The Supernatural in the Tragedies of Euripides 73 



That Phoebus was the real author of the deed is admitted by- 

 Helen : 



Or. 76: 



els $oI/3oj' ava4>epovffa Trjv ajxapTiav. 

 " Since upon Phoebus all thy sin I lay, etc." 



Apollo's oracle is called an unjust one by Electra : 



Or. 162-64: 



aStKos iidLKa tot' dp' eXaKev eXaKev, awo- 

 (jjovov 6t' €7rt Tpiirodi Qkfjiidos Up' kSiKaae 

 4>6vov 6 Aortas e/xaj fj,aTepos. 



" Wrongful was he who uttered that wrongful rede 

 When Loxias, thronged on the tripod of Themis, decreed 

 The death of mj^ mother, a foul unnatural deed ! " 



And Orestes exclaims : 



Or. 275-76: ^ 



tL SfJTa /ueXXer'; efa/cptfeT ald^epa 

 TTTepols' TO. $otj3ou 5' atTtacrt?€ ^ecnpara. 



"Why tarry ye? Soar to the welkin's height 

 On wings ! There rail on Phoebus' oracles ! " 



and he continues : 

 Or. 285-87: 



Ao^tg, 5e p.'ep.4)0ixai., 

 ocTTis n' kirkpas epyov avocncoTaTOv. 

 Tols p.ev ^oyoLS 'i]v4>paive, toZs 6' epyoicnv ov. 



"... Loxias I blame. 

 Who to a deed accursed thrust me on, 

 And cheered me still with words, but not with deeds." 



Orestes, when seized with madness, in his lucid intervals again 

 and again blames the God for the deed : 



Or. 414 ff. 



0. dXX' effTiv 7]fjuv a.va4>opa ttjs ^V(j,<j)opas 



€>oI/3os, KeXevcras fxr]Tp6s kKirpa^ai (pbvov. 

 M. afj.ai}eaT€p6s y' &v tov koKov koL ttjs blK7]% 

 0. SqvXevofxev d^eols, 6 tl wot' eialv ol d^eol. 

 M. k^t' ovk ap.vv€L Aortas rots vols KaKols; 

 0. fxeXXeL- to ^elov 5' ecTTL toiovtov (pvcreL. 



O. " Yet can I cast my burden of affliction 

 127 



