τοῦ τῆσδ᾽ ἔρωτος εἰς ἅπανθ᾽ ἥσσων ἔφυ.
Trachiniae. Sophocles. ed. Lewis Campbell. Oxford. 1879.
Table of Contents
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Current edition Experimental
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)) — 497 focus
Aphrodite's erhabene Siegesgewalt strahlt ewig neu.
Schweigen will ich
Von den Göttern, und wie sie berückt den Kroniden, sag' ich nicht,
1
Oder den nächtlichen Hades,
495
Oder auch Poseidon, den Ländererschütt'rer.
Hier um die Sterbliche freiend,
Welche Bewerber erschienen zum Streit? Umhallt
2
Von Schlachtgetos', umwölkt von Staub,
Traten sie vor zum Kampfe.
500
Gegenstrophe.
Aphrodite's erhabene Siegesgewalt strahlt ewig neu.
Schweigen will ich
Von den Göttern, und wie sie berückt den Kroniden, sag' ich nicht,
1
Oder den nächtlichen Hades,
495
Oder auch Poseidon, den Ländererschütt'rer.
Hier um die Sterbliche freiend,
Welche Bewerber erschienen zum Streit? Umhallt
2
Von Schlachtgetos', umwölkt von Staub,
Traten sie vor zum Kampfe.
500
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 (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) (Commentary (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) focus
488-489. mvp-comment-368-1 It is strange that these lines should have been suspected by some modern critics. A ῥῆσις often ends with a couplet not much in point. Cp. Aj. 1038, 9, 1089, 90, 1262, 3, Ant. 506, 7, 679, 80, Ó. C. 798, 9, 935, 6, 1153. But these lines are not pointless, for it is the complete and irresistible strength of the passion for Iole, which, as Lichas views the matter, clinches the necessity for Deianira's prudent acquiescence.
489. mvp-comment-369-1 εἰς ἅπαντα] 'Utterly.' ἔφυ] Cp. Phil. 1052, νικᾶν γε μέντοι πανταχοῦ χρήζων ἔφυν. The word here implies the argument, 'It was in his nature,' and therefore not to be avoided.