Sophocles, Oedipus Tyrannus, Richard Jebb (Translator), 634

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Iocasta enters.

Iocasta

Misguided men, why have you raised

such a foolish argument? Are you not ashamed, while the land is so sick, to stir up troubles of your own? Come, go into the house—and you, Creon, go to yours—and stop making so much of a petty grief.
635

Creon

Kinswoman, Oedipus, your husband,

wants to do one of two terrible things to me, either to thrust me from the land of my fathers or to arrest and slay me.
640

Oedipus

Yes indeed, for I have caught him, lady, working evil against my person with his wicked craft.

Creon

May I derive no benefit,

but perish accursed, if I have done any of the things of which you charge me.
645

Iocasta

In the name of the gods, believe it, Oedipus, first for the sake of this awful oath to the gods, then for my sake and for the sake of those who stand before you.

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)) — 634 focus

τί τὴν ἄβουλον, ὦ ταλαίπωροι, στάσιν

γλώσσης ἐπήρασθ', οὐδ᾽ ἐπαισχύνεσθε, γῆς
635

οὕτω νοσούσης, ἴδια κινοῦντες κακά;

οὐκ εἶ σύ τ᾽ οἴκους σύ τε, Κρέον, κατὰ στέγας,

καὶ μὴ τὸ μηδὲν ἄλγος εἰς μέγ' οἴσετε;

Κρέων

ὅμαιμε, δεινά μ' Οἰδίπους ὁ σὸς πόσις

δρᾶσαι δικαιοῖ, δυοῖν ἀποκρίνας κακοῖν,
640

ἢ γῆς ἀπῶσαι πατρίδος, ἢ κτεῖναι λαβών.

Οἰδίπους

ξύμφημι· δρῶντα γάρ νιν, ὦ γύναι, κακῶς

εἴληφα τοὐμὸν σῶμα σὺν τέχνῃ κακῇ.

Κρέων

μή νυν ὀναίμην, ἀλλ᾽ ἀραῖος, εἴ σέ τι

δέδρακ, ὀλοίμην, ὧν ἐπαιτιᾷ με δρᾶν.
645

Ἰοκάστη

ὦ πρὸς θεῶν πίστευσον, Οἰδίπους, τάδε,

μάλιστα μὲν τόνδ᾽ ὅρκον αἰδεσθεὶς θεῶν,

ἔπειτα κἀμὲ τούσδε θ᾽ οἳ πάρεισί σοι.

α

Χορός

Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 634 focus

Ἰοκάστη

τί τὴν ἄβουλον, ὦ ταλαίπωροι, στάσιν

γλώσσης ἐπήρασθʼ οὐδʼ ἐπαισχύνεσθε γῆς
635

οὕτω νοσούσης ἴδια κινοῦντες κακά;

οὐκ εἶ σύ τʼ οἴκους σύ τε, Κρέων, κατὰ στέγας,

καὶ μὴ τὸ μηδὲν ἄλγος εἰς μέγʼ οἴσετε;

Κρέων

ὅμαιμε, δεινά μʼ Οἰδίπους ὁ σὸς πόσις

δρᾶσαι δικαιοῖ δυοῖν ἀποκρίνας κακοῖν
640

ἢ γῆς ἀπῶσαι πατρίδος ἢ κτεῖναι λαβών.

Οἰδίπους

ξύμφημι· δρῶντα γάρ νιν, ὦ γύναι, κακῶς

εἴληφα τοὐμὸν σῶμα σὺν τέχνῃ κακῇ.

Κρέων

μή νυν ὀναίμην, ἀλλʼ ἀραῖος, εἴ σέ τι

δέδρακʼ, ὀλοίμην, ὧν ἐπαιτιᾷ με δρᾶν.
645

Ἰοκάστη

ὦ πρὸς θεῶν πίστευσον, Οἰδίπους, τάδε,

μάλιστα μὲν τόνδʼ ὅρκον αἰδεσθεὶς θεῶν,

ἔπειτα κἀμὲ τούσδε θʼ οἳ πάρεισί σοι.

Translations (4)

English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 634 focus

Unhappy that ye are, why have ye reared

Your wordy rancour ’mid the city’s harms?

Have you no shame, to stir up private broils
635

In such a time as this? Get thee within! ()

And thou too, Creon! nor enlarge your griefs

To make a mountain out of nothingness.

CR

Sister, thy husband Oedipus declares

One of two horrors he will wreak on me,
640

Banishment from my native land, or death.

OED

Yea, for I caught him practising, my queen,

Against our person with malignant guile.

CR

May comfort fail me, and a withering curse

Destroy me, if I e’er planned aught of this.
645

JO

I pray thee, husband, listen to his plea;

Chiefly respecting his appeal to Heaven,

But also me, and these who stand by thee.

CH. 1

German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 634 focus

Was weckt ihr unbesonnen, ihr Unseligen,

Der Zungen Aufruhr und erröthet nicht und schafft

Euch eignes Leid noch, während also krankt das Land?

Geh du nach Hause, du, o Kreon, eile heim,
630

Und macht zu großem Leide nicht ein eitles Nichts!

Kreon.

Schwester, Arges mir zu thun sinnt Dedipus,

Dein Gatte, der von zweien Uebeln eines mir,

Flucht aus der Heimat oder hier den Tod, verhängt.

Oedipus.

So ist es: eben überführt' ich ihn, o Frau,
635

Der Böses meinem Leben sann mit böser List.

Kreon.

Nie sei ich glücklich, will, verflucht, zu Grunde geh'n,

That ich dir Eines, wessen du mich schuldig nenust!

Jokaste.

O bei den Göttern, glaube diesem Wort, o Herr,

Vor Allem scheuend, was er hier den Göttern schwur,
640

Dann mich und diese Männer, die dir nahe steh'n!

Der Chor.

English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 634 focus

O citizens !

Creon

C'reon, OIdipus, Chorus.

Joe. Whence this sudden tumult ?
635

O princes ! Is this well, at such a time

With idle broils to multiply the woes

Of wretched Thebes? Home, home, for shame ! nor

thus

With private quarrels swell the public ruin.

Creon

Sister, thy husband hath most basely used

me;

He threatens me with banishment or death.
640

GEdi. I do confess it ; for he did conspire
640

With vile and Avicked arts against my life.

Creon

Oh ! may I never prosper, but accursed,

XJnpitied, perish if I ever did.

Joe. Believe him, CEdipus ; revere the gods

Whom he contests, if thou dost love Jocasta ;
645

Thy subjects beg it of thee.
645

Chorus

English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 634 focus

Why, indiscreetly why this strife of words,

Unhappy princes, have you raised, nor blush,

Creon

Your country with afflictions thus oppress'd,

To stir up private contest? Wilt not thou
640

Nor add a causeless grief to weighty woes?

Alas, my sister, with injurious rage

Exile or death, against me to enforce.
645

Oedipus
Enter these gates? Thou, Creon, hence depart,

I own it: for I found him with base arts

Against my person plotting base designs.

If I have done this, of this heinous charge

If I am guilty, let me not enjoy

The light of heav'n, but fall a wretch accurs'd.

Believe him, I conjure thee by the gods,

Jocasta

In this believe him, Edipus; regard

His sacred oath, and me, and these thy friends.

Chorus

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-404-1 οἴκους ¹ εἶ ² κατὰ ³ στέγας ⁴

mvp-comment-405-1 τὸ μηδὲν ἄλγος ⁵ εἰς μέγα φέρειν ⁶

mvp-comment-406-1 δυοῖν … ἀποκρίνας κακοῖν ⁷ δυοῖν ⁸ δυοῖν ⁹ ἀποκρίνας ¹⁰ δυοῖν ¹¹ δρᾶν ¹² ἀπῶσαι, κτεῖναι ¹³ ἀπο‐κρίνας ¹⁴ ἀποκρίνας ¹⁵

mvp-comment-407-1 δρῶντα κακῶς τοὐμὸν σῶμα ¹⁶

mvp-comment-408-1 ἀραῖος ¹⁷

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

634. mvp-comment-371-1 5. What mean you, miserable men, by raising this senseless altercation?' For the article, cp. Phil. 327, 8, τίνος γὰρ ὧδε τὸν μέγαν χόλον κατ᾿ αὐτῶν ἐγκαλῶν ἐλήλυθας; The conjecture τί τήνδ' ἄβουλον, though plausible at first sight, has the effect of weakening the natural emphasis on ἄβουλον.

634. mvp-comment-371-2 στάσιν γλώσσης War of words.

634. mvp-comment-371-3 οὐδ᾽ ἐπαισχύνεσθε And are not ashamed. The force of τί is continued. For this punctuation, which on the whole seems preferable to ἐπήρασθ᾽; οὐδ'-cp. Αj. 1307, ὠθεῖς-, οὐδ᾽ ἐπαισχύνει λέγων; For the other way of dividing the sentence, And are ye not ashamed, cp. Phil. 929, οἱ' ἠπάτηκας· οὐδ᾽ ἐπαισχύνει μ᾿ ὁρῶν; The former is more suitable to the reproachful tone of Jocasta here.

637. mvp-comment-372-1 σύ τ' The omission of the noun vocative in addressing Oedipus gives a peremptory tone to Jocasta's speech. For the prep. with the 2nd word, cp. supr. 93, 4.

638. mvp-comment-373-1 τὸ μηδὲν ἄλγος ‘And do not raise into importance a trouble which is not worth speaking of;'-because all private griefs are as nothing in the calamity of the state. The full expression would be τὸ μηδὲν ὂν ἄλγος. Essay on Language §39. p. 72, c. ib. p. 48.

640. mvp-comment-374-1 δικαιοῖ, Thinks fit, or intends. Cp. Hdt. 3. 36, ταῦτα δέ μιν ποιεῦντα ἐδικαίωσε Κροῖσος .. νουθετῆσαι.

640. mvp-comment-374-2 δυοῖν ἀποκρίνας κακοῖν Having made selection between two evils. There are two objections to this line on the ground of metre; the o lengthened before up (cp. Aesch. Prom. 24, ἀποκρύψει φάος), and the scansion of δυοῖν as a monosyllable, the only parallel to which in Greek tragic verse is Ἐρινννων, in Iph. Taur. 970, 1456. (See, however, Hes. Scut. 3, Ἠλεκτρύωνος: cp. ib. 16.) The two metrical exceptions are singular. But it is not likely that the verse is corrupt. No interpolator would have introduced a word so rare in later Greek as ἀποκρίνας in this sense. (Cp. Hdt. 6. 130.) None of the attempted emendations are satisfactory. Critics have noticed what was hardly worth noticing, the discrepancy between l. 641. and 623, and it has been proposed to interpret δεινά as implying that after making selection Oedipus had chosen death as the punishment. But such slight inconsistencies are neither undramatic nor unnatural.

641. mvp-comment-375-1 These words, though epexegetic of the participle, are in apposition with δρᾶσαι.

643. mvp-comment-376-1 τοὐμὸν σῶμα My person. Cp. Ο. C. 355, ἃ τοῦδ᾽ ἐχρήσθη σώματος. The language has some of the formality of an indictment.

644-645. mvp-comment-377-1 For the alternation of clauses, see Essay on Language § 41, p. 77.

646. mvp-comment-378-1 πίστευσον τάδε Cp. Eur. Hel. 710, λόγοις δ᾽ ἐμοῖσι πίστευσον τάδε.

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Iocasta Misguided men, why have you raised such a foolish argument? Are you not ashamed, while the land is so sick, to stir up troubles of your own? Come, go into the house—and you, Creon, go to yours—and stop making so much of a petty grief. 635

Creon Kinswoman, Oedipus, your husband, wants to do one of two terrible things to me, either to thrust me from the land of my fathers or to arrest and slay me. 640

Oedipus Yes indeed, for I have caught him, lady, working evil against my person with his wicked craft.

Creon May I derive no benefit, but perish accursed, if I have done any of the things of which you charge me. 645

Iocasta In the name of the gods, believe it, Oedipus, first for the sake of this awful oath to the gods, then for my sake and for the sake of those who stand before you.

Current edition Experimental

Κρέων ὅμαιμε, δεινά μ' Οἰδίπους ὁ σὸς πόσις δρᾶσαι δικαιοῖ, δυοῖν ἀποκρίνας κακοῖν, 640 ἢ γῆς ἀπῶσαι πατρίδος, ἢ κτεῖναι λαβών.

Οἰδίπους ξύμφημι· δρῶντα γάρ νιν, ὦ γύναι, κακῶς εἴληφα τοὐμὸν σῶμα σὺν τέχνῃ κακῇ.

Κρέων μή νυν ὀναίμην, ἀλλ᾽ ἀραῖος, εἴ σέ τι δέδρακ, ὀλοίμην, ὧν ἐπαιτιᾷ με δρᾶν. 645

Ἰοκάστη ὦ πρὸς θεῶν πίστευσον, Οἰδίπους, τάδε, μάλιστα μὲν τόνδ᾽ ὅρκον αἰδεσθεὶς θεῶν, ἔπειτα κἀμὲ τούσδε θ᾽ οἳ πάρεισί σοι. α

Χορός

Κρέων ὅμαιμε, δεινά μʼ Οἰδίπους ὁ σὸς πόσις δρᾶσαι δικαιοῖ δυοῖν ἀποκρίνας κακοῖν 640 ἢ γῆς ἀπῶσαι πατρίδος ἢ κτεῖναι λαβών.

Οἰδίπους ξύμφημι· δρῶντα γάρ νιν, ὦ γύναι, κακῶς εἴληφα τοὐμὸν σῶμα σὺν τέχνῃ κακῇ.

Κρέων μή νυν ὀναίμην, ἀλλʼ ἀραῖος, εἴ σέ τι δέδρακʼ, ὀλοίμην, ὧν ἐπαιτιᾷ με δρᾶν. 645

Ἰοκάστη ὦ πρὸς θεῶν πίστευσον, Οἰδίπους, τάδε, μάλιστα μὲν τόνδʼ ὅρκον αἰδεσθεὶς θεῶν, ἔπειτα κἀμὲ τούσδε θʼ οἳ πάρεισί σοι.

Unhappy that ye are, why have ye reared Your wordy rancour ’mid the city’s harms? Have you no shame, to stir up private broils 635 In such a time as this? Get thee within! () And thou too, Creon! nor enlarge your griefs To make a mountain out of nothingness.

CR Sister, thy husband Oedipus declares One of two horrors he will wreak on me, 640 Banishment from my native land, or death.

OED Yea, for I caught him practising, my queen, Against our person with malignant guile.

CR May comfort fail me, and a withering curse Destroy me, if I e’er planned aught of this. 645

JO I pray thee, husband, listen to his plea; Chiefly respecting his appeal to Heaven, But also me, and these who stand by thee.

CH. 1

Was weckt ihr unbesonnen, ihr Unseligen, Der Zungen Aufruhr und erröthet nicht und schafft Euch eignes Leid noch, während also krankt das Land? Geh du nach Hause, du, o Kreon, eile heim, 630 Und macht zu großem Leide nicht ein eitles Nichts!

Kreon. Schwester, Arges mir zu thun sinnt Dedipus, Dein Gatte, der von zweien Uebeln eines mir, Flucht aus der Heimat oder hier den Tod, verhängt.

Oedipus. So ist es: eben überführt' ich ihn, o Frau, 635 Der Böses meinem Leben sann mit böser List.

Kreon. Nie sei ich glücklich, will, verflucht, zu Grunde geh'n, That ich dir Eines, wessen du mich schuldig nenust!

Jokaste. O bei den Göttern, glaube diesem Wort, o Herr, Vor Allem scheuend, was er hier den Göttern schwur, 640 Dann mich und diese Männer, die dir nahe steh'n!

Der Chor.

O citizens !

Creon

C'reon, OIdipus, Chorus. Joe. Whence this sudden tumult ? 635 O princes ! Is this well, at such a time With idle broils to multiply the woes Of wretched Thebes? Home, home, for shame ! nor thus With private quarrels swell the public ruin.

Creon Sister, thy husband hath most basely used me; He threatens me with banishment or death. 640 GEdi. I do confess it ; for he did conspire 640 With vile and Avicked arts against my life.

Creon Oh ! may I never prosper, but accursed, XJnpitied, perish if I ever did. Joe. Believe him, CEdipus ; revere the gods Whom he contests, if thou dost love Jocasta ; 645 Thy subjects beg it of thee. 645

Chorus

Why, indiscreetly why this strife of words, Unhappy princes, have you raised, nor blush,

Creon Your country with afflictions thus oppress'd, To stir up private contest? Wilt not thou 640 Nor add a causeless grief to weighty woes? Alas, my sister, with injurious rage Exile or death, against me to enforce. 645

Jocasta In this believe him, Edipus; regard His sacred oath, and me, and these thy friends.

Chorus

Commentary

Stable identifiers

Iocasta

Misguided men, why have you raised

such a foolish argument? Are you not ashamed, while the land is so sick, to stir up troubles of your own? Come, go into the house—and you, Creon, go to yours—and stop making so much of a petty grief.
635

Creon

Kinswoman, Oedipus, your husband,

wants to do one of two terrible things to me, either to thrust me from the land of my fathers or to arrest and slay me.
640

Oedipus

Yes indeed, for I have caught him, lady, working evil against my person with his wicked craft.

Creon

May I derive no benefit,

but perish accursed, if I have done any of the things of which you charge me.
645

Iocasta

In the name of the gods, believe it, Oedipus, first for the sake of this awful oath to the gods, then for my sake and for the sake of those who stand before you.

Κρέων

ὅμαιμε, δεινά μ' Οἰδίπους ὁ σὸς πόσις

δρᾶσαι δικαιοῖ, δυοῖν ἀποκρίνας κακοῖν,
640

ἢ γῆς ἀπῶσαι πατρίδος, ἢ κτεῖναι λαβών.

Οἰδίπους

ξύμφημι· δρῶντα γάρ νιν, ὦ γύναι, κακῶς

εἴληφα τοὐμὸν σῶμα σὺν τέχνῃ κακῇ.

Κρέων

μή νυν ὀναίμην, ἀλλ᾽ ἀραῖος, εἴ σέ τι

δέδρακ, ὀλοίμην, ὧν ἐπαιτιᾷ με δρᾶν.
645

Ἰοκάστη

ὦ πρὸς θεῶν πίστευσον, Οἰδίπους, τάδε,

μάλιστα μὲν τόνδ᾽ ὅρκον αἰδεσθεὶς θεῶν,

ἔπειτα κἀμὲ τούσδε θ᾽ οἳ πάρεισί σοι.

α

Κρέων

ὅμαιμε, δεινά μʼ Οἰδίπους ὁ σὸς πόσις

δρᾶσαι δικαιοῖ δυοῖν ἀποκρίνας κακοῖν
640

ἢ γῆς ἀπῶσαι πατρίδος ἢ κτεῖναι λαβών.

Οἰδίπους

ξύμφημι· δρῶντα γάρ νιν, ὦ γύναι, κακῶς

εἴληφα τοὐμὸν σῶμα σὺν τέχνῃ κακῇ.

Κρέων

μή νυν ὀναίμην, ἀλλʼ ἀραῖος, εἴ σέ τι

δέδρακʼ, ὀλοίμην, ὧν ἐπαιτιᾷ με δρᾶν.
645

Ἰοκάστη

ὦ πρὸς θεῶν πίστευσον, Οἰδίπους, τάδε,

μάλιστα μὲν τόνδʼ ὅρκον αἰδεσθεὶς θεῶν,

ἔπειτα κἀμὲ τούσδε θʼ οἳ πάρεισί σοι.

Unhappy that ye are, why have ye reared

Your wordy rancour ’mid the city’s harms?

Have you no shame, to stir up private broils
635

In such a time as this? Get thee within! ()

And thou too, Creon! nor enlarge your griefs

To make a mountain out of nothingness.

CR

Sister, thy husband Oedipus declares

One of two horrors he will wreak on me,
640

Banishment from my native land, or death.

OED

Yea, for I caught him practising, my queen,

Against our person with malignant guile.

CR

May comfort fail me, and a withering curse

Destroy me, if I e’er planned aught of this.
645

JO

I pray thee, husband, listen to his plea;

Chiefly respecting his appeal to Heaven,

But also me, and these who stand by thee.

Was weckt ihr unbesonnen, ihr Unseligen,

Der Zungen Aufruhr und erröthet nicht und schafft

Euch eignes Leid noch, während also krankt das Land?

Geh du nach Hause, du, o Kreon, eile heim,
630

Und macht zu großem Leide nicht ein eitles Nichts!

Kreon.

Schwester, Arges mir zu thun sinnt Dedipus,

Dein Gatte, der von zweien Uebeln eines mir,

Flucht aus der Heimat oder hier den Tod, verhängt.

Oedipus.

So ist es: eben überführt' ich ihn, o Frau,
635

Der Böses meinem Leben sann mit böser List.

Kreon.

Nie sei ich glücklich, will, verflucht, zu Grunde geh'n,

That ich dir Eines, wessen du mich schuldig nenust!

Jokaste.

O bei den Göttern, glaube diesem Wort, o Herr,

Vor Allem scheuend, was er hier den Göttern schwur,
640

Dann mich und diese Männer, die dir nahe steh'n!

C'reon, OIdipus, Chorus.

Joe. Whence this sudden tumult ?
635

O princes ! Is this well, at such a time

With idle broils to multiply the woes

Of wretched Thebes? Home, home, for shame ! nor

thus

With private quarrels swell the public ruin.

Creon

Sister, thy husband hath most basely used

me;

He threatens me with banishment or death.
640

GEdi. I do confess it ; for he did conspire
640

With vile and Avicked arts against my life.

Creon

Oh ! may I never prosper, but accursed,

XJnpitied, perish if I ever did.

Joe. Believe him, CEdipus ; revere the gods

Whom he contests, if thou dost love Jocasta ;
645

Thy subjects beg it of thee.
645

Why, indiscreetly why this strife of words,

Unhappy princes, have you raised, nor blush,

Creon

Your country with afflictions thus oppress'd,

To stir up private contest? Wilt not thou
640

Nor add a causeless grief to weighty woes?

Alas, my sister, with injurious rage

Exile or death, against me to enforce.
645

Jocasta

In this believe him, Edipus; regard

His sacred oath, and me, and these thy friends.