Sophocles Ajax 134

ed. Francis Storr

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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.) — 172-201 focus
Αἴας First1KGreek (Sophocles. Sophoclis Fabulae. Pearson, Alfred Chilton, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1924.) — 172-200 focus
Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 134 focus
Τελαμώνιε παῖ, τῆς ἀμφιρύτου
Σαλαμῖνος ἔχων βάθρον ἀγχιάλου,
135
Translations (5)
English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 134 focus
Telamonian child, whose hand
Guards our wave-encircled land,
Salamis that breasts the sea,
Good of thine is joy to me;
But if One who reigns above
Smite thee, or if murmurs move
From fierce Danaäns in their hate
Full of threatening to thy state,
All my heart for fear doth sigh,
Shrinking like a dove’s soft eye.
Hardly had the darkness waned,
When our ears were filled and pained
With huge scandal on thy fame.
Telling, thine the arm that came
To the cattle-browsèd mead,
Wild with prancing of the steed,
And that ravaged there and slew
With a sword of fiery hue
All the spoils that yet remain,
By the sweat of spearmen ta’en.
Such report against thy life,
Whispered words with falsehood rife,
Wise Odysseus bringing near
Shrewdly gaineth many an ear:
Since invention against thee
Findeth hearing speedily,
Tallying with the moment’s birth;
And with loudly waxing mirth
Heaping insult on thy grief,
Each who hears it glories more
Than the tongue that told before.
Every slander wins belief
Aimed at souls whose worth is chief:
Shot at me, or one so small,
Such a bolt might harmless fall.
Ever toward the great and high
Creepeth climbing jealousy
Yet the low without the tall
Make at need a tottering wall
Let the strong the feeble save
And the mean support the brave.
135
Ah! ’twere vain to tune such song
135
’Mid the nought discerning throng
135
Who are clamouring now ’gainst thee
135
Long and loud, and strengthless we,
135
Mighty chieftain, thou away,
135
To withstand the gathering fray
135
Flocking fowl with carping cry
135
Seem they, lurking from thine eye,
135
Till the royal eagle’s poise
135
Overawe the paltry noise
135
Till before thy presence hushed
135
Sudden sink they, mute and crushed.
135
Did bull slaying Artemis, Zeus’ cruel daughter
135
(Ah, fearful rumour, fountain of my shame!)
135
Prompt thy fond heart to this disastrous slaughter
135
Of the full herd stored in our army’s name!
135
Say, had her blood stained temple missed the kindness
135
Of some vow promised fruit of victory,
135
Foiled of some glorious armour through thy blindness,
135
Or fell some stag ungraced by gift from thee?
135
Or did stern Ares venge his thankless spear
135
Through this night foray that hath cost thee dear!
135
For never, if thy heart were not distracted
135
By stings from Heaven, O child of Telamon,
135
Wouldst thou have bounded leftward, to have acted
135
Thus wildly, spoiling all our host hath won!
135
Madness might fall some heavenly power forfend it
135
But if Odysseus and the tyrant lords
135
Suggest a forged tale, O rise to end it,
135
Nor fan the fierce flame of their withering words!
135
Forth from thy tent, and let thine eye confound
135
The brood of Sisyphus that would thee wound!
135
Too long hast thou been fixed in grim repose,
135
Heightening the haughty malice of thy foes,
135
That, while thou porest by the sullen sea,
135
Through breezy glades advanceth fearlessly,
135
A mounting blaze with crackling laughter fed
135
From myriad throats; whence pain and sorrow bred
135
Within my bosom are establishèd.
135
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 134 focus
Telamonischer Sohn, der Salamis' Höh'n 1
Am ringsumwogten Gestade beherrscht,
135
Ich freue mich, lächelt das Glück dir.
Doch wann Zeus' Groll und ein zorniges Wort
Aus Danaermunde dich feindlich betraf,
Da faßt mich die Angst, ich erbebe vor Furcht,
Wie das Auge des flatternden Täubchens. 2
140
So hat von der jüngst entschwundenen Nacht
Uns mächtiger Schreck und Entsezen erfüllt
Bei dem schmähenden Ruf, du hab'st in der Au,
In der Rosse Gefild' einstürmend, dem Heer
Das erbeutete Vieh,
145
Das übrig allein von dem Raube noch war,
Mit flammendem Eisen gemordet.
Solch höhnende Reden ersinnt uns keck,
Und zischelt Odysseus Allen in's Ohr,
Und sie glauben ihm leicht; denn er meldet von dir,
150
Was gerne man glaubt, und wer es vernimmt,
Der freut sich noch mehr, denn der es erzählt,
Treibt Spott mit deiner Bedrängniß.
Denn send' auf mächtige Geister den Pfeil,
Nie fehlst du das Ziel; wer aber von uns
155
Solch Arges erzählt, dem glauben sie nicht.
Stets kriecht ja der Neid an die Großen heran.
Und dennoch sind, von den Großen getrennt,
Die Geringen der Burg ein betrüglicher Schuz;
Mit dem Großen ja hebt der Geringe sich leicht,
160
Und der Große, gestüzt von dem Kleinen, empor.
Doch ist es unmöglich, der Thoren Geschlecht
Von diesem Gesez zu belehren.
Solch alberner Männer Geschrei stürmt, Herr,
Auf dich, und uns ward nimmer die Kraft,
165
Dawider zu steh'n, so gesondert von dir.
Denn, flohen sie dir aus den Blicken hinweg,
Dann tosen sie laut, wie Vögel im Schwarm;
Doch bebten sie scheu vor dem mächtigen Aar,
Und verkröchen, sobald du plözlich erschienst,
170
Sich alsbald schweigend und lautlos.
Strophe.
English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 134 focus
Sad news indeed thou bringst of that brave
man :
135
English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 134 focus
O son of Telamon, whose ample sway
Deep-rooted in the sea, that rolls around,
The strong based shores of Salamis obey,
When with success and glory thou art crown'd
My heart beats high with joy: but when the hand
Of angry Jove afflicts thee, or thy fame
Greece taints with envious and malignant blame,
I fear, I tremble like the fluttering dove...
Such terrors now around us blackening stand:
For slander says that o'er the pastured plain
By thee this night the flocks, the herds were slain,
Spoils of the ravaged vales, (O deed abhorr'd!)
Slain by thy flaming sword.
Such tales Ulysses with insidious art
Against thee forms, and whispers in each ear;
His specious fictions all believe who hear,
Feeling more joy than cheers th' inventor's heart,
And with malicious insults mocks thy woes.
Who wings his shafts against the great and high,
Unerring to the mark beholds them fly:
'Gainst me their aim they lose.
Envy crawls on, the potent keen to wound;
Yet, when the hour brings danger forth, the low
Without them are a tottering bulwark found;
These in the great their strong protectors know,
The great by these protected firmly stand.
But to th' insensate wisdom speaks in vain :
Such this tumultuous train,
And to repel their insults weak our hand,
Weak without thee: for now, escaped thy sight,
Like flocks of birds they scream, and vex the ear:
Wou'dst thou, O king, appear,
With awe they view the lordly vulture's flight,
And all their clamorous cries are hush'd through fear.
135
Thee hath the Virgin Huntress sprung from Jove,
135
Whose altars o'er the Scythian Taurus flame,
135
(O wild report, thou parent of our shame !)
135
Urged 'mongst the herds with slaughtering rage to rove,
135
To her no honours for some conquest paid?
135
Didst thou the glorious spoils of war detain?
135
Were her loved hinds beneath thy arrows slain,
135
As fearless o'er some hallow'd vale they stray'd?
135
Did the stern god, that in th' ensanguin'd field
135
Lifts high his blazing shield,
135
In vengeance send, defrauded of his right,
135
The frenzy of the night?
135
For never, did thy sense its seat maintain,
135
O son of Telamon, with rage possest
135
Wou'dst thou spread carnage o'er the pastured plain.
135
Heav'n-sent this wild disease hath fired thy breast.
135
O Phœbus, and thou ruler of the sky,
135
Avert this ill report! To blast thy fame
135
If the great kings, and chiefs of mighty name,
135
In secret basely forge this calumny,
135
Or he of the accurst Sisyphian race,
135
Yield not to the disgrace;
135
Nor, thine eye fix'd within thy naval tent,
135
The vile report augment.
135
Rise, king of Salamis, assert thy fame:
135
Why to thy seat thus fixed? Thy long delay
135
Adds to this heav'n-sent mischief fiercer flame.
135
For uncontroll'd the insults of thy foes,
135
Like fires exposed to winds, now force their way.
135
No bounds the spreading slander knows;
135
From tongue to tongue the taunts, the mockings roll;
135
And anguish rends my soul.
135
English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 134 focus

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-103-1 Τελαμώνιε παῖ 1

mvp-comment-103-2 Σαλαμῖνος 2 βάθρον 3

mvp-comment-103-3 τῆς ἀμφιρύτου Σαλαμῖνος … ἀγχιάλου 4 τῆς ἀμφιρύτου 5 ἀγχιάλου 6

mvp-comment-103-4

ἀγχίαλος
was properly said of a place on the sea-coast ( Il. 2. 640
Χαλκίδα τ’ ἀγχίαλον
). In Aesch. Pers. 888 it is a mere general epithet for islands (Lemnos, Icaros, etc.). Here, in the Athenian poet's mind, it has its proper sense, for he is thinking of Salamis as a fringe of the Attic coast; and it is again the Athenian's point of view which interprets the true relation of
ἀγχιάλου
to
ἀμφιρύτου
.

mvp-comment-103-5 ἔχων 7

mvp-comment-104-1 σὲ μὲν εὖ πράσσοντ’ ἐπιχαίρω 8

mvp-comment-105-1 πληγὴ Διὸς 9

mvp-comment-105-2 ζαμενὴς 10

mvp-comment-105-3 λόγος … κακόθρους 11

mvp-comment-105-4 ἐπιβῇ 12

mvp-comment-106-1 πεφόβημαι 13

mvp-comment-106-2 πτηνῆς 14

mvp-comment-106-3 ὄμμα πελείας 15

mvp-comment-107-1 τῆς νῦν φθιμένης νυκτὸς 16

mvp-comment-107-2 ἐπὶ δυσκλείᾳ 17

mvp-comment-108-1 τὸν ἱππομανῆ λειμῶν’ 18

mvp-comment-109-1 βοτὰ καὶ λείαν 19 λοιπὴ 20

mvp-comment-109-2 αἴθωνι σιδήρῳ 21

mvp-comment-110-1 ψιθύρους 22

mvp-comment-110-2 πᾶσιν Ὀδυσσείς 23

mvp-comment-111-1 εὔπειστα 24 εὔπειστα 25 εὔπιστα 26

mvp-comment-112-1 τοῦ λέξαντος 27

mvp-comment-113-1 ἄχεσιν καθυβρίζων 28

mvp-comment-114-1 τῶν … μεγάλων ψυχῶν 29

mvp-comment-114-2 ἱεὶς 30

mvp-comment-114-3 ἁμάρτοις 31 ἁμάρτοι 32

mvp-comment-114-4 κατὰ δ’ ἄν τις ἐμοῦ 33

mvp-comment-115-1 τὸν ἔχονθ’ 34

mvp-comment-115-2 ὁ φθόνος 35

mvp-comment-116-1 πύργου ῥῦμα 36

mvp-comment-117-1 μετὰ 37 ὑπό 38

mvp-comment-117-2 ὀρθοῖθ’ 39

mvp-comment-118-1 τούτων γνώμας 40 προδιδάσκειν 41

mvp-comment-119-1 τοιούτων 42

mvp-comment-119-2 ἀπαλέξασθαι 43

mvp-comment-120-1 ἀλλ’ ὅτε γὰρ δὴ … πτήξειαν ἄφωνοι 44 δ’ 45

mvp-comment-120-2 (1) ἀλλὰ 46

mvp-comment-120-3 (2) ἀλλὰ … γὰρ 47

mvp-comment-120-4 (3) The reading μέγαν αἰγυπιὸν δ’ ὑποδείσαντες 48 ἀπέδραν 49

mvp-comment-120-5 (4) This reading is confirmed by the fact that since ὑποδείσαντες 50

mvp-comment-120-6 ὅτε … δὴ 51

mvp-comment-120-7 ἀπέδραν 52

mvp-comment-120-8 αἰγυπιὸν 53

mvp-comment-120-9 τάχ’ ἂν 54 ἐξαίφνης 55 πτήξειαν 56

mvp-comment-120-10 σιγῇ πτήξειαν ἄφωνοι 57

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

134-200. mvp-comment-100-1 The first part of the parodos consists of six anapaestic systems (ll. 134-171), during the recitation of which the Chorus pace to and fro in the orchestra, before the tent of Ajax. This long-continued movement, which betokens the restless anxiety of the mariners for their prince, also strikes a note in harmony with the feelings of the spectator, to whom the horror that is going on within has already been revealed. He knows that their dreadful apprehensions are only too true. It is followed by a strophe, antistrophe, and epode (ll. 172-200), which mark the climax of their agitation before the entrance of Tecmessa.

134. mvp-comment-101-1 Τελαμώνιε] Cp. Pind. Pyth. 2. 35, ὦ Δεινομένειε παῖ.

135. mvp-comment-102-1 ἔχων] ‘Lord of-.' Cp. Pind. Nem. 4. 78, Αἴας Σαλαμῖν ἔχει πατρώαν. ἀγχιάλου] 'Seaward.' The ancient town of Salamis was on the side of the island towards the open sea, Strabo, 9, p. 393. Cp. Pind. Ol. 10. 99, εἰναλία τ' Έλευσις : Aesch. Pers. 887.

136. mvp-comment-103-1 σὲ μέν] The Attic' accusative after the intransitive verb (Essay on L. §§ 16. p. 23) here assists the antithesis το σὲ δ᾽ ὅταν... ἐπιβῇ, κ.τ.λ.

137-138. mvp-comment-104-1 'But when a stroke from Zeus, or angry clamour from the Danaï assails thee with evil-boding words.'

139-140. mvp-comment-105-1 'I shrink and quiver with fear like the eye of any fluttering dove.' ὄkvos is the fear that paralyses action. The eye, as the part which expresses fear, is put for the whole. Cp. the expression of Keble, 'Tenderer than a dove's soft eye.' Cp. also the uses of χείρ, πούς, κάρα, βία, σθένος, στόμα, in denoting persons. πτηνῆς suggests something that is easily fluttered. Pierson's conj. φήνης ὡς ὄμμα πελειάς, ' As the dove fears the sight (?) of the falcon,' is unnecessary and tasteless. The image of the falcon would be a bad preparation for that of the small birds, 141 φθιμένης] Cp. Od. 11. 330, πρὶν γάρ κεν καὶ νὺξ φθῖτ᾽ ἄμβροτος. The genitive is in a somewhat loose connection with what follows; either (1) with ὀλέσαι, 'that in the night that is just gone thou didst destroy;' or (2) with θόρυβοι, ' in respect of the now-past night.'

142. mvp-comment-106-1 'A terrible rumour afflicts us.'

143. mvp-comment-107-1 ἐπὶ δυσκλείᾳ] ‘Threatening dishonour.' ἐπί from meaning purpose, as in ἐπὶ διαφθορῇ (Hdt. 4. 164), ἐπὶ θανάτῳ (Hdt. 9. 37), comes to express tendency. ἱππομανή] 'Where the steeds run wild,' or 'gallop at will.' Lit. 'raving with horses.' Essay on L. § 55. p. 102. The cattle were temporarily kept in the meadow where the horses of the chieftains used to be turned out to graze. The word suggests their movements, 'Fetching mad bounds, bellowing, and neighing loud,' when freed from harness and the stall.

144. mvp-comment-108-1 λειμῶν᾽ ἐπιβάντ'] The accusative implies not merely that the meadow was entered, but that it was swiftly reached.

145-146. mvp-comment-109-1 λείαν, ἥπερ δορίληπτος ἔτ᾿ ἦν λοιπή] «The cattle that still remained of those taken in war;' i. e. ἐκ τῆς δοριλήπτου λείας. Cp. supr. 53, 4, σύμμικτά τε | λείας ἄδαστα βουκόλων φρουρήματα.

147. mvp-comment-110-1 κτείνοντ'] We pass from the momentary conception of the act ( ὀλέσαι) to the continuous description of it: hence the present participle. Cp. supr. ll. 55 foll. Here, as elsewhere, the choric part contains a reminiscence of the dialogue.

148. mvp-comment-111-1 These words obviously refer to the report brought by Odysseus after receiving full information from Athena. Cp. supr. 67. But, if so, some time must be supposed to have elapsed after his exit before the entrance of the chorus.

150. mvp-comment-112-1 καὶ σφόδρα πείθει] ‘And wins much credence.' vûv is to be joined with εὔπειστα. 'Things of which it is now easy to persuade men:' now, since Ajax' defeat in the contest for the arms, which is known to have enraged him. Cp. infr. 929-36 and note.

152-153. mvp-comment-113-1 'And each who hears rejoices, more than him who spake, to insult over thy woes.' The participle is added to complete the sense of χαίρων. ἄχεσιν is dative of the cause or occasion. Cp. infr. 955.

155. mvp-comment-114-1 ἁμάρτοι] For the omission of τις, which is supplied in the next sentence, see Essay on L. § 39. P. 72, 3. This is the harder and more dignified reading.

157. mvp-comment-115-1 ἔρπει implies a stealthy advance, differing from στείχει, which would signify open menace. Cp. Pind. Nem. 8. 36, ἅπτεται δ᾽ ἐσλῶν ἀεί, χειρόνεσσι δ᾽ οὐκ ἐρίζει: Pyth. 11. 45, 6. ἴσχει γὰρ ὄλβος οὐ μείονα φθύνον· | ὁ δὲ χαμηλὰ πνέων ἄφαντον βρέμει.

158-159. mvp-comment-116-1 Some have here supposed a metaphor from building, large and small stones together making the strongest wall. This is fanciful, and not contained in the words; but in any case πύργου ῥῦμα is a 'tower of defence' (Essay on L. § 10. p. 17, 6), and not 'means of defending a tower,' because ῥύεσθαι can hardly mean 'to man,' although in Aesch. S. c. T. 823, it is used of the Divine protection of Thebes. For the whole phrase, cp. Od. 11. 556 (said with reference to Ajax): τοῖος γάρ σφιν πύργος ἀπώλεο: Alc. fr. 23, ἄνδρες πόληος πύργος ἀρεύϊοι : Aesch. Pers. 347.

160-161. mvp-comment-117-1 ἄριστ᾽ ἂν. ὀρθοῖθ᾽'Will best be made secure.' Cp. Thuc. 6. 18, § 4, ὁμοῦ δὲ τό τε φαῦλον καὶ τὸ μέσον καὶ τὸ πάνυ ἀκριβὲς ἂν ξυγκραθὲν μάλιστ᾽ ἂν ἰσχύειν. βαιός] Lit. 'few,' hence 'feeble.'

161. mvp-comment-118-1 ὑπό marks that the lesser are to serve the greater: μετά, that the great require the cooperation of the less.

162-163. mvp-comment-119-1 'But foolish men cannot be instructed in these truths.' τούτων γνώμας = ' right judgments about these things.'

164. mvp-comment-120-1 τοιούτων, sc. οὕτως ἀνοήτων. 'So foolish are they that clamour against thee,' that there is no hope of bringing them to a better mind.

165. mvp-comment-121-1 πρὸς ταῦτ᾽ ἀπαλέξασθαι] Sc. ταῦτα. 'This being so, we have no strength to avert this.'

167. mvp-comment-122-1 'But then the truth is that when they have escaped from thine eye.' γάρ covers the whole sentence, and the emphasis is on the latter part, viz. μέγαν, κ.τ.λ. The Chorus mean to say: 'Though we are weak, yet Ajax is strong, and the clamour will subside when he appears.'

169. mvp-comment-123-1 The correction of Dawes, which restores the metre by the insertion of δέ, is probably right. For the meaning, cp. Alc. fr. 27. ἔπταζον ὥστ᾽ ὄρνιθες ὦκυν | αἴετον ἐξαπίνας φάνεντα, which also helps to support the punctuation in l. 170.

170. mvp-comment-124-1 τάχ᾿ ἄν] 'Soon would they.'

171. mvp-comment-125-1 σιγῇ .. ἄφωνοι] Essay on L. §40. p. 75. 'Their noise would be hushed, and they would cower without a word.'