίλος.

θάψον δέ μʼ, ὦ τεκοῦσα, καὶ σύ, σύγγονε,

ἐν γῇ πατρῴᾳ, καὶ πόλιν θυμουμένην

παρηγορεῖτον, ὡς τοσόνδε γοῦν τύχω

χθονὸς πατρῴας, κεἰ δόμους ἀπώλεσα.
1450

ξυνάρμοσον δὲ βλέφαρά μου τῇ σῇ χερί,

μῆτερ — τίθησι δʼ αὐτὸς ὀμμάτων ἔπι —

καὶ χαίρετʼ· ἤδη γάρ με περιβάλλει σκότος.

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

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.

Current edition Perseus

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

Translations (3)

The Phoenician Maidens Perseus (Euripides. The Plays of Euripides, Vol. II. Coleridge, Edward P., translator. London: George Bell and Sons, 1891. (Modernized by Perseus.)) — 1427 focus

Messenger

Now hear what further woes succeeded. Just as her two sons had fallen and lay dying, their wretched mother came on the scene,

her daughter with her, in great haste. When she saw their mortal wounds, she wailed: O my sons, the help I bring is too late. And throwing herself on each in turn she wept and mourned, sorrowing over all her toil in nursing them, and their sister, by her side, mourned also:
1430

Supporters of your mother’ s age, dearest brothers, leaving me forlorn, unwed! Then lord Eteocles with one deep dying gasp, hearing his mother, laid on her his clammy hand,
1435

and though he could not say a word, his moistened eye was eloquent to prove his love. And Polyneices was still breathing, and seeing his sister and his old mother he said: Mother, our end has come; I pity you
1440

and my sister Antigone and my dead brother. For I loved him though he became my enemy, I loved him in spite of all. Bury me, mother, and you, my sister, in my native land; pacify the city’s wrath that l may get at least that much
1445

of my own fatherland, although I lost my home. With your hand, mother, close my eyes—he himself places her fingers on the lids—and farewell; for already the darkness wraps me round.
1450

The Phoenician Virgins (OCR draft) Experimental (The Phoenician Virgins. 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, 1841; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (Euripides. Deutsch in den Versmaßen der Urschrift. Volume 1, Heidelberg: C. F. Winter, 1841. 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.) — 1427 focus

Nun hore, was sich Böses außerdem begab.

Nachdem die Brüder fallend ihren Geist verhaucht,

Da kommt die arme Mutter schon herbeigestürzt,

Erblickt die Beiden, welche traf der Todesstoß,
1410

Und seufzt: „o Kinder, ach, zu spåt erschein' ich euch

Zur Hülfe;" - kniet zu diesem, kniet zu jenem hin,

Und weint, beklagt sie, die so muhvoll.sie gesäugt,

Und jammert; ihr zur Seite stohnt Antigone:

Schuz der greisen Mutter! Ihr vereiteltet,
1415

Brüder, meinen Ehebund!" Aus tiefer Brust

Seufzt Eteokles schmerzlich auf, der Heeresfürst;

Er hört die Mutter, streckt nach ihr die schwache Hand;

Kein Laut entfsloh ihm, aber stumm verkündeten

Die Thränen seines Auges ihr der Liebe Gruß.
1420

Der Andre, Polyneikes, athmet noch, und spricht,

Zur Schwester und der greisen Mutter hingewandt:

„Verloren sind wir, Mutter; ich beklage dich

Und hier die Schwester und den todten Bruder dort.

Er ward, ein Freund, zum Feinde; dennoch lieb' ich ihn.
1425

Bestatte mich, o Mutter, und, o Schwester, du,

Im Schooß des Heimatlandes, und versöhnt die Stadt,

Die schweren Groll hegt, daß ich so viel Erde nur

Von ihr erlange, wenn ich auch den Thron verlor.

Mit deinen Hånden drücke mir die Augen zu,
1430

Mutter: (und er legt sie selbst auf sein Gesicht)

Nun lebet wohl mir; schon umhüllt mich Todesnacht."

Euripides The Phoenician Women 1427

ed. Gilbert Murray

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