The Supernatural in the Tragedies of Euripides 35 



and Adrastus confesses : 



"Ah me! thou pressest me where most I erred!" (156.) 

 In vv. 627 ff . Euripides lets the chorus appeal to Zeus : 

 Suppl. 627-30: 



tcb Zeu, ras TraXato/xdropos 

 iratbayove iropi-os 'Ivaxov. 

 ■KoKeL iJiOL ^vufxaxos 

 yevov raS' evixevrjs. 



"Zeus, hear us, whose 'offspring was born of yore 

 Of Inachus-daughter, the heifer-maid ! 

 Oh be- our champion thou. 

 To our city be gracious now ! " 



Adrastus professes that humanity is in close dependence upon 

 Zeus : 



Suppl. 734-36: 



Ji ZeD, tL diJTa tovs ToXanrcbpovs ISporovs 

 (ppovelv Xe7oucrt; aov yap ei^pTrjp,e§a 

 Spufxev re rotaO??' av ai) rvyxo^^'TI^ tJeXcoj'. 



" Zeus, wherefore do they say that wretched man 

 Is wise? For lo, we hang upon thy skirts. 

 And that we do, it is but as thou wilt." 



If things go as Heaven has ordained, no wonder that the same 

 Adrastus admits that prayer is of no avail. He leaves the sup- 

 pliant-bough on the altar as a protest that his prayer has been 

 slighted, and exclaims : 



Suppl. 260-62: 



i}eovs re Kal yrjv rifv re Trvp4>6pov d^eav 

 ArtfjiriTpa ^e/xevat, ixaprvp' 57X1011 re 4>cbs, 

 ws oi8ei> iiplv rjpKeaav \iTal ^eu)P. 



" Calling to witness heaven and earth, Demeter, 

 Fire-bearing Goddess, and the Sun-god's light. 

 That naught our prayers unto the Gods availed." 



Athena who comes in ex machina, bids Theseus not to sur- 

 render the bodies of the seven chieftains without their pledging 

 themselves ever after to be faithful to Athens, and promising, 

 under the most solemn imprecations, never to invade the Attic 



89 



