The Supernatural in the Tragedies of Euripides 29 



In thy portals, O Phoebus, to thee ! 

 I honour thy prophet-shrine. 

 Proud labour is mine — it is thine ! 

 I am thrall to the Gods divine: 

 Not to men, but Immortals, I tender 

 My bondage ; 'tis glorious and free : 

 Never faintness shall fall upon me 

 For my father thee, Phoebus, I praise, 

 Who hast nurtured me all my days : 

 My begetter, mine help, my defender 

 This temple's Phoebus shall be. 

 O Healer, O Healer-king. 

 Let blessing on blessing upring 

 Unto Leto's Son as I sing!" 



There are few things more charming in Greek hterature than 

 the picture of Ion's childlike innocence and priestly sanctity which 

 Euripides portrays in these lines. Ion reminds one strongly of 

 the boy Samuel whose ministrations are painted with so exquisite 

 a grace in the Old Testament. But as soon as Ion hears of the 

 God's deed he breaks forth in this wise : 



Ion 436-51 : 



vovderrjTeos Sk ixol 

 $oZ;Sos, ri irdcrxef 7rapt?€J'ous ^la yafj.cii' 

 wpodldoicn, k. t. X. 



"... Yet must I plead 

 With Phoebus — what ails him? He ravisheth 

 Maids, and forsakes ; begetteth babes by stealth, 

 And heeds not, though they die. Do thou not so ! 

 Being strong, be righteous. For what man soe'er 

 Transgresseth, the Gods visit this on him. 

 How were it just then that ye should enact 

 For men laws, and yourselves work lawlessness? 

 For if — it could not be, yet put it so — 

 Ye should pay mulct to men for lawless lust. 

 Thou, the Sea-king, and Zeus the Lord of Heaven, 

 Paying for wrongs should make your temples void. 

 For, following pleasure past all wisdom's bounds, 

 Ye work unrighteousness. Unjust it were 

 To call men vile, if we but imitate 

 What Gods deem good : — they are vile who teach us this." 



83 



