Sophocles Antigone 70

Thomas Francklin (Translator)

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Creon
407
But say, how discovered ?
Than, mindful of thy wrath, with careful hands
From off the putrid carcase we removed
The scattered dust ; then, to avoid the stench,
ExhaHng noisome, to a hill retired ;
There watched at distance, till the mid-day sun
Scorched o'er our heads. Sudden a storm arose,
vShook every leaf, and rattled through the grove,
Filling the troubled element. We closed
Our eyes, and patient bore the wrath of heaven.
At length the tempest ceased, when we beheld
This virgin issuing forth, and heard her cries
Distressful, like the plaintive bird who views
The plundered nest, and mourns her ravished young.
E'en thus the maid, when on the naked corse
She cast her eyes, loud shrieked, and cursed the hand
That did the impious deed, then sprinkled o'er
The crumbled earth, and from a brazen urn,
Of lichest work, to the levied relics thrice
Her due libations poured. We saw, and straight
Pursued her. XJnappalled she seemed, and still
As we did question her, confessed it all.
It pleased, and yet methought it grieved me too.
To find ourselves released from woe is bliss
Supreme, but thus to see our friends unhappy
Embitters all. I must be thankful still
For my own safety, which I hold most dear.

Antigone. Sophocles. Thomas Francklin (Translator). London. 1758–1759.

Current edition Experimental

English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) (English) (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759))

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (12)
Greek (L. Benloew, 1858) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (L. Benloew, 1858)) — 70 focus
πράσσειν, ἐμοῦ γ᾽ ἂν ἡδέως δρῴης μέτα 1 .
70
Greek (A. Boeckh, 1884) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (A. Boeckh, 1884)) — 70 focus
πράσσειν, ἐμοῦ γ' ἂν ἡδέως δρῴης μέτα.
70
Greek (F. H. Bothe, 1806) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. H. Bothe, 1806)) — 70 focus
πράσσειν, ἐμοῦ γ᾽ ἂν ἡδέως δρῴης μέτα·
70
Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 70 focus
πράσσειν, ἐμοῦ γ᾽ ἂν ἡδέως δρῴης μέτα.
70
Greek (A. Colonna, 1978) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (A. Colonna, 1978)) — 70 focus
πράσσειν, ἐμοῦ γ᾽ ἂν ἡδέως δρῴης μέτα.
70
Greek (A. Dain, 1955) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (A. Dain, 1955)) — 70.mvp-line-70 focus
πράσσειν, ἐμοῦ γ’ ἂν ἡδέως δρῴης μέτα.
70
Greek (R. D. Dawe, 1979) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (R. D. Dawe, 1979)) — 70 focus
πράσσειν, ἐμοῦ γ᾽ ἂν ἡδέως δρώιης μέτα.
70
Greek (G. Hermann, 1830) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (G. Hermann, 1830)) — 70 focus
πράσσειν, ἐμοῦ γ᾽ ἂν ἡδέως δρῴης μέτα.
70
Greek (R. C. Jebb, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (R. C. Jebb, 1906)) — 70 focus
πράσσειν, ἐμοῦ γ᾽ ἂν ἡδέως δρῴης μέτα.
70
Greek (A. C. Pearson, 1924) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (A. C. Pearson, 1924)) — 70.mvp-line-70 focus
πράσσειν, ἐμοῦ γ᾽ ἂν ἡδέως δρῴης μέτα.
70
Antigone (OCR draft) Experimental (Antigone) — 70 focus
πράσσειν, ἐμοῦ γʼ ἂν ἡδέως δρῴης μέτα.
70
Greek (K. Reinhardt, 1949) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (K. Reinhardt, 1949)) — 70 focus
πράσσειν, ἐμοῦ γ᾽ ἂν ἡδέως δρώιης μέτα,
70
Translations (10)
German (A. Boeckh, 1884) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (A. Boeckh, 1884)) — 70 focus
WÄCHTER
Herr, nichts doch mag verschwören je der Sterbliche;
375
denn Lügen straft der Nachgedank' ihn oft, sowie
ich kaum wol hoffte, wiederum hierher zu gehn,
ob deiner Drohung, die mich damals schwer betraf.
Doch Freude ja, die wider all Verhoffen kommt,
vergleicht an Gröfse nie sich einer andern Lust
380
ich komme, schwur ich eidlich gleich zuvor es ab,
hier diese Jungfrau bringend, die betroffen ward
das Grab bestellend. Nicht geschwenkt ward hier das Loos;
mein ist der Glücksfund, mein und keines Andern sonst.
Und jetzo, Herr, selbst nimm sie hin, wie dir's gefällt,
385
verhör' und überführe sie; ich frei von Schuld
verdiene ledig dieser Übel auszugehn.
Spanish (J. A. Bolufer, 1921) (OCR draft) Experimental (Spanish (J. A. Bolufer, 1921)) — 70 focus
CREONTE
¿Y cómo fué fue vista y cogida en flagrante?
Latin (F. H. Bothe, 1806) (OCR draft) Experimental (Latin (F. H. Bothe, 1806)) — 70 focus
Creon
Et quomodo conspecta est, atque in facinore deprehensa?
English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 70 focus
CR
And how was she detected, caught, and taken?
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.
Spanish (A. G. Garbin, 1889) (OCR draft) Experimental (Spanish (A. G. Garbin, 1889)) — 70 focus
CREONTE
¿Qué ocurre de nuevo? Llego en hora oportuna de enterarme.
German (F. Hölderlin, 1804) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (F. Hölderlin, 1804)) — 70 focus
KREON
Und wie ward sie gesehn und schuldig funden ?
English (Sir Richard Jebb1, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb1, 1904)) — 70 focus
Creon
And how was she seen? how taken in the act ?
English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 70 focus
Ismene
With wily secrecy to drain my blood,
(For little did I think that two such pests
I nurtured, to subvert my throne combined).
Tell me, with her didst thou prepare this tomb
Will thou confess it, or abjure the deed?
540
I did it, with my sister in the deedivi
540
Consorting, and with her partake the blame.
Juctice allows not this: thou hadst no will
To aid; nor with thee did I share the act.
Yet in thy danger I am not ashamed
To make myself a partner of thy fate.
545
Whose deed this is the dead and Pluto know."
545
Love shown in words alone contents not me.
Yet scorn me not, disdain not that I diese
With thee, and pay that reverence to the dead.
550
Die not with me, nor thine make thou a deed
550
Thou didst not: it sufficeth that I die.
Deprived of thee, my sister, how can life:
Be dear to me?
English (Sir Richard Jebb2, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb2, 1904)) — 100-160 focus

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-223-1 ἥκομεν 1

mvp-comment-224-1 τὰ δείν’ ἐκεῖν’ 2

mvp-comment-224-2 τὸν | νέκυν 3

mvp-comment-225-1 καθήμεθ’ 4

mvp-comment-225-2 ἄκρων ἐκ πάγων 5

mvp-comment-225-3

ἐξ Οὐλύμποιο ἀπὸ ῥίου
. Here,
ἀπὸ ῥίου
goes with
εἰσεῖδε
: but
ἐξ Οὐλύμποιο
, however much
εἰσεῖδε
may have influenced it, at least cannot be disjoined from
στᾶσ’
. (2) Eur. Phoen. 1009
ἀλλ’ εἶμι καὶ στὰς ἐξ ἐπάλξεων ἄκρων | σφάξας ἐμαυτὸν σηκὸν εἰς μελαμβαθῆ | δράκοντος, ἔνθ’ ὁ μάντις ἐξηγήσατο, | ἐλευθερώσω γαῖαν
. It is impossible to sever
στάς
from
ἐξ ἐπ.
, even if we partly explain
ἐξ
by
σφάξας
. (3) ib. 1224
Ἐτεοκλέης δ’ ὑπῆρξ’ ἀπ’ ὀρθίου σταθεὶς | πύργου κελεύσας σῖγα κηρῦξαι στρατῷ
. The position of
σταθείς
forbids us to sever it from
ἀπ’ ὀρθ. π.
, even though
ὑπῆρξε
or
κελεύσας
is used to explain
ἀπό
. (4) Eur. Tro. 522
ἀνὰ δ’ ἐβόασεν λεὼς | Τρῳάδος ἀπὸ πέτρας σταθείς
. A similar case. In all these passages, a picture is presented, and we have to glance from a remoter to a nearer object. The mental eye is required to measure the space between Hera on the peak of Olympus, and Poseidon on the plain of Troy; between Megareus on the walls of Thebes, and the cavern into which his corpse is to fall. And, in each case,
ἐκ
or
ἀπό
denotes the quarter in which the remoter object is to be looked for. This, which might be called the ‘surveying’ use, is distinct from that in which the prep. has a pregnant force, as being directly suggestive of motion (
οἱ ἐκ Σικελίας ἥξουσι
); but it springs from the same mental tendency,—viz., to take a rapid glance over the dividing interval. Cp.
ἵστασθαι πρός τινος
(‘on his side’). So here: in the foreground of the picture is the corpse, which they have just laid bare. Now look to the hillocks behind it; in that quarter you will see the guards at their post.—I have not cited Od. 21.419
τόν ῥ’ ἐπὶ πήχει ἑλὼν ἕλκεν νευρὴν γλυφίδας τε | αὐτόθεν ἐκ δίφροιο καθήμενος
, because there
ἐκ δίφροιο
goes with
ἕλκεν
, not with
καθήμενος
(he drew the bow, just from the chair, where he sat).

mvp-comment-225-4 ὑπήνεμοι 6

mvp-comment-226-1 βάλῃ 7

mvp-comment-227-1 ἐγερτί 8

mvp-comment-227-2 κινῶν 9

mvp-comment-227-3 ἐπιρρόθοις κακοῖσιν 10

mvp-comment-227-4 the adj. expressing the loud, continuous noise of tongues. The

ἐπι
- does not mean ‘bandied to and fro’: see Tr. 263
πολλὰ μὲν λόγοις | ἐπερρόθησε
. In fr. 521
ἐπίρροθα δώματα
=‘open to reproach.’ Elsewhere (as with Aesch.)
ἐπίρροθος
= ‘helper’ (
ἐπιρροθέω
, to come with shouts to the rescue). Cp.
ἐρρόθουν
259 n., Aesch. 290.

mvp-comment-228-1 ἀκηδήσοι 11 ἀφειδήσοι 12

mvp-comment-229-1 The incident of the storm was a dramatic necessity, to account for Antigone reaching the corpse unobserved. A powerful picture is compressed into seven lines. (Cp. O. C. 1315 ff. for a like instance of self-restraint in description.)

mvp-comment-230-1 κατέστη 13

mvp-comment-230-2 χθονὸς 14

mvp-comment-231-1 τυφώς 15 σκηπτός 16

mvp-comment-231-2 οὐράνιον ἄχος 17

mvp-comment-232-1 πίμπλησι 18 αἰκίζων 19

mvp-comment-232-2 ἐν δ’ ἐμεστ 20

mvp-comment-233-1 μύσαντες 21

mvp-comment-233-2 νόσον 22

mvp-comment-233-3 ἐν χρ. μακρ 23

mvp-comment-234-1 πικρᾶς 24

mvp-comment-235-1 εὐνῆς...λέχος 25

mvp-comment-236-1 οὕτω δέ 26

mvp-comment-236-2 ψιλόν 27

mvp-comment-237-1 γόοισιν ἐξῴμωξεν 28

mvp-comment-237-2 ἐκ δ’ … ἠρᾶτο 29

mvp-comment-237-3 διψίαν 30

mvp-comment-238-1 φέρει κόνιν 31

mvp-comment-239-1 The πρόχους 32

mvp-comment-239-2 εὐκρότητος 33

mvp-comment-239-3 ἄρδην 34

mvp-comment-240-1 χοαῖσι 35

mvp-comment-240-2 τρισπόνδ. 36 στέφει 37

mvp-comment-241-1 ἱέμεσθα 38

mvp-comment-241-2 σὺν δὲ … θηρώμεθ’ 39

mvp-comment-242-1 ἠλέγχομεν 40

mvp-comment-242-2 ἄπαρνος … οὐδενός 41

mvp-comment-242-3 καθίστατο 42

mvp-comment-243-1 ἅμ’ 43

mvp-comment-244-1 φίλους 44

mvp-comment-245-1 πάντα ταῦθ’ 45 λαβεῖν 46

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

407. mvp-comment-232-1 τοιοῦτον (1) As you say: she was seen (1. 423), surprised (1.432), and caught (1.433). Or (2) As follows,' = τοιόνδε.

409-410. mvp-comment-233-1 τὸν | νέκυν Α remarkable instance of synapheia. Cp. 1. 238. Essay on Language § 21. p. 33. Supr. 238.

410. mvp-comment-234-1 μυδῶν Dank: referring rather to the state of the corpse (cp. 412) than to the remains of the libation, which would be soon dried by the sun.

410. mvp-comment-234-2 εὐ Carefully. For the order, see Essay on Language p. 78, and cp. О. Т. 308, μαθόντες εὖ.

411. mvp-comment-235-1 We sat just below the top of the rising ground, in the lee of the wind, so escaping the incidence of the odour from the dead. Supposing the corpse to be exposed on a slope of the high ground, surrounded by hillocks, they would select a point of observation on the lee-side of one of these hillocks, and to the windward of the corpse, which they would have full in view.

411. mvp-comment-235-2 ἐκ = On this side of and looking from. Essay on Language § 19. p. 27. Infr. 1110, εἰς ἐπόψιον τόπον : 1197, πεδίον ἐπ᾿ ἄκρον. πικρᾶς] ι in erasure of v? by recent hand Vat.

412. mvp-comment-236-1 This line is not necessarily connected with the preceding: i.e. They may be supposed to select a spot, (1) out of the wind, (2) out of the way of the smell. But the explanation above given (411 note) is more probable. In either case the point is that in attending to their watch they were mightily careful of their own comfort.

412. mvp-comment-236-2 βάλῃ Changed by Stephanusto βάλοι, because of the past time and the optative following. But the subj. is more vivid.

413-414. mvp-comment-237-1 Rousing each his fellow with noisy altercation, reviling him who should take this labour easily. εἴ τις, κ.τ.λ. depends on the verbal notion implied in κακοῖσιν = κακῶς λέγοντες.

413-414. mvp-comment-237-2 ἀφειδεῖν, ‘Το be unsparing, and so To be negligent, To treat lightly, To act without circumspection. For an approach to this meaning, cp. Thuc. 4.26 § 7. Bonitz conj. ἀκηδήσοι.

415-417. mvp-comment-238-1 This lasted till the sun had reached his station in mid-sky with unclouded splendour, and the heat was glowing.' Cp. the Homeric ὄφρα μὲν ἠέλιος μέσον οὐρανὸν ἀμφιβεβήκει.

417. mvp-comment-239-1 When suddenly from the earth the Storm-god raised a squall, that saddened all the sky, and filled the plain, tearing the tresses of the orchard groves, and the wide heaven was choked withal.' The chief discomfort of such a visitation would be the cloud of dust, forcing men to close their eyes, and wrapping even near objects from sight. The watchman is explaining why they lost sight of the corpse. The poet also provides a motive for the act by which Antigone is betrayed. She fears that the corpse, lying in an exposed situation, may have been disturbed by the violence of the wind.

418. mvp-comment-240-1 οὐράνιον ἄχος may mean either (1) A trouble from the sky, or (2) A trouble reaching to the sky. The latter is best, as the word χθονός indicates that the whirlwind seemed to rise out of the ground.

420. mvp-comment-241-1 ἐν δ' See Essay on Language p. 26. § 18, a.

421. mvp-comment-242-1 μύσαντες .. νόσον Closing lips and eyes, we endured the Divine visitation.

422. mvp-comment-243-1 ἐν χρόνῳ μακρῷ After lasting a long while: giving time for Antigone to come out of her concealment, with the libation ready. 423, foll. κἀνακωκύει] ‘And raises a shrill wailing cry, like the voice of the despairing bird. For the descriptive genitive, see Essay on Language § 9. p. 12.

422. mvp-comment-243-2 πικρᾶς Embittered, 'Full of bitterness: the quality of the object is transferred to the subject: i.e. πικρᾶς, ἅτε πασχούσης πικρά. Also the bitterness of anger is joined to that of grief. Cp. the Latin dolor. For the genitive, cp. Trach. 768, ὥστε τέκτονοs. And for the omission of ὡs, which is supplied in the following clause, cp. supr. 114, λευκῆς χιόνος πτέρυγι στεγανός. G. Wolff reads ὅ. δ. φθόγγον ὥς, ὅταν κ. But this yields a less probable rhythm.

424-425. mvp-comment-244-1 As when it sees robbed of its young ones the desolated couch of its nest. For the pleonasm, see Essay on Language § 40. p. 75.

426. mvp-comment-245-1 οὕτω δέ The apodosis is resumed, as so often happens after a comparison. Essay on Language p. 75. Cp. Aesch. Cho. 252.

427. mvp-comment-246-1 γόοισιν Essay on Language p. 75.

427. mvp-comment-246-2 ἐκ δ᾽.. ἠρᾶτο Essay on Language § 18. p. 27.

430. mvp-comment-247-1 ἄρδην.. στέφει Slightly condensed from ἄρδην ἔχουσα στέφει. στέφει, She decorates, Honours. Metaphorical, as in Od. 8. 170, ἀλλὰ θεὸς μορφὴν ἔπεσι στέφει. Cp. καταστέφειν in Eur. Phoen. 1632, and Sophron ap. Athen. 479 B. She leaves out no jot of the ceremony: ὡς οὐδὲν ὑφιεμένη τῷ κρηύγματι.

431. mvp-comment-248-1 Od. 11. 26, ἀμφ᾿ αὐτῷ δὲ χοὰς χέομεν πᾶσιν νεκύεσσι, | πρῶτα μελικρήτῳ, μετέπειτα δὲ ἡδέϊ οἴνῳ, | τὸ τρίτον αὐθ᾽ ὕδατι.

432. mvp-comment-249-1 σὺν δέ νιν | θηρώμεθ' For this tmesis, see Essay on Language § 18. p. 26. συν as in συλλαμβάνω.

435. mvp-comment-250-1 Cp. Hdt. 3. 66, ἔξαρνος ἦν μὴ μὲν ἀποκτεῖναι Σμέρδιν: 3. 99, ἄπαρνός ἐστι μὴ μὲν νοσέειν.

436. mvp-comment-251-1 ἀλλ᾽.. ἅμα ἀλλά is to be explained as pointing the antithesis after the negative. Her attitude was not that of denial, but one to me at least pleasant and painful as well. The adverb modifies a word which is to be supplied from καθίστατο. ἡδέως ἐμοί, i. e. ὥστε ἐμὲ ἥδεσθαι, Essay on Language § 24. p. 40. There is a certain point in this which is lost in the emendation of Dindorf, ἅμ᾽ ἡδέως, in which, however, the repetition of ἅμα may be defended from Plat. Gorg. 497 Α, ἅμα διψῶν τε ἕκαστος ἡμῶν πέπαυται καὶ ἅμα ἡδόμενος διὰ τοῦ πίνειν. Schneidewin quotes also Gorg. 496 C, ὧν ἅμα τε ἀπαλλάττεται ἄνθρωπος καὶ ἅμα ἔχει, which is not really parallel.

439-440. mvp-comment-252-1 ἀλλὰ .. σωτηρίας (1) But all these things are to me by nature less important to obtain than my own safety. λαβεῖν epexegetic, like ἔχειν in Ο. Τ. 592, τυραννὶς ἡδίων ἔχειν. Cp. inf. 638, μείζων φέρεσθαι: Εl. 1015-1016, προνοίας οὐδὲν ἀνθρώποις ἔφυ | κέρδος λαβεῖν ἄμειvov. Or, possibly, (2) It is in my nature to take less account of all this than of my own safety. For the meaning thus given to ἐμοὶ πέφυκ cp. Εl. 860, πᾶσι θνατοῖς ἔφυ μύρος. And for λαβεῖν = To weigh or estimate, cp. Thuc. 2. 42, § 5, τὴν δὲ τῶν ἐναντίων τιμωρίαν ποθεινοτέραν αὐτῶν λαβόντες.