ALC.  Why then do ye delay, if you are fated to accomplish safety to the city and to your descendants, to slay this man, hearing these things? for they show us the safest path.  The man is an enemy, but he will profit us dying.  Take him away, O servants; then having slain him, ye must give him to the dogs; for hope not thou, that living, thou shalt again banish me from my native land.

CHOR.  These things seem good to me, proceed, O attendants, for every thing on our part shall be done completely for our sovereigns.

* * * * *

NOTES ON THE HERACLYDAE

* * * *

[1] Such seems to be the force of [Greek:  eis aner].

[2] But the construction is probably [Greek:  aletai ges], (compare my note on AEsch.  Eum. 63,) and [Greek:  apesteremenoi] is bereaved, destitute.

[3] Cf.  AEsch.  Eum. 973.

[4] i.e.  Oenoe, Marathon, Probalinthus, and Tricorythus.

[5] Elmsley compares Med. 1209. [Greek:  tis ton geronta tymbon orthanon sethen tithesi]; so the Latins used “Silicernium.”  Cf.  Fulgent.  Expos.  Serm.  Ant. p. 171, ed.  Munck.

[6] [Greek:  antlos], sentina, bilge-water.  See Elmsley.

[7] See Elmsley’s note.

[8] See Dindorf, who repents of the reading in the text, and restores [Greek:  soi gar tod’ aischron choris en polei kakon].  He, however, condemns this and the two next lines as spurious.

[9] i.e. if I neglect them.

[10] Cf.  Hor.  Od. iii. 6, 48.  “AEtas parentum, pejor avis, tulit Nos nequiores, mox daturos Progeniem vitiosiorem.”

[11] Cf.  Soph.  Ant. 127. [Greek:  Zeus gar megales glosses kompous Hyperechthairei].

[12] Cf.  AEsch.  Sept. c.  Th. 40 sq., also Soph.  Oed.  T. 6 sqq.

[13] i.e. [Greek:  manteis kat’ asty thyepholousi].  ELMSLEY.

[14] Pausanias, i. 32, states that the oracle expressly required that one of the descendants of Hercules should be devoted, and that upon this Macaria, his daughter by Deianira, voluntarily offered herself.  Her name was afterward given to a fountain.  Enripides probably omitted this fact, in order to place the noble-mindedness of Macaria in a stronger light.  The curious reader may compare the similar sacrifices of Codrus, (Pausan. vii. 25.  Vell.  Patere. i. 4,) Menoeceus, (Eur.  Phoen. 1009, Statius Theb. x. 751 sqq.,) Chaon (Serv. on Virg.  AEn. iii. 335).  See also Lomeier de Lustrationibus, Sec. xxii., where the whole subject is learnedly treated.

[15] Cf.  AEsch.  Ag. 206 sqq.

[16] I prefer understanding [Greek:  heneka exodon emon] with Elmsley, to Matthiae’s forced interpretation.  Compare Med. 214 sqq.

[17] The cognate accusative to [Greek:  draseien] must be supplied from the context.

[18] There is some awkwardness in the construction.  Perhaps if we read [Greek:  sperma, tes theias phrenos! peph.] the sense will be improved.