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Euripides · Iphigenia in Tauris Ἰφιγένεια ἐν Ταύροις

Euripides, Iphigenia in Tauris 1203–1233: Third episode: Thoas agrees to the purification rites

Ancient Sources / Euripides / Iphigenia in Tauris / 1203–1233

Iphigenia tells Thoas to have the strangers brought out with their faces veiled, to send word to the city that no one is to come near, and to purify the temple with fire while she is away. She tells him to hold his robe over his eyes when the strangers come out, and Thoas bids her carry out the rites well. She then comes out with the strangers and the statue, and proclaims that all must keep away from the pollution.

Lines 1203–1233 · 443 words · click a number to copy its link
1203–1233
Ἰφιγένεια 1203οἶσθά νυν ἅ μοι γενέσθω; Θόας σὸν τὸ σημαίνειν τόδε. Ἰφιγένεια δεσμὰ τοῖς ξένοισι πρόσθες. Θόας ποῖ δέ σʼ ἐκφύγοιεν ἄν; Ἰφιγένεια 1205πιστὸν Ἑλλὰς οἶδεν οὐδέν. Θόας ἴτʼ ἐπὶ δεσμά, πρόσπολοι. Ἰφιγένεια κἀκκομιζόντων δὲ δεῦρο τοὺς ξένους — Θόας ἔσται τάδε. Ἰφιγένεια κρᾶτα κρύψαντες πέπλοισιν. Θόας ἡλίου πρόσθεν φλογός. Ἰφιγένεια σῶν τέ μοι σύμπεμπʼ ὀπαδῶν. Θόας οἵδʼ ὁμαρτήσουσί σοι. Ἰφιγένεια καὶ πόλει πέμψον τινʼ ὅστις σημανεῖ — Θόας ποίας τύχας; Ἰφιγένεια 1210ἐν δόμοις μίμνειν ἅπαντας. Θόας μὴ συναντῷεν φόνῳ; Ἰφιγένεια μυσαρὰ γὰρ τὰ τοιάδʼ ἐστί. Θόας στεῖχε καὶ σήμαινε σύ — Ἰφιγένεια μηδένʼ εἰς ὄψιν πελάζειν. Θόας εὖ γε κηδεύεις πόλιν. Ἰφιγένεια καὶ φίλων γʼ οὓς δεῖ μάλιστα. Θόας τοῦτʼ ἔλεξας εἰς ἐμέ. Ἰφιγένεια […] Θόας ὡς εἰκότως σε πᾶσα θαυμάζει πόλις. Ἰφιγένεια 1215σὺ δὲ μένων αὐτοῦ πρὸ ναῶν τῇ θεῷ — Θόας τί χρῆμα δρῶ; Ἰφιγένεια ἅγνισον πυρσῷ μέλαθρον. Θόας καθαρὸν ὡς μόλῃς πάλιν. Ἰφιγένεια ἡνίκʼ ἂν δʼ ἔξω περῶσιν οἱ ξένοι — Θόας τί χρή με δρᾶν; Ἰφιγένεια πέπλον ὀμμάτων προθέσθαι. Θόας μὴ παλαμναῖον λάβω. Ἰφιγένεια ἢν δʼ ἄγαν δοκῶ χρονίζειν — Θόας τοῦδʼ ὅρος τίς ἐστί μοι; Ἰφιγένεια 1220θαυμάσῃς μηδέν. Θόας τὰ τῆς θεοῦ πρᾶσσʼ — ἐπεὶ σχολή — καλῶς. Ἰφιγένεια εἰ γὰρ ὡς θέλω καθαρμὸς ὅδε πέσοι. Θόας συνεύχομαι. Ἰφιγένεια τούσδʼ ἄρʼ ἐκβαίνοντας ἤδη δωμάτων ὁρῶ ξένους καὶ θεᾶς κόσμους νεογνούς τʼ ἄρνας, ὡς φόνῳ φόνον μυσαρὸν ἐκνίψω, σέλας τε λαμπάδων τά τʼ ἄλλʼ ὅσα 1225προυθέμην ἐγὼ ξένοισι καὶ θεᾷ καθάρσια. ἐκποδὼν δʼ αὐδῶ πολίταις τοῦδʼ ἔχειν μιάσματος, εἴ τις ἢ ναῶν πυλωρὸς χεῖρας ἁγνεύει θεοῖς ἢ γάμον στείχει συνάψων ἢ τόκοις βαρύνεται, φεύγετʼ, ἐξίστασθε, μή τῳ προσπέσῃ μύσος τόδε. 1230ὦ Διὸς Λητοῦς τʼ ἄνασσα παρθένʼ, ἢν νίψω φόνον τῶνδε καὶ θύσωμεν οὗ χρή, καθαρὸν οἰκήσεις δόμον, εὐτυχεῖς δʼ ἡμεῖς ἐσόμεθα. τἄλλα δʼ οὐ λέγουσʼ, ὅμως τοῖς τὰ πλείονʼ εἰδόσιν θεοῖς σοί τε σημαίνω, θεά.

Iphigenia Do you know what to do for me now?

Thoas It is for you to make it known.

Iphigenia Put chains on the strangers.

Thoas Where could they escape you?

Iphigenia Hellas knows no faith.

Thoas Go to get chains, attendants.

Iphigenia And let them bring the strangers here.

Thoas It will be so.

Iphigenia And veil their faces with their robes.

Thoas Before the light of the sun.

Iphigenia And send some of your servants with me.

Thoas These will attend you.

Iphigenia And send someone to announce to the city—

Thoas That what has happened?

Iphigenia That all remain indoors.

Thoas So that they do not come in contact with murder?

Iphigenia Yes, for such things are polluted.

Thoas Go and announce—

Iphigenia That no one come near the sight.

Thoas You are taking good care of the city

Iphigenia And of the friends to whom I owe the most.

Thoas You mean this for me.

Iphigenia . . .

Thoas The whole city marvels at you, with reason.

Iphigenia You stay here before the shrine of the goddess.

Thoas What shall I do?

Iphigenia Purify the house with fire.

Thoas So that you may return to find it pure.

Iphigenia When the strangers come outside—

Thoas What must I do?

Iphigenia Hold your robe over your eyes.

Thoas So that I do not receive the pollution.

Iphigenia If I seem to delay too long—

Thoas What limit of the delay should I keep in mind?

Iphigenia Do not wonder at it.

Thoas Carry out the rites of the goddess well, since you have leisure.

Iphigenia May this purification fall out as I wish!

Thoas I pray along with you.

Iphigenia I see the strangers coming out of the temple now, and the ornaments of the goddess and the new-born lambs, because I will wash blood-pollution away with blood, and the flash of torches and all the rest that I have set out as purification for the strangers and the goddess. I proclaim to the citizens to keep away from this pollution, if any guard of the temple is purifying his hands for the gods, or if anyone is coming to form a marriage alliance, or is weighted down by childbirth— begone, stand away, so that this defilement does not fall on anyone. O lady, maiden daughter of Leto and Zeus, if I cleanse the stain of murder from these men, and make the sacrifice where I ought to make it, you will dwell in a pure home, and we will be fortunate. I do not speak the rest, but I indicate it to those who know more, the gods and you, goddess.

People and places in this passage

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

  1. Euripides, Iphigenia at Aulis 1433–1531Exodos: Iphigenia bids her mother farewell and goes to the altar
  2. Euripides, Iphigenia at Aulis 631–676Second episode: Iphigenia greets her father

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.