Laudator Temporis Acti

David Kovacs' translations of Euripides, in the Loeb Classical Library series, seem to me to be models of their kind. In Andromache, however, I wondered about the translations of a few passages.

207-208:

It is not beauty but goodness that gives a husband pleasure.

οὐ τὸ κάλλος, ὦ γύναι, / ἀλλ' ἁρεταὶ τέρπουσι τοὺς ξυνευνέτας.

Here Kovacs did not translate ὦ γύναι (o woman).

861-865:

O that I could soar out of the land of Phthia to the place where the ship of pine, first bark that ever sailed, passed through the Symplegades!

Φθιάδος ἐκ γᾶς
κυανόπτερος ὄρνις ἀρθείην,
πευκᾶεν σκάφος ᾇ διὰ κυανέ-
ας ἐπέρασεν ἀκτάς,
πρωτόπλοος πλάτα.

862 ἀρθείην Stevens: εἴθ' εἴην C

Here Kovacs did not translate κυανόπτερος ὄρνις (a bird with blue-black wings. e.g. a raven). Andromache also refers to her wings in line 441. See Escape for parallels.

900-904:

ORESTES
O Phoebus, healer god, give us an end to these troubles! What is the matter? Is it by gods or mortals that you are being ill-treated?
HERMIONE
In part it is my doing, in part my husband's, and in part one of the gods is to blame. Yet I am wholly undone.

ΟΡΕΣΤΗΣ
ὦ Φοῖβ' ἀκέστορ, πημάτων δοίης λύσιν.
τί χρῆμα; πρὸς θεῶν ἢ βροτῶν πάσχεις κακά;
ΕΡΜΙΟΝΗ
τὰ μὲν πρὸς ἡμῶν, τὰ δὲ πρὸς ἀνδρὸς ὅς μ' ἔχει,
τὰ δ' ἐκ θεῶν του· πανταχῇ δ' ὀλώλαμεν.

For πανταχῇ, "on all sides" or "from all directions" might be preferable to "wholly", in light of what precedes, and "Yet" seems a bit strong for δ' here.

For inclusion in my commonplace book, here are passages from Andromache that attracted my attention.

100-102:

One should never call any mortal happy until he dies and you can see how he has completed his days and gone below.

χρὴ δ' οὔποτ' εἰπεῖν οὐδέν' ὄλβιον βροτῶν,
πρὶν ἂν θανόντος τὴν τελευταίαν ἴδῃς
ὅπως περάσας ἡμέραν ἥξει κάτω.

189-190:

Those whose pride is great do not take kindly to hearing superior arguments from their inferiors.

οἱ γὰρ πνέοντες μεγάλα τοὺς κρείσσους λόγους
πικρῶς φέρουσι τῶν ἐλασσόνων ὕπο.

243:

We do not live in this city according to barbarian customs.

οὐ βαρβάρων νόμοισιν οἰκοῦμεν πόλιν.

319-320:

O renown, renown, countless are the mortals, worthless men in themselves, whose lives you have puffed to greatness!

ὦ δόξα δόξα, μυρίοισι δὴ βροτῶν
οὐδὲν γεγῶσι βίοτον ὤγκωσας μέγαν.

410 (cf. the contrary sentiments of Pheres in Euripides' Alcestis):

Not to die for my child would be a reproach to me.

ἐμοὶ δ' ὄνειδος μὴ θανεῖν ὑπὲρ τέκνου.

611-613 (something for commanders-in-chief to keep in mind):

You lost [i.e. destroyed] lives many and brave, left old women at home bereft of their sons, and robbed gray-headed fathers of their noble children.

ψυχὰς δὲ πολλὰς κἀγαθὰς ἀπώλεσας
παίδων τ' ἄπαιδας γραῦς ἔθηκας ἐν δόμοις
πολιούς τ' ἀφείλου πατέρας εὐγενῆ τέκνα.

642-644:

From trivial causes the tongue brings about great quarrels for men. Mortals who are wise take care not to wrangle with their kin.

σμικρᾶς ἀπ' ἀρχῆς νεῖκος ἀνθρώποις μέγα
γλῶσσ' ἐκπορίζει· τοῦτο δ' οἱ σοφοὶ βροτῶν
ἐξευλαβοῦνται, μὴ φίλοις τεύχειν ἔριν.

699-700 (for politicians to consider):

And sitting arrogantly in office in the city they think grander thoughts than the common people, though they are worthless.

σεμνοὶ δ' ἐν ἀρχαῖς ἥμενοι κατὰ πτόλιν
φρονοῦσι δήμου μεῖζον, ὄντες οὐδένες.

727-728:

Old men are a thing unrestrained and hard to control because of their quick tempers.

ἀνειμένον τι χρῆμα πρεσβυτῶν γένος
καὶ δυσφύλακτον ὀξυθυμίας ὕπο.

985:

For the tie of blood is strangely powerful.

τὸ συγγενὲς γὰρ δεινόν.

1270-1272:

Cease your grieving for the dead. For this is the judgment that stands over all mortals, and death is their debt to pay.

παῦσαι δὲ λύπης τῶν τεθνηκότων ὕπερ·
πᾶσιν γὰρ ἀνθρώποισιν ἥδε πρὸς θεῶν
ψῆφος κέκρανται κατθανεῖν τ' ὀφείλεται.