| Ὀρέστης διὰ τὴν τῆς μητρὸς σφαγὴν ἅμα καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν Ἐρινύων δειματούμενος καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν Ἀργείων κατακριθεὶς θανάτῳ, μέλλων φονεύειν Ἑλένην καὶ Ἑρμιόνην ἀνθ’ ὧν Μενέλαος παρὼν οὐκ ἐβοήθησε, διεκωλύθη ὑπὸ Ἀπόλλωνος. παρ’ οὐδενὶ κεῖται ἡ μυθοποιία. | Orestes, for the murder of his mother and in fear of the Erinyes, was condemned to death by the Argives. Intending to kill Helen and Hermione—because Menelaus, though present, did not assist—he was prevented by Apollo. This myth is not found in any authoritative source. |
| Ἡ μὲν σκηνὴ τοῦ δράματος ὑπόκειται ἐν Ἄργει· ὁ δὲ χορὸς συνέστηκεν ἐκ γυναικῶν Ἀργείων, ἡλικιωτίδων Ἠλέκτρας, αἳ καὶ παραγίνονται ὑπὲρ τῆς τοῦ Ὀρέστου πυνθανόμεναι συμφορᾶς. | The scene of the play is set in Argos. The chorus is composed of Argive women, contemporaries of Electra, who arrive to inquire about the misfortunes that have befallen Orestes. |
| προλογίζει δὲ Ἠλέκτρα. | Electra delivers the prologue. |
| τὸ δρᾶμα κωμικωτέραν ἔχει τὴν καταστροφήν. | The drama ends in a more comic fashion. |
| ἡ δὲ διασκευὴ τοῦ δράματός ἐστι τοιαύτη· πρὸς τὰ τοῦ Ἀγαμέμνονος βασίλεια ὑπόκειται Ὀρέστης κάμνων ὑπὸ μανίας καὶ κείμενος ἐπὶ κλινιδίου, ᾧ προσκαθέζεται πρὸς τοῖς ποσὶν Ἠλέκτρα. | The staging is as follows: in front of Agamemnon’s palace lies Orestes, sick with madness, on a couch, and at his feet sits Electra. |
| διαπορεῖται δὲ τί δήποτε οὐ πρὸς τῇ κεφαλῇ καθέζεται· οὕτω γὰρ ἂν μᾶλλον ἐδόκει τὸν ἀδελφὸν τημελεῖν, πλησιαίτερον προσκαθεζομένη. | One might wonder why she does not sit by his head—for that would show more concern for her brother, by sitting closer. |
| ἔοικεν οὖν διὰ τὸν χορὸν ὁ ποιητὴς οὕτω διασκευάσαι. | It seems that the poet arranged it this way because of the chorus. |
| διηγέρθη γὰρ ἂν Ὀρέστης ἄρτι καὶ μόγις καταδραθεὶς, πλησιαίτερον αὐτῷ τῶν κατὰ τὸν χορὸν γυναικῶν παρισταμένων. | For Orestes had just awoken and barely fallen back to sleep, while the women of the chorus were standing closer to his head. |
| ἔστι δὲ ὑπονοῆσαι τοῦτο ἐξ ὧν φησιν Ἠλέκτρα τῷ χορῷ· σῖγα σῖγα, λεπτὸν ἴχνος ἀρβύλης. | This can be inferred from what Electra says to the chorus: “Quietly, quietly—a light step of a boot.” |
| πιθανὸν οὖν ταύτην εἶναι τὴν πρόφασιν τῆς τοιαύτης διαθέσεως. | So it is likely that this is the reason for the arrangement. |
| τὸ δρᾶμα τῶν ἐπὶ σκηνῆς εὐδοκιμούντων, χείριστον δὲ τοῖς ἤθεσι. πλὴν γὰρ Πυλάδου πάντες φαῦλοι ἦσαν. | The drama was among the most successful on stage, but the characters’ morals were the worst—for except Pylades, all were base. |