Sophocles Antigone 750

χαίρων ἐπιψόγοισι δεννάσεις ἐμέ.
750

Antigone. Sophocles. Berlin. 1806.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by Tufts University.

Current edition Experimental

Greek (F. H. Bothe, 1806) (OCR draft) (Greek) (Greek (F. H. Bothe, 1806))

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (11)
Greek (L. Benloew, 1858) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (L. Benloew, 1858)) — 750 focus
τίς δ᾽ ἔστ᾽ ἀπειλὴ, πρὸς κενὰς γνώμας λέγειν 1 ;
750
Greek (A. Boeckh, 1884) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (A. Boeckh, 1884)) — 750 focus
ἄγων ἔρημος ἔνθ᾽ ἂν ᾖ βροτῶν στίβος,
750
Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 750 focus
ταύτην ποτ᾽ οὐκ ἔσθ᾽ ὡς ἔτι ζῶσαν γαμεῖς.
750
Greek (A. Colonna, 1978) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (A. Colonna, 1978)) — 750 focus
ταύτην ποτ᾽ οὐκ ἔσθ᾽ ὡς ἔτι ζῶσαν γαμεῖς.
750
Greek (A. Dain, 1955) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (A. Dain, 1955)) — 750.mvp-line-743 focus
ταύτην ποτ’ οὐκ ἔσθ’ ὡς ἔτι ζῶσαν γαμεῖς.
750
Greek (R. D. Dawe, 1979) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (R. D. Dawe, 1979)) — 750 focus
ταύτην ποτ᾽ οὐκ ἔσθ᾽ ὡς ἔτι ζῶσαν γαμεῖς.
750
Greek (G. Hermann, 1830) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (G. Hermann, 1830)) — 750 focus
κλαίων φρενώσεις, ὢν φρενῶν αὐτὸς κενός.
750
Greek (R. C. Jebb, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (R. C. Jebb, 1906)) — 750 focus
ταύτην ποτ᾽ οὐκ ἔσθ᾽ ὡς ἔτι ζῶσαν γαμεῖς.
750
Greek (A. C. Pearson, 1924) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (A. C. Pearson, 1924)) — 750.mvp-line-743 focus
ταύτην ποτ᾽ οὐκ ἔσθ᾽ ὡς ἔτι ζῶσαν γαμεῖς.
750
Antigone (OCR draft) Experimental (Antigone) — 750 focus
ταύτην ποτʼ οὐκ ἔσθʼ ὡς ἔτι ζῶσαν γαμεῖς.
750
Greek (K. Reinhardt, 1949) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (K. Reinhardt, 1949)) — 750 focus
ταύτην ποτ᾽ οὐκ ἔσθ᾽ ὡς ἔτι ζῶσαν γαμεῖς.
750
Translations (2)
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 758 focus
Wahrhaftig? Bei'm Olympos, nicht zur Freude dir,
Das sei versichert, höhnst du mich mit frechem Wort.
(zu den Begleitern:)
Führt her das Scheusal, daß sie gleich im Angesicht
Des Bräutigams an seiner Seite sterbe hier!.
755
English (Sir Richard Jebb2, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb2, 1904)) — 781-805 focus

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-445-1 Objections have been made to the traditional order of these verses, chiefly in two respects. (1) 755

εἰ μὴ πατὴρ ἦσθ’
is—it is argued—the strongest thing said by Haemon, and ought therefore to come immediately before Creon's final outburst,
ἄληθες
; (758). How could it be followed by merely so mild a phrase as
μὴ κώτιλλέ με
?—We may reply:— Haemon says that, if Creon were not his father, he would have thought him mad. It is to this that
μὴ κώτιλλέ με
refers, meaning, ‘Do not seek to deceive me by an affectation of filial deference.’ (2) 757
βούλει λέγειν τι
is too mild a remark—it is said—to form the climax of provocation to Creon's anger. We may reply:—It is in substance, if not in form, such a climax, —for a father who holds that unquestioning obedience (640) is a son's first duty. It asserts Haemon's right to maintain his own views against his father's,—
διὰ δίκης ἰέναι
, as Creon put it (742). The traditional order seems, therefore, to be right.

mvp-comment-445-2 Three modes of transposition have been proposed. (1) Enger puts 756 and 757 after 749. Then

κώτιλλε
(756) refers to Haemon's plea that he has his father's cause, and that of religion, at heart. We lose nothing by such a transposition; but neither do we gain.

mvp-comment-445-3 (2) Donner (in his transl., ed. 1863) simply transposed verses 755 and 757, leaving the rest as they stand. For this it may fairly be said that 757 comes very fitly after 754. On the other hand it seems to me that 756 does not aptly follow 757.

mvp-comment-445-4 (3) Pallis arranges thus:—749, 756, 755, 754, 757, 750—753. Thus

κενὰς γνώμας
(753) becomes the last sting.— The fact is that, in a stormy altercation, we do not look for a closely logical texture and a delicately graduated crescendo. The MS. order is (to my mind) the best; but other arrangements are possible, and would be nearly as good.

mvp-comment-445-5 Creon, instead of replying to v. 749, abruptly repeats his resolve.

οὐκ ἔστιν ὡς ταύτην ἔτι ζῶσαν γαμεῖς
(fut.)
ποτέ
, it cannot be that you shall ever wed her while she yet lives; i.e. she is to die at once, and can become your bride, if ever, only
ἐν Ἅιδου
(654). Cp. 1240 .— ὡς 1 ποτέ 2 ταύτην 3

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

635-765. mvp-comment-375-1 Haemon professes obedience to his father, but with the implied condition that his father commands what is right. Not heeding this, Creon welcomes his general profession, and enlarges on the blessings that follow from obedience in public and private. He urges Haemon to renounce Antigone. Haemon replies by repeating the praise of her which he has heard in the city (Ar. Rhet. 3. 17, ἕτερον χρὴ λέγοντα ποιεῖν.. ὡς Σοφοκλῆς τὸν Αἴμονα ὑπὲρ τῆς Ἀντιγόνης πρὸς τὸν πατέρα, ὡς λεγόντων ἑτέρων), and begs his father not to be deaf to all opinions but his own. Creon is impatient at this, and, after an altercation, in which both speakers become exasperated, Creon orders Antigone to be brought for immediate execution, and Haemon breaks away in sullen anger. This episode interposes a necessary pause between the condemnation of Antigone and its results, i. e, between the two chief crises of the action, and assists the main impression by bringing the light of natural affection and common opinion to bear on the situation.