Euripides
remains of one more line
13 ] οἰνωμένο[ς West, Barrett: θ]οινωμενο[ Koenen, Luppe test. iibDum in Arcadiae quadam urbe festum Mineruae celebraretur, cum eiusdem sacerdote Augea Alei filia choreas in nocturnis sacris agitante rem Hercules habuit, qui et huius furti testem relinquens ei anulum porro migrauit. Illa ex eo grauida Telephum peperit, quod nomen ex euentu adhaesit. Iam Augeae pater stupro cognito excandescens Telephum quidem deserto loco abici, ubi is cerua nutritus est, Augeam autem abysso submergi mandauit. Interim Hercules ad eam regionem delatus deque re gesta sua ex anulo admonitus et puerum ex se genitum sibi imposuit et parentem ipsam ab instante mortis discrimine expediuit. Tum rursus pronuntiant Teuthrantem ex oraculo Apollinis Augeam deinde uxorem duxisse Telephumque in filii loco habuisse.
Moses of Chorene, Progymnasmata 3.3 (in Armenian: Latin translation by A. Mai and J. Zohrab, 1818), followed by a summary of Peliades (Pel. test. iiib) explicitly ascribed to Euripides.
test. iiiΑὔγη, ἡ Ἀλέου θυγατήρ, ἱέρεια δ᾿ Αθηνᾶς, ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ γεννᾷ Τήλεφον.
Tzetzes on Aristophanes, Frogs 1080 (‘and did he (Euripides) not show women giving birth in sanctuaries?’)
Auge
drunk with wine3 . . . (remains of one more line) . . .
test. iibWhile a festival of Athena was being celebrated in a certain city in Arcadia, Heracles had his way with Athena’s priestess Auge, daughter of Aleus, as she conducted the dances during the nocturnal rites. He left her a ring as evidence of his offence, and then travelled far away. Auge became pregnant by him and gave birth to Telephus—this name became attached to him because of what happened.1 Auge’s father now learned of her violation and in his anger ordered Telephus to be cast out in a deserted place, where he was suckled by a doe, and Auge to be drowned in the ocean. Meanwhile Heracles had returned to that region and was informed by means of the ring2 of what he had done. He acknowledged that he had fathered the child, and rescued the mother from the imminent danger of death. They also say that Teuthras, instructed by an oracle of Apollo, then took Auge as his wife and adopted Telephus as his son.
test. iiiAuge, daughter of Aleus and priestess of Athena, gives birth to Telephus in the sanctuary.
- 3Or possibly ‘banqueting’ (Koenen, Luppe).
- 1The name Telephus was sometimes explained by reference to his suckling at the teat (thêlê) of a doe (elaphos), as narrated in the next sentence. For an alternative etymology see Telephus F 696.11–13.
- 2Probably Heracles’ ring, torn by Auge from his finger during the rape and left by her with the exposed baby as a proof of his paternity (like Charisius’ ring in Menander’s Men at Arbitration).