Hippolytus 482–524: The Nurse offers a cure; Phaedra yields

Euripides, Hippolytus 482–524: Second episode: the Nurse offers a cure; Phaedra yields

The Chorus says that the Nurse gives the better counsel, but Phaedra thinks that such smooth words are the ruin of cities and houses and rejects the proposal as shameful. The Nurse then says that she has charms that will cure her, and Phaedra, who is afraid, finally lets her try, but makes her promise not to say a word of it to Theseus' son.

Chorus

482–485

482Φαίδρα, λέγει μὲν ἥδε χρησιμώτερα
πρὸς τὴν παροῦσαν ξυμφοράν, αἰνῶ δὲ σέ.
ὁ δ’ αἶνος οὗτος δυσχερέστερος λόγων
485τῶν τῆσδε καὶ σοὶ μᾶλλον ἀλγίων κλύειν.

Although she gives thee at thy present need the wiser counsel, Phaedra, yet do I praise thee. Still my praise may sound more harsh and jar more cruelly on thy ear than her advice.

486–524

Φαίδρα 486τοῦτ’ ἔσθ’ ὃ θνητῶν εὖ πόλεις οἰκουμένας δόμους τ’ ἀπόλλυσ’, οἱ καλοὶ λίαν λόγοι. οὐ γὰρ τὰ τοῖσιν ὠσὶ τερπνὰ χρὴ λέγειν, ἀλλ’ ἐξ ὅτου τις εὐκλεὴς γενήσεται. Τροφός 490τί σεμνομυθεῖς; οὐ λόγων εὐσχημόνων δεῖ σ’, ἀλλὰ τἀνδρός. — ὡς τάχος διοιστέον, τὸν εὐθὺν ἐξειπόντας ἀμφὶ σοῦ λόγον. εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἦν σοι μὴ ’πὶ συμφοραῖς βίος τοιαῖσδε, σώφρων δ’ οὖσ’ ἐτύγχανες γυνή, 495οὐκ ἄν ποτ’ εὐνῆς οὕνεχ’ ἡδονῆς τε σῆς προσῆγον ἄν σε δεῦρο· νῦν δ’ ἀγὼν μέγας σῶσαι βίον σόν, κοὐκ ἐπίφθονον τόδε. Φαίδρα ὦ δεινὰ λέξασ’, οὐχὶ συγκλῄσεις στόμα καὶ μὴ μεθήσεις αὖθις αἰσχίστους λόγους; Τροφός 500αἴσχρ’, ἀλλ’ ἀμείνω τῶν καλῶν τάδ’ ἐστί σοι. κρεῖσσον δὲ τοὔργον, εἴπερ ἐκσώσει γέ σε, ἢ τοὔνομ’, ᾧ σὺ κατθανῇ γαυρουμένη. Φαίδρα καὶ μή σε πρὸς θεῶν — εὖ λέγεις γάρ, αἰσχρὰ δέ — πέρα προβῇς τῶνδ’· ὡς ὑπείργασμαι μὲν εὖ 505ψυχὴν ἔρωτι, τᾀσχρὰ δ’ ἢν λέγῃς καλῶς, ἐς τοῦθ’ ὃ φεύγω νῦν ἀναλωθήσομαι. Τροφός εἴ τοι δοκεῖ σοι, χρῆν μὲν οὔ σ’ ἁμαρτάνειν· εἰ δ’ οὖν, πιθοῦ μοι· δευτέρα γὰρ ἡ χάρις. ἔστιν κατ’ οἴκους φίλτρα μοι θελκτήρια 510ἔρωτος, ἦλθε δ’ ἄρτι μοι γνώμης ἔσω, ἅ σ’ οὔτ’ ἐπ’ αἰσχροῖς οὔτ’ ἐπὶ βλάβῃ φρενῶν παύσει νόσου τῆσδ’, ἢν σὺ μὴ γένῃ κακή. δεῖ δ’ ἐξ ἐκείνου δή τι τοῦ ποθουμένου σημεῖον, ἢ λόγον τιν’ ἢ πέπλων ἄπο 515λαβεῖν, συνάψαι τ’ ἐκ δυοῖν μίαν χάριν. Φαίδρα πότερα δὲ χριστὸν ἢ ποτὸν τὸ φάρμακον; Τροφός οὐκ οἶδ’· ὀνάσθαι, μὴ μαθεῖν βούλου, τέκνον. Φαίδρα δέδοιχ’ ὅπως μοι μὴ λίαν φανῇς σοφή. Τροφός πάντ’ ἂν φοβηθεῖσ’ ἴσθι· δειμαίνεις δὲ τί; Φαίδρα 520μή μοί τι Θησέως τῶνδε μηνύσῃς τόκῳ. Τροφός ἔασον, ὦ παῖ· ταῦτ’ ἐγὼ θήσω καλῶς. μόνον σύ μοι, δέσποινα ποντία Κύπρι, συνεργὸς εἴης. τἄλλα δ’ οἷ’ ἐγὼ φρονῶ τοῖς ἔνδον ἡμῖν ἀρκέσει λέξαι φίλοις.

Phaedra ’Tis even this, too plausible a tongue, that overthrows good governments and homes of men. We should not speak to please the ear but point the path that leads to noble fame.

Nurse What means this solemn speech? No need of rounded phrases; but at once must we sound the prince, telling him frankly how it is with thee. Had not thy life to such a crisis come, or wert thou with self-control endowed, ne’er would I to gratify thy passions have urged thee to this course; but now ’tis a struggle fierce to save thy life, and therefore less to blame.

Phaedra Accursed proposal! peace, woman! never utter those shameful words again!

Nurse Shameful, maybe, yet for thee better than honour’s code. Better this deed, if it shall save thy life, than that name thy pride will kill thee to retain.

Phaedra I conjure thee, go no further! for thy words are plausible but infamous; for though as yet love has not undermined my soul, yet, if in specious words thou dress thy foul suggestion, I shall be beguiled into the snare from which I am now escaping.

Nurse If thou art of this mind, ’twere well thou ne’er hadst sinned; but as it is, hear me; for that is the next best course; I in my house have charms to soothe thy love,—’twas but now I thought of them;—these shall cure thee of thy sickness on no disgraceful terms, thy mind unhurt, if thou wilt be but brave.

Phaedra Is thy drug a salve or potion?

Nurse I cannot tell; be content, my child, to profit by it and ask no questions.

Phaedra I fear me thou wilt prove too wise for me.

Nurse If thou fear this, confess thyself afraid of all; but why thy terror?

Phaedra Lest thou shouldst breathe a word of this to Theseus’ son.

Nurse Peace, my child! I will do all things well; only be thou, queen Cypris, ocean’s child, my partner in the work! And for the rest of my purpose, it will be enough for me to tell it to our friends within the house.

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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.

Euripides, Hippolytus 482–524: Second episode: the Nurse offers a cure; Phaedra yields

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