The Supernatural in the Tragedies of Euripides 13 



who punishes men who break them. In the ^ovKevriipiov at 

 Olympia there was a statue of Zeus op/ctos with a thunderbolt in 

 each hand. (Paus. V, 24, 9). 



As regards the formula of oath sometimes a prayer of a some- 

 what conventional form constitutes the oath, but besides these in- 

 stances we find in the tragedies of Euripides as well as in Greek 

 literature in general numerous examples of well-marked formulas 

 of oath, which are mostly references to deities, as " by Zeus ; " 

 "I call Zeus to witness," vol no. Aia- irpbs ^ewv to-rco Zeus- av/j.- 

 IxapTvai d^eois. Med. 619 : 8aifj,ovas jxapTvpojxaL. 



Med. 21-22: 



/3oa ixh> opKovs, avaKoKel de Se^tas 

 ttLcttlv ixeyiarriv, Kal d^eovs ixapTvperai,. 



j3oq. opKovs implies the calling for the vengeance due to broken oath ; 

 Se^tas iriaTLs is used of plighting troth by the hand. 



Med. 412-13 : 



. . . d^eijbv 5' ovKerc Tricms apape. 



^eibv tLo-tls is the appeal to the Gods as witnesses of a pledge, or 

 faith plighted in the sight of the Gods. 



Sometimes a curse is invoked on himself by the swearer that 

 he may perish if he fails to keep his oath, as Med. 755. The 

 Greeks usually swore by a divinity that was in some way con- 

 nected with the subject of discourse. So Medea (395) swears 

 by Hekate, the patroness not only of witches, but of all who com- 

 pounded poisons, philters, etc. Medea figures throughout the 

 play as a magician and accomplishes her vengeance largely 

 through the aid of sorcery. 



An oracle is mentioned in vv. 666 ff. ^geus has been to Delphi 

 to inquire how he may be blessed with offspring. He is on his 

 way to Pittheus to consult him on the meaning of the obscure 

 , oracle. The God had said : 



Med. 679 and 681 : 



acTKov fxe rov irpovxovTa ixi) 'Kvaat. iroda, 

 irplv av Trarpffav a5!?6S kariav fxoXcc, 



"Loose not the wine-skin's forward-jutting foot, 

 Till to the hearth ancestral back thou come." 



67 



