Sophocles Ajax 68

ed. Lewis Campbell

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.) — 1-171 focus
Αἴας First1KGreek (Sophocles. Sophoclis Fabulae. Pearson, Alfred Chilton, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1924.) — 1-171 focus
Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 1-171 focus
Translations (5)
English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 68 focus
CH
I feel thy reasoning move me, and I fear
Some heavenly stroke hath fallen. How else, when the end
Of stormy sickness brings no cheering ray?
280
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 74 focus
Was thust du, Pallas? Nimmermehr ruf' ihn heraus -
English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 68 focus
Chorus
He seems to rave,
Or mourns, reflecting on his madness past.
English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 68 focus
Tecmessa
284
Thou shalt know all, as one that shares the grief.
The night was far advanced, the evening lamps
No longer blazed, when grasping in his hand
His dreadful sword, he bent his eager steps
Towards the passes from all haunt now clear;
285
I gently chide him, What thy purpose now?..
285
Of herald calls thee, nor the trumpet's sound,
285
Why thus rush forth? Now all the army sleeps.
Few were his words, the tune of every tongue,..
"To women silence gives their proper grace."
I stood rebuked, he issued forth alone.
What then befel I know not: he return'd
Driving in bonds the bulls, the herdsmen's dogs,
And lowing herds; some by his sword was slain,
And hewn in pieces; some like captives bound,
Raging against the flocks, he scourged as men.
At length he issued from the tent, and held
Long converse with some shadow; of the sons
Of Atreus much, and of Ulysses much
He spoke, and laugh'd aloud, how their base deeds
He in this sally amply had revenged.
290
Slow he regain'd; but when he saw the ground
290
With carnage cover'd thus, he smote his head,
290
And raised a mournful cry; then prostrate lay
Stretch'd 'midst the havoc of the slaughter'd flocks,
Rending with violence his hair. Long time
He lay, nor utter'd word; with rigorous threats
Then bade me tell him every circumstance
Of what had pass'd, and whence the carnage ask'd
That lay around him: struck with fear, my friends,
Distinct I told him all that had been done,
Far as I knew it; strait with mournful cries
Loud he lamented; such from him before
I never heard; for wailings he disdain'd
As marks of base and abject minds, nor gave
His griefs a voice, but like a murmuring bull
Groan'd inwardly: and now in this ill plight,
295
Refusing to be cheer'd with food or wine,
295
Grovelling amidst the slaughter'd herds he sits
295
In gloomy silence, forming in his mind
Some ill intent; this his imperfect words
And griefs denote. But, O my friends, (this cause
Impell'd me forth to seek you) go to him,
Give him your aid, if aught avails your pow'r;
Oft on such minds the words of friends prevail.
English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 1-170 focus

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-57-1 μηδὲ συμφορὰν δέχου τὸν ἄνδρα 1 δέχου 2

mvp-comment-57-2 ἀποστρόφους 3 ἀπείρξω … εἰ<*>ιδεῖν 4

mvp-comment-57-3 These three verses have been rejected (cr. n.), on the ground that, after this promise from Athena, Odysseus had no cause to feel the alarm which he shows in vv. 74 ff., or to ask the question (v. 84) which elicits a renewal of that promise (85). But the poet wished to render the preparation for the hero's entrance as impressive as possible; and chose, therefore, to represent Odysseus—a brave man—as still uneasy, until the assurance given to him had been repeated in a yet more explicit and emphatic form.

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

68. mvp-comment-55-1 συμφορὰν δέχου τὸν ἄνδρα] 'Look for his coming as a misfortune:' sc. ὡς συμφοράν. Cp. Ο. C. 142, μή μ', ἱκετεύω, προσίδητ᾽ ἄνομον. And see E. on L. § 39. p. 73.