Euripides · c. 480-406 BC
Hippolytus
ἹππόλυτοςHippolytus won the first prize at the Athenian festival of 428 BC. Aphrodite, angered by the chaste young Hippolytus, who honours only Artemis, causes his stepmother Phaedra, the wife of Theseus, to fall in love with him. The play follows Phaedra's struggle with her passion, her death and the curse by which Theseus destroys his own son on a false charge. The sections follow the play's own units (prologue, parodos, episodes, choral songs and exodos) and keep the standard line numbers of the Greek text.
Contents · 27 passages
- 1–57Prologue: Aphrodite announces her revenge on Hippolytus536 words
- 58–120Prologue: Hippolytus honours Artemis and rejects Aphrodite558 words
- 121–175Parodos: the women of Troezen ask what ails Phaedra343 words
- 176–214First episode: the Nurse brings the sick Phaedra outside312 words
- 215–266First episode: Phaedra raves of hunting, then covers her shame372 words
- 267–312First episode: the Nurse presses Phaedra to speak437 words
- 313–352bFirst episode: Phaedra confesses her love for Hippolytus435 words
- 353–432First episode: Phaedra explains why she must die740 words
- 433–481Second episode: the Nurse argues that love must be yielded to440 words
- 482–524Second episode: the Nurse offers a cure; Phaedra yields392 words
- 525–579First choral song to Love; Phaedra listens at the door331 words
- 581–615Third episode: Hippolytus learns of Phaedra's love287 words
- 616–668Third episode: Hippolytus denounces all women485 words
- 669–731Third episode: Phaedra turns on the Nurse and resolves to die561 words
- 732–789Second choral song; Phaedra hangs herself397 words
- 790–847Fourth episode: Theseus returns to find Phaedra dead518 words
- 848–890Fourth episode: Theseus reads Phaedra's letter and prays for his son's death365 words
- 891–931Fourth episode: Hippolytus returns to his father's curse364 words
- 932–982Fourth episode: Theseus accuses Hippolytus of violating Phaedra461 words
- 983–1035Fourth episode: Hippolytus defends himself437 words
- 1036–1089Fourth episode: Theseus banishes Hippolytus488 words
- 1090–1152Third choral song; Hippolytus leaves Troezen417 words
- 1153–1254Messenger speech: Hippolytus is wrecked by the bull from the sea859 words
- 1255–1324Exodos: Theseus hears the news and Artemis appears584 words
- 1325–1388Exodos: Artemis reveals the truth to Theseus427 words
- 1389–1415aExodos: the dying Hippolytus and Artemis291 words
- 1416–1466Exodos: Hippolytus forgives his father and dies461 words
More by Euripides
English translation by Edward P. Coleridge (1891). Original text: Greek text: Gilbert Murray (ed.), Euripidis Fabulae, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1902, 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.
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