AiKaviKo<i A6yo<i in Euripides. 33 



wise, because I could not have gained a greater advantage 

 (vv. 551-554) ; (2) prudent, in that I was not influenced sim- 

 ply by a desire for a new wife (vv. 555-558) ; (3) a friend to 

 you and my children, because we could rise from poverty to 

 wealth (vv. 559-567). 



4. 'ETTiXoyo?, 567-575. It is the thought of your bed that 

 grates upon your feelings. 



XP^W ^p' aWodev TToOev fSporov'i 

 TralBa'i TeKVOVardac, 6r]\v S' ovk eXvat ^eVo? • 

 '^ovrto'i av ovk tjv ovSev av6pa>7roL^ KaKov. 



'P^O-lS OF MeDEIA. ritO-TClS OF JASON. 



Ilp6de<Tt, \ 475-487 answered a. 526-533- 



/ 488-498 " ^. 534-544- 



Ilto-Tet? 13. 509-515 " 7. 547-567. 



The wpoolixLov in the pf]ai<i of Medeia is an answer to the 

 insulting language of Jason immediately preceding, and at 

 the same time an introduction to the 7rp66eat<i. In this pr}ai<i, 

 as in that of Menelaos in Iph. en Aul. 337 fg., we find an 

 elaborate Trpo'^eo-i?, in which Medeia relates the past actions 

 of Jason and her assistance to him. The Tr/o-rei? contain 

 little that can be called argumentative. It is not her purpose 

 to persuade him to relent, but rather to prove him to be the 

 utter wretch that he is. We should notice particularly vv. 

 475, 545, 546, as distinctly marking the dividing lines of the 

 parts of the /3?;o-et?. The eTrlXoyo'i of Medeia is excellent, 

 and may be compared with the best in any of the speeches. 



Jason's speech is rather an aSiKo<; X0709, but Euripidean 

 sophistry gives him a fairly good argument. Almost the 

 whole prjcn,<i is occupied with answering the numerous charges 

 of Medeia, and in endeavoring to prove that his conduct is 

 justifiable. His arguments in vv. 551-567, where he tries to 

 prove that he has shown (TO<^Lav, (rox^poavvqv, and ^i\iav in 

 his course of action, would be almost amusing did they not 

 pertain to such a serious question and involve still more seri- 

 ous consequences. The irpooiixLov and €7ri\oyo<i, as well as 



399 



