Sophocles Antigone 39

Robert Potter (Translator)

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That sinks the soul with anguish, deep distress,
Shame, and disgrace, but in thy ills and mine
I see it all. E'en now what new decree
Is rumour'd by the Chief as late proclaim'd
Through all the city? Know'st thou? Hast thou heard?
Or art thou unacquainted with the ills
Which from our foes advance against our friends?
To me no tidings of our friends are come,
Pleasing or mournful, since the fatal hour
At once deprived us of our brothers, slain
Each by the other's hand; and this last night

Antigone. Sophocles. Robert Potter (Translator). London. 1820.

Current edition Experimental

English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) (English) (English (Robert Potter, 1788))

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (12)
Greek (L. Benloew, 1858) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (L. Benloew, 1858)) — 39 focus
τί δ᾽, ὦ ταλαίφρων, εἰ τάδ᾽ ἐν τούτοις, ἐγὼ
λύουσ᾽ ἂν ἢ ᾽φάπτουσα προσθείμην πλέον 1 ;
40
Greek (A. Boeckh, 1884) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (A. Boeckh, 1884)) — 39 focus
Greek (F. H. Bothe, 1806) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. H. Bothe, 1806)) — 39 focus
τί δ᾽, ὦ ταλαίφρων, εἰ τάδ᾽ ἐν τούτοις, ἐγὼ
λύουσ᾽ ἂν ἢ ᾿φάπτουσα προσθείμην πλέον;
40
Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 39 focus
τί δ᾽, ὦ ταλαῖφρον, εἰ τάδ' ἐν τούτοις, ἐγὼ
λύουσ᾽ ἂν ἢ ᾿φάπτουσα προσθείμην πλέον;
40
Greek (A. Colonna, 1978) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (A. Colonna, 1978)) — 39 focus
τί δ᾽, ὦ ταλαῖφρον, εἰ τάδ᾽ ἐν τούτοις, ἐγὼ
λύουσ᾽ ἂν εἴθ᾽ ἅπτουσα προσθείμην πλέον;
40
Greek (A. Dain, 1955) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (A. Dain, 1955)) — 39 focus
τί δ’, ὦ ταλαῖφρον, εἰ τάδ’ ἐν τούτοις, ἐγὼ
λύουσ’ ἂν εἴθ’ ἅπτουσα προσθείμην πλέον;
40
Greek (R. D. Dawe, 1979) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (R. D. Dawe, 1979)) — 39 focus
τί δ᾽, ὦ ταλαῖφρον, εἰ τάδ᾽ ἐν τούτοις, ἐγὼ
λύουσ᾽ ἂν εἴθ᾽ ἅπτουσα προσθείμην πλέον;
40
Greek (G. Hermann, 1830) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (G. Hermann, 1830)) — 39 focus
τί δ᾽, ὦ ταλαῖφρον, εἰ τάδ᾽ ἐν τούτοις, ἐγὼ
λύουσ᾽ ἂν ἢ θάπτουσα προσθείμην πλέον;
40
Greek (R. C. Jebb, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (R. C. Jebb, 1906)) — 39 focus
τί δ᾽, ὦ ταλαῖφρον, εἰ τάδ᾽ ἐν τούτοις, ἐγὼ
λύουσ᾽ ἂν ἢ ᾽φάπτουσα προσθείμην πλέον;
40
Greek (A. C. Pearson, 1924) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (A. C. Pearson, 1924)) — 39 focus
τί δ᾽, ὦ ταλαῖφρον, εἰ τάδ᾽ ἐν τούτοις, ἐγὼ
λύουσ᾽ ἂν εἴθ᾽ ἅπτουσα προσθείμην πλέον;
40
Antigone (OCR draft) Experimental (Antigone) — 39 focus
Greek (K. Reinhardt, 1949) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (K. Reinhardt, 1949)) — 39 focus
τί δ᾽, ὦ ταλαῖφρον, εἰ τάδ᾽ ἐν τούτοις, ἐγὼ
λύουσ᾽ ἂν ἢ ᾽φάπτουσα προσθείμην πλέον;
40
Translations (10)
German (A. Boeckh, 1884) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (A. Boeckh, 1884)) — 39 focus
Spanish (J. A. Bolufer, 1921) (OCR draft) Experimental (Spanish (J. A. Bolufer, 1921)) — 39 focus
¿Y qué, ¡oh desdichada!, si las cosas están así, podré remediar yo, tanto si desobedezco como si acato esas órdenes?
Latin (F. H. Bothe, 1806) (OCR draft) Experimental (Latin (F. H. Bothe, 1806)) — 39 focus
Nam quid, o misera, quum res in eo loco sit, facitis meis ego vel solvens vel adstringens, prodesse possim?
English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 39 focus
Unhappy one! But what can I herein
Avail to do or undo?
40
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 39 focus
Was kann ich, wenn dies also steht, Unselige, 1
Hier, lösend oder bindend, uns zum Frommen thun?
40
English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 39 focus
What wouldst thou have me do ? — defy his
power?
Contemn the laws ?
40
Spanish (A. G. Garbin, 1889) (OCR draft) Experimental (Spanish (A. G. Garbin, 1889)) — 39 focus
German (F. Hölderlin, 1804) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (F. Hölderlin, 1804)) — 39 focus
English (Sir Richard Jebb1, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb1, 1904)) — 39 focus
Poor sister,—and if things stand thus, what 40 could I help to do or undo?
English (Sir Richard Jebb2, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb2, 1904)) — 1-98 focus

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-29-1 ὦ ταλαῖφρον 1

mvp-comment-29-2 εἰ τάδ’ ἐν τούτοις 2 ἐν τούτοις 3

mvp-comment-30-1 λύουσ’ … ἢ ’φάπτουσα 4 εἵθ’ ἅπτουσα 5

mvp-comment-30-2 προσθείμην 6

mvp-comment-30-3 πλέον 7

mvp-comment-31-1 ξυμπονήσεις 8 ξυνεργάσει 9

mvp-comment-31-2 ποῖόν τι κινδύνευμα 10

mvp-comment-31-3 Read

ποῦ γνώμης...εἶ
(from
εἶναι
): cp. El. 390
ποῦ ποτ’ εἶ φρενῶν
. The question between ποῦ 11 ποῖ 12

mvp-comment-32-1 εἰ 13 ξὺν τῇδε χερί 14

mvp-comment-32-2 κουφιεῖς 15

mvp-comment-32-3 ἦ γὰρ 16

mvp-comment-32-4 σφε 17

mvp-comment-32-5 ἀπόρρητον 18

mvp-comment-32-6 πόλει 19

mvp-comment-33-1 τὸν γοῦν ἐμὸν 20 ἐμόν 21 καὶ τὸν σόν, ἢν σὺ μὴ θέλῃς 22 τὸν ἐμόν 23 τὸν σόν 24 ἀδελφόν 25 γοῦν 26 τὸν … ἐμὸν καὶ τὸν σόν 27 καὶ 28 ἤν 29

mvp-comment-34-1 ἀδελφὸν … ἁλώσομαι 30 ἀδελφόν 31 οὐ γὰρ δή 32

mvp-comment-35-1 ὦ σχετλία 33

mvp-comment-35-2

σχετλία τόλμης
. ( b) ‘Suffering,’=
τλήμων
, as Aesch. PV 644 (of Io), Eur. Hec. 783 . Neither Homer nor Soph. has this use. (2) Of things, ‘cruel,’ ‘wretched,’—a use common to all the poets: so Ai. 887
σχέτλια γάρ
 (‘'tis cruel’), Tr. 879 .

mvp-comment-36-1 οὐδέν 34 μέτα 35 τῶν ἐμῶν 36 εἴργειν 37

mvp-comment-37-1 νῷν 38 ἀπώλετο 39 ἀπεχθής 40 ἀπώλετο 41 ἔπειτα 42

mvp-comment-38-1 πρὸς … ἀμπλακημάτων … ἀράξας 43

mvp-comment-38-2 αὐτοφώρων 44

mvp-comment-38-3 ἀράξας 45

mvp-comment-38-4 αὐτὸς αὐτουργῷ χερί 46 αὐτός 47 αὐτ. χερί 48

mvp-comment-39-1 διπλοῦν ἔπος 49 πάθος 50

mvp-comment-39-2 ἀρτάναισι 51

mvp-comment-40-1 δύο … μίαν 52

mvp-comment-40-2 αὐτοκτονοῦντε 53

mvp-comment-41-1 κατειργάσαντ’ 54

mvp-comment-41-2 ἐπαλλήλοιν χεροῖν 55 ἐπ’ ἀλλήλοιν 56 χεροῖν 57 οιν 58 ἐπαλλήλοιν 59 χεροῖν 60

mvp-comment-42-1 νῦν δ’ αὖ 61 δ’ 62 νῦν αὖ 63 αὖ 64

mvp-comment-42-2 μόνα δή 65

mvp-comment-43-1 ψῆφον 66

mvp-comment-43-2 τυράννων 67

mvp-comment-43-3 κράτη 68 ἢ 69 καὶ 70

mvp-comment-44-1 τοῦτο μὲν 71 ἐννοεῖν 72 ἔπειτα δ’ 73

mvp-comment-44-2 ὡς 74 οὐ μαχουμένα 75

mvp-comment-45-1 οὕνεκ’ 76

mvp-comment-45-2 ἐκ 77

mvp-comment-45-3 ἀκούειν 78 ταῦτα 79 ἀλγίονα 80

mvp-comment-46-1 ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν 81

mvp-comment-46-2 τοὺς ὑπὸ χθονός 82

mvp-comment-46-3 βιάζομαι τάδε 83

mvp-comment-47-1 τοῖς ἐν τέλει βεβῶσι 84 βεβῶσι 85

mvp-comment-47-2 τὸ γὰρ | ...πράσσειν 86

mvp-comment-47-3 περισσὰ πρ 87

mvp-comment-47-4 οὐκ ἔχει νοῦν οὐδ. 88

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

39-40. mvp-comment-28-1 Alas for thy rash spirit! What help, if things be at this pass, can I afford, either to undo what is done, or to confirm it?' ταλαῖφρον points to the daring spirit of Antigone and to the tone of her last words. For λύουσα, cp. Aesch. S. c. Т. 270, λύουσα πολεμίων φόβον. The choice lies between ἢ 'φάπτουσα and εἴθ' ἅπτουσα. The implied negative is in favour of εἴθ' ἅπτουσα, which comes near the first hand of L. Cp. О. Т. 517, λόγοισιν εἴτ᾿ ἔργοισιν, where, however, ei precedes. But εἴτε is slightly too emphatic, and ἢ ᾿φάπτουσα is an early reading. The expression is proverbial. Cp. Aj. 1317.

42. mvp-comment-29-1 ποῦ γνώμης ποτ' εἶ; Although ποῖ with the verb of motion is not unlikely (cp. El. 922, ὅποι γνώμης φέρει), the future tense does not suit the passage. Hence the reading of Par. A. (with εἶ from εἰμί) is preferable. Cp. Ε1. 390, ποῦ ποτ' εἶ φρενῶν; but see Eurip. Iph. A. 480, for el from εἶμι with present meaning.

43. mvp-comment-30-1 Antigone's first intention is to lift the body with Ismene's help and give it proper burial. Being unable to do this unaided, she sprinkles the dust. Cp. El. 938-1057.

43. mvp-comment-30-2 ξὺν τῇδε .. χερί Aiding this hand, i. e. taking part in my labour. Cp. Ο. Τ. 811 ἐκ τῆσδε χειρός. Essay on Language § 22. p. 34.

44. mvp-comment-31-1 ἀπόρρητον πόλει A thing forbidden to the whole city. ἀπόρρητον is neuter accusative in apposition to the action of θάπτειν. Essay on Language § 17. p. 25.

45-46. mvp-comment-32-1 I will certainly bury my brother and yours, though you do not choose to do your part. The second of these lines has been needlessly suspected. The rejoinder of Ismene comes in more effectively when the στιχομυθία is broken. ἣν = κἄν, cp. Phil. 52, ἄλλ' ἤν τι καινὸν .. κλύῃς, ὑπουργεῖν.

48. mvp-comment-33-1 He has no right in what is mine, to part me from my own. τῶν ἐμῶν is partitive genitive with οὐδὲν μέτα: privative genitive with εἴργειν. Essay on Language p. 61.

50. mvp-comment-34-1 vῷν Ethical dative.

51. mvp-comment-35-1 αὐτοφώρων Self-detected; i. e. Brought to light by his own act. πρός = In consequence of,' connects the phrase with the preceding rather than the following words. Although the action of O. T. is not presupposed, this part of the fable had been already developed by Aeschylus. See S. c. T. 778 ff. Others take αὐτοφώρων to mean clearly proved, manifest to all men: cp. Od. 11.247, ἄφαρ δ᾽ ἀνάπυστα θεοὶ θέσαν ἀνθρώποισιν. But the emphatic repetition of αὐτὸς αὐτουργῷ in the next line agrees better with the more pregnant meaning. αὐτουργῷ = εἰς ἑαυτὸν ταῦτα ἐρξάσῃ.

53. mvp-comment-36-1 διπλοῦν ἔπος A two-fold name, suggesting the horror of the double relationship. Cp. Ο. Τ. 928, γυνὴ δὲ μήτηρ ἥδε τῶν κείνου τέκνων.

54. mvp-comment-37-1 λωβᾶται βίον Destroys her own life. Cp. Tr. 887, τάνδ᾽ ὕβριν.

56. mvp-comment-38-1 αὐτοκτονούντε By mutual fratricidal slaughter. αὐτός in composition here is partly reciprocal and partly, as in αὐτόχειρ, suggestive of the murder of kindred: cp. 1. 172. The same is true of κοινόν: cp. 1. 147.

57. mvp-comment-39-1 ἐπαλλήλοιν Mutual. The read. ing of L and Hermann is justified by the awkwardness of the double genitive dual and the doubtful use of ἐπί in the other reading.

58. mvp-comment-40-1 δή emphasizes μόνα with reference to what precedes. Thus left alone.

60. mvp-comment-41-1 ψῆφον τυράννων ἢ κράτη The will or authority of the ruler. 64. For the epexegesis, see Essay on Language § 33. p. 57. And for the accusative, to obey in this, cp. infr. 666-667.

66. mvp-comment-42-1 βιάζομαι τάδε This passive use of βιάζομαι occurs again in l. 1073, ἀλλ᾿ ἐκ σοῦ βιάζονται τάδε.

67. mvp-comment-43-1 τοῖς .. βεβῶσι Those whose position is supreme; i.e. the present ruling power.

68. mvp-comment-44-1 περισσὰ πράσσειν ‘Το act beyond one's sphere.' Cp. Tr. 617, τὸ μὴ πιθυμεῖν πομπὸς ὢν περισσὰ δρᾶν.