HER.  Having fought a battle with the prince of those beneath.

ADM.  Where dost thou say thou didst have this conflict with Death!

HER.  At the tomb itself, having seized him from ambush with my hands.

ADM.  But why, I pray, does this woman stand here speechless?

HER.  It is not yet allowed thee to hear her address thee, before she is unbound from her consecrations[51] to the Gods beneath, and the third day come.  But lead her in, and as thou oughtest, henceforward, Admetus, continue in thy piety with respect to strangers.  And farewell!  But I will go and perform the task that is before me for the imperial son of Sthenelus.

ADM.  Stay with us, and be a companion of our hearth.

HER.  This shall be some time hence, but now I must haste.

ADM.  But mayst thou be prosperous, and return on thy journey back.  But to the citizens, and to all the tetrarchy I issue my commands, that they institute dances in honor of these happy events, and make the altars odorous with their sacrifices of oxen that accompany their vows.  For now are we placed in a better state of life than the former one:  for I will not deny that I am happy.

CHOR.  Many are the shapes of the things the deities direct, and many things the Gods perform contrary to our expectations.  And those things which we looked for are not accomplished; but the God hath brought to pass things not looked for.  Such hath been the event of this affair.

* * * * *

NOTES ON ALCESTIS

[1] Lactant. i. 10.  “Quid Apollo?  Nonne ... turpissime gregem pavit alienum?” B.

[2] Hygin.  Fab. li.  “Apollo ab eo in servitutem liberaliter acceptus.”  B.

[3] Cf.  Hippol. 1437.  B.

[4] No one will, I believe, object to this translation of [Greek:  THANATOS]; it seems rather a matter of surprise that Potter has kept the Latin ORCUS, a name clearly substituted as the nearest to [Greek:  THANATOS] of the masculine gender.

[5] Cf.  AEsch.  Eum. 723 sqq.  B.

[6] It was customary to bury those, who died advanced in years, with greater magnificence than young persons.

[7] The horses of Diomed, king of Thrace.  The construction is, [Greek:  Eurystheos pempsantos [auton] meta hippeion ochema [axonta] ek topon dyschei meron Threikes].  MONK.

[8] On this custom, see Monk, and Lomeier de Lustrationibus Sec. xxviii.  B.

[9] Perhaps, “as though all were over,” B.

[10] Casaubon on Theophr.  Sec. 16, observes that it was customary to place a large vessel filled with lustral water before the doors of a house during the time the corpse was lying out, with which every one who came out sprinkled himself.  See also Monk’s note, Kirchmann de Funeribus, iii. 9.  The same custom was observed on returning from the funeral.  See Pollux, viii. 7. p. 391, ed.  Seber.  B.