Sophocles, Ajax, Robert Potter (Translator), 175

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Chorus

Whose hand employ'd he in this deed of death?

Ajax. Sophocles. Robert Potter (Translator). London. 1820.

Current edition Experimental

English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) (English) (English (Robert Potter, 1788))

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (4)

Αἴας μαστιγοφόρος First1KGreek (Sophocles. Sophoclis Aiax. Lobeck Christian, editor. Berlin: Weidmann, 1866.) — 172-201 focus

str. 1

ΧΟΡΟΣ

1

ᾖ ῥά σε Ταυροπόλα Διὸς Ἄρτεμις,

ὦ μεγάλα φάτις, ὦ

μᾶτερ αἰσχύνας ἐμᾶς,

ὥρμασε πανδάμους ἐπὶ βοῦς ἀγελαίας,
175

ἦ πού τινος νίκας ἀκάρπωτον χάριν,

ἤ ῥα κλυτῶν ἐνάρων

ψευσθεῖσ’, ἀδώροις εἴτ’ ὲλαφηβολἐαις.

ἢ χαλκοθώραξ ἥντιν’ Ἐννυάλιος

μομφὰν ἔχων
180

ξυνοῦ δορὸς, ἐννυχίοις μαχαναῖς

ἐτίσατο λώβαν.

ant. 1

ΧΟΡΟΣ

1

Οὐ, τοτε γὰρ φρενόθεν γ’ ἐπ’ ἀριστερὰ,

παῖ Τελαμῶνος, ἔβας

τόσσον ὲν ποίμναις πίτνων·
185

ἥκοι γὰρ ἂν θεία νόσος· ἀλλ’ ἀπερύκοι

καὶ Ζεὺς κακὰν καὶ Φοῖβος Ἀργείων φάτιν ·

εἰ δ’ ὑποβαλλόμενοι

κλέπτουσι μύθους οἱ μεγάλοι βασιλῆς

ἢ τᾶς ἀσώτου Σισυφιδᾶν γενεᾶς,
190

μὴ, μή μ’, ἄναξ,

ἔθ’ ὦδ’ ἐφάλοις κλισίαις ὄμμ’ ἔχων

κακὰν φάτιν ἄρῃ.

ep.

ΧΟΡΟΣ

1

Ἀλλ’ ἄνα ἐς ἐδράνων, ὅπου μακραίωνι

στηρίζει ποτὲ τᾷδ’ ἀγωνίῳ σχολᾷ
195

ἄταν οὐρανίαν φλέγων

ἐχθρῶν δ’ ὕβρις ὧδ’ ἀτάρβηθ’

ὁρμᾶται ὲν εὐανέμοις βάσσαις,

πάντων καγχαζόντων

γλώσσαις βαρυάλγητα·
200

200 ἐμοὶ δ’ ἄχος ἕστακεν.

Αἴας First1KGreek (Sophocles. Sophoclis Fabulae. Pearson, Alfred Chilton, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1924.) — 172-200 focus

str. 1

Χορός

1

ἦ ῥά σε Ταυροπόλα Διὸς Ἄρτεμις,

ὦ μεγάλα φάτις, ὦ

μᾶτερ αἰσχύνας ἐμᾶς, ὥρ-

μασε πανδάμους ἐπὶ βοῦς ἀγελαίας,
175

ἦ πού τινος νίκας ἀκάρπωτον χάριν,

ἤ ῥα κλυτῶν ἐνάρων

ψευσθεῖσʼ, ἀδώροις εἴτʼ ἐλαφαβολίαις;

ἢ χαλκοθώραξ εἴ τινʼ Ἐνυάλιος

μομφὰν ἔχων ξυνοῦ δορὸς ἐννυχίοις
180

μαχαναῖς ἐτείσατο λώβαν;

ant. 1

Χορός

1

οὔποτε γὰρ φρενόθεν γʼ ἐπʼ ἀριστερά,

παῖ Τελαμῶνος, ἔβας

¹²³⁴⁵⁶⁷⁸⁹¹⁰¹¹

τόσσον ἐν ποίμναις πίτνων· ἥ-

κοι γὰρ ἂν θεία νόσος· ἀλλʼ ἀπερύκοι
185

καὶ Ζεὺς κακὰν καὶ Φοῖβος Ἀργείων φάτιν.

εἰ δʼ ὑποβαλλόμενοι

κλέπτουσι μύθους οἱ μεγάλοι βασιλῆς,

ἢ τᾶς ἀσώτου Σισυφιδᾶν γενεᾶς,

μὴ μηκέτʼ, ὦναξ, ὧδʼ ἐφάλοις κλισίαις
190

ὄμμʼ ἔχων κακὰν φάτιν ἄρῃ.

ep.

Χορός

ἀλλʼ ἄνα ἐξ ἑδράνων

ὅπου μακραίωνι

στηρίζει ποτὲ τᾷδʼ ἀγωνίῳ σχολᾷ,

ἄταν οὐρανίαν φλέγων.
195

ἐχθρῶν δʼ ὕβρις ὧδʼ ἀτάρβητα

ὁρμᾶτʼ ἐν εὐανέμοις βάσσαις,

πάντων καχαζόντων

γλώσσαις βαρυάλγητα·

ἐμοὶ δʼ ἄχος ἕστακεν.
200

Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 175 focus

ὥρμασε πανδάμους ἐπὶ βοῦς ἀγελαίας ;

175

Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 172-200 focus

Χορός

ἦ ῥά σε Ταυροπόλα Διὸς Ἄρτεμις—

ὦ μεγάλα φάτις, ὦ

μᾶτερ αἰσχύνας ἐμᾶς—

ὥρμασε πανδάμους ἐπὶ βοῦς ἀγελαίας,
175

ἦ πού τινος νίκας ἀκάρπωτον χάριν,

ἤ ῥα κλυτῶν ἐνάρων

ψευσθεῖσʼ, ἀδώροις, εἴτʼ ἐλαφαβολίας;

ἢ χαλκοθώραξ μή τινʼ Ἐνυάλιος

μομφὰν ἔχων ξυνοῦ δορὸς ἐννυχίοις
180

μαχαναῖς ἐτίσατο λώβαν;

182

Χορός

οὔ ποτε γὰρ φρενόθεν γʼ ἐπʼ ἀριστερά,

παῖ Τελαμῶνος, ἔβας

τόσσον, ἐν ποίμναις πίτνων·
185

ἥκοι γὰρ ἂν θεία νόσος· ἀλλʼ ἀπερύκοι

καὶ Ζεὺς κακὰν καὶ Φοῖβος Ἀργείων φάτιν.

εἰ δʼ ὑποβαλλόμενοι

κλέπτουσι μύθους οἱ μεγάλοι βασιλῆς

ἢ τᾶς ἀσώτου Σισυφιδᾶν γενεᾶς,
190

μὴ μή, ἄναξ, ἔθʼ ὧδʼ ἐφάλοις κλισίαις

ὄμμʼ ἔχων κακὰν φάτιν ἄρῃ.

193

Χορός

ἀλλʼ ἄνα ἐξ ἑδράνων, ὅπου μακραίωνι

στηρίζει ποτὲ τᾷδʼ ἀγωνίῳ σχολᾷ

ἄταν οὐρανίαν φλέγων.
195

ἐχθρῶν δʼ ὕβρις ὧδʼ ἀτάρβητα

ὁρμᾶται ἐν εὐανέμοις βάσσαις,

πάντων καγχαζόντων

γλώσσαις βαρυάλγητα·

ἐμοὶ δʼ ἄχος ἕστακεν.
200

Translations (4)

English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 175 focus

CH

’Tis a sore burden to be laid on men.

German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 172 focus

Trieb dich die Tochter des Zeus, die Vertilgerin,

Artemis, schweres Gerücht, Quelle bitt'rer Schande mir!

Auf unsres Volkes Gut, in die weidenden Rinder,

Wohl wegen eines ohne Dank erkämpften Siegs,¹
175

Sei es um Gaben getäuscht

Von stolzer Rüstung oder um Beuten der Sagd?

Wie? Oder zürnt dir Ares im ehernen Kleid,

Hat, weil mit Undank ihm du die Hülfe gelohnt,

Dich gestraft mit nächtlichem Blendwerk?
180
Gegenstrophe.

English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 175 focus

Menelaus
Scene V.

Teucer, Chorus.

English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 172-200 focus

Chorus

Was it Artemis ruler of bulls, Zeus’s daughter, that drove you, O powerful Rumor, O mother of my shame,

drove you against the herds of all our people? Was she exacting retribution, perhaps, for a victory that had paid her no tribute, whether it was because she had been cheated of the glory of captured arms, or because a stag had been slain without gifts for recompense? Or can the bronze-cuirassed Lord of War
175

have had some cause for anger arising out of an alliance of spears, and taken vengeance for the outrage by contrivance shrouded in night?
180

182

Chorus

For never of your own heart alone, son of Telamon, would you have gone so far down the sinister path

as to fall upon the flocks. When the gods send madness, it cannot but reach its target, but may Zeus and Phoebus avert the evil rumor of the Greeks!
And if it is the great kings who slander you with their furtive stories,
185

or if it is he born of the abject line of Sisyphus, do not, my king, do not win me an evil name by keeping your face still hidden in the tent by the sea.
190

193

Chorus

Come now, up from your seat, wherever you are settled in this long-lived pause from battle

and are making the flame of disaster blaze up to the sky! The violent insolence of your enemies rushes fearlessly about in the breezy glens, while the tongues of all the army cackle out a load of grief.
195

For me, sorrow stands firmly planted.
200

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-530-1 οἶος ¹

mvp-comment-530-2 ἄφρακτος ² φίλων ³

mvp-comment-531-1 κωφός ⁴

mvp-comment-532-1 δυστράπελος ⁵

mvp-comment-532-2 δυσώνυμος ⁶

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

910. mvp-comment-588-1 ὤμοι ἐμᾶς ἄτας] 'Woe for me, luckless one!' ἄτη is here a calamity involving blame, as appears from the words ὁ πάντα κωφός, ὁ πάντ᾽ ἄϊδρις in what follows. ἄφρακτος φίλων] 'Without friend to shield thee.' Essay on L. § 10. p. 16 f.

911. mvp-comment-589-1 πάντα is here used adverbially with a merely intensive force, as πᾶν in compounds, Essay on L. § 55. p. 101, 6,

913. mvp-comment-590-1 δυστράπελος] ‘Unmanageable.' Cp. supr. 609, δυσθεράπευτος: 594,5, μωρά μοι δοκεῖς φρονεῖν, | εἰ τοὐμὸν ἦθος ἄρτι παιδεύειν νοεῖς.

914. mvp-comment-591-1 δυσώνυμος] ‘Of ill-omened name.' The Chorus were present when Ajax, supr. 430, 'played nicely with his name.'

Sophocles Ajax 175

Robert Potter (Translator)

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Chorus

Whose hand employ'd he in this deed of death?

Current edition Experimental

CH

’Tis a sore burden to be laid on men.

Menelaus
Scene V.

Teucer, Chorus.

Commentary

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Chorus Whose hand employ'd he in this deed of death?

Current edition Experimental

CH ’Tis a sore burden to be laid on men.

Menelaus Scene V. Teucer, Chorus.

Commentary

Stable identifiers

Chorus

Whose hand employ'd he in this deed of death?

CH

’Tis a sore burden to be laid on men.

Menelaus
Scene V.

Teucer, Chorus.