Sophocles Oedipus Tyrannus 255

Richard Jebb (Translator)

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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

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)) — 255 focus
οὐδ᾽ εἰ γὰρ ἦν τὸ πρᾶγμα μὴ θεήλατον,
255
ἀκάθαρτον ὑμᾶς εἰκὸς ἦν οὕτως ἐᾶν,
ἀνδρός γ᾽ ἀρίστου βασιλέως τ᾿ ὀλωλότος,
ἀλλ᾽ ἐξερευνᾶν· νῦν δ᾽ ἐπεὶ κυρῶ *γ᾿ ἐγὼ
ἔχων μὲν ἀρχάς, ἃς ἐκεῖνος εἶχε πρίν,
ἔχων δὲ λέκτρα καὶ γυναῖχ᾽ ὁμόσπορον,
260
κοινῶν τε παίδων κοίν᾿ ἄν, εἰ κείνῳ γένος
μὴ ᾿δυστύχησεν, ἦν ἂν ἐκπεφυκότα,
νῦν δ᾽ ἐς τὸ κείνου κρᾶτ᾽ ἐνήλαθ᾽ ἡ τύχης
ἀνθ᾽ ὧν ἐγὼ τάδ', ὡσπερεὶ τοὐμοῦ πατρός,
ὑπερμαχοῦμαι κἀπὶ πάντ' ἀφίξομαι
265
ζητῶν τὸν αὐτόχειρα τοῦ φόνου λαβεῖν
τῷ Λαβδακείῳ παιδὶ Πολυδώρου τε καὶ
τοῦ πρόσθε Κάδμου τοῦ πάλαι τ᾿ Ἀγήνορος.
καὶ ταῦτα τοῖς μὴ δρῶσιν εὔχομαι θεοὺς
μήτ᾽ ἄροτον αὐτοῖς *γῆς ἀνιέναι τινὰ
270
μήτ᾽ οὖν γυναικῶν παῖδας, ἀλλὰ τῷ πότμῳ
τῷ νῦν φθερεῖσθαι κἄτι τοῦδ᾽ ἐχθίονι·
ὑμῖν δὲ τοῖς ἄλλοισι Καδμείοις, ὅσοις
τάδ᾽ ἔστ᾽ ἀρέσκονθ', ἥ τε σύμμαχος Δίκη
χοἰ πάντες εὖ ξυνεῖεν εἰσαεὶ θεοί.
275
Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 255 focus
Translations (4)
English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 255 focus
Although the oracle were silent still,
255
To leave this inquisition unperformed.
Long since ye should have purged the crime. But now
I, to whom fortune hath transferred his crown,
And given his queen in marriage,—yea, moreover,
His seed and mine had been one family
260
Had not misfortune trampled on his head
Cutting him off from fair posterity,—
All this being so, I will maintain his cause
As if my father’s, racking means and might
To apprehend the author of the death
Of Laius, son to Labdacus, and heir
265
To Polydorus and to Cadmus old,
And proud Agenor of the eldest time.
Once more, to all who disobey in this
May Heaven deny the produce of the ground
And offspring from their wives, and may they pine
270
With plagues more horrible than this to-day.
But for the rest of you Cadmean men,
Who now embrace my word, may Righteousness,
Strong to defend, and all the Gods for aye
Watch over you for blessing in your land.
275
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 255 focus
Denn traun, geböte solches Werk auch nicht der Gott,
Es ungesühnt zu lassen ziemt' euch dennoch nicht,
Daß so des Todes Opfer ward der beste Fürst:
Ihr müßt es ausspäh'n. Aber mun ward mir das Amt
Des Oberherrschers, welches er zuvor besaß,
260
Ward mein die Gattin, die an seiner Seite lag,
Und unsre Kinder würden sich Geschwister sein,
Hätt' ihm ein Unstern nicht mißgönnt der Kinder Glück:
Nun aber brach dies Schicksal auf sein Haupt herein.
Deßwegen will ich diesen Kampf für ihn besteh'n,
265
Wie für den eignen Vater, Alles will ich thun,
Den Frevler auszuspüren, der den Mord verübt
Am Labdakiden, der von Polydoros stamunt, 1
Vom Ahn, dem Kadmos, aus Agenors altem Blut.
Die Götter aber fleh' ich an: wer nicht gehorcht,
270
Dem spende niemals eine Saat der Erde Schooß,
Noch schenk' ihm Kinder sein Gemahl; nein, dies Geschick
Von heut verderb' ihn und ein noch graunvolleres!
Doch euch, ihr Andern, welchen dies, wie mir, gefällt,
Ihr Kadmossöhne, bleibe stets der Dike Schuz, 2
275
Und seien alle Götter hold auf immerdar!
English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 276 focus
Your prayers are heard : and if you will obey
280
Your king, and hearken to his words, you soon
280
Shall find relief ; myself will heal your woes.
280
I was a stranger to the dreadful deed,
280
A stranger e'en to the report till now ;
280
And yet without some traces of the crime
280
I should not urge this matter ; therefore hear me.
280
I speak to all the citizens of Thebes,
280
Myself a citizen — observe me Avell :
280
If any know the murderer of Laius,
280
Let him reveal it ; I command you all.
280
But if restrained by dread of punishment
280
He hide the secret, let him fear no more ;
280
For nought but exile shall attend the crime
280
Whene'er confessed ; if by a foreign hand
280
The horrid deed was done, who points him out
280
Commands our thanks, and meets a sure reward ;
280
But if there be who knows the murderer,
280
And yet conceals him from us, mark his fate.
Which here I do pronounce : Let none receive
Throughout my kingdom, none hold converse with him,
Nor offer prayer, nor sprinkle o'er his head
The sacred cup ; let him be driven from all,
By all abandoned, and by all accursed,
For so the Delphic oracle declared ;
And therefore to the gods I pay this duty
And to the dead. Oh ! may the guilty wretch,
Whether alone, or by his impious friends
Assisted, he performed the horrid deed,
Denied the common benefits of nature,
Wear out a painful life ! And oh ! if here,
Within my palace, I conceal the traitoi-,
On me and mine alight the vengeful curse !
To you, my people, I commit the care
Of this important business ; 'tis my cause.
The cause of Heaven, and your expii'ing country.
E'en if the god had nought declared, to leave
This crime unexpiated were most ungrateful.
He was the best of kings, the best of men ;
That sceptre now is mine which Laius boie ;
His wife is mine ; so would his children be
Did any live ; and therefore am I bound.
E'en as he were my father, to revenge him.
Yes, I will try to find this murderer,
I owe it to the son of Labdacus,
To Polydorus, Cadmus, and the race
If great Agenor. Oh ! if yet there are,
Who will not join me in the pious deed.
From such may earth withhold her annual store,
And barren be their bed, their life most wretched,.
And their death cruel as the pestilence
That wastes our city ! But on you, my Thebans,
Who wish us fair success, may justice smile
Propitious, and the gods for ever bless !
English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 255 focus
Doth aught the Night from ruin spare?
255
The Morning's sickly ray,
Pregnant with death, inflames the air,
And gives disease its prey,
Father of gods, whose matchless force
Wings the red lightning's vengeful course,
260
With all thy thunders crush this foe!
Potent to aid, Lycéan king,
Thy shafts secure of conquest wing,
And bend thy golden bow!
Thy beams around, Diana, throw,
265
And pierce this gloom of night,
As on Lyceum's moss-clad brow
Thou pour'st thy silver light!
Thy nymphs, O Theban Bacchus lead,
The golden mitre round thy head,
270
Greef-soothing god of wine and joy;
Wave thy bright torch, and with its flame
This god, to gods an odious name,
This lurid Pest destroy !

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-180-1 εἰκὸς ἦν 1

mvp-comment-180-2 οὕτως 2

mvp-comment-181-1 βασιλέως τ’ 3

mvp-comment-182-1 κυρῶ τ’ ἐγὼ 4

mvp-comment-183-1 ὁμόσπορον 5

mvp-comment-184-1 κοινῶν παίδων κοινὰ ἦν ἂν ἐκπεφυκότα 6 κοινῶν 7 εἰ κείνῳ γένος | μὴ δυστύχησεν 8

mvp-comment-185-1 νῦν δ’ 9

mvp-comment-185-2 ἐνήλατο 10

mvp-comment-186-1 ἀνθ’ ὧν 11 ὦν 12

mvp-comment-186-2 τάδ’ 13 ὑπερμαχοῦμαι 14

mvp-comment-187-1 ὑπερμαχοῦμαι 15

mvp-comment-187-2 κἀπὶ πάντ’ ἀφίξομαι 16 ζητῶν 17

mvp-comment-188-1 τῷ Λαβδακείῳ παιδὶ 18 Λαβδακείῳ—Πολυδώρου 19

mvp-comment-189-1 construe: καὶ εὔχομαι τοῖς ταῦτα μὴ δρῶσιν 20 θεοὺς ἀνιέναι αὐτοῖς μήτ’ ἄροτόν τινα γῆς, μήτ’ οὖν γυναικῶν παῖδας 21 θεοὺς 22 ἀνιέναι 23 εὔχομαι 24

mvp-comment-190-1 μήτ’ οὖν 25

mvp-comment-191-1 φθερεῖσθαι 26

mvp-comment-192-1 τοῖς ἄλλοισι 27

mvp-comment-192-2 ἔστ’ ἀρέσκοντ’ 28 ἥ τε σύμμαχος Δίκη 29

mvp-comment-193-1 εὖ 30

mvp-comment-193-2 ὥσπερ μ’ ἀραῖον 31 ὧδε 32

mvp-comment-193-3 ἀραῖον 33

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

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.