Aeschylus Eumenides 389

Robert Potter (Translator)

Table of Contents

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

← Previous Next →
Sternly mindful of the crime,
Nor by man appeas’d, nor time,
430
When the wretch, whoſe deed unbleſt
Dares profane high Heav'n's behest,
Tho' conceal'd from mortal eyes
Thro' the ſunleſs darkneſs flies,
We pursue the rugged chace,
435
And his dubious footſteps trace.
Hear then guilty mortals, hear,
And the righteous God revere;
Hear the taſk to me aſſign'd,
Fate the firm decree ſhall bind;
440

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.) — 397-489 focus
Εὐμενίδες Perseus (Aeschylus, Volume 2. Smyth, Herbert Weir, editor. London; New York: William Heinemann; G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1926.) — 397-489 focus
Εὐμενίδες (1518 edition; OCR draft) Experimental (Aeschylus, Eumenides, 1518 edition. VLM-assisted OCR with native lineation and automated correspondence to the Smyth edition.) — 389 focus
Εὐμενίδες (OCR draft) Experimental (Εὐμενίδες. Guilielmus Dindorfius, 1882.) — 389 focus
τίς οὖν τάδ᾽ οὐχ ἅζεταί τε καὶ δέδοικεν βροτῶν,
390
ἐμοῦ κλύων θεσμὸν
τὸν μοιρόκραντον ἐκ θεῶν
δοθέντα τέλεον; ἔπι δέ μοι
– γέρας παλαιὸν, οὐδ᾽
ἀτιμίας κυρῶ, καίπερ ὑπὸ χθόνα
395
τάξιν ἔχουσα καὶ δυσάλιον κνέφας.
Εὐμενίδες (OCR draft) Experimental (Εὐμενίδες. Gottfried Hermann, 1852.) — 389 focus
τίς οὖν τάδ᾽ οὐχ ἅζεται
τε καὶ δέδοικεν βροτῶν,
ἐμοῦ κλύων θεσμὸν
τὸν μοιρόκραντον ἐκ θεῶν
δοθέντα τέλεον; ἔτι δέ μοι
385
μένει γέρας παλαιόν, οὐδ᾽
ἀτιμίας κύρω, καίπερ ὑπὸ χθόνα
τάξιν ἔχουσα καὶ δυςήλιον κνέφας.
ΕΥΜΕΝΙΔΕΣ (OCR draft) Experimental (ΕΥΜΕΝΙΔΕΣ. Paul Mazon, 1920-1925.) — 389 focus
Τίς οὖν τάδ' οὐχ ἅζεται οὐ χάζεταί
τε καὶ δέδοικεν -κε βροτῶν,
390
ἐμοῦ κλύων θεσμὸν
τὸν μοιρόκραντον, ἐκ θεῶν
δοθέντα τέλεον ; ἐπὶ ἔπι δέ μοι
γέρας (πέλει) παλαιόν, οὐδ᾽
ἀτιμίας κύρω κυρῶ (κυρῶ γὰρ Tr),
καίπερ ὑπὸ χθόνα τάξιν τάξιν γ' ἔχουσα
395
καὶ δυσήλιον κνέφας.
Εὐμενίδες (OCR draft) Experimental (Εὐμενίδες. Arthur Sidgwick, 1887.) — 389 focus
Εὐμενίδες (OCR draft) Experimental (Εὐμενίδες. N. Wecklein, 1885.) — 389 focus
τίς οὖν τάδ᾽ οὐχ άζεταί
τε καὶ δέδοικεν βροτῶν,
ἐμοῦ κλύων θεσμὸν
τὸν μοιρόκραντον ἐκ θεῶν
395
δοθέντα τέλεον; ἔπι δέ μοι
γέρας παλαιόν, οὐδ᾽
ἀτιμίας κυρῶ, καίπερ ὑπὸ χθόνα
τάξιν ἔχουσα καὶ δυσήλιον κνέφας.
Εὐμενίδες (OCR draft) Experimental (Εὐμενίδες. Martin L. West, 1990.) — 389 focus
τίς οὖν τάδ᾽ οὐχ ἅζεταί
τε καὶ δέδοικεν βροτῶν,
390
ἐμοῦ κλύων θεσμὸν
τὸν μοιρόκραντον ἐκ θεῶν
δοθέντα τέλεον; ἔπι δέ μοι
γέρας παλαιόν, οὐδ᾽ ἀτιμίας κυρῶ,
καίπερ ὑπὸ χθόνα τάξιν ἔχουσα
395
καὶ δυσάλιον κνέφας.
Aeschyli Eumenides (OCR draft) Experimental (Aeschyli Eumenides. Ulrich von Wilamowitz-Moellendorff, 1914.) — 389 focus
τίς οὖν τάδ᾽ οὐχ ἅζεταί
τε καὶ δέδοικεν βροτῶν,
395
ἐμοῦ κλύων θεσμόν
τὸν μοιρόκραντον ἐκ θεῶν
δοθέντα τέλεον; ἔπι δέ μοι
γέρας παλαιόν, οὐδ᾽ ἀτιμίας κυρῶ,
〈στυγνὰν) καίπερ ὑπὸ χθόνα τάξιν ἔχουσα
400
καὶ δυσήλιον κνέφας. =
Εὐμενίδες (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek text of Aeschylus' Eumenides, edited by F. A. Paley, 1885.) — 389 focus
τίς οὖν τάδ᾽ οὐχ αζεταί
τε καὶ δέδοικεν βροτῶν,
ἐμοῦ κλύων θεσμὸν
τὸν μοιρόκραντον ἐκ θεῶν
370
δοθέντα τέλεον; ἐπὶ δέ μοι
γέρας παλαιὸν * ἐστὶν, οὐδ᾽
ἀτιμίας κύρω, καίπερ ὑπὸ χθόνα
τάξιν ἔχουσα καὶ δυσήλιον κνέφας.
Εὐμενίδες (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek text of Aeschylus' Eumenides, edited by Friedrich Blass, 1907.) — 389 focus
τίς οὖν τάδ᾽ οὐχ ἅζεταί
τε καὶ δέδοικεν βροτῶν,
390
ἐμοῦ κλύων θεσμὸν
τὸν μοιρόκραντον, ἐκ θεῶν
δοθέντα τέλεον; ἔπι δέ μοι
γέρας παλαιόν, οὐδ᾽
ἀτιμίας κύρω,
καίπερ ὑπὸ χθόνα τάξιν ἔχουσα
395
καὶ δυσήλιον κνέφας.
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.)) — 397-485 focus
The Eumenides (OCR draft) Experimental (The Eumenides. Theodore Alois Buckley, 1849.) — 389 focus
Who then of mortals dreads not and fears these, hearing my office con­ firmed by fate, given perfect from the gods: but my ancient honour remains to me, nor do I meet with ignominy, though possessing a station beneath the earth and sunless darkness.
LES EUMÉNIDES (OCR draft) Experimental (LES EUMÉNIDES. Paul Mazon, 1920-1925.) — 389 focus
-
Eschilo, Le Eumenidi: traduzione italiana di Ettore Romagnoli (OCR draft) Experimental (Eschilo, Le Eumenidi: traduzione italiana di Ettore Romagnoli. Ettore Romagnoli, 1922.) — 389 focus
Chi mai dunque fra gli uomini
425
non mi venera e teme,
udendo la mia norma
fatale, a cui concede esito il Dio?
L'antico privilegio
anche oggi in me perdura;
430
né priva andrà d'onore,
se pur sotto la terra io mi rifugio,
ne la tènebra oscura.
Aeschylus, Eumenides: versio Latina Ioannis Sanravii (OCR draft) Experimental (Aeschylus, Eumenides: versio Latina Ioannis Sanravii. Ioannes Sanravius, 1555.) — 389 focus
Quis igitur hæc non colet & ueretur mortalium
Audiens meum ius,
Et fatum ex dijs.
Dans finem, eſt uerò mihi
375
Munus antiquum, neq;
Ignominia aſsequor, ſi ſub terra
Ordinem habens & obſcuras tenebras.
Aeschylus, Die Eumeniden: German translation (OCR draft) Experimental (Aeschylus, Die Eumeniden: German translation. Ulrich von Wilamowitz-Moellendorff, 1919–1923.) — 389 focus
Welch' sterblicher Mensch
empfindet nicht Scheu,
390 empfindet nicht Furcht,
wenn dieses Lied er hört.
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.) — 389 focus
Hunt we and press onward. Who of mortals hearing
Doth not quake for awe,
Hearing all that Fate thro' hand of God hath given us
For ordinance and law?
Yea, this right to us, in dark abysm and backward
465
Of ages it befel:
None shall wrong mine office, tho' in nether regions
And sunless dark I dwell.
[ Enter Athena from above.
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.) — 389 focus
Wo wär' ein Mensch, welcher nicht
365
In banger Furcht schauerte,
Vernimmt er mein Machtwort,
Das mir der Schicksalsmächte Schluß
Verliehen, Götter mir vertraut?
Mein ward ein altes Ehrenamt, von keiner Schmach weiß ich,
370
Wenn auch unter der Erde mein Haus ist,
Tief in sonnenloser Nacht.
(Athene, mit Schild und Lanze bewaffnet, erscheint in der Luft auf einem mit Rossen bespannten Wagen.)
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.)

431. σοφῶν , subtlety.

433. εὐθεῖαν δίκην , poet. for εὐθυδικία, the regular legal term for the 'real issue' opposed to some side question.

434. ἐπὶ . . . τρέποιτ' , entrust, more frequently in the compound ἐπιτρέπω. The separate form (tmesis) is found in poetry, e. g. Ant. 1107 μηδ᾽ ἐπ᾿ ἄλλοισιν τρέπε.

434. τέλος , the final settlement, the decision.' Somewhat similar is Ag. 934 ἐξεῖπον τέλος.

435. κἀπ᾿ ἀξίων (Arnald's correction, adopted by Paley, must be right), a worthy child of worthy sire, i.e. a great goddess, and daughter of Zeus. So Schol. ἀξίων οὖσαν γονέων. [Other corrections numerous, but all less simple and natural.]

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

mvp-comment-308-1 οὐ δοῦναι θέλοι: Libri οὐ δοῦναι θέλει. Recte Schutzius οὐ δοῦναι θέλοι scripsit. Διωμοσίαν, quam Aeschylus intelligit, his verbis definit memoratus a Stanleio Lysias in or. X. quae est I. in Theomnestum, §. 11. ὁ μὲν γὰρ διώκων ὡς ἔκτεινε διόμνυται, ὁ δὲ φεύγων ὡς οὐκ ἔκτεινε.

mvp-comment-309-1 πένει: πένηι Μ. πένῃ G. Ald. Turn. πένη Rob. πέλη Ven. Flor. et supra adscripto εἰ Farn.

mvp-comment-310-1 τὰ μὴ: τὰ μὲν ριο τὰ μὴ Ven. Flor.

mvp-comment-311-1 ἦ κἀπ᾿ ἐμοὶ: ή κἀπ' ἐμοὶ M. Ven. Flor. η κάπε, μοί Rob. ἦν ἐπ' ἐμοὶ G. Ald. Turn. Deinde πρέποιτ᾽ ἂν Ven. Farn.

mvp-comment-312-1 σέβουσαί γ' ἀξίαν γ᾽ ἐπαξίων: πῶς δ᾽ οὔ· σέβουσαι γ᾽ ἀξίαν τ᾽ ἐπαξίων Μ. G. Ald. Ita eliam Rob. Turn. nisi quod ἐπ᾽ ἀξίων habent. κἀξίαν τ᾽ ἔπαξίων sic Par. σέβομαι γ' ἀξίαν τ᾽ ἐπ' ἀξίων Ven. Bekkero teste, et sic, ut videtur, Flor. nisi quod hic ἐπαξίων habere dicitur. σέβομέν γ' ex Farn. affertur. Scholiastes ἀξίων οὖσαν γονέων. Eum putant ἀπ' ἀξίων legisse, ut scribendum esse coniecit Stanleius. Scribendum πῶς δ᾽ οὔ, σέβουσαί γ' ἀξίαν γ' ἐπαξίων.

mvp-comment-313-1 ὦ ξέν: ὦ ξεῖν G. Ald.

mvp-comment-314-1 τόνδ᾽ ... ἀμυνάθου: τόνδε plene Rob. τῶνδ᾽ Ven. Flor. auvratov Dindorfius ex praecepto Elmsleii ad Med. v. 186. V. ad Phoen. v. 1184.

mvp-comment-315-1 ἀμῆς: ἁμησ' Μ. ἁμῆς G. Ald. Rob. Turn. ἐμῆς Par. Ven. Flor.

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

mvp-comment-133-1 πράξαι] Supply δικαίως from δίκαιος. The chorus does not see the point of the reproof, which the Schol. well explains μὴ πρότεινε αὐτῷ ὅρκον καὶ διὰ τούτου θέλε νικᾶν. The reply or explanation of Athena amounts to this; 'I tell you not to try to carry an unjust cause by force of oaths. It seems that Orestes, confident in the support of the god, declines to take the oath required by the legal process ( πρόκλησις), that he is innocent. The chorus, baffled in this, next say (411), then proceed to cross-question, and decide the suit by ( εὐθυδικία) omitting the legal form of διωμοσία. But, asks Athena, will you accept me as judge? - Certainly, they reply (413), as we hold you in deserved respect both for your wisdom (409) and for your parentage, as the daughter of Ζεὺς Τέλειος.

mvp-comment-134-1 The Med. has ἀξίαν τ' ἐπαξίων, but the Schol. explains ἀξίων οὖσαν γονέων, and it is likely that ἀπ᾿ ἀξίων should be read.

mvp-comment-135-1 ἐν μέρει] Athena at once commences her office, and asks the defendant what he has to say about himself, and in answer to the charge. She adds, that he would not now be a suppliant at her statue unless he had confidence in the justice of his cause.

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-163-1 μὴ πρότεινε αὐτῶι ὅρκον καὶ διὰ τούτου θέλε νικᾶν (steht bei 429; berichtigt von Weckl.). οὐκ ὀφείλει ὁ ἀδικῶν ὅρκωι φεύγειν τὴν κατηγορίαν· ἐπιορκήσει γάρ.

mvp-comment-164-1 ἀξίων οὖσαν γονέων.

mvp-comment-165-1 ἀντὶ τοῦ) ἔγκλημα.

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-216-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 280

mvp-comment-216-2 drittes Epeisodion. Athena erscheint und nachdem sie sich von der Chorführerin und Orestes den Sachverhalt hat darlegen lassen (gleichsam die ανάκρισις oder προδικασία), entschliefst sie sich den Fall durch einen neuen Gerichtshof entscheiden zu lassen. Nach 407 könnte man glauben, dafs Athena wie im Aias des Sophokles auf dem θεολογεῖον auftrete. Da sie aber am Schlusse dieser Scene abgeht, um sich in die Stadt zu begeben, und später (569) auf der gewöhnlichen Bühne auftritt (vgl. 738), so mufs man annehmen, dafs sie auch hier auf dem λογεῖον, nicht in der Höhe erscheint. Sie kommt von der linken Seite.

mvp-comment-216-3 1

mvp-comment-237-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 283

mvp-comment-237-2 Weder wird er den ihm zugeschobenen Eid annehmen, da der Thatbestand feststeht, noch fällt es ihm ein, uns den Eid zuzuschieben. Schol. :

οὕτως, φησί, φανερόν ἐστιν τὸ κατ᾽ αὐτὸν ὡς μήτε αὐτὸν δύνασθαι ὀμόσαι ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι τοιοῦτος μήτε θέλειν ὅρκον ἡμᾶς αὐτῆσαι, εἰ δικαίως αὐτὸν κολάζομεν
. Man hat also nicht an die διωμοσία, an die Vereidigung der beiden Parteien am Anfang der ανάκρισις ( Lys. X § 11
ὁ μὲν διώκων ὡς ἔκτεινε διόμνυται ὁ δὲ φεύγων ὡς οὐκ ἔκτεινε
), sondern an die πρόκλησις εἰς ὅρκον zu denken. Vgl. Demosth. 39, 4
δίδωσι τὸν ὅρκον· ἡ δὲ δεξαμένη οὐ μόνον . . κατωμόσατο κτἑ.
 Allerdings wird ὅρκον δοῦναι καὶ δέξασθαι auch von gegenseitiger eidlicher Verpflichtung gesagt wie Herod. VI 23
ὅρκον δοὺς καὶ δεξάμενος
, aber von einer solchen Verpflichtung kann hier nicht die Rede sein.

mvp-comment-238-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 283

mvp-comment-238-2 ἢ ( δικαίως oder δίκαια) πρᾶξαι. „Dir ist es nur um das formale Recht zu thun, welches du auf deiner Seite hast, nicht um volle sachliche Gerechtigkeit." Die Erinyen als titanische Naturmächte kümmern sich blofs um die That, nicht um die Beweggründe der That.

mvp-comment-239-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 283

mvp-comment-239-2 τῶν σοφῶν (Neutrum) οὐ πένῃ, als Göttin der Weisheit.

mvp-comment-240-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 283

mvp-comment-240-2 Dadurch dafs die Eide wegen des Thatbestandes nicht geleistet werden können, soll das Unrecht nicht siegen. Denn es kann sich nicht blofs um den Thatbestand, sondern auch darum handeln, ob ein δίκαιος φόνος vorliegt oder nicht.

mvp-comment-241-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 283

mvp-comment-241-2 εὐθεῖαν δίκην d. i. εὐθυδι κίαν: εὐθυδικίαν ( εὐθυδικία) εἰσιέra wurde von dem Beklagten gesagt, wenn er ohne Einrede gegen die Einführung der Klage (durch διαμαρτυρία oder παραγραφή) sich ohne weiteres auf den Prozefs einliefs. Vgl. Meier und Schömann att. Proc. S. 649. Hier sagt die Erinye:,,Gut, so schreite zum Verhör und entscheide in direkter Verhandlung ohne Rücksicht auf Einreden."

mvp-comment-242-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 283

mvp-comment-242-2 ,,Wollt ihr wirklich mir die Entscheidung eurer Anklage anheimstellen ? ἐπ' ἐμοὶ τρέποιτε, ἐπιτρέποιτε ἐμοί. Vgl. Soph. Ant. 1107

δρᾶ νυν τάδ᾽ ἐλθὼν μηδ᾽ ἐπ᾿ ἄλλοισιν τρέπε
.

mvp-comment-243-1 2

mvp-comment-243-2 Wecklein 1888, p. 283

mvp-comment-243-3 σέβουσαι ἀξίαν ἐπάξια, wir verehren ja die würdige nach Verdienst. Vgl. Ag. 1528 , Plaut. Poen. V 4, 100

eveniunt digna dignis
. Uber επάξια vgl. Krüger I § 46, 6, 4 .

mvp-comment-244-1 3

mvp-comment-244-2 Wecklein 1888, p. 283

mvp-comment-244-3 ψόγον, ἔγκλημα Schol.

mvp-comment-245-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 283

mvp-comment-245-2 βρέτας . . φυλάσσων wie 243.

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

mvp-sidgwick-207-1-1 (The correction θέλοι for θέλει is almost necessary, as otherwise it would seem as if the proposal had been made to Orestes.) The reference in this line, he would take no oath, nor challenge us to swear, is to the custom of the ἀνάκρισις or preliminary investigation of causes at Athens, before a magistrate: at this all the evidence was produced; and the first thing was for the injured party to swear (προωμοσία) he had suffered, the defendant to swear (ἀνθωμοσία) he was innocent.

mvp-sidgwick-207-2-1 These oaths, say the Chorus, are impossible here: Orestes will not deny his guilt: he will neither ask us to swear (δοῦναι) nor swear when we ask him (δέξασθαι). The whole of this passage is intended to correspond in a general way to the ἀνάκρισις: after hearing the preliminary statement of either party, Athena refers the whole case to the formal judgment of the Areiopagos.

mvp-sidgwick-208-1-1 The name of Just, not Justice, is thy desire, δίκαια being easily supplied with πρᾶξαι. She means: just forms, rather than justice.

σοφῶν , subtlety.

mvp-sidgwick-210-1-1 I say that injustice must not prevail by oaths, i.e. the issue must not be settled by oaths, but by the real justice of the case. Practically, Athena admits that Orestes cannot swear his innocence, but pleads that in this exceptional case it must not go against him for that: the true issue (εὐθυδικία) must be tried; see next note.

εὐθεῖαν δίκην , poet. for εὐθυδικία, the regular legal term for the real issue opposed to some side question.

ἐπὶ . . . τρέποιτ' , entrust, more frequently in the compound ἐπιτρέπω. The separate form (tmesis) is found in poetry, e. g. Ant. 1107

μηδ᾽ ἐπ᾿ ἄλλοισιν τρέπε.

τέλος , the final settlement, the decision.' Somewhat similar is Ag. 934

ἐξεῖπον τέλος.

κἀπ᾿ ἀξίων (Arnald's correction, adopted by Paley, must be right), a worthy child of worthy sire, i.e. a great goddess, and daughter of Zeus. So Schol. ἀξίων οὖσαν γονέων. [Other corrections numerous, but all less simple and natural.]