Aeschylus Eumenides 881

Herbert Weir Smyth (Translator)

Table of Contents

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

View: By Scene
← Previous Next →

Eumenides. Aeschylus. Herbert Weir Smyth (Translator). New York. 1926.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.

Current edition Perseus

Eumenides (English) (Aeschylus, Volume 2. Smyth, Herbert Weir, translator. London; New York: William Heinemann; G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1926. (Modernized by Perseus.))

Editions (12)
Εὐμενίδες First1KGreek (Aeschyli Tragoediae. Sidgwick, Arthur, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1902.) — 892-915 focus
Εὐμενίδες Perseus (Aeschylus, Volume 2. Smyth, Herbert Weir, editor. London; New York: William Heinemann; G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1926.) — 881 focus
Εὐμενίδες (1518 edition; OCR draft) Experimental (Aeschylus, Eumenides, 1518 edition. VLM-assisted OCR with native lineation and automated correspondence to the Smyth edition.) — 881 focus
Εὐμενίδες (OCR draft) Experimental (Εὐμενίδες. Guilielmus Dindorfius, 1882.) — 881 focus
Εὐμενίδες (OCR draft) Experimental (Εὐμενίδες. Gottfried Hermann, 1852.) — 881 focus
ΕΥΜΕΝΙΔΕΣ (OCR draft) Experimental (ΕΥΜΕΝΙΔΕΣ. Paul Mazon, 1920-1925.) — 881 focus
Εὐμενίδες (OCR draft) Experimental (Εὐμενίδες. Arthur Sidgwick, 1887.) — 881 focus
Εὐμενίδες (OCR draft) Experimental (Εὐμενίδες. N. Wecklein, 1885.) — 881 focus
οὗτοι καμοῦμαι σοι λέγουσα τἀγαθά,
ὡς μήποτ᾽ εἴπῃς πρὸς νεωτέρας ἐμοῦ
θεὸς παλαιὰ καὶ πολισσούχων βροτῶν
ἄτιμος ἔρρειν τοῦδ᾽ ἀπόξενος πέδου.
885
ἀλλ᾽ εἰ μὲν ἁγνόν ἐστί σοι Πειθοῦς σέβας,
γλώσσης ἐμῆς μείλιγμα καὶ θελκτήριον,
σὺ δ᾽ οὖν μένοις ἄν· εἰ δὲ μὴ θέλεις μένειν,
οὔ τἂν δικαίως τῇδ᾽ ἐπιρρέποις πόλει
μῆνίν τιν᾽ ἢ κότον τιν᾽ ἢ βλάβην στρατῷ.
890
ἔξεστι γάρ σοι τῆσδε γαμόρῳ χθονὸς
εἶναι δικαίως ἐς τὸ πᾶν τιμωμένη.
Εὐμενίδες (OCR draft) Experimental (Εὐμενίδες. Martin L. West, 1990.) — 881 focus
Aeschyli Eumenides (OCR draft) Experimental (Aeschyli Eumenides. Ulrich von Wilamowitz-Moellendorff, 1914.) — 881 focus
Εὐμενίδες (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek text of Aeschylus' Eumenides, edited by F. A. Paley, 1885.) — 881 focus
οὗτοι καμοῦμαί σοι λέγουσα τἀγαθά·
ὡς μήποτ᾽ εἴπῃς πρὸς νεωτέρας ἐμοῦ
θεὸς παλαιὰ καὶ πολισσούχων βροτῶν
845
ἄτιμος ἔρρειν τοῦδ᾽ ἀπόξενος πέδου.
ἀλλ᾽ εἰ μὲν ἁγνόν ἐστί σοι Πειθοῦς σέβας,
γλώσσης ἐμῆς μείλιγμα καὶ θελκτήριον,
σὺ δ᾽ οὖν μένοις ἄν· εἰ δὲ μὴ θέλεις μένειν,
οὐτἂν δικαίως τῇδ᾽ ἐπιρρέποις πόλει
850
μῆνίν τιν᾿ ἢ κότον τιν' ἢ βλάβην στρατῷ.
ἔξεστι γάρ σοι τῆσδε γαμόρῳ χθονὸς
εἶναι δικαίως ἐς τὸ πᾶν τιμωμένῃ.
Εὐμενίδες (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek text of Aeschylus' Eumenides, edited by Friedrich Blass, 1907.) — 881 focus
οὔτοι καμοῦμαί σοι λέγουσα τἀγαθά,
ὡς μήποτ᾽ εἴπηις πρὸς νεωτέρας ἐμοῦ
θεὸς παλαιὰ καὶ πολισσούχων βροτῶν
ἄτιμος ἔρρειν τοῦδ᾽ ἀπόξενος πέδου.
ἀλλ᾽ εἰ μὲν ἁγνόν ἐστί σοι Πειθοῦς σέβας,
885
γλώσσης ἐμῆς μείλιγμα καὶ θελκτήριον,
σὺ δ᾽ οὖν μένοις ἄν· εἰ δὲ μὴ θέλεις μένειν,
οὐ τἂν δικαίως τῆιδ᾽ ἐπιρρέποις πόλει
μῆνίν τιν᾿ ἢ κότον τιν᾿ ἢ βλάβην στρατῶι.
ἔξεστι γάρ σοι τῆσδε γαμόρωι χθονός
890
εἶναι δικαίως ἐς τὸ πᾶν τιμωμένηι.
Translations (10)
The Eumenides (OCR draft) Experimental (The Eumenides. Theodore Alois Buckley, 1849.) — 881 focus
By no means shall I be tired of speaking what is good for you; that you may never say, that you an ancient goddess, did through me a younger, and through men that dwell in cities, depart dishonoured, inhospitably driven from this land. But if indeed the reverence of Persuasion is holy in your eyes, the soothing and winning power of my tongue, you then would remain: but if you are unwilling to remain, neither justly would you bring upon this city any vengeance or anger, or hurt upon the people. For it is in your ehoiee to be a sharer of this land with me at least, duly honoured for ever.
LES EUMÉNIDES (OCR draft) Experimental (LES EUMÉNIDES. Paul Mazon, 1920-1925.) — 881 focus
de te dire ton intérêt, de peur que tu n'ailles prétendre que ma jeune divinité et les hommes de cette ville ont chassé sans honneur et banni de ce sol une antique déesse. Si tu sais
respecter la Persuasion sainte, qui donne à ma parole sa magique douceur, va, tu resteras ici. Mais, si tu t'y refuses, vraiment tu serais inique en laissant tomber sur ce pays dépit, courroux ou vengeance qui seraient cruels à mon
peuple, alors qu'il t'est permis de jouir sans conteste du droit de bourgeoisie au milieu d'une cité qui à jamais t'honorera.
The Furies (OCR draft) Experimental (The Furies. Robert Potter, 1779.) — 881 focus
I will not yet ſurceaſe to ſpeak thee fair;
And never with juſt cauſe ſhalt thou complain
That with inhoſpitable pride my youth,
1010
And the rude race of mortals dwelling here,
Drove thee, an ancient Goddeſs, with diſgrace
An outcaſt from this land.
If yet the pow'r
Of mild perſuaſion, dropping from my lips
1015
In words of ſweet and ſoothing courteſy,
Hath not loft all its virtue, thou wilt ſtay:
If thou diſdain to ſtay, yet not with juſtice
Canſt thou with wrath or vengeance load this town,
Nor on its people ſhed thy baneful dews.
1020
'Tis in thy choice to bleſs this land, and fix
With everlaſting honours here thy ſeat.
Eschilo, Le Eumenidi: traduzione italiana di Ettore Romagnoli (OCR draft) Experimental (Eschilo, Le Eumenidi: traduzione italiana di Ettore Romagnoli. Ettore Romagnoli, 1922.) — 881 focus
Mai stanca mi farà parlarti il bene:
dir non potrai che tu, vetusta Diva,
spregiata da me giovine, e dal mio
930
popolo, vai da questo suolo in bando.
Ma, se pur tu la Dea Suada veneri,
che dal mio labbro col suo miel ti molce,
resta fra noi. Ché se restar non vuoi,
giusto non è che l'ira tua su Atene
935
piombi, né il danno od il furor sul popolo:
ch'esser tu puoi di questo suol partecipe
direttamente, e onore aver perenne.
Aeschylus, Eumenides: versio Latina Ioannis Sanravii (OCR draft) Experimental (Aeschylus, Eumenides: versio Latina Ioannis Sanravii. Ioannes Sanravius, 1555.) — 881 focus
Non defatigabor tibi dicens quæ bona ſunt,
Vt ne tandem dicas ad iuniores me
Dea antiqua patrona mortalium,
Ignominioſa perit inhoſpitalis huius ſoli.
Sed ſi tibi cultus perſuaſionis caſtus est,
830
Meæ linguæ placamen, & oblectamentum.
Tu uerò ſi manſeris, ſiue nolueris manere,
Neq; iuſtè inijcias urbi
Iram aliquam, aut indignatione tandem, aut detrimenti
Licet tibi ab hac integræ terræ & exercitui
835
Eſse iuſtè omnino honorata.
Aeschylus, Die Eumeniden: German translation (OCR draft) Experimental (Aeschylus, Die Eumeniden: German translation. Ulrich von Wilamowitz-Moellendorff, 1919–1923.) — 881 focus
Zum Guten dir zu reden lass' ich nimmer ab.
Du sollst nicht sagen, du, die alte Göttin, seist
von mir, der jüng'ren, und dem Volke meiner Stadt
in Schanden trotz dem Gastrecht aus dem Land gejagt.
885 Wenn du Empfindung für die Macht der Peitho hast,
der guten Worte sanfte Herrin, die zu dir
beschwichtigend, versöhnend spricht durch meinen
Mund,
dann wirst du bleiben; aber wenn du scheiden willst,
Eumenides (OCR draft) Experimental (Eumenides. Anna Swanwick, 1886.) — 881 focus
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.) — 881 focus
I will not weary of soft words to thee,
That never mayst thou say, Behold me spurned,
An elder by a younger deity,
And from this land rejected and forlorn,
Unhonoured by the men who dwell therein.
1015
But, if Persuasion's grace be sacred to thee,
Soft in the soothing accents of my tongue,
Tarry, I pray thee; yet, if go thou wilt,
Not rightfully wilt thou on this my town
Sway down the scale that beareth wrath and teen
1020
Or wasting plague upon this folk. 'Tis thine,
If so thou wilt, inheritress to be
Of this my land, its utmost grace to win.
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1854; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (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.) — 881 focus
Nicht müde werd' ich, rathe dir zum Heile nur;
Nie sollst du sagen, du, die greise Göttin, seist
Von mir, der jüngern, und dem Volke meiner Stadt
Ungastlich schmachvoll weggejagt aus diesem Land.
840
Nein, wenn dir Peitho's hehre Macht als heilig gilt
In meines Mundes Schmeichelton und Zauberlaut,
So bleibst du hier im Lande: doch, verschmähst du dies,
Dann wär' es Unrecht, wolltest du auf diese Stadt
Groll oder Unmuth wälzen und ihr Leides thun.
845
Dir steht ja frei, dich reichen Grundbesiyes hier
Zu freu'n, nach Würden hochverehrt in alle Zeit.
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.)

883. πολισσούχοι , see note on 1. 775.

887. σὺ δ᾽ οὖν μένοις ἄν , dramatic [if I persuade you], 'well then, abide.' [The dé in apodosis is originally Epic usage, common in the Poets: so Ag. 1061 εἰ δὲ μὴ δέχει λόγον, σὺ δ᾽ ἀντὶ φωνῆς, κ.τ.λ.]

890. γαμόρῳ: . Doric form for γεώμορος.

893. ἀπήμον' οἰζύος , gen. after neg. adj., a common use: a combination perhaps of gen. of reference with gen. of emptiness or separation. So ἄπαππον πυρός Ag. 311, ἀμήνιτον θεῶν ib. 649, ἄσκευον ἀσπίδων Soph. Εl. 36, ἀψύφητος κωκυμάτων Αί. 321, etc.

894. καὶ δὴ δέδεγμαι , lit. 'there now, I have received,' dramatic particles used idiomatically when a case is put or supposed 'suppose I have accepted,' 'say now, I consent:' so καὶ δὴ οὔτις ἂν δέξαιτ᾽ Cho. 565, καὶ δὴ τεθνᾶσι Eur. Med. 386, καὶ δὴ παρεῖκεν Hel. 1059.

895. ὡς . for ὥστε, as often, see 36.

897. ξυμφοράς , ‘the fortunes,' used neutrally, without a bad meaning.

897. γάρ is 'yes, for,' as often in dialogue. So 1. 899.

903. ἐπίσκοπα , such as look to, hath regard to no dishonourable victory; a vivid word for befit. The word is similarly used Cho. 126 εὐχὰς πατρῴων δωμάτων ἐπισκόπους, Aias 976 ἄτης τῆσδ᾽ ἐπίσκοπον μέλος.

907. ἐπίρρυτον , abundantly, predicative adj.

912. ἀπένθητον , predicative.

913. σοὔστι , the regular crasis for σοὶ ἐστί. τῶν ἀρειφάτων . . . πόλιν, and in the glorious strife of war I shall not suffer but that my city shall be honoured among men as victorious.

913. ἀγώνων is gen. of respect, put provisionally at the beginning and depending ultimately on ἀστύνικον.

913. τιμᾶν , active according to Greek idiom: they say, I shall not allow but that [people] shall honour my city: we say, 'I shall not allow my city to be unhonoured.'

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

mvp-comment-664-1 καμοῦμαι:

καλοῦμαι
Ven. Flor. Farn.

mvp-comment-665-1 πολισσούχων:

πολισσοῦχον
error Ald. Inde
πολισσούχος
Turn.

mvp-comment-666-1 NA: Ita haec construenda sunt,

εἰ πειθοῦς γλώσσης ἐμῆς ἁγνὸν σέβας ἐστί σοι μείλιγμα καὶ θελκτήριον
.

mvp-comment-667-1 μένοις:

μένεις
, supra adscripto
οις
, G.

mvp-comment-668-1 θέλεις:

θέλεις
Aug. G. Ven. Flor. Ald. Rob. Τurn.
θέλης
, supra adscripto
ει
, Μ.
θέλς
Farn.

mvp-comment-669-1 οὐτἂν:

οὐτὴν
Wellauerus. Libri
οὔτ᾽ ἄν
.

mvp-comment-670-1 ἐπιρρέποις:

ἐπιρρέποις
Μ. Aug. Rob. Turn.
ἐπιρρέπεις
G. Ald.
ἐπιρρέπειν
Ven. Flor. Farn.
πόλοι
Rob.

mvp-comment-671-1 κότον τιν᾽:

κότον τε ἢ
G. Ald. sed in G.
τε
ex
τo
factum est.
κότον πότ'
inde fecit Turn. Ceteri recte
κότον τίν'
vel
κότον τιν'
.

mvp-comment-672-1 τῆσδε γαμόρῳ:

τῆσδε γαμόρῳ
recte Dobraeus.
τῇδέ γ'
(vel
τῆδε γ'
)
ἀμοίρου
M. Par. Aug. G. Ven. Flor.
τῇδε δ᾽ ἀμοίρου
Rob.
τῇδε γ' ἀμοίρῳ
Farn.
τῇδέ γ' εὐμοίρου
Turn.

mvp-comment-673-1 φῂς:

ἀθείνα
Ald.
φῂς
Turn.
φής
Μ. Ven. Flor.
φῆς
G. Ald. Rob.

mvp-comment-674-1 ἔχειν:

ἕξειν
Elmsleius in Mus. Cantabr. II. p. 303. Non opus.

mvp-comment-675-1 οἰζύος:

οἰζύος
G. Ald. Turn.
ὀϊζύος
Rob. et reliqui, ut videtur.

mvp-comment-676-1 δέχου:

δεύχου
Ald.

mvp-comment-677-1 σύ:

σύ
in G. ex
σοί
factum.

mvp-comment-678-1 καὶ δὴ δέδεγμαι:

καὶ δὴ δέδεγμαι
, fac me accipere. V. ad Vig. adn. 331.

mvp-comment-679-1 ὡς μή τιν':

ὡς μήτ᾽ ἴν'
Ald.

mvp-comment-680-1 εὐθενεῖν:

εὐθενεῖν
Scaliger.
εὖ σθένειν
Μ.
εὐσθένειν
Par.
εὐσθενεῖν
Aug. G. Ven. Flor. Farn. Ald.
εὖ σθενεῖν
Turn.
ἀθενεῖν
Rob. V. Lob. Phryn. p. 466.

mvp-comment-681-1 σέβοντι:

σέβον τὶ
Ald.

mvp-comment-682-1 καί μοι πρὸ παντὸς:

μή
pro
μοι
Par. Deinde
πρόπαντος
recte Abreschius.
πρόπαντὸς
Aug. G. et fortasse M.
πρὸ παντὸς
reliqui.

mvp-comment-683-1 θήσει: Denique libri

θήσῃ
vel
θήσει
.

mvp-comment-684-1 ἔξεστι:

ἔξεστι
Ven. Flor. Turn.
ἔξεστιν
Μ. G. Ald. Rob.

mvp-comment-685-1 τοιγὰρ:

τοιγὰρ
G. Ven. Flor. Ald.
τοὶ γὰρ
M. Rob. Turn.

mvp-comment-686-1 ἐπικτήσει:

ἐποικτήσῃ
Aug. Ceteri
ἐπικτήσῃ
vel
ἐπικτήσῃς
.

mvp-comment-687-1 τί οὖν μ᾽: Libri

τί οὖν μ'
, nisi quod
τι οὖν μ'
est in G. Porsonus
τί μ' οὖν
scripsit. Possis
τί νύν μ'
. V. ad Sept. c. Th. v. 190.

mvp-comment-688-1 ἐφυμνῆσαι:

τῇδ' εὐφημῆσαι
G. Ald. sed in G.
v
ad
u
supra scriptum est.
τῇδε φημῆσαι
Turn. Ceteri recte
τῇδ' ἐφυμνῆσαι
.

mvp-comment-689-1 νείκης: Post

ὁποῖα
puncto distinguunt G. Ald. Rob. Notam interrogationis in quibusdam libris haberi quum dicit Stephanus, has ipsas editiones videtur intelligere. Deinde libri
νίκης
. Frustra fuerunt qui id defendere conati sunt. Scribendum erat, ut in adnotatione ad Soph. Ai. v. 976. dixi,
νείκης
. Opta quae bonae contentionis, non, qualis ante tua fuerat rixa, malae provida sint.
Ἐπίσκοπα
enim idem est quod
ἐπιμελητικά
, ut in Sophoclis versu,
βοῶντος ἄτης τῆςδ᾽ ἐπίσκοπον ἔπος
. Vocabulo
νείκη
usus est Aeschylus Ag. v. 1338. et, ut videtur, Choeph. v. 593.

mvp-comment-690-1 βοτῶν: Libri

βροτῶν
. Emendavit Stanleius. Expressi videntur ex hoc loco versus esse, quos propterea Ennio adscribimus, apud Ciceronem Tusc. Q. I. 28. quorum mentio etiam fit de or. III. 38.
suo non intermillal tempore caelum nitescere, arbores frondescere, viles laetificae pampinis pubescere, rami baccarum ubertate incurviscere, segetes largiri fruges, florere omnia, fontes scalere, herbis prata convestirier.

mvp-comment-691-1 εὐθενοῦντα:

εὐθενοῦντα
Turn.
εὐθενοῦντας
M. G. Ald.
εὐθινοῦντας
Rob.
εὐστενοῦντας
Aug.
εὐστενοῦντα
Ven. Flor. et
σε
supra adscripto Farn.

mvp-comment-692-1 σωτηρίαν: Accusativus

σωτηρίαν
refertur, ut omnia in his versibus, ad id quod v. 889. chorus dixerat.

mvp-comment-693-1 δυςσεβούντων:

τῶν
omittunt Ven. Flor. Farn.

mvp-comment-694-1 ἐκφορωτέρα:

ἐκφοροτέρα
G. Ald.

mvp-comment-695-1 NA: Hunc et sequentem versum choro tribuunt Ven. Flor. Farn. Rob.

mvp-comment-696-1 φιτυποίμενος:

φιτυποίμενος
Lobeckius Paralip. p. 195.
φιτυποιμένος
G. Ven. Flor. Ald. Turn.
φιτυ ποιμένος
M. Aug. Rob. et in Aug. quidem super
ι
duo puncta (:) apposita sunt, quibus etiam alibi incerta scriptura indicatur. Asteriscum eodem fine adiecit in extremo versu Rob.

mvp-comment-697-1 τοιαῦτα σοὔστι: Hic rursus

θ.
praefixum in Ven. Flor. Farn. Rob. Chori nota in G. Ald.
τοιαῦτα σοὔστι
Porsonus.
τοιαῦτα σοῦ 'στι
Μ. Aug. Ven. Flor.
τοιαῦτα σούστι
Rob.
τοιαῦτασ᾽ οὗτοι
G.
τοιαῦτας οὗτοι
Αld.
τοιαῦτα σ᾽ οὗτοι
Turn.

mvp-comment-698-1 πρεπτῶν:

πρεπτὸν
Ven. et, ut videtur, Flor. Farn.

mvp-comment-699-1 ἀγώνων:

ἀγώνων
Ald.

mvp-comment-700-1 οὐκ:

κοὐκ
pro
οὐκ
Ven.
οὐ
in fine versus omittunt Ven. Flor. Farn.

mvp-comment-701-1 τήνδ᾽ ἀστύνικον:

τὴν ἀστόνικον
G. Ald. Turn.

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

mvp-comment-265-1 ἁγνόν] Perhaps ἁγνῆς, ‘if you have any respect for holy Persuasion, or for the eloquence of the Virgin- Goddess.

mvp-comment-266-1 τίνα κ.τ.λ.] There is a pause for deliberation. The nature of the new abode, its privileges, and the guaranty for their endurance, are points of inquiry before the final acceptance.

mvp-comment-267-1 καὶ δή] Suppose then I do accept it. Eur. Med. 386

καὶ δὴ τεθνᾶσι· τίς με δέξεται πόλις;

mvp-comment-268-1 εὐθενεῖν] Scaliger for εὐ σθένειν. Cf. inf. 868, 904, Hesych.

εὐθηνῶν· [καὶ] εὐδαιμονῶν, πλουτῶν.

mvp-comment-269-1 σὺ τοῦτο πράξεις] ‘Will you secure for me the possession of so much power? - Yes, by directing aright the fortunes of those who worship you,' i.e. who act by the dictates of conscience.

mvp-comment-270-1 πρὸ παντός] See on v. 799.

mvp-comment-271-1 ἔξεστι μὴ λέγειν] ‘It is in my power not to say (unless I choose) what I do not intend to perform.' The sense is, I would not say it unless I meant it.

mvp-comment-272-1 θέλξειν] It seems that you will bind me by the spell of your eloquence.' A word technically used of sorcery and magic art.

mvp-comment-273-1 ἐπικτήσει] • You will get new friends.' So v. 641, καὶ τόνδ᾽ ἐπικτήσαιο σύμμαχον, and in the phrase γῆ ἐπίκτητος. a

mvp-comment-274-1 Hesych.

ἐπίσκοπα· τυγχάνοντα τοῦ σκοποῦ.
The meaning is obscure. Possibly Fossibly there is an hyperthesis of μὴ, which, with the conjectural reading νείκηs, gives good sense, sing not songs that have for their aim and purport mischievous contentions (the ballad-songs of rival factions), but the blessings of good seasons. But νίκη κακή occurs in Theb. 713 , and a not dishonourable victory may have some political significance not known to us. There is some probability that one or more verses have been lost.

mvp-comment-275-1 βοτῶν] Stanley for βροτῶν. See Suppl. 670 seqq.

mvp-comment-276-1 σωτηρίαν] See v. 631.

mvp-comment-277-1 ἐκφορωτέρα] The meaning seems to be, μᾶλλον ἔκφορος, - may you more than ever get rid of the impious. The metaphor, as it appears from what follows, is from removing rubbish from plantations. The superlative έπιφορώτατος occurs Cho. 798 .

mvp-comment-278-1 ἀπένθητον] spared from mourning. Cf. Agam. 868 .

mvp-comment-279-1 ἀγώνων] The term may include both contests at the great games (at which some Athenian had perhaps been lately successful), and the contests of war, in which Athens, under the patronage of the War-goddess, would prove to be ever superior. The first epithet seems to have an active sense, 'war-slaying, though the Homeric ἀρηίφατος means slain in war. ,

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-314-1 τὸ ἑξῆς, πρὸς νεωτέρας ἐμοῦ καὶ πολισσούχων βροτῶν θεὸς παλαιὰ ἄτιμος ἔρρειν.

mvp-comment-315-1 εἰ πείθηι τῶι μειλίγματι τῆς ἐμῆς γλώσσης, παράμεινον καὶ τῶν καταλεχθέντων ἀγαθῶν μεταλάμβανε· εἰ δὲ μὴ πείθηι, ἴσθι μὴ βλάψουσα πόλιν.

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-428-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 306

mvp-comment-428-2 Kommos, Aussöhnung der gekränkten und tief ergrimmten Erinyen durch die begütigenden Worte der Athena. Der Chor singt zwei Strophen, die er als Antistrophen wiederholt. Jeder Strophe und Antistrophe folgen 13 Verse der Athena, wornach die Partie mit 12 Versen Stichomythie und 12 Versen einer ῥῆσις der Athena abgeschlossen wird. Vgl. zu Ag. 1435 .

mvp-comment-467-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 312

mvp-comment-467-2 λέγουσα ταγαθά d. i. begütigend.

mvp-comment-468-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 312

mvp-comment-468-2 πρὸς νεωτέρας ἐμοῦ καὶ πολισσούχων βροτῶν (s. v. a. ἀστῶν) bei ἔρρειν, weil dieses passive Bedeutung hat. Vgl. auch zu οἰχνεῖν ἀτίετον 841 f. ἀπόξενος πέδου wie Ag. 1281 , Cho. 1040 , aber dort ,,aus diesem Lande verbannt in die Fremde", hier ,,von diesem Lande ungastlich weggewiesen."

mvp-comment-469-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 312

mvp-comment-469-2 Vgl. frg. 134 D. σέβας δὲ μηρῶν ἁγνὸν οὐκ ἐπῃδέσω, Soph. Oed. T. 830 ὦ θεῶν ἁγνὸν σέβας, Phil. 1289

ἁγνὸν Ζηνὸς ὑψίστου σέβας
, Eur. Kykl. 580
τὸ πᾶν τε δαιμόνων ἁγνὸν σέβας
. Nach diesem V. ist, wie Butler bemerkt hat, eine Lücke; zur Zahl 13 fehlen zwei Verse. Der Gedanke ist:,,so dürfte meiner Zunge erweichende Besänftigung hinreichend sein dich zu überreden."

mvp-comment-470-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 312

mvp-comment-470-2 σὺ δ᾽ οὖν μένοις ἄν: diese Worte führen nur zu dem neuen Gedanken über; es könnte auch heifsen: μάλιστα μὲν οὖν μένοις ἄν· εἰ δὲ μὴ κτἑ. Den Imperativ wie er 226 σὺ δ᾽ οὖν δίωκε, Eur Herc. 726 σὺ δ᾽ οὖν ἔθ᾽· ἔρχῃ δ᾽ οἱ χρεών, Rhes. 868 σὺ δ᾽ οὖν νόμιζε ταῦτ᾽, ἐπείπερ σοι δοκεῖ steht, vertritt hier der Potentialis.

mvp-comment-470-3 1

mvp-comment-471-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 312

mvp-comment-471-2 ἐπιρρέποις: zu Ag. 261 . Während πόλει zu ἐπιρρέποις gehört, steht croata in engerer Verbindung mit μῆνιν .. βλάβην.

mvp-comment-471-3 2

mvp-comment-472-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 312

mvp-comment-472-2 δικαίως d. i. vollberechtigte Besitzerin zu sein. - Für τιμωμένῃ hat es vielleicht ursprünglich - παμένῃ (d. i. κεκτημένῃ τὴν χθόνα) geheifsen.

mvp-comment-473-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 313

mvp-comment-473-2 ἀπήμον' οἰξύος: vgl. zu 353 f. und Soph. Oed. K. 786 nanov äv ατος, 1514 γήρως ἄλυπα, El. 1002 ἄλυπος ἄτης, frg. 182 ἄλυπον ἄνθος ἀνίας. Sophokles hat diese Redeweise besonders ausgebildet (apóφητος ὀξέων κωκυμάτων, ἄσκευος ἀσπίδων, ἀνήνεμος χειμώνων, ἄφωνος ἀρᾶς u. a.).

mvp-comment-474-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 313

mvp-comment-474-2 καὶ δή: zu Cho. 563 .

mvp-comment-475-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 313

mvp-comment-475-2 D. h. dafs dein Segen vor allem zum Gedeihen eines Hauses nötig ist.

mvp-comment-476-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 313

mvp-comment-476-2 συμφορὰς ὀρθώσομεν, wir werden seine Lebensschicksale so leiten, dafs seinen Unternehmungen Gelingen zu teil wird. Vgl. 838.

mvp-comment-477-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 313

mvp-comment-477-2 ,,Es ist mir ja gestattet, nicht zu sagen was ich nicht erfüllen will" d. h.,,ich wüfste nicht, was mich veranlassen könnte etwas zu versprechen, was ich nicht zu halten gedenke." Soph. Oed. T. 1520

ἃ μὴ φρονῶ γὰρ οὐ φιλῶ λέγειν μάτην
.

mvp-comment-478-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 313

mvp-comment-478-2 θέλγειν scheint angemessener, weil der Vorgang der Gegenwart angehört. Gern steht zwar bei ona das Fut., aber auch das Präsens wie Cho. 726 .

mvp-comment-479-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 313

mvp-comment-479-2 τοιγάρ, zum Lohne (Danke) dafür. Weil vermutet τοιγὰρ κατᾷσον οὓς nach Hesych. κατῇσαι (d. i. κατᾶσαι)· κατακηλῆσαι, entsprechend dem folgenden ἐφυμνῆ σαι.

mvp-comment-480-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 313

mvp-comment-480-2 τί οὖν μ᾽ ἄνωγας ebenso Soph. Phil. 100 . Der Hiatus τί οὖν findet sich bei Äschylos auch Pers. 789 , Sept. 192 , 691, Suppl. 310 .

mvp-comment-481-1 3

mvp-comment-481-2 Wecklein 1888, p. 313

mvp-comment-481-3 Was auf einen nicht unedlen Streit, wie der bisherige gewesen ist, was auf einen Wettstreit im Guten ( ἀγαθῶν ἔρις 976) abzielt." Soph. Oed. T. 879 tò nalõs δ᾽ ἔχον πόλει πάλαισμα μήποτε λύσαι θεὸν αὐτοῦμαι, wie Hesiod. W. u. T. 24 von der κακὴ ἔρις die ἀγαθὴ ἔρις unterscheidet, den edlen Wettstreit in Kunst und Arbeit. ἐπίσκοπα νείκης wie Soph. Ai. 976

ἄτης τῆσδ᾽ ἐπίσκοπον
(Schol. ἐστοχασμένον) μέλος. Aus

mvp-comment-482-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 313

mvp-comment-482-2 Und dieses wünsche sowohl von der Erde her (d. h. dafs es von der Erde her zu teil werde)" u. s. w. Für „,und von den Winden her tritt ein eigener Satz ἀήματα ἀνέμων ἐπιστείχειν ein. dieser Stelle leitet Hermann das bei Cicero Tusc. I 28 erhaltene Fragment eines römischen Dichters (also wohl der Eumen. des Ennius) ab: Caelum nitescere (non intermittit suo tempore geht im Text voraus), arbores frondescere, Vites laetificae pampinis pubescere, Rami bacarum ubertate incurvescere, Se- getes largiri fruges, florere omnia, Fontes scatere, herbis prata convestirier.

mvp-comment-482-3 4

mvp-comment-483-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 314

mvp-comment-483-2 σωτηρίαν scil. ἐφύμνησον.

mvp-comment-484-1 5

mvp-comment-484-2 Wecklein 1888, p. 314

mvp-comment-484-3 Der Gottlosen Saat aber möge ausgejätet werden.

mvp-comment-485-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 314

mvp-comment-485-2 τὸ τῶν δικαίων γένος ἀπέν θητον τῶνδε, ungetrübt und ungestört von diesen (den Gottlosen). Man erwartet aber einen Ausdruck, der von der Gärtnerei entlehnt ist: vielleicht hat es ἀπανθιστὸν γάνος geheifsen d. i. ,die Zier der Gerechten von diesen weggepflückt" für diese aus dem prangenden Beet der Gerechten ausgepflückt." Vgl. Hom. η 128 πρασιαι .. ἐπηετανὸν γανόωσαι.

mvp-comment-486-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 314

mvp-comment-486-2 τῶν ἀρειφάτων ἀγώνων von kriegerischen blutigen Kämpfen. Bei Homer sind ἀρηίφατοι solche, die in der Schlacht getötet werden. Vgl. ἀρείφατοι φόνοι Eur. Suppl. 603 , auch ἀρείφατον λῆμα Aesch. frg. 146 D. πρεπτῶν, in denen man sich auszeichnen kann (bei Homer μάχῃ ἐνὶ κυδιανείρῃ). Wenn es auch Plat. Prot. 323 A ἅπαντος ἀνδρὸς ἀνέχονται heifst, so ist immerhin in der Redensart ἀνέχεσθαί τί τινος der Gen. von τ, nicht von ἀνέχεσθαι abhängig: ,,von den kriegerischen ruhmreichen Kämpfen werde ich es mir nicht gefallen lassen, dafs sie nicht diese Stadt als siegreich ehren." ἀστύνίκον: zu 37.

mvp-comment-486-3 6

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

πολισσούχοι , see note on l. 775

.

mvp-sidgwick-408-1-1 The soothing and spell of my tongue is in apposition to the Majesty of Persuasion, Πειθοῦς σέβας. The whole sentence is in the imaginative grandiloquent style, and simply means if I can persuade you.

σὺ δ᾽ οὖν μένοις ἄν , dramatic [if I persuade you], well then, abide. [The dé in apodosis is originally Epic usage, common in the Poets: so Ag. 1061

εἰ δὲ μὴ δέχει λόγον, σὺ δ᾽ ἀντὶ φωνῆς, κ.τ.λ.
]

γαμόρῳ: . Doric form for γεώμορος.

mvp-sidgwick-411-1-1 The change from lyrics to iambic dialogue on the part of the Chorus marks the progress of persuasion. They have left off mere lamentation and resentment, and begin to consider the offer. ἔχειν, I have, vivid use of present, for I am to have.

ἀπήμον' οἰζύος , gen. after neg. adj., a common use: a combination perhaps of gen. of reference with gen. of emptiness or separation. So

ἄπαππον πυρός
Ag. 311 ,
ἀμήνιτον θεῶν
ib. 649 , ἄσκευον ἀσπίδων Soph. Εl. 36, ἀψύφητος κωκυμάτων Αί. 321, etc.

καὶ δὴ δέδεγμαι , lit. there now, I have received, dramatic particles used idiomatically when a case is put or supposed suppose I have accepted, say now, I consent: so

καὶ δὴ οὔτις ἂν δέξαιτ᾽
Cho. 565 ,
καὶ δὴ τεθνᾶσι
Eur. Med. 386 ,
καὶ δὴ παρεῖκεν
Hel. 1059 .

ὡς . for ὥστε, as often, see 36.

ξυμφοράς , the fortunes, used neutrally, without a bad meaning.

γάρ is yes, for, as often in dialogue. So l. 899

.

mvp-sidgwick-416-1-1 It is open to me not to say, I have no need to say.

mvp-sidgwick-417-1-1 Weil ingeniously proposes κατᾶσον οὕς for κατὰ χθὸν᾽ οὖσ᾽, charm with a song those whose love thou shalt win, which leads up to the question in the next line. But the MSS. reading will stand; the gist of these lines being as follows ( ll. 898-903

):
Cho.
Will you promise it for ever?
Ath.
My word is enough.
Cho.
I think I will yield.
Ath.
Then you will be loved.
Cho.
[now appeased]‘What blessings do you bid me pray for?

mvp-sidgwick-418-1-1 To avoid the hiatus we could read (with Porson) τί μ᾽ οὖν; but MSS. all give τί οὖν ; here, and Pers. 787 , Theb. 704, 208:

τί εἶπας;
Trach. 1203 ,
τι Ἅιδου
Ag. 1115 ,
τί ἔστι;
Pers. 693 : and the licence with τί is quite intelligible.

ἐπίσκοπα , such as look to, hath regard to no dishonourable victory; a vivid word for befit. The word is similarly used Cho. 126

εὐχὰς πατρῴων δωμάτων ἐπισκόπους,
Aias 976
ἄτης τῆσδ᾽ ἐπίσκοπον μέλος.

mvp-sidgwick-419-2-1 The νίκη is explained by ll. 864-866

: he means victory over foes, not in civil broils: and the next line extends it to all sort of prosperity.

mvp-sidgwick-420-1-1 'Ay, and that from earth, and watery sea, and heaven [all be blest], and gentle gales with fair sunshine blowing may pass o'er the land.' The rapidity in this fine and poetic passage again rather obscures the grammar, though not the sense: the fact is, he was going to say '[and pray] that from earth, sea, sky, and winds [all may prosper]:' but the clause about the winds is specially developed, and the sentence ends differently from what was intended.

ἐπίρρυτον , abundantly, predicative adj.

mvp-sidgwick-422-1-1 But the impious be more ready to weed out; the metaphor of ἔκφορος, carrying away, is probably from gardening, as the next line explains.

ἀπένθητον , predicative.

σοὔστι , the regular crasis for σοὶ ἐστί. τῶν ἀρειφάτων . . . πόλιν, and in the glorious strife of war I shall not suffer but that my city shall be honoured among men as victorious.

ἀγώνων is gen. of respect, put provisionally at the beginning and depending ultimately on ἀστύνικον.

τιμᾶν , active according to Greek idiom: they say, I shall not allow but that [people] shall honour my city: we say, I shall not allow my city to be unhonoured.