Tuesday, January 16, 2024
Nothing
Euripides, Orestes 1115 (my translation):
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The slavish race is nothing compared to the unslavish race.M.L. West ad loc.:
οὐδὲν τὸ δοῦλον πρὸς τὸ μὴ δοῦλον γένος.
genos can mean "class" with no genetic implication. But here there is a suggestion that barbarians are naturally slaves and Greeks naturally free, for which cf. Telephus fr. 127 Austin, Andr. 665 f., Hel. 276, IA 1402. The reason is that barbarians live under monarchs (Hel. l.c.). But slave characteristics can be Inherited, according to Thgn. 535-8. Elsewhere in Euripides (e.g. Ion 854-6, frr. 511, 831) more enlightened ideas about slaves are expressed.
