Sophocles Oedipus Tyrannus 1110

ed. Francis Storr

View: By Scene

Oedipus Tyrannus. Sophocles. ed. Francis Storr. London. 1912.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.

Current edition Experimental

Οἰδίπους Τύραννος (Greek) (Sophocles, Volume 1. Storr, Francis, editor. London; New York: William Heinemann Ltd.; The Macmillan Company, 1912.)

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (1)
Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 1110 focus
εἰ χρή τι κἀμὲ μὴ συναλλάξαντά πω,
1110
πρέσβυ, σταθμᾶσθαι, τὸν βοτῆρ᾽ ὁρᾶν δοκῶ,
ὅνπερ πάλαι ζητοῦμεν. ἔν τε γὰρ μακρῷ
γήρᾳ ξυνᾴδει τῷδε τἀνδρὶ σύμμετρος,
ἄλλως τε τοὺς ἄγοντας ὥσπερ οἰκέτας
ἔγνωκ᾿ ἐμαυτοῦ· τῇ δ᾽ ἐπιστήμῃ σύ μου
1115
προὔχοις τάχ᾽ ἄν που, τὸν βοτῆρ᾿ ἰδὼν πάρος.
Translations (5)
English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 1110 focus
If haply I, who never saw his face,
1110
Thebans, may guess, methinks I see the hind
1110
Whose coming we have longed for. Both his age,
Agreeing with this other’s wintry locks,
Accords with my conjecture, and the garb
Of his conductors is well known to me
As that of mine own people. But methinks ()
Thou hast more perfect knowledge in this case,
1115
Having beheld the herdman in the past.
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 1110 focus
Darf ich vermuthen, der ich nie mit ihm verkehrt,
Ihr Greise, glaub' ich dort zu seh'n den Hirtenmann,
1080
Den längst von uns ersehnten; denn es stimmt genau
Sein hohes Alter überein mit diesem Mann.
Und außerdem erkenn' ich seine Führer auch
Als meine Diener; aber du magst besser wohl,
Als ich, es wissen, sahst ja sonst den Hirten schon.
1085
English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 1110 focus
CHORUS, SHEPHERD from CORINTH.
1110
Had converse with, yon old man, whom I see
This way advancing, must be that same shepherd
We lately sent for, by his age and mien,
E'en as this stranger did describe him to us ;
My servants too are with him. But you best
Can say, for you must know him well.
"What was thy business there ?
1130
Old Siiep. For my Hfe's better part I tended sheep.
1130
Old Siiep. To CithaBron,
1130
And to the neighbouring plains.
1130
Dost thou remember to have seen him 1
1130
Old Shep. Whom 1
1130
What hath he done ?
1130
English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 1110 focus
If I, who converse never with him held,
1110
May from appearance, reverend sages, judge,
1110
I see th' expected herdsman; for his years
Accord, denoting him of equal age
With this Corinthian: more than this, I know
They, who conduct him, to my menial train
Belong: with more assurance thou may'st speak,
1115
As haply thou hast seen this groom before.
English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 1110 focus

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-686-1 The οἰκεύς, who alone escaped from the slaughter of Laius and his following, had at his own request been sent away from Thebes to do the work of a herdsman (761). Oedipus had summoned him in order to see whether he would speak of λῃσταί, or of one λῃστής (842). But meanwhile a further question has arisen. Is he identical with that herdsman of Laius (1040) who had given up the infant Oedipus to the Corinthian shepherd? He is now seen approaching. With his coming, the two threads of discovery are brought together.

mvp-comment-687-1 κἀμὲ 1

mvp-comment-687-2 μὴ συναλλάξαντά πω 2

mvp-comment-688-1 ἐν … γήρᾳ 3

mvp-comment-689-1 ξυνᾴδει 4

mvp-comment-690-1 ἄλλως τε 5 ὥσπερ 6

mvp-comment-691-1 γάρ 7 Λαΐου γὰρ ἦν … νομεὺς 8 ἦν 9 ὡς 10

mvp-comment-691-2 ὡς 11

mvp-comment-692-1 τὸν Κορίνθ. ξένον 12 σὲ 13 ἐρωτῶ 14

mvp-comment-693-1 Cp. Soph. Trach. 402

οὗτος, βλέφ’ ὦδε.

mvp-comment-694-1 ἦ 15 ἦ 16 οἴκοι τραφείς 17

mvp-comment-695-1 μεριμνῶν 18

mvp-comment-696-1 ξύναυλος 19 πρὸς 20

mvp-comment-697-1 ἦν μὲν 21

mvp-comment-698-1 οἶσθα 22 μαθών 23

mvp-comment-699-1 καὶ λέγεις 24

mvp-comment-700-1 The constr. is οἶσθα μαθών … ἢ ξυναλλάξας; 25 ἦ συνήλλαξας … ; 26 συναλλάξας 27

mvp-comment-701-1 οὐχ ὥστε γ’ εἰπεῖν 28

mvp-comment-701-2 μνήμης ὕπο 29 μνήμης ἄπο 30

mvp-comment-702-1 κοὐδέν γε 31 ἀγνῶτ’ 32

mvp-comment-703-1 Soph. has the epic ἦμος 33

mvp-comment-703-2 τὸν Κιθαιρῶνος τόπον 34 ἐπλησίαζον 35 ἐπλησίαζον 36 τόπον 37 νέμων 38 ἐπλησίαζε 39

mvp-comment-704-1 ἐξ ἦρος εἰς ἀρκτοῦρον 40

mvp-comment-704-2 ἀρκτοῦρον 41 α 42 ἑκμήνους 43

mvp-comment-705-1 The fact that L has χειμῶνα 44 χειμῶνι 45

mvp-comment-706-1 πεπραγμένον 46

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

1109. mvp-comment-629-1 Ἑλικωνίδων The word was written so at first in Par. A. αἷς πλεῖστα συμπαίζει. Cp. Hom. h. Ven. 263.

1110. mvp-comment-630-1 καμέ For this modest use of καί, cp. infr. 1239, Plat. I Alc. 127 Ε, εἴ τι δεῖ καὶ τῇ ἐμῇ μαντείᾳ πιστεύειν.

1110. mvp-comment-630-2 μὴ συναλλάξαντά πω Having never before met with him. The unconsciousness of Oedipus is especially marked at the beginning of the scene in which he is to learn all (also in 1115-1116).

1111. mvp-comment-631-1 πρέσβυ This agrees better with what follows, l. 1115 , and accounts better for the corruption πρέσβυν, than the reading of L. p. m. πρέσβεις.

1112. mvp-comment-632-1 For his great age accords therewith, in that he is the equal in years of the man present here.

1113. mvp-comment-633-1 τῴδε τάνδρί Sc. τῷ Κορινθίῳ ξένῳ.

1113. mvp-comment-633-2 ξυνάδει is used absolutely (sc. τῷ δν ζητοῦμεν), the dative being governed by σύμμετρος, which is a supplementary predicate. ξύμμετρος is changed to σύμμετρος to preserve the Porsonic pause.

1114. mvp-comment-634-1 ἄλλως τε And also I think I recognize in those who are bringing him the appearance of my own servants.

1114. mvp-comment-634-2 ἄλλως = ' independently of this,' - as a more certain indication. ὥσπερ limits or modifies the assertion, in accordance with the subdued tone of the whole speech.

1117. mvp-comment-635-1 γάρ Cp. Phil. 755-756, δεινόν γε τοὐπίσαγμα τοῦ νοσήματος. ΦΙΛ. δεινὸν γὰρ οὐδὲ ῥητόν.

1117. mvp-comment-635-2 Λαΐου Cp. 1042, τῶν Λαΐου δήπου τις ὠνομάζετο, infr. 1122. This genitive is to be resumed in construction with νομεύς.

1118. mvp-comment-636-1 εἴπερ .. ἀνήρ And if ever there was one, he was a faithful herdsman.

1121. mvp-comment-637-1 οὗτος, σύ Cp. supr. 532, and note, Ant. 441, σὲ δή, σέ, κ.τ.λ.

1121. mvp-comment-637-2 δεῦρό μοι φώνει βλέπων I beg you will look this way and speak. The Theban herdsman avoids the eye of Oedipus. Cp. supr. 758, foll.

1123. mvp-comment-638-1 ἀλλ᾽ οἴκοι τραφείς This helps to account for the confidence reposed in him by Jocasta, supr 756, 763.

1125. mvp-comment-639-1 I was generally a herdsman.'

1126. mvp-comment-640-1 ξύναυλος Sc. τοῖς ποιμνίοις.

1128. mvp-comment-641-1 The indefinite που answers to the indefiniteness of the answer in 1127. Are you then aware of having somewhere thereabouts made the acquaintance of this man? Cp. infr. 1142-1143. Q2

1130. mvp-comment-642-1 ή ξυνήλλαξας τί πω Had you ever anything to do with him? This is better than ἢ ξυναλλάξας, which requires a somewhat forced connection with l. 1128.

1134. mvp-comment-643-1 τὸν Κιθαιρῶνος τόπον As we ranged about Citheron. The accusative (of the sphere of motion) is governed by the general notion of traversing or occupying in what follows. Cp. Aj. 877,8, ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲ μὲν δὴ τὴν ἀφ᾿ ἡλίου βολῶν | κέλευθον ἁνὴρ οὐδαμοῦ δηλοῖ φανείς.

1136. mvp-comment-644-1 ἐπλησίαζον The verb in the latter part of the sentence is adapted to the nearer subject. For instances of this attraction, or zeugma, see Essay on Language pp. 65-66.

1137. mvp-comment-645-1 ἑκμήνους Cp. Plat. Legg. 11, 916 B. where ἐκμήνου for ἑκμήνου is in Par. A, Hes. Op. 566, 608. There can be no doubt that this is the true reading, though based on inferior MS. authority. It was adopted by Porson from the Trin. MS. and is confirmed by three others (including Ven. 617 pr.) Three entire seasons of six months extending from spring to the rising of Arcturus. It has been proposed (by E. A. J. Ahrens in Philologus of 1876) to explain the Laurentian reading thus: τρεῖς ὅλους ἐμμήνους χρόνους, three full months, being the time from spring to the rising of Arcturus: and it is urged in favour (a) χειμῶνι EV3 Vat. ac.

1137. mvp-comment-645-2 τούτων CA. of this that spring is late in visiting the Boeotian Highlands. But the awkwardness of the parenthesis, coming between the numeral and the noun, and the unmeaning pleonasm, are fatal objections to this way of taking the words. The division of the year κατὰ θέρος καὶ χειμώνα, into equal periods of six months, is also more probable. And the imperfect ἤλαυνον shows that the shepherd is speaking of what he did not once but habitually.

1138. mvp-comment-646-1 χειμώνα δ᾽ ἤδη But for the winter season, when it came. The accusative of time, continued from χρόνους supr., is here proleptic; i.e. I drove them to remain during winter. Cp. Thuc. 3. 21, τὰς οὖν νύκτας τὰς μὲν ἐπάλξεις ἀπέλειπον: Hdt. 7. 50, § 3, ὥρην τε τοῦ ἔτεος καλλίστην πορευόμεθα. The commencement of the action and its continuance are thought of together. χειμῶνα has the best authority, and is also the more difficult reading. According to a calculation made by Prof. Förster at the request of G. Wolff, the morning rising of Arcturus for Athens in 430 B. C. was on the 13th September of the Julian Calendar.

1140. mvp-comment-647-1 πεπραγμένον That has really happened. τι τούτων is supplemented by πεπραγμένον in the latter part of the sentence.