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1398-1510

Exodos: the vengeance.

1398-1441

A kommos. It falls into two principal parts. (1) 1398—1421; the death of Clytaemnestra. (2) 1422— 1441; Orestes and Pylades re-enter; Aegisthus approaches; and they prepare to receive him.

The general structure of this kommos is clearly strophic; but critics differ on details. The simplest view is that of Dindorf and others, that vv. 1398—1421 form a single strophe,=antistr. 1422— 1441. The lyric verses 1407, 1413—4, and 1419—1421, correspond respectively with 1428, 1433—4, and 1439—1441: for these, see Metrical Analysis. It is usually held, with Hermann, that the correspondence of the iambic trimeters also must be exact. This makes it necessary to assume a gap in our text after v. 1427 (n.), and a second after 1429 (n.), besides the defect in 1432. See Appendix.

Electra hastens out of the house. She performs the part of an

<*>ξάγγελος

, so far as to describe the situation at this moment in the house: then Clytaemnestra's cry is heard, like that of the dying king in Aesch. Ag. 1343 ff. In the Orestes (408 B.C.) Electra has a similar part, perhaps suggested by this. Helen's cry is heard within, and Electra says to the Chorus (1297),

ἠκούσαθ); ἅνδρες χεῖρ’ ἔχουσιν ἐν φόνῳ

τελοῦσι , fut. This ‘Attic’ fut. of

τελῶ

is frequent; e.g. 1435: O. T. 232 : O. C. 630 , O. C. 881 , O. C. 1634 , etc. But

τελέσω

has also good authority: Dem. or. 21 § 66

διατελέσω

: Plat. Rep. 425E

διατελέσουσιν

τάφον ( cp. 1140 n.). Nothing would be gained by reading

ταφὴν

(1210).

λέβητα , the urn: cp. Aesch. Ag. 444

σποδοῦ γεμίζων λέβητας εὐθέτου;

κοσμεῖ . In Il. 23. 253 f. the golden urn containing the bones of Patroclus is ‘covered with a linen veil.’ In Il. 24. 796 the urn with Hector's ashes is ‘shrouded in soft purple robes.’ Leaf observes there: ‘In Etruscan graves very fine linen covers are found spread on the stools on which stand the urns containing the ashes.’ Some such ‘dressing’ is denoted by

κοσμεῖ

here; but wreaths of flowers may also be meant.

αἰαῖ· ἰὼ στέγαι . Dindorf ( Metra p. 106) reads these words as a dochmiac (

˘˘˘¯˘¯

): Nauck and Wecklein take them as an iambic tripody (

¯¯˘¯˘¯

). The latter view seems correct. The hiatus after

αἰαῖ

is excused by the pause. Cp. Ant. 1276

φεῦ φεῦ, ὦ πόνοι

. Ph. 1106

αἰαῖ αἰαῖ

(=1086

ὤμοι μοί μοι

ἀνήκουστα , lit., ‘not to be heard’: then, ‘dreadful to hear’; cp.

ἄρρητα

. So Eur. Hipp. 362

ἔκλυες, <*>

, |

ἀνήκουστα τᾶς

τυράννου πάθη μέλεα θρεομένας

. Antiphon or. 1 § 22

δεήσεται ἀθέμιτα καὶ ἀτέλεστα καὶ ἀνήκουστα καὶ θεοις καὶ ὑμῖν

ἰδού , referring to sound (as we could say, ‘there!’): so Ai. 870

ἰδού

, |

δοῦπον αὖ κλύω τινά.

μάλ’ αὖ : O. C. 1477

ἔα, ο. ξ. ι )δοὺ μάλ’ αὖθις ἀμφίσταται

διαπρύσιος ὄτοβος

ἐκ σέθεν : for

ἐκ

, cp. O. C. 51

κοὐκ ἄτιμος ἔκ γ’ ἐμοῦ φανεῖ.

ὁ γεννήσας πατήρ : cp. 261 : Tr. 311

ὁ φιτύσας πατήρ

: O. T. 793

τοῦ φυτεύσαντος πατρός

1413 f. The traditional reading φθίνει φθίνει is vindicated, and all difficulty is removed, by the slight change of σε to σοι . The μοῖρα καθαμερία is the fate which has afflicted the house day by day. In the only other place where

καθαμέριος

occurs ( Soph. Ph. 229 ), it has this sense, ‘daily’; nor is any other, indeed, tenable. ( Cp. 259

κατ’ ἦμαρ

.) This fate is now being extinguished ( φθίνει ) by the righteous act of vengeance, which, according to the poet's view in this play, closes the misfortunes of the race ( cp. 1510

τῇ νῦν ὁρμῇ τελεωθέν

). For

φθίνειν

said of an evil which wanes or dies out, cp. fr. 718 (

ὕβρις

)..

ἀνθεῖ τε καὶ φθίνει πάλιν

Others explain as follows. (1) Keeping both σε and φθίνει φθίνει : ‘fate is destroying thee this day.’ But the alleged evidence for a transitive use of

φθίνειν

is very small and doubtful: see Appendix. (2) Keeping σε , but reading φθίνειν φθίνειν : ‘now it is the doom of this day that thou shouldst fade.’ Both these versions force an impossible sense on

καθαμερία

. That explanation of it was a mere makeshift of the scholiast;

ὦ γενεὰ τοῦ οἴκου τούτου, κατὰ ταύτην σε τὴν ἡμέραν ἡ Μοῖρα εἰς φθορὰν καὶ ἐλάττωσιν τοῦ γένους ἄγει

Nor is the objection to these interpretations merely verbal. They represent the Chorus as deploring that doom of the race which entails yet another deed of bloodshed. But, as Whitelaw well observes, this commits Sophocles to the Aeschylean view of the vengeance ‘as a new crime in the series of crimes’ (Translation, p. 437). The Chorus are in the fullest sympathy with the avengers. They regard the slaying of Clytaemnestra not as a new calamity, but as a welcome retribution: cp. 1434

τὰ πρὶν εὖ θέμενοι

, and 1508 ff. The words

ὦ πόλις, ὦ γενεὰ

express the feeling of these

πολίτιδες

(1227) that the cause of the house is that of the city. They hail the approaching deliverance of Mycenae from the tyrants. The change of

ὦ πόλις, ὦ γενεὰ

into

ὦ Πέλοπος γενεὰ

(cr. n.) is equally rash and infelicitous.

1415 f. Cp. Aesch. Ag. 1343

ΑΓ. ὤμοι, πέπληγμαι καιρίαν πληγὴν ἔσω

... 1345

ὤμοι μάλ’ αὖθις, δευτέραν πεπληγμένος.

διπλῆν : cp. O. C. 544

δευτέραν ἔπαισας

: Ant. 1307

τί μ’ οὐκ ἀνταίαν

ἔπαισέν τις

..;

εἰ γὰρ Αἰγίσθῳ γ’ ὁμοῦ (adv.). The dat., suggested by

ὤμοι

, depends on the notion which that exclamation implies; as if ( e.g.)

κακὸν ἥκει μοι

were followed by

εἰ γὰρ Αἰγίσθῳ γ’ ὁμοῦ ἧκεν

. This is simpler than to supply ( a)

ἐπλήγης

or ( b)

ἐβόας

, taking

ὁμοῦ

as a prep.—The reading

Αἰγίσθῳ θ’ ὁμοῦ

, though not impossible, is very awkward. The sense would be: ‘Oh that thou wert crying,— ‘and woe to Aegisthus also’!’

τελοῦς ἀραί , ‘are doing their work.’

τελοῦσι

is transitive, though the object (

τὸ ἔργον

) is not expressed. Cp. Tr. 825 n.

οἱ … κείμενοι , Agamemnon: for the plur. (like

οἱ..θανόντες

, 1421), cp. 146

γονέων

, n.

ὑπαὶ : 711 n.

παλίρρυτον : cp. 246

πάλιν

δώσουσ’ ἀντιφόνους δίκας

: Od. 1. 379

παλίντιτα ἔργα

, deeds of retribution. In Eur. El. 1155

παλίρρους … δίκα

is ‘the turning tide of justice,’ which comes upon the guilty.

ὑπεξαιροῦσι : cp. Eur. Hipp. 633

ὄλβον δωμάτων ὑπεξελών

καὶ μὴν : 78 n.

στάζει θυηλῆς : the gen. depends on the notion of fulness; cp. O. C. 16

βρύων

δάφνης

: fr. 264

ἀραχνᾶν βρίθει

. (There is no other example of

στάζω

in this constr., for in fr. 491,

ὀπὸν..στάζοντα τομῆς

, the sense is, ‘sap dripping from the cleft wood.’)— The

θυηλή

φόνος

. Cp. Shakesp. H. IV., pt. 1, act 4, sc. 1, 113,

‘They come like sacrifices in their trim, | And to the fire-eyed maid of smoky war | All hot and bleeding will we offer them.’

ψέγειν , Erfurdt's correction of λέγειν , deserves the favour which it has found with almost all editors from Hermann onwards. If

λέγειν

be sound, the sense must be, ‘utterance fails me,’—at a moment so terrible. But

οὐδ’ ἔχω λέγειν

is not equivalent to

οὐδ’ ἔχω φωνεῖν

, nor, again, to

οὐδ’ ἔχω τί λέγω

(or

τί φῶ

). It ought to mean rather, ‘nor can I describe’ (what I see): which would be strange here. Hermann suggested that

οὐδ’ ἔχω λέγειν

might be an unfinished sentence,—‘but I cannot tell..’ (whether the avengers have accomplished their deed). This, however, as he allows, would be frigid. So also would

ψέγειν

be, if explained in his way (‘I cannot complain that they have not well dyed their swords’). Taken, however, in its natural sense, ‘nor can I blame the deed,’

ψέγειν

is forcible enough. In Aesch. Ch. 989 the converse corruption took place,

λέγω

becoming

ψέγω

κυρεῖτε is a certain correction of κυρεῖ . With Hermann's conjecture, κυρεῖ δὲ , the sense would be, ‘now, how goes it?’—

δέ

giving animation to the question.

ἐθέσπισεν : cp. 36 f. Contrast the calm confidence of Orestes with his words of anguish in Aesch. Ch. 1016 f.,

ἀλγῶ μὲν ἔργα καὶ πάθος γένος τε πᾶν

, |

<*>ζηλα νίκης τῆσδ’ ἔχων μιάσματα

ἐκφοβοῦ … ὡς : 1309 n. The sense of λῆμα is not necessarily either good or bad; thus Pind. P. 8. 44

τὸ γενναῖον

.. | ..

λῆμα

: Soph. O. C. 960

λῆμ’ ἀναιδές

: though it generally implies at least a strong spirit. Cp. however Pind. P. 3. 24

ἔσχε τοιαύταν μεγάλαν ἀvάταν

καλλιπέπλου λῆμα Κορωνίδος

, where, as here,

λῆμα

implies blame, though it has no epithet (Gildersleeve happily renders, ‘wilful Coronis’).

After v. 1427 Erfurdt and others suppose the loss of three verses answering to vv. 1404—1406 (

αἰαῖ...φίλαι

): see note in Appendix on 1398. The context itself, however, does not indicate any lacuna. In a calmer scene, doubtless, we might have looked for some comment from Electra on the announcement that Clytaemnestra is dead. But this is a passage full of excitement and hurrying action. The warning παύσασθε in 1428 is sufficiently justified by the brief dialogue between Orestes and Electra which has already taken place (1424—1427).

ἐκ προδήλου , like

ἐκ τοῦ ἐμφανέος

( Her. 4. 120 ),

ἐκ τοῦ προφανοῦς

( Thuc. 3. 43 § 3),

ἐκ τοῦ φανεροῦ

, etc.:

ἐκ

being used as above in 455, Thuc. 725. In this adverbial phrase the adj. is merely a stronger

δῆλος

, as in Soph. Ai. 1311

θανεῖν προδήλως

(‘before all eyes’). Its other sense was ‘clear beforehand’ ( Dem. or. 18 § 196

εἰ..ἦν σοι πρόδηλα τὰ μέλλοντα

Here, again, it is supposed that we have lost a trimeter, answering to 1409. (Hermann suggests

ἀλλ’ ἐξίκοιτό γ’, ὡς παρεσκευάμεθα

.) But the context, at least, does not show any gap in the sense.

ὦ παῖδες : cp. 1220

ὦ παῖ

, n.— οὐκ ἄψορρον , sc.

εἴσιτε

, into the house. Cp. Ai. 369

οὐκ ἐκτὸς ἄψο<*>ρον <*>κνεμεῖ πόδα

; O. T. 430 n.

ἐφ’ ἡμῖν , ‘in our power’; cp. O. C. 66

ἢ )πὶ τῷ πλήθει λόγος

; Ph. 1003

μὴ )πὶ τῷδ’ ἔστω τάδε

. Xen. An. 3. 1. 35

ὡς μήποτ’ ἐπὶ τοῖς βαρβάροις γενώμεθα, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον...ἐκεῖνοι ἐφ’ ἡμῖν

. The sense of

ἐφ’ ἡμῖν

is the reason for giving the words to Electra, and not, as L does (cr. n.), to Orestes.—Not, ‘ towards us.’ With a dat. denoting persons,

ἐπί

would mean rather ‘against,’ as in Hom. Od. 10. 214

οὐδ’ οἵ γ’ ὡρμήθησαν ἐπ’ ἀνδράσιν

. It is different when the dat. denotes a place, though even then such a sense for

ἐπί

is rare; Hom. Il. 5. 327

νηυσὶν ἐπὶ γλαφυρῇσιν ἐλαυνέμεν

(‘towards’).

Some have thought that the words of Orestes in this v. should be metrically equivalent to those of Clyt. in 1411,

οἴκτιρε τὴν τεκοῦσαν

. Nauck, for example, proposes

τὸν ἄνδρ’ ἐφ’ ἡμῖν τοῦτον

; This seems, however, a groundless assumption.

χωρεῖ γεγηθώς . The rest of the trimeter is lost. Hermann suggests

κάρτα σὺν σπουδῇ ποδός

βᾶτε κατ’ ἀντιθύρων , ‘make for the vestibule.’ If the words are sound,

κατά

, lit. ‘down upon,’ denotes the point on which the rapid movement is directed. The application of

κατά

, with gen., to downward movement, in the literal sense, is not rare; cp. Il. 13. 504

αἰχμὴ..κατὰ γαίης

<*>χετ’

: 3. 217

κατὰ χθονὸς ὄμματα πήξας

. Again, it can denote ‘descent upon’ in a purely figurative sense (

λεγειν κατά τινος

). The peculiarity here is that, while the movement is literal, the descent is figurative. Even

κατὰ σκοποῦ τοξεύειν

(Herodian 6. 7. 19) is different, since the arrow is conceived as describing a curve. I do not know any real paraliel for this use of

κατά

. It seems to justify some suspicion of the text.

The word

ἀντίθυρον

is known only from the following passages. (1) Od. 16. 159

στῆ δὲ κατ’ ἀντίθυρον κλισίης

, describing a position outside of the hut: usually rendered, ‘he stood over against the doorway.’ (2) In Lucian Alex. 16

τὸ ἀντίθυρον

is the wall opposite to the door of a room; in this wall a second door is made, to admit of a crowd streaming through the room. In Lucian Symp. 8 the sense is the same.

Here,

τὰ ἀντίθυρα

seems to mean, as in the Odyssey, a place close to the doors; probably just inside of them, and (from that point of view) ‘over against them’; a vestibule, or entrance-hall. Cp. 328

πρὸς θυρῶνος ἐξόδοις

. As

προθυρὼν

was a collateral form of

πρόθυρον

( Etym. Magn. 806. 4, etc.),

<*>ντιθυρὼν

may have been such a form of

ἀντίθυρον

. If so, the desirable accus. for

κατὰ

could be at once obtained by κατ’ ἀντιθυρῶν’ . The corrupt v. l. in one MS. (

κατάντι θυρῶν

, is also noteworthy.

κατάντι

does not occur: but in Il. 23. 116 we have

κάταν‐

τα

, ‘down hill,’ as opp. to

ἄναντα

. This suggests another possibility, with

θυρῶνα,

βᾶτε κάταντα θυρῶν’ , where

κάταντα

would be explained by a gesture, ‘haste down there to the porch.’

εὖ θέμενοι : cp. O. T. 633

νεῖκος εὖ θέσθαι

: fr. 324

ἢν παρὸν θέσθαι καλῶς

αὐτός τις αὑτῷ τὴν βλάβην προσθῇ φέρων

: Eur. Bacch. 49

τἀνθένδε θέμενος εὖ.

τάδ’ ὡς πάλιν , sc.

εὖ θῆσθε

. For

πάλιν

as= ‘in their turn,’ cp. 371 .

ᾗ νοεῖς , lit., hasten ‘on the path that thou hast in view,’— i.e., to the execution of the plan within the house. Cp. Ai. 868

πᾷ γὰρ οὐκ ἔβαν ἐγώ

;

The ground for giving the words ᾗ νοεῖς to Electra, rather than to Orestes (cr. n.), is not merely that her share in this verse then becomes the same as in v. 1415. That ground would be inconclusive ( cp. 1431 n.). The better reasons are these: (1) the simple τελοῦμεν is thus far more forcible. (2)

ᾗ νοεῖς

, if said by Orestes, would be a feeble reference to the wish of the Chorus; as said by Electra, it is a natural comment on

τελοῦμεν

καὶ δὴ βέβηκα : cp. 558 n.: Tr. 345

καὶ δὴ βεβᾶσι

1437-1441

These verses are antistrophic to 1417—1421. δἰ ὠτὸς implies gentle, whispering tones; cp. Theocr. 14. 27

χἁμῖν τοῦτο δἰ ὠτὸς ἔγεντο πόχ’ ἅσυχον οὕτως.

ὡς ἠπίως , ‘ as if kindly,’ ‘with seeming gentleness’: not like

ὡς ἐτητύμως

in 1452.

λαθραῖον , as epith. of

ἀγῶνα

, has a predicative force,—‘that he may rush upon his doom without foreseeing it’; it may thus be represented by an adv., ‘blindly.’—

δίκας ἀγῶνα. δίκη

is the just retribution which awaits him.

δίκης ἀγών

is the struggle which this retribution brings upon him,—his conflict with the avenging power.

ναυαγίοις : cp. 730 , where, however, it refers to the general wreck of chariots. Here it ought to denote the later and independent disaster, which affected the chariot of Orestes only.

σέ τοι : cp. Ant. 441 n.— κρίνω =

ἀνακρίνω

, ‘question’: Tr. 314

τί δ’ ἄν με καὶ κρίνοις

; Cp. Ant. 399 n.

συμφορᾶς , which can denote either good fortune (1230) or evil, suits the purposed ambiguity. For the ear of Aegisthus, her reply means: ‘Of course I know; else I should be a stranger to the fortune of my nearest kinswoman,’— viz., her mother. She leaves him to decide whether she means that Clytaemnestra is afflicted or rejoiced by the news. And meanwhile

ἡ συμφορὰ τῆς φιλτάτης

has a further meaning—Clytaemnestra<*>s death—which he cannot yet surmise.

Possibly this is the only ambiguity intended. But

τῆς συμφορᾶς..τῶν ἐμῶν τῆς φιλτάτης

might be genitive of

ἡ συμφορὰ τῶν ἐμῶν ἡ φιλτάτη

, ‘ the most welcome fortune of my kindred,’— i.e., ‘my brother's return.’ Cp. 1273

φιλτάταν

ὁδόν

. To intend this as an inner meaning would certainly be quite in the manner of Sophocles; cp. O. T. 337

ὀργὴν ἐμέμψω τὴν ἐμήν, τὴν σὴν δ’ ὁμοῦ

ναίουσαν οὐ κατεῖδες

.—For other views, see Appendix.

φίλης γὰρ προξένου κατήνυσαν . The ostensible meaning is that they have reached her house,

οῖκον

being understood. Cp. Ai. 607

ἀνύσειν

| ..

Ἅιδαν

: Ant. 804

τὸν παγκοίτην..θάλαμον

| ..

ἀνύτουσαν

. O. C. 1562

ἐξανύσαι

| ..

τὰν

.. |

νεκρῶν πλάκα

. The hidden meaning is,

φίλης προξένου κατήνυσαν φόνον

: they have accomplished her murder. To the ear of the audience, the nature of the ellipse would be plain enough.—This is Whitelaw's view, and I am now satisfied that it is the best. The English rendering given above is borrowed from his verse translation, ‘To the heart of their hostess they have found their way.’ I formerly took the inner meaning to be,

φίλην.. πρόξενον κατήνυσαν

( confecerunt). But this is hardly warranted by ( e.g.) Eur. Or. 89

αἷμα γενέθλιον κατήνυσεν

: and the genitive ought to suffice for both meanings.

ἦ καὶ : 314 n.

ὡς ἐτητύμως , like

ὡς ἀληθῶς

, etc. This emphasising use of

ὡς

with adverbs of the positive degree was probably developed out of its use with superlatives, as

ὡς μάλιστα

οὔκ, ἀλλὰ κἀπέδειξαν . The added words, οὐ λόγῳ μόνον , represent the sense of the clause suppressed after οὔκ :

οὐ μόνον ἤγγειλαν, ἀλλὰ κ.τ.λ.

Cp. Ar. Ran. 103

ΗΡ. σὲ δὲ ταῦτ’ ἀρέσκει; ΔΙ. μὴ ἀλλὰ πλεῖν ἢ μαίνομαι

: i.e.,

μὴ

(

λέξῃς ὅτι

)

ἀρέσκει, ἀλλὰ κ.τ.λ.

—Cp. Soph. Ai. 813

χωρεῖν ἕτοιμος, κοὐ λόγῳ δείξω μόνον

πάρεστ’ is meant by Aegisthus to be impersonal; but suggests to the spectators another meaning (‘is he here?’).

ὥστε : cp. Ph. 656

ἆρ’ ἔστιν ὥστε κἀγγύθεν θέαν λαβεῖν;

κἀμφανῆ μαθεῖν , sc.

αὐτόν

, Orestes. The ambiguous gender of

ἐμφανῆ

suits the situation.

ἐμφανῆ

might, indeed, be plur., meaning the relics (

λείψανα

, 1113): but this is less simple.

πάρεστι δῆτα . The nom.

ἄζηλος θέα

renders it better to understand

ὁ νεκρός

with

πάρεστι

than to take the verb impersonally. For δῆτα , cp. 843 : καὶ μάλ’ , 1178.

ἦ πολλὰ χαίρειν μ’ εἶπας , lit. ‘thou hast bidden me rejoice much,’ i.e., greeted me with most joyful news. The words would more usually mean ‘a long farewell,’ as in Eur. Hipp. 113

τὴν σὴν δὲ Κύπριν πόλλ’ ἐγὼ χαίρειν λέγω

. Cp. however Soph. Ai. 112

χαίρειν, Ἀθάνα, τἄλλ’ ἐγώ σ’ ἐφίεμαι

, i.e., ‘be happy in all else.’

1457 While τυγχάνοι has the support of L, the more prevalent reading τυγχάνει is the better here. She means, ‘Rejoice, if this is matter for joy,’ rather than, ‘You might (or would) rejoice, if it were’ such. Cp. 891

σὺ δ’ οὖν λέγ’, εἴ σοι τῷ λόγῳ τις ἡδονή

κἀναδεικνύναι πύλας , if right, is a pregnant phrase, ‘open the gates and show the interior.’ Nub. 302

ἵνα

μυστοδόκος δόμος

ἐν τελέταις ἁγίαις ἀναδείκνυται

. Bold as it is, I incline to believe that it is sound. No probable emendation has yet been made: see Appendix.

Μυκηναίοισιν , the townsfolk: Ἀργείοις , the people of the neighbouring district: see 4 n., and cp. 160

ἁ κλεινὰ

γᾶ..Μυκηναίων.

πᾶσιν : cp. O. T. 1287

βοᾷ διοίγειν κλῇθρα καὶ δηλοῦν τινα

τοῖς πᾶσι Καδμείοισι τὸν πατροκτόνον

. Ant. 1183

ὦ πάντες ἀστοί

(n.).—I do not think that the verse is spurious: see Appendix on 1458.

ἐλπίσιν … ἀνδρὸς : for the gen., cp. 857 n.

στόμια , poet. plur.; so Aesch. Ag. 237

χαλινῶν

. Cp. Compar. Pericl. et Fabii 1

σπαργῶντι τῷ δήμῳ χαλινὸν ἐμβαλεῖν ὕβρεως.

φύσῃ φρένας : O. C. 804

οὐδὲ τῷ χρόνῳ φύσας φανεῖ

φρένας ποτ’

(n.).

καὶ δὴ

κ.τ.λ.

: lit. ‘already my part is being performed.’ For τἀπ’ ἐμοῦ cp. O. C. 1682

τἀπὸ σοῦ βραδύνεται

. She refers ostensibly to what he has just said: ‘I, at least, am already resolved to be loyal and docile.’ Her secret meaning is, ‘My part in the plan of vengeance is being accomplished.’ She is luring him to his fate: cp. 1438

τἀνθάδ’ ἂν μέλοιτ’ ἑμοί.

τελεῖται is pres. There is no certain instance in Attic of

τελοῦμαι

as fut. pass. ( Ph. 1381 n.).

τῷ … χρόνῳ : for the art., cp. 1013 .

συμφέρειν τοῖς κρείσσοσιν , to agree with them, to live in concord with them. Cp. Eur. Med. 13

αὐτή τε πἀντα συμφέρουσ’ Ἰάσονι

. Ar. Lys. 166

ἀνήρ, ἐὰν μὴ τῇ γυναικὶ συμφέρῃ

. This sense comes from that of ‘sharing a burden’ (946), so that it resembles our phrase, ‘pull together.’ Here it suits her inner meaning,—that she is working with those who now are the stronger ( i.e., the avengers).

As Electra utters these words, the central doors are opened, and the eccyclema is pushed forward. This was a small and low stage. A corpse is seen upon it, the face and outlines concealed by a covering. Near it stand Orestes and Pylades—the ‘Phocians’ whom Aegisthus seeks. The eccyclema remains displayed to the end, and at v. 1507 Orestes and Pylades go out behind it. So in the Antigone the eccyclema is in view from 1293 to the close, and at 1347 Creon is led off behind it.

The corpse here is an effigy, like that of Haemon in Ant. 1261 ff. The deuteragonist, who had played Clytaemnestra, is now playing Orestes.

δέδορκα φάσμ’

κ.τ.λ.

: ‘I behold that which has not fallen without the jealousy of the gods.’ Aegisthus is not openly exulting here; he veils his joy in specious language, for he is in public, and speaks before hearers whom he distrusts. He affects to think that the gods have struck down his enemy. The meaning implied by

φθόνου

is that Orestes had incurred the divine displeasure by unnatural threats against his mother and his step-father (779

δείν’ ἐπηπείλει τελεῖν

The invocation, ὦ Ζεῦ , at once indicates the sense of φθόνου as = the divine jealousy. For that sense, see on Ph. 776

τὸν φθόνον δὲ πρόσκυσον

.—The word φάσμα is chosen on account of δέδορκα , in place of a word like

σῶμα

, or

πτῶμα

, adapted to πεπτωκός . In Tr. 693 , on the other hand,

δέρκομαι φάτιν

ἄφραστον

, the subst. is adapted to the adj.— For other views, see Appendix.

ἔπεστι : cp. Aesch. Eum. 542

ποινὰ γὰρ ἐπέσται

: Xen. Cyr. 6. 2. 33

ἔπεστι γάρ τις αἰσχύνη.

νέμεσις , the divine resentment; O. C. 1753

πενθεῖν οὐ χρή· νέμεσις γάρ

. Nemesis is not here so definitely a person as above in 792.

οὐ λέγω , indictum volo. Aesch. Eum. 866

ἐνοικίου δ’ ὄρνιθος οὐ λέγω μάχην

Aegisthus corrects himself with hypocritical piety; it is as if he said, ‘but it is not for me to judge my fellow-mortal.’

τὸ συγγενές : the neuter gender suits the intended ambiguity.

τοι emphasises

τὸ συγγενές

, as

γε

γοῦν

could do, but has also a sententious force, implying that such a tribute to kinship is a duty. Thus it suits the pious tone of the speaker: ‘If he was my enemy, still he was my kinsman.’ Cp. Ant. 278

ἐμοί τοι

: Xen. Mem. 1. 6. 11

ἐγώ τοί σε δίκαιον μὲν νομίζω

κἀπ’ ἐμοῦ =

καὶ ἀπ’ ἐμοῦ

, from my side, on my part: cp. 433 : O. C. 1289 f.

καὶ ταῦτ’ ἀφ’ ὑμῶν..βουλήσομαι

| ..

κυρεῖν ἐμοί

. [I formerly understood,

καὶ ἐπ’ ἐμοῦ

, ‘in my case’ also: but now prefer the other view.]

θρήνων τύψῃ : Ai. 924

ὡς καὶ παρ’ ἐχθροῖς ἄξιος θρήνων τυχεῖν

βάσταζ’ , sc.

τὸ κάλυμμα

, ‘handle it,’ i.e., ‘lift it’: cp. 905 n.

οὐκ ἐμὸν , since Orestes is supposed to be a Phocian stranger.

ταῦθ’ , ‘these relics’; he avoids saying either

τήνδ’

τόνδ’

προσηγορεῖν φίλως . Lucian ( De luctu, c. 13) describes the sorrowful farewells addressed by relatives to the corpse, when laid out for burial:

φήσει γὰρ ὁ πατήρ, γοερόν τι φθεγγόμενος καὶ παρατείνων

(‘drawing out’)

ἕκαστον τῶν ὀνομάτων· τέκνον ἥδιστον, οἴχῃ μοι καὶ τέθνηκας καὶ πρὸ ὥρας ἀνηρπάσθης, μόνον ἐμὲ τὸν ἄθλιον καταλιπών κ.τ.λ.

σὺ δέ , Electra.

εἴ που κατ’ οἶκόν μοι . The words mean properly, ‘if she is anywhere in the house for me,’ i.e., ‘so that I can see her.’ The enclitic μοι , thus placed, could not go with κάλει , as it does in Tr. 1147

κάλει τὸ πᾶν μοι σπέρμα σῶν ὁμαιμόνων

. A translation, however, need not mark this.

μηκέτ’ ἄλλοσε σκόπει : cp. 1225 n.

τίνα φοβεῖ

κ.τ.λ.

As Aegisthus gazes in terror and horror on Clytaemnestra's face, Orestes says, ‘Whom dost thou fear? Who is it that thou dost not know?’ i.e., ‘Why should that face terrify thee? Is it not familiar?’

Campbell remarks: ‘After a glance of horrified recognition at the corpse, Aegisthus looks strangely on Orestes.

τίνα

διὰ τί τόνδε

.’ He refers both

φοβεῖ

and

ἀγνοεῖς

, then, to the fear and bewilderment with which Aegisthus looks at Orestes. But the words of Orestes thus lose the grim force which belongs to them as a comment on

οἴμξι, τί λεύσσω

;

ἀρκυστάτοις . The

ἄρκυς

( cassis) was a hunting tunnel-net, ending in a pouch (

κεκρύφαλος

, Cyneg. 6 § 7). It was meant to receive the game when driven to the extremity of the enclosed ground.

ἀρκύστατα

(

ἄρκυς, ἵστημι

) meant properly such nets when set up; and

ἀρκυστάσιον

, or

ἀρκυστασία

, is the enclosure formed by them ( Cyneg. 6 § 6). When used figuratively, as here, the word suggests, not merely the capture of the victim, but also the act of decoying or driving him into the toils. It is thus more expressive than

δίκτυον

(the general word for ‘net’),

ἀμφίβληστρον

(‘castingnet’), or

γάγγαμον

(a circular fishing-net), —which are also used metaphorically ( Aesch. Ag. 358 , Aesch. Ag. 1382 , Aesch. Ag. 361 ). Cp. Aesch. Ag. 1374

πῶς γάρ τις ἐχθροῖς ἐχθρὰ πορσύνων, φίλοις

δοκοῦσιν εἶναι, πημονῆς ἀρκύστατ’ ἂν

φράξειεν ὕψος κρεῖσσον ἐκπηδήματος

;

For μέσοις , cp. Aesch. Eum. 112

ἐκ μέσων ἀρκυστάτων

ὤρουσεν

: Eur. El. 965

καλῶς ἄρ’ ἄρκυν ἐς μέσην πορεύεται.

πέπτωκα with ἐν (instead of

εἰς

with acc.), as Eur. H. F. 1091

ὡς ἐν κλύδωνι καὶ φρενῶν ταράγματι

πέπτωκα δεινῷ

πάλαι goes with αἰσθάνει (lit., ‘hast thou not long since been aware?’): not with

ἀνταυδᾷς

. For

πάλαι

referring to a recent moment, cp. 676 .

1478 In ἀνταυδᾷς , a compound found only here,

ἀντί

has the same force as in

ἀντονομάζω

, Thuc. 6. 4. § 6

τὴν πόλιν

(Rhegium)..

οἰκίσας Μεσσήνην...ἀντωνόμασε

, ‘changed its name’ to Messene. Aegisthus ‘changes the designation’ of living men, and speaks of them ἴσα τοῖς θανοῦσιν , in the same terms which would properly be applied to the dead. Thus the strict sense of the words is, ‘Thou perversely (

ἀντ‐

) speakest of the living as if they were dead.’ The acc. ζῶντας stands with

ἀνταυδᾷς

as with the simple

αὐδᾶν

( e.g., Eur. Hipp. 582

αὐδῶν δεινὰ πρόσπολον κακά

). If

ἀνταυδᾷς

meant ‘reply to,’ or ‘speak face to face with,’ it would require the dative.

Editors from Brunck onwards have been nearly unanimous in accepting ζῶντας , Tyrwhitt's correction of the MS. ζῶν τοῖς . Campbell, who retains

ζῶν τοῖς

, explains thus: ‘that thou, a living man, hast been replying to the dead (Orestes), in tones like theirs (

ἴσα

)’: i.e., ‘with a tongue that is already doomed to death.’

ξυνῆκα : for the aor., cp. 668 n.—Cp. Aesch. Ch. 886

ΟΙ. τὸν ζῶντα καίνειν τοὺς τεθνηκότας λέγω

. |

ΚΛ. οἲ )γώ, ξυνῆκα τοὔπος ἐξ αἰνιγμάτων.

οὐ γὰρ ἔσθ’ ὅπως … οὐκ : cp. O. C. 97 : O. T. 1058.

καὶ μάντις : ‘and, though so good a prophet, (yet) thou wast deceived so long?’ The interrogative

καί

(928, 1046) is here nearly=

κᾆτα

. The antithesis between

μάντις

and

ἐσφάλλου

makes this better than to take

καί

as=‘also’ (‘so good a seer too, and yet deceived so long?’). Others take

καὶ

as=

καίπερ

, with

ὤν

πάρες κἂν σμικρὸν εἰπεῖν . Here

κἂν

is most simply explained as

καὶ ἐὰν

, sc.

παρῇς

. Cp. Ar. Ach. 1021

μέτρησον εἰρήνης τί μοι, κἂν πέντ’ ἔτη

, sc.

μετρήσῃς

. See Appendix.

βροτῶν is a partitive gen., on which

θνῄσκειν ὁ μέλλων

depends (cp. Thuc. 4. 102

τῶν ἄλλων τὸν βουλόμενον

, etc.); though the sense is not affected in a translation if it be rendered as a gen. absol.

σὺν κακοῖς μεμιγμένων , ‘involved in miseries,’ implying here, ‘crimes, and their consequences.’ Cp. Od. 20. 203 (

ἄνδρας

)

μισγέμεναι κακότητι

. For

σὺν

(which need not be taken as a case of tmesis), cp. Pind. N. 3. 77

μεμιγμένον μέλι λευκῷ

σὺν γάλακτι

. So Pind. I. 3. 3

ἄξιος εὐλογίας ἀστῶν μεμῖχθαι

. The converse phrase (like

πρόσκειται κακόν μοι

relatively to

πρόσκειμαι κακῷ

, Pind. I. 240 n.) occurs in Her. 7. 203

εἶναι δὲ θνητὸν οὐδένα οὐδὲ ἔσεσθαι τῷ κακὸν ὲξ ἀρχῆς γινομένῳ οὐ συνεμίχθη

. We may also compare Soph. Ant. 1311

δειλαίᾳ δὲ συγκέραμαι δύᾳ

(‘steeped in it’): Plut. 853

οὕτω πολυφόρῳ συγκέκραμαι δαίμονι

. Shelley, The Cenci, act 5, sc. 4: ‘Be constant to the love | Thou bearest us; and to the faith that I, | Though wrapt in a strange cloud of crime and shame, | Lived ever holy and unstained.’

θνῄσκειν : for the pres. inf. with

μέλλω

, cp. n. on O. T. 967.

τοῦ χρόνου , the time implied in

μηκύνειν

Many recent critics follow Dindorf in suspecting or bracketing these two verses. Two things should be clearly recognised at the outset. First, that no suspicion is warranted by the fact that the scribe of L accidentally omitted these verses from the text,—as he also omitted several lines elsewhere which are undoubtedly genuine. Secondly, that in the language of these verses there is nothing to which exception can fairly be taken. If they are rejected, it must be on the ground that the thought which they express is inappropriate. But is it so? Aegisthus has appealed to mercy, asking for a brief respite. Electra fears that her brother may relent. What gain, she asks, would such a respite be, even to the doomed wretch himself? And her own feeling requires his instant death. It should be noted also that such a pair of verses, containing a general sentiment in an interrogative form, is Sophoclean; cp. Ai. 475

τί γὰρ παρ’ ἦμαρ ἡμέρα τέρπειν ἔχει

προσθεῖσα κἀναθεῖσα τοῦ γε κατθανεῖν

; also Ant. 463 f.

ταφεῦσιν , birds and dogs: Aesch. Th. 1020

ὑπ’ οἰωνῶν

... |

ταφέντ’ ἀτίμως

: see on Soph. Ant. 1081.

ἄποπτον ἡμῶν , far from our sight; the gen. as after words of ‘distance from’ ( O. T. 762 n.). Cp. Od. 3. 258 , where Nestor says that, if Menelaüs on his return had found Aegisthus still living,—

τῷ κέ οἱ οὐδ<*> θανόντι χυτὴν ἐπὶ γαῖαν ἔχευαν

, |

ἀλλ’ ἄρα τόν γε κύνες τε καὶ οἰωνοὶ κατ‐

έδαψαν

κείμενον ἐν πεδίῳ ἑκὰς ἄστεος

. Pausan. 2. 16 § 7

Κλυταιμνήστρα δὲ ἐτάφη καὶ Αἴγισθος ὀλίγον ἀπωτέρω τοῦ τείχους, ἐντὸς δὲ ἀπηξιώθησαν, ἔνθα Ἀγαμέμνων τε αὐτὸς ἔκειτο καὶ οἱ σὺν αὐτῷ φονευθέντες

ἁγών , discrimen, the issue: cp. O. C. 587 : Soph. Ph. 588

μῆτερ, οὐ λόγων ἔθ’ ἁγών

: Eur. Or. 1291

οὐχ ἕδρας ἀγών

: Thuc. 3. 44

οὐ γὰρ περὶ τῆς ἐκείνων ἀδικίας ἡμῖν ὁ ἀγών, εἰ σωφρονοῦμεν, ἀλλὰ περὶ τῆς ἡμετέρας εὐβουλίας

πρόχειρος … κτανεῖν . In its primary and usual sense,

πρόχειρος

denotes what is ready in the hand (1116). Here it passes into a wholly different sense, applied to a person whose hand is ‘forward’ or ready, as

πρόθυμος

is one whose spirit is forward. Cp. Eur. H. F. 161

τῇ φυγῇ πρόχειρος ἦν

, ‘prompt for flight’ (=

φεύγειν

), where Wilamowitz illustrates the dat. by Pind. O. 4. 14

τροφαῖς ἕτοιμον ἵππων

μὴ τάσσε : cp. Ant. 664

τοὐπιτάσσειν τοῖς κρατύνουσιν

: Eur. fr. 690

τάσσειν δὲ μᾶλλον ἢ )πιτάσσεσθαι θέλοις.

ἔνθαπερ , i.e. (

ἐκεῖσε

)

ἔνθαπερ

: cp. 1099 . The place meant is the

μέγαρον

of the house: f.

πᾶσ’ ἀνάγκη , as O. T. 986 , Her. 2. 22 , Plat. Phaedop. 67 A, etc.— τά τ’ ὄντα καὶ μέλλοντα : for the omission of the art. with the second partic., cp. 991 n.

Aegisthus means: ‘Must this house witness, not only those sorrows of our family which exist already, but those others which are to come, if I am slain?’ He speaks of his impending doom as if it were due, not to his own crimes, but to the working of the hereditary

ἀρά

, and implies that it will be followed by other deeds of bloodshed. In saying Πελοπιδῶν , he appeals, as a last hope, to family sympathies. Thyestidae, like himself, and Atreidae, like Orestes, are alike ‘children of Pelops.’ According to the legend, the calamities of the house were closed by the righteous vengeance of Orestes, whom Athena's judgment vindicated from the Furies.

τὰ γοῦν ς’ :

σά

, though em phatic, is elided; see on O. T. 64

πόλιν τε κἀμὲ καὶ σ’ ὁμοῦ στένει.

ἄκρος : cp. Aesch. Ag. 1130

οὐ κομπάσαιμ’ ἂν θεσφάτων γνώμων ἄκρος

εἶναι

τὴν τέχνην , i.e.,

τὴν μαντικήν

. Agamemnon fell into the snare laid for him: Ag. 911

ἐς δῶμ’ ἄελπτον ὡς ἂν ἡγῆται Δίκη

.—Cp. Ai. 1121

οὐ γὰρ βάναυσον τὴν τέχνην ἐκτησάμην

1501 Cp. O. C. 1628

πάλαι δὴ τἀπὸ σοῦ βραδύνεται

1502 The double change of person within the verse ( Or.—Aeg.— Or.) is rare. As G. Wolff observes, there is no instance of it in Aesch. ; in Soph. the only other examples occur in the two latest plays, Soph. O. C. 832 , Soph. Ph. 810 , Soph. Ph. 814 , Soph. Ph. 816 , at moments of high excitement. A triple change within the verse occurs only once, in Soph. Ph. 753. This is another point which bcars on the date of the Electra: cp. 1160 n.

ἕρφ’ . The word is always so written here, as if Orestes could foresee that Aegisthus would utter an aspirated word. Similar instances occur elsewhere: see Appendix. In the theatre, we must suppose, the actor said

ἕρπε

at full length: and possibly the poet so wrote it.

ἦ μὴ φύγω σε ; ‘(dost thou do this), lest..?’ Cp. O. T. 1012

ἦ μὴ μίασμα τῶν φυτευσάντων λάβῃς;

μὲν οὖν : O. T. 705.

καθ’ ἡδονὴν θάνῃς ; i.e., with such comfort as would be given by permission to choose the place or mode of death. Cp. 1493 .

1505-1507

The imperf. χρῆν , with εἶναι , implies that, though it ought to be so, it is not. The sense is, in substance, what might be expressed by a conditional sentence,

ἥδε δίκη ἦν ἂν τοῖς πᾶσιν, εἰ τὸ εἰκὸς ἔπαθον.

εὐθὺς , immediately after the crime in each case; Aegisthus has enjoyed too long an impunity. Cp. 13 f.n.

θέλει is better here than θέλοι , since it suggests more clearly the reference to the actual case of Aegisthus. The optative is, however, also tenable. It would mark the generality of the statement, ‘any one who should wish’; and could follow a present,

χρή

, no less than

χρῆν

(cp. Ant. 666 ).— τοῖς πᾶσιν … ὅστις : cp. Ai. 760 , where

ὅστις

refers to

σώματα

in 758: Ant. 709 , where

οὗτοι

follows

ὅστις

in 707: Eur. El. 933

κἀκείνους στυγῶ

τοὺς παῖδας, ὅστις κ.τ.λ.

: Plat. Rep. 566 D

ἀσπάζεται πάντας ᾧ ἂν περιτυγχάνῃ

πράσσειν γε :

γε

emphasises, not

πράσσειν

, but rather the whole sentence, and might have immediately followed

ὅστις

, if metre had allowed: cp. Il. 3. 279

ἀνθρώπους τίνυσθον, ὅτις γ’ ἐπίορκον ὀμόσσῃ

. Certainly

πράσσειν τι

is no improvement.

κτείνειν , rather than

θνῄσκειν

, because the speaker is himself the executioner. For the emphatic place of the word, cp. 957

Αἴγισθον.

τὸ πανοῦργον , equiv. in sense to

οἱ πανοῦργοι

: cp. 972 n.: Thuc. 1. 13

τὸ λῃστικὸν καθῄρουν

.— Shakesp. Meas. for Meas. act 2, sc. 2, 91:

‘Those many had not dared to do that evil, | If the first that did the edict infringe | Had answer'd for his deed.’

Nicephorus Vasilákes (

Βασιλάκης

), a professor of rhetoric at Constantinople in the latter part of the twelfth century, places these three verses of Sophocles at the head of a short piece in his rhetorical ‘Exercises’ (

Προγυμνάσματα

), and makes them the text of a discourse evidently prompted by the evils of his own time. The verses remind us, he says, how well Sophocles understood the function of Tragedy as a

κοινὴ παιδαγωγία

, or vehicle of moral teaching. After setting forth in action the warning example of Aegisthus, the poet here

ἀποδίδωσι λόγον ξυνᾴδοντα τοῖς εἰργασμένοις

, i.e., generalises the lesson. From a literary and aesthetic point of view the remark deserves the notice of those who, like Dindorf, think the verses spurious. If the speech of Orestes ended with v. 1504, the effect would manifestly be too abrupt.

ὦ σπέρμ’ Ἀτρέως . The dynasty of the Atreidae (

δεσπόται οἱ πάλαι

, 764) is about to be restored in the person of the rightful heir, Orestes (162), who displaces the usurper Aegisthus, the representative of the Thyestidae.

δἰ ἐλευθερίας … ἐξῆλθες , come forth in freedom. For

διά

denoting the state, cp. Thuc. 6. 34 § 2

ἀεὶ διὰ φόβου εἰσί

. The phrase here is in one respect peculiar. When the verb denotes motion,

διά

in this idiom usu. denotes a course of action, and not a state; e.g., Thuc. 6. 60 § 3

διὰ δίκης ἐλθεῖν

, Her. 6. 9

διὰ μάχης ἐλεύσονται

: see on Soph. Ant. 742.

ὁρμῇ , the enterprise of the avengers against the tyrants. Cp. Xen. An. 3. 1. 10

οὐ γὰρ ᾕδει τὴν ἐπὶ βασιλέα ὁρμήν

(‘the purpose to attack him’).— τελεωθέν , ‘consummated,’ ‘perfected’; i.e., ‘made completely prosperous.’ The word is applied to those who attain maturity in body and mind; Plat. Rep. 487A

τελειωθεῖσι..παιδείᾳ τε καὶ ἡλικιᾳ

. Herodotus uses it in a sense akin to that which it bears here, 3. 86

ἐπιγενὀμενα δὲ ταῦτα τῷ Δαρείῳ ἐτελέωσέ μιν

, ‘when these omens came to the aid of Dareius, they made him completely acceptable.’—In O. C. 1089 Sophocles uses the form

τελειῶσαι

. Both

τελειοῦν

and

τελεοῦν

(as

τέλειος

and

τέλεος

) were Attic, while the forms without

are alone used by Herodotus.

This play contains no presage of trouble to come, and fitly ends with the word

τελεωθέν

. Contrast the closing words of the Choephori (1075 f.):

ποῖ δῆτα κρανεῖ, ποῖ καταλήξει | μετακοιμισθὲν μένος ἄτης;

Commentary on Sophocles: Electra. Sir Richard C. Jebb. Cambridge. 1907.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by National Endowment for the Humanities.

Current edition Experimental

Commentary (R. C. Jebb) (OCR draft) (English) (Commentary (R. C. Jebb))

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (2)

Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 1422 focus

καὶ ΗΛ. καὶ μὴν πάρεισιν οἵδε· φοινία δὲ χεὶρ

στάζει θυηλῆς θυηλῆς Ἄρεος, οὐδ᾽ ἔχω λέγειν.

ΗΛ.

Ὀρέστα, πῶς κυρεῖτε κυρεῖ ;

OP.

τὰν δόμοισι μὲν

καλῶς, Ἀπόλλων εἰ καλῶς ἐθέσπισεν.

ΗΛ.

τέθνηκεν ἡ τάλαινα;
1425

OP.

μηκέτ᾽ ἐκφοβοῦ

μητρῷον ὥς σε λῆμ᾽ ἀτιμάσει ποτέ.

ΧΟ.

παύσασθε. λεύσσω λεύσω λεύσσω γὰρ Αἴγισθον ἐκ προδήλου.

ΗΛ.

ὦ παῖδες, οὐκ ἄψορρον;

OP.

εἰσορᾶτε ποῦ εἰσορᾶτε που εἰσορᾶτε ποῦ
1430

τὸν ἄνδρ᾽; τὸν ἄνδρ᾽ ἐφ᾽ ἡμῖν;

ΗΛ.

ἐφ᾽ ἡμῖν ΗΛ. οὗτος ἐκ προαστίου προαστείου

χωρεῖ γεγηθώς.

ΧΟ.

βᾶτε κατ᾿ ἀντιθύρων ὅσον ὅσον ὅσσον τάχιστα,

νῦν, τὰ πρὶν εὖ θέμενοι, τάδ᾽ ὡς πάλιν.

ΟΡ.

θάρσει· τελοῦμεν ᾗ νοεῖς.
1435

ΗΛ.

ἔπειγέ νυν ἔπειγε νῦν.

ΟΡ.

καὶ δὴ βέβηκα.

ΗΛ.

τἀνθάδ᾽ ἂν μέλοιτ᾽ ἐμοί.

ΧΟ.

δι ὠτὸς ἂν παῦρά γ᾽ ὡς ἠπίως νηπίωι ἠπίωσ ἐννέπειν

πρὸς ἄνδρα τόνδε συμφέροι, λαθραῖον λαθραῖο.. ὡς

ὀρούσῃ ὀροίσηι πρὸς δίκας ἀγῶνα.

ΑΙΓΙΣΘΟΣ.

τίς οἶδεν ὑμῶν ποῦ ποθ᾽ οἱ Φωκῆς φωκεις φωκῆς ξένοι,
1440

οὕς φασ᾽ Ὀρέστην ἡμὶν ἡμιν ἡμὶν ἀγγεῖλαι βίον

λελοιπόθ᾽ ἱππικοῖσιν ἐν ναυαγίοις ;

σέ τοι, σὲ κρίνω, ναὶ καὶ σέ, τὴν ἐν τῷ πάρος

χρόνῳ θρασεῖαν· ὡς μάλιστά σοι μέλειν

οἶμαι, μάλιστα δ᾽ ἂν κατειδυῖαν φράσαι.
1445

ΗΛ.

ἔξοιδα· πῶς γὰρ οὐχί; συμφορᾶς γὰρ ἂν

ἔξωθεν εἴην τῶν ἐμῶν τῆς φιλτάτης τε φιλτάτων τε φιλτάτων τῆς φιλτάτης τῶν φιλτατῶν τῶν φιλτάτων.

ΑΙ.

ποῦ δῆτ᾽ ἂν εἶεν οἱ ξένοι; δίδασκέ με μήνυέ μοι δίδασκέ μοι.

ΗΛ.

ἔνδον· φίλης γὰρ προξένου κατήνυσαν.

ΑΙ.

ἢ καὶ θανόντ᾽ ἤγγειλαν ὡς ἐτητύμως;
1450

ΗΛ.

οὔκ, ἀλλὰ κἀπέδειξαν, οὐ λόγῳ μόνον.

ΑΙ.

πάρεστ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἡμῖν ὥστε κἀμφανῆ μαθεῖν;

ΗΛ.

πάρεστι δῆτα καὶ μάλ᾽ ἄζηλος θέα.

ΑΙ.

ἢ πολλὰ χαίρειν μ' εἶπας οὐκ εἰωθότως.

ΗΛ.

χαίροις ἄν, εἴ σοι χαρτὰ χαρὰ χαρτὰ τυγχάνοι τυγχάνει τάδε.
1455

ΑΙ.

σιγᾶν ἄνωγα, κἀναδεικνύναι πύλας

πᾶσιν Μυκηναίοισιν Ἀργείοις θ᾽ ὁρᾶν,

ὡς εἴ τις αὐτῶν ἐλπίσιν κεναῖς πάρος

ἐξῄρετ᾽ ἀνδρὸς τοῦδε, νῦν ὁρῶν νεκρὸν

στόμια δέχηται τἀμά, μηδὲ πρὸς βίαν
1460

ἐμοῦ κολαστοῦ προστυχὼν φύσῃ φρένας.

ΗΛ.

καὶ δὴ τελεῖται τἀπ᾿ ἐμοῦ· τῷ γὰρ χρόνῳ χονω

νοῦν ἔσχον, ὥστε συμφέρειν τοῖς κρείσσοσιν.

ΑΙ.

ὦ Ζεῦ, δέδορκα φάσμ᾽ ἄνευ φθόνου φόνου φθόνου μὲν οὐ

πεπτωκός· εἰ δ᾽ ἔπεστι εἰ δ᾽ ἐστι εἰ δ᾽ ἔπεστι(ν) εἰ δ᾽ ἔστιν εἰ δ᾽ ἔπεστι δέ τις ἐστὶ Νέμεσις, οὐ λέγω.
1465

χαλᾶτε πᾶν κάλυμμ᾽ ἀπ᾿ ὀφθαλμῶν, ὅπως

τὸ συγγενές τοι τε κἀπ᾿ καὶ ἀπ᾿ ἐμοῦ θρήνων τύχῃ.

ΟΡ.

αὐτὸς σὺ βάσταζ᾽· οὐκ ἐμὸν τόδ', ἀλλὰ σόν,

τὸ ταῦθ᾽ ὁρᾶν τε καὶ προσηγορεῖν φίλως φίλος φίλως.

ΑΙ.

ἀλλ᾽ εὐ παραινεῖς, κἀπιπείσομαι· σὺ δέ,
1470

εἴ που κατ᾿ οἰκόν μοι Κλυταιμνήστρα, κάλει.

ΟΡ.

αὕτη πέλας σοῦ μηκέτ᾽ ἄλλοσε σκόπει.

ΑΙ.

οἴμοι, τί λεύσσω;

OP.

τίνα φοβεῖ; τίν ἀγνοεῖς;

ΑΙ.

τίνων ποτ᾽ ἀνδρῶν ἐν μέσοις ἀρκυστάτοις

πέπτωχ᾽ ὁ τλήμων ;
1475

OP.

οὐ γὰρ αἰσθάνει πάλαι

ζῶν τοῖς θανοῦσιν οἵνεκ᾿ ἀνταυδᾷς ἴσα;

ΑΙ.

οἴμοι, ξυνῆκα τοὔπος, οὐ γὰρ ἔσθ᾽ ὅπως

ὅδ᾽ οὐκ Ὀρέστης ἔσθ᾽ ὁ προσφωνῶν ἐμέ.

ΟΡ.

καὶ μάντις ὢν ἄριστος ἐσφάλλου ἐσφάλου ἐσφάλλου πάλαι;
1480

ΑΙ.

ὄλωλα δὴ δείλαιος. ἀλλά μοι πάρες

κἂν σμικρὸν κἂν ἐπιμικρὸν κἂν σμικρὸν κἂν ἐπὶ μικρὸν εἰπεῖν.

ΗΛ.

μὴ πέρα λέγειν ἔα

πρὸς θεῶν, ἀδελφέ, μηδὲ μηκύνειν λόγους.

¹

[ τί τί(σ) τί τίσ γὰρ βροτῶν ἂν σὺν κακοῖς μεμιγμένων
1485

θνήσκειν ὁ μέλλων τοῦ χρόνου κέρδος φέροι ;]

ἀλλ᾽ ὡς τάχιστα κτεῖνε, καὶ κτανὼν πρόθες πρό(σ)θες πρόθες πρόσθες

ταφεῦσιν ὧν ὦ ὧν τόνδ᾽ εἰκός ἐστι τυγχάνειν

ἄποπτον ἡμῶν, ὡς ἐμοὶ τόδ᾽ ἂν κακῶν

μόνον γένοιτο om. add τῶν πάλαι λυτήριον.
1490

ΟΡ.

χωροῖς ἂν εἴσω σὺν τάχει· λόγων γὰρ οὐ

νῦν ἐστιν ἁγών ἀγὼν, ἀλλὰ σῆς ψυχῆς πέρι.

ΑΙ.

τί δ᾽ ἐς δόμους ἄγεις με; πῶς, τόδ᾽ εἰ καλὸν

τοὔργον, σκότου δεῖ, κοὐ πρόχειρος εἶ κτανεῖν ;

ΟΡ.

μὴ τάσσε· χώρει δ᾽ ἔνθαπερ κατέκτανες
1495

πατέρα τὸν ἀμόν, ὡς ἂν om. ἐν ταὐτῷ θάνῃς.

ΑΙ.

ἢ πᾶσ᾽ ἀνάγκη τήνδε τὴν στέγην ἰδεῖν

τά τ᾿ ὄντα καὶ μέλλοντα Πελοπιδῶν κακά;

ΟΡ.

τὰ γοῦν σ᾽ τὰ γ' οὖν .. τὰ γ᾽ οὖν σ' τὰ γ᾽ οὖν σά τὰ γοῦν σὰ γὰρ· ἐγώ σοι μάντις εἰμὶ τῶνδ᾽ ἄκρος.

ΑΙ.

ἀλλ᾽ οὐ πατρώαν τὴν τέχνην ἐκόμπασας.
1500

ΟΡ.

πόλλ᾽ ἀντιφωνεῖς, ἡ δ᾽ ὁδὸς βραδύνεται.

ἀλλ᾽ ἕρφ᾽ ἕρπε ἔρφ'.

ΑΙ.

ὑφηγοῦ.

OP.

σοὶ βαδιστέον πάρος.

ΑΙ.

ἢ μὴ φύγω σε;

OP.

μὴ μὲν οὖν καθ᾽ ἡδονὴν

θάνῃς· φυλάξαι δεῖ με τοῦτό σοι πικρόν.

χρῆν δ᾽ εὐθὺς εἶναι τήνδε om. add τοῖς πᾶσιν δίκην,
1505

ὅστις πέρα πέραι πράσσειν γε τῶν νόμων θέλοι θέλει,

κτείνειν. τὸ γὰρ πανοῦργον οὐκ ἂν ἦν πολύ.

ΧΟ.

ὦ σπέρμ᾽ Ἀτρέως, ὡς πολλὰ παθὸν

δι' ἐλευθερίας μόλις ἐξῆλθες

τῇ νῦν ὁρμῇ τελεωθέν.

1510

Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 1442-1510 focus

Αἴγισθος

τίς οἶδεν ὑμῶν ποῦ ποθʼ οἱ Φωκῆς ξένοι,

οὕς φασʼ Ὀρέστην ἡμὶν ἀγγεῖλαι βίον

λελοιπόθʼ ἱππικοῖσιν ἐν ναυαγίοις;

σέ τοι, σὲ κρίνω, ναὶ σέ, τὴν ἐν τῷ πάρος
1445

χρόνῳ θρασεῖαν· ὡς μάλιστα σοὶ μέλειν

οἶμαι, μάλιστα δʼ ἂν κατειδυῖαν φράσαι.

Ἠλέκτρα

ἔξοιδα· πῶς γὰρ οὐχί; συμφορᾶς γὰρ ἂν

ἔξωθεν εἴην τῶν ἐμῶν τῆς φιλτάτης.

Αἴγισθος

ποῦ δῆτʼ ἂν εἶεν οἱ ξένοι; δίδασκέ με.
1450

Ἠλέκτρα

ἔνδον· φίλης γὰρ προξένου κατήνυσαν.

Αἴγισθος

ἦ καὶ θανόντʼ ἤγγειλαν ὡς ἐτητύμως;

Ἠλέκτρα

οὔκ, ἀλλὰ κἀπέδειξαν, οὐ λόγῳ μόνον.

Αἴγισθος

πάρεστʼ ἄρʼ ἡμῖν ὥστε κἀμφανῆ μαθεῖν;

Ἠλέκτρα

πάρεστι δῆτα, καὶ μάλʼ ἄζηλος θέα.
1455

Αἴγισθος

ἦ πολλὰ χαίρειν μʼ εἶπας οὐκ εἰωθότως.

Ἠλέκτρα

χαίροις ἄν, εἴ σοι χαρτὰ τυγχάνοι τάδε.

Αἴγισθος

σιγᾶν ἄνωγα κἀναδεικνύναι πύλας

πᾶσιν Μυκηναίοισιν Ἀργείοις θʼ ὁρᾶν,

ὡς εἴ τις αὐτῶν ἐλπίσιν κεναῖς πάρος
1460

ἐξῄρετʼ ἀνδρὸς τοῦδε, νῦν ὁρῶν νεκρὸν

στόμια δέχηται τἀμὰ μηδὲ πρὸς βίαν

ἐμοῦ κολαστοῦ προστυχὼν φύσῃ φρένας.

Ἠλέκτρα

καὶ δὴ τελεῖται τἀπʼ ἐμοῦ· τῷ γὰρ χρόνῳ

νοῦν ἔσχον, ὥστε συμφέρειν τοῖς κρείσσοσιν.
1465

1466

Αἴγισθος

ὦ Ζεῦ, δέδορκα φάσμʼ ἄνευ φθόνου μὲν οὐ

πεπτωκός· εἰ δʼ ἔπεστι νέμεσις, οὐ λέγω.

χαλᾶτε πᾶν κάλυμμʼ ἀπʼ ὀφθαλμῶν, ὅπως

τὸ συγγενές τοι κἀπʼ ἐμοῦ θρήνων τύχῃ.

Ὀρέστης

αὐτὸς σὺ βάσταζʼ· οὐκ ἐμὸν τόδʼ, ἀλλὰ σόν,
1470

τὸ ταῦθʼ ὁρᾶν τε καὶ προσηγορεῖν φίλως.

Αἴγισθος

ἀλλʼ εὖ παραινεῖς κἀπιπείσομαι· σὺ δέ,

εἴ που κατʼ οἶκόν μοι Κλυταιμνήστρα, κάλει.

Ὀρέστης

αὕτη πέλας σοῦ· μηκέτʼ ἄλλοσε σκόπει.

Αἴγισθος

οἴμοι, τί λεύσσω;
1475

Ὀρέστης

τίνα φοβεῖ; τίνʼ ἀγνοεῖς;

Αἴγισθος

τίνων ποτʼ ἀνδρῶν ἐν μέσοις ἀρκυστάτοις πέπτωχʼ ὁ τλήμων;

Ὀρέστης

οὐ γὰρ αἰσθάνει πάλαι

ζῶντας θανοῦσιν οὕνεκʼ ἀνταυδᾷς ἴσα;

Αἴγισθος

οἴμοι, ξυνῆκα τοὔπος· οὐ γὰρ ἔσθʼ ὅπως
1480

ὅδʼ οὐκ Ὀρέστης ἔσθʼ ὁ προσφωνῶν ἐμέ.

Ὀρέστης

καὶ μάντις ὢν ἄριστος ἐσφάλλου πάλαι.

Αἴγισθος

ὄλωλα δὴ δείλαιος. ἀλλά μοι πάρες

κἂν σμικρὸν εἰπεῖν.

Ἠλέκτρα

μὴ πέρα λέγειν ἔα

πρὸς θεῶν, ἀδελφέ, μηδὲ μηκύνειν λόγους.
1485

τί γὰρ βροτῶν ἂν σὺν κακοῖς μεμιγμένων

θνῄσκειν ὁ μέλλων οὐ χρόνου κέρδος φέροι;

ἀλλʼ ὡς τάχιστα κτεῖνε καὶ κτανὼν πρόθες

ταφεῦσιν, ὧν τόνδʼ εἰκός ἐστι τυγχάνειν,

ἄποπτον ἡμῶν· ὡς ἐμοὶ τόδʼ ἂν κακῶν
1490

μόνον γένοιτο τῶν πάλαι λυτήριον.

1491

Ὀρέστης

χωροῖς ἂν εἴσω σὺν τάχει· λόγων γὰρ οὐ

νῦν ἐστιν ἁγών, ἀλλὰ σῆς ψυχῆς πέρι.

Αἴγισθος

τί δʼ ἐς δόμους ἄγεις με; πῶς, τόδʼ εἰ καλὸν

τοὔργον, σκότου δεῖ κοὐ πρόχειρος εἶ κτανεῖν;

Ὀρέστης

μὴ τάσσε· χώρει δʼ ἔνθαπερ κατέκτανες
1495

πατέρα τὸν ἀμόν, ὡς ἂν ἐν ταὐτῷ θάνῃς.

Αἴγισθος

ἦ πᾶσʼ ἀνάγκη τήνδε τὴν στέγην ἰδεῖν

τά τʼ ὄντα καὶ μέλλοντα Πελοπιδῶν κακά;

Ὀρέστης

τὰ γοῦν σʼ· ἐγώ σοι μάντις εἰμὶ τῶνδʼ ἄκρος.

Αἴγισθος

ἀλλʼ οὐ πατρῴαν τὴν τέχνην ἐκόμπασας.
1500

Ὀρέστης

πόλλʼ ἀντιφωνεῖς, ἡ δʼ ὁδὸς βραδύνεται.

ἀλλʼ ἕρφʼ.

Αἴγισθος

ὑφηγοῦ.

Ὀρέστης

σοὶ βαδιστέον πάρος.

Αἴγισθος

ἦ μὴ φύγω σε;

Ὀρέστης

μὴ μὲν οὖν καθʼ ἡδονὴν

θάνῃς· φυλάξαι δεῖ με τοῦτό σοι πικρόν.

χρῆν δʼ εὐθὺς εἶναι τήνδε τοῖς πᾶσιν δίκην,
1505

ὅστις πέρα πράσσειν τι τῶν νόμων θέλει,

κτείνειν· τὸ γὰρ πανοῦργον οὐκ ἂν ἦν πολύ.

1508

Χορός

ὦ σπέρμʼ Ἀτρέως, ὡς πολλὰ παθὸν

διʼ ἐλευθερίας μόλις ἐξῆλθες

τῇ νῦν ὁρμῇ τελεωθέν.
1510

Translations (5)

English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 1422 focus

His red hand dripping as he moves

With drops of sacrifice the War-god loves.

My ’wildered heart is dumb.

EL

How is it with you, brother?

OR

If Apollo

Spake rightfully, the state within is well.

EL

Wretched one, is she dead?
1425

OR

No more have fear

Thou shalt be slighted by thy mother’s will.

CH

Cease, for I see Aegisthus near in view.

EL

In, in again, boys!

OR

Where do ye behold
1430

The tyrant?

EL

To our hand from yonder gate

He comes with beaming look.

HALF-CH

Haste, with what speed ye may,

Stand on the doorway stone,

That, having thus much done,

Ye may do all to-day.

OR

Fear not: we will perform it.
1435

EL

Speed ye now:

Follow your thought.

OR

We are already there.

EL

Leave matters here to me. All shall go well.

CH

Few words, as if in gentleness, ’twere good

To utter in his ear,

That, eager and unware,

One step may launch him on the field of blood.

AEGISTHUS
Enter AEGISTHUS .

Which of you know where are the Phocian men
1440

Who brought the news I hear, Orestes’ life

Hath suffered shipwreck in a chariot-race?

You, you I question, you in former time

So fearless! You methinks most feelingly

Can tell us, for it touches you most near.
1445

EL

I know: assure thee. Else had I not heard

The dearest of all fortunes to my heart.

AEG

Where are the strangers then? Enlighten me.

EL

Yonder. Their hostess entertained them well.

AEG

And did they certainly report him dead?
1450

EL

Not only so. They showed him to our sight.

AEG

May this clear evidence be mine to see?

EL

I envy not the sight that waits you there.

AEG

Against their wont thy words have given me joy.

EL

Much joy be thine, if this be joy to thee!
1455

AEG

Silence, I say! Wide let the gates be flung!

For all the Myceneans to behold

And all in Argolis, that if but one

Hath heretofore been buoyed on empty hopes

Fixed in Orestes, seeing him now dead,

He may accept my manage, and not wait
1460

For our stern chastisement to teach him sense.

EL

My lesson is already learnt: at length

I am schooled to labour with the stronger will.

AEG

Zeus! Divine envy surely hath laid low

The form I here behold. But if the truth

Provoke Heaven’s wrath, be it unexpressed.—Unveil!
1465

Off with all hindrance, that mine eye may see,
1465

And I may mourn my kinsman as I should.

OR

Thyself put forth thy hand. Not mine but thine

To look and speak with kindness to this corse.

AEG

I will, for thou advisest well; but thou,
1470

Call Clytemnestra, if she be within.

OR

She is beside thee, gaze not otherwhere.

AEG

What do I see! oh!

OR

Why so strange? Whom fear you?

AEG

Who are the men into whose midmost toils

All hapless I am fallen?
1475

OR

Ha! knowest thou not

Thou hast been taking living men for dead?

AEG

I understand that saying. Woe is me!

I know, Orestes’ voice addresseth me.

OR

A prophet! How wert thou so long deceived?
1480

AEG

Undone, undone! Yet let me speak one word.

EL

Brother, by Heaven, no more! Let him not speak.

When death is certain, what do men in woe

Gain from a little time? Kill him at once!

And, killed, expose him to such burial

From dogs and vultures, as beseemeth such,

Far from our view. Nought less will solace me

For the remembrance of a life of pain.

OR

Go in and tarry not. No contest this

Of verbal question, but of life or death.

AEG

Why drive you me within? If this you do

Be noble, why must darkness hide the deed?

Why not destroy me out of hand?

OR

Command not!
1495

Enter, and in the place where ye cut down
1495

My father, thou shalt yield thy life to me.

AEG

Is there no help but this abode must see

The past and future ills of Pelops’ race?

OR

Thine anyhow. That I can prophesy

With perfect inspiration to thine ear.

AEG

The skill you boast belonged not to your sire.
1500

OR

You question and delay. Go in!

AEG

Lead on.

OR

Nay, go thou first.

AEG

That I may not escape thee?

OR

No, that thou may’st not have thy wish in death.

I may not stint one drop of bitterness.

And would this doom were given without reprieve,
1505

If any try to act beyond the law,

To kill them. Then the wicked would be few.

LEADER OF CH

O seed of Atreus! how triumphantly

Through grief and hardness thou hast freedom found,

With full achievement in this onset crowned!
1510

German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 1422 focus

Da sind sie wieder: roth vom Blute triest die Hand,

Von Ares' Opfer; aber tadeln kann ich's nicht.¹

Elektra.

Wie steht's, Orestes?

Orestes.

Dort im Hause steht es wohl,

Wenn mir's Apollons Sprüche wohl verkündigten.
1390

Elektra.

Todt ist die Unheilvolle?

Orestes.

Nimmer fürchte mehr,

Daß dich der Mutter stolzer Hohn entwürdige!

Der Chor.

Seid stille; dort sch' ich ganz deutlich nah'n Aegisthen.

(zu Drestes und Pylades)

Elektra.

In's Haus zurück, o Kinder!

Orestes.

Wo gewahret ihr

Den Mann?
1395

Elektra.

Von draußen kommend Er schreitet freudig dort auf uns heran,

Der Chor.

Hinter die Thore zurück mit schnellen Schritten!

Nun ihr das Erste vollbracht, vollbringt auch dies!

Orestes.

Getrost! Wir enden's.

Elektra.

Schon geh' ich weiter.
1400

Eile denn, wohin dich's treibt!
1400

Mir gebührt zu walten hier.
1400
(Orestes, Pylades und der Pfleger ab.)

Der Chor.

Nun flüstre (das frommt gewiß) diesem Mann hier in's Ohr

Nur wenig Worte sanft und still, damit er sonder Ahnung

Zum Kampf der Rache stürze!

Aegisthos. Elektra. Der Chor.

Aegisthos.

Wer unter euch weiß, wo die Phokergäste sind,

Die, heißt es, uns verkünden, daß Orestes jüngst
1405

Im Wagenkampfe scheitert' und das Leben ließ?

(zu Elektra)

Dich, dich, ja dich befrag' ich, die du früher stets

So trozig warest: dich am ersten kümmert's wohl;

So, denk' ich, weißt du's auch am ersten kundzuthun.

Elektra.

Ich weiß es; wie denn sollt' ich nicht? Fremd wär' ich sonst
1410

Dem Loos der Meinen, welche mir so theuer sind.

Aegisthos.

Wo sind sie denn, die Gäste? Das bedeute mir.

Elektra.

Im Hause, bei der lieben Wirthin eingeführt.

Aegisthos.

Und daß er todt sei, melden sie unzweifelhaft?

Elektra.

Und gaben auch Beweise, nicht durch Worte nur.
1415

Aegisthos.

So steht mir frei, mit eignen Augen es zu seh'n?

Elektra.

Frei steht der Anblick; doch er ist kein lieblicher.

Aegisthos.

Du sagst mir viel zur Freude, wie du nie gepflegt.

Elektra.

Wohl, freue du dich, wenn es dir erfreulich ist.

Aegisthos.

Nun still, gebiet' ich; thut des Hauses Pforten auf;
1420

Denn ganz Mykene soll es, Argos soll es schaun,

Daß Jeder, der sich etwa sonst auf diesen Mann

Mit eitler Hoffnung wiegte, todt ihn schaue nun,

Und mein Gebiß annehme, wenn nicht meine Zucht

Vorher gewaltsam zur Vernunft ihn bringen soll.
1425

Elektra.

Ich thue schon das Meine; denn mich hat die Zeit

Gelehrt, zu folgen, wenn gebeut ein Stärkerer.

(Sie öffnet die Thür; man erblickt die verhüllte Leiche Klytämnestra's.) Orestes. Pylades. Der Pfleger. Die Vorigen.

Aegisthos.

Zeus! Ein Opfer, hingestreckt durch Götterzorn,

Erblick' ich! Doch ich schweige, wenn ich Sünde sprach.

Löst ganz die Hülle meinem Blick, daß auch von mir
1430

Dem Anverwandten sei gebracht der Thränen Zoll!

Orestes.

Selbst hebe du sie; mir ja nicht, nur dir gebührt's,

Zu seh'n und hold zu grüßen, was die Hülle birgt.

Aegisthos.

Du räthst mir wohl, ich folge deinem Rath, und du

Berufe Klytämnestra, wenn sie drinnen weilt.
1435

Orestes.

Sie hast du nahe: suche nicht mehr anderwärts.

(hebt die Decke auf)

Aegisthos.

Weh! Was erblick' ich?

Orestes.

Wer erschreckt, wer irrt dich hier?

Aegisthos.

In welcher Männer Neze, ha! bin ich gestürzt,

Ich Sohn des Unglücks?

Orestes.

Merkst du nicht schon lange, daß

Du, wie mit Abgeschiednen, sprichst mit Lebenden?
1440

Aegisthos.

Weh mir! Das Wort versteh' ich: denn kein Andrer war's,

Es war Orestes, welcher eben sprach zu mir.

Orestes.

Du, Seher ohne Gleichen, warst so lange blind?

Aegisthos.

Verloren bin ich Armer! Doch vergönne mir

Ein kurzes Wort noch.
1445

Elektra.

Dulde nicht, bei'm Himmel, daß
1445

Er weiter spricht, o Bruder, und viel Worte macht!

Ein Mensch, umringt von Leiden und dem Tode nah,

Was hülf' es diesem, wenn der Tod noch zögerte?

Nein, ohne Säumen tödt' ihn, und den Todten gib

Den Todtengräbern, welchen er mit Recht verfällt,
1450

Von unserm Anblick ferne: dies allein genügt

Als Sühne mir für dieses alte lange Leid.

(zu Aegisthos)

Orestes.

Auf, geh' hinein und säume nicht! Denn traun, es gilt

Jezt keinen Kampf um Worte, nein, dein Leben gilt's.

Aegisthos.

Warum in's Haus mich führen? Ist dein Thun gerecht,²
1455

Wozu bedarf's des Dunkels? Gleich hier tödte mich!

Orestes.

Befiehl du nicht! Hin, wo du meinen Vater schlugst,

Entweiche, daß du sterbest an derselben Statt!

Aegisthos.

So wär' es also diesem Haus verhängt, zu schau'n

Der Pelopiden jezig und zukünftig Leid?
1460

Orestes.

Das deine sicher: ganz bestimmt weissag' ich dir's.

Aegisthos.

Nicht als ererbt vom Vater rühmst du diese Kunst.

Orestes.

Viel Gegenreden; doch der Gang verzögert sich!

Hinein!

Ich folge.

Nein, du selbst gehst mir voran!

Um nicht zu fliehen?
1465

Nein, um nicht nach deinem Wunsch
1465

Zu sterben: dieses Bittre sei dir noch bewahrt!

träfe Jeden ungesäumt dies Strafgericht,

Der wider Ordnung und Gesez zu thun gedenkt :

Der Tod! Der Frevel wären nicht so viele dann.

Der Chor.

Atreus' Stamm, wie drangst du so schwer
1470

Durch zahllos Leid zu der Freiheit durch,

Die nun dies Werk dir errungen!

(Alle ab in's Haus.)

English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 1422 focus

Groaned with thee now !

Chorus

In copious streams.

Orestes
Scene II.

Pylades, Governor of Orestes, Electra,

Electra

Behold them here ! their hands
1425

Dropping with gore, a pious sacrifice
1425

To the gi^eat god of war. How is 't, Orestes ?
1425

Orestes

'Tis very well. All 's well, if there be truth

In great ApoUo's oracles. She 's dead.

Thou needst not fear a cruel mother now.

Chorus

I^o more ! -ZEgisthus comes.

Electra

Instant go in ;

Do you not see him? Joyful he returns.

Chorus

Ketire. Thus far is right — ^go on, and prosper.

Orestes

Fear not ! We'll do it.

Chorus

But immediately.

Orestes

I'm gone.

Electra
\FjXPAmt Orestes, Pylades, and Governor.

For what remains here to be done.

Be it my care. I'll whisper in his ear

A few soft flattering words, that he may rush

Unknowing down precipitate on ruin.

Mgi^. Which of you knows aught of these Phocian

guests,

Who come to tell us of Orestes' death ?

And fierce of soul ; it doth concern you most ;

And therefore you, I think, can best inform me.

Electra
Scene III.

Yes, I can tell thee. Is it possible

I should not know it ? That were not to know

A circumstance of dearest import to me.

^Gis. Where are they then?

Electra

Within.

Aegisthus

^Gis. And spake they truth ?

Electra

They did ; a truth not proved by words alone,

But faots undoubted.

Aegisthus

^Gis. Shall we see him then ?
1450

Electra

Aye, and a dreadful sight it is to see.

^Gis. Thou art not wont to give me so much joy ;

Aegisthus

Now I am glad indeed.

Electra

Glad mayst thou be,

If aught there is in that can give thee joy.

Ateis. Silence within! and let my palace gates

Be opened all — that Argos and Mycenae

May send her millions forth to view the sight ;

Aegisthus

And if there are who nourish idle hopes

That still Orestes lives, behold him here,

And learn submission, nor inflame the crowd

Against their lawful sovereign, lest they feel

An angry monarch's heaviest vengeance on them.

Electra

Already I have learned the task, and yield
1455

To power superior.
1455

Opens and discovers tlie Body of Clytemxest BA extended
1455

on a biei'f and covered 'with a veil.
1455

Orestes
Scene IV.

Pylades, Governor of Orestes, Mgistr-jb,

Electra

Chorus, and a Croivd of Spectators frani

the city.

Miiia. What a sight is here '

O deity supreme ! this could not be

Aegisthus

But by thy will ; and whether Nemesis

Shall still o'ertake me for my crime, I know not.

Take otF the veil, that I may view him well ;
1465

He was by blood allied, and therefore claims
1465

Our decent sorrows.

Orestes

Take it off thyself !

'Tis not my office ; thee it best behts

Aegisthus

To see and to lament.
1470

JEgis. And so it does ;
1470

And I will do it. Send Clytemnestra hither.

Orestes
[Taking of the ve^a

She is before thee.

Aegisthus

^Gis. Ha ! what do I see 1

Orestes

Why, what 's the matter ? What affrights th@C

so?

Aegisthus

Do you not see him ?

^Gis. In what dreadful snare

Am I then fallen ]
1475

Orestes

Dost thou not now behold

That thou art talking with the dead ?

Aegisthus

u:Egis. Alas I

Too well I see it, and thou art — Orestes.

Orestes

So great a prophet thou, and guess so iil !
1480

Aegisthus

^Gis. I know that I am lost, undone for evor;

But let me speak to thee.

Electra

Do not, Orestes ;

No, not a woi'd. What can a moment's spaoo

Profit a wretch like him, to death devoted'^

Qijck }et him die, and cast his carcase forth

To dogs and vultures ; tliey will best perform

Fit obsequies for him. By this alone

We can be free and htappy.

Orestes

Get thee in !

This is no time for talk — thy life, thy life !

Aegisthus

^'Egis. But why go in ? If what thou meanst to do

Be just, what need of darkness to conceal it ?

Why not destroy me here ?

Orestes

It is not thine
1495

Now to command. Hence to the fatal place
1495

Where our dear father fell, and perish there.

Aegisthus

^Gis. This palace then is doomed to be the witness

Of all the present, all the future woes

Of Pelops' hapless race.

Orestes

Of thine, at least

It shall be witness ; that 's my prophecy.

Aegisthus

And a most true one.
1500

^Gis. 'Tig not from thy father.
1500

Orestes

Thou talkst, and time is lost. Away !

Aegisthus

^Gis. I follow.

Orestes

Thou shalt go first.

Aegisthus

^Gis. Thinkst thou I mean to fly ?

Orestes

No ; but I'd make thy end most bitter to thee

In every circumstance, nor let thee choose

The softest means. Were all like thee to perish
1505

Who violate the laws, ’twould lessen much

The guilt of mortals, aiKl reform mankind. \ExPAint.

Chorus

O race or Atreus ! after all thy woes,

How art thou thus by one adventurous deed

To freedom and to happiness restored 1

OF THE
1505

UNIVERSITY
1505

OF

DRAMATIS PERSONS.

Ulysses

King of Ithaca.

Neoptolemus

Son of AcJiilles.

Companion of Hercules.

A Spy.
1510

Chorus

composed of the Com-

panions of Ulysses and Neopto-

lemus,
1510

Ulysses
SCENE. — Lemnos, near a Grotto in a rocJc by the Seaside, ACT I. Scene I.

Neoptolemus, Attendant.

English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 1422 focus

The dead, from those who shed their blood, exact.

Electra
[within. ORESTES, PYLADES, ELECTRA, CHORUS.

See, they are here, their hands distain'd with blood
1425

From the first victim of their fury pour'd.
1425

I need not ask, Orestes, what is done.
1425

Orestes

All is well done within these gates, if well

The Oracle commanded. She is dead,

The wretched woman. Henceforth fear no more

Disgraceful insults from thy mother's pride.

Chorus

Forbear. Ægisthus plainly I perceive.

Electra

Go back, with speed go back.

Orestes

Comes he upon us?

Electra

See you this man?

He will soon be here;

Rejoicing from the suburbs he returns.

Chorus

Retire within the portal: as beforelia o')

You well condueted that attempt, so now

Orestes

Fear not: we will effect it to thy wish.
1435

Electra

Nay, linger not a moment.m

Orestes

I am gone.

Electra
ELECTRA, CHORUS

What here th' occasion calls for, be my care.

This man then It were well to sooth his ear

With a few gentle words, that he may rush

Without a thought on their avenging swords.

Aegisthus
ÆGISTHUS, ELECTRA, CHORUS.

Where are these Phocian strangers, who, I hear,
1440

Have brought the tidings that amidst the wreck

Of clashing cars Orestes breath'd his last?

Which of you knows? Of thee I ask, of thee,

Thee in times past of soul untamed: as thee

It most imports, thou canst inform me best.

Electra

Too well I know: I were a stranger else

To what concerns the dearest of my friends.

AGIS. Where are the strangers? Tell me.

What, spoke they of his death

And welcome guests.

Aegisthus
Enter'd here,

As certain?
1450

Electra

What convinces more than words,

They brought undoubted proof.

Aegisthus

May I behold

That proof which carries certainty?

Electra

Thou may'st :

That sight thy envy will not raise.

Aegisthus

Great joy

Thou givest me now: not such hath been thy wont.

Electra

Go then: if this can give thee joy, rejoice.
1455

Aegisthus

Be silent, and set wide the gates, that all

Of Argos and Mycense may behold :

That if a man of them had in his thoughts

Cherish'd vain hopes, he now may view this corse,

And bear my curb; nor, hardening in his pride,

Draw on his head the terrors of my wrath.

Electra

I know my duty: for by time my mind

Is taught obedience to the sovereign pow'rs.

Aegisthus
The gates are thrown open; the body of Clytemnestra lies covered. ORESTES, PYLADES, ÆGISTHUS, ELECTRA,

O Jove this is a sight, which hath not fall'n
1470

But to my wish. If Vengeance waits my joy,
1470

I know not. From the corse remove the veil,
1470

That he my lamentations may receive,

For nearly to my blood he was allied.

Orestes

Remove it thou: thy office this, not mine,

To view, and kindly to address the dead.

Aegisthus

I will: thou dost advise me well. Go thou,

Call Clytemnestra. Is she in the house ?

Orestes

Ay, she is near thee; seek her not elsewhere.

Aegisthus

Ah, what a sight is this!

Or whom not know?

Whom dost thou fear?

Ah me, amidst the toils
1475

Of what insidious hunters am I fall'n!
1475

Orestes
[removing the veil.

Dost thou not yet perceive that with the dead,

So deem'd by thee, long converse thou hast held?

Aegisthus

Ah me! too well I know it; and these words

Can from none other but Orestes come.

Orestes

Excellent prophet! But thy skill before
1480

Deceived thee.
1480

Aegisthus

I am lost, in ruin sunk :

Yet hear me; let me speak; I will be brief.

Electra

No: hear him not, my brother; by the gods,

Hear no protracted speech. What would a wretch

Plunged in the midst of evils, and to death

Devoted, profit by a short delay ?

No; let him die this instant, and when dead

Obtain such burial as his deeds deserve,

Far from our sight: for all his former wrongs

To me this vengeance only can atone.

Orestes

Enter the gates this instant; for not words

Must now decide the contest, but thy life.

Aegisthus

Within these walls why lead me? If the deed

Be just and noble, why in darkness done?

Thy hand is ready, why not kill me here?

Orestes

Give not the law to me. Go; where thy hand
1495

Murder'd my father, there thy blood shall flow. i

Aegisthus

This is of strong necessity this house

Must see the present and the future illsai

Doom'd to the race of Pelops by the fatesdi.

Orestes

Ills doom'd to thee: prophetic is my voice.

Aegisthus

Thou canst not from thy father boast this skill
1500

Orestes

No more replies; no more delays: away.

Aegisthus

Lead thou the way.

Orestes

Before me thou shalt godt Losl

Aegisthus

Hast thou a fear I should escape thy sword?

Orestes

To make death bitter to thee, as thou wouldst

Thou shalt not die: now to command is mine)

Thus by swift-rushing vengeance perish all,
1505

Who dare to violate the sacred laws.

Less frequent: then would impious deeds be seen,

Chorus

O race of Atreus, scarce hast thou arrived!!

Through many sufferings at thy ancient state

Of liberty, by this bold deed achieved!

THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY

This book is under no circumstances to be
1510

taken from the Building
1510

English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 1442-1510 focus

Enter Aegisthus.

Aegisthus

Which of you can tell me where those Phocian strangers are, who are said to have brought report for us that Orestes passed away amidst the shipwrecked chariots?

You, you I ask, yes, you, who were in former days so bold. It seems to me that this concerns you most, so you must know best, and can best tell me.
1445

Electra

I do know. How could I not? Otherwise I would be an alien to the fortune of my nearest kinsmen.

Aegisthus

Where, then, may the strangers be? Tell me.
1450

Electra

Inside. They have found a way to the heart of their hostess.

Aegisthus

Have they in fact reported him truly dead?

Electra

No, not reported only. They have shown him.

Aegisthus

Then I can identify the corpse myself?

Electra

You can, indeed, though it is no enviable sight.
1455

Aegisthus

You have indeed given me a joyful greeting, beyond your custom.

Electra

May joy be yours, if joy is what you find in these things.

Aegisthus

Silence, I say, and throw wide the gates for all Mycenaeans and Argives to see,

so that, if any one of them were once buoyed by empty hopes in this man, now by seeing his corpse, he may welcome my bit in his mouth, instead of waiting until my punishment makes him grow wits by force!
1460

Electra

All will be done on my part. Time

has given me the sense to comply with the stronger.
1465

1466 A shrouded corpse is disclosed.Orestes and Pylades stand near it.

Aegisthus

O Zeus, I see an image which could not have fallen without divine spite—but, if Nemesis attend what I say, let it be unsaid! To Orestes. Undo the coverings from his eyes, so that our kinship, at least, may receive due mourning from me also.

Orestes

Lift the veil yourself. It is not for me, but for you to look upon these remains and greet them kindly.
1470

Aegisthus

You advise well, and I will obey you. To Electra. But you, call Clytaemnestra for me, if she is at home.

Orestes

She is near you; do not look elsewhere.

Aegisthus
Aegisthus removes the cloth from the face of the corpse.

O, what sight is this!
1475

Orestes

Why so scared? Is the face so strange?

Aegisthus

Who are the men into whose nets I have miserably fallen?

Orestes

Do you not perceive how you have long been addressing the living in terms suited to the dead?

Aegisthus

Ah, I read the riddle! It cannot be that

this is not Orestes who speaks to me!
1480

Orestes

And, though so good a prophet, were you deceived so long?

Aegisthus

Oh, I am destroyed, undone! Yet allow me to speak just a little.

Electra

By the gods, brother, do not allow him to speak any more or to plead at length!

When mortals are embroiled in misfortunes, how can one who is to die benefit from lapse of time? No, kill him as quickly as you can, and throw his corpse to the creatures from whom his kind should have burial, throw it far from our sight! For in my eyes this
1485

alone can bring us release from the misery of the past.
1490

1491

Orestes

To Aegisthus. Go in, and quickly. Words are not at stake here, but your life.

Aegisthus

Why take me into the house? If this deed is just, what need is there of darkness? Why is your hand not quick to strike?

Orestes

Do not give orders, but go to where you struck down my father, so that in that very place you may die.
1495

Aegisthus

Is this dwelling doomed to see all the sufferings of us descendants of Pelops, both now and in time to come?

Orestes

Yours, at least. I am for you a consummate prophet in these matters.

Aegisthus

The skill you boast about did not belong to your father.
1500

Orestes

You bandy words, and our going is delayed. Move forward!

Aegisthus

You lead.

Orestes

You must go first.

Aegisthus

Lest I escape you?

Orestes

No, lest you die in a manner which pleases you. I must be sure that your death is bitter for you.

This just penalty ought to come straightaway upon all who would break the laws: the penalty of death. Then wrongdoing would not abound.
1505

1508

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καὶ ΗΛ. καὶ μὴν πάρεισιν οἵδε· φοινία δὲ χεὶρ στάζει θυηλῆς θυηλῆς Ἄρεος, οὐδ᾽ ἔχω λέγειν.

ΗΛ. Ὀρέστα, πῶς κυρεῖτε κυρεῖ ;

OP. τὰν δόμοισι μὲν καλῶς, Ἀπόλλων εἰ καλῶς ἐθέσπισεν.

ΗΛ. τέθνηκεν ἡ τάλαινα; 1425

OP. μηκέτ᾽ ἐκφοβοῦ μητρῷον ὥς σε λῆμ᾽ ἀτιμάσει ποτέ.

ΧΟ. παύσασθε. λεύσσω λεύσω λεύσσω γὰρ Αἴγισθον ἐκ προδήλου.

ΗΛ. ὦ παῖδες, οὐκ ἄψορρον;

OP. εἰσορᾶτε ποῦ εἰσορᾶτε που εἰσορᾶτε ποῦ 1430 τὸν ἄνδρ᾽; τὸν ἄνδρ᾽ ἐφ᾽ ἡμῖν;

ΗΛ. ἐφ᾽ ἡμῖν ΗΛ. οὗτος ἐκ προαστίου προαστείου χωρεῖ γεγηθώς.

ΧΟ. βᾶτε κατ᾿ ἀντιθύρων ὅσον ὅσον ὅσσον τάχιστα, νῦν, τὰ πρὶν εὖ θέμενοι, τάδ᾽ ὡς πάλιν.

ΟΡ. θάρσει· τελοῦμεν ᾗ νοεῖς. 1435

ΗΛ. ἔπειγέ νυν ἔπειγε νῦν.

ΟΡ. καὶ δὴ βέβηκα.

ΗΛ. τἀνθάδ᾽ ἂν μέλοιτ᾽ ἐμοί.

ΧΟ. δι ὠτὸς ἂν παῦρά γ᾽ ὡς ἠπίως νηπίωι ἠπίωσ ἐννέπειν πρὸς ἄνδρα τόνδε συμφέροι, λαθραῖον λαθραῖο.. ὡς ὀρούσῃ ὀροίσηι πρὸς δίκας ἀγῶνα.

ΑΙΓΙΣΘΟΣ.

ΗΛ. ἔξοιδα· πῶς γὰρ οὐχί; συμφορᾶς γὰρ ἂν ἔξωθεν εἴην τῶν ἐμῶν τῆς φιλτάτης τε φιλτάτων τε φιλτάτων τῆς φιλτάτης τῶν φιλτατῶν τῶν φιλτάτων.

ΑΙ. ποῦ δῆτ᾽ ἂν εἶεν οἱ ξένοι; δίδασκέ με μήνυέ μοι δίδασκέ μοι.

ΗΛ. ἔνδον· φίλης γὰρ προξένου κατήνυσαν.

ΑΙ. ἢ καὶ θανόντ᾽ ἤγγειλαν ὡς ἐτητύμως; 1450

ΗΛ. οὔκ, ἀλλὰ κἀπέδειξαν, οὐ λόγῳ μόνον.

ΑΙ. πάρεστ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἡμῖν ὥστε κἀμφανῆ μαθεῖν;

ΗΛ. πάρεστι δῆτα καὶ μάλ᾽ ἄζηλος θέα.

ΑΙ. ἢ πολλὰ χαίρειν μ' εἶπας οὐκ εἰωθότως.

ΗΛ. χαίροις ἄν, εἴ σοι χαρτὰ χαρὰ χαρτὰ τυγχάνοι τυγχάνει τάδε. 1455

ΗΛ. καὶ δὴ τελεῖται τἀπ᾿ ἐμοῦ· τῷ γὰρ χρόνῳ χονω νοῦν ἔσχον, ὥστε συμφέρειν τοῖς κρείσσοσιν.

ΑΙ.

τὸ συγγενές τοι τε κἀπ᾿ καὶ ἀπ᾿ ἐμοῦ θρήνων τύχῃ.

ΟΡ. αὐτὸς σὺ βάσταζ᾽· οὐκ ἐμὸν τόδ', ἀλλὰ σόν, τὸ ταῦθ᾽ ὁρᾶν τε καὶ προσηγορεῖν φίλως φίλος φίλως.

ΑΙ. ἀλλ᾽ εὐ παραινεῖς, κἀπιπείσομαι· σὺ δέ, 1470 εἴ που κατ᾿ οἰκόν μοι Κλυταιμνήστρα, κάλει.

ΟΡ. αὕτη πέλας σοῦ μηκέτ᾽ ἄλλοσε σκόπει.

ΑΙ. οἴμοι, τί λεύσσω;

OP. τίνα φοβεῖ; τίν ἀγνοεῖς;

ΑΙ. τίνων ποτ᾽ ἀνδρῶν ἐν μέσοις ἀρκυστάτοις πέπτωχ᾽ ὁ τλήμων ; 1475

OP. οὐ γὰρ αἰσθάνει πάλαι ζῶν τοῖς θανοῦσιν οἵνεκ᾿ ἀνταυδᾷς ἴσα;

ΑΙ. οἴμοι, ξυνῆκα τοὔπος, οὐ γὰρ ἔσθ᾽ ὅπως ὅδ᾽ οὐκ Ὀρέστης ἔσθ᾽ ὁ προσφωνῶν ἐμέ.

ΟΡ. καὶ μάντις ὢν ἄριστος ἐσφάλλου ἐσφάλου ἐσφάλλου πάλαι; 1480

ΑΙ. ὄλωλα δὴ δείλαιος. ἀλλά μοι πάρες κἂν σμικρὸν κἂν ἐπιμικρὸν κἂν σμικρὸν κἂν ἐπὶ μικρὸν εἰπεῖν.

ΗΛ. μὴ πέρα λέγειν ἔα πρὸς θεῶν, ἀδελφέ, μηδὲ μηκύνειν λόγους.

ΟΡ.

χωροῖς ἂν εἴσω σὺν τάχει· λόγων γὰρ οὐ νῦν ἐστιν ἁγών ἀγὼν, ἀλλὰ σῆς ψυχῆς πέρι.

ΑΙ. τί δ᾽ ἐς δόμους ἄγεις με; πῶς, τόδ᾽ εἰ καλὸν τοὔργον, σκότου δεῖ, κοὐ πρόχειρος εἶ κτανεῖν ;

ΟΡ. μὴ τάσσε· χώρει δ᾽ ἔνθαπερ κατέκτανες 1495 πατέρα τὸν ἀμόν, ὡς ἂν om. ἐν ταὐτῷ θάνῃς.

ΑΙ. ἢ πᾶσ᾽ ἀνάγκη τήνδε τὴν στέγην ἰδεῖν τά τ᾿ ὄντα καὶ μέλλοντα Πελοπιδῶν κακά;

ΟΡ. τὰ γοῦν σ᾽ τὰ γ' οὖν .. τὰ γ᾽ οὖν σ' τὰ γ᾽ οὖν σά τὰ γοῦν σὰ γὰρ· ἐγώ σοι μάντις εἰμὶ τῶνδ᾽ ἄκρος.

ΑΙ. ἀλλ᾽ οὐ πατρώαν τὴν τέχνην ἐκόμπασας. 1500

ΟΡ. πόλλ᾽ ἀντιφωνεῖς, ἡ δ᾽ ὁδὸς βραδύνεται. ἀλλ᾽ ἕρφ᾽ ἕρπε ἔρφ'.

ΑΙ. ὑφηγοῦ.

OP. σοὶ βαδιστέον πάρος.

ΑΙ. ἢ μὴ φύγω σε;

ΧΟ.

Ἠλέκτρα ἔξοιδα· πῶς γὰρ οὐχί; συμφορᾶς γὰρ ἂν ἔξωθεν εἴην τῶν ἐμῶν τῆς φιλτάτης.

Αἴγισθος ποῦ δῆτʼ ἂν εἶεν οἱ ξένοι; δίδασκέ με. 1450

Ἠλέκτρα ἔνδον· φίλης γὰρ προξένου κατήνυσαν.

Αἴγισθος ἦ καὶ θανόντʼ ἤγγειλαν ὡς ἐτητύμως;

Ἠλέκτρα οὔκ, ἀλλὰ κἀπέδειξαν, οὐ λόγῳ μόνον.

Αἴγισθος πάρεστʼ ἄρʼ ἡμῖν ὥστε κἀμφανῆ μαθεῖν;

Ἠλέκτρα πάρεστι δῆτα, καὶ μάλʼ ἄζηλος θέα. 1455

Αἴγισθος ἦ πολλὰ χαίρειν μʼ εἶπας οὐκ εἰωθότως.

Ἠλέκτρα χαίροις ἄν, εἴ σοι χαρτὰ τυγχάνοι τάδε.

Ἠλέκτρα καὶ δὴ τελεῖται τἀπʼ ἐμοῦ· τῷ γὰρ χρόνῳ νοῦν ἔσχον, ὥστε συμφέρειν τοῖς κρείσσοσιν. 1465

Ὀρέστης αὐτὸς σὺ βάσταζʼ· οὐκ ἐμὸν τόδʼ, ἀλλὰ σόν, 1470 τὸ ταῦθʼ ὁρᾶν τε καὶ προσηγορεῖν φίλως.

Αἴγισθος ἀλλʼ εὖ παραινεῖς κἀπιπείσομαι· σὺ δέ, εἴ που κατʼ οἶκόν μοι Κλυταιμνήστρα, κάλει.

Ὀρέστης αὕτη πέλας σοῦ· μηκέτʼ ἄλλοσε σκόπει.

Αἴγισθος οἴμοι, τί λεύσσω; 1475

Ὀρέστης τίνα φοβεῖ; τίνʼ ἀγνοεῖς;

Αἴγισθος τίνων ποτʼ ἀνδρῶν ἐν μέσοις ἀρκυστάτοις πέπτωχʼ ὁ τλήμων;

Ὀρέστης οὐ γὰρ αἰσθάνει πάλαι ζῶντας θανοῦσιν οὕνεκʼ ἀνταυδᾷς ἴσα;

Αἴγισθος οἴμοι, ξυνῆκα τοὔπος· οὐ γὰρ ἔσθʼ ὅπως 1480 ὅδʼ οὐκ Ὀρέστης ἔσθʼ ὁ προσφωνῶν ἐμέ.

Ὀρέστης καὶ μάντις ὢν ἄριστος ἐσφάλλου πάλαι.

Αἴγισθος ὄλωλα δὴ δείλαιος. ἀλλά μοι πάρες κἂν σμικρὸν εἰπεῖν.

Ὀρέστης χωροῖς ἂν εἴσω σὺν τάχει· λόγων γὰρ οὐ νῦν ἐστιν ἁγών, ἀλλὰ σῆς ψυχῆς πέρι.

Αἴγισθος τί δʼ ἐς δόμους ἄγεις με; πῶς, τόδʼ εἰ καλὸν τοὔργον, σκότου δεῖ κοὐ πρόχειρος εἶ κτανεῖν;

καὶ ΗΛ. καὶ μὴν πάρεισιν οἵδε· φοινία δὲ χεὶρ

στάζει θυηλῆς θυηλῆς Ἄρεος, οὐδ᾽ ἔχω λέγειν.

ΗΛ.

Ὀρέστα, πῶς κυρεῖτε κυρεῖ ;

OP.

τὰν δόμοισι μὲν

καλῶς, Ἀπόλλων εἰ καλῶς ἐθέσπισεν.

ΗΛ.

τέθνηκεν ἡ τάλαινα;
1425

OP.

μηκέτ᾽ ἐκφοβοῦ

μητρῷον ὥς σε λῆμ᾽ ἀτιμάσει ποτέ.

ΧΟ.

παύσασθε. λεύσσω λεύσω λεύσσω γὰρ Αἴγισθον ἐκ προδήλου.

ΗΛ.

ὦ παῖδες, οὐκ ἄψορρον;

OP.

εἰσορᾶτε ποῦ εἰσορᾶτε που εἰσορᾶτε ποῦ
1430

τὸν ἄνδρ᾽; τὸν ἄνδρ᾽ ἐφ᾽ ἡμῖν;

ΗΛ.

ἐφ᾽ ἡμῖν ΗΛ. οὗτος ἐκ προαστίου προαστείου

χωρεῖ γεγηθώς.

ΧΟ.

βᾶτε κατ᾿ ἀντιθύρων ὅσον ὅσον ὅσσον τάχιστα,

νῦν, τὰ πρὶν εὖ θέμενοι, τάδ᾽ ὡς πάλιν.

ΟΡ.

θάρσει· τελοῦμεν ᾗ νοεῖς.
1435

ΗΛ.

ἔπειγέ νυν ἔπειγε νῦν.

ΟΡ.

καὶ δὴ βέβηκα.

ΗΛ.

τἀνθάδ᾽ ἂν μέλοιτ᾽ ἐμοί.

ΧΟ.

δι ὠτὸς ἂν παῦρά γ᾽ ὡς ἠπίως νηπίωι ἠπίωσ ἐννέπειν

πρὸς ἄνδρα τόνδε συμφέροι, λαθραῖον λαθραῖο.. ὡς

ὀρούσῃ ὀροίσηι πρὸς δίκας ἀγῶνα.

ΗΛ.

ἔξοιδα· πῶς γὰρ οὐχί; συμφορᾶς γὰρ ἂν

ἔξωθεν εἴην τῶν ἐμῶν τῆς φιλτάτης τε φιλτάτων τε φιλτάτων τῆς φιλτάτης τῶν φιλτατῶν τῶν φιλτάτων.

ΑΙ.

ποῦ δῆτ᾽ ἂν εἶεν οἱ ξένοι; δίδασκέ με μήνυέ μοι δίδασκέ μοι.

ΗΛ.

ἔνδον· φίλης γὰρ προξένου κατήνυσαν.

ΑΙ.

ἢ καὶ θανόντ᾽ ἤγγειλαν ὡς ἐτητύμως;
1450

ΗΛ.

οὔκ, ἀλλὰ κἀπέδειξαν, οὐ λόγῳ μόνον.

ΑΙ.

πάρεστ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἡμῖν ὥστε κἀμφανῆ μαθεῖν;

ΗΛ.

πάρεστι δῆτα καὶ μάλ᾽ ἄζηλος θέα.

ΑΙ.

ἢ πολλὰ χαίρειν μ' εἶπας οὐκ εἰωθότως.

ΗΛ.

χαίροις ἄν, εἴ σοι χαρτὰ χαρὰ χαρτὰ τυγχάνοι τυγχάνει τάδε.
1455

ΗΛ.

καὶ δὴ τελεῖται τἀπ᾿ ἐμοῦ· τῷ γὰρ χρόνῳ χονω

νοῦν ἔσχον, ὥστε συμφέρειν τοῖς κρείσσοσιν.

ΟΡ.

αὐτὸς σὺ βάσταζ᾽· οὐκ ἐμὸν τόδ', ἀλλὰ σόν,

τὸ ταῦθ᾽ ὁρᾶν τε καὶ προσηγορεῖν φίλως φίλος φίλως.

ΑΙ.

ἀλλ᾽ εὐ παραινεῖς, κἀπιπείσομαι· σὺ δέ,
1470

εἴ που κατ᾿ οἰκόν μοι Κλυταιμνήστρα, κάλει.

ΟΡ.

αὕτη πέλας σοῦ μηκέτ᾽ ἄλλοσε σκόπει.

ΑΙ.

οἴμοι, τί λεύσσω;

OP.

τίνα φοβεῖ; τίν ἀγνοεῖς;

ΑΙ.

τίνων ποτ᾽ ἀνδρῶν ἐν μέσοις ἀρκυστάτοις

πέπτωχ᾽ ὁ τλήμων ;
1475

OP.

οὐ γὰρ αἰσθάνει πάλαι

ζῶν τοῖς θανοῦσιν οἵνεκ᾿ ἀνταυδᾷς ἴσα;

ΑΙ.

οἴμοι, ξυνῆκα τοὔπος, οὐ γὰρ ἔσθ᾽ ὅπως

ὅδ᾽ οὐκ Ὀρέστης ἔσθ᾽ ὁ προσφωνῶν ἐμέ.

ΟΡ.

καὶ μάντις ὢν ἄριστος ἐσφάλλου ἐσφάλου ἐσφάλλου πάλαι;
1480

ΑΙ.

ὄλωλα δὴ δείλαιος. ἀλλά μοι πάρες

κἂν σμικρὸν κἂν ἐπιμικρὸν κἂν σμικρὸν κἂν ἐπὶ μικρὸν εἰπεῖν.

ΗΛ.

μὴ πέρα λέγειν ἔα

πρὸς θεῶν, ἀδελφέ, μηδὲ μηκύνειν λόγους.

χωροῖς ἂν εἴσω σὺν τάχει· λόγων γὰρ οὐ

νῦν ἐστιν ἁγών ἀγὼν, ἀλλὰ σῆς ψυχῆς πέρι.

ΑΙ.

τί δ᾽ ἐς δόμους ἄγεις με; πῶς, τόδ᾽ εἰ καλὸν

τοὔργον, σκότου δεῖ, κοὐ πρόχειρος εἶ κτανεῖν ;

ΟΡ.

μὴ τάσσε· χώρει δ᾽ ἔνθαπερ κατέκτανες
1495

πατέρα τὸν ἀμόν, ὡς ἂν om. ἐν ταὐτῷ θάνῃς.

ΑΙ.

ἢ πᾶσ᾽ ἀνάγκη τήνδε τὴν στέγην ἰδεῖν

τά τ᾿ ὄντα καὶ μέλλοντα Πελοπιδῶν κακά;

ΟΡ.

τὰ γοῦν σ᾽ τὰ γ' οὖν .. τὰ γ᾽ οὖν σ' τὰ γ᾽ οὖν σά τὰ γοῦν σὰ γὰρ· ἐγώ σοι μάντις εἰμὶ τῶνδ᾽ ἄκρος.

ΑΙ.

ἀλλ᾽ οὐ πατρώαν τὴν τέχνην ἐκόμπασας.
1500

ΟΡ.

πόλλ᾽ ἀντιφωνεῖς, ἡ δ᾽ ὁδὸς βραδύνεται.

ἀλλ᾽ ἕρφ᾽ ἕρπε ἔρφ'.

ΑΙ.

ὑφηγοῦ.

OP.

σοὶ βαδιστέον πάρος.

ΑΙ.

ἢ μὴ φύγω σε;

Ἠλέκτρα

ἔξοιδα· πῶς γὰρ οὐχί; συμφορᾶς γὰρ ἂν

ἔξωθεν εἴην τῶν ἐμῶν τῆς φιλτάτης.

Αἴγισθος

ποῦ δῆτʼ ἂν εἶεν οἱ ξένοι; δίδασκέ με.
1450

Ἠλέκτρα

ἔνδον· φίλης γὰρ προξένου κατήνυσαν.

Αἴγισθος

ἦ καὶ θανόντʼ ἤγγειλαν ὡς ἐτητύμως;

Ἠλέκτρα

οὔκ, ἀλλὰ κἀπέδειξαν, οὐ λόγῳ μόνον.

Αἴγισθος

πάρεστʼ ἄρʼ ἡμῖν ὥστε κἀμφανῆ μαθεῖν;

Ἠλέκτρα

πάρεστι δῆτα, καὶ μάλʼ ἄζηλος θέα.
1455

Αἴγισθος

ἦ πολλὰ χαίρειν μʼ εἶπας οὐκ εἰωθότως.

Ἠλέκτρα

χαίροις ἄν, εἴ σοι χαρτὰ τυγχάνοι τάδε.

Ἠλέκτρα

καὶ δὴ τελεῖται τἀπʼ ἐμοῦ· τῷ γὰρ χρόνῳ

νοῦν ἔσχον, ὥστε συμφέρειν τοῖς κρείσσοσιν.
1465

Ὀρέστης

αὐτὸς σὺ βάσταζʼ· οὐκ ἐμὸν τόδʼ, ἀλλὰ σόν,
1470

τὸ ταῦθʼ ὁρᾶν τε καὶ προσηγορεῖν φίλως.

Αἴγισθος

ἀλλʼ εὖ παραινεῖς κἀπιπείσομαι· σὺ δέ,

εἴ που κατʼ οἶκόν μοι Κλυταιμνήστρα, κάλει.

Ὀρέστης

αὕτη πέλας σοῦ· μηκέτʼ ἄλλοσε σκόπει.

Αἴγισθος

οἴμοι, τί λεύσσω;
1475

Ὀρέστης

τίνα φοβεῖ; τίνʼ ἀγνοεῖς;

Αἴγισθος

τίνων ποτʼ ἀνδρῶν ἐν μέσοις ἀρκυστάτοις πέπτωχʼ ὁ τλήμων;

Ὀρέστης

οὐ γὰρ αἰσθάνει πάλαι

ζῶντας θανοῦσιν οὕνεκʼ ἀνταυδᾷς ἴσα;

Αἴγισθος

οἴμοι, ξυνῆκα τοὔπος· οὐ γὰρ ἔσθʼ ὅπως
1480

ὅδʼ οὐκ Ὀρέστης ἔσθʼ ὁ προσφωνῶν ἐμέ.

Ὀρέστης

καὶ μάντις ὢν ἄριστος ἐσφάλλου πάλαι.

Αἴγισθος

ὄλωλα δὴ δείλαιος. ἀλλά μοι πάρες

κἂν σμικρὸν εἰπεῖν.

Ὀρέστης

χωροῖς ἂν εἴσω σὺν τάχει· λόγων γὰρ οὐ

νῦν ἐστιν ἁγών, ἀλλὰ σῆς ψυχῆς πέρι.

Αἴγισθος

τί δʼ ἐς δόμους ἄγεις με; πῶς, τόδʼ εἰ καλὸν

τοὔργον, σκότου δεῖ κοὐ πρόχειρος εἶ κτανεῖν;

Ὀρέστης

μὴ τάσσε· χώρει δʼ ἔνθαπερ κατέκτανες
1495

πατέρα τὸν ἀμόν, ὡς ἂν ἐν ταὐτῷ θάνῃς.

Αἴγισθος

ἦ πᾶσʼ ἀνάγκη τήνδε τὴν στέγην ἰδεῖν

τά τʼ ὄντα καὶ μέλλοντα Πελοπιδῶν κακά;

Ὀρέστης

τὰ γοῦν σʼ· ἐγώ σοι μάντις εἰμὶ τῶνδʼ ἄκρος.

Αἴγισθος

ἀλλʼ οὐ πατρῴαν τὴν τέχνην ἐκόμπασας.
1500

Ὀρέστης

πόλλʼ ἀντιφωνεῖς, ἡ δʼ ὁδὸς βραδύνεται.

ἀλλʼ ἕρφʼ.

Αἴγισθος

ὑφηγοῦ.

Ὀρέστης

σοὶ βαδιστέον πάρος.

Αἴγισθος

ἦ μὴ φύγω σε;

Χορός

ὦ σπέρμʼ Ἀτρέως, ὡς πολλὰ παθὸν

διʼ ἐλευθερίας μόλις ἐξῆλθες

τῇ νῦν ὁρμῇ τελεωθέν.
1510

His red hand dripping as he moves

With drops of sacrifice the War-god loves.

My ’wildered heart is dumb.

EL

How is it with you, brother?

OR

If Apollo

Spake rightfully, the state within is well.