Sophocles, Electra, Richard Jebb (Translator), 990

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Chorus

In a crisis such as this, forethought is an ally both to those who speak and those who listen.
990

Chrysothemis

Yes, I agree. And before she spoke, my friends, if she were blessed with a sound mind, she would have remembered caution, even as she does not now.

Where can you have turned your eyes, that you arm yourself with such rashness and call me to serve beneath you? Do you not see? Your nature is a woman’s, not a man’s, and the strength of your hand is less than that of your adversaries. And their fortune prospers day by day,
995

while ours ebbs and comes to nothing. Who, then, plotting to subdue such a man, would escape destruction unharmed? See to it that, badly as we fare now, we do not acquire greater evil, if any one hears this talk of yours.
1000

It brings us no relief or benefit, if after winning fair fame we die an ignominious death. For death is not the most odious thing; it is rather craving death, but lacking the means to die. No, I plead with you, before we are utterly, totally destroyed
1005

and before we leave our house desolate, restrain your rage! I will take care that your words remain secret and harmless for you. You in turn must get hold of good sense at long last and yield to the powerful since you have no strength.
1010

Electra. Sophocles. Richard Jebb (Translator). Cambridge. 1894.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.

Current edition Experimental

Electra (English) (Sophocles the plays and fragments, Part 6: The Electra. Jebb, Richard Claverhouse, Sir, translator. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1894. (Modernized by Perseus.))

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (2)

Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 990 focus

ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις ἐστὶν ἡ προμηθία
990

καὶ τῷ λέγοντι καὶ κλύοντι σύμμαχος.

ΧΡ.

καὶ πρίν γε φωνεῖν, ὦ γυναῖκες, εἰ φρενῶν

ἐτύγχαν αὕτη μὴ κακῶν, ἐσώζετ᾽ ἂν

τὴν εὐλάβειαν, ὥσπερ οὐχὶ σώζεται.

ποῖ γάρ ποτ' ἐμβλέψασα ἐμβλέψασα(τ or s) LL. τοιοῦτον θράσος
995

αὐτή θ' ὁπλίζει κἄμ᾽ ὑπηρετεῖν καλεῖς;

οὐκ εἰσορᾷς; γυνὴ μὲν οὐδ᾽ ἀνὴρ ἔφυς,

σθένεις δ᾽ ἔλασσον ἔλαττον MSS. Brunck corr. τῶν ἐναντίων εναντίων L. χερί.

δαίμων δὲ τοῖς μὲν εὐτυχεῖ εὐτυχεῖ L. εὐτυχὴς AΓ Pal. εὐτυχεῖ L2. καθ᾽ ἡμέραν,

ἡμῖν δ᾽ ἀπορρεῖ κἀπὶ μηδὲν ἔρχεται.
1000

τίς οὖν τοιοῦτον ἄνδρα βουλεύων ἑλεῖν

ἄλυπος ἄτης ἐξαπαλλαχθήσεται ;

ὅρα κακῶς πράσσοντε μὴ μείζω κακὰ

κτησώμεθ᾽, εἴ τις τούσδ᾽ ἀκούσεται λόγους.

λύει γὰρ γὰρ. L. ἡμᾶς οὐδὲν οὐδ᾽ ἐπωφελεῖ
1005

βάξιν καλὴν λαβόντε δυσκλεῶς θανεῖν.

om. LL² add C².οὐ γὰρ θανεῖν ἔχθιστον, ἀλλ᾽ ὅταν θανεῖν

χρήζων χρήζ(ηι?) L. χρήζων A. χρήζηι ΓL2. χρήζη Pal. τις εἶτα μηδὲ τοῦτ᾽ ἔχῃ λαβεῖν.

ἀλλ᾽ ἀντιάζω, πρὶν πανωλέθρους τὸ πᾶν

ἡμᾶς τ᾽ ὀλέσθαι κἀξερημῶσαι γένος,
1010

κατάσχες ὀργήν, καὶ τὰ μὲν λελεγμένα

ἄρρητ᾽ ἐγώ σοι κἀτελῆ φυλάξομαι,

αὐτὴ αὐτῆ? L. δὲ νοῦν σχὲς ἀλλὰ τῷ χρόνῳ ποτέ,

σθένουσα μηδὲν τοῖς κρατοῦσιν εἰκαθεῖν εἰκάθειν MSS. Elmsl. corr..

ΧΟ.

Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 990 focus

Χορός

ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις ἐστὶν ἡ προμηθία
990

καὶ τῷ λέγοντι καὶ κλύοντι σύμμαχος.

Χρυσόθεμις

καὶ πρίν γε φωνεῖν, ὦ γυναῖκες, εἰ φρενῶν

ἐτύγχανʼ αὕτη μὴ κακῶν, ἐσῴζετʼ ἂν

τὴν εὐλάβειαν, ὥσπερ οὐχὶ σῴζεται.

ποῖ γάρ ποτʼ ἐμβλέψασα τοιοῦτον θράσος
995

αὐτή θʼ ὁπλίζει κἄμʼ ὑπηρετεῖν καλεῖς;

οὐκ εἰσορᾷς; γυνὴ μὲν οὐδʼ ἀνὴρ ἔφυς,

σθένεις δʼ ἔλασσον τῶν ἐναντίων χερί.

δαίμων δὲ τοῖς μὲν εὐτυχεῖ καθʼ ἡμέραν,

ἡμῖν δʼ ἀπορρεῖ κἀπὶ μηδὲν ἔρχεται.
1000

τίς οὖν τοιοῦτον ἄνδρα βουλεύων ἑλεῖν

ἄλυπος ἄτης ἐξαπαλλαχθήσεται;

ὅρα κακῶς πράσσοντε μὴ μείζω κακὰ

κτησώμεθʼ, εἴ τις τούσδʼ ἀκούσεται λόγους.

λύει γὰρ ἡμῖν οὐδὲν οὐδʼ ἐπωφελεῖ
1005

βάξιν καλὴν λαβόντε δυσκλεῶς θανεῖν.

οὐ γὰρ θανεῖν ἔχθιστον, ἀλλʼ ὅταν θανεῖν

χρῄζων τις εἶτα μηδὲ τοῦτʼ ἔχῃ λαβεῖν.

ἀλλʼ ἀντιάζω, πρὶν πανωλέθρους τὸ πᾶν

ἡμᾶς τʼ ὀλέσθαι κἀξερημῶσαι γένος,
1010

κατάσχες ὀργήν. καὶ τὰ μὲν λελεγμένα

ἄρρητʼ ἐγώ σοι κἀτελῆ φυλάξομαι,

αὐτὴ δὲ νοῦν σχὲς ἀλλὰ τῷ χρόνῳ ποτέ,

σθένουσα μηδὲν τοῖς κρατοῦσιν εἰκαθεῖν.

Translations (4)

English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 990 focus

In such affairs, for those who speak and hear
990

Wise thoughtfulness is still the best ally.

CHR

True, noble women, and before she spake

Sound thought should have prevented the rash talk

That now hath proved her reckless. What wild aim

Beckons thee forth in arming this design

Whereto thou wouldst demand my ministry?

Dost not perceive, thou art not man but woman,
995

Of strength inferior to thine enemies,—

Their Genius daily prospering more and more,

Whilst ours is dwindling into nothingness?

Who then that plots against a life so strong

Shall quit him of the danger without harm?

Take heed we do not add to our distress
1000

Should some one hear of this our colloquy.
1000

Small help and poor advantage ’twere for us

To win brief praise and then inglorious die.

Nay, death is not so hateful as when one

Desiring death is balked of that desire.

And I beseech thee, ere in utter ruin

We perish and make desolate our race,
1005

Refrain thy rage. And I will guard for thee

In silence these thy words unrealized;

If thou wilt learn this wisdom from long time,

Having no strength, to bend before the strong.

CH

German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 990 focus

In solchen Dingen muß ein wohlbedachter Sinn

Dem Sprecher, wie dem Hörer, stets zur Seite sein.

Chrysothemis.

Wohl, theure Frauen, dächte sie nicht ganz verkehrt,
970

Sie hätte wahrlich, ehe sie gesprochen, sich

Bewahrt die Vorsicht, wie sie nun sie nicht bewahrt.

Worauf vertrauend wagst du mit so keckem Muth

Dich selbst zu waffnen und verlangst auch meinen Arm?

Bedenke doch: du bist ein Weib nur, nicht ein Mann,
975

Bist ohne Macht, bist schwächer als die Feinde sind;

Auch lächelt ihnen Tag für Tag des Glückes Huld;

Uns ist das Glück entschwunden und zerrinnt in Nichts.

Wer also, wenn er solchen Mann zu stürzen sinnt,

Wird unverlezt dem Untergange sich entziehn?
980

Sieh, daß wir, Schweres tragend, nicht noch Schwereres

Uns schaffen, wenn ein Andrer so dich reden hört!

Denn nicht ersprießlich kann es uns noch dienlich sein,

Wenn wir, gekrönt mit Nuhme, schmählich untergehn.

Denn nicht den Tod eracht' ich als das Schrecklichste,
985

Nein, wenn man selbst ihn suchend ihn nicht finden kann.

Drum bitt' ich, fleh' ich, ehe wir in schnödem Tod

Ganz untergehen und das Haus zur Dede wird:

Laß ab, zu grollen! Was ich auch von dir gehört,

Bewahr' ich ohne Fährde dir und ungesagt.
990

Doch lerne selber endlich nach so langer Zeit

Der Macht dich beugen, die du selbst unmächtig bist.

Der Chor.

English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 990 focus

Be prudence now
990

The guide of both.

Chrysothemis

Her mind was sure disturbed.

My friends, or she would ne'er have talked so wildly.

How couldst thou think so rash an enterprise

Could e'er succeed, or how request my aid ?

Hast thou considered what thou art? )A woman, |
995

Weak and defenceless^ to thy foes unequal.

Fortune thou seest each hour flows in upon them,

Nor deigns to look on us. What hand shall deal

The fatal blow and pass unpunished for it ?

Take heed, my sistei", lest, thy counsel heard,

A heavier fate than what we now lament
1000

Fall on us both. What will our boasted fame

Avail us then? It is not death alone

We have to fear — to die is not the worst

Of human ills ; it is to wish for death

And be refused the boon. Consider well,

Ere we destroy ourselves and all our race.
1005

As they had ne'er been uttered, here they rest ;

Learn to be wise at last, and when thou knowst

I Resistance vain, submit to powers superior.

Chorus

English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 990 focus

This is a theme of danger, and requires
990

Prudence in her that speaks, and her that hears.
990

CHRY. Greatly behoved her ere she spoke, my friends

Chrysothemis

(But that intemperate passion rules her mind)

The guard of prudence: this she casts away.

On what high hope depending art thou arm'd

With this fierce daring, and dost call me forth

To act beneath thy guidance? Seest thou not

Thou art a woman, not a man, in strength
995

Inferior to thy foes; and that each day

A more exalted state their fortune finds,

Whilst ours flows backwards, and to nothing sinks ?

A foe so potent who shall dare attack,

And without ruin from his force retreat?

Take heed lest to our present ills we add

A weight of heavier ills, should any hear
1000

This bold discourse; for little would avail,
1000

Little advantage us our glorious fame,

If with disgrace we die; for not in death

Is the most dreadful ill, but when we wish

To die, and have not death within our pow'r.

But I implore thee, ere thou crush us quite

In hideous ruin, and o'er all our race

Bring total desolation, check thy rage;
1005

And this bold converse I will always keep

Secret and undivulged. Do thou restrain

Thy daring spirit, and by time be taught,

Weak as thou art, to sovereign pow'r to yield.

Chorus

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-558-1 ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις ¹ καὶ κλύοντι ² σύμμαχος ³

mvp-comment-558-2 993 For the place of μὴ ⁴

mvp-comment-558-3 ἐσῴζετ’ ⁵

mvp-comment-559-1 ἐμβλέψασα ⁶ θράσος … ὁπλίζει ⁷

mvp-comment-560-1 εἰσορᾷς ⁸

mvp-comment-560-2 γυνὴ μὲν ⁹

mvp-comment-560-3 σθένεις δ’ ἔλασσον … χερί ¹⁰

mvp-comment-561-1 ἀπορρεῖ ¹¹

mvp-comment-561-2 κἀπὶ μηδὲν ἔρχεται ¹²

mvp-comment-562-1 τοιοῦτον ¹³

mvp-comment-562-2 ἄλυπος ἄτης ¹⁴

mvp-comment-563-1 κτησώμεθ’ ¹⁵

mvp-comment-564-1 λύει ¹⁶ ἡμᾶς ¹⁷ ἡμῖν ¹⁸

mvp-comment-564-2 δυσκλεῶς θανεῖν ¹⁹

mvp-comment-565-1 οὐ γἀρ θανεῖν ²⁰ γὰρ ²¹

mvp-comment-566-1 κἀξερημῶσαι γένος ²²

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

991. mvp-comment-476-1 On the non-repetition of the article here see Essay on L. § 21. p. 33, b.

992-993. mvp-comment-477-1 εἰ φρενῶν.. μὴ κακῶν] If her thoughts had not been perverted.' μή belongs to the whole sentence, but its position emphasizes both the negation and the epithet κακῶν.

996. mvp-comment-478-1 As elsewhere, when αὐτός τε καί is introduced after the beginning of a sentence, the second clause has an independent construction. Plat. Rep. 4. Ρ. 427 C, αὐτός τε καὶ τὸν ἀδελφὸν παρακάλει.

999. mvp-comment-479-1 εὐτυχής is equally probable.

1000. mvp-comment-480-1 κἀπὶ μηδὲν ἔρχεται] Cp. Fr. 786. 1.8, πάλιν διαρρεῖ κἀπὶ μηδὲν ἔρχεται. The use of μή rather than oὐ is to be explained by the abstract expression, - 'nothingness' rather than 'nothing.'

1005. mvp-comment-481-1 λύει .. ἡμᾶς οὐδέν] It brings us no release.' λύειν is not here = λυσιτελεῖν, as it is sometimes in Euripides. See O. T. 316, 7, and note.

1007-1008. mvp-comment-482-1 It is conceivable, as some editors have suggested, that these two lines may have come in from elsewhere. Cp. Aj. 554 and note. If they are part of the text, the connection is somewhat as follows: We should gain nothing by doing what, although applauded for the moment, would bring us to an ignominious death. Not death merely, but the lingering misery that might precede it, is what we should have most to dread.' We may suppose that the imagination of Chrysothemis has been impressed by the threat of immurement, which she reported supr. 379-82.

1009. mvp-comment-483-1 πανωλέθρους τὸ πᾶν . . ὀλέσθαι] Perish utterly and irredeemably.' The repetition of τὸ πᾶν, already implied in πανωλέθρους, anticipates the notion which is more fully expressed by the antithesis in the succeeding verse, -'Ere we perish in an utter destruction, in which we should involve not ourselves only but our whole race'-(since Orestes is no more).

1010. mvp-comment-484-1 κἀξερημῶσαι γένος] Cp. Ant. 58, 9, νῦν αὖ μόνα δὴ νὰ λελειμμένα σκόπει | ὅσῳ κάκιστ᾽ ὀλούμεθ'. Iphianassa ( supr. 157) seems to be forgotten.

Sophocles Electra 990

Richard Jebb (Translator)

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Chorus

In a crisis such as this, forethought is an ally both to those who speak and those who listen.
990

Current edition Experimental

ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις ἐστὶν ἡ προμηθία
990

καὶ τῷ λέγοντι καὶ κλύοντι σύμμαχος.

ΧΟ.

Χορός

ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις ἐστὶν ἡ προμηθία
990

καὶ τῷ λέγοντι καὶ κλύοντι σύμμαχος.

In such affairs, for those who speak and hear
990

Wise thoughtfulness is still the best ally.

CH

In solchen Dingen muß ein wohlbedachter Sinn

Dem Sprecher, wie dem Hörer, stets zur Seite sein.

Der Chor.

Be prudence now
990

The guide of both.

Chorus

This is a theme of danger, and requires
990

Prudence in her that speaks, and her that hears.
990

CHRY. Greatly behoved her ere she spoke, my friends

Chorus

Commentary

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Chorus In a crisis such as this, forethought is an ally both to those who speak and those who listen. 990

Current edition Experimental

ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις ἐστὶν ἡ προμηθία 990 καὶ τῷ λέγοντι καὶ κλύοντι σύμμαχος.

ΧΟ.

Χορός ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις ἐστὶν ἡ προμηθία 990 καὶ τῷ λέγοντι καὶ κλύοντι σύμμαχος.

In such affairs, for those who speak and hear 990 Wise thoughtfulness is still the best ally.

CH

In solchen Dingen muß ein wohlbedachter Sinn Dem Sprecher, wie dem Hörer, stets zur Seite sein.

Der Chor.

Be prudence now 990 The guide of both.

Chorus

This is a theme of danger, and requires 990 Prudence in her that speaks, and her that hears. 990 CHRY. Greatly behoved her ere she spoke, my friends

Chorus

Commentary

Stable identifiers

Chorus

In a crisis such as this, forethought is an ally both to those who speak and those who listen.
990

ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις ἐστὶν ἡ προμηθία
990

καὶ τῷ λέγοντι καὶ κλύοντι σύμμαχος.

Χορός

ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις ἐστὶν ἡ προμηθία
990

καὶ τῷ λέγοντι καὶ κλύοντι σύμμαχος.

In such affairs, for those who speak and hear
990

Wise thoughtfulness is still the best ally.

In solchen Dingen muß ein wohlbedachter Sinn

Dem Sprecher, wie dem Hörer, stets zur Seite sein.

Be prudence now
990

The guide of both.

This is a theme of danger, and requires
990

Prudence in her that speaks, and her that hears.
990

CHRY. Greatly behoved her ere she spoke, my friends