Εὐριπίδης
Euripides
Translated by Craig Miller15 Feb 2003Vetting: high7 revisions
Translation
Son of Mnesarchus or Mnesarchides and Cleito, who [sc. both] fled to Boeotia, where they settled before moving on to Attica. It is, nevertheless, untrue that his mother was a vegetable-hawker; she was actually of high-born parentage, as Philochorus reports.1 His mother conceived at the time Xerxes made his crossing,2 and Euripides was born on the day the Greeks defeated the Persians.3 He started out as a painter, then became a student of Prodicus4 in rhetoric and of Socrates5 in ethics and philosophy. So too, he studied with Anaxagoras of Clazomenae.6 However, he turned to writing tragedy when he saw Anaxagoras come under threat for the doctrines he espoused. Euripides' disposition was sullen and gloomy and reclusive; hence he was also considered a misogynist. That said, he first married Choirine,7 daughter of Mnesilochus, and with her had Mnesilochus and Mnesarchides and Euripides. After divorcing this woman, he married again; this woman, too, proved herself unfaithful. Departing Athens, he went to Archelaus, king of Macedonia,8 at whose court he resided enjoying the highest honor. Euripides met his end at the plotting of Arrhibaeus9 of Macedonia and Crateuas of Thessaly, poets jealous of him. They bribed, with ten minas, a servant of the king's, named Lysimachus, to unleash on him the royal hounds, for which he was the keeper. But some say that he was torn apart not by hounds but by women at night10 while he was going to a late rendezvous with Craterus, a young male lover of Archelaus.11 Others contend he was going to meet Nicodicus of Arethusa's wife. Euripides lived to the age of 75, and the king interred his remains at Pella. According to some, he wrote 75 plays; others say 92, but 77 survive.12 He won five victories: four during his lifetime, one postumously when his nephew Euripides produced the plays.13 Euripides himself produced plays for twenty-two years straight,14 his last during the 93rd Olympiad.15
Greek original · Adler’s text
Εὐριπίδης, Μνησάρχου ἢ Μνησαρχίδου καὶ Κλειτοῦς, οἳ φεύγοντες εἰς Βοιωτίαν μετῴκησαν, εἶτα ἐν τῇ Ἀττικῇ. οὐκ ἀληθὲς δέ, ὡς λαχανόπωλις ἦν ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ· καὶ γὰρ τῶν σφόδρα εὐγενῶν ἐτύγχανεν, ὡς ἀποδείκνυσι Φιλόχορος. ἐν δὲ τῇ διαβάσει Ξέρξου ἐκυοφορεῖτο ὑπὸ τῆς μητρὸς καὶ ἐτέχθη καθ' ἣν ἡμέραν Ἕλληνες ἐτρέψαντο τοὺς Πέρσας. γέγονε δὲ τὰ πρῶτα ζωγράφος, εἶτα μαθητὴς Προδίκου μὲν ἐν τοῖς ῥητορικοῖς, Σωκράτους δὲ ἐν τοῖς ἠθικοῖς καὶ φιλοσόφοις. διήκουσε δὲ καὶ Ἀναξαγόρου τοῦ Κλαζομενίου. ἐπὶ τραγῳδίαν δὲ ἐτράπη τὸν Ἀναξαγόραν ἰδὼν ὑποστάντα κινδύνους δι' ἅπερ εἰσῆξε δόγματα. σκυθρωπὸς δὲ ἦν τὸ ἦθος καὶ ἀμειδὴς καὶ φεύγων τὰς συνουσίας· ὅθεν καὶ μισογύνης ἐδοξάσθη. ἔγημε δὲ ὅμως πρώτην μὲν Χοιρίνην, θυγατέρα Μνησιλόχου· ἐξ ἧς ἔσχε Μνησίλοχον καὶ Μνησαρχίδην καὶ Εὐριπίδην. ἀπωσάμενος δὲ ταύτην ἔσχε καὶ δευτέραν, καὶ ταύτης ὁμοίως ἀκολάστου πειραθείς. ἀπάρας δὲ ἀπ' Ἀθηνῶν ἦλθε πρὸς Ἀρχέλαον τὸν βασιλέα τῶν Μακεδόνων, παρ' ᾧ διῆγε τῆς ἄκρας ἀπολαύων τιμῆς. ἐτελεύτησε δὲ ὑπὸ ἐπιβουλῆς Ἀρριβαίου τοῦ Μακεδόνος καὶ Κρατεύα τοῦ Θετταλοῦ, ποιητῶν ὄντων καὶ φθονησάντων αὐτῷ πεισάντων τε τὸν βασιλέως οἰκέτην τοὔνομα Λυσίμαχον, δέκα μνῶν ἀγορασθέντα, τοὺς βασιλέως, οὓς αὐτὸς ἔτρεφε, κύνας ἐπαφεῖναι αὐτῷ. οἱ δὲ ἱστόρησαν οὐχ ὑπὸ κυνῶν, ἀλλ' ὑπὸ γυναικῶν νύκτωρ διασπασθῆναι, πορευόμενον ἀωρὶ πρὸς Κρατερὸν τὸν ἐρώμενον Ἀρχελάου [καὶ γὰρ σχεῖν αὐτὸν καὶ περὶ τοὺς τοιούτους ἔρωτασ], οἱ δέ, πρὸς τὴν γαμετὴν Νικοδίκου τοῦ Ἀρεθουσίου. ἔτη δὲ βιῶναι αὐτὸν οεʹ, καὶ τὰ ὀστᾶ αὐτοῦ ἐν Πέλλῃ μετακομίσαι τὸν βασιλέα. δράματα δὲ αὐτοῦ κατὰ μέν τινας οεʹ, κατὰ δὲ ἄλλους ʹ4βʹ· σῴζονται δὲ οζʹ. νίκας δὲ ἀνείλετο εʹ, τὰς μὲν δʹ περιών, τὴν δὲ μίαν μετὰ τὴν τελευτήν, ἐπιδειξαμένου τὸ δρᾶμα τοῦ ἀδελφιδοῦ αὐτοῦ Εὐριπίδου. ἐπεδείξατο δὲ ὅλους ἐνιαυτοὺς κβʹ, καὶ τελευτᾷ ἐπὶ τῆς ʹ4γʹ Ὀλυμπιάδος.
Betacode
*eu)ripi/dhs, *mnhsa/rxou h)\ *mnhsarxi/dou kai\ *kleitou=s, oi(\ feu/gontes ei)s *boiwti/an metw/|khsan, ei)=ta e)n th=| *)attikh=|. ou)k a)lhqe\s de/, w(s laxano/pwlis h)=n h( mh/thr au)tou=: kai\ ga\r tw=n sfo/dra eu)genw=n e)tu/gxanen, w(s a)podei/knusi *filo/xoros. e)n de\ th=| diaba/sei *ce/rcou e)kuoforei=to u(po\ th=s mhtro\s kai\ e)te/xqh kaq' h(\n h(me/ran *(/ellhnes e)tre/yanto tou\s *pe/rsas. ge/gone de\ ta\ prw=ta zwgra/fos, ei)=ta maqhth\s *prodi/kou me\n e)n toi=s r(htorikoi=s, *swkra/tous de\ e)n toi=s h)qikoi=s kai\ filoso/fois. dih/kouse de\ kai\ *)anacago/rou tou= *klazomeni/ou. e)pi\ tragw|di/an de\ e)tra/ph to\n *)anacago/ran i)dw\n u(posta/nta kindu/nous di' a(/per ei)sh=ce do/gmata. skuqrwpo\s de\ h)=n to\ h)=qos kai\ a)meidh\s kai\ feu/gwn ta\s sunousi/as: o(/qen kai\ misogu/nhs e)doca/sqh. e)/ghme de\ o(/mws prw/thn me\n *xoiri/nhn, qugate/ra *mnhsilo/xou: e)c h(=s e)/sxe *mnhsi/loxon kai\ *mnhsarxi/dhn kai\ *eu)ripi/dhn. a)pwsa/menos de\ tau/thn e)/sxe kai\ deute/ran, kai\ tau/ths o(moi/ws a)kola/stou peiraqei/s. a)pa/ras de\ a)p' *)aqhnw=n h)=lqe pro\s *)arxe/laon to\n basile/a tw=n *makedo/nwn, par' w(=| dih=ge th=s a)/kras a)polau/wn timh=s. e)teleu/thse de\ u(po\ e)piboulh=s *)arribai/ou tou= *makedo/nos kai\ *krateu/a tou= *qettalou=, poihtw=n o)/ntwn kai\ fqonhsa/ntwn au)tw=| peisa/ntwn te to\n basile/ws oi)ke/thn tou)/noma *lusi/maxon, de/ka mnw=n a)gorasqe/nta, tou\s basile/ws, ou(\s au)to\s e)/trefe, ku/nas e)pafei=nai au)tw=|. oi( de\ i(sto/rhsan ou)x u(po\ kunw=n, a)ll' u(po\ gunaikw=n nu/ktwr diaspasqh=nai, poreuo/menon a)wri\ pro\s *kratero\n to\n e)rw/menon *)arxela/ou [kai\ ga\r sxei=n au)to\n kai\ peri\ tou\s toiou/tous e)/rwtas], oi( de/, pro\s th\n gameth\n *nikodi/kou tou= *)areqousi/ou. e)/th de\ biw=nai au)to\n oe#, kai\ ta\ o)sta= au)tou= e)n *pe/llh| metakomi/sai to\n basile/a. dra/mata de\ au)tou= kata\ me/n tinas oe#, kata\ de\ a)/llous #4b#: sw/|zontai de\ oz#. ni/kas de\ a)nei/leto e#, ta\s me\n d# periw/n, th\n de\ mi/an meta\ th\n teleuth/n, e)pideicame/nou to\ dra=ma tou= a)delfidou= au)tou= *eu)ripi/dou. e)pedei/cato de\ o(/lous e)niautou\s kb#, kai\ teleuta=| e)pi\ th=s #4g# *)olumpia/dos.
Notes (15)
- Probably 480s - after 408 BCE; see generally John Gould in OCD(4) s.v. For a balanced and succinct investigation of Euripidean lore (with ample sourcing), see the Introduction (1-49) by David Kovacs in Euripides: Cyclops, Alcestis, Medea in the Loeb Classical Libarary.↩
- 1Philochorus FGrH 328 F218. For the 'vegetable-hawker' allegation see chiefly Aristophanes, Acharnians 479, Thesmophoriazusae 387, Frogs 840. ↩
- 2No earlier than May 10, 480 (Green 78), which obviously makes this date and/or a September birth (see next note) implausible. ↩
- 3September 20, 480 (Green 186-198). ↩
- 4See generally pi 2365. ↩
- 5See generally sigma 829, sigma 830. ↩
- 6See generally alpha 1981. ↩
- 7Also found as Choirile/Choirille. For the sexual innuendo associated with this name in Old Comedy, see Kovacs [below] 19, and LSJ under
xoi=ros . ↩- 8Reigned 413-399. ↩
- 9For the name cf. e.g. Thucydides 4.79.2; there is no need to emend to Arrhidaeus. ↩
- 10Ostensibly by Bacchic women; see Kovacs [below] 21. The story is a fanciful readback from the Pella compositon of Bacchae, which concludes with Pentheus' dismemberment by his maenad mother and company (1113ff). See also "Chronological Notes to the Plays of Euripides" (616) in The Complete Greek Tragedies, Vol. IV; and M. Hadas' Introduction (xv) in the Ten Plays of Euripides. ↩
- 11For the technical term
e)rw/menos , see OCD(4) s.v. 'homosexuality' (or the Oxford Companion (below) 347-54 for this material without bibliography); and Cambridge Illustrated History 126-27. The Suda includes a parenthetical comment here: "for he also had erotic passions for that sort as well." ↩- 12The Alexandrians "seemed to have possessed copies of seventy-eight plays" (Kovacs [below] 13). ↩
- 13Bacchae, Iphigenia in Aulis, and the lost Alcmaeon in Corinth. See "Chronological Notes." ↩
- 14Ninety-two plays arranged in tetralogies yields twenty-three theatrical seasons. ↩
- 15Euripides' death date is usually given as c.406, within the 93rd Olympiad.
References
Cartledge, Paul, ed. Cambridge Illustrated History of Ancient Greece. Cambridge: Cambridge University, 1998
Green, Peter. The Greco-Persian Wars. Berkeley: University of California, 1996
Grene, David and Lattimore, Richard. The Complete Greek Tragedies, IV Vols. Chicago: University of Chicago, 1960
Hadas, Moses and McLean, John, trans. Ten Plays by Euripides. New York: Bantam, 1960
Kovacs, David, ed. and trans. Euripides: Cyclops, Alcestis, Medea. Cambridge: Harvard University (The Loeb Classical Library), 1994
Hornblower, Simon and Spawforth, Antony, eds. The Oxford Companion to Classical Civilization. Oxford: Oxford University, 1998
Green, Peter. The Greco-Persian Wars. Berkeley: University of California, 1996
Grene, David and Lattimore, Richard. The Complete Greek Tragedies, IV Vols. Chicago: University of Chicago, 1960
Hadas, Moses and McLean, John, trans. Ten Plays by Euripides. New York: Bantam, 1960
Kovacs, David, ed. and trans. Euripides: Cyclops, Alcestis, Medea. Cambridge: Harvard University (The Loeb Classical Library), 1994
Hornblower, Simon and Spawforth, Antony, eds. The Oxford Companion to Classical Civilization. Oxford: Oxford University, 1998
Linked from4 entries
- ε3691Εὐριπίδειον ἔποςEuripidean word[Meaning one] of Euripides. And "[a] Euripidean speech" [is a phrase used] likewise. Euripides said, "a physician of others, himself full of wounds." And elsewhere: "for male children are pillars of households."
- ε3692Εὐριπίδη ΕὐριπίδιονEuripides little EuripidesAristophanes [sc. writes this]. He is imitating a lover's voice. For lovers are in the habit of calling lovingly to their beloveds in diminutives.
- ε3693ΕὐριπίδηςEuripidesAthenian, a tragedian, older than the Euripides who became famous. He produced 12 plays, and won 2 victories.
- ε3694ΕὐριπίδηςEuripidesTragedian, nephew of the earlier, as Dionysius [says] in his Chronicles. He wrote an Homeric treatise, unless it is [the work] of another. His plays are these: Orestes, Medea, Polyxene.
Neighbouring entries
Revision history7 revisions · last 7 Feb 2015
- coding — Catharine Roth
- updated 2 refs — David Whitehead
- more keywords; cosmetics; raised status — David Whitehead
- another keyword — David Whitehead
- Minor corrections and cosmetics — William Hutton
- Revised — Craig Miller
- augmented notes and keywords; cosmetics — David Whitehead
- Translated — Craig Miller