Euripides, Iphigenia in Aulis, ed. Gilbert Murray, 0

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Ἀγαμέμνων
²

Ἐγένοντο Λήδᾳ Θεστιάδι τρεῖς παρθένοι,

Φοίβη Κλυταιμήστρα τʼ, ἐμὴ ξυνάορος,
50

Ἑλένη τε· ταύτης οἱ τὰ πρῶτʼ ὠλβισμένοι

μνηστῆρες ἦλθον Ἑλλάδος νεανίαι.

δειναὶ δʼ ἀπειλαὶ καὶ κατʼ ἀλλήλων φόνος

ξυνίσταθʼ, ὅστις μὴ λάβοι τὴν παρθένον.

τὸ πρᾶγμα δʼ ἀπόρως εἶχε Τυνδάρεῳ πατρί,
55

δοῦναί τε μὴ δοῦναί τε, τῆς τύχης ὅπως

ἅψαιτʼ ἄριστα. καί νιν εἰσῆλθεν τάδε·

ὅρκους συνάψαι δεξιάς τε συμβαλεῖν

μνηστῆρας ἀλλήλοισι καὶ διʼ ἐμπύρων

σπονδὰς καθεῖναι κἀπαράσασθαι τάδε·
60

ὅτου γυνὴ γένοιτο Τυνδαρὶς κόρη,

τούτῳ ξυναμυνεῖν, εἴ τις ἐκ δόμων λαβὼν

οἴχοιτο τόν τʼ ἔχοντʼ ἀπωθοίη λέχους,

κἀπιστρατεύσειν καὶ κατασκάψειν πόλιν

Ἕλληνʼ ὁμοίως βάρβαρόν θʼ ὅπλων μέτα.
65

ἐπεὶ δʼ ἐπιστώθησαν — εὖ δέ πως γέρων

ὑπῆλθεν αὐτοὺς Τυνδάρεως πυκνῇ φρενί —

δίδωσʼ ἑλέσθαι θυγατρὶ μνηστήρων ἕνα,

ὅτου πνοαὶ φέροιεν Ἀφροδίτης φίλαι.

ἣ δʼ εἵλεθʼ, ὅς σφε μήποτʼ ὤφελεν λαβεῖν,
70

Μενέλαον. ἐλθὼν δʼ ἐκ Φρυγῶν ὁ τὰς θεὰς

κρίνων ὅδʼ, ὡς ὁ μῦθος Ἀργείων ἔχει,

Λακεδαίμονʼ, ἀνθηρὸς μὲν εἱμάτων στολῇ

χρυσῷ δὲ λαμπρός, βαρβάρῳ χλιδήματι,

ἐρῶν ἐρῶσαν ᾤχετʼ ἐξαναρπάσας
75

Ἑλένην πρὸς Ἴδης βούσταθμʼ, ἔκδημον λαβὼν

Μενέλαον. ὃ δὲ καθʼ Ἑλλάδʼ οἰστρήσας δρόμῳ

ὅρκους παλαιοὺς Τυνδάρεω μαρτύρεται,

ὡς χρὴ βοηθεῖν τοῖσιν ἠδικημένοις.

Iphigenia in Aulis. Euripides. ed. Gilbert Murray. Oxford. 1913.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.

Current edition Perseus

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

Translations (3)

Iphigenia at Aulis Perseus (Euripides. The Plays of Euripides, Vol. II. Coleridge, Edward P., translator. London: George Bell and Sons, 1891. (Modernized by Perseus.)) — 0 focus

Agamemnon
Scene. — The sea-coast at Aulis.²

Leda, the daughter of Thestius, had three children, maidens,

Phoebe, Clytemnestra my wife, and Helen; the foremost of the favored sons of Hellas came to woo Helen; but terrible threats of spilling his rival’s blood were uttered by each of them, if he should fail to win the girl.
50

Now the matter filled Tyndareus, her father, with perplexity, whether to give her or not, how he might best succeed. This thought occurred to him: the suitors should swear to each other and join right hands and pour libations
55

with burnt-sacrifice, binding themselves by this curse: whoever wins the child of Tyndareus for wife, they will assist that man, in case a rival takes her from his house and goes his way, robbing her husband of his rights; and march against that man in armed array and raze his city to the ground,
60

Hellene no less than barbarian.
65

Now when they had once pledged their word and old Tyndareus with no small cleverness had beguiled them by his shrewd device, he allowed his daughter to choose from among her suitors the one towards whom³ the sweet breezes of Aphrodite might carry her.

Her choice fell on Menelaus; would she had never taken him! Then there came to Lacedaemon from the Phrygians the man who, Argive legend says, judged the goddesses’ dispute; in robes of gorgeous hue, ablaze with gold, in true barbaric pomp;
70

and he, finding Menelaus gone from home, carried Helen off, in mutual desire, to his steading on Ida. Goaded to frenzy, Menelaus flew through Hellas , invoking the ancient oath exacted by Tyndareus and declaring the duty of helping the injured husband.
75

Iphigenia in Aulis (OCR draft) Experimental (Iphigenia in Aulis. 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.) — 0 focus

Der Leda, Thestios' edlem Kind, entsproßen drei

Jungfrauen, Phobe, Klytemnestra, mein Gemahl,

Und Helena. Um diese werbend, fanden sich
50

Die reichsten Fürstensohne rings aus Hellas ein.

Und grause Drohung wurde laut, und Jeder schwur

Den Tod dem Andern, führ' er nicht das Mädchen heim.

In bangen Zweifeln schwebte da Tyndareos,¹

Sollt' er sie geben oder nicht, um ungekränkt
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Das Glück zu fesseln. Und er sann dies endlich aus:²

Die Freier alle sollten sich durch hohen Schwur,

Durch treuen Handschlag binden, und in heil'ge Glut

Trankopfer gießen unter Fluchbetheurungen:

Vereint zu helfen jenem, der sich Helena
60

Erringe, raubt' ihm Einer sie vom Hause weg,

Vom Lager ihn vertreibend, der die Braut gewann,

Und wider den gewaffnet auszuziehn, und ihm

Die Stadt zu schleifen, ob hellenisch oder fremd.

Nachdem sie das verheißen und Tyndareos,
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Der Greis, die Werber wohl beruckt mit schlauem Sinn;

Låßt er die Tochter wählen aus der Freier Zahl,

Zu wem der Liebe süßer Hauch hinneig' ihr Herz.

Sie wählt o daß er nimmermehr sie heimgefuhrt! -

Menelaos. Nun kam Troja's Sohn, er, jener drei³
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Göttinnen Richter, wie der Menschen Sage spricht,

Nach Lakedamon, bluhend in der Gewande Pracht,

Von lauterm Golde blizend, im Barbarenprunk,

Und raubte liebend Helena, die liebende,

Nach Ida's Rindertriften fort; Menelaos war⁴
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Auswärts. Verlassen stürmte der durch Hellas nun,

Und rief der Fürsten alte Schwür' an Tyndareus

Heraus, dem Schwergekränkten treu Beistand zu leihn.

Notes on the current edition

Iphigenia in Aulis

τὰ τοῦ δράματος πρόσωπα

Ἀγαμέμνων

Πρεσβύτης

Χορός

Μενέλαος

Ἄγγελος αʹ

Κλυταιμήστρα

Ἰφιγένεια

Ἀχιλλεύς

Ἄγγελος βʹ

2. This edition starts with the traditional line 49. Traditional line 1 appears following line 114. Regular numbering resumes at line 115.

Euripides Iphigenia in Aulis 0

ed. Gilbert Murray

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