Aeschylus Eumenides 674

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

Εὐμενίδες (Greek) (Aeschylus, Volume 2. Smyth, Herbert Weir, editor. London; New York: William Heinemann; G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1926.)

Editions (11)
Εὐμενίδες First1KGreek (Aeschyli Tragoediae. Sidgwick, Arthur, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1902.) — 778-891 focus
Εὐμενίδες (1518 edition; OCR draft) Experimental (Aeschylus, Eumenides, 1518 edition. VLM-assisted OCR with native lineation and automated correspondence to the Smyth edition.) — 674 focus
Εὐμενίδες (OCR draft) Experimental (Εὐμενίδες. Guilielmus Dindorfius, 1882.) — 674 focus
Εὐμενίδες (OCR draft) Experimental (Εὐμενίδες. Gottfried Hermann, 1852.) — 674 focus
ΕΥΜΕΝΙΔΕΣ (OCR draft) Experimental (ΕΥΜΕΝΙΔΕΣ. Paul Mazon, 1920-1925.) — 674 focus
Εὐμενίδες (OCR draft) Experimental (Εὐμενίδες. Arthur Sidgwick, 1887.) — 674 focus
Εὐμενίδες (OCR draft) Experimental (Εὐμενίδες. N. Wecklein, 1885.) — 674 focus
ἤδη κελεύω τούσδ᾽ ἀπὸ γνώμης φέρειν
ψῆφον δικαίαν, ὡς ἅλις λελεγμένων.
Εὐμενίδες (OCR draft) Experimental (Εὐμενίδες. Martin L. West, 1990.) — 674 focus
Aeschyli Eumenides (OCR draft) Experimental (Aeschyli Eumenides. Ulrich von Wilamowitz-Moellendorff, 1914.) — 674 focus
Εὐμενίδες (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek text of Aeschylus' Eumenides, edited by F. A. Paley, 1885.) — 674 focus
ἤδη κελεύω τούσδ᾽ ἀπὸ γνώμης φέρειν
ψῆφον δικαίαν, ὡς ἅλις λελεγμένων.
645
Εὐμενίδες (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek text of Aeschylus' Eumenides, edited by Friedrich Blass, 1907.) — 674 focus
ἤδη κελεύσω τοῦσδ᾽ ἀπὸ γνώμης φέρειν
ψῆφον δικαίαν, ὡς ἅλις λελεγμένων.
675
Translations (11)
Eumenides Perseus (Aeschylus, Volume 2. Smyth, Herbert Weir, translator. London; New York: William Heinemann; G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1926. (Modernized by Perseus.)) — 674 focus
The Eumenides (OCR draft) Experimental (The Eumenides. Theodore Alois Buckley, 1849.) — 674 focus
Now I bid these according to their opinion pass a just sentence, as enough has been said.
LES EUMÉNIDES (OCR draft) Experimental (LES EUMÉNIDES. Paul Mazon, 1920-1925.) — 674 focus
inviter maintenant ces juges à por-
ter dans l'urne, suivant leur conscience, un suffrage équi- table ? Avez-vous tout dit ?
The Furies (OCR draft) Experimental (The Furies. Robert Potter, 1779.) — 674 focus
The pleas are urg'd: theſe now I charge to give
Sentence, with ſtrict regard to truth and juſtice.
Eschilo, Le Eumenidi: traduzione italiana di Ettore Romagnoli (OCR draft) Experimental (Eschilo, Le Eumenidi: traduzione italiana di Ettore Romagnoli. Ettore Romagnoli, 1922.) — 674 focus
Giove, tu dici, ha piú riguardo ai padri ?
Ed egli in lacci il vecchio Crono avvinse.
680
Ché non esponi il fatto a questi giudici?
A udirlo, o testimonî, io vi sollecito.
Aeschylus, Eumenides: versio Latina Ioannis Sanravii (OCR draft) Experimental (Aeschylus, Eumenides: versio Latina Ioannis Sanravii. Ioannes Sanravius, 1555.) — 674 focus
Iam iubeo hos pro ſententia ferre
Calculum iuſtum, tanquam fatis dictorum.
640
Aeschylus, Die Eumeniden: German translation (OCR draft) Experimental (Aeschylus, Die Eumeniden: German translation. Ulrich von Wilamowitz-Moellendorff, 1919–1923.) — 674 focus
Habt ihr genug gesprochen? Darf die Richter ich
675 abstimmen lassen ehrlich und gewissenhaft?
Eumenides (OCR draft) Experimental (Eumenides. Anna Swanwick, 1886.) — 674 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.) — 674 focus
Enough is said; I bid the judges now
With pure intent deliver just award.
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.) — 674 focus
Und nun gebiet' ich, Richter, fällt nach eurem Sinn
Gerechtes Urtheil; denn gesprochen ist genug.
645
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.)

674. ἀπὸ γνώμης , from his judgment (gen. of the source), i.e. according to his judgment. Somewhat similar are τλήμων οὖσ᾽ ἀπ᾿ εὐτόλμου φρενός Ag. 1302, ἀπὸ γλώσσης, ‘by word of mouth,' ἀπ᾿ ὄψεως, at sight.

678. τιθεῖσ' , ordering. Athena addresses Apollo and Orestes, but Apollo replies to the judges.

685. ᾿Αμαζόνων ἕδραν . One of the exploits of Theseus was an attack on the warrior women, called Amazons, when he carried off their queen Antiope. In revenge the Amazons invaded Attica, and were not defeated till they had reached the centre of Athens itself. The grammar is broken, and the provisional accusative πάγον δ᾽ ῎Αρειον τόνδ' in the course of the long sentence is forgotten; there is nothing to govern it. So O. T. 449. But it may be that ῎Αρειον is a gloss, which has ousted the verb: so Weil reads ἑδοῦνται, Weckl. ἑδεῖται.

686. κατὰ φθόνον , in hate, spite, slightly strained use.

687. πόλιν νεόπτολιν τήνδ' ἀντεπύργωσαν , 'raised this new city rampart against' the old: i. e. fortified the Areiopagos against the Akropolis.

690. τῷ , it, Epic use of article as pronoun, common in Aeschylus.

691. φόβος τε ξυγγενής , ‘and fear his kinsman.' Aeschylus is fond of such sudden personifications. So Ag. 494 he still more quaintly calls dust the neighbour brother of clay, κάσις πηλοῦ ξύνουρος.

692. σχήσει , ‘shall restrain them.'

697. περιστέλλουσι , lit. wrapping round, i.e. protecting, maintaining. Aeschylus protests against the despot (who was no longer formidable) and anarchy: i. e. he recommends oligarchy under the usual pretext of moderation.

704. κερδῶν ἄθικτον , incorruptible. The gen. belongs to a special (though common) class of usages with negative adjectives, e. g. ἄλυπος ἄτης Soph. Εl. 990, ἀψόφητος κωκυμάτων Αi. 321, ἄσκευος ἀσπίδων Ε1. 36; a combination of gen. of reference and gen. of separation.

705. ὀξύθυμος , quick to wrath: a tribunal that delays not to punish. The fine expression that follows, a wakeful guardian of the land on behalf of them that sleep, has been misunderstood [by Schol. and others]: it is simply an imaginative description of an ever-vigilant tribunal, always watchful even when those it defends slumber.

706. φρούρημα , guardian: for this verbal suffix used actively compare γυναικὸς ὢν δούλευμα Ant. 756.

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

mvp-comment-486-1 κελεύω τούςδ᾽:

κελεύσω
sola Rob.
τάσδ'
Farn.
τούσδ'
, supra adscripto
τας
,

mvp-comment-487-1 ἀπὸ γνώμης: Euripides in Ione v. 1313.

δεινόν γε, θνητοῖς τοὺς νόμους ὡς οὐ καλῶς ἔθηκεν ὁ θεός, οὐδ᾽ ἀπὸ γνώμης σοφής
. Vnde Blomfieldius hic
δικαίας
scribendum esse suspicatur.

mvp-comment-488-1 ἄμομφος:

ἄμορφος
Ven. Ald. Sed G. ut ceteri
ἄμομφος
.

mvp-comment-489-1 ἠκούσαθ᾽ ὧν ἠκούσατ᾽:

ἤκουσαν᾽ ὧν ἤκούσατ'
sic G.
ἤκουσα θ' ὧν ἤκουσα τ'
Αld.
ἠκούσαθ᾽ ὡς ἠκούσατ'
Ven. (teste Bekkero Flor. Farn.

mvp-comment-490-1 αἰδεῖσθε:

αἰδεῖσθε
Aug. G. Ven. Flor. Ald. Turn.
αἰδεῖσθαι
Rob. et ad ultimam syllabam supra adscripto
ε
M.

mvp-comment-491-1 ἀστικὸς: Libri

ἀττικός
, nisi quod in G. ante correctionem
ἀττικῶς
fuit. Scripsi
ἀστικός
. Ita
ἀστικός λεώς
dictum est v. 979.

mvp-comment-492-1 πρώτας ... κρίνοντες:

πρώτας
Ald. unde
πρῶτον
Turn. Deinde
κρίνοντες
M. Aug. G. Ald. Rob. Turn. Meursius in Areopago c. 9. scribendum putabat
κρίναντες
, quod hoc non primum fuerit iudicium capitale quod iudicarit Areopagus. Et habent
κρίναντες
Ven. Flor. Farn. Verum Aeschylus, concesso poetis iure usus, Minervam iudicium Areopagitarum in hac ipsa caussa primum constituisse finxit. Post hunc versum 674. tres versus inserui, qui in libris post v.698. sequuntur. Hic enim necessari, illic inepti aperteque sero positi sunt, neque nexi per copulam, qua hic positis neque opus est, nec ferri posset. Dixi de hac re in Opusc. VI. 2. p. 94. neque quae Schoemannus contra me disputavit plus ponderis habere mihi videntur quam quae Müllerus protulerat.

mvp-comment-493-1 Αἰγείῳ:

αἰγείῳ
Turn.
αἰγέωι
Μ.
αἰγές
G. Ald.
αἰγέω
Rob.
αἰγαίῳ
Aug.
αἰγέως
, ut Scaliger scribendum putavit, Flor. et, ut videtur, Ven. Farn.

mvp-comment-494-1 ἀεὶ δικαστῶν:

αἰεὶ
libri. Deinde
δικαστῶν
Canterus.
δ᾽ ἑκάστων
Μ. Par. G. Rob.
δ' εκάστω
Ven. Flor.
δ' ἑκάστῳ
Ald. Turn. Non recte Porsonus
ἀεὶ-δικαστῶν
scripsit. Iungenda sunt
τὸ λοιπὸν ἀεί
.

mvp-comment-495-1 πάγον δ᾽ Ἄρειον:

ἐγρήγορον
Ven. (sic Ven.) Flor. Farn.
πάγον τ'
Aug. Deinde libri
ἄρειον
. Scribendum est
ὄρειον
. Incipit autem Minerva tamquam dictura
πάγον δ᾽ ὄρειον τόνδε σχήσειν βούλομαι τὸ μὴ ἀδικεῖν
, interiectisque aliis mutat constructionem et subiungit
ἐν δὲ τῷ
et quae sequuntur. V. Opusc. VI. 2. p. 91. seqq.

mvp-comment-496-1 θ':

θ'
omittit Ald.
'
est apud Turn.

mvp-comment-497-1 νεόπτολιν:

νεόπολιν
Rob. non Ald.

mvp-comment-498-1 τήνδ':

τὴν
pro
τήνδ'
Ven. Flor. Farn.

mvp-comment-499-1 ἀντεπύργωσαν:

ἀνεπύργωσαν
Rob.

mvp-comment-500-1 Ἄρει δ᾽ ἔθυον, ἔνθεν ἔστ᾽ ἐπώνυμος: Εtym. Μ. p. 139, 8.

Ἄρειος πάγος, δικαστήριον Αθήνῃσιν οὕτω καλούμενον, καὶ οἱ δικασταὶ Ἀρεοπαγίται· πρώτη γὰρ κρίσις ἐκεῖ ἐγένετο ἀνθρώποις. ἢ (ἢ ὡς φησιν Αισχύλος
codex Sorb. apud Gaisf.)
ὅτι αἱ Αμάζονες ἐπὶ τὸν τόπον ἐκεῖνον ἐστρατεύοντο, Αρεος οὖσαι
. Eustathius ad Dionysii v. 653.
ἀφ᾽ ὧν (Αμαζόνων) ὡς ἐξ Αρεος καταγομένων καὶ ὁ Ἄρειος πάγος ἐν Ἀθήναις ὠνόμασται, οἷα μέχρι καὶ ἐκεῖ ἐλθουσῶν
. Varro de L. Lat. VII. p. 305. seq. ed. Speng. Ennius (ennii cod. Flor.)
"Areopagitae quid dedere quam pudam"
(ita cod. Flor.). Ex Eumenidibus Ennii haec sumpta esse intellexit Scaliger. Itaque hunc versum, ut ex hoc loco ductum, ita scripsit,
Areopagiticam ea de re vocant petram
: nam Ant. Augustinus aliam lectionem, peram, protulerat. Scribere certe debebat Scaliger
Areopagitarum ea de re vocant petram
. Addit enim Varro
Areopagitae ab Areopago: is locus Athenis
. Sed non potest dubitari quin plane aliud lateat in codicis Florentini scriptura.

mvp-comment-501-1 μὴ ἀδικεῖν:

μὴ ἀδικεῖν
M. G. Aug. Ven. Flor. Farn. Ald. Rob.
συνίζησις
adscriptum in Ven. Farn.
μὴ δικεῖν
Turn.

mvp-comment-502-1 τό τ' ἦμαρ ... ὁμῶς:

τό τ' ήμαρ
Grotius in Excerptis, et sic e correctione M. in quo
τόδ' ήμαρ
scriptum erat.
τόδ' ήμαρ
Aug. G. Ven. (sic G. Ven.) Rob.
τὸ δ'
e Flor. Farn. affertur.
τόδ' ἡμας
Ald.
τόθ' ήμαρ
Turn. In fine versus
ὁμῶς
Turn.
ὁμῶς
Farn.
ὅμως
Aug. G. Ven. Ald. Rob.

mvp-comment-503-1 μὴ 'πικαινούντων νόμους:

μὴ πικαινόντων νόμους
M. Aug. G. Ald.
μὴ ἐπικαινόντων νόμους
Ven. Flor. Rob. Turn.
μὴ ἐπιβαινόντων νόμους
, ad
β
supra adscripto
κ
, Farn. Elegans est Wakefieldii coniectura,
μὴ ἐπιχραινόντων νόμους
. Sed recipiendam putavi, ut Porsonus aliique, leniorem Stephani emendationem,
μὴ ἐπικαινούντων νόμους
.

mvp-comment-504-1 κακαῖς ἐπιρροαῖσι· βορβόρῳ δ᾽ ὕδωρ λαμπρὸν μιαίνων οὔ ποθ᾽ εὑρήσεις ποτόν: Post

κακαῖς ἐπιρροαῖσι
interpunctum est in M. Ven. Flor. Rob. Deinde libri
βορβόρω
(
βαρβάρω
Ven.)
θ' ύδωρ
. Si
κακαῖς ἐπιρροαῖσι
cum sequentibus iungendum esset, scribendum esset
κακαῖς δ᾽ ἐπιρροαῖσι βορβόρῳ θ᾽ ὕδωρ λαμπρὸν μιαίνων
. Sed ad praecedentia rettulisse haec verba videntur etiam paroemiographi, qui eis omissis sequentia sine auctoris nomine afferunt. Prov. e cod. Bodl. 231. p. 22. Gaisf.
βορβόρῳ ὕδωρ λαμπρὸν μιαίνων οὔποθ᾽ εὑρήσεις πότνον. ἐπὶ τῶν τὰ κάλλιστα τοῖς αἰσχίστοις μιγνύντων
. Similiter Diogenianus III. 55. Zenobius II. 73. Itaque videntur scriptum invenisse
κακαῖς ἐπιρροαῖσι· βορβόρῳ δ᾽ ὕδωρ
etc. Id posui, et voluerat ita iam Pearsonus.

mvp-comment-505-1 τὸ μὴ δ᾽ ἄναρχον μηδὲ δεσποτούμενον ἀστοῖς περιστέλλουσι:

τὸ μήτ' ἄναρχον μηδὲ δεσποτούμενον
sic Franzio teste M.
τὸ μήτ' ἄναρχον μὴ δὲ δεσποτούμενον
Aug. Ven. (Bekkero teste Flor. Farn. (hi ita Linwoodio teste) Rob.
τὸ μήτ' ἄναρχον μήτε δεσποτούμενον
G. Ald. Turn. et, ut Franzius quidem ait, Ven. Flor. Scribendum erat
τὸ μὴ δ᾽ ἄναρχον μηδὲ δεσποτούμενον
. Dictum est de his versibus in Opusc. VI. 2. p. 93. seq.

mvp-comment-506-1 περιστέλλουσι βουλεύω σέβειν: Non recte Porsonus

περιστέλλουσα
, Heathii coniecturam, recepit. Deinde
βουλεύω σέβειν
Ven. Flor. Rob. et haud dubie etiam Farn.
βουλεύω σέθεν
M. Par. Aug. G. Ald. Turn. sed
σέβειν
adscriptum est in margine M. et super
σέθεν
in Aug. infra in G.

mvp-comment-507-1 ἔνδικος:

του
omittit Rob.
ἐνδίκω
Αld.

mvp-comment-508-1 οὔτις:

οὔποτ'
pro
οὔτις
Ven. Flor.

mvp-comment-509-1 οὔτ᾽ ἐν Σκύθαισιν:

οὔτ᾽ ἐν σκύθαισιν
Farn.
οὔτ᾽ ἐν σκύθησιν
Μ.
οὔτ᾽ ἐν σκύθησιν
vel
σκύθησιν
G. Ven. Flor. Rob.
οὔτε σκύθησιν
Ald. Turn. et, ut Franzius ait, Aug.
οὔτε σκύθοισιν
Par.

mvp-comment-510-1 οὔτε:

οὔτε
G. e correctione, quum antea
οὔτ' ἦν
scriptum fuisset. Similiter Sophocles Oed. Col. v. 695.
ἔστιν δ᾽ οἷον ἐγὼ γᾶς Ἀσίας οὐκ ἐπακούω, οὐδ᾽ ἐν τα μεγάλα Δωρίδι νάσῳ Πέλοπος πώποτε βλαστὸν φύτευμ᾽ ἀχείρωτον ἐγχέων δαΐων
.

mvp-comment-511-1 ἐξέτειν᾽ ἐμοῖς παραίνεσιν:

ἐξέτειν᾽ ἐμοῖς παραινέσεσιν
Ven.
ἐξαιτεῖν ἐμοῖς ποραίνεσιν
Par.

mvp-comment-512-1 καὶ διαγνῶναι:

ἐπὶ διαγνῶναι
pro
καὶ διαγνώναι
Rob.

mvp-comment-513-1 αἰδουμένους:

αἰδουμένους
Canterus.
αἰδουμένοις
M. Par. Aug. G. Ald. Rob. Τurn.
αἱρουμένοις
Ven. Flor. Farn.

mvp-comment-514-1 ὅρκον:

νόμον
pro
ὅρκον
Par.

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

mvp-comment-214-1 ἀπὸ γνώμης] according to their convictions. Schol.

ὃ δοκιμάζεται.

mvp-comment-215-1 The sense is, πῶς τιθῶ ὥστε πρὸς ὑμῶν ἄμομφος εἶναι; Properly, the deliberative subjunctive can only refer to some act, and in τί πάθω=τί πείσομαι the aorist has the epic meaning of a true future.

mvp-comment-216-1 After this verse Hermann inserts 674-6. The poet, perhaps, preferred to make a more direct antithesis between πρώτας δίκας and καὶ τὸ λοιπόν. ὅρκον] Cf. v. 467. Athena gives the same warning, inf. 680.

mvp-comment-217-1 πάγον δὲ κ.τ.λ.] ' And as regards this hill of Ares, once the camping-ground of the Amazons when they marched against Theseus, -in this, I say, a court shall be established which will ever keep the citizens in awe of committing wrong.' There are many examples of an accusative standing first without any regular government; see, for instance, Ag. 1023 , Cho. 826 .

mvp-comment-218-1 πόλιν νεόπτολιν] Schol.

τὸν ᾿Αρειον πάγον.
The poet perhaps refers to traditions of the Persian invasion. Herod. VIII. 52
οἱ δὲ Πέρσαι ἱζόμενοι ἐπὶ τὸν καταντίον τῆς ἀκροπόλιος ὄχθον, τὸν ᾿Αθηναῖοι καλέουσι ᾿Αρήϊον πάγον, ἐπολιόρκεον τρόπον τοιόνδε.

mvp-comment-219-1 ἐν δὲ τῷ] in hoc, inquam, &c.

mvp-comment-220-1 ἐπικαινούντων] ‘If the citizens themselves do not make innovations in the laws.' This, and what follows, is sage political advice tendered by the goddess of wisdom herself to the reforming party of Ephialtes and Pericles. The τὸ μέσον between anarchy and tyranny was commended sup. 500.

mvp-comment-221-1 τὸν ὅρκον] Cf. 650. The singular, ψῆφον not ψήφους, indicates that each judge had one vote, which was dropped in the urn of acquittal or condemnation ( τευχέων, v. 712; cf. Agam. 789 ). — εἴρηται λόγος, ‘that is all I have to say,' the pleading being now concluded.

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-266-1 ὃ δοκιμάζεται.

mvp-comment-267-1 τί τιθεῖσα μέμψιν παρ᾽ ὑμῶν οὐχ ὑπομενῶ; zu

mvp-comment-268-1 ὅτι (d. i. τὸ χ ὅτι) πρώτη ἐπὶ Ὀρέστηι γέγονεν δίκη ἐν τῶι Ἀρείωι πάγωι.

mvp-comment-269-1 μῆνιν.

mvp-comment-270-1 τὸν Ἄρειον πάγον· ἐν αὐτῶι γὰρ ἐστρατοπέδευσαν.

mvp-comment-271-1 ὅθεν Ἄρειος πάγος ἐκλήθη.

mvp-comment-272-1 ὁ δὲ ἀντὶ τοῦ γάρ.

mvp-comment-273-1 συμβουλεύω τοῖς

mvp-comment-274-1 ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀποθανόντων τιμωρόν.

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-312-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 292

mvp-comment-312-2 viertes Epeisodion: Vor dem neu eingesetzten Gerichtshof, dem Athena als ἡγεμών und εἰσαγωγεύς vorsteht (583), bringen die Erinyen ihre Anklage vor, Apollon legt Zeugnis ab und tritt den Erinyen als Vertreter der Sache des Orestes, die zugleich seine eigene ist, entgegen. Darauf fällen die Areopagiten das Urteil. Athena tritt rechts auf. Ein Herold und ein Trompetenbläser schreiten voraus, Bürger von Athen folgen ihr. κήρυσσε scil. σίγα ( Eur. Phoen. 1224

σίγα κηρύξαι στρατῷ
). Der Schol. :
ὅρα πῶς τὰ νέων ἔθη ἀναχρονίζει. ἃ γὰρ νῦν γίνε ται, ταῦτα τὴν ᾿Αθηνῶν εἰσήγαγε λέγουσαν. ἐχρῶντο γὰρ τῇ σάλ πιγγι ἀνείργειν τὸ πλῆθος θέλοντες
. στρατόν: natürlich ist das Volk nur gedacht.

mvp-comment-368-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 298

mvp-comment-368-2 ἀπὸ γνώμης (pach innerer Überzeugung) wie τἀπὸ καρδίας Eur. Iph. A. 475 . Gegensatz ἀπὸ γλώσσης Theogn. 63 ἀλλὰ δόκει μὲν πᾶσιν ἀπὸ γλώσσης φίλος εἶναι. Vgl. Aeschin. 1, 92 οὐ γὰρ ἐκ τοῦ λόγου μόνον οὐδὲ ἐκ τῶν μαρτυριῶν, ἀλλ᾽ ἐξ ὧν αὐτοὶ ἐξητάκασι καὶ συνίσασι, τὴν ψῆφον φέρουσι (die Areopagiten).

mvp-comment-369-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 298

mvp-comment-369-2 Nach diesem Verse treten die Richter zur Urne (zu Ag. 806 ). Da 12 Distichen, 6 der Chorführerin, 6 des Apollon folgen (679-725), so werden es 12 Areopagiten gewesen sein entsprechend der Zahl von 12 Göttern, welche nach anderer Sage über Ares oder über Orestes ( Eur. Or. 1650 , Demosth. 23, 66 ) auf dem Areshügel gerichtet haben sollen, und bei jeder Rede des Chors wird einer in den κάδος θανάτου, bei jedem Distichon des Apollon einer in den κάδος ἐλέου seinen Stimmstein gelegt haben.

mvp-comment-370-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 299

mvp-comment-370-2 ἡμῖν μέν (uns allerdings) mit Bezug auf ὡς ἄλις λελεγμένων.

mvp-comment-371-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 299

mvp-comment-371-2 μένω (harre) ἀκοῦσαι wie γενέσθαι μένω 735. Hom. Δ 247 ἡ μένετε Τρώας σχεδὸν ἐλθέμεν, wie μένειν öfter gebraucht ist.

mvp-comment-372-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 299

mvp-comment-372-2 πῶς τιθεῖσα ἄμομφος ω πρὸς ὑμῶν: welcher Art soli mein θεσμός sein, wenn ich mir nicht euren Tadel zuziehen will? Vgl. zu Cho. 14 u. 995. Der Gedanke, welcher die 684 folgende Verkündigung des couós einleitet, steht ganz unvermittelt und die Frage der Göttin wird von niemanden beantwortet. Weiteres zu 684.

mvp-comment-373-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 299

mvp-comment-373-2 ἠκούσαθ᾽ ὧν ἠκούσατε: Zu Cho. 776 . ἐν καρδίᾳ gehört zu αἰδεῖσθε.

mvp-comment-374-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 299

mvp-comment-374-2 Athena erklärt 574 ihren Θεσμός sofort verkünden zu wollen und nach 617 f. ist die Stiftung des areopagitischen Rats bereits vollzogen. Der eouós mufs also nach 576 gegeben worden sein, wie naturgemäfs die Einsetzung des Rates der Verhandlung vor demselben vorausgeht. Wollte man

mvp-comment-374-3 1

mvp-comment-375-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 299

mvp-comment-375-2 nach 576 einfügen, so würde erstens V. 681, der dort so wenig wie hier brauchbar ist, seinen Zusammenhang mit 684 ff. verlieren; ferner würde, wenn die Verse 711-713 vorhergingen, die Aufforderung des Apollon 583 εἴσαγε δίκην überfüssig, der Befehl der Athena in 711 f. verfrüht sein. Dazu kommt, dafs πάγον . . τόνδε 688 und νεόπτολιν τήνδε 690 f. den Areopag als Schauplatz der Handlung voraussetzt in Widerspruch mit 80, 242, 443 u. a. St. Aufserdem bemerkt Dindorf, der 686-702 als unecht erklärt und 707-709 vor 703 einfügt, dafs wahrscheinlich Aschylos für die Ableitung des Namens " Ἄρειος πάγος lieber einer bedeutenderen Überlieferung, wie sich solche bei anderen Schriftstellern (Pausanias I 28, 5, Aristides or. XIII vol. I p. 170 D.) finden, gefolgt sein würde als der Erzählung von den Amazonen. Ferner rügt Dindorf in 699-702, besonders in 701 die ungeschickte Wiedergabe von 520-531. In der That ist in jenen Trimetern eine Vergröberung der weihevoller Kunst entsprechenden Worte des Chorgesangs nicht zu verkennen. Vgl. auch zu 711 und Einl. S. 22.

mvp-comment-376-1 2

mvp-comment-376-2 Wecklein 1888, p. 299

mvp-comment-376-3 ἀσυνδέκαστον (unbestechlich) wie κερδῶν ἄθικτον 707. Vgl. συνδεκάζειν τὴν ἐκκλησίαν Aeschin.

mvp-comment-377-1 3

mvp-comment-377-2 Wecklein 1888, p. 299

mvp-comment-377-3 Die handschriftliche Überlieferung ist πάγον δ᾽ Ἄρειον. Da aber dem Hügel erst 693 der Name gegeben wird und diesem Satze das Verbum fehlt, so ist " Ἀρειον als Glossem auszuscheiden und ein Verbum wie έδεῖται oder, wenn δ' wegbleibt, ein Participium wie καθ ίζον ( βουλευτήριον πάγον καθίζον τόνδε) einzusetzen. Die Worte Ἀμαζόνων ἕδραν σκηνάς τε scheinen das nach Plut. Thes. c. 27 dort anzunehmende Ἀμαζόνειον zu um- schreiben. Vgl. Diod. IV 28 κατ εστρατοπέδευσαν ( αἱ Ἀμαζόνες) ὅπου νῦν ἐστὶ τὸ καλούμενον ἀπ' ἐκείνων Ἀμαζόνειον. - σκηνὰς ὅτε: zu 22. Θησέως κατὰ φθόνον, in Mifsgunst gegen Theseus, etwa weil er die Amazone Antiope als Kriegsgefangene davon geführt hatte. Vgl. Plut. Thes. c. 26 f.

mvp-comment-378-1 4

mvp-comment-378-2 Wecklein 1888, p. 300

mvp-comment-378-3 πόλει (der Akropolis) νεόπτολιν . . ἀντεπύργωσαν: von dieser Trutzburg auf dem Areopag weifs Kleidemos bei Plut. Thes. c. 27 in seiner ausführlichen Beschreibung des Kampfes der Amazonen innerhalb der Stadt Athen nichts. Dagegen erzählt Herod. VIII 52 , dafs die Perser von dem Areopag aus die Akropolis angriffen. Dies scheint später auf die Amazonen übertragen worden zu sein. Die Akropolis ist in ihrem höchsten Punkte 471', der Areopag 355', die beide verbindende Einsattelung 327' hoch. τότε: wie an die Stelle des relativen Pronomens ein demonstratives ( Krüger I § 60, 6, 2 ), so tritt hier τότε für ὅτε ein.

mvp-comment-379-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 300

mvp-comment-379-2 Ἄρει δ᾽ ἔθυον, ἔνθεν κτἑ., nach Etym. M. p. 139, 8 und Eustath. zu Dionys. P. 653 , weil die Amazonen Töchter des Ares waren.

mvp-comment-380-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 300

mvp-comment-380-2 πέτρα: der Areopag ist ein Felsenhügel, welcher in seinem östlichen Teile nach allen Seiten schroff abfällt. - ἐν δὲ . . συγγενής: die auf ihm ruhende Ehrfurcht der Bürger und die ihr verschwisterte Furcht: ἵνα γὰρ δέος, ἔνθα καὶ αἰδώς, heifst es in einem von Plat. Euthyphr. 12

Α
aus den Κύπρια (des Stasinos) angeführten Verse. Vgl. Hom. Ο 657 ἴσχε γὰρ αἰδὼς καὶ δέος. τὸ μὴ ἀδικεῖν: zu Ag. 1589 .

mvp-comment-381-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 300

mvp-comment-381-2 Die Worte βορβόρω ὕδωρ μιαίνων οὔποθ᾽ εὑρήσεις λαμπρὸν ποτόν sind nach Zenob. II 76 u. a. sprichwörtlich geworden ἐπὶ τῶν τὰ κάλλιστα μιγνύντων τοῖς αἰσχί στοις. Das Gleichnis spricht gegen die Anderung der alten Gesetze ein hartes Urteil aus, welches, wenn ursprünglich, das Gesetz des Ephialtes vom Jahr 460 treffen würde, durch das die Wirksamkeit des Areopag geschmälert wurde ( Aristot. Pol. II 9, 3 , Plut. Per. c. 9 , Kim. c. 15 ).

mvp-comment-382-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 300

mvp-comment-382-2 τὸ δεσπ. ist Objekt sowohl zu περιστέλλουσι (sorglich hegen) wie zu σέβειν.

mvp-comment-383-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 300

mvp-comment-383-2 βουλεύω, συμβουλεύω.

mvp-comment-384-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 300

mvp-comment-384-2 Soph. Ai. 1073

οὐ γάρ ποτ' οὔτ᾽ ἂν ἐν πόλει νόμοι καλῶς φέροιντ᾽ ἄν, ἔνθα μὴ καθεστήκῃ δέος κτε.,
Thuk. I 37 τὰ δημόσια διὰ δέος μάλιστα οὐ παρανομοῦμεν.

mvp-comment-385-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 301

mvp-comment-385-2 ἔρυμά τε χώρας für ἔρυμα χώρας τε.

mvp-comment-386-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 301

mvp-comment-386-2 Vgl. Soph. Oed. K. 694 οἷον ἐγὼ γᾶς Ἀσίας οὐκ ἐπακούω οὐδ᾽ ἐν τῇ μεγάλᾳ Δωρίδι νάσῳ Πέλοπος πώποτε βλαστόν.

mvp-comment-387-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 301

mvp-comment-387-2 ευδόντων ὅπερ ἐγρηγορός scheint auf eine polizeiliche Befugnis des Areopags hinzuweisen, kraft welcher er für nächtliche Sicherheit zu sorgen hatte. richtig ist die Erklärung des Schol. ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀποθανόντων τιμωρόν.) (Uner-

mvp-comment-388-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 301

mvp-comment-388-2 ὀρθοῦσθαι hier in der auffallenden Bedeutung ,sich heben". Der Befehl abzustimmen ist bereits 677 f. gegeben. Wenn dort nicht sofort die Abstimmung beginnen, vielmehr vor derselben wieder von den Parteien gesprochen würde, so stünde das in Widerspruch mit dem weiteren Reden entgegentretenden Entscheide der den Vorsitz führenden Göttin ( ἅλις λελεγμένων).

mvp-comment-389-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 301

mvp-comment-389-2 εἴρηται λόγος: zu Ag. 587 .

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

ἀπὸ γνώμης , from his judgment (gen. of the source), i.e. according to his judgment. Somewhat similar are

τλήμων οὖσ᾽ ἀπ᾿ εὐτόλμου φρενός
Ag. 1302 , ἀπὸ γλώσσης, by word of mouth, ἀπ᾿ ὄψεως, at sight.

mvp-sidgwick-309-1-1 The sense is improved by marking this line as interrogative. Athena first asks the Furies whether they are willing to have the voting, and then the other side, Apollo and Orestes. Both express satisfaction, and then she gives her final address and orders them to vote. κελεύω will then be subj. delib. Shall I now order? etc. It is a formal request to both sides to know if there is anything more to be said: no doubt a copy of the usual proceeding on the part of the presiding judge at an Areopagite trial.

τιθεῖσ' , ordering. Athena addresses Apollo and Orestes, but Apollo replies to the judges.

mvp-sidgwick-311-1-1 Athena having formally to address the court, takes this opportunity of solemnly instituting the Areiopagos for ever. [Kirch. Weckl. etc. transfer this speech to 573: but the close of the speech shows that it comes just before the voting.]

mvp-sidgwick-312-1-1 The names Aigeus, Theseus, Amazons, are brought in to emphasize the antiquity and glory of this Athenian institution.

᾿Αμαζόνων ἕδραν . One of the exploits of Theseus was an attack on the warrior women, called Amazons, when he carried off their queen Antiope. In revenge the Amazons invaded Attica, and were not defeated till they had reached the centre of Athens itself. The grammar is broken, and the provisional accusative πάγον δ᾽ ῎Αρειον τόνδ' in the course of the long sentence is forgotten; there is nothing to govern it. So O. T. 449 . But it may be that ῎Αρειον is a gloss, which has ousted the verb: so Weil reads ἑδοῦνται, Weckl. ἑδεῖται.

κατὰ φθόνον , in hate, spite, slightly strained use.

πόλιν νεόπτολιν τήνδ' ἀντεπύργωσαν , raised this new city rampart against the old: i. e. fortified the Areiopagos against the Akropolis.

τῷ , it, Epic use of article as pronoun, common in Aeschylus.

φόβος τε ξυγγενής , and fear his kinsman. Aeschylus is fond of such sudden personifications. So Ag. 494 he still more quaintly calls dust the neighbour brother of clay, κάσις πηλοῦ ξύνουρος.

σχήσει , shall restrain them.

mvp-sidgwick-319-1-1 I take the simplest alteration, ἐπικαινούντων for ᾿πικαινόντων of MSS., and leave the stop at νόμους.

mvp-sidgwick-319-2-1 [Others (H. D. Hart.) run on the sense to ἐπιρροαῖσι, to avoid leaving l. 694

unconnected; but the rhythm is easier if we end at l. 693
after the long passage: κακ. ἐπ. goes better with what follows than with ἐπικαινούντων: and as to the want of connexion, we have a similar instance in Ag. 322
ὄξος τ᾽ ἄλειφά τ᾽ ἐγχέας ταὐτῷ κύτει . . .,
 Eur. Or. 232
μεταβολὴ πάντων γλυκύ
 In all three cases, a proverb is quoted in support of what goes before.]

mvp-sidgwick-320-1-1 Same sentiment l. 526

.

περιστέλλουσι , lit. wrapping round, i.e. protecting, maintaining. Aeschylus protests against the despot (who was no longer formidable) and anarchy: i. e. he recommends oligarchy under the usual pretext of moderation.

mvp-sidgwick-322-1-1 The same sentiment as the Furies had expressed before, l. 516

, that Fear is necessary to the moral order of men and states, is here adopted by Athena.

mvp-sidgwick-323-1-1 Such majesty if ye justly revere ye shall find, etc.: by τοιόνδε σέβας she means the reverend court of Areiopagos.

mvp-sidgwick-324-1-1 Neither among the Scythians, nor the lands of Pelops, a stately expression for neither in Greece (the Peloponnesus standing for Greece) nor in the distant barbarous countries. So (H. quotes) Soph. O. C. 695

neither in Asian land, nor the Dorian isle of Pelops
.

κερδῶν ἄθικτον , incorruptible. The gen. belongs to a special (though common) class of usages with negative adjectives, e. g. ἄλυπος ἄτης Soph. Εl. 990,

ἀψόφητος κωκυμάτων
Αi. 321 , ἄσκευος ἀσπίδων Ε1. 36; a combination of gen. of reference and gen. of separation.

ὀξύθυμος , quick to wrath: a tribunal that delays not to punish. The fine expression that follows, a wakeful guardian of the land on behalf of them that sleep, has been misunderstood [by Schol. and others]: it is simply an imaginative description of an ever-vigilant tribunal, always watchful even when those it defends slumber.

φρούρημα , guardian: for this verbal suffix used actively compare

γυναικὸς ὢν δούλευμα
Ant. 756 .

mvp-sidgwick-327-2-1 [During the following dialogue the seated judges in turn arise slowly and solemnly, and take their pebbles and drop them into the two urns (

τευχέων
l. 742 ).]