Sophocles Ajax 678

ed. Lewis Campbell

* ἐγῷδ᾽· ἐγὼ δ' ἐπίσταμαι γὰρ ἀρτίως ὅτι

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

Current edition Experimental

Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) (Greek) (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879))

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (3)
Αἴας μαστιγοφόρος First1KGreek (Sophocles. Sophoclis Aiax. Lobeck Christian, editor. Berlin: Weidmann, 1866.) — 681-704 focus
Αἴας First1KGreek (Sophocles. Sophoclis Fabulae. Pearson, Alfred Chilton, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1924.) — 693-718 focus
Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 693-717 focus
Translations (2)
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 693 focus
Vor Freude schaudr' ich, hoch in Wonne flieg ich auf.
660
Lust, o Lust! Pan, Pan,
Pan, Pan, schreitend das Meer hindurch, 1
Vom Felshaupte Kyllene's, dem
Schneeumstürmten, herab erschein' uns,
Fürst, Anführer der Götterreigen,
665
Tänze, nysische, knosische, 2
Selbsterfonnene, mir gesellt, zu schlingen! 3
Heute gelüstet uns nach Reigen.
Schwinge dich über des Ikaros Flut heran, o Fürst Apollon, 4
Delier, komm sichtbar!
670
daß du stets gnädig um uns verweiltest!
Gegenstrophe.
English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 693-715 focus

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-398-1 ἔγωγ)· 1

mvp-comment-398-2 The vulgate

ἐγὼ δ’
may have come from
ἡμεῖς δὲ
in 677. It requires us to suppose that the poet was going to write
ἐγὼ δ’, ἐπίσταμαι γὰρ ἀρτίως
(
τοῦτο
),
τόν τ’ ἐχθρὸν ἐχθαρῶ, κ.τ.λ.
,—and then changed the constr. This is awkward. On the other hand, with
ἐγὼ δ’
, we could not supply
γνώσομαι
.

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

678. mvp-comment-458-1 * ἐγῷδα] ‘I am sure of it'-(that I shall know how to act with moderation). The common reading, ἐγὼ δ' ἐπίσταμαι γάρ-can only be justified by supposing ἡμεῖς in 677 to mean mankind in general, in which case the opposition with dé is possible, though not very clear. But with μαθησόμεσθα preceding (l. 667), ἡμεῖς (unless with further explanation, as in supr. 125) must be equivalent to ἐγώ. And the use of δὲ .. γάρ without apodosis is not supported by Aesch. Cho. 66, ἐμοὶ δ᾽ ἀναγκὰν γὰρ ἀμφίπτολιν, κ.τ.λ., which is the nearest parallel. (For a superfluous ἐγώ with δé in apodosi, cp. Hdt. 4. 99, ὃς δὲ.. μὴ παραπέπλωκε, ἐγὼ δὲ ἄλλως δηλώσω.) Porson's conjecture, which is here received, requires a very slight alteration, ῶι for ὡ. ἐγῷδα is idiomatic, and the form of asseveration suits with the dissembling nature of the speech. ἐπίσταμαι γὰρ ἀρτίως] ‘For I have lately learnt '-Ajax continues the vein of commonplace, with which his real feelings are interwoven. In his own heart he means that the judgment of the arms has taught him the hollowness of friendship. But by putting the other side of the antithesis foremost he veils this sentiment under the general maxim which counsels moderation in love and hatred- ἀθάνατον ἔχθραν μὴ φύλασσε, θνητὸς ὤν.