644-645.
mvp-comment-434-1
'A calamity such as no life of any son of Aeacus hath ever known, but only he.' Bergk's conj.,
δίων Αἰακιδᾶν, has been widely received. But
αἰών involves only an ordinary use of abstract for concrete, and agrees better with the figurative word
ἔθρεψεν.
646.
mvp-comment-435-1
If the conjecture advanced on l. 593
supr. is correct. Tecmessa and the child Eurysaces have remained on the stage in silence during the first stasimon. Ajax now unexpectedly comes forth, sword in hand, and addresses the chorus. That he dissembles with them, so far as to lead them to believe that he has abandoned his purpose of suicide, is obvious, because necessary to the situation, and is further evident on comparing 667 foll. with 835 foll., where his inmost feeling is expressed. But, just as the speech of Deianira which deceives Lichas, Trach. 436-69, contains a real indication of her character, so the studiously ambiguous words of Ajax here are the expression of an actual change of mood, -a new phase in the progress of mental recovery. The act which he contemplates is the same which he has intended from the moment of his first awakening, but he regards it in a different temper. Calm resolution has taken the place of rage, and proud submission to the inevitable that of rebellious fury. (
Cp. supr. 389.) And like Antigone, when the struggle is past, he feels the pain of parting from what has brightened life for him; he knows what is implied in leaving Tecmessa and the child. With exquisite truth as well as subtlety, Sophocles has made Ajax express his feeling and intention in words which essentially convey his true meaning, but successfully veil it from those who, if they had divined it, would have interfered. (
Supr. 329, 483). They, on the other hand, are only too readily deceived, -Tecmessa through the difficulty of believing that Ajax is hiding truth from her, and both she and the chorus through their wishes being stronger than their fears. To dissemble under any circumstances has been thought inconsistent with the native dignity of Ajax. But if this be so, it only renders the tragic contrast between his nature and his circumstances more complete. Concealment is no doubt foreign to the original bent of such a proud heroic soul. But Destiny has brought him to a point where it is inevitable, and the more so because of his first undisguised utterance,
supr. 470, foll. Let a man's native character be what it will, the passion of suicide brings with it the means for its own realization. The time that Ajax has spent within the tent appears 'like an age' to him, and he begins by reflecting generally, in a meditative tone, on the changes that are wrought by Time. He wonders at his own calmness, and professes to wonder at his change of mind.
647.
mvp-comment-436-1
φύει ἄδηλα] 'Rears out of darkness.'
Cp. Hes. Op. 6,
καὶ ἄδηλον ἀέξει. The present is used of a continual process, as in Il. 6. 147, 8,
φύλλα τὰ μέν τ' ἄνεμος χαμάδις χέει, ἄλλα δε θ' ὕλη | τηλεθύωσα φύει. E. on L. § 32. p. 54.
ἄδηλα (sc.
ὄντα) may be regarded as =
ἐξ ἀδήλων (E. on L. § 38. p. 71), but also expresses the obscurity of the first beginnings and early preparations of all things.
Cp. Shak. 2 Hen. IV. 3. 1, 'Things | As yet not come to life, which in their seeds | And weak beginnings lie intreasured, Such things become the hatch and brood of time.' As in
supr. 476,
προσθεῖσα κἀναθεῖσα, the latter part of the antithesis is most dwelt upon, viz.
καὶ φανέντα κρύπτεται, ‘And buries them in himself, after they are come into being,' although the suppression of the old purpose is virtually the revelation of the new. For
φανέντα, cf. Ο. C. 974,
φανεὶς δύστηνος, ὡς ἐγὼ 'φάνην. On the meaning of the middle voice, see Essay on L. § 31. p. 53 (where
ἑαυτήν should be
ἑαυτόν-not Earth but Time), and
cp. Aesch. Cho. 127,
καὶ γαῖαν αὐτήν, ἢ τὰ πάντα τίκτεται ('brings forth of herself').
648.
mvp-comment-437-1
ἄελπτον] An allusion to Archil. Fr. 76,
χρημάτων ἄελπτον οὐδέν ἐστιν οὐδ᾽ ἀπώμοτον. Cp. Ant. 388,
ἄναξ, βροτοῖσιν οὐδὲν ἐστ᾽ ἀπώμοτον. ἁλίσκεται] 'Is overcome.'
Cp. the use of
αἱρέω in Ant. 606,
τὰν οὔθ᾽ ὕπνος αἱρεῖ ποθ' ὁ παντογήρως.
649.
mvp-comment-438-1
'Even (
καί) the awe-inspiring oath and steeled resolve.' Neither men's resolutions, nor the sanctions by which they try to strengthen them, are permanent.
Cp. Thuc. 3. 83,
οὐ γὰρ ἦν ὁ διαλύσων οὔτε λόγος ἐχυρὸς οὔτε ὅρκος φοβερός. καί has been changed to
χαί, perhaps rightly, but see Essay on L. § 21. p. 33 b.
650-651.
mvp-comment-439-1
'Since even I, who then (
supr. 470 foll.) showed such awful resolve, hard as iron hardened in the surge-even I have lost my manhood's edge, being softened by this woman.' The clause with
ws relates to what precedes, as in Phil. 202 foll.
προὐφάνη κτύπος, φωτὸς σύντροφος ὡς τειρομένου *του.
τὰ δεινά is cogn. accus.;
cp. Ant. 408,
πρὸς σοῦ τὰ δείν᾽ ἐκεῖν᾽ ἐπηπειλημένοι. Ιη
βαφή there is perhaps a reminiscence of
supr. 351, 2,
οἷον ἄρτι κῦμα φοινίας ὑπὸ ζάλης ἀμφίδρομον κυκλεῖται. βαφῇ, an instrumental dative, depends on the idea of hardening contained in
ἐκαρτέρουν. For similar datives with active verbs,
cp. Ant. 335,
χειμερίῳ νότῳ χωρεῖ, ibid. 589,
Θρῄσσαισιν .. ἐπιδράμῃ πνοαῖς. The abruptness of this construction goes for nothing when weighed against the absurdity of joining
βαφῇ σιδηρὸς ὡς ἐθηλύνθην στόμα, 'My edge is abated, as that of iron is by the surge': although much ingenuity has been spent in defending this way of taking the words.
στόμα, as Ajax intends his speech to be apprehended, can only mean 'edge,' i.e. 'resolution,' although by a mental reservation he may understand himself to mean 'my speech (only) is softened.'
652-653.
mvp-comment-440-1
'I am wrung with pity at the thought of leaving her,' i.e. as he wishes to be understood, 'I cannot leave her for pity,' as he understands himself, 'I feel pity in leaving her.'
654-655.
mvp-comment-441-1
πρὸς λειμώνας] ‘Τo the bathing-place in the meadow by the cliff,' i. e. where the level ground narrows towards the promontory of Rhoeteum. It is probably meant that Ajax really bathes in fresh water before his last solemn act.
Cp. Eur. Alc. 159,
ὕδασι ποταμίοις. . ἐλούσατ᾽.
655-656.
mvp-comment-442-1
ἁγνίσας.. ἐξαλεύσωμαι] Το the chorus and Tecmessa
ἁγνίσας means 'by purging away,' viz in the fresh running water; to Ajax himself, 'after washing off.'
Cp. Shak. Macbeth, 2.2. 67, 'A little water clears us of this deed.'
657.
mvp-comment-443-1
'And having gone to a place where I may find a place untrodden.'
χώρον is first acc. of place after
μολών, and secondly
ἀστιβῆ χῶρον is accusative with
κίχω. Essay on L. § 36. pp. 66, 7.
658.
mvp-comment-444-1
τόδ' ἔγχος τούμόν] ‘This my sword.'
Cp. infr. 815-22, 834,899.909. 1025, 1034. Does Ajax destroy himself with the sword with which he slew the cattle? There would be a certain plausibility in his professing an intention of burying the offending weapon (
ἔχθιστον βελῶν) out of sight. But this is nowhere distinctly indicated, and the elaborate reasons connected with Hector tend rather to show that the blade had not previously been used. It is the possession and not the employment of it that is dwelt upon as of evil omen.
658-659.
mvp-comment-445-1
κρύψω.. ὀρύξας] There is again an intentional ambiguity between 'I will bury out of sight' and 'I will hide' (in my body) 'after planting' (in the earth).
γαίας, 'Somewhere in earth,' a partitive genitive of place, to be resumed with
ἕνθα. Essay on L. § 10. p. 15. A construction is easily obtained by supplying
που, the antecedent of
ἔνθα. ἔχθιστον is ambiguous between 'most hostile,'
cp. infr. 817 foll., and 'most hateful.'
660.
mvp-comment-446-1
These words are purposely ominous of Ajax' real intention. The imperative continues the prohibitive notion of
μή in the preceding line.
Cp. El. 436 foll.
κρύψον νιν, ἔνθα μή ποτ᾽ εἰς εὐνὴν .. | .. πρόσεισι .. ἀλλ᾽ ὅταν θάνῃ | κειμήλι᾿ αὐτῇ . . σωζέσθω.
661.
mvp-comment-447-1
The vivid
χειρί brings before us the scene of the exchange described by Teucer
infr. 1029 foll.
665.
mvp-comment-448-1
Cp. Eur. Med. 618,
κακοῦ γὰρ ἀνδρὸς δῶρ᾽ ὄνησιν οὐκ ἔχει.
666.
mvp-comment-449-1
τοιγάρ] «Therefore,' since I am thus out of favour and pursued by divine displeasure,
supr. 656, 663.
667.
mvp-comment-450-1
Ajax understands in his own mind, 'I will not submit to them except in death.'
Cp. Ant. 926,
παθόντες ἂν ξυγγνοῖμεν ἡμαρτηκότες.
668.
mvp-comment-451-1
τί μή;]
Cp. Aesch. Ag. 672,
λέγουσιν ἡμᾶς ὡς ὀλωλότας· τί μή; The v. r.
τιμῆ (V Pal., i.e.
τιμῇ), suggested by
τιμαῖς in
infr. 670, is a curious instance of the uncertainty that crept in when the quantities of syllables were forgotten.
669.
mvp-comment-452-1
τὰ δεινὰ καὶ τὰ καρτερώτατα] 'Things dread and masterful,' such as Winter, Night, and Tempest:
τὰ δεινά as in Ant. 334,
πολλὰ τὰ δεινά. For the thought,
cp. esp. Heraclitus, Fragm. 29 (ed. Bywater),
ἥλιος οὐχ ὑπερβήσεται μέτρα· εἰ δὲ μή, ἐρινύες μιν δίκης ἐπίκουροι ἐξευρήσουσι: Plat. Rep. 6. 500 C,
εἰς τεταγμένα ἄττα καὶ κατὰ ταὐτὰ ἀεὶ ἔχοντα ὁρῶντας καὶ θεωμένους οὔτ᾽ ἀδικοῦντα οὔτ᾽ ἀδικούμενα ὑπ᾿ ἀλλήλων, κόσμῳ δὲ πάντα καὶ κατὰ λόγον ἔχοντα, ταῦτα μιμεῖσθαι. As Schndw. observes, these common-places from Ajax' lips have a peculiarly ironical significance.
670.
mvp-comment-453-1
τιμαῖς] «Το authority:' literally, 'to official rank.' For
τιμή of an official appointment,
cp. Hdt. 7. 36,
οἶσι προσεκέετο αὕτη ἡ ἄχαρις τιμή: Ar. Pol. 3. 10, 4,
τιμὰς λέγομεν τὰς ἀρχάς. For
τοῦτο μέν with only
δé to follow,
cp. Ο. C. 440,
τοῦτο μὲν.. οἱ δ᾽ ἐπωφελεῖν, κ.τ.λ. νιφοστιβεῖς | χειμῶνες] «The wintry months whose track is marked with snow.' This (=
νιφόεντας ἔχων τοὺς στίβους) agrees better with the meaning of other compounds such as
χθονοστιβής (O.T. 301), and with the personification in
ἐκχωροῦσιν, than · 'piled with snows' (L. and S.)-'Winter withdraws his snowy footsteps.'
672.
mvp-comment-454-1
νυκτὸς αἰανὴς κύκλος] 'The weary round of Night,' which like other periods of time, is imagined as a moving sphere.
Cp. ἐνιαυτοῦ κύκλον, Eur. Or. 1645.
αἰανής] Here, as in l. 8,
εὔρινος, it is doubted whether the adj. is in the nominative or genitive,
αἰανής or
αἰανῆς. Both forms (
αἰανής, -és and
aἰανός, -ή, -όν), occur in tragedy, and the balance of the sentence is rather in favour of the nominative. See Essay on L. § 42. p. 80.
αἰανής, if derived from
aleí, has also a false association from
aủaî. See Essay on L. § 54. p. 99.
673.
mvp-comment-455-1
'For Day with his white steeds (
λευκόπωλος ἡμέρα, Aesch. Pers. 386) to make his light arise.' (L. and S. s. v.
φλέγω, Α. ⅱ.)
674.
mvp-comment-456-1
ἐκοίμισε] 'Allows to rest.' Gnomic aorist. As, in
δειλίαν ἀρεῖς, supr. 75, a passive state is expressed actively (Essay on L. § 30. p. 52), so here a negative or privative act is conceived as positive.
Cp. λύει, infr. 676. This helps the vividness of the personification. As is observed by Schndw. and G. Wolff, contrary powers are naturally assigned to the same divine being. Thus Aeolus in Od. 10. 21 is
ταμίης ἀνέμων. ἠμὲν παυέμεναι ἠδ᾽ ὀρνύμεν ὅν κ᾽ ἐθέλῃσιν, and Horace says of the South wind, '
quo non arbiter Hadriae major, tollere seu ponere vult freta.' In Il. 8. 486. the light of the setting sun is described as
ἕλκον νύκτα μέλαιναν ἐπὶ ζείδωρον ἄρουραν.
675.
mvp-comment-457-1
ἐν δ'] 'And moreover.' Sleep is not originally thought of as amongst the 'dread and masterful powers,' but is now added to the list.
678.
mvp-comment-458-1
* ἐγῷδα] ‘I am sure of it'-(that I shall know how to act with moderation). The common reading,
ἐγὼ δ' ἐπίσταμαι γάρ-can only be justified by supposing
ἡμεῖς in 677 to mean mankind in general, in which case the opposition with
dé is possible, though not very clear. But with
μαθησόμεσθα preceding (l. 667),
ἡμεῖς (unless with further explanation, as in
supr. 125) must be equivalent to
ἐγώ. And the use of
δὲ .. γάρ without apodosis is not supported by Aesch. Cho. 66,
ἐμοὶ δ᾽ ἀναγκὰν γὰρ ἀμφίπτολιν, κ.τ.λ., which is the nearest parallel. (For a superfluous
ἐγώ with
δé in apodosi,
cp. Hdt. 4. 99,
ὃς δὲ.. μὴ παραπέπλωκε, ἐγὼ δὲ ἄλλως δηλώσω.) Porson's conjecture, which is here received, requires a very slight alteration,
ῶι for
ὡ.
ἐγῷδα is idiomatic, and the form of asseveration suits with the dissembling nature of the speech.
ἐπίσταμαι γὰρ ἀρτίως] ‘For I have lately learnt '-Ajax continues the vein of commonplace, with which his real feelings are interwoven. In his own heart he means that the judgment of the arms has taught him the hollowness of friendship. But by putting the other side of the antithesis foremost he veils this sentiment under the general maxim which counsels moderation in love and hatred-
ἀθάνατον ἔχθραν μὴ φύλασσε, θνητὸς ὤν.
680.
mvp-comment-459-1
In expressing his real feeling, Ajax passes out of the impersonal mode of speaking.
682.
mvp-comment-460-1
Ср. О. С. 612, 3,
καὶ πνεῦμα ταὐτόν, κ.τ.λ.
682.
mvp-comment-460-2
τοῖς πολλοῖσι γὰρ..] He recollects his cue, and again generalizes.
Cp. Aesch. Ag. 838-840,
εἰδὼς λέγοιμ' ἄν, εὐ γὰρ ἐξεπίσταμαι, | ὁμιλίας κάτοπτρον, εἴδωλον σκιᾶς, | δοκοῦντας εἶναι κάρτα πρευμενεῖς ἐμοί.
684.
mvp-comment-461-1
ἀμφὶ .. τούτοισιν] 'For what concerns this, viz. my relation to the Atreidae, 'all shall go well.' Tecmessa need not fear lest the pride of Ajax should lead him into farther trouble.
685-686.
mvp-comment-462-1
εἴσω . . κέαρ]
εἴσω ἐλθοῦσα εὔχου θεοῖς τελεῖσθαι διὰ τέλους (ἐκεῖνα) ὧν τὸ ἐμὸν κέαρ ἐpᾷ. Tecmessa will pray that Ajax may escape from the wrath of Athena. In doing so she will unconsciously pray for the consummation of his present desires in death. The solemn phrase
διὰ τέλους .. τελεῖσθαι is prompted by the latter feeling.
687-688.
mvp-comment-463-1
ταὐτὰ τῇδέ μοι τάδε | τιμᾶτε] 'Honour these my wishes equally with her.'
ταὐτά, an adverbial accusative, like
κοινά in Ant. 546,
μή μοι θάνῃς σὺ κοινά. The eightfold alliteration with
τ in these two lines gives the effect of suppressed earnestness.
689.
mvp-comment-464-1
In this veiled manner Ajax conveys his last request to Teucer.
Cp. supr. 567,
infr. 827, 8, 990, 1.
690.
mvp-comment-465-1
The intentional vagueness, by which Ajax conceals his purpose from Tecmessa and the chorus, has an impressive solemnity for the spectator.
