Bacchae Lines 34-46
Jessica Manly /
- Created on 2021-03-15 01:18:27
- Modified on 2021-03-15 01:55:39
- Aligned by Jessica Manly
Ἑλληνική Transliterate
English
σκευήν τ᾽ ἔχειν ἠνάγκασ᾽ ὀργίων ἐμῶν ,
καὶ πᾶν τὸ θῆλυ σπέρμα Καδμείων , ὅσαι
γυναῖκες ἦσαν , ἐξέμηνα δωμάτων :
ὁμοῦ δὲ Κάδμου παισὶν ἀναμεμειγμέναι
χλωραῖς ὑπ᾽ ἐλάταις ἀνορόφοις ἧνται πέτραις .
δεῖ γὰρ πόλιν τήνδ᾽ ἐκμαθεῖν , κεἰ μὴ θέλει ,
ἀτέλεστον οὖσαν τῶν ἐμῶν βακχευμάτων ,
Σεμέλης τε μητρὸς ἀπολογήσασθαί μ᾽ ὕπερ
φανέντα θνητοῖς δαίμον᾽ ὃν τίκτει Διί .
Κάδμος μὲν οὖν γέρας τε καὶ τυραννίδα
Πενθεῖ δίδωσι θυγατρὸς ἐκπεφυκότι ,
ὃς θεομαχεῖ τὰ κατ ' ἐμὲ καὶ σπονδῶν ἄπο
ὠθεῖ μ ' ἐν εὐχαῖς τ ' οὐδαμοῦ μνείαν ἔχει .
καὶ πᾶν τὸ θῆλυ σπέρμα Καδμείων , ὅσαι
γυναῖκες ἦσαν , ἐξέμηνα δωμάτων :
ὁμοῦ δὲ Κάδμου παισὶν ἀναμεμειγμέναι
χλωραῖς ὑπ᾽ ἐλάταις ἀνορόφοις ἧνται πέτραις .
δεῖ γὰρ πόλιν τήνδ᾽ ἐκμαθεῖν , κεἰ μὴ θέλει ,
ἀτέλεστον οὖσαν τῶν ἐμῶν βακχευμάτων ,
Σεμέλης τε μητρὸς ἀπολογήσασθαί μ᾽ ὕπερ
φανέντα θνητοῖς δαίμον᾽ ὃν τίκτει Διί .
Κάδμος μὲν οὖν γέρας τε καὶ τυραννίδα
Πενθεῖ δίδωσι θυγατρὸς ἐκπεφυκότι ,
ὃς θεομαχεῖ τὰ κατ ' ἐμὲ καὶ σπονδῶν ἄπο
ὠθεῖ μ ' ἐν εὐχαῖς τ ' οὐδαμοῦ μνείαν ἔχει .
Because
of
that
offense
I have stung them with frenzy , hounded them from home
up to the mountains where they wander , crazed of mind ,
and compelled to wear my orgies ' livery .
Every woman in Thebes — but the women only ;
I drove from home , mad . There they sit ,
rich and poor alike , even the daughters of Cadmus ,
beneath the silver firs on the roofless rocks .
Like it or not , this city must learn its lesson :
it lacks initiation in my mysteries ;
that I shall vindicate my mother Semele
and stand revealed to mortal eyes as the god
she bore to Zeus .
Cadmus the king has abdicated ,
leaving his throne and power to his grandson Pentheus ;
who now revolts against divinity , in me ;
thrusts me from his offerings ; forgets my name
in his prayers :
I have stung them with frenzy , hounded them from home
up to the mountains where they wander , crazed of mind ,
and compelled to wear my orgies ' livery .
Every woman in Thebes — but the women only ;
I drove from home , mad . There they sit ,
rich and poor alike , even the daughters of Cadmus ,
beneath the silver firs on the roofless rocks .
Like it or not , this city must learn its lesson :
it lacks initiation in my mysteries ;
that I shall vindicate my mother Semele
and stand revealed to mortal eyes as the god
she bore to Zeus .
Cadmus the king has abdicated ,
leaving his throne and power to his grandson Pentheus ;
who now revolts against divinity , in me ;
thrusts me from his offerings ; forgets my name
in his prayers :