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200 200 EURIPIDES

And now prevents ^ him, falls at father's knee, Throwing up hand to beard and cheek above. Yours, I am — your boy : not Eurustheus' boy loeo
 * ' Ο dearest ! " cries he, " father, kill me not !

You kill now ! " But he, rolling the wild eye Of Gorgon, — as the boy stood all too close For deadly bowshot, — mimicry of smith Who batters red-hot iron, — hand o'er head Heaving his club, on the boy's yellow hair loes

Hurls it and breaks the bone. This second caught, — He goes, would slay the third, one sacrifice He and the couple ; but, beforehand here. The miserable mother catches up,

Carries him inside house and bars the gate. 1070

Then he, as he were at those Kuklops' work,^ Digs at, heaves doors up, wrenches doorposts out, Lays wife and child low with the selfsame shaft. And this done, at the old man's death he drives ; But there came, as it seemed to us who saw, 1075

A statue — Pallas with the crested head, Swinging her spear — and threw a stone which smote Herakles' breast and stayed his slaughter-rage. And sent him safe to sleep. He falls to ground — Striking against the column with his back — 108O

Column which, with the falling of the roof. Broken in two, lay by the altar-base. And we, foot-free now from our several flights, Along with the old man, we fastened bonds Of rope-noose to the column, so that he, 1085

Ceasing from sleep, might not go adding deeds To deeds done. And he sleeps a sleep, poor wretch, No gift of any god ! since he has slain Children and wife. For me, I do not know What mortal has more misery to bear. loso

^ In original sense, anticipates. ^ Cf. p. 198, line 1009.