τὸ δρᾶν·
ἀνάγκῃ δ᾽ οὐχὶ δυσμαχητέον.
Antigone. Sophocles. Cambridge, UK. 1906.
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Table of Contents
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Current edition Experimental
Greek (R. C. Jebb, 1906) (OCR draft) (Greek) (Greek (R. C. Jebb, 1906))
Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.
Editions (11)
Greek (L. Benloew, 1858) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (L. Benloew, 1858)) — 1106 focus
δέδοικα γὰρ, μὴ τοὺς καθεστῶτας νόμους
Greek (A. Boeckh, 1884) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (A. Boeckh, 1884)) — 1106 focus
λαβών τε χώρας παντελῆ μοναρχίαν
Greek (F. H. Bothe, 1806) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. H. Bothe, 1806)) — 1106 focus
ἀρχαίου τ᾽ ἐπὶ σπορᾷ δράκοντος·
Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 1106 focus
τὸ δρᾶν· ἀνάγκῃ δ᾽ οὐχὶ δυσμαχητέον.
Greek (A. Colonna, 1978) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (A. Colonna, 1978)) — 1106 focus
τὸ δρᾶν ἀνάγκῃ δ᾽ οὐχὶ δυσμαχητέον.
Greek (A. Dain, 1955) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (A. Dain, 1955)) — 1106.mvp-line-1092 focus
τὸ δρᾶν· ἀνάγκῃ δ’ οὐχὶ δυσμαχητέον.
Greek (R. D. Dawe, 1979) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (R. D. Dawe, 1979)) — 1106 focus
τὸ δρᾶν· ἀνάγκηι δ᾽ οὐχὶ δυσμαχητέον.
Greek (G. Hermann, 1830) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (G. Hermann, 1830)) — 1106 focus
Ἰταλίαν, μέδεις δὲ παγ-
Greek (A. C. Pearson, 1924) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (A. C. Pearson, 1924)) — 1106.mvp-line-1095 focus
τὸ δρᾶν· ἀνάγκῃ δ᾽ οὐχὶ δυσμαχητέον.
Antigone (OCR draft) Experimental (Antigone) — 1106 focus
τὸ δρᾶν· ἀνάγκῃ δʼ οὐχὶ δυσμαχητέον.
Greek (K. Reinhardt, 1949) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (K. Reinhardt, 1949)) — 1106 focus
τὸ δρᾶν· ἀνάγκηι δ᾽ οὐχὶ δυσμαχητέον.
Translations (2)
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 1115 focus
English (Sir Richard Jebb2, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb2, 1904)) — 1115-1150 focus
Chorus
God of many names, glory of the Cadmeian bride and offspring of loud-thundering Zeus, you who watch over far-famed
Italy
and reign
1115
in the valleys of Eleusinian Deo where all find welcome! O Bacchus, denizen of
Thebes
, the mother-city of your Bacchants, dweller by the wet stream of Ismenus on the soil
1120
of the sowing of the savage dragon’s teeth!
1125
God of many names, glory of the Cadmeian bride and offspring of loud-thundering Zeus, you who watch over far-famed
Italy
and reign
1115
in the valleys of Eleusinian Deo where all find welcome! O Bacchus, denizen of
Thebes
, the mother-city of your Bacchants, dweller by the wet stream of Ismenus on the soil
1120
of the sowing of the savage dragon’s teeth!
1125
Chorus
The smoky glare of torches sees you above the cliffs of the twin peaks, where the Corycian nymphs move inspired by your godhead,
and Castalia’s stream sees you, too. The ivy-mantled slopes of
Nysa
’s hills and the shore green with many-clustered vines send you, when accompanied by the cries of your divine words,
1130
you visit the avenues of
Thebes
.
1135
The smoky glare of torches sees you above the cliffs of the twin peaks, where the Corycian nymphs move inspired by your godhead,
and Castalia’s stream sees you, too. The ivy-mantled slopes of
Nysa
’s hills and the shore green with many-clustered vines send you, when accompanied by the cries of your divine words,
1130
you visit the avenues of
Thebes
.
1135
Chorus
Thebes
of all cities you hold foremost in honor, together with your lightning-struck mother.
And now when the whole city is held subject to a violent plague, come, we ask, with purifying feet over steep
Parnassus
,
1140
or over the groaning straits!
1145
Thebes
of all cities you hold foremost in honor, together with your lightning-struck mother.
And now when the whole city is held subject to a violent plague, come, we ask, with purifying feet over steep
Parnassus
,
1140
or over the groaning straits!
1145
Chorus
O Leader of the chorus of the stars whose breath is fire, overseer of the chants in the night, son begotten of Zeus,
appear, my king, with your attendant Thyiads, who in night-long frenzy dance and sing you as Iacchus the Giver!
1150
O Leader of the chorus of the stars whose breath is fire, overseer of the chants in the night, son begotten of Zeus,
appear, my king, with your attendant Thyiads, who in night-long frenzy dance and sing you as Iacchus the Giver!
1150
Commentary
Commentary (R. C. Jebb) (OCR draft) (Commentary (R. C. Jebb))
Commentary (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) (Commentary (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) focus
603. mvp-comment-353-1 λόγου τ᾽ ἄνοια καὶ φρενῶν Ἐριvús The reasoning of Antigone in 450 ff. seems wild to the chorus, and her conduct shows her to them as possessed with a fatal frenzy. It may be thought strange that κόνις should be retained against a reading which has been so generally ap- proved as κόπις, first suggested by Jortin. But see Essay on Language pp. 92, 93. The grotesque image of Death, or Hades, armed with a bloody chopper or cleaver, however agreeable to the manner of Euripides, or some other poets, has no parallel in the language of Sophocles. And the transition from this concrete imagery to the spirits of fury and madness is, to say the least, awkwardly abrupt. The words λόγου τ᾽ ἄνοια καὶ φρενῶν Ἐρινύς are most natural if they are added to expand an obscure allusion to the deed which had brought Antigone into danger. And the words φοινία θεῶν τῶν νερτέρων .. κόνις, The deadly dust sacred to the gods below, convey such an allusion not more obscurely than do the words in Tr. 836 ff., δεινοτάτῳ μὲν ὕδρας προστετακὼς φάσματι, κ.τ.λ., express the condition of Heracles in the poisoned robe. Triclinius was therefore not absurd in saying εἰκότως δὲ τὸ κόνις τέθειται. διότι γὰρ ἐκάλυψεν Ἀντιγόνη ἀδελφὸν Πολυνείκην κόνει, διὰ τοῦτο τεθνήξεσθαι ἔμελλε.
604. mvp-comment-354-1 This is suggested by the position of Antigone, whose offence brings swift retribution; but is felt by the spectator to be more applicable to that of Creon.