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TEN PLAYS
By EURIPIDES
Translated by E. P. COLERIDGE
Ten Plays
By Euripides
Translated by E. P. Coleridge
Print ISBN 13: 978-1-4209-7152-1
eBook ISBN 13: 978-1-4209-7153-8
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Cover Image: a detail of “The Sacrifice of Iphigenia”, by Francesco de Mura (1696-1782), (oil on canvas) / © A. Dagli Orti / De Agostini Picture Library / Bridgeman Images.
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CONTENTS
ELECTRA
THE ALCESTIS
DRAMATIS PERSONAE
APOLLO
ALCESTIS
DEATH
ATTENDANT
CHORUS OF OLD MEN OF PHERAE
ADMETUS
EUMELUS
MAID
HERACLES
PHERES
[Scene—Before Admetus’ palace in Pherae.]
ALCESTIS
[Enter APOLLO.]
APOLLO. Halls of Admetus, wherein I steeled my heart to be content with a servant’s board, god tough I was. Zeus was to blame; he slew my son Asclepius, piercing his bosom with a thunderbolt; whereat I was enraged and smote his Cyclopes, forgers of the heavenly fire; so my sire in recompense for this forced me to become a slave in a mortal’s home, Then came I to this land and kept a stranger’s flocks, and to this day have been the saviour of this house. For in Pheres’ son I found a man as holy as myself, and him I saved from death by cheating Destiny, for they promised me, those goddesses of fate, that Admetus should escape the impending doom, if he found a substitute for the powers below. So he went tough all his list
