Sophocles Oedipus Tyrannus 380

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)) — 380 focus
ὦ πλοῦτε καὶ τυραννὶ καὶ τέχνη τέχνης
380
ὑπερφέρουσα τῷ πολυζήλῳ βίῳ,
ὅσος παρ᾽ ὑμῖν ὁ φθόνος φυλάσσεται,
εἰ τῆσδέ γ' ἀρχῆς οὕνεχ᾽, ἣν ἐμοὶ πόλις
δωρητόν, οὐκ αἰτητόν, εἰσεχείρισεν,
ταύτης Κρέων ὁ πιστός, οὐξ ἀρχῆς φίλος
385
λάθρα μ᾽ ὑπελθὼν ἐκβαλεῖν ἱμείρεται,
ὑφεὶς μάγον τοιόνδε μηχανορράφον,
δόλιον ἀγύρτην, ὅστις ἐν τοῖς κέρδεσιν
μόνον δέδορκε, τὴν τέχνην δ᾽ ἔφυ τυφλός.
ἐπεί, φέρ᾽ εἰπέ, ποῦ σὺ μάντις εἶ σαφής;
390
πῶς οὐχ, ὅθ᾽ ἡ ῥαψῳδὸς ἐνθάδ᾽ ἦν κύων,
ηὔδας τι τοῖσδ᾽ ἀστοῖσιν ἐκλυτήριον;
καίτοι τό γ' αἴνιγμ᾽ οὐχὶ τοὐπιόντος ἦν
ἀνδρὸς διειπεῖν, ἀλλὰ μαντείας ἔδει·
ἣν οὔτ᾽ ἀπ᾿ οἰωνῶν σὺ προὐφάνης ἔχων
395
οὔτ᾽ ἐκ θεῶν τοῦ γνωτόν· ἀλλ᾽ ἐγὼ μολών,
ὁ μηδὲν εἰδὼς Οἰδίπους, ἔπαυσά νιν,
γνώμῃ κυρήσας οὐδ᾽ ἀπ᾿ οἰωνῶν μαθών·
ὃν δὴ σὺ πειρᾷς ἐκβαλεῖν, δοκῶν θρόνοις
παραστατήσειν τοῖς Κρεοντείοις πέλας.
400
κλαίων δοκεῖς μοι καὶ σὺ χώ συνθεὶς τάδε
ἁγηλατήσειν· εἰ δὲ μὴ ᾿δόκεις γέρων
εἶναι, παθὼν ἔγνως ἂν οἷά περ φρονεῖς.
Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 380 focus
Translations (4)
English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 380 focus
O wealth and sovereign power and high success
380
Attained through wisdom and admired of men,
380
What boundless jealousies environ you!
When for this rule, which to my hand the State
Committed unsolicited and free,
Creon, my first of friends, trusted and sure,
Would undermine and hurl me from my throne,
385
Meanly suborning such a mendicant
Botcher of lies, this crafty wizard rogue,
Blind in his art, and seeing but for gain.
Where are the proofs of thy prophetic power?
How came it, when the minstrel-hound was here,
390
This folk had no deliverance through thy word?
Her snare could not be loosed by common wit,
But needed divination and deep skill;
No sign whereof proceeded forth from thee
Procured through birds or given by God, till I,
The unknowing traveller, overmastered her,
395
The stranger Oedipus, not led by birds,
But ravelling out the secret by my thought:
Whom now you study to supplant, and trust
To stand as a supporter of the throne
Of lordly Creon,—To your bitter pain
400
Thou and the man who plotted this will hunt
Pollution forth.—But for thy reverend look
Thou hadst atoned thy trespass on the spot.
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 380 focus
Reichthümer, Herrschaft, und o Kunst, der keine Kunst
Im neiderfüllten Leben sich zur Seite stellt,
Welch schnöde Mißgunst heget ihr in eurem Schooß,
Wenn um des Thrones willen, den mir diese Stadt
Unaufgefordert übergab als freien Lohn,
385
Mir Kreon, jener treue Freund aus alter Zeit,
Nachschleicht im Rücken und mich auszutreiben strebt,
Anstellend diesen Zaubermann, den Ränkeschmid,
Den listenreichen Gaukler, der in Wucher nur
Scharfsichtig und in seiner Kunst ein Blinder ist!
390
Denn sage, wo bewährst du deine Seherkraft?
Als hier die Hündin ihre Räthsel sang, warum 1
Sprachst du für unsre Bürger kein erlösend Wort?
Doch war es nicht des nächsten besten Mannes Werk,
Den Spruch zu deuten, nein, bedurfte Seherkunst;
395
Die lerntest du von deinen Vogelzeichen nicht,
Noch offenbarte dir's ein Gott: ich, Dedipus,
Erschien, ein Ziel ihr sezend, ich Unkundiger,
Durch Geist es treffend, nicht belehrt vom Vogelflug.
Und den versuchst du fortzutreiben, weil du dann
400
Kreon's erhabnem Throne nah zu stehen hoffst.
Ihr werdet weinend, hoff' ich, du wie dein Genoß,
Den Bann vollstrecken: säh' ich nicht in dir den Greis,
Du würd'st in Leid erkennen, was du mir ersannst.
English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 380 focus
Must I bear this from thee ? Away, begone !
Home, villain, home !
'Twas th' effect
English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 380 focus
O greatness, empire, and thou noblest art
380
That giv'st to life its glory most desired,
380
What baleful envy on your splendour waits,
Since for this royal pow'r by me unsought,
But by the state presented a free gift,
The faithful Creon, who the first appear'd
My friend, with dark and secret malice works,
385
Wishing my ruin, and suborns this wretch,
This sorcerer, this artificer of wiles,
Whose trains delude the people, sharp of sight
To lucre only, to his science blind.
Where hast thou e'er display'd a prophet's skill ?
Why, when the ravening hound of hell her charm
390
Mysterious chanted, for thy country wise
Didst thou not solve it? Of no vulgar mind
Was this the task; the prophet this required.
No knowledge then from birds didst thou receive,
None from the gods t' enfold it: but I came,
395
This nothing-knowing Edipus, and quell'd
The monster, piercing through her dark device
By reason's force, not taught by flight of birds.
Yet dost thou now assay to drive me out,
Weening to have thy stand next Creon's throne.
But thou, and he who form'd this base design
400
With thee, shall feel my pow'r: but that thine age
Some reverence claims, thou shou'dst e'en now be taught,
And feel the madness of thine enterprise.

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-268-1 τῷ πολυζήλῳ βίῳ 1 ὑπερφέρουσα 2 πολυζήλῳ 3 τέχνη τέχνης | ὑπερφέρουσα 4

mvp-comment-269-1 παρ’ ὑμῖν … φυλάσσεται 5 φυλάσσεται 6

mvp-comment-270-1 δωρητόν, οὐκ αἰτητόν 7

mvp-comment-271-1 ταύτης 8

mvp-comment-272-1 ὑφεὶς 9 μάγος 10 ἀγύρτης 11

mvp-comment-273-1 ἀγύρτην 12

mvp-comment-273-2 ἐν τοῖς κέρδεσιν 13

mvp-comment-274-1 ἐπεὶ 14

mvp-comment-274-2 ποῦ; 15

mvp-comment-274-3 εἶ σαφής 16

mvp-comment-275-1 κύων 17

mvp-comment-275-2 ῥαψῳδὸς 18

mvp-comment-276-1 τό γ’ αἴνιγμ’ 19 ὁ ἐπιών 20

mvp-comment-276-2 διειπεῖν 21

mvp-comment-277-1 ἣν οἴτ’ ἀπ’ οἰωνῶν ἔχων οὔτ’ ἐκ θεῶν του γνωτὸν 22 προὐφάνης 23 ἀπ’ 24 ἐκ 25 προὐφάνης 26 ἀπό 27 ἐκ 28 θεῶν του 29 γνωτόν 30

mvp-comment-277-2 μολών 31

mvp-comment-278-1 ὁ μηδὲν εἰδὼς 32

mvp-comment-279-1 πέλας 33

mvp-comment-280-1 κλαίων 34

mvp-comment-280-2 ὁ συνθεὶς 35

mvp-comment-281-1 ἀγηλατεῖν = τὸ ἄγος ἐλαύνειν(see on 98), in this case ἀνδρηλατεῖν (100), to expel the μιάστωρ. Hdt. 5.72

Κλεομένης … ἀγηλατέει ἑπτακόσια ἐπίστια
(households) Ἀθηναίων. The smooth breathing is supported by Hesychius, by the grammarians in Bekker's Anecd. 1.328.32, and by most MSS. of Soph.; while the aspirate is given by L here, by Eustathius (1704, 5), and by Suidas, who quotes this verse. Curtius distinguishes (1) ἀγ‐, ἄγ‐ος, guilt, object of awe, whence ἐναγής: Skt. ag-as, vexation, offence: Etym. sect. 116: (2) root ἅγ, ἅζ‐ο‐μαι reverence, ἅγ‐ιο‐ς holy, ἁγ‐νό‐ς pure: Skt. jage(jaegea_-mi), reverence, consecrate: Etym. sect. 118. In Aesch. Lib. 154 and Soph. Ant. 775 he would with Herm. write ἅγος as = “consecrated offering.” In both places, however, ἄγος(= piaculum) satisfies the sense (see n. on Soph. Ant. 775 ); and for ἅγος there is no other evidence. But this, at least, seems clear: the compound synonym for τὸ ἄγος ἐλαύνειν( Thuc. 1.126 ) should be written ἀγηλατεῖν. δόκεις 36

mvp-comment-282-1 παθὼν 37

mvp-comment-282-2 οἶά 38 περ φρονεῖς 39

mvp-comment-283-1 ὀργῇ 40

mvp-comment-283-2 καὶ τὰ σ’ 41

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

380-403. mvp-comment-231-1 The general meaning of these lines is as follows. Yes, Creon has set him on, for envy, to hurl me from power. Creon, my right hand! O how the success of another awakes ambition and poisons hearts! And what an instrument! Thou crafty seer, whose eyes are only open for gain, am I not a truer prophet than thou ever wast? Did not the Sphinx fall before my simple skill, when thy magic and thy inspiration failed? And you think to stand at Creon's right hand, when you have ousted me? He and you alike will soon repent your hypocrisy. Nothing but your age protects you from immediate punishment.'

380. mvp-comment-232-1 τέχνη τέχνης ὑπερφέρουσα Skill surpassing skill. Cp. Phil. 138-140, τέχνα γὰρ τέχνας ἑτέρας προὔχει καὶ γνώμα παρ' ὅτῳ τὸ θεῖον Διὸς σκῆπτρον ἀνάσσεται. Oedipus alludes to his success in solving the riddle, γνώμῃ κυρήσας, 398. τῷ πολυζήλῳ βίῳ is the dative of place transferred to circumstance. (1) In the muchenvied life,' i. e. In a brilliant state of life such as mine.' To this ὁ φθόνος in the lines following seems to correspond. Or perhaps (2) more generally, In life which is full of contention. (3) Others make the genitive equivalent to a dative ='belonging to,' cp. Pind. N. 3. 10. ὁ φθόνος = sc. ὃν ἔχετε, How great is the envy that is stored up with you. To be envied, according to Greek notions, was fortunate, but perilous. Cp. Thuc. 2. 64, ὅστις δ᾽ ἐπὶ μεγίστοις τὸ ἐπίφθονον λαμβάνει, ὀρθῶς βουλεύεται : Pind. P. 1. 85, κρείσσων γὰρ οἰκτιρμοῦ φθόνος.

382. mvp-comment-233-1 φυλάσσεται Is treasured up. An Homeric expression. (II. 16. 30, χόλος ὃν σὺ φυλάσσεις.) Cp. O. C. 1212, σκαιοσύναν φυλάσσων. For the passive, see Essay on Language § 31. p. 54.

383. mvp-comment-234-1 γε implies This rule of mine, which surely might have been free from envy, since I never asked for it, but the city gave it me.'

385. mvp-comment-235-1 ὁ πιστός Ironical. Cp. Tr. 540, Ἡρακλῆς | ὁ πιστός, κ.τ.λ.

385. mvp-comment-235-2 οὐξ ἀρχῆς φίλος Cp. Aesch. Prom. 304-305, τὸν Διὸς φίλον, τὸν συγκαταστήσαντα τὴν τυραννίδα. ταύτης is ablative genitive after ἐκβαλεῖν, but the poet passes almost unconsciously from the one genitive to the other.

386-388. mvp-comment-236-1 Desires secretly to undermine and dethrone me, suborning this weaver of intrigues, this wizard, this crafty mendicant, who has an eye for his gains only, but has no eye for his art.' μάγον, as properly applicable to a barbarian soothsayer, and ἀγύρτην, to the lowest class of priests in Greece, are opprobrious words.

387. mvp-comment-237-1 ὑφείς Suborning. Cp. ὑποβάλλω.

388-389. mvp-comment-238-1 Cp. Ant. 1055, τὸ μαντικὸν γὰρ πᾶν φιλάργυρον γένος.

390. mvp-comment-239-1 ποῦ = ' On what occasion? i. e. When have you been a true prophet? Cp. supr. 355, infr. 720, ἐνταῦθα.

391. mvp-comment-240-1 ῥαψῳδός = Songstress. but also (with allusion to the supposed etymology from ῥάπτειν ᾠδήν) weaver of intricate songs. Cp. μηχανορράφος. κύων = Monster. Cp. Aesch. Fragm. 252, Σφίγγα δυσαμερίαν πρύτανιν κύνα.

394. mvp-comment-241-1 διειπεῖν To tell distinctly, to explain. 395. (1) And this you showed that you had not either from birds, nor yet had known from any of the gods. οὐ..

394. mvp-comment-241-2 προὐφάνης ἔχων = προὐφάνης οὐκ ἔχων. The ignorance of the prophet on this occasion was a strange phenomenon, to which Oedipus calls attention. Or (2) You were not found to have. 396. There is an intentional assonance here, but without any distinct playing upon the word. Cp. supr. 70, 1, infr. 603-604. See Essay on Language § 44. p. 83, and for μηδέν, ib. p. 48, 2, b. Cp. supr. 367.

394. mvp-comment-241-3 ἔπαυσά νιν The personal pronoun viv refers to the Sphinx and not to her riddle. Hence ἔπαυσα is better than the conjectural ἔλυσα.

401. mvp-comment-242-1 χώ συνθεὶς τάδε Thuc. 8. 68, ὁ .. τὸ πρᾶγμα ξυνθεὶς .. Ἀντιφῶν ἦν. 390 395 400 397. εἰδώς] γνώμῃ CA Pal.

402. mvp-comment-243-1 ἁγηλατήσειν The future tense rather belongs to κλαίων; You shall suffer for attempting to drive out pollution. Cp. Ant. 754, κλαίων φρενώσεις. To your own hurt will you and the plotter of this, methinks, drive out pollution. Cp. Hom. Il. 16. 623, τῷ κε τάχα στυγερῶς πολέμου ἀπερωήσειας.

402. mvp-comment-243-2 εἰ δέ, κ.τ.λ. Cp. Od. 23. 24, σὲ δὲ τοῦτό γε γῆρας ὀνήσει.

402. mvp-comment-243-3 ἐδόκεις γέρων εἶναι] But for the feeling that you are an old man, i. e. If I did not see, or if I did not remember, that you are an old man. δοκεῖν is not intended to throw doubt upon the fact, but simply to express the feeling of Oedipus. Essay on Language § 50. 6. b. p. 95. Ср. Τr. 57, τοῦ καλῶς πράσσειν δοκεῖν: Hdt. 4.114, εἰ βούλεσθε.. δοκέειν εἶναι δικαιότατοι. For the unconscious tautology in δοκῶν, δοκεῖς, ᾿δόκεις, see Essay on Language pp. 83, 84, and cp. infr. 519.

403. mvp-comment-244-1 παθὼν ἔγνως ἄν Cp. Hes. Op. 218, παθὼν δὲ τε νήπιος ἔγνω. You should have learnt from suffering what a spirit you are showing. Cp. Aesch. S. c. Τ. 550, τύχοιεν ὧν φρονοῦσιν. And, for οἷόσπερ in this connection, О. С. 896, οἱάπερ πέπονθ᾽ ἀκήκοας.

404. mvp-comment-245-1 εἰκάζουσι indicates the modest reserve with which the chorus express their view of what is passing between those above them. Cp. infr. 530.