Hipólito

On the Significance of Some Echoed Phrases in Euripides' Hippolytus Author(s): G. C. M. Smith Source: The Classical Review, Vol. 4, No. 4 (Apr., 1890), pp. 149-150 Published by: Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Classical Association Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/692930 . Accessed: 22/03/2011 09:54
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THE CLASSICAL REVIEW. strokes, which might be employed in various games. In trigon, for instance, the play might be either datatim or expulsim but not

149

raptim ; in harpastum possibly all three, but usually datatim and raptim. G. E. MARINDIN.

ON THE

SIGNIFICANCE

OF SOME ECHOED HIPPOLYTUS.

PHRASES

I[N EURIPIDES'

THE tHippolytus opens with the speech ofAphrodite in which she reveals to the audience her grudge against the son of Theseus, and her intended vengeance. He comes in with his followers singing the praises of Artemis: and the audience feels the irony of t~he situation when they know and he does not know what danger overhangs him. In the remonstrances addressed to him by his servant (107), rT aqI-w, Xpj-IOaL o rat, laL/dvwv XpEwv-a door ofescape seems to open. But Hippolytus in his blindness rejects his opportunity, and this in striking words (113), ,riJv has formulated his sin, he has consciously proclaimed that he adheres to it, and he leaves the stage. Without doubt those last words lingered in the mind of the audience, as the summing-up of Hippolytus' offence, and the knell of his approaching doom. But Hippolytus is not theonly sinner in the play nor the only object of divine vengeance. Before the drama ends, Theseus has played a part almost analogous to that of his son. Primd facie Theseus acts naturally in believing the charges against Hippolytus found in the hand of his dead wife. But when without further inquiry he invokes on his son a curse and banishes him from the land, his action is over-hasty and insolent.Again a way of escape is opened. In the words of Hippolytus (1051-1055) :,-&eCt

of Theseus, as is shown clearly when Artemis comes and denounces him.

1321.

Ep.vag,

IlrT Og OVTE OVK

JrapU TKGEqV

OVTE 07ra /JaVTEWV ov a)pOv LaKpf(, V Oawrcrov y &a TPXEg, LkXXL

qey a

EXp7)v
apas E2iKag
RLt•t KaGL KarTEKTaGVE.

If I am right so far, if 1. 113 sums up for the poet and for theaudience the sin of Hippolytus, roXXE' XaLpELV Xyo, ,rqv r7v 8 WY\ KV,'rptv and 11. 1058-9, roV 3' vtEp Kapa similarly sums up the sin of Theseus, can it be doubted that Euripides purposely echoed his own phrase in order to bring home to his audience the recurrence of an old situation; can it be doubted that the audience recognised the significance of the echo, and saw in it what the poet...