1. Euripides, Bacchae, 65-66, 72-75, 100, 113-114, 135-140, 142-143, 462-464, 482, 618-619, 629, 677-774, 921-922, 989-990, 1032-1040, 1080-1081, 1121-1122, 1141, 1174, 1184 (5th cent. BCE - 5th cent. BCE)
Tagged with subjects: • Sparagmos • sparagmos
Found in books: Bednarek (2021), The Myth of Lycurgus in Aeschylus, Naevius, and beyond, 119, 120; Lipka (2021), Epiphanies and Dreams in Greek Polytheism: Textual Genres and 'Reality' from Homer to Heliodorus, 112, 114, 118; Mcclellan (2019), Paulinus Noster: Self and Symbols in the Letters of Paulinus of Nola, 189; Panoussi(2019), Brides, Mourners, Bacchae: Women's Rituals in Roman Literature, 117; Pucci (2016), Euripides' Revolution Under Cover: An Essay, 153, 156, 165, 169, 176, 182, 184
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65 ἱερὸν Τμῶλον ἀμείψασα θοάζω 66 Βρομίῳ πόνον ἡδὺν κάματόν τʼ εὐκάματον,
72 Διόνυσον ὑμνήσω. Χορός 73 μάκαρ, ὅστις εὐδαίμων 73 ὦ 74 βιοτὰν ἁγιστεύει καὶ 74 τελετὰς θεῶν εἰδὼς 75 θιασεύεται ψυχὰν
100 τέλεσαν, ταυρόκερων θεὸν113 μαλλοῖς· ἀμφὶ δὲ νάρθηκας ὑβριστὰς 114 ὁσιοῦσθʼ· αὐτίκα γᾶ πᾶσα χορεύσει—
135 ἡδὺς ἐν ὄρεσιν, ὅταν ἐκ θιάσων δρομαίων 136 πέσῃ πεδόσε, νεβρίδος 138 ἔχων ἱερὸν ἐνδυτόν, ἀγρεύων 139 αἷμα τραγοκτόνον, ὠμοφάγον χάριν, ἱέμενος 140 ἐς ὄρεα Φρύγια, Λύδιʼ, ὁ δʼ ἔξαρχος Βρόμιος,
142 ῥεῖ δὲ γάλακτι πέδον, ῥεῖ δʼ οἴνῳ, ῥεῖ δὲ μελισσᾶν 143 νέκταρι.
462 τὸν ἀνθεμώδη Τμῶλον οἶσθά που κλύων. Πενθεύς 463 οἶδʼ, ὃς τὸ Σάρδεων ἄστυ περιβάλλει κύκλῳ. Διόνυσος 464 ἐντεῦθέν εἰμι, Λυδία δέ μοι πατρίς. Πενθεύς
482 πᾶς ἀναχορεύει βαρβάρων τάδʼ ὄργια. Πενθεύς
618 πρὸς φάτναις δὲ ταῦρον εὑρών, οὗ καθεῖρξʼ ἡμᾶς ἄγων, 619 τῷδε περὶ βρόχους ἔβαλλε γόνασι καὶ χηλαῖς ποδῶν,
629 κᾆθʼ ὁ Βρόμιος, ὡς ἔμοιγε φαίνεται, δόξαν λέγω,
677 ἀγελαῖα μὲν βοσκήματʼ ἄρτι πρὸς λέπας 678 μόσχων ὑπεξήκριζον, ἡνίχʼ ἥλιος 679 ἀκτῖνας ἐξίησι θερμαίνων χθόνα. 680 ὁρῶ δὲ θιάσους τρεῖς γυναικείων χορῶν, 681 ὧν ἦρχʼ ἑνὸς μὲν Αὐτονόη, τοῦ δευτέρου 682 μήτηρ Ἀγαύη σή, τρίτου δʼ Ἰνὼ χοροῦ. 683 ηὗδον δὲ πᾶσαι σώμασιν παρειμέναι, 684 αἳ μὲν πρὸς ἐλάτης νῶτʼ ἐρείσασαι φόβην, 685 αἳ δʼ ἐν δρυὸς φύλλοισι πρὸς πέδῳ κάρα 686 εἰκῇ βαλοῦσαι σωφρόνως, οὐχ ὡς σὺ φῂς 687 ᾠνωμένας κρατῆρι καὶ λωτοῦ ψόφῳ 688 θηρᾶν καθʼ ὕλην Κύπριν ἠρημωμένας. 690 σταθεῖσα βάκχαις, ἐξ ὕπνου κινεῖν δέμας, 691 μυκήμαθʼ ὡς ἤκουσε κεροφόρων βοῶν. 692 αἳ δʼ ἀποβαλοῦσαι θαλερὸν ὀμμάτων ὕπνον 693 ἀνῇξαν ὀρθαί, θαῦμʼ ἰδεῖν εὐκοσμίας, 694 νέαι παλαιαὶ παρθένοι τʼ ἔτʼ ἄζυγες. 695 καὶ πρῶτα μὲν καθεῖσαν εἰς ὤμους κόμας 696 νεβρίδας τʼ ἀνεστείλανθʼ ὅσαισιν ἁμμάτων 697 σύνδεσμʼ ἐλέλυτο, καὶ καταστίκτους δορὰς 698 ὄφεσι κατεζώσαντο λιχμῶσιν γένυν. 699 αἳ δʼ ἀγκάλαισι δορκάδʼ ἢ σκύμνους λύκων 700 ἀγρίους ἔχουσαι λευκὸν ἐδίδοσαν γάλα, 701 ὅσαις νεοτόκοις μαστὸς ἦν σπαργῶν ἔτι 702 βρέφη λιπούσαις· ἐπὶ δʼ ἔθεντο κισσίνους 703 στεφάνους δρυός τε μίλακός τʼ ἀνθεσφόρου. 704 θύρσον δέ τις λαβοῦσʼ ἔπαισεν ἐς πέτραν, 705 ὅθεν δροσώδης ὕδατος ἐκπηδᾷ νοτίς· 706 ἄλλη δὲ νάρθηκʼ ἐς πέδον καθῆκε γῆς, 707 καὶ τῇδε κρήνην ἐξανῆκʼ οἴνου θεός· 708 ὅσαις δὲ λευκοῦ πώματος πόθος παρῆν, 709 ἄκροισι δακτύλοισι διαμῶσαι χθόνα 710 γάλακτος ἑσμοὺς εἶχον· ἐκ δὲ κισσίνων 711 θύρσων γλυκεῖαι μέλιτος ἔσταζον ῥοαί. 712 ὥστʼ, εἰ παρῆσθα, τὸν θεὸν τὸν νῦν ψέγεις 713 εὐχαῖσιν ἂν μετῆλθες εἰσιδὼν τάδε. 715 κοινῶν λόγων δώσοντες ἀλλήλοις ἔριν 716 ὡς δεινὰ δρῶσι θαυμάτων τʼ ἐπάξια· 717 καί τις πλάνης κατʼ ἄστυ καὶ τρίβων λόγων 718 ἔλεξεν εἰς ἅπαντας· Ὦ σεμνὰς πλάκας 719 ναίοντες ὀρέων, θέλετε θηρασώμεθα
720 Πενθέως Ἀγαύην μητέρʼ ἐκ βακχευμάτων
721 χάριν τʼ ἄνακτι θώμεθα; εὖ δʼ ἡμῖν λέγειν
722 ἔδοξε, θάμνων δʼ ἐλλοχίζομεν φόβαις
723 κρύψαντες αὑτούς· αἳ δὲ τὴν τεταγμένην
724 ὥραν ἐκίνουν θύρσον ἐς βακχεύματα,
725 Ἴακχον ἀθρόῳ στόματι τὸν Διὸς γόνον
726 Βρόμιον καλοῦσαι· πᾶν δὲ συνεβάκχευʼ ὄρος
727 καὶ θῆρες, οὐδὲν δʼ ἦν ἀκίνητον δρόμῳ.
728
729 κἀγὼ ʼξεπήδησʼ ὡς συναρπάσαι θέλων, 730 λόχμην κενώσας ἔνθʼ ἐκρυπτόμην δέμας. 731 ἣ δʼ ἀνεβόησεν· Ὦ δρομάδες ἐμαὶ κύνες, 732 θηρώμεθʼ ἀνδρῶν τῶνδʼ ὕπʼ· ἀλλʼ ἕπεσθέ μοι, 733 ἕπεσθε θύρσοις διὰ χερῶν ὡπλισμέναι. 735 βακχῶν σπαραγμόν, αἳ δὲ νεμομέναις χλόην 736 μόσχοις ἐπῆλθον χειρὸς ἀσιδήρου μέτα. 737 καὶ τὴν μὲν ἂν προσεῖδες εὔθηλον πόριν 738 μυκωμένην ἔχουσαν ἐν χεροῖν δίχα, 739 ἄλλαι δὲ δαμάλας διεφόρουν σπαράγμασιν. 740 εἶδες δʼ ἂν ἢ πλεύρʼ ἢ δίχηλον ἔμβασιν 741 ῥιπτόμενʼ ἄνω τε καὶ κάτω· κρεμαστὰ δὲ 742 ἔσταζʼ ὑπʼ ἐλάταις ἀναπεφυρμένʼ αἵματι. 743 ταῦροι δʼ ὑβρισταὶ κἀς κέρας θυμούμενοι 744 τὸ πρόσθεν ἐσφάλλοντο πρὸς γαῖαν δέμας, 745 μυριάσι χειρῶν ἀγόμενοι νεανίδων. 746 θᾶσσον δὲ διεφοροῦντο σαρκὸς ἐνδυτὰ 747 ἢ σὲ ξυνάψαι βλέφαρα βασιλείοις κόραις. 748 χωροῦσι δʼ ὥστʼ ὄρνιθες ἀρθεῖσαι δρόμῳ 749 πεδίων ὑποτάσεις, αἳ παρʼ Ἀσωποῦ ῥοαῖς 750 εὔκαρπον ἐκβάλλουσι Θηβαίων στάχυν· 751 Ὑσιάς τʼ Ἐρυθράς θʼ, αἳ Κιθαιρῶνος λέπας 752 νέρθεν κατῳκήκασιν, ὥστε πολέμιοι, 753 ἐπεσπεσοῦσαι πάντʼ ἄνω τε καὶ κάτω 754 διέφερον· ἥρπαζον μὲν ἐκ δόμων τέκνα· 755 ὁπόσα δʼ ἐπʼ ὤμοις ἔθεσαν, οὐ δεσμῶν ὕπο 756 προσείχετʼ οὐδʼ ἔπιπτεν ἐς μέλαν πέδον, 757 οὐ χαλκός, οὐ σίδηρος· ἐπὶ δὲ βοστρύχοις 758 πῦρ ἔφερον, οὐδʼ ἔκαιεν. οἳ δʼ ὀργῆς ὕπο 759 ἐς ὅπλʼ ἐχώρουν φερόμενοι βακχῶν ὕπο· 760 οὗπερ τὸ δεινὸν ἦν θέαμʼ ἰδεῖν, ἄναξ. 761 τοῖς μὲν γὰρ οὐχ ᾕμασσε λογχωτὸν βέλος, 762 κεῖναι δὲ θύρσους ἐξανιεῖσαι χερῶν 763 ἐτραυμάτιζον κἀπενώτιζον φυγῇ 764 γυναῖκες ἄνδρας, οὐκ ἄνευ θεῶν τινος. 7
65 πάλιν δʼ ἐχώρουν ὅθεν ἐκίνησαν πόδα, 766 κρήνας ἐπʼ αὐτὰς ἃς ἀνῆκʼ αὐταῖς θεός. 767 νίψαντο δʼ αἷμα, σταγόνα δʼ ἐκ παρηίδων 768 γλώσσῃ δράκοντες ἐξεφαίδρυνον χροός. 770 δέχου πόλει τῇδʼ· ὡς τά τʼ ἄλλʼ ἐστὶν μέγας, 771 κἀκεῖνό φασιν αὐτόν, ὡς ἐγὼ κλύω, 7
72 τὴν παυσίλυπον ἄμπελον δοῦναι βροτοῖς. 773 οἴνου δὲ μηκέτʼ ὄντος οὐκ ἔστιν Κύπρις 774 οὐδʼ ἄλλο τερπνὸν οὐδὲν ἀνθρώποις ἔτι. Χορός
921 καὶ σῷ κέρατα κρατὶ προσπεφυκέναι. 922 ἀλλʼ ἦ ποτʼ ἦσθα θήρ; τεταύρωσαι γὰρ οὖν. Διόνυσος
989 γυναικῶν ἔφυ, λεαίνας δέ τινος 990 ὅδʼ ἢ Γοργόνων Λιβυσσᾶν γένος.
1032 πῶς φῄς; τί τοῦτʼ ἔλεξας; ἦ ʼπὶ τοῖς ἐμοῖς 1033 χαίρεις κακῶς πράσσουσι δεσπόταις, γύναι; Χορός 1034 εὐάζω ξένα μέλεσι βαρβάροις· 1035 οὐκέτι γὰρ δεσμῶν ὑπὸ φόβῳ πτήσσω. Ἄγγελος 1036 Χορός 1036 Θήβας δʼ ἀνάνδρους ὧδʼ ἄγεις 1037 ὁ Διόνυσος ὁ Διόνυσος, οὐ Θῆβαι 1038 κράτος ἔχουσʼ ἐμόν. Ἄγγελος 1039 συγγνωστὰ μέν σοι, πλὴν ἐπʼ ἐξειργασμένοις 1040 κακοῖσι χαίρειν, ὦ γυναῖκες, οὐ καλόν. Χορός
1080 ἄγω τὸν ὑμᾶς κἀμὲ τἀμά τʼ ὄργια 1081 γέλων τιθέμενον· ἀλλὰ τιμωρεῖσθέ νιν.
1121 ἁμαρτίαισι παῖδα σὸν κατακτάνῃς. 1122
1141 πήξασʼ ἐπʼ ἄκρον θύρσον ὡς ὀρεστέρου
1174 λέοντος ἀγροτέρου νέον ἶνιν·
1184 Ἀγαύη
1184 Χορός ' None | sup>
65 having left sacred Tmolus, I am swift to perform for Bromius my sweet labor and toil easily borne, celebrating the god Bacchus Lit. shouting the ritual cry εὐοῖ . . Who is in the way? Who is in the way? Who? Let him get out of the way indoors, and let everyone keep his mouth pure E. R. Dodds takes this passage Let everyone come outside being sure to keep his mouth pure . He does not believe that there should be a full stop after the third τίς . ,
72 peaking propitious things. For I will celebrate Dionysus with hymns according to eternal custom. Choru 73 Blessed is he who, being fortunate and knowing the rites of the gods, keeps his life pure and 75 has his soul initiated into the Bacchic revels, dancing in inspired frenzy over the mountains with holy purifications, and who, revering the mysteries of great mother Kybele,
100 had perfected him, the bull-horned god, and he crowned him with crowns of snakes, for which reason Maenads cloak their wild prey over their locks. Choru113 or pine. Adorn your garments of spotted fawn-skin with fleeces of white sheep, and sport in holy games with insolent thyrsoi The thyrsos is a staff that is crowned with ivy and that is sacred to Dionysus and an emblem of his worship. . At once all the earth will dance—
135 He is sweet in the mountains cf. Dodds, ad loc. , whenever after the running dance he falls on the ground, wearing the sacred garment of fawn skin, hunting the blood of the slain goat, a raw-eaten delight, rushing to the 140 Phrygian, the Lydian mountains, and the leader of the dance is Bromius, evoe! A ritual cry of delight. The plain flows with milk, it flows with wine, it flows with the nectar of bees.
462 I can tell you this easily, without boasting. I suppose you are familiar with flowery Tmolus. Pentheu 463 I know of it; it surrounds the city of Sardis . Dionysu 464 I am from there, and Lydia is my fatherland. Pentheu
482 All the barbarians celebrate these rites. Pentheu
618 In this too I mocked him, for, thinking to bind me, he neither touched nor handled me, but fed on hope. He found a bull by the stable where he took and shut me up, and threw shackles around its knees and hooves,
629 he ran here and there, calling to the slaves to bring water, and every servant was at work, toiling in vain.Then he let this labor drop, as I had escaped, and snatching a dark sword rushed into the house. Then Bromius, so it seems to me—I speak my opinion—
677 The herds of grazing cattle were just climbing up the hill, at the time when the sun sends forth its rays, warming the earth. 680 I saw three companies of dancing women, one of which Autonoe led, the second your mother Agave, and the third Ino. All were asleep, their bodies relaxed, some resting their backs against pine foliage, 685 others laying their heads at random on the oak leaves, modestly, not as you say drunk with the goblet and the sound of the flute, hunting out Aphrodite through the woods in solitude.Your mother raised a cry, 690 tanding up in the midst of the Bacchae, to wake their bodies from sleep, when she heard the lowing of the horned cattle. And they, casting off refreshing sleep from their eyes, sprang upright, a marvel of orderliness to behold, old, young, and still unmarried virgins. 695 First they let their hair loose over their shoulders, and secured their fawn-skins, as many of them as had released the fastenings of their knots, girding the dappled hides with serpents licking their jaws. And some, holding in their arms a gazelle or wild 700 wolf-pup, gave them white milk, as many as had abandoned their new-born infants and had their breasts still swollen. They put on garlands of ivy, and oak, and flowering yew. One took her thyrsos and struck it against a rock, 705 from which a dewy stream of water sprang forth. Another let her thyrsos strike the ground, and there the god sent forth a fountain of wine. All who desired the white drink scratched the earth with the tips of their fingers and obtained streams of milk; 710 and a sweet flow of honey dripped from their ivy thyrsoi; so that, had you been present and seen this, you would have approached with prayers the god whom you now blame.We herdsmen and shepherds gathered in order to 715 debate with one another concerning what strange and amazing things they were doing. Some one, a wanderer about the city and practised in speaking, said to us all: You who inhabit the holy plains of the mountains, do you wish to hunt
720 Pentheus’ mother Agave out from the Bacchic revelry and do the king a favor? We thought he spoke well, and lay down in ambush, hiding ourselves in the foliage of bushes. They, at the appointed hour, began to wave the thyrsos in their revelries,
725 calling on Iacchus, the son of Zeus, Bromius, with united voice. The whole mountain revelled along with them and the beasts, and nothing was unmoved by their running. Agave happened to be leaping near me, and I sprang forth, wanting to snatch her, 730 abandoning the ambush where I had hidden myself. But she cried out: O my fleet hounds, we are hunted by these men; but follow me! follow armed with your thyrsoi in your hands! We fled and escaped 735 from being torn apart by the Bacchae, but they, with unarmed hands, sprang on the heifers browsing the grass. and you might see one rending asunder a fatted lowing calf, while others tore apart cows. 740 You might see ribs or cloven hooves tossed here and there; caught in the trees they dripped, dabbled in gore. Bulls who before were fierce, and showed their fury with their horns, stumbled to the ground, 745 dragged down by countless young hands. The garment of flesh was torn apart faster then you could blink your royal eyes. And like birds raised in their course, they proceeded along the level plains, which by the streams of the Asopu 750 produce the bountiful Theban crop. And falling like soldiers upon Hysiae and Erythrae, towns situated below the rock of Kithairon, they turned everything upside down. They were snatching children from their homes; 755 and whatever they put on their shoulders, whether bronze or iron, was not held on by bonds, nor did it fall to the ground. They carried fire on their locks, but it did not burn them. Some people in rage took up arms, being plundered by the Bacchae, 760 and the sight of this was terrible to behold, lord. For their pointed spears drew no blood, but the women, hurling the thyrsoi from their hands, kept wounding them and turned them to flight—women did this to men, not without the help of some god. 7
65 And they returned where they had come from, to the very fountains which the god had sent forth for them, and washed off the blood, and snakes cleaned the drops from the women’s cheeks with their tongues.Receive this god then, whoever he is, 770 into this city, master. For he is great in other respects, and they say this too of him, as I hear, that he gives to mortals the vine that puts an end to grief. Without wine there is no longer Aphrodite or any other pleasant thing for men. Chorus Leader
921 And you seem to lead me, being like a bull and horns seem to grow on your head. But were you ever before a beast? For you have certainly now become a bull. Dionysu
989 Who is this seeker of the mountain-going Kadmeans who has come to the mountain, to the mountain, Bacchae? Who bore him? For he was not born from a woman’s blood, but is the offspring of some lione 990 or of Libyan Gorgons. Let manifest justice go forth, let it go with sword in hand, slaying through the throat
1032 What do you mean? Why have you said this? Do you rejoice at the misfortunes of my master, woman? sung Chorus Leader 1034 I, a foreign woman, rejoice with foreign songs; 1035 for no longer do I cower in fear of chains. Messenger 1036 Do you think Thebes so lacking in men? sung Chorus Leader 1037 Dionysus, Dionysus, not Thebes , holds my allegiance. Messenger 1039 You may be forgiven, but still it is not good 1040 to rejoice at troubles once they have actually taken place, women. sung Chorus Leader
1080 I bring the one who has made you and me and my rites a laughing-stock. Now punish him! And as he said this a light of holy fire was placed between heaven and earth. The air became quiet and the woody glen
1121 Pity me, mother, and do not kill me, your child, for my sins. But she, foaming at the mouth and twisting her eyes all about, not thinking as she ought, was possessed by Bacchus, and he did not persuade her.
1141 which his mother happened to take in her hands, she fixed on the end of a thyrsos and carries through the midst of Kithairon like that of a savage lion, leaving her sisters among the Maenads’ dances. She is coming inside these walls, preening herself
1174 I caught this young wild lion cub without snares,
1184 Share in the feast then. Choru ' None |
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