Scaife ATLAS

CTS Library / Ion

Ion (430-524)

urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0006.tlg010.perseus-eng2:430-524
Refs {'start': {'reference': '430', 'human_reference': 'Line 430'}, 'end': {'reference': '524', 'human_reference': 'Line 524'}}
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unceasingly, either out of affection for her on whose behalf she seeks the oracle, or maybe because she is hiding something needing secrecy? Yet what have I to do with the daughter of Erectheus? She is naught to me.
No, I will go to the laver, and from golden ewers sprinkle the holy water. Yet must I warn Phoebus of what is happening to him; he ravishes a maid and proves unfaithful to her, and after secretly begetting a son leaves him to die. O! Phoebus, do not so, but as thou art supreme,
follow in virtue’s track; for whosoever of mortal men transgresses, him the gods punish. How, then, can it be just that you should enact your laws for men, and yourselves incur the charge of breaking them? Now I will put this case, though it will never happen.
Wert thou, wert Poseidon, and Zeus, the lord of heaven, to make atonement to mankind for every act of lawless love, ye would empty your temples in paying the fines for your misdeeds. For when ye pursue pleasure in preference to the claims of prudence, ye act unjustly; no longer is it fair
to call men wicked, if we are imitating the evil deeds of gods, but rather those who give us such examples. [Exit Ion
452
Chorus
On thee I call, Athena mine, at whose birth-throes no kindly goddess lent her aid,
delivered as thou wert by Titan Prometheus from the forehead of Zeus. Come, O lady Victory, come to the Pythian shrine, winging thy way from the gilded chambers of Olympus
to the city’s streets, where Phoebus at his altar on the centre of the world brings his oracles to pass beside the dance-encircled tripod;
come, too, thou daughter of Latona, together come, ye virgin goddesses, fair sisters of Phoebus! And be this your prayer, fair maidens, that the ancient house of Erechtheus
may obtain
by clear oracles the blessing of children, though late it come.
472
Chorus
For this brings to man a settled source of all-surpassing bliss,
even to such as see in their ancestral halls a splendid race of strong young parents blest with offspring, to inherit from their sires
their wealth in due succession after other children; yea, for they are a defence in time of trouble, and add a charm to weal, affording to their fatherland a saving help in battle.
Give me before the pomp of wealth or royal marriages the careful nurture of noble children. The childless life I do abhor, and him who thinks it good I blame;
to a happy life amongst my children, blest with moderate wealth, may I hold fast.
492
Chorus
Ye haunts of Pan, and rocks hard by the grots of Macrae,
where Agraulos’ daughters three trip it lightly o’er the green grass-lawns before the shrine of Pallas, to the music of the piper’s varied note,
what time thou, Pan, art piping in those caves of thine, where a maiden once that had a child by Phoebus, unhappy mother! exposed her babe, forced issue of her woful wooing,
for birds to tear and beasts to rend, a bloody banquet! Never have I seen it told in woven tale or legend that children born to gods by daughters of earth have any share in bliss.
510
Ion
Attendant maids, that watch and wait your mistress here at the steps of the temple fragrant with incense, say, hath Xuthus already left the holy tripod and the sanctuary, or doth he still abide within to ask yet further of his childlessness?
Chorus
He is still in the temple, sir, nor hath he passed this threshold yet.
But hark! I hear a footstep at the outlet of the door, and lo! thou mayst see my master this moment coming out.
Xuthus
All hail! my son; that word suits well as my first greeting to thee.
Ion
’Tis well with me; do but restrain thyself, and then both of us will be happy.
Xuthus
Give me thy hand to grasp, thy body to embrace.
Ion
Art thou in thy senses, sir, or hath some spiteful god reft thee of them?
Xuthus
I am in my senses, for I have found what I hold most dear, and am eager to show my love.
Ion
Cease! touch me not, nor tear these garlands of the god!
Xuthus
I will embrace thee, for I am not seizing what is not my own, but only finding my own that I love full well.
Ion
Hands off! or thou shalt feel an arrow pierce thy ribs.

Tokens

unceasingly 1 w 11
either 1 w 18
out 1 w 21
of 1 w 23
affection 1 w 32
for 1 w 35
her 2 w 38
on 2 w 40
whose 1 w 45
behalf 1 w 51
she 1 w 54
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the 2 w 62
oracle 1 w 68
or 3 w 71
maybe 1 w 76
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she 2 w 86
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something 1 w 103
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secrecy 1 w 117
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what 1 w 125
have 1 w 129
I 1 w 130
to 1 w 132
do 1 w 134
with 1 w 138
the 3 w 141
daughter 1 w 149
of 2 w 151
Erectheus 1 w 160
She 1 w 164
is 2 w 166
naught 1 w 172
to 2 w 174
me 2 w 176
No 1 w 179
I 2 w 181
will 1 w 185
go 1 w 187
to 3 w 189
the 5 w 192
laver 1 w 197
and 1 w 201
from 1 w 205
golden 1 w 211
ewers 1 w 216
sprinkle 1 w 224
the 6 w 227
holy 1 w 231
water 1 w 236
Yet 2 w 240
must 1 w 244
I 3 w 245
warn 1 w 249
Phoebus 1 w 256
of 3 w 258
what 2 w 262
is 3 w 264
happening 1 w 273
to 4 w 275
him 1 w 278
he 11 w 281
ravishes 1 w 289
a 18 w 290
maid 1 w 294
and 2 w 297
proves 1 w 303
unfaithful 1 w 313
to 5 w 315
her 3 w 318
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after 1 w 327
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a 24 w 345
son 1 w 348
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him 2 w 357
to 6 w 359
die 1 w 362
O 1 w 364
Phoebus 2 w 372
do 2 w 375
not 1 w 378
so 3 w 380
but 1 w 384
as 2 w 386
thou 1 w 390
art 1 w 393
supreme 1 w 400
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virtue 1 w 415
s 28 w 417
track 1 w 422
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whosoever 1 w 435
of 4 w 437
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men 1 w 446
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him 3 w 462
the 7 w 465
gods 1 w 469
punish 1 w 475
How 1 w 479
then 1 w 484
can 1 w 488
it 4 w 490
be 5 w 492
just 1 w 496
that 1 w 500
you 1 w 503
should 1 w 509
enact 1 w 514
your 1 w 518
laws 1 w 522
for 3 w 525
men 2 w 528
and 4 w 532
yourselves 1 w 542
incur 1 w 547
the 9 w 550
charge 1 w 556
of 5 w 558
breaking 1 w 566
them 1 w 570
Now 1 w 574
I 4 w 575
will 2 w 579
put 1 w 582
this 1 w 586
case 1 w 590
though 1 w 597
it 5 w 599
will 3 w 603
never 1 w 608
happen 2 w 614
Wert 1 w 619
thou 3 w 623
wert 1 w 628
Poseidon 1 w 636
and 5 w 640
Zeus 1 w 644
the 11 w 648
lord 1 w 652
of 6 w 654
heaven 1 w 660
to 7 w 663
make 1 w 667
atonement 1 w 676
to 9 w 678
mankind 1 w 685
for 4 w 688
every 1 w 693
act 2 w 696
of 7 w 698
lawless 1 w 705
love 1 w 709
ye 1 w 712
would 1 w 717
empty 1 w 722
your 3 w 726
temples 1 w 733
in 12 w 735
paying 1 w 741
the 12 w 744
fines 1 w 749
for 5 w 752
your 4 w 756
misdeeds 1 w 764
For 1 w 768
when 1 w 772
ye 2 w 774
pursue 1 w 780
pleasure 1 w 788
in 15 w 790
preference 1 w 800
to 10 w 802
the 13 w 805
claims 1 w 811
of 8 w 813
prudence 1 w 821
ye 3 w 824
act 3 w 827
unjustly 1 w 835
no 2 w 838
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is 8 w 846
it 6 w 848
fair 1 w 852
to 11 w 854
call 1 w 858
men 4 w 861
wicked 1 w 867
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we 3 w 872
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the 14 w 887
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deeds 2 w 896
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such 1 w 930
examples 1 w 938
Exit 1 w 944
Ion 1 w 947
Chorus 1 w 953
On 1 w 955
thee 1 w 959
I 6 w 960
call 2 w 964
Athena 1 w 971
mine 1 w 975
at 8 w 978
whose 2 w 983
birth-throes 1 w 995
no 3 w 997
kindly 1 w 1003
goddess 1 w 1010
lent 1 w 1014
her 5 w 1017
aid 2 w 1020
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as 5 w 1032
thou 4 w 1036
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by 1 w 1042
Titan 1 w 1047
Prometheus 1 w 1057
from 2 w 1061
the 19 w 1064
forehead 1 w 1072
of 10 w 1074
Zeus 2 w 1078
Come 1 w 1083
O 3 w 1085
lady 1 w 1089
Victory 1 w 1096
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to 13 w 1103
the 20 w 1106
Pythian 1 w 1113
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thy 1 w 1130
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the 21 w 1140
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Olympus 1 w 1163
to 14 w 1165
the 22 w 1168
city 1 w 1172
s 73 w 1174
streets 1 w 1181
where 1 w 1187
Phoebus 3 w 1194
at 9 w 1196
his 2 w 1199
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centre 1 w 1215
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brings 1 w 1231
his 3 w 1234
oracles 1 w 1241
to 15 w 1243
pass 1 w 1247
beside 1 w 1253
the 25 w 1256
dance-encircled 1 w 1271
tripod 1 w 1277
come 2 w 1282
too 1 w 1286
thou 5 w 1291
daughter 2 w 1299
of 13 w 1301
Latona 1 w 1307
together 1 w 1316
come 3 w 1320
ye 4 w 1323
virgin 1 w 1329
goddesses 1 w 1338
fair 2 w 1343
sisters 1 w 1350
of 14 w 1352
Phoebus 4 w 1359
And 1 w 1363
be 8 w 1365
this 2 w 1369
your 5 w 1373
prayer 1 w 1379
fair 3 w 1384
maidens 1 w 1391
that 2 w 1396
the 27 w 1399
ancient 1 w 1406
house 1 w 1411
of 15 w 1413
Erechtheus 1 w 1423
may 2 w 1426
obtain 1 w 1432
by 2 w 1434
clear 1 w 1439
oracles 2 w 1446
the 29 w 1449
blessing 1 w 1457
of 16 w 1459
children 1 w 1467
though 2 w 1474
late 1 w 1478
it 11 w 1480
come 4 w 1484
Chorus 2 w 1491
For 2 w 1494
this 3 w 1498
brings 2 w 1504
to 19 w 1506
man 2 w 1509
a 89 w 1510
settled 1 w 1517
source 1 w 1523
of 17 w 1525
all-surpassing 1 w 1539
bliss 1 w 1544
even 1 w 1549
to 20 w 1551
such 2 w 1555
as 8 w 1557
see 2 w 1560
in 28 w 1562
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a 96 w 1582
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their 3 w 1661
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in 31 w 1669
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a 103 w 1716
defence 1 w 1723
in 32 w 1725
time 1 w 1729
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a 106 w 1746
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their 4 w 1774
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a 112 w 1785
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help 1 w 1795
in 35 w 1797
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Give 1 w 1808
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or 22 w 1833
royal 1 w 1838
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the 38 w 1850
careful 1 w 1857
nurture 1 w 1864
of 22 w 1866
noble 1 w 1871
children 3 w 1879
The 1 w 1883
childless 1 w 1892
life 1 w 1896
I 7 w 1897
do 4 w 1899
abhor 1 w 1904
and 8 w 1908
him 4 w 1911
who 5 w 1914
thinks 1 w 1920
it 14 w 1922
good 1 w 1926
I 8 w 1927
blame 1 w 1932
to 24 w 1935
a 123 w 1936
happy 1 w 1941
life 2 w 1945
amongst 1 w 1952
my 1 w 1954
children 4 w 1962
blest 2 w 1968
with 3 w 1972
moderate 1 w 1980
wealth 3 w 1986
may 3 w 1990
I 9 w 1991
hold 1 w 1995
fast 1 w 1999
Chorus 3 w 2006
Ye 3 w 2008
haunts 1 w 2014
of 23 w 2016
Pan 1 w 2019
and 9 w 2023
rocks 1 w 2028
hard 1 w 2032
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the 39 w 2037
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Macrae 1 w 2050
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Pallas 1 w 2138
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the 43 w 2154
piper 1 w 2159
s 143 w 2161
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Pan 2 w 2188
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a 147 w 2224
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by 4 w 2249
Phoebus 5 w 2256
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tear 1 w 2328
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rend 1 w 2343
a 157 w 2345
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I 10 w 2369
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earth 1 w 2438
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Ion 2 w 2461
Attendant 1 w 2470
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that 5 w 2480
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incense 1 w 2548
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Xuthus 1 w 2563
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tripod 2 w 2587
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ask 1 w 2632
yet 1 w 2635
further 1 w 2642
of 32 w 2644
his 6 w 2647
childlessness 1 w 2660
Chorus 4 w 2667
He 1 w 2669
is 19 w 2671
still 2 w 2676
in 46 w 2678
the 50 w 2681
temple 3 w 2687
sir 2 w 2691
nor 1 w 2695
hath 2 w 2699
he 72 w 2701
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this 4 w 2711
threshold 1 w 2720
yet 2 w 2723
But 1 w 2727
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I 12 w 2733
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a 189 w 2738
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at 24 w 2748
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of 33 w 2759
the 52 w 2762
door 1 w 2766
and 13 w 2770
lo 7 w 2772
thou 8 w 2777
mayst 1 w 2782
see 4 w 2785
my 2 w 2787
master 1 w 2793
this 5 w 2797
moment 1 w 2803
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out 3 w 2812
Xuthus 2 w 2819
All 1 w 2822
hail 1 w 2826
my 3 w 2829
son 2 w 2832
that 6 w 2837
word 1 w 2841
suits 1 w 2846
well 1 w 2850
as 16 w 2852
my 4 w 2854
first 1 w 2859
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to 31 w 2869
thee 2 w 2873
Ion 3 w 2877
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well 2 w 2885
with 6 w 2889
me 19 w 2891
do 7 w 2894
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restrain 1 w 2905
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then 3 w 2920
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be 13 w 2934
happy 3 w 2939
Xuthus 3 w 2946
Give 2 w 2950
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hand 1 w 2959
to 32 w 2961
grasp 1 w 2966
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body 1 w 2974
to 33 w 2976
embrace 1 w 2983
Ion 4 w 2987
Art 1 w 2990
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thy 5 w 2999
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sir 3 w 3009
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spiteful 1 w 3028
god 6 w 3031
reft 1 w 3035
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of 35 w 3041
them 2 w 3045
Xuthus 4 w 3052
I 15 w 3053
am 5 w 3055
in 51 w 3057
my 5 w 3059
senses 2 w 3065
for 13 w 3069
I 16 w 3070
have 4 w 3074
found 1 w 3079
what 4 w 3083
I 17 w 3084
hold 3 w 3088
most 1 w 3092
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am 6 w 3102
eager 1 w 3107
to 34 w 3109
show 1 w 3113
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love 2 w 3119
Ion 5 w 3123
Cease 1 w 3128
touch 1 w 3134
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nor 2 w 3143
tear 2 w 3147
these 1 w 3152
garlands 1 w 3160
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the 58 w 3165
god 7 w 3168
Xuthus 5 w 3175
I 19 w 3176
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thee 4 w 3191
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I 20 w 3196
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seizing 1 w 3208
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is 23 w 3214
not 5 w 3217
my 7 w 3219
own 1 w 3222
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only 1 w 3230
finding 1 w 3237
my 8 w 3239
own 2 w 3242
that 7 w 3246
I 21 w 3247
love 3 w 3251
full 1 w 3255
well 3 w 3259
Ion 6 w 3263
Hands 1 w 3268
off 2 w 3271
or 39 w 3274
thou 10 w 3278
shalt 1 w 3283
feel 1 w 3287
an 35 w 3289
arrow 1 w 3294
pierce 1 w 3300
thy 6 w 3303
ribs 1 w 3307