The Supernatural in the Tragedies of Euripides 47 



removal of the statue, ought not to seem fulfilled through strat- 

 agem and theft. So he represents Orestes no longer as the 

 despondent sceptic, but makes him argue that if their undertaking 

 is in harmony with the will of Artemis, it is also in harmony with 

 the will of Apollo, for a conflict between the will of Apollo and 

 the will of Artemis is impossible. 



I. T. 1012-15: 



el TrpocravTes rjv rode 

 ' AprkfudL, ircos av Ao^Las ed^eainae 

 KOfxicraL /x a.ya\fj,a t^eds iroXiaixa IlaXXaSos 

 Kol <t6v irpoacoirov eiaibeiv. 



" Hear mine opinion — if this thing displease 

 Artemis, how had Loxias bidden me 

 To bear her statue unto Pallas' burg — 

 Yea, see thy face? " 



This passage presents a difficulty, namely, that the meeting of 

 the brother and sister {koI abv ivpoaooTrov el(n8elv) is not intimated 

 in the words of the God, vv. yy fT. Palay, Seidler, and others 

 assume that Apollo had not expressly said that Orestes would see 

 his sister; he had probably used avyyovos (v. 86) ambiguously. 

 The oracle probably was : tv&a avyyovos jSwixovs ex^h thus apply- 

 ing either to Apollo's sister Artemis, or to Orestes' sister Iphi- 

 genia. Others suppose a lacuna in the text before the words : 

 Kal (jov irpbawTTOv daibdv. Verrall sees in the words : koI cfov 

 irpoa: k. t. X. a kind of a pia fraiis. Orestes adds them, because 

 " he naturally feels that, as things turn out, the oracle ought to 

 have said — then must have said — then did say doubtless — or at 

 any rate mean, that he was to meet his sister." This interpreta- 

 tion does not take .into account Athena's words: 



I.T. 1438-42: 



Treirpuixkvos yap d^eac^aroicTL Ao^iov 

 5evp rj\t^ Opearrjs, tov t' 'Eptwcof xoXoj' 

 (pevyo:!' a5e\<prjs r Apyos eicnrkp.'^puiv Se/xas 

 dya\p,a- t iepov els eix-qv a^oiv x^ova. 



" For foreordained by Loxias' oracles, 

 Orestes came, to escape the Erinyes' wrath, 

 And lead his sister unto Argos home. 

 And bear the sacred image to my land, 

 So to win respite from his present woes." 



lOI 



