Sophocles Electra 111

Lewis Campbell (Translator)

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CLY
In vain? Nay, verily; thou, that hast brought
680
Clear evidences of his fate, who, sprung
680
Prom my life’s essence, severed from my breast
And nurture, was estranged in banishment,
And never saw me from the day he went
Out from this land, but for his father’s blood
Threatened me still with accusation dire;
That sleep nor soothed at night nor sweetly stole
My senses from the day, but, all my time,
Each instant led me on the way to death!—
685
But this day’s chance hath freed me from all fear
685
Of him, and of this maid: who being at home
Troubled me more, and with unmeasured thirst
Kept draining my life-blood; but now her threats
Will leave us quiet days, methinks, and peace
Unbroken.—How then shouldst thou come in vain?

Electra. Sophocles. Lewis Campbell (Translator). London, New York and Toronto. 1906.

Current edition Experimental

English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) (English) (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906))

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (2)
Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 111 focus
ὦ δῶμ᾽ Ἀΐδου ἄιδου L. καὶ Περσεφόνης ο C.,
Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 121-250 focus
Translations (4)
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 103 focus
Nein, niemals hemm' ich die Stimme des Grams
Und den finsteren Harm,
So lang ich schaue der Sterne
105
Weitstrahlenden Glanz und den Tag hier,
Daß, wie Philomel' um des Kindes Verlust,
Ich den Ruf an der Thür des Gemordeten hier
Nicht jammernd erhöb' und von Allen gehört.
Ach, Aïdes' Haus, Persephone's Haus!
110
Du Hermes drunten! O Fluchgöttin, 1
Und Erinnyen ihr, ein göttlich Geschlecht,
Die heimlichen Ehbruch strafen und schau'n,
Wen tückischer Mord unschuldig verdarb,
Kommt helfend heran:
115
O rächet den Mord, an dem Vater verübt,
Und zum Beistand führt mir den Bruder zurück!
Denn nimmer zu tragen vermag ich allein
Das Gewicht in der Schale des Unglücks.
(Der Chor, von der Stadtseite kommend, ordnet sich vor dem Palaste.) Elektra. Der Chor. Erste Strophe.
English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 111 focus
Electra
And then to fall
A wretched stranger in a foreign land !
English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 111 focus
Clytemnestra
That state wilt thou and thy Orestes sink?
English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 121-250 focus

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-390-1 κἀπεμπόμην 1 καὶ … φράσω 2

mvp-comment-391-1 γὰρ 3

mvp-comment-392-1 πρόσχημ’ ἀγῶνος 4 Ἑλλάδος 5

mvp-comment-392-2 πρόσχημα 6

mvp-comment-392-3 Δελφ. ἄθλων 7

mvp-comment-393-1 ὀρθίων 8

mvp-comment-393-2 δρόμον … οὗ πρώτη κρίσις 9

mvp-comment-394-1 εἰσῆλθε 10

mvp-comment-395-1 ἰσώσας * τἀφέσει 11 τῇ φύσει 12

mvp-comment-395-2 Now there is evidence that the customary order for the foot-races was, 1.

δόλιχος
, 2.
στάδιον
, 3.
δίαυλος
. See Boeckh C. I. G. no. 1590 and 1591 (referring to games at Thespiae, circ. 240 B.C.): also no. 2214 (games at Chios, circ. 100—80 B.C.). Paus. 6. 13. 3 (of the athlete Polites at Olympia),
δολίχου τε ἐν ἡμέρᾳ τῇ αὐτῇ καὶ παραυτίκα σταδίου λαβὼν νίκην προσέθηκε διαύλου σφίσι τὴν τρίτην
. It would agree, then, with the words
οὗ πρώτη κρίσις
(684) if the
δόλιχος
were meant here. [As to Legg. 833 D, see Appendix.]

mvp-comment-395-3 For

ἄφεσις
as=‘starting-place,’ cp. Suidas ( s.v.
ἀπὸ γραμμῆς
):
γραμμῆς, ἣν ἄφεσιν καὶ βαλβῖδα καλοῦσιν
: Paus. 6. 20. 9
ᾗ τοῖς σταδιοδρόμοις ἄφεσις πεποίηται
: id. 5. 15. 5
ἐν δὲ τῶν ἵππων τῇ
ἀφέσει, ἐν μὲν τῷ ὑπαίθρῳ τῆς ἀφέσεως κ.τ.λ.
—Dindorf notes that in Aristeides vol. I. p. 339 the words
τῆς ἀφέσεως
were corrupted to
τῆς φύσεως
.

mvp-comment-395-4 The proposed versions of the vulgate τῇ φύσει 13

mvp-comment-396-1 νίκης … γέρας 14

mvp-comment-397-1 χὥπως μὲν 15

mvp-comment-397-2 Others explain:—

οὐκ οἶδα δὲ ὅπως τοιοῦδ’ ἀνδρὸς ἔργα καὶ κράτη λέγω σοι παῦρα ἐν πολλοῖς
: ‘I do not know how to describe his deeds to you briefly, when they were so many.’ The place of
οἶδα
can be justified by O.T. 1251. But: (1) thus construed, the words ought to mean, ‘I do not know how to describe his deeds as few.’ The other meaning would require
ἐν παύροις
, or the like. And (2)
ἐν πολλοῖσι
is then awkward.

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

680. mvp-comment-309-1 The Old Man now fills up with great spirit (though without an 'oath') the outline which Orestes gave him, supr. 48-50. This narrative, while directly pertinent to the action, also helps to relieve it at a point where it was becoming monotonous. The ornate and exaggerated diction (especially in 730-3) is suited to a fabricated account. Contrast in this respect the speech of Hyllus in Trach. 749 foll.

680. mvp-comment-309-2 The Old Man now fills up with great spirit (though without an 'oath') the outline which Orestes gave him, supr. 48-50. This narrative, while directly pertinent to the action, also helps to relieve it at a point where it was becoming monotonous. The ornate and exaggerated diction (especially in 730-3) is suited to a fabricated account. Contrast in this respect the speech of Hyllus in Trach. 749 foll.

681-682. mvp-comment-310-1 εἰς τὸ κοινὸν . . ἀγῶνος] ‘Το that contest which is the universal pride of Hellas.' ἀγῶνος is to be taken closely with πρόσχημα, as a genitive of definition. Essay on L. § 10. p. 17, 6.

681-682. mvp-comment-310-2 εἰς τὸ κοινὸν . . ἀγῶνος] ‘Το that contest which is the universal pride of Hellas.' ἀγῶνος is to be taken closely with πρόσχημα, as a genitive of definition. Essay on L. § 10. p. 17, 6.

685. mvp-comment-311-1 He entered the arena, glorious to behold, and drew all men's eyes towards him.' For λαμπρός, cp. Plat. Rep. 8. 560 E, λαμπρὰς μετὰ πολλοῦ χοροῦ κατάγουσιν : Aeschin. 34. 40.

685. mvp-comment-311-2 He entered the arena, glorious to behold, and drew all men's eyes towards him.' For λαμπρός, cp. Plat. Rep. 8. 560 E, λαμπρὰς μετὰ πολλοῦ χοροῦ κατάγουσιν : Aeschin. 34. 40.

686. mvp-comment-312-1 And having finished his courses in a manner worthy of his looks.' Lit. 'Having made the completion of his courses adequate to his personal appearance.' This line has been needlessly and mistakenly altered. φύσις, the outward promise of the man, is an abridgment or resumption of εἰσῆλθε λαμπρός. Cp. Trach. 308, where πρὸς μὲν . . φύσιν is To judge from her appearance:' Pind. Isthm. 6. 30, φέρει γὰρ Ἰσθμοῖ νίκαν παγκρατίου· σθένει τ' ἔκπαγλος ἰδεῖν τε μορφάεις· ἄγει δ' ἀρετὰν οὐκ αἴσχιον φυᾶς: Nem. 3. 32, ἐὼν καλὸς ἔρδων τ' ἐοικότα μορφᾷ. The conjecture of Musgr. (ἰσώσας τἀφέσει τὰ τέρματα, Having finished at the starting-place') is forced and meaningless. On the verb ἰσόω, see E. on L. § 51. p. 96.

686. mvp-comment-312-2 And having finished his courses in a manner worthy of his looks.' Lit. 'Having made the completion of his courses adequate to his personal appearance.' This line has been needlessly and mistakenly altered. φύσις, the outward promise of the man, is an abridgment or resumption of εἰσῆλθε λαμπρός. Cp. Trach. 308, where πρὸς μὲν . . φύσιν is To judge from her appearance:' Pind. Isthm. 6. 30, φέρει γὰρ Ἰσθμοῖ νίκαν παγκρατίου· σθένει τ' ἔκπαγλος ἰδεῖν τε μορφάεις· ἄγει δ' ἀρετὰν οὐκ αἴσχιον φυᾶς: Nem. 3. 32, ἐὼν καλὸς ἔρδων τ' ἐοικότα μορφᾷ. The conjecture of Musgr. (ἰσώσας τἀφέσει τὰ τέρματα, Having finished at the starting-place') is forced and meaningless. On the verb ἰσόω, see E. on L. § 51. p. 96.

688-689. mvp-comment-313-1 And I know not, indeed, how to tell you a few out of the many successful exploits of such a hero.' This is naturally opposed to what follows, where, instead of selecting particular feats, the Old Man sums up all in a single statement. A slight

688-689. mvp-comment-313-2 And I know not, indeed, how to tell you a few out of the many successful exploits of such a hero.' This is naturally opposed to what follows, where, instead of selecting particular feats, the Old Man sums up all in a single statement. A slight

688-691. mvp-comment-314-1 emendation of l. 688, χὤπως μὲν ἐν παύροισι πολλά, κ.τ.λ., Το tell you much in few, I know of no such (other) hero's achievements and victories,' would make the line clearer in itself, but would destroy the connection with ἓν δ᾽ ἴσθι. But see the end of note on l. 691.

688-691. mvp-comment-314-2 emendation of 1. 688, χὤπως μὲν ἐν παύροισι πολλά, κ.τ.λ., Το tell you much in few, I know of no such (other) hero's achievements and victories,' would make the line clearer in itself, but would destroy the connection with ἓν δ᾽ ἴσθι. But see the end of note on 1. 691.