Euripides, Rhesus, ed. Gilbert Murray, 780

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καί μοι καθʼ ὕπνον δόξα τις παρίσταται·
780

ἵππους γὰρ ἃς ἔθρεψα κἀδιφρηλάτουν

Ῥήσῳ παρεστώς, εἶδον, ὡς ὄναρ δοκῶν,

λύκους ἐπεμβεβῶτας ἑδραίαν ῥάχιν·

θείνοντε δʼ οὐρᾷ πωλικῆς ῥινοῦ τρίχα

ἤλαυνον, αἳ δʼ ἔρρεγκον ἐξ ἀντηρίδων
785

θυμὸν πνέουσαι κἀνεχαίτιζον φόβῳ.

ἐγὼ δʼ ἀμύνων θῆρας ἐξεγείρομαι

πώλοισιν· ἔννυχος γὰρ ἐξώρμα φόβος.

κλύω δʼ ἐπάρας κρᾶτα μυχθισμὸν νεκρῶν.

θερμὸς δὲ κρουνὸς δεσπότου πάρα σφαγαῖς
790

βάλλει με δυσθνῄσκοντος αἵματος νέου.

ὀρθὸς δʼ ἀνᾴσσω χειρὶ σὺν κενῇ δορός.

καί μʼ ἔγχος αὐγάζοντα καὶ θηρώμενον

παίει παραστὰς νεῖραν ἐς πλευρὰν ξίφει

ἀνὴρ ἀκμάζων· φασγάνου γὰρ ᾐσθόμην
795

πληγῆς, βαθεῖαν ἄλοκα τραύματος λαβών.

πίπτω δὲ πρηνής· οἳ δʼ ὄχημα πωλικὸν

λαβόντες ἵππων ἵεσαν φυγῇ πόδα.

ἆ ἆ.

ὀδύνη με τείρει, κοὐκέτʼ ὀρθοῦμαι τάλας.

καὶ ξυμφορὰν μὲν οἶδʼ ὁρῶν, τρόπῳ δʼ ὅτῳ
800

τεθνᾶσιν οἱ θανόντες οὐκ ἔχω φράσαι,

οὐδʼ ἐξ ὁποίας χειρός. εἰκάσαι δέ μοι

πάρεστι λυπρὰ πρὸς φίλων πεπονθέναι.

Χορός

ἡνίοχε Θρῃκὸς τοῦ κακῶς πεπραγότος,

μηδὲν δυσοίζου· πολέμιοι ῎δρασαν τάδε.
805

Ἕκτωρ δὲ καὐτὸς συμφορᾶς πεπυσμένος

χωρεῖ· συναλγεῖ δʼ, ὡς ἔοικε, σοῖς κακοῖς.

Ἕκτωρ

πῶς, ὦ μέγιστα πήματʼ ἐξειργασμένοι,

μολόντες ὑμᾶς πολεμίων κατάσκοποι

λήθουσιν αἰσχρῶς, καὶ κατεσφάγη στρατός,
810

κοὔτʼ εἰσιόντας στρατόπεδʼ ἐξαπώσατε

οὔτʼ ἐξιόντας; τῶνδε τίς τείσει δίκην

πλὴν σοῦ; σὲ γὰρ δὴ φύλακά φημʼ εἶναι στρατοῦ.

φροῦδοι δʼ ἄπληκτοι, τῇ Φρυγῶν κακανδρίᾳ

πόλλʼ ἐγγελῶντες τῷ στρατηλάτῃ τʼ ἐμοί.
815

εὖ νυν τόδʼ ἴστε — Ζεὺς ὀμώμοται πατήρ —

ἤτοι μάραγνά γʼ ἢ καρανιστὴς μόρος

μένει σε δρῶντα τοιάδʼ, ἢ τὸν Ἕκτορα

τὸ μηδὲν εἶναι καὶ κακὸν νομίζετε.

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.)) — 780 focus

And as I slept a strange fancy came over me: those horses that I had reared and used to drive, stationed at Rhesus’ side, I saw, I thought as in a dream, with wolves mounted on their backs; and these with their tails lashed the horses’ flanks
780

and urged them on, while they snorted and breathed fury from their nostrils, striving in terror to unseat their riders. Up I sprang to defend the horses from the brutes, for the horror of the night scared me. Then as I raised my head I heard the groans of dying men,
785

and a warm stream of new-shed blood bespattered me, beside my murdered master as he died. To my feet I start, but all unarmed; and as I peer about and grope to find my sword, a stalwart hand from somewhere near struck me with a sword
790

beneath the ribs. I felt the sword-thrust, the deep gaping wound it gave me. Down on my face I fell, while they fled clean away with horses and chariot. Oh, oh! Tortured with pain, too weak to stand, a piteous object!
795

I know what happened, for I saw it; but how the victims met their death I cannot say, nor at whose hand. But I can well surmise we have our friends to thank for this grief.
800

Chorus Leader

Charioteer of Thrace ’s hapless king,

do not suspect us. Enemies did this. But Hector himself is here, having learned your mischance; he sympathizes as he should with your hard fate.
805

Hector

You who have caused this great calamity, how did the enemy’s spies come

without your knowledge, to your shame, and spread destruction through the army, and you did not drive them away either as they entered or left the camp? Who but you shall pay the penalty for this? You, I say, were here to guard the army. But they are gone without a wound, with many a scoff
810

at Phrygian cowardice, and at me their leader. Now mark you this—by father Zeus I swear—either the scourge or the headsman’s axe awaits you for such conduct; or else consider Hector to be nothing, a mere coward.
815

Rhesus Perseus (Euripides. The Rhesus of Euripides. Murray, Gilbert, translator. London: George Allen and Company, Ltd., 1913.) — 780 focus

Was sleeping. In my sleep there came a dream.
780

I seemed to see the horses—mine own team

I had trained long since and drove at Rhesus’ side—

But wolves were on their backs, wolves, couched astride,

Who drove and scourged; I saw the horses rear

And stagger with wide nostrils, stiff with fear,
785

And, starting up to drive the beasts away,

I woke.—A terror of great darkness lay

About me, but I lifted up my head

And listened. There was moaning, like the dead

That moan at night, and over me there flowed,
790

So soft, so warm—it was my master’s blood,

Who writhed beside me, dying! With a bound

I sprang up, empty-handed, groping round

For spear or sword, when, lo, a young strong man

Was close to me and slashed, and the sword ran
795

Deep through my flank. I felt its passage well,

So deep, so wide, so spreading . . . then I fell.

And they, they got the bridles in their hand

And fled .... Ah! Ah! This pain. I cannot stand.

The Guards catch him as he reels, and lay him on the ground.

I know, I saw, thus much. But why or how
800

Those dead men went to death I cannot know,

Nor by whose work. But this I say; God send

’Tis not foul wrong wrought on us by a friend.

LEADER.

Good charioteer of that ill-fortuned king,

Suspect us not. ’Tis Greeks have done this thing.
805

But yonder Hector comes. He hath been shown

The foul deed, and thy sorrows are his own.

Enter HECTOR in wrath, with a band of Guards.

HECTOR.

Ye workers of amazement! Have your eyes

No sight? Ye watch and let these Argive spies

Pass—and our friends are butchered in their sleep—¹
810

And then pass back unwounded, laughing deep

Amid the galleys at the news they bring

Of Trojan sluggards and the fool their king?

Great God, ye never baulked them as they came,

Nor smote them as they went!

His eye falls on the CAPTAIN.

Who bears the blame

Of this but thou? Thou wast the watcher set

To guard this host till morn. I tell thee yet
815

For this deed—I have sworn by Zeus our Lord !—

The scourge of torment or the headsman’s sword

Awaits thee. Else, be Hector in your thought

Writ down a babbler and a man of nought.

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 780

ed. Gilbert Murray

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Current edition Perseus

Chorus Leader

Charioteer of Thrace ’s hapless king,

do not suspect us. Enemies did this. But Hector himself is here, having learned your mischance; he sympathizes as he should with your hard fate.
805

LEADER.

Good charioteer of that ill-fortuned king,

Suspect us not. ’Tis Greeks have done this thing.
805

But yonder Hector comes. He hath been shown

The foul deed, and thy sorrows are his own.

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Current edition Perseus

Chorus Leader Charioteer of Thrace ’s hapless king, do not suspect us. Enemies did this. But Hector himself is here, having learned your mischance; he sympathizes as he should with your hard fate. 805

LEADER. Good charioteer of that ill-fortuned king, Suspect us not. ’Tis Greeks have done this thing. 805 But yonder Hector comes. He hath been shown The foul deed, and thy sorrows are his own.

Stable identifiers

Chorus Leader

Charioteer of Thrace ’s hapless king,

do not suspect us. Enemies did this. But Hector himself is here, having learned your mischance; he sympathizes as he should with your hard fate.
805

LEADER.

Good charioteer of that ill-fortuned king,

Suspect us not. ’Tis Greeks have done this thing.
805

But yonder Hector comes. He hath been shown

The foul deed, and thy sorrows are his own.