Sophocles Ajax 1290

Richard Jebb (Translator)

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Ajax. Sophocles. Richard Jebb (Translator). Cambridge. 1893.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.

Current edition Experimental

Ajax (English) (Sophocles the plays and fragments, Part 7: The Ajax. Jebb, Richard Claverhouse, Sir, translator. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1891. (Modernized by Perseus.))

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (2)
Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 1290 focus
δύστηνε, ποῖ βλέπων ποτ᾿ αὐτὰ αὐτὸσ καὶ θροεῖς;
1290
οὐκ οἶσθα σοῦ πατρὸς μὲν ὃς προὔφυ πατὴρ
ἀρχαῖον ὄντα Πέλοπα βάρβαρον Φρύγα;
Ἀτρέα δ᾽, ὃς αὖ σ᾽ ἔσπειρε, δυσσεβέστατον
προθέντ᾽ προσθέντ’ ἀδελφῷ δεῖπνον οἰκείων τέκνων;
αὐτὸς αὖθισ δὲ μητρὸς ἐξέφυς Κρήσσης, ἐφ' ἡ
1295
λαβὼν ἐπακτὸν ἄνδρ᾽ ὁ φιτύσας φυτεύσας πατὴρ
ἐφῆκεν ἐλλοῖς ἰχθύσιν διαφθοράν.
Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 1290 focus
Translations (4)
English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 1290 focus
Who was thy father’s father? A barbarian,
1290
Pelops, the Phrygian, if you trace him far!
And what was Atreus, thine own father? One
Who served his brother with the abominable
Dire feast of his own flesh. And thou thyself
Cam’st from a Cretan mother, whom her sire
1295
Caught with a man who had no right in her
And gave dumb fishes the polluted prey.
Such was thy race. What is the race thou spurnest?
My father, Telamon, of all the host
Being foremost proved in valour, took as prize
1300
My mother for his mate: a princess she,
Born of Laomedon; Alcmena’s son
Gave her to grace him—a triumphant meed.
Thus royally descended and thus brave,
Shall I renounce the brother of my blood,
1305
Or suffer thee to thrust him in his woes
Far from all burial, shameless that thou art?
Be sure that, if ye cast him forth, ye’ll cast
Three bodies more beside him in one spot;
For nobler should I find it here to die
1310
In open quarrel for my kinsman’s weal,
Than for thy wife—or Menelaüs’, was ’t?
Consider then, not my case, but your own.
For if you harm me you will wish some day
To have been a coward rather than dare me.
1315
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 1290 focus
Mit welcher Stirne rufst du das, Unseliger?
Denn weißt du nicht, daß deines Vaters Vater auch,
Der alte Pelops, ein Barbar, ein Phryger war?
1245
Daß dessen Sohn, dein Vater Atreus, Bösewicht,
Als Mahl dem Bruder seine Kinder vorgesezt?
Du selber sprossest aus dem Schooß der Kreterin,
Die dort der eigne Vater, der bei'm Buhlen sie
Betraf, den stummen Fischen hin zum Kaube warf.
1250
Solch Einer, schmähst du solchen Stamm, dem ich entsproß?
Ich bin des edlen Vaters Sohn, des Telamon,
Dem, als der erste Siegeslohn in Argos' Heer,
Sich meine Mutter anvermählt, Laomedons, 1
Des Königs, ächte Tochter; ihm gewährte sie
1255
Alkmene's Sohn als auserles'nen Kriegesdank.
Solch edler Art von edlem Paare stamm' ich her,
Und sollte schänden lassen mein verwandtes Blut,
Ihn, den du jezt, in solche bittre Noth versenkt,
Grablos hinauswirfst, und es ohne Scham bekennst?
1260
Nein, sei versichert, werset ihr den Mann hinaus,
So werft ihr uns auch, drei zugleich, hinaus mit ihm!
Denn offenbar ruhmvoller ist es mir, für ihn
In heißem Kampf zu fallen, als für deine Frau
Zu sterben oder (mein' ich) für Menelaos' Weib.
1265
Bedenke denn dein Bestes, nicht das meinige:
Denn so du mich verlezest, wirst du lieber feig
Dereinst erscheinen wollen, als beherzt an mir.
Odysseus. Die Vorigen.
English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 1290 focus
This way I bent my hasty steps to meet
The Grecian chief, who hither comes prepared
To vent his keen reproaches.
'Twill be thy portion soon, unless thou learnst
More wisdom ; henceforth, mindful what thou art.
Bring with thee one of nobler blood to plead
English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 1290 focus
Thy father's father, Pelops of old times,
1290
Was a barbarie Phrygian: know'st thou this?
Know'st thou that Atreus was thy sire, of men
Most impious, to his brother at a feast
Who served up his own sons. From Crete her birth
Thy mother drew; and when thy father found:
His bed polluted with adulterous lust,
1295
He cast her to the monsters of the main......
From such art thou descended; and my birth
Darest thou revile, from Telamon derived,
My father, whose illustrious deeds in arms.
Shone with the brightest splendor, and obtain'd
1300
My mother to his bed, of royal blood,
The daughter of Laomedon, the prize.
Of highest honour by Alcides giv'n'?...
Thus noble, and from noble parents sprung,
Should I dishonour those whose blood I share,
Whom thou, thus miserably fall'n, wou'dst cast
1305
Unburied forth? Nor dost thou blush, this threat
Denouncing. But of this be thou assured,
Him if your violence cast forth, us three
Shall it cast forth together with him laid.
To me more glorious 'midst this honest toil
1310
I deem it in a brother's cause to die,
Than for thy wife, or for thy brother's. Go,
Of me regardless, yet regard thyself:
Me if thou wrong, thou shalt have cause to wish
That coward fear had check'd thy daring pride.
1315

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-763-1 δύστηνε 1

mvp-comment-763-2 καὶ θροεῖς 2

mvp-comment-764-1 Construe:

οὐκ οἶσθα ἀρχαῖον Πέλοπα, ὃς σοῦ πατρὸς πατὴρ προὔφυ, ὄντα βάρβαρον, Φρύγα;
The phrase
ἀρχαῖον Πέλοπα
, ‘Pelops of old,’ indicates him as the founder of Agamemnon's royal house. Others take
ἀρχαῖον
adverbially with
ὄντα βάρβαρον
, ‘a barbarian by origin.’ But such a use of
ἀρχαῖος
is strange, and seems to be without parallel.

mvp-comment-764-2 Φρύγα 3

mvp-comment-765-1 δυσσεβέστατον 4

mvp-comment-765-2 ἀδελφῷ 5

mvp-comment-766-1 Κρήσσης 6

mvp-comment-767-1 ἐπακτὸν 7

mvp-comment-767-2 ὁ φιτύσας πατήρ 8 πατὴρ 9 σ’ Ἀτρεὺς 10 σ’ ἀνὴρ 11

mvp-comment-768-1 ἐφῆκεν … διαφθοράν 12

mvp-comment-768-2 ἐλλοῖς 13

mvp-comment-769-1 ἐκ πατρὸς μὲν 14

mvp-comment-770-1 ὅστις 15

mvp-comment-770-2 τὰ πρῶτ’ 16

mvp-comment-771-1 ἴσχει 17

mvp-comment-771-2 φύσει μὲν 18

mvp-comment-772-1 βασίλεια 19

mvp-comment-772-2 Λαομέδοντος 20

mvp-comment-772-3 ἔκκριτον 21

mvp-comment-773-1 ἄριστος 22 ἀριστεὺς 23

mvp-comment-773-2 ἀριστέοιν 24

mvp-comment-773-3 τοὺς πρὸς αἵματος 25

mvp-comment-774-1 τοιοῖσδ’ ἐν πόνοισι κειμένους 26

mvp-comment-774-2 ὠθεῖς 27

mvp-comment-774-3 οὐδ’ ἐπαισχύνει λέγων 28

mvp-comment-775-1 βαλεῖτέ που 29

mvp-comment-775-2 χἡμᾶς τρεῖς 30

mvp-comment-775-3 συγκειμένους 31

mvp-comment-776-1 καλόν μοι 32 προδήλως 33

mvp-comment-776-2 τῆς σῆς … ἢ τοῦ σοῦ γ’ ὁμαίμονος λέγω 34

mvp-comment-776-3 For ἢ … λέγω 35

mvp-comment-777-1 τοὐμόν 36

mvp-comment-778-1 ἐν ἐμοί 37

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

1290. mvp-comment-824-1 'Poor man! and what can you be thinking of when you say it?' i. e. 'How can you be so blind?' αὐτά refers to the general sense of the preceding words, as constantly in Thucydides. καί is to be taken closely with the interrogative.

1292. mvp-comment-825-1 'That Pelops was originally a barbarian Phrygian.' The adjective, as suppl. pred., has the force of an adverb, i. e. ἀρχῆθεν or τὸ ἀρχαῖον. Cp. Ant. 593, ἀρχαῖα τὰ Λαβδακιδᾶν, κ.τ.λ. Perhaps τἀρχαῖον should be read. For Φρύγα (a word always used contemptuously, as in Eur. Alc. 675, πότερα Λυδὸν ἢ Φρύγα, κ.τ.λ.), cp. Hdt. 7. 11, Πέλοψ ὁ Φρύξ.

1293. mvp-comment-826-1 ὃς αὖ σ᾽ ἔσπειρε] These words, with δέ, point the antithesis to σοῦ πατρὸς μὲν.. πατήρ, supr. 1291. δυσσεβέστατον has been joined with σέ, and by some with ᾿Ατρέα. But for the addition of this epithet to δεῖπνον οἰκείων τέκνων, to which Hermann objects, cp. O. C. 945, 6, οὐδ᾽ ὅτῳ γάμοι | ξυνόντες εὑρέθησαν ἀνόσιοι τέκνων, Ant. 514.

1297. mvp-comment-827-1 'Gave her up to be devoured by dumb fishes.' The ancient Scholiast says: ἡ ἱστορία ἐν ταῖς Κρήσσαις Εὐριπίδου, ὅτι διαφθαρεῖσαν αὐτὴν λάθρα ὑπὸ θεράποντος, ὁ πατὴρ Ναυπλίῳ παρέδωκεν, ἐντειλάμενος ἀποποντῶσαι· ὁ δὲ οὐκ ἐποίησεν, ἀλλ᾽ ἐνεγγύησε Πλεισθένει. (It is possible also to suppose ὁ φ. πατήρ to mean Atreus, and ἔπακτον ἄνδρα Thyestes.) For the aggravation of the taunt in ἐλλοῖς ἰχθύσιν, cp. Il. 21. 201-4, τὸν δὲ κατ᾿ αὐτόθι λεῖπεν, ἐπεὶ φίλον ἦτορ ἀπηύρα, | κείμενον ἐν ψαμάθοισι, δίαινε δέ μιν μέλαν ὕδωρ. | τὸν μὲν ἄρ᾽ ἐγχέλυές τε καὶ ἰχθύες ἀμφεπένοντο, | δημὸν ἐρεπτόμενοι ἐπινεφρίδιον κείροντες. διαφθοράν is either (1) accusative in apposition with the sentence, expressing the result of the action, or (2) abstract for concrete, in apposition with αὐτήν understood as the object of ἐφῆκεν. Cp. Aesch. Prom. 582 foll., πυρί με φλέξον .. ἢ ποντίοις δάκεσι δὸς βοράν.

1298. mvp-comment-828-1 τοιῷδ'] Herm. preferred τοιάνδ', which is found in some MSS.

1299. mvp-comment-829-1 πατρὸς μέν] The δέ answering to this μέν ( μητρὸς δὲ βασιλείας, or the like) is lost through the introduction of the relative clause in l. 1300.

1301. mvp-comment-830-1 ἴσχει] Historical present.

1302. mvp-comment-831-1 βασίλεια, Λαομέδοντος] 'A princess, daughter of Laomedon.'

1302-1303. mvp-comment-832-1 ἔκκριτον δέ νιν, κ.τ.λ.] This shows that she was not only the noblest, but the most beautiful.

1304-1305. mvp-comment-833-1 'Should I, thus nobly born from princes on both sides, reflect disgrace upon my kin?' Cp. Il. 6. 208-10, αἰὲν ἀριστεύειν . . μηδὲ γένος πατέρων αἰσχυνέμεν, οἱ μέγ᾽ ἄριστοι | ἔν τ᾽ Ἐφύρῃ ἐγένοντο καὶ ἐν Λυκίῃ εὐρείῃ.

1306. mvp-comment-834-1 τοιοῖσδ᾽ ἐν πόνοισι κειμένους] Cp. supr. 924, ὡς καὶ παρ᾿ ἐχθροῖς ἄξιος θρήνων τυχεῖν.

1307. mvp-comment-835-1 οὐδ᾽ ἐπαισχύνει λέγων] ‘And are not ashamed to speak of it.' Cp. Phil. 929 and note.

1308. mvp-comment-836-1 τοῦτον εἰ βαλεῖτέ που] ‘If ye shall cast him forth, no matter where.' Cp. infr. 1333, ἄθαπτον . . βαλεῖν.

1309. mvp-comment-837-1 'It will not be till ye have laid low us three together with him.' Teucer, Eurysaces, and Tecmessa, will die in defending the corpse. Others, following Triclinius, understand the meaning to be, 'If you attempt to cast him forth, you will lay me and yourself beside him, three laid together.'

1310. mvp-comment-838-1 ὑπερπονουμένῳ] For the middle voice, cp. El. 399, πεσούμεθ', εἰ χρή, πατρὶ τιμωρούμενοι.

1311. mvp-comment-839-1 προδήλως] Teucer means by this that it would be more glorious to die in open quarrel for Ajax than to find an obscure grave amongst those whom he spoke of, supr. 1112, as οἱ πόνου πολλοῦ πλέῳ.

1312. mvp-comment-840-1 Erfurdt's correction (see v. rr.) appears necessary. It is barely possible that ἢ.. τε may = ἢ καί, but far more probable that γε was changed to τε by accident, and τε to θε by mistaken correction. And γε is expressive, 'Ay, or shall I say?' as if replying to a tacit demurrer. Teucer in his anger, like Achilles in Il. 9. 327, δάρων ἕνεκα σφερεράων, does not choose to discriminate nicely the relation of Helen to the Atreidae.

1313. mvp-comment-841-1 ὅρα μὴ τοὐμόν] Cp. supr. 1255, 6, καὶ σοὶ προσέρπον τοῦτ᾽ ἐγὼ τὸ φάρμακον | ὁρῶ, where Agamemnon professes to warn Teucer for his good.

1315. mvp-comment-842-1 θρασύς] Sc. γεγενῆσθαι.