Sophocles, Electra, ed. Francis Storr, 1288

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Ὀρέστης

τὰ μὲν περισσεύοντα τῶν λόγων ἄφες,

καὶ μήτε μήτηρ ὡς κακὴ δίδασκέ με,

μήθʼ ὡς πατρῴαν κτῆσιν Αἴγισθος δόμων
1290

ἀντλεῖ, τὰ δʼ ἐκχεῖ, τὰ δὲ διασπείρει μάτην·

χρόνου γὰρ ἄν σοι καιρὸν ἐξείργοι λόγος.

ἃ δʼ ἁρμόσει μοι τῷ παρόντι νῦν χρόνῳ

σήμαινʼ, ὅπου φανέντες ἢ κεκρυμμένοι

γελῶντας ἐχθροὺς παύσομεν τῇ νῦν ὁδῷ.
1295

οὕτω δʼ ὅπως μήτηρ σε μὴ ʼπιγνώσεται

φαιδρῷ προσώπῳ νῷν ἐπελθόντοιν δόμους·

ἀλλʼ ὡς ἐπʼ ἄτῃ τῇ μάτην λελεγμένῃ

στέναζʼ· ὅταν γὰρ εὐτυχήσωμεν, τότε

χαίρειν παρέσται καὶ γελᾶν ἐλευθέρως.
1300

Ἠλέκτρα

ἀλλʼ ὦ κασίγνηθʼ, ὧδʼ ὅπως καὶ σοὶ φίλον

καὶ τοὐμὸν ἔσται τῇδʼ· ἐπεὶ τὰς ἡδονὰς

πρὸς σοῦ λαβοῦσα κοὐκ ἐμὰς ἐκτησάμην,

κοὐδʼ ἄν σε λυπήσασα δεξαίμην βραχὺ

αὐτὴ μέγʼ εὑρεῖν κέρδος· οὐ γὰρ ἂν καλῶς
1305

ὑπηρετοίην τῷ παρόντι δαίμονι.

ἀλλʼ οἶσθα μὲν τἀνθένδε, πῶς γὰρ οὔ; κλύων

ὁθούνεκʼ Αἴγισθος μὲν οὐ κατὰ στέγας,

μήτηρ δʼ ἐν οἴκοις· ἣν σὺ μὴ δείσῃς ποθʼ ὡς

γέλωτι τοὐμὸν φαιδρὸν ὄψεται κάρα.
1310

μῖσός τε γὰρ παλαιὸν ἐντέτηκέ μοι,

κἀπεί σʼ ἐσεῖδον, οὔ ποτʼ ἐκλήξω χαρᾷ

δακρυρροοῦσα· πῶς γὰρ ἂν λήξαιμʼ ἐγώ,

ἥτις μιᾷ σε τῇδʼ ὁδῷ θανόντα τε

καὶ ζῶντʼ ἐσεῖδον; εἴργασαι δέ μʼ ἄσκοπα·
1315

ὥστʼ εἰ πατήρ μοι ζῶν ἵκοιτο, μηκέτʼ ἂν

τέρας νομίζειν αὐτό, πιστεύειν δʼ ὁρᾶν.

ὅτʼ οὖν τοιαύτην ἡμὶν ἐξήκεις ὁδόν,

ἄρχʼ αὐτὸς ὥς σοι θυμός· ὡς ἐγὼ μόνη

οὐκ ἂν δυοῖν ἥμαρτον· ἢ γὰρ ἂν καλῶς
1320

ἔσωσʼ ἐμαυτὴν ἢ καλῶς ἀπωλόμην.

Electra. Sophocles. ed. Francis Storr. London. 1913.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.

Current edition Experimental

Ἠλέκτρα (Greek) (Sophocles, Volume 2. Storr, Francis, editor. London; New York: William Heinemann Ltd.; The Macmillan Company, 1913.)

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (1)

Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 1288 focus

τὰ μὲν περισσεύοντα τῶν λόγων ἄφες,

καὶ μήτε μήτηρ ὡς κακὴ δίδασκέ με

μήθ᾽ ὡς πατρῴαν κτῆσιν Αἴγισθος δόμων

ἀντλεῖ, τὰ δ᾽ ἐκχεῖ, τὰ δὲ διασπείρει μάτην.

χρόνου γὰρ ἄν σοι καιρὸν ἐξείργοι λόγος.
1290

ἃ δ᾽ ἁρμόσει μοι τῷ παρόντι νυν χρόνῳ

σήμαιν, ὅπου φανέντες ἢ κεκρυμμένοι

γελῶντας ἐχθροὺς παύσομεν τῇ νῦν ὁδῷ.

οὕτω οὕτως δ᾽ ὅπως μήτηρ σε μὴ ἐπιγνώσεται

φαιδρῷ προσώπῳ νῷν ἐπελθόντοιν ἐπελθόντων ἐπελθόντων ἐπελθόντοιν δόμους·
1295

ἀλλ᾽ ὡς ἐπ᾿ ἄτῃ τῇ μάτην λελεγμένῃ δεδειγμένηι δεδειγμένηι λελεγμένηι λεγομένη

στέναζ᾽· ὅταν γὰρ εὐτυχήσωμεν, τότε

χαίρειν παρέσται καὶ γελᾶν ἐλευθέρως.

ΗΛΕΚΤΡΑ.

ἀλλ᾽, ὦ κασίγνηθ᾽, ὧδ᾽ ὅπως καὶ σοὶ φίλον

καὶ τοὐμὸν ἔσται τῇδ᾽· ἐπεὶ τὰς ἡδονὰς
1300

πρὸς σοῦ λαβοῦσα κοὐκ ἐμὰς ἐκτησάμην.

ΗΛΕΚΤΡΑ.

κοὐδ᾽ ἄν σε λυπήσασα δεξαίμην λεξαίμην βουλοίμην βουλοίμαν βραχὺ βραχὺ

αὐτὴ μέγ' εὑρεῖν κέρδος· οὐ γὰρ ἂν καλῶς
1305

ὑπηρετοίην ὑπηρετοίμην τῷ παρόντι δαίμονι.

ἀλλ᾽ οἶσθα μὲν τἀνθένδε, πῶς γὰρ οὔ; κλύων

ὁθούνεκ Αἴγισθος μὲν οὐ κατὰ στέγας,

μήτηρ δ᾽ ἐν οἴκοις· ἣν σὺ μὴ δείσῃς ποθ᾽ ὡς

γέλωτι τοὐμὸν φαιδρὸν ὄψεται κάρα.
1310

μισός τε om. γὰρ παλαιὸν ἐντέτηκέ μοι,

κἀπεί σ᾽ ἐσεῖδον, οὔ ποτ᾿ ἐκλήξω ἐκπλήξω χαρᾷ χαρᾶς

δακρυρροοῦσα. πῶς γὰρ ἂν λήξαιμ᾽ ἐγώ λήξαιμέν᾽ ὧι λήξαιμ᾽ ἐγὼ,

ἥτις μιᾷ σε τῇδ᾽ ὁδῷ θανόντα τε

καὶ ζῶντ᾽ ἐσεῖδον; εἴργασαι a δέ μ' ἄσκοπα·
1315

ὥστ᾽ εἰ πατήρ μοι ζῶν ἵκοιτο, μηκέτ᾽ ἂν

τέρας νομίζειν αὐτό, πιστεύειν δ᾽ ὁρᾶν.

ὅτ᾽ οὖν τοιαύτην ἡμὶν ἦμιν ἡμὶν ἡμῖν ἐξήκεις ὁδόν,

ἄρχ᾽ αὐτὸς ὡς σοι θυμός. ὡς ἐγὼ μόνη

οὐκ ἂν δυοῖν ἥμαρτον· ἢ γὰρ ἂν καλῶς
1320

ἔσωσ᾽ ἐμαυτήν, ἢ καλῶς ἀπωλόμην.

ΟΡ.

Translations (5)

English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 1288 focus

A truce now to unnecessary words.

My mother’s vileness and Aegisthus’ waste,

Draining and squandering with spendthrift hand

Our patrimony, tell me not anew.

Such talk might stifle opportunity.

But teach me, as befits the present need,
1290

What place may serve by lurking vigilance

Or sudden apparition to o’erwhelm

Our foes in the adventure of to-day.

And, when we pass within, take heedful care

Bright looks betray thee not unto our mother.
1295

But groan as for the dire calamity

Vainly reported:—Let’s achieve success,

Then with free hearts we may rejoice and laugh.

EL

Dear brother, wheresoe’er thy pleasure leads,

My will shall follow, since the joys I know,
1300

Not from myself I took them, but from thee.

And ne’er would I consent thy slightest grief

Should win for me great gain. Ill should I then
1305

Serve the divinity of this high hour!

Thou knowest how matters in the palace stand.

Thou hast surely heard, Aegisthus is from home,

And she, our mother, is within. Nor fear

She should behold me with a smiling face.
1310

Mine ancient hate of her hath sunk too deep.

And from the time I saw thee, tears of joy

Will cease not. Wherefore should I stint their flow?

I, who in this thy coming have beheld

Thee dead and living? Strangely hast thou wrought
1315

On me;—that should my father come alive,

I would not think the sight were miracle,

But sober truth. Since such thy presence, then,

Lead as thy spirit prompts. For I alone

Of two things surely had achieved one,
1320

Noble deliverance or a noble death.

OR

German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 1288 focus

Des überflüssig eitlen Worts enthalte dich,

Und weder sag' uns, wie die Mutter Frevel übt,

Noch wie des Hauses Ahnengut Aegisthos uns

Erschöpft, hinauswirft und gedankenlos verstreut:

Das Reden raubt die wohlgelegne Stunde dir.¹
1260

Nur was in diesem Augenblick mir dienlich sei,

Erkläre, wo, verborgen oder offen, ich

Der Feinde Jubel hemmen mag auf diesem Gang.

Doch daß am heitern Blicke nicht die Mutter, was

Du sinnst, erkenne, traten wir in's Haus hinein;
1265

Nein, jammre, wie betroffen durch das Mißgeschick,

Von dem die falsche Sage sprach: gelang das Wert,

Daun steh'n dir ohne Schranke Lust und Lachen frei.

Elektra.

Ja, theurer Bruder, so wie dir genehm es ist,

So sei es mir auch: hab' ich doch die Freude nur
1270

Durch dich empfangen, nicht ich selbst errang sie mir.

Die kleinste Kränkung auch an dir ich möchte nicht

Um großen Lohn sie kaufen; denn ich diente dann

Nicht würdig jenem Gotte, der uns jezt beschirmt.

Doch wie es hier steht, weißt du ja; du hörtest doch,
1275

Aegisthos weile nicht im Haus, wohl aber sei

Die Mutter innen; diese wird das fürchte nicht!

Niemals von Freude mein Gesicht erheitert sehu.

Denn tief in meinem Herzen lebt der alte Haß,

Und seit ich dich erblickte, rinnt mein Auge stets
1280

Von Wonnethränen. Wie versiegten diese mir,

Nachdem ich todt und lebend dich auf Einem Gang

Geseh'n? Du thatest, was ich nie geahnt, an mir;

Ja, wenn der Vater lebend käm', ich achtet' es

Nicht mehr für Blendwerk, sondern glaubt' ihn selbst zu seh'n.
1285

Und nun du dieses Weges uns gekommen bist,

Geh selbst voran nach deinem Sinn! Blieb ich allein,

Errang ich Eins von Zweien wohl: ich hätte mich

Ruhmvoll gerettet, oder fand ruhmvoll den Tod.

Orestes.

English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 1288 focus

Spend not thy time in fruitless words, nor tell

me

How Clytemnestra lives, nor how ^gisthus

Hath lavished all our wealth. The present hour

Demands our strict attention. Tell me how,

Whether by fraud, or open force, our foes

May best be vanquished. Let no cheerful smile

Betray thee to thy mother. Seem to grieve
1295

As thou wert wont. When we have done the deed,

J oy shall appear, and we will smile in safety.

Electra

Thy will is mine. Not to myself I owe

My present bliss ; I have it all from thee —

From thee, my brother ; nor should aught persuade me
1300

To give Orestes e'en a moment's pain.

That were ungrateful to th' indulgent power

Who thus hath smiled propitious. Know, -^gisthus
1305

Has left the palace ; Clytemnestra's there ;

And for thy needless fears that I should smile,

Or wear a cheerful face, I never shall —

Hatred so strong is rooted in my soul,

The sight of them will make me sad enough.
1310

The tears of joy perhaps may flow for thee,

And add to the deceit ; for flow they must,

When I behold thee in one happy hour

Thus snatched from life, and thus to life restored.

I could not hope it. Oh I 'tis passing strange !

If from the tomb our father should arise
1315

And R.'iv he lived, I think I should believe liini :

And oh ! when thou art come so far, 'tis fit

I yield to thee in all. Do thou direct

My every step ; but know, had I been left

Alone, e'en I would not have failed in all,
1320

But conquered bravely, or as bravely fell.

Orestes

English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 1288 focus

How can I but assent?

Electra

O my loved friends, I hear that pleasing voice

I could not hope to hear. But when I heard

I should not think it as mere shadowy form,

I would believe I saw the real man:

Since on this dangerous task thou art return'dol

Be the whole conduct thine. Had I been left

Alone, I had not fail'd myself to save",

With glory, or with glory to have died

ORES. I wish thee to be silent, for I hear

The steps of one advancing to these gates.

Electra

English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 1288 focus

Orestes

Spare all superfluous words, and inform me neither of our mother’s wickedness,

nor how Aegisthus drains the wealth of our father’s house—what part he pours on the ground and what he squanders at random. For the story would preclude you from the opportunity afforded by the moment. Instead tell me that which will suit our present circumstances: where, either openly or in ambush,
1290

we may put an end to our enemies’ laughter by means of my coming. Make sure that our mother does not discover you by your radiant face, when we two have gone into the house. Rather, make lament, as if for the feigned disaster. For when we succeed, then
1295

there will be opportunity to rejoice and exult in freedom.
1300

Electra

Brother, be assured that my conduct will be as pleases you, since all my joy derives from you, and is not my own. Nor would I consent

to win a great good for myself at the cost of the slightest pain to you. For in doing so I would not honorably support the divine power that attends us now.
But you know how matters stand here. I do not doubt it. You must have heard that Aegisthus is away from home, but that our mother is inside. And never fear that she
1305

will ever see my face lit up with smiles. My old hatred of her has been welded to my heart, and since I have seen you, for very joy I will never cease to weep. How indeed could I stop when I have seen you come home on this one day first as dead,
1310

and then in life? What you have done to me is inconceivable—so much so that, if my father were to return to me alive, I would no longer think it a portent, but would believe that I truly saw him. Therefore now that you have come to me by such a path, command me as your spirit bids you. For had I been alone,
1315

I would not have failed in one of two things: a noble salvation, or a noble destruction.
1320

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-714-1 The first part of the third

ἐπεισόδιον

began, at 1098, with the entrance of Orestes. Now, after the

μέλος ἀπὸ σκηνῆς

(1232—1287), comes the second part, going down to the point at which the avengers pass into the house, followed by Electra.

mvp-comment-714-2 τὰ … περισς. τῶν λόγων ¹

mvp-comment-715-1 καὶ μήτε μήτηρ ²

mvp-comment-715-2 Conington ( Journ. of Philology, I. p. 156) supposes an allusion to Eur. El. 300—338 , where Electra, speaking to the disguised Orestes, mentions her own sufferings, her mother's splendours, and the insolence of Aegisthus. But such an allusion seems improbable: that speech is not long; it comes in with dramatic fitness; nor does it refer to the wasteful profusion of Aegisthus, which is the main point here. A later speech of Electra's in the same play ( Eur. El. 907—951 ) would in some respects suit the words here better; but that is spoken over the corpse of Aegisthus, and could scarcely be regarded as delaying the action.

mvp-comment-715-3 Another theory, that Sophocles alludes to the earlier part of the Choephori, is certainly mistaken. Possibly he had no particular work in view, but was merely glancing at a tendency which he had noticed in contemporary drama.

mvp-comment-716-1 πατρῴαν ³ δόμων ⁴ ἀντλεῖ, τὰ δ’ ἐκχεῖ ⁵

mvp-comment-716-2 ἐκχεῖ ⁶ διασπείρει μάτην ⁷ ἀντλεῖ ⁸

mvp-comment-717-1 χρόνου … καιρὸν ⁹

mvp-comment-717-2 ἐξείργοι ¹⁰

mvp-comment-717-3 Hermann took

χρόνου καιρὸν

as=

τὸ καίριον τοῦ χρόνου

, ‘the opportune moment of time.’ The meaning would then be that the

λόγος

might hinder them from seizing that moment. But the phrase is a strange one, scarcely to be justified by Sertor. 16, where

χρόνος

is virtually personified,—

εὐμενὴς ὢν σύμμαχος τοῖς δεχομένοις λογισμῷ τὸν καιρὸν αὐτοῦ

mvp-comment-717-4 The schol. has:

ἀφαιρεῖται γάρ, φησι, τὴν εὐκαιρίαν τῶν πραχθέντων τῶν λόγων ἡ ἀδολεσχία

. This only shows that he took

καιρὸν

as ‘opportunity,’ not as ‘due limit.’ It does not warrant the view that, instead of

χρόνου

, he read

ἔργου

πόνου

mvp-comment-718-1 φανέντες ¹¹ κεκρυμμένοι ¹² γελῶντας ¹³

mvp-comment-719-1 οὕτω δὲ ¹⁴ ὅπως ¹⁵

mvp-comment-719-2 )πιγνώσεται ¹⁶

mvp-comment-719-3 νῷν ¹⁷

mvp-comment-719-4 ἐπελθόντοιν δόμους ¹⁸

mvp-comment-720-1 μάτην ¹⁹ μὴ ²⁰ τῇ ²¹

mvp-comment-720-2 εὐτυχησωμεν ²²

mvp-comment-721-1 καὶ σοὶ ²³

mvp-comment-721-2 ὧδ’ … τῇδε ²⁴

mvp-comment-721-3 τοὐμὸν ²⁵ φίλον ²⁶

mvp-comment-722-1 κοὐκ ἐμὰς ²⁷

mvp-comment-723-1 κοὐδ’ ²⁸ βραχὺ ²⁹ καὶ ³⁰ λυπήσασα ³¹ δεξαίμην ³²

mvp-comment-724-1 ὑπηρετοίην ³³ ὑπηρετοίμην ³⁴ δαίμονι ³⁵

mvp-comment-725-1 τἀνθένδε ³⁶

mvp-comment-726-1 στέγας ³⁷ οἴκοις ³⁸

mvp-comment-726-2 δείσῃς … ὡς … ὄψεται ³⁹

mvp-comment-727-1 ἐντέτηκε ⁴⁰

mvp-comment-728-1 χαρᾷ ⁴¹ χαρᾶς ⁴² δακρυρροοῦσα ⁴³

mvp-comment-729-1 ἥτις ⁴⁴

mvp-comment-729-2 ἐσεῖδον ⁴⁵

mvp-comment-729-3 ᾶσκοπα ⁴⁶

mvp-comment-730-1 ὅτε ⁴⁷

mvp-comment-730-2 τοιαύτην ⁴⁸

mvp-comment-730-3 ὥς σοι ⁴⁹ ὡς σοὶ ⁵⁰

mvp-comment-731-1 οὐκ ἂν δυοῖν ἥμαρτον ⁵¹

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

1287. mvp-comment-606-1 As in O. C. 1702, 3 (where see note), the time of misery is continued in memory.

1288. mvp-comment-607-1 This line has been supposed to contain a criticism of the Choephori, where so much time is spent in the preliminaries of the assassination. But this is surely unnecessary, and without parallel in Sophocles, whose practice in this and other respects is not to be inferred from that of Euripides (Phoen. 751, 2, alib.).

1291. mvp-comment-608-1 See Essay on L. § 21. p. 32, 1.

1292. mvp-comment-609-1 'For such recital might prevent you from seizing the opportune moment.'

1295. mvp-comment-610-1 'We shall by our present enterprize frustrate our enemies in their exultation.' γελώντας is to be resumed as a supplementary predicate. For παύσομεν without an expressed participle, cp. supr. 796, οὐχ ὅπως σε παύσομεν.

1296. mvp-comment-611-1 οὕτω δέ] Sc. πρᾶσσε, understood from the general drift of the preceding words.

1296-1297. mvp-comment-612-1 ὅπως .. δόμους] ‘May not detect you by your glad countenance when we (Or. and Pyl.) have come into the house;' i.e. may not find out your secret and perceive the fact. νῷν is gen. absol.

1298. mvp-comment-613-1 μάτην] 'Falsely.' Cp. supr. 1217, πλὴν λόγῳ γ' ἠσκημένον : 63, λόγῳ μάτην θνήσκοντας : Phil. 345.

1304. mvp-comment-614-1 δεξαίμην, although not strongly supported by MS. authority, is a better reading than βουλοίμην.

1306. mvp-comment-615-1 The MS. reading, ὑπηρετοίμην, is upheld by Neue and defended by Mr. Paley as possibly right. The middle voice might be explained as equivalent to the active voice with an ethical dative, such as σοι in supr. 1292. But for a similar corruption, cp. O. T. 840, ἐκπεφευγοίην (ἐκπεφευγοίμην Ε).

1307. mvp-comment-616-1 τἀνθένδε] 'Things here,'- more lit. 'The news from hence.' Not 'What is to be done next?' (Paley.)

1311. mvp-comment-617-1 ἐντέτηκε] Hesych. ἐντέτηκεν· ἐγκεκόλληται.

1312. mvp-comment-618-1 χαρᾷ] The MS. reading χαρᾶς is not impossible, but is extremely improbable, because of the awkward ambiguity between ἐκλήξω χαρᾶς and δακρυρροοῦσα (ὑπὸ) χαρᾶς.

1320. mvp-comment-619-1 δυοῖν] i. e. δυοῖν θατέρου. Cp. Thuc. 1. 33, μηδὲ δυοῖν φθάσαι ἁμάρτωσιν, ἢ .. ἢ ... Andoc. p. 4. 11.

Sophocles Electra 1288

ed. Francis Storr

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Current edition Experimental

ΗΛΕΚΤΡΑ.

ἀλλ᾽, ὦ κασίγνηθ᾽, ὧδ᾽ ὅπως καὶ σοὶ φίλον

καὶ τοὐμὸν ἔσται τῇδ᾽· ἐπεὶ τὰς ἡδονὰς
1300

πρὸς σοῦ λαβοῦσα κοὐκ ἐμὰς ἐκτησάμην.

ΟΡ.

OR

Orestes.

Orestes

How can I but assent?

Electra

Commentary

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Current edition Experimental

ΗΛΕΚΤΡΑ. ἀλλ᾽, ὦ κασίγνηθ᾽, ὧδ᾽ ὅπως καὶ σοὶ φίλον καὶ τοὐμὸν ἔσται τῇδ᾽· ἐπεὶ τὰς ἡδονὰς 1300 πρὸς σοῦ λαβοῦσα κοὐκ ἐμὰς ἐκτησάμην.

ΟΡ.

OR

Orestes.

Orestes

How can I but assent?

Electra

Commentary

Stable identifiers

ΗΛΕΚΤΡΑ.

ἀλλ᾽, ὦ κασίγνηθ᾽, ὧδ᾽ ὅπως καὶ σοὶ φίλον

καὶ τοὐμὸν ἔσται τῇδ᾽· ἐπεὶ τὰς ἡδονὰς
1300

πρὸς σοῦ λαβοῦσα κοὐκ ἐμὰς ἐκτησάμην.