Euripides, The opening Ode to The Bacchae, in ancient Greek (sometimes called "A Hymn to Dionysus")

The Greek text used for this video is that of Gilbert Murray, readily accessible on Perseus. The English translation is my own, and free to copy or use for any and all purposes under CC BY 4.0 (attribution only).

In case it may be found useful for listening, I have added macrons to the Greek text, marking as long any alphas, iotas, or upsilons, that are naturally so. [Errata: A macron is however missing from "Λύδι᾿."]

The parodos is the ode sung by the chorus as it enters the stage, and takes its place in the orchestra. It is sometimes translated as "entry-song." Aristotle defines it as "the first whole utterance of a chorus." (Poetics 6.6).

This Ode is occasionally known as the Hymn to Dionysus. e. g. Gregory (2008:257) speaks of the use, by Euripides, of "meters traditionally associated with cult songs"; which he employs "in Ion's paean to Apollo, and in the hymn to Dionysus, which comprises the parodos of Bacchae." Again, as early as 1872, Rogers (xxiv), a translator of Euripides, writes concerning the Bacchae: "The choral songs are in the best style of Euripides... The first is the hymn to Dionysus."

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction
01:26 Strophe a
03:05 Antistrophe a
05:03 Strophe b
06:49 Antistrophe b
08:38 Epode

In this description-box, there is not enough space to place the texts. But in the comments section I shall place an English, Greek, and Greek-English interwoven text.

Recitation Audiobook Reading Talking Book Recording Literature Classic Literature Classics Poetry Poem Poems Audiobooks Classic Poetry Classical Poetry Ancient Greek Literature Classical Literature Ancient Greek Ancient Greek Poetry Ancient Greece Ancient Greek Language Ἀσίας ἀπὸ γᾶς Parodos Tragedy Greek tragedy