ΕΥΡΙΠΙΔΟΥ ΙΠΠΟΛΥΤΟΣ. THE HIPPOLYTUS OF EURIPIDES. EDITED, With Introduction, Notes, and Appendix, BY J. P. MAHAFFY, FELLOW OF TRINITY COLLEGE, DUBLIN ; PROFESSOR OF ANCIENT HISTORY IN THE UNIVERSITY OF DUBLIN: 1891, 3 kril 25 HARVARD UNIVERSITY, Classical Department. DUBLIN: PRINTED AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS, BY PONSONBY AND WELDRICK. INTRODUCTION. THE Crowned Hippolytus, as we have it, is the second edition of the play, altered and improved by the poet himself, so that it not only obtained first prize (428 B.C.), but was held one of the greatest of his works. We do not know its companions in the Trilogy; but here, as in other cases, the poet seems to have rested his claims on the merit of one piece above the rest, and this is the piece preserved to us. It is remarkable that the earlier edition survived, and is quoted up to the time of Stobaeus. The author of our Argument thinks it very inferior to the extant play, and doubtless the poet would have suppressed it, had it been possible. But it seems that even before 430 B.C. copies of books spread with such rapidity at Athens, that as soon as a play came out it became public property, and thus we have several instances quoted of double editions, both surviving, and acknowledged by the author. It would be very interesting to know what changes Euripides introduced. Some have inferred from the extant Latin tragedy on this subject, that in the earlier shape Phaedra declared herself in person to Hippolytus, whose attitude may have given the title |