Sophocles Antigone 499

Thomas Francklin (Translator)

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Why this delay then, when thou knowst my
To thee as hateful are as thine to me? \ [words
500
Therefore dispatch ; I cannot live to do
A deed more glorious ; and so these would all
Confess, were not their tongues restrained by fear ;
It is the tyrant's privilege, we know.
505
To speak and act whate'er he please, uncensured.

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)) — 499 focus
τί δῆτα μέλλεις; ὡς ἐμοὶ τῶν σῶν λόγων
ἀρεστὸν οὐδὲν, μηδ᾽ ἀρεσθείη ποτέ 1 .
οὕτω δὲ καὶ σοὶ τἄμ’ ἀφανδάνοντ᾽ ἔφυ.
καίτοι πόθεν κλέος γ᾽ ἂν εὐκλεέστερον
κατέσχον, ἢ τὸν αὐτάδελφον ἐν τάφῳ
500
τιθεῖσα; τούτοις τοῦτο πᾶσιν ἁνδάνειν
λέγοιτ᾽ ἂν, εἰ μὴ γλῶσσαν ἐγκλείσοι φόβος.
ἀλλ᾽ ἡ τυραννὶς πολλά τ᾽ ἄλλ᾽ εὐδαιμονεῖ,
κἄξεστιν αὐτῇ δρᾷν λέγειν θ᾽ ἃ βούλεται.
Greek (A. Boeckh, 1884) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (A. Boeckh, 1884)) — 499 focus
Greek (F. H. Bothe, 1806) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. H. Bothe, 1806)) — 499 focus
τί δῆτα μέλλεις; ὡς ἐμοὶ τῶν σῶν λόγων
ἀρεστὸν οὐδὲν, μηδ᾽ ἀρεσθείη ποτέ·
οὕτω δὲ καί σοι τἄμ᾽ ἀφανδάνοντ᾽ ἔφυ.
καί τοι πόθεν κλέος γ᾽ ἂν εὐκλεέστερον
495
κατέσχον, ἢ τὸν αὐτάδελφον ἐν τάφῳ
τιθεῖσα; τοῖσδε τοῦτο πᾶσιν ἁνδάνειν
λέγοιτ᾽ ἂν, εἰ μὴ γλῶσσαν ἐγκλείσοι φόβος·
ἀλλ᾽ ἡ τυραννὶς πολλά τ᾽ ἄλλ᾽ εὐδαιμονεῖ,
κἄξεστιν αὐτῇ δρᾷν λέγειν θ᾽, ἃ βούλεται.
500
Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 499 focus
τί δῆτα μέλλεις; ὡς ἐμοὶ τῶν σῶν λόγων
ἀρεστὸν οὐδέν, μηδ' ἀρεσθείη ποτέ,
500
οὕτω δὲ καὶ σοὶ τἄμ᾽ ἀφανδάνοντ᾽ ἔφυ.
καίτοι πόθεν κλέος γ᾽ ἂν εὐκλεέστερον
κατέσχον ἢ τὸν αὐτάδελφον ἐν τάφῳ
τιθεῖσα; τούτοις τοῦτο πᾶσιν ἁνδάνειν
λέγοιτ᾿ ἄν, εἰ μὴ γλῶσσαν *ἐγκλείσαι φόβος.
505
ἀλλ᾽ ἡ τυραννὶς πολλά τ᾿ ἄλλ᾽ εὐδαιμονεῖ
κἄξεστιν αὐτῇ δρᾶν λέγειν θ᾽ ἃ βούλεται.
Greek (A. Colonna, 1978) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (A. Colonna, 1978)) — 499 focus
τί δῆτα μέλλεις; ὡς ἐμοὶ τῶν σῶν λόγων
ἀρεστὸν οὐδέν, μηδ᾽ ἀρεσθείην ποτέ·
500
οὕτω δὲ καὶ σοὶ τἄμ᾽ ἀφανδάνοντ᾽ ἔφυ.
καίτοι πόθεν κλέος γ᾽ ἂν εὐκλεέστερον
κατέσχον ἢ τὸν αὐτάδελφον ἐν τάφῳ
τιθεῖσα; τούτοις τοῦτο πᾶσιν ἁνδάνειν
λέγοιτ᾽ ἄν, εἰ μὴ γλῶσσαν ἐγκλῄσοι φόβος.
505
ἀλλ᾽ ἡ τυραννὶς πολλά τ᾽ ἄλλ᾽ εὐδαιμονεῖ
κἄξεστιν αὐτῇ δρᾶν λέγειν θ’ ἃ βούλεται.
Greek (A. Dain, 1955) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (A. Dain, 1955)) — 499 focus
τί δῆτα μέλλεις; ὡς ἐμοὶ τῶν σῶν λόγων
ἀρεστὸν οὐδέν, μηδ’ ἀρεσθείη ποτέ·
500
οὕτω δὲ καὶ σοὶ τἄμ’ ἀφανδάνοντ’ ἔφυ.
καίτοι πόθεν κλέος γ’ ἂν εὐκλεέστερον
κατέσχον ἢ τὸν αὐτάδελφον ἐν τάφῳ
τιθεῖσα; τούτοις τοῦτο πᾶσιν ἁνδάνειν
λέγοιτ’ ἄν, εἰ μὴ γλῶσσαν ἐγκλῄσοι φόβος.
505
ἀλλ’ ἡ τυραννὶς πολλά τ’ ἄλλ’ εὐδαιμονεῖ
κἄξεστιν αὐτῇ δρᾶν λέγειν θ’ ἃ βούλεται.
Greek (R. D. Dawe, 1979) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (R. D. Dawe, 1979)) — 499 focus
τί δῆτα μέλλεις; ὡς ἐμοὶ τῶν σῶν λόγων
ἀρεστὸν οὐδέν, μηδ᾽ ἀρεσθείη ποτέ·
500
οὕτω δὲ καὶ σοὶ τἄμ᾽ ἀφανδάνοντ᾽ ἔφυ.
καίτοι πόθεν κλέος γ᾽ ἂν εὐκλεέστερον
κατέσχον ἢ τὸν αὐτάδελφον ἐν τάφωι
τιθεῖσα; τούτοις τοῦτο πᾶσιν ἁνδάνειν
λέγοιτ᾽ ἄν, εἰ μὴ γλῶσσαν ἐγκλήιοι φόβος.
505
ἀλλ᾽ ἡ τυραννὶς πολλά τ᾽ ἄλλ᾽ εὐδαιμονεῖ
κἄξεστιν αὐτῆι δρᾶν λέγειν θ᾽ ἃ βούλεται.
Greek (G. Hermann, 1830) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (G. Hermann, 1830)) — 499 focus
τί δῆτα μέλλεις; ὡς ἐμοὶ τῶν σῶν λόγων
495
ἀρεστὸν οὐδέν, μηδ᾽ ἀρεσθείην ποτέ·
οὕτω δὲ καὶ σοὶ τἄμ᾽ ἀφανδάνοντ᾽ ἔφυ.
καί τοι πόθεν κλέος γ᾽ ἂν εὐκλεέστερον
κατέσχον, ἢ τὸν αὐτάδελφον ἐν τάφῳ
τιθεῖσα; τούτοις τοῦτο πᾶσιν ἁνδάνειν
500
λέγοιτ᾽ ἄν, εἰ μὴ γλῶσσαν ἐγκλείσοι φόβος.
ἀλλ᾽ ἡ τυραννὶς πολλά τ᾽ ἄλλ᾽ εὐδαιμονεῖ,
κἄξεστιν αὐτῇ δρᾶν λέγειν θ᾽, ἃ βούλεται.
Greek (R. C. Jebb, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (R. C. Jebb, 1906)) — 499 focus
τί δῆτα μέλλεις; ὡς ἐμοὶ τῶν· σῶν λόγων
ἀρεστὸν οὐδέν, μηδ᾽ ἀρεσθείη ποτέ·
500
οὕτω δὲ καὶ σοὶ τἄμ᾽ ἀφανδάνοντ᾽ ἔφυ.
καίτοι πόθεν κλέος γ᾽ ἂν εὐκλεέστερον
κατέσχον ἢ τὸν αὐτάδελφον ἐν τάφῳ
τιθεῖσα; τούτοις τοῦτο πᾶσιν ἁνδάνειν
λέγοιτ᾽ ἄν, εἰ μὴ γλῶσσαν ἐγκλῄοι φόβος.
505
ἀλλ᾽ ἡ τυραννὶς πολλά τ᾽ ἄλλ᾽ εὐδαιμονεῖ,
κἄξεστιν αὐτῇ δρᾶν λέγειν θ᾽ ἃ βούλεται.
Greek (A. C. Pearson, 1924) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (A. C. Pearson, 1924)) — 499 focus
τί δῆτα μέλλεις; ὡς ἐμοὶ τῶν σῶν λόγων
ἀρεστὸν οὐδέν, μηδ᾽ ἀρεσθείη ποτέ,
500
οὕτω δὲ καὶ σοὶ τἄμ᾽ ἀφανδάνοντ᾽ ἔφυ.
καίτοι πόθεν κλέος γ᾽ ἂν εὐκλεέστερον
κατέσχον ἢ τὸν αὐτάδελφον ἐν τάφῳ
τιθεῖσα; τούτοις τοῦτο πᾶσιν ἁνδάνειν
λέγοιτ᾽ ἄν, εἰ μὴ γλῶσσαν ἐγκλῄοι φόβος.
505
ἀλλ᾽ ἡ τυραννὶς πολλά τ᾽ ἄλλ᾽ εὐδαιμονεῖ
κἄξεστιν αὐτῇ δρᾶν λέγειν θ᾽ ἃ βούλεται.
Antigone (OCR draft) Experimental (Antigone) — 499 focus
Greek (K. Reinhardt, 1949) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (K. Reinhardt, 1949)) — 499 focus
τί δῆτα μέλλεις; ὡς ἐμοὶ τῶν σῶν λόγων
ἀρεστὸν οὐδέν, μηδ᾽ ἀρεσθείη ποτέ·
500
οὕτω δὲ καὶ σοὶ τἄμ᾽ ἀφανδάνοντ᾽ ἔφυ.
καίτοι πόθεν κλέος γ᾽ ἂν εὐκλεέστερον
κατέσχον ἢ τὸν αὐτάδελφον ἐν τάφωι
τιθεῖσα; τούτοις τοῦτο πᾶσιν ἁνδάνειν
λέγοιτ᾽ ἄν, εἰ μὴ γλῶσσαν ἐγκλήιοι φόβος.
505
ἀλλ᾽ ἡ τυραννὶς πολλά τ᾽ ἄλλ᾽ εὐδαιμονεῖ,
κἄξεστιν αὐτῆι δρᾶν λέγειν θ᾽ ἃ βούλεται.
Translations (10)
German (A. Boeckh, 1884) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (A. Boeckh, 1884)) — 499 focus
Spanish (J. A. Bolufer, 1921) (OCR draft) Experimental (Spanish (J. A. Bolufer, 1921)) — 499 focus
¿Pues qué esperas ya? A mi, tus razonamientos ni me gustan ni me podrán gustar; y lo mismo a ti, los mios nunca te han agradado. Y a la verdad, ¿cómo hubiera yo podido alcanzar gloria más célebre que dando sepultura a mi propio hermano? Todos éstos dirían que lo que he hecho es de su agrado, si el miedo no les trabase la lengua. Pero los tiranos tienen ésta y muchas otras ventajas, y les es permitido hacer y decir cuanto quieran.
Latin (F. H. Bothe, 1806) (OCR draft) Experimental (Latin (F. H. Bothe, 1806)) — 499 focus
Quid igitur moraris?
nam mihi tuis ex sermonibus nihil placet; neque placiturum sit umquam: parique modo mea tibi non probantur. Atqui undenam celebriorem gloriam consequi possem, quam, quod germanum humo cendidi? his quoque omnibus, qui adsunt, idem placere diceretur, si non linguam praecluderet metus: at cum alia ob multa felix est qui regnat, tum quia licet ei facere dicereque, quae lubet.
English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 499 focus
Why then delay? No talk of thine can charm me,
Forbid it Heaven! And my discourse no less
500
Must evermore sound noisome to thine ear.
Yet where could I have found a fairer fame
Than giving burial to my own true brother?
All here would tell thee they approve my deed,
Were they not tongue-tied to authority.
505
But kingship hath much profit; this in chief,
That it may do and say whate’er it will.
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 499 focus
Was also säumst du? Wie von deinen Worten mir
Gefällig keins ist und gefalle mir es nie!
So müssen auch die meinen dir mißfällig sein.
Und doch, wodurch wohl konnt' ich ehrenvollern Ruhm
500
Erringen, als indem ich meines Bruders Grab
Bestellte? Diese würden all' es wohlgethan
Erklären, fesselt' ihnen Furcht die Zunge nicht.
Doch wie dem Herrscher andres Glück in Menge ward,
So darf er reden, darf er thun, was ihm beliebt.
505
Spanish (A. G. Garbin, 1889) (OCR draft) Experimental (Spanish (A. G. Garbin, 1889)) — 499 focus
¿Necesitas tú algo más que quitarme la vida?
German (F. Hölderlin, 1804) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (F. Hölderlin, 1804)) — 499 focus
English (Sir Richard Jebb1, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb1, 1904)) — 499 focus
Why then dost thou delay? In thy discourse 500 there is nought that pleases me,—never may there be and so my words must needs be unpleasing to thee. And yet, for glory—whence could I have won a nobler, than by giving burial to mine own brother? All here would own that they thought it well, were not their lips sealed by fear. But royalty, blest in so much besides, hath the power to do and say what it will.
English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 499 focus
Why then delay, since nothing in thy words
To me is pleasing, or will ever please ;
500
Nor will my words be pleasing to thy ear?
A brighter glory whence could I obtain
Than from this deed, a brother’s honour’d corse
Entombing? All here present would aloud
Applaud the deed, but fear hath chain’d their tongues.
505
Amidst their envied greatness kings enjoy
This. pow’r, to do and speak whate’er they please.
English (Sir Richard Jebb2, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb2, 1904)) — 583-630 focus

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-284-1 ἀρεστὸν οὐδέν 1

mvp-comment-284-2 μηδ’ ἀρεσθείη 2 ἀρεσθείην 3 ἀρέστ’ εἴη 4

mvp-comment-285-1 τἀμά 5

mvp-comment-285-2 ἔφυ 6

mvp-comment-286-1 καίτοι 7 κλέος … εὐκλεέστερον 8

mvp-comment-287-1 ἐν τάφῳ τιθεῖσα 9 τούτοις πᾶσι λέγοιτο ἄν 10 τοῦτο ἁνδάνειν 11 ἐγκλῄοι 12

mvp-comment-288-1 ἀλλ’ ἡ τυραννίς 13

mvp-comment-289-1 μούνη 14

mvp-comment-289-2 τοῦτο … ὁρᾷς 15

mvp-comment-289-3 ὑπίλλουσιν 16

mvp-comment-290-1 σὺ δ’ οὐκ ἐπαιδεῖ 18

mvp-comment-291-1 ὅμαιμος 19

mvp-comment-291-2 ἐκ μιᾶς τε 20 τε 21

mvp-comment-292-1 πῶς δῆτ’ 22

mvp-comment-292-2 ἐκείνῳ 23

mvp-comment-292-3 χάριν 24 τιμᾷς 25 ὁ κατθανὼν νέκυς 26

mvp-comment-293-1 εἴ τοι 27 σφε 28

mvp-comment-293-2 ἐξ ἴσου 29

mvp-comment-294-1 οὐ γάρ τι δοῦλος 30

mvp-comment-294-2 cannot complain, for Polyneices was not his slave—his natural inferior—but his brother, and had the same claim on me that he had. Creon insists on the difference between the loyal man and the disloyal. Antigone dwells on the fact that both men had the same claim on her natural piety, and (519) on her sense of religious duty.

mvp-comment-295-1 πορθῶν δέ 31

mvp-comment-295-2 ὁ δ’ 32 ὕπερ 33

mvp-comment-296-1 τούτους 34 ἴσους 35 ἴσους 36 ὅμως 37 ἴσους 38 τούτους 39 ἴσους 40

mvp-comment-297-1 The MS. λαχεῖν ἴσος 41 ἴσους 42

mvp-comment-298-1 κάτωθεν 43 κάτω ’στὶν 44

mvp-comment-298-2 εὐαγῆ 45

mvp-comment-299-1 οὔτοι συνέχθειν 46

mvp-comment-300-1 νυ^ν 47

mvp-comment-301-1 καὶ μὴν 48

mvp-comment-301-2 εἰβομένη 49 κάτω 50

mvp-comment-301-3 with

εἴβειν
, for Homer never says
κατὰ δάκρυα λείβειν
. Nothing is more natural than that
εἰβομένη
should have become
λειβομένη
in the MSS., the latter word being much the commoner.

mvp-comment-301-4 κάτω 51

mvp-comment-302-1 νεφέλη δ’ ὀφρύων ὕπερ 52

mvp-comment-302-2 αἱματόεν 53

mvp-comment-302-3 ῥέθος 54

mvp-comment-302-4 αἰσχύνει 55

mvp-comment-303-1 σὺ δ’ 56 ὑφειμένη 57

mvp-comment-303-2 ἔχιδνα 58

mvp-comment-303-3

ἡ ἔχιδνα ἐν τῇ συνουσίᾳ τὴν κεφαλὴν ἀποκόπτει. διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τὰ τέκνα, ὥσπερ τὸν θάνατον τοῦ πατρὸς μετερχόμενα, τὴν γαστέρα τῆς μητρὸς διαρρήγνυσιν
. (Cp. Shaksp. Per. 1. 1. 64
I am no viper, yet I feed On mother's flesh.
)

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

500. mvp-comment-292-1 μηδ' ἀρεσθείη Sc. μηδὲν τῶν σῶν λόγων.

501. mvp-comment-293-1 ἔφυ Are by nature, and so cannot fail to be.

505. mvp-comment-294-1 λέγοιτ' ἄν For the passive, see Essay on Language § 31. P. 54 *ἐγκλείσαι] Cp. supr. 1. 180. Dindorf's correction (with εί for ῄ) is retained in preference to ἐγκλείοι. The future optative is clearly wrong.

506-507. mvp-comment-295-1 These two lines have been considered spurious. But their scornful tone may be compared with supr. 469-470.

509. mvp-comment-296-1 ὑπίλλουσι ἴλλειν (cp. supr. 340) is To move within bounds, or To limit motion. So here, 'They move their lips under your restraint; i. e. They curb their speech under your will.

510. mvp-comment-297-1 τῶνδε .. φρονεῖς; If you hold a course divergent from theirs. Cp. supr. 375, μήτ᾽ ἴσον φρονῶν.

512. mvp-comment-298-1 καταντίον In opposition to him.

514. mvp-comment-299-1 Why then do you honour a service which involves impiety to him? Honour, i. e. By zealously performing it.

515. mvp-comment-300-1 ὁ κατθανών νέκυς Eteocles.

516. mvp-comment-301-1 i. e. If you honour the impious one equally with him.

517. mvp-comment-302-1 For the omission of the participle, see Essay on Language § 23. p. 38.

519. mvp-comment-303-1 τοὺς νόμους τούτους Cp. supr. 452.

519. mvp-comment-303-2 ἴσους, the reading of the corrector of L, rather injures the line by dividing the emphasis, which rests entirely on ὅμως. Essay on Language § 41. p. 76 (4).

520. mvp-comment-304-1 ἴσος Of equal right. ἴσos has the construction of ἄξιος or δίκαιος. Essay on Language § 36. p. 64.

521. mvp-comment-305-1 Who can tell if this be not esteemed pious in the under-world? τάδε, this, which you count impious, the burial of Polynices. Schol., τίς οἶδεν εἰ καθ' Ἅιδου ἀλλήλοις διαλλάσσοντες ἡγοῦνται εὐσεβῆ τάδε. τίς οἶδεν εἰ, like Haud scio an in Latin, suggests an affirmative as possible, as in the lines τίς οἶδεν εἰ τὸ ζῆν μὲν ἐστι κατθανεῖν | τὸ κατθανεῖν δὲ ζῆν; κάτωθεν, see v. rr., is possibly right.

522-523. mvp-comment-306-1 Creon means that Eteocles must still hate Polynices after death. To which Antigone rejoins, in the line which expresses what is deepest in her, If it be so, his hatred is no rule for me. Creon sees that further argument is useless, and breaks off impatiently with an abrupt sentence of death.

524-525. mvp-comment-307-1 Go, then, to your grave, and there, if you must love them, love the dead below! κείνους, sc. τοὺς κάτω, with particular reference to Polynices.

526-530. mvp-comment-308-1 Here comes Ismene forth, shedding sisterly tears; from clouds above her brow, that moisten her fair cheek, doing disgrace unto her flushed countenance. Cp. Sh Shakespeare, Midsummer Night's Dream, 1. 1, Lys. Why is your cheek so pale? | How chance the roses there do fade so fast? | Herm. Belike, for want of rain, which I could well | Beteem them from the tempest of mine eyes. Ant. and Cleo. 3. 2. 52. Il. 17. 591, ἄχεος νεφέλη: Eur. Hipp. 173, ὀφρύων νέφος: Aesch. Prom. 144-145, ὀμίχλα .. πλήρης δακρύων.

527. mvp-comment-309-1 δάκρυ᾽ εἰβομένη is the Triclinian reading for δάκρυα λειβόμενα. δάκρυ λειβομένη has been conjectured. But the construction, with φιλάδελφα adverbial, is less simple and therefore less pathetic. δάκρυα εἰβομένη is read in M³.

529. mvp-comment-310-1 ῥέθος Eur. Η. F. 1204, πάρες ἀπ᾿ ὀμμάτων | πέπλον . . ῥέθος ἀελίῳ δεῖξον.

531. mvp-comment-311-1 ὡς ἔχιδν᾽ ὑφειμένη Having slid in secretly like a snake; i.e. Like a serpent lurking. For the feeling associated with ὑφίημι, cp. Ο. Τ. 387, ὑφεὶς μάγον τοιόνδε μηχανορράφον.