Sophocles Philoctetes 109

Robert Potter (Translator)

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Merchant
Thou might'st be found; since thus I light on thee THIA
535
Where least expected, driv'n by chance to land
535
On the same shore'; for I, as master, steer'd
535
My little galley homeward from the coast
Of Troy to Peparethus cloth'd with vines
Rich with the purple grape. But when I heard
That all thy naval train was waiting here,d
I deem'd it meet in silence not to sail,
But first to tell thee things perchance to thee
Unknown, and much importing thee to know;
What late resolves the Grecian Chiefs have form'd
​Against thee; not resolves alone, but acts
540
With vigour and without delay enforced. T
540

Philoctetes. Sophocles. Robert Potter (Translator). London. 1820.

Current edition Experimental

English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) (English) (English (Robert Potter, 1788))

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (2)
Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 109 focus
οὔκ, εἰ τὸ σωθῆναί γε τὸ ψεῦδος φέρει.
Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 135-217 focus
Translations (4)
English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 109 focus
MER
Old Phoenix, Acamas and Demophon
Are gone in thy pursuit with ships and men.
555
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 123 focus
So bleibe hier und harre, bis der Mann erscheint;
Ich aber gehe, daß er mich nicht hier erspürt,
Und sende wieder an das Schiff den Späher hin.
125
Und später will ich, wenn ihr allzulange mir
Zu säumen scheinet, wiederum denselben Mann
Hieher dir senden, trügerisch in falsche Tracht
Gehüllt als Schiffsherr, daß er nicht erkennbar sei.
Wenn dieser dann verschmizte Neden führt, o Sohn,
130
So greife davon immer auf, was taugen mag.
Ich, nun zum Schiffe gehend, stell' es dir auheim.
Führ' uns, o schlauer Hermes und Athene du, 1
Siegsgöttin, Hort der Städte, die mich stets beschirmt!
(Odysseus geht ab. Der Chor der Schiffsleute, der Gefährten des Neoptolemos, tritt auf.) Neoptolemos. Der Chor. Erste Strophe.
English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 109 focus
Neoptolemus
I know not what
580
He means to say, but I would have him speak
580
Boldly before us all, whate'er it be.
English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 135-215 focus

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-295-1 ἀφ’ ὧν 1

mvp-comment-295-2 διέζων 2

mvp-comment-296-1 οἶμαι γὰρ 3

mvp-comment-296-2 μόνην 4 μόνον 5 τάδε 6 θέαν λαβόντα 7 τλῆναι 8

mvp-comment-297-1 προὔμαθον 9

mvp-comment-298-1 ἐπίσχετον 10 μάθωμεν 11

mvp-comment-298-2 ἀλλόθρους 12

mvp-comment-298-3 ὧν μαθόντες 13

mvp-comment-298-4 αὖθις 14 εἴσιτον 15

mvp-comment-298-5 542 Odysseus said that he would send back the

σκοπός
, disguised as a merchant captain, if N. seemed to be tarrying too long (126 ff.). The actor who now comes on as
ἔμπορος
would not, however, be the same who played the
σκοπός
(a mute person), but the tritagonist, who played Odysseus. The sailor who accompanies him is a mute person; and that part may have been taken by the former representative of the
σκοπός
.

mvp-comment-298-6 As N. has already ensnared Ph. , and is on the point of starting with him, there is no actual need for the intervention of the

ἔμπορος
. But Odysseus, at the ship, could not know this; and we are to suppose that he had become impatient. The scene which follows heightens the dramatic interest by bringing out the horror with which Ph. regards the idea of returning to Troy.

mvp-comment-298-7 ξυνέμπορον 16

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

529. mvp-comment-378-1 The emphatic position of ἡμᾶς at the beginning of the line shows that Neoptolemus deliberately includes Philoctetes in his prayer. βουλοίμεσθα is optative because of the preceding optative (cp. 325, 961) and partakes of the indefiniteness of the wish. Neoptolemus feels that when they leave the shore the intention of his voyage will not be that which he now professes, and he trusts that by that time the wish of Philoctetes may be the same with his own.

533. mvp-comment-379-1 *προσκύσαντε εἰσοίκησιν] Schndw. threw suspicion on these words because of the ἅπαξ λεγόμενον εἰσοίκησις, and various modes of alteration have been suggested. But it is idle to object to every ἅπαξ λεγόμενον. And these words give an excellent sense. If ἐξοικεῖν, a rare word, means ἔξω οἰκεῖν (Lys. 187. 29, Dem. 845. 19), why may not εἰσοικεῖν mean ἔσω οἰκεῖν? (It is so used in Anth. P. 7. 320, according to the MS. reading.) Cp. εἰσίδρυμαι, εἰσίζομαι, εἰσοικίζω. In that case ἡ εἰσοίκησις is ἡ ἔσω οἴκησις, and τὴν ἔσω.. εἰσοίκλησιν is merely a common instance of pleonasm, much as when we speak of the interior of a cave. If εἰς οἴκησιν is read, it becomes necessary to suppose a lacuna, for ἴωμεν here can only mean, 'Let us depart.' For the participial expression (προσκύσαντε = ' but first let us pay a farewell visit to'), ср. О. Т. 680, μαθοῦσά γ' ἥτις ἡ τύχη. Philoctetes'attachment to his bare and comfortless dwelling-place shows itself here, together with the longing expressed supr. 251 foll, that the extent of his misery and endurance might be known.