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Φιλοκτήτης

ἀλλʼ οὖν δέδοικα μὴ ἀτέλεστʼ εὔχῃ, τέκνον.

στάζει γὰρ αὖ μοι φοίνιον τόδʼ ἐκ βυθοῦ

κηκῖον αἷμα, καί τι προσδοκῶ νέον.

παπαῖ, φεῦ.
785

παπαῖ μάλʼ, ὦ πούς, οἷά μʼ ἐργάσει κακά.

προσέρπει,

προσέρχεται τόδʼ ἐγγύς. οἴμοι μοι τάλας.

ἔχετε τὸ πρᾶγμα· μὴ φύγητε μηδαμῇ.

ἀτταταῖ.
790

ὦ ξένε Κεφαλλήν, εἴθε σου διαμπερὲς

στέρνων ἔχοιτʼ ἄλγησις ἥδε. φεῦ, παπαῖ,

παπαῖ μάλʼ αὖθις. ὦ διπλοῖ στρατηλάται,

Ἀγάμεμνον, ὦ Μενέλαε, πῶς ἂν ἀντʼ ἐμοῦ

τὸν ἴσον χρόνον τρέφοιτε τήνδε τὴν νόσον; ἰώ μοι.
795

ὦ Θάνατε Θάνατε, πῶς ἀεὶ καλούμενος

οὕτω κατʼ ἦμαρ, οὐ δύνᾳ μολεῖν ποτε;

ὦ τέκνον ὦ γενναῖον, ἀλλὰ συλλαβὼν

τῷ Λημνίῳ τῷδʼ ἀνακαλουμένῳ πυρὶ
800

ἔμπρησον, ὦ γενναῖε· κἀγώ τοί ποτε

τὸν τοῦ Διὸς παῖδʼ ἀντὶ τῶνδε τῶν ὅπλων,

ἃ νῦν σὺ σῴζεις, τοῦτʼ ἐπηξίωσα δρᾶν. τί φής, παῖ;

τί φής; τί σιγᾷς; ποῦ ποτʼ ὤν, τέκνον, κυρεῖς;
805

Philoctetes. Sophocles. ed. Francis Storr. London. 1913.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.

Current edition Experimental

Φιλοκτήτης (Greek) (Sophocles, Volume 2. Storr, Francis, editor. London; New York: William Heinemann Ltd.; The Macmillan Company, 1913.)

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (1)

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.

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

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.

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.

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

English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 782 focus

Philoctetes

Futile, I fear, are your prayers, boy. Look, once again the dark blood is oozing drop by drop from deep in the wound, and I look for worse to come.

Ah, me, oh, oh! Cursed foot, what torment you cause me! It creeps on me, it is coming near! Ah, misery! Now you know my condition. Do not flee, no!
785

Oh, alas! Odysseus of Cephallene, once my friend, would that this anguish might stick to you, and pierce your chest! Ah, me! Ah, me! O you twin marshalls, Agamemnon, and you, Menelaus, may your flesh instead of mine
790

nourish this plague, and for as long! Oh, Ah, me! O Death, Death, though I am always summoning you day after day, why do you never come? O son, noble youth, seize me,
795

burn me up, true friend, in that fire famed as Lemnian. I, too, once deemed it lawful to do that very service for the son of Zeus, in return for which I received these same arms, which are now in your keeping. What do you say, boy, what do you say?
800

Why this silence? Where are your thoughts, son?
805

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-425-1 ἀλλ’ Ὄκνος ¹ ἀλλὰ δέδοικ’, ὦ παῖ, μή μ’ ἀτελὴς εὐχή ² ὦ παῖ ³ ἀλλὰ ⁴ δέδοικ’ ⁵ μ’ ⁶ με ⁷ εὔχῃ, μή μ’ ἀτελὴς ⁸ ἀτελῶς ⁹ εὔχῃ ¹⁰ ἔχει ¹¹ ἀτέλεστ’ ¹²

mvp-comment-425-2 For μὴ ¹³ α ¹⁴

mvp-comment-426-1 κηκῖον ¹⁵ νέον ¹⁶

mvp-comment-427-1 ἐργάσει ¹⁷ προσέρπει ¹⁸

mvp-comment-428-1 τάλας ¹⁹

mvp-comment-428-2 ἔχετε ²⁰

mvp-comment-428-3 μηδαμῇ ²¹

mvp-comment-429-1 Κεφαλλήν ²²

mvp-comment-429-2 σοῦ ²³ ἔχοιτο ²⁴ διαμπερὲς στέρνων ²⁵ σου ²⁶

mvp-comment-430-1 μάλ’ αὖθις ²⁷

mvp-comment-430-2 ὦ διπλοῖ στρ. ²⁸

mvp-comment-430-3 Ἀγάμεμνον, ὦ Μενέλαε ²⁹ Μενέλαέ τ’ Ἀγάμεμνόν τε ³⁰ πῶς ἄν ³¹ τρέφοιτε ³²

mvp-comment-430-4 τὸν ἴσον χρόνον ³³

mvp-comment-431-1 ὦ Θάνατε ³⁴

mvp-comment-431-2 ἀεὶ … κατ’ ἦμαρ ³⁵

mvp-comment-431-3 δύνᾳ ³⁶

mvp-comment-432-1 ὦ τέκνον, ὦ γενναῖον ³⁷

mvp-comment-432-2 ἀλλὰ ³⁸

mvp-comment-433-1 τῷ Λ. τῷδ’ ἀνακ. πυρὶ ³⁹

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 ⁴⁰ πυρί μ’ ⁴¹ συλλαβὼν ⁴²

mvp-comment-435-1 τὸν τοῦ Διὸς παῖδ’ ⁴³

mvp-comment-435-2 σῴζεις ⁴⁴

mvp-comment-435-3 τοῦτ’ ⁴⁵

mvp-comment-435-4 ἐπηξίωσα ⁴⁶

mvp-comment-435-5 δρᾶν ⁴⁷

mvp-comment-436-1 τί φής, παῖ ⁴⁸

mvp-comment-436-2 ποῦ ποτ’ ὤν ⁴⁹

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

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.

Sophocles Philoctetes 782

ed. Francis Storr

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Current edition Experimental

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

ΦΙΛΟΚΤΗΤΗΣ.

ΣΟΦΟΚΛΕΟΥΣ

ΝΕ.

NEO

Neoptolemos.

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.

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

Commentary

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Current edition Experimental

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

ΦΙΛΟΚΤΗΤΗΣ.

ΣΟΦΟΚΛΕΟΥΣ

ΝΕ.

NEO

Neoptolemos.

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.

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

Commentary

Stable identifiers

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.

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.