Sophocles Electra 892

ed. Francis Storr

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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)) — 892 focus
καὶ δὴ λέγω σοι πᾶν ὅσον κατειδόμην.
ἐπεὶ γὰρ ἦλθον πατρὸς ἀρχαῖον τάφον,
ὁρῶ κολώνης ἐξ ἄκρας νεορρύτους
πηγὰς γάλακτος καὶ περιστεφῆ κύκλῳ
895
πάντων ὅσ᾽ ἐστὶν ἐστὶν C2. ἀνθέων θήκην πατρός.
ἰδοῦσα δ᾽ ἔσχον θαῦμα, καὶ περισκοπῶ
μή πού τις ἡμῖν ἐγγὺς ἐγχρίμπτῃ βροτῶν.
ὡς δ᾽ ἐν γαλήνῃ πάντ᾽ ἐδερκόμην τόπον,
Translations (5)
English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 892 focus
Well, I will tell thee all I saw:—I came
Unto the ancient tomb that holds our sire;
And from the topmost mound I marked a stream
Of milk fresh-flowing, and his resting place
Ringed round with garlands of all flowers that blow.
I marvelled at the sight, and peered about,
Lest some one might be nearer than we knew.
But finding all was quiet in the spot,
I ventured closer to the tomb, and there,
Hard by the limit, I beheld a curl
Of hair new shorn, with all the gloss of youth
And straight it struck my heart, as with a sense
Of something seen, ah me! long, long ago,
895
And told me that my sight encountered here
895
The token of Orestes, dearest soul
895
Then, clasping it, I did not cry aloud,
895
But straight mine eyes were filled with tears of joy.
And now as much as then I feel assured
He and none else bestowed this ornament.
To whom beyond thyself and me belongs
Such consecration? And I know this well,
I did it not,—nor thou. Impossible!
Thou canst not worship even the blessèd Gods
Forth of this roof, unpunished. And, most sure,
Our mother is not minded so to act,
Nor, had she done it, could we fail to know.
This offering comes then of Orestes’ hand.
Take courage, dear one. Not one fate pursues
One house perpetually, but changeth still.
Ours was a sullen Genius, but perchance
This day begins the assurance of much good.
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 892 focus
Ich melde dir denn Alles, was ich dort gesehın.
870
Sobald ich ankam bei des Vaters Ahnengruft,
Da sah ich frischergossen hoch vom Hügel her
Milchbäche rinnen und im Kreis umher bekränzt
Mit allen Blumen, welche blüh'n, des Vaters Grab.
Und das erblickend, staunt' ich hoch und späh' umher,
875
Ob nicht ein Mensch uns nahe sich herangedrängt.
Doch als ich weithin ruhig sah den ganzen Ort,
Trat ich dem Hügel näher und gewahre hier
Frischabgeschnittne Locken auf des Grabes Rand.
Kaum daß ich's Arme sehe, steigt vor meinem Geist
880
Ein trautes Bild auf, und ich ahn' ein Zeichen hier
Vom liebsten aller Menschen, von Orestes' Hand.
Ich heb' es auf, verstummend hemm' ich jeden Laut;
Doch schnell mit Wonnethränen füllt mein Auge sich.
Und jezt erscheint mir's noch gewiß, wie dazumal :
885
Von ihm, von keinem Andern kam der Todtenschmuck.
Denn wem geziemte solches, außer mir und dir?
Ich brachte nicht die Spende, dieses weiß ich doch,
Noch brachtest du sie, die du ja zu Göttern selbst
Nicht ungestraft aus diesem Hause gehen darfst.
890
Wohl nimmer liebt auch, so zu thun, der Mutter Sinn,
Und that's die Mutter, blieb es doch nicht unbemerkt.
So hat Orestes dargebracht den Grabesschmuck.
Drum fasse Muth, o Theure! Nicht Denselben mag
Dieselbe Gottheit immerdar zur Seite steh'n.
895
Uns war sie früher feindlich; doch der heut'ge Tag
Wird uns vielleicht vielfachen Glückes Quelle noch.
English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 892 focus
Oh ! by the gods,
I beg thee but to hear me, then approve
Or blame, impartial.
English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 892 focus
Which never lenient medicine can heal?
CHRY. Orestes is return'd; know that from me,
As certain as thine eyes behold me here.
English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 892 focus

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-507-1 καὶ δὴ 1

mvp-comment-507-2 κατειδόμην 2

mvp-comment-508-1 ἀρχαῖον τάφον 3

mvp-comment-509-1 κολώνης ἐξ ἄκρας 4

mvp-comment-509-2 γάλακτος 5

mvp-comment-509-3 περιστεφῆ … ἀνθέων 6

mvp-comment-509-4 ἔστιν 7

mvp-comment-509-5 θήκην 8

mvp-comment-510-1 ἔσχον θαῦμα 9

mvp-comment-510-2 ἐγχρίμπτῃ 10 ἐγχρίμπτει 11

mvp-comment-511-1 ἐν γαλήνῃ 12

mvp-comment-512-1 ἐσχάτης … πυρᾶς 13

mvp-comment-512-2 νεώρη 14

mvp-comment-513-1 ἐμπαίει κ.τ.λ. 15 ὄμμα 16

mvp-comment-513-2 σύνηθες 17 ὁρᾶν 18

mvp-comment-513-3 The intrans.

ἐμπαίειν
(a stronger
ἐμπίπτειν
) occurs only here; but cp. O. T. 1252
βοῶν γὰρ εἰσέπαισεν Οἰδίπους
. In Aesch. Ag. 187
ἐμπαίοις τύχαισι
are ‘the fortunes which have suddenly struck him’: cp. ib. 347
εἰ πρόσπαια μὴ τύχοι κακά.

mvp-comment-513-4 ψυχῇ 19

mvp-comment-513-5 The scholium in L runs thus:—

ψυχῇ σύνηθες ὄμμα
]
ὅραμα ὃ ἀεὶ ἐφανταζόμην κατὰ ψυχήν
: i.e., the writer took
ὅμμα
to mean ‘a sight’; a sense possible for it only when, as here, it denotes the human face or form ( Ai. 977 : ib. 1004: Aesch. Ch. 238 ). This scholium cannot be claimed, however, as indicating that the scholiast read φάσμα 20

mvp-comment-514-1 βαστάσασα 21

mvp-comment-514-2 δυσφηυῶ μὲν οὔ 22 οὔ 23

mvp-comment-515-1 νῦν θ’ ὁμοίως καὶ τότ’ 24

mvp-comment-515-2 μή του 25

mvp-comment-515-3 ἀγλάϊσμα 26

mvp-comment-515-4 911 f. The elliptical πῶς γὰρ 27 ᾗ γε 28 μηδὲ 29 πρὸς θεοὺς 30

mvp-comment-515-5 ἀκλαύστῳ 31

mvp-comment-516-1 ἀλλ’ οὐδὲ μὲν δὴ 32

mvp-comment-517-1 οὔτε δρῶσ’ ἐλάνθαν’ ἄν 33

mvp-comment-517-2 It is quite true that such elision was rare; the

ν ἐφελκυστικόν
more usually averted it. The mistake is to deny that it was admissible. Porson's keen observation and fine instinct led him to no such rule; he found no offence ( e.g.) in Eur. Hec. 1113
φόβον παρέσχ’ ἂν οὐ μέσως ὅδε κτύπος
(
παρέσχεν
MSS.;
παρέσχ’ ἂν
Heath).

mvp-comment-517-3 But is ἐλάνθανεν 34 δρῶσα 35

mvp-comment-517-4 If ἐλάνθαν’ ἄν 36 ἔληθεν ἄν 37

mvp-comment-517-5 915 *

τἀπιτύμβια
is Dindorf's certain correction of τἀπιτίμια 38

mvp-comment-518-1 θάρσυνε 39

mvp-comment-518-2 οὐχ αὑτὸς ἀεί 40

mvp-comment-519-1 νῷν ἧν 41 δ’ 42

mvp-comment-519-2 κῦρος 43

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

893. mvp-comment-424-1 πατρὸς ἀρχαῖον τάφον] 'The ancient sepulchre, where our father is laid.' The word ἀρχαῖος properly applies to the burial place of the kings of Argos, in which Agamemnon was laid. Sophocles seems to conceive of this as a mound with a κρηπίς of stone, of which a certain portion (θήκη) was marked off as containing the body of Agamemnon. The libation was poured high up on the mound, so as to flow down over this portion of the πυρά, or burial-site; the flowers were arranged so as to decorate the θήκη ᾿Αγαμέμνονος; the lock of hair was placed near the edge of the πυρά. But in explaining the details of the description we are left almost entirely to conjecture.

894. mvp-comment-425-1 κολώνης ἐξ ἄκρας] Either (1) flowing from the summit, or (2) just below the summit, -cp. Ant. 411, ἄκρων ἐκ πάγων.

895. mvp-comment-426-1 For πηγάς, cp. O. C. 479,- (χέω τάδε;) τρισσάς γε πηγάς.

895-896. mvp-comment-427-1 περιστεφῆ.. ἀνθέων] Cp.О.Т. 83, πολυστεφὴς.. δάφνης, and note.

898. mvp-comment-428-1 · ἐγχρίμπτει, which has some authority, is an equally good reading.' Paley. The subjunctive is more expressive of apprehension.

899. mvp-comment-429-1 ἐν γαλήνῃ] Sc. οὖσαν. Essay on L. § 23. p. 38. For the sense, cp. Hdt. 1. 45. § 4, ἐπεί τε ἡσυχίη τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐγένετο περὶ τὸ σῆμα.

900-901. mvp-comment-430-1 ἐσχάτης.. πυρᾶς] ‘Towards the edge of the grave.' For this genitive = πρὸς .. πυρᾶς, cp. supr. 78, 324, and notes, and see Essay on L. § 10. p. 15.46. It is difficult to give a more particular explanation of its use in this passage. Either the curl showed itself from the edge, where it lay; or it lay somewhere near the edge, not exactly on it.

901. mvp-comment-431-1 νεώρη . . τετμημένον] Α fresh curl newly shorn.' The participle is added in further definition of νεώρη.

902-904. mvp-comment-432-1 ἐμπαίει.. τεκμήριον] 'A familiar sight' or 'image struck upon my soul, (and told me) that I saw in this a certain token of Orestes, dearest of mankind.' ὄμμα (see Essay on L. § 54. p. 99) is here the active impression of the object of vision. ὁρᾶν depends on the general notion, 'I felt,' implied in the preceding words.

905. mvp-comment-433-1 βαστάσασα] 'When I held it.' Cp. infr. 1129. δυσφημῶ μὲν οὔ] ‘I uttered no ill-omened cry.' Reverence dictated silence in the immediate neighbourhood of that ancient tomb.

906. mvp-comment-434-1 πίμπλημ᾽.. ὄμμα] ‘My eye was filled.' Essay on L. $ 30. p. 52 d.

908. mvp-comment-435-1 τόδ᾽ ἀγλάϊσμα] ίσμα] Cp. Aesch. Cho. 193, 4, εἶναι τόδ᾽ ἀγλάϊσμα μοι τοῦ φιλτάτου | βροτῶν Ὀρέστον. The genitive is one of possession, as in this passage of the Choephori, but is also resumed with μολεῖν as a genitive of derivation. μή, not oὐ, because that which is denied is not the fact merely, but the possibility of the fact.

909. mvp-comment-436-1 τόδε] This act of offering hair, which belongs only to the nearest relatives of the dead.

911. mvp-comment-437-1 μηδὲ πρὸς θεούς] Religious duties formed an occasional exception to the seclusion of women in Attica. See Bernhardy, Grundriss, Part i. p. 55.

914. mvp-comment-438-1 ἐλάνθανεν] Sc. ἡ μήτηρ. There is a slight change of construction. The omission of ar is rightly defended by Wecklein : 'ελάνθανεν statt ἐλάνθανεν ἄν bezeichnet die unausbleibliche Folge.'

915. mvp-comment-439-1 ἔστ᾽ Ὀρέστου ταῦτα τἀπιτίμια] 'It is Orestes who has paid these dues. ἐπιτίμια occurs nowhere else with this exact meaning, and Dindorf, following

915-916. mvp-comment-440-1 Wunder, reads τἀπιτύμβια. But such a substantive use of ἐπιτύμβιος is not found elsewhere, and ἐπιτίμια will bear the meaning required.

916. mvp-comment-441-1 This is the only place in which θαρσύνειν is intransitive. See E. on L. §53. p. 98, 9. The use of the active verb is more energetic. Cp. παθε.

916-917. mvp-comment-442-1 τοῖς αὐτοῖσί τοι, κ.τ.λ.] Cp. esp. Trach. 132-5, μένει γάρ, κ.τ.λ.

918. mvp-comment-443-1 στυγνός here is rather gloomy' than 'hateful.' Cр. О. Т. 673.

919. mvp-comment-444-1 ὑπάρξει κῦρος.. καλῶν] Either (1) Will be the consummation of much good,' or (2) Will lead the way to,' etc. i. e. ὑπάρξει καλῶν, ὥστε κῦρος ἔχειν τὰ καλά. For the accusative after ὑπάρχω, see L. and S. s. v. A 4. For (1) cp. Eur. Hec. 1229, θησαυρὸς ἄν σοι παῖς ὑπῆρχ᾽ οὔτος μέγας.