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Tiresias: The Ancient Mediterranean Religions Source Database



5634
Euripides, Orestes, 380-459


ὅδ' εἴμ' ̓Ορέστης, Μενέλεως, ὃν ἱστορεῖς.Menelaus, I am Orestes, whom you are asking about. I will of my own accord inform you of my sufferings. But as my first portion, I clasp your knees as a suppliant, giving you prayers from the mouth of one without the suppliant’s bough; save me, for you have come at the crisis of my troubles. Menelau


ἑκὼν ἐγώ σοι τἀμὰ μηνύσω κακά.Menelaus, I am Orestes, whom you are asking about. I will of my own accord inform you of my sufferings. But as my first portion, I clasp your knees as a suppliant, giving you prayers from the mouth of one without the suppliant’s bough; save me, for you have come at the crisis of my troubles. Menelau


τῶν σῶν δὲ γονάτων πρωτόλεια θιγγάνωMenelaus, I am Orestes, whom you are asking about. I will of my own accord inform you of my sufferings. But as my first portion, I clasp your knees as a suppliant, giving you prayers from the mouth of one without the suppliant’s bough; save me, for you have come at the crisis of my troubles. Menelau


ἱκέτης, ἀφύλλου στόματος ἐξάπτων λιτάς:Menelaus, I am Orestes, whom you are asking about. I will of my own accord inform you of my sufferings. But as my first portion, I clasp your knees as a suppliant, giving you prayers from the mouth of one without the suppliant’s bough; save me, for you have come at the crisis of my troubles. Menelau


σῷσόν μ': ἀφῖξαι δ' αὐτὸς ἐς καιρὸν κακῶν.Menelaus, I am Orestes, whom you are asking about. I will of my own accord inform you of my sufferings. But as my first portion, I clasp your knees as a suppliant, giving you prayers from the mouth of one without the suppliant’s bough; save me, for you have come at the crisis of my troubles. Menelau


ὦ θεοί, τί λεύσσω; τίνα δέδορκα νερτέρων;O gods, what do I see? What living corpse greets my sight? Oreste


εὖ γ' εἶπας: οὐ γὰρ ζῶ κακοῖς, φάος δ' ὁρῶ.You are right; I am dead through misery, though I still gaze upon the light. Menelau


ὡς ἠγρίωσαι πλόκαμον αὐχμηρόν, τάλας.How savage the look your unkempt hair gives you, poor wretch! Oreste


οὐχ ἡ πρόσοψίς μ', ἀλλὰ τἄργ' αἰκίζεται.It is not my looks, but my deeds that torture me. Menelau


δεινὸν δὲ λεύσσεις ὀμμάτων ξηραῖς κόραις.Your tearless eyes glare dreadfully! Oreste


τὸ σῶμα φροῦδον: τὸ δ' ὄνομ' οὐ λέλοιπέ μοι.My body is gone, though my name has not deserted me. Menelau


ὦ παρὰ λόγον μοι σὴ φανεῖς' ἀμορφία.Unsightly apparition, so different from what I expected! Oreste


ὅδ' εἰμὶ μητρὸς τῆς ταλαιπώρου φονεύς.Here I am, the murderer of my wretched mother. Menelau


ἤκουσα, φείδου δ': ὀλιγάκις λέγειν κακά.I have heard, spare your words; evils should be seldom spoken. Oreste


φειδόμεθ': ὁ δαίμων δ' ἐς ἐμὲ πλούσιος κακῶν.I will be sparing; but the deity is lavish of woe in my case. Menelau


τί χρῆμα πάσχεις; τίς ς' ἀπόλλυσιν νόσος;What ails you? what is your deadly sickness? Oreste


ἡ σύνεσις, ὅτι σύνοιδα δείν' εἰργασμένος.My conscience; I know that I am guilty of a dreadful crime. Menelau


πῶς φῄς; σοφόν τοι τὸ σαφές, οὐ τὸ μὴ σαφές.What do you mean? Wisdom is shown in clarity, not in obscurity. Oreste


λύπη μάλιστά γ' ἡ διαφθείρουσά με —Grief especially has ruined me— Menelau


δεινὴ γὰρ ἡ θεός, ἀλλ' ὅμως ἰάσιμος.Yes, she is a dreadful goddess, yet are there cures for her. Oreste


μανίαι τε, μητρὸς αἵματος τιμωρίαι.And fits of madness, the vengeance of a mother’s blood. Menelau


ἤρξω δὲ λύσσης πότε; τίς ἡμέρα τότ' ἦν;When did your madness begin? Which day was it? Oreste


ἐν ᾗ τάλαιναν μητέρ' ἐξώγκουν τάφῳ.On the day I was heaping the mound over my poor mother’s grave. Menelau


πότερα κατ' οἴκους ἢ προσεδρεύων πυρᾷ;When you were in the house, or watching by the pyre? Oreste


νυκτὸς φυλάσσων ὀστέων ἀναίρεσιν.As I was waiting by night to gather up her bones. Menelau


παρῆν τις ἄλλος, ὃς σὸν ὤρθευεν δέμας;Was any one else there, to help you rise? Oreste


Πυλάδης, ὁ συνδρῶν αἷμα καὶ μητρὸς φόνον.Pylades who shared with me the bloody deed, my mother’s murder. Menelau


ἐκ φασμάτων δὲ τάδε νοσεῖς: ποίων ὕπο;You are sick from phantom shapes; what sort? Oreste


ἔδοξ' ἰδεῖν τρεῖς νυκτὶ προσφερεῖς κόρας.I seemed to see three maidens, black as night. Menelau


οἶδ' ἃς ἔλεξας, ὀνομάσαι δ' οὐ βούλομαι.I know whom you mean, but I do not want to name them. Oreste


σεμναὶ γάρ: εὐπαίδευτα δ' ἀπετρέπου λέγειν.Yes, for they are revered; you were well-informed, to avoid naming them. Menelau


αὗταί σε βακχεύουσι συγγενῆ φόνον;Are these the ones that drive you to frenzy, with the curse of kindred blood? Oreste


οἴμοι διωγμῶν, οἷς ἐλαύνομαι τάλας.Oh! the torment I endure from their pursuit! Menelau


οὐ δεινὰ πάσχειν δεινὰ τοὺς εἰργασμένους.It is not strange, if those who have done dreadful things should suffer them. Oreste


ἀλλ' ἔστιν ἡμῖν ἀναφορὰ τῆς συμφορᾶς.But I have a way to recover from these troubles. Menelau


μὴ θάνατον εἴπῃς: τοῦτο μὲν γὰρ οὐ σοφόν.Do not speak of death; that is not wise. Oreste


Φοῖβος, κελεύσας μητρὸς ἐκπρᾶξαι φόνον.It is Phoebus, who commanded me to kill my mother. Menelau


ἀμαθέστερός γ' ὢν τοῦ καλοῦ καὶ τῆς δίκης.Showing a strange ignorance of what is fair and right. Oreste


δουλεύομεν θεοῖς, ὅ τι ποτ' εἰσὶν οἱ θεοί.We are slaves to the gods, whatever those gods are. Menelau


κᾆτ' οὐκ ἀμύνει Λοξίας τοῖς σοῖς κακοῖς;And does Loxias not help your affliction? Oreste


μέλλει: τὸ θεῖον δ' ἐστὶ τοιοῦτον φύσει.He will in time; this is the nature of gods. Menelau


πόσον χρόνον δὲ μητρὸς οἴχονται πνοαί;How long is it since your mother breathed her last? Oreste


ἕκτον τόδ' ἦμαρ: ἔτι πυρὰ θερμὴ τάφου.This is the sixth day; her funeral pyre is still warm. Menelau


ὡς ταχὺ μετῆλθόν ς' αἷμα μητέρος θεαί.How soon the goddesses arrived to avenge your mother’s blood! Oreste


οὐ σοφός, ἀληθὴς δ' ἐς φίλους ἔφυν φίλος.I am not clever, but I am by nature a true friend to my friends. Menelau


πατρὸς δὲ δή τι ς' ὠφελεῖ τιμωρία;Does your father give you any help at all, for your avenging him? Oreste


οὔπω: τὸ μέλλον δ' ἴσον ἀπραξίᾳ λέγω.Not yet; I call delay the equal of inaction. Menelau


τὰ πρὸς πόλιν δὲ πῶς ἔχεις δράσας τάδε;How do you stand in the city after that deed of yours? Oreste


μισούμεθ' οὕτως ὥστε μὴ προσεννέπειν.I am so hated that no one will speak to me. Menelau


οὐδ' ἥγνισαι σὸν αἷμα κατὰ νόμον χεροῖν;Have your hands not even been cleaned of blood, according to custom? Oreste


ἐκκλῄομαι γὰρ δωμάτων ὅποι μόλω.No, for wherever I go, the door is shut against me. Menelau


τίνες πολιτῶν ἐξαμιλλῶνταί σε γῆς;Which citizens are driving you from the land? Oreste


Οἴαξ, τὸ Τροίας μῖσος ἀναφέρων πατρί.Oeax, who refers to my father his reason for hating Troy . Menelau


συνῆκα: Παλαμήδους σε τιμωρεῖ φόνου.I understand; he is avenging on you the blood of Palamedes. Oreste


οὗ γ' οὐ μετῆν μοι: διὰ τριῶν δ' ἀπόλλυμαι.That was nothing to do with me; yet I am destroyed for three reasons. Menelau


τίς δ' ἄλλος; ἦ που τῶν ἀπ' Αἰγίσθου φίλων;Who else? Some of the friends of Aegisthus, I suppose? Oreste


οὗτοί μ' ὑβρίζους', ὧν πόλις τὰ νῦν κλύει.They insult me, and the city listens to them now. Menelau


̓Αγαμέμνονος δὲ σκῆπτρ' ἐᾷ ς' ἔχειν πόλις;Will the city allow you to keep the scepter of Agamemnon? Oreste


πῶς, οἵτινες ζῆν οὐκ ἐῶς' ἡμᾶς ἔτι;How, seeing that they will not allow me to remain alive? Menelau


τί δρῶντες ὅ τι καὶ σαφὲς ἔχεις εἰπεῖν ἐμοί;What is their method? Can you tell me plainly? Oreste


ψῆφος καθ' ἡμῶν οἴσεται τῇδ' ἡμέρᾳ.A vote will be taken against us today. Menelau


φεύγειν πόλιν τήνδ'; ἢ θανεῖν ἢ μὴ θανεῖν;To leave the city? Or to die, or not to die? Oreste


θανεῖν ὑπ' ἀστῶν λευσίμῳ πετρώματι.Death by stoning at the hands of the citizens. Menelau


κᾆτ' οὐχὶ φεύγεις γῆς ὑπερβαλὼν ὅρους;Then why not cross the border and try to escape? Oreste


κύκλῳ γὰρ εἱλισσόμεθα παγχάλκοις ὅπλοις.Because we are encircled by men fully armed. Menelau


ἰδίᾳ πρὸς ἐχθρῶν ἢ πρὸς ̓Αργείας χερός;Private foes or Argive troops? Oreste


πάντων πρὸς ἀστῶν, ὡς θάνω: βραχὺς λόγος.All the citizens, so that I may die; it is shortly told. Menelau


ὦ μέλεος, ἥκεις συμφορᾶς ἐς τοὔσχατον.Poor wretch! you have arrived at the extremity of woe. Oreste


ἐς σὲ ἐλπὶς ἡμὴ καταφυγὰς ἔχει κακῶν.In you I have hopes of escape from my troubles. But since you have come with good fortune


ἀλλ' ἀθλίως πράσσουσιν εὐτυχὴς μολὼνIn you I have hopes of escape from my troubles. But since you have come with good fortune


μετάδος φίλοισι σοῖσι σῆς εὐπραξίαςhare with your friends, who are wretched, your prosperity; do not hold aside that goodness for yourself alone; but partake of troubles in your turn, and so pay back my father’s kindness to those who have a claim on you. For such friends as desert us in adversity


καὶ μὴ μόνος τὸ χρηστὸν ἀπολαβὼν ἔχεhare with your friends, who are wretched, your prosperity; do not hold aside that goodness for yourself alone; but partake of troubles in your turn, and so pay back my father’s kindness to those who have a claim on you. For such friends as desert us in adversity


ἀλλ' ἀντιλάζου καὶ πόνων ἐν τῷ μέρειhare with your friends, who are wretched, your prosperity; do not hold aside that goodness for yourself alone; but partake of troubles in your turn, and so pay back my father’s kindness to those who have a claim on you. For such friends as desert us in adversity


χάριτας πατρῴας ἐκτίνων ἐς οὕς σε δεῖ.hare with your friends, who are wretched, your prosperity; do not hold aside that goodness for yourself alone; but partake of troubles in your turn, and so pay back my father’s kindness to those who have a claim on you. For such friends as desert us in adversity


ὄνομα γάρ, ἔργον δ' οὐκ ἔχουσιν οἱ φίλοιhare with your friends, who are wretched, your prosperity; do not hold aside that goodness for yourself alone; but partake of troubles in your turn, and so pay back my father’s kindness to those who have a claim on you. For such friends as desert us in adversity


οἱ μὴ 'πὶ ταῖσι συμφοραῖς ὄντες φίλοι.are friends in name but not in deed. Chorus Leader


καὶ μὴν γέροντι δεῦρ' ἁμιλλᾶται ποδὶAnd here is Tyndareus, the Spartan, struggling with aged step, clad in black robes, with his hair cut short in mourning for his daughter. Oreste


ὁ Σπαρτιάτης Τυνδάρεως, μελάμπεπλοςAnd here is Tyndareus, the Spartan, struggling with aged step, clad in black robes, with his hair cut short in mourning for his daughter. Oreste


κουρᾷ τε θυγατρὸς πενθίμῳ κεκαρμένος.And here is Tyndareus, the Spartan, struggling with aged step, clad in black robes, with his hair cut short in mourning for his daughter. Oreste


ἀπωλόμην, Μενέλαε: Τυνδάρεως ὅδεMenelaus, I am ruined. See, Tyndareu


Intertexts (texts cited often on the same page as the searched text):

3 results
1. Aeschylus, Agamemnon, 811, 810 (6th cent. BCE - 5th cent. BCE)

810. πρῶτον μὲν Ἄργος καὶ θεοὺς ἐγχωρίους 810. First, indeed, placeName key=
2. Aeschylus, Libation-Bearers, 1025, 1027-1028, 1046-1059, 1061, 1063, 1065-1076, 1024 (6th cent. BCE - 5th cent. BCE)

1024. φρένες δύσαρκτοι· πρὸς δὲ καρδίᾳ φόβος
3. Euripides, Orestes, 1191-1204, 1332-1343, 1408-1415, 1625-1665, 255-275, 283-293, 356-359, 381-469, 479, 48, 480-481, 49, 491-499, 50, 500-541, 546-547, 563, 566-571, 579-582, 591-598, 612, 614-618, 622, 657, 665-668, 671-716, 884-887, 1105 (5th cent. BCE - 5th cent. BCE)

1105. Let us kill Helen, a bitter grief to Menelaus. Oreste


Subjects of this text:

subject book bibliographic info
adultery as a source of impurity Petrovic and Petrovic, Inner Purity and Pollution in Greek Religion (2016) 220
aeschylus, priestesses Petrovic and Petrovic, Inner Purity and Pollution in Greek Religion (2016) 222, 223
agamemnon Petrovic and Petrovic, Inner Purity and Pollution in Greek Religion (2016) 221, 223
antiphon Poet and Orator: A Symbiotic Relationship in Democratic Athens (2019)" 184
apollo Petrovic and Petrovic, Inner Purity and Pollution in Greek Religion (2016) 220, 221, 222, 223
archeptolemus Poet and Orator: A Symbiotic Relationship in Democratic Athens (2019)" 184
areopagus, homicide court Petrovic and Petrovic, Inner Purity and Pollution in Greek Religion (2016) 222
argive assembly Poet and Orator: A Symbiotic Relationship in Democratic Athens (2019)" 184
argos Poet and Orator: A Symbiotic Relationship in Democratic Athens (2019)" 184; Petrovic and Petrovic, Inner Purity and Pollution in Greek Religion (2016) 221, 222
athenian justice Poet and Orator: A Symbiotic Relationship in Democratic Athens (2019)" 184
athens Poet and Orator: A Symbiotic Relationship in Democratic Athens (2019)" 184
clytemnestra Poet and Orator: A Symbiotic Relationship in Democratic Athens (2019)" 184
conscience Petrovic and Petrovic, Inner Purity and Pollution in Greek Religion (2016) 222
democracy Poet and Orator: A Symbiotic Relationship in Democratic Athens (2019)" 184
draco Poet and Orator: A Symbiotic Relationship in Democratic Athens (2019)" 184
exile Petrovic and Petrovic, Inner Purity and Pollution in Greek Religion (2016) 221, 222
helen Poet and Orator: A Symbiotic Relationship in Democratic Athens (2019)" 184
hetairai Poet and Orator: A Symbiotic Relationship in Democratic Athens (2019)" 184
homicide law Poet and Orator: A Symbiotic Relationship in Democratic Athens (2019)" 184
hosios Petrovic and Petrovic, Inner Purity and Pollution in Greek Religion (2016) 220, 223
kin-killing Petrovic and Petrovic, Inner Purity and Pollution in Greek Religion (2016) 220, 222, 223
madness, in the orestes Petrovic and Petrovic, Inner Purity and Pollution in Greek Religion (2016) 220, 221, 222, 223
matricide, resulting in pollution Petrovic and Petrovic, Inner Purity and Pollution in Greek Religion (2016) 220, 221, 222, 223
menelaus Poet and Orator: A Symbiotic Relationship in Democratic Athens (2019)" 184; Petrovic and Petrovic, Inner Purity and Pollution in Greek Religion (2016) 220, 221, 222, 223
onomacles Poet and Orator: A Symbiotic Relationship in Democratic Athens (2019)" 184
orestes Poet and Orator: A Symbiotic Relationship in Democratic Athens (2019)" 184; Petrovic and Petrovic, Inner Purity and Pollution in Greek Religion (2016) 220, 221, 222, 223
phrynichus Poet and Orator: A Symbiotic Relationship in Democratic Athens (2019)" 184
polis Poet and Orator: A Symbiotic Relationship in Democratic Athens (2019)" 184
pylades Petrovic and Petrovic, Inner Purity and Pollution in Greek Religion (2016) 221, 222
salvation, and supplication Petrovic and Petrovic, Inner Purity and Pollution in Greek Religion (2016) 220
sex, shame-culture/ guilt-culture Petrovic and Petrovic, Inner Purity and Pollution in Greek Religion (2016) 223
sin, dodds on Petrovic and Petrovic, Inner Purity and Pollution in Greek Religion (2016) 223
supplication, and purification of homicide Petrovic and Petrovic, Inner Purity and Pollution in Greek Religion (2016) 220, 221, 222, 223
supplication, in the orestes Petrovic and Petrovic, Inner Purity and Pollution in Greek Religion (2016) 220, 221, 222, 223
supplication, violation of polluting Petrovic and Petrovic, Inner Purity and Pollution in Greek Religion (2016) 220
synesis/syneidesis/syneidos Petrovic and Petrovic, Inner Purity and Pollution in Greek Religion (2016) 222, 223
transmigration, in empedocles, sparta' Petrovic and Petrovic, Inner Purity and Pollution in Greek Religion (2016) 222
troy Poet and Orator: A Symbiotic Relationship in Democratic Athens (2019)" 184
tyndareus Poet and Orator: A Symbiotic Relationship in Democratic Athens (2019)" 184; Petrovic and Petrovic, Inner Purity and Pollution in Greek Religion (2016) 220, 221