σκήπτρῳ προδεικνὺς γαῖαν ἐμπορεύσεται.
Oedipus Tyrannus. Sophocles. ed. Lewis Campbell. Oxford. 1879.
Table of Contents
Search the Perseus Catalog for:
Search the Perseus Catalog for:
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 (2)
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 463 focus
Wen meint der weissagende Fels von Pytho, wer hat jene
Wahnsinnsgraunthat blutig verübt mit mordbefleckten Händen?
465
Nun heb' er den Fuß zur Flucht,
Kraftvoller als Rosse mit
Der Schnelle des Sturmwinds!
Denn es stürzt sich auf ihn, mit der Flamme bewehrt,
Mit Feuer und Bliz der Entspross'ne von Zeus;
1
470
Ihm folgen die Keren,
2
Schrecklich, unentfliehbar.
Erste Gegenstrophe.
Wen meint der weissagende Fels von Pytho, wer hat jene
Wahnsinnsgraunthat blutig verübt mit mordbefleckten Händen?
465
Nun heb' er den Fuß zur Flucht,
Kraftvoller als Rosse mit
Der Schnelle des Sturmwinds!
Denn es stürzt sich auf ihn, mit der Flamme bewehrt,
Mit Feuer und Bliz der Entspross'ne von Zeus;
1
470
Ihm folgen die Keren,
2
Schrecklich, unentfliehbar.
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
456. mvp-comment-275-1 Groping his way. σκήπτρῳ προδεικνύς, lit. 'Pointing before him with a staff. For the order of words, see Essay on Language § 41. p. 77.