Sophocles Ajax 214-262

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.) — 215-257 focus
Αἴας First1KGreek (Sophocles. Sophoclis Fabulae. Pearson, Alfred Chilton, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1924.) — 214-262 focus
Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 221 focus
στρ. οἵαν ἐδήλωσας ἀνδρὸς αἴθονος αἴθο.νος αἴθο.νος αἴθο.πος αἴθοπος αἴθωνος
ὤμοι· κεῖθεν κεῖθεν ἄρ᾽ ἡμῖν
δεσμῶτιν ἄγων ἤλυθε ποίμναν·
ὧν τὴν μὲν ἔσω σφάζ᾽ ἐπὶ γαίας,
230
τὰ τὰσδέ τὰς δὲ τὰσδὲ δὲ πλευροκοπῶν δίχ᾽ ἀνερρήγνυ ἂν ἐρρήγνυ ἀνερρήγνυ.
ἀντ. ὥρα τιν᾽ ἤδη τίν᾽ ἤδη τοι κρᾶτα ἤδη κράτα ἤδη τοι κράτα κάρα καλύμμασι
245
κρυψάμενον ποδοῖν κλοπὰν ἀρέσθαι,
ἢ θοὸν εἰρεσίας ζυγὸν ἑζόμενον
ποντοπόρῳ ναὶ μεθεῖναι.
οὐκέτι· λαμπρᾶς γὰρ ἄτερ στεροπᾶς
ἄξας ὀξὺς νότος ὣς λήγει,
255
καὶ νῦν φρόνιμος φρόνιμοσ νέον ἄλγος ἔχει.
τὸ γὰρ ἐσλεύσσειν ἐσλεύσειν ἐσλεύσσειν εἰσλεύσειν οἰκεῖα πάθη,
μηδενὸς ἄλλου παραπράξαντος,
μεγάλας ὀδύνας ὑποτείνει.
Translations (5)
English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 233 focus
Such horrid victims mightst thou see
Huddled beneath yon canopy,
Torn by red hands and dyed in blood,
Dread offerings to his direful mood.
What news of our fierce lord thy story showeth,
Sharp to endure, impossible to fly!
News that on tongues of Danaäns hourly groweth,
Which Rumour’s myriad voices multiply!
Alas! the approaching doom awakes my terror.
The man will die, disgraced in open day,
Whose dark dyed steel hath dared through mad brained error
The mounted herdmen with their herds to slay.
O horror! Then ’twas there he found
The flock he brought as captives tied,
And some he slew upon the ground,
And some, side smiting, sundered wide
Two white foot rams he backward drew,
And bound. Of one he shore and threw
The tipmost tongue and head away,
The other to an upright stay
He tied, and with a harness thong
Doubled in hand, gave whizzing blows,
Echoing his lashes with a song
More dire than mortal fury knows.
Ah! then ’tis time, our heads in mantles hiding,
245
Our feet on some stol’n pathway now to ply,
245
Or with swift oarage o’er the billows gliding,
245
With ordered stroke to make the good ship fly
245
Such threats the Atridae, armed with two fold power,
Launch to assail us. Oh, I sadly fear
Stones from fierce hands on us and him will shower,
Whose heavy plight no comfort may come near.
’Tis changed, his rage, like sudden blast,
Without the lightning gleam is past
And now that Reason’s light returns,
New sorrow in his spirit burns.
For when we look on self made woe,
In which no hand but ours had part,
Thought of such griefs and whence they flow
Brings aching misery to the heart.
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 221 focus
Ha, welchen Ruf offenbarst du, Frau, von dem grimmigen Mann,
Ha, schrecklich, unentrinnbar!
Ruchtbar gemacht von den Fürsten des Danaerheers,
220
Mehrt ihn die stets wachsende Sage.
Bang ahn' ich, bang, was mir herannaht! Vor den Augen Aller
Erschlägt ihn auch die wahnsinnige Hand, die eben
Mit bluttriefendem Stahle die Heerden mordet' und die Hirten.
Weh! Dorther, dorther kam er zu uns,
225
Und führte die Heerd' in gefesseltem Zug;
Und die einen erwürgt' er am Boden im Zelt,
Und die anderen hieb er mitten entzwei,
Griff zween weißfüßige Widder sodann,
Mäht' einem das Haupt und die Zunge herab,
230
Und warf sie hinweg;
Und den anderen band er am Pfeiler empor,
Und faßte den Roßzaum doppelt und schwang
Und geißelte, daß hell schwirrte der Schlag,
Schmachworte zugleich ausschüttend, die nur
235
Ein Gott, kein Mensch, ihm gelehrt hat.
Gegenstrophe.
Nun ist es Zeit, unser Haupt in bergende Hüllen versteckt, 1
Verstohlen fortzuflüchten,
Oder gewandt zu den Rudern, in Eile des meer-
wandelnden Schiffs Bande zu lösen.
240
Mit solchen Drohworten bestürmt uns das Atridenpaar hier,
Die Trozvollen: mir bangt, ach, vom erhobnen Steine
Erreicht, muß ich verderben, wie er, den grauses Leiden fesselt.
Nicht mehr! Er ruht nun, schnell wie der Süd,
Der ohne den Bliz aufstürmte, sich legt. 2
245
Den Genesenen quält jezt anderes Leid;
Denn zu sehen das Unheil, das du dir selbst,
Kein Anderer sonst mitwirkend erschuf,
Das weckt unsägliche Schmerzen.
English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 233 focus
How shall 1 declare
Sadder than death th' unutterable woe !
This night, with madness seized, hath Ajax done
A dreadful deed ; within thou mayst behold
230
The tent 's o'erspread with bloody carcases
230
Of cattle slain, the victims of his rage.
To be removed ; already Greece hath heard
And wond'ring crowds repeat the dreadful tale ;
245
Alas ! I fear th' event ! I fear me much.
Lest, with their flocks and herds the shepherds slain,
Against himself he lift his murth'rous hand.
Alas ! this way he led his captive spoils.
And some he slew, and others tore in sunder ;
From out the flock two rams of silver hue
255
He chose, from one the head and tongue divided,
He cast them from him ; then the other chained
Fast to the pillar, with a double rein
Bore cruel stripes, and bitt'rest execrations,
Which not from mortal came, but were inspired
By that avenging god who thus torments him.
English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 221 focus
What hast thou said of one, that in the works
Of war flamed foremost! We can neither bear
The infamy, nor shun it. By the Chiefs
Already it is whisper'd, and anon
Wide through the Grecian camp it will be spread.
Ah me! I fear th' advancing ills; the man
By the same hand, by frenzy arm'd, will die,
Amidst the darkness of the night which whirl'd
His sword, and with the herdsmen slew the herds.
Ah, what a grief! Thence, thence he came, and led
The herds as captives; some within the tent
He slew, and on the ground some mangled lie.
Two rams of snow-white fleece he seized; from one
He rent away the tongue, smote off the head,
And threw it from him; to a pillar high
230
The other bound, then snatch'd his chariot-reins,
230
And scourges it with many a sounding stroke,
230
Reviling it with loud and shameful taunts,
The dictates of some Fury, not of man.
Time is it then we veil our heads, and steal
245
With secret foot away; or mount our seats, 1
245
Ply the strong oar, and to the ocean give
Our lightly-bounding bark. Such threats severe
The sons of Atreus, who command our host,
Denounce against us: crush'd with stones, I fear,
We too shall feel their vengeance, with our lord.
Now struggling in the bonds of ruthless fate.
Not struggling now, for, as the boisterous South
That rose without the lightening's flashing fires,
255
His rage subsides. But to his sense return'd
A new affliction grieves him; for to view
Ills all our own, where no associate shares
The deed, with keenest anguish racks the heart.
English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 214-260 focus

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-146-1 λέγω 1

mvp-comment-146-2 θανάτῳ … ἴσον 2

mvp-comment-147-1 μανίᾳ γὰρ 3 ἡμὶν 4

mvp-comment-147-2 νύκτερος 5

mvp-comment-147-3 ἀπελωβήθη 6

mvp-comment-148-1 τοιαῦτ’ 7 αἱμοβαφῆ 8

mvp-comment-148-2 χρηστήρια 9

mvp-comment-149-1 A strophe, to which vv. 245—256 form the antistrophe. For the metres, see Metrical Analysis.

mvp-comment-149-2 ἀνέρος … ἀγγελίαν 10

mvp-comment-149-3 αἴθονος 11

mvp-comment-149-4 The v.l. αἴθοπος 12 ο 13

mvp-comment-149-5 ἄτλατον οὐδὲ φευκτάν 14

mvp-comment-150-1 τῶν μεγάλων Δαναῶν 15

mvp-comment-150-2 κλῃζομέναν 16

mvp-comment-151-1 ὁ μέγας μῦθος 17

mvp-comment-151-2 ἀέξει 18

mvp-comment-152-1 περίφαντος 19

mvp-comment-153-1 παραπλάκτῳ 20

mvp-comment-153-2 συγκατακτὰς 21 κελαινοῖς 22

mvp-comment-154-1 ξίφεσιν 23

mvp-comment-154-2 ἱππονώμας 24 βοτῆρας 25 βοτά 26 ἱππονόμους 27

mvp-comment-155-1 ἄρα 28

mvp-comment-155-2 ἤλυθε 29

mvp-comment-156-1 ὧν 30 ποίμνην 31 τὴν μὲν 32 τὰ δὲ 33

mvp-comment-156-2 ἔσω 34 ἔσω σφάζε 35

mvp-comment-156-3 ἐπὶ γαίας 36

mvp-comment-156-4 πλευροκοπῶν 37

mvp-comment-157-1 ἀργίποδας 38

mvp-comment-157-2 If the two rams are the two Atreidae, then Odysseus is ignored here. This would be consistent both with vv. 97— 110 and with 298—306. The flogging of the second ram here would correspond with the words

τοὺς δὲ δεσμίους | ᾐκίζεθ’
in 299 f. Then came the colloquy of Ajax with Athena (301); after which, he slowly regained his sanity,—before he had inflicted the lash upon Odysseus. That the ‘two rams’ are here the royal brethren might be suggested by the analogy of the two eagles in Ag. 115. On the other hand, the special ferocity with which Ajax treats the second ram rather indicates that it represents Odysseus. There would be no point in so distinguishing Menelaüs from Agamemnon. On the whole, it seems most probable that the poet meant Agamemnon and Odysseus, but was careless of strict consistency with vv. 97—110.

mvp-comment-158-1 κεφαλὴν καὶ γλῶσσαν ἄκραν 39

mvp-comment-159-1 ῥιπτεῖ 40

mvp-comment-159-2 ὀρθὸν ἄνω … δήσας 41

mvp-comment-159-3 κίονι 42

mvp-comment-160-1 ἱπποδέτην ῥυτῆρα 43

mvp-comment-161-1 λιγυρᾷ 44

mvp-comment-162-1 κακὰ δεννάζων ῥήμαθ’ 45

mvp-comment-162-2 δαίμων 46

mvp-comment-163-1 ἤδη τοι κρᾶτα 47 ἀνδρὸς 48 ἀνέρος 49 τοι 50 κρᾶτα 51 κάρα 52 ἐδήλωσας 53 ἔδειξας 54 ἔφηνας 55 ἐδήλους 56 τοι 57 ἤτοι 58

mvp-comment-163-2 κρᾶτα … κρυψάμενον 59

mvp-comment-163-3 ποδοῖν κλοπὰν ἀρέσθαι 60 κλοπὰν 61

mvp-comment-164-1 θοὸν 62 εἰρεσίας 63 ζυγὸν 64

mvp-comment-164-2 ναῒ μεθεῖναι 65

mvp-comment-165-1 τοίας 66

mvp-comment-165-2 ἐρέσσουσιν 67

mvp-comment-165-3 δικρατεῖς Ἀτρεῖδαι 68

mvp-comment-166-1 πεφόβημαι 69

mvp-comment-166-2 λιθόλευστον Ἄρη 70

mvp-comment-166-3 The accus. is, in the first place, object to πεφόβημαι 71 ξυναλγεῖν 72 τυπείς 73

mvp-comment-166-4 αἶσ’ ἄπλατος 74

mvp-comment-167-1 The words λαμπρᾶς ἄτερ στεροπῆς 75 λήγει 76 ᾄξας 77

mvp-comment-168-1 οἰκεῖα πάθη 78

mvp-comment-168-2 παραπράξαντος 79

mvp-comment-168-3 ὑποτείνει 80

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

215. mvp-comment-161-1 πάθος, as the appropriate word, is preferable to βάρος, which may have slipped in in from supr. 209.

217. mvp-comment-162-1 νύκτερος] 'In the night.' Essay on L. § 23. p. 36.

218. mvp-comment-163-1 τοιαῦτ᾽ ἂν ἴδοις] For τοιοῦτος adducing proof, see Essay on L. § 22. p. 35 a.

220. mvp-comment-164-1 χρηστήρια] Either (1) simply 'victims,' or (2) with superstitious reference to the δαίμων of madness. 'Offerings demanded by his rage.'

221-232. mvp-comment-165-1 The metrical scheme (Logaoedic, with frequent syncope) is the following...

221. mvp-comment-166-1 ἀνδρὸς αἴθονος] ‘Concerning the fiery man.' Essay on L. § 9. p. 12, 2. If τοι is retained in infr. 245, we may read here οἵαν ἐδήλωσας *κατ᾿ ἀνδρὸς αἴθονος. The short syllable in αἴθονος is sufficiently supported by αΐθονα occurring in Hesychius in the right alphabetical order (immediately after αἶθον). Although αἴθοπος (see v. rr.) may be defended, on the ground that the second part of a compound has sometimes little significance (see esp. infr. 954, κελαινώπαν θυμών), yet αἴθων, which directly expresses character, is more appropriate here, and has the preponderance of MS. authority in its favour.

222. mvp-comment-167-1 ἄτλατον οὐδὲ φευκτάν] ‘That can neither be avoided nor endured.'

225. mvp-comment-168-1 μεγάλων] 'Terrible.' The mariners, in their feebleness ( supr. 165 foll.), are afraid of the opinion of the host. These words are added as a comment on οὐδὲ φευκτάν. The consequences of the fact cannot be eluded, since it is known to the host, and magnified by rumour.

226. mvp-comment-169-1 ὁ μέγας μῦθος] ‘The formidable power of rumour.' Supr. 172, ὦ μεγάλα φάτις. μῦθος is the rumour about this particular thing, with a suggestion of rumour in general. ἀέξει] Not 'exaggerates,' for the evil could not be exaggerated, but, 'which the mighty power of rumour spreads abroad.'

229. mvp-comment-170-1 περίφαντος.. θανεῖται] 'He will be discovered and will die.' περίφαντος is explained by the words that follow, παραπλήκτῳ χερί, κ.τ.λ. The nature of the crime defies concealment.

231. mvp-comment-171-1 κελαινοῖς ξίφεσιν] · With darkened brand.' The plural, as in Ant. 820, ξιφέων ἐπίχειρα, denotes the action of the sword rather than the sword itself. The epithet κελαινοῖς, as in Trach. 856, κελαινὰ λόγχα, suggests the colour of a sword or spear that has been much used in battle. βοτήρας] Supr. 27, αὐτοῖς ποιμνίων ἐπιστάταις. This fact is known to the mariners from the report of the army, not from Tecmessa. ἱππονώμας] Either (1) because captive horses, like those of Rhesus, were included in the spoil (this might add force to ἱππομανῆ, supr. 143), or rather (2) because the herdsmen were mounted, as might well happen where the herd was so extensive.

235. mvp-comment-172-1 ὧν τὴν μέν] Sc. ποίμναν. 'Whereof one part.' The plural ὧν is equivalent to a collective ἧς, referring to ποίμναν supr. The force of ἔσω ('in the tent') is continued to the subsequent clauses. For τὴν μέν followed by τὰ δέ, see Essay on L. § 20. p. 31.

236. mvp-comment-173-1 πλευροκοπών δίχ᾽ ἀνερρήγνυ] 'He smote beneath the ribs and ripped asunder.' The two white-footed rams are probably Agamemnon and Odysseus. Menelaus may have been imagined to be slain in combat, while the king of men was brought away in triumph to be the object of more condign vengeance. Ll. 105 foll. leave no room to doubt that the second ram is intended by Ajax for Odysseus.

237. mvp-comment-174-1 ἀνελών] · Having lifted,' i.e. by the forefeet.

238-239. mvp-comment-175-1 'He sheared off and threw away (first) the tongue-tip and (then) the head.' E. on L. § 41. p. 78 β, b. The tongue, which had pronounced the judgment, the head, which was the seat of sovereignty, are the first to suffer. For ῥιπτεῖ, cp. Hdt. 4. 61, ὁ θύσας, τῶν κρεῶν καὶ τῶν σπλάγχνων ἀπαρξάμενος, ῥίπτει ἐς τὸ ἔμπροσθεν.

240. mvp-comment-176-1 ‘Bound up to a pillar erect.' ἄνω marks that the bonds were fastened from above, so as almost to suspend the creature from the ground.

241. mvp-comment-177-1 'With a great harness-thong.' ῥυτήρ is (1) a trace, (2) a rein, (3) any strap used in harnessing.

242. mvp-comment-178-1 'He smites him with resounding double lash ;' i.e. He holds the thong by the middle, and plies it, thus doubled, with a whizzing noise.

243. mvp-comment-179-1 ἃ δαίμων, κ.τ.λ.] i.e. The words gave evidence of superhuman passion. Ср. О. Т. 1258, 9, δαιμόνων δείκνυσί τις, οὐδεὶς γὰρ ἀνδρῶν.

244. mvp-comment-180-1 'Reviling him with evil language.' Cp. Ant. 759, ἐπὶ ψόγοισι δεννάσεις ἐμέ.

245. mvp-comment-181-1 κάρα is the emendation of Triclinius for κρᾶτα, which is in most MSS., generally with τοι preceding: according to Hermann this was due to a mistaken metrical emendation. Reading κάρα and retaining τοι, we might read in supr. 221, οἴαν ἐδήλωσας *κατ᾿ ἀνδρὸς αἴθονος. τιν'] ἱ.ε. ἡμᾶς. Essay on L. § 22. p. 36. κάρα καλύμμασι κρυψάμενον] 'Veiling one's head,' either (1) in token of confusion and shame as well as sorrow. Cp. Od. 8.92; Plat. Phaedr. 243 В. Or (2) by way of disguise. ποδοῖν κλοπὰν ἀρέσθαι] i. e. φυγὴν ἀρέσθαι, 'to steal away on foot.' Cp. Eur. Or. 1499, ἐκκλέπτειν πόδα: Rhes. 54, αἴρεσθαι φυγήν.

247. mvp-comment-182-1 θοὸν εἰρεσίας ζυγὸν ἑζόμενον] 'Pressing the swift rowing-bench.' Cp. Aesch. Ag. 982, θάρσος . . ἵζει φρενὸς φίλον θρόνον. And for the hypallage ( =θοᾶς εἰρεσίας ζυγόν), see Essay on L. § 42. p. 80.

250. mvp-comment-183-1 ποντοπόρῳ ναὶ μεθεῖναι] 'Let the sea-faring ship go on her way.' No definite ellipse (as of πλοῦν or πείσματα) is to be supplied with μεθεῖναι.

250. mvp-comment-183-2 ματα) need be supposed. The verb 'to let go' is first used absolutely, and then again acquires a remote object, which is put in the dative. The ship is 'a thing of life.'

251. mvp-comment-184-1 ἐρέσσουσιν] 'Launch.' Ant. 158, μῆτιν ἐρέσσω. For the unconscious tautology, εἰρεσίας .. ἐρέσσουσιν, see Essay on L. § 44. pp. 83, 4. The mariners think of the Atreidae as chasing them astern. The words καθ' ἡμῶν mark that their lot is bound up with that of Ajax, a thought which is developed in the succeeding lines. The accusative Ἄρη is in two constructions, first after πεφόβημαι, and then with ξυναλγεῖν, which is added in epexegesis. For Apns of destructive violence, cp. esp. Aesch. Prom. 861, 2, θηλυκτόνῳ | Ἄρει δαμέντων.

255. mvp-comment-185-1 τὸν αἰσ᾿ ἄπλατος ίσχει] 'Possessed by an all-endangering doom.' The chorus long to stand by Ajax, but are deterred by his madness. Cp. Trach. 785, κοὐδεὶς ἐτόλμα τἀνδρὸς ἀντίον μολεῖν : ib. 797, ὦ παῖ, πρόσελθε, μὴ φύγῃς τοὐμὸν κακόν, | μηδ' εἴ σε χρὴ θανόντι συνθανεῖν ἐμοί: ib. 1030, ἀποτίβατος ἀγρία νόσος.

257. mvp-comment-186-1 οὐκέτι] Sc. ἴσχει νιν ἡ μανία. 'He may be approached with safety now.' λαμπρᾶς, κ.τ.λ.] 'For he, like a Southern storm, after a sharp outburst, ceases to rage, and the lightning plays no more.' ἄτερ, κ.τ.λ. is to be taken proleptically = ὥστε ἄτερ στεροπῆς εἶναι. E. on L. § 38. p. 70. Otherwise the words might mean, 'He desists without lightning:' i.e. his violence comes to an end without doing irreparable harm. Cp. Eur. Med. 93, 4, οὐδὲ παύσεται | χόλου, σάφ' οἶδα, πρὶν κατασκῆψαί τινα: Shak. King John, 4. 2, 'So foul a sky clears not without a storm.' But although Tecmessa is for the moment relieved, her apprehensions are not sufficiently calmed to make this natural.

259. mvp-comment-187-1 Φρόνιμος] Sc. ὤν. Essay on L. § 39. Ρ. 72. φρόνιμον (sc. ὄντα) is a v. r. or MS. conjecture.