The people of whom she asks are, first, her enemies—­Helen; Calchas, the prophet, who had commanded her sacrifice; Odysseus, who had devised the plot by which she was brought to Aulis (11. 16, 24); then Achilles, who had been the hero of her dreams; then, with fear and hesitancy, those for whom she cares most.—­Observe, at 1. 553, how, on hearing of her father’s murder, her first thought is pity for her mother.  Her father is already in her mind “he that slew.”  But in every line of this dialogue there is fine drama and psychology.

P. 28, 1. 538, “Small help his bridal brought him; he is dead.”—­ It has been thought curious that the mention of Achilles should immediately suggest to Orestes the bridal at Aulis, though of course it does so to Iphigenia.  But after all it was Orestes’ sister that Achilles was to marry at Aulis; and secondly, a large part of Orestes’ troubles came from the carrying off of his betrothed, Hermione, by Achilles’ bastard son, Pyrrhus.  If the marriage at Aulis had taken place and Achilles left a true-born son, that would all have been different.

P. 31, 1. 569, Light dreams farewell!  Ye too were lies.—­This does seem a wrong conclusion.  The dreams only suggested that Orestes had died the day before, long after this man had left Argos.  But perhaps it is not unnatural.

P. 32, 11. 576 f., We too have kinsmen dear.—­A most characteristic Euripidean saying.  It also leads up to the personal interest in the Chorus which we feel after 1. 1075, p. 63, when they are taken into the conspiracy and then abandoned.

P. 32, 1. 578, Listen; for I am fallen upon a thought.—­It must not be supposed that this use of the tablet is an obvious or easy thing.  It is a daring project that crosses her mind, as one possible way of avoiding the death of this Stranger.  Her hesitation at 1. 742—­where a pause is indicated in the Greek—­ shows that she is only trusting to her special influence over the King to get him to relax the law.  Presumably merchants sometimes were admitted to the Tauri; for instance, those who brought the Chorus.  The safe way to use the tablet would have been to make sure of the friendship of one of these.  But such questions lie outside the play.

P. 34, 1. 618, This altar’s spell is over me.—­I translate the Ms. reading [Greek text].  In my text I accepted the usual emendation [Greek text].  But [Greek text] means “spell” or “infection.”  See Rise of the Greek Epic, p. 86.

P. 34, 1. 627, My sister’s hand.—­i.e.  Electra’s.

Pp. 35-39, 11. 645-724.—­Observe that all through this scene it is Pylades who is broken and Orestes strong.  Contrast their first entrance, pp. 6-8.

P. 45, 1. 804, Argos is bright with him.—­Literally, “is full of him.”  I am not sure that I understand the expression, but I think she feels Orestes as a magnificent presence filling all his home.