92 Ernest Heinrich Klotsche 



denied that Euripides through his characters and choruses, not 

 only now and then, but throughout his tragedies, expresses views 

 on the supernatural with evident satisfaction, and in a language 

 that leaves no doubt that these views are dear to him and reflect 

 his own thought. 



Euripides' characters often appeal to the Gods in prayer, and 

 some of their prayers are of the finest type expressing the pro- 

 found sentiments of a devout and godly soul. But side by side 

 with this kind of prayers are others of an entirely opposite char- 

 acter — and these are by no means the exception but the rule. Our 

 poet often employs prayers which are nothing but expressions of 

 disbelief in the use and value of prayer. Others are in reality no 

 prayers at all, but mere expostulations, invectives, maledictions, 

 and blasphemies hurled against the Gods. That this is the pre- 

 vailing attitude of the poet towards the Gods of Greek mythology 

 has sufficiently been illustrated by various examples in the pre- 

 ceding discussion. But how do we account for this extent of the 

 poet's iconoclasm? 



It has been maintained that Euripides was an atheist, hence 

 his violent attack against the traditional beliefs which he consid- 

 ered nothing but superstitions and follies. I venture to say that 

 he was not in any sense an atheist. The often quoted fragment 

 from the " Bellerophontes " : 



fr. 288: 



(f>7]criv TLS elvai S'^r' ev ovpavu ^eovs', 

 ovK elaiv, ovK eiffiv. 



" Doth any say that there are Gods in heaven ? 

 Nay there are none ! " 



does not prove the atheism of Euripides any more than Prome- 

 theus' maledictions against Zeus prove the impiety of ^schylus. 

 Bellerophontes like Prometheus is godless, and for his godless- 

 ness is blasted by the thunderbolt. We must also take into ac- 

 count that a radical denial of the Gods would have been impossible 

 in an Athenian theatre in the days of Euripides. 



In denying the Gods of Greek mythology our poet does not deny 

 the existence of divine powers altogether ; but as to what these 



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