Humanitext Reader

Euripides · Rhesus §642-730

Athena Deceiving Paris and the Escape of Odysseus

Passage 8 of 11 · Greek

Summary

Paris encounters Athena disguised as Cypris and reports the rumors of scouts, but is persuaded to return to his post. Subsequently, Odysseus and Diomedes slip through the surrounding guards using the watchword, leaving the guards in a panic as they realize it was Odysseus.

§642σὲ τὸν στρατηγὸν καὶ κασίγνητον λέγω, §643Ἕκτορ, καθεύδεις;
I speak to you, the general and my brother, Hector, are you sleeping?
οὐκ ἐγείρεσθαί σε χρῆν;
Should you not be awake?
§644ἐχθρῶν τις ἡμῖν χρίμπτεται στρατεύματι, §645ἢ κλῶπες ἄνδρες ἢ κατάσκοποί τινες.
Someone of the enemies is drawing near to our army, either thieves or some scouts.
§646θάρσει· φυλάσσει σʼ ἥδε πρευμενὴς Κύπρις.
Be of good courage; this kindly Cypris protects you.
§647μέλει δʼ ὁ σός μοι πόλεμος, οὐδʼ ἀμνημονῶ §648τιμῆς, ἐπαινῶ δʼ εὖ παθοῦσα πρὸς σέθεν.
Your war is my concern, and I do not forget your honor, and I thank you for the good treatment I received from you.
§649καὶ νῦν ἐπʼ εὐτυχοῦντι Τρωικῷ στρατῷ §650ἥκω πορεύουσʼ ἄνδρα σοι μέγαν φίλον, §651τῆς ὑμνοποιοῦ παῖδα Θρῄκιον θεᾶς §652Μούσης· πατρὸς δὲ Στρυμόνος κικλήσκεται.
And now, for the prosperous Trojan army, I have come bringing a great friend to you, the Thracian son of the song-making goddess Muse; and his father is called Strymon.
§653αἰεί ποτʼ εὖ φρονοῦσα τυγχάνεις πόλει §654κἀμοί, μέγιστον δʼ ἐν βίῳ κειμήλιον §655κρίνας σέ φημι τῇδε προσθέσθαι πόλει.
You always happen to be well-disposed to our city and to me, and I say that, judging you to be the greatest treasure in my life, I have joined you to this city.
§656ἥκω δʼ ἀκούσας οὐ τορῶς — φήμη δέ τις §657φύλαξιν ἐμπέπτωκεν — ὡς κατάσκοποι §658ἥκουσʼ Ἀχαιῶν.
But I have come having heard not clearly—for some rumor has fallen among the guards—that scouts of the Achaeans have come.
χὣ μὲν οὐκ ἰδὼν λέγει, §659ὃ δʼ εἰσιδὼν μολόντας οὐκ ἔχει φράσαι· §660ὧν οὕνεκʼ εὐνὰς ἤλυθον πρὸς Ἕκτορος.
And one says so without having seen, while another, having seen them come, cannot explain; for which reasons I came to Hector's quarters.
§661μηδὲν φοβηθῇς· οὐδὲν ἐν στρατῷ νέον· §662Ἕκτωρ δὲ φροῦδος Θρῇκα κοιμήσων στρατόν.
Fear nothing; there is nothing new in the army; Hector is gone to put the Thracian army to rest.
§663σύ τοί με πείθεις, σοῖς δὲ πιστεύων λόγοις §664τάξιν φυλάξων εἶμʼ ἐλεύθερος φόβου.
Indeed you persuade me, and trusting in your words I will go to guard the post, free from fear.
§665χώρει· μέλειν γὰρ πάντʼ ἐμοὶ δόκει τὰ σά, §666ὥστʼ εὐτυχοῦντας συμμάχους ἐμοὺς ὁρᾶν.
Go; for let all your concerns be my care, so that I may see my allies successful.
§667γνώσῃ δὲ καὶ σὺ τὴν ἐμὴν προθυμίαν.
And you also shall know my eagerness.
§668ὑμᾶς δʼ ἀυτῶ τοὺς ἄγαν ἐρρωμένους, §669Λαερτίου παῖ, θηκτὰ κοιμίσαι ξίφη.
And to you, the exceedingly brave, son of Laertes, I cry, put your whetted swords to rest.
§670κεῖται γὰρ ἡμῖν Θρῄκιος στρατηλάτης, §671ἵπποι τʼ ἔχονται, πολέμιοι δʼ ᾐσθημένοι §672χωροῦσʼ ἐφʼ ὑμᾶς· ἀλλʼ ὅσον τάχιστα χρὴ §673φεύγειν πρὸς ὁλκοὺς ναυστάθμων.
For the Thracian leader lies dead for us, and the horses are taken; but the enemies, having perceived, are marching against you; but as quickly as possible you must flee to the launching-ways of the ships.
τί μέλλετε §674σκηπτοῦ ʼπιόντος πολεμίων σῷσαι βίον;
Why do you delay to save your lives when the storm of the enemy is coming upon you?
§675— ἔα ἔα·
— Ha, ha!
§676βάλε βάλε βάλε βάλε.
Strike, strike, strike, strike!
§677θένε θένε.
Hit them, hit them!
§678— τίς ἁνήρ;
— Who is the man?
λεύσσετε·
Look!
τοῦτον αὐδῶ.
I speak to this one.
§679— κλῶπες οἵτινες κατʼ ὄρφνην τόνδε κινοῦσι στρατόν.
— Thieves, whoever they are, who stir this army in the darkness.
§680— δεῦρο δεῦρο πᾶς.
— Hither, hither, everyone!
§681— τούσδʼ ἔχω, τούσδʼ ἔμαρψα.
— I have these men, I have gripped them.
§682— τίς ὁ λόχος;
— What is your company?
πόθεν ἔβας;
Whence did you come?
ποδαπὸς εἶ;
Of what country are you?
§683οὔ σε χρὴ εἰδέναι· θανῇ γὰρ σήμερον δράσας κακῶς.
It is not for you to know; for you shall die today having done evil.
§684οὐκ ἐρεῖς ξύνθημα, λόγχην πρὶν διὰ στέρνων μολεῖν;
Will you not speak the watchword, before a spear goes through your breast?
§685ἵστω.
Know it!
θάρσει.
Be of good courage.
§685bπέλας ἴθι.
Come near.
παῖε πᾶς.
Strike, everyone.
§686ἦ σὺ δὴ Ῥῆσον κατέκτας;
Did you indeed kill Rhesus?
§686bἀλλὰ τὸν κτενοῦντα σὲ
Rather, him who is about to kill you...
§687ἴσχε πᾶς τις.
Hold back, everyone!
§687bοὐ μὲν οὖν.
Indeed not.
§687cἆ·
Ah!
φίλιον ἄνδρα μὴ θένῃς.
Do not strike a friendly man.
§688καὶ τί δὴ τὸ σῆμα;
And what indeed is the sign?
§688bΦοῖβος.
Phoebus.
§688cἔμαθον· ἴσχε πᾶς δόρυ.
I have learned; hold back your spears, everyone.
§689οἶσθʼ ὅποι βεβᾶσιν ἅνδρες;
Do you know where the men have gone?
§689bτῇδέ πῃ κατείδομεν.
This way somewhere we saw them.
§690ἕρπω πᾶς κατʼ ἴχνος αὐτῶν.
I follow on their track, everyone.
ἢ βοὴν ἐγερτέον;
Or should a cry be raised?
§691ἀλλὰ συμμάχους ταράσσειν δεινὸν ἐκ νυκτῶν φόβῳ.
But to disturb the allies with fear in the night is terrible.
§692—τίς ἀνδρῶν ὁ βάς;
— Who of men is he that went?
§693τίς ὁ μέγα θρασὺς ἐπεύξεται §694χέρα φυγὼν ἐμάν;
Who will boast, greatly daring, having escaped my hand?
§695πόθεν νιν κυρήσω;
Where shall I find him?
§696τίνι προσεικάσω, §697ὅστις διʼ ὄρφνης ἦλθʼ ἀδειμάντῳ ποδὶ §698διά τε τάξεων καὶ φυλάκων ἕδρας;
To whom shall I liken him, who came through the darkness with fearless foot through the ranks and the seats of the guards?
§699Θεσσαλὸς ἢ §700παραλίαν Λοκρῶν νεμόμενος πόλιν;
A Thessalian, or one dwelling in a coastal city of the Locrians?
§701ἢ νησιώτην σποράδα κέκτηται βίον;
Or does he possess a scattered island life?
§702τίς ἦν;
Who was he?
πόθεν;
Whence?
ποίας πάτρας;
From what fatherland?
§703ποῖον δʼ εὔχεται τὸν ὕπατον θεῶν;
And what supreme god of the gods does he claim?
§704— ἆρʼ ἔστʼ Ὀδυσσέως τοὔργον ἢ τίνος τόδε;
— Is this indeed Odysseus' deed, or whose is it?
§705εἰ τοῖς πάροιθε χρὴ τεκμαίρεσθαι· τί μήν;
If one must judge by former things; what else?
§706— δοκεῖς γάρ; — τί μὴν οὔ;
— Do you think so? — Why not indeed?
§707— θρασὺς γοῦν ἐς ἡμᾶς.
— He is bold indeed against us.
§708— τίνʼ ἀλκήν;
— What strength?
τίνʼ αἰνεῖς; — Ὀδυσσῆ.
Whom do you praise? — Odysseus.
§709— μὴ κλωπὸς αἴνει φωτὸς αἱμύλον δόρυ.
— Do not praise the cunning spear of a thief.
§710ἔβα καὶ πάρος §711κατὰ πόλιν, ὕπαφρον ὄμμʼ ἔχων, §712ῥακοδύτῳ στολᾷ §713πυκασθείς, ξιφήρης §714κρύφιος ἐν πέπλοις.
He came also before into the city, having a blear eye, clothed in a ragged garb, puckered up, with a sword hidden in his robes.
§715βίον δʼ ἐπαιτῶν εἷρπʼ ἀγύρτης τις λάτρις, §716ψαφαρόχρουν κάρα πολυπινές τʼ ἔχων·
And begging for a livelihood he crept like a vagabond servant, having a dusty and very filthy head.
§717πολλὰ δὲ τὰν §718βασιλίδʼ ἑστίαν Ἀτρειδᾶν κακῶς §719ἔβαζε δῆθεν ἐχθρὸς ὢν στρατηλάταις.
And many things against the royal hearth of the Atreidae he spoke, forsooth, as if being an enemy to the generals.
§720ὄλοιτʼ ὄλοιτο πανδίκως, §721πρὶν ἐπὶ γᾶν Φρυγῶν ποδὸς ἴχνος βαλεῖν.
May he perish, perish in all justice, before he sets his foot's print on the land of the Phrygians.
§722— εἴτʼ οὖν Ὀδυσσέως εἴτε μή, φόβος μʼ ἔχει· §723Ἕκτωρ γὰρ ἡμῖν τοῖς φύλαξι μέμψεται.
— Whether then it be Odysseus' deed or not, fear possesses me; for Hector will blame us, the guards.
§724— τί λάσκων; — δυσοίζων.
— Saying what? — Suspecting.
§725— τί δρᾶσαι;
— To do what?
τί ταρβεῖς;
What do you fear?
§726— καθʼ ἡμᾶς περᾶσαι — τίνʼ ἀνδρῶν;
— That they passed by us... — Who of men?
§727— οἳ τῆσδε νυκτὸς ἦλθον ἐς Φρυγῶν στρατόν.
— Those who came this night into the army of the Phrygians.
§728ἰὼ, ἰώ, δαίμονος τύχα βαρεῖα.
Ah, ah, heavy fortune of a deity!
φεῦ φεῦ.
Alas, alas!
§729ἔα, ἔα·
Ha, ha!
§730σῖγα πᾶς ὕφιζʼ·
Quiet, everyone, crouch down!
ἴσως γὰρ ἐς βόλον τις ἔρχεται.
For perhaps someone is coming into our net.

Notes

  1. §642σὲ ... λέγω — The verb λέγω with an accusative object means 'to address' or 'to speak to (someone)'. Here it means 'I am addressing you, the general and my brother'.
  2. §655προσθέσθαι — The middle infinitive of προστίθημι, meaning 'to win over to one's side' or 'to associate with'. Paris claims to have secured the goddess's alliance for the city.
  3. §659οὐκ ἔχει φράσαι — The verb ἔχω followed by an infinitive expresses capability or inability ('cannot do something'). It indicates that the eyewitness is unable to explain the situation clearly.
  4. §688bΦοῖβος — The watchword that Odysseus learned from Dolon in the previous chunk (§573). By using this, Odysseus instantly diverts the guards' suspicion, marking a critical turning point that allows their escape.

Cite this passage

Euripides, Rhesus §642-730. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0006.tlg019.humanitext-grc2:642-730

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