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1351–1471

τῷ προσήγορος] 'Who is there that will speak to me?' The predication is continued from the previous sentence. προσήγορος is elsewhere construed with the genitive. But for the dative, see E. on L. § 13. p. 19, b.

'O eyes that have seen all that has been done concerning me!' It is doubted whether κύκλοι means, (1) 'Eyes,' or (2) 'The orbs of day and night,' or (3) 'The heavenly bodies.' Philoctetes more than once appeals to the powers of Nature. Cp. supr. 986-8. But such an invocation would be too hyperbolical here. The case is different in O. T. 1425-8, O. C. 1654, 5. On the other hand, it is characteristic of this lonely man that he has an exaggerated consciousness of what immediately belongs to him. Cp. supr. 291, 533 8,757-9, 786, 795,807, 1004, 1085, 1130-9, 1187, 1348, infr. 1377. Hence, instead of saying, 'How shall I bear to look upon the sons of Atreus?' ( cp. O. T. 1371 foll.), he cries out, 'O eyes! how will you endure that I should be with them?' It is also said that ἀμφ᾿ ἐμοῦ requires the article. But this phrase has been attracted into construction with the nearer word, i. e. τὰ πάντα ἰδόντες ἀμφ᾿ ἐμοῦ = ἰδόντες ἀμφ᾿ ἐμοῦ πάντα τὰ ἀμφ' ἐμοῦ (γεγενημένα). For the genitive, cp. supr. 554.

ἐξανασχήσεσθε] The compound with ἐξ- marks that endurance will here reach its furthest point. τοῖσιν.. παισίν] For this apposition of a clause to a demonstrative pronoun, see Essay on L. § 33. p. 57, d.

πῶς] Sc. ἐξανασχήσεσθε ἐμὲ ξυνόντα.

οὐ γάρ] Sc. τοσοῦτον.

οἷς .. κακά] 'For men's thoughts, when they have once brought forth an evil progeny, rear nothing but mischief afterwards.' γνώμη, 'Thought,' or 'Mind,' is imagined as the mother of results for which man is responsible. The mind that has once had bad children will go on, and will bring up an evil brood. The figure is lost if κακούς (Dobree) is read for κακά. For παιδεύει, cp. Fr. 443, λευκὸν αὐτὴν ὧδ ἐπαίδευσεν γάλα: Plat. Theaet. p. 150 E, τὰ ὑπ᾿ ἐμοῦ μαιευθέντα κακῶς τρέφοντες ἀπώλεσαν, ψευδῆ καὶ εἴδωλα περὶ πλείονος ποιησάμενοι τοῦ ἀληθοῦς.

καὶ σοῦ δ᾽ ἔγωγε.. τόδε] 'Ay, and for my part I wonder too at thee for this.' θαυμάζω often expresses gentle expostulation.

οἵ * γε] The antecedent (of ἐν Τροίᾳ) is to be supplied from εἰς Τροίαν, Essay on L. § 39. p. 72.

οἱ . . ἔκριναν] It must be admitted that this allusion to what Philoctetes could not know is unlike Sophocles. For, although some things that are necessary to the action may be here and there assumed without explicit statement, this observation cannot apply to such a striking fact as the repulse of Ajax, which is moreover irrelevant to the action. And, as Nauck observes, Philoctetes could not thus ignore the claim of Neoptolemus to have his father's arms. The clause was therefore rightly condemned by Brunck. But the interpolation is probably an ancient one, as is shown by the construction of ὅπλων, which is a 'genitive of respect.' Cp. Aj. 839 foll.

τάδε] Sc. ξυμμαχήσοντα ἰέναι.

ἃ μοι ξυνώμοσας] The antecedent to ἃ is accusative in opposition to the clause, πέμψον πρὸς οἴκους. Hence the apparent ellipse of ποιεῖν.

ἐν Σκύρῳ μένων] Cp. supr. 459, 60.

κακῶς.. κακούς] For this common idiom, cp. especially O. T. 261, Trach. 613. The line, which has no caesura, is perhaps intentionally harsh.

διπλῆν] Both Philoctetes and his father would be doubly grateful to Neoptolemus, (a) for the return to Trachis, (b) for the desertion of the Atreidae, as an act of vengeance. (But the repetition of διπλῆν may be simply emphatic. See Essay on L. § 44. p. 83. )

πιστεύσαντα is (1) 'Believing.' (2) 'Obeying.' 'Believing the gods (who speak through Helenus) and yielding to my words."

ἀνδρὸς τοῦδε = ἐμοῦ. φίλου is strongly emphatic, as appears from its position in the line.

τῷδε.. ποδί] The dative of accompanying circumstance, nearly = σύν. ‘Do you mean that I, thus afflicted, am to go to Troy, to Agamemnon?'

δεινόν] Cp. supr. 1225. αἶνον is here correlative to αἰνέσας, “Having recommended,' and is therefore rather 'counsel' than simply 'speech'. Or, possibly, the exactness of meaning is sacrificed to the repetition of the same sound. Cp. Aj. 467, συμπεσών μόνος μόνοις.

* λῷσθ'] The correction of Dindorf here (see v. rr.) is right and necessary. κάλ' is a manifest MS. conjecture, based on imperfect knowledge. See L. and S. s. v. καλός, λῷστα is supplementary predicate with τελούμενα, and λῷστα τελούμενα = λῷστα ἐσόμενα εἰ τελοῖτο.

In speaking of the taking of Troy as an advantage gained, Neoptolemus appears to Philoctetes to take part with the Atreidae, whose glory he accounted loss. Cp. Aj. 469, 70, ἀλλ' ὧδέ γ' ᾿Ατρείδας ἂν εὐφράναιμί που. | οὐκ ἔστι ταῦτα. The expression is slightly varied. 'Do you mean advantage to the Atreidae, or do you say this with reference to me?'

φίλος γ' ὤν] For the nominative, see Essay on L. § 15. p. 21; i. e. σοί που φίλος γ᾽ ὤν, φίλον σοι ἔχω καὶ τὸν λόγον.

The change from ἐχθροίσιν to ἐχθροῖσί μ', which Dindorf adopts from Brunck, is certainly a very slight one, but the text is sufficiently clear as it stands. Cp. O. T. 461, κἂν λάβῃς ἐψευσμένον, and note, supr. 769.

ὦ τάν] Ср. O. T. 1145, and note. Neoptolemus has earned the right to address Philoctetes with familiar confidence. θρασύνεσθαι κακοῖς] 'To be hardened by misfortune,' so as to be unreasonably obdurate in resentment.

γιγνώσκω σε] Sc. ὅτι ὀλεῖς με.

οὔκουν] 'Not I, assure thee!' For οὖν, in giving assurance, cp. Ant. 741, σοῦ γὰρ οὖν προκήδομαι : O.T. 565, οὔκουν ἐμοῦ γ᾽ ἑστῶτος οὐδαμοῦ πέλας : O. C. 651, οὔκουν πέρα γ᾽ ἂν οὐδὲν ἢ λόγῳ φέροις. φημὶ δ᾽ οὔ σε μανθάνειν] 'But I declare that you do not understand the case:'-the fact, namely, that the voyage to Troy will be for the advantage and renown of Philoctetes himself, and that the generals now mean well to him.

ἐγὼ οὐκ ᾿Ατρείδας] This (see v. rr.) is Dindorf's very probable correction. The reading of L has arisen, as he observes, from the confusion of ἐγὼ οὐκ and ἐγ᾽ οὐκ, two ways of writing the same thing. Cp. O. T. 1002, and v. rr.

Ср. O. C. 394, νῦν γὰρ θεοί σ᾽ ὀρθοῦσι, πρόσθε δ᾽ ὤλλυσαν.

The reading Τροίαν γ' deserves some consideration, notwithstanding the repetition of γε. Cp. O. C. 977, and v. rr.

πείσειν] For the assimilation of the tense of the infinitive to that of the principal verb, cp. 1242. But qy. πεῖσαι? μηδὲν ὧν λέγω] 'In nothing of what I say.' For this accusative, cp. O. C. 797, ἀλλ᾽ οἶδα γάρ σε ταῦτα μὴ πείθων, ἴθι.

'Since the easiest course for me were that I should cease from speech, and that you should live on as you now live and get no relief.' The antithesis becomes clearer as the sentence proceeds. The full expression would be, ὡς ἔμοι μὲν ῥᾷστόν ἐστιν, ἐμὲ μέν, κ.τ.λ. See Essay on L. § 41. p. 78. In this speech Neoptolemus casts 'one last lingering look' at the cherished object of his ambition. But before Philoctetes has again ceased speaking, his resignation is complete.

Ср. O. C. 1432 foll., Πολυνείκης. καὶ μὴ μ' ἐπίσχῃς γ'. ἀλλ᾿ ἐμοὶ μὲν ἤδ᾽ ὁδός, κ.τ.λ.

ἃ.. πέμπειν] For this apposition or epexegesis, cp. supr. 1355, 6. δεξιᾶς.. θιγών] This was Philoctetes' understanding of supr. 813; cp. 941, 2.

βράδυνε] Sc. τὸ πρᾶγμα.

ἅλις .. γόοις] 'That name has been enough sounded in my complaints and cries.' The other reading, which is to be gathered from L and A (see v. rr.) τεθρύλληται λόγοις, although somewhat more prosaic, is not impossible.

At this point, before the commencement of the trochaic movement, which indicates departure ( cp. O. T. 1515 foll.), there must have been some by-play, signifying the act of renunciation on the part of Neoptolemus. Porson thought this verse defective in rhythm. But it has not been improved by conjectural alteration. Cp. supr. 526, 645.

ἀντέρειδε.. σήν] (1) 'Lean now thy steps on mine.' Sc. τῇ ἐμῇ βάσει. Neoptolemus gives his arm to the lame man. Cp. supr. 893, καὐτὸς ἀντέχου, and note. Others (2) explain ἀντέρειδε, sc. πρὸς τὸ οὖδας, ‘Press thy foot against the ground,' i.e. 'Step firmly.' But although this accords more exactly with the response of Philoctetes, εἰς ὅσον γ᾽ ἐγὼ σθένω, the expression itself in this sense is hardly natural here, and the interpretation given above agrees better with the situation. The idiomatic uses of ἐρείδω, however, are such as to leave it doubtful whether Neoptolemus bids Philoctetes lean upon him, or simply encourages him to move. εἰς ὅσον .. σθένω] If the former interpretation of the first part of the line (1) is right, Philoctetes takes only the general sense, as if it were βάδιζε ἀντερειδόμενος (ἐμοί).

The superfluous words in the MSS. (see v. rr.) are probably the remains of an early interpolation, viz. [ σῆς πάτρας *πορθήτορας. ΝΕ. εἰ δὲ δρᾷς ταῦθ᾽, ὥσπερ αὐδᾷς,].

Heracles now appears on the θεολογεῖον. His approach (on the μηχανή) is marked by the anapaestic movement, ll. 1409-1417, at the end of which he is seen in full view.

ἀκοῇ τε] For the position of Te, see Essay on L. § 36. p. 65.

οὐρανίας ἕδρας] ‘My abode in heaven.' Cp. Aj. 460, ναυλόχους λιπὼν ἕδρας.

λέξω] Dindorf says that λέγω would be preferable, presumably because the recital which the future tense seems to promise is not given. But the whole of this speech has the appearance of a hasty sketch. The real knot of the drama has been solved, and the action hastens to a close.

Philoctetes knew the labours of Heracles, but not the glory which is now revealed to him. The emphasis conveyed by ὅσους therefore belongs rather to the main predication than to the relative clause: 'How, after all that course of labour, I attained immortal renown.' ἀρετή is 'Glory of virtue,' as δυσσέβεια, in Ant. 924, is 'Meed of impiety.' For ἔσχον = κάτέσχον, ‘I won,' see Essay on L. § 55. p. 101, and § 32. p. 55 , and cp. Aj. 465, ὧν αὐτὸς ἔσχε στέφανον εὐκλείας μέγαν. The aor. ἔσχον = 'I came to have,' as ἐβασίλευσε = 'He came to reign.' See many instances of this use in Ast's Lexicon Platonicum, s. v. ἔχειν.

ὡς πάρεσθ' ὁρᾶν] This implies some more elaborate stage effect than is commonly supposed to have belonged to the Greek theatre.

τοῦτ᾽ ὀφείλεται παθεῖν] 'This fate is destined.' Cp. El. 1173, πᾶσιν γὰρ ἡμῖν τοῦτ᾽ ὀφείλεται παθεῖν.

ἐκ.. βίον] In apposition with τοῦτο. For this epexegesis, cp. supr. 1355,6.

τῷδ᾽ ἀνδρί] τῷ Νεοπτολέμῳ.

For μέν followed by τε, see Essay on L. § 36. p. 65. And, for ἀρετῇ, κ.τ.λ., supr. 997, 1062, 1344, 5.

σκύλα] The spoils which Philoctetes is to send home are those which he receives as the prize of valour; those which he is to carry to the place of Heracles' pyre are the trophies taken by him in battle with the bow. (Unless we are to suppose an annual procession to Mount Oeta with the σκύλα Τρωϊκά.)

ἐκλαβών] Cp. Hdt. 8. 11, καὶ τὸ ἀριστήϊον ἔλαβε οὗτος: ib. 123.

Οἴτης] For Oeta, as a name for the country of Trachis, cp. supr. 453, ὦ γένεθλον Οἰταίου πατρός. This word in the mouth of Heracles appeals more than all else to the heart of Philoctetes.

τοῦδε τοῦ στρατοῦ] Sc. τοῦ Τρωϊκοῦ. For this vague use of the pronoun ὅδε, see Essay on L. § 22. p. 34 , and cp. supr. 1426, ὃς τῶνδ᾽ αἴτιος κακῶν ἔφυ, τοῦδε τοῦ πόνου. Schndw. conj. τοῦ δῄου στρατοῦ.

μνημεῖα] Accusative in apposition to κόμιζε: “An act commemorative of my bow.' πυρὰν ἐμήν] It is evident that the high-place on Mount Oeta, where Heracles was supposed to have been glorified, after having been laid upon the pyre, was kept sacred in the time of Sophocles; and, like the place of Oedipus' disappearance, it is imagined to have been a place of worship in heroic times. Hyllus had often stood there sacrificing, Trach. 1192. Perhaps some well-known image of the hero there, with a brazen shield, may have occasioned the expression in supr. 727.

καὶ σοὶ τόνδ'] These words are διὰ μέσου. Heracles turns for a moment to Neoptolemus, and then resumes his address to Philoctetes. ταῦτα refers generally to all that precedes. Neoptolemus must aid Philoctetes and not forget his obligation to the bow of Heracles.

Cp. supr. 112-115.

τὸ Τροίας πεδίον] Supr. 69.

λέοντε συννόμω] 'Two lions, who share one hunting-ground.'

ἐγὼ δ' ᾿Ασκληπιόν] Having so far broken ground with the supernatural, the poet carries the celestial machinery one step further. Machaon was the healer of Philoctetes, according to the common story which is followed supr. 1333. in the anticipation of Neoptolemus. Here it is Asclepius himself.

τὸ δεύτερον] For the taking of Troy by Heracles in the former time, cp. II. 5.638-642: Pindar, Nem. 4.25: Aj. 1300 foll.

ἐννοεῖσθ᾽] 'Keep this in your thoughts.' For ἐννοεῖν, of an intention or design, cp. O. T. 330, ἀλλ' ἐννοεῖς ἡμᾶς προδοῦναι, κ.τ.λ. The force of the middle voice is, 'Be careful to bear in mind.' Cp. supr. 375. 'His non paruit Neoptolemus.' Lambinus.

τὰ πρός] 'As towards.' Cp. O. C. 617, καὶ ταῖσι Θήβαις εἰ τανῦν εὐημερεῖ | καλῶς *τὸ πρὸς σέ.

δεύτερ᾽ ἡγεῖται] O. C. 351.

συνθνήσκει βροτοῖς] ‘Follows men in death.' Of the pious only can it be said that their works do follow them. A confused expression, arising from haste or inadvertence like many that might be quoted from Shakspeare. The whole of this speech of Heracles, as compared with the rest of Sophocles, is a careless piece of work. Did the poet leave the ῥῆσις ἀπὸ μηχανῆς to Iophon or to some pupil, being unheedful of the celestial machinery, like Shakspeare in Cymbeline? Or is this a case, like that of Iphigeneia in Aulide, where a later interpolation has taken the place of the original text? Nothing is to be gained here by conjectural emendation (see for example that of Hermann suggested by Ellendt, ἡ γὰρ εὐσέβεια συνθνήσκειν βρότοις, | κἂν ζῶσι, κἂν θάνωσιν, οὐκ ἐπίσταται: or that of Cavallin, ἡ γ. εὐσ. συμφέρει βροτοῖς, | καὶ ζῶσι καὶ θανοῦσιν, οὐδ᾽ ἀπόλλυται), nor by obelizing particular lines. In ll. 1452-1471, the master's hand is again apparent. For the sentiment, cp. Pind. Isthm. 4. 41, καὶ πάγ καρπον ἐπὶ χθόνα καὶ διὰ πόντου βέβακεν | ἐργμάτων ἀκτὶς καλῶν, ἄσβεστος αἰεί : Thuc. 2. 43.

πέμψας] Cp. supr. 846, and for φθέγμα, of a Divine utterance, Aj. 14: Aristoph. Nub. 320, 364, ὦ γῆ τοῦ φθέγματος, ὡς ἱερὸν καὶ σεμνὸν καὶ τερατώδες.

χρόνιος] 'At last, after so long' (adjective). Cp. O. C. 441, ἤλαυνέ μ᾽ ἐκ γῆς χρόνιον. See Essay on L. § 23, €. p. 39.

γνώμῃ ταύτῃ τίθεμαι] ‘Determine likewise in my thought.' Various changes have been needlessly proposed, of which the most plausible is γνώμην ταὐτῇ τίθεμαι, 'Give my vote the selfsame way,' quoted by Lamb. as a v. r.

For χρόνιοι with χρόνιος preceding in a different sense, see Essay on L. § 44. pp. 83, 84.

καιρός] 'The right moment.' Cp. supr. 466, καιρὸς γὰρ καλεῖ. πλοῦς] Here nearly = οὗρος. Cp. supr. 464, 5, ὁπηνίκ᾽ ἂν θεὸς | πλοῦν ἡμὶν εἴκῃ.

ἐπείγει] 'Counsels you to haste.' Cp. καλεῖ, supr. 466: O. C. 1540, ἐπείγει γάρ με τοὐκ θεοῦ παρόν. For the position of γάρ, see Essay on L. § 26. p. 44. κατὰ πρύμναν] Cp. Thuc. 2. 97, ἦν ἀεὶ κατὰ πρύμναν ἱστῆται τὸ πνεῦμα. Heracles is now withdrawn.

στείχων] In departing.' Cp. supr. 1408: O. T. 1521, στεῖχέ νυν, τέκνων δ᾽ ἀφοῦ. καλέσω] · Let me address.' The word is used with some association from the frequent use of 'addressing a deity,' as in O. C. 1389 foll. Another somewhat singular use of καλεῖν occurs in O. T. 780, καλεῖ.. πλαστὸς ὡς εἴην, κ.τ.λ.

ξύμφρουρον ἐμοί] 'Sole comrade of my watch.' In the absence of companionship, the homeless cave was more than a dwelling-place to Philoctetes, supr. 298, 9, 533, 952, 1081 foll. The low roof of rock (his μέλαθρον) reflecting the feeble light of his fire, was all the society that cheered him through the watches of the night.

'And water-nymphs of the green meadow.' The bit of moist ground about his spring ( supr. 21), or the standing-pool ( supr. 716, 7), was peculiarly sacred to Philoctetes.

ἄρσην] ‘Bass.' Cp. the use of ἀνδρεῖος and γυναικεῖος for bass and treble in Hdt. 1.17,-and Shak. Tempest, 3. 3, 'Methought the billows spoke, and told me of it; | The winds did sing it to me; and the thunder, | That deep and dreadful organ-pipe, pronounced | The name of Prosper: it did bass my trespass.' πόντου *προβολῆς] ‘Of the bluff that juts into the deep.' This conjectural emendation of Hermann is more probable than πόντου προβλής θ'. For, though the latter involves a slighter change, it leaves κτύπος ἄρσην too indistinct. πόντου is objective genitive: sc. εἰς τὸν πόντον προβεβλημένου.

οὗ refers either generally to the whole region described in the preceding lines, or to the last word only, the 'jutting foreland' being no other than the ἀκτή of l. 1, in which the cave was situated.

'My head withdrawn into the deepest nook was (notwithstanding) wetted by the lashing wind.' νότος is here the south-east. See Introduction.

φωνῆς .. ἡμετέρας] The genitive follows ἀντίτυπον, for which word, cp. supr. 693.

Ἑρμαῖον] Cp. Aesch. Ag. 283, Ἑρμαῖον λέπας | Λήμνου.

χειμαζομένῳ] 'In tempest of my woe.' If there were storms without, so too was there a storm within. For a metaphorical use of χειμάζεσθαι, cp. esp. Aesch. Prom. 562, τόνδε χαλινοῖς ἐν πετρίνοισιν | χειμαζόμενον. Cp. also Shak. Lear, 3. 4, 'Thou think'st it much that this contentious storm | Invades us to the skin: so 'tis to thee; But where the greater malady is fixed, The lesser is scarce felt... When the mind's free, The body 's delicate: the tempest in my mind | Doth from my senses take all feeling else Save what beats there.'

Λύκιον] This, like ' Ἑρμαῖον supr., is probably a name actually associated with Lemnos, though we cannot pretend to know more than the Scholiast respecting its origin: ἢ οὕτω καλουμένη κρήνη ἐν Λήμνῳ Λυκίου ᾿Απόλλωνος, ἢ οἷον ἐν ἐρημίᾳ ὑπὸ λύκων πινόμενον. Possibly Sophocles himself could not have determined this.

δόξης. ἐπιβάντες] 'Though we never embarked upon this thought,' i. e. 'never entertained it, never thought of doing so.' He refers partly to his steady refusal to go to Troy, and partly to his abnegation of all hope. For the expression, cp. O. C. 189, and note: Hdt. 3. 67, ἐπιβατεύων τοῦ ὁμωνύμου Σμέρδιος τοῦ Κύρου: Plat. Legg. 3.699 B. ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς ἐλπίδος ὀχούμενοι ταύτης εὕρισκον καταφυγὴν αὑτοῖς εἰς αὐτοὺς μόνους εἶναι καὶ τοὺς θεούς.

ὦ.. ἀμφίαλον] He sums up the preceding invocations in one expression.

καὶ.. ἀμέμπτως] ‘And speed me with good voyage to heart's content.' The fair wind, blowing off-shore, is regarded as the breath of the land. Seyffert takes ἀμέμπτως to mean, 'Without grudging,' as if Philoctetes apprehended that the isle might resent his leaving it. But this fancy is too finely spun.

ἡ μεγάλη Μοίρα] Referring to supr. 1337-47.

γνώμη τε φίλων] Supr. 1374, 1381, 1389. χώ πανδαμάτωρ | δαίμων] This refers to the intervention of Heracles, to whom the epithet πανδαμάτωρ is, in the mouth of Philoctetes at least, sufficiently appropriate. Cp. Trach. 1102, κοὐδεὶς τροπαῖ᾽ ἔστησε τῶν ἐμῶν χερῶν.

The compound ἐπέκρανεν, ‘Consummated,' exactly describes the action of Heracles here. Others understand the words of Zeus. But it is very unlikely both that Zeus should be alluded to in Sophocles and not named, and that the word δαίμων should be applied to Zeus in Attic Greek of this period.

πάντες ἀολλεῖς] ‘All, viz. Neoptolemus, Philoctetes, Odysseus, and mariners.' The language implies that the peace has been made.

Philoctetes had invoked the 'Genius of the shore.' The mariners now invoke the nymphs of the sea.

σωτήρας] (1) 'To come and aid us in our return.' There is no reason why this word should not be feminine. Cp. O. T. 80, 81, τύχῃ.. σωτῆρι, and see Essay on L. § 20. p. 30. But possibly (2) σωτῆρες should be read, 'That we may arrive and make safe our return;' cp. Trach. 85, κείνου βίον σώσαντος : Od. 23. 68, ὤλεσε τηλοῦ νόστον.

Philoctetes. Lewis Campbell. ed. Lewis Campbell. Oxford. 1879.

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

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Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 1380 focus

ὦ δεινὸν αἶνον αἰνέσας, τί φής ποτε;

ΝΕ.

ἃ σοί τε κἀμοὶ λῷσθ᾽ καλῶς κάλ' ὁρῶ τελούμενα.

ΦΙΛΟΚΤΗΤΗΣ.

ΦΙ.

καὶ ταῦτα λέξας οὐ καταισχύνει κατ᾿ αἰσχύνηι καταισχύνη θεούς;

ΝΕ.

πῶς γάρ τις αἰσχύνοιτ᾽ οι from ει αἰσχύνοιτ' ἂν ὠφελούμενος;

ΦΙ.

λέγεις δ᾽ ᾿Ατρείδαις ὄφελος, ἢ 'π᾿ ἐμοὶ τόδε τάδε ;
1385

ΝΕ.

σοί που φίλος γ᾽ ὤν, χώ λόγος τοιόσδε μου μοι.

ΦΙ.

πῶς, ὅς γε τοῖς ἐχθροῖσιν ἐκδοῦναι θέλεις;

ΝΕ.

ὦ τάν τὰν τᾶν, διδάσκου μὴ θρασύνεσθαι κακοῖς.

ΦΙ.

ὀλεῖς με, γιγνώσκω σε, τοῖσδε τοῖς λόγοις λό(ισ)γοισ λόγοις.

ΝΕ.

οὔκουν ἔγωγε· φημὶ δ᾽ οὔ σε μανθάνειν.
1390

ΦΙ.

ἐγὼ οὐκ ᾿Ατρείδας ἔγωγ᾽ οὐκατρείδας ἐγώ γ᾽ οὐκ ἀτρείδας ἔγωγ᾽ ἀτρείδας ἐκβαλόντας οἶδά με;

ΝΕ.

ἀλλ᾽ ἐκβαλόντες εἰ πάλιν σώσουσ᾽ σώ? ουσ' σώσουσ' σώσουσί σ᾽ ὅρα.

ΦΙ.

οὐδέποθ᾽ ἑκόντα γ' ὥστε τὴν Τροίαν ἰδεῖν ἑλεῖν ἰδεῖν ἑλεῖν (γρ. ἐλθεῖν).

ΣΟΦΟΚΛΕΟΥΣ

ΝΕ.

τί δῆτ᾽ ἂν ἡμεῖς δρῶμεν, εἰ σε γ᾽ ἐν add λόγοις

πείσειν δυνησόμεσθα μηδὲν ὧν λέγω;
1395

ὡς ῥᾷστ᾽ ἐμοὶ μὲν μὲν τῶν λόγων λῆξαι, σὲ δὲ

ζῇν ὥσπερ ἤδη ζῇς ἄνευ σωτηρίας.

ΦΙ.

ἔα με πάσχειν ταῦθ᾽ ἅπερ παθεῖν με δεῖ·

ἃ δ᾽ ἤνεσάς μοι δεξιᾶς ἐμῆς θιγών,

πέμπειν πρὸς οἴκους, ταῦτά μοι πρᾶξον, τέκνον,
1400

καὶ μὴ βράδυνε, μηδ᾽ ἐπιμνησθῇς ἔτι

Τροίας· ἅλις γάρ μοι τεθρήνηται γόοις γρ. γόοισ λόγος.

ΝΕ.

εἰ δοκεῖ, στείχωμεν στίχωμεν στείχωμεν στείχω μὲν.

ΦΙ.

ὦ γενναῖον εἰρηκὼς ἔπος.

ΝΕ.

ἀντέρειδε νῦν βάσιν σήν.

ΦΙ.

εἰς ὅσον γ' ἐγὼ σθένω.

ΦΙΛΟΚΤΗΤΗΣ.

ΝΕ.

αἰτίαν δὲ πῶς ᾿Αχαιῶν φεύξομαι φεύξωμαι φεύξομαι?
1405

ФІ.

μὴ φροντίσῃς.

ΝΕ.

τί γάρ, ἐὰν πορθῶσι χώραν τὴν ἐμήν;

ΦΙ.

ἐγὼ παρὼν

ΝΕ.

τίνα προσωφέλησιν πρὸσ ὠφέλησιν ἔρξεις έρξεις?

ΦΙ.

βέλεσι τοῖς ῾Ηρακλέους Ἡρακλείοις

ΝΕ.

πῶς λέγεις;

ФІ.

εἴρξω πελάζειν πελάζειν σῆς πάτρας πελάζειν σῆς πατρίδος *.

NE.

στεῖχε προσκύσας χθόνα.

ΗΡΑΚΛΗΣ.

μήπω γε, πρὶν πρὶ πρὶν ἂν τῶν ἡμετέρων

ἀΐῃς ἀΐεισ ἀΐῃς μύθων, παῖ Ποίαντος·
1410

φάσκειν δ᾽ αὐδὴν τὴν ῾Ηρακλέους

ἀκοῇ τ' τε τ' κλύειν λεύσσειν τ᾿ ὄψιν.

τὴν σὴν δ᾽ ἥκω χάριν οὐρανίας

ἕδρας προλιπών,

τὰ Διός τε φράσων βουλεύματά σοι,
1415

κατερητύσων κατηρετύσων κατερητυσών θ᾽ ὁδὸν ἣν στέλλει·

σὺ δ᾽ ἐμῶν μύθων ἐπάκουσον.

καὶ πρῶτα μέν σοι τὰς ἐμὰς λέξω τύχας,

ΣΟΦΟΚΛΕΟΥΣ

ὅσους πονήσας καὶ διεξελθὼν πόνους

ἀθάνατον ἀρετὴν ἔσχον, ὡς πάρεσθ᾽ ὁρᾶν.

1420

καὶ σοί, σάφ᾽ ἴσθι, τοῦτ᾽ ὀφείλεται παθεῖν,

ἐκ τῶν πόνων τῶνδ᾽ τῶν τῶνδ᾽ εὐκλεᾶ εὐκλέα εὐκλεᾶ θέσθαι βίον.

ἐλθὼν δὲ σὺν τῷδ᾽ ἀνδρὶ πρὸς τὸ Τρωϊκὸν

πόλισμα, πρῶτον μὲν νόσου παύσει λυγρᾶς,

ἀρετῇ τε πρῶτος ἐκκριθεὶς στρατεύματος,

1425

Πάριν μέν, ὃς τῶνδ᾽ αἴτιος κακῶν ἔφυ,

τόξοισι τοῖς ἐμοῖσι νοσφιεῖς νοσφίσεισ νοσφιεῖς βίου,

πέρσεις τε Τροίαν, σκυλά τ᾽ εἰς μέλαθρα σὰ

πέμψεις, ἀριστεῖ᾽ ἐκλαβὼν ἐκβαλών στρατεύματος,

Ποίαντι πατρὶ πρὸς πάτρας Οἴτης πλάκα.

1430

ἃ δ᾽ ἂν λάβῃς σὺ σκῦλα τοῦδε τοῦ στρατοῦ,

τόξων ἐμῶν μνημεῖα πρὸς πυρὰν ἐμὴν

ΦΙΛΟΚΤΗΤΗΣ.

κόμιζε. καὶ σοὶ ταῦτ᾽, ᾿Αχιλλέως τέκνον,

παρῄνεσ· οὔτε γὰρ σὺ τοῦδ᾽ ἄτερ σθένεις

ἑλεῖν τὸ Τροίας πεδίον οὔθ᾽ οὗτος σέθεν.

1435

ἀλλ᾿ ὡς λέοντε συννόμω φυλάσσετον

οὗτος σὲ καὶ σὺ τόνδ'. ἐγὼ δ᾽ ᾿Ασκληπιὸν

παυστῆρα πέμψω σῆς νόσου πρὸς Ιλιον.

τὸ δεύτερον γὰρ τοῖς ἐμοῖς αὐτὴν χρεὼν

τόξοις ἁλῶναι. τοῦτο δ᾽ ἐννοεῖσθ᾽, ὅταν

1440

πορθῆτε πορθεῖτε πορθήτε ? γαῖαν, εὐσεβεῖν τὰ πρὸς θεούς.

ὡς τἄλλα πάντα δεύτερ᾽ ἡγεῖται πατὴρ

Ζεύς· ἡ γὰρ εὐσέβεια συνθνήσκει βροτοῖς,

ΣΟΦΟΚΛΕΟΥΣ

κἂν ζῶσι κἂν θάνωσιν, οὐκ ἀπόλλυται.

ΦΙ.

ὦ φθέγμα ποθεινὸν ἐμοὶ πέμψας,
1445

χρόνιός τε φανείς,

οὐκ ἀπιθήσω ι from ει ἀπιθήσω τοῖς σοῖς μύθοις.

ΝΕ.

κἀγὼ γνώμῃ γνώμη γνώμῃ ταύτῃ ταῦτα τίθεμαι.

ΗΡ.

μή νυν μὴ νῦν χρόνιοι μέλλετε πράσσειν πράττειν.

καιρὸς καὶ πλοῦς
1450

ὅδ᾽ ὅδ'. ἐπείγει γὰρ κατὰ πρύμναν.

ΦΙ.

φέρε νυν νῦν στείχων χώραν στεί χώραν στείχ χώραν στείχων χώραν καλέσω.

χαῖρ᾽, ὦ μέλαθρον ξύμφρουρον ἐμοί,

Νύμφαι τ᾽ ἔνυδροι λειμωνιάδες,

καὶ κτύπος ἄρσην πόντου προβολῆς προβλὴς προβολὴς,
1455

ΦΙΛΟΚΤΗΤΗΣ.

οὗ πολλάκι δὴ τοὐμὸν ἐτέγχθη ἐτέχθη

κρᾶτ᾽ ἐνδόμυχον πληγαῖσι πληγῆισι νότου,

πολλὰ δὲ φωνῆς τῆς ἡμετέρας

Ἑρμαῖον Ερμαιον ὄρος παρέπεμψεν ἐμοὶ

στόνον ἀντίτυπον χειμαζομένῳ.

1460

νῦν δ᾽, ὦ κρῆναι Λύκιόν γλύκιον γλυκίον (γρ. λυκίον) τε ποτόν,

λείπομεν ὑμᾶς, λείπομεν ἤδη,

δόξης οὔ ποτε τῆσδ᾽ ἐπιβάντες.

χαῖρ᾽, ὦ Λήμνου πέδον ἀμφίαλον,

καί μ' εὐπλοίᾳ πέμψον ψ from C1 or C2 πέμψον ἀμέμπτως,

1465

ἔνθ᾽ ἡ μεγάλη Μοίρα κομίζει,

ΣΟΦΟΚΛΕΟΥΣ ΦΙΛΟΚΤΗΤΗΣ.

γνώμη τε φίλων, χώ πανδαμάτωρ

δαίμων, ὃς ταῦτ᾽ ἐπέκρανεν.

ΧΟ.

χωρῶμεν δὴ ἤδη ἰδοὺ πάντες ἀολλεῖς ἀολλέες ἀολλεῖς,

Νύμφαις ἁλίαισιν ἐπευξάμενοι ἐπευξάμενοι
1470

νόστου σωτῆρας σωτηρίας ἱκέσθαι.

Translations (4)

English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 1380 focus

Mean’st thou to Troy, and to the hateful sons

Of Atreus, me, with this distressful limb?

NEO

Nay, but to those that will relieve the pain

Of thy torn foot and heal thee of thy plague.

PHI

Thy words are horrible. What mean’st thou, boy?

NEO

The act I deem the noblest for us both.

PHI

Wilt thou speak so? Where is thy fear of Heaven?
1385

NEO

Why should I fear, when I see certain gain?

PHI

Gain for the sons of Atreus, or for me?

NEO

Methinks a friend should give thee friendly counsel.

PHI

Friendly, to hand me over to my foes?

NEO

Ah, be not hardened in thy misery!
1390

PHI

I know thou wilt ruin me by what thou speakest.

NEO

Not I. The case is dark to thee, I see.

PHI

I know the Atreidae cast me on this rock.

NEO

But how, if they should save thee afterward?

PHI

They ne’er shall make me see Troy with my will.

NEO

Hard is my fortune, then, if by no sleight

Of reasoning I can draw thee to my mind.

For me, ’twere easiest to end speech, that thou

Might’st live on as thou livest in hopeless pain.

PHI

Then leave me to my fate!—But thou hast touched

My right hand with thine own, and given consent

To bear me to my home. Do this, dear son!

And do not linger to take thought of Troy.

Enough that name hath echoed in my groans.

NEO

If thou wilt, let us be going.

PHI

Nobly hast thou said the word.

NEO

Lean thy steps on mine.
1405

PHI

As firmly as my foot will strength afford.

NEO

Ah! but how shall I escape Achaean anger?

PHI

Do not care!

NEO

Ah! but should they spoil my country!

PHI

I to shield thee will be there.

NEO

How to shield me, how to aid me?

PHI

With the shafts of Heracles

I will scare them.

NEO

Give thy blessing to this isle, and come in peace.

HERACLES
HERACLES appears from above.

First, son of Poeas, wait till thou hast heard

The voice of Heracles, and weighed his word.
1410

Him thou beholdest from the Heavenly seat

Come down, for thee leaving the blest retreat,

To tell thee all high Zeus intends, and stay

Thy purpose in the journey of to-day.

Then hear me, first how after my long toils
1415

By strange adventure I have found and won

Immortal glory, which thine eyes perceive;

And the like lot, I tell thee, shall be thine,

After these pains to rise to glorious fame.

Sailing with this thy comrade to Troy-town,

First thou shalt heal thee from thy grievous sore,

And then, being singled forth from all the host

As noblest, thou shalt conquer with that bow

Paris, prime author of these years of harm,
1425

And capture Troy, and bear back to thy hall

The choicest guerdon, for thy valour’s meed,

To Oeta’s vale and thine own father’s home.

But every prize thou tak’st be sure thou bear

Unto my pyre, in memory of my bow.
1430

This word, Achilles’ offspring, is for thee

No less. For, as thou could’st not without him,

So, without thee, he cannot conquer Troy.

Then, like twin lions hunting the same hill,
1435

Guard thou him, and he thee! and I will send

Asclepius Troyward to relieve thy pain.

For Ilion now a second time must fall

Before the Herculean bow. But, take good heed,

Midst all your spoil to hold the gods in awe.
1440

For our great Father counteth piety

Far above all. This follows men in death,

And fails them not when they resign their breath.

PHI

Thou whom I have longed to see,
1445

Thy dear voice is law to me.

NEO

I obey with gladdened heart.

HER

Lose no time: at once depart!

Bright occasion and fair wind
1450

Urge your vessel from behind.

PHI

Come, let me bless the region ere I go.

Poor house, sad comrade of my watch, farewell!

Ye nymphs of meadows where soft waters flow

Thou ocean headland, pealing thy deep knell,
1455

Where oft within my cavern as I lay

My hair was moist with dashing south-wind’s spray,

And ofttimes came from Hermes’ foreland high

Sad replication of my storm-vext cry;

Ye fountains and thou Lycian water sweet,—
1460

I never thought to leave you, yet my feet

Are turning from your paths,—we part for aye.

Farewell! and waft me kindly on my way,

O Lemnian earth enclosed by circling seas,

To sail, where mighty Fate my course decrees,
1465

And friendly voices point me, and the will

Of that heroic power, who doth this act fulfil.

CH

Come now all in one strong band;

Then, ere loosing from the land,

Pray we to the nymphs of sea
1470

Kind protectresses to be,
1470

Till we touch the Trojan strand.

German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 1380 focus

schnöder, unheilvoller Rath! Was denkst du doch?
1340

Neoptolemos.

Was dir und mir zum Besten endlich dienen wird.

Philoktetes.

Und so zu reden, schämst du dich vor Göttern nicht?

Neoptolemos.

Wie sollte denn sich schämen, wer Gewinn erlangt?

Philoktetes.

Du meinst für Atreus' Söhne nur, nicht auch für mich?

Neoptolemos.

Dir wohlbefreundet, red' ich auch als Freund zu dir.
1345

Philoktetes.

Du, der mich meinen Feinden auszuliefern sinnt?

Neoptolemos.

Lieber, lern' im Ungemach nicht trozig sein.

Philoktetes.

Dein Wort, verderben will es mich ich kenne dich!

Neoptolemos.

Nein, wahrlich; du nur, sag' ich, willst es nicht verstehn.

Philoktetes.

Doch weiß ich: Atreus' Söhne, die verstießen mich.
1350

Neoptolemos.

Die dich verstießen, siehe nun, sie retten dich.

Philoktetes.

Wohl: doch mit freiem Willen seh' ich Troja nie.

Neoptolemos.

Was soll ich noch beginnen, wenn kein Wort von mir,

Wenn keine meiner Bitten dich bestimmen kann?

Am besten, ich enthalte mich des Worts, und du
1355

Lebst, wie du jezt lebst, ohne Trost und Hülfe fort.

Philoktetes.

Ja, laß mich Alles dulden, was ich dulden muß.

Doch was du mir bei meiner Rechten angelobt,

Mich heimzuführen, das gewähre mir, o Kind,

Und ohne Säumen; sprich mir nicht von Troja mehr;
1360

Denn schon zu viel klang dieser Name meinem Ohr.

Neoptolemos.

Wenn es dir gefällt, so geh'n wir.

Philoktetes.

Sohn, du sprachst ein edles Wort.

Neoptolemos.

Stüze nun beherzt den Fuß auf.

Wie es meine Kraft vermag.

Aber wie entflieh'n dem Vorwurf unsers Heers?

Wenn sie nun mein Land verheeren?
1365

Philoktetes.

Da sorge nicht.

Dann bin ich zur Seite dir

Neoptolemos.

Welchen Schuz wirst du mir bieten?

Philoktetes.

Mit Herakles' Pfeilen hier -

Neoptolemos.

Thust du was?

Philoktetes.

Halt' ich sie ferne!

Neoptolemos.

Küsse noch das Land und geh!,

(Herakles erscheint auf einer Wolke schwebend.) Herakles. Die Vorigen.

Herakles.

Nicht ehe, bevor aus unserem Mund

Du die Worte gehört, o Pöas' Sohn!

Denn wisse, dir tönt in die Ohren der Laut
1370

Von Herakles' Stimme, du siehst sein Bild.

Ich komm' aus Liebe zu dir und verließ

Der Unsterblichen Siz,

Zu verkündigen dir die Beschlüsse des Zeus

Und zu wehren den Weg, zu dem du dich schickst:
1375

So vernimm denn meine Gebote!

Vor Allem ruf' ich dir zurück mein eignes Loos,

Die Mühen alle, deren Bahn durchkämpfend ich

Errang unsterblich Wesen, wie du schauen kannst.¹

Auch dir, vernimm es, ist bestimmt dasselbe Ziel,
1380

Aus solchen Mühen ruhmgekrönt hervorzugehn.

Du ziehst mit diesem Manne vor die Troerstadt,

Und wirst zuerst von deiner bittern Qual erlöst;

Dann, als der Helden erster auserseh'n im Heer,

Vertilgst du Paris, dieses Leids Urheber einst,
1385

Mit meinem Bogen aus der Zahl der Lebenden,

Und stürzest Troja, wählst des Raubes besten Preis

Dir aus vom Heere, sendest ihn dem Vater heim,

Dem Pöas, in des Deta heimatliche Flur.

Doch andre Beute, welche du vom Heer gewinnst,
1390

Die trage hin, als meines Bogens Ehrenmal,

Zu meinem Scheiterhausen. Dich auch mahn' ich nun,

O Sohn Achillens. Denn du kannst nicht ohne Den

Die Troerveste stürzen, er nicht ohne dich:

Ein treugeselltes Löwenpaar, behütet euch,
1395

Er dich, du ihn! Doch um zu stillen deine Qual,

Send' ich zu Troja's Veste dir Asklepios.

Zum zweitenmale muß die Stadt durch mein Geschoß²

Gewonnen werden. Wenn ihr dann das Land verheert,

Bedenket fromm zu scheuen, was der Götter ist.³
1400

Zeus achtet alles Andre ja für niedriger;

Die Götterfurcht stirbt mit den Menschen nicht dahin;⁴

Sie leben oder sterben, sie blüht unverwelkt.

Philoktetes.

Du, der willkommenen Ruf mir gesandt

Und endlich erscheint,
1405

Wie freudig gehorch' ich deinem Gebot!

Neoptolemos.

Mein Will' auch stimmt zu dem gleichen Entschluß.

Herakles.

Auf, eilt nun ohne Verzug an das Werk:

Schon drängt ja die Zeit,

Und Fahrwind weht um das Steuer.
1410
(er verschwindet.) Philoktetes. Neoptolemos. Der Chor.

Philoktetes.

Wohlan denn! Scheidend begrüß' ich das Land.

Leb wohl, mein Felsdach, das mich geschirmt,

Ihr Nymphen der Bäche, der Au'n, lebt wohl,

Und o mächtig am Vorberg brandende See,

Wo die Fluten, erregt von den Stößen des Süds,
1415

Oft nezten mein Haupt in dem Winkel der Kluft, -

Wo den klagenden Laut, wann wild auf mich

Einstürmte der Schmerz, der hermäische Berg⁵

Im Rückhall oft mir herübergesandt!

Ihr Brunnen umher und Apollons Quell,⁶
1420

Ich verlass' euch nun, ich scheide von euch,

Der nie so Kühnes zu hoffen gewagt.

Mein Lemnos, umflutetes Land, leb' wohl,

Und in glücklicher Fahrt send' harmlos uns

Hin, wo das gewaltige Schicksal führt
1425

Und der Freunde Geheiß und des Gottes Gewalt,⁷

Der dies allmächtig verhängte!

Der Chor.

Nun laßt uns alle vereint hinzieh'n,

Nachdem wir gefleht zu den Nymphen des Meers,

Als Hüter die Fahrt zu geleiten!
1430

English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 1380 focus

Leave it ! For whom ? Foi- Troy and the

Atridse ?

These wounds forbid it.

Neoptolemus

They shall all be healed,

Where I will carry thee.

Philoctetes

An idle tale

Thou tellst me, surely ; dost thou not ?

Neoptolemus

I speak

What best may serve us both.

Philoctetes

But, speaking thus,
1385

Dost thou not fear th' oflfended gods ?
1385

Neoptolemus

Why fear them?

Can I offend the gods by doing good ?

Philoctetes

What good ? To whom? To me or to th'

Atridae?

Neoptolemus

I am thy friend, and therefore would persuade

thee.

Philoctetes

And therefore give me to my foes.

Neoptolemus

Alas !
1390

Let not misfortunes thus transport thy soul
1390

To rage and bitterness.
1390

Philoctetes

Thou wouldst destroy me.

Neoptolemus

Thou knowst me not.

Philoctetes

I know th' Atridee well.

Who left me here.

Neoptolemus

They did ; yet they perhaps,

E'en they, O Philoctetes ! may preserve thee.

Philoctetes

I never will to Troy.

Neoptolemus

What 's to be done ?

Since I can ne'er persuade thee, I submit ;

Live on in misery.

Philoctetes

Then let me suffer ;

Suffer I must ; but, oh ! perform thy promise ;

Think on thy plighted faith, and guard me homo

Instant, my friend, nor ever call back Troy

To my remembrance ; I have felt enough

From Troy already.

Ned. Let us go ; prepare !

Philoctetes

O glorious sound !

Neoptolemus

Bear thyself up.

Philoctetes

I will,

If possible.

Ned. But how sliall I escape

The wrath of Greece?

Phil Oh ! think not of it.

NEC. What

If they should waste my kingdom ?

Philoctetes

I'll be there.

Neoptolemus

Alas ! what canst thou do?

Philoctetes

And with these arrows

Of my Alcides

Neoptolemus

Ha ! What sayst thou ?

Philoctetes

Drive

Thy foes before me. Not a Greek shall dare

Approach thy borders.

Neoptolemus

If thou wilt do this.

Salute the earth, and instant hence. Away !

Hercules
Scene IV.

[descends and speaks]. Stay, son of Pean! Lo

to thee 'tis given
1410

Once more to see and hear thy loved Alcides,

Who for thy sake hath left yon heavenly mansions.

And comes to tell thee the decrees of Jove ;

To turn thee from the paths thou meanst to tread,

rffFLOCrETES.
1415

Ami guide thy footsteps right. Therefore attend.

Thou knowst what toils, what labours I endured,

Ere I by virtue gained immortal fame ;

Thou too like me by toils must lise to glory —

Thou too must suffer, ere thou canst be happy;

Hence with thy friend to Troy, where honour calls,

Where health awaits thee — where, by virtue raised

To highest rank, and leader of the war,

Paris, its hateful author, shalt thou slay,
1425

Lay waste proud Troy, and send thy trophies home,

Thy valour's due reward, to glad thy sire

On QCta's top. The gifts which Greece bestows

Must thou reserve to grace my funeral pile.

And be a monument to after-ages
1430

Of these all-conquering arms. Son of Achilles

Without his aid thou canst not conquer Troy,

Go then, and, like two lions in the field

Roaming for prey, guard ye each other well ;
1435

My ^sculapius will I send e'en now

To heal thy wounds. Then go, and conquer Troy ;

But when you lay the vanquished city waste,

Be careful that you venerate the gods ;

For far above all other gifts doth Jove,
1440

Th' almighty father, hold true piety ;

Whether we live or die, that still survives

Beyond the reach of fate, and is immortal.

Neoptolemus
\turnin(j to Neoptolemus (For now to thee I speak), remember this.

Once more to let me hear that wished-for voice,

To see thee after so long time, was bliss

I could not hope for. Oh ! I will obey

Thy great commands most willingly.

Philoctetes

And I.

Hercules

Delay not then. For lo ! a prosperous wind

Swells in thy sail. The time invites. Adieu !

Philoctetes
[Hercules reascends. Scene V.

I will but pay my salutations here,

And instantly depart. To thee, my cave,

Where I so long have dwelt, I bid farewell !

And you, ye nymphs, who on the watery plains

Deign to reside, farewell ! Farewell the noise
1455

Of beating waves, which I so oft have heard

From the rough sea, which by the black wiiids driven

O'erw helmed me, shivering. Oft th' Hermsean mount

Echoed my plaintive voice> by wintry stor^ns

Afflicted, and returned me groan for groan.
1460

Now, ye fresh fountains, each Lycajan spring,

I leave you now. Alas ! I little thought

To leave you ever. And thou sea-girt isle,

Lemnos, farewell ! Permit me to depart

By thee unblamed, and with a prosperous gale
1465

To go where fate demands, where kindest friends

By counsel urge me, where all-powerful Jove

In his unerring wisdom hath decreed.

Chorus

Let us be gone, and to the ocean nymphs

Our humble prayers prefer, that they would all

Propitious smile, and grant us safe return.

A

N T I G O N E.

DRAMATIS PERSONiE.

Creon

King of Thehes.

Eurydice

Wife of Creon.

H^MON, Son of Creon.

Antigone

Daughter of (Edij^us.

Tiresias

a PropJiet.

A Messenger, Guard, Ser-
1470

vant, and Attendants.

Chorus

composed of Ancient

Men of Thebes.

Antigone
ACT I. Scene I.

Isjiene.

English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 1380 focus

What, to Sigæum, and the hated son

Of Atreus, with the anguish of this wound?

Neoptolemus

To those, whose skill shall stanch this putrid gore,

Heal thy disease, and free thee from thy pains.

Philoctetes

Why this inglorious measure dost thou urge?

Neoptolemus

Wou'dst thou comply, thy glory, I foresee,

It would advance, and mine.

Philoctetes

While thus thou speak'st,
1385

Dost thou not blush in reverence of the gods?
1385

Neoptolemus

Why should kind office raise a blush ?

Philoctetes

To me,

Or to th' Atridæ kind?

Neoptolemus

To thee a friend

I speak the words of friendship.

Philoctetes

To my foes

Would friendship yield me?

Neoptolemus

Learn amidst thy ills
1390

More gentle thoughts.
1390

Philoctetes

I know thee; thy soft words

Would sooth me into ruin.

Far from me

Neoptolemus

Be such design: thou dost not know-

I know

Philoctetes

The sons of Atreus left me on these rocks.

Neoptolemus

But (think on this) they wish to save thee now.

Philoctetes

Not to see Troy: my soul abhors the thought.

Neoptolemus

What can I do, since all that I can urge

Moves not thy mind? An easier part remains,

To urge my plea no more, but let thee live,

As now thou livest, thy disease unheal'd.

Philoctetes

Yes, let me suffer what my fate requires

I suffer. But, remember, thou hast pledged

Thy hand to bear me to my household gods :

Perform it; haste; and think of Troy no more :

Troy hath already caused me groans enough.

Neoptolemus

Well; if it be thy pleasure, let us gò.

Philoctetes

That generous word with transport fills my soul.

Neoptolemus

Assay thy steps.
1405

Philoctetes

With all the strength I have.

Neoptolemus

Th' avenging Grecians how shall I escape ?

Philoctetes

Regard them not.

Neoptolemus

Should they my country waste?

Philoctetes

I will be present.

Neoptolemus

What thy potent aid?

Philoctetes

These shafts of Hercules shall check their march;

No hostile pow'r thy country shall approach.

Neoptolemus

Wilt thou do this? Then come, embark with me,

And to the rocks of Lemnos bid farewell.

Hercules
HERCULES, PHILOCTETES, NEOPTOLEMUS,

Not yet, O son of Peas: to my words

First be attentive. Know thou hear'st the voice
1410

Of Hercules, thine eyes behold his form.

Leaving the heav'nly mansions for thy sake

I come, announcing the decrees of Jove,

And charge thee not to steer thy purposed course.

Do thou with fix'd attention mark my words.

My fortunes to thy memory I recal,

What dangers I subdued, what toils achieved,
1420

By virtue made immortal, as thine eyes

Behold. And know, thou too must suffer thus,

And by such toils a life of glory gain.

Go with this leader to the walls of Troy;

There first thy fell disease shall be relieved:

There 'midst the host of Greece in valour rank'd

The noblest of her heroes, with thy bow

Paris, the guilty cause of all these ills,

Thou shalt deprive of life, lay waste the state

Of Troy, and send triumphant to thy house,

To Eta, to thy father, the rich spoils,

Selected by the host, thy glorious prize.

But bear thou to my funeral pyre these spoils,

The trophies of my bow.---My mandates now,

Son of Achilles, I to thee address;

For without him thou hast not pow'r to waste

Philoctetes

The fields of Troy; nor he without thy arms;
1445

But, like two lions that together range,
1445

Guard each the other. I to Troy will send
1445

Sage Esculapius; he shall heal thy wound;
1445

For Ilium by my shafts again must fall.
1445

But 'midst the ravages of conquest spare,

With reverence spare things sacred to the gods:

This holy awe is pleasing to high Jove:

For piety with mortals doth not die;

Live they or die, that never perishes.

With joy once more beyond my hopes I hear

That voice, with joy that long lost form behold.

Thy mandates unreluctant I obey.

Neoptolemus

I too with reverence bow to thy commands.

Hercules

Delay not then: the favouring gales arise,

Inviting to a prosperous course your sails.

Philoctetes

Well, I now go; but first address this land.

Farewell thou mansion, guardian of my life!

Ye Nymphs, that o'er th' irriguous vales preside,

Farewell, and thou loud roar of dashing waves !
1455

Oft hath your foam within this cavern'd rock,

Driv'n by the stormy South, bedew'd my head.

And thou, Hermæan mountain, who my groans

Hast oft re-echoed in my storms of woe!

Now, O ye fountains, and ye dulcet streams,

I leave you, now I leave you: this my thoughts

Never presaged. Farewell, thou wave-wash'd shore

Of Lemnos; speed my course, and send me safe

Whither my glorious destiny now calls,
1465

The counsels of my friends, and that high pow'r

Whose sovereign will these great events ordain'd!

Chorus

Let us now go, together let us go,

And to the ocean-nymphs present our vows
1470

With guardian care to speed our wish'd return.

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-718-1 ὦ τὰ πάντ’ ἰδόντες … κύκλοι ¹ ἰδόντες ² ἀμφ’ ἐμοὶ ³

mvp-comment-718-2 κύκλοι ⁴

mvp-comment-718-3 Instead of saying,

ποίοις ὄμμασι βλέπων

( O. T. 1371 n.)

ξυνέσομαι τοῖσ’ Ἀτρέως παισίν

, he asks how his own eyes could endure to see it. These are the words of one who has brooded for years on every aspect of his own wrongs,—wrestling with misery in solitude. His own faculties are his comrades. Compare 1004

ὦ χεῖρες

: Tr. 1090 (Heracles in his agony),

ὦ νῶτα καὶ στέρν’, ὦ φίλοι βραχίονες

, |

ὑμεῖς ἐκεῖνοι δὴ καθέστατ’, κ.τ.λ.

mvp-comment-719-1 οὐ γάρ με τἄλγος ⁵

mvp-comment-720-1 οἷς γὰρ … κακούς ⁶ κακούς ⁷

mvp-comment-720-2 A decision between the conject. κακούς ⁸ κακά ⁹ κακούς ¹⁰ κακά ¹¹ κακούς ¹² τἄλλα ¹³ κακῶν ¹⁴ μήτηρ γένηται ¹⁵ μήτηρ γένηται ¹⁶ κακούς ¹⁷ κακά ¹⁸ τἄλλα ¹⁹

mvp-comment-721-1 καὶ σοῦ δ’ ²⁰

mvp-comment-721-2 θαυμάσας ἔχω ²¹

mvp-comment-721-3 τόδε ²²

mvp-comment-722-1 χρῆν ²³ μήτε … τε ²⁴

mvp-comment-722-2 καθύβρισαν ²⁵

mvp-comment-723-1 πατρὸς γέρας ²⁶

mvp-comment-723-2 [ οἳ τὸν ἄθλιον … ἔκριναν ²⁷

mvp-comment-724-1 ἀναγκάζεις ²⁸ εἶ ²⁹

mvp-comment-724-2 τόδε ³⁰

mvp-comment-725-1 ξυνώμοσας ³¹

mvp-comment-726-1 πέμψον ³²

mvp-comment-727-1 ἔα κακῶς ³³ ἀπόλλυσθαι ³⁴ κακῶς … κακούς ³⁵

mvp-comment-728-1 διπλῆν μὲν … διπλῆν δὲ ³⁶

mvp-comment-729-1 πιστεύσαντα ³⁷

mvp-comment-729-2 1377 The words τῷδε δυστήνῳ ποδί ³⁸

mvp-comment-730-1 μὲν οὖν ³⁹

mvp-comment-730-2 σε τήνδε τ’ ἔμπυον βάσιν ⁴⁰

mvp-comment-730-3 κἀποσώσοντας ⁴¹

mvp-comment-731-1 αἶνον αἰνέσας ⁴²

mvp-comment-732-1 ἃ … λῷσθ’ ὁρῶ τελούμενα ⁴³ τελούμενα ⁴⁴

mvp-comment-733-1 καὶ ταῦτα λέξας ⁴⁵ καταισχύνει ⁴⁶ ὠφελούμενος ⁴⁷ ὠφελούμενος ⁴⁸

mvp-comment-733-2 Of emendations, Heath's ὠφελουμένους ⁴⁹ θεούς ⁵⁰ ὠφελουμένων ⁵¹

mvp-comment-733-3 I am persuaded, then, that the fault in ὠφελούμενος ⁵² ὠφελῶν φίλους ⁵³

mvp-comment-734-1 λέγεις δ’ ⁵⁴

mvp-comment-734-2 ἐπ’ ἐμοὶ ⁵⁵ Ἀτρείδαις ⁵⁶ τάδε ⁵⁷ τόδε ⁵⁸

mvp-comment-735-1 σοί που ⁵⁹ που ⁶⁰

mvp-comment-736-1 πῶς ⁶¹ ὅς γε ⁶²

mvp-comment-737-1 ὦ τᾶν ⁶³

mvp-comment-737-2 θρασύνεσθαι κακοῖς ⁶⁴

mvp-comment-738-1 ὀλεῖς με ⁶⁵ σε ⁶⁶ γιγνώσκω ⁶⁷ τοῖσδε τοῖς λ. ⁶⁸

mvp-comment-739-1 οὔκουν ἔγωγε ⁶⁹

mvp-comment-740-1 ἐγὼ οὐκ ⁷⁰

mvp-comment-741-1 οὐδέποθ’, ἑκόντα γ’ ⁷¹ σώσους’ ⁷²

mvp-comment-741-2 ὥστε ⁷³

mvp-comment-741-3 ἰδεῖν ⁷⁴ ἑλεῖν ⁷⁵ μολεῖν ⁷⁶

mvp-comment-742-1 δρῷμεν ⁷⁷

mvp-comment-742-2 ἐν λόγοις ⁷⁸

mvp-comment-743-1 πείσειν δυνησόμεσθα ⁷⁹ πείσειν ⁸⁰ πεῖσαι ⁸¹ πείθειν ⁸²

mvp-comment-743-2 δυνησόμεσθα … λέγω ⁸³

mvp-comment-744-1 ὡς ⁸⁴

mvp-comment-744-2 ῥᾷστ’ ἐμοὶ μὲν ⁸⁵

mvp-comment-745-1 πάσχειν ⁸⁶ παθεῖν ⁸⁷

mvp-comment-745-2 δεῖ ⁸⁸

mvp-comment-746-1 ᾔνεσας ⁸⁹

mvp-comment-746-2 θιγών ⁹⁰

mvp-comment-746-3 πέμπειν ⁹¹ ἃ ⁹²

mvp-comment-747-1 βράδυνε ⁹³

mvp-comment-747-2 τεθρήνηται ⁹⁴

mvp-comment-747-3 γόοις ⁹⁵ λογοις ⁹⁶ τεθρύληται ⁹⁷

mvp-comment-748-1 εἰ δοκεῖ, στείχωμεν ⁹⁸ στείχωμεν ⁹⁹

mvp-comment-748-2 A reference to the critical note will show how unsatisfactory have been the attempts to alter the words, ὦ γενναῖον εἰρηκὼς ἔπος ¹⁰⁰ εἰ δοκεῖ ¹⁰¹

mvp-comment-748-3 But the real difficulty in Porson's view arises from a consideration of the whole context. The transition from iambic to trochaic metre marks, as usual, a stirring moment,—here, the moment of setting out for the ship. I<*> seems clear, then, that the words which first announce the departure should open the trochaics, rather than close the iambics. So in Eur. Phoen. 588 , after the iambic dialogue between Iocasta and Eteocles, the first trochaic verse spoken by the latter is the sign that his fatal resolve is taken,—

μῆτερ, οὐ λόγων ἔθ’ ἁγών κ.τ.λ.

Cp. also Soph. O. T. 1515 ff.

mvp-comment-749-1 ἀντέρειδε ¹⁰²

mvp-comment-750-1 τί γάρ, ἐὰν ¹⁰³

mvp-comment-750-2 ἐγὼ παρὼν ¹⁰⁴

mvp-comment-751-1 προσωφέλησιν ¹⁰⁵

mvp-comment-751-2 ἔρξεις ¹⁰⁶

mvp-comment-751-3 1407 After πελάζειν ¹⁰⁷ στεῖχε ¹⁰⁸

mvp-comment-751-4 προσκύσας χθόνα ¹⁰⁹

mvp-comment-752-1 μήπω γε ¹¹⁰

mvp-comment-753-1 φάσκειν δ’ ¹¹¹

mvp-comment-753-2 ἀκοῇ τε κλύειν ¹¹²

mvp-comment-754-1 τὴν σὴν … χάριν ¹¹³

mvp-comment-755-1 τὰ Διός τε φράσων ¹¹⁴

mvp-comment-755-2 ἣν στέλλει ¹¹⁵

mvp-comment-756-1 καὶ πρῶτα μέν ¹¹⁶ τὰς ἐμὰς λέξω τύχας ¹¹⁷

mvp-comment-757-1 ἀθάνατον ἀρετὴν ¹¹⁸ ὡς πάρεσθ’ ὁρᾶν ¹¹⁹

mvp-comment-757-2 (1) The use of

ἀρετή

as=‘reputation won by merit’ was familiar: e.g., Lycurgus In Leocr. § 49 (quoted by Cavallin)

τὰ γὰρ ἆθλα τοῦ πολέμου τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς ἀνδράσιν ἐστὶν ἐλευθερία καὶ ἀρετή

. By an easy transition, this idea of fame won by deeds passed into that of ‘distinction’: cp. Theog. 29

μηδ’ αἰσχροῖσιν ἐπ’ ἔργμασι μηδ’ ἀδίκοισιν

τιμὰς μηδ’ ἀρετὰς ἕλκεο μηδ’ ἄφενος

: ‘and do not, by shameful deeds or unjust, grasp at honours, or distinctions, or wealth’; where the

τιμαί

refer to office or rank, and the

ἀρεταί

, as the context shows, also denote pre-eminence recognised in some external form.

mvp-comment-757-3 (2) The force of the epithet should be observed. When Plato says,

ὑπὲρ ἀρετῆς ἀθανάτου...πάντες πάντα ποιοῦσιν

( Symp. 208 D), the

ἀθάνατος ἀρετή

is the reputation which survives on earth. But here

ἀθάνατος ἀρετή

is ‘the distinction of one who has been made immortal’: i.e., ‘deathless glory’ here means ‘glorious immortality.’ Thus the peculiar sense of

ἀρετήν

is helped by that sense which the context gives to

ἀθάνατον

mvp-comment-757-4 ἔσχον ¹²⁰

mvp-comment-757-5 ὡς πάρεσθ’ ὁρᾶν ¹²¹

mvp-comment-758-1 τοῦτ’ ¹²²

mvp-comment-758-2 ἐκ ¹²³

mvp-comment-758-3 εὐκλεᾶ θέσθαι ¹²⁴

mvp-comment-759-1 πρῶτον μ<*> … ἀρετῇ τε ¹²⁵ τε ¹²⁶

mvp-comment-759-2 ἐκκρ<*>εὶς ¹²⁷

mvp-comment-760-1 Ηάριν ¹²⁸

mvp-comment-760-2 αἴτιος κακῶν ¹²⁹

mvp-comment-761-1 σκῦλά τ’ ¹³⁰

mvp-comment-761-2 ἐκλαβὼν ¹³¹ ἐκβαλὼν ¹³²

mvp-comment-761-3 πέμψεις ¹³³ Ποίαντι ¹³⁴

mvp-comment-762-1 ἃ δ’ ἂν λάβῃς ¹³⁵

mvp-comment-762-2 After the relative clause,

ἃ δ’ ἂν λάβῃς

, we understand, not

ταῦτα

(in apposition with

μνημεῖα

), but a partitive gen.,

τούτων

. This construction is a simple and natural one. For the partitive gen. thus understood, cp. n. on 1161 f., and Xen. Cyr. 8. 1. 20 quoted there. The sentence could have no ambiguity for a Greek audience, familiar with the custom that, after a victory, a part of the spoil (usually a

δεκάτη

) should be dedicated to the gods. Cp. Her. 8. 121 (after the battle of Salamis)

διεδάσαντο τὴν ληίην καὶ τὰ ἀκροθίνια ἀπέπεμψαν ἐς Δελφούς

. Xen. Anab. 5. 3. 4

τὴν δεκάτην ἣν τῷ Ἀπόλλωνι ἐξεῖλον καὶ τῇ Ἐφεσίᾳ Ἀρτέμιδι διέλαβον οἱ στρατηγοί, τὸ μέρος ἕκαστος, φυλάττειν τοῖς θεοῖς

. As Cavallin remarks, the passage was rightly understood by the schol. on 1432,

ἐκ τῶν ἀριστείων κἀμὲ τίμησον

. For the simple gen., τοῦδε τοῦ στρατοῦ ¹³⁶ λάβῃς ¹³⁷

mvp-comment-763-1 καὶ σοὶ ταῦτ’ ¹³⁸ ἐγὼ δ’ ¹³⁹

mvp-comment-763-2 (1) ταῦτ’ ¹⁴⁰ καὶ σοὶ ¹⁴¹ ταῦτ’ ¹⁴² ταὔτ’ ¹⁴³ ταῦτ’ ¹⁴⁴

mvp-comment-763-3 (2) ταῦτ’ ¹⁴⁵ παρῄνεσα ¹⁴⁶ γὰρ ¹⁴⁷ καὶ σοὶ ¹⁴⁸ σοὶ δὲ ¹⁴⁹

mvp-comment-763-4 Heracles confirms what Odysseus had said (115). In glorifying Philoctetes, it was necessary to respect the legend which ascribed the capture of Troy to Neoptolemus (who was the hero of the

Ἰλίου πέρσις

, by Arctînus).

mvp-comment-763-5 For τὸ Τρ. πεδίον ¹⁵⁰

mvp-comment-764-1 συννόμω ¹⁵¹

mvp-comment-764-2 φυλάσσετον ¹⁵²

mvp-comment-765-1 Ἀσκληπιὸν ¹⁵³

mvp-comment-765-2 Tradition placed Sophocles in a near relation to the cult of Asclepius. The poet is said to have been invested with the ‘priesthood’ (

ἱερωσύνη

, Vit. Soph. § 6) of the hero Alcon, a healing-god akin to Asclepius; indeed, the name

Ἄλκ‐ων

is cognate, if

Ἀσκληπιός

Ἀλεξ‐ήπιος

, by metathesis of

σκ

: cp. Preller I. 423 n. 2. A paean to Asclepius by Sophocles was extant in antiquity (Lucian Enc. Dem. 27 etc.), and legend declared that the god had visited the poet's hearth ( Plut. Num. 4 § 6).

mvp-comment-766-1 τὸ δεύτερον ¹⁵⁴ αὐτὴν ¹⁵⁵ Ἴλιον ¹⁵⁶

mvp-comment-767-1 ἐννοεῖθ’ ¹⁵⁷ ἐννοεῖσθ’ ¹⁵⁸

mvp-comment-767-2 εὐσεβεῖν ¹⁵⁹

mvp-comment-768-1 ὡς τἄλλα πάντα ¹⁶⁰ ὡς ¹⁶¹ δεύτερ’ ἡγεῖται ¹⁶² γάρ ¹⁶³

mvp-comment-768-2 In v. 1443 the old emendation οὐ ¹⁶⁴ ἡ ¹⁶⁵ ἡ γὰρ εὐσέβεια συνθνῄσκει βροτοῖς ¹⁶⁶ οὐ γὰρ ηὑσέβεια συνθνῄσκει βροτοῖς ¹⁶⁷

mvp-comment-768-3 A further objection to the MS. reading arises from the sense given to συνθνῄσκει ¹⁶⁸

mvp-comment-768-4 Two objections have been made to the emendation οὐ ¹⁶⁹ ἡ ¹⁷⁰ τἄλλα πάντα ¹⁷¹ οὐ … συνθνῄσκει ¹⁷² οὐκ ἀπόλλυται ¹⁷³

mvp-comment-768-5 Dindorf rejects all three verses (1442— 1444). But the conclusion, at v. 1441, would then be too abrupt. Schneidewin formerly spared v. 1442, rejecting only the two next vv. He supposed ( a) that Ζεύς ¹⁷⁴ πατήρ ¹⁷⁵

mvp-comment-769-1 ποθεινὸν ἐμοὶ ¹⁷⁶

mvp-comment-769-2 πέμψας ¹⁷⁷

mvp-comment-769-3 χρόνιος ¹⁷⁸

mvp-comment-770-1 γνώμην ταύτῃ τίθεμαι ¹⁷⁹ γνώμην ταύτην ¹⁸⁰

mvp-comment-770-2 The chief reason for preferring γνώμην ταύτῃ ¹⁸¹ γνώμῃ ταύτῃ τίθεμαι ¹⁸²

mvp-comment-771-1 μέλλετε πράσσειν ¹⁸³

mvp-comment-771-2 καιρὸς καὶ πλοῦς ¹⁸⁴ ὅδ’ ¹⁸⁵ κατὰ πρύμναν ¹⁸⁶

mvp-comment-771-3 The place of γὰρ ¹⁸⁷ γὰρ ¹⁸⁸ ὅδ’ ¹⁸⁹

mvp-comment-771-4 1452 The preceding anapaests 1445 ff.) indicated that the moment of departure was at hand; and now, as στείχων ¹⁹⁰

mvp-comment-771-5 καλέσω ¹⁹¹

mvp-comment-772-1 χαῖῤ, ὦ μέλαθρον ¹⁹²

mvp-comment-772-2 ξύμφρουρον ¹⁹³

mvp-comment-773-1 Νύμφαι τ’ ¹⁹⁴

mvp-comment-774-1 ἄρσην ¹⁹⁵

mvp-comment-774-2 The MS. προβλής ¹⁹⁶ θ’ ¹⁹⁷ κτύπος ¹⁹⁸ προβολῆς ¹⁹⁹ προβλής θ’ ²⁰⁰ θ’ ²⁰¹ πόντου ²⁰² προβλής ²⁰³ κτύπος ²⁰⁴ προβολῆς ²⁰⁵

mvp-comment-775-1 οὗ ²⁰⁶

mvp-comment-775-2 πολλάκι ²⁰⁷

mvp-comment-775-3 ἐνδόμυχον ²⁰⁸

mvp-comment-775-4 πληγαῖσι ²⁰⁹

mvp-comment-775-5 1459 This Ἑρμαῖον ὄρος ²¹⁰

mvp-comment-775-6 The only rival claim is that of Mount Skopia, near Cape Murzephlo (the N.W. promontory), which has greatly the advantage of Plaka in height. But two points are in favour of Plaka. (1) It was a fitting place for the beacon; for it is in a direct line between Ida and Athos; it is the nearest point to the Troad; and it runs out far into the sea. (2) The cave of Philoctetes commanded a view of the volcano Mosychlus (v. 800), and his cries were re-echoed from Mount Hermaeum. The two hills were therefore at no very great distance from each other. But there is no reason to suppose that a volcano ever existed near Cape Murzephlo, while there is some ground for thinking that one may have existed on the eastern coast (cp. Appendix on v. 800). See Tozer, Islands of the Aegean, pp. 273 f. (1890).

mvp-comment-775-7 Hermaeum occurs elsewhere also as the ancient name of a promontory,— e.g., in Sardinia (=C. Marrargiu, on the W. coast), and on the European shore of the Bosporus (=Rumili Hissar).

mvp-comment-775-8 The MSS. give the accent Ἕρμαιον ²¹¹ Ἑρμαῖον ²¹²

mvp-comment-776-1 ἀντίτυπον ²¹³ χειμαζομένῳ ²¹⁴

mvp-comment-777-1 Λύκιόν τε ποτόν ²¹⁵ Λύκιον ²¹⁶ γλύκιον ²¹⁷

mvp-comment-777-2 Traces of Apollo

Λύκιος

in Lemnos are not surprising. From early times he had been worshipped under that title, not only in the valley of the Xanthus, but also in the Troad (cp. Il. 4. 101 , with Leaf's note). A gloss in Hesychius (s.v.

Λυκαῖον

) points to a cognate worship of Apollo in the neighbouring islet of Chrysè.

Λύκιος

and

Λύκειος

may both alike be referred to

λυκ

, as designating the god of light. In actual Greek usage, while

Λύκειος

was usually connected with the idea of

λυκοκτόνος

( O. T. 203 n.),

Λύκιος

was chiefly associated with Lycia. But, instead of the title

Λύκιος

being derived thence, it is more likely that the country of the people once called Tremǐlae took its name from the cult of the

Λύκιος

. (Cp. Preller, I. 202.)

mvp-comment-777-3 It has been objected to the mention of

κρῆναι

that at v. 717 Ph. was described as having only

στατὸν ὕδωρ

: but that was merely the conjecture of the Chorus. Cp. 21

ποτὸν κρηναῖον

mvp-comment-778-1 λείπομεν ὑμᾶς, λείπομεν ἤδη ²¹⁸ ἤδη ²¹⁹ οὐ δὴ ²²⁰ λείπομεν ²²¹

mvp-comment-778-2 ἐπιβάντες ²²²

mvp-comment-779-1 καί μ’ εὐπλοίᾳ πέμψον ²²³

mvp-comment-779-2 ἀμέμπτως ²²⁴

mvp-comment-780-1 ἔνθ’ ²²⁵

mvp-comment-780-2 Μοῖρα ²²⁶

mvp-comment-780-3 φίλων ²²⁷ πανδαμάτωρ δαίμων ²²⁸

mvp-comment-781-1 Νύμφαις ἁλίαισιν ἐπευξάμενοι ²²⁹

mvp-comment-782-1 νόστου ²³⁰

mvp-comment-782-2 σωτῆρας ²³¹

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

1353. mvp-comment-893-1 τῷ προσήγορος] 'Who is there that will speak to me?' The predication is continued from the previous sentence. προσήγορος is elsewhere construed with the genitive. But for the dative, see E. on L. § 13. p. 19, b.

1354-1355. mvp-comment-894-1 'O eyes that have seen all that has been done concerning me!' It is doubted whether κύκλοι means, (1) 'Eyes,' or (2) 'The orbs of day and night,' or (3) 'The heavenly bodies.' Philoctetes more than once appeals to the powers of Nature. Cp. supr. 986-8. But such an invocation would be too hyperbolical here. The case is different in O. T. 1425-8, O. C. 1654, 5. On the other hand, it is characteristic of this lonely man that he has an exaggerated consciousness of what immediately belongs to him. Cp. supr. 291, 533 8,757-9, 786, 795,807, 1004, 1085, 1130-9, 1187, 1348, infr. 1377. Hence, instead of saying, 'How shall I bear to look upon the sons of Atreus?' ( cp. O. T. 1371 foll.), he cries out, 'O eyes! how will you endure that I should be with them?' It is also said that ἀμφ᾿ ἐμοῦ requires the article. But this phrase has been attracted into construction with the nearer word, i. e. τὰ πάντα ἰδόντες ἀμφ᾿ ἐμοῦ = ἰδόντες ἀμφ᾿ ἐμοῦ πάντα τὰ ἀμφ' ἐμοῦ (γεγενημένα). For the genitive, cp. supr. 554.

1355. mvp-comment-895-1 ἐξανασχήσεσθε] The compound with ἐξ- marks that endurance will here reach its furthest point. τοῖσιν.. παισίν] For this apposition of a clause to a demonstrative pronoun, see Essay on L. § 33. p. 57, d.

1357. mvp-comment-896-1 πῶς] Sc. ἐξανασχήσεσθε ἐμὲ ξυνόντα.

1358. mvp-comment-897-1 οὐ γάρ] Sc. τοσοῦτον.

1360. mvp-comment-898-1 οἷς .. κακά] 'For men's thoughts, when they have once brought forth an evil progeny, rear nothing but mischief afterwards.' γνώμη, 'Thought,' or 'Mind,' is imagined as the mother of results for which man is responsible. The mind that has once had bad children will go on, and will bring up an evil brood. The figure is lost if κακούς (Dobree) is read for κακά. For παιδεύει, cp. Fr. 443, λευκὸν αὐτὴν ὧδ ἐπαίδευσεν γάλα: Plat. Theaet. p. 150 E, τὰ ὑπ᾿ ἐμοῦ μαιευθέντα κακῶς τρέφοντες ἀπώλεσαν, ψευδῆ καὶ εἴδωλα περὶ πλείονος ποιησάμενοι τοῦ ἀληθοῦς.

1362. mvp-comment-899-1 καὶ σοῦ δ᾽ ἔγωγε.. τόδε] 'Ay, and for my part I wonder too at thee for this.' θαυμάζω often expresses gentle expostulation.

1364. mvp-comment-900-1 οἵ * γε] The antecedent (of ἐν Τροίᾳ) is to be supplied from εἰς Τροίαν, Essay on L. § 39. p. 72.

1365-1367. mvp-comment-901-1 οἱ . . ἔκριναν] It must be admitted that this allusion to what Philoctetes could not know is unlike Sophocles. For, although some things that are necessary to the action may be here and there assumed without explicit statement, this observation cannot apply to such a striking fact as the repulse of Ajax, which is moreover irrelevant to the action. And, as Nauck observes, Philoctetes could not thus ignore the claim of Neoptolemus to have his father's arms. The clause was therefore rightly condemned by Brunck. But the interpolation is probably an ancient one, as is shown by the construction of ὅπλων, which is a 'genitive of respect.' Cp. Aj. 839 foll.

1366. mvp-comment-902-1 τάδε] Sc. ξυμμαχήσοντα ἰέναι.

1367. mvp-comment-903-1 ἃ μοι ξυνώμοσας] The antecedent to ἃ is accusative in opposition to the clause, πέμψον πρὸς οἴκους. Hence the apparent ellipse of ποιεῖν.

1368. mvp-comment-904-1 ἐν Σκύρῳ μένων] Cp. supr. 459, 60.

1369. mvp-comment-905-1 κακῶς.. κακούς] For this common idiom, cp. especially O. T. 261, Trach. 613. The line, which has no caesura, is perhaps intentionally harsh.

1370. mvp-comment-906-1 διπλῆν] Both Philoctetes and his father would be doubly grateful to Neoptolemus, (a) for the return to Trachis, (b) for the desertion of the Atreidae, as an act of vengeance. (But the repetition of διπλῆν may be simply emphatic. See Essay on L. § 44. p. 83. )

1374. mvp-comment-907-1 πιστεύσαντα is (1) 'Believing.' (2) 'Obeying.' 'Believing the gods (who speak through Helenus) and yielding to my words."

1375. mvp-comment-908-1 ἀνδρὸς τοῦδε = ἐμοῦ. φίλου is strongly emphatic, as appears from its position in the line.

1377. mvp-comment-909-1 τῷδε.. ποδί] The dative of accompanying circumstance, nearly = σύν. ‘Do you mean that I, thus afflicted, am to go to Troy, to Agamemnon?'

1380. mvp-comment-910-1 δεινόν] Cp. supr. 1225. αἶνον is here correlative to αἰνέσας, “Having recommended,' and is therefore rather 'counsel' than simply 'speech'. Or, possibly, the exactness of meaning is sacrificed to the repetition of the same sound. Cp. Aj. 467, συμπεσών μόνος μόνοις.

1381. mvp-comment-911-1 * λῷσθ'] The correction of Dindorf here (see v. rr.) is right and necessary. κάλ' is a manifest MS. conjecture, based on imperfect knowledge. See L. and S. s. v. καλός, λῷστα is supplementary predicate with τελούμενα, and λῷστα τελούμενα = λῷστα ἐσόμενα εἰ τελοῖτο.

1384. mvp-comment-912-1 In speaking of the taking of Troy as an advantage gained, Neoptolemus appears to Philoctetes to take part with the Atreidae, whose glory he accounted loss. Cp. Aj. 469, 70, ἀλλ' ὧδέ γ' ᾿Ατρείδας ἂν εὐφράναιμί που. | οὐκ ἔστι ταῦτα. The expression is slightly varied. 'Do you mean advantage to the Atreidae, or do you say this with reference to me?'

1385. mvp-comment-913-1 φίλος γ' ὤν] For the nominative, see Essay on L. § 15. p. 21; i. e. σοί που φίλος γ᾽ ὤν, φίλον σοι ἔχω καὶ τὸν λόγον.

1386. mvp-comment-914-1 The change from ἐχθροίσιν to ἐχθροῖσί μ', which Dindorf adopts from Brunck, is certainly a very slight one, but the text is sufficiently clear as it stands. Cp. O. T. 461, κἂν λάβῃς ἐψευσμένον, and note, supr. 769.

1387. mvp-comment-915-1 ὦ τάν] Ср. O. T. 1145, and note. Neoptolemus has earned the right to address Philoctetes with familiar confidence. θρασύνεσθαι κακοῖς] 'To be hardened by misfortune,' so as to be unreasonably obdurate in resentment.

1388. mvp-comment-916-1 γιγνώσκω σε] Sc. ὅτι ὀλεῖς με.

1389. mvp-comment-917-1 οὔκουν] 'Not I, assure thee!' For οὖν, in giving assurance, cp. Ant. 741, σοῦ γὰρ οὖν προκήδομαι : O.T. 565, οὔκουν ἐμοῦ γ᾽ ἑστῶτος οὐδαμοῦ πέλας : O. C. 651, οὔκουν πέρα γ᾽ ἂν οὐδὲν ἢ λόγῳ φέροις. φημὶ δ᾽ οὔ σε μανθάνειν] 'But I declare that you do not understand the case:'-the fact, namely, that the voyage to Troy will be for the advantage and renown of Philoctetes himself, and that the generals now mean well to him.

1390. mvp-comment-918-1 ἐγὼ οὐκ ᾿Ατρείδας] This (see v. rr.) is Dindorf's very probable correction. The reading of L has arisen, as he observes, from the confusion of ἐγὼ οὐκ and ἐγ᾽ οὐκ, two ways of writing the same thing. Cp. O. T. 1002, and v. rr.

1391. mvp-comment-919-1 Ср. O. C. 394, νῦν γὰρ θεοί σ᾽ ὀρθοῦσι, πρόσθε δ᾽ ὤλλυσαν.

1392. mvp-comment-920-1 The reading Τροίαν γ' deserves some consideration, notwithstanding the repetition of γε. Cp. O. C. 977, and v. rr.

1394. mvp-comment-921-1 πείσειν] For the assimilation of the tense of the infinitive to that of the principal verb, cp. 1242. But qy. πεῖσαι? μηδὲν ὧν λέγω] 'In nothing of what I say.' For this accusative, cp. O. C. 797, ἀλλ᾽ οἶδα γάρ σε ταῦτα μὴ πείθων, ἴθι.

1395-1396. mvp-comment-922-1 'Since the easiest course for me were that I should cease from speech, and that you should live on as you now live and get no relief.' The antithesis becomes clearer as the sentence proceeds. The full expression would be, ὡς ἔμοι μὲν ῥᾷστόν ἐστιν, ἐμὲ μέν, κ.τ.λ. See Essay on L. § 41. p. 78. In this speech Neoptolemus casts 'one last lingering look' at the cherished object of his ambition. But before Philoctetes has again ceased speaking, his resignation is complete.

1397. mvp-comment-923-1 Ср. O. C. 1432 foll., Πολυνείκης. καὶ μὴ μ' ἐπίσχῃς γ'. ἀλλ᾿ ἐμοὶ μὲν ἤδ᾽ ὁδός, κ.τ.λ.

1398-1399. mvp-comment-924-1 ἃ.. πέμπειν] For this apposition or epexegesis, cp. supr. 1355, 6. δεξιᾶς.. θιγών] This was Philoctetes' understanding of supr. 813; cp. 941, 2.

1400. mvp-comment-925-1 βράδυνε] Sc. τὸ πρᾶγμα.

1401. mvp-comment-926-1 ἅλις .. γόοις] 'That name has been enough sounded in my complaints and cries.' The other reading, which is to be gathered from L and A (see v. rr.) τεθρύλληται λόγοις, although somewhat more prosaic, is not impossible.

1402. mvp-comment-927-1 At this point, before the commencement of the trochaic movement, which indicates departure ( cp. O. T. 1515 foll.), there must have been some by-play, signifying the act of renunciation on the part of Neoptolemus. Porson thought this verse defective in rhythm. But it has not been improved by conjectural alteration. Cp. supr. 526, 645.

1403. mvp-comment-928-1 ἀντέρειδε.. σήν] (1) 'Lean now thy steps on mine.' Sc. τῇ ἐμῇ βάσει. Neoptolemus gives his arm to the lame man. Cp. supr. 893, καὐτὸς ἀντέχου, and note. Others (2) explain ἀντέρειδε, sc. πρὸς τὸ οὖδας, ‘Press thy foot against the ground,' i.e. 'Step firmly.' But although this accords more exactly with the response of Philoctetes, εἰς ὅσον γ᾽ ἐγὼ σθένω, the expression itself in this sense is hardly natural here, and the interpretation given above agrees better with the situation. The idiomatic uses of ἐρείδω, however, are such as to leave it doubtful whether Neoptolemus bids Philoctetes lean upon him, or simply encourages him to move. εἰς ὅσον .. σθένω] If the former interpretation of the first part of the line (1) is right, Philoctetes takes only the general sense, as if it were βάδιζε ἀντερειδόμενος (ἐμοί).

1407. mvp-comment-929-1 The superfluous words in the MSS. (see v. rr.) are probably the remains of an early interpolation, viz. [ σῆς πάτρας *πορθήτορας. ΝΕ. εἰ δὲ δρᾷς ταῦθ᾽, ὥσπερ αὐδᾷς,].

1409. mvp-comment-930-1 Heracles now appears on the θεολογεῖον. His approach (on the μηχανή) is marked by the anapaestic movement, ll. 1409-1417, at the end of which he is seen in full view.

1413. mvp-comment-931-1 ἀκοῇ τε] For the position of Te, see Essay on L. § 36. p. 65.

1414. mvp-comment-932-1 οὐρανίας ἕδρας] ‘My abode in heaven.' Cp. Aj. 460, ναυλόχους λιπὼν ἕδρας.

1418. mvp-comment-933-1 λέξω] Dindorf says that λέγω would be preferable, presumably because the recital which the future tense seems to promise is not given. But the whole of this speech has the appearance of a hasty sketch. The real knot of the drama has been solved, and the action hastens to a close.

1419-1420. mvp-comment-934-1 Philoctetes knew the labours of Heracles, but not the glory which is now revealed to him. The emphasis conveyed by ὅσους therefore belongs rather to the main predication than to the relative clause: 'How, after all that course of labour, I attained immortal renown.' ἀρετή is 'Glory of virtue,' as δυσσέβεια, in Ant. 924, is 'Meed of impiety.' For ἔσχον = κάτέσχον, ‘I won,' see Essay on L. § 55. p. 101, and § 32. p. 55 , and cp. Aj. 465, ὧν αὐτὸς ἔσχε στέφανον εὐκλείας μέγαν. The aor. ἔσχον = 'I came to have,' as ἐβασίλευσε = 'He came to reign.' See many instances of this use in Ast's Lexicon Platonicum, s. v. ἔχειν.

1420. mvp-comment-935-1 ὡς πάρεσθ' ὁρᾶν] This implies some more elaborate stage effect than is commonly supposed to have belonged to the Greek theatre.

1421. mvp-comment-936-1 τοῦτ᾽ ὀφείλεται παθεῖν] 'This fate is destined.' Cp. El. 1173, πᾶσιν γὰρ ἡμῖν τοῦτ᾽ ὀφείλεται παθεῖν.

1422. mvp-comment-937-1 ἐκ.. βίον] In apposition with τοῦτο. For this epexegesis, cp. supr. 1355,6.

1423. mvp-comment-938-1 τῷδ᾽ ἀνδρί] τῷ Νεοπτολέμῳ.

1425. mvp-comment-939-1 For μέν followed by τε, see Essay on L. § 36. p. 65. And, for ἀρετῇ, κ.τ.λ., supr. 997, 1062, 1344, 5.

1428-1430. mvp-comment-940-1 σκύλα] The spoils which Philoctetes is to send home are those which he receives as the prize of valour; those which he is to carry to the place of Heracles' pyre are the trophies taken by him in battle with the bow. (Unless we are to suppose an annual procession to Mount Oeta with the σκύλα Τρωϊκά.)

1429. mvp-comment-941-1 ἐκλαβών] Cp. Hdt. 8. 11, καὶ τὸ ἀριστήϊον ἔλαβε οὗτος: ib. 123.

1430. mvp-comment-942-1 Οἴτης] For Oeta, as a name for the country of Trachis, cp. supr. 453, ὦ γένεθλον Οἰταίου πατρός. This word in the mouth of Heracles appeals more than all else to the heart of Philoctetes.

1431. mvp-comment-943-1 τοῦδε τοῦ στρατοῦ] Sc. τοῦ Τρωϊκοῦ. For this vague use of the pronoun ὅδε, see Essay on L. § 22. p. 34 , and cp. supr. 1426, ὃς τῶνδ᾽ αἴτιος κακῶν ἔφυ, τοῦδε τοῦ πόνου. Schndw. conj. τοῦ δῄου στρατοῦ.

1432. mvp-comment-944-1 μνημεῖα] Accusative in apposition to κόμιζε: “An act commemorative of my bow.' πυρὰν ἐμήν] It is evident that the high-place on Mount Oeta, where Heracles was supposed to have been glorified, after having been laid upon the pyre, was kept sacred in the time of Sophocles; and, like the place of Oedipus' disappearance, it is imagined to have been a place of worship in heroic times. Hyllus had often stood there sacrificing, Trach. 1192. Perhaps some well-known image of the hero there, with a brazen shield, may have occasioned the expression in supr. 727.

1433-1437. mvp-comment-945-1 καὶ σοὶ τόνδ'] These words are διὰ μέσου. Heracles turns for a moment to Neoptolemus, and then resumes his address to Philoctetes. ταῦτα refers generally to all that precedes. Neoptolemus must aid Philoctetes and not forget his obligation to the bow of Heracles.

1434-1435. mvp-comment-946-1 Cp. supr. 112-115.

1435. mvp-comment-947-1 τὸ Τροίας πεδίον] Supr. 69.

1436. mvp-comment-948-1 λέοντε συννόμω] 'Two lions, who share one hunting-ground.'

1437. mvp-comment-949-1 ἐγὼ δ' ᾿Ασκληπιόν] Having so far broken ground with the supernatural, the poet carries the celestial machinery one step further. Machaon was the healer of Philoctetes, according to the common story which is followed supr. 1333. in the anticipation of Neoptolemus. Here it is Asclepius himself.

1439. mvp-comment-950-1 τὸ δεύτερον] For the taking of Troy by Heracles in the former time, cp. II. 5.638-642: Pindar, Nem. 4.25: Aj. 1300 foll.

1440. mvp-comment-951-1 ἐννοεῖσθ᾽] 'Keep this in your thoughts.' For ἐννοεῖν, of an intention or design, cp. O. T. 330, ἀλλ' ἐννοεῖς ἡμᾶς προδοῦναι, κ.τ.λ. The force of the middle voice is, 'Be careful to bear in mind.' Cp. supr. 375. 'His non paruit Neoptolemus.' Lambinus.

1441. mvp-comment-952-1 τὰ πρός] 'As towards.' Cp. O. C. 617, καὶ ταῖσι Θήβαις εἰ τανῦν εὐημερεῖ | καλῶς *τὸ πρὸς σέ.

1442. mvp-comment-953-1 δεύτερ᾽ ἡγεῖται] O. C. 351.

1443. mvp-comment-954-1 συνθνήσκει βροτοῖς] ‘Follows men in death.' Of the pious only can it be said that their works do follow them. A confused expression, arising from haste or inadvertence like many that might be quoted from Shakspeare. The whole of this speech of Heracles, as compared with the rest of Sophocles, is a careless piece of work. Did the poet leave the ῥῆσις ἀπὸ μηχανῆς to Iophon or to some pupil, being unheedful of the celestial machinery, like Shakspeare in Cymbeline? Or is this a case, like that of Iphigeneia in Aulide, where a later interpolation has taken the place of the original text? Nothing is to be gained here by conjectural emendation (see for example that of Hermann suggested by Ellendt, ἡ γὰρ εὐσέβεια συνθνήσκειν βρότοις, | κἂν ζῶσι, κἂν θάνωσιν, οὐκ ἐπίσταται: or that of Cavallin, ἡ γ. εὐσ. συμφέρει βροτοῖς, | καὶ ζῶσι καὶ θανοῦσιν, οὐδ᾽ ἀπόλλυται), nor by obelizing particular lines. In ll. 1452-1471, the master's hand is again apparent. For the sentiment, cp. Pind. Isthm. 4. 41, καὶ πάγ καρπον ἐπὶ χθόνα καὶ διὰ πόντου βέβακεν | ἐργμάτων ἀκτὶς καλῶν, ἄσβεστος αἰεί : Thuc. 2. 43.

1445. mvp-comment-955-1 πέμψας] Cp. supr. 846, and for φθέγμα, of a Divine utterance, Aj. 14: Aristoph. Nub. 320, 364, ὦ γῆ τοῦ φθέγματος, ὡς ἱερὸν καὶ σεμνὸν καὶ τερατώδες.

1446. mvp-comment-956-1 χρόνιος] 'At last, after so long' (adjective). Cp. O. C. 441, ἤλαυνέ μ᾽ ἐκ γῆς χρόνιον. See Essay on L. § 23, €. p. 39.

1448. mvp-comment-957-1 γνώμῃ ταύτῃ τίθεμαι] ‘Determine likewise in my thought.' Various changes have been needlessly proposed, of which the most plausible is γνώμην ταὐτῇ τίθεμαι, 'Give my vote the selfsame way,' quoted by Lamb. as a v. r.

1449. mvp-comment-958-1 For χρόνιοι with χρόνιος preceding in a different sense, see Essay on L. § 44. pp. 83, 84.

1450. mvp-comment-959-1 καιρός] 'The right moment.' Cp. supr. 466, καιρὸς γὰρ καλεῖ. πλοῦς] Here nearly = οὗρος. Cp. supr. 464, 5, ὁπηνίκ᾽ ἂν θεὸς | πλοῦν ἡμὶν εἴκῃ.

1451. mvp-comment-960-1 ἐπείγει] 'Counsels you to haste.' Cp. καλεῖ, supr. 466: O. C. 1540, ἐπείγει γάρ με τοὐκ θεοῦ παρόν. For the position of γάρ, see Essay on L. § 26. p. 44. κατὰ πρύμναν] Cp. Thuc. 2. 97, ἦν ἀεὶ κατὰ πρύμναν ἱστῆται τὸ πνεῦμα. Heracles is now withdrawn.

1452. mvp-comment-961-1 στείχων] In departing.' Cp. supr. 1408: O. T. 1521, στεῖχέ νυν, τέκνων δ᾽ ἀφοῦ. καλέσω] · Let me address.' The word is used with some association from the frequent use of 'addressing a deity,' as in O. C. 1389 foll. Another somewhat singular use of καλεῖν occurs in O. T. 780, καλεῖ.. πλαστὸς ὡς εἴην, κ.τ.λ.

1453. mvp-comment-962-1 ξύμφρουρον ἐμοί] 'Sole comrade of my watch.' In the absence of companionship, the homeless cave was more than a dwelling-place to Philoctetes, supr. 298, 9, 533, 952, 1081 foll. The low roof of rock (his μέλαθρον) reflecting the feeble light of his fire, was all the society that cheered him through the watches of the night.

1454. mvp-comment-963-1 'And water-nymphs of the green meadow.' The bit of moist ground about his spring ( supr. 21), or the standing-pool ( supr. 716, 7), was peculiarly sacred to Philoctetes.

1455. mvp-comment-964-1 ἄρσην] ‘Bass.' Cp. the use of ἀνδρεῖος and γυναικεῖος for bass and treble in Hdt. 1.17,-and Shak. Tempest, 3. 3, 'Methought the billows spoke, and told me of it; | The winds did sing it to me; and the thunder, | That deep and dreadful organ-pipe, pronounced | The name of Prosper: it did bass my trespass.' πόντου *προβολῆς] ‘Of the bluff that juts into the deep.' This conjectural emendation of Hermann is more probable than πόντου προβλής θ'. For, though the latter involves a slighter change, it leaves κτύπος ἄρσην too indistinct. πόντου is objective genitive: sc. εἰς τὸν πόντον προβεβλημένου.

1456. mvp-comment-965-1 οὗ refers either generally to the whole region described in the preceding lines, or to the last word only, the 'jutting foreland' being no other than the ἀκτή of l. 1, in which the cave was situated.

1456-1457. mvp-comment-966-1 'My head withdrawn into the deepest nook was (notwithstanding) wetted by the lashing wind.' νότος is here the south-east. See Introduction.

1458. mvp-comment-967-1 φωνῆς .. ἡμετέρας] The genitive follows ἀντίτυπον, for which word, cp. supr. 693.

1459. mvp-comment-968-1 Ἑρμαῖον] Cp. Aesch. Ag. 283, Ἑρμαῖον λέπας | Λήμνου.

1460. mvp-comment-969-1 χειμαζομένῳ] 'In tempest of my woe.' If there were storms without, so too was there a storm within. For a metaphorical use of χειμάζεσθαι, cp. esp. Aesch. Prom. 562, τόνδε χαλινοῖς ἐν πετρίνοισιν | χειμαζόμενον. Cp. also Shak. Lear, 3. 4, 'Thou think'st it much that this contentious storm | Invades us to the skin: so 'tis to thee; But where the greater malady is fixed, The lesser is scarce felt... When the mind's free, The body 's delicate: the tempest in my mind | Doth from my senses take all feeling else Save what beats there.'

1461. mvp-comment-970-1 Λύκιον] This, like ' Ἑρμαῖον supr., is probably a name actually associated with Lemnos, though we cannot pretend to know more than the Scholiast respecting its origin: ἢ οὕτω καλουμένη κρήνη ἐν Λήμνῳ Λυκίου ᾿Απόλλωνος, ἢ οἷον ἐν ἐρημίᾳ ὑπὸ λύκων πινόμενον. Possibly Sophocles himself could not have determined this.

1463. mvp-comment-971-1 δόξης. ἐπιβάντες] 'Though we never embarked upon this thought,' i. e. 'never entertained it, never thought of doing so.' He refers partly to his steady refusal to go to Troy, and partly to his abnegation of all hope. For the expression, cp. O. C. 189, and note: Hdt. 3. 67, ἐπιβατεύων τοῦ ὁμωνύμου Σμέρδιος τοῦ Κύρου: Plat. Legg. 3.699 B. ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς ἐλπίδος ὀχούμενοι ταύτης εὕρισκον καταφυγὴν αὑτοῖς εἰς αὐτοὺς μόνους εἶναι καὶ τοὺς θεούς.

1464. mvp-comment-972-1 ὦ.. ἀμφίαλον] He sums up the preceding invocations in one expression.

1465. mvp-comment-973-1 καὶ.. ἀμέμπτως] ‘And speed me with good voyage to heart's content.' The fair wind, blowing off-shore, is regarded as the breath of the land. Seyffert takes ἀμέμπτως to mean, 'Without grudging,' as if Philoctetes apprehended that the isle might resent his leaving it. But this fancy is too finely spun.

1466. mvp-comment-974-1 ἡ μεγάλη Μοίρα] Referring to supr. 1337-47.

1467. mvp-comment-975-1 γνώμη τε φίλων] Supr. 1374, 1381, 1389. χώ πανδαμάτωρ | δαίμων] This refers to the intervention of Heracles, to whom the epithet πανδαμάτωρ is, in the mouth of Philoctetes at least, sufficiently appropriate. Cp. Trach. 1102, κοὐδεὶς τροπαῖ᾽ ἔστησε τῶν ἐμῶν χερῶν.

1468. mvp-comment-976-1 The compound ἐπέκρανεν, ‘Consummated,' exactly describes the action of Heracles here. Others understand the words of Zeus. But it is very unlikely both that Zeus should be alluded to in Sophocles and not named, and that the word δαίμων should be applied to Zeus in Attic Greek of this period.

1469. mvp-comment-977-1 πάντες ἀολλεῖς] ‘All, viz. Neoptolemus, Philoctetes, Odysseus, and mariners.' The language implies that the peace has been made.

1470. mvp-comment-978-1 Philoctetes had invoked the 'Genius of the shore.' The mariners now invoke the nymphs of the sea.

1471. mvp-comment-979-1 σωτήρας] (1) 'To come and aid us in our return.' There is no reason why this word should not be feminine. Cp. O. T. 80, 81, τύχῃ.. σωτῆρι, and see Essay on L. § 20. p. 30. But possibly (2) σωτῆρες should be read, 'That we may arrive and make safe our return;' cp. Trach. 85, κείνου βίον σώσαντος : Od. 23. 68, ὤλεσε τηλοῦ νόστον.

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1351–1471

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ὦ δεινὸν αἶνον αἰνέσας, τί φής ποτε;

ΝΕ. ἃ σοί τε κἀμοὶ λῷσθ᾽ καλῶς κάλ' ὁρῶ τελούμενα.

ΦΙΛΟΚΤΗΤΗΣ.

ΦΙ. καὶ ταῦτα λέξας οὐ καταισχύνει κατ᾿ αἰσχύνηι καταισχύνη θεούς;

ΝΕ. πῶς γάρ τις αἰσχύνοιτ᾽ οι from ει αἰσχύνοιτ' ἂν ὠφελούμενος;

ΦΙ. λέγεις δ᾽ ᾿Ατρείδαις ὄφελος, ἢ 'π᾿ ἐμοὶ τόδε τάδε ; 1385

ΝΕ. σοί που φίλος γ᾽ ὤν, χώ λόγος τοιόσδε μου μοι.

ΦΙ. πῶς, ὅς γε τοῖς ἐχθροῖσιν ἐκδοῦναι θέλεις;

ΝΕ. ὦ τάν τὰν τᾶν, διδάσκου μὴ θρασύνεσθαι κακοῖς.

ΦΙ. ὀλεῖς με, γιγνώσκω σε, τοῖσδε τοῖς λόγοις λό(ισ)γοισ λόγοις.

ΝΕ. οὔκουν ἔγωγε· φημὶ δ᾽ οὔ σε μανθάνειν. 1390

ΦΙ. ἐγὼ οὐκ ᾿Ατρείδας ἔγωγ᾽ οὐκατρείδας ἐγώ γ᾽ οὐκ ἀτρείδας ἔγωγ᾽ ἀτρείδας ἐκβαλόντας οἶδά με;

ΝΕ. ἀλλ᾽ ἐκβαλόντες εἰ πάλιν σώσουσ᾽ σώ? ουσ' σώσουσ' σώσουσί σ᾽ ὅρα.

ΦΙ. οὐδέποθ᾽ ἑκόντα γ' ὥστε τὴν Τροίαν ἰδεῖν ἑλεῖν ἰδεῖν ἑλεῖν (γρ. ἐλθεῖν).

ΣΟΦΟΚΛΕΟΥΣ

ΝΕ.

εἰ δοκεῖ, στείχωμεν στίχωμεν στείχωμεν στείχω μὲν.

ΦΙ. ὦ γενναῖον εἰρηκὼς ἔπος.

ΝΕ. ἀντέρειδε νῦν βάσιν σήν.

ΦΙ. εἰς ὅσον γ' ἐγὼ σθένω.

ΦΙΛΟΚΤΗΤΗΣ.

ΝΕ. αἰτίαν δὲ πῶς ᾿Αχαιῶν φεύξομαι φεύξωμαι φεύξομαι? 1405

ФІ. μὴ φροντίσῃς.

ΝΕ. τί γάρ, ἐὰν πορθῶσι χώραν τὴν ἐμήν;

ΦΙ. ἐγὼ παρὼν

ΝΕ. τίνα προσωφέλησιν πρὸσ ὠφέλησιν ἔρξεις έρξεις?

ΦΙ. βέλεσι τοῖς ῾Ηρακλέους Ἡρακλείοις

ΝΕ. πῶς λέγεις;

ФІ. εἴρξω πελάζειν πελάζειν σῆς πάτρας πελάζειν σῆς πατρίδος *.

NE. στεῖχε προσκύσας χθόνα.

ΗΡΑΚΛΗΣ.

ΣΟΦΟΚΛΕΟΥΣ

ΦΙΛΟΚΤΗΤΗΣ.

ΣΟΦΟΚΛΕΟΥΣ

ΦΙ.

ὦ φθέγμα ποθεινὸν ἐμοὶ πέμψας, 1445 χρόνιός τε φανείς, οὐκ ἀπιθήσω ι from ει ἀπιθήσω τοῖς σοῖς μύθοις.

ΝΕ. κἀγὼ γνώμῃ γνώμη γνώμῃ ταύτῃ ταῦτα τίθεμαι.

ΗΡ. μή νυν μὴ νῦν χρόνιοι μέλλετε πράσσειν πράττειν. καιρὸς καὶ πλοῦς 1450 ὅδ᾽ ὅδ'. ἐπείγει γὰρ κατὰ πρύμναν.

ΦΙΛΟΚΤΗΤΗΣ.

ΣΟΦΟΚΛΕΟΥΣ ΦΙΛΟΚΤΗΤΗΣ.

ΧΟ. χωρῶμεν δὴ ἤδη ἰδοὺ πάντες ἀολλεῖς ἀολλέες ἀολλεῖς, Νύμφαις ἁλίαισιν ἐπευξάμενοι ἐπευξάμενοι 1470 νόστου σωτῆρας σωτηρίας ἱκέσθαι.

Mean’st thou to Troy, and to the hateful sons Of Atreus, me, with this distressful limb?

NEO Nay, but to those that will relieve the pain Of thy torn foot and heal thee of thy plague.

PHI Thy words are horrible. What mean’st thou, boy?

NEO The act I deem the noblest for us both.

PHI Wilt thou speak so? Where is thy fear of Heaven? 1385

NEO Why should I fear, when I see certain gain?

PHI Gain for the sons of Atreus, or for me?

NEO Methinks a friend should give thee friendly counsel.

PHI Friendly, to hand me over to my foes?

NEO Ah, be not hardened in thy misery! 1390

PHI I know thou wilt ruin me by what thou speakest.

NEO Not I. The case is dark to thee, I see.

PHI I know the Atreidae cast me on this rock.

NEO But how, if they should save thee afterward?

PHI They ne’er shall make me see Troy with my will.

NEO

Hard is my fortune, then, if by no sleight Of reasoning I can draw thee to my mind. For me, ’twere easiest to end speech, that thou Might’st live on as thou livest in hopeless pain.

PHI Then leave me to my fate!—But thou hast touched My right hand with thine own, and given consent To bear me to my home. Do this, dear son! And do not linger to take thought of Troy. Enough that name hath echoed in my groans.

NEO If thou wilt, let us be going.

PHI Nobly hast thou said the word.

NEO Lean thy steps on mine. 1405

PHI As firmly as my foot will strength afford.

NEO Ah! but how shall I escape Achaean anger?

PHI Do not care!

NEO Ah! but should they spoil my country!

PHI I to shield thee will be there.

NEO How to shield me, how to aid me?

PHI With the shafts of Heracles I will scare them.

NEO Give thy blessing to this isle, and come in peace.

HERACLES HERACLES appears from above.

PHI

Thou whom I have longed to see, 1445 Thy dear voice is law to me.

NEO I obey with gladdened heart.

HER Lose no time: at once depart! Bright occasion and fair wind 1450 Urge your vessel from behind.

CH Come now all in one strong band; Then, ere loosing from the land, Pray we to the nymphs of sea 1470 Kind protectresses to be, 1470 Till we touch the Trojan strand.

ΝΕ.

ἃ σοί τε κἀμοὶ λῷσθ᾽ καλῶς κάλ' ὁρῶ τελούμενα.

ΦΙ.

καὶ ταῦτα λέξας οὐ καταισχύνει κατ᾿ αἰσχύνηι καταισχύνη θεούς;

ΝΕ.

πῶς γάρ τις αἰσχύνοιτ᾽ οι from ει αἰσχύνοιτ' ἂν ὠφελούμενος;

ΦΙ.

λέγεις δ᾽ ᾿Ατρείδαις ὄφελος, ἢ 'π᾿ ἐμοὶ τόδε τάδε ;
1385

ΝΕ.

σοί που φίλος γ᾽ ὤν, χώ λόγος τοιόσδε μου μοι.

ΦΙ.

πῶς, ὅς γε τοῖς ἐχθροῖσιν ἐκδοῦναι θέλεις;

ΝΕ.

ὦ τάν τὰν τᾶν, διδάσκου μὴ θρασύνεσθαι κακοῖς.

ΦΙ.

ὀλεῖς με, γιγνώσκω σε, τοῖσδε τοῖς λόγοις λό(ισ)γοισ λόγοις.

ΝΕ.

οὔκουν ἔγωγε· φημὶ δ᾽ οὔ σε μανθάνειν.
1390

ΦΙ.

ἐγὼ οὐκ ᾿Ατρείδας ἔγωγ᾽ οὐκατρείδας ἐγώ γ᾽ οὐκ ἀτρείδας ἔγωγ᾽ ἀτρείδας ἐκβαλόντας οἶδά με;

ΝΕ.

ἀλλ᾽ ἐκβαλόντες εἰ πάλιν σώσουσ᾽ σώ? ουσ' σώσουσ' σώσουσί σ᾽ ὅρα.

ΦΙ.

οὐδέποθ᾽ ἑκόντα γ' ὥστε τὴν Τροίαν ἰδεῖν ἑλεῖν ἰδεῖν ἑλεῖν (γρ. ἐλθεῖν).

ΦΙ.

ὦ γενναῖον εἰρηκὼς ἔπος.

ΝΕ.

ἀντέρειδε νῦν βάσιν σήν.

ΦΙ.

εἰς ὅσον γ' ἐγὼ σθένω.

ΝΕ.

αἰτίαν δὲ πῶς ᾿Αχαιῶν φεύξομαι φεύξωμαι φεύξομαι?
1405

ФІ.

μὴ φροντίσῃς.

ΝΕ.

τί γάρ, ἐὰν πορθῶσι χώραν τὴν ἐμήν;

ΦΙ.

ἐγὼ παρὼν

ΝΕ.

τίνα προσωφέλησιν πρὸσ ὠφέλησιν ἔρξεις έρξεις?

ΦΙ.

βέλεσι τοῖς ῾Ηρακλέους Ἡρακλείοις

ΝΕ.

πῶς λέγεις;

ФІ.

εἴρξω πελάζειν πελάζειν σῆς πάτρας πελάζειν σῆς πατρίδος *.

NE.

στεῖχε προσκύσας χθόνα.

ὦ φθέγμα ποθεινὸν ἐμοὶ πέμψας,
1445

χρόνιός τε φανείς,

οὐκ ἀπιθήσω ι from ει ἀπιθήσω τοῖς σοῖς μύθοις.

ΝΕ.

κἀγὼ γνώμῃ γνώμη γνώμῃ ταύτῃ ταῦτα τίθεμαι.

ΗΡ.

μή νυν μὴ νῦν χρόνιοι μέλλετε πράσσειν πράττειν.

καιρὸς καὶ πλοῦς
1450

ὅδ᾽ ὅδ'. ἐπείγει γὰρ κατὰ πρύμναν.

ΧΟ.

χωρῶμεν δὴ ἤδη ἰδοὺ πάντες ἀολλεῖς ἀολλέες ἀολλεῖς,

Νύμφαις ἁλίαισιν ἐπευξάμενοι ἐπευξάμενοι
1470

νόστου σωτῆρας σωτηρίας ἱκέσθαι.

Mean’st thou to Troy, and to the hateful sons

Of Atreus, me, with this distressful limb?

NEO

Nay, but to those that will relieve the pain

Of thy torn foot and heal thee of thy plague.

PHI

Thy words are horrible. What mean’st thou, boy?

NEO

The act I deem the noblest for us both.

PHI

Wilt thou speak so? Where is thy fear of Heaven?
1385

NEO

Why should I fear, when I see certain gain?

PHI

Gain for the sons of Atreus, or for me?

NEO

Methinks a friend should give thee friendly counsel.

PHI

Friendly, to hand me over to my foes?

NEO

Ah, be not hardened in thy misery!
1390

PHI

I know thou wilt ruin me by what thou speakest.

NEO

Not I. The case is dark to thee, I see.

PHI

I know the Atreidae cast me on this rock.

NEO

But how, if they should save thee afterward?

PHI

They ne’er shall make me see Troy with my will.

Hard is my fortune, then, if by no sleight

Of reasoning I can draw thee to my mind.

For me, ’twere easiest to end speech, that thou

Might’st live on as thou livest in hopeless pain.

PHI

Then leave me to my fate!—But thou hast touched

My right hand with thine own, and given consent

To bear me to my home. Do this, dear son!

And do not linger to take thought of Troy.

Enough that name hath echoed in my groans.

NEO

If thou wilt, let us be going.

PHI

Nobly hast thou said the word.

NEO

Lean thy steps on mine.
1405

PHI

As firmly as my foot will strength afford.

NEO

Ah! but how shall I escape Achaean anger?

PHI

Do not care!

NEO

Ah! but should they spoil my country!

PHI

I to shield thee will be there.

NEO

How to shield me, how to aid me?

PHI

With the shafts of Heracles

I will scare them.

NEO

Give thy blessing to this isle, and come in peace.

HERACLES
HERACLES appears from above.

Thou whom I have longed to see,
1445

Thy dear voice is law to me.

NEO

I obey with gladdened heart.

HER

Lose no time: at once depart!

Bright occasion and fair wind
1450

Urge your vessel from behind.

CH

Come now all in one strong band;

Then, ere loosing from the land,

Pray we to the nymphs of sea
1470

Kind protectresses to be,
1470

Till we touch the Trojan strand.

schnöder, unheilvoller Rath! Was denkst du doch?
1340

Neoptolemos.

Was dir und mir zum Besten endlich dienen wird.

Philoktetes.

Und so zu reden, schämst du dich vor Göttern nicht?

Neoptolemos.

Wie sollte denn sich schämen, wer Gewinn erlangt?

Philoktetes.

Du meinst für Atreus' Söhne nur, nicht auch für mich?

Neoptolemos.

Dir wohlbefreundet, red' ich auch als Freund zu dir.
1345

Philoktetes.

Du, der mich meinen Feinden auszuliefern sinnt?

Neoptolemos.

Lieber, lern' im Ungemach nicht trozig sein.

Philoktetes.

Dein Wort, verderben will es mich ich kenne dich!

Neoptolemos.

Nein, wahrlich; du nur, sag' ich, willst es nicht verstehn.

Philoktetes.

Doch weiß ich: Atreus' Söhne, die verstießen mich.
1350

Neoptolemos.

Die dich verstießen, siehe nun, sie retten dich.

Philoktetes.

Wohl: doch mit freiem Willen seh' ich Troja nie.

Neoptolemos.

Was soll ich noch beginnen, wenn kein Wort von mir,

Wenn keine meiner Bitten dich bestimmen kann?

Am besten, ich enthalte mich des Worts, und du
1355

Lebst, wie du jezt lebst, ohne Trost und Hülfe fort.

Philoktetes.

Ja, laß mich Alles dulden, was ich dulden muß.

Doch was du mir bei meiner Rechten angelobt,

Mich heimzuführen, das gewähre mir, o Kind,

Und ohne Säumen; sprich mir nicht von Troja mehr;
1360

Denn schon zu viel klang dieser Name meinem Ohr.

Neoptolemos.

Wenn es dir gefällt, so geh'n wir.

Neoptolemos.

Stüze nun beherzt den Fuß auf.

Wie es meine Kraft vermag.

Aber wie entflieh'n dem Vorwurf unsers Heers?

Wenn sie nun mein Land verheeren?
1365

Philoktetes.

Da sorge nicht.

Dann bin ich zur Seite dir

Neoptolemos.

Welchen Schuz wirst du mir bieten?