Sophocles Ajax 236

Robert Potter (Translator)

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Chorus
TEUCER, CHORUS. 1163
To outrage soon will this contention rise.
But haste thee, Teucer, with the utmost speed
Mark some fit place, within whose hallow'd mould
1165
Thou may'st inter him, and a dreary tomb,
A monument to future ages, raise.

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.) — 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)) — 237 focus
δύο δ᾽ ἀργίποδας κριοὺς ἀνελὼν
Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 214-262 focus
Translations (4)
English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 236 focus
AG
Yea, Lord Odysseus, for our ears are full
1320
Of this man’s violent heart-offending talk.
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 233 focus
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.
English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 236 focus
Ulysses
No more. When thou art vanquished by thy
friends,
Thou art thyself the conqueror.
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-684-1 κάπετον 1

mvp-comment-684-2 ἰδεῖν 2

mvp-comment-685-1 βροτοῖς τὸν ἀείμνηστον 3

mvp-comment-685-2 εὐρώεντα 4

mvp-comment-685-3 The legendary tomb of Ajax was shown on the coast of the Troad near Cape Rhoeteum; Strabo 13. p. 595

τῷ *(ποιτείῳ συνεχὴς ᾐὼν ἁλιτενής, ἐφ’ ᾗ μνῆμα καὶ ἱερὸν Αἴαντος καὶ ἀνδριάς
. Alexander the Great, on landing in the Troad, offered
ἐναγίσματα
at the tomb of Ajax as well as at that of Achilles ( Diod. 17. 17 ). There were legends of gigantic bones having been found in the tomb ( Paus. 1. 35. 5 ).

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

1163-1165. mvp-comment-745-1 The anapaests accompany the exit of Menelaus. The Chorus express their apprehension of what may follow this, viz. the coming of Agamemnon, who, both from his character and position, is more formidable. ἔριδος .. ἀγών] So in Trach. 20, ἀγῶνα μάχης.

1165. mvp-comment-746-1 κοίλην κάπετον] This phrase, belonging to the Epic commonplace, is repeated infr. 1403. τινά, i. e. πού, 'somewhere.' For this adverbial use of the indefinite pronoun, see Essay on L. § 22. p. 36, 4. ἰδεῖν] · 'To look out,' 'provide.' For this use of ὁρᾶν, cp. Od. 8. 443, αὐτὸς νῦν ἴδε πῶμα: Theocr. 15. 2, ὅρη δίφρον, Εὐνόα, αὐτῷ: Phil. 843, τάδε μὲν θεὸς ὄψεται. So, also in Elizabethan English, 'to look' sometimes means 'to look for,' e.g. Shakespeare, Merry Wives of Windsor, 4. 2, 79, 'Mistress Page and I will look some linen for your head.'

1166. mvp-comment-747-1 βροτοῖς] 'In the eyes of men.' A dative of remote reference in loose construction with the words which follow, and also to be resumed with ἀείμνηστον. See Essay on L. § 13. p. 19. and cp. especially El. 1066, ὦ χθονία βροτοῖσι φάμα. For the position of the article, cp. Trach. 872, Ἡρακλεῖ τὸ πόμπιμον. τὸν ἀείμνηστον] 'Of unfading renown.' The expression (with the article) is proleptic, and reminds the spectator that the fame of Ajax is eternal.

1167. mvp-comment-748-1 εὐρώεντα] 'Mouldering,' or 'darksome,' an epithet recalling the natural horror of the grave. Whether to Sophocles, as to Oppian and Nonnus afterwards, the word conveyed the association of 'roomy,' 'wide-vaulted,' may be left an open question. See L. and S. s. ν. εὐρώεις.