Hippolytus is an Ancient Greek tragedy by Euripides, based on the myth of Hippolytus, son of Theseus. The play was first produced for the City Dionysia of Athens in 428 BC and won first prize as part of a trilogy.Euripides first treated the myth in a previous play, Hippolytos Kalyptomenos , which is now lost; what is known of it is based on echoes found in other ancient writings. The earlier play, and the one that has survived are both titled Hippolytus, but in order to distinguish the two they have traditionally been given the names, Hippolytus Kalyptomenos and Hippolytus Stephanophoros . It is thought that the contents to the missing Hippolytos Kalyptomenos portrayed a shamelessly lustful Phaedra who directly propositioned Hippolytus, which apparently offended the play's audience.Euripides revisits the myth in Hippolytos Stephanophoros, its title referring to the garlands Hippolytus wears as a worshipper of Artemis. In this version Phaedra fights against her own sexual desires, which have been incited by Aphrodite.
“In this world second thoughts, it seems, are best.”
Variant translations: Among mortals second thoughts are the wisest.
Second thoughts are ever wiser.
Among mortals second thoughts are wisest.
Source: Hippolytus (428 BC), l. 435, as translated by David Grene
“Twas but my tongue, 'twas not my soul that swore.”
Variant translation by David Grene:
My tongue swore, but my mind was still unpledged.
Source: Hippolytus (428 BC), l. 612, as translated by Gilbert Murray (1954)
Source: Hippolytus (428 BC), lines 426-427; David Kovacs' translation
“The credit we get for wisdom is measured by our success.”
Source: Hippolytus (428 BC), l. 701, translated by Edward P. Coleridge
