Sophocles Trachiniae 238

Robert Potter (Translator)

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Chorus
1259cont2
Virgin, go hence: thou hast beheld the deaths
Of the illustrious, and their recent woes;
Dreadful events, but all ordain'd by Jove.

Trachiniae. Sophocles. Robert Potter (Translator). London. 1820.

Current edition Experimental

English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) (English) (English (Robert Potter, 1788))

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (2)
Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 238 focus
βωμοὺς τέλη τελεῖ τ᾽ ἔγκαρπα Κηναίῳ Διί.
Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 205-496 focus
Translations (2)
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 248 focus
Mit nichten: meistens ward er fern in Lydia
Gehalten, nicht als freier Mann, so sagt er selbst,
Nein, als verkaufter Sklave. Doch darf keinen Groll
Dies Wort, o Frau, dir wecken, weil Zeus solches that.
245
Verhandelt einem fremden Weib, der Omphale,
(Erzählt er selber,) fröhnt' er ihr ein volles Jahr;
Und also nagte dieser Schimpf am Herzen ihm,
Daß er sich selber einen Eid' auflegt' und schwur,
Den Schnöden, der ihm dieses Leids Urheber sei,
250
Als Knecht dereinst zu fesseln, ihn mit Kind und Weib.
Nicht eitle Drohung war es; nein, sobald er sich
Gesühnt, so führt' er vor die Burg des Eurytos
Ein Heer von Söldnern; denn er sagte, der allein
Von allen Menschen trage Schuld an diesem Leid;
255
Der habe, wie Herakles ihn an seinem Herd
Als alter Gastfreund heimgesucht, mit Worten oft,
Und oft mit unheilvollem Sinn ihn aufgereizt;
So prahlt' er, unentfliehbar sei wohl sein Geschoß,
Doch steh' er seinen Söhnen nach im Bogenkampf;
260
Er müsse, rief er, als der Knecht dem freien Mann
Sich beugen. Dann bei'm Mahle warf er ihn hinaus,
Den Weinberauschten. Drob ergrimmt' Herakles, und,
English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 141-495 focus

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-658-1 As Hyllus spoke the last two verses, he gave a sign to the bearers (964) to come forward and resume their places beside the litter. These five anapaestic lines are spoken by Heracles while that order is being obeyed. Then the words of Hyllus,

αἴρετ’, ὀπαδοί
(1264), mark that the procession is about to move.

mvp-comment-658-2 ἄγε νυν 1

mvp-comment-659-1 πρὶν ἀνακινῆσαι τήνδε νόσον 2

mvp-comment-659-2 Other views are:—(1)

ἀνακινῆσαι
is intrans., ‘be roused.’ But this use is unexampled, and cannot safely be inferred from the intrans.
ὑποκινεῖν
( Her.5. 106 , etc.), or
παρακινεῖν
as=
παρακόπτειν, παραπαίειν
, delirare. (2) The subject to the inf. is
νόσον
, and the object is
σε
understood. But
ἀνακινῆσαι
clearly refers to rousing the pain, not to troubling the mind: cp. 974
μὴ κινήσῃς...ὀδύναν
: 979
κἀκκινήσεις...νόσον
.

mvp-comment-659-3 ὦ ψυχὴ σκληρά 3

mvp-comment-659-4 χάλυβος λιθοκόλλητον στόμιον 4

mvp-comment-659-5 I take the words in a way different from any of these.

χάλυβος στόμιον
, the ‘curb of steel,’ is, as all agree, the strong selfrestraint which is to keep the lips closed. Then
λιθοκόλλητον
introduces a new image. The lips, thus firmly closed, are set as stone to stone in masonry. Thus the whole phrase means ‘A curb of steel, to keep the lips set as stone to stone.’ The use of
λιθοκόλλητον
to describe the effect of the ‘curb’ has been assisted by the suggestion, in
στόμιον
, of
στόμα
.

mvp-comment-659-6 ἀνάπαυε βοήν 5

mvp-comment-659-7 ὡς 6 τελέους’ 7 ἐπίχαρτον 8

mvp-comment-660-1 The unanimous tradition assigned verses 1264—1274 to Hyllus. Verses 1275—1278 were given by some to the Chorus, and by others to Hyllus. From the indication in L at v. 1275 (

χορὸς γράφεται ὕλλος
), and from the schol. there (
χορός· τινὲς ὕλλος
), it may be conjectured that the attribution of 1275—1278 to the Chorus was the prevalent one. This was only natural, as the Chorus usually closes the play. A majority of modern editors, however, give vv. 1264—1278 wholly to Hyllus; and they seem right.—See Appendix.

mvp-comment-660-2 ὀπαδοί 9

mvp-comment-660-3 συγγνωμοσύνην 10

mvp-comment-660-4 For Nauck's reading of this passage, see Appendix.

mvp-comment-661-1 κλῃζόμενοι 11

mvp-comment-661-2 ἐφορῶσι 12

mvp-comment-662-1 τὰ μὲν οὖν μέλλοντ’ 13 ἐκείνοις 14

mvp-comment-662-2 The words

τὰ μὲν οὖν μέλλοντ’ οὐδεὶς ἐφορᾷ
unconsciously foreshadow the apotheosis of Heracles. This is the only hint of it in the play.

mvp-comment-662-3 χαλεπώτατα δ’ οὖν 15

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

1259-1260. mvp-comment-892-1 πρὶν τήνδ᾽ ἀνακινῆσαι | νόσον] Either (1) taking ἀνακινῆσαι ας transitive, Before allowing this trouble to re awaken;' see note on Aj. 674, 5, ἐκοίμισε στένοντα πόντον, or (2) with ἀνακινῆσαι intransitive, Before this trouble re-awaken.' Other compounds of κινεῖν, ας παρακινεῖν, ὑποκινεῖν, are used intransitively, and why not ἀνακινεῖν ? Heracles thus steels himself against the possible recurrence of the pain, because ἐν εὐφημίᾳ χρὴ τελευτᾶν.

1260. mvp-comment-893-1 ὦ ψυχὴ σκληρά] Cp. Eur. Alc. 837, ΗΡ. ὦ πολλὰ τλᾶσα καρδία ψυχή τ' ἐμή.

1260-1261. mvp-comment-894-1 χάλυβος | λιθοκόλλητον στόμιον] 'A bit of iron set with adamant.' λιθοκόλλητον is literally, Inlaid with stones.'

1261. mvp-comment-895-1 παρέχουσ'] Sc. τῇ βοῇ, 'Applying' as a preventive.

1262. mvp-comment-896-1 ὡς ἐπίχαρτον, κ.τ.λ.] i.e. τελέουσα ἔργον ἀεκούσιον ὡς ἐπίχαρτον ὄν, 'Performing an unwilling deed as a thing to rejoice at.' Not, As performing an unwilling deed that will bring joy,' which is inconsistent with l. 1256, and with the tone of the whole scene.

1264. mvp-comment-897-1 μεγάλην. . συγγνωμοσύνην] To me allowing great excuse for what is now being done,' because Hyllus is compelled by his father.

1266. mvp-comment-898-1 μεγάλην.. εἰδότες] 'But to the gods attributing great unkindness.' The antithesis is more formal than real. For the expression, cp. εἰδέναι χάριν, and for θεῶν ἀγνωμοσύνην, Ο. C. 86, μὴ γένησθ᾽ ἀγνώμονες.

1268-1269. mvp-comment-899-1 οἱ.. πάθη] The plural helps to soften the rebellious utterance of Hyllus against Zeus, who now afflicts his son. Cp. Od. 20. 202, 3.

1269. mvp-comment-900-1 ἐφορῶσι] 'Look on' with indifference. Cp. Εl. 826, εἰ ταῦτ᾽ ἐφορῶντες κρύπτουσιν ἕκηλοι.

1270. mvp-comment-901-1 ἐφορᾷ] For the repetition of the same word in a different sense, see Essay on L. § 44. pp. 83. 84. This line contains the only hint in the play that the ultimate fate of Heracles is different from what he now expects.

1272. mvp-comment-902-1 ἐκείνοις] Sc. τοῖς θεοῖς.

1273. mvp-comment-903-1 ἀνδρῶν πάντων] For the masculine genitive of comparison after the neuter word, cp. Ο. Τ. 467, ἀελλάδων | ἵππων σθεναρώτερον.

1274. mvp-comment-904-1 τῷ . . ὑπέχοντι] Το him who undergoes this affliction.' Hyllus avoids naming both Zeus (1268) and Heracles.