Laudator Temporis Acti: Hallucination

Hallucination

Euripides, Orestes 259 (Electra to Orestes; tr. William Arrowsmith):

You don't see what you think you see.

ὁρᾷς γὰρ οὐδὲν ὧν δοκεῖς σάφ᾽ εἰδέναι.

Arrowsmith omits σάφ᾽, i.e. "You don't see what you think you recognize clearly." Cf. M.L. West's rendering:

You're not seeing any of the things you think you're sure of.

West remarks:

[S]o in Aesch. Cho. 1051 ff. the chorus tells Orestes that what he sees are mere fancies arising from mental disorder.

# posted by Michael Gilleland @ 7:54 AM

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