Literary Papyri
pontum (which is certainly the scene of this play, see Strabo vi. 265 ἐνταῦθα (sc. in Metapontum) καὶ τὸν Μετάποντον μυθεύουσι καὶ τὴν Μελανίππην δεσμώτην καὶ τὸν ἐξ αὐτῆς Βοιωτόν, and Wilam. Sitzb. preuss. Akad. p. 69 in this play: and Aeolus cannot have had any part in it. Melanippe herself must have been in Metapontum from the start.—Thirdly, though Melanippe must, for this play, bear her sons in Metapontum, she must not know that these are her sons
(α) (Probably spoken by Melanippe) μάτην ἄρ᾿ εἰς γυναῖκας ἐξ ἀνδρῶν ψόγος ψάλλει κενὸν τόξευμα καὶ λέγει κακῶς· αἱ δ᾿ εἰσ᾿ ἀμείνους ἀρσένων. δείξω δ᾿ ἐγώ. ταῖς μὲν γάρ ἐστ]ι ξυμβόλαι᾿ ἀμάρτυρα(Fragments follow of four lines, ending καὶ οὐκ ἀρνούμεναι, ἀλ]λήλας πόνους,] αἰσχύνην ἔχει (φέρει B), ]ωτος ἐκβαλεῖ γυνή)
5νέμουσι δ᾿ οἴκους καὶ τὰ ναυστολούμενα ἔσω δόμων σώιζουσιν, οὐδ᾿ ἐρημίαι γυναικὸς οἶκος εὐπινὴς οὐδ᾿ ὄλβιος. τὰ δ᾿ ἐν θεοῖς αὖ· πρῶτα γὰρ κρίνω τάδε· μέρος μέγιστον ἔχομεν· ἐν Φοίβου τε γὰρ 10χρησμοῖς προφητεύουσι Λοξίου φρένα γυναῖκες, ἀμφὶ δ᾿ ἁγνὰ Δωδώνης βάθρα φηγῶι παρ᾿ ἱερᾶι θῆλυ τὰς Διὸς φρένας γένος πορεύει τοῖς θέλουσιν Ἑλλάδος. ἃ δ᾿ εἴς τε Μοίρας τάς τ᾿ ἀνωνύμους θεὰς 15ἱερὰ τελεῖται, ταῦτ᾿ ἐν ἀνδράσιν μὲν οὐχ ὅσια καθέστηκ᾿, ἐν γυναιξὶ δ᾿ αὔξεται ἅπαντα. ταύτηι τἀν θεοῖς ἔχει δίκης θήλεια. πῶς οὖν χρὴ γυναικεῖον γένος- 4SuppL D. L. P.
- 10χρησμο[ι]ς Π. Oxy.: δομοις Π. Berl.
- 15μενευ Π: μὲν οὐ edd.: μὲν οὐχ D. L. P.
Euripides
when this play begins, nor must they know that she is their mother. Later, they must recognize each other.
Beyond this we cannot venture: except to say that (1) the prologue must have been spoken by a divinity (Poseidon), since none of the human characters could have given the necessary explanation about Melanippe’s sons; (2) the play must have ended fairly soon (about 350 lines?) after the Messenger’s speech (see Wilam. loc. cit., and ed. pr. p. 87). In this interval, we must imagine that Melanippe was liberated, Theano died, and Poseidon spoke from the machine.
(a) (Probably spoken by Melanippe)
Vain is man’s evil speaking and blame of women—the twanging of an idle bowstring. For they are better than men, and I will prove it.—Their covenants have no witness . . .
(Fragments follow of four lines)
They manage the home, and guard within the house the sea-borne wares. No house is clean or prosperous if the wife is absent. And in religion—highest I judge this claim—we play the greatest part. In the oracles of Phoebus, women expound Apollo’s will; and at the holy seat of Dodona, beside the sacred oak, woman conveys the will of Zeus to all Greeks who may desire it. As for the holy rites performed for the Fates and the Nameless Goddesses—they are not holy in the hands of men; among women they flourish all. So righteous is woman’s part in holy service. How then