Euripides' BACCHAE Complete

Translated, with notes, by Th. Buckley.

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Chorus: O holy venerable Goddess! holy, who bearest thy golden pinions along
the earth, hearest thou these words of Pentheus? Hearest thou his unholy
insolence against Bromius, the son of Semele, the first deity of the Gods,
at the banquets where the guests wear beautiful chaplets! who has this
office, to join in dances, and to laugh with the flute, and to put an end
to cares, when the juice of the grape comes at the feast of the Gods, and
in the ivy-bearing banquets the goblet sheds sleep over man? Of unbridled
mouths and lawless folly misery is the end, but the life of quiet and
wisdom remains unshaken, and supports a house; for the heavenly powers are
afar indeed, but still inhabiting the air, they behold the deeds of
mortals. But cleverness[25] is not wisdom, nor is the thinking on things
unfit for mortals. Life is short; and in it who, pursuing great things,
would not enjoy the present? These are the manners of maniacs; and of
ill-disposed men, in my opinion. Would that I could go to Cyprus, the
island of Venus, where the Loves dwell, soothing the minds of mortals, and
to Paphos, which the waters of a foreign river flowing with an hundred[26]
mouths, fertilize without rain--and to the land of Pieria, where is the
beautiful seat of the Muses, the holy hill of Olympus. Lead me thither, O
Bromius, Bromius, O master thou of Bacchanals! There are the Graces, and
there is Love, and there is it lawful for the Bacchae to celebrate their
orgies; the God, the son of Jove, delights in banquets, and loves Peace,
giver of riches, the Goddess the nourisher of youths. And both to the rich
and the poor[27] has she granted to enjoy an equal delight from wine,
banishing grief; and he who does not care for these things, hates to lead a
happy life by day and by friendly night--but it is wise[28] to keep away
the mind and intellect proceeding from over-curious men; what the baser
multitude thinks and adopts, that will I say.

[25] i.e. over-cunning in regard to religious matters. Cf. 200. ουδεν σοφιζομεσθα τοισι δαιμοσιν.

[26] Probably a mere hyperbole to denote great fruitfulness. See Elmsley.

[27] Cf. Hor. Od. iii. 21, 20.

[28] I follow Dindorf in reading σοφα δ', but am scarcely satisfied.

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