Euripides, Rhesus, ed. Gilbert Murray, 952

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

View: By Scene

← Previous Next →

Ἕκτωρ

ᾔδη τάδʼ· οὐδὲν μάντεων ἔδει φράσαι

Ὀδυσσέως τέχναισι τόνδʼ ὀλωλότα.

ἐγὼ δὲ γῆς ἔφεδρον Ἑλλήνων στρατὸν

λεύσσων, τί μὴν ἔμελλον οὐ πέμψειν φίλοις
955

κήρυκας, ἐλθεῖν κἀπικουρῆσαι χθονί;

ἔπεμψʼ· ὀφείλων δʼ ἦλθε συμπονεῖν ἐμοί.

οὐ μὴν θανόντι γʼ οὐδαμῶς συνήδομαι.

καὶ νῦν ἕτοιμος τῷδε καὶ τεῦξαι τάφον

καὶ ξυμπυρῶσαι μυρίων πέπλων χλιδήν·
960

φίλος γὰρ ἐλθὼν δυστυχῶς ἀπέρχεται.

Μοῦσα

οὐκ εἶσι γαίας ἐς μελάγχιμον πέδον·

τοσόνδε Νύμφην τὴν ἔνερθʼ αἰτήσομαι,

τῆς καρποποιοῦ παῖδα Δήμητρος θεᾶς,

ψυχὴν ἀνεῖναι τοῦδʼ· ὀφειλέτις δέ μοι
965

τοὺς Ὀρφέως τιμῶσα φαίνεσθαι φίλους.

κἀμοὶ μὲν ὡς θανών τε κοὐ λεύσσων φάος

ἔσται τὸ λοιπόν· οὐ γὰρ ἐς ταὐτόν ποτε

οὔτʼ εἶσιν οὔτε μητρὸς ὄψεται δέμας·

κρυπτὸς δʼ ἐν ἄντροις τῆς ὑπαργύρου χθονὸς
970

ἀνθρωποδαίμων κείσεται βλέπων φάος,

Βάκχου προφήτης ὥστε Παγγαίου πέτραν

ᾤκησε, σεμνὸς τοῖσιν εἰδόσιν θεός.

ῥᾷον δὲ πένθος τῆς θαλασσίας θεοῦ

οἴσω· θανεῖν γὰρ καὶ τὸν ἐκ κείνης χρεών.
975

θρήνοις δʼ ἀδελφαὶ πρῶτα μὲν σὲ ὑμνήσομεν,

ἔπειτʼ Ἀχιλλέα Θέτιδος ἐν πένθει ποτέ.

οὐ ῥύσεταί νιν Παλλάς, ἥ σʼ ἀπέκτανεν·

τοῖον φαρέτρα Λοξίου σῴζει βέλος.

ὦ παιδοποιοὶ συμφοραί, πόνοι βροτῶν·
980

ὡς ὅστις ὑμᾶς μὴ κακῶς λογίζεται,

ἄπαις διοίσει κοὐ τεκὼν θάψει τέκνα.

Χορός

οὗτος μὲν ἤδη μητρὶ κηδεύειν μέλει·

σὺ δʼ εἴ τι πράσσειν τῶν προκειμένων θέλεις,

Ἕκτορ, πάρεστι· φῶς γὰρ ἡμέρας τόδε.
985

Ἕκτωρ

χωρεῖτε, συμμάχους δʼ ὁπλίζεσθαι τάχος

ἄνωχθε πληροῦν τʼ αὐχένας ξυνωρίδων.

πανοὺς δʼ ἔχοντας χρὴ μένειν Τυρσηνικῆς

σάλπιγγος αὐδήν· ὡς ὑπερβαλὼν στρατὸν

τείχη τʼ Ἀχαιῶν ναυσὶν αἶθον ἐμβαλεῖν
990

πέποιθα Τρωσί θʼ ἡμέραν ἐλευθέραν

ἀκτῖνα τὴν στείχουσαν ἡλίου φέρειν.

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.)) — 952 focus

Hector

I knew it; it needed no seer to say that he had perished by the arts of Odysseus. Now I, when I saw the Hellene army camped

in my land, of course would not hesitate to send heralds to my friends, bidding them come and help my country; and so I sent, and he as in duty bound came to share my toils. I do not at all rejoice to see him dead. And now I am ready to raise a tomb for him
955

and burn at his pyre great store of fine raiment; for he came as a friend and in sorrow he is going away.
960

Muse

He shall not go into earth’s dark soil; so earnest a prayer will I address to the bride of the nether world, the daughter of the goddess Demeter, giver of increase,

to release his soul; and, debtor as she is to me, show that she honors the friends of Orpheus. And to me for the rest of time he will be as one who is dead and does not see the light; for never again will he meet me or see his mother;
965

but he will lie hidden in a cavern of the land with veins of silver, restored to life, a deified man, just as the prophet of Bacchus dwelt in a grotto beneath Pangaeus, a god whom his votaries honored.
970

Lightly now shall I feel the grief of the sea-goddess,

for her son too must die. First then for you we sisters must chant our dirge, and then for Achilles when Thetis mourns some day. Pallas, your slayer, shall not save him; so true the shaft Loxias keeps in his quiver for him.
975

Oh, the sorrows that a mother feels! the troubles of mortals! whoever fairly reckons you up will live and die childless and will have no children to bury.
980

Chorus Leader

His mother now must see to this man’s burial; but for you, Hector, if you will carry out any scheme,

now is the time, for day is dawning.
985

Hector

Go, bid our allies arm at once and yoke the horses; torch in hand you must await the blast of the Etrurian trumpet; for I hope to pass beyond their army

and walls and fire the ships of the Achaeans, bringing to the Trojans this approaching beam of the sun as the day of freedom.
990

Rhesus Perseus (Euripides. The Rhesus of Euripides. Murray, Gilbert, translator. London: George Allen and Company, Ltd., 1913.) — 952 focus

HECTOR.

Always I knew it. Had we any need

Of seers to tell this was Odysseus’ deed?

For me, what could I else, when I beheld

The hosts of Argos camped upon this field,

What but with prayers and heralds bid my friend
955

Come forth and fight for Ilion ere the end?

He owed me that.—Yet, now my friend is slain,

His sorrow is my sorrow. On this plain

I will uplift a wondrous sepulchre,

And burn about it gifts beyond compare

Of robes and frankincense. To Troy’s relief
960

He came in love and parteth in great grief.

MUSE.

My son shall not be laid in any grave¹

Of darkness; thus much guerdon will I crave

Of Death’s eternal bride, the heavenly-born

Maid of Demeter, Life of fruits and corn,

To set this one soul free. She owes me yet,
965

For Orpheus widowed, an abiding debt.

To me he still must be—that know I well—

As one in death, who sees not. Where I dwell

He must not come, nor see his mother’s face.

Alone for ever, in a caverned place
970

Of silver-veinèd earth, hid from men’s sight,

A Man yet Spirit, he shall live in light:

As under far Pangaion Orpheus lies,

Priest of great light and worshipped of the wise.

Howbeit an easier anguish even to me

Falls than to Thetis in her azure sea;
975

For her son too shall die; and sorrowing,

First on the hills our band for thee shall sing,

Then for Achilles by the weeping wave.

Pallas could murder thee, but shall not save

Thy foe; too swift Apollo’s bolt shall fly.

O fleshly loves of sad mortality,
980

O bitter motherhood of these that die,

She that hath wisdom will endure her doom,

The days of emptiness, the fruitless womb;

Not love, not bear love’s children to the tomb.

The VISION rises through the air and vanishes.

LEADER.

The dead man sleepeth in his mother’s care;²

But we who battle still—behold, the glare

Of dawn that rises. Doth thy purpose hold,

Hector, our arms are ready as of old.
985

HECTOR.

March on; and bid the allies with all speed

Be armed, bind fast the yoke upon the steed,

Then wait with torches burning, till we sound

The Tuscan trump.—This day we shall confound,

God tells me, their Greek phalanx, break their high
990

Rampart and fire the galleys where they lie.

Pointing to the dawn.

Yon first red arrow of the Sun, that brings

The dawn to Troy, hath freedom on his wings.

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 952

ed. Gilbert Murray

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Χορός

οὗτος μὲν ἤδη μητρὶ κηδεύειν μέλει·

σὺ δʼ εἴ τι πράσσειν τῶν προκειμένων θέλεις,

Ἕκτορ, πάρεστι· φῶς γὰρ ἡμέρας τόδε.
985

Current edition Perseus

Chorus Leader

His mother now must see to this man’s burial; but for you, Hector, if you will carry out any scheme,

now is the time, for day is dawning.
985

Hector

Go, bid our allies arm at once and yoke the horses; torch in hand you must await the blast of the Etrurian trumpet; for I hope to pass beyond their army

and walls and fire the ships of the Achaeans, bringing to the Trojans this approaching beam of the sun as the day of freedom.
990

LEADER.

The dead man sleepeth in his mother’s care;²

But we who battle still—behold, the glare

Of dawn that rises. Doth thy purpose hold,

Hector, our arms are ready as of old.
985

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Χορός οὗτος μὲν ἤδη μητρὶ κηδεύειν μέλει· σὺ δʼ εἴ τι πράσσειν τῶν προκειμένων θέλεις, Ἕκτορ, πάρεστι· φῶς γὰρ ἡμέρας τόδε. 985

Current edition Perseus

Chorus Leader His mother now must see to this man’s burial; but for you, Hector, if you will carry out any scheme, now is the time, for day is dawning. 985

Hector Go, bid our allies arm at once and yoke the horses; torch in hand you must await the blast of the Etrurian trumpet; for I hope to pass beyond their army and walls and fire the ships of the Achaeans, bringing to the Trojans this approaching beam of the sun as the day of freedom. 990

LEADER. The dead man sleepeth in his mother’s care; 2 But we who battle still—behold, the glare Of dawn that rises. Doth thy purpose hold, Hector, our arms are ready as of old. 985

Stable identifiers

Χορός

οὗτος μὲν ἤδη μητρὶ κηδεύειν μέλει·

σὺ δʼ εἴ τι πράσσειν τῶν προκειμένων θέλεις,

Ἕκτορ, πάρεστι· φῶς γὰρ ἡμέρας τόδε.
985

Chorus Leader

His mother now must see to this man’s burial; but for you, Hector, if you will carry out any scheme,

now is the time, for day is dawning.
985

Hector

Go, bid our allies arm at once and yoke the horses; torch in hand you must await the blast of the Etrurian trumpet; for I hope to pass beyond their army

and walls and fire the ships of the Achaeans, bringing to the Trojans this approaching beam of the sun as the day of freedom.
990

LEADER.

The dead man sleepeth in his mother’s care;²

But we who battle still—behold, the glare

Of dawn that rises. Doth thy purpose hold,

Hector, our arms are ready as of old.
985