AiKaviKoii Ao'^o? in Eiiripides. 3 



Ouintilian, too, has something to say on this subject, 

 Instit. Orator., X, i, 68: 



Namque is [i.e. Enripides\ et scnnone {qitod ipsitni reprc- 

 Jicndnnt, quibus gravitas et cothurnus et sonus SophocHs 

 videtur esse subHmior) magis acccdit oratorio gcjicri et sen- 

 tentiis densus et in iis, quae a sapientibus tradita sunt, paene 

 ipsis par, et diccndo ac rcspoiidcndo cuilibct coriim, qui fncrunt 

 in foro discrti, coinparandiis. 



The attacks of the conservative Aristophanes on the 

 liberal Euripides are too well known to require comment. 

 Every work on Greek literature, and almost every edition of 

 the plays of Euripides, informs us of this fact. We are at 

 a loss when we try to imagine an Aristophanes without a 

 Euripides for him to attack. The comedian lampooned the 

 tragedian at every opportunity, and if circumstances were 

 not favorable for an attack, he made them favorable. Aris- 

 tophanes sighed for the good old times, but if he had 

 succeeded in bringing back the past he would have been 

 dissatisfied with it. He was the champion of a past Athens, 

 and it exasperated him to be met at every turn by this poet 

 — this recluse who loved his books — who was the champion 

 of the present, or, rather, of the future, Athens. 



The charge made by Aristophanes in the passages quoted 

 above doubtless contains much truth ; but whether it is to be 

 regarded as a grave fault of Euripides or as an argument in 

 his favor, since he tried to please his audience, scholars are 

 by no means agreed. After the severe onslaught of Schlegel 

 there was a united attack against Euripides, and scholars 

 vied with each other in trampling him down ; but now we 

 know that the harsh criticism of Schlegel was unreasonable, 

 and that the poet is in a fair way to receive justice. 



In preparing this investigation, the long speeches in the 

 plays of Euripides have been carefully studied for the purpose 

 of selecting those which might be called forensic discussions, 

 either in the form of a trial, where the plaintiff, defendant, 

 and judge appear on the stage, or in a less formal court 

 scene, as well as the persuasive and epideictic speeches, 



369 



