Euripides, Bacchae, ed. Gilbert Murray, 977

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Χορός

ἴτε θοαὶ Λύσσας κύνες ἴτʼ εἰς ὄρος,

θίασον ἔνθʼ ἔχουσι Κάδμου κόραι,

ἀνοιστρήσατέ νιν

ἐπὶ τὸν ἐν γυναικομίμῳ στολᾷ
980

λυσσώδη κατάσκοπον μαινάδων.

μάτηρ πρῶτά νιν λευρᾶς ἀπὸ πέτρας

ἢ σκόλοπος ὄψεται

δοκεύοντα, μαινάσιν δʼ ἀπύσει·

Τίς ὅδʼ ὀρειδρόμων
985

μαστὴρ Καδμείων ἐς ὄρος ἐς ὄρος ἔμολʼ

ἔμολεν, ὦ βάκχαι; τίς ἄρα νιν ἔτεκεν;

οὐ γὰρ ἐξ αἵματος

γυναικῶν ἔφυ, λεαίνας δέ τινος

ὅδʼ ἢ Γοργόνων Λιβυσσᾶν γένος.
990

ἴτω δίκα φανερός, ἴτω ξιφηφόρος

φονεύουσα λαιμῶν διαμπὰξ

τὸν ἄθεον ἄνομον ἄδικον Ἐχίονος
995

γόνον γηγενῆ.

Bacchae. Euripides. ed. Gilbert Murray. Oxford. 1913.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.

Current edition Perseus

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

Translations (3)

The Bacchae Perseus (Euripides. The Tragedies of Euripides. Vol. I. Buckley, Theodore Alois, translator. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1850. (Modernized by Perseus.)) — 977 focus

Chorus

Go to the mountain, go, fleet hounds of Madness, where the daughters of Kadmos hold their company, and drive them raving

against the mad spy on the Maenads, the one dressed in women’s attire. His mother will be the first to see him from a smooth rock or crag, as he lies in ambush, and she will cry out to the maenads:
980

Who is this seeker of the mountain-going Kadmeans who has come to the mountain, to the mountain, Bacchae? Who bore him? For he was not born from a woman’s blood, but is the offspring of some lioness
985

or of Libyan Gorgons. Let manifest justice go forth, let it go with sword in hand, slaying through the throat
990

this godless, lawless, unjust, earth-born offspring of Echion.
995

The Bacchae (OCR draft) Experimental (The Bacchae. 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.) — 977 focus

Hinauf, schnelle Hunde der Wuth, auf zum Berg,¹

Wo sich im Tanze Kadmos' Jungfraun ergehn!

Hinauf, stachelt sie

Wider den Wahnsinntrunkenen, der Bacchos' Fest

Auszuspåhn, im Fraungewand hinauszog!
880

Zuerst wird die Mutter ihn von dem glatten Fels

Oder vom Baume schaun,

Wenn er umherspåht; dann ruft sie den Frauen zu:

,,Welcher Kadmeier kommt hier in so raschem Lauf,

Spåhend, zum Berg, zum Berg? Sagt, o Bacchantinnen,
885

Wer war seine Mutter? Nicht von Frauenblut

Stammt er; ihn gebar

Eine Löwin, oder ist er

Libyscher Gorgonen Geschlecht."

Erschein', o Recht, erscheine, schwertbewehrtes Recht!
890

Ermord' ihn, durchstoß' ihm die Kehle, dem

Gottlos, gesezlos, rechtlos frevelnden,

Echions erdentsproßnem Sohn,

Gegenstrophe.

Euripides Bacchae 977

ed. Gilbert Murray

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