ἔψαυσας ἀλγεινοτάτας ἐμοὶ μερί-
Antigone. Sophocles. Leipzig. 1979.
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Table of Contents
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Current edition Experimental
Greek (R. D. Dawe, 1979) (OCR draft) (Greek) (Greek (R. D. Dawe, 1979))
Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.
Editions (11)
Greek (L. Benloew, 1858) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (L. Benloew, 1858)) — 857 focus
κλεινοῖς
1
Λαβδακίδαισιν.
Greek (A. Boeckh, 1884) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (A. Boeckh, 1884)) — 857 focus
πρὸς τοὺς ἐμαυτῆς, ὧν ἀριθμὸν ἐν νεκροῖς
Greek (F. H. Bothe, 1806) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. H. Bothe, 1806)) — 857 focus
σέβειν νὶν, εὐσέβειά τις·
Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 857 focus
ἔψαυσας ἀλγεινοτάτας ἐμοὶ μερίμνας,
Greek (A. Colonna, 1978) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (A. Colonna, 1978)) — 857 focus
ἔψαυσας ἀλγεινοτάτας ἐμοὶ μερίμνας,
Greek (A. Dain, 1955) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (A. Dain, 1955)) — 857.mvp-line-850 focus
ἔψαυσας ἀλγεινοτάτας ἐμοὶ μερίμ-
Greek (G. Hermann, 1830) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (G. Hermann, 1830)) — 857 focus
ἐμῷ πατρὶ δυσμόρου ματρός,
Greek (R. C. Jebb, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (R. C. Jebb, 1906)) — 857 focus
ἔψαυσας ἀλγεινοτάτας ἐμοὶ μερίμνας,
1
Greek (A. C. Pearson, 1924) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (A. C. Pearson, 1924)) — 857.mvp-line-849 focus
ἔψαυσας ἀλγεινοτάτας
Antigone (OCR draft) Experimental (Antigone) — 856 focus
πατρῷον δʼ ἐκτίνεις τινʼ ἆθλον.
Greek (K. Reinhardt, 1949) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (K. Reinhardt, 1949)) — 857 focus
ἔψαυσας ἀλγεινοτάτας ἐμοὶ μερίμ-
Translations (2)
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 858 focus
Du regst den herzkränkenden Gram mir auf im Busen,
Das Jammergeschick des Vaters,
Unseres ganzen
850
Stammes berufenes Loos,
Edler Labdakossöhne !
Weh, weh!
Fluchvoll, schuldvoll Ehbett, wo
Dem leiblichen Sohn die Mutter,
855
Ach! unserem Vater beiwohnte,
Von welchen ich entsproß, die Unselige,
In deren Haus ich unvermählt, von Fluch belastet, wandern muß!
weh! Unheil schuf
Der Bund, den du, mein Bruder, knüpftest!
1
860
Ein Todter schon, mordest du mein Leben!
Du regst den herzkränkenden Gram mir auf im Busen,
Das Jammergeschick des Vaters,
Unseres ganzen
850
Stammes berufenes Loos,
Edler Labdakossöhne !
Weh, weh!
Fluchvoll, schuldvoll Ehbett, wo
Dem leiblichen Sohn die Mutter,
855
Ach! unserem Vater beiwohnte,
Von welchen ich entsproß, die Unselige,
In deren Haus ich unvermählt, von Fluch belastet, wandern muß!
weh! Unheil schuf
Der Bund, den du, mein Bruder, knüpftest!
1
860
Ein Todter schon, mordest du mein Leben!
Der Chor.
English (Sir Richard Jebb2, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb2, 1904)) — 883-940 focus
Enter Creon.
929
Creon
Do you not know that dirges and wailing before death would never be given up, if it were allowed to make them freely?
Take her away—now! And when you have enshrouded her, as I proclaimed, in her covered tomb, leave her alone, deserted—let her decide whether she wishes to die or to live entombed in such a home. It makes no difference, since our hands are clean so far as regards this girl.
885
But no matter what, she will be stripped of her home here above.
890
Do you not know that dirges and wailing before death would never be given up, if it were allowed to make them freely?
Take her away—now! And when you have enshrouded her, as I proclaimed, in her covered tomb, leave her alone, deserted—let her decide whether she wishes to die or to live entombed in such a home. It makes no difference, since our hands are clean so far as regards this girl.
885
But no matter what, she will be stripped of her home here above.
890
Antigone
Tomb, bridal-chamber, deep-dug eternal prison where I go to find my own, whom in the greatest numbers destruction has seized and Persephone has welcomed among the dead!
Last of them all and in by far the most shameful circumstances, I will descend, even before the fated term of my life is spent. But I cherish strong hopes that I will arrive welcome to my father, and pleasant to you, Mother, and welcome, dear brother, to you.
895
For, when each of you died, with my own hands I washed and dressed you and poured drink-offerings at your graves. But now, Polyneices, it is for tending your corpse that I win such reward as this.
And yet I honored you rightly, as the wise understand.
900
Never, if I had been a mother of children, or if a husband had been rotting after death, would I have taken that burden upon myself in violation of the citizens’ will. For the sake of what law, you ask, do I say that? A husband lost, another might have been found,
905
and if bereft of a child, there could be a second from some other man. But when father and mother are hidden in Hades, no brother could ever bloom for me again. Such was the law whereby I held you first in honor, but for that Creon judged me guilty of wrongdoing
910
and of dreadful outrage, dear brother! And now he leads me thus in his hands’ strong grasp, when I have enjoyed no marriage bed or bridal song and have not received any portion of marriage or the nurture of children. But deserted by friends,
915
in misery I go living to the hollow graves of the dead. What law of the gods have I transgressed? Why should I look to the gods anymore? What ally should I call out to, when by my reverence I have earned a name for irreverence?
920
Well, then, if these events please the gods, once I have suffered my doom I will come to know my guilt. But if the guilt lies with my judges, I could wish for them no greater evils than they inflict unjustly on me.
925
929
Tomb, bridal-chamber, deep-dug eternal prison where I go to find my own, whom in the greatest numbers destruction has seized and Persephone has welcomed among the dead!
Last of them all and in by far the most shameful circumstances, I will descend, even before the fated term of my life is spent. But I cherish strong hopes that I will arrive welcome to my father, and pleasant to you, Mother, and welcome, dear brother, to you.
895
For, when each of you died, with my own hands I washed and dressed you and poured drink-offerings at your graves. But now, Polyneices, it is for tending your corpse that I win such reward as this.
And yet I honored you rightly, as the wise understand.
900
Never, if I had been a mother of children, or if a husband had been rotting after death, would I have taken that burden upon myself in violation of the citizens’ will. For the sake of what law, you ask, do I say that? A husband lost, another might have been found,
905
and if bereft of a child, there could be a second from some other man. But when father and mother are hidden in Hades, no brother could ever bloom for me again. Such was the law whereby I held you first in honor, but for that Creon judged me guilty of wrongdoing
910
and of dreadful outrage, dear brother! And now he leads me thus in his hands’ strong grasp, when I have enjoyed no marriage bed or bridal song and have not received any portion of marriage or the nurture of children. But deserted by friends,
915
in misery I go living to the hollow graves of the dead. What law of the gods have I transgressed? Why should I look to the gods anymore? What ally should I call out to, when by my reverence I have earned a name for irreverence?
920
Well, then, if these events please the gods, once I have suffered my doom I will come to know my guilt. But if the guilt lies with my judges, I could wish for them no greater evils than they inflict unjustly on me.
925
Chorus
Still the same tempest of the soul
grips this girl with the same fierce gusts.
930
Still the same tempest of the soul
grips this girl with the same fierce gusts.
930
Creon
Then because of this her guards will have reason to lament their slowness.
Then because of this her guards will have reason to lament their slowness.
Antigone
Ah, no! That command verges close on death.
Ah, no! That command verges close on death.
Creon
I cannot console you with any hope that your doom is not to be fulfilled in that way.
935
I cannot console you with any hope that your doom is not to be fulfilled in that way.
935
Antigone
O city of my fathers, land of
Thebes
, and you gods, our ancestors! I am led away now; there is no more delay!
Look at me, you who are
Thebes
’ lords—look at the only remaining daughter of the house of your kings. See what I suffer, and at whose hands, because I revered reverence!
Antigone is led away by the guards.
940
O city of my fathers, land of
Thebes
, and you gods, our ancestors! I am led away now; there is no more delay!
Look at me, you who are
Thebes
’ lords—look at the only remaining daughter of the house of your kings. See what I suffer, and at whose hands, because I revered reverence!
Antigone is led away by the guards.
940
Commentary
Commentary (R. C. Jebb) (OCR draft) (Commentary (R. C. Jebb))
mvp-comment-513-1 μερίμνας 1 οἶκτον 2 πατρός 3 πότμου 4 οἶκτον 5
mvp-comment-513-2
to taking
οἶκτον as acc. in apposition with
ἔψαυσας...μερίμνας is that this would imply
τό (
σε)
ψαῦσαι ἀλγ. ἐμοὶ μερίμνης οἶκτός ἐστιν: as
Eur.
Or. 1105
Ἑλένην κτάνωμεν, Μενέλεῳ λύπην πικράν, implies,
τὸ Ἑλένην κτανεῖν Μενέλεῳ λύπη πικρὰ ἔσται:
Aesch.
Ag. 224
ἔτλα δ’ οὖν | θυτὴρ γενέσθαι θυγατρός, γυναικοποίνων πολέμων ἀρωγάν, implies,
τὸ θυτῆρα γενέσθαι ἀρωγὴ ἦν. Now, if we had, for instance,
ἀνεμνήσθην μερίμνης, it is conceivable that
οἶκτον, as acc. in appos., should mean
οἴκτου ἀφορμήν or
ἔγερσιν. But when, as here, the subject of
ἔψαυσας is distinct from the person who makes the lament, it seems impossible that
οἶκτον should have this pregnant sense.
mvp-comment-513-3 ἀλγ. μερίμνας 6 οἶτον 7
mvp-comment-513-4 τριπόλιστον 8
mvp-comment-513-5 κλεινοῖς Λαβδακίδαισιν 9 πότμου 10
mvp-comment-513-6 ἁμετέρου 11
Commentary (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) (Commentary (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) focus
857. mvp-comment-494-1 Thou hast touched my saddest thought, the thrice-told tale of my father's sorrow.' Boeckh has cleared up the difficulties of this passage (1) by showing that οἶκτον harmonizes better with the context than οἶτον or οἶκον, and also gives a construction to πότμου: (2) by tracing the derivation of τριπόλιστον from πολίζω = πολέω, which occurs in the compound avναπολίζω : (3) by rightly explaining the dative Λαβδακίδαισιν. See Essay on Language § 13. p. 19. He also points out that μερίμνας is genitive, because the singular is more forcible, and μέριμναν would have suited the metre equally well. The only remaining doubt is the construction of οἶκτον.
857. mvp-comment-494-2 ψαύειν may govern the accusative, as appears from 961. But the change from the genitive to the accusative is still to be accounted for. (1) The word ἔψαυσας was chosen with special reference to μερίμνας. ἔλεξας, or some other general word, would have been sufficient if this had not intervened. Hence the general meaning of the verb (= ἔλεξας) is alone continued. (2) The case is partly governed by the verbal notion in μερίμνας = 8 μεριμνῶ. (3) The tendency of a Greek sentence is to pass from a more special to a more general construction. Essay on Language pp. 64, 5, οἶκτον is to be resumed with πότμου, which is co-ordinate with πατρός. Thou hast harped on what my mind broods over with saddest care, the thrice renewed pity for my father, and for the general fortune of our race, the lot that fell upon the famed Labdacidae. Seyffert thinks that in τριπόλιστον Antigone is thinking of her own ever-deepening grief. But the Scholiast and Boeckh are probably right in explaining the word (like κλεινοῖς) with reference to the widely felt compassion for Oedipus. Cp. O. C. 517, τό τοι πολὺ καὶ μηδαμὰ λῆγον: ib. 597, πᾶς τοῦτό γ' Ἑλλήνων θροεῖ. For τριπόλιστον, cp. Phil. 1238, δὶς ταὐτὰ βούλει καὶ τρὶς ἀναπολεῖν μ' ἔπη.