Aeschylus: Eumenides

318 Pages·1989·5.48 MB·English

by  Alan H. Sommerstein

AESCHYLUS
EUMENIDES
EDITEDB Y
ALANH .S OMMERSTEIN
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CAMBRIDGUEN IVERSIPTRYE SS
CAMBRIDGE
NEW YORK PORT CHESTER
MELBOURNE SYDNEY
Published by the Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge
The Pitt Building, Trumpington Street, Cambridge c82 18?
40 West 20th Street, New York, ny 10011, USA
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(Q Cambridge University Press 1989
First published 1989
Printed in Great Britain at the University Press, Cambridge
British Library cataloguing in publication data
Aeschylus
Eumenides.
1. Tide i. Sommerstein, Alan H. (Alan Herbert), 1947-
'" . B82'.01
Library of Congress cataloguing in publication data
Aeschylus: Eumenides / edited by Alan H. Sommerstein.
p. cm.—(Cambridge Greek and Latin classics)
Includes index.
ISBN 0-521-24084-0.-ISBN 0-521-28430-9 (pbk)
1. Orestes (Greek mythology)—Drama. 1. Sommerstein, Alan H.
i. Series.
PA3825.E7 1989 882'.01-dce 1g 88-37095
ISBN 0 521 24084 o hard covers
ISBN 0 521 20430 9 paperback
CW
CONTENTS

Preface | page vii
References and abbreviations viii
Introduction I
1 The legend I
2 Erinyes, Eumenides and Semnai 6
3 The Areopagus and homicide 13
4 The life and work of Aeschylus 17
5 Justice and the gods I9
6 A play for its day 25
j Production and staging 32
8 The text 45
Sigla | 37
39
EUMENIDES
Commentary | 79
Appendix: lyric metres 207
Indexes 297

PREFACE

Some fifteen years ago Mrs (now Professor) Pat Easterling invited me
to give a lecture in a series on ‘the literary criticism of Greek drama’,
and I chose as my subject Éumenides 490—565. The lecture was never
delivered; I entirely forgot my commitment until the morning when
the lecture was scheduled to take place, and at that moment I was on a
train somewhere between Oxford and Paddington. I never had a hard
word from Mrs Easterling on this matter (or any other); none the less I
was pleased to be given the opportunity of bringing her an atonement-
offering in the form of this edition. Together with her fellow-editor of
the Cambridge Greek and Latin Classics Series, Professor E. J. Ken-
ney, she has read the whole Commentary in draft, and made many
suggestions for its improvement; so too has another of my former
Cambridge teachers, Professor A. D. Fitton Brown of the University of
Leicester. 1 am most grateful also for the kindness of Keith Sid well in
sharing with me some interesting and provocative ideas that forced me
to think afresh about many matters connected with Orestes’ trial; and
for the help of all those who have assisted me in many ways during the
time this edition has been in preparation. Responsibility for all opi-
nions expressed and arguments advanced, unless otherwise ascribed,
remains wholly mine.
The play here edited is not a self-contained work of art any more
than is the twenty-fourth book of the Ziad, so admirably edited in this
series by the late Colin Macleod. But like that book, it brings a great
work of art to a conclusion that is both unexpected and utterly appro-
priate; and it is my ardent hope that this edition may contribute to a
fuller understanding and appreciation both of a play often neglected
or disparaged and above all of the Oresteia as a whole.
vil
REFERANDE ANBBCREVEIATSION S

(1) FRAGOMF EGRENEK TAUTSHOR S
Tragic fragments are cited from TrGF (see below), except in the case
of Euripides who is cited from A. Nauck, Tragicorum Graecorum frag-
menia? (Leipzig, 1889). Pindar and Bacchylides are cited from the
editions of B. Snell revised by H. Maehler (Pindari carmina cum fragmen-
us, Pars IH (Leipzig, 1975); Bacchylidis carmina cum fragmentis (Leipzig,
1970)). Other archaic and classical lyric poets, except Alcaeus and
Sappho, are cited by the continuous numbering of PMG (see below).
Fragments of Callimachus are cited from R. Pfeiffer, Callimachus
(Oxford, 1949-53). In all other cases, either the edition used is indi-
cated by editor's name or abbreviation, or LSJ’s method of citation is
followed.
(2) ABBREVIATIONS
Agora XVII D. W. Bradeen, The Athenian Agora. Volume XVII. Inscrip-
tions: the funerary monuments (Princeton, 1974).
ATL B. D. Meritt, H. T. Wade-Gery and M. F. McGregor,
The Athenian tribute lists (Cambridge, Mass./Princeton,
1939-53).
D-K H. Diels, Die Fragmente der Vorsokratiker® (rev. W. Kranz)
(Berlin, 1951-2).
FGrH F. Jacoby, Fragmente der griechischen. Historiker. (Berlin/
Leiden, 1923-58).
FJW H. Friis Johansen and E. W. Whittle, Aeschylus: the Sup-
pliants (Copenhagen, 1980).
G-P B. Gentili and C. Prato, Poetae elegiaci: testimonia et frag-
menta (Leipzig, 1979-85).
IG Inscriptiones Graecae.
K-A R. Kassel and C. Austin, Poetae comici Graeci (Berlin,
1983).
K-B R. Kühner and F. Blass, Ausführliche Grammatik der griech-
ischen Sprache. Erster Teil: Elementar- und Formenlehre?
(Hannover, 1890-2).
viii
REFERENCES AND ABBREVIATIONS ix
K-G R. Kühner and B. Gerth, Ausführliche Grammatik. der
griechischen. Sprache. Zweiter Teil: Salzlehre? (Hannover,
1898-1904).
L-P E. Lobel and D. L. Page, Poetarum Lesbiorum fragmenta
(Oxford, 1955).
LSJ H. G. Liddell, R. Scott and H. Stuart Jones, A Greek—
English lexicon? (Oxford, 1940) with Supplement ed. E. A.
Barber (Oxford, 1968).
M-W R. Merkelbach and M. L. West, Fragmenta Hesiodea (Ox-
ford, 1967).
PMG D. L. Page, Poetae melici Graeci (Oxford, 1962).
RE . Paulys Realencyclopddie der klassischen Altertumswissenschaft,
SEG Supplementum epigraphicum Graecum.
TrGF B. Snell, R. Kannicht and S. L. Radt, Tragicorum Graec-
orum fragmenta (Gottingen, 1971-).
Abbreviated titles of periodicals, where not self-explanatory, follow the
practice of L'année philologique. Names of ancient authors and their
works are generally abbreviated as in LSJ.
(3 BOOKS AND ARTICLES REFERRED TO BY
AUTHOR'S NAME
R. J. Bonner and G. Smith, The administration of justice from Homer to
Aristotle (Chicago, 1930-8).
W. Burkert, Greek religion tr. J. Raffan (Oxford, 1985).
D. J. Conacher, Aeschylus’ Oresteia: a literary commentary (Toronto, 1987).
A. B. Cook, Zeus (Cambridge, 1914-40).
A. M. Dale, The lyric metres of Greek drama? (Cambridge, 1968) [Dale?| .
R. D. Dawe, The collation and investigation of manuscripts of Aeschylus
(Cambridge, 1964).
J. D. Denniston, The Greek particles? (Oxford, 1954).
K. J. Dover, “The political aspect of Aeschylus’s Eumenides’. 7 AS. 77
(1957) 230-7.
E. Fraenkel, Aeschylus: Agamemnon (Oxford, 1950).
A. F. Garvie, Aeschylus: Choephori (Oxford, 1986).
S. D. Goldhill, Language, sexuality, narrative: the Oresteia (Cambridge,
1984).
Χ REFERENCES AND ABBREVIATIONS
W. W. Goodwin, Syntax of the moods and tenses of the Greek verb? (London,
1912).
P. Groeneboom, Aeschylus Eumeniden (Groningen, 1952).
A. R. W. Harrison, The law of Athens (Oxford, 1968—71).
S. Ireland, Aeschylus (Oxford, 1986).
M. Kaimio, The chorus of Greek drama within the light of the person and
number used (Helsinki, 1970).
G. S. Kirk, J. E. Raven and M. Schofield, 7 he Presocratic philosophers?
(Cambridge, 1983).
H. D. F. Kitto, Form and meaning in drama (London, 1956).
A. Lebeck, The Oresteia: a study in language and structure (Washington,
1071).
H. Lloyd-Jones, Aeschylus: Oresteia? (London, 1979).
D. M. MacDowell, Athenian homicide law in the age of the orators (Man-:
chester, 1963). )
C. W. Macleod, ‘Politics and the Oresteia’, T.H.S. 102 (1982) 124-44.
K. O. Müller, Aschylos Eumeniden, griechisch und deutsch, mit erlduternden
Abhandlungen (Gottingen, 1833).
D. L. Page, Aeschyli septem quae supersunt tragoediae (Oxford, 1972).
R. Parker, Miasma (Oxford, 1983).
E. Petrounias, Funktion und Thematik der Bilder bei Aischylos (G6ttingen,
1976).
A. W. Pickard-Cambridge, The dramatic festivals of Athens? (rev.
J. Gould and D. M. Lewis) (Oxford, 1968) [Pickard-Cambridge?] .
A. J. Podlecki, The political background of Aeschylean tragedy (Ann Arbor,
1966).
A. ΤΟΝ, W. Prag, The Oresteia: iconographic and narrative traditions (War-
minster, 1985).
P. J. Rhodes, A commentary on the Aristotelian Athenaion Politera (Oxford,
1981).
H. J. Rose, A commentary on the surviving plays of Aeschylus (Amsterdam,
1957-8).
E. Schwyzer and A. Debrunner, et al., Griechische Grammatik (Munich,
1934-71).
W. C. Scott, Musical design in Aeschylean theater (Hanover, N.H., 1984).
QO. P. Taplin, The stagecraft of Aeschylus (Oxford, 1977).
G. Thomson, The Oresteia of Aeschylus? (Amsterdam/Prague, 1966).
L. Threatte, The grammar of Attic inscriptions (Berlin, 1980—).
REFERENCES AND ABBREVIATIONS xi
M. N. Tod, A selection of Greek historical inscriptions (Oxford, 1933-48)
[Tod GHI].
A. D. Trendall and T. B. L. Webster, Illustrations of Greek drama
(London, 1971).
M. Ventris and J. Chadwick, Documents tn Mycenaean Greek?
(Cambridge, 1973) [Ventris—Chadwick?] .
H. Weir Smyth, Aeschylus I: Agamemnon, Libation-bearers, Eumenides,
Fragments (Cambridge, Mass./London, 1926).
H. Weir Smyth, Greek grammar? (rev. G. M. Messing) (Cambridge,
Mass., 1956) [Weir Smyth?] .
M. L. West, Greek metre (Oxford, 1982).
R. P. Winnington-Ingram, Studies in Aeschylus (Cambridge, 1983).
References in the form ‘Griffith on Pr. 128—92' are to the named
scholar's commentary on the work cited.
Every judge who renders true and upright judgement, even for a single
hour, is as meritorious in the eyes of Scripture as if he had become a
partner to the Holy One, blessed be He, in the work of Creation.
RABBI HIYYA BEN RAB OF DIFTI
(Talmud Babli, Shabbath toa)
One, and by no means the least important, object of punishment is to
prevent, so far as possible, the victims of crime from taking matters into
their own hands.
LORD LANE, Lord Chief Justice
(in R. v. Darby, 16 December 1986)