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1051–1200

προθείς] Sc. κελεύεις ταῦτα, again 'understood' from the preceding lines. Cp. especially O. T. 1154, 5, οὐχ ὡς τάχος τις τοῦδ᾽ ἀποστρέψει χέρας; ΘΕ. δύστηνος, ἀντὶ τοῦ; τί προσχρήζων μαθεῖν;

ζητοῦντες] i.e. ἐξετάζοντες, ‘In the trial.'

τήνδε πεῖραν ἔσβεσεν] For this metaphorical use of σβεννύω, cp. Heracl. fr. 103, ed Bywater, ὕβριν χρὴ σβεννύειν, μᾶλλον ἢ πυρκαϊήν.

τήνδ', ἣν .. τύχην] The governing word λαχόντες is absorbed, leaving τήνδε (τύχην) as an accusative in apposition with the sentence.

θανόντες ἂν προὐκείμεθα] 'We should have died and been cast forth.' In order to justify his own violence, Menelaus imagines Ajax (if successful) as usurping the command of the army, and forbidding the burial of the generals whom he had slain.

πεσεῖν] An epexegetic infinitive, completing the imperfect construction of πρὸς μῆλα, κ.τ.λ. By a slight inversion the insult ( ὕβριν), instead of the objects of the insult, is put into the accusative after ἐνήλλαξεν. The meaning is that some divine power (which the spectator knows to be Athena's) exchanged one victim of Ajax' fury for another.

σῶμα τυμβεῦσαι τάφῳ] Το 'give his corpse the honours of a tomb.' See Essay on L. § 17. p. 25 c; also ibid. § 16. p. 236. Menelaus dwells with mocking iteration upon the privilege which he denies.

ἀμφὶ.. ἐκβεβλημένος] 'Cast forth here or there on the humid sand.' The vague ἀμφί implies 'casually here or there, as carried by the waves.' Cp. Aesch. Pers. 576, 7, κναπτόμενοι δ᾽ ἁλὶ δεινὰ | σκύλλονται πρὸς ἀναύδων | παίδων τῆς ἀμιάντου.

χλωράν probably here refers not to colour but to moisture, i.e. that part of the sands which the sea has moistened. So in Trach. 849, χλωρὰν . . δακρύων ἄχναν, 'moist dew of tears.'

μηδὲν.. μένος] « 'By no means let thy spirit rise threateningly.' μηδέν is adverbial, and δεινόν predicative.

παρευθύνοντες] 'Keeping him in order.' Cp. supr. 72, ἀπευθύνοντα, and note. The composition with παρά suggests the image of a slave-driver walking beside a gang of slaves and keeping them in line.

i.e. 'I knew him too well in life to suppose that he will listen to reason.' Such appears to be the force of the opposition between χερσίν and λόγων here. This, said of the dead man, of course conveys the acme of brutal scorn. Cp. Shakespeare, Hamlet, 3. 4, “Indeed, this counsellor | Is now most still, most secret, and most grave.” For ὅπου, transferred from place to occasion, cp. infr. 1100.

ἄνδρα is almost a pronoun (Essay on L. § 22. p. 37, 5), and hence the repetition is not felt. 'It is vile conduct, for one of the people to disobey.' The γνώμη is first stated as applicable to a city, and then in 1075 applied (with the emphatic γε) to the case of an army.

'As in a city the laws cannot have due course if there be no established fear, so neither can a whole army be wisely disciplined without some safeguard of respect and awe.' For καλῶς φέροιντ᾽ ἄν, cp. Thuc. 5. 16, εὖ φερόμενος ἐν στρατηγίαις: ib. 2. 60, καλῶς φερόμενος .. τὸ καθ᾽ ἑαυτόν.

ἄρχοιτ' is a late correction in L² for ἄγοιτ'? ἔτι] 'Any longer;' i.e. 'When once respect is lost, good conduct is at an end.'

κἂν σῶμα γεννήσῃ μέγα] 'Though he be owner (lit. parent) of a mighty frame.' This is a bold extension of the idiom by which unconscious and mechanical actions are attributed to the subject, and one is said φῦσαι ὀδόντας, ‘To have grown teeth,' etc. See Essay on L. § 30. p. 52 d; and cp. especially O. C. 149, 50, ἀλαῶν ὀμμάτων .. φυτάλμιος, and note. Menelaus insinuates that the bulky frame of Ajax was his chief qualification.

Cp. Thuc. 2. 37. § 4, διὰ δέος .. οὐ παρανομοῦμεν: ib. 43. § 1, τολμῶντες καὶ γιγνώσκοντες τὰ δέοντα καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις αἰσχυνόμενοι.

ὅπου. ταύτην] For this correlation, cp. supr. 496, 7, εἰ γὰρ θάνῃς ταύτῃ τῇ τόθ᾽ ἡμέρᾳ. ἃ βούλεται] Sc. τις.

ἐξ οὐρίων δραμοῦσαν] 'Must lose her fair course and founder in the deep.' The aorist denotes what is certain in the future, as in Aesch. Prom. 667, 8, πυρωπὸν ἐκ Διὸς μολεῖν | κεραυνόν. ἐξ οὐρίων (neut. pl.) = ἐκ τοῦ οὐρίου δρόμου, just as οὔρια θεῖν = ἐς οὔριον δρόμον θεῖν (L. and S. s. ν. οὔριος, Ι. 1). Cp. Aesch. Prom. 883, 4, ἔξω δὲ δρόμου φέρομαι | λύσσης πνεύματι μάργῳ: Pind. Pyth. 11. 60, ἤ μέ τις ἄνεμος ἔξω πλόου | ἔβαλεν, ὡς ὅτ᾽ ἄκατον εἰναλίαν. It is true that, as Lobeck remarks, ἐξ οὐρίων, sc. πνευμάτων, is used by late writers as equivalent to ἐξ οὐρίας, sc. πνοῆς, – 'With a fair wind.' But what meaning can be attached to this phrase here? 'Will run a straight course to the bottom'? or, 'Will have a fair voyage, and then sink'? The former is nonsensical, and in the latter the oxymoron has no such point as in O. Τ. 423, ἄνορμον εἰσέπλευσας, εὐπλοίας τυχών. Or, if it is proposed to render, 'After once having had prosperity, will run on and founder in the depths,' the introduction of the participle is inconsistent with this use of ἐξ, for which, however, cp. Thuc. 1. 120, ἐξ εἰρήνης πολεμεῖν.

Lobeck says on this verse, 'Perquam apte hoc Menelaus dicit ex Spartanorum institutis, qui Timoris aedem consecraverunt juxta triclinium Ephororum, τὴν πολιτείαν μάλιστα συνέχεσθαι φόβῳ νομίζοντες, Plutarch. V. Cleom. c. 9. 808 D.' The words of Pericles in Thuc. 2. 37 (quoted on l. 1079, supr.), would rather show that this part of Menelaus' speech reflects the feelings of the 'party of order' at Athens. The coryphaeus ( infr. 1091) approves of the general tenor of the speech. For ἑστάτω, of a fixed sentiment, cp. Thuc. 3. 9, τὸ .. καθεστός.

δρῶντες ἂν ἡδώμεθα] Sc. δρῶντες.

ἂν λυπώμεθα] Sc. ἀποτίνοντες. For the mood, which is here partly due to the parallelism of ἡδώμεθα, cp. O. C. 190 (according to one reading), ἵν᾽ ἂν εἴπωμεν. It may be explained as an instance of prolepsis, a consequence being treated as a condition. The first person is idiomatic, i.e. 'Let not men think.'

ταῦτα] τὸ ἥδεσθαι καὶ τὸ τίνειν, 'These things go by turns.' i. e. pleasure brings pain. In the following lines he returns from general reflections to the case in point.

γνώμας ὑποστήσας σοφάς] 'After laying a ground-work of wise maxims.' Cp. Pind. Pyth. 4. 241-3, πραὺν δ' Ἰάσων | μαλθακᾷ φωνᾷ ποτιστάζων ὅαρον | βάλλετο κρηπίδα σοφῶν ἐπέων. This line has no caesura.

'Proceed thereupon to be guilty of insolence towards the dead.' For ἐν θανοῦσιν ὑβριστής, cp. infr. 1315, ἐν ἐμοὶ θρασύς.

τοιαῦθ᾽ ἁμαρτάνουσιν.. ἔπη] 'Are guilty of such sinful utterance.' ἔπη is a cognate accusative similar to infr. 1107, 8, τὰ σέμν᾽ ἔπη | κόλαζ᾽ ἐκείνους. ἐν λόγοις is pleonastic, and simply means, 'When they speak.'

σύ has a strong emphasis: 'Do you profess to have brought Ajax hither as an ally to the Achaeans?' The word ἄγειν in supr. 1053 was offensive to Teucer.

ποῦ.. οἴκοθεν] 'Where is your right to command Ajax? or where is your authority to lord it over the troops he led from home?' The adverb of place is transferred to express a logical relation, 'Where do you command?' i. e. 'Show me the ground on which you do so.'

The apparent violation of the Porsonic pause in this line may be remedied by reading ἤγαγ᾽ οἴκοθεν with Pal. (see v. rr.) In that case ὧν is genitive by attraction, for τούτων, οὕς. But just as there are lines without caesura, so there are several instances of this exception to the rule of the cretic. And, as Elmsley suggested, the elision, by forbidding a pause, may have made the exception possible.

This line, like supr. 861, would find an echo in Athenian national sentiment.

οὐδ᾽ ἔσθ' ὅπου] 'Nor is there any ground on which.' Cp. supr. l. 1100 and note.

ἀρχῆς ἔκειτο θεσμός] 'Right of command existed.' The past tense refers to the lifetime of Ajax.

ἄλλων] i. e. of Agamemnon. ὅλων may be either masculine or neuter, (1) 'Of all the troops,' or (2) 'Of the whole expedition.' Parallels for both are quoted by Lobeck. The first seems the more probable. In this case the plural is equivalent to a collective word, τοῦ στρατοῦ ὅλου, and this may justify the use of ὅλων for πάντων.

ὥστ᾽ Αίαντος ἡγεῖσθαί ποτε] This petulant iteration, however natural, is somewhat beneath the level of tragic dignity which is maintained throughout the earlier part of the play. ποτέ, as in supr. 183, οὔ ποτε, gives absoluteness to the denial. 'That could never be!'

ὧνπερ ἄρχεις ἄρχε] ‘Exercise command on those over whom you have command.'

εἴτε μὴ σὺ φής] i. e. εἴτε σὺ μὴ φής.

δικαίως] 'Rightly,' i.e. 'Abating nothing of what is due to him.'

ὥσπερ οἱ πόνου πολλοῦ πλέῳ] 'Like those poor men who are consumed with toil;' i. e. the Argive soldiery, who are subject to the behests of the Atreidae. In pitying the men under their command, Teucer conveys his scorn both of the meanness and the tyrannical disposition of the two generals, and also his pride in the independence shown by Ajax and himself. Cp. Il. 9. 348, ἢ μὲν δὴ μάλα πολλὰ πονήσατο νόσφιν ἐμεῖο: supr. 637, πολυπόνων ᾿Αχαιῶν.

Ajax served, not because Helen was Menelaus' wife, but because of his oath to her father Tyndareus. Cp. Thuc. 1. 9, τοῖς Τυνδάρεω ὅρκοις κατειλημμένους.

σοῦ δ᾽ οὐδέν] This angry repetition (cp. supr. 1106) resumes more explicitly what was implied in σῆς, l. 1111. οὐ γὰρ .. τοὺς μηδένας] For ἀξιοῦν with the accusative only, cp. Eur. Heracl. 918 (lyr.), ὦ Ὑμέναιε, δισσοὺς | παῖδας Διὸς ἠξίωσας. τοὺς μηδένας] Not οὐδένας, because the expression is general, i.e. hypothetical, — εἰ μηδένες εἴησαν.

Menelaus came attended by a single herald.

τὸν στρατηγόν] 'The generalissimo.' In supr. 1109, to depreciate Agamemnon, Teucer put the two generals on a par: here, to depreciate Menelaus, he makes Agamemnon supreme. τοῦ.. σοῦ ψόφου] 'For any noise of thine.' Cp. Eur. Hipp. 1224-6, οὔτε ναυκλήρου χερὸς | οὔθ' ἱπποδέσμων .. | μεταστρέφουσαι.

οὐκ ἂν στραφείην] 'I will not turn this way or that.' ὡς ἂν ἧς—οἷός περ εἰ] 'However you may be just what you are.' The sentence ends, parà prosdokían, after leading the hearer to expect some word like βασιλικός ('However kingly you may be'). Instead of that, Teucer substitutes οἷός περ εἶ, “A man like Menelaus, and nothing more.' Cp. Shak. Ham. 3. 2, 'We shall obey, were she ten times our mother.' For ὡς ἄν, see E. on L. § 28. p. 47, 4 a.

οὐδ᾽ αὖ] The Chorus contrast their present speech with supr. 1091, 2.

'For hard words irritate, however deserved they may be.'

Teucer's craft in archery was not that of an ordinary bowman. Cp. Phil. 1056, 7, ἐπεὶ πάρεστι μὲν | Τεύκρος παρ' ἡμῖν, τηνδ᾽ ἐπιστήμην ἔχων. The feeling which gave importance to the science of archery accorded with the original legend. Cp. Il. 13. 313, 4, Τεῦκρός θ᾽ ὡς ἄριστος᾿ Ἀχαιῶν | τοξοσύνῃ. Here, in speaking of what is ἔξω τοῦ μυθεύματος, contemporary feeling, which held archers cheap, is allowed to have its way.

σοί γ᾽ ὡπλισμένῳ] Sc. ὥστε ἀντίπαλος εἶναι.

'What courageous anger lives in thy tongue!' τὸν θυμόν, sc. τὸν ἐν τῇ γλώσσῃ ἐνόντα. Cp. Milton, Samson Agonistes, 1181, 'Tongue-doughty Giant.'

τόνδ᾽ εὐτυχεῖν κτείναντά με] 'That all should go smoothly with the man here who contrived my death.' The use of the aorist in this conative sense is a rhetorical exaggeration. The continuous tense is so used in O. C. 992, 3, εἴ τις σε τὸν δίκαιον αὐτίκ᾽ ἐνθάδε | κτείνοι παραστάς, κ.τ.λ., where see note.

τῷδε δ᾽ οἴχομαι] See above, l. 970, and note.

'Am I the man who would quarrel with divine law?'

'If you come and prevent the burial of the dead.' οὐκ is permissible, because οὐκ ἐᾷς is one word, and the supposition emphatically points to the fact, 'If, as you do.'

The use of αὑτοῦ for ἐμαυτοῦ here is justified by the generality of the expression, — 'In the case of one's enemy,' and prepares the way for the abstract statement, οὐ γὰρ καλόν.

Menelaus has sought to justify his action by applying to Ajax the word πολέμιος, which properly applies only to an enemy of the state. But he has not the courage to follow this up by showing that Ajax was a public enemy.

'Yes, because you were convicted of having cheated him by manufacturing votes.'

'He met with this reverse through the action of the court and not through mine.' τόδε, sc. τὸ σφάλμα. Cp. Pind. Nem. 8. 45, κρυφίαισι γὰρ ἐν ψάφοις Ὀδυσσῆ Δαναοὶ θεράπευσαν.

The gloss on καλῶς, ἀντὶ τοῦ ἐμπείρως, both supports the reading of L pr., and accounts for the corruption by showing that καλῶς was felt to require explanation. The alliteration of κ, λ, is perhaps suggestive of wily subtlety. For καλῶς.. κακά, cp. O. T. 1396, κάλλος κακῶν ὕπουλον.

'That speech tends to some one's hurt.' For τινί, implying σοί, cp. especially Ant. 751, θανοῦσ᾽ ὀλεῖ τινά.

οὐ μᾶλλον (ἀνίαν ἕξομεν), ἢ λυπήσομεν (σε). ὡς ἔοικεν] The threat of Menelaus, l. 1138, shows that he is stung.

τεθάψεται] The future perfect has a peremptory effect.

These two speeches are obviously antiphonal or antistrophic in a general sense, and yet the latter exceeds the former by a line. This may warn us against requiring exact antistrophic correspondence in other iambic passages, where the absence of it has occasioned doubt.

τὸ πλεῖν] For the article with the epexegetic infinitive, cp. O. T. 1416, 17, πάρεσθ᾽ ὅδε | Κρέων τὸ πράσσειν καὶ τὸ βουλεύειν.

For ἂν reduplicated, see Essay on L. § 27. p. 46 e. In the present instance it adds liveliness to φθέγμα, which is to be taken closely with, i.e. ᾧ φθέγμα γενόμενον ἂν οὐκ ἂν εὗρες. ἐνεῦρες has been conjectured, but this compound is not found elsewhere, and no change is needed.

παρέχειν is used absolutely with dative and infinitive, as frequently in Plato. The expression is proverbial: cp. Plato, Theaet. 191 Α, ἐὰν δὲ πάντῃ ἀπορήσωμεν, ταπεινωθέντες, οἶμαι, τῷ λόγῳ παρέξομεν ὡς ναυτιῶντες πατεῖν τε καὶ χρῆσθαι ὅ τι ἂν βούληται.

The second accusative, τὴν πολλὴν βοήν, is added as a resumption of καὶ τὸ σὸν λάβρον στόμα, which is a sort of 'pendent' accusative.

Teucer, in replying to Menelaus, retains the form of allegory; but, instead of seeking for an illustration, puts the case as it stands, thus more openly expressing his scorn.

ἄνολβον] The same indissoluble association between unhappiness and wickedness appears in the use of δύστηνος, infr. 1290, and in μελέοις ᾿Ατρείδαις, supr. 621. Cf. also O. T. 888, δυσπότμου χάριν χλιδᾶς. For the addition of παρών, cp. supr. 1131.

μῶν ἠνιξάμην] ‘Is my riddle hard to read?' As was said in note on supr. 1150, Teucer does not care to disguise his contempt.

ᾧ.. παρῇ] The reading πάρα is unobjectionable, but is perhaps due to the supposition εἰ πύθοιτό τις, which refers to the particular case:—some early scholar having felt an incongruity in the fusion of general and particular, which is however quite in keeping with the language of the age of Pericles.

The anapaests accompany the exit of Menelaus. The Chorus express their apprehension of what may follow this, viz. the coming of Agamemnon, who, both from his character and position, is more formidable. ἔριδος .. ἀγών] So in Trach. 20, ἀγῶνα μάχης.

κοίλην κάπετον] This phrase, belonging to the Epic commonplace, is repeated infr. 1403. τινά, i. e. πού, 'somewhere.' For this adverbial use of the indefinite pronoun, see Essay on L. § 22. p. 36, 4. ἰδεῖν] · 'To look out,' 'provide.' For this use of ὁρᾶν, cp. Od. 8. 443, αὐτὸς νῦν ἴδε πῶμα: Theocr. 15. 2, ὅρη δίφρον, Εὐνόα, αὐτῷ: Phil. 843, τάδε μὲν θεὸς ὄψεται. So, also in Elizabethan English, 'to look' sometimes means 'to look for,' e.g. Shakespeare, Merry Wives of Windsor, 4. 2, 79, 'Mistress Page and I will look some linen for your head.'

βροτοῖς] 'In the eyes of men.' A dative of remote reference in loose construction with the words which follow, and also to be resumed with ἀείμνηστον. See Essay on L. § 13. p. 19. and cp. especially El. 1066, ὦ χθονία βροτοῖσι φάμα. For the position of the article, cp. Trach. 872, Ἡρακλεῖ τὸ πόμπιμον. τὸν ἀείμνηστον] 'Of unfading renown.' The expression (with the article) is proleptic, and reminds the spectator that the fame of Ajax is eternal.

εὐρώεντα] 'Mouldering,' or 'darksome,' an epithet recalling the natural horror of the grave. Whether to Sophocles, as to Oppian and Nonnus afterwards, the word conveyed the association of 'roomy,' 'wide-vaulted,' may be left an open question. See L. and S. s. ν. εὐρώεις.

περιστελοῦντε] Το 'care for.' The verb is used much as in Ant. 903, δέμας περιστέλλουσα.

The child clinging to his dead father would be as inviolable as a suppliant clinging to an altar. Cp. Aesch. Cho. 106, αἰδουμένη σοι βωμὸν ὡς τύμβον πατρός: ib. 336, 7, τάφος δ᾽ ἱκέτας δέδεκται | φυγάδας θ' ὁμοίως.

προστρόπαιος is a more solemn and formal word than ἱκέτης. The formality of the supplication would be marked by the locks of hair cut off in token of mourning for the dead, which Eurysaces is to hold in his hand.

Cp. El. 448-50, σὺ δὲ | τεμοῦσα κρατὸς βοστρύχων ἄκρας φόβας | κἀμοῦ ταλαίνης, κ.τ.λ. For τρίτου, cp. O. C. 8, and note.

ἱκτήριον θησαυρόν] ‘A suppliant store,' i. e. a sacred deposit having virtue for the purpose of supplication. στρατοῦ] Here and supr. 1044 the rest of the army seems to be opposed to the men of Salamis.

κακὸς κακῶς] The tautology belongs to the formal solemnity of the oath. Cp. O. T. 219, 20, and note.

γένους . . ἐξημημένος] 'Having cut off from him all issue.' Here, and in Ant. 600, ῥίζα seems to mean the germ of a branch rather than the root of a tree. Teucer's prayer is that his enemy may die childless, and that his body may lie unburied, as it were banished from the 'lap of earth.' Cp. Isaiah 14. 19, 'But thou art cast out of thy grave as an abominable branch: as a carcase trodden under foot.' Or it may also mean 'denied burial in his own land.'

αὐτόν] Sc. τὸν νέκρον.

ἔχου] Cp. Hdt. 4. 22, καὶ ὁ κύων ἔχεται.

ὑμεῖς τε.. ἀρήγετ'] 'And do not ye stand by like women, but defend him like men.'

ἔς τ᾽ ἐγὼ μόλω .. τῷδε] 'Until I return after caring for his burial.' The stress on the participle is no objection to this reading; and μολεῖν has often the sense of 'to return.' κἂν μηδεὶς ἐᾷ] 'Though all men forbid me.' For this expression, cp. Phil. 443, 4, ὅπου | μηδεὶς ἐῴη.

The rhythm of the following stasimon is largely choriambic, and is expressive of restless impatience. The metrical scheme is the following...

'When shall be the end, and what the number of the restless years of exile?' ἐς πότε λήξει is rather an amplification than a parenthesis. The simpler expression would be either τίς νέατος ἔσται ἀριθμός, or, ἐς πότε λήξει ὁ ἀριθμός. But νέατος is already redundant, and this gives rise to the further expansion. πολυπλάγκτων is put by hypallage or condensation for τοῦ ἐμὲ πολλὰ πλαγχθῆναι, sc. ἀπ᾿ οἴκου.

The corruption of the word δορυσσοήτων into δορυσσόντων in most MSS. is natural enough, although there is no such participle, and the adjective, which is more expressive as well as more rhythmical, agrees in metre with the antistrophe.

ἀν᾿ ἀερώδεα Τρωΐαν, G. Wolff's conjecture, founded on the scholion σκοτεινὴν καὶ ἀερώδη τοῖς Ἕλλησι, at least gives a possible sense and meaning. The contrast between the misty Hellespont and the bright air of Salamis and Athens is a natural topic of complaint. Cp. infr. 1208, 9, ἀεὶ πυκιναῖς δρόσοις | τεγγόμενος κόμας. Although Τρωΐα for Τροία does not occur elsewhere in Sophocles, it is acknowledged as the Pindaric form (Schndw. Pind. Ol. 2. 145). The interpolation ἀνὰ τάν may be partly due to ἄταν preceding. (Hermann thinks εὐρώδη sound, in the sense of εὐρεῖαν, —'wide,' and so 'desolate,'—but admits that either strophe or antistrophe is corrupt. Dind. reads, ἀν᾿ εὐρώδη Τροίαν, altering the antistrophe. Seyffert's conj., ἄνατον εὐρυεδεῖ Τροίᾳ, 'Doing no harm to broad-based Troy,' is very ingenious.)

ὄνειδος is either (1) in apposition with the whole sentence; or (2) with Τρωΐαν.

πρότερον] Sc. ἢ δεῖξαι .. Ἄρη. αἰθέρα δῦναι μέγαν] As Linwood observed, the idea of going away into the ether occurs again in Phil. 1092 foll., ἴθ' αἰθέρος ἄνω | πτωκάδες ὀξυτόνου διὰ πνεύματος | ἕλωσί μ'. Cp. also Phil. 814, 15, ἐκεῖσε νῦν μ', ἐκεῖσε. ΝΕ. ποῖ λέγεις; ΦΙ. ἄνω | ΝΕ. τί παραφρονεῖς αὖ; τί τὸν ἄνω λεύσσεις κύκλον; and the inscription over the dead who fell at Potidaea in B.C. 432, αἰθὴρ μὲμ ψυχὰς ὑπεδέξατο, κ.τ.λ.

ὅπλων.. κοινὸν Ἄρη] Either (1), laying the chief stress on ὅπλων, 'The combined warfare that depends upon the use of armour,' i. e. 'the use of armour that made combined warfare possible.' For this descriptive genitive, cp. especially El. 19, ἄστρων . . εὐφρόνη ('Night adorned with stars;' or, 'The stars that adorn the night'). Or (2), with the stress on κοινόν, 'The art of forming hostile confederacies in hateful arms.'

A short syllable here answers to the long first syllable of ἄταν in the strophe, unless we read Ἕλλασιν, which is unnecessary.

'O toil that was the parent of toil!' i. e. The toil of invention was the first parent of other toils.

ἐκεῖνος οὐ... ὁμιλεῖν] 'He has cut me off from the joyous fellowship of chaplets and deep draughts from the cup.' The negatives have a privative force, as in οὐ φάναι, οὐκ ἐᾶν, etc. ὁμιλεῖν, sc. ὥστε ἐμὲ ὁμιλεῖν τοῖς στεφάνοις καὶ ταῖς κύλιξιν. The κύλιξ was a shallow vessel, and the epithet properly applies not to the goblet, but to the draughts of wine from it.

Ajax. Lewis Campbell. ed. Lewis Campbell. Oxford. 1879.

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

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Αἴας μαστιγοφόρος First1KGreek (Sophocles. Sophoclis Aiax. Lobeck Christian, editor. Berlin: Weidmann, 1866.) — 1161-1196 focus

str. 1

ΧΟΡΟΣ

1185 Τις ἄρα νέατος; ἐς πότε λήξει

πολυπλάγκτων ἐτέων ἀριθμὸς,

τὰν ἄπαυστον αἰὲν ἐμοὶ

δορυσσόντων μόχθων

ἄταν ἐπάγων
1165

1190 ἀνὰ τὰν εὐρώδη Τροίαν.

δύστανον ὄνειδος

ant. 1

ὄφελε πρότερον αἰθέρα δῦναι

μέγαν ἢ τὸν πολύκοινον Ἅιδαν

κεῖνος ἀνὴρ, ὃς στυγερῶν

1170

1195 ἔδειξ’ ὅπλων Ἕλλα-

σιν κοινὸν Ἄρη.

ὦ πόνοι πρόγονοι πόνων.

κεῖνος γὰρ ἔπερσεν ἀνθρώπους.

str. 2

ΧΟΡΟΣ

2

ἐκεῖνος οὐ στεφάνων,
1175

1200 οὔτε βαθειᾶν κυλίκων

νεῖμεν ἐμοὶ τέρψιν ὁμιλεῖν,

οὔτε γλυκὺν αὐλῶν ὄτοβον,

δύςμορος, οὔτ’ ἐννυχίαν

τέρψιν ἰαύειν· ἐρώτων δ’
1180

1205 ἐρώτων ἀπέπαυσεν, ὤ μοι!

κεῖμαι δ’ ἀμέριμνος οὕτως,

ἀεὶ πυκιναῖς δρόσοις

τεγγόμενος κόμας,

λυγρᾶς μνήματα Τροίας. 1210
1185

ant. 2

ΧΟΡΟΣ

2

Καὶ πρὶν μὲν ἐννυχίου

δείματος ἦν μοι προβολὰ

καὶ βελέων θούριος Αἴας·

νῦν δ’ οὗτος ἀνεῖται στυγερῷ

δαίμονι· τίς μοι, τίς ἔτ’ οὖν 1215
1190

τέρψις ὲπέσται,- γενοίμαν,

ἵν’ ὑλᾶεν ἔπεστι πόντου

πρόβλημ’ ἁλίκλυστον, ἄκραν

1220 ὑπὸ πλάκα Σουνίου,

τὰς ἱερὰς ὅπως
1195

προςείποιμ’ ἂν Ἀθανᾶς.

ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ

Καὶ μὴν ἰδὼν ἔσπευσα τὸν στρατηλάτην

Ἀγαμέμνον’ ἡμῖν δεῦρο τόνδ’ ὁρμώμενον·

1225 δῆλος δὲ μοὐστὶ σκαιὸν ἐκλύσων στόμα.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ

Σὲ δὴ τὰ δεινὰ ῥήματ’ ἀγγέλλουσι μοι
1200

τλῆναι καθ’ ἡμῶν ὧδ’ ἀνοιμωκτεὶ χανεῖν;

σέ τοι, τὸν ἐκ τῆς αἰχμαλωτίδος λέγω.

ἦ που τραφεὶς ἂν μητρὸς εὐγενοῦς ἄπο

1230 ὑψήλ’ ἐκόμπεις, κἀπ’ ἄκρων ὡδοιπόρεις,

ὅτ’ οὐδὲν ὢν τοῦ μηδὲν ἀντέστης ὕπερ.
1205

κοὔτε στρατηγοὺς οὔτε ναυάρχους μολεῖν

ἡμᾶς Ἀχαιῶν οὔτε σοῦ διωμόσω,

ἀλλ’ αὐτὸς ἄρχων, ὡς σὺ φῂς, Αἴας ἔπλει.

1235 ταῦτ’ οὐκ ἀκούειν μεγάλα πρὸς δούλων κακά;

ποίου κέκραγας ἀνδρὸς ὧδ’ ὑπέρφρονα;
1210

ποῦ βάντος ἢ ποῦ στάντος, οὗπερ οὐκ ἐγώ;

οὐκ ἆρ’ Ἀχαιοῖς ἄνδρες εἰσὶ, πλὴν ὅδε;

πικροὺς ἔοιγμεν τῶν Ἀχιλλείων ὅπλων

1240 ἀγῶνας Ἀργείοισι κηρύξαι τότε,

εἰ πανταχοῦ φανούμεθ’ ἐκ Τεύκρου κακοὶ,
1215

κοὐκ ἀρκέσει ποθ’ ὑμὶν, οὐδ’ ἡσσημένοις,

εἴκειν ἅ τοῖς πολλοῖσιν ἤρεσκεν κριταῖς.

ἀλλ’ αἰὲν ἡμᾶς ἢ κακοῖς βαλεῖτέ που,

1245 ἢ σὺν δόλῳ κεντήσεθ’ οἱ λελειμμένοι.

ἐκ τῶνδε μέντοι τῶν τρόπων οὐκ ἄν ποτε
1220

κατάστασις γένοιτ’ ἂν οὐδενὸς νόμου,

εἰ τοὺς δίκη νικῶντας ὲξωθήσομεν

καὶ τοὺς ὄπισθεν εἰς τὸ πρόσθεν ἄξομεν.

1250 ἀλλ’ εἰρκτέον τάδ’ ἐστίν· οὐ γὰρ οἱ πλατεῖς,

οὐδ’ εὐρύνωτοι φῶτες ἀσφαλέστατοι,
1225

ἀλλ’ οἱ φρονοῦντες εὖ κρατοῦσι πανταχοῦ.

μέγας δὲ πλευρὰ βοῦς ὑπὸ σμικρᾶς ὅμως

μάστιγος ὀρθὸς εἰς ὁδὸν πορεύεται.

1255 καὶ σοὶ προςέρπον τοῦτ’ ὲγὼ τὸ φάρμακον

ὁρῶ τάχ , εἰ μὴ νοῦν κατακτήσει τινά.
1230

ὃς ἀνδρὸς οὐκέτ’ ὄντος, ἀλλ’ ἤδη σκιᾶς,

θαρσῶν ὑβρίζεις κἀξελευὅεροστομεῖς.

οὐ ὅωφρονήσεις; οὐ μαὅὼν ὃς εἶ φύσιν,

1260 ἄλλον τιν’ ἄξεις ἄνδρα δεὖρ’ ἐλεύθερον,

ὅστις πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἀντὶ σοῦ λέξει τὰ σά;
1235

σοῦ γὰρ λέγοντος οὐκέτ’ ἂν μάθοιμ’ ἐγώ·

τὴν βάρβαρον γὰρ γλῶσσαν οὐκ ἐπαίω.

ΧΟΡΟΣ

εἴθ’ ὑμὶν ἀμφοῖν νοῦς γένοιτο σωφρονεῖν!

1265 τούτου γὰρ οὐδὲν σφῷν ἔχω λῷον φράσαι.

ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ

φεῦ! τοῦ θανόντος ὡς ταχεῖά τις βροτοῖς
1240

χάρις διαρρεῖ καὶ προδοῦσ’ ἁλίσκεται,

εἰ σοῦ γ’ ὅδ’ ἁνὴρ οὐδ’ ἐπὶ σμικρῶν λόγων,

Αἴας, ἔτ’ ἴσχει μνῆστιν, οὗ σὺ πολλάκις

1270 τὴν σὴν προτείνων προὔκαμες ψυχὴν δορί.

ἀλλ’ οἴχεται δὴ πάντα ταὖτ’ ἐῤῥιμμἐνα.
1245

ὦ πολλὰ λέξας ἄρτι κἀνόνητ’ ἔπη,

οὐ μνημονεύεις οὐκέτ’ οὐδὲν, ἡνίκα

ἑρκέων ποθ’ ὑμᾶς οὗτος ὲγκεγλεισμένους,

1275 ἤδη τὸ μηδὲν ὄντας ἐν τροπῇ δορὸς,

ἐῤῥύσατ’ ἐλθὼν μοῦνος· ἀμφὶ μὲν νεῶν
1250

ἄκροισιν ἤδη ναυτικοῖς ἑδωλίοις

πυρὸς φλέγοντος, εἰς δὲ ναυτικὰ σκάφη

πηδῶντος ἄρδην Ἕκτορος τάφρων ὕπερ;

1280 τίς ταῦτ’ ἀπεῖρξεν; οὐχ ὅδ’ ἢν ὁ δρῶν τάδε,

ὃν οὐδαμοῦ φὴς οὐδὲ συμβῆναι ποδί;
1255

ἆρ’ ὑμὶν οὗτος ταῦτ’ ἔδρασεν ἔνδικα;

χὤτ’ αὖθις αὐτός Ἕκτορος μόνος μόνου,

λαχών τε κἀκέλευστος, ἦλθ’ ἐναντίος,

1285 οὐ δραπέτην τὸν κλῆρον ἐς μέσον καθεὶς

ὑγράς ἀρούρας βῶλον, ἀλλ’ ὅς εὐλόφου
1260

κυνῆς ἔμελλε πρῶτος ἅλμα κουφιεῖν;

ὅδ’ ἦν ὁ πράσσων ταῦτα, σὺν δ’ ἐγὼ παρὼν

ὁ δοῦλος, οὑκ τῆς βαρβάρου μητρὸς γεγώς.

1290 δύστηνε, ποῖ βλέπων ποτ’ αὐτὰ καὶ θροεῖς;

οὐκ οἶσθα, σοῦ πατρὸς μὲν ὅς προὔφυ πατὴρ,
1265

ἀρχαῖον ὄντα Πέλοπα βάρβαρον Φρύγα;

Ἀτρέα δ’, ὅς αὖ σ’ ἔσπειρε, δυςσεβἐστατον,

προθἐντ’ ἀδελφῷ δεῖπνον οἰκείων τέκνων;

1295 αὐτὸς δὲ μητρὸς ἐξέφυς Κρήσσης, ἐφ’ ᾗ

λαβὼν ἐπακτὸν ἄνδρ’ ὁ φιτύσας πατὴρ
1270

ἐφῆκεν ἐλλοῖς ἰχθύσιν διαφθοράν.

τοιοῦτος ὢν τοιῷδ’ ὀνειδίζεις σποράν;

ὅς ἐκ πατρὸς μέν εἰμι Τελαμῶνος γεγὼς,

1300 ὅστις στρατοῦ τὰ πρὥτ’ ἀριστεύσας ἐμὴν

ἴσχει ξύνευνον μητέρ’, ἣ φύσει μὲν ἦν
1275

βασίλεια, Λαομέδοντος; ἔκκριτον δέ νιν

δώρημ’ ἐκείνῳ ’δῶκεν Ἀλκμήνης γόνος.

ἆρ’ ὧδ’ ἄριστος ἐξ ἀριστέοιν δυοῖν

1305 βλαστὼν ἂν αἰσχύνοιμι τοὺς πρὸς αἵματος;

οὓς νῦν σὺ τοιοῖςδ’ ὲν πόνοισι κειμένους
1280

ὠθεῖς ἀθάπτους, οὐδ’ ἐπαισχύνει λέγων;

εὖ νῦν τόδ’ ἴσθι, τοῦτον εἰ βαλεῖτέ που,

βαλεῖτε χἠμᾶς, τρεῖς ὁμοῦ ξυγκειμἐνους.

1310 ἐπεὶ καλόν μοι τοῦδ’ ὑπερπονουμένῳ

θανεῖν προδήλως μᾶλλον ἢ τῆς σῆς ὑπὲρ
1285

γυναικὸς, ἢ τοῦ σοῦ θ’ ὁμαίμονος λέγω,

πρὸς ταῦθ’, ὅρα μὴ τοὐμὸν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ σόν.

ὡς εἴ με πημανεῖς τι, βουλήσει ποτὲ

1315 καὶ δειλὸς εἶναι μᾶλλον, ἡ ’ν ἐμοὶ θρασύς.

ΧΟΡΟΣ

Ἄναξ Ὀδυσσεῦ, καιρὸν ἴσθ’ ἐληλυθὼς,
1290

εἰ μὴ ξυνάψων, ἀλλὰ συλλύσων πάρει.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

Τί δ’ ἔστιν, ἄνδρες; τηλόθεν γὰρ ᾐσθόμην

βοὴν Ἀτρειδῶν τῷδ’ ἐπ’ ἀλκίμῳ νεκρῷ.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ

1320 Οὐ γὰρ κλύοντές ἐσμεν αἰσχίστους λόγους,

ἄναξ Ὀδυσσεῦ, τοῦδ’ ὑπ’ ἀνδρὸς ἀρτίως;
1295

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

Ποίους; ἐγὼ γὰρ ἀνδρὶ συγγνώμην ἔχω

κλύοντι φλαῦρα, συμβαλεῖν ἔπη κακά.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ

ἤκουσεν αἰσχρὰ, δρῶν γὰρ ἦν τοιαῦτά με.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

Τί γάρ σ’ ἔδρασεν, ὥστε καὶ βλάβην ἔχειν;

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ

Οὔ φησ’ ἐάσειν τόνδε τὸν νεκρὸν ταφῆς
1300

ἄμοιρον, ἀλλὰ πρὸς βίαν θάψειν ἐμοῦ.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

ἐξεστιν οὖν εἰπόντι τἀληθῆ φίλῳ,

σοὶ μηδὲν ἧσσον ἢ πάρος ξυνηρετεῖν;

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ

1330 εἴπ’· ἦ γὰρ εἴην οὐκ ἂν εὖ φρονῶν, ἐπεὶ

φίλον σ’ ἐγὼ μέγιστον Ἀργείων νέμω.
1305

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

Ἄκουέ νυν· τὸν ἄνδρα τόνδε, πρὸς θεῶν,

μὴ τλῇς ἄθαπτον ὧδ’ ἀναλγήτως βαλεῖν·

μηδ’ ἡ βία σε μηδαμῶς νικησάτω

1335 τοσόνδε μισεῖν, ὥστε τὴν δίκην πατεῖν.

κἀμοὶ γὰρ ἦν ποθ’ οὗτος ἔχθιστος στρατοῦ,
1310

ἐξ οὗ ’κράτησα τῶν Ἀχιλλείων ὅπλων.

ἀλλ’ αὐτὸν ἔμπας ὄντ’ ἐγὼ τοιόνδ’ ἐμοὶ,

οὔκουν ἀτιμάσαιμ’ ἂν, ὥστε μὴ λέγειν

1340 ἕν’ ἄνδρ’ ἰδεῖν ἄριστον Ἀργείων, ὅσοι

Τροίαν ἀφικόμεσθα, πλὴν Ἀχιλλέως.
1315

ὥστ’ οὐκ ἂν ὲνδίκως γ’ ἀτιμάζοιτό σοι.

οὐ γάρ τι τοῦτον, ἀλλὰ τοὺς θεῶν νόμους

φθείροις ἄν· ἄνδρα δ’ οὐ δίκαιον, εἰ θάνοι,

1345 βλάπτειν τὸν ἐσθλὸν, οὐδ’ ἐὰν μισῶν κυρῇς.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ

Σὺ ταῦτ’, Ὀδυσσεῦ, τοῦδ’ ὑπερμαχεῖς ἐμοί;
1320

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

ἔγωγ’· ἐμίσουν δ’, ὴνίκ’ ἦν μισεῖν καλόν.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ

Οὐ γὰρ θανόντι καὶ προςεμβἡναί σε χρή;

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

μὴ χαῖρ’, Ἀτρείδη, κέρδεσιν τοῖς μὴ καλοῖς.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ

1350 Τόν τοι τύραννον εὐσεβεῖν οὐ ῥᾴδιον.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

Ἀλλ’ εὖ λέγουσι τοῖς φίλοις τιμὰς νέμειν.
1325

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ

Κλύειν τὸν ἐσθλὸν ἄνδρα χρὴ τῶν ὲν τέλει.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

Παῦσαι· κρατεῖς τοι τῶν φίλων νικώμενος.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ

Μέμνησ’ ὁποίῳ φωτὶ τὴν χάριν δίδως.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

1350 Ὁδ’ ἐχθρὸς ‘ἀνὴρ, ἀλλὰ γενναῖος ποτ’ ἦν.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ

τί ποτε ποιήσεις; ἐχθρὸν ὧδ’ αἰδῇ νέκυν;
1330

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

Νίκᾳ γὰρ ἡ ’ρετή με τῆς ἔχθρας πολύ.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ

Τοιοίδε μέντοι φῶτες ἔμπληκτοι βροτοῖς,

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

ἦ κάρτα πολλοὶ νῦν φίλοι καὖθις πικροί.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ

1360 Τοιούςδ’ ἐπαινεῖς δῆτα σὺ κτάσθαι φίλους;

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

Σκληρὰν ἐπαινεῖν οὐ φιλῶ ψυχὴν ἐγώ.
1335

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ

Ἡμᾶς σὺ δειλοὺς τῇδε θἠμέρᾳ φανεῖς.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

Ἄνδρας μὲν οὖν Ἕλλησι πᾶσιν ἐνδίκους.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ

Ἄνωγας οὖν με τὸν νεκρὸν θάπτειν ἐᾷν.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

1365 ἔγωγε· καὶ γὰρ αὐτὸς ὲνθάδ’ ἵζομαι.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ

ἦ πάνθ’ ὁμοῖα πᾶς ἀνὴρ αὑτῷ πονεῖ.
1340

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

Τῷ γάρ με μᾶλλον εἰκὸς ἢ ’μαυτῷ πονεῖν;

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ

Σὸν ἆρα τοὖργον, οὐκ ἐμὸν κεκλήσεται.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

Ὡς ἂν ποιήσῃς, πανταχῆ χρηστός γ’ ἔσει.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ

1370 Ἀλλ’ εὖ γε μέντοι τοῦτ’ ἐπίστασ’, ὡς ἐγὼ

σοὶ μὲν νἐμοιμ’ ἂν τἧςδε καὶ μείζω χάριν.
1345

οὗτος δὲ κἀκεῖ κἀνθάδ’ ὢν ἔμοιγ’ ὁμῶς

ἔχθιστος ἔσται· σοὶ δὲ δρᾷν ἔξεσθ’ ἃ χρή.

ΧΟΡΟΣ

ὅστις σ’, Ὀδυσσεῦ, μὴ λέγει γνώμῃ σοφὸν

1375 φῦναι, τοιοῦτον ὄντα, μῶρός ἐστ’ ἀνήρ.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

Καὶ νῦν γε Τεύκρῳ τἀπὸ τοῦδ’ ἀγγέλλομαι,
1350

ὅσον τότ’ ἐχθρὸς ἦν, τοσόνδ’ εἶναι φίλος.

καὶ τὸν θανόντα τόνδε συνθάπτειν θέλω,

καὶ ξυμπονεῖν καὶ μηδὲν ἐλλείπειν, ὅσον

1380 χρὴ τοῖς ἀρίστοις ἀνδράσιν πονεῖν βροτούς.

ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ

Ἄριστ’ Ὀδυσσεῦ, πάντ’ ἔχω σ’ ἐπαινέσαι
1355

λόγοισι· καί μ’ ἔψευσας ἐλπίδος πολύ.

τούτῳ γὰρ ὢν ἔχθιστος Ἀργείων ἀνὴρ,

μόνος παρέστης χερσὶν, οὐδ’ ἔτλης παρὼν

1385 θανόντι τῷδε ζῶν ἐφυβρίσαι μέγα,

ὡς ὁ στρατηγὸς οὑπιβρόντητος μολὼν,
1360

αὐτός τε χὠ ξύναιμος, ἠθελησάτην

λωβητὸν αὐτὸν ὲκβαλεῖν, ταφῆς ἄτερ.

τοιγὰρ σφ’ Ὀλύμπου τοῦδ’ ὁ πρεςβεύων πατὴρ,

1390 μνήμων τ’ Ἐριννὺς καὶ τελεςφόρος Δίκη

κακοὺς κακῶς φθείρειαν, ὥςπερ ἤθελον
1365

τὸν ἄνδρα λώβαις ἐκβαλεῖν ἀναξίως.

σὲ δ’, ὦ γεραιοῦ σπέρμα Λαέρτου πατρὸς,

τάφου μὲν ὀκνῶ τοῦδ’ ὲπιψαυfειν ἐᾷν,

1395 μὴ τῷ θανόντι τοῦτο δυςχερὲς ποιῶ.

τὰ δ’ ἄλλα καὶ ξύμπρασσε, κεἴ τινα στρατοῦ
1370

θέλεις κομίζειν, οὐδὲν ἄλγος ἕξομεν.

ἐγὼ δὲ τἄλλα πάντα πορσυνῶ · σὺ δὲ

ἀνὴρ καθ’ ἡμᾶς ἐσθλὸς ὢν ἐπίστασο.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

1400 Ἀλλ’ ἤθελον μέν’ εἰ δὲ μή ’στί σοι φίλον

πράσσειν τάδ’ ἡμᾶς, εἰμ’ ἐπαινἐσας τὸ σόν.
1375

ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ

Ἅλις · ἤδη γὰρ πολὺς ἐκτέταται

χρόνος· ἀλλ’ οἱ μὲν κοίλην κάπετον

χερσὶ ταχύνετε, τοὶ δ’ ὑψίβατον

1405 τρίποδ’ ἀμφίπυρον λουτρῶν ὁσέων

θέσθ’ ἐπίκαιρον· μία δ’ ἐκ κλισίας
1380

ἀνδρῶν ἴλη τὸν ὑπασπίδιον

κόσμον φερέτω.

Παῖ, σὺ δὲ πατρός γ’, ὅσον ἰσχύεις,

1410 φιλότητι θιγὼν πλευρὰς σὺν ἐμοὶ

τάςδ’ ἐπικούφιζ’· ἔτι γὰρ θερμαὶ
1385

σύριγγες ἄνω φυσῶσι μέλαν

μένος· ἀλλ’ ἄγε πᾶς φίλος ὅστις ἀνὴρ

φησὶ παρεῖναι, σούσθω, βάτω,

1415 τῷδ’ ἀνδρὶ πονῶν τῷ πάντ’ ἀγαθῷ

κοὐδενί πώ ποτε λῴονι θνητῶν
1390

Αἴαντος, ὅτ’ ἦν, τότε φωνῶ.

ΧΟΡΟΣ

ἦ πολλὰ βροτοῖς ἔστιν ἰδοῦσιν γνῶναι·

πρὶν ἰδεῖν δ’, οὐδεὶς μάντις

1420 τῶν μελλόντων ὅ τι πράξει.

Αἴας First1KGreek (Sophocles. Sophoclis Fabulae. Pearson, Alfred Chilton, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1924.) — 1185-1222 focus

str. 1

Χορός

τίς ἄρα νέατος ἐς πότε λή-
1185

ξει πολυπλάγκτων ἐτέων ἀριθμός,

τὰν ἄπαυστον αἰὲν ἐμοὶ δορυσσοή-

των μόχθων ἄταν ἐπάγων

τάνδʼ ἀνʼ εὐρυεδῆ Τροίαν,
1190

δύστανον ὄνειδος Ἑλλάνων;

ὄφελε πρότερον αἰθέρα δῦ-

¹²³⁴⁵⁶⁷⁸

ant. 1

Χορός

ναι μέγαν ἢ τὸν πολύκοινον Ἅιδαν

κεῖνος ἁνήρ, ὃς στυγερῶν ἔδειξεν ὅ-
1195

πλων Ἕλλασιν κοινὸν Ἄρη.

ὦ πόνοι πρόγονοι πόνων.

κεῖνος γὰρ ἔπερσεν ἀνθρώπους.

ἐκεῖνος οὔτε στεφάνων

οὔτε βαθειᾶν κυλίκων
1200

str. 2

Χορός

2

νεῖμεν ἐμοὶ τέρψιν ὁμιλεῖν,

οὔτε γλυκὺν αὐλῶν ὄτοβον

δύσμορος οὔτʼ ἐννυχίαν

τέρψιν ἰαύειν·

ἐρώτων δʼ
1205

ἐρώτων ἀπέπαυσεν, ὤ-

⁹¹⁰¹¹¹²¹³¹⁴¹⁵

μοι. κεῖμαι δʼ ἀμέριμνος οὕ-

τως, ἀεὶ πυκιναῖς δρόσοις

τεγγόμενος κόμας, λυγρᾶς

μνήματα Τροίας.
1210

ant. 2

Χορός

καὶ πρὶν μὲν αἰὲν νυχίου

δείματος ἦν μοι προβολὰ

καὶ βελέων θούριος Αἴας·

νῦν δʼ οὗτος ἀνεῖται στυγερῷ

δαίμονι. τίς μοι, τίς ἔτʼ οὖν
1215

τέρψις ἐπέσται;

γενοίμαν

ἴνʼ ὑλᾶεν ἔπεστι πόν-

του πρόβλημʼ ἁλίκλυστον, ἄ-

κραν ὑπὸ πλάκα Σουνίου,
1220

τὰς ἱερὰς ὅπως προσεί-

ποιμεν Ἀθάνας.

Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 1091 focus

Μενέλαε, μὴ γνώμας ὑποστήσας σοφὰς

εἶτ᾽ αὐτὸς ἐν θανοῦσιν ὑβριστὴς γένῃ.

ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ.

οὐκ ἄν ποτ᾽, ἄνδρες, ἄνδρα θαυμάσαιμ᾽ ἔτι,

ὃς μηδὲν ὢν γοναῖσιν εἶθ᾽ ἁμαρτάνει,

ὅθ᾽ οἱ δοκοῦντες εὐγενεῖς πεφυκέναι
1095

τοιαῦθ᾽ ἁμαρτάνουσιν ἐν λόγοις ἔπη.

ἄγ᾽, εἰπ᾿ εἰπὶ εἴπ' εἶπ' ἀπ᾿ ἀρχῆς αὖθις, ἡ σὺ φὴς ἄγειν

τὸν ἄνδρ᾽ ᾿Αχαιοῖς δεῦρο σύμμαχον λαβών;

οὐκ αὐτὸς ἐξέπλευσεν ὡς αὑτοῦ ἁυτοῦ αὐτὸς κρατῶν κρατών κρατῶν;

ποῦ σὺ στρατηγεῖς τοῦδε; ποῦ δέ σοι λεῶν λαῶν
1100

ἔξεστ᾽ ἀνάσσειν, ὧν᾿ ὅδ᾽ ἡγεῖτ᾽ ὅδ᾽ ἡγεῖσθ᾽ ὅδ᾽ ἡγεῖτ᾽ ὃν ἤγαγ' οἴκοθεν οἴ .. κοθεν;

Σπάρτης ἀνάσσων ἦλθες, οὐχ ἡμῶν κρατῶν.

οὐδ᾽ ἔσθ᾽ ὅπου σοὶ σοι σοι τόνδε κοσμῆσαι πλέον

ἀρχῆς ἔκειτο θεσμὸς ἢ καὶ τῷδε σέ ἢ καὶ τῶιδε σέ εἰ καὶ τοῦδέ σοι.

ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ.

ὕπαρχος ἄλλων δεῦρ᾽ ἔπλευσας, οὐχ ὅλων
1105

στρατηγός, ὥστ᾽ Αἴαντος ἡγεῖσθαί ποτε.

ἀλλ᾽ ὧνπερ ἄρχεις ἄρχε, καὶ τὰ σέμν᾽ ἔπη

κόλαζ᾽ ἐκείνους· τόνδε δ᾽, εἴτε μὴ σὺ φὴς

εἴθ᾽ ἅτερος στρατηγός, εἰς ταφὰς ἐγὼ

θήσω δικαίως, οὐ τὸ σὸν δείσας στόμα.
1110

οὐ γάρ τι τῆς σῆς οἵνεκ᾽ ἐστρατεύσατο

γυναικός, ὥσπερ οἱ πόνου πολλοῦ πλέῳ,

ἀλλ᾽ οὕνεχ᾽ ὅρκων οἶσιν ἣν ἐπώμοτος ἐνώμοτος ἐπώνυμος,

σοῦ δ᾽ οὐδέν· οὐ γὰρ ἠξίου τοὺς μηδένας.

πρὸς ταῦτα πλείους δεῦρο κήρυκας λαβὼν
1115

καὶ τὸν στρατηγὸν ἡκε, τοῦ δὲ σοῦ ψόφου

οὐκ :: οὐκ ἂν στραφείην, ὡς ἂν ᾖς—οἷός περ εἶ.

ΧΟΡΟΣ.

οὐδ᾽ αὖ τοιαύτην γλῶσσαν ἐν κακοῖς φιλῶ.

τὰ σκληρὰ γάρ τοι, κἂν ὑπέρδικ᾽ ᾖ, δάκνει.

ΜΕΝΕΛΑΟΣ.

ὁ τοξότης ἔοικεν οὐ σμικρὸν σμικρὰ μικρὸν φρονεῖν.
1120

ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ.

οὐ γὰρ βάναυσον τὴν τέχνην ἐκτησάμην.

ΜΕΝΕΛΑΟΣ.

μέγ᾽ ἄν τι κομπάσειας, ἀσπίδ᾽ εἰ λάβοις.

ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ.

κἂν ψιλὸς ψιλῶσ ψιλὸσ ἀρκέσαιμι σοί γ᾽ ὡπλισμένῳ.

ΜΕΝΕΛΑΟΣ.

ἡ γλῶσσά σου τὸν θυμὸν ὡς δεινὸν τρέφει.

ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ.

ξὺν τῷ δικαίῳ γὰρ μέγ᾽ ἔξεστιν φρονεῖν.
1125

ΜΕΝΕΛΑΟΣ.

δίκαια γὰρ τόνδ' εὐτυχεῖν κτείναντά με;

ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ.

κτείναντα; δεινόν γ' τ' γ' εἶπας, εἰ καὶ ζῇς θανών.

ΜΕΝΕΛΑΟΣ.

θεὸς γὰρ ἐκσώζει με, τῷδε δ᾽ οἴχομαι.

ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ.

μή νυν μὴ νῦν ἀτίμα θεούς, θεοῖς σεσωσμένος.

ΜΕΝΕΛΑΟΣ.

ἐγὼ γὰρ ἂν ψέξαιμι δαιμόνων νόμους;
1130

ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ.

εἰ τοὺς θανόντας οὐκ ἐᾷς εὰ εᾶσ θάπτειν παρών.

ΜΕΝΕΛΑΟΣ.

τούς γ' αὐτὸς αὐτοῦ αὑτοῦ αὑτοῦ πολεμίους· οὐ γὰρ καλόν.

ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ.

ἢ σοὶ γὰρ Αἴας πολέμιος προὔστη ποτέ;

ΜΕΝΕΛΑΟΣ.

μισοῦντ᾿ ἐμίσει· καὶ σὺ τοῦτ᾽ ἠπίστασο.

ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ.

κλέπτης γὰρ αὐτοῦ ψηφοποιὸς εὑρέθης.
1135

ΜΕΝΕΛΑΟΣ.

ἐν τοῖς δικασταῖς, κοὐκ ἐμοί, τόδ᾽ ἐσφάλη.

ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ.

πόλλ᾽ ἂν καλῶς καλῶσ κακῶς λάθρα σὺ κλέψειας κλέψειας κακά καλά.

ΜΕΝΕΛΑΟΣ.

τοῦτ᾽ εἰς ἀνίαν τοὔπος ἔρχεται τινί.

ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ.

οὐ μᾶλλον, ὡς ἔοικεν, ἢ λυπήσομεν.

ΜΕΝΕΛΑΟΣ.

ἕν σοι φράσω· τόνδ᾽ ἐστὶν οὐχὶ θαπτέον.
1140

ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ.

ἀλλ᾽ ἀντακούσει τοῦτον ἀλλ᾽ ἀντακούσηι τοῦτον σὺ δ᾽ ἀντ᾿ ἀκούσει τοῦτον ὡς τεθάψεται.

ΜΕΝΕΛΑΟΣ.

ἤδη ποτ' εἶδον ει'ον εἶδον ἄνδρ᾽ ἐγὼ γλώσσῃ θρασὺν

ναύτας ἐφορμήσαντα χειμῶνος τὸ πλεῖν,

ᾧ φθέγμ᾽ ἂν οὐκ ἂν εὗρες, ἡνίκ' ἡνίκ᾽ ἐν κακῷ

χειμῶνος εἴχετ᾽ εἴχεθ' εἴχετ', ἀλλ᾽ ὑφ᾽ εἵματος κρυφεὶς
1145

πατεῖν παρεῖχε τῷ θέλοντι ναυτίλων.

ΜΕΝΕΛΑΟΣ.

οὕτω δὲ καὶ σὲ καὶ τὸ σὸν λάβρον στόμα

σμικροῦ νέφους τάχ᾽ ἄν τις ἐκπνεύσας μέγας μέγα

χειμὼν κατασβέσειε τὴν πολλὴν βοήν.

ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ.

ἐγὼ δέ γ᾽ ἄνδρ᾽ ὄπωπα μωρίας πλέων,
1150

ὃς οἷσ ὅσ ἐν κακοῖς ὕβριζε τοῖσι τῶν τὸν πέλας.

κατ᾿ αὐτὸν καὐτὸν εἶτ᾿ ἀυτὸν κατ᾿ αὐτὸν εἰσιδών τις ἐμφερὴς ἐμοὶ

ὀργήν τὸν τροπὸν θ᾽ ὅμοιος εἶπε τοιοῦτον λόγον,

ὤνθρωπε, μὴ δρᾶ δρᾶι τοὺς τεθνηκότας κακώς·

εἰ γὰρ ποιήσεις, ἴσθι πημανούμενος.
1155

τοιαῦτ᾽ ἄνολβον ἄνοιτον ἄνδρ᾽ ἐνουθέτει παρών.

ὁρῶ δέ τοί νιν, κἄστιν, ὡς ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ,

οὐδείς ποτ᾽ ἄλλος ἄλλοσ (?) ἢ σύ. μῶν ἠνιξάμην;

ΜΕΝΕΛΑΟΣ.

ἄπειμι· καὶ γὰρ αἰσχρόν, εἰ πύθοιτό τις,

λόγοις κολάζειν κολάζων, ᾧ βιάζεσθαι παρῇ βιάζεσθαι παρ(ῆν)? βιάζεσθαι πάρα βιάζεσθαι παρῆι.
1160

ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ.

ἄφερπέ νυν ἄφερπε νῦν. κἀμοὶ γὰρ αἴσχιστον κλύειν

ἀνδρὸς ματαίου φλαῦρ᾽ ἔπη μυθουμένου.

ΧΟΡΟΣ.

ἔσται μεγάλης ἔριδός τις ἀγών.

ἀλλ' ὡς δύνασαι, Τεῦκρε, ταχύνας

ΧΟΡΟΣ.

σπεῦσον κοίλην κοίλην (κοίλην) κάπετόν τιν᾿ ἰδεῖν
1165

τῷδ᾽, ἔνθα βροτοῖς τὸν ἀείμνηστον

τάφον εὐρώεντα εὑρώεντα καθέξει.

ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ.

καὶ μὴν ἐς αὐτὸν καιρὸν οἶδε πλησίοι

πάρεισιν ἀνδρὸς τοῦδε παῖς τε καὶ γυνή,

τάφον περιστελοῦντε δυστήνου νεκροῦ.
1170

ὦ παῖ, πρόσελθε δεῦρο, καὶ σταθεὶς πέλας

ἱκέτης ἔφαψαι πατρός, ὅς σ᾽ ἐγείνατο.

θάκει δὲ προστρόπαιος ἐν χεροῖν ἔχων

κόμας ἐμὰς καὶ τῆσδε καὶ σαυτοῦ τρίτου,

ἱκτήριον θησαυρόν. εἰ δέ εἰ. δὲ τις στρατοῦ
1175

βίᾳ βία σ᾽ ἀποσπάσειε τοῦδε τοῦ νεκροῦ,

κακὸς κακῶς ἄθαπτος ἐκπέσοι χθονός,

ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ.

γένους ἅπαντος ῥίζαν ἐξημημένος,

αὕτως αύτωσ ὅπωσπερ τόνδ' ἐγὼ τέμνω πλόκον.

ἔχ᾿ αὐτόν, ὦ παῖ, καὶ φύλασσε, μηδέ σε
1180

κινησάτω τις, ἀλλὰ προσπεσὼν ἔχου.

ὑμεῖς τε μὴ γυναῖκες ἀντ᾿ ἀνδρῶν πέλας

παρέστατ᾽ ἀλλ᾽ παρεστατ᾿ ἀλλ᾽ ἀρήγετ᾽, ἔς τ᾿ ἐγὼ μόλω μολὼν μόλω μολῶ

τάφου μεληθεὶς τῷδε, κἂν μηδεὶς ἐᾷ.

ΧΟΡΟΣ.
στρ. α.

τίς ἄρα νέατος ἐς πότε λήξει πολυπλάγκτων
1185

ἐτέων ἐπέων ἐτέων ἀριθμὸς

τὰν ἄπαυστον αἰὲν ἐμοὶ

δορυσσοήτων δορυσσόντων

μόχθων ἄταν ἐπάγων

ἀν' ἀερώδεα Τρωΐαν ἀν' εὐρώδη Τρωΐαν ἀνὰ τὴν Τρωΐαν ἀνὰ τὰν Τρωΐαν
1190

δύστανον ὄνειδος Ἑλλάνων;

ἀντ. α΄.

ὄφελε ὤφελε πρότερον αἰθέρα δῦναι δοῦναι δύναι μέγαν ἢ τὸν πολύκοινον

Ἄιδαν

κεῖνος ἁνήρ ἀνὴρ, ὃς ὁ ὃς στυγερῶν

ἔδειξεν ὅπλων
1195

Ἕλλασιν ἕλλασιν.... κοινὸν Ἄρη.

ΧΟΡΟΣ.

ἰὼ πόνοι πρόγονοι πόνων.

κεῖνος γὰρ ἔπερσεν ἀνθρώπους.

στρ. β.

ἐκεῖνος οὐ οὔτε στεφάνων

οὔτε βαθειᾶν βαθείαν κυλίκων
1200

νεῖμεν ἐμοὶ τέρψιν ὁμιλεῖν,

οὔτε γλυκὺν αὐλῶν ὄτοβον ὄτοβον ὅττοβον,

δύσμορος, οὔτ᾽ ἐννυχίαν

τέρψιν ἰαύειν.

ἐρώτων δ᾽ ἐρώτων ἀπέπαυσεν, ὤμοι.
1205

κεῖμαι δ᾽ ἀμέριμνος οὕτως,

ἀεὶ πυκιναῖς δρόσοις

τεγγόμενος κόμας,

λυγρᾶς λυγρὰσ λυγρὰσ· μνήματα Τροίας.
1210
ἀντ.β.

Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 1185-1222 focus

Χορός

τίς ἄρα νέατος ἐς πότε λήξει πολυπλάγκτων ἐτέων ἀριθμός,
1185

τὰν ἄπαυστον αἰὲν ἐμοὶ δορυσσοήτων

μόχθων ἄταν ἐπάγων

ἄν τὰν εὐρώδεα Τρωΐαν,
1190

δύστανον ὄνειδος Ἑλλάνων;

1192

Χορός

ὄφελε πρότερον αἰθέρα δῦναι μέγαν ἢ τὸν πολύκοινον Ἅιδαν

κεῖνος ἁνήρ, ὃς στυγερῶν ἔδειξεν ὅπλων
1195

Ἕλλασιν κοινὸν Ἄρη.

ἰὼ πόνοι πρόγονοι πόνων·

κεῖνος γὰρ ἔπερσεν ἀνθρώπους.

1199

Χορός

ἐκεῖνος οὔτε στεφάνων

οὔτε βαθεῖαν κυλίκων
1200

νεῖμεν ἐμοὶ τέρψιν ὁμιλεῖν,

οὔτε γλυκὺν αὐλῶν ὄτοβον,

δύσμορος, οὔτʼ ἐννυχίαν

τέρψιν ἰαύειν.

ἐρώτων δʼ ἐρώτων ἀπέπαυσεν, ὤμοι.
1205

κεῖμαι δʼ, ἀμέριμνος οὕτως,

ἀεὶ πυκιναῖς δρόσοις

τεγγόμενος κόμας,

λυγρᾶς μνήματα Τροίας.
1210

1211

Χορός

καὶ πρὶν μὲν αἰὲν νυχίου

δείματος ἦν μοι προβολὰ

καὶ βελέων θούριος Αἴας·

νῦν δʼ οὗτος ἀνεῖται στυγερῷ

δαίμονι· τίς μοι, τίς ἔτʼ οὖν
1215

τέρψις ἐπέσται;

γενοίμαν ἵνʼ ὑλᾶεν ἔπεστι πόντου

πρόβλημʼ ἁλίκλυστον, ἄκραν

ὑπὸ πλάκα Σουνίου,
1220

τὰς ἱερὰς ὅπως

προσείποιμεν Ἀθάνας.

Translations (5)

English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 1091 focus

Menelaüs, make not thy philosophy

A platform whence to insult the valiant dead.

TEU

I nevermore will marvel, sirs, when one

Of humblest parentage is prone to sin,

Since those reputed men of noble strain

Stoop to such phrase of prating frowardness.
1095

Come, tell it o’er again,—said you ye brought

My brother bound to aid you with his power?

Sailed he not forth of his own sovereign will?

Where is thy voucher of command o’er him?

Where of thy right o’er those that followed him?
1100

Sparta, not we, shall buckle to thy sway.

’Twas written nowhere in the bond of rule

That thou shouldst check him rather than he thee.

Thou sailedst under orders, not in charge

Of all, much less of Aias. Then pursue
1105

Thy limited direction, and chastise,

In haughty phrase, the men who fear thy nod.

But I will bury Aias, whether thou

Or the other general give consent or no.

’Tis not for me to tremble at your word.
1110

Not to reclaim thy wife, like those poor souls

Thou flll’st with labour, issued this man forth,

But caring for his oath, and not for thee,

Or any other nobody. Then come

With heralds all arow, and bring the man
1115

Called king of men with thee! For thy sole noise

I budge not, wert thou twenty times thy name.

CH

The sufferer should not bear a bitter tongue.

Hard words, how just soe’er, will leave their sting.

MEN

Our bowman carries no small pride, I see.
1120

TEU

No mere mechanic’s menial craft is mine.

MEN

How wouldst thou vaunt it hadst thou but a shield!

TEU

Unarmed I fear not thee in panoply.

MEN

Redoubted is the wrath lives on thy tongue.

TEU

Whose cause is just hath licence to be proud.
1125

MEN

Just, that my murderer have a peaceful end?

TEU

Thy murderer? Strange, to have been slain and live!

MEN

Yea, through Heaven’s mercy. By his will, I am dead.

TEU

If Heaven have saved thee, give the Gods their due.

MEN

Am I the man to spurn at Heaven’s command?
1130

TEU

Thou dost, to come and frustrate burial.

MEN

Honour forbids to yield my foe a tomb.

TEU

And Aias was thy foeman? Where and when?

MEN

Hate lived between us; that thou know’st full well.

TEU

For thy proved knavery, coining votes i’ the court
1135

MEN

The judges voted. He ne’er lost through me.

TEU

Guilt hiding guile wears often fairest front.

MEN

I know whom pain shall harass for that word.

TEU

Not without giving equal pain, ’tis clear.

MEN

No more, but this. No burial for this man!
1140

TEU

Yea, this much more. He shall have instant burial.

MEN

I have seen ere now a man of doughty tongue

Urge sailors in foul weather to unmoor,

Who, caught in the sea-misery by and by,

Lay voiceless, muffled in his cloak, and suffered
1145

Who would of the sailors over trample him

Even so methinks thy truculent mouth ere long

Shall quench its outcry, when this little cloud

Breaks forth on thee with the full tempest’s might.

TEU

I too have seen a man whose windy pride
1150

Poured forth loud insults o’er a neighbour’s fall,

Till one whose cause and temper showed like mine

Spake to him in my hearing this plain word:

‘Man, do the dead no wrong; but, if thou dost,
1155

Be sure thou shalt have sorrow.’ Thus he warned

The infatuate one: ay, one whom I behold,

For all may read my riddle—thou art he.

MEN

I will be gone. ’Twere shame to me, if known,

To chide when I have power to crush by force.
1160

TEU
LEADER OF CHORUS.

Off with you, then! ’Twere triple shame in me

To list the vain talk of a blustering fool.

High the quarrel rears his head!
1170

Haste thee, Teucer, trebly haste,

Grave-room for the valiant dead

Furnish with what speed thou mayst,

Hollowed deep within the ground,

Where beneath his mouldering mound
1175

Aias aye shall be renowned.

TEU
Re-enter TECMESSA with EURYSAKES . CHORUS.

Lo! where the hero’s housemate and his child,

Hitting the moment’s need, appear at hand,

To tend the burial of the ill fated dead.

Come, child, take thou thy station close beside:

Kneel and embrace the author of thy life,

In solemn suppliant fashion holding forth

This lock of thine own hair, and hers, and mine

With threefold consecration, that if one

Of the army force thee from thy father’s corse,

My curse may banish him from holy ground,

Far from his home, unburied, and cut off

From all his race, even as I cut this curl.

There, hold him, child, and guard him; let no hand

Stir thee, but lean to the calm breast and cling.

() And ye, be not like women in this scene,

Nor let your manhoods falter; stand true men
1180

To this defence, till I return prepared,
1180

Though all cry No, to give him burial.
1180

When shall the tale of wandering years be done?
1180

When shall arise our exile’s latest sun?
1180

Oh, where shall end the incessant woe
1180

Of troublous spear-encounter with the foe,
1180

Through this vast Trojan plain,
1180

Of Grecian arms the lamentable stain?

Would he had gone to inhabit the wide sky,

Or that dark home of death where millions lie,

Who taught our Grecian world the way

To use vile swords and knit the dense array!

His toil gave birth to toil

In endless line. He made mankind his spoil.

His tyrant will hath forced me to forgo

The garland, and the goblet’s bounteous flow:

Yea, and the flute’s dear noise,

And night’s more tranquil joys;

Ay me! nor only these,

The fruits of golden ease,

But Love, but Love—O crowning sorrow!—

Hath ceased for me. I may not borrow

Sweet thoughts from him to smooth my dreary bed,

Where dank night-dews fall ever on my head,

Lest once I might forget the sadness of the morrow.

Even here in Troy, Aias was erst my rock,

From darkling fears and ’mid the battle-shock

To screen me with huge might:

Now he is lost in night

And horror. Where again

Shall gladness heal my pain?

O were I where the waters hoary,

Round Sunium’s pine-clad promontory,

Plash underneath the flowery upland height.

Then holiest Athens soon would come in sight,

And to Athena’s self I might declare my story.

TEU
Enter TEUCER .

Would ye might both have sense to curb your ire!

No better hope for either can I frame.

TEU

German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 1091 focus

Menelaos, hast du weise Lehren aufgestellt,

Dann übe selbst an Todten keinen Uebermuth.

Teukros.

Nie, Männer, wundr' ich über einen Mann mich mehr,

Der, niedrer Art entsprossen, sich durch Sünd' entweiht,

Wenn, die sich rühmen edler Art entstammt zu sein,
1050

So schwer in ihren Worten sich versündigen.

Wohlan, noch Einmal sag' es: hast du wirklich ihn

Dem Argosheer als Kampfgenossen zugeführt?

Sprich: zog er nicht freiwillig als sein eigner Herr?

Wo warest du sein Führer? Wo gebührte dir
1055

Des Volkes Herrschaft, welches ihm von Haus gefolgt?

Als Herrscher Sparta's kamst du, nicht als unser Fürst:

Dir wurde nirgend über ihn ein größ'res Recht

Der Oberherrschaft, als es ihm ward über dich.

Ja, pflichtig Andern zogst du her, nicht Oberherr
1060

Des Ganzen, daß dir Ajas unterworfen sei.

Beherrsche, deren Herr du bist, und strafe sie

Mit stolzen Worten: diesen Mann, wehrst du's mir auch,

Wehrt's auch der andre Führer, werd' ich nach Gebühr

Im Grabe bergen, ohne Scheu vor deinem Wort.
1065

Denn deiner Frau zuliebe zog er nicht zu Feld,

Gleich Abenteurern, die sich vielgeschäftig müh'n;

Ihn trieb der Eidschwur, welchem er verpflichtet war,¹

Du nicht; er ehrte nimmerdar den schwachen Mann.

Deshalb enteile, rufe mehr Herolde noch,
1070

Laß selbst den Feldherrn kommen; denn mich kümmert nicht

Dein eitler Lärm, so lang du bleibest, der du bist!

Der Chor.

Auch solche Sprache lieb' ich nicht im Ungemach;

Das harte Wort schmerzt immer, sei's auch ganz gerecht.

Menelaos.

Der Bogenschüze, seh' ich, denkt nicht klein von sich.
1075

Teukros.

Kein schmuzig Handwerk üb' ich auch als meine Kunst.

Menelaos.

Groß würd'st du prahlen, wäre dir ein Schild gegönnt.

Teukros.

Auch ohne Rüstung troz' ich dir in deiner Wehr.

Menelaos.

Ja, deine Zunge hegt erstaunlich hohen Muth.

Teukros.

Groß darf ja denken, wem das Recht zur Seite steht.
1080

Menelaos.

Recht wäre, daß es meinem Mörder wohlergeht?

Teukros.

Dein Mörder? Welches Wunder! Du bist todt und lebst!

Menelaos.

Mich hat ein Gott gerettet; doch ihm bin ich todt.

Teukros.

So höhne nicht die Götter, die dich retteten.

Menelaos.

Ich lästre wohl der Götter hohe Sazungen?
1085

Teukros.

Ja, wenn du herkommst und ein Grab den Todten wehrst.

Menelaos.

Wohl wehr' ich's meinem Feinde; denn ihm ziemt es nicht.

Teukros.

Trat Ajas jemals wider dich als Feind heran?

Menelaos.

Er haßte mich, ich wieder ihn: das weißt du ja.

Teukros.

Als Stimmenfälscher wurdest du von ihm erkannt.
1090

Menelaos.

Dies war die Schuld der Richter, nicht die meinige.²

Teukros.

Du magst mit Arglist heimlich wohl viel Arges thun.

Menelaos.

Dies Wort bereitet Einem noch Bekümmerniß.

Teukros.

Nicht größre, denk' ich, als ich selbst bereiten kann.

Menelaos.

Dir sag' ich Eines: diesem wird kein Grab gewährt!
1095

Teukros.

Und du vernimm dagegen: er erhält ein Grab!

Menelaos.

Einst hab' ich einen Mann geseh'n, von Zunge kühn,

Der seine Schiffer bei dem Sturm zu segeln zwang,

Doch keinen Laut vorbrachte, wie des Sturmes Wuth

Ihn mächtig fortriß, nein, im Mantel eingehüllt,
1100

Von jedem Schiffsmann ungescheut sich treten ließ.

So dürfte dir und deinem ungestümen Mund

Ein großer Sturm, aus kleiner Wolke hergesandt,

In kurzem brausend löschen dies vermess'ne Schrein.

Teukros.

Ich aber sah jüngst einen Mann voll Albernheit,
1105

Der stolz in seines Nächsten Noth sich brüstete;

Und ihn gewahrt' ein Andrer, der mir ähnlich war

Und gleiches Sinnes, - dieser rief das Wort ihm zu:

Mensch, daß du keinen Frevel an den Todten übst!

Denn thust du dies, so wisse, daß Unheil dir droht.
1110

So trat er warnend an den armen Mann heran.

Und diesen seh' ich, und es ist, ich glaube so,

Kein Andrer als du selber. Sprach ich räthselhaft?

Menelaos.

Ich gehe: Schmach ja wäre mir's, erführe man's,

Wollt' ich mit Worten strafen, wenn ich zwingen kann.
1115

Teukros.

Ia, gehe: mir auch wäre das die höchste Schmach,

Des Thoren Wort zu achten, der so nichtig schwazt.

Teukros. Der Chor. (Menelaos geht ab.)

Der Chor.

Von gewaltiger Zwietracht hebt sich ein Streit.

Auf, spute dich, Teukros, wie du vermagst,

Ein hohles Gewölb' ihm zu rüsten, worin
1120

Als ewiges Mal zum Gedächtniß der Welt

Das geräumige Grab ihn umschließe.

Tekmessa mit Eurysakes. Die Vorigen.

Teukros.

Und sich, zu rechter Stunde sind schon nahe dort

Des hingeschiednen Mannes Sohn und sein Gemahl,

Des Todten Grab, des jammervollen, einzuweihn.
1125

Komm her, o Knabe, näher tritt, als Flehender

Berühre deinen Vater, der dir Leben gab;

Siz' hier in seinem Schuze, nimm in deine Hand

Mein Haar und deiner Mutter Haar und deines auch,³

Als Pfand der frommen Bitte! Wenn ein Mann des Heers
1130

Von diesem Todten mit Gewalt dich reißen will,

Er sterbe schlimm, der Schlimme, grablos, fern verbannt,

Mit allen Wurzeln seines Stamms hinweggemäht,

So, wie ich eben dieses Haar herunterschnitt!

Ihn, Söhnchen, fasse, halte fest, und Keiner soll
1135

Dich hier vertreiben, schmieg' an ihn dich knieend an.

Ihr aber, steht nicht, Weibern gleich, zur Seite dort;

Als Männer schirmt ihn, bis ich wiederkomm' und ihm

Ein Grab gerüstet, läßt es auch kein Mensch mir zu.

(Teukros geht ab. Tekmessa und Eurysakes sizen zu beiden Seiten der Leiche.) Tekmessa. Der Chor.

Endet es nie? I wann
1140
Erste Strophe.

Der Chor.

Schließen sich uns endlich der langirrenden Jahre Reihen,

Die mit niemals rastenden Müh'n

Im Lanzengewühl allzeit

Uns treiben umher,

Im öden, düsteren Troerland,
1145

Unselige Schmach dem Volk Hellas'!

Erste Gegenstrophe.

Wär' er in Luft verweht,

Wär' er in allbergendes Grabdunkel hinab versunken,

Jener Mann, der Hellas der all-

vertilgenden Wehr furchtbar'n
1150

Brauch lehrte zuerst!

Mühen gebärende Mühen, ach!

Er schuf ja den Menschen Unheil nur.

Zweite Strophe.

Ja, keinen blühenden Kranz,

Nimmer die Lust voller Pokal' hat er gegönnt uns zu genießen,
1155

Noch lieblicher Festflöten Getön,

(Wehe dem Mann!) noch den Genuß

Nächtlicher Minne:

Die Liebe,

Die Lieb' hat er mir, ach, entführt,
1160

Und ich liege verlassen hier,

Und von reichlichem Thaue stets

Trieft mir das Haar, ein Mal von dir,

Traurige Troja!

Zweite Gegenstrophe.

English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 1091 focus

O Menelaus !

Do not with maxims grave and wisdom's rules

Mix foul reproach and slander on the dead.

Teucer

It should not move our wonder, O my friend !

To see the vulgar err, of meaner souls

And birth obscure, when men so nobh' born
1095

Will talk thus basely. Tell me, Menelaus —

For 'twas thy first assertion — didst thou bring

Or came he hither by himself alone

Conducted? Whence is thy ccmimand o'er him.

O'er these his followers ? Who gave thee power ?
1100

Who gave thee rights Thou mayst be Sparta's kii)g, I

No more to thee than thou wert bound to Ajax :

Thyself no general, but to others here

Subjected ; therefore, lord it Avhere thou mayst —

Command thy slaves ; go, threaten and chastise them.

And of thy brother, for I heed thee not.

He sailed not here to quarrel for the wife

Of Menelaus, like a hireling slave,

But to fulfil the strictly-binding oath
1110

Which he had sworn ; he did not come for thee,

For he despised so poor a cause ; he came

With all his heralds and a numerous train,

And brought his captains too. llemember, therefore,

Thy clamours ne'er shall turn me from my purpose
1115

Whilst thou art what thou art.

Menelaus

a tongue like thine
1120

But ill becomes thy state : 'tis most unseemly.

Teucer

a keen reproach, with justice on its side,

Is always grating.

]\Ien. This proud archer here

Talks loudly.

Teucer

'Tis no mean illiberal art.

;Men. If thou couldst bear a shield, how insolent

And haughty wouldst thou be, when naked, thus,

Thou boast'st thy valour!

Teucer

Naked as I am
1125

1 should not fly from thee with all thy arms.
1125

Menelaus

Thy tongue but speaks thy pride.

Teucer

I should be proud

When I am just.

Menelaus

Doth justice bid me love

Him who destroyed me ?

Teucer

Art thou then destroyed?

That's strange indeed, living and dead at once.

Menelaus

For him I had been so : the gods preserved me.
1130

Teucer

Do not dishonour then the powers divine

That saved thee.

Menelaus

Do I violate their laws ?

Teucer

If thou forbidst the burial of the dead

Thou dost ofi'end the gods.

INIen. He was my foe,

And therefore I forbid it.

Teucer

Art thou sure
1135

Menelaus

I am ;

Our hate was mutual, and thou knowst the cause,

Teucer

Because thou wert corrupted, thy false voice

Condemned him.

Menelaus

'Twas the judges' fault, not mine.

Teucer

Thus mayst thou screen a thousand injuries.

Menelaus

Some one may suffer for this insolence.
1140

Teucer

Not more perhaps than others.

Menelaus

This alone

Itemember, buried he sliall never be.

Teucer

Do thou remember too, I say he shall.

Menelaus

So have I seen a bold imperious man

With froward tongue, before the storm began,

Urging the tardy mariner to sail,

But when the tempest rose no more was heard

The coward's voice, but wrapt beneath his cloak

Silent he laid, and suffered every foot
1160

To trample on him. Thus it is with thee,
1160

And thy foul tongue : forth from a little cloud
1160

Soon as the storm shall burst, it will o'erwhelm thee,
1160

And stop thy clamours.
1160

Teucer

I too have beheld

A man with folly swollen reproach his friends

Oppressed with sore calamity, when straight

One came like me, with indignation fired.

Saw, and addressed him thus : " Cease, shameless wretch !

Nor thus oppress the dead ; for if thou dost,

Remember, thou shalt suffer for thy crime."

Thus spoke he to the weak insulting fool ;

Methinks I see him here — it must be he,

Even Menelaus. Have I guessed aright ?

Menelaus

'Tis well ; I'll leave thee. 'Tis a folly thus

To talk with those whom we have power to punish.

Teucer
{Exit. Scene VI.

Chorus.

Teucer

The contest will grow warm. O Teucer ! haste,

Prepare some hollow fosse for the remains

By after-ages ne'er to be forgotten.

Teucer

English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 1091 focus

Do not, O king of Sparta, from thy lips

Whilst wisdom speaks its dictates, wrong the dead.

Teucer

No more, my friends, if one of low-born race

Acts basely, shall I marvel, since the great,

Who glory in their high-traced ancestry,
1095

Thus merit censure for dishonest speech.

Didst thou not tune thy proem with these words,

(Speak them again) that thou didst bring this man

To Troy, received as an ally to Greece ?

Did he not plough the deep, and join the war
1100

Lord of himself? Where then thy pow'r o'er him?

What right hast thou as sovereign to command

The warlike troops he led, and was their Chief?

Thou camest the king of Sparta, not our lord.

The law of martial rule gave no command
1105

To thee o'er him, more than to him o'er thee.

Subjection to superior pow'r is here

Thy duty, not to lead th' associate force

Of Greece, that thou o'er Ajax shou'dst bear sway.

Rule thy own vassals, and with high-swoln vaunts
1110

Keep them in awe. Forbid it thou, or he

The other chieftain, him with hallow'd rites

I will entomb, nor fear thy empty threats.

Not for thy wife did Ajax join the war,

His was no mercenary spear; his oath
1115

He held in reverence high, not thee, nor deign'd

To grace the worthless. Take then my resolve,

Bring all thy heralds, bring th' imperial Chief;

Not for thy clamours will I turn aside.

From my intent. I know thee what thou art.
1125

Chorus

Such words, around us whilst afflictions press,

Have not my approbation: they are harsh,

And, though to reason highly just, wound deep.

This archer bears, it seems, a lofty mind.

Teucer

Mine is no vulgar art.

Menelaus

How wou'dst thou vaunt,

If thou cou'dst bear a shield?

Teucer

Thy force in arms

Thus naked I defy.

Menelaus

Thy tongue is bold,
1130

With pride o'erflowing.
1130

Teucer

When the cause is just,

An honest pride may be indulged.

How just,

To honour him that slew me?

Slew thee! Strange,

That dead thou yet shou'dst live.

Menelaus

The gods preserved

My life; he else had kill'd me.

Teucer

By their grace

Preserved, dishonour not the gods.

Menelaus

Their laws

What shows me prone to violate?

Teucer

Thy charge
1135

Not to entomb the dead.
1135

Menelaus

They were my foes.

My honour thus requires.

Teucer

'Gainst thee a foe

Did Ajax ever lead?

I hated him,

He hated me: thou know'st this.

In the votes

Thou wast found false and fraudulent.

Menelaus

That blame

Be theirs, who from the urns drew forth the lots,
1140

Teucer

Not mine.

By stealth, and basely canst thou do

Many base deeds.

Those words shall cost hee dear.

Teucer

Not more perchance than we shall well repay.

Menelaus

In brief I say he shall not be entomb'd...

Teucer

Hear thou my answer, He shall be entomb'd.

Menelaus
TEUS.

Erewhile I saw a man of doughty tongue

Rating the mariners to hoist their sails,

While a storm threaten'd: but when danger rose,

Howling amidst the tempest, not a word

From that bold tongue was heard; wrapt in his cloke

He lay, and suffer'd every sailor's foot

At will to trample on him. So the force...

Of an impetuous tempest bursting black

From a small cloud may in a moment check

Thee, and thy boisterous tongue, and all thy noise.

And I once saw a man, with folly fraught

Insulting those around him when oppress'd

With ills. A man resembling me, and warm
1160

With my free spirit, saw him, and rebuked
1160

With words like these, Vain mortal to the dead
1160

Offer no wrong; else, be assured, that wrong
1160

Shall be repaid with vengeance. Thus he warn'd
1160

The futile wretch. Methinks I see him: thou
1160

Art he, no other. Speak I riddles now?::
1160

Ill it becomes me to rebuke with words
1160

One whom my pow'r can force. I leave thee now.
1160

TRUC. Go, get thee hence: to me it were a shame
1160

To listen to a slight man's senseless words.
1160

Chorus
TEUCER, CHORUS.

To outrage soon will this contention rise.

But haste thee, Teucer, with the utmost speed

Mark some fit place, within whose hallow'd mould
1165

Thou may'st inter him, and a dreary tomb,

A monument to future ages, raise.

Teucer

And in meet time his son and wife approach

To deck the tomb of the unhappy dead.

Teucer
TECMESSA, EURYSACES, TEUCER, CHORUS.

Come hither, child, stand near, with suppliant hands

Touch him that gave thee birth: now take thy seat

Lowly beside his knees, and in thy hands

Hold thou my hair, and hers, and thine, the last

Sad gift of mourning suppliants. From the camp
1180

By force should any drag thee from the dead,
1180

May the wretch find a wretched death, and lie

In a strange land unburied, all his race

Cut off, as I cut off these locks. My child,

Take them, and keep them: let no ruffian force

Remove thee hence, but closely, clasp the dead.

And stand not you like women round the corse,

But guard it well like men, till I return,

And bear him to the tomb, whoe'er oppose.

Chorus
STRO. 1. ANTIS. 1. TECMESSA, EURYSACES, CHORUS.

When will the last revolving year
1185

Of all this numerous train
1185

Slow wandering in its course appear

'Midst ills I here sustain ?..

Toils rise on toils, and woes on woes,

The wasteful war around us glows,

And misery haunts this place.

The hateful walls of Troy around,,
1190

Unhappy Greece, what hast thou found,
1190

But ruin and disgrace?...

Oh had he first been swept away

Through air by wild winds tost;

Or sunk from heav'n's ethereal ray,

To Pluto's dreary coast;

Who train'd the Grecians to the field,
1195

Taught them the sword, the spear to wield,
1195

And steel'd the gentle mind !

Hence toil gives birth to toil again,

Hence carnage stains th' ensanguin'd plain,

For he destroy'd mankind.

Nor the brow with chaplets bound

Breathing balmy odours round,
1200

Nor the social glow of soul
1200

Kindling o'er the generous bowl,

Nor the dulcet strain that rings

Jocond from the sounding strings,

Nor endearing love's delight

That with rapture fills the night,

Me will he permit to prove;
1205

He, alas! hath murder'd love.
1205

But neglected here I lie

Open to th' inclement sky;

And my rough and matted hair

Drinks the dews of night's moist air,

Memorials sad of Troy!
1210

English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 1185-1220 focus

Chorus

Which will be the last year? When will the sum of the years of our many wanderings stop bringing upon me the unending doom of toilful spear-battles
1185

throughout broad Troy , the cause of sorrow and of shame for Greece ?
1190

1192

Chorus

If only that man had first passed into the depths of the sky or into Hades, the common home of all,

before he taught the Greeks the shared plague of Ares’ detested arms! Ah, those toils of his invention, which produced so many more toils! Look how that man has ravaged humanity!
1195

1199

Chorus

No delight in garlands

or deep wine-cups did that man provide me, no sweet din of flutes, that miserable man, or pleasing rest in the night.
1200

And from love—god!—from love he has totally barred me. Here I lie uncared for, while heavy dews constantly wet my hair,
1205

damp reminders of joyless Troy .
1210

1211

Chorus

In the past bold Ajax was always my bulwark against night’s terrors and flying missiles. But now he has become an offering consecrated

to a malignant divinity. What joy, then, what delight awaits me anymore? O to be where the wooded wave-washed cape fences off the deep sea,
1215

to be beneath Sunium’s jutting plateau, so that we might salute sacred Athens !
1220

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-609-1 προθείς ¹

mvp-comment-610-1 ἐλπίσαντες … ἄγειν ²

mvp-comment-611-1 ζητοῦντες ³

mvp-comment-611-2 Φρυγῶν ⁴ Τρώων ⁵

mvp-comment-612-1 στρατῷ ξύμπαντι ⁶

mvp-comment-613-1 δορί ⁷

mvp-comment-614-1 θεῶν τις ⁸

mvp-comment-614-2 ἔσβεσεν ⁹

mvp-comment-615-1 τήνδ’ … τύχην ¹⁰ θανόντες ¹¹ ἣν ὅδ’ εἴληχεν τύχην ¹² τήνδ’ ¹³ λαχόντες ¹⁴

mvp-comment-615-2 προὐκείμεθ’ ¹⁵

mvp-comment-615-3 αἰσχίστῳ ¹⁶ ἐχθίστῳ ¹⁷ ἀθλίῳ ¹⁸

mvp-comment-616-1 ἐνήλλαξεν ¹⁹

mvp-comment-616-2 μῆλα καὶ ποίμνας ²⁰

mvp-comment-616-3 1062 f. The acc. αὐτὸν ²¹ σῶμα ²²

mvp-comment-616-4 τυμβεῦσαι τάφῳ ²³

mvp-comment-617-1 ἀμφὶ … ψάμαθον ²⁴

mvp-comment-617-2 χλωρὰν ²⁵

mvp-comment-617-3 λευρὰν ²⁶

mvp-comment-618-1 ὄρνισι ²⁷

mvp-comment-619-1 πρὸς ταῦτα ²⁸

mvp-comment-619-2 ἐξάρῃς ²⁹

mvp-comment-620-1 εἰ … μὴ )δυνήθημεν ³⁰

mvp-comment-621-1 χερσὶν παρευθύνοντες ³¹ χερσὶν ³² ὅπου ³³

mvp-comment-622-1 κακοῦ πρὸς ἀνδρὸς ³⁴

mvp-comment-622-2 ἄνδρα ³⁵ ὄντα ³⁶

mvp-comment-623-1 καλῶς φέροιντ’ ἄν ³⁷

mvp-comment-623-2 ἔνθα μὴ ³⁸

mvp-comment-624-1 φόβου πρόβλημα ³⁹

mvp-comment-624-2 αἰδοῦς ⁴⁰

mvp-comment-625-1 κἂν σῶμα γεννήσῃ μέγα ⁴¹

mvp-comment-625-2 κἂν ἀπὸ σμ. κακοῦ ⁴² κἂν ⁴³ ἀπὸ ⁴⁴

mvp-comment-626-1 πρόσεστιν ⁴⁵

mvp-comment-626-2 αἰσχύνη ⁴⁶

mvp-comment-627-1 ὅπου … παρῇ ⁴⁷

mvp-comment-627-2 βούλεται ⁴⁸

mvp-comment-628-1 νόμιζε ⁴⁹ χρόνῳ ποτὲ … πεσεῖν ⁵⁰ ἐξ οὐρίων δραμοῦσαν ⁵¹ ποτ’ ἂν ⁵²

mvp-comment-628-2 ἐξ οὐρίων ⁵³

mvp-comment-629-1 ἑστάτω ⁵⁴

mvp-comment-629-2 μοι ⁵⁵

mvp-comment-629-3 καὶ δέος ⁵⁶ καίριον ⁵⁷

mvp-comment-630-1 ἃν ἡδώμεθα ⁵⁸

mvp-comment-630-2 οὐκ ἀντιτείσειν ⁵⁹ ἃν λυπώμεθα ⁶⁰

mvp-comment-631-1 παραλλὰξ ⁶¹ αἴθων ⁶²

mvp-comment-632-1 ὅπως | μὴ ⁶³

mvp-comment-633-1 εἰς ταφὰς πέσῃς ⁶⁴

mvp-comment-634-1 ὑποστήσας ⁶⁵

mvp-comment-634-2 ἐν θανοῦσιν ⁶⁶

mvp-comment-634-3 The dramatic function of a Chorus required that these Salaminian sailors, while loyal to Ajax, should recognise the sound elements in the speech which they have heard. Menelaüs has rightly condemned the

ὕβρις

which defies human laws. But his own

ὕβρις

menaces the laws of the gods.

mvp-comment-635-1 ἄνδρες ⁶⁷

mvp-comment-636-1 μηδὲν ὢν γοναῖσιν ⁶⁸

mvp-comment-637-1 τοιαῦθ’ ἁμαρτάνουσιν … ἔπη ⁶⁹

mvp-comment-638-1 ἄγειν ⁷⁰ λαβών ⁷¹

mvp-comment-639-1 αὐτὸς ⁷²

mvp-comment-640-1 ποῦ ⁷³

mvp-comment-640-2 λεῶν ⁷⁴

mvp-comment-641-1 ἤγαγ’ ⁷⁵ ἡγεῖτ’ ⁷⁶ ὧν ⁷⁷ ἦγεν ⁷⁸ ἤγετ’ ⁷⁹

mvp-comment-642-1 οὐδ’ ἔσθ’ ὅπου ⁸⁰ τόνδε κοσμῆσαι ⁸¹

mvp-comment-642-2 ἀρχῆς … θεσμὸς ⁸² ἔκειτο ⁸³

mvp-comment-642-3 ἢ καὶ τῷδε σέ ⁸⁴

mvp-comment-643-1 ὅλων ⁸⁵ σύμπαντες ⁸⁶

mvp-comment-643-2 Apart from the difficulty as to

ὅλων

, there is absolutely no ground for rejecting verses 1105 f., as Schneidewin and other critics have done.

mvp-comment-644-1 ὧνπερ ἄρχεις αρχε ⁸⁷

mvp-comment-644-2 τὰ σέμν’ ἔπη κόλαζ’ ἐκείνους ⁸⁸

mvp-comment-644-3 εἴτε μὴ σὺ φής, εἴθ’ ἅτερος στρ ⁸⁹

mvp-comment-644-4 εἰς ταφὰς θήσω ⁹⁰

mvp-comment-644-5 στόμα ⁹¹

mvp-comment-645-1 οἱ πόνου πολλοῦ πλέῳ ⁹²

mvp-comment-645-2 Assuredly

οἱ πόνου πολλοῦ πλέῳ

does not mean ‘busybodies,’

οἱ πολυπραγμονοῦντες

, as some have taken it,—supposing it to be said scornfully of

βασιλεῖς

tributary to Menelaüs and eager to display their zeal.

mvp-comment-646-1 ὅρκων ⁹³

mvp-comment-647-1 σοῦ δ’ οὐδὲν ⁹⁴

mvp-comment-647-2 τοὺς μηδένας ⁹⁵

mvp-comment-648-1 κήρυκας ⁹⁶

mvp-comment-649-1 ψόφου … στραφείην ⁹⁷

mvp-comment-649-2 ἕως ⁹⁸ ὡς ⁹⁹ ὡς ἂν ᾖς ¹⁰⁰

mvp-comment-650-1 οὐδ’ αὖ ¹⁰¹

mvp-comment-650-2 ἐν κακοῖς ¹⁰²

mvp-comment-651-1 ὁ τοξότης ¹⁰³

mvp-comment-652-1 βάναυσον ¹⁰⁴

mvp-comment-653-1 ἀσπίδ’ ¹⁰⁵

mvp-comment-654-1 ψιλὸς … ὡπλισμένῳ ¹⁰⁶

mvp-comment-655-1 τρέφει ¹⁰⁷

mvp-comment-656-1 ξὺν τῷ δικαίῳ ¹⁰⁸

mvp-comment-657-1 δίκαια ¹⁰⁹

mvp-comment-657-2 κτείναντα ¹¹⁰

mvp-comment-658-1 δεινόν γ’ εἶπας ¹¹¹

mvp-comment-658-2 εἰ καὶ ζῇς ¹¹²

mvp-comment-659-1 τῷδε δ’ οἴχομαι ¹¹³

mvp-comment-660-1 ἀτίμα ¹¹⁴

mvp-comment-660-2 θεοὺς ¹¹⁵

mvp-comment-660-3 θεοῖς σεσωσμένος ¹¹⁶

mvp-comment-661-1 ἐγὼ γὰρ ἂν ψέξαιμι ¹¹⁷ δαιμόνων νόμους ¹¹⁸

mvp-comment-661-2 εἰ … οὐκ ἐᾷς ¹¹⁹

mvp-comment-661-3 παρών ¹²⁰

mvp-comment-662-1 τούς γ’ αὐτὸς αὑτοῦ ¹²¹ αὐτοῦ ¹²² οὐ γὰρ καλόν ¹²³

mvp-comment-663-1 σοὶ … προὔστη ¹²⁴

mvp-comment-664-1 μισοῦντ’ ἐμίσει ¹²⁵

mvp-comment-665-1 ψηφοποιὸς ¹²⁶

mvp-comment-665-2 The gen. αὐτοῦ ¹²⁷

mvp-comment-666-1 ἐν τοῖς δικασταῖς ¹²⁸

mvp-comment-667-1 καλῶς ¹²⁹ κακῶς ¹³⁰

mvp-comment-667-2 κλέψειας κακά ¹³¹

mvp-comment-668-1 εἰς ἀνίαν … ἔρχεται ¹³² τινί ¹³³ ἔρχεται τινί ¹³⁴

mvp-comment-669-1 οὐ μᾶλλον ¹³⁵

mvp-comment-670-1 τόνδ’ ἐστὶν οὐχὶ θαπτέον ¹³⁶

mvp-comment-671-1 ἀλλ’ ἀντακούσει τοῦτον ὡς ¹³⁷ τοῦθ’ ἕν ¹³⁸

mvp-comment-671-2 τεθάψεται ¹³⁹

mvp-comment-672-1 ναύτας ἐφορμήσαντα … τὸ | πλεῖν ¹⁴⁰ vαύταις ¹⁴¹ ναύτας ¹⁴²

mvp-comment-673-1 ᾧ φθέγμ’ ἂν οὐκ ἂν ηὗρες ¹⁴³ ἄν ¹⁴⁴ ᾧ ¹⁴⁵

mvp-comment-673-2 ἐν κακῷ χειμῶνος ¹⁴⁶

mvp-comment-673-3 εἴχετ’ ¹⁴⁷

mvp-comment-673-4 ὑφ’ εἵματος ¹⁴⁸

mvp-comment-673-5 κρυφείς ¹⁴⁹

mvp-comment-674-1 πατεῖν παρεῖχε ¹⁵⁰

mvp-comment-675-1 καὶ δὲ καὶ τὸ σὸν … στόμα ¹⁵¹

mvp-comment-675-2 λάβρον στόμα ¹⁵²

mvp-comment-675-3 σμικροῦ νέφους … ἐκπνεύσας ¹⁵³

mvp-comment-676-1 τὴν … βοήν ¹⁵⁴

mvp-comment-677-1 ἐν κακοῖς ὕβριζε ¹⁵⁵

mvp-comment-678-1 κᾆτ’ ¹⁵⁶

mvp-comment-679-1 ὀργήν ¹⁵⁷

mvp-comment-680-1 ποήσεις ¹⁵⁸

mvp-comment-680-2 πημανούμενος ¹⁵⁹

mvp-comment-681-1 ἄνολβον ¹⁶⁰

mvp-comment-681-2 παρών ¹⁶¹

mvp-comment-682-1 μῶν ᾐνιξάμην ¹⁶²

mvp-comment-683-1 πάρα ¹⁶³

mvp-comment-683-2 1163 The anapaests serve not only to mark the exit of Menelaüs, but also to afford a pause before the entrance of Tecmessa at 1168. For their bearing on the date of the play, see Introd. § 21.— ἔριδός τις ἀγών ¹⁶⁴

mvp-comment-684-1 κάπετον ¹⁶⁵

mvp-comment-684-2 ἰδεῖν ¹⁶⁶

mvp-comment-685-1 βροτοῖς τὸν ἀείμνηστον ¹⁶⁷

mvp-comment-685-2 εὐρώεντα ¹⁶⁸

mvp-comment-685-3 The legendary tomb of Ajax was shown on the coast of the Troad near Cape Rhoeteum; Strabo 13. p. 595

τῷ *(ποιτείῳ συνεχὴς ᾐὼν ἁλιτενής, ἐφ’ ᾗ μνῆμα καὶ ἱερὸν Αἴαντος καὶ ἀνδριάς

. Alexander the Great, on landing in the Troad, offered

ἐναγίσματα

at the tomb of Ajax as well as at that of Achilles ( Diod. 17. 17 ). There were legends of gigantic bones having been found in the tomb ( Paus. 1. 35. 5 ).

mvp-comment-686-1 καὶ μὴν ¹⁶⁹

mvp-comment-686-2 ἐς αὐτὸν καιρὸν ¹⁷⁰ πλησίον ¹⁷¹

mvp-comment-686-3 Tecmessa had left the scene after v. 989, in order to bring the child Eurysaces from the tent, where he had been left when she set forth in search of Ajax (810). The part of Tecmessa is now taken by a mute person, as the deuteragonist has presently to resume the part of Odysseus (1318).

mvp-comment-686-4 τάφον περιστελοῦντε ¹⁷² περιστελοῦντι ¹⁷³

mvp-comment-687-1 ἱκέτης ¹⁷⁴

mvp-comment-687-2 While the child knelt as a suppliant by the body, with his hand upon it, the corpse could not be forcibly removed without offence to Zeus

Ἱκέσιος

. Teucer is about to go and seek a place for the grave (1184), and he desires to secure that the body shall not be disturbed during his absence.

mvp-comment-687-3 ὅς σ’ ἐγείνατο ¹⁷⁵

mvp-comment-688-1 θάκει δὲ προστρόπαιος ¹⁷⁶

mvp-comment-688-2 κόμας ¹⁷⁷

mvp-comment-688-3 τρίτου ¹⁷⁸

mvp-comment-689-1 ἱκτήριον θησαυρόν ¹⁷⁹

mvp-comment-690-1 κακὸς κακῶς ¹⁸⁰

mvp-comment-690-2 ἄθαπτος ἐκπέσοι χθονός ¹⁸¹

mvp-comment-690-3 ἐκπέσοι ¹⁸²

mvp-comment-691-1 γένους ἅπαντος ¹⁸³

mvp-comment-691-2 ῥίζαν ἐξημημένος ¹⁸⁴

mvp-comment-692-1 αὔτως ¹⁸⁵

mvp-comment-692-2 ὅπωσπερ τόνδ’ ἐγὼ τέμνω πλόκον ¹⁸⁶

mvp-comment-693-1 κινησάτω ¹⁸⁷ προσπεσὼν ¹⁸⁸ ἔχου ¹⁸⁹

mvp-comment-694-1 ὑμεῖς τε ¹⁹⁰ δὲ ¹⁹¹ τε ¹⁹²

mvp-comment-694-2 ἀντ’ ἀνδρῶν ¹⁹³

mvp-comment-695-1 ἔστ’ ¹⁹⁴

mvp-comment-695-2 τάφου μεληθεὶς ¹⁹⁵

mvp-comment-695-3 κἂν μηδεὶς ἐᾷ ¹⁹⁶

mvp-comment-696-1 νέατος ¹⁹⁷ νέατος ¹⁹⁸

mvp-comment-696-2 πολυπλάγκτων ¹⁹⁹

mvp-comment-697-1 τὰν ἄπαυστον ²⁰⁰

mvp-comment-698-1 δορυσσοήτων ²⁰¹ δορυσσόων ²⁰² δορυσσῶν ²⁰³

mvp-comment-699-1 ἀν τὰν εὐρώδεα Τρωΐαν ²⁰⁴ ἀν ²⁰⁵

mvp-comment-700-1 δύστανον ὄνειδος Ἑλλάνων ²⁰⁶

mvp-comment-701-1 ὄφελε ²⁰⁷

mvp-comment-701-2 αἰθέρα δῦναι μέγαν ²⁰⁸

mvp-comment-701-3 πολύκοινον Ἅιδαν ²⁰⁹

mvp-comment-702-1 κεῖνος ἁνὴρ ²¹⁰

mvp-comment-702-2 ἔδειξεν ²¹¹

mvp-comment-702-3 κοινὸν Ἄρη ²¹²

mvp-comment-703-1 ἰὼ πόνοι πρόγονοι πόνων ²¹³

mvp-comment-704-1 οὔτε στεφάνων ²¹⁴

mvp-comment-704-2 στεφάνων ²¹⁵

mvp-comment-705-1 βαθειᾶν ²¹⁶

mvp-comment-705-2 κυλίκων ²¹⁷

mvp-comment-706-1 νεῖμεν ²¹⁸ τέρψιν ²¹⁹ ὁμιλεῖν ²²⁰

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

1051. mvp-comment-677-1 προθείς] Sc. κελεύεις ταῦτα, again 'understood' from the preceding lines. Cp. especially O. T. 1154, 5, οὐχ ὡς τάχος τις τοῦδ᾽ ἀποστρέψει χέρας; ΘΕ. δύστηνος, ἀντὶ τοῦ; τί προσχρήζων μαθεῖν;

1054. mvp-comment-678-1 ζητοῦντες] i.e. ἐξετάζοντες, ‘In the trial.'

1057. mvp-comment-679-1 τήνδε πεῖραν ἔσβεσεν] For this metaphorical use of σβεννύω, cp. Heracl. fr. 103, ed Bywater, ὕβριν χρὴ σβεννύειν, μᾶλλον ἢ πυρκαϊήν.

1058. mvp-comment-680-1 τήνδ', ἣν .. τύχην] The governing word λαχόντες is absorbed, leaving τήνδε (τύχην) as an accusative in apposition with the sentence.

1059. mvp-comment-681-1 θανόντες ἂν προὐκείμεθα] 'We should have died and been cast forth.' In order to justify his own violence, Menelaus imagines Ajax (if successful) as usurping the command of the army, and forbidding the burial of the generals whom he had slain.

1061. mvp-comment-682-1 πεσεῖν] An epexegetic infinitive, completing the imperfect construction of πρὸς μῆλα, κ.τ.λ. By a slight inversion the insult ( ὕβριν), instead of the objects of the insult, is put into the accusative after ἐνήλλαξεν. The meaning is that some divine power (which the spectator knows to be Athena's) exchanged one victim of Ajax' fury for another.

1063. mvp-comment-683-1 σῶμα τυμβεῦσαι τάφῳ] Το 'give his corpse the honours of a tomb.' See Essay on L. § 17. p. 25 c; also ibid. § 16. p. 236. Menelaus dwells with mocking iteration upon the privilege which he denies.

1064. mvp-comment-684-1 ἀμφὶ.. ἐκβεβλημένος] 'Cast forth here or there on the humid sand.' The vague ἀμφί implies 'casually here or there, as carried by the waves.' Cp. Aesch. Pers. 576, 7, κναπτόμενοι δ᾽ ἁλὶ δεινὰ | σκύλλονται πρὸς ἀναύδων | παίδων τῆς ἀμιάντου.

1064. mvp-comment-684-2 χλωράν probably here refers not to colour but to moisture, i.e. that part of the sands which the sea has moistened. So in Trach. 849, χλωρὰν . . δακρύων ἄχναν, 'moist dew of tears.'

1066. mvp-comment-685-1 μηδὲν.. μένος] « 'By no means let thy spirit rise threateningly.' μηδέν is adverbial, and δεινόν predicative.

1069. mvp-comment-686-1 παρευθύνοντες] 'Keeping him in order.' Cp. supr. 72, ἀπευθύνοντα, and note. The composition with παρά suggests the image of a slave-driver walking beside a gang of slaves and keeping them in line.

1069-1070. mvp-comment-687-1 i.e. 'I knew him too well in life to suppose that he will listen to reason.' Such appears to be the force of the opposition between χερσίν and λόγων here. This, said of the dead man, of course conveys the acme of brutal scorn. Cp. Shakespeare, Hamlet, 3. 4, “Indeed, this counsellor | Is now most still, most secret, and most grave.” For ὅπου, transferred from place to occasion, cp. infr. 1100.

1071. mvp-comment-688-1 ἄνδρα is almost a pronoun (Essay on L. § 22. p. 37, 5), and hence the repetition is not felt. 'It is vile conduct, for one of the people to disobey.' The γνώμη is first stated as applicable to a city, and then in 1075 applied (with the emphatic γε) to the case of an army.

1073-1076. mvp-comment-689-1 'As in a city the laws cannot have due course if there be no established fear, so neither can a whole army be wisely disciplined without some safeguard of respect and awe.' For καλῶς φέροιντ᾽ ἄν, cp. Thuc. 5. 16, εὖ φερόμενος ἐν στρατηγίαις: ib. 2. 60, καλῶς φερόμενος .. τὸ καθ᾽ ἑαυτόν.

1075. mvp-comment-690-1 ἄρχοιτ' is a late correction in L² for ἄγοιτ'? ἔτι] 'Any longer;' i.e. 'When once respect is lost, good conduct is at an end.'

1077. mvp-comment-691-1 κἂν σῶμα γεννήσῃ μέγα] 'Though he be owner (lit. parent) of a mighty frame.' This is a bold extension of the idiom by which unconscious and mechanical actions are attributed to the subject, and one is said φῦσαι ὀδόντας, ‘To have grown teeth,' etc. See Essay on L. § 30. p. 52 d; and cp. especially O. C. 149, 50, ἀλαῶν ὀμμάτων .. φυτάλμιος, and note. Menelaus insinuates that the bulky frame of Ajax was his chief qualification.

1079. mvp-comment-692-1 Cp. Thuc. 2. 37. § 4, διὰ δέος .. οὐ παρανομοῦμεν: ib. 43. § 1, τολμῶντες καὶ γιγνώσκοντες τὰ δέοντα καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις αἰσχυνόμενοι.

1081-1082. mvp-comment-693-1 ὅπου. ταύτην] For this correlation, cp. supr. 496, 7, εἰ γὰρ θάνῃς ταύτῃ τῇ τόθ᾽ ἡμέρᾳ. ἃ βούλεται] Sc. τις.

1083. mvp-comment-694-1 ἐξ οὐρίων δραμοῦσαν] 'Must lose her fair course and founder in the deep.' The aorist denotes what is certain in the future, as in Aesch. Prom. 667, 8, πυρωπὸν ἐκ Διὸς μολεῖν | κεραυνόν. ἐξ οὐρίων (neut. pl.) = ἐκ τοῦ οὐρίου δρόμου, just as οὔρια θεῖν = ἐς οὔριον δρόμον θεῖν (L. and S. s. ν. οὔριος, Ι. 1). Cp. Aesch. Prom. 883, 4, ἔξω δὲ δρόμου φέρομαι | λύσσης πνεύματι μάργῳ: Pind. Pyth. 11. 60, ἤ μέ τις ἄνεμος ἔξω πλόου | ἔβαλεν, ὡς ὅτ᾽ ἄκατον εἰναλίαν. It is true that, as Lobeck remarks, ἐξ οὐρίων, sc. πνευμάτων, is used by late writers as equivalent to ἐξ οὐρίας, sc. πνοῆς, – 'With a fair wind.' But what meaning can be attached to this phrase here? 'Will run a straight course to the bottom'? or, 'Will have a fair voyage, and then sink'? The former is nonsensical, and in the latter the oxymoron has no such point as in O. Τ. 423, ἄνορμον εἰσέπλευσας, εὐπλοίας τυχών. Or, if it is proposed to render, 'After once having had prosperity, will run on and founder in the depths,' the introduction of the participle is inconsistent with this use of ἐξ, for which, however, cp. Thuc. 1. 120, ἐξ εἰρήνης πολεμεῖν.

1084. mvp-comment-695-1 Lobeck says on this verse, 'Perquam apte hoc Menelaus dicit ex Spartanorum institutis, qui Timoris aedem consecraverunt juxta triclinium Ephororum, τὴν πολιτείαν μάλιστα συνέχεσθαι φόβῳ νομίζοντες, Plutarch. V. Cleom. c. 9. 808 D.' The words of Pericles in Thuc. 2. 37 (quoted on l. 1079, supr.), would rather show that this part of Menelaus' speech reflects the feelings of the 'party of order' at Athens. The coryphaeus ( infr. 1091) approves of the general tenor of the speech. For ἑστάτω, of a fixed sentiment, cp. Thuc. 3. 9, τὸ .. καθεστός.

1085. mvp-comment-696-1 δρῶντες ἂν ἡδώμεθα] Sc. δρῶντες.

1086. mvp-comment-697-1 ἂν λυπώμεθα] Sc. ἀποτίνοντες. For the mood, which is here partly due to the parallelism of ἡδώμεθα, cp. O. C. 190 (according to one reading), ἵν᾽ ἂν εἴπωμεν. It may be explained as an instance of prolepsis, a consequence being treated as a condition. The first person is idiomatic, i.e. 'Let not men think.'

1087. mvp-comment-698-1 ταῦτα] τὸ ἥδεσθαι καὶ τὸ τίνειν, 'These things go by turns.' i. e. pleasure brings pain. In the following lines he returns from general reflections to the case in point.

1091. mvp-comment-699-1 γνώμας ὑποστήσας σοφάς] 'After laying a ground-work of wise maxims.' Cp. Pind. Pyth. 4. 241-3, πραὺν δ' Ἰάσων | μαλθακᾷ φωνᾷ ποτιστάζων ὅαρον | βάλλετο κρηπίδα σοφῶν ἐπέων. This line has no caesura.

1092. mvp-comment-700-1 'Proceed thereupon to be guilty of insolence towards the dead.' For ἐν θανοῦσιν ὑβριστής, cp. infr. 1315, ἐν ἐμοὶ θρασύς.

1096. mvp-comment-701-1 τοιαῦθ᾽ ἁμαρτάνουσιν.. ἔπη] 'Are guilty of such sinful utterance.' ἔπη is a cognate accusative similar to infr. 1107, 8, τὰ σέμν᾽ ἔπη | κόλαζ᾽ ἐκείνους. ἐν λόγοις is pleonastic, and simply means, 'When they speak.'

1097. mvp-comment-702-1 σύ has a strong emphasis: 'Do you profess to have brought Ajax hither as an ally to the Achaeans?' The word ἄγειν in supr. 1053 was offensive to Teucer.

1100-1101. mvp-comment-703-1 ποῦ.. οἴκοθεν] 'Where is your right to command Ajax? or where is your authority to lord it over the troops he led from home?' The adverb of place is transferred to express a logical relation, 'Where do you command?' i. e. 'Show me the ground on which you do so.'

1101. mvp-comment-704-1 The apparent violation of the Porsonic pause in this line may be remedied by reading ἤγαγ᾽ οἴκοθεν with Pal. (see v. rr.) In that case ὧν is genitive by attraction, for τούτων, οὕς. But just as there are lines without caesura, so there are several instances of this exception to the rule of the cretic. And, as Elmsley suggested, the elision, by forbidding a pause, may have made the exception possible.

1102. mvp-comment-705-1 This line, like supr. 861, would find an echo in Athenian national sentiment.

1103. mvp-comment-706-1 οὐδ᾽ ἔσθ' ὅπου] 'Nor is there any ground on which.' Cp. supr. l. 1100 and note.

1104. mvp-comment-707-1 ἀρχῆς ἔκειτο θεσμός] 'Right of command existed.' The past tense refers to the lifetime of Ajax.

1105. mvp-comment-708-1 ἄλλων] i. e. of Agamemnon. ὅλων may be either masculine or neuter, (1) 'Of all the troops,' or (2) 'Of the whole expedition.' Parallels for both are quoted by Lobeck. The first seems the more probable. In this case the plural is equivalent to a collective word, τοῦ στρατοῦ ὅλου, and this may justify the use of ὅλων for πάντων.

1106. mvp-comment-709-1 ὥστ᾽ Αίαντος ἡγεῖσθαί ποτε] This petulant iteration, however natural, is somewhat beneath the level of tragic dignity which is maintained throughout the earlier part of the play. ποτέ, as in supr. 183, οὔ ποτε, gives absoluteness to the denial. 'That could never be!'

1107. mvp-comment-710-1 ὧνπερ ἄρχεις ἄρχε] ‘Exercise command on those over whom you have command.'

1108. mvp-comment-711-1 εἴτε μὴ σὺ φής] i. e. εἴτε σὺ μὴ φής.

1110. mvp-comment-712-1 δικαίως] 'Rightly,' i.e. 'Abating nothing of what is due to him.'

1112. mvp-comment-713-1 ὥσπερ οἱ πόνου πολλοῦ πλέῳ] 'Like those poor men who are consumed with toil;' i. e. the Argive soldiery, who are subject to the behests of the Atreidae. In pitying the men under their command, Teucer conveys his scorn both of the meanness and the tyrannical disposition of the two generals, and also his pride in the independence shown by Ajax and himself. Cp. Il. 9. 348, ἢ μὲν δὴ μάλα πολλὰ πονήσατο νόσφιν ἐμεῖο: supr. 637, πολυπόνων ᾿Αχαιῶν.

1113. mvp-comment-714-1 Ajax served, not because Helen was Menelaus' wife, but because of his oath to her father Tyndareus. Cp. Thuc. 1. 9, τοῖς Τυνδάρεω ὅρκοις κατειλημμένους.

1114. mvp-comment-715-1 σοῦ δ᾽ οὐδέν] This angry repetition (cp. supr. 1106) resumes more explicitly what was implied in σῆς, l. 1111. οὐ γὰρ .. τοὺς μηδένας] For ἀξιοῦν with the accusative only, cp. Eur. Heracl. 918 (lyr.), ὦ Ὑμέναιε, δισσοὺς | παῖδας Διὸς ἠξίωσας. τοὺς μηδένας] Not οὐδένας, because the expression is general, i.e. hypothetical, — εἰ μηδένες εἴησαν.

1115. mvp-comment-716-1 Menelaus came attended by a single herald.

1116. mvp-comment-717-1 τὸν στρατηγόν] 'The generalissimo.' In supr. 1109, to depreciate Agamemnon, Teucer put the two generals on a par: here, to depreciate Menelaus, he makes Agamemnon supreme. τοῦ.. σοῦ ψόφου] 'For any noise of thine.' Cp. Eur. Hipp. 1224-6, οὔτε ναυκλήρου χερὸς | οὔθ' ἱπποδέσμων .. | μεταστρέφουσαι.

1117. mvp-comment-718-1 οὐκ ἂν στραφείην] 'I will not turn this way or that.' ὡς ἂν ἧς—οἷός περ εἰ] 'However you may be just what you are.' The sentence ends, parà prosdokían, after leading the hearer to expect some word like βασιλικός ('However kingly you may be'). Instead of that, Teucer substitutes οἷός περ εἶ, “A man like Menelaus, and nothing more.' Cp. Shak. Ham. 3. 2, 'We shall obey, were she ten times our mother.' For ὡς ἄν, see E. on L. § 28. p. 47, 4 a.

1118. mvp-comment-719-1 οὐδ᾽ αὖ] The Chorus contrast their present speech with supr. 1091, 2.

1119. mvp-comment-720-1 'For hard words irritate, however deserved they may be.'

1121. mvp-comment-721-1 Teucer's craft in archery was not that of an ordinary bowman. Cp. Phil. 1056, 7, ἐπεὶ πάρεστι μὲν | Τεύκρος παρ' ἡμῖν, τηνδ᾽ ἐπιστήμην ἔχων. The feeling which gave importance to the science of archery accorded with the original legend. Cp. Il. 13. 313, 4, Τεῦκρός θ᾽ ὡς ἄριστος᾿ Ἀχαιῶν | τοξοσύνῃ. Here, in speaking of what is ἔξω τοῦ μυθεύματος, contemporary feeling, which held archers cheap, is allowed to have its way.

1123. mvp-comment-722-1 σοί γ᾽ ὡπλισμένῳ] Sc. ὥστε ἀντίπαλος εἶναι.

1124. mvp-comment-723-1 'What courageous anger lives in thy tongue!' τὸν θυμόν, sc. τὸν ἐν τῇ γλώσσῃ ἐνόντα. Cp. Milton, Samson Agonistes, 1181, 'Tongue-doughty Giant.'

1126. mvp-comment-724-1 τόνδ᾽ εὐτυχεῖν κτείναντά με] 'That all should go smoothly with the man here who contrived my death.' The use of the aorist in this conative sense is a rhetorical exaggeration. The continuous tense is so used in O. C. 992, 3, εἴ τις σε τὸν δίκαιον αὐτίκ᾽ ἐνθάδε | κτείνοι παραστάς, κ.τ.λ., where see note.

1128. mvp-comment-725-1 τῷδε δ᾽ οἴχομαι] See above, l. 970, and note.

1130. mvp-comment-726-1 'Am I the man who would quarrel with divine law?'

1131. mvp-comment-727-1 'If you come and prevent the burial of the dead.' οὐκ is permissible, because οὐκ ἐᾷς is one word, and the supposition emphatically points to the fact, 'If, as you do.'

1132. mvp-comment-728-1 The use of αὑτοῦ for ἐμαυτοῦ here is justified by the generality of the expression, — 'In the case of one's enemy,' and prepares the way for the abstract statement, οὐ γὰρ καλόν.

1133. mvp-comment-729-1 Menelaus has sought to justify his action by applying to Ajax the word πολέμιος, which properly applies only to an enemy of the state. But he has not the courage to follow this up by showing that Ajax was a public enemy.

1135. mvp-comment-730-1 'Yes, because you were convicted of having cheated him by manufacturing votes.'

1136. mvp-comment-731-1 'He met with this reverse through the action of the court and not through mine.' τόδε, sc. τὸ σφάλμα. Cp. Pind. Nem. 8. 45, κρυφίαισι γὰρ ἐν ψάφοις Ὀδυσσῆ Δαναοὶ θεράπευσαν.

1137. mvp-comment-732-1 The gloss on καλῶς, ἀντὶ τοῦ ἐμπείρως, both supports the reading of L pr., and accounts for the corruption by showing that καλῶς was felt to require explanation. The alliteration of κ, λ, is perhaps suggestive of wily subtlety. For καλῶς.. κακά, cp. O. T. 1396, κάλλος κακῶν ὕπουλον.

1138. mvp-comment-733-1 'That speech tends to some one's hurt.' For τινί, implying σοί, cp. especially Ant. 751, θανοῦσ᾽ ὀλεῖ τινά.

1139. mvp-comment-734-1 οὐ μᾶλλον (ἀνίαν ἕξομεν), ἢ λυπήσομεν (σε). ὡς ἔοικεν] The threat of Menelaus, l. 1138, shows that he is stung.

1141. mvp-comment-735-1 τεθάψεται] The future perfect has a peremptory effect.

1142-1158. mvp-comment-736-1 These two speeches are obviously antiphonal or antistrophic in a general sense, and yet the latter exceeds the former by a line. This may warn us against requiring exact antistrophic correspondence in other iambic passages, where the absence of it has occasioned doubt.

1143. mvp-comment-737-1 τὸ πλεῖν] For the article with the epexegetic infinitive, cp. O. T. 1416, 17, πάρεσθ᾽ ὅδε | Κρέων τὸ πράσσειν καὶ τὸ βουλεύειν.

1144. mvp-comment-738-1 For ἂν reduplicated, see Essay on L. § 27. p. 46 e. In the present instance it adds liveliness to φθέγμα, which is to be taken closely with, i.e. ᾧ φθέγμα γενόμενον ἂν οὐκ ἂν εὗρες. ἐνεῦρες has been conjectured, but this compound is not found elsewhere, and no change is needed.

1146. mvp-comment-739-1 παρέχειν is used absolutely with dative and infinitive, as frequently in Plato. The expression is proverbial: cp. Plato, Theaet. 191 Α, ἐὰν δὲ πάντῃ ἀπορήσωμεν, ταπεινωθέντες, οἶμαι, τῷ λόγῳ παρέξομεν ὡς ναυτιῶντες πατεῖν τε καὶ χρῆσθαι ὅ τι ἂν βούληται.

1147-1149. mvp-comment-740-1 The second accusative, τὴν πολλὴν βοήν, is added as a resumption of καὶ τὸ σὸν λάβρον στόμα, which is a sort of 'pendent' accusative.

1150. mvp-comment-741-1 Teucer, in replying to Menelaus, retains the form of allegory; but, instead of seeking for an illustration, puts the case as it stands, thus more openly expressing his scorn.

1156. mvp-comment-742-1 ἄνολβον] The same indissoluble association between unhappiness and wickedness appears in the use of δύστηνος, infr. 1290, and in μελέοις ᾿Ατρείδαις, supr. 621. Cf. also O. T. 888, δυσπότμου χάριν χλιδᾶς. For the addition of παρών, cp. supr. 1131.

1158. mvp-comment-743-1 μῶν ἠνιξάμην] ‘Is my riddle hard to read?' As was said in note on supr. 1150, Teucer does not care to disguise his contempt.

1160. mvp-comment-744-1 ᾧ.. παρῇ] The reading πάρα is unobjectionable, but is perhaps due to the supposition εἰ πύθοιτό τις, which refers to the particular case:—some early scholar having felt an incongruity in the fusion of general and particular, which is however quite in keeping with the language of the age of Pericles.

1163-1165. mvp-comment-745-1 The anapaests accompany the exit of Menelaus. The Chorus express their apprehension of what may follow this, viz. the coming of Agamemnon, who, both from his character and position, is more formidable. ἔριδος .. ἀγών] So in Trach. 20, ἀγῶνα μάχης.

1165. mvp-comment-746-1 κοίλην κάπετον] This phrase, belonging to the Epic commonplace, is repeated infr. 1403. τινά, i. e. πού, 'somewhere.' For this adverbial use of the indefinite pronoun, see Essay on L. § 22. p. 36, 4. ἰδεῖν] · 'To look out,' 'provide.' For this use of ὁρᾶν, cp. Od. 8. 443, αὐτὸς νῦν ἴδε πῶμα: Theocr. 15. 2, ὅρη δίφρον, Εὐνόα, αὐτῷ: Phil. 843, τάδε μὲν θεὸς ὄψεται. So, also in Elizabethan English, 'to look' sometimes means 'to look for,' e.g. Shakespeare, Merry Wives of Windsor, 4. 2, 79, 'Mistress Page and I will look some linen for your head.'

1166. mvp-comment-747-1 βροτοῖς] 'In the eyes of men.' A dative of remote reference in loose construction with the words which follow, and also to be resumed with ἀείμνηστον. See Essay on L. § 13. p. 19. and cp. especially El. 1066, ὦ χθονία βροτοῖσι φάμα. For the position of the article, cp. Trach. 872, Ἡρακλεῖ τὸ πόμπιμον. τὸν ἀείμνηστον] 'Of unfading renown.' The expression (with the article) is proleptic, and reminds the spectator that the fame of Ajax is eternal.

1167. mvp-comment-748-1 εὐρώεντα] 'Mouldering,' or 'darksome,' an epithet recalling the natural horror of the grave. Whether to Sophocles, as to Oppian and Nonnus afterwards, the word conveyed the association of 'roomy,' 'wide-vaulted,' may be left an open question. See L. and S. s. ν. εὐρώεις.

1170. mvp-comment-749-1 περιστελοῦντε] Το 'care for.' The verb is used much as in Ant. 903, δέμας περιστέλλουσα.

1172. mvp-comment-750-1 The child clinging to his dead father would be as inviolable as a suppliant clinging to an altar. Cp. Aesch. Cho. 106, αἰδουμένη σοι βωμὸν ὡς τύμβον πατρός: ib. 336, 7, τάφος δ᾽ ἱκέτας δέδεκται | φυγάδας θ' ὁμοίως.

1173. mvp-comment-751-1 προστρόπαιος is a more solemn and formal word than ἱκέτης. The formality of the supplication would be marked by the locks of hair cut off in token of mourning for the dead, which Eurysaces is to hold in his hand.

1174. mvp-comment-752-1 Cp. El. 448-50, σὺ δὲ | τεμοῦσα κρατὸς βοστρύχων ἄκρας φόβας | κἀμοῦ ταλαίνης, κ.τ.λ. For τρίτου, cp. O. C. 8, and note.

1175. mvp-comment-753-1 ἱκτήριον θησαυρόν] ‘A suppliant store,' i. e. a sacred deposit having virtue for the purpose of supplication. στρατοῦ] Here and supr. 1044 the rest of the army seems to be opposed to the men of Salamis.

1177. mvp-comment-754-1 κακὸς κακῶς] The tautology belongs to the formal solemnity of the oath. Cp. O. T. 219, 20, and note.

1178. mvp-comment-755-1 γένους . . ἐξημημένος] 'Having cut off from him all issue.' Here, and in Ant. 600, ῥίζα seems to mean the germ of a branch rather than the root of a tree. Teucer's prayer is that his enemy may die childless, and that his body may lie unburied, as it were banished from the 'lap of earth.' Cp. Isaiah 14. 19, 'But thou art cast out of thy grave as an abominable branch: as a carcase trodden under foot.' Or it may also mean 'denied burial in his own land.'

1180. mvp-comment-756-1 αὐτόν] Sc. τὸν νέκρον.

1181. mvp-comment-757-1 ἔχου] Cp. Hdt. 4. 22, καὶ ὁ κύων ἔχεται.

1182-1183. mvp-comment-758-1 ὑμεῖς τε.. ἀρήγετ'] 'And do not ye stand by like women, but defend him like men.'

1183-1184. mvp-comment-759-1 ἔς τ᾽ ἐγὼ μόλω .. τῷδε] 'Until I return after caring for his burial.' The stress on the participle is no objection to this reading; and μολεῖν has often the sense of 'to return.' κἂν μηδεὶς ἐᾷ] 'Though all men forbid me.' For this expression, cp. Phil. 443, 4, ὅπου | μηδεὶς ἐῴη.

1183-1184. mvp-comment-759-2 The rhythm of the following stasimon is largely choriambic, and is expressive of restless impatience. The metrical scheme is the following...

1185. mvp-comment-760-1 'When shall be the end, and what the number of the restless years of exile?' ἐς πότε λήξει is rather an amplification than a parenthesis. The simpler expression would be either τίς νέατος ἔσται ἀριθμός, or, ἐς πότε λήξει ὁ ἀριθμός. But νέατος is already redundant, and this gives rise to the further expansion. πολυπλάγκτων is put by hypallage or condensation for τοῦ ἐμὲ πολλὰ πλαγχθῆναι, sc. ἀπ᾿ οἴκου.

1187. mvp-comment-761-1 The corruption of the word δορυσσοήτων into δορυσσόντων in most MSS. is natural enough, although there is no such participle, and the adjective, which is more expressive as well as more rhythmical, agrees in metre with the antistrophe.

1190. mvp-comment-762-1 ἀν᾿ ἀερώδεα Τρωΐαν, G. Wolff's conjecture, founded on the scholion σκοτεινὴν καὶ ἀερώδη τοῖς Ἕλλησι, at least gives a possible sense and meaning. The contrast between the misty Hellespont and the bright air of Salamis and Athens is a natural topic of complaint. Cp. infr. 1208, 9, ἀεὶ πυκιναῖς δρόσοις | τεγγόμενος κόμας. Although Τρωΐα for Τροία does not occur elsewhere in Sophocles, it is acknowledged as the Pindaric form (Schndw. Pind. Ol. 2. 145). The interpolation ἀνὰ τάν may be partly due to ἄταν preceding. (Hermann thinks εὐρώδη sound, in the sense of εὐρεῖαν, —'wide,' and so 'desolate,'—but admits that either strophe or antistrophe is corrupt. Dind. reads, ἀν᾿ εὐρώδη Τροίαν, altering the antistrophe. Seyffert's conj., ἄνατον εὐρυεδεῖ Τροίᾳ, 'Doing no harm to broad-based Troy,' is very ingenious.)

1191. mvp-comment-763-1 ὄνειδος is either (1) in apposition with the whole sentence; or (2) with Τρωΐαν.

1192. mvp-comment-764-1 πρότερον] Sc. ἢ δεῖξαι .. Ἄρη. αἰθέρα δῦναι μέγαν] As Linwood observed, the idea of going away into the ether occurs again in Phil. 1092 foll., ἴθ' αἰθέρος ἄνω | πτωκάδες ὀξυτόνου διὰ πνεύματος | ἕλωσί μ'. Cp. also Phil. 814, 15, ἐκεῖσε νῦν μ', ἐκεῖσε. ΝΕ. ποῖ λέγεις; ΦΙ. ἄνω | ΝΕ. τί παραφρονεῖς αὖ; τί τὸν ἄνω λεύσσεις κύκλον; and the inscription over the dead who fell at Potidaea in B.C. 432, αἰθὴρ μὲμ ψυχὰς ὑπεδέξατο, κ.τ.λ.

1195. mvp-comment-765-1 ὅπλων.. κοινὸν Ἄρη] Either (1), laying the chief stress on ὅπλων, 'The combined warfare that depends upon the use of armour,' i. e. 'the use of armour that made combined warfare possible.' For this descriptive genitive, cp. especially El. 19, ἄστρων . . εὐφρόνη ('Night adorned with stars;' or, 'The stars that adorn the night'). Or (2), with the stress on κοινόν, 'The art of forming hostile confederacies in hateful arms.'

1196. mvp-comment-766-1 A short syllable here answers to the long first syllable of ἄταν in the strophe, unless we read Ἕλλασιν, which is unnecessary.

1197. mvp-comment-767-1 'O toil that was the parent of toil!' i. e. The toil of invention was the first parent of other toils.

1199-1201. mvp-comment-768-1 ἐκεῖνος οὐ... ὁμιλεῖν] 'He has cut me off from the joyous fellowship of chaplets and deep draughts from the cup.' The negatives have a privative force, as in οὐ φάναι, οὐκ ἐᾶν, etc. ὁμιλεῖν, sc. ὥστε ἐμὲ ὁμιλεῖν τοῖς στεφάνοις καὶ ταῖς κύλιξιν. The κύλιξ was a shallow vessel, and the epithet properly applies not to the goblet, but to the draughts of wine from it.

1201. mvp-comment-769-1 τέρψιν is first governed by νεῖμεν, and the same word is then repeated as a cognate accusative with ἰαύειν.

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ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ Καὶ μὴν ἰδὼν ἔσπευσα τὸν στρατηλάτην Ἀγαμέμνον’ ἡμῖν δεῦρο τόνδ’ ὁρμώμενον· 1225 δῆλος δὲ μοὐστὶ σκαιὸν ἐκλύσων στόμα.

ΧΟΡΟΣ εἴθ’ ὑμὶν ἀμφοῖν νοῦς γένοιτο σωφρονεῖν! 1265 τούτου γὰρ οὐδὲν σφῷν ἔχω λῷον φράσαι.

ΧΟΡΟΣ Ἄναξ Ὀδυσσεῦ, καιρὸν ἴσθ’ ἐληλυθὼς, 1290 εἰ μὴ ξυνάψων, ἀλλὰ συλλύσων πάρει.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ Τί δ’ ἔστιν, ἄνδρες; τηλόθεν γὰρ ᾐσθόμην βοὴν Ἀτρειδῶν τῷδ’ ἐπ’ ἀλκίμῳ νεκρῷ.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ 1320 Οὐ γὰρ κλύοντές ἐσμεν αἰσχίστους λόγους, ἄναξ Ὀδυσσεῦ, τοῦδ’ ὑπ’ ἀνδρὸς ἀρτίως; 1295

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ Ποίους; ἐγὼ γὰρ ἀνδρὶ συγγνώμην ἔχω κλύοντι φλαῦρα, συμβαλεῖν ἔπη κακά.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ ἤκουσεν αἰσχρὰ, δρῶν γὰρ ἦν τοιαῦτά με.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ Τί γάρ σ’ ἔδρασεν, ὥστε καὶ βλάβην ἔχειν;

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ Οὔ φησ’ ἐάσειν τόνδε τὸν νεκρὸν ταφῆς 1300 ἄμοιρον, ἀλλὰ πρὸς βίαν θάψειν ἐμοῦ.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ ἐξεστιν οὖν εἰπόντι τἀληθῆ φίλῳ, σοὶ μηδὲν ἧσσον ἢ πάρος ξυνηρετεῖν;

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ 1330 εἴπ’· ἦ γὰρ εἴην οὐκ ἂν εὖ φρονῶν, ἐπεὶ φίλον σ’ ἐγὼ μέγιστον Ἀργείων νέμω. 1305

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ Σὺ ταῦτ’, Ὀδυσσεῦ, τοῦδ’ ὑπερμαχεῖς ἐμοί; 1320

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ ἔγωγ’· ἐμίσουν δ’, ὴνίκ’ ἦν μισεῖν καλόν.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ Οὐ γὰρ θανόντι καὶ προςεμβἡναί σε χρή;

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ μὴ χαῖρ’, Ἀτρείδη, κέρδεσιν τοῖς μὴ καλοῖς.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ 1350 Τόν τοι τύραννον εὐσεβεῖν οὐ ῥᾴδιον.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ Ἀλλ’ εὖ λέγουσι τοῖς φίλοις τιμὰς νέμειν. 1325

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ Κλύειν τὸν ἐσθλὸν ἄνδρα χρὴ τῶν ὲν τέλει.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ Παῦσαι· κρατεῖς τοι τῶν φίλων νικώμενος.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ Μέμνησ’ ὁποίῳ φωτὶ τὴν χάριν δίδως.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ 1350 Ὁδ’ ἐχθρὸς ‘ἀνὴρ, ἀλλὰ γενναῖος ποτ’ ἦν.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ τί ποτε ποιήσεις; ἐχθρὸν ὧδ’ αἰδῇ νέκυν; 1330

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ Νίκᾳ γὰρ ἡ ’ρετή με τῆς ἔχθρας πολύ.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ Τοιοίδε μέντοι φῶτες ἔμπληκτοι βροτοῖς,

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ ἦ κάρτα πολλοὶ νῦν φίλοι καὖθις πικροί.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ 1360 Τοιούςδ’ ἐπαινεῖς δῆτα σὺ κτάσθαι φίλους;

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ Σκληρὰν ἐπαινεῖν οὐ φιλῶ ψυχὴν ἐγώ. 1335

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ Ἡμᾶς σὺ δειλοὺς τῇδε θἠμέρᾳ φανεῖς.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ Ἄνδρας μὲν οὖν Ἕλλησι πᾶσιν ἐνδίκους.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ Ἄνωγας οὖν με τὸν νεκρὸν θάπτειν ἐᾷν.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ 1365 ἔγωγε· καὶ γὰρ αὐτὸς ὲνθάδ’ ἵζομαι.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ ἦ πάνθ’ ὁμοῖα πᾶς ἀνὴρ αὑτῷ πονεῖ. 1340

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ Τῷ γάρ με μᾶλλον εἰκὸς ἢ ’μαυτῷ πονεῖν;

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ Σὸν ἆρα τοὖργον, οὐκ ἐμὸν κεκλήσεται.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ Ὡς ἂν ποιήσῃς, πανταχῆ χρηστός γ’ ἔσει.

ΧΟΡΟΣ ὅστις σ’, Ὀδυσσεῦ, μὴ λέγει γνώμῃ σοφὸν 1375 φῦναι, τοιοῦτον ὄντα, μῶρός ἐστ’ ἀνήρ.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ 1400 Ἀλλ’ ἤθελον μέν’ εἰ δὲ μή ’στί σοι φίλον πράσσειν τάδ’ ἡμᾶς, εἰμ’ ἐπαινἐσας τὸ σόν. 1375

ΧΟΡΟΣ ἦ πολλὰ βροτοῖς ἔστιν ἰδοῦσιν γνῶναι· πρὶν ἰδεῖν δ’, οὐδεὶς μάντις 1420 τῶν μελλόντων ὅ τι πράξει.

Μενέλαε, μὴ γνώμας ὑποστήσας σοφὰς εἶτ᾽ αὐτὸς ἐν θανοῦσιν ὑβριστὴς γένῃ.

ΧΟΡΟΣ. οὐδ᾽ αὖ τοιαύτην γλῶσσαν ἐν κακοῖς φιλῶ. τὰ σκληρὰ γάρ τοι, κἂν ὑπέρδικ᾽ ᾖ, δάκνει.

ΜΕΝΕΛΑΟΣ.

ὁ τοξότης ἔοικεν οὐ σμικρὸν σμικρὰ μικρὸν φρονεῖν. 1120

ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ. οὐ γὰρ βάναυσον τὴν τέχνην ἐκτησάμην.

ΜΕΝΕΛΑΟΣ. μέγ᾽ ἄν τι κομπάσειας, ἀσπίδ᾽ εἰ λάβοις.

ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ. κἂν ψιλὸς ψιλῶσ ψιλὸσ ἀρκέσαιμι σοί γ᾽ ὡπλισμένῳ.

ΜΕΝΕΛΑΟΣ. ἡ γλῶσσά σου τὸν θυμὸν ὡς δεινὸν τρέφει.

ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ. ξὺν τῷ δικαίῳ γὰρ μέγ᾽ ἔξεστιν φρονεῖν. 1125

ΜΕΝΕΛΑΟΣ. δίκαια γὰρ τόνδ' εὐτυχεῖν κτείναντά με;

ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ. κτείναντα; δεινόν γ' τ' γ' εἶπας, εἰ καὶ ζῇς θανών.

ΜΕΝΕΛΑΟΣ. θεὸς γὰρ ἐκσώζει με, τῷδε δ᾽ οἴχομαι.

ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ. μή νυν μὴ νῦν ἀτίμα θεούς, θεοῖς σεσωσμένος.

ΜΕΝΕΛΑΟΣ. ἐγὼ γὰρ ἂν ψέξαιμι δαιμόνων νόμους; 1130

ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ. εἰ τοὺς θανόντας οὐκ ἐᾷς εὰ εᾶσ θάπτειν παρών.

ΜΕΝΕΛΑΟΣ. τούς γ' αὐτὸς αὐτοῦ αὑτοῦ αὑτοῦ πολεμίους· οὐ γὰρ καλόν.

ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ. ἢ σοὶ γὰρ Αἴας πολέμιος προὔστη ποτέ;

ΜΕΝΕΛΑΟΣ. μισοῦντ᾿ ἐμίσει· καὶ σὺ τοῦτ᾽ ἠπίστασο.

ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ. κλέπτης γὰρ αὐτοῦ ψηφοποιὸς εὑρέθης. 1135

ΜΕΝΕΛΑΟΣ. ἐν τοῖς δικασταῖς, κοὐκ ἐμοί, τόδ᾽ ἐσφάλη.

ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ. πόλλ᾽ ἂν καλῶς καλῶσ κακῶς λάθρα σὺ κλέψειας κλέψειας κακά καλά.

ΜΕΝΕΛΑΟΣ. τοῦτ᾽ εἰς ἀνίαν τοὔπος ἔρχεται τινί.

ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ. οὐ μᾶλλον, ὡς ἔοικεν, ἢ λυπήσομεν.

ΜΕΝΕΛΑΟΣ. ἕν σοι φράσω· τόνδ᾽ ἐστὶν οὐχὶ θαπτέον. 1140

ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ. ἀλλ᾽ ἀντακούσει τοῦτον ἀλλ᾽ ἀντακούσηι τοῦτον σὺ δ᾽ ἀντ᾿ ἀκούσει τοῦτον ὡς τεθάψεται.

ΜΕΝΕΛΑΟΣ. οὕτω δὲ καὶ σὲ καὶ τὸ σὸν λάβρον στόμα σμικροῦ νέφους τάχ᾽ ἄν τις ἐκπνεύσας μέγας μέγα χειμὼν κατασβέσειε τὴν πολλὴν βοήν.

ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ.

ΜΕΝΕΛΑΟΣ. ἄπειμι· καὶ γὰρ αἰσχρόν, εἰ πύθοιτό τις, λόγοις κολάζειν κολάζων, ᾧ βιάζεσθαι παρῇ βιάζεσθαι παρ(ῆν)? βιάζεσθαι πάρα βιάζεσθαι παρῆι. 1160

ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ. ἄφερπέ νυν ἄφερπε νῦν. κἀμοὶ γὰρ αἴσχιστον κλύειν ἀνδρὸς ματαίου φλαῦρ᾽ ἔπη μυθουμένου.

ΧΟΡΟΣ.

ἔσται μεγάλης ἔριδός τις ἀγών. ἀλλ' ὡς δύνασαι, Τεῦκρε, ταχύνας

ΧΟΡΟΣ. σπεῦσον κοίλην κοίλην (κοίλην) κάπετόν τιν᾿ ἰδεῖν 1165 τῷδ᾽, ἔνθα βροτοῖς τὸν ἀείμνηστον τάφον εὐρώεντα εὑρώεντα καθέξει.

ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ.

ΧΟΡΟΣ. στρ. α.

ΧΟΡΟΣ. ἰὼ πόνοι πρόγονοι πόνων. κεῖνος γὰρ ἔπερσεν ἀνθρώπους. στρ. β.

Menelaüs, make not thy philosophy A platform whence to insult the valiant dead.

CH The sufferer should not bear a bitter tongue. Hard words, how just soe’er, will leave their sting.

MEN

ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ

Καὶ μὴν ἰδὼν ἔσπευσα τὸν στρατηλάτην

Ἀγαμέμνον’ ἡμῖν δεῦρο τόνδ’ ὁρμώμενον·

1225 δῆλος δὲ μοὐστὶ σκαιὸν ἐκλύσων στόμα.

ΧΟΡΟΣ

εἴθ’ ὑμὶν ἀμφοῖν νοῦς γένοιτο σωφρονεῖν!

1265 τούτου γὰρ οὐδὲν σφῷν ἔχω λῷον φράσαι.

ΧΟΡΟΣ

Ἄναξ Ὀδυσσεῦ, καιρὸν ἴσθ’ ἐληλυθὼς,
1290

εἰ μὴ ξυνάψων, ἀλλὰ συλλύσων πάρει.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

Τί δ’ ἔστιν, ἄνδρες; τηλόθεν γὰρ ᾐσθόμην

βοὴν Ἀτρειδῶν τῷδ’ ἐπ’ ἀλκίμῳ νεκρῷ.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ

1320 Οὐ γὰρ κλύοντές ἐσμεν αἰσχίστους λόγους,

ἄναξ Ὀδυσσεῦ, τοῦδ’ ὑπ’ ἀνδρὸς ἀρτίως;
1295

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

Ποίους; ἐγὼ γὰρ ἀνδρὶ συγγνώμην ἔχω

κλύοντι φλαῦρα, συμβαλεῖν ἔπη κακά.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ

ἤκουσεν αἰσχρὰ, δρῶν γὰρ ἦν τοιαῦτά με.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

Τί γάρ σ’ ἔδρασεν, ὥστε καὶ βλάβην ἔχειν;

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ

Οὔ φησ’ ἐάσειν τόνδε τὸν νεκρὸν ταφῆς
1300

ἄμοιρον, ἀλλὰ πρὸς βίαν θάψειν ἐμοῦ.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

ἐξεστιν οὖν εἰπόντι τἀληθῆ φίλῳ,

σοὶ μηδὲν ἧσσον ἢ πάρος ξυνηρετεῖν;

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ

1330 εἴπ’· ἦ γὰρ εἴην οὐκ ἂν εὖ φρονῶν, ἐπεὶ

φίλον σ’ ἐγὼ μέγιστον Ἀργείων νέμω.
1305

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ

Σὺ ταῦτ’, Ὀδυσσεῦ, τοῦδ’ ὑπερμαχεῖς ἐμοί;
1320

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

ἔγωγ’· ἐμίσουν δ’, ὴνίκ’ ἦν μισεῖν καλόν.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ

Οὐ γὰρ θανόντι καὶ προςεμβἡναί σε χρή;

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

μὴ χαῖρ’, Ἀτρείδη, κέρδεσιν τοῖς μὴ καλοῖς.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ

1350 Τόν τοι τύραννον εὐσεβεῖν οὐ ῥᾴδιον.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

Ἀλλ’ εὖ λέγουσι τοῖς φίλοις τιμὰς νέμειν.
1325

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ

Κλύειν τὸν ἐσθλὸν ἄνδρα χρὴ τῶν ὲν τέλει.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

Παῦσαι· κρατεῖς τοι τῶν φίλων νικώμενος.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ

Μέμνησ’ ὁποίῳ φωτὶ τὴν χάριν δίδως.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

1350 Ὁδ’ ἐχθρὸς ‘ἀνὴρ, ἀλλὰ γενναῖος ποτ’ ἦν.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ

τί ποτε ποιήσεις; ἐχθρὸν ὧδ’ αἰδῇ νέκυν;
1330

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

Νίκᾳ γὰρ ἡ ’ρετή με τῆς ἔχθρας πολύ.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ

Τοιοίδε μέντοι φῶτες ἔμπληκτοι βροτοῖς,

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

ἦ κάρτα πολλοὶ νῦν φίλοι καὖθις πικροί.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ

1360 Τοιούςδ’ ἐπαινεῖς δῆτα σὺ κτάσθαι φίλους;

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

Σκληρὰν ἐπαινεῖν οὐ φιλῶ ψυχὴν ἐγώ.
1335

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ

Ἡμᾶς σὺ δειλοὺς τῇδε θἠμέρᾳ φανεῖς.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

Ἄνδρας μὲν οὖν Ἕλλησι πᾶσιν ἐνδίκους.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ

Ἄνωγας οὖν με τὸν νεκρὸν θάπτειν ἐᾷν.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

1365 ἔγωγε· καὶ γὰρ αὐτὸς ὲνθάδ’ ἵζομαι.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ

ἦ πάνθ’ ὁμοῖα πᾶς ἀνὴρ αὑτῷ πονεῖ.
1340

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

Τῷ γάρ με μᾶλλον εἰκὸς ἢ ’μαυτῷ πονεῖν;

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ

Σὸν ἆρα τοὖργον, οὐκ ἐμὸν κεκλήσεται.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

Ὡς ἂν ποιήσῃς, πανταχῆ χρηστός γ’ ἔσει.

ΧΟΡΟΣ

ὅστις σ’, Ὀδυσσεῦ, μὴ λέγει γνώμῃ σοφὸν

1375 φῦναι, τοιοῦτον ὄντα, μῶρός ἐστ’ ἀνήρ.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

1400 Ἀλλ’ ἤθελον μέν’ εἰ δὲ μή ’στί σοι φίλον

πράσσειν τάδ’ ἡμᾶς, εἰμ’ ἐπαινἐσας τὸ σόν.
1375

ΧΟΡΟΣ

ἦ πολλὰ βροτοῖς ἔστιν ἰδοῦσιν γνῶναι·

πρὶν ἰδεῖν δ’, οὐδεὶς μάντις

1420 τῶν μελλόντων ὅ τι πράξει.

Μενέλαε, μὴ γνώμας ὑποστήσας σοφὰς

εἶτ᾽ αὐτὸς ἐν θανοῦσιν ὑβριστὴς γένῃ.

ΧΟΡΟΣ.

οὐδ᾽ αὖ τοιαύτην γλῶσσαν ἐν κακοῖς φιλῶ.

τὰ σκληρὰ γάρ τοι, κἂν ὑπέρδικ᾽ ᾖ, δάκνει.

ὁ τοξότης ἔοικεν οὐ σμικρὸν σμικρὰ μικρὸν φρονεῖν.
1120

ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ.

οὐ γὰρ βάναυσον τὴν τέχνην ἐκτησάμην.

ΜΕΝΕΛΑΟΣ.

μέγ᾽ ἄν τι κομπάσειας, ἀσπίδ᾽ εἰ λάβοις.

ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ.

κἂν ψιλὸς ψιλῶσ ψιλὸσ ἀρκέσαιμι σοί γ᾽ ὡπλισμένῳ.

ΜΕΝΕΛΑΟΣ.

ἡ γλῶσσά σου τὸν θυμὸν ὡς δεινὸν τρέφει.

ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ.

ξὺν τῷ δικαίῳ γὰρ μέγ᾽ ἔξεστιν φρονεῖν.
1125

ΜΕΝΕΛΑΟΣ.

δίκαια γὰρ τόνδ' εὐτυχεῖν κτείναντά με;

ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ.

κτείναντα; δεινόν γ' τ' γ' εἶπας, εἰ καὶ ζῇς θανών.

ΜΕΝΕΛΑΟΣ.

θεὸς γὰρ ἐκσώζει με, τῷδε δ᾽ οἴχομαι.

ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ.

μή νυν μὴ νῦν ἀτίμα θεούς, θεοῖς σεσωσμένος.

ΜΕΝΕΛΑΟΣ.

ἐγὼ γὰρ ἂν ψέξαιμι δαιμόνων νόμους;
1130

ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ.

εἰ τοὺς θανόντας οὐκ ἐᾷς εὰ εᾶσ θάπτειν παρών.

ΜΕΝΕΛΑΟΣ.

τούς γ' αὐτὸς αὐτοῦ αὑτοῦ αὑτοῦ πολεμίους· οὐ γὰρ καλόν.

ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ.

ἢ σοὶ γὰρ Αἴας πολέμιος προὔστη ποτέ;

ΜΕΝΕΛΑΟΣ.

μισοῦντ᾿ ἐμίσει· καὶ σὺ τοῦτ᾽ ἠπίστασο.

ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ.

κλέπτης γὰρ αὐτοῦ ψηφοποιὸς εὑρέθης.
1135

ΜΕΝΕΛΑΟΣ.

ἐν τοῖς δικασταῖς, κοὐκ ἐμοί, τόδ᾽ ἐσφάλη.

ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ.

πόλλ᾽ ἂν καλῶς καλῶσ κακῶς λάθρα σὺ κλέψειας κλέψειας κακά καλά.

ΜΕΝΕΛΑΟΣ.

τοῦτ᾽ εἰς ἀνίαν τοὔπος ἔρχεται τινί.

ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ.

οὐ μᾶλλον, ὡς ἔοικεν, ἢ λυπήσομεν.

ΜΕΝΕΛΑΟΣ.

ἕν σοι φράσω· τόνδ᾽ ἐστὶν οὐχὶ θαπτέον.
1140

ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ.

ἀλλ᾽ ἀντακούσει τοῦτον ἀλλ᾽ ἀντακούσηι τοῦτον σὺ δ᾽ ἀντ᾿ ἀκούσει τοῦτον ὡς τεθάψεται.

ΜΕΝΕΛΑΟΣ.

οὕτω δὲ καὶ σὲ καὶ τὸ σὸν λάβρον στόμα

σμικροῦ νέφους τάχ᾽ ἄν τις ἐκπνεύσας μέγας μέγα

χειμὼν κατασβέσειε τὴν πολλὴν βοήν.

ΜΕΝΕΛΑΟΣ.

ἄπειμι· καὶ γὰρ αἰσχρόν, εἰ πύθοιτό τις,

λόγοις κολάζειν κολάζων, ᾧ βιάζεσθαι παρῇ βιάζεσθαι παρ(ῆν)? βιάζεσθαι πάρα βιάζεσθαι παρῆι.
1160

ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ.

ἄφερπέ νυν ἄφερπε νῦν. κἀμοὶ γὰρ αἴσχιστον κλύειν

ἀνδρὸς ματαίου φλαῦρ᾽ ἔπη μυθουμένου.

ἔσται μεγάλης ἔριδός τις ἀγών.

ἀλλ' ὡς δύνασαι, Τεῦκρε, ταχύνας

ΧΟΡΟΣ.

σπεῦσον κοίλην κοίλην (κοίλην) κάπετόν τιν᾿ ἰδεῖν
1165

τῷδ᾽, ἔνθα βροτοῖς τὸν ἀείμνηστον

τάφον εὐρώεντα εὑρώεντα καθέξει.

ΧΟΡΟΣ.
στρ. α.

ΧΟΡΟΣ.

ἰὼ πόνοι πρόγονοι πόνων.

κεῖνος γὰρ ἔπερσεν ἀνθρώπους.

στρ. β.

Menelaüs, make not thy philosophy

A platform whence to insult the valiant dead.

CH

The sufferer should not bear a bitter tongue.

Hard words, how just soe’er, will leave their sting.

Our bowman carries no small pride, I see.
1120

TEU

No mere mechanic’s menial craft is mine.

MEN

How wouldst thou vaunt it hadst thou but a shield!

TEU

Unarmed I fear not thee in panoply.

MEN

Redoubted is the wrath lives on thy tongue.

TEU

Whose cause is just hath licence to be proud.
1125

MEN

Just, that my murderer have a peaceful end?

TEU

Thy murderer? Strange, to have been slain and live!

MEN

Yea, through Heaven’s mercy. By his will, I am dead.