Aeschylus Eumenides 526

Johann Jakob Christian Donner (Translator)

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Nicht ein Leben schrankenlos,
500
Noch gedrückt von Zwanges Joch,
Lobe dir!
Immer die Mitte ja krönen die Himmlischen;
Andres ordnen sie anders.
Hört von mir ein treffend Wort:
505
Götterverachtung erzeugt sich den frevelnden Muth;
Aus der Gesundheit
Der Seele keimt allgeliebt,
Sehnlich erfleht, der Segen.
Dritte Gegenstrophe.

Eumenides. Aeschylus. Johann Jakob Christian Donner (Translator). . .

Current edition Experimental

German (J. J. C. Donner, 1854; OCR review) (OCR draft) (German) (Aeschylos. Deutsch in den Versmaßen der Urschrift. Stuttgart: Hoffmann, 1854. Native Donner line citations, Smyth card correspondence, selected textual readings and metrical facsimiles. Remaining OCR differences and unattributed reading notes are documented in the linked review inventory.)

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (12)
Εὐμενίδες First1KGreek (Aeschyli Tragoediae. Sidgwick, Arthur, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1902.) — 490-565 focus
Εὐμενίδες Perseus (Aeschylus, Volume 2. Smyth, Herbert Weir, editor. London; New York: William Heinemann; G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1926.) — 490-565 focus
Εὐμενίδες (1518 edition; OCR draft) Experimental (Aeschylus, Eumenides, 1518 edition. VLM-assisted OCR with native lineation and automated correspondence to the Smyth edition.) — 526 focus
Εὐμενίδες (OCR draft) Experimental (Εὐμενίδες. Guilielmus Dindorfius, 1882.) — 526 focus
μήτ᾽ ἀνάρχετον βίον
μήτε δεσποτούμενον
αἰνέσῃς. παντὶ μέσῳ τὸ κράτος θεὸς ὤπασεν,
ἄλλ᾽ ἄλλᾳ δ᾽ ἐφορεύει.
530
ξύμμετρον δ᾽ ἔπος λέγω,
δυσσεβίας μὲν ὕβρις τέκος ὡς ἐτύμως·
ἐκ δ᾽ ὑγιείας
535
φρενῶν ὁ πᾶσιν φίλος
καὶ πολύευκτος ὄλβος.
Εὐμενίδες (OCR draft) Experimental (Εὐμενίδες. Gottfried Hermann, 1852.) — 526 focus
μήτ' ἀνάρχετον βίον
μήτε δεσποτούμενον
520
αἰνέσῃς.
παντὶ μέσῳ τὸ κράτος θεὸς ὤπασεν, ἀλλ᾽
ἄλλα δ᾽ ἐφορεύει.
ξύμμετρον δ᾽ ἔπος λέγω,
δυςσεβίας μὲν ὕβρις τέκος ὡς ἐτύμως·
525
ἐκ δ᾽ ὑγιείας
αὖ φρενῶν ὁ πάμφιλος
καὶ πολύευκτος ὄλβος.
ΕΥΜΕΝΙΔΕΣ (OCR draft) Experimental (ΕΥΜΕΝΙΔΕΣ. Paul Mazon, 1920-1925.) — 526 focus
Μήτ' ἀνάρχετον ἄναρκτον ἀνάρκητον ἀνάρκετον βίον
μήτε δεσποτούμενον -μενόν γ'
αἰνέσῃς·
παντὶ ἅπαντι μέσῳ τὸ κράτος θεὸς
ὤπασεν, ἄλλ᾽ ἄλλᾳ δ' ἄλλα | ἄλλαι δ' (ἄλλα δι' forsan M1) ἄλλα δ' ἄλλα δ' ἐφορεύει.
530
Ξύμμετρον δ' ἔπος λέγω·
δυσσεβίας -βείας μὲν ὕβρις τέκος
ὡς ἐτύμως, ἐκ δ' ὑγιεί-
ας φρενῶν ὁ πάμφιλος πᾶσι φίλος
καὶ πολύευκτος ὄλβος.
535
Εὐμενίδες (OCR draft) Experimental (Εὐμενίδες. Arthur Sidgwick, 1887.) — 526 focus
Εὐμενίδες (OCR draft) Experimental (Εὐμενίδες. N. Wecklein, 1885.) — 526 focus
μήτ' ἄναρκτον βίον
μήτε δεσποτούμενον
530
αἰνέσης.
παντὶ μέσῳ τὸ κράτος
θεὸς ὤπασεν, ἄλλ᾽
ἄλλα δ᾽ ἐφορεύει.
ξύμμετρον δ᾽ ἔπος λέγω·
535
δυσσεβίας μὲν ὕβρις
τέκος ὡς ἐτύμως,
ἐκ δ᾽ ὑγιείας
φρενῶν ὁ πᾶσι φίλος καὶ
πολύευκτος ὄλβος.
540
3
Εὐμενίδες (OCR draft) Experimental (Εὐμενίδες. Martin L. West, 1990.) — 526 focus
μήτ᾽ ἄναρκτον βίον
μήτε δεσποτούμενον
αἰνέσηις·
παντὶ μέσωι τὸ κράτος θεὸς ὥπασεν,
ἄλλ᾽ ἄλλαι δ᾽ ἐφορεύει.
530
ξύμμετρον δ᾽ ἔπος λέγω·
δυσσεβίας μὲν ὕβρις τέκος ὡς ἐτύμως,
ἐκ δ᾽ ὑγιείας
φρενῶν ὁ πᾶσιν φίλος
καὶ πολύευκτος ὄλβος.
535
Aeschyli Eumenides (OCR draft) Experimental (Aeschyli Eumenides. Ulrich von Wilamowitz-Moellendorff, 1914.) — 526 focus
μήτ᾽ ἄναρκτον βίον
μήτε δεσποτούμενον
525
αἰνέσηις.
παντὶ μέσωι τὸ κράτος θεὸς ὤπασεν, ἄλλ᾽ ἄλ-
λαι δ᾽ ἐφορεύει.
Σύμμετρον $\delta^{\circ}$ ἔπος λέγω,
δυσσεβίας μὲν ὕβρις τέκος ὡς ἐτύμως·
530
ἐκ δ᾽ ὑγιείας
φρενῶν ὁ πᾶσιν φίλος καὶ πολύευκτος ὄλβος. –
Εὐμενίδες (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek text of Aeschylus' Eumenides, edited by F. A. Paley, 1885.) — 526 focus
μήτ᾿ ἀνάρχετον βίον
μήτε δεσποτούμενον
αἰνέσῃς.
παντὶ μέσῳ τὸ κράτος θεὸς ὤπασεν·
ἄλλ᾽ ἄλλᾳ δ᾽ ἐφορεύει.
ξύμμετρον δ᾽ ἔπος λέγω,
505
δυσσεβίας μὲν ὕβρις τέκος ὡς ἐτύμως·
ἐκ δ᾽ ὑγιείας
φρενῶν ὁ πᾶσιν φίλος
καὶ πολύευκτος ὄλβος.
Εὐμενίδες (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek text of Aeschylus' Eumenides, edited by Friedrich Blass, 1907.) — 526 focus
μήτ᾿ ἀνάρχετον βίον
μήτε δεσποτούμενον
στρ. γ
αἰνέσῃς.
παντὶ μέσωι τὸ κράτος θεὸς ὤπασεν, ἄλλ᾽ ἄλλᾶι
530
δ᾽ ἐφορεύει.
ξύμμετρον δ᾽ ἔπος λέγω,
δυσσεβίας μὲν ὕβρις τέκος ὡς ἐτύμως·
ἐκ δ᾽ ὑγιείας
535
φρενῶν ὁ πᾶσιν φίλος
καὶ πολύευκτος ὄλβος.
Translations (9)
Eumenides Perseus (Aeschylus, Volume 2. Smyth, Herbert Weir, translator. London; New York: William Heinemann; G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1926. (Modernized by Perseus.)) — 490-565 focus
The Eumenides (OCR draft) Experimental (The Eumenides. Theodore Alois Buckley, 1849.) — 526 focus
Praise neither a life free from rule, nor lorded over; to every mean the god affords power, but other things he differently regards. But I speak a fitting word; insolence is the child of impiety, most assuredly; but from sanity of mind tomes prosperity dear to all and much sought.
LES EUMÉNIDES (OCR draft) Experimental (LES EUMÉNIDES. Paul Mazon, 1920-1925.) — 526 focus
dans l'anarchie que sous le despotisme 1 . Partout triomphe la mesure: c'est le privilège que lui ont octroyé les dieux, le seul qui restreigne leur
pouvoir capricieux 2 . Et n'est-il pas à propos de le répéter ici? s'il est avéré que la démesure est fille de l'impiété 3 ,
The Furies (OCR draft) Experimental (The Furies. Robert Potter, 1779.) — 526 focus
Shall he, the wretch that ſcorns controul,
580
And ſpurns each ſacred law,
Or he that drags his chain with ſervile awe,
Feel the ſweet peace that calms the virtuous ſoul?
ANTISTROPHE 2.
Placed in the midſt does ſtrength reſide.
With an indignant frown
585
On each extreme the Gods look down;
Injuſtice is the child of impious pride.
But all the joys, that life can know,
From temper'd wiſdom flow.
To juſtice chief thy ſoul incline,
590
And bow with reverence at her hallow'd ſhrine.
Eschilo, Le Eumenidi: traduzione italiana di Ettore Romagnoli (OCR draft) Experimental (Eschilo, Le Eumenidi: traduzione italiana di Ettore Romagnoli. Ettore Romagnoli, 1922.) — 526 focus
Niuno ormai, se la sciagura
lo percuota, osi levare
piú le supplici parole:
560
O Giustizia,
e voi, troni dell'Erinni!
Leverà presto tal gemito
qualche padre, qualche madre
tormentata, poi che il tempio
565
di Giustizia crolla già.
Aeschylus, Eumenides: versio Latina Ioannis Sanravii (OCR draft) Experimental (Aeschylus, Eumenides: versio Latina Ioannis Sanravii. Ioannes Sanravius, 1555.) — 526 focus
Neq; liberam uitam,
Neq; ſubditam laudabis.
Omni quidem tali robur
500
Deus præbet, alia
Alia præbent, temperatum uerò uerbum dico.
Imprietatis uerò contumelia natus tanquam uerè,
Ex ſanitate mentis omnibus uerò amica eſt
Aeschylus, Die Eumeniden: German translation (OCR draft) Experimental (Aeschylus, Die Eumeniden: German translation. Ulrich von Wilamowitz-Moellendorff, 1919–1923.) — 526 focus
Weder unumschränkter Freiheit
noch dem Joch der Herrscherwillkür
gieb den Preis.
Alles hat bei Gott den Vorzug, was die rechte Mitte
hält.
530 Wie verschieden er uns führe, dieser Spruch trifft
immer zu.
English (E. D. A. Morshead, 1889, second edition) (OCR draft) Experimental (Aeschylus, The Furies — Morshead translation. Wikisource transcription; speech corresp and card milestones aligned to Smyth perseus-grc2.) — 526 focus
Praise not, O man, the life beyond control,
Nor that which bows unto a tyrant's sway.
Know that the middle way
615
Is dearest unto God, and they, thereon who wend,
They shall achieve the end;
But they who wander or to left or right
Are sinners in his sight.
Take to thy heart this one, this soothfast word—
620
Of wantonness impiety is sire;
Only from calm control and sanity unstirred
Cometh true weal, the goal of every man's desire.
English (Smyth; revised Bannon and Nagy, CHS) (OCR draft) Experimental (CHS Primary Sources revision of Herbert Weir Smyth’s translation by Cynthia Bannon and Gregory Nagy, with transliterated Greek terms tagged and aligned to the Smyth edition.)

No corresponding passage available

Commentary

Commentary on Aeschylus: Eumenides (Aeschylus. Eumenides. Sidgwick, Arthur, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1887.)

529. παντὶ μέσῳ , ever to the mean god gives success: a common Greek maxim: so Ag. 378 ἔστω δ᾽ ἀπήμαντον ὥστ᾽ ἀπαρκεῖν, ib. 466 τὸ δ᾽ ὑπερκόπως εὖ κλύειν βαρὺ κρίνω δ᾽ ἄφθονον ὄλβον, etc., the idea being that excess was dangerous: so Eur. Fr. 80 τὰ μείζω τῶν μέσων τίκτει νόσους.

Critical apparatus to Eumenides (OCR draft) (Latin and Greek critical apparatus to Gottfried Hermann's 1852 edition of Eumenides.) focus

mvp-comment-353-1 μαινάδων:

μαινάδων γε
Farn.

mvp-comment-354-1 ἄλλοθεν:

ἄλλοθε
Turn.

mvp-comment-355-1 λῆξιν ὑπόδυσίν τε μόχθων ἄκεα δ᾽ οὐ βέβαια πλάμων μάταν παρηγορεῖ:

λῆξιν ὑπόδοσιν τε μόχθων
M. G. Ald. Rob.
λῆξις ὑπόδοσίς τε μόχθων
Turn.
λῆξιν ὑπόδησίν τε μόχθων
Flor.
λήξιν ὑπόδυσίν τε μόχθων
Ven. ut Heathius scribendum coniecit. Videtur etiam scholiastes
ὑπόδυσιν
legisse, quod non recte interpretatur διαδοχήν. Efugium laborum dicit poeta. Deinde proximo versu
ἄκεα δ' οὐ βέβαια
Fritzschius.
ἄκεά τ' οὐ βέβαια
a Schutzio scriptum erat.
ἄκετ᾽ οὐ βέβαια
M. Rob.
ἄκετ᾽ οὐ βεβαία
G. Ald.
ἀκέτ᾽ οὐ βέβαια
ex Par. affertur.
ἄκες' οὐ βέβαια
Ven.
ἄκες ἀβέβαια
Flor.
ἄκεστα. οὐ βέβαια
Farn.
οὐκ ἔτ᾽ οὐ βεβαία
Turn.
οὐκέτ᾽ οὐ βέβαια
Vict. Deinde
τλάμων μάταν παρηγορεῖ
Fritzschius. Libri
τλάμων δέ τις μάταν παρηγορεί
. Itaque haec ita scripsi, aliter quam in Opusc. VI. 2. p. 82.
πεύσεται δ᾽ ἄλλος ἄλλοθεν, προφωνῶν τὰ τῶν πέλας κακά, λῆξιν ὑπόδυσίν τε μόχθων ἄκεα δ᾽ οὐ βέβαια τλάμων μάταν παρηγορεῖ.
Sed dubitari potest an sic potius Aeschylus scripserit,
πεύσεται δ᾽ ἄλλος ἄλλοθεν προφωνῶν τὰ τῶν πέλας κακά, λῆξιν ὑπόδυσίν τε μόχθων ἄκεα τ᾽ οὐ βέβαια πλάμων μάταν παρηγορῶν.
Audiet alius aliunde commemorans propinquorum mala, finem effugiumque laborum atque infirma remedia frustra pro solatio adhibens. Apollonius Rhodius II. 622.
Τίφυ, τί δή μοι ταῦτα παρηγορέεις ἀχέοντε
ς

Commentary on the Eumenides (OCR draft) (Brief English notes on Aeschylus' Eumenides by F. A. Paley, 1885.) focus

mvp-comment-161-1 The meaning here is exceedingly obscure; the MS. reading ὑπόδοσίν τε is explained by the Schol.

διαδοχὴν,
and it is likely that he read ὑποδοχήν. As for λῆξιν, it may be either from λήγω or fronı λαγχάνω. We may translate, 'and one shall hear from another, while he is predicting the misfortunes of others, that he is himself getting a share of and harbouring in his own home the like trials; and the unhappy man speaks in vain of remedies that are no longer to be relied on.' Schol.
παθὼν δέ τις μάτην ἑαυτὸν παραμυθεῖται τῇ εἰς ἡμᾶς ἐλπίδι.
 He appears to have read τλάμων δέ τις μάταν, but the metre of v. 475 requires the omission of an iambus,

mvp-comment-162-1 κικλησκέτω] Schol.

ἡμᾶς δηλονότι.

Selected scholia accompanying Blass's Eumenides (OCR draft) (The mixed Greek, Latin, and German scholia register printed with Friedrich Blass's 1907 edition, aligned to O. L. Smith's later recensional editions.) focus

mvp-comment-194-1 ἡμῶν δῆλον ὅτι.

mvp-comment-195-1 πάντ᾽ ἐφήσω μό(ρον): οὐκέτι τινὰ μὲν ἔννομον ἡγήσομαι μόρον, τινὰ δὲ οὐ, ἀλλὰ πάντα ἐφήσω μόρον, ὅπως τις βούλεται ἀναιρεῖν. οὐ τιμωρήσω τοῖς ἀδικουμένοις, ἀλλὰ συγχωρήσω ἀλλήλους ἀναιρεῖν.

mvp-comment-196-1 πεύσεται δ᾽ ἄλλος: ἀεὶ τὰ ἀλλήλων ἀκούσονται, καὶ οὐ γίνεται κακῶν ἀνάπαυσις.

mvp-comment-197-1 διαδοχήν.

mvp-comment-198-1 παθὼν δέ τις μάτην ἑαυτὸν παραμυθεῖται τῆι εἰς ἡμᾶς ἐλπίδι. ἡ, ἕκαστος δὲ τῶν φονέων παρηγορηθήσεται. τλήμων γὰρ ὁ ἀναιδής· „ἡ δ᾽ ὧδε τλήμων" (Soph. El. 275).

mvp-comment-199-1 ἡμᾶς δηλονότι.

mvp-comment-207-1 προφωνῶν τὰ τῶν.

mvp-comment-208-1 ὑπόδοσιν Μ, ὑπόδυσιν g (-δησιν f).

Wecklein’s commentary on Eumenides (1888; German; OCR draft) (Explanatory commentary, pp. 251–322; HW42J8 and HXJHA8 OCR collated, with missing comparison pages 294–295 explicitly marked. Unresolved OCR and provisional reference mappings are explicitly marked.) focus

mvp-comment-277-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 287

mvp-comment-277-2 zweites Stasimon: Der Umsturz der alten Satzungen durch den Sieg des Muttermörders müfste schreckliche Zügellosigkeit und sittliche Verwilderung zur Folge haben, da man für Mord und blu- tige Mifshandlungen keinen Rächer mehr zu fürchten hätte. Furcht mufs herrschen; ohne Furcht kann kein Recht bestehen. Keine Gewaltherrschaft, aber auch keine Gesetzlosigkeit! Das Richtige liegt in der Mitte. Diese rechte Mitte hängt zusammen mit Gesundheit des Geistes, während Gottlosigkeit des Sinnes Übermut und damit Zuchtlosigkeit oder Gewaltherrschaft erzeugt ( ὕβρις φυτεύει τύραννον Soph. Oed. T.873 ). Drum übe man Recht, ehre die Eltern und achte das Gastrecht. Wem diese Rechtlichkeit aus innerer Überzeugung hervorgeht, der wird nicht unbeglückt sein; jedenfalls wird er nie ganz zu Grunde gehen. Für den Frevler aber wird über kurz oder lang die Stunde der Demütigung kommen; dann wird niemand sein Flehen erhören; die Gottheit wird sich vielmehr seines Untergangs freuen und sein früherer Glanz wird für alle Zeit verschollen und vergessen sein.

mvp-comment-282-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 288

mvp-comment-282-2 Jede Todesart (jeden Mord) werde ich hingehen lassen.

mvp-comment-283-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 288

mvp-comment-283-2 Der eine wird da, der andere dort unter lauten Klagen über die von anderen erlittenen Unbilden Aufhören und Abnahme seiner Mühsale erkunden; aber nur mit unwirksamen Heilmitteln kann er, der arme, nichtig trösten. Zu tov πέλας κακά vgl. Krüger I § 47, 5, 1 . I τλάμων, der um Rat gefragte, der selbst von anderen zu leiden hat. Vgl. zu Ag. 71 .

Commentary (Arthur Sidgwick, 1887) (OCR draft) (Arthur Sidgwick's commentary on the Eumenides, aligned to the canonical Greek text.) focus

mvp-sidgwick-242-1-1 And, for not even from the Furies that watch mankind Shall wrath for these deeds Come upon any man-I will let loose all murder upon them; reading οὐδέ for οὔτε, with most edd., and τιν' for τις with Weil, μαινάδων is subjective gen., τῶνδε ἐργμάτων objective, both after κότος. The γάρ gives the reason for ἐφήσω; which is common enough when ἀλλά precedes, but unusual (as here) with no such connection.

mvp-sidgwick-243-1-1

And one man shall ask of another
As he tells of his neighbours' woes,
That trouble may cease and be diminished :
And the hapless man gives comfort in vain,
Speaking of cures that profit not.
There is a grandeur and impressiveness of gloomy prophecy which almost remind one of the Hebrew prophets or poets of the Old Testament.

mvp-sidgwick-244-1-1 In this fine stanza the Erinyes speak as the Powers of Justice which the gods have overthrown: The afflicted shall call upon us, but we will not hear is what, in effect, they say.