Sophocles Philoctetes 852

ed. Lewis Campbell

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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)) — 865-1080 focus
Translations (2)
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 855 focus
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.
English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 865-1080 focus

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-464-1 οἶσθα γὰρ ἃν … πάθη 1 ἃν 2 ὧν 3 ὃν 4 γνώμαν 5 οἶσθα γὰρ ἃν αὐδῶμαι 6 ταύταν 7 κεῖνο 8 τούτῳ 9 πυκινοῖς 10 ἐνιδεῖν 11 ἄπορα πάθη 12

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

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.

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.