ἴσ᾽ ἀντιλέξαι· τοῦδε γὰρ κἀγὼ κρατῶ.
Oedipus Tyrannus. Sophocles. ed. Lewis Campbell. Oxford. 1879.
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Current edition Experimental
Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) (Greek) (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879))
Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.
Editions (1)
Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 463-511 focus
Χορός
τίς ὅντινʼ ἁ θεσπιέπεια Δελφὶς εἶπε πέτρα
ἄρρητʼ ἀρρήτων τελέσαντα φοινίαισι χερσίν;
465
ὥρα νιν ἀελλάδων
ἵππων σθεναρώτερον
φυγᾷ πόδα νωμᾶν.
ἔνοπλος γὰρ ἐπʼ αὐτὸν ἐπενθρῴσκει
πυρὶ καὶ στεροπαῖς ὁ Διὸς γενέτας,
470
δειναὶ δʼ ἅμʼ ἕπονται
κῆρες ἀναπλάκητοι
τίς ὅντινʼ ἁ θεσπιέπεια Δελφὶς εἶπε πέτρα
ἄρρητʼ ἀρρήτων τελέσαντα φοινίαισι χερσίν;
465
ὥρα νιν ἀελλάδων
ἵππων σθεναρώτερον
φυγᾷ πόδα νωμᾶν.
ἔνοπλος γὰρ ἐπʼ αὐτὸν ἐπενθρῴσκει
πυρὶ καὶ στεροπαῖς ὁ Διὸς γενέτας,
470
δειναὶ δʼ ἅμʼ ἕπονται
κῆρες ἀναπλάκητοι
Χορός
ἔλαμψε γὰρ τοῦ νιφόεντος ἀρτίως φανεῖσα
φάμα Παρνασοῦ τὸν ἄδηλον ἄνδρα πάντʼ ἰχνεύειν.
φοιτᾷ γὰρ ὑπʼ ἀγρίαν
475
ὕλαν ἀνά τʼ ἄντρα καὶ
πέτρας ἰσόταυρος
μέλεος μελέῳ ποδὶ χηρεύων,
τὰ μεσόμφαλα γᾶς ἀπονοσφίζων
480
μαντεῖα· τὰ δʼ ἀεὶ
ζῶντα περιποτᾶται.
ἔλαμψε γὰρ τοῦ νιφόεντος ἀρτίως φανεῖσα
φάμα Παρνασοῦ τὸν ἄδηλον ἄνδρα πάντʼ ἰχνεύειν.
φοιτᾷ γὰρ ὑπʼ ἀγρίαν
475
ὕλαν ἀνά τʼ ἄντρα καὶ
πέτρας ἰσόταυρος
μέλεος μελέῳ ποδὶ χηρεύων,
τὰ μεσόμφαλα γᾶς ἀπονοσφίζων
480
μαντεῖα· τὰ δʼ ἀεὶ
ζῶντα περιποτᾶται.
Χορός
δεινὰ μὲν οὖν, δεινὰ ταράσσει σοφὸς οἰωνοθέτας
οὔτε δοκοῦντʼ οὔτʼ ἀποφάσκονθʼ· ὅ τι λέξω δʼ ἀπορῶ.
485
πέτομαι δʼ ἐλπίσιν οὔτʼ, ἐνθάδʼ ὁρῶν οὔτʼ ὀπίσω.
τί γὰρ ἢ Λαβδακίδαις
ἢ τῷ Πολύβου νεῖκος ἔκειτʼ, οὔτε πάροιθέν ποτʼ ἔγωγʼ
490
ἔμαθον, πρὸς ὅτου δὴ βασανίζων βασάνῳ
ἐπὶ τὰν ἐπίδαμον φάτιν εἶμʼ Οἰδιπόδα Λαβδακίδαις
ἐπίκουρος ἀδήλων θανάτων.
495
δεινὰ μὲν οὖν, δεινὰ ταράσσει σοφὸς οἰωνοθέτας
οὔτε δοκοῦντʼ οὔτʼ ἀποφάσκονθʼ· ὅ τι λέξω δʼ ἀπορῶ.
485
πέτομαι δʼ ἐλπίσιν οὔτʼ, ἐνθάδʼ ὁρῶν οὔτʼ ὀπίσω.
τί γὰρ ἢ Λαβδακίδαις
ἢ τῷ Πολύβου νεῖκος ἔκειτʼ, οὔτε πάροιθέν ποτʼ ἔγωγʼ
490
ἔμαθον, πρὸς ὅτου δὴ βασανίζων βασάνῳ
ἐπὶ τὰν ἐπίδαμον φάτιν εἶμʼ Οἰδιπόδα Λαβδακίδαις
ἐπίκουρος ἀδήλων θανάτων.
495
Χορός
ἀλλʼ ὁ μὲν οὖν Ζεὺς ὅ τʼ Ἀπόλλων ξυνετοὶ καὶ τὰ βροτῶν
εἰδότες· ἀνδρῶν δʼ ὅτι μάντις πλέον ἢ ʼγὼ φέρεται,
500
κρίσις οὔκ ἔστιν ἀλαθής· σοφίᾳ δʼ ἂν σοφίαν
παραμείψειεν ἀνήρ.
ἀλλʼ οὔποτʼ ἔγωγʼ ἄν, πρὶν ἴδοιμʼ ὀρθὸν ἔπος, μεμφομένων ἂν καταφαίην.
505
φανερὰ γὰρ ἐπʼ αὐτῷ, πτερόεσσʼ ἦλθε κόρα
ποτέ, καὶ σοφὸς ὤφθη βασάνῳ θʼ ἁδύπολις τῷ ἀπʼ ἐμᾶς
510
φρενὸς οὔποτʼ ὀφλήσει κακίαν.
ἀλλʼ ὁ μὲν οὖν Ζεὺς ὅ τʼ Ἀπόλλων ξυνετοὶ καὶ τὰ βροτῶν
εἰδότες· ἀνδρῶν δʼ ὅτι μάντις πλέον ἢ ʼγὼ φέρεται,
500
κρίσις οὔκ ἔστιν ἀλαθής· σοφίᾳ δʼ ἂν σοφίαν
παραμείψειεν ἀνήρ.
ἀλλʼ οὔποτʼ ἔγωγʼ ἄν, πρὶν ἴδοιμʼ ὀρθὸν ἔπος, μεμφομένων ἂν καταφαίην.
505
φανερὰ γὰρ ἐπʼ αὐτῷ, πτερόεσσʼ ἦλθε κόρα
ποτέ, καὶ σοφὸς ὤφθη βασάνῳ θʼ ἁδύπολις τῷ ἀπʼ ἐμᾶς
510
φρενὸς οὔποτʼ ὀφλήσει κακίαν.
Translations (3)
English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 409 focus
LEADER OF CH
1367
I know not how to call thee wise in this:
Thou wert better dead than to be blind and live.
I know not how to call thee wise in this:
Thou wert better dead than to be blind and live.
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 408 focus
Wohl bist du Herrscher; doch besteh'n muß gleiches Recht
Zu gleicher Antwort; hiezu ward auch mir Gewalt.
410
Nicht dir ja, nur dem Phöbos bin ich unterthan,
1
Daß nicht als Beistand Kreon mich vertreten muß.
2
Doch ich verkünde, weil du mich als Blinden höhnst:
Du siehst, und sehend siehst du nicht, wie tief du sankst,
Nicht wo du weilest, noch mit wem zusammenwohnst.
415
Von wem du stammest, weißt du das? Nichtwissend bist
Du Feind den Deinen, drunten und auf Erden hier.
Und doppelt treffend treibt dich einst aus diesem Land
Mit grausem Schritt des Vaters und der Mutter Fluch,
Und wie du jezt hell siehest, schaust du Dunkel dann.
420
Ia, welcher Hafen widerhallt nicht dein Geschrei,
Wo tönt Kithäron deinen Nuf nicht bald zurück,
3
Erkennst du deinen Chebund als Leidensport,
In den du, glücklich segelnd, eingelaufen bist?
Noch andern Unheils Fülle wirst du nicht gewahr,
425
Das gleiche Schrecken dir erschafft und deinem Stamm.
4
So schmähe denn auf Kreon, schilt mein Seherwort
In stolzem Hohne; Keiner lebt auf Erden ja,
Der grauenvoller untergeht als du dereinst.
Wohl bist du Herrscher; doch besteh'n muß gleiches Recht
Zu gleicher Antwort; hiezu ward auch mir Gewalt.
410
Nicht dir ja, nur dem Phöbos bin ich unterthan,
1
Daß nicht als Beistand Kreon mich vertreten muß.
2
Doch ich verkünde, weil du mich als Blinden höhnst:
Du siehst, und sehend siehst du nicht, wie tief du sankst,
Nicht wo du weilest, noch mit wem zusammenwohnst.
415
Von wem du stammest, weißt du das? Nichtwissend bist
Du Feind den Deinen, drunten und auf Erden hier.
Und doppelt treffend treibt dich einst aus diesem Land
Mit grausem Schritt des Vaters und der Mutter Fluch,
Und wie du jezt hell siehest, schaust du Dunkel dann.
420
Ia, welcher Hafen widerhallt nicht dein Geschrei,
Wo tönt Kithäron deinen Nuf nicht bald zurück,
3
Erkennst du deinen Chebund als Leidensport,
In den du, glücklich segelnd, eingelaufen bist?
Noch andern Unheils Fülle wirst du nicht gewahr,
425
Das gleiche Schrecken dir erschafft und deinem Stamm.
4
So schmähe denn auf Kreon, schilt mein Seherwort
In stolzem Hohne; Keiner lebt auf Erden ja,
Der grauenvoller untergeht als du dereinst.
Oedipus.
English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 463-510 focus
Chorus
Who is he of whom the divine voice from the Delphian rock has said
to have wrought with blood-red hands horrors that no tongue can tell? It is time that he ply in flight a foot stronger than the feet of storm-swift steeds.
465
The son of Zeus is springing upon him with fiery lightning, and with him come the dread unerring Fates.
470
Who is he of whom the divine voice from the Delphian rock has said
to have wrought with blood-red hands horrors that no tongue can tell? It is time that he ply in flight a foot stronger than the feet of storm-swift steeds.
465
The son of Zeus is springing upon him with fiery lightning, and with him come the dread unerring Fates.
470
Chorus
Recently the message has flashed forth from snowy
Parnassus
ordering all to search for the unknown man. He wanders under cover of the wild wood, among caves and rocks, fierce as a bull, wretched and forlorn on his joyless path, still seeking to separate himself from the doom revealed at the central shrine of the earth.
475
But that doom lives forever, forever flits around him.
480
Recently the message has flashed forth from snowy
Parnassus
ordering all to search for the unknown man. He wanders under cover of the wild wood, among caves and rocks, fierce as a bull, wretched and forlorn on his joyless path, still seeking to separate himself from the doom revealed at the central shrine of the earth.
475
But that doom lives forever, forever flits around him.
480
Chorus
The wise augur moves me, neither approving nor denying, with dread, with dread indeed.
I am at a loss what to say. I am flustered in my expectations, seeing neither the present nor the future clearly. Never in past days or in these have I heard how the house of Labdacus or the son of Polybus had any quarrel with one another that
485
I could bring as proof in assailing the public reputation of Oedipus, seeking to avenge the line of Labdacus
490
for the undiscovered murder.
495
The wise augur moves me, neither approving nor denying, with dread, with dread indeed.
I am at a loss what to say. I am flustered in my expectations, seeing neither the present nor the future clearly. Never in past days or in these have I heard how the house of Labdacus or the son of Polybus had any quarrel with one another that
485
I could bring as proof in assailing the public reputation of Oedipus, seeking to avenge the line of Labdacus
490
for the undiscovered murder.
495
Chorus
Zeus and Apollo indeed are keen of thought and know the affairs of the earth.
But there is no sure test of whether a mortal seer attains more knowledge than I do, though man may surpass man in wisdom. But until I see the word made good, I will never assent when men blame Oedipus. Before all eyes the winged maiden came against him once upon a time, and he was seen to be wise,
500
and bore the test in welcome service to the state. Never, therefore, will he be adjudged guilty of evil.
510
Zeus and Apollo indeed are keen of thought and know the affairs of the earth.
But there is no sure test of whether a mortal seer attains more knowledge than I do, though man may surpass man in wisdom. But until I see the word made good, I will never assent when men blame Oedipus. Before all eyes the winged maiden came against him once upon a time, and he was seen to be wise,
500
and bore the test in welcome service to the state. Never, therefore, will he be adjudged guilty of evil.
510
Commentary
Commentary (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) (Commentary (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) focus
408-409. mvp-comment-247-1 ἐξισωτέον .. ἀντιλέξαι One point of equality must be maintained,the right of making full reply. ἴσα is added pleonastically. See Essay on Language § 40. 5. p. 76. τὸ .. ἀντιλέξαι is (1) accusative in regimen, or (2) epexegetic infinitive after ἐξισωτέον. For this impersonal passive, see Essay on Language § 31. 3. c. p. 54, and cp. infr. 628, ἀρκτέον.
409-411. mvp-comment-248-1 τοῦδε .. γεγράψομαι I too am lord of my speech, for my life is bound to Loxias and not to you. And being his servant, I shall not be enrolled under the protection of Creon. In respect of speech the prophet has authority, as the king has in matters of state. Cp. Ant. 993-994. The metic had need of a προστάτης, not the free citizen, still less one who is the retainer of a god.