Sophocles, Oedipus Tyrannus, ed. Francis Storr, 700

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Οἰδίπους

ἐρῶ· σὲ γὰρ τῶνδʼ ἐς πλέον, γύναι, σέβω·
700

Κρέοντος, οἷά μοι βεβουλευκὼς ἔχει.

Ἰοκάστη

λέγʼ, εἰ σαφῶς τὸ νεῖκος ἐγκαλῶν ἐρεῖς.

Οἰδίπους

φονέα με φησὶ Λαΐου καθεστάναι.

Ἰοκάστη

αὐτὸς ξυνειδὼς ἢ μαθὼν ἄλλου πάρα;

Οἰδίπους

μάντιν μὲν οὖν κακοῦργον εἰσπέμψας, ἐπεὶ
705

τό γʼ εἰς ἑαυτὸν πᾶν ἐλευθεροῖ στόμα.

Ἰοκάστη

σύ νυν ἀφεὶς σεαυτὸν ὧν λέγεις πέρι

ἐμοῦ ʼπάκουσον, καὶ μάθʼ οὕνεκʼ ἐστί σοι

βρότειον οὐδὲν μαντικῆς ἔχον τέχνης.

φανῶ δέ σοι σημεῖα τῶνδε σύντομα.
710

χρησμὸς γὰρ ἦλθε Λαΐῳ ποτʼ, οὐκ ἐρῶ

Φοίβου γʼ ἄπʼ αὐτοῦ, τῶν δʼ ὑπηρετῶν ἄπο,

ὡς αὐτὸν ἕξοι μοῖρα πρὸς παιδὸς θανεῖν,

ὅστις γένοιτʼ ἐμοῦ τε κἀκείνου πάρα.

καὶ τὸν μέν, ὥσπερ γʼ ἡ φάτις, ξένοι ποτὲ
715

λῃσταὶ φονεύουσʼ ἐν τριπλαῖς ἁμαξιτοῖς·

παιδὸς δὲ βλάστας οὐ διέσχον ἡμέραι

τρεῖς, καί νιν ἄρθρα κεῖνος ἐνζεύξας ποδοῖν

ἔρριψεν ἄλλων χερσὶν ἄβατον εἰς ὄρος.

κἀνταῦθʼ Ἀπόλλων οὔτʼ ἐκεῖνον ἤνυσεν
720

φονέα γενέσθαι πατρὸς οὔτε Λάϊον

τὸ δεινὸν οὑφοβεῖτο πρὸς παιδὸς θανεῖν.

τοιαῦτα φῆμαι μαντικαὶ διώρισαν,

ὧν ἐντρέπου σὺ μηδέν· ὧν γὰρ ἂν θεὸς

χρείαν ἐρευνᾷ, ῥᾳδίως αὐτὸς φανεῖ.
725

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)) — 700 focus

ἐρῶ· σὲ γὰρ τῶνδ᾽ ἐς πλέον, γύναι, σέβω·
700

Κρέοντος, οἷά μοι βεβουλευκὼς ἔχει.

Ἰοκάστη

λέγ', εἰ σαφῶς τὸ νεῖκος ἐγκαλῶν ἐρεῖς.

Οἰδίπους

φονέα με φησὶ Λαΐου καθεστάναι.

Ἰοκάστη

αὐτὸς ξυνειδώς, ἢ μαθὼν ἄλλου πάρα;

Οἰδίπους

μάντιν μὲν οὖν κακοῦργον εἰσπέμψας, ἐπεὶ
705

τό γ᾽ εἰς ἑαυτὸν πᾶν ἐλευθεροῖ στόμα.

Ἰοκάστη

σύ νυν ἀφεὶς σεαυτὸν ὧν λέγεις πέρι

ἐμοῦ ᾿πάκουσον καὶ μάθ᾽ οὕνεκ' ἐστί σοι

βρότειον οὐδὲν μαντικῆς ἔχον τέχνης.

φανῶ δέ σοι σημεῖα τῶνδε σύντομα.
710

χρησμὸς γὰρ ἦλθε Λαΐῳ ποτ', οὐκ ἐρῶ

Φοίβου γ᾿ ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ, τῶν δ᾽ ὑπηρετῶν ἄπο,

ὡς αὐτὸν ἥξοι μοῖρα πρὸς παιδὸς θανεῖν,

ὅστις γένοιτ᾽ ἐμοῦ τε κἀκείνου πάρα.

καὶ τὸν μέν, ὥσπερ γ᾿ ἡ φάτις, ξένοι ποτὲ
715

λῃσταὶ φονεύουσ᾽ ἐν τριπλαῖς ἁμαξιτοῖς·

παιδὸς δὲ βλάστας οὐ διέσχον ἡμέραι

τρεῖς, καί νιν ἄρθρα κεῖνος ἐνζεύξας ποδοῖν

ἔρριψεν ἄλλων χερσὶν εἰς ἄβατον ὄρος.

κἀνταῦθ᾽ Ἀπόλλων οὔτ᾽ ἐκεῖνον ἤνυσεν
720

φονέα γενέσθαι πατρὸς οὔτε Λάϊον,

τὸ δεινὸν οὑφοβεῖτο, πρὸς παιδὸς θανεῖν.

τοιαῦτα φῆμαι μαντικαὶ διώρισαν,

ὧν ἐντρέπου σὺ μηδέν· ὧν γὰρ ἂν θεὸς

χρείαν ἐρευνᾷ ῥᾳδίως αὐτὸς φανεῖ.
725

Οἰδίπους

Translations (5)

English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 700 focus

I’ll tell thee, lady, for I honour thee
700

More than these citizens. ’Twas Creon there,
700

And his inveterate treason against me.

JO

Accuse him, so you make the quarrel plain.

OED

He saith I am the murderer of the King.

JO

Speaks he from hearsay, or as one who knows?

OED

He keeps his own lips free: but hath suborned
705

A rascal soothsayer to this villany.

JO

Hearken to me, and set your heart at rest

On that you speak of, while I make you learn

No mortal thing is touched by soothsaying.

Of that I’ll give thee warrant brief and plain.
710

Word came to Laius once, I will not say

From Phoebus’ self, but from his ministers,

The King should be destroyed by his own son,

If son were born to him from me. What followed?

Laius was slain, by robbers from abroad,
715

Saith Rumour, in a cross-way! But the child

Lived not three days, ere by my husband’s hand

His feet were locked, and he was cast and left

By messengers on the waste mountain wold.

So Phoebus neither brought upon the boy
720

His father’s murder, nor on Laius

The thing he greatly feared, death by his son.

Such issue came of prophesying words.

Therefore regard them not. God can himself

With ease bring forth what for his ends he needs.
725

OED

German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 700 focus

So höre (denn dich acht' ich mehr als diese, Frau,)

Von Kreon, was er Arges mir ersonnen hat.

Jokaste.

Sprich, wenn du wahrhaft ihn des Streites zeihen kannst.
685

Oedipus.

Von meinen Händen, sagt er aus, fiel Laïos.

Jokaste.

Aus eignem Anschau'n oder auf ein fremdes Wort?

Oedipus.

Den Tückebold, den Seher, schickt er mir daher,

Und rein von Allem hält er sich den eignen Mund.

Jokaste.

Entschlag' um diese Dinge dich der Sorge nun,
690

Und höre mich und wisse: nie befand sich noch

Ein sterblich Wesen im Besiz der Seherkunst.

Hiefür Beweise geb' ich dir in kurzem Wort.

Einst ward ein Spruch dem Laïos, ich behaupte nicht

Von Phöbos selbst, nein aus der Diener Munde nur:
695

Ihm sei das Loos beschieden, durch des Sohnes Hand

Zu sterben, den er zeugen würd' aus meinem Schooß.

Und den erschlugen, wie der Ruf uns meldete,

Einst fremde Räuber auf dem dreigespalt'nen Weg;

Der Sprößling aber hatte noch drei Tage nicht
700

Geseh'n, da jener mit gebundnen Füßen ihu

In öd' Gebirge werfen hieß durch fremde Hand.

So hat's Apollon nicht erfüllt, daß er den Mord

An seinem Vater übte, noch daß Laïos

Das Grause, das ihn schreckte, litt durch Sohneshand.¹
705

Und solches hatten Sehersprüche vorbestimmt;

Drum achte nicht auf diese. Was der Gott einmal

Werth achtet auszugründen, leicht enthüllt er's selbst.

Oedipus.

English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 679 focus

(EdIPUS, ChORUS.

Chorus

Princess, now

Persuade him to retire.

Joe. First, let me know

The cause of this dissension.

Chorus

From reports

Uncertain, and suspicions most injurious.

The quarrel rose.

Joe. Was th' accusation mutual 1

Chorus

It was.
685

Joe. AVhat followed then ?

Chorus

Ask me no more ;

Enough 's already known ; we '11 not repeat
690

The woes of hapless Thebes.

. CEdi. You are all blind,

Insensible, unjust; you love me not,
695

Yet boast your piety.

Jocasta

English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 700 focus

I will inform thee (for than these more high

Jocasta

He saith I murder'd Laius.

Said he this

Jocasta

On his own knowledge, or from others heard?

Oedipus

The prophet prompt to mischief he suborn'd,
705

Whose rude licentious tongue knows no restraint.
705

Think of thyself, respecting this, no more.
705

Hear me, and be assured no mortal man
705

Knows by prophetic art events to come ;
705

Of this I give thee a decisive proof.
705

To Laius once an oracle announced
705

(I will not say that from the god it came,
705

But from his ministers) that time should bring
705

On him this fate, to fall beneath a son
705

That should his birth from him and me derive.
705

Yet foreign ruffians him, as fame reports,
705

Murder'd where three ways meet. A son was born;

Not three days pass'd, the infant's feet he bound,

Piercing the nerves, and by another's hand

Upon a desert mountain cast him forth.

The consummation then, that he should slay

His father, or that Laius by his son

Should fall, a fate so dreadful to his thoughts,

Phœbus achieved not; yet th' oracular voice

Decreed these things: regard them not: the god,

What from his hallow'd shrine he gave command

To trace, to your inquiries will disclose.

Oedipus

English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 700 focus

Oedipus

That I will do, for I honor you, lady, above these men. Creon is the cause, and the plots he has laid against me.
700

Iocasta

Come, tell me how the argument began.

Oedipus

He says that I stand guilty of Laius’ blood.

Iocasta

On his own knowledge or on hearsay from another?

Oedipus

He has made a rascal seer his mouth piece: as for himself, he keeps his lips wholly pure.
705

Iocasta

Then absolve yourself of the things about which you are speaking. Listen to me, and take comfort in learning that nothing of mortal birth shares in the science of the seer.

I will give you a pithy proof of this. An oracle came to Laius once—I will not say from Phoebus himself, but from his ministers—saying that he would suffer his doom at the hands of the child to be born to him and me.
710

And Laius—as, at least, the rumor goes—was murdered one day by foreign robbers at a place where the three highways meet. And the child’s birth was not yet three days past, when Laius pinned his ankles together and had him thrown, by others’ hands, on a remote mountain.
715

So, in that case, Apollo did not bring it to pass that the child should become the slayer of his father, or that Laius should suffer that which he feared, death at the hands of his child: thus the messages of the seer’s art had mapped out the future. Pay them no regard. Whatever necessary event
720

the god seeks, he himself will easily bring to light.
725

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-435-1 τῶνδ’ ἐς πλέον ¹

mvp-comment-435-2 Κρέοντος ²

mvp-comment-435-3 βεβουλευκὼς ³

mvp-comment-436-1 λέγ’ ⁴ εἰ σαφῶς ἐρεῖς ⁵

mvp-comment-436-2 ἐγκαλεῖν νεῖκός ⁶

mvp-comment-437-1 αὐτὸς ξυνειδώς ⁷

mvp-comment-437-2 μὲν οὖν ⁸

mvp-comment-438-1 τό γ’ εἰς ἑαυτὸν ⁹ πᾶν ἐλευθεροῖ ¹⁰

mvp-comment-439-1 ἀφεὶς σεαυτόν ¹¹

mvp-comment-440-1 μάθ’ ¹²

mvp-comment-440-2 σοι ¹³ ἐστὶν ἔχον ¹⁴ τέχνης ¹⁵ ἐστὶν ἔχον ¹⁶

mvp-comment-441-1 οὐκ ἐρῶ ¹⁷

mvp-comment-442-1 ἥξοι ¹⁸ αὐτὸν ¹⁹ ἥξοι ²⁰

mvp-comment-443-1 ὅσεις γένοιτ’ ²¹

mvp-comment-444-1 ξένοι ²²

mvp-comment-445-1 See on 733.

mvp-comment-446-1 διέσχον ²³

mvp-comment-446-2 βλάστας ²⁴ διέσχον ²⁵

mvp-comment-447-1 καί ²⁶

mvp-comment-447-2 ἄρθρα ποδοῖν ²⁷ ἐνζεύξας ²⁸

mvp-comment-448-1 εἰς ἄβατον ὄρος ²⁹

mvp-comment-449-1 κἀνταῦθ’ ³⁰

mvp-comment-450-1 It is more likely that, as our MSS. suggest, παθεῖν ³¹ θανεῖν ³²

mvp-comment-451-1 τοιαῦτα … διώρισαν ³³ φῆμαι ³⁴

mvp-comment-452-1 ὧν χρείαν ἐρευνᾷ ³⁵

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

699. mvp-comment-404-1 μῆνιν.. στήσας Cp. Phil. 1263, τίς αὖ παρ᾿ ἄντροις θόρυβος ἵσταται βοῆς;

700. mvp-comment-405-1 ἐς πλέον Lit. To a greater amount, i.e. more. As he turned from 02 Creon to the chorus l. 671, so now being angry with them he turns gladly to Jocasta. With equal impetuosity he breaks away from her, infr. 1078. ..

701. mvp-comment-406-1 Κρέοντος Answering ὅτου πράγματος, and therefore in the same case, but with a slightly different force. It is about Creon. For a similar pendent genitive, cp. Αj. 771, δίας Ἀθάνας ἡνίκ᾽ ὀτρύνουσά νιν, κ.τ.λ.: ib. 792.

702. mvp-comment-407-1 Speak, if in making the charge, you will tell plainly the cause of quarrel.' τὸ νεῖκος is governed κατὰ σύνεσιν by ἐγκαλῶν, which implies φράζων. Jocasta expresses her impatience at being kept in uncertainty.

704. mvp-comment-408-1 αὐτὸς ξυνειδώς Was he himself in the secret? Cp. supr. 330.

705. mvp-comment-409-1 'Neither' (μὲν οὖν) : (he has fastened the charge on me) by bringing in a rascally prophet. 706. (1) As to what affects himself he keeps his utterance wholly free; i. e. He will not commit himself in a word.

705. mvp-comment-409-2 ἐλευθεροῖ, according to this interpretation, not acquits,' excuses, but = keeps out of reach of blame, ἔξω βαρείας αἰτίας ἐλεύθερον, Ant. 445; Aesch. Eum. 175, οὔποτ᾽ ἐλευθεροῦται. πᾶν is adverbial as in Aj. 275, λύπῃ πᾶς ἐλήλαται. Or (2) τό γ᾽ εἰς ἑαυτόν may be the direct accusative and πᾶν στόμα adverbial. He uses all his power of speech to free his own actions from blame. Cp. El. 596-597, ἢ πᾶσαν ἵης γλῶσσαν, ὡς τὴν μητέρα | κακοστομοῦμεν. The former explanation is more in accordance with usage.

707. mvp-comment-410-1 ὧν λέγεις πέρι = περὶ τούτων ὧν λέγεις, Relieving your mind on the subject of which you speak. The simple genitive would have been enough: cp. Hdt. 4. 157, οὐ γὰρ δή σφεας ἀπίει ὁ θεὸς τῆς ἀποικίης, But περί is added pleonastically.

708. mvp-comment-411-1 The reading of M., ἐμοῦ τ' ἄκουσον, deserves notice. For σοι, see Essay on Language p. 19.

708. mvp-comment-411-2 ἐστὶ .. ἔχον 'Nothing in the life of mortals has anything to do with prophetic art. For this rare use of the active voice of ἔχω, cp. esp. Hdt. 3. 128, γραψάμενος πολλά, καὶ περὶ πολλῶν ἔχοντα πρηγμάτων: Aesch. Eum. 445. 6, οὐδ᾽ ἔχει μύσος πρὸς χειρὶ τὴμῇ (?). The middle voice has this meaning, e.g. in Il. 9.102, σέο δ᾽ ἔξεται ὅττι κεν ἄρχῃ. For the active in place of middle, see Essay on Language pp. 51, 98. This interpretation alone suits the context; the other possible explanation, No mortal creature has any share in the prophetic art (which has led to the conjecture λαχόν), might agree with the temper of the chorus (499, foll.), but not with that of Jocasta, who is rejecting all prophecies alike, though she makes the slight admission in 711-712, οὐκ ἐρῶ Φοίβου γ᾿ ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ. Cp., however, Hdt. 2. 83. Μαντικὴ δὲ αὐτοῖσι ὧδε διακέεται· ἀνθρώπων μὲν οὐδενὶ προσκέεται ἡ τέχνη, τῶν δὲ θεῶν μετεξετέροισι.

713. mvp-comment-412-1 ἥξοι Cp. О. С. 1472-1473, ἥκει τῷδ᾽ ἐπ᾿ ἀνδρὶ θέσφατος βίου τελευτή: Αj. 186, ἥκοι γὰρ ἂν θεία νόσος: ib. 278, 9, μὴ ἐκ θεοῦ πληγή τις ἥκῃ. The accusative is justified by the general meaning of the sentence and by the infinitive, of which it is partly the subject. The conjecture ἕξοι is suggested by Phil. 331, ἐπεὶ γὰρ ἔσχε μοῖρ᾽ Ἀχιλλέα θανεῖν, but is less pointed here.

715. mvp-comment-413-1 ξένοι i. e. Not only not his offspring, but of a different race, as coming not from Thebes but from the opposite direction (734). Cp. supr. 122 foll.

716. mvp-comment-414-1 ἐν τριπλαῖς ἁμαξιτοῖς These words, which give Oedipus the first suspicion of the truth (see 750), are intended by Jocasta to show the fortuitous nature of the occurrence.

717-718. mvp-comment-415-1 But as to the child that was born, three days had not intervened, when he tied its feet together and cast it by the hands of others upon a trackless mountain.' It is uncertain whether διέσχον is intransitive or active. In the latter case the word may be taken (1) in the sense of 'divided the day of the child's birth' from his death, i. e. τὸν παῖδα γιγνόμενον καὶ ἀποθνήσκοντα, (Hdt. 9. 51, διέχων ἀπ᾿ ἀλλήλων τὰ ῥέεθρα). Three days did not divide the birth of the child from-what followed. Cp. the Latin, Nec longum tempus et...: or, (2) not three days continued the growth of the child. Cp.

717-718. mvp-comment-415-2 διεγένετο in Thuc. 5. 16. Otherwise (3) taking βλάστας as a pendent accusative. But as for the growth of the child, three days had not fully passed. (2) is best.

718. mvp-comment-416-1 καί Temporal = when.

719. mvp-comment-417-1 εἰς ἄβατον ὄρος An undivided tribrach occurs again in 826, πατέρα κατακτανεῖν : 1496, τὸν πατέρα πατήρ: Aj. 459, καὶ πεδία τάδε. Hence the metrical rhythm is defensible, while the natural rhythm of the words is rather injured by transposing to ἄβατον εἰς ὄρος.

720. mvp-comment-418-1 ἤνυσεν ·Made good his prophecy.'

722. mvp-comment-419-1 τὸ δεινόν Accus. in apposition with θανεῖν, governed by ἤνυσεν. There is no reason for preferring παθεῖν. The words of the prophecy are repeated. Cp. О. С. 970, πρὸς παίδων θανεῖν.

723. mvp-comment-420-1 τοιαῦτα So futile have been the determinations of prophecy.

724. mvp-comment-421-1 ὧν.. χρείαν ἐρευνᾷ Of whatsoever things God searcheth out the use,' i.e. ὧν χρείαν ἔχων (χρήζων), ἐρευνᾷ αὐτά. For what God needs to search out, he will easily bring to light without our help. (Cp. Shak. Macb. 1. 3, If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me, Without my stir.) Jocasta in renouncing prophecy unconsciously expresses the exact truth. Apollo is already working out his purpose, and vindicating the power of his prophet. Cp. 1. 747.

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Οἰδίπους ἐρῶ· σὲ γὰρ τῶνδʼ ἐς πλέον, γύναι, σέβω· 700 Κρέοντος, οἷά μοι βεβουλευκὼς ἔχει.

Ἰοκάστη λέγʼ, εἰ σαφῶς τὸ νεῖκος ἐγκαλῶν ἐρεῖς.

Οἰδίπους φονέα με φησὶ Λαΐου καθεστάναι.

Ἰοκάστη αὐτὸς ξυνειδὼς ἢ μαθὼν ἄλλου πάρα;

Οἰδίπους μάντιν μὲν οὖν κακοῦργον εἰσπέμψας, ἐπεὶ 705 τό γʼ εἰς ἑαυτὸν πᾶν ἐλευθεροῖ στόμα.

Current edition Experimental

ἐρῶ· σὲ γὰρ τῶνδ᾽ ἐς πλέον, γύναι, σέβω· 700 Κρέοντος, οἷά μοι βεβουλευκὼς ἔχει.

Ἰοκάστη λέγ', εἰ σαφῶς τὸ νεῖκος ἐγκαλῶν ἐρεῖς.

Οἰδίπους φονέα με φησὶ Λαΐου καθεστάναι.

Ἰοκάστη αὐτὸς ξυνειδώς, ἢ μαθὼν ἄλλου πάρα;

Οἰδίπους μάντιν μὲν οὖν κακοῦργον εἰσπέμψας, ἐπεὶ 705 τό γ᾽ εἰς ἑαυτὸν πᾶν ἐλευθεροῖ στόμα.

Οἰδίπους

I’ll tell thee, lady, for I honour thee 700 More than these citizens. ’Twas Creon there, 700 And his inveterate treason against me.

JO Accuse him, so you make the quarrel plain.

OED He saith I am the murderer of the King.

JO Speaks he from hearsay, or as one who knows?

OED He keeps his own lips free: but hath suborned 705 A rascal soothsayer to this villany.

OED

So höre (denn dich acht' ich mehr als diese, Frau,) Von Kreon, was er Arges mir ersonnen hat.

Jokaste. Sprich, wenn du wahrhaft ihn des Streites zeihen kannst. 685

Oedipus. Von meinen Händen, sagt er aus, fiel Laïos.

Jokaste. Aus eignem Anschau'n oder auf ein fremdes Wort?

Oedipus. Den Tückebold, den Seher, schickt er mir daher, Und rein von Allem hält er sich den eignen Mund.

Oedipus.

(EdIPUS, ChORUS.

Chorus Princess, now Persuade him to retire. Joe. First, let me know The cause of this dissension.

Chorus From reports Uncertain, and suspicions most injurious. The quarrel rose. Joe. Was th' accusation mutual 1

Chorus It was. 685 Joe. AVhat followed then ?

Chorus Ask me no more ; Enough 's already known ; we '11 not repeat 690 The woes of hapless Thebes. . CEdi. You are all blind, Insensible, unjust; you love me not, 695 Yet boast your piety.

Jocasta

I will inform thee (for than these more high

Jocasta

He saith I murder'd Laius. Said he this

Jocasta On his own knowledge, or from others heard?

Oedipus

Oedipus That I will do, for I honor you, lady, above these men. Creon is the cause, and the plots he has laid against me. 700

Iocasta Come, tell me how the argument began.

Oedipus He says that I stand guilty of Laius’ blood.

Iocasta On his own knowledge or on hearsay from another?

Oedipus He has made a rascal seer his mouth piece: as for himself, he keeps his lips wholly pure. 705

Commentary

Stable identifiers

Οἰδίπους

ἐρῶ· σὲ γὰρ τῶνδʼ ἐς πλέον, γύναι, σέβω·
700

Κρέοντος, οἷά μοι βεβουλευκὼς ἔχει.

Ἰοκάστη

λέγʼ, εἰ σαφῶς τὸ νεῖκος ἐγκαλῶν ἐρεῖς.

Οἰδίπους

φονέα με φησὶ Λαΐου καθεστάναι.

Ἰοκάστη

αὐτὸς ξυνειδὼς ἢ μαθὼν ἄλλου πάρα;

Οἰδίπους

μάντιν μὲν οὖν κακοῦργον εἰσπέμψας, ἐπεὶ
705

τό γʼ εἰς ἑαυτὸν πᾶν ἐλευθεροῖ στόμα.

ἐρῶ· σὲ γὰρ τῶνδ᾽ ἐς πλέον, γύναι, σέβω·
700

Κρέοντος, οἷά μοι βεβουλευκὼς ἔχει.

Ἰοκάστη

λέγ', εἰ σαφῶς τὸ νεῖκος ἐγκαλῶν ἐρεῖς.

Οἰδίπους

φονέα με φησὶ Λαΐου καθεστάναι.

Ἰοκάστη

αὐτὸς ξυνειδώς, ἢ μαθὼν ἄλλου πάρα;

Οἰδίπους

μάντιν μὲν οὖν κακοῦργον εἰσπέμψας, ἐπεὶ
705

τό γ᾽ εἰς ἑαυτὸν πᾶν ἐλευθεροῖ στόμα.

I’ll tell thee, lady, for I honour thee
700

More than these citizens. ’Twas Creon there,
700

And his inveterate treason against me.

JO

Accuse him, so you make the quarrel plain.

OED

He saith I am the murderer of the King.

JO

Speaks he from hearsay, or as one who knows?

OED

He keeps his own lips free: but hath suborned
705

A rascal soothsayer to this villany.

So höre (denn dich acht' ich mehr als diese, Frau,)

Von Kreon, was er Arges mir ersonnen hat.

Jokaste.

Sprich, wenn du wahrhaft ihn des Streites zeihen kannst.
685

Oedipus.

Von meinen Händen, sagt er aus, fiel Laïos.

Jokaste.

Aus eignem Anschau'n oder auf ein fremdes Wort?

Oedipus.

Den Tückebold, den Seher, schickt er mir daher,

Und rein von Allem hält er sich den eignen Mund.

Chorus

Princess, now

Persuade him to retire.

Joe. First, let me know

The cause of this dissension.

Chorus

From reports

Uncertain, and suspicions most injurious.

The quarrel rose.

Joe. Was th' accusation mutual 1

Chorus

It was.
685

Joe. AVhat followed then ?

Chorus

Ask me no more ;

Enough 's already known ; we '11 not repeat
690

The woes of hapless Thebes.

. CEdi. You are all blind,

Insensible, unjust; you love me not,
695

Yet boast your piety.

He saith I murder'd Laius.

Said he this

Jocasta

On his own knowledge, or from others heard?

Oedipus

That I will do, for I honor you, lady, above these men. Creon is the cause, and the plots he has laid against me.
700

Iocasta

Come, tell me how the argument began.

Oedipus

He says that I stand guilty of Laius’ blood.

Iocasta

On his own knowledge or on hearsay from another?

Oedipus

He has made a rascal seer his mouth piece: as for himself, he keeps his lips wholly pure.
705