Sophocles Antigone 162

ed. Francis Storr

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Antigone. Sophocles. ed. Francis Storr. London. 1912.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.

Current edition Experimental

Ἀντιγόνη (Greek) (Sophocles, Volume 1. Storr, Francis, editor. London; New York: William Heinemann Ltd.; The Macmillan Company, 1912.)

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (11)
Greek (L. Benloew, 1858) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (L. Benloew, 1858)) — 162 focus
ἄνδρες, τὰ μὲν δὴ πόλεος ἀσφαλῶς θεοὶ,
πολλῷ 1 σάλῳ σείσαντες, ὤρθωσαν πάλιν·
ὑμᾶς δ᾽ ἐγὼ πομποῖσιν ἐκ πάντων δίχα
ἔστειλ᾽ ἱκέσθαι· τοῦτο μὲν, τὰ Λαΐου
σέβοντας εἰδὼς εὖ θρόνων ἀεὶ κράτη·
165
τοῦτ᾽ αὖθις, ἡνίκ᾽ Οἰδίπους ὥρθου πόλιν,
κἀπεὶ διώλετ᾽, ἀμφὶ τοὺς κείνων ἔτι
παῖδας μένοντας ἐμπέδοις φρονήμασιν.
ὅτ᾽ οὖν ἐκεῖνοι πρὸς διπλῆς μοίρας μίαν
καθ᾽ ἡμέραν ὤλοντο, παίσαντές τε καὶ
170
πληγέντες αὐτόχειρι σὺν μιάσματι,
ἐγὼ κράτη δὴ πάντα καὶ θρόνους ἔχω
γένους κατ᾽ ἀγχιστεῖα τῶν ὀλωλότων.
ἀμήχανον δὲ παντὸς ἀνδρὸς ἐκμαθεῖν
ψυχήν τε καὶ φρόνημα καὶ γνώμην, 2 πρὶν ἂν
175
ἀρχαῖς τε καὶ νόμοισιν ἐντριβὴς φανῇ.
ἐμοὶ γὰρ, ὅστις πᾶσαν εὐθύνων πόλιν
μὴ τῶν ἀρίστων ἅπτεται βουλευμάτων,
ἀλλ᾽ ἐκ φόβου του γλῶσσαν ἐγκλείσας ἔχει,
κάκιστος εἶναι νῦν τε καὶ πάλαι δοκεῖ·
180
καὶ μείζον᾽ ὅστις 3 ἀντὶ τῆς αὑτοῦ πάτρας
φίλον νομίζει, τοῦτον οὐδαμοῦ λέγω 4 ·
ἐγὼ γὰρ, ἴστω Ζεὺς ὁ πάνθ᾽ ὁρῶν ἀεὶ,
οὔτ᾽ ἂν σιωπήσαιμι τὴν ἄτην ὁρῶν
στείχουσαν ἀστοῖς ἀντὶ τῆς σωτηρίας,
185
οὔτ᾽ ἂν φίλον ποτ᾽ ἄνδρα δυσμενῆ χθονὸς
θείμην ἐμαυτῷ, τοῦτο γιγνώσκων, ὅτι
ἥδ᾽ ἐστὶν ἡ σώζουσα, καὶ, ταύτης ἔπι
πλέοντες ὀρθῆς, τοὺς φίλους 5 ποιούμεθα.
τοιοῖς δ᾽ ἐγὼ νόμοισι τήνδ᾽ αὔξω πόλιν.
190
καὶ νῦν ἀδελφὰ τῶνδε κηρύξας ἔχω
ἀστοῖσι, παίδων τῶν ἀπ᾽ Οἰδίπου πέρι.
Ἐτεοκλέα μὲν, ὃς πόλεως ὑπερμαχῶν
ὄλωλε τῆσδε, πάντ᾽ ἀριστεύσας δορὶ,
τάφῳ τε κρύψαι, καὶ τὰ πάντ᾽ ἐφαγνίσαι,
195
ἃ τοῖς ἀρίστοις ἔρχεται κάτω νεκροῖς·
τὸν δ᾽ αὖ ξύναιμον τοῦδε, Πολυνείκην λέγω,
ὃς γῆν πατρῴαν καὶ θεοὺς τοὺς ἐγγενεῖς,
φυγὰς κατελθὼν, ἠθέλησε μὲν πυρὶ
πρῆσαι κατάκρας, ἠθέλησε δ᾽ αἵματος
200
κοινοῦ πάσασθαι, τοὺς δὲ δουλώσας ἄγειν,
τοῦτον πόλει τῇδ᾽ ἐκκεκηρῦχθαι τάφῳ
μήτε κτερίζειν μήτε κωκῦσαί τινα,
ἐᾷν δ᾽ ἄθαπτον καὶ πρὸς οἰωνῶν δέμας
καὶ πρὸς κυνῶν ἐδεστὸν αἰκισθέντ᾽ ἰδεῖν.
205
τοιόνδ᾽ ἐμὸν φρόνημα. κοὔποτ᾽ ἔκ γ᾽ ἐμοῦ
τιμὴν προέξουσ᾽ οἱ κακοὶ τῶν ἐνδίκων.
ἀλλ᾽ ὅστις εὔνους τῇδε τῇ πόλει, θανὼν
καὶ ζῶν ὁμοίως ἐξ ἐμοῦ τιμήσεται 6 .
Greek (A. Boeckh, 1884) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (A. Boeckh, 1884)) — 162 focus
Greek (F. H. Bothe, 1806) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. H. Bothe, 1806)) — 162 focus
ἄνδρες, τὰ μὲν δὴ πόλεος ἀσφαλῶς θεοὶ
160
πολλῷ σάλῳ σείσαντες ὤρθωσαν πάλιν·
ὑμᾶς δ᾽ ἐγὼ πομποῖσιν ἐκ πάντων δίχα:
ἔστειλ᾽ ἱκέσθαι, τοῦτο μὲν, τὰ Λαΐου
σέβοντας εἰδὼς εὖ θρόνων ἀεὶ κράτη,
τοῦτ᾽ αὖθις, ἡνίκ᾽ Οἰδίπους ὤρθου πόλιν,
165
κᾀπεὶ διώλετ᾽, ἀμφὶ τοὺς κείνου γ᾽ ἔτι
παῖδας μένοντας ἐμπέδοις φρονήμασιν.
ὅτ᾽ οὖν ἐκεῖνοι πρὸς διπλῆς μοίρας μίαν
καθ᾽ ἡμέραν ὤλοντο, παίσαντές τε καὶ
πληγέντες αὐτόχειρι σὺν μιάσματι,
170
ἐγὼ κράτη δὴ πάντα καὶ θρόνους ἔχω,
γένους κατ᾽ ἀγχιστεῖα τῶν ὀλωλότων.
ἀμήχανον δὲ παντὸς ἀνδρὸς ἐκμαθεῖν,
ψυχήν τε καὶ φρόνημα καὶ γνώμην, πρὶν ἂν
ἀρχαῖς τε καὶ νόμοισιν ἐντριβὴς φανῇ·
175
ἐμοὶ γὰρ, ὅστις, πᾶσαν εὐθύνων πόλιν,
μὴ τῶν ἀρίστων ἅπτεται βουλευμάτων,
ἀλλ' ἐκ φόβου του γλῶσσαν ἐγκλείσας ἔχει,
κάκιστος εἶναι νῦν τε καὶ πάλαι δοκεῖ·
καὶ μείζον᾽ εἴ τις ἀντὶ τῆς αὑτοῦ πάτρας
180
φίλον νομίζει, τοῦτον οὐδαμοῦ λέγω.
ἐγὼ γὰρ (ἴστω Ζεὺς ὁ πάνθ᾽ ὁρῶν ἀεί! )
οὔτ’ ἂν σιωπήσαιμι, τὴν ἄτην ὁρῶν
στείχουσαν ἀστοῖς ἀντὶ τῆς σωτηρίας,
οὔτ᾽ ἂν φίλον ποτ᾽ ἄνδρα δυσμενῆ χθονὸς
185
θείμην ἐμαυτῷ, τοῦτο γιγνώσκων, ὅτι
ἥδ᾽ ἐστὶν ἡ σώζουσα καὶ, ταύτης ἔπι
πλέοντες ὀρθῆς, οὓς φίλους ποιούμεθα.
τοιοῖσδ᾽ ἐγὼ νόμοισι τήνδ᾽ αὔξω πόλιν,
καὶ νῦν ἀδελφὰ τῶνδε κηρύξας ἔχω
190
ἀστοῖσι, παίδων τῶν ἀπ᾽ Οἰδίπου πέρι·
Ἐτεοκλέα μὲν, ὃς πόλεως ὑπερμαχῶν
ὄλωλε τῆσδε, πάντ᾽ ἀριστεύσας δορὶ,
τάφῳ τε κρύψαι, καὶ τὰ πάντ᾽ ἐφαγνίσαι,
ἃ τοῖς ἀρίστοις ἔρχεται κάτω νεκροῖς·
195
τὸν δ᾽ αὖ ξύναιμον τοῦδε (Πολυνείκην λέγω),
ὃς γῆν πατρῴαν καὶ θεοὺς τοὺς ἐγγενεῖς,
φυγὰς κατελθὼν, ἠθέλησε μὲν πυρὶ
πρῆσαι κατάκρας, ἠθέλησε δ᾽ αἵματος
κοινοῦ πάσασθαι, τοὺς δὲ δουλώσας ἄγειν,
200
τοῦτον πόλει τῇδ᾽ ἐκκεκήρυκται τάφῳ
μήτε κτερίζειν, μήτε κωκῦσαί τινα,
ἐᾷν δ᾽ ἄθαπτον, καὶ πρὸς οἰωνῶν δέμας
καὶ πρὸς κυνῶν ἐδεστὸν, αἰκιστόν τ᾽ ἰδεῖν.
τοιόνδ᾽ ἐμὸν φρόνημα· κοὔποτ᾽ ἔκ γ᾽ ἐμοῦ
205
τιμὴν προέξουσ᾽ οἱ κακοὶ τῶν ἐνδίκων,
ἀλλ’ ὅστις εὔνους τῇδε τῇ πόλει, θανὼν
καὶ ζῶν ὁμοίως ἔκ γ᾽ ἐμοῦ τιμήσεται.
Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 162 focus
ἄνδρες, τὰ μὲν δὴ πόλεος ἀσφαλῶς θεοὶ
πολλῷ σάλῳ σείσαντες ὤρθωσαν πάλιν·
ὑμᾶς δ᾽ ἐγὼ πομποῖσιν ἐκ πάντων δίχα
ἔστειλ᾽ ἱκέσθαι, τοῦτο μὲν τὰ Λαΐου
165
σέβοντας εἰδὼς εὖ θρόνων ἀεὶ κράτη,
τοῦτ᾽ αὖθις, ἡνίκ' Οἰδίπους ὤρθου πόλιν,
κἀπεὶ διώλετʼ, ἀμφὶ τοὺς κείνων ἔτι
παῖδας μένοντας ἐμπέδοις φρονήμασιν.
ὅτ᾽ οὖν ἐκεῖνοι πρὸς διπλῆς μοίρας μίαν
170
καθ᾽ ἡμέραν ὤλοντο παίσαντές τε καὶ
πληγέντες αὐτόχειρι σὺν μιάσματι,
ἐγὼ κράτη δὴ πάντα καὶ θρόνους ἔχω
γένους κατ᾿ ἀγχιστεῖα τῶν ὀλωλότων.
52r
ἀμήχανον δὲ παντὸς ἀνδρὸς ἐκμαθεῖν
175
ψυχήν τε καὶ φρόνημα καὶ γνώμην, πρὶν ἂν
ἀρχαῖς τε καὶ νόμοισιν ἐντριβὴς φανῇ.
ἐμοὶ γὰρ ὅστις πᾶσαν εὐθύνων πόλιν
μὴ τῶν ἀρίστων ἅπτεται βουλευμάτων,
ἀλλ᾽ ἐκ φόβου του γλῶσσαν ἐγκλείσας ἔχει,
180
κάκιστος εἶναι νῦν τε καὶ πάλαι δοκεῖ.
καὶ μείζον᾽ ὅστις ἀντὶ τῆς αὑτοῦ πάτρας
φίλον νομίζει, τοῦτον οὐδαμοῦ λέγω.
ἐγὼ γάρ, ἴστω Ζεὺς ὁ πάνθ' ὁρῶν ἀεί,
οὔτ᾽ ἂν σιωπήσαιμι τὴν ἄτην ὁρῶν
185
στείχουσαν ἀστοῖς ἀντὶ τῆς σωτηρίας,
οὔτ᾽ ἂν φίλον ποτ' ἄνδρα δυσμενῆ χθονὸς
θείμην ἐμαυτῷ, τοῦτο γιγνώσκων ὅτι
ἥδ᾽ ἐστὶν ἡ σώζουσα, καὶ ταύτης ἔπι
πλέοντες ὀρθῆς τοὺς φίλους ποιούμεθα.
190
τοιοῖσδ᾽ ἐγὼ νόμοισι τήνδ' αὔξω πόλιν·
καὶ νῦν ἀδελφὰ τῶνδε κηρύξας ἔχω
ἀστοῖσι παίδων τῶν ἀπ᾿ Οἰδίπου πέρι·
Ἐτεοκλέα μέν, ὃς πόλεως ὑπερμαχῶν
ὄλωλε τῆσδε, πάντ᾿ ἀριστεύσας δορί,
195
τάφῳ τε κρύψαι καὶ τὰ πάντ' ἐφαγνίσαι
ἃ τοῖς ἀρίστοις ἔρχεται κάτω νεκροῖς·
τὸν δ᾽ αὖ ξύναιμον τοῦδε, Πολυνείκην λέγω,
ὃς γῆν πατρῴαν καὶ θεοὺς τοὺς ἐγγενεῖς
φυγὰς κατελθὼν ἠθέλησε μὲν πυρὶ
200
πρῆσαι κατάκρας, ἠθέλησε δ᾽ αἵματος
κοινοῦ πάσασθαι, τοὺς δὲ δουλώσας ἄγειν,
τοῦτον πόλει τῇδ᾽ *ἐκκεκήρυκται τάφῳ
μήτε κτερίζειν μήτε κωκῦσαί τινα,
ἐᾶν δ᾽ ἄθαπτον καὶ πρὸς οἰωνῶν δέμας
205
καὶ πρὸς κυνῶν ἐδεστὸν αἰκισθέντ᾿ ἰδεῖν.
τοιόνδ᾽ ἐμὸν φρόνημα, κοὔποτ᾽ ἔκ γ᾽ ἐμοῦ
τιμὴν προέξουσ᾽ οἱ κακοὶ τῶν ἐνδίκων.
ἀλλ᾽ ὅστις εὔνους τῇδε τῇ πόλει, θανὼν
καὶ ζῶν ὁμοίως ἐξ ἐμοῦ τιμήσεται.
210
Greek (A. Colonna, 1978) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (A. Colonna, 1978)) — 162 focus
ἄνδρες, τὰ μὲν δὴ πόλεος ἀσφαλῶς θεοὶ
πολλῷ σάλῳ σείσαντες ὤρθωσαν πάλιν·
ὑμᾶς δ᾽ ἐγὼ πομποῖσιν ἐκ πάντων δίχα
ἔστειλ᾽ ἱκέσθαι, τοῦτο μὲν τὰ Λαΐου
165
σέβοντας εἰδὼς εὖ θρόνων ἀεὶ κράτη,
τοῦτ᾽ αὖθις, ἡνίκ' Οἰδίπους ὤρθου πόλιν
κἀπεὶ διώλετ᾽, ἀμφὶ τοὺς κείνων ἔτι
παῖδας μένοντας ἐμπέδοις φρονήμασιν.
ὅτ᾽ οὖν ἐκεῖνοι πρὸς διπλῆς μοίρας μίαν
170
καθ’ ἡμέραν ὤλοντο παίσαντές τε καὶ
πληγέντες αὐτόχειρι σὺν μιάσματι,
ἐγὼ κράτη δὴ πάντα καὶ θρόνους ἔχω
γένους κατ᾽ ἀγχιστεῖα τῶν ὀλωλότων.
ἀμήχανον δὲ παντὸς ἀνδρὸς ἐκμαθεῖν
175
ψυχήν τε καὶ φρόνημα καὶ γνώμην, πρὶν ἂν
ἀρχαῖς τε καὶ νόμοισιν ἐντριβὴς φανῇ.
ἐμοὶ γὰρ ὅστις πᾶσαν εὐθύνων πόλιν
μὴ τῶν ἀρίστων ἅπτεται βουλευμάτων,
ἀλλ' ἐκ φόβου του γλῶσσαν ἐγκλῄσας ἔχει,
180
κάκιστος εἶναι νῦν τε καὶ πάλαι δοκεῖ·
καὶ μείζον᾽ ὅστις ἀντὶ τῆς αὑτοῦ πάτρας
φίλον νομίζει, τοῦτον οὐδαμοῦ λέγω.
ἐγὼ γάρ, ἴστω Ζεὺς ὁ πάνθ᾽ ὁρῶν ἀεί,
οὔτ᾽ ἂν σιωπήσαιμι τὴν ἄτην ὁρῶν
185
στείχουσαν ἀστοῖς ἀντὶ τῆς σωτηρίας,
οὔτ᾽ ἂν φίλον ποτ᾽ ἄνδρα δυσμενῆ χθονὸς
θείμην ἐμαυτῷ, τοῦτο γιγνώσκων ὅτι
ἥδ᾽ ἐστὶν ἡ σῴζουσα καὶ ταύτης ἔπι
πλέοντες ὀρθῆς τοὺς φίλους ποιούμεθα·
190
τοιοῖσδ᾽ ἐγὼ νόμοισι τήνδ᾽ αὔξω πόλιν.
καὶ νῦν ἀδελφὰ τῶνδε κηρύξας ἔχω
ἀστοῖσι παίδων τῶν ἀπ᾽ Οἰδίπου πέρι·
Ἐτεοκλέα μέν, ὃς πόλεως ὑπερμαχῶν
ὄλωλε τῆσδε, πάντ᾽ ἀριστεύσας δορί,
195
τάφῳ τε κρύψαι καὶ τὰ πάντ᾽ ἐφαγνίσαι
ἃ τοῖς ἀρίστοις ἔρχεται κάτω νεκροῖς·
τὸν δ᾽ αὖ ξύναιμον τοῦδε, Πολυνείκην λέγω,
ὃς γῆν πατρῴαν καὶ θεοὺς τοὺς ἐγγενεῖς
φυγὰς κατελθὼν ἠθέλησε μὲν πυρὶ
200
πρῆσαι κατάκρας, ἠθέλησε δ᾽ αἵματος
κοινοῦ πάσασθαι, τοὺς δὲ δουλώσας ἄγειν,
τοῦτον πόλει τῇδ᾽ ἐκκεκηρῦχθαι τάφῳ
μήτε κτερίζειν μήτε κωκῦσαί τινα,
ἐᾶν δ᾽ ἄθαπτον καὶ πρὸς οἰωνῶν δέμας
205
καὶ πρὸς κυνῶν ἐδεστὸν αἰκισθέν τ᾽ ἰδεῖν.
τοιόνδ᾽ ἐμὸν φρόνημα, κοὔποτ᾽ ἔκ γ᾽ ἐμοῦ
τιμὴν προέξουσ᾽ οἱ κακοὶ τῶν ἐνδίκων.
ἀλλ’ ὅστις εὔνους τῇδε τῇ πόλει, θανὼν
καὶ ζῶν ὁμοίως ἐξ ἐμοῦ τιμήσεται.
210
Greek (A. Dain, 1955) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (A. Dain, 1955)) — 162 focus
ἄνδρες, τὰ μὲν δὴ πόλεος ἀσφαλῶς θεοὶ
πολλῷ σάλῳ σείσαντες ὤρθωσαν πάλιν·
ὑμᾶς δ’ ἐγὼ πομποῖσιν ἐκ πάντων δίχα
ἔστειλ’ ἱκέσθαι, τοῦτο μὲν τὰ Λαΐου
165
σέβοντας εἰδὼς εὖ θρόνων ἀεὶ κράτη,
τοῦτ’ αὖθις, ἡνίκ’ Οἰδίπους ὤρθου πόλιν
κἀπεὶ διώλετ’, ἀμφὶ τοὺς κείνων ἔτι
παῖδας μένοντας ἐμπέδοις φρονήμασιν.
ὅτ’ οὖν ἐκεῖνοι πρὸς διπλῆς μοίρας μίαν
170
καθ’ ἡμέραν ὤλοντο παίσαντές τε καὶ
πληγέντες αὐτόχειρι σὺν μιάσματι,
ἐγὼ κράτη δὴ πάντα καὶ θρόνους ἔχω
γένους κατ’ ἀγχιστεῖα τῶν ὀλωλότων.
ἀμήχανον δὲ παντὸς ἀνδρὸς ἐκμαθεῖν
175
ψυχήν τε καὶ φρόνημα καὶ γνώμην, πρὶν ἂν
ἀρχαῖς τε καὶ νόμοισιν ἐντριβὴς φανῇ.
ἐμοὶ γὰρ ὅστις πᾶσαν εὐθύνων πόλιν
μὴ τῶν ἀρίστων ἅπτεται βουλευμάτων,
ἀλλ’ ἐκ φόβου του γλῶσσαν ἐγκλῄσας ἔχει,
180
κάκιστος εἶναι νῦν τε καὶ πάλαι δοκεῖ·
καὶ μείζον’ ὅστις ἀντὶ τῆς αὑτοῦ πάτρας
φίλον νομίζει, τοῦτον οὐδαμοῦ λέγω.
ἐγὼ γάρ, ἴστω Ζεὺς ὁ πάνθ’ ὁρῶν ἀεί,
οὔτ’ ἂν σιωπήσαιμι τὴν ἄτην ὁρῶν
185
στείχουσαν ἀστοῖς ἀντὶ τῆς σωτηρίας,
οὔτ’ ἂν φίλον ποτ’ ἄνδρα δυσμενῆ χθονὸς
θείμην ἐμαυτῷ, τοῦτο γιγνώσκων ὅτι
ἥδ’ ἐστὶν ἡ σῴζουσα καὶ ταύτης ἔπι
πλέοντες ὀρθῆς τοὺς φίλους ποιούμεθα·
190
τοιοῖσδ’ ἐγὼ νόμοισι τήνδ’ αὔξω πόλιν.
καὶ νῦν ἀδελφὰ τῶνδε κηρύξας ἔχω
ἀστοῖσι παίδων τῶν ἀπ’ Οἰδίπου πέρι·
Ἐτεοκλέα μέν, ὃς πόλεως ὑπερμαχῶν
ὄλωλε τῆσδε, πάντ’ ἀριστεύσας δορί,
195
τάφῳ τε κρύψαι καὶ τὰ πάντ’ ἀφαγνίσαι
ἃ τοῖς ἀρίστοις ἔρχεται κάτω νεκροῖς·
τὸν δ’ αὖ ξύναιμον τοῦδε, Πολυνείκην λέγω,
ὃς γῆν πατρῴαν καὶ θεοὺς τοὺς ἐγγενεῖς
φυγὰς κατελθὼν ἠθέλησε μὲν πυρὶ
200
πρῆσαι κατάκρας, ἠθέλησε δ’ αἵματος
κοινοῦ πάσασθαι, τοὺς δὲ δουλώσας ἄγειν,
τοῦτον πόλει τῇδ’ ἐκκεκήρυκται τάφῳ
μήτε κτερίζειν μήτε κωκῦσαί τινα,
ἐᾶν δ’ ἄθαπτον καὶ πρὸς οἰωνῶν δέμας
205
καὶ πρὸς κυνῶν ἐδεστὸν αἰκισθέν τ’ ἰδεῖν.
τοιόνδ’ ἐμὸν φρόνημα, κοὔποτ’ ἔκ γ’ ἐμοῦ
τιμὴν προέξουσ’ οἱ κακοὶ τῶν ἐνδίκων.
ἀλλ’ ὅστις εὔνους τῇδε τῇ πόλει, θανὼν
καὶ ζῶν ὁμοίως ἐξ ἐμοῦ τιμήσεται.
210
Greek (R. D. Dawe, 1979) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (R. D. Dawe, 1979)) — 162 focus
ἄνδρες, τὰ μὲν δὴ πόλεος ἀσφαλῶς θεοὶ
πολλῶι σάλωι σείσαντες ὤρθωσαν πάλιν·
ὑμᾶς δ᾽ ἐγὼ πομποῖσιν ἐκ πάντων δίχα
ἔστειλ᾽ ἱκέσθαι, τοῦτο μὲν τὰ Λαΐου
165
σέβοντας εἰδὼς εὖ θρόνων ἀεὶ κράτη,
τοῦτ᾽ αὖθις, ἡνίκ᾽ Οἰδίπους ὤρθου πόλιν,
κἀπεὶ διώλετ᾽, ἀμφὶ τοὺς κείνων ἔτι
παῖδας μένοντας ἐμπέδοις φρονήμασιν.
ὅτ᾽ οὖν ἐκεῖνοι πρὸς διπλῆς μοίρας μίαν
170
καθ᾽ ἡμέραν ὤλοντο, παίσαντές τε καὶ
πληγέντες αὐτόχειρι σὺν μιάσματι,
ἐγὼ κράτη δὴ πάντα καὶ θρόνους ἔχω
γένους κατ᾽ ἀγχιστεῖα τῶν ὀλωλότων.
ἀμήχανον δὲ παντὸς ἀνδρὸς ἐκμαθεῖν
175
ψυχήν τε καὶ φρόνημα καὶ γνώμην, πρὶν ἂν
ἀρχαῖς τε καὶ νόμοισιν ἐντριβὴς φανῆι.
ἐμοὶ γὰρ ὅστις πᾶσαν εὐθύνων πόλιν
μὴ τῶν ἀρίστων ἅπτεται βουλευμάτων,
ἀλλ᾽ ἐκ φόβου του γλῶσσαν ἐγκλήισας ἔχει,
180
κάκιστος εἶναι νῦν τε καὶ πάλαι δοκεῖ·
καὶ μείζον᾽ ὅστις ἀντὶ τῆς αὑτοῦ πάτρας
φίλον νομίζει, τοῦτον οὐδαμοῦ λέγω.
ἐγὼ γάρ, ἴστω Ζεὺς ὁ πάνθ᾽ ὁρῶν ἀεί,
οὔτ᾽ ἂν σιωπήσαιμι τὴν Ἄτην ὁρῶν
185
στείχουσαν ἀστοῖς ἀντὶ τῆς σωτηρίας,
οὔτ᾽ ἂν φίλον ποτ᾽ ἄνδρα δυσμενῆ χθονὸς
θείμην ἐμαυτῶι, τοῦτο γιγνώσκων ὅτι
ἥδ᾽ ἐστὶν ἡ σώιζουσα, καὶ ταύτης ἔπι
πλέοντες ὀρθῆς τοὺς φίλους ποιούμεθα.
190
τοιοῖσδ᾽ ἐγὼ νόμοισι τήνδ᾽ αὔξω πόλιν.
καὶ νῦν ἀδελφὰ τῶνδε κηρύξας ἔχω
ἀστοῖσι παίδων τῶν ἀπ᾿ Οἰδίπου πέρι·
Ἐτεοκλέα μέν, ὃς πόλεως ὑπερμαχῶν
ὄλωλε τῆσδε, πάντ᾽ ἀριστεύσας δορί,
195
τάφωι τε κρύψαι καὶ τὰ πάντ᾽ ἐφαγνίσαι
ἃ τοῖς ἀρίστοις ἔρχεται κάτω νεκροῖς·
τὸν δ᾽ αὖ ξύναιμον τοῦδε, Πολυνείκην λέγω,
ὃς γῆν πατρώιαν καὶ θεοὺς τοὺς ἐγγενεῖς
φυγὰς κατελθὼν ἠθέλησε μὲν πυρὶ
200
πέρσαι κατ᾽ ἄκρας, ἠθέλησε δ᾽ αἵματος
κοινοῦ πάσασθαι, τοὺς δὲ δουλώσας ἄγειν,
τοῦτον πόλει τῆιδ᾽ ἐκκεκήρυκται τάφωι
μήτε κτερίζειν μήτε κωκῦσαί τινα,
ἐᾶν δ᾽ ἄθαπτον καὶ πρὸς οἰωνῶν δέμας
205
καὶ πρὸς κυνῶν ἐδεστὸν αἰκισθέν τ᾽ ἰδεῖν.
τοιόνδ᾽ ἐμὸν φρόνημα, κοὔποτ᾽ ἔκ γ᾽ ἐμοῦ
τιμῆι προέξουσ᾽ οἱ κακοὶ τῶν ἐνδίκων.
ἀλλ᾽ ὅστις εὔνους τῆιδε τῆι πόλει, θανὼν
καὶ ζῶν ὁμοίως ἐξ ἐμοῦ τιμήσεται.
210
Greek (G. Hermann, 1830) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (G. Hermann, 1830)) — 162 focus
ἄνδρες, τὰ μὲν δὴ πόλεος ἀσφαλῶς θεοί,
πολλῷ σάλῳ σείσαντες, ὤρθωσαν πάλιν·
ὑμᾶς δ᾽ ἐγὼ πομποῖσιν ἐκ πάντων δίχα
ἔστειλ᾽ ἱκέσθαι· τοῦτο μέν, τὰ Λαΐου
165
σέβοντας εἰδὼς εὖ θρόνων ἀεὶ κράτη·
τοῦτ᾽ αὖθις, ἡνίκ᾽ Οἰδίπους ὤρθου πόλιν,
κἀπεὶ διώλετ᾽, ἀμφὶ τοὺς κείνων ἔτι
παῖδας μένοντας ἐμπέδοις φρονήμασιν.
ὅτ᾽ οὖν ἐκεῖνοι πρὸς διπλῆς μοίρας μίαν
170
καθ᾽ ἡμέραν ὤλοντο, παίσαντές τε καὶ
πληγέντες αὐτόχειρι σὺν μιάσματι,
ἐγὼ κράτη δὴ πάντα καὶ θρόνους ἔχω
γένους κατ᾽ ἀγχιστεῖα τῶν ὀλωλότων.
ἀμήχανον δὲ παντὸς ἀνδρὸς ἐκμαθεῖν
175
ψυχήν τε καὶ φρόνημα καὶ γνώμην, πρὶν ἂν
ἀρχαῖς τε καὶ νόμοισιν ἐντριβὴς φανῇ.
ἐμοὶ γάρ, ὅστις πᾶσαν εὐθύνων πόλιν
μὴ τῶν ἀρίστων ἅπτεται βουλευμάτων,
ἀλλ᾽ ἐκ φόβου τοὺ γλῶσσαν ἐγκλείσας ἔχει,
180
κάκιστος εἶναι νῦν τε καὶ πάλαι δοκεῖ·
καὶ μείζον᾽ ὅστις ἀντὶ τῆς αὑτοῦ πάτρας
φίλον νομίζει, τοῦτον οὐδαμοῦ λέγω.
ἐγὼ γάρ, ἴστω Ζεὺς ὁ πάνθ᾽ ὁρῶν ἀεί,
οὔτ᾽ ἂν σιωπήσαιμι, τὴν ἄτην ὁρῶν
185
στείχουσαν ἀστοῖς ἀντὶ τῆς σωτηρίας,
οὔτ᾽ ἂν φίλον πότ᾽ ἄνδρα δυσμενῆ χθονὸς
θείμην ἐμαυτῷ, τοῦτο γιγνώσκων, ὁτι
ἥδ᾽ ἐστὶν ἡ σώζουσα, καὶ ταύτης ἔπι
πλέοντες ὀρθῆς τοὺς φίλους ποιούμεθα.
190
τοιοῖσδ᾽ ἐγὼ νόμοισι τήνδ᾽ αὔξω πόλιν.
καὶ νῦν ἀδελφὰ τῶνδε κηρύξας ἔχω
ἀστοῖσι, παίδων τῶν ἀπ᾽ Οἰδίπου πέρι·
Ἐτεοκλέα μέν, ὃς πόλεως ὑπερμαχῶν
ὄλωλε τῆσδε, πάντ᾽ ἀριστεύσας δορί,
195
τάφῳ τε κρύψαι, καὶ τὰ πάντ᾽ ἐφαγνίσαι,
ἃ τοῖς ἀρίστοις ἔρχεται κάτω νεκροῖς.
τὸν δ᾽ αὖ ξύναιμον τοῦδε, Πολυνείκην λέγω,
ὃς γῆν πατρῴαν καὶ θεοὺς τοὺς ἐγγενεῖς,
φυγὰς κατελθών, ἠθέλησε μὲν πυρὶ
200
πρῆσαι κατάκρας, ἠθέλησε δ᾽ αἵματος
κοινοῦ πάσασθαι, τοὺς δὲ δουλώσας ἄγειν,
τοῦτον πόλει τῇδ᾽ ἐκκεκηρῦχθαι τάφῳ
μήτε κτερίζειν, μήτε κωκῦσαί τινα,
ἐᾶν δ᾽ ἄθαπτον, καὶ πρὸς οἰωνῶν δέμας
205
καὶ πρὸς κυνῶν ἐδεστὸν αἰκισθέντ᾽ ἰδεῖν.
τοιόνδ᾽ ἐμὸν φρόνημα. κοὔποτ᾽ ἐκ γ᾽ ἐμοῦ
τιμὴν προρέξουσ᾽ οἱ κακοὶ τῶν ἐνδίκων.
ἀλλ᾽ ὅστις εὔνους τῇδε τῇ πόλει, θανὼν
καὶ ζῶν ὁμοίως ἐξ ἐμοῦ τιμήσεται.
210
Greek (R. C. Jebb, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (R. C. Jebb, 1906)) — 162 focus
ἄνδρες, τὰ μὲν δὴ πόλεος ἀσφαλῶς θεοὶ
πολλῷ σάλῳ σείσαντες ὤρθωσαν πάλιν·
ὑμᾶς δ᾽ ἐγὼ πομποῖσιν ἐκ πάντων δίχα
ἔστειλ’ ἱκέσθαι, τοῦτο μὲν τὰ Λαΐου
165
σέβοντας εἰδὼς εὖ θρόνων ἀεὶ κράτη,
τοῦτ᾽ αὖθις, ἡνίκ᾽ Οἰδίπους ὤρθου πόλιν,
κἀπεὶ διώλετ᾽, ἀμφὶ τοὺς κείνων ἔτι
παῖδας μένοντας ἐμπέδοις φρονήμασιν.
ὅτ᾽ οὖν ἐκεῖνοι πρὸς διπλῆς μοίρας μίαν
170
καθ᾽ ἡμέραν ὤλοντο παίσαντές τε καὶ
πληγέντες αὐτόχειρι σὺν μιάσματι,
ἐγὼ κράτη δὴ πάντα καὶ θρόνους ἔχω
γένους κατ᾽ ἀγχιστεῖα τῶν ὀλωλότων.
ἀμήχανον δὲ παντὸς ἀνδρὸς ἐκμαθεῖν
175
ψυχήν τε καὶ φρόνημα καὶ γνώμην, πρὶν ἂν
ἀρχαῖς τε καὶ νόμοισιν ἐντριβὴς φανῇ.
ἐμοὶ γὰρ ὅστις πᾶσαν εὐθύνων πόλιν
μὴ τῶν ἀρίστων ἅπτεται βουλευμάτων,
ἀλλ᾽ ἐκ φόβου του γλῶσσαν ἐγκλῄσας ἔχει,
180
κάκιστος εἶναι νῦν τε καὶ πάλαι δοκεῖ·
καὶ μεῖζον' ὅστις ἀντὶ τῆς αὑτοῦ πάτρας
φίλον νομίζει, τοῦτον οὐδαμοῦ λέγω.
ἐγὼ γάρ, ἴστω Ζεὺς ὁ πάνθ᾽ ὁρῶν ἀεί,
οὔτ᾽ ἂν σιωπήσαιμι τὴν ἄτην ὁρῶν
185
στείχουσαν ἀστοῖς ἀντὶ τῆς σωτηρίας,
οὔτ᾽ ἂν φίλον ποτ᾽ ἄνδρα δυσμενῆ χθονὸς
θείμην ἐμαυτῷ, τοῦτο γιγνώσκων ὅτι
ἥδ᾽ ἐστὶν ἡ σῴζουσα, καὶ ταύτης ἔπι
πλέοντες ὀρθῆς τοὺς φίλους ποιούμεθα.
190
τοιοῖσδ᾽ ἐγὼ νόμοισι τήνδ᾽ αὔξω πόλιν·
καὶ νῦν ἀδελφὰ τῶνδε κηρύξας ἔχω
ἀστοῖσι παίδων τῶν ἀπ᾽ Οἰδίπου πέρι·
Ἐτεοκλέα μέν, ὃς πόλεως ὑπερμαχῶν
ὄλωλε τῆσδε, πάντ᾽ ἀριστεύσας δορί,
195
τάφῳ τε κρύψαι καὶ τὰ πάντ᾽ ἐφαγνίσαι
ἃ τοῖς ἀρίστοις ἔρχεται κάτω νεκροῖς·
τὸν δ᾽ αὖ ξύναιμον τοῦδε, Πολυνείκην λέγω,
ὃς γῆν πατρῴαν καὶ θεοὺς τοὺς ἐγγενεῖς
φυγὰς κατελθὼν ἠθέλησε μὲν πυρὶ
200
πρῆσαι κατ᾽ ἄκρας, ἠθέλησε δ᾽ αἵματος
κοινοῦ πάσασθαι, τοὺς δὲ δουλώσας ἄγειν,
τοῦτον πόλει τῇδ᾽ ἐκκεκήρυκται τάφῳ
μήτε κτερίζειν μήτε κωκῦσαί τινα,
ἐᾶν δ᾽ ἄθαπτον, καὶ πρὸς οἰωνῶν δέμας
205
καὶ πρὸς κυνῶν ἐδεστὸν αἰκισθέν τ᾽ ἰδεῖν.
τοιόνδ᾽ ἐμὸν φρόνημα, κοὔποτ᾽ ἔκ γ᾽ ἐμοῦ
τιμῇ προέξουσ᾽ οἱ κακοὶ τῶν ἐνδίκων·
ἀλλ᾽ ὅστις εὔνους τῇδε τῇ πόλει, θανὼν
καὶ ζῶν ὁμοίως ἐξ ἐμοῦ τιμήσεται.
210
Greek (A. C. Pearson, 1924) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (A. C. Pearson, 1924)) — 162 focus
ἄνδρες, τὰ μὲν δὴ πόλεος ἀσφαλῶς θεοὶ
πολλῷ σάλῳ σείσαντες ὤρθωσαν πάλιν·
ὑμᾶς δ᾽ ἐγὼ πομποῖσιν ἐκ πάντων δίχα
ἔστειλ᾽ ἱκέσθαι, τοῦτο μὲν τὰ Λαΐου
165
σέβοντας εἰδὼς εὖ θρόνων ἀεὶ κράτη,
τοῦτ᾽ αὖθις, ἡνίκ᾽ Οἰδίπους ὤρθου πόλιν,
κἀπεὶ διώλετ᾽, ἀμφὶ τοὺς κείνων ἔτι
παῖδας μένοντας ἐμπέδοις φρονήμασιν.
ὅτ᾽ οὖν ἐκεῖνοι πρὸς διπλῆς μοίρας μίαν
170
καθ᾽ ἡμέραν ὤλοντο παίσαντές τε καὶ
πληγέντες αὐτόχειρι σὺν μιάσματι,
ἐγὼ κράτη δὴ πάντα καὶ θρόνους ἔχω
γένους κατ᾽ ἀγχιστεῖα τῶν ὀλωλότων.
ἀμήχανον δὲ παντὸς ἀνδρὸς ἐκμαθεῖν
175
ψυχήν τε καὶ φρόνημα καὶ γνώμην, πρὶν ἂν
ἀρχαῖς τε καὶ νόμοισιν ἐντριβὴς φανῇ.
ἐμοὶ γὰρ ὅστις πᾶσαν εὐθύνων πόλιν
μὴ τῶν ἀρίστων ἅπτεται βουλευμάτων,
ἀλλ᾽ ἐκ φόβου του γλῶσσαν ἐγκλῄσας ἔχει,
180
κάκιστος εἶναι νῦν τε καὶ πάλαι δοκεῖ·
καὶ μείζον᾽ ὅστις ἀντὶ τῆς αὑτοῦ πάτρας
φίλον νομίζει, τοῦτον οὐδαμοῦ λέγω.
ἐγὼ γάρ, ἴστω Ζεὺς ὁ πάνθ᾽ ὁρῶν ἀεί,
οὔτ᾽ ἂν σιωπήσαιμι τὴν ἄτην ὁρῶν
185
στείχουσαν ἀστοῖς ἀντὶ τῆς σωτηρίας,
οὔτ᾽ ἂν φίλον ποτ᾽ ἄνδρα δυσμενῆ χθονὸς
θείμην ἐμαυτῷ, τοῦτο γιγνώσκων ὅτι
ἥδ᾽ ἐστὶν ἡ σῴζουσα καὶ ταύτης ἔπι
πλέοντες ὀρθῆς τοὺς φίλους ποιούμεθα.
190
τοιοῖσδ᾽ ἐγὼ νόμοισι τήνδ᾽ αὔξω πόλιν.
καὶ νῦν ἀδελφὰ τῶνδε κηρύξας ἔχω
ἀστοῖσι παίδων τῶν ἀπ᾽ Οἰδίπου πέρι·
Ἐτεοκλέα μέν, ὃς πόλεως ὑπερμαχῶν
ὄλωλε τῆσδε, πάντ᾽ ἀριστεύσας δορί,
195
τάφῳ τε κρύψαι καὶ τὰ πάντ᾽ ἀφαγνίσαι
ἃ τοῖς ἀρίστοις ἔρχεται κάτω νεκροῖς·
τὸν δ᾽ αὖ ξύναιμον τοῦδε, Πολυνείκη λέγω,
ὃς γῆν πατρῴαν καὶ θεοὺς τοὺς ἐγγενεῖς
φυγὰς κατελθὼν ἠθέλησε μὲν πυρὶ .
200
πρῆσαι κατάκρας, ἠθέλησε δ᾽ αἵματος
κοινοῦ πάσασθαι, τοὺς δὲ δουλώσας ἄγειν,
τοῦτον πόλει τῇδ᾽ ἐκκεκήρυκται τάφῳ
μήτε κτερίζειν μήτε κωκῦσαί τινα,
ἐᾶν δ᾽ ἄθαπτον καὶ πρὸς οἰωνῶν δέμας
205
καὶ πρὸς κυνῶν ἐδεστὸν αἰκισθέν τ᾽ ἰδεῖν.
τοιόνδ᾽ ἐμὸν φρόνημα, κοὔποτ᾽ ἔκ γ᾽ ἐμοῦ
τιμῇ προέξουσ᾽ οἱ κακοὶ τῶν ἐνδίκων.
ἀλλ᾽ ὅστις εὔνους τῇδε τῇ πόλει, θανὼν
καὶ ζῶν ὁμοίως ἐξ ἐμοῦ τιμήσεται.
210
Greek (K. Reinhardt, 1949) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (K. Reinhardt, 1949)) — 162 focus
ἄνδρες, τὰ μὲν δὴ πόλεος ἀσφαλῶς θεοὶ
πολλῶι σάλωι σείσαντες ὤρθωσαν πάλιν·
ὑμᾶς δ᾽ ἐγὼ πομποῖσιν ἐκ πάντων δίχα
ἔστειλ᾽ ἱκέσθαι, τοῦτο μὲν τὰ Λαΐου
165
σέβοντας εἰδὼς εὖ θρόνων ἀεὶ κράτη,
τοῦτ᾽ αὖθις, ἡνίκ᾽ Οἰδίπους ὤρθου πόλιν,
κἀπεὶ διώλετ᾽, ἀμφὶ τοὺς κείνων ἔτι
παῖδας μένοντας ἐμπέδοις φρονήμασιν.
ὅτ᾽ οὖν ἐκεῖνοι πρὸς διπλῆς μοίρας μίαν
170
καθ᾽ ἡμέραν ὤλοντο παίσαντές τε καὶ
πληγέντες αὐτόχειρι σὺν μιάσματι,
ἐγὼ κράτη δὴ πάντα καὶ θρόνους ἔχω
γένους κατ᾽ ἀγχιστεῖα τῶν ὀλωλότων.
ἀμήχανον δὲ παντὸς ἀνδρὸς ἐκμαθεῖν
175
ψυχήν τε καὶ φρόνημα καὶ γνώμην, πρὶν ἂν
ἀρχαῖς τε καὶ νόμοισιν ἐντριβὴς φανῆι.
ἐμοὶ γὰρ ὅστις πᾶσαν εὐθύνων πόλιν
μὴ τῶν ἀρίστων ἅπτεται βουλευμάτων,
ἀλλ᾽ ἐκ φόβου του γλῶσσαν ἐγκλήισας ἔχει,
180
κάκιστος εἶναι νῦν τε καὶ πάλαι δοκεῖ·
καὶ μεῖζον ὅστις ἀντὶ τῆς αὑτοῦ πάτρας
φίλον νομίζει, τοῦτον οὐδαμοῦ λέγω.
ἐγὼ γάρ, ἴστω Ζεὺς ὁ πάνθ᾽ ὁρῶν ἀεί,
οὔτ᾽ ἂν σιωπήσαιμι τὴν ἄτην ὁρῶν
185
στείχουσαν ἀστοῖς ἀντὶ τῆς σωτηρίας,
οὔτ᾽ ἂν φίλον ποτ᾽ ἄνδρα δυσμενῆ πόλεως
θείμην ἐμαυτῶι, τοῦτο γιγνώσκων ὅτι
ἥδ᾽ ἐστὶν ἡ σώιζουσα καὶ ταύτης ἔπι
πλέοντες ὀρθῆς τοὺς φίλους ποιούμεθα.
190
τοιοῖσδ᾽ ἐγὼ νόμοισι τήνδ᾽ αὔξω πόλιν,
καὶ νῦν ἀδελφὰ τῶνδε κηρύξας ἔχω
ἀστοῖσι παίδων τῶν ἀπ᾽ Οἰδίπου πέρι·
Ἐτεοκλέα μέν, ὃς πόλεως ὑπερμαχῶν
ὄλωλε τῆσδε, πάντ᾽ ἀριστεύσας δορί,
195
τάφωι τε κρύψαι καὶ τὰ πάντ᾽ ἐφαγνίσαι
ἃ τοῖς ἀρίστοις ἔρχεται κάτω νεκροῖς·
τὸν δ᾽ αὖ ξύναιμον τοῦδε, Πολυνείκη λέγω,
ὃς γῆν πατρώιαν καὶ θεοὺς τοὺς ἐγγενεῖς
φυγὰς κατελθὼν ἠθέλησε μὲν πυρὶ
200
πρῆσαι κατάκρας, ἠθέλησε δ᾽ αἵματος
κοινοῦ πάσασθαι, τοὺς δὲ δουλώσας ἄγειν,
τοῦτον πόλει τῆιδ᾽ ἐκκεκήρυκται τάφωι
μήτε κτερίζειν μήτε κωκῦσαί τινα,
ἐᾶν δ᾽ ἄθαπτον καὶ πρὸς οἰωνῶν δέμας
205
καὶ πρὸς κυνῶν ἐδεστὸν αἰκισθέν τ᾽ ἰδεῖν.
τοιόνδ᾽ ἐμὸν φρόνημα, κοὔποτ᾽ ἔκ γ᾽ ἐμοῦ
τιμῆι προέξουσ᾽ οἱ κακοὶ τῶν ἐνδίκων.
ἀλλ᾽ ὅστις εὔνους τῆιδε τῆι πόλει, θανὼν
καὶ ζῶν ὁμοίως ἐξ ἐμοῦ τιμήσεται.
210
Translations (11)
German (A. Boeckh, 1884) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (A. Boeckh, 1884)) — 162 focus
Spanish (J. A. Bolufer, 1921) (OCR draft) Experimental (Spanish (J. A. Bolufer, 1921)) — 162 focus
¡Ciudadanos! Los dioses al fin han enderezado los asuntos de la ciudad, después de haberla agitado en revuelta confusión. Y yo os mandé por mis emisarios que os reunierais aquí, separadamente de todos los demás, porque sé que siempre respetasteis como es debido las órdenes del trono de Layo, lo mismo que luego, cuando Edipo regía la ciudad; y después que él cayó, persististeis también en vuestra constante fidelidad alrededor de sus hijos. Mas cuando éstos, por doble fatalidad, han muerto en un mismo día al herir y ser heridos con sus propias y mancilladas manos, quedo yo en poder del imperio y del trono, por ser el pariente más próximo de los muertos.
Difícil es conocer la índole, los sentimientos y opinión de un hombre antes de que se le vea en el ejercicio de la soberanía y aplicación de la ley. Pues a mí, quien gobernando a una ciudad no se atiene a los mejores consejos, sino que procura que el miedo tenga amordazada la lengua, ése me parece ser el peor gobernante, ahora y siempre; y a quien estime a un amigo más que a su propia patria, no lo estimo en nada. Pues yo, juro por Júpiter, que todo lo tiene presente siempre, nunca ocultará el daño que vea amenace la salvación de los ciudadanos, ni concederé mi amistad a ningún hombre enemigo de la patria, porque sẻ sé que ésta es la que nos conserva, y que si la goberna · mos gobernamos con recto timón, logramos amigos.
Con estas leyes voy a procurar el fomento de la ciudad, y conformes con ellas, he promulgado a los ciudadanos las referentes a los hijos de Edipo. A Eteocles, que murió luchando por la ciudad después de hacer prodigios con su lanza, que se le entierre en un sepulcro y se le hagan todos los sacrificios expiatorios que deben acompañar a los manes de los valientes que bajan a los infiernos. Pero al hermano de éste, a Polinices me refiero, que volviendo de su destierro quería abrasar por todos lados a la patria y a los dioses tutelares, y quería además beberse la sangre de su hermano y hacer esclavos a los ciudadanos, para ése, he mandado pregonar por toda la ciudad que nadie le honre con sepultura ni le llore; sino que lo dejen insepulto y su cuerpo expuesto ignominiosamente ignominiosamente a las aves y a los perros para que lo devoren. Tal es mi determinación; pues nunca de mí alcanzarán los malos el honor que se debe a los hombres de bien. Pero cualquiera que sea el que haga bien a la ciudad, ése, lo mismo vivo que muerto, será honrado por mí.
Latin (F. H. Bothe, 1806) (OCR draft) Experimental (Latin (F. H. Bothe, 1806)) — 162 focus
Viri, civitatem hanc, quam multis quassarunt fluctibus, iam in tuto di erexerunt denuo:
vos autem per muntios iussi seorsum ab omnibus convenire, quia vos movi cum Laii imperium sedulo semper coluisse, tum regnante Oedipo, illoque exstincto etiam erga eius gnatos in eadem fide constantianimo permansisse. Quando igitur illi gemino fato una die periere, mutuis ictibus peremti nefaria manu, ego iam imperium omne et solium obtineo, ut qui defunctis cognatus sum proximus. Vix autem virum quempiam noris quo sit ingenio, quasolertia, quidve consilio valeat, antequam in administratione rei publicae et legum tritum eum videris. Quicumque enim, civitatem universam regens, non optimis adhaeret consiliis, sed formidine aliqua linguam comprimit, is pessimus esse et nunc et dudum mihi videtur: et quicumque patria sua potiorem iudicat amicum, illum nullo in loco pono. Ego enim (testor Iovem omnia semper cernentem) silere nollem, damnum si viderem ingruere civibus loco salutis; neque umquam, si quis patriae hostis sit, eius viri amicitiam amplectar: quippe compertum est mihi, patriam servare quoque, quos, ipsa salva, amicos paramus. Talibus ego placitis obsecutus hanc augebo urbem, nuncque horum adfinia civibus edicere iussi, circa Oedipi filios: Etooclem quidem, qui pro hac urbe pugnando, re fortissime gesta, periit, ut condant sepulchro, omnibusque condecorent inferiis, quas strenuorum virorum Manibus ferre solemne est; illius autem fratrem , Polynicen dico, qui exsul huc reversus, urbem patriam et deos patrios flammis abolere voluit, voluitque sanguinem haurire cognatum, civesque suos in servitutem abducere, hunc civibus interdictum est ne quis tumu« lo mandet, neque defleat, sed sinant insepultum, alitibus canibusque praedam, visu foedissimam. Haec mea est sententia, neque a me unquam honorem improbi consequentur práe iustis, sed quicunqne benevolus huic urbi est, mortuus et vivus pariter a me quidem honorabitur.
English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 162 focus
My friends, the noble vessel of our State,
After sore shaking her, the Gods have sped
On a smooth course once more. I have called you hither,
By special messengers selecting you
From all the city, first, because I knew you
165
Aye loyal to the throne of Laïus;
Then, both while Oedipus gave prosperous days,
And since his fall, I still beheld you firm
In sound allegiance to the royal issue.
Now since the pair have perished in an hour,
170
Twinned in misfortune, by a mutual stroke
Staining our land with fratricidal blood,
All rule and potency of sovereign sway,
In virtue of next kin to the deceased,
Devolves on me. But hard it is to learn
175
The mind of any mortal or the heart,
Till he be tried in chief authority.
Power shows the man. For he who when supreme
Withholds his hand or voice from the best cause,
Being thwarted by some fear, that man to me
Appears, and ever hath appeared, most vile.
180
He too hath no high place in mine esteem,
Who sets his friend before his fatherland.
Let Zeus whose eye sees all eternally
Be here my witness. I will ne’er keep silence
When danger lours upon my citizens
185
Who looked for safety, nor make him my friend
Who doth not love my country. For I know
Our country carries us, and whilst her helm
Is held aright we gain good friends and true.
Following such courses ’tis my steadfast will
190
To foster Thebè’s greatness, and therewith
In brotherly accord is my decree
Touching the sons of Oedipus. The man—
Eteocles I mean—who died for Thebes
Fighting with eminent prowess on her side,
Shall be entombed with every sacred rite
195
That follows to the grave the lordliest dead.
But for his brother, who, a banished man,
Returned to devastate and burn with fire
The land of his nativity, the shrines
Of his ancestral gods, to feed him fat
200
With Theban carnage, and make captive all
That should escape the sword—for Polynices,
This law hath been proclaimed concerning him:
He shall have no lament, no funeral,
But he unburied, for the carrion fowl
205
And dogs to eat his corse, a sight of shame.
Such are the motions of this mind and will.
Never from me shall villains reap renown
Before the just. But whoso loves the State,
I will exalt him both in life and death.
210
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 162 focus
Ihr Männer, fest hob Götterhuld uns wiederum
Aus vieler Stürme wildem Drang die Stadt empor:
Doch euch beschied ich jezt allein aus Allen her
Durch meine Boten; denn ich weiß, daß allezeit
165
Ihr heilig ehrtet Thron und Macht des Laïos,
Und wieder, als uns Dedipus die Stadt erhob,
Und als er hingeschieden, auch den Söhnen noch
In wandellosem Sinne treu ergeben bliebt.
Nun diese Beiden durch ein zwiefach Todesloos
170
An Einem Tag gefallen, sich erschlagend und
Erschlagen durch der eignen Hände Gräuelthat:
So wurden mein die Throne, mein ward alle Macht
Der Todten nach dem Rechte stammverwandten Bluts.
Wohl ist's unmöglich, auszuspäh'n an jedem Mann
175
Verstand, Gemüth und Sinnesart, bevor er sich
Mit Aemtern und Gesezen wohlvertraut bewies.
Denn mir erscheint, wer einen ganzen Staat beherrscht,
Und nicht am besten Rathe sich zu halten weiß,
Ja, feig und furchtsam seinen Mund verschlossen hält,
180
Verworfen scheint er heute mir und schien es längst.
Und wer des eignen Landes Wohl nicht höher stellt,
Als seine Freunde, diesen acht' ich völlig Nichts.
Denn ich vernehm' es Zeus, der stets allsehende!
Ich schwiege niemals, säh' ich auf die Bürger je
185
Heran das Unglück schreiten an des Glückes Statt,
Noch werd' ich jemals einen Feind des Landes mir
Zum Freunde wählen, weil ich wohl erkenne, daß
Nur dieses uns behütet, daß uns Freunde treu
Zur Seite stehen, schiffen wir an seinem Bord.
190
Durch solche Sazung heb' ich diese Stadt empor;
Und dem entsprechend ließ ich jezt von Dedipus'
Zwei Söhnen allem Volke-laut verkündigen:
Eteokles, welcher kämpfend fiel für diese Stadt,
Und jeden Preis des Heldenmuthes sich errang,
195
Er soll ein Grab und alle Grabesweih'n empfah'n,
So wie's den Besten folgt hinab zur Todtenwelt; 1
Doch seinem Bruder - Polyneikes mein' ich, der
Das Land der Ahnen und die Götter dieser Flur,
Heimkehrend aus dem Banne, durch des Feuers Glut
200
Austilgen wollte, wollte sich in Bürgerblut
Satt schwelgen, euch zu Knechten frech entwürdigen,
Ihm dürfe, so ward eurer Stadt es kundgethan,
Niemand ein Grabmal schmücken, noch ihm Klage weih'n;
Nein, unbestattet lieg' er, zur Verstümmelung,
205
Zum Fraß für Hund' und Vögel, graunvoll anzuseh'n.
So lautet denn mein Wille: niemals werden wir
Dem Schlechten Ehre geben vor dem Redlichen;
Doch wer da wohlwill dieser Stadt, der wird im Tod
Und Leben gleicherweise stets von mir geehrt.
210
English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 162 focus
Chorus
Spanish (A. G. Garbin, 1889) (OCR draft) Experimental (Spanish (A. G. Garbin, 1889)) — 162 focus
Venerables ancianos: al fin los dioses han enderezado de nuevo las cosas de la ciudad, después de haberla conmovido con profunda turbación. He hecho citar especialmente á vosotros de entre todos los ciudadanos, constándome cuán respetuosos fuisteis siempre con el trono y con la soberania de Layo, así como también vuestra adhesión á Edipo, durante su reinado, y después de muerto éste, cuán constante ha sido vuestra fidelidad para con sus hijos. Ahora bien: desde que éstos han perecido en un mismo día de recíproca doble muerte dada por sus propias manos, correspóndenme, por derecho de nacimiento, todos los poderes y los privilegios todos del trono. No es posible, respetables varones, apreciar el espíritu, los sentimientos ni el carácter de un hombre, hasta tanto que éstos se hayan manifestado en el ejercicio del poder y de las leyes. 1 En cuanto á mí, declaro que á todo el que teniendo á su cargo el gobierno de un pueblo, no adopta las resoluciones más acertadas, y sella sus labios por temor, le juzgo y le he juzgado siempre malísimo magistrado, y aun el que antepone las conveniencias del amigo al interés de la patria, paréceme del todo vil y despreciable. Pongo por testigo al Supremo Júpiter, que todo lo sabe, y á cuyos ojos nada se oculta, que jamás me callaré viendo sobrevenir males que puedan poner en peligro á mis conciudadanos, ni otorgaré nunca mi amistad al enemigo de mi patria: persuadido de que la salvación de la patria, es la nuestra; y de que, bogando de esta manera, jamás nos han de faltar amigos.
Con tales principios me prometo llevar nuestra ciudad á un estado floreciente: é inspirándome en ellos, he ordenado publicar ese bando relativo á los hijos de Edipo: á Eteocles, que ha muerto blandiendo valerosamente su lanza por la patria, he decretado que se le sepulte en la tumba, con todos los honores debidos á los manes de los héroes; en cuanto á su hermano Polinice, que, abandonando su destierro, ha venido á exterminar con el fuego su ciudad natal y los dioses de sus padres; que quiso tener el gusto de saciarse en la sangre de los thebanos, y someternos á la servidumbre... ese he prescrito que ni se le sepulte ni se le llore; antes, por el contrario, que quede sin que la tierra le cubra, para ser pasto de los perros y de las aves carniceras. Tal es mi voluntad. Jamás el malvado alcanzará de mí los honores debidos al hombre de virtud; pero todo el que sirviere bien al Estado, vivo ó muerto, será honrado por mí del propio modo.
German (F. Hölderlin, 1804) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (F. Hölderlin, 1804)) — 162 focus
English (Sir Richard Jebb1, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb1, 1904)) — 162 focus
Sirs, the vessel of our State, after being tossed on wild waves, hath once more been safely steadied by the gods: and ye, out of all the folk, have been called apart by my summons, because I knew, first of all, how true and constant was your reverence for the royal power of Larus; how, again, when Oedipus was ruler of our land, and when he had perished, your steadfast 170 loyalty still upheld their children. Since, then, his sons have fallen in one day by a twofold doom,—each smitten by the other, each stained with a brother's blood,—I now possess the throne and all its powers, by nearness of kinship to the dead.
No man can be fully known, in soul and spirit and mind, until he hath been seen versed in rule and lawgiving. For if any, being supreme guide of the State, 180 cleaves not to the best counsels, but, through some fear, keeps his lips locked, I hold, and have ever held, him most base and if any makes a friend of more account than his fatherland, that man hath no place in my regard, For I—be Zeus my witness, who sees all things always—would not be silent if I saw ruin, instead of safety, coming to the citizens; nor would I ever decm the country’s foe a friend to myself; remembering this, that our country is the ship that bears us safe, and that 190 only while she prospers in our voyage can we make true friends.
Such are the rules by which I guard this city’s greatness, And in accord with them is the edict which I have now published to the folk touching the sons of Oedipus ;—that Eteocles, who hath fallen fighting for our city, in all renown of arms, shall be entombed, and crowned with every rite that follows the noblest dead to their rest. But for his brother, Polyneices,—who 200 came back from exile, and sought to consume utterly with fire the city of his fathers and the shrines of his fathers’ gods,—sought to taste of kindred blood, and to lead the remnant into slavery ;—touching this man, it hath been proclaimed to our people that none shall grace him with sepulture or lament, but leave him unburied, a corpse for birds and dogs to eat, a ghastly sight of shame. Such the spirit of my dealing; and never, by deed of mine, shall the wicked stand in honour before the just ; but whoso hath good will to Thebes, he shall be 210 honoured of me, in his life and in his death.
English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 162 focus
Devote the night to festive dance;
To every god at every shrine,
To Bacchus chief, pay rites divine 1.
Let Bacchus lead the frolic train,
And swell through Thebes the joyful strain.
165
But see the royal Creon, whose new sway
165
The sons of Thebes must now obey,
The gods assigning him this glorious fate,
To council comes in awful state;
And here, by heralds warn'd, we stand,
The sages of the realm, to hear his high command.
Since now, ye men of Thebes, the gods, who shook
170
With many a surging wave this sinking state
Again have raised it from the storm secure,
You by my heralds to attend me here
Selected I have summon'd; for I know
How highly you revered the throne and pow'r
Of Laius; and again when Edipus
175
Was king; and, after his disastrous fate,
175
I saw how firm, how loyal to his sons
Your zeal remain'd; but now, since they are fallen,
Each by the other's hand, in the same day,
By mutual wounds and mutual guilt, the crown
And regal pow'r by right devolve on me!
As nearest to the slain by blood allied.
180
But who can penetrate man's secret thought,
The quality and temper of his soul,
Till by high office put to frequent proof,
And execution of the laws? To me
The Sovereign of a state, who weak of soul
Adheres not to the sagest counsels firm,
185
But suffers fear to close his lips, appears
185
Most base and abject; such I deem him now,
And always deem'd: and him, who dearer holds
A private friendship than the secret ties
Which bind him to his country, I esteem
A weak slight man. But I (all-seeing Jove,
Be thou my witness!) ne'er will close my lips
190
In silence, to my people if I see
A threatening danger, or approaching ill:
And never will I hold that man my friend,
Who to my country bears an hostile mind;
Well knowing that on her we all depend
For safety: whilst that bark securely ploughs
195
A tranquil sea, we, as we sail, make friends.
195
I by such rules will raise the Theban state
To higher glory; and allied to these
My edict through the city is proclaim'd
Touching the sons of Edipus: the youth,
Who fighting for his country greatly died,
In arms illustrious, honour'd in the tomb
200
I bade them lay, with all the hallow'd rites
Paid to the noblest of the dead below.
But Polynices, who from exile came
Back to his country and his country's gods,
Eager to gorge himself with kindred blood,
And lead these hence as slaves, it is proclaim'd
205
That none with solemn obsequies entomb,
205
That none lament; unburied let him lie,
And let his mangled carcase be devour'd
By dogs and birds of prey. Such is my will.
For never to the base will I allow
The honours to the virtuous only due:
But he, who loves my country, shall by me
210
English (Sir Richard Jebb2, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb2, 1904)) — 162-330 focus

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-91-1 There is a general dramatic analogy between this speech and that of Oedipus in O. T. 216 —275. In each case a Theban king addresses Theban elders, announcing a stern decree, adopted in reliance on his own wisdom, and promulgated with haughty consciousness of power; the elders receive the decree with a submissive deference under which we can perceive traces of misgiving; and as the drama proceeds, the elders become spectators of calamities occasioned by the decree, while its author turns to them for comfort.

mvp-comment-91-2 τὰ μὲν δὴ πόλεος . . ὑμᾶς δ’ 1

mvp-comment-91-3 πόλεος 2 πολλῷ σάλῳ σείσαντες 3

mvp-comment-91-4 The image of the State as a ship dates in Greek literature from Alcaeus (whom Horace copied, Carm. 1. 14 ), fr. 18. The ship of Alcaeus is labouring in the trough of a wild sea,—water is coming in,—the sail is torn,—the anchor will not hold:

νᾶϊ φορήμεθα σὺν μελαίνᾳ | χείμωνι μοχθεῦντες μεγάλῳ μάλα, κ.τ.λ.
It is only through Heracleides Alleg. Homer. 5 that we know the meaning of Alcaeus to have been figurative and political. Aesch. often uses the image ( Aesch. Th. 2 , Aesch. Th. 62 , Aesch. Th. 208 etc.). Creon returns to it at 189. It is peculiarly well suited to his point,—the unity of the public interest.

mvp-comment-91-5 ὤρθωσαν 4

mvp-comment-92-1 ἐκ πάντων 5 δίχα 6

mvp-comment-92-2 ἔστειλ’ ἱκέσθαι 7 τοῦτο μέν 8

mvp-comment-92-3 σέβοντας 9

mvp-comment-92-4 θρόνων . . κράτη 10

mvp-comment-93-1 ἡνίκ’ Οἰδίπους 11 κείνων 12 κείνων παῖδας 13 ἡνίκ’ . . ὤρθου πόλιν 14 ἐπεὶ διώλετο 15 τοῦτο μέν . . τοῦτ’ αὖθις 16

mvp-comment-93-2 καί 17 καί 18

mvp-comment-93-3 ἐμπέδοις φρονήμασιν 19 ἐμπέδους 20 ἐμπέδοις 21

mvp-comment-94-1 ὅτε 22

mvp-comment-94-2 πρὸς διπλῆς μ. 23 διπλῆς . . μίαν 24

mvp-comment-94-3 παίσαντες . . πληγέντες 25

mvp-comment-94-4 αὐτόχειρι … μιάσματι 26

mvp-comment-95-1 ἐγὼ . . δή 27

mvp-comment-95-2 κράτη 28

mvp-comment-95-3 γένους κατ’ ἀγχιστεῖα τῶν ὀλ. 29

mvp-comment-96-1 ἀμήχανον δέ 30 δέ 31 δέ 32

mvp-comment-96-2 Demosthenes, in his speech on the Embassy (343 B.C.), quotes this passage (vv. 175—190) as illustrating maxims

mvp-comment-96-3 which Aeschines had violated, though, accustomed as he had been to play tritagonists' parts, he ought to have known them by heart (or. 19 § 247).

mvp-comment-97-1 ψυχήν 33 φρόνημα 34 γνώμην 35

mvp-comment-98-1 ἀρχαῖς 36 νόμοισιν 37

mvp-comment-98-2 ἐντριβής 38

mvp-comment-98-3 φανῇ 39

mvp-comment-99-1 ἐμοὶ γάρ 40 γάρ 41 πᾶσαν … πόλιν 42

mvp-comment-99-2 μὴ … ἅπτεται 43 ὅστις μὴ ἅπτεται 44

mvp-comment-99-3 ἐκ φ. του 45

mvp-comment-99-4 ἐγκλῄσας ἔχει 46

mvp-comment-99-5 νῦν τε καὶ πάλαι 47

mvp-comment-100-1 μείζον’ 48 ἀντὶ τῆς...πάτρας 49 ἤ 50 μεῖζον 51

mvp-comment-100-2 οὐδαμοῦ λέγω 52

mvp-comment-101-1 ἐγὼ γάρ 53 γάρ 54 τοῦτο γιγνώσκων 55 ἴστω 56

mvp-comment-102-1 οὔτ’ ἂν σιωπήσαιμι 57

mvp-comment-103-1 στείχουσαν ἀστοῖς 58 ὁμοῦ 59

mvp-comment-103-2 ἀντὶ τῆς σωτηρίας 60 τῆς 61

mvp-comment-104-1 ἄνδρα δυσμενῆ χθονός 62

mvp-comment-104-2 ἐμαυτῷ 63 φίλον 64 θείμην 65

mvp-comment-105-1 ἡ σῴζουσα 66

mvp-comment-105-2 ταύτης 67 ὀρθῆς 68

mvp-comment-105-3 τοὺς φίλους ποιούμεθα 69

mvp-comment-105-4

εὐτυχούσῃ πολλῷ μᾶλλον διασῴζεται
. ‘Pericles Thucydidis 11. 60 Sophoclem videtur respexisse, vel eum Sophocles,’ is Dobree's remark ( Adv. 2. 37 ); but there is no adequate ground for such a view. The verbal coincidence of
ὀρθῆς
with
ὀρθουμένην
may well have been accidental. What is really common to poet and historian is the general sentiment of Periclean Athens. For another example of this, cp. O. C. 116 n.

mvp-comment-106-1 νόμοισι 70

mvp-comment-106-2 αὔξω 71

mvp-comment-107-1 ἀδελφὰ τῶνδε 72

mvp-comment-107-2 τῶν ἀπ’ Οἰδίπου 73

mvp-comment-108-1 δορί 74 δόρει 75

mvp-comment-109-1 τὰ πάντ’ ἐφαγνίσαι 76 ἐπί 77 ἐφαγνίσαι 78 ἀφαγνίσαι 79 ἀπό 80

mvp-comment-110-1 τοῖς ἀρίστοις 81

mvp-comment-110-2 ἔρχεται κάτω 82

mvp-comment-111-1 L has Πολυνείκην 83

mvp-comment-111-2 λέγω 84

mvp-comment-112-1 γτ=ν πατρῴαν . . καὶ θεοὺς . . πρῆσαι 85

mvp-comment-112-2 θ. τοὺς ἐγγενεῖς 86

mvp-comment-112-3 κατελθών 87

mvp-comment-112-4 γ)θέλησε μέν … ἠθέλ. δέ 88 ἠθέλησε μὲν 89

mvp-comment-112-5 πρῆσαι 90

mvp-comment-112-6 κατ’ ἄκρας 91

mvp-comment-112-7 αἵματος κ. πάσασθαι 92

mvp-comment-112-8 τοὺς δὲ … ἄγειν 93

mvp-comment-113-1 The traditional ἐκκεκηρῦχθαι τάφῳ 94 ἐκκεκήρυκται τάφῳ 95 ἐκκεκηρῦχθαι λέγω 96 τάφῳ 97 κτερίζειν 98 τάφῳ 99 κτερίζειν 100 μήτε 101 κωκῦσαι 102 τάφῳ 103 λέγω 104 τάφῳ 105 ἐκκεκ 106

mvp-comment-114-1 ἐᾶν δ 107 ἄθαπτον, αἰκισθέντ’ ἰδεῖν 108 δέμας καὶ πρὸς οἰωνῶν καὶ πρὸς κυνῶν ἐδεστόν 109 αἰκισθέντ 110 αἰκισθέντ 111 ἐδεστόν 112 αἰκισθέν τ’, δέμας 113

mvp-comment-114-2 δέμας 114

mvp-comment-114-3 ἰδεῖν 115

mvp-comment-115-1 φρόνημα 116

mvp-comment-115-2 ἔκ γ’ ἐμοῦ 117

mvp-comment-116-1 The MSS. have τιμὴν προέξουσ’ ..τῶν ἐνδ. 118 τιμήν 119 τιμῆ 120 προσέξους 121

mvp-comment-117-1 τιμήσεται 122

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

162. mvp-comment-101-1 κοινῷ κηρύγματι πέμψας Having cited us by a message sent to us all.

162. mvp-comment-101-2 κοινῷ = Inclusive. πέμψας] i. e. στείλας πομποῖσιν, as Creon expresses himself in ll. 164-165. 162-210. Creon's first error is not mere self-will, but an excessive zeal for the honour of the state, to which all private feelings must give way (183-184, 187-190). His spirit of self-assertion is however already felt, esp. in ll. 173, 191, 207-10. And the unconsciousness of one young in power is shown in the self-inculpating words in ll. 175-177. He characteristically dwells on the virtue of loyalty (165-169, 209-210) and the crime of rebellion (199-202): and his passionate nature is betrayed by the exaggerated expression in l. 208. Cp. O. T. 216 ff. and note. The frequent occurrence of the Ist personal pronoun is a significant feature of both these speeches.

162. mvp-comment-101-3 τὰ μὲν δὴ πόλεος As for the state. This form of expression suits the introduction of a subject before the form of sentence is determined. πόλιν, rather than τὰ πόλεος, is the object of σείσαντες and ὤρθωσαν.

162. mvp-comment-101-4 ἀσφαλῶς Unharmed, = ἄνεν τοῦ σφαλῆναι,

163. mvp-comment-102-1 ὥρθωσαν Have righted the vessel of the state.

165-166. mvp-comment-103-1 τὰ Λαΐου. κράτη Knowing that you ever duly reverenced the enthroned authority of Laius. Λαΐου is governed by θρόνων κράτη taken as one word, θρόνων being added to supplement κράτη. σέβοντας and μένοντας, infr. 166, 169, are imperfects = ὅτι ἐσέβετε .. ἐμένετε,

167. mvp-comment-104-1 ὤρθου Kept on a safe course: i. e. Governed prosperously. The word recalls the happiness of the first period of Oedipus' rule. Cp. Plat. Men. P. 99 C, ᾗ οἱ πολιτικοὶ ἄνδρες χρώμενοι τὰς πόλεις ὀρθοῦσιν : Phaedr. 244 B. 168-169. ἀμφὶ .. φρονήμασιν]. Ye still remained loyal to their issue with unshaken minds. ἀμφί, Surrounding, as ready to defend. The apodosis is made to suit the latter protasis, ἐπεὶ διώλετο, and that of the former protasis, ἡνίκ' . . πόλιν (viz. ἐκείνῳ ὁμοίως πειθομένους οι the like), is thus absorbed.

167. mvp-comment-104-2 κείνων . . παῖδας i. e. Sons of Oedipus and grandsons of Laius.

172. mvp-comment-105-1 αὐτόχειρι Fratricidal. See Essay on Language p. 91.

174. mvp-comment-106-1 γένους κατ᾿ ἀγχιστεῖα By privilege of being nearest in kindred (ὡς ἀγχιστεύων) to the dead. Cp. πρωτεία, etc.

175. mvp-comment-107-1 παντὸς ἀνδρός Of any man, and therefore of me.

176. mvp-comment-108-1 ψυχήν. . φρόνημα.. γνώμην As observed in the Essay on Language pp. 91-3, the opposition between these words is chiefly formal. So far as there is any difference between them, ψυχήν is mind, or nature, φρόνημα, spirit, or way of thinking, (cp. infr. 207), and γνώμην, judgment or meaning.

176-177. mvp-comment-109-1 πρὶν ἂν ἀρχαῖς.. φανῇ “Until he be seen in his true colours through being tried in office and administration.' According to the saying of Bias, ἀρχὴ τὸν ἄνδρα δείξει (Arist. Eth. Nic. 5. 1. 16). There is an allusion to the detection of spurious coin through wear. Cp. Aesch. Ag. 390-392, κακοῦ δὲ χαλκοῦ τρόπον | τρίβῳτε καὶ προσβολαῖς | μελαμπαγὴς πέλει | δικαιωθείς (where Herm. says, 'Vereor autem ne non de lapide Lydio loquatur poeta, sed aes adulterinum dicat, quod usu tritum amisso falso splendore cognoscitur'): Hdt. 7. 10, ὥσπερ τὸν χρυσὸν τὸν ἀκήρατον, αὐτὸν μὲν ἐπ᾿ ἑαυτοῦ οὐ διαγινώσκομεν, ἐπεὰν δὲ

178. mvp-comment-110-1 ἐμοὶ γάρ The connection is not strictly logical. γάρ explains not the difficulty of discerning the difference between rulers, but the essential point on which the difference turns. In setting forth this, Creon also declares the spirit of his own policy. He is feeling his way with the elders, of whose submission he is not perfectly sure, and beats about the bush before coming to the point with them. Hence he repeats the same thought in different words.

178-183. mvp-comment-111-1 The sentiment of these lines is closely parallel to Plat. Legg. 9. 856 B, ὃς ἂν ἄγων εἰς ἀρχὴν ἄνθρωπον δουλῶται μὲν τοὺς νόμους, ἑταιρείας δὲ τὴν πόλιν ὑπήκοον ποιῇ, καὶ βιαίως δὲ πᾶν τοῦτο πράττων καὶ στάσιν ἐγείρων παρανομῇ· τοῦτον δὴ διανοεῖσθαι δεῖ πάντων πολεμιώτατον ὅλῃ τῇ πόλει, τὸν δὲ κοινωνοῦντα μὲν τῶν τοιούτων μηδενί, τῶν μεγίστων δὲ μετέχοντα ἀρχῶν ἐν τῇ πόλει, λεληθότα τε ταῦτα αὐτὸν ἢ μὴ λεληθότα, δειλίᾳ δ᾽ ὑπὲρ πατρίδος αὑτοῦ μὴ τιμωρούμενον, δεῖ δεύτερον ἡγεῖσθαι τὸν τοιοῦτον πολίτην κακῇ.

180. mvp-comment-112-1 ἐγκλείσας Locked up. Cp. Shakespeare, Richard II, 1. 3,

Within my mouth you have engaoled my tongue, | Doubly portcullised with my teeth and lips.
Infr. 505, εἰ μὴ γλῶσσαν ἐγκλείσαι φόβος.

182. mvp-comment-113-1 μείζον᾽.. ἀντί Essay on Language § 19. p. 27. Cp. Od. 7. 216, στυγερῇ ἐπὶ γαστέρι κύντερον.

183. mvp-comment-114-1 οὐδαμοῦ λέγω Plat. Gorg. 456 C, οὐδαμοῦ ἂν φανῆναι, supr. 32. 184 ff. Having shown what makes the good and bad ruler, Creon declares his own intentions, first generally, and then (192 ff.) with reference to Eteocles and Polynices. γάρ implies that his opinion will be proved by his acts. In both statements (178-183, 184-190) the stress is laid on the duty of renouncing friendship with the public enemy (182-183, 187-188), which is the ground of the present edict, Polynices being presumably Creon's private friend: supr. 174.

186. mvp-comment-115-1 στείχουσαν ἀστοῖς Menacing my people. Cp. supr. l. 10: Aesch. Prom. 1089-1090, τοιάδ᾽ ἐπ᾿ ἐμοὶ ῥιπὴ Διόθεν, | τεύχουσα φόβον, στείχει φανερῶς. For the dative, Essay on Language § 12. p. 18.

187. mvp-comment-116-1 δυσμενή χθονός Who is my country's foe. The genitive avoids the awkwardness of two datives, χθονί and ἐμαυτῷ, coming close together.

189-190. mvp-comment-117-1 She it is who preserves us, and we make friends only while she carries us in the course of public safety; i. e. The friendship that is made against the interest of the state is hollow and insecure. Cp. Thuc. 2. 60: (Pericles loq.) ἐγὼ γὰρ ἡγοῦμαι πόλιν πλείω ξύμπασαν ὀρθουμένην ὠφελεῖν τοὺς ἰδιώτας, ἢ καθ᾿ ἕκαστον τῶν πολιτῶν εὐπραγοῦσαν, ἀθρόαν δὲ σφαλλομένην, κ.τ.λ.: Zaleuc. ap. Stob. (Mullach, p. 543), πόλις γὰρ εὖ ἀγομένη μεγίστη ὄρθωσίς ἐστι, καὶ ἐν τούτῳ πάντα ἔνι, καὶ τούτου σωζομένου πάντα σώζεται καὶ τούτου φθειρομένου πάντα διαφθείρεται: Shakespeare. King John, 3. 1, Pand.

All form is formless, order orderless, | Save what is opposite to England's love.
On the change of pronouns (ἥδε.. ταύτης), see Essay on Language § 22. p. 32. The article in τοὺς φίλους points the reference to ll. 182-183.

191. mvp-comment-118-1 τοιοίσδε νόμοισι By such principles as these. Cp. infr. 908, τίνος νόμου δὴ ταῦτα πρὸς χάριν λέγω;

192. mvp-comment-119-1 ἀδελφὰ τῶνδε i. e. In full accord with them. Cp. Plat. Rep. 4. 421 C, ἆρ᾽ οὖν .. καὶ τὸ τούτου ἀδελφὸν δύξω σοι μετρίως λέγειν; Lys. 2. 64, ἀδελφὰ τὰ βουλεύματα τοῖς ἔργοις : Ο. C. 1262, ἀδελφὰ . . τούτοισιν.

193. mvp-comment-120-1 τῶν ἀπ᾿ Οιδίπου For the pleo- 190 195 200 nastic use of the preposition, see above 150, 182, and notes.

195. mvp-comment-121-1 πάντ᾿ ἀριστεύσας δορί After proving himself in all ways the bravest in the war. For the aor., cp. Hdt. 9. 74, alib.

196. mvp-comment-122-1 τὰ πάντ᾽ ἐφαγνίσαι ‘Το add all sacred offerings.'

199. mvp-comment-123-1 θεοὺς τοὺς ἐγγενεῖς The gods of his race; i. e. Those honoured by the Cadmeans. The gods of the race also include the ancestors of the race. Infr. 938, θεοὶ προγενεῖς.

201. mvp-comment-124-1 πρῆσαι κατάκρας The city (γῆν = πόλιν) is thought of as the main object of the verb.

201. mvp-comment-124-2 ἠθέλησε δ' The correspondence of clauses (with μέν and δέ) is not perfect, the antithesis being due to afterthought.

201. mvp-comment-124-3 αἵματος .. πάσασθαι ‘Το repast him with blood of his own kin.' The expression suits the Epic colouring of the whole speech.

202. mvp-comment-125-1 τοὺς δέ The rest; i. e. Those not slain, as implied in the opposition το αἵματος κοινοῦ πάσασθαι. 203.

202. mvp-comment-125-2 ἐκκεκήρυκται Musgrave's correction has been generally adopted, lopted, and is probably right. The impersonal verb gives absoluteness to the expression. Wolff construes the inf. with λέγω in 198 (deleting the comma after τοῦδε), and Wecklein reads λέγω for τάφῳ. The slight corruption is probably due to a reminiscence of supr. 27.

205. mvp-comment-126-1 δέμας is accusative of limitation, and ἄθαπτον and ἐδεστόν are masculine. To leave him unburied, to have his flesh consumed by birds and dogs.

206. mvp-comment-127-1 αἰκισθέντ᾿ ἰδεῖν A spectacle of indignity. Lit. Outraged to behold. The infinitive is added after the participle, which is masculine.

207. mvp-comment-128-1 Cp. 176, ψυχήν τε καὶ φρόνημα καὶ γνώμην.

209-210. mvp-comment-129-1 θανών | καὶ ζῶν In death as well as in life. The first word is the more emphatic. Essay on Language p. 78.