A circuit arrangement for a high-pressure discharge lamp, having a main combustion chamber with first and second main electrodes and an auxiliary combustion chamber including: an inverter having first and second electronic switches and first and second output terminals; a drive circuit for the electronic switches; and an auxiliary starting circuit. The auxiliary starting circuit has input terminals coupled to the output terminals of the inverter; a first output terminal for the first main electrode; a second output terminal for the second main electrode; and an auxiliary electrode arranged on the side of the first output terminal for inducing an auxiliary starting voltage in the auxiliary combustion chamber. The auxiliary starting circuit includes a cascade circuit formed by the auxiliary electrode and the second output terminal of the auxiliary starting circuit, which provides a voltage for starting the high-pressure discharge lamp.