Euripides The Phoenician Women 1454

ed. Gilbert Murray

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ἄμφω δʼ ἅμʼ ἐξέπνευσαν ἄθλιον βίον.
μήτηρ δʼ, ὅπως ἐσεῖδε τήνδε συμφοράν,
1455
ὑπερπαθήσασʼ, ἥρπασʼ ἐκ νεκρῶν ξίφος
κἄπραξε δεινά· διὰ μέσου γὰρ αὐχένος
ὠθεῖ σίδηρον, ἐν δὲ τοῖσι φιλτάτοις
θανοῦσα κεῖται περιβαλοῦσʼ ἀμφοῖν χέρας.
ἀνῇξε δʼ ὀρθὸς λαὸς εἰς ἔριν λόγων,
1460
ἡμεῖς μὲν ὡς νικῶντα δεσπότην ἐμόν,
οἳ δʼ ὡς ἐκεῖνον. ἦν δʼ ἔρις στρατηλάταις,
οἳ μὲν πατάξαι πρόσθε Πολυνείκη δορί,
οἳ δʼ ὡς θανόντων οὐδαμοῦ νίκη πέλοι.
κἀν τῷδʼ ὑπεξῆλθʼ Ἀντιγόνη στρατοῦ δίχα.
1465
οἳ δʼ εἰς ὅπλʼ ᾖσσον· εὖ δέ πως προμηθίᾳ
καθῆστο Κάδμου λαὸς ἀσπίδων ἔπι·
κἄφθημεν οὔπω τεύχεσιν πεφραγμένον
Ἀργεῖον ἐσπεσόντες ἐξαίφνης στρατόν.
κοὐδεὶς ὑπέστη, πεδία δʼ ἐξεπίμπλασαν
1470
φεύγοντες, ἔρρει δʼ αἷμα μυρίων νεκρῶν
λόγχαις πιτνόντων. ὡς δʼ ἐνικῶμεν μάχῃ,
οἳ μὲν Διὸς τροπαῖον ἵστασαν βρέτας,
οἳ δʼ ἀσπίδας συλῶντες Ἀργείων νεκρῶν
σκυλεύματʼ εἴσω τειχέων ἐπέμπομεν.
1475
ἄλλοι δὲ τοὺς θανόντας Ἀντιγόνης μέτα
νεκροὺς φέρουσιν ἐνθάδʼ οἰκτίσαι φίλοις.
πόλει δʼ ἀγῶνες οἳ μὲν εὐτυχέστατοι
τῇδʼ ἐξέβησαν, οἳ δὲ δυστυχέστατοι.

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.)) — 1454 focus
So both at once breathed out their life of sorrow.
But when their mother saw this sad event, in her overmastering grief she snatched a sword from the dead, and did a fearful deed; for she drove the steel right through her throat, and there she lies, dead with those she loved so well, her arms thrown round them both.
1455
The army sprang to their feet and fell to wrangling, we maintaining that victory rested with my master, they with theirs; and there was strife among the generals, some holding that Polyneices gave the first wound with his spear, others that, as both were dead, victory rested with neither.
1460
Meanwhile Antigone crept away from the army. They rushed to their weapons, but by some lucky forethought the people of Cadmus had sat down under arms; and by a sudden attack we surprised the Argive army before it was fully equipped.
1465
Not one withstood our onset, and they filled the plain with fugitives, while blood was streaming from the countless dead our spears had slain. When victory had crowned our warfare, some set up an image of Zeus as a trophy, others were stripping the Argive dead of their shields
1470
and sending their spoils inside the battlements; and others with Antigone are bringing the dead here for their friends to mourn. So for the city, the result of this struggle hovers between the two extremes of good and evil fortune. Exit Messenger.
1475
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.) — 1454 focus
So hauchten beid' ihr jammervolles Leben aus.
Die Mutter, als sie dieses Unheilvolle sah,
Riß aus der Leiche sich das Schwert in wildem Schmerz,
1435
Und that das Grause: mitten durch die Kehle stoßt
Sie sich das Eisen, und zu ihren Theuersten,
Die Arm' um beide schlingend, sank sie todt dahin.
Zu Wortgefechten stürmt' empor die Menge nun;
Wir meinten, unser König sei der Siegende,
1440
Die Feinde, Jener. Auch die Führer haderten;
Die sagten: Polyneikes' Lanze traf zuerst;
Und Andre: niemals fällt der Sieg den Todten zu.
Zu den Waffen stürzt man: aber wohl vorsichtig war,
Die Schild' am Arme, Kadmos' Volk gelagert schon;
1445
Und eh sich Argos Kriegerheer mit Rüstungen
Bewehrte, brach es plozlich auf die Schaaren ein.
Und Keiner übte Widerstand, sie floh'n, das Feld
Erfüllend; endlos strömte Blut von Todten, die
Gefällt die Lanze. Da wir so gesiegt im Kampf,
1450
Erhdhten Diese für den Zeus ein Siegesmal,
Wir andern raubten Schilde von den erschlagenen
Argeiern, stadtwärts sendend, was erbeutet ward.
Die Todten bringen Andere mit Antigone,
Daß ihr, die Freunde, sie beklagt, hieher zu euch.
1455
So haben unsre Kämpfe dort den glücklichsten
Ausgang erfahren, hier den unglückseligsten.