Sophocles, Ajax, ed. Francis Storr, 1168

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Τεῦκρος

καὶ μὴν ἐς αὐτὸν καιρὸν οἵδε πλησίοι

πάρεισιν ἀνδρὸς τοῦδε παῖς τε καὶ γυνή,

τάφον περιστελοῦντε δυστήνου νεκροῦ.
1170

ὦ παῖ, πρόσελθε δεῦρο καὶ σταθεὶς πέλας

ἱκέτης ἔφαψαι πατρός, ὅς σʼ ἐγείνατο.

θάκει δὲ προστρόπαιος ἐν χεροῖν ἔχων

κόμας ἐμὰς καὶ τῆσδε καὶ σαυτοῦ τρίτου,

ἱκτήριον θησαυρόν. εἰ δέ τις στρατοῦ
1175

βίᾳ σʼ ἀποσπάσειε τοῦδε τοῦ νεκροῦ,

κακὸς κακῶς ἄθαπτος ἐκπέσοι χθονός,

γένους ἅπαντος ῥίζαν ἐξημημένος,

αὔτως ὅπωσπερ τόνδʼ ἐγὼ τέμνω πλόκον.

ἔχʼ αὐτόν, ὦ παῖ, καὶ φύλασσε, μηδέ σε
1180

κινησάτω τις, ἀλλὰ προσπεσὼν ἔχου.

ὑμεῖς τε μὴ γυναῖκες ἀντʼ ἀνδρῶν πέλας

παρέστατʼ, ἀλλʼ ἀρήγετʼ, ἔστʼ ἐγὼ μολὼν

τάφου μεληθῶ τῷδε, κἂν μηδεὶς ἐᾷ.

Ajax. Sophocles. ed. Francis Storr. London. 1913.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.

Current edition Experimental

Αἴας (Greek) (Sophocles, Volume 2. Storr, Francis, editor. London; New York: William Heinemann Ltd.; The Macmillan Company, 1913.)

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (3)

Αἴας μαστιγοφόρος First1KGreek (Sophocles. Sophoclis Aiax. Lobeck Christian, editor. Berlin: Weidmann, 1866.) — 1161-1196 focus

str. 1

ΧΟΡΟΣ

1185 Τις ἄρα νέατος; ἐς πότε λήξει

πολυπλάγκτων ἐτέων ἀριθμὸς,

τὰν ἄπαυστον αἰὲν ἐμοὶ

δορυσσόντων μόχθων

ἄταν ἐπάγων
1165

1190 ἀνὰ τὰν εὐρώδη Τροίαν.

δύστανον ὄνειδος

ant. 1

ὄφελε πρότερον αἰθέρα δῦναι

μέγαν ἢ τὸν πολύκοινον Ἅιδαν

κεῖνος ἀνὴρ, ὃς στυγερῶν

1170

1195 ἔδειξ’ ὅπλων Ἕλλα-

σιν κοινὸν Ἄρη.

ὦ πόνοι πρόγονοι πόνων.

κεῖνος γὰρ ἔπερσεν ἀνθρώπους.

str. 2

ΧΟΡΟΣ

2

ἐκεῖνος οὐ στεφάνων,
1175

1200 οὔτε βαθειᾶν κυλίκων

νεῖμεν ἐμοὶ τέρψιν ὁμιλεῖν,

οὔτε γλυκὺν αὐλῶν ὄτοβον,

δύςμορος, οὔτ’ ἐννυχίαν

τέρψιν ἰαύειν· ἐρώτων δ’
1180

1205 ἐρώτων ἀπέπαυσεν, ὤ μοι!

κεῖμαι δ’ ἀμέριμνος οὕτως,

ἀεὶ πυκιναῖς δρόσοις

τεγγόμενος κόμας,

λυγρᾶς μνήματα Τροίας. 1210
1185

ant. 2

ΧΟΡΟΣ

2

Καὶ πρὶν μὲν ἐννυχίου

δείματος ἦν μοι προβολὰ

καὶ βελέων θούριος Αἴας·

νῦν δ’ οὗτος ἀνεῖται στυγερῷ

δαίμονι· τίς μοι, τίς ἔτ’ οὖν 1215
1190

τέρψις ὲπέσται,- γενοίμαν,

ἵν’ ὑλᾶεν ἔπεστι πόντου

πρόβλημ’ ἁλίκλυστον, ἄκραν

1220 ὑπὸ πλάκα Σουνίου,

τὰς ἱερὰς ὅπως
1195

προςείποιμ’ ἂν Ἀθανᾶς.

Αἴας First1KGreek (Sophocles. Sophoclis Fabulae. Pearson, Alfred Chilton, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1924.) — 1185-1222 focus

str. 1

Χορός

τίς ἄρα νέατος ἐς πότε λή-
1185

ξει πολυπλάγκτων ἐτέων ἀριθμός,

τὰν ἄπαυστον αἰὲν ἐμοὶ δορυσσοή-

των μόχθων ἄταν ἐπάγων

τάνδʼ ἀνʼ εὐρυεδῆ Τροίαν,
1190

δύστανον ὄνειδος Ἑλλάνων;

ὄφελε πρότερον αἰθέρα δῦ-

¹²³⁴⁵⁶⁷⁸

ant. 1

Χορός

ναι μέγαν ἢ τὸν πολύκοινον Ἅιδαν

κεῖνος ἁνήρ, ὃς στυγερῶν ἔδειξεν ὅ-
1195

πλων Ἕλλασιν κοινὸν Ἄρη.

ὦ πόνοι πρόγονοι πόνων.

κεῖνος γὰρ ἔπερσεν ἀνθρώπους.

ἐκεῖνος οὔτε στεφάνων

οὔτε βαθειᾶν κυλίκων
1200

str. 2

Χορός

2

νεῖμεν ἐμοὶ τέρψιν ὁμιλεῖν,

οὔτε γλυκὺν αὐλῶν ὄτοβον

δύσμορος οὔτʼ ἐννυχίαν

τέρψιν ἰαύειν·

ἐρώτων δʼ
1205

ἐρώτων ἀπέπαυσεν, ὤ-

⁹¹⁰¹¹¹²¹³¹⁴¹⁵

μοι. κεῖμαι δʼ ἀμέριμνος οὕ-

τως, ἀεὶ πυκιναῖς δρόσοις

τεγγόμενος κόμας, λυγρᾶς

μνήματα Τροίας.
1210

ant. 2

Χορός

καὶ πρὶν μὲν αἰὲν νυχίου

δείματος ἦν μοι προβολὰ

καὶ βελέων θούριος Αἴας·

νῦν δʼ οὗτος ἀνεῖται στυγερῷ

δαίμονι. τίς μοι, τίς ἔτʼ οὖν
1215

τέρψις ἐπέσται;

γενοίμαν

ἴνʼ ὑλᾶεν ἔπεστι πόν-

του πρόβλημʼ ἁλίκλυστον, ἄ-

κραν ὑπὸ πλάκα Σουνίου,
1220

τὰς ἱερὰς ὅπως προσεί-

ποιμεν Ἀθάνας.

Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 1168 focus

καὶ μὴν ἐς αὐτὸν καιρὸν οἶδε πλησίοι

πάρεισιν ἀνδρὸς τοῦδε παῖς τε καὶ γυνή,

τάφον περιστελοῦντε δυστήνου νεκροῦ.
1170

ὦ παῖ, πρόσελθε δεῦρο, καὶ σταθεὶς πέλας

ἱκέτης ἔφαψαι πατρός, ὅς σ᾽ ἐγείνατο.

θάκει δὲ προστρόπαιος ἐν χεροῖν ἔχων

κόμας ἐμὰς καὶ τῆσδε καὶ σαυτοῦ τρίτου,

ἱκτήριον θησαυρόν. εἰ δέ εἰ. δὲ τις στρατοῦ
1175

βίᾳ βία σ᾽ ἀποσπάσειε τοῦδε τοῦ νεκροῦ,

κακὸς κακῶς ἄθαπτος ἐκπέσοι χθονός,

ΤΕΥΚΡΟΣ.

γένους ἅπαντος ῥίζαν ἐξημημένος,

αὕτως αύτωσ ὅπωσπερ τόνδ' ἐγὼ τέμνω πλόκον.

ἔχ᾿ αὐτόν, ὦ παῖ, καὶ φύλασσε, μηδέ σε
1180

κινησάτω τις, ἀλλὰ προσπεσὼν ἔχου.

ὑμεῖς τε μὴ γυναῖκες ἀντ᾿ ἀνδρῶν πέλας

παρέστατ᾽ ἀλλ᾽ παρεστατ᾿ ἀλλ᾽ ἀρήγετ᾽, ἔς τ᾿ ἐγὼ μόλω μολὼν μόλω μολῶ

τάφου μεληθεὶς τῷδε, κἂν μηδεὶς ἐᾷ.

ΧΟΡΟΣ.
στρ. α.

Translations (5)

English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 1168 focus

Off with you, then! ’Twere triple shame in me

To list the vain talk of a blustering fool.

High the quarrel rears his head!
1170

Haste thee, Teucer, trebly haste,

Grave-room for the valiant dead

Furnish with what speed thou mayst,

Hollowed deep within the ground,

Where beneath his mouldering mound
1175

Aias aye shall be renowned.

TEU
Re-enter TECMESSA with EURYSAKES . CHORUS.

Lo! where the hero’s housemate and his child,

Hitting the moment’s need, appear at hand,

To tend the burial of the ill fated dead.

Come, child, take thou thy station close beside:

Kneel and embrace the author of thy life,

In solemn suppliant fashion holding forth

This lock of thine own hair, and hers, and mine

With threefold consecration, that if one

Of the army force thee from thy father’s corse,

My curse may banish him from holy ground,

Far from his home, unburied, and cut off

From all his race, even as I cut this curl.

There, hold him, child, and guard him; let no hand

Stir thee, but lean to the calm breast and cling.

() And ye, be not like women in this scene,

Nor let your manhoods falter; stand true men
1180

To this defence, till I return prepared,
1180

Though all cry No, to give him burial.
1180

When shall the tale of wandering years be done?
1180

When shall arise our exile’s latest sun?
1180

Oh, where shall end the incessant woe
1180

Of troublous spear-encounter with the foe,
1180

Through this vast Trojan plain,
1180

Of Grecian arms the lamentable stain?

Would he had gone to inhabit the wide sky,

Or that dark home of death where millions lie,

Who taught our Grecian world the way

To use vile swords and knit the dense array!

His toil gave birth to toil

In endless line. He made mankind his spoil.

His tyrant will hath forced me to forgo

The garland, and the goblet’s bounteous flow:

Yea, and the flute’s dear noise,

And night’s more tranquil joys;

Ay me! nor only these,

The fruits of golden ease,

But Love, but Love—O crowning sorrow!—

Hath ceased for me. I may not borrow

Sweet thoughts from him to smooth my dreary bed,

Where dank night-dews fall ever on my head,

Lest once I might forget the sadness of the morrow.

Even here in Troy, Aias was erst my rock,

From darkling fears and ’mid the battle-shock

To screen me with huge might:

Now he is lost in night

And horror. Where again

Shall gladness heal my pain?

O were I where the waters hoary,

Round Sunium’s pine-clad promontory,

Plash underneath the flowery upland height.

Then holiest Athens soon would come in sight,

And to Athena’s self I might declare my story.

TEU
Enter TEUCER .

German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 1168 focus

Und sich, zu rechter Stunde sind schon nahe dort

Des hingeschiednen Mannes Sohn und sein Gemahl,

Des Todten Grab, des jammervollen, einzuweihn.
1125

Komm her, o Knabe, näher tritt, als Flehender

Berühre deinen Vater, der dir Leben gab;

Siz' hier in seinem Schuze, nimm in deine Hand

Mein Haar und deiner Mutter Haar und deines auch,¹

Als Pfand der frommen Bitte! Wenn ein Mann des Heers
1130

Von diesem Todten mit Gewalt dich reißen will,

Er sterbe schlimm, der Schlimme, grablos, fern verbannt,

Mit allen Wurzeln seines Stamms hinweggemäht,

So, wie ich eben dieses Haar herunterschnitt!

Ihn, Söhnchen, fasse, halte fest, und Keiner soll
1135

Dich hier vertreiben, schmieg' an ihn dich knieend an.

Ihr aber, steht nicht, Weibern gleich, zur Seite dort;

Als Männer schirmt ihn, bis ich wiederkomm' und ihm

Ein Grab gerüstet, läßt es auch kein Mensch mir zu.

(Teukros geht ab. Tekmessa und Eurysakes sizen zu beiden Seiten der Leiche.) Tekmessa. Der Chor.

English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 1168 focus

'Tis well ; I'll leave thee. 'Tis a folly thus

To talk with those whom we have power to punish.

Teucer
{Exit. Scene VI.

Chorus.

Teucer

English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 1168 focus

And in meet time his son and wife approach

To deck the tomb of the unhappy dead.

Teucer
TECMESSA, EURYSACES, TEUCER, CHORUS.

Come hither, child, stand near, with suppliant hands

Touch him that gave thee birth: now take thy seat

Lowly beside his knees, and in thy hands

Hold thou my hair, and hers, and thine, the last

Sad gift of mourning suppliants. From the camp
1180

By force should any drag thee from the dead,
1180

May the wretch find a wretched death, and lie

In a strange land unburied, all his race

Cut off, as I cut off these locks. My child,

Take them, and keep them: let no ruffian force

Remove thee hence, but closely, clasp the dead.

And stand not you like women round the corse,

But guard it well like men, till I return,

And bear him to the tomb, whoe'er oppose.

Chorus
STRO. 1. ANTIS. 1. TECMESSA, EURYSACES, CHORUS.

English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 1163 focus

Chorus

A trial of this great discord will soon come about. But you, Teucer, with all the speed you can muster,

be quick to seek a hollow grave for Ajax, where he shall establish his dank tomb, a constant memorial for mortals.
1165

Enter Tecmessa and Eurysaces.

Teucer

And now just in time his son and his wife approach

to arrange the burial of the pitiable corpse. Come here, nephew. Take your place near him, and grasp in supplication your father, your begetter. Kneel and pray for help, with locks of hair in your hand from me, her, and thirdly you;
1170

they are the suppliant’s only resource. But if any soldier from the army should tear you by violence from this body, then for his wickedness may he be wickedly cast out of his country and get no burial, but be severed at the root with all his race, just as I shear this lock.
1175

Take it, Nephew, and keep it safe. Let no one move you, but kneel there and cling to the dead.
And you there, do not stand idly by like women, not men. Help defend us until I return, when I have seen to a grave for him, though all the world forbids it.
1180
Exit Teucer.

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-686-1 καὶ μὴν ¹

mvp-comment-686-2 ἐς αὐτὸν καιρὸν ² πλησίον ³

mvp-comment-686-3 Tecmessa had left the scene after v. 989, in order to bring the child Eurysaces from the tent, where he had been left when she set forth in search of Ajax (810). The part of Tecmessa is now taken by a mute person, as the deuteragonist has presently to resume the part of Odysseus (1318).

mvp-comment-686-4 τάφον περιστελοῦντε ⁴ περιστελοῦντι ⁵

mvp-comment-687-1 ἱκέτης ⁶

mvp-comment-687-2 While the child knelt as a suppliant by the body, with his hand upon it, the corpse could not be forcibly removed without offence to Zeus

Ἱκέσιος

. Teucer is about to go and seek a place for the grave (1184), and he desires to secure that the body shall not be disturbed during his absence.

mvp-comment-687-3 ὅς σ’ ἐγείνατο ⁷

mvp-comment-688-1 θάκει δὲ προστρόπαιος ⁸

mvp-comment-688-2 κόμας ⁹

mvp-comment-688-3 τρίτου ¹⁰

mvp-comment-689-1 ἱκτήριον θησαυρόν ¹¹

mvp-comment-690-1 κακὸς κακῶς ¹²

mvp-comment-690-2 ἄθαπτος ἐκπέσοι χθονός ¹³

mvp-comment-690-3 ἐκπέσοι ¹⁴

mvp-comment-691-1 γένους ἅπαντος ¹⁵

mvp-comment-691-2 ῥίζαν ἐξημημένος ¹⁶

mvp-comment-692-1 αὔτως ¹⁷

mvp-comment-692-2 ὅπωσπερ τόνδ’ ἐγὼ τέμνω πλόκον ¹⁸

mvp-comment-693-1 κινησάτω ¹⁹ προσπεσὼν ²⁰ ἔχου ²¹

mvp-comment-694-1 ὑμεῖς τε ²² δὲ ²³ τε ²⁴

mvp-comment-694-2 ἀντ’ ἀνδρῶν ²⁵

mvp-comment-695-1 ἔστ’ ²⁶

mvp-comment-695-2 τάφου μεληθεὶς ²⁷

mvp-comment-695-3 κἂν μηδεὶς ἐᾷ ²⁸

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

1170. mvp-comment-749-1 περιστελοῦντε] Το 'care for.' The verb is used much as in Ant. 903, δέμας περιστέλλουσα.

1172. mvp-comment-750-1 The child clinging to his dead father would be as inviolable as a suppliant clinging to an altar. Cp. Aesch. Cho. 106, αἰδουμένη σοι βωμὸν ὡς τύμβον πατρός: ib. 336, 7, τάφος δ᾽ ἱκέτας δέδεκται | φυγάδας θ' ὁμοίως.

1173. mvp-comment-751-1 προστρόπαιος is a more solemn and formal word than ἱκέτης. The formality of the supplication would be marked by the locks of hair cut off in token of mourning for the dead, which Eurysaces is to hold in his hand.

1174. mvp-comment-752-1 Cp. El. 448-50, σὺ δὲ | τεμοῦσα κρατὸς βοστρύχων ἄκρας φόβας | κἀμοῦ ταλαίνης, κ.τ.λ. For τρίτου, cp. O. C. 8, and note.

1175. mvp-comment-753-1 ἱκτήριον θησαυρόν] ‘A suppliant store,' i. e. a sacred deposit having virtue for the purpose of supplication. στρατοῦ] Here and supr. 1044 the rest of the army seems to be opposed to the men of Salamis.

1177. mvp-comment-754-1 κακὸς κακῶς] The tautology belongs to the formal solemnity of the oath. Cp. O. T. 219, 20, and note.

1178. mvp-comment-755-1 γένους . . ἐξημημένος] 'Having cut off from him all issue.' Here, and in Ant. 600, ῥίζα seems to mean the germ of a branch rather than the root of a tree. Teucer's prayer is that his enemy may die childless, and that his body may lie unburied, as it were banished from the 'lap of earth.' Cp. Isaiah 14. 19, 'But thou art cast out of thy grave as an abominable branch: as a carcase trodden under foot.' Or it may also mean 'denied burial in his own land.'

1180. mvp-comment-756-1 αὐτόν] Sc. τὸν νέκρον.

1181. mvp-comment-757-1 ἔχου] Cp. Hdt. 4. 22, καὶ ὁ κύων ἔχεται.

1182-1183. mvp-comment-758-1 ὑμεῖς τε.. ἀρήγετ'] 'And do not ye stand by like women, but defend him like men.'

1183-1184. mvp-comment-759-1 ἔς τ᾽ ἐγὼ μόλω .. τῷδε] 'Until I return after caring for his burial.' The stress on the participle is no objection to this reading; and μολεῖν has often the sense of 'to return.' κἂν μηδεὶς ἐᾷ] 'Though all men forbid me.' For this expression, cp. Phil. 443, 4, ὅπου | μηδεὶς ἐῴη.

1183-1184. mvp-comment-759-2 The rhythm of the following stasimon is largely choriambic, and is expressive of restless impatience. The metrical scheme is the following...

Sophocles Ajax 1168

ed. Francis Storr

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Current edition Experimental

ΧΟΡΟΣ.
στρ. α.

TEU
Enter TEUCER .

'Tis well ; I'll leave thee. 'Tis a folly thus

To talk with those whom we have power to punish.

Teucer
{Exit. Scene VI.

Chorus.

Teucer

And in meet time his son and wife approach

To deck the tomb of the unhappy dead.

Chorus
STRO. 1. ANTIS. 1. TECMESSA, EURYSACES, CHORUS.

Chorus

A trial of this great discord will soon come about. But you, Teucer, with all the speed you can muster,

be quick to seek a hollow grave for Ajax, where he shall establish his dank tomb, a constant memorial for mortals.
1165

Commentary

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Current edition Experimental

ΧΟΡΟΣ. στρ. α.

TEU Enter TEUCER .

'Tis well ; I'll leave thee. 'Tis a folly thus To talk with those whom we have power to punish.

Teucer {Exit. Scene VI. Chorus.

Teucer

And in meet time his son and wife approach To deck the tomb of the unhappy dead.

Chorus STRO. 1. ANTIS. 1. TECMESSA, EURYSACES, CHORUS.

Chorus A trial of this great discord will soon come about. But you, Teucer, with all the speed you can muster, be quick to seek a hollow grave for Ajax, where he shall establish his dank tomb, a constant memorial for mortals. 1165

Commentary

Stable identifiers

ΧΟΡΟΣ.
στρ. α.

TEU
Enter TEUCER .

'Tis well ; I'll leave thee. 'Tis a folly thus

To talk with those whom we have power to punish.

Teucer
{Exit. Scene VI.

Chorus.

And in meet time his son and wife approach

To deck the tomb of the unhappy dead.

Chorus
STRO. 1. ANTIS. 1. TECMESSA, EURYSACES, CHORUS.

Chorus

A trial of this great discord will soon come about. But you, Teucer, with all the speed you can muster,

be quick to seek a hollow grave for Ajax, where he shall establish his dank tomb, a constant memorial for mortals.
1165