Sophocles Oedipus Tyrannus 132

ed. Francis Storr

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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)) — 132 focus
ἀλλ' ἐξ ὑπαρχῆς αὖθις αὔτ᾽ ἐγὼ φανῶ.
ἐπαξίως γὰρ Φοῖβος, ἀξίως δὲ σὺ
πρὸς τοῦ θανόντος τήνδ᾽ ἔθεσθ᾽ ἐπιστροφήν·
ὥστ᾽ ἐνδίκως ὄψεσθε κἀμὲ σύμμαχον,
135
γῇ τῇδε τιμωροῦντα τῷ θεῷ θ᾽ ἅμα.
ὑπὲρ γὰρ οὐχὶ τῶν ἀπωτέρω φίλων,
ἀλλ᾽ αὐτὸς αὐτοῦ τοῦτ᾽ ἀποσκεδῶ μύσος.
ὅστις γὰρ ἦν ἐκεῖνον ὁ κτανὼν τάχ᾽ ἂν
κἄμ᾽ ἂν τοιαύτῃ χειρὶ τιμωρεῖν θέλοι.
140
κείνῳ προσαρκῶν οὖν ἐμαυτὸν ὠφελῶ.
ἀλλ᾽ ὡς τάχιστα, παῖδες, ὑμεῖς μὲν βάθρων
ἵστασθε, τούσδ᾽ ἄραντες ἱκτῆρας κλάδους,
ἄλλος δὲ Κάδμου λαὸν ὧδ᾽ ἀθροιζέτω,
ὡς πᾶν ἐμοῦ δράσοντος. ἢ γὰρ εὐτυχεῖς
145
σὺν τῷ θεῷ φανούμεθ', ἢ πεπτωκότες.
[35 a.
Translations (5)
English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 132 focus
But I will track this evil to the spring
And clear it to the day. Most worthily
Doth great Apollo, worthily dost thou
Prompt this new care for the unthought of dead.
And me too ye shall find a just ally,
135
Succouring the cause of Phoebus and the land.
Since, in dispelling this dark cloud, I serve
No indirect or distant claim on me,
But mine own life, for he that slew the king
May one day turn his guilty hand ’gainst me
With equal rage. In righting Laius, then,
140
I forward mine own cause.—Now, children, rise
From the altar-steps, and lift your suppliant boughs,
And let some other summon to this place
All Cadmus’ people, and assure them, I
Will answer every need. This day shall see us
145
Blest with glad fortune through God’s help, or fallen.
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 132 focus
Von Anbeginn denn werde dies von mir enthüllt.
Denn würdig war's des Phöbos, würdig deiner war's,
Daß ihr dem Todten diese Sorge zugewandt.
Drum sollt ihr mich auch billig seh'n in eurem Bund
135
Die Noth des Landes sühnen und den Gott zugleich.
Und nicht für ferne Freunde ja vollbring' ich das;
Vom eignen Haupte schaff' ich mir den Gräuel fort.
Denn wer es war, der ihn erschlug, er will vielleicht 1
Sich auch an mir vergreifen mit derselben Hand.
140
Drum wenn ich jenem diene, dien' ich mir zugleich.
Nun flugs erhebt euch, Kinder, von den Stufen hier,
Und nehmt den Schmuck der Fleh'nden, eure Zweige, mit;
Ein Andrer aber sammle hier des Kadmos Volk; 2
Denn jezt versuch' ich Alles; bald wird's offenbar,
145
Ob uns der Gott Glück sendet oder Untergang.
English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 132 focus
The Sphynx.
Her dire enigma kept our thoughts intent
On present ills, nor gave us time to search
The past mysterious deed.
Soon to unveil it. Thou, Apollo, well,
135
And well hast thou, my Creon, lent thy aid.
Your QEdipus shall now perform his part.
Yes, I will fight for Phoebus and my country.
And so I ought. For not to friends alone,
Or kindred, owe I this, but to myself.
140
Who murdered him, perchance would murder me I
His cause is mine. Wherefore, my children, rise;
Take hence your suppliant boughs, and summon here
The race of Cadmus — my assembled people.
Nought shall be left untried. Apollo leads, 9
145
And we shall rise to joy, or sink for ever. :
English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 132 focus
O'er peopled, than o'er desolated realms :
The strong-ribb'd galley, and the rampired tow'r,
Their martial youth if wanting, nought avail.
But I will bring them into light again
From their first cause. Of Phœbus for the dead
This zeal is worthy, worthy too of thee;
And me confederate in the same just cause
You shall behold; this country and the god
I will avenge. Not for some distant friend,
English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 132 focus

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-98-1 ἐξ ὑπαρχῆς 1 αὖθις 2 αὔτ’ 3

mvp-comment-99-1 ἐπαξίως 4 ἀξίως 5

mvp-comment-100-1 πρὸ 6

mvp-comment-100-2 ἐπιστροφήν 7

mvp-comment-101-1 ὑπὲρ γὰρ οὐχὶ 8

mvp-comment-102-1 αὑτοῦ 9 ἀποσκεδῶ 10

mvp-comment-103-1 ἐκεῖνον ὁ κτανών 11

mvp-comment-104-1 τοιαύτη 12 ἂν 13

mvp-comment-105-1 παῖδες 14

mvp-comment-105-2 βάθρων ἵστασθε 15

mvp-comment-106-1 ἄραντες 16

mvp-comment-107-1 πᾶν … δράσοντος 17 εὐτυχεῖς … πεπτωκότες 18

mvp-comment-108-1 ὦ παῖδες 19

mvp-comment-109-1 ἐξαγγέλλεται 20

mvp-comment-110-1 ἅμα 21

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

132. mvp-comment-91-1 ἐξ ὑπαρχῆς Beginning the inquiry anew.

132. mvp-comment-91-2 αὔτ᾽ Probably αὐτό, not αὐτά. This one hidden thing, the secret of the murder.

134. mvp-comment-92-1 'Have shown this care towards the dead.' For the periphrasis, cp. Ant. 151, θέσθε λησμοσύναν. πρός has greater MS. authority than πρό, and agrees better with the image suggested by ἐπιστροφήν (lit. 'turning towards'). Cp. infr. 1434, πρὸς σοῦ γάρ, οὐδ᾽ ἐμοῦ, φράσω.

134. mvp-comment-92-2 ἐπιστροφή is sudden attention to a thing hitherto neglected. Cp. Phil. 598-599, τίνος δ' Ἀτρείδαι τοῦδ᾽ ἄγαν οὕτω χρόνῳ τοσῷδ᾽ ἐπεστρέφοντο πράγματος χάριν ;

135. mvp-comment-93-1 ἐνδίκως As is meet. The frank heart of Oedipus fully acknowledges the claim.

136. mvp-comment-94-1 τῷ θεῷ θ᾽ ἅμα For the religious feeling here expressed, cp. O. С. 1182, 3, τῇ θ᾽ αὑτοῦ φρενὶ | χάριν παρασχεῖν, τῷ θεῷ θ᾽ ἃ βούλεται.

137. mvp-comment-95-1 τῶν ἀπωτέρω φίλων ΑA far-off friend or connection,' as a wife's former husband may not unnaturally be called. Oedipus is still unconsciously drawing the attention of the spectators to his own part in the business. The person to be avenged is his father, and he is himself the author of the pollution, in which he has so deep an interest (αὐτὸς αὑτοῦ μύσος is suggested, though not said), and of the crime which he may one day wreak upon himself. For αὑτοῦ in 1st pers. see Essay on Language p. 37.

140. mvp-comment-96-1 καμ᾿ ἂν.. τιμωρεῖν θέλοι Might choose to wreak his violence in like manner on me. The tendency to use the same word though in a different connection (cp. 1. 136, and see Essay on Language § 44, p. 84) may have partly led to the use of τιμωρεῖν here. But the word is not inappropriate the murderer may be supposed to have a grudge against the crown-and by using it Oedipus suggests the end, when he, the murderer, shall inflict vengeance on himself, the king, with the same hand that had slain Laius. The conjecture πημαίνειν is therefore not in point. The words also prepare the way for what follows, by betraying the first rise of the feeling of suspicion in Oedipus which presently fixes itself on Creon. Cp. the sensitiveness of Creon himself on a like occasion in the Antigone, 1. 289, ταῦτα καὶ πάλαι, κ.τ.λ.

141. mvp-comment-97-1 κείνῳ προσαρκῶν οὖν ἐμαυτὸν ὠφελῶ Schol. καὶ τοῦτο κινητικὸν τοῦ θεάτρου· τὰ γὰρ ἐναντία ἀποβήσεται.

143. mvp-comment-98-1 ἄραντες They had laid them on the altar. Aesch. Suppl. 242, Eur. Heracl. 125.

145. mvp-comment-99-1 ἢ γάρ Recalling the Homeric γνωσόμεθ' ἠε τῳ εὖχος ὀρέξομεν ἠε τις ἡμῖν. I will use all effort, for it is a crisis in the state of Thebes. Cp. Tr. 82-85, ἐν οὖν ῥοπῇ τοιᾷδε κειμένῳ, τέκνον, | οὐκ εἶ ξυνέρξων, ἡνίκ᾿ ἡ σεσώσμεθα, | κείνου βίον σώσαντος, ἢ οἰχόμεσθ' ἅμα. Τo the spectators the word πεπτωκότες, with which Oedipus departs, is ominous of the catastrophe. Oedipus now goes into the palace, and after l. 150 the suppliants file off to the right.

146. mvp-comment-100-1 σὺν τῷ θεῷ i.e. Apollo.

147. mvp-comment-101-1 ἔξεισιν ὁ ἱερεὺς πράξας διόπερ ἦλθεν, ἅμα δὲ καὶ ὑπὲρ τοῦ χώραν εἶναι ἑτέρῳ ὑποκριτῇ. Schol. The sin simple is used for the compound verb (ἀνιστώμεθα). Essay on Language $ 55. 4. p. 101. Supr. 143.

148. mvp-comment-102-1 ὧν .. ἐξαγγέλλεται What he of his own accord announces. For this subjective use of the middle voice, see Essay on Language § 31. d. p. 53.

149. mvp-comment-103-1 ἅμα Sc. τῷ πέμψαι, κ.τ.λ. May Phoebus who has sent these oracles also give with them salvation and release. The suppliants retire from the stage; and the chorus of elders, honoured representatives (1. 1223) of the Theban people, whom Oedipus has summoned (1144), bound by ties of blood to the house of Cadmus (1. 1226),-enter the ὀρχήστρα from the spectator's right.