Sophocles Trachiniae 600

ed. Francis Storr

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Trachiniae. Sophocles. ed. Francis Storr. London. 1913.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.

Current edition Experimental

Τραχίνιαι (Greek) (Sophocles, Volume 2. Storr, Francis, editor. London; New York: William Heinemann Ltd.; The Macmillan Company, 1913.)

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (1)
Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 600 focus
ἀλλ᾽ αὐτὰ δή σοι ταῦτα καὶ πράσσω, Λίχα,
600
ἕως σὺ ταῖς ταῖς ἔσωθεν ἠγορῶ ξέναις,
ὅπως φέρῃς μοι τόνδε γ'᾿ εὐϋφῆ τόνδε γ᾽ εὐυφῆ πέπλον,
Translations (5)
English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 600 focus
Even that hath been my care, Lichas, while thou
600
Wert talking to the stranger-maids within,
600
That thou shouldst take for me this finewoven web,
600
A present from these fingers to my lord.
600
And when thou giv’st it, say that none of men
600
Must wear it on his shoulders before him;
600
And neither light of sun may look upon it,
600
Nor holy temple-court, nor household flame,
Till he in open station ’fore the Gods
Display it on a day when bulls are slaughtered.
So once I vowed, that should I ever see
Or hear his safe return, I would enfold
His glorious person in this robe, and show
To all the Gods in doing sacrifice
Him a fresh worshipper in fresh array.—
The truth hereof he will with ease descry
Betokened on this treasure-guarding seal.—
Now go, and be advised, of this in chief,
To act within thine office; then of this,
To bear thee so, that from his thanks and mine
Meeting in one, a twofold grace may spring.
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 600 focus
Dir das zu sagen, säumt auch ich schon lange hier,
Index du sprachst im Hause mit den fremden Frau'n:
590
Du sollst, o Lichas, dieses feingewobne Kleid
Dem Manne bringen als Geschenk von meiner Hand.
Doch ihm es reichend, sage, daß kein Sterblicher
Eh' als er selber sich damit umhüllen soll, 1
Und daß es weder schauen soll der Sonne Strahl,
595
Noch heil'ger Altar, noch des Herdes Feuerglanz,
Bevor er selbst es offen, öffentlich geseh'n,
Am Tag der Stieresopfer frei den Göttern zeigt.
Denn so gelobt' ich: säh' ich oder hört' ich einst,
Er sei nach Haus gerettet, woll' ich nach Gebühr
600
Mit dem Gewand ihn schmücken, und den Göttern ihn
Als Opferpriester zeigen neu im neuen Kleid.
Davon ein Zeichen bringst du, das er leicht erkennt,
Sobald er dieses Siegels Ning in's Auge faßt.
Nun geh' und erstens halte mir die Regel fest,
605
Als Bote nicht zu fröhnen eitler Neubegier;
Dann sorge, daß sich seine Gunst und meine Gunst
Zum Doppeldanke gegen dich vereinige.
English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 600 focus
I'll try it soon.
600
For see e'en now he comes out at the portal :
600
Let him not know our purpose. If the deed
Be wrong, concealment may prevent reproach ;
Therefore be silent.
English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 600 focus
Lichas, in this my care hath been employ'd,
600
Whilst converse with the strangers thou hast held,
600
That thou may'st bear this beauteous-woven vest,
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Wrought by my hands, a present to thy lord.
600
This give him, with a charge that but himself
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No mortal in it proudly be array'd;
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Nor ever let the sun's resplendent beam
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Behold it, nor the altar's sacred flame,
Nor the bright-blazing hearth, till he shall stand
In public view, and show it to the gods,
When on some solemn day the victim bleeds:
For such my vow, if e'er I saw or heard
That he return'd in safety, with this robe
To deck his person, that before the gods
Gorgeous in new attire he might appear,
And offer sacrifice. Bear this, in proof
I gave such charge; my signet he will know.
Now go, and take good heed not to presume
Beyond thy orders; so shalt thou obtain
A double meed, my favour and thy lord's.
English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 600 focus

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-309-1 αὐτὰ … ταῦτα 1 καὶ 2 πράσσω 3 ἠγορῶ 4

mvp-comment-309-2 ταναϋφῆ 5 τόνδε γ’ εὐϋφῆ 6 ἀϋφῆ 7 ταναϋφῆ 8 γε 9

mvp-comment-309-3 πέπλον 10 τόνδε 11

mvp-comment-310-1 φράζ’ ὅπως μηδεὶς … ἀμφιδύσεται 12

mvp-comment-311-1 ἕρκος ἱερὸν 13 ἐφέστιον σέλας 14

mvp-comment-312-1 φανερὸς 15 ἐμφανῶς 16 σταθεὶς 17

mvp-comment-313-1 ηὔγμην 18

mvp-comment-314-1 πανδίκως 19 στελεῖν 20 σωθέντ’ 21 πανδίκως 22

mvp-comment-315-1 καινῷ καινὸν 23

mvp-comment-315-2 As to the wearing of new, or freshly washed, garments on such occasions, cp. Od.4. 750 (Penelope is to pray to Athena)

καθαρὰ χροῒ εἵμαθ’ ἑλοῦσα
.

mvp-comment-316-1 καὶ τῶνδ’ ἀποίσεις 24

mvp-comment-316-2 ἐπὸν μαθήσεται 25 ἐπ’ ὄμμα θήσεται 26 ν 27 μ 28 εὐμαθὲς … μαθήσεται 29 ὃ 30 ἐπιθήσεται ὄμμα 31

mvp-comment-317-1 νόμον 32

mvp-comment-317-2 τὸ μὴ )πιθυμεῖν πομπὸς ὢν 33

mvp-comment-318-1 ὅπως ἂν 34 χάρις 35 ἁπλῆ 36 διπλῆ 37 κείνου τε κἀμοῦ 38 ξυνελθοῦς’ 39

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

531-632. mvp-comment-400-1 Deianira, who has already prepared the charmed robe, confides her intention to the Trachinian maidens, and, on Lichas' coming forth, entrusts the gift to him, with the appropriate commands.

600. mvp-comment-453-1 αὐτὰ δὴ.. πράσσω] ‘I have been arranging this very thing,' viz. what Lichas is to do.

601. mvp-comment-454-1 ἠγορῶ] You have been talking.' Lichas has done talking to the women, but Deianira's act, for which this gave time, is still in progress. Hence the pres. and imperf. tenses.

602. mvp-comment-455-1 τόνδε γ᾽ εὐϋφῆ] 'Just this carefully woven garment.' Wunder's conjecture, ταναϋφῆ, has been very generally received by recent editors. But (α) γε, although postponed in the sentence ( Essay on L. § 26. p. 44; § 41. p. 77 ), bears a good meaning, complying with Lichas' σήμαινε, and particularizing: (β) εὐφῆ, “Carefully woven,' is exactly in point; the value of the gift was enhanced by the care which Deianira had spent on it: (c) ταναϋφῆ (for which, cp. 674, ἐνδυτῆρα) occurs nowhere in any extant writing, and though Hesychius mentions the word, there is nothing in his manner of doing so to show that he is quoting from Sophocles.

607. mvp-comment-456-1 μήθ᾽ ἔρκος ἱερὸν μήτ' ἐφέστιον σέλας] 'Nor sacred enclosure' (because there would be fire upon the hearth or altar there), 'nor hearth-lit flame.' ἐφέστιον has generally been referred to the private hearth as distinguished from the public altar. But a doubt is thrown on this distinction by the use of ἑστίαν in l. 658.

608. mvp-comment-457-1 φανερὸν ἐμφανής] The reading of Triclinius (also according to Blaydes of Par. A), is here better than that of L, φανερὸς ἐμφανής.

609. mvp-comment-458-1 ἡμέρᾳ ταυροσφάγῳ] For the gladness implied in this phrase, cp. the Biblical expression, 'As in a day of slaughter,' and Pind. Nem. 6. 69, ἐν ἀμφικτιύνων | ταυροφόνῳ τριετηρίδι. The meaning of the phrase, 'A day when the greatest victims are sacrificed,' is illustrated by infr. 760 foll.

611. mvp-comment-459-1 πανδίκως] This word is rightly taken by Mr. Paley and Otto Hense with the following line:-'I would array him rightly in this robe.' On πανδίκως see above, l. 294.

612. mvp-comment-460-1 στελεῖν] That I would array him.' Cp. Eur. Bacch. 827, 8, ΔΙ. ἐγὼ στελῶ σε δωμάτων εἴσω μολών. | ΠΕ. τίνα στολήν; ἢ θῆλυν; ἀλλ᾽ αἰδώς μ' ἔχει.

613. mvp-comment-461-1 The words καινῷ καινόν, as Dindorf observes, are thrown together according to a very frequent idiom, for which, cp. especially Αj. 467, μόνος μόνοις. The meaning of καινόν is therefore not to be pressed. But it may hint the appropriateness of the new robe to Heracles' first appearance after his long absence.

614. mvp-comment-462-1 εὐμαθὲς ἐπ᾿ ὄμμα θήσεται] 'Which his eye, that lights on this firm seal, will easily discern.' Against the conjecture of Billerbeck, ἐπὸν μαθήσεται, it may be urged that the tautology εὐμαθές μαθήσεται is singularly ungraceful (Dindorf has accordingly introduced the further conjecture εὐθέως, and Mr. Paley that of ὄμμα θείς, for εὐμαθές) and that ἐπών adds nothing to the sense. On the other hand the reading in the text requires εὐμαθές to have an active meaning, and ő to be governed κατὰ σύνεσιν by the whole clause. The expression ἐπιθήσεται ὄμμα also appears strange. But for the two former objections, see Essay on L. § 53. p. 99, supr. 136, and note; and for the last-mentioned expression, cp. Il 10. 46, ῾Εκτορέοις ἄρα μᾶλλον ἐπὶ φρένα θῆχ᾽ ἱεροῖσιν. σφραγίδος ἕρκος is simply A safeguard consisting of a seal,' without any reference to the rim of the seal. Cp. Pind. Nem. 10. 66, ἐν ἀγγέων ἕρκεσιν παμποικίλοις.

616. mvp-comment-463-1 νόμον] Rule of conduct,' as in Ant. 191, τοιοῖσδ᾽ ἐγὼ νόμοισι τήνδ' αὔξω πόλιν. See Essay on L. p. 88 , and cp. infr. 1177, 8, νόμον . . πειθαρχεῖν πατρί.

617. mvp-comment-464-1 περισσὰ δρᾶν] Το act beyond thine office.' The meaning of περισσός is relative to the circumstances in question. Here it conveys a rebuke for Lichas' previous conduct, rather than a warning not to break the seal, etc. Cp. περισσὰ πράσσειν in Ant. 68.

619. mvp-comment-465-1 ἐξ ἁπλῆς διπλῆ] The favour which Lichas has hitherto sought is 'single,' being that of Heracles alone. Cp. supr. 286, πιστὸς ὢν κείνῳ, and note.