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Euripides · Electra Ἠλέκτρα

Euripides, Electra 547–584: Second episode: the Old Man recognises Orestes by his scar

Ancient Sources / Euripides / Electra / 547–584

The Old Man asks to see the guests and, looking at Orestes, finds the scar along his brow where he fell and drew blood one day, chasing a fawn with Electra in his father's house. Electra, crying out, embraces her brother, and Orestes says that he is her one ally, and that he has confidence, or else the gods are not to be believed if wrong is to triumph over right.

Lines 547–584 · 422 words · click a number to copy its link
547–584
Πρέσβυς 547οἱ δὲ ξένοι ποῦ; βούλομαι γὰρ εἰσιδὼν αὐτοὺς ἔρεσθαι σοῦ κασιγνήτου πέρι. Ἠλέκτρα οἵδʼ ἐκ δόμων βαίνουσι λαιψηρῷ ποδί. Πρέσβυς 550ἀλλʼ εὐγενεῖς μέν, ἐν δὲ κιβδήλῳ τόδε· πολλοὶ γὰρ ὄντες εὐγενεῖς εἰσιν κακοί. ὅμως δέ. — χαίρειν τοὺς ξένους προσεννέπω. Ὀρέστης χαῖρʼ, ὦ γεραιέ. — τοῦ ποτʼ, Ἠλέκτρα, τόδε παλαιὸν ἀνδρὸς λείψανον φίλων κυρεῖ; Ἠλέκτρα 555οὗτος τὸν ἁμὸν πατέρʼ ἔθρεψεν, ὦ ξένε. Ὀρέστης τί φῄς; ὅδʼ ὃς σὸν ἐξέκλεψε σύγγονον; Ἠλέκτρα ὅδʼ ἔσθʼ ὁ σώσας κεῖνον, εἴπερ ἔστʼ ἔτι. Ὀρέστης ἔα· τί μʼ ἐσδέδορκεν ὥσπερ ἀργύρου σκοπῶν λαμπρὸν χαρακτῆρʼ; ἢ προσεικάζει μέ τῳ; Ἠλέκτρα 560ἴσως Ὀρέστου σʼ ἥλιχʼ ἥδεται βλέπων. Ὀρέστης φίλου γε φωτός. τί δὲ κυκλεῖ πέριξ πόδα; Ἠλέκτρα καὐτὴ τόδʼ εἰσορῶσα θαυμάζω, ξένε. Πρέσβυς ὦ πότνιʼ, εὔχου, θύγατερ Ἠλέκτρα, θεοῖς. Ἠλέκτρα τί τῶν ἀπόντων ἢ τί τῶν ὄντων πέρι; Πρέσβυς 565λαβεῖν φίλον θησαυρόν, ὃν φαίνει θεός. Ἠλέκτρα ἰδού· καλῶ θεούς. ἢ τί δὴ λέγεις, γέρον; Πρέσβυς βλέψον νυν ἐς τόνδʼ, ὦ τέκνον, τὸν φίλτατον. Ἠλέκτρα πάλαι δέδορκα, μὴ σύ γʼ οὐκέτʼ εὖ φρονῇς. Πρέσβυς οὐκ εὖ φρονῶ ʼγὼ σὸν κασίγνητον βλέπων; Ἠλέκτρα 570πῶς εἶπας, ὦ γεραίʼ, ἀνέλπιστον λόγον; Πρέσβυς ὁρᾶν Ὀρέστην τόνδε τὸν Ἀγαμέμνονος. Ἠλέκτρα ποῖον χαρακτῆρʼ εἰσιδών, ᾧ πείσομαι; Πρέσβυς οὐλὴν παρʼ ὀφρύν, ἥν ποτʼ ἐν πατρὸς δόμοις νεβρὸν διώκων σοῦ μέθʼ ᾑμάχθη πεσών. Ἠλέκτρα 575πῶς φῄς; ὁρῶ μὲν πτώματος τεκμήριον. Πρέσβυς ἔπειτα μέλλεις προσπίτνειν τοῖς φιλτάτοις; Ἠλέκτρα ἀλλʼ οὐκέτʼ, ὦ γεραιέ· συμβόλοισι γὰρ τοῖς σοῖς πέπεισμαι θυμόν. — ὦ χρόνῳ φανείς, ἔχω σʼ ἀέλπτως — Ὀρέστης κἀξ ἐμοῦ γʼ ἔχῃ χρόνῳ. Ἠλέκτρα 580οὐδέποτε δόξασα. Ὀρέστης οὐδʼ ἐγὼ γὰρ ἤλπισα. Ἠλέκτρα ἐκεῖνος εἶ σύ; Ὀρέστης σύμμαχός γέ σοι μόνος. ἢν δʼ ἀνσπάσωμαί γʼ ὃν μετέρχομαι βόλον — πέποιθα δʼ· ἢ χρὴ μηκέθʼ ἡγεῖσθαι θεούς, εἰ τἄδικʼ ἔσται τῆς δίκης ὑπέρτερα.

Old man Where are the guests? I want to see them and question them about your brother.

Electra There they are, coming quickly out of the house.

Old man They are well-born, but that may ring false; for many of the well-born are base. However; I give the guests welcome.

Orestes Welcome, old man! To which of your friends, Electra, does this ancient remnant of a man belong?

Electra This is the one who brought up my father, stranger.

Orestes What are you saying? Is this the one who stole away your brother?

Electra This is the one who saved him, if indeed he is still alive.

Orestes Oh! Why does he look at me, as if he were examining the clear mark impressed on a silver coin? Is he comparing me to someone?

Electra Perhaps he is glad to see in you a companion of Orestes.

Orestes A beloved man, yes. But why is he circling all around me?

Electra I too am amazed, looking at this, stranger.

Old man O mistress, daughter Electra, pray to the gods.

Electra For what thing, present or absent?

Old man To have a beloved treasure, which the god is revealing.

Electra See: I call on the gods. Or whatever do you mean, old man?

Old man Look now at this man, my child, your dearest one.

Electra I have been looking for a long time, to see whether you have lost your mind.

Old man Lost my mind, because I see your brother?

Electra What do you mean, old man, by this word, unhoped for?

Old man That I see Orestes here, Agamemnon’s son.

Electra What mark do you see, by which I shall be persuaded?

Old man A scar along his brow, where he fell and drew blood one day in his father’s home when chasing a fawn with you.

Electra What are you saying? I see the sign of the fall.

Old man Then do you hesitate to embrace your dearest one?

Electra Not any longer, old man; for my heart is persuaded by your tokens. O you who have appeared at last, I hold you, beyond all hope.

Orestes And you are held by me at last.

Electra I never expected it.

Orestes Nor did I hope.

Electra Are you that one?

Orestes Yes, your one ally. If I draw back the cast of the net I am aiming for—but I have confidence; or else we must no longer believe in gods, if wrong is to be victorious over right.

People and places in this passage

Passages in other works that tell of the same people and places, oldest and closest first.

  1. Sophocles, Electra 1171–1287Fourth episode (cont.): the recognition of Orestes
  2. Aeschylus, Libation Bearers 152–245First episode (cont.): the lock of hair and the recognition
  3. Sophocles, Electra 849–933Kommos; Chrysothemis reports offerings at the tomb
  4. Euripides, Orestes 211–267First episode: Orestes wakes and hears that Menelaus has come
  5. Euripides, Orestes 1013–1068Sixth episode: Orestes and Electra say farewell
  6. Aeschylus, Libation Bearers 479–584End of the kommos: Clytaemestra's dream and Orestes' plan

English translation by Edward P. Coleridge (1891). Original text: Greek text: Gilbert Murray (ed.), Euripidis Fabulae, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1913, as digitised by Perseus. English: Edward P. Coleridge, The Plays of Euripides, London: George Bell and Sons, first published 1891 (Bohn's Classical Library; the Perseus header records a later printing).

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.