Quemadmodum in praecedente fabula Phaedra, cuius libido ne a priuigni quidem amore temperauit, impudicae mulieris paradeigma exhibet, sic in hac Alcestis bonae matronae exemplar proponit, ut quae suam ipsius animam mariti salute uiliorem habuerit omnibusque dotibus probae feminae, id est pudicitia, amore in maritum cum reuerentia quadam coniuncto, fide, industria eminuerit. Ischomachus apud Xenophontem ait, mulierem debere esse κοινωνὸν βέλτιστον οἴκου καὶ τέκνων*: id est, optimam consortem domus et liberorum, cuius proprium et primum opus sit τὸ σωφρονεῖν, id est, modeste temperate ac pudice uiuere. Alias item plures uirtutes frugi matronae lege apud eundem Xenophontem in Oeconomia. Licet etiam in hac fabula uidere imaginem felicis coniugii, quale comitari solet summa concordia, mutuus amor, domus opulenta, soboles, mariti dignitas, uxoris modestia et fides: quarum omnium rerum fons est et basis pietas debitusque numinis cultus. Quare Admetum θεοσεβῆ, πολύξεινον, ἐλεύθερον, Alcestidem ἀρίστην, ἀγαθήν, σώφρονα poeta inducit. Praeterea Admetus typum gerit et boni principis et commodi patrisfamilias: illius enim prima laus est, si ciues habeat beneuolos ac sibi fidos, qui non tam secundis quam aduersis rebus praesto sint suo duci. Unde Chorus ex ciuibus Pheraeis collectus acerbissime fert Alcestidis mortem uehementerque Admeto condolet. Tyrannorum autem calamitatibus non solum non condolere, sed etiam insultare solemus. Recte igitur Cicero† dicit tutissimum esse praesidium regum beneuolentiam multitudinis. Hunc uero domestici et amore et reuerentia prosequuntur commodaque et incommoda domus iuxta cum domino procurant et accipiunt. Hinc non absque ratione tantus luctus famulorum Admeti lamentis super funere optimae uxoris accedit. nam eri infortunia ut sua habebant.

*[marginal note In Oeconomia; the work is nowadays referred to as Xenophon’s Oeconomicus, and the quoted passage is from 7.11, and σωφρονεῖν as a female virtue is mentioned in 7.14]

†[loosely paraphrased from de officiis 2.22.77]

Just as in the preceding play Phaedra, whose desire was not restrained from the love even of her stepson, presents the paradigm of the unchaste woman, so too in this one Alcestis sets forth a model of the good wife, in as much as she considered her own life of less worth than her husband's well-being, and excelled in all the gifts of the upright woman, that is chastity, love toward her husband with joined with a certain respect, loyalty, and zeal. Ischomachus, in the writings of Xenophon, says that a woman ought to be κοινωνὸν βέλτιστον οἴκου καὶ τέκνων*, that is, the best partner of the house and the children, whose first and foremost duty is to be prudent (τὸ σωφρονεῖν), that is, to live moderately, reservedly, and chastely. Likewise, read of many other virtues of the virtuous matron in the writings of the same Xenophon in the Oeconomicus. One can see the image of a fortunate marriage in this story, the sort that is usually accompanied by the utmost harmony, a mutual love, a wealthy house, offspring, the dignity of the husband, the modesty and loyalty of the wife: the source and base of all of these matters is devotion and the reverence owed to divine will. Therefore, the poet represents Admetus as “god-fearing,” “very hospitable,” and “free,” and Alcestis as “the noblest,” “morally upright,” and “chaste.” Meanwhile, Admetus bears the image of a good leader and an agreeable paterfamilias: for it is the ultimate praise of that man if he should have citizens who are benevolent and faithful to him, who attend him helpfully not so much in prosperous times as in adversity. For this reason the Chorus, gathered from Pheraean citizens, bears the death of Alcestis very bitterly and vehemently grieves along with Admetus. However, at the calamities of kings we are accustomed not only not to grieve, but even to gloat. Therefore, Cicero rightly says that the safest defence for kings is the good will of the masses. In this man’s case, however, the members of the household treat him with love and reverence, and take care of and accept both the advantages and the troubles of the house together with their master. Hence, not without reason does such a grief of the servants join the lamentations of Admetus over the death of his excellent wife, for they were considering their master's misfortunes as their own.

Denique et hospitalitas ac liberalitas, uirtutes uere regiae, in Admeto commendantur. Hercules gratitudinis exemplum praebet: qui ut communicati hospitii gratiam referret non dubitauit pro restituenda Alcestide cum Orco congredi. Mortis etiam horrorem in prima parte fabulae mire depingit, quae fatali quadam tyrannide in omnes cuiuscunque ordinis, generis, uitae, status homines pariter grassatur. Quintus huius Dramatis Actus docet euidentique exemplo ostendit sic esse comparatum in rebus humanis ut perpetuo laetis tristia et uicissim tristibus laeta succedant. Exitum autem haec fabula laetum, insperatum, et plane comicum habet: cuius protases tamen et epitases horribiles et funestae sunt, ut uere dixerit in fine Chorus: πολλαὶ μορφαὶ τῶν δαιμονίων.*

*[This phrase occurs as the first line of a choral tag found at the end of Alcestis and of a few other plays of Euripides.]

Secondly, hospitality and generosity, truly royal virtues, are recommended in the figure of Admetus. Hercules supplies an example of gratitude: in order to return thanks for the proffered hospitality, he did not hesitate to contend with Orcus for Alcestis' restoration. The poet also marvelously depicts the horror of Death in the first part of the play, who equally proceeds against all people of any kind, life, or situation with a certain fated tyranny. The fifth act of this play teaches and shows with a clear example that it is so arranged in human affairs that pains will always follow joys and in turn joys will follow pains. Yet this play has a happy, unexpected, and clearly comic ending: nevertheless its beginnings and scenes of intensification of tension are horrible are calamitous, with the result that the Chorus said truly in end “πολλαὶ μορφαὶ τῶν δαιμονίων” (“there are many forms of divine dispositions”).

Historiam unde huius tragoediae argumentum pendet ita Erasmus Roterodamus in adagio Admeti naenia refert.* Admetus rex fuit Pheraeorum, cuius armenta pauisse fingitur Apollo mercede conductus cum ex Olympo depulsus humana specie exularet apud mortales. Exilii causam hanc adferunt: Aesculapius Apollinis filius Chirone praeceptore medicam artem perdidicerat: deinde sanguine qui ex Gorgonis fluxerat uenis a Pallade accepto, per hunc plurimos restituit sanitati. Porro sanguine qui e sinistris defluxerat uenis ad perniciem hominum utebatur: qui e dextris, ad salutem. Quin fabulis uulgatum est illum etiam uita defunctos quosdam in uitam reuocasse. Quare ne pro deo haberetur apud mortales cum id uideretur praestare quod deorum est proprium, Iupiter illum fulmine percussit. Ob id indignatus Apollo Cyclopes qui fulmen id fuerant fabricati peremit. Quam rem indigne ferens Iupiter Apollinem destinarat e caelo ad inferos praecipitem dare. Sed Latonae interuentus precesque mitiorem poenam impetrarunt. Itaque caelo interdictum est iussusque solum uertere, damnatus ut annum apud hominem mortalem mercede seruiret. Igitur ad Admetum profectus Apollo regis armenta, sicuti dictum est, pascebat: et ut erat artifex, effecit ut omnes uaccae gemellos parerent. Cumque apud Admetum perquam humaniter esset habitus, ut patrono gratiam officii referret a Parcis impetrauit ut cum in illarum fusis Admeti dies uolueretur, liceret hac lege mortem effugere: si quem alium reperisset qui uolens illius uice mortem oppetere uellet suique capitis dispendio illius uitam redimere. Ergo cum adesset dies ille fatalis neque quisquam inueniretur qui mortis uicarius esse uellet, patre etiam ac matre recusantibus, una Alcestis uxor mariti uitam sua cariorem habuit. Qua defuncta stridulae quaedam et lugubres naeniae decantabantur assidue apud Admetum, donec mota Proserpina remisit Alcestidem, aut, ut quidam dicunt, donec Hercules expugnato Orco hanc ad superos reduxit.

*[The rest of this paragraph is a verbatim quotation of the bulk of Erasmus, Adagia, 2.6.22 = Opera Omnia Desiderii Erasmi Roterodami 2:4 (Amsterdam 1987) 34-36; Erasmus produced this small narrative by translating the Greek of the collector of proverbs Zenobius Cent. 1.18, in E. L. von Leutsch & F. G. Schneidewin, Corpus Paroemiographorum Graecorum I (Gottingen 1839) 5-6.]

The story from which the argument of this tragedy derives is reported as follows by Erasmus of Rotterdam in the Adage called the dirge of Admetus.* Admetus was the king of the Pheraeans, whose flocks Apollo, as the fiction has it, herded, hired for a wage when, banished from Olympus, he was exiled amongst mortals in human form. They say this was the cause of the exile: Asclepius, the son of Apollo, had thoroughly learned the art of medicine from his instuctor Chiron: then, having received from Pallas the blood which had flowed from the veins of a Gorgon, using this he restored many people to health. Moreover, he was using the blood which had flowed from the veins on the left for the destruction of men; and that from the veins on the right side for their recovery to health. In fact it is generally said in the stories that he even recalled certain dead people to life. Thus, lest he should be considered a god amongst mortals because he appeared to provide a thing that is the peculiar privilege of the gods, Jupiter struck him down with a thunderbolt. Angered by this, Apollo destroyed the Cyclops who had made that thunderbolt. And Jupiter, reacting to this with indignation, had determined to cast Apollo headlong from heaven to the lower world. But the intervention and prayers of Leto achieved a milder penalty. And so he was banished from heaven and ordered to go into exile, condemned to serve a mortal man for a year for wages. Therefore, having come to Admetus, Apollo was tending to the flocks of the king, as previously said: and as he was skillful, he made it happen that all the cows bore twins. And since he had been treated especially courteously in Admetus’ house, in order to give thanks to his patron for his kindness, he obtained from the Fates the favor that when Admetus' day would be turned amongst their spindles, he would be allowed to escape from death on this condition: if he should find anyone else who willingly wished to perish in his place and buy off his life at the expense of their own. Therefore, when the fated day arrived, and no one was found who wished to be his substitute for death, with even his father and mother refusing, his wife Alcestis alone considered her husband's life dearer than her own. When she had died, certain shrill, mournful dirges were being sung constantly at the house of Admetus, until Persephone, moved, sent Alcestis back, or, as some say, until Hercules defeated Orcus and led her back to the upper world.

[240] Argumentum Actus primi.

Prologus argumentum et occasionem huius Dramatis narrat: ad cuius expositionem et Charontis cum Apolline iurgium ac disceptatio pertinet. 2. Chorus ciuium Pheraeorum sparso rumore de moritura Alcestide solicitus astat foribus regiae, cupiens cognoscere quid de regina fieret. Cumque portas et atria deserta videret, utpote famulis circa moribundam eram occupatis, secum ipse coniecturis disceptat. Denique complorat afflictam et tam bono principe indignam fortunam. Hoc dum Chorus agit, seruus* egreditur: qui rem ut sese intus habebat exponit. In hac igitur prima parte argumenti inseruitur occasioni ad futuras turbas et epitases.

*[The servant who informs the Chorus is actually a female. Stiblinus' translation on p. 218 correctly reflects that.]

[240] Argument of the First Act.

The prologue relates the content and background of this play: to whose exposition Charon’s quarrel and dispute with Apollo belong. 2. The Chorus comprised of citizens of Pherae, in response to the circulated rumor that Alcestis was about to die, stands in concern near the gates of the palace, desiring to know what will become of their queen. And when they see the deserted gates and entryways, inasmuch as the servants were busy around their mistress as she was at the point of death, the [members of the] Chorus debate amongst themselves using conjectures. Finally, the Chorus laments that Fortune is wretched and unworthy of such a good leader. While the Chorus does this, a servant comes out. He explains how matters stand within. Accordingly, in this first part of the argument, the content serves to set up future upsets and heightenings of tension.

[241] Argumentum Actus secundi.

Miserabilis quaedam rerum imago ob oculos ponitur: nimirum luctuosus discessus Alcestidis extremaeque obtestationes et lacrimae fatumque insuperabile, quo optimo uiro optima mulier eripitur. 2 Comploratur ab Eumelo et misero patre mortua Alcestis eiusdemque funeris curatio et luctus imperatur ciuibus Pheraeis. 3 Chorus prosequitur lugubri cantione funus Alcestidis, qua laudes ipsius recenset ac immortalitatem pollicetur quae sequi solet homines uirtute praeditos. Est autem in hoc Actu summa totius dramatis epistasis.

[241] Argument of the Second Act.

A certain miserable representation of affairs is placed before the eyes—namely, the sorrowful departing of Alcestis, the final requests and tears, and her unavoidable fate, by which the best wife is taken from the best husband. 2. The dead Alcestis is violently mourned by Eumelus and his wretched father, and the care of her funeral and mourning are enjoined upon the citizens of Pherae. 3. The Chorus accompanies the death of Alcestis with a mourning song in which they recount her merits and promise the immortality that usually accompanies men gifted with virtue. Moreover, there is in this act the utmost heightening of tension of the entire drama.

[242] Argumentum Actus tertii.

Hercules profecturus in Thraciam ut Eurysthei iussu Diomedis equos abduceret, ipso rege occiso, apud Admetum hospitem suum ueterem diuertit. Ceterum cum ipsius domum funeratam esse uideret nec certo quis ex familia uita decessisset cognosceret apud alium diuertere parabat. Olim enim singularis cuiusdam impudentiae habebatur hospitem in luctu existentibus oneri esse. Admetus autem pro sua rara benignitate* de uxoris decessu Herculem celat ac ut hospitio secum fruatur etiam nolentem retinet utque hilariter ac laute tractetur famulis imperat. 2 Chorus Admeti liberalitatem innocentiam et fortunam et regnum florentissimum laudibus uehit. 3 Sub haec Admetus ad funus curandum cum suis ciuibus pergit: in quod quum et ipse Pheres pater prodire uellet cum auleis splendidoque ornatu funebri amara expostulatione a filio excipitur, idque praeter spem et opinionem: quare irritatus iuuenili intemperantia senex uicissim in filium linguam stringit. Tandemque post saeua iurgia et odiosa conuicia sermonem finiunt.

*[corrected from misprint benignitare, already in Stephanus 1602]

[242] Argument of the Third Act.

Hercules, intending to proceed by the order of Eurystheus into Thrace to bring back the horses of Diomedes after killing the king himself, detours to his old friend and host Admetus. But, since he saw Admetus’ house was in mourning and did not know for certain who from the family had died, he was preparing to go to lodge with another host. For in the old days it was considered to be a matter of a sort of extraordinary impudence for a guest to be a burden for those in mourning. However, because of his rare kindness Admetus hides from Hercules his wife’s death and in order that he partake of hospitality in his own house retains him even against his will and orders his servants to see to it that he is cheerfully and elegantly attended to. 2. The Chorus exalts with praise Admetus’ affability and virtue and fortune and greatly flourishing kingdom. 3. After this, Admetus proceeds with his citizens to attend to the funeral: when his father Pheres wishes to join the procession with fabrics and splendid ornaments for the funeral, he is received by his son with bitter complaints, and this happens beyond expectation and general opinion: wherefore the elder, being enraged by the insolence of the young man, unsheathes his tongue in turn against his son. And finally, after fierce quarrels and hateful reproaches they finish their dialogue.

[243] Argumentum Actus quarti.

Herculem liberius potantem ac iam sertis ceteroque conuiuii luxu utentem minister moleste fert propter funus defunctae dominae. 2 Hercules seruuli odiosum supercilium et morositatem incessit illumque ad uitam hilarem moresque festiuiores prouocat. Sub qua occasione ex eodem mortem Alcestidis resciscit grauiterque dolet uices Admeti et triste fatum optimae matronae. Ac e uestigio ut aliquo benefacto communicati hospitii gratiam referret obscuraretque suam impudentiam ad tumulum Alcestidis cum Morte certamen obiturus pergit. 3 Redit a funere Admetus et una cum Choro luctuosum casum suum deplorat sequentisque uitae solitudinem aerumnas doloresque plangit. 4 Hortatur Chorus Admetum ad malorum tolerantiam, qua etiam difficilima superentur, praesertim cum nulla re necessitas uinci possit et ipsa Alcestis immortalis sit futura inque celebri hominum memoria semper mansura.

[243] Argument of the Fourth Act.

When Hercules is drinking heavily and already making use of wreathes and the other luxuries of the banquet, the servant attending him finds this offensive because of the funeral of his deceased mistress. 2. Hercules reproaches the hateful arrogance and moroseness of the lowly slave and exhorts him to a cheerful life and more festive customs. In this situation Hercules finds out from this same man about Alcestis’ death and deeply laments Admetus’ lot and the sad fate of this excellent matron. And instantly, in order to return the favor of the imparted hospitality by some benefaction and to obscure his own shamelessness, he hastens to the tomb of Alcestis, intending to engage in a struggle with Death. 3. Admetus returns from the funeral and together with the Chorus bemoans his own sorrowful misfortune and laments the loneliness and toils and sufferings of his future life. 4. The Chorus urges Admetus to endurance of his sufferings, since by endurance even the most difficult things may be overcome, especially since necessity cannot be defeated by any means and Alcestis herself will be immortal and always remain in the frequent memories of men.

[244] Argumentum Actus quinti.

Hercules erepta per uim Morti Alcestide et in uitam restituta primum expostulat cum Admeto quod se de morte coniugis celauerit, deinde fictis precibus et commento de muliere certando obtenta eundem et ludit et molestat: tandem uxorem reddit et rem ut erat narrat insperatoque illum beat gaudio.

[244] Argument of the Fifth Act.

After Alcestis is seized from Death by force and restored to life, Hercules first complains to Admetus because he hid the death of his wife from him and then, using pretended requests and the fiction that the woman was obtained in an athletic contest, both plays with and distresses him. In the end, Hercules returns his wife and explains what really happened and gladdens him with unforeseen joy.

Translation by Jeremy Simmons