Sophocles, Trachiniae, Robert Potter (Translator), 59

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Messenger
351

And the high-tower'd Echalia. Love alone

Of all the gods incited him to arms;

And not his Lydian slavery, and base tasks

By Omphale commanded, nor the death

Of Iphitus hurl'd headlong from the rock.

This love conceal'd, the herald other pleas

Devised. But when his lord had urged in vain

The sire to give the daughter to his bed

In secret nuptials, he assign'd some cause

Of slight and trivial charge to march in arms

Against her country, where the royal throne

Was held by Eurytus; he slew the king
355

Her father, and his wasted city razed.
355

Her, as thou seest, returning he now sends
355

Thus, lady, not without peculiar care,

- Not as a slave; admit not such an hope;

It is not to be thought, since love inflames

His soul. By duty prompted I to thee

What was my chance to learn from him disclose :

And this, not I alone, but many heard;

Assembled he declared it; and to these

I make appeal. Unwelcome to thy ear

If what I tell thee, I have no delight

In speaking it, but what I speak is truth.

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)) — 59 focus

ὥστ᾽ εἴ τί σοι πρὸς καιρὸν ἐννέπειν δοκῶ,

Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 94-140 focus

Χορός

ὃν αἰόλα νὺξ ἐναριζομένα

τίκτει κατευνάζει τε, φλογιζόμενον
95

Ἅλιον Ἅλιον αἰτῶ

τοῦτο καρῦξαι, τὸν Ἀλκμήνας πόθι μοι πόθι παῖς

ναίει ποτʼ, ὦ λαμπρᾷ στεροπᾷ φλεγέθων,

ἢ ποντίας αὐλῶνος ἢ δισσαῖσιν ἀπείροις κλιθείς,
100

εἴπʼ, ὦ κρατιστεύων κατʼ ὄμμα.

103

Χορός

ποθουμένᾳ γὰρ φρενὶ πυνθάνομαι

τὰν ἀμφινεικῆ Δηιάνειραν ἀεί,

οἷά τινʼ ἄθλιον ὄρνιν,
105

οὔποτʼ εὐνάζειν ἀδακρύτων βλεφάρων πόθον, ἀλλʼ

εὔμναστον ἀνδρὸς δεῖμα τρέφουσαν ὁδοῦ

ἐνθυμίοις εὐναῖς ἀνανδρώτοισι τρύχεσθαι, κακὰν
110

δύστανον ἐλπίζουσαν αἶσαν.

112

Χορός

πολλὰ γὰρ ὥστʼ ἀκάμαντος ἢ νότου ἢ βορέα τις

κύματʼ ἂν εὐρέϊ πόντῳ βάντʼ ἐπιόντα τʼ ἴδοι,

οὕτῶ δὲ τὸν Καδμογενῆ στρέφει, τὸ δʼ αὔξει,

βιότου πολύπονον ὥσπερ πέλαγος
115

Κρήσιον. ἀλλά τις θεῶν αἰὲν ἀναμπλάκητον Ἅιδα
120

σφε δόμων ἐρύκει.

122

Χορός

ὧν ἐπιμεμφομένα σʼ αἰδοῖα μέν, ἀντία δʼ οἴσω.

φαμὶ γὰρ οὐκ ἀποτρύειν ἐλπίδα τὰν ἀγαθὰν
125

χρῆναί σʼ· ἀνάλγητα γὰρ οὐδʼ ὁ πάντα κραίνων βασιλεὺς ἐπέβαλε θνατοῖς Κρονίδας·

ἀλλʼ ἐπὶ πῆμα καὶ χαρὰ πᾶσι κυκλοῦσιν, οἷον

ἄρκτου στροφάδες κέλευθοι.
130

μένει γὰρ οὔτʼ αἰόλα

132

Χορός

νὺξ βροτοῖσιν οὔτε κῆρες

οὔτε πλοῦτος, ἀλλʼ ἄφαρ

βέβακε, τῷ δʼ ἐπέρχεται

χαίρειν τε καὶ στέρεσθαι.
135

ἃ καὶ σὲ τὰν ἄνασσαν ἐλπίσιν λέγω

τάδʼ αἰὲν ἴσχειν· ἐπεὶ τίς ὧδε

τέκνοισι Ζῆνʼ ἄβουλον εἶδεν;
140

Translations (4)

English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 59 focus

MESS
351

I heard this herald say, while many thronged

To hearken, that this maiden was the cause,

Why lofty-towered Oechalia and her lord

Fell before Heracles, whom Love alone

Of heavenly powers had warmed to this emprise,

And not the Lydian thraldom or the tasks

Of rigorous Omphalè, nor that wild fate

Of rock-thrown Iphitus. Now he thrusts aside

The Love-god, contradicting his first tale.

When he that was her sire could not be brought

To yield the maid for Heracles to hold

In love unrecognized, he framed erelong

A feud about some trifle, and set forth
355

In arms against this damsel’s fatherland
355

(Where Eurytus, the herald said, was king)
355

And slew the chief her father; yea, and sacked

Their city. Now returning, as you see,

He sends her hither to his halls, no slave,

Nor unregarded, lady,—dream not so!

Since all his heart is kindled with desire.

I, O my Queen! thought meet to show thee all

The tale I chanced to gather from his mouth,

Which many heard as well as I, i’ the midst

Of Trachis’ market-place, and can confirm

My witness. I am pained if my plain speech

Sound harshly, but the honest truth I tell.

German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 61 focus

Sohn, Geliebter, aus dem Mund Unedler auch

Fällt oft ein Rath zum Guten; so sprach dieses Weib,

Zwar eine Magd nur, doch ein hochgesinntes Wort.

Hyllos.

Was, Mutter? Laß mich's hören, wenn ich's hören darf.

Deianeira.

Daß du's versäumst, zu forschen, wo dein Vater weilt,
65

Der schon so lang entfernte, bringt Unehre dir.

Hyllos.

Nun, wenn ich Sagen trauen darf, so weiß ich es.

Deianeira.

Und wo des Landes, hörst du, daß er weilt, o Kind?

Hyllos.

Im abgewichnen Sommer fröhnt' er lange Zeit

Als Diener, sagt man, einem Weib in Lydia.
70

Deianeira.

Nun, wenn er das vermochte, kann er Alles thun!

Hyllos.

Doch ward er dieses Joches frei, wie ich vernahm.

Deianeira.

Wo soll er jezt sein, lebt er oder starb er gar?

Hylos.

Er rückte, heißt es, vor die Burg des Eurytos

Im Land Euböa's, oder schickt hiezu sich an.
75

Deianeira.

Und weißt du nicht, Sohn, daß er zuverlässige

Orakel über dieses Land mir hinterließ?

Hyllos.

Und welche, Mutter? Denn ich weiß von diesen Nichts.

Deianeira.

English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 59 focus

Chorus

Shall we attend you ?
390

English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 94-140 focus

Enter the Chorus on the other side.

Chorus

You, to whom Night gives birth when she is vanquished and despoiled of her starry crown,

and whom, as you blaze, she lays to rest, I pray you, O Sun, Sun, tell me, where is Alcmena’s son, where dwells her child? O Shining god with your bright flash,
95

is he on the straits of the sea, or does he lean upon the twin continents? Speak, you who surpass all in sight!
100

103

Chorus

For with longing heart, as I hear, Deianeira, the battle-prize, now,

like some mournful bird, never rests her eyes’ longing that they might be without tears, but nourishing a well-remembered fear for her husband’s travels she is constantly afflicted
105

by her anxious, widowed marriage-bed and in her misery anticipates misfortune.
110

112

Chorus

For just as one may see billow after billow

advancing and passing over the wide deep before the tireless south-wind, or the north, so the great toil of his life, stormy as the Cretan sea, now whirls back the heir of Cadmus, now exalts him. But some god always
115

keeps him unerring from the house of Hades.
120

122

To Deianeira.

Chorus

With respect I reproach you for your weeping, but still I will speak in dissent.

You must not, I say, wear away fair hope. Remember that the all-accomplishing king, the son of Cronus, does not appoint a painless lot for mortals. Sorrow and joy revolve to all, as the stars of the Bear
125

move in their circling paths.
130

132

Chorus

Starry night does not remain constant with men, nor does tribulation, nor wealth; in a moment it is gone from us, and to another in his turn come both

gladness and bereavement. So I urge even you, our Queen, to keep these matters firmly in your outlook. You must, for who has
135

known Zeus to be so without care for his children?
140

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-189-1 μαρτύρων ¹

mvp-comment-189-2 Εὔρυτόν θ’ ἕλοι τήν θ’ ὑψίπ. Οἰχαλίαν ²

mvp-comment-189-3 τὴν ὑψίπυργον ³

mvp-comment-189-4 Οἰχαλίαν ⁴

mvp-comment-190-1 μόνος θεῶν ⁵

mvp-comment-190-2 θέλξειεν ⁶

mvp-comment-191-1 οὐ τἀπὶ Λυδοῖς ⁷ ὑπ’ ⁸ ἐπ’ ⁹ τἀπὶ ¹⁰ ἐπ’ ¹¹

mvp-comment-191-2 πόνων λατρεύματ’ ¹²

mvp-comment-191-3 ὁ ῥιπτὸς … μόρος ¹³

mvp-comment-191-4 Heracles had really killed Iphitus. The denial here refers only to the place which the murder held in the story told by Lichas. Heracles was instigated, not by the Lydian servitude which punished his crime, or by those affronts (262 ff.) which Lichas represented as having moved him to the crime, but, in reality, by the refusal of Eurytus to give him Iolè.

mvp-comment-192-1 ὃν ¹⁴ ὃ ¹⁵ ὃν … παρώσας ¹⁶

mvp-comment-193-1 ἀλλ’ ἡνίκ’ ¹⁷ οὐκ ἔπειθε ¹⁸

mvp-comment-193-2 τὸν φυτοσπόρον ¹⁹

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

353. mvp-comment-273-1 ἕλοι] 'Subdued,' viz. killed Eurytus and destroyed Oechalia. For a similar double use of εἶλον, cp Pind. Οl. 1. 142, ἕλεν δ' Οἰνομάου βίαν | παρθένον τε σύνευνον.

354-355. mvp-comment-274-1 Ἔρως.. μόνος θεῶν, κ.τ.λ.] The god of love, and no other, had moved him to this feat of arms.' αἰχμάσαι τάδε] 'Το enter on this warlike enterprise.’ τάδε, cognate accusative.

356-357. mvp-comment-275-1 τἀπὶ . . λατρεύματα] (1) 'Not the toilsome service at the bidding of the Lydians or of Omphale.' Or (2) the preposition may have the merely locative sense in the first instance, and the different meaning, 'In the power of,' with the second word. The labours which he performed among the Lydians and in the service of Omphale.' ἐπί = ' In the power of.' Cp. О. С. 66, ἄρχει τις αὐτῶν, ἢ ἐπὶ τῷ πλήθει λόγος;

357. mvp-comment-276-1 ὁ ῥιπτὸς.. μόρος] ‘The death by hurling from the rock. For a use of the passive of ῥίπτω (with cognate subject) corresponding to this use of the verbal adj.. cp. the oracle in Hdt. 1. 62, ἔρριπται δ᾽ ὁ βόλος (‘Now the cast is made'), τὸ δὲ δίκτυον ἐκπεπέτασται. Cp. also Eur. Or. 990, 1, Μυρτίλου φόνον | δικών, and see Essay on L. § 53. p. 98.

358. mvp-comment-277-1 ov] Referring to "Έρως, the most important subject in the preceding lines. Cp. Ο. C. 86, 7, Φοίβῳ τε καμοί, κ.τ.λ., ὅς, κ.τ.λ. The conjectures ἅ and ὅ are quite unnecessary. παρώσας] « Having thrust aside,' cp. Eur. El. 1037, τἄνδον παρώσας λέκτρα: Plat. Rep. 5. p. 471 C, δ.. παρωσάμενος .. πάντα ταῦτα εἴρηκας. ἔμπαλιν λέγει] 'Tells a different (lit. opposite) tale.'

359. mvp-comment-278-1 οὐκ ἔπειθε] 'He could not persuade.' The imperfect implies that his suit was continued for some time. φυτοσπόρος is originally ὁ σπείρας τὸ φυτόν,

Sophocles Trachiniae 59

Robert Potter (Translator)

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Current edition Experimental

Sohn, Geliebter, aus dem Mund Unedler auch

Fällt oft ein Rath zum Guten; so sprach dieses Weib,

Zwar eine Magd nur, doch ein hochgesinntes Wort.

Hyllos.

Was, Mutter? Laß mich's hören, wenn ich's hören darf.

Deianeira.

Daß du's versäumst, zu forschen, wo dein Vater weilt,
65

Der schon so lang entfernte, bringt Unehre dir.

Hyllos.

Nun, wenn ich Sagen trauen darf, so weiß ich es.

Deianeira.

Und wo des Landes, hörst du, daß er weilt, o Kind?

Hyllos.

Im abgewichnen Sommer fröhnt' er lange Zeit

Als Diener, sagt man, einem Weib in Lydia.
70

Deianeira.

Nun, wenn er das vermochte, kann er Alles thun!

Hyllos.

Doch ward er dieses Joches frei, wie ich vernahm.

Deianeira.

Wo soll er jezt sein, lebt er oder starb er gar?

Hylos.

Er rückte, heißt es, vor die Burg des Eurytos

Im Land Euböa's, oder schickt hiezu sich an.
75

Deianeira.

Und weißt du nicht, Sohn, daß er zuverlässige

Orakel über dieses Land mir hinterließ?

Hyllos.

Und welche, Mutter? Denn ich weiß von diesen Nichts.

Deianeira.

Chorus

Shall we attend you ?
390

Commentary

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Current edition Experimental

Sohn, Geliebter, aus dem Mund Unedler auch Fällt oft ein Rath zum Guten; so sprach dieses Weib, Zwar eine Magd nur, doch ein hochgesinntes Wort.

Hyllos. Was, Mutter? Laß mich's hören, wenn ich's hören darf.

Deianeira. Daß du's versäumst, zu forschen, wo dein Vater weilt, 65 Der schon so lang entfernte, bringt Unehre dir.

Hyllos. Nun, wenn ich Sagen trauen darf, so weiß ich es.

Deianeira. Und wo des Landes, hörst du, daß er weilt, o Kind?

Hyllos. Im abgewichnen Sommer fröhnt' er lange Zeit Als Diener, sagt man, einem Weib in Lydia. 70

Deianeira. Nun, wenn er das vermochte, kann er Alles thun!

Hyllos. Doch ward er dieses Joches frei, wie ich vernahm.

Deianeira. Wo soll er jezt sein, lebt er oder starb er gar?

Hylos. Er rückte, heißt es, vor die Burg des Eurytos Im Land Euböa's, oder schickt hiezu sich an. 75

Deianeira. Und weißt du nicht, Sohn, daß er zuverlässige Orakel über dieses Land mir hinterließ?

Hyllos. Und welche, Mutter? Denn ich weiß von diesen Nichts.

Deianeira.

Chorus Shall we attend you ? 390

Commentary

Stable identifiers

Sohn, Geliebter, aus dem Mund Unedler auch

Fällt oft ein Rath zum Guten; so sprach dieses Weib,

Zwar eine Magd nur, doch ein hochgesinntes Wort.

Hyllos.

Was, Mutter? Laß mich's hören, wenn ich's hören darf.

Deianeira.

Daß du's versäumst, zu forschen, wo dein Vater weilt,
65

Der schon so lang entfernte, bringt Unehre dir.

Hyllos.

Nun, wenn ich Sagen trauen darf, so weiß ich es.

Deianeira.

Und wo des Landes, hörst du, daß er weilt, o Kind?

Hyllos.

Im abgewichnen Sommer fröhnt' er lange Zeit

Als Diener, sagt man, einem Weib in Lydia.
70

Deianeira.

Nun, wenn er das vermochte, kann er Alles thun!

Hyllos.

Doch ward er dieses Joches frei, wie ich vernahm.

Deianeira.

Wo soll er jezt sein, lebt er oder starb er gar?

Hylos.

Er rückte, heißt es, vor die Burg des Eurytos

Im Land Euböa's, oder schickt hiezu sich an.
75

Deianeira.

Und weißt du nicht, Sohn, daß er zuverlässige

Orakel über dieses Land mir hinterließ?

Hyllos.

Und welche, Mutter? Denn ich weiß von diesen Nichts.

Chorus

Shall we attend you ?
390