Sophocles Trachiniae 73

ed. Lewis Campbell

ποῦ δῆτα νῦν ζῶν ἢ θανὼν ἀγγέλλεται ;

Trachiniae. Sophocles. ed. Lewis Campbell. Oxford. 1879.

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)) — 94-140 focus
Translations (5)
English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 73 focus
DÊ
Then tell me, who is she thou brought’st with thee?
400
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 79 focus
Entweder harre seiner dort der Tage Ziel,
So hieß es, oder wenn er sieg' in diesem Kampf,
80
Verfließ' in lautern Wonnen ihm des Lebens Rest.
Nun also seine Wage schwankt, so gehe, Kind,
Ihm beizustehen, da wir selbst gerettet sind,
Wenn er sich rettet, oder untergeh'n mit ihm.
English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 73 focus
Deianira
436
Assembled multitudes. The citizens
Lie. They might say they heard
Reports like these. But must it therefore seem
A truth undoubted?
English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 73 focus
Deianira
Who is this woman, hither whom thou led'st?
400
English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 94-140 focus

Commentary

Commentary (R. C. Jebb) (OCR draft) (Commentary (R. C. Jebb))

mvp-comment-41-1 ἢ θανὼν 1

Commentary (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) (Commentary (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) focus

67-78. mvp-comment-61-1 Hyllus has only just heard the rumour which he repeats; and Deianira is prompted by his mention of the new enterprise to communicate to him the special anxiety, over which she has hitherto brooded in solitude. The objection of Dobree, that she ought to have done so before, is like that made against the ignorance of Jocasta in the Oedipus Tyrannus. If such improbabilities in things external to the immediate action are not to be allowed, the composition of any drama becomes impossible.

73. mvp-comment-65-1 ἢ θανών] ‘If he be indeed alive.' Deianira is stung by the report of Heracles' servitude to a barbarian woman, and. as she herself says, is prepared for anything. She even imagines that the prophecy of liberation may have been fulfilled by his death. Hence ἢ θανών is added with despairing bitterness. On the passive ἀγγέλλεται, see Essay on L. § 31. p. 54 b. The reading ἢ θανών γ᾽ (Par. B) is plausible, but see on 1. 67.