Sophocles Oedipus Tyrannus 276

ed. Francis Storr

Table of Contents

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

View: By Scene
← Previous Next →

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)) — 276 focus
ὥσπερ μ' ἀραῖον ἔλαβες, ὧδ᾽, ἄναξ, ἐρῶ.
οὔτ᾽ ἔκτανον γὰρ οὔτε τὸν κτανόντ᾽ ἔχω
δεῖξαι. τὸ δὲ ζήτημα τοῦ πέμψαντος ἦν
Φοίβου τόδ' εἰπεῖν, ὅστις εἴργασταί ποτε.
Translations (5)
English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 276 focus
Under the shadow of thy curse, my lord,
I will speak. I slew him not, nor can I show
The man who slew. Phoebus, who gave the word,
Should name the guilty one.
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 276 focus
Wie mich dein Fluch gebunden, also red' ich, Herr.
Nicht ich erschlug ihn, weiß dir auch den Mörder nicht
Zu nennen. Er, der solche Forschung uns gebot,
Apollon mußte sagen, wer die That verübt.
280
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 !
'Tis said some travellers did attack the king
QEdi. It is; but still no proof appears.
295
English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 276 focus
This god, to gods an odious name,
This lurid Pest destroy !
Well are thy vows address'd; nor vain those vows,
280
But of much force, and lenient of our ills,
280
Wou'dst thou with deep regard attend my words,
280
Which I, to each related circumstance
280
A stranger, and a stranger to the deed,
280
Shall speak; for far my search could not extend,
280
Having no mark to guide my steps. But now
280
A Theban late enroll'd, to all of Thebes
280
I give this charge. Whoe'er among you knows
280
By whom the son of Labdacus was slain,
280
Him I command t' unfold the whole to me.
280
But if, through conscious guilt, he fears t' avow
280
The deed, and charge himself; no harsher doom
280
Awaits him, than to leave this land, unhurt.
280
But if among you be a man, who knows
280
Another, of another realm, whose hand
280
Was with this blood polluted, let him speak,
280
And not conceal the murderer; for from me
280
Ample shall be his recompense, and thanks
280
Added besides. But if ye will not speak,
280
If fearing for himself, or for a friend,
280
There be a man that disregards my words,
280
What then shall be my solemn mandate hear.
280
That man let none within this realm, whose throne,
280
Whose empire I command, beneath his roof
280
The same
280
Receive, let none hold converse with him, none
280
Admit him at the altars of the gods
280
His vows, his offerings to partake, or share
280
The cleansing laver; from your houses all
280
Chase this pollution of our land; for thus
280
To me the Pythian oracle declared
280
Its will; thus therefore with the god I join
280
Confederate, and the dead. But on the wretch
280
Who did the deed, whether he lies conceal'd
A single ruffian, or with many leagued,
I imprecate this curse; his wretched days,
Cut off from all the social joys of life,
Let him wear out in misery. In my house
If I protect him, conscious of the deed,
May all these curses fall on me.
I charge on you; make you these solemn vows,
In zeal for me, for Phœbus, and this land
Thus of its fruits, and its protecting gods
Bereft. Nor ought we, though no voice divine
Impell'd us, unatoned to leave the blood
Of one so noble, of a monarch slain.
To trace this murderous deed my fortune now
Assigns to me, for mine the regal pow'r
Which once was his; his bed, his wife is mine;
Our children too, but that the adverse gods
Denied him children, had in common ties
Been close conjoin'd: but now disastrous fate
Hath burst upon his head. Therefore for him,
As for my father, vengeful will I rise,
Unwearied in th' attempt to find the man
That slew the son of Labdacus, whose blood
From Polydorus its illustrious 'stream
Derived, from Cadmus, and Agenor old.
To those who act not thus, I pray the gods
That the till'd earth may never yield its fruits,
And barren be their bed; beneath the ills,
Which now oppress us, let them waste, and feel
A fate yet more severe. But to the sons
Of Thebes, who with applause these things receive,
May justice join her aid, and all the gods
Be present always with propitious pow'r!
English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 276 focus

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-194-1 γὰρ 1 ἔκτανον 2

mvp-comment-195-1 δεῖξαι 3 τὸ ζήτημα 4 τόδ’ εἰπεῖν 5 ὅστις εἴργασται 6 τὸ ζήτημα 7

mvp-comment-196-1 ἃν μὴ θέλωσιν 8 ἃν 9 οὐδ’ ἂν εἷς 10

mvp-comment-197-1 ἐκ τῶνδε 11 δεύτερα 12

mvp-comment-197-2 ἂν λέγοιμι 13

mvp-comment-198-1 τὸ μὴ οὐ 14

mvp-comment-199-1 ἄνακτ’ 15

mvp-comment-199-2 ταὐτὰ ὁρῶντα 16 ὁρῶντα 17 ταὐτὰ 18 ἄνακτ’ 19

mvp-comment-200-1 οὐκ ἐν ἀργοῖς τοῦτο 20 ἐπραξάμην 21 ἐν 22 ἀργοῖς 23

mvp-comment-201-1 διπλοῦς | πομπούς 24

mvp-comment-202-1 μὴ παρὼν θαυμάζεται 25

mvp-comment-203-1 τά γ’ ἄλλα … ἔπη 26 κωφὰ 27

mvp-comment-204-1 τὰ ποῖα 28

mvp-comment-205-1 ὁδοιπόρων 29

mvp-comment-206-1 τὸν δ’ ἰδόντ’ 30 ἰδόντα 31

mvp-comment-207-1 The subject to ἔχει 32

mvp-comment-207-2 δείματός γ’ 33

mvp-comment-208-1 τὰς σὰς … ἀράς 34 τοιάσδε 35

mvp-comment-208-2 οὑξελέγξων 36

mvp-comment-209-1 ᾧ 37

mvp-comment-210-1 ἐμπέφυκεν 38

mvp-comment-210-2 ἀνθρώπων μόνῳ 39

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

276. mvp-comment-178-1 ὥσπερ μ' ἀραῖον ἔλαβες Ας feeling the power of your curse.' Cp. Aesch. Cho. 108, λέγοις ἂν ὥσπερ ᾐδέσω, κ.τ.λ. For ἔλαβες, cp. Hdt. 3. 74. πίστι τε λαβόντες καὶ ὁρκίοισι; and for the construction with the adjective, O. C. 284, ὥσπερ ἔλαβες τὸν ἱκέτην ἐχέγγυον. See also Ant. 305, ὅρκιος δέ σοι λέγω. For the redundant antecedent in ὧδε,

278. mvp-comment-179-1 τὸ δὲ ζήτημα is the subject of what follows, in which εἰπεῖν is epexegetic.

279. mvp-comment-180-1 τόδε is to be taken separately, as acc. after εἰπεῖν, referring to ὅστις εἴργασταί ποτε. But for the inquiry, it behoved Phoebus, who imposed it, to tell this, who can have wrought the deed. Cp. supr. 150, infr. 306. 282-283. I would mention what seems to me the next best thing after that. Next or third best, leave it not unsaid. Logical exactness is not required in such idiomatic expressions. Cp. Eur. Hel. 1417, αὖθις κελεύω, καὶ τρίτον γ', εἴ σοι φίλον. Be it second or third best, out with what you have to say. 284, foll. I know one above other men. who being a king, sees with the eyes of king Phoebus, of whose lips one inquiring into this may learn the very truth.'

284. mvp-comment-181-1 ἄνακτ' Od. 11. 144 (Τειρεσίη), εἰπέ, ἄναξ, πῶς, κ.τ.λ.

285-286. mvp-comment-182-1 παρ' οὗ .. σκοπῶν παρ' οὗ is in two constructions: (1) with ἐκμάθοι, from whom one might learn this clearly; (2) with σκοπών, if we viewed it in the light of his words.

287. mvp-comment-183-1 ἐν ἀργοῖς .. ἐπραξάμην A verbal contrast like ἐν σκότῳ.. ὀψοίατο (infr. 1273). But neither have I done this as one of my omissions, i. e. I have not left this undone. Essay on Language p. 69. For the subjective use of the middle voice in ἐπραξάμην, see Essay on Language § 31. p. 53, d, and for ἀργοῖς, cp. O. C.1605; Eur. Phoen. 766, ἓν δ᾽ ἐστὶν ἡμῖν ἀργόν, εἴ τι θέσφατον | οἰωνόμαντις Τειρεσίας ἔχει φράσαι. but the possibility of finding and questioning this man does not yet occur to Oedipus. The general effect of 11. 116 119, was to reduce the available evidence to the lowest point. It is only afterwards, when he begins to suspect the truth, that Oedipus catches at straws.

288. mvp-comment-184-1 Κρέοντος εἰπόντος Cp. 1. 555.

289. mvp-comment-185-1 I have long been wondering he should not be here. μὴ παρὼν = εἰ μὴ πάρεστι. Teiresias is slow to come, as when he comes he is slow to speak. For the use of the passive in θαυμάζεται, see Essay on L, § 31. p. 53. He has long been wondered at by me; i. e. I have long been wondering about him.

290. mvp-comment-186-1 Certainly what other rumours there were, told nothing, and are forgotten.

290. mvp-comment-186-2 ἄλλα, i. e. other than we may hope to hear from Phoebus or his prophet.

290. mvp-comment-186-3 κωφά, lit. dumb, i.e. giving no clear intelligence. The chorus allude for a moment to the report which Creon spoke of ll. 122-123; but this slight clue is again broken off by the entrance of Teiresias, to be resumed afterwards.

292-293. mvp-comment-187-1 He was said to have been murdered by some unknown travellers (coming towards Thebes). Creon spoke (1. 118) of one eye-witness having escaped, and bringing a confused account,

293. mvp-comment-188-1 ἤκουσα κἀγώ Supr. 122.

293. mvp-comment-188-2 τὸν δ᾽ ἰδόντ᾽ οὐδεὶς ὁρᾷ But no eyewitness is forthcoming. The article is general, not referring to the individual mentioned in l. 119, whom Oedipus has for the present forgotten. This suits the place better than the conjecture τὸν δὲ δρῶντα, which is weak and tautological. For ἰδόντα ὁρᾷ, cp. 1133-1134, εὐ γὰρ οἶδ᾽ ὅτι | κάτοιδεν.

294. mvp-comment-189-1 ἀλλ᾽ .. μέρος But if he is at all capable of fear. The plural expresses the general notion. Others read δείματός γ' (see v. rr.), in which ye must be taken with the whole sentence. ἔχει, sc. ὁ φονεύς. The transition to the murderer as being the foremost person in the thoughts of all present (supr. 227) is again easily made, without requiring the correction δρῶντ' in 293.

296. mvp-comment-190-1 When a man is not afraid to do the deed, words do not daunt him.' 297. Authorities are nearly balanced between οὐξελέγχων and οὐξελέγξων. The former has a slight preponderance in being the first hand of L, and appearing (with the variant of.) in most of the earlier MSS. This, however, is not sufficient to decide between letters so often confounded as ξ and χ. Common usage is in favour of the future (Ant. 261, οὐδ᾽ ὁ κωλύσων παρῆν). The present tense, if genuine, is expressive of certainty. There is one who convicts him; i. e. He is already convicted, for Teiresias is here. Cp. 356, πέφευγα. For the use of the present participle without special reference to present time, see Essay on Language § 32. p. 55.