Cp. Athen. vi. 270 C. Similar passages are very common—in fact, the view may be said to be a universal one; it arises, of course, from that purely sensual manner of regarding love, on which so much has already been said. Indeed, those who have read the early Greek literature with any attention, need perhaps hardly be reminded of how utterly foreign to the Greek of Euripides’ day is the conception of the “galante Ritter” setting out in search of ladies that want rescuing.
At the same time, it may not be amiss to emphasise a fact which, though sufficiently obvious, is yet often ignored. The fact that the Andromeda was looked upon as a romantic play some centuries later, even if it can be proved, is no proof that it was intended as such by its author, or so understood by its original audience. If Hermesianax could infer from the Odyssey that Homer was in love with Penelope, one may excuse the contemporaries of Lucian if they inferred from Euripides that Perseus was in love with Andromeda, but one need not necessarily regard their inference as a true one.
[351] One naturally thinks of Odysseus and Nausicaa, of Menelaus in the Helena (427 seqq.), &c.
[352] Fr. 129. The fact that this line was afterwards quoted ἐρωτικῶς (vide Nauck, ad loc.), is no proof that it had any such meaning in its original context.
[353] Fr. 132. There is no real objection to putting this fragment after his encounter with the monster, as the words τὰ ἐχόμενα (vide Fr. 129 Nauck) do not necessarily mean that it followed immediately after Fr. 129.
[354] i.e. πρὸς Ὄλυμπον, a very natural remark when one considers the manner of Perseus’ first arrival.
[355] Fr. 133. ἀλλ’ ἡδύ τοι σωθέντα μεμνῆσθαι πόνων.
[356] A very interesting parallel to this scene is furnished by the dream of Medea (Apoll. Rhod. iii. 625 seqq.); the resemblance is almost too great to be merely accidental. There too, of course, it need hardly be remarked, the initiative is on the side of the woman.
[357] [The reading λείπεις has considerable MS. authority, and is adopted by the majority of editors; the author is contrasting it with λείποις, the text of Dindorf, Nauck, and some others.]
[358] The MS. gives ουτοςετουταδικων (Bergk). Various readings of this have been given. The present one is mine.