Scaife ATLAS

CTS Library / Electra

Electra (1135-1215)

urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0006.tlg012.perseus-eng2:1135-1215
Refs {'start': {'reference': '1135', 'human_reference': 'Line 1135'}, 'end': {'reference': '1215', 'human_reference': 'Line 1215'}}
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Nymphs. Take this team away, my attendants, and bring it to the stalls; and when you think that I have finished this sacrifice to the gods, be ready; for I must also please my husband.
Electra
Go into a poor house; but please take care
that my smoke-grimed walls do not smear your robes with soot. For you will make the sacrifice to the gods that you ought to make. Going in to the house. The basket is ready, and the knife sharpened, the same that killed the bull by whose side you will lie, struck down. Even in Hades’ house you will be the bride of the one
whom you slept with in life. This is the favor I will give you, and you will give me retribution for my father. Exit Electra.
1147
Chorus
Requital for evils; the breezes of the house shift and blow. At another time my leader, my own, fell murdered in the bath,
and the roof and stone walls of the house cried aloud, while he said: O cruelty! My wife, why are you murdering me on my return to my dear country in the tenth year? . . .
1155
Chorus
Retribution for straying love has flowed back and brings to judgment the one who killed her wretched husband, when he came at last to his home and to the towering Cyclopean walls; with her own hand she killed him with the sharp-edged weapon,
holding the axe in her hands. Unhappy husband! whatever the curse that possessed that wretched woman. Like a lioness of the hills that ranges through the meadowland woods, she accomplished these things.
1165
within
Clytemnestra
O children, by the gods, do not kill your mother.
Chorus
Do you hear her cries within the house?
Clytemnestra
O God! Ah me!
Chorus
I also wail for you, overpowered by your children. Truly the god deals out justice, whenever it befalls.
You have suffered cruelly, unhappy one, yet you did unholy things to your husband.
1172
Chorus Leader
But here they come from the house, defiled in the newly shed blood of their mother, a triumphal rout, evidence of the pitiable sacrifice.
There is no house more pitiable than the race of Tantalus, nor has there ever been.
The two corpses are shown.
1177
Orestes
O Earth, and Zeus who sees all mortal acts, look at these loathsome bloody deeds, these two bodies
lying on the earth at the blow from my hand, atonement for my suffering . . .
Electra
Too many tears, my brother, and I am the cause. Unhappy, that I came to fiery rage against this woman, who was my mother!
Chorus
Alas for your fate; you gave birth to unbearable pain, and you suffered it, miserably and beyond, from your children. Yet you have rightly paid for their father’s murder.
1190
Orestes
Ah, Phoebus! you proclaimed in song unclear justice, but you have brought about clear woes, and granted me a bloody destiny far from the land of Hellas. To what other city can I go?
What host, what pious man will look at me, who killed my mother?
Electra
Ah me! Where can I go, to what dance, to what marriage? What husband will receive me
into the bridal bed?
Chorus
Again, again your thought changes with the breeze; for now you think piously, though you did not before, and you did dreadful things,
my dear, to your unwilling brother.
1206
Orestes
Did you see how the unhappy one threw off her robe and showed her bosom in the slaughter, alas, hurling to the ground the limbs that gave me birth? And her hair, I—
Chorus
I know it well; you passed through agony, hearing the mournful wail of the mother that bore you.
1214
Orestes
She uttered this cry, putting her hand to my chin:
My child, I entreat you! And she clung to my cheeks, so that the sword fell from my hand.

Tokens

Nymphs 1 w 6
Take 1 w 11
this 1 w 15
team 1 w 19
away 1 w 23
my 1 w 26
attendants 1 w 36
and 1 w 40
bring 1 w 45
it 1 w 47
to 1 w 49
the 1 w 52
stalls 1 w 58
and 2 w 62
when 1 w 66
you 1 w 69
think 1 w 74
that 1 w 78
I 1 w 79
have 1 w 83
finished 1 w 91
this 2 w 95
sacrifice 1 w 104
to 2 w 106
the 2 w 109
gods 1 w 113
be 1 w 116
ready 1 w 121
for 1 w 125
I 2 w 126
must 1 w 130
also 1 w 134
please 1 w 140
my 2 w 142
husband 1 w 149
Electra 1 w 157
Go 1 w 159
into 1 w 163
a 18 w 164
poor 1 w 168
house 1 w 173
but 1 w 177
please 2 w 183
take 1 w 187
care 1 w 191
that 2 w 195
my 3 w 197
smoke-grimed 1 w 209
walls 1 w 214
do 1 w 216
not 1 w 219
smear 1 w 224
your 1 w 228
robes 1 w 233
with 1 w 237
soot 1 w 241
For 1 w 245
you 3 w 248
will 1 w 252
make 1 w 256
the 3 w 259
sacrifice 2 w 268
to 4 w 270
the 4 w 273
gods 2 w 277
that 3 w 281
you 4 w 284
ought 1 w 289
to 5 w 291
make 2 w 295
Going 1 w 301
in 6 w 303
to 6 w 305
the 5 w 308
house 2 w 313
The 1 w 317
basket 1 w 323
is 4 w 325
ready 2 w 330
and 4 w 334
the 6 w 337
knife 1 w 342
sharpened 1 w 351
the 7 w 355
same 1 w 359
that 4 w 363
killed 1 w 369
the 8 w 372
bull 1 w 376
by 1 w 378
whose 1 w 383
side 1 w 387
you 5 w 390
will 2 w 394
lie 1 w 397
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down 1 w 408
Even 1 w 413
in 7 w 415
Hades 1 w 420
house 3 w 426
you 6 w 429
will 3 w 433
be 3 w 435
the 9 w 438
bride 1 w 443
of 1 w 445
the 10 w 448
one 1 w 451
whom 1 w 455
you 7 w 458
slept 1 w 463
with 2 w 467
in 8 w 469
life 1 w 473
This 1 w 478
is 6 w 480
the 11 w 483
favor 1 w 488
I 3 w 489
will 4 w 493
give 1 w 497
you 8 w 500
and 5 w 504
you 9 w 507
will 5 w 511
give 2 w 515
me 4 w 517
retribution 1 w 528
for 2 w 531
my 4 w 533
father 1 w 539
Exit 1 w 544
Electra 2 w 551
Chorus 1 w 558
Requital 1 w 566
for 3 w 569
evils 1 w 574
the 13 w 578
breezes 1 w 585
of 2 w 587
the 14 w 590
house 4 w 595
shift 1 w 600
and 6 w 603
blow 1 w 607
At 1 w 610
another 1 w 617
time 1 w 621
my 5 w 623
leader 1 w 629
my 6 w 632
own 2 w 635
fell 1 w 640
murdered 1 w 648
in 9 w 650
the 16 w 653
bath 1 w 657
and 7 w 661
the 17 w 664
roof 1 w 668
and 8 w 671
stone 1 w 676
walls 2 w 681
of 4 w 683
the 18 w 686
house 5 w 691
cried 1 w 696
aloud 1 w 701
while 1 w 707
he 22 w 709
said 1 w 713
O 1 w 715
cruelty 1 w 722
My 1 w 725
wife 1 w 729
why 1 w 733
are 2 w 736
you 10 w 739
murdering 1 w 748
me 6 w 750
on 4 w 752
my 7 w 754
return 1 w 760
to 8 w 762
my 8 w 764
dear 1 w 768
country 1 w 775
in 11 w 777
the 19 w 780
tenth 1 w 785
year 1 w 789
Chorus 2 w 799
Retribution 1 w 810
for 4 w 813
straying 1 w 821
love 1 w 825
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flowed 1 w 834
back 1 w 838
and 9 w 841
brings 1 w 847
to 9 w 849
judgment 1 w 857
the 20 w 860
one 3 w 863
who 3 w 866
killed 2 w 872
her 3 w 875
wretched 1 w 883
husband 2 w 890
when 2 w 895
he 28 w 897
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at 8 w 903
last 1 w 907
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his 4 w 912
home 1 w 916
and 11 w 919
to 11 w 921
the 21 w 924
towering 1 w 932
Cyclopean 1 w 941
walls 3 w 946
with 3 w 951
her 4 w 954
own 3 w 957
hand 1 w 961
she 2 w 964
killed 3 w 970
him 1 w 973
with 4 w 977
the 22 w 980
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weapon 1 w 997
holding 1 w 1005
the 23 w 1008
axe 1 w 1011
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her 5 w 1016
hands 1 w 1021
Unhappy 1 w 1029
husband 3 w 1036
whatever 1 w 1045
the 24 w 1048
curse 1 w 1053
that 5 w 1057
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that 6 w 1070
wretched 2 w 1078
woman 1 w 1083
Like 1 w 1088
a 75 w 1089
lioness 1 w 1096
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the 25 w 1101
hills 1 w 1106
that 7 w 1110
ranges 1 w 1116
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the 26 w 1126
meadowland 1 w 1136
woods 1 w 1141
she 3 w 1145
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these 1 w 1162
things 1 w 1168
within 1 w 1175
Clytemnestra 1 w 1187
O 2 w 1188
children 1 w 1196
by 2 w 1199
the 28 w 1202
gods 3 w 1206
do 4 w 1209
not 3 w 1212
kill 4 w 1216
your 2 w 1220
mother 1 w 1226
Chorus 3 w 1233
Do 1 w 1235
you 12 w 1238
hear 1 w 1242
her 7 w 1245
cries 1 w 1250
within 2 w 1256
the 30 w 1259
house 6 w 1264
Clytemnestra 2 w 1277
O 3 w 1278
God 1 w 1281
Ah 1 w 1284
me 11 w 1286
Chorus 4 w 1293
I 4 w 1294
also 2 w 1298
wail 1 w 1302
for 5 w 1305
you 13 w 1308
overpowered 1 w 1320
by 3 w 1322
your 3 w 1326
children 2 w 1334
Truly 1 w 1340
the 31 w 1343
god 4 w 1346
deals 1 w 1351
out 1 w 1354
justice 1 w 1361
whenever 1 w 1370
it 10 w 1372
befalls 1 w 1379
You 1 w 1383
have 2 w 1387
suffered 1 w 1395
cruelly 1 w 1402
unhappy 1 w 1410
one 5 w 1413
yet 1 w 1417
you 15 w 1420
did 1 w 1423
unholy 1 w 1429
things 2 w 1435
to 13 w 1437
your 4 w 1441
husband 4 w 1448
Chorus 5 w 1455
Leader 1 w 1461
But 1 w 1464
here 1 w 1468
they 1 w 1472
come 1 w 1476
from 1 w 1480
the 33 w 1483
house 7 w 1488
defiled 1 w 1496
in 21 w 1498
the 34 w 1501
newly 1 w 1506
shed 3 w 1510
blood 1 w 1515
of 6 w 1517
their 1 w 1522
mother 2 w 1528
a 92 w 1530
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rout 1 w 1543
evidence 1 w 1552
of 7 w 1554
the 37 w 1557
pitiable 1 w 1565
sacrifice 3 w 1574
There 1 w 1580
is 9 w 1582
no 4 w 1584
house 8 w 1589
more 1 w 1593
pitiable 2 w 1601
than 1 w 1605
the 38 w 1608
race 1 w 1612
of 8 w 1614
Tantalus 1 w 1622
nor 1 w 1626
has 2 w 1629
there 1 w 1634
ever 3 w 1638
been 1 w 1642
The 3 w 1646
two 1 w 1649
corpses 1 w 1656
are 3 w 1659
shown 1 w 1664
Orestes 1 w 1672
O 5 w 1673
Earth 1 w 1678
and 17 w 1682
Zeus 1 w 1686
who 4 w 1689
sees 1 w 1693
all 6 w 1696
mortal 1 w 1702
acts 1 w 1706
look 1 w 1711
at 13 w 1713
these 2 w 1718
loathsome 1 w 1727
bloody 1 w 1733
deeds 1 w 1738
these 3 w 1744
two 2 w 1747
bodies 1 w 1753
lying 1 w 1758
on 10 w 1760
the 42 w 1763
earth 1 w 1768
at 15 w 1770
the 43 w 1773
blow 2 w 1777
from 2 w 1781
my 9 w 1783
hand 3 w 1787
atonement 1 w 1797
for 6 w 1800
my 10 w 1802
suffering 1 w 1811
Electra 3 w 1821
Too 1 w 1824
many 1 w 1828
tears 1 w 1833
my 11 w 1836
brother 1 w 1843
and 19 w 1847
I 5 w 1848
am 4 w 1850
the 45 w 1853
cause 1 w 1858
Unhappy 2 w 1866
that 8 w 1871
I 6 w 1872
came 2 w 1876
to 15 w 1878
fiery 1 w 1883
rage 1 w 1887
against 1 w 1894
this 3 w 1898
woman 2 w 1903
who 5 w 1907
was 1 w 1910
my 12 w 1912
mother 3 w 1918
Chorus 6 w 1925
Alas 1 w 1929
for 7 w 1932
your 5 w 1936
fate 1 w 1940
you 18 w 1944
gave 1 w 1948
birth 1 w 1953
to 16 w 1955
unbearable 1 w 1965
pain 1 w 1969
and 20 w 1973
you 19 w 1976
suffered 2 w 1984
it 13 w 1986
miserably 1 w 1996
and 21 w 1999
beyond 1 w 2005
from 3 w 2010
your 6 w 2014
children 3 w 2022
Yet 1 w 2026
you 21 w 2029
have 3 w 2033
rightly 1 w 2040
paid 1 w 2044
for 8 w 2047
their 2 w 2052
father 2 w 2058
s 117 w 2060
murder 3 w 2066
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Ah 2 w 2076
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you 22 w 2088
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song 1 w 2104
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justice 2 w 2118
but 4 w 2122
you 23 w 2125
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about 1 w 2141
clear 2 w 2146
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and 22 w 2154
granted 1 w 2161
me 17 w 2163
a 147 w 2164
bloody 2 w 2170
destiny 1 w 2177
far 1 w 2180
from 4 w 2184
the 49 w 2187
land 2 w 2191
of 9 w 2193
Hellas 1 w 2199
To 2 w 2202
what 2 w 2206
other 6 w 2211
city 1 w 2215
can 1 w 2218
I 7 w 2219
go 5 w 2221
What 1 w 2226
host 1 w 2230
what 3 w 2235
pious 1 w 2240
man 4 w 2243
will 6 w 2247
look 2 w 2251
at 23 w 2253
me 18 w 2255
who 6 w 2259
killed 4 w 2265
my 13 w 2267
mother 4 w 2273
Electra 4 w 2281
Ah 3 w 2283
me 19 w 2285
Where 1 w 2291
can 2 w 2294
I 8 w 2295
go 6 w 2297
to 17 w 2300
what 4 w 2304
dance 1 w 2309
to 18 w 2312
what 5 w 2316
marriage 1 w 2324
What 2 w 2329
husband 5 w 2336
will 7 w 2340
receive 1 w 2347
me 20 w 2349
into 2 w 2353
the 52 w 2356
bridal 1 w 2362
bed 1 w 2365
Chorus 7 w 2372
Again 1 w 2377
again 2 w 2383
your 7 w 2387
thought 1 w 2394
changes 1 w 2401
with 7 w 2405
the 53 w 2408
breeze 2 w 2414
for 9 w 2418
now 1 w 2421
you 25 w 2424
think 2 w 2429
piously 1 w 2436
though 2 w 2443
you 26 w 2446
did 2 w 2449
not 4 w 2452
before 1 w 2458
and 25 w 2462
you 27 w 2465
did 3 w 2468
dreadful 1 w 2476
things 3 w 2482
my 14 w 2485
dear 2 w 2489
to 20 w 2492
your 8 w 2496
unwilling 1 w 2505
brother 2 w 2512
Orestes 3 w 2520
Did 1 w 2523
you 29 w 2526
see 2 w 2529
how 2 w 2532
the 55 w 2535
unhappy 2 w 2542
one 7 w 2545
threw 1 w 2550
off 1 w 2553
her 19 w 2556
robe 2 w 2560
and 26 w 2563
showed 1 w 2569
her 20 w 2572
bosom 1 w 2577
in 34 w 2579
the 56 w 2582
slaughter 1 w 2591
alas 1 w 2596
hurling 1 w 2604
to 21 w 2606
the 57 w 2609
ground 1 w 2615
the 58 w 2618
limbs 1 w 2623
that 9 w 2627
gave 2 w 2631
me 21 w 2633
birth 2 w 2638
And 1 w 2642
her 21 w 2645
hair 1 w 2649
I 9 w 2651
Chorus 8 w 2658
I 10 w 2659
know 1 w 2663
it 16 w 2665
well 1 w 2669
you 30 w 2673
passed 1 w 2679
through 2 w 2686
agony 1 w 2691
hearing 1 w 2699
the 59 w 2702
mournful 1 w 2710
wail 2 w 2714
of 11 w 2716
the 60 w 2719
mother 5 w 2725
that 10 w 2729
bore 1 w 2733
you 31 w 2736
Orestes 4 w 2744
She 1 w 2747
uttered 1 w 2754
this 4 w 2758
cry 1 w 2761
putting 1 w 2769
her 23 w 2772
hand 4 w 2776
to 22 w 2778
my 15 w 2780
chin 1 w 2784
My 2 w 2787
child 4 w 2792
I 11 w 2794
entreat 1 w 2801
you 32 w 2804
And 2 w 2808
she 6 w 2811
clung 1 w 2816
to 23 w 2818
my 16 w 2820
cheeks 1 w 2826
so 7 w 2829
that 11 w 2833
the 62 w 2836
sword 1 w 2841
fell 2 w 2845
from 5 w 2849
my 17 w 2851
hand 5 w 2855