Sophocles Trachiniae 100

Lewis Campbell (Translator)

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DÊ
Yea, so my mind is bent. I will do so.
490
I will not, in a bootless strife ’gainst Heaven,
490
Augment my misery with self-sought ill.
Come, go we in, that thou may’st bear from me
Such message as is meet, and also carry
Gifts, such as are befitting to return
For gifts new-given. Thou ought’st not to depart
495
Unladen, having brought so much with thee.

Trachiniae. Sophocles. Lewis Campbell (Translator). London, New York and Toronto. 1906.

Current edition Experimental

English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) (English) (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906))

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (2)
Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 100 focus
εἴπ᾽, ὦ κρατιστεύων κατ᾿ ὄμμα.
100
Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 94-140 focus
Translations (4)
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 103 focus
Denn lange schon seh' ich in sehnendem Gram
100
Der Deianeira, die er im Kampf sich erstritt,
Gleich dem geängsteten Vogel,
Nimmer ruh'n des Auges Sehnsucht, welchem die Thräne versiegt.
Stets denkt sie angstvoll, ach! des entfernten Gemahls,
Und härmt sich, daß sie sonder ihn im öden Lager schmachten muß,
105
Ein jammervolles Loos erharrend.
Zweite Strophe.
English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 100 focus
Chorus
No more ; unless thou meanst thy son should
hear thee,
Who now returns in search of thy Alcides ;
Behold him here.
English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 100 focus
Deianira
Such is my purpose; no augmented load
Of ills spontaneous on myself to draw,
Contending with the gods. Retire we now
Beneath this royal roof, thou shalt receive
531
My mandates; for his presents in return
I shall send presents; these too thou shalt bear;
Not to send something by thee were unjust,
Who camest attended with a splendid train.
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-254-1 καὶ 1 φρονοῦμεν 2

mvp-comment-255-1 νόσον γ’ ἐπακτὸν ἐξαρούμεθα 3 ἐπακτὸν 4 γε 5 ἐξαρούμεθα 6

mvp-comment-255-2 Others understand:—(1) ‘I shall not heighten the trouble already brought upon me by others’ (viz., the introduction of Iolè into the house, 376). But this sense for ἐξαρούμεθα 7 γε 8 νόσημ’ 9

mvp-comment-255-3 θεοῖσι δυσμαχοῦντες 10

mvp-comment-256-1 λόγων τ’ 11

mvp-comment-256-2 λόγων … ἐπιστολὰς 12

mvp-comment-257-1 προσαρμόσαι 13

mvp-comment-257-2 This is the first mention of the fateful gift. An unobtrusive significance is given to it by two traits of expression. (1)

δῶρα
is drawn into the relative clause ( O. C.907 n.), and resumed, with a light emphasis, in
καὶ ταῦτ’
: cp. Ph.1247
ἅ γ’ ἔλαβες βουλαῖς ἐμαῖς
, |
πάλιν μεθεῖναι ταῦτα
. (2) A pause follows the second foot of the verse (
ἄγῃς
). Cp. 27 n.

mvp-comment-257-3 ἄγῃς 14 φέρῃς 15 δίκαια 16

mvp-comment-257-4 ὧδε 17 σὺν π. στόλῳ 18

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

490. mvp-comment-370-1 καί marks the correspondence between Lichas' advice and Deianira's state of mind. 'So am I minded.' Cp. Plat. Theaet. 166 D, ἀλλ᾿ αὐτὸν τοῦτον καὶ λέγω σοφόν.

491. mvp-comment-371-1 κοὔτοι.. γε] 'Yea, and I certainly will not.' νόσον . . ἐπακτὸν ἐξαρούμεθα] This may be taken in one of three ways: (1) 'I will not cause to arise for myself a self-sought mischief,' (2) 'I will not aggravate the trouble, which then would be (in so far) of my own seeking' (ἐπακτόν, proleptic = ὥστε ἐπακτὸν ἔχειν αὐτήν), (3) ‘I will not aggravate the mischief thus brought in from without.' For (3), cp. infr. 536 foll., Eur. Phoen. 343, γάμων ἐπακτὸν ἄταν. But (2) agrees better with the intention of Deianira's present speech.

493-494. mvp-comment-372-1 And that thou mayest also carry gifts, wherewith it is meet to make return for what is given.' For ταῦτα supplying the antecedent, see Essay on L. § 40. p. 75, 2. προσαρμόσαι contains no allusion to the dress fitting the frame of Heracles (Blaydes, cp. infr. 768, ἀρτίκολλοs), but to the imagined adaptation of the love-charm to its purpose. To Lichas the phrase only means, 'To make a suitable return.' And possibly no more is intended by the poet. Cp. infr. 687, and note. The irony of ll. 495, 6 is brought out by comparing infr. ll. 540-2, τοιάδ᾽ Ἡρακλῆς . . οἰκούρι᾽ ἀντέπεμψε τοῦ μακροῦ χρόνου.