Sophocles Philoctetes 1408

Richard Jebb (Translator)

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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)) — 1408 focus
μήπω γε, πρὶν πρὶ πρὶν ἂν τῶν ἡμετέρων
ἀΐῃς ἀΐεισ ἀΐῃς μύθων, παῖ Ποίαντος·
1410
φάσκειν δ᾽ αὐδὴν τὴν ῾Ηρακλέους
ἀκοῇ τ' τε τ' κλύειν λεύσσειν τ᾿ ὄψιν.
τὴν σὴν δ᾽ ἥκω χάριν οὐρανίας
ἕδρας προλιπών,
τὰ Διός τε φράσων βουλεύματά σοι,
1415
κατερητύσων κατηρετύσων κατερητυσών θ᾽ ὁδὸν ἣν στέλλει·
σὺ δ᾽ ἐμῶν μύθων ἐπάκουσον.
καὶ πρῶτα μέν σοι τὰς ἐμὰς λέξω τύχας,

ΣΟΦΟΚΛΕΟΥΣ

ὅσους πονήσας καὶ διεξελθὼν πόνους
ἀθάνατον ἀρετὴν ἔσχον, ὡς πάρεσθ᾽ ὁρᾶν.
1420
καὶ σοί, σάφ᾽ ἴσθι, τοῦτ᾽ ὀφείλεται παθεῖν,
ἐκ τῶν πόνων τῶνδ᾽ τῶν τῶνδ᾽ εὐκλεᾶ εὐκλέα εὐκλεᾶ θέσθαι βίον.
ἐλθὼν δὲ σὺν τῷδ᾽ ἀνδρὶ πρὸς τὸ Τρωϊκὸν
πόλισμα, πρῶτον μὲν νόσου παύσει λυγρᾶς,
ἀρετῇ τε πρῶτος ἐκκριθεὶς στρατεύματος,
1425
Πάριν μέν, ὃς τῶνδ᾽ αἴτιος κακῶν ἔφυ,
τόξοισι τοῖς ἐμοῖσι νοσφιεῖς νοσφίσεισ νοσφιεῖς βίου,
πέρσεις τε Τροίαν, σκυλά τ᾽ εἰς μέλαθρα σὰ
πέμψεις, ἀριστεῖ᾽ ἐκλαβὼν ἐκβαλών στρατεύματος,
Ποίαντι πατρὶ πρὸς πάτρας Οἴτης πλάκα.
1430
ἃ δ᾽ ἂν λάβῃς σὺ σκῦλα τοῦδε τοῦ στρατοῦ,
τόξων ἐμῶν μνημεῖα πρὸς πυρὰν ἐμὴν

ΦΙΛΟΚΤΗΤΗΣ.

κόμιζε. καὶ σοὶ ταῦτ᾽, ᾿Αχιλλέως τέκνον,
παρῄνεσ· οὔτε γὰρ σὺ τοῦδ᾽ ἄτερ σθένεις
ἑλεῖν τὸ Τροίας πεδίον οὔθ᾽ οὗτος σέθεν.
1435
ἀλλ᾿ ὡς λέοντε συννόμω φυλάσσετον
οὗτος σὲ καὶ σὺ τόνδ'. ἐγὼ δ᾽ ᾿Ασκληπιὸν
παυστῆρα πέμψω σῆς νόσου πρὸς Ιλιον.
τὸ δεύτερον γὰρ τοῖς ἐμοῖς αὐτὴν χρεὼν
τόξοις ἁλῶναι. τοῦτο δ᾽ ἐννοεῖσθ᾽, ὅταν
1440
πορθῆτε πορθεῖτε πορθήτε ? γαῖαν, εὐσεβεῖν τὰ πρὸς θεούς.
ὡς τἄλλα πάντα δεύτερ᾽ ἡγεῖται πατὴρ
Ζεύς· ἡ γὰρ εὐσέβεια συνθνήσκει βροτοῖς,

ΣΟΦΟΚΛΕΟΥΣ

κἂν ζῶσι κἂν θάνωσιν, οὐκ ἀπόλλυται.
Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 1408 focus
Translations (4)
English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 1408 focus
First, son of Poeas, wait till thou hast heard
The voice of Heracles, and weighed his word.
1410
Him thou beholdest from the Heavenly seat
Come down, for thee leaving the blest retreat,
To tell thee all high Zeus intends, and stay
Thy purpose in the journey of to-day.
Then hear me, first how after my long toils
1415
By strange adventure I have found and won
Immortal glory, which thine eyes perceive;
And the like lot, I tell thee, shall be thine,
After these pains to rise to glorious fame.
Sailing with this thy comrade to Troy-town,
First thou shalt heal thee from thy grievous sore,
And then, being singled forth from all the host
As noblest, thou shalt conquer with that bow
Paris, prime author of these years of harm,
1425
And capture Troy, and bear back to thy hall
The choicest guerdon, for thy valour’s meed,
To Oeta’s vale and thine own father’s home.
But every prize thou tak’st be sure thou bear
Unto my pyre, in memory of my bow.
1430
This word, Achilles’ offspring, is for thee
No less. For, as thou could’st not without him,
So, without thee, he cannot conquer Troy.
Then, like twin lions hunting the same hill,
1435
Guard thou him, and he thee! and I will send
Asclepius Troyward to relieve thy pain.
For Ilion now a second time must fall
Before the Herculean bow. But, take good heed,
Midst all your spoil to hold the gods in awe.
1440
For our great Father counteth piety
Far above all. This follows men in death,
And fails them not when they resign their breath.
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 1408 focus
Nicht ehe, bevor aus unserem Mund
Du die Worte gehört, o Pöas' Sohn!
Denn wisse, dir tönt in die Ohren der Laut
1370
Von Herakles' Stimme, du siehst sein Bild.
Ich komm' aus Liebe zu dir und verließ
Der Unsterblichen Siz,
Zu verkündigen dir die Beschlüsse des Zeus
Und zu wehren den Weg, zu dem du dich schickst:
1375
So vernimm denn meine Gebote!
Vor Allem ruf' ich dir zurück mein eignes Loos,
Die Mühen alle, deren Bahn durchkämpfend ich
Errang unsterblich Wesen, wie du schauen kannst. 1
Auch dir, vernimm es, ist bestimmt dasselbe Ziel,
1380
Aus solchen Mühen ruhmgekrönt hervorzugehn.
Du ziehst mit diesem Manne vor die Troerstadt,
Und wirst zuerst von deiner bittern Qual erlöst;
Dann, als der Helden erster auserseh'n im Heer,
Vertilgst du Paris, dieses Leids Urheber einst,
1385
Mit meinem Bogen aus der Zahl der Lebenden,
Und stürzest Troja, wählst des Raubes besten Preis
Dir aus vom Heere, sendest ihn dem Vater heim,
Dem Pöas, in des Deta heimatliche Flur.
Doch andre Beute, welche du vom Heer gewinnst,
1390
Die trage hin, als meines Bogens Ehrenmal,
Zu meinem Scheiterhausen. Dich auch mahn' ich nun,
O Sohn Achillens. Denn du kannst nicht ohne Den
Die Troerveste stürzen, er nicht ohne dich:
Ein treugeselltes Löwenpaar, behütet euch,
1395
Er dich, du ihn! Doch um zu stillen deine Qual,
Send' ich zu Troja's Veste dir Asklepios.
Zum zweitenmale muß die Stadt durch mein Geschoß 2
Gewonnen werden. Wenn ihr dann das Land verheert,
Bedenket fromm zu scheuen, was der Götter ist. 3
1400
Zeus achtet alles Andre ja für niedriger;
Die Götterfurcht stirbt mit den Menschen nicht dahin; 4
Sie leben oder sterben, sie blüht unverwelkt.
English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 1408 focus
[descends and speaks]. Stay, son of Pean! Lo
to thee 'tis given
1410
Once more to see and hear thy loved Alcides,
Who for thy sake hath left yon heavenly mansions.
And comes to tell thee the decrees of Jove ;
To turn thee from the paths thou meanst to tread,
rffFLOCrETES.
1415
Ami guide thy footsteps right. Therefore attend.
Thou knowst what toils, what labours I endured,
Ere I by virtue gained immortal fame ;
Thou too like me by toils must lise to glory —
Thou too must suffer, ere thou canst be happy;
Hence with thy friend to Troy, where honour calls,
Where health awaits thee — where, by virtue raised
To highest rank, and leader of the war,
Paris, its hateful author, shalt thou slay,
1425
Lay waste proud Troy, and send thy trophies home,
Thy valour's due reward, to glad thy sire
On QCta's top. The gifts which Greece bestows
Must thou reserve to grace my funeral pile.
And be a monument to after-ages
1430
Of these all-conquering arms. Son of Achilles
Without his aid thou canst not conquer Troy,
Go then, and, like two lions in the field
Roaming for prey, guard ye each other well ;
1435
My ^sculapius will I send e'en now
To heal thy wounds. Then go, and conquer Troy ;
But when you lay the vanquished city waste,
Be careful that you venerate the gods ;
For far above all other gifts doth Jove,
1440
Th' almighty father, hold true piety ;
Whether we live or die, that still survives
Beyond the reach of fate, and is immortal.
English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 1408 focus
Not yet, O son of Peas: to my words
First be attentive. Know thou hear'st the voice
1410
Of Hercules, thine eyes behold his form.
Leaving the heav'nly mansions for thy sake
I come, announcing the decrees of Jove,
And charge thee not to steer thy purposed course.
Do thou with fix'd attention mark my words.
My fortunes to thy memory I recal,
What dangers I subdued, what toils achieved,
1420
By virtue made immortal, as thine eyes
Behold. And know, thou too must suffer thus,
And by such toils a life of glory gain.
Go with this leader to the walls of Troy;
There first thy fell disease shall be relieved:
There 'midst the host of Greece in valour rank'd
The noblest of her heroes, with thy bow
Paris, the guilty cause of all these ills,
Thou shalt deprive of life, lay waste the state
Of Troy, and send triumphant to thy house,
To Eta, to thy father, the rich spoils,
Selected by the host, thy glorious prize.
But bear thou to my funeral pyre these spoils,
The trophies of my bow.---My mandates now,
Son of Achilles, I to thee address;
For without him thou hast not pow'r to waste

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-752-1 μήπω γε 1

mvp-comment-753-1 φάσκειν δ’ 2

mvp-comment-753-2 ἀκοῇ τε κλύειν 3

mvp-comment-754-1 τὴν σὴν … χάριν 4

mvp-comment-755-1 τὰ Διός τε φράσων 5

mvp-comment-755-2 ἣν στέλλει 6

mvp-comment-756-1 καὶ πρῶτα μέν 7 τὰς ἐμὰς λέξω τύχας 8

mvp-comment-757-1 ἀθάνατον ἀρετὴν 9 ὡς πάρεσθ’ ὁρᾶν 10

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

ἀρετή
as=‘reputation won by merit’ was familiar: e.g., Lycurgus In Leocr. § 49 (quoted by Cavallin)
τὰ γὰρ ἆθλα τοῦ πολέμου τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς ἀνδράσιν ἐστὶν ἐλευθερία καὶ ἀρετή
. By an easy transition, this idea of fame won by deeds passed into that of ‘distinction’: cp. Theog. 29
μηδ’ αἰσχροῖσιν ἐπ’ ἔργμασι μηδ’ ἀδίκοισιν
|
τιμὰς μηδ’ ἀρετὰς ἕλκεο μηδ’ ἄφενος
: ‘and do not, by shameful deeds or unjust, grasp at honours, or distinctions, or wealth’; where the
τιμαί
refer to office or rank, and the
ἀρεταί
, as the context shows, also denote pre-eminence recognised in some external form.

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

ὑπὲρ ἀρετῆς ἀθανάτου...πάντες πάντα ποιοῦσιν
( Symp. 208 D), the
ἀθάνατος ἀρετή
is the reputation which survives on earth. But here
ἀθάνατος ἀρετή
is ‘the distinction of one who has been made immortal’: i.e., ‘deathless glory’ here means ‘glorious immortality.’ Thus the peculiar sense of
ἀρετήν
is helped by that sense which the context gives to
ἀθάνατον
.

mvp-comment-757-4 ἔσχον 11

mvp-comment-757-5 ὡς πάρεσθ’ ὁρᾶν 12

mvp-comment-758-1 τοῦτ’ 13

mvp-comment-758-2 ἐκ 14

mvp-comment-758-3 εὐκλεᾶ θέσθαι 15

mvp-comment-759-1 πρῶτον μ<*> … ἀρετῇ τε 16 τε 17

mvp-comment-759-2 ἐκκρ<*>εὶς 18

mvp-comment-760-1 Ηάριν 19

mvp-comment-760-2 αἴτιος κακῶν 20

mvp-comment-761-1 σκῦλά τ’ 21

mvp-comment-761-2 ἐκλαβὼν 22 ἐκβαλὼν 23

mvp-comment-761-3 πέμψεις 24 Ποίαντι 25

mvp-comment-762-1 ἃ δ’ ἂν λάβῃς 26

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

ἃ δ’ ἂν λάβῃς
, we understand, not
ταῦτα
(in apposition with
μνημεῖα
), but a partitive gen.,
τούτων
. This construction is a simple and natural one. For the partitive gen. thus understood, cp. n. on 1161 f., and Xen. Cyr. 8. 1. 20 quoted there. The sentence could have no ambiguity for a Greek audience, familiar with the custom that, after a victory, a part of the spoil (usually a
δεκάτη
) should be dedicated to the gods. Cp. Her. 8. 121 (after the battle of Salamis)
διεδάσαντο τὴν ληίην καὶ τὰ ἀκροθίνια ἀπέπεμψαν ἐς Δελφούς
. Xen. Anab. 5. 3. 4
τὴν δεκάτην ἣν τῷ Ἀπόλλωνι ἐξεῖλον καὶ τῇ Ἐφεσίᾳ Ἀρτέμιδι διέλαβον οἱ στρατηγοί, τὸ μέρος ἕκαστος, φυλάττειν τοῖς θεοῖς
. As Cavallin remarks, the passage was rightly understood by the schol. on 1432,
ἐκ τῶν ἀριστείων κἀμὲ τίμησον
. For the simple gen., τοῦδε τοῦ στρατοῦ 27 λάβῃς 28

mvp-comment-763-1 καὶ σοὶ ταῦτ’ 29 ἐγὼ δ’ 30

mvp-comment-763-2 (1) ταῦτ’ 31 καὶ σοὶ 32 ταῦτ’ 33 ταὔτ’ 34 ταῦτ’ 35

mvp-comment-763-3 (2) ταῦτ’ 36 παρῄνεσα 37 γὰρ 38 καὶ σοὶ 39 σοὶ δὲ 40

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

Ἰλίου πέρσις
, by Arctînus).

mvp-comment-763-5 For τὸ Τρ. πεδίον 41

mvp-comment-764-1 συννόμω 42

mvp-comment-764-2 φυλάσσετον 43

mvp-comment-765-1 Ἀσκληπιὸν 44

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

ἱερωσύνη
, Vit. Soph. § 6) of the hero Alcon, a healing-god akin to Asclepius; indeed, the name
Ἄλκ‐ων
is cognate, if
Ἀσκληπιός
be
Ἀλεξ‐ήπιος
, by metathesis of
σκ
=
ξ
: cp. Preller I. 423 n. 2. A paean to Asclepius by Sophocles was extant in antiquity (Lucian Enc. Dem. 27 etc.), and legend declared that the god had visited the poet's hearth ( Plut. Num. 4 § 6).

mvp-comment-766-1 τὸ δεύτερον 45 αὐτὴν 46 Ἴλιον 47

mvp-comment-767-1 ἐννοεῖθ’ 48 ἐννοεῖσθ’ 49

mvp-comment-767-2 εὐσεβεῖν 50

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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