Sophocles Ajax 545

ed. Francis Storr

Table of Contents

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

View: By Scene
← Previous Next →

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.) — 592-633 focus
Αἴας First1KGreek (Sophocles. Sophoclis Fabulae. Pearson, Alfred Chilton, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1924.) — 596-645 focus
Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 545 focus
αἰρ᾿ αὐτόν, αἶρε δεῦρο. ταρβήσει γὰρ οὐ
545
νεοσφαγῆ που τόνδε τοῦ τόνδε τοῦτόν γε που τόνδε προσλεύσσων φόνον,
εἴπερ δικαίως δικαίωσ ἔστ᾽ ἐμὸς τὰ πατρόθεν.
ἀλλ᾽ αὐτίκ ὠμοῖς αὐτὸν ἐν νόμοις πατρὸς
Translations (5)
English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 545 focus
Lift him to me: lift him! He will not fear
545
At sight of this fresh havoc of the sword,
545
If rightly he be fathered of my blood.
545
Like some young colt he must be trained and taught
545
To run fierce courses with his warrior sire.
545
Be luckier than thy father, boy! but else
545
Be like him, and thy life will not be low.
545
One thing even now I envy thee, that none
545
Of all this misery pierces to thy mind.
545
For life is sweetest in the void of sense,
545
Ere thou know joy or sorrow. But when this
Hath found thee, make thy father’s enemies
Feel the great parent in the valiant child.
Meantime grow on in tender youthfulness,
Nursed by light breezes, gladdening this thy mother.
No Greek shall trample thee with brutal harm,
That I know well, though I shall not be near—
So stout a warder to protect thy life
I leave in Teucer. He’ll not fail, though now
He follow far the chase upon his foes.
My trusty warriors, people of the sea,
Be this your charge, no less,—and bear to him
My clear commandment, that he take this boy
Home to my fatherland, and make him known
To Telamon, and Eriboea too,
My mother. Let him tend them in their age.
And, for mine armour, let not that be made
The award of Grecian umpires or of him
Who ruined me. But thou, named of the shield,
Eurysakes, hold mine, the unpierceable
Seven-hided buckler, and by the well stitched thong
Grasp firm and wield it mightily.—The rest
Shall lie where I am buried.—Take him now,
Quickly, and close the door. No tears! What! weep
Before the tent? How women crave for pity!
Make fast, I say. No wise physician dreams
With droning charms to salve a desperate sore.
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 545 focus
Erheb' ihn, hierher heb' ihn! Denn erschrecken wird
Gewiß der Anblick, dieses frische Blut ihn nicht,
525
Wenn wirklich mein, wenn seines Vaters Sohn er ist.
Ja, nach des Vaters rauher Art soll frühe sich
Der Knabe tummeln, soll sich ihm verähnlichen.
Mein Sohn, beglückter werde, denn dein Vater war,
Und sonst ihm ähnlich, und fürwahr, schlecht wirst du nicht!
530
Wiewohl ich jezt schon preisen mag dein glücklich Loos,
Daß du von diesen Leiden hier noch Nichts erkennst.
Denn unbewußt hinleben ist das Süßeste,
Bis daß du lernest, was der Schmerz, was Freude sei.
Doch wenn du dahin kamest, dann bewähre dich
535
Des Vaters Feinden, wer du seist und wessen Sohn.
Indessen weid' in leichter Luft, und pflege dir
Die junge Seele, deiner Mutter hier zur Lust.
Traun, kein Achäer, weiß ich, darf mit finsterm Hohn
Dich schnöd verlezen, bist du gleich von mir getrennt.
540
Als solchen Wächter laß' ich Teukros dir zurück,
Als treuen Pfleger ohne Furcht, obgleich er jezt
Entfernt umherschweift, jagend auf der Feinde Spur.
Ihr schildbewehrten Männer, meerumwohnend Volk,
Euch leg' ich diesen Liebesdienst gemeinsam auf,
545
Und jenem meldet mein Gebot: er führe heim
Zu meinem Land den Knaben, und dem Telamon
Und meiner Mutter Eriböa zeig' er ihn, 1
Damit er ihnen Pfleger einst im Alter sei,
Bis drunten sie des Schattengottes Haus empfängt.
550
Und meine Rüstung möge kein Kampfordner je
Dem Heer zum Preis aussezen, noch mein Peiniger!
Nein, nimm du selbst ihn, Knabe, nimm den breiten Schild, 2
Nach dem du heißest, schwing' am bunten Riemen ihn,
Den sieben Häute decken, den kein Speer durchbrach:
555
Der andere Wehrschmuck werde mir in's Grab gelegt!
(zu Tekmessa:)
Nun aber eile, nimm mit dir den Knaben fort,
Und schleuß die Wohnung, und erheb' am Zelte kein
Wehklagen; Frauen sind zu Thränen gar geneigt.
Gleich schleuß die Pforte! Traun, mit Klageruf beschreit
560
Kein weiser Arzt ein Uebel, das den Schnitt verlangt.
English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 545 focus
e'er be made the prize of glory
545
For rival chiefs ; but do thou take, my boy,
545
The sevenfold, vast impenetrable shield
545
Whose name thou bear'st ; the rest be buried with me.
Take hence the child with speed ; nor in the tents
Let there be wailings. Women ever love
To brood o'er sorrows, and indulge their woe.
Shut to the door. The wound that must be cut
No wise physician will attempt to heal
With incantation, elegy, or song.
English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 545 focus
Bring him, nay bring him forward; for the sight
545
Of the fresh blood, which from this carnage streams,
545
Will not affright him, if he be my son..
545
Thus early in his father’s rugged lore
545
He shou'd be train'd, and taught to catch the flame
545
That glows within this bosom, my son, to
545
Be happier than thy father: in all else
545
Be like him so thou never canst be base.all
545
In this I deem thee blest, that to these ills
545
Thou art insensible; the sweetest life.
545
Consists in feeling nothing; but by time for
545
Thou will be taught to grieve and to rejoice/
When thou hast reach'd that age, behoves thee show
Among thy father's foes that thou art sprung
Brave from the brave meanwhile may gentle gales
Around thee breathe, and cherish thy young mind
To joy thy mother's soul. This well know
That not a Grecian with disgraceful wrongs f
Will dare oppose thee, though of me bereaved
So firm a guardian o'er thee shall I leave
In Teucer, watchful to protect thy youth,
Though chasing now in distant fields the foe.
But now, my brave associates, train'd to lift
The shield in war, and sweep the surging main,
I charge you all (refuse me not this grace)
Announce my mandate to him, let him lead
This child to Salamis, and show him there
To Telamon, and her that shares his bed,
My mother Eribœa, that their age
He always may support, till they descend
To the dark mansions of the king below.
Nor 'midst contending Chiefs shall umpires sit
My arms the prize of glory to adjudge,
Nor he, my baleful pest: but thou, my son,
Retain my ample shield, its seven strong plates
Unpierced by hostile spear; my other arms
Be buried with me. Take thou now the boy,
And instant lead him hence; nor in the tent
Weep or lament; to wailings nature prompts
A woman's melting soul; compose thy mind:
When ulcer'd wounds the cutting steel require,
No mystic charm the skilful leach applies.
English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 545 focus

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-328-1 αἶρε δεῦρο 1

mvp-comment-328-2 ταρβήσει γὰρ οὒ 2

mvp-comment-329-1 νεοσφαγῆ … φόνον 3 που 4 τοῦ 5 τοῦτόν γε 6 του 7

mvp-comment-330-1 δικαίως 8

mvp-comment-330-2 τὰ πατρόθεν 9

mvp-comment-331-1 ὠμοῖς … ἐν νόμοις 10

mvp-comment-331-2 πωλοδαμνεῖν 11

mvp-comment-331-3 κἀξομοιοῦσθαι 12 φύσιν 13

mvp-comment-332-1 ὦ παῖ 14

mvp-comment-332-2 τὰ δ’ ἄλλ’ ὅμοιος 15

mvp-comment-333-1 καίτοι … καὶ νῦν 16

mvp-comment-333-2 σε 17 σὲ 18

mvp-comment-333-3 τοῦτό γε 19

mvp-comment-333-4 οὐδὲν 20 ἐπαισθάνει 21

mvp-comment-334-1 ἐν τῷ φρονεῖν μηδὲν 22

mvp-comment-334-2 554 b [ τὸ μὴ φρονεῖν γὰρ 23

mvp-comment-335-1 ἕως 24

mvp-comment-336-1 ἵκῃ πρὸς τοῦτο 25

mvp-comment-336-2 δεῖ σ’ ὅπως … δείξεις 26

mvp-comment-337-1 τέως 27

mvp-comment-337-2 κούφοις πνεύμασιν 28

mvp-comment-337-3 νέαν ψυχὴν ἀτάλλων 29

mvp-comment-337-4 The word

ἀτάλλω
may have been suggested to Sophocles by a trait in the scene between Hector and Andromachè: Il. 6. 400
παῖδ’ ἐπὶ κόλπῳ ἔχουσ’ ἀταλάφρονα, νήπιον αὔτως
.

mvp-comment-337-5 χαρμονήν 30 χαρμονή 31

mvp-comment-337-6 560 It is strange that exception should have been taken to the parenthetic οἶδα 32

mvp-comment-337-7 οὔτοι … μή 33

mvp-comment-338-1 τοῖον 34

mvp-comment-338-2 πυλωρὸν 35

mvp-comment-339-1 τροφῆς ἄοκνον 36

mvp-comment-339-2 ἔμπα 37 κεἰ 38

mvp-comment-340-1 τηλωπὸς 39

mvp-comment-340-2 οἰχνεῖ 40

mvp-comment-340-3 θήραν ἔχων 41

mvp-comment-341-1 ἀσπιστῆρες 42

mvp-comment-341-2 χάριν 43

mvp-comment-342-1 ὅπως … δείξει 44

mvp-comment-342-2 Ἐριβοίᾳ λέγω 45

mvp-comment-343-1 μέχρις οὗ 46

mvp-comment-344-1 μήτ’ … θήσους’ 47

mvp-comment-344-2 ἀγωνάρχαι 48

mvp-comment-344-3 μήθ’ ὁ λυμεὼν ἐμός 49

mvp-comment-344-4 No correction is very probable. We cannot read

μήθ’ ὁ λυμεὼν ἐμοῦ
, since, though
μου
can represent the possessive pron., such a use of
ἐμοῦ
would be unexampled. (See Krüger, Gr. Sprachlehre, § 47. 9. 13.) The dat.
ἐμοί
is also untenable. It is possible that the poet wrote μήτε λυμεὼν ἐμός 50

mvp-comment-345-1 αὐτό 51

mvp-comment-345-2 ἐπώνυμον 52

mvp-comment-346-1 πολυρράφου … πόρπακος 53

mvp-comment-346-2 But a loop at the edge of the shield, such as the

πόρπαξ
offered to the warrior's hand ( Helen. 1376
ἐμβαλὼν πόρπακι γενναίαν χέρα
), would not suffice to give him control. Hence, in the vasepainting noticed above, we see the
πόρπαξ
combined with another contrivance, viz., a band (of metal, or wood), placed vertically across the inside of the shield, and furnished at the middle with an arrangement of small bars, forming a support for the arm just below the elbow. This band was the
ὄχανον
or
ὀχάνη
.—See Appendix.

mvp-comment-346-3 πολυρράφου 54

mvp-comment-346-4 ἑπτάβοιον 55

mvp-comment-347-1 τεθάψεται 56

mvp-comment-347-2

κοίν’ ἐμοὶ· κοινὰ
is here adv.: cp. Ant. 546
μή μοι θάνῃς σὺ κοινά
.

mvp-comment-348-1 πάκτου 57

mvp-comment-348-2 ἐπισκήνους 58

mvp-comment-348-3 φιλοίκτιστον 59

mvp-comment-349-1 πύκαζε 60

mvp-comment-349-2 οὐ πρὸς ἰατροῦ 61

mvp-comment-349-3 θρηνεῖν ἐπῳδὰς 62

mvp-comment-349-4 τομῶντι 63

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

545. mvp-comment-372-1 αἶρε δεῦρο] «Lift him hither.' Said to the attendant who brings in the child, and is to hand him to Ajax over the carcases of the sheep, etc. ταρβήσει γὰρ οὔ] Essay on L. § 41. p. 78 γ.

546. mvp-comment-373-1 For the late position of που, see Essay on L. § 26. p. 44. It is occasioned by the energy with which the emphatic words ταρβήσει.. οὗ are brought into prominence. Dindorf would read τοῦτόν γε, supposing the whole line to be an interpolation. But this is gratuitous, and the excision of the line leaves a sensible gap in the sense.

547. mvp-comment-374-1 δικαίως] 'Truly;' i. e. 'in a manner rightly answering to the description.' Cp. Ο. Τ. 853, φανεί δικαίως ὀρθών: Trach. 1158, φανεῖς ὁποῖος ὢν ἀνὴρ ἐμὸς καλεῖ. In this speech, as well as supr. 487 foll., there is a resemblance to the sixth Iliad (see esp. ll. 476-481).

548. mvp-comment-375-1 ἀλλά opposes what follows (though not in strict logic) to the preceding negative. ὠμοῖς .. ἐν νόμοις πατρὸς .. πωλοδαμνεῖν] Το train him, like a young colt, in his father's rugged ways.' For ὠμοῖς, cp. supr. 205, ὠμοκρατής, and note. And for νόμοις, Ant. 191, τοιοῖσδ᾽ ἐγὼ νόμοισι τήνδ' αὔξω πόλιν. Essay on L. § 47. p. 88.

549. mvp-comment-376-1 κἀξομοιοῦσθαι φύσιν] ‘And that he should have his nature framed by mine.' For the change of subject, see Essay on L. § 36. p. 65 d.

552. mvp-comment-377-1 καὶ νῦν] · Even now, before your lot in life has been determined for good or evil.'

553. mvp-comment-378-1 'That you have no perception of this misery.'

554. mvp-comment-379-1 This line, although quite possibly Sophoclean, has the appearance of a marginal quotation rather than of an integral portion of the text of this passage. It is probably from some lost play, and should be placed amongst the fragments of Greek tragic poetry.

556-557. mvp-comment-380-1 δεῖ σ᾽ ὅπως .. δείξεις] «You must find some way of showing.' The same construction recurs in Phil. 55, τὴν Φιλοκτήτου σε δεῖ | ψυχὴν ὅπως λόγοισιν ἐκκλέψεις λέγων.

557. mvp-comment-381-1 ἐν ἐχθροῖς] For the use of ἐν, cp supr. 366, and note.

558. mvp-comment-382-1 κούφοις πνεύμασιν βόσκου] 'Be nourished by gentle breezes,' like a sapling in a sheltered spot. Plants were supposed to feed upon the air. Dio Chrys. Orat. 12, 30 (quoted by Lobeck), τρεφόμενοι τῇ διηνεκεῖ τοῦ πνεύματος ἐπιρροῇ, ἀέρα ὑγρὸν ἕλκοντες, ὥστε νήπιοι παῖδες. Cp. Trach. 144 foll. τὸ γὰρ νέαζον ἐν τοιοῖσδε βόσκεται | χώροισιν, κ.τ.λ.

559. mvp-comment-383-1 χαρμονήν is accus. in apposition. Essay on L. § 17. p. 25 d.

562. mvp-comment-384-1 τοῖον, κ.τ.λ.] Essay on L. § 22. p. 36. 3. The absence of the demonstrative ending ( τοιόνδε or τοιοῦτον) may arise from the fact that Teucer is absent, and that Ajax is speaking of the future.

562. mvp-comment-384-2 ἀμφί σοι] Τo protect thee.' ἀμφί as in ἀμφιβαίνειν, etc.

563. mvp-comment-385-1 τροφῆς ἄοκνον] 'Unfaltering in care for thee.' τροφῆς is gen. of respect. Essay on L. § 9. p. 13, 3. ἔμπα κεἰ] ἔμπα does not occur elsewhere in Attic Greek. Cp. Pind. N. 4. 58, ἔμπα, καί περ ἔχει, κ.τ.λ.

564. mvp-comment-386-1 τηλωπός] 'Far away.' The latter part of the compound is subordinated. οἰχνεῖ] 'He is wandering.' οἰχνέω, as a derivative of οἴχομαι, seems to have a frequentative force. θήραν ἔχων] · Engaged in pursuit.' A periphrasis like ἔχομεν στοναχάς, supr. 203.

565. mvp-comment-387-1 Confident in the return of Teucer, Ajax bids his comrades give this charge to him. They recall the fact afterwards, l. 990. He also urges them to do their part, l. 566.

566. mvp-comment-388-1 κοινήν] i.e. 'As well as to him.'

569. mvp-comment-389-1 Ἐριβοíą λέγω] Sc ὅπως δείξει. This has been unnecessarily altered to Ἐριβοίαν λέγω. Ajax dwells affectionately on his mother's name. Eurysaces is to honour her, and not Hesione. Cp. Pind. Isthm. 5 (6). 65, παῖδα θρασὺν ἐξ Εριβοίας.

571. mvp-comment-390-1 μέχρις οὐ, or μέχρι οὗ, occurs in Hdt. 1. 180; 2. 19, where the phrase has the force of a single word. This may suggest a possible excuse for the appearance of a divided anapaest, which has caused the rejection of the line in some edd. It may possibly have been interpolated or quoted ( cp. supr. 554) to supplement the vague use of εἰσαεί. But the words are impressive, and the alleged flaw may be remedied by reading ἕως or ἔστ᾽ ἄν for μέχρις οὗ.

572. mvp-comment-391-1 ἀγωνάρχαι] 'Presidents of contest,' such as the Atreidae had been.

573. mvp-comment-392-1 θήσουσ'] Sc. ὡς ἆθλα. The future follows ὅπως, supr. 567. ὁ λυμεὼν ἐμός] On this position of the possessive pronoun, see Essay on L. § 23. p. 37.

574. mvp-comment-393-1 αὐτό] The pronoun anticipates σάκος, which, as the most important piece of armour, is contained in τεύχη. For similar uses of αὐτός, cp. Plat. Soph. 256 D, ὁμολογήσαντες αὐτὰ εἶναι πέντε: 263 Ε, καὶ μὴν ἐν λόγοις αὐτὸ ἴσμεν ὅν. ἐπώνυμον] · Whence thou art named.'

575-576. mvp-comment-394-1 The epithet shows that the πόρπαξ was not of metal, but of embroidered leather. Cp. Eur. Tro. 1196, ὡς ἡδὺς ἐν πόρπακι σὸς κεῖται τύπος.

577. mvp-comment-395-1 κοινά may be either (1) adverbial. as in Ant. 546, μή μοι θάνῃς σὺ κοινά, or (2) predicative, agreeing with τεύχη, probably the latter (2).

579. mvp-comment-396-1 ἐπισκήνους] 'Before the tent,' = ἐπὶ σκηναῖς, supr. 3, and so 'in public.'

580. mvp-comment-397-1 φιλοίκτιστον] i.e. φιλοῦν τὸ οἰκτίζεσθαι, in the sense of inviting commiseration. 'A woman is a very tearful creature.'

581. mvp-comment-398-1 'To whine faint charms over a wound that cries out for the knife.' The desiderative, = τομὴν αἰτοῦντι, here implies the passive meaning of the verbal noun. For the use of charms in assisting surgery, cp. Od. 19. 456-8, ὠτειλὴν δ' Ὀδυσῆος ἀμύμονος, ἀντιθέσιο, | δῆσαν ἐπισταμένως· ἐπαοιδῇ δ᾽ αἷμα κελαινὸν | ἔσχεθον· αἶψα δ' ἵκοντο φίλου πρὸς δώματα πατρός.