Sophocles Trachiniae 863

Richard Jebb (Translator)

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Trachiniae. Sophocles. Richard Jebb (Translator). Cambridge. 1892.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.

Current edition Experimental

Trachiniae (English) (Sophocles the plays and fragments, Part 5: The Trachiniae. Jebb, Richard Claverhouse, Sir, translator. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1892. (Modernized by Perseus.))

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (2)
Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 863 focus
πότερον ἐγὼ μάταιος, ἢ κλύω τινὸς
οἴκτου δι οἴκων ἀρτίως ἐρμασμένου;
τί φημί;
865
Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 863 focus
Translations (4)
English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 863 focus
Thy silence argues thine accuser’s plea?
See where falls the doom, of old
By the unerring Voice foretold,—
‘When twelve troublous years have rolled,
Then shall end your long desire:
Toil on toil no more shall tire
The offspring of the Eternal Sire.’
Lo! the destined Hour is come!
Lo! it hath brought its burden home.
For when the eyes have looked their last
How should sore labour vex again?
How, when the powers of will and thought are past,
Should life be any more enthralled to pain?
And if Nessus’ withering shroud,
Wrought by destiny and craft,
Steep him in a poisonous cloud.
Steaming from the venomed shaft,
Which to Death in hideous lair
The many-wreathed Hydra bare,
How shall he another day
Feel the glad warmth of Helios’ ray?—
Enfolded by the Monster-Thing
Of Lerna, while the cruel sting
Of the shagg’d Centaur’s murderous-guileful tongue
Breaks forth withal to do him painful wrong.
And she, poor innocent, who saw
Checkless advancing to the gate
A mighty harm unto her state,—
This rash young bridal without fear of law,—
Gave not her will to aught that caused this woe,
But since it came through that strange mind’s conceiving,—
That ruined her in meeting,—deeply grieving,
She mourns with dewy tears in tenderest flow.
The approaching hour appeareth great with woe:
Some guile-born misery doth Fate foreshow.
The springs of sorrow are unbound,
And such an agony disclose,
As never from the hands of foes
To afflict the life of Heracles was found.
O dark with battle-stains, world-champion spear,
That from Oechalia’s highland leddest then
This bride that followed swiftly in thy train,
How fatally overshadowing was thy fear!
But these wild sorrows all too clearly come
870
From Love’s dread minister, disguised and dumb.
870
Am I a fool, or do I truly hear
870
Lament new-rising from our master’s home?
870
Tell!
870
Clearly from within a wailing voice
870
Peals piteously. The house hath some fresh woe.
870
Mark!
870
How strangely, with what cloud upon her brow,
870
Yon aged matron with her tidings moves!
870
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 863 focus
Hat mich ein Wahn betrogen, oder hör' ich nicht
Ein Jammern, das sich eben jezt im Haus erhebt?
Was sag' ich?
850
English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 863 focus
not
To go in silence thus confirms thy guilt?
Chorus.
English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 863 focus
Silence, be thou assured, confirms the charge.
See, virgins, see, the doom of old
By the prophetic voice foretold
Advances with impetuous speed,
For thus the fates decreed,
"Twelve times the moon shall bend her silver bow,
"Then rest from toils the son of Jove shall know."
See, th' event with secret force
Onward holds its destin'd course;
For he, who sinks to Pluto's peaceful shore,
Is to toils a slave no more.
For if the Centaur o'er his head
Guileful the sanguine cloud has spread;
If from the venom-tinctured vest
He feels the rankling pest
Of death and of the spotted Hydra born,
How shall he see another orient morn?
Ours the hero to deplore
Wasted by the Hydra's gore,
As the rough Centaur's wiles their pangs impart,
Burning in his tortured heart.

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-445-1 These eight verses form an epode to the stasimon; three persons take part in the delivery, viz., the two

παραστάται
, or leaders of
ἡμιχόρια
(HM. A, HM. B), and the coryphaeus (XO.). The third part (868—870) is best assigned to the coryphaeus, who usually announces a new comer, and who would naturally conduct the dialogue with the
τροφός
. Similar epodes to stasima are Eur. H. F. 815 —821, and Eur. Hipp. 1143 — 1152, in each of which three parts can be distinguished. (See W. Christ, Metrik, § 723, p. 653 2nd ed.)

mvp-comment-445-2 The motive of the whole passage from 863 to 898 is the dramatic necessity of making an impressive preparation for the Nurse's

ῥῆσις
. It rests with the Chorus alone to do this, since no actor is present.

mvp-comment-445-3 Hermann supposed that, after the three leading choreutae had spoken (863 —870), each of the other twelve in turn took part in the dialogue. But this seems improbable.

mvp-comment-445-4 μάταιος 1

mvp-comment-446-1 τί φημί 2 τὶ φημί 3

mvp-comment-447-1 οὐκ ἄσημον 4 ἀλλὰ δυστυχῆ 5

mvp-comment-447-2 καινίζει 6

mvp-comment-447-3 869 The MS. reading, ἀήθης 7

mvp-comment-447-4 The conjecture ἀηδὴς 8

mvp-comment-447-5 Surely ἀήθης 9 ἀ 10 γ 11 ηθής 12

mvp-comment-448-1 σημανοῦσα 13 σημαίνουσα 14

mvp-comment-449-1 Ἡρακλεῖ τὸ πόμπιμον 15

mvp-comment-450-1 καινοποιηθὲν 16

mvp-comment-451-1 ἐξ ἀκινήτου ποδός 17

mvp-comment-452-1 οὐ δή ποθ’ 18

mvp-comment-452-2 πάντ’ ἀκήκοας 19

mvp-comment-452-3 τέθνηκεν 20

mvp-comment-452-4 878 For the metres of this

κομμός
(878—895), see Analysis.

mvp-comment-452-5 ὀλεθρία 21

mvp-comment-452-6 879 The MS. reading, σχετλιώτατα πρός γε πρᾶξιν 22 σχετλίῳ τὰ πρός γε πρᾶξιν 23

mvp-comment-452-7 Heinrich Schmidt, whose view of the metre will be seen in the Metrical Analysis, merely transposes

πρός
and
γε
, writing σχετλιώτατά γε πρὸς πρᾶξιν 24 γε 25

mvp-comment-452-8 By

πρᾶξιν
must be meant here the mode of ‘doing’ the deed, rather than the victim's ‘fortune’; though the latter is the usual sense of the singular ( Ant.1305 n.). After the question, τίνι τρόπῳ 26 πρᾶξιν 27

mvp-comment-453-1 ξυντρέχει 28

mvp-comment-454-1 διηΐστωσε 29

mvp-comment-455-1 τίς θυμός 30

mvp-comment-455-2 τίνες νόσοι 31 ξυνεῖλε 32

mvp-comment-456-1 μόνα 33

mvp-comment-457-1 στονόεντος 34

mvp-comment-457-2 ἐν τομᾷ 35

mvp-comment-458-1 ὦ ματαία 36

mvp-comment-458-2 τάνδ’ ὕβριν 37

mvp-comment-459-1 ὡς δὴ … παραστάτις 38

mvp-comment-460-1 τίς ἦν 39 πῶς 40

mvp-comment-461-1 αὐτὴ πρὸς αὑτῆς 41

mvp-comment-462-1 ἔτεκεν ἔτεκε δὴ 42

mvp-comment-462-2 νέορτος 43

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

863ff. mvp-comment-636-1 The proscenium has been vacant since the exit (severally) of Deianira and Hyllus. A sound of wailing is now heard from within.

863. mvp-comment-637-1 μάταιος] 'Silly,' i, e. 'Alarmed without cause. For the masc. form, cp. supr. l. 151, and note.

864. mvp-comment-638-1 οἴκτου) «Cry of sorrow. Cp. Αj. 895, οἴκτῳ τῷδε συγκεκραμένην, and for ὑρμασμένου, Springing forth, ib. 892, βοὴ . . ἐξέβη κάπους.

865. mvp-comment-639-1 τί φημί What is this?' For this expression and for the broken line here and in l. 868, cp. O. T. 1471. The three couplets are probably spoken by different members of the Chorus.

866. mvp-comment-640-1 οὐκ ἄσημον «A sound of wailing that is not ambiguous but full of sorrow. Cp. O. C. 1501, Ant. 1209. The conjectural reading, οὐκ εύσημον, ἀλλὰ δυστυχῆ, introduces a false and meaningless antithesis.

867. mvp-comment-641-1 τι καινίζει i.e. καινόν τι έχει.

869. mvp-comment-642-1 ἀήθης] This has been unnecessarily changed to ἀηδής, which should rather mean 'sullen' than 'sad,' and at all events expresses the same thing with συνοφρυωμένη. «Strange, 'Unlike herself,' is a meaning which aptly suits the place, and is properly made more definite by the addition of καὶ συνωφρυωμένη.

870. mvp-comment-643-1 σημαίνουσα] Declaring. The correction σημανοῦσα, “Το declare,' is possibly right; but the present tense may suitably call attention to the gestures of the Τροφός, before she speaks.

871. mvp-comment-644-1 οὐ σμικρών] That the gift has caused evil is already known, the extent of the evil to the house at Trachis is only now revealed.

872. mvp-comment-645-1 Ἡρακλεῖ τὸ πόμπιμον] The adj. is added to explain τὸ δῶρον, because the dative alone would have been an imperfect construction with δῶρον. For the passive meaning of πόμπιμον (which recalls the mission of Lichas, supr. ll. 600 foll.), cp. esp. supr. 822, О. С. 487, τὸν ἱκέτην σωτήριον.

873. mvp-comment-646-1 καινοποιηθέν] Freshly wrought,' i.e. since the news of Heracles' agony were brought by Hyllus.

875. mvp-comment-647-1 ἐξ ἀκινήτου ποδός] «Without stirring foot. Cp. the figurative language of the Watchman in the Antigone, 317, etc.

876. mvp-comment-648-1 οὐ δή ποθ᾿ ὡς θανοῦσα (sc. βέβηκε)] 'You cannot mean the way of death! Cp. supr. 668, and note. πάντ᾿ ἀκήκοας] She insists that her first words have told them all; but the Chorus, with the eagerness of sorrow, demand a more explicit statement. Cp. Εl. 676, θανόντ᾽ Ορέστην νῦν τε καὶ πάλαι λέγω.

878. mvp-comment-649-1 τάλαιν᾿ ὀλεθρία] ‘Poor ruined one!' ὀλέθριος implies guilt added to calamity. Cp. Ο. Τ. 1341, τὸν μέγ᾿ ὀλέθριον, according to one reading. The resolved feet mark the trepidation of the speaker.

879. mvp-comment-650-1 σχετλιώτατα + πρός γε πρᾶξιν] Most ruthlessly, as for the execution; i. e. Whatever else the deed was, it was cruelly determined. Cp. infr. 923-931. The anapaest in the second place is hardly possible even in a passage where the usual rules of the senarius are otherwise relaxed. A possible correction would be to substitute és for πρός.

879. mvp-comment-650-2 A certain approach to an antistrophic structure appears in the near correspondence of ll. 10, 18; 13, 15; 1, 2, 11, 12; 9. 16. εἰπὲ τῷ μόρφ] The Chorus still press the old woman, who is too horror-stricken to speak clearly, to be more explicit.

880. mvp-comment-651-1 ξυντρέχει] Deianira's fate had rushed to meet her when she left the scene (supr. 813).

882. mvp-comment-652-1 What rage, what madness, prompted her in seizing this evil-pointed weapon?' ξυνεῖλε (= μεταίτιος ἦν τοῦ έλειν) agrees with θυμός, which is the chief nominative. ἢ τίνες νόσοι being added διὰ μέσουν. and possibly spoken by a different member of the Chorus. Cp. Fr. 789. Passion is personified as the author of the deed. Cp. El. 198, δύλος ἦν ὁ φράσας, ἔρος ὁ κτείνας. Several editors have read τάνδ' αἰχμᾷ βέλεος κακοῦ ξυνεῖλε; = 'What rage snatched her away with the point of an evil weapon?' But there is something cold and inappropriate in the demonstrative pronoun thus applied to Deianira here, -as if those present could suppose anyone else to be meant.

884. mvp-comment-653-1 πῶς ἐμήσατο.. ἀνύσασα] How did she meditate and carry into effect?' For the proleptic use of the participle, cp. Αj. 185, ἐν ποίμναις πίτνων, and note.

887. mvp-comment-654-1 στονοέντος¹ 'Deadly;' like βέλεα στονοέντα, στονοέντες δϊστοί, πολύστονος ίύς, in Epic Greek. ἐν τομᾷ] For ev of the means or instrument, cp. Ant. 961, ἐν κερτομίοις γλώσσαις. Essay on L. § 19. p. 28.

888. mvp-comment-655-1 ματαία has been changed to μάταιε, making an iambic pentapody. As the text stands, the line is a combination of two iambi, a bacchius, and a cretic. ματαία (οι μάταιε) conveys the reproach of helplessness, - You saw, and could do nothing!' τάνδ᾽ ὕβριν) «This violent deed.' The use of ύβρις, as applied to suicide, must be allowed to be catachrestic;' but the Chorus are at a loss for a word corresponding to their impression, and take up the strongest which occurs to them. See Essay on L. (Specific use of General Words) § 51. p. 95.

890. mvp-comment-656-1 τίς ἦν; πῶς;] τις = ποῖος. Cp. Ο. C. 775, τις αὕτη τέρψις; The language here becomes very abrupt and irregular.

891. mvp-comment-657-1 She did and suffered this herself from her own hand. So the force of the middle voice may be rendered. χειροποιεῖται ἐς ἅπαξ λεγόμενον.

892. mvp-comment-658-1 foll. The ruin of Heracles and the death of Deianira are the first-born offspring of his union with Iole. For the iteration, which is rare in Sophocles, cp. Ο. C. 1670, ἔστιν, ἔστι νῷν δή, κ.τ.λ.