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Philoctetes

Hateful life, why, why do you keep me in the light of day, instead of letting me go to Hades’ domain?

Ah, me, what shall I do? How can I ignore this man’s words, when he has advised me with good will? But shall I yield, then? How, after doing that, shall I, ill-fated, come into men’s sight? Whom will I be able to talk to? You orbs that have watched my every suffering,
1350

how could you endure to see me consorting with the sons of Atreus, who caused my ruin, or with the accursed son of Laertes ? It is not my resentment for what has already been done that stings me, rather it is the many troubles which I seem to foresee I must suffer at the hands of
1355

these men in the future. For when the mind of men has once mothered wrongdoing, it trains those men to be wrongdoers in all else thereafter. And in you, too, I wonder at this. You should never yourself revisit Troy , and should prevent me from going there, seeing that those men have done you outrage
1360

by stripping you of your father’s arms when, in the suit for the weapons, they judged unhappy Ajax inferior to Odysseus. After that, will you go to fight at their side, and compel me to do the same? No, do not do it, son, but, as you swore to me, escort me home. You yourself remain in Scyros, and leave those evil men to their evil doom.
1365

So shall you win double thanks from me, as from your father, and you will not appear through your service to bad men to be like them in your nature.
1370

Neoptolemus

Your recommendation is reasonable, but nevertheless, I wish that you would put your trust in the gods and in my words,

and sail from this land with me, your friend.
1375

Philoctetes

What! To the plains of Troy and to the abhorred son of Atreus, with this miserable foot?

Neoptolemus

No, rather to those who will free you and your pus-filled limb from pain, and will save you from your sickness.

Philoctetes. Sophocles. Richard Jebb (Translator). Cambridge. 1898.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.

Current edition Experimental

Philoctetes (English) (Sophocles the plays and fragments, Part 4: The Philoctetes. Jebb, Richard Claverhouse, Sir, translator. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1898. (Modernized by Perseus.))

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (2)

Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 1348 focus

ὦ στυγνὸς αἰών, τί με, τί δῆτ᾽ ἔχεις ἄνω

βλέποντα κοὐκ ἀφῆκας εἰς "Αιδου μολεῖν;

οἴμοι, τί δράσω; πῶς ἀπιστήσω λόγοις

τοῖς τοῦδ᾽, ὃς εὔνους ὢν ἐμοὶ παρῄνεσεν;
1350

ἀλλ᾽ εἰκάθω δῆτ'; εἶτα πῶς ὁ δύσμορος

εἰς φῶς τάδ᾽ ἔρξας εἶμι; τῷ προσήγορος;

πῶς, ὦ τὰ πάντ᾿ ἰδόντες ἀμφ᾿ ἐμοῦ κύκλοι,·

ΦΙΛΟΚΤΗΤΗΣ.

ταῦτ᾽ ἐξανασχήσεσθε, τοῖσιν ᾿Ατρέως

ἐμὲ ξυνόντα παισίν πασὶν παισὶν, οἵ μ᾿ ἀπώλεσαν ;

1355

πῶς τῷ πανώλει παιδὶ τῷ Λαερτίου ;

οὐ γάρ με τἄλγος μ' ἔτ' αλγοσ μετάλγος τῶν παρελθόντων δάκνει,

ἀλλ᾽ οἷα χρὴ παθεῖν με πρὸς τούτων ἔτι

δοκῶ προλεύσσειν. οἷς γὰρ ἡ γνώμη κακῶν κακὸν κακῶν

μήτηρ γένηται, τἄλλα παιδεύει κακά.

1360

καὶ σοῦ δ᾽ γ' ἔγωγε θαυμάσας ἔχω τόδε.

χρῆν γάρ σε μήτ' αὐτόν ποτ' εἰς Τροίαν μολεῖν,

ἡμᾶς τ᾿ ἀπείργειν· οἵ γέ τε σου καθύβρισαν καθ᾽ ὕβρισαν καθύβρισαν,

πατρὸς γέρας συλῶντες, [οἳ τὸν ἄθλιον

Αἴανθ᾽ ὅπλων σοῦ πατρὸς ὕστερον δίκῃ

1365

᾿Ὀδυσσέως ἔκριναν,] εἶτα τοῖσδε σὺ

εἶ ξυμμαχήσων, κἄμ᾿ καί μ' ἀναγκάζεις τάδε τόδε, ο from a τάδε τόδε γρ. τάδε?

μὴ δῆτα, τέκνον· ἀλλ᾽, ἅ μοι ξυνώμοσας,

πέμψον πρὸς οἴκους· καὐτὸς ἐν Σκύρῳ μένων

ἔα κακῶς αὐτοὺς ἀπόλλυσθαι ἀπόλλυσθε κακούς.

1370

χοὔτω διπλῆν μὲν ἐξ ἐμοῦ κτήσει χάριν χάριν

διπλῆν δὲ πατρός· κοὐ κακοὺς κακῶς κακοὺς κακοὺς ἐπωφελῶν

δόξεις ὁμοῖος τοῖς κακοῖς πεφυκέναι.

ΝΕ.

λέγεις μὲν εἰκότ᾽ εἰκότ(α), ἀλλ᾽ ὅμως σε σε βούλομαι

θεοῖς τε πιστεύσαντα τοῖς τ᾿ ἐμοῖς λόγοις
1375

φίλου μετ᾿ ἀνδρὸς τοῦδε τῆσδ᾽ ἐκπλεῖν χθονός.

ΦΙ.

ἢ πρὸς τὰ Τροίας πεδία καὶ τὸν ᾿Ατρέως

ἔχθιστον υἱὸν τῷδε δυστήνῳ ποδί;

ΝΕ.

πρὸς τοὺς μὲν οὖν σε τήνδε τ᾽ ἔμπυον βάσιν

παύσοντας ἄλγους κἀποσώζοντας νόσου.
1380

ΦΙ.

Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 1348 focus

Φιλοκτήτης

ὦ στυγνὸς αἰών, τί με, τί δῆτʼ ἔχεις ἄνω

βλέποντα κοὐκ ἀφῆκας εἰς Ἅιδου μολεῖν;

οἴμοι, τί δράσω; πῶς ἀπιστήσω λόγοις
1350

τοῖς τοῦδʼ, ὃς εὔνους ὢν ἐμοὶ παρῄνεσεν;

ἀλλʼ εἰκάθω δῆτʼ; εἶτα πῶς ὁ δύσμορος

εἰς φῶς τάδʼ ἔρξας εἶμι; τῷ προσήγορος;

πῶς, ὦ τὰ πάντʼ ἰδόντες ἀμφʼ ἐμοὶ κύκλοι,

ταῦτʼ ἐξανασχήσεσθε, τοῖσιν Ἀτρέως
1355

ἐμὲ ξυνόντα παισίν, οἵ μʼ ἀπώλεσαν;

πῶς τῷ πανώλει παιδὶ τῷ Λαερτίου;

οὐ γάρ με τἄλγος τῶν παρελθόντων δάκνει,

ἀλλʼ οἷα χρὴ παθεῖν με πρὸς τούτων ἔτι

δοκῶ προλεύσσειν· οἷς γὰρ ἡ γνώμη κακῶν
1360

μήτηρ γένηται, τἄλλα παιδεύει κακούς.

καὶ σοῦ δʼ ἔγωγε θαυμάσας ἔχω τόδε.

χρῆν γάρ σε μήτʼ αὐτόν ποτʼ ἐς Τροίαν μολεῖν

ἡμᾶς τʼ ἀπείργειν, οἵ γέ σου καθύβρισαν,

πατρὸς γέρας συλῶντες, εἶτα τοῖσδε σὺ
1365

εἶ ξυμμαχήσων, κἄμʼ ἀναγκάζεις τόδε;

μὴ δῆτα, τέκνον· ἀλλʼ ἅ μοι ξυνώμοσας,

πέμψον πρὸς οἴκους· καὐτὸς ἐν Σκύρῳ μένων

ἔα κακῶς αὐτοὺς ἀπόλλυσθαι κακούς.

χοὔτω διπλῆν μὲν ἐξ ἐμοῦ κτήσει χάριν,
1370

διπλῆν δὲ πατρός, κοὐ κακοὺς ἐπωφελῶν

δόξεις ὁμοῖος τοῖς κακοῖς πεφυκέναι.

Νεοπτόλεμος

λέγεις μὲν εἰκότʼ, ἀλλʼ ὅμως σε βούλομαι

θεοῖς τε πιστεύσαντα τοῖς τʼ ἐμοῖς λόγοις

φίλου μετʼ ἀνδρὸς τοῦδε τῆσδʼ ἐκπλεῖν χθονός.
1375

Φιλοκτήτης

ἦ πρὸς τὰ Τροίας πεδία καὶ τὸν Ἀτρέως

ἔχθιστον υἱὸν τῷδε δυστήνῳ ποδί;

Νεοπτόλεμος

πρὸς τοὺς μὲν οὖν σε τήνδε τʼ ἔμπυον βάσιν

παύσοντας ἄλγους κἀποσώσοντας νόσου.

Translations (4)

English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 1348 focus

None. Thou hast proved thy birthright, dearest boy.

Not from the loins of Sisyphus thou earnest,

But from Achilles, who in life was held

Noblest of men alive, and now o’ the dead.

NEO

It gladdens me that thou shouldst speak in praise

Both of my sire and me. But hear me tell

The boon for which I sue thee.—Mortal men

Must bear such evils as high Heaven ordains;

But those afflicted by self-chosen ills,

Like thine to-day, receive not from just men

Or kind indulgence or compassionate thought.

And thou art restive grown, and wilt not hearken,

But though one counsel thee with kind’st intent,

Wilt take him for a dark malignant foe.

Yet, calling Zeus to witness for my soul,

Once more I will speak. Know this, and mark it well:
1375

Thou bear’st this sickness by a heavenly doom,
1375

Through coming near to Chrysa’s sentinel,
1375

The lurking snake, that guards the sky-roofed fold.
1375

And from this plague thou ne’er shall find reprieve
1375

While the same Sun god rears him from the east
1375

And droops to west again, till thou be come
1375

Of thine own willing mind to Troia’s plain,
1375

Where our physicians, sons of Phoebus’ child,
1375

Shall soothe thee from thy sore, and thou with me
1375

And with this bow shalt take Troy’s citadel.
1375

How do I know this? I will tell thee straight

We have a Trojan captive, Helenus,

Both prince and prophet, who hath clearly told

This must be so, yea, and ere harvest time

This year, great Troy must fall, else if his words

Be falsified, who will may slay the seer.

Now, since thou know’st of this, yield thy consent;

For glorious is the gain, being singled forth

From all the Greeks as noblest, first to come

To healing hands, and then to win renown

Unrivalled, vanquishing all tearful Troy.

PHI

Oh how I hate my life! Why must it keep

This breathing form from sinking to the shades?

How can I prove a rebel to his mind

Who thus exhorts me with affectionate heart?

And yet, oh misery! must I give way?

Then how could I endure the light of heaven?

With whom could I exchange a word? Ay me!

Eyes that have seen each act of my sad life,

How could ye bear it, to behold the sons

Of Atreus, my destroyers, comrades now

And friends! Laërtes’ wicked son, my friend!

And less I feel the grief of former wrong

Than shudder with expectance of fresh harm

They yet may work on me. For when the mind

Hath once been mother of an evil brood,

It nurses nought but evils. Yea, at thee

I marvel. Thou should’st ne’er return to Troy,

Nor suffer me to go, when thou remember’st

What insult they have done thee, ravishing

Thy father’s rights from thee. And wilt thou then

Sail to befriend them, pressing me in aid?

Nay, do not, son; but, even as thou hast sworn,

Convey me home, and thou, in Scyros dwelling,

Leave to their evil doom those evil men.

So thou shalt win a twofold gratitude

From me and from my father, and not seem,

Helping vile men, to be as vile as they.

NEO

’Tis fairly spoken. Yet I would that thou

Relying on my word and on Heaven’s aid,

Would’st voyage forth from Lemnos with thy friend.
1380

PHI

German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 1348 focus

Verhaßtes Leben, was erhältst du mich im Licht

Noch oben, sendest in die Gruft mich nicht hinab?

Weh, was beginn' ich? Kann ich dieses Mannes Wort
1310

Mißtrauen, der so wohlgesinnt mir Rath ertheilt?

So folg' ich also? Doch wie soll ich Armer dann

An's Licht der Sonne treten? Wen, wen red' ich an?

Ihr Augen, die ihr Alles saht, was mir geschah,

Wie könntet ihr es tragen, daß ich wieder mich
1315

Gesellt des Atreus Söhnen, die mich mordeten,

Gesellt dem Alverderber dort, Laertes' Sohn?

Denn Schmerz um's überstandne Leid nagt nicht an mir;

Doch was ich noch von diesen dulden muß, ich kann

Es wohl voraussehn. Denn ein Sinn, der Einmal nur
1320

Gebar den Frevel, mehr gebiert er Frevel noch.

Und voll Verwund'rung seh' ich, was auch du beginnst.

Denn weder selber solltest du nach Troja zieh'n,

Noch uns an jene fesseln, die dich höhnten, dir

Des Vaters Kleinod raubten. Dennoch willst du geh'n,
1325

Für sie zu kämpfen, ja du drängst auch mich dazu?

Nicht also, Jüngling; sondern wie du mir's beschworst,

Geleite mich nach Hause, bleib' in Skyros selbst,

Und laß die Bösen untergeh'n in böser Noth.

So nimmst du zwiefach einen Dank von mir zum Lohn,
1330

Zwiefach vom Vater, und erscheinst, indem du dich

Entziehst dem Bösen, nimmerdar den Bösen gleich.

Neoptolemos.

Du sprichst geziemend; aber doch verlangt es mich,

Daß du der Götter hohem Spruch und meinem Wort

Vertrautest und von dannen zögst mit deinem Freund.
1335

Philoktetes.

Du meinst in Troja's Ebne, zum verhaßten Feind,

Dem Sohn des Atreus, mit dem schwergetroff'nen Fuß?¹

Neoptolemos.

Zu jenen, welche deinen Fuß, von Eiter schwer,

Dir lindernd heilen, dich befrei'n von deiner Dual.

Philoktetes.

English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 1348 focus

I own thy goodness. Thou hast shown thyself

Worthy thy birth ; no son of Sisyphus,

But of Achilles, who on earth preserved

A fame unspotted, and amongst the dead

Still shines superior, an illustrious shade.

Neoptolemus

Joyful I thank thee for a father's praise,

And for my own ; but listen to my words,

And mark me well. Misfortunes, which the gods

Inflict on mortals, they perforce must bear :

But when, oppressed by voluntary woes,

They make themselves unhappy, they deserve not

Our pity or our pardon. Such art thou.

Thy savage soul, impatient of advice.
1375

Rejects the wholesome counsel of thy friend,
1375

And treats him like a foe ; but I will speak,
1375

Jove be my witness ! Therefore hear my words,
1375

And grave them in thy heart. The dire disease
1375

Thou long hast suffered is from angry heaven,
1375

Which thus aflBicts thee for thy rash approach

To the fell serpent, which on Chrysa's shore

Watched o'er the sacred treasures. Know baside,

That whilst the sun in yonder east shall rise,

Or in the west decline, distemj>ered still

Thou ever shalt remain, unless to Troy

Thy willing mind transport thee. There the sons

Of ^sculapius shall restore thee — there

By my assistance shalt thou conquer Troy.

I know it well ; for that prophetic sage.

The Trojan captive Helenus, foretold

It should be so. " Proud Troy (he added then)

This very year must fall ; if not, my life
1380

Shall answer for the falsehood." Therefore yield.
1380

Thus to be deemed the first of Grecians, thus
1380

By Paean's favourite sons to be restored.
1380

And thus marked out the conqueror of Troy,
1380

Is sure distinguished happiness.
1380

Philoctetes

O life !

Detested, why wilt thou still keep me here?

Why not dismiss me to the tomb ! Alas !

What can I do ? How can I disbelieve

My generous friend ? I must consent, and yet

Can I do this, and look upon the sun?

Can I behold my friends — will they forgive.

Will they associate with me after this?

And you, ye heavenly orbs that roll around me,

How will ye bear to see me linked with those

Who have destroyed me, e'en the sons of x\treus,

E'en with Ulysses, source of all my woes?

My sufferings past I could forget ; but oh !

I dread the woes to come ; for well I know

When once the mind 's corrupted it brings forth

Unnumbered crimes, and ills to ills succeed.

It moves my wonder much that thou, my friend,

Shouldst thus advise me, whom it ill becomes

To think of Troy. I rather had believed

Thou wouldst have sent me far, far off fi-om those

Who have defrauded thee of thy just right,

x\nd gave thy arms away. Are these the men

Whom thou wouldst serve? whom thou wouldst thus

compel me

To save and to defend. ? It must not be.

Kemember, O my son ! the solemn oath

Thou gav'st to bear me to my native soil.

Do this, my friend, remain thyself at Scyros,

And leave these Avretches to be wretched still.

Thus shalt thou merit double thanks, from me

And from thy father ; nor by succour given

To vile betrayers j>rove thyself as vile.

Ned. Thou Siiyst most truly. Yet confide in heaven,

Trust to thy friend, and leave this hated place.

Philoctetes

English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 1348 focus

I own it; thou hast shown thy generous blood

Nobly descended, not from Sisyphus

But from Achilles, of illustrious fame

When living, and illustrious 'mongst the dead.

Neoptolemus

The praise thou givest my father and myself

Is grateful to me: but what I desire

From thee t' obtain, now hear. The ills, on men

Inflicted by the gods, they must sustain :

But miseries on themselves by choice derived,

And self-will'd waywardness, have no just claim

To pardon, or to pity. All thy thoughts

Are wild and fierce; thy soul disdains advice;

And when with warm benevolence a friend

Glows to direct thee right, thy hatred flames,

And treats him as a foe: yet I will speak,

And call almighty Jove t' attest the truth.

Hear thou my words, and write them on thy heart.

The anguish of this wound was by the gods

Assign'd thee, when thy foot too near approach'd

The fatal place, where lay conceal'd from view

The serpent, guardian of th' uncover'd shrine

At Chryse. From this fierce disease no pause,

Be thou assured, is thine, whilst in the east

Yon sun shall rise, and rolling its bright course

Sink in the west, till it beholds thee tread

With williug steps the plains of Ilium: there

The sons of Esculapius shalt thou find,...
1375

And of thy wound be heal'd: then shall thy bow,
1375

Join'd by my arms, lay waste the Phrygian state.
1375

How I know this, attend, and thou shalt hear...
1375

Amidst the Grecian camp there is a man
1375

From Troy, a captive, Helenus, a seer
1375

Of high renown: the fates he thus declared;
1375

Adding that ere the present summer yields
1375

To autumn its dominion, Troy must falli:
1375

That this is true he sets his life at gageb
1375

Assured of this, let thy reluctance cease,
1375

Embark with us. What honour to be rank'd
1375

First'mongst the Grecian heroes, by the sons
1375

Of Pæan to be heal'd, to storm the tow'rs
1375

Of Troy lamenting with deep groans her fall,
1375

And grasp the highest meed that glory gives!
1375

PHII.. Oh hated life, why in the light of heav'ni
1375

Dost thou detain me? Why not sink me down
1375

To the dark mansions of the dead? Ah me
1375

To his monitions shall I still be deaf?e
1375

They flow from generous friendship. Should I yield,
1375

How in the face of day could I appear?
1375

With whom hold converse? How, ye eyes that view

All things around me, would ye bear these things?

How bear to see me friendly with the sons

Of Atreus, authors of these cruel wrongs?

How with Ulysses, that destructive pest?

Yet not the just resentment of past griefs

Pierces so deep as that presaging sense

Of what I yet must suffer: for the mind,

That to base deeds gives birth, assiduous trains,

Like an ill parent, other deeds as base.

At thee indeed I marvel much; to Trey

Thou never shou'dst steer back thy course, and me

Thou shou'dst keep far from those, who basely wrong'd,

And robb'd thee of thy father's glorious arms *.

Yet wilt thou go, confederate in the war

With these, compelling me to join their arms.

Not so, my son; me to my country send,

I have thy oath, do thou at Scyros stay,

And let them vilely perish in return

For their vile deeds; a double grace to me,

And to thy father; to the base afford

No aid, but show thou art not base like them.

Neoptolemus

What thou hast said has reason: yet I wish

That to the gods obedient, and my words,

With me thy friend from Lemnos thou wou'dst sail.
1380

Philoctetes

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-716-1 ω στυγνὸς αἰών ¹

mvp-comment-716-2 ἄνω ²

mvp-comment-716-3 ἀφῆκας … μολεῖν ³

mvp-comment-716-4 The one feeling which now makes Ph. waver is reluctance to repel the kindly entreaties of Neoptolemus. His hatred of the Greek chiefs is undiminished by the knowledge that they were unconscious instruments of destiny. Nor is he moved by the assurance of health and fame.

mvp-comment-717-1 εἰκάθω ⁴ εἰς φῶς … εἶμι ⁵

mvp-comment-717-2 τῷ προσήγορος ⁶

mvp-comment-718-1 ὦ τὰ πάντ’ ἰδόντες … κύκλοι ⁷ ἰδόντες ⁸ ἀμφ’ ἐμοὶ ⁹

mvp-comment-718-2 κύκλοι ¹⁰

mvp-comment-718-3 Instead of saying,

ποίοις ὄμμασι βλέπων

( O. T. 1371 n.)

ξυνέσομαι τοῖσ’ Ἀτρέως παισίν

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

ὦ χεῖρες

: Tr. 1090 (Heracles in his agony),

ὦ νῶτα καὶ στέρν’, ὦ φίλοι βραχίονες

, |

ὑμεῖς ἐκεῖνοι δὴ καθέστατ’, κ.τ.λ.

mvp-comment-719-1 οὐ γάρ με τἄλγος ¹¹

mvp-comment-720-1 οἷς γὰρ … κακούς ¹² κακούς ¹³

mvp-comment-720-2 A decision between the conject. κακούς ¹⁴ κακά ¹⁵ κακούς ¹⁶ κακά ¹⁷ κακούς ¹⁸ τἄλλα ¹⁹ κακῶν ²⁰ μήτηρ γένηται ²¹ μήτηρ γένηται ²² κακούς ²³ κακά ²⁴ τἄλλα ²⁵

mvp-comment-721-1 καὶ σοῦ δ’ ²⁶

mvp-comment-721-2 θαυμάσας ἔχω ²⁷

mvp-comment-721-3 τόδε ²⁸

mvp-comment-722-1 χρῆν ²⁹ μήτε … τε ³⁰

mvp-comment-722-2 καθύβρισαν ³¹

mvp-comment-723-1 πατρὸς γέρας ³²

mvp-comment-723-2 [ οἳ τὸν ἄθλιον … ἔκριναν ³³

mvp-comment-724-1 ἀναγκάζεις ³⁴ εἶ ³⁵

mvp-comment-724-2 τόδε ³⁶

mvp-comment-725-1 ξυνώμοσας ³⁷

mvp-comment-726-1 πέμψον ³⁸

mvp-comment-727-1 ἔα κακῶς ³⁹ ἀπόλλυσθαι ⁴⁰ κακῶς … κακούς ⁴¹

mvp-comment-728-1 διπλῆν μὲν … διπλῆν δὲ ⁴²

mvp-comment-729-1 πιστεύσαντα ⁴³

mvp-comment-729-2 1377 The words τῷδε δυστήνῳ ποδί ⁴⁴

mvp-comment-730-1 μὲν οὖν ⁴⁵

mvp-comment-730-2 σε τήνδε τ’ ἔμπυον βάσιν ⁴⁶

mvp-comment-730-3 κἀποσώσοντας ⁴⁷

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

1348. mvp-comment-891-1 ὦ στυγνός αἰών] 'Ο hateful light of day!' As 'the life,' αἰών, in Homer is said to leave the man, e. g. Il. 5. 685, ἔπειτά με καὶ λίποι αἰών, so here it is said to refuse to let him go.

1350. mvp-comment-892-1 πῶς ἀπιστήσω] 'How shall I refuse compliance?' I aor. conjunctive. Cp. Trac 1240, θεῶν ἀρὰ | μενεῖ σ' ἀπιστήσαντα τοῖς ἐμοῖς λόγοις.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sophocles Philoctetes 1348

Richard Jebb (Translator)

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Neoptolemus

Your recommendation is reasonable, but nevertheless, I wish that you would put your trust in the gods and in my words,

and sail from this land with me, your friend.
1375

Philoctetes

What! To the plains of Troy and to the abhorred son of Atreus, with this miserable foot?

Neoptolemus

No, rather to those who will free you and your pus-filled limb from pain, and will save you from your sickness.

Current edition Experimental

ΦΙΛΟΚΤΗΤΗΣ.

ΝΕ.

λέγεις μὲν εἰκότ᾽ εἰκότ(α), ἀλλ᾽ ὅμως σε σε βούλομαι

θεοῖς τε πιστεύσαντα τοῖς τ᾿ ἐμοῖς λόγοις
1375

φίλου μετ᾿ ἀνδρὸς τοῦδε τῆσδ᾽ ἐκπλεῖν χθονός.

ΦΙ.

ἢ πρὸς τὰ Τροίας πεδία καὶ τὸν ᾿Ατρέως

ἔχθιστον υἱὸν τῷδε δυστήνῳ ποδί;

ΝΕ.

πρὸς τοὺς μὲν οὖν σε τήνδε τ᾽ ἔμπυον βάσιν

παύσοντας ἄλγους κἀποσώζοντας νόσου.
1380

ΦΙ.

Νεοπτόλεμος

λέγεις μὲν εἰκότʼ, ἀλλʼ ὅμως σε βούλομαι

θεοῖς τε πιστεύσαντα τοῖς τʼ ἐμοῖς λόγοις

φίλου μετʼ ἀνδρὸς τοῦδε τῆσδʼ ἐκπλεῖν χθονός.
1375

Φιλοκτήτης

ἦ πρὸς τὰ Τροίας πεδία καὶ τὸν Ἀτρέως

ἔχθιστον υἱὸν τῷδε δυστήνῳ ποδί;

Νεοπτόλεμος

πρὸς τοὺς μὲν οὖν σε τήνδε τʼ ἔμπυον βάσιν

παύσοντας ἄλγους κἀποσώσοντας νόσου.

None. Thou hast proved thy birthright, dearest boy.

Not from the loins of Sisyphus thou earnest,

But from Achilles, who in life was held

Noblest of men alive, and now o’ the dead.

NEO

’Tis fairly spoken. Yet I would that thou

Relying on my word and on Heaven’s aid,

Would’st voyage forth from Lemnos with thy friend.
1380

PHI

Neoptolemos.

Du sprichst geziemend; aber doch verlangt es mich,

Daß du der Götter hohem Spruch und meinem Wort

Vertrautest und von dannen zögst mit deinem Freund.
1335

Philoktetes.

Du meinst in Troja's Ebne, zum verhaßten Feind,

Dem Sohn des Atreus, mit dem schwergetroff'nen Fuß?¹

Neoptolemos.

Zu jenen, welche deinen Fuß, von Eiter schwer,

Dir lindernd heilen, dich befrei'n von deiner Dual.

Philoktetes.

I own thy goodness. Thou hast shown thyself

Worthy thy birth ; no son of Sisyphus,

But of Achilles, who on earth preserved

A fame unspotted, and amongst the dead

Still shines superior, an illustrious shade.

Philoctetes

I own it; thou hast shown thy generous blood

Nobly descended, not from Sisyphus

But from Achilles, of illustrious fame

When living, and illustrious 'mongst the dead.

Neoptolemus

What thou hast said has reason: yet I wish

That to the gods obedient, and my words,

With me thy friend from Lemnos thou wou'dst sail.
1380

Philoctetes

Commentary

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Neoptolemus Your recommendation is reasonable, but nevertheless, I wish that you would put your trust in the gods and in my words, and sail from this land with me, your friend. 1375

Philoctetes What! To the plains of Troy and to the abhorred son of Atreus, with this miserable foot?

Neoptolemus No, rather to those who will free you and your pus-filled limb from pain, and will save you from your sickness.

Current edition Experimental

ΦΙΛΟΚΤΗΤΗΣ.

ΝΕ. λέγεις μὲν εἰκότ᾽ εἰκότ(α), ἀλλ᾽ ὅμως σε σε βούλομαι θεοῖς τε πιστεύσαντα τοῖς τ᾿ ἐμοῖς λόγοις 1375 φίλου μετ᾿ ἀνδρὸς τοῦδε τῆσδ᾽ ἐκπλεῖν χθονός.

ΦΙ. ἢ πρὸς τὰ Τροίας πεδία καὶ τὸν ᾿Ατρέως ἔχθιστον υἱὸν τῷδε δυστήνῳ ποδί;

ΝΕ. πρὸς τοὺς μὲν οὖν σε τήνδε τ᾽ ἔμπυον βάσιν παύσοντας ἄλγους κἀποσώζοντας νόσου. 1380

ΦΙ.

Νεοπτόλεμος λέγεις μὲν εἰκότʼ, ἀλλʼ ὅμως σε βούλομαι θεοῖς τε πιστεύσαντα τοῖς τʼ ἐμοῖς λόγοις φίλου μετʼ ἀνδρὸς τοῦδε τῆσδʼ ἐκπλεῖν χθονός. 1375

Φιλοκτήτης ἦ πρὸς τὰ Τροίας πεδία καὶ τὸν Ἀτρέως ἔχθιστον υἱὸν τῷδε δυστήνῳ ποδί;

Νεοπτόλεμος πρὸς τοὺς μὲν οὖν σε τήνδε τʼ ἔμπυον βάσιν παύσοντας ἄλγους κἀποσώσοντας νόσου.

None. Thou hast proved thy birthright, dearest boy. Not from the loins of Sisyphus thou earnest, But from Achilles, who in life was held Noblest of men alive, and now o’ the dead.

NEO ’Tis fairly spoken. Yet I would that thou Relying on my word and on Heaven’s aid, Would’st voyage forth from Lemnos with thy friend. 1380

PHI

Neoptolemos. Du sprichst geziemend; aber doch verlangt es mich, Daß du der Götter hohem Spruch und meinem Wort Vertrautest und von dannen zögst mit deinem Freund. 1335

Philoktetes. Du meinst in Troja's Ebne, zum verhaßten Feind, Dem Sohn des Atreus, mit dem schwergetroff'nen Fuß? 1

Neoptolemos. Zu jenen, welche deinen Fuß, von Eiter schwer, Dir lindernd heilen, dich befrei'n von deiner Dual.

Philoktetes.

I own thy goodness. Thou hast shown thyself Worthy thy birth ; no son of Sisyphus, But of Achilles, who on earth preserved A fame unspotted, and amongst the dead Still shines superior, an illustrious shade.

Philoctetes

I own it; thou hast shown thy generous blood Nobly descended, not from Sisyphus But from Achilles, of illustrious fame When living, and illustrious 'mongst the dead.

Neoptolemus What thou hast said has reason: yet I wish That to the gods obedient, and my words, With me thy friend from Lemnos thou wou'dst sail. 1380

Philoctetes

Commentary

Stable identifiers

Neoptolemus

Your recommendation is reasonable, but nevertheless, I wish that you would put your trust in the gods and in my words,

and sail from this land with me, your friend.
1375

Philoctetes

What! To the plains of Troy and to the abhorred son of Atreus, with this miserable foot?

Neoptolemus

No, rather to those who will free you and your pus-filled limb from pain, and will save you from your sickness.

ΝΕ.

λέγεις μὲν εἰκότ᾽ εἰκότ(α), ἀλλ᾽ ὅμως σε σε βούλομαι

θεοῖς τε πιστεύσαντα τοῖς τ᾿ ἐμοῖς λόγοις
1375

φίλου μετ᾿ ἀνδρὸς τοῦδε τῆσδ᾽ ἐκπλεῖν χθονός.

ΦΙ.

ἢ πρὸς τὰ Τροίας πεδία καὶ τὸν ᾿Ατρέως

ἔχθιστον υἱὸν τῷδε δυστήνῳ ποδί;

ΝΕ.

πρὸς τοὺς μὲν οὖν σε τήνδε τ᾽ ἔμπυον βάσιν

παύσοντας ἄλγους κἀποσώζοντας νόσου.
1380

Νεοπτόλεμος

λέγεις μὲν εἰκότʼ, ἀλλʼ ὅμως σε βούλομαι

θεοῖς τε πιστεύσαντα τοῖς τʼ ἐμοῖς λόγοις

φίλου μετʼ ἀνδρὸς τοῦδε τῆσδʼ ἐκπλεῖν χθονός.
1375

Φιλοκτήτης

ἦ πρὸς τὰ Τροίας πεδία καὶ τὸν Ἀτρέως

ἔχθιστον υἱὸν τῷδε δυστήνῳ ποδί;

Νεοπτόλεμος

πρὸς τοὺς μὲν οὖν σε τήνδε τʼ ἔμπυον βάσιν

παύσοντας ἄλγους κἀποσώσοντας νόσου.

None. Thou hast proved thy birthright, dearest boy.

Not from the loins of Sisyphus thou earnest,

But from Achilles, who in life was held

Noblest of men alive, and now o’ the dead.

NEO

’Tis fairly spoken. Yet I would that thou

Relying on my word and on Heaven’s aid,

Would’st voyage forth from Lemnos with thy friend.
1380

Neoptolemos.

Du sprichst geziemend; aber doch verlangt es mich,

Daß du der Götter hohem Spruch und meinem Wort

Vertrautest und von dannen zögst mit deinem Freund.
1335

Philoktetes.

Du meinst in Troja's Ebne, zum verhaßten Feind,

Dem Sohn des Atreus, mit dem schwergetroff'nen Fuß?¹

Neoptolemos.

Zu jenen, welche deinen Fuß, von Eiter schwer,

Dir lindernd heilen, dich befrei'n von deiner Dual.

I own thy goodness. Thou hast shown thyself

Worthy thy birth ; no son of Sisyphus,

But of Achilles, who on earth preserved

A fame unspotted, and amongst the dead

Still shines superior, an illustrious shade.

I own it; thou hast shown thy generous blood

Nobly descended, not from Sisyphus

But from Achilles, of illustrious fame

When living, and illustrious 'mongst the dead.

Neoptolemus

What thou hast said has reason: yet I wish

That to the gods obedient, and my words,

With me thy friend from Lemnos thou wou'dst sail.
1380