Sophocles Ajax 258

Thomas Francklin (Translator)

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Teucer
Thus far is right.
The time already past doth chide our sloth :
My friends, be vigilant. Let some prepare
The hollow fosse, some o'er the sacred flame
Place the rich tripod for the funeral bath ;
Forth from the camp a chosen band must bear
1405
His glittering arms and trophies of the war.
Do thou, my child, if thou hast strength, uplift
Thy father's body. See, the veins, yet warm,
Spout forth with blood. Haste ! Help, assist me, all
Who bear the name of friends, and pay with me
For never was on earth a better man.

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.) — 258-342 focus
Αἴας First1KGreek (Sophocles. Sophoclis Fabulae. Pearson, Alfred Chilton, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1924.) — 263-347 focus
Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 258 focus
μηδενὸς ἄλλου παραπράξαντος,
Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 263-347 focus
Translations (4)
English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 258 focus
AG
And wouldst thou have us gentle to such friends?
1360
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 257 focus
Nicht mehr! Er ruht nun, schnell wie der Süd,
Der ohne den Bliz aufstürmte, sich legt. 1
245
Den Genesenen quält jezt anderes Leid;
Denn zu sehen das Unheil, das du dir selbst,
Kein Anderer sonst mitwirkend erschuf,
Das weckt unsägliche Schmerzen.
English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 258 focus
Agamemnon
Not with ease
1350
Is a king pious.
1350
English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 263-346 focus

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-835-1 ἅλις· ἤδη γὰρ 1

mvp-comment-835-2 πολὺς ἐκτέταται χρόνος 2

mvp-comment-836-1 ἀλλ’ οἱ μὲν 3

mvp-comment-836-2 κάπετον 4

mvp-comment-836-3 ταχύνετε 5

mvp-comment-837-1 τοὶ δ’ 6 τὸν δ’ 7 οἱ μέν 8

mvp-comment-837-2 ὑψίβατον τρίποδ’ 9

mvp-comment-837-3 ἀμφίπυρον … θέσθε 10

mvp-comment-837-4 λουτρῶν … ἐπίκαιρον 11

mvp-comment-837-5 ὁσίων 12

mvp-comment-838-1 ἴλη 13 τὸν ὑπασπίδιον κόσμον 14

mvp-comment-839-1 παῖ, σὺ δὲ πατρός γ’ 15 γε 16 πατρός 17 πλευρὰς 18

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

1402ff. mvp-comment-896-1 Exodos. The anapaests give the signal for departure, and probably indicate that Ajax is not to be buried in the fatal spot, but is carried off the stage in solemn procession.

1402. mvp-comment-897-1 The unseemly interruption of the Atreidae has delayed the burial.

1403-1408. mvp-comment-898-1 Perhaps the tripod and the armour were carried in the procession, which would go forth while the Chorus or the Coryphaeus chanted ll. 1418-20. During the words of Teucer, various attendants are moving to and fro, until at l. 1413 all is ready, and the procession forms.

1404-1405. mvp-comment-899-1 ταχύνετε .. θέσθ'] The digging of the grave takes time. The tripod is set up in a moment. Hence the change of tense.

1404-1406. mvp-comment-900-1 τοὶ. ἐπικαίρον] ‘Others set over the fire the tripod on its lofty stand, ready to serve for pure lustration." The words of Ajax, supr. 654, compared with 862, suggest that he bathed himself before his end. But Teucer could not know this, and in any case the lustration was necessary, especially after the self-violence. For ἀμφίπυρον, which is predicative, cp. Il. 18. 344, ἀμφὶ πυρὶ στῆσαι τρίποδα μέγαν. τοί continues the epic note struck in κοίλην κάπετον. λουτρῶν is a genitive of respect after ἐπίκαιρον, 'With a view to,' 'For the purpose of.' Cp. Thuc. 3. 92. § 5, τοῦ πολέμου καλῶς . . καθίστασθαι.

1407-1408. mvp-comment-901-1 According to the wish of Ajax expressed to the mariners, supr. 572 foll., his body-armour is to be buried with him, while the shield is leſt to Eurysaces. The Chorus must be supposed to have communicated this message to Teucer. See Introduction. Join ἐκ κλισίας φερέτω. The crowd who have gathered are now ready as one man to obey Teucer.

1409-1413. mvp-comment-902-1 'Yes, and do thou, dear boy, as far as thy strength allows, help me thus to lift thy father's frame, applying thy hands with loving care. For the darkened life-current still issues from

1409-1413. mvp-comment-902-2 the warm arteries.' The clause with γάρ gives the reason for the addition of φιλότητι θιγών. The σύριγγες are the circular mouths of the several arteries, which were imagined to be full of air, and to blow forth the blood. ἄνω is 'into the air.' Cp. Phil. 783, τόδ᾽ ἐκ βυθοῦ | κηκῖον αἷμα. Others, comparing supr. 918 (when the wound was recent), explain σύριγγες of the nostrils, and suppose Teucer merely to raise the shoulders in order to stay the flow of blood.