ὄλοιντο μή τι πάντες οἱ κακοί, τὰ δὲ
Trachiniae. Sophocles. ed. Lewis Campbell. Oxford. 1879.
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Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) (Greek) (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879))
Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.
Editions (1)
Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 497-530 focus
Χορός
μέγα τι σθένος ἁ Κύπρις ἐκφέρεται νίκας ἀεί.
καὶ τὰ μὲν θεῶν
παρέβαν, καὶ ὅπως Κρονίδαν ἀπάτασεν οὐ λέγω,
500
οὐδὲ τὸν ἔννυχον Ἅιδαν
ἢ Ποσειδάωνα τινάκτορα γαίας·
ἀλλʼ ἐπὶ τάνδʼ ἄρʼ ἄκοιτιν
τίνες ἀμφίγυοι κατέβαν πρὸ γάμων,
τίνες πάμπληκτα παγκόνιτά τʼ ἐξῆλθον ἄεθλʼ ἀγώνων;
505
μέγα τι σθένος ἁ Κύπρις ἐκφέρεται νίκας ἀεί.
καὶ τὰ μὲν θεῶν
παρέβαν, καὶ ὅπως Κρονίδαν ἀπάτασεν οὐ λέγω,
500
οὐδὲ τὸν ἔννυχον Ἅιδαν
ἢ Ποσειδάωνα τινάκτορα γαίας·
ἀλλʼ ἐπὶ τάνδʼ ἄρʼ ἄκοιτιν
τίνες ἀμφίγυοι κατέβαν πρὸ γάμων,
τίνες πάμπληκτα παγκόνιτά τʼ ἐξῆλθον ἄεθλʼ ἀγώνων;
505
Χορός
ὁ μὲν ἦν ποταμοῦ σθένος, ὑψίκερω τετραόρου
φάσμα ταύρου,
Ἀχελῷος ἀπʼ Οἰνιαδᾶν, ὁ δὲ Βακχίας ἀπὸ
510
ἦλθε παλίντονα Θήβας
τόξα καὶ λόγχας ῥόπαλόν τε τινάσσων,
παῖς Διός· οἳ τότʼ ἀολλεῖς
ἴσαν ἐς μέσον ἱέμενοι λεχέων·
μόνα δʼ εὔλεκτρος ἐν μέσῳ Κύπρις ῥαβδονόμει ξυνοῦσα.
515
ὁ μὲν ἦν ποταμοῦ σθένος, ὑψίκερω τετραόρου
φάσμα ταύρου,
Ἀχελῷος ἀπʼ Οἰνιαδᾶν, ὁ δὲ Βακχίας ἀπὸ
510
ἦλθε παλίντονα Θήβας
τόξα καὶ λόγχας ῥόπαλόν τε τινάσσων,
παῖς Διός· οἳ τότʼ ἀολλεῖς
ἴσαν ἐς μέσον ἱέμενοι λεχέων·
μόνα δʼ εὔλεκτρος ἐν μέσῳ Κύπρις ῥαβδονόμει ξυνοῦσα.
515
Χορός
τότʼ ἦν χερός, ἦν δὲ τόξων πάταγος,
ταυρείων τʼ ἀνάμιγδα κεράτων·
ἦν δʼ ἀμφίπλεκτοι κλίμακες,
520
ἦν δὲ μετώπων ὀλόεντα
πλήγματα, καὶ στόνος ἀμφοῖν.
ἁ δʼ εὐῶπις ἁβρὰ
τηλαυγεῖ παρʼ ὄχθῳ
ἧστο, τὸν ὃν προσμένουσʼ ἀκοίταν.
525
ἀγὼν δὲ μαργᾷ μὲν οἷα φράζω·
τὸ δʼ ἀμφινείκητον ὄμμα νύμφας
ἐλεινὸν ἀμμένει·
κἀπὸ ματρὸς ἄφαρ βέβακεν,
ὥστε πόρτις ἐρήμα.
530
τότʼ ἦν χερός, ἦν δὲ τόξων πάταγος,
ταυρείων τʼ ἀνάμιγδα κεράτων·
ἦν δʼ ἀμφίπλεκτοι κλίμακες,
520
ἦν δὲ μετώπων ὀλόεντα
πλήγματα, καὶ στόνος ἀμφοῖν.
ἁ δʼ εὐῶπις ἁβρὰ
τηλαυγεῖ παρʼ ὄχθῳ
ἧστο, τὸν ὃν προσμένουσʼ ἀκοίταν.
525
ἀγὼν δὲ μαργᾷ μὲν οἷα φράζω·
τὸ δʼ ἀμφινείκητον ὄμμα νύμφας
ἐλεινὸν ἀμμένει·
κἀπὸ ματρὸς ἄφαρ βέβακεν,
ὥστε πόρτις ἐρήμα.
530
Translations (2)
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 375 focus
Was ist mit mir geschehen? Ich Unselige!
Ha, welch Verderben nahm ich unter dieses Dach
370
Unwissend auf? Grauen! Also namenlos
War sie geboren, wie der Herold mir beschwor?
Was ist mit mir geschehen? Ich Unselige!
Ha, welch Verderben nahm ich unter dieses Dach
370
Unwissend auf? Grauen! Also namenlos
War sie geboren, wie der Herold mir beschwor?
Der Bote.
Traun, wie des Mädchens Auge, glänzt auch ihr Geschlecht!
Sie war entsprossen aus dem Blut des Eurytos,
Und Iole hieß sie, deren Stamm mit keinem Laut
375
Der Mann dir nannte; freilich forscht' er nicht danach.
Traun, wie des Mädchens Auge, glänzt auch ihr Geschlecht!
Sie war entsprossen aus dem Blut des Eurytos,
Und Iole hieß sie, deren Stamm mit keinem Laut
375
Der Mann dir nannte; freilich forscht' er nicht danach.
Der Chor.
Fluch treffe - nein, nicht alle Bösen treffe Fluch,
Nur ihn, der heimlich Böses, sein unwürdig, übt!
Fluch treffe - nein, nicht alle Bösen treffe Fluch,
Nur ihn, der heimlich Böses, sein unwürdig, übt!
Deianeira.
Was soll ich thun, ihr Frauen? Wie der Schauder mich
Erfaßte bei den Worten, die der Bote sprach!
380
Was soll ich thun, ihr Frauen? Wie der Schauder mich
Erfaßte bei den Worten, die der Bote sprach!
380
Der Chor.
Geh' hin, den Mann zu fragen; denn er wird's gewiß
Ganz offen sagen, wenn du streng ihu prüfen willst.
Geh' hin, den Mann zu fragen; denn er wird's gewiß
Ganz offen sagen, wenn du streng ihu prüfen willst.
Deianeira.
Ich gehe; denn verständig dünkt mir euer Rath
Ich aber
Ich gehe; denn verständig dünkt mir euer Rath
Ich aber
Der Bote.
bleib' ich? Oder was gebeutst du mir?
bleib' ich? Oder was gebeutst du mir?
Deianeira.
Ja, bleibe noch; denn ohne meiner Boten Ruf,
385
Aus eignem Antrieb kommt er aus dem Hause hier.
Lichas. Die Vorigen.
Ja, bleibe noch; denn ohne meiner Boten Ruf,
385
Aus eignem Antrieb kommt er aus dem Hause hier.
Lichas.
English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 497-530 focus
Chorus
Great and mighty is the victory which the Cyprian queen always bears away. I bypass the tales of the gods,
and do not narrate how she beguiled the son of Cronus, and Hades, the lord of darkness, or Poseidon, shaker of the earth. But, when this bride was to be won,
500
who were the massive rivals that entered the contest for her nuptials? Who stepped forward to the ordeal of battle full of blows and raising dust?
505
Great and mighty is the victory which the Cyprian queen always bears away. I bypass the tales of the gods,
and do not narrate how she beguiled the son of Cronus, and Hades, the lord of darkness, or Poseidon, shaker of the earth. But, when this bride was to be won,
500
who were the massive rivals that entered the contest for her nuptials? Who stepped forward to the ordeal of battle full of blows and raising dust?
505
Chorus
One was a mighty river-god, the form of a bull, high-horned and four-legged,
Achelous, from Oeniadae. The other came from
Thebes
, home of Bacchus, brandishing his resilient bow, his spears and club; he was the son of Zeus. These two then met in a mass, lusting to win a bride,
510
and the Cyprian goddess of nuptial joy was there with them, acting as sole umpire.
515
One was a mighty river-god, the form of a bull, high-horned and four-legged,
Achelous, from Oeniadae. The other came from
Thebes
, home of Bacchus, brandishing his resilient bow, his spears and club; he was the son of Zeus. These two then met in a mass, lusting to win a bride,
510
and the Cyprian goddess of nuptial joy was there with them, acting as sole umpire.
515
Chorus
There was clatter of fists and clang of bow and crash of a bull’s horns mixed together;
then there were close-locked grapplings and deadly blows from foreheads and loud deep cries from both. Meanwhile the delicate beauty sat on the side of a hill that could be seen from afar,
520
awaiting the husband that would be hers.
So the battle rages, as I narrate. But the face of the bride which is the prize of the strife awaits the end in piteous anguish. And suddenly she has left her mother,
525
like an orphaned calf.
530
There was clatter of fists and clang of bow and crash of a bull’s horns mixed together;
then there were close-locked grapplings and deadly blows from foreheads and loud deep cries from both. Meanwhile the delicate beauty sat on the side of a hill that could be seen from afar,
520
awaiting the husband that would be hers.
So the battle rages, as I narrate. But the face of the bride which is the prize of the strife awaits the end in piteous anguish. And suddenly she has left her mother,
525
So the battle rages, as I narrate. But the face of the bride which is the prize of the strife awaits the end in piteous anguish. And suddenly she has left her mother,
like an orphaned calf.
530
Commentary
Commentary (R. C. Jebb) (OCR draft) (Commentary (R. C. Jebb))
mvp-comment-205-1 ὄλοιντο 1
mvp-comment-205-2
The comment is aimed at Lichas in the first instance; but its vague form seems purposed, so that the hearers may extend it, if they please, to Heracles. Deianeira herself is in doubt whether the dissimulation practised by Lichas was prompted by her lord (449): Lichas explains that it was not so (479 f.). The schol.'s paraphrase shows that he wished to punctuate thus:
ὄλοιντο, μή τι πάντες, οἱ κακοί, etc.: ‘perish, not all men, but the evil; and (especially) he,’ etc.
Commentary (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) (Commentary (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) focus
383. mvp-comment-294-1 ὅλοιντο μή τι πάντες οἱ κακοί] The Chorus in a sort of aside, which Deianira is too absorbed to perceive (see infr. 386, ἐκπεπληγμένη), thus covertly direct their indignation at some one. Is this Lichas or Heracles? The prevarication of Lichas is hardly a sufficient cause for such an outburst, and the phrase 'unbecoming to himself' has no significance in relation to him. It is more probable that the Trachinian women, unheard by Deianira, thus breathe a curse on the unfaithfulness of Heracles. It should be remembered that he is not their master, so that the analogy of Medea, 83, 4, ὅλοιτο μὲν μή, δεσπότης γάρ ἐστ᾽ ἐμός, | ἀτὰρ κακός γ᾽ ὧν ἐς φίλους ἁλίσκεται, is rather in favour of this interpretation than against it. Cp. Phil. 451, 2, ποῦ χρὴ τίθεσθαι ταῦτα, ποῦ δ' αἰνεῖν, ὅταν | τὰ θεῖ᾽ ἐπαινῶν τοὺς θεοὺς εὕρω κακούς ;