Sophocles Antigone 79

Lewis Campbell (Translator)

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CR

Ay, but the stubborn spirit first doth fall.

Oft ye shall see the strongest bar of steel,

That fire hath hardened to extremity,

Shattered to pieces. A small bit controls
475

The fiery steed. Pride may not be endured

In one whose life is subject to command.

This maiden hath been conversant with crime

Since first she trampled on the public law;

And now she adds to crime this insolence,
480

To laugh at her offence, and glory in it.

Truly, if she that hath usurped this power

Shall rest unpunished, she then is a man,

And I am none. Be she my sister’s child,

Or of yet nearer blood to me than all
485

That take protection from my hearth, the pair

Shall not escape the worst of deaths. For know,

I count the younger of the twain no less

Copartner in this plotted funeral:

And now I bid you call her. Late I saw her
490

Within the house, beyond herself, and frantic.

—Full oft when one is darkly scheming wrong,

The disturbed spirit hath betrayed itself

Before the act it hides.—But not less hateful

Seems it to me, when one that hath been caught
495

In wickedness would give it a brave show.

Antigone. Sophocles. Lewis Campbell (Translator). London, New York and Toronto. 1906.

Current edition Experimental

English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) (English) (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906))

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (12)

Greek (L. Benloew, 1858) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (L. Benloew, 1858)) — 79 focus

βίᾳ πολιτῶν δρᾷν ἔφυν ἀμήχανος.

Greek (A. Boeckh, 1884) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (A. Boeckh, 1884)) — 79 focus

βίᾳ πολιτῶν δρᾶν ἔφυν ἀμήχανος.

Greek (F. H. Bothe, 1806) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. H. Bothe, 1806)) — 79 focus

βίᾳ πολιτῶν δρᾷν, ἔφυν ἀμήχανος.

Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 79 focus

βίᾳ πολιτῶν δρᾶν ἔφυν ἀμήχανος.

Greek (A. Colonna, 1978) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (A. Colonna, 1978)) — 79 focus

βίᾳ πολιτῶν δρᾶν ἔφυν ἀμήχανος.

Greek (A. Dain, 1955) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (A. Dain, 1955)) — 79.mvp-line-79 focus

βίᾳ πολιτῶν δρᾶν ἔφυν ἀμήχανος.

Greek (R. D. Dawe, 1979) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (R. D. Dawe, 1979)) — 79 focus

βίαι πολιτῶν δρᾶν ἔφυν ἀμήχανος.

Greek (G. Hermann, 1830) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (G. Hermann, 1830)) — 79 focus

βίᾳ πολιτῶν δρᾶν, ἔφυν ἀμήχανος.

Greek (R. C. Jebb, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (R. C. Jebb, 1906)) — 79 focus

βίᾳ πολιτῶν δρᾶν ἔφυν ἀμήχανος.

Greek (A. C. Pearson, 1924) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (A. C. Pearson, 1924)) — 79.mvp-line-79 focus

βίᾳ πολιτῶν δρᾶν ἔφυν ἀμήχανος.

Antigone (OCR draft) Experimental (Antigone) — 79 focus

βίᾳ πολιτῶν δρᾶν ἔφυν ἀμήχανος.

Greek (K. Reinhardt, 1949) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (K. Reinhardt, 1949)) — 79 focus

βίαι πολιτῶν δρᾶν ἔφυν ἀμήχανος.

Translations (10)

German (A. Boeckh, 1884) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (A. Boeckh, 1884)) — 79 focus

ANTIGONE

Ich that es, sag' ich offen, und verläugn' es nicht.
430

Spanish (J. A. Bolufer, 1921) (OCR draft) Experimental (Spanish (J. A. Bolufer, 1921)) — 79 focus

CREONTE

Pues has de saber que los caracteres, cuanto más pertinaces, ceden más fácilmente; y muchas veces verás que el resistente hierro cocido al fuego, después de frio frío se quiebra y rompe. Con un peque- ño freno sé yo domar a los enfurecidos caballos; pues no debe ensoberbecerse quien es esclavo de otro. Y ésta sabía, en verdad, la insolencia que cometía al desobedecer las leyes decretadas. Insolencia cuando perpetró el hecho, y nueva insolencia cuando se envanece de haberlo cometido y se rie ríe. Ciertamente, pues, que ahora no sería yo hombre, sino ella, si tanta audacia quedara impune. Y aunque sea hija de mi hermana, y aunque fuera el más próximo pariente de todos los que en el patio de mi casa se reunen reúnen en torno de mi Júpiter protector, ella y su hermana no escaparán de la muerte más ignominiosa. Porque a aquélla, lo mismo que a ésta, acuso como autora de este sepelio. Llamadla, pues, que dentro la vi hace poco, llena de rabia y fuera de sí misma; porque la conciencia de aquellos que nada bueno traman secretamente, suele acusarles de su crimen antes de que se les descubra. Y sobre todo detesto al que, sorprendido en el crimen, quiere luego adornarlo con especiosos razonamientos.

Latin (F. H. Bothe, 1806) (OCR draft) Experimental (Latin (F. H. Bothe, 1806)) — 79 focus

Creon

At scito igitur, praefractos animos saepius concidere; firmissimumque ferrum coctum , igne duratum, facilime comminui et frangi videas: parvoque freno feroces equos domariscio. Nempe haud convenit elato esse animo , qui aliis subditus est; haec autem tunc quidem egit contumeliose, quum sancitas leges transgredi ausa est: nunc vero, postquam facinus patravit, altera haec est contumelia, quod his factis glorietur et rideat. Profecto haud amplius vir ego sim, sed illa vir fuerit, si haec ei impune cesserit victoria. Sed sive ex sorore, sive ex alia quavis prognata sit, quae mihi sit tota familia coniunctior, ipsaque et soror non effugient, quin pessimis exemplis pereant; nam et hanc haud minus quam alteram huius sepulturae auctorem esse censeo. Et illam evocate! eam enim vidi modo intus furentem, nec compotem sui. quippe solet perturbatio prius deprehendi proditrix eorum, quae vafre in tenebris structa fuere. Male vero et illum ego odi, qui, in scelere deprehensus, tamen concinnis comere illud dictis parat.

German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 69 focus

Nicht mehr verlang' ich's, möchte dich zur Helferin

Nicht mehr, erklärtest du dich auch bereit dazu.
70

Nein, wähle deinem Sinne nach: ihn werd' ich selbst

Bestatten; ruhmvoll ist der Tod für diese That.

Bei ihm, dem Lieben, werd' ich ruh'n, die Liebende,

Die frommen Frevel übte; muß ich länger doch

Den Todten dort gefallen, als den Lebenden.
75

Denn dort ja ruh' ich ewig; du, wenn dir's gefällt,

Entehre, was in Ehre selbst bei Göttern steht.

Ich acht' es auch der Ehre werth; indeß der Stadt

Zum Troz zu handeln, fühl ich mich nicht stark genug.

Antigone.

So wende du das vor; doch ich geh' unverweilt,
80

Und schütt' ein Grab dem heißgeliebten Bruder auf.

Ismene.

Tollkühne, weh mir! Ha, wie fürcht' ich deinethalb!

Antigone.

Sei nicht um mich bang; sich're du nur dein Geschick!

Ismene.

Doch offenbare ja zuvor Niemand die That;

Im Dunkel birg' sie; gerne schweig' auch ich davon.
85

Antigone.

Ha, laut verkünd' es! Viel verhaßter wirst du mir

Durch Schweigen, offenbarst du's nicht vor aller Welt.

Ismene.

Dir wallt der Busen glühend, wo mich Schauder faßt.

Antigone.

Doch weiß ich hold mir, deren Huld mein Höchstes iſt.

Ismene.

Wenn du's vermöchtest; doch du willst Unmögliches.
90

Nun freilich, wenn ich's nicht vermag, so lass' ich ab.

Auch nicht von Anfang jage nach Unmöglichem.

Antigone.

Durch solche Reden wirst du billig mir verhaßt,

Und billig hassen wird dich auch der Todte dort.

Nein, laß du mich und meines Sinnes Unverstand
95

Dies Grauenvolle dulden. Was ich Schweres auch¹

Erleiden möge, bleibt mir doch ein schöner Tod.

Ismene.

Nun, wenn dir's gut dünkt, ziehe hin: ächt schwesterlich

Als Schwester fühlend gehst du, wenn als Thörin auch.

(Sie gehen nach verschiedenen Seiten ab. Der Chor tritt auf.) Erste Strophe.

Der Chor.

English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 79 focus

Creon

Yes ; tis all I wish.

Spanish (A. G. Garbin, 1889) (OCR draft) Experimental (Spanish (A. G. Garbin, 1889)) — 79 focus

ANTÍGONA

Confieso que lo he hecho; no lo niego.

German (F. Hölderlin, 1804) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (F. Hölderlin, 1804)) — 79 focus

ANTIGONAE

Willst du denn mehr, da du mich hast, alstödten?

English (Sir Richard Jebb1, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb1, 1904)) — 79 focus

Creon

Yet I would have thee know that_o’er-stubborn: spirits are led; ’tis the stiffest iron, baked to hardness in the fire, that thou shalt oftenest see snapped and shivered; and I have known horses that show temper brought to order by a little curb; there is no room for pride, when thou art thy neighbour’s 480 slave.—This girl was already versed in insolence when she transgressed the laws that had been set forth; and, that done, lo, a second insult,—to vaunt of this, and exult in her deed. Now verily I am no man, she is the man, if this victory shall rest with her, and bring no penalty. No! be she sister’s child, or nearer to me in blood ea any that at worships Zeus at the altar of our house,—she and her kinsfolk shall not avoid a doom most dire; for 490 indeed I charge that other with a like share in the plotting of this burial. And summon her—for I saw her e’en now within,— raving, and not mistress of her wits. So oft, before the deed, the mind stands self-convicted in its treason, when folks are plotting mischief in the dark. But verily this, too, is_hateful—when one who hath been caught in wickedness then seeks to make the crime a glory.

English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 79 focus

Ismene

But never one
570

United by such tender ties.
570

English (Sir Richard Jebb2, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb2, 1904)) — 100-160 focus

Enter the Chorus on the right.

Chorus

Shaft of the sun, fairest light of all that have dawned on Thebes of the seven gates, you have shone forth at last, eye of golden day, advancing over Dirce’s streams!
100

You have goaded with a sharper bit the warrior of the white shield, who came from Argos in full armor, driving him to headlong retreat.
105

110

Chorus

He set out against our land because of the strife-filled claims of Polyneices, and like a screaming eagle he flew over into our land, covered by his snow-white wing,
110

with a mass of weapons and crested helmets.
115

117

Chorus

He paused above our dwellings; he gaped around our sevenfold portals with spears thirsting for blood; but he left

before his jaws were ever glutted with our gore, or before the Fire-god’s pine-fed flame had seized our crown of towers.
120

So fierce was the crash of battle swelling about his back, a match too hard to win for the rival of the dragon.
125

127

Chorus

For Zeus detests above all the boasts of a proud tongue. And when he saw them advancing in a swollen flood,

arrogant their clanging gold, he dashed with brandished fire one who was already starting to shout victory when he had reached our ramparts.
130

134

Chorus

Staggered, he fell to the earth with a crash,

torch in hand, a man possessed by the frenzy of the mad attack, who just now was raging against us with the blasts of his tempestuous hate. But his threats did not fare as he had hoped, and to the other enemies mighty Ares dispensed each their own dooms with hard blows,
135

Ares, our mighty ally at the turning-point.
140

141

Chorus

For the seven captains, stationed against an equal number at the seven gates, left behind their brazen arms in tribute to Zeus the turner of battle—all but the accursed pair who, born of one father and one

mother, set against each other their spears, both victorious, and who now share in a common death.
145

148

Chorus

But since Victory whose name is glory has come to us, smiling in joy equal to the joy of chariot-rich Thebes ,

let us make for ourselves forgetfulness after the recent wars, and visit all the temples of the gods with night-long dance and song. And may Bacchus, who shakes the earth of Thebes , rule our dancing!
150

155

Chorus

But look, the king of the land is coming here, Creon, the son of Menoeceus, our new ruler in accordance with the new circumstances fated by the gods. What policy is he setting in motion,
155

that he has proposed this special conference of elders, and summoned it by a general mandate?
160

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-268-1 ἀλλ’ ἴσθι τοι ¹

mvp-comment-268-2 πίπτειν ²

mvp-comment-269-1 ὀπτὸν … περισκελῆ ³

mvp-comment-269-2 περισκελής ⁴

mvp-comment-269-3 ἐκ πυρός ⁵

mvp-comment-270-1 θραυσθέντα καὶ ῥαγέντα ⁶

mvp-comment-271-1 χαλινῷ δ’ ⁷ σμικρῷ ⁸

mvp-comment-271-2 καταρτυθέντας ⁹

mvp-comment-272-1 Suspicion has fallen on ἐκπέλει ¹⁰

mvp-comment-272-2 ὅστις ¹¹

mvp-comment-272-3 τῶν πέλας ¹²

mvp-comment-273-1 αὕτη δ’ ¹³ ὑβρίζειν μὲν … ὕβρις δ’ ¹⁴ ἐξηπίστατο ¹⁵ τότ’ ¹⁶

mvp-comment-273-2 τούτοις ¹⁷

mvp-comment-273-3 δεδρακυῖαν γελᾶν ¹⁸

mvp-comment-274-1 νῦν ¹⁹

mvp-comment-274-2 εἰ ταῦτα … κράτη ²⁰ κράτη ²¹ κείσεται ²² πείσεται ²³ ἀνατί ²⁴ ταῦτα ²⁵

mvp-comment-275-1 ἀδελφῆς ²⁶

mvp-comment-275-2 εἴθ’ ὁμαιμονεστέρα ²⁷

mvp-comment-275-3 Hyperbole is congenial to Creon's excitement; cp. 1040 . But the addition,

τοῦ παντὸς Ζ. ἑρκείου

, ill suits this, while, on the other hand, it agrees well with the nom.

ὁμαιμονεστέρα

. On the whole, then, I incline to prefer the nom.; but the point is a nice one, and the gen. is quite tenable.

mvp-comment-275-4 κυρεῖ ²⁸

mvp-comment-276-1 τοῦ παντὸς Ζηνὸς ἑρκείου ²⁹

mvp-comment-277-1 ἀλύξετον ³⁰ μόρου ³¹

mvp-comment-278-1 καὶ γὰρ οὖν ³²

mvp-comment-278-2 ἐπαιτιῶμαι κείνην ³³ βουλεῦσαι ἴσον τοῦδε τάφου ³⁴ ἴσον ³⁵

mvp-comment-278-3 βουλεῦσαι ³⁶

mvp-comment-279-1 καί νιν καλεῖτ’ ³⁷

mvp-comment-280-1 λυσσῶσαν … οὐδ’ ἐπ ³⁸

mvp-comment-280-2 ἐπήβολον ³⁹

mvp-comment-281-1 ὁ θυμὸς τῶν … τεχνωμένων ⁴⁰ φιλεῖ κλοπεὺς ᾑρῆσθαι ⁴¹ πρόσθεν ⁴² κλοπεύς ⁴³ ᾑρῆσθαι κλοπεύς ⁴⁴

mvp-comment-281-2 τεχνωμένων ⁴⁵

mvp-comment-282-1 γε μέντοι ⁴⁶

mvp-comment-282-2 Ismene's guilty terror is contrasted with Antigone's impudent hardihood,—as Creon deems it. μισῶ … ὅταν ⁴⁷

mvp-comment-282-3 ἔπειτα ⁴⁸

mvp-comment-282-4 καλλύνειν ⁴⁹

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

473. mvp-comment-274-1 σκληρά Unbending, and so Stubborn, Obstinate.

473. mvp-comment-274-2 The self-will of Creon appears with increasing distinctness. (1) He asserts his confidence in the use of power to suppress insubordination. (2) He speaks of his ward, whom he does not care to name, as in the place of a slave (479): (3) he implies that to cede an inch of authority is to give the sovereignty to another (485). (4) He throws the tie of kindred to the winds. The first words of his speech are ominous of his own doom. See Introduction.

475. mvp-comment-275-1 ὀπτὸν .. περισκελή Baked to exceeding hardness. Cp. Aj. 649, καὶ περισκελεῖς φρένες.

476. mvp-comment-276-1 θραυσθέντα καὶ ῥαγέντα Broken and shattered. The strongest word is put first in the Greek. Essay on Language § 41. p.77.

477. mvp-comment-277-1 σμικρῷ has a strong emphasis. Ibid.

478. mvp-comment-278-1 ἐκπέλει Hesych. ἐκπέλει, ἔξεστι. Hdt. uses ἐκγίνεσθαι in a similar sense. See Essay on Language § 55. p. 101.

479. mvp-comment-279-1 δοῦλος Creon shows his coarsely tyrannical spirit by boasting of his absolute power over his orphan relative.

481. mvp-comment-280-1 Cp. Hdt. 3. 83, νόμους οὐκ ὑπερβαίνουσα τοὺς Περσέων.

484. mvp-comment-281-1 Cp. Eur. I. Α. 952 ff., ἢ Σίπυλος ἔσται πόλις, ὅρισμα βαρβάρων, κ.τ.λ.

485. mvp-comment-282-1 If this authority is to be allowed to rest with her unchallenged. By an exaggeration of feeling like that in l. 208, he thinks that to pardon disobedience is to yield authority to the offender. For κείσεται, cp. El. 361, σοὶ δὲ πλουσία | τράπεζα κείσθω: ἀνάκειμαι in Hdt. 1.97, γνοὺς ὁ Δηϊόκης ἐς ἑωυτὸν πᾶν ἀνακείμενον.

485. mvp-comment-282-2 κράτη, as in l. 173, ἐγὼ κράτη δὴ πάντα καὶ θρόνους ἔχω.

486. mvp-comment-283-1 ὁμαιμονεστέρα is the more rational and stronger reading: although in weighing a hyperbolical expression of this kind, that is perhaps hardly a sufficient argument, and may be urged on the other side as accounting for the alteration of the MS.

487. mvp-comment-284-1 τοῦ παντὸς.. Ζηνὸς ἐρκείου i.e. Our whole family, the presiding numen being put for the thing held sacred.

489. mvp-comment-285-1 μόρου For the genitive with ἀλύξετον, cp. Phil. 1044, τῆς νόσου πεφευγέναι.

489. mvp-comment-285-2 ἴσον is probably to be construed both with ἐπαιτιῶμαι and βουλεύσαι (‘I accuse equally of plotting equally'), and τοῦδε τάφου is partly gen. after ἐπαιτιῶμαι, partly after ἴσον.

491. mvp-comment-286-1 ἀρτίως Viz. after l. 331, when Ismene knew that the deed was done, and, alone of those in the palace, knew also by whom.

493-494. mvp-comment-287-1 And it commonly happens that the spirit of those who are plotting some utter wickedness in secret is convicted of its occulted guilt before the act.

493. mvp-comment-288-1 ᾑρῆσθαι κλοπεύς Το be arrested in some stealthy enterprise. The perfect tense marks that the detection is completed before the purpose is carried into effect. Cp. πεπραγμένα .. ἡμαρτημένα, in O. T. 621.

495. mvp-comment-289-1 Yet I hate it equally when one who is caught in actual mischief tries to make a virtue of the offence.

495. mvp-comment-289-2 ἐν κακοῖσι = In trouble, i. e. In crime, and not merely, like Ismene, in the consciousness of crime. Cp. Fr. 843, αἰδὼς γὰρ ἐν κακοῖσιν οὐδὲν ὠφελεῖ.

496. mvp-comment-290-1 καλλύνειν Creon affects to regard Antigone's appeal to the higher law as a piece of hypocrisy. Cp. Fr. 845

496. mvp-comment-290-2 κλέπτων δ᾽ ὅταν τις ἐμφανῶς ἐφευρεθῇ, | σιγᾶν ἀνάγκη, κἂν καλὸν φέρῃ στόμα.