Euripides · Ion Ἴων

Euripides, Ion 184–225: Parodos: the Chorus admires the temple sculptures

The Chorus of Creusa's handmaids, who have come from Athens, says that there are fine temples in Athens but that here at Delphi too, the shrine of Loxias shines. They look at the sculptures on the temple, among them Heracles killing the water-snake, Iolaus holding a torch, Bellerophon on his winged horse killing a fire-breathing monster and the battle of the giants.

Lines 184–225 · 339 words · click a number to copy its link
Χορός 184— οὐκ ἐν ταῖς ζαθέαις Ἀθά- 185ναις εὐκίονες ἦσαν αὐ- λαὶ θεῶν μόνον, οὐδʼ ἀγυι- άτιδες θεραπεῖαι· ἀλλὰ καὶ παρὰ Λοξίᾳ τῷ Λατοῦς διδύμων προσώ- πων καλλιβλέφαρον φῶς. 190— ἰδοὺ τάνδʼ, ἄθρησον, Λερναῖον ὕδραν ἐναίρει χρυσέαις ἅρπαις ὁ Διὸς παῖς· φίλα, πρόσιδʼ ὄσσοις.

(First) Chorus It is not in holy Athens only that there are courts of the gods with fine colonnades, and the worship of Apollo, guardian of highways; but here, too, at the shrine of Loxias, son of Latona, shines the lovely eye of day on faces twain.

(Second) Chorus Just look at this! here is the son of Zeus killing with his scimitar of gold the watersnake of Lerna. Do look at him, my friend!

Χορός 194— ὁρῶ. καὶ πέλας ἄλλος αὐ- 195τοῦ πανὸν πυρίφλεκτον αἴ- ρει τις — ἆρʼ ὃς ἐμαῖσι μυ- θεύεται παρὰ πήναις, ἀσπιστὰς Ἰόλαος, ὃς κοινοὺς αἰρόμενος πόνους 200Δίῳ παιδὶ συναντλεῖ; — καὶ μὰν τόνδʼ ἄθρησον πτεροῦντος ἔφεδρον ἵππου· τὰν πῦρ πνέουσαν ἐναίρει τρισώματον ἀλκάν.

(First) Chorus Yes, I see. And close to him stands another with a blazing torch uplifted; who is he? Can this be the warrior Iolaus whose story is told on my broidery, who shares with the son of Zeus his labours and helps him in the moil?

(Third) Chorus Oh! but look at this! a man mounted on a winged horse, killing a fire-breathing monster with three bodies.

Χορός 205— πάντᾳ τοι βλέφαρον διώ- κω. σκέψαι κλόνον ἐν τείχεσ- σι λαΐνοισι Γιγάντων. — ὦ φίλαι, ὧδε δερκόμεσθα. — λεύσσεις οὖν ἐπʼ Ἐγκελάδῳ 210γοργωπὸν πάλλουσαν ἴτυν — — λεύσσω Παλλάδʼ, ἐμὰν θεόν. — τί γάρ; κεραυνὸν ἀμφίπυρον ὄβριμον ἐν Διὸς ἑκηβόλοισι χερσίν; 215— ὁρῶ· τὸν δάϊον Μίμαντα πυρὶ καταιθαλοῖ. — καὶ Βρόμιος ἄλλον ἀπολέμοι- σι κισσίνοισι βάκτροις ἐναίρει Γᾶς τέκνων ὁ Βακχεύς.

(First) Chorus I am turning my eyes in every direction. Behold the rout of the giants carved on these walls of stone.

(Fourth) Chorus Yes, yes, good friends, I am looking.

(Fifth) Chorus Dost see her standing over Enceladus brandishing her shield with the Gorgon’s head?

(Sixth) Chorus I see Pallas, my own goddess.

(Seventh) Chorus Again, dost see the massy thunderbolt all aflame in the far-darting hands of Zeus?

(Eighth) Chorus I do; ’tis blasting with its flame Mimas, that deadly foe.

(Ninth) Chorus Bromius too, the god of revelry, is slaying another of the sons of Earth with his thyrsus of ivy, never meant for battle.

Χορός 219σέ τοι, τὸν παρὰ ναὸν αὐ- 220δῶ· θέμις γυάλων ὑπερ- βῆναι, λευκῷ ποδί γʼ — ; Ἴων οὐ θέμις, ὦ ξέναι. Χορός οὐδʼ ἂν ἐκ σέθεν ἂν πυθοίμεθʼ αὐδάν; Ἴων τίνα τήνδε θέλεις; Χορός ἆρʼ ὄντως μέσον ὀμφαλὸν γᾶς Φοίβου κατέχει δόμος; Ἴων στέμμασί γʼ ἐνδυτόν, ἀμφὶ δὲ Γοργόνες. Χορός 225οὕτω καὶ φάτις αὐδᾷ.

(First) Chorus Thou that art stationed by this fane, to thee I do address me, may we pass the threshold of these vaults, with our fair white feet?

Ion Nay, ye must not, stranger ladies.

(Tenth) Chorus May I ask thee about something I have heard?

Ion What wouldst thou ask?

(Eleventh) Chorus Is it really true that the temple of Phoebus stands upon the centre of the world?

Ion Aye, there it stands with garlands decked and gorgeous all around.

(Twelfth) Chorus E'en so the legend saith.

People and places in this passage

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.