Sophocles Ajax 284

Robert Potter (Translator)

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Thou shalt know all, as one that shares the grief.
The night was far advanced, the evening lamps
No longer blazed, when grasping in his hand
His dreadful sword, he bent his eager steps
Towards the passes from all haunt now clear;
285
I gently chide him, What thy purpose now?..
285
Of herald calls thee, nor the trumpet's sound,
285
Why thus rush forth? Now all the army sleeps.
Few were his words, the tune of every tongue,..
"To women silence gives their proper grace."
I stood rebuked, he issued forth alone.
What then befel I know not: he return'd
Driving in bonds the bulls, the herdsmen's dogs,
And lowing herds; some by his sword was slain,
And hewn in pieces; some like captives bound,
Raging against the flocks, he scourged as men.
At length he issued from the tent, and held
Long converse with some shadow; of the sons
Of Atreus much, and of Ulysses much
He spoke, and laugh'd aloud, how their base deeds
He in this sally amply had revenged.
290
Slow he regain'd; but when he saw the ground
290
With carnage cover'd thus, he smote his head,
290
And raised a mournful cry; then prostrate lay
Stretch'd 'midst the havoc of the slaughter'd flocks,
Rending with violence his hair. Long time
He lay, nor utter'd word; with rigorous threats
Then bade me tell him every circumstance
Of what had pass'd, and whence the carnage ask'd
That lay around him: struck with fear, my friends,
Distinct I told him all that had been done,
Far as I knew it; strait with mournful cries
Loud he lamented; such from him before
I never heard; for wailings he disdain'd
As marks of base and abject minds, nor gave
His griefs a voice, but like a murmuring bull
Groan'd inwardly: and now in this ill plight,
295
Refusing to be cheer'd with food or wine,
295
Grovelling amidst the slaughter'd herds he sits
295
In gloomy silence, forming in his mind
Some ill intent; this his imperfect words
And griefs denote. But, O my friends, (this cause
Impell'd me forth to seek you) go to him,
Give him your aid, if aught avails your pow'r;
Oft on such minds the words of friends prevail.

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.) — 258-342 focus
Αἴας First1KGreek (Sophocles. Sophoclis Fabulae. Pearson, Alfred Chilton, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1924.) — 263-347 focus
Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 284 focus
ἅπαν μαθήσει τοὔργον, ὡς κοινωνὸς ὤν.
κεῖνος γὰρ ἄκρας νυκτός, ἡνίχ᾽ ἕσπεροι
285
λαμπτῆρες οὐκέτ᾽ ἦθον, ἄμφηκες λαβὼν
ἐμαίετ᾽ ἔγχος ἐξόδους ἕρπειν κενάς.
κἀγὼ ἐπιπλήσσω καὶ λέγω, τί χρῆμα δρᾷς,
Αἴας; τί τήνδ᾽ ἄκλητος οὔθ᾽ ὑπ᾿ ἀγγέλων ὑπαγγέλων
κληθεὶς ἀφορμᾷς πεῖραν οὔτε του κλύων
290
σάλπιγγος ; ἀλλὰ νῦν γε πᾶς εὕδει στρατός.
ὁ δ᾽ εἶπε πρός με βαί᾽ αἰβὰ βαιὰ βάι', ἀεὶ δ᾽ ὑμνούμενα·
γύναι, γυναιξὶ κόσμον ἡ σιγὴ φέρει.
κἀγὼ μαθοῦσ᾽ ἔληξ᾽ ἐληξ(α) ἔληξ᾽ ἔληξα, ὁ δ᾽ ἐσσύθη μόνος.
καὶ τὰς ἐκεῖ μὲν οὐκ ἔχω λέγειν πάθας·
295
ἔσω δ᾽ ἐσῆλθε συνδέτους ἄγων ὁμοῦ
ταύρους, κύνας βοτῆρας κύνας· βοτῆρας, εὔκερών εὔκερων εὔκερων τ᾽ ἄγραν.
Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 263-347 focus
Translations (4)
English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 284 focus
It toucheth you indeed, and ye shall hear
All from the first. ’Twas midnight, and the lamp
Of eve had died, when, seizing his sharp blade,
He sought on some vain errand to creep forth.
I broke in with my word: ‘Aias, what now?
285
Why thus uncalled for salliest thou? No voice
285
Of herald summoned thee. No trumpet blew.
285
What wouldst thou when the camp is hushed in sleep?’
He with few words well known to women’s ears
Checked me: ‘The silent partner is the best.’
I saw how ’twas and ceased. Forth then he fared
Alone—What horror passed upon the plain
This night, I know not. But he drags within,
Tied in a throng, bulls, shepherd dogs, and spoil
Of cattle and sheep. Anon he butchers them,
Felling or piercing, hacking or tearing wide,
Ribs from breast, limb from limb. Others in rage
He seized and bound and tortured, brutes for men.
Last, out he rushed before the doors, and there
Whirled forth wild language to some shadowy form,
Flouting the generals and Laërtes’ son
With torrent laughter and loud triumphing
290
What in his raid he had wreaked to their despite.
290
Then diving back within—the fitful storm
290
Slowly assuaging left his spirit clear.
290
And when his eye had lightened through the room
Cumbered with ruin, smiting on his brow
He roared; and, tumbling down amid the wreck
Of woolly carnage he himself had made,
Sate with clenched hand tight twisted in his hair.
Long stayed he so in silence. Then flashed forth
Those frightful words of threatening vehemence,
That bade me show him all the night’s mishap,
And whither he was fallen I, dear my friends,
Prevailed on through my fear, told all I knew.
And all at once he raised a bitter cry,
Which heretofore I ne’er had heard, for still
He made us think such doleful utterance
Betokened the dull craven spirit, and still
Dumb to shrill wailings, he would only moan
295
With half heard muttering, like an angry bull.
295
But now, by such dark fortune overpowered,
295
Foodless and dry, amid the quivering heap
His steel hath quelled, all quietly he broods;
And out of doubt his mind intends some harm:
Such words, such groans, burst from him. O my friends.—
Therefore I hastened,—enter and give aid
If aught ye can! Men thus forgone will oft
Grow milder through the counsel of a friend.
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 284 focus
Vernehmen sollt ihr Alles, weil ihr Freunde seid.
In tiefer Nachtzeit, als die Abendleuchten schon
Erloschen waren, nahm er sein zweischneidig Schwert,
Und sann in unnüz eitlen Kampf hinauszuziehn.
Ich schelte laut und rufe: was beginnst du, Herr?
275
Was stürmst du nichtgerufen jezt ins Feld hinaus,
Wo keine Boten riefen, kein Drommetenschall
Dich weckte? Ruht im Schlummer doch das ganze Heer.
Da stimmt' er kurz das stetsgesungne Lied mir an:
Weib, des Weibervolkes Schmuck ist Schweigen mur.
280
Dies hörend, schwieg ich, und er stürmt' allein hinaus;
Doch nicht zu sagen weiß ich, was sich dort begab.
Zurückgekommen, trieb er angefesselt heim
Der Hirten Hunde, Ninder und gehörnten Raub.
Und diese köpft er, jene würgt und schlachtet er
285
Am aufgebognen Halse, die mißhandelt er
Gebunden: so wie Männer, fiel er Heerden an.
Am Ende rannt' er durch die Thür, und schwazte viel
Mit einem Schatten, schalt des Atreus Söhne, schalt
Den Sohn Laertens; oft in Lachen brach er aus,
290
Mit welcher Schmach er diese strafend heimgesucht.
Nach diesem rannt' er wiederum in's Haus zurück,
Und kehrte mühsam endlich zur Besonnenheit.
Und als er voll von Gräuel sein Gemach erblickt,
Da schlug er brüllend sich das Haupt, und stürzte sich
295
Auf todter Widder blutumströmte Trümmer hin,
Und krallt' in seine Locken wild die Nägel ein.
Und also saß er ohne Laut geraume Zeit:
Dann droht' er mir mit grauenvollem Wort den Tod,
Enthüll' ich ihm nicht Alles, was mit ihm geschehn,
300
Und fragte, was jezt über ihn das Loos verhängt.
Und ich in Angst, o Freunde, sagt' ihm Alles an,
Was mir von seinen Thaten kund geworden war.
Da brach er schnell in jammervolles Winseln aus,
Das ich zuvor aus seinem Munde nie gehört.
305
Denn sonst erklärt' er immer, nur des Feigen Art
Sei solche Klage, zieme nur dem schwachen Geist,
Und leise stöhnt' er, ohne lautes Wehgeschrei,
In rauhem, dumpfem Tone nur, dem Stiere gleich.
Nun sizt der Mann, in solches herbe Leid versenkt,
310
Die Speise missend, ohne Trank, in stiller Ruh
Inmitten jener Heerden, die sein Eisen traf.
Und offenbar ist's, daß er sinnt auf arge That;
Denn völlig also redet er, so jammert er.
Nun kommt, o Freunde, denn ich kam deßhalb heraus
315
In's Zelt, gewährt mir Hülfe, wenn ihr helfen könnt;
Denn Freundeswort nur überwindet solchen Sinn.
English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 284 focus
Since you partake the sorrows of a friend,
I'll tell vou all. Know then, at dead of ni'^'ht,
What time the evening taper were expired,
Snatching his sword, he seemed as if he meant
To roam abroad. I saw and chid him for it ;
285
What wouldst thou do, I cried, my dearest Ajax i
285
Unasked, uncalled for, whither wouldst thou go 1
285
No trunipt't sounds to battle, the whole host
Is wrapped in sleep. Then did he answer me
With brief but sharp rebuke, as he was wont :
'* Woman, thy sex's noblest ornament
jl; Is silence." Thus reproved, I said no more.
• Tlien forth he rushed alone, where, and for what,
I knew not ; but returning, he brought home
In chains tlie captive herd, in pieces some
He tore, whilst others bound like slaves he lashed
Indignant ; then out at the portal ran,
And with some shadow seemed to hold discourse
Against tli' Atrida?, and Ulysses oft
Would he inveigh ; or, laughing loud, rejoice
That he had ta'en revenge for all his wrongs ;
290
Then back he came. At length, by slow degrees,
290
His frenzy ceased ; when, soon as he beheld
290
The tents o'erwhelmed with slaughter, he cried out,
And beat his brain ; rolled o'er the bloody heaps
Of cattle slain, and tore his clotted hair.
Long fixed in silence : then, with horrid threats
He bade me tell him all that had befallen
And what he had been doing. I obeyed.
Trembling with fear, and told him all I knew.
Instant he poured forth bitt'rest lamentations,
Such as I ne'er had heard from him before.
For grief like that, he oft would say, betrayed
A weak and little mind, and therefore ever
When sorrow came refrained from loud complaint.
And, like the lowing heifer, inly mourned.
But sinking now beneath this sore distress.
295
He will not taste of food or nourishment ;
295
Silent he sits, amid the slaughtered cattle,
295
Or, if he speaks, utters such dreadful words
As shows a mind intent on something ill.
Now. then, my friends, for therefore came I hither.
Oh I if ye have the power, assist me now ;
Perhaps ye may ; for oft th' afflicted man
Will listen to the counsels of a friend.
English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 263-346 focus

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-165-1 τοίας 1

mvp-comment-165-2 ἐρέσσουσιν 2

mvp-comment-165-3 δικρατεῖς Ἀτρεῖδαι 3

mvp-comment-166-1 πεφόβημαι 4

mvp-comment-166-2 λιθόλευστον Ἄρη 5

mvp-comment-166-3 The accus. is, in the first place, object to πεφόβημαι 6 ξυναλγεῖν 7 τυπείς 8

mvp-comment-166-4 αἶσ’ ἄπλατος 9

mvp-comment-167-1 The words λαμπρᾶς ἄτερ στεροπῆς 10 λήγει 11 ᾄξας 12

mvp-comment-168-1 οἰκεῖα πάθη 13

mvp-comment-168-2 παραπράξαντος 14

mvp-comment-168-3 ὑποτείνει 15

mvp-comment-169-1 πέπαυται 16 εὐτυχεῖν 17

mvp-comment-169-2 φρούδου γὰρ 18 λόγος 19

mvp-comment-170-1 πότερα 20

mvp-comment-171-1 The words κοινὸς ἐν κοινοῖσι 21

mvp-comment-172-1 τὸ … διπλάζον 22

mvp-comment-173-1 Though οὐ νοσοῦντος 23 οὐ νοσοῦντες 24

mvp-comment-173-2 ἀτώμεσθα 25

mvp-comment-174-1 πῶς … ὅπως 26

mvp-comment-175-1 οἷσιν εἴχετ’ ἐν κακοῖς 27

mvp-comment-175-2 φρονοῦντας 28 βλέποντας 29 κακοῖς 30

mvp-comment-176-1 κἀνέπνευσε 31 ἔληξε 32

mvp-comment-177-1 Instead of κεῖνος 33

mvp-comment-177-2 πᾶς 34

mvp-comment-177-3 ἐλήλαται 35

mvp-comment-178-1 ἆῤ 36

mvp-comment-178-2 δὶς τός’ 37 ἐξ ἁπλῶν 38

mvp-comment-179-1 δέδοικα μὴ … ἥκῃ 39 ἥκει 40 ἥκῃ 41 ἥκοι 42

mvp-comment-179-2 πῶς γάρ 43

mvp-comment-179-3 εἰ πεπαυμένος 44

mvp-comment-179-4 μηδέν τι 45

mvp-comment-180-1 ὡς ὧδ’ ἐχόντων 46

mvp-comment-181-1 τίς γάρ 47

mvp-comment-181-2 προσέπτατο 48

mvp-comment-181-3 From the Homeric

ἔπτατο
( Il. 13. 592 , etc.) Tragedy borrows this non-thematic aor. (of which the active form would be
ἔπτην
): cp. 693 . The aor. of
πέτομαι
in Attic Comedy and prose is usu.
ἐπτόμην
(see Veitch, Irreg. Verbs, 2nd ed., p. 530): and of this we have the inf.
πτέσθαι
in O. T. 17 ,—again in accord with Homeric precedent ( Il. 4. 126
ἐπιπτέσθαι
).

mvp-comment-181-4 τύχας 49 δήλωσον 50 τύχαις 51 ξυναλγοῦσιν 52

mvp-comment-182-1 κεῖνος γὰρ 53

mvp-comment-182-2 ἄκρας νυκτός 54

mvp-comment-183-1 λαμπτῆρες 55

mvp-comment-183-2 For this mode of indicating the time, cp. Her. 7. 215

περὶ λύχνων ἁφάς
: Propert. 3. 8. 1
ad extremas..lucernas
 : Aul. Gellius 3. 2
post primam facem.

mvp-comment-184-1 ἔγχος 56

mvp-comment-184-2 ἐξόδους ἕρπειν 57

mvp-comment-184-3 κενάς 58

mvp-comment-185-1 The general word, ἄκλητος 59 οὔτε 60

mvp-comment-185-2 ἀφορμᾷς 61 πεῖραν 62

mvp-comment-185-3 σάλπιγγος 63

mvp-comment-185-4 πᾶς εὕδει στρατός 64

mvp-comment-186-1 ὑμνούμενα 65

mvp-comment-186-2 γυναιξὶ 66

mvp-comment-186-3 κόσμον 67

mvp-comment-187-1 μαθοῦς’ 68

mvp-comment-187-2 ἐσσύθη 69

mvp-comment-188-1 τὰς ἐκεῖ … πάθας 70 τύχας 71

mvp-comment-189-1 κύνας βοτῆρας 72

mvp-comment-189-2 εὔερον 73 εύκερων 74

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

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.

260. mvp-comment-188-1 οἰκεῖα πάθη] Troubles all one's own.' i.e. both as home-felt and self-wrought. Cp. El. 215, οἰκείας εἰς ἄτας.

261. mvp-comment-189-1 παραπράξαντος] «Having assisted.' Cp. παραδράω ( οἷά τε τοῖς ἀγαθοῖσι παραδρώωσι χέρηες, Od. 15, 324).

262. mvp-comment-190-1 μεγάλας ὀδύνας ὑποτείνει] 'Causes intense grief within.' ὑποτείνει, 1.2. ὑπέχει ἐντεταμένως. Cp. Pind. O1. 2. 100, βαθεῖαν ὑπέχων μέριμναν ἀγροτέραν.

263. mvp-comment-191-1 'But if he hath ceased' (from his madness), 'he must be surely happy.' Others take εὐτυχεῖν impersonally, as in Oed. Tyr 88, πάντ᾽ ἂν εὐτυχεῖν, –‘All must be well.'

264. mvp-comment-192-1 'For trouble counts for less when it is gone.' The gen. is first absolute, and then in regimen with λόγος. Cp. infr. 1161, 2, κἀμοὶ γὰρ αἴσχιστον κλύειν | ἀνδρὸς ματαίου φλαῦρ᾽ ἔπη μυθουμένου.

265. mvp-comment-193-1 αἵρεσιν] Sc. τούτων, viz. ll. 266, 7, which πότερα anticipates.

266. mvp-comment-194-1 ἔχειν] Supr. 203.

267. mvp-comment-195-1 κοινὸς ἐν κοινοῖσι] Essay on L. § 44. p. 83. Or to be with others and mingle your sorrow with theirs.' ξυνών marks that while Ajax was delirious, he stood apart from the grief which others felt for him.

269. mvp-comment-196-1 'Our case, then, since the madness left us, is grown more desperate.' Tecmessa identifies her lot with that of Ajax. Compare infr. 791, μῶν ὀλώλαμεν; A few lines below (273-6) she speaks of herself in the plural as contrasted with him.

272. mvp-comment-197-1 οἶσιν. . κακοῖς] i. e. κακοῖς ἐν οἶσιν εἴχετο. Cp. infr. 1144, 5, ἡνίκ᾽ ἐν κακῷ | χειμῶνος εἴχετ'.

275. mvp-comment-198-1 πᾶς ἐλήλαται] 'Is vexed to the uttermost.' πᾶς is adverbial. See Essay on L. § 23. p. 38, and cp. infr. 519, ἐν σοὶ πᾶσ᾽ ἔγωγε σώζομαι. The perfect, as in πεφόβημαι, supr. 139, expresses a completed state.

277. mvp-comment-199-1 ἆρ'..;] Essay on L. § 29. p. 50. 'What is this but to have the sorrow doubled that before was single?' Cp. Constance in King John, 3. 4. 'I am not mad; - I would to heaven I were! For then 'tis like I should forget myself: O, if I could, what grief should I forget!'

278-279. mvp-comment-200-1 μὴ ἐκ θεοῦ | πληγή τις ἥκει] 'That a calamity is really come from Heaven.' The chorus before admitted as a possibility ( supr. 186, ἥκοι γὰρ ἂν θεία νόσος) what now appears to be too certain. Hence the indicative is more forcible here, although the subjunctive ( ἥκῃ) is more regular and may be the true reading.

282-283. mvp-comment-201-1 'In what wise lighted on you the commencement of the trouble? Tell us, who grieve with you at the misfortune, what it is.' τύχας, continuing the notion of κακοῦ, is governed either (1) both of δήλωσον and of ξυναλγοῦσιν, or (2) of ξυναλγοῦσιν only.

284. mvp-comment-202-1 ὡς κοινωνὸς ὤν] 'As you are no less interested.'

285. mvp-comment-203-1 ἄκρας νυκτός] 'At dead of night.' That this, and not 'on the verge of night,' is the meaning here, appears from the context. The flames lighted at evening were burnt out, so that all was dark. ἄκρᾳ σὺν ἑσπέρᾳ in Pind. Pyth. 11. 16, is explained by Dissen 'ad seram vesperam.'

286. mvp-comment-204-1 Cp. Od. 18. 307, αὐτίκα λαμπτῆρας τρεῖς ἵστασαν ἐν μεγάροισιν, | ὄφρα φαείνοιεν, περὶ δὲ ξύλα κάγκανα θῆκαν καὶ δᾷδας μετέμισγον: ib. 19. 64, φύως ἔμεν ἠδὲ θέρεσθαι.

287. mvp-comment-205-1 κενάς] «Objectless;' i.e. without apparent cause. Tecmessa knows little of what Ajax does abroad. But she knows that there is something strange in his going forth at night without a summons.

289. mvp-comment-206-1 ἄκλητος is expanded with οὔτε-οὔτε, 'neither-nor.'

291. mvp-comment-207-1 ἀλλά] i. e. 'Instead of there being an alarm of any kind.'

292. mvp-comment-208-1 βαί, ἀεὶ δ᾽ ὑμνούμενα] 'Few words, but to a well-known tune.' Eur. Phoen. 438, πάλαι μὲν οὖν ὑμνηθέν, ἀλλ᾽ ὅμως ἐρῶ: Plat. Rep. 8. 549 D, ὅσα φιλοῦσιν αἱ γυναῖκες περὶ τῶν τοιούτων ὑμνεῖν.

293. mvp-comment-209-1 Cp. Fr. 61, ἄλλως τε καὶ κόρῃ τε κἀργείᾳ γένος, | αἷς κόσμος ἡ σιγή τε καὶ τὰ παῦρ᾽ ἔπη.

294. mvp-comment-210-1 μαθοῦσ᾽] 'When I perceived,' viz. that he was not to be reasoned with. The unusual division of the line marks the reluctant desistence of Tecmessa. Cp. O. T. 1513, ib. 110, and notes.

295. mvp-comment-211-1 πάθας] 'Misfortunes.' The word is used with a vague sense of the horror of a scene, in which Ajax was no less unfortunate than his victims.

297. mvp-comment-212-1 εὔκερών τ᾿ ἄγραν] The horns of the sheep are the most conspicuous object as they are seen in front and from above. The objection 'that the bulls were also horned' is absurdly logical. There is no sufficient reason for preferring the conj. εὔερον. The word describes all the cattle, small and great, excepting the bulls, which have been mentioned separately.