Sophocles Oedipus Tyrannus 1054

Richard Jebb (Translator)

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Oedipus Tyrannus. Sophocles. Richard Jebb (Translator). Cambridge. 1887.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.

Current edition Experimental

Oedipus Tyrannus (English) (Sophocles the plays and fragments, Part 1: The Oedipus Tyrannus. Jebb, Richard Claverhouse, Sir, translator. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1887. (Modernized by Perseus.))

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (2)
Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 1054 focus
γύναι, νοεῖς ἐκεῖνον, ὅντιν᾿ ἀρτίως
μολεῖν ἐφιέμεσθα; τόνδ' οὗτος λέγει;
1055
Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 1054 focus
Translations (4)
English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 1054 focus
We lately sought that one should come, my queen.
Know’st thou, is this of whom he speaks the same?
1055
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 1054 focus
Frau, meinst du, jener, den wir eben jezt hieher
Beschieden, sei derselbe, den der Bote meint?
English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 1054 focus
With incense and oblations to appease
Offended Heaven. My (Edipus, alas !
JN"o longer wise and prudent, as you all
Remember once he was, with present things
Compares the past, nor judges like himself ;
1060
Unnumbered cares perplex his anxious mind,
And every tale awakes new terrors in him ;
Vain is my counsel, for he hears me not.
First, then, to thee, O Phoebus ! for thou still
Art near to help the wretched, we appeal,
And suppliant beg thee now to grant thy aid
Propitious ; deep is our distress ; for, oh !
"We see our pilot sinking at the helm,
And much already fear the vessel lost.
Shepherd from Corinth, Jocasta, Chorus.
This shepherd ; whether still he lives at Thebes,
1055
Or in some neighbouring country. Tell me quick,
For it concerns us near.
Kest thou satisfied ;
1065
Were I descended from a race of slaves,
1065
'Twould not dishonour thee.
1065
Joe. Yet hear me ; do not,
1065
Once more I beg thee, do not search this matter.
1065
And find it too.
1065
Joe. I know it best, and best
1065
Advise thee.
1065
Whate'er
May come of that, I am resolved to know
The secret of my birth, how mean soever
It chance to prove. Perhaps her sex's pride
May make her blush to find I was not born
Of noble parents ; but I call myself
The son of fortune, my indulgent mothei',
Whom I shall never be ashamed to own.
The kindred months that are like me, her children,
The years that roll obedient to her will,
Have raised me from the lowest state to power
And splendour. Wherefore, being what I am,
I need not fear the knowledge of my birth.
If my prophetic soul doth well divine.
1080
Ere on thy brow to-morrow's sun shall shine,
1080
Cithreron, thou the mystery shalt unfold ;
1080
The doubtful (Edipus, no longer blind,
Shall soon his country and his father find,
And all the story of his birth be told.
Then shall we in grateful lays
Celebrate our monarch's praise,
And in the sprightly dance our songs triumphant raise.
What heavenly power gave birth to thee, O king !
From Pan, the god of mountains, didst thou sprin^
With some fail' daughter of Apollo joined ;
Art thou from him who o'er Cyllene reigns,
JSwift Hermes, sporting in Arcadia's plains?
Some nymph of Helicon did Bacchus find —
Bacchus, who delights to rove
1085
Through the forest, hill and grove —
1085
And art thou, prince, the offspring of their love ?
1085
English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 1054 focus
Knowest thou, lady, him we wish'd to come
To be the man of whom this stranger speaks?
Who...speak of whom?...Regard him not, nor wish
1055
On words at random utter'd e'en to think.
1055

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-648-1 νοεῖς 1

mvp-comment-649-1 τόνδ’ 2 τόν θ’ 3 λέγει 4 ἐφιέμεσθα 5

mvp-comment-650-1 τί δ’ ὅντιν’ εἶπε; 6

mvp-comment-651-1 Since οὐκ ἔστιν ὅπως, οὐκ ἂν γένοιτο ὅπως mean “there is, there could be found, no way in which, ” τοῦθ’ 7

mvp-comment-652-1 Since the answer at 1042, Iocasta has known the worst. But she is still fain to spare Oedipus the misery of that knowledge. Meanwhile he thinks that she is afraid lest he should prove to be too humbly born. The tragic power here is masterly.

mvp-comment-653-1 ἅλις 8 νοσοῦσ’ ἐγώ 9

mvp-comment-654-1 For the genitive τρίτης μητρὸς 10 τρίτης μητρὸς τρίδουλος 11

mvp-comment-655-1 κακή 12

mvp-comment-656-1 τὰ λῷστα … ταῦτα 13

mvp-comment-657-1 ὃς 14

mvp-comment-658-1 Iocasta rushes from the scene-to appear no more. Cp. the sudden exit of Haemon ( Soph. Ant. 766 ), of Eurydice ( Soph. Ant. 1245 ), and of Deianeira ( Soph. Trach. 813 ). In each of the two latter cases, the exit silently follows a speech by another person, and the Chorus comments on the departing one's silence. Iocasta, like Haemon, has spoken passionate words immediately before going: and here σιωπῆς 15

mvp-comment-659-1 δέδοικα 16

mvp-comment-660-1 The subject to ἀναρρήξει 17 κακά 18 κακά 19

mvp-comment-661-1 χρῄζει scornfully personifies the κακά.

mvp-comment-661-2 βουλήσομαι 20

mvp-comment-662-1 ὡς γυνὴ 21 ὡς 22

mvp-comment-663-1 Whatever may have been his human parentage, Oed. is the “son of Fortune ” (said in a very different tone from “ Fortunae filius” in Hor. Sat. 2.6.49 ): Fortune brings forth the months with their varying events; these months, then, are his brothers, who ere now have known him depressed as well as exalted. He has faith in this Mother, and will not shrink from the path on which she seems to beckon him; he will not be false to his sonship. We might recall Schiller's epigram on the Wolfians; whatever may be the human paternity of the Iliad, “ hat es doch Eine Mutter nur, Und die Züge der Mutter, Deine unsterblichen Züge, Natur.”

mvp-comment-663-2 τῆς εὖ διδούσης 23 τῆς 24

mvp-comment-664-1 συγγενεῖς 25

mvp-comment-665-1 διώρισαν 26

mvp-comment-666-1 “Having sprung of such parentage ( ἐκφὺς 27 ἐξέλθοιμι 28 ἄλλος 29 ποτ’ 30 ἔτι | ποτέ 31

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

1054. mvp-comment-603-1 Lady, do you remember the man whose coming we just now desired? Is he the man he speaks of? Cp. Τr. 417, τὴν αἰχμάλωτον, ἣν ἔπεμψας ἐς δόμους κάτοισθα δήπου; ib. 1191, οἶσθ᾽ οὖν τὸν Οἴτης Ζηνὸς ὕψιστον πάγον; 1219, τὴν Εὐρυτείαν οἶσθα δῆτα παρθένον; The indefinite ὅντινα marks Oedipus' uncertainty about the identity of the βοτήρ. Cp. Hdt. 4. 8, ἐς γῆν ταύτην, ἤντινα νῦν Σκύθαι νέμονται. Badham conjectures νοεῖς ἐκεῖνον ὄνθ᾽ ὃν ἀρτίως | μολεῖν ἐφιέμεσθα; τόνδ' οὗτος λέγει; The reading of LA. τόν θ' οὗτος λέγει, may be rendered, Do you remember the man whom we were just now sending for, and of whom he (the ἄγγελος) speaks? This, however, appears to be hardly the meaning required by the context, for the chorus has only expressed their belief that he is the same man, and has appealed to Jocasta to confirm this. A slight alteration, not altogether without MS. authority, gives τόνδ' οὗτος λέγει; as in the text.

1056. mvp-comment-604-1 τί δ᾽ ὅντιν' ε. Cp. Aesch. Prom. 766, τί δ᾽ ὅντιν᾽; οὐ γὰρ ῥητὸν αὐδᾶσθαι τόδε, and for a similar ellipse, Plat. Legg. 1. 645 D, οὐδέν πω πρὸς ὅ τι. Why ask of whom he spoke? Jocasta, starting from a reverie, utters this abruptly.

1059. mvp-comment-605-1 φανῶ Bring to light. Supr. 132.

1061. mvp-comment-606-1 ἅλις νοσοῦσ᾽ ἐγώ My trouble is enough. It is enough that I am tormented without your knowing. Cp. Ar. Eth. Ν. 9, 11, ὅθεν τὸ ἅλις ἐγὼ δυστυχῶν. For the adverb as predicate, see Essay on Language § 24. p. 40.

1062. mvp-comment-607-1 οὐδ᾽ ἂν *εἰ τρίτης This reading involves a simpler change than οὐδ' ἐὰν τρίτης, which may be right however. For el with the subj., see Essay on Language § 27: p. 44. And although av with future cannot be defended, yet a change of construction may fairly be supposed, like that which accounts for the apparent solecism in Aj. 405-409, εἰ.. πᾶς .. στρατὸς δίπαλτος ἄν με χειρὶ φονεύοι: i. e. The expression is equivalent to σὺ οὐκ ἐκφανεῖ κακή, οὐδ᾽ ἂν (ἐκφανείης κακή), εἰ, κ.τ.λ. ' οὐδ᾽ ἂν εἰ planè eadem ratione dicitur quâ κἂν εἰ, in quo av ad suppressum aliquem optativum pertinet.' Herm.

1062. mvp-comment-607-2 τρίτης.. μητρὸς..τρίδουλος Though my mother, and my mother's mother, and the mother of this last, were slaves.' Cp. Plat. Legg. 6. 777 Α, οὐ τρὶς μόνον ἄλλα πολλάκις ἀπεργάζονται δούλας. Jocasta knows that the real horror is the nobility of his birth.

1066. mvp-comment-608-1 φρονοῦσά γ᾽ εὐ With clear knowledge. Ср. 1038.

1067. mvp-comment-609-1 τὰ λῷστα.. ταῦτα ‘This which you call the best'-that I do not learn my origin.

1069. mvp-comment-610-1 Will some one go and fetch the herdsman hither for me?' ἄξει here is more peremptory than οὐκ ἄξει; just as ἆρα; is stronger than ἆρ' οὐ; see Essay on Language § 29. p. 50.

1070. mvp-comment-611-1 πλουσίῳ .. γένει Her wealthy lineage. The word πλούσιος is used sarcastically. Cp. Εl. 361, σοὶ δὲ πλουσία | τράπεζα κείσθω.

1071. mvp-comment-612-1 ἰοὺ ἰού An exclamation of horror and wonder. Cp. Τr. 1143, ἰοὺ ἰοὺ δύστηνος, οἴχομαι τάλας.

1072. mvp-comment-613-1 ἄλλο δ᾽ οὔποθ᾽ ὕστερον And no word any more for ever.

1075. mvp-comment-614-1 ἀναρρήξει is best taken actively with ἡ γυνή as subject. She will cause evils to break forth. If κακά were the subject, χρήζει in 1076 could hardly have a natural meaning. Cp. II. 20. 55, ἐν δ᾽ αὐτοῖς ἐρίδα ῥήγνυντο. For the situation, cp. Ant. 766, 1253, Tr. 813.

1076. mvp-comment-615-1 Let her raise what storms she will; but I am determined to see my origin, though it be humble.'

1078. mvp-comment-616-1 ὡς γυνή For a woman. Cp. Hdt. 4. 81, ὀλίγους, ὡς Σκύθας εἶναι. Oedipus implies that his own 'pride of birth, (avowed in 1080, foll.) is of a nobler strain.

1079. mvp-comment-617-1 τὴν δυσγένειαν τὴν ἐμήν The baseness of my birth.

1080. mvp-comment-618-1 παῖδα τῆς Τύχης.. τῆς εὐ διδούσης Accounting myself the child of favouring Fortune. Cp. the opposite fancy of Polynices in O. C. 1323-1324, κεί μὴ σὸς ἀλλὰ τοῦ κακοῦ | πότμου φυτευθείς. So in Shak. Winter's Tale, 4. 4, Florizel says From thy succession wipe me, father! I Am heir to my affection.' 1082. οἱ δὲ συγγενεῖς μῆνές με μικρὸν καὶ μέγαν διώρισαν] And the months that have grown up with me, have alone determined my lowness and my exaltation. As elsewhere, Time is spoken of as a real thing or person commensurate with the events.

1084-1085. mvp-comment-619-1 This parentage of mine can never be disproved; and therefore why should I not find out my origin? This is better than I cannot but know my birth.

1084. mvp-comment-620-1 †ἔτι | ποτ' ἄλλος It must be admitted that ποτέ beginning the line after a short syllable which precludes synaphea, is questionable. See Aj. 986, οὐχ ὅσον τάχος | δῆτ᾿ αὐτὸν ἄξεις δεῦρο; It is allowable to conjecture ἐξέλθοιμ᾽ ἐγώ. But the secret of the anomaly is probably the inverted order (for ἄλλος ποτέ), which is for the sake of emphasis and rhythm. Cp. Phil. 1217, ἔτ᾿ οὐδέν εἰμι. 1086, foll. The chorus have forgotten their apprehension expressed in supr. 1074-1075, and yielding to the feeling of the moment, join with Oedipus in his wish to discover his origin. The joyous confidence of this strain gives greater emphasis to the catastrophe. Cp. Ant. 1115-1152, Aj. 693-718, Tr. 205-224- 'Soon shall the wonder be revealed. Our king was nursed on the mountain's breast, divinely born; some nymph his mother, his father, some roving God.' The solemnity of the prevailing ditrochaic (or epitrite) rhythm is relieved 1092. ματέρ'] by lyrical dactyls. The tone is one of religious joyousness, rising at first into excited hope, which changes, in line 7 of the strophe, into pious aspiration. ト​CCL トー 5 ト ト ト トー トー 1086. For κατὰ γνώμαν, cp. Tr. 102, εἴπ᾽, ὦ κρατιστεύων κατ᾿ ὄμμα, and see Essay on Language § 19. p. 28.