The Supernatural in the Tragedies of Euripides 5 



ah^ev^ov oKoxov, rfi 8e yevvaiov irocnv. 

 fines' cbawep avruip ri reKova' aTroXXu/xat 

 ■&avelv acapovs iralSas, dXX' evdaifj-ovas 

 kv yfi irarpVa repirvov eKTrXijcrai, l3iov. 



" Queen, for I pass beneath the earth, I fall 

 Before thee now, and nevermore, and pray*: — 

 Be mother to my orphans : mate with him 

 A loving wife, with her a noble husband. 

 Nor as their mother dieth, so may they, 

 My children, die untimely, but with weal 

 In the home-land fill up a life of bliss." 



It is worth noticing that the poet does not expose Alcestis to 

 view in the act of prayer, as though the situation were too solemn 

 to be exhibited before the eyes of the spectators. We learn Al- 

 cestis' prayer from her handmaid who describes in most affecting 

 terms her mistress's farewell to the beloved home. 



A somewhat different mode of handling the supernatural ele- 

 ment is found in a prayer of the chorus representing the friends 

 of Admetus : 



Ale. 213-25 : 



icb ZeD, tLs dv xws Tropos ttol 

 ykpoir' K. r. X. 

 Siva^ Ylaiav, 



e^evpe jx-qxc-vh^ tiv' 'AduriTU KaKcJov, 

 TToptfe 557 TTopt-^e. Kai irdpos yap 

 rov8' e4>evpes, Kal vvv 

 \vTr]pi.os eK d^avarov yevov, 

 4>6viov 8' cnroiravaov AtSav. 



"O Zeus, for our lords is there naught but despair? 

 No path through the tangle of evils, no loosing of chains that 



have bound them? 

 . . . yet uplift we in prayer 

 Our hands to the Gods, for that power from the days everlasting 



hath crowned them. 

 O Healer-king, 

 Find thou for Admetus the balm of relief, for. the captive 



deliverance ! 

 Vouchsafe it, vouchsafe it, for heretofore 

 Hast thou found out a way ; even now once more 

 Pluck back our beloved from Hades' door. 

 Strike down Death's hand red-reeking with gore ! " 



59 



