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751–900

διὰ πόνων πάντων] ‘In passing through all (i. e. extreme) woe.' πάντων is virtually intensive. Others would render, 'Beyond all sufferings' that have been.

ἕως ἀνῇ] For the omission of av, see Essay on L. § 27, 1. p. 45.

τὸ πῆμα .. παρόν] ‘This present fit of pain.’ Cp. O. C. 78, 9, for the epexegesis.

λαμβάνει γὰρ οὖν | ὕπνος μ᾽] 'For, you must know, sleep is wont to seize me.' For the present tense, cp. supr. 308, ἐλεοῦσι μέν.

ἐξίῃ] · Is passing off.'

λῆξαι] Sc. τὸ κακόν.

ἀλλ᾽ . . εὕδειν] με is easily supplied: see v. rr. Cp. infr. 801: О. Т. 461, κἂν λάβῃς ἐψευσμένον.

τῷδε τῷ χρόνῳ] 'While I am asleep.' Essay on L. § 11. pp. 17, 18.

Several editors prefer μηδ' ἄκοντα. μηδέ τῳ τέχνη] Hdt. 1. 112, έχρῇζε μηδεμιῇ τέχνῃ ἐκθεῖναί μιν.

πρόστροπον] This word has an especially sacred and compelling force. Cp. O. Τ. 41, ἱκετεύομέν σε πάντες οἵδε πρόστροποι. κτείνας γένῃ] Cp. especially Aj. 588, μὴ προδοὺς ἡμᾶς γένῃ.

οὐ δοθήσεται .. κάμοί] 'They shall be given to no one (and no one shall have them) besides us two.' Neoptolemus has in mind the real ground for this. Supr. 115.

Philoctetes, even amidst his pain, feels the gravity of the moment when he gives the bow out of his hands. The common feeling about the Divine envy appears also in El. 1466.

μηδ' ὅπως] For the disjunctive form of expression, cp. supr. 80, τοιαῦτα φωνεῖν, μηδὲ τεχνᾶσθαι κακά.

Heracles and Philoctetes, both owners of the bow, had both had more than the usual share of trouble. The troubles of Heracles might even be traced to the weapon with which he had slain Nessus and provoked the sons of Eurytus to strife.

Neoptolemus also feels the gravity of the moment, but dissembles his gladness under the cover of a heart-felt though ambiguous prayer.

εὐσταλής] 'Happily conducted' = εὐτυχῶς ἐσταλμένος : said with reference to other dangers than those of winds and waves; e. g. a mutiny arising from Philoctetes' malady. Cp. supr. 520, 1, infr. 890 foll.

ὅποι ποτέ, κ.τ.λ.] The formality of the prayer renders its ambiguous vagueness less suspicious. Neoptolemus trusts that, in spite of apparent difficulties, the will of the gods, as expressed in prophecy, is on the side of his ambition.

The appearance of a single dochmiac line amongst the senarii is not of itself a sufficient reason for suspicion in a passage which is naturally interrupted by physical as well as by mental suffering. Cp. Trach. 1185, 6. Indeed the regularity of the dochmiac structure is rather in favour of the verse. But, in the vulgate reading (see v. rr.), the ellipse of the subjunctive mood and the accusative με-μ' cannot = μοι-are difficult to explain. The former objection may be removed by conjecturing μή μ' ἀτελὴς (οι ἀτελῶς) εὔχῃ, and the accusative may then be defended. See Essay on L. § 16. p. 23.

ἐκ βυθοῦ] 'From hidden depths.' Men in pain naturally exaggerate the dimensions of the part affected.

τι.. νέον] 'Some violent change.' Ср. O. С. 1447, and note.

παπαῖ μάλ] Cp. O. C. 1462, ἴδε μάλα, and note. ἐργάσει] 'A great evil perpetually recurrent is most in apprehension.' But Philoctetes is also thinking of the danger to his new-found hopes.

ἔχετε τὸ πρᾶγμα] 'You know all now.' He has made known to them what he had sought to hide, l. 742 foll. and they are aware both of his need and his danger, 776 foll. He implores them therefore to stand by him. μηδαμή = μηδεμιᾷ τέχνῃ. Cp. supr. 771.

ἀτταταῖ] Perhaps *ἰατταταῖ should be read so as to keep up the iambic rhythm.

εἴθε.. ἥδε] 'Would that this pang might pierce thy breast and cling there!' For ξένε, cp. Aj.817. Philoctetes and Odysseus had been bound by a common oath,

For the repeated interjection, cp. Eur. Alc. 235, βόασον ὦ, στέναξον ὦ Φεραία χθών: ib. 460, ὦ μόνα, ὦ φίλα γυναικῶν : Cycl. 266.

ὦ Μενέλαε: 795, τὸν ἴσον: 797, ὦ θάνατε, θάνατε. The freeer handling of the senarius, which marks the Philoctetes, and which belongs to the later manner of Greek tragedy, is most observable in this speech, where it expresses agitation ( cp. O. T. 967). For other instances, see ll. 651, 665, 879, 923, 4, 950, 1029, 1315, 1327, mostly in speeches of Philoctetes.

Cp. Aj. 854, ὦ θάνατε, θάνατε, νῦν μ᾿ ἐπίσκεψαι μολών: Aesch. Phil. fr. 250, ὦ θάνατε Παιάν, μή μ' ἀτιμάσῃς μολεῖν.

οὐ δύνᾳ μολεῖν] 'Why can you not come?' i. e. 'Why is it impossible to bring you?” πῶς οὐ δυνατόν ἐστί σε μολεῖν;

ἀνακαλουμένῳ] (1) ‘Generally invoked,' or (2) 'Celebrated by this name.' Cp. Ar. Lys. 299. The volcano on Mount Mosychlos would be a god-prepared pyre for Philoctetes, whose end would then resemble that of his master Heracles.

After l. 803 there is a pause, during which Neoptolemus is lost in thought. Philoctetes, who is already losing consciousness, is visited with a sudden fear lest his friend may have left him. Every word which he utters gives him a fresh hold on Neoptolemus' compassion.

τἀπὶ σοί] 'That afflict thee.' Cp. Trach. 981, ἀλλ᾽ ἐπί μοι μελέῳ βάρος ἄπλετον ἐμμέμονε φρήν.

The tripartite division of this line is very unusual. But it is modified by the elision in ἴσχ' for ἴσχε, and the rhythm of this whole passage is broken.

'As it comes impetuously, so it leaves me speedily.' For the paratactic structure, cp. Ant. 1112, αὐτός τ᾽ ἔδησα καὶ παρὼν ἐκλύσομαι.

θάρσει, μενούμεν] Neoptolemus says this with mingled feelings, and the eagerness of Philoctetes is made pathetic by his unconsciousness of the situation.

σαφῶς φρόνει] Sc. με ὡς μενοῦντα.

Ср. О. C. 650, 1, and note. Philoctetes desires the confirmation for which he will not ask. Neoptolemus makes a solemn asseveration (ὡς .. γε = 'At any rate be assured that'), in which the hidden intention of fate ( cp. ξυμφορᾶς ξύνθημα, Ο. C. 46) is again ambiguously conveyed. Philoctetes still requires the assurance of the right hand. Cр. О. С. 1632, δός μοι χερὸς σῆς πίστιν ἀρχαίαν, and note: Trach. 1181. Neoptolemus gives it with the safe promise of remaining, which to Philoctetes at the moment is quite sufficient. (He afterwards, infr. 1398, interprets the promise differently, as a confirmation of the original engagement, supr. 527). On receiving this satisfaction, he relapses into a semi-conscious state, and dreaming apparently of Oeta, Olympus, and the Lemnian fire in one, begs to be carried 'yonder,' 'upwards.' But immediately afterwards, when Neoptolemus comes near to hold him, he cries out to be let alone. (Prof. Paley interprets 813, 4, ἐκεῖσε.. ἄνω, as referring to the cave. But the vagueness of 815 is against this.)

τὸν ἄνω κύκλον] 'The circle of the heavens.' Cp. Aj. 672, νυκτὸς αἰανῆς κύκλος.

The tmesis of ἀπό occurs again infr. 1158, 1177.

*εἴ τι δὴ πλέον φρονεῖς] 'Supposing that you must know best.' πλέον, sc. ἐμοῦ. Cp. Plat. Hipp. Min. 371 A, τοῦ Ὀδυσσέως φαίνεται φρονεῖν πλέον πρὸς τὸ ῥᾳδίως λανθάνειν: Thuc. 5. 29. § 2, νομίσαντες πλέον τέ τι εἰδότας μεταστῆναι αὐτούς, κ.τ.λ. Neoptolemus feels like an inexperienced nurse, and perceives that the sickness is beyond his treatment. He begins to think that the sick man must know what is best for his own state. Cp. Trach. 1017-22.

Philoctetes throws himself on the ground.

τόδε] See Essay on L. § 22, 1. P.34.

'Sweat certainly is bathing him over all his frame.' γέ τοι calls attention to the sign which helps to confirm supr. 821, 2.

ἄκρου.. ποδός] Cp. supr. 748, and note. παρέρρωγεν] 'Has burst from the side of (i. e. from the place of the wound)'. For the repetition of the same root in the compound, see Essay on L. § 40. p. 75, § 55. p. 101.

Odysseus ( supr. 77, 115), whose words appear in some way to have reached the Chorus ( supr. 136 foll.), spoke only of the necessity of obtaining the bow. For this the Chorus now see the opportunity, and cannot understand the inaction of Neoptolemus, who is better informed (839-42, cp. infr. 1329-43), and is moreover chained to the spot by remorseful sympathy with Philoctetes. This passage, which does the work of a stasimon in separating two episodia, is in so far of the nature of a commos that it contains a lyrical interchange between the Chorus and one of the persons on the stage. The text is imperfect in several places, and Bergk conjectures that four lines of Neoptolemus', answering to 839-42, have dropped out between 854, 5. It seems most probable that ll. 827-32 were sung by one half-chorus, and ll. 843-48 by the other, in subdued tones; that 833-8, 849-54 were recited severally by two of the chief choreutae, and that 855-64 were recited by the coryphaeus, or, possibly, sung by the whole Chorus. The metres of this irregular strain are dactylic, anapaestic, trochaic, iambic, and choriambic. The following is an approximate scheme of them :- στρ. and ἀντ.
Logaoedic 1 _UU_UU_UU_U_
(?)
Anapaestic { __ | __
Choriambic _UU_ __
Logaoedic 5 __UU_U_
Iambic U_U_ __
Iambic U_U_U_
Trochaic
Iambic U_ U_U_ __
Iambic 10 U_ U_U_ __
Iambic U_U_U_U_
Paracelèusmatic, { _ UU _ UU _
with logaoedic close (?)

The strophe is followed by four dactylic hexameters, the antistrophe by an epode, of which this is the scheme:-

Logaoedic {: __
Dactylic {: _UU_UU__ | _UU_UU_ _ (?)
Iambo-trochaic 5 _U_U_U_ _ (?)
Dactylic _UU_UU_UU_UU_
Iambic U_U_U_

For νύχιος, l. 858, cp. Eur. Hel. 1479, Suppl. 280.

It is seldom that we can at all realise the euphonic effects of Greek lyric verse. But the effect of the vowelly assonance of εὐαὴς .. εὐαίων, accompanied by low breathings of the flute, may be partly imagined.

῞Υπν'.. Ὑπνε] Cp. supr. 663 foll. ὃς .. ὅς, κ.τ.λ., and note. ὀδύνας] ‘Pain.' ἀλγέων] 'Grief.' Herm. (1841) preferred ἄλγεος for the metre. Cp. Il.14.164, ὕπνον ἀπήμονά τε λιαρόν τε: Od. 13. 92, δὴ τότε γ᾽ ἀτρέμας εὔδε, λελασμένος, ὅσσ᾽ ἐπεπόνθει.

The metre of these lines is different from that of 844, 5, which should correspond to them in the antistrophe. But the effect of the two spondaic (anapaestic) lines ( cp. 837, 853) resembles El. 88, 9, 105, 6, 153, 173, 213-6, 233-6, and the antistrophe is possibly corrupt. See note on infr. 844. Others read εὐǎές, in which the vocative would resemble ἁλίπλαγκτε in Aj. 695. But the a is probably long. εὐαής] The first strain of the Chorus, ll. 827-32, is intended at once to lull Philoctetes to sleep, and darkly to express their own wishes. Thus εὐαής is at once 'With kindly breath' ( cp. supr. 18, 19, ἐν θέρει δ᾽ ὕπνον | δι᾽ ἀμφιτρῆτος αὐλίου πέμπει πνοή), and 'As with favouring gale' (to further our design).

εὐαίων] 'Bringing happiness.' For the repetition, which depends on the Triclinian MSS., cp. Eur. Or. 174, πότνια, πότνια νύξ. Sleep is invoked, as the Lord of happiest life. Cp. Fr. 372, ὡς τοῖς κακῶς πράσσουσιν ἡδὺ καὶ βραχὺν | χρόνον λαθέσθαι τῶν παρεστώτων κακῶν: Plat. Apol. 39 D. Others explain εὐαίων, 'Lasting,' 'Not soon over.'

ὄμμασι δ᾽ ἀντίσχοις τάνδ᾽ αἴγλαν .. τανῦν] 'And hold before his eyes this brightness that is now spread over them.' There is difficulty in the interpretation of αἴγλαν. Hermann was at one time satisfied with explaining it by a simple oxymoron, 'This light' = the light the eyes now have, i.e. darkness. Lobeck, Hermann in 1841, and, I believe, Prof. E. L. Lushington, would take αἴγλαν literally of the light of day, and explain ὄμμασι as a dativus commodi. ἀντέχειν then means 'To hold away, Fend off.' 'And defend his eyes from this brightness that is now spread forth.' But the explanatory clause ( ἃ τέταται τανῦν), according to this interpretation, appears weak and motiveless. Welcker's suggestion that αἴγλη here means a head-band ( αἴγλη, χλιδών, Fr. 524), satisfies some interpreters. A modification of Hermann's first interpretation seems to afford a possible meaning. The Chorus, gazing on Philoctetes' closed eyelids, see an expression of peaceful repose in his countenance that was previously absent. They pray that this boon of sleep may be continued. 'Light' is a familiar image of relief and safety. But in speaking of repose as light, the Chorus think again of their design, and add, 'This light which his eyes now have on them,' and not the light of waking. Or τάνδ' αἴγλαν may mean more simply, 'This soothing light:' the relief which slumber brings to Philoctetes being associated with the cheerful sunshine. (Burges conj. ἀμπίσχοις; Auratus conj. ἀχλύν.) τέταται, sc. τοῖς ὄμμασι. For a somewhat similar expression, cp. Aj. 706, ἔλυσεν αἰνὸν ἄχος ἀπ᾿ ὀμμάτων ῎Αρης.

ἴθι, ἴθι] The hiatus here is one of those irregularities which suggest the doubt spoken of in the Introduction, p. 364. It may be accounted for by the ictus, U_U_ __, Cp. 859. Cp. with this invocation to Sleep (in its second intention), Shak. Cymb. 2, 2, 'O Sleep, thou ape of death, lie dull upon her! And be her sense but as a monument, | Thus in a chapel lying.'

For the frequent form of expression, cp. especially Eur. Alc. 864, ποῖ βῶ; πᾶ στῶ; τί λέγω; τί δὲ μή;

πῶς δέ μοι. . φροντίδος] Sc. ἔσται. ' And how are matters from this point to proceed with me in respect of thought?' i.e. What course is my design to take? Cp. infr. 895.

ὁρᾷς ἤδη] 'You see (how things are) now;' viz. that Philoctetes is fast asleep. For the short abrupt sentences, ср. О. С. 117-22, ib. 162-5.

πρὸς τί . . πράσσειν] ‘For what are we waiting, to do it?' i.e. What practical advantage is to be gained by our delay? πράσσειν is epexegetic of πρὸς τί. μενοῦμεν is the MS. reading, but the short vowel gives a more probable rhythm.

καιρός, κ.τ.λ.] 'Opportunity, which holds the clue of everything, by following closely, wins much advantage.' The Chorus hint the unwisdom of adhering to one fixed plan, when a good opportunity occurs of suddenly executing another. A conjectural reading is ῥώμαν. But γνώμαν is confirmed by the echo of the phrase in the antistrophe. Cavallin, comparing πολλά in 305 supr., explains πολύ as = πολλάκις. γνώμαν ἴσχων nearly = γνῶμα παρέχων. Cp. Εl. 75, καιρὸς γάρ, ὅσπερ ἄνδρασιν | μέγιστος ἔργου παντός ἐστ᾽ ἐπιστάτης: Pind. Pyth. 9. 78, ὁ δὲ καιρὸς ὁμοίως | παντὸς ἔχει κορυφάν. Others join πάντων κράτος = 'Opportunity, combined with judgment, carries a decided superiority in all cases.' A word is lost of the quantity of αἴσιον (C.) or ἄνδρασιν (Hermann).

Hexameters occur similarly in the commos of Trachiniae, ll. 1017-23, where solemn reflections are intermingled with the more excited lyric strains. Cp. also ib. 1009-13, 1031-1040.

θήραν | τήνδ'] 'This capture,' accomplished supr. 779.

τοῦδε γὰρ ὁ στέφανος] Cp. infr. 1344-7, Ἑλλήνων ἕνα | κριθέντ᾽ ἄριστον.. κλέος ὑπέρτατον λαβεῖν. ‘The prize was to be his.' Others (Paley) render, 'In him was the prize.' εἶπε] Sc. δεῖν.

'To have an unaccomplished work to boast of, and that with the help of falsehood, is a reproach that carries deep disgrace.' To bring away the bow, as if performing a great feat, would only expose them to the reproach of not having brought Philoctetes. And this, when Neoptolemus had lied for the purpose.

τάδε.. θεὸς ὄψεται] The completion of the work achieved so far may be left to Divine providence, notwithstanding what is mysterious in the oracle. Cp. Aj. 1165, κοίλην κάπετόν τιν᾿ ἰδεῖν, and note: O. C. 1454, ὁρᾷ, ὁρᾷ ταῦτ᾽ ἀεὶ χρόνος : Thuc. 5. 27, ὁρᾶν τοὺς ᾿Αργείους ὅπως σωθήσεται ἡ Πελοπόννησος.

ὧν .. αὖθις] The metre of the MS. reading ὧν δ᾽ ἂν ἀμείβῃ μ᾽ αὖθις (U_U_U_U) does not correspond to the strophe, and is not very probable. Possibly ἀμείβῃ was a gloss explaining προσφωνῇ.. αὖθις, and we might read, ὧν δ᾽ ἂν προσφωνῇ μ᾽ αὖθις. Cp. ll. 1. 223, Πηλείδης δ᾽ ἐξαῦτις ἀταρτηροῖς ἐπέεσσιν | ᾿Ατρείδην προσέειπε, κ.τ.λ. Hermann's conjecture is provisionally adopted in the text.

ὡς .. λεύσσειν] 'Since ever in disease Sleep, which slumbers not, is quick to perceive.' πάντων ἐν νόσῳ, sc. ὄντων. ' Of all men, when they are sick.' (Others join πάντων εὐδρακής, ‘Having quick sight of all things.") λεύσσειν is epexegetic of εὐδρακής. Sleep is personified, and 'sight' used for perception in general. Cp. Trach. 1019.

The text is defective, as the metre shows. κεῖνο is opposed to τάδε in 843, and means, therefore, not the abduction of Philoctetes, but the carrying away of the bow and arrows. The Chorus urge Neoptolemus not to be absorbed in gazing on Philoctetes, but to take a wider survey of the situation, that he may secure the object set before him by Odysseus. For λάθρα, σκοπῶν λαθραίως might be substituted to complete the line, which answers to supr. 834.

The reading ὧν, which would answer to μενοῦμεν in 836, gives no satisfactory meaning. For the comparison of supr. 240, 1, αὐδῶμαι.. παῖς Ἀχιλλέως ('I call Achilles father') does not justify ὧν αὐδῶμαι = ' Whom I call master,' even if this were clearly in point. And if ὃν is read, the metre is the same as that of ll. 6 and 9. In this case αὐδῶμαι is active, as in Ο. Τ. 846. The question remains whether Philoctetes or Odysseus is the antecedent to ὃν. It seems necessary that τούτῳ in 853 should be the antecedent, and τούτῳ is Philoctetes. The Chorus may be supposed to speak vaguely of him, in order to avoid the possibility of awakening his suspicions, should he overhear them. 'If this be your mind towards him you wot of;' i. e. 'If you allow yourself to be so affected with pity, as you manifestly are, towards Philoctetes.' The Chorus thus gently warn their master of what follows in the ensuing scene. Prof. Jebb conjectures ὃν αἰδοῦμαι, 'Whose fear is before my eyes,' viz. Odysseus'. Others read ταὐτὸν . . γνώμας.

ἐνιδεῖν = SC. ἐστὶν or ἔνεστιν, (1) 'The prudent may see therein inextricable harm.' Or, possibly, (2) 'One may see therein perplexing trouble for the wise' (i. e. for Odysseus).

It is probable that Neoptolemus answered here; and to this the words βλέπ᾽ εἰ καίρια φθέγγει may be referred :- 'Whether you speak seasonably,' viz. in hinting that we must take him away. Else they must allude to supr. 826, 6, which is far off. οὖρος, κ.τ.λ.] This is to be taken literally, not figuratively with the Scholiast. Cp. supr. 639, 40, and note. Schndw. quotes Theocr. 13. 52, κουφότερ', ὦ παῖδες, ποιεῖσθ᾽ ὅπλα· πλευστικὸς οὖρος.

οὐκ ἔχων ἀρωγάν] ‘Helpless, in sleep, disease and solitude, and in the loss of his arms.' For ἀνόμματος, 'Without use of eyes,' cp. supr. 632, ἄπουν, 'Lame.'

νύχιος resumes ἀνόμματος with greater intensity. 'Sightless, as if steeped in night.' ἐκτέταται, ' Lies prostrate,' is stronger than κεῖται. ἀλεὴς ὕπνος ἐσθλός] ‘How kind is sleep, warm sleep!' A parenthesis like supr. 400, 1. To suppose a commonplace γνώμη, 'A man sleeps soundly in the sun,' is hardly adequate in feeling. It is rather an exclamation of joy that their invocation ( supr. 827 foll.) has been heard by the God of Sleep. For ἐσθλός, meaning propitious, cp. Od. 24. 311, ἢ τέ οἱ ἐσθλοὶ ἔσαν ὄρνιθες ἰόντι: ib. 19. 547, οὐκ ὄναρ, ἀλλ᾽ ὕπαρ ἐσθλόν: Ελ. 1093, μοίρᾳ μὲν οὐκ ἐν ἐσθλᾷ βεβῶσαν. If ἀλεής is suspected, ἀδαής rather than ἀδεής should be read, although the latter might be connected with l. 864. But it is rash to reject ἀλεής, when λιαρός is an Homeric epithet of ὕπνος: ΙΙ. 14. 164, ὕπνον ἀπήμονά τε λιαρόν τε. The notion of 'Sleep in the sun' agrees with αἴγλαν, supr. 831.

οὔ τινος] An enumeration of this kind often ends with a general expression. Cp. O. Τ. 1284, 5. They are perhaps thinking of the bow, which they dare not name.

'But sees no more than the dead.' Cp. O. Τ. 972, κεῖται παρ' "Αιδῃ Πόλυβος, and see Essay on L. § 54. P 99. Dindorf reads ἀλλ' ὡς τίς τ', 'formula epica.' But cp. l. 859.

βλέπ᾽ εἰ] This is the easiest correction of a faulty text, and affords a possible meaning. Cp. supr. note on 855 foll. But it is doubtful whether βλέπε can mean 'See to it,' in classical Greek; and βλέπει may be a gloss on ὁρᾷ. φθέγγει is also open to suspicion.

Blaydes conjectures βλέπει· καίρια φώνει. But Neoptolemus is the first to perceive the signs of waking in Philoctetes. Others, βλέπ᾽ εἰ καίρια φωνῶ.

τὸ δ᾽ ἁλώσιμον *ἀμᾷ.. κράτιστος] 'So far as our minds can grasp, young sir, the toil that frightens not is best.' Cp. O. Τ. 1234, 5, ὃ μὲν τάχιστος τῶν λόγων εἰπεῖν τε καὶ μαθεῖν, τέθνηκε θεῖον Ἰοκάστης κάρα : Plat. Rep. 7.517 B, τὰ δ᾽ οὖν ἐμοὶ φαινόμενα οὕτω φαίνεται, ἐν τῷ γνωστῷ τελευταία ἡ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ ἰδέα καὶ μόγις ὁρᾶσθαι. ἀμᾷ seems to be required by the indications of the metre (dactylic with anacrusis.) πόνος ὁ μὴ φοβῶν] The Chorus are probably using the language of fishermen, meaning that if Philoctetes is once alarmed, the capture of the bow will be more difficult. See above, l. 839, θήραν, and cp. Plato, Lys. 206 B, ποιός τις οὖν ἄν σοι δοκοί θηρευτὴς εἶναι, εἰ ἀνασοβοῖ θηρεύων καὶ δυσαλωτοτέραν τὴν ἄγραν ποιοῖ; Δῆλον ὅτι φαῦλος. For πόνος in this connection, cp. Pind. Pyth. 2. 79, ἅτε γὰρ εἰνάλιον πόνον ἐχοίσας βαθὺ | σκευᾶς ἑτέρας, ἀβάπτιστός εἰμι, φελλὸς ὡς ὑπὲρ ἕρκος, ἅλμας : Theocr. 21. 14, οὗτος τοῖς ἁλιεῦσιν ὁ πᾶς πόνος. The common interpretation, from the Scholiast downwards, has been, 'The labour that causes no fear,' i.e. that is not attended with danger.

μηδ᾽ ἀφεστάναι φρενών] ‘And not take leave of your senses.' Cp. El. 1326, ὦ πλεῖστα μῶροι καὶ φρενῶν τητώμενοι, κ.τ.λ.

For ἀνάγει, ‘Uplifts again,' cp. Αj. 131, κλίνει τε κἀνάγει πάλιν,

Just when the plot against his peace is being urged most vehemently, Philoctetes awakes, and pours out touching words of unsuspecting thankfulness for the patient care, of which he little knows the motive. He throws himself afresh on Neoptolemus, and will have no support but his.

ὦ φέγγος.. ξένων] 'Light after sleep, how welcome! And how surpassing fondest hope, the patient tendance of these friends!" For the construction of φέγγος and οἰκούρημα, cp. Trach. 1046, 7, ὦ πολλὰ . . μοχθήσας ἐγώ. διάδοχον] 'Succeeding, taking the place of (in my experience). ἐλπίδων ἄπιστον] 'Beyond the belief of expectation,' i.e. which I could not have believed beforehand. οἰκούρημα] More concrete than οἰκουρία = 'Act of keeping watch.' οἰκουρεῖν is, ‘Το keep watch over a person's property and interests in his absence.' So Neoptolemus has guarded the bow and the person of Philoctetes during his prostration, from the thievish attempt which he most feared.

οὐκ ἂν ἐξηύχησα] 'I could not once have vaunted.' The aorist implies 'for a single moment,' and is thus more forcible here than the imperfect would have been.

μεῖναι has been unreasonably suspected. Cavallin conjectures ἰδεῖν.

οὔκουν ᾿Ατρείδαι] 'It was not the Atreidae, who-.' οὖν marks the reasonableness of Philoctetes' doubt, which was in accordance with the conduct of the Atreidae. *εὐφόρως] This seems the simplest correction of εὐπόρως. See Essay on L. § 55. p. 101. Others prefer εὐπετῶς, comparing Fr. 523, χρεὼν | τὰ θειᾶ θνητοὺς ὄντας εὐπετῶς φέρειν. Οr, εὐλόφως. Paley retains εὐπόρως.

κἀξ εὐγενῶν] The frequent allusions to his father have a constraining power over the heart of Neoptolemus.

ἐν εὐχερεῖ ἔθου] ‘Took as a light burden.'

βοῆς] This reference of Philoctetes to his own cries makes us feel how involuntary they were. He knew them as an inseparable accompaniment of his presence anywhere.

καὶ νῦν] Cp. O. T. 52, 3, ὄρνιθι γὰρ καὶ τὴν τότ᾽ αἰσίῳ τύχην | παρέσχες ἡμῖν, καὶ τανῦν ἴσος γενοῦ.

Nauck, following A. Zippmann, transposes this line to before 890 and rejects 880 and 889. The apparent coldness of Neoptolemus, who in 886 ignores this appeal of Philoctetes to him, may, however, be accounted for by supposing that his consciousness of acting a part makes him less forward with the show of sympathy, now that his emotions are really stirred.

Philoctetes is not yet confident that his powers are fully returned. The habit of lying perdu after each attack makes him less prompt to move. But he feels that he must be ready to start as soon as he can. (But qy. ἡ. ἀ. τὸ πνεῦμ᾽ ἀπ. ποτέ? Cp. supr. 639, 40.)

μέν prepares for the narrative in νῦν δ᾽ αἷρε σαὐτόν.

ἀνώδυνον βλέποντα] 'Opening thine eyes without the look of pain.' βλέποντα is sometimes put simply as an equivalent for ζῶντα, e.g. Aesch. Ag. 677, καὶ ζῶντα καὶ βλέποντα. But here the expression is modified by the addition of ἀνώδυνον as an adverbial accusative (i. e. not only seeing the light but free from the look of pain). Others take ἀνώδυνον as a masculine adjective, and make ἀνώδυνον βλέποντα = 'Living in freedom from pain.'

τὰ συμβόλαιά σοι. . ἐφαίνετο] Either (1) 'Your commerce with the circumstances surrounding you: i.e. Your behaviour in the present juncture:' a figurative use of the ordinary meaning of συμβόλαια: or (2) 'Your symptoms, when regarded in the light of your affliction:' i. e. 'Considering your peculiar case your appearance suggested the inference that you were dead.' The latter meaning (2) receives some confirmation from Hdt. 5. 92, 7, and, more doubtfully, from Eur. Ion 411, quoted by L. and S. But the former is better on the whole, and agrees with σοι, the reading of the chief MS. See v. rr.

Cp. supr. 522, 3. Neoptolemus professes to be encouraged by these words of the Chorus to assume that they will not spare pains in helping Philoctetes, whose wishes are seconded by their prince.

ὥσπερ νοεῖς] 'As you really mean.' Philoctetes does not take the refusal of Neoptolemus to lift him with his own hands. He is too much impressed with his actual kindness to be at once affected by the coldness and reserve of his language.

συνναίειν] For the infinitive, see Essay on L. § 33. p. 57 , and cp. especially O. C. 1211, 2, ὅστις τοῦ πλέονος μέρους χρήζει . . ζώειν.

Neoptolemus gives Philoctetes his hand, but bids him exert himself, and put forth his strength in using the support. He is roused by this and makes the necessary exertion.

'Fear not. Long habit will enable me to rise.'

If Neoptolemus had followed the course marked out for him, he would have taken Philoctetes on board, and only when out at sea have let him discover the destination of the voyage. But now that the decisive moment is arrived, he cannot deceive the unfortunate who has trusted him. For the optative (potential) without av, see E. on L. § 27. p. 45. Others read δῆτ᾽ ἄν.

'What mean such words, my son? Whither tends this sudden diversion?'

'I know not which way to express what is so full of perplexity.' τάπορον . . ἔπος is the word that can neither be spoken nor kept silent.

Philoctetes cannot bear that doubts should rise just when his hopes are on the point of being fulfilled.

(1) 'But I am at such a point of difficulty (that I must speak).' τοῦδε πάθους, sc. τῆς ἀπορίας, from ἀπορεῖς, supr. Or (2) simply, 'I am in a difficulty.' Cp. Aesch. Choeph. 891, ἐνταῦθα γὰρ δὴ τοῦδ᾽ ἀφικόμην κακοῦ.

οὐ δή] 'Surely it cannot be-;' i.e. 'I trust it is not.' Cp. Trach. 668, and note.

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

Current edition Experimental

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

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (2)

Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 782 focus

ἀλλὰ ἄλλα ἀλλὰ ἀλλ᾽ οὐ δέδοικ, ὦ a from a ὦ παῖ, μή μ' ἀτελὴς εὔχῃ εὐχή·

ΦΙΛΟΚΤΗΤΗΣ.

ΦΙΛΟΚΤΗΤΗΣ.

στάζει γὰρ αὖ μοι φοίνιον φόνιον φοίνιον τόδ᾽ ἐκ βυθοῦ

κηκῖον αἷμα, καί τι τι? οι προσδοκῶ προσδοκεῖ προσδοκῶ νέον.

παπαῖ, φεῦ.
785

παπαῖ μάλ᾽, ὦ πούς, οἷά μ᾽ ἐργάσει κακά.

προσέρπει,

προσέρχεται τόδ᾽ ἐγγύς. οἴμοι μοι τάλας.

ἔχετε τὸ πρᾶγμα· μὴ φύγητε φύγοιτε φύγητε μηδαμῆ.

ἀτταταῖ. ἀττατατᾶ
790

ὦ ξένε Κεφαλλήν κεφαλήν κεφαλήνων, εἴθε σου διαμπερὲς

στέρνων ἔχοιτ᾽ ἄλγησις ἄλγησις ἄλγησις ἥδε. φεῦ, παπαῖ.

παπαῖ μάλ᾽ αὖθις. ὦ διπλοῖ στρατηλάται,

᾿Αγάμεμνον, ὦ Μενέλαε, πῶς ἂν ἀντ᾿ ἐμοῦ

τὸν ἴσον χρόνον τρέφοιτε τήνδε τὴν νόσον;
795

ὤμοι μοι.

ὦ θάνατε θάνατε, πῶς ἀεὶ καλούμενος

οὕτω κατ᾽ ἦμαρ οὐ δύνᾳ δύνῃ μολεῖν ποτε;

ΣΟΦΟΚΛΕΟΥΣ

ὦ τέκνον, ὦ γενναῖον, ἀλλὰ συλλαβὼν

τῷ Λημνίῳ τῷδ᾽ ἀνακαλουμένῳ πυρὶ

800

ἔμπρησον, ὦ γενναῖε· κἀγώ τοί ποτε

τὸν τοῦ Διὸς παῖδ᾽ ἀντὶ τῶνδε τῶν ὅπλων,

ἃ νῦν σὺ σώζεις σώζεις σῴζεις, τοῦτ᾽ ἐπηξίωσα δρᾶν.

τί φής, παῖ;

τί φής; τί σιγᾷς; ποῦ ποτ᾽ ὤν, τέκνον, κυρεῖς;

805

ΝΕ.

ἀλγῶ πάλαι δὴ τἀπὶ σοὶ στένων κακά.

ΦΙ.

ἀλλ᾽, ὦ τέκνον, καὶ θάρσος ἴσχ· ὡς ἥδε μοι

ὀξεῖα φοιτᾷ καὶ ταχεῖ᾽ ἀπέρχεται ἐπέρχεται.

ἀλλ᾽ ἀντιάζω, μή με καταλίπῃς καταλείπηισ καταλίπης μόνον.

ΝΕ.

θάρσει, μενοῦμεν.
810

ΦΙ.

ἢ μενεῖς;

NE.

σαφῶς φρόνει.

ΦΙ.

οὐ μήν σ᾽ ἔνορκόν γ'᾽ ἀξιῶ θέσθαι, τέκνον.

ΦΙΛΟΚΤΗΤΗΣ,

ΝΕ.

ὡς οὐ θέμις γ᾽ ἐμοὔστι ἐμοί' στι ἐμὴ ἐστί ἐμ᾽ ἴσθι σοῦ μολεῖν ἄτερ.

ΦΙ.

ἔμβαλλε χειρὸς πίστιν.

NE.

ἐμβάλλω μενεῖν μένειν μενεῖν.

ΦΙ.

ἐκεῖσε νῦν μ᾽ μ' om., ἐκεῖσε

NE.

ποῖ λέγεις;

ΦΙ.

ἄνω

ΝΕ.

τί παραφρονεῖς αὖ; τί τὸν ἄνω λεύσσεις λεύσσεις (λεύσηισ pr.) λεύσσεις κύκλον ;
815

ΦΙ.

μέθες μέθες με.

NE.

ποῖ μεθῶ;

ΦΙ.

μέθες ποτέ.

ΝΕ.

οὔ φημ᾽ ἐάσειν.

ΦΙ.

ἀπό μ᾽ ὀλεῖς, ἢν προσθίγῃς.

ΝΕ.

καὶ δὴ μεθίημ', εἴ τι δὴ μεθείημι τί δὴ μεθίημι τι δὲ δὴ πλέον φρονεῖς.

ΦΙ.

ὦ γαῖα, δέξαι θανάσιμόν μ' ὅπως ἔχω·

τὸ γὰρ κακὸν τόδ᾽ οὐκέτ᾽ ὀρθοῦσθαί μ᾽ ἐᾷ.
820

ΝΕ.

τὸν ἄνδ᾽ ἔοικεν ὕπνος οὐ μακροῦ χρόνου

ἕξειν· κάρα γὰρ ὑπτιάζεται τόδε.

ἱδρώς γέ τοί νιν πᾶν καταστάζει δέμας,

μέλαινά τ᾽ ἄκρου τις παρέρρωγεν ποδὸς

ΣΟΦΟΚΛΕΟΥΣ

αἱμορραγὴς φλέψ. ἀλλ᾽ ἐάσωμεν, φίλοι,

825

ἕκηλον αὐτόν, ὡς ἂν εἰς ὕπνον πέσῃ.

ΧΟ.

στρ.

῞Ὕπν᾿ ὀδύνας ἀδαής, ῞Ὕπνε δ᾽ ἀλγέων,

ΦΙΛΟΚΤΗΤΗΣ.

εὐαὴς εὐμενὴς ἡμῖν ὑμῖν ἔλθοις,

εὐαίων εὐαίων , ὧναξ ἄναξ·

ὄμμασι ὄμμασιν δ᾽ ἀντίσχοις ἀντέχοις

830

τάνδ᾽ αἴγλαν, ἃ τέταται τανῦν τὰ νῦν τανῦν.

ἴθι, ἴθι μοι παιών.

ΣΟΦΟΚΛΕΟΥΣ

ὦ τέκνον, ὅρα ποῦ στάσει,

ποῖ ποῦ δὲ βάσει, πῶς δέ μοι τἀντεῦθεν

φροντίδος. ὁρᾷς φροντίδος ὁρᾷς. ἤδη.

835

πρὸς τί μένομεν μενοῦμεν πράσσειν ;

καιρός τοι πάντων γνώμαν ἴσχων

πολὺ παρὰ πόδα κράτος του ἄρνυται.

ΝΕ.

ἀλλ᾽ ὅδε μὲν κλύει οὐδέν, ἐγὼ δ᾽ ὁρῶ οἵνεκα θήραν

τήνδ᾽ ἁλίως ἔχομεν τόξων, δίχα τοῦδε πλέοντες.
840

τοῦδε γὰρ ὁ στέφανος, τοῦτον θεὸς εἶπε κομίζειν.

κομπεῖν δ᾽ ἔστ᾽ ἀτελῆ σὺν σὺμ σὺν ψεύδεσιν αἰσχρὸν ὄνειδος.

ΧΟ.

ἀντ.

᾿Αλλά, τέκνον, τάδε μὲν θεὸς ὄψεται·

ΦΙΛΟΚΤΗΤΗΣ.

ὧν δ᾽ ἂν κἀμείβῃ ἀμείβῃ μ᾽ αὖθις,

βαιάν μοι, βαιάν, ὦ τέκνον,

845

πέμπε λόγων φάμαν φήμαν·

ὡς πάντων ἐν νόσῳ εὐδρακὴς

ὕπνος ἄϋπνος λεύσσειν.

ἀλλ᾽ ὅτι δύνᾳ δύναι δύναιο μάκιστον,

κεῖνό μοι, κεῖνο †λάθρα ..

850

ἐξιδοῦ ἐξίδου ἐξιδοῦ ὅπως ὅτι gl. ὅπως πράξεις.

οἶσθα γὰρ ὃν ὁν ὧν ὃν αὐδῶμαι·

εἰ ταύταν εἰ δὲ ταὐτὰν ταυτὰν τούτῳ γνώμαν ἴσχεις ἔχεις ἴσχεις ἔχοις,

ΣΟΦΟΚΛΕΟΥΣ

μάλα τοι τοι.'.. ἄπορα πυκινοῖς πυκνοῖσιν πυκινοῖσιν ἐνιδεῖν πάθη.

ἐπ.

Οὐρός τοι, τέκνον, οὗρος· ἀνὴρ δ᾽

855

ἀνόμματος, οὐδ᾽ ἔχων ἀρωγάν,

ἐκτέταται ἐκτέτακται νύχιος, ( ἀλεὴς ὕπνος ἐσθλός ἀλέὴσ ἐσθλὸσ ὕπνοσ ἀλεὴσ ὕπνος ἐσθλός,)

οὐ χερός, οὐ ποδός, οὔ τινος ἄρχων,

ἀλλά τις ὡς οστις ὡς τις ὡς ὃς ὅστις ᾿Αΐδᾳ παρακείμενος

ὁρᾷ. †* βλέπ᾽ εἰ καίρια φθέγγει φθέγγει φθέγγει φθέγγου.†

860

ΦΙΛΟΚΤΗΤΗΣ.

ΧΟ.

τὸ δ᾽ τόδ' ἁλώσιμον ἀμᾷ ἐμᾶ ἐμῇ φροντίδι, παῖ, πόνος

ὁ μὴ φοβῶν κράτιστος.

ΝΕ.

σιγᾶν κελεύω, μηδ' ἀφεστάναι φρενῶν.
865

κινεῖ γὰρ ἁνὴρ ἀνὴρ ὄμμα κἀνάγει κάρα.

ΦΙ.

ὦ φέγγος ὕπνου διάδοχον, τό τ᾿ ἐλπίδων

ἄπιστον οἰκούρημα τῶνδε τῶν ξένων.

οὐ γάρ ποτ', ὦ παῖ, τοῦτ᾽ ἂν ἐξηύχησ᾽ ἐγὼ

τλῆναί σ᾽ ἐλεινῶς ἐλεεινῶς ὧδε τἀμὰ πήματα
870

μεῖναι παρόντα καὶ ξυνωφελοῦντά μοι.

ΣΟΦΟΚΛΕΟΥΣ

οὔκουν ᾿Ατρείδαι τοῦτ᾽ ἔτλησαν εὐφόρως εὐπόρως

οὕτως ἐνεγκεῖν, ἁγαθοὶ ἀγαθοὶ οἱ 'γαθοὶ στρατηλάται.

ἀλλ᾽ εὐγενὴς γὰρ ἡ φύσις κἀξ εὐγενῶν,

ὦ τέκνον, ἡ σή, πάντα ταῦτ᾽ ἐν εὐχερεῖ

875

ἔθου, βοῆς τε καὶ δυσοσμίας γέμων.

καὶ νῦν ἐπειδὴ τοῦδε τοῦ κακοῦ δοκεῖ

λήθη τις εἶναι κἀνάπαυλα δή, τέκνον,

σύ μ᾽ αὐτὸς ἆρον, σύ με κατάστησον, τέκνον,

ἵν, ἡνίκ᾽ ἂν κόπος μ' ἀπαλλάξῃ ποτέ,

880

ὁρμώμεθ᾽ ἐς ναῦν μηδ᾽ ἐπίσχωμεν τὸ πλεῖν.

ΝΕ.

ἀλλ᾽ ἥδομαι μέν σ᾽ εἰσιδὼν παρ᾿ ἐλπίδα

ἀνώδυνον βλέποντα κἀμπνέοντ᾽ ἔτι·

ὡς οὐκέτ᾽ ὄντος γὰρ τὰ συμβόλαιά σοι σου

ΦΙΛΟΚΤΗΤΗΣ.

πρὸς τὰς παρούσας ξυμφορὰς ἐφαίνετο.

885

νῦν δ᾽ αἶρε αέρε σαυτόν· εἰ δέ σοι μᾶλλον φίλον,

οἴσουσί σ᾽ οἵδε· τοῦ πόνου γὰρ οὐκ ὄκνος,

ἐπείπερ οὕτω οὕτως οὕτω σοί τ᾽ ἔδοξ᾽ ἐμοί τε δρᾶν.

ΦΙ.

αἰνῶ τάδ', ὦ παῖ, καί μ' ἔπαιρ᾽, ὥσπερ νοεῖς·

τούτους δ᾽ ἔασον, μὴ βαρυνθῶσιν κακῇ
890

ὀσμῇ πρὸ τοῦ δέοντος· οὑπὶ νηὶ γὰρ

ἅλις πόνος τούτοισι συνναίειν ἐμοί.

ΝΕ.

ἔσται τάδ'· ἀλλ᾽ ἵστω τε καὐτὸς ἀντέχου.

ΦΙ.

θάρσει. τό τοι σύνηθες ὀρθώσει μ᾽ ἔθος.

ΝΕ.

παπαῖ· τί δῆτα δρῷμ᾽ δρῶμ' (γρ. δρῶμι) ἐγὼ τοὐνθένδε γε λέγε γε;
895

ΦΙ.

τί δ᾽ ἔστιν, ὦ παῖ; ποῖ ποτ᾽ ἐξέβης λόγῳ λόγων;

ΝΕ.

οὐκ οἶδ᾽ ὅποι χρὴ τἄπορον τρέπειν ἔπος.

ΦΙ.

ἀπορεῖς δὲ τοῦ σύ; μὴ λέγ', ὦ τέκνον, τάδε.

ΝΕ.

ἀλλ᾽ ἐνθάδ᾽ ἤδη τοῦδε τοῦ πάθους κυρῶ.

ΣΟΦΟΚΛΕΟΥΣ

ΦΙ.

οὐ δή σε δυσχέρεια τοῦ νοσήματος
900

ἔπεισεν ἔπαισεν ἔπεισεν ὥστε μή μ' ἄγειν ναύτην ἔτι;

ΝΕ.

ἅπαντα δυσχέρεια, τὴν αὑτοῦ αὐτοῦ αὑτοῦ φύσιν

ὅταν λιπών τις δρᾷ τὰ μὴ προσεικότα προσήκοντα.

ΦΙ͵

ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲν ἔξω τοῦ φυτεύσαντος σύ γε

δρᾷς οὐδὲ φωνεῖς, ἐσθλὸν ἄνδρ᾽ ἐπωφελῶν.
905

ΝΕ.

αἰσχρὸς φανοῦμαι· τοῦτ᾽ ἀνιῶμαι πάλαι πάλιν πάλαι.

ΦΙ.

οὔκουν ἐν οἷς γε τε γε δρᾷς· ἐν οἷς δ᾽ οἱ δ' οἶστ οἷς δ' αὐδᾷς, ὀκνῶ.

ΝΕ.

ὦ Ζεῦ, τί δράσω; δεύτερον ληφθῶ κακός,

κρύπτων θ᾽ ἃ μὴ δεῖ καὶ λέγων αἴσχιστ᾽ ἐπῶν;

ΦΙ.

ἁνὴρ ἀνὴρ ὅδ᾽, εἰ μὴ ἐγὼ κἀγὼ μ᾿ ἐγὼ κακὸς κακὸς γνώμην ἔφυν,
910

προδούς μ' ἔοικε ἔοικεν ἔοικε κἀκλιπὼν τὸν πλοῦν στελεῖν.

ΝΕ.

λιπὼν μὲν οὐκ ἔγωγε, λυπηρῶς δὲ μὴ

πέμπω πέμπων σε μᾶλλον, τοῦτ᾽ ἀνιῶμαι πάλαι πάλιν πολλά πάλαι.

ΦΙ.

τί ποτε λέγεις, ὦ τέκνον; ὡς οὐ μανθάνω.

ΦΙΛΟΚΤΗΤΗΣ.

ΝΕ.

οὐδέν σε κρύψω· δεῖ γὰρ ἐς Τροίαν σε πλεῖν
915

πρὸς τοὺς ᾿Αχαιοὺς καὶ τὸν τῶν τὸν ᾿Ατρειδῶν στόλον στόλων στόλον.

ΦΙ.

οἴμοι, τί τί γ' εἶπας ;

NE.

μὴ στέναξε, πρὶν μάθῃς.

ΦΙ.

ποῖον μάθημα; τί με νοεῖς δρᾶσαί δρασαι ποτε;

ΝΕ.

σῶσαι κακοῦ μὲν πρῶτα τοῦδ᾽, ἔπειτα δὲ

ξὺν σοὶ τὰ Τροίας πεδία πορθῆσαι μολών.
920

ΦΙ.

καὶ ταῦτ᾽ ἀληθῆ δρᾶν νοεῖς ;

NE.

πολλὴ κρατεῖ

τούτων ἀνάγκη· καὶ σὺ μὴ θυμοῦ κλύων.

ΦΙ.

ἀπόλωλα τλήμων, προδίδομαι. τί μ', ὦ ξένε,

δέδρακας ; ἀπόδος ὡς τάχος τὰ τὰ τόξα μοι.

ΝΕ.

ἀλλ᾽ οὐχ οἷόν τε· τῶν γὰρ ἐν τέλει κλύειν
925

τό τ᾽ ἔνδικόν με καὶ τὸ συμφέρον ποιεῖ ποεῖν ποιεῖ ποεῖ.

ΦΙ.

Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 827-864 focus

Χορός

Ὕπνʼ ὀδύνας ἀδαής, Ὕπνε δʼ ἀλγέων,

εὐαὲς ἡμῖν ἔλθοις,

εὐαίων εὐαίων, ὦναξ·

ὄμμασι δʼ ἀντίσχοις
830

τάνδʼ αἴγλαν, ἃ τέταται τανῦν.

ἴθι ἴθι μοι παιών.

ὦ τέκνον, ὅρα ποῦ στάσει,

ποῖ δέ μοι τἀνθένδε βάσει,

φροντίδος. ὁρᾷς ἤδη.
835

πρὸς τί μενοῦμεν πράσσειν;

καιρός τοι πάντων γνώμαν ἴσχων

πολύ τι πολὺ παρὰ πόδα κράτος ἄρνυται.

839

Νεοπτόλεμος

ἀλλʼ ὅδε μὲν κλύει οὐδέν, ἐγὼ δʼ ὁρῶ οὕνεκα θήραν

τήνδʼ ἁλίως ἔχομεν τόξων, δίχα τοῦδε πλέοντες.
840

τοῦδε γὰρ ὁ στέφανος, τοῦτον θεὸς εἶπε κομίζειν.

κομπεῖν δʼ ἔστʼ ἀτελῆ σὺν ψεύδεσιν αἰσχρὸν ὄνειδος.

843

Χορός

ἀλλά, τέκνον, τάδε μὲν θεὸς ὄψεται·

ὧν δʼ ἂν ἀμείβῃ μʼ αὖθις,

βαιάν μοι, βαιάν, ὦ τέκνον,
845

πέμπε λόγων φάμαν·

ὡς πάντων ἐν νόσῳ εὐδρακὴς

ὕπνος ἄϋπνος λεύσσειν.

ἀλλʼ ὅτι δύνᾳ μάκιστον

κεῖνο δή μοι κεῖνο λάθρᾳ
850

ἐξιδοῦ ὅπᾳ πράξεις.

οἶσθα γὰρ ἃν αὐδῶμαι,

εἰ ταύταν τούτων γνώμαν ἴσχεις,

μάλα τοι ἄπορα πυκινοῖς ἐνιδεῖν πάθη.

855

Χορός

οὖρός τοι, τέκνον, οὖρος·
855

ἁνὴρ δʼ ἀνόμματος οὐδʼ ἔχων

ἀρωγὰν ἐκτέταται νύχιος,

ʽἁ̓λεὴς ὕπνος ἐσθλός,ʼ

οὐ χερός, οὐ ποδός, οὔ τινος ἄρχων,
860

ἀλλά τις ὡς Ἀΐδᾳ παρακείμενος.

ὅρα, βλέπʼ εἰ καίρια

φθέγγει· τὸ δʼ ἁλώσιμον

ἐμᾷ φροντίδι, παῖ,

πόνος ὁ μὴ φοβῶν κράτιστος.

Νεοπτόλεμος

σιγᾶν κελεύω μηδʼ ἀφεστάναι φρενῶν·
865

κινεῖ γὰρ ἁνὴρ ὄμμα κἀνάγει κάρα.

Φιλοκτήτης

ὦ φέγγος ὕπνου διάδοχον τό τʼ ἐλπίδων

ἄπιστον οἰκούρημα τῶνδε τῶν ξένων.

οὐ γάρ ποτʼ, ὦ παῖ, τοῦτʼ ἂν ἐξηύχησʼ ἐγώ,

τλῆναί σʼ ἐλεινῶς ὧδε τἀμὰ πήματα
870

μεῖναι παρόντα καὶ ξυνωφελοῦντά μοι.

οὔκουν Ἀτρεῖδαι τοῦτʼ ἔτλησαν εὐφόρως

οὕτως ἐνεγκεῖν, ἁγαθοὶ στρατηλάται.

ἀλλʼ εὐγενὴς γὰρ ἡ φύσις κἀξ εὐγενῶν,

ὦ τέκνον, ἡ σή, πάντα ταῦτʼ ἐν εὐχερεῖ
875

ἔθου, βοῆς τε καὶ δυσοσμίας γέμων.

καὶ νῦν ἐπειδὴ τοῦδε τοῦ κακοῦ δοκεῖ

λήθη τις εἶναι κἀνάπαυλα δή, τέκνον,

σύ μʼ αὐτὸς ἆρον, σύ με κατάστησον, τέκνον,

ἵνʼ, ἡνίκʼ ἂν κόπος μʼ ἀπαλλάξῃ ποτέ,
880

ὁρμώμεθʼ ἐς ναῦν μηδʼ ἐπίσχωμεν τὸ πλεῖν.

Νεοπτόλεμος

ἀλλʼ ἥδομαι μέν σʼ εἰσιδὼν παρʼ ἐλπίδα

ἀνώδυνον βλέποντα κἀμπνέοντʼ ἔτι·

ὡς οὐκέτʼ ὄντος γὰρ τὰ συμβόλαιά σου

πρὸς τὰς παρούσας ξυμφορὰς ἐφαίνετο.
885

νῦν δʼ αἶρε σαυτόν· εἰ δέ σοι μᾶλλον φίλον,

οἴσουσί σʼ οἵδε· τοῦ πόνου γὰρ οὐκ ὄκνος,

ἐπείπερ οὕτω σοί τʼ ἔδοξʼ ἐμοί τε δρᾶν.

Φιλοκτήτης

αἰνῶ τάδʼ, ὦ παῖ, καί μʼ ἔπαιρʼ, ὥσπερ νοεῖς·

τούτους δʼ ἔασον, μὴ βαρυνθῶσιν κακῇ
890

ὀσμῇ πρὸ τοῦ δέοντος· οὑπὶ νηὶ γὰρ

ἅλις πόνος τούτοισι συνναίειν ἐμοί.

893

Νεοπτόλεμος

ἔσται τάδʼ· ἀλλʼ ἵστω τε καὐτὸς ἀντέχου.

Φιλοκτήτης

θάρσει· τό τοι σύνηθες ὀρθώσει μʼ ἔθος.

Νεοπτόλεμος

παπαῖ· τί δῆτʼ ἂν δρῷμʼ ἐγὼ τοὐνθένδε γε;
895

Φιλοκτήτης

τί δʼ ἔστιν, ὦ παῖ; ποῖ ποτʼ ἐξέβης λόγῳ;

Νεοπτόλεμος

οὐκ οἶδʼ ὅποι χρὴ τἄπορον τρέπειν ἔπος.

Φιλοκτήτης

ἀπορεῖς δὲ τοῦ σύ; μὴ λέγʼ, ὦ τέκνον, τάδε.

Νεοπτόλεμος

ἀλλʼ ἐνθάδʼ ἤδη τοῦδε τοῦ πάθους κυρῶ.

Φιλοκτήτης

οὐ δή σε δυσχέρεια τοῦ νοσήματος
900

ἔπεισεν ὥστε μή μʼ ἄγειν ναύτην ἔτι;

Νεοπτόλεμος

ἅπαντα δυσχέρεια, τὴν αὑτοῦ φύσιν

ὅταν λιπών τις δρᾷ τὰ μὴ προσεικότα.

Φιλοκτήτης

ἀλλʼ οὐδὲν ἔξω τοῦ φυτεύσαντος σύ γε

δρᾷς οὐδὲ φωνεῖς, ἐσθλὸν ἄνδρʼ ἐπωφελῶν.
905

Νεοπτόλεμος

αἰσχρὸς φανοῦμαι· τοῦτʼ ἀνιῶμαι πάλαι.

Φιλοκτήτης

οὔκουν ἐν οἷς γε δρᾷς· ἐν οἷς δʼ αὐδᾷς ὀκνῶ.

Νεοπτόλεμος

ὦ Ζεῦ, τί δράσω; δεύτερον ληφθῶ κακός,

κρύπτων θʼ ἃ μὴ δεῖ καὶ λέγων αἴσχιστʼ ἐπῶν;

Φιλοκτήτης

ἁνὴρ ὅδʼ, εἰ μὴ ʼγὼ κακὸς γνώμων ἔφυν,
910

προδούς μʼ ἔοικε κἀκλιπὼν τὸν πλοῦν στελεῖν.

Νεοπτόλεμος

λιπὼν μὲν οὐκ ἔγωγε· λυπηρῶς δὲ μὴ

πέμπω σε μᾶλλον, τοῦτʼ ἀνιῶμαι πάλαι.

Φιλοκτήτης

τί ποτε λέγεις, ὦ τέκνον; ὡς οὐ μανθάνω.

Νεοπτόλεμος

οὐδέν σε κρύψω· δεῖ γὰρ ἐς Τροίαν σε πλεῖν
915

πρὸς τοὺς Ἀχαιοὺς καὶ τὸν Ἀτρειδῶν στόλον.

Φιλοκτήτης

οἴμοι, τί εἶπας;

Νεοπτόλεμος

μὴ στέναζε, πρὶν μάθῃς.

Φιλοκτήτης

ποῖον μάθημα; τί με νοεῖς δρᾶσαί ποτε;

Νεοπτόλεμος

σῶσαι κακοῦ μὲν πρῶτα τοῦδʼ, ἔπειτα δὲ

ξὺν σοὶ τὰ Τροίας πεδία πορθῆσαι μολών.
920

Φιλοκτήτης

καὶ ταῦτʼ ἀληθῆ δρᾶν νοεῖς;

Νεοπτόλεμος

πολλὴ κρατεῖ

τούτων ἀνάγκη, καὶ σὺ μὴ θυμοῦ κλύων.

Φιλοκτήτης

ἀπόλωλα τλήμων, προδέδομαι. τί μʼ, ὦ ξένε,

δέδρακας; ἀπόδος ὡς τάχος τὰ τόξα μοι.

Νεοπτόλεμος

ἀλλʼ οὐχ οἷόν τε· τῶν γὰρ ἐν τέλει κλύειν
925

τό τʼ ἔνδικόν με καὶ τὸ συμφέρον ποεῖ.

927

Φιλοκτήτης

ὦ πῦρ σὺ καὶ πᾶν δεῖμα καὶ πανουργίας

δεινῆς τέχνημʼ ἔχθιστον, οἷά μʼ εἰργάσω,

οἷʼ ἠπάτηκας· οὐδʼ ἐπαισχύνει μʼ ὁρῶν

τὸν προστρόπαιον, τὸν ἱκέτην, ὦ σχέτλιε;
930

ἀπεστέρηκας τὸν βίον τὰ τόξʼ ἑλών.

ἀπόδος, ἱκνοῦμαί σʼ, ἀπόδος, ἱκετεύω, τέκνον·

πρὸς θεῶν πατρῴων, τὸν βίον με μὴ ἀφέλῃ.

ὤμοι τάλας. ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ προσφωνεῖ μʼ ἔτι,

ἀλλʼ ὡς μεθήσων μήποθʼ, ὧδʼ ὁρᾷ πάλιν.
935

ὦ λιμένες, ὦ προβλῆτες, ὦ ξυνουσίαι

θηρῶν ὀρείων, ὦ καταρρῶγες πέτραι,

ὑμῖν τάδʼ, οὐ γὰρ ἄλλον οἶδʼ ὅτῳ λέγω,

ἀνακλαίομαι παροῦσι τοῖς εἰωθόσιν,

οἷʼ ἔργʼ ὁ παῖς μʼ ἔδρασεν οὑξ Ἀχιλλέως·
940

ὀμόσας ἀπάξειν οἴκαδʼ, ἐς Τροίαν μʼ ἄγει·

προσθείς τε χεῖρα δεξιάν, τὰ τόξα μου

ἱερὰ λαβὼν τοῦ Ζηνὸς Ἡρακλέους ἔχει,

καὶ τοῖσιν Ἀργείοισι φήνασθαι θέλει·

ὡς ἄνδρʼ ἑλὼν ἰσχυρόν ἐκ βίας μʼ ἄγει,
945

κοὐκ οἶδʼ ἐναίρων νεκρὸν ἢ καπνοῦ σκιάν,

εἴδωλον ἄλλως· οὐ γὰρ ἂν σθένοντά γε

εἷλέν μʼ· ἐπεὶ οὐδʼ ἂν ὧδʼ ἔχοντʼ, εἰ μὴ δόλῳ.

νῦν δʼ ἠπάτημαι δύσμορος. τί χρή με δρᾶν;

ἀλλʼ ἀπόδος, ἀλλὰ νῦν ἔτʼ ἐν σαυτῷ γενοῦ.
950

τί φής; σιωπᾷς; οὐδέν εἰμʼ ὁ δύσμορος.

ὦ σχῆμα πέτρας δίπυλον, αὖθις αὖ πάλιν

εἴσειμι πρὸς σὲ ψιλός, οὐκ ἔχων τροφήν·

ἀλλʼ αὐανοῦμαι τῷδʼ ἐν αὐλίῳ μόνος,

οὐ πτηνὸν ὄρνιν οὐδὲ θῆρʼ ὀρειβάτην
955

τόξοις ἐναίρων τοισίδʼ, ἀλλʼ αὐτὸς τάλας

θανὼν παρέξω δαῖθʼ ὑφʼ ὧν ἐφερβόμην,

καί μʼ οὓς ἐθήρων πρόσθε θηράσουσι νῦν·

φόνον φόνου δὲ ῥύσιον τίσω τάλας

πρὸς τοῦ δοκοῦντος οὐδὲν εἰδέναι κακόν.
960

ὄλοιο—μή πω, πρὶν μάθοιμʼ εἰ καὶ πάλιν

γνώμην μετοίσεις· εἰ δὲ μή, θάνοις κακῶς.

963

Χορός

τί δρῶμεν; ἐν σοὶ καὶ τὸ πλεῖν ἡμᾶς, ἄναξ,

ἤδη ʼστὶ καὶ τοῖς τοῦδε προσχωρεῖν λόγοις.

Νεοπτόλεμος

ἐμοὶ μὲν οἶκτος δεινὸς ἐμπέπτωκέ τις
965

τοῦδʼ ἀνδρὸς οὐ νῦν πρῶτον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάλαι.

Φιλοκτήτης

ἐλέησον, ὦ παῖ, πρὸς θεῶν, καὶ μὴ παρῇς

σαυτοῦ βροτοῖς ὄνειδος, ἐκκλέψας ἐμέ.

Νεοπτόλεμος

οἴμοι, τί δράσω; μή ποτʼ ὤφελον λιπεῖν

τὴν Σκῦρον· οὕτω τοῖς παροῦσιν ἄχθομαι.
970

Φιλοκτήτης

οὐκ εἶ κακὸς σύ, πρὸς κακῶν δʼ ἀνδρῶν μαθὼν

ἔοικας ἥκειν αἰσχρά· νῦν δʼ ἄλλοισι δοὺς

οἷς εἰκὸς ἔκπλει, τἀμά μοι μεθεὶς ὅπλα.

Νεοπτόλεμος

τί δρῶμεν, ἄνδρες;

Ὀδυσσεύς

ὦ κάκιστʼ ἀνδρῶν, τί δρᾷς;

οὐκ εἶ μεθεὶς τὰ τόξα ταῦτʼ ἐμοὶ πάλιν;
975

Φιλοκτήτης

οἴμοι, τίς ἁνήρ; ἆρʼ Ὀδυσσέως κλύω;

Ὀδυσσεύς

Ὀδυσσέως, σάφʼ ἴσθʼ, ἐμοῦ γʼ, ὃν εἰσορᾷς.

Φιλοκτήτης

οἴμοι· πέπραμαι κἀπόλωλʼ· ὅδʼ ἦν ἄρα

ὁ ξυλλαβών με κἀπονοσφίσας ὅπλων.

Ὀδυσσεύς

ἐγώ, σάφʼ ἴσθʼ, οὐκ ἄλλος· ὁμολογῶ τάδε.
980

Φιλοκτήτης

ἀπόδος, ἄφες μοι, παῖ, τὰ τόξα.

Ὀδυσσεύς

τοῦτο μέν,

οὐδʼ ἢν θέλῃ, δράσει ποτʼ· ἀλλὰ καὶ σὲ δεῖ

στείχειν ἅμʼ αὐτοῖς, ἢ βίᾳ στελοῦσί σε.

Φιλοκτήτης

ἔμʼ, ὦ κακῶν κάκιστε καὶ τολμήστατε,

οἵδʼ ἐκ βίας ἄξουσιν;
985

Ὀδυσσεύς

ἢν μὴ ἕρπῃς ἑκών.

Φιλοκτήτης

ὦ Λημνία χθὼν καὶ τὸ παγκρατὲς σέλας

Ἡφαιστότευκτον, ταῦτα δῆτʼ ἀνασχετά,

εἴ μʼ οὗτος ἐκ τῶν σῶν ἀπάξεται βίᾳ;

Ὀδυσσεύς

Ζεύς ἐσθʼ, ἵνʼ εἰδῇς, Ζεύς, ὁ τῆσδε γῆς κρατῶν,

Ζεύς, ᾧ δέδοκται ταῦθʼ· ὑπηρετῶ δʼ ἐγώ.
990

Φιλοκτήτης

ὦ μῖσος, οἷα κἀξανευρίσκεις λέγειν·

θεοὺς προτείνων τοὺς θεοὺς ψευδεῖς τίθης.

Ὀδυσσεύς

οὔκ, ἀλλʼ ἀληθεῖς· ἡ δʼ ὁδὸς πορευτέα.

Φιλοκτήτης

οὔ φημʼ.

Ὀδυσσεύς

ἐγὼ δέ φημι. πειστέον τάδε.

Φιλοκτήτης

οἴμοι τάλας. ἡμᾶς μὲν ὡς δούλους σαφῶς
995

πατὴρ ἄρʼ ἐξέφυσεν οὐδʼ ἐλευθέρους.

Ὀδυσσεύς

οὔκ, ἀλλʼ ὁμοίους τοῖς ἀρίστοισιν, μεθʼ ὧν

Τροίαν σʼ ἑλεῖν δεῖ καὶ κατασκάψαι βίᾳ.

Φιλοκτήτης

οὐδέποτέ γʼ· οὐδʼ ἢν χρῇ με πᾶν παθεῖν κακόν,

ἕως ἂν ᾖ μοι γῆς τόδʼ αἰπεινὸν βάθρον.
1000

Ὀδυσσεύς

τί δʼ ἐργασείεις;

Φιλοκτήτης

κρᾶτʼ ἐμὸν τόδʼ αὐτίκα

πέτρᾳ πέτρας ἄνωθεν αἱμάξω πεσών.

Ὀδυσσεύς

ξυλλάβετον αὐτόν· μὴ ʼπὶ τῷδʼ ἔστω τάδε.

1004

Φιλοκτήτης

ὦ χεῖρες, οἷα πάσχετʼ ἐν χρείᾳ φίλης

νευρᾶς, ὑπʼ ἀνδρὸς τοῦδε συνθηρώμεναι.
1005

ὦ μηδὲν ὑγιὲς μηδʼ ἐλεύθερον φρονῶν,

οἷʼ αὖ μʼ ὑπῆλθες, ὥς μʼ ἐθηράσω, λαβὼν

πρόβλημα σαυτοῦ παῖδα τόνδʼ ἀγνῶτʼ ἐμοί,

ἀνάξιον μὲν σοῦ, κατάξιον δʼ ἐμοῦ,

ὃς οὐδὲν ᾔδει πλὴν τὸ προσταχθὲν ποεῖν,
1010

δῆλος δὲ καὶ νῦν ἐστιν ἀλγεινῶς φέρων

οἷς τʼ αὐτὸς ἐξήμαρτεν οἷς τʼ ἐγὼ ʼπαθον.

ἀλλʼ ἡ κακὴ σὴ διὰ μυχῶν βλέπουσʼ ἀεὶ

ψυχή νιν ἀφυῆ τʼ ὄντα κοὐ θέλονθʼ ὅμως

εὖ προυδίδαξεν ἐν κακοῖς εἶναι σοφόν.
1015

καὶ νῦν ἔμʼ, ὦ δύστηνε, συνδήσας νοεῖς

ἄγειν ἀπʼ ἀκτῆς τῆσδʼ, ἐν ᾗ με προυβάλου

ἄφιλον ἔρημον ἄπολιν, ἐν ζῶσιν νεκρόν. φεῦ.

ὄλοιο· καί σοι πολλάκις τόδʼ ηὐξάμην.

ἀλλʼ οὐ γὰρ οὐδὲν θεοὶ νέμουσιν ἡδύ μοι,
1020

σὺ μὲν γέγηθας ζῶν, ἐγὼ δʼ ἀλγύνομαι

τοῦτʼ αὔθʼ, ὅτι ζῶ σὺν κακοῖς πολλοῖς τάλας,

γελώμενος πρὸς σοῦ τε καὶ τῶν Ἀτρέως

διπλῶν στρατηγῶν, οἷς σὺ ταῦθʼ ὑπηρετεῖς.

καίτοι σὺ μὲν κλοπῇ τε κἀνάγκῃ ζυγεὶς
1025

ἔπλεις ἅμʼ αὐτοῖς, ἐμὲ δὲ τὸν πανάθλιον,

ἑκόντα πλεύσανθʼ ἑπτὰ ναυσὶ ναυβάτην,

ἄτιμον ἔβαλον, ὡς σὺ φής, κεῖνοι δὲ σέ.

καὶ νῦν τί μʼ ἄγετε; τί μʼ ἀπάγεσθε; τοῦ χάριν;

ὃς οὐδέν εἰμι καὶ τέθνηχʼ ὑμῖν πάλαι.
1030

πῶς, ὦ θεοῖς ἔχθιστε, νῦν οὐκ εἰμί σοι

χωλός, δυσώδης; πῶς θεοῖς ἔξεσθʼ, ὁμοῦ

πλεύσαντος αἴθειν ἱερά; πῶς σπένδειν ἔτι;

αὕτη γὰρ ἦν σοι πρόφασις ἐκβαλεῖν ἐμέ.

κακῶς ὄλοισθʼ· ὀλεῖσθε δʼ ἠδικηκότες
1035

τὸν ἄνδρα τόνδε, θεοῖσιν εἰ δίκης μέλει.

ἔξοιδα δʼ ὡς μέλει γʼ· ἐπεὶ οὔποτʼ ἂν στόλον

ἐπλεύσατʼ ἂν τόνδʼ εἵνεκʼ ἀνδρὸς ἀθλίου,

εἰ μή τι κέντρον θεῖον ἦγʼ ὑμᾶς ἐμοῦ.

ἀλλʼ, ὦ πατρῴα γῆ θεοί τʼ ἐπόψιοι,
1040

τίσασθε τίσασθʼ ἀλλὰ τῷ χρόνῳ ποτὲ

ξύμπαντας αὐτούς, εἴ τι κἄμʼ οἰκτίρετε·

ὡς ζῶ μὲν οἰκτρῶς, εἰ δʼ ἴδοιμʼ ὀλωλότας

τούτους, δοκοῖμʼ ἂν τῆς νόσου πεφευγέναι.

1045

Χορός

βαρύς τε καὶ βαρεῖαν ὁ ξένος φάτιν
1045

τήνδʼ εἶπʼ, Ὀδυσσεῦ, κοὐχ ὑπείκουσαν κακοῖς.

Ὀδυσσεύς

πόλλʼ ἂν λέγειν ἔχοιμι πρὸς τὰ τοῦδʼ ἔπη,

εἴ μοι παρείκοι· νῦν δʼ ἑνὸς κρατῶ λόγου.

οὗ γὰρ τοιούτων δεῖ, τοιοῦτός εἰμʼ ἐγώ·

χὤπου δικαίων κἀγαθῶν ἀνδρῶν κρίσις,
1050

οὐκ ἂν λάβοις μου μᾶλλον οὐδένʼ εὐσεβῆ.

νικᾶν γε μέντοι πανταχοῦ χρῄζων ἔφυν,

πλὴν εἰς σέ· νῦν δὲ σοί γʼ ἑκὼν ἐκστήσομαι.

ἄφετε γὰρ αὐτὸν μηδὲ προσψαύσητʼ ἔτι·

ἐᾶτε μίμνειν. οὐδὲ σοῦ προσχρῄζομεν,
1055

τά γʼ ὅπλʼ ἔχοντες ταῦτʼ, ἐπεὶ πάρεστι μὲν

Τεῦκρος παρʼ ἡμῖν, τήνδʼ ἐπιστήμην ἔχων,

ἐγώ θʼ, ὃς οἶμαι σοῦ κάκιον οὐδὲν ἂν

τούτων κρατύνειν, μηδʼ ἐπιθύνειν χερί.

τί δῆτα σοῦ δεῖ; χαῖρε τὴν Λῆμνον πατῶν·
1060

ἡμεῖς δʼ ἴωμεν, καὶ τάχʼ ἂν τὸ σὸν γέρας

τιμὴν ἐμοὶ νείμειεν, ἣν σὲ χρῆν ἔχειν.

Φιλοκτήτης

οἴμοι· τί δράσω δύσμορος; σὺ τοῖς ἐμοῖς

ὅπλοισι κοσμηθεὶς ἐν Ἀργείοις φανεῖ;

Ὀδυσσεύς

μή μʼ ἀντιφώνει μηδέν, ὡς στείχοντα δή.
1065

Φιλοκτήτης

ὦ σπέρμʼ Ἀχιλλέως, οὐδὲ σοῦ φωνῆς ἔτι

γενήσομαι προσφθεγκτός, ἀλλʼ οὕτως ἄπει;

Ὀδυσσεύς

χώρει σύ· μὴ πρόσλευσσε, γενναῖός περ ὤν,

ἡμῶν ὅπως μὴ τὴν τύχην διαφθερεῖς.

Φιλοκτήτης

ἦ καὶ πρὸς ὑμῶν ὧδʼ ἔρημος, ὦ ξένοι,
1070

λειφθήσομαι δὴ κοὐκ ἐποικτερεῖτέ με;

Χορός

ὅδʼ ἐστὶν ἡμῶν ναυκράτωρ ὁ παῖς· ὅσʼ ἂν

οὗτος λέγῃ σοι, ταῦτά σοι χἠμεῖς φαμέν.

Νεοπτόλεμος

ἀκούσομαι μὲν ὡς ἔφυν οἴκτου πλέως

πρὸς τοῦδʼ· ὅμως δὲ μείνατʼ, εἰ τούτῳ δοκεῖ,
1075

χρόνον τοσοῦτον, εἰς ὅσον τά τʼ ἐκ νεὼς

στείλωσι ναῦται καὶ θεοῖς εὐξώμεθα.

χοὖτος τάχʼ ἂν φρόνησιν ἐν τούτῳ λάβοι

λῴω τινʼ ἡμῖν. νὼ μὲν οὖν ὁρμώμεθον,

ὑμεῖς δʼ, ὅταν καλῶμεν, ὁρμᾶσθαι ταχεῖς.
1080

Translations (5)

English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 782 focus

Ah! but I fear, my son, thy prayer is vain:

For welling yet again from depths within,

This gory ooze is dripping. It will come!

I know it will. O, foot, torn helpless thing,
785

What wilt thou do to me? Ah! ah! It comes,

It is at hand. ’Tis here! Woe’s me, undone!

I have shown you all. Stay near me. Go not far:

Ah! ah!

O island king, I would this agony
790

Might cleave thy bosom through and through! Woe, woe!

Woe! Ah! ye two commanders of the host,

Agamemnon, Menelaüs, O that ye,

Another ten years’ durance in my room
795

Might nurse this malady! O Death, Death, Death!

I call thee daily—wilt thou never come?

Will it not be?—My son, thou noble boy,

If thou art noble, take and burn me there

Aloft in yon all-worshipped Lemnian fire!
800

Yea, when the bow thou keep’st was my reward,

I did like service for the child of Heaven.

How now, my son?

What say’st? Art silent? Where—where art thou, boy?

NEO

My heart is full, and groaning o’er thy woes.

PHI

Nay, yet have comfort. This affliction oft

Goes no less swiftly than it came. I pray thee,

Stand fast and leave me not alone!

NEO

Fear nought.
810

We will not stir.
810

PHI

Wilt thou remain?

NEO

Be sure of it.

PHI

I’ll not degrade thee with an oath, my son.

NEO

Rest satisfied. I may not go without thee.

PHI

Thy hand, to pledge me that!

NEO

There, I will stay.

PHI

Now, now, aloft!

NEO

Where mean’st thou?

PHI

Yonder aloft!

NEO

Whither? Thou rav’st. Why starest thou at the sky?
815

PHI

Now, let me go.

NEO

Where?

PHI

Let me go, I say!

NEO

I will not.

PHI

You will kill me. Let me go!

NEO

Well, thou know’st best I hold thee not.

PHI

O Earth,

I die. receive me to thy breast! This pain

Subdues me utterly, I cannot stand.
820

NEO

Methinks he will be fast in slumber soon

That head sinks backward, and a clammy sweat

Bathes all his limbs, while from his foot hath burst

A vein, dark bleeding. Let us leave him, friends,

In quietness, till he hath fallen to sleep.

CHORUS
CHORUS

Lord of the happiest life,

Sleep, thou that know’st not strife,

That know’st not grief,

Still wafting sure relief,

Come, saviour now!
830

Thy healing balm is spread

Over this pain worn head,

Quench not the beam that gives calm to his brow.

Look, O my lord, to thy path,

Either to go or to stay

How is my thought to proceed?
835

What is our cause for delay?
835

Look! Opportunity’s power,

Fitting the task to the hour,

Giveth the race to the swift.

NEO

He hears not. But I see that to have ta’en

His bow without him were a bootless gain

He must sail with us. So the god hath said
840

Heaven hath decreed this garland for his head:

And to have failed with falsehood were a meed

Of shameful soilure for a shameless deed.

CH

God shall determine the end—

But for thine answer, friend,

Waft soft words low!

All sick men’s sleep, we know,
845

Hath open eye;

Their quickly ruffling mind

Quivers in lightest wind,

Sleepless in slumber new danger to spy.

Think, O my lord, of thy path,

Secretly look forth afar,
850

What wilt thou do for thy need?

How with the wise wilt thou care?

If toward the nameless thy heart

Chooseth this merciful part,

Huge are the dangers that drift.
855

The wind is fair, my son, the wind is fair,

The man is dark and helpless, stretched in night.

(O kind, warm sleep that calmest human care!)

Powerless of hand and foot and ear and sight,

Blind, as one lying in the house of death.

(Think well if here thou utterest timely breath.)
860

This, O my son, is all my thought can find,

Best are the toils that without frightening bind.

NEO

Hush! One word more were madness. He revives.
865

His eye hath motion. He uplifts his head.

PHI

Fair daylight following sleep, and ye, dear friends,

Faithful beyond all hope in tending me!

I never could have dreamed that thou, dear youth,

Couldst thus have borne my sufferings and stood near

So full of pity to relieve my pain.
870

Not so the worthy generals of the host;—

This princely patience was not theirs to show.

Only thy noble nature, nobly sprung,

Made light of all the trouble, though oppressed

With fetid odours and unceasing cries.
875

And now, since this my plague would seem to yield

Some pause and brief forgetfulness of pain,

With thine own hand, my son, upraise me here,

And set me on my feet, that, when my strength

After exhaustion shall return again,
880

We may move shoreward and launch forth with speed.

NEO

I feel unhoped-for gladness when I see

Thy painless gaze, and hear thy living breath,

For thine appearance and surroundings both

Were deathlike. But arise! Or, if thou wilt,
885

These men shall raise thee. For they will not shrink

From toil which thou and I at once enjoin.

PHI

Right, right, my son! But lift me thine own self,

As I am sure thou meanest. Let these be,

Lest they be burdened with the noisome smell
890

Before the time. Enough for them to bear

The trouble on board.

NEO

I will; stand up, endure!

PHI

Fear not. Old habit will enable me.

NEO

O me!
895

What shall I do? Now ’tis my turn to exclaim!
895

PHI

What canst thou mean? What change is here, my son?

NEO

I know not how to shift the troublous word.

’Tis hopeless.

PHI

What is hopeless? Speak not so,

Dear child!

NEO

But so my wretched lot hath fallen.

PHI

Ah! Can it be, the offence of my disease
900

Hath moved thee not to take me now on board?

NEO

All is offence to one who hath forced himself

From the true bent to an unbecoming deed.

PHI

Nought misbecoming to thyself or sire

Doest thou or speak’st, befriending a good man.
905

NEO

My baseness will appear. That wrings my soul.

PHI

Not in thy deeds. But for thy words, I fear me!

NEO

O Heaven! Must double vileness then be mine

Both shameful silence and most shameful speech?

PHI

Or my discernment is at fault, or thou
910

Mean’st to betray me and make voyage without me.

NEO

Nay, not without thee, there is my distress!

Lest I convey thee to thy bitter grief.

PHI

How? How, dear youth? I do not understand.

NEO

Here I unveil it. Thou art to sail to Troy,
915

To join the chieftains and the Achaean host.

PHI

What do I hear? Ah!

NEO

Grieve not till you learn.

PHI

Learn what? What wilt thou make of me? What mean’st thou?

NEO

First to release thee from this plague, and then

With thee to go and take the realm of Troy.
920

PHI

And is this thine intent?

NEO

’Tis so ordained

Unchangeably. Be not dismayed! ’Tis so.

PHI

Me miserable! I am betrayed, undone!

What guile is here? My bow! give back my bow!

NEO

I may not. Interest, and duty too,
925

Force me to obey commandment.

PHI

German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 782 focus

Ich fürchte, Jüngling, dein Gebet wird eitel sein:

Denn wieder quillt aus tiefer Wunde mir das Blut

In dunkeln Tropfen, und mir ahnt ein neuer Sturm.
755

weh! Ach!

Weh, wehe, Fuß! Ha, welche Marter schaffst du mir!

Es schleicht her,

Es dringt heran stets näher; weh mir Armen, weh!

Da seht ihr Alles; aber, ach, flieht nicht von mir!
760

Ah, ah, ah!

Kephallener, möchte doch an deiner Brust

Durchbohrend hasten dieser Schmerz! Ach wehe, weh!

Ja, wehe nochmals! Und des Heers Anführer ihr,

Agamemnon und Menelaos, daß an meiner Statt
765

Ihr diese Krankheit nährtet, und gleich lange Zeit!

Weh, weh mir!

O Tod, o Tod! Du, den ich also jeden Tag

Ohn' Unterlaß anrufe, was erscheinst du nie?

Mein Trauter du, mein Edler, komm und fasse mich,
770

Verbrenne mich in Lemnos' Flammengluten dort,

Den oft von mir geruf'nen! Hab' ich selber doch

Dem Sohn Kronions ehemals für diese Wehr,

Die jezo du bewahrest, gleichen Dienst erzeigt.

sprich, Sohn! sprich!
775

Du schweigst? Wo waren deine Sinne, Kind?

Neoptolemos.

Schon lange leid' ich und bejammre dein Geschick.

Philoktetes.

Doch sei getrost auch, theures Kind; denn diese Qual

Ist immer heftig, wenn sie kommt, und scheidet schnell.

Nur Eines bitt' ich, laß allein mich nicht zurück.
780

Getrost! Ich bleibe.

Bleibst du?

Neoptolemos.

Traue meinem Wort.

Philoktetes.

Durch einen Eidschwur will ich dich nicht binden, Sohn.

Neoptolemos.

Ist, ohne dich zu kommen, mir doch nicht erlaubt.

Philoktetes.

Gib mir die Hand zum Pfande.

(ihm die Hand reichend)

Neoptolemos.

Nimm! Ich bleibe hier.

(seine Hand haltend, und nach der höher liegenden Felsenhöhle deutend)

Philoktetes.

Dorthin
785

ja dorthin
785

Neoptolemos.

Wie? Wohin?
785

Philoktetes.

Nach oben dort
785

Neoptolemos.

Wie sprichst du sinnlos, schaust die Sonne droben an?

Philoktetes.

laß mich, laß mich -

Neoptolemos.

Und wohin?

Philoktetes.

laß mich doch!

Neoptolemos.

Ich muß dich halten.

Philoktetes.

Dein Berühren tödtet mich.

(läßt seine Hand los)

Neoptolemos.

Nun, bist du deiner mehr bewußt, so lass' ich dich.

Philoktetes.

nimm mich, Erde, wie ich bin, den Sterbenden!
790

Denn nimmer aufrecht stehen läßt mich diese Qual.

(er sinkt zurück und entschlummert.)

Neoptolemos.

In kurzer Zeit, so scheint es, wird der Schlaf den Mann

Befallen: auf den Nacken sinkt sein Haupt zurück;

Herab in Tropfen quillt der Schweiß am ganzen Leib,

Und unterhalb am Fuße brach die Ader auf,
795

Das schwarze Blut ausströmend. Laßt, o Freunde, denn

Ihn ruhig liegen, daß er sinkt in süßen Schlaf.

Strophe.

Der Chor.

Schlummer, des Grams und der Sorge vergessender

Gott, sanft anhauchend erschein' uns,

Du Labsal unserem Dasein, komm!
800

Halte vom Aug' ihm fern

Dies Licht, das über der Erde wallt!

Erschein' uns, Heilbringer!

(zu Neoptolemos)

Du Jüngling, sich zu, wo du

Stehst, wohin du gehst, und was uns weiter
805

Zu thun sei! Schon weißt du's:

Was säumst du noch länger?

Die gelegene Zeit, Rath schaffend in Allem,

Gewinnt, rasch ergriffen, glorreichen Sieg.

Neoptolemos.

Wohl, er vernimmt nichts mehr. Doch glaube mir, daß wir des Bogens
810

Beute vergeblich errungen, entschiffen wir ohne den Mann hier.

Denn sein wartet der Kranz, ihn hieß uns bringen die Gottheit.

Unvollendeter That mit Lug sich zu rühmen, wie schmachvoll!

Gegenstrophe.

Der Chor.

Solches, o Jüngling, ordnen die Ewigen:

Doch, gibst du mir Antwort wieder,
815

Ganz leise nur, leise nur (hörst du, Kind?)

Sende zu mir dein Wort.

Denn schlaflos ist ja der Kranken Schlaf,

Und lauscht, und sieht Alles.

Doch suche, wähl' aufs Beste,
820

Spähe still und heimlich, sorgsam spähe

Mir, was du thun willst, aus.

Von wem ich hier rede,

Das weißt du ja: stimmt dein Wille zu seinem,

Entwirrt selbst ein Kluger solch Wirrsal kaum.
825
Schlußgesang.

Fahrwind athmet ja, Fahrwind,

Sohn! Hülflos liegt er und augenlos,

Der Mann hier, nächtlich im Schlafe gestreckt,

(Willkommener Schlaf uns!)

Weder der Hand noch dem Fuße gebeut er,
830

Nein, als läg' er im Schooße des Aïdes,

So blickt er. Sprich, was an der Zeit ist!

Dies eine nur, o Sohn, wurde mir klar:

Wagst du furchtlos, glückt die That wohl.

Neoptolemos.

Nun schweiget, sag' ich, seid gefaßt und unverzagt!
835

Der Mann bewegt die Augen und erhebt das Haupt.

(erwachend)

Philoktetes.

Licht, dem Schlummer folgend, und o treuer Schuz

Von diesen Fremden, über all Erwarten treu!

Denn nimmermehr, o Jüngling, hätt' ich das gedacht,

Daß du zurück hier bliebest und, ein Helfer mir,
840

So voll Erbarmen meine Noth abwartetest.

Das haben Atreus' Söhne ja, die trefflichen

Heerfürsten, auszudulden nicht den Muth gehabt.

Doch dein Gemüth ist edel, du bist edlen Stamms;

Deßhalb, o Kind, ertrugst du dieses Alles leicht,
845

Umringt von eklem Moderdust und Wehgeschrei.

Und jezo, weil mir süße Rast, ein linderndes

Vergessen dieser Schmerzen, Kind, zu kommen scheint,

Erhebe du mich, richte du mich auf, o Kind,

Daß wir, sobald mich endlich läßt die Mattigkeit,
850

Zum Schiffe gehen und sofort von dannen zieh'n.

Neoptolemos.

Wie freut mich's, athmend über mein Verhoffen dich

Und offnes Auges noch zu seh'n und sonder Schmerz,

Da bei dem Anfall, welcher dich gebunden hielt,

Uns alle Zeichen deinen Tod verkündeten!
855

Nun stehe selbst auf, oder, wenn dir's lieber ist,

Laß dich von diesen tragen; denn sie scheuen nicht

Die Mühe, wenn es also dir und mir gefällt.

Philoktetes.

Ich danke, Jüngling: hebe mich, wie dir's beliebt;

Doch diese laß nur, daß sie nicht der ekle Duft,
860

Bevor es sein muß, quäle; denn im Schiffe selbst

Bringt ihnen meine Gegenwart noch Qual genug.

(den Arm bietend)

Neoptolemos.

So sei es: doch nun stehe selbst und halte dich.

(sich aufrichtend)

Philoktetes.

Sei ruhig; langgeübter Brauch hat mich's gelehrt.

Neoptolemos.

Götter! Was beginnen, was nun weiter thun?
865

Philoktetes.

Was hast du? Wo gerathen deine Sinne hin?

Neoptolemos.

Das Wort versagt mir, und ich weiß nun keinen Rath.

Philoktetes.

Wo bist du rathlos? Rede mir nicht also, Kind.

Neoptolemos.

Doch mitten sind' ich mich bereits in solcher Noth.

Dich hat doch meines Uebels Last nicht umgestimmt,
870

Daß, mich an Bord zu nehmen, dich gereuen will?

Freund, Alles ist uns lästig, wenn wir, unsrer Art

Untreu geworden, üben, was uns nicht geziemt.

Philoktetes.

Doch nichts von deines Vaters Art Abweichendes

Thust oder sprichst du, wenn du hilfst dem edlen Mann.
875

Neoptolemos.

Schlecht werd' ich dastehn: dieses drückt mich lange schon.

Philoktetes.

In deinem Thun nicht, doch mir bangt, in deinem Wort.

Neoptolemos.

Zeus, was beginn' ich? Zeig' ich abermals mich schlecht,

Das Wahre bergend, schnöden Trug verkündigend?

Philoktetes.

Der Mann, berückt mich anders nicht ein falscher Wahn,
880

Zieht seines Weges und verläßt mich treulos hier.

Neoptolemos.

Mit nichten; aber daß du nicht zu deinem Leid

Mein Schiff besteigest, dieses drückt mich lange schon.

Philoktetes.

Wie meinst du das, o Jüngling? Ich verstehe nicht

Neoptolemos.

Nichts will ich bergen: Freund, du mußt nach Ilion
885

Zum Heer Achäa's und des Atreus Söhnen zieh'n.

Philoktetes.

Was sagst du? Weh mir!

Neoptolemos.

Samm're nicht, bevor du hörst -

Was soll ich hören? Was gedenkst du mir zu thun?

Ich will zuerst von deinem Uebel dich befrei'n,

Und dann mit dir die Troerveste stürzen geh'n.
890

Philoktetes.

Du denkst im Ernste das zu thun?

Neoptolemos.

Die strenge Noth

Gebeut mir also: zürne nicht, vernimmst du dies.

Philoktetes.

Ich bin verloren, bin verkauft! Was hast du mir

Gethan, o Fremdling? Mein Geschoß gib gleich zurück!

Neoptolemos.

Das ist unmöglich; denn die Pflicht und eignes Wohl
895

Heißt mich gehorsam achten auf der Herrscher Wort.

Philoktetes.

English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 782 focus

Receive them, son ; and let it be thy prayer

They bring not woes on thee, as they have done

To me and to Alcides.

Neoptolemus
[Gives him the how and a/rroics.

May the gods

Forbid it ever ! May they guide our course

And speed our prosperous sails !

Philoctetes

Alas ! my son,

I fear thy vows are vain. Behold my blood

Flows from the w^ound ? Oh ! how it pains me ! Now

It comes, it hastens ! Do not, do not leave me !

Oh ! that Ulysses felt this racking torture,

K'en to his inmost soul ! Again it comes !

Should not you bear these pangs as I have done 1

O death ! where art thou, death? so often called,

Wilt thou not listen ? wilt thou never come ?

Take thou the Lemnian fire, my generous friend,

Do me the same kind office which I did

For my Alcides. These are thy reward ;

He gave them to me. Thou alone deservest

The great inheritance. What says my friend ?

What says my dear preserver ] Oh ! where art thou ?

Neoptolemus
() Agamemnon ! Menelaus ! why

I mourn thy hapless fate.
810

Philoctetes

Be of good cheer,

Quick my disorder comes, and goes as soon ;

I only beg thee not to leave me here.

Neoptolemus

Depend on 't, I will stay.

Philoctetes

Wilt thou indeed ?

Neoptolemus

Trust me, I will.

Philoctetes

I need not bind thee to it

By oath.

Ned. Oh, no ! 'twere impious to forsake thee.

Philoctetes

Give me thy hand, and pledge thy faith.

Ned. I do.

Philoctetes

Thither, oh, thither lead !

Ned. What sayst thou ? where 1

Philoctetes
\Pointing up to heaven.

Above.

Neoptolemus

What, lost again ? Why lookst thou thus
815

On that bright circle 1
815

Philoctetes

Let me, let me go !

Neoptolemus

[lays hold o/him]. Where wouldst thou go ?

Philoctetes

Loose me.

Neoptolemus

I will not.

Philoctetes

Oh !

You'll kill me, if you do not.

Neoptolemus

[lets him go]. There, then ; now

Is thy mind better ?

Philoctetes

Oh ! receive me, earth !

Receive a dymg man. Here must I lie ;

For, oh ! my pain 's so great I cannot rise.
820

the entrance of the cave.
820

Neoptolemus
Scene II.

Chorus.

Neoptolemus

Sleep hath o'ertaken him. See, his head is lain

On the cold earth ; the balmy sweat thick drops

From every limb, and from the broken vein

Flows the warm blood ; let us indulge his slumbers.

INVOCATION TO SLEEP.

Sleep, thou patron of mankind,

Great physician of the mind,

Who dost nor pain nor sorrow know,
840

Sweetest balm of every woe,
840

Mildest sovereign, hear us now ;
840

Hear thy wretched suppliant's vow ;
840

His eyes in gentle slumbers close.
840

And continue his repose ;
840

Hear thy wretched suppliant's tow,
840

Great physician, hear us now.

And now, my son, what best may suit thy purpose

Consider well, and how we are to act.

What more can we expect? The time is come ;

For better far is opportunity

Seized at the lucky hour than all the counsels

Which wisdom dictates or which craft inspires.

Ned. He hears us not. But easy as it is

To gain the prize, it would avail us nothing

Were he not with us ? Phoebus hath reserved

For him alone the crown of victory ;

But thus to boast of what we could not do.

And break our word, were most disgraceful to us.

Chorus

The gods will guide us, fear it not, my son ;

But what thou sayst speak soft, for well thou knowst

The sick man's sleep is short. He may awake

And hear us ; therefore let us hide our purpose.

If then thou thinkst as he does — thou knowst whom—

This is the hour. At such a time, my son.

The wisest err. But mark me, the wind's fair.

And Philoctctes sleeps, void of all help —

Lame, impotent, unable to resist,

He is as one among the dead. E'en now

We'll take him with us. 'Twere an easy task.

Leave it to me, my son. There is no danger.

Ned. No more ! His eyes are open. See, he moves.

Philoctetes
Scene III.

[aioaking]. O fair returning light ! beyond

my hope ;

You too, my kind preservers ! O my son !

I could not think thou wouldst have stayed so long

In kind compassion to thy friend. Alas !

The Atridse never would have acted thus.

But noble is thy nature, and thy birth,

And therefore little did my wretchedness,

Nor from my wounds the noisome stench deter

Thy generous heart. I have a little respite ;

Help me, my son ! I'll try to rise ; this weakness

Will leave me soon, and then we'll go together.

Neoptolemus

I little thought to find thee thus restored.
865

Trust me, I joy to see thee free from pain.

And hear thee speak ; the marks of death were on thee.

Raise thyself up ; thy friends here, if thou wilt,

Shall carry thee, 'twill be no burthen to them

If we request it.

Philoctetes

No ; thy hand alone ;

I will not trouble them ; 'twill be enough
890

If they can bear with me and my distemper

When we embark.

Neoptolemus

Well, be it so ; but rise.

Philoctetes

[rising]. Oh ! never fear ; I'll rise as well as ever.

Neoptolemus
[Exeunt. ACT IV. Scene I.

How shall I act ?
895

Philoctetes

What says my son ?

Neoptolemus

Alas !

I know not what to say ; my doubtful mind

Philoctetes

Talked you of doubts? You did not surely.

Neoptolemus

Aye,

That's my misfortune.

Philoctetes

Is then my distress
900

The cause at last you will not take me with you 1

Neoptolemus

All is distress and misery when we act

Against our nature and consent to ill.

Philoctetes

But sure to help a good man in misfortunes

Is not against thy nature.
905

Neoptolemus

Men will call me

A villain ; that distracts me.

Philoctetes

Not for this ;

For what thou meanst to do thou mayst deserve it.

Neoptolemus

What shall I do ? Direct me, Jove ! To hide

What I should speak, and tell a base untruth

Were double guilt.

Philoctetes

He purposes at last,
910

I fear it much, to leave me.

Neoptolemus

Leave thee ! No !

But how to make thee go with pleasure hence,

There I'm distressed.

Philoctetes

I understand thee not ;

AVhat means my son?

Neoptolemus

I can no longer hide
915

The dreadful secret from thee ; thou art going
915

To Troy, e'en to the Greeks, to the Atridfe.

Philoctetes

Alas ! what sayest thou?

Neoptolemus

Do not weep, but hear me.

Philoctetes

What must I hear ? what wilt thou do with mo?

Neoptolemus

First set thee free ; then carry thee, my friend,

To conquer Troy.
920

Philoctetes

Is this indeed thy purpose ?

Neoptolemus

This am I bound to do.

PniL. Then am I lost,

Undone, betrayed. Canst thou, my friend, do this?

Give me my arms again.

Neoptolemus

It cannot be.
925

I must obey the powers who sent me hither ;
925

Justice enjoins —the common cause demands it.

Philoctetes

English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 782 focus

Take it, my son; and be thy vows address'di,ז

To Envy, that to thee it cause not toils,

Such as to me, and to its former lord.

Neoptolemus

Grant this, ye gods! And may a favouring gale

Arise, and safely bear us to the land

Sought by our sails, and by the gods assign'd

Philoctetes
FAIT

These vows, my son, I fear thou hast address'd

Without effect; for the black blood again

Spouts from the bottom of my wound; I dread

Anguish unknown before. Unhappy me,

What torture this! It thrills, it darts along,

It is not to be borne. You see my state;

But fly not; leave me not abandon'd here. I

Thou Cephallenian savage, might this pain

Pierce through thy breast, quite through! Ye brother kings,

Leaders of Greece, for such a length of time,

For me such anguish how had you sustain'd?

O death, O death, each day so oft invoked,

Canst thou ne'er come? My son, thou generous youth,

Oh take me, burn me in these whirling flames

Of Lemnos; which sad office for the son

Of Jove these hands refused not to perform,

These arms receiving as my meed. My son,

Why art thou silent? What employs thy thoughts?

Neoptolemus

Long have I griev'd, and mourn'd thy painful ills.
810

Philoctetes

Let not that shake thy firmness; for these pains

Oft come thus keen, and soon are gone again.

But, I entreat thee, leave me not alone.

Neoptolemus

Be confident; for thee we here will stay.

Philoctetes

And will you stay?

Neoptolemus

Be thou assured we will.

Philoctetes

Ill it becomes me to require thy oath.

Neoptolemus

To go without thee were an impious deed.

Philoctetes

Give me thy hand to ratify thy faith.

Neoptolemus

I give it as a pledge that I will stay.

Philoctetes

There, let me there......

What say'st thou?

"There on high......

Neoptolemus

This is distraction. Wherefore are thine eyes
815

Philoctetes

Fix'd on that orb above?

Neoptolemus

Why should I let thee go?

Philoctetes

Off, let me go.

Unhand me, off.

Neoptolemus

I cannot quit thee in this hapless state.

Philoctetes

You kill me if you touch me.

Neoptolemus

To thyself

I leave thee....... Are thy spirits now more calm?

Philoctetes

O earth, receive me dying as I lie;

My ills will never let me rise again.
820

Neoptolemus

Sleep soon will steal upon him: see, his head

Already he reclines; and all his limbs

Are bath'd with sweat; the black distended vein

Is burst, and from his foot out-wells the gore.

Let us allow him then, my friends, to rest
825

In quiet, soon as sleep shall close his eyes.

Chorus

O sleep, that know'st not care, that know'st not pain,

Come gently-breathing, sorrow-charming king:

Veil from his eyes this light, whose glaring beams

Unshaded now are spread: come, healing pow'r! -

The hour, my son, requires deliberate thought,

Thy purpose fix'd or changed: this is the hour

To charge us with thy mandates. What avails
835

Longer delay? Occasion hath a pow'r

Surpassing all the counsels of the wise.

Neoptolemus

True, he hears nothing: but these arms in vain

We make our prize, without him if we sail;

For his the crown; he must be borne to Troy;
840

So will'd the god. How base to boast of deeds,

Which e'en with falsehood could not be achieved!

Chorus

These things, my son, the god will make his care.

But when to me thy mandates thou shalt give,

Low be thy voice; for sleep in the diseased
845

Is ever on the watch, nor seals the eyes.

What now is in thy pow'r with caution act,

And silence: if with his thy thoughts accord,

Thou know'st of whom I speak, thou seest his state,
850

Let prudence judge, unable to resist.

The gale, my son, the fav'ring gale now breathes;

He sees not, helpless as in night's dark hour

He lies, and sleep, which all his senses locks,

Aids the design; nor hand nor foot discharge

Their functions; but like one, for whom the tomb

Is open'd, see him stretched: this hath a voice

That calls us to the deed; to seize him now

Were easy; be the task to me assign'd:
860

Best is that toil on which no danger waits.

Neoptolemus

Be silent, I command thee; of such thoughts
865

No more: he moves his eyes, and lifts his head.

Philoctetes

O light, whose cheerful beam my waking eyes

Revisits, much beyond my thought, my hope,

Thou show'st me with what faithful care my sleep

These strangers guarded. Never, O my son,

Could my fond wish conceive that thou wou'dst bear
870

With such soft pity to attend my ills,

And give me aid. Not so our worthy Chiefs,

The sons of Atreus; they disdain'd to bear

So tenderly: but all these things, my son,

(For noble is thy nature, and thy veins
875

Are rich with noble blood) my cries, the stench

Of my foul wound, thou hast esteem'd as nought.

Now, in this pause, this respite from my pain,

Let thy hand help me, raise me from the ground;

That when this weakness leaves me, to the bark
880

Together we may go, nor stay thy sails.

Neoptolemus

With joy I see thee thus beyond my hope

Viewing the light, and breathing vital air,

Free from thy pains; for, added to those ills,

Thou hadst the semblance of a man that breathes
885

No more. Now rise; or these (if such thy will)

: Shall bear thee, not repining at the toil,

Since they perceive it is thy will and mine.

Philoctetes

This claims my thanks. Now raise me, since thy mind

Prompts thee to give me aid. Let these stand off;

Nor be annoy'd with this offensive smell
890

Ere need requires; enough will they endure,

In the same bark with me when they abide..

Neoptolemus

Of that no more; but raise thee, grasp my hand.

Philoctetes

Fear not: long use hath taught me how to raise

My limbs.

Now, O my soul, how wilt thou now

Neoptolemus

Resolve to act!
895

Philoctetes

What mean these words, my son?

Neoptolemus

Doubt and perplexity distract my mind.

Philoctetes

Doubt and perplexity! Oh, speak not thus.

Neoptolemus

All their oppressing weight lies on me now.

Philoctetes

Doth then the horror of my noisome wound
900

Forbid thee to admit me to thy bark?

Neoptolemus

All must be horror, when the generous heart.

Forsakes its nature for unworthy deeds.

Philoctetes

Nor word nor deed unworthy thy high birth,

When thou givest suffering virtue aid, is thine..
905

Neoptolemus

To be deem'd base-this long hath grieved my soul.

Philoctetes

Not base thy deeds; thy words excite my fears.

Neoptolemus

Direct me, king of heav'n! I shall be found

Base, doubly base; concealing what good faith

Would not conceal, and speaking vile untruths.

Philoctetes

This man, if I conjecture right, will sail,
910

And basely leave me helpless and betray'd.

Neoptolemus

I will not leave thee: but to bear thee hence

So as may wound thy heart, that gives me pain.

Philoctetes

What is thy purpose? Tell me, ease my doubts.

Neoptolemus

I will hide nothing from thee. Thou must sail
915

To Troy, to the Atridæ, and their camp.

Philoctetes

Ah me, what say'st thou ?

Neoptolemus

Sigh not ere thou hear.

Philoctetes

What should I hear? What wilt thou do with me?

Neoptolemus

First from these miseries save thee; then advance

With thee, and waste the hated fields of Troy.
920

Philoctetes

Is this indeed the purpose of thy soul ?

Neoptolemus

It is, by strong necessity impell'd :

Nor, hearing this, be thou inflamed with rage.

Philoctetes

I am undone, betray'd. Why, stranger, why

Hast thou thus wrong'd me? Give me back my bow.

Neoptolemus

That cannot be; the kings must be obey'd;
925

So justice and the public good require.

Philoctetes

English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 827-860 focus

Chorus

Divine Sleep, god who knows no pain, Sleep, stranger to anguish, come in favor to us, come happy, and giving happiness, great King!

Keep before his eyes such light as is spread before them now. Come to him, I pray you, come with power to heal! Son, consider what position you will take, and to what strategy you will next direct our course.
830

You see his condition now! Why should we hesitate to act? Opportunity, the umpire of all contests, often wins a great victory by one swift stroke.
835

839

Neoptolemus

No, even though he hears nothing, I see that

we have made this bow our quarry to no end, if we sail without him. His must be the victor’s crown. It is he that the god commanded we bring. It would be a foul disgrace upon us to boast of deeds in which failure and fraud had equal parts.
840

843

Chorus

Well, the god must look to that, son. But when you answer me again,

softly, please, softly whisper your words. For sick men’s restless sleep is quick to vision. But, please, use your utmost care to win that prize,
845

that great prize, by stealth. For if you maintain your present purpose towards this man—you know what purpose I mean—then truly there are irremediable troubles in store, which a shrewd mind can foresee.
850

855

Chorus

Now, son, a fair wind blows you on your way: sightless and helpless, the man lies stretched in darkness—sleep in the heat is sound—
855

with no command of hands or feet, but stripped of all his powers, like one who rests with Hades. Take note, see if your pronouncements are seasonable. So far as my thoughts can seize the truth, boy, the best strategy is that which stirs no alarm.
860

Neoptolemus

Quiet, I say, and do not abandon your wits—the man is opening his eyes and lifts his head.
865

Philoctetes

Ah, light succeeding upon sleep! Ah, friendly watchers, sight unlooked for even in my dreams! I could never have expected this, son—

that you would have the patience to wait so tenderly upon my sufferings by staying close beside me and helping to relieve me. The Atreids, certainly, those valiant generals, had no heart to bear this burden so lightly. But your nature is noble and drawn of a noble line,
870

and so you have made little of all this, though loud cries and stenches afflicted you. And now, since the plague seems to allow me a space of forgetfulness and peace at last, lift me up yourself and set me on my feet,
875

so that, when the faintness releases me at length, we may set out to the ship, and not hold back our sailing.
880

Neoptolemus

It pleases me to see you living unpained and breathing still, however contrary to my expectation. For in view of your persistent sufferings,

your symptoms seemed to speak of death. But now lift yourself, or, if you prefer, these men will carry you. The labor will not be grudged, since you and I are of one mind.
885

Philoctetes

Thank you, son, and help me up, as you will.

Yet do not trouble your men, so that they may not suffer from the foul stench before it is necessary. It will be trial enough for them to live on board with me.
890

893

Neoptolemus

So be it. Now stand up, and take hold of me.

Philoctetes

Do not worry, my habitual method will help me to my feet.

Neoptolemus

God! What am I to do next?
895

Philoctetes

What is the matter? Where strays your speech?

Neoptolemus

I do not know where to turn my tongue when my thoughts are so confused.

Philoctetes

Confused? How so? No, do not say it!

Neoptolemus

My mind is indeed brought to that condition.

Philoctetes

It cannot be that offense at my sickness has persuaded you not to take me aboard your ship?
900

Neoptolemus

All is offense when a man has abandoned his true nature and does what does not suit him.

Philoctetes

But you, at least, are not departing from your begetter’s

example either in word or deed, when you help a man who is noble.
905

Neoptolemus

I shall be found to have no honor—this is the thought that long torments me.

Philoctetes

Not because of your present deeds, at least. But because of your words, I worry.

Neoptolemus

O Zeus, what shall I do? Must I be twice found base—by disloyal silence, as well as by shameful speech?

Philoctetes

Unless I am lacking in judgment, he means to betray me, leave me behind and sail away!
910

Neoptolemus

Leave you? No, not I. Rather, to your pain, I will bring you along. That is my torment.

Philoctetes

What do you mean, son? I do not understand.

Neoptolemus

I will conceal nothing. You must sail to Troy , back to the Achaeans and the forces of the Atreids.
915

Philoctetes

Ah, no! What have you said?

Neoptolemus

Do not wail in grief, before you understand!

Philoctetes

Understand what? What do you intend to do to me?

Neoptolemus

Save you, first, from this misery, and then,

together with you, go and plunder Troy ’s plains.
920

Philoctetes

And this is your true intent?

Neoptolemus

A harsh necessity governs these events, so do not be angered at hearing of them.

Philoctetes

I am destroyed—ah, misery!—betrayed! What have you done to me, stranger? Return my bow at once!

Neoptolemus

No, it is not possible. My duty and my interest alike constrain me to obey those in power.
925

927

Philoctetes

You destroying fire, you utter monster, you hateful masterpiece of astounding wickedness! What treachery you have done to me! How thoroughly you have deceived me! And are you, you wretch, unashamed to look at me,

the suppliant who turned to you for mercy? In taking my bow, you have robbed me of my life. Return it, I beg you, return it, I pray you, son! By the gods of your fathers, do not rob me of my life! Ah, me! He speaks to me no more.
930

He looks away, as if he will never give it up! O you inlets and headlands, you wild creatures of the hills who have shared my life, and you jagged cliffs, to you—for you alone hear me—to you my accustomed companions,
935

I bewail the treacherous treatment I have received from the son of Achilles. Although he swore to take me to my home, it is to Troy that he takes me. Although he gave me his right hand in pledge of his word, he has taken my bow, the sacred bow, once belonging to Zeus’s son Heracles, and he keeps it, and wants to show it to the Argives as his own.
940

By force he drags me away, as if he had captured a strong man, and does not see that he is cutting down a corpse, the shadow of smoke, a mere phantom. In my strength he could not have taken me—no!—nor even in my present condition, save by deceit. But now, because of my rotten fate, I have been tricked. What should I do?
945

Wait, give it back! Now, at least, recover your true self! What do you say? Silence! I am nothing! Double-gated cave, back, back again I return to you, but now stripped and lacking the means to live. Yes, in that chamber I will wither away alone,
950

bringing down with that bow no winged bird, no beast that roams the hills. Rather I myself shall die in misery, and supply a feast for those who fed me, becoming the prey of those on whom I preyed. Ah, in requital for blood my own blood will flow,
955

shed at the hands of a man who seemed all unknowing of evil! May destruction seize you!—but no, not yet, not before I learn whether you will change your mind. But if not, may you die a cruel death!
960

963

Chorus

What shall we do? It rests with you, my king, whether we now sail, or move forward to answer his pleas.

Neoptolemus

A startling pity for him has come upon me—and not now for the first time, but long ago.
965

Philoctetes

Show mercy, boy, for the love of the gods, and do not give men cause to reproach you for having cheated me.

Neoptolemus

Ah, no, what shall I do? I wish I had never left

Scyros, so pained am I by these doings.
970

Philoctetes

You are not in and of yourself wicked, but you seem to have come to me after learning the shameless lessons of wicked masters. Now leave such behavior to others, whom it suits, and sail from here—once you have given me back my weapons.

Neoptolemus

What shall we do, friends?

Enter Odysseus with several armed attendants.

Odysseus

Traitor, what are you doing? Come back here and surrender that bow to me!
975

Philoctetes

Who is that? Do I hear Odysseus?

Odysseus

Yes, Odysseus, be sure of it. Here I am before your eyes.

Philoctetes

Ah, me, I am sold, destroyed! It was he, then, who entrapped me and robbed me of my arms.

Odysseus

Yes, I and no other. I avow it.
980

Philoctetes

Give back my bow, boy, give it up.

Odysseus

That he shall never do, even if he wished to. And, what is more, you must come along with it, or my men will bring you by force.

Philoctetes

Me, you basest and boldest of scoundrels,

they will take me by force?
985

Odysseus

Unless you come of your own free will.

Philoctetes

O Lemnos , and you all-conquering flame kindled by Hephaestus, will you indeed endure it that this man should take me from your domain by force?

Odysseus

Zeus it is, I tell you, Zeus, who rules this land,

and it is by Zeus that these actions are decreed. I am his servant.
990

Philoctetes

Hated creature, what clever pleading you devise! By sheltering yourself behind the gods, you make the gods liars.

Odysseus

No, but true prophets. Now our march must begin.

Philoctetes

Never!

Odysseus

Now, I say. You must obey.

Philoctetes

Ah, misery! Clearly, then, my father sired me to be a slave and no free man.
995

Odysseus

Not so, but to be the peer of the best and bravest, with whom you are destined to take Troy and force it to the ground.

Philoctetes

No, never—even if I must suffer every torment,

so long as I have this island’s steep cliffs beneath me!
1000

Odysseus

What do you plan to do?

Philoctetes

Throw myself now from the rock and shatter my head on the rocks below!

Odysseus

Quick, seize him, both of you! Do not give him the chance!

1004

Philoctetes

O my arms, what shames you suffer for lack of your cherished

bow, now that you are made that man’s bound quarry! And you, who cannot think one healthy or one noble thought, how stealthily you have once more ambushed and trapped me, taking this boy for your screen, because he was a stranger to me. He is too good for your company, but worthy of mine,
1005

since he had no thought but to execute his orders, and he already shows remorse for his own errors and for the wrongs done me. But your corrupt mind, always on the lookout from some position of ambush, trained him well—unsuited and unwilling though he was—
1010

to be cunning in evil. And now, wretch, for me you plan bonds and passage from the very shore on which you had me flung away, friendless, abandoned, citiless, a corpse in the eyes of the living. Ah! Hades take you! Indeed I have often so prayed for you.
1015

But, because the gods grant me nothing that is sweet, you remain alive and you laugh, while I live miserably among countless sufferings, mocked by you and by the sons of Atreus, the two generals whom you serve on this errand.
1020

And yet you sailed with them only when brought under their yoke by trickery and compulsion. But me, when, to my utter ruin, I sailed of my own accord as their mate with seven ships, me they cast out of ship and honor, as you claim, while they say that it was your doing. And now, why would you take me? Why have me led away? For what purpose?
1025

I am nothing, and, as far as you were concerned, I have long been dead. You creature abhorred by the gods, how is it that you no longer find me crippled and foul-smelling? How, if I sail with you, can you burn sacrifices to the gods, or make libations any more? That was your pretext for casting me away in the first place.
1030

A cruel death for you!—and die you shall for your unjust treatment of me, if the gods care for justice. But I know that they do care for it, since you would never have made this voyage for one so miserable, unless some god-sent goad had driven you after me.
1035

O, fatherland, and you watchful gods, bring your vengeance, bring your vengeance on them all after so long, if at all you pity me! Yes, my life merits pity. Yet if I were to see those men overthrown, I would believe that I had escaped my plague.
1040

1045

Chorus

Bitter is the stranger, and bitter his words, Odysseus. They do not bend before the storm of his troubles.
1045

Odysseus

I could say much in answer to his claims, if time allowed; but now I can say one thing only. What kind of man the occasion demands, that kind of man am I.

And accordingly, where the judgment at hand is of just and good men, you could find no man more pious than me. Victory, however, is my inborn desire in every field—save with regard to you. To you, in this case, I will gladly give way. Yes, release him, and lay not another finger upon him.
1050

Let him stay here. We have no further need of you, now that we have these weapons. For Teucer is there among our forces, well-skilled in this craft, as am I, and I believe that I can master this bow in no way worse than you, and point it with no worse a hand.
1055

So what need is there of you? Farewell! Enjoy your strolls on Lemnos ! We must be going. And perhaps your onetime prize will bring me the honor which ought to have been your own.
1060

Philoctetes

Ah, no, what shall I do? Are you to shine before the Argives graced with my arms?

Odysseus

Argue with me no more. I am going.
1065

Philoctetes

Seed of Achilles, will you, too, grant me your voice no more, but leave without a word?

To Neoptolemus.

Odysseus

Come on! Do not look at him, kind and noble though you are. Do not obliterate our good fortune.

To the Chorus.

Philoctetes

And will you also, friends, leave me so desolate and show me no pity?
1070

Chorus

The boy commands our ship. Whatever he says to you, that is our answer also.

To the Chorus.

Neoptolemus

I shall be told by Odysseus here that I am too

soft-hearted; but remain here, if that one agrees, until the sailors have readied everything on board, and we have made our prayers to the gods. In the interval, perhaps, he will obtain a better attitude towards us. And so we two are going.
1075

And you, when we call you, be quick to come. Exeunt Odysseus and Neoptolemus.
1080

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-407-1 νεοχμὸν ἐξαίφνης ¹ σαυτοῦ ² ἰυγήν ³ ποεῖ ⁴

mvp-comment-408-1 τί σοί ⁵ ἔστιν ⁶

mvp-comment-409-1 τοὐπίσαγμα ⁷ τοὐπείσαγμα ⁸ τοὐπίσιγμα ⁹

mvp-comment-410-1 γὰρ ¹⁰

mvp-comment-410-2 δράσω ¹¹

mvp-comment-411-1 ἥκει … ἐξεπλήσθη ¹² αὕτη ¹³ διὰ χρόνου ¹⁴ ἥκει ¹⁵ διὰ χρόνου ¹⁶ πλάνοις ¹⁷ ἥκει ¹⁸ πλάνοις ¹⁹

mvp-comment-411-2 ἐξεπλήσθη. — ἰώ ²⁰ φεῦ ²¹ ἰώ ²² ἐξέπλης ²³ πλάνους ²⁴

mvp-comment-411-3 760 There is an error in the traditional numbering here, as the fourth verse after this is called 765. The origin of this error is explained in the Appendix. To avoid changing the usual numeration throughout the rest of the play, I designate the next verse as 762.

mvp-comment-411-4 δῆτα ²⁵

mvp-comment-411-5 δύστηνε … φανείς ²⁶

mvp-comment-411-6 διὰ πόνων πάντων ²⁷

mvp-comment-412-1 βούλει λάβωμαι ²⁸ δῆτα ²⁹

mvp-comment-413-1 μοι ³⁰

mvp-comment-414-1 ἕως ³¹

mvp-comment-414-2 ἀνῇ ³²

mvp-comment-415-1 τὸ πῆμα … τῆς νόσου ³³

mvp-comment-416-1 γὰρ οὖν ³⁴

mvp-comment-416-2 ἐξίῃ ³⁵

mvp-comment-417-1 λῆξαι ³⁶

mvp-comment-418-1 ἕκηλον εὕδειν ³⁷ τῷδε τῷ χρόνῳ ³⁸

mvp-comment-418-2 ἐκεῖνοι ³⁹

mvp-comment-419-1 ἑκόντα μήτ’ ἄκοντα ⁴⁰ μήτ’ ⁴¹ μηδ’ ⁴²

mvp-comment-419-2 μήτε τῳ τέχνῃ ⁴³ μηδέ ⁴⁴ μήτε ⁴⁵ τέχνῃ ⁴⁶

mvp-comment-420-1 πρόστροπον ⁴⁷

mvp-comment-420-2 κτείνας γένῃ ⁴⁸

mvp-comment-421-1 προνοίας οὕνεκ’ ⁴⁹ γ’ ⁵⁰ οὕνεκα ⁵¹ γε ⁵²

mvp-comment-421-2 πλὴν σοί τε κἀμοί ⁵³

mvp-comment-421-3 ξὺν τύχῃ ⁵⁴

mvp-comment-422-1 τὸν φθόνον δὲ πρόσκυσον ⁵⁵

mvp-comment-423-1 μή … γενέσθαι ⁵⁶

mvp-comment-423-2 πολύπονα ⁵⁷

mvp-comment-423-3 μηδ’ ὅπως ⁵⁸

mvp-comment-424-1 θεοί ⁵⁹

mvp-comment-424-2 γένοιτο … γένοιτο δὲ ⁶⁰ ταῦτα νῷν ⁶¹

mvp-comment-424-3 κεὐσταλής ⁶²

mvp-comment-424-4 ὅποι ποτὲ ⁶³

mvp-comment-425-1 ἀλλ’ Ὄκνος ⁶⁴ ἀλλὰ δέδοικ’, ὦ παῖ, μή μ’ ἀτελὴς εὐχή ⁶⁵ ὦ παῖ ⁶⁶ ἀλλὰ ⁶⁷ δέδοικ’ ⁶⁸ μ’ ⁶⁹ με ⁷⁰ εὔχῃ, μή μ’ ἀτελὴς ⁷¹ ἀτελῶς ⁷² εὔχῃ ⁷³ ἔχει ⁷⁴ ἀτέλεστ’ ⁷⁵

mvp-comment-425-2 For μὴ ⁷⁶ α ⁷⁷

mvp-comment-426-1 κηκῖον ⁷⁸ νέον ⁷⁹

mvp-comment-427-1 ἐργάσει ⁸⁰ προσέρπει ⁸¹

mvp-comment-428-1 τάλας ⁸²

mvp-comment-428-2 ἔχετε ⁸³

mvp-comment-428-3 μηδαμῇ ⁸⁴

mvp-comment-429-1 Κεφαλλήν ⁸⁵

mvp-comment-429-2 σοῦ ⁸⁶ ἔχοιτο ⁸⁷ διαμπερὲς στέρνων ⁸⁸ σου ⁸⁹

mvp-comment-430-1 μάλ’ αὖθις ⁹⁰

mvp-comment-430-2 ὦ διπλοῖ στρ. ⁹¹

mvp-comment-430-3 Ἀγάμεμνον, ὦ Μενέλαε ⁹² Μενέλαέ τ’ Ἀγάμεμνόν τε ⁹³ πῶς ἄν ⁹⁴ τρέφοιτε ⁹⁵

mvp-comment-430-4 τὸν ἴσον χρόνον ⁹⁶

mvp-comment-431-1 ὦ Θάνατε ⁹⁷

mvp-comment-431-2 ἀεὶ … κατ’ ἦμαρ ⁹⁸

mvp-comment-431-3 δύνᾳ ⁹⁹

mvp-comment-432-1 ὦ τέκνον, ὦ γενναῖον ¹⁰⁰

mvp-comment-432-2 ἀλλὰ ¹⁰¹

mvp-comment-433-1 τῷ Λ. τῷδ’ ἀνακ. πυρὶ ¹⁰²

mvp-comment-433-2 The volcanic mountain called

Μόσυχλος

appears to have been on the east coast of Lemnos, south of the rocky promontory (

Ἑρμαῖον ὄρος

, v. 1459) to which the cave of Philoctetes was adjacent. No volcanic crater can now be traced in Lemnos; and it is probable that the ancient Mosychlus has been submerged. See Appendix.

Λήμνιον πῦρ

was proverbial for ‘a fierce fire’ ( Ar. Lys. 299 ). Lycophron (227) has

τεφρώσας γυῖα Λημναίῳ πυρί

in this sense, and calls Ajax

ὁ Λήμνιος

πρηστὴρ Ἐνυοῦς

(462), ‘Lemnian thunderbolt of war.’ Cp. Hesych.

Λήμνιον βλέπειν· ἐπειδὴ τὸ πῦρ Λήμνιον

. The legendary association of Lemnos with fierce crime (

Λήμνια κακά

) may have helped to suggest such phrases.

mvp-comment-434-1 ἔμπρησον ¹⁰³ πυρί μ’ ¹⁰⁴ συλλαβὼν ¹⁰⁵

mvp-comment-435-1 τὸν τοῦ Διὸς παῖδ’ ¹⁰⁶

mvp-comment-435-2 σῴζεις ¹⁰⁷

mvp-comment-435-3 τοῦτ’ ¹⁰⁸

mvp-comment-435-4 ἐπηξίωσα ¹⁰⁹

mvp-comment-435-5 δρᾶν ¹¹⁰

mvp-comment-436-1 τί φής, παῖ ¹¹¹

mvp-comment-436-2 ποῦ ποτ’ ὤν ¹¹²

mvp-comment-437-1 πάλαι δὴ ¹¹³

mvp-comment-437-2 τἀπὶ σοὶ … κακά ¹¹⁴

mvp-comment-438-1 καὶ θάρσος ἴσχε ¹¹⁵ καὶ ¹¹⁶ μοι. ¹¹⁷

mvp-comment-438-2 φοιτᾷ ¹¹⁸

mvp-comment-438-3 ὀξεῖα, ταχεῖα ¹¹⁹

mvp-comment-439-1 οὐ μήν ¹²⁰

mvp-comment-439-2 ἔνορκον … θέσθαι ¹²¹

mvp-comment-440-1 ὡς ¹²² θέμις ¹²³ γε ¹²⁴ θέμις ¹²⁵

mvp-comment-440-2 ἐμοὔστι ¹²⁶

mvp-comment-441-1 ἔμβαλλε ¹²⁷

mvp-comment-442-1 ἐκεῖσε νῦν μ’ ¹²⁸ ἐκεῖσε ¹²⁹ ἐκεῖσε ¹³⁰ ἄνω ¹³¹ παραφρονεῖς αὖ ¹³² τὸν ἄνω λεύσσεις κύκλον ¹³³ εἴ τι δὴ πλέον φρονεῖς ¹³⁴

mvp-comment-443-1 αὖ ¹³⁵

mvp-comment-443-2 τὸν ἄνω κύκλον ¹³⁶

mvp-comment-444-1 ποτέ ¹³⁷

mvp-comment-444-2 ἀπό μ’ ὀλεῖς ¹³⁸

mvp-comment-445-1 καὶ δὴ μεθίημ’ ¹³⁹

mvp-comment-445-2 εἴ τι δὴ ¹⁴⁰

mvp-comment-445-3 πλέον φρονεῖς ¹⁴¹ εἰ ¹⁴²

mvp-comment-446-1 θανάσιμον ¹⁴³

mvp-comment-446-2 ὅπως ἔχω ¹⁴⁴

mvp-comment-446-3 ὀρθοῦσθαι ¹⁴⁵

mvp-comment-447-1 οὐ μακροῦ χρόνου ¹⁴⁶

mvp-comment-448-1 γέ τοι ¹⁴⁷

mvp-comment-449-1 ἄκρον … ποδὸς ¹⁴⁸ φλέψ ¹⁴⁹

mvp-comment-450-1 ὄμμασι δ’ ἀντίσχοις ¹⁵⁰ τάνδ’ αἴγλαν ἃ τέταται τανῦν ¹⁵¹ τάνδε ¹⁵² αἴγλαν ¹⁵³ τέταται ¹⁵⁴

mvp-comment-450-2 The words could not mean, ‘keep off this sunlight from his eyes.’ ὄμμασι ¹⁵⁵ ἀντίσχοις ¹⁵⁶ αἴγλαν ¹⁵⁷ ἀντίσχοις ¹⁵⁸ τάνδ’ αἴγλαν ¹⁵⁹

mvp-comment-451-1 ἴθι ἴθι ¹⁶⁰

mvp-comment-452-1 ποῦ στάσει ¹⁶¹

mvp-comment-453-1 The MSS. give here ποῖ δὲ βάσει πῶς δέ μοι τἀντεῦθεν ¹⁶² κεῖνό μοι, κεῖνο λάθρᾳ ¹⁶³ ποῖ δέ μοι τἀνθένδε βάσει ¹⁶⁴ ποῖ ¹⁶⁵ φροντίδος ¹⁶⁶

mvp-comment-453-2 τἀνθένδε ¹⁶⁷

mvp-comment-454-1 ὁρᾷς ἤδη ¹⁶⁸ ὁρᾷς, εὕδει ¹⁶⁹

mvp-comment-455-1 πρὸς τί μενοῦμεν ¹⁷⁰ πράσσειν ¹⁷¹

mvp-comment-456-1 καιρός ¹⁷² πάντων γνώμαν ἴσχων ¹⁷³

mvp-comment-456-2 < πολύ τι > πολὺ ¹⁷⁴

mvp-comment-456-3 παρὰ πόδα ¹⁷⁵

mvp-comment-457-1 ἀλλ’ ὅδε μὲν ¹⁷⁶

mvp-comment-457-2 θήραν … ἔχομεν ¹⁷⁷

mvp-comment-458-1 τοῦδε … τοῦτον ¹⁷⁸

mvp-comment-458-2 ὁ στέφανος ¹⁷⁹

mvp-comment-459-1 κομπεῖν δ’ ¹⁸⁰ ἀτελῆ σὺν ψεύδεσιν ¹⁸¹

mvp-comment-460-1 ἀλλά, τέκνον ¹⁸²

mvp-comment-460-2 ὀψεται ¹⁸³

mvp-comment-461-1 ὧν ¹⁸⁴ λόγων ¹⁸⁵ ἀμείβῃ ¹⁸⁶

mvp-comment-462-1 πάντων ¹⁸⁷ λεύσσειν ¹⁸⁸ εὐδρακὴς ¹⁸⁹

mvp-comment-463-1 ἀλλ’ ὅτι δύνᾳ ¹⁹⁰ λάθρᾳ ¹⁹¹

mvp-comment-463-2 δύνᾳ ¹⁹²

mvp-comment-463-3 κεῖνο … κεῖνο ¹⁹³ δή ¹⁹⁴

mvp-comment-463-4 μοι ¹⁹⁵

mvp-comment-463-5 ὅτι δ. μάκιστον ¹⁹⁶ ἐξιδοῦ ¹⁹⁷

mvp-comment-463-6 ὅπᾳ ¹⁹⁸ ὅπως ¹⁹⁹

mvp-comment-464-1 οἶσθα γὰρ ἃν … πάθη ²⁰⁰ ἃν ²⁰¹ ὧν ²⁰² ὃν ²⁰³ γνώμαν ²⁰⁴ οἶσθα γὰρ ἃν αὐδῶμαι ²⁰⁵ ταύταν ²⁰⁶ κεῖνο ²⁰⁷ τούτῳ ²⁰⁸ πυκινοῖς ²⁰⁹ ἐνιδεῖν ²¹⁰ ἄπορα πάθη ²¹¹

mvp-comment-465-1 οὖρος ²¹²

mvp-comment-466-1 οὐδ’ ἔχων ἀρωγὰν ²¹³ νύχιος ²¹⁴

mvp-comment-467-1 ἀλεὴς ὕπνος ἐσθλός ²¹⁵ ἀλεής ²¹⁶ ἀλέας ²¹⁷ ἀδεὴς ²¹⁸ δ’ ²¹⁹ ἀλεὴς ²²⁰

mvp-comment-467-2 Some reject ἀλεὴς ὕπνος ἐσθλός ²²¹ ἀδεὴς ²²² ἀδεὴς πόνος ἐσθλός ²²³ πόνος ὁ μὴ φοβῶν κράτιστος ²²⁴ ἀδεὴς πόνος ἐσθλός ²²⁵

mvp-comment-468-1 οὔ τινος ²²⁶

mvp-comment-469-1 Ἀΐδᾳ πάρα κείμενος ²²⁷ παρακείμενος ²²⁸

mvp-comment-470-1 ὅρα, βλέπ’ ²²⁹ ὅρα ²³⁰ ὁρᾷ ²³¹

mvp-comment-470-2 εἰ καίρια φθέγγει ²³²

mvp-comment-471-1 τὸ δ’ ἁλώσιμον ἐμᾷ φρ. ²³³

mvp-comment-471-2 πόνος ὁ μὴ φοβῶν κράτιστος ²³⁴ ὁ μὴ φοβῶν ²³⁵ πόνος ²³⁶

mvp-comment-472-1 μηδ’ ἀφεστάναι φρενῶν ²³⁷

mvp-comment-473-1 ὦ φέγγος ²³⁸ τό τ’ ²³⁹

mvp-comment-473-2 ἐλπίδων ἄπιστον ²⁴⁰ οἰκούρημα ²⁴¹

mvp-comment-474-1 τοῦτ’ ²⁴² ἐξηύχης’ ²⁴³ τλῆναι ²⁴⁴ ἂν ²⁴⁵ τλῆναι ²⁴⁶ ἐξηύχης’ ²⁴⁷

mvp-comment-474-2 μεῖναι ²⁴⁸ τἀμὰ πήματα ²⁴⁹

mvp-comment-474-3 ξυνωφελοῦντά μοι ²⁵⁰

mvp-comment-475-1 οὔκουν ²⁵¹

mvp-comment-475-2 εὐφόρως ²⁵² εὐπόρως ²⁵³

mvp-comment-476-1 κἀξ εὐγενῶν ²⁵⁴ ἐν εὐχερεῖ ἔθου ²⁵⁵

mvp-comment-476-2 γέμων ²⁵⁶

mvp-comment-477-1 λήθη ²⁵⁷

mvp-comment-477-2 δή ²⁵⁸

mvp-comment-478-1 σύ μ’ αὐτὸς … ποτέ ²⁵⁹ κόπος ²⁶⁰ ού μ’ αὐτὸς ἆρον, σύ με κατάστησον ²⁶¹

mvp-comment-478-2 νῦν δ’ αἶρε σαυτόν ²⁶² ἵν’, ἡνίκ’ ἂν κόπος μ’ ἀπαλλάξῃ ποτέ ²⁶³

mvp-comment-478-3 ZippmannA. , whom Nauck and Cavallin follow in their texts, deletes both v. 880 and v. 889 as spurious, and transposes 879 to a place between 888 and 890. His two main objections to the traditional text are:—Why should Ph. , formerly so eager to start, now wish to wait till his

κόπος

has passed off? (880). And why should he desire to rise before that moment, instead of resting on the ground? The view of the whole situation which I have given above will show why I believe the traditional text to be sound.

mvp-comment-479-1 ἐπίσχωμεν ²⁶⁴ τὸ πλεῖν ²⁶⁵

mvp-comment-480-1 ἀλλ’ ἥδομαι μέν ²⁶⁶ μέν ²⁶⁷

mvp-comment-480-2 ἀνώδυνον ²⁶⁸

mvp-comment-480-3 βλέποντα ²⁶⁹

mvp-comment-480-4 κἀμπνέοντ’ ²⁷⁰

mvp-comment-481-1 ὡς οὐκέτ’ ὄντος ²⁷¹ συμβόλαια ²⁷² τὰς παρούσας ξυμφορὰς ²⁷³ πρὸς ²⁷⁴ τὰς παρ. ξυμφοράς ²⁷⁵ πρὸς τὰς παρ. ξυμφορὰς ²⁷⁶

mvp-comment-481-2 συμβόλαια ²⁷⁷

mvp-comment-482-1 νῦν δ’ αἶρε σαυτόν ²⁷⁸

mvp-comment-482-2 εἰ δέ σοι μᾶλλον φίλον ²⁷⁹

mvp-comment-482-3 τοῦ πόνου γὰρ ²⁸⁰

mvp-comment-483-1 αἰνῶ τάδ’, ὦ παῖ ²⁸¹ αἰνῶ τάδε ²⁸²

mvp-comment-484-1 ἔασον ²⁸³

mvp-comment-484-2 ὀσμῇ ²⁸⁴

mvp-comment-484-3 συνναίειν ²⁸⁵

mvp-comment-485-1 ἔσται τάδ’ ²⁸⁶

mvp-comment-485-2 ἵστω ²⁸⁷

mvp-comment-485-3 καὐτὸς ἀντέχου ²⁸⁸

mvp-comment-486-1 σύνηθες … ἔθος ²⁸⁹

mvp-comment-487-1 τί δῆτ’ ἂν δρῷμ’ ²⁹⁰

mvp-comment-487-2 δρῷμ’ ²⁹¹

mvp-comment-487-3 τοὐνθένδε γε ²⁹² γε ²⁹³

mvp-comment-488-1 ἐξέβης ²⁹⁴

mvp-comment-488-2 λόγῳ ²⁹⁵ λόγων ²⁹⁶

mvp-comment-489-1 οὐκ οἶδ’ ὅποι χρὴ ²⁹⁷ στρέφειν ²⁹⁸ τρέπειν ²⁹⁹

mvp-comment-490-1 ἀπορεῖς δὲ τοῦ σύ ³⁰⁰

mvp-comment-491-1 ἐνθάδε … τοῦδε τοῦ πάθους ³⁰¹

mvp-comment-492-1 οὐ δή ³⁰² ὥστε ³⁰³ ἔπεισεν ³⁰⁴

mvp-comment-492-2 ναύτην ³⁰⁵

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

737. mvp-comment-529-1 ἐξαίφνης is joined with veοχμόν as = νεωστί γενόμενον. ὅτου] «Wherefore.' Genitive of cause. Essay on L. § 10. p. 14.

738. mvp-comment-530-1 σαυτοῦ] 'Over thyself,' is genitive of the object after στόνον.

743. mvp-comment-531-1 Hermann in 1841 defended the MS. distribution of the persons (see v. rr.), supposing Philoctetes to evade inquiry first by saying οἶσθα, ‘You know as well as I do,' and then οὐκ οἶδα, ‘I do not know,' with the inconsistency of one distracted by pain and avoiding question. And there is nothing unnatural in this. But the words πῶς οὐκ οἶσθα are very clumsy in the mouth of Neoptolemus, whereas, if uttered by Philoctetes, they convey a touching expostulation against the cruelty of pressing him with questions when the case is so obvious. According to Bothe's arrangement, which is here retained, Neoptolemus at first affects ignorance, but is presently overcome with pity. For τί σοί, · What is the matter with you?' Hermann conjectured τί τοι;

745. mvp-comment-532-1 ἀλλ᾽ οἴκτειρέ με] The mental anxiety of the sufferer is greater than his pain.

747. mvp-comment-533-1 ταρβήσας] According to the story of the supposed Έμπορος, Neoptolemus was in twofold danger in Lemnos, both from Phoenix and the Theseidae, who were pursuing himself ( supr. 561,2), and still more from Odysseus and Diomed, who were on their way to fetch Philoctetes, and if they fled together would pursue them both.

748-749. mvp-comment-534-1 ἥκει.. ἐξεπλήσθη] (1) ‘For this plague in its wanderings is come after an interval in no less strength than when it sated itself.' A recurrent malady is imagined as going out of a man, making a circuit, and returning. Cp. infr. 808: Tennyson, Aylmer's field, p. 80. For ἥκειν in a somewhat similar connection, cp. Plat. Gorg 518 D, ὅταν δὴ αὐτοῖς ἥκῃ ἡ τότε πλησμονὴ νόσον φέρουσα συχνῷ ὕστερον χρόνῳ. For the dative πλάνοις (almost = πλανωμένη, Aesch. Prom. 275), see Essay on L. § 14. p. 20, 2 . ἴσως = οὐχ ἧττον ἰσχυρῶς. See Essay on L. § 24, α. p. 40 . ὡς ἐξεπλήσθη, i. e. ὡς τὸ πρὶν ἥκουσα ἐξεπλήσθη. It might be thought to have exhausted itself, or to have satisfied its hunger; but no, it returns with all its former violence. (2) The Scholiast explains, π. ἴ. ὡ. ἐ., 'I suppose when it has had enough of wandering. For other interpretations, see Ellendt's Lexicon, and Blaydes and Paley in loco. Arndt's emendation, ὡς ἐξεπλήσθη φλέψ. ΝΕ. ἰὼ δ. σ., is worth recording for its prosaic oddity.

751. mvp-comment-535-1 διὰ πόνων πάντων] ‘In passing through all (i. e. extreme) woe.' πάντων is virtually intensive. Others would render, 'Beyond all sufferings' that have been.

754. mvp-comment-536-1 ἕως ἀνῇ] For the omission of av, see Essay on L. § 27, 1. p. 45.

755. mvp-comment-537-1 τὸ πῆμα .. παρόν] ‘This present fit of pain.’ Cp. O. C. 78, 9, for the epexegesis.

756-757. mvp-comment-538-1 λαμβάνει γὰρ οὖν | ὕπνος μ᾽] 'For, you must know, sleep is wont to seize me.' For the present tense, cp. supr. 308, ἐλεοῦσι μέν.

757. mvp-comment-539-1 ἐξίῃ] · Is passing off.'

758. mvp-comment-540-1 λῆξαι] Sc. τὸ κακόν.

758-759. mvp-comment-541-1 ἀλλ᾽ . . εὕδειν] με is easily supplied: see v. rr. Cp. infr. 801: О. Т. 461, κἂν λάβῃς ἐψευσμένον.

759. mvp-comment-542-1 τῷδε τῷ χρόνῳ] 'While I am asleep.' Essay on L. § 11. pp. 17, 18.

761. mvp-comment-543-1 Several editors prefer μηδ' ἄκοντα. μηδέ τῳ τέχνη] Hdt. 1. 112, έχρῇζε μηδεμιῇ τέχνῃ ἐκθεῖναί μιν.

763. mvp-comment-544-1 πρόστροπον] This word has an especially sacred and compelling force. Cp. O. Τ. 41, ἱκετεύομέν σε πάντες οἵδε πρόστροποι. κτείνας γένῃ] Cp. especially Aj. 588, μὴ προδοὺς ἡμᾶς γένῃ.

765. mvp-comment-545-1 οὐ δοθήσεται .. κάμοί] 'They shall be given to no one (and no one shall have them) besides us two.' Neoptolemus has in mind the real ground for this. Supr. 115.

766. mvp-comment-546-1 Philoctetes, even amidst his pain, feels the gravity of the moment when he gives the bow out of his hands. The common feeling about the Divine envy appears also in El. 1466.

767. mvp-comment-547-1 μηδ' ὅπως] For the disjunctive form of expression, cp. supr. 80, τοιαῦτα φωνεῖν, μηδὲ τεχνᾶσθαι κακά.

768. mvp-comment-548-1 Heracles and Philoctetes, both owners of the bow, had both had more than the usual share of trouble. The troubles of Heracles might even be traced to the weapon with which he had slain Nessus and provoked the sons of Eurytus to strife.

769-771. mvp-comment-549-1 Neoptolemus also feels the gravity of the moment, but dissembles his gladness under the cover of a heart-felt though ambiguous prayer.

770. mvp-comment-550-1 εὐσταλής] 'Happily conducted' = εὐτυχῶς ἐσταλμένος : said with reference to other dangers than those of winds and waves; e. g. a mutiny arising from Philoctetes' malady. Cp. supr. 520, 1, infr. 890 foll.

771. mvp-comment-551-1 ὅποι ποτέ, κ.τ.λ.] The formality of the prayer renders its ambiguous vagueness less suspicious. Neoptolemus trusts that, in spite of apparent difficulties, the will of the gods, as expressed in prophecy, is on the side of his ambition.

772. mvp-comment-552-1 The appearance of a single dochmiac line amongst the senarii is not of itself a sufficient reason for suspicion in a passage which is naturally interrupted by physical as well as by mental suffering. Cp. Trach. 1185, 6. Indeed the regularity of the dochmiac structure is rather in favour of the verse. But, in the vulgate reading (see v. rr.), the ellipse of the subjunctive mood and the accusative με-μ' cannot = μοι-are difficult to explain. The former objection may be removed by conjecturing μή μ' ἀτελὴς (οι ἀτελῶς) εὔχῃ, and the accusative may then be defended. See Essay on L. § 16. p. 23.

783. mvp-comment-553-1 ἐκ βυθοῦ] 'From hidden depths.' Men in pain naturally exaggerate the dimensions of the part affected.

784. mvp-comment-554-1 τι.. νέον] 'Some violent change.' Ср. O. С. 1447, and note.

786. mvp-comment-555-1 παπαῖ μάλ] Cp. O. C. 1462, ἴδε μάλα, and note. ἐργάσει] 'A great evil perpetually recurrent is most in apprehension.' But Philoctetes is also thinking of the danger to his new-found hopes.

789. mvp-comment-556-1 ἔχετε τὸ πρᾶγμα] 'You know all now.' He has made known to them what he had sought to hide, l. 742 foll. and they are aware both of his need and his danger, 776 foll. He implores them therefore to stand by him. μηδαμή = μηδεμιᾷ τέχνῃ. Cp. supr. 771.

790. mvp-comment-557-1 ἀτταταῖ] Perhaps *ἰατταταῖ should be read so as to keep up the iambic rhythm.

791-792. mvp-comment-558-1 εἴθε.. ἥδε] 'Would that this pang might pierce thy breast and cling there!' For ξένε, cp. Aj.817. Philoctetes and Odysseus had been bound by a common oath,

793-795. mvp-comment-559-1 For the repeated interjection, cp. Eur. Alc. 235, βόασον ὦ, στέναξον ὦ Φεραία χθών: ib. 460, ὦ μόνα, ὦ φίλα γυναικῶν : Cycl. 266.

794. mvp-comment-560-1 ὦ Μενέλαε: 795, τὸν ἴσον: 797, ὦ θάνατε, θάνατε. The freeer handling of the senarius, which marks the Philoctetes, and which belongs to the later manner of Greek tragedy, is most observable in this speech, where it expresses agitation ( cp. O. T. 967). For other instances, see ll. 651, 665, 879, 923, 4, 950, 1029, 1315, 1327, mostly in speeches of Philoctetes.

797-798. mvp-comment-561-1 Cp. Aj. 854, ὦ θάνατε, θάνατε, νῦν μ᾿ ἐπίσκεψαι μολών: Aesch. Phil. fr. 250, ὦ θάνατε Παιάν, μή μ' ἀτιμάσῃς μολεῖν.

798. mvp-comment-562-1 οὐ δύνᾳ μολεῖν] 'Why can you not come?' i. e. 'Why is it impossible to bring you?” πῶς οὐ δυνατόν ἐστί σε μολεῖν;

800. mvp-comment-563-1 ἀνακαλουμένῳ] (1) ‘Generally invoked,' or (2) 'Celebrated by this name.' Cp. Ar. Lys. 299. The volcano on Mount Mosychlos would be a god-prepared pyre for Philoctetes, whose end would then resemble that of his master Heracles.

803. mvp-comment-564-1 After l. 803 there is a pause, during which Neoptolemus is lost in thought. Philoctetes, who is already losing consciousness, is visited with a sudden fear lest his friend may have left him. Every word which he utters gives him a fresh hold on Neoptolemus' compassion.

806. mvp-comment-565-1 τἀπὶ σοί] 'That afflict thee.' Cp. Trach. 981, ἀλλ᾽ ἐπί μοι μελέῳ βάρος ἄπλετον ἐμμέμονε φρήν.

807. mvp-comment-566-1 The tripartite division of this line is very unusual. But it is modified by the elision in ἴσχ' for ἴσχε, and the rhythm of this whole passage is broken.

808. mvp-comment-567-1 'As it comes impetuously, so it leaves me speedily.' For the paratactic structure, cp. Ant. 1112, αὐτός τ᾽ ἔδησα καὶ παρὼν ἐκλύσομαι.

809. mvp-comment-568-1 θάρσει, μενούμεν] Neoptolemus says this with mingled feelings, and the eagerness of Philoctetes is made pathetic by his unconsciousness of the situation.

810. mvp-comment-569-1 σαφῶς φρόνει] Sc. με ὡς μενοῦντα.

811. mvp-comment-570-1 Ср. О. C. 650, 1, and note. Philoctetes desires the confirmation for which he will not ask. Neoptolemus makes a solemn asseveration (ὡς .. γε = 'At any rate be assured that'), in which the hidden intention of fate ( cp. ξυμφορᾶς ξύνθημα, Ο. C. 46) is again ambiguously conveyed. Philoctetes still requires the assurance of the right hand. Cр. О. С. 1632, δός μοι χερὸς σῆς πίστιν ἀρχαίαν, and note: Trach. 1181. Neoptolemus gives it with the safe promise of remaining, which to Philoctetes at the moment is quite sufficient. (He afterwards, infr. 1398, interprets the promise differently, as a confirmation of the original engagement, supr. 527). On receiving this satisfaction, he relapses into a semi-conscious state, and dreaming apparently of Oeta, Olympus, and the Lemnian fire in one, begs to be carried 'yonder,' 'upwards.' But immediately afterwards, when Neoptolemus comes near to hold him, he cries out to be let alone. (Prof. Paley interprets 813, 4, ἐκεῖσε.. ἄνω, as referring to the cave. But the vagueness of 815 is against this.)

815. mvp-comment-571-1 τὸν ἄνω κύκλον] 'The circle of the heavens.' Cp. Aj. 672, νυκτὸς αἰανῆς κύκλος.

817. mvp-comment-572-1 The tmesis of ἀπό occurs again infr. 1158, 1177.

818. mvp-comment-573-1 *εἴ τι δὴ πλέον φρονεῖς] 'Supposing that you must know best.' πλέον, sc. ἐμοῦ. Cp. Plat. Hipp. Min. 371 A, τοῦ Ὀδυσσέως φαίνεται φρονεῖν πλέον πρὸς τὸ ῥᾳδίως λανθάνειν: Thuc. 5. 29. § 2, νομίσαντες πλέον τέ τι εἰδότας μεταστῆναι αὐτούς, κ.τ.λ. Neoptolemus feels like an inexperienced nurse, and perceives that the sickness is beyond his treatment. He begins to think that the sick man must know what is best for his own state. Cp. Trach. 1017-22.

820. mvp-comment-574-1 Philoctetes throws himself on the ground.

822. mvp-comment-575-1 τόδε] See Essay on L. § 22, 1. P.34.

823. mvp-comment-576-1 'Sweat certainly is bathing him over all his frame.' γέ τοι calls attention to the sign which helps to confirm supr. 821, 2.

824. mvp-comment-577-1 ἄκρου.. ποδός] Cp. supr. 748, and note. παρέρρωγεν] 'Has burst from the side of (i. e. from the place of the wound)'. For the repetition of the same root in the compound, see Essay on L. § 40. p. 75, § 55. p. 101.

827-862. mvp-comment-578-1 Odysseus ( supr. 77, 115), whose words appear in some way to have reached the Chorus ( supr. 136 foll.), spoke only of the necessity of obtaining the bow. For this the Chorus now see the opportunity, and cannot understand the inaction of Neoptolemus, who is better informed (839-42, cp. infr. 1329-43), and is moreover chained to the spot by remorseful sympathy with Philoctetes. This passage, which does the work of a stasimon in separating two episodia, is in so far of the nature of a commos that it contains a lyrical interchange between the Chorus and one of the persons on the stage. The text is imperfect in several places, and Bergk conjectures that four lines of Neoptolemus', answering to 839-42, have dropped out between 854, 5. It seems most probable that ll. 827-32 were sung by one half-chorus, and ll. 843-48 by the other, in subdued tones; that 833-8, 849-54 were recited severally by two of the chief choreutae, and that 855-64 were recited by the coryphaeus, or, possibly, sung by the whole Chorus. The metres of this irregular strain are dactylic, anapaestic, trochaic, iambic, and choriambic. The following is an approximate scheme of them :- στρ. and ἀντ.
Logaoedic 1 _UU_UU_UU_U_
(?)
Anapaestic { __ | __
Choriambic _UU_ __
Logaoedic 5 __UU_U_
Iambic U_U_ __
Iambic U_U_U_
Trochaic
Iambic U_ U_U_ __
Iambic 10 U_ U_U_ __
Iambic U_U_U_U_
Paracelèusmatic, { _ UU _ UU _
with logaoedic close (?)

The strophe is followed by four dactylic hexameters, the antistrophe by an epode, of which this is the scheme:-

Logaoedic {: __
Dactylic {: _UU_UU__ | _UU_UU_ _ (?)
Iambo-trochaic 5 _U_U_U_ _ (?)
Dactylic _UU_UU_UU_UU_
Iambic U_U_U_

For νύχιος, l. 858, cp. Eur. Hel. 1479, Suppl. 280.

827-829. mvp-comment-579-1 It is seldom that we can at all realise the euphonic effects of Greek lyric verse. But the effect of the vowelly assonance of εὐαὴς .. εὐαίων, accompanied by low breathings of the flute, may be partly imagined.

827. mvp-comment-580-1 ῞Υπν'.. Ὑπνε] Cp. supr. 663 foll. ὃς .. ὅς, κ.τ.λ., and note. ὀδύνας] ‘Pain.' ἀλγέων] 'Grief.' Herm. (1841) preferred ἄλγεος for the metre. Cp. Il.14.164, ὕπνον ἀπήμονά τε λιαρόν τε: Od. 13. 92, δὴ τότε γ᾽ ἀτρέμας εὔδε, λελασμένος, ὅσσ᾽ ἐπεπόνθει.

828-829. mvp-comment-581-1 The metre of these lines is different from that of 844, 5, which should correspond to them in the antistrophe. But the effect of the two spondaic (anapaestic) lines ( cp. 837, 853) resembles El. 88, 9, 105, 6, 153, 173, 213-6, 233-6, and the antistrophe is possibly corrupt. See note on infr. 844. Others read εὐǎές, in which the vocative would resemble ἁλίπλαγκτε in Aj. 695. But the a is probably long. εὐαής] The first strain of the Chorus, ll. 827-32, is intended at once to lull Philoctetes to sleep, and darkly to express their own wishes. Thus εὐαής is at once 'With kindly breath' ( cp. supr. 18, 19, ἐν θέρει δ᾽ ὕπνον | δι᾽ ἀμφιτρῆτος αὐλίου πέμπει πνοή), and 'As with favouring gale' (to further our design).

829. mvp-comment-582-1 εὐαίων] 'Bringing happiness.' For the repetition, which depends on the Triclinian MSS., cp. Eur. Or. 174, πότνια, πότνια νύξ. Sleep is invoked, as the Lord of happiest life. Cp. Fr. 372, ὡς τοῖς κακῶς πράσσουσιν ἡδὺ καὶ βραχὺν | χρόνον λαθέσθαι τῶν παρεστώτων κακῶν: Plat. Apol. 39 D. Others explain εὐαίων, 'Lasting,' 'Not soon over.'

830. mvp-comment-583-1 ὄμμασι δ᾽ ἀντίσχοις τάνδ᾽ αἴγλαν .. τανῦν] 'And hold before his eyes this brightness that is now spread over them.' There is difficulty in the interpretation of αἴγλαν. Hermann was at one time satisfied with explaining it by a simple oxymoron, 'This light' = the light the eyes now have, i.e. darkness. Lobeck, Hermann in 1841, and, I believe, Prof. E. L. Lushington, would take αἴγλαν literally of the light of day, and explain ὄμμασι as a dativus commodi. ἀντέχειν then means 'To hold away, Fend off.' 'And defend his eyes from this brightness that is now spread forth.' But the explanatory clause ( ἃ τέταται τανῦν), according to this interpretation, appears weak and motiveless. Welcker's suggestion that αἴγλη here means a head-band ( αἴγλη, χλιδών, Fr. 524), satisfies some interpreters. A modification of Hermann's first interpretation seems to afford a possible meaning. The Chorus, gazing on Philoctetes' closed eyelids, see an expression of peaceful repose in his countenance that was previously absent. They pray that this boon of sleep may be continued. 'Light' is a familiar image of relief and safety. But in speaking of repose as light, the Chorus think again of their design, and add, 'This light which his eyes now have on them,' and not the light of waking. Or τάνδ' αἴγλαν may mean more simply, 'This soothing light:' the relief which slumber brings to Philoctetes being associated with the cheerful sunshine. (Burges conj. ἀμπίσχοις; Auratus conj. ἀχλύν.) τέταται, sc. τοῖς ὄμμασι. For a somewhat similar expression, cp. Aj. 706, ἔλυσεν αἰνὸν ἄχος ἀπ᾿ ὀμμάτων ῎Αρης.

832. mvp-comment-584-1 ἴθι, ἴθι] The hiatus here is one of those irregularities which suggest the doubt spoken of in the Introduction, p. 364. It may be accounted for by the ictus, U_U_ __, Cp. 859. Cp. with this invocation to Sleep (in its second intention), Shak. Cymb. 2, 2, 'O Sleep, thou ape of death, lie dull upon her! And be her sense but as a monument, | Thus in a chapel lying.'

833. mvp-comment-585-1 For the frequent form of expression, cp. especially Eur. Alc. 864, ποῖ βῶ; πᾶ στῶ; τί λέγω; τί δὲ μή;

834. mvp-comment-586-1 πῶς δέ μοι. . φροντίδος] Sc. ἔσται. ' And how are matters from this point to proceed with me in respect of thought?' i.e. What course is my design to take? Cp. infr. 895.

835. mvp-comment-587-1 ὁρᾷς ἤδη] 'You see (how things are) now;' viz. that Philoctetes is fast asleep. For the short abrupt sentences, ср. О. С. 117-22, ib. 162-5.

836. mvp-comment-588-1 πρὸς τί . . πράσσειν] ‘For what are we waiting, to do it?' i.e. What practical advantage is to be gained by our delay? πράσσειν is epexegetic of πρὸς τί. μενοῦμεν is the MS. reading, but the short vowel gives a more probable rhythm.

837. mvp-comment-589-1 καιρός, κ.τ.λ.] 'Opportunity, which holds the clue of everything, by following closely, wins much advantage.' The Chorus hint the unwisdom of adhering to one fixed plan, when a good opportunity occurs of suddenly executing another. A conjectural reading is ῥώμαν. But γνώμαν is confirmed by the echo of the phrase in the antistrophe. Cavallin, comparing πολλά in 305 supr., explains πολύ as = πολλάκις. γνώμαν ἴσχων nearly = γνῶμα παρέχων. Cp. Εl. 75, καιρὸς γάρ, ὅσπερ ἄνδρασιν | μέγιστος ἔργου παντός ἐστ᾽ ἐπιστάτης: Pind. Pyth. 9. 78, ὁ δὲ καιρὸς ὁμοίως | παντὸς ἔχει κορυφάν. Others join πάντων κράτος = 'Opportunity, combined with judgment, carries a decided superiority in all cases.' A word is lost of the quantity of αἴσιον (C.) or ἄνδρασιν (Hermann).

839-842. mvp-comment-590-1 Hexameters occur similarly in the commos of Trachiniae, ll. 1017-23, where solemn reflections are intermingled with the more excited lyric strains. Cp. also ib. 1009-13, 1031-1040.

839. mvp-comment-591-1 θήραν | τήνδ'] 'This capture,' accomplished supr. 779.

841. mvp-comment-592-1 τοῦδε γὰρ ὁ στέφανος] Cp. infr. 1344-7, Ἑλλήνων ἕνα | κριθέντ᾽ ἄριστον.. κλέος ὑπέρτατον λαβεῖν. ‘The prize was to be his.' Others (Paley) render, 'In him was the prize.' εἶπε] Sc. δεῖν.

842. mvp-comment-593-1 'To have an unaccomplished work to boast of, and that with the help of falsehood, is a reproach that carries deep disgrace.' To bring away the bow, as if performing a great feat, would only expose them to the reproach of not having brought Philoctetes. And this, when Neoptolemus had lied for the purpose.

843. mvp-comment-594-1 τάδε.. θεὸς ὄψεται] The completion of the work achieved so far may be left to Divine providence, notwithstanding what is mysterious in the oracle. Cp. Aj. 1165, κοίλην κάπετόν τιν᾿ ἰδεῖν, and note: O. C. 1454, ὁρᾷ, ὁρᾷ ταῦτ᾽ ἀεὶ χρόνος : Thuc. 5. 27, ὁρᾶν τοὺς ᾿Αργείους ὅπως σωθήσεται ἡ Πελοπόννησος.

844. mvp-comment-595-1 ὧν .. αὖθις] The metre of the MS. reading ὧν δ᾽ ἂν ἀμείβῃ μ᾽ αὖθις (U_U_U_U) does not correspond to the strophe, and is not very probable. Possibly ἀμείβῃ was a gloss explaining προσφωνῇ.. αὖθις, and we might read, ὧν δ᾽ ἂν προσφωνῇ μ᾽ αὖθις. Cp. ll. 1. 223, Πηλείδης δ᾽ ἐξαῦτις ἀταρτηροῖς ἐπέεσσιν | ᾿Ατρείδην προσέειπε, κ.τ.λ. Hermann's conjecture is provisionally adopted in the text.

847. mvp-comment-596-1 ὡς .. λεύσσειν] 'Since ever in disease Sleep, which slumbers not, is quick to perceive.' πάντων ἐν νόσῳ, sc. ὄντων. ' Of all men, when they are sick.' (Others join πάντων εὐδρακής, ‘Having quick sight of all things.") λεύσσειν is epexegetic of εὐδρακής. Sleep is personified, and 'sight' used for perception in general. Cp. Trach. 1019.

850. mvp-comment-597-1 The text is defective, as the metre shows. κεῖνο is opposed to τάδε in 843, and means, therefore, not the abduction of Philoctetes, but the carrying away of the bow and arrows. The Chorus urge Neoptolemus not to be absorbed in gazing on Philoctetes, but to take a wider survey of the situation, that he may secure the object set before him by Odysseus. For λάθρα, σκοπῶν λαθραίως might be substituted to complete the line, which answers to supr. 834.

852. mvp-comment-598-1 The reading ὧν, which would answer to μενοῦμεν in 836, gives no satisfactory meaning. For the comparison of supr. 240, 1, αὐδῶμαι.. παῖς Ἀχιλλέως ('I call Achilles father') does not justify ὧν αὐδῶμαι = ' Whom I call master,' even if this were clearly in point. And if ὃν is read, the metre is the same as that of ll. 6 and 9. In this case αὐδῶμαι is active, as in Ο. Τ. 846. The question remains whether Philoctetes or Odysseus is the antecedent to ὃν. It seems necessary that τούτῳ in 853 should be the antecedent, and τούτῳ is Philoctetes. The Chorus may be supposed to speak vaguely of him, in order to avoid the possibility of awakening his suspicions, should he overhear them. 'If this be your mind towards him you wot of;' i. e. 'If you allow yourself to be so affected with pity, as you manifestly are, towards Philoctetes.' The Chorus thus gently warn their master of what follows in the ensuing scene. Prof. Jebb conjectures ὃν αἰδοῦμαι, 'Whose fear is before my eyes,' viz. Odysseus'. Others read ταὐτὸν . . γνώμας.

854. mvp-comment-599-1 ἐνιδεῖν = SC. ἐστὶν or ἔνεστιν, (1) 'The prudent may see therein inextricable harm.' Or, possibly, (2) 'One may see therein perplexing trouble for the wise' (i. e. for Odysseus).

855-862. mvp-comment-600-1 It is probable that Neoptolemus answered here; and to this the words βλέπ᾽ εἰ καίρια φθέγγει may be referred :- 'Whether you speak seasonably,' viz. in hinting that we must take him away. Else they must allude to supr. 826, 6, which is far off. οὖρος, κ.τ.λ.] This is to be taken literally, not figuratively with the Scholiast. Cp. supr. 639, 40, and note. Schndw. quotes Theocr. 13. 52, κουφότερ', ὦ παῖδες, ποιεῖσθ᾽ ὅπλα· πλευστικὸς οὖρος.

856. mvp-comment-601-1 οὐκ ἔχων ἀρωγάν] ‘Helpless, in sleep, disease and solitude, and in the loss of his arms.' For ἀνόμματος, 'Without use of eyes,' cp. supr. 632, ἄπουν, 'Lame.'

859. mvp-comment-602-1 νύχιος resumes ἀνόμματος with greater intensity. 'Sightless, as if steeped in night.' ἐκτέταται, ' Lies prostrate,' is stronger than κεῖται. ἀλεὴς ὕπνος ἐσθλός] ‘How kind is sleep, warm sleep!' A parenthesis like supr. 400, 1. To suppose a commonplace γνώμη, 'A man sleeps soundly in the sun,' is hardly adequate in feeling. It is rather an exclamation of joy that their invocation ( supr. 827 foll.) has been heard by the God of Sleep. For ἐσθλός, meaning propitious, cp. Od. 24. 311, ἢ τέ οἱ ἐσθλοὶ ἔσαν ὄρνιθες ἰόντι: ib. 19. 547, οὐκ ὄναρ, ἀλλ᾽ ὕπαρ ἐσθλόν: Ελ. 1093, μοίρᾳ μὲν οὐκ ἐν ἐσθλᾷ βεβῶσαν. If ἀλεής is suspected, ἀδαής rather than ἀδεής should be read, although the latter might be connected with l. 864. But it is rash to reject ἀλεής, when λιαρός is an Homeric epithet of ὕπνος: ΙΙ. 14. 164, ὕπνον ἀπήμονά τε λιαρόν τε. The notion of 'Sleep in the sun' agrees with αἴγλαν, supr. 831.

860. mvp-comment-603-1 οὔ τινος] An enumeration of this kind often ends with a general expression. Cp. O. Τ. 1284, 5. They are perhaps thinking of the bow, which they dare not name.

861. mvp-comment-604-1 'But sees no more than the dead.' Cp. O. Τ. 972, κεῖται παρ' "Αιδῃ Πόλυβος, and see Essay on L. § 54. P 99. Dindorf reads ἀλλ' ὡς τίς τ', 'formula epica.' But cp. l. 859.

862. mvp-comment-605-1 βλέπ᾽ εἰ] This is the easiest correction of a faulty text, and affords a possible meaning. Cp. supr. note on 855 foll. But it is doubtful whether βλέπε can mean 'See to it,' in classical Greek; and βλέπει may be a gloss on ὁρᾷ. φθέγγει is also open to suspicion.

862. mvp-comment-605-2 Blaydes conjectures βλέπει· καίρια φώνει. But Neoptolemus is the first to perceive the signs of waking in Philoctetes. Others, βλέπ᾽ εἰ καίρια φωνῶ.

863-864. mvp-comment-606-1 τὸ δ᾽ ἁλώσιμον *ἀμᾷ.. κράτιστος] 'So far as our minds can grasp, young sir, the toil that frightens not is best.' Cp. O. Τ. 1234, 5, ὃ μὲν τάχιστος τῶν λόγων εἰπεῖν τε καὶ μαθεῖν, τέθνηκε θεῖον Ἰοκάστης κάρα : Plat. Rep. 7.517 B, τὰ δ᾽ οὖν ἐμοὶ φαινόμενα οὕτω φαίνεται, ἐν τῷ γνωστῷ τελευταία ἡ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ ἰδέα καὶ μόγις ὁρᾶσθαι. ἀμᾷ seems to be required by the indications of the metre (dactylic with anacrusis.) πόνος ὁ μὴ φοβῶν] The Chorus are probably using the language of fishermen, meaning that if Philoctetes is once alarmed, the capture of the bow will be more difficult. See above, l. 839, θήραν, and cp. Plato, Lys. 206 B, ποιός τις οὖν ἄν σοι δοκοί θηρευτὴς εἶναι, εἰ ἀνασοβοῖ θηρεύων καὶ δυσαλωτοτέραν τὴν ἄγραν ποιοῖ; Δῆλον ὅτι φαῦλος. For πόνος in this connection, cp. Pind. Pyth. 2. 79, ἅτε γὰρ εἰνάλιον πόνον ἐχοίσας βαθὺ | σκευᾶς ἑτέρας, ἀβάπτιστός εἰμι, φελλὸς ὡς ὑπὲρ ἕρκος, ἅλμας : Theocr. 21. 14, οὗτος τοῖς ἁλιεῦσιν ὁ πᾶς πόνος. The common interpretation, from the Scholiast downwards, has been, 'The labour that causes no fear,' i.e. that is not attended with danger.

865. mvp-comment-607-1 μηδ᾽ ἀφεστάναι φρενών] ‘And not take leave of your senses.' Cp. El. 1326, ὦ πλεῖστα μῶροι καὶ φρενῶν τητώμενοι, κ.τ.λ.

866. mvp-comment-608-1 For ἀνάγει, ‘Uplifts again,' cp. Αj. 131, κλίνει τε κἀνάγει πάλιν,

867-871. mvp-comment-609-1 Just when the plot against his peace is being urged most vehemently, Philoctetes awakes, and pours out touching words of unsuspecting thankfulness for the patient care, of which he little knows the motive. He throws himself afresh on Neoptolemus, and will have no support but his.

867-868. mvp-comment-610-1 ὦ φέγγος.. ξένων] 'Light after sleep, how welcome! And how surpassing fondest hope, the patient tendance of these friends!" For the construction of φέγγος and οἰκούρημα, cp. Trach. 1046, 7, ὦ πολλὰ . . μοχθήσας ἐγώ. διάδοχον] 'Succeeding, taking the place of (in my experience). ἐλπίδων ἄπιστον] 'Beyond the belief of expectation,' i.e. which I could not have believed beforehand. οἰκούρημα] More concrete than οἰκουρία = 'Act of keeping watch.' οἰκουρεῖν is, ‘Το keep watch over a person's property and interests in his absence.' So Neoptolemus has guarded the bow and the person of Philoctetes during his prostration, from the thievish attempt which he most feared.

869. mvp-comment-611-1 οὐκ ἂν ἐξηύχησα] 'I could not once have vaunted.' The aorist implies 'for a single moment,' and is thus more forcible here than the imperfect would have been.

871. mvp-comment-612-1 μεῖναι has been unreasonably suspected. Cavallin conjectures ἰδεῖν.

872. mvp-comment-613-1 οὔκουν ᾿Ατρείδαι] 'It was not the Atreidae, who-.' οὖν marks the reasonableness of Philoctetes' doubt, which was in accordance with the conduct of the Atreidae. *εὐφόρως] This seems the simplest correction of εὐπόρως. See Essay on L. § 55. p. 101. Others prefer εὐπετῶς, comparing Fr. 523, χρεὼν | τὰ θειᾶ θνητοὺς ὄντας εὐπετῶς φέρειν. Οr, εὐλόφως. Paley retains εὐπόρως.

874. mvp-comment-614-1 κἀξ εὐγενῶν] The frequent allusions to his father have a constraining power over the heart of Neoptolemus.

875. mvp-comment-615-1 ἐν εὐχερεῖ ἔθου] ‘Took as a light burden.'

876. mvp-comment-616-1 βοῆς] This reference of Philoctetes to his own cries makes us feel how involuntary they were. He knew them as an inseparable accompaniment of his presence anywhere.

877. mvp-comment-617-1 καὶ νῦν] Cp. O. T. 52, 3, ὄρνιθι γὰρ καὶ τὴν τότ᾽ αἰσίῳ τύχην | παρέσχες ἡμῖν, καὶ τανῦν ἴσος γενοῦ.

879. mvp-comment-618-1 Nauck, following A. Zippmann, transposes this line to before 890 and rejects 880 and 889. The apparent coldness of Neoptolemus, who in 886 ignores this appeal of Philoctetes to him, may, however, be accounted for by supposing that his consciousness of acting a part makes him less forward with the show of sympathy, now that his emotions are really stirred.

880. mvp-comment-619-1 Philoctetes is not yet confident that his powers are fully returned. The habit of lying perdu after each attack makes him less prompt to move. But he feels that he must be ready to start as soon as he can. (But qy. ἡ. ἀ. τὸ πνεῦμ᾽ ἀπ. ποτέ? Cp. supr. 639, 40.)

882. mvp-comment-620-1 μέν prepares for the narrative in νῦν δ᾽ αἷρε σαὐτόν.

883. mvp-comment-621-1 ἀνώδυνον βλέποντα] 'Opening thine eyes without the look of pain.' βλέποντα is sometimes put simply as an equivalent for ζῶντα, e.g. Aesch. Ag. 677, καὶ ζῶντα καὶ βλέποντα. But here the expression is modified by the addition of ἀνώδυνον as an adverbial accusative (i. e. not only seeing the light but free from the look of pain). Others take ἀνώδυνον as a masculine adjective, and make ἀνώδυνον βλέποντα = 'Living in freedom from pain.'

884. mvp-comment-622-1 τὰ συμβόλαιά σοι. . ἐφαίνετο] Either (1) 'Your commerce with the circumstances surrounding you: i.e. Your behaviour in the present juncture:' a figurative use of the ordinary meaning of συμβόλαια: or (2) 'Your symptoms, when regarded in the light of your affliction:' i. e. 'Considering your peculiar case your appearance suggested the inference that you were dead.' The latter meaning (2) receives some confirmation from Hdt. 5. 92, 7, and, more doubtfully, from Eur. Ion 411, quoted by L. and S. But the former is better on the whole, and agrees with σοι, the reading of the chief MS. See v. rr.

887-888. mvp-comment-623-1 Cp. supr. 522, 3. Neoptolemus professes to be encouraged by these words of the Chorus to assume that they will not spare pains in helping Philoctetes, whose wishes are seconded by their prince.

889. mvp-comment-624-1 ὥσπερ νοεῖς] 'As you really mean.' Philoctetes does not take the refusal of Neoptolemus to lift him with his own hands. He is too much impressed with his actual kindness to be at once affected by the coldness and reserve of his language.

892. mvp-comment-625-1 συνναίειν] For the infinitive, see Essay on L. § 33. p. 57 , and cp. especially O. C. 1211, 2, ὅστις τοῦ πλέονος μέρους χρήζει . . ζώειν.

893. mvp-comment-626-1 Neoptolemus gives Philoctetes his hand, but bids him exert himself, and put forth his strength in using the support. He is roused by this and makes the necessary exertion.

894. mvp-comment-627-1 'Fear not. Long habit will enable me to rise.'

895. mvp-comment-628-1 If Neoptolemus had followed the course marked out for him, he would have taken Philoctetes on board, and only when out at sea have let him discover the destination of the voyage. But now that the decisive moment is arrived, he cannot deceive the unfortunate who has trusted him. For the optative (potential) without av, see E. on L. § 27. p. 45. Others read δῆτ᾽ ἄν.

896. mvp-comment-629-1 'What mean such words, my son? Whither tends this sudden diversion?'

897. mvp-comment-630-1 'I know not which way to express what is so full of perplexity.' τάπορον . . ἔπος is the word that can neither be spoken nor kept silent.

898. mvp-comment-631-1 Philoctetes cannot bear that doubts should rise just when his hopes are on the point of being fulfilled.

899. mvp-comment-632-1 (1) 'But I am at such a point of difficulty (that I must speak).' τοῦδε πάθους, sc. τῆς ἀπορίας, from ἀπορεῖς, supr. Or (2) simply, 'I am in a difficulty.' Cp. Aesch. Choeph. 891, ἐνταῦθα γὰρ δὴ τοῦδ᾽ ἀφικόμην κακοῦ.

900. mvp-comment-633-1 οὐ δή] 'Surely it cannot be-;' i.e. 'I trust it is not.' Cp. Trach. 668, and note.

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751–900

Current edition Experimental

ἀλλὰ ἄλλα ἀλλὰ ἀλλ᾽ οὐ δέδοικ, ὦ a from a ὦ παῖ, μή μ' ἀτελὴς εὔχῃ εὐχή·

ΦΙΛΟΚΤΗΤΗΣ.

ΣΟΦΟΚΛΕΟΥΣ

ΝΕ.

ἀλγῶ πάλαι δὴ τἀπὶ σοὶ στένων κακά.

ΦΙ. ἀλλ᾽, ὦ τέκνον, καὶ θάρσος ἴσχ· ὡς ἥδε μοι ὀξεῖα φοιτᾷ καὶ ταχεῖ᾽ ἀπέρχεται ἐπέρχεται. ἀλλ᾽ ἀντιάζω, μή με καταλίπῃς καταλείπηισ καταλίπης μόνον.

ΝΕ. θάρσει, μενοῦμεν. 810

ΦΙ. ἢ μενεῖς;

NE. σαφῶς φρόνει.

ΦΙ. οὐ μήν σ᾽ ἔνορκόν γ'᾽ ἀξιῶ θέσθαι, τέκνον.

ΦΙΛΟΚΤΗΤΗΣ,

ΝΕ. ὡς οὐ θέμις γ᾽ ἐμοὔστι ἐμοί' στι ἐμὴ ἐστί ἐμ᾽ ἴσθι σοῦ μολεῖν ἄτερ.

ΦΙ. ἔμβαλλε χειρὸς πίστιν.

NE. ἐμβάλλω μενεῖν μένειν μενεῖν.

ΦΙ. ἐκεῖσε νῦν μ᾽ μ' om., ἐκεῖσε

NE. ποῖ λέγεις;

ΦΙ. ἄνω

ΝΕ. τί παραφρονεῖς αὖ; τί τὸν ἄνω λεύσσεις λεύσσεις (λεύσηισ pr.) λεύσσεις κύκλον ; 815

ΦΙ. μέθες μέθες με.

NE. ποῖ μεθῶ;

ΦΙ. μέθες ποτέ.

ΝΕ. οὔ φημ᾽ ἐάσειν.

ΦΙ. ἀπό μ᾽ ὀλεῖς, ἢν προσθίγῃς.

ΝΕ. καὶ δὴ μεθίημ', εἴ τι δὴ μεθείημι τί δὴ μεθίημι τι δὲ δὴ πλέον φρονεῖς.

ΦΙ. ὦ γαῖα, δέξαι θανάσιμόν μ' ὅπως ἔχω· τὸ γὰρ κακὸν τόδ᾽ οὐκέτ᾽ ὀρθοῦσθαί μ᾽ ἐᾷ. 820

ΝΕ. τὸν ἄνδ᾽ ἔοικεν ὕπνος οὐ μακροῦ χρόνου ἕξειν· κάρα γὰρ ὑπτιάζεται τόδε. ἱδρώς γέ τοί νιν πᾶν καταστάζει δέμας, μέλαινά τ᾽ ἄκρου τις παρέρρωγεν ποδὸς

ΣΟΦΟΚΛΕΟΥΣ

ΧΟ. στρ.

ΦΙΛΟΚΤΗΤΗΣ.

ΣΟΦΟΚΛΕΟΥΣ

ΝΕ.

ΧΟ. ἀντ.

ΦΙΛΟΚΤΗΤΗΣ.

ΣΟΦΟΚΛΕΟΥΣ

ΦΙΛΟΚΤΗΤΗΣ.

ΧΟ. τὸ δ᾽ τόδ' ἁλώσιμον ἀμᾷ ἐμᾶ ἐμῇ φροντίδι, παῖ, πόνος ὁ μὴ φοβῶν κράτιστος.

ΝΕ.

σιγᾶν κελεύω, μηδ' ἀφεστάναι φρενῶν. 865 κινεῖ γὰρ ἁνὴρ ἀνὴρ ὄμμα κἀνάγει κάρα.

ΣΟΦΟΚΛΕΟΥΣ

ΝΕ. ἀλλ᾽ ἥδομαι μέν σ᾽ εἰσιδὼν παρ᾿ ἐλπίδα ἀνώδυνον βλέποντα κἀμπνέοντ᾽ ἔτι· ὡς οὐκέτ᾽ ὄντος γὰρ τὰ συμβόλαιά σοι σου

ΦΙΛΟΚΤΗΤΗΣ.

ΝΕ.

ἔσται τάδ'· ἀλλ᾽ ἵστω τε καὐτὸς ἀντέχου.

ΦΙ. θάρσει. τό τοι σύνηθες ὀρθώσει μ᾽ ἔθος.

ΝΕ. παπαῖ· τί δῆτα δρῷμ᾽ δρῶμ' (γρ. δρῶμι) ἐγὼ τοὐνθένδε γε λέγε γε; 895

ΦΙ. τί δ᾽ ἔστιν, ὦ παῖ; ποῖ ποτ᾽ ἐξέβης λόγῳ λόγων;

ΝΕ. οὐκ οἶδ᾽ ὅποι χρὴ τἄπορον τρέπειν ἔπος.

ΦΙ. ἀπορεῖς δὲ τοῦ σύ; μὴ λέγ', ὦ τέκνον, τάδε.

ΝΕ. ἀλλ᾽ ἐνθάδ᾽ ἤδη τοῦδε τοῦ πάθους κυρῶ.

ΣΟΦΟΚΛΕΟΥΣ

ΦΙ. οὐ δή σε δυσχέρεια τοῦ νοσήματος 900 ἔπεισεν ἔπαισεν ἔπεισεν ὥστε μή μ' ἄγειν ναύτην ἔτι;

ΝΕ. ἅπαντα δυσχέρεια, τὴν αὑτοῦ αὐτοῦ αὑτοῦ φύσιν ὅταν λιπών τις δρᾷ τὰ μὴ προσεικότα προσήκοντα.

ΦΙ͵ ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲν ἔξω τοῦ φυτεύσαντος σύ γε δρᾷς οὐδὲ φωνεῖς, ἐσθλὸν ἄνδρ᾽ ἐπωφελῶν. 905

ΝΕ. αἰσχρὸς φανοῦμαι· τοῦτ᾽ ἀνιῶμαι πάλαι πάλιν πάλαι.

ΦΙ. οὔκουν ἐν οἷς γε τε γε δρᾷς· ἐν οἷς δ᾽ οἱ δ' οἶστ οἷς δ' αὐδᾷς, ὀκνῶ.

ΝΕ. ὦ Ζεῦ, τί δράσω; δεύτερον ληφθῶ κακός, κρύπτων θ᾽ ἃ μὴ δεῖ καὶ λέγων αἴσχιστ᾽ ἐπῶν;

ΦΙ. ἁνὴρ ἀνὴρ ὅδ᾽, εἰ μὴ ἐγὼ κἀγὼ μ᾿ ἐγὼ κακὸς κακὸς γνώμην ἔφυν, 910 προδούς μ' ἔοικε ἔοικεν ἔοικε κἀκλιπὼν τὸν πλοῦν στελεῖν.

ΝΕ. λιπὼν μὲν οὐκ ἔγωγε, λυπηρῶς δὲ μὴ πέμπω πέμπων σε μᾶλλον, τοῦτ᾽ ἀνιῶμαι πάλαι πάλιν πολλά πάλαι.

ΦΙ. τί ποτε λέγεις, ὦ τέκνον; ὡς οὐ μανθάνω.

ΦΙΛΟΚΤΗΤΗΣ.

ΝΕ. οὐδέν σε κρύψω· δεῖ γὰρ ἐς Τροίαν σε πλεῖν 915 πρὸς τοὺς ᾿Αχαιοὺς καὶ τὸν τῶν τὸν ᾿Ατρειδῶν στόλον στόλων στόλον.

ΦΙ. οἴμοι, τί τί γ' εἶπας ;

NE. μὴ στέναξε, πρὶν μάθῃς.

ΦΙ. ποῖον μάθημα; τί με νοεῖς δρᾶσαί δρασαι ποτε;

ΝΕ. σῶσαι κακοῦ μὲν πρῶτα τοῦδ᾽, ἔπειτα δὲ ξὺν σοὶ τὰ Τροίας πεδία πορθῆσαι μολών. 920

ΦΙ. καὶ ταῦτ᾽ ἀληθῆ δρᾶν νοεῖς ;

NE. πολλὴ κρατεῖ τούτων ἀνάγκη· καὶ σὺ μὴ θυμοῦ κλύων.

ΦΙ. ἀπόλωλα τλήμων, προδίδομαι. τί μ', ὦ ξένε, δέδρακας ; ἀπόδος ὡς τάχος τὰ τὰ τόξα μοι.

ΝΕ. ἀλλ᾽ οὐχ οἷόν τε· τῶν γὰρ ἐν τέλει κλύειν 925 τό τ᾽ ἔνδικόν με καὶ τὸ συμφέρον ποιεῖ ποεῖν ποιεῖ ποεῖ.

ΦΙ.

Νεοπτόλεμος σιγᾶν κελεύω μηδʼ ἀφεστάναι φρενῶν· 865 κινεῖ γὰρ ἁνὴρ ὄμμα κἀνάγει κάρα.

Νεοπτόλεμος ἔσται τάδʼ· ἀλλʼ ἵστω τε καὐτὸς ἀντέχου.

Φιλοκτήτης θάρσει· τό τοι σύνηθες ὀρθώσει μʼ ἔθος.

Νεοπτόλεμος παπαῖ· τί δῆτʼ ἂν δρῷμʼ ἐγὼ τοὐνθένδε γε; 895

Φιλοκτήτης τί δʼ ἔστιν, ὦ παῖ; ποῖ ποτʼ ἐξέβης λόγῳ;

Νεοπτόλεμος οὐκ οἶδʼ ὅποι χρὴ τἄπορον τρέπειν ἔπος.

ΦΙ.

ἀλλ᾽, ὦ τέκνον, καὶ θάρσος ἴσχ· ὡς ἥδε μοι

ὀξεῖα φοιτᾷ καὶ ταχεῖ᾽ ἀπέρχεται ἐπέρχεται.

ἀλλ᾽ ἀντιάζω, μή με καταλίπῃς καταλείπηισ καταλίπης μόνον.

ΝΕ.

θάρσει, μενοῦμεν.
810

ΦΙ.

ἢ μενεῖς;

NE.

σαφῶς φρόνει.

ΦΙ.

οὐ μήν σ᾽ ἔνορκόν γ'᾽ ἀξιῶ θέσθαι, τέκνον.

ΝΕ.

ὡς οὐ θέμις γ᾽ ἐμοὔστι ἐμοί' στι ἐμὴ ἐστί ἐμ᾽ ἴσθι σοῦ μολεῖν ἄτερ.

ΦΙ.

ἔμβαλλε χειρὸς πίστιν.

NE.

ἐμβάλλω μενεῖν μένειν μενεῖν.

ΦΙ.

ἐκεῖσε νῦν μ᾽ μ' om., ἐκεῖσε

NE.

ποῖ λέγεις;

ΦΙ.

ἄνω

ΝΕ.

τί παραφρονεῖς αὖ; τί τὸν ἄνω λεύσσεις λεύσσεις (λεύσηισ pr.) λεύσσεις κύκλον ;
815

ΦΙ.

μέθες μέθες με.

NE.

ποῖ μεθῶ;

ΦΙ.

μέθες ποτέ.

ΝΕ.

οὔ φημ᾽ ἐάσειν.

ΦΙ.

ἀπό μ᾽ ὀλεῖς, ἢν προσθίγῃς.

ΝΕ.

καὶ δὴ μεθίημ', εἴ τι δὴ μεθείημι τί δὴ μεθίημι τι δὲ δὴ πλέον φρονεῖς.

ΦΙ.

ὦ γαῖα, δέξαι θανάσιμόν μ' ὅπως ἔχω·

τὸ γὰρ κακὸν τόδ᾽ οὐκέτ᾽ ὀρθοῦσθαί μ᾽ ἐᾷ.
820

ΝΕ.

τὸν ἄνδ᾽ ἔοικεν ὕπνος οὐ μακροῦ χρόνου

ἕξειν· κάρα γὰρ ὑπτιάζεται τόδε.

ἱδρώς γέ τοί νιν πᾶν καταστάζει δέμας,

μέλαινά τ᾽ ἄκρου τις παρέρρωγεν ποδὸς

ΧΟ.

στρ.

ΧΟ.

ἀντ.

ΧΟ.

τὸ δ᾽ τόδ' ἁλώσιμον ἀμᾷ ἐμᾶ ἐμῇ φροντίδι, παῖ, πόνος

ὁ μὴ φοβῶν κράτιστος.

σιγᾶν κελεύω, μηδ' ἀφεστάναι φρενῶν.
865

κινεῖ γὰρ ἁνὴρ ἀνὴρ ὄμμα κἀνάγει κάρα.

ΝΕ.

ἀλλ᾽ ἥδομαι μέν σ᾽ εἰσιδὼν παρ᾿ ἐλπίδα

ἀνώδυνον βλέποντα κἀμπνέοντ᾽ ἔτι·

ὡς οὐκέτ᾽ ὄντος γὰρ τὰ συμβόλαιά σοι σου

ΦΙ.

θάρσει. τό τοι σύνηθες ὀρθώσει μ᾽ ἔθος.

ΝΕ.

παπαῖ· τί δῆτα δρῷμ᾽ δρῶμ' (γρ. δρῶμι) ἐγὼ τοὐνθένδε γε λέγε γε;
895

ΦΙ.

τί δ᾽ ἔστιν, ὦ παῖ; ποῖ ποτ᾽ ἐξέβης λόγῳ λόγων;

ΝΕ.

οὐκ οἶδ᾽ ὅποι χρὴ τἄπορον τρέπειν ἔπος.

ΦΙ.

ἀπορεῖς δὲ τοῦ σύ; μὴ λέγ', ὦ τέκνον, τάδε.

ΝΕ.

ἀλλ᾽ ἐνθάδ᾽ ἤδη τοῦδε τοῦ πάθους κυρῶ.

ΦΙ.

οὐ δή σε δυσχέρεια τοῦ νοσήματος
900

ἔπεισεν ἔπαισεν ἔπεισεν ὥστε μή μ' ἄγειν ναύτην ἔτι;

ΝΕ.

ἅπαντα δυσχέρεια, τὴν αὑτοῦ αὐτοῦ αὑτοῦ φύσιν

ὅταν λιπών τις δρᾷ τὰ μὴ προσεικότα προσήκοντα.

ΦΙ͵

ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲν ἔξω τοῦ φυτεύσαντος σύ γε

δρᾷς οὐδὲ φωνεῖς, ἐσθλὸν ἄνδρ᾽ ἐπωφελῶν.
905

ΝΕ.

αἰσχρὸς φανοῦμαι· τοῦτ᾽ ἀνιῶμαι πάλαι πάλιν πάλαι.

ΦΙ.

οὔκουν ἐν οἷς γε τε γε δρᾷς· ἐν οἷς δ᾽ οἱ δ' οἶστ οἷς δ' αὐδᾷς, ὀκνῶ.

ΝΕ.

ὦ Ζεῦ, τί δράσω; δεύτερον ληφθῶ κακός,

κρύπτων θ᾽ ἃ μὴ δεῖ καὶ λέγων αἴσχιστ᾽ ἐπῶν;

ΦΙ.

ἁνὴρ ἀνὴρ ὅδ᾽, εἰ μὴ ἐγὼ κἀγὼ μ᾿ ἐγὼ κακὸς κακὸς γνώμην ἔφυν,
910

προδούς μ' ἔοικε ἔοικεν ἔοικε κἀκλιπὼν τὸν πλοῦν στελεῖν.

ΝΕ.

λιπὼν μὲν οὐκ ἔγωγε, λυπηρῶς δὲ μὴ

πέμπω πέμπων σε μᾶλλον, τοῦτ᾽ ἀνιῶμαι πάλαι πάλιν πολλά πάλαι.

ΦΙ.

τί ποτε λέγεις, ὦ τέκνον; ὡς οὐ μανθάνω.

ΝΕ.

οὐδέν σε κρύψω· δεῖ γὰρ ἐς Τροίαν σε πλεῖν
915

πρὸς τοὺς ᾿Αχαιοὺς καὶ τὸν τῶν τὸν ᾿Ατρειδῶν στόλον στόλων στόλον.

ΦΙ.

οἴμοι, τί τί γ' εἶπας ;

NE.

μὴ στέναξε, πρὶν μάθῃς.

ΦΙ.

ποῖον μάθημα; τί με νοεῖς δρᾶσαί δρασαι ποτε;

ΝΕ.

σῶσαι κακοῦ μὲν πρῶτα τοῦδ᾽, ἔπειτα δὲ

ξὺν σοὶ τὰ Τροίας πεδία πορθῆσαι μολών.
920

ΦΙ.

καὶ ταῦτ᾽ ἀληθῆ δρᾶν νοεῖς ;

NE.

πολλὴ κρατεῖ

τούτων ἀνάγκη· καὶ σὺ μὴ θυμοῦ κλύων.

ΦΙ.

ἀπόλωλα τλήμων, προδίδομαι. τί μ', ὦ ξένε,

δέδρακας ; ἀπόδος ὡς τάχος τὰ τὰ τόξα μοι.

ΝΕ.

ἀλλ᾽ οὐχ οἷόν τε· τῶν γὰρ ἐν τέλει κλύειν
925

τό τ᾽ ἔνδικόν με καὶ τὸ συμφέρον ποιεῖ ποεῖν ποιεῖ ποεῖ.

Νεοπτόλεμος

σιγᾶν κελεύω μηδʼ ἀφεστάναι φρενῶν·
865

κινεῖ γὰρ ἁνὴρ ὄμμα κἀνάγει κάρα.

Νεοπτόλεμος

ἔσται τάδʼ· ἀλλʼ ἵστω τε καὐτὸς ἀντέχου.

Φιλοκτήτης

θάρσει· τό τοι σύνηθες ὀρθώσει μʼ ἔθος.

Νεοπτόλεμος

παπαῖ· τί δῆτʼ ἂν δρῷμʼ ἐγὼ τοὐνθένδε γε;
895

Φιλοκτήτης

τί δʼ ἔστιν, ὦ παῖ; ποῖ ποτʼ ἐξέβης λόγῳ;

Νεοπτόλεμος

οὐκ οἶδʼ ὅποι χρὴ τἄπορον τρέπειν ἔπος.

Φιλοκτήτης

ἀπορεῖς δὲ τοῦ σύ; μὴ λέγʼ, ὦ τέκνον, τάδε.

Νεοπτόλεμος

ἀλλʼ ἐνθάδʼ ἤδη τοῦδε τοῦ πάθους κυρῶ.

Φιλοκτήτης

οὐ δή σε δυσχέρεια τοῦ νοσήματος
900

ἔπεισεν ὥστε μή μʼ ἄγειν ναύτην ἔτι;

Νεοπτόλεμος

ἅπαντα δυσχέρεια, τὴν αὑτοῦ φύσιν

ὅταν λιπών τις δρᾷ τὰ μὴ προσεικότα.

Φιλοκτήτης

ἀλλʼ οὐδὲν ἔξω τοῦ φυτεύσαντος σύ γε

δρᾷς οὐδὲ φωνεῖς, ἐσθλὸν ἄνδρʼ ἐπωφελῶν.
905

Νεοπτόλεμος

αἰσχρὸς φανοῦμαι· τοῦτʼ ἀνιῶμαι πάλαι.

Φιλοκτήτης

οὔκουν ἐν οἷς γε δρᾷς· ἐν οἷς δʼ αὐδᾷς ὀκνῶ.

Νεοπτόλεμος

ὦ Ζεῦ, τί δράσω; δεύτερον ληφθῶ κακός,

κρύπτων θʼ ἃ μὴ δεῖ καὶ λέγων αἴσχιστʼ ἐπῶν;

Φιλοκτήτης

ἁνὴρ ὅδʼ, εἰ μὴ ʼγὼ κακὸς γνώμων ἔφυν,
910

προδούς μʼ ἔοικε κἀκλιπὼν τὸν πλοῦν στελεῖν.

Νεοπτόλεμος

λιπὼν μὲν οὐκ ἔγωγε· λυπηρῶς δὲ μὴ

πέμπω σε μᾶλλον, τοῦτʼ ἀνιῶμαι πάλαι.

Φιλοκτήτης

τί ποτε λέγεις, ὦ τέκνον; ὡς οὐ μανθάνω.

Νεοπτόλεμος

οὐδέν σε κρύψω· δεῖ γὰρ ἐς Τροίαν σε πλεῖν
915

πρὸς τοὺς Ἀχαιοὺς καὶ τὸν Ἀτρειδῶν στόλον.

Φιλοκτήτης

οἴμοι, τί εἶπας;

Νεοπτόλεμος

μὴ στέναζε, πρὶν μάθῃς.

Φιλοκτήτης

ποῖον μάθημα; τί με νοεῖς δρᾶσαί ποτε;

Νεοπτόλεμος

σῶσαι κακοῦ μὲν πρῶτα τοῦδʼ, ἔπειτα δὲ

ξὺν σοὶ τὰ Τροίας πεδία πορθῆσαι μολών.
920

Φιλοκτήτης

καὶ ταῦτʼ ἀληθῆ δρᾶν νοεῖς;

Νεοπτόλεμος

πολλὴ κρατεῖ

τούτων ἀνάγκη, καὶ σὺ μὴ θυμοῦ κλύων.

Φιλοκτήτης

ἀπόλωλα τλήμων, προδέδομαι. τί μʼ, ὦ ξένε,

δέδρακας; ἀπόδος ὡς τάχος τὰ τόξα μοι.

Νεοπτόλεμος

ἀλλʼ οὐχ οἷόν τε· τῶν γὰρ ἐν τέλει κλύειν
925

τό τʼ ἔνδικόν με καὶ τὸ συμφέρον ποεῖ.

Χορός

τί δρῶμεν; ἐν σοὶ καὶ τὸ πλεῖν ἡμᾶς, ἄναξ,

ἤδη ʼστὶ καὶ τοῖς τοῦδε προσχωρεῖν λόγοις.

Νεοπτόλεμος

ἐμοὶ μὲν οἶκτος δεινὸς ἐμπέπτωκέ τις
965

τοῦδʼ ἀνδρὸς οὐ νῦν πρῶτον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάλαι.

Φιλοκτήτης

ἐλέησον, ὦ παῖ, πρὸς θεῶν, καὶ μὴ παρῇς

σαυτοῦ βροτοῖς ὄνειδος, ἐκκλέψας ἐμέ.

Νεοπτόλεμος

οἴμοι, τί δράσω; μή ποτʼ ὤφελον λιπεῖν

τὴν Σκῦρον· οὕτω τοῖς παροῦσιν ἄχθομαι.
970

Φιλοκτήτης

οὐκ εἶ κακὸς σύ, πρὸς κακῶν δʼ ἀνδρῶν μαθὼν

ἔοικας ἥκειν αἰσχρά· νῦν δʼ ἄλλοισι δοὺς

οἷς εἰκὸς ἔκπλει, τἀμά μοι μεθεὶς ὅπλα.