Sophocles Trachiniae 99

Robert Potter (Translator)

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Lichas
My honour'd mistress, since I see thee moved
By soft humanity, and not unlearn'd
In human nature, I no more will hide
Aught from thy knowledge, but disclose the truth.
It is as this man said; with love of her
Was Hercules inflamed; and for her sake
Her father's realm, Echalia, by the spear
Was wasted wide. These things (for of my lord
Thus I must speak) he gave me not in charge
To hide, nor were they by himself disown'd:
This fault was mine, if it be deem'd a fault;
For I was fearful, lady, lest thy breast
By tidings so unwelcome I should wound.
And now, since all the truth to thee is known,
For his sake, for thine own, with kindness treat
This woman; be thy promised courtesy
Confirm'd; for he, who glorious in his might
Triumph'd o'er all, is by her love subdued.

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)) — 99 focus
ἢ ποντίας ποντίας ποντίους αὐλῶνας, ἢ δισσαῖσιν ἀπείροις ἀπείροισιν ἀπείροισι κλιθείς·
Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 94-140 focus
Translations (4)
English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 99 focus
LICH
Yea, dear my Queen, now I have seen thee hold
Thy mortal wishes within mortal bound
So meekly, I will freely tell thee all.
It is as he avers. This maiden’s love,
Piercing through Heracles, was the sole cause,
Why her Oechalia, land of plenteous woe,
Was made the conquest of his spear. And he—
For I dare so far clear him—never bade
Concealment or denial. But myself,
Fearing the word might wound thy queenly heart,
Sinned, if thou count such tenderness a sin.
But now that all is known, for both your sakes,
His, and thine own no less, look favouringly
Upon the woman, and confirm the word
Thou here hast spoken in regard to her:—
For he, whose might is in all else supreme,
Is wholly overmastered by her love.
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)) — 99 focus
Deianira
The guiltless may talk thus,
Who know no ill ; not those who are unhappy.
730
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-246-1 ἀλλ’ 1 θνητὴν φρονοῦσαν θνητὰ 2 ἀγνώμονα 3

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

473. mvp-comment-355-1 θνητὴν φρονοῦσαν θνητά] 'Having mortal thoughts, as becomes a mortal.' Cp. esp. Fr. 320, καλὸν φρονεῖν τὸν θνητὸν ἀνθρώποις ἴσα. κοὐκ ἀγνώμονα] (1) 'And not perverse' (thoughts). Neuter plural. Cp. Αj. 1236, ποίου κέκραγας ἀνδρὸς ὧδ᾽ ὑπέρφρονα. Or (2) sc. οὖσαν, ‘And not perversely disposed.'