Aeschylus Eumenides 307

Robert Potter (Translator)

Table of Contents

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

← Previous Next →
Hear now the potent ſtrain, that charms thee mine.
340
PROSODE.
Quickly, ſiſters, ſtand around,
Raiſe your choral warblings high;
Since, the guilty ſoul to wound,
Swells the horrid harmony.
Since to mortal man we ſhow
345
How we give his fate to flow;
Since our will his doom ordains,
Show that juſtice 'mongſt us reigns.
He, whoſe hands from guilt are pure,
Stands in innocence ſecure;
350
And from youth to honour'd age
Fears not our vindictive rage.
To the wretch, that ſtrives to hide
Ruffian hands with murder died,
Cloath'd in terrors we appear,
355
Unrelentingly ſevere;
And, faithful to the injur'd dead,
Pour our vengeance on his head.
STROPHE 1.

Eumenides. Aeschylus. Robert Potter (Translator). London. 1779.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Current edition Experimental

The Furies (OCR draft) (English) (The Furies. Robert Potter, 1779.)

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (12)
Εὐμενίδες First1KGreek (Aeschyli Tragoediae. Sidgwick, Arthur, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1902.) — 299-396 focus
Εὐμενίδες Perseus (Aeschylus, Volume 2. Smyth, Herbert Weir, editor. London; New York: William Heinemann; G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1926.) — 299-396 focus
Εὐμενίδες (1518 edition; OCR draft) Experimental (Aeschylus, Eumenides, 1518 edition. VLM-assisted OCR with native lineation and automated correspondence to the Smyth edition.) — 307 focus
Εὐμενίδες (OCR draft) Experimental (Εὐμενίδες. Guilielmus Dindorfius, 1882.) — 307 focus
ἄγε δὴ καὶ χορὸν ἅψωμεν, ἐπεὶ
μοῦσαν στυγερὰν
᾿ αποφαίνεσθαι δεδόκηκεν,
λέξαι τε λάχη τὰ κατ᾿ ἀνθρώπους
310
ὡς ἐπινωμᾷ στάσις ἁμά.
εὐθυδίκαιοι δ᾽ ἡδόμεθ᾽ εἶναι·
τὸν μὲν καθαρὰς χεῖρας προνέμοντ᾽
οὔτις ἐφέρπει μῆνις ἀφ᾽ ἡμῶν,
ἀσινὴς δ᾽ αἰῶνα διοιχνεῖ·
315
ὅστις δ᾽ ἀλιτὼν ὥσπερ ὅδ᾽ ἁνὴρ
χεῖρας φονίας ἐπικρύπτει,
μάρτυρες ὀρθαὶ τοῖσι θανοῦσιν
παραγιγνόμεναι πράκτορες αἵματος
αὐτῷ τελέως ἐφάνημεν.
320
Εὐμενίδες (OCR draft) Experimental (Εὐμενίδες. Gottfried Hermann, 1852.) — 307 focus
ΕΥΜΕΝΙΔΕΣ (OCR draft) Experimental (ΕΥΜΕΝΙΔΕΣ. Paul Mazon, 1920-1925.) — 307 focus
Ἄγε δὴ καὶ χορὸν ἅψωμεν, ἐπεὶ
μοῦσαν στυγερὰν
ἀποφαίνεσθαι δεδόκηκεν,
λέξαι τε λάχη τὰ κατ᾿ ἀνθρώπους
310
ὡς ἐπινωμᾷ στάσις ἁμή ἅμα.
Εὐθυδίκαιοι δ' οἰόμεθ' εἶναι· εὐθυδίκαι θ᾽ οἶδ᾽ οίμεθ᾽ εἶναι εὐθυδίκαι τ᾽ οἶδ' οἶμαι θεῖναι
τὸν... προνέμοντ' τοὺς... προνέμοντας (προσνέμ- Μ) μὲν καθαρὰς χεῖρας
οὔτις ἐφέρπει μῆνις ἀφ' ἡμῶν ἀφ' ἡμῶν μῆνις ἐφέρπει,
ἀσινὴς δ' αἰῶνα διοιχνεῖ·
315
Εὐμενίδες (OCR draft) Experimental (Εὐμενίδες. Arthur Sidgwick, 1887.) — 307 focus
Εὐμενίδες (OCR draft) Experimental (Εὐμενίδες. N. Wecklein, 1885.) — 307 focus
ἄγε δὴ καὶ χορὸν ἅψωμεν, ἐπεὶ
Εὐμενίδες (OCR draft) Experimental (Εὐμενίδες. Martin L. West, 1990.) — 307 focus
Aeschyli Eumenides (OCR draft) Experimental (Aeschyli Eumenides. Ulrich von Wilamowitz-Moellendorff, 1914.) — 307 focus
ἄγε δὴ καὶ χορὸν ἅψωμεν, ἐπεὶ
μοῦσαν στυγεράν
ἀποφαίνεσθαι δεδόκηκεν,
λέξαι τε λάχη τὰ κατ᾿ ἀνθρώπους
ὡς ἐπινωμᾶι στάσις ἁμά.
310
εὐθυδίκαιοι δ᾽ εὐχόμεθ᾽ εἶναι·
τοὺς μὲν (καθαρῶς)
καθαρὰς χεῖρας προνέμοντας
οὔτις ἐφέρπει μῆνις ἀφ᾽ ἡμῶν,
ἀσινὴς δ᾽ αἰῶνα διοιχνεῖ·
315
ὅστις δ᾽ ἀλιτὼν ὥσπερ ὅδ᾽ ἁνὴρ
χεῖρας φονίας ἐπικρύπτει,
μάρτυρες ὀρθαὶ τοῖσι θανοῦσιν
παραγιγνόμεναι πράκτορες αἵματος
αὐτῶι τελέως ἐφάνημεν. ξ
320
Εὐμενίδες (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek text of Aeschylus' Eumenides, edited by F. A. Paley, 1885.) — 307 focus
ἄγε δὴ καὶ χορὸν ἅψωμεν, ἐπεὶ
μοῦσαν στυγερὰν
ἀποφαίνεσθαι δεδόκηκεν,
λέξαι τε λάχη τὰ κατ᾿ ἀνθρώπους
300
ὡς ἐπινωμᾷ στάσις ἁμά·
εὐθυδίκαιοι δ᾽ οἰόμεθ᾽ εἶναι.
τὸν μὲν καθαρὰς χεῖρας προνέμοντ᾽
οὔτις ἀφ᾽ ἡμῶν μῆνις ἐφέρπει,
ἀσινὴς δ᾽ αἰῶνα διοιχνεῖ·
305
ὅστις δ᾽ ἀλιτών, ὥσπερ ὅδ᾽ ἀνὴρ,
χεῖρας φονίας ἐπικρύπτει,
μάρτυρες ὀρθαὶ τοῖσι θανοῦσιν
παραγιγνόμεναι πράκτορες αἵματος
αὐτῷ τελέως ἐφάνημεν.
310
Εὐμενίδες (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek text of Aeschylus' Eumenides, edited by Friedrich Blass, 1907.) — 307 focus
ἄγε δὴ καὶ χορὸν ἅψωμεν, ἐπεὶ
μοῦσαν στυγερὰν
ἀποφαίνεσθαι δεδόκηκεν,
λέξαι τε λάχη τὰ κατ᾿ ἀνθρώπους
310
ὡς ἐπινωμᾶι στάσις ἁμή.
εὐθυδίκαιοι δ᾽ οἰόμεθ᾽ εἶναι·
τὸν μὲν καθαρὰς χεῖρας προνέμοντ᾽
οὔτις ἐφέρπει μῆνις ἀφ᾽ ἡμῶν,
ἀσινὴς δ᾽ αἰῶνα διοιχνεῖ·
315
ὅστις δ᾽ ἀλιτὼν ὥσπερ ὅδ᾽ ἁνὴρ
χεῖρας φονίας ἐπικρύπτει,
μάρτυρες ὀρθαὶ τοῖσι θανοῦσιν
παραγιγνόμεναι πράκτορες αἵματος
αὐτῶι τελέως ἐφάνημεν.
320
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.)) — 299-395 focus
The Eumenides (OCR draft) Experimental (The Eumenides. Theodore Alois Buckley, 1849.) — 307 focus
Come then, let us also join the dance, since it has seemed good to us to pour forth the hated song, and to declare how our band distributes its lots among men; and we delight in being upright [ministers] of justice. On him indeed who possesses pure hands no wrath from us steals, but free from harm he passes his life: but whoever, committing crime, like this man, conceals his bloody hands, close at hand as true witnesses to the dead, we appear effectually as avengers of blood to him.
LES EUMÉNIDES (OCR draft) Experimental (LES EUMÉNIDES. Paul Mazon, 1920-1925.) — 307 focus
vas entendre l'hymne qui t'enchaînera.
Eschilo, Le Eumenidi: traduzione italiana di Ettore Romagnoli (OCR draft) Experimental (Eschilo, Le Eumenidi: traduzione italiana di Ettore Romagnoli. Ettore Romagnoli, 1922.) — 307 focus
Su via, dunque, la danza s'intrecci,
poiché la ferale
canzone vogliamo intonare,
340
e dire la sorte che agli uomini
comparte la nostra congrega.
Ci vantiam di seguire Giustizia.
Chi pure ha le mani,
nessuna vendetta
345
spirata da noi su lui repe,
e illeso trascorre sua vita.
Ma se un reo, come l'uomo ch'or fugge,
nasconde le mani cruente,
noi, vindici giuste a chi cadde,
350
dinanzi apparendogli,
del sangue il riscatto esigiamo.
Aeschylus, Eumenides: versio Latina Ioannis Sanravii (OCR draft) Experimental (Aeschylus, Eumenides: versio Latina Ioannis Sanravii. Ioannes Sanravius, 1555.) — 307 focus
Age iam & chorum tangamus, poſtq; muſa odioſam
300
Apparere dedit,
Dicere ſortes contra homines,
Vt distribuat ſeditio ſimul
Statim pœnæ ſciemus eſse.
Hos quidem impuras manus adijcientes.
305
Nulla à nobis ira aſserpit
Innocuos uerò uitam agit,
Quiſquis iniuſtorum, tanquam uir
Manus cruentas occultat,
Teſtes rectæ mortuis his
310
Accedentes uindices ſanguinis,
Ipſi perfectè apparuimus,
Aeschylus, Die Eumeniden: German translation (OCR draft) Experimental (Aeschylus, Die Eumeniden: German translation. Ulrich von Wilamowitz-Moellendorff, 1919–1923.) — 307 focus
Auf denn, reicht zum Reigen euch die Hände,
singen wollen wir das grause Lied.
310 unsres Amtes Pflichten zu verkünden,
das wir üben in der Menschenwelt.
Unser Ruhm ist grades Recht zu schaffen.
Wo der Wandel rein, die Hände rein,
kommen nimmer wir mit Zorn und Rache,
315 und in Frieden fliefst das Leben hin.
Aber wer in Sündenschuld wie dieser
eine blut'ge Mörderhand verbirgt,
dem erscheinen wir. Für den Erschlag'nen
zeugen wir in Treuen, von dem Mörder
320 fordern unerbittlich wir sein Blut.
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.) — 307 focus
Weave the weird dance,—behold the hour
To utter forth the chant of hell,
360
Our sway among mankind to tell,
The guidance of our power.
Of Justice are we ministers,
And whosoe'er of men may stand
Lifting a pure unsullied hand,
365
That man no doom of ours incurs,
And walks thro' all his mortal path
Untouched by woe, unharmed by wrath.
But if, as yonder man, he hath
Blood-dropping hands he strives to hide,
370
We stand avengers at his side,
Decreeing, Thou hast wronged the dead:
We are doom's witnesses to thee.
The price of blood, his hands have shed,
We wring from him; in life, in death,
375
Hard at his side are we!
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.) — 307 focus
Wohlauf denn, laßt uns schlingen den Reih'n,
Da den grausen Gesang
Wir laut zu verkünden beschlossen,
Und zu nennen die Loos' in der Menschen Geschlecht,
Wie unsere Schaar sie vertheilte!
300
Wir schüßen das Recht nach stetem Gesey:
Wer lauter die Hand
Mit lauterem Herzen emporhebt,
Nie trifft ihn von uns der vergeltende Zorn;
Harmlos durchwallt er das Leben.
305
Doch wer sich, wie Der, durch Frevel entweiht,
Und die blutigen Hände zurückzieht,
Da treten wir kühn als Zeugen des Rechts
Der Gemordeten auf, und fordern von ihm
Vollständige Sühne der Blutthat.
310
Erste Strophe.
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.)

336-340. ξυμπέσωσιν is suspected by some edd.: why, they ask, should Furies pursue those whom murder falls in with, i. e. who are accidentally guilty of murder?

336-340. ξυμπέσωσι , befall, for a deliberate murder, we have μάταιοι (lit. vain, foolish,) for wicked: ὁμαρτεῖν (lit. to attend on), for the relentless pursuit of the Furies: οὐκ ἄγαν ἐλεύθερος meaning he is never quit of us.

336-340. τοῖσιν for relative, so, e. g. Ag. 526, 642, Cho. 604, Eum. 918, Theb. 519, etc.: (2)

336-340. ξυμπέσωσιν , indef. subj. with no ἄν attached to the relative,-both common survivals in tragedy : and (3)

336-340. ὄφρα ἄν for until.

347. λάχη . here, as 1. 334, office.

347. ἐκράνθη , assigned: so Suppl. 943 ψῆφος κέκρανται, fixed, settled .

350. ἀθανάτων δ᾽ ἀπέχειν χέρας , but from the immortals to keep away. The ἀθανάτων δέ is opposed to the θνατῶν of the previous stanza 1. 336. Their 'office' is to pursue the guilty man, but they have nothing to do with gods.

357. διόμεναι , Epic word, pursuing. Homer has it always transitive: here it seems best to take it intrans. with prep. 'pursuing after him.' [It might be tmesis for ἐπιδιόμεναι : but ὦ makes this less likely. Perhaps E. A. Ahrens' ὧδ' ἱέμεναι, which is certainly very ingenious, is the true reading.]

357. τόν , Epic demonst. use. [Others read ἐπιτόνως: but Schol. had our reading, for he remarks on the position of ὦ.]

367. μάλα with

367. ἁλομένα :

For mightily indeed leaping from on high
I bring down the weighty power of my foot-
Limbs which trip even the swiftest runner, -
A toil intolerable.
The emendation adopted [

367. ὅμως inserted and

367. μάταν , see above 1. 359] is almost necessary to give the right sense, even though they fly swiftly.

374. κατὰ γᾶν , on earth, is the MS. reading: but as Hermann said, the sense below the earth, κατὰ γᾶs, is required in antithesis to ὑπ᾿ αἰθέρι. The same mistake occurs again 11. 838, 871. 11. 375, 376. Bold and imaginative expressions :

Before our black-robed assault,
And the vengeful measures of our foot;
i.e. [their human glories come to naught] when we the Furies attack them and weave these magic dances which make them our captive (as we are doing to Orestes).

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

mvp-comment-245-1 ἄγαν: άγαν γ' Farn.

mvp-comment-246-1 ἐπὶ δὲ τῷ τεθυμένῳ: Orestis nomen praefixum in Flor. ἐπὶ δὲ τῶ τότε υμουμένω Ven. ἐπὶ δὲ τῷ τε θυμουμένω Farn.

mvp-comment-247-1 παρακοπά: παράκοπα Ven. παρακοπᾶ Ald.

mvp-comment-248-1 παραφορὰ φρενοδαλής: παραφορά Αld. Rob. Turn. παράφρονα M. G. Ven. παράφρονα sine accentu Flor. Deinde φρενοδαλής G. Ven. Flor. Ald. Rob. φρενόδαλης Μ. φρενοδαής Par. φρενοδαλὶς Turn.

mvp-comment-249-1 ὕμνος ... Ἐρινύων: ὕμνοις G. Par. ἐξ ἐρινύων M. G. Ald. Rob. ἐξ ἐριννύων Ven. Flor. Turn.

mvp-comment-250-1 NA: Libri ut quisque supra v. 331.

mvp-comment-251-1 γεινομέναισι ... ἐφ᾽ ἁμὶν: Chori nomen praefixum in Flor. γιγνομέναισι M. G. Ald. Rob. Turn. γινομέναισι Ven. Flor. Cur γεινομέναισι scripserim quivis intelliget. Libri ἡμῖν. Correxit Porsonus.

mvp-comment-252-1 ἀθανάτων δίχ᾽ ἔχειν γέρας: Libri ἀθανάτων δ᾽ ἀπέχειν χέρας, nisi quod in Ven. est ἀθανάτων ἀπέχειν χεῖρας. Scholiastes μὴ πλησιάζειν ἡμᾶς τοῖς θεοῖς. Eversius, ut O. Millerus refert, scribendum coniecit ἀθανάτων ἀπ᾽ ἔχειν γέρας. Perspexit vitio laborare librorum scripturam, sed ἄπ᾿ ἔχειν non bene nec perspicue dictum est. Scribendum erat ἀθανάτων δίχ' ἔχειν γέρας. In fine versus ἐστὶν Farn. Ceteri ἐστί.

mvp-comment-253-1 συνδαίτωρ: συνδαίτωρ Turn. et, ut Franzius dicit, Flor. συνδάτωρ Μ. G. Par. Ven. Farn. Ald. Rob.

mvp-comment-254-1 παλλεύκων πέπλων δ᾽ ... ἄμοιρος ἄκληρος ἐτύχθην: Libri πανλεύκων (sic M. G. Ald. παλλεύκων Ven. Flor. Rob. Turn.) δὲ πέπλων | άμοιρος ἄκληρος ἐτύχθην. Male haec et ab aliis tractata sunt et a Dindorfio. Scripsi, ut olim in Opusc. VI. 2. p. 68. παλλεύκων πέπλων δ' * ἀγέραστος* ἄμοιρος ἄκληρος ἐτύχθην.

mvp-comment-255-1 δωμάτων: δωμάτων Ald. Turn. δομάτων M. G. Ven. Flor. Rob.

mvp-comment-256-1 ὅταν: ὅταν Ald. Turn. ὅτ' ἂν M. G. Ven. Flor. Rob.

mvp-comment-257-1 τιθασὸς ... φίλον: τιθασὸς Porsonus et sic Par. τίθασος Turn. τίθασσος Rob. πίθασος M. G. Ald. et Franzio teste Ven. Flor. πίθασσος Flor. ut Linwoodius ait, et Bekkero teste Ven. πιθασσός Farn. Male ὃν pro ὤν Stanleio sive potius Aurato scribendum videbatur. Deinde φίλος Μ. G. Par. Ven. Flor. Ald. Rob. Recte Turnebus φίλον.

mvp-comment-258-1 ἐπὶ τόν, ὤ, διόμεναι κρατερὸν ὄντ᾽ ἔθ᾽ ὁμοίως μαυροῦμεν νέον ἅλμα: ἐπὶ τὸν ὦ διόμεναι Μ. Rob. ἐπὶ τὸν ὦ, διόμεναι G. Ald. ἐπὶ τὸν ὢ διόμεναι Flor. Farn. ἐπὶ τὸν ὢ διαίνομαι Ven. Scholiastes διὰ μέσου, inquit, τὸ . Turnebus haec ita mutavit, ἐπιτόνως διόμεναι. Sequens versus in libris ita scriptus est, κρατερὸν ἄνθ᾽ ὁμοίως. Deinde μαυροῦμεν ὑφ' αἵματος νέου (νεοῦ Ald.) M. G. Ald. Rob. Turn. μαυροῦμεν ἐφ᾽ αἵματος νέου Par. Ven. Flor. Farn. Aliter, atque in Opusc. VI. 2. p. 73. feci, hos versus emendandos esse censui. Certum est non scripsisse Aeschylum μαυροῦμεν ὑφ᾽ (vel ἐφ᾽) αἵματος νέου. Nam hoc metro pariter ac sententiae repugnat. Quare ὑφ' αἵματος νέου ex falsa interpretatione ortum esse, Aeschylum autem scripsisse putabam ἐπὶ τόν, ὤ, διόμεναι κρατερὸν ὄντα περ, ὅμως μαυροῦμεν νέον αἷμα, ut Furiae se dicerent iuvenilem sanguinem obscurare, i, e. iuvenile robur exsorpto sanguine frangere. Et videtur mihi νέον αἷμα, etsi saepissime de recenti caede dicitur, significare posse iuvenilem sanguinem, quum αὐτάδελφον αἷμα, ζώφυτον αἷμα aliaque similia non raro inveniantur. Tamen nunc veri similius iudico, scriptum quidem fuisse νέον αἷμα, sed hoc ipsum depravatione ortum fuisse ex νέον άλμα. Reliqua autem leniore emendatione corrigi possunt. Ita enim scribendum videtur, ἐπὶ τόν, ὤ, διόμεναι κρατερὸν ἂν ἔθ᾽ ὁμοίως μαυροῦμεν νέον ἅλμα. In quem (irruentes: quod eo facilius taceri potuit, quia ὤ interrumpit orationem), hei, persequentes obscuramus quamvis validum adhuc iuvenilem saltum, i. e. robur fugientis frangimus. Similis mox in his sententia est, καταφέρω ποδὸς ἀκμάν (σφαλερὰ τανυδρόμοις γὰρ κώλα), δύςφορον ἄταν.

mvp-comment-261-1 μάλα γὰρ οὖν ἁλομένα ἀνέκαθεν βαρυπεσῆ καταφέρω ποδὸς ἀκμάν (σφαλερὰ τανυδρόμοις ... καλα), δύςφορον ἄταν: Hi quinque versus, quibus in Farn. adscriptum est οὐκ ὀρθά, in libris leguntur post v. 368. Heathio veram eorum sedem monstranti obsecuti sunt Porsonus et omnes praeter Schoemannum, qui non recte de hoc carmine iudicavit. V. Annal. Vindob. vol. CXI. p. 258. seqq. οὖν omittit Rob. Deinde αλλομένα M. G. Turn. ἀλλομένα Ald. ἁλωμένα Rob. ἁλομένα, ut iam olim scripsi, Ven. Flor. Libri ἄγκαθεν. Correxit ante me Pearsonus. τὴν ὑδρόμοις Ald. Scholiastes τοῖς ταχυδρόμοις αὐτῶν κώλοις ἐπάγουσα τὰ σφαλερά μου καλα. ἢ ἀπ᾿ ἄλλης ἀρχῆς, καὶ τοῖς τανυδρόμοις γίνεται σφαλερὰ τὰ κῶλα διὰ τὴν ἐπιοῦσαν αὐτοῖς ἄτην δύςφορον ὑπ' ἐμοῦ. οἷον, καὶ οἱ ταχυδρόμοι οὐ δύνανται με ἐκφυγεῖν. Apparet δύσφορον ἄταν appositionem esse ad ποδὸς ἀκμάν, Η haec autem, σφαλερὰ ταχυδρόμοις γὰρ κώλα, in quibus a me additum est γάρ, in parenthesi posita esse.

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

mvp-comment-112-1 γεινομέναισι] at our birth. Cf. v. 71. What follows is obscure and difficult: the Schol. explains μὴ πλησιάζειν ἡμᾶς τοῖς θεοῖς, ‘but to abstain from (keep our hands off) the gods, and not one (of them) shares with us in our feast.' He probably thought the infinitive depended on μοῖρ᾽ ἐπέκλωσεν, ν. 321. A more probable meaning is, 'But tis for the gods (viz. Apollo and Pallas) not to interfere with us. This is said especially in regard to v. 314, and the allusion in the next verse to the sable robes indicates the unfitness of their office for the god of joy and brightness, who is οὐ τοιοῦτος ὥστε θρηνητοῦ τυχεῖν, Αg. 1042.

mvp-comment-113-1 ὅταν κ.τ.λ.] i.e. whenever a relation is slain in a family feud. Schol.

τιθασός· οἰκεῖος, φίλος.

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-135-1 ἐφυμνίωι (Abresch f. -ον) αὐτῶι χρῆται. λέγεται δὲ καὶ μεσόφθεγμα.

mvp-comment-136-1 ἀφόρμικτος: οὐ γὰρ σὺν ὀργάνοις μουσικοῖς γίνεται οὗτος ὁ ὕμνος. ὁ δεσμεύων αὐτοῦ τὰς φρένας.

mvp-comment-137-1 ἀντὶ τοῦ γέρα.

mvp-comment-138-1 μὴ πλησιάζειν ἡμᾶς τοῖς θεοῖς.

mvp-comment-139-1 οὐδαμοῦ ὅπου ἑορτὴ καὶ ἀμπεχόνη καθαρὰ πάρειμι.

mvp-comment-140-1 ὅταν τις ἐχθρὸς συγγενὴς ὢν τὸν συγγενῆ φονεύσηι.

mvp-comment-141-1 οἰκεῖος, φίλος.

mvp-comment-142-1 διὰ μέσου τὸ ὦ.

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-191-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 276

mvp-comment-191-2 erstes Stasimon, welches besonders in den Ephymnien den Charakter des ὕμνος δέσμιος hat. ,, Apollon beraubt uns unseres Rechtes, indem er uns diesen Flüchtling entzieht, der uns zur Sühne des Muttermords zukommt und dem unser grauser Gesang gilt. Denn SO hat das Schicksal bestimmt, dafs wir die Mörder verfolgen und peinigen. Drum weil Umsturz von Häusern unser Los ist, haben die Götter des Lichts keine Gemeinschaft mit uns und Feste der Freude sind uns versagt. Dafür sind die Götter dieser traurigen Sorge überhoben und brauchen sich nicht mit Blutbefleckten zu befassen. Wir verfolgen den Mörder und stürzen ihn von der Höhe seines Ruhms. Er wird, ohne dessen in seiner Geistesnacht inne zu werden, von der Stimme des Volkes verurteilt und allgemeine Mifsachtung umnachtet sein Haus (vgl. Cho. 53 ff. , Ag. 463 ff. ). So steht es fest: Geniessen wir auch nicht die Ehre, den oberen Göttern gesellt zu sein, so haben doch die Sterblichen die vom Schicksal gegebene Satzung, auf der unser altheiliges Amt beruht, zu fürchten und zu verehren." Wenn man aus den drei Ephymnien schliefsen darf, wird jedes der drei ersten Strophenpaare von einem Stoichos, die Ephymnien und das vierte Strophenpaar von dem Gesamtchore vorgetragen.

mvp-comment-202-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 277

mvp-comment-202-2 γιγνομέναισι: Hom. Υ 127 πείσεται άσσα οἱ αἶσα γινομένῳ ἐπένησε λίνῳ, ὅτε μιν τέκε μήτηρ. - ἐφ᾽ ἁμὶν ἐκράνθη, ἡμῖν ἐπεκράνθη. Die Verkürzung der zweiten Silbe von ἡμῖν, welche bei Sophokles öfter vorkommt, findet sich bei Äschylos nur hier, bei Euripides nirgends.

mvp-comment-203-1 1

mvp-comment-203-2 Wecklein 1888, p. 277

mvp-comment-203-3 ἀθανάτων . . γέρας: Schol. μὴ πλησιάζειν ἡμᾶς τοῖς θεοῖς.

mvp-comment-204-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 277

mvp-comment-204-2 παλλεύκων (zu 52) πέ πλων ἀνέορτος ἄφαρος ἐτύχθην giebt in dichterischer Weise den Gedanken: des hellweifsen Festgewandes Freude ist mir versagt. Schol. οὐδαμοῦ ὅπου ἑορτὴ καὶ ἀμπεχόνη καθαρά, πάρειμι. Mit πέπλων ἀνέορτος ἄφαρος (zu Ag. 158 ) vgl. 894 und Eur. El. 310 άv έog τος ἱερῶν, Eur. Phoen. 324

ἄπεπλος φαρέων λευκών.

mvp-comment-205-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 278

mvp-comment-205-2 Ἀρης τιθασὸς ὤν, Ares in zahmer Gestalt, d. h. wenn nicht Feinde im Kriege, sondern Freunde (Verwandte) zu Hause das Blut von Freunden vergiessen.

mvp-comment-206-1 2

mvp-comment-206-2 Wecklein 1888, p. 278

mvp-comment-206-3 ὧδε weist auf die aufserliche Darstellung durch die Cheironomie und den Tanz hin.

mvp-comment-207-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 278

mvp-comment-207-2 ὁμοίως, auf gleiche Weise wie wenn er schwach wäre, also s. v. a. ὅμως.

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

mvp-sidgwick-167-1-1 Taking the old corrections of the corrupt text, which are much the simplest and best, we get a good sense:

To those mortals who light upon sinful deeds of blood,
To cling to them, until
He [the guilty man] pass beneath the earth:
And [even] in death he is not over-free.

ξυμπέσωσιν is suspected by some edd.: why, they ask, should Furies pursue those whom murder falls in with, i. e. who are accidentally guilty of murder?

ξυμπέσωσι , befall, for a deliberate murder, we have μάταιοι (lit. vain, foolish,) for wicked: ὁμαρτεῖν (lit. to attend on), for the relentless pursuit of the Furies: οὐκ ἄγαν ἐλεύθερος meaning he is never quit of us.

τοῖσιν for relative, so, e. g. Ag. 526, 642 , Cho. 604 , Eum. 918, Theb. 519 , etc.: (2)

ξυμπέσωσιν , indef. subj. with no ἄν attached to the relative,-both common survivals in tragedy : and (3)

ὄφρα ἄν for until.

λάχη . here, as l. 334

, office.

ἐκράνθη , assigned: so Suppl. 943

ψῆφος κέκρανται,
fixed, settled.

ἀθανάτων δ᾽ ἀπέχειν χέρας , but from the immortals to keep away. The ἀθανάτων δέ is opposed to the θνατῶν of the previous stanza l. 336

. Their office is to pursue the guilty man, but they have nothing to do with gods.

mvp-sidgwick-170-1-1 This line does not correspond to the antistrophic line,

Ζεὺς γὰρ αἱματοσταγὲς ἀξιόμισον ἔθνος τόδε λέσχας,
but both make good sense, and there is no specially suspicious word in either. Under these circumstances it is quite easy to make them correspond in numerous different ways, by changing one, or the other, or both. But the best correction is to read ἀνέορτον for ἄμοιρον here, and in the antistrophe to read δ' αἱμοσταγές for γὰρ αἱματοσταγές. In pure white robes I have no festal part.

mvp-sidgwick-170-2-1 The Eumenides as nether and evil powers had no lot nor part in the festivals of gods where white robes were worn: they were μελανεί- μονες, black-robed, l. 376

,
μέλαιναι,
l. 52 , φαιοχίτωνες, dusky in garb, Cho. 1048 , as became daughters of Night.

mvp-sidgwick-171-1-1 Whenever the Wargod is tamed and slays a friend, an imaginative phrase, obscure from its very boldness: he means when Strife in the house sheds a kinsman's blood.

διόμεναι , Epic word, pursuing. Homer has it always transitive: here it seems best to take it intrans. with prep. pursuing after him. [It might be tmesis for ἐπιδιόμεναι : but ὦ makes this less likely. Perhaps E. A. Ahrens' ὧδ' ἱέμεναι, which is certainly very ingenious, is the true reading.]

τόν , Epic demonst. use. [Others read ἐπιτόνως: but Schol. had our reading, for he remarks on the position of ὦ.]

mvp-sidgwick-172-3-1 ll. 358-359

are read in the MSS. :
κρατερὸν ὄνθ᾽ ὁμοίως
μαυροῦμεν ὑφ᾽ [or ἐφ᾽] αἵματος νέου,
 and in the antistrophe :
σφαλερὰ τανυδρόμοις
κῶλα δύσφορον ἄταν.
 The best emendation seems to be Weil's:
κρατερὸν ὄνθ᾽ ὅμως ἀμαυρ-
οῦμεν αἵματος νέου,
 and in the antistrophe:
σφαλερὰ τανυδρόμοις ὅμως
κῶλα, δύσφορον μάταν.

mvp-sidgwick-172-4-1 The meaning of the passage before us will then be:

After him pursuing,
Mighty though he be, we waste him away
For the new deed of blood.

mvp-sidgwick-172-5-1 The genitive will then be a genitive of the cause (like θράσους τοῦδ᾽ οὐκ ἀλύξεις Soph. Εl. 627, for this daring thou shalt not escape) or perhaps the more special gen. of the charge (like ἁλῶναι κλοπῆς, διώκειν φόνου, etc.).

mvp-sidgwick-172-6-1 For a fuller discussion see Appendix.