6o Ernest Heinrich Klotsche 



Hel. 119: 



"What if he nursed a heaven-sent phantasy?" 

 and when Menelaus exclaims : 

 Hel. 569: 



(5 (f>coa(p6p' EhccLTri, ivkixire 4>a.(Tp.aT evpievrj. 

 " Light-bearer Hecate, send gracious visions ! " 



Menelaus appeals to Hecate, since spectres and phantoms were 

 regarded as the attendants of that Goddess. 



Respect for the word of an oath is expressed by Menelaus : 



Hel. 977-79 : 



opKois KeKXi;! fxed^' , ws fxad^ris, k. t. X. 



" Know, maiden, I have bound me by an oath 

 To dare thy brother, first, unto the fight : 

 Then he or I must die, my word is passed." 



An example of a curse-oath is contained in 



Hel. 835-41 : 



E : dXX ayyov opKov abv Kapa KaTWfxocra 



M: tL 4>ris; d^avela§ai, kovttot' aXKa^eiv Xexvj 



E; TavTui ^LcfieL yf Kelaofxai 8e aov weKas. 



M : evl Tolade toIvvv Se^tas e/xijs d^lye. 



E : xpavw, t}av6vTos crov rod eKXebptiv <t>aos. 



M: Kayo) (TTepri^els (tov Tekevrijaw ^lov. 



H : " Nay, by thine head I swear a solemn oath — " 



M: "How? — Wilt thou die ere thou desert thy lord?" 



H : " Yea, by thy sword : beside thee will I lie." 



M : " Then, for this pledge, lay thou thine hand in mine." 



H : " I clasp — I swear to perish if thou fall." 



M : " And I, of thee bereft, to end my life." 



Helen when swearing invokes the river Eurotas to witness : 



Hel. 348 ff. : 



ere ya.p eKoXecra, ae de Karopoaa, 



TOV vbpbevTa bovaKL xXcopw 'EivpioTO.v, k. r. X. 



" Thee I invoke, I swear by thy name, 



O river with ripple-washed reed-beds green, 

 Eurotas ! — if true was the word that came 

 That my lord on the earth is no more seen." 



114 



