Sophocles Ajax 216

Thomas Francklin (Translator)

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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 ;

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.) — 215-257 focus
Αἴας First1KGreek (Sophocles. Sophoclis Fabulae. Pearson, Alfred Chilton, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1924.) — 214-262 focus
Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 216 focus
μανίᾳ γὰρ ἁλοὺς ἡμὶν ἡμῖν ἡμὶν ὁ κλεινὸς
Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 214-262 focus
Translations (4)
English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 216 focus
TEU
And Aias was thy foeman? Where and when?
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 221 focus
Ha, welchen Ruf offenbarst du, Frau, von dem grimmigen Mann,
Ha, schrecklich, unentrinnbar!
Ruchtbar gemacht von den Fürsten des Danaerheers,
220
Mehrt ihn die stets wachsende Sage.
Bang ahn' ich, bang, was mir herannaht! Vor den Augen Aller
Erschlägt ihn auch die wahnsinnige Hand, die eben
Mit bluttriefendem Stahle die Heerden mordet' und die Hirten.
English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 216 focus
Chorus
1091
Do not, O king of Sparta, from thy lips
Whilst wisdom speaks its dictates, wrong the dead.
English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 214-260 focus

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-734-1 κακοῖς βαλεῖτε 1

mvp-comment-734-2 σὺν δόλῳ 2

mvp-comment-734-3 κεντήσεθ’ 3

mvp-comment-734-4 οἱ λελειμμένοι 4

mvp-comment-735-1 ἐκ τῶνδε … τῶν τρόπων 5

mvp-comment-735-2 κατάστασις 6

mvp-comment-736-1 τοὺς … νικῶντας 7

mvp-comment-736-2 ἐξωθήσομεν 8

mvp-comment-736-3 τοὺς ὄπισθεν 9

mvp-comment-737-1 εἰρκτέον τάδ’ 10 πλατεῖς 11 εὐρύνωτοι 12

mvp-comment-738-1 οἱ φρονοῦντες εὖ 13

mvp-comment-739-1 ὑπὸ … πορεύεται 14

mvp-comment-739-2 σμικρᾶς 15

mvp-comment-739-3 ὀρθὸς 16

mvp-comment-740-1 φάρμακον 17

mvp-comment-740-2 νοῦν κατακτήσει 18 τινά 19

mvp-comment-741-1 ἀνδρὸς οὐκέτ’ ὄντος 20 ὑβρίζεις 21

mvp-comment-741-2 σκιᾶς 22

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

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.