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U.C. CLASSICS LIBRARY

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CLASSICS

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AGAMEMNON
OF

AESCHYLUS

CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS

ILonHon:
C. F.

FETTER LANE,
CLAY, Manager

E.G.

FUinburgf):

loo,

Bttlin:
ILeipjig:
l^etu gorfe:

A.
F.

PRINCES STREET ASHER AND CO. A. BROCKHAUS

G. P.

PUTNAM'S SONS
CO., Ltd.

JSombaB

anl) ralculta:

MACMILLAN AND

All rights reserved

AGAMEMNON
OF

AESCHYLUS
WITH VERSE TRANSLATION, INTRODUCTION AND NOTES

BY

WALTER HEADLAM,

Litt.D.

LATE FELLOW AND LECTURER OF KINg's COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE

EDITED BY
A. C.

PEARSON, M.A.

Cambridge
at

the

University"

Press

1910

U.C. CLASSICS

LIBRARY

PRINTED BY JOHN CLAY, M.A.

AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS

Crfc*^

iept.

"

am honoured and

gratified

by your
of

proposal to dedicate to
the

me

your version

Agamemnon.

regard the Oresteia as

probably on the whole the greatest spiritual

work of man."
Extract from a
letter to

Walter Headlam from A.

C.

Swinburne.

October 2nd, 1900.

30103^

EDITOR'S PREFACE
the time of his death in 1908

Dr Walter Headlam had been

to prepare an edition of

l\
the
Press.

for

some years under engagement

for the

Agamemnon

Syndics of the Cambridge University Unfortunately he was not able to complete it but the
;

Syndics were nevertheless desirous that a book the preparation of which had engrossed long periods of enthusiastic labour, should
if

possible be published.

end in view the existing material was entrusted to me to be sifted and arranged for the Press. The various parts of the work proved on investigation to be in different stages of progress for, whereas the Introduction and Verse Translation were nearly complete, and had undergone considerable revision at the hands of their author, the recension of the text had not been carried through, there were no critical notes, and the commentary only existed in fragments. The deficiencies were however less serious than might appear from this statement. Dr Headlam had devoted himself for twenty years to the study of Aeschylus he had ransacked the whole of the extant Greek literature in order to equip himself for the task of emending, he had explaining, and illustrating his favourite author
this
; ;
;

With

published

from

time to time

in

the

philological

periodicals

which the text of the Agamemnon presents and, when repeatedly working through the play, he had collected in note-books and in the margins of his printed copies abundant stores of evidence, which though
critical studies

on most of the
;

difficulties

not in their
clusions he
I

final

shape were available

in

support of the con-

had reached. must now endeavour

far as
it

briefly to explain

how

have dealt

with this material.

So

went, the Introduction was finished, with the

exception of the opening pages; but there can be no doubt that

viii

EDITOR'S PREFACE
on the textual criticism of the play

at least a section bearing

would have been added. In order to make the critical notes intelligible, I have added a short account of the most important MSS., taken principally from Wecklein. The Verse Translation had undergone constant revision, as will be apparent from a comparison of such extracts as have appeared in the occasional contributions with the complete text as now printed. The author was a severe critic of his own productions, and finality was not easily reached. The manuscript bears many indications that the text had not been definitely settled and I have sometimes been compelled to choose between alternatives, neither of which was considered entirely satisfactory. The number of cases where the addition of a word or words was necessary
;

is

fortunately so small as to be negligible.

In constituting the text
I

have been guided mainly by the

interleaved

evidence

contained

Aeschylus (1885).

be the basis of

his

copy of Wecklein's This book was intended by Dr Headlam to own recension, and here he was accustomed
in

an

to enter such textual corrections as he considered final.

Further

assistance has been derived from the notes to the prose translation written for Messrs Bell's Classical Translations

(London,

1904),

in

which he professed to record such of the readings

In the
i^vi

adopted as were likely to be unfamiliar.

these notes conflicted with the
'

cases where

final

'

Wecklein, the testimony

There remained a number of passages where the editor had not made up his mind on the reading to be printed; but in most of these either the translation, verse or prose, or the notes show what he considered to be probable, and the actually doubtful points are both few and
of the latter was taken as conclusive.

unimportant.

have added below the page a brief record of the MS. evidence, wherever the text departs from it. For the most part this is taken from Wecklein's apparatus, whose authority I have generally followed in attributing to their authors such conjectures as it was necessary or

For the convenience of readers

desirable to mention.

The
(i)

material available for the

commentary was

as follows

note-books and loose sheets containing notes

in

course of

EDITOR'S PREFACE
and references written in the margin of printed copies of the play, the most important of which were in the interleaved copy of Wecklein already mentioned (3) printed contributions to the Classical Reviezv and Journal of Philology, and the notes to the prose translation. Dr Headlam had planned his commentary on an elaborate scale, seeking by illustrations drawn from every age of Greek literature to rest his criticism and interpretation upon the secure foundation of established usage. The complete design was never realised the written notes which remain are intermittent and generally incomplete, and so far as they exist cover only a small portion of the text.
preparation
;

(2) notes

On
in a

the other hand,

many

of the notes previously published

required modification before they could be suitably incorporated

commentary
it

and many others being superseded by

In spite of these

later
diffi-

views had ceased to be of importance.

culties,

was thought better not to miss the opportunity of collecting the permanent results of Dr Headlam's criticism on the Agamenmon and it is hoped that the new matter will be welcomed by those who are already familiar with his published work. It must be understood that, though in many instances I am responsible for the outward form which the note has ultimately assumed, the substance is in every case taken from one or more No attempt has been made to of the sources indicated above. work up rough material unless the design of the author in collecting it was established beyond reasonable doubt. Those who have endeavoured to sift numbers of references not always easy to find with the object of discovering the clue which holds the secret of their connexion will realise that the task I have undertaken is not without difficulty. I can only say that I have acted according to the best of my judgment, and if the result is to preserve for students some valuable fruits of the labours of one who has illuminated so many dark places in Greek poetry, I shall be more than satisfied. In the few cases where I have made additions to the notes I have distinguished them by square
;

brackets

For the principles by which the translator was guided in composing his version readers must be referred to the Preface to the Book of Greek Verse (Cambridge University Press, 1907)

; ;

EDITOR'S PREFACE
but
I

am

permitted

to
J.

letter written to

Miss

quote the following extract from a E. Harrison on Feb. 3rd, 1903, which
of the

has a peculiar interest as referring to the translation

Agameimion
seemed to me to require the large language of the dramatists and Milton (without the slang of the dramatists)... The trouble comes with the Lyrics. They had to be in the same language to harmonise with the rest. That limits you very much in metre you must forgo in the first place anapaestic rhythm. And whatever metre you use, there is one condition that prevents them ever being done to satisfaction. In the Greek they were the words written for music, to be sung English unand in English there is nothing corresponds. happily is not a singing language, as Italian is, or German and the moment you try to write in English what is singable which is hard in itself you get for our ears too much tune. English 'lyrics' such as Shelley wrote are capable of the loveliest and subtlest effects, but they are effects for reading; and the lovelier and subtler they are, the less they can be sung." I desire to thank the proprietors of the Classical Review and
"

The blank

verse

of the Journal of Philology for permission to

make

use of the

various

which have appeared in those periodicals Messrs George Bell and Sons for a similar liberty in respect of the notes to the prose translation Mr J. T. Sheppard, who not only lent me a series of notes taken in 1904, when he was
articles
;

reading the play with

of the proof-sheets
;

Dr Headlam, but

also looked over

some

Mr

H. H.

Sills

for

sending

me

several

Lecture-Room papers containing passages from the Aganieinnon\ and Mr L. W. Haward for information on sundry points of detail.
A. C. P.

23 Jtily

19 10.

CONTENTS
PAGES

Introduction

138
39175
176262

Text and Translation

Notes
Indexes

263266

ERRATUM
note on
1.

p.

1,

76

fi.

for

-^ -^
read

INTRODUCTION.
THE
Atreus
banished
his

STORY.
in

son of Pelops son of Tantalus, reigning

brother Thyestes,
his
rule.
life

Argos,
wife

who had corrupted

his

Aerope and disputed

that he might suffer a

the guise of a suppliant, his

Thyestes returned in was spared by Atreus but only

When

more horrible injury. Pretending to celebrate his home-coming by a special feast, Atreus slew and served up to him his two young children. The father, misled for the moment, with a cry of agony kicked over the table and
uttered a curse
'

that so might perish

all

the race of Pleisthenes.'

He was

afterwards banished a second time together with his

third son Aegisthus, then a

mere

infant*.

Of Atreus we hear no more, but he was succeeded on the throne by Agamemnon and Menelaus, who ruled conjointly in Argos. The two brothers married two sisters, Clytaemnestra
and Helen the daughters of Tyndareus and Leda. In the course of their reign they were visited by Paris or Alexander, son of King Priam, of the famous and opulent town of Troy, whom they hospitably entertained. He repaid their kindness by seducing Helen, the wife of Menelaus, and carrying her off with a quantity of treasure on board his ship to Troy, leaving the husband disconsolate and speechless^

Agamemnon,
vessels to

against the wish of his oldest advisers, espoused

his brother's quarrel,

and assembled a vast fleet of a thousand The male avenge the rape and recover Helen.

population of Argos, except those too old for military service

and those too young, embarked on the enterprise. The government was left in the hands of Clytaemnestra assisted by a body At the moment of setting out of elders who remained behind^
^

vv.

1583 1606.
^

vv.
2,

4244, 40928, 5379

790

^^^'

vv. 72

82,

270

5, etc.

H. A.

INTRODUCTION

the attitude

Two

eagles

Heaven was declared by a significant omen. differently marked were observed preying together
of

on a pregnant hare. From this omen the prophet Calchas drew a twofold conclusion partly favourable, partly the reverse. Recognising in the two birds the two kings different in nature but now unanimous for war, he foretold from their action that Troy should one day fall and her gathered riches be despoiled. But as the fate of the hare and her unborn young must of
necessity be
creatures, he

displeasing to

Artemis, the protectress of such

at her

saw reason

to dread the displeasure of the goddess

against the

army when assembled

own

port of Aulis\

which had been assigned as the point of departure for the fleet. Then, taking leave of the sign, in language vague but ominous, he deprecated the occurrence of a storm which must lead to a monstrous sacrifice, breeding enmity between a husband and a wife, and entailing vengeance for a child-. As the prophet had feared, so it fell out. The fleet was detained by foul weather at Aulis; the ships began to go to pieces; provisions were running short; and every resource Agamemnon himself suggested by the diviners proved vain. was impatient under these trials and would perhaps have seized the excuse for abandoning his design, leaving it to Heaven to
punish the seducer of his brother's wife. Before taking this step, however, he was informed of a remedy which would prove
efficacious.

This was nothing

less

than the sacrifice of his

daughter Iphigeneia to Artemis.

sacrifice

The

cruel alternative

own now lay

before him, either of killing his child, or of refusing a personal

on behalf of the
a

allies

part

in

personal

quarrel.

he had summoned to take After weighing the motives on

whom

head got the better of his heart. In a moment of moral obliquity he consented to the sacrifice, and the fleet sailed. Ten years of labour and privation awaited him at Troy. The allies, for whose sake he had resigned so
either side, his calculating

much, proved half-hearted

in the end.

By

the loss of

life

abroad,

he forfeited the sympathy of all but a scanty remnant of those who had been left behind. He made of his wife a concealed
but implacable enemy; and he gave his bitterest foe the chance
^

See Fausan.

ix.

i<;,

8.

vv. 113

63.

THE STORY
to cut
rival

him

off in the very

hour of

his

triumph over

his -reat

of the East\
sailed with the sailing

For there was one person who had not

of the
fleet.

Aegisthus-, son of Thyestes, had grown up in exile, nursing projects of revenge, and not forgetful of his unhappy

In the absence of the kings and their force, he found means of access to Clytaemnestra, herself
father's claim to the

crown.

burning to revenge the death of her daughter Iphigeneia. He obtained her love, and (more fortunate than his father) might
enjoy
it

in peace, together

with the

reality, if

not the semblance,

of power in Argos.

enough was known king to shake their heads and hold their peace. Orestes, the lawful heir to the throne, was sent away to be brought up by
Strophius of Phocis, a friend of the family^

adultery was not openly avowed; but for those who remained faithful to the absent

The

This state of things could only

last so

long as

Agamemnon

was abroad; and accordingly the guilty pair took measures to provide against the day of his return. It had been arranged between the king and his consort that the fall of Troy should be communicated by a series of beacons extending from mount Ida in the Troad to mount Arachnaeus in the neighbourhood of Argos; and a watchman had been stationed to look out for This appointment, no the signal for a year before the city fell. doubt innocently devised to communicate the important event as soon as possible, resulted in giving the conspirators ample warning of the king's approach. Aegisthus had got together a body of troops, either companions of his exile or drawn from the disaffected generation which had by this time grown up at Argos. He now arranged that, on the king's arrival, the cunning and capable queen should receive her husband with all appearance of affection, should conduct him to the bath previous to the usual sacrifice, should there drop the valance or canopy over him, and
194233, 45264, 560-71, 82933, etc. of the part played by Aegisthus, in the version of the story which Aeschyhis followed, was first emphasised by Dr Verrall, to whom here, as elsewhere, I am much indebted. While I cannot agree with Dr Verrall (as will be
1

vv.

The importance

seen later) about the precise nature of Aegisthus' plot, I think

that a plot of
3

it

clear

from

v.

1609

vv.

some considerable kind is presupposed. 5535. 8712, 1585, 1608, 16257, etc.

INTR

despatch him thus entangled; while he himself, being precluded from appearing in public, should lurk in the vicinity, and, upon
a signal of Clytaemnestra's action in the palace^ should overpower with his partisans the following of the king, and join hands

with his accomplice before the royal castle. From this stronghold he meant to govern Argos with absolute power, bribing some

and coercing others. In the event the plan was much simplified by the fact that Agamemnon's fleet was utterly dispersed by a storm on the way home, so that the conqueror of Troy landed with the crew of a single ship, and fell an easy victiml The return of the king, his murder by Clytaemnestra, and the
usurpation of Aegisthus, form the subject of the

Agamemnon.

THE DRAMA.
This action, of which the preliminaries (so far as they are stated or seen to be implied in the play itself) have been narrated above, is disposed by the poet into four broad chapters.

The

first is

taken up with the announcement of the

fall

of Troy;

the second with the return of the king; the third with his murder; the fourth with the immediate sequel of the murder.
the
first

Each of

three divisions

is

subdivided, on a rough principle of

symmetry, into two parts. The reception of the news from Troy precedes by a considerable interval its public declaration at the entrance of Agamemnon's herald precedes the Argos entrance of the king himself; and the prediction of his murder by the prophetess Cassandra (whom he brings in his train) The precedes, by a very short interval, its actual execution. last division likevise falls into two parts, the first of which consists of Clytaemnestra's open justification of her act, and the second of Aegisthus' exposition of his conspiracy; the whole accompanied by recriminations between each of these persons and the body of faithful elders who compose the Chorus of the
;

play.

We

will

now

trace the course of the action

down

to the

entrance of the herald, at which point a question of some

importance

arises.
1

This detail
vv.

is

doubtful, but see v. 1354.

3278, 666

8,

163640, 1650,

etc.

THE DRAMA
The
night.

scene, which

is
is

laid before the royal palace,

opens at
explains

watchman
is

discerned

on the

roof.

He

that his business

to look out for the beacon, complains of his

hardships, utters a few dark hints about the state of affairs within,

and expresses a forlorn wish for the conclusion of While the word is yet in his mouth, the fire appears.
it

his watch.

He

greets

with a cry of joy, raises a shout to apprise Clytaemnestra,

(i

executes a dance, adds a few more hints of a dubious nature,

and disappears

39).
all

By

the queen's orders offerings are despatched to

the

neighbouring shrines, and flames arise through the darkness. A group of elders, ignorant of the news, assembles to inquire
the reason.

In despondent tones they observe that the kings

army have been absent at Troy for close on ten years, They comment on their own yet the war still continues. The queen feebleness, which caused them to be left behind.
and
their

enters to kindle the altars near the palace,

her in

and they question For the present the hope of some comforting news.
off,

she does not answer, but goes

apparently to complete the

ceremony by leading the

later (40

sacrificial

chant to which she alludes

103).
left

The
of good

Chorus,

alone, relate the

its

omen which attended

the

departure of the kings,

exposition by Calchas, his prophecy

and yet of further evil. Then, after a preface justifying the ways of Zeus to men, they proceed to the sacrifice The father's tears, hesitation and eventual subof Iphigeneia.

and

evil,

mission are depicted.

The

sacrifice itself is partly described

but they stop short of the fatal stroke, and pray that the good foretold by Calchas may now come about, as then the evil,
dismissing his prediction of further evil as so
sorrow.
269).

much premature

On

this note of uncertainty the

ode concludes (104

The

night

is

far

spent,

when the queen reappears and

announces the

fall

of Troy.

The

elders, with

tears

in

their

eyes, question her as to the proof

and period of the capture.

Pointing to the dawn, which ushers in her glad news, she informs them that it occurred in the night just past. They ask how she could learn so quickly, and in reply she narrates the transmission

INTR OD UC TION
hill

of the fiery signal from

of successive beacons.

to

hill,

over sea and plain, by means

rapid narrative the

At the end of her

it

elders invite her to repeat

for their fuller

comprehension.
fact,

She

and goes on to draw a picture of the captured city, with its medley of victors and vanquished; deprecates any wanton sacrilege on the part
contents herself with restating the chief
of the former,

who have

still

to get

home

with the blood of the

hands; and concludes by excusing her fears as natural to a woman, and praying that all may be well in no doubtful sense. The elders, having had leisure to reflect during

dead upon

their

this speech, accept her evidence as certain,

and turn to praise

his

Heaven for its mercy (270 366). They begin by celebrating the power of Zeus, and
unerring chastisement of
guilt,

as seen in the case of Paris.

This judgment refutes the saying that Heaven is indifferent to human sin, a doctrine traceable to the temper engendered

by a sudden plethora of
harm.
It

riches.

Wealth without righteousness

insures a man's ruin, his children's ruin, his nation's irreparable

brings

him

to a bloody end, unregarded of

God

or

man.

The crime

of Paris, the flight of Helen, the desolation

described in verses famous for

of the Argive home, are then

their tender beauty.

divine justice,

But instead of reverting to the theme of the Chorus passes, by an easy but remarkable
Argos, caused by the death

transition, to the general grief at

of kinsmen at Troy.

The

private quarrel of the Atridae has

made them

hateful at home.

they have slain many; the

They may have conquered, but gods take note of that. They may

have won great glory; let not their hearts be lifted up, or Zeus will blast them. A middle station between conquest and captivity is the b^st. The tone of triumph with which the

ode began has relapsed into one of dark foreboding.

very close they
call in

At

the

question the truth of the fiery message

sing.

which prompted them to to this effect the music

With a

short lyric colloquy

In the next scene away. Agamemnon's herald is observed approaching (367 507)Here, then, we must pause to touch on a matter which has caused some discussion in recent times. An ancient commentator remarks: 'Some find fault with the poet that he represents the
dies

THE DRAMA

Greeks as returning from Troy on the same day^' A modern commentator, Mr Sidgwick, remarks'-: Observe that the herald arrives from Troy, announcing the return of Agamemnon,

on the morning after the Such violations of possibility were held quite allowable capture. by the licence of dramatic poetry,' Dr Verrall, justly objecting that neither the theory nor the practice of the Athenian drama bears out the last assertion, founds on this apparent discrepancy
immediately after the beacon
fires,

of times a

new

interpretation of the play.

On

a certain night In the course

a fiery signal announces the capture of Troy.

of the next morning the victorious king arrives, after having

demolished Troy and traversed the whole length of the Aegaean One or other of these statements must be false. But, as Sea.
it

is

certain that the king does arrive in the latter part of the
it

play, while

is

equally certain that a fiery signal

it

is

received

in the first part,

would seem to follow that

it

this signal

cannot

announce the capture of Troy.

to the close of the play
is

From the entrance of Agamemnon never mentioned. The story told

by Clytaemnestra, of the chain of beacons extending from Ida to Arachnaeus, is improbable in itself; still more so if, as we learn later, a violent storm was raging in the Aegaean at the time of transmission. What, then, was the meaning of the signal ? According to Dr Verrall, there was but one beacon altogether, and it was kindled on Arachnaeus by the conspirator Aegisthus, who there kept watch for the return of the king; and it \vas intended to warn Clytaemnestra in the city, and his adherents elsewhere, of Agamemnon's approach, that all their plans might
be ready for the murder of the king and the seizure of the citadel watchman had been set on which commanded the country.

the palace roof to look out for

its

appearance.

To avoid suspicion,

the loyal servants of the house; to account for his task, he was told that a beacon was expected,

he was chosen from

among

"
1

announcing his master's success at Troy; and silence were secured by threats and bribes.' Agamemnon's return, when the signal was
Schol. V. 509 Tic^s
iJKOVTas.

'his vigilance

and

On
(

the night of

fired,

the queen,

..<.

Tpoias

Note

to V. 504 (509)

INTR on UCTION
and informed them that Troy had
inevitable

desirous to secure the persons of her principal opponents, sent

for the elders to the palace,
fallen

that very night.

In reply to their

question

as to the receipt of the news, she swept

them

off their legs with

a graphic but fictitious narrative of the transmission of the light

from Troy to Argos. Left to themselves, the elders naturally began to entertain doubts as to the truth of the story, when Agamemnon's herald appeared, confirming indeed the fall of
Troy, but, by the very
relation to be false.
fact of his arrival,

showing the queen's

By

a train of accidents, however, the elders

allowed the herald to depart without advising him of their

suspicions.

Meanwhile the
is

plot

grew

ripe for execution,

and

was subsequently carried

Such, in brief outline,

out.

Dr

Verrall's account of the story,

which Aeschylus undertook to illustrate. By reducing the circuit of the action it does at least avoid the absurdity of supposing that events which must necessarily take several days happen within the course of a few hours. Although it is itself open to several objections of detail, chief among which is the astounding falsehood in which the
familiar at Athens,

presumed as

queen involves
of Troy,
objection
blind and
I
is

herself,

without apparent necessity, by choosing

of the capture

to impart to the elders her secret information

do not propose to follow these out. A graver that, by making the business of the watchman a
the
plurality
is

of the

beacons imaginary, the

first

part of the play

transaction,

reduced from a substantial to a factitious

and the massive structure 'of the drama, \vith its three broad chapters of the announcement, the return, and the
murder, seriously undermined.
which, in
I
it

will therefore state

the reasons

my

opinit)n,

make

needless to resort to this

new

interpretation.
It
is

buttressed

by various arguments, but

is
it
if,

assumption that the time of the action

to finish; or rather, that
is

on the continuous from start

it

rests

contained 'within the early hours

in

of one morning.'
signal purports to

Now,

in the first part of the play, a fiery

if,

announce the capture of Troy; and

is

the

second part, the destroyer of Ilion himself appears, the

first

and

most natural supposition

that the

events of the

play are

THE DRAMA

not closely consecutive in time, but are divided by an interval Is there anything in the sufficient to permit of this happening.

play which absolutely forbids such a supposition?

assert that there
is

venture to

nothing at

all;

that there

is

not a single

circumstance which compels us to suppose that the events which follow v. 493 occur on the same day, or within the same week,
as those which precede;

that the criticism mentioned

by the

commentator is unfounded; that Mr Sidgwick's observation and that Dr Verrall has taken hold of the falls to the ground wrong limb of the difficulty. Instead of inferring that the beacon cannot announce the capture of Troy, we ought to infer that the
old
;

king does not arrive in the course of the next morning. How this interval was conveyed to the audience, we can only guess;
but Blomfield's suggestion
is

probable, that the Chorus leaves

v.

the theatre for a short space after

493.

On what arguments does the supposed circumscription of the time depend? Dr Verrall says, 'Language could not be
which we are told that the herald arrives while the queen's announcement of the beacon-message is passing from lip to lip.' This is quite true; but it would be a nine days' wonder, if not more. While the report of the great event was
clearer than that in
still

unconfirmed, nothing else would be talked about at Argos.

surprising, then, that the topic of discourse

on either side of v. 493 is the same? And is it anything but the mere sequence of verses in the page, which prevents our imagining the requisite The break is interval of time between that verse and the next?
Is
it

not so directly patent as at E?(m. 235 and again at Bum. 566, because at both these places the scene is changed as well; but
if

the language

is

closely scanned, the fact betrays itself sufficiently.

The

elders have been discussing with one another the probability

of the fiery message being true.

continuous.

Suppose the time perfectly One of them catches sight of a herald, and expresses

himself thus:

'
elV

^ '
re

Trvpos

'

(
just the

eXdov

,.
moment

Would anyone, who had

before been keenly

INTR OD UCTION
fire,

and who now saw his chance of settling the truth at once, stop to talk about 'successions of light-bearing torches, of beacon-watches, and of fire'? He would simply say 'the fire,' It is fairly clear that an interval has elapsed, probably marked by the departure of the Chorus from the scene, and that
discussing the
this recapitulation
is

designed to

fix

the attention of the audience

on the resumption of the subject. The poetical excuse for it is no doubt, as Dr Verrall remarks, that a certain tone of contempt
is

here in place;

but this contempt

is

even more appropriate

fiery

after the lapse of

still

an interval than when the

message

is

recent.

But the herald upon entering salutes the risen sun, addresses the gods whose statues face it, observes that the king has returned bringing a light in darkness,' and narrates the fierce gale which befell the Greek fleet one night upon the sea\ The expressions are suitable to a morning hour. However, there are more mornings in the year than one, and the language would be equally pointed on any morning that the king's vessel happened
'

to arrive.

Indeed, for the expression 'a light in darkness' to

force, the herald

receive

its full

should be conceived as arriving

all

shortly after dawn.

But

if

the action

takes place on one day,

the

dawn

is

long since past^

The

greater part of one episode,

and a complete choric ode of a hundred lines, have intervened, which means much in a Greek play. If the action is continued on a different day, we can imagine the herald's entrance at whatever hour we like.

On
Dr
I

receiving the

news of the capture, the queen

is

institutes a

sacrifice.

On

the return of the king a sacrifice

also got ready.

Verrall identifies these two, or supposes the one to be the

completion of the othir, both alike occurring on the same day.

see no reason for this view.

So

far as
oil

can be determined, the

and incense, or other combustible substances, hastily made to celebrate the glad news^ The other is a grand and elaborate affair, in which sheep are to
first

appears to be an offering of

be slaughtered, prepared to express thanksgiving for the king's safe and unexpected arrival, and to provide the household with a
1

vv. 513, 524, 527, 658.

*

V.

291.

vv.

8396, 599602.

THE DRAMA
feast for the occasion \

ii

When

the herald arrives, and

is

inter-

viewed by the queen, she remarks that she made the first celebration long ago^ on receipt of the fiery message whereupon she excuses the herald from reciting the complete story,
'

',

and goes

off to

make

preparation for a second.

I

These, so far as

can discover, are the sole grounds for

asserting that the time of the

drama

is

limited to a single day,

and for ascribing to the poet either a plain absurdity or a design which does not appear on the face of the text. The Agamemnon, nor like the Eumenides, does not conform to the unity of time on reason. is there any objection to this, which is founded Aristotle tells us that Tragedy at first obeyed the circumscripManifestly not for the tion of time no more than Epic poetry. passages of action and declamation were brought into it to give and there was no relief to a choir between its separate songs reason why the subjects of the choral songs should be more restricted in their range than the incidents of Homer's epic. But with the progress of the art, when the dancing and singing element united with the speaking and acting element to embody one connected and consistent action, Tragedy endeavoured, as
' '
;

'

far as possible, to confine itself to a single revolution of the sun'.'

The

reason of this was clearly stated by Lessing.

It

It

was de-

was improbable, if the action extended over a long time, or was removed to a great distance, that the same group of persons would throughout be present as interested spectators and since the Chorus was still regarded as the foundation of the drama, a different Chorus
signed to preserve the identity of the Chorus.
;

meant a different play. But when this restriction could be eluded, a Greek dramatist had few further scruples either about identity In the Eumenides the Chorus of place or continuity of time. consists of supernatural beings, who can be present in any place therefore the time is severed and the scene is at any time In the Agamemnon the Chorus is conceived as a changed. corporate body, or council of state, who would naturally assemble
;

all

together, from time to time, in a definite place.

is

Therefore

the time

As

broken, but the scene remains unchanged. regards the further difficulty, that the story of the beacons,
1

vv.

10402.

V.

592.

Poet. 1449

12.

INTR OD UCTION

presented as a substantial occurrence, violates probability, the gravest (because the most gratuitous) part of it vanishes with the
if

separation of the events in time.

that the message

We are relieved
in

from supposing

was transmitted

the midst of a howling

For what remains, that the distances are too great, the poet himself has frankly acknowledged as much in the first word of the description^ If the reader feels, or thinks an Athenian audience would feel, that Aeschylus has taken an inexcusable liberty, it must be set down as a fault in his economy. The greater number, I am sure, will consider that he was justified in calling in a god to defend the minor probabilities, and delighting
storm.
his hearers with a splendid poetic narrative.

Lastly, in reply to the objection, that the beacons are never

once mentioned after the entrance of the king, three things may be urged. First, a dramatist cannot always advert to matters

which have gone before, especially when they have taken place long ago,' and when there are more pressing matters to be con'

sidered.

Secondly, the beacons are mentioned as a matter of

is

course in the presence of the herald-, which

sufficient

evidence
if

of good
events

faith.
all

Thirdly,

it

is

equally remarkable that,

the

supposed to happen on the same day, not a syllable should escape one of the characters after v. 493, which
are

makes

it

absolutely certain that this

is

the case.

We may
the whole.

now resume

the thread of the action from

the end of the play, after which

some remarks

will

493 to be offered on
v.

The
joy,

herald enters, and after saluting the gods in a rapture of

announces the return of the king and the utter destruction of Troy. The Chotlis, with veiled meaning, inform him that their desire for the army's return was as great as the army's desire to get home. The herald betrays some surprise at their words, but instead of pressing his inquiries, embarks on a
description of the hardships of the campaign, the sufferings of

by night and day, and ends by asserting that all is compensated by the happy issue. Clytaemnestra now appears. She remarks that the event has
the
sea,
1

army on land and

V. 293.

V.

593.

THE DRAMA
justified her belief in the

13

beacon message, but dech'nes to hear the complete account from any but her husband, to whom she
sends back the herald with a message to

come quickly and an

assurance of her unshaken

fidelity.

Before the herald departs,

the Chorus affectionately inquire after Menelaus.

The

herald,

who
is

prides himself on telling the truth, confesses that Menelaus

;

lost

at the

same

time, being a scrupulous observer of form, he

shows some reluctance to mix bad news with good, but at length avows that the Greek fleet was partly destroyed, and partly dispersed, by a terrible storm on the way home, from which the king's vessel escaped by miraculous aid. After consoling his auditors with the hope that Menelaus may yet return, he goes on his way (494 685). In the lovely ode which follows, the theme of divine justice

in

left
still

incomplete

the
is

last,

while the report of the capture was

unconfirmed,

once more resumed.

As

the former ode

dealt with the mischief

treats

wrought by Paris at Argos, the latter Her name and of the ruin brought by Helen on Troy.
city.

her action alike marked her out as the instrument of divine

She reached the foreign shore in She was safety, but a host of enemies followed in her train. received with hymns of joy; but even before the foemen came, those hymns were turned to lamentation. Peace, luxury, and in the end she proved a love were suggested by her advent Was it the prosperity of Priam which provoked this curse. judgment from Heaven ? No, but an old taint of wickedness in the race, which in the fulness of time brought forth fresh The wickedness, and with it the punishment of the whole.
vengeance against the
;

upright house

is

prosperous for ever

but Justice loves the

smoky

cottage better than the guilty palace.

Hardly have the

solemn words been uttered, when Agamemnon enters in a chariot, followed (it is said^) by another chariot containing Cassandra

Troy {6^6 773) The Chorus accost him with honest warmth, not omitting to observe the prevalence and success of more interested friendship. They had never approved of the war for Helen's sake, but they
and the
spoils of
1

In the Greek argument.

14
heartily rejoice at
its

INTRODUCTION
conclusion, and look to the king to decide

between true loyalty and false (774 800). The king begins by acknowledging his debt of gratitude to Heaven for its aid in the punishment and destruction of Troy. He proceeds to corroborate the sentiment of the Chorus from his own experience of simulated zeal. He ends by announcing his intention of taking salutary measures for the better government The queen enters, and in a long address, remarkable of Argos. alike for its poetic expression and its dramatic irony, describes
her afflictions caused by the king's absence, by the frequent

rumours of
invites

his death,

by the

fears of a popular rising.

She

hails

his return in a series of beautiful but

him

to enter.

extravagant images, and At a given word, her women spread the

king's path with purple tapestries.

this

The

king, taken aback

by
and

display, severely reproves her extravagant laudation

her extravagant action, as more suited to an eastern despot than

to one

who

entertains a proper fear of

is

God and man.

upon

After

a brief altercation, however, he

prevailed

to tread the

purple carpets, but not before he has evinced his humility by

and commending the captive Cassandra to The queen defends her prodigal action by merciful treatment. reminding him of the wealth of the house, and the propriety of expense on such an auspicious occasion as the return of its lord. After expressing a prayer for the accomplishment of her vows, she follows her husband into the palace (801 965). During the foregoing scene, what with the king's scruples and the queen's ambiguous language, an indefinable feeling of alarm has been created, which receives explicit utterance in the following
removing
his shoes

choric ode.

Despite the visible evidence of the army's return,

full

the elders cannot enter into the

their breasts,

joy of the occasion, cannot

banish the obstinate forebodings which have taken possession of

and yet cannot explain them at all. They reflect on the near neighbourhood of great prosperity to imminent Loss of wealth may be repaired a plentiful harvest decay. may obliterate a famine but when blood has been shed, nothing can remedy that. They suppose it to be the will of Heaven that joy shall not run to excess, but always be limited by some admixture of sorrow (966 1018).
; ;

THE DRAMA

15

Clytaemnestra returns, and hastily orders Cassandra within. As she remains obstinately silent, the elders gently urge her to comply. The queen impatiently repeats her command, observing
that the business of the sacrifice will not suffer her to wait.
Still

receiving no response, she contemptuously remarks that

is

Cassandra

mad, and leaves her and the compassionate elders

alone (1019

1055).

Cassandra now breaks silence. Wildly calling on Apollo, who had begun her ruin before and has completed it now, in a series
of rapt prophetic cries she touches on the previous crimes of the house, the new crime the murder of a husband by his wife

about to follow, the horrible manner of its execution, and her own miserable end, following on the destruction of her city.

which

is

and there perceiving her drift, but for the most part utterly bewildered, answer her cries with expressions of reproof, amazement, perplexity, alarm, incredulity, and pity. The vision then becomes distinct, and she commands the credit of the Chorus by dwelling in a more coherent fashion on the ancient misdeeds of the house of Atreus. The elders are surprised at her knowledge, and she informs them that she received the gift of prophecy from Apollo, but that she was doomed to
elders, here

The

disbelief because

she foiled his

love.

In

a second burst

of

mentions the feast of Thyestes, and all but reveals the plot of Aegisthus and Clytaemnestra against the newly returned king. The Chorus, convinced by the first fact,
inspiration

she

are puzzled and terrified

by her intimation of the second.

She

then explicitly foretells the death of

she can calmly
in

Agamemnon

but before

make

all clear,

a third access of frenzy seizes her,

which she forecasts her own death, reproaches Apollo for his cruelty, but predicts the vengeance of Orestes, and resigns herself to die.

The Chorus,

falling

in

with her humour, seek to

console her.

She waves aside

their consolation,

and approaches

the doors, but recoils (as she says) at the smell of blood.

She
utters

then invites the elders to witness the truth of her prediction in

the

day of vengeance

prays to the sun for

its

fulfilment

a general lament over the state of man, and enters the house

(1056 1329).
Reflecting on her words, the Chorus observe that,
if

they

INTRODUCTION
true,
is if

come

Agamemnon must
is

atone for former bloodshed,

In the midst of their reflec-

prosperity

a fickle thing indeed.

tions the cry of the king

heard twice within.

The

elders

hastily take counsel as to the best

in turn delivers his opinion.

way

of proceeding, and each

They

are about to enter the palace,

when

the bodies of

Agamemnon and

Cassandra are exposed,

with Clytaemnestra standing over them (1330 1370). The queen now makes a clean breast of her duplicity and of

She dwells on the her long cherished purpose of revenge. details of the murder, and openly glories in her action as a just To the elders, who reprove her effrontery, she retribution.
expresses her indifference. but she a public pollution
;

They
his

predict

her cutting-off as

retorts

the

former impurity of

Agamemnon, who

sacrificed

own

daughter.

They

ascribe

her defiant language to the maddening effect of bloodshed, and She rejoins that she has no fears threaten her with retaliation.
the love of Aegisthus and the infidelities of Agamemnon are her defence. She remarks that Cassandra keeps the latter's company

even
(1371

in death,

adding a

relish to her

own

passion for the former

1448).

Chorus, unequal to this audacity, pray for death to take them after their beloved master. They exclaim against Helen, who beo-an the mortal work which her sister has completed.

The

The queen
of Helen.
in

reproves their desire for death and their denunciation They allege the evil genius of the race, who, incarnate
sisters,
;

has wrought by each an equal havoc a change After deploring the of statement which the queen approves. fierceness of the demon and appealing to Zeus, by whose will all
the two

must have happened, they turn

violent end.

to bewail the king slain

by a

Clytaemnestra protests that the deed is none of hers, but of the avenging spirit in her semblance, atoning for the crime of Atreus. The Chorus will not exculpate her, but admit that an avenger raised by Atreus may have cooperated to the Once more they bewail the end of the destruction of his son.
king slain by
Iphigeneia.
craft.

Clytaemnestra retorts the crafty death of

The elders, in utter perplexity, know not what to think or do. They forecast the swamping of the house in blood; They would fain for justice now demands fresh bloodshed.

THE DRAMA

17

have died before seeing their king ignobly killed, with none to bury, none to weep, none to praise. The queen bids them dismiss these cares she will bury him, and Iphigeneia will
;

no reply. They can only assert the eternal law, that the guilty must suffer. When a house is accurst, there is no remedy until it perish. The queen assents, but professes herself satisfied, for her part, if the
evil spirit will

welcome him below.

To

this scoff the

elders have

content to

now remove to some other family she will be resign much of the house's wealth, if only bloodshed
;

may now
the dead
his

cease (1449

1576).
his soldiers.

Hereupon Aegisthus enters with

Pointing to

Agamemnon, he
for the

congratulates himself on the justice of

punishment

crime of his father Atreus.

He

then

narrates the story of the Thyestean feast, and the curse uttered

remarks on the propriety of his being the instrument of its fulfilment, as being the author of the whole conspiracy and professes himself ready to die. The elders assure him that his death is certain. He turns savagely upon them, and threatens them with imprisonment or worse. They
; ;

upon the race

taunt him with his cowardice in laying this treacherous plot for

a brave and heroic king.

He

replies that only thus could

he

and intimates his resolve to make Argos submit to his power. The Chorus reproach him with polluting the land by joining the wife in the murder, and invoke Orestes

compass

his revenge,

to slay

them

both.

Aegisthus, furious at
elders

this, directs his soldiers

to take action.

The

on

their side prepare for defence

queen interposes, dissuades any further bloodshed, and advises both antagonists to depart to their several homes. Aegisthus continues to protest against the language of the Chorus, and threatens them with
but before the parties
to blows, the

come

ultimate vengeance.

The

elders reply with spirit, threatening

him with the return of Orestes. A {q\n contemptuous words from the queen close the altercation and so the first part of the
;

trilogy of the Oresteia concludes (1577

^^Th)

H. A.

INTRODUCTION
REMARKS ON THE STORY.
That

differs in
in

account of the return and death of Agamemnon several important respects from the story as it appears
this

Homer, has often been observed.

There are four chief

From the passages of the Odyssey which allude to the matter. first two of theses which are quite consistent with each other,
we
learn that Aegisthus, for
fleet,
; '

some

reason, did not join the muster

'

nook of horsethat he was divinely warned against the feeding Argos temptation of conspiracy against the absent king and of making overtures to his wife; that he nevertheless prevailed upon the
of the Greek

but remained behind

in the

latter, after

much

entreaty and contrary to his

to leave the

house of

Agamemnon

for his

own expectation, own that he slew

;

Agamemnon
in the

on his return, reigned seven years

in

Mycenae, and

eighth was slain by Orestes,

We

further learn that his

enterprise

was aided by the dispersion of Menelaus' fleet by a storm, as he was rounding Cape Malea on his way to Sparta,
so that he could not
sixty ships

come

to his brother's assistance.

to

Of

the

which Menelaus led

Troy,

all

but

five

were

wrecked off Crete. With these five he was carried away to Egypt, and only returned seven years later, just in time for the funeral feast which Orestes made after the slaying of Aegisthus

and

his

mother.

From

this

account

we should

infer

that

Agamemnon,

returning to

Mycenae with a remnant of

his host,

found himself involved in a conflict with a rebellious subject, who had taken means to strengthen himself in his absence and
;

that,

deprived of the succours which he might have expected

from his brother, he*was overwhelmed and slain. But this version of the matter was evidently not the only one
current
;

for in the third

passage of the Odyssey'^ we find a more

is

minute account of the death of Agamemnon, which

with the foregoing.

inconsistent

From

this

we

learn that

Agamemnon, thanks
Menelaus
;

to the aid of Hera, escaped the storm which befell

but that, as he was doubling Cape Malea, he himself encountered

a gale which drove him on to a part of the coast which bounded
1

Ud.

I.

3543 and

3.

262313.

Od.

4.

51247.

REMARKS ON THE STORY

cession to his father Thyestes.

19

a certain territory, where Aegisthus had his residence in suc-

Agamemnon

Luckily the wind changed, and reached his native land in safety. Upon dis-

embarking, however, he was espied by a watchman, whom Aegisthus had set to look out for his return, fearing that he

might get past unobserved and subsequently engage

in hostilities.

Upon
in

receiving the intelligence, Aegisthus placed a hundred

to

men
the

ambush, and went with chariots and horses king and his followers to a banquet at his house. of the feast he fell upon his guests, and slew them
his
is

fetch

In the midst
all,

own men

perished in the conflict.

is

In this

though all account nothing

an allusion to the vengeance of Orestes and the arrival of Menelaus in time for the funeral of
said of Clytaemnestra, but there

Aegisthus.

The

fourth passage of the Odyssey^ agrees with the

third in representing

Agamemnon

as slain at a

banquet

in

the

house of Aegisthus, but assigns a prominent share

Clytaemnestra.
It
is

in the plot to

alone in making mention of Cassandra,

who

is

declared

to

have been

slain
is

at

the

same time by

Clytaemnestra herself

Indeed there

a verse in this passage,

and another
with her

in a later

book, to which we

may

perhaps trace the

germ of the story that Clytaemnestra despatched her husband

own hands ^
versions

Now, taking these two

together as the

sum

of

Homer's contribution to the legend, we may notice that nothing is said in either of the enmity of Atreus and Thyestes, of the banishment of Aegisthus, or of the sacrifice of Iphigeneia, which form the chief springs of the dramatic action. On the other hand, we collect the hostility of Aegisthus and Agamemnon the infidelity of Clytaemnestra and her share in the enterprise of Agamemnon's death the death of Cassandra by her hand and the dispersion of Menelaus' ships by a storm, from which
;

Agamemnon
to treachery

himself escapes by divine aid, only to

fall

a victim

on land. So much a later poet could consistently put together from the separate accounts. But in one particular the two versions are inconsistent. The statement in the second
1

Od. II. 40553

Od. II. 453

? ,
5e
is

and

24 200

(the

subject in both places

Clyt

).

INTR on C
Agamemnon, on
his return voyage,

that

Cape Malea, assumes

Iliad, but at

that his

home

is

had got safely as not at Mycenae, as

far as

in the

Sparta; therein agreeing with the view of the lyric

and Pindar. To suit this version we must apparently conceive of Aegisthus as a prince whose hereditary domain lies in the peninsula which terminates in
poets, Stesichorus, Simonides,

Cape Malea.
this territory.

Agamemnon He escapes
own
he
is

is

first

carried to the east coast of

thence, doubles the cape, and dis-

embarks on

his

territory of Sparta.
still

But

in

order to reach

his inland fortress,

obliged to pass along the western

border of Aegisthus' land, where a watchman had been stationed for a year to give notice of his progress up the valley of the
Eurotas.

He

is

directed to the castle of Aegisthus, whither

is

Clytaemnestra had previously removed, and

treacherously

murdered

at a banquet.

This conception of the matter differs considerably from that of the first version, in which the centre of interest is Mycenae. The
difference
is

not without interest, for

it

marks the

first

stage in
it

the passage of the legend to the form in which

we

find

in

Aeschylus.

It

can hardly be doubted that the second version,

which places the seat of Agamemnon's rule at Sparta, is the First, it is conformable to what we know of older of the two. the earliest kingships that Agamemnon should be represented as reigning, not at Mycenae, like his father Atreus, nor at Pisa, like his grandfather Pelops, but on the other hand, like his grandfather, his father, and his brother, at the home of his wife, that Secondly, this version presupposes an archaic is, at Sparta\ state of society, in which two chieftains dwelling on adjacent territories are at feud with each other, and one may get the better of his rival by the simple device of inviting him to a banquet at his castle. The whole relation smacks of something primitive, as indeed do those portions of the Odyssey from which But even before the Trojan war, as Thucydides it is extracted. tells us^ this state of society had become antiquated by the growth of commerce and maritime intercourse, and the congre^

Frazer,

Early History of the Kingship,

7, 8.

p.

240,

where the reason of

this is

explained.
2

Thuc.

I.

REMARKS ON THE STORY

gation of

21

men

into walled cities.

Now

that expedition itself

was by all accounts due to the concentration of naval power in the hands of Agamemnon. Hence it was a plausible conception, doubtless resting on some basis of fact, to shift the seat of Agamemnon's power from the poor and backward country of Laconia to the fortified town of Mycenae, with its dependencies of Argos and Tiryns, right in the trading area of Corinth, Cleonae, Sicyon, Troezen, and Epidaurus. Therefore Mycenae
appears as his capital throughout the Iliad.
Aegisthus'

To

these altered

conditions the poet of the Odyssey had to adapt the story of

nothing else than a variation on 'the Clytaemnestra is a immemorial theme of the Odyssey itself more pliable Penelope, who is left at home in the charge of
feat,

which

is

a minstrel,

while her husband

is

absent on a distant war.

Aegisthus

is

a successful Antinous,

who persuades
is

the queen to

remove

to his

own

residence.

Agamemnon
home

a less fortunate

Odysseus, who, upon returning

followers,
is

with the remnant of his

Orestes is a promptly murdered by his rival. But by the time that Mycenae has retributive Telemachus. become prominent, the conception of two rival chieftains living each on his several estate has sunk into the background and how, in the new circumstances, Aegisthus might execute his Therefore, when project, the poet of the Odyssey did not know. he places the scene of the exploit at Mycenae, he is obliged to leave the details of Agamemnon's murder vague, covering up his ignorance by saying that Menelaus was not at hand to help his
;

brother.

But when,

in a later

book, he wishes to give the details

of the plot, he simply has recourse to the primitive version, and is thus compelled to leave the scene in the open and uncentralised

country of Laconia.

was a perception of this inconsistency which led Stesichorus and Simonides to adopt the older account, which and the placed Agamemnon's residence near Lacedaemonsame thing is implied in Pindar. According to the eleventh Pythian, the murder of Agamemnon took place at Amyclae, that
Perhaps
it
;

is,

It

about two and a half miles below Sparta in the vale of Eurotas. is natural to suppose that Pindar, who calls Orestes a Laconian,
1

Od.

3.

267.

Schol. Eur. Or. 46.

22

JNTRODUCTION
Lacedaemon
as the seat of

regards

Agamemnon's power

that

Amyclae, a town long independent of Sparta, represents to a later age, familiar with cities, what the primitive version broadly calls the territory of Thyestes^ and Aegisthus and that here the stratagem took place by which Agamemnon was slain. In other
;

respects Pindar agrees with

Homer

in

leaving the actual slayer

of

Agamemnon

vague, while affirming that Cassandra was slain

at the

same time by Clytaemnestra.

is

Two

alternative motives

are assigned for her act.

stress

The one on which

the poet lays most

her passion for Aegisthus, which could not be kept dark;

but he mentions another, traceable in part to the Cypria of

Stasinus, her anger at the sacrifice of Iphigeneia.

For Pindar, a lyric poet, whose chief purpose it was to adorn a naked theme with a romantic incident, such a conception was still admissible. He was not obliged to give the details of Agamemnon's death, and his auditors might suppose it to have happened in much the same way as Homer describes. But for Aeschylus, a dramatic poet, whose business it was to present
this

same

transaction to the eyes of a fifth-century audience, and

to interest

them

in

it

for its

narrative were unsuitable.

out of relation to

life

as

own sake, the details of the epic The primitive Homeric version was actually lived at the moment and
;

without an effort of historical imagination, which

is

rather a

modern

gift,

those circumstances could not be reproduced at

once faithfully and probably.

difficulty as the

He was

faced

by the same

poet of the Odyssey, when, to suit the story to

changed historical conditions, he shifted the scene from the neighbourhood of Lacedaemon to the great capital of Mycenae. Ten years before the date of our play Mycenae had been destroyed by Argos and Argos is the name which Aeschylus,
;

apparently for the sake of some political allusions

of the trilogy, chooses to give to

in the last act

Agamemnon's
by
this

realm.

But the
air

problem, though
historical
reality,

slightly

intensified
its

greater

of

was

in

essence the same for both poets.

for the ancient version, in

which retainers cuts off by stratagem another border chieftain with his retainers, an account of the enterprise of Aegisthus conformable to a more settled and

That problem was to substitute one border chieftain with his

REMARKS ON THE STORY

political state of society.

23

As we have

seen, the poet of the

Odyssey,

who

evidently

felt

the difficulty ^ did not take the pains

lineal sovereign of a strong

to construct, perhaps could not even imagine a train of incidents

by which the king of men, the

wealthy town, the suzerain of a number of petty states, himself be murdered, and his throne usurped, by a rebellious
subject of no great personal courage.

and might

He

takes refuge in the

statement, that the revolution

occurred

when Menelaus was

away.
But

Aeschylus,

or

some

predecessor

whom

Aeschylus
as that

followed, had

a better idea of

how such an attempt

With
its

of Aegisthus might

come

about.

the growth of wealth

and commerce

in Greece,
it

and the collection of

inhabitants

became evident to political experience that freedom from external aggression was more than compensated by the danger of dissension within. The enterprise of Aegisthus
into fortified cities,
is

conceived as an incident of stasis or party faction, a feature

of Greek politics whose beginning was traced

to the influx of wealth which occurred a
little

by Attic thought
before the Trojan

mature political conception of the matter has governed the shaping of the story between Homer and Aeschylus, is tolerably plain. In the drama, of course, it does not assume any great prominence; but enough details are given to show that it underlies the presentation, and is used to make it The scene is removed intelligible to a fifth-century audience.
War-.
this

That

from an outlying tract of country to the heart of a city

state.

The

origin of the dissension

is

ascribed to a personal quarrel

between two members of the reigning family. Thyestes disputes the power of his brother Atreus, and is banished from the city. Even such uncouth incidents as the seduction of Aerope and the feast of Thyestes find some historical warrant in what was related

Harpagus in Persia^'. The feud continues into the next generation, and the hopes of the inferior He is to be conceived as hanging faction centre on Aegisthus. about in exile, intriguing with his adherents in the city, and
of

Gyges

in

Sardis and of

waiting for a favourable

1

moment
Her.
I.

for

taking vengeance on his

'^

See Od.

3.

24852.
^

Thuc.

i. 2, 3.

II

r.

119.

24

INTRODUCTION
His
opportunity
us
that

enemies^

came
the

with

the

Trojan
nature of

War.
that

Thucydides
expedition

informs

protracted

gave a great chance to the malcontents in the Greek cities to overthrow the government, in the midst of which commotions most of the old hereditary monarchies went down, and were replaced by tyrannies^. The temporary eclipse of one such monarchy is depicted in the Agamemnon'^. The disaffection against the royal house of Argos is ascribed by the poet to the
prolonged, costly, and selfish enterprise against Troy^ which

be regarded as swelling the number of Aegisthus' partisans, and thus making the success of his attempt conceivable. A
principal element in his plan, as in that of

may

most Greek

seditions,

was

occupy the citadel which commanded the township. This might easily have been done in the absence of the kings, but it would have been a more difficult matter to retain it on their return. Besides, so long as the regent Clytaemnestra was his friend, there was nothing to be gained by premature action. His policy was to lie low until the day of Agamemnon's return, exciting as little suspicion as possible, and to overpower his enemies by a surprise; a thing manifestly impossible if he had already seized the fortress. But it was necessary for himself to be prepared against the surprise of their return, and to be ready
to
for instant action.

To

such necessity
fall

we may perhaps

attribute

the introduction into the story of the beacon signal, which, while
plausibly designed to announce the

of Troy, has the secondary

effect of giving the conspirators timely notice of their

enemy's

approach.

On

the day of the king's arrival, the conspirator

who

could draw nearest to his person, with the least suspicion, would

be his wife; and to

in

this

circumstance we

the bold invention v^iich represents

his privacy

may naturally ascribe Agamemnon as overtaken

and murdered by his queen. In the interval between the murder and the appearance of Aegisthus on the stage, we may suppose the latter to have executed his part of the plan, originally a difficult part, but vastly simplified by the storm, that of overpowering the followers of the king.
1

V. 1668.

Thuc.

I.

12, 13.

* *

The
vv.

character of this sovereignty

is

defined by Cho. 54

60 and

Cho. 863

j.

45264.

REMARKS ON THE STORY

This
part of
it

25

is

the basis on which the

is

drama

rests.

which

assigned to Clytaemnestra
his actual

But as that the pubHc inter-

course with the elders, the reception of the king at his

own

home, and above

all

murder

is

obviously the part

best fitted for dramatic treatment on the Greek stage, almost

the whole interest of the presentation centres upon her; while

Aegisthus,

who cannot even openly

It is

appear,

is

relegated to the

background. he
is

only from the

last

scene that

we gather

that

bottom of the whole conspiracy. There remains one minor circumstance, for which the reason is not at once evident. Why does Aeschylus represent Agamemnon and Menelaus as reigning jointly at Argos? It may be said that the concentration of interest which results the desolation of the house at Argos by the wicked act of Paris, set off against the destruction of the house of Priam by the act of Helen greatly increases the force and symmetry of the picture; and that the interest imparted to Menelaus provides several effective passages in the drama, such as the description of the storm. All this is true; but it may be doubted whether Aeschylus would have taken this liberty with history, simply for these reasons, if he had not found some warrant for it in the works of his predecessors. In the earliest version, as we have seen, both Agamemnon and Menelaus live in Laconia. There Agamemnon is murdered by Aegisthus, who in his turn is slain by Orestes, the latter exploit being regarded as just as simple an affair as the former^ But when the murder was transferred to Mycenae, the execution of Orestes' feat became an equally difficult matter with that of Aegisthus, How could he escape the consequence of his attack on the master of a fortified town 1 Again the poet of the Odyssey passes over the details, but he is careful to retain, and to emphasise, the fact that Menelaus arrived from Egypt on the very day of the funeral The purpose of this retention is plain; the feast of Aegisthus", But arrival of Menelaus accounts for the immunity of Orestes,
at the

it

involves the startling novelty that the

1

home

of Menelaus,

Od. Od.

4.

546
1.

7.

3. 31

It will

be remembered what use Euripides makes of

this

synchronism

in the Orestes.

26

INTRODUCTION
less

no

than that of

Agamemnon,

is

at

Mycenae.
all?

Why
else

else

should Menelaus, sailing from Egypt, go there at

the poet does not intend this
inference;

Of course
he

everywhere

assumes that Menelaus

the scene of

lives at Sparta.

Rut, having transferred

Mycenae, he is obliged by the sequel of this particular story to bring Menelaus thither also. Now later writers, such perhaps as Agias of Troezen (author of the Nosti), having to explain in detail the achievement of Orestes, could by no means give up the opportune advent of Menelaus from Egypt; and having to account for his landing at Mycenae, they would incline to assert that Mycenae was his home. Hence the two brothers would be represented, in postHomeric versions, as reigning together at Mycenae, just as in the earliest version they had reigned together at Eacedaemon. The seat of their joint government is merely transferred by Aeschylus, in conformity with his whole design, from the locality
to

Agamemnon's death

of

Mycenae

to the neighbouring locality of Argos.

MORAL AND RELIGIOUS

The
riper political experience,

IDEAS.

which had befallen the Greek world since the time of Homer, is one of the chief causes which impart to the poet's treatment of the legend a seriousness and weight that are not felt to belong to it in the epic. Throughout the drama we are conscious that his eye is not really fixed on a remote antiquity, but that his sentiments and reflexions are drawn from that impressive age of Greek politics, which lies between the date of Peisistratus and the date of Pausanias; a period of wealth, commerce, and maritime adventure, in which which a combination of the states miraculously repulsed the national foe, in which individuals rose to power, yielded to their passions, and fell, Troy is the typical city of Asia Minor, a seat of wealth and luxury, where the decay of moral principle leads directly to political ruin. Argos is the scene of civic disunion terminating in tyranny. Another source of profound difference is the
application
to

parties fought in the several states, in

the story of certain

theological ideas,

some of

MORAL AND RELIGIOUS IDEAS

which seem
the
fruit

27

behind Homer, others to be of more refined speculation working on the simple

in their origin to lie

and careless religion of Olympus. The first class of ideas, those which are concerned with the ritual of the tomb, the powers of the underworld, the peculiar effects of bloodshed, and the like, are less prominent in the Aganienuion than in where the religion of the grave is presented in all its sombre and mystic power, or in the Eunienides, where part of 'the poet's object is to fuse the system of Olympus with the conflicting system of the Earth and of the dead. After Aeschylus these ideas appear to have become antiquated, so
the
ChoepJiori,

far as literature

was concerned, and

they are in
class of

Interesting

as

have died a natural death. themselves, they do not directly

to

concern us here.

The second
transition

ideas, which,

though modified by the

to

of the

Greek mind from theology

philosophy,

continued to provide the staple of later thought, figures more

largely in our play.

are the old pair.

The questions which exercise the poet What is the nature of the Power which governs
Does
this
all,
it

the order of events?

successful sinner.-*

Power

interfere to punish the

is

First of

that there

such a Power, the

poet does not doubt.

profess to

He

calls

by the

traditional

name

of Zeus

but what sort of a Being corresponds to this name, he does not

know\

To Zeus

he ascribes the universal succession

temporal order
is

of causes and effects^;

his contact with the

one of spiritual direction; the principle of his operation is justice^; In these the smoothness and ease of it is a sign of his power. matters the poet is the pupil of Xenophanes. When Xenophanes says'*, 'Among gods and men there is one greatest God, neither in body nor mind resembling mortal man. ...He is all eye, all ear, all thought.... He sways all things without exertion by the notion of his mind.... He remains always in the selfsame place, not moved at all, nor does it become him to travel hither and thither.... There never was, nor ever will be, any man that knew the certain truth about the Gods, and what I affirm about
all

things;
1

for

although he might chance to state the fact as

^
^

V. 170.

V.

1487.

V.

773.

See

frags.

236

and 34

(Diels).

28

INTRODUCTION
formed

nearly as possible, yet he

is

knows

it

not himself;

but opinion
is
it

all

things'

the
by

substance of his language

reproduced by Aeschylus:
please himself to be called,
I

'Zeus,
this

whosoever he

is,

if

so

name

address him.
fill

When

ponder
if I

all

things, cast

can
off,

make no

guess to

the gap, except

name, the vain obsession of the mind\...Zeus employs no violence; (every act of Deity is without exertion); throned aloft, his thought somehow effects its end, even from where it is, on its holy seatl...What merit has a Deity who should use violence on his awful throned... The Father disposes all things, turning them upside down, panting not at all in his mights' In his dealings with men, the justice of Zeus is embodied in two laws, which distinguish his reign from that of those who might claim to have preceded him. The first law is, that moral wisdom is reward of painful experienced
Zeus,
to the very

must

The second is, that the guilty must suffer". As regards the first, the point of interest is to observe how the religious soul of Aeschylus converts to its own use
a

circumstance which had discouraged

less

elevated

minds.

Other writers, such as Solon, had contrasted the complacent hopes of man, his ardent pursuit of various ends, with his utter
ignorance of the future and his
liability to

complete and un-

expected disaster: 'Hazard is annexed to every work, nor does any man know, when a business is beginning, where it will end''.'

The purpose of Aeschylus human constitution, but to

is

not to lament this inferiority of

justify

and even applaud

it.

This

he does by considering it in the light of a nobler object, not that of a man's practical success, but that of his moral perfection.

He

regards the suffering in which the 'blind hopes' of

men

so

often terminate as a necessary discipline of

human

character.

Even

if

man had complete

foreknowledge, nothing would

ensure his acting right.

Laius was thrice divinely warned of the consequences of committing a certain action, but he committed
it

none the

less^.

Agamemnon was
97102. 1838, 2612.

divinely warned

of the

consequences of sacrificing his daughter, but he did not repent

^

vv.

170

7.

2
'

Siippl.
vv.

'^

vv. 192
vv.

3.

* '

Eum. 6501.
See Solon,
frag. 4. 33

15623.

70 (Bergk).

Theb. 745.

MORAL AND RELIGIOUS IDEAS

till
it

29

was too

late'.

But

if

men

will sin

with their eyes open,

instead of deploring the fact that a man's aims miscarry through

his ignorance of the future,

we ought

rather to be thankful that,

when
it is

suffering comes,

it

operates to man's amendment.

not as a matter of complaint, but as part of a solemn hymn of praise, that he enunciates the maxim In some remarkable lines he touches on the stealthy and unconscious

^ %.
it

Hence

an instance of the gentle but thorough process by which the Deity effects all
It is

transformation of character by painl change.

But

it

is

the devout assertion of the second law which

is

the test of a truly religious mind, inasmuch as

conflict with the evident facts of
life.

appears to

Long

before Aeschylus
to account for

there had been misgivings about the continued impunity of the

wicked, and various attempts had been

made

it.

The view of Homer, if it can be called a view, was that Zeus suffered men to trade on their wickedness, that he might take it out in fuller measure later on: 'Although the Olympian
and they pay with heavy interest, with their persons, and with their wives, and with their children ^' The wise Solon, having an eye on these words, gave a somewhat different explanation. Zeus surveys the end of all things; therefore he does not flare up, like an irascible man, at each particular sin. He waits till all has mounted up, and then he makes a clean sweep, as a vernal wind scatters the clouds, and restores the naked purity of sky^ But
last,

punishes not at once, yet he does so at the

how if the sinner dies in prosperity, before the clearance comes? The answer of Solon is unsatisfactory but interesting: 'None
that has a guilty

but in

all

case

is

mind escapes His notice for ever and ever, shown up at the last. Only, while one pays
if

forthwith, another pays later on; or

they themselves get

it

off,

before the visitation of

in

Heaven catches them,

any case:

their

deeds are paid for

comes afterwards by the innocent, either by

them^'

their children or

by

their posterity after

We

see here

that the ends of justice are equally supposed to be satisfied,

whether the punishment

^

falls
2

upon the sinner

himself, or
^

upon
2.

vv. 228

31.
^

vv. 189

frag. 4. 17

26.

91.
^

//. 4.

frag. 4. 27

32.

30

INTR OD UCTION
(
Theories of divine justice

his innocent children or descendants.

have usually been modelled on the scheme of human justice

prevailing at the time;

and

it

is

well

known

that in early times

the unit of which the law took cognisance was not the individual,

one member of a family did wrong, he was not himself directly punished, but indirectly, as a limb of the system of blood-relationship, on which as a whole the forfeit fell. But this community of interest embraced not only the members of the family living at the time; it extended also to the
but the family.
If

dead, between

whom

and the

living the

mere

fact of dissolution

made no
might
at

essential rupture.

The

ancestor

who committed

a crime

on whom honour among the dead.

any time be penalised in the person of his descendant, he depended for vital nourishment and his degree of
If the

descendants were extinguished

would be miserable indeed. It was important to perpetuate the race and to keep it clear of guilt; but once the fatal act had been committed, once the curse had been entailed, it was not felt to be unfair that the The living should be involved in the punishment of the dead. divine retribution, like the human retribution, was assessed upon the whole; and the life which was subjected to justice was that which began with the earliest forefather and terminated with
altogether, the fate of the ancestors

the last descendant.

The advantage
that,

of this collective view of responsibility was

by giving the Deity an indefinite space of time in which to operate, it might at least be maintained that guilt was certain sooner or later to meet with its reward. But when the importance
of the individual eclipsed that of the family, the dilatory character

new and perplexing aspect. What had hitherto been regarded as a deferred payment on the part of the family, now took the offensive shape of a vicarious
of divine justice assumed a

on the innocent. And yet to surrender this latitude of action on the part of Heaven was to give up the most plausible ground of experience on which it could be asserted that sin was always punished. Impressed Avith the conviction that compensation must somehow be made, but faced with the fact that the original sinner often ended his days in peace, it is perhaps not surprising that the moral sense of men

punishment

inflicted

MORAL AND RELIGIOUS IDEAS

acquiesced in the
sibility,

31

belief,

rooted in an earlier notion of respon-

that

if

the fathers had eaten sour grapes, the children's

teeth should be set on edge.

Such

is

the opinion of Solon in

the passage quoted above.

satisfaction with
this is
it

perceive a slight trace of disin his use of the word 'innocent'; thoup-h

We

perhaps designed to excite indignation against the sinner rather than to impugn the fairness of the divine execution.
In the Oresteia there
beliefs surviving
is

a general inclination to reconcile

from a rude past with the conscience of a more humane and enlightened age. Thus, while in the Choephori the old law of reviling for reviling, blood for blood, is asserted in all
its

stern rigour, because

it

Aegisthus should suffer for

of the law

seems just that Clytaemnestra and their crime, in the Ewnenidcs, where

the conscience instinctively takes sides with Orestes, the severity

is

relaxed in obedience to a higher claim.

is

The

court

of Areopagus

instituted

to

inquire into cases of justifiable

homicide.

In the

Agamemnon

there

is

a like attempt, on the

one hand to uphold the just principle that guilt must be paid for, and on the other, to mitigate the conclusion by which alone
this principle could

be shown to have a sure basis

in fact.

The

poet does not deny that the sins of the fathers are visited on

admits that the crime of Atreus may have contributed to the destruction of his son\ Nay, he points out
the children.

He

how

this

might happen, through the physical link of blood

in

connecting the two, which,

minister, fatally constrained

the control
to

of a
his

supernatural

Agamemnon

doom-.

The

same blood which had sinned higher up in Atreus was punished lower down in Agamemnon. But the physical connexion which
enabled the retribution to be made, even after the original
sinner had escaped, might also be used to palliate
its injustice.

The

continuity in blood might import a transmission of moral

qualities also.

Hence the poet

asserts that, if

an ancestor

sins,

he bequeaths to his descendant a tendency to sin himself^

The

ancient crime of

Laomedon came

to birth again in the

wicked act of Paris; then followed the punishment. The guilt of Atreus propagated itself afresh in the guilt of Agamemnon.
It is the poet's cue, so to
^

speak, to exhibit the personal culpability

-

vv. 1508

9.

vv.

15103.

vv. 755

66.

32

INTR OD UCTION
latter.

of the
so

This

is

why,

in the forefront of his

drama, he lays
It is

much emphasis on

the sacrifice of Iphigeneia

important
it

to observe that this act does not take in Aeschylus, as

in

does
as

Sophocles, the form of restitution to Heaven, wiping out

It
is

a previous offence.

merely imposed on

Agamemnon

the condition of completing a certain design.

It is a

temptation

indeed, but one which might have been resisted.

Agamemnon

might have broken up his armament and left Troy to divine vengeance; and the poet several times hints that this would have been the proper course to adopt. But the fatal taint was in his From blood, and when the temptation to iniquity came, he fell. It was increased that moment his personal responsibility began. by his conjugal infidelities in regard to Chryseis and Cassandra, and by the bloodthirsty character of his vengeance upon Troy\ Once a man has sinned, then, the mischief tends to propagate
itself

in

his

descendants, until

in

the

fulness

of time

outrageous act produces the ruin of his race.

But to

some what

agency are we to ascribe the

it

first sin

of

all.''

In

Homeric times

was

sufficient to say that

'Zeus took a man's wits away,' or

Later ages, seeking for some motive on the part of the Gods, ascribed the fall of princes to a divine jealousy of their There was a certain limit of success which no human prosperity.
the
like.

king might pass with safety, any more than he might journey

beyond the pillars of Heracles. This limitation of human capacity was what made a man a man without it he would have been a God; and the Gods were
to the

Hyperboreans or

sail

naturally jealous of their prerogative^

Traces of

this

way

of

thinking appear in Aeschylus; but where he is speaking most in earnest, where he professes himself at variance with the
majority, such a view
is

evidently repugnant to him*.

Prosperity

he says, is not sufficient to ruin a race; it is wicked and impious actions which are fatal ^ But prosperity is dangerous because it affords the temptation and occasion to sin\ Similarly

by

itself,

dangerous because it is likely to exalt the heart From this to presumptuous thoughts and reckless language".
great renown
is
1

vv. 467, 1004, etc.

So Pind.
vv.

01. 5. fin.

^\
^

74954

vv.

-7559.

(advice to a fortunate man), etc.

vv.

38597.

vv.

4746.

MORAL AND RELIGIOUS IDEAS

33

danger nothing can save a man but a naturally sober mind, 'the A mind naturally liable to be spoiled by greatest gift of God^' success is presumably the gift of God also, but the poet does not

make

He

statement with the cheerful indifference of Homer. loves to trace the misfortunes of a family back to some wild
this

mental impulse
the race,

an ancestor, which brings an evil strain into which entails a curse on it, which raises a supernatural
in
its

avenger to see to

execution.

The completion
But the

of the train of
first

by itself in the man's own heart; only, like everything which a Greek could not go behind, it tends to be represented as a supernatural possessing power
to sin appears to arise

,^
power
is

misfortunes he ascribes to divine agency.

ayav

/^^/?)-.

{
inclination

How this

power of Zeus, we are not informed. All that is said is, that Zeus sooner or later visits Without sin there could be no the wicked act with justice. But why this or that individual should be destined justice. to be the sinner, upon whom or upon whose race justice is
related to the general originating

exercised, remains a mystery.

THE CHARACTERS.
In the light of these moral ideas the principal characters
of the play are drawn.
seen,
is

The

fate of

Agamemnon,

as

we have

partly a compensation for his father's crime, partly a

punishment for his own. There is an element of misfortune in it, and an element of deserved retribution and in the presence of these two our reprobation and our sympathy are almost equally divided. He embarks on a selfish and misguided enterprise but he acts under a natural concern for the wounded honour of his family. He commits an odious crime in pursuit of his end but he commits it under strong provocation, for the sake of his allies. He is merciless in his vengeance; but the offence was wanton, and the labour of execution prolonged and His language is proud; but his pride is a natural severe. weakness at the moment of his triumph. He is harsh, and
;

V.

919.

vv. 233,

191, T/ied. 756.

H. A.

34

INTRODUCTION

suspicious; but he has suffered from the insincerity of his friends

abroad, and has more than a glimpse of treachery at home. He is suspicious of Heaven also, he is feebly superstitious; but he knows that he is a man, the greatest in the world, the most
liable to change.

He

is
it

even when we find

an unfaithful husband but the fault, most repugnant\ is relieved by our

;

knowledge of the infidelity of his wife. In his dignity and his weakness he is every inch a king. While it is impossible to call him an amiable character, we can share in some degree the loyalty which he inspires in the simpler natures of the play, When we observe the watchman, the herald, and the elders. him moving unconsciously to his doom, above all when we see him cut off in the midst of his glory by an ignominious end, our sense of the justice of his fate leaves room for the pity which
the bewildered exclamations of his faithful counsellors claim. To compass the chastisement of the guilty race, the Gods
raised

up two figures of strange and fearful power, the sisters The former moves through the Helen and Clytaemnestra. background of the drama as a beautiful but fatal presence, the embodiment of wanton sin, the instrument of Heaven for
the ruin

house of Priam, the remoter cause of the catastrophe of the house of Atreus, The latter, who is the direct agent of Agamemnon's fall, presents the same reckless nature armed with the terrible motives of suppressed resentment and vindictive hate. On the portrayal of this grand and appalling
of the
fio-ure

the poet has concentrated his utmost

skill.

The two

traits

which he marks most firmly are her masculine capacity and her unerring duplicity. The first of these, besides being given by the testimony of the other characters, is immediately evident from the situation, in which she appears as adequate to great affairs of state; from the deference with which she is treated by the council of Elders, and from the almost contemptuous manner in which she deals with them; from the tenacity with which she pursues her end, and the promptness and energy with which she executes it. To accomplish her purpose she is ready The second trait, which cannot to defy both Gods and men-. of course be directly revealed until the murder is done, is
'

V.

941.

vv. 965, 1401, etc.

THE CHARACTERS
Cassandra, and
still

35

nevertheless conveyed by the prophetic hints of Calchas and

more by the perpetual irony of her language,

which

is

instinct with the very spirit of deceit.

Of

the motives
felt
is

which are expressly assigned to her, the most sincerely her anger at the death of Iphigeneia, which has rankled

in

her

bosom for ten long years. She is the lurking avengeress of Agamemnon's crime. Her union with Aegisthus is subordinate; it is a necessary means to her end, a measure for her own protection. Her sense of her husband's infidelities is confined to a passing scoff But no mere accumulation of motives is
sufficient to
its

account for the total

unflagging

effect of
zest.

her action,

its

certitude,
declares,

self-reliance, its
is

Only when she

that she

not

Agamemnon's

wife, but the incarnation of the

'ancient, bitter

Avenger of the

cruel feast of Atreus\'

is

to grasp the lines on which her character

is

do we begin conceived. There

something in her beyond the natural capacity of man or woman, something preternatural and daemonic. But if she
is

not solely sustained by

common human

motives, neither

is

she the impassive instrument of justice.

She has a

cordial relish

of wickedness, as appears by the extraordinary gusto with which

she dwells on her crime, and by her utter absence of remorse.

At

the end of the play, what puzzles the Chorus

is

not the

justice

of

Agamemnon's doom, but

the

fact
It

that
is

so

much
margin

wickedness should be allowed to triumph.

this

of positive evil which calls for the vengeance

to the inclination of the principal actor himself

of Orestes, a

vengeance executed by divine command, and almost contrary

In the character of Aegisthus, on the other hand,
It is
all is plain.
its

not in him that the curse of Thyestes reveals

mystic

force.

He

acts

through the natural motives of revenge and

of the case compel him to reach

ambition.
his

The circumstances

end by treachery; and for all that is said to the contrary, it would appear that this method was itself the most congenial to his nature. By good fortune or by divine decree, he found
Clytaemnestra a nature suited to his purpose; without her he would have been nothing. His ignoble type of cunning, his
in

absence from the scene at the supreme moment, furnish an

*

V.

502

f.

36

INTR OD UCTION
daring hypocrisy and ubiquitous super-

effective contrast to the

vision of the

queen

as does his overbearing petulance in the

hour of success to the few unimpassioned words in which she acknowledges that the work of her life is done. Cassandra, as Mr Sidgwick observes, is not truly a study of
character at
all,

the interest

lies

in

her situation.

She

is

the

victim of events which she clearly foresees, but which, by the

condition of her estate, she
figure,
is

powerless to influence.
in
it,

having something improbable

its

Such a requires more than

but
if

ordinary power for

successful handling;

successful,

none can be more deeply impressive. Aeschylus has omitted no circumstance which could contribute to sink criticism in a The very silence of Cassandra flood of absorbing interest.
provokes a disposition to hear her speak. moment that she opens her mouth, curiosity

From
is

the

first

superseded by

sympathy and awe. She is a princess tenderly reared, who, by a fatal mischance, has become an object of derisive contempt to her friends. Her family and her nation are ruined, but she
is

not permitted to share their

foes.

fate,
is

being reserved for slavery

a prophetess

and death among her

She

who has

a^

horrible consciousness of the destination to which she has been

brought, and an equally horrible prescience of the

there awaits her.

doom which
is

Her one gleam

foresee

of consolation

afforded

vengeance of Orestes. A peculiar poignancy is added to her story by the circumstance that we learn it all from her own lips. At each instant our sensibility to her misery is but the reflexion of her own.
fact

by the

that she can

the

The watchman and

as never
fail

the herald are simple characters, such

events, intrigues,

of e^ect

and passions greater

former
is

when mixed up with than themselves. The

simplicity of the
his

that of the peasant, which includes fidelity to

masters without excluding a shrewd regard for his

own

safety

and

interest.

The

simplicity of the latter

is

of a different type.

It is that of

an honest

man who

has acquired some notion of

part in them, but

great affairs
is

by bearing a humble

whose view

and external side. The transparency of his nature is shown by the uncontrollable vehemence with which he expresses his joys and sorrows. But he does not forget
limited to their formal

THE CHARACTERS
that he
is

37

a public

officer,

and he

is

almost absurdly anxious to

most becoming manner. His personal delight at the success of the Trojan enterprise is increased by thinking of the high consideration which his master
discharge his
particular part in the
will

own

enjoy
will

in the world.

He

consoles himself for the sufferings

reflecting

and

loss of life at

Troy by
tell

what a
he
is

fine position the

army

hold in the esteem of future ages.

While he

feels

it

to be his

duty to

the

strict

truth,

concerned about

the impropriety of joining good and bad news together.

succession
breast

The

or conflict of these various feelings in his simple

his
is

makes

circuitous.

He

language alternately impetuous, abrupt and certainly one of the most original and lifelike

characters in Tragedy.

[The following mss. containing the Aga7nemtion

in part are referred to

either in whole or

by

their respective

symbols

in the critical notes

9,

:^

denotes the codex Mediceus (or Laurentianus) xxxii.

parchment

MS. of the tenth or eleventh century containing besides the plays

of Sophocles and Aeschylus the Argotiaiitica of ApoUonius.

Owing
105
1

however
158.

to the loss of fourteen leaves in the part containing the

its

Agamemnon,
1

evidence

is

only available for vv.

322,

It

Readings due to the second hand are recorded as m.

4),

a denotes the codex Marcianus 468 (xci.

sometimes known as
in

Ven.

2,

and belonging
is

to the thirteenth or fourteenth century.

was formerly owned by Cardinal Bessarion, and

edition

Hermann's

distinguished by the
first

only the
it

360 lines of the when that ms. was was copied from

compendium Bess. It contains Agamemnon Franz thought that

;

still

entire.
8,

denotes the codex Florentinus (or Laurentianus) xxxi.

written in the earlier part of the fourteenth century.

a paper ms.

Besides other

plays of Aeschylus

it

contains the

Agamemnon

entire.

g denotes the codex Venetus (or Marcianus) 616 (xci. 5), a parchment MS. formerly assigned to the thirteenth but now to the fifteenth
century.
to
It

contains the
of several

same plays of Aeschylus

leaves
is

as

f,

but owing
of the

the loss

without

vv.

46

1079

Agamemnon.

38

INTR OD UCTION
(or Neapolitanus)
is
I.

h denotes the codex Farnesianus

by Demetrius
as f
It will

E.

5,

written in

the latter part of the fourteenth century, as

Triclinius.

generally believed,

It contains the same plays of Aeschylus

is

and

g,

and the Agamemnon

f

complete.

and h alone contain the whole of the Agamemnon, Only about a with the support of g in the latter part of the play.
be seen that
quarter of the text
is

extant in

M.

Corrections due to the editor are denoted by the symbol H.]

1\

avTTj Sk

'

., ^ , ., , , ^,. , , ^- , ,. 8 . , ,^ .
t

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els

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cis

eis

)8
8
rvyi

/,.
e^

e^

(^

^^ ;^
'''^

/', /,
17

/3.

16

Victorius.

^^

Meursius.

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02 .
002.

2. 202.
et

[02]

.
[02.]

2..
del.

Stanley.

42

3.

< , ,,, ^, . , , , 6
^'
?,
ijv

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d7raXXayT7

, ,

.
anon.
:

11

43
Scene
The palace of Agameninon at Argos.
in the first scene; in the second
iy.

Time: Night

266 sqq.) dawn.

After

an interval at v. 493 the action is continued on a different day. The watchinan is discovered oti the fiat roof of the palace. Diiring the tenth year of the war., in which it had been prophesied that Troy should fall, he had been set to watch for the beacon to be passedfrom Troy by Agaiiieinno?t
as the sign of victory.
It is

now

about the setting of the Pleiads

which fnarked the winter or storm-season

(, ^,
I

(v.

817),

v. 5).

Watchman.
whole year's length have Deliverance from this vigil,

in

been asking Heaven the which

Upon

the Atridae's roof aloft here stretched

I

On

elbows, watch-dog-fashion,

have learnt

With general congress

of the nightly stars

The waning seasons and the rising-times Of those bright eminent splendid potentates That bring men storm and summer.
So am
Still
I

now

watching
of her

for the signal of a torch,

fiery

gleam with message out of Troy

fall,

News

her capture

such

the faith
heart.

Held by the man's mind

in a

woman's

But while I spend This restless time of rest abroad by night. Free to the dews, unvisited by dreams, No sleep for me, I warrant sentry by my pillow stands Fear, and forbids
!

The eyelid closing fast nay, but as oft As I would medicine sleep With antidote of music, hum a stave Or whistle, my voice breaks, my singing

turns

To moaning
Not now As once
it

for the fortunes of this

House,

so admirably administered was.

But
fair

now

at length shine out

The

fire

with his

tidings in the

gloom

And

bring

me

sweet release

44

, , ^
'
iv

Kpyei, TrjaSe

, '. , . ^
/
86^
6

. ,
.

25

'

'

,,
'

^^
^'
Atd^ei'

^.
.
30

35

il

, ^,
'
XOPOS.
29
fgh:

40

fgh:

ayyaWtov gh:

'

45
[

The Beacon presetitly shines out upon the top of Mount

Hail,

A rachnaeus.

thou blessed Lantern, uttering forth

in

daylight

the darkness, to be sign

in

For many a dance

merry Argos now

{calling to

Clytaemnestra

within.

Oho! Oho! Let Agamemnon's

consort have clear call

lift

To Of

up voice jubilant thanksgiving, for as it shows Plain by the beacon's telling, Troy is taken
arise
!

up from her couch and

{Her jubilant cry

is

heard presetitly within.

I'll

lead off with a measure

first

myself;

My

master's fortune will advantage

me

This lucky torch has thrown

\Dances.

me

sixes three.

During the

are

lit

of time supposed to pass now., sacrifices up throughout the city at the Qncen^s coninuind and the Elders
ititerval
to

of the city sumniotted

her presence.

Ah

well at least

God send
safe
!

home, to let me grasp His friendly hand in mine Beyond that, I'll Keep silence there's an ox Weighs heavy on my tongue only, the house Itself here, had it but a voice, could tell Plain tale enough I, for my part, keep tales For those instructed else, my memory fails,

The master come

;

{Exit.

Enter CHORUS of ELDERS opening with a chant preliminary to

their lyric song.

Chorus.

Now

is

here the tenth year

Since Priam's great accusing peer

Prince Menelaus,

and
twain

Prince

Agamemnon brothers

And by

divine right both to reign

<.

e/c

rjpav,

^. ^, . , ) 8
0/
6
77

, ^
oKryeaiy

, ^,
'

<,

^\]

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45

',

!^

55

50
del.

,
'
:

65

'

.:
Schuetz

Bamberger.

. '

yo

' \ . .

69

Casaubon
ovre

70

ante

47
Fast-coupled, one joint rank to share

Of throne and

sceptre

since

that pair

Launched from Argive land

thousand ships

in battle-train

By

troops of Argos manned.

in

With loud War shouted harsh

cries

Of

passionate anger in the wise

Of

eagles out they sped,

That lone in solitary woe For lofty-nested children go Wheeling round, around, in air

As

their beating pinions row.

all

Lost now

that loving care

About

their infants' bed.

Yet shall there One Above defend Those in his region denizen'd
:

Pan, Zeus, Apollo, from on high

That hears

their shrill

complaining cry

Shall send his

Vengeance by-and-bye

Upon

the felon's head.

so doth greater Lord,

The Atridae

Zeus Guardian of the Stranger's Board, On Alexander send For one too common, each man's woman, Sore fatiguing bouts in common Down in dust the knee bowed under And the spear-shaft knapped asunder First before the final day Meaning both on Troy to lay And Greece alike the matter still Is where it is, and where Fate's will Appoints it, there shall end
;
:

Unburnt
Both

sacrifice will

spurn
;

All softening of a temper stern

oils to

pour and coals to burn

In vain a

man

shall spend.

48

T^/xet?

'

'<

\<
em
"

TL

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'

75

,
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87

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95

h.

82
sci.
)

Tumebus

OvoffKiviTs

( in rasura

:
90
re

'

49
But we, that aged sinews made
Defaulters in the task of aid

Here on staves

at

home support

Strength of such a feeble sort

As

infant's

may

be styled

The

regent marrow, while his throne

Is youthful in the breast

Is

ungrown.

but in ancient senior's case,

his place

Ares lacking from

With Age

then,

when the green

leaf seres,

How

is

it?

Forth abroad his way

feet,

Takes he on three

yet appears
astray,

Wandering

like a

dream

As weak

as

any

child.

But thou, our soveran Lady Queen,

What
What

is

it

thou hast heard or seen.

event, or

stir,

new advice

To

cause thee raise up sacrifice

With
Each God

couriers all our streets around that in the township sways,

God

supernal,

God

infernal,

House-door, market-place or ways,

Each beholds
With

his altar blaze

fresh oblations

crowned

And
With

here and there, anointed well

all-pure

smooth bewitching
the royal cell

spell

Of unguent from

The high
Resolve

torch heaven-aspiring towers

me

now, so much unfold

told,

As may
H. A.

be or as can be

50

)
Tore

yevov

Tore

^,
iXnls

reXe^et,

^'

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e/c

.
'

ohiov

, ,'
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6

, ,
hopl

no

*
113 119

, ^ , ^ 8, /, , ^
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\\

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atat',
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corr.

sqq.

\7)$
e

(fort,

(con. ex

-) .

)
'

^ :: /'
H.

4\irh

104 Wpas Francken KparosM.

:

'

107

112

114

afh.

omiserat

add. m.

Kr. Ran. 1288:

m.

Ill rj/Sas Ar. A'aw. 1285: 112 Tayavadi: ydv m. 117 Thiersch: 0/37/05 M.

Turnebus.

122

<^6^ Hartung:

..

si

And
That

medicine
still

for

my

thoughts declare,

malignant aspect wear,

Save that with radiant face benign

From

altars

Hope doth somewhile

shine

And

bids avaunt this eating care

That

my

soul devours.

I.

The

assuring sign will

tell

forth

to

me by

right belong

Strophe.

The warbling measures; vigorous

Divine force
live

yet the moving spirit strong

within

me

stirs,

with valiancy for song

The

sign that on their path befell those twain united Kings,

Joint leaders of the youth of Greece, the sign of warrior wings

That sped them

for the

Trojan land with

fierce

avenging spear,

Shown

in

a quarter near

Pavilion royal,

sable

this,

that argent in the rear,

birds,

To Lord
Upon

of ships the

Lord of

remarked

in

place of pride,

the spear-arm side,

On

quivering hare's-flesh feeding both, young leverets quick

in

womb.

52

^; / ^
atXti/ol'

aikivov

eliri,

..
ev
125

KeSvos

'^

'

13

"

/''

^ ^
,.
5

35

otoi^ /7^

aya

"
.
fh:

140

^,." . ,, ^
'
136 aya Hermann: 147

45

Stanley ex Etym.

p.

377' 39=

\$ '^^
.

139

Scaliger:

Wellauer:

?
.

146
|

53

Prevented ere the safe

last

course that might outrun the doom.

Let Sorrow, Sorrow, a burden sound,

In

Joy prevailing drowned

2.

Their sage diviner marking well

how
knew
;

twain the tempers were

the feasters on the hare

Antistrophe.

Of

those two brother soldiers,

For those same captains of the war

and thus did he declare

"

prey before this force in time the town of Priam falls

all the

When

general

common herd

before the castle-walls

Shall be with violent fate consumed:

so

be no jealous

frown

Above come louring down

And strike
In tented

the great curb

forged

to

hold the mouth of Ilium town

field,

for pity -struck

Fathers

displeasure sore,

wis,

Hath

pjire

Maid Artemis

Wroth

zvith her

wingM

hounds; foul

sacrificers t/iey.
to

Poor timorous weak enchilded

thing,

with unborn young

slay!

Let Sorrow, Sorrow, a burden sound,

In Joy prevailing drowned!

"

Yet

thou Beauteous One, for all

is

Epode.

So tender

thy loving care

To young dew dropping weak and small

In ravenous lions teeming
lair,

54

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Se^ta

[^]

4,

ItJlov

^ ^' ^
,

. ,
19

elnep

' ,
,

15

, ^. ,." ^ ^ \<
^
OLKOLS

, '

55

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del.

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165

17

,
152

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dwep

165

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aiVej

Gilbert:

55

And for
Wild
Yet

the suckling whelps

of all

creatures of the

wood or field,

now

at our most urgent call

to

Vouchsafe
Yield,

yield
this feathered sign.

and fulfil

The most part good, yet part malign ! Yea and also I pray, Healer Apollo, prevent her and stay ! So that she send no contrary wind With imtimely delay The Greek navy to fetter and bind, Out of zeal for a sacrifice other and strange. Without custom or law, To the feaster unknown,
Bitter etnnity ivorking

Betwixt flesh and bone.

Without man-fearing awe, For a danger is lurking

In house that abides. That

in subtilty hides

To

recoil again.

Wrath

ever-mindfid, a Child will avenge!"

Such fortune for the royal House by sign of omen stored, Much bane to mix with more of boon, the peahng prophet
poured

Wherewith

in just

accord

Let Soi'row, Sorrow, a burden sound, In Joy prevaiHng drowned

!

II

I.

Zeus, whosoe'er indeed he be,

'

^^*
,

strophe.

In that name so it please him hear, Zeus, for my help is none but he;

Conjecture through creation free

56

^. ^ ,
et

7 ,

75

ovSe
09

, ,, ot^erat

Zrjva

185

, . , '
Tot

*
7

^,
178 187

-.

.
1

go

evT

, , -

95

175

Pauw:

. L.
/3(?

Ahreiis:

. ^\.

II.:

'
:

Schuetz

.
192

180

oi;3e

/3/atos

Turnebus:

57
I

cast,

and cannot

find his peer

With

this strange load

upon
I

my mind

So burdening, only Zeus

find

To

lift

and

fling

it

sheer.

II

2.
ist anti

One was
With

that ruled the ring of yore,

;

boisterous challenge big and blown

Him

tell

we

not, his date

is

is

o'er

Nay, the next comer

no more,

Found

his outwrestler,

and was thrown

But Zeus, with heart and voice acclaim

Victorious his triumphal name,

And wisdom

is

thine

own

Ill

I.

Sing praise; 'Tis

Jie

hath guided, say,

waj',

^""^

Mens feet

in

wisdoms

StablisJiing fast Instruction s rule

That Suffering

be her school:

bruise.
;

The

heart in time of sleep renews

Aching remembrance of her

And
Stern

chastening wisdom enters wills that most refuse

is

the grace and forced mercy kind

By

Spirits

upon

their awful

bench assigned.

Ill

2.

Thus with the

elder captain then

When
Lay

all

his league of

men
Sound

2nd ant strophe.

weltering in the narrow

Between

shores, weatherbound,

58

, ^9 "^ ^, , / , )4 ^
yet
^

iv

'

'

^^, ^-,
-

<

re

>

/cat

205

^
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6

inel he

^et/xaro?

-^
2

^^

, "
;
sq.

/39

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elire

',

^,

^.
200
Schoemann,

^
216

,
Turnebus
\

215

yju,,
220

^'

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\

L. Ahrens

add. Poison.

Blomfield).

222

; ^

-? ^ :
:

205

'' Pauw
219
sqq.

corr.

{poais

h:

59

With body and

Empty,
in

spirit

well-nigh spent,

hard imprisonment

Amid

those famed resorbing tides of Aulis pent,

cast,

Without one doubt on prophet

He bowed

and

drifted with the violent blast.

IV

I.

For gales continually from Strymon bore

3'fl

stioph(

Lean

fast

and

leisure curst,

mooring unstable,

Wildness of wits and waste of ship and cable,

Till the endless

weary while with

:

fretting sore

The

flower of

Argos wore

Whereat

their prophet, pealing

The dread name

Such

Artemis,

Cried means of help and healing,

cruel healing this

As heavier still the princes found Than tempest hard upon the ground They beat the sceptre, mute with pain,
;

Nor

tears could they restrain.

At

"

IV

2.

last the elder uttered voice

and cried

y^A

am

strophi

cruel fate refusal!

child,

The butchery of my
Fathers own hands at

Hard and cruel my own home's Jewel!

dyed

the altar crimson

In young pure stricken tide!

Whichever path be

taketi,

'Tis evil still to choose;

What can

/,

left

forsaken ?

^;
yo.p

TTapOeuLOV

*
yap

bpyai

225

//.
'.

ev

inel

'

avayvov, aviepov,

^
yap

>>

eSv XcTraSvov

230

Tokaiva

^) -.
e4yv.
235

yeveaOai

vyap, yvvaoovv

.
'.

"
SiKav

ovSev

^ )^,
'

. ^
,
.
239
re
:

240

245

yyov
232
/3/)0T0(>s
:

Spanheim

Blomfield

Mueller.

246

6
My
For
league

can I lose?
tvith desire

They press me, furious

luJiat Uis

lawful

to

require,

virgijis blood
it

for caluiing-spell;be luell!"

God send

may

I.

But under that sore stroke

Once donned the grievous yoke

Of Need compelling, all his thought within To another quarter veered, set full for sin

And

desperate action, to the utmost stretch

It
is

Resolved.
Distraction!

that foul-suggesting wretch

With her men's

hence their

hearts at

first

Grow

reckless,

fatal

harms

begin,

Ruinous.

Alas,

he steeled him to that worst,

in sacrifice to

Slaying of his child,

speed

War

for a

woman, sanction

to let ships proceed.

V
Her Her
supplications
oft
all.

2.

appealing

call

On
To

Father, her fresh years of maidenhood,

for

With umpires clamouring war Gave the

sign

nothing stood.

his ministers her father, after prayer.

bade

them

seize her

and upbear

Above

the altar,
in

huddling

where she lay

Wrapped

her robes, aloft with courage good

her, drooping,

Kidwise to hold

and

to stay

Those lovely
Bridles with

lips

with forced impediment,

dumb

curb muffling utterance, to prevent

62

e'.

, ,^ 4^
/8'

*
eTTel

'

/
9

/oteVef

ireSov

250

\'

e.

. ^^ , '^ /^ .
^7^ OUT
etoot'

'

^
'

iv

255

KaX^at'TOS
jutet'

260

<>
,

yivoiT

\'

365

yap

'

^,

yatas

:7 /)

,.
:

270

258 264 ewei

Hermann
:

Enger
yifoir

aih:

avrais

('

Hartung)

263 '
Wellauer
:

add. Elmsley.
\

266 ;/)(?'

}5

63

VI
Curse on his house.
In
safifron

I.

Then,

letting raiment fall ^

5th strophe

to the ground, her slayers all

With eye she smote, the dumb

eye's piteous dart

Aimed

at

each several heart,

as a pictured form, that fain

Showing

would speak

How many
When
Joined

a time in her dear father's hall

boards were laden

his guests
!

She had sung before

in his

Unsullied maiden.

joyous antheming

At

grace with pure note blithe his loving child would sing.

VI

2.

What

further

was
is

I neither

saw nor

tell

sth anti
;

strophe

Only, not vain

Calchas' oracle.

Justice hath willed that

knowledge

fall

inclined

On

the tried sufferer's mind.

in
it

Learned

the proof:
is
;

what

sliall be
it

you

may

hear

Soon

as

before that, fare

well

'Twere but fore sorrow

Plain shall
it

come with

the early rays of

be,

morrow

Yet good speed now the sequel

As

here the realm's immediate sole Defence would see. \Meaning Clytaemnestra who now approaches.

Elder.
In deference to thy rule
;

am

here,

Queen,

when

the male Prince

Hath

left

a vacant throne, due

homage then
thy counsel

Belongs unto his consort.

Keep

now

64

'

etre

Kehvou etre

evayyiXoLaw

euctyyeXos

yivovro

. <; . .-' . . , ' . ; ' . . ^ .' . . ' . ' . . ^^ '' ^

; ;

^. , , . . . ; ^.
ovhe aiyojaiqi

<;,

^.
. .
;
;

275

280

'; . .
^^

285

, .

; . .
;

290

,
.
.
p. 7
:

295

286

^^

Blomfield

700
:

{ex evweidei)

287
1.

XaKoiyut

Karsten

294

ayyapov Canter ex Etyin.

p.
(ixxvhv

296

-,

Casaubon ex Athen. xv.

M.

65

With
But
I

all

good

will

would learn most gladly whether

it

be

Good news

that sets afoot these offerings, or

But happy-tiding hopes.

Clyt.

With happy

tidings, as the proverb runs.

his

Come Dawn
Have taken
Elder.
It

from Night
all

Mother

but here

is

joy

Goes quite beyond

hope,

the

Argive arms

Priam's town.

What was
passed believing and escaped me.

this

Clyt.
In the hands of the Achaeans
:

Troy

am

plain

Elder.
Clyt.

Such joy

steals over

me

as calls forth tears.

The

truthful eye

bewrays thy sympathy.

Elder.
Clyt.

What warrant is there? Hast thou any proof? Aye surely unless Heaven hath played us false.
;

Elder. Is it the flattering Hath won thy credence

Clyt.

vision of a
?

dream

should not come crying

The imagination of a drowsing brain. Elder. Can it then be some light-winged rumour Hath fed conceit so high } You rate my wits Clyt. As light as a green girl's. What season then Elder. Hath seen the capture made? The self-same night Clyt. That now hath given the dawn before us birth. Elder. What courier could arrive thus rapidly?
Clyt.
Hephaestus
;

his bright flame

from Ida sprang,

flew.

And

fast in fiery post the

beacons
:

As one dispatched another Ida first To Hermes' hill in Lemnos third the mount Of Zeus in Athos caught the mighty brand
;

H. A.

66

)(
'
OVTL

, /, , -, '
re,

rjSoprjv

ot

, ,. ^ ,^ , , . ^' ^ ,
'

35

\\\)

'

310

'

'

\\

3^5

'

^
'

^, ,
:

.
.

320

298 sqq. vitiosa esse liquet. Casaubon 316 320 VT Hermann:

^^

'.

'

309

iridiof

fh:

319
fh: TOye

.:

. .

322

6;

From

the island thrown in turn.

Then towering high

To

clear the broad sea's back, the travelling torch

Shot up to the very sky the courier flame,

In golden glory, like another Sun,

Fame
Whose
Or

to the far Makistos

fiery office

messaging

no defaulting sleep
fail
;

tarrying sloth let

his ensign flying

Over the Sound Euripos made aware

Messapion's watchmen of his advent
;

they

With answering

countersign, a kindled stack

Of

old gray heather, passed the

word along
force

Which vigorous lamp with unabated

Did shining
Asopus even
as the bright

Moon

overleap

to Cithaeron's ridge,
;

There to wake new dispatch

nor being aroused

;

That watch denied the

far-sent missioner

They burned above

their

bidding ^ and their light

Went

sailing far

beyond Gorgopis lake

still

To

the heights of Aegiplanctus, urging

No

dallying in the breathless ordinance.

liberal heart aloft

Whereat with

they sent
flight

Flame

in a great

beard streaming, that his

Should clean beyond the foreland

pass, that looks

O'er the Saronic gulf; nor ever stooped

His pinion ere he gained our neighbouring height,

Arachnae's vigilant peak
:

alighting thence

Upon
That

the Atridae's roof a gleam there came.

Ida's fire his ancestor
^

may

claim.

Or 'beyond

the aforesaid.'

52

68
rototSe

VLKOLL

/)' ' 6

.
.

, ^^
^.9,

yvrat,

'

^'

e^ovcr' eV

. . ,.
,
.

3^5

33

\
crwju.acrtl'

'
^

335

, '
hpv
324 334 ^^''^^ Canter ' 348 Weil.
:

'

^,

. ^
'
Schuetz:

, ,
iraiSfs

34

345
|

'' ^
ah,

e\'X^as a fh.

339 sqq.

Stanley:

af h.

f.

331

\eyois fh.

codd.: corr.

6g
This was the ordering of

my

torchmen's race,
still

One from

another in succession
;

Supplied and plenished

and he that won

last in all this run.

Was

he

j^an first,
is

though

Here
Pass'd

the proof and warrant of

for

my

joy,

onward

me by my
now

lord from Troy.

Elder.
I

Lady, the gods

adore hereafter
;

will

am
it

fain

To

satisfy

my

wonder, might

please

you

Discourse again at large.

Clyt.

This day the Greeks

in their

Hold Ilium
Most
Pour

hand.
is

O, well
rife

guess

ill-according noise
in

within her!

the

same cruse

oil

and vinegar,

And you
Thus

shall call

them

quarrellers, unkind;

differing as their fortunes

may

be heard

Cries of the vanquish'd and the vanquishers.

Vanquish'd,

upon

the several corpses flung

Of

children, husbands, brothers,

sister,

aged

sire.

Wife,

from a throat no longer free

dear ones dead.

Wail

for their

The vanquishers
hungry down

Their after-battle forage

And

ranging

in the night sets

Before such breakfasts as the town affords,

By no

nice turn of ordered billeting,

lottery has
:

But Luck's own

In captur'd

them lodged
there

ere this

homes of Troy

now
how

at length

Delivered from the frosts and from the dews

Of

the bleak sky they shelter, and

blest

Shall sleep at ease the whole unguarded night.

70
ei

'

\"
-^

-^

yap

'

,
et

yiit'at,

avhpa

'

^,
'
358

, . , , ,
.

35

355

,;

. .^ .

36

^, ^ ,
^,

365
\^

, .
33 '
Auralus:
Paley
:

37

rhv (\6vTS
uavoiev

Hermann:
Oavoui' fh.

dveXovrei a,
evriyopov

fh

\<
365

.:

iypriyopov codd.

codd.

7
If

now they

are showing reverence to the

Gods

O' the fallen country and their holy shrines,

They
But

shall not spoil then

only to be spoiled
first

let

no

lust

be falling on them

From

covetousness to plunder that they should not:

of the double course
is

The backward

yet

To measure
But
let

they must win safe passage home.

them only come without offence

the grievance of the perished well

Toward Heaven,

May
Of

learn fair language,

if

no sudden stroke

casualty befall.

These
I

are

my

thoughts,

woman's

but

pray
all

Good speed
Great are

prevail without

counterpoise

my

blessings

would

taste their joys.

Elder.

Thy woman's
all

words,

my
I'll

Lady,
:

Have

a wise man's judgment

thee,

now having heard

Good warrant from

address

me
is

next
given

To the praise Ample reward

of Heaven, since to us
for all that

labour done.

Zeus the king of Heaven

Night,

With

so great splendour

and so bright
I

Possessed,

friendly Night

On
Thy

Troy's renowned high towers was cast

snare, a net so close

and

fast

As

neither great nor small

Should leap the immense enslaving woof:

Doom's divine

drag-net, huge and proof.

all

At one sweep took them

72
rot

, .'
"9

,, ^ ^ . '
alSovjxaL

375

S^o

^'
'

'

, . .^ ^
' '

'

3^5

39

.,
.
7' h.

395

Hartung:
codd.

379
386 304

Boissonade:

yav Canter

'

''

'

coir.

e\

380
381
f,

'
\

Hermann:

iirpa^ev codd.

Hartung: iyyovovi
:

iyyovov^ h,

386
wait

.:

codd.
codd.

codd.

397

Hartung

73

Be Lord Zeus of the Stranger's board

For author of
this act

adored

His bolt on Alexander bent

Was aimed
Over the

so long as neither sent

stars

nor early spent

fall.

To

light with idle

I.

''Struck by the

hand of Zeus!"
:

ay, truth indeed,

Strophe.

And

traceable

'tis

the act of will decreed

foot

And

purpose.

Under

when mortals

tread

Fair lovely Sanctities, the Gods, one said,

The easy Gods

Here are
sin's

are careless

'twas

profane
plain,

wages manifest and

The
With

sword's work on that swelled presumptuousness,

affluent

mansions teeming

in excess,

Beyond Best Measure:

best,

and sorrow-free,

The

wise well-dowered mind's unharmed Sufficiency

The Rich man hath no

tower,

Whose

Pride, in Surfeit's hour,

Kicks against high-enthroned Right

And

spurns her from his sight.

2.

Child of designing Ate's deadly

womb,
to his

Antistrophe.

The wretch Temptation

drives

him

doom.

74

7/37

,
('

, '
4

/c
Xiral'

^
'
/,^

),

'

'>7;)('

. / .
'

,
-

45

\)( '

'
"

\
{

, , , ' , . .
'

45

420

401 405 410 )/

II.

&
f.

421

(
J.

Pearson
h)
:

\5
f.

codd.

corr.

Wilamowitz.

L. Ahrens.
fft7as

/ /35

412 417

414
f.

'
codd.: corr.

404 407

Hermann.

' /^? ' 418 ' 422

Schuetz
:

f.

Klausen

TtDc5e codd.
vai'iSdras ^'

re

/cat

Aur.ntus:

codd.
coda.:

Dindorf).

75

Then cure

is

all

in vain.

The

vice he wears

He

cannot hide

sinister

gleam declares

His mischief; as base metal at the touch

And

trial

of the stone, he shovveth smutch

(This fond

man

like a child a-chase of wings),

all

And
To

the awful taint on

is

his

people brings
;

prayers

not an ear in Heaven

one frown

All conversant with such calls guilty and pulls down.

Such Paris was, that ate

Within the Atridae's gate,

And
By

then disgraced the Stranger's bread

theft of

woman

wed.

I.

To Argos

hurrying tumult, thronging power

bequeathing,

strophe.

Of men-at-arms and men-at-oars

To

Ilium bringing death for her sole dower,

Ah, tripping

it

through her gate she's flown,

A
The
^'The

crime done

Then
the

did voices moan,

secrets of the house in sorrow breathing

Home, woe, woe,

the

Home!

The Princes, woe!

The impress where

There yonder abject

wedded limbs yet show!

where
all

sits,

may

see.

Shamed, nnreviling,

silent,

boived indignity:

76

'

';
Se

So^ec

e^^erat

'
eppcL
^

. .
auSpC,
iu

425

^
yap,

43

'

^ '

' "
yap <

.' "

435

, )
429 437
corr.

'

44

avTL

.^ "
'
codd. codd.

>

445

>5 .

( ?
llousman:
:

Bamhery;er
ris

434 438

Karsien: KeXeudois.

\]

441

codd.:

add. Person.

'jy

Pined

so tvith his beyond- sea

dream

Afar, so lovesick he shall seem

The pale faint ghost of prond

Fair shapely marbles
Vex

authority.

zvhite

the distasting sight,

tlie

Lost in
TJie

lack of eyes that shone,

love

warm

dead and gone.

II
'^

2.

Dream- shoivn,

in flattering shape,
illtision

come phantasies^

md

anti-

With joy

nay, fond

strophe.

all their bringing!

is

Blissful in vision there tvhen heaven

his

Ah, vanishing through

'

his

arms away

Tis gone, with never pause or stay,

is luinging."

Fast on the fickle paths where Sleep

These are the one

forlorn home's miseries,

And more And what

Theirs
Is

exceeding bitter yet than these.

at large for all that host of

war
?

Far hence, the general legion sped from Hellas' shore

in their several

houses due

mourning and heart-broken rue

sure,

Cause enough,

keen-touching to the core

From each home once there went A man forth him it sent
:

Each knows

but what are these return

little

dust,

an urn.

Ill

I.

Ares, the Changer

With

scales

of the poised where

Body's coin,
the spears in battle join.

3rd
strophe.

TTJvopos

^ ^.
^^
'
i^

45

Xeyoi/res

hpa

'
'

iv

/ .^
rts

'

'

,'' /,

^,
455

^
460

'

'
'
'

,
'
,
:

/'

. '
f.

' ^. /

4^5

47

451
Oxon.
codd.
I

ei/^fToi's

Auratus

p. 119:

458
f.

-^
c odd.

455
f.

Stai

Hermann

ex Cramer

rtiiv/.

464

Porson:

79

Fined

in

the furnace

home from IHum sends

Dust, heavy dust and sore to weeping friends,

hve man's worth of ash, full-measured load

!

In small jars' compass decently bestowed

Then
This

wail the sorrowing kinsmen, and belaud each man,

for a perfect soldier,

how

that

fell

Glorious amid the carnage, fighting well

''For another s wife!" the growl

comes low,

And

sores against their Princes grow.

This process that began.

Others possess their tomb
There,
in

their beauty's

bloom

Troy's holders, in the land they hold

Graved, beneath hated mould

Ill

2.

people's talk

is

dangerous when

it

storms

3rd antistrophe.

The

effect of public curse their

wrath performs.

For something cloaked within the night

Stands listening:

my

mind

the
:

divine eyes are not blind

To men

of blood

the

man

of mere success.

Luck's thriver in defect of Righteousness,

8
TLueia

\>)(.1

TeXeOovTOs

,
'
ei
;

ev

'.
'
eirju

.
eu 475

]^,
'

^.

'

480

'
TToXtt'

' ^ ^
'

Tts otoei^

,
;

Tt c/etoi' ecTTt

,
/ar/

^.
4^5

<

'
^'
codd.

^ )
Scaliger:

^vvati^eVat.

49

471

codd.
codd.

483

489

. '^ ? (
(vel
--^t)

codd. codd.

474

47

Tucker:

480
f,

^? .:
\

Grotius

Auratus:

codd.

484

Hermann:
^pos

Scaliger

iv yvvaiKbs codd.

-491

Blomtield

opos codd.

8
Doomed by
the dark Avengers, wanes again at
last,

Dwindling, until he fades out where the dim

Lost shadows are

and

there,

no help

for him.

And Fame,
Is

too loudly
;

when she

cries,

dangerous also

flashing eyes

Of Zeus
Mine be

the proud height blast.

the

happy

state

That moves no jealous hate;

No

conquest, neither let

me

see

My An
Elder.

own

captivity.

Swift rumour through the city goes

:

At

glorious message blazed in fiery sign

it

But whether
Nay, whether

tell

truth,

who knows

it

be not but some guile divine

Another.

What man

so childish or so crazed of wit

lit

To

let

the tinder of his brain be

in fire,

By news

and

then expire
it ?

Extinct at the reverse of

Another.
The

Right woman's giddiness, to a tempting lure

yielding 'yes' ere present proof assure.

Another.
Makes

Feminine assenting, where her wishing

fiery

lies,

way

with

fire's

decay

In chaff, so perisheth fame a

[A/
this point there is
p. 9).

woman

cries!

an interval lasting some days

(see Introduction,

At

the

opening of the new scene the Chorus are alone in

the orchestra.

H. A.

82

^
etr

OVU

< , ' ^? ,- ' ' . ' \ , '.

oe V
ev

,^ ,' -^
re
aKrjtfeL<i

495

elt

OLKrji/

Toh^

^'

505

>)'

., ?' , ^^ ^ * ., '

'

' ^,
,
'
6

^,

"

,
h.

5^5

tcr^t

609 617

5(

lacob:

Dobree

-3
codd.

516

'

margo Askewi:

\'

es
{,

ijXees h.

, Kanaywvios

83

[Elder {who has

been looking out over the plain towards the sea).

Now
The sober
Whether
it

presently
all

we

shall

know

truth of

this cresseting,
fire,

Blazing of beacons, handing-on of

be

fact

indeed or only some

:

Delightful

dream

that flatters and befools

herald yonder from the shore in sight

olive-branches,

Umbraged with
Gives

ay,

and

further,

Mire's consorting sister, thirsty Dust,

me good

surety this advertisement

Shall not be voiceless, not a bonfire burned

With smoke of timber on a mountain-top His plain word shall establish either joy
Nay, with aught
else
I

cannot

rest content

Be glad proof present crowned with glad event

Another.

The man

that in that prayer will take no part

his

Reap the reward of

misguided heart

[Enter Herald, worn and broken by ten years' exposure before Troy.

Herald.
Fatherland of mine, sweet

home

of Argos,

Ten

years after on this blessed day

last

Arrived again at

One anchor
Never could

after all
1

One hope hath held, those many broken,

! !

dream these bones would have Their own dear Argive soil to rest in happy Land, and hail to thee, Now hail to thee,

Thou
Zeus
;

bright Sun, and the land's high paramount,

and the Lord of Pytho,

in

blest be he.

And

shoot his arrows upon us no more

Scamander showed thee

thy wrath enough

Preserver be thou, be thou Healer now,

84

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8s

Lord Apollo

Greeting unto you,

all,

Ye Gods
From
Kind
These

of Gathering

with mine

own

patron,

Hermes, the sweet Herald, that homage hath

heralds
;

and

ye Heroes
us,

in

the earth,

as of old
relics of

you sped

now

receive

the spear....
halls of royalty
!

Awake, beloved
Hail to you
!

Hail, ye stately judgment-seats

!

And
Beam

hail,

ye orient-facing Deities

If e'er aforetime, after all these

with bright eyes

now

days upon the King

darkness unto you

For bringing

light in

And
He

all

this people, Prince

Agamemnon

comes.

give him welcome!

ha.th

'Tis indeed his

due;
;

digged up Troy with mattock

Yea, with the mattock of Zeus Justicer

Hath

left

the whole soil overturned and broke

all

And
So

her seed rooted out of

the land.

sore the yoke laid on her caitiff neck

By

the elder lord Atrides,

who now comes

for

Blest

among men,
all

the worthiest in the world

;

To
Nor

be received with honour

his liable city

Trojan Paris

now can

boast

Their trespass to outweigh their punishment

Convicted both of rape and thievery,

He

hath lost his pillage and of House been shorn

all

With

the land pertaining

for

he and his

Amerced
Elder.

crime in twofold penalties

O
I

Herald of the Achaeans from the

all
;

field.

Best greeting and

joy
let

Herald.
I'll

thank you
it

me

die

now

At God's

pleasure,

not oppose

longer.

86

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550

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Elder.

You have been

sickness for your fatherland
?

tried

By

Herald. Mine eyes Elder. Then Herald.

Elder. With

Ay
fill

truly

with tears for happiness.

there

was pleasure

in the sickness.

Pleasure

Pray you, instruct me.

'Twas a love returned

love again.

Herald.
Elder.

For us then your heart yearned As ours did yearn for home ?

So much

grieved

That many a sigh

my
.''

clouded heart hath heaved.

Herald.

What

cloudy gloom was this that overhung

Mislikers of our war

Elder. Hath long been Herald.

A
my

silent

tongue

best amulet.

In absence of our princes

Amulet? were there any

?

You

stood in fear

of,

then

Elder. Your own Herald.

Indeed 'twere now,

phrase,

^joy to die.

Ay,
!

for

it

is

brave success
to

With much
Also

Though, take the time in all, cause contentment, there were matters

for discontent
live

May
The

Gods alone unscathed of harm perpetually

I

but

Troth, were
toil,

to recount our miseries.

the wretched lodging

Snatched on a sorry couch and all our groans In the hour of daytime! Then again on shore; Why there 'twas yet worse hardship for we lay Before the enemy's walls, and from the sky.
;

seldom

respite

from the damp fen, dews with damage dripped Abiding, that our woolly garments made All verminous 9r tell again of cold
:

And

How

bitter

was the snow on Ida made.

88

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89
Killing the birds
;

or sweltering summer's heat,

in his

When
What

slumbering
stir
it

noonday drowsiness

Lay without
boots

the sunk unruffled sea

?

to repine

The

pain

is

past

Unto the dead so past that no more now They have any thought or care to rise again

Why
The
'

make, with

telling all the lost expense,

live heart sore at Fate's

malevolence
!

Adieu, cross Fortune, fare you well

us,

'

say

I.

For

the remnant of the host, our gain

Outweighs the utmost counterpoise of pain

On
By

Fame's wings flying over land and sea

This glorious day proud boasters we

the troops of Argvs, Jiaving taken
to the

may
Troy,

be

Memorials

Gods

in thank/id

Joy
to

Throughout all Greece their mansions

adorn

Were pinned

these trophies

from

the

Trojans torn.

All those that hear this blazon should applaud

The country and

her captains

honour due
it

Being also done to Zeus, whose hand

is

You have my
Elder.

tale in full.
I

am
is

overborne

No more

contending

age

never old

'For young Instruction.

[Turning
to

Clytaemnestra who
rich

entei's.

There should be
For

news

here,

me

too,

but methinks most nearly touching

The House and Clytaemnestra.

Clyt.
I

Some
lifted

while since

up
the

my
first

jubilee, already.

When
Told

messenger, at night, by

fire,

me

the capture and the wrack of Troy.

They

chid

me

then with scorn

Persuaded
taken ?

so

By

beacons to believe that Troy

is

90

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iv

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615

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620

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623
re

Hermann

ye codd.

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codd.

gi
the right

woman's credulous heart on wings!

derision

With such
Yet
still

was
;

argued

fool

kept offering

and throughout the town

Aloud they shouted

after

woman's use
in the shrines

Their jubilant anthem, lulling

The hunger

of the spice-fed odorous flame.

further circumstance
shall render us

So now, what need we

From
The

t/iee"}

The King's own mouth

:

tale in full

but

must give

my own

Dear honoured
Soonest and

lord the best

and soonest welcome

best, for to a
is

woman's eyes

What hour

dearer than the hour

when Heaven
wars, and she

Hath saved her husband from the

Unbars her gates
for
all

him

Go

bid him, then,

Come

hither with

speed, the country's darling,

Come
Even

with

all

speed, a faithful wife to find,

as he left her, a true

foes a foe, to

hound
still

within,

Still to his

him

kind

Alike at

all

parts, every whit the

same,
;

That

all

this while

hath never broke one seal

Of
I

joys from other

nay,

the whispered blame

steel

have no more knowledge than of plunging

[Exit

Herald.

Valiant protest

with truth

in

every syllable.
it ?

True honest lady need not blush

to cry

Elder.

We
tell

have heard her

story,

as

you apprehend,

In the ear of judgment, excellent, most plausible.

But

me, Herald, our beloved prince

.'*

Menelaus, shall we see him safe back with you

92

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sequentia disticha Clytaeninestrae daiit codd.

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:

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codd.

93

Herald.

have no

art to colour falsehood fair

And
Elder.

lend the painting gloss for lasting wear.

might then colour

fair

be joined with true

'Tis vain to cloke disjunction of the two.

Herald.

To speak no
his

falsehood then, the prince

is

vanished

From
Elder.

companions, together with his ship.

in full sight?

Loosing from Ilium

Or was
rest
?

't

general storm that tore

him from the

Herald.

You have
briefly

hit the target

with a perfect aim

And
Elder.

phrased a long sad chronicle.

his

How

was

name
?

in

current rumour bruited

?

By

the other crews

As

yet alive or dead

Herald.

None can

aver by knowledge, save that one

That breeds the increase of the Earth, the Sun.

Elder.

What

is

your story of the storm

How
?

rose,

And how
Herald.

did close, this angry visitation

It fits

not to profane with dolorous tongue

:

day of praise

that service and the Gods'

Are twain and

separate.

When

the messenger

Brings gloomy visage and disastrous hap.

An armed
From

host's

overthrow

one

general
several

wound

Lashed on the country, and her

private

men

home on home

driven out with scourge

By

curse of Ares with his double thong

for ruin

Twinned thus

and

for slaughter leashed

When
Why,

such the load upon the bearer's back,

then
'tis

fitting that his

;

anthem sound

The Avengers' tone

but when he comes with news

94

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660

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650
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:

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... $

codd.

coir.

Wasse.
:

Linwood

f.

665
codd.

corr.

95

Of

preservation to a country blest

welfare,

With ease and

how

then should

mix

The good with evil, and relate a storm That ne'er came surely but from angry Gods
Fire and sea, worst enemies before,

Now

sware a covenant, and displayed their pledge

all

By wrecking

the luckless Argive host.

in

Trouble of the ocean

the night-time wrought

boisterous,
;

The Northern wind grew

With

and our ships

Dashed one against the other

blast of the hurricane

which, being

rammed

and battering

sleet,

By that wild shepherding were lost and And when the bright light of the Sun
Our eyes beheld

vanished.
rose up,

The
With

vast

Aegean

like a field in

bloom

floating carcases of

drowned men

And
Still

tattered wrecks of ships.

We, with a
safe, either

hull

sound, were brought off

of

by

sleight

Or pleading

some Power, had

pilot.

other, sure,

Than human hand, our

Neither at mooring
in

Fortune too

Sat Saviour on our deck, vouchsafing us

the roads to suffer

Strain of a swelling surge, nor driving split

Upon a rock-bound coast. Then, being at length From ocean graves delivered, with fair dawn. The fact scarce crediting, we let our thoughts
Dwell musing on our strange reverse, our
fleet

So bruised and
If

buffeted....

Well, they likewise now,

any be that breathes

yet,

speak of

us.

Doubtless, as perished,

we meanwhile supposing
:

Them

in the

same case

let

us hope the best

96
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688

sq.

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pou

ais

codd.

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eXeVas codd.

97

That may be

Menelaus,

in sore plight
;

Presume him needs you must

yet

if

the

Sun

With any ray

descries

him hale and quick,

By
The

help of Zeus, then, being loth to see

race quite blotted out,

some hope

there

is

He yet may come safe home. You have my And rest assured 'tis absolute verity.

story,

Chorus.
I
I.

Who named her all so truly? Txr One beyond our vision, Was ^
.

ist

strophe.

By

glimpse of Order fated

lips

His happy

who moved

.''

This Prize debate-environed,

This Bride with spear to kinsman, This Helena
}

Most

perfect Helena

'Twas Hell enow she proved.

When amorous

from the silken-tissued

Veils before her bower emerging

Forth to Eastward

sail

she issued,

Spirit of Earth-born

Zephyrus urging

Forth to Eastward
After her,

sail.

men

with ardour shipped,

all

Myriads of hunters,

equipped

In arms that harrier-like pursued

Fast on a printless

trail

of oars

Abeach on Simois'

leafy shores,

Full cry, in bloody feud

H. A.

98

,
';
rjvvaev,

6-

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705

. ^ , , .
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, , ^. '
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715

VLV

720

704
715

-^ &' ('
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codd.

Canter:

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f,

- Hermann)

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sq.

Conington
ovTOS (vel

$)

codd.

719

77-

codd.
/SoiJras

718
:

sq.

Wecklein

codd.

1.

99
I 2.

But unbent Wrath abiding

ist anti-

strophe.

Works

her will to render

alliance

That so dear

All too dear for

Troy

That scorn

of high Zeus guarding friendly Table

The shared Home's

Wrath
in
all

her season visits

that uttered joy,

On

All that once in gay carousal

Bride with

Hymen

fain

would honour,

Hymen, when

the time of spousal

their praise

Bade them heap

Ah, but

upon her

at this time,
late the lesson, wiser

Though

grown

With age-long

suffering of her

own

Sons' blood so lamentably shed.

That ancient City

loud,

ween,
Threne,

Laments with
'

practice-perfect

Paris evil-wed !

II

I.

young babe Lion, ^ ^

'

still

at breast,

^""^
,

'

strophe.

Was home
And
And

once by a Herdsman borne,

the rest

Housed beneath roof among

reared there
of age,
;

in his early

morn

first

all

gentle, mild,
;

Youth's darling, the delight of Eld

lOO
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ev

yap

-, .
'

. ^
'
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730

735

'

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, ^.
734
add. Porson.

, , .
Auratus
:

'?,
740

745

726

sq.

</)/)7;'...>'
codd.

ap6s...<avv
'
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re codd.

728

sq.

Conington: ^dos codd.

737

Heath:

740 '

lOI

And

ofttimes, like a nursling child,

In arms with

happy love was

flesh,

held,

While the weak

demure and bland,

fostering hand.

With fawning wooed the

II 2.

But age grown

ripe, his

humour showed
;

2nd

anti-

strophe.

The born touch

that his parents had

Thank-offering when his nurture owed,

banquet, ere the master bade,

wild slaughter he prepared,

With such
While

It sluiced

the dwelling foul with gore,

helpless, all aghast, they stared

Upon

that bloody mischief sore

Divine Will there had found him room.

Housed, to be Priest of slaughtering Doom.

Ill

I.

Likewise, arriving once in Ilium town

3rd
strophe.

What

languorous gentleness was seen

Tranquillest Pearl to shine in Riches' crown,

With Calm's own

Eyes
to send

soul serene

arrowy softness winging

fire

Loveliness torturing with the heart's desire.

Then from

that

Heaven away she

fell.

Transformed into a Fiend of Hell

Launched upon Priam's house

God's Vengeance,

to bring
;

Curse with her sweet companioning

in his

conduct led

With ruth about her

bridal

bed
to shed

And

tears for

widowed wives

102

y'.

^ '
.
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<;

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763 766

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(Maehly).

yap

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codd.
:

762

ore

Klausen

.;'

(Heimsoeth)
codd.
:

veapa (paovs

.,.
codd.

codd.
rhv codd.

^^

codd.

768 Ti'et 770

coir.

H. L. Ahrens.

769
i

Tucker:

103

III

2.

There

is

an ancient proverb

men

will

preach

As framed by wisdom

of old time,

3rd anti^^^^ ^'

That prosperous Fortune, let him only reach To full estate and prime,

Hath Weal

issue, dies

not childless

for his heir

in

waxen so, begets unsated Woe.

;

But single

the world

hold
:

doctrine different from the old

Not Weal it is, but Sinful Deed More sinners after him doth breed Formed in his image none the less Doth lovely offspring always bless
;

The house

that follows Righteousness.

IV
Old Insolence

I.

in the evil sort of

men
gloom

4^^
^

Young

Insolence will gender, then or then,

the appointed hour, a Fiend of
violent, unwithstood,

"^"^

When dawns

For penance,

Flushed with such reckless Hardihood

That

sin's

dark ruinous

Doom

In black storm on the roof shall rage,

The

latter offspring like his parentage.

IV

2.

But Righteousness to the upright heart inclines Bright beneath smoky rafters her light shines Gilt-spangled halls, where hands guilt-spotted are,
;

4th anti^"^P
^'

Swift with averted eyes forsakes,

Thence

to the pure her blessing takes.

To that false lauded star, The Power of Riches, will not

But guideth
all

bend.

things to their proper end.

I04

, \\ ^ ^, \^ ;. ^ ^
aye

,
ere

775

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TToWol Se

*
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'^
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cratVet

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79

^' .
f.

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^7rt\-eww

782

Sioh.

. 2,
789

785

post hunc versum lacunam indicavit

aaiveiv coaa.

794

797

Hermann. yap Hermann:

coaa.

105

[^Enter

Agamemnon in a four-wheeled travelling-waggon drawn by mules; followed prese?ttly by another containing, among other spoils, Cassandra y who throughout this scene and through the
it

chorus following

continues motionless

and

silent but in view.

Chorus.

Come What
Not

thou conqueror,
praise,

my

King,
I

what homage can

outwing
?

bring

to be scanty nor

Thy pleasure with my style Too many in this world, we know.

Practise rather outward show.

Dishonest arts of guile

All

men for a man's distress Have apt sighs ready, never smart Of sorrow going near the heart And as rejoiced in happiness

With formal fashion they constrain The lips into a smile But him that can discern his flock The eyes that flatter shall not mock. Fond affection when they feign That lukewarm is the while. Thou, when levying armament
:

In cause of Helen, didst present

I

will

not cloke

it

then
guise,

picture to these aged eyes

in

Deformed
Recovery

most unlovely

The handling

of thy helm not wise,

at such dear

expense

To

purchase

willing

Impudence
:

At cost of dying men But now no glozer or false friend Am I, pronouncing Happy end Makes happy labourers.

io6
Se

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coaA.
f,

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oi/ve/ca

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? -? 6$
Dobree.
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Heath
:

Blomfield:

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codd.

.-$

;
Thy
question in due time shall
this
tell

Among

people which doth well

In stewardship, which errs.

AGAMEiMNON.

To Argos
Belongs

first

and

to the country's

Gods

my

duty, that have aided

me

To my Upon

return and justice

we have done
:

the

town of Priam
in

when they heard

The unvoiced cause

heaven, with one consent

They

cast into the urn of blood their votes

:

For perishing waste of Troy

to the other urn

Hope

of the filling

hand came ever

capture even

nigh,

Unfilled,

The

city's

now

Shows manifest by
In

the

smoke

death vigorous yet

expiring ash

Doom's

fierce hurricane', the

Pants forth his opulent breath

in puffs of

Wealth.

Behoves us therefore render unto Heaven

Most memorable

return, since
for

we have wreaked
;

Our ample vengeance

an arrogant rape

whole town

for a
in the

woman's sake hath been

dust by our fierce brood,
in

Laid desolate

Hatched of a Horse

armed swarm,
Pleiades,

that sprang

About the sinking of the

And

o'er the

ramparts

like a
fill

ravening Lion

Salient hath lapped his

Or
In Doom's burnt
sacrifice,

of soveran blood.

'

life
.'
.

smouldering

yet,

io8

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109

To Heaven

this
in

lengthened preface.

For

your thought
;

(Remembered

my

ear),

say the same

;

You have me

of your counsel
'tis

few indeed

Are they with whom

nature to admire

friend's

good fortune with unjealous eyes

Malignant venom settling at the heart

Distempers, and the sick man's burden makes

Twice heavy

labouring with his

own

distress

He

groans the more for others' blessedness.

in

By knowledge, proven

companionship's
I

True mirror, ghost of a shadow

can term

Some

seeming-absolute devotion to
that

me

Only Odysseus,

was

loth to

sail.

Being harnessed, pulled beside

me

loyally

Whether

alive
I

he be or whether dead

The

while

speak

For the
Affairs of policy

rest, as

touching

and of

religion,

A
In

congress
full

we

shall

summon, and debate

assemblage.
is

Our debate must be

How

what

healthy

may

persist in health

Where need appears

of wholesome remedies.

We
By

shall

endeavour to remove the mischief

sage employ of knife or cautery.

to our palace hearth

Now

and home we

pass,

First to give salutation to the

Gods
Victory

That sent us and returned.

May

Our

firm adherent rest in constancy

no

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m
Clytaemnestka.

My
I

reverend Elders, worthy citizens,

shall not blush

now
;

to confess before fear

you

My

amorous fondness
all

and diffidence
'tis

Fade from us
Instruction
I

in time.
tell

not from

can

The

story of

All the long

First for a

my own unhappy while my lord lay

with no
in

life

under Ilium.

To

sit

woman 'tis forlorn at home

a passing trial

man

present.

Always malignant rumours

her ears,

One bawler tumbling on

With

another's heels
:

cruel blows each heavier than the last

!

Wounds if my lord had As rumour channelling to

got as
us

many wounds
holes.
!

homeward gave him.

He He

had been more riddled than a net with

his deaths but tallied with all tales

Or had

might have been a second Geryon,

Three-bodied, with a triple coverture

Of earth above to boast him never speak Of that beneath one for each several corpse. By reason of

These cross malignant rumours, other hands

Full

many

a time have set

my

desperate neck

Free from the hanging noose, recovering

me
is

Against

my

dearest

will.

Hence
;

too

it

We
The

see not present

by our

side this

day

child, Orestes, in

whose person dwell

nor wonder at
it

The pledges

of our love

He

rests in

keeping of our trusty cousin,

Strophius the Phocian,

my

forewarner oft

112

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13
Of danger on two
At Troy, and
scores,

thy

jeopardy

fear of popular

tumult hatching
'tis

Plots in the lack of master, as

common
him
:

When

the man's

down

the more to trample on

lies

Under which showing

no trace of

guile.

For me, the gushing fountains of

my

tears
left

Are

e'en dried up, there's not a

drop now

And my

late-rested eyes

have suffered hurt

lit

From weeping
That
still

o'er the lanterns

for thee

were unregarded.

If

slept,

The

puniest whining of a pulsing gnat

Would
More

rouse

me

from beholding

in

my

dreams

accidents to thee than could befall

Within the time that was

my

bedfellow.

Now,
I

after all this borne, with heart

lord, safe

unpined

hail

my

watchdog of the

fold,

Main

forestay of the ship, firm-footed pillar

Bearing the roof up, sole-born child vouchsafed

To

father, to the

wave-tossed seaman, land

From

these

my
far
!

honouring words of courtesy

Envy keep

The sorrows formerly

suffered.

Are plenty we have

Descend,

Now,

dear

my

lord.

but

set not

on the humble ground

Thy

princely foot, this trampler upon Troy.

haste,

Come, women, your best

perform your
!

office

Pave the triumphal path with tapestry

H.

114
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5
Straight
let

a purple road be

laid,

and so

Let Justice lead him to his undreamed home

The

rest in fashion just with

Heaven's consent

Vigilance awake shall order to content.

Agamemnon.
Offspring of Leda, guardian of

my
its

house,

Thy

speech befits our absence,

;

proportion

Having been lengthened but becoming praise, That is a tribute should proceed from others. Moreover, womanize me thus no more, Nor fawn me, as I were an Eastern wight, With grovelling Oes and clamour neither strew
;

Robes on the earth, to call down jealousy. These are the glorious honours that belong

To Gods
'Tis in

but

human

feet

on broideries
Let your homage
tongue

my

conscience fearful.

Yield to

But of a

me not the measure of a God, man the sound on Rumour's

;

Rings different

far of

mats and
keep

broideries.

modest mind's the greatest

to

gift

of Heaven.

The name felicity's Have made an end

till

men

in blessing.

have said

How
Clyt.

will act herein to feel

no dread.

Tell

me

now, of your honest mind,

Agam.
Is fixed,

My
and
shall not shake.

mind

Clyt.

.-'

in

hour of

peril

Would you have made performance of this act A promised vow to Heaven Aye, had advised Agam.
Authority prescribed that holy service.

Clyt.

So

and what think you Priamus had done

achievement had been his?

If this

82

ii6

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apyvpov

;
Agam.
Oh, he
embroidered tapestry,

Had marched upon

I

make no

doubt.

Clyt.

For human censure then

a scruple.

Have never Agam.

Are Clyt.
potent.

Yet the tongues of men

He

that

moves no jealousy
'Tis not

Lies beneath envying.

Agam. To
Clyt.
Is

womanly

thirst for contest

But
graced
in

felicity

being conquered.

Agam,

And
i/iey

t/tine eyes,
?

Do

account such

conquest

'

as a prize
!

Clyt. O waive the right and yield Of your own Choose to be vanquished, you are victor still. Agam. Well, if you must, let presently be loosed The shoes that do the service of my feet.
[A slave unlooses

will

his shoes.

And as they tread these purple things, I No jealous eye may strike me from afar
I

pray.

have much conscience to be prodigal

for

In squandering Wealth of silver-purchased woofs.

Thus much

me:

now

lead this damsel in

{Showing Cassandra.

With

kindliness

the eye of

Heaven regards
:

gentle master with benignity

None wears the slave's yoke of his will, and Comes by the army's tribute in my train As rarest blossom out of all our spoil,

she

So
Clyt.

then, being

bound and subject

I

to thy pleasure,

Trampling upon purples

There
the sea

will go.
the purple

\He proceeds slowly on

is

path towards the palace.

it

shall

any stanch

up?

Still

breeding, for

its

worth of

silver weight.

Abundant

stain, freshly

renewable,

ii8

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9
For purpling robes withal
:

nay,

Heaven be
plenty such
;

praised,

The
I

house,

my

lord, affords us

'Tis not acquainted

yet with penury.

had vowed the trampling of a thousand robes,

the oracles enjoined
it

Had
Still

when

sought

Means

for recovery of a life so precious

from the living root the mantling green

Against the Dog-star spreads a leafy screen,

So thou returning

to thine hearth

and home,

Warmth as in winter cries Behold me come ! Aye and when mellowing Zeus makes ripe and sweet Wine from the young grape's bitter, cool in heat Reigns within walls where moves the man complete
:

\^As

Agatnemnon goes

in.

Zeus Completer, now complete

my

prayer.

Completion of thy plans be now thy care

\E.xit.

Chorus.
I
I.

Still

not shifting:
1

wherefore

yet

ist

strophe.

Hovereth so persistent
Before

set

my

boding heart
in

this

haunting fear

.-'

While ever

mine ear

Music unbid sounds a prophetic drone

What ails me that I cannot say, As to a riddling dream, 'Aivaj^f And seat Assurance firm upon my
The time
is

bosom's throne?

past,

and

fully past,

When Came

seaward from the sandy shore

following

home

with furrowed score

The long

ropes' mooring-cast.

When
Loosed

from the land our gathered host

for the

war and

Ilium's coast.

20

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995

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pbs postea.

codd.

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codd.

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Trij/uoi'as

Victorius

coaa.

2
2.

Now

by mine own eyes

learn,
;

ist anti-

strophe.

Mine own

witness, their return

less

Yet none the

my

soul within
skill

me

still

With all-unprompted

Dolorous her descant endless doth intone,

Murmuring

in the

dismal gloom

Dirge of angry

Spirits'

doom.
fair

And

cannot

call
is

sweet Hope's

confidence her own.

;

And Truth
The
Is

in this

troubled sea

heart within

my bosom

whirled

tossed with

Omen, dashes hurled

!

Ashore on Verity

God send

that

all

may

false

my

thought

^^^

And

be to unfulfilment brought

II

I.

Health, to largeness growing, will not rest

and
strophe.

Safe within limit

yet the verge

is

pressed
:

By neighbour
Ships in
full

Sickness, one thin wall between

career and fates alike

In prosperous weather unawares will strike

Upon
Yet
if

a reef unseen.

but Caution scrupulous fling

Wealth by the board with timely swing

Of

Measure's tempered

sling,

With harm-fraught overcharge

unfilled,
;

No

foundering of the fabric's build

122

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h.

123

The

walls ride out the perilous

day

Largess of Heaven with ample yield

From one

year's furrowing of the field

Shall forthwith drive the fasting plague away.

II

2.

Aye, but on the earth

let

mortal

fall

2nd recall

anti-

strophe.

man's red lifeblood, who shall then

With

art of warbling verse the

life

once dropt

One there was that had that proper skill To raise up from the dead, but hindered Of Zeus the wizard stopped.
Appointed portions God-ordained

will

Curb each

other, each refrained

;

From undue vantage gained

Else to the
light,

outstripping tongue,
self all

Heart of her own

had
in

flung,

That now

frets

passioning
all

the dark,

Frenzied, without

hope

to find

In mazes of the fevered

mind

One

thread of help, one clew to reach her mark.

Enter Clytaemnestra.

Clyt.

Get thee within, thou

also, thou,

Cassandra

Since

God hath

mercifully appointed thee

To By

take thy place

among

our troop of slaves

the altar of Possession, there to stand

in

Partaker

our holy laving-water,

Come
They

step

down from

the wain and be not proud

Alcmena's own son condescended once.

say, to bondage, spite of the slave's fare.

124
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125

And

should that portion be assigned by force,

is is

At least there Whose wealth

Are
still

much comfort

in

a master

ancient heritage; your sudden harvesters

excessive to their slaves and harsh.

Expect from us our usage customary.

Elder
She pauses
for thee:

to

Cassandra.
it

damsel,
in

was

plain.

To
Clyt.

thee.

Being
if if

taken

the
;

toils

of Fate,

Be swayed an
Well,

thou wilt

perhaps thou wilt not.

she be not, like a cheeping swallow,

Possessed of some

unknown outlandish

toncrue.

My
Elder.
Be
Clyt.

words must penetrate and speak persuasion.

Go
ruled,
I

with her;

'tis

well as

may
in

be,

what she

saith

and leave thy session

leisure to

this carriage.

have no
;

be tarrying here

Abroad

already by the central hearth

The

beasts are waiting for the sacrifice,

Thank-offering for our so unhoped-for joy:

Thou Thou

then,
wilt,

if

aught herein
delays
;

make no

or

if

thou hast
let e'en

No
Elder.

speech or understanding, then

signal.

Thine uncouth hand make

An
;

interpreter,

Methinks, the lady needs

her ways are as

A
Clyt.

wild creature's

made

captive.

Sooth, she
curst

is

mad.
left

And swayed by some

mood, when she hath

A
To

land

made

captive thus, yet cannot brook

till

endure the bridle

she

first

foam
I'll

ofif

Her passionate rage

in blood.

But

not waste
\She flings

More words

to be disdained.
in.

126

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127

Elder.
Leave thy carriage void

And
:

feel

rather

Pity atid will not be anger'd

;

come, sad lady,

yield to necessity

And

take this yoke upon thee.

I. ISt

Cass.

woe, woe, woe,

Earth

strophe.

Apollo,

Apollo!
}

Elder.

How now

What means
Is not to

this in Apollo's

case?

His nature

have dirges

for him.

2.
ist anti-

Cass.

woe, woe, woe,

Earth

strophe.

Apollo,

Apollo!

Elder.

There again.

Crying upon Apollo thus, when grief

Is profanation to his presence.

II

I.

Cass.

Apollo,
of

Apollo!

Thou God
Proved on

Ways, Apollo mine. Destroying name,

in verity this

2nd

strophe.

me

second time

Elder.

She

will

be prophesying of her

own

distresses

The

spirit

abides yet though the mind be slaved.

II

2.

Cass.

Apollo,
of

Apollo!

Thou God
Elder.

Ways, Apollo mine. Destroying name,

Whither hast thou made

my way

what House
that,

is

this

The
it

Atridae's
of

if

you understand not

it

Learn

me

you

shall not find

false.

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129
III

I.

Cass.

Nay,

'tis

abominable

't

hath known within

it

.yd

Murder unnatural, butchery, limbs dissevered

A
Elder.

human
on

shambles, floor with horror spersing

'Tis a keen-scented

hound

she hunts, she hunts,

And

this track will presently see killing.

III

2.

Cass.

Ha
1 .

There are the witnesses

TIM my build
I

3rd antistrophe.

trust

on

Yonder, behold there, babes

Plaining for roasted
flesh,

for slaughter plaining,

a father's eating

Elder.

Truly,

we were acquainted with your fame we seek no prophets

here.

In soothsaying, but

IV
Cass.

I.

God, what

is

this thing

What

4th strophe.

awful, horrible thing

walls,

Designed within these

what heinous act

No art shall cure, nor love And all help far aloof.
Elder.

endure ....

What
first
I

she divines

now

is

unknown

to

me
it.

The

saw, because the whole city rings

IV
Cass.

2.

monster, wilt thou so

partner of thy bed.

4th antistrophe.

The

After his laving

'Tis near

How
it

declare the end

apace
hand,

with hurrying reach

Hand upon
Elder.

comes
;

Beyond me
'tis

still

dark riddle enough before

Now
H. A.

obscure and purblind oracle.

9

I30

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Hermann,

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^
1125

Casa.ubon

Emperius:

131

V
Cass.

I.

Heavens," what should this be

Some

devihsh net

But
Your
Elder.
Over

^^^ , strophe.

she's a net that shares the bed, that shares

!

Murder

Uplift,

ye ravenous haunting Pack,

for sacrifice,

jubilant

hymn

damnable

Avenging
this

Spirit to raise her triumph-shout

House?

The words appal my

cheer.

VI

I.

The ruddy drops run yellow back

Such
pallor as
faint of a

to

my

heart.

when
mortal stroke, such pallor as times
life

Men

With the sunset rays of

when

the fatal end

is

nigh.

V
Cass.

2.

Ah

ware, beware,

away

Keep

clear of the

Cow

5th antistrophe.

The

Bull

in cloak

with horned engine, see,

falls

Felled!

In a vessel of water prone he

This

is

the tale of a Caldron's murderous treachery

Elder.

cannot boast to be a master-judge

I

Of

oracles, but

spell

some mischief

here.

VI

2.

But when from divinations ever hath come

One message

of good

'Tis matter of evil

still,

some

lesson of fear

Is ever the drift of all their

multitudinous words.

132

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33
VII .
Cass.
sorrowful

doom
bowl
fate

of
I

me
crown
whither hast brought me, then,
!

^^^
strophe.
,

Aye, me,

for the

With mine own

Only

Ah

to share, yes, only to share in death

VIII

I.

Chorus.

Thou

art brainsick, heaven-distraught,

For thine own case lamenting

In lawless measures, like the brown sad nightingale.

That

ftyn, Ityn calleth still-unhushed

life.

through

all

Her sorrow-plenished

VII
Cass.

2.

Ah

fate of the nightingale ^ ^

6th antistrophe.

Sweet

singer, the

Gods round her

save only for wailing, sweet

Put wings, put

life,

For me

'tis

cleaving soon with a two-edged blade

VIII

2.

Chorus.

These wild and passionate

throes,
?

Whence
Such

rush they on thee thronging

terrors wherefore
?

shape
is
it

in

uncouth dismal song.

Yet clarion-high

What

guides thy boding lips

On

their ill-uttering path

f.

. .

134

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35
IX .
Cass.
bridal, bridal of Paris, ruin of

home
!

7th strophe.

Scamander

river

whereof

my

people drank
I

By thy dear beaches once was

nursed and throve, but

now

My

place of prophecy

is

like to

be

Cocytus and the shores of Acheron.

X
Chorus.
Ah, what
is

I.

this

thou hast uttered

all

too plain

babe might understand

in the flesh

Compassion wounds me

with fangs

At thy

sore agonizing plaintive wail,

Harrowing

my

soul to hear,

IX
Cass.

2.

labour, labour of Ilium utterly lost!

7th antistrophe.

slaughter lavish of kine

my
!

father

made
would not serve

For her proud rampired walls no cure

Yet

it

Her

case

is

even as

it

is,

and

Shall in a fever soon dash into the snare.

X
Chorus.
It is

2.

Still

in the

former strain thine utterance goes

some

Spirit malign

Whose heavy

spite

upon thee tunes thy song

;

To

things of dole and sorrow, telling of death

And
Cass.

the end

cannot

see.

No more now

with a newly-wedded bride's

Dim

vision from a veil shall

peep

my

oracle

13^

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Hermann.

37
feel

the spirit

Upon me rushing, like a mighty wind To the sunrise blowing clear: now presently
Rolled up against the orient light shall wash
Disaster huger far!
I'll

monish you

No more

in riddles

come, attest me, run

I

My
Of

pace
acts

now

while

scent the traces out

done long ago.

Within these walls
tune,

There haunts a Quiring Band, that sings one

But not sounds tuneful

'tis

not sweet, their theme.

Aye, to more riotous courage well caroused

With human

blood, within this

And
_

will

not be sent forth,

House a Rout of
and

abides,
wassailers,

Kindred- Avengers, that besetting keep

Fast by the chambers, chanting
Is
;

their chant

Deadly Primal Sin

anon

they sicken,

Brother's bed their fierce abhorrence, cursing

The abuser Have I missed the Or will you cry me aim ? Am

Mere

target now,
I

indeed

babbler, knocker at the doors with lies

And
Bad Elder.

trickery?

On

your oath, confess the long

history of this

House

my

knowledge
Nay,

Let oath be ne'er so well and truly plighted, It cannot medicine: but I marvel at thee. To have lived thy life beyond the seas, and yet Of alien people to speak sure as though Thou hadst been a witness present. It was the seer Cass. Apollo made me mistress of this power.

Elder,
Cass.

His Godhead smitten with love

was, to speak of
it.

.-'

was ashamed,

The time
Elder.

Aye, brighter days

daintier niceness ever.

Make

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139

Cass.

but he strove
for

Ardent with favour

me.

Elder.

And
to the act of kind
?

so in course

Came you
Cass.

did consent

With Loxias, and then Elder.

Already with divining
Cass.
I
^'

failed him.

Being possessed
spirit
.''

Already

showed my own folk all that should befall them. Elder. Yet without suffering from Apollo's wrath ?
Cass.
After that sin
I

never might have credit.

to us.

Elder.

Thy

art

seems credible enough

Cassandra moaning.

Oh, oh, oh,

my

pain

again comes on

me

The agony

of clear vision, racks

whirl

me

at

first

With dizzying

anguish
There, see

now

Those yonder, seated

Slain

at the

House
their

young forms
hands
filled

Like phantoms of a dream

children, as 'twere,

by

their

own kindred
meat

With

flesh, familiar

aye, they

show now

Visible,

the

inward

parts, a rueful burden,

Tasted of by their father

For these things

Vengeance is plotted by a faint soft Lion, Wallowing the while in bed, forsooth to keep Warm and safe against the Master's coming My master the slave's yoke must be endured.

it

High

admiral, proud vanquisher of Troy,

not, he,

He dreams
By

After the fawning speeches long drawn out

lecherous hound's false tongue, what act
Ate's treachery she designs
it

is

With smiling

140

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141

For deed

in

cursed hour

Such monstrous doing,

!

The female

slayer of the male

What

beast
f

Most loathsome

shall I call her?

Amphisbaena

Or
To

rather Scylla, dweller in the rocks,

ruin
rage,
! !

Housed there for seaman's With Hell's own bacchanal

the death against her

own

Mother wild whose heart breathes war With jubilant cry

safe return

The monster, how she shouted, Shouts when the battle breaks, Would seem her gladness
'Tis all
;

as men's triumph

while

Credit

one for what skills it ? Will be and you shall soon behold, and
;

me now or not, What must be

pity,

And
Elder.
I

call

me

all

too true a prophetess.

Thyestes' banquet on his children's flesh

understand and shudder,

fable, terrible truth
;

nothing
You

feigned,

No
I

but for the rest

shall see

lose the track

and wander.

Cass.

The death of Agamemnon. Elder. Hush, good words Calm thine unhappy lips.
Cass.

There

is

none
I

in
tell

Nay, what offence? presence here with Healing

of!

office.

In the case

Elder.
But Heaven avert
Cass.
it

Not

if it

is

to be.

While you stand and pray

are busy there with killing.

They Elder.
Cass.

What
this

man's hand

Must bring

crime about

wide then truly You have wandered from my warning I cannot see Elder. The means whereby the doer should compass it. Cass. Yet am I well instructed in the tongue
!

Of Hellas, all

too well.

142

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143

Elder.

Why,

so are the oracles

From
Cass.

Pytho, yet they are hard enough withal.

!

Ah

the

fire,

coming upon me
!

how

it

burns,

Slayer Apollo,

[^Groaning.

This

human Lioness yonder couching with Wolf in absence of the generous Lion,

Will take

my

wretched

life

as

'twere a poison

She were compounding,

to the

venomous brew
she whets

Vows

she will add

for

my

wages,
for

while
my
keep
I

Her blade

man, vows

bringing here

To

take revenge in blood.

Why
Only
to be

then,

mockery of myself, these baubles

wreaths about
before

Wands and prophetic You shall perish first

l^She flings off the

my

neck

my

hour
office

sacred symbols of her

and

/hen tramples
robe.

on them^fillet and golden

wand and gold-embroidered

shall follow:
fatal

So:
Lie there; go to perdition,

Endow some other Why, 'tis Apollo

with your

Wealth
strips
in this.

that himself

now
even

My
His

prophet's raiment off

livery, let his

that

eyes behold

me

laughed,

By

friends

and

foes indifferently, to scorn

suffered, like a vagrant

mountebank,
a seer of
!

Like some poor starveling wretch, the name of Wanderer,

And now the To bring me

Here
Yet
for

Seer hath

made

me
waits,

to this bloody

end

Here

my

father's altar waits a block.

Hot with

the red stream from another's neck.

shall

we

fall

Not unavenged of Heaven, for there shall come A Champion of our cause, an Offspring born

To

Mother's death and Father's recompense

144

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145

An

exile

and a stranger from the land,

shall return

A
To

wanderer

set the last

crown on
is

this pile of

doom
him home.

In Heaven above there

a great oath sworn

His

father's outstretched corpse shall bring

I

Why stand then lamenting? My town of Ilium in her present

While those that led her High judgment, so come
Forthwith and face
captive,
off,

Once
case,

have seen

under God's

will

go too

my

fortune

to

my

death.
to the palace-gates.

[SAe goes up

I pray only The Gates of Deaths I hail you To get a mortal wound, that I may close

These eyes without a

struggle,

my
lady,

life's

blood

Ebbing to an easy Elder.

death.

Sad

Of so much sorrow and withal so wise, Thou art long in thy discoursing: But if thou verily knowest thine own fate.

What means
Moving
Cass.

it,

like the

heaven-appointed ox,
?

so patiently to the altar

Sirs,
is

There

no avoidance, none, by time deferred.

latest
is

Elder.
Cass.

Yet

the best.

The day
I

is

come

Little shall

gain by

flight.

Elder.

Well, thou hast truly

fortitude in sufferance.

A
Cass.

Those are terms

Well, there
is

Bright fortune never hears.

Elder.
Cass.

comfort

In death that comes with honour.

O my
children
!

father,

Thou and thy noble

H. A.

[/ entering the palace-doors she suddenly recoils -with horror.

lO

146
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147

Elder.
Cass.

What

is

the matter?
!

what

is

it

affrights thee?

Faugh, faugh

Elder.
Cass.

Faugh, faugh
it

>

Wherefore so

Unless

be some sickening
!

in the spirit.
!

Blood

the air
it

is is

full

of weltering blood

Elder.
Cass.

Nay, nay;

nothing but the smell of

sacrifice

Offering upon the hearth.

'Tis such a reek

As
Elder.

issues

from a tomb.
Well, truly that
odour.
I

Were most un-Syrian

Cass.

will

go

in

To finish there my And Agamemnon's

wailing for
fate
:

my own
me

life,

content

think not,

sirs,

am

as a bird that startles at a

bush

In idle terror:
PV/ien

when

am

dead, confirm me,

for

this

A nd
I

slain a

woman here a woman dies^ man for man ill-mated lies

with death foreknown,
will
:

pity thee.

crave this of you as at point of death.

Elder.
Cass.

Poor

soul,

Yet once more

speak, one speech, or dirge

Over
I

my own
when
slave,

death

thou Sun

in

heaven,

pray to thee, before thy latest

light,

That,

my

champion comes,
for

my

enemies
this

May pay
Poor

the

same time then

!

murdering

an easy victim

[S/ie passes into the palace.

Elder.

O
fortunes
!

sad vanity

Of human

Their best happiness

;

Faint as a pencil'd shadow

once unhappy,

Dashed with a wet sponge

This, to

at a

sweep clean out

my

thinking, pitiable far more.

10-

148

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149

Chorus.

With

all

on earth insatiate
;

is

Good Fortune

while she wooes the door

Of gazed and gorgeous palaces, None warns her from it, bars ingress
With Enter
Here
is

here no more!

man

the

Gods
;

let

burn

The town

of Priam

safe return
bliss
:

He
If

finds,

with Heaven-awarded

now

for others' blood-guilt

forfeit, his

he

Must pay the

death be
fee,

For deaths of old the crowning

Who may

boast harmless destiny

His birthright, hearing this?

Agamemnon
I

within the palace.

am

hurt

wounded, a mortal wound.

!

Elder.

Peace, hark

Whose voice is mortal wound ?

that cries out a hurt, a

Agam.
Elder.

O God

wounded

again, another.

To judge by
let

groaning of the king, the deed should

e'en be

done

Come

us join debate and take safe counsel as

I

we may.

First Elder.

give you

my

opinion,

sound

alarm

And summon
Second.

rescue to the palace hither.

say, burst in

And

now immediately

And
Third.

prove the matter with the naked sword.

Holding the same opinion,

;

would vote
here.

For acting somehow

there's

no tarrying
;

Fourth.

'Tis gross

and palpable

their

opening act

Shows ominous of usurping tyranny.

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Fifth.

Because we dally
is

while the lauded

name

Of Tarrying
Sixth.
I

as dirt beneath their feet.

have no counsel or advice to give

is

Counsel

Action's

own

prerogative.
;

Seventh.

am

of that

same mind

it

passes

me

To

raise the

dead again with only words.

to prolong our lives shall

Eighth.

Even

we bow down

Under
Ninth.

these foul disgracers of the

House?
;

It is

not to be borne, 'twere better die

lot

Death were a milder

than tyranny
his

Tenth.

What,

shall

we then conjecture of
?

death

By

divination of mysterious groans

Eleventh.
Surmise

We
is
I

should be certified before we passion

one thing, certitude another.

Twelfth.

am

multiplied on

all

sides for that course,

Plainly to assure us of the King's condition.

\As THE Elders are about to enter the palace^ the bodies of Agamemnon and Cassandra are exposed, with Clytaemnestra standing over them.

Clyt.

All

my

politic

speeches heretofore
blush
:

Shall nowise

make me

now

to confess

The

truth and contrary

how

else indeed

When
To

studying hate's act for a hated foe

friend

Supposed

how

else pitch the toils of

}

Doom
;

a height

beyond o'erleaping

'Twas not sudden

For me, 'twas but

The test and trial of an ancient feud, Long thought on, and at last in time I stand here now triumphant, where I And so contrived it also I'll avow it

arrived

struck

iS2

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iv

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iv

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. .
.
\6yov.

139

395

18

1400

''.
1382 1387
codd.

1380 ^);'(^ Victorius ayUi^^'aff^at 1386 Enger g. yavei lOiboii 5ios 1390 sq.
:

codd.
codd.
-yav ei

1405

;>' Hermann.

{,

153

As
I

neither should he scape

me

nor

resist

wreathed around him,

in a blind

like a fishing-net,

Swathing

maze,
;

deadly
;

Wealth of
for

robe,

And

struck two blows

and with a groan

each

His limbs beneath him slacked

I

and as he

lay,

gave him yet a

third, for

grace of prayer

To God
With

Safe-keeper

of the

dead below.

that he lay

still,

panting his

own

life

out

And

as the gory jets he blasted forth,

Rain of the sanguine drench bespattered me,

Rejoicing, as in balm of heaven rejoices

Cornland when the teeming ear gives birth

The

case then standing thus,

My

reverend Elders, you

gladness you

may
find,

find herein
I

What

may

but

do glory

Yea, and upon the body could we pour

Drink-offerings of the proper substance, then

Those

offerings

had been

just,

past measure just

Drink-offering from the bowl of

harm and bane

his

Brimmed
Elder.

for his

home, which here

own

lips drain

We
You
I

are astonished at thy tongue's audacity,

Such glorying over thine own wedded man.

Clyt.
practise

on

me
woman
you what you know,

As

were a thoughtless
I

With heart unshook

tell

And

praise

me

or dispraise
is

me

as
;

you

please,

'Tis all one,

this

Agamemnon
;

my
is

Husband

a corpse

the work of this right hand.

just.

Whose workmanship was

That

the case.

.. ,

154

, -^(
et/ce9,

'
.

^\

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14^5

,^ ,
;

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'
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1420

Sd

..

* .,
,
'
:
:

^^

.
,
Abresch
:

1425

1408 pvTois codd. 1410

I.

Voss

Porson
I.

'

codd.
codd.

.
vel pvaas codd.
|

143

Stanley:

(1414 1419 1431

Seidler: aVoXiscodd.

1411

codd.

'
h)

1418 1429

^'

Canter: re
E. A.
I.

codd. codd.

Ahrens:

Voss:

codd.

155

Chorus

clamouring.
Strophe.

Woman, what
Or

poisonous herb of the earth hast eaten

sorcerous liquor sprung from the running sea

To

bring this slaughter upon thee and curse of the land?

stricken
off,

Having

shorn

off,

cut off thyself shalt be,

With general hatred banned

Clyt.

Your sentence now

is

banishment

for

me

And

execration and the people's curse,

did you then the least advance
Iiiin,

Though never

Objection against

that never recked

lost

No more

than a beast's death, one

from

all

The abundance
But slaughtered

of the fleecy multitude,

his

own

child,

my
!

dearest travail,

To charm

a wind from Thracia

Was't not right

In recompense of that polluted act

To

banish him the land

Yet now you hear

But
I

My

doing, you are a harsh judge.

warn you,

If thus

you mean

to menace, be advised

That
If

am
shall
;

well prepared, conditions equal,

you

vanquish
if

me by

force, to

own
wisdom

Your

rule

but

God

will the contrary.

late, in
!

Then

lessoning you shall have, though

Chorus.
Lofty
in

arrogant vaunt as wicked of spirit

so

Antistrophe.

Mind being then

mad

with shedding of gore,

On

the eye should answering gore in a blood-fleck show;

Disgraced, abhorred, unowned, thou hast yet thy

store,

doom

in

To pay

with blow for a blow

156

ttJpS^

' ,
*,
Tovh^

'^

,
... ,

* ,
1

^^ , , . .' , ,) , , , , 8 8, /
/>tetXtyju,a

, ^, ,
.
8
'

435

44

445

/>ie\r//acra

',

'

-^.

*
fort,

,
'
y\

145

*
{.

.
^/icts

455

;.

1432
Pauw:

1451

'

coda.

1436 1447
codd.

e^^s Person:

codd.

1444

^*

1448 1453 post

Auratus:

^5

codd.

habent codd.,

delevit Franz.

157

Clyt.

Hear then the sanction of

Justice, taken in

By By
I

Ate, and Erinys,

my solemn fulness for my child, unto whom

!

oath

slew that

sacrifice, in the

House of Fear
fire

My

spirit sets

no foot

so long as

Is kindled

on

my

hearth by

my

good

friend

Aegisthus, true and kind as heretofore

Him find we no slight shield of confidence. Low hes the wronger of his wedded wife.
Solace of every Chryseid under Troy,

With

her, his

bondservant and soothsayer.

his true

His fortune-telling concubine,

Bedfellow, practised equally with

him

In lore of the bench on shipboard.

But

the pair

Have
While

got their merits

his condition, thus

she, after her swan's last

;

dying

wail.

This lover of him, Hes there

Side-morsel to the wedded

to

me

this slight

feast, this

toy.

To me

brings only the dear sweet of triumph

Chorus.
I

I.

for a

Fate might bring

me

swift,

ist

Without sore-agonizing pain

Or
Of

lingering bed, her blessed gift

sleep, that world- without-end sleep,

Converse with

me

still

to keep,

That would not wake again

My

kind Protector, he that bore

toil

In woman's cause a

so sore,
!

By woman's hand

extinguished

, . ' ,^ ., ^, ^ . ', ' ^ ^. ^ ^. /,

<1>

158

//

oXecracr

rekeiav

,' /,'

ct

17^

ev

1460

^*

19

1465

,. ^^
<>
7
....
TpirrayiyvTov

avhpoXereLp',

ju-ta

470

.
1456
t

, ^.
|

1475

(. TLS

'.

addidit Blomfield
(e? ris

'

wapavovs
:

Hermann:

Karsten)

iJTts

'

Tra/saiOVoi'S

codd.

codd.
|

1465

1460

sq.
f.

1467

{g.

codd.

codd.

fort,

1469 sq. e'^Trirceis Canter: fjaTrtTrreis codd. 1472 1471 ' add. Hermann. habent codd., del. Dindorf. post 1473 1476 1475 fort,

Hermann:
Ahresch
:

.
codd.

1474 ' codd.:

corr.

h:

1477

Bamberger:

159

Helena, thou cause insane

That

all

those

many
!

lives

hath

lost,

Lives untold for thy sole cost

Upon the Trojan plain But now thou hast crowned complete
In blood past
all

that

hecatomb

remission

With one

full-perfect,

memorable indeed

As Of

e'er the

world hath seen,

thou

bitter seed

enmity, firm-planted in man's

home

To

man's perdition

Clytaemnestra.

Nay

sink not so, be not so broke

Death

your portion to invoke, Nor yet your wrath divert

for

On

Helena, that her sole guilt

All those

many

lives

hath

spilt

With such deep yawning

hurt.

Chorus.
I
2.

Spirit of haunting

Doom

that bears
sore thou art

ist anti^

The House down,

how

^^

^'

On
In

Tantalus' twain soveran heirs

woman

too twain weapon, steel'd

Of

equal temper, thy hands wield,

poignard

in

my

heart

Feet planted on his corse, the proud

Foul raven, uttering harsh and loud

His chant of joy triumphant

Clytaemnestra.
Ah, now you
your verdict right The Spirit of all our race indite, So gross with o'ergrown flesh
set
;

i6o

'.

rj

,^ ,

1480

/.

. ;; '
'

14^5

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yap

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,;
. ^
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149

/^'

1480 1482

. ^ ? ). '
/3
Todh' 6

495

15

15^5

\\..
corruptum.

veipei

coad.

1481

.:

codd.

1487

navepyarav

f g.

6
'Tis

he

still

fosters in the

maw
for the raw,

This bloodthirst hungering

With lickerish craving, ere last bite Have well ceased aching, fresh

Chorus.
II
I.

Huge of And

a truth his bloated mass

fierce

^nd
^ '^^^
:

wrath never-bated
alas,

^'

Story of ruthless Doom,

With harm

unsated.

By

Zeus did this befall, Sole author and sole cause of all Can aught without him come to pass Herein was aught not fated ?
will of

my

King,

my
I
I

King,

Tears enough

cannot bring, cannot find

:

Words enough

To

voice
to

my
lie

Thus

mind by murderous death

loving

In that spider-web entangled.

Gasping out thy breath, On so churlish bed, ay me.

With slaughtering weapon By the hand of treachery

slain

and mangled

Clytaemnestra.
Suppose you
'Tis
it

was mine,

this act in fact

Conceive not e'en that here

Agamemnon's wife you see Mere semblance of her, she The fierce ancestral Ghost of him That Atreus made a feast so grim Hath made this man the price Heaped him this man upon his own Young firstlings offered yet ungrown.
:

Full perfect sacrifice

H. A.

II

i62

'.

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yivoLT

ei

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hoXiav
;

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oe

55
;

. '

'
1520

.
:

yap

^ ^
1512
codd.

^ '
Martin
sq.

, ^,

, .
Hermann.

1525

153

b'lKas

(
'

Biiller)

codd.
\

Canter:
yeveaOai damnavit Seidler.
coniecit Porson.
^/stf

1527 1528

1522

aveXeiOepov
codd.,

delevit Meineke,

codd.: corr.

1531

Spanheim.

163

Chorus.
II 2.
'

Not

1 Whose
to
:

guilty

'

Then support
,
.

that plea
?

^rifi

anti-

Strophe.

witness can be cited

Go

yet
it

such a Ghost might be

;

In aid united

Onward

rolls in

kindred blood,

Red
Till
Its

Slaughter's torrent, flood on flood,

Babes' flesh fed-upon shall see

firm stain
full

requited

my

King,

my
I

King,

Tears enough

cannot bring,

Words enough I cannot find To voice my loving mind

Thus
to
lie

by murderous death

In that spider-web entangled,

Gasping out thy breath,

On
By

so churlish bed, ay me,

slain

With slaughtering weapon

the hand of treachery

and mangled

Clytaemnestra.
Of
treachery
!

Dealt not he then too

?

This House a treacherous blow

But what he wrought that branch that grew

From me,

that he

made

grow,

My

sore-wept

own beloved maid.

;

With equal penance hath he paid

Slain for
it

even as he slew,

He

need not boast below

II

104
ar/j.

'.

SeSoLKa

^, ,
'
'
ya
etfe

. , , ''^
/
6

^] .
olkov.
;

535

'

' .' ,
6
;

154

avhpa

^^

545

8 ^ . ' , %, ^
1533
Emperius:
codd.
:

155
'5

,
Porson.
drjyavaLS codd.

corr.

- codd.
1550

codd.

''

1538

aXe-yfif

Karsten

1537 1545 /'^ ' ^^"* codd.

f,

..

g
I.

-/
Ahreiis:

165

Chorus.
Ill
I.

Thought

fails

me

in

maze
is

grope

.^''f'

And

find

no means of help or hope,

strophe

While the very House

quaking

Under

this crashing rain of gore

'Twill sink

'tis

early drip no more.

rest,

whereon Justice for other work undone Her weapon sharp is making
other whetstones
!

Yet

Earth,

Earth, would thou hadst been

I

My

shroud, ere

my

lord

had seen

Here in a silvern That kingly head

coffer spread,

Laid on such a lowly bed

Who
Wilt

shall
tJioH

bury him? who make moan.-'

add sin to sin, thine own Man's blood upon thy hands, proceed Then with a mockery to atone,With funeral dole for his dead soul To salve thy heinous deed
.-'

And how
The

should mourning o'er him dart

}

hero's praise with tears of ruth

How
With

should

it

bear that heavy part

?

heart-felt sorrow's truth

Clytaemnestra.
That care Beneath
no concern for thee oicr hand he fell, Down beneath its lay dead and we Beneath will speed him well But not with household from his gates
is
; ;
:

To

wail behind his bier

i66

,, '
/^
'
'
,

^555

-'.
6vei8ovs,
1560

...

. . . ^
'
6

.. '
yap.
;

<

1565

^'

'

^
-^
/nai^tas

6\

.
.
Scliuetz
:

, ,
iV codd.

57

575

^^
Canter:

1554

-^

Axiratns:

codd.

Hermann:

1562 1565 codd. 1574 codd.

^'?
navevapKes

()
:

1558
codd.

Stanley

Blonifield

codd.

.,'/

.:

1564 1566 evs ' codd.

167

His daughter at the Doleful Straits

Below stands waiting near

Her

love, her

duty she
his

shall bring,
shall fling.

Her arms about

neck

And

kiss her FatJier dear\

Chorus.

HI
Judgment
is

2.
is

Thrust by counterthrust
hard,

foiled

3rcl anli-

the

strophe.

spoiler spoiled,

The

price for bloodshed yielded.

his throne shall reign,

While Zeus upon

For wrong

do7ie,
:

penance must remain

cast

Commandment How shall forth be The seed of Curse? To Ruin fast

The
race
is

glued and welded.

Clytaemnestra.
Ah, justly now you leave your taunts

For God's most firm decrees.

I

now to The House

say

the Spirit that haunts

of Pleisthenes
let

" I

am

ready

an oath be sworn
to be borne,

To

bear,

though heavy
but

Thus much

New

order

quit

now begin this House outworn

Henceforth some other race be torn

By own
For

blood shed within.

If such within these halls the price.

me

small riches will suffice

rid

Once having

them of

their vice.
"
!

The

frenzy murdering kin

i68

^^.
yrj?

', 8 . , , , @ , . , -, ^ ' , , , ^.
,
iv

.
',

iS^o

8\,

1585

at/xa^at

^eVta 8e

59

'

,
?
:

'

'

1579 Auratus: & codd. Post 1594 lacunam indicavit Hermann. ' Dindorf ' codd. 1599
Auratus
:

1585 1595

', , .
.
'
fort,

595

Elmsley:

'
1596
codd.
|

Canter:

codd.

6 ' codd.

169

yEiiter

Aegisthus attended by a body-guard of spearmen.

Aegisthus.
welcome dawning of the day of judgment

Now
When

will

say the Gods above look

justice

down

With eyes of
I

on the sins of earth,

behold this man, to

my

dear pleasure,

In woven raiment from the loom of Vengeance

Paying

for the foul craft of his father's hands.

father, reigning here

Atreus was his

In Argos
;

and

his right being questioned

by

Thyestes

understand,
and
his brother

My

father

he

drove out

Thyestes from the house and from the land.

Returning then
Suppliant
in

sacred form petitionary,

Safety so far did poor Thyestes find

As not to And spill

Ungodly

perish there
his life-blood

upon the spot

where
his fathers trod
this

But mark what entertainment

father

dead man's

makes the sacred guest

kind, feigning a

With welcoming
Most hearty but scarce
day

Of

cheer and sacrifice and flesh-killing,

served a feast up of his children's
foot-parts
flesh.

He
The

and the fringes of the hands

;

He

kept aside concealed

the rest in messes

;

Gave him
Most

to eat, obscure

he straightway took of
as
!

it

Unwitting, and

made banquet,
House

you

see.

thriftless for this

Then being aware

Of

that

enormous deed, he groaned, he reeled

Backward, spewing up the butchery, and invoked

An

awful

doom upon

the

House

of Pelops,

I/O

6\4

TOvSe

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6
6 15

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.
;

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;

1620

.
1625
;
:

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1602 1613

^'
Tzetzes:

codd.

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top '

^^ coda.
1626

1605 ewi 1624

iraiaas schol. Find. Py^/i. il 173.

Keck:

?' ^
' Empeiius
Butler
:

'

codd.
codd.,

codd.

171

Thus, with a kick to aid his curse, and dashing

The

table down,
all the seed
it

Thus perish

of Pleisthencs

Hence comes

in

your sight a corpse Hes

he,

And

the just contriver of his death.

A
In

third-born living child, a third last hope,

my unhappy

father's

banishment

He drave me out a babe in swaddling-clothes, And Justice now hath brought the grown man back. While yet without I touched him, hit my man, For this dark subtle train was all my plan.

My
In

hour
toils

is

ripe for death

now when he

lies

of Justice caught before these eyes.

Elder.
I

Aegisthus, to insult upon distress

like not.

So

thou sayest that wilfully

Thou

hast compassed the man's

death^^one devised

This woful tragedy?

I

Thine own head then,

;

say, shall not scape justice

thou shalt
!

feel

The
Aegisth.

pelting volleys of a people's curse

Thou
task

talk so, sirrah, from the lower bench.

sits

When
The At

on the main thwart

is

authority
will find

wisdom, and grey hairs

these years

how

'tis

grievous to be put

To
The

school

but prison and the pangs of hunger

to instruct

Are your most excellent doctors

hoariest head in wisdom.
seest not
.-^

Hast thou eyes

And
Elder.

Kick not thus

feet.

Against the goad or thou mayst hurt thy

Vile

woman, thou
from the

to deal with soldiers thus

field
!

Come newly
Against a

Home-keeping, and
this
!

Dishonouring the man's bed, to plot

death

man and

captain of the war

172

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7
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1630

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'

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1645

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:

.. .
.
:

1650

'

1631
codd.

ijirioiS

codd.

corr.^Jacob.

1641
:

1637

? Forson

codd.

1638
coda.
corr.

ScaVigev:

1644 1653

Spanheim:
aipoi'/ie^a

Auratus

codd.

1650
a codd.

choro dant codd.

Stanley.

173

Aegisth.

Progenitors of tears are these words too

thine to Orpheus' tongue
all

The very counter

He

with his ravishing voice did

things hale

Thou, with a

foolish yelp exasperating,

Shalt see thyself

Haled, and thine own breast by compulsion tamed.

Elder.

Thou

to be despot over Argive

men

When
Thou
Aegisth.
I

after plotting

murder of
clearly

this

one
to

durst not venture thine

own hand

do

it.

The cozening

was the woman's part

was a suspect

foe hereditary.

However,
With help of
this

man's treasure

will

essay

To

rule here,

and the disobedient

colt

With heavy yoke will break no courser running In traces, crammed with corn 'tis hunger lodged In loathsome darkness that shall humble his flesh. Elder. Ah, why then didst thou with a craven's heart Not slay the man thyself, but take a woman,
!

Stain to her country and her country's Gods,

To do

the killing

.-'

doth somewhere look

Fortune's grace
to be

Orestes on the

light, that

May
Aegisth.

give

him good speed home again

!

Victorious executioner of these both

well then, sirrah,

shall under-

If thus

you mean with act and word, you soon

stand

What ho

my

trusty men-at-arms

Your work
[^The

lies

here

to hand.

Guard

advance.

Elder.
Aegisth.

What ho
Well,
I

let

each his sword well-gripped be now

prepared to ply.
too with

my
Be

sword well-gripped

will

not

refuse to die.

Elder.

To die!

An omen

it

so

content, content,

am

I.

174

, , '? ^ ^ ^, , -.
^/,^<
y'

. . ' ., . ' , . . .

,. ^ . . ,, ^ . 8 . ,
'^
'^rjXrJL

^' ,^' , ' ^. , , .

1655

'

6<;

6<;

\py)v

rot

Tovahi'

,
*

tcouS'

. '

66

<1

>

',

^^

666

2>'

^.

1670

/'

8
'

.
^
:

codd.

1654 1656 1657 sq.

Madvig:

codd.

Casaubon:

1671

' $ .,. ?^
-/^ Victorias
Scaliger:
:

codd.
|

1655

^^pos Schuetz: 6

codd.

codd.

Hermann:
codd.
| ]

. L. Ahrens:
^^^'

(ip^avTagh) codd.
:

1659
codd.
|

Martin

y'

''' codd,
' fh
|

^...' .(
codd.

Housman):
Casaubon

1663

1664 '
|

Stanley:

fh, om. g

supplevit

1670
Scaliger:
et

Wecklein
codd.

codd.: corr. Porson

1672

sq.

iy(h et

Ka\Qs om. codd., ex schol. suppleverunt Canter

Auratus.

175

Clytaemnestra,

interposing.
;

Nay nay forbear, my dearest lord, let us no mischief more The harvest here already reaped is plenty and full sore
;

We

have surely suffered harms enough without the waste

of gore.
Elders, get

Most reverend
decree,

you home

yield

now

to Fate's

Betimes, before you suffer

Fate's executor were we.

will

But should
submit,

this

heavy chastening prove enough, we

So hard by our

familiar Spirit with his fierce talon smit

will

woman's counsel here you have,

still.

any stoop

to

it.

Aegisthus, fuming

But these to
rate,

let their

tongue run wild and wanton at

in

this

And And
Elder.
Aegisth.

fling
fate,

such whirling words abroad

of

tempting of their

be so
knave,

reft

all

advice, their master thus to brave

'Twas never yet the Argive way to cringe before a

Ah

well,

I'll

have
if

my

vengeance of you yet

in

days

to

Elder.

come Thou shalt

not,

but Heaven direct Orestes' footsteps

home. Aegisth. O, well I know how banished men will feed on husks of hope. Elder. Do, do with fatness gross defile God's law 'tis in
;
;

thy scope.

Aegisth.

The day

will

come

warn

thee, thou

shalt rue

this folly

then

Elder.

O
his

bravely
!

now

the cock

may crow and

strut beside

hen Clytaem. These idle yelpings prithee hold in slight regard we two Will be the masters in this House, and our dispose will do.

NOTES
4 ff. The Watchman has been watching for the greater part of a whole year not longer, because according to God's prophecy through see Calchas Troy was only to fall in the tenth year and not before The are of course the constellations whose Homer 329.

risings

and

settings

and the Watchman has had time the same word expresses to learn the signs of Winter or Storm-season both in Greek for it is now past the autumnal equinox, the time when IleAetuiSes (Hes. fr. 44), and the setting of the Pleiades In this proverbially marked the season most dangerous of all at sea. and presently allusion therefore an ominous note is heard at once
eSet^a

re

^.
sail

?
is

^:

were the signs of seasons (P.V. 473

),

f.

confirmed, for the capture, as

we

are duly informed in

v.

817, has taken

place 'about the sinking of the Pleiades,' and

for

Agamemnon
act

has set

home

immediately, committing the rash

against

which

.marking

.
tion.
8.

, (, )^ - . ^ ^
construction

Neoptolemus in Quint. 7. 298-311 is expressly warned by Lycomedes. His rashness was followed by the disastrous storm in the Aegean. The
in v. 7
is

idiomatic for watching^ observing,

;

the time

when

Herodas

Dem. 4-3^
word
ii.

an

astrological

J?e^. in Schoell

and Studemund Anecdota

familiar terms such as

mous with more

tyrannus Hesperian Capricorniis undae

'

(Hon

, ^, ,
:

'^ ^
3.

55

is

an example,

see Proclus
;

on

Plat.

p.

26

in sense,

synony-

C.

ii.

17. 19).

repeats in plain words the preceding metaphorical descripis

This

common

feature

of Tragic

burlesqued by Xenarchus (Ath. 63 f) Further Aeschylean examples 09, yr)yvrjs

<.

style,

and

as

such

^
will
7,

>;'5

is

be found

inf.

500, 816, Fers. 615, Thed. 191, 476, 717, 926, F. V.

374, 829, 956,

1054, Supp. 231,

Tta?

\'

answers to in v. i, which as throughout the year.

:

is itself
.

intended to qualify

(for

)...6^

.so

now.

(for

is /|/

')

, '

Similarly

itif.

592

T/ieb. 21

'

..\.,
iav Be

Soph. Phil.
el

,
'

617

ototro

',

f.

enim sperare

meaning

tented scholars.

an obvious conjecture which naturally has not conThe correction I find from Wecklein had been proposed before by an anonymous critic in 1834, but I liave never seen it even mentioned. exFor the infinitive after pressing what your superiority or predominance enables you to do, cf. Thuc. iv. 104

,
VI.

... Aesch. fr. 36 For so a woman's manlike

valet.

' ', , , '/ ^ )

NOTES

(for

Ant

327

Soph.

fr.

807.

spirit is

sanguine to expect,'

t'ta

The MS.

gives

with

written above

.8^ . .
74
^^

Eur. J^el. 1639

ekSlk

? )(' \
is

. ^\
.
fr.

, ?
Spav,

'

For
(ir

cf Soph.

857

'^^'''^

yvvrj.

12

fF.

resumed by

' ( 6)

after the interruption

re-

caused by the explanatory -clause. For similar instances of a sumptive cf. CAo. 988, 1024, Plat. Apol. 34 D

^-,

8^ ,

el

'
9

...,

Gorg. 480

.Fa.\isa.n V. 25. 8,

'
294
V. 2>(^1

construction in Aeschylus.
TO

parison with the rising of the sun or

the

. -. ;, ,KTeivai

15

-.
:

^...,
depends

"
a
i.

6.

27

same way

ante-chambers

In the Bacchae 747 ^ messenger wishes to say 'the flesh was torn from their limbs before you could wink but
'

feeling this

8, ^ 8 ', ), . ( '
-, .
7
cf.

Cf. Pers.

/^
''"'^

...
favourite

^'

Max. Tyr.

V^V

'<'^^

'^'^o

vvTjs

is

a reverent phrase, suggested by a comstars.

Lucian

474 applies

it

in

to a great

man dawning on
'

the clients wailing in his

till

he

rises

7"7
is

too familiar to a king, he turns

/3
''
is

it

close your eyelids

on your royal eyes.' applied by the Chorus to the King in v. 793,

phrase.
H. A.

another such respectful

8
'

than you could

'/,
12

178
28.
Africa,

NOTES

.05
the
if.

is

the

'lulu

'

',

ullaloo

',

familiar

to

us

now from
cf.

shrill

sorrow and mourning.

xvi.

-^ '. ?, [,
'
veoL

124

a.y\a.oQpovoi

For the dative

game
falls

pieces were determined or limited by the throws

of the dice,
is

player,

aripyeLV

, (, ?) ,. ^^
32
f.

( /, $... ,/
cry

of

women
its

either for

joy and

triumph, or in

For

association with the

Bacchyl.

Kovpat

Aesch.

(...5.
Tables or

.
iv

Theb.

254

cf Eur. /.

1467
is

{j/xet?

'

The metaphor
in

taken from the

or

of

Backgammon,

which the moves of the

applied to the

(, ),

. ,' ^^ , ,
tc
Plat.
J^eJ>.

whose opportunities are so conditioned:

TrpeVei
iv
|

604 C
yap

This

is

referred to by Plut. Afor.

, ,
cf

skill

of the

Soph.

fr.

861
ttc-

467 A \vhere he says

Stob. Flor. 124 41

Ttvi

<;,

yap

,'
dabit,

}<;

, ^
/os

irpo<;

? 7;. ,
Hor.
287

iv

('to

make another throw

Plut. PyrrJi.

or withdraw the move').

[Plat.] IiiJ>parcA.

(..
C.
i.

22Q

05

,
S'i'^-5"

26

iaiv

' '_>('
expressions like

belongs to

43 Horn.

f.

' 5 /,
A
278 7
48.
49

'' Dem.
is

^4

'?^^^

dierum cunqiie
134

23.

lucro

lyov

^^,

. ,
.
tis

appone.

shown by Eur. Or. 603, EI. iioi,

|8:

Eum. 629

/^

introduces the following simile

, . iyo
5.
and
anguish
'

'

Horn.

Hes. ScuL 405, Eur. Tro. 146

'

, . /
Hence
Eur.
fr.

But

that eu

etc.

428

'

Criticism here has wavered between the

MS.
'

iao
;

the conjecture of Blomfield.

;

exceeding

would of course be perfectly natural in language but Other poets are is better rhythmically, and better sustains the figure. content with transitory metaphors, and that is one way of writing no one but Aeschylus has his habitual practice no one, perhaps, but
Pindar had his power of pursuing a similitude, of carrying a figure This passage is a very fine example. Eagles always rethrough. for the two are closely coupled, presented Kings, but the Kings here

NOTES

179

'
will

and one's quarrel is the other's (vv. 42-44) whose high bed has been robbed are compared to eagles whose high bed has been robbed, ecov, As the Kings launch forth in ships, so fly the eagles TTTepvywv epeT iptathis need not be pressed, but still it happily maintains the

^;;^

?.

/
will

parallel.

And

then the likeness

is

haunts are conceived as denizens

dwelling Gods,

Apollo,
;

()
eagles

pursued

the eagles in their lofty

in the region of the loftiest-

Pan, or Zeus; and as

their cry

when wronged
and
defend

appealed

at

Athens

to their

or 'patrons,' so the eagles will

appeal to these
their right.

One above will surely hear 'And thus,' continues Aeschylus,

manner of Aeschylus,

a greater lord, Zevs

It is in

,
yap

'the Atridae are sent by

against Alexander.'
then, to choose an epithet

the

vhich

bear out his comparison.

Now

and vultures were notoriously

remote and solitary; so of course, from the nature of their high degree were Kings all Kings, though the more they were, the more marked was the resemblance: Horapoll. Hieroglyph, ii. 56

<;
50.

cradled

children.'

Hec.

1256), so you could say

1 1

Suppl. 807,

, ', 8
Housman
(see
cr. n.)

. - , ?5 / ,
eXeovvTa iv
iv

^/''*'''

.
Eur.
202,

><;
'

Trereti'tov

in

exceeding anguish
tivos

for their lofty-

As you could say dXyuv

:

(inf.

Pers. 837, Eur. Hel.

1

17

PJweil.

78

a;(t

.
576,
31,

Mr

{Jonrn. Phil. xvi. 247)

first

pointed out that

could not mean

is

'high above their eyries.'

:

means
Rhod.
iv.

and

always a superlative

'

Theogn. 376, hymn. ap. Aristid.

is
1

.
i.

Hom.

146,

45-,
iipiv

Find. P.

g.

The

genitive

of the partitive nature, as in

8,

Hom.

'

459' inf. 12 99)

Soph.

fr.

land,' as Find. O.
1

00 A

5
:

821

so
xiii.

24

'
re
it

Aesch. Supp. 725, V. 872, ?> yap

Zeus
inf.

translate

it

and

-'09

impossible in

corruption of a compound,

-,
-,

as

/-.

as

you may,

a partitive genitive
I

. -,
will

', ^
this
is

8
'

ye
Zeus

;^;

514 means 'supreme in the and in Tim. Locr.

is
still

be seen that
;

superlative,

,
is

and

the sense which

is

believe that the

MS. reading

the

-,

to

be added to the many adjectives in

-, -, -, -, -, -,
be

The formation would

first

7,

and

in
1 2

Epic the

8
might merely be doubled
to substitute ] for

NOTES

in pronunciation,

\mvok\vKo<i Arat. 1124; but the usual plan for metrical purposes or for

X6yo<;,

-, /^?, , ^,
euphony was
see on 149, 1461.
(ii.

o,

as

$',

and countless

others, to

, ^,, ,
as

Horn.,

which

will

only add
is

from the Inscriptions of Cos, p. 113. The whole subject treated with his unique learning by Lobeck, Phryn. p. 633-713. et would be easier to support than the MS. ] 55.

For 9 ('Apollo,
.,
ei

it

may
\

63 K.

TLV y

yeyovev,

Lucian

iii.

p.

14

. .

^ ' .,. ,
Alexis
r/

fr.

08

'^ '^,
(ii.

334

>/

ev

'.

65.

irpoTeXiiois,

before the issue

is

decided,

senting the ceremonies previous to the

consummation of marriage, was

to

, ,, ',
be')
cf.

Antiphanes

129 yoyypov
fr.

.)

<>

...

vnep

as repre-

metaphorically used

for p7-eliminaries

the

completion, perfection,

accomplishment of anything of a voyage V. 721, and often in later authors.

70.
class

of offerings,

from being abnormal, were a distinct but not and roughly parallel with
far

in v. 237, of

mature age

in

needing dedication by fire, as when in an ordinary sacrifice the worThey might be offered to the shipper shared his meal with the gods. Olympians as a means of propitiation but as a rule these deities were
;

invited to fire-sacrifices.

The mistake

of the Rhodians in Find. O.

whereas, 88 was that they established a worship of Athena with have been honoured with fire: The being an Olympian, she should partly because regular offerings to the subterranean powers were intended to sink into the earth instead of ascending to Heaven, and
partly because their worship in general involves propitiation rather than

, ,
:

vii.

communion.

. .
The
:

scholiast rightly recognises the customary character

of such offerings

',

So Eur.

to

904 mentions the offering of a deity who may be either Zeus or Hades Other instances of given
fr.

of Atitiquities, p. 238, are coins, locks of hair, horses Of course neither the kindling of fire driven into the sea and so forth.
Tevons'

Manual

Gardner and

in

nor the pouring of libations would make and Chorus cannot mean by

)
vye

that

somebody might seek so

^
to

effective

(Apoll.

and the Rhod. i. 1132

;

appease divine anger

NOTES

i8i

by no sort of offering, neither by nor by nor by will anyone appease the stubborn anger of Zeus (or of implied which comes to the same thing), whose intention is to cause many woes to Greeks and Trojans alike. Thus, the stern temper of unburnt sacrifices represents the fixed mood of Fate, in relation to which all sacrifice is useless: Verg. Aen. vi. 376 desine fata
that
'
'

deiiin

'

', //, . , ' , , /, ^

flecti sperare precando.

aroused by another regular kind.

It is clearly their intention to

fr.
;
|

express

^'/'

',

Moschion

{F.T.G.

p.

812)

(see C/ass. Rev.

xviii. p.

430)

'

Manetho
iv

p.

92 Koechly

0,

^<;
\

<;).

yap

yap ovciap

yeviaiv
\

;.

' , (
|

(iv

71.

72.

^:
76

the debt of military service to the State

of means.'

65
and

ft.

..
means
6 T
;

without

Tis is

strange: perhaps

we should read

pay

'insolvent,' 'defaulters,' 'bankrupt,' unable to

veapbs

...iraiSbs

unfit for

feeble and unwarlike as a

SU

,
vital

measure of the whole bodily vigour

'

,
war as

fr.

<'
:

{ ,: -"
ro8e Theb. 20).

Hesych.

and

eviropoi,

'men

vtos

'
.

as the

marrow

in its

nonage

is

as feeble
it

in old age, so conversely in

child's,
is

extreme old age

is

as

a pathetic expansion of the saying

Old age

second childhood.'
in

fact
Sl

the

life,'

as in Find.

appropriate to the marrow, regent in

functions (Tim. Locr.

be changed to

N. H.

xi.

37, 67.

,
Tts;

in
its

frame of bone and dominating

Tim. 73 b), and should not a beanstalk See also Plin.
!

' . --

The marrow is the a familiar name for it was

is

100

A,

Plat.

shooting up like
lines

These
;

prepare us for the

which

we

at the crisis itself.

/
79.

find instead of

at the crisis.

Euripides would have apologised

'

ktL

87.

See

cr.

' The

For the question

is

corruption

due

.
cf.

Find. T.

viii.

95

to

the

tendency of the

copyists to

remove paroemiacs.
T

go.
viz.

appears to be the right antithesis,

that of the shrines of all deities in the public places of the

town and
each
9. 6.
i.

of those in each several and

private place,

at the street-door of

house.

The

title

is

assigned to Apollo in Macrob. Sat.

82

NOTES

For the similar practice of the Jews see Isaiah 57. 8 'Behind the doors also and the posts hast thou set up thy remembrance.' i Maccabees 1.55 'And at the doors of the houses and in the streets they burnt incense.'
96.

of quality

.
:

The
54

Athen. 64 b
id.

,
97
f.

^'
99

.
it

(.<;

The

.
t>,
"J

()
6
f.

appellation
ol

'

royal

'

often connotes choiceness

^.,
alvelv.

Kpeiaaoves

9%

Cf

Eur.

/
//'

233

sentence begins as though another re were to

follow, but

never does, because the intervening relative clauses are

supposed to have put it out of mind the main sentence. Cf. Supp. 490
It
is

^^
;

a parenthesis usurps the place of

tc
Iv

studied carelessness to resemble the irregularity of

is

?
so

actual speech, like the 'nominativus pendens,' which Aeschylus

so

fond of using. 101 ff. See

the construction,

and
is

.
]
like
plural.

cr. n.
z.e.

The

words,

think,

in order to bring

were transposed to show

together,

In reading
ii.

Theocr.

10

apparent why we find

106.
naturally

decay.
108,

, ^
too

,
vi.

%, ')
not

was an explanation of follow f and Triclinius.

now

the reason

is

it

was not feminine but neuter

'men of prime': which, however, would be more contrasted with immaturity than with the aged Elders' own (Hermann al.) would be 'men in power.'
should
possibly be
(Heller),
'inspires
is
'

divine impulse with puissance in song.'

am now

i.

^^ . /8 ).
weak
in

The

general sense

to fight, I

am

still

strong enough to sing,' as the old

shepherd says
104

A. P.

73

/>, '
in

by though I

me

112, and

The passage has echoes

echoed

of Pind. O.
fr.

seems

to

me
|

to be itself
|

774 44

'

yap

See
lost

cr.

?
(as

emend

was a gloss on

no doubt
121

owing to the recurring final syllable. kings subduing Troy with her teeming multitude inside are typified by eagles. Aeschylus, I suspect, was thinking of that remarkable passage Hesiodic or Orphic in character rather than Ionic about and the Horn. I 505 rj '
ff.

] [/
Eur. Phaethon

and

was

The

"

? : ^, ^

"^
with
in 512.

So w/. 406, when

"

has her way,

hare, see Piatt in C/ass. Rev.

c{.

,
The

ov^eU
'

NOTES

183

prevented from her

xi. p.

Eur. Afed. 826

99 f. of the words although Lucian has 125

f.

ap. Athen.

(.,.),
it.

common
in
is
'
:

For the significance of final course,' as appHed For the accusative after 94.
Cratinus

,. to the
(i.

^/^'

The
in

57 .) order

Latin,

is

rare

Greek,

Greek the emphatic words are placed first, and the unemphatic follow after, is the key to the understanding of this sentence. All critics have assumed that go
principle that in

together

then, seeing that

other words, as Lobeck

Dindorf The truth is that the words which go together are seeing the twain warrior sons of Atreus two in temper.' What enables the sage prophet to identify
the pair of eagles with the pair of princes
warriors,

? ?,
^

unsuitable,

.
is

some have

substituted

but one

language

characters which correspond to those of

^
may
at in

/?
and
v.

and the other (Arist. 618 b

so often

that the birds are royal

apyas

in

common
Menelaus.
(largely

18).

These represent
Menelaus
fr.

Agamemnon and
aimed
at

The
to

taunt of spiritlessness or

based, one

suppose, on the lost Epic and Lyric literature) seems

,- ,
is

be hinted

420

424;
Electra (Or.

, .
1

says Pindar

81,

Menelaus

called

by Apollo in the guise of Asiades (Horn. 588) and of him Orestes says (Eur. Or. 754) ov yap

iv

'

7, Helen

201)

(Colluthus 314)
vi.

yap

(.-%. Add
131.
134.

Quint,

30

43

^
yap
is

8<:
common
a

the

phrase, Eur. Bee. 510, Or. 818, Soph. Ai. 57, 947, 960, Phil. 793, 1024, sup. 43.

recalls the
is

not

double meaning, as the language suggests to the audience the herd

of the Greek forces.

and

similarly 390,

of the eagles.
but

means

'beasts, cattle.'

There

is

136

fF.

...- means

or

and

this

is

the saving clause which

parodies was proper to a prophecy: A. P. xi. athlete, and a runner come to find out from a
'

9 - ^
' '

.'
If
it

In

xi.

prospects.

rains enough,'

365 ^ farmer consults an astrologer on his is the response, 'and not too much, and
frost,

,
it

appears

from some amusing 163 a wrestler, a pent-

which

...

will win.

nor young shoots crushed by hail, nor the crop devoured by deer, and nothing else unfavourable befalls
the furrows are not spoilt by

84
air,
.

NOTES
I

from earth or
the

/.' (. .(,
mouth
as

foretell

you a good harvest

an epithet
'

/xotVa?

Setoi^t

of Troy.'

'the great embattled bit that should hold

limiting
'

is

the metaphor,

irpo-

TVTziv,

,
That

by lightning.
:

139.

cf Philipp. Thess. A. P.
Kreiveiv,

ix.

22

43
146.
Trep

.'
We

eAeetv
-ep

should probably read

'

any rate should be the metre, epithet of Artemis [more often

at

glances at Iphigeneia.

thou gentle one' (so Piatt in C.

if

but see Ar. J^an. 1359 and other evidence quoted by Gruppe, Gr. Myth. p. 1271, n. i], used here
after the usual

:,
crit.

^.
<>,
is

yap

eVt'-

or

J?, xi. 95).

sound,

the well-known

custom to flatter and conciliate the goddess, of is an epicism, due to the familiarity of Homer to the copyists. which is common on Lydian coins and The 147. still extant on the ancient gates of Mycenae, was probably the badge of That seems to be the reason why the the Lydian dynasty of Pelops.

term
V.

is

applied to various

members

1258,

in V.
it

or his army in v. 818, Clytaemnestra in v. 1257, Aegisthus and as the lion's offspring is a type of Helen in v. 718, so 1223;

him

appears here to
149.

5, :
mean

tliese

Iphigeneia.

see

any, the portents of of

fowls'
for

by which means we obtain the usual formula of invocation, justifying (as in no and abolishother way it can be justified) the emphatic place of which had been already ing the superfluous and inappropriate
bracketed by Paley.
that
32. 3
is

OBPIKAAOICIHEPTINA

,
of that family,

Agamemnon

in

'Consent

to ratify^

if ever

The

alteration

involves the writing

The form of appeal is if ever before, so now,' 'no occasion was ever more urgent than the present'; e.g. Dem.
'

7\, \ ' '/ ^

Other examples see

'

,^
)(^'.
,

eiirep

tivl
<
'''t*''

Isae. 8. 5

Blomfield on

'^,

inf.

503 (525 W.)

et

,
:

for

'

with bright eyes now,' Blaydes on

704, Stat. Achill.
i.

Ar. JVud. 356, Thesm. 1157, Leaf on Horn.

509

si

quando, auidissimus
151.
us,

[.

haxiri.
:

since after

all

they are not \vh oily favourable to

not satisfactory altogether

(^/,
is

Soph. E/. 496), but with elements

in

them which portend

159.

-.,

us evil too.

'

clcaving,'

used in the same way as

2 11,

aiwv

(v.

109).

165.

'|,

like

inf.

expresses the

loud

and

NOTES
excited tone of voice which

This
as

.
is
'

marked the

spiritual exaltation of the

the explanation of other words applied to the delivery of oracles,

and

8<;
'

and those

whicli are
'

technical of them,

does not mean

to say,' or, as L.

to noise abroad,' but

to utter with a wild,

and S. suppose, confused, and half-articulate

. ,
185

cry,'

such as comes from the victims of a nightiiiare.

inf.

Compare
commit
laid

for

instance Cho. 35, 533,

287.
so plainly warned,
this

170
fatal

ff.

How
?

could

Agamemnon,
is

crime

Because he
shall learn

an example of the general law

down by own
past

Zeus that
tion,

man

wisdom, not by foresight or prophetic admoni-

but after the event by experience and reflexion on his

actions.

Experience teaches by

unnoticed working.
175.
often,
is

,
ofiXos
is is

memory

revisiting us in

dreams or by

'causeless,' 'unaccountable,' 'unwarranted.'

used

like the adjective

Tis
:

178.
for,

see
is

cr. n.

.
am

//,

as

but probability
certain

very

sentence beginning with

ovS"

For what
could only

is

that

, '
much
old,

aware that
it,

against

may be argued and when we find the

considerably increased.
or

suspicion

is

'
I

on
I

,.

mean

'not even he that was great aforetime,' the stress being

is

have seen

'

That

pointless here.

The only

plausible conjecture
write

(Pauw).

For

OYAOCTIC

OYAOCTIC,
a

'a violent

one was great of

it

swelling with boisterous puissance.'

The metaphor throughout

word which
pancratiast.
is

,
will

is

of a combat
the

and

be seen

in

Thesaurus was properly used of the

,
"Some
2. 2.

the epithet applied by

Homer

to

Ares and Achilles,

eminently suitable to
180.

this turbulent swasher.

'but shall not be reckoned, being one of the

V

past.'

Cf. Eur. Ale.

) (.,
yv

cf Timotheus ap. Atlien. 122 d

8.
origin,

of the wrestling-match between Cronos and Zeus at Olympia.

(v. 7.

. '
:

',

322

'

(fr.

21 Wil.)

' - ., /<;

an

HeC. 905 For the sense

yio<;

allusion

to

the

myth,

probably of Orphic
say

Pausanias, in his account of Olympia

that Zeus here wrestled with

10) refers to

Cronos himself; others that he held the

Cronos."
believe,

games

in

honour of
It

his victory over

is

See also
that

185.

the opposite of
I

i86

ff.

was
Zeus.

in

this

way,

.
it
:

viii.

Prometheus became
by
Suffering see

reconciled

to

,
Plat.

Horn.

32

For the proverb Hes. Op.

;7

Hdt.

i.

207

'

Insiruction

28

'

Symp. 222

'. .

86
i8g
ff.
'iv

NOTES
' {5-7....
re... /cat
is

an instance of the
Soph.
fr.

common
aviu
as
ii.

idiom,
co-

according to which
ordinate:

,
'

serve rather to subordinate than to

Cf.

when.
|

..then...'

234. 5

Anfig.
iv.
2.

the grape reddens.'

Stein.
6

1186.
vii.

Hdt.

,
eTr'

^/^ap
'

and

it

iv.
5.

181, 199,

93, vi. 41

Xen. A?iab.

12,
i.

4. 12,

Eq.

10
ii.

re

....
18

Aristid.

407 d)
V.

'
'^**'

re

705
is

^
is

492, 511.

Lucian

584.

Timocles (Ath.

dechnes
viii.

(Porson for

254
rightly

iyei'ovro

-
'
:

eipijrai)

HeUod.

8,

(.(..

Plat.

ktL

Phaedr.
is

explained

by Dr Verrall
to a

The admonitory

recollection

of

experience
at times
hurt.'

compared

wound which long

afterwards will ache

and even break out again, reminding the sufferer of the original I cannot go with him further in his reading and explanation
a sore that oozes, bleeds, breaks out again.
it.

but the root of the idea

And
his

^ ^8 . , 8 , ^ ^ 7}8.^^ 77 , ^ , ^
unfelt in the activity of day, but will disturb the sick man's rest

ei'

is

a most important part of

Bodily disease
ovSlv

may be
upon

bed

Dio Chrys.

ii.

p.

169 R.

78
i.

yeveaOai

'^,
are

And

as

it is

with bodily

diseases,

so

it

is

with the

sufferings of a

eloquently

described by Achilles

,'

Tatius

wounded spirit, which 6 ojs '

iv

/,'

yap

Old Testament, from which many illustrations could be drawn; the best, perhaps, are Job 33. 14. For God speakeih o?ice, yea twice, in a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth
as they say in the

' ,
yap

'

Conscience also

', ,
'
:

yeva

^pf.pyLa

' ' '^ ' (.

opeiieth the ears

yepoev

chastens in the night-season,'

upon men, in slumherings upon the bed; then he

of men,

and sealeth their instruction, that he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man; he keepeth back man frotn the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword. He is chastened also with pain upofi his and so on such act of God bed, and with co?itinual strife in his bones whom he loveth he chasteneih to make man repent is a

;8

NOTES
and deliver
wJiom
his soul

187
5.

from going into the pit:

;

17
t/ie

Happy

is the

man

God

corredeth

therefore despise fiot thou

Almighty: for he maketh sore, and bindcth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole. Psalm 16. 7 / zvi/ bless the Lord who hath given

me we

cotinsel: yea,

my

reins instruct

me

in the night seasons,

under the Eumenides v. 523, deterrent influence of fear and when fear was sent divinely to a man, it was commonly in the time of rest upon his bed, in dreams (Job 4. 12 17, IVisdofn of Solomon 17 and 18. 17 19); and such 17, 30. 15 fears, in the Greek view, came by the agency of black spirits {e.g. Cho. 282 thus were theologised the twinges of a guilty con8) science, which Plato in Rep. 330 D describes as torturing a man upon his death-bed with the fear of Hell, and causing him to start up, like a frightened child, from sleep he had ridiculed such myths before, but now they rack him with the apprehension that they may be true whether it be merely from the weakness of old age, or because he really sees those terrors plainer, being nearer to them. It was in dream that the divine part of us waked and saw euSet says Pindar in fr. 231, dormant while the limbs are active, but it lies becomes prophetic while we are asleep. Aeschylus can hardly not have shared in the Pythagorean doctrine, and must, I think, include allusion to it here it is his brevity in allusion to familiar doctrine that makes
are told in the
;

^ ,,
/,

chastening of the

as

pa.v^v
;

his

lyrics

difficult.

means 'putting in mind of suffering,' and could mean both 'reminding is 'at the seat of of the past' and 'warning of the future.' irpo

,
Zi

like

dyutv

in

Pindar,

consciousness,' cf 967, Cho. 390,

192

f.

8
Pep.

Eum.
..\.
E,

103.

suppose,' P. V. 848, Plat. Phaedr. 270

' .
726
spiritual

some presumption

that

/;?

^^ /'.
mode

may Za.v^v
Plat.

be entertained about
I

yap Soph. Ai. 489 be suggested that the purpose of the

..
5

The

particles Se

('

and

Legg. 650 b) are often used of

divi?iities.
V.

See Pers.
'''^

Bacchyl.
'"'^'^

91
el

^^

"^

'

^^^

^^

0i8ev
It

might, however,

lines is to contrast the gentle

and

of correction existing under the reign of Zeus with the

turbulent rule of Ouranos and Cronos.

conclude, should

man be

grateful to

world by main force? Thus, with where is there any joy of deities
violently
?

For how, the poet would then and adore a deity who ruled the and retained, 'whereas who sit upon their awful seat

194,

in

means

this occasion';

means 'so it is on other words, both phrases are employed to mark

'so
it

was

then,' as

a particular example of a general principle: Pind. P.

iii.

29

88

viv ov

^/

enquiry

described as
in V. 229.

. (
ov
ff.

ovre

...

Agamemnon
gives

.<;
is

circumstance,' which

197

^
i.
f.

the

same thing

, ^^^
Tore

.
is

NOTES

acted hastily, yielding without

'"
),

critical
is

the contrast to
'

and so

letting his spirit yield to violent

as

<rv|X"irvW.

Cf. Schol. Pind. JV. vi.

90 (55)

( 573 The
^)

'
and
to

lyric

method

is

to begin at the crisis

jot in points of description or narrative without regard to their logical

sequence.

, famishing,
:

a Hippocratean word

the vessel of the stomach.

Diels).]

211.

212
2ig.

' <5

cf. inf.

tion; see Horn.

-?
A
iirel

-.
[Cf. dyy^lov as

used by Empedocles (A 74
iv

955

The

action shows their

.
:

lit.

emptying

emo-

245,

8o.

...

See

cr. n.

The

reading of the

MS.

arises

through TO

6^179, i.e.

the tendency of the scribes to simplify the order of

substituted for

the words, with

228 .':

8*

once he had persuaded himself that he was yielding to Necessity, from that point he abandoned himself in desperation and
resolved to stick at nothing.

?.
. .

|
?,
2. ix.

This was a familiar idea, that (of poverty or love, for instance) drives a man to do or suffer anything

avy
7}

. ' .
Si]

Theognis 195

'^.

, , , .
3^4

^
17

kn^X

^,
F.
V.

ivTvei,

iv

'

ai'cr^ea

,
:

^,
17
1 1

'

,
Hence

avSpa

Antiphon 121.

became a

,
mind
:

parenthesis

. ', - ?
12,

16,

regular epithet of

Sappho A. P.
7

xvi.

15.
2

*Moschion, Tckphus

fr.

<3

^
him
to

'<"'''

describes the process by which

(),

he

is

at

his

wits'

end

iv

Theognis says; he abandons the restraint kept him in check, and gives himself up wholly bad audacity, bold recklessness and sin.

, {), ,
produces
drives
to

.The
of
distraction

this state

as

which had hitherto

the spirit of

therefore, acts in the

same way as him astray into The words

";
or

God

'

^, /?
dviepov

,
sin,'

NOTES
who makes
(v.

189
a

man
'

and leads
'

764).

avayvov, aviepov

mean
'

wicked,'
'

sinful against

always means

polluted

by sacrilege or

bloodshed.

bad sense, is much the same as and expresses 'criminal wickedness' or 'crime' in general; and or is the Strongest term of condemnation that can be applied to man or woman, 'ready to commit any crime without restraint of conscience.' This is the meaning of and in C/lO. 591, 595 and ib. 628 is the opposite, and are sometimes used to the same effect,
used
in a

When

'
in

,in V.
in

as

Xftpt in C/lO.

383
in

jlist

as

385

implies a 'wicked

so
Similarly

in v.
v.

417 means
is

English

'committing a crime.'

234

equivalent to

by

,
230.

the sense indicated.

'from that moment,' might also be

:

relative,
it

picked up

'

ovv after the parenthesis

but in any case

that yap

refers to

as has been

shown

in the previous note.

232.

See

cr. n.

The
eyvw

copyist

word, and therefore punctuated after

the schol. being

^
:

bably another groping at a sense that produced the reading of Similarly, the right reading (Heath) in Eur. If.F. 11 26 is

, . '
assumed

?,
M.

must be the second

It

the explanation offered in

was pro-

yap

but yap was assumed to be the second word; a stop accordingly was placed after and then to get a sense the

was changed
ov

.
237.
239.

to oi

so that

we

find

irpoTtXeia.

with Achilles.

,
It
:

', '

(or

yap

is

possible that, as in Eur.

is

there

A. 433 an allusion to the pretended marriage

/.

[Mueller's correction

was provisionally adopted.

.. . ^. .... , . ...
form see the commentators on
243.
irepi-ireTTj

For the

the adj.

is

C/io. 349.] passive corresponding to

,
iv.

'

Where

she lay, wrapt in her robes.'

If the

246.

MS. reading

is

kept,

it

should be treated as
75

subject to

In Eur. Tro.

194

the sense
iv

is

'to keep watch.'

Cf. Find. P.

257

Cf.

Harmodius

ev

ap.

Athen.

iv.

149 C

go
265 266,

So Eur. Or. 426 added by m to 263 was a

'

but ominous 268 f.

-,
'
reference.
It

NOTES
gloss

.
on
this

word.

full

clear with the rays of

morning

'

a vague
de-

...

refers

to
is

Clytaemnestra.

scribes her relation to the throne, which

expressly stated in the verses

following (Schuetz).
stage
for

a character on the

was the almost invariable practice of the Greek first appearance to be announced and

described for the information of the audience.

ipKos
is

So
:

used several times in

Homer

of persons

so

wvpyos,

276
ayo9

5 .
and the

.
inf.

590.

[Eiim. 704),
repetition
SuJ>J>.

like.

of eidyyeXos from the previous speech corresponds exactly to

.,. '

dprjyeiv...

282. 283.
the
full

Cf. Plut. Cami/I.

force contained in these words

?. 5
The
30

tenor of the answer with

its

381

6, -

8.
For an explanation of
to the records

. )
soul
:

of Physiognomy.

In that science, so

we must look much studied in

the eyes that give the most important signs and are the windows of the
Script. Physiogn.
i.

p.

305 Foerster
^

.
6

the East,

it

is

iviSpvTUL

Samuel 16. 7 'for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the eyes,' that is, the
17, 409

heart.'

Leon. Tar. A. P.

in this

There are other passages play which are explained by the same notion; see notes on 786
Eur. Afed. 215
'

and 1427.

ii. p. 394 5), having been used, on the subject and retained as technical hence it appears in other writers often when they speak of what is indicated, whether good or evil, by such outward signs. See Eur. fr. 690 ..., Philostr. mag. 29 y

vocabulary (see Foerster's Index

doubtless, by old Ionic writers

,
19 and
is

.
.

vii.

661

,?
:

]
'

'

to argue,' 'prove,' belongs to the physiognomical

Tg)V

',

?
Vlt.
';

Soph.

i.

17

380 Kayser), Heroic, p. 33 =" 698, Aelian i. 5, Heliod. iii. 5, Plut. Mor. 695 d, Schol. Theb. 109 there are also some examples in the Dictionaries which should be classed under

..

(.

'
MS.

this head.

287.

Karsten's correction of the

it

cannot bear the sense attributed to

mere fancy of a slumbering mind But

(i)

get reputation^ with or without an epithet, or with a genitive repu-

here

'

would not accept the

So$av
:

'^

that
is

would be oio

used Only

in the following senses

, 8

which

,,,
tation of ox

for \ as
{of),

NOTES

etc., (2) fo conceive

a conception
/.

T.

or But XeycLv is to state mere opinion as opposed to knowledge (Eur. 164, Bacch. 628, Heracl. 395, Soph. Track. 426, Hdt. vii. 185): (see on 619), and now the is a stronger synonym of
as

ewoiav,

emphasis
288.
reasons,

falls

where
old

it

should, on

,. eiraivov,

, ?, ^, 191

a notion

(of), entertain

^/

8$.

The
dream

men assume

that she

has only ordinary woman's

11

(..(.
vcrai,

or rumour, as in Eur. liel.

oveipois

heightened synonym of
Plut. Alor.
is

516 D

Similar
ij

:
So

/ 5 $,
see
it

the use of av^eiv

Bacchyl.

^ ? , ^ <;
)...
:

'
.
p.

90
;

Bacchyl.

iii.

67

Ath. 782 d
8'

i.

52

is

varied by

C/ass. Rev.

102.

explanations have been given,

wing-sivift rumour.

Orph. Arg. 596 ' observed that when the phrase

loi, Telestes (Ath.
f),

616

,,
yap
Find.
J\i.
iii.

.
IS

58
av8p6<i
(sc.

{inf.

1668),

). -

airTpos

of which fantastic

means a winged, or metaphorically a fama, was a thing that flew: Hdt. ix. 100,

seems always to denote a certain obscurity in the speaker's words, which causes them to fall short of the hearer's intelligence. Thus in Od. 17. 57, when Penelope has questioned Telemachus about the result of his voyage to Pylus, and Telemachus, who has just recognised his father at the swineherd's hut and been commanded to keep silence, has made an evasive reply, the meaning is that the full intention of his speech was hidden from her. In Od. 19. 29 Telemachus makes no direct answer to Eurycleia's question about the torch-bearer who would be required, and it is implied that his words had a hidden import in
Odyssey,

?
;

fama

uolat.

It

should be

occurs in the

reference

to

his

father which failed to reach her.

to

In Od. 21. 386

suitors

Eurycleia

failed

understand that the slaying of the

was

implied

in the

speech of the swineherd.

enter,

In Od. 22. 398 Eurycleia,

when

beholds to her joyful amazement the bloody corpses of the suitors lying on the ground.
invited to

However

this

may

later writers of things

be, the old poetical word was used by which though wingless are swift as with wings,

wing-swift, like the Flying

Dutchman.

And

in this sense

was a favourite phrase (fully illustrated by Nauck, T. G." p. 922): sometimes used instead. In the same sense the we find usual explanation of the grammarians is ;('5 or was used

vCi

the

adverb

or

,'?

(lengthened

like

for

the

192

NOTES
airrepos or
p.
:

purpose of dactylic verse),

P. V. 707 quoted.
in

%^& Journ. Phil. xx.

to put the ocean at his back 'or 'to skim the broad back of ocean.' The passage is incomplete, and the line which follows cannot be explained with any certainty. [The translation favours Weil's view that the gloss of Hesychius,
irovTov

298.

'

TrXeov

,
:

296, where further

?
'

should probably be read

illustrations are

may be

either

in 3
lost

which Dindorf wished to substitute for formed part of a passage which has 1 3,
is

been

here.]
It
is

299.

possible that there

an allusion to Ischys, the son of

Elatus (pitch-pine),

who

intrigued with Coronis, daughter of Phlegyas,

when she was with

305.
(cf.

.
;

960) 316.

or simply 'arrived, giving

confused.

child

by Apollo.
'signified his arrival,' as translated
signal,' [as in

,<5 may mean

see
cr. n.

Soph. Ani. 1208.]

So

in

1670

and
comet.
SUp.

are

D'lcarchei speculatrix uilla profundi.

for

'. /, . - .
318.
so

in familiar use of a
is

319.

see

cr. n.

This

the form which analogy supports:

cf.

fr.

304 TOVTOV 8
Ar.

,
25.

299
ii.

57

See also

Stat. Silu.

2.

3 celsa

In Theb. 631 cod. Viteb. has Anacreont. 40. 10

ovK

>^^,

and

in

Pauw

restored
:

320.

ium demum

terrae inaibuit ciwi

ad Arachnaeum monletn
10, Steph.

uenit.

321.
p.
1

For mt. Arachnaeus see Pausan.

is

10,

4
ToSe:

322.

see

.
In

ii.

Byzant.

cr.

n.

Eum. 755

has

'
F

where
has toV

'
'

is

preserved by the other copies, and in Soph. O. C. 860

.

'

326.

irpuTos

and the play of words (which may have been familiar in the case of torch-running) depends upon this ambiguity. The light from Ida ran both first and last, as starting first and ending the light from Mount Arachnaeus ran both first and last, as startlast ing last and ending first.

meant

'to finish

,
firsj^'

for

though

it

could

mean

to start

first,'

usually

331.

65, 'your

should read
is

now
^

read for
'

'

version of this tale': see

optative following

cr. n.

Perhaps we
as

(the

),

%
:

in Soph. Phil. 1330, Ai. 11 17, O. C. 1361

this

would be

so long as you should speak.'

For the optative see Goodw.

a.

-^

53ij

who quotes

Plat. Theaet.

155

335
1

147 Hipp. 793

joined to
Auratus'

-, /
*

NOTES

193

might appear to belong to

.
'

C.

^'5

77),

758

/,

,
it

(Soph. /.
Eur.

but sense requires that

should be
accept

'^^.
5,

unfriendly separated.'
ov
'

,
is

Many

editors
friends,'

separated,

and not
f h.

which

may
we

well be right.

348

get and even See also on 737. ws ' 'and how blest!' exclamatory, as in 1235 This use of and in combination with is very common in Greek verse, but sometimes escapes critics because Greek does not use the note

8 '.
i.

corrupted to

of exclamation.

209 ', Lucian

21.

552
is

,
Cf.

^.

'

So

for

6.8,

Ar.

Eq. 269

So the

text

quite

sound

in Eur. Supp.

jectured

, /, , "; %
'and

where ;^, which would be correct if instead of number had been named. Liban. iv. 116. 11

^ ^/,
901

^, ,
vii.

'

^', '

,.
\
in the

Dem.

Canter cona definite

all that sea!''

Tzetzes, Chil.

Damoxenus
It

fr.

353

was a commonplace
sleep
is

' V in praise of Peace that you could sleep the

^)

whole night long and were not wakened by the trumpet

just

when

sweetest

'

Polyb.

'without a watch to keep.'

350.

-,
iii.

433

Schweighauser

a saying quoted by Plut.

^ ^. , . '' ,
'-

'
'

39

'^^.

morning

Bacchylides

fr.

2.

9 J.

--

Lyric you would say

exception),

need not be altered

(
:

JVl'c. 9.

So

to

(Scaliger).

In
edd.

in

Eum. 1020

is

perhaps an

unnecessarily restore
in Eur.

Med. 10 12.
eXovTis

Zenob.

Ael. JV. H.\. 29

'

'
i.

352.

35,

Diogen.

i.

;^^

..

,. , ,
in

/.
&v

elsewhere
34,

etc.

The

and Cobet wrongly

is

rejects

the combination
Suid.
S.7>.

proverbial.

Hal.
20

.
ei

33

Xen. Cyr.

vi. 3>

13

194

KVKkuiQfiiv,
tiki

or 'catching a Tartar' are favourite in

'
f.

NOTES
A. p.
ix.
:

14 etXe

'

?,

Soph.

C. 1025

4' ',

'

such phrases

for 'the biter bit,' 'turning the tables,'

353
above d 357

refer to the future

ff.

, (. -? , , . .
She
is
still

Greek and Latin.

imagining the scene.

could not
as in Pers.
1

we must have had can only mean if they

'

28.

So

are reverencing.'

Oiols

'

el

'* ,

This

is

somewhat darkly worded

:

for the sake of

double meanings.

To
now

their intelligence she says

is

that they

The only danger to be apprehended may commit some sacrilege, which would bring the
'

vengeance of the gods upon them otherwise, if they arrive without having offended against Heaven, the human discontent at home caused by the losses in an unpopular war is likely to be reconciled, to hush its murmuring voice and welcome the returning Princes with good words
;

nothing to be apprehended here, unless some accident should 'the grievance of the lost' happen to them.' to the wound that each home suffers for the loss of its dead kinsman, the
there
is

,
ff.)

growls under the breath at the unworthiness of the cause, the festering resentment against the Princes growing under the surface like a spreading gangrene, and the grave danger that the angry

people

may

result in insurrection, are the

dwell in the succeeding chorus (455

'

?. ' ,

murmurs

of the

theme on which the Elders

yvvaiKOS,'

However, as Clytaemnestra anticipates, this bitter feeling has abated ev is the note of by the time the King arrives (v. 797). his reception, 'good ends make all amends' the But the covert meaning for herself is that her own sore her own Avord she uses with the same concealed significance in v. 856 grievance for the loss of Iphigeneia will know how to put on fawning and her effusive welcome, as of course it does when the time comes
;

8
!

, .

daughter's death she does not even mention

fall

upon him unawares

It is for
i),

the sake of this that she selects the

a synonym of

but a 'sudden stroke'

may

word

evijyopov (Eubul.

as evayopia (Callim.

Lau. Pall.

139)

of

and laudation,

.^
in

NOTES
Sc^erat
;

195

She anticipates her own long-drawn smiling welcome

?,

inf.
is

and what he understands, 821 831. The MS. reading is supposed to mean And {even) if they came without offence towards Heaven, {yet) the soreness of the slain might become wide-awake, even supposing no sudden accident befel them yivoiT av is usually slurred over and taken as except that though it were would be on the watch.' But some word of favourable sense appears to be demanded by the order of the words. lTrrjyopov.,.yivoLT ar, if we read it, would be 'might turn accuser the of the Argives on account of their be-

Agamemnon

779 800,

..^

which

... 1227 ola what the Chorus hint

^
to
'

?
"
v

'

1--%

'

'

reavements (457) might give its discontentment voice; but my objection to that sense is still the same, that the Greek should then have been
ct oe

(or iypyop6's) yevoir

? ?, .
:

'
last

iTrrjyopov
is

The

clause

added

like

an
60,

afterthought,

correcting a too confident expression,

C.

]
Soph.

Soph.

0. T. 969,
TO
Tt

1450, Track. 586.

361.

their enjoyment.'

8(
365.
368.

-/, /^ ^,'/, . , ,? .
362.
'the
;

-,
tls

?
ev

, (..
Stlpp.

985

iO]

,
as
:

Hom. A
Dem.
4.

'

Cf Soph. fr. 533 The blessings are many what

due
fruit.'
:

SO

Ar.

Au.

They never

said

^?

T/iesm. 99 f'V""

but used the verb alone,

.
'.
I

want

is

226

/,
in

Track.

229

Observe that
there
is

ly(.\

special reason for the addition of the adverb.

In Eur. II.F. 599 Paley

[Aet.

was wrong

-.

in taking

with

The Pythagoreans

called the stars

ii.

13. 15, Diels,

Doxogr.,
Toi

374

f.

':

p.

343,
'It

7].
is

Zeus Hospitable,

say,

who

is

the

author of

this act

if

the vengeance has been long in coming,

cause no doubt j

it

has only been deferred in order that the stroke

might fall the surer.' Such is the connexion with the following lyric, where the sentiment is taken up and developed: There is a strong stress on as there is with which is only one case of a more general use. makes an appeal

^.
,
?

let that

'

to the

knowledge or conscience of the hearer and so

in negation, to lay stress

is

often used in
it

assertion, as

upon the

\vord

goes with.

Examples

are inf. 913, 1031, 1039, Cko. 913, Supp. 375, 545, ^z^wz. 758,

132

196

NOTES
U

Soph. El. 582, 624, 773, Phil. 1095, Find. P. v. 122: so in Toi 7/5 is the reason,' /;// 867, 1603, Cho. 1054. ... The lyric takes up the preceding 379. 'Alos

--

'

declaration

and confirms

it

'
:

//

is

the stroke of Zeus that they have felt

be pronounced, and if we follow out the sequence of events, It was his act, and his the act and its motive can be traced to him. It has been said that act was the execution of a determined purpose. to visit sin: an irreligious lie! the gods do not concern themselves

may

safely

Here is a manifest proof that they do visit it for the destruction of Troy is evidently punishment for the presumptuous sin of Paris. This is the reward of those who are made insolent with riches and righteous;

ness.'

There is a chorus in the Hercules Furens of Euripides precisely to the same effect as this passage, and closely resembUng it in language. It is sung after the triumph of Heracles over the murderous usurper Lycus his dying cry is heard within, and then the Chorus rejoin
: :

747

802

809

/ /, ? ; , 8. ^ . ;^ - , ' -, . , :

',

/3

iKr'iviuV

8.

Tt's

(.

^.

'^'

but Justice shatters them in time.

^,

jU,oi

TO

'

^'

<;

<'

el

.
?

'The base-born usurper

of Heaven.'

affords manifest proof,

is
still

when you

regard

the issue of the contest, that Righteousness

pleasing in the sight

NOTES
Blomfield pointed out that

must be taken together:

(Herod,
that

but few have heeded,

--',
'

regular expressions for 'to be wounded,'

in

,
cf.

etc.

liriiv irapeo-Tiv is

indeed'; as in Theb. 906

(
381.

Philemon,

fr.

108

'

Supp. 89
cr.

105

<;
first

See
Cf.

The

tis. It has otl. Supp. 441 AetTTCi been supposed (Jebb on Soph. Anf. 620) that Diagoras of Melos is referred to, and the allusion suits the reason for his atheism given in

struction.

Schol.

Sext.
Ttvos

Emp. Math.
if

ix.

53, that the guilty are not

doubtful
E.
tr.
i.

he can be placed so early: see

^^ .
'

iv.

60),

serving to form a passive as

,
:

197

are

judgment may be pronounced and elTretv iir' eVt Xeyeiv.' For

? ...

.
to

was inserted

explain the con-

punished

/^
it

vVo
very

[But

IS

i.^.

Gomperz.. Greek Thinkers,

meaningless.

p. 577.]
f.

385

The MS.

reading (see
;

cr.

n.)

is

quickly clear the ground

for a little reflection will

is

can admit what Karsten

either for

We

and Weil have pointed

or for
"Ap// -KViovTUiv
:

out, that there

no place here
(v.

-^
riches;

Paris,

sin in his

own

person; and

following sin that

whereas

"

comes through

'

409), has paid for his the subject of the passage is the retribution
is

who

the sinner

a spirit

LaL

made insolent with would condemn him for

over-bellicose

Hartung's reading therefore,

besides giving an unparalleled caesura,

/^

a spirit

.,
For
because
in V.
I

"

is

untenable for
for

sense: nevertheless the chief part of the credit

merely restore

by Aeschylus in Supp. 86.

is

15 12

conception in 760

389

if.

" ( ^)
itself
ipirep

,No

is

due

to

him

havoc, destruction by the sword, a

word used

accusative

is

But
is

it is

not necessary to read with Weil

TO

... .
for

any case the meaning: see Faroem. ii. p. Lucian i. 756, and proverb
in

62

., ,
The
is

,
6
as

the penalty

turn of phrase exactly paralleled

i.e.

'

and in Cho. 643 (tiVciv beyond due Measure

'

.
now
80
is
(fr.

required with

,
-.
the

,
There

IS

same

/,).

).
s.v.

though that

Leutsch, for the

Aristotle,

Index

reference to
xii.

Troy

Bacchyl.

158

/?

illustrated

by

Homer

laid

down

'

In the following words the definition of Sufficience, clear of harm, with an ample

endowment of understanding
'sufficience
for

{),^

as

Pythagoras
129,
2

according to

Empedocles
1

Diels)

or

one

means

well-endowed with (Theognis

sense.'

153)> ^^

igS
in

Pind. O.
jxtv

v.

24,

yap
*^5

'
oet
p.

' ^,
'
:

NOTES
oi/cetW
;!(t

Bacchyl.

iirapKei.

395

that
(fr.

is

);^

in Stub.

Ed.

i.

3.

45

adesp. 418

',
"
Avith

^toTus

/^
^,

?. ?
:

'; N.) (.%

rts

Max. Tyr.

. ' ^'
i.

57, Solon 5.

Cf-

Trag.

fr.

8'

31- 2

elvai

396

[for the significance of

connexion
115
if.].

I'^pi?,

and

?,

Persuasion in
Pfaeiedions,

see

Cambridge
is

all,

right

' , " : ,' ?. ' ?, ?, , ( ^, '. ,,^ ^ ) ', ^^ . / ^ /, ',,. ' . ^

The reading of the MS. (see cr. n.) 397. apart from strophic correspondence,
:

not a metrical line at

irais

Soph.

fr.

533

like

Hecate in Macbeth, the close contriver of was probably the first stage in the error.
'

,^? , ',
Hesiod's

(Hartung)

is

Cho. 645

'

)(povwL

?,
469.

all

harms.'

5,

398

f.

recalls

niischiej,

is

synonym of
I

quoted on
for

v.

or

see

Hom.
fr.

505,

91.

404.

'?
iii.

opvtv is

an allusion to
Ambition,

':

Eur.

27

In Soph. A^/t. 615

is

'?

is

Hope

of wrongful gain,

a stage on the road to ruin:

Thuc.

45

103

kivSvvwl

'*

?^

'

',
iii.

Plut. Pyrrh. 26

, ^'

Pind.

tol

iv
|

Thuc.

IV.

17

7'<*'
405.

See
243.

ordo, as explained in
xvi.
p.

spokesmen of the house are members of Menelaus' household whose gossip voiced abroad the condition of atfairs within gave whispered utterance to the private and domestic
'
'

48.

,
cr.

What

the

MS.

gives

is

merely a case of simp/ex

my

paper on Transposition of Words, C/ass. Rev.

Suggests

(401): Max. Tyr.

20. 3

NOTES
grief of the

deserted
like

husband.
the

For

guarded

language

These revelations they convey in Chorus in the ChoepJiori, 45 82, not

mentioning names, but saying

.
:

with the genitive

421.

/. .
See
cr.

cf.

Athen. 187

,,
b, 6

'

,
is

199

dvSpi,

metre

with

corruption was introduced

??
/^;
iv.

The reading

of the

MSS.

neither sense nor

both.

construction of
Just the
elaopav

same thing happened

.\(.,

',
MSS.

give

'sitting apart': of Achilles sulking in

,' .
iSetv

Hermann by some scribe who

restored

The

failed to perceive the

thought

that

it

required a nominative.

in Eur. Tro.

36

-^ '

'

8 ).

Add Hdt.
33

^'
66
si'^
'

What

(with which Leaf compares

constantly said to

l6.

(Achilles)

, ,
By

moping,

e.g.

Horn,

.
;

where mferior should be is uncertain, 106 his tent in Horn.

207,

:
41,
24
;

?' ?
et

Mourners are
145, Epictet.

Upton's index.

So

the waters of Babylon

,
8
31.

497, SO

2
;
;

in. 13

ili.

24

9 8

see

m
wept,
or

we

sat

down and

remembering
424.
the like:

Zion.'

427.

Orphic

goddess of handicraft, was clean gone

sense,
is

? -,
Attic puts

where the Ionic writers say

irao-'

so Herodas,

e.g. iv.

'

is

precisely like

an

line

quoted by Lobeck, Ag/aoJ>/iamus,

'

p.

951
all spirit

'
of love, love-

with the destruction of hands, Athena, the

' :

and so

(),
(frs.

departed in the lack of eyes, which are the channels of desire and were created, according to Empedocles, by Aphrodite
87 Diels).

86,

429.

Housman
V.

286 431

6
verb

, '. .
5
(' si

of the

MSS.

is

contrary to the sense

intelligerem
'

dicerentur

Karsten)

rightly

Tryphiod. 456

(Aphrodite)

This line has caused

;

no

finite

yet

much

trouble because the sentence has

the most plausible of the conjectures,

cannot be
bpav.

right,

The verb

is

because Greek never said in fact omitted, with dramatic

8,
effect

always
'

8
as

For
is

oft,

dreaming that he beholds his joy, he would embrace.' common in Greek writing: Semon. Amorg. 7. no
ol

yciTOves

^,

Philem.

26

This yap

quite

^'

Tis

^
'
Lucian
iii.

200

NOTES
\iye.iv

'
82.
6,

^... .

128, T'r/a/.

O.r. 1288

[]

/
:

'', '
Verg.
^<r/.

4
;

iSj

Xen^rch.
i.

Lucian

242

6, Theocr.

i.

105

-^

1 7

iii.

8, Ar.

. 232, 274) -^--. V. 34) Ves/>. 11 78 Blaydes.

296

,'

.
4,

'eav '
Hef'oid.
xiii.

164.

<;
/;;/!

Cf.

503

(-^^ -^''

,
1

84. 5>

Soph.

/,

-^J^'^

33 37)

095) Cho. 193) 1030, Eur. Tro. 713. To the passages already cited in general illustration
Lycophr. 112
'I'heocr. xxx. 22,

may be added
iv. i.

434

Eur. Hel. 35, Meleag. A. P.

xii.

125, Hor. C.

37,

Eur. Ale. 348

of the

356.

here and elsewhere

(95

= the Attic MSS. was an easy

'^.

error for

cr. n.)

when

there was the choice, Aeschylus can hardly have preferred

(see

to

make

the sense less lucid hy an assonance less pleasant to the ear.

cf.

For the sense

this

Lucian

ii.

711 (of the Dream)

,?

Milton must have been thinking of

passage

when he wrote

(// Fenseroso, 6

10)

And
As As Or
436.
in

fancies fond with gaudy shapes possess thick and numberless the gay motes that people the sunbeams,
likest

hovering d?-eams, The fickle pensioners of Morpheus'' train.

or

,
Thel>.

an extremely easy

and the oracle

for

in

or

437

ff.

TO

would be a single unrepeated logaoedic See cr. n. From the figure in a stanza of quite different rhythm. while he sat at home we pass now to the private grief of Menelaus general multitude a^ large, the warriors across the sea at Troy and their kinsmen, whom they left at home in Greece what of the warriors ? In their homes too the due and fitting behaviour towards them is mourning. Trpi'-irii governs the dative crwop^e'vois for a victor, acclamaimpossible rhythm here
:

." ^
alteration,
if

78.
it

Herwerden proposed. and so would be 6

as
fr.

It is

759,

not in Pind.

Hdt

v.

75: cf T. xi. 47. Hom. in Aesch. fr. 99. 21 may be

of the

'

'

MSS.

is

tion

is

the proper tribute, Pind.

;

67 the proper tribute to the dead

iii.

JV.

is

(also praise, but in the

:

shape of) regretful lamentation.

they

And
surely,

depends on vpeneL

may, there behave so.

is

reason enough,

why

their

houses

-85

is

'broken-hearted,' as

(Hesych.

well,

should

NOTES

7? ^
'who
is

ovSc/xtS?

evvoiav

).

The MSS.
;

opposite of the sense, and a contradiction in terms

/
no

so hard-hearted as
also

to

feel

suffering,'

dvaa)^o

- , . ^/? 8 , . '^. ,. .
Hesychius
367
records
:

'stout-hearted.''

Horn.

?,

,
grief

give nevOeia
:

f. V.

,^
20

169 '

the

SSe
;

or

indignation?'
'patient,^

ircvOd

' >;'
382

Rhod.

858

48

rot

?;,

'/

^),

nvvrepov

... '
. 335
yvvaiKCtov

But
'

?;;^-

443

"^^ rn^y

8' This is a fine example of the 445 ^' ^ power that Aeschylus has of developing an image and sustaining it The God of War is like a money-changer who gives gold for bulkier metal; but his deaUng is in flesh and blood; he has his scales like the money-changer, but they are the scales of battle he receives a human body, a man's bulk, and what he gives back for it in exchange is like
;

-"
iiiean 'arms.'

inf.

886

Arcllilochus

^ ending

yap .*.

the merchant's gold-dust

for
it

(-), fitted m
habiles,

the fire

{),

causes heaviness

covering two senses,

compositi, applied to a corpse:

'handy,'
;

and packed

in vessels

which are
40. 23

and 'decently disposed,'

Bekker Anecd.

, .

and heavy, a word

betie

455 374 ff., Cassandra argues that the sorrows of Argos were worse than those of Troy:

^^ a similar spirit, as reported by Eur. Tro.

The consequence of discontent at home formed known stories referred to by Plat. Legg. 682 d:

,
ev

ovTt

^ ,

,,82,, 6 ' ,, , 8. " ,^ , ' ' ^'

rjKvuov

)^ 8

\,

/,

yrji

the subject of well-

'

202

461

corpse of Hector)
463. 464.

officially
8r;yu.o?

its

object.

, ,
,
6l

ei

NOTES
So Homer
is

370 (the Greeks gathering round the

etSo?

dangerous^
:

answered by
is

popular indignation
18.
it

pronounced (Dem.
id.

130

/'. '
in 475.

as

effectual

as

a curse
ols d

tuv

^v,

19. 70)

may

lead to a rising and the stoning of

xpi'os is

anything required; in prose confined to a debt of

money, but in poetry any function, service, obligation, demand, rivtw to fulfil the requirement. Another image, developed out of the word 469. had said tliat when a man is prosperous unrighteously,
minished and brought low: Op. 321

and again 282:

05

47 1

-;

-, , , , ^^ ^ , , 8 , ]) ..
'
yap

is

to

Hesiod

his estate is

^^

^,

^ 8<;
'

^^'^

re

pela 8e
dvepi

^.

Ke

ev

'

' '

yivtTj

AeAeiTrraf

has not been understood

means

aftriiion

as Fortune caused

him

to

wax

great unrighteously, so the

Erinyes cause him eventually to wane again and dwindle, minishing

him
of a

to a faint shadow,
curse,

till

at last

he disappears
are

of which the
is

Erinyes

the

The working embodiment, upon the

in

Hell.

fully pictured in the Eumenides: they worn him away to a shadow (264-7, suck his blood, until they have 302, 360, 371, 938), and then drag him down to Hell (267), from which

conscience of the victim

more

there

is

no escape (175, 341)

'li^ie

476.

Athen. 523 b

The MS. reading

upon the eyes

.) ^,
^

construction

of the sentence corresponds to

^'
;

^ .<
is

^.
if

>

has received

the following interpretations: (i) 'for a thunderbolt

(of the too-famous man).'
is

hurled from Zeus

Even

the construction be

allowed to pass, this

excluded, because Greek never spoke of hurling a

it

thunderbolt on a man's eyes

would convey no meaning.

(2)

The
is

eyes

are plainly the jealous eyes of Zeus.

'for a thunderbolt

hurled

by the eyes of Zeus (upon the too-famous man).' But though lightning may be flashed from his eyes, the thunderbolt was always wielded in his

NOTES

203

:5 , .,.
hand.
Rev.

On

these grounds I

am

vii.

p.

340)

is

right
is

in

convinced that Prof. Tucker {Class. regarding as an error and in

substituting

what the sentence wants. there is a pun on the double meaning of 477. of which some early moralist must have taken advantage. is added as an afterthought: see on 359. 484. 487 ff. The phrases of the Chorus are mockingly borrowed from
that

precisely

the

fire,

for there

.
ii.

and

in

491

7<;

<;

that the original

was so commonly applied to were two things metaphor from grazing cattle was forgotten in their
to themselves,
is

case and

became appropriated
54, 58).
TTjv

the ravages

fire or of

disease (Thuc.
Plut.
Afoi'.

There

a playful

appHcation of the word in

,/^
415 F

%T03LK'i]v

what the Elders mean (with an undercurrent of allusion

intrigue

^'
to
fire

and protestations) is that a woman is ready to news upon the slightest warrant {^tw rumorem reconciliatiotiis afficeret, acciperetqiie Agrippina, facili fe?ninarutn credulitate ad gaudia, Tac. Ann. xiv. 4), without waiting for proof visible and palpable, toS
the thorns.
'

and her amorous accept good

:

^ ^ .. .
the

such premature rejoicing

is

presently apt to be extinct as the

MS. reading opo? boundaries of a woman's mind

The
To

.
',

cannot be interpreted as

are encroached
opov. For

passive).
:

cross

a limit was

{8,
'

upon

'

opov
cf.

but no Greek ever said

28

Plut. Artox.

,'

oilv

2',

the general sense

^^

)
cf.

'
60

among

('/
Pind.

'

(fr.

For

J^.

IV.

139

500.
Koviei.

. ,
i.

Lucian

/
f.

^',
is

7^4)

yap

'

to yield assent to pleasure,'

KOVIS.

The

dust

an indication of speed:

623

opais
;

'
Med.

T/iel?.

',
"^^^

',

The speed
:

that

^
,

,^ , ', . )
8,

he comes with a definite message

Pers. 249

'' 8 '.
TrjiSe

' ,' . ' , , ,,

of the Herald shows

',

Eur. J/ec.

26

171

'.

' .
Theb. 35^

18

88

Uel. 602

Christ. Pat. 98, 125, 1858.

Lucian

ii.

681

'

204

.
after

501.

Theb. 651, Soph,

504. care for'

. -'
vTrepjxeya,

;<; ,
Euvi.
^^(^

NOTES
<;

-.

The

dative belongs to both clauses, and must be taken

Cf.

/^'

^ ^, ^
yr/<s

vewrepov

//

/'

. ,
So
the

455
fall

always means

out of love with,'

is

cease to

thus here the thought implied

that anything less than glad

news
V.

explicitly told will leave the

:

speaker
that

505

what has appeared

is

so

wise will be disappointing.

good For the

Hence yap in dissatisfied. any addition which is otherforce of in composition cf.

^ to
509.

leave off eati?ig, as illustrated in Athen. 649 b.

in

day of the
510.

He/. 277 ay

, - , , ' ? ^ , . ^' ^ ' ' , ,

Thuc.
:

ii.

6 1.

MS.
Eur.

see

cr.

n.

Some modern

editors retain

error

as though the Herald said he

it

had returned on the tenth

else.

year, for
:

could not

mean anything

hopes were anchors or

cab/es

to

a Greek: Heliod.

;(

''

?;.

;^^
For

8.
n.)

'

cf.

s/^em ahrutnpere (Tac.

Ann.

iv.

516.

reading
5i8.
Apollo,

.
:

50

etc.).

(see cr.

was perhaps an explanation

in Su/>p.

of a

false

gods of assembly, as

195,

where Zeus,
out
for

mention
are also

the tribes

521.

yap
525.
prayer

is

Rhod.
405
is
'

here expressed by

,
iv.

: ^ ^^ . ^ ,, / ,' , ^ , , ' .. / , ,
so
ib.

Poseidon,

and

Hermes

are

subsequently

singled

248.

Probably they were the twelve chief gods of

at the

who worshipped
Schol.

games.

As gods of meeting they

dyopd...

Hom.

dyopaLov<;.

^
:

cf.

Xen. Cyr.

ii.

^, ^^^
'

Plat. Arist.

^.
347

'

if

^'

perchance

(/>uta)

Cf. Ar. (/.

''"'

Siipp.

405

** ^'^^

*^

of the

same form

as

Hom.

ii6

757

^^^' ^^

'

^',

^ ..^, '^

,\

;^.

The

with bright eyes now.'

We

expect

.. ,

Sappho

i.

Ar. Ac/l.

but that
:

which has been a great puzzle to critics (which Else we should only have had

NOTES

/..
530
recalls:
tion,

h writes), as Alciphron

i.

38 -

^ toU
In
the

205

There are certain images in Isaiah which this passage will sweep it (Babylon) with the besom of destruc14. 23 saith the Lord of hosts.' 30. 28 The breath of the Lord shall

reach 'to

characteristic

interrupted by a line interpolated from the margin

(T'ers. 813) which had been quoted to illustrate the devastation of the land. In the Persae the verse is spoken by the ghost of King Darius, who has been raised from the dead to give

'

8,
way
sustains

sift

the nations with the sieve of vanity.'

his

Aeschylus in his
it

image.

MSS. however

is

'

advice to the Persians after their defeat at Salamis

of Xerxes' expedition he
disaster of Plataea, v.

condemns

it,

on being informed and prophesies the crowning

:

8 8' 8 ,/ , . ^
\
yrjv

>

809

^,
of

8<;
in

/, 8
store abides
in
ills,

^ .
'
ills

^,^

There

The crown

recompense For their presumptuous and ungodly sin. That in the land of Hellas made no conscience Either to spoil the images of the gods
all

their

Or burn the temples; The shrines of deities

And

the altars are clean gone, torn up by the roots overturned and swept from their foundations.
ill-doing,

Therefore for their

no

less

They have in suffering, and yet more shall have The fount of sorrow is not stanched yet But still comes welling forth.
That
is

his

denunciation of those barbarous and irreligious acts of

Herodotus records (viii. ^^, 53, 109, ix. 42) and which had impressed the Greek imagination with such deep and lasting The passage in the Persae must have horror (see e.g. Isocr. 4. 155). all that heard the Agamemnon, and the acts thembeen familiar to including the burning of the temples on the Acropolis at selves Athens must have been within the memory of many. Is it conceivable that Aeschylus before this audience, or any Greek at any

desecration which

2o6
time, could have put
this

NOTES
statement as a proud boast in the mouth

of a religious herald?

See also Eur. Hec. 802

If

5.

The
the town

destruction of sacred buildings had no significance in the story

it

of the Sack of Troy.

it

iparrjv irepi

'EpKeiov

deos super usta suos.

? ^
Quint,

/^ ,
was inevitable.
xiii.

happened,

it

was because
raging round

in the

burning of

432 speaks of the

fire

'

'

iepov

and

in Seneca, Agaffi.

them

retribution

But this is and indeed for the Greeks

653 the Chorus lament templa nowhere mentioned as having brought

?/
:

"

TptTJVto

'

would have been impossible; there This is quite a different matter from the Trojan gods were their gods. the particular acts of sacrilege that were committed by individuals ' Eur. Tro. 15 Poseidon complains and in describing the massacre Tryphiodorus 598 says
liberately

commit this act dewas no religious enmity;

to

? ,
537
539.

' . ^^'^, ^ '? , . / , ' ^-' \; , , ^, ? ^ ^ ' ^. '

:

'

^ ,? (.% ^ ,
:
:

^, '

)5,

sharing the same privileges and so involved in the

same

liabilities.

Hdt.

ii.

114

^',
^'^

'?

^^'?
(68).

ipyov

TWV
ib.

118,

119

543

''""''

"""^

returned from the field

544 Against

The form

was long ago

rejected

by Hermann.
it

all

such conjectures as retain

.<2

is

sufficient

to point out that

could not possibly mean

'

refuse to

die';

''
I

still

less

could

w<)uld

mean

would die'; and Kayser's

'

Hartung's

'

will

not urge against the gods that

' ,'
I
is

avrepw

not

approaches the meaning aimed at

'

' ^,
The
(first

urge against

the gods

that

died.'

The

only conjecture that

reOvavat

Schneidewin's

'

will

if

rendered,
is

'

as to dying, I will

the gods.'
17

general idea

doubtless the same as that

no more oppose in Horn.

^ // ,' .
225
cited

by Butler)

,<

? ,
/.

',
|

Add

Aphrod. 154

evvrj<i

^?,

"? .

,'
\

8<;

Aesch.

C/lO.

437

cttcit'

'
16

Or.

Plut.
ev9v<i

mi/n uero, patres conscripii, iam etiam optanda mors est, perfundo rebus Guided by these passages I read as in the text. Cf. Othello lis, etc.
ii.

,
it
|

Mor. 1094 .

. ^ .^
/,/.
Callitn.

NOTES
fr.

219

' '

Eur. /.

281

epfas

.
inf.

'

c/ceivov

Plat. ^//.

28 D, Synes.
1610.

// ;

Aristid.

i.

p. 709

20 Dind.,

^
469.
is

Musaeus 79

,^^ ^// 107,

.
207

Cic. 2 /y?//. 119

I.

187 If

fear,

My

were now to die, 'Twere now to be most happy; for That not another soul hath her content so absolute
| |

comfort like to

this

Succeeds

in

unknown

fate.

, read by Enger and others, cannot be not to answer to

;

551.
(as

When

right, as this is the

it

is

seen that this line

is

the answer to a question

is

Heath took
is
1 1

it), it is

plain that the natural supplement

y\

'

Aye,'

which
Or.

552.
very

common
1

XV. p.

555.

'

Margoliouth's
563.

. ' .
'

<( , , , ,
:

besides most easily omitted.

For similar instances see Eur.

corruption

22, Phoefi. 1344, Cycl. 217, El. 667, Ar.

see

cr. n.

form of

error,

an example of a which has been illustrated in Class. Rev.

The

f.

TO crbv refers to his

'^

8
:

.'

561.

(from
cr.

as

, ^

in v.

544.

Cf. Strabo, p.

793

from

relaxations.'

/,.
corrupt.

See

The

schol. has

Chionides

Aristid.

164,

Dmd.

;/.
Opportunities,' or
fr.

').

<;

(.
(?

4 .)

.)

562

is

For

^,
is

might be suggested.
perhaps a case of simplex ordo

would require a second negative.

-8
p.

(see

Class.

Rev.

xvi.

p.

244),

and we should read

'

565
1083,

For the corruption into

119.

On

editing Aeschylus,

parenthetic, which accounts for the

616

f.

'
f.

'

Causing mildew and making the hair or wool of our was applied in more or less for garments verminous,' humorous horror to the smallest creatures. No one who has served

566

'

The gender of

see Porson on Med. 34, are .. words

^' '.

(Verrall).

Cf.

campaign in South
description.
Plut.

Africa or elsewhere

will dispute the truth

of

the

Mor. 352

f,

speaking of the linen garments

2o8

NOTES
priests,

worn by the Egyptian

'.

remarks that Hnen

This in any case

a festering wound

of the punctuation adopted in the text.

moves

haltingly

and throws the unemphatic

and taken
to

, ,
is

the

meaning of
;

in

Soph. Fhil. 698

.';

, /
The

is

^,
is

which

applied to
is

and the rhythm

in

favour

usual arrangement

\,
an abnormal
in the
: :

Ti^cVres into

place at the beginning of a clause.

to have read
it

Sophocles, however, would appear

so

Aj'ax he

makes
600

his sailors before

26

^^ <; .

6
aei

mean

the hair of the head

Troy complain as follows

/;/
is
'

. ,
. .
.
'

'

or

,
577
is
:

The

sense

2,

ualete curae.

merely one of the

many

variations of the phrase

which meant
'

say to you

,'

^
'

bid you

hail,'

or

bid

farewell to you,'

say good-bye to you.'

in

Instead of these words

a great variety of sub781.

poetical or

^'
stitutes

humorous language indulged

Kaibel, Eplg.
205

256.

StratUS

(Ath.

Ai. 112.
xix.

26.

'

117

a).

Kaibel, Epig. 237

Ach. 200.

<;
i.

Lucian

6i4j

714

Antiphanes 88.
Eur.
Cyc/.

, '
Dem.
Soph.

3 '/'
Soph.

Track.

',
227.

ArcheTheocr.
Ar.

Hesych.
820.
19 248,

Lucian

ii.

861.

583 585.

589.

6\1/,
591. 592.

^ ,
'
v. 8),

34)

7^
i.

Plat.

Com. 73

.
^.
:

eois...Tois

' ':
Lucian
35
'

422.

see

'teachableness,' as
It is

iik

never too late to

Cho. 820

note on

and

'
\\

'

^
fr.

871

vrj

"

{Cho. 224) from

'
learn.'

,
(see

is

equivalent to

vvv in 603.

is

taken up by

NOTES
595.
vv.

209

Tis

'

reproduces the language of the Elders in

481 ., which Clytaemnestra had not heard.

But the Chorus merely

(592).

expressed the general sense of Argos, and the queen must have become

acquainted with
6o2.
of the

8
TrvXas

this in the interval

implied in
'

rite.'

609.

Eupolis
614.

Nicet. Eugen.

-. /
4.

fr.

220

.^ ' '
Similarly Eur.
Cycl.

perhaps means

extinguishing with wine at the end

502

.
It

Ar. ccl. 962, 99

245, 268,

6.

528.

Oppian Hal.

iu.

361

; <; ris

an orphan's unprotected home.

was the

common

practice to seal
Plat.
ii.

up store-rooms and other treasuries, e.g. Eur. Or. 1108, Zegg. 954 AB, Ar. Thesm. 4i4ff., Lys. 1199, Diog. L. iv. 59, Hdt.

121

,
f.

Plaut.

Cas.

144, Amphitr.

773, Stob. FI07:

6.

33 (so here

includes the seal of chastity).

616
7

irpbs avSpbs

with the intervening words

e^^e,

^\

' -- .

[For

fuller discussions

of this idiom, which Bergk {P. L. G.

,
it

belongs to

-^,
ii.

and has no connexion So Theogn. 461

ii.

'

ouoc/Ata.
p.

unnecessarily doubts, see Tyrrell in C. R.

140 f., Kaibel on Soph. understand El. 1358 (p. 279^).] It is most natural to which is often mentioned, (with the schol.) as poetical for

the tempering of iron, to harden

or to soften

,
it

p.

?
is

159)

it.

The

illustration

chosen of course for the double meaning. 618 ff. The MS. gives 618 9 to the Herald; most

'

critics follow

Hermann now
are

in giving
'

them

to

Clytaemnestra
a boast
but
is

spoken by a
'

Conspirator.'

<$05,
boast,'

fah's
it

guide m sui iadatio^'

as though

were roioVSe
it is

Tvjt

, .8. ; 8 ? . '; . / . ; ,
corrupt
rather be the other

and unless

Dr Verrall thinks they Many commentators render

;

6'
is

like this,'

that sort of can only mean 'such

'

boast,'

the

way

our explanation must allow

'

which

improbable, for corruption would

means
I I

intellego,

I see,'

'/ understand,'

'

due meaning. I take your vieaning'

it its

Eur. Or.

. ^'^/
29

'do you see?'

elr

Examples are abundant

in

airo

'.
ort

TLveLV

^.

Comedy and
OP.

Plato:

Ar.

Ran. 64

(.yap
tenes,

<;,
And
i.

're'pat

HP.

ercovs ye-

as Lucian

^
H. A.

AryYerat;

in CAo.

112

^
;

2. ' .
e/xot

564

'.-.^
:

accordingly means 'you understand,' rem

This

is

impHed by a

re

participle

i.e.

and the Same

is

implied here by

0-01

'

/fer Speech

is

thus, as

you understand.'

The person
14

NOTES
it

addressed, therefore, must have shown the Elder that he understands

and
I

follows that the previous remark cannot have been

:

made by

Clytaemnestra

seeing no reason to believe in

Dr

Verrall's Conspirator,

conclude that the MS. is right in assigning 6i8 9 to the Herald, iire is a formula dismissing her case, as 941 yXv Euni. 556, Theb. 409, 1003, Stipp. 513 they jot in add a plainer explanation in the following line, of which the natural and those who can read interpretation is 'in the judgment of good critics

',

/, \ ..
,

between the
an invidious
it is

lines

only very specious words.'

'now
(or
'

the antithesis to

word

it

or self-control' (aveiv,

^,
means

,
'

Then
'

'

your
or

story further.'

is is

to

scream

cry aloud without reserve

169, Supp. 884):

/>;/ Tlieb.

used contemptuously by Clytaemnestra of the bawling news-bringers in 601 is a retort, in 856, and her judgments passed on her supposed impetuous quoting the contemptuous

^.^.

used of her by the Chorus (as in 1399) to rebuke her vaunting menaces, but a woman of her character would never, I think, apply it to herself: see n. on 287. m which after But the most important phrase is
behaviour; in 1427
is

'
20

an adjective should have a limiting or qualifying force not, as Peile takes it, 'particularly for a noble lady,' but 'for such a person as a
;

noble
in

lady,'

'

considering that a noble lady

is

are familiar, as Soph. O. T. 11 18

his

'

shepherd's place,' O.

'/,

;, /, '.
,
; ;

43 84 The meaning then should be that such unabashed avowals, though brim-full of truth, are surely indecorous^ unbecoming a true gentlewoman* If the punctuation is made interrogative, this is The Chorus are well aware of Clytaemexactly what the Herald says. 9 would be said by therefore I do not think 618 nestra's hypocrisy
iv.

an old man,' Ai. 395 Plat. Sophist. 226 c ^^^-, process of thought for such as I am,' Parmen. 136 d Dio Chrys. ii. p. 267 R. Thuc. 8e iv
'a long
for

way

(,

, , ,
.,
Ipyov

/ <; \\ , 8 <> ^'

the speaker.'

^',

yap

yepoiri

^ ,
'trusty as any,

Examples

'a rapid

one of them but the Herald, who knows nothing, is surprised and unfavourably impressed, thinking that noble ladies do not usually proclaim r; their fidelity and affection in such terms (cf. Plut. Rior. 768
yvv-i]

'

thinking perhaps that there

give

my honoured

lord

some indecency in her saying 'that I may for to a woman's the best and soonest welcome
is

' ')

NOTES
eyes what hour
(v.
is
f.,

dearer than aVo

Clytaemnestra here of course is merely overacting; but in Sophocles her true behaviour is such that Electra refuses her the character of ycwaia /. 287

608

where see n.)?'

,
:

''
It

;
'

ktL

is

^
true
;
'

^coC,

?
211
is

that Sir

R. Jebb renders,
to

,
\.6%,
avev

this

woman,
'

in professions so

noble

but

incline to the other inter-

pretation,

this so-called

Electra
1

<;

-.
p.

'?

noble lady,' as in Eur. /. 326 Aegisthus

Or. 17

/, ? ^.
S.z>.

623.
p.

<r<rw(iivos.

60 quotes Photius,

.,.
631.

veonepoi

'librarios peccauisse

8 |8
set
x.

according to which Menelaus quarrelled with

sack of Troy, and
fr.

479, Pausan.

25.

,
35

641

{!
'"'*s

6...(653)

,' , '
57) 22

[In support of this form Wecklein, Curae epigr.

and Suid.

and concludes

addendo

ex posteriore dicendi consuetudine.']

points to the form of the legend

Agamemnon
Horn,
136

after
ff.,

the

sail

before him:

see

Soph,

3.

ov

irpiri

phrases.

In the Ion 10 17 Creusa has two drugs with different virtues,

one wholesome and the other deadly, and is asked ci? ev

replies

note on /on 246, and compare Plat. Legg. 800

],

mony

.Tois

.|;

}$
all

These are

religious

venom

from the Gorgon's serpents

^;
cts

She

are a brief proverbial expression of familiar doctrine

is

.
:

See further Paley's

Plut.

Aem. Paul.

The words

/^
hi

'iAa/ cere-

apart from the Gods of Heaven''

see Plat. Legg. 828 c

/u-iaiVeiv

^,

$,

are often used in discrimination from the x^oVioi

i.

,,

.,
1

Tim. 69 D

Plut. Afor. 36

33 Wagner, Persephone was compelled

the year

Aeschylus in the Eumenides, 109, 352, 363, 414, who have But each form of worship is fitting in 389.
place,

^ ?,
is

^ ^/ /,?
and
:

^^ (

Apollodor.

to

remain the third part of

tois
:

frequently by

and
fr.

the word habitually used

be sung

at banquets,

/' '
:

its

the true paean should

Alcman

23

praise

and honour are the

fitting tributes

(')
14

^
to a

proper

212

NOTES
st(/>.

conqueror or benefactor,
P.
V.
is

437, 529, Pind.

43, IV.

iii.

67

also

the fitting memorial of the dead, only in their case

form of lamentation

TrpcVet Xeyeiv

wound inflicted by the double scourge one the general public wound felt by the whole country, that Ares uses the other that felt severally by each home in private for the loss of a loved man.' The notion of a wound suggests a scourge; the notion of a scourge leads Aeschylus to conceive these lost men as driven out from their houses banned and excommutiicate beneath the curse of War; because polluted men banned by the people's execration were
645
ff.
'

News

' '
fr.

121, O.

ii.

50,
:

iii.

9,

TrpeVet
it

praise

' '.

takes the

of the double

expelled

seem

to

have been the original reading

This one
driving
defilers

as

Lycophron

calls

it,

v.

436, which would

|

in

C/w. 28.8

where the MS. has

the reason

may suppose was

polluters of

? <; ? ,
and
lashes are the clauses

out

the money-changers
it.

where, as in the present passage, the two marked by and Both passages have been misinterpreted, but would not have been if critics had remembered that when the items signified by Greek words meaning /?'<? or double are specifically named, it was regular to indicate them by the particles or and or and examples near at hand are and

N.
8. v.

why Christ used a scourge in from the Temple (John 2. 15) as

|

^.

A. P.

See also Cho. 374

8(

V.

337, 826, 872, Supp. 1020, Pers. 168, Theb. 769, Eur. Andr. 5x6. follows the two Here, instead of preceding as is usual, the word
52, Eur. Supp. 332, Soph. El. 1078,

items, as in Pind.

8
40.
5,

Ov.

Trist.

iii.

33

new metaphors, and

:

'
on
This

\
to

ix.

7// and
refers

introduce
the

no more

than

it

is

derived from the

common

practice of carrying a pair

of spears.

654. the Locrian 656.

refers to the
:

crime and punishment of Aias

66.

see Sohol.

Trip

-.
:

AD

Hom.

in the usual story

was regarded as a

compact struck between Poseidon and Athena (privileged to employ her father's lightning Eum. 830), who had previously been on opposite The opening of the Troades of Euripides shows them making sides.
this

agreement.

It is impossible to say whether f's reading is an See cr. n. 659. epicism introduced by the copyists or whether the x'\ttic poets really

used such forms

661.

nor do inscriptions give any help.

'

.^

In descriptions of storms

at

sea

NOTES
6<;,
Greek
667 away
rain,
is

213

a constant detail.
Zev<;

[Thus Eur. Tro. 78 (referring to

this particular

storm)

;)^^/

7re/ti//i.]

ships,
all
f.

pumps;

we must remember, were undecked and had no the baling must be done by hand.
Tis

divinity

"
ov<;

'
us

(Eur. Or. 1497) or saved by the intercession of

off,'

who begged

from the Fates, schol. Eur. A/c.

/,
:

,
S"

bilge-

'-, .

'

We

were either spirited

as Apollo, for example,

12.
8e

(-

some

says Quintus of this, xiv. 627.

iii.

often

save

from shipwreck

ApoU. Rhod.

eaawaev, 328

.
Ach. Tat.

rts

between the Shifting Rocks,

Flacc.

<;

^ ,? . , ]
ii.

. '
48.
v

. ^

323

^eo5

iii.

iv.

930 Thetis

steers

ns

<;

Tucian

i.

652

sailors narrate

.Gods
Se
rt?

the

i^-rgo

Val.

<:

670.

8[

-.
203
:

refers to the

at anchor.

Cf Supp. 774

'

danger of a rising swell when the ship

iv

is

^^
Se

iv.

26

in the

But that would be seams or frame of the ship. he endeavours to suggest grounds for hoping 676 ff. All we know for The connexion of thought is as follows the best. but after all, certain is that Menelaus and the rest have disappeared

if

Such was the position of the Athenians

...

The

correction

should mean

.. '
es
,

Slip.

at

Pylos

Thuc.
yap

:
;

.
;

compagibus

'

we do not know
no doubt
jecturing the

that they

have perished

we conjecture
that

it

but

i/iey,

there are any

among them

survive -are

equally mistaken.
best in a
is

same of i^s and it is So we need not quite despair. Let us hope for the bad business. For the truth is you must expect that Menelaus
possible that our conjecture
in great distress
;

now conmay be

most probably
is

he
is

alive, there is

again.'

opposed

phrase

and adverbial:
Isaeus
ii.

Iambi,

/ 8 ^ / , ,.
"
cos
:

'
to

but

still,

wherever he
be.'

may

be, if only

some hope
('if,

yet that he

may manage

to get

'as well as

may

'

oZv

however') in the same way as the ordinary

may be

followed by

'

,...),
8

Plut.

Mor. 574

20

ii.

416.

Diog. Laert.

ix.

66

^
{e.g.

Heliod.

i.

15

being neuter

/
home

...,
'

.,.. So
yoiir

oio'c

'

Though

2t4
first
is

NOTES
and
chiefest expectation
still

the
some

great probability

must
i.

in sore straits,

..., might ....

Se.

here:
etTTov

Ath. 524 d
iyo),

, ^,
Tepov.

"

Dio Chrys.

emphasis

,,

,
there
is

hope.'

Aristid.

Hdt.

also be masculine, although that

Sr]

,'
180

.
59
is
is

^
re

8io

Plat.

A mat.

i.

.
it

. .
is

be that he

.,

less likely

136 D

is

merely adds
O.

,
'',

to the other particles

combined with

;,
'

T.

834

'

/>ut still

have hope.'

'
is

a more emphatic ',

It

the

same

as

', but a

to \vhich

Afitehom. 140

yap

' (.
little

stronger.

introduces the alternative,

:

opposed.

see

cr.
|

Tzetz.

^'
:

696.

that Zephyrus, the Spring-wind, lent his influence as the

because according to one legend the father of Lydus de mens. p. 117, de osteut. p. 282
(r]v)(ovTo)

'

[Alcaeus

697

',
fulfilment

swarms of men pursuing her 702 ff. KTjSos

'
:

^ // ' , , ' "

wind of Love
was

the reason for this epithet

is

to suggest
;

'?
iii.

"EpojTt,

'

".'

//, p.

See Bergk, Toet. Lyr. Gr.

fr.

13

calls

Eros

(. <6>
now

639.

yei'var

/.]
is

iroXvavSpot

,..
'

717, which describes how the was at last eflfected, how Helen Doom of and how joy was changed to sorrow. means both relationship by marriage and mourning (the due and there is no single word in English that will office of relations) cover the two senses. Cf. Eur. Andr. 103 alircivai

subject of the follo*^ing passage to

, '
73. 7

in

).
:

she

always

/>^

(v.

62),

but

the

in hot quest

are in a different temper.

..8

<

(that

is,

thought-executing Wrath brought the

the true

66

, ' 8 '' . ^' ^.

yo
^'
'

Theb.

870

'' ^' , ... ^.

meaning of the
Cf.

'
.

/, 77

term,' as Afitig.

1178
^'

to

C.

454

Hom.

567

/
is

This transformation

the

v.

'

'

'

'.

The MS.

reading

would mean 'drove away,'

'dispelled,' as in Orph.

hynw.

^''

In Eur. Heracl. 788 Reiske substituted

for

707

'?

the bridegroom's kinsmen

(),
is,

NOTES
riovras
:

215

Troy, in the person of

fell

to

whom
as

wedding-chorus, honoured (that

in V. 258) the

celebrated,
in

(.

the singing of the

Hymenaeus sung

honour of the guilty bride and

bridegroom, slighting and dishonouring thereby the Stranger's Table. But if it was all joy and merry-making then, it is all sorrow now and
lamentation
;

mistake for

means and bold avowal.

all

^.
Eur.

/xeVaio? has been changed to That being an changed tO a it is very likely that is a meaning as in v. 1150 If is sound, it means Outspokenly,' in loud

8,
is

The

sentence

these antithetical points in a brief

telling places.

.
712.

place

^.
It

. ..
i.e.

The change AL. 922 vvv '

of the

all

too late:

, -, , , ^88
turned
artificially in

.
order to
telling

make
in

compass with the

to the

words

was a commonSoph. 420 fF.

. .

inf.

1425

must be joined with

Si

7l8

fF.

^Opci{/y

Xi'ovTOS

So^ois

$ ). <.(
yovv
(cf

throughout this simile we must remember that the Lion-cub means

and observe how carefully the touches are designed to correspond. It does not seem unlikely that TvLv would be specially appropriate to Helen as a member by marriage of the Pelopid House; see my note on v. 147 but Paris who carried her off and kept her in his house was of course habitually called which confirms the truth (Eur. ffec. 646) or or pastor,

Helen and the Herdsman

Paris,

of the corrected reading.

As Wecklein has pointed

(v.

out, without this

word we should not know what

, .
,
723.
Iliad,

evidence of the wider sense of

see

On

For the 731) meant. editing Aeschylus, p. 137.

(from

Yet Wilamowitz in C. R. xx. 446 speaks as and had been overlooked, to

'

if

^)

were

fatal

means

foster-brother

;
'

for

as yet

it

is

an unvveaned suckling,

8
ff.,

calls

to

mind

the famous passage in the

at

149

where the aged councillors

the Scaean gate are

entranced by the sight of Helen's beauty. The late Epic writers Quint, xiv. 58, describe the spell of her beauty in similar terms
:

Tzetz. Antehom.

141.

724

ff.

'
'

-'

5. .08 ".

-(
Verrall takes
it,

(see cr.

the young lion

got

.) could only mean, as many a thing, when embraced

;
'

Dr
it

wooed

the

hand

with radiant visage under stress of appetite

but as

2i6

NOTES
I

was the regular phrase

arms,
TTOTt

incline to read with Auratus

xelfja

readings

matters

little,

? ?.
for

holding a child or a pet-creature in one's

what

have translated,
these tWO
also read

but

if

Which we take of we read we must

because
lion-cub.

whether
both
point

masculine or neuter used

these
is

adverbially with

or

The

by fawning with a smile

'?
Tis "Ajras

pare the corresponding final lines of the antistrophe,

) <$<
nurses
a

729.

/ .

as I shall

.
'

words belong to the description of the that he, or Helen whom he typifies, began
h'^e treacherous Aie,
v.

who
is

aatVet

show on

1226.

This

clear

when we com' Upevs

As grace

to his maintainers
to

the custom for children on

coming of age

symbolic

thank-offering

in return for their bringing-up.

{
is v.

owed because it was make their parents and Hom. 478,

'
:

By the slaughter of the

for

cattle

we

are to imagine the carnage in the streets of Troy.

731.

drats.

As a point
in
is

elsewhere reinforced by the

insistent repetition of a word, by

example

in vv.

713,

' '
715,
is

and by following expounded, the conclusion

(748).

736, so,

when
fr.

the comparison

This

''
:

recalls the

.
cr.

that

Helen proved a
cf.

language of Soph.

For the WOrds

737
:

"-'
and
in

see

.
:

' ap' iv 519 J^eTS. 655 ovre yap

L. has

6<;

In Eur. Nee. 600 for

first

MSS.
=

generally the heavier

aorist

forms tend to

be wrongly ousted by the weaker second aorists (O/i editing Aeschylus.,

p.

104

av8po<;

(.

739 smiling and

^ ). ?
ff.).

^eo^v,

'by the

will

of the gods' {Theb. 311

So

TJteb.

23
editing Aeschylus., p. 107.

Kvpei,

and

see the examples quoted in

On

the idea this

to

would suggest
embark,
but

is

seductive

Calm,

who tempts men

in

seeming innocence treacherously lares them to disaster, just as does, whose wrath (js elsewhere likened to a storm (v. 810). A. P. ' VU. 668 ovo t Lucian iii, 197

.
15

'
.

'

7<;

, ... ,,
,
<;
mankind

";

Lucret.

55^ wrecks are a warning

infidi

to

maris insidias uirisque dolumque ut uitare uelint, fieue ullo tempore creda?it, subdola cum ridet placidi pellacia ponti

NOTES
and again,
v.

217

1004
nee poterat qiiemquani placidi pellacia ponti subdola pe/licere in fraudem ridentibus undis,

improba nauderi ratio cum caeca

Meleager, A, P.
v.

iacebat.

156

.';
Such

^<;
Trcirras
!

<! '.
I

^ (.)( ?< ^ / ,^? 8 <; ^ ^, ? ^ ^ . ''( ,

Simonides quoted by
for the

glittering Calm of sunlit weather In her bright eyes hath she^ Fair Amoret all men's hearts together Launch upon Love's alluring sea.
Plut.

Mor. 798 d (where

:

adopt

Hermann's

MS.

XevKa<;

the result of which

yaXrjvq calm
y\avri<;
v.

is

or

C5

and

smile are in fact the

and

merely different

Bacchyl.

80,

?^/9
/xetSiSi

same in forms of the same word Ar. JEq. 646, yaX

:

origin,

^/?

Themist. 282
I.

a,

<:

Alciphr.

iii.

Aristotle,

Physiogn.

p.

811 b 37
iirei^rj

oi

eVetSai'

rj

re

c^ts

- re

eta ,

^15

e\OL.

Philostratus, /mag.

ii.

that their gestures prove that they

S' 'a jewel in the crown of Wealth.' 740. In p. F. 482 he applies the phrase to horses, bred by the wealthy

for the race-course,

. , ,
says of the
it
:

singing before Aphrodite

have

risen

from the

sea, to ;u.i8ta/u.a

<;

vTrepTrXovrov

of luxurious affluence';

and Meredith
'

in

Beauchamp's Career

'

the lustre
c.

15,

doubtless with both these passages in mind, very happily makes a

double apphcation of
achievements of
idly lovely
art

As the

yacht, so the mistress

things of

wealth, owing their graces to wealth, devoting

them
all

to wealth

splendid

both !...Did

adornments of
41 speaks of
'all

riches, the

Beauchamp at Yacht and

war,'

desire to have those

',
Thucyd.

vi.

the pride

and pomp of

p. 791 Ajax, for his strength and beauty, is called Thuc. ii. 44 Pericles asks the Athenians to regard their houses

their lands

as

. ,
Tot5

the Lady, swept away?'

and

in Philostr. Heroic.

In

and

the mere pleasance

2i8

;,<;. ^.
of
description,
creatures, graceful

. ,
tongues
I

for wealth to display its graces in.

ii.

Achill. Tat.

of the rose,
iii.

7179

Heliod.

6 e?Se?

'gentle,' expresses 'languid, delicate':

Cratinus ap. Bekk. Anecd.

/ ,. / , ^,
NOTES

/,

is

used in the same way

Hesych.
p.

371,

This passage affords a remarkable instance of a

in

common

formula

which

connecting particles.
Paradise Regained
ii.

accumulated without any The mannerism has been imitated by Milton,

the
details

are

156
virgin
|

More
|

like

to
in

goddesses

Than

mortal

and

discreet,

Expert
to

amorous
[

arts,

enchanting

Persuasive,
to

majesty with
Skilled
in

mild

And

sweet allayed,

yet

terrible
after

approach,

Hearts

them,

. ^- ./ ,, 8
rrJL

',

'

yvvy]

., , ^ , ,
'

,
1.

' , ,,
retire,

tangled

amorous

and in retiring draw nets. So Ach. Tat. i.

rjoovPjL

^]
?

]', <;

viii.

] ^,
| |

. '
|

^,

tojv

.
|

(ii.

23

.) .

',

?7. .
/3/3
\

,
,

,.

ko?-rida,
\

',
|

Antiphanes

Ter. Pliorm.

04 liidenws
uestitus
|

, ;
, ,
\

.. ;
:

v^y;A
/r.

33

liirgo
:
\

pulchra :
Aesch.

et

quo magis 611

diceres,

nil aderat aditimenti

ad pulchritudinem

capilbis passus,

midus

pes,

/,
ib.

^ . /, ' ,,) ,, , '.

Theb.

'

/.
'
| |

ipsa

lacruniae,

tmpis,

'

Eur. Siipp. 867

''

904

^*^ ^^

Verg.

Ae?i.

xi.

33^ largus opian

non

et

Hftgua melior, sed frigida bello

\

dextera,

consiliis

habitus

futilis

auctor,

seditione potens.

So

in

Aesch.

Supp. 577

introduce

Semonid. Amorg.

,,
'
|

^ , , , , , , / . ( ^
NOTES
|

219

he might have said

was as easy and more elegant to The earhest example is without construction.
but
it

Physiognomic writers were the source from which this manner of description was derived. So in describing Hecuba's dream of the 748. birth of Paris, Pind. fr. Paean, viii. 30 {Ox. Pap. v. p. 65) TCKctv According to Stasinus, the author of the Athen. viii. Cypria, Helen was the daughter of Zeus and Nemesis
to see that the

me

?.
iv KaKois.

.
7.

71

;'
In

Zev<;
|

ctt'

)(,
KtveiTat

this

passage the word

enables

'^

334 c d, Eratosth. Caiast. 25. 749 ff. There is an important passage in an earlier and remarkable writer with which this, I believe, has not been brought into comparison Ezekiel 1 8. i The word of the Lord came unto me again, saying, What fneati ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying. The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge ? As / live, saith the Lord God, ye shall not have occasion to use this proverb any more in Israel. Behold, all souls are mifie ; as the soul of the fatlier, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die. But if a man be fust, and do that which is laiiful and right,... he is fust, he shall surely live saith the Lord God. See the remainder of the chapter, and Jeremiah 31. 29. That is a general an repudiation of inherited guilt, the doctrine of the Decalogue For the assertion of individual responsibility, the Buddhist doctrine.
:

doctrine of Aeschylus see Introduction p. 31.

761.

There are two forms of the proverb.

in

has

Toi

,
.

yap

,
(cf.

^, but

Theogn. 153 the

762.

The

correction

confusion of
is

and

436, 770)

Bentley's

for
Svvajiiv

771
tion
first
is

Plat. Legg.

('870 a
c.

, ^' . (see
cr.

Solon

?
fr.

lines are altered to

and of
in

.) implies the common and . Somewhat similar

fr.

Soph.
of

314.

The
often
ix.

best illustra-

The coining

money

marked the
49 says

assumption of absolute power.

When

^^ ^;

Bacchylides

suppose that a passage on the

2
power
of wealth

NOTES

must have followed in the poem of Solon (fr. 13) part (v. 33 sqq.) he has been paraphrasing for his young Athenian. The examples of became a commonplace see Hor. C.
of which

i.

I.

3 sqq. with Orelli-Hirschfelder's note

on

v.

18.

774
objects
:

ff.

In

this

address

to

Agamemnon

first,

as

representatives of the people,

;

favourable reception

secondly, to warn him of Clytaemnestra's in-

, '
refers to

sincerity

and

unfaithful stewardship.

using phrases which appear to point at her obliquely

788 Sokovvt

<:
ff.)

and 799 '''^^ their welcome (v. 821

fully

replies in the

showing that he
777
ivSe(Z<;

understands them,

Cf.

Eur. /. A. 977

TOvS'

thy content.'

rh 779. phrase is used by Lucian

; ?

'

^ . ,
the
to

Chorus have two

assure

him of a

The

latter object
:

they attain by

8,

784

"jgS

Agamemnon, when he
same manner
(v.

831),

/atjS*

'

the due measure of

8
iii.

evvoi as

read by Weil.

The

latter

had wished have been

:

,
782. use of
for

to be a king,

... , ,^,
1472

, 8 . ,
.
Soph.
as applied to
just as

274 where he is reminding Samippus, who what the drawbacks of the position would

'
757 ^^'''

?
is

/>a/lg of grief,
fr.

resembles 742

^/.

The metaphorical
is

,8
common
:

see the examples collected in

are merely equivalent to

given as their synonyms in lexicons and scholia.

periphrasis for

be read.

'

The same MS.

error (see cr. n.)

where Cobet {V.

?,

784 F. Two things indicate that at least a line probably a and paroemiac is missing, the metrical hiatus between they symand the sense for if taken as a verb
pathise in gladness,'

the dative, 'in the guise of sympathisers,' Lucian

(see for

^
p. 341),

is

not true; they only feign to sympathise;

,, 8 8 //
On
(quoted above)
is

pai'/i, grief,

atinoyance and the like,

very

editing Aeschylus, p. 102.

the words regularly

is

a periphrasis
i.

found

in

Lucian

24
is

p.

142) shows that

to

'

it

is

838 the idiom Cobet,

i.

ovv
JV.

certainly

and the verb followed in the missing line. The purport almost was they smile a forced smile only with the lips ; but their Heliod. ii. 19 eyes bewray them
'
:

L.,

% ^,
iii

toU

153

'
saltern,

rem de confedo
imitarier,

?.
Se

geri.
si

non adridereni, dentis ut

ovTiu'i

<
p.

'
Plat.

243 Naber

rot

, ^^ ;^ ^^.
337

ne canem

he uses

'/ ^ . Schol.

9^^

, ,.restringerent.

. ,. /
NOTES
ctt'

221

Hom.

Lucian

rots xeiXeaiv

Plant. Capi.

484 nemo ridet. sciui extemplo qutdem inritatam uoluit quisquam

Fronto,

^;

)^
;

i$

oOtv
'

'

in

the

same connexion

in

fr.

243:

^
firasah, their

<;

86<;
is

'.
/,/
common
on
v.

..

which, as I learn from Burton,

the regular

metaphor

in

Arabic
judging

word

for

physiognomy, means properly

:

'skill in

the points of a mare {faras),' an eye for horseflesh

in

and the metaphor

Greek was derived,

suppose, from a
'watery,'

Oriental source.
it

that science, as I

have shown
vSapei,

in the note
is

283,

told the truth.

'

and children), For the description of the

^ ' ), ', - , /, . - -, $undiluted

'

the opposite of

as applied to wine and Po/.

ii.

metaphorically

,
'

In

was the

eye that

'neat' or

mitigated.'

Ar.

4,

p.

1262 b 614

'

absolute,'

^
of

'

un-

TOiaurrjv

(i.e.

women

false friend cf.

Max. Tyr.

vi.

to

'
:

791.

see

cr.

may have been

'

inserted merely

for sense: see

Ou

editing Aeschylus, p. 121.

cover a consenting wanton by means

', ^^ .%
794
f.
(fr.

of the lives of
xiii.

used of the quest for Helen by Pind. O.

'

and in the Tebtunis Papyri, vol.

I,

l)

.
as

/'

,'
59

in

seeking to

\'
men.'

'
i.,

reis

and

JV.

vii.

28
p. 3

is,

Dr

Verrall takes

it,

a description of

Helen

herself,

rather

than

'the

wiUing

wantonness of Helen,' as

222

NOTES

Weil explained

it:

words

like

448) were used to describe persons not only in addressing them but in speaking of them {Class. Rev. xiv. p. 117).

,,
(.
1

()

is

used in a personal sense in

;(5,

ovei8o5,

, ,,
T^e/^.

172 (eart), Eur. Andr. 261

and many Other neuter

/^,

This view of Helen's conduct would be familiar to a Greek audience

so that they would not experience the least difficulty in understanding

what was meant, especially

after the introduction of Helen's

name

in

(Bergk, p. 215); and her conduct was a ground of discontentment both at home and in the camp. It was bad enough that men's blood should be shed for a woman's sake at all {sup. 62, cf.
another's wife {sup. 455, Achilles in Hom. A 154, I 327, 339); but for a woman who went off with her lover of her own accord (see also Eur. A?idr. 592 ff.), this was in-

(.

V.

791.

Stesichorus (before his Recantation) had declared that 'EXeVr;

Supp. 486), especially

when

that

woman was

deed a thing
very matter
for revenge,

796
to

be required.
epitaph:

wards omitted.
or
Arist.
'

Theb. 906

pleasant, agreeable, welcome,

Supp. 19, 383, 543, 983, Find. O.

see

, -. ^. ' .' (? ' ^ - ,

intolerable.
;

^
II

Herodotus i. 4 presents the Asiatic view of this when women were carried off, it was folly to make exertions yap 8r] on, 1
is

f.

If

sound, a supplement such as

to pronounce a

iirnvdv seems

short line was often written at the side

and

after-

cTriXcyeii/ is

Plut.

Mor. 704

1323b

Set

//
...

judgment, censure, eulogy

'' ''
iirl
:

Phllem. 128

Cope on
800.

Chorus are alluding

him.

.
1277
107
1

sup. 379-

(.,
ii.

' means
as
in

.
1577,

arridet

40,

N.

vii.

67.

For the sentiment

that the
to tell

Ar. Rhet.

i.

11. 8.

If

nothing else had told

Agamemnon
faithful

to Clytaemnestra, this

'

oiKovpCiv, to keep house,

ktcvcji viv
t)

was the duty of the

Eur. Hec.

;/6''

e/i.yu,evo

Lycophr.

Agamemnon on

departing for the Trojan expedition

have charged

his wife in these

, .

. ^. '.
\)(,
Or. 928

,
:

word could not

fail

housewife.
et

/?
is
t5

Liban.

terms

?,

115: supposed to
iv.

yuVat,

Set yap,

8,

, .
yvvr]

NOTES
802. 806.
Tovs

223

5
rev^os
:

recalls the arrogant inscriptions set

:

Pausanias at Delphi and Byzantium

Thuc.

i.

132, Athen. 536

like

an

um
XttIs

honey pot

Ar.

fr.

440)

807
tinually arrived,

Other urn

of the hand which was coming nigh, but never saw it quite it was a hope realised Eur. Or. 859
:

' saw Hope

11
\

of blood, o^r a vitiegar jar

\ip6s

Here. Fur.

from realisation were called

8
:

^ '.
a.
{ib.

up by

511).

The

%
8og.
still

or nearly, they were ATrtSes

'
fr.

,
If

?,

?.
arrive
:

to

drop a vote
for

in

it

con-

when a hope
17V

distant

Hopes far hopes; when realisedj

^-.
i.

Cho. 694 vvv

'

^vvu

'the capture of the city

p.

manifest by the smoke.'

Dio Chrys.
34 K.)

.8.
Spai,

Menander
See
cr.

113

(iii.

vvu

^
72 R.

now remains

Hermann's reading

is

taken,

Troy with

all

her

insolent wealth
sacrifice to

"

the
{inf.

cause of her damnation

1434, Theb. 938
(Achill. Tat.
i.

'
8

Helen,
irvp

who

fired

Troy

sacrificial
is

minister of

";
fire

),
in v. 736.

"?

is

conceived as a burnt

yap

';?
in

has been already likened to a

which appears

a proper word of
8, Ar.

Eur. Bacch.

the flame into

712

ff.

Cf.

82.
Lysander
826.

sacrificing or dedicating a tithe of their spoils.

-.
life,

in

Greek

as uhiere

and

iiiuus are in

,
Latin
iii.

).

fans

Lys. 306,

Arat. 1041.

The wind
:

which
68

is

contrasted with the dying ash

Horn,

^.

Quint,

should Tzetzes on Lycophr. 354 pointed out that is the Aeschylean substitute be written with a single prose where poetry would generally give

he 'certain ones 829 ff By tlie vague conveys to them that he is quite aware of Clytaemnestra's insincerity and then, as though he were thinking only of the Greeks at Troy, con' just as they had continued with tinues with eonojjiiXias here means the mirror which in v. 790. suetudo, converse or conversation, association, companionship, familiarity,
in appearance,'
;

, ,

Max. Tyr. XXX. 4 speaks of Pausanias and

.
is

.5 --?,

holds up, the glass in which the associate's true character

Gaisford.

'7

, ,
Stobaeus,

,
p.

shown

F/or.

IV.

43> Eur.

is

the form in Antonius

and Maxinms.

is

, - '$ , ^ /. ' -.
2

24

NOTES

EL
'

383 ov

,^
'
|

', <: /
|

Kpu'etre

/' <;
|

rrjt

evyevtis;

Aildr.

683

Aesch. Sllpp.

1004

compared
that
is

In Plut. /?/'. 53 ^ the flatterer to a mirror, which only reflects foreign images
ciKovas
It is certain that

^^/.
oivos

^
,

But

a different comparison.

does not

, ^^ ^ - ?- ' ?
(
/cia

mean

frie7idship

or

is

Eur. Hipp. 428

). ?
See

(), nor
fr.

is

393

',?
C.

ever used of a mere reflexion

)^6<;
;)(^,

, ^
Xen.

veai ^povos.
TTpbs

835

'

Oeovs.

This use of
chiefly with

not of the
1

commonest and occurs

TTpos

Phil.

44

<, .
120.

617

^ ,?
',
and

'with regard
:

to,'

Soph.

(Hermann), Eur. Or. 427

3.

;;(?;
II,

1664

13

Dem.
See

,
cf.

Track. 879
Jiep. Lac.
is

Trpos

3.

26,

Aeschin.

In

later

prose the idiom

employed
841.
TO

freely.
cr. n.

Rhod.
(v-.

- ^ . -,
and
for the

form of expression
At. 363

Soph. Phil. 765

<;
*

/,

iv.

845

But

in

his contest presently with

Clytaemnestra

933) he quickly yields the victory to triumph is complete.

her,

and before long her

855

f.

Ford, The Broken Heart

straight
!

v.

When one news

Of death
In
!

came huddling on another

!

and death

and death

she means
to
(v.

him
;

to

understand disasters

happening

him, his wounds or death

she herself has in

his wife
at

mind
home,

1396) inflicted by the slaughter of her child

Agamemnon on
v.

358) and his unis

faithfulness

859,
the
right

',
(v.

1440).
wliich
is

H.

verb

a net
iv.

Ahrens gave for the MS. not full of wounds, but of holes
L.

, 8
:
!

Babr.

shade of intonation in the Greek as in the English would make a wish of this, If only he had been killed and I fancy this is the suggestion, that he deserved to die three times over, T/uts in the common phrase: Eur. Or. 15 12 OP.
860.
...
'
'

'

$.

4.

^
rj

7;)(
The
'

like some three-headed monster.

;.
|

coverlet

'

of earth or stones was a familiar metaphor from

NOTES
Homer downwards
868.
carry
for
K

.
ff.

^irwa 57 ^ re v See the passages collected by Blomfield.

:

'
;

22-5

I'cv'

Tot.

The

real reason of course

on her intrigue with Aegisthus undisturbed which she 'sold' Orestes, C/io. 132

that

872
p.

5
:
'

(<;,
is

'

was that she might was the price

'

'
v.

^',

yap vvu ye '. 94

[Blass (C/ioep/i.

SO accented by

in C/io. 675.

24) says

Ferner accentuire ich mit

Regel wonach diese

sind:

same

might happen Agamemnon first might fall at Troy and then the people might revolt and frame a plot to murder the young heir, and so destroy the dynasty entirely. Lucian's
things
:
;

^6 .
effect in

1<; und doch .'

-to?

Namen

auf

bei

gemass der kurzer erster Silbe Paroxytona See also Cobet's remarks to the
679

'%<;

F.

L. p. 59.]

Two

;,
(.1.

..
Tyrannicide
ii.

151,

who

has killed the tyrant's son, argues that

yfyl'^vov ov

],
20

^. ),
|

For

?^
yevov;,

?,

cf.

Ael. JV.

Similarly

compounds
could not

,
880
ff.

8<;, ^;,
mean
'

is

combined with
plot,'

hazard a

other hand, the meaning were Overthrow the Council,'

least

have had

Athenian term to describe a body of councillois in the heroic age. Observe moreover that she is speaking of a danger to Orestes' life.
I

,
or
!

8. ., ', -.
:

,, ,
..
inf.

Alexis

ii.

329

\<;

. (Athen.

1604

^ .
568 a)

/^

add the

because Greek said

never

or

If,

on the
at

we should

but

Tragedy never uses

this

technical

take

it

that Clytaemnestra here

iii.

is

feigning just what

Imogen

says honestly in Cyinbeline

4.

38

False to his bed

What

is

it

to

be

false ?

To lie in watch there^ and to think on him ? To weep 'twixt clock and clock? if sleep charge To break it with a fearful dream of him. And cry myself awake
.-*

nature,

lamp has been burning in her chamber and she waiting to receive him there, and weeping because he, Anth. Pal. v. 190. 3 like a faithless lover, never heeded it
Night
after

night,

she

means,

the

..

(
ye

^ ^^ /,

Jacobs,

' /^
iv

Huschke)
15

26

NOTES
Ah, shall I find the unthrift And sorrowing to her lamp
still

awake
dear sake?

for

my

ib.

279, 263, 150.

' ^.
Plut.

Mor. 759

?
But

tj

'.
lamp has been company, for the
5, 7,

in truth the

alight in expectation of Aegisthus, or in Aegisthus'

lamp was always

165, 166

witness, Heliod.
i.

in

Lucian
KO.V

648

language plays a large part as a sentimental symbol

.
'

881 and 884 she repeats the alarm about Aegisthus; that is which for that reason I have thought should be a little stressed.

.
5
1

F,

,'
And
if

7rpo5
'

^^

Asclepiades alludes to in A. P.

, ?, , , 8
i.

12, Afi^/i. Pal. v. 4,

8,

128,

it

is

cited as a witness,
:

and

in

amatory

lovers, says Plut.

v.

/ ,' %
',

saymg

el,

a gnat's least whining

woke her

in alarm,

it

was

why

in

In the ears of the audience the words another bed-fellow than the time she speaks
'i\iiv,

'. Soph. . 1325

Or. 542 on

to suffer

887

' ) . ^, ? ?
injury, see Eum. 802

'

'
:

^'?
For

would suggest
(or

of.

)
Ag.
2

eSpaaev,

;^;
schol. Flor.

schol. Eur.

(1.

for

ff.

These are

familiar

examples of a single

'?,

a saving hope

or stay, existing or afforded, to rely

upon

but critics since Blomfield

their
yrjv,

have been offended by the

of the construction
others take the
I
:

am

sure

speaks of his late-appearing ode as coming dearly welcomed long-desired child granted to a father late in life

,? ' ?''
to begin a
for

890 and rightly, on some therefore would read yalav for

in v.
;

view
while
yrjv
yrjv

new
is

series of comparisons.

is

sound,

('
:

the meaning.

;!^

8 yps '

' ? ^ <;^ . '?

Liban.
iv.

65

eligiiv

'

tvv,...Hom.

'
telling

with

.
//.

yvvaiov

Detll.

219

,% ,? ? ,
'
(vv.

'' ' '? <; ? ;^

So Pindar

Yet ,

86

?
like a
;

oxj/iyovov

its

double meaning
:

278,
it

irony at the end

in the

but the effect of

is

1042) comes with weakened by three

lines

which follow
to

them
cr.

MSS., and which I have omitted, believing have been merely an illustration quoted in the margin (see

n.)

8 - ^, .
-qfxap

NOTES
flaihtiv

227

p^os,

Tai/ayKarof

Fair is the clear day viewed after the storm, Spring-water to the parching wayfarer, Dear the deUverance from all hard constraints.

',

That

, ,
^
I

is

the construction of them, as in Theognis 255

'
fr.

Soph.

dipovi Snj/uivTi

<;
to

need only add Eur. Andr. 870

avrjp

Or. "Jig rjSftav

,?
rjStaTov

329

,
this

'

'

^,/ ]

' , ?
^
?.
'
come from

Tts ipat

^/,

,, . . . '
;^'

169

elapivov

epigram repeating the same commonplace.

?
is

and
little

show

that

would be
Besides,

more than tautology with

904.

should follow the

An alternative reading is 905 ff. Agamemnon answers coldly, and would have made another woman wince. His first remark
See
cr.

/^'

,. /
is

immediately.

a severe
at least

snub, and his next, that praise should

ambiguous.
914.

333 346 K.) This Une was explained by Blass Mela>iges Henri Weil, 1898, 917 but it would be p. 13: to walk merely over would have a very different sound if rumour said that he had walked
:

a technical term of worship.

(i.

upon

mascius ap. Suid.

is

predicative, followed

which follows there appears to be a side-reference to the proverbial ' Cho. 57 T/iel>. 612 ' Soph. 1529 remarks Jebb that this is the first allusion in literature to the famous adage attributed

? \(.
to Solon.

, ^^ ^ . ^ , , () , 8 . , ^, ' <
;

- .^ 8
others,

Cf. Eupol.

fr.

'/
f.

S.V.

which belong to the service of the gods. yap

Cf Da-

...^(5

So

by

918

TO

| KaKws

,'-

in Soph. O.C. 808, Plat. Frot.

:

336

b.

Eur. Med. 635

In the allusion \. felicity

'.

;!^
13

Cf Dio
cr.

Chrys.

xxviii.

921.
is

See

The reading

,?
(ii.

535 R.)

of the

MSS. could only mean

'

,.
. .

'?

? /?
'

if it
')

the case that (supposing certain conditions) I should act

(or

'

fare

152

28
in all things thus, I
;

NOTES
have no misgivings.'
so used in Tragedy.

'

a meaning
TrptV,

. ^8
nor
avV

This can hardly be called

Cf. Stipp.

is cSs

641

'.
elire
. .

CJlO.

684

'?
403
:

ctTror.

922.
47, Ar.

<5'

is

the preface to a question: Hdt.

vii.

Nub. 500, 748, Thesm. 740, /V?//. 902, Plat. Cratyl. 385 B, i?^/>. Everyday language would say 351 D, Lucian i. 297. superfluously if emphasis . Tragic style habitually uses , were desired it would have been secured by the position of the word,

-^

'
:

fiTre.

Nevertheless in the use of

,,.
strife

the end of three successive Hnes

two examples
897

wills.

Thus,

^...

' Soph. Atlt. 446 Track. 1 17, Eur. MeiL

266
Plat.

Thel).

^/?.

Com. 86

.
(,

we hear an undertone of
is

interposed,

as

in

the following

768
fr.

Ar.

(Ath.

10 d)
to

(where
in the imperative
is

shows

mean

' ... ^, (
473
'^^''

8, '-^
'

sup.

,
at

between

515

return

speak contrary to one's own opinion, conviction, advised judgement.' Cf. Thuc.
'

,
opposed
to

...

conviction, to please me.'

:
the

iv

{(.
^.
'

^ ^ ..
to

not, as the editors

take

it,

'

he came back
vi.

, . ,, ,
Plat.

Laches 178

/ . ,8 .
Dem.
145
I.

. /8

,
it

is

often used
').

deliberate
iv

Plut.

, '.

U1.

42

yap

986

'

'

against his

16 to

...

.
So

Plut. Phoc. 9
2

/^.

..''

Graccll.

Phllop. 6

'^

Pep. 346

495^
is

meaning

unadvisedly,' as in Thuc.

. 8.
?. ),
i.e.
i.

Gorg. 5 *

Soph. Track. 389

Soph.
1

'
Ti

aVo
524,

. .
XO.

'more upon humour than advised

.
'

Pkiloct.

191

trary to

my

opinion

'

would be

expectation,' as in Aesch. Supp. 463 Eur. JL. F. 594 Fh

' .

, , ,. ; , ,
In Eur. Afed. 57
7

-^
i.

... .,.;

/)

70

Li ban.

291

respect.'

'

Conis

as Eur. /. A. 502

where

the

sense

'

NOTES
924.
?p|tv
:

2i<)

see

cr.

n.

in the sense

you epSeiv av for Greek never said epSeii/ could only mean you vowed vowed that you would,' and epSeiv was probably the alteration of a that you were performing.' The editors scribe who thought that av and ep^eiv belonged together.
always takes the future.
'

'

vo7u thai

icill'

'

means to refrain from treading on having forgotten that when you made a vow to the gods dyed robes Vows ;iot sacrifice save me, and I will you did not say ov
strangely imagine that
'

tS8'

epSuv raSe

'

,
'

'

'

were made in times of fear or danger

ix.

(Plat.

Z^^i,'.

909

7)

you

said,

Deliver
v.

me from

tins da?iger,

and I vow

so much.

-[,

Similarly in

954 Clytaemnestra says would readily have vowed the

Hfe.'

'
e,

Ajith.

Pal.

to sacrifice

sacrifice of

robes to ransom

Agamemnon's
in the

Agamemnon would have

which now
really

Calchas as he had done

matter of Iphigeneia.

// Hom.
or
sense).

925.

'Yes, supposing the authority on ritual (the priest, ev

/3
1

-) it

70

cf
'

this holy service

( ,
'

438) had prescribed

(
'if

many

obeyed

has a proper

of the

MSS.

is

the alteration of a scribe

who mistook

the construction of ever did,'

etTrcp rt?.

If

had

meant
:

we should have had no

;

ye with dhox; tZ

anyone yet yc must be

genuine, for

,.
him
935

ei-n-ep was never inserted by scribes except in answer to a question, yes; that is, if...' {O.T. 369). ...ye is siquidem IS tu qiioque, and could not mean anything else. 933. toji' See cr. n. and cf Soph. Ai. 1353 934. him to accept the ominous 'feliciIn V. 932 Clyt. has forced

meti-i gratia:

(<;

tation' of V.

919 (see Solon

in

Hdt.

i.

32),

and now contrives

to

make

yield of his
^'^"^

// ).
938.
P. V. 320.

irepl

own accord (). 5...: Hom.

^,

marks the connexion with ib. 400

939

f.
:

'
V.

this is the scruple that

is a synonym of the usual word 949 ff. to squander one's substance, ruin one's estate by spendthrift prodigality. were used humorously in the same sense. and \Liv SO Max. Tyr. xxii. 3 941.

8
^;

, ?
Lucian
872.

496

;
:

elnelv

Eum. 297

Cho. 690, Blomf. on

Clytaemnestra scornfully replies to in

,
<;

would be Greek, but not

944-

| /:
,
.

7^9

Either

or
(see cr. .).

She, therefore, being a delicately-nurtured princess, will feel

230

NOTES
At the same time wishes to convey that she has only been assigned to him

the condition of slavery with peculiar keenness.

Agamemnon
and

according to the
that he has

common

practice as the choicest flower of

interest in her
is

all

the spoil,
is

no personal

beyond

that.

A comma
is

substituted for the full-stop which

commonly
in

but wrongly placed at

.

the end of

v.

944.

The formula
first

(or ov^eU)

common.
on 949
is ff

^The
out of

extremely
is

predicate comes

Greek, and the stress here

<;.
good
purple-fish in
silver,
it

Clytaemnestra utters not a word about Cassandra, but replies 'You talk of squandering wealth and ruining the house; surely
there

the whole sea to draw from, Avith as

it
;

as

ever

came

purple only costs

its

weight in
!

and we

for it. Besides, thank Heaven there is a store of garments in the house already; we are not quite paupers; purple the house is surely not going to be ruined by the sacrificing of a few

can afford to pay

dyed

robes.'
'

Thus
:

in existence

, ".
.
C.

cf Ach.

'

can go and ask him whether

ayopaloL

.$ , ', ' 8, \ ^'

I

506
us

,
(.
oV

- ^/ ^
Tat.
vii.

Alexis 15.

14

affords

store

of these.'

'

:,
I

think

it

.
178

in that case

, ' ' () . '' . . ^ ... ^ .

If
is

should be

.
Cf.

/' .
not 'there
is

a sea,' but 'the sea

ci

yiyovev

<;,

is

(you

didn't
elatv

pay him as much).

Acts

19.

38 Soph.

'The house

Theocr.

22.

222

/^.'/
Eur. /. 359
to be

ib.

870 <^ any alteration

iv

.8
ov

giving the construction

cf.

Rhes. 170

Alexis 127

,
/3'
;
!

made,

OLKOUei'.
ff

954

Perhaps the thought in her mind

v.

Iphigeneia to recove* Helen

more than a few robes to recover the 957 ff. These lines appropriate
which may be
of a
frieujii,

Ar. Tac. 522

yap

795), I

you would have

is
'

If

sacrificed

sacrificed

life

of

my

dear daughter

certain

familiar Oriental images,

illustrated

from a Avell-known Arabic poem^, speaking

Sunshine he in wintry season When the dog-star burned, a shadow.

Translated by

Dr H. M.

Posnett, Comparative Liferaiiire (1886) p. \^i, a liook

full

of interesting

and

fruitful ideas.

NOTES
But these
'

231

figures

are so

manipulated by Clytaemnestra as to allow

is

herself an ironical side-reference to her real intention.

vengeance for an unripe virgin, then there is coolness in the house was used in that sense, often means 'bitter' in resentment, and Cassandra in V. 1229 foresees the deed that Clytaemnestra's workmanbitter
! '

Aye and when Zeus

maturing

6^,
'

ship designs for execution.

The

ye in

''
Then echoing

meaning intonation
'

to the sentence.

complete

'

or

'

perfect

of a full-grown

man

?
of

ye gives a

as being married

to

970 varied from

ff.

aggere funis, Val. Flacc.

to

^, ,
973
ff

chafed

cast out together from the stern

walls of Troy.'

437

- , ( ' 8 /, / , / / / . . / -, ) " ,
summation
:

of a household

she
'

appeals to Zeus himself, as

fulfil,

God

in all senses, to complete,

n.

perfect her prayer.

is

see

cr.

Warmth... signifies

its

coming'
is

the

,and head
renderspirit

con-

literal

ing

see

V.

305.

967 such as
Su/>.

f.

a metaphor from wind,

is

often

employed

229

8
The
its

in poetry to describe
Tlieb.

emotions of the

692

Tt

^poviat

is

'

ness,' like

/^

set

Stubbornly before
aelov

<;

my

consciousC/lO.

in

39)
;

where the preceding words

here.

yap

illustrate

allusion

is

to the phrases technically

of wind

properly
:

setting in a certain

quarter,
IS

<;,
the

.,
.)
slightly

used

SO

Cf.

Pers.

705

For

the confusion of

''' /^
and

in Cho. 817

an allusion
see

(see cr.

On

editing Aeschylus p.

'

* -<...-5 . ' .,.^, / <; -. ' .

xpovos
'

10 1.

The

construction

is

as in Euin. 100.

Cf. Eur. AL.

604

Time

has passed since the sandy shore

'

'

(or

'

grazed

'

from

related to

the cables

Cf.

SUj>.

40

'/ '
Eur.

when

the sea-borne host sped for the

^'
9

, . -? \% . -- ^^:
. 022
Trist.
iii.

'

'^^ 8'
Thus

ii.

428.

prefer

glossed by
in

,,
/.
ii.

75 1 the alternative suggestion of Ahrens

Eum.

/.

, /
13^9
/*'

;;^ ^',

^"^'^^

^3

'^'^'"^

soiuitur

is

equivalent

Some may
is

for,

though dyy

not

the two words appear sometimes to be confused.

Thus
p.

Pind.

42

6<;
:

Schneidewin reads
see also Jacobs Ani/i.

and Bury
xii.

from the schol.

96.

232

NOTES

Schneidewin also restored in in Anth. Pal. v. 82 and Arat. Phaen. 668. d/A/AaiScis Numenius ap. Ath. 305 a ayrji. is taken in preference to in view of the copious collection of adjectives belonging to this type which are brought together by Lobeck, Paf/i. Proll. p. 442 f.

^
ovTOi yap

'

^ <;
'

,
is is
'

984 n.

^^ '
:

^,

irpos tvSiKOts
'

<5
heart

In simple terms the meaning

My

too

is

'

beating violently, and I know its agitation is not idle but warranted by apprehensions that will surely come to pass,' as Hecuba says in Eur. Hec. 83 veov Tt yoepov

phrase

?^, , , . (
'

The metaphor
:

.
486

built

up out of the

was usually said of tossing waves, the heart dashing against the midriff V. 88 1 ) can be spoken of as a boat tossed in swirling eddies on a troubled sea and dashed upon a shore. These considerations support the conjecture StVais (see cr. n.), as Apoll. Rhod. i. 1327 hi ol

As

<; (
Plat.

oiu

^^

a troubled heart

Archilochus 66

,
p.

Tragic fragment in Clem. Alex.

] .
/xevov,
(al.
xi.
'

Cratyl.

439 C

[Arist.] Mirabil. cxxx. p. 46, 16

yucyciAai?

by Nonn. Dionys.
in Polyb.
29.

( . , ). ^
The same
error
is

and
XX.

,
;
'

\ 8^ ^ ^' ;{5
ct?

Westermann

Tore

is

where there are variants

illustrated

by Tryphiod. 325 ta;!^ where should be read /xevov are quoted as variants), and

336

'

not

So

(Reiske) should be restored for

10.

The MS. reading could

eddying
etc.).
is

mean anything but

, ^ ?
8
ff.

, ,

circling round,'

not

'

for

to a river

which encircles or
i.

to

the

can only be applied surrounding stream of Ocean

clear

(Nonn. Dionys.

990
227
ff)

ff.

begin with

?;
...
994

\
It
is

495

are corrujpted, but the sense

probably we should
13. 71

... The language recalls

133

^7...5
Mean

Solon

cf

i yr. xxxix. 2

^ ?

inf.

The
vyci'a

idea of Health as a

vycia
;

(=Theogn.
KopeVtiev

appears in Max.
;

far

generally agreed that something has been lost here.

its

The supplement adopted and

advocated on the ground that

insertion in this particular place are

should not be separated

from

7/05, and
Blass restored

is

made
,-]

certain

by

Plat. Jiep.

irpo<i

'. ,
the usage in such cases.

NOTES

233
In Aesch.
fr.

99. 23

6<;

a reading which

553

995

ff.

UKvos (nearly the

same

and

Trq(iovas is

a synonym of

,
'

')
as

wairep

is

Cow. adesp.
is

fr.

39^ 2

(.

4^2

ofjLoXoyovp.evov

the opposite of

so that the whole

means

'

Now

.)

let

but timid caution cast beforehand some of the possession overboard

from the derrick of Proportion

does not founder through being loaded with surcharge of Harm' For the contrast see Plat. Defin. Too Much that causes

illustrated

^ / , ^^ , , ,
or
'

Due Measure,

the whole fabric

Wvev

7]

. , , '
)(,
Thuc.

the

Xen. Ages.
o)v

ii.

<;
vii.

by Xerxes' speech

in

Hdt.

49

opposed.
Cainill.
ID. 13

'

^8

50

with

6 says of beheving or disbelieving miracles.

after the

which
as

is

and
ii.

Plut.

Horace

(C.

famous passage on the Golden Mean continues thus: sperat mfestis, metuit secundis alteram sortem bene praeparatum pectus. The grammatical construction of the MS. reading is far from clear irp6 /xtV marks the antithesis with {see cr. n.) is probably right. ' 7 V. 1004 TO as in Supp. 452 /'...458 ' as is proved by an inscription discovered by the French at Delphi (see Wyse in Class. Rev. xiv. p. 5), was the technical term for the derrick used in discharging cargo. 1002. T couples and to must be taken with what follows ('even from the annual ploughing of the fields '). is equivalent to ov not ez'en the one who knew...': 1007 ff. yap, Soph. O. T. 325 ovv so 1524 ov8(. ovTOS = ov
ff.)

/. (8,

-^-

',
'

the Chorus say in Eur. A/c.

8{.8<;

, 8' ,.
'
;

'
|

. In
124
iii.

^'

reference to the death of Asclepius

,/3 "
'

'
| |

//^

So Pindar (F.

ff.)

says

'

would
still

that Cheiron,
'

brought up Asclepius, best of physicians, were

But Asclepius was Stopped by Zeus, when he was tempted to restore the dead to hfe (t'b. 55 ff.), as \eschylus says here, '' to prevent his arrangements being thwarted or (Plat. /?ep. 539 c) as a precautionary measure to that end either would do. (For a possible instance of confusion between and see H. Iferm. 8^.) ApoUodorus iii. 122

^^ .

alive

ei

"
who

/3

< >;9,
says
direxit in
illiiin

234

NOTES

..
fulmina.
at the

'
759 Iuppiter exe7iiphim
Alcestis,
iierities

Fast.

vi.

Then, according
beginning of the

to the ancient story wliich

he himself narrates
thunderbolt.

Apollo, in anger at

destroyed the Cyclopes who had forged the Zeus thereupon condemned him to a year's penal servitude in the house of Admetus son of Pheres and while there, Apollo saved Admetus from death by tricking the Fates (Motpn?
the killing of his son,

Eitm. 726 the Eumenides refer to this

? ' ;/ ^' . . ?/? ^ . ' ';

;

Alc.

2)

whom

he had made drunk with wine.

:

In Aesch.

EYM.

iv

75

)?
v.

{vepvereLV

)(

^;

(.<;.

These are the same terms

Apollo with Orestes,

'apportionments' or
play,

in Avhich they
f.

had reprehended the dealings

172

The

are personifications of these

'dispensations,'

/
fall

of

or
to

provinces

allotted

the various divinities and severally administered by them.

the

In the same

Eumenides complain that Athena, by her decision in the case of Orestes, is robbing them of their (848), rights assigned to them in perpetuity by Hades has his (335 f.).
:

mortal

men have

theirs

not to live for ever, but to

one
at

day

Avithin

the power of Death.

Hippolytus therefore was restored

ii.

to life D/fe indignante Ov. Met. xv. 535, dis indigiia?ttil)us

645

Ctymetms (Hades) Clothoque dolent., haec fila reneri, hie fieri regni iura Diitiora sui by being baffled of their prey. Fast. vi. 757. And so, as Spenser says. Faerie Queene Bk. i. v. 40
:

Such wondrous science in man's wit to reign When Jove avised, that could the dead revive And fates expired could renew again,
he put an end to
be
'

it.

The
this

exact force of

to prevent the

appointed

/,

eV

therefore would

being hindered by the interference

that there exist in the system
'

of Asclepius.'

From

we conclude
'

over which

Zeus presides certain vested interests or With a influence' assigned by Dispensation

'

().

spheres

of

polytheistic
;

system

it

is

evident that they

Avill

often be in

opposition

just
vii.

as

human

destinies

may be

see Conington's note on Verg. Aen.

293

fatis cotitraria nostris fata Phrygu?n.

For, to take a particular instance,

NOTES
there
is

23s

no reconciling the

interests of Ceres

and of Famine,
;

iieque

enim Ccreremque Fatiiemque fata coire sinunt, Ov. Mef. viii. 785 or of Artemis and Aphrodite. But each must be content to abide within his own sphere and not seek to encroach upon another's, or the l)alance of power will be upset, which regulates, whose dispensations are upheld and administered by Zeus. There is a good illustration in
Ov. Met.
ix.

427, where the

Gods murmur and complain

gift

that they
:

should not be allowed to confer the

cut studeat dens
tiii'bida seditio
:

of youth as Helie does

omnis hahef ; a-escitqiie fatwre donee sua luppiter 07'a

soluit,
'

et

'

nostri si

qua
.?

est reuerentia,' dixit

tantu7nne aliquis sihi posse uidetur Fata quoque ut superet Fatis lolaus i/i aniios quos egit redtit ; Fatis iuuejiescere debent Callirhoe geniti, 7wn ambitione nee armis. uos etiam, quoque hoc animo meliore feratis, me quoque Fata j-egjint : quae si mutai-e ualercm, nee nostrum seri curuarent Aeacon anni,' etc.
ruitis ?

qiw

1327 Artemis explains why she has not interfered to save her votary from the wrath of Aphrodite
in Eur. Hippol.

And

8(
inei,

',
70
avSpa

, ' ^ .

?
:

'

roSe,
'

\'

dei.

rjAtfov

)
:

'Aphrodite's heart was set

offer opposition

upon

it;

and

in

such a case we none of us

any of our fellows otherwise, but for fear of Zeus (who upholds this system of spheres of influence with its rule of give and take), I would never have suffered him to perish.' For
to the desire of
cf.

1022.

Athen. 189 e
6

was four-wheeled In Eur. Ft. 998 usually drawn by mules.

1023
this

:.
among

, "

Soph. O. T. 11 90 '5
in the

Open court-yard
del

{
it

in front of the palace.

/,
Horn.
it is

evOa

may

324) and be that the Trojan

slaves of Clytaemnestra are in the car with her.

In Tro. 573 AndroHorse,

mache
(when

is

placed

the spoil, which

is

is

being removed in the

used of the

Wooden

compared

236
to a four-wheeled carriage).
/.

NOTES

It was commonly used as a travellingA. 147, 618, Soph. O. T. 753, 803. So Tryphiod. 241, where the old men accompanying Priam come down from the in

carriage: Eur.

ttTrr/rat.

'
Gr.

oriental

i.

' -,
It

may be
:

that

Agamenmon came back

iyyvTara

in

a car suited to an
is

monarch
531).

thus the car of the

King of Babylon

'<;

said to be

(Walz, RJiet.

p.

1024

f.

This was the Greek commonplace of consolation, that even

heroes half-divine

()

had not been

(fr.

free

from

human

sorrows, and
is

had submitted

to the like themselves.

One

of the earliest examples

in the Heraclea of Panyasis

\] ' ^
Omphale
1034
in
f.

8e

^, ',

16 Kinkel)

rXfj

'

81

"';

?'',
?
is

<;,

,
we have
with

where no doubt he was speaking of the servitude of Heracles to

Lydia.

Hesych.

)(^eXi86vo<;

. ). ^ ;
(read
practically the equivalent
(see Cobet, Misc. Crit. p. 165).

:,.
reference to Ar.

of

', and
1041.

J^a^/. 93.

Thus

here merely strengthens

One

of the tests for admission to the Eleusinian

mysteries was that the candidate should not be

words, he must

he'va
see
cr. n.

,. ;
Just below

Hesych.

in other

irapos:

could only

mean

that

fire

was

to cut the victims' throats or that the victims Avere to cut the

and there would be no construction for the genitive Musgrave's correction removes both these blemishes and gives precisely what we want: Eur. JI. F. 922 Upa
throat of fire;

.
'

usually follows

.
its

Ion 376
//dr.
1

as in Track. 724,

and may

prepositions; see Fritsche on Theocr.

J/e/.
I

870
'^

',

12

^(. .
A/c.

162

case immediately, or with a word intervening

surely have as

much

intervening as other
so sup.

16. 109:
is

There

133 the Same corruption in Eur.

'

^'^,
'

(Reiske for

),
(codd.

believe in Eu//l. 1050

1045

marks an

antithesis, not of persons, but of clauses,

:

serves merely to emphasise the second clause

who quotes

several parallels.

Cf Lucian

ii.

p.

Jebb on Soph. T/. 448, 656

,,

).

and

as

and

Tr]V

/' (.(.
from
xepi,

ordinary interpretation, rather favours Wecklein's view that

.^
;

NOTES
/.'

237
ot/xai,

^
from supporting the
is

[But this passage, SO

far

ad-

dressed to the Chorus.

Prof.

Since, hoAvever,
xix.

cannot be separated
197) that

Mackail suggests {C. R.

;
that

alludes to the forcible removal of Cassandra from the car.]

from the Chorus strikes the note which is meant to 1053. be in our thoughts throughout this scene. It is repeated in v. 1320, and
again in 1329
brings his

their

last \vord as

it

is

their

first.

Agamemnon
to
feel

partly

own doom on
it

himself,

and we are not

he

is

altogether to be pitied

so
for

by heightening our pity for Cassandra

Aeschylus has weakened

1055.
1063.
sup.

Agamemnon.
1330
fr.

-* /* ".
228.
:

1077

^
:

cf.

Eur.

Or.

cf.

Soph.

-<; 592 ]
suits

yap

'^*''

Dr

Verrall would read

is

. .
iii.

'

^/

.,

where used
1095.

out of the word.

<8
in

'a place for sprinkling (with the blood of) babes.'

not else-

Tragedy, but the sense

admirably

if it

can be got

Apoll. Rhod.

300

S"

,
(,...
;

Aocrpois.
is

with the previous question:

Theb. 836
;

( , ^
1103.
;

used in a question, as in CAo. 417

ye
C/lO.

7ra^o/xei/

?
20
otl

^ ^;
;

[Eur. CycL 207],

1107

'deserving stoning' (that

S.V.),

131

2.

, ^ ^ <; |5 , /,,
'
Dio Chrys.
ix.

992

p.

y 294 R.

^^^

; 8 ^ ; ;( ? ^
y
ei'r'

serves as a link

;
xvi.

Max. Tyr.
i.e.
'

{sc.

al'),

'abominable

sacrifice'

stonable,'

is

'lynching'), as

(Suid. Phot.

See

109.

11

Cf. Eur. Ion

5.
Negro

inf.

1409, 1413.

685 ov yap The hue of pallor

'

Soph.

fr.

823,

..

tlv

'.
Hence

white

in

Northerners, and

ashy

in the

was the regular expression, describing the effect of fear upon Both in Greek and Latin paleness is spoken of as the countenance. 'greener than the grass' (Sappho fr. 2. 14, Longus i. 17), or 'yellow as the saffron crocus,' or 'as boxwood,' or 'as gold.' Strictly the blood runs to the heart leaving the complexion sallow,
which Aeschylus understood as well as Aristotle
p.

'

is

in

Greeks and Indians green or yellow.

1520

ol

238

its

, , /} ,
NOTES
ot
;

)(,
'

<
('

eis

^,
!
|

.
is

<;

8k

true account,'

says (jellius xix. 6,

effect
vii.
?
'

who quotes

this,

'but

why

it

that fear has that

a question to which fanciful answers are suggested by Macrob.

II.)
in

feel

within

Cf TAe Emperor of the East iv. 5. What an earthquake I me And on a sudden my whole fabric totters My blood me turns, and through my veins, Parting with natural redness, I
;
| |

<;
320,
C/io.

discern

it
|

Changed
as
'

to a fatal yellow.

Others prefer to explain

the drop of red blood,' like

in Pers.

on the ground that the dye called saffron was made from 3. purple crocus and is termed ruber, rubens, piwiceus by the Romans. [Yet another view, that is the gall, is taken by Tucker on
183.]
ff.

mi

are

irTwo-iiAois

coincides with)

Svvros
is

?,
in

(whose

arrival synchronises,
is

the very pallor that

seen in wounded
8opl

8.
after
1

men when
iii6.

life

ending

a yellow sunset.

Thus

/
Tot
:

[The

124.

) ^',
ff.

instead of after
8e

phrase.
1

131

TO

explanation of

now
736

she sees that her

. . .
common

punctuation, corrected by H., places a colon

.]

From Soph.
to

Track.

II31,

6.

this

would appear

be an allusion to some proverbial

EK.

. icy , Oppian Hal. iv. 345 see Not unlike are Tro. 869, Soph. is right, and that It is evident, therefore, that also on 1225. liriyyiai, another suggestion, will not stand, Hermann's ^poets reading iiriyxiaaa is metrically impossible; but is not Greek. The MS.

8]

The parenthesis is an Hitherto she has seen Agamemnon's fate; own death is to be added to his. Cf Eur. Hec.
iraOos

yap

, ;
'
'
:

8 ), / ^] , ] ,
if
it

would only scag, we

feel

that

it

gives just the sense required.

lTT(.y)(y8av-

following
556

the analogy of

>^,

;^;,

seenis
comov

to

me

the most probable correction, because such adverbs are

participles, e.g.

.
1
is

monly explained by
EuJIl.

Cho. 65 ov
schol.

Hesych.

7_(;'
:

Lycophr.

1425

140 .
'

"....
A

The grammatical
life

relation of the accusatives

not certain.
'

possible alternative rendering would be

luxuriant in misery.'

With (cry

of)

Ityn,'

Ityn^ plaining for a

NOTES
1

239

142 f. The exclamatory accusative in Greek is almost unknown to the grammarians. It became much more common in Roman times,
but was always introduced by some such word as
1

or

ioi,

144.

7 .
When

explains the origin of

interpolation.

This correction (partly anticipated by Enger) while the meaningless yap is an Sophocles uses ol, he also follows tlie practice of
ol,

(,
/xeV,

the lyric poets, Trac/i. 650

El. 196 ore

oi

(Hermann
li.

for
ol.

),
In
for

and so does Cratinus

our passage ye
1
is

in a burlesque lyric verse,

fr.

241, "Hpai/ re

equivalent to

in opposition to

146.

'

Sweet

life

except

all pleasant. I have never been able to see that arep can have any other meaning here than that which Schneidewin also had suggested the nightingale in
:

lamentation,' otherwise the conditions are

Greek poetry from the

lamentation,
'

earliest to the latest

arep, like avev,

is

, ^ 8 , . ,' , ,;
sense
cf.

apart from,'

used elsewhere

Aphthonius Progytn. 11 (Walz Rhet. Gr.

speaking

'

, ^'
tfai

was the type of unconsolable and many other words meaning without,'
'

in the sense

'

except.'
i.

^/

For the nightingale see Dio Chrys.

etVep
'

,
ix.

19

, ^ ^ 8. ^ ^ , ,
irepav
p.

For the general p. 103) Niobe is

293 R.

ovSev

tovs

?, '
8^
6

tivai

iyevovTO

59

There

is

considerable similarity to Eur. T/v. 460

Cassandra
ov

says, addressing her country, her

f., where dead father and brothers

Si^eaOi

1167.
xi.

. -'

'

'

es

'
:

might also mean 'before

his

walls.'

Cf.

Tyr.

toji

yfjs,
(sc.

OIS
1

170

f.

See

cr.

Constantly, finding
Ehil.
xxiii. p.

and it should always be written in texts, at any rate describes exactly what she any trace of it. where there is For the metaphor, see the oracje in Hdt. i. 62 does in v. 1290
296),

, ,.
'

173 (of a votary of Cybele)

,' , ^
ov,

',

,?.

. and

cf.

).

V.

950

The

text

was

first

corrupted to TO

'
,/
c's

Max.

being merely an insertion to patch the metre. scribes omitted the ov as {see y^onrn.

fif.

Ha/, iii. 465; Qy^^ iv. Rhes. 730, Herod, vii. 75.

141, Eur. Bacch. 847

<; (.% ' .

'
For
cf.

A. P.

vi.

240
1179.

appHed to wind. As -nvCiv and spiritus^ meant not only 7vmd but inspiration, the spirit of prophecy is spoken of in terms belonging to a rushing mighty wind, which will wash the unseen horror to the light, as though it were a wave rolled up against the Orient ra)'S. The wind is )( ii8o. see or. . m^ai is often used of wind Horn. 146
covers the meaning
'

.
?
If

NOTES
The metaphor
fresh
'

shifts

by means of

this

word, which

^?
1

()
6<;
181.
iotos
: I

(<;
Noros

%.
:

Xrjyei.
is

tc

'^,

Soph. Ai. 35^

7'

(),
solis,

the subject (cf

Hom.

61

perhaps
/lic

may be
qiialis fluctu

269 is quoted Zephyrus procliuis

right. For the image Catull. Ixiv. placidmn mare niatutiiio horrificans
\
\

6
\

incitat

iindas

Aurora

exoriente

uagi sub limina

quae tarde primu7n dementi flamine puisne procedunt leuiterque sonant piangore cac/iinni, post uento crescente magis magis increbrescunt.
1

187

if.

The

><,

be sent away, sit fast deadly Primal Sin

Aireus slew the children of Thyestes

(
\

drunken well with human blood, refusing to against the chamber singing; and their song is the first act of Kin-murder when

),
\

342 Allecto Laurefttis tecta tyranni celsa petit, tacitumque obsedit armatam facibus matrem et serpentibus linien Amatae., iv. 471 Orestes cumfugit, ultricesque sedent in limine Dirae. So they sit guarding atris the vestibule of Hell: vi. 563 (with Conington's note), 279, 555, 574,
\
1

/9

, ^,
:

C/io.

1066

For

^
iv

cf.

Verg.

Ov. Met.
1

iv.
f.

453.
V |Api
:

191

'

'-

explained above

Jeremiah
or

various constructions.

(belonging to cwas)

/
C/lO.

is

part of the
i.

Image of the

25. 27,

Lucian

750.

The words admit of

absolutely and under-

(%
iv

may be we might take

Sva/ACi/ets

either nominative or accusative

stand the rest to

.
/xepet
cS

mean
'

evva<;

'each in turn

cf.

93
'

^"

Tji

down ?

Greek often adds

331
TIS

vw,

^.
elaopw

For

(Soph. Ant. 1084),

So Eur. Hipp. 872

Iig6.

however, the
with

, ^
editors
in

/
to

'Or have I brought my quarry metaphors such phrases as (CL. 20i), which we should not express.
;

'

Tivos

'storied,'

'historic':
\

% ,

Soph.

. .

1394

(where,

of Sophocles,

neglecting this

parallel,

connect
be

against the natural order).

Hermann and Dobree,

eiSivai in 1195, to

followed by Paley and others, substituted to

joined with

the sense 'that

know

not merely by hearsay.'

NOTES
Apart from other objections,

since the point in that case would consist in

preceded

.' .
elSevai,
i.e.

'
75

this

Antiphon

often implies 'in

^
is

241

contrary to the order of the words

eiSeVai.

which must have ' See Eur. Herad. 5

,
\

<6
only''

word

^
for

[For

(,
'
^^'

ov

(not only in word) e^ovTe?,

Soph. Trach. 1046, El. 453 ^^ which has nothing to do with the technical

'.

^ \.
iii.

Eur.

fr.

57
The/?.

832

83

but signifies 'to testify openly,' see

II97.

1205

, .

Wyse on

Isae.

77.]

an oath's plight: Eur.

/.

A. 395
I.e.
'

"-? ' ,
in

me strenuously' (i-rraXauv as \6)(% ' 6' $8<;

the speech of

).
05

he contended
Cf. generally

Similarly Eur. Supp. 704

.
i.

Lady Faulconbridge

King John

i.

253:

King Richard Coeur-de-lion was thy father By long and vehement suit I was seduced To make room for him in my husband's bed Heaven lay not my transgression to my charge
:

Thou
Which
So
in

art the issue

of my dear offence, was so strongly urged past my defence.

5.

Ovid Heroid.

139 Oenone says of Apollo

Me fide
ille

conspicuus Troiae inunitor amauit :

tneae spolium uirginitaiis habet.

rupi tamen ungue capillos id quoque luctatido. oraque sunt digitis aspera facta meis.

Oenone
Apollo
1206.

too,
{ib.

according to Ovid, received her

they say, to
1//

gift

so natural

For

'

,
cf.

of medicine from

145).

make

it

easy for her to confess what was

Hom.
:

296
cr. n.

.
like

see Cobet, Misc. Crit. p. 279.

dvaTos

1210.
1172.

see

There

is

a similar confusion in Lycophr.

1215.

See
Tois

cr. n.

1216.
Furies,

? ',
An

adjective has been lost.

'seated against the house'

f.),

who

personify their vengeance (see n. on 1187

She at first; grow plainer, gradually she discerns the details one by one ; at (v. 1 2 2 1 ). last they show distinct, he was a Pelopid like the rest, but 1223. see on 147.
sees the figures,

'seated on the roof.'

as they

rather

the

than

vague and shadowy

H. A.

16

242
1224.

1225.

'<

,
.

NOTES
credo,

(Helen to Theoclymenus)

Vesp.

1297 (with Starkie's note), Ach. Tat.

5

a letter) AevKiinrr]
AristaenetUS

with

1227 ^ "*'* ^^^^ that we must read

^ /),
....
is

;( ^
' '
:

no doubt

see on 800.

.,

explaining

'

707;
yap

' /

Eur.

Hel.

,
1

93

v.

17 (in the address of

"^

^).
which
is

'. ^

The

text,

correct except

(Plat. Prof.

329 A

has suffered grievous treatment at

the hand of

many
as
'

critics.
it

understood with

meaning is He little dreams what accursed act all her protracted words of smiling blandishment are but the treacherous cloak and prelude to.' In the speech which opens at v. 846 we have had a sample of her treacherous speech, and Agamemnon feels the hollowness enough to make the significant answer (v. 905) el-n-as
:

though

were

ola

'^

^.

'^

as well as

The

general

her (634

7(,
'

< >
6<;

^'.
|

In the Eunienides Apollo describes

vtv,
\

(.

//^

ff.)

;,
|

>;'

, ,
cloke
'

-, '
|
|

him with kindly words of welcome, she stood by while he was performing his ablutions in the bath, and at the conclusion trammelled him in a cunning robe and hewed him down.' is
ft el:

receiving

* .
Solon

of course the false-speaking tongue, as in the proverbial warning against

'the
(fr.

smyler with
42):

? ' , '
And
here, like
in

. 8/
the

-to

knyf under

the

attributed

opa

.
in her greeting (v.

meat* 'with smiling cheerfulness'

563 98 (a passage to be quoted presently), merely describing the appearance worn by simulated cheerfulness.
Pers.

^^,

C//0.

^' )
;

525
;

To

flatter

with such sinister intention was to behave like a

which treacherously fawns and

proverbial verse said

'?

'

bites

Nauck).

epithet

-?
like

This must be part of the suggestion

introduces another quality.
the treachery of a

?
at
in
is

the

same time
(Soph.
fr.

800

kwos here, though the

the deceitfulness

And

of

"

with

smiling

Fers. 94

Ti's

^<
'
KpatirvML
cuTreTcos

NOTES
men
into

243
her nets

blandishment she lures

yap
els

? '.

, ^;
;

'
ap'
ii.

And Soph.
iv

fr.

519

illustrates the

same connexion of thought:

And Helen

taatv

/? ^}'.
re or

In Find. F.

83
person.

8tanXeKi

the

"Aras.

'.,'minister of

",

too,

metaphor is applied to a treacherous as we have seen in the n. on 7248"., is a

is

just as the Lion-cub that typifies her

called Upevs

ns

In the corresponding line of the previous strophe he had been

described as
:

^.

that implies faivnin^ ivith the fatal blandishment of Ate,

At;?

1233
1234

231).

adjective such as these, or 'deadly,' 'fatal':

are used just in the

hairvov ^Epivvwv
'

,,
Death,''

but

limiting epithets to a metaphor:

Soph. Trach. 1051, explained by Ai. 1034: Theb. 853, Ag. 650, 980, Eur. Supp. 112}- Cho. 151, Eur. Ale. 424: "AiSov Eur. JPee.
1077,

Hec. 483

Ai. 802, Blaydes on Ar. Thesm. 1041.

.'// ^ /, /" ^ " 8, "^?.

'damned,'
'devilish.'

-" "
V
'

corresponds tO Homer's

'^
<;
Or. 1399

8
an

not ''Mother of Hell' or 'Dam of raging, infernal, hellish mother,' exactly as Eur. Cycl. 396 Aristias Trag, fr. 3
is

^,

"

The

genitive

is

equivalent

to

Eur.

Andr. 1046
of

same way

Ach. Tat.

v.

Tr/pi)s

retribution,'

'

avengitig.'

Both genitives serve as Ag. 1 103 = 1580 = i6ii,

F.

119, liipp. 550 (Musgrave)

/.

T. 286

See also Lobeck on Soph.

1251.

in

answer
tois
is

to the question
in v.

'

by what inans liand.'

Quite failing to see that

chorus assume that a

man

1249 may refer to a woman, the meant (as in Soph. Ant. 248 Creon, never
Antigone, asks:

'

dreaming that the culprit

;).

in v.

is

Cassandra's reply refers to the confession

1244, which corresponds to her request at

..
/;
MSS.

'8
^
v.

1183

'

els

244

NOTES
in the

was used

A need.

(. .
428.

same way of hounds being thrown

25

^'
:

off the trail

Bekk.

Kvua

'(,
Acyerai

Hesych.
is

The

true reading

doubtful, but

it is

possible that the scribes

have tampered with the order of the words, putting apa too soon, and that we should restore apa Similarly

Soph.

1254

iatiSov 640 f. For the confusion of

7;;^
as

'vows that she

,
1266.

approved.]

' . ,
1256.

' .. . (, . 8 8
C.

534

or

(Jebb) has

become

SCl7.

Cf. Eur. /.

yap

',
ws

and

see Cobet, M/sc. Crit. p. 432.

'

in his character of Destroyer, as

1259

fT.

Wolf-slayer.'

The

construction of this sentence

tO...,'

would be 'prays

will....'

<5 should not be changed although

7;^

/^
it is

is

uncertain.

[The translation suggests the acceptance of the Triclinian with explaining But no final solution was
See
the
cr. n.

If the reading
is

is

. '

figured

meaning

'thus

I'll

requite you.'

F,
'

or

^
even
in

'
this

1269

ff.

-5...(,

'having regarded

me

raiment laughed to scorn by foes and friends alike without distinction.'

The form
deal
sayings

of phrase, which from

its

unfamiliarity has occasioned a

illustrated

good

of doubt and alteration,

(Macar.
(for
/x,a;^ai/aTs

fools

would be just such another phrase, is thought not only by but by many wise men also.' If the original had been

; . ) '
95)

may be
(Plut.

Mor. 50 and

by the proverbial Macar. iv. 12),

viii.

Bergk's reading in Find.

J^.

74

'

86
'',

/',
;

tO take this for

8.

'

would have been a natural error, and to transpose and making a construction but the MS., which throws the stress on has a very obvious meaning, 'laughed at now in Argos as before at Troy.' That would have been as well expressed by oi 1272. Cf. Die Chrys. xiii. p. 422 R., ol
a ready expedient for

, ,
379

Phrynichus

fr.

Menander
1274

fr.

33 546 (iii. 166

(i

'
=

.) .) '
(704)
:

86 .
'
"?

epyov,

'68.
posiqiiam reddidit

. ^

me

uatein.

1276.
slain.
:

so long as a preposition can follow

its

objection to

verse are Eur. Bacch. 732

Tro. 102
style)
1

'
elision or
iv

,
;

NOTES
the altar of Zer?

245

"5
it.

at
its

which Priam was

case, there
in
is

even to a pause

/ (,
"

)'

after

tJjvS'
vir' rjOeXcs, /.

). ,
or
stroke,
/>/<m>
'

Aesch. Siipp. 260

stroke,' for

) 365 1277.
v6<;

Here
See

avTt

foUows

?
if

Eur.

967

/3

(rightly corrected for

its

case as in Lycophr. 94 but does not suffer anastrophe.

(or

cr. n.

The

construction cannot be
'

butchered with a hot bloody

two reasons

were possible to speak of a /lof does not mean (as some have wished it to mean), a
it

even

or sh'o/ce;

and

/Ac'vei

or

awaits me, about io be beheaded,'

'awaits

me

after

have been beheaded.'

The
then,
in
if

construction, therefore, must in part be

'the sacrifice' or

'slaughtered body of
is

me

butchered.'

, no

'
^

Examples

iambic

Ar. L)>S. II46 (tragic

''

could

not

it

could only

mean mean

The
'

dative,
is
is
*

sound, depends on

/xeVei,

a block
as

store for

the slaughter of
it

me

butchered

;
'

more probably,

generally thought,

depends

either

on

(Schuetz' conjecture),

block
or on

is

in store for

me

(Haupt), 'a block

slaughter of

me

butchered.'

The

difficulty is in

course visualise a block streaming with the slaughter of herself, foreseeing the future as though
it

.
is
;

hot with the bloody slaughter of

is

me

butchered';

in store for

me, bloody with the hot

Cassandra, as a prophetess, might of

had already happened, and

1080-1119.
with
/Acvet

language merely of prediction

now two
warm.'
very

/,
But

not the language of visualisation;

we ought
'

to have, not
Plut.

passages

Mor. 597

slew Leontides while the body of Cephisodotus was yet

, 8 ^
my
feeling

as she does in
it

is

the

but

<;.
'

is

that in conjunction

Consider

F tov

Philostratus
;

/mag.

10, describing a picture of these

murders

after

slaying

Agamemnon,

dnoKTeivti

'

with her axe yet warm.'

:

And

then consider whether you would not like to read

with the bloody

^

of a butchered man^ or bloodj with the still warm slaughter of a butchered man.''
sacrifice

See now
KOTrevTos

how

well the plurals follow,

I have

little

doubt about the answer,

to be altered to

came

<;.

if

there waits

for me a

<

either

block, hot

and
it

only

could be shown
it

how

Well,

was a deliberate

246
alteration

NOTES
made by
a half-intelligent corrector,

who took

the participle

as referring to Cassandra,

play there are at least

precisely the
f

, -. , ;.
same treatment
they give
:

and therefore made it feminine. In this same two other passages which have been subjected to
uv 275, and again in 283, ev yap
in
v.

and h give

( Ly ?
(
:

1286 if. Troy is avenged,

)
I

Now

that the capture

cr.

.) of

go gladly

to

meet death.

Cassandra's speech in
if

Eur. Tro. 353 405 is in effect an expansion of this passage, connexion with >. 455 461.

read in

In Sen. Again. 1005-1011

Cassandra speaks to Clytaemnestra

;

'You need not drag me

Perferre

to

my

death

willingly

nay,

gladly follow.'

propero
capias
lit

prima minttum Phrygibus meis repletum ratibus euersis mare Mycetias ; milk diutorerii d11 cum,
;

paria fata Troicis lueret malis, perisse dono feminae^ stupro, dolo. nihil ffioratniir : rapite. quin grates ago : iam, ia?H imiat idxisse post Troiatn, iuuat.
1289
is
:

P.

'' ( .. '
But
in V.

doubtful.
n.

1290.

irpoo-evveirw

see

1303.

8.

on 365.
is

Honour

IV.

187

^'

is

a medicine even against death

yap

Theb. 670

eiTrep

Pind.

aptras
arep

cheer

ev

1304.

See Class. Rev.

xvii.

290.

is

a fine answer to their

empty consolations. There

a stroke remarkably like this in Marlowe's

is

Tragedy of Dido, ii. 2, where the queen Aeneas, son of Priam and Hecuba
:

endeavouring

to

Dido.

Aen. Dido.

Aen. Dido.

Aen.

Be merry, man Here's to thy better fortune and good stars \Drinks. In all humility, I thank your grace. Remofnber who thou art; speak like thyself: Humility belongs to common grooms. And who so miserable as Aeneas is ? Lies it in Dido's hands to make thee blest ? Then be assur'd thou art not miserable. Priamus, Troy, Hecuba
:

When

Antigone

is

doomed

to death, the

Chorus attempt
ff.);

to console

her with somewhat similar praise (Soph. Ant. 817 1311.

but she rejects

the mockery of their wo'ds, and appeals to Thebes and Dirce

must be taken closely together,

'

{ib.

839

ff.).

apuivuav.

NOTES
Cf. Ar.

Ran. I150
fr.

ttiVcis oXvov

^,

Sopll.

140

1500

242 pray. ..that to my champions my enemies 1323 f See cr. . may pay for the slaying of a murdered slave.' This is on the whole the best remedy, although is a strange word for tragedy to use.
Plat. Pliaedr.

',

,.
Pint.

247

703 ov
Similarly Soph.
A/c.
Eul".

<;,

ov

/ '.
814
oS'

[See

Housman
KO-L

TOt' e/xoi?

COmp. 5

>. <; ' ?

'\n

Journ. Phil.

^iwvos

1325.

For the loosely-added

1326
ff.

These

of the phrase

lines contain

.^ \ /.
xvi. p. 210.]

An

alternative

htL

Cf. Plut.

'

would be
et

Brut.

genitive,
;

cf.

Eur. El. 1195

'?

...

Cycl.

244

an Aeschylean

figure

developed out
Afeti.

(Nauck

..
is

G.,

p.

783, Eur.

1224,

,
///OS/

Soph, Ai. 125, Ar. Au. 683 stantial, and not real or solid
vanity,' Psal/ns 39. 5,

8/
is

as

lamblichus,

.
life

etc.),
'
:

^All

Fa/ii/y,'

every

man

at his best state

Soph. O.T. Il86ff.

Protrept.

'
t

yevcai

Aeschylus makes
8
eivai

. -only a pencilled sketch:

:

,? ^
is

empty and unsubaltogether

implies that

^
Ilis
'

shadow

'

that

of

life,

w/ieu seeming

vwid,

cf. v,

253

formerly preferred Tepipeuv, which was proposed by an

train of

, '/^ .. ^
critic
:

pleasure of this

(to rep-TrvovJ is short-lived

4.

deceptive imitation

Xen. Symp.

22

1^

Poel. 6.

145

'5

,
Stob. Elor.

\ ^

,
1

4.

24 (Socrates)

thought led Greeks to the conclusion

1

chorus in Sopii. O. C. 121

familiar

commonplace.
Find.

Thus we have
88

and

in

P.

viii.

(an hyperbole like the reflection

Pleasure

is

(fr.

2) says.

^
'

like the grass that

-, 8,
ff.

is

only a versification

8,
' '

( . '
anonymous
and
faint

"

.
Cf. Ar.

like a

(/^

This

and the of an ancient and

'

withereth and the flower that fadeth;

applies to

Agamemnon 's

Cassandra's

'

,
is

;
led

,
to

up

by //,'.
to

Mimnerrnus

fortunes,

says Philostratus,

2 48

Imag.
it

is hardly for

,
pity

075
and
that
is

what Aeschylus takes care to Cassandra to pronounce that her own case

stress.
is

But

far

more

and I think with Weil that this final comment is as usual by the Chorus vaticinatur Cassandra, non philosophatur.' For the opposition of the and 8t-clauses, expressing contrast of the bad to the worse, cf. Theb. 172 the yap
pitiable
:

than Agamemnon's;

, <; ^, , 87 . ' '. ^ -. , / ' } -. . .

'
iroAci ttXcov

'

'

'.

Achill. Tat.

i.

iav

Lucian

iii.

232

ve'oi?

7...^'
For the
I

7)87]

cyytVeTai

Cho.

74 ^^ ^^'

''"*

/*^''

iv

which

is

97.

^.

1330.

1331
places.

,
yeyov

due to Cassandra cf Antiphanes ap. Stob. F/or. ' rj yap eXeov

So

it

is

said of

Wealth
/xev

in Ar. Pint.

188

that

is,

'admired and gorgeous

palaces,'

show
is

1333. described 1339.

here, but

' 5.
in Ar. Plut.
:

'

The

entrance of Wealth into men's houses

234

244.
is

SO the MSS., and the future

it

the natural tense

it is

hardly credible that

point
is

could be scanned eViKpavei, and a

paroemiac
1340.

at this

unusual.

Perhaps eViKpavciev

'

should he

complete....'

can boast that

eiTretv

^'
be.
(i'.^.
'

Ti9 (iv

<ovK>
ov

eviaLTo Canter, but the sense required

his lot is free

,^).
alia, all
;

from harm?'
Weil,

stand so in apodosi.

<>
?

Verrall,

cannot

. ).
Hermog. Rhet.
16
3.
'

wish

Antiphon
p.
171^

<> <'>
it

(cf.

Menand. 355
Porson, but

'
is

'who

cannot
Ahrens,

. .

but Schneidewin retaining

^.
'

This

has only one meaning in Greek,

I

6.

tvvo

^
av
is

, ,

who would Dem. in

e.g.

In ordinary language
has

,...; (where G
oe content to'), Ar.

Pan. 283 iyw

^
:

very

common,

Isocr.

327 ovtc yap _^ yap but though Hesych. gives

fr.

Soph.

( ^ ,, , ^ ,
which
8e
is

equally

common, but means

occurs also

... and

68.

thought once of
that
is

the only place

is

have

ever found

it

so explained,

and probably the

true reading

Schneidewin's

rejected i$v$aLTo.

1346.

NOTES
:

249

see

cr.

Cf. Eur. Phoen. 1466

Se

^
in v. 557.

. The converse error occurred

The word should be

1355

MiXXoOs.
it is

indicate that

a personification or idealisation of a quality.

in

were formed in Greek as easily by a termination

a capital
letter.

word as an example of gives ... McXXoCs ^/^ MeXXoC? gives no doubt by defect of memory. The phrase me the impression that it refers to some proverbial commendation of Deliberatioti, and in this I am supported by an epigram of Antiphilus This may i^bitentioii) A. P. xvi. 136 ''ApK-etS' have been the very proverb, from an early gnomic poet. They, the
(Mt/s. Crif.
i.

Tryphon

,
paying

written so, not /acXXoCs, to

These

as in English by

49), quoting this

\-'
are

.
little
1

speaker ironically

'/ same
1373

lauded name^ Delay.

sanctum

et uetierabile
f

See cr. nn. The corrections assume be treated with dissimulation. that the scribe took to be an adjective and altered
accordingly.

, ?remarks,

singularly
/.

respect
to

Cf

.,

Eur.

T.
1.

905
8.

ottoj?

'
to

Tri'si.

i//ud ainicituu

nomen

re tibi pro uili est sub pedibusque iacet.

'passing as beloved,' and therefore to

1379. with 1382.

I
:

formerly punctuated after

(C

R.

xii.

247), joining

it

but there

is

no need
is

pronoun to be emphatic taken to be merely a fine phrase

for the

for

abundance of material surely it implies that the silver-purchased raiment which he trampled in his pride of wealth has now itself, as it were, become the instrument of his undoing, changed into the net of
;

Ate.

See
f.

vv. 383, 940, 951, 1580.

1385
note on
*

8|
:

"^^
v.

Aesch.

fr.

55

My
'

third

and 650 257 blow was added as a prayer-offering

cf.

-'
The

third libation

. '. '
;

was offered to See also

subterraueau

to the

as Hades may be called, for in the Underworld his position Zeus corresponds to that of Zeus among the Olympian powers above and so in Sup/>. 160 ff. the Danaids from Egypt say, 'If Zeus Petitionary will not hear our prayer, our swarthy company will perish by the noose and make their supplication to the dark Zeus of the Earth, that Zeus

most Hospitable

who

grants entertainment freely to the dead,'

where the schol. has There is something of the same irony in the words 66 and there Soph. /. 438 and

, ^'

to
all

that seek rest from their labours with

;^^' "^.
in
is

yaiov,

'.

^
in

him,

a precisely
C/io.

similar implication in the mention

of a

third

libation

576

25

^
i.e.

'as her third

and crowning draught.'

Horn.
\

1390

f.

recall

heart was gladdened as the heart of growing corn

,
597
it

NOTES

ore

,,
ct

,
-rrepl
'

is

His gladdened with the

dew upon

the ears

when the

fields are bristling' (Leaf).

1394 fiF. (as though = Wecklein still takes

that
in

was formerly taken as a partitive genitive with 7.) 'had it been among things fitting,' and it so. But Wellauer and Blomfield truly observed . such phrases the article is used; we must have had
accordingly
takes
as

Dr

Verrall

genitive
'

absolute

'

under

fit

circumstances, with good cause,' interpreting

for a libation over the dead, justly

that case.'

sacrifice:

.,
.
;)(5

on a corpse was

' ,' ' ' ' , ,^ , / '?.

'

',
with
Philostr.

Could there be a fit case and more than justly this would be The natural construction, as van Heusde saw, is
to

pour a libation of what

.e.g.

a genitive,

Longus

ii.

31

Heliod.

ApoU.
15
v.

v.

15, Epist. 39

/xauTi75

Herodian

5.

12.
:

In the

sense

'it

? ^ ,
is fit,'

airevBeiv

,
to,'

being often used

22,
iii.

iv.

16.

Plut. Afor.

.
12.

655

is

possible

is

common enough

sup.

389

'

^^.

;)(.
as
IV.

Soph.

/V///.
is

656, Eur. Hipp. 701

'\
:

tv

properly used of pouring a libation upon a

Hdt.

ii.

39 lirena

'

(the altar) oTvov

62

iv.

60,
5.

Nicand. Thyat. (Ath. 486 167. Here the whole point lies in
to give

a), Plut.

/iof/i. 4,

Xen. Ephes.

i.

for of course, to
rite

pour libations

Cougny

ii.

485, Nicet.

him the due Eugen, ix. 4

of burial

Anth. Append.

By

,
on

,,
that

which

is

explained by

...

in

the following lines, Clytaemnestra

means

that the proper libations for

(that
is,

Agamemnon would be
he has himself
libations are
iii.

taken from the

his

'
;

,-? ' . , ^* ? .. , '

inflicted

own

house.

Such metaphors from

e.g. in

common^in

later

Greek and Latin

Achilles Tatius,

16, a lover

about to cut his throat upon his mistress' grave says

1400.

. may
235

^?

be a reminiscence of Hector's words to

Ajax in

Horn.

.,

/ua;^as

1406 'what

f.

...

tSavbv

...)5
741

(
"""'

solid or liquid?'

Horn.

vptla

Rhod.

ii.

53 "^/^"'

^^

8
J

) ? ^. , . ,

.
8.
LongUS
iv

NOTES
.
7

ov8ev

ov8e

495 Eur. Supp. 1

V.

excutiamqtie sinus.

either

,
'

Fast

1409.
this

' ' 5 ,?
(v.
1 1

243 omnia

tetnptabo latis

medicamina
apasl
I

,, ^ .
251
^^'^
1

'

a'Ae^'r^/x'

10

terris et freta

Tartareos

take this tO

07).

Other views are that

rage of thine
'

maddened
See
cr.

or

'

this fury

people.'

but
of

1418.

n.

Perhaps we should read

may have been merely

to

1423.

,
ff.,

a metrical addition, after the corruption

(
*
Plat.

mean ToSe here means frenzy,'

'

of the clamouring

^,
i
'

'conditions equal.'

So
is

?
where the phrase
irptViiv
:

Phaedr. 243

]
equivalent to ceteris
the eye shows the heart

paribus.

1429.
(see nn.

-iros

ht

on 283, 784

Samuel

16. 7

But

the

Lord said unto Samuel,

Look not on his countenance or on the height of his stature). Therefore bloody heart should have a bloody eye to match. The blood will

come from

public stoning.
TtjvS' UKovcis

/5
same

1432.

(
'

would mean you hear,' law has been recited that the orator says
is

can hardly be correct, for you have heard now it is after the
or

'

the case invariably with

/^'
I

?/, .
'
:

suggest

(Casaubon), as Cho. 498, or y, Eum. 306, Soph. Ai. 1141.

oil

and the Greek would be

y (Herwerden), or as
confident spirit sets

1435.

'EXirls

'my

no
7.

foot within the house of Fear.'

'

The
is

heart of the wise

in

is

in

For the metaphor cf Ecclesiastes the house of mourning but the heart
[Quint, xiv.
is

of fools

the house of mirth.'

ivTo<i iepyei

of the cave of Philoctetes (Soph. Phi/.

Artemis (Eur.
see Thuc.

/.

T.

)
ff.

vii.

61

12 16).

?
283,

.]

168

'
;

used in the singular

1453), and of the temple of For the combination of and

* 1437 in other places,

:
e.g.
is

^.
'

'sympathetic'
Cho.

sup.

1439
1

This

the scene that Cassandra foretells in Lycophron,

108:
yoj

^8

-*-

'
is

the nearest equivalent, as

770.

252

7
OTTOJ?

/ic,

in this

^ 20

KtTat

..

48

^. . .' .
pr]$L

TL<;

' Snf

- (. 5 ; ,
NOTES
rj

ipyarrj^

iv

/,

iir

^' //, ,
^,

sense often begins a sentence: Horn.

TJlch.

467,

541, 558,

779

1445 ^'

,
telling

'
ttjs

8*

?,

, .
^*'

...

The
and

antithetical sentence (shaped in the figure called

Chiasmus) puts
'

in a brief

way the relations of Cassandra to Agamemnon and the results of them in each case she was the lover of him, and is laid low by his side she dared to trespass on the rights of marriage that were mifie, and all that she has thereby brought' to me is the delight of triumph.' By the words she implies at least two things that Cassandra had chosen to side with Agamemnon against herself; and
and
to Clytaemnestra,
:

that she

now

lies,

as a lover should, beside him.

to
fall,

Hereafter she herself

and Aegisthus are

as Cassandra
in Cho.

man

for

man

(v.

13 17); and

avSpa; Totyap iv

wishes to imply that the

woman was

had

foretold,

woman

for

woman,
slie

893 Orestes says to her Perhaps by the active word

the seducer; in Sen. Again. looi

she says

at ista poenas capite persoluet suo, captiiia co/iin?ix, regii paelex tori. trahite, lit sequatur coniiigem ereptum mihi,

associations of the

. ^ 7] '

that

she

may

follq^w

the

husband she has stolen from me.'

likely to

word are

Cretans, says Strabo 484,

adjective,

trivial extra morsel, Pollux x. 87

'/ ,

, . ,
Hesych. gives
:

'loving':

Dion.

xxi.

-^.

27

,, ^.,. )
The
have lent a special sting

^, ^
56

to it; the

and Nonnus uses

loan,

it

as an

vi.

',

oi/ou,

xviii.

55

mean

And when

used metaphorically they were a

synonym
i.
'

'

' . ? ?). , .
227 epyoy
Tt

for a

'

,
:

NOTES
as

OvTot

',
iarl

opposed

8....
368
a)

to

an

Ip-^ov

or

Plat.

(
(//;.

253
((ialen

Eiithydem.

napepyoL<;

avTOts

...'
367
^^'

273 D

')

^,;.
Sotades
(Ath.

ctvai

'

e/A.

Magnes

Philostr. Heroic.

284=662

(these Other fruits)

'"'75

Clem. Alex.

695

'^'^'

- (

Himerius

i?r. xiv.

24

epiv

Metaphorically, therefore, these words

mean

a mere slight ioy or by;

play beside the serious business or main action

applied in Aristophanes
yi
It is in precisely
fr.

236 to

is and thus a married woman's lover:

^.
is

the

same way

that

applied

by Clytaemnestra to her husband's paramour.

The metaphorical meaning of

these words has not been grasped;

it

here has hitherto been taken as though

seasoning to enhance the appetite,

gives a zest
interpretation
public,
'

were a something that

8,
to

and gusto
has

to the pleasures

of the bed

and the usual

the

represented

Clytaemnestra as
that

proclaiming

relish to the enjoyment would be possible is not How of my commerce with Aegisthus.' easy to imagine still less easy to imagine any woman making such a J^. viii. 64 to is used by Pindar thus, like profession,

Cassandra by her death has added a

Apollo, TO

...7:

-^ ;

cf.

..
is

,
8e

4)
it

Soph. Ai.

,
-^

189.

The
it

not the accusative and object to

the nominative and subject of

^
schol.

or

-,
phrase
It

but

to the previous
:

nominative
n.

better, perhaps,

is

It follows that the object

see

cr.

Blomfield took to be an explanation of

for of that

have included

word is the grammarians' regular = 230, Moeris 408 = 370): thus (to equivalent (see Ruhnken Ti;ji. 276 quote passages some of which will at the same time illustrate the sense
of luxuriating triumpli) Aesch. Supp. 925 Cho. 137

,,. ' . :, , .
:

The

schol.

has

merely.

,
242

in apposition

must be
which

must

"^ ...7 ',

.
(see
cr.

schol.

schol.

V. 1003 Soph. Track. 281

,, .

1451

''

Hesych.
schol.

.)

is

exactly like Soph. Ai.

1201

, ), ^
254
Tpiptv

NOTES
:

, /;
179
^

1456

Tlieb.

.
640

cf.

Pind.

. .

^6/>''...

37 ox^oio'i Cf. Eur. Or. 79 (Helen speaks) yivo<i^ ih. 741

see
it

JV.

X.

72

'

/)i5

//.

.<5
avmye

is

<^.

is

1461.
other^

TIS
it

*
I
t

cr.

.
the

This use of
^

not so well
be^
^

recognised as

should be;
declinable,

means anj that

in
it

there

may

some or
ffXovTOJi

.% . .
and
el
17

as

other

well-known use

believe

should be read with Elmsley in Soph.

'some comphlint or
c^ci

other,

'possibly,''

Euttmann
'or thirst,

{Griech. Sprachl.

may

be' (like

Lucr.

V.

720) for
et

Ai. 885

$$

CI

^, ^.
i.

'perchance,^ for

',

142)

tt Ai/aos

/'?

171'

_;^;, ei Exactly similar

,;
Siij/

and

in

Aesch. Cho. 752 with

ci
17

si

forte

Munro on
ei

is
i

the use of

in

and of

in Phdoct.

It

should be considered

whether Tro. 705 tv' ei may not be explained

ycvo/utcvot

^'

1204

in
:

the

same way.

1463

ff.

7{...8
cf.

prohibitions
xix. p. 30.

sup.

909
for

ff.

for the change from present to aorist in For the distinction in meaning see C. J?.

1465.
Aeschylus,

5
p.

1468.

referring to their description of

-,
:

illustrations

of

this

word see Oh

editing

100.

uubius incompositum, 'a hurt unhealable

Helen

as kv

( Helen and Cly147 1 f. taemnestra are both instruments to execute the purpose of the haunting
:

Spirit.

Schol.

an old tradition
aLvoy a^Lov

.//'
:

1<>\

(.(.

^^
the
gift

. (^.
| |

The infatuation of the daughters of Tyndareus was see Hom. 436^9, Eur. /. 1062 to /xev yap ' (. tc ' ' yap

'^
|

\poyov

,^ ^ ,', '
,
| |

8 /.
Orest.

Xe'yei,

/
8'

where

Similarly

in

249

we learn from the scholiast that Hesiod (fr. 117) had said that both she and Helen (and Timandra, a third sister,) had received from Aphrodite
husbands

''/
|

^' ' , ^,
:

of beauty but the curse of ill-fame with

|

'

Stesichorus

(fr.

26)

who assigned

, ' ' ^,' . }\ )

it;
all
\

deserted their

ciActo

This was followed by

:

a reason for the curse

;^/ <;.
Nicolaus in Walz,
J^/ieL .

' "^
CKarepas

NOTES

255

/^

'

Koputs
rpi-ya/xous

' , . '
:

exclaim

yovais

Mci'e'Aaos,

8\ ^. ?
<;
KTk.

.
%.
sense of

385 makes Agamemnon, when struck down,

/xej/

'' '
'
1

'EAeViyi/

/3 (^ ^'
:

MevcAaos //

'BXeciyi/ 7175

MS.)

if

1474 f The ending of these two lines is doubtful the two words required are and vo/xois (like
plain

see

cr. n.

But,
137),

it is

how

easily

might be omitted j and the omission would

lead naturally to writing

1476.
is

required.

vvv

^'

several copies have vvv '.

1480.
corruption

tendency of a copyist
p.

312

(fr.

346 c

for

., , /'
in the

^
Cf
Ar.

now

Eai. 204 vvv

?
as

at last,'

and not

vvv

'

(see cr. n.),

/'?,
i.

Plat.

Gorg. 452

Similarly in Theocr.

132 vvv la

a
cf
:

of

The compound

MSS.
it

reading

may

be,

think,

like

Theb. 29.
;

To

write

thus

we

82) for

'/',
; ;

while for the strengthened form of the verb they tend to

write the simple form

in Eur.
fr.

thus (to take a case in which this often happens)

1063. 5 for and Choricius vary between

The form might

Stob.

also be

too supplies an example of the tendency to break up

. ,.
Telestes
in

get in

we find it would be the natural MSS. oiyci schol. Find,

Simonides
in

Plat.

Prof.
for

Ath.

637 a

(Gesner) the

JNISS. of

Stobaeus

and

as

This word

Mor.
as to

97. 17 (Eur.
Vi'os

fr.

546. 8) there
in

is

1481.

'fresh

appetite'
to

./..
is

tO

}(,
There
is

such word as

'^. ). { ,
a vJ.
tO
in the
;

compounds

(Dind. Lex. Aesch.);

,
:

in

is

to

Supp. 863
in

corrupt.

The

such swift succession are conceived as wounds

to heal,

monster, whose thirst for

had time

of
Its

House that follow made by a devouring blood revives again before the last wound has the MSS. is taken to mean 'gore, bloodshed'
intestine

murders

a sense incredible.
blood, that
it

proper sense

is

a humour, lymph, serum

to

should be extended (like

never

mean

a deed of blood.

And

the phrase should naturally be a further account of

?.

256
1482.

is

read ] fxeyav <rj dvv Alos 1488.

1506.

>?
:

NOTES
cf.

probably a gloss:
Soph. Track. 1278
after

with Weil: see on 1506,

The

addition of

suggested by Schuetz.
cT:

Perhaps
Doric.

see on 1482.

1508.
cr.

is

Cf.

n.

force

goDem.
to
'

F. L.

56.]

,or

'
for

1657.

Perhaps we should

.
first

metrical reasons was

should take the place of

[See Shilleto

not at

all.

and

are used with the

same

to

1510
lies

ff.

8'...

congealed upon the earth

,? "
/.

demanding vengeance not to be washed away until by murder to atone for it

1384 Or. 811
iSe^'

(?
:
\ |

The blood

of the slain children of Thyestes

/ua

(//?

Theb.
C/io. 65),

724),

sufficient

'
|

^-

8 /
| |

and

is

blood of kindred has been shed

is

the principle.

/,
OttOtc
|

".
|

Soph.
Eur.

() ?
is

'

the price for bloodshed,

just like

ap^

,
:

epis dpi'os

yivvaioiv

5.
|

feud- murder serving as

in v. 385,

havoc and destruction paying the penalty She takes up their words 1524
;

for sin.

with the retort

is

ellipse

such as

implied here
V.

by yap was often explained by

Pers.

scholiasts, see e.g. scholia

on P.
17.

1015,

237, Eur. Or. 794, Ar. Nub. 1366 liable to be incorporated in the text, as
A/isc. Crit. p. 323,

and the explanation was

in P/ies?/s

Cobet,

condemns Hom.

igo on similar grounds.

So here

the lines which precede

a.v(.\ivB(.pov

yap were a scholiast's explanation,

^.

Person on Med. 822 (826) restored 1527 ground that the less common form of the feminine is

Meineke rejected which was a subsequent addition. and that he thought to have been inserted with the object of avoiding a Errors due to the last-named cause will also be found in paroemiac. h), and 791. 87, 783
dignis,

1528.
a

(
, common
The
-as

'/
a$i
is

on the

liable to corruption,

corresponds tO
[Eur. Supp. 813

use.

1531.

Ion 735 ^|, 'what he wroughf (see 351 ZtC

ff.

yvvpv

Hom.
1532

.
,

construction

^(. .
is

So Soph.

..

' , 8
cr.

5.]
.),
evi

ayiva

digua

equally

possible.

iopyev.

17

NOTES
aXc^eTat, 0|)p. Hal.
iii.

257
evt

/.
where
1536.

571

ot

-^

'

find

ill

thought no ready weapon to

my hand and know

to turn.'

8
'

84

based upon the word

5
same

'it is

no longer

early drizzle.'
'in torrents':

or

have been used

Yet there are other whetstones Avhereon destined hurt is 1537 being whetted for the hand of Justice to another end.' In Cho. 643

'

the armourer

,
f

in the

sense.

^
The
it

not

phrase

is

might

Destiny

is

who

forges the

with language very similar,

weapon for Justice we expect to find

Justice.'

to

employ, and here,

seems probable, which will mean

rash
to
alter
Ellis,

therefore, that Triclinius

'

was correct
In face of
a

for the
:

hand of

otherwise,

modifying

Robinson
sharpened.

supposing that
It

we might perhaps read could mean a chopping instrument

is

usually explained by

Callimachus, the only place where

stands for 'blacksmith's work.'
359

19

originally a battle-axe

genitive

neither on

only other possibility

. ,. 8 , ? .8
as

, ,
give
el

.
see
is

it

occurs in literature,

,
is

, ...- :
the

same image.
in writing

It

would be suggestion by Prof.

requiring to be

and

in

a fragment of epya

Hesychius, however, and Bekk. Anecd. and might not /u,a;(-atjoa mean
:

But one of the sign-posts to the sentence

according to

which
nor on

my

ear

should be dependent

but on the

final substantive,
1

yoU have
I

{Pers. 9

9, Slip.

1463).

^
is

the

The

that

an error

for

an accusative,
urging

,
1546.
Schol.
avSpl

or

The

are the incentives

Orestes to revenge.

dishonestly,

like

on Soph. El. 270

1547 '''5 ' could be genuine?

ktL:
is
:

i.e.

and

if

you do, what praise oi yours

(i.

.
in
1
i.

v.

780.

Cf.

' 5.

intransitive, as in
fr.

Cratinus,

p.

1557 of this phrase Stob.

. ^,
'|' '.
Ed.
i.

Schuetz was the

49.

.
p.

Supp. 556 1 .), of Cimon,

'

first

to quote in illustration

50

(p.

418 Wachs.), containing an

extract from Apollodorus

Trepl

? \
.
>

(.
cv

. G.
?

-],

(fr.

3)

' <

;^,

^?
429)
17

ev

..

258

/^ ? /
(fr.

NOTES

(fr.

1568.
in the

^ ^ ^ ( (.
)

2)

,
so that

It

is

difficult

to find a place for Pleisthenes

Later genealogy Zeus, Tantalus, Pelops, Atreus, Agamemnon. writers, to meet the difficulty, assert that Pleisthenes was son of Atreus

and

father of

Agamemnon, but died young,

Homer, but some

Agamemnon was
There
is

commonly
warrant for

called the son of Atreus (Schol. Eur. Or. 4).

this in
:

no

faint indication that

Aeschylus had

heard of

it

see vv. 775, 1602.

iravirapKis
is

1574. which with

'
to

assumed

to

have been the original text

superscript ultimately produced the

:

The

first

step was

construed together,
T pipo<i
to

' ,
is

'

MSS.

reading.

but since

cannot be
;

was taken

tated a connecting particle in

/3aioi' -}(Ovay}L

enough

show

that this cannot be genuine

that such was supposed

be the construction, cod.

I

had long looked with suspicion for it is a prose word, not a poetical, and neither in Epic, upon Thus it would be a natural Lyric, nor Tragedy is ever used at all.
punctuation, a
after

comma

, .

and that necessithe following clause and so we get '.... The rhythm alone
to

^
:

be a predicate

but to confirm
f

my

view

has actually that

synonym
pounds,

,
ap.

for explanatory

Pers. 240 trXovTO'i

Suid.

.
C/lO.

verbs

and

1-8< :

. ,
purposes
adjectives,

as

68

The

copyist, after the habit of such with

. P.

76

Aeschylus has also

Pyth.

two words of
for TO

/
is

it.

In Iambi.

Vit.

restored

in

Theb.

jog where
quite suitable

was the
:

'

words of Menelaus
1579 our nether crimes
'

,^
vi.

<;,
in

Plat. Prof.
eTret

e/x.oty

.
eVt

, . <; <, ,. ,
p.

Moeris
v.

262

But poetry uses

390

e^v

\ ,
is

and com-

See also

Theb. 152.

unexpected compounds, made 147 Cobet (^Coll. Crit. p. 378)

and the tendency

seen

first

attempt at
<S

AN

346 C

...

Pherecrat. 145 ^7
cf.

For the general sense

irep

Hom.

avopes
'

^.
97
|

iv

,
the

Ihis shows you are above,

|

You

justicers, that these

So speedily can venge,'

:

'^^

$.

Diogen.

88

vvv

<;

Lear

iv.

2.

79,

'

Cf.

1591.

commonly applied
and welcome was.

$ ?
in
(slip.

NOTES
:

259

he plays bitterly on two words

to

or

?,
is

welcome,
kind.

8,

eager, zealous, hearty,

Effusive

rather

than

sincere

this

1594 f. This passage is mutilated and corrupt, but there can be little doubt what happened (see Prof. Piatt's article in Class. Rev. xi.
p. 96),

because the story

told elsewhere not only of Thyestes but of

in

Tereus and of Clymenus and

Hdt.

i.

119 of Harpagus, and when the

and fingers (and the head), which would have been recognised as human, were concealed apart (Senec. Thy est. 764, Hdt. I.e., Achill. Tat. v. 3 and 5) and afterdetails are described they are the same.

The

toes

wards displayed

proof (Zenob.
vi.

ii.

234, Senec. 1038, Hygin. fab. 88,

rest,

Hdt., Ach. Tat., Ov. Alet.

658); the

including the evrepa and

Thyest.

1220), was broken small (Senec.

1059) and

served as meat.

The

separate table

made

it

easy for the fated guest

vi.

alone to have the special mess (Hdt., cf Ov. Met.

648 50). The general shape of the sentence therefore would appear to have been something like this

]
avevuev,
.

go

Cf.

.
1601

^'.
.

Afet. vi.

656
is

Ipse sedens solio Tereus sublimis auito.

The

kicking

over of the table

spendthrift, prodigal; usually meaning one who 1597. wastes his substance in riotous living, and applied with bitter irony to

-,
\.

also told of

Tereus by Ovid

in 661.

the banquet of Thyestes.

f.
\

is

either simply 'jointly, together with,' for which

sense Pind. P.
KTeavov

is

quoted

,
or else
it

'

in support

of

so that the act

8
is

symbolic.

(Karsten), as in Pind. O.

'.
See

In the latter sense

ix.

has been suggested to read

98.
is

'
SiV of the

avrwi
:

part of the curse

'

perish...

1605.
'in addition to

'

MSS.

two others' would make sense and may be right; but who was my 1 yap I suspect the original was father's third last hope.' Cf. Cho. 235, 695, 772, Aeschines ii. 179,
'

Tc^vaiev

, .
A. P.
viii.

389, Epigr. Kaibel 116, Thuc.

iii.

1610.

on

544.

Aristid.

i.

709

1613.
;

Cf

Eur. Tro. 427

/'
57, Pers.
ii.

'

is

ridiculous.

eVt

35.

'

'

7'
(.

-^

eU

26
1618.

denotes here a bench at the stern: see Terr, Ancient Ships,

and

cf.

Eur. Ion 595, Phoen. 74.]

f. ff.

l6ig
1625
is

Cf. sup.

8 ^,
the

, , -.,.
'

NOTES
the n)ain thwart
sits authority.'

When on

1425

^^^

same contrast

in

C/lo.

624

See also

which is SO framed that it might include Aegisthus. 628 40. Eum. For olKovpbs cf Eur. Heracl. 700

',

points out that

Cassandra had already so described Aegisthus

^?
xxxii.

is

oi//e

addressed to Aegisthus.
re

.
.
:

[
131,

p. 57, n.

There
iir'

/^'?

Enger
:

sup.

1224.

1630 charm
pulsion
fr.

683 to the Alexandrians, speaking of their degenerate popular musicians yap ot yap
2 {F.

", , , <; /, ^ / ' , ; , ^ ,. ^ .

{) ():
ff.

the savage breast with persuasive Orpheus tamed you shall find your own savagery tamed by com:

() ^? ,
.

Aristarchus

G.

p. 728).

Cf.

Dio Chrys.

61 f

p.

Trj<;

yeyovaat. .TOLyapovv

iTToiei

...

, ,
hastily

1638.

...
cf,

He

leaves that

awkward
the
is

and

cuts the matter short:

T/if/>.

Polynices).

For the sense

:

the corpse of Aegisthus

^')
the yoke,
called

1640.

had
to

light

(
(the
Cf.

Chorus with

Eur. Ei. 939, where Electra

work, as compared with the horses running under

^. . (
reference
to

1052

'topic

burial

of

addressing

The

tracer

expresses the effect of his generous diet.

He

was

upon

make

a special effort at the corners of the race-course,

to the off (Soph. E/. 721),

when he was thrown wide

phorical use of

the chariot round ori the pivot of the near wheel.

and
Eur.

the time of need (sup. 833, Soph. Ant. 140).

, ,
/,
{C/io.

^
1 1

and had

to pull

Hence

the meta-

of one

who

gives assistance in

1 641 f.

Cf

', ^
Cho.

Supp.

04

^
Clytaemnestra)

'

645
1650.

. .
-'.

,
^

1026
is

(of

Aegisthus

attended

by

764

f.,

Eur. E/. 616), the characteristic retinue of a

.
or

NOTES
1652.

;?,
words,

Porson substituted and has been generally followed, but the change is unnecessary; for (i) a similar rhythm is found elsewhere Eur. /. A. 908 Ion 557 '"'^' ^^<^- yovv and (2) the order of the
:

i.e.

the occurrence of

after the
ev

,
.
:

)
D,

261

pronoun,

. "' . ,,'. ^,
Eur. I/ec. 401, Of.
Ar.
1 1

Theocr.

v. 22,

Plat. Z(?^^.

17,

Andr. 256,
cr.

' <; '' '*

is

not

uncommon

644

ye

12 0, /na

Zy.y.

130.

1656.

See

most editors

read

81

'let

US not spiU any of our blood.'

cr.

1657

f.

See

nn.

The

true reading of these obscure lines I

believe to be that printed in the text, or something closely resembling

by the MSB. at the end of v. 1657, was a marginal there is a schol. note, just as on Eur. Hipp. 1152 though and on Andr. 141 follows, a was a gloss on schol. 15 or

,
it.

TovaSe, given

as was
If

Flor.

was fated we should act herein as we have acted.' Cf. Ter. Eun. 95 ne criicia te, obsecro, anime mi, mi non pol quo quemqicam plus amem aut plus diligam eo feci Phaedria. ouSeis Eur. H. F. ^11 sed ita erat res ; faciundum fuit.

,. ;, ^ ^ 8 ;, ,
AcA. 23.

h
Afed.

/
is

first

pointed out by Prof.

right,
it

.
<;
cf.
'

;,

^^
in

Housman

,
Eur.
5

Journ. Phil.

xvi. p. 289.

is

used as

For

irplv

Hom.

., .'
. .

Soph. Ai. 34, 13 16, ' 30

58.

12

289

^^ (
'it

Ar.

iraOiuv,

196, Apollonius ap. Stob.

Xen. Anab.
Tra^eiv

,
.
ii.

';)(?7'
5
is
'^

It

Cly1
ff.,

taemnestra's plea that she was the executor of

Doom,

1434,

147

1498

ff.,

C/lO.

909

The MSS.
is

reading,

Thus

* ? |
/3'^,
:

to your predestined houses,'

absurd.

is

.1 -.
ix.

Ar. Ach. 54

^^"

"'''5)

Quint,

493 (Agamemnon says

to Philoctetes)

the spur

was developed into the conception of a bird of prey that souses down, or swoops down, heavily e.g. sup. 1 174, 1469,
or
:

)
figure
is

66.

|5 {)

cf.

1568

f.

The metaphor
:

has nothing to do with

of a fighting-cock

the phrase

.8
'
1.

aivov

(with

Pers. 518, Soph. Anl. 1272, 1346, O.T. 263,

made

1662.

' in

...
out of
21.

<; '?
is

1300, 131

The same
inf.

Supp. 654. like the exclamatory use of the

in
v.

Dem.

1663.

|8

209 (quoted on

(5

348).

Cobet,

Afisc. Crit. p.

147.

here and in Cho. 511 means more than

173

202
'

NOTES

trying one's luck

touch.'

1664.

$ ? -5
;
'

it

means

'

putting one's predestined fortune to the

in T/iefi.

'

recusantes

(.

Met.
i.

viii.

848)

| '/,/
:

'mistaken' (Hdt.
in

207,

/^/?
in

well advised or ill-advised

participle,

...
Heliod.
their

^ , , 6 .(.
as

185 is the opposite, 'shall

' 493
is

the Same thing.

apvov|i'vovs,
'

dominum
iii.

a.^a.prCiv is
ix.

to be ill-advised,'

79, T17S

<;

be well-advised.'
is

doing so and so'

183

,
is

Eur. BaccA. 329

i.

/-

793

re

' <;, . (. ....

ev

expressed by

'
Hdt.
for

81);
a

'To be

15

be metrical here, the participle must be deponent, and which will give the sense required except
iii.

'? ' ',

\ 8,

master

exactly what the Elders have been doing, 1633 etc.,

i.

.
I
:

know no

other

which see deny

and

281, Soph. El. was proverbially impolitic: Walz, J^/ief. Gr. This leads to fr. 337, 93, 604; Hec. 404. 3g4_7, 340, 1014, 1465; Eur. their retort, which is the same as in Soph. EL 397
that

^
i.e.

. V.
'

1669.

Cf. Soph. El.

'

'they (Aegisthus and Clytaemnestra)

!

while their luck endures see cr. 1670.

by the genitive without the addition of

of.

,
969

'^,

794

i'/^pi^e,

'

vvv
iv

', ^ /,
^
may hold

^'

Cho. 57

. ',

their reign of terror

n.

The

usual idiom

.
is

followed

For the corruption

316.

INDEXES.

, ",
dyKvpa, 510
aywi/ioL

,, $
518
1

, ,
avayKT),

I.

GREEK.
wrongly inserted, 790
ye ^ yes, 551

aya, 975
7i8ff.

74O

6;'
352

34

alpovvres

74O

(ricos),

50

05, 228 469

yvw^-qi,

1664

, ,,
' !/,
aTTTcpos
ft.

1528

1468

airoaTUpyw, 504 1^74

,
-,
/3

,, ,

02 3

, ), , ^,
yvvi],

for

144
ft.

618

i66o, 1663 confused with 70/5, 565 resumptive, i2ff. TTov, 192 f. and confused, 967 r|ya, 782

543' 6^

'$,^' ',
)(

, ,
5,
1

288

'JO

, ,
$,
72

385 1574 1664

eif

ei TLs,
eiireiv

1 597 46 ?;, 726, 1228

ff.

$,

437 ^

, ^, !
,
/37,
1

421 477
7^"^

, , ,
7
1

and ^ confused, 435

, 88
c, gen. 121
c.
ff.

415 g6

9^5 396 ^eoC, 737 1423 1274 eKTeiveiv, 1228 ff. e/creX77S, 106 iKTpeirecv, 1465 707 f. Att/s, 404, 510, 807 887 ff.
el'7re/)...7e,

, ,
4
ff

645

ft

125

f.

287

424
confused,

,
'

,
55.

and

1254

939
f.

918

5^5

149'

^
379

ets

0',

7|5,

,
1

$,

^v
ff.

171

',

ace, 121

ff.

872
8

ff.

yo.\y)VT},

/)

739

corrupted from ^, 565 in parenthetic explanation, 1225 position of, 232 with ellipse, 1534

'/55,
?p/fos,

, / ,
(",
431

, , ,
748 268 ff.

f.,

1605

191

566 1447
1

27 132

iwi\4yeiv, 796

4^7 ff 1394 ^

,8

, ,, , , ,
264
eC

INDEXE'S,
949
ytt^i,

1437 dii)yopov, 357 ff

eif^eros,

^,

445 ff. evXoyetv, 585 589 350 797

, ? ,
1355
position of, 8ff.
after

.,.,
/oiic
^i^,

592
etc.,

645

ft

of/rws,

618
ff.

ff.

389

^,
Zeiis

,
c.

fut.

inf.,

924

, ,
}

1385

ft".

696

-,
fiji',

810
I055, i6i8
1 103 702 ff.

17...

7e;

ijvvaep,

, ,
and

%,

(), .%
V.

confused, 762

794

, ,
676

-, (), $, 6
ff.

, now
'

in parenthesis,

', corrupted,
7i8ff.

922 70
1652

follows pronoun,
1

-rrovos,

l89ff.

1007

ft".

1480 1476

, 89
144

at last,'

.'5,

409 go
1547

and

, -5,
^,
KOvts,

,, ,

/'
914 47^
,

48 1

, , ,
/?,
Xe^erat,

\^,

872 283 319 1439 Are'a77'V5, 97 ^ 702 ff. 48, 165

'

, ,
795

7^, 922 corresponds to

194

8,

59^

777 epithet of Artemis,

146

ff.

,, ,
500 368
C.

-,

inf.,

of.

1640

1 1

#*

134
1

wapos,

984

ft

187
1

ff.

a6s,

',

79

;9,
/'^',

, , ^,
6i8ff.
ft

7 ,
180

165, 287, 6i8ff.

, , , ,, ,
7rai'e7ra/)if^s,

,, ?,
ff.
,

,, , , ,
/iat,

, ,
f.

6
28

<5

(or of/coi)

oioc

1625 800, 1224 136 ff.

8,

952

OKVos,

996

6%,

66 1

83
131
1

'

g6 1

^ ,
6']6
257
f

after 4 ff. negativing single word, = 1007 ff. 178

77 994
1205 1574 228 ff. 922 1 25 1

TTttfToXyiios,

-,
561
1

975

04 1

448

826

7/)11, 243

196

645

175

Trpi

1435

,, , ,, ,
',
999 288
427

^ -,

32

f.

1 197 841

379
2

ff,

641ft,
f.

1326

ff,

1657

89

ff.

-, ,, , , ,, ,, ?
786
1
1

/.

GREEK
Ti>

265
555
ff.

59 1

167

TOi,

irpoaenrtLV,

^6},

290

1063

g^S

,^,
374
2 28
ff.

T05e corrupted to TOye, 322

65, 237 211, 955

418

, , ,, , , ,
7^6,

; -,

,
re
1 508 318

6'j6

ff.

, ,
'P'^i?.
^

326 609

, , ,
471 789

94

changed to
50

^/s^^oj,

707

f.

50

1228 1640 623

ff.

^^',
ff.

39^

(T/cta

, ,
^,
ffi'creX'^j,

1326

,, -,
and
/3

confused, 435

1228

ff.

('),
1407 1447 1323

ff.

45

500 872

igy

ff.

159 537

997

05,

,
?,

Te, in

...,

835 anacoluthon, 99
i89ff.
of...?'),

.1,

'

925 ('what

79

, , , , , , ,
,

, , , ,
1536
after
1

577 617 487 ff 189 ff. 1034 1 448 464 917 64 1 ff.

*,
,

32 f. omitted, 71 = perhaps,' 55
2

$,

,
tlis

28
C.

ff.

-,

inf.,

15

,,,
^, 348

[057 f. 9^1 with limiting force, 618

ff.

1394

ff.

193

U.C.
accusative, after

CLASSICS LIBRARY
II.

exclamatory, 1142 Acheron, 1557 Aegisthus, 1625, 1650 Aeschylus, religious ideas, 749 ff. style, explains metaphor, 4

ENGLISH.
infinitive,

i2i

ff.

exclamatory, 1662

Ischys, 299 kings,

,

compared
in

to eagles,

49,

121

ff.

p.
ff.

28

ff.

lamp,
lion,
ff.

lovers'

studied carelessness, 99 sustained figure, 49,

ff-

of Pelopids,

chamber, 880 ff. 147, 718 ff., 1223

of,

445

530

after-thought, in conditional clause, 3^9,

Menelaus, cowardice leaves Troy, 631

125
f.

f.

484 Aias the Locrian, 654 anacoluthon, 970 ft. anchorage, danger in open, 670 Arachnaeus, 321 Artemis, pitying child-labour, 139 article, force of, 361 Asclepius, 1007 asyndeton, in descriptions, 740
blood-feud of kinsmen, ijioff.

metaphor (from wind), 967

nightingale,
1

146
108

old age, 76 optative, in

ff.,

with ews, 331 order of words, 125

simplified by scribes, 219, 415, 563 Orpheus, i63off.

commands, 935
f.,

357

ff,

1197

compounds,

liable to corruption, 50, 552,

1480, 1574 conscience, awakes at night, ' coverlet of earth, 860

'

pain disturbs sleep, paleness, 1 110 parenthesis, or

189

ff.

construction,

189

ft.

dative, after plural, form of,

616 f. paroemiac verse, corrupted, 1527

participles, corruption of aorist, 348, 737

28

Persuasion, 396
Pleiads, setting of, Pleisthenes, 1568
4
ff.

6-;9

death, prayed for on attainment of desire, 544, 1 6 10 Diagoras of Melos, 381 ^ dual termination, 1206
ellipse of verb (euphemistic),

Poseidon an

Athena, 6^^
1276
124

preposition following case elided, prohibitions, tenses in, 1463

proverbs
431
ff.,

eyes,

in

abode of love, 427 physiognomy, 283, 784

provinces of gods distinct,

{(

,%),
Greeks

),
f.

187 1007
ft'.

1429
sacrilege of
at

Troy, 530

ff.

Fate, sacrifices to, 70 forced laughter, 784 ff.

'

sealing-up of store rooms, 614

'

shipwreck, safety in, 667 Solon's adage, 918 f.

prothird libation,

genitive, after aXyos, 50 of participle, after possessive

noun, 1325

partitive after

Health as a Mean, 990 ff. Helen, 718 ff., 723, 794 heroes, sorrows of, 1024 f.
hyperbaton,
infinitive,
v.

after

epexegetic,

, ,
1451

Thyestes,

50

1385 f. 1594 f. Tyndareus, daughters

to gods,
of,

of,

147

1 f-

vows made

924
1330

wealth, power

771,

parenthesis
lof.

winged dreams, 434

Zeus wrestles with Cronos, 181

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M.A.

AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS.

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