12 Ernest Heinrich Klotsche 



yEgeus takes the oath : 



Med. 752-53: 



ojuLvvfiL Ttjv Kal \a[XTrp6v HXiou 4>aos 

 ^eovs re iravras efj,fji,evelv a crov k\vu, 



"By Earth, the Sun's pure majesty, and all 

 The Gods, I swear to abide by this thou hast said." 



Medea asks him : What do you imprecate on yourself to suffer 

 if you do not abide by this oath? 



Med. 754: 



"For broken troth what penalty?" 



^geus answers : 



Med. 755: 



a Tolcn dvffae^ovcTL ylyverai PpoTcbv. 

 " The worst that scourgeth God-despising men." 



The oaths of Jason by which Medea was induced to cross from 

 Asia to Europe are represented as a person or supernatural power 

 which brought her : 



Med. 206-10: 



Tov iv y^'tx^i- irpodorav KaK6yvix4>ov 

 i^eoK\vTel 5' dSiKa Tra^ovaa 

 Tav Zavos opaiav 0e/x«', 

 a VLV e^acrev k. t. X. 



"... the traitor to love who with false vows caught her 

 Who in strength of her wrongs chideth Heaven, assailing 

 The Oath-queen of Zeus, who with cords all prevailing 

 Forth haled her, and brought her o'er, etc." 



The " Oath-queen," i.e., who watches over the fulfillment of 

 oaths. Themis caused Medea to cross over, because the latter 

 believed in the oaths of Jason. 



Among the Greeks, as among the ancients generally, the oath, 

 regarded as a divine institution, had a sacred character. When 

 the Gods had been called to witness, one's obligation was abso- 

 lute. Zeus was called Zeus opklos (Hipp., 1025), the "guardian 

 of oaths," or rafxlas opKco (Med., 170), the "steward of oaths," 



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