Sophocles Oedipus Tyrannus 800

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)) — 800 focus
καί σοι, γύναι, τἀληθὲς ἐξερῶ. τριπλῆς
800
ὅτ᾽ ἦ κελεύθου τῆσδ᾽ ὁδοιπορῶν πέλας,
ἐνταῦθά μοι κῆρύξ τε κἀπὶ πωλικῆς
ἀνὴρ ἀπήνης ἐμβεβώς, οἷον σὺ φῄς,
ξυνηντίαζον· κἀξ ὁδοῦ μ᾽ ὅ θ᾽ ἡγεμὼν
αὐτός θ᾽ ὁ πρέσβυς πρὸς βίαν ἠλαυνέτην.
805
κἀγὼ τὸν ἐκτρέποντα, τὸν τροχηλάτην,
παίω διʼ ὀργῆς· καί μ᾿ ὁ πρέσβυς ὡς ὁρᾷ,
[42 a.
ὄχου παραστείχοντα τηρήσας μέσον
κάρα διπλοῖς κέντροισί μου καθίκετο.
οὐ μὴν ἴσην γ᾽ ἔτισεν, ἀλλὰ συντόμως
810
σκήπτρῳ τυπεὶς ἐκ τῆσδε χειρὸς ὕπτιος
μέσης ἀπήνης εὐθὺς ἐκκυλίνδεται.
κτείνω δὲ τοὺς ξύμπαντας. εἰ δὲ τῷ ξένῳ
τούτῳ προσήκει Λαΐῳ τι συγγενές,
τίς τοῦδε *τἀνδρὸς ἔστιν ἀθλιώτερος;
815
τίς ἐχθροδαίμων μᾶλλον ἂν γένοιτ᾽ ἀνήρ;
ᾧ μὴ ξένων ἔξεστι μηδ᾽ ἀστῶν τινὰ
δόμοις δέχεσθαι, μηδὲ προσφωνεῖν τινά,
ὠθεῖν δ᾽ ἀπ᾿ οἴκων. καὶ τάδ' οὔτις ἄλλος ἦν
ἢ ἐγὼ ἐπ᾿ ἐμαυτῷ τάσδ᾽ ἀρὰς ὁ προστιθείς.
820
λέχη δὲ τοῦ θανόντος ἐν χεροῖν ἐμαῖν
χραίνω, διʼ' ὧνπερ ὤλετ᾽. ἆρ᾽ ἔφυν κακός;
ἆρ᾽ οὐχὶ πᾶς ἄναγνος; εἴ με χρὴ φυγεῖν,
καί μοι φυγόντι μἤστι τοὺς ἐμοὺς ἰδεῖν
*μηδ' ἐμβατεύειν πατρίδος, ἢ γάμοις με δεῖ
825
μητρὸς ζυγῆναι καὶ πατέρα κατακτανεῖν
Πόλυβον, ὃς ἐξέφυσε κἀξέθρεψέ με.
ἆρ᾽ οὐκ ἀπ᾿ ὠμοῦ ταῦτα δαίμονός τις ἂν
κρίνων ἐπ᾿ ἀνδρὶ τῷδ᾽ ἂν ὀρθοίη λόγον;
μὴ δῆτα μὴ δῆτ᾽, ὦ θεῶν ἁγνὸν σέβας,
830
ἴδοιμι ταύτην ἡμέραν, ἀλλ᾽ ἐκ βροτῶν
βαίην ἄφαντος πρόσθεν ἢ τοιάνδ᾽ ἰδεῖν
κηλῖδ᾽ ἐμαυτῷ συμφορᾶς ἀφιγμένην.
Translations (5)
English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 800 focus
And, O my wife, I will hide nought from thee.
800
When I drew near the cross-road of your tale,
A herald, and a man upon a car,
Like your description, there encountered me.
And he who led the car, and he himself
The greybeard, sought to thrust me from the path.
805
Then in mine angry mood I sharply struck
The driver-man who turned me from the way;
Which when the elder saw, he watched for me
As I passed by, and from the chariot-seat
Smote full upon my head with the fork’d goad;
810
But got more than he gave; for, by a blow
From this right hand, smit with my staff, he fell
Instantly rolled out of the car supine.
I slew them every one. Now if that stranger
Had aught in common with king Laius,
What wretch on earth was e’er so lost as I?
815
Whom have the Heavens so followed with their hate?
No house of Theban or of foreigner
Must any more receive me, none henceforth
Must speak to me, but drive me from the door!
I, I have laid this curse on mine own head!
820
Yea, and this arm that slew him now enfolds
His queen. O cruel stain! Am I not vile?
Polluted utterly! Yes, I must flee,
And, lost to Thebè, nevermore behold
My home, nor tread my country, lest I meet
825
In marriage mine own mother, and bring low
His head that gave me life and reared my youth,
My father, Polybus. Ah! right were he
Who should declare some god of cruel mood
Had sent this trouble upon my soul! Ye Powers,
830
Worshipped in holiness, ne’er may I see
That day, but perish from the sight of men,
Ere sins like these be branded on my name!
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 800 focus
Und, Frau, die Wahrheit will ich dir gesteh'n: sobald
Ich jenem Dreiweg nahe war auf meiner Fahrt,
Kommt mir ein Herold und ein Mann, so wie du jezt
785
Mir ihn beschriebst, entgegen, den ein Wagen trug
Mit jungen Rossen; und des Wagens Lenker trieb
Samt jenem Alten mit Gewalt vom Weg mich ab.
Und ich, im Zorne, schlage den, der mich vertrieb,
Den Wagenführer; als der Alte dies gewahrt,
790
Die Zeit erspäht' er, bis ich nah dem Wagen kam,
Und schwang den Stachel mitten mir auf's Haupt herab. 1
Doch büßt' er nicht mit Gleichem; nein, vom Stab sofort
Aus meiner Hand getroffen, wird er ungesäumt
Vom Wagensize hinterrücks hinabgestürzt;
795
Darauf erschlug ich Alle. Wenn nun Laïos
Jemals Gemeinschaft hatte mit dem Fremdlinge:
Wo mag der Menschen Einer unglückseliger,
Wer könnte gottverhaßter sein, als Dedipus?
Den nicht ein Fremdling, noch ein hier gebor'ner Manu
800
In seine Wohnung nehmen noch ansprechen darf,
Nein, aus dem Hause stoßen muß! Und ich bin's selbst,
Kein Andrer hat mir diesen Fluch auf's Haupt gelegt,
Des Todten Gattin wird befleckt in meinem Arm,
Der ihn zu Boden streckte. Bin ich nicht verrucht?
805
Nicht ganz und gar unheilig? Wenn ich fliehen muß,
Und als ein Flüchtling nimmermehr die Meinen seh'n,
Nicht meiner Heimat nahen darf: sonst muß ich, ha!
Die Mutter frei'n, muß meinen Vater Polybos
Ermorden, der mir Leben gab und mich erzog.
810
Wer sagen wollte, daß ein grimmer Dämon dies
Mir zugesendet, träf' er nicht das Richtige?
mög' ich nie, ihr heiligen Himmelsmächte dort!
Nie diesen Tag schau'n! Mög' ich aus der Sterblichen
Anblick zuvor entschwinden, eh' ich sehen muß,
815
Daß solches Unheils grause Schmach mein Leben drückt!
English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 800 focus
His hairs just turning to the silver hue ;
His form not much unlike thy own.
Sure I have called down curses on myself
Unknowing.
Joe Ha ! what sayst thou, CEdipus ?
I tremble whilst I look on thee.
English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 800 focus
Yes, I will tell thee all the truth: as near
800
This place, where three ways meet, I held my course,
An herald, and exalted on a car
One of such form as thy description mark'd,
Met me: with force the leader of the way,
And the old Chief himself against me rush'd,
805
And drove me back; the leader, who aside
Had turn'd me, in my rage I strike: the Chief,
Soon as he saw me passing near the car,
Smote me, against my head he aim'd the blow,
He smote me twice; but from this hand received
Unequal recompense; beneath my staff
810
At once he sunk, and from his chariot roll'd.
I slew them all. Now should these kindred deeds
Prove like relation 'twixt this stranger slain
And Laius, lives there such a wretch as I?
Lives there a man so hateful to the gods?
815
Nor citizen nor stranger may henceforth
Beneath their roof receive me, none with me
Hold converse, from their houses all constrain'd
To thrust me; yet none other, but myself,
Denounced these curses on me. I pollute
The bed of him, who perish'd by these hands,
820
These blood-stain'd hands? And am I not most vile?
Am I not all defiled? If I must fly,
And exiled never, never see those friends
That are most dear to me, and never tread
My country's soil again; if I must mount
825
My mother's bed, in fated nuptials join'd;
825
If I must kill my father Polybus,
From whom my life, my nurture I received ;
Who would not judge, who would not say with truth
That some remorseless Demon wrought these woes ?
But never, never, O ye holy pow'rs
830
Of the just gods, may I behold that day!
No: from the sight of mortals let me sink,
Ere see a stain like this pollute my life.
English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 800 focus

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-497-1 καί σοι … τριπλῆς 1

mvp-comment-498-1 κῆρυξ τε 2 κῆρύξ τε 3

mvp-comment-499-1 ἀπήνης 4

mvp-comment-499-2 οἶον 5

mvp-comment-500-1 The κῆρυξ 6 ἡγεμών 7 τροχηλάτης 8 ἡγεμών 9 ἠλαυνέτην 10 πρὸς βίαν 11 τροχηλάτης 12 ἐκτρέποντα 13

mvp-comment-501-1 ὄχου 14 μέσον κάρα 15 ὄχου 16

mvp-comment-501-2 τηρήσας 17

mvp-comment-502-1 καθίκετο 18 μου 19 μέσον κάρα 20

mvp-comment-502-2 διπλοῖς κέντροισι 21

mvp-comment-503-1 οὐ μὴν ἴσην γ’ 22

mvp-comment-503-2 ἔτεισεν 23

mvp-comment-503-3 συντόμως 24

mvp-comment-504-1 μέσης 25

mvp-comment-505-1 εἰ συγγενές τι τῷ Λαΐῳ 26 τι 27 συγγενές 28

mvp-comment-506-1 δν … τινι 29

mvp-comment-507-1 μηδὲ … τινα 30 ἔξεστι 31

mvp-comment-507-2 ὠθεῖν δ’ 32

mvp-comment-507-3 καὶ τάδ’ 33 τάδε 34

mvp-comment-508-1 ἐν χεροῖν 35

mvp-comment-509-1 ἆρ’—ἆρ’ οὐχὶ 36 ἆρα 37 ἆρ’ οὐχὶ 38

mvp-comment-510-1 Πόλυβον 39

mvp-comment-511-1 ἐπ’ ἀνδρὶ τῷδε 40 ὀρθοίη λόγον 41

mvp-comment-512-1 τοιάνδε 42

mvp-comment-512-2 κηλῖδα 43 συμφορᾶς 44

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

798-801. mvp-comment-467-1 τούσδε .. τῆσδε The crossroad is vividly present to his imagination; hence the pronoun ὅδε is used. The place described in general terms, supr. l. 716, was more closely identified in ll. 733-734. The poetical plural is applicable to a spot which was the meeting point of several districts.

800. mvp-comment-469-1 This line is omitted in the chief MS. and only added there in the margin by a hand of the 14th century (C7.), to which several important corrections are also due. The words add a touch of nature. Cp. Virg. Aen. 4. 20, Anna, fatebor enim... As Oedipus approaches the critical moment in his story, his tone becomes more confidential, and he introduces the part of the narrative that tells against himself with a form of asseveration. Cp. supr. 412, 449. At this point, too, the mention of the exact spot, where the three roads met (τριπλῆς, κ.τ.λ.), is extremely natural, after the general description in 798-799. Oedipus dwells expressly on each of the circumstances which he identifies, and it is not likely that he would omit that which first awakened his suspicion. Lastly, the omission of the line produces an asyndeton, which may be paralleled perhaps from Homer, but hardly from Attic Greek. To say that the verse was invented to fill up a lacuna is an improbable assumption. The hand (C².), which has supplied several lines omitted by the first hand of L., must have overlooked this omission.

801. mvp-comment-470-1 When I was near this triple way as I proceeded on my journey.'

802. mvp-comment-471-1 κῆρυξ The herald, who is at once recognized by his staff, goes before the rest, to show the peaceful intentions of the party and their sacred mission (θεωρία).

802. mvp-comment-471-2 πωλικῆς Drawn by colts, i. e. not a chariot, but some rougher vehicle for travelling in a hill-country.

803. mvp-comment-472-1 οἷον σὺ φής 'Like your de- scription' (cp. 742-743). Oedipus dwells on this with special emphasis, which is assisted by the pause in the line.

804. mvp-comment-473-1 ὁ θ᾽ ἡγεμών .. 806. τὸν τροχηλάτην] The driver is first called ἡγεμών, because he is leading the horses along the hilly road. After striking him, Oedipus passes on by the chariot, and only then comes within the reach of Laius' goad. It is not clear from the description whether the herald and the driver are the same or different. As there were five in all, and amongst these were probably the customary δύο ἀμφίπολοι (one of whom was the οἰκεύς), it seems natural to suppose that they were different. And it is improbable that Oedipus would strike, on a slight provocation, the Διὸς ἄγγελον ἠδὲ καὶ ἀνδρῶν.

806. mvp-comment-474-1 τὸν ἐκτρέποντα The repetition of the article shows Oedipus' desire to make every point in the narrative clear. Cp. τοὺς ἴσχοντας, Hdt. 3. 77.

807. mvp-comment-475-1 ὡς ὁρᾷ Sc. τοῦτο ποιοῦντα. When he sees my act. με is partly governed by ὁρᾷ, but chiefly by the general action of the sentence. From the vehicle he watched for me, as I walked by, and came down full upon my head with the forked goad.' 808, ὄχου] = ἐξ ὄχου, governed partly by τηρήσας, but chiefly by καθίκετο. See Essay on Language § 36. p. 66, and cp. Pind. Pyth. 9. 10, 11, θεοδμάτων ὀχέων ἐφαπτομένα χερὶ κούφᾳ. For μέσον, used merely to add emphasis, cp. El. 745, ἄξονος μέσας χνόας. Full on the box of the wheel. And just below, 812, μέσης ἀπήνης εὐθὺς ἐκκυλίνδεται. Straightway he was rolled right out of the chariot. Also Od. 5. 316, μέσον δὲ οἱ ἱστὸν ἔαξεν.

810. mvp-comment-476-1 οὐ μὴν ἴσην γ᾽ ἔτισεν ἴσην, sc. τίσιν. He paid no equal penalty. I.e. He got more than he had given.

810. mvp-comment-476-2 συντόμως All at once.

811. mvp-comment-477-1 ἐκ τῆσδε χειρός The simplicity of the language adds greatly to the effect. The son shows his mother the very hand with which he slew his father. There is an unconsciousness in the expression which calls forth at once horror and pity. For Oedipus, though beginning to be doubtfully aware that he has slain Laius, has hitherto no idea of his relationship to him.

812. mvp-comment-478-1 ἐκκυλίνδεται The rare use of the passive ἐκκυλίνδε is suggested by the Homeric ἐκ δίφροιο . . ἐξεκυλίσθη, Il. 6.42.

813. mvp-comment-479-1 κτείνω δὲ τοὺς ξύμπαντας Ορdipus in his excitement overlooked the οἰκέτης, as the latter in telling his tale spoke not of one but of many assailants. The least particulars will hereafter become of the greatest importance in the progress of the inquiry.

813. mvp-comment-479-2 τῷ ξένῳ τούτῳ The stranger of whom I have spoken. Cp. supr. 799, τὸν τύραννον τοῦτον.

814. mvp-comment-480-1 But if this stranger is in any way connected with Laius by blood.

814. mvp-comment-480-2 συγγενές is added to supplement προσήκει; so that Aato is partly governed by both. The indirectness of the whole expression marks the reluctance of Oedipus to utter that of which he is becoming convinced.

815. mvp-comment-481-1 τίς τοῦδε *τἀνδρὸς ἔστιν ἀθλιώτερός] The reading of L. is here untenable. Others read τίς τοῦδε νῦν ἔστ᾽ ἀνδρός; The verse is necessary to the connection, and there is no ground for rejecting it.

817-818. mvp-comment-482-1 ᾧ μὴ.. δέχεσθαι Το whom it is forbidden that any, whether strangers or citizens, should receive me in their houses.' The conjecture ὅν .. τινί, is probable but not certain.

817-818. mvp-comment-482-2 ξένων I. e. Strangers in Thebes. Oedipus is not thinking of his possible rejection from other lands. An alien was not exempt from the obligation laid upon the citizens. See above, l. 230 , note.

819. mvp-comment-483-1 ὠθεῖν δ᾽ ἀπ᾿ οἴκων The positive notion is evolved from the negative. See Essay on Language § 36. р. 64. Cp. 240-241, μήτε χέρνιβος νέμειν· | ὠθεῖν δ᾽ ἀπ᾿ οἴκων πάντας.

819. mvp-comment-483-2 καὶ τάδε And in this. Pendent accusative, resumed in τάσδ' ἀράς. Observe the growth of the idea in the mind of Oedipus. He now imagines as A Trin.

819. mvp-comment-483-3 ζυγῆναι CA. certain what he at first (ll. 814-815) treated only as a supposition. 821, foll. And yet, as the spectator feels, the greater part of the horror remains unknown.

822. mvp-comment-484-1 ἆρ᾽ ἔφυν κακός Am I then, or am I not, a wretch? For this use of ἆρα, as even stronger than ἆρ' οὐ, see Essay on Language § 29. p. 50.

823. mvp-comment-485-1 ἆρ᾿ οὐχὶ πᾶς ἄναγνος Cp. Aj. 519, ἐν σοὶ πᾶσ᾽ ἔγωγε σώζομαι. The nominative of wâs in such cases has something of a predicative or adverbial force. Am I not utterly polluted?' See Essay on Language § 23. 8. 2, р. 38.

825. mvp-comment-486-1 μηδ' ἐμβατεύειν πατρίδος Nor set foot anywhere in my native land. See Essay on Language § 10. p. 15.

826. mvp-comment-487-1 μητρός The genitive marks the character of the act; An unholy marriage with my mother. Cp. О. С. 945, 6, γάμοι . . ἀνόσιοι τέκνων.

827. mvp-comment-488-1 There is no reason for bracketing this line. Oedipus' affectionate remembrance of his supposed father is contrasted with his real but involuntary crime. The reading of M., in which the order of words is inverted, deserves attention, as seeming to lay the chief emphasis on ἐξέφυσε. But see Essay on Language § 41. pp. 76-78. κατακτείειαν ναιεν CA. κατακτείναιεν Μο.

827. mvp-comment-488-2 κατακτείνειαν Trin.

828. mvp-comment-489-1 ἀπ᾿ ὠμοῦ.. δαίμονος For such a prepositional clause taking the place of a predicate, see Essay on Language § 41, p. 78, b. § 19. p. 29.

831. mvp-comment-490-1 ταύτην ἡμέραν That day. Essay on Language § 22. p. 35. Cp. Aj. 497, ταύτῃ νόμιζε κἀμὲ τῇ τόθ᾽ ἡμέρᾳ, κ.τ.λ.

832-833. mvp-comment-491-1 πρόσθεν ἤ is followed by the infinitive as if it were πρίν. So πρότερον ἤ in Hdt. 7. 2, al. Thuc. 6. 58.

832-833. mvp-comment-491-2 τοιάνδε . . κηλίδα.. συμφορᾶς Α calamity causing so deep a stain.' Essay on Language § 10. b, p. 14. For συμφορά in this connection, cp. supr. 1. 99 and note.