Tragedies of Euripides (Way)/Hippolytus
HIPPOLYTUS.
ARGUMENT.
Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons, bore to Theseus, king of Athens and Trœzen, a son whom he named from her, Hippolytus. Now this youth grew up of all men most pure in heart, reverencing chiefly Artemis the Maiden, Goddess of the chase, and utterly contemning the worship of Aphrodité. Wherefore the wrath of the Queen of Love was kindled against him, and she made Phædra, his father's young wife, mad with love for him; and although she wrestled with her malady, and strove to hide it in her heart, till by the fever of it she was brought nigh to death's door, yet in the end it was revealed, and was made destruction to her and to Hippolytus also.
DRAMATIS PERSONÆ.
Aphrodite (or Kypris), the Queen of Love.
Hippolytus, son of Theseus and Hippolyta Queen of the Amazons.
Phædra, daughter of Minos king of Crete, and wife of Theseus.
Nurse of Phædra.
Theseus, king of Athens and Trœzen.
Artemis, Goddess of Hunting.
Servant of Hippolytus.
Messenger, henchman of Hippolytus.
Chorus, composed of women of Trœzen.
Attendants, huntsmen, and handmaids.
HIPPOLYTUS.
Enter Aphroditê.
Aphrodite.
Mighty on earth, and named by many a name
Am I, the Goddess Kypris, as in heaven.
And of all dwellers 'twixt the Pontic Sea
And Atlas' bourn, which look on the sun's light,
I honour them which reverence my power, 5
But bring the proud hearts that defy me low.
For even to the Gods this appertains,
That in the homage of mankind they joy.
And I will give swift proof of these my words.
For Theseus' son, born of the Amazon, 10
Hippolytus, pure-hearted Pittheus' ward,
Sole mid the folk of this Trœzenian land
Sayeth that vilest of the Gods am I;
Rejects the couch; of marriage will he none;
But Phœbus' sister Artemis, Zeus' child, 15
Honours, of all Gods chiefest holding her:
And through the greenwood in the Maid's train still
With swift hounds sweeps the wild beasts from the earth,
Linked with companionship for men too high.
Yet this I grudge not: what is this to me? 20
But that his wrong to me will I avenge
Upon Hippolytus this day: the path
Well-nigh is cleared; scant pains it needeth yet.
For, as from halls of Pittheus once he sought
Pandion's land, to see and to be sealed 25
In the Great Mysteries, Phædra, high-born wife
Of his own father, saw him; and her heart
Of fierce love was enthralled by my device.
And, ere she came to this Trœzenian land,
Hard by the Rock of Pallas, which looks down 30
On this land, built she unto me a shrine
For love of one afar; and his memorial
That fane divine she named for days to be.
But since from Kekrops' land forth Theseus passed
Fleeing the blood-guilt of the sons of Pallas, 35
And unto this shore with his wife hath sailed,
From his land brooking one year's banishment,
Thenceforward, sighing and by stings of love
Distraught, the hapless one wastes down to death
Silent: her malady no handmaid knows. 40
Ah, but not so shall this love's issue fall.
Theseus shall know this thing; all bared shall be:
And him that is my foe his sire shall slay
By curses, whose fulfilment the Sea-king
Poseidon in this boon to Theseus gave, 45
That, to three prayers, he should ask nought in vain.
She, how high-born soe'er, yet perisheth,
Phædra:—I will not so regard her pain
That I should not exact such penalty
Of them which hate me as shall do me right. 50
But,—forasmuch as Theseus' son I see
Yonder draw near, forsaking hunting's toil,
Hippolytus,—forth will I from this place.
And a great press of henchmen following shout,
Honouring with songs the Goddess Artemis. 55
He knows not Hades' gates wide flung for him,
And this day's light the last his eyes shall see.
[Exit.
Enter Hippolytus and Attendant Huntsmen.
Hippolytus.
Follow on, follow on, ring out the lay
Unto Artemis high enthroned in the sky 60
Zeus' child, in her keeping who hath us aye.
Chorus of Huntsmen.
O Majesty, Daughter of Zeus, dread Queen,
I hail thee, Artemis, now,
O Leto's Daughter, O Zeus's child,
Loveliest far of the Undefiled!
In the Hall, "of the Mighty Father" styled,
The palace of Zeus, mid the glory-sheen
Of gold—there dwellest thou.
O Fairest, to theeward in greeting I call, 70
O fairest Artemis thou of all
The Maidens Divine in Olympus' hall!
Hippolytus.
For thee this woven garland from a mead
Unsullied have I twined, O Queen, and bring.
There never shepherd dares to feed his flock, 75
Nor steel of sickle came: only the bee
Roveth the springtide mead undesecrate:
And Reverence watereth it with river-dews.
They which have heritage of self-control
In all things,—not taught, but the pure in heart,— 80
These there may gather flowers, but none impure.
Now Queen, dear Queen, receive this anadem
From reverent hand to deck thy golden hair;
For to me sole of men this grace is given,
That I be with thee, converse hold with thee, 85
Hearing thy voice, yet seeing not thy face.
And may I end life's race as I began.
Servant.
Prince, —for the Gods we needs must call our Lords,—
Wouldst thou receive of me good counselling?
Hippolytus.
Yea surely: else were I fool manifest. 90
Servant.
Knowest thou then the stablished wont of men?
Hippolytus.
Not I: whereof is this thou questionest me?
Servant.
To hate the proud reserve that owns few friends.
Hippolytus.
Rightly: what proud man is not odious?
Servant.
And in the gracious is there nought of charm? 95
Hippolytus.
Yea, much, and profit won with little pains.
Servant.
And deem'st thou not this same may hold with Gods?
Hippolytus.
Yea, if men live by laws derived from Gods.
Servant.
Why not then greet a Goddess worshipful?
Hippolytus.
Whom?—have a care thy lips in no wise err.[1] 100
Servant.
Even Kypris, there above thy portals set.
Hippolytus.
From far I greet her, who am undefiled.
Servant.
Worshipful is she, glorious among men.
Hippolytus.
Of Gods, of men, each maketh still his choice.
Servant.
Now prosper thou;—be needful wisdom thine! 105
Hippolytus.
No God who hath night-homage pleaseth me.
Servant.
Guerdons of Gods, my son, ought men to use.
Hippolytus.
Depart, mine henchmen, enter ye the halls,
And set on bread. The full board welcome is 110
When hunting's done. And one must groom my steeds,
That I may yoke them to the chariot-pole,
Being full of meat, and breathe them in the race.
But to thy Kypris wave I long farewell. [Exit.
Servant.
But we, who must not tread in steps of youth, 115
Who are wise[2]—so far as thralls dare claim to be,—
Make supplication to thine images,
Queen Kypris. It beseems thee to forgive,
If one that bears through youth a vehement heart
Speak folly. Be as though thou heardest not;
For wiser Gods should be than mortal men. 120
[Exit.
Enter Chorus of Trœzenian Ladies.
Chorus.
Enter Phædra, Nurse, and Handmaids.
Nurse.
Graved on the wax—woe's me! 880
Chorus.
Alas! thou utterest speech that heralds ill.
Theseus.
No more within my lips' gates will I pen
The horror that chokes utterance—ah wretch!
Hippolytus hath dared assail my bed 885
With violence, flouting Zeus's awful eye!
Father Poseidon, thou didst promise me
Three curses once. Do thou with one of these
Destroy my son: may he not 'scape this day,
If soothfast curses thou hast granted me. 890
Chorus.
O King, recall thou from the Gods this prayer!
Thou yet shall know thine error: yield to me.
Theseus.
Never! Yea, I will drive him from the land,
And, of two dooms, with one shall he be scourged:—
Either Poseidon, reverencing my prayers, 895
Shall slay and speed him unto Hades' halls,
Or, banished from this land, a vagabond
On strange shores, shall he drain life's bitter dregs.
Chorus.
Lo, where thy son's self comes in season meet,
Hippolytus: refrain thy wrath, O king 900
Theseus, and for thine house the best devise.
Theseus.
O bounds of Athens, Pallas' glorious realm,
What hero have ye lost! Ah, woe is me! 1460
Kypris, how oft shall I recall thy wrong!
Chorus.
On the city hath lighted a stroke without warning,
On all hearts desolation.
Rain down, O ye fast-falling tears of our mourning!
When the mighty are fallen, their burial-oblation 1465
Is the wail of a nation.[3]
[Exeunt Omnes.
- ↑ "The Worshipful Goddesses" was the peculiar title of the Eumenides, whom it was ill-omened to name.
- ↑ φρονοῦντες sc. εὖ
- ↑ 1462–66 allude to the death of Pericles, which happened shortly before the representation of this play. The poet in fact changed, to meet the occasion, the original ending, which ran thus:—
O blest one, what honours have fallen to thee,
O hero, because of thy chastity!
Never shall aught be more of worth
Than virtue unto the sous of earth;
For soon or late on the fear of God
Goodly reward shall be bestowed.
[Stobæus, Florilegium.]
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