Here, again, remembering how much the Greeks included in the term music, is a pretty compliment:
μουσικὴν δ' ἄρα
ἔρως διδάσκει κἂν ἄμουσος ᾖ τὸ πρίν.[42]
The next is a graceful expostulation on the lover's part with the god who can make or mar his happiness in life:
σὺ δ' ὦ τύραννε θεῶν τε κἀνθρώπων ἔρως
ἢ μὴ δίδασκε τὰ καλὰ φαίνεσθαι καλά,
ἢ τοῖς ἐρῶσιν ὧν σὺ δημιουργὸς εἶ
μοχθοῦσι μόχθους εὐτυχῶς συνεκπόνει.
καὶ ταῦτα μὲν δρῶν τίμιος θεοῖς ἔσει,
μὴ δρῶν δ' ὑπ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ διδάσκεσθαι φιλεῖν
ἀφαιρεθήσει χάριτας αἷς τιμῶσί σε.[43]
Nor is this without its tincture of respect:
ἀνδρὸς δ' ὁρῶντος εἰς κύπριν νεανίου
ἀφύλακτος ἡ τήρησις· ἢν γὰρ φαῦλος ᾖ
τἄλλ' εἰς ἔρωτα πᾶς ἀνὴρ σοφώτερος.
ἢν δ' αὖ προσῆται Κύπρις ἥδιστον λαβεῖν.[44]
But Euripides can turn round and rate Love for his encouragement of idleness. There is a stern perception of the facts of life in the following excerpt from the Danaë:
ἔρως γὰρ ἀργὸν κἀπὶ τοῖς ἀργοῖς ἔφυ·
φιλεῖ κάτοπτρα καὶ κομῆς ξανθίσματα
φεύγει δὲ μόχθους. ἓν δέ μοι τεκμήριον.
οὐδεὶς προσαιτῶν βίοτον ἠράσθη βροτῶν,
ἐν τοῖς δ' ἔχουσιν ἡβητὴς πέφυχ' ὅδε.[45]