Sophocles Ajax 125

Thomas Francklin (Translator)

Table of Contents

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

View: By Card
← Previous Next →
Tecmessa
Undone Tecmessa !
Whence are his fears ? who told him 'twould be fatal ?

Ajax. Sophocles. Thomas Francklin (Translator). London. 1758–1759.

Current edition Experimental

English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) (English) (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759))

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (4)
Αἴας μαστιγοφόρος First1KGreek (Sophocles. Sophoclis Aiax. Lobeck Christian, editor. Berlin: Weidmann, 1866.) — 172-201 focus
Αἴας First1KGreek (Sophocles. Sophoclis Fabulae. Pearson, Alfred Chilton, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1924.) — 172-200 focus
Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 125 focus
ὁρῶ γὰρ ἡμᾶς οὐδὲν ὄντας ἄλλο πλὴν
125
Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 172-200 focus
Translations (4)
English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 125 focus
TEC
My fears, my fears!
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 134 focus
Telamonischer Sohn, der Salamis' Höh'n 1
Am ringsumwogten Gestade beherrscht,
135
Ich freue mich, lächelt das Glück dir.
Doch wann Zeus' Groll und ein zorniges Wort
Aus Danaermunde dich feindlich betraf,
Da faßt mich die Angst, ich erbebe vor Furcht,
Wie das Auge des flatternden Täubchens. 2
140
So hat von der jüngst entschwundenen Nacht
Uns mächtiger Schreck und Entsezen erfüllt
Bei dem schmähenden Ruf, du hab'st in der Au,
In der Rosse Gefild' einstürmend, dem Heer
Das erbeutete Vieh,
145
Das übrig allein von dem Raube noch war,
Mit flammendem Eisen gemordet.
Solch höhnende Reden ersinnt uns keck,
Und zischelt Odysseus Allen in's Ohr,
Und sie glauben ihm leicht; denn er meldet von dir,
150
Was gerne man glaubt, und wer es vernimmt,
Der freut sich noch mehr, denn der es erzählt,
Treibt Spott mit deiner Bedrängniß.
Denn send' auf mächtige Geister den Pfeil,
Nie fehlst du das Ziel; wer aber von uns
155
Solch Arges erzählt, dem glauben sie nicht.
Stets kriecht ja der Neid an die Großen heran.
Und dennoch sind, von den Großen getrennt,
Die Geringen der Burg ein betrüglicher Schuz;
Mit dem Großen ja hebt der Geringe sich leicht,
160
Und der Große, gestüzt von dem Kleinen, empor.
Doch ist es unmöglich, der Thoren Geschlecht
Von diesem Gesez zu belehren.
Solch alberner Männer Geschrei stürmt, Herr,
Auf dich, und uns ward nimmer die Kraft,
165
Dawider zu steh'n, so gesondert von dir.
Denn, flohen sie dir aus den Blicken hinweg,
Dann tosen sie laut, wie Vögel im Schwarm;
Doch bebten sie scheu vor dem mächtigen Aar,
Und verkröchen, sobald du plözlich erschienst,
170
Sich alsbald schweigend und lautlos.
Strophe.
English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 125 focus
Tecmessa
Speak words of happier import.
English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 172-200 focus

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-474-1 ἕτοιμος 1 ἔργου 2 ποδῶν 3

mvp-comment-474-2 Tecmessa now leaves the scene by the entrance on the spectator's left, leading to the open country. The Messenger, with the servants of Ajax, goes out on the spectator's right, as being bound for the Greek camp.

mvp-comment-474-3 The Chorus leave the orchestra in two

ἡμιχόρια
, one by the
πάροδος
on the right, the other by that on the left. The withdrawal of the Chorus from the orchestra during the course of a play was called
μετάστασις
: their return,
ἐπιπάροδος
. The other extant examples are:—(1) Aesch. Eum.:
μετάστασις
at v. 231:
ἐπιπάροδος
at v. 299. (2) Eur. Alc.:
μ.
, Eur. Alc. 746 :
ἐ.
, Eur. Alc. 872. (3) Helen. :
μ.
, 385:
ἐ.
, 515. (4) Ar. Eccl.:
μ.
, Ar. Eccl. 310 :
ἐ.
, Ar. Eccl. 478.

mvp-comment-474-4 A change of scene is now supposed to take place, from the ground in front of the tent of Ajax to a lonely spot on the sea-shore, with trees or bushes (

νάπος
, 892). We do not know how this change was managed. (1) It may have been indicated merely by removing the hangings on the back-wall which represented the
σκηνή
of Ajax. This is MA. üller's view ( Gr. Bühnenalterthümer, p. 162). (2) Wecklein supposes that a back-wall, representing the
σκηνή
, was drawn back on right and left, disclosing the new scene.—We cannot assume the use of
περίακτοι
in the poet's time (cp. note at the beginning of the play). Had they been in use, the
περίακτος
on the spectator's left could have turned, so as to represent a new locality (
τόπος
). The right-hand
περίακτος
, indicating the region in which the whole action takes place (
χώρα
), would not have been changed.

mvp-comment-474-5 The only other Greek play in which a change of scene is certain is the Eumenides, where the action begins at the temple of the Delphian Apollo, and passes at v. 235 to that of Athena Polias at Athens. This may have been marked merely by substituting a statue of Athena for one of Apollo.

mvp-comment-474-6 815 Ajax is standing at the side of the scene on the spectator's right, near the underwood which screens him when he falls—so that his body is not at first visible to the Chorus when they return to the orchestra, but could be seen by Tecmessa, when she comes on the scene from the left. The point of the sword could probably be seen by the audience. Hesychius quotes Polemon, the sophist in Hadrian's age, as saying that the

συσπαστὸν
was used
ἐν Αἴαντος ὑποκρίσει
. It was a short stage-sword, of which the blade ran back; otherwise called
ἀνδρόμητον
(Hesych., which some refer to
ἀναδραμεῖν
), or
ἀνδρομηρόν
. Cp. Achilles Tatius 3. 20
ὁ σίδηρος εἴσω καταδύεται, τούτῳ δ’...ἐν τοῖς θεάτροις ἐχρῆτο πρὸς τὰς κιβδήλους σφαγάς
.

mvp-comment-474-7 The antithesis to ὁ μὲν σφαγεὺς 4 ἐκ δὲ τῶνδε 5

mvp-comment-474-8 σφαγεὺς 6

mvp-comment-474-9 τομώτατος 7

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

814. mvp-comment-529-1 καὶ ποδῶν is added to define ἔργου further. Exeunt Chorus severally by the two side doors. Cp. supr. 805.