Ajax. Sophocles. Thomas Francklin (Translator). London. 1758–1759.
English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) (English) (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759))
Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.
1364. mvp-comment-876-1 Agamemnon shows signs of yielding, but in doing so prepares to throw the responsibility upon Odysseus,
1365. mvp-comment-877-1 This line must be interpreted with reference to the train of thought (or of dialectic) which follows it, and which ends the dispute. Odysseus gains his object (1) by quiet firmness, (2) by representing the burial of Ajax as a favour to himself (ll. 1371, 2). He therefore does not repel, but wilily admits, the insinuation of interested motives made by Agamemnon in l. 1366. But how is Agamemnon brought to make this insinuation? According to a current explanation of l. 1365, it is by Odysseus' saying, 'I urge upon you the burial of Ajax, because I too shall come
1365. mvp-comment-877-2 to this,' viz. to death. The sentiment is a noble one, and is in accordance with Odysseus' words to Athena in supr. 124 (οὐδὲν τὸ τούτου μᾶλλον ἢ τοὐμὸν σκοπῶν). But how can it provoke even from the most short-sighted of mortals an accusation of selfishness? For the 'I' in this case is 'I and you, and all men.' It is better therefore to understand Odysseus to say, 'I urge this course upon you because I mean to follow it,' i.e. My vote in the council will be given in favour of permitting the funeral. Odysseus thus tacitly sets his moral influence against the authoritative voice of Agamemnon; whose rejoinder in 1366 is then the natural expression of a weak man in office who is losing the support of a powerful subordinate. 'It is the way of the world! Every man seeks his own ends, I see!' And Odysseus in 1367, without caring to resent the sneer, simply reaffirms his right to take a line of his own, and pleads the reasonableness of his trying to win those in authority over to his side. On which Agamemnon (1. 1368) throws the entire responsibility on Odysseus, and Odysseus says (1. 1369), 'That makes no difference. Your consent, in whatever terms it is granted, will be equally kind.' If this is rejected, l. 1366 must refer not to Odysseus' words, but merely to his attitude of dissent. l. 1367 is thus less pointed. For the meaning given to ἐνθάδ᾽ ἴξομαι, l. 1365, cp. Eur. Androm. 342, ἀλλ᾿ εἶσιν οἱ χρή, -and for ὡς ἄν, l. 1369, ср. O. C. 1361, and note.