construction may be [Greek: ache pitnonta
autophontais epi domois], in the same manner as [Greek: lithos epese moi
epi kephalei]. ELMSLEY.

[42] [Greek: me me ti drasosi'] had been "lest they do _me_ any injury."
Elmsley conceives that [Greek: nin] is the true reading, which might easily
have been corrupted into [Greek: moi].

[43] Here Medea appears above in a chariot drawn by dragons, bearing with
her the bodies of her slaughtered sons. SCHOL. See Horace, Epod. 3.

Hoc delibutis ulta donis pellicem,
Serpente fugit alite.

[44] [Greek: lyei] may also be interpreted, with the Scholiast, in the
sense of [Greek: lysitelei], "the grief delights me." The translation given
in the text is proposed by Porson, and approved of by Elmsley.

[45] Elmsley has

[Greek: mene kai geras].

"_Stay yet for old age_." So also Dindorf.

* * * * * *

HIPPOLYTUS.

* * * *

PERSONS REPRESENTED.

VENUS.
HIPPOLYTUS.
ATTENDANTS.
PHAEDRA.
NURSE.
THESEUS.
MESSENGER.
DIANA.
CHORUS OF TROEZENIAN DAMES.

* * * * *

THE ARGUMENT.

* * * *

Theseus was the son of Othra and Neptune, and king of the Athenians; and
having married Hippolyta, one of the Amazons, he begat Hippolytus, who
excelled in beauty and chastity. When his wife died, he married, for his
second wife, Phaedra, a Cretan, daughter of Minos, king of Crete, and
Pasiphae. Theseus, in consequence of having slain Pallas, one of his
kinsmen, goes into banishment, with his wife, to Troezene, where it
happened that Hippolytus was being brought up by Pittheus: but Phaedra
having seen the youth was desperately enamored, not that she was
incontinent, but in order to fulfill the anger of Venus, who, having
determined to destroy Hippolytus on account of his chastity, brought her
plans to a conclusion. She, concealing her disease, at length was compelled
to declare it to her nurse, who had promised to relieve her, and who,
though against her inclination, carried her words to the youth. Phaedra,
having learned that he was exasperated, eluded the nurse, and hung herself.
At which time Theseus having arrived, and wishing to take her down that was
strangled, found a letter attached to her, throughout which she accused
Hippolytus of a design on her virtue. And he, believing what was written,
ordered Hippolytus to go into banishment, and put