Sophocles Ajax 364

Johann Jakob Christian Donner (Translator)

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Den Muthvollen sich, den Großherzigen,
Den Mann ohne Furcht in graunvoller Schlacht,
350
So kühn kämpft' er wider harmloses Vieh!
Weh mir des Hohnes! Welche Schmach bestrickte mich!

Ajax. Sophocles. Johann Jakob Christian Donner (Translator). . .

Current edition Experimental

German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) (German) (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review))

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (4)
Αἴας μαστιγοφόρος First1KGreek (Sophocles. Sophoclis Aiax. Lobeck Christian, editor. Berlin: Weidmann, 1866.) — 343-424 focus
Αἴας First1KGreek (Sophocles. Sophoclis Fabulae. Pearson, Alfred Chilton, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1924.) — 348-429 focus
Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 364 focus
στρ. β. ὁρᾶς τὸν θρασύν, τὸν εὐκάρδιον,
τὸν ἐν δαΐοις ἄτρεστον μάχαις,
365
ἐν ἀφόβοις με θηρσὶ δεινὸν χέρας;
ὤμοι ωἴμοι οἴμοι γέλωτος, οἷον ὑβρίσθην ἄρα.
Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 348-429 focus
Translations (4)
English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 364 focus
Aias, my lord! I entreat thee, speak not so!
English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 364 focus
Dost thou behold th\s once intrepid Ajax,
The brave, the mighty, long for strength renowned
365
And dauntless courage in the bloody iield ; j
Dost thou l)ehold him ? Oh ! what laughter now,
What vile reproach must he sustain !
My lord, my master, do not talk thus sadly.
370
Ajax \to Tecmessa]. Wilt thou not home ? Wilt not
be gone ?
English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 364 focus
Thou seest the bold, the brave, the mighty Chief,
Intrepid in the shock of hostile arms,
365
Now dreadful 'midst the herds secure of harm,
How to derision and reproach exposed!
English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 348-428 focus

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-222-1 ἴδεσθέ μ’ 1

mvp-comment-222-2 κῦμα 2 ζάλης 3 φοινίας 4

mvp-comment-222-3 ἀμφίδρομον 5 κυκλεῖται 6 κυκλοῦται 7

mvp-comment-223-1 οἴμ’ 8

mvp-comment-223-2 ἀφροντίστως ἔχει 9

mvp-comment-224-1 ναΐας ἀρωγὸν τέχνας 10

mvp-comment-225-1 ἅλιον ὃς ἐπέβας 11 ἁλίαν ὃς ἐπέβας 12 ὃς ἁλίαν ἔβας 13

mvp-comment-225-2 ὃς 14 γένος 15

mvp-comment-225-3 ἐπέβας 16

mvp-comment-225-4 ἐλίσσων 17

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

349. mvp-comment-251-1 μόνοι ἐμῶν φίλων] Sc. παρόντες, or some such word, which is expanded in what follows.

350. mvp-comment-252-1 ὀρθῷ νόμῳ] Sc. τῷ τῆς φιλίας.

351. mvp-comment-253-1 ἴδεσθέ μ᾽ οἷον, κ.τ.λ.] με is to be taken (1) after ἴδεσθε, and (2) after ἀμφίδρομον κυκλεῖται, the latter being a picturesque expansion of ἀμφικυκλεῖται. φοινίας ὑπὸ ζάλης] 'Lashed by a cruel storm.' ζάλη is a squall accompanied with rain or hail. The surge surrounding Ajax is the heap of mangled victims, together with the horror which they symbolize. For the boldness of this image, cp. El. 733, κλύδων᾿ ἔφιππον ἐν μέσῳ κυκώμενον.

354-355. mvp-comment-254-1 'Alas! It is clear thou art too true a witness.' The chorus do not immediately respond to Ajax: but, being horror-struck at what they see, express their reflections on the situation to Tecmessa. The description she has given is only too true. The meaning of μαρτυρεῖν and the coldness of l. 355, as addressed to Ajax, prove this to be the right way of understanding the words.

355. mvp-comment-255-1 ὡς ἀφροντίστως ἔχει] (1) ‘How far he is from sane,' sc. ὁ Alas, replying to supr. 347. Or possibly (2), sc. τοὔργον, 'How little of sane thought is present in it.' 'Indeed, the fact declares that thought has had no part in what is done.' For the transference of a personal attribute from the agent to the act, cp. O. C. 240, 977, τό γ' ἆκον πρᾶγμα: Aesch. Ag. 1377, ἀγὼν . . οὐκ ἀφροντίστως. · Notandus euphemismus pro μανικῶς, Herm. Cp. Shak. King Lear, 4. 6. 81, 'The safer sense will ne'er accommodate | His master thus.'

356. mvp-comment-256-1 γένος .. τέχνας] Ο brother-band of helpers, who help by shipcraft.' ναΐας . τέχνας is a descriptive genitive explaining ἀρωγόν.

357. mvp-comment-257-1 'Who didst go on board the ship and ply' ( ἑλίσσων proleptic) 'the oar of the sea,' viz. in coming to Troy. A change in the MS. reading is necessary. Some prefer to read ὃς ἁλίαν .. ἔβας, 'Who camest plying,' etc. ναῦν, suggested by πλάταν, is to be supplied with ἐπέβας.