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1201–1350

τέρψιν is first governed by νεῖμεν, and the same word is then repeated as a cognate accusative with ἰαύειν.

οὔτε γλυκὺν .. ἰαύειν] ‘And from the sweet sound of flutes, unhappy me, and from passing nights of pleasant rest.'

The repetition of ἐρώτων marks the acme of privation.

ἀμέριμνος] Either (1) 'Uncared for;' or (2) 'Careless of myself' ('As one past hope, abandoned, | And by himself given o'er'); or (3) 'With vacant mind,' 'Having no interest in life.' For μέριμνα in a good sense, cp. especially Pind. Pyth. 8. 126-132, ὁ δὲ καλόν τι νέον λαχὼν | ἁβρότατος ἔπι, μεγάλας | ἐξ ἐλπίδος πέταται | ὑποπτέροις ἀνορέαις, ἔχων | κρέσσονα πλούτου | μέριμναν: also O.T. 1124, ἔργον μεριμνῶν ποῖον;

Cp. Aesch. Ag. 560-2, κἀπὸ γῆς λειμώνιαι | δρόσοι κατεψέκαζον ... τιθέντες ἔνθηρον τρίχα.

λυγρᾶς μνήματα Τροίας] Lit. 'Reminders of the wretched Troad,' i. e. The raindrops on my head will not let me forget that I am in this miserable country. μνήματα is accusative in apposition to the sentence.

ἐννυχίου | δείματος.. | καὶ βελέων] 'Against nightly alarm and weapons of war.' For this genitive of the object, cp. O. T. 1200-1, θανάτων δ᾽ ἐμᾷ | χώρᾳ πύργος ἀνέστα.

νῦν δ᾽ οὗτος .. δαίμονι] 'But now he is no more our bulwark, struck down by a malignant fate.' As in Phil. 1153, ἀνέδην ὅδε χῶρος ἐρύκεται is said of the absence of defence, so ἀνεῖται is here said (continuing the metaphor in προβολά, supra) of the failure or removal of a defence; i.e. οὐκέτι προτείνεται. Cp. infr. 1270, Od. 11. 556, τοῖος γάρ σφιν πύργος ἀπώλεο.

ἐπέσται] Sc. τῷ βίῳ.

ὑλᾶεν] Od. 9. 191, ῥίῳ ὑλήεντι. ἔπεστι] 'Impends,' ' instat,' sc. τῷ πόντῳ, or τοῖς πλέουσιν. Cp. Od. 6. 210, ὅθ᾽ ἐπὶ σκέπας ἔστ᾽ ἀνέμοιο. πόντου πρόβλημα] ‘The rock jutting into the deep.' Cp. Phil. 1455, κτύπος ἄρσην πόντου προβολῆς.

ἄκραν | ὑπὸ πλάκα Σουνίου] (1) 'Below the top of Sunium.' The ground behind Cape Colonnas rises considerably higher than the promontory itself. Or (2) 'At the point of the tableland of Sunium.'

Athens could not really be seen by mariners until some time after passing Sunium, although the opposite is loosely asserted by Pausanias, 1. 28.

The stage has been vacant during the stasimon. Teucer is now seen returning in haste. Agamemnon enters after him.

'And I see plainly that he will let loose his tongue to evil purpose.' For the combination of verb and adjective with στόμα, cp. especially Aesch. Ag. 1247, εὔφημον . . κοίμησον στόμα. Others take σκαιόν here to mean either 'ill-omened' or 'stupid.'

σὲ δὴ.. ἀγγέλλουσι .. | τλῆναι] ἰ.ε. σὺ δὴ ἔτλης, ὡς ἀγγέλλουσι. τὰ δεινὰ ῥήματα] 'Those blustering words' that have been reported to me. Cp. supr. 312 and note.

ἀνοιμωκτί implies a half-expressed contempt of Menelaus for having let Teucer off so easily. χανεῖν is contemptuously substituted for εἰπεῖν, i. e. εἰπόντα χανεῖν, 'To utter open-mouthed.' So in supr. 1096, ἁμαρτάνουσιν ἔπη (sc. λέγοντες). The word has an association of stupid insolence, 'Have dared to open your foolish mouth so wide.'

κἀπ᾿ ἄκρων ὡδοιπόρεις] « 'And have strutted proudly,' lit. on tiptoe, ἐπ᾿ ἄκρων, sc. ποδῶν or δακτύλων. Hesych. ἀκρίζων. ἄκροις ποσὶν ἐπιπορευόμενος. Εὐρ. Οἰνεί. Cp. Eur. Ion 1166, 7, ἐν δ᾽ ἄκροισι βὰς ποσὶν | κῆρυξ ἀνεῖπεν.

ἀντέστης] Sc. ἡμῖν.

Cp. supr. 1097-1102. The word ναυάρχους recalls δεῦρ' ἔπλευσας in 1105. Agamemnon of course greatly exaggerates what Teucer had said. Cp. Il. 1. 288, πάντων μὲν κρατέειν ἐθέλει, πάντεσσι δ᾽ ἀνάσσειν, κ.τ.λ.

οὐ μεγάλα ἐστὶ ταῦτα κακὰ ἀκούειν (epexegetic infin.) πρὸς δούλων; Cp. O. C. 883, ἆρ᾽ οὐχ ὕβρις τάδε;

ποίου.. ἀνδρός] Sc. ὑπέρ. The ellipse is possibly softened by the preposition occurring in comp. in ὑπέρφρονα, although in a different sense. Cp. O. C. 539-41 and note.

ποῦ βάντος] i. e. ποῖ. But in such proverbial phrases there is a constant tendency to repeat the same word. Ср. O. T. 420, 1, and note; Phil. 451. Agamemnon in the Iliad acknowledged the superior prowess of Achilles. He is less generous here. This line prepares the way for Teucer's reproaches, infr. 1272-8.

ἄνδρες] 'Men,' i.e. 'men deserving the name.' Cp. supr. 77, πρόσθεν οὐκ ἀνὴρ ὅδ᾽ ἦν; and note.

πικρούς] 'To our cost.' This is said ironically. 'Teucer's denunciation of us will indeed be a calamitous result of the trial we proclaimed.' Agamemnon carefully limits his responsibility, as Menelaus did above, supr. 1136, ἐν τοῖς δικασταῖς, κοὐκ ἐμοί, τόδ᾽ ἐσφάλη, —to the ordainment of the contest, disclaiming all share in the verdict.

πανταχοῦ] ‘In all that we do.'

εἴκειν] Sc. τούτοις, or τοῖς δεδογμένοις, or whatever is the antecedent to ἃ.

'But you (1) that are left' ('or (2) who are distanced') 'will either, I suppose, assail us with guileful woundings' (as Ajax did) 'or pelt us with abuse' (as you have now been doing). που is to be taken with the whole sentence, but has special reference to the suspicion expressed in σὺν δόλῳ κεντήσεθ᾽. οἱ λελειμμένοι (1) marks the correspondence between the supposed action of Ajax' surviving relatives and his own. The implied menace points through Teucer at Eurysaces. Cp. Shak. Macbeth, 3. 4. 'There the grown serpent lies; the worm, that's fled, | Hath nature that in time will venom breed, | No teeth for the present.' Or (2) οἱ λελειμμένοι resumes ἡσσημένοις, “You that are beaten in the race,' adding point to the suggestion of wounding from behind. See also l. 1249.

τάδ'] ‘This,' viz. Ajax' insolent claim to priority in spite of the judgment. Cp. O. C. 883, ἆρ᾽ οὐχ ὕβρις τάδ᾽;

οὐ γὰρ .. φῶτες] 'Not the wide-shouldered or broad-backed men.' πλατύς is more expressive of mere size than μέγας. For the omission of the article with the second word, see Essay on L. § 21. p. 33 b.

ἀσφαλέστατοι] Either (1) 'Most to be relied upon,' in action and counsel, or (2) 'Most secure from falling.' The latter, (2) makes a more exact antithesis with κρατοῦσι.

κρατοῦσι πανταχοῦ] ‘Have the best of it on all occasions;' i. e. μᾶλλον ὀρθοῦνται. Cp. Plat. Phaedr. 272 Β, ὁ μὴ πειθόμενος κρατεῖ.

Cp. Pind. Pyth. 4. 417, βοέους δήσαις ἀνάγκα | ἔντεσιν αὐχένας ἐμβάλλων τ᾽ ἐριπλεύρῳ φυᾷ | κέντρον.

ὀρθὸς .. πορεύεται] 'Goes straight forward.' ὀρθός is adverbial, = τὴν εὐθεῖαν. For the γνώμη, cp. Ant. 477, σμικρῷ χαλινῷ, κ.τ.λ.

τοῦτ᾽.. τὸ φάρμακον] ‘This remedy,' the lash. Cp. Pind. Ol. 13. 121, ἕλὲ Βελλεροφόντας, | φάρμακον πραὺ τείνων ἀμφὶ γένυι, | ἵππον πτερόεντ'.

ἀνδρός] Sc. ὑπέρ. The unusual construction is softened here by the resumption from supr. 1236, and by the participle which suggests the genitive absolute. σκιᾶς] Sc. ὄντος, as if οὐδενὸς ὄντος had preceded.

ὃς εἶ] 'What you are.' Cp. Eur. Alc. 640, ἔδειξας . . ὃς εἶ. φύσιν is here at once 'by birth' and 'in nature.'

οὐκέτ'] «No longer,' i. e. 'not then (when you are speaking).' Essay on L. § 24. p. 41, 2.

Hesione was of Trojan, i. e. Phrygian, birth.

ὡς ταχεῖά τις] 'How swiftly, somehow!' For τις added to the supplementary predicate, cp. O. T. 618, ὅταν ταχύς τις οὐπιβουλεύων λάθρα | χωρῇ, and see Essay on L. § 22. p. 36, sub fin. Cp. also for the meaning of ταχεῖα, Pind. Pyth. 1. 161, ταχείας ἐλπίδας.

διαρρεῖ] ‘Melts away.' Cp. Trach. 698, ῥεῖ πᾶν ἄδηλον. Cp. Shak. Midsummer Night's Dream, 4.1, 'My love to Hermia, | Melted as doth the snow, seems to me now | As the remembrance of an idle gaud.' καὶ προδοῦσ᾽ ἁλίσκεται] 'And is found to turn traitor.' An idiomatic phrase, for which, cp. Ant. 46, οὐ γὰρ δὴ προδοῦσ᾽ ἁλώσομαι.

οὐδ᾽ ἐπὶ σμικρῶν λόγων] ‘Not even in the least degree.' Lit. either (1) 'On a slight account,' or (2) 'With a slight word.' For (1), cp. Plat. Rep. 7. 524 Ε, ὥσπερ ἐπὶ τοῦ δακτύλου ἐλέγομεν. And for (2), cp. O. C. 746, κἀπὶ προσπόλου μιᾶς | βιοστερῆ χωροῦντα.

τὴν σὴν προτείνων . . ψυχὴν δορί] 'Exposing thy life in war.' Perhaps αὐτοῦ should be resumed from οὗ. Cp. Il. 9. 322, αἰὲν ἐμὴν ψυχὴν παραβαλλόμενος πολεμίζειν.

οἴχεται . . ἐρριμμένα] 'Are cast away,' a periphrasis like οἴχεται θανών (Phil. 414). Compare especially Andoc. 19. 7, οὐκ ἔστιν . . ἔτι λοιπὸς τοῦ γένους τοῦ ἡμετέρου οὐδείς, ἀλλ᾽ οἴχεται πᾶν πρόρριζον.

κἀνόνητ᾽, although a possible reading, may be due to κἀνόητα above. 'Senseless' is more pointed here than 'profitless.'

ἑρκέων] Sc. ἔσω, implied in ἐγκεκλημένους. When the Greeks were driven within their lines, their own ramparts were like a trap in which they were caught.

ἐν τροπῇ δορός] ‘When the battle was already turned against you:' —when the rout had begun.

ἀμφὶ.. φλέγοντος] ‘When around the ships the fire already blazed so as to scorch the quarter-decks.' The ships being fired from the stern, whatever was most combustible abaft each vessel would first catch fire. ἑδωλίοις] This is commonly explained to mean 'the rowers' benches,' in which case ἄκροισιν is difficult to explain. But several passages indicate that ἑδώλια was the name given to those places in the vessel, chiefly at the stern, where persons not engaged in working her might sit. See the gloss on this line in Pal. R. 34, σανιδώμασιν, —also the Scholiast on Lycophr. 296, quoted by Dindorf in Steph. Thes. s. v. ἐξ ἑδωλίων πηδῶντες] τῶν σανιδωμάτων καὶ καταστρωμάτων τῆς νεώς: Etym. Magn. p. 455, 4 (ibid.), τόπον τῆς νεὼς βάσιν ἔχοντα .. ὁ καὶ ἑδώλιόν φασιν: and cp. Eur. Hel. 1571, Ἑλένη καθέζετ᾽ ἐν μέσοις ἐδωλίοις, ib. 1602, 3, παρακέλευσμα δ᾽ ἦν | πρύμνηθεν Ἑλένης (had she left the midmost benches, no doubt finding them uncomfortable, for the stern?): also Hdt. 1. 211, στάντα ἐν τοῖσι ἑδωλίοισι (evidently a platform in a particular part of the ship). This agrees with other meanings of the word. ἄκροισι means the part of the ἑδώλια towards the extreme stern. Cp. Od. 9. 540, οἰήϊον ἄκρον ἱκέσθαι. The whole description is probably taken from an Αἴαντος ἀριστεία, differing in some particulars from the Iliad, as, for instance, in ignoring the part taken by Patroclus in the defence of the ships. Hence no attempt need be made to reconcile the picture of Hector rushing with high bounds to cross the trench and board the fleet, with the narrative in Il. 14. 15.

ὂν.. ποδί] 'Who, as thou sayest, on no occasion set his foot by thine.' What Agamemnon said, supr. 1237, was different from this; but Teucer speaks with the exaggeration of anger. Cp. Ant. 208, 485, and note. For the expression, cp. Shak. Julius Caesar, 1. 3, '... And I will set this foot of mine as far | As who goes farthest.'

'I wonder if in this you find a righteous act of Ajax'?' ὑμίν, not = εἰς ὑμᾶς, but a dative of reference in construction with the whole sentence.

χὤτ᾽ αὖθις] ὅτε resumes ἡνίκα, supr. 1273, without any precise antecedent, though ἆρ᾽ οὐκ ἐνδίκως ἔδρασεν; may be supplied from the preceding line. αὐτός]· 'By himself,' and not now in conjunction with the Atreidae.

κἀκέλευστος. See Il. 7. 164.

The spirit of these lines agrees with Il. 7. 186-9, ἀλλ᾿ ὅτε δὴ τὸν ἴκανε, φέρων ἀν᾿ ὅμιλον ἁπάντη, | ὅς μιν ἐπιγράψας κυνέῃ βάλε, φαίδιμος Αἴας, | ἤτοι ὑπέσχεθε χεῖρ᾽ ὁ δ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἔμβαλεν, ἄγχι παραστάς | γνῶ δὲ κλήρου σῆμα ἰδών, γήθησε δὲ θυμῷ.

'Not making his lot to sink into the hollow of the helmet, and to skulk there,' i. e. refuse to show itself when the helmet was shaken (as having crumbled away). δραπέτην contains a metaphor from a runaway slave eluding search, and also an allusion to the derivation from πίπτω. Sophocles, or the Cyclic poet before him, here assigns to Odysseus, or some other rival of Ajax, the action elsewhere attributed to Cresphontes at the division of the Peloponnese amongst the Heracleids.

κυνῆς] i. e. ἐκ κυνῆς. 'From the helmet.' Cp. especially O. T. 808, ὄχου, and note. ἄλμα κουφιεῖν] 'To spring lightly,' is an example of what in the Essay on L. § 17. p. 25 c, has been called the use of the cognate verb. Cp. Eur. El. 861, πήδημα κουφίζουσα: and, for the sense, Il. 7. 182, ἐκ δ᾽ ἔθορε κλῆρος κυνέης.

σὺν δ' ἐγὼ παρών] · 'And I too not far off.' Essay on L. § 18. § 40. p. 75. παρών implies that Teucer was faithful to his post. Cp. Phil. 379, οὐκ ἦσθ᾽ ἵν᾽ ἡμεῖς, ἀλλ᾽ ἀπῆσθ᾽, ἵν᾽ οὔ σ᾽ ἔδει. For Teucer's services, cp. Il. 15. 437, alib.

'Poor man! and what can you be thinking of when you say it?' i. e. 'How can you be so blind?' αὐτά refers to the general sense of the preceding words, as constantly in Thucydides. καί is to be taken closely with the interrogative.

'That Pelops was originally a barbarian Phrygian.' The adjective, as suppl. pred., has the force of an adverb, i. e. ἀρχῆθεν or τὸ ἀρχαῖον. Cp. Ant. 593, ἀρχαῖα τὰ Λαβδακιδᾶν, κ.τ.λ. Perhaps τἀρχαῖον should be read. For Φρύγα (a word always used contemptuously, as in Eur. Alc. 675, πότερα Λυδὸν ἢ Φρύγα, κ.τ.λ.), cp. Hdt. 7. 11, Πέλοψ ὁ Φρύξ.

ὃς αὖ σ᾽ ἔσπειρε] These words, with δέ, point the antithesis to σοῦ πατρὸς μὲν.. πατήρ, supr. 1291. δυσσεβέστατον has been joined with σέ, and by some with ᾿Ατρέα. But for the addition of this epithet to δεῖπνον οἰκείων τέκνων, to which Hermann objects, cp. O. C. 945, 6, οὐδ᾽ ὅτῳ γάμοι | ξυνόντες εὑρέθησαν ἀνόσιοι τέκνων, Ant. 514.

'Gave her up to be devoured by dumb fishes.' The ancient Scholiast says: ἡ ἱστορία ἐν ταῖς Κρήσσαις Εὐριπίδου, ὅτι διαφθαρεῖσαν αὐτὴν λάθρα ὑπὸ θεράποντος, ὁ πατὴρ Ναυπλίῳ παρέδωκεν, ἐντειλάμενος ἀποποντῶσαι· ὁ δὲ οὐκ ἐποίησεν, ἀλλ᾽ ἐνεγγύησε Πλεισθένει. (It is possible also to suppose ὁ φ. πατήρ to mean Atreus, and ἔπακτον ἄνδρα Thyestes.) For the aggravation of the taunt in ἐλλοῖς ἰχθύσιν, cp. Il. 21. 201-4, τὸν δὲ κατ᾿ αὐτόθι λεῖπεν, ἐπεὶ φίλον ἦτορ ἀπηύρα, | κείμενον ἐν ψαμάθοισι, δίαινε δέ μιν μέλαν ὕδωρ. | τὸν μὲν ἄρ᾽ ἐγχέλυές τε καὶ ἰχθύες ἀμφεπένοντο, | δημὸν ἐρεπτόμενοι ἐπινεφρίδιον κείροντες. διαφθοράν is either (1) accusative in apposition with the sentence, expressing the result of the action, or (2) abstract for concrete, in apposition with αὐτήν understood as the object of ἐφῆκεν. Cp. Aesch. Prom. 582 foll., πυρί με φλέξον .. ἢ ποντίοις δάκεσι δὸς βοράν.

τοιῷδ'] Herm. preferred τοιάνδ', which is found in some MSS.

πατρὸς μέν] The δέ answering to this μέν ( μητρὸς δὲ βασιλείας, or the like) is lost through the introduction of the relative clause in l. 1300.

ἴσχει] Historical present.

βασίλεια, Λαομέδοντος] 'A princess, daughter of Laomedon.'

ἔκκριτον δέ νιν, κ.τ.λ.] This shows that she was not only the noblest, but the most beautiful.

'Should I, thus nobly born from princes on both sides, reflect disgrace upon my kin?' Cp. Il. 6. 208-10, αἰὲν ἀριστεύειν . . μηδὲ γένος πατέρων αἰσχυνέμεν, οἱ μέγ᾽ ἄριστοι | ἔν τ᾽ Ἐφύρῃ ἐγένοντο καὶ ἐν Λυκίῃ εὐρείῃ.

τοιοῖσδ᾽ ἐν πόνοισι κειμένους] Cp. supr. 924, ὡς καὶ παρ᾿ ἐχθροῖς ἄξιος θρήνων τυχεῖν.

οὐδ᾽ ἐπαισχύνει λέγων] ‘And are not ashamed to speak of it.' Cp. Phil. 929 and note.

τοῦτον εἰ βαλεῖτέ που] ‘If ye shall cast him forth, no matter where.' Cp. infr. 1333, ἄθαπτον . . βαλεῖν.

'It will not be till ye have laid low us three together with him.' Teucer, Eurysaces, and Tecmessa, will die in defending the corpse. Others, following Triclinius, understand the meaning to be, 'If you attempt to cast him forth, you will lay me and yourself beside him, three laid together.'

ὑπερπονουμένῳ] For the middle voice, cp. El. 399, πεσούμεθ', εἰ χρή, πατρὶ τιμωρούμενοι.

προδήλως] Teucer means by this that it would be more glorious to die in open quarrel for Ajax than to find an obscure grave amongst those whom he spoke of, supr. 1112, as οἱ πόνου πολλοῦ πλέῳ.

Erfurdt's correction (see v. rr.) appears necessary. It is barely possible that ἢ.. τε may = ἢ καί, but far more probable that γε was changed to τε by accident, and τε to θε by mistaken correction. And γε is expressive, 'Ay, or shall I say?' as if replying to a tacit demurrer. Teucer in his anger, like Achilles in Il. 9. 327, δάρων ἕνεκα σφερεράων, does not choose to discriminate nicely the relation of Helen to the Atreidae.

ὅρα μὴ τοὐμόν] Cp. supr. 1255, 6, καὶ σοὶ προσέρπον τοῦτ᾽ ἐγὼ τὸ φάρμακον | ὁρῶ, where Agamemnon professes to warn Teucer for his good.

θρασύς] Sc. γεγενῆσθαι.

καιρόν] For this adverbial accusative, cp. supr. 34 and note: Pind. Pyth. 1. 156, καιρὸν εἰ φθέγξαιο.

(1) 'If you are come not to entangle, but to assist in adjusting this matter.' Or, (2) 'If not in time to begin the fray, at all events you are here to help in ending it.' The expression seems in either case to be proverbial. In support of (2) it may be said that the Chorus can have no doubt that the coming of Odysseus will help to compose strife. In this case (2) the verbs ἴσθι, πάρει, without connecting particle, may be either viewed as an asyndeton, or πάρει may be regarded as a resumption of ἐληλυθώς, returning to the indicative mood. The interpretation turns upon the question, which is the more natural image, that of a knot (or complication), for which, cp. Ant. 40, λύουσ᾽ ἂν ἢ 'φάπτουσα, or that of joining battle ( ξυνάπτειν τινὰς ἐς μάχην, νείκεα λύειν). 'Odysseus comes at the end of a fray.'

τῷδ᾽ ἐπ᾿ ἀλκίμῳ νεκρῷ] The difference of Odysseus' spirit is at once seen in this tribute to the valour of his enemy. The part taken by him here is in accordance with his feeling in Od. 11. 548-51, ὡς δὴ μὴ ὄφελον νικᾶν τοιῷδ᾽ ἐπ᾿ ἀέθλῳ· | τοίην γὰρ κεφαλὴν ἕνεκ᾿ αὐτῶν γαῖα κατέσχεν, | Αἴανθ', ὃς πέρι μὲν εἶδος, πέρι δ᾽ ἔργα τέτυκτο | τῶν ἄλλων Δαναῶν, μετ᾿ ἀμύμονα Πηλείωνα.

Odysseus will not commit himself to a condemnation of Teucer till he knows what has been said. 'Perhaps he only spoke under provocation.' Ср. O. T. 523, 4, ἀλλ᾽ ἦλθε μὲν δὴ τοῦτο τοῦνειδος τάχ᾽ ἂν | ὀργῇ βιασθὲν μᾶλλον ἢ γνώμῃ φρενῶν.

συμβαλεῖν] For this epexegetic inf. cp. Thuc. 3. 40. § 1, ξυγγνώμην ἁμαρτεῖν ἀνθρωπίνως λήψονται. συμβαλεῖν] Sc. τοῖς φλαύροις.

Teucer had as yet done nothing, but only expressed an intention which Agamemnon treats as an act. Odysseus ironically professes not to understand him. He is not aware that Teucer has done any harm.

Here, as in Ant. 485, εἰ ταῦτ᾽ ἀνατὶ τῇδε κείσεται κράτη, the defence of a right is censured by the tyrant as an act of tyranny.

φίλῳ may be taken in three ways, (1) agreeing with the subject of εἰπόντι, 'May a friend say the truth without offence?' or (2) agreeing with the remote object of εἰπόντι, 'May one speak the truth to a friend without offence?' or (3) agreeing with σοί in l. 1329, 'May one speak the truth and still work with you as my friend?' The choice lies between (1) and (2): and the comparison of l. 1331, φίλον σ᾽ ἐγώ, κ.τ.λ., inclines the balance in favour of (1).

Although ξυνηρεμεῖν, the reading of L pr. is not a vox nihili, —see L. and S., ξυνηρετεῖν, following the analogy of ὑπηρετεῖν, is much more probable, and the letter erased above the μ in L (see v. rr.) was probably T, so that ξυνηρετμεῖν has arisen from a confusion of the two readings. It has been tolerated even by some modern editors, though less supported by analogy than either ξυνηρετεῖν or ξυνηρεμεῖν.

εἴην . . φρονῶν] Sc. εἰ μὴ οὕτως εἶχεν, according to a common idiom.

ἡ βία] 'The spirit of tyranny.' Cp. infr. 1357. For a similar use of ἀρχή, cp. Thuc. 3. 82. § 16.

τοσόνδε μισεῖν] 'To carry hate so far.' The absolute use of the verb is noticeable. Cp. El. 357, σὺ δ' ἡμὶν ἡ μισοῦσα μισεῖς μὲν λόγῳ.

καμοί] 'To me also,' as well as to you and Menelaus.

Cp. Phil. 1292, πρότεινε χεῖρα, καὶ κράτει τῶν σῶν ὅπλων: Thuc. 3. 47, ἐπειδή τε ὅπλων ἐκράτησεν.

οὐκ *ἀντατιμάσαιμ' ἄν] This reading, though found in no MS., is nearer to the first hand of L, and also more pointed, than οὔκουν ἀτ. ἄv, the reading of C and some inferior MSS. ἀντατιμάζω does not occur elsewhere, but is supported by the analogy of ἀνταδικεῖν.

ἕν᾿ ἄνδρ᾿ ἰδεῖν ἄριστον ᾿Αργείων] 'That he stood alone, so far as I could see, as the noblest of the Argives.' ἕν᾿ ἄνδρα is here intensive. Cp. Aesch. Pers. 327, εἰς ἀνὴρ πλεῖστον πόνον . . παρασχών.

πλὴν ᾿Αχιλλέως] Cp. the lines of the 11th Odyssey quoted above, note on 1319; and Alcaeus, Fr. 48, τὸν ἄριστον πέδ᾽ ᾿Αχίλλεα: Pind. Nem. 7. 40, κράτιστον ᾿Αχιλέος ἄτερ.

ἀτιμάζοιτο] The passive, while emphasizing the verb, avoids the 2nd person. (E. on L. § 31. p. 1. 53 a, p. 1. 54 b.)

εἰ θάνοι] For the optative in supposing a general case, see Essay on L. § 36. p. 61a (1) . Join ἄνδρα . . τὸν ἐσθλόν.

'Do you mean, Odysseus, thus to fight on his side against me?'

ἡνίκ'] 'At the moment when-.' i. e. When he was known to have destroyed the herds, supr. 18, 31, 78, 122. In all these places, however, the hatred on the part of Ajax is more dwelt upon than that of Odysseus.

κέρδεσιν.] Cp. Athene's ironical words to Ajax, supr. 107, πρὶν ἂν τί . . κερδάνῃς πλέον. For the strength of ethical association in μὴ καλοῖς, cp. Thuc. 3. 55, where the Plataeans, pleading for their lives, state as a reason for having clung to Athens, καὶ προδοῦναι αὐτοὺς οὐκέτι ἣν καλόν : also Phil. 1304, ἀλλ᾽ οὔτ᾽ ἐμοὶ τοῦτ᾽ ἐστὶν οὔτε σοὶ καλόν.

'A monarch cannot always observe the rule of piety.' Agamemnon, like the Athenian envoys at Melos, has recourse to 'necessity, the tyrant's plea.'

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

Current edition Experimental

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

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (3)

Αἴας First1KGreek (Sophocles. Sophoclis Fabulae. Pearson, Alfred Chilton, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1924.) — 1223-1420 focus

Τεῦκρος

καὶ μὴν ἰδὼν ἔσπευσα τὸν στρατηλάτην

Ἀγαμέμνονʼ ἡμῖν δεῦρο τόνδʼ ὁρμώμενον·

δῆλος δέ μοὐστὶ σκαιὸν ἐκλύσων στόμα.
1225

Ἀγαμέμνων

σὲ δὴ τὰ δεινὰ ῥήματʼ ἀγγέλλουσί μοι

τλῆναι καθʼ ἡμῶν ὧδʼ ἀνοιμωκτεὶ χανεῖν;

σέ τοι, τὸν ἐκ τῆς αἰχμαλωτίδος λέγω·

ἦ που τραφεὶς ἂν μητρὸς εὐγενοῦς ἄπο

ὑψήλʼ ἐκόμπεις κἀπʼ ἄκρων ὡδοιπόρεις,
1230

ὅτʼ οὐδὲν ὢν τοῦ μηδὲν ἀντέστης ὕπερ,

κοὔτε στρατηγοὺς οὔτε ναυάρχους μολεῖν

¹²³⁴⁵⁶⁷⁸⁹¹⁰

ἡμᾶς Ἀχαιῶν οὔτε σοῦ διωμόσω,

ἀλλʼ αὐτὸς ἄρχων, ὡς σὺ φής, Αἴας ἔπλει.

ταῦτʼ οὐκ ἀκούειν μεγάλα πρὸς δούλων κακά;
1235

ποίου κέκραγας ἀνδρὸς ὧδʼ ὑπέρφρονα,

ποῖ βάντος ἢ ποῦ στάντος οὗπερ οὐκ ἐγώ;

οὐκ ἆρʼ Ἀχαιοῖς ἄνδρες εἰσὶ πλὴν ὅδε;

πικροὺς ἔοιγμεν τῶν Ἀχιλλείων ὅπλων

ἀγῶνας Ἀργείοισι κηρῦξαι τότε,
1240

εἰ πανταχοῦ φανούμεθʼ ἐκ Τεύκρου κακοί,

κοὐκ ἀρκέσει ποθʼ ὑμὶν οὐδʼ ἡσσημένοις

εἴκειν ἃ τοῖς πολλοῖσιν ἤρεσκεν κριταῖς,

ἀλλʼ αἰὲν ἡμᾶς ἢ κακοῖς βαλεῖτέ που

ἢ σὺν δόλῳ κεντήσεθʼ οἱ λελειμμένοι.
1245

ἐκ τῶνδε μέντοι τῶν τρόπων οὐκ ἄν ποτε

κατάστασις γένοιτʼ ἂν οὐδενὸς νόμου,

εἰ τοὺς δίκῃ νικῶντας ἐξωθήσομεν

καὶ τοὺς ὄπισθεν ἐς τὸ πρόσθεν ἄξομεν.

ἀλλʼ εἰρκτέον τάδʼ ἐστίν· οὐ γὰρ οἱ πλατεῖς
1250

οὐδʼ εὐρύνωτοι φῶτες ἀσφαλέστατοι,

ἀλλʼ οἱ φρονοῦντες εὖ κρατοῦσι πανταχοῦ.

μέγας δὲ πλευρὰ βοῦς ὑπὸ σμικρᾶς ὅμως

μάστιγος ὀρθὸς εἰς ὁδὸν πορεύεται.

καὶ σοὶ προσέρπον τοῦτʼ ἐγὼ τὸ φάρμακον
1255

ὁρῶ τάχʼ, εἰ μὴ νοῦν κατακτήσῃ τινά·

ὃς ἀνδρὸς οὐκέτʼ ὄντος, ἀλλʼ ἤδη σκιᾶς,

θαρσῶν ὑβρίζεις κἀξελευθεροστομεῖς.

οὐ σωφρονήσεις; οὐ μαθὼν ὃς εἶ φύσιν

ἄλλον τινʼ ἄξεις ἄνδρα δεῦρʼ ἐλεύθερον ,
1260

ὅστις πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἀντὶ σοῦ λέξει τὰ σά;

¹¹¹²¹³¹⁴¹⁵¹⁶¹⁷¹⁸¹⁹

σοῦ γὰρ λέγοντος οὐκέτʼ ἂν μάθοιμʼ ἐγώ·

τὴν βάρβαρον γὰρ γλῶσσαν οὐκ ἐπαΐω.

Χορός

εἴθʼ ὑμὶν ἀμφοῖν νοῦς γένοιτο σωφρονεῖν·

τούτου γὰρ οὐδὲν σφῷν ἔχω λῷον φράσαι.
1265

Τεῦκρος

φεῦ, τοῦ θανόντος ὡς ταχεῖά τις βροτοῖς

χάρις διαρρεῖ καὶ προδοῦσʼ ἁλίσκεται,

εἰ σοῦ γʼ ὅδʼ ἁνὴρ οὐδʼ ἐπὶ σμικρὸν λέγων,

Αἴας, ἔτʼ ἴσχει μνῆστιν, οὗ σὺ πολλάκις

τὴν σὴν προτείνων προύκαμες ψυχὴν δορί·
1270

ἀλλʼ οἴχεται δὴ πάντα ταῦτʼ ἐρριμμένα.

ὦ πολλὰ λέξας ἄρτι κἀνόητʼ ἔπη,

οὐ μνημονεύεις οὐκέτʼ οὐδέν, ἡνίκα

ἑρκέων ποθʼ ὑμᾶς οὗτος ἐγκεκλῃμένους,

ἤδη τὸ μηδὲν ὄντας ἐν τροπῇ δορός,
1275

ἐρρύσατʼ ἐλθὼν μοῦνος, ἀμφὶ μὲν νεῶν

ἄκροισιν ἤδη ναυτικοῖς ἑδωλίοις

πυρὸς φλέγοντος, ἐς δὲ ναυτικὰ σκάφη

πηδῶντος ἄρδην Ἕκτορος τάφρων ὕπερ;

τίς ταῦτʼ ἀπεῖρξεν; οὐχ ὅδʼ ἦν ὁ δρῶν τάδε,
1280

ὃν οὐδαμοῦ φής, οὗ σὺ μή, βῆναι ποδί;

ἆρʼ ὑμὶν οὗτος ταῦτʼ ἔδρασεν ἔνδικα;

χὥτʼ αὖθις αὐτὸς Ἕκτορος μόνος μόνου,

λαχών τε κἀκέλευστος, ἦλθʼ ἐναντίος,

οὐ δραπέτην τὸν κλῆρον ἐς μέσον καθείς,
1285

ὑγρᾶς ἀρούρας βῶλον, ἀλλʼ ὃς εὐλόφου

κυνῆς ἔμελλε πρῶτος ἅλμα κουφιεῖν;

ὅδʼ ἦν ὁ πράσσων ταῦτα, σὺν δʼ ἐγὼ παρών,

ὁ δοῦλος, οὑκ τῆς βαρβάρου μητρὸς γεγώς.

²⁰²¹²²²³²⁴²⁵²⁶²⁷²⁸²⁹³⁰³¹

δύστηνε, ποῖ βλέπων ποτʼ αὐτὰ καὶ θροεῖς;
1290

οὐκ οἶσθα σοῦ πατρὸς μὲν ὃς προύφυ πατὴρ

ἀρχαῖον ὄντα Πέλοπα βάρβαρον Φρύγα;

Ἀτρέα δʼ, ὃς αὖ σʼ ἔσπειρε, δυσσεβέστατον

προθέντʼ ἀδελφῷ δεῖπνον οἰκείων τέκνων;

αὐτὸς δὲ μητρὸς ἐξέφυς Κρήσσης, ἐφʼ ᾗ
1295

λαβὼν ἐπακτὸν ἄνδρʼ ὁ φιτύσας πατὴρ

ἐφῆκεν ἐλλοῖς ἰχθύσιν διαφθοράν.

τοιοῦτος ὢν τοιῷδʼ ὀνειδίζεις σποράν;

ὃς ἐκ πατρὸς μέν εἰμι Τελαμῶνος γεγώς,

ὅστις στρατοῦ τὰ πρῶτʼ ἀριστεύσας ἐμὴν
1300

ἴσχει ξύνευνον μητέρʼ, ἣ φύσει μὲν ἦν

βασίλεια, Λαομέδοντος· ἔκκριτον δέ νιν

δώρημʼ ἐκείνῳ ʼδωκεν Ἀλκμήνης γόνος.

ἆρʼ ὧδʼ ἄριστος ἐξ ἀριστέοιν δυοῖν

βλαστὼν ἂν αἰσχύνοιμι τοὺς πρὸς αἵματος,
1305

οὓς νῦν σὺ τοιοῖσδʼ ἐν πόνοισι κειμένους

ὠθεῖς ἀθάπτους, οὐδʼ ἐπαισχύνῃ λέγων;

εὖ νυν τόδʼ ἴσθι, τοῦτον εἰ βαλεῖτέ που,

βαλεῖτε χἡμᾶς τρεῖς ὁμοῦ συγκειμένους.

ἐπεὶ καλόν μοι τοῦδʼ ὑπερπονουμένῳ
1310

θανεῖν προδήλως μᾶλλον ἢ τῆς σῆς ὑπὲρ

γυναικός, ἢ τοῦ σοῦ γʼ ὁμαίμονος λέγω;

πρὸς ταῦθʼ ὅρα μὴ τοὐμόν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ σόν.

ὡς εἴ με πημανεῖς τι, βουλήσῃ ποτὲ

καὶ δειλὸς εἶναι μᾶλλον ἢ ʼν ἐμοὶ θρασύς.
1315

Χορός

ἄναξ Ὀδυσσεῦ, καιρὸν ἴσθʼ ἐληλυθώς,

εἰ μὴ ξυνάψων, ἀλλὰ συλλύσων πάρει.

³²³³³⁴³⁵³⁶³⁷³⁸³⁹⁴⁰⁴¹⁴²⁴³

Ὀδυσσεύς

τί δʼ ἔστιν, ἄνδρες; τηλόθεν γὰρ ᾐσθόμην

βοὴν Ἀτρειδῶν τῷδʼ ἐπʼ ἀλκίμῳ νεκρῷ.

Ἀγαμέμνων

οὐ γὰρ κλύοντές ἐσμεν αἰσχίστους λόγους,
1320

ἄναξ Ὀδυσσεῦ, τοῦδʼ ὑπʼ ἀνδρὸς ἀρτίως;

Ὀδυσσεύς

ποίους; ἐγὼ γὰρ ἀνδρὶ συγγνώμην ἔχω

κλύοντι φλαῦρα συμβαλεῖν ἔπη κακά.

Ἀγαμέμνων

ἤκουσεν αἰσχρά· δρῶν γὰρ ἦν τοιαῦτά με.

Ὀδυσσεύς

τί γάρ σʼ ἔδρασεν, ὥστε καὶ βλάβην ἔχειν;
1325

Ἀγαμέμνων

οὔ φησʼ ἐάσειν τόνδε τὸν νεκρὸν ταφῆς

ἄμοιρον, ἀλλὰ πρὸς βίαν θάψειν ἐμοῦ.

Ὀδυσσεύς

ἔξεστιν οὖν εἰπόντι τἀληθῆ φίλῳ

σοὶ μηδὲν ἧσσον ἢ πάρος ξυνηρετεῖν;

Ἀγαμέμνων

εἴπʼ· ἦ γὰρ εἴην οὐκ ἂν εὖ φρονῶν, ἐπεὶ
1330

φίλον σʼ ἐγὼ μέγιστον Ἀργείων νέμω.

Ὀδυσσεύς

ἄκουέ νυν. τὸν ἄνδρα τόνδε πρὸς θεῶν

μὴ τλῇς ἄθαπτον ὧδʼ ἀναλγήτως βαλεῖν·

μηδʼ ἡ βία σε μηδαμῶς νικησάτω

τοσόνδε μισεῖν ὥστε τὴν δίκην πατεῖν.
1335

κἀμοὶ γὰρ ἦν ποθʼ οὗτος ἔχθιστος στρατοῦ,

ἐξ οὗ ʼκράτησα τῶν Ἀχιλλείων ὅπλων,

ἀλλʼ αὐτὸν ἔμπας ὄντʼ ἐγὼ τοιόνδʼ ἐμοὶ

οὐκ οὖν ἀτιμάσαιμʼ ἄν, ὥστε μὴ λέγειν

ἕνʼ ἄνδρʼ ἰδεῖν ἄριστον Ἀργείων, ὅσοι
1340

Τροίαν ἀφικόμεσθα, πλὴν Ἀχιλλέως.

ὥστʼ οὐκ ἂν ἐνδίκως γʼ ἀτιμάζοιτό σοι·

οὐ γάρ τι τοῦτον, ἀλλὰ τοὺς θεῶν νόμους

φθείροις ἄν. ἄνδρα δʼ οὐ δίκαιον, εἰ θάνοι,

βλάπτειν τὸν ἐσθλόν, οὐδʼ ἐὰν μισῶν κυρῇς.
1345

Ἀγαμέμνων

σὺ ταῦτʼ, Ὀδυσσεῦ, τοῦδʼ ὑπερμαχεῖς ἐμοί;

⁴⁴⁴⁵⁴⁶⁴⁷⁴⁸⁴⁹⁵⁰⁵¹

Ὀδυσσεύς

ἔγωγʼ· ἐμίσουν δʼ, ἡνίκʼ ἦν μισεῖν καλόν.

Ἀγαμέμνων

οὐ γὰρ θανόντι καὶ πρὸς ἐμβῆναί σε χρή;

Ὀδυσσεύς

μὴ χαῖρʼ, Ἀτρείδη, κέρδεσιν τοῖς μὴ καλοῖς.

Ἀγαμέμνων

τόν τοι τύραννον εὐσεβεῖν οὐ ῥᾴδιον.
1350

Ὀδυσσεύς

ἀλλʼ εὖ λέγουσι τοῖς φίλοις τιμὰς νέμειν.

Ἀγαμέμνων

κλύειν τὸν ἐσθλὸν ἄνδρα χρὴ τῶν ἐν τέλει.

Ὀδυσσεύς

παῦσαι· κρατεῖς τοι τῶν φίλων νικώμενος.

Ἀγαμέμνων

μέμνησʼ ὁποίῳ φωτὶ τὴν χάριν δίδως.

Ὀδυσσεύς

ὅδʼ ἐχθρὸς ἁνήρ, ἀλλὰ γενναῖός ποτʼ ἦν.
1355

Ἀγαμέμνων

τί ποτε ποήσεις; ἐχθρὸν ὧδʼ αἰδῇ νέκυν;

Ὀδυσσεύς

κινεῖ γὰρ ἁρετή με τῆς ἔχθρας πολύ.

Ἀγαμέμνων

τοιοίδε μέντοι φῶτες ἔμπληκτοι βροτῶν.

Ὀδυσσεύς

ἦ κάρτα πολλοὶ νῦν φίλοι καὖθις πικροί.

Ἀγαμέμνων

τοιούσδʼ ἐπαινεῖς δῆτα σὺ κτᾶσθαι φίλους;
1360

Ὀδυσσεύς

σκληρὰν ἐπαινεῖν οὐ φιλῶ ψυχὴν ἐγώ.

Ἀγαμέμνων

ἡμᾶς σὺ δειλοὺς τῇδε θἠμέρᾳ φανεῖς.

Ὀδυσσεύς

ἄνδρας μὲν οὖν Ἕλλησι πᾶσιν ἐνδίκους.

Ἀγαμέμνων

ἄνωγας οὖν με τὸν νεκρὸν θάπτειν ἐᾶν;

Ὀδυσσεύς

ἔγωγε· καὶ γὰρ αὐτὸς ἐνθάδʼ ἵξομαι.
1365

Ἀγαμέμνων

ἦ πάνθʼ ὁμοῖα· πᾶς ἀνὴρ αὑτῷ πονεῖ.

Ὀδυσσεύς

τῷ γάρ με μᾶλλον εἰκὸς ἢ ʼμαυτῷ πονεῖν;

Ἀγαμέμνων

σὸν ἆρα τοὔργον, οὐκ ἐμὸν κεκλήσεται.

Ὀδυσσεύς

ὡς ἂν ποήσῃς, πανταχῇ χρηστός γʼ ἔσῃ.

Ἀγαμέμνων

ἀλλʼ εὖ γε μέντοι τοῦτʼ ἐπίστασʼ, ὡς ἐγὼ
1370

σοὶ μὲν νέμοιμʼ ἂν τῆσδε καὶ μείζω χάριν,

οὗτος δὲ κἀκεῖ κἀνθάδʼ ὢν ἔμοιγʼ ὁμῶς

ἔχθιστος ἔσται. σοὶ δὲ δρᾶν ἔξεσθʼ ἃ χρῇς.

⁵²⁵³⁵⁴⁵⁵⁵⁶⁵⁷⁵⁸⁵⁹⁶⁰⁶¹⁶²⁶³

Χορός

ὅστις σʼ, Ὀδυσσεῦ, μὴ λέγει γνώμῃ σοφὸν

φῦναι, τοιοῦτον ὄντα, μῶρός ἐστʼ ἀνήρ.
1375

Ὀδυσσεύς

καὶ νῦν γε Τεύκρῳ τἀπὸ τοῦδʼ ἀγγέλλομαι,

ὅσον τότʼ ἐχθρὸς ἦ, τοσόνδʼ εἶναι φίλος.

καὶ τὸν θανόντα τόνδε συνθάπτειν θέλω,

καὶ ξυμπονεῖν καὶ μηδὲν ἐλλείπειν ὅσων

χρὴ τοῖς ἀρίστοις ἀνδράσιν πονεῖν βροτούς.
1380

Τεῦκρος

ἄριστʼ Ὀδυσσεῦ, πάντʼ ἔχω σʼ ἐπαινέσαι

λόγοισι· καί μʼ ἔψευσας ἐλπίδος πολύ.

τούτῳ γὰρ ὢν ἔχθιστος Ἀργείων ἀνὴρ

μόνος παρέστης χερσίν, οὐδʼ ἔτλης παρὼν

θανόντι τῷδε ζῶν ἐφυβρίσαι μέγα,
1385

ὡς ὁ στρατηγὸς οὑπιβρόντητος μολὼν

αὐτός τε χὡ ξύναιμος ἠθελησάτην

λωβητὸν αὐτὸν ἐκβαλεῖν ταφῆς ἄτερ.

τοιγάρ σφʼ Ὀλύμπου τοῦδʼ ὁ πρεσβεύων πατὴρ

μνήμων τʼ Ἐρινὺς καὶ τελεσφόρος Δίκη
1390

κακοὺς κακῶς φθείρειαν, ὥσπερ ἤθελον

τὸν ἄνδρα λώβαις ἐκβαλεῖν ἀναξίως.

σὲ δʼ, ὦ γεραιοῦ σπέρμα Λαέρτου πατρός,

τάφου μὲν ὀκνῶ τοῦδʼ ἐπιψαύειν ἐᾶν,

μὴ τῷ θανόντι τοῦτο δυσχερὲς ποιῶ·
1395

τὰ δʼ ἄλλα καὶ ξύμπρασσε, κεἴ τινα στρατοῦ

θέλεις κομίζειν, οὐδὲν ἄλγος ἕξομεν.

ἐγὼ δὲ τἀμὰ πάντα πορσυνῶ· σὺ δὲ

ἀνὴρ καθʼ ἡμᾶς ἐσθλὸς ὢν ἐπίστασο.

Ὀδυσσεύς

ἀλλʼ ἤθελον μέν· εἰ δὲ μή ʼστί σοι φίλον
1400

πράσσειν τάδʼ ἡμᾶς, εἶμʼ ἐπαινέσας τὸ σόν.

Τεῦκρος

ἅλις· ἤδη γὰρ πολὺς ἐκτέταται

χρόνος. ἀλλʼ οἱ μὲν κοίλην κάπετον

⁶⁴⁶⁵⁶⁶⁶⁷⁶⁸

χερσὶ ταχύνετε, τοὶ δʼ ὑψίβατον

τρίποδʼ ἀμφίπυρον λουτρῶν ὁσίων
1405

θέσθʼ ἐπίκαιρον·

μία δʼ ἐκ κλισίας ἀνδρῶν ἴλη

τὸν ὑπασπίδιον κόσμον φερέτω.

παῖ, σὺ δὲ πατρός γʼ, ὅσον ἰσχύεις,

φιλότητι θιγὼν πλευρὰς σὺν ἐμοὶ
1410

τάσδʼ ἐπικούφιζʼ· ἔτι γὰρ θερμαὶ

σύριγγες ἄνω φυσῶσι μέλαν

μένος. ἀλλʼ ἄγε πᾶς, φίλος ὅστις ἀνὴρ

φησὶ παρεῖναι, σούσθω, βάτω,

τῷδʼ ἀνδρὶ πονῶν τῷ πάντʼ ἀγαθῷ
1415

κοὐδενί πω λῴονι θνητῶν

Αἴαντος, ὅτʼ ἦν, τότε φωνῶ.

Χορός

ἦ πολλὰ βροτοῖς ἔστιν ἰδοῦσιν

γνῶναι· πρὶν ἰδεῖν δʼ οὐδεὶς μάντις

τῶν μελλόντων ὅ τι πράξει.
1420
⁶⁹⁷⁰⁷¹⁷²⁷³⁷⁴

Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 1211 focus

καὶ πρὶν μὲν ἐννυχίου

δείματος ἦν μοὶ προβολὰ

καὶ βελέων θούριος Αἴας·

ΧΟΡΟΣ.

νῦν δ᾽ οὗτος ἀνεῖται ἂν κεῖται ἀγκεῖται ἀνεῖται ἔγκειται στυγερῷ στυγερώς στυγερῶι

δαίμονι. τίς μοι, τίς ἔτ᾽ οὖν
1215

τέρψις ἐπέσται;

γενοίμαν ἵν᾽ ὑλᾶεν ἔπεστι πόντου

πρόβλημ᾽ ἁλίκλυστον, ἄκραν ...ραν ἄκραν

ὑπὸ πλάκα Σουνίου,

τὰς ἱερὰς ὅπως

προσείποιμεν προσείπωμεν προσείποιμι ᾿Αθάνας.

ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ.

καὶ μὴν ἰδὼν ἔσπευσα τὸν στρατηλάτην

᾿Αγαμέμνονα ἀγαμέμν ἀγαμεμνον' ἀγαμέμνον ἡμῖν δεῦρο τόνδ᾽ ὁρμώμενον·

δῆλος δέ μοὐστὶ δέ μοιστί δε μοἰστὶ καὶ δῆλόσ ἐστιν ὥστι σημανῶν νέον σκαιὸν ἐκλύσων στόμα.
1225

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ.

σὲ δὴ τὰ δεινὰ ῥήματ᾿ ἀγγέλλουσί μοι

τλῆναι καθ᾽ ἡμῶν ὧδ᾽ ἀνοιμωκτὶ ἀνοιμωκτεὶ χανεῖν·

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ.

σέ τοι, τὸν ἐκ τῆς αἰχμαλωτίδος αἰχμαλώτιδος λέγω·

ἢ που τραφεὶς ἂν μητρὸς εὐγενοῦς ἀπο

ὑψήλ᾽ ἐφώνεις ἐφρόνεισ ἐφώνεισ κἀπ᾿ ἄκρων ὡδοιπόρεις,
1230

ὅτ᾽ οὐδὲν ὢν τοῦ μηδὲν ἀντέστης ὕπερ,

κοὔτε στρατηγοὺς οὔτε ναυάρχους μολεῖν

ἡμᾶς ᾿Αχαιῶν οὔτε σοῦ διωμόσω δι αωμόσω διωρίσω διωμόσο,

ἀλλ᾽ αὐτὸς ἄρχων, ὡς σὺ φῄς, Αἴας ἔπλει.

ταῦτ᾽ οὐκ ἀκούειν μεγάλα πρὸς δούλων κακά;
1235

ποίου κέκραγας κέκραγεσ ἀνδρὸς ὧδ᾽ ὑπέρφρονα;

ποῦ βάντος ἢ ποῦ στάντος, οὗπερ οὐκ ἐγώ;

οὐκ ἄρ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ᾿Αχαιοῖς ἄνδρες εἰσὶ πλὴν ὅδε;

πικροὺς ἔοιγμεν τῶν ᾿Αχιλλείων ὅπλων

ἀγῶνας ᾿Αργείοισι κηρύξαι κηρύξαι τότε,
1240

εἰ πανταχοῦ φανούμεθ᾽ ἐκ ἐν ἐκ Τεύκρου κακοί,

κοὐκ ἀρκέσει ποθ᾽ ὑμὶν οὐδ᾽ ἡσσημένοις

εἴκειν ἃ τοῖς πολλοῖσιν ἤρεσκεν ἤρκεσεν ἤρεσκεν ἤρεσκε κριταῖς,

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ.

ἀλλ᾽ αἰὲν ἡμᾶς ἢ κακοῖς βαλεῖτέ που

ἢ σὺν δόλῳ δούλωι δόλω κεντήσεθ᾽ κεντήσε(σ)θ' κεντήσεσθ' οἱ λελειμμένοι.
1245

ἐκ τῶνδε μέντοι τῶν τρόπων οὐκ ἄν ποτε

κατάστασις γένοιτ᾽ ἂν οὐδενὸς νόμου,

εἰ τοὺς δίκῃ νικῶντας ἐξωθήσομεν ἔξω θήσομεν

καὶ τοὺς ὄπισθεν εἰς τὸ πρόσθεν ἄξομεν.

ἀλλ᾽ εἰρκτέον τάδ᾽ ἐστίν· οὐ γὰρ οἱ πλατεῖς
1250

οὐδ᾽ εὐρύνωτοι φῶτες ἀσφαλέστατοι,

ἀλλ᾽ οἱ φρονοῦντες εὖ κρατοῦσι πανταχοῦ.

μέγας δὲ πλευρὰ πλευρᾶ πλευρὰς πλευρά πλευρὰν βοῦς ὑπὸ σμικρᾶς ὅμως

μάστιγος ὀρθὸς εἰς ὁδὸν πορεύεται.

καὶ σοὶ προσέρπον τοῦτ᾽ ἐγὼ τὸ φάρμακον
1255

ὁρῶ τάχ᾽, εἰ μὴ νοῦν κατακτήσει τινά·

ὃς ἀνδρὸς οὐκέτ᾽ ὄντος, ἀλλ᾽ ἤδη σκιᾶς,

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ.

θαρσῶν ὑβρίζεις κἀξελευθεροστομεῖς.

οὐ σωφρονήσεις; οὐ μαθὼν ὃς εἶ φύσιν

ἄλλον τιν ἄξεις ἄνδρα δεῦρ᾽ ἐλεύθερον,
1260

ὅστις ὅτις (?) ὅστις πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἀντὶ σοῦ λέξει τὰ σά;

σοῦ γὰρ λέγοντος οὐκέτ᾽ ἂν μάθοιμ᾽ ἐγώ·

τὴν βάρβαρον γὰρ γλῶσσαν οὐκ ἐπαΐω.

ΧΟΡΟΣ.

εἴθ᾽ ὑμὶν ἀμφοῖν νοῦς γένοιτο σωφρονεῖν·

τούτου γὰρ οὐδὲν σφῶν ἔχω λῷον φράσαι om. add..
1265

ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ.

φεῦ· τοῦ θανόντος ὡς ταχεῖά τις βροτοῖς

χάρις διαρρεῖ καὶ προδοῦσ᾽ ἁλίσκεται,

εἰ σοῦ οὐ σοῦ γ᾽ ὅδ᾽ ἁνὴρ ἀνὴρ οὐδ᾽ ἐπὶ σμικρῶν λόγων,

Αἴας, ἔτ᾽ ἴσχει ἔχει μνῆστιν, οὗ σὺ πολλάκις

τὴν σὴν προτείνων προὔκαμες ψυχὴν δορί·
1270

ἀλλ᾽ οἴχεται δὴ πάντα ταῦτ᾽ ἐρριμμένα ἐριμμένα ἐρριμμένα.

ὦ πολλὰ λέξας ἄρτι κἀνόητ᾽ κἀνόητ᾽ κἀνόνητ᾽ ἔπη,

οὐ μνημονεύεις οὐκέτ᾽ οὐδέν, ἡνíκα

ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ.

ἑρκέων ποθ᾽ ὑμᾶς οὗτος ἐγκεκλημένους ἐγκεκλειμένουσ ἐγκεκλεισμένους,

ἤδη τὸ μηδὲν ὄντας, ἐν τροπῇ δορὸς
1275

ἐρρύσατ᾽ ἐλθὼν μοῦνος om. add., ἀμφὶ μὲν νεῶν

ἄκροισιν ἤδη ναυτικοῖς ἑδωλίοις σανιδώμασιν

πυρὸς φλέγοντος, εἰς δὲ ναυτικὰ σκάφη

πηδῶντος ἄρδην Ἕκτορος τάφρων ὕπερ;

τίς ταῦτ᾽ ἀπεῖρξεν ἀπῆρξεν ἀπεῖρξεν? οὐχ ὅδ᾽ ἦν ὁ δρῶν τάδε,
1280

ὃν οὐδαμοῦ οὐδαμοῦ φῇς οὐδὲ συμβῆναι ποδί;

ἆρ᾽ ὑμὶν οὗτος ταῦτ᾽ ἔδρασεν ἔνδικα;

χὤτ᾽ αὖθις αὐτὸς Ἕκτορος μόνος μόνου,

λαχών τε κἀκέλευστος, ἦλθ᾽ ἐναντίος ἐναντιος ἦλθεν ἀντίος,

ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ.

οὐ δραπέτην δράπετην τὸν κλῆρον εἰς μέσον καθείς,
1285

ὑγρᾶς ἀρούρας βῶλον, ἀλλ᾽ ὃς εὐλόφου

κυνῆς ἔμελλε πρῶτος ἅλμα κουφιεῖν;

ὅδ᾽ ἦν ὁ πράσσων ταῦτα, σὺν δ᾽ ἐγὼ παρών,

ὁ δοῦλος, οὐκ τῆς βαρβάρου μητρὸς γεγώς.

δύστηνε, ποῖ βλέπων ποτ᾿ αὐτὰ αὐτὸσ καὶ θροεῖς;
1290

οὐκ οἶσθα σοῦ πατρὸς μὲν ὃς προὔφυ πατὴρ

ἀρχαῖον ὄντα Πέλοπα βάρβαρον Φρύγα;

Ἀτρέα δ᾽, ὃς αὖ σ᾽ ἔσπειρε, δυσσεβέστατον

προθέντ᾽ προσθέντ’ ἀδελφῷ δεῖπνον οἰκείων τέκνων;

αὐτὸς αὖθισ δὲ μητρὸς ἐξέφυς Κρήσσης, ἐφ' ἡ
1295

λαβὼν ἐπακτὸν ἄνδρ᾽ ὁ φιτύσας φυτεύσας πατὴρ

ἐφῆκεν ἐλλοῖς ἰχθύσιν διαφθοράν.

ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ.

τοιοῦτος ὢν τοιῷδ᾽ ὀνειδίζεις ὀνειδίζει ὀνειδίζεισ σποράν;

ὃς ἐκ πατρὸς μέν εἰμι Τελαμῶνος γεγώς,

ὅστις στρατοῦ τὰ πρῶτ᾽ ἀριστεύσας ἐμὴν
1300

ἴσχει ξύνευνον μητέρ' μητέρα, ἢ φύσει μὲν ἦν

βασίλεια, Λαομέδοντος· ἔκκριτον δέ νιν

δώρημ᾽ ἐκείνῳ ἔδωκεν δώρημα κείνῳ δῶκεν δώρημα ἐκείνῳ ᾿Αλκμήνης γόνος.

ἆρ᾽ ὧδ᾽ ἄριστος ἐξ ἀριστέοιν ἀριστέων ἀριστέοιν δυοῖν

βλαστὼν βλαστῶν ἂν αἰσχύνοιμι τοὺς πρὸς αἵματος,
1305

οὓς νῦν σὺ τοιοῖσδ᾽ ἐν πόνοισι κειμένους

ὠθεῖς ἀθάπτους, οὐδ᾽ ἐπαισχύνει λέγων;

εὖ νυν νῦν τόδ᾽ ἴσθι, τοῦτον εἰ βαλεῖτέ που,

βαλεῖτε χἠμᾶς τρεῖς ὁμοῦ συγκειμένους συνεμπόρους.

ἐπεὶ καλόν μοι τοῦδ᾽ ὑπερπονουμένῳ πονουμένους
1310

ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ.

θανεῖν προδήλως μᾶλλον ἢ τῆς σῆς ὑπὲρ ὕπερ

γυναικός, ἢ τοῦ σοῦ γ᾽ θ' ὁμαίμονος λέγω;

πρὸς ταῦθ᾽ ὅρα μὴ τοὐμόν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ σόν.

ὡς εἴ με πημανεῖς τι, βουλήσει ποτὲ

καὶ δειλὸς εἶναι μᾶλλον ἢ ἐν ἐμοὶ θρασύς.
1315

ΧΟΡΟΣ.

ἄναξ Ὀδυσσεῦ, καιρὸν ἴσθ᾽ ἐληλυθώς,

εἰ μὴ ξυνάψων, ἀλλὰ συλλύσων πάρει.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ.

τί δ᾽ ἔστιν, ἄνδρες; τηλόθεν γὰρ ᾐσθόμην

βοὴν ᾿Ατρειδῶν τῷδ᾽ ἐπ᾿ ἀλκίμῳ νεκρῷ.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ.

οὐ γὰρ κλύοντές ἐσμεν κλύοντεσ ἐσμὲν αἰσχίστους λόγους,
1320

ἄναξ Ὀδυσσεῦ, τοῦδ᾽ ὑπ᾽ ἀνδρὸς ἀρτίως;

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ.

ποίους; ἐγὼ γὰρ ἀνδρὶ συγγνώμην ἔχω

κλύοντι φλαῦρα συμβαλεῖν ἔπη κακά.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ.

ἤκουσεν αἰσχρά· δρῶν γὰρ ἦν τοιαῦτά με.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ.

τί γάρ σ᾽ γὰρ γὰρ σ' ἔδρασεν, ὥστε καὶ βλάβην ἔχειν;
1325

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ.

οὔ φησ᾽ ἐάσειν τόνδε τὸν νεκρὸν ταφῆς

ἄμοιρον, ἀλλὰ πρὸς βίαν θάψειν ἐμοῦ ἐμοὶ σοῦ θάψειν ἐμοῦ.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ.

ἔξεστιν οὖν εἰπόντι τἀληθῆ τἀληθῆ· φίλῳ

σοὶ μηδὲν ἦσσον ἢ πάρος ξυνηρετεῖν ξυνηρεμεῖν ξυνηρετμεῖν;

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ.

εἴπ· ἢ γὰρ εἴην ἐπείγ᾽ ἂν εἴην ἦπου γ'᾽ ἂν εἴπ᾿ ἡ γὰρ εἴην οὐκ ἂν εὐ φρονῶν, ἐπεὶ
1330

φίλον σ᾽ ἐγὼ μέγιστον ᾿Αργείων νέμω.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ.

ἄκουέ νυν. τὸν ἄνδρα τόνδε πρὸς θεῶν

μὴ τλῇς ἄθαπτον ὧδ᾽ ἀναλγήτως βαλεῖν·

μηδ᾽ ἡ βία σε μηδαμῶς νικησάτω

τοσόνδε τὸ σὸν δὲ τοσόνδε μισεῖν ὥστε τὴν δίκην πατεῖν.
1335

κἀμοὶ γὰρ ἦν ποθ᾽ οὗτος ἔχθιστος στρατοῦ,

ἐξ οὗ 'κράτησα κράτησα τῶν ᾿Αχιλλείων ὅπλων·

ἀλλ᾽ αὐτὸν ἔμπας ἔμπα ἔμπασ ἔμπης ὅμως ὄντ᾽ ἐγὼ τοιόνδ᾽ ἐμοὶ

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ.

οὐκ ἀντατιμάσαιμ᾽ ἂν ἀτιμάσαιμ' οὖν ἀτιμάσαιμ᾽ ἀν ἀτιμάσαιμ' ἄν, ὥστε μὴ λέγειν

ἕν᾽ ἄνδρ᾿ ἰδεῖν ἄριστον ᾿Αργείων, ὅσοι
1340

Τροίαν ἀφικόμεσθα, πλὴν ᾿Αχιλλέως.

ὥστ᾽ οὐκ ἂν ἐνδίκως γ᾽ ἀτιμάζοιτό σοι·

οὐ γάρ τι τοῦτον, ἀλλὰ τοὺς θεῶν νόμους

φθείροις ἄν. ἄνδρα δ᾽ οὐ ἀνδρ᾽ οὐ δίκαιον, εἰ θάνοι,

βλάπτειν τὸν ἐσθλόν, οὐδ᾽ ἐὰν μισῶν κυρῇς.
1345

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ.

σὺ ταῦτ᾽, Ὀδυσσεῦ, τοῦδ᾽ ὑπερμαχεῖς ἐμοί;

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ.

ἔγωγ· ἐμίσουν δ᾽, ἡνίκ ἦν μισεῖν καλόν.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ.

οὐ γὰρ θανόντι καὶ προσεμβῆναί σε χρή;

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ.

μὴ χαῖρ, ᾿Ατρείδη, κέρδεσιν κέρδεσι κέρδεσιν τοῖς μὴ καλοῖς.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ.

τόν τοι τύραννον εὐσεβεῖν οὐ ῥᾴδιον.
1350

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ.

ἀλλ᾽ εὖ λέγουσι τοῖς φίλοις τιμὰς νέμειν.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ.

κλύειν τὸν ἐσθλὸν ἄνδρα χρὴ τῶν ἐν τέλει.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ.

παῦσαι· κρατεῖς τοι τῶν φίλων νικώμενος.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ.

μέμνησ᾽ ὁποίῳ φωτὶ τὴν χάριν δίδως.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ.

ὅδ᾽ ἐχθρὸς ἁνήρ ἀνὴρ, ἀλλὰ γενναῖός γεναῖός ποτ᾽ ἦν.
1355

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ.

τί ποτε ποιήσεις; ἐχθρὸν ὧδ᾽ αἰδεῖ νέκυν;

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ.

νικᾷ γὰρ ἁρετή .. ρετή ἡ ῥετή ἡ ἀρετὴ ἠρετή με τῆς ἔχθρας πολύ.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ.

τοιοίδε μέντοι φῶτες ἔμπληκτοι βροτῶν βροτῶν βροτοῖς.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ.

ἢ κάρτα πολλοὶ νῦν φίλοι καὖθις πικροί.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ.

τοιούσδ᾽ ἐπαινεῖς δῆτα δή δῆτα σὺ κτᾶσθαι φίλους;
1360

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ.

σκληρὰν ἐπαινεῖν οὐ φιλῶ ψυχὴν ἐγώ.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ.

ἡμᾶς σὺ δειλούς δι λοῦσ δειλούς τῇδε θἠμέρᾳ τῆιδέ θ᾽ ἡμέρα φανεῖς φανείσ.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ.

ἄνδρας μὲν οὖν Ἕλλησι πᾶσιν ἐνδίκους.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ.

ἄνωγας οὖν με τὸν νεκρὸν θάπτειν ἐᾶν;

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ.

ἔγωγε· καὶ γὰρ αὐτὸς ἐνθάδ᾽ ἴξομαι.
1365

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ.

ἢ πάνθ' ὅμοια ὁμοῖα· πᾶς ἀνὴρ αὑτῷ πονεῖ.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ.

τῷ γάρ με μᾶλλον εἰκὸς ἢ 'μαυτῷ πονεῖν πονεῖν φρονεῖν;

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ.

σὸν ἆρα ἄρα ἆρα τοὔργον, οὐκ ἐμὸν κεκλήσεται.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ.

ὡς ὅσσ ὡσ ἂν ποιήσῃς ποιήσεισ ποίιζησησ ποιήσης, πανταχή πανταχοῦ γ' om. add. ἔσει.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ.

ἀλλ᾽ εὖ γε μέντοι τοῦτ᾽ ἐπίστασ᾽, ὡς ἐγὼ
1370

σοὶ μὲν νέμοιμ᾽ ἂν τῆσδε καὶ μείζω χάριν,

οὗτος δὲ κἀκεῖ κἀνθάδ' ὢν ἔμοιγ᾽ ὁμῶς ὅμως ὁμῶς

ἔχθιστος ἔσται. σοὶ δὲ δρᾶν ἔξεσθ' ἃ †χρή.

ΧΟΡΟΣ.

ὅστις σ' om. add., Ὀδυσσεῦ, μὴ λέγει γνώμῃ γνώιμη γνώμην σοφὸν

φῦναι, τοιοῦτον ὄντα, μῶρός ἐστ᾿ ἀνήρ.
1375

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ.

Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 1223-1420 focus

Τεῦκρος

καὶ μὴν ἰδὼν ἔσπευσα τὸν στρατηλάτην

Ἀγαμέμνονʼ ἡμῖν δεῦρο τόνδʼ ὁρμώμενον·

δῆλος δέ μοὐστὶ σκαιὸν ἐκλύσων στόμα.
1225

Ἀγαμέμνων

σὲ δὴ τὰ δεινὰ ῥήματʼ ἀγγέλλουσί μοι

τλῆναι καθʼ ἡμῶν ὧδʼ ἀνοιμωκτὶ χανεῖν;

σέ τοι, τὸν ἐκ τῆς αἰχμαλωτίδος λέγω,

ἦ που τραφεὶς ἂν μητρὸς εὐγενοῦς ἄπο

ὑψήλʼ ἐκόμπεις κἀπʼ ἄκρων ὡδοιπόρεις,
1230

ὅτʼ οὐδὲν ὢν τοῦ μηδὲν ἀντέστης ὕπερ,

κοὔτε στρατηγοὺς οὔτε ναυάρχους μολεῖν

ἡμᾶς Ἀχαιῶν οὐδὲ σοῦ διωμόσω

ἀλλʼ αὐτὸς ἄρχων, ὡς σὺ φής, Αἴας ἔπλει.

ταῦτʼ οὐκ ἀκούειν μεγάλα πρὸς δούλων κακά;
1235

ποίου κέκραγας ἀνδρὸς ὧδʼ ὑπέρφρονα;

ποῖ βάντος ἢ ποῦ στάντος οὗπερ οὐκ ἐγώ;

οὐκ ἆρʼ Ἀχαιοῖς ἄνδρες εἰσὶ πλὴν ὅδε;

πικροὺς ἔοιγμεν τῶν Ἀχιλλείων ὅπλων

ἀγῶνας Ἀργείοισι κηρῦξαι τότε,
1240

εἰ πανταχοῦ φανούμεθʼ ἐκ Τεύκρου κακοί,

κοὐκ ἀρκέσει ποθʼ ὑμὶν οὐδʼ ἡσσημένοις

εἴκειν ἃ τοῖς πολλοῖσιν ἤρεσκεν κριταῖς,

ἀλλʼ αἰὲν ἡμᾶς ἢ κακοῖς βαλεῖτέ που

ἢ σὺν δόλῳ κεντήσεθʼ οἱ λελειμμένοι.
1245

ἐκ τῶνδε μέντοι τῶν τρόπων οὐκ ἄν ποτε

κατάστασις γένοιτʼ ἂν οὐδενὸς νόμου,

εἰ τοὺς δίκῃ νικῶντας ἐξωθήσομεν

καὶ τοὺς ὄπισθεν εἰς τὸ πρόσθεν ἄξομεν.

ἀλλʼ εἰρκτέον τάδʼ ἐστίν· οὐ γὰρ οἱ πλατεῖς
1250

οὐδʼ εὐρύνωτοι φῶτες ἀσφαλέστατοι,

ἀλλʼ οἱ φρονοῦντες εὖ κρατοῦσι πανταχοῦ.

μέγας δὲ πλευρὰ βοῦς ὑπὸ σμικρᾶς ὅμως

μάστιγος ὀρθὸς εἰς ὁδὸν πορεύεται.

καὶ σοὶ προσέρπον τοῦτʼ ἐγὼ τὸ φάρμακον
1255

ὁρῶ τάχʼ, εἰ μὴ νοῦν κατακτήσει τινά·

ὃς ἀνδρὸς οὐκέτʼ ὄντος, ἀλλʼ ἤδη σκιᾶς,

θαρσῶν ὑβρίζεις κἀξελευθεροστομεῖς.

οὐ σωφρονήσεις; οὐ μαθὼν ὃς εἶ φύσιν

ἄλλον τινʼ ἄξεις ἄνδρα δεῦρʼ ἐλεύθερον,
1260

ὅστις πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἀντὶ σοῦ λέξει τὰ σά;

σοῦ γὰρ λέγοντος οὐκέτʼ ἂν μάθοιμʼ ἐγώ·

τὴν βάρβαρον γὰρ γλῶσσαν οὐκ ἐπαΐω.

1264

Χορός

εἴθʼ ὑμὶν ἀμφοῖν νοῦς γένοιτο σωφρονεῖν·

τούτου γὰρ οὐδὲν σφῷν ἔχω λῷον φράσαι.
1265

Τεῦκρος

φεῦ· τοῦ θανόντος ὡς ταχεῖά τις βροτοῖς

χάρις διαρρεῖ καὶ προδοῦσʼ ἁλίσκεται,

εἰ σοῦ γʼ ὅδʼ ἁνὴρ οὐδʼ ἐπὶ σμικρῶν λόγων,

Αἴας, ἔτʼ ἴσχει μνῆστιν, οὗ σὺ πολλάκις

τὴν σὴν προτείνων προύκαμες ψυχὴν δόρει.
1270

ἀλλʼ οἴχεται δὴ πάντα ταῦτʼ ἐρριμμένα.

ὦ πολλὰ λέξας ἄρτι κἀνόητʼ ἔπη,

οὐ μνημονεύεις οὐκέτʼ οὐδέν, ἡνίκα

ἑρκέων ποθʼ ὑμᾶς οὗτος ἐγκεκλῃμένους,

ἤδη τὸ μηδὲν ὄντας, ἐν τροπῇ δορὸς
1275

ἐρρύσατʼ ἐλθὼν μοῦνος, ἀμφὶ μὲν νεῶν

ἄκροισιν ἤδη ναυτικοῖς ἑδωλίοις

πυρὸς φλέγοντος, εἰς δὲ ναυτικὰ σκάφη

πηδῶντος ἄρδην Ἕκτορος τάφρων ὕπερ;

τίς ταῦτʼ ἀπεῖρξεν; οὐχ ὅδʼ ἦν ὁ δρῶν τάδε,
1280

ὃν οὐδαμοῦ φής, οὗ σὺ μή, βῆναι ποδί;

ἆρʼ ὑμὶν οὗτος ταῦτʼ ἔδρασεν ἔνδικα;

χὤτʼ αὖθις αὐτὸς Ἕκτορος μόνος μόνου

λαχών τε κἀκέλευστος ἦλθʼ ἐναντίος,

οὐ δραπέτην τὸν κλῆρον ἐς μέσον καθείς,
1285

ὑγρᾶς ἀρούρας βῶλον, ἀλλʼ ὃς εὐλόφου

κυνῆς ἔμελλε πρῶτος ἅλμα κουφιεῖν;

ὅδʼ ἦν ὁ πράσσων ταῦτα, σὺν δʼ ἐγὼ παρών,

ὁ δοῦλος, οὑκ τῆς βαρβάρου μητρὸς γεγώς.

1290

Τεῦκρος

δύστηνε, ποῖ βλέπων ποτʼ αὐτὰ καὶ θροεῖς;
1290

οὐκ οἶσθα σοῦ πατρὸς μὲν ὃς προύφυ πατὴρ

ἀρχαῖον ὄντα Πέλοπα βάρβαρον Φρύγα;

Ἀτρέα δʼ, ὃς αὖ σʼ ἔσπειρε δυσσεβέστατον,

προθέντʼ ἀδελφῷ δεῖπνον οἰκείων τέκνων;

αὐτὸς δὲ μητρὸς ἐξέφυς Κρήσσης, ἐφʼ ᾗ
1295

λαβὼν ἐπακτὸν ἄνδρʼ ὁ φιτύσας πατὴρ

ἐφῆκεν ἐλλοῖς ἰχθύσιν διαφθοράν.

τοιοῦτος ὢν τοιῷδʼ ὀνειδίζεις σποράν;

ὃς ἐκ πατρὸς μέν εἰμι Τελαμῶνος γεγώς,

ὅστις στρατοῦ τὰ πρῶτʼ ἀριστεύσας ἐμὴν
1300

ἴσχει ξύνευνον μητέρʼ, ἣ φύσει μὲν ἦν

βασίλεια, Λαομέδοντος· ἔκκριτον δέ νιν

δώρημα κείνῳ ʼδωκεν Ἀλκμήνης γόνος.

ἆρʼ ὧδʼ ἄριστος ἐξ ἀριστέοιν δυοῖν

βλαστὼν ἂν αἰσχύνοιμι τοὺς πρὸς αἵματος,
1305

οὓς νῦν σὺ τοιοῖσδʼ ἐν πόνοισι κειμένους

ὠθεῖς ἀθάπτους, οὐδʼ ἐπαισχύνει λέγων;

εὖ νυν τόδʼ ἴσθι, τοῦτον εἰ βαλεῖτέ που,

βαλεῖτε χἠμᾶς τρεῖς ὁμοῦ συγκειμένους.

ἐπεὶ καλόν μοι τοῦδʼ ὑπερπονουμένῳ
1310

θανεῖν προδήλως μᾶλλον ἢ τῆς σῆς ὑπὲρ

γυναικός, ἢ τοῦ σοῦ γʼ ὁμαίμονος λέγω;

πρὸς ταῦθʼ ὅρα μὴ τοὐμόν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ σόν·

ὡς εἴ με πημανεῖς τι, βουλήσει ποτὲ

καὶ δειλὸς εἶναι μᾶλλον ἢ ʼν ἐμοὶ θρασύς.
1315

1316

Χορός

ἄναξ, Ὀδυσσεῦ, καιρὸν ἴσθʼ ἐληλυθώς,

εἰ μὴ ξυνάψων, ἀλλὰ συλλύσων πάρει.

Ὀδυσσεύς

τί δʼ ἔστιν, ἄνδρες; τηλόθεν γὰρ ᾐσθόμην

βοὴν Ἀτρειδῶν τῷδʼ ἐπʼ ἀλκίμῳ νεκρῷ.

Ἀγαμέμνων

οὐ γὰρ κλύοντές ἐσμεν αἰσχίστους λόγους,
1320

ἄναξ Ὀδυσσεῦ, τοῦδʼ ὑπʼ ἀνδρὸς ἀρτίως;

Ὀδυσσεύς

ποίους; ἐγὼ γὰρ ἀνδρὶ συγγνώμην ἔχω

κλύοντι φλαῦρα συμβαλεῖν ἔπη κακά.

Ἀγαμέμνων

ἤκουσεν αἰσχρά· δρῶν γὰρ ἦν τοιαῦτά με.

Ὀδυσσεύς

τί γάρ σʼ ἔδρασεν, ὥστε καὶ βλάβην ἔχειν;
1325

Ἀγαμέμνων

οὔ φησʼ ἐάσειν τόνδε τὸν νεκρὸν ταφῆς

ἄμοιρον, ἀλλὰ πρὸς βίαν θάψειν ἐμοῦ.

Ὀδυσσεύς

ἔξεστιν οὖν εἰπόντι τἀληθῆ φίλῳ

σοὶ μηδὲν ἧσσον ἢ πάρος ξυνηρετεῖν;

Ἀγαμέμνων

εἴπʼ· ἦ γὰρ εἴην οὐκ ἂν εὖ φρονῶν, ἐπεὶ
1330

φίλον σʼ ἐγὼ μέγιστον Ἀργείων νέμω.

Ὀδυσσεύς

ἄκουέ νυν. τὸν ἄνδρα τόνδε πρὸς θεῶν

μὴ τλῇς ἄθαπτον ὧδʼ ἀναλγήτως βαλεῖν·

μηδʼ ἡ βία σε μηδαμῶς νικησάτω

τοσόνδε μισεῖν ὥστε τὴν δίκην πατεῖν.
1335

κἀμοὶ γὰρ ἦν ποθʼ οὗτος ἔχθιστος στρατοῦ,

ἐξ οὗ ʼκράτησα τῶν Ἀχιλλείων ὅπλων,

ἀλλʼ αὐτὸν ἔμπας ὄντʼ ἐγὼ τοιόνδʼ ἐμοὶ

οὐκ ἀντατιμάσαιμʼ ἄν, ὥστε μὴ λέγειν

ἕνʼ ἄνδρʼ ἰδεῖν ἄριστον Ἀργείων, ὅσοι
1340

Τροίαν ἀφικόμεσθα, πλὴν Ἀχιλλέως.

ὥστʼ οὐκ ἂν ἐνδίκως γʼ ἀτιμάζοιτό σοι·

οὐ γάρ τι τοῦτον, ἀλλὰ τοὺς θεῶν νόμους

φθείροις ἄν. ἄνδρα δʼ οὐ δίκαιον, εἰ θάνοι,

βλάπτειν τὸν ἐσθλόν, οὐδʼ ἐὰν μισῶν κυρῇς.
1345

1346

Ἀγαμέμνων

σὺ ταῦτʼ, Ὀδυσσεῦ, τοῦδʼ ὑπερμαχεῖς ἐμοί;

Ὀδυσσεύς

ἔγωγʼ· ἐμίσουν δʼ, ἡνίκʼ ἦν μισεῖν καλόν.

Ἀγαμέμνων

οὐ γὰρ θανόντι καὶ προσεμβῆναί σε χρή;

Ὀδυσσεύς

μὴ χαῖρʼ, Ἀτρείδη, κέρδεσιν τοῖς μὴ καλοῖς.

Ἀγαμέμνων

τόν τοι τύραννον εὐσεβεῖν οὐ ῥᾴδιον.
1350

Ὀδυσσεύς

ἀλλʼ εὖ λέγουσι τοῖς φίλοις τιμὰς νέμειν.

Ἀγαμέμνων

κλύειν τὸν ἐσθλὸν ἄνδρα χρὴ τῶν ἐν τέλει.

Ὀδυσσεύς

παῦσαι· κρατεῖς τοι τῶν φίλων νικώμενος.

Ἀγαμέμνων

μέμνησʼ ὁποίῳ φωτὶ τὴν χάριν δίδως.

Ὀδυσσεύς

ὅδʼ ἐχθρὸς ἁνήρ, ἀλλὰ γενναῖός ποτʼ ἦν.
1355

Ἀγαμέμνων

τί ποτε ποήσεις; ἐχθρὸν ὧδʼ αἰδεῖ νέκυν;

Ὀδυσσεύς

νικᾷ γὰρ ἁρετή με τῆς ἔχθρας πολύ.

Ἀγαμέμνων

τοιοίδε μέντοι φῶτες ἔμπληκτοι βροτῶν.

Ὀδυσσεύς

ἦ κάρτα πολλοὶ νῦν φίλοι καὖθις πικροί.

Ἀγαμέμνων

τοιούσδʼ ἐπαινεῖς δῆτα σὺ κτᾶσθαι φίλους;
1360

Ὀδυσσεύς

σκληρὰν ἐπαινεῖν οὐ φιλῶ ψυχὴν ἐγώ.

Ἀγαμέμνων

ἡμᾶς σὺ δειλοὺς τῇδε θἠμέρᾳ φανεῖς.

Ὀδυσσεύς

ἄνδρας μὲν οὖν Ἕλλησι πᾶσιν ἐνδίκους.

Ἀγαμέμνων

ἄνωγας οὖν με τὸν νεκρὸν θάπτειν ἐᾶν;

Ὀδυσσεύς

ἔγωγε· καὶ γὰρ αὐτὸς ἐνθάδʼ ἵξομαι.
1365

Ἀγαμέμνων

ἦ πάνθʼ ὅμοια πᾶς ἀνὴρ αὑτῷ πονεῖ.

Ὀδυσσεύς

τῷ γάρ με μᾶλλον εἰκὸς ἢ ʼμαυτῷ πονεῖν;

Ἀγαμέμνων

σὸν ἆρα τοὔργον, οὐκ ἐμὸν κεκλήσεται.

Ὀδυσσεύς

ὡς ἂν ποήσῃς, πανταχῇ χρηστός γʼ ἔσει.

Ἀγαμέμνων

ἀλλʼ εὖ γε μέντοι τοῦτʼ ἐπίστασʼ ὡς ἐγὼ
1370

σοὶ μὲν νέμοιμʼ ἂν τῆσδε καὶ μείζω χάριν,

οὗτος δὲ κἀκεῖ κἀνθάδʼ ὢν ἔμοιγʼ ὁμῶς

ἔχθιστος ἔσται· σοὶ δὲ δρᾶν ἔξεσθʼ ἃ χρῇς.

Χορός

ὅστις σʼ, Ὀδυσσεῦ, μὴ λέγει γνώμῃ σοφὸν

φῦναι, τοιοῦτον ὄντα, μῶρός ἐστʼ ἀνήρ.
1375

1376

Ὀδυσσεύς

καὶ νῦν γε Τεύκρῳ τἀπὸ τοῦδʼ ἀγγέλλομαι,

ὅσον τότʼ ἐχθρὸς ἦ, τοσόνδʼ εἶναι φίλος.

καὶ τὸν θανόντα τόνδε συνθάπτειν θέλω

καὶ ξυμπονεῖν καὶ μηδὲν ἐλλείπειν ὅσων

χρὴ τοῖς ἀρίστοις ἀνδράσιν πονεῖν βροτούς.
1380

Τεῦκρος

ἄριστʼ Ὀδυσσεῦ, πάντʼ ἔχω σʼ ἐπαινέσαι

λόγοισι, καί μʼ ἔψευσας ἐλπίδος πολύ.

τούτῳ γὰρ ὢν ἔχθιστος Ἀργείων ἀνὴρ

μόνος παρέστης χερσίν, οὐδʼ ἔτλης παρὼν

θανόντι τῷδε ζῶν ἐφυβρίσαι μέγα,
1385

ὡς ὁ στρατηγὸς οὑπιβρόντητος μολὼν

αὐτός τε χὠ ξύναιμος ἠθελησάτην

λωβητὸν αὐτὸν ἐκβαλεῖν ταφῆς ἄτερ.

τοιγάρ σφʼ Ὀλύμπου τοῦδʼ ὁ πρεσβεύων πατὴρ

μνήμων τʼ Ἐρινὺς καὶ τελεσφόρος Δίκη
1390

κακοὺς κακῶς φθείρειαν, ὥσπερ ἤθελον

τὸν ἄνδρα λώβαις ἐκβαλεῖν ἀναξίως.

σὲ δʼ, ὦ γεραιοῦ σπέρμα Λαέρτου πατρός,

τάφου μὲν ὀκνῶ τοῦδʼ ἐπιψαύειν ἐᾶν,

μὴ τῷ θανόντι τοῦτο δυσχερὲς ποιῶ·
1395

τὰ δʼ ἄλλα καὶ ξύμπρασσε, κεἴ τινα στρατοῦ

θέλεις κομίζειν, οὐδὲν ἄλγος ἕξομεν.

ἐγὼ δὲ τἄλλα πάντα πορσυνῶ· σὺ δὲ

ἀνὴρ καθʼ ἡμᾶς ἐσθλὸς ὢν ἐπίστασο.

Ὀδυσσεύς

ἀλλʼ ἤθελον μέν· εἰ δὲ μή ʼστί σοι φίλον
1400

πράσσειν τάδʼ ἡμᾶς, εἶμʼ ἐπαινέσας τὸ σόν.

Τεῦκρος

ἅλις· ἤδη γὰρ πολὺς ἐκτέταται

χρόνος. ἀλλʼ οἱ μὲν κοίλην κάπετον

χερσὶ ταχύνατε, τοὶ δʼ ὑψίβατον

τρίποδʼ ἀμφίπυρον λουτρῶν ὁσίων
1405

θέσθʼ ἐπίκαιρον·

μία δʼ ἐκ κλισίας ἀνδρῶν ἴλη

τὸν ὑπασπίδιον κόσμον φερέτω.

παῖ, σὺ δὲ πατρός γʼ, ὅσον ἰσχύεις,

φιλότητι θιγὼν πλευρὰς σὺν ἐμοὶ
1410

τάσδʼ ἐπικούφιζʼ· ἔτι γὰρ θερμαὶ

σύριγγες ἄνω φυσῶσι μέλαν

μένος. ἀλλʼ ἄγε πᾶς, φίλος ὅστις ἀνὴρ

φησὶ παρεῖναι, σούσθω, βάτω,

τῷδʼ ἀνδρὶ πονῶν τῷ πάντʼ ἀγαθῷ
1415

κοὐδενί πω λῴονι θνητῶν

Αἴαντος, ὅτʼ ἦν, τότε φωνῶ.

Χορός

ἦ πολλὰ βροτοῖς ἔστιν ἰδοῦσιν

γνῶναι· πρὶν ἰδεῖν δʼ οὐδεὶς μάντις

τῶν μελλόντων, ὅ τι πράξει.
1420

Translations (5)

English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 1223 focus

My steps were hastened, brethren, when I saw

Great Agamemnon hitherward afoot.

He means to talk perversely, I can tell.
1225

AG
Enter AGAMEMNON .

And so I hear thou’lt stretch thy mouth agape

With big bold words against us undismayed—

Thou, the she-captive’s offspring! High would scale

Thy voice, and pert would be thy strutting gait,

Were but thy mother noble; since, being naught,

So stiff thou stand’st for him who is nothing now,
1230

And swear’st we came not as commanders here

Of all the Achaean navy, nor of thee;

But Aias sailed, thou say’st, with absolute right.

Must we endure detraction from a slave?

What was the man thou noisest here so proudly?
1235

Have I not set my foot as firm and far?

Or stood his valour unaccompanied

In all this host? High cause have we to rue

That prize-encounter for Pelides’ arms,

Seeing Teucer’s sentence stamps our knavery
1240

For all to know it; and nought will serve but ye,

Being vanquished, kick at the award that passed

By voice of the majority in the court,

And either pelt us with rude calumnies,

Or stab at us, ye laggards! with base guile.
1245

Howbeit, these ways will never help to build

The wholesome order of established law,

If men shall hustle victors from their right,

And mix the hindmost rabble with the van.

That craves repression. Not by bulky size,
1250

Or shoulders’ breadth, the perfect man is known;

But wisdom gives chief power in all the world.

The ox hath a huge broadside, yet is held

Right in the furrow by a slender goad;

Which remedy, I perceive, will pass ere long
1255

To visit thee, unless thy wisdom grow;

Who hast uttered forth such daring insolence

For the pale shadow of a vanished man.

Learn modestly to know thy place and birth,

And bring with thee some freeborn advocate
1260

To plead thy cause before us in thy room.

I understand not in the barbarous tongue,

And all thy talk sounds nonsense to mine ear.

CH

Fie! How doth gratitude when men are dead

Prove renegade and swiftly pass away!

This Agamemnon hath no slightest word

Of kind remembrance any more for thee,

Aias, who oftentimes for his behoof

Hast jeoparded thy life in labour of war.
1270

Now all is clean forgotten and out of mind.

Thou who hast multiplied words void of sense,

Hast thou no faintest memory of the time

When who but Aias came and rescued you

Already locked within the toils,—all lost,
1275

The rout began: when close abaft the ships

The torches flared, and o’er the bootless trench

Hector was bounding high to board our fleet?

Who stayed that onset? Was not Aias he?

Whom thou deny’st to have once set foot by thine.
1280

Find ye no merit there? And once again

When he met Hector singly, man to man,

Not by your bidding, but the lottery’s choice,

His lot, that skulked not low adown i’ the heap,

A moist earth-clod, but sure to spring in air,
1285

And first to clear the plumy helmet’s brim.

Yes, Aias was the man, and I too there

Kept rank, the ‘barbarous mother’s servile son.’

I pity thee the blindness of that word.

Who was thy father’s father? A barbarian,
1290

Pelops, the Phrygian, if you trace him far!

And what was Atreus, thine own father? One

Who served his brother with the abominable

Dire feast of his own flesh. And thou thyself

Cam’st from a Cretan mother, whom her sire
1295

Caught with a man who had no right in her

And gave dumb fishes the polluted prey.

Such was thy race. What is the race thou spurnest?

My father, Telamon, of all the host

Being foremost proved in valour, took as prize
1300

My mother for his mate: a princess she,

Born of Laomedon; Alcmena’s son

Gave her to grace him—a triumphant meed.

Thus royally descended and thus brave,

Shall I renounce the brother of my blood,
1305

Or suffer thee to thrust him in his woes

Far from all burial, shameless that thou art?

Be sure that, if ye cast him forth, ye’ll cast

Three bodies more beside him in one spot;

For nobler should I find it here to die
1310

In open quarrel for my kinsman’s weal,

Than for thy wife—or Menelaüs’, was ’t?

Consider then, not my case, but your own.

For if you harm me you will wish some day

To have been a coward rather than dare me.
1315

CH

Hail, Lord Odysseus! thou art come in time

Not to begin, but help to end, a fray.

OD
Enter ODYSSEUS .

What quarrel, sirs? I well perceived from far

The kings high-voicing o’er the valiant dead.

AG

Yea, Lord Odysseus, for our ears are full
1320

Of this man’s violent heart-offending talk.

OD

What words have passed? I cannot blame the man

Who meets foul speech with bitterness of tongue.

AG

My speech was bitter, for his deeds were foul.

OD

What deed of his could harm thy sovereign head?
1325

AG

He boldly says this corse shall not be left

Unburied, but he’ll bury it in our spite.

OD

May I then speak true counsel to my friend,

And pull with thee in policy as of yore?

AG

Speak. I were else a madman; for no friend
1330

Of all the Argeians do I count thy peer.

OD

Then hear me in Heaven’s name! Be not so hard

Thus without ruth tombless to cast him forth;

Nor be so vanquished by a vehement will,

That to thy hate even Justice’ self must bow.
1335

I, too, had him for my worst enemy,

Since I gained mastery o’er Pelides’ arms.

But though he used me so, I ne’er will grudge

For his proud scorn to yield him thus much honour,

That, save Achilles’ self, I have not seen
1340

So noble an Argive on the fields of Troy.

Then ’twere not just in thee to slight him now;

Nor would thy treatment wound him, but confound

The laws of Heaven. No hatred should have scope

To offend the noble spirits of the dead.
1345

AG

Wilt thou thus fight against me on his side?

OD

Yea, though I hated him, while hate was comely.

AG

Why, thou shouldst trample him the more, being dead.

OD

Rejoice not, King, in feats that soil thy fame!

AG

’Tis hard for power to observe each pious rule.
1350

OD

Not hard to grace the good words of a friend.

AG

The ‘noble spirit’ should hearken to command.

OD

No more! ’Tis conquest to be ruled by love.

AG

Remember what he was thou gracest so.

OD

A noisome enemy; but his life was great.
1355

AG

And wilt thou honour such a pestilent corse?

OD

Hatred gives way to magnanimity.

AG

With addle-pated fools.

OD

Full many are found

Friends for an hour, yet bitter in the end.

AG

And wouldst thou have us gentle to such friends?
1360

OD

I would not praise ungentleness in aught.

AG

We shall be known for weaklings through thy counsel.

OD

Not so, but righteous in all Grecian eyes.

AG

Thou bidst me then let bury this dead man?

OD

I urge thee to the course myself shall follow.
1365

AG

Ay, every man for his own line! That holds.

OD

Why not for my own line? What else were natural?

AG

’Twill be thy doing then, ne’er owned by me.

OD

Own it or not, the kindness is the same.

AG

Well, for thy sake I’d grant a greater boon;
1370

Then why not this? However, rest assured

That in the grave or out of it, Aias still

Shall have my hatred. Do thou what thou wilt.

CH

Whoso would sneer at thy philosophy,

While such thy ways, Odysseus, were a fool.
1375

OD

German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 1211 focus

Wohl wider nächtliches Graun, Wider den Sturm feindlicher Wehr war mir ein Schirm
1165

Ajas, der Held, einst;

Nun hat ihn ein Gott grausam entrafft!

Wo mir, o wo wird mir hinfort

Lächeln die Freude?

könnt' ich
1170

Hin, wo waldig des Berges Haupt,

Von Meerwogen umspült, sich hebt,

Unter Sunions hohen Fels,

Heilige Stadt Athene's, dir

Grüße zu senden!
1175
Teukros (zurückkommend). Agamemnon. Die Vorigen.

Teukros.

Wohl kam ich eilend, weil ich Agamemnon hier,

Den Heeresfürsten, gegen uns herschreiten sah;

Und sicher löst er seinen Mund in schnödem Wort.

Agamemnon.

Du wagst es, hör' ich, solch vermess'ne Reden hier

Ausschüttend, straflos wider uns dich aufzublähn?
1180

Dich mein' ich, Sohn des kriegsgefangnen Weibes, dich!

Traun, hätte dich ein edler Mutterschooß gepflegt,

Groß würd'st du prahlen, auf der Zehen Spize gehn,

Nun du, so nichtig, für ein Nichts, den Todten, dich

Voll Trozes hobst und schwurest, nicht des Heeres, nicht
1185

Der Flotte Fürsten, noch die deinen, wären wir:

Nein, selbst ein Heerfürst, wie du prahlst, zog Ajas, aus.

Von Sklaven das zu hören, ist's nicht arge Schmach?

Von welchem Manne sprichst du so voll Uebermuth?

Wo ging er oder stand er, da nicht ich erschien?
1190

Hat Argos' Heer denn keine Männer außer ihm?

Ein Kampf des Unheils war es, den wir dazumal

Dem Volk entboten um Achilleus' Waffenschmuck,

Wenn Teukros seitdem überall uns Frevler schilt,

Und ihr, auch überwunden, euch nie fügen wollt
1195

Dem, was der Richter größre Zahl für recht erkannt,

Nein, immer schmähend uns verfolgt, und ingeheim

Auf uns den Stachel zucket, weil ihr unterlagt.

Auf solchen Wegen aber wird wohl nimmermehr

Der weisen Sazung Dauer und Bestand gewährt,
1200

Wenn wir verstoßen wollen, die mit Recht gesiegt,

Und dem den Vortritt gönnen, der dahinten blieb.

Dem muß man wehren! Nicht die breiten Schultern, nicht

Die breiten Rücken schreiten hin auf sichrer Bahn;

Die Klugen nur erringen überall den Sieg.
1205

Der Stier mit starken Seiten geht, wenn auch gelenkt

Von schwacher Geißel, seinen Weg aufrecht dahin;

Und dieses Zaubermittel seh' ich bald an dich

Herangelangen, wenn du nicht Weisheit erwählst,

Du, der um einen Todten, um den Schatten sich
1210

So muthig aufbläht und so frei die Zunge rührt!

Nie wirst du klüger? Weißt du nicht, woher du stammst,

Und führst du nicht uns einen freien Mann daher,

Der hier vor uns in deinem Namen Rede steht?

Denn deine Reden hör' ich nun nicht länger an;
1215

Der Fremdlingszunge hab' ich nie mein Ohr geliehn.

Der Chor.

lerntet ihr doch beide weisen Sinnes sein!

Nichts Andres kann ich rathen, das euch besser sei.

Teukros.

Weh! Wie zerrinnt dem Todten doch bei Sterblichen

Der Dank so flüchtig und bewährt sich ungetreu,
1220

Wenn dieser Mann hier deiner auch in kurzem Wort

Nicht mehr gedenkt, mein Ajas, er, für den du oft

Dein Leben bietend mühevoll im Kampfe rangst!

Zerstoben, weggeworfen schwand dies Alles nun!

Du, der du jezt so vieles unnüz Eitle sprachst,
1225

Gedenkst du daran nimmermehr, wie dieser euch,

Als ihr im Wall des Lagers eingeschlossen wart

Und schon vernichtet alle nach verlorner Schlacht,

Allein erschien als Retter, da die Glut bereits

Auf hohen Ruderbänken um die Schiffe rings
1230

In Flammen aufschlug, und hindurch die Gräben schon

Sich Hektor hoch auf eure Schiffsverdecke schwang?

Wer wehrte dieses? That es nicht derselbe Mann,

Der, sagst du, nirgends dir gesellt zum Kampfe schritt?

Und dünkte solches, als er's that, euch nicht gerecht?
1235

Dann als mit Hektor er allein den Kampf bestand,¹

Vom Loos erkoren, nicht von euch dazu bestellt;

Da warf er nicht ein trügerisches Loos hinein,

Den feuchten Erdkloß, nein, ein Loos, das gleich zuerst

Aus buschigem Helme springen sollt' in leichtem Sprung.
1240

Er war es, der euch dieses that, und ich mit ihm,

Der Knecht, entsprossen aus der fremden Mutter Schooß.

Mit welcher Stirne rufst du das, Unseliger?

Denn weißt du nicht, daß deines Vaters Vater auch,

Der alte Pelops, ein Barbar, ein Phryger war?
1245

Daß dessen Sohn, dein Vater Atreus, Bösewicht,

Als Mahl dem Bruder seine Kinder vorgesezt?

Du selber sprossest aus dem Schooß der Kreterin,

Die dort der eigne Vater, der bei'm Buhlen sie

Betraf, den stummen Fischen hin zum Kaube warf.
1250

Solch Einer, schmähst du solchen Stamm, dem ich entsproß?

Ich bin des edlen Vaters Sohn, des Telamon,

Dem, als der erste Siegeslohn in Argos' Heer,

Sich meine Mutter anvermählt, Laomedons,²

Des Königs, ächte Tochter; ihm gewährte sie
1255

Alkmene's Sohn als auserles'nen Kriegesdank.

Solch edler Art von edlem Paare stamm' ich her,

Und sollte schänden lassen mein verwandtes Blut,

Ihn, den du jezt, in solche bittre Noth versenkt,

Grablos hinauswirfst, und es ohne Scham bekennst?
1260

Nein, sei versichert, werset ihr den Mann hinaus,

So werft ihr uns auch, drei zugleich, hinaus mit ihm!

Denn offenbar ruhmvoller ist es mir, für ihn

In heißem Kampf zu fallen, als für deine Frau

Zu sterben oder (mein' ich) für Menelaos' Weib.
1265

Bedenke denn dein Bestes, nicht das meinige:

Denn so du mich verlezest, wirst du lieber feig

Dereinst erscheinen wollen, als beherzt an mir.

Odysseus. Die Vorigen.

Der Chor.

O Fürst Odysseus, recht zur Zeit erscheinst du hier,

Wenn du den Streit versöhnen, nicht entflammen willst.
1270

Odysseus.

Was ist es, Männer? Denn entfernt vernahm ich schon

Das Schrei'n der Feldherrn bei des Helden Leiche hier.

Agamemnon.

Und mußt' ich denn nicht eben Schmach der schnödsten Art,

O Fürst Odysseus, hören von dem Manne da?

Odysseus.

Und welche? Nachsicht hab' ich wohl für einen Mann,
1275

Der schlimmer Rede böses Wort entgegensezt.

Agamemnon.

Er hörte Schnödes; denn er that mir Schnödes an.

Odysseus.

Und was begann er Arges, das dir kränkend war?

Agamemnon.

Nicht lassen will er ohne Grab den Todten dort,

Nein, mir zum Troze, sagt er, ihn beerdigen.
1280

Odysseus.

Vergönnst du wohl dem Freunde, wenn er Wahres spricht,

Nicht minder dein Genosse, denn zuvor, zu sein?

Agamemnon.

Sprich immer; thöricht wär' ich sonst und achte ja

Als meiner Freunde besten dich in Argos' Heer.

Odysseus.

So höre denn. Bei allen Göttern, laß den Mann
1285

Nicht ohne Grab himwerfen so fühllosen Sinns;

Auch laß dich niemals durch die Macht bewältigen

Zu solchem Hasse, daß du kühn das Recht zertrittst.

Auch mich vor Allen haßt' er einst in Argos' Heer,

Seitdem Achilleus' Waffen ich als Preis gewann;
1290

Und dennoch möcht' ich, war er auch mein bittrer Feind,

Ihn also nicht beschimpfen, daß ich läugnete,

Daß unter Allen, die geschifft vor Ilion,

Er, außer Peleus' großem Sohn, der beste war.

Drum wär' es unrecht, würd' er jezt von dir beschimpft.
1295

Du würdest ihn nicht, aber wohl der Götter Recht

In ihm verlezen; Frevel ist's, den edlen Mann

Zu schmäh'n im Tode, wenn wir ihn auch einst gehaßt.

Agamemnon.

Und du, Odysseus, streitest so für den mit mir?

Odysseus.

Gewiß; ich haßt' ihn, als der Haß noch schicklich war.
1300

Agamemnon.

Nicht auch dem todten Manne noch gebührt dein Hohn?

Atride, nicht unedlen Vortheils freue dich.

Wohl ist dem König, fromm zu sein, nicht eben leicht.

Odysseus.

Doch leicht, des Freundes weisem Rath zu huldigen.

Agamemnon.

Der edle Mann muß hören auf der Herrscher Wort.
1305

Odysseus.

Laß ab: du herrschest, wenn du dich dem Freunde fügst.

Agamemnon.

Bedenke, welchem Manne du die Gunst erzeigst.

Odysseus.

Mein Gegner war er, aber sonst ein edler Mann.

Agamemnon.

Was muß ich hören? Ehrst du so den todten Feind?

Odysseus.

Weit höher steht die Tugend als der Haß bei mir.
1310

Agamemnon.

Wer so gesinnt ist, heißt den Menschen wandelbar.

Odysseus.

Traun, Viele, heut befreundet, sind uns morgen feind.

Agamemnon.

Und solche Freunde lobst du, gehst nach ihnen aus?

Ich lobe nie den unversöhnlich starren Sinn.

Uns beide stellst du heute noch als Feige dar.
1315

Odysseus.

Nein, als gerechte Männer vor dem ganzen Volk.

Agamemnon.

Ich soll gestatten, willst du, daß man ihn begräbt?

Odysseus.

Sa wahrlich; denn ich komme selbst an dieses Ziel.

Agamemnon.

Wohl wirkt ein Jeder immer, was ihm selber frommt.

Odysseus.

Für wen zu wirken, als für mich, geziemt mir mehr?
1320

Agamemnon.

So werde dein denn diese That, nicht mein, genannt.

Odysseus.

Stets wirst du edel heißen, handle, wie du willst.

Agamemnon.

Wohlan, so sei versichert, ich erwiese dir

Wohl größre Liebesdienste noch, als diese Gunst:

Doch jener sei dort oder hier, ich werd' ihn stets
1325

Gleich bitter hassen. Thue du, was dir gefällt.

(ab mit seinen Begleitern.) Odysseus. Teukros. Der Chor.

Der Chor.

Wer sagt', Odysseus, daß in dir kein weiser Geist

Bei solcher Denkart wohne, wär' ein arger Thor.

Odysseus.

English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 1223 focus

Away ! This babbler is not to be borne.

Chorus

And lo ! in happy hour this way advancing

The wife and son of our unhappy friend,

To pay due honours and adorn his tomb.

'^K^MKSv^A. KrRYSACES, TeUCER, OhORUS.

Teucer
Scene VII.

Come hither, boy, bend down and touch thy

father ;

There sit, and, liolding in thy hands this hair

And liers and thine, the suppHant's humble treasure,

Offer thy pious prayers for thy dead father :

If from yon hostile camp the foe should come
1275

'J'o drive thee hence, far from his native land,
1275

Whoe'er he be, unburied may he lie.
1275

From his whole lace uprooted, torn away,
1275

E'en as this hair which here I cut before thee ;

Oh ! guard it well, my child ; and you my friends.

Behave like men — assist, protect him now,

Till I return, and, spite of all our foes,

Perform the rites, niid raise a tomb to Ajax. [Eocif.

Tecjiessa, Eurysaces, Chorus.

When will the happy hour appear,

That comes to calm our every fear,

From endless toil to bring us sweet repose.

To bid our weary wanderings cease.

To fold us in the arms of peace.

And put the wished-for period to our woes 1

For since the day when first to Troy we came

Nought have we known but grief, reproach, and

shame.

Oh ! that the man, who erst inspired

With honud rage, our Grecians fired

To slaught'rous deeds, and taught them first to fight,

Ere he had learned the dreadful trade,
1280

Himself had mingled with the dead,
1280

Or scattered wide in air, or sunk in endless night !
1280

For oh ! from war unnumbered e\'ils flow,
1280

The unexhausted source of every human woe.

By war disturbed, the genial board

No longer will its sweets aflbrd ;

Their fragrant odoui's round my head

The verdant wreaths no longer spread ;

Nor music's charms my soul delight,

Nor love with rapture crowns the night ;

No love, alas ! for me, but grief and care ;

For when I think of Troy I still despair,

And wet with many a tear my wild dishevelled hair.

Nor nightly fear nor hostile dart;

But all our pleasures now are o'er,

Oh ! could I climb the woody steep

That hangs incumbent o'er the deep.

From Sunium's cliff by waves for ever beat.

Then should my eye the lovely prospect greet,

And smile on sacred Athens rising at my feet.

Teucer
Scene VIII. Strophe I. AntistropJm i. HtropliG 2. Antistrophe 2. ACT V. Scene I.

Agamemnon, Chorus.

Teucer

This way I bent my hasty steps to meet

The Grecian chief, who hither comes prepared

To vent his keen reproaches.

Agamemnon

I am told

That thou, e'en thou, the sou of a vile slave, *

Agamemnon

Hast dared to utter foulest calumny

Against thy prince, and passed unpunished for it ;

Mean as thy birth is, what liad been thy pride

And high demeanour had thy mother sprung

From noble l)lood ? Barbarian as thou art,

How couldst thou praise a wretch, who, lilte thyself,

Was nothing ? We, it seems, for thou hast sworn it,

Are not the masters or of Greece or thee ;

Shall we be thus insulted by our slaves?

Who is this boaster ? and what mighty deed
1240

Hath he performed which I could not have done ?

Is there no hero in the Grecian host

Agamemnon

In the warm contest for Achilles' arms,

If Teucer yet shall question the decree
1245

Against the general voice — resisting still,

And still reproachful, with delusive arts.

Though conquered, yet opposing. ^V^holesome laws

Will nought avail if those whom justice deems

Superior, to the vanquished must resign.

And first in virtue be the last in fame.

It must not be. Not always the huge size
1255

Of weighty limbs ensures the victory ;

Agamemnon

They who excel in wisdom are alone

Invincible. Thou see'st the brawny ox,

How the small whip will drive him through the field :
1260

What if the med'cine be applied to thee

For thy proud boasting and licentious tongue ?

Teucer

'Twill be thy portion soon, unless thou learnst

More wisdom ; henceforth, mindful what thou art.

Bring with thee one of nobler blood to plead

Agamemnon

Thy cause ; for know, the language which thou tallest
1320

Is barbai'ous, and I understand thee not.

Chorus

I can but wish that wisdom may attend

To guide you both.

Teucer

Alas ! how very soon

Are all the merits of the dead forgotten !

Already lost, e'en by the man for whom

Thy life so oft was ventured in the field?

But now 'tis past, and buried in oblivion.

Thou wordy slanderer ! Canst thou not remember

When, biiffled and unequal to the foe,

Close pent within the walls our forces lay —

Canst thou not call to mind who came alone

To your deliverance, when devouring flames

Towered o'er our ships, when Hector leaped the fosse

And rushed amongst us? Then who fought for Greece?

Who drove him back, but Ajax, who, thou sayst,

Could never fight ? Did he not fight for you ]

He met the noble Hector hand to hand,

Unbidden dared the fortune of the field.

He scorned the coward's art to fix his lot

In the moist earth : fortli from the crested helmet

It sprang the first. Such were the deeds of Ajax,

And I was witness of them — I, the slave.

For so thou call'st me, sprung from a barbarian.

How dares a wretch like thee to talk of birth 1

Who was thy grandsire ? Canst thou not remember

That old barbarian, Phrygian Pelops, tell me?

Who was thy father — Atreus, was he not?

That worst of men, who at a brother's table

Served up his children — horrible repast !

Thy mother, too, a Cretan and a slave —

A vile adultress, whom thy father caught

And headlong cast into the sea, Shalt thou

Talk then to me of birth — to me, the son

Of valiant Telamon, renowned in war.

And wedded to a queen, the royal race

Of great Laomedon, and fairest gift

Of famed Alcides 1 Thus of noble blood

From either parent sprung, shall I disgrace

The man whom thou, inhuman, wouldst still keep

Unburied here 1 Dost thou not blush to think on't ?

But, mark me well ! If thou dost cast him forth,

Not he alone inglorious on the plain

Shall lie — together we will perish all :

To die with glory in a brother's cause

la better far than fighting for the wife

Of AgJimemnou or of Menolaus :

For thy own snke, aiul not for mine, remember,

If thou provoke me, thou' It be sorry for it,

And wish thou'dst rather feared than angered Teu(;er.

Ulysses
Scene II.

Agamemnon, Menelaus, Teucer, Chorus.

CiiOR. IJlysses, if thou meanst not to inflame,

But to compose this dreadful strife, thou com'st

In happiest hour.

Ulysses

Far ofi" I heard the voice

Of the Atride o’er this wretched course ;

Whence rose the clamour, friends 1

Menelaus

With bitterest words

This Teucer here, Ulysses, has reviled me.

Ulysses

What words 1 For if he heard the same from
1325

thee,
1325

I blame him not.
1325

Agamemnon

He did provoke me to it.

Ulysses

What injury hath he done thee ?

Agamemnon

He declares
1330

The body shall have sepulture, himself
1330

And of my power.

Ulysses

Shall I be free, and speak

The truth to thee, without reproach or blame ?

Agamemnon

Thou mayst ; for well thou knowst I hold

Ulysses

Of all the Greeks my best and dearest friend.

Ulysses

Then hear me. By the gods I must entreat

thee.

Do not, remorseless and inhuman, east

The body forth unburied, nor permit

Authority to trample thus on justice.

E'er since our contest for Achilles' arms

To use him basely. E'en Ulysses owns,

Of all the Grecian chiefs who came from Troy

Do not deny him, then, the honours due

To worth so great ; for know, it were a crime

Not against him alone, but 'gainst the gods —

A violation of the laws divine.

To hurt the brave and virtuous after death.

Even though he lived thy foe, is infamous.

Ulysses

Yes ; I was his foe

Whilst justice would permit me ; but he's dead ;

Therefore thou shouldst not triumph nor rejoice

With mirth unseemly o'er a vanquished man.

Agamemnon

'Tis not so easy for a king to act
1350

By honour's strictest rules.
1350

Ulysses

'Tis always so

To hearken to the counsels of a friend,

When he advises well.

Agamemnon

But know, the good

And virtuous still submit to those who rule.

Ulysses

No more. When thou art vanquished by thy

friends,

Thou art thyself the conqueror.

Agamemnon

Still remember

For whom thou pleadst, Ulysses.

Ulysses

For a foe,
1355

But for a brave one.
1355

Agamemnon

Dost thou thus revere

E'en after death thine enemy ]

Ulysses

I do:

Virtue is dearer to me than revenge.

Agamemnon

Such men are most unstable in their ways.

Ulysses

Our dearest friend may one day be our foe.

Agamemnon

Dost thou desire such friends?
1360

Ulysses

I cannot lo^'e

Or. praise th' unfeeling heart.

Agamemnon

This day shall Greece

Mark us for cowards.

Ulysses

Greece will call us just.

Agamemnon

Wouldst thou persuade me then to grant him

burial ?

Ulysses

I would, and for that purpose canio I hither.
1365

AtiA. How every man consults lii.s own advantage,
1365

And acts but for himself !
1365

Ulysses

And who is he

Whom I should wish to serve before Ulysses 1

Agamemnon

'Tis thy own work, remember, and not mine.

Ulysses

The deed will win thee praise, and evcry^ tongU(

Shall call thee good.

Agamemnon

Thou knowst I'd not refuse
1370

Ulysses more, much more than this ; l^ut Ajax
1370

Or buried or unburied is the same,

And must be hateful still to Agamemnon.

But do as it beseems thee best.

Chorus

Ulysses,

The man who says thou art not wise and good

Is senseless and unjust.
1375

Ulysses

English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 1211 focus

Yet, till now, when pale affright

Roll'd her hideous form through night,

Great in arms, his shield t' oppose,

Ajax as my rampire rose,

And my terror was no more.

Now the hero I deplore

To the gloomy god consign'd;
1215

Now what joy can touch my mind?

Oh that on the pine-clad brow

Dark'ning o'er the sea below,

Where the cliffs of Sunium rise,

Rocky bulwarks, to the skies,

I were placed; with sweet address

Sacred Athens would I bless,

And feel a social joy!

Teucer
STRO. 2. ANTIS. 2. TEUCER, TECMESSA, EURYSACES, CHORUS.

I saw th' imperial Chief with haughty step

Advancing, therefore hasten'd my return.

Expect a torrent of opprobrious words.
1225

Agamemnon
AGAMEMNON, TEUCER, &c.

Thee to burst forth in rude contemptuous speech

Against us, by our vengeance not chastised,

Thee doth this daring insolence become,

Sprung from a slave the captive of the spear?..

Had she, who gave thee birth, been high in rank,

How proudly wou'dst thou vaunt, and rear thy crest,
1230

Since, nothing as thou art, for one who now

Is nothing, thou hast dared to scorn our rule,

Asserting that we came not o'er the host

Or fleet of Greece commanders, nor o'er thee;

And Ajax, such thy descant, plough'd the sea

Lord of himself. How shameful from a slave
1235

To hear such arrogance? And what was he,

For whom these haughty clamours thou hast raised?

Whither did he advance, where fix his foot,

Where mine I fix'd not? In the Grecian camp

Was no man brave but he? Unpleasant fruit

The contest for the hero's arms proposed
1240

Affords us, if by Teucer in each place

Proclaim'd unjust; and canker'd envy still

Basely repines to yield the honours due

To higher merit, where the general voice

Adjudged them; and with rude licentious tongue
1245

You load me with reproaches, or with guile,
1245

Your vain ambition frustrate, stab at me.

Were moods like these indulged, no law could stand

On a firm basis, if the right adjudged

We should reject, and in the highest rank

Place those to whom the lowest is assign'd.
1250

But these things must be check'd. The high-built frame,

The massy-structured limb, the hardy nerve

Yield not protection: but the prudent mind

The conquest every where obtains. The ox,

Though vast his bulk, is taught the path prescribed

By a small whip: this discipline, I see,
1255

Will soon reach thee, some prudence if thy mind

Acquire not, for a man that is no more,

But now a shade, thus daring to insult,

And pour the torrent of opprobious speech.

Wilt thou ne'er feel the curb of modesty ?

Ne'er know the baseness of thy birth, and bring
1260

Some one of generous blood to speak for thee?

No meaning to my ears thy words convey;

I understand not thy barbaric speech.

Chorus

Oh that your minds to gentler thoughts were calm'd!

My soul can form no better wish for each.
1265

Teucer

Ah me, how soon the memory of the dead

Fades from the faithless mind, and is effaced,

Thee, Ajax, in his favour, e'en in things

To him of little import, since this man

No longer holds ! Yet oft hast thou exposed

Thy life for him with toil in bloody fields.
1270

But all these things are vanish'd, and have left

No trace behind. Thy tongue abounds with words,

Vain-talker! but is all remembrance lost?

Can'st thou forget, within your works enclosed,

When all was rout, confusion, and dismay,
1275

Alone he came, he saved you? When the flames

Blazed on your lofty decks, when o'er the trench

Hector had leap'd, and on your navy roll'd

The thunder of the war, who check'd his force?

Was not the glorious action his, who ne'er,

Thou say'st, advanced his foot? Did not for you
1280

His valour these heroic deeds achieve?

Nay more, 'gainst Hector shield to shield opposed

He stood in dreadful fight, by choice, not chance ;

No' coward lot into the 'midst he threw,

No clod of moisten'd earth; but with light bound
1285

What from the crested helmet first would leap.

These were his noble deeds: with him I stood,

This slave, from a barbaric mother born.

What was thy view in this unhappy taunt?

Thy father's father, Pelops of old times,
1290

Was a barbarie Phrygian: know'st thou this?

Know'st thou that Atreus was thy sire, of men

Most impious, to his brother at a feast

Who served up his own sons. From Crete her birth

Thy mother drew; and when thy father found:

His bed polluted with adulterous lust,
1295

He cast her to the monsters of the main......

From such art thou descended; and my birth

Darest thou revile, from Telamon derived,

My father, whose illustrious deeds in arms.

Shone with the brightest splendor, and obtain'd
1300

My mother to his bed, of royal blood,

The daughter of Laomedon, the prize.

Of highest honour by Alcides giv'n'?...

Thus noble, and from noble parents sprung,

Should I dishonour those whose blood I share,

Whom thou, thus miserably fall'n, wou'dst cast
1305

Unburied forth? Nor dost thou blush, this threat

Denouncing. But of this be thou assured,

Him if your violence cast forth, us three

Shall it cast forth together with him laid.

To me more glorious 'midst this honest toil
1310

I deem it in a brother's cause to die,

Than for thy wife, or for thy brother's. Go,

Of me regardless, yet regard thyself:

Me if thou wrong, thou shalt have cause to wish

That coward fear had check'd thy daring pride.
1315

Chorus
ULYSSES, AGAMEMNON, TEUCER, TECMESSA, EURYSACES, CHORUS.

In happy hour, Ulysses, art thou come,

If not to heighten, but allay this strife.

Ulysses

Soldiers, what strife? for our imperial chief

Loud o'er this brave man's corse I heard from far.

Agamemnon

E'en now, O king Ulysses, from this man
1320

The basest language of reproach I heard.

Ulysses

Reproach! I blame not him who, when reviled,

Retorts indignant the ungracious words.

Agamemnon

Him I rebuked for his base deeds to me.

Ulysses

What hath he done to merit such rebuke?
1325

Agamemnon

He will not suffer, he declares, this corse

To lie unhonour'd with sepulchral rites,

But will entomb it, and defies my pow'r.

Ulysses

Is then a friend allow'd to speak the truth,

The former bond of concord yet preserved ?

Agamemnon

Speak; I were else unwise: for thee I deem
1330

Of all the Grecians most my faithful friend.

Ulysses

Then hear me. By the gods, remorseless thus

Form not the thought to cast this body forth

Unburied; nor let violence transport

Thy soul so far to hate, as under foot

To trample justice. Once he was to me
1335

Of all the camp most hostile, from the time

I triumph'd in the contest for the arms

Of lost Achilles: yet, though such his mind

To me averse, I would not wrong his worth,

Refusing to his valour this just praise,

That him, of all the Grecian chiefs who march'd
1340

To Troy, I saw the bravest in the field,

Except Achilles. Such a man by thee

Unjustly were dishonour'd: not to him,

But to the gods, and to their sacred laws

This were offence. A brave man, when no more,

Though hated once, it is unjust to wrong.
1345

Agamemnon

Dost thou, Ulysses, striving in his cause,

Oppose my will?

Ulysses

I do. I hated him,

Whilst honour bade me hate him.

Agamemnon

O'er his corse

Shou'dst thou not triumph ?

Ulysses

In ungenerous joys

Exult not, son of Atreus.

Agamemnon

Not with ease
1350

Is a king pious.
1350

Ulysses

Well-advising friends

He may hold high in honour.

Agamemnon

Regal pow'r

A good man should obey.

Ulysses

Forbear: for thine

The conquest, when thou yieldest to thy friends.

Agamemnon

Remember what a man it is thy wish

To honour thus.

Ulysses

He was indeed my foe,
1355

But once most brave.
1355

Agamemnon

What woud'st thou? Why this zeal,

This reverence for the hated dead?

Ulysses

With me

O'er hatred virtue triumphs.

Agamemnon

By mankind

Such are deem'd spiritless.

Ulysses

Our friends we find

Oft changed to bitter foes.

Agamemnon

To gain such friends
1360

Wouldst thou feel pleasure ?
1360

Ulysses

The obdurate mind

Gives me no pleasure.

Agamemnon

This day thou wilt show

Our souls subdued by fear.

Ulysses

No: to all Greece

I show your justice.

Agamemnon

Wou'dst thou that I grant

This corse to be entomb'd?

Ulysses

Such is my wish :
1365

For to the tomb I must descend.
1365

Agamemnon

All act

That for themselves like grace they may receive.

Ulysses

Who than myself hath juster right to gain

Advantage from my toils?

Agamemnon

Thy deed, not mine.

Ulysses

This shall be call'd

But thine shall be the praise.

Agamemnon

To thee, be thou assured, a greater grace
1370

With pleasure I would yield; but him, or cast
1370

Unburied forth, or in the earth entomb'd,

My hatred ever will pursue. Do thou,

Thou hast my leave, what most thy soul approves.

Chorus
ULYSSES, TEUCER, TECMESSA, EURYSACES,

Whoe'er, Ulysses, holds thy wisdom cheap,

Such since thy generous spirit, is unwise.
1375

Ulysses

English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 1223-1420 focus

Enter Teucer.

Teucer

Here I am! I hurried back when I saw the supreme commander, Agamemnon, rapidly approaching.

It is plain to me that he will let his clumsy tongue fly.
1225

Enter Agamemnon.

Agamemnon

So it is you, they tell me, who dared open your mouth wide to make fierce threats against us—and are you still unpunished? Yes, I mean you—you, the captive slave’s son. No doubt if you were born from a noble mother,

your talk would reach the sky and you would proudly strut about, when now it is the case that, though you are a nobody and a nothing, you have stood up for this other nothing lying here, and have vowed that we came out with no authority either as admirals or as generals to rule the Greeks or you. No, as an autonomous ruler, you say, Ajax set sail.

1230

Does it not shame me that I hear these proud words from slavish mouths? What was the man whom you shout about with such arrogance? Where did he advance, or where did he stand his ground, where I did not do the same? Have the Greeks, then, no other men but him? To our own harm, it seems, we announced
1235

to the Greeks the contests for the arms of Achilles, if on all sides we are accounted corrupt because of Teucer, and if it will never satisfy you Salaminians, even when you are defeated, to accept the verdict which satisfied the majority of the judges. But instead you will always no doubt aim your slanderous arrows at us,
1240

or treacherously lash at our backs when you fall behind us in the race.
Yet in a place where such ways prevail, there could be no settled order for any law, if we are to thrust the rightful winners aside and bring those in the rear up to the front ranks.
1245

These tendencies must be checked. It is not the stout, broad-shouldered men that are the steadiest allies. No, it is the wise who prevail in every engagement. A broad-backed ox is kept straight on the road all the same when only a small whip directs him.
1250

And a dose of this very medicine, I foresee, will find you before long, unless you gain a little good sense. He no longer exists, but is already a shade, yet still you boldly insult us and give your tongue too much freedom. Restrain yourself, I say. Recall your birth, your nature.
1255

Bring someone else here—a man who is freeborn—who can plead your cause before me in your place. For when you speak, I no longer understand— I do not know your barbarian language.
1260

1264

Chorus

If only you both had the sense to exercise self-restraint!

There is no better advice that I could give you two.
1265

Teucer

My, how quickly gratitude to the dead seeps away from men and is found to have turned to betrayal, since this man no longer offers even the slightest praise in remembrance of you, Ajax, even though it was for his sake

you toiled so often in battle, offering your own life to the spear! No, your assistance is dead and gone, all flung aside!
Full and foolish talker, do you no longer remember anything of the time when you were trapped inside your defenses,
1270

when you were all but destroyed in the turn of the battle and he, he alone came and saved you at the moment when the flames were already blazing around the decks at your ships’ sterns and Hector was leaping high over the trench towards the vessels?
1275

Who averted that? Was it not Ajax who did it, the one who, you say, nowhere set foot where you were not? Well, do you grant that he did his duty to you there? And what about when another time, all alone, he confronted Hector in single combat according to the fall of the lots, and not at anyone’s command?
1280

The lot which he cast in was not the kind to flee the challenge; it was no lump of moist earth, but one which would be the first to leap lightly from the crested helmet! It was this man who did those deeds, and I, the slave, the son of the barbarian mother, was at his side.
1285

1290

Pitiful creature, how can you be so blind as to argue the way you do? Are you not aware of the fact that your father’s father Pelops long ago was a barbarian, a Phrygian? That Atreus, your own begetter, set before his brother a most unholy feast made from the flesh of his brother’s children?
1290

And you yourself were born from a Cretan mother, whose father found a stranger straddling her and who was consigned by him to be prey for the mute fish. So being of such a kind, can you reproach a man like me for my lineage? I am the son of Telamon,
1295

who won my mother for his consort as prize for valor supreme in the army. And she was the daughter of Laomedon, of royal blood, and it was as the flower of the spoil that Alcmena’s son gave her to Telamon. Thus nobly born as I am from two noble parents,
1300

could I disgrace my own flesh and blood, whom even as he lies here subdued by such massive troubles, you, making your pronouncements without a blush of shame, would thrust out without burial? Now consider this well: wherever you cast him away, with him you will also cast our three corpses.
1305

It is right for me to die before all men’s eyes while I am toiling in his cause, rather than for your wife—or should I say your brother’s? With this in mind, then, look not to my safety, but to yours instead, since if you cause me any grief at all, you will soon wish
1310

that you had been more timid than bold when confronting me.
1315

1316 Enter Odysseus.

Chorus

Lord Odysseus, you arrive at the right time, if mediation, not division, is your purpose in coming.

Odysseus

What is the trouble, friends? From far off I heard shouting from the Atreidae over this brave man’s corpse.

Agamemnon

Is it not because we, Lord Odysseus, have long had to hear the worst, most shameful language from this man?
1320

Odysseus

How so? I can pardon a man a retaliatory barrage of abuse if another has insulted him.

Agamemnon

I insulted him, since his conduct toward me was of the same stripe.

Odysseus

And what did he do that harmed you?
1325

Agamemnon

He declares that he will not leave this corpse without due burial, but will entomb it in spite of me.

Odysseus

Then may a friend speak the truth, and still remain your helpmate no less than before?

Agamemnon

Speak. Otherwise I would be less than sane, since I count you my greatest friend among all the Greeks.
1330

Odysseus

Listen, then. In the name of the gods, do not let yourself so ruthlessly cast this man out unburied. Do not in any way let the violence of your hatred overcome you

so much that you trample justice under foot. To me, too, this man was once the most hostile enemy in the army from the day on which I beat him for possession of Achilles’ arms. Yet for all that he was hostile towards me, I would not dishonor him in return or refuse to admit
1335

that in all our Greek force at Troy he was, in my view, the best and bravest, excepting Achilles. It would not be just, then, that he should be dishonored by you. It is not he, but the laws given by the gods that you would damage. When a good man is dead, there is no justice
1340

in doing him harm, not even if you hate him.
1345

1346

Agamemnon

You, Odysseus—do you champion him against me in this battle?

Odysseus

I do, though I did hate him, when it was honorable for me to hate.

Agamemnon

But should you not also trample him now that he is dead?

Odysseus

Do not take delight, son of Atreus, in that superiority which brings no honor.

Agamemnon

Reverence, I tell you, is not easily practiced by the autocrat.
1350

Odysseus

But it is easy to grant dispensations to friends when they advise well.

Agamemnon

A good man should listen to those in charge.

Odysseus

Stop! Your power is victorious when you surrender to your friends.

Agamemnon

Remember to what sort of man you show this kindness!

Odysseus

The man was once my enemy, yes, but he was also noble.
1355

Agamemnon

Why do you do this? Why do you so respect an enemy’s corpse?

Odysseus

I yield to his excellence much more than his hostility.

Agamemnon

Men who act as you do are the unstable sort in humankind.

Odysseus

Quite the majority of men, I assure you, are friendly at one time, and bitter at another.

Agamemnon

So then, are these the type of friends that you recommend we make?
1360

Odysseus

It is not my habit to recommend an inflexible spirit.

Agamemnon

You will make us appear to be cowards today.

Odysseus

On the contrary, we will be men of justice in the eyes of all the Greeks.

Agamemnon

Then do you truly urge me to allow the burying of the dead?

Odysseus

Yes, for I too shall come to that necessity.
1365

Agamemnon

How true it is that in all things alike each man works for himself!

Odysseus

And for whom should I work more than for myself?

Agamemnon

It must be called your doing then, not mine.

Odysseus

However you do it, in all respects you will at least prove beneficent.

Agamemnon

In any case, be quite certain that to you I would grant a larger favor than this. To that man, however, as on earth, so below I give my hatred. But you can do what you will.
1370
Exit Agamemnon.

Chorus

Whoever denies, Odysseus, that you were born wise in judgment

is a total fool since you have shown it just now.
1375

1376

Odysseus

And now I announce that from this point on I am ready to be Teucer’s friend as much as I was once his enemy. And I would like to join in the burying of your dead and share your labors, omitting no service

which mortals should render to their best and bravest warriors.
1380

Teucer

Good Odysseus, I have only praise for your words. You have greatly belied my fears. Of all the Greeks you were his deadliest enemy, and yet you alone have stood by him with helping hand and did not come here and allow yourself in life

to violate the dead Ajax ruthlessly, as did the crazed general who came, since he and his brother wanted to cast out the outraged corpse without burial. Therefore may the Father supreme on Olympus above us,
1385

and the unforgetting Fury and Justice the Fulfiller destroy them for their wickedness with wicked deaths, just as they sought to cast this man out with unmerited, outrageous mistreatment.
But you, progeny of aged Laertes, I hesitate to permit you to touch the corpse in burial,
1390

lest I so offend the dead. In all other tasks do indeed be our partner. And if you wish to bring any soldier of the army with you, he shall be welcome. For the rest, I will make all things ready. But you, Odysseus, know that to us you have been a good and noble friend.
1395

Odysseus

It was my wish to help, but if it is not pleasing to you that I should assist here, I accept your decision and depart.
1400
Exit Odysseus.

Teucer

Enough. Already the interval has been long drawn out. Come, hurry some of you to dig the hollow grave; others erect the

cauldron wrapped in fire on its high stand for prompt preparation of the ritual cleansing. Let another company bring from the tent the finery which he wore in battle beneath his shield. And you, too, child, with such strength as you have
1405

lay a loving hand upon your father and help me to lighten his body; for his channels are still warm and spray upwards the dark force of his spirit.
Come, come everyone who claims to be our friend, start forward and move on,
1410

laboring in service to this man of perfect excellence. To a nobler man such service has never yet been rendered —nobler than Ajax when he lived, I mean.
1415

Chorus

Many things, I tell you, can be known through mortal eyes; but before he sees it happening, no one can foretell

the future, or what his fate will be.
1420

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-706-1 νεῖμεν ¹ τέρψιν ² ὁμιλεῖν ³

mvp-comment-707-1 αὐλῶν ⁴

mvp-comment-707-2 ὄτοβον ⁵

mvp-comment-708-1 δύσμορος ⁶

mvp-comment-708-2 ἐννυχίαν τέρψιν ἰαύειν ⁷

mvp-comment-708-3 Remark the repetition of τέρψιν ⁸

mvp-comment-709-1 ἐρώτων δ’, ἐρώτων ⁹

mvp-comment-710-1 ἀμέριμνος ¹⁰

mvp-comment-710-2 οὕτως ¹¹

mvp-comment-711-1 δρόσοις ¹²

mvp-comment-712-1 μνήματα ¹³

mvp-comment-713-1 αἰὲν νυχίου ¹⁴ προβολὰ ¹⁵

mvp-comment-714-1 ἀνεῖται στυγερῷ δαίμονι ¹⁶

mvp-comment-715-1 ἐπέσται ¹⁷

mvp-comment-716-1 γενοίμαν ¹⁸

mvp-comment-716-2 ὑλᾶεν ¹⁹

mvp-comment-716-3 ἔπεστι πόντου | πρόβλημ’ ²⁰ ἔπεστι ²¹

mvp-comment-717-1 ὑπὸ πλάκα Σουνίου ²²

mvp-comment-718-1 τὰς ἱερὰς ²³

mvp-comment-718-2 ὅπως … προσείποιμεν ²⁴

mvp-comment-718-3 Pausanias says (1. 28. 2), referring to the colossal Athena Promachos on the Acropolis,

ἡ τοῦ δόρατος αἰχμὴ καὶ ὁ λόφος τοῦ κράνους ἀπὸ Σουνίου προσπλέουσίν ἐστιν ἤδη σύνοπτα

. As Leake observed ( Demi I. p. 631), Cape Zoster, some miles N.W. of Sunium, is the first point on the Attic coast from which a voyager could possibly have caught a glimpse of the spear-point and crest.

mvp-comment-719-1 καὶ μὴν ²⁵

mvp-comment-719-2 ἡμῖν ²⁶ δῆλος ²⁷

mvp-comment-719-3 μοὐστὶ ²⁸

mvp-comment-719-4 σκαιὸν … στόμα ²⁹

mvp-comment-719-5 ἐκλύσων ³⁰

mvp-comment-720-1 σὲ δὴ ³¹

mvp-comment-720-2 τὰ δεινὰ ῥήματ’ ³²

mvp-comment-720-3 ἀνοιμωκτὶ ³³ ι ³⁴ ει ³⁵

mvp-comment-720-4 χανεῖν ῥήματα ³⁶

mvp-comment-721-1 σέ τοι ³⁷

mvp-comment-721-2 τὸν ἐκ τῆς ³⁸

mvp-comment-722-1 τραφεὶς ³⁹

mvp-comment-722-2 ὑψήλ’ ἐφώνεις ⁴⁰

mvp-comment-722-3 κἀπ’ ἄκρων ὡδοιπόρεις ⁴¹

mvp-comment-723-1 ὅτε ⁴²

mvp-comment-723-2 οὐδὲν ὢν ⁴³ τοῦ μηδὲν … ὕπερ ⁴⁴

mvp-comment-724-1 κοὔτε στρατηγοὺς ⁴⁵

mvp-comment-724-2 οὔτε ναυάρχους ⁴⁶

mvp-comment-724-3 Ἀχαιῶν οὔτε σοῦ ⁴⁷

mvp-comment-724-4 διωμόσω ⁴⁸

mvp-comment-725-1 αὐτὸς ἄρχων … ἔπλει ⁴⁹

mvp-comment-726-1 δούλων ⁵⁰

mvp-comment-727-1 ποίου κέκραγας ἀνδρὸς ⁵¹

mvp-comment-728-1 ποῖ βάντος ⁵²

mvp-comment-729-1 ἄνδρες ⁵³

mvp-comment-730-1 πικροὺς ⁵⁴

mvp-comment-730-2 ἔοιγμεν ⁵⁵

mvp-comment-730-3 ὅπλων ἀγῶνας ⁵⁶

mvp-comment-730-4 τότε ⁵⁷

mvp-comment-731-1 πανταχοῦ ⁵⁸

mvp-comment-731-2 ἐκ Τεύκρου ⁵⁹

mvp-comment-732-1 κοὐκ ἀρκέσει ⁶⁰ εἰ ⁶¹

mvp-comment-733-1 εἴκειν ἃ … ἤρεσκεν ⁶²

mvp-comment-734-1 κακοῖς βαλεῖτε ⁶³

mvp-comment-734-2 σὺν δόλῳ ⁶⁴

mvp-comment-734-3 κεντήσεθ’ ⁶⁵

mvp-comment-734-4 οἱ λελειμμένοι ⁶⁶

mvp-comment-735-1 ἐκ τῶνδε … τῶν τρόπων ⁶⁷

mvp-comment-735-2 κατάστασις ⁶⁸

mvp-comment-736-1 τοὺς … νικῶντας ⁶⁹

mvp-comment-736-2 ἐξωθήσομεν ⁷⁰

mvp-comment-736-3 τοὺς ὄπισθεν ⁷¹

mvp-comment-737-1 εἰρκτέον τάδ’ ⁷² πλατεῖς ⁷³ εὐρύνωτοι ⁷⁴

mvp-comment-738-1 οἱ φρονοῦντες εὖ ⁷⁵

mvp-comment-739-1 ὑπὸ … πορεύεται ⁷⁶

mvp-comment-739-2 σμικρᾶς ⁷⁷

mvp-comment-739-3 ὀρθὸς ⁷⁸

mvp-comment-740-1 φάρμακον ⁷⁹

mvp-comment-740-2 νοῦν κατακτήσει ⁸⁰ τινά ⁸¹

mvp-comment-741-1 ἀνδρὸς οὐκέτ’ ὄντος ⁸² ὑβρίζεις ⁸³

mvp-comment-741-2 σκιᾶς ⁸⁴

mvp-comment-742-1 οὐ σωφρονήσεις ⁸⁵

mvp-comment-742-2 μαθὼν ὃς εἶ φύσιν ⁸⁶

mvp-comment-743-1 ἄλλον τιν’ … ἐλεύθερον ⁸⁷

mvp-comment-744-1 ἀντὶ σοῦ λέξει τὰ σά ⁸⁸

mvp-comment-745-1 σοῦ … λέγοντος ⁸⁹ μάθοιμ’ ⁹⁰ οὐκέτ’ ⁹¹

mvp-comment-746-1 βάρβαρον ⁹²

mvp-comment-746-2 ἐπαΐω ⁹³

mvp-comment-747-1 φράσαι ⁹⁴

mvp-comment-748-1 ὡς ταχεῖά τις ⁹⁵

mvp-comment-748-2 βροτοῖς ⁹⁶

mvp-comment-748-3 διαρρεῖ ⁹⁷

mvp-comment-748-4 προδοῦσ’ ἁλίσκεται ⁹⁸

mvp-comment-749-1 οὐδ’ ἐπὶ σμικρῶν λόγων ⁹⁹

mvp-comment-750-1 οὗ ¹⁰⁰ προὔκαμες ¹⁰¹ δορί ¹⁰² προτείνων ¹⁰³

mvp-comment-751-1 ἐρριμμένα ¹⁰⁴

mvp-comment-752-1 κἀνόητ’ ¹⁰⁵

mvp-comment-753-1 οὐ μνημονεύεις … οὐδέν ¹⁰⁶ ἡνίκα ¹⁰⁷

mvp-comment-754-1 ἑρκέων … ἐγκεκλῃμένους ¹⁰⁸

mvp-comment-754-2 ἑρκέων ¹⁰⁹

mvp-comment-755-1 τὸ μηδὲν ὄντας ¹¹⁰

mvp-comment-755-2 ἐν τροπῇ δορός ¹¹¹

mvp-comment-756-1 ἀμφὶ μὲν νεῶν … ἑδωλίοις ¹¹²

mvp-comment-756-2 (1) There is strong evidence that the term

ἑδώλια

was used in the 5th cent. B.C. to denote a raised deck, a quarter-deck, at the stern of the ship. This is clear in Her. 1. 24 : Arion asks leave,

στάντα ἐν τοῖσι ἑδωλίοισι ἀεῖσαι

: the officers of the ship consent, and are then said

ἀναχωρῆσαι ἐκ τῆς πρύμνης ἐς μέσην νέα

,— leaving Arion alone on the

ἑδώλια

. In Helen. 1571,

Ἑλένη καθέζετ’ ἐν μέσοις ἑδωλίοις

: which is clearly a place distinct from that where the rowers sat; of them it is said,

τοίχους δεξιοὺς λαιούς τ’ ἴσοι | ἀνὴρ παρ’ ἄνδρ’ ἕζοντο

. (For further evidence on this point, see Appendix.)

mvp-comment-756-3 (2) ἄκροισιν ¹¹³

mvp-comment-756-4 (3) ναυτικοῖς ¹¹⁴

mvp-comment-756-5 Other views of the passage, and some emendations which have been proposed, will be found in the Appendix.

mvp-comment-757-1 εἰς δὲ ναυτικὰ σκάφη … τάφρων ὕπερ ¹¹⁵

mvp-comment-757-2 Sophocles may have had some other source, epic or lyric. But it seems equally possible that he wrote from a general recollection of the Iliad, without caring whether he reproduced its details. Indeed, two verses of the Iliad might alone have sufficed to suggest the picture which he has drawn,—that which says of Ajax,

Τρῶας ἄμυνε νεῶν, ὅστις φέροι ἀκάματον πῦρ

(15. 731),—and the verse which describes Hector leading the Trojans from the Greek wall towards the ships,—

ᾗ ῥ) ὅ γ’ ὁ λυσσώδης φλογὶ εἴκελος ἡγεμονεύει

(13. 53).

mvp-comment-758-1 οὗ σὺ μή, βῆναι ποδί ¹¹⁶ οὐδὲ συμβῆναι ποδί ¹¹⁷ συμβῆναι ποδί ¹¹⁸

mvp-comment-759-1 ὑμὶν … ἔνδικα ¹¹⁹

mvp-comment-760-1 αὐτὸς ¹²⁰

mvp-comment-760-2 λαχών τε κἀκέλευστος ¹²¹

mvp-comment-760-3 This combat between Hector and Ajax is told in Iliad 7. 38—312. Hector having challenged a Greek champion, nine Greek chiefs offered themselves; lots were cast, and the honour fell to Ajax. Hector and Ajax fought till nightfall, when they were parted by heralds, and exchanged gifts (1029 n.).

mvp-comment-761-1 οὐ δραπέτην ¹²²

mvp-comment-761-2

ἐς μέσον καθείς. μέσον

has been suspected; Nauck writes

κρωσσὸν

(‘urn’). But the literal sense is simply, ‘having cast down into the midst’—the competitors being imagined as standing round the

κυνῆ

. Cp. the phrases

εἰς μέσον τιθέναι, εἰς τὸ μέσον φέρειν

, etc.

mvp-comment-761-3 κυνῆς ¹²³

mvp-comment-762-1 σὺν δ’ ἐγὼ παρών ¹²⁴ σὺν ¹²⁵

mvp-comment-762-2 ὁ δοῦλος ¹²⁶

mvp-comment-763-1 δύστηνε ¹²⁷

mvp-comment-763-2 καὶ θροεῖς ¹²⁸

mvp-comment-764-1 Construe:

οὐκ οἶσθα ἀρχαῖον Πέλοπα, ὃς σοῦ πατρὸς πατὴρ προὔφυ, ὄντα βάρβαρον, Φρύγα;

The phrase

ἀρχαῖον Πέλοπα

, ‘Pelops of old,’ indicates him as the founder of Agamemnon's royal house. Others take

ἀρχαῖον

adverbially with

ὄντα βάρβαρον

, ‘a barbarian by origin.’ But such a use of

ἀρχαῖος

is strange, and seems to be without parallel.

mvp-comment-764-2 Φρύγα ¹²⁹

mvp-comment-765-1 δυσσεβέστατον ¹³⁰

mvp-comment-765-2 ἀδελφῷ ¹³¹

mvp-comment-766-1 Κρήσσης ¹³²

mvp-comment-767-1 ἐπακτὸν ¹³³

mvp-comment-767-2 ὁ φιτύσας πατήρ ¹³⁴ πατὴρ ¹³⁵ σ’ Ἀτρεὺς ¹³⁶ σ’ ἀνὴρ ¹³⁷

mvp-comment-768-1 ἐφῆκεν … διαφθοράν ¹³⁸

mvp-comment-768-2 ἐλλοῖς ¹³⁹

mvp-comment-769-1 ἐκ πατρὸς μὲν ¹⁴⁰

mvp-comment-770-1 ὅστις ¹⁴¹

mvp-comment-770-2 τὰ πρῶτ’ ¹⁴²

mvp-comment-771-1 ἴσχει ¹⁴³

mvp-comment-771-2 φύσει μὲν ¹⁴⁴

mvp-comment-772-1 βασίλεια ¹⁴⁵

mvp-comment-772-2 Λαομέδοντος ¹⁴⁶

mvp-comment-772-3 ἔκκριτον ¹⁴⁷

mvp-comment-773-1 ἄριστος ¹⁴⁸ ἀριστεὺς ¹⁴⁹

mvp-comment-773-2 ἀριστέοιν ¹⁵⁰

mvp-comment-773-3 τοὺς πρὸς αἵματος ¹⁵¹

mvp-comment-774-1 τοιοῖσδ’ ἐν πόνοισι κειμένους ¹⁵²

mvp-comment-774-2 ὠθεῖς ¹⁵³

mvp-comment-774-3 οὐδ’ ἐπαισχύνει λέγων ¹⁵⁴

mvp-comment-775-1 βαλεῖτέ που ¹⁵⁵

mvp-comment-775-2 χἡμᾶς τρεῖς ¹⁵⁶

mvp-comment-775-3 συγκειμένους ¹⁵⁷

mvp-comment-776-1 καλόν μοι ¹⁵⁸ προδήλως ¹⁵⁹

mvp-comment-776-2 τῆς σῆς … ἢ τοῦ σοῦ γ’ ὁμαίμονος λέγω ¹⁶⁰

mvp-comment-776-3 For ἢ … λέγω ¹⁶¹

mvp-comment-777-1 τοὐμόν ¹⁶²

mvp-comment-778-1 ἐν ἐμοί ¹⁶³

mvp-comment-779-1 καιρὸν ¹⁶⁴ ξυνάψων ¹⁶⁵ συλλύσων ¹⁶⁶

mvp-comment-779-2 1318 f. The conciliatory temper of Odysseus is marked at once by the courteous form of address,

ἄνδρες

,—by the honourable patronymic

Ἀτρειδῶν

,—and by the designation of Ajax as

ἄλκιμος

mvp-comment-779-3 βοὴν Ἀτρειδῶν ¹⁶⁷

mvp-comment-780-1 οὐ γὰρ ¹⁶⁸

mvp-comment-780-2 κλύοντές ἐσμεν ¹⁶⁹

mvp-comment-780-3 ἀρτίως ¹⁷⁰

mvp-comment-781-1 φλαῦρα ¹⁷¹

mvp-comment-781-2 συμβαλεῖν ἔπη κακά ¹⁷²

mvp-comment-781-3 κακά ¹⁷³

mvp-comment-782-1 ἤκουσεν αἰσχρά ¹⁷⁴

mvp-comment-783-1 ὥστε καὶ βλάβην ἔχειν ¹⁷⁵

mvp-comment-784-1 οὐ φήσ’ ἐάσειν ¹⁷⁶ ἀλλὰ … θάψειν ¹⁷⁷

mvp-comment-784-2 ταφῆς ἄμοιρον ¹⁷⁸

mvp-comment-785-1 ξυνηρετεῖν ¹⁷⁹ ξυνηρετμεῖν ¹⁸⁰ ξυνηρετεῖν ¹⁸¹

mvp-comment-785-2 For the metaphor, cp. Ant. 541

ξύμπλουν

(n.). In Aesch. Ag. 842 the king says of Odysseus,

ζευχθεὶς ἕτοιμος ἦν ἐμοὶ σειραφόρος

mvp-comment-786-1 ἦ γὰρ εἴην οὐκ ἂν εὖ φρονῶν ¹⁸² οὐκ ¹⁸³

mvp-comment-787-1 φίλον … μέγιστον ¹⁸⁴

mvp-comment-788-1 τλῇς ¹⁸⁵

mvp-comment-788-2 βαλεῖν ¹⁸⁶

mvp-comment-789-1 ἡ βία ¹⁸⁷ νικησάτω ¹⁸⁸

mvp-comment-789-2 πατεῖν ¹⁸⁹

mvp-comment-790-1 ἔχθιστος ¹⁹⁰

mvp-comment-790-2 )κράτησα ¹⁹¹

mvp-comment-791-1 ἔμπας ¹⁹²

mvp-comment-791-2 ἀντατιμάσαιμ’ ¹⁹³ οὔ τἂν ἀτιμάσαιμ’ ¹⁹⁴ οὔκουν ¹⁹⁵ οὐκ οὖν ¹⁹⁶

mvp-comment-792-1 ἕν’ ἄνδρ’ … ἄριστον ¹⁹⁷

mvp-comment-793-1 πλὴν Ἀχιλλέως ¹⁹⁸

mvp-comment-794-1 τοὺς θεῶν νόμους ¹⁹⁹

mvp-comment-795-1 τὸν ἐσθλὸν ἄνδρα ²⁰⁰

mvp-comment-795-2 εἰ θάνοι ²⁰¹

mvp-comment-796-1 ταῦτ’ ²⁰² ὑπερμαχεῖς ²⁰³

mvp-comment-797-1 ἔγωγ)· ²⁰⁴

mvp-comment-797-2 ἡνίκ’ ἦν μισεῖν καλόν ²⁰⁵

mvp-comment-798-1 οὐ γὰρ ²⁰⁶

mvp-comment-798-2 προσεμβῆναι ²⁰⁷

mvp-comment-799-1 Ἀτρείδη ²⁰⁸

mvp-comment-799-2 κέρδεσιν τοῖς μὴ καλοῖς ²⁰⁹

mvp-comment-800-1 τόν τοι τύραννον εὐσεβεῖν οὐ ῥᾴδιον ²¹⁰

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

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.

1202-1204. mvp-comment-770-1 οὔτε γλυκὺν .. ἰαύειν] ‘And from the sweet sound of flutes, unhappy me, and from passing nights of pleasant rest.'

1205. mvp-comment-771-1 The repetition of ἐρώτων marks the acme of privation.

1206. mvp-comment-772-1 ἀμέριμνος] Either (1) 'Uncared for;' or (2) 'Careless of myself' ('As one past hope, abandoned, | And by himself given o'er'); or (3) 'With vacant mind,' 'Having no interest in life.' For μέριμνα in a good sense, cp. especially Pind. Pyth. 8. 126-132, ὁ δὲ καλόν τι νέον λαχὼν | ἁβρότατος ἔπι, μεγάλας | ἐξ ἐλπίδος πέταται | ὑποπτέροις ἀνορέαις, ἔχων | κρέσσονα πλούτου | μέριμναν: also O.T. 1124, ἔργον μεριμνῶν ποῖον;

1208-1209. mvp-comment-773-1 Cp. Aesch. Ag. 560-2, κἀπὸ γῆς λειμώνιαι | δρόσοι κατεψέκαζον ... τιθέντες ἔνθηρον τρίχα.

1210. mvp-comment-774-1 λυγρᾶς μνήματα Τροίας] Lit. 'Reminders of the wretched Troad,' i. e. The raindrops on my head will not let me forget that I am in this miserable country. μνήματα is accusative in apposition to the sentence.

1211-1213. mvp-comment-775-1 ἐννυχίου | δείματος.. | καὶ βελέων] 'Against nightly alarm and weapons of war.' For this genitive of the object, cp. O. T. 1200-1, θανάτων δ᾽ ἐμᾷ | χώρᾳ πύργος ἀνέστα.

1214-1215. mvp-comment-776-1 νῦν δ᾽ οὗτος .. δαίμονι] 'But now he is no more our bulwark, struck down by a malignant fate.' As in Phil. 1153, ἀνέδην ὅδε χῶρος ἐρύκεται is said of the absence of defence, so ἀνεῖται is here said (continuing the metaphor in προβολά, supra) of the failure or removal of a defence; i.e. οὐκέτι προτείνεται. Cp. infr. 1270, Od. 11. 556, τοῖος γάρ σφιν πύργος ἀπώλεο.

1216. mvp-comment-777-1 ἐπέσται] Sc. τῷ βίῳ.

1217. mvp-comment-778-1 ὑλᾶεν] Od. 9. 191, ῥίῳ ὑλήεντι. ἔπεστι] 'Impends,' ' instat,' sc. τῷ πόντῳ, or τοῖς πλέουσιν. Cp. Od. 6. 210, ὅθ᾽ ἐπὶ σκέπας ἔστ᾽ ἀνέμοιο. πόντου πρόβλημα] ‘The rock jutting into the deep.' Cp. Phil. 1455, κτύπος ἄρσην πόντου προβολῆς.

1219-1220. mvp-comment-779-1 ἄκραν | ὑπὸ πλάκα Σουνίου] (1) 'Below the top of Sunium.' The ground behind Cape Colonnas rises considerably higher than the promontory itself. Or (2) 'At the point of the tableland of Sunium.'

1221-1222. mvp-comment-780-1 Athens could not really be seen by mariners until some time after passing Sunium, although the opposite is loosely asserted by Pausanias, 1. 28.

1223. mvp-comment-781-1 The stage has been vacant during the stasimon. Teucer is now seen returning in haste. Agamemnon enters after him.

1225. mvp-comment-782-1 'And I see plainly that he will let loose his tongue to evil purpose.' For the combination of verb and adjective with στόμα, cp. especially Aesch. Ag. 1247, εὔφημον . . κοίμησον στόμα. Others take σκαιόν here to mean either 'ill-omened' or 'stupid.'

1226-1227. mvp-comment-783-1 σὲ δὴ.. ἀγγέλλουσι .. | τλῆναι] ἰ.ε. σὺ δὴ ἔτλης, ὡς ἀγγέλλουσι. τὰ δεινὰ ῥήματα] 'Those blustering words' that have been reported to me. Cp. supr. 312 and note.

1227. mvp-comment-784-1 ἀνοιμωκτί implies a half-expressed contempt of Menelaus for having let Teucer off so easily. χανεῖν is contemptuously substituted for εἰπεῖν, i. e. εἰπόντα χανεῖν, 'To utter open-mouthed.' So in supr. 1096, ἁμαρτάνουσιν ἔπη (sc. λέγοντες). The word has an association of stupid insolence, 'Have dared to open your foolish mouth so wide.'

1230. mvp-comment-785-1 κἀπ᾿ ἄκρων ὡδοιπόρεις] « 'And have strutted proudly,' lit. on tiptoe, ἐπ᾿ ἄκρων, sc. ποδῶν or δακτύλων. Hesych. ἀκρίζων. ἄκροις ποσὶν ἐπιπορευόμενος. Εὐρ. Οἰνεί. Cp. Eur. Ion 1166, 7, ἐν δ᾽ ἄκροισι βὰς ποσὶν | κῆρυξ ἀνεῖπεν.

1231. mvp-comment-786-1 ἀντέστης] Sc. ἡμῖν.

1232-1233. mvp-comment-787-1 Cp. supr. 1097-1102. The word ναυάρχους recalls δεῦρ' ἔπλευσας in 1105. Agamemnon of course greatly exaggerates what Teucer had said. Cp. Il. 1. 288, πάντων μὲν κρατέειν ἐθέλει, πάντεσσι δ᾽ ἀνάσσειν, κ.τ.λ.

1235. mvp-comment-788-1 οὐ μεγάλα ἐστὶ ταῦτα κακὰ ἀκούειν (epexegetic infin.) πρὸς δούλων; Cp. O. C. 883, ἆρ᾽ οὐχ ὕβρις τάδε;

1236. mvp-comment-789-1 ποίου.. ἀνδρός] Sc. ὑπέρ. The ellipse is possibly softened by the preposition occurring in comp. in ὑπέρφρονα, although in a different sense. Cp. O. C. 539-41 and note.

1237. mvp-comment-790-1 ποῦ βάντος] i. e. ποῖ. But in such proverbial phrases there is a constant tendency to repeat the same word. Ср. O. T. 420, 1, and note; Phil. 451. Agamemnon in the Iliad acknowledged the superior prowess of Achilles. He is less generous here. This line prepares the way for Teucer's reproaches, infr. 1272-8.

1238. mvp-comment-791-1 ἄνδρες] 'Men,' i.e. 'men deserving the name.' Cp. supr. 77, πρόσθεν οὐκ ἀνὴρ ὅδ᾽ ἦν; and note.

1239. mvp-comment-792-1 πικρούς] 'To our cost.' This is said ironically. 'Teucer's denunciation of us will indeed be a calamitous result of the trial we proclaimed.' Agamemnon carefully limits his responsibility, as Menelaus did above, supr. 1136, ἐν τοῖς δικασταῖς, κοὐκ ἐμοί, τόδ᾽ ἐσφάλη, —to the ordainment of the contest, disclaiming all share in the verdict.

1241. mvp-comment-793-1 πανταχοῦ] ‘In all that we do.'

1243. mvp-comment-794-1 εἴκειν] Sc. τούτοις, or τοῖς δεδογμένοις, or whatever is the antecedent to ἃ.

1244-1245. mvp-comment-795-1 'But you (1) that are left' ('or (2) who are distanced') 'will either, I suppose, assail us with guileful woundings' (as Ajax did) 'or pelt us with abuse' (as you have now been doing). που is to be taken with the whole sentence, but has special reference to the suspicion expressed in σὺν δόλῳ κεντήσεθ᾽. οἱ λελειμμένοι (1) marks the correspondence between the supposed action of Ajax' surviving relatives and his own. The implied menace points through Teucer at Eurysaces. Cp. Shak. Macbeth, 3. 4. 'There the grown serpent lies; the worm, that's fled, | Hath nature that in time will venom breed, | No teeth for the present.' Or (2) οἱ λελειμμένοι resumes ἡσσημένοις, “You that are beaten in the race,' adding point to the suggestion of wounding from behind. See also l. 1249.

1250. mvp-comment-796-1 τάδ'] ‘This,' viz. Ajax' insolent claim to priority in spite of the judgment. Cp. O. C. 883, ἆρ᾽ οὐχ ὕβρις τάδ᾽;

1250-1251. mvp-comment-797-1 οὐ γὰρ .. φῶτες] 'Not the wide-shouldered or broad-backed men.' πλατύς is more expressive of mere size than μέγας. For the omission of the article with the second word, see Essay on L. § 21. p. 33 b.

1251. mvp-comment-798-1 ἀσφαλέστατοι] Either (1) 'Most to be relied upon,' in action and counsel, or (2) 'Most secure from falling.' The latter, (2) makes a more exact antithesis with κρατοῦσι.

1252. mvp-comment-799-1 κρατοῦσι πανταχοῦ] ‘Have the best of it on all occasions;' i. e. μᾶλλον ὀρθοῦνται. Cp. Plat. Phaedr. 272 Β, ὁ μὴ πειθόμενος κρατεῖ.

1253. mvp-comment-800-1 Cp. Pind. Pyth. 4. 417, βοέους δήσαις ἀνάγκα | ἔντεσιν αὐχένας ἐμβάλλων τ᾽ ἐριπλεύρῳ φυᾷ | κέντρον.

1254. mvp-comment-801-1 ὀρθὸς .. πορεύεται] 'Goes straight forward.' ὀρθός is adverbial, = τὴν εὐθεῖαν. For the γνώμη, cp. Ant. 477, σμικρῷ χαλινῷ, κ.τ.λ.

1255. mvp-comment-802-1 τοῦτ᾽.. τὸ φάρμακον] ‘This remedy,' the lash. Cp. Pind. Ol. 13. 121, ἕλὲ Βελλεροφόντας, | φάρμακον πραὺ τείνων ἀμφὶ γένυι, | ἵππον πτερόεντ'.

1257. mvp-comment-803-1 ἀνδρός] Sc. ὑπέρ. The unusual construction is softened here by the resumption from supr. 1236, and by the participle which suggests the genitive absolute. σκιᾶς] Sc. ὄντος, as if οὐδενὸς ὄντος had preceded.

1259. mvp-comment-804-1 ὃς εἶ] 'What you are.' Cp. Eur. Alc. 640, ἔδειξας . . ὃς εἶ. φύσιν is here at once 'by birth' and 'in nature.'

1262. mvp-comment-805-1 οὐκέτ'] «No longer,' i. e. 'not then (when you are speaking).' Essay on L. § 24. p. 41, 2.

1263. mvp-comment-806-1 Hesione was of Trojan, i. e. Phrygian, birth.

1266. mvp-comment-807-1 ὡς ταχεῖά τις] 'How swiftly, somehow!' For τις added to the supplementary predicate, cp. O. T. 618, ὅταν ταχύς τις οὐπιβουλεύων λάθρα | χωρῇ, and see Essay on L. § 22. p. 36, sub fin. Cp. also for the meaning of ταχεῖα, Pind. Pyth. 1. 161, ταχείας ἐλπίδας.

1267. mvp-comment-808-1 διαρρεῖ] ‘Melts away.' Cp. Trach. 698, ῥεῖ πᾶν ἄδηλον. Cp. Shak. Midsummer Night's Dream, 4.1, 'My love to Hermia, | Melted as doth the snow, seems to me now | As the remembrance of an idle gaud.' καὶ προδοῦσ᾽ ἁλίσκεται] 'And is found to turn traitor.' An idiomatic phrase, for which, cp. Ant. 46, οὐ γὰρ δὴ προδοῦσ᾽ ἁλώσομαι.

1268. mvp-comment-809-1 οὐδ᾽ ἐπὶ σμικρῶν λόγων] ‘Not even in the least degree.' Lit. either (1) 'On a slight account,' or (2) 'With a slight word.' For (1), cp. Plat. Rep. 7. 524 Ε, ὥσπερ ἐπὶ τοῦ δακτύλου ἐλέγομεν. And for (2), cp. O. C. 746, κἀπὶ προσπόλου μιᾶς | βιοστερῆ χωροῦντα.

1270. mvp-comment-810-1 τὴν σὴν προτείνων . . ψυχὴν δορί] 'Exposing thy life in war.' Perhaps αὐτοῦ should be resumed from οὗ. Cp. Il. 9. 322, αἰὲν ἐμὴν ψυχὴν παραβαλλόμενος πολεμίζειν.

1271. mvp-comment-811-1 οἴχεται . . ἐρριμμένα] 'Are cast away,' a periphrasis like οἴχεται θανών (Phil. 414). Compare especially Andoc. 19. 7, οὐκ ἔστιν . . ἔτι λοιπὸς τοῦ γένους τοῦ ἡμετέρου οὐδείς, ἀλλ᾽ οἴχεται πᾶν πρόρριζον.

1272. mvp-comment-812-1 κἀνόνητ᾽, although a possible reading, may be due to κἀνόητα above. 'Senseless' is more pointed here than 'profitless.'

1274. mvp-comment-813-1 ἑρκέων] Sc. ἔσω, implied in ἐγκεκλημένους. When the Greeks were driven within their lines, their own ramparts were like a trap in which they were caught.

1275. mvp-comment-814-1 ἐν τροπῇ δορός] ‘When the battle was already turned against you:' —when the rout had begun.

1276-1278. mvp-comment-815-1 ἀμφὶ.. φλέγοντος] ‘When around the ships the fire already blazed so as to scorch the quarter-decks.' The ships being fired from the stern, whatever was most combustible abaft each vessel would first catch fire. ἑδωλίοις] This is commonly explained to mean 'the rowers' benches,' in which case ἄκροισιν is difficult to explain. But several passages indicate that ἑδώλια was the name given to those places in the vessel, chiefly at the stern, where persons not engaged in working her might sit. See the gloss on this line in Pal. R. 34, σανιδώμασιν, —also the Scholiast on Lycophr. 296, quoted by Dindorf in Steph. Thes. s. v. ἐξ ἑδωλίων πηδῶντες] τῶν σανιδωμάτων καὶ καταστρωμάτων τῆς νεώς: Etym. Magn. p. 455, 4 (ibid.), τόπον τῆς νεὼς βάσιν ἔχοντα .. ὁ καὶ ἑδώλιόν φασιν: and cp. Eur. Hel. 1571, Ἑλένη καθέζετ᾽ ἐν μέσοις ἐδωλίοις, ib. 1602, 3, παρακέλευσμα δ᾽ ἦν | πρύμνηθεν Ἑλένης (had she left the midmost benches, no doubt finding them uncomfortable, for the stern?): also Hdt. 1. 211, στάντα ἐν τοῖσι ἑδωλίοισι (evidently a platform in a particular part of the ship). This agrees with other meanings of the word. ἄκροισι means the part of the ἑδώλια towards the extreme stern. Cp. Od. 9. 540, οἰήϊον ἄκρον ἱκέσθαι. The whole description is probably taken from an Αἴαντος ἀριστεία, differing in some particulars from the Iliad, as, for instance, in ignoring the part taken by Patroclus in the defence of the ships. Hence no attempt need be made to reconcile the picture of Hector rushing with high bounds to cross the trench and board the fleet, with the narrative in Il. 14. 15.

1281. mvp-comment-816-1 ὂν.. ποδί] 'Who, as thou sayest, on no occasion set his foot by thine.' What Agamemnon said, supr. 1237, was different from this; but Teucer speaks with the exaggeration of anger. Cp. Ant. 208, 485, and note. For the expression, cp. Shak. Julius Caesar, 1. 3, '... And I will set this foot of mine as far | As who goes farthest.'

1282. mvp-comment-817-1 'I wonder if in this you find a righteous act of Ajax'?' ὑμίν, not = εἰς ὑμᾶς, but a dative of reference in construction with the whole sentence.

1283. mvp-comment-818-1 χὤτ᾽ αὖθις] ὅτε resumes ἡνίκα, supr. 1273, without any precise antecedent, though ἆρ᾽ οὐκ ἐνδίκως ἔδρασεν; may be supplied from the preceding line. αὐτός]· 'By himself,' and not now in conjunction with the Atreidae.

1284. mvp-comment-819-1 κἀκέλευστος. See Il. 7. 164.

1284-1287. mvp-comment-820-1 The spirit of these lines agrees with Il. 7. 186-9, ἀλλ᾿ ὅτε δὴ τὸν ἴκανε, φέρων ἀν᾿ ὅμιλον ἁπάντη, | ὅς μιν ἐπιγράψας κυνέῃ βάλε, φαίδιμος Αἴας, | ἤτοι ὑπέσχεθε χεῖρ᾽ ὁ δ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἔμβαλεν, ἄγχι παραστάς | γνῶ δὲ κλήρου σῆμα ἰδών, γήθησε δὲ θυμῷ.

1285. mvp-comment-821-1 'Not making his lot to sink into the hollow of the helmet, and to skulk there,' i. e. refuse to show itself when the helmet was shaken (as having crumbled away). δραπέτην contains a metaphor from a runaway slave eluding search, and also an allusion to the derivation from πίπτω. Sophocles, or the Cyclic poet before him, here assigns to Odysseus, or some other rival of Ajax, the action elsewhere attributed to Cresphontes at the division of the Peloponnese amongst the Heracleids.

1287. mvp-comment-822-1 κυνῆς] i. e. ἐκ κυνῆς. 'From the helmet.' Cp. especially O. T. 808, ὄχου, and note. ἄλμα κουφιεῖν] 'To spring lightly,' is an example of what in the Essay on L. § 17. p. 25 c, has been called the use of the cognate verb. Cp. Eur. El. 861, πήδημα κουφίζουσα: and, for the sense, Il. 7. 182, ἐκ δ᾽ ἔθορε κλῆρος κυνέης.

1288. mvp-comment-823-1 σὺν δ' ἐγὼ παρών] · 'And I too not far off.' Essay on L. § 18. § 40. p. 75. παρών implies that Teucer was faithful to his post. Cp. Phil. 379, οὐκ ἦσθ᾽ ἵν᾽ ἡμεῖς, ἀλλ᾽ ἀπῆσθ᾽, ἵν᾽ οὔ σ᾽ ἔδει. For Teucer's services, cp. Il. 15. 437, alib.

1290. mvp-comment-824-1 'Poor man! and what can you be thinking of when you say it?' i. e. 'How can you be so blind?' αὐτά refers to the general sense of the preceding words, as constantly in Thucydides. καί is to be taken closely with the interrogative.

1292. mvp-comment-825-1 'That Pelops was originally a barbarian Phrygian.' The adjective, as suppl. pred., has the force of an adverb, i. e. ἀρχῆθεν or τὸ ἀρχαῖον. Cp. Ant. 593, ἀρχαῖα τὰ Λαβδακιδᾶν, κ.τ.λ. Perhaps τἀρχαῖον should be read. For Φρύγα (a word always used contemptuously, as in Eur. Alc. 675, πότερα Λυδὸν ἢ Φρύγα, κ.τ.λ.), cp. Hdt. 7. 11, Πέλοψ ὁ Φρύξ.

1293. mvp-comment-826-1 ὃς αὖ σ᾽ ἔσπειρε] These words, with δέ, point the antithesis to σοῦ πατρὸς μὲν.. πατήρ, supr. 1291. δυσσεβέστατον has been joined with σέ, and by some with ᾿Ατρέα. But for the addition of this epithet to δεῖπνον οἰκείων τέκνων, to which Hermann objects, cp. O. C. 945, 6, οὐδ᾽ ὅτῳ γάμοι | ξυνόντες εὑρέθησαν ἀνόσιοι τέκνων, Ant. 514.

1297. mvp-comment-827-1 'Gave her up to be devoured by dumb fishes.' The ancient Scholiast says: ἡ ἱστορία ἐν ταῖς Κρήσσαις Εὐριπίδου, ὅτι διαφθαρεῖσαν αὐτὴν λάθρα ὑπὸ θεράποντος, ὁ πατὴρ Ναυπλίῳ παρέδωκεν, ἐντειλάμενος ἀποποντῶσαι· ὁ δὲ οὐκ ἐποίησεν, ἀλλ᾽ ἐνεγγύησε Πλεισθένει. (It is possible also to suppose ὁ φ. πατήρ to mean Atreus, and ἔπακτον ἄνδρα Thyestes.) For the aggravation of the taunt in ἐλλοῖς ἰχθύσιν, cp. Il. 21. 201-4, τὸν δὲ κατ᾿ αὐτόθι λεῖπεν, ἐπεὶ φίλον ἦτορ ἀπηύρα, | κείμενον ἐν ψαμάθοισι, δίαινε δέ μιν μέλαν ὕδωρ. | τὸν μὲν ἄρ᾽ ἐγχέλυές τε καὶ ἰχθύες ἀμφεπένοντο, | δημὸν ἐρεπτόμενοι ἐπινεφρίδιον κείροντες. διαφθοράν is either (1) accusative in apposition with the sentence, expressing the result of the action, or (2) abstract for concrete, in apposition with αὐτήν understood as the object of ἐφῆκεν. Cp. Aesch. Prom. 582 foll., πυρί με φλέξον .. ἢ ποντίοις δάκεσι δὸς βοράν.

1298. mvp-comment-828-1 τοιῷδ'] Herm. preferred τοιάνδ', which is found in some MSS.

1299. mvp-comment-829-1 πατρὸς μέν] The δέ answering to this μέν ( μητρὸς δὲ βασιλείας, or the like) is lost through the introduction of the relative clause in l. 1300.

1301. mvp-comment-830-1 ἴσχει] Historical present.

1302. mvp-comment-831-1 βασίλεια, Λαομέδοντος] 'A princess, daughter of Laomedon.'

1302-1303. mvp-comment-832-1 ἔκκριτον δέ νιν, κ.τ.λ.] This shows that she was not only the noblest, but the most beautiful.

1304-1305. mvp-comment-833-1 'Should I, thus nobly born from princes on both sides, reflect disgrace upon my kin?' Cp. Il. 6. 208-10, αἰὲν ἀριστεύειν . . μηδὲ γένος πατέρων αἰσχυνέμεν, οἱ μέγ᾽ ἄριστοι | ἔν τ᾽ Ἐφύρῃ ἐγένοντο καὶ ἐν Λυκίῃ εὐρείῃ.

1306. mvp-comment-834-1 τοιοῖσδ᾽ ἐν πόνοισι κειμένους] Cp. supr. 924, ὡς καὶ παρ᾿ ἐχθροῖς ἄξιος θρήνων τυχεῖν.

1307. mvp-comment-835-1 οὐδ᾽ ἐπαισχύνει λέγων] ‘And are not ashamed to speak of it.' Cp. Phil. 929 and note.

1308. mvp-comment-836-1 τοῦτον εἰ βαλεῖτέ που] ‘If ye shall cast him forth, no matter where.' Cp. infr. 1333, ἄθαπτον . . βαλεῖν.

1309. mvp-comment-837-1 'It will not be till ye have laid low us three together with him.' Teucer, Eurysaces, and Tecmessa, will die in defending the corpse. Others, following Triclinius, understand the meaning to be, 'If you attempt to cast him forth, you will lay me and yourself beside him, three laid together.'

1310. mvp-comment-838-1 ὑπερπονουμένῳ] For the middle voice, cp. El. 399, πεσούμεθ', εἰ χρή, πατρὶ τιμωρούμενοι.

1311. mvp-comment-839-1 προδήλως] Teucer means by this that it would be more glorious to die in open quarrel for Ajax than to find an obscure grave amongst those whom he spoke of, supr. 1112, as οἱ πόνου πολλοῦ πλέῳ.

1312. mvp-comment-840-1 Erfurdt's correction (see v. rr.) appears necessary. It is barely possible that ἢ.. τε may = ἢ καί, but far more probable that γε was changed to τε by accident, and τε to θε by mistaken correction. And γε is expressive, 'Ay, or shall I say?' as if replying to a tacit demurrer. Teucer in his anger, like Achilles in Il. 9. 327, δάρων ἕνεκα σφερεράων, does not choose to discriminate nicely the relation of Helen to the Atreidae.

1313. mvp-comment-841-1 ὅρα μὴ τοὐμόν] Cp. supr. 1255, 6, καὶ σοὶ προσέρπον τοῦτ᾽ ἐγὼ τὸ φάρμακον | ὁρῶ, where Agamemnon professes to warn Teucer for his good.

1315. mvp-comment-842-1 θρασύς] Sc. γεγενῆσθαι.

1316. mvp-comment-843-1 καιρόν] For this adverbial accusative, cp. supr. 34 and note: Pind. Pyth. 1. 156, καιρὸν εἰ φθέγξαιο.

1316-1317. mvp-comment-844-1 (1) 'If you are come not to entangle, but to assist in adjusting this matter.' Or, (2) 'If not in time to begin the fray, at all events you are here to help in ending it.' The expression seems in either case to be proverbial. In support of (2) it may be said that the Chorus can have no doubt that the coming of Odysseus will help to compose strife. In this case (2) the verbs ἴσθι, πάρει, without connecting particle, may be either viewed as an asyndeton, or πάρει may be regarded as a resumption of ἐληλυθώς, returning to the indicative mood. The interpretation turns upon the question, which is the more natural image, that of a knot (or complication), for which, cp. Ant. 40, λύουσ᾽ ἂν ἢ 'φάπτουσα, or that of joining battle ( ξυνάπτειν τινὰς ἐς μάχην, νείκεα λύειν). 'Odysseus comes at the end of a fray.'

1319. mvp-comment-845-1 τῷδ᾽ ἐπ᾿ ἀλκίμῳ νεκρῷ] The difference of Odysseus' spirit is at once seen in this tribute to the valour of his enemy. The part taken by him here is in accordance with his feeling in Od. 11. 548-51, ὡς δὴ μὴ ὄφελον νικᾶν τοιῷδ᾽ ἐπ᾿ ἀέθλῳ· | τοίην γὰρ κεφαλὴν ἕνεκ᾿ αὐτῶν γαῖα κατέσχεν, | Αἴανθ', ὃς πέρι μὲν εἶδος, πέρι δ᾽ ἔργα τέτυκτο | τῶν ἄλλων Δαναῶν, μετ᾿ ἀμύμονα Πηλείωνα.

1322-1323. mvp-comment-846-1 Odysseus will not commit himself to a condemnation of Teucer till he knows what has been said. 'Perhaps he only spoke under provocation.' Ср. O. T. 523, 4, ἀλλ᾽ ἦλθε μὲν δὴ τοῦτο τοῦνειδος τάχ᾽ ἂν | ὀργῇ βιασθὲν μᾶλλον ἢ γνώμῃ φρενῶν.

1323. mvp-comment-847-1 συμβαλεῖν] For this epexegetic inf. cp. Thuc. 3. 40. § 1, ξυγγνώμην ἁμαρτεῖν ἀνθρωπίνως λήψονται. συμβαλεῖν] Sc. τοῖς φλαύροις.

1324-1325. mvp-comment-848-1 Teucer had as yet done nothing, but only expressed an intention which Agamemnon treats as an act. Odysseus ironically professes not to understand him. He is not aware that Teucer has done any harm.

1326-1327. mvp-comment-849-1 Here, as in Ant. 485, εἰ ταῦτ᾽ ἀνατὶ τῇδε κείσεται κράτη, the defence of a right is censured by the tyrant as an act of tyranny.

1328. mvp-comment-850-1 φίλῳ may be taken in three ways, (1) agreeing with the subject of εἰπόντι, 'May a friend say the truth without offence?' or (2) agreeing with the remote object of εἰπόντι, 'May one speak the truth to a friend without offence?' or (3) agreeing with σοί in l. 1329, 'May one speak the truth and still work with you as my friend?' The choice lies between (1) and (2): and the comparison of l. 1331, φίλον σ᾽ ἐγώ, κ.τ.λ., inclines the balance in favour of (1).

1329. mvp-comment-851-1 Although ξυνηρεμεῖν, the reading of L pr. is not a vox nihili, —see L. and S., ξυνηρετεῖν, following the analogy of ὑπηρετεῖν, is much more probable, and the letter erased above the μ in L (see v. rr.) was probably T, so that ξυνηρετμεῖν has arisen from a confusion of the two readings. It has been tolerated even by some modern editors, though less supported by analogy than either ξυνηρετεῖν or ξυνηρεμεῖν.

1330. mvp-comment-852-1 εἴην . . φρονῶν] Sc. εἰ μὴ οὕτως εἶχεν, according to a common idiom.

1334. mvp-comment-853-1 ἡ βία] 'The spirit of tyranny.' Cp. infr. 1357. For a similar use of ἀρχή, cp. Thuc. 3. 82. § 16.

1335. mvp-comment-854-1 τοσόνδε μισεῖν] 'To carry hate so far.' The absolute use of the verb is noticeable. Cp. El. 357, σὺ δ' ἡμὶν ἡ μισοῦσα μισεῖς μὲν λόγῳ.

1336. mvp-comment-855-1 καμοί] 'To me also,' as well as to you and Menelaus.

1337. mvp-comment-856-1 Cp. Phil. 1292, πρότεινε χεῖρα, καὶ κράτει τῶν σῶν ὅπλων: Thuc. 3. 47, ἐπειδή τε ὅπλων ἐκράτησεν.

1339. mvp-comment-857-1 οὐκ *ἀντατιμάσαιμ' ἄν] This reading, though found in no MS., is nearer to the first hand of L, and also more pointed, than οὔκουν ἀτ. ἄv, the reading of C and some inferior MSS. ἀντατιμάζω does not occur elsewhere, but is supported by the analogy of ἀνταδικεῖν.

1340. mvp-comment-858-1 ἕν᾿ ἄνδρ᾿ ἰδεῖν ἄριστον ᾿Αργείων] 'That he stood alone, so far as I could see, as the noblest of the Argives.' ἕν᾿ ἄνδρα is here intensive. Cp. Aesch. Pers. 327, εἰς ἀνὴρ πλεῖστον πόνον . . παρασχών.

1341. mvp-comment-859-1 πλὴν ᾿Αχιλλέως] Cp. the lines of the 11th Odyssey quoted above, note on 1319; and Alcaeus, Fr. 48, τὸν ἄριστον πέδ᾽ ᾿Αχίλλεα: Pind. Nem. 7. 40, κράτιστον ᾿Αχιλέος ἄτερ.

1342. mvp-comment-860-1 ἀτιμάζοιτο] The passive, while emphasizing the verb, avoids the 2nd person. (E. on L. § 31. p. 1. 53 a, p. 1. 54 b.)

1344-1345. mvp-comment-861-1 εἰ θάνοι] For the optative in supposing a general case, see Essay on L. § 36. p. 61a (1) . Join ἄνδρα . . τὸν ἐσθλόν.

1346. mvp-comment-862-1 'Do you mean, Odysseus, thus to fight on his side against me?'

1347. mvp-comment-863-1 ἡνίκ'] 'At the moment when-.' i. e. When he was known to have destroyed the herds, supr. 18, 31, 78, 122. In all these places, however, the hatred on the part of Ajax is more dwelt upon than that of Odysseus.

1349. mvp-comment-864-1 κέρδεσιν.] Cp. Athene's ironical words to Ajax, supr. 107, πρὶν ἂν τί . . κερδάνῃς πλέον. For the strength of ethical association in μὴ καλοῖς, cp. Thuc. 3. 55, where the Plataeans, pleading for their lives, state as a reason for having clung to Athens, καὶ προδοῦναι αὐτοὺς οὐκέτι ἣν καλόν : also Phil. 1304, ἀλλ᾽ οὔτ᾽ ἐμοὶ τοῦτ᾽ ἐστὶν οὔτε σοὶ καλόν.

1350. mvp-comment-865-1 'A monarch cannot always observe the rule of piety.' Agamemnon, like the Athenian envoys at Melos, has recourse to 'necessity, the tyrant's plea.'

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Τεῦκρος καὶ μὴν ἰδὼν ἔσπευσα τὸν στρατηλάτην Ἀγαμέμνονʼ ἡμῖν δεῦρο τόνδʼ ὁρμώμενον· δῆλος δέ μοὐστὶ σκαιὸν ἐκλύσων στόμα. 1225

Χορός εἴθʼ ὑμὶν ἀμφοῖν νοῦς γένοιτο σωφρονεῖν· τούτου γὰρ οὐδὲν σφῷν ἔχω λῷον φράσαι. 1265

Χορός ἄναξ Ὀδυσσεῦ, καιρὸν ἴσθʼ ἐληλυθώς, εἰ μὴ ξυνάψων, ἀλλὰ συλλύσων πάρει. 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43

Ὀδυσσεύς τί δʼ ἔστιν, ἄνδρες; τηλόθεν γὰρ ᾐσθόμην βοὴν Ἀτρειδῶν τῷδʼ ἐπʼ ἀλκίμῳ νεκρῷ.

Ἀγαμέμνων οὐ γὰρ κλύοντές ἐσμεν αἰσχίστους λόγους, 1320 ἄναξ Ὀδυσσεῦ, τοῦδʼ ὑπʼ ἀνδρὸς ἀρτίως;

Ὀδυσσεύς ποίους; ἐγὼ γὰρ ἀνδρὶ συγγνώμην ἔχω κλύοντι φλαῦρα συμβαλεῖν ἔπη κακά.

Ἀγαμέμνων ἤκουσεν αἰσχρά· δρῶν γὰρ ἦν τοιαῦτά με.

Ὀδυσσεύς τί γάρ σʼ ἔδρασεν, ὥστε καὶ βλάβην ἔχειν; 1325

Ἀγαμέμνων οὔ φησʼ ἐάσειν τόνδε τὸν νεκρὸν ταφῆς ἄμοιρον, ἀλλὰ πρὸς βίαν θάψειν ἐμοῦ.

Ὀδυσσεύς ἔξεστιν οὖν εἰπόντι τἀληθῆ φίλῳ σοὶ μηδὲν ἧσσον ἢ πάρος ξυνηρετεῖν;

Ἀγαμέμνων εἴπʼ· ἦ γὰρ εἴην οὐκ ἂν εὖ φρονῶν, ἐπεὶ 1330 φίλον σʼ ἐγὼ μέγιστον Ἀργείων νέμω.

Ἀγαμέμνων σὺ ταῦτʼ, Ὀδυσσεῦ, τοῦδʼ ὑπερμαχεῖς ἐμοί; 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51

Ὀδυσσεύς ἔγωγʼ· ἐμίσουν δʼ, ἡνίκʼ ἦν μισεῖν καλόν.

Ἀγαμέμνων οὐ γὰρ θανόντι καὶ πρὸς ἐμβῆναί σε χρή;

Ὀδυσσεύς μὴ χαῖρʼ, Ἀτρείδη, κέρδεσιν τοῖς μὴ καλοῖς.

Ἀγαμέμνων τόν τοι τύραννον εὐσεβεῖν οὐ ῥᾴδιον. 1350

Ὀδυσσεύς ἀλλʼ εὖ λέγουσι τοῖς φίλοις τιμὰς νέμειν.

Ἀγαμέμνων κλύειν τὸν ἐσθλὸν ἄνδρα χρὴ τῶν ἐν τέλει.

Ὀδυσσεύς παῦσαι· κρατεῖς τοι τῶν φίλων νικώμενος.

Ἀγαμέμνων μέμνησʼ ὁποίῳ φωτὶ τὴν χάριν δίδως.

Ὀδυσσεύς ὅδʼ ἐχθρὸς ἁνήρ, ἀλλὰ γενναῖός ποτʼ ἦν. 1355

Ἀγαμέμνων τί ποτε ποήσεις; ἐχθρὸν ὧδʼ αἰδῇ νέκυν;

Ὀδυσσεύς κινεῖ γὰρ ἁρετή με τῆς ἔχθρας πολύ.

Ἀγαμέμνων τοιοίδε μέντοι φῶτες ἔμπληκτοι βροτῶν.

Ὀδυσσεύς ἦ κάρτα πολλοὶ νῦν φίλοι καὖθις πικροί.

Ἀγαμέμνων τοιούσδʼ ἐπαινεῖς δῆτα σὺ κτᾶσθαι φίλους; 1360

Ὀδυσσεύς σκληρὰν ἐπαινεῖν οὐ φιλῶ ψυχὴν ἐγώ.

Ἀγαμέμνων ἡμᾶς σὺ δειλοὺς τῇδε θἠμέρᾳ φανεῖς.

Ὀδυσσεύς ἄνδρας μὲν οὖν Ἕλλησι πᾶσιν ἐνδίκους.

Ἀγαμέμνων ἄνωγας οὖν με τὸν νεκρὸν θάπτειν ἐᾶν;

Ὀδυσσεύς ἔγωγε· καὶ γὰρ αὐτὸς ἐνθάδʼ ἵξομαι. 1365

Ἀγαμέμνων ἦ πάνθʼ ὁμοῖα· πᾶς ἀνὴρ αὑτῷ πονεῖ.

Ὀδυσσεύς τῷ γάρ με μᾶλλον εἰκὸς ἢ ʼμαυτῷ πονεῖν;

Ἀγαμέμνων σὸν ἆρα τοὔργον, οὐκ ἐμὸν κεκλήσεται.

Ὀδυσσεύς ὡς ἂν ποήσῃς, πανταχῇ χρηστός γʼ ἔσῃ.

Χορός ὅστις σʼ, Ὀδυσσεῦ, μὴ λέγει γνώμῃ σοφὸν φῦναι, τοιοῦτον ὄντα, μῶρός ἐστʼ ἀνήρ. 1375

Ὀδυσσεύς ἀλλʼ ἤθελον μέν· εἰ δὲ μή ʼστί σοι φίλον 1400 πράσσειν τάδʼ ἡμᾶς, εἶμʼ ἐπαινέσας τὸ σόν.

Χορός ἦ πολλὰ βροτοῖς ἔστιν ἰδοῦσιν γνῶναι· πρὶν ἰδεῖν δʼ οὐδεὶς μάντις τῶν μελλόντων ὅ τι πράξει. 1420 69 70 71 72 73 74

καὶ πρὶν μὲν ἐννυχίου δείματος ἦν μοὶ προβολὰ καὶ βελέων θούριος Αἴας·

ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ. σὲ δὴ τὰ δεινὰ ῥήματ᾿ ἀγγέλλουσί μοι τλῆναι καθ᾽ ἡμῶν ὧδ᾽ ἀνοιμωκτὶ ἀνοιμωκτεὶ χανεῖν·

ΧΟΡΟΣ.

εἴθ᾽ ὑμὶν ἀμφοῖν νοῦς γένοιτο σωφρονεῖν· τούτου γὰρ οὐδὲν σφῶν ἔχω λῷον φράσαι om. add.. 1265

ΧΟΡΟΣ.

ἄναξ Ὀδυσσεῦ, καιρὸν ἴσθ᾽ ἐληλυθώς, εἰ μὴ ξυνάψων, ἀλλὰ συλλύσων πάρει.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ. τί δ᾽ ἔστιν, ἄνδρες; τηλόθεν γὰρ ᾐσθόμην βοὴν ᾿Ατρειδῶν τῷδ᾽ ἐπ᾿ ἀλκίμῳ νεκρῷ.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ. οὐ γὰρ κλύοντές ἐσμεν κλύοντεσ ἐσμὲν αἰσχίστους λόγους, 1320 ἄναξ Ὀδυσσεῦ, τοῦδ᾽ ὑπ᾽ ἀνδρὸς ἀρτίως;

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

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ. ἤκουσεν αἰσχρά· δρῶν γὰρ ἦν τοιαῦτά με.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ. τί γάρ σ᾽ γὰρ γὰρ σ' ἔδρασεν, ὥστε καὶ βλάβην ἔχειν; 1325

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ. οὔ φησ᾽ ἐάσειν τόνδε τὸν νεκρὸν ταφῆς ἄμοιρον, ἀλλὰ πρὸς βίαν θάψειν ἐμοῦ ἐμοὶ σοῦ θάψειν ἐμοῦ.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ. ἔξεστιν οὖν εἰπόντι τἀληθῆ τἀληθῆ· φίλῳ σοὶ μηδὲν ἦσσον ἢ πάρος ξυνηρετεῖν ξυνηρεμεῖν ξυνηρετμεῖν;

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ. εἴπ· ἢ γὰρ εἴην ἐπείγ᾽ ἂν εἴην ἦπου γ'᾽ ἂν εἴπ᾿ ἡ γὰρ εἴην οὐκ ἂν εὐ φρονῶν, ἐπεὶ 1330 φίλον σ᾽ ἐγὼ μέγιστον ᾿Αργείων νέμω.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ.

σὺ ταῦτ᾽, Ὀδυσσεῦ, τοῦδ᾽ ὑπερμαχεῖς ἐμοί;

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ. ἔγωγ· ἐμίσουν δ᾽, ἡνίκ ἦν μισεῖν καλόν.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ. οὐ γὰρ θανόντι καὶ προσεμβῆναί σε χρή;

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ. μὴ χαῖρ, ᾿Ατρείδη, κέρδεσιν κέρδεσι κέρδεσιν τοῖς μὴ καλοῖς.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ. τόν τοι τύραννον εὐσεβεῖν οὐ ῥᾴδιον. 1350

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ. ἀλλ᾽ εὖ λέγουσι τοῖς φίλοις τιμὰς νέμειν.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ. κλύειν τὸν ἐσθλὸν ἄνδρα χρὴ τῶν ἐν τέλει.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ. παῦσαι· κρατεῖς τοι τῶν φίλων νικώμενος.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ. μέμνησ᾽ ὁποίῳ φωτὶ τὴν χάριν δίδως.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ. ὅδ᾽ ἐχθρὸς ἁνήρ ἀνὴρ, ἀλλὰ γενναῖός γεναῖός ποτ᾽ ἦν. 1355

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ. τί ποτε ποιήσεις; ἐχθρὸν ὧδ᾽ αἰδεῖ νέκυν;

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ. νικᾷ γὰρ ἁρετή .. ρετή ἡ ῥετή ἡ ἀρετὴ ἠρετή με τῆς ἔχθρας πολύ.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ. τοιοίδε μέντοι φῶτες ἔμπληκτοι βροτῶν βροτῶν βροτοῖς.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ. ἢ κάρτα πολλοὶ νῦν φίλοι καὖθις πικροί.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ. τοιούσδ᾽ ἐπαινεῖς δῆτα δή δῆτα σὺ κτᾶσθαι φίλους; 1360

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ. σκληρὰν ἐπαινεῖν οὐ φιλῶ ψυχὴν ἐγώ.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ. ἡμᾶς σὺ δειλούς δι λοῦσ δειλούς τῇδε θἠμέρᾳ τῆιδέ θ᾽ ἡμέρα φανεῖς φανείσ.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ. ἄνδρας μὲν οὖν Ἕλλησι πᾶσιν ἐνδίκους.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ. ἄνωγας οὖν με τὸν νεκρὸν θάπτειν ἐᾶν;

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ. ἔγωγε· καὶ γὰρ αὐτὸς ἐνθάδ᾽ ἴξομαι. 1365

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ. ἢ πάνθ' ὅμοια ὁμοῖα· πᾶς ἀνὴρ αὑτῷ πονεῖ.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ. τῷ γάρ με μᾶλλον εἰκὸς ἢ 'μαυτῷ πονεῖν πονεῖν φρονεῖν;

Τεῦκρος

καὶ μὴν ἰδὼν ἔσπευσα τὸν στρατηλάτην

Ἀγαμέμνονʼ ἡμῖν δεῦρο τόνδʼ ὁρμώμενον·

δῆλος δέ μοὐστὶ σκαιὸν ἐκλύσων στόμα.
1225

Χορός

εἴθʼ ὑμὶν ἀμφοῖν νοῦς γένοιτο σωφρονεῖν·

τούτου γὰρ οὐδὲν σφῷν ἔχω λῷον φράσαι.
1265

Χορός

ἄναξ Ὀδυσσεῦ, καιρὸν ἴσθʼ ἐληλυθώς,

εἰ μὴ ξυνάψων, ἀλλὰ συλλύσων πάρει.

³²³³³⁴³⁵³⁶³⁷³⁸³⁹⁴⁰⁴¹⁴²⁴³

Ὀδυσσεύς

τί δʼ ἔστιν, ἄνδρες; τηλόθεν γὰρ ᾐσθόμην

βοὴν Ἀτρειδῶν τῷδʼ ἐπʼ ἀλκίμῳ νεκρῷ.

Ἀγαμέμνων

οὐ γὰρ κλύοντές ἐσμεν αἰσχίστους λόγους,
1320

ἄναξ Ὀδυσσεῦ, τοῦδʼ ὑπʼ ἀνδρὸς ἀρτίως;

Ὀδυσσεύς

ποίους; ἐγὼ γὰρ ἀνδρὶ συγγνώμην ἔχω

κλύοντι φλαῦρα συμβαλεῖν ἔπη κακά.

Ἀγαμέμνων

ἤκουσεν αἰσχρά· δρῶν γὰρ ἦν τοιαῦτά με.

Ὀδυσσεύς

τί γάρ σʼ ἔδρασεν, ὥστε καὶ βλάβην ἔχειν;
1325

Ἀγαμέμνων

οὔ φησʼ ἐάσειν τόνδε τὸν νεκρὸν ταφῆς

ἄμοιρον, ἀλλὰ πρὸς βίαν θάψειν ἐμοῦ.

Ὀδυσσεύς

ἔξεστιν οὖν εἰπόντι τἀληθῆ φίλῳ

σοὶ μηδὲν ἧσσον ἢ πάρος ξυνηρετεῖν;

Ἀγαμέμνων

εἴπʼ· ἦ γὰρ εἴην οὐκ ἂν εὖ φρονῶν, ἐπεὶ
1330

φίλον σʼ ἐγὼ μέγιστον Ἀργείων νέμω.

Ἀγαμέμνων

σὺ ταῦτʼ, Ὀδυσσεῦ, τοῦδʼ ὑπερμαχεῖς ἐμοί;

⁴⁴⁴⁵⁴⁶⁴⁷⁴⁸⁴⁹⁵⁰⁵¹

Ὀδυσσεύς

ἔγωγʼ· ἐμίσουν δʼ, ἡνίκʼ ἦν μισεῖν καλόν.

Ἀγαμέμνων

οὐ γὰρ θανόντι καὶ πρὸς ἐμβῆναί σε χρή;

Ὀδυσσεύς

μὴ χαῖρʼ, Ἀτρείδη, κέρδεσιν τοῖς μὴ καλοῖς.

Ἀγαμέμνων

τόν τοι τύραννον εὐσεβεῖν οὐ ῥᾴδιον.
1350

Ὀδυσσεύς

ἀλλʼ εὖ λέγουσι τοῖς φίλοις τιμὰς νέμειν.

Ἀγαμέμνων

κλύειν τὸν ἐσθλὸν ἄνδρα χρὴ τῶν ἐν τέλει.

Ὀδυσσεύς

παῦσαι· κρατεῖς τοι τῶν φίλων νικώμενος.

Ἀγαμέμνων

μέμνησʼ ὁποίῳ φωτὶ τὴν χάριν δίδως.

Ὀδυσσεύς

ὅδʼ ἐχθρὸς ἁνήρ, ἀλλὰ γενναῖός ποτʼ ἦν.
1355

Ἀγαμέμνων

τί ποτε ποήσεις; ἐχθρὸν ὧδʼ αἰδῇ νέκυν;

Ὀδυσσεύς

κινεῖ γὰρ ἁρετή με τῆς ἔχθρας πολύ.

Ἀγαμέμνων

τοιοίδε μέντοι φῶτες ἔμπληκτοι βροτῶν.

Ὀδυσσεύς

ἦ κάρτα πολλοὶ νῦν φίλοι καὖθις πικροί.

Ἀγαμέμνων

τοιούσδʼ ἐπαινεῖς δῆτα σὺ κτᾶσθαι φίλους;
1360

Ὀδυσσεύς

σκληρὰν ἐπαινεῖν οὐ φιλῶ ψυχὴν ἐγώ.

Ἀγαμέμνων

ἡμᾶς σὺ δειλοὺς τῇδε θἠμέρᾳ φανεῖς.

Ὀδυσσεύς

ἄνδρας μὲν οὖν Ἕλλησι πᾶσιν ἐνδίκους.

Ἀγαμέμνων

ἄνωγας οὖν με τὸν νεκρὸν θάπτειν ἐᾶν;

Ὀδυσσεύς

ἔγωγε· καὶ γὰρ αὐτὸς ἐνθάδʼ ἵξομαι.
1365

Ἀγαμέμνων

ἦ πάνθʼ ὁμοῖα· πᾶς ἀνὴρ αὑτῷ πονεῖ.

Ὀδυσσεύς

τῷ γάρ με μᾶλλον εἰκὸς ἢ ʼμαυτῷ πονεῖν;

Ἀγαμέμνων

σὸν ἆρα τοὔργον, οὐκ ἐμὸν κεκλήσεται.

Ὀδυσσεύς

ὡς ἂν ποήσῃς, πανταχῇ χρηστός γʼ ἔσῃ.

Χορός

ὅστις σʼ, Ὀδυσσεῦ, μὴ λέγει γνώμῃ σοφὸν

φῦναι, τοιοῦτον ὄντα, μῶρός ἐστʼ ἀνήρ.
1375

Ὀδυσσεύς

ἀλλʼ ἤθελον μέν· εἰ δὲ μή ʼστί σοι φίλον
1400

πράσσειν τάδʼ ἡμᾶς, εἶμʼ ἐπαινέσας τὸ σόν.

Χορός

ἦ πολλὰ βροτοῖς ἔστιν ἰδοῦσιν

γνῶναι· πρὶν ἰδεῖν δʼ οὐδεὶς μάντις

τῶν μελλόντων ὅ τι πράξει.
1420
⁶⁹⁷⁰⁷¹⁷²⁷³⁷⁴

καὶ πρὶν μὲν ἐννυχίου

δείματος ἦν μοὶ προβολὰ

καὶ βελέων θούριος Αἴας·

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ.

σὲ δὴ τὰ δεινὰ ῥήματ᾿ ἀγγέλλουσί μοι

τλῆναι καθ᾽ ἡμῶν ὧδ᾽ ἀνοιμωκτὶ ἀνοιμωκτεὶ χανεῖν·

εἴθ᾽ ὑμὶν ἀμφοῖν νοῦς γένοιτο σωφρονεῖν·

τούτου γὰρ οὐδὲν σφῶν ἔχω λῷον φράσαι om. add..
1265

ἄναξ Ὀδυσσεῦ, καιρὸν ἴσθ᾽ ἐληλυθώς,

εἰ μὴ ξυνάψων, ἀλλὰ συλλύσων πάρει.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ.

τί δ᾽ ἔστιν, ἄνδρες; τηλόθεν γὰρ ᾐσθόμην

βοὴν ᾿Ατρειδῶν τῷδ᾽ ἐπ᾿ ἀλκίμῳ νεκρῷ.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ.

οὐ γὰρ κλύοντές ἐσμεν κλύοντεσ ἐσμὲν αἰσχίστους λόγους,
1320

ἄναξ Ὀδυσσεῦ, τοῦδ᾽ ὑπ᾽ ἀνδρὸς ἀρτίως;

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ.

ποίους; ἐγὼ γὰρ ἀνδρὶ συγγνώμην ἔχω

κλύοντι φλαῦρα συμβαλεῖν ἔπη κακά.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ.

ἤκουσεν αἰσχρά· δρῶν γὰρ ἦν τοιαῦτά με.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ.

τί γάρ σ᾽ γὰρ γὰρ σ' ἔδρασεν, ὥστε καὶ βλάβην ἔχειν;
1325

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ.

οὔ φησ᾽ ἐάσειν τόνδε τὸν νεκρὸν ταφῆς

ἄμοιρον, ἀλλὰ πρὸς βίαν θάψειν ἐμοῦ ἐμοὶ σοῦ θάψειν ἐμοῦ.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ.

ἔξεστιν οὖν εἰπόντι τἀληθῆ τἀληθῆ· φίλῳ

σοὶ μηδὲν ἦσσον ἢ πάρος ξυνηρετεῖν ξυνηρεμεῖν ξυνηρετμεῖν;

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ.

εἴπ· ἢ γὰρ εἴην ἐπείγ᾽ ἂν εἴην ἦπου γ'᾽ ἂν εἴπ᾿ ἡ γὰρ εἴην οὐκ ἂν εὐ φρονῶν, ἐπεὶ
1330

φίλον σ᾽ ἐγὼ μέγιστον ᾿Αργείων νέμω.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ.

ἔγωγ· ἐμίσουν δ᾽, ἡνίκ ἦν μισεῖν καλόν.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ.

οὐ γὰρ θανόντι καὶ προσεμβῆναί σε χρή;

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ.

μὴ χαῖρ, ᾿Ατρείδη, κέρδεσιν κέρδεσι κέρδεσιν τοῖς μὴ καλοῖς.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ.

τόν τοι τύραννον εὐσεβεῖν οὐ ῥᾴδιον.
1350

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ.

ἀλλ᾽ εὖ λέγουσι τοῖς φίλοις τιμὰς νέμειν.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ.

κλύειν τὸν ἐσθλὸν ἄνδρα χρὴ τῶν ἐν τέλει.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ.

παῦσαι· κρατεῖς τοι τῶν φίλων νικώμενος.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ.

μέμνησ᾽ ὁποίῳ φωτὶ τὴν χάριν δίδως.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ.

ὅδ᾽ ἐχθρὸς ἁνήρ ἀνὴρ, ἀλλὰ γενναῖός γεναῖός ποτ᾽ ἦν.
1355

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ.

τί ποτε ποιήσεις; ἐχθρὸν ὧδ᾽ αἰδεῖ νέκυν;

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ.

νικᾷ γὰρ ἁρετή .. ρετή ἡ ῥετή ἡ ἀρετὴ ἠρετή με τῆς ἔχθρας πολύ.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ.

τοιοίδε μέντοι φῶτες ἔμπληκτοι βροτῶν βροτῶν βροτοῖς.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ.

ἢ κάρτα πολλοὶ νῦν φίλοι καὖθις πικροί.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ.

τοιούσδ᾽ ἐπαινεῖς δῆτα δή δῆτα σὺ κτᾶσθαι φίλους;
1360

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ.

σκληρὰν ἐπαινεῖν οὐ φιλῶ ψυχὴν ἐγώ.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ.

ἡμᾶς σὺ δειλούς δι λοῦσ δειλούς τῇδε θἠμέρᾳ τῆιδέ θ᾽ ἡμέρα φανεῖς φανείσ.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ.

ἄνδρας μὲν οὖν Ἕλλησι πᾶσιν ἐνδίκους.

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ.

ἄνωγας οὖν με τὸν νεκρὸν θάπτειν ἐᾶν;

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ.

ἔγωγε· καὶ γὰρ αὐτὸς ἐνθάδ᾽ ἴξομαι.
1365

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ.

ἢ πάνθ' ὅμοια ὁμοῖα· πᾶς ἀνὴρ αὑτῷ πονεῖ.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ.

τῷ γάρ με μᾶλλον εἰκὸς ἢ 'μαυτῷ πονεῖν πονεῖν φρονεῖν;

ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ.

σὸν ἆρα ἄρα ἆρα τοὔργον, οὐκ ἐμὸν κεκλήσεται.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ.

ὡς ὅσσ ὡσ ἂν ποιήσῃς ποιήσεισ ποίιζησησ ποιήσης, πανταχή πανταχοῦ γ' om. add. ἔσει.

ΧΟΡΟΣ.

ὅστις σ' om. add., Ὀδυσσεῦ, μὴ λέγει γνώμῃ γνώιμη γνώμην σοφὸν

φῦναι, τοιοῦτον ὄντα, μῶρός ἐστ᾿ ἀνήρ.
1375

Τεῦκρος

καὶ μὴν ἰδὼν ἔσπευσα τὸν στρατηλάτην

Ἀγαμέμνονʼ ἡμῖν δεῦρο τόνδʼ ὁρμώμενον·

δῆλος δέ μοὐστὶ σκαιὸν ἐκλύσων στόμα.
1225

Χορός

εἴθʼ ὑμὶν ἀμφοῖν νοῦς γένοιτο σωφρονεῖν·

τούτου γὰρ οὐδὲν σφῷν ἔχω λῷον φράσαι.
1265

Χορός

ἄναξ, Ὀδυσσεῦ, καιρὸν ἴσθʼ ἐληλυθώς,

εἰ μὴ ξυνάψων, ἀλλὰ συλλύσων πάρει.

Ὀδυσσεύς

τί δʼ ἔστιν, ἄνδρες; τηλόθεν γὰρ ᾐσθόμην

βοὴν Ἀτρειδῶν τῷδʼ ἐπʼ ἀλκίμῳ νεκρῷ.

Ἀγαμέμνων

οὐ γὰρ κλύοντές ἐσμεν αἰσχίστους λόγους,
1320

ἄναξ Ὀδυσσεῦ, τοῦδʼ ὑπʼ ἀνδρὸς ἀρτίως;

Ὀδυσσεύς

ποίους; ἐγὼ γὰρ ἀνδρὶ συγγνώμην ἔχω

κλύοντι φλαῦρα συμβαλεῖν ἔπη κακά.