Sophocles, Oedipus Tyrannus, Thomas Francklin (Translator), 216

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CHORUS, the People assembled.

Oedipus

Oedipus Tyrannus. Sophocles. Thomas Francklin (Translator). London. 1758–1759.

Current edition Experimental

English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) (English) (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759))

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (2)

Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 216 focus

αἰτεῖς· ἃ δ᾽ αἰτεῖς, τἄμ᾽ ἐὰν θέλῃς ἔπη

κλύων δέχεσθαι τῇ νόσῳ θ' ὑπηρετεῖν,

ἀλκὴν λάβοις ἂν κἀνακούφισιν κακῶν·

ἁγὼ ξένος μὲν τοῦ λόγου τοῦδ᾽ ἐξερῶ,

ξένος δὲ τοῦ πραχθέντος. οὐ γὰρ ἂν μακρὰν
220

ἴχνευον αὐτός, μὴ οὐκ ἔχων τι σύμβολον.

νῦν δ᾽, ὕστερος γὰρ ἀστὸς εἰς ἀστοὺς τελῶ,

ὑμῖν προφωνῶ πᾶσι Καδμείοις τάδε·

ὅστις ποθ᾽ ὑμῶν Λάϊον τὸν Λαβδάκου

κάτοιδεν ἀνδρὸς ἐκ τίνος διώλετο,
225

τοῦτον κελεύω πάντα σημαίνειν ἐμοί·

κεἰ μὲν φοβεῖται, τοὐπίκλημ᾽ ὑπεξελὼν

αὐτὸς καθ᾽ αὑτοῦ· πείσεται γὰρ ἄλλο μὲν

ἀστεργὲς οὐδέν, γῆς δ᾽ ἄπεισιν ἀσφαλής·

εἰ δ᾽ αὖ τις ἄλλον οἶδεν ἐξ ἄλλης χθονὸς
230

τὸν αὐτόχειρα, μὴ σιωπάτω· τὸ γὰρ

κέρδος τελῶ ἐγὼ χἠ χάρις προσκείσεται.

εἰ δ᾽ αὖ σιωπήσεσθε, καί τις ἢ φίλου

δείσας ἀπώσει τοὔπος ἢ χαὐτοῦ τόδε,

ἁκ τῶνδε δράσω, ταῦτα χρὴ κλύειν ἐμοῦ.
235

τὸν ἄνδρ᾽ ἀπαυδῶ τοῦτον, ὅστις ἐστί, γῆς

τῆσδ᾽, ἧς ἐγὼ κράτη τε καὶ θρόνους νέμω,

μήτ᾽ ἐσδέχεσθαι μήτε προσφωνεῖν τινά,

μήτ᾽ ἐν θεῶν εὐχαῖσι μήτε θύμασιν

κοινὸν ποιεῖσθαι, μήτε χέρνιβος νέμειν·
240

ὠθεῖν δ᾽ ἀπ᾿ οἴκων πάντας, ὡς μιάσματος

τοῦδ᾽ ἡμὶν ὄντος, ὡς τὸ Πυθικὸν θεοῦ

[36 a.

μαντεῖον ἐξέφηνεν ἀρτίως ἐμοί.

ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν τοιόσδε τῷ τε δαίμονι

τῷ τ᾿ ἀνδρὶ τῷ θανόντι σύμμαχος πέλω·
245

κατεύχομαι δὲ τὸν δεδρακότʼ, εἴτε τις

εἷς ὢν λέληθεν εἶτε πλειόνων μέτα,

κακὸν κακῶς νιν *ἄμορον ἐκτρῖψαι βίον.

ἐπεύχομαι δ᾽, οἴκοισιν εἰ ξυνέστιος

ἐν τοῖς ἐμοῖς γένοιτ' ἐμοῦ συνειδότος,
250

παθεῖν ἅπερ τοῖσδ᾽ ἀρτίως ἠρασάμην.

ὑμῖν δὲ ταῦτα πάντ᾽ ἐπισκήπτω τελεῖν,

ὑπέρ τ᾿ ἐμαυτοῦ, τοῦ θεοῦ τε, τῆσδέ τε

γῆς ὧδ᾽ ἀκάρπως κἀθέως ἐφθαρμένης.

Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 216-462 focus

Οἰδίπους

αἰτεῖς· ἃ δʼ αἰτεῖς, τἄμʼ ἐὰν θέλῃς ἔπη

κλύων δέχεσθαι τῇ νόσῳ θʼ ὑπηρετεῖν,

ἀλκὴν λάβοις ἂν κἀνακούφισιν κακῶν·

ἁγὼ ξένος μὲν τοῦ λόγου τοῦδʼ ἐξερῶ,

ξένος δὲ τοῦ πραχθέντος· οὐ γὰρ ἂν μακρὰν
220

ἴχνευον αὐτός, μὴ οὐκ ἔχων τι σύμβολον,

νῦν δʼ ὕστερος γὰρ ἀστὸς εἰς ἀστοὺς τελῶ,

ὑμῖν προφωνῶ πᾶσι Καδμείοις τάδε·

ὅστις ποθʼ ὑμῶν Λάϊον τὸν Λαβδάκου

κάτοιδεν ἀνδρὸς ἐκ τίνος διώλετο,
225

τοῦτον κελεύω πάντα σημαίνειν ἐμοί·

κεἰ μὲν φοβεῖται, τοὐπίκλημʼ ὑπεξελεῖν

αὐτὸν καθʼ αὑτοῦ· πείσεται γὰρ ἄλλο μὲν

ἀστεργὲς οὐδέν. γῆς δʼ ἄπεισιν ἀσφαλής.

εἰ δʼ αὖ τις ἄλλον οἶδεν ἐξ ἄλλης χθονὸς
230

τὸν αὐτόχειρα, μὴ σιωπάτω· τὸ γὰρ

κέρδος τελῶ ʼγὼ χἠ χάρις προσκείσεται.

εἰ δʼ αὖ σιωπήσεσθε, καί τις ἢ φίλου

δείσας ἀπώσει τοὔπος ἢ χαὐτοῦ τόδε,

ἃκ τῶνδε δράσω, ταῦτα χρὴ κλύειν ἐμοῦ.
235

τὸν ἄνδρʼ ἀπαυδῶ τοῦτον, ὅστις ἐστί, γῆς

τῆσδʼ, ἧς ἐγὼ κράτη τε καὶ θρόνους νέμω,

μήτʼ εἰσδέχεσθαι μήτε προσφωνεῖν τινα,

μήτʼ ἐν θεῶν εὐχαῖσι μήτε θύμασιν

κοινὸν ποεῖσθαι, μήτε χέρνιβας νέμειν·
240

ὠθεῖν δʼ ἀπʼ οἴκων πάντας, ὡς μιάσματος

τοῦδʼ ἡμὶν ὄντος, ὡς τὸ Πυθικὸν θεοῦ

μαντεῖον ἐξέφηνεν ἀρτίως ἐμοί.

ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν τοιόσδε τῷ τε δαίμονι

τῷ τʼ ἀνδρὶ τῷ θανόντι σύμμαχος πέλω·
245

κατεύχομαι δὲ τὸν δεδρακότʼ, εἴτε τις

εἷς ὢν λέληθεν εἴτε πλειόνων μέτα,

κακὸν κακῶς νιν ἄμορον ἐκτρῖψαι βίον·

ἐπεύχομαι δʼ, οἴκοισιν εἰ ξυνέστιος

ἐν τοῖς ἐμοῖς γένοιτʼ ἐμοῦ συνειδότος,
250

παθεῖν ἅπερ τοῖσδʼ ἀρτίως ἠρασάμην.

ὑμῖν δὲ ταῦτα πάντʼ ἐπισκήπτω τελεῖν,

ὑπέρ τʼ ἐμαυτοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ τε τῆσδέ τε

γῆς ὧδʼ ἀκάρπως κἀθέως ἐφθαρμένης.

255

Οἰδίπους

οὐδʼ εἰ γὰρ ἦν τὸ πρᾶγμα μὴ θεήλατον,
255

ἀκάθαρτον ὑμᾶς εἰκὸς ἦν οὕτως ἐᾶν,

ἀνδρός γʼ ἀρίστου βασιλέως τʼ ὀλωλότος,

ἀλλʼ ἐξερευνᾶν· νῦν δʼ ἐπεὶ κυρῶ γʼ ἐγὼ

ἔχων μὲν ἀρχὰς ἃς ἐκεῖνος εἶχε πρίν,

ἔχων δὲ λέκτρα καὶ γυναῖχʼ ὁμόσπορον,
260

κοινῶν τε παίδων κοίνʼ ἄν, εἰ κείνῳ γένος

μὴ ʼδυστύχησεν, ἦν ἂν ἐκπεφυκότα·

νῦν δʼ ἐς τὸ κείνου κρᾶτʼ ἐνήλαθʼ ἡ τύχη·

ἀνθʼ ὧν ἐγὼ τάδʼ, ὡσπερεὶ τοὐμοῦ πατρός,

ὑπερμαχοῦμαι κἀπὶ πᾶν ἀφίξομαι,
265

ζητῶν τὸν αὐτόχειρα τοῦ φόνου λαβεῖν,

τῷ Λαβδακείῳ παιδὶ Πολυδώρου τε καὶ

τοῦ πρόσθε Κάδμου τοῦ πάλαι τʼ Ἀγήνορος.

καὶ ταῦτα τοῖς μὴ δρῶσιν εὔχομαι θεοὺς

μήτʼ ἄροτον αὐτοῖς γῆς ἀνιέναι τινὰ
270

μήτʼ οὖν γυναικῶν παῖδας, ἀλλὰ τῷ πότμῳ

τῷ νῦν φθερεῖσθαι κἄτι τοῦδʼ ἐχθίονι·

ὑμῖν δὲ τοῖς ἄλλοισι Καδμείοις, ὅσοις

τάδʼ ἔστʼ ἀρέσκονθʼ, ἥ τε σύμμαχος Δίκη

χοἰ πάντες εὖ ξυνεῖεν εἰσαεὶ θεοί.
275

276

Χορός

ὥσπερ μʼ ἀραῖον ἔλαβες, ὧδʼ, ἄναξ, ἐρῶ.

οὔτʼ ἔκτανον γὰρ οὔτε τὸν κτανόντʼ ἔχω

δεῖξαι. τὸ δὲ ζήτημα τοῦ πέμψαντος ἦν

Φοίβου τόδʼ εἰπεῖν, ὅστις εἴργασταί ποτε.

Οἰδίπους

δίκαιʼ ἔλεξας· ἀλλʼ ἀναγκάσαι θεοὺς
280

ἃν μὴ θέλωσιν οὐδʼ ἂν εἷς δύναιτʼ ἀνήρ.

Χορός

τὰ δεύτερʼ ἐκ τῶνδʼ ἂν λέγοιμʼ ἁμοὶ δοκεῖ.

Οἰδίπους

εἰ καὶ τρίτʼ ἐστί, μὴ παρῇς τὸ μὴ οὐ φράσαι.

Χορός

ἄνακτʼ ἄνακτι ταὔθʼ ὁρῶντʼ ἐπίσταμαι

μάλιστα Φοίβῳ Τειρεσίαν, παρʼ οὗ τις ἂν
285

σκοπῶν τάδʼ, ὦναξ, ἐκμάθοι σαφέστατα.

Οἰδίπους

ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἐν ἀργοῖς οὐδὲ τοῦτʼ ἐπραξάμην.

ἔπεμψα γὰρ Κρέοντος εἰπόντος διπλοῦς

πομπούς· πάλαι δὲ μὴ παρῶν θαυμάζεται.

Χορός

καὶ μὴν τά γʼ ἄλλα κωφὰ καὶ παλαίʼ ἔπη.
290

Οἰδίπους

τὰ ποῖα ταῦτα; πάντα γὰρ σκοπῶ λόγον.

Χορός

θανεῖν ἐλέχθη πρός τινων ὁδοιπόρων.

Οἰδίπους

ἤκουσα κἀγώ. τὸν δʼ ἰδόντʼ οὐδεὶς ὁρᾷ.

Χορός

ἀλλʼ εἴ τι μὲν δὴ δείματός γʼ ἔχει μέρος,

τὰς σὰς ἀκούων οὐ μενεῖ τοιάσδʼ ἀράς,
295

Οἰδίπους

ᾧ μή ʼστι δρῶντι τάρβος, οὐδʼ ἔπος φοβεῖ.

Χορός

ἀλλʼ οὑξελέγξων αὐτὸν ἔστιν· οἵδε γὰρ

τὸν θεῖον ἤδη μάντιν ὧδʼ ἄγουσιν, ᾧ

τἀληθὲς ἐμπέφυκεν ἀνθρώπων μόνῳ.

300

Οἰδίπους

ὦ πάντα νωμῶν Τειρεσία, διδακτά τε
300

ἄρρητά τʼ, οὐράνιά τε καὶ χθονοστιβῆ,

πόλιν μέν, εἰ καὶ μὴ βλέπεις, φρονεῖς δʼ ὅμως

οἵᾳ νόσῳ σύνεστιν· ἧς σὲ προστάτην

σωτῆρά τʼ, ὦναξ, μοῦνον ἐξευρίσκομεν.

Φοῖβος γάρ, εἴ τι μὴ κλύεις τῶν ἀγγέλων,
305

πέμψασιν ἡμῖν ἀντέπεμψεν, ἔκλυσιν

μόνην ἂν ἐλθεῖν τοῦδε τοῦ νοσήματος,

εἰ τοὺς κτανόντας Λάϊον μαθόντες εὖ

κτείναιμεν ἢ γῆς φυγάδας ἐκπεμψαίμεθα.

σύ νυν φθονήσας μήτʼ ἀπʼ οἰωνῶν φάτιν
310

μήτʼ εἴ τινʼ ἄλλην μαντικῆς ἔχεις ὁδόν,

ῥῦσαι σεαυτὸν καὶ πόλιν, ῥῦσαι δʼ ἐμέ,

ῥῦσαι δὲ πᾶν μίασμα τοῦ τεθνηκότος.

ἐν σοὶ γὰρ ἐσμέν· ἄνδρα δʼ ὠφελεῖν ἀφʼ ὧν

ἔχοι τε καὶ δύναιτο, κάλλιστος πόνων.
315

Τειρεσίας

φεῦ φεῦ, φρονεῖν ὡς δεινὸν ἔνθα μὴ τέλη

λύῃ φρονοῦντι· ταῦτα γὰρ καλῶς ἐγὼ

εἰδὼς διώλεσʼ· οὐ γὰρ ἂν δεῦρʼ ἱκόμην.

Οἰδίπους

τί δʼ ἔστιν; ὡς ἄθυμος εἰσελήλυθας.

Τειρεσίας

ἄφες μʼ ἐς οἴκους· ῥᾷστα γὰρ τὸ σόν τε σὺ
320

κἀγὼ διοίσω τοὐμόν, ἢν ἐμοὶ πίθῃ.

Οἰδίπους

οὔτʼ ἔννομʼ εἶπας οὔτε προσφιλῆ πόλει

τῇδʼ, ἥ σʼ ἔθρεψε, τήνδʼ ἀποστερῶν φάτιν.

Τειρεσίας

ὁρῶ γὰρ οὐδὲ σοὶ τὸ σὸν φώνημʼ ἰὸν

πρὸς καιρόν· ὡς οὖν μηδʼ ἐγὼ ταὐτὸν πάθω—
325

Οἰδίπους

μὴ πρὸς θεῶν φρονῶν γʼ ἀποστραφῇς, ἐπεὶ

πάντες σε προσκυνοῦμεν οἵδʼ ἱκτήριοι.

Τειρεσίας

πάντες γὰρ οὐ φρονεῖτʼ· ἐγὼ δʼ οὐ μή ποτε

τἄμʼ, ὡς ἂν εἴπω μὴ τὰ σʼ, ἐκφήνω κακά.

330

Οἰδίπους

τί φής; ξυνειδὼς οὐ φράσεις, ἀλλʼ ἐννοεῖς
330

ἡμᾶς προδοῦναι καὶ καταφθεῖραι πόλιν;

Τειρεσίας

ἐγὼ οὔτʼ ἐμαυτὸν οὔτε σʼ ἀλγυνῶ. τί ταῦτʼ

ἄλλως ἐλέγχεις; οὐ γὰρ ἂν πύθοιό μου.

Οἰδίπους

οὐκ, ὦ κακῶν κάκιστε, καὶ γὰρ ἂν πέτρου

φύσιν σύ γʼ ὀργάνειας, ἐξερεῖς ποτε,
335

ἀλλʼ ὧδʼ ἄτεγκτος κἀτελεύτητος φανεῖ;

Τειρεσίας

ὀργὴν ἐμέμψω τὴν ἐμήν, τὴν σὴν δʼ ὁμοῦ

ναίουσαν οὐ κατεῖδες, ἀλλʼ ἐμὲ ψέγεις.

Οἰδίπους

τίς γὰρ τοιαῦτʼ ἂν οὐκ ἂν ὀργίζοιτʼ ἔπη

κλύων, ἃ νῦν σὺ τήνδʼ ἀτιμάζεις πόλιν;
340

Τειρεσίας

ἥξει γὰρ αὐτά, κἂν ἐγὼ σιγῇ στέγω.

Οἰδίπους

οὐκοῦν ἅ γʼ ἥξει καὶ σὲ χρὴ λέγειν ἐμοί.

Τειρεσίας

οὐκ ἂν πέρα φράσαιμι. πρὸς τάδʼ, εἰ θέλεις,

θυμοῦ διʼ ὀργῆς ἥτις ἀγριωτάτη.

Οἰδίπους

καὶ μὴν παρήσω γʼ οὐδέν, ὡς ὀργῆς ἔχω,
345

ἅπερ ξυνίημʼ· ἴσθι γὰρ δοκῶν ἐμοὶ

καὶ ξυμφυτεῦσαι τοὔργον εἰργάσθαι θʼ, ὅσον

μὴ χερσὶ καίνων· εἰ δʼ ἐτύγχανες βλέπων,

καὶ τοὔργον ἂν σοῦ τοῦτʼ, ἔφην εἶναι μόνου.

Τειρεσίας

ἄληθες; ἐννέπω σὲ τῷ κηρύγματι
350

ᾧπερ προεῖπας ἐμμένειν, κἀφʼ ἡμέρας

τῆς νῦν προσαυδᾶν μήτε τούσδε μήτʼ ἐμέ,

ὡς ὄντι γῆς τῆσδʼ ἀνοσίῳ μιάστορι.

354

Οἰδίπους

οὕτως ἀναιδῶς ἐξεκίνησας τόδε

τὸ ῥῆμα; καὶ ποῦ τοῦτο φεύξεσθαι δοκεῖς;
355

Τειρεσίας

πέφευγα· τἀληθὲς γὰρ ἰσχῦον τρέφω.

Οἰδίπους

πρὸς τοῦ διδαχθείς; οὐ γὰρ ἔκ γε τῆς τέχνης.

Τειρεσίας

πρὸς σοῦ· σὺ γάρ μʼ ἄκοντα προυτρέψω λέγειν.

Οἰδίπους

ποῖον λόγον; λέγʼ αὖθις, ὡς μᾶλλον μάθω.

Τειρεσίας

οὐχὶ ξυνῆκας πρόσθεν; ἢ ʼκπειρᾷ λέγων;
360

Οἰδίπους

οὐχ ὥστε γʼ εἰπεῖν γνωστόν· ἀλλʼ αὖθις φράσον.

Τειρεσίας

φονέα σε φημὶ τἀνδρὸς οὗ ζητεῖς κυρεῖν.

Οἰδίπους

ἀλλʼ οὔ τι χαίρων δίς γε πημονὰς ἐρεῖς.

Τειρεσίας

εἴπω τι δῆτα κἄλλʼ, ἵνʼ ὀργίζῃ πλέον;

Οἰδίπους

ὅσον γε χρῄζεις· ὡς μάτην εἰρήσεται.
365

Τειρεσίας

λεληθέναι σε φημὶ σὺν τοῖς φιλτάτοις

αἴσχισθʼ ὁμιλοῦντʼ, οὐδʼ ὁρᾶν ἵνʼ εἶ κακοῦ.

Οἰδίπους

ἦ καὶ γεγηθὼς ταῦτʼ ἀεὶ λέξειν δοκεῖς;

Τειρεσίας

εἴπερ τί γʼ ἐστὶ τῆς ἀληθείας σθένος.

Οἰδίπους

ἀλλʼ ἔστι, πλὴν σοί· σοὶ δὲ τοῦτʼ οὐκ ἔστʼ ἐπεὶ
370

τυφλὸς τά τʼ ὦτα τόν τε νοῦν τά τʼ ὄμματʼ εἶ.

Τειρεσίας

σὺ δʼ ἄθλιός γε ταῦτʼ ὀνειδίζων, ἃ σοὶ

οὐδεὶς ὃς οὐχὶ τῶνδʼ ὀνειδιεῖ τάχα.

Οἰδίπους

μιᾶς τρέφει πρὸς νυκτός, ὥστε μήτʼ ἐμὲ

μήτʼ ἄλλον, ὅστις φῶς ὁρᾷ, βλάψαι ποτʼ ἄν.
375

Τειρεσίας

οὐ γάρ σε μοῖρα πρός γʼ ἐμοῦ πεσεῖν, ἐπεὶ

ἱκανὸς Ἀπόλλων, ᾧ τάδʼ ἐκπρᾶξαι μέλει.

Οἰδίπους

Κρέοντος ἢ σοῦ ταῦτα τἀξευρήματα;

Τειρεσίας

Κρέων δέ σοι πῆμʼ οὐδέν, ἀλλʼ αὐτὸς σὺ σοί.

380

Οἰδίπους

ὦ πλοῦτε καὶ τυραννὶ καὶ τέχνη τέχνης
380

ὑπερφέρουσα τῷ πολυζήλῳ βίῳ,

ὅσος παρʼ ὑμῖν ὁ φθόνος φυλάσσεται,

εἰ τῆσδέ γʼ ἀρχῆς οὕνεχʼ, ἣν ἐμοὶ πόλις

δωρητόν, οὐκ αἰτητόν, εἰσεχείρισεν,

ταύτης Κρέων ὁ πιστός, οὑξ ἀρχῆς φίλος,
385

λάθρᾳ μʼ ὑπελθὼν ἐκβαλεῖν ἱμείρεται,

ὑφεὶς μάγον τοιόνδε μηχανορράφον,

δόλιον ἀγύρτην, ὅστις ἐν τοῖς κέρδεσιν

μόνον δέδορκε, τὴν τέχνην δʼ ἔφυ τυφλός.

ἐπεί, φέρʼ εἰπέ, ποῦ σὺ μάντις εἶ σαφής;
390

πῶς οὐκ, ὅθʼ ἡ ῥαψῳδὸς ἐνθάδʼ ἦν κύων,

ηὔδας τι τοῖσδʼ ἀστοῖσιν ἐκλυτήριον;

καίτοι τό γʼ αἴνιγμʼ οὐχὶ τοὐπιόντος ἦν

ἀνδρὸς διειπεῖν, ἀλλὰ μαντείας ἔδει·

ἣν οὔτʼ ἀπʼ οἰωνῶν σὺ προυφάνης ἔχων
395

οὔτʼ ἐκ θεῶν του γνωτόν· ἀλλʼ ἐγὼ μολών,

ὁ μηδὲν εἰδὼς Οἰδίπους, ἔπαυσά νιν,

γνώμῃ κυρήσας οὐδʼ ἀπʼ, οἰωνῶν μαθών·

ὃν δὴ σὺ πειρᾷς ἐκβαλεῖν, δοκῶν θρόνοις

παραστατήσειν τοῖς Κρεοντείοις πέλας.
400

κλαίων δοκεῖς μοι καὶ σὺ χὠ συνθεὶς τάδε

ἀγηλατήσειν· εἰ δὲ μὴ ʼδόκεις γέρων

εἶναι, παθὼν ἔγνως ἂν οἷά περ φρονεῖς.

Χορός

ἡμῖν μὲν εἰκάζουσι καὶ τὰ τοῦδʼ ἔπη

ὀργῇ λελέχθαι καὶ τά σʼ, Οἰδίπους, δοκεῖ,
405

δεῖ δʼ οὐ τοιούτων, ἀλλʼ ὅπως τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ

μαντεῖʼ ἄριστα λύσομεν, τόδε σκοπεῖν.

408

Τειρεσίας

εἰ καὶ τυραννεῖς, ἐξισωτέον τὸ γοῦν

ἴσʼ ἀντιλέξαι· τοῦδε γὰρ κἀγὼ κρατῶ.

οὐ γάρ τι σοὶ ζῶ δοῦλος, ἀλλὰ Λοξίᾳ·
410

ὥστʼ οὐ Κρέοντος προστάτου γεγράψομαι.

λέγω δʼ, ἐπειδὴ καὶ τυφλόν μʼ ὠνείδισας·

σὺ καὶ δέδορκας κοὐ βλέπεις ἵνʼ εἶ κακοῦ,

οὐδʼ ἔνθα ναίεις, οὐδʼ ὅτων οἰκεῖς μέτα.

ἆρʼ οἶσθʼ ἀφʼ ὧν εἶ; καὶ λέληθας ἐχθρὸς ὢν
415

τοῖς σοῖσιν αὐτοῦ νέρθε κἀπὶ γῆς ἄνω,

καί σʼ ἀμφιπλὴξ μητρός τε καὶ τοῦ σοῦ πατρὸς

ἐλᾷ ποτʼ ἐκ γῆς τῆσδε δεινόπους ἀρά,

βλέποντα νῦν μὲν ὄρθʼ, ἔπειτα δὲ σκότον.

βοῆς δὲ τῆς σῆς ποῖος οὐκ ἔσται λιμήν,
420

ποῖος Κιθαιρὼν οὐχὶ σύμφωνος τάχα,

ὅταν καταίσθῃ τὸν ὑμέναιον, ὃν δόμοις

ἄνορμον εἰσέπλευσας, εὐπλοίας τυχών;

ἄλλων δὲ πλῆθος οὐκ ἐπαισθάνει κακῶν,

ἅ σʼ ἐξισώσει σοί τε καὶ τοῖς σοῖς τέκνοις.
425

πρὸς ταῦτα καὶ Κρέοντα καὶ τοὐμὸν στόμα

προπηλάκιζε· σοῦ γὰρ οὐκ ἔστιν βροτῶν

κάκιον ὅστις ἐκτριβήσεταί ποτε.

429

Οἰδίπους

ἦ ταῦτα δῆτʼ ἀνεκτὰ πρὸς τούτου κλύειν;

οὐκ εἰς ὄλεθρον; οὐχὶ θᾶσσον; οὐ πάλιν
430

ἄψορρος οἴκων τῶνδʼ ἀποστραφεὶς ἄπει;

Τειρεσίας

οὐδʼ ἱκόμην ἔγωγʼ ἄν, εἰ σὺ μὴ ʼκάλεις.

Οἰδίπους

οὐ γάρ τί σʼ ᾔδη μῶρα φωνήσοντʼ, ἐπεὶ

σχολῇ σʼ ἂν οἴκους τοὺς ἐμοὺς ἐστειλάμην.

Τειρεσίας

ἡμεῖς τοιοίδʼ ἔφυμεν, ὡς μὲν σοὶ δοκεῖ,
435

μῶροι, γονεῦσι δʼ, οἵ σʼ ἔφυσαν, ἔμφρονες.

Οἰδίπους

ποίοισι; μεῖνον, τίς δέ μʼ ἐκφύει βροτῶν;

Τειρεσίας

ἥδʼ ἡμέρα φύσει σε καὶ διαφθερεῖ.

Οἰδίπους

ὡς πάντʼ ἄγαν αἰνικτὰ κἀσαφῆ λέγεις.

Τειρεσίας

οὔκουν σὺ ταῦτʼ ἄριστος εὑρίσκειν ἔφυς;
440

Οἰδίπους

τοιαῦτʼ ὀνείδιζʼ, οἷς ἔμʼ εὑρήσεις μέγαν.

Τειρεσίας

αὕτη γε μέντοι σʼ ἡ τύχη διώλεσεν.

Οἰδίπους

ἀλλʼ εἰ πόλιν τήνδʼ ἐξέσωσʼ, οὔ μοι μέλει.

Τειρεσίας

ἄπειμι τοίνυν· καὶ σύ, παῖ, κόμιζέ με.

Οἰδίπους

κομιζέτω δῆθʼ· ὡς παρὼν σύ γʼ ἐμποδὼν
445

ὀχλεῖς, συθείς τʼ ἂν οὐκ ἂν ἀλγύνοις πλέον.

447

Τειρεσίας

εἰπὼν ἄπειμʼ ὧν οὕνεκʼ, ἦλθον, οὐ τὸ σὸν

δείσας πρόσωπον· οὐ γὰρ ἔσθʼ ὅπου μʼ ὀλεῖς.

λέγω δέ σοι· τὸν ἄνδρα τοῦτον, ὃν πάλαι

ζητεῖς ἀπειλῶν κἀνακηρύσσων φόνον
450

τὸν Λαΐειον, οὗτός ἐστιν ἐνθάδε,

ξένος λόγῳ μέτοικος, εἶτα δʼ ἐγγενὴς

φανήσεται Θηβαῖος, οὐδʼ ἡσθήσεται

τῇ ξυμφορᾷ· τυφλὸς γὰρ ἐκ δεδορκότος

καὶ πτωχὸς ἀντὶ πλουσίου ξένην ἔπι
455

σκήπτρῳ προδεικνὺς γαῖαν ἐμπορεύσεται.

φανήσεται δὲ παισὶ τοῖς αὑτοῦ ξυνὼν

ἀδελφὸς αὑτὸς καὶ πατήρ, κἀξ ἧς ἔφυ

γυναικὸς υἱὸς καὶ πόσις, καὶ τοῦ πατρὸς

ὁμόσπορός τε καὶ φονεύς. καὶ ταῦτʼ ἰὼν
460

εἴσω λογίζου· κἂν λάβῃς ἐψευσμένον,

φάσκειν ἔμʼ ἤδη μαντικῇ μηδὲν φρονεῖν.

Translations (4)

English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 216 focus

Your prayers are answered. Succour and relief

Are yours, if ye will heed my voice and yield

What help the plague requires. Hear it from me,

Who am hitherto a stranger to the tale,

As to the crime. Being nought concerned therewith,

I could not of myself divine the truth.
220

But now, as one adopted to your state,

To all of you Cadmeans I speak this:

Whoe’er among you knoweth the murderer

Of Laius, son of royal Labdacus,

Let him declare the deed in full to me.
225

First, if the man himself be touched with fear,

Let him depart, carrying the guilt away;

No harm shall follow him:—he shall go free.

Or if there be who knows another here,

Come from some other country, to have wrought

This murder, let him speak. Reward from me
230

And store of kind remembrance shall be his.

But if ye are silent, and one present here

Who might have uttered this, shall hold his peace,

As fearing for himself, or for his friend,

What then shall be performed, hear me proclaim.
235

I here prohibit all within this realm

Whereof I wield the sceptre and sole sway,

To admit the murderer, whosoe’er he be,

Within their houses, or to speak with him,

Or share with him in vow or sacrifice
240

Or lustral rite. All men shall thrust him forth,
240

Our dark pollution, so to me revealed

By this day’s oracle from Pytho’s cell.

So firm is mine allegiance to the God

And your dead sovereign in this holy war.

Now on the man of blood, whether he lurk
245

In lonely guilt, or with a numerous band,

I here pronounce this curse:—Let his crushed life

Wither forlorn in hopeless misery.

Next, I pray Heaven, should he or they be housed

With mine own knowledge in my home, that I
250

May suffer all I imprecate on them.

Last, I enjoin each here to lend his aid

For my sake, and the God’s, and for your land

Reft of her increase and renounced by Heaven.

It was not right, when your good king had fallen,

German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 216 focus

Du flehst, und was du flehest, wird, wofern du mich

Anhörst und willig förderst, was der Seuche wehrt,

Dir werden - Rettung und der Noth Erleichterung.

Und also red' ich, weil ich fremd der Kunde bin,
220

Wie fremd der Unthat: ich allein, ich käme ja

Nicht weit im Forschen, ohne Spur und Zeichen sonst.

Nun (denn ich trat auch später erst als Bürger ein)

Erklär' ich frei vor allem Kadmosvolke dies.

Wenn euer Einem Kunde ward, von wessen Hand
225

Getroffen fiel der Labdakide Laïos,

Gebiet' ich, daß er Alles mir verkündige,

Selbst wenn davor ihm bangte, weil er wider sich

Zeugschaft erheben müßte; denn ihm widerfährt

Nichts Arges, straflos soll er aus dem Lande zieh'n.
230

Kennt aber Iemand einen Mann aus fremdem Land

Als Thäter, er verschweig' es nicht; ich werde selbst

Den Lohn an ihn bezahlen, und noch Dank dazu.

Doch wenn ihr schweigt, und Einer, um den Freund besorgt,

Mein Wort verachtet, oder um sich selber bang;
235

So sollt ihr hören, was ich dann zu thun beschloß.

Den Mann verbiet' ich, wer er sei, in diesem Land,

Worin Gewalt mir und der Thron beschieden ward,

Gastfreundlich aufzunehmen, noch zu grüßen ihn,

Noch bei der Götter Dienste, noch an Opfern ihm
240

Antheil zu gönnen oder an geweihter Flut:¹

Von eurer Schwelle stoßet ihn als einen Gräul,

Der uns verunreint, wie des Gottes pythisches

Orakel heute deutlich uns geoffenbart.

245-So Jedes ordnend, will ich treu dem Gotte, will
245

Dem hingeschiednen Manne treu zur Seite steh'n.

Dem Thäter aber fluch' ich, ob er seine That

Allein verübt im Dunkel, ob mit Mehreren:

Er friste schnöd ein schnödes Leben ohne Glück!

Ich flehe, mir, wofern ich selber wissentlich
250

An meinem Herd als Hausgenossen ihn gepflegt,

Das Leid zu senden, das ich jezt ihm angewünscht.

Doch euch gebiet' ich dringend, daß ihr alles dies

Für mich vollendet, für den Gott und dieses Land,

Das blütenlos und gottverlassen untergeht.
255

English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 216 focus

Well are thy vows address'd; nor vain those vows,

But of much force, and lenient of our ills,

Wou'dst thou with deep regard attend my words,

Which I, to each related circumstance

A stranger, and a stranger to the deed,
220

Shall speak; for far my search could not extend,

Having no mark to guide my steps. But now

A Theban late enroll'd, to all of Thebes

I give this charge. Whoe'er among you knows

By whom the son of Labdacus was slain,
225

Him I command t' unfold the whole to me.

But if, through conscious guilt, he fears t' avow

The deed, and charge himself; no harsher doom

Awaits him, than to leave this land, unhurt.

But if among you be a man, who knows
230

Another, of another realm, whose hand

Was with this blood polluted, let him speak,

And not conceal the murderer; for from me

Ample shall be his recompense, and thanks

Added besides. But if ye will not speak,
235

If fearing for himself, or for a friend,

There be a man that disregards my words,

What then shall be my solemn mandate hear.

That man let none within this realm, whose throne,

Whose empire I command, beneath his roof
240

The altars round a mournful band,

The wives, the hoary matrons, stand,

And heave the suppliant sigh.

With deep sighs mix'd the hallow'd strain

Bursts fervent to the skies :

Deign then, O radiant Pallas, deign

In all thy might to rise.

From this fierce pow'r which raging round

Unarm'd inflicts thy fiery wound,
250

Daughter of Jove, my country save;

Hence, goddess, hence the fury sweep

To Amphitrite's chambers deep,

Or the rough Euxine wave!

English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 216-460 focus

Oedipus

You pray. And in answer to your prayer, if you will give a loyal reception to my words and minister to your own disease, you may hope to find help and relief from woes. These words I will speak publicly, as one who was a stranger to the report,

a stranger to the deed. I would not go far on the trail if I were tracing it alone, without a clue. But as it is—since it was only after the event that I was counted a Theban among Thebans—to you, Cadmeans all, I do thus proclaim: Whoever knows
220

by whom Laius son of Labdacus was slain, I order him to declare all to me. And if he is afraid, I order him to remove the danger of indictment from his path by denouncing himself: he will suffer no other punishment, but will only leave this land, unhurt.
225

If anyone knows the assassin to be an alien, from another land, let him not keep silent. I will reward him, and my thanks shall rest with him besides. But if he keeps silent, if anyone, through fear, seeks to screen himself or a friend from my orders,
230

then hear what I shall do: I charge you that no resident of this land, which I rule, give shelter to or address that murderer, whoever he is, or make him a partner in prayer or sacrifice,
235

or give him a share of the lustral rite. Ban him from your houses, all of you, knowing that this is the defilement, as the oracle of the Pythian god has recently shown to me. In this way
240

I am an ally both to the god and to the dead man. And I pray solemnly that the slayer, whoever he is, whether he alone is guilty or he has partners, may, in the horrible way he deserves, wear out his unblest life. And for myself I pray that if he should,
245

with my knowledge, become a resident of my house, I may suffer the same things which I have just called down on others. And I order you to make all these words good, for my sake, for the sake of the god, and for the sake of our land, thus rendered unfruitful and ungodly.
250
255

For even if the matter had not been urged upon us by a god, it still would not have been fit that you should leave the guilt unpunished as it is, when one so noble—and he your king—had perished. You should have searched it out. But now, since I hold the powers which he once held,
255

possessing his bed and the wife who bore his children, and since, had his hope of offspring not been unsuccessful, children born of one mother would have tied us with a common bond—as it was, fate swooped upon his head—I will uphold this cause, as though it were that of my own father,
260

and will leave no stone unturned in my search for the one who shed the blood, for the honor of the son of Labdacus and of Polydorus and the elder Cadmus and Agenor of old.
And for those who do not obey me, I pray that the gods
265

send them neither harvest of the earth nor fruit of the womb, but that they perish with the present fate, or one still worse. But to all you, the loyal Cadmeans who are satisfied by these things, may justice, our ally,
270

and all the gods be gracious always.
275

276

Chorus

As you have put me under oath, on my oath, my king, I will speak. I am not the slayer, nor can I reveal him. As for the investigation, it was for Phoebus, who enjoined it, to tell us who did the deed.

Oedipus

Justly said. But no man on earth can force the gods to do what they do not want.
280

Chorus

I would like to say what seems to me the next best course.

Oedipus

And if there is a third course, do not hesitate to reveal it too.

Chorus

I know that our lord Teiresias is the seer most like our

lord Apollo: from him, my king, an investigator might learn most clearly about these affairs.
285

Oedipus

Not even this have I neglected. On Creon’s suggestion, I sent a man twice to bring him. And I have been wondering for some time why he is not here.

Chorus

Indeed—his skill apart—the rumors are but faint and old.
290

Oedipus

What are the rumors? I am investigating every tale.

Chorus

He was said to have been killed by some wayfarers.

Oedipus

I too have heard that. But no one sees the one who saw it.

Chorus

If he knows what fear is, he will not hesitate to come forward when he

hears your curses, so dire are they.
295

Oedipus

When a man does not shrink from a deed, he is not scared by a word.

Chorus

But there is one to convict him. But here they bring at last the godlike prophet, the only man in whom truth lives.

300 Teiresias enters, led by a boy.

Oedipus

Teiresias, whose soul grasps all things, both that which may be told and that which is unspeakable, the Olympian secrets and the affairs of the earth, you feel, though you cannot see, what a huge plague haunts our state. From which, great prophet, we find you to be our protector and only savior.
300

Now, Phoebus—if indeed you have not already heard the news—sent answer to our question that the only way to rid ourselves of this pest that afflicts us is to discover the slayers of Laius, and then to slay them or banish them from our land.
305

So do not begrudge us the voice of the birds or any other path of prophecy, but save yourself and your state, save me, save all that is defiled by the dead. We are in your hands, and man’s noblest task is to help others
310

to the best of his means and powers.
315

Teiresias

Alas, how terrible it is to have wisdom when it does not benefit those who have it. I knew this well, but let it slip from my mind: otherwise I would not have come here.

Oedipus

What now? How disheartened you have come!

Teiresias

Let me go home. For you will bear your own burden to the end, and I will bear mine, if you consent.
320

Oedipus

Your words are strange and unkind to the state which nurtured you, since you withhold this response.

Teiresias

I see that you, for your part, speak inappropriately.

Therefore do not speak, so I will not suffer the same.
325

Oedipus

For the love of the gods, do not turn away, if you have knowledge: all we suppliants implore you on our knees.

Teiresias

For all of you are without knowledge. But never will I reveal my troubles—not to call them yours.

330

Oedipus

What are you saying? Do you know the secret and refuse to tell it? Will you betray and destroy the state?
330

Teiresias

I will grieve neither myself nor you. Why do you ask these things in vain? You will not learn the answers from me.

Oedipus

Will you not, basest of the base—

you would anger a stone—speak out? can nothing touch you? Will you never make an end?
335

Teiresias

You blame my anger, but do not perceive your own: no, you blame me.

Oedipus

Who would not be angry hearing such words,

with which you now are slighting the city?
340

Teiresias

The future will come of itself, though I shroud it in silence.

Oedipus

Since it must come anyway, it is right that you tell it to me.

Teiresias

I will speak no further: rage, if you wish, with the fiercest wrath your heart knows.

Oedipus

In my anger I will not spare to speak all my thoughts. Know that you seem to me to have helped in plotting the deed, and to have done it, short of performing the actual murder with your own hands: if you had eyesight, I would have said that you had done even this by yourself.
345

Teiresias

In truth? I order you to abide by you own decree, and from this day forth not to speak to these men or to me: you are the accursed defiler of this land.
350

354

Oedipus

So brazen with your blustering taunt?

Where do you think to escape to?
355

Teiresias

I have escaped. There is strength in my truth.

Oedipus

Who taught you this? Not your skill, at any rate.

Teiresias

You yourself. For you spurred me on to speak against my will.

Oedipus

What did you say? Speak again, so I may learn it better.

Teiresias

Did you not understand before, or are you talking to test me?
360

Oedipus

I cannot say I understood fully. Tell me again.

Teiresias

I say that you are the killer of the man whose slayer you seek.

Oedipus

Now you will regret that you have said such dire words twice.

Teiresias

Should I tell you more, that you might get more angry?

Oedipus

Say as much as you want: it will be said in vain.
365

Teiresias

I say that you have been living in unguessed shame with your closest kin, and do not see into what woe you have fallen.

Oedipus

Do you think that you will always be able to speak like this without smarting for it?

Teiresias

Yes, if indeed there is any strength in truth.

Oedipus

But there is, except not for you. You do not have that strength, since you are maimed in your ears, in your wit, and in your eyes.
370

Teiresias

And you are a poor wretch to utter taunts that every man here will soon hurl at you.

Oedipus

Night, endless night has you in her keeping, so that you can never hurt me,

or any man that sees the light of the sun.
375

Teiresias

No, it is not your fate to fall at my hands, since Apollo, to whom this matter is a concern, is sufficient.

Oedipus

Are these Creon’s devices, or your own?

Teiresias

Creon is no trouble for you: you are your own.

380

Oedipus

O wealth, and empire, and skill surpassing skill in life’s keen rivalries, how great is the envy in your keeping, if for the sake of this office which the city has entrusted to me, a gift unsought,
380

Creon the trustworthy, Creon, my old friend, has crept upon me by stealth, yearning to overthrow me, and has suborned such a scheming juggler as this, a tricky quack, who has eyes only for profit, but is blind in his art!
385

Come, tell me, where have you proved yourself a seer? Why, when the watchful dog who wove dark song was here, did you say nothing to free the people? Yet the riddle, at least, was not for the first comer to read: there was need of a seer’s help,
390

and you were discovered not to have this art, either from birds, or known from some god. But rather I, Oedipus the ignorant, stopped her, having attained the answer through my wit alone, untaught by birds. It is I whom you are trying to oust, assuming that
395

you will have great influence in Creon’s court. But I think that you and the one who plotted these things will rue your zeal to purge the land: if you did not seem to be an old man, you would have learned to your cost how haughty you are.
400

Chorus

To our way of thinking, these words, both his and yours, Oedipus,

have been said in anger. We have no need of this, but rather we must seek how we shall best discharge the mandates of the god.
405

408

Teiresias

Though you are king, the right of reply must be considered the same for both: over that I have control.

For I do not live as your slave, but as Loxias’. I will not stand enrolled as Creon’s client. And I tell you, since you have taunted my blindness, that though you have sight, you do not see what a state of misery you are in, or where you dwell, or with whom.
410

Do you know who your parents are? You have been an unwitting enemy to your own kin, both in the Underworld and on the earth above, and the double lash of your mother’s and your father’s curse will one day drive you from this land in dreadful haste, with darkness upon those eyes of yours which now can see.
415

What place will be harbor to your cries, what part of all Cithaeron will not ring with them soon, when you have learned the meaning of the nuptials in which, within that house, you found a fatal haven, after a voyage so fair? And you have not guessed at a throng of other ills
420

which will bring you level with your true self and with your own children. Therefore heap your scorn upon Creon and upon my message: for no man will ever be crushed more miserably than you.
425

429

Oedipus

Are these taunts to be endured from him?

Be gone, to your ruin; be gone this instant! Will you not turn your back and leave this house?
430

Teiresias

I would not have come if you had not called me.

Oedipus

I did not know you would speak foolishly, for otherwise it would have been a long time before I summoned you to my home.

Teiresias

I was born like this—as you think, a fool, but in the opinion of the parents who bore you, quite sane.
435

Oedipus

What parents? Wait. What man is my father?

Teiresias

This day will reveal your birth and bring your ruin.

Oedipus

What riddles, what dark words you always say.

Teiresias

Are you not the best at unravelling mysteries?
440

Oedipus

Reproach me in what you will find me to be great.

Teiresias

Yet it was just that fortune that undid you.

Oedipus

But if it saved this city I care not.

Teiresias

I will take my leave. You, boy, lead me.

Oedipus

Yes, let him take you: while here, you are a hindrance, a source of trouble. When you have gone, you will vex me no more.
445

447

Teiresias

I will go when I have performed the errand for which I came, fearless of your frown: you can never destroy me. I tell you: the man whom you have been seeking this long while,

uttering threats and proclaiming a search into the murder of Laius, is here, ostensibly an alien sojourner, but soon to be found a native of Thebes ; nor will he enjoy his fortune. A blind man, though now he sees,
450

a beggar, though now rich, he will make his way to a foreign land, feeling the ground before him with his staff. And he will be discovered to be at once brother and father of the children with whom he consorts; son and husband of the woman who bore him;
455

heir to his father’s bed, shedder of his father’s blood. So go in and evaluate this, and if you find that I am wrong, say then that I have no wit in prophecy.
460

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-21-1 ἀγόνοις ¹ ἐν δ’ ² ὁ πυρφόρος θεὸς ³ θεὸς ⁴

mvp-comment-22-1 μέλας δ’ ⁵

mvp-comment-23-1 πλουτίζεται ⁶

mvp-comment-24-1 μέν νυν ⁷

mvp-comment-24-2 οὐκ ἰσούμενόν σ’ ⁸

mvp-comment-25-1 δαιμόνων συναλλαγαῖς ⁹

mvp-comment-26-1 ὅς γ’ ¹⁰ γ’ ¹¹ ἐξέλυσας … δασμὸν ¹²

mvp-comment-27-1 σκληρᾶς ¹³

mvp-comment-28-1 καὶ ταῦθ’ ¹⁴ οὐδὲν … πλέον ¹⁵ ἐξειδὼς … ἐκδιδαχθείς ¹⁶

mvp-comment-29-1 προσθήκῃ θεοῦ ¹⁷

mvp-comment-30-1 νῦν τ’ ¹⁸ πᾶσιν ¹⁹

mvp-comment-31-1 εἴτε ²⁰ εἴτε ²¹

mvp-comment-32-1 φήμην ²²

mvp-comment-33-1 ὡς τοῖσιν … βουλευμάτων ²³ τὰς ξυμφορὰς … τῶν βουλευμάτων ²⁴

mvp-comment-34-1 ζώσας ²⁵

mvp-comment-35-1 εὐλαβήθηθ’ ²⁶

mvp-comment-36-1 τῆς πάρος προθυμίας ²⁷

mvp-comment-37-1 μεμνώμεθα ²⁸ μεμνῴμεθα ²⁹

mvp-comment-38-1 στάντες τ’ ³⁰

mvp-comment-39-1 ἀσφαλείᾳ ³¹

mvp-comment-40-1 ὄρνιθι … αἰσίῳ ³² καὶ ³³

mvp-comment-41-1 ἄρξεις … κρατεῖς … κρατεῖν ³⁴

mvp-comment-42-1 ξὺν ἀνδράσιν ³⁵

mvp-comment-43-1 ὡς οὐδέν ἐστιν ³⁶

mvp-comment-43-2 πύργος ³⁷

mvp-comment-44-1 Lit., “void of men, when they do not dwell with thee in the city”: ἀνδρῶν ³⁸ ἔρημος ³⁹ μὴ ξυνοικούντων ἔσω ⁴⁰

mvp-comment-45-1 γνωτὰ κοὐκ ἀγνῶτα ⁴¹

mvp-comment-46-1 νοσοῦντες … νοσεῖ ⁴²

mvp-comment-47-1 εἰς ἕν’ … μόνον καθ’ αὑτόν ⁴³

mvp-comment-48-1 πόλιν τε κἀμὲ καὶ σ’ ⁴⁴

mvp-comment-49-1 The modal dat. ὕπνῳ ⁴⁵

mvp-comment-50-1 πλάνοις ⁴⁶

mvp-comment-51-1 ηὕρισκον ⁴⁷

mvp-comment-52-1 ταύτην ἔπραξα ⁴⁸

mvp-comment-53-1 Φοίβου … ὅ τι δρῶν … τί φωνῶν ⁴⁹

mvp-comment-54-1 δρῶν ἢ … φωνῶν ⁵⁰

mvp-comment-54-2 ῥυσαίμην ⁵¹

mvp-comment-55-1 καί μ’ ἦμαρ … χρόνῳ ⁵² ἤδη ⁵³ χρόνῳ ⁵⁴ ξυμμετρούμενον ⁵⁵

mvp-comment-56-1 λυπεῖ τί πράσσει ⁵⁶ τοῦ γὰρ εἰκότος πέρα ⁵⁷

mvp-comment-57-1 εἰς καλὸν ⁵⁸ οἵδε ⁵⁹

mvp-comment-58-1 ἐν τύχῃ … ὄμματι ⁶⁰ ἐν τύχῃ ⁶¹

mvp-comment-59-1 λαμπρὸς ⁶²

mvp-comment-60-1 εἰκάσαι μέν, ἡδύς ⁶³ ἡδύς ⁶⁴

mvp-comment-61-1 πολυστεφὴς … δάφνης ⁶⁵ παγκάρπου ⁶⁶

mvp-comment-62-1 ξύμμετρος γὰρ ὡς κλύειν ⁶⁷

mvp-comment-63-1 κήδευμα ⁶⁸

mvp-comment-64-1 λέγω γὰρ … εὐτυχεῖν ⁶⁹

mvp-comment-65-1 ἐξελθόντα ⁷⁰ πάντ’ ⁷¹ ἂν εὐτυχεῖν ⁷²

mvp-comment-66-1 τοὔπος ⁷³ λόγῳ ⁷⁴

mvp-comment-67-1 προδείσας ⁷⁵

mvp-comment-68-1 πλησιαζόντων ⁷⁶ εἰ … εἴτε ⁷⁷

mvp-comment-69-1 εἴτε καὶ στείχειν ἔσω ⁷⁸

mvp-comment-70-1 ἐς πάντας ⁷⁹ πλέον ⁸⁰

mvp-comment-70-2 τῶνδε ⁸¹

mvp-comment-71-1 ἢ καὶ ⁸²

mvp-comment-72-1 λέγοιμ’ ἂν ⁸³

mvp-comment-73-1 ὡς ⁸⁴ τεθραμμένον ⁸⁵

mvp-comment-74-1 ἐλαύνειν ⁸⁶

mvp-comment-74-2 μηδ’ ἀνήκεστον τρέφειν ⁸⁷

mvp-comment-75-1 ποίῳ … ξυμφορᾶς ⁸⁸ ξυμφορᾶς ⁸⁹

mvp-comment-76-1 ἀνδρηλατοῦντας ⁹⁰

mvp-comment-77-1 ὡς τόδ’ αἷμα χειμάζον πόλιν ⁹¹ ὡς ⁹²

mvp-comment-78-1 ἀπευθύνειν ⁹³

mvp-comment-79-1 οὐ γὰρ εἰσεῖδόν γέ πω ⁹⁴

mvp-comment-80-1 τοὺς αὐτοέντας … τινας ⁹⁵ τιμωρεῖν ⁹⁶ χειρὶ τιμωρεῖν ⁹⁷

mvp-comment-81-1 ποῦ τόδ’ … αἰτίας; ⁹⁸

mvp-comment-82-1 αἰτίας ⁹⁹ δυστέκμαρτον ¹⁰⁰

mvp-comment-83-1 ἔφασκε ¹⁰¹ τὸ δὲ ζητούμενον ¹⁰²

mvp-comment-84-1 συμπίπτει ¹⁰³

mvp-comment-85-1 θεωρός ¹⁰⁴ ὡς ἔφασκεν ¹⁰⁵ ἐκδημῶν ¹⁰⁶ ὡς ¹⁰⁷

mvp-comment-86-1 οὐδ’ ἄγγελός … ἐχρήσατ’ ἄν; ¹⁰⁸

mvp-comment-87-1 ὅτου ¹⁰⁹ ἐκμαθὼν ¹¹⁰

mvp-comment-88-1 θνῄσκουσι ¹¹¹ ι ¹¹² φόβῳ φυγὼν ¹¹³

mvp-comment-89-1 εἰδὼς ¹¹⁴

mvp-comment-90-1 τὸ ποῖον; ¹¹⁵ ἐξεύροι μαθεῖν ¹¹⁶

mvp-comment-91-1 ἔφασκε ¹¹⁷ οὐ μιᾷ ῥώμῃ ¹¹⁸

mvp-comment-92-1 σὺν πλήθει ¹¹⁹

mvp-comment-93-1 εἴ τι μὴ ¹²⁰ ξὺν ¹²¹

mvp-comment-93-2 ἐπράσσετο … ἔβη ¹²²

mvp-comment-94-1 δοκοῦντα … ἦν ¹²³

mvp-comment-95-1 ἐμποδών ¹²⁴ τυραννίδος ¹²⁵

mvp-comment-96-1 ποικιλῳδὸς ¹²⁶

mvp-comment-97-1 προσήγετο ¹²⁷ τὸ πρὸς ποσὶ ¹²⁸

mvp-comment-98-1 ἐξ ὑπαρχῆς ¹²⁹ αὖθις ¹³⁰ αὔτ’ ¹³¹

mvp-comment-99-1 ἐπαξίως ¹³² ἀξίως ¹³³

mvp-comment-100-1 πρὸ ¹³⁴

mvp-comment-100-2 ἐπιστροφήν ¹³⁵

mvp-comment-101-1 ὑπὲρ γὰρ οὐχὶ ¹³⁶

mvp-comment-102-1 αὑτοῦ ¹³⁷ ἀποσκεδῶ ¹³⁸

mvp-comment-103-1 ἐκεῖνον ὁ κτανών ¹³⁹

mvp-comment-104-1 τοιαύτη ¹⁴⁰ ἂν ¹⁴¹

mvp-comment-105-1 παῖδες ¹⁴²

mvp-comment-105-2 βάθρων ἵστασθε ¹⁴³

mvp-comment-106-1 ἄραντες ¹⁴⁴

mvp-comment-107-1 πᾶν … δράσοντος ¹⁴⁵ εὐτυχεῖς … πεπτωκότες ¹⁴⁶

mvp-comment-108-1 ὦ παῖδες ¹⁴⁷

mvp-comment-109-1 ἐξαγγέλλεται ¹⁴⁸

mvp-comment-110-1 ἅμα ¹⁴⁹

mvp-comment-111-1 φάτι ¹⁵⁰ Διὸς ¹⁵¹ ἁδυεπὲς ¹⁵² τίς ποτε … ἔβας; ¹⁵³

mvp-comment-111-2 τᾶς πολυχρύσου ¹⁵⁴

mvp-comment-112-1 Πυθῶνος ¹⁵⁵

mvp-comment-113-1 The bold use of ἐκτέταμαι ¹⁵⁶ φοβερὰν φρένα, δείματι πάλλων ¹⁵⁷

mvp-comment-113-2 πάλλων ¹⁵⁸

mvp-comment-114-1 Δάλιε ¹⁵⁹

mvp-comment-114-2 ἰήιε ¹⁶⁰

mvp-comment-115-1 ἁζόμενος ¹⁶¹ τί μοι … χρέος ¹⁶² νέον ¹⁶³

mvp-comment-116-1 πάλιν ¹⁶⁴ χρέος ¹⁶⁵ ἐξανύσεις ¹⁶⁶

mvp-comment-116-2 περιτελλομέναις ὥραις ¹⁶⁷

mvp-comment-117-1 χρυσέας ¹⁶⁸ Φάμα ¹⁶⁹

mvp-comment-118-1 κεκλόμενος ¹⁷⁰

mvp-comment-119-1 γαιάοχόν ¹⁷¹

mvp-comment-120-1 κυκλόεντ’ ἀγορᾶς θρόνον ¹⁷² εὐκλέα ¹⁷³

mvp-comment-121-1 ἄτας ὕπερ ¹⁷⁴ ὀρνυμένας πόλει ¹⁷⁵

mvp-comment-122-1 ἠνύσατ’ ἐκτοπίαν ¹⁷⁶ ἔλθετε καὶ νῦν ¹⁷⁷

mvp-comment-123-1 ὧ πόποι ¹⁷⁸

mvp-comment-124-1 στόλος ¹⁷⁹

mvp-comment-124-2 ἔνι ¹⁸⁰

mvp-comment-124-3 φροντίδος ἔγχος ¹⁸¹

mvp-comment-125-1 This future has the support of the best MSS. in Xen. Anab. 7.7.3

οὐκ ἐπιτρέψομεν … ὡς πολεμίους ἀλεξόμεθα

: and of grammarians, Bekk. Anecd. p. 415: the aorist ἀλέξαι, ἀλέξασθαι also occurs. These forms are prob. not from the stem ἀλεξ (whence present ἀλέξω, cp. ἀέξω, ὀδάξω) but from a stem ἀλκ with unconsciously developed ε, making ἀλεκ (cp. ἄλ‐αλκον): see Curtius, Verb, 11.258, Eng. tr. 445. Homer has the fut. ἀλεξήσω, and Her. ἀλεξήσομαι. —Cp. 539.

mvp-comment-126-1 τόκοισιν ¹⁸²

mvp-comment-127-1 ἄλλον δ’ … ἄλλῳ ¹⁸³

mvp-comment-128-1 ὄρμενον ¹⁸⁴ κρεῖσσον … πυρὸς ¹⁸⁵

mvp-comment-129-1 ἀκτὰν πρὸς ¹⁸⁶ ἑσπέρου θεοῦ ¹⁸⁷

mvp-comment-130-1 ὧν … ἀνάριθμος ¹⁸⁸

mvp-comment-131-1 γένεθλα ¹⁸⁹ νηλέα ¹⁹⁰ ἀνοίκτως ¹⁹¹

mvp-comment-132-1 ἐν δ’ ¹⁹² ἔπι ¹⁹³

mvp-comment-133-1 ἀκτὰν παρὰ βώμιον ¹⁹⁴ ἄλλοθεν ἄλλαν ¹⁹⁵

mvp-comment-134-1 ἱκτῆρες ¹⁹⁶ λυγρῶν πόνων ¹⁹⁷

mvp-comment-135-1 λάμπει ¹⁹⁸ ὅμαυλος ¹⁹⁹

mvp-comment-136-1 ὧν ὕπερ ²⁰⁰

mvp-comment-136-2 εὐῶπα ἀλκάν ²⁰¹

mvp-comment-137-1 Ἄρεά τε ²⁰² μαλερόν ²⁰³ ἄχαλκος ἀσπίδων ²⁰⁴

mvp-comment-138-1 περιβόατον ²⁰⁵ ἀντιάζω ²⁰⁶

mvp-comment-139-1 νωτίσαι ²⁰⁷ δράμημα ²⁰⁸ πάτρας ²⁰⁹

mvp-comment-140-1 ἔπουρον ²¹⁰ μέγαν | θάλαμον Ἀμφιτρίτας ²¹¹ μέγαν ²¹²

mvp-comment-141-1 ἀπόξενον ²¹³

mvp-comment-141-2 ἀπόξενος ὅρμος ²¹⁴

mvp-comment-142-1 τελεῖν γὰρ … ἔρχεται ²¹⁵ τελεῖν ²¹⁶ τελεῖν ²¹⁷ τέλει ²¹⁸

mvp-comment-142-2 εἰ … ἀφῇ ²¹⁹

mvp-comment-143-1 ἐπ’ … ἔρχεται ²²⁰

mvp-comment-144-1 τόν ²²¹

mvp-comment-145-1 Λύκειε ²²²

mvp-comment-146-1 ἀγκυλᾶν ²²³

mvp-comment-147-1 ἐνδατεῖσθαι ²²⁴

mvp-comment-148-1 προσταθέντα ²²⁵

mvp-comment-149-1 Ἀρτέμιδος αἴγλας ²²⁶

mvp-comment-150-1 Λύκῑ ὄρεα διᾴσσει ²²⁷ Λύκια ²²⁸

mvp-comment-151-1 τὸν χρυσομίτραν ²²⁹

mvp-comment-152-1 τᾶσδ’ ἐπώνυμον γᾶς ²³⁰

mvp-comment-153-1 οἰνῶπα … εὔιον ²³¹

mvp-comment-154-1 Μαινάδων ὁμόστολον ²³²

mvp-comment-155-1 ἀγλαῶπι ²³³ σύμμαχον ²³⁴

mvp-comment-156-1 τὸν ἀπότιμον ²³⁵

mvp-comment-156-2 θεόν ²³⁶

mvp-comment-157-1 αἰτεῖς ²³⁷ ἃ δ’ αἰτεῖς ²³⁸ τἄμ’ ²³⁹

mvp-comment-158-1 κλύων ²⁴⁰ δέχεσθαι ²⁴¹ τῇ νόσῳ ὑπηρετεῖν ²⁴²

mvp-comment-159-1 ἀλκὴν ²⁴³ ἀνακούφισιν ²⁴⁴ κακῶν ²⁴⁵

mvp-comment-160-1 ἁγὼ ξένος μὲν ²⁴⁶

mvp-comment-161-1 ξένος ²⁴⁷

mvp-comment-162-1 τοῦ πραχθέντος ²⁴⁸

mvp-comment-163-1 οὐ γὰρ ἂν μακρὰν … ἴχνευον ²⁴⁹ αὐτός ²⁵⁰

mvp-comment-164-1 νῦν δ’ ²⁵¹ ὕστερος ²⁵² εἰς ἀστοὺς τελῶ ²⁵⁴ ἀστὸς εἰς ἀστοὺς ²⁵⁵

mvp-comment-165-1 κεἰ μὲν φοβεῖται τοὐπίκλημ’ ὑπεξελεῖν ²⁵⁶ ὑπεξελεῖν | αὐτὸν καθ’ αὑτοῦ ²⁵⁷ κελεύω ²⁵⁸ ὑπεξελεῖν τὸ ἐπίκλημα ²⁵⁹

mvp-comment-166-1 ἀβλαβής ²⁶⁰

mvp-comment-167-1 ἄλλον … ἐξ ἄλλης χθονὸς ²⁶¹

mvp-comment-168-1 τὸ κέρδος ²⁶²

mvp-comment-169-1 προσκείσεται ²⁶³

mvp-comment-170-1 φίλου, αὑτοῦ ²⁶⁴

mvp-comment-170-2 φίλου δείσας ²⁶⁵ τοὔπος … τόδε ²⁶⁶

mvp-comment-171-1 ἀπαυδῶ ²⁶⁷ τινα γῆς τῆσδε ²⁶⁸ μήτ’ ἐσδέχεσθαι μήτε προσφωνεῖν ²⁶⁹ τὸν ἄνδρα τοῦτον, ὅστις ἐστί ²⁷⁰ γῆς ²⁷¹ μήτε … μήτε ²⁷² ἐσδέχεσθαι ²⁷³ προσφωνεῖν ²⁷⁴ εὐχαῖσι ²⁷⁵ θύμασιν ²⁷⁶ θύμασιν ²⁷⁷ εὐχαῖσι ²⁷⁸ μήτε κοινὸν ποιεῖσθαι ²⁷⁹ ἐν … εὐχαῖσι μήτε θύμασιν ²⁸⁰

mvp-comment-172-1 κοινὸν ²⁸¹ χέρνιβος ²⁸²

mvp-comment-173-1 ὠθεῖν δὲ ²⁸³

mvp-comment-174-1 These six verses are placed by some editors between 272 and 273. See Appendix.

mvp-comment-175-1 κατεύχομαι ²⁸⁴ κατεύχομαι ²⁸⁵ εἴτε τις ²⁸⁶ τις ²⁸⁷ εἷς ²⁸⁸ τις ²⁸⁹

mvp-comment-176-1 νιν ἄμορον ²⁹⁰ νιν ²⁹¹ κακὸν κακῶς ²⁹²

mvp-comment-177-1 ἐπεύχομαι ²⁹³ οἴκοισιν … ξυνέστιος ²⁹⁴

mvp-comment-178-1 τοῖσδ’ ²⁹⁵

mvp-comment-179-1 ἀκάρπως κἀθέως ²⁹⁶

mvp-comment-180-1 εἰκὸς ἦν ²⁹⁷

mvp-comment-180-2 οὕτως ²⁹⁸

mvp-comment-181-1 βασιλέως τ’ ²⁹⁹

mvp-comment-182-1 κυρῶ τ’ ἐγὼ ³⁰⁰

mvp-comment-183-1 ὁμόσπορον ³⁰¹

mvp-comment-184-1 κοινῶν παίδων κοινὰ ἦν ἂν ἐκπεφυκότα ³⁰² κοινῶν ³⁰³ εἰ κείνῳ γένος | μὴ δυστύχησεν ³⁰⁴

mvp-comment-185-1 νῦν δ’ ³⁰⁵

mvp-comment-185-2 ἐνήλατο ³⁰⁶

mvp-comment-186-1 ἀνθ’ ὧν ³⁰⁷ ὦν ³⁰⁸

mvp-comment-186-2 τάδ’ ³⁰⁹ ὑπερμαχοῦμαι ³¹⁰

mvp-comment-187-1 ὑπερμαχοῦμαι ³¹¹

mvp-comment-187-2 κἀπὶ πάντ’ ἀφίξομαι ³¹² ζητῶν ³¹³

mvp-comment-188-1 τῷ Λαβδακείῳ παιδὶ ³¹⁴ Λαβδακείῳ—Πολυδώρου ³¹⁵

mvp-comment-189-1 construe: καὶ εὔχομαι τοῖς ταῦτα μὴ δρῶσιν ³¹⁶ θεοὺς ἀνιέναι αὐτοῖς μήτ’ ἄροτόν τινα γῆς, μήτ’ οὖν γυναικῶν παῖδας ³¹⁷ θεοὺς ³¹⁸ ἀνιέναι ³¹⁹ εὔχομαι ³²⁰

mvp-comment-190-1 μήτ’ οὖν ³²¹

mvp-comment-191-1 φθερεῖσθαι ³²²

mvp-comment-192-1 τοῖς ἄλλοισι ³²³

mvp-comment-192-2 ἔστ’ ἀρέσκοντ’ ³²⁴ ἥ τε σύμμαχος Δίκη ³²⁵

mvp-comment-193-1 εὖ ³²⁶

mvp-comment-193-2 ὥσπερ μ’ ἀραῖον ³²⁷ ὧδε ³²⁸

mvp-comment-193-3 ἀραῖον ³²⁹

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

29. mvp-comment-25-1 δῶμα Καδμεῖον The city is the home of Cadmus, as the citizens are his family (1. 1).

30. mvp-comment-26-1 στεναγμοῖς καὶ γόοις πλουτίζεται Is enriched by lamentations and groans; probably with an allusion to Πλούτων, which is hardly translatable in English. Cp. Plat. Crat. 403 Α, τὸ δὲ Πλούτωνος, τοῦτο μὲν κατὰ τὴν τοῦ πλούτου δόσιν. The groans of the dying and the lamentations over the dead augment the honours of the god of death. Cp. Ant. 519, ὁ γ' Ἅιδης τοὺς νόμους τούτους ποθεῖ.

31. mvp-comment-27-1 θεοῖσι .. οὐκ ἰσούμενον The suppliants are sitting at the family altars of the king (which have the same kind of sacredness that belongs to the hearth), revering him not as a god but for his human and inspired wisdom. The pious moderation of the chorus is contrasted with the impiety afterwards displayed by the king and queen; and their description of Oedipus as the child of success and Providence points bitterly to the sequel, see esp. 1. 35, ἄστυ Καδμεῖον μολών : (ἵνα καὶ ἡ ἀπὸ ξένης αὐτοῦ ἄφιξις δηλαθῇ, Schol.) ἰσούμενόν σ'] σε is governed, πρὸς τὸ σημαινόμενον, by the verbal notion in ἑζόμεσθ' ἐφέστιοι = προσίγμεθα. To you we pray not as if you were the equal of the gods.' The expression becomes more personal as the sentence proceeds, so that κρίνοντες takes the place of ὄντα οι φαινόμενον. To sit at the altar of the palace was, like sitting at the hearth, a form of supplicating the king. Cp. Eur. Heracl. sub init. vero

33. mvp-comment-28-1 ἔν τε συμφοραῖς In the common accidents of life, and in the visitations of Heaven, or when we have to do with the gods. συναλλαγή here as elsewhere has the meaning of intercourse or connection with.

Quanta ironia subest iis verbis! Nam quis, alio sensu, homo unquam extitit ipso Oedipo calamitosior? quis Deos magis iratos expertus?

Pellucioni. Cp. infr. 1205-1311. See Introd. and the Appendix on the so called Irony of Sophocles.

35. mvp-comment-29-1 ὅς τ' The reading is taken from the citation of the Scholiast, who writes ὥστε. The construction is similar to l. 694, ὅς τ᾽ ἐμὰν γᾶν φίλαν .. κατ᾿ ὀρθὸν οὔρισας, τανῦν τ᾽ εὔπομπος, εἰ δύναιο ; and though ye would not be out of place, τε aptly prepares the way for νῦν τε in l. 40, which is postponed by the amplification of the thought in 11. 37-39. Ср. Hdt. 8. 101, σὺ ἂν ἐμοί, καὶ γὰρ .. περὶ τῆς ναυμαχίης εὖ συνεβούλευσας .. νῦν τε συμβούλευσον. ὅς τ' has the advantage of being the harder reading.

35. mvp-comment-29-2 ἐξέλυσας This verb governs δασμόν with ἡμῖν or ἡμᾶς understood. Cp. Tr. 655, ἐξέλυσ᾽ ἐπίπονον ἁμέραν (sc. οἱ or νιν).

35. mvp-comment-29-3 ἄστυ is the place rather than the society, and is to be connected only with μολών. The MSS. here and in l. 29, vary between Καδμεῖον and Καδμείων.

36. mvp-comment-30-1 σκληρᾶς ἀοιδοῦ δασμόν The tribute levied by the inexorable songstress; i.e. the lives of those citizens who attempted to solve her riddle and failed. Cp. Eur. Phoen. 1027.

37. mvp-comment-31-1 ὑφ᾽ ἡμῶν.. πλέον Having no advantage of information from us.

38. mvp-comment-32-1 προσθήκῃ θεοῦ i.e. θεοῦ προσθεμένου σοι. By a god taking part with thee.' 'By a Divine aid. Cр. О. С. 1332, οἷς ἂν σὺ προσθῇ, τοῖσδ᾽ ἔφασκ᾿ εἶναι κράτος.

40. mvp-comment-33-1 Join πᾶσιν with κράτιστον. Cp. l.8.

43. mvp-comment-34-1 που του appears only in Land three other MSS, and may be an error arising from του in the previous line. Cp. infr. 117. Aj. 33. The repetition of του is not quite elegant, and που has a good meaning. Or whether you know, as you may, of help coming from man. Cp. Od. 10. 486, ὅτε που σύ γε νόσφι γένηαι. ἀπ᾿ ἀνδρός, sc. ἀλκὴν γιγνομένην. There is a covert reference to Apollo in the first instance, and to Teiresias in the second.

44. mvp-comment-35-1 ὡς τοῖσιν .. βουλευμάτων For I see that where men have experience the issues of their counsels live and prosper. Oedipus had been tried in difficulty, and his advice, resting on experience, was the more likely to succeed. The simplicity of such a maxim is no objection to this rendering. Cp. Hdt. 1.60, οἰκότα μέν νυν βουλευομένοισι ἀνθρώποισι ὡς τὸ ἐπίπαν ἐθέλει γίνεσθαι, μὴ δὲ οἰκότα βουλευομένοισι, οὐκ ἐθέλει οὐδὲ ὁ θεὸς προσχωρέειν πρὸς τὰς ἀνθρωπηΐας γνώμας. The words are logically connected with the general meaning of the three preceding lines, and the point is, We come to you as to an experienced man.' καί expresses 'not only are the counsels good but their issues are also good.'

44. mvp-comment-35-2 τὰς ξυμφορὰς .. τῶν βουλευμάτων The results of their plans.

45. mvp-comment-36-1 ζώσας The metaphorical use of ζῆν is comparatively rare. Cp. Aesch. Ag. 819, ἄτης θύελλαι ζῶσι: infr. 483, ζῶντα περιποτᾶται : Ant. 457. Eur. Fr. 35, ἀεὶ τὸ μὲν ζῇ, τὸ δὲ μεθίσταται κακόν. The explanation of τὰς ξυμφορὰς τῶν βουλευμάτων as = the conference of counsels,' (Aesch. Pers. 528, πιστοίσι πιστὰ ξυμφέρειν βουλεύματα), is ingenious. but increases the difficulty of ζώσας, which can never mean are habitual,' and it is not consistent with the laudatory tone of the address to advise Oedipus, who is the first of men, to take counsel with others. Cp. Thuc. 1. 140, τὰς ξυμφορὰς τῶν πραγμάτων.

47. mvp-comment-37-1 εὐλαβήθηθ᾽ The tone of warning in the latter part of the speech is the first presage of the misfortunes that are to follow.

48. mvp-comment-38-1 τῆς πάρος προθυμίας For your former zeal. προμηθίας is a various reading. The two words are often confused in MSS, and προμηθίας has been thought to agree better with 11.47 and 51. But προθυμίας, implying no doubt of Oedipus' power to save the people if he will, is really preferable.

49. mvp-comment-39-1 μεμνώμεθα The subjunctive is more in harmony with the imperatives before and after than the optative. μεμνώμεθα, or rather μεμνήμεθα, which some editors have pre preferred (in the spirit of Protagoras' objection to μῆνιν ἄειδε, θεά, viz. that commands should not be given to a superior.) Ср. О. С. 174: ὦ ξένοι, μὴ δῆτ᾽ ἀδικηθῶ. The quasi-imperative expresses a stronger confidence than the optative, which implies some degree of uncertainty. σόντες has the chief emphasis. See Essay on Language p. 78. The participles are in construction with μεμνώμεθα. Let not this be our memory of your reign, that we stood upright only to fall again. For the metaphorical expression, cp. Pind. Pyth. 3. 53, 96, Isthm 6. 12. πε

51. mvp-comment-40-1 ἀσφαλείᾳ (1) Dative of the manner. The noun is used with a consciousness of the verb σφάλλεσθαι, referring to πεσόντες. Let your restoration of this city be without failure or falling. Cp. Thuc. 3. 22, ἀσφαλείας ἕνεκα τῆς πρὸς τὸν πηλόν. Also Thuc. 2.44, ἐκ τε τοῦ μὴ ἐρημοῦσθαι καὶ ἀσφαλείᾳ. Or (2) the word is used proleptically, i.e. ἀσφαλείᾳ = εἰς ἀσφάλειαν. Restore us to security. Cp. Ant. 163, ἀσφαλῶς ὤρθωσαν. The words ὄρνιθι . . αἰσίῳ support the former explanation.

54. mvp-comment-41-1 ἄρξεις .. κρατεῖς If you will rule this land as you are now her lord. Cp. Thuc. 5. 105, οὗ ἂν κρατῇ, ἄρχειν.

57. mvp-comment-42-1 μὴ ξυνοικούντων is epexegetic of ἔρημος ἀνδρῶν, and, as often in such cases, the negative implied in ἔρημος is made explicit. Without men to dwell therein.' Cp. Hdt. 2. 91, φεύγουσι Χρασθαι χρᾶσθαι .. μηδέ, κ.τλ. Ib. 4. 76. See Essay on Language § 40, 1. p. 74. Some edd. put a comma after ἔρημος, which lessens the force of ἀνδρῶν. Cp. Thuc. 7. 77, ἄνδρες γὰρ πόλις, καὶ οὐ τείχη οὐδὲ νῆες ἀνδρῶν κεναί.

58. mvp-comment-43-1 Oedipus is full of anxiety, not for himself, but for his people, whose sorrows he bears. In his care for them he has sent Creon to consult the oracle, and now looks impatiently for his return. In a sense of which he is ignorant, his woe is indeed greater than the people's woe, and the plan which he has chosen as the only cure will bring the curse on him.

58. mvp-comment-43-2 ὦ παῖδες οἰκτροί O my poor children. The unusual position of the adjective gives a pathetic emphasis. See Essay on Language § 23. P. 37.

60. mvp-comment-44-1 νοσοῦντες is the real subject of the sentence, but the construction is changed for the sake of the emphatic phrase οὐκ ἔστιν ὅστις, See Essay on Language § 15. p. 21. In ὡς ἐγώ and ἐξ ἴσου there is a confusion of οὕτως ὡς ἐγώ and ἐξ ἴσου ἐμοί: i.e. ἐξ ἴσου is substituted for οὕτως. And although you are sick at heart, the sickness of none of you is equal to mine.

65. mvp-comment-45-1 ὕπνῳ γ' εὔδοντα When taking rest in sleep. The redundancy (as in Ο. C. 306, βραδὺς εὕδει), is no objection to the reading. The repetition is emphatic. I am not asleep, and you do not rouse me from slumber. For this pleonasm as well as for the present participle, cp. Τr. 175, ὥσθ᾽ ἡδέως εὕδουσαν ἐκπηδᾶν ἐμὲ | φύβῳ, φίλαι, ταρβοῦσαν: also (for the participle) ib. 1163, ζῶντά μ᾽ ἔκτεινεν. Ε. on L. § 4. 5. p. 75.

67. mvp-comment-46-1 'And have traversed many paths in the wanderings of thought.' Cp. Hdt. 3. 156, πάσας τὰς διεξόδους τῶν βουλευμάτων. The gloss of the Schol., ἀντὶ τοῦ πλάναις θηλυκῶς, confirms the reading πλάνοις.

68. mvp-comment-47-1 That which on careful consideration I found the only cure, I put in execution. Cp. Ar. Nub. 76.

71. mvp-comment-48-1 πύθοιθ Probably suggested by the sound of Πυθικά, but not an intentional play upon the word. Essay on Language § 44. p. 83.

72. mvp-comment-49-1 ῥυσαίμην Cp. Ant. 271-272, οὔθ' ὅπως δρῶντες καλῶς πράξαιμεν. The short syllable (in thesi) before the initial p is an Epic usage, but rare in tragedy. Cp. Aesch. S. c. Τ. 91, τίς ἄρα ῥύσεται;

73. mvp-comment-50-1 Lit. The day now measured by the course of time makes me anxious to know how he fares; i. e. When I think what day this is,' When I count the days. χρόνῳ, not the time of his absence but time generally. The comparative unfamiliarity of the abstract notion of time may account for the vagueness of the expression, which is supplemented in the two following lines. Each day is compared with an absolute standard of time. See Essay on L p. 91. For the intransitive sense of τί πράσσει, cp. Aj. 1418-1419, οὐδεὶς μάντις τῶν μελλόντων ὅ τι πράξει, and for the construction, ib. 794, ὥστε μ' ὠδίνειν, τί φής.

74-75. mvp-comment-51-1 The expression is redundant, so that ἄπεστι is joined at once with τοῦ εἰκότος πέρα and with πλείω τοῦ καθήκοντος χρόνου. The clause πλείω, κ.τ.λ., is added as an explanation of τοῦ γὰρ εἰκότος πέρα, and more fully expresses Oedipus' surprise at the continued absence of Creon. He is absent longer than he ought to be, beyond due measure.

77. mvp-comment-52-1 For κακὸς ἂν εἴην μὴ δρῶν, cp. Eur. Heracl. 282-283, μάτην.. ἥβην.. ἂν κεκτῴμεθα.. μή σε τιμωρούμενοι. Ε. on L p. 50.

78. mvp-comment-53-1 εἰς καλόν depends at once on εἶπας, and on προσστείχοντα, which has the chief emphasis. Welcome are your words, and no less welcome is the announcement I have just received that Creon is coming. Cp. Plat. Symp. 174 Ε. εἰς καλὸν ἥκεις: Hdt. 9. 87, εὖ λέγειν καὶ ἐς καιρόν. Some of the suppliants have signified by gestures the approach of Creon. See opening note.

80. mvp-comment-54-1 εἰ γάρ εἰ expresses a strong and anxious wish, and γάρ connects this with what precedes (cp. Eur. Ion 410); here with the additional ye echoing εἰς καλὸν προσστείχοντα. Would indeed that he may come bright with saving fortune as his looks are bright.' ἐν τύχῃ λαμπρός, like ἐν ὅρκῳ μέγαν, infr. 653, ἐν = invested with, encompassed by.

81. mvp-comment-55-1 ὄμματι Either (I) in his eye. Cp. Pind. Nem. 7. 66, ὄμματι δέρκομαι λαμπρόν. Or (2) in appearance, 'to the view. Essay on Language p. 99. For (1), cp. Schiller, Br. Messin. 1, 6, 11. 3, 4.

82. mvp-comment-56-1 To all appearance he brings pleasant news.' ἡδύς, ἅτε φέρων ἡδέα. Cp. El. 929, ήἡδὺς οὐδὲ μητρὶ δυσχερής. For the inf. εἰκάσαι, see Essay on Language § 33, B. 2. p. 57.

83. mvp-comment-57-1 παγκάρπου The Delphic laurel, according to Pliny and modern travellers, abounds with large red berries. This is a part of the bright apparel of Creon as a θεωρός returning with a joyful answer from the god. For the genitive ('richly crowned with'), cp. the Epic ἐπεστέψαντο ποτοῖο. Ε. on L. p. 15.

84. mvp-comment-58-1 ξύμμετρος .. ὡς κλύειν He is near and within hearing. . = ξυμμέτρως ἀπέχων. Ε. on L. § 39, 1. p. 72.

85. mvp-comment-59-1 ἐμὸν κήδευμα Joined to me by marriage. The abstract for concrete has here the effect of respectful formality. Essay on Language p. 94.

86. mvp-comment-60-1 What answer do you bring with you from the god?" 'What is Apollo's word which you come bringing?' τοῦ θεοῦ is (1) descriptive genitive with τίνα φήμην, (2) ablative gen. with ἥκεις φίρων.

87. mvp-comment-61-1 καὶ τὰ δύσφορ᾽.. εὐτυχεῖν These words prepare the hearers' minds for the unwelcome intimation in l. 97. The construction of πάντα is difficult. Either (1) by an extension of the subject, πάντα is substituted in the resumption for τὰ δύσφορα. For I declare that even what is troublous, if it but find right issue,all in short will then be well. Or (2) πάντα is part of the predicate and has the force of an adverb. Even what is hard, if it but find right issue, will turn out altogether prosperously.' Cp. Aj. 275, κεῖνός τε λύπῃ πᾶς ἐλήλαται κακῇ. That which is troublous or burdensome is the pollution of the murder, and its right issue is the detection and banishment of the murderer. There is no reason to suppose any corruption of the text. δύσθρο' (Heimsoeth conj.) would suggest rather the rumour than the reality of evils. λέγω shows that this is Creon's construction of the answer and not the answer itself. 89, 90, οὔτε, κ.τ.λ.] For thus far I am not elated, nor do I anticipate evil until I hear more. πρό implies that fear would be premature.

91. mvp-comment-62-1 The formal words of Creon (cp. Tr. 342 foll.) have the effect of making Oedipus seal his own destiny by the publicity which is given to the oracle.

92. mvp-comment-63-1 ἕτοιμος For the omission of εἰμί, see Essay on Language p. 72. § 39.

93. mvp-comment-64-1 94. The grief which I bear is more a grief for them than concerning my single life. πλέον is not adverbial, but supplementary predicate agreeing with πένθος. It would be easy to supply περί with the former genitive, but the change of construction from the genitive of the object to genitive with περί is more in keeping with the style of Sophocles. Cp. Hdt. 4. 142, ὡς δούλων Ἰώνων τὸν λόγον ποιεύμενοι. καί is not intensive (= 'even') but simply points the comparison. Cp Aj. 1104, ἢ καὶ τῷδε σέ: and for ἐς πάντας, Plat. Tim. 28 C, εἰς πάντας ἀδύνατον λέγειν.

95-131. mvp-comment-65-1 This short dialogue is carefully constructed with a view to the plot. Oedipus had heard of Laius and of his death, but (as he imagines) certainly never saw him and never thought of inquiring into the circumstances of his murder. (An excuse for this improbability is suggested afterwards in ll. 220-221, οὐ γὰρ ἂν μακράν, κ.τ.λ.) One witness of the deed remains, but he being overcome with fear could only give even at the time a confused account of an assault by a band of robbers.

95. mvp-comment-66-1 οἷα is emphatic. not indefinite, and invites attention to the peculiar nature of the message. I will tell you what an oracle I heard from the god.

96. mvp-comment-67-1 ἐμφανῶς i. e. the revelation is unequivocal and unquestionable. 97.8 To drive out a pollution of our country, which, as he said, was fostered here.' ὡς τεθραμμένον. The accusative of the participle with ὡς while giving a reason conveys a further statement. Essay on. L. § 28. p. 47.

98. mvp-comment-68-1 μηδ᾽ ἀνήκεστον τρέφειν (1) And not to cherish it till past cure, or (2) without applying a remedy. (1) is best.

99. mvp-comment-69-1 ποίῳ καθαρμῷ; τίς ὁ τρόπος τῆς ξυμφορᾶς How to purify? Of what nature is the defilement? ξυμφορά is a euphemism for ἄyos, as in Hdt. 1. 35, ἀνὴρ συμφορῇ ἐχόμενος καὶ οὐ καθαρὸς χεῖρας ἐών.

100. mvp-comment-70-1 ἀνδρηλατοῦντας Sc. ἐλαύνειν, answering ποίῳ καθαρμῷ;

101. mvp-comment-71-1 ὡς .. χειμάζον See on l. 97. The v. r. χειμάζει would make the implied assertion explicit. The answer to τίς ὁ τρόπος, κ.τ.λ., is given here. τόδε, this, which has been implicitly mentioned, sc. in the words φόνῳ, κ.τ.λ. For similar uses of the pronoun, see Essay on Language § 22. p. 34.

102. mvp-comment-72-1 ποίου γὰρ ἀνδρός γάρ asks for explanation. And who is the man to whom he shows us that this misfortune happened? τῇδε has been defended, but τήνδε is more idiomatic. τήνδε τύχην, sc. τὸν φόνον.

102. mvp-comment-72-2 μηνύει Sc. ὁ θεός.

105. mvp-comment-73-1 οὐ γὰρ εἰσεῖδόν γέ πω By hearsay, for I certainly never saw him.

105. mvp-comment-73-2 που, which appears in several MSS, would imply uncertainty, and would therefore weakly express the security of Oedipus. The literal meaning of οὔπω is not to be pressed. From not yet it has passed into meaning simply never. Cp. Hdt. 3. 127, ὃς ὠφέλησε μέν κω Πέρσας οὐδέν : 4. 81, ὃς δὲ μὴ εἶδέ κω 160, τούτῳ γὰρ οὐδεὶς Περσέων ἠξίωσέ κω ἑαυτὸν συμβαλέειν. In all these places, though past time is spoken of, there is no opposition between past and future. Or, as happens with ἤδη, ποτέ, ἔτι, and other particles, the notion of time is altogether lost. Cp e.g. Hes Op. et D. 271, τά γ' ου πω ἔολπα τελεῖν. The conjecture γ' ἐγώ takes the emphasis from the verb.

106. mvp-comment-74-1 τούτου θανόντος This is most easily explained as genitive absolute, but is at the same time to be partly connected with τοὺς αὐτοέντας.

107. mvp-comment-75-1 τοὺς αὐτοέντας .. τινάς The murderers, whosoever they are. Cp. Ο. С. 288-289, ὅταν δ᾽ ὁ κύριος παρῇ τις: Hdt. 1. 114. τὸν δὲ κού τινα .. τῷ δέ τινι. This reading is preferable to τινά. If the mark over the σ L. indicates doubt, as seems probable from the parallel reading of A, this would only prove that some early scribe knew of or wished to suggest the other reading, perhaps because it seemed easier.

107. mvp-comment-75-2 χειρὶ τιμωρεῖν Like τοιαύτῃ χειρὶ τιμωρεῖν, l. 140 . For the rare active, denoting an absolute intention, see Essay on Language p. 98. The vague use of the plural in Creon's report prepares the way for the more definite statement in l. 122 without committing the oracle to error.

108. mvp-comment-76-1 οἱ δ᾽ εἰσὶ ποῦ γῆς The inversion gives additional emphasis.

108. mvp-comment-76-2 τόδε This, which we are set to find. Cp. τόδ' αἷμα, supr. 101.

110. mvp-comment-77-1 τὸ δὲ ζητούμενον ἁλωτόν Creon, though no longer quoting the oracle, continues the oracular tone. Cp. 87-88.

112. mvp-comment-78-1 It may seem strange that Oedipus should not have heard the particulars from Jocasta. But this kind of improbability is external to the play, and dramatic interest requires that the fact should here be brought before the mind of the spectator. Cp. Aristot. Poet. 1454-1456, ἄλογον δὲ μηδὲν εἶναι ἐν τοῖς πράγμασιν, εἰ δὲ μή, ἔξω τῆς τραγῳδίας, οἷον τὰ ἐν τῷ Οἰδίποδι τῷ Σοφοκλέους. The inevitable unlikelihood is minimized, however. For Oedipus does not deny having heard of the violent death of Laius; and gives a reason afterwards (220-221) why he could not inquire into the circumstances at the time.

114. mvp-comment-79-1 θεωρός i.e. to Delphi. О. С. 413, ἀνδρῶν θεωρῶν Δελφικῆς ἀφ᾽ ἑστίας. Sophocles gives no hint as to the nature of the mission, whether occasioned by private anxiety or the troubles of the state. Euripides, Phoen. 36, adds this further touch, τὸν ἐκτεθέντα παῖδα μαστεύων μαθεῖν | εἰ μηκέτ' εἴη.

114. mvp-comment-79-2 ὡς ἔφασκεν] Sc. ὁ Λάϊος.

115. mvp-comment-80-1 ὡς ἀπεστάλη After he had once taken his departure.

116. mvp-comment-81-1 And there was none to tell the tale, no fellow-traveller who saw the deed, whose information might have been a guide to us? The words οὐδ᾽ ἄγγελος point to a repetition of ἵκετο, which is lost sight of in the continuation of the sentence.

117. mvp-comment-82-1 ἐχρήσατ᾿ ἄν Sc. αὐτῷ οἱ τῇ μαθήσει. Cp. Τr. 60, πάρεστι χρῆσθαι τἀνδρὶ τοῖς τ᾿ ἐμοῖς λόγοις. The conjecture κατεῖδεν ὅ τι τις, κ.τ.λ. gives a less natural meaning. The witness who saw anything, must have seen the deed.

118. mvp-comment-83-1 φόβῳ is connected partly with φυγών and partly with the following words (cp. O. C. 1625, ὀρθίας | στῆσαι φόβῳ δείσαντας τρίχας). The fear with which he fled made him unable to speak with certainty of what he saw except on one point.

120. mvp-comment-84-1 'For one fact might lead to the knowledge of many, if we could get hold of even a slight beginning of hope.' μαθεῖν supplements ἐξεύροι. Cp. Τr. 673. In ἀρχήν there is perhaps an association from the end of a thread. Cp. Hdt. 4. 60, σπάσας τὴν ἀρχὴν τοῦ στρόφου : Eur. Hipp. 762, πλεκτὰς πεισμάτων ἀρχάς. The mystery is like a tangled skein, which a slight clue, once caught hold of, may be the means of unravelling. Cp. Eur. I. A. 1124, τίν' ἂν λάβοιμι τῶν ἐμῶν ἀρχὴν κακῶν;

122. mvp-comment-85-1 ἔφασκε Sc. ὁ ἄγγελος. This confused account prevents Oedipus from being reminded of the real circumstances, and even delays his self-conviction when almost brought home, ll. 725-842. The report of the attendant must be supposed to precede the arrival of Oedipus at Thebes. He can therefore have had no reason for his falsehood except the natural temptation to veil his cowardice by exaggerating the force from which he had fled.

124. mvp-comment-86-1 ὁ λῃστής The singular referring to the plural may only be an idiomatic collective use (cp. ὁ Μῆδοs, etc,); but may also be a stroke of art, by which Oedipus is represented as wholly careless about the number of the persons, which is afterwards his only refuge: 842 ff.

125. mvp-comment-87-1 ἐπράσσετο Unless some influence with money was exerted from Thebes. Cp. Thuc. 5. 83, ὑπῆρχε δέ τι .. αὐτόθεν πρασσόμενον, ib. 4.121. The brigand must have had confederates in the city. Cp. O. C. 1028-1031, ἀλλ᾽ ἔσθ᾽ ὅτῳ σὺ πιστὸς ὢν ἔδρας πάδε: Ford's Perkin Warbeck, l. 1 , Foreign attempts against a state and kingdom | Are seldom without some great friend at home.

126. mvp-comment-88-1 δοκοῦντα ταῦτ᾽ ἦν So men surmised. Such suspicions were always rife in Greek states, and recur elsewhere in tragedy. Cp. Ant. 289-292; О. С. 1028-1030.

126. mvp-comment-88-2 Λαΐου is gen. abs. ἐν κακοῖς prevents Λαΐου from being taken as the genitive in regimen. We had the suspicion of treachery, but, when Laius was gone, there was no one to stand up for us in our misfortunes.

128. mvp-comment-89-1 κακὸν δὲ ποῖον The inverted order gives an indignant emphasis to ποῖον. And what misfortune could there be, which, when majesty was thus fallen, prevented you from investigating this matter to the end? τοῦτο, sc. τὸ αἴτιον τοῦ τὴν τυραννίδα οὕτω πεσεῖν.

128. mvp-comment-89-2 ἐμποδών Cp. Eur. Phoen. 706, ἃ δ' ἐμποδὼν μάλιστα, ταῦθ᾽ ἥκω φράσων.

128. mvp-comment-89-3 τυραννίδος οὕτω πεσούσης The abstract word emphasizes the strangeness of the neglect. Cp. Shak. K. Lear, 2.4, 'Tis worse than murder, To do upon respect such violent outrage.

131. mvp-comment-90-1

Recte utitur poeta verbo medio quia τὸ πρὸς ποσίν pertinet ad ipsam Sphingam

(Herm.); i.e. The Sphinx drew our attention towards herself.

132. mvp-comment-91-1 ἐξ ὑπαρχῆς Beginning the inquiry anew.

132. mvp-comment-91-2 αὔτ᾽ Probably αὐτό, not αὐτά. This one hidden thing, the secret of the murder.

134. mvp-comment-92-1 'Have shown this care towards the dead.' For the periphrasis, cp. Ant. 151, θέσθε λησμοσύναν. πρός has greater MS. authority than πρό, and agrees better with the image suggested by ἐπιστροφήν (lit. 'turning towards'). Cp. infr. 1434, πρὸς σοῦ γάρ, οὐδ᾽ ἐμοῦ, φράσω.

134. mvp-comment-92-2 ἐπιστροφή is sudden attention to a thing hitherto neglected. Cp. Phil. 598-599, τίνος δ' Ἀτρείδαι τοῦδ᾽ ἄγαν οὕτω χρόνῳ τοσῷδ᾽ ἐπεστρέφοντο πράγματος χάριν ;

135. mvp-comment-93-1 ἐνδίκως As is meet. The frank heart of Oedipus fully acknowledges the claim.

136. mvp-comment-94-1 τῷ θεῷ θ᾽ ἅμα For the religious feeling here expressed, cp. O. С. 1182, 3, τῇ θ᾽ αὑτοῦ φρενὶ | χάριν παρασχεῖν, τῷ θεῷ θ᾽ ἃ βούλεται.

137. mvp-comment-95-1 τῶν ἀπωτέρω φίλων ΑA far-off friend or connection,' as a wife's former husband may not unnaturally be called. Oedipus is still unconsciously drawing the attention of the spectators to his own part in the business. The person to be avenged is his father, and he is himself the author of the pollution, in which he has so deep an interest (αὐτὸς αὑτοῦ μύσος is suggested, though not said), and of the crime which he may one day wreak upon himself. For αὑτοῦ in 1st pers. see Essay on Language p. 37.

140. mvp-comment-96-1 καμ᾿ ἂν.. τιμωρεῖν θέλοι Might choose to wreak his violence in like manner on me. The tendency to use the same word though in a different connection (cp. 1. 136, and see Essay on Language § 44, p. 84) may have partly led to the use of τιμωρεῖν here. But the word is not inappropriate the murderer may be supposed to have a grudge against the crown-and by using it Oedipus suggests the end, when he, the murderer, shall inflict vengeance on himself, the king, with the same hand that had slain Laius. The conjecture πημαίνειν is therefore not in point. The words also prepare the way for what follows, by betraying the first rise of the feeling of suspicion in Oedipus which presently fixes itself on Creon. Cp. the sensitiveness of Creon himself on a like occasion in the Antigone, 1. 289, ταῦτα καὶ πάλαι, κ.τ.λ.

141. mvp-comment-97-1 κείνῳ προσαρκῶν οὖν ἐμαυτὸν ὠφελῶ Schol. καὶ τοῦτο κινητικὸν τοῦ θεάτρου· τὰ γὰρ ἐναντία ἀποβήσεται.

143. mvp-comment-98-1 ἄραντες They had laid them on the altar. Aesch. Suppl. 242, Eur. Heracl. 125.

145. mvp-comment-99-1 ἢ γάρ Recalling the Homeric γνωσόμεθ' ἠε τῳ εὖχος ὀρέξομεν ἠε τις ἡμῖν. I will use all effort, for it is a crisis in the state of Thebes. Cp. Tr. 82-85, ἐν οὖν ῥοπῇ τοιᾷδε κειμένῳ, τέκνον, | οὐκ εἶ ξυνέρξων, ἡνίκ᾿ ἡ σεσώσμεθα, | κείνου βίον σώσαντος, ἢ οἰχόμεσθ' ἅμα. Τo the spectators the word πεπτωκότες, with which Oedipus departs, is ominous of the catastrophe. Oedipus now goes into the palace, and after l. 150 the suppliants file off to the right.

146. mvp-comment-100-1 σὺν τῷ θεῷ i.e. Apollo.

147. mvp-comment-101-1 ἔξεισιν ὁ ἱερεὺς πράξας διόπερ ἦλθεν, ἅμα δὲ καὶ ὑπὲρ τοῦ χώραν εἶναι ἑτέρῳ ὑποκριτῇ. Schol. The sin simple is used for the compound verb (ἀνιστώμεθα). Essay on Language $ 55. 4. p. 101. Supr. 143.

148. mvp-comment-102-1 ὧν .. ἐξαγγέλλεται What he of his own accord announces. For this subjective use of the middle voice, see Essay on Language § 31. d. p. 53.

149. mvp-comment-103-1 ἅμα Sc. τῷ πέμψαι, κ.τ.λ. May Phoebus who has sent these oracles also give with them salvation and release. The suppliants retire from the stage; and the chorus of elders, honoured representatives (1. 1223) of the Theban people, whom Oedipus has summoned (1144), bound by ties of blood to the house of Cadmus (1. 1226),-enter the ὀρχήστρα from the spectator's right.

151-215. mvp-comment-104-1 Outstretched in fear we listen awfully for thy propitious voice, oh sweet-tongued utterance of Heaven. Paean, be our speed! What thing new or old in season due dost thou disclose? Tell us, thou voice, child of bright Hope divine. Athena, Goddess, daughter of the Highest, first hear our cry; thou, Artemis, on thine encircled throne, and archer Phoebus, come in threefold might to save! if ever heretofore ye banished sorrow from our state, now too appear! For, oh! I am overwhelmed; all my host is in disarray; and there is no thought to save; Earth's buds are nipped, and human births prevented by the pains of death: soul after soul takes flight with fearful speed, and poor uncared-for corpses choke with pestilence our unpeopled clime. Wives, mothers, sadly suppliant, at various altars groan; the voice of lamentation mingles with the thrilling hymn. Athena, send us help. and cause yon flaming author of destruction, who with dire noise advances, quickly to reverse his speed and fly our land, whether to Ocean or the restless Pontic sea. Day ruins what night spares. O Father, blast the plague-god with thy lightning. Let thine arrows, O Apollo, be showered to protect us, and Artemis' bright torches from the Lycian hills; and thou, O ruddy crowned Bacchus of the joyous rout, with trooping Maenads, patron of Thebes, draw near. and flash thy brand against the god whom gods disown.' The opening of this parodos is of the nature of a paean (1. 186), or hymn to Apollo as the god of victory or salvation. The stately dactylic measures, corresponding in strophe and antistrophe even to the division of the words (cp. 153, 162, 158, 166), are only once interrupted, as the chorus march towards the altar, by the more meditative iambic rhythm (11. 152, 160), and by the anacrusis in ll. 154, 163. The increasing excitement of the chorus is shown in the second strophe and antistrophe, by iambic and trochaic rhythms with resolution of the arsis, by the union of dactyls and trochees in logaoedic lines, and by the more frequent anacruses. The bright Paean notes give way to tones of sadness, echoing the στονόεσσα γήρυς (11. 186-187). The scheme of στρ. and ἀντ. β'. is the following (ll. 167-178=11. 179-189) :- LÚC CCC CICI lúc Ca CICICCICCICCIK ICC ICC ICC ICC 기 100 100 100 CUCCICCIC CICCICCIC LUCCICCICC ICICII In the concluding strophe and antistrophe (γ'.) there is only one dactylic line, just as there was one iambic in the first. The other rhythms are iambic and trochaic, with occasional syncope of the thesis (or change to the cretic rhythm). The movement, though still full of excitement, becomes more energetic and determined towards the close. The scansion is as follows:- C CCICICICIC- 기 つつ 기 00 ト KCICICI トー 1くらいCICICII The rhythm of the whole ode, which is unusually wild and full of transitions, shows a progress from flowing dactylic numbers to iambics and trochaics, which are interrupted here and there by syncope of the thesis, or in other words, by an antispastic effect, corresponding to the distraction of the thought.

151. mvp-comment-105-1 Διὸς ἁδυεπές The voice is personified and addressed in propitiatory language. Cp. 1. 157. τίς is predicate. In what shape comest thou? i.e. what is thine utterance now?

153. mvp-comment-106-1 ἐκτέταμαι, φοβερὰν φρένα δείματι πάλλων I lie outstretched, my timorous heart quaking with dread. For τείνω, of mental tension, cp. Pind. Pyth. 11, 54, Isthm. 1, 49, γαστρὶ δὲ πᾶς τις ἀμύνων λιμὸν αἰανῆ τέταται. For φρένα .. πάλλων, cp. Il. 22.461, παλλομένη κραδίην. And for the form of expression here, in which φρένα is accusative in regimen, cp. infr. 914, where αἴρει θυμόν is equivalent to a passive verb. Essay on Language § 30, d. p. 52.

154. mvp-comment-107-1 ἰήιε Δάλιε Παιάν ἰήϊος, from the cry in, has here a false etymological association with ἰάομαι. Ε. on L. p. 100.

155. mvp-comment-108-1 σοί Addressed to the Delian Apollo; who has just been apostrophized as Paean, the healer. This suits the context better than if ἰήτε Δάλιε Παιάν were treated as merely interjectional, and σοί were referred to φάτι supr., though there are several instances of similar parentheses. The transition from φάτι το παιάν, and again to φάμα, is in keeping with the excited tone of the chorus. See below, note on 215.

155. mvp-comment-108-2 ἁζόμενος In holy fear, not merely = φοβούμενος. Cp. Il. 14. 261, ἅζετο γὰρ μὴ Νυκτὶ θοῇ ἀποθύμια ἔρδοι.

155. mvp-comment-108-3 νέον, ἢ .. πάλιν What either till now unheard of, or again appearing in the fulness of time. νέον is either (1) adjectival, or (2) adverbial as in Od. 1. 175, ἠὲ νέον μεθέπεις. The former (1) is preferable. For the coordination of adjective and adverb, cp. Ant. 808-810, νέατον δὲ φέγγος λεύσσουσαν ἀελίου κοὔποτ᾽ αὖθις: Τr. 835, ἀέλιον ἕτερον ἢ τανῦν. And, for περιτελλομέναις ώραις, Od. 2. 107. ἀλλ᾽ ὅτε τέτρατον ἦλθεν ἔτος καὶ ἐπήλυθον ὧραι: Ar. Av. 697, ἐξ οὐ περιτελλομέναις ώραις ἔβλαστεν ἔρως ὁ ποθεινός. For the dative, cp. Phil. 721, πλήθει πολλῶν μηνῶν. Essay on Language § 11. p. 18.

156. mvp-comment-109-1 χρέος is used vaguely here; and has associations from χρᾶν and from χρῆναι. besides the general meaning of business = negotium, so that πάλιν ἐξανύσεις χρέος = What revealed and destined thing you will appoint for me.

157. mvp-comment-110-1 χρ. τ. Ἐλπίδος A propitiatory address, as in l. 151. A favourable response gives outward reality to that which Hope has conceived. The remark in Thuc. 5. 103, that hope prompts belief in prophecy, is too sceptical to find application here. (χρυσέας, as in Pindar, Pyth. 3. 73, Ol. 1. 90, Nem. 5. 7.) Φάμα] The personification is increased, and the voice is now addressed as a goddess.

159. mvp-comment-111-1 πρῶτά σε κεκλόμενος Α pendent construction, resumed from ἁζόμενος supr. 155. See Essay on Language § 15. p. 21. The flow of the sentence is broken by the sudden interjection and apostrophe, ἰὼ .. προφάνητέ μοι, which is interposed instead of στέργω προφανῆναι, or the like. Cp. Tr. 96, foll., ἅλιον αἰτῶ | τοῦτο καρύξαι .. ὦ λαμπρᾷ στεροπᾷ φλεγέθων . . εἴπ᾽, ὦ κρατιστεύων κατ᾿ ὄμμα. Cp. Plat. Legg. 6. 769 С, θνητὸς ὢν .. σμικρόν τινα χρόνον αὐτῷ πόνος παραμενεῖ παμπολύς. The converse change from the 2nd to the 3rd person is more frequent, e. g. Aj. 862-863. κρῆναί τε ποταμοί θ᾽ οἶδε καὶ τὰ Τρωικὰ πεδία προσαυδῶ. Athena, with her two temples (1. 20), Artemis, conspicuous in the Agora, and Ismenian' Apollo, are the presiding deities of Thebes (11. 19-22). As γῆ often = πόλις, so γαιάοχος here = πολισσοῦχος.

161. mvp-comment-112-1 κυκλόεντ᾿ ἀγορᾶς θρόνον Who sitteth in the circle of the Agora, that is filled with her praise.

161. mvp-comment-112-2 κυκλόεντ' i.e. either (1) whose seat is the round Agora, or (2) whose seat is in the round Agora. In either case κυκλόεντα belongs rather to ἀγορᾶs than to θρόνον. Essay on Language p. 80. κυκλόεσσαν ἀγορὰν θακεῖ would have been an imperfect expression, and is supplemented by θρόνον, which is cogn. accus. The words suggest a sitting statue raised so as to command the Agora, over which the goddess presides. εὐκλέα, because she is celebrated there with dance and song. εὐκλέα is acc. sing. for εὐκλεᾶ. Cp. the Epic ἀκλέα, δυσκλέα, εὐκλέ᾿ ἀγοράν, Pind. Fr. 53. 5. ναὸν εὐκλέα, Pyth. 8, 62. Εύκλεια, or the goddess of good fame, was another name for Artemis, who was worshipped under this designation in every Boeotian town. Pausanias mentions a temple of Artemis Eucleia, which existed in his time at Thebes. For the double epithet κυκλόεντ' .. εὐκλέα, see Essay on Language § 23. P. 37.

165. mvp-comment-113-1 εἴ ποτε, κ.τ.λ Cp. the Homeric formula, II. 1. 39, εἴ ποτέ τοι, κ.τ.λ.

165. mvp-comment-113-2 ἄτας ὕπερ] Το avert calamity. For ὑπέρ in this sense, cp. 1. 187, ὧν ὕπερ (but see note): Aesch. S. c. T. 107, δουλοσύνας ὕπερ. The sense would be made clearer by expressing ἐλθόντες or προφανέντες, which is dropped.

165. mvp-comment-113-3 ὀρνυμένας πόλει Rushing at the state. Cp. Aesch. S. c. T. 87, ὄρνυται ἐπὶ πόλιν. For this direct use of the dative, see Essay on Language § 12. p. 18.

166. mvp-comment-114-1 ἠνύσατ᾿ ἐκτοπίαν Ye banished utterly.

166. mvp-comment-114-2 φλόγα πήματος Cp. 1. 27. πυρφόρος θεύς: Αj. 196, ἄταν οὐρανίαν φλέγων.

167. mvp-comment-115-1 γάρ Either (1) connects the sentence with the preceding, ὦ πόποι being merely interposed (cp. 1. 1198, ὦ Ζεῦ, κατὰ μὲν φίσας, κ.τ.λ.); or (2) is explanatory of the interjection. The former is more likely, because less abrupt.

170. mvp-comment-116-1 νοσεῖ .. στόλος My people is a disordered host. The state of the city is compared to that of a war-worn and beggared host, and the figure is continued into the next clause. There is not found amongst us a thought wherewith to defend ourselves as with a sword.' Cp. Od. 22. 25, οὐδέ πῃ ἀσπὶς ἔην οὐδ᾽ ἄλκιμον ἔγχος ἑλέσθαι.

171. mvp-comment-117-1 ἀλέξεται is future. Cp. 1. 539, ἢ οὐκ ἀλεξοίμην μαθών.

173. mvp-comment-118-1 κλυτᾶς χθονός Of our glorious land. Cp. 1. 25. κλυτᾶς is an Homeric epithet, but is here used by Sophocles with special reference to Thebes, the fatherland: i. e. κλυτᾶς χθονός is not glorious Earth, but the expression, although vague, is immediately applied to the Theban territory, which to the chorus is all the world.

173. mvp-comment-118-2 οὔτε τόκοισιν Nor in the hour of birth. Dative of the occasion. Essay on Language § 11. p. 17. Cp. 1. 26, and note.

174. mvp-comment-119-1 ἰηίων καμάτων ἀνέχουσι γυναῖκες Lift their heads again from the pangs and cries of their travail. For the use of ἀνέχω in this sense, cp. Hom. Od. 5. 320, οὐδ' ἐδυνάσθη | αἶψα μάλ᾿ ἀνσχεθέειν μεγάλου ὑπὸ κύματος ὑρμῆς.

175. mvp-comment-120-1 ἄλλον .. ἄλλῳ One close upon another. The omission of the preposition is assisted by προς in προσίλοις. Cp. Phil. 144-145, τόπον ἐσχατιαῖς προσιδεῖν : Τr. 842, μεγάλαν προσορῶσα δό- μοις βλαβάν. Ιn Εl. 235. μὴ τίκτειν σ' ἄταν ἄταις, the dative after the active verb has a similar notion of addition. Cp. Αj. 866, πόνος πόνῳ πόνον φέρει. In Eur. Phoen. 1496, φύνῳ φόνος Οἰδιπόδα δόμον ἄλεσε, the same idiom is carried to a further stage. The conception of death as the departure of the person, and not of the shade merely, is to be contrasted with the Homeric mode of thought, which however still lingers in the form of expression. Cp. ἅπερ εὔπτερον ὄρνιν with ψυχὴ δ᾽ ἐκ ῥεθέων πταμένη Ἀϊδόσδε βεβήκει (Il. 22. 362). See also Eur. Suppl. 1142, ποτανοὶ δ᾽ ἤνυσαν τὸν Ἅιδαν.

176. mvp-comment-121-1 κρεῖσσον.. πυρός With more than lightning speed. The words imply that the fury of the disease was not to be stayed.

177. mvp-comment-122-1 ἀκτάν Cp. Ant. 812-813, Ἀχέροντος ἀκτάν: Il. 23. 73, οὐδέ μέ πω μίσγεσθαι ὑπὲρ ποταμοῖο ἐῶσιν.

177. mvp-comment-122-2 ἑσπέρου θεοῦ] The language still reflects the Homeric imagery, in which the west is the approach to Hades, πρὸς ζόφον εἰς ἔρεβος τετραμμένον (Od. 12. 81). There is a natural association between the setting of life and the setting of the sun in the west. Cp Aesch. Ag. 1074, βίου δύντος αὐγαῖς: Plato, Legg. 6.770, ἡμεῖς δ᾽ ἐν δυσμαῖς τοῦ βίου.

177. mvp-comment-122-3 θεοῦ θεου. ZZZ

178. mvp-comment-123-1 ὧν .. ἀνάριθμος In countless numbers of whom my city is perishing. For the use of the adjective, see Essay on Language § 2.3, 8, 2. p. 38; and for the gen. cp. Αj. 603. *μηνῶν ἀνήριθμος: Εl. 232, ἀνάριθμος ὧδε θρήνων. There is no ellipse of οὖσα; the adjective is a supplementary predicate, or in other words ἀνάριθμος closely follows ὄλλυται. The antecedent to ὧν, sc. τῶν θνησκόντων, must be supplied from the sense of the preceding words, as in Thuc. 6. 12, μὴ οἷον νεωτέρῳ μεταχειρίσαι· οὓς ἐγὼ νῦν ἐνθάδε ὁρῶν.

179. mvp-comment-124-1 νηλέα Uncared for. Cp. Ant. 1197. A rare passive use of this adjective. Essay on Language p. 98.

179. mvp-comment-124-2 γένεθλα Sc. τῆς πόλεως. (1) Her children uncared-for lie spreading death upon the plain, with none to make lament. Cp. Thuc. 2. 51, ἕτερος ἀφ᾿ ἑτέρου θεραπείας ἀναπιμπλάμενοι ὥσπερ τὰ πρόβατα ἔθνησκον. .. ἀπώλλυντο ἔρημοι, καὶ οἰκίαι πολλαὶ ἐκενώθησαν ἀπορίᾳ τοῦ θεραπεύσοντος. (2) The idea of the danger of contagion is certainly not common in Greek, and perhaps θαναταφόρα, or θανατάφορα, may have lost something of its compound signification. The word may simply mean with death upon them, in death. The unmetrical v. r. θανατηφόρῳ shows that some difficulty was felt about the meaning.

181. mvp-comment-125-1 ἐπί For the adverbial use of the prep. see Essay on Language § 18. p. 26; and cp. the Homeric ἐπὶ δὲ στενάχοντο γυναῖκες, Il. 24.746.

182. mvp-comment-126-1 ἀκτὰν παρὰ βώμιον Hence the mistake of the Scholiast on O. C. 1048, ἀκταῖς τὸν βωμὸν λέγει. The singularity of the expression, which however may be paralleled from Aesch. Cho. 723, ἀκτὴ χώματος, is in keeping with the excited tone of the chorus, cp. παιὰν .. λάμπει just below; and the tendency to repeat the same word within a few lines, in a different connection (176, ἀκτὰν πρὸς ἑσπέρου θεοῦ), is so strong in Sophocles as to make such a repetition probable even if not exactly appropriate (see Essay on Language § 44. p. 76; and in this very chorus, ἄμβροτε φάμα .. ἄμβροτ' Αθάνα 157-159, ἀνάριθμα 167, ἀνάριθμος 178, χρυσέας 157, χρυσέα 187, ἰήιε 154, ἰηίων 174, παιάν 154, 186, εὐῶπα 189, οἰνῶπα 211, ἀγλαῶπι 214, ἐξανύσεις 156, ἠνύσατ᾽ ἐκτοπίαν 166, πυρφόρων 200, πυρφόρους 206). The women at the altars are like shipwrecked mariners clinging to a rock. The conj em. ἀχὰν παραβώμιον, though not unreasonable or improbable, is not necessary. The MSS. have generally παραβώμιον in one word, but in three MSS. at least there is an accent on παρά.

182. mvp-comment-126-2 ἄλλοθεν ἄλλαι] i. e. Their voices sounding some from one place and some from another:' i. e. they are supplicating various deities. Cp. II. 2. 400, ἄλλος δ᾽ ἄλλῳ ἔρεξε θεῶν.

185. mvp-comment-127-1 πόνων ἱκτῆρες Gen. of cause. Τr. 287-288, θύματα .. τῆς ἁλώσεως.

185. mvp-comment-127-2 ἐπιστενάχουσιν Sc. ἐπὶ τῇ ἱκετείᾳ.

186. mvp-comment-128-1 λάμπει The intentional boldness of this is somewhat softened by the analogous use of λαμπρός as an attribute of sound. The word suggests the ringing of the bright paean in the clear air. The predicate of γῆρυs is to be borrowed from λάμπει.

186. mvp-comment-128-2 ὅμαυλος This properly signifies 'neighbouring, dwelling with, but is probably here fancifully referred to αὐλός, so as to mean accompanying, as the flute accompanies song. The difficulty of this word has perhaps suggested the various reading ὅμανδος, which is found in Par. E.

188. mvp-comment-129-1 ὧν ὕπερ Either (1) in whose behalf, or (2) for the relief of all which woe.' The latter is preferable, because including a reference to the immediate context, and because if persons were meant, the simple dative would be the more natural expression. Cp. Thuc. 5. 69, ὑπὲρ ἀρχῆς ἅμα καὶ δουλείας.

188. mvp-comment-129-2 θύγατερ Διός Ἀθήνα.

189. mvp-comment-130-1 εὐῶπα Cp. Ant. 100-101, ἀκτὶς ἀελίου τὸ κάλλιστον ἑπταπύλῳ φανὲν Θήβᾳ τῶν προτέρων φάος: Aesch. Cho. 484, εὔμορφον κράτος.

190. mvp-comment-131-1 Ἄρεα Ἀρσα. Any hostile and deadly influence is personified as "Apns. Cp. Aj. 706, where the madness of Ajax is so named. The plague, already personified as θεός (27). here receives a more distinct personality.

190. mvp-comment-131-2 μαλερόν The Homeric epithet of fire, extended by Aeschylus to other destructive things (πύθῳ μαλερῷ, Pers. 62), is here given to the pestilence which is represented under the image of fire.

190. mvp-comment-131-3 ἄχαλκος ἀσπίδων Without brazen shield. Ἄρης ἄχαλκος ἀσπίδων, The god of war without the weapons of war. Cp. οἴστρου ἄρδις .. ἄπυρος in Aesch. Prom. 880. For similar oxymora, see Essay on Language § 37. p. 70.

191. mvp-comment-132-1 φλέγει με The πυρφόρος θεός is imagined as kindling the flame of calamity.

191. mvp-comment-132-2 περιβόατος With loud cries. The paeans and groans arising from the plague are compared to the shouts and cries which attend the onset of the god of battles. Cp. Aesch. Suppl. 682, λοιγὸς .. βοὰν ἕνδημον ἐξοπλίζων.

191. mvp-comment-132-3 ἀντιάζων Confronting, in the hostile sense. Cp. Hdt. 2. 141, ἀντιάζων τὸν Αραβίων στρατόν.

192. mvp-comment-133-1 παλίσσυτον δράμημα νωτίσαι

192. mvp-comment-133-2 πάτρας Το turn his course backward from my land. The infinitive is governed by the general notion of causing implied in πέμψον, and the accusative παλίσσυτον δράμημα is cognate, at first probably intended to follow some verb of motion (such as δραμεῖν), for which νωτίσαι is substituted in order to add force to παλίσσυτον. Ε. on L. § 40, 5. p. 75. Cp. Eur. Andr. 1141, οἱ δ᾽ ὅπως πελειάδες | ἱέρακ᾿ ἰδοῦσαι πρὸς φυγὴν ἐνώτισαν. πάτρας is ablative gen. And let the fiery War-god, who now, without brazen arms, amidst loud cries advances to destroy me, turn away from my fatherland and speed back again.

194. mvp-comment-134-1 ἔπουρον Carried by the breeze. The word occurs actively, Tr. 954, ἔπουρος ἑστιῶτις αὔρα, ἥτις μ' ἀποικίσειεν ἐκ τόπων. But the passive use is found in Clem. Alex. (130, ἔπουρος πνεύματι ἀληθείας), who probably had some earlier authority for this use of the word. Cp.

194. mvp-comment-134-2 ἐπουρίζω. The special meaning of oὗρος, a favouring wind, is not here used ironically, as in Tr. 815-816, οὗρος ὀφθαλμῶν ἐμῶν | αὐτῇ γένοιτ' ἄπωθεν ἑρπούσῃ καλός, but is lost in the compound. See Essay on Language p. 90, and cp. Tr. 467, 8, ταῦτα μὲν .. ῥείτω κατ' οὗρον. This reading (which is slightly confirmed by the gloss ταχύν in L³) is preferable to ἄπουρον, (1) because yielding a more natural rhythm, (2) because ἄπουρον, though an early reading, acknowledged by the Scholiast, is probably an emendation. It occurs nowhere else, and may have arisen from the apparent necessity of connecting the adj. with πάτρας, which was supposed to begin the new line (p. 145, note), and seemed to want a construction.

195. mvp-comment-135-1 θάλαμον Ἀμφιτρίτας Cp. infr. 1411; 2, θαλάσσιον | ἐκρίψατ᾽. The Atlantic rather than the Mediterranean is meant. The Atlantic and Euxine were known as the two farthest seas. Cp. Eur. Hipp. 3, ὅσοι τε πόντου, τερμόνων τ' Ἀτλαντικῶν ναίουσιν εἴσω.

196. mvp-comment-136-1 ἀπόξενος is stronger than ἄξενος: Repelling strangers. Cp. ἀπότιμος, ἀπόμισθος. For the expression, cp. Phil. 217, ναὸς ἄξενον ὅρμον; and for this epithet of the Pontus, Pind P. 4. 203, σὺν νότου δ᾽ αὔραις ἐπ᾿ ἀξείνου στόμα πεμπόμενοι ἤλυθον . φοίνισσα δὲ Θρηϊκίων ἀγέλα ταύρων ὑπᾶρχεν.

196. mvp-comment-136-2 ὅρμον It has been proposed to read ὅρμων. But the change is unnecessary, and rather weakens the verbal contrast.

196. mvp-comment-136-3 ὅρμος is a place of anchorage. Cp. Eur. Hec. 450, τῷ πρὸς οἶκον ἀφίξομαι, ἢ Δωρίδος ὅρμον αἴαs; The article is more idiomatic if ὅρμον is retained. The difficulty has been occasioned hy the apposition of an abstract to a concrete word. Essay on Language p. 56 a.

198. mvp-comment-137-1 τέλει γὰρ εἴ τι νὺξ ἀφῇ For if night at her close leave anything unharmed, this day assails (ἐπέρχεται). For ei with subj., see Essay on Language § 27. p. 44. And for the personification of the words of time, cp. Tr. 29-34, νὺξ γὰρ εἰσάγει καὶ νὺξ ἀπωθεῖ .. τοιοῦτος αἰών ..

198. mvp-comment-137-2 ἀεὶ τὸν ἄνδρ᾽ ἔπεμπε. It has been proposed to read τελεῖ γάρ' εἴ τι, κ.τ.λ. For the destruction is complete: etc. (Cp. Εl. 1417, τελοῦσ᾽ ἀραί : Tr. 825-826, ἀναδοχὰν τελεῖν πόνων τῷ Διὸς αὐτόπαιδι.) But the asyndeton and the break in the rhythm of the short iambic line are against this. One Scholiast makes τέλει adverbial, and connects it with ἐπέρχεται in the sense of finally or completely, and some would render, If night leaves aught of the work undone, day goes thoroughly at this. Others propose τελεῖν, If night omit to finish any work. An improvement on this last suggestion would be to read τεμεῖν (aor., cp. Plat. Prot. 338 A). For if night leave aught unravaged. Cp. Eur. Hec. 1204, ἢ σῆς ἔμελλον γῆς τεμεῖν βλαστήματα; But the Scholiast of L is perhaps right in rendering, εἰ γάρ τι νὺξ ἀφῇ .. ἐπὶ τῷ ἑαυτῆς τέλει ἀβλαβές, μὴ φθάσασα αὐτὸ ἀπολέ σαι. For this use of the dative, cp. El. 194, οἰκτρὰ μὲν νόστοις αὐδά : Pind. Pyth. 1.35, τελευτᾷ φερτέρου νόστου τυχεῖν.

200. mvp-comment-138-1 τόν As in Hom. Il. 18. 89, etc.

200. mvp-comment-138-2 ໖ (-) Herm. proposed râv for the missing syllable, and this receives some confirmation from the variant in F.

203. mvp-comment-139-1 Λύκει᾿ ἄναξ His altar is before their eyes. Cp. 1. 919. Either (1) τε is correlative to re in l. 205, and a new beginning is made with the strophe: or (2) τε is a conjunction ('And') as in supr. 190, and is postponed, like δέ, after the vocative. The former (1) is more probable. For the twofold invocation, cp. Aesch. S. c. Τ. 145-150. ἀγκυλᾶν is poetical plural.

205. mvp-comment-140-1 βέλεα βελεα, θέλοιμ᾽ ἂν .. ἐν-

205. mvp-comment-140-2 δατεῖσθαι I would see showered. ἐνδατεῖσθαι to be taken passively in the sense of distributing or dispensing. So the Scholiast, whose interpretation is confirmed by the prep. ἀπό, which is more naturally explained as dependent on the verb. For the rare passive, see Essay on Language p. 53.

205. mvp-comment-140-3 ἀδάματα notwithstanding the order, is an epithet, but an emphatic epithet. Cp. infr. 671-672, τὸ γὰρ σόν, οὐ τὸ τοῦδ᾽, ἐποικτείρω στόμα | ἐλεινόν. Essay on Language § 23. p. 37.

206. mvp-comment-141-1 ἀρωγὰ προσταθέντα ‘Set forth to protect and succour me.' The 1st aorist passive of προΐστημι is rare, but so also is παρεστάθην, which occurs in the senarii, l. 911 ; cp. also Tr. 340, σταθεῖσ᾽ ἄκουσον. This is more probable than either προσ-ταθέντα (προστείνω οςcurs nowhere and would be meaningless here) or προσταχθέντα, which has been conjectured, but is hardly metrical (see ll. 192-193). The arrows of Apollo are spoken of in language properly applicable to persons, as if they were an amy bringing relief. There is also an allusion to Apollo's attribute as προστατήριος, Εl. 637. Cp. Aesch. Theb. 145, Λύκει᾿ ἄναξ, Λύκειος γενοῦ στρατῷ δαΐῳ: ib. 8, Ζεὺς ἀλεξητήριος ἐπώνυμος γένοιτο.

208. mvp-comment-142-1 Λύκι᾿ ὄρεα (ὄρεα) Echoing Λύκει᾿ ἄναξ, which therefore seems in this passage to be associated with the Lycian worship of Apollo; though differently interpreted in Εl. 6, 7, τοῦ λυκοκτόνου θεοῦ | ἀγορὰ Λύκειος.

208. mvp-comment-142-2 Μαινάδων 209. τὸν χρυσομίτραν ὁμόστολον] Cp. Lucian. Dial. Deorum, 18. 1, μίτρᾳ ἀναδεδεμένος τὴν κόμην, τὰ πολλὰ δὲ μαινομέναις ταῖς γυναιξὶ συνών. And for the Maenads, cp. Ant. 1122.

210. mvp-comment-143-1 τᾶσδ᾽ ἐπώνυμον γᾶς Who bears the name of this land; i. e. who is called Θηβαῖος (ὁ Θήβας ἐλελίχθων Βάκχιος, Bacchus, Thebe's earth-shaking god,' Ant. 154: Καδμείας νύμφας άγαλμα, ib. 1115), rather than (2) Who gives a surname to Βακχεία Θήβῃ.

211. mvp-comment-144-1 εὔιον From εὐοῖ, Author of joy, as ἰήϊος (from in) is helper in sorrow. The feeling which prompts the cry becomes the attribute of the god to whom it is addressed.

212. mvp-comment-145-1 The reading μονόστολον, (easily accounted for where the letters µ and ✓ are so frequent as in 11. 209 ff.) has obtained a strong hold of the MSS, but is generally accompanied by glosses which belong to the other reading, e.g. συνόμιλον, συγχορευτάν.

214. mvp-comment-146-1 A word = πυρφόρῳ is omitted.

215. mvp-comment-147-1 ἀπότιμον Dishonoured, put far from honour. The idea is that expressed in the words addressed by Zeus to Ares, Il. 5. 888 ff., τὸν δ' ἄρ᾽ ὑπόδρα ἰδὼν προσέφη νεφεληγερέτα Ζεύς, | μή τί μοι, ἀλλοπρόσαλλε, παρεζόμενος μινύριζε. | ἔχθιστος δέ μοί ἐσσι θεῶν οἱ Ολυμπον ἔχουσιν· | αἰεὶ γάρ τοι ἔρις τε φίλη, πόλεμοί τε μάχαι τε: with which cp. Il. 18.107, ὡς ἔρις ἔκ τε θεῶν ἔκ τ' ἀνθρώπων ἀπόλοιτο. Cp. also the expression about the house of Hades, τά τε στυγέουσι θεοί περ (Il. 20.65), and the hard names given to the Erinnyes by Apollo in Aesch. Eum., esp. 73, μισήματ' ἀνδρῶν καὶ θεῶν Ὀλυμπίων: ib. 191, ἀπόπτυστοι θεοῖς.

215. mvp-comment-147-2 θεόν θεον: treated in the meter as a single syllable.

215. mvp-comment-147-3 In the many transitions of this chorus the same deities are addressed more than once. In the spirit of polytheism the same gods are called by different names or surnames according to the attributes which are invoked.

219. mvp-comment-148-1 Oed. has reentered before the last words of the chorus, to whose leader he gives an authoritative answer, as being now possessed through Creon of the mind of Apollo. In reading this speech it is necessary to bear in mind the importance which the Greeks attached to a curse and to words spoken in unconsciousness of their real import.

219. mvp-comment-148-2 ἁγὼ .. ἐξερῶ ἅ, sc. ἔπη from 216.

216. mvp-comment-149-1 ἃ δ' αἰτεῖς The antecedent to the relative is in no definite construction. The sentence is broken off and resumed in ἀλκὴν λάβοις ἄν (cp. El. 1364, τοὺς γὰρ ἐν μέσῳ λόγους, κ.τ.λ.), and the antec. of a may be regarded as the remote accusative of the sentence, governed by the notion of obtaining' implied in ἀλκὴν λάβοις ἄν, κ.τ.λ.

217. mvp-comment-150-1 τῇ νόσῳ θ᾽ ὑπηρετεῖν And to obey the requirements of the disease. Cp. El. 1305-1306, οὐ γὰρ ἂν καλῶς ὑπηρετοίην τῷ παρόντι δαίμονι.

219-220. mvp-comment-151-1 ξένος μὲν . . πραχθέντος] Who am a stranger with respect to this affair; ay, and to the rumour concerning it. ξένος, i. e. ignorant, as one who at the time of the murder, and of the talk which followed it, was not a citizen of Thebes. Cp. Plat Apol. 17 D, ξένως ἔχω τῆς ἐνθάδε λέξεως. The formal emphasis with which Oedipus dwells on his relation to the inquiry, (ξένος μὲν .. ξένος δέ) throws a strong light on his unconsciousness of the real situation. Cp. infr. 259-260, ἔχων μὲν .. ἔχων δέ, κ.τ.λ.

220-221. mvp-comment-152-1 οὐ γὰρ ἂν .. σύμβολον These words assign a further reason why Oedipus has remained a stranger to the affair. For I had no clue to guide me and so could not have followed an inquiry far. He offers this excuse for having hitherto neglected what he now feels to be an imperative duty. Cp. supr. 108-109, 128. 9. 133-134, infr. 566-567. It has been objected to this interpretation that οὐ γὰρ ἄν necessarily means, Else had I not, (sc. εἰ μὴ ξένος ἦν). Cp. infr. 11. 318, 1456-1457. But no such rule is absolute in tragic Greek, and no tenable interpretation has been based on this way of taking the words. The suppressed clause is εἰ ἴχνευον, and the general meaning is I could not be otherwise than a stranger. Although the more usual mode of connexion would be πῶς γὰρ-; the negative form, οὐ γάρ, κ.τ.λ., is here more dignified. For μακράν, cp. Tr. 317, οὐδ᾽ ἀνιστόρουν μακράν.

220-221. mvp-comment-152-2 αὐτός By myself, unaided. Cp. Ο. C. 1154-1155, δίδασκέ με | ὡς μὴ εἰδότ᾽ αὐτόν. κ.τ.λ. This is more pointed than αὐτό, the reading of L and most MSS.

220-221. mvp-comment-152-3 μὴ οὐκ ἔχων τι σύμβολον Having no clue. These words are epexegetic of αὐτός. For μὴ οὐ with the participle, μη see Essay on Language p. 49, and cp. Hdt. 6.106, μὴ οὐ πλήρεος ἔοντος τοῦ κύκλου, i. e. If the disk were not full, which it was not.' So here, Unless I had something to guide me, and I had nothing.' The word σύμβολον (for which see Ar. Pol. 4. 7, Pind. Ol. 12. 7), would cause a thrill of horror to the spectators, when they reflected that Oedipus had Laius' blood upon his hand, and the stamp of his likeness upon his person.

222. mvp-comment-153-1 νῦν δ᾽ i.e. since the oracle has come.

222. mvp-comment-153-2 ὕστερος γὰρ ἀστὸς εἰς ἀστοὺς τελῶ Oedipus, as a popular ruler, bases his proclamation on his right of citizenship, rather than on any higher pretension. But now I proclaim to you no longer as a stranger but as a citizen, though subsequently enrolled. Sc. ὕστερος τῶν ἄλλων ἀστῶν and ὕστερος τοῦ πραχθέντος. ἀστός is said with allusion to ξένος. Teiresias includes both in ξένος.. μέτοικος, infr. 452. αὐτός. (I too') occurs for ἀστός in some MSS. But see Essay on Language § 44 f. p. 83.

222. mvp-comment-153-3 τελῶ Cp. Hdt. 2. 51, Ἀθηναίοισι ..

222. mvp-comment-153-4 ἤδη τηνικαῦτα ἐς Ἕλληνας τελέουσι.

223. mvp-comment-154-1 προφωνῶ resumes ἐξερῶ (1. 219) after the digression.

227-229. mvp-comment-155-1 The apodosis of this sentence is dropped in Oedipus' haste to give the assurance contained in πείσεται, κ.τ.λ., and is imperfectly resumed in ἄπεισιν. The subject is changed from anyone who has knowledge of the deed, to the murderer, to whom αὐτός refers. Some obscurity also arises from the appeal to fear (cp. infr. 234, 294) being combined with the attempt to soothe it (cp. Τr. 457, κεὶ μὲν δέδοικας, οὐ καλῶς ταρβεῖς). μέν in 227 points to the opposite supposition:-'he may be one incapable of fear.' (1) And let the man himself, if he be touched with fear, inform against himself, by taking the guilt away with him. For he shall suffer no further penalty, but shall be unmolested in his departure from the land.' i. e. Instead of waiting for others to convict him, let him convict himself by going into voluntary exile, and taking the offence from the land. The words καθ' αὑτοῦ are to be construed κατὰ σύνεσιν with l. 226, sc. ποιείτω τάδε, self-banishment being in this case equivalent to self-impeachment :- Let Or (2) ὑπεξελών may be understood proleptically, and σημαινέτω supplied from κελεύω σημαίνειν, supra. him inform against himself, and clear the guilt away.

227-229. mvp-comment-155-2 Οι (3) ὑπεξελών is to be taken in the unusual sense of drawing forth from concealment. Let him obey me by divulging the crime against himself. The last interpretation (3) is the simplest (cp. Pind. N. 4. 8); but the first (1) is on the whole the most probable. The gentleness of Oedipus towards the supposed self-convicted criminal is contrasted with the fierceness of his self-reproach in 11. 1369 foll., 1449 foll., infra.

229. mvp-comment-156-1 ἀσφαλής Unharmed. ἀβλα βής, which occurs in the text of A, and most MSS, and has been written as a v. r. by a hand of the 15th century on the mg. of L, although a good word (see esp. Thuc. 5. 18, § 3), is more likely to be a gloss than ἀσφαλής, which is therefore preferred. ἀβλαβής would have required no explanation, whereas ἀσφαλής here and in O. C. 1288 =ἄνευ τοῦ σφαλῆναι, without receiving hurt. Cp. Pind. Pyth. 3. 86.

230-232. mvp-comment-157-1 The duty of the citizens generally is clear. The only cases requiring special mention are those of the murderer (αὐτός), should conscience incline him to obey, and of information against a foreigner by one of his fellows. Cp. l. 233. ἢ φίλου. This is the case contemplated in these lines. Α μέτοικος might hesitate to do what was required of the citizens, unless specially assured that he would equally receive the reward. And some one resident in Thebes might be a fellow countryman of the stranger-robbers (1. 715), who had killed Laius in the triple way. The obscurity of expression arises from the effort to adapt the language to the case of Oedipus. The οἰκέτης was in the position of knowing another from another land. Contrast ll. 231-232, with ll. 1159, 1160, and cp. 1004. For the form of expression, ἄλλον ἐξ ἄλλης χθονός, cp. Eur. Ion 1057, ἄλλος ἄλλων ἀπ᾿ οἴκων .. πλὴν τῶν εὐγενετᾶν Ἐρεχθειδᾶν. 231. The transitive use of σιωπάω is later than Sophocles.

232. mvp-comment-158-1 χή χάρις προσκείσεται And he shall have store of gratitude besides, i. e. he will be regarded as a benefactor of the city. Cp. Thuc. 1. 129, κεῖταί σοι εὐεργεσία ἐν τῷ ἡμετέρῳ οἴκῳ ἐσαεὶ ἀνάγραπτος : Phil. 557-558, ἡ χάρις ...

232. mvp-comment-158-2 προσφιλὴς μενεῖ: Plat. Rep. 1. 345 A, οὔτοι κακῶς σοι κείσεται ὅ τι ἂν ἡμᾶς τοσούσδε ὄντας εὐεργετήσῃς.

234. mvp-comment-159-1 ἀπώσει τούπος (1) Shall repel this charge either from a friend for whom he fears, or from himself. τούπος, SC. τὸ ἐπίκλημα τοῦ φύνου. Or (2), Shall reject my word in fear either for a friend or for himself. ἀπώσει opp. to δέχεσθαι, l. 217 . (1) is best. The words φίλου and αὐτοῦ are each in a double construction with δείσας and ἀπώσει.

235. mvp-comment-160-1 This might be construed to mean, My own lips shall declare my future; and δράσω marks that all which follows is delivered by Oedipus as his act and deed. Cp. infr. 819-820.

236. mvp-comment-161-1 τὸν ἄνδρα.. τοῦτον It appears doubtful at first sight whether this refers to the murderer or to the concealer of the crime. That the first is the correct explanation is proved by the following reasons. (1) That no sufficient meaning can otherwise be given to τοῦδε in line 242. (2) That in 11. 817 foll., ᾧ μὴ ξένων ἔξεστι μηδ᾽ ἀστῶν τινὰ | δόμοις δέχεσθαι, μηδὲ προσφωνεῖν τινά, | ὠθεῖν δ᾽ ἀπ᾿ οἴκων, Oedipus applies 11. 235 foll. to himself, if guilty of the murder. (3) This gives more point to ὅστις ἐστί. ἄνδρα is governed by εἰσδέχεσθαι. γῆς τῆσδε is partitive genitive governed by τινά. Anyone in all this land.

240. mvp-comment-162-1 χέρνιβος For this gen. sing. (which besides coming from the first hand of L, better suits with κοινόν than χέρνιβας does), see L. and S. s. v.

241. mvp-comment-163-1 ὠθεῖν Sc. κελεύω understood from ἀπανδῶ. Essay on Language p. 64. 1 а.

246-251. mvp-comment-164-1 The formality of the language marks the solemnity of the curse. Some editors, following Ribbeck, have placed these lines after l. 272, on the ground that the plural τοῖσδε in the words ἅπερ τοῖσδ᾽ ἀρτίως ἠρασάμην, has no proper antecedent, for Oedipus is speaking of one murderer not of many; and they would suppose the error to have been caused by the recurrence of ὑμῖν δὲ in l. 273. But the plural, referring to some person or persons unknown, is sufficiently justified by εἴτε πλειόνων μέτα, and for the vague reference of the pronoun ὅde, see Essay on Language § 22. p. 34. Oedipus is careless about the number; cp. supr. 107, 124 and note. The curse also falls indirectly on those who disobey the commands in 11. 224-232, and 236-241. A slight inaccuracy of language is no sufficient reason for such a transposition. The conjecture requires a further conjecture: ie. the words must (1) have been omitted, then (2) have been written in the margin, and then (3) must have been wrongly inserted before ὑμῖν δέ, l. 252 , instead of before ὑμῖν δέ, l. 273 . It may be observed, in defence of the existing text, that the curse on the malefactor naturally precedes the curse on those who disobey the edict. The emphasis is on κατεύχομαι. τὸν δεδρακότα is added instead of a pronoun, referring to τὸν ἄνδρα τοῦτον, because of τῷ δαίμονι and τῷ θανόντι coming between. The words ἅπερ .. ἠρασάμην include 11. 236 ff.

248. mvp-comment-165-1 κακὸν κακῶς .. βίον Wear out his wretched life in wretchedness and misfortune.

249-251. mvp-comment-166-1 ἐπεύχομαι .. παθεῖν And I pray, moreover, that I may suffer. Cp. Plat. Critias, p. 120 B.

249-251. mvp-comment-166-2 εἰ .. γένοιτο If at any moment he were to be-. The unconsciousness of Oedipus is again strongly indicated.

254. mvp-comment-167-1 Ruined with sterility and the frown of Heaven. Essay on Language p. 40. a.

256. mvp-comment-168-1 ἀκάθαρτον Sc. τὸ πρᾶγμα, repeated in a slightly different sense. τὸ πρᾶγμα is (1) the duty of expiating, (2) the pollution itself.

257-269. mvp-comment-169-1 Every line calls attention to the real position of Oedipus, of which he is profoundly unconscious. (1) ὁμόσπορον, cp. 1. 460; (2) κοινῶν παίδων, cp. Ο. C. 535, κοιναί γε πατρὸς ἀδελφεαί; (3) εἰ κείνῳ γένος μὴ ᾿δυστύχησεν (Oedipus says this in ignorance of Laius having had a child; but he unwittingly expresses the fact of his own misfortune); (4) 1. 263. which points to the curse pursuing Laius and his offspring; (5) the words ὡσπερεὶ τοὺμοῦ πατρός. The effect of all this on the spectators may be imagined. Yet every word is suitable to the apparent situation and to the generous character of Oedipus.

257. mvp-comment-170-1 The death of the monarch was not like a common death.

258. mvp-comment-171-1 ἐπεὶ κυρῶ *γ' ἐγώ The MSS. read 7', which may be explained on the supposition that the subordinate anti- thesis with μέν and δέ in 259-260, has superseded the primary structure of the sentence. But perhapsy' should be read, giving a slight emphasis to κυρῶ, Since it so happens that I, Oedipus modestly referring his position to fortune.

260. mvp-comment-172-1 ὁμόσπορον = ὑπ᾿ ἀμφοῖν σπειρομένην. Essay on Language p. 98.

261. mvp-comment-173-1 κοινῶν τε παίδων κοίν᾿ ἄν For the repetition of κοινός, see Essay on Language § 44. P. 75, f. And had he but prospered in his issue, there had been the common bond between us of a common family. These words are the continuation of ὁμόσπορον. The emphatic repetition suggests the horror of the real situation. For the gen., cp. О. С. 923, φωτῶν ἀθλίων ἱκτήρια.

263. mvp-comment-174-1 But now Fortune has smitten him:' i. e. he has died without having children.

264. mvp-comment-175-1 ἀνθ᾽ ὧν Resuming the deferred apodosis of 258 foll. ἐπεί, κ.τ.λ. after the digression (κοινῶν .. τύχη); i. e. And being his successor and having these common interests with him, etc.

264. mvp-comment-175-2 τάδ᾽ .. ὑπερμαχοῦμαι For the accusative, cp. O. C. 344-345, τἀμὰ δυστήνου κακὰ | ὑπερπονεῖτον

267. mvp-comment-176-1 τῷ Λαβδακείῳ παιδί The dative either (1) depends on the notion of help or vindication continued from ὑπερμαχοῦμαι, to which the mind reverts as the chief word, or (2) is dependent on τὸν αὐτόχειρα τοῦ φόνου. For (2), cp. Ar. Poet. 1452 α. τὸν αἴτιον τοῦ θανάτου τῷ Μίτυϊ. 267-268. Cp. Hdt. 5. 59, ταῦτα ἡλικίην ἂν εἴη κατὰ Λάϊον τὸν Λαβδάκου τοῦ Πολυδώρου τοῦ Κάδμου. The genealogy belongs to the formal style of the proclamation.

269. mvp-comment-177-1 τοῖς μὴ δρῶσιν, governed by εὔχομαι, is resumed in αὐτοῖς after ἀνιέναι, and is the subject (i. e. αὐτούς) of φθερείσθαι.

269. mvp-comment-177-2 θεούς The dative (θεοῖς), which would be the natural case after εὔχομαι, is attracted to the subject of ἀνιέναι. I pray the gods not to let any harvest spring for them from the ground, nor fruit of the womb from their women. For ἀνιέναι in the latter sense, cp. infr. 1405, ἀνεῖτε ταὐτὸν σπέρμα. The MS. reading γῆν involves too harsh a change of subject in what follows (μήτ᾽ οὖν γυναικῶν παῖδας), and would require θεοῖς, as in Vat. a. For the tenor of these words, cp. the curse of Cambyses in Hdt. 3. 65, καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ποιεῦσι ὑμῖν γῆ τε καρπὸν ἐκφέροι, κ.τ.λ. 274-275. May justice, taking your part, and all the gods dwell with you evermore to bless you. σύμμαχος occurs frequently in Aeschylus as an attribute of Δίκη. See esp. Cho. 497, δίκην ἴαλλε σύμμαχον φίλοις. The tone of the preceding speech as a royal proclamation may be contrasted with that of Creon in Ant. 163-210. In both there is a mixture of self-confidence with the strain of patriotism. But in Creon these motives appear as the bare assertion of a right, in Oedipus as a spirit of generous readiness to serve the state. In both there is an unconsciousness of the situation. But whereas Creon's unconsciousness involves moral blindness and ignorance of self, that of Oedipus is rendered more pathetic by the purity of his intentions.

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CHORUS, the People assembled.

Oedipus

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Οἰδίπους δίκαιʼ ἔλεξας· ἀλλʼ ἀναγκάσαι θεοὺς 280 ἃν μὴ θέλωσιν οὐδʼ ἂν εἷς δύναιτʼ ἀνήρ.

Χορός τὰ δεύτερʼ ἐκ τῶνδʼ ἂν λέγοιμʼ ἁμοὶ δοκεῖ.

Οἰδίπους εἰ καὶ τρίτʼ ἐστί, μὴ παρῇς τὸ μὴ οὐ φράσαι.

Χορός ἄνακτʼ ἄνακτι ταὔθʼ ὁρῶντʼ ἐπίσταμαι μάλιστα Φοίβῳ Τειρεσίαν, παρʼ οὗ τις ἂν 285 σκοπῶν τάδʼ, ὦναξ, ἐκμάθοι σαφέστατα.

Οἰδίπους ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἐν ἀργοῖς οὐδὲ τοῦτʼ ἐπραξάμην. ἔπεμψα γὰρ Κρέοντος εἰπόντος διπλοῦς πομπούς· πάλαι δὲ μὴ παρῶν θαυμάζεται.

Χορός καὶ μὴν τά γʼ ἄλλα κωφὰ καὶ παλαίʼ ἔπη. 290

Οἰδίπους τὰ ποῖα ταῦτα; πάντα γὰρ σκοπῶ λόγον.

Χορός θανεῖν ἐλέχθη πρός τινων ὁδοιπόρων.

Οἰδίπους ἤκουσα κἀγώ. τὸν δʼ ἰδόντʼ οὐδεὶς ὁρᾷ.

Χορός ἀλλʼ εἴ τι μὲν δὴ δείματός γʼ ἔχει μέρος, τὰς σὰς ἀκούων οὐ μενεῖ τοιάσδʼ ἀράς, 295

Οἰδίπους ᾧ μή ʼστι δρῶντι τάρβος, οὐδʼ ἔπος φοβεῖ.

Χορός ἀλλʼ οὑξελέγξων αὐτὸν ἔστιν· οἵδε γὰρ τὸν θεῖον ἤδη μάντιν ὧδʼ ἄγουσιν, ᾧ τἀληθὲς ἐμπέφυκεν ἀνθρώπων μόνῳ.

Τειρεσίας φεῦ φεῦ, φρονεῖν ὡς δεινὸν ἔνθα μὴ τέλη λύῃ φρονοῦντι· ταῦτα γὰρ καλῶς ἐγὼ εἰδὼς διώλεσʼ· οὐ γὰρ ἂν δεῦρʼ ἱκόμην.

Οἰδίπους τί δʼ ἔστιν; ὡς ἄθυμος εἰσελήλυθας.

Τειρεσίας ἄφες μʼ ἐς οἴκους· ῥᾷστα γὰρ τὸ σόν τε σὺ 320 κἀγὼ διοίσω τοὐμόν, ἢν ἐμοὶ πίθῃ.

Οἰδίπους οὔτʼ ἔννομʼ εἶπας οὔτε προσφιλῆ πόλει τῇδʼ, ἥ σʼ ἔθρεψε, τήνδʼ ἀποστερῶν φάτιν.

Τειρεσίας ὁρῶ γὰρ οὐδὲ σοὶ τὸ σὸν φώνημʼ ἰὸν πρὸς καιρόν· ὡς οὖν μηδʼ ἐγὼ ταὐτὸν πάθω— 325

Οἰδίπους μὴ πρὸς θεῶν φρονῶν γʼ ἀποστραφῇς, ἐπεὶ πάντες σε προσκυνοῦμεν οἵδʼ ἱκτήριοι.

Τειρεσίας πάντες γὰρ οὐ φρονεῖτʼ· ἐγὼ δʼ οὐ μή ποτε τἄμʼ, ὡς ἂν εἴπω μὴ τὰ σʼ, ἐκφήνω κακά.

Οἰδίπους τί φής; ξυνειδὼς οὐ φράσεις, ἀλλʼ ἐννοεῖς 330 ἡμᾶς προδοῦναι καὶ καταφθεῖραι πόλιν;

Τειρεσίας ἐγὼ οὔτʼ ἐμαυτὸν οὔτε σʼ ἀλγυνῶ. τί ταῦτʼ ἄλλως ἐλέγχεις; οὐ γὰρ ἂν πύθοιό μου.

Οἰδίπους οὐκ, ὦ κακῶν κάκιστε, καὶ γὰρ ἂν πέτρου φύσιν σύ γʼ ὀργάνειας, ἐξερεῖς ποτε, 335 ἀλλʼ ὧδʼ ἄτεγκτος κἀτελεύτητος φανεῖ;

Τειρεσίας ὀργὴν ἐμέμψω τὴν ἐμήν, τὴν σὴν δʼ ὁμοῦ ναίουσαν οὐ κατεῖδες, ἀλλʼ ἐμὲ ψέγεις.

Οἰδίπους τίς γὰρ τοιαῦτʼ ἂν οὐκ ἂν ὀργίζοιτʼ ἔπη κλύων, ἃ νῦν σὺ τήνδʼ ἀτιμάζεις πόλιν; 340

Τειρεσίας ἥξει γὰρ αὐτά, κἂν ἐγὼ σιγῇ στέγω.

Οἰδίπους οὐκοῦν ἅ γʼ ἥξει καὶ σὲ χρὴ λέγειν ἐμοί.

Τειρεσίας οὐκ ἂν πέρα φράσαιμι. πρὸς τάδʼ, εἰ θέλεις, θυμοῦ διʼ ὀργῆς ἥτις ἀγριωτάτη.

Τειρεσίας ἄληθες; ἐννέπω σὲ τῷ κηρύγματι 350 ᾧπερ προεῖπας ἐμμένειν, κἀφʼ ἡμέρας τῆς νῦν προσαυδᾶν μήτε τούσδε μήτʼ ἐμέ, ὡς ὄντι γῆς τῆσδʼ ἀνοσίῳ μιάστορι.

Οἰδίπους οὕτως ἀναιδῶς ἐξεκίνησας τόδε τὸ ῥῆμα; καὶ ποῦ τοῦτο φεύξεσθαι δοκεῖς; 355

Τειρεσίας πέφευγα· τἀληθὲς γὰρ ἰσχῦον τρέφω.

Οἰδίπους πρὸς τοῦ διδαχθείς; οὐ γὰρ ἔκ γε τῆς τέχνης.

Τειρεσίας πρὸς σοῦ· σὺ γάρ μʼ ἄκοντα προυτρέψω λέγειν.

Οἰδίπους ποῖον λόγον; λέγʼ αὖθις, ὡς μᾶλλον μάθω.

Τειρεσίας οὐχὶ ξυνῆκας πρόσθεν; ἢ ʼκπειρᾷ λέγων; 360

Οἰδίπους οὐχ ὥστε γʼ εἰπεῖν γνωστόν· ἀλλʼ αὖθις φράσον.

Τειρεσίας φονέα σε φημὶ τἀνδρὸς οὗ ζητεῖς κυρεῖν.

Οἰδίπους ἀλλʼ οὔ τι χαίρων δίς γε πημονὰς ἐρεῖς.

Τειρεσίας εἴπω τι δῆτα κἄλλʼ, ἵνʼ ὀργίζῃ πλέον;

Οἰδίπους ὅσον γε χρῄζεις· ὡς μάτην εἰρήσεται. 365

Τειρεσίας λεληθέναι σε φημὶ σὺν τοῖς φιλτάτοις αἴσχισθʼ ὁμιλοῦντʼ, οὐδʼ ὁρᾶν ἵνʼ εἶ κακοῦ.

Οἰδίπους ἦ καὶ γεγηθὼς ταῦτʼ ἀεὶ λέξειν δοκεῖς;

Τειρεσίας εἴπερ τί γʼ ἐστὶ τῆς ἀληθείας σθένος.

Οἰδίπους ἀλλʼ ἔστι, πλὴν σοί· σοὶ δὲ τοῦτʼ οὐκ ἔστʼ ἐπεὶ 370 τυφλὸς τά τʼ ὦτα τόν τε νοῦν τά τʼ ὄμματʼ εἶ.

Τειρεσίας σὺ δʼ ἄθλιός γε ταῦτʼ ὀνειδίζων, ἃ σοὶ οὐδεὶς ὃς οὐχὶ τῶνδʼ ὀνειδιεῖ τάχα.

Οἰδίπους μιᾶς τρέφει πρὸς νυκτός, ὥστε μήτʼ ἐμὲ μήτʼ ἄλλον, ὅστις φῶς ὁρᾷ, βλάψαι ποτʼ ἄν. 375

Τειρεσίας οὐ γάρ σε μοῖρα πρός γʼ ἐμοῦ πεσεῖν, ἐπεὶ ἱκανὸς Ἀπόλλων, ᾧ τάδʼ ἐκπρᾶξαι μέλει.

Οἰδίπους Κρέοντος ἢ σοῦ ταῦτα τἀξευρήματα;

Τειρεσίας Κρέων δέ σοι πῆμʼ οὐδέν, ἀλλʼ αὐτὸς σὺ σοί.

Οἰδίπους ἦ ταῦτα δῆτʼ ἀνεκτὰ πρὸς τούτου κλύειν; οὐκ εἰς ὄλεθρον; οὐχὶ θᾶσσον; οὐ πάλιν 430 ἄψορρος οἴκων τῶνδʼ ἀποστραφεὶς ἄπει;

Τειρεσίας οὐδʼ ἱκόμην ἔγωγʼ ἄν, εἰ σὺ μὴ ʼκάλεις.

Οἰδίπους οὐ γάρ τί σʼ ᾔδη μῶρα φωνήσοντʼ, ἐπεὶ σχολῇ σʼ ἂν οἴκους τοὺς ἐμοὺς ἐστειλάμην.

Τειρεσίας ἡμεῖς τοιοίδʼ ἔφυμεν, ὡς μὲν σοὶ δοκεῖ, 435 μῶροι, γονεῦσι δʼ, οἵ σʼ ἔφυσαν, ἔμφρονες.

Οἰδίπους ποίοισι; μεῖνον, τίς δέ μʼ ἐκφύει βροτῶν;

Τειρεσίας ἥδʼ ἡμέρα φύσει σε καὶ διαφθερεῖ.

Οἰδίπους ὡς πάντʼ ἄγαν αἰνικτὰ κἀσαφῆ λέγεις.

Τειρεσίας οὔκουν σὺ ταῦτʼ ἄριστος εὑρίσκειν ἔφυς; 440

Οἰδίπους τοιαῦτʼ ὀνείδιζʼ, οἷς ἔμʼ εὑρήσεις μέγαν.

Τειρεσίας αὕτη γε μέντοι σʼ ἡ τύχη διώλεσεν.

Οἰδίπους ἀλλʼ εἰ πόλιν τήνδʼ ἐξέσωσʼ, οὔ μοι μέλει.

Τειρεσίας ἄπειμι τοίνυν· καὶ σύ, παῖ, κόμιζέ με.

Οἰδίπους κομιζέτω δῆθʼ· ὡς παρὼν σύ γʼ ἐμποδὼν 445 ὀχλεῖς, συθείς τʼ ἂν οὐκ ἂν ἀλγύνοις πλέον.

Chorus As you have put me under oath, on my oath, my king, I will speak. I am not the slayer, nor can I reveal him. As for the investigation, it was for Phoebus, who enjoined it, to tell us who did the deed.

Oedipus Justly said. But no man on earth can force the gods to do what they do not want. 280

Chorus I would like to say what seems to me the next best course.

Oedipus And if there is a third course, do not hesitate to reveal it too.

Chorus I know that our lord Teiresias is the seer most like our lord Apollo: from him, my king, an investigator might learn most clearly about these affairs. 285

Oedipus Not even this have I neglected. On Creon’s suggestion, I sent a man twice to bring him. And I have been wondering for some time why he is not here.

Chorus Indeed—his skill apart—the rumors are but faint and old. 290

Oedipus What are the rumors? I am investigating every tale.

Chorus He was said to have been killed by some wayfarers.

Oedipus I too have heard that. But no one sees the one who saw it.

Chorus If he knows what fear is, he will not hesitate to come forward when he hears your curses, so dire are they. 295

Oedipus When a man does not shrink from a deed, he is not scared by a word.

Chorus But there is one to convict him. But here they bring at last the godlike prophet, the only man in whom truth lives.

Teiresias Alas, how terrible it is to have wisdom when it does not benefit those who have it. I knew this well, but let it slip from my mind: otherwise I would not have come here.

Οἰδίπους

δίκαιʼ ἔλεξας· ἀλλʼ ἀναγκάσαι θεοὺς
280

ἃν μὴ θέλωσιν οὐδʼ ἂν εἷς δύναιτʼ ἀνήρ.

Χορός

τὰ δεύτερʼ ἐκ τῶνδʼ ἂν λέγοιμʼ ἁμοὶ δοκεῖ.

Οἰδίπους

εἰ καὶ τρίτʼ ἐστί, μὴ παρῇς τὸ μὴ οὐ φράσαι.

Χορός

ἄνακτʼ ἄνακτι ταὔθʼ ὁρῶντʼ ἐπίσταμαι

μάλιστα Φοίβῳ Τειρεσίαν, παρʼ οὗ τις ἂν
285

σκοπῶν τάδʼ, ὦναξ, ἐκμάθοι σαφέστατα.

Οἰδίπους

ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἐν ἀργοῖς οὐδὲ τοῦτʼ ἐπραξάμην.

ἔπεμψα γὰρ Κρέοντος εἰπόντος διπλοῦς

πομπούς· πάλαι δὲ μὴ παρῶν θαυμάζεται.

Χορός

καὶ μὴν τά γʼ ἄλλα κωφὰ καὶ παλαίʼ ἔπη.
290

Οἰδίπους

τὰ ποῖα ταῦτα; πάντα γὰρ σκοπῶ λόγον.

Χορός

θανεῖν ἐλέχθη πρός τινων ὁδοιπόρων.

Οἰδίπους

ἤκουσα κἀγώ. τὸν δʼ ἰδόντʼ οὐδεὶς ὁρᾷ.

Χορός

ἀλλʼ εἴ τι μὲν δὴ δείματός γʼ ἔχει μέρος,

τὰς σὰς ἀκούων οὐ μενεῖ τοιάσδʼ ἀράς,
295

Οἰδίπους

ᾧ μή ʼστι δρῶντι τάρβος, οὐδʼ ἔπος φοβεῖ.

Χορός

ἀλλʼ οὑξελέγξων αὐτὸν ἔστιν· οἵδε γὰρ

τὸν θεῖον ἤδη μάντιν ὧδʼ ἄγουσιν, ᾧ

τἀληθὲς ἐμπέφυκεν ἀνθρώπων μόνῳ.

Τειρεσίας

φεῦ φεῦ, φρονεῖν ὡς δεινὸν ἔνθα μὴ τέλη

λύῃ φρονοῦντι· ταῦτα γὰρ καλῶς ἐγὼ

εἰδὼς διώλεσʼ· οὐ γὰρ ἂν δεῦρʼ ἱκόμην.

Οἰδίπους

τί δʼ ἔστιν; ὡς ἄθυμος εἰσελήλυθας.

Τειρεσίας

ἄφες μʼ ἐς οἴκους· ῥᾷστα γὰρ τὸ σόν τε σὺ
320

κἀγὼ διοίσω τοὐμόν, ἢν ἐμοὶ πίθῃ.

Οἰδίπους

οὔτʼ ἔννομʼ εἶπας οὔτε προσφιλῆ πόλει

τῇδʼ, ἥ σʼ ἔθρεψε, τήνδʼ ἀποστερῶν φάτιν.

Τειρεσίας

ὁρῶ γὰρ οὐδὲ σοὶ τὸ σὸν φώνημʼ ἰὸν

πρὸς καιρόν· ὡς οὖν μηδʼ ἐγὼ ταὐτὸν πάθω—
325

Οἰδίπους

μὴ πρὸς θεῶν φρονῶν γʼ ἀποστραφῇς, ἐπεὶ

πάντες σε προσκυνοῦμεν οἵδʼ ἱκτήριοι.

Τειρεσίας

πάντες γὰρ οὐ φρονεῖτʼ· ἐγὼ δʼ οὐ μή ποτε

τἄμʼ, ὡς ἂν εἴπω μὴ τὰ σʼ, ἐκφήνω κακά.

Οἰδίπους

τί φής; ξυνειδὼς οὐ φράσεις, ἀλλʼ ἐννοεῖς
330

ἡμᾶς προδοῦναι καὶ καταφθεῖραι πόλιν;

Τειρεσίας

ἐγὼ οὔτʼ ἐμαυτὸν οὔτε σʼ ἀλγυνῶ. τί ταῦτʼ

ἄλλως ἐλέγχεις; οὐ γὰρ ἂν πύθοιό μου.

Οἰδίπους

οὐκ, ὦ κακῶν κάκιστε, καὶ γὰρ ἂν πέτρου

φύσιν σύ γʼ ὀργάνειας, ἐξερεῖς ποτε,
335

ἀλλʼ ὧδʼ ἄτεγκτος κἀτελεύτητος φανεῖ;

Τειρεσίας

ὀργὴν ἐμέμψω τὴν ἐμήν, τὴν σὴν δʼ ὁμοῦ

ναίουσαν οὐ κατεῖδες, ἀλλʼ ἐμὲ ψέγεις.

Οἰδίπους

τίς γὰρ τοιαῦτʼ ἂν οὐκ ἂν ὀργίζοιτʼ ἔπη

κλύων, ἃ νῦν σὺ τήνδʼ ἀτιμάζεις πόλιν;
340

Τειρεσίας

ἥξει γὰρ αὐτά, κἂν ἐγὼ σιγῇ στέγω.

Οἰδίπους

οὐκοῦν ἅ γʼ ἥξει καὶ σὲ χρὴ λέγειν ἐμοί.

Τειρεσίας

οὐκ ἂν πέρα φράσαιμι. πρὸς τάδʼ, εἰ θέλεις,

θυμοῦ διʼ ὀργῆς ἥτις ἀγριωτάτη.

Οἰδίπους

οὕτως ἀναιδῶς ἐξεκίνησας τόδε

τὸ ῥῆμα; καὶ ποῦ τοῦτο φεύξεσθαι δοκεῖς;
355

Τειρεσίας

πέφευγα· τἀληθὲς γὰρ ἰσχῦον τρέφω.

Οἰδίπους

πρὸς τοῦ διδαχθείς; οὐ γὰρ ἔκ γε τῆς τέχνης.

Τειρεσίας

πρὸς σοῦ· σὺ γάρ μʼ ἄκοντα προυτρέψω λέγειν.

Οἰδίπους

ποῖον λόγον; λέγʼ αὖθις, ὡς μᾶλλον μάθω.

Τειρεσίας

οὐχὶ ξυνῆκας πρόσθεν; ἢ ʼκπειρᾷ λέγων;
360

Οἰδίπους

οὐχ ὥστε γʼ εἰπεῖν γνωστόν· ἀλλʼ αὖθις φράσον.

Τειρεσίας

φονέα σε φημὶ τἀνδρὸς οὗ ζητεῖς κυρεῖν.

Οἰδίπους

ἀλλʼ οὔ τι χαίρων δίς γε πημονὰς ἐρεῖς.

Τειρεσίας

εἴπω τι δῆτα κἄλλʼ, ἵνʼ ὀργίζῃ πλέον;

Οἰδίπους

ὅσον γε χρῄζεις· ὡς μάτην εἰρήσεται.
365

Τειρεσίας

λεληθέναι σε φημὶ σὺν τοῖς φιλτάτοις

αἴσχισθʼ ὁμιλοῦντʼ, οὐδʼ ὁρᾶν ἵνʼ εἶ κακοῦ.

Οἰδίπους

ἦ καὶ γεγηθὼς ταῦτʼ ἀεὶ λέξειν δοκεῖς;

Τειρεσίας

εἴπερ τί γʼ ἐστὶ τῆς ἀληθείας σθένος.

Οἰδίπους

ἀλλʼ ἔστι, πλὴν σοί· σοὶ δὲ τοῦτʼ οὐκ ἔστʼ ἐπεὶ
370

τυφλὸς τά τʼ ὦτα τόν τε νοῦν τά τʼ ὄμματʼ εἶ.

Τειρεσίας

σὺ δʼ ἄθλιός γε ταῦτʼ ὀνειδίζων, ἃ σοὶ

οὐδεὶς ὃς οὐχὶ τῶνδʼ ὀνειδιεῖ τάχα.

Οἰδίπους

μιᾶς τρέφει πρὸς νυκτός, ὥστε μήτʼ ἐμὲ

μήτʼ ἄλλον, ὅστις φῶς ὁρᾷ, βλάψαι ποτʼ ἄν.
375

Τειρεσίας

οὐ γάρ σε μοῖρα πρός γʼ ἐμοῦ πεσεῖν, ἐπεὶ

ἱκανὸς Ἀπόλλων, ᾧ τάδʼ ἐκπρᾶξαι μέλει.

Οἰδίπους

Κρέοντος ἢ σοῦ ταῦτα τἀξευρήματα;

Τειρεσίας

Κρέων δέ σοι πῆμʼ οὐδέν, ἀλλʼ αὐτὸς σὺ σοί.

Οἰδίπους

ἦ ταῦτα δῆτʼ ἀνεκτὰ πρὸς τούτου κλύειν;

οὐκ εἰς ὄλεθρον; οὐχὶ θᾶσσον; οὐ πάλιν
430

ἄψορρος οἴκων τῶνδʼ ἀποστραφεὶς ἄπει;

Τειρεσίας

οὐδʼ ἱκόμην ἔγωγʼ ἄν, εἰ σὺ μὴ ʼκάλεις.

Οἰδίπους

οὐ γάρ τί σʼ ᾔδη μῶρα φωνήσοντʼ, ἐπεὶ

σχολῇ σʼ ἂν οἴκους τοὺς ἐμοὺς ἐστειλάμην.

Τειρεσίας

ἡμεῖς τοιοίδʼ ἔφυμεν, ὡς μὲν σοὶ δοκεῖ,
435

μῶροι, γονεῦσι δʼ, οἵ σʼ ἔφυσαν, ἔμφρονες.

Οἰδίπους

ποίοισι; μεῖνον, τίς δέ μʼ ἐκφύει βροτῶν;

Τειρεσίας

ἥδʼ ἡμέρα φύσει σε καὶ διαφθερεῖ.

Οἰδίπους

ὡς πάντʼ ἄγαν αἰνικτὰ κἀσαφῆ λέγεις.

Τειρεσίας

οὔκουν σὺ ταῦτʼ ἄριστος εὑρίσκειν ἔφυς;
440

Οἰδίπους

τοιαῦτʼ ὀνείδιζʼ, οἷς ἔμʼ εὑρήσεις μέγαν.

Τειρεσίας

αὕτη γε μέντοι σʼ ἡ τύχη διώλεσεν.

Οἰδίπους

ἀλλʼ εἰ πόλιν τήνδʼ ἐξέσωσʼ, οὔ μοι μέλει.

Τειρεσίας

ἄπειμι τοίνυν· καὶ σύ, παῖ, κόμιζέ με.

Οἰδίπους

κομιζέτω δῆθʼ· ὡς παρὼν σύ γʼ ἐμποδὼν
445

ὀχλεῖς, συθείς τʼ ἂν οὐκ ἂν ἀλγύνοις πλέον.

Chorus

As you have put me under oath, on my oath, my king, I will speak. I am not the slayer, nor can I reveal him. As for the investigation, it was for Phoebus, who enjoined it, to tell us who did the deed.

Oedipus

Justly said. But no man on earth can force the gods to do what they do not want.
280

Chorus

I would like to say what seems to me the next best course.

Oedipus

And if there is a third course, do not hesitate to reveal it too.

Chorus

I know that our lord Teiresias is the seer most like our

lord Apollo: from him, my king, an investigator might learn most clearly about these affairs.
285

Oedipus

Not even this have I neglected. On Creon’s suggestion, I sent a man twice to bring him. And I have been wondering for some time why he is not here.

Chorus

Indeed—his skill apart—the rumors are but faint and old.
290

Oedipus

What are the rumors? I am investigating every tale.

Chorus

He was said to have been killed by some wayfarers.

Oedipus

I too have heard that. But no one sees the one who saw it.

Chorus

If he knows what fear is, he will not hesitate to come forward when he

hears your curses, so dire are they.
295

Oedipus

When a man does not shrink from a deed, he is not scared by a word.

Chorus

But there is one to convict him. But here they bring at last the godlike prophet, the only man in whom truth lives.

Teiresias

Alas, how terrible it is to have wisdom when it does not benefit those who have it. I knew this well, but let it slip from my mind: otherwise I would not have come here.

Oedipus

What now? How disheartened you have come!

Teiresias

Let me go home. For you will bear your own burden to the end, and I will bear mine, if you consent.
320

Oedipus

Your words are strange and unkind to the state which nurtured you, since you withhold this response.

Teiresias

I see that you, for your part, speak inappropriately.

Therefore do not speak, so I will not suffer the same.
325

Oedipus

For the love of the gods, do not turn away, if you have knowledge: all we suppliants implore you on our knees.

Teiresias

For all of you are without knowledge. But never will I reveal my troubles—not to call them yours.