ὅστις γὰρ εὖ δρᾶν εὖ παθὼν ἐπίσταται,
Philoctetes. Sophocles. ed. Lewis Campbell. Oxford. 1879.
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Current edition Experimental
Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) (Greek) (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879))
Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.
Editions (1)
Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 676-728 focus
Χορός
λόγῳ μὲν ἐξήκουσʼ, ὄπωπα δʼ οὐ μάλα,
τὸν πελάταν λέκτρων ποτὲ τῶν Διὸς
κατὰ δρομάδʼ ἄμπυκα δέσμιον ὡς ἔβαλεν παγκρατὴς Κρόνου παῖς·
680
ἄλλον δʼ οὔτινʼ ἔγωγʼ οἶδα κλύων οὐδʼ ἐσιδὼν μοίρᾳ
τοῦδʼ ἐχθίονι συντυχόντα
θνατῶν, ὃς οὔτʼ ἔρξας τινʼ οὔ τι νοσφίσας,
ἀλλʼ ἴσος ὢν ἴσοις ἀνήρ,
685
ὤλλυθʼ ὧδʼ ἀναξίως.
τόδε τοι θαῦμά μʼ ἔχει,
πῶς ποτε πῶς ποτʼ ἀμφιπλάκτων ῥοθίων μόνος κλύων,
πῶς ἄρα πανδάκρυτον οὕτω βιοτὰν κατέσχεν·
690
λόγῳ μὲν ἐξήκουσʼ, ὄπωπα δʼ οὐ μάλα,
τὸν πελάταν λέκτρων ποτὲ τῶν Διὸς
κατὰ δρομάδʼ ἄμπυκα δέσμιον ὡς ἔβαλεν παγκρατὴς Κρόνου παῖς·
680
ἄλλον δʼ οὔτινʼ ἔγωγʼ οἶδα κλύων οὐδʼ ἐσιδὼν μοίρᾳ
τοῦδʼ ἐχθίονι συντυχόντα
θνατῶν, ὃς οὔτʼ ἔρξας τινʼ οὔ τι νοσφίσας,
ἀλλʼ ἴσος ὢν ἴσοις ἀνήρ,
685
ὤλλυθʼ ὧδʼ ἀναξίως.
τόδε τοι θαῦμά μʼ ἔχει,
πῶς ποτε πῶς ποτʼ ἀμφιπλάκτων ῥοθίων μόνος κλύων,
πῶς ἄρα πανδάκρυτον οὕτω βιοτὰν κατέσχεν·
690
Χορός
ἵνʼ αὐτὸς ἦν πρόσουρος, οὐκ ἔχων βάσιν,
οὐδέ τινʼ ἐγχώρων κακογείτονα,
παρʼ ᾧ στόνον ἀντίτυπον βαρυβρῶτʼ ἀποκλαύσειεν αἱματηρόν·
ὃς τὰν θερμοτάταν αἱμάδα κηκιομέναν ἑλκέων
ἐνθήρου ποδὸς ἠπίοισι
φύλλοις κατευνάσειεν, εἴ τις ἐμπέσοι,
φορβάδος ἐκ γαίας ἑλών·
700
εἷρπε γὰρ ἄλλοτʼ ἀλλαχᾷ
τότʼ ἂν εἰλυόμενος
παῖς ἄτερ ὡς φίλας τιθήνας ὅθεν εὐμάρειʼ ὑπάρ-
χοι πόρου, ἁνίκʼ ἐξανείη δακέθυμος ἄτα·
705
ἵνʼ αὐτὸς ἦν πρόσουρος, οὐκ ἔχων βάσιν,
οὐδέ τινʼ ἐγχώρων κακογείτονα,
παρʼ ᾧ στόνον ἀντίτυπον βαρυβρῶτʼ ἀποκλαύσειεν αἱματηρόν·
ὃς τὰν θερμοτάταν αἱμάδα κηκιομέναν ἑλκέων
ἐνθήρου ποδὸς ἠπίοισι
φύλλοις κατευνάσειεν, εἴ τις ἐμπέσοι,
φορβάδος ἐκ γαίας ἑλών·
700
εἷρπε γὰρ ἄλλοτʼ ἀλλαχᾷ
τότʼ ἂν εἰλυόμενος
παῖς ἄτερ ὡς φίλας τιθήνας ὅθεν εὐμάρειʼ ὑπάρ-
χοι πόρου, ἁνίκʼ ἐξανείη δακέθυμος ἄτα·
705
Χορός
οὐ φορβὰν ἱερᾶς γᾶς σπόρον, οὐκ ἄλλων
αἴρων τῶν νεμόμεσθʼ ἀνέρες ἀλφησταί,
πλὴν ἐξ ὠκυβόλων εἴ ποτε τόξων
710
πτανοῖς ἰοῖς ἀνύσειε γαστρὶ φορβάν.
ὦ μελέα ψυχά,
ὃς μηδʼ οἰνοχύτου πώματος ἥσθη δεκέτει χρόνῳ,
λεύσσων δʼ ὅπου γνοίη στατὸν εἰς ὕδωρ,
ἀεὶ προσενώμα.
οὐ φορβὰν ἱερᾶς γᾶς σπόρον, οὐκ ἄλλων
αἴρων τῶν νεμόμεσθʼ ἀνέρες ἀλφησταί,
πλὴν ἐξ ὠκυβόλων εἴ ποτε τόξων
710
πτανοῖς ἰοῖς ἀνύσειε γαστρὶ φορβάν.
ὦ μελέα ψυχά,
ὃς μηδʼ οἰνοχύτου πώματος ἥσθη δεκέτει χρόνῳ,
λεύσσων δʼ ὅπου γνοίη στατὸν εἰς ὕδωρ,
ἀεὶ προσενώμα.
Χορός
νῦν δʼ ἀνδρῶν ἀγαθῶν παιδὸς ὑπαντήσας
εὐδαίμων ἀνύσει καὶ μέγας ἐκ κείνων·
720
ὅς νιν ποντοπόρῳ δούρατι, πλήθει
πολλῶν μηνῶν, πατρίαν ἄγει πρὸς αὐλὰν
Μαλιάδων νυμφᾶν
725
Σπερχειοῦ τε παρʼ ὄχθας, ἵνʼ ὁ χάλκασπις ἀνὴρ θεοῖς
πλάθει πατρὸς θείῳ πυρὶ παμφαής,
Οἴτας ὑπὲρ ὄχθων.
νῦν δʼ ἀνδρῶν ἀγαθῶν παιδὸς ὑπαντήσας
εὐδαίμων ἀνύσει καὶ μέγας ἐκ κείνων·
720
ὅς νιν ποντοπόρῳ δούρατι, πλήθει
πολλῶν μηνῶν, πατρίαν ἄγει πρὸς αὐλὰν
Μαλιάδων νυμφᾶν
725
Σπερχειοῦ τε παρʼ ὄχθας, ἵνʼ ὁ χάλκασπις ἀνὴρ θεοῖς
πλάθει πατρὸς θείῳ πυρὶ παμφαής,
Οἴτας ὑπὲρ ὄχθων.
Translations (2)
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 676 focus
Ich hörte wohl von jenem, doch nie sah ich ihn,
Welcher genaht Zeus' Bette, den frevelnden
Ixion, den an das kreisende Rad gebunden hält
1
Der starke Sohn des Kronos.
665
Doch nie hab' ich gehört durch das Gerücht, oder geseh'n jemals,
Daß ein Sterblicher Leid empfand, wie dieser,
Der doch nie Raub verübte noch Gewalt,
Edlen gesellt, ein edler Mann,
Also schuldlos unterging.
670
Mich ergreift Staunen darob,
Wie er es, wie, allein die Flut, die ihn umbraust, vernehmend hier,
Wie er ein solches Thränenloos tapfer besteht, so einsam.
Erste Gegenstrophe.
Ich hörte wohl von jenem, doch nie sah ich ihn,
Welcher genaht Zeus' Bette, den frevelnden
Ixion, den an das kreisende Rad gebunden hält
1
Der starke Sohn des Kronos.
665
Doch nie hab' ich gehört durch das Gerücht, oder geseh'n jemals,
Daß ein Sterblicher Leid empfand, wie dieser,
Der doch nie Raub verübte noch Gewalt,
Edlen gesellt, ein edler Mann,
Also schuldlos unterging.
670
Mich ergreift Staunen darob,
Wie er es, wie, allein die Flut, die ihn umbraust, vernehmend hier,
Wie er ein solches Thränenloos tapfer besteht, so einsam.
English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 676-725 focus
Chorus
I have heard a rumor, but never seen with my eyes, how the man who once approached the bed of Zeus was bound upon a
swift wheel by the almighty son of Cronus. But of no other mortal do I know, either by hearsay or by sight, that has encountered a doom so repugnant as this of Philoctetes. For though he had wronged no one by force or thievery,
680
but conducted himself fairly towards the fair, he was left to perish so undeservedly. I truly marvel how—how in the world—as he listened in solitude to the breakers rushing around him,
685
he kept his hold upon a life so full of grief.
690
I have heard a rumor, but never seen with my eyes, how the man who once approached the bed of Zeus was bound upon a
swift wheel by the almighty son of Cronus. But of no other mortal do I know, either by hearsay or by sight, that has encountered a doom so repugnant as this of Philoctetes. For though he had wronged no one by force or thievery,
680
but conducted himself fairly towards the fair, he was left to perish so undeservedly. I truly marvel how—how in the world—as he listened in solitude to the breakers rushing around him,
685
he kept his hold upon a life so full of grief.
690
Chorus
Here, he alone was his own neighbor, powerless to walk, with no one in the land to be his companion while he suffered—no one to whom he could cry out a lament that would be answered
for the plague that gnawed his flesh and drained his blood—no one to lull with healing herbs gathered from the nourishing earth the burning blood which oozed from the ulcers of his
695
envenomed foot, whenever the torment attacked him. Instead he would then creep this way or that, stumbling like a child without his kind nurse, to any place from where his needs
700
might be supplied, whenever the devouring anguish withdrew.
705
Here, he alone was his own neighbor, powerless to walk, with no one in the land to be his companion while he suffered—no one to whom he could cry out a lament that would be answered
for the plague that gnawed his flesh and drained his blood—no one to lull with healing herbs gathered from the nourishing earth the burning blood which oozed from the ulcers of his
695
envenomed foot, whenever the torment attacked him. Instead he would then creep this way or that, stumbling like a child without his kind nurse, to any place from where his needs
700
might be supplied, whenever the devouring anguish withdrew.
705
Chorus
For food he did not gather the fruit of holy Earth, nor anything else that we mortals feed on by our labor,
except when on occasion he obtained food to ease his hunger by means of feathered shafts from his swift-striking bow. Ah, joyless was his life, who for ten years never knew the delight of wine,
710
but ever directed his path towards any stagnant pool that he could find as he gazed around him.
715
For food he did not gather the fruit of holy Earth, nor anything else that we mortals feed on by our labor,
except when on occasion he obtained food to ease his hunger by means of feathered shafts from his swift-striking bow. Ah, joyless was his life, who for ten years never knew the delight of wine,
710
but ever directed his path towards any stagnant pool that he could find as he gazed around him.
715
Chorus
But now, after those troubles, he will attain happiness and heartiness in the end
because of his meeting with this son of a noble race, who after the fullness of many months carries him aboard our sea-crossing hull to his ancestral home,
720
the haunt of Malian nymphs, and to the banks of the Spercheius in that very land where, above Oeta’s heights, the hero of the brazen shield approached the gods, illuminated by his father’s divine fire.
725
But now, after those troubles, he will attain happiness and heartiness in the end
because of his meeting with this son of a noble race, who after the fullness of many months carries him aboard our sea-crossing hull to his ancestral home,
720
the haunt of Malian nymphs, and to the banks of the Spercheius in that very land where, above Oeta’s heights, the hero of the brazen shield approached the gods, illuminated by his father’s divine fire.
725
Commentary
Commentary (R. C. Jebb) (OCR draft) (Commentary (R. C. Jebb))
mvp-comment-368-1
These three verses, called ‘manifesto spurii’ by Dindorf, are clearly genuine. If they are rejected, then Neoptolemus deigns no reply beyond
χωροῖς ἂν εἴσω to the gracious and cordial speech of Philoctetes. In proof that the verses are pointless, Dindorf says:—‘Neque enim quidquam beneficii a Philocteta accepit Neoptolemus, ut
εὖ παθών dici possit.’ Blaydes, though he does not bracket the verses, assents to this argument:—‘Certainly
εὖ παθὼν cannot well apply to Neoptolemus.’ But
εὖ παθών refers, of course, to Philoctetes. Neoptolemus means:—‘I am not sorry that chance drove me to Lemnos, and thus enabled me to gain your friendship. One who is ready to requite a benefit (viz., conveyance to Greece) by such a kindness as this (the promised loan of the bow), must indeed prove to be a priceless friend.’
Commentary (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) (Commentary (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) focus
670-672. mvp-comment-476-1 These three lines seem out of place. Either there is a lacuna after 670, or they have crept into the text out of the margin, where some hand had inserted them as an apposite quotation from some other play. They have not the appearance of a deliberate interpolation, nor is the difficulty obviated by assigning them to Neoptolemus. If they are retained, they can only mean, 'I do not feel this generous action burdensome, now that I have seen and found a friend in you. For no possession can be equal to a friend who knows (as I am sure you do) how to return kindness for kindness done to him.' In other words, to secure so true a friend as Neoptolemus, even the effort of relinquishing the bow for a moment is not too much. But ἄχθομαι has no object; and the promised kindness of Neoptolemus was not conditional on his being allowed to handle the bow.