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Aeschylus · c. 525-456 BC

Suppliants

Ἱκέτιδες
Ancient Sources / Aeschylus / Suppliants

Read our guide to Suppliants

Suppliants is one of the earliest surviving Greek tragedies. The fifty daughters of Danaus flee from Egypt to Argos, the land of their ancestress Io, to escape marriage to their cousins, the sons of Aegyptus, and ask King Pelasgus for protection. The Chorus of Danaids is the main character. The sections follow the play's own units (parodos, episodes, choral songs and exodos) and keep the standard line numbers of the Greek text.

Read from the start
Text
Greek original with English translation, 11 passages, about 8500 words in English.
Translator
Herbert Weir Smyth (modernised by Perseus) (1922)
Edition
Greek text: Herbert Weir Smyth (ed. and trans.), Aeschylus, Loeb Classical Library, London: William Heinemann, 1922, as digitised by Perseus. English: Herbert Weir Smyth, Aeschylus, Loeb Classical Library, London: William Heinemann, 1922 (Perseus's modernised version of Smyth's prose translation)
Cite as
Aeschylus, Suppliants 1 (by line number)

Contents · 11 passages

  1. 1–175Parodos: the Danaids arrive at Argos1065 words
  2. 176–233First episode: Danaus on the sacred mound558 words
  3. 234–324Second episode: Pelasgus questions the maidens873 words
  4. 325–417Second episode (cont.): the plea and the king's dilemma869 words
  5. 418–523Second episode (cont.): the threat of the girdles968 words
  6. 524–599First stasimon: the prayer to Zeus512 words
  7. 600–709Third episode and second stasimon: the vote of Argos762 words
  8. 710–824Fourth episode and third stasimon: the Egyptian ships936 words
  9. 825–910Exodos (1): the Herald of Aegyptus seizes the maidens505 words
  10. 911–965Exodos (2): Pelasgus stops the Herald595 words
  11. 966–1073Exodos (3): the Danaids go to the city887 words

More by Aeschylus

English translation by Herbert Weir Smyth (modernised by Perseus) (1922). Original text: Greek text: Herbert Weir Smyth (ed. and trans.), Aeschylus, Loeb Classical Library, London: William Heinemann, 1922, as digitised by Perseus. English: Herbert Weir Smyth, Aeschylus, Loeb Classical Library, London: William Heinemann, 1922 (Perseus's modernised version of Smyth's prose translation).

Greek text and translation from the Perseus Digital Library, Tufts University, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Perseus Digital Library); translation public domain. Introductions, summaries and notes © GreekMythology.com.