Euripides, Rhesus, ed. Gilbert Murray, 754

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Χορός

τάδʼ οὐκ ἐν αἰνιγμοῖσι σημαίνει κακά·

σαφῶς γὰρ αὐδᾷ συμμάχους ὀλωλότας.
755

Ἡνίοχος

κακῶς πέπρακται κἀπὶ τοῖς κακοῖσι πρὸς

αἴσχιστα· καίτοι δὶς τόσον κακὸν τόδε·

θανεῖν γὰρ εὐκλεῶς μέν, εἰ θανεῖν χρεών,

λυπρὸν μὲν οἶμαι τῷ θανόντι — πῶς γὰρ οὔ; —

τοῖς ζῶσι δʼ ὄγκος καὶ δόμων εὐδοξία.
760

ἡμεῖς δʼ ἀβούλως κἀκλεῶς ὀλώλαμεν.

ἐπεὶ γὰρ ἡμᾶς ηὔνασʼ Ἑκτόρεια χείρ,

ξύνθημα λέξας, ηὕδομεν πεδοστιβεῖ

κόπῳ δαμέντες, οὐδʼ ἐφρουρεῖτο στρατὸς

φυλακαῖσι νυκτέροισιν, οὐδʼ ἐν τάξεσιν
765

ἔκειτο τεύχη, πλῆκτρά τʼ οὐκ ἐπὶ ζυγοῖς

ἵππων καθήρμοσθʼ, ὡς ἄναξ ἐπεύθετο

κρατοῦντας ὑμᾶς κἀφεδρεύοντας νεῶν

πρύμναισι· φαύλως δʼ ηὕδομεν πεπτωκότες.

κἀγὼ μελούσῃ καρδίᾳ λήξας ὕπνου
770

πώλοισι χόρτον, προσδοκῶν ἑωθινὴν

ζεύξειν ἐς ἀλκήν, ἀφθόνῳ μετρῶ χερί.

λεύσσω δὲ φῶτε περιπολοῦνθʼ ἡμῶν στρατὸν

πυκνῆς διʼ ὄρφνης· ὡς δʼ ἐκινήθην ἐγώ,

ἐπτηξάτην τε κἀνεχωρείτην πάλιν·
775

ἤπυσα δʼ αὐτοῖς μὴ πελάζεσθαι στρατῷ,

κλῶπας δοκήσας συμμάχων πλάθειν τινάς.

οἳ δʼ οὐδέν· οὐ μὴν οὐδʼ ἐγὼ τὰ πλείονα.

ηὗδον δʼ ἀπελθὼν αὖθις ἐς κοίτην πάλιν.

Rhesus. Euripides. ed. Gilbert Murray. Oxford. 1913.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.

Current edition Perseus

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

Translations (3)

Rhesus Perseus (Euripides. The Plays of Euripides, Vol. I. Coleridge, Edward P., translator. London: George Bell and Sons, 1906. (Modernized by Perseus.)) — 754 focus

Chorus Leader

He does not declare the disaster in riddles;

no, he clearly asserts our allies’ destruction.
755

Charioteer

A sorry deed it was, and more than that a deed most shameful; yes, it is an evil doubly bad; to die with glory, if die one must, is bitterness enough I think to him who dies—how not?—

though to the living it may add dignity and honor for their house. But we have died foolishly and without glory. No sooner had great Hector given us our quarters and told us the password than we lay down to sleep upon the ground, overcome by weariness. No guard our army set
760

to watch by night, nor were our arms set in array, nor were the whips hung ready on the horses’ yokes, for our prince was told that you were masters now, and had encamped hard on their ships; so carelessly we threw ourselves down to sleep.
765

Now I with thoughtful mind awoke from my slumber, and with ungrudging hand measured out the horses’ feed, expecting to harness them at dawn for the fray; through the thick gloom two men I see roaming around our army. But when I roused myself
770

they crouched low and were gone once more; and I called out to them to keep away from the army, for I thought they might be thieves from our allies. Nothing from them, so I too said no more, but came back to my couch and slept again.
775

Rhesus Perseus (Euripides. The Rhesus of Euripides. Murray, Gilbert, translator. London: George Allen and Company, Ltd., 1913.) — 754 focus

LEADER.

This needs no surmise: ’tis disaster plain

That comes. He speaketh of some ally slain.
755

THRACIAN.¹

Disaster, yea: and with disaster shame,

Which lights Disaster to a twofold flame

Of evil. For to die in soldier’s wise,

Since die we needs must . . . though the man who dies

Hath pain . . . to all his house ’tis praise and pride;
760

But we, like laggards and like fools we died!

When Hector’s hand had showed us where to rest

And told the watchword, down we lay, oppressed

With weariness of that long march, and slept

Just as we fell. No further watch was kept,
765

Our arms not laid beside us; by the horse

No yoke nor harness ordered. Hector’s force

Had victory, so my master heard, and lay

Secure, just waiting for the dawn of day

To attack. So thought we all, and our lines broke
770

And slept. After a little time I woke,

Thinking about my horses, that the morn

Must see them yoked for war. I found the corn

And gave them plenteously. Then in the deep

Shadow I saw two men who seemed to creep

Close by our line, but swiftly, as I stirred,

Crouched and were seeking to make off unheard.
775

I shouted then, and bade them keep away:

Two thieves, I thought, from the great host that lay

Round us. They never answered, and, for me,

I said no more but turned and presently

Rhesus (OCR draft) Experimental (Rhesus. Robert Potter's English verse translation, first published in 1781–1783; text from the 1808 Oxford printing.)

No corresponding passage available

Euripides Rhesus 754

ed. Gilbert Murray

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Χορός

τάδʼ οὐκ ἐν αἰνιγμοῖσι σημαίνει κακά·

σαφῶς γὰρ αὐδᾷ συμμάχους ὀλωλότας.
755

Current edition Perseus

Chorus Leader

He does not declare the disaster in riddles;

no, he clearly asserts our allies’ destruction.
755

LEADER.

This needs no surmise: ’tis disaster plain

That comes. He speaketh of some ally slain.
755

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Χορός τάδʼ οὐκ ἐν αἰνιγμοῖσι σημαίνει κακά· σαφῶς γὰρ αὐδᾷ συμμάχους ὀλωλότας. 755

Current edition Perseus

Chorus Leader He does not declare the disaster in riddles; no, he clearly asserts our allies’ destruction. 755

LEADER. This needs no surmise: ’tis disaster plain That comes. He speaketh of some ally slain. 755

Stable identifiers

Χορός

τάδʼ οὐκ ἐν αἰνιγμοῖσι σημαίνει κακά·

σαφῶς γὰρ αὐδᾷ συμμάχους ὀλωλότας.
755

Chorus Leader

He does not declare the disaster in riddles;

no, he clearly asserts our allies’ destruction.
755

LEADER.

This needs no surmise: ’tis disaster plain

That comes. He speaketh of some ally slain.
755