Sophocles Oedipus at Colonus 1056

ed. Lewis Campbell

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)) — 1044-1097 focus
Translations (2)
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 1059 focus
Wenn etwa gen Westen nicht
Zum schneeigen Felsen sie
1055
Aus Dea's Gelände floh'n, 1
Auf Rossen eilend oder leicht
Hinrollenden Wagen.
Man wird sie fah'n! Stark ist der Landbewohner Muth, 2
Und stark der Theseussöhne Kraft.
1060
Denn es blizt ein jeder Zügel, alle Männer, hoch zu Roß
Mit prangendem Stirnschmuck,
Stürmen heran, die, Pallas, dich,
Die reisige Göttin, und
Den Meerherrscher feiern, Nhea's Sohn,
1065
Welcher das Land schirmt.
Zweite Strophe.
English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 1044-1095 focus

Commentary

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

1026-1077. mvp-comment-551-1 In catching, you are caught; and fortune has taken you as you were pursuing after your prey.' The substitution of δίκη for τύχη is unnecessary and wrong. Fortune is continually regarded as the instrument of the Divine will. Cp. Phil. 1317, τὰς μὲν ἐκ θεῶν | τύχας δοθείσας: Shak. Hamlet, Act 3, Sc. 4. 'Take thy fortune; Thou find'st to be too busy is some danger.'

1054-1057. mvp-comment-565-1 ἔνθ᾽ Bo Where (i. e. somewhere on the sacred way) methinks that Theseus and the two virgin sisters will soon mingle in the fray of battle which is to deliver them:'or, taking αὐτάρκει in a more general sense, in the valorous combat, the rescue that achieves its purpose.'

1056. mvp-comment-568-1 1056. ἀδμῆτας, virgin, perhaps with the further association of unconquered; i. e. exempt from captivity, cp. infr 1147. The latter part of the sentence is adapted to the nearer subject (Essay on Language § 36. p. 65, 2). The first intention was to speak of Theseus and the captors of the maidens as joining battle; then the thought occurs, the maidens also will be in the midst of the fray. Hence ξυμμίξειν with μάχην, or an equivalent word in the accusative, is changed to ἐμμίξειν with the dative, and the word for battle is expanded into the phrase αὐτάρκης βοά, i. e. either ἑαυταῖς ἀρκοῦσα, defending them, or αὐτὴ ἀρκοῦσα, sufficient without more ado. See Essay on Language § 43. p. 81, § 56. p. 102, § 3. p. 7. The latter meaning is probably right. The word is of good omen, like ἐσθλῶν, εὔαγρον, infra. ἐμμίξειν (intrans. cp.

1056. mvp-comment-568-2 προσμίσγω, συμμίσγω, συμβάλλω) is rightly construed with the dative, and Boa is used in the sense of a sudden rally or skirmish, almost = βοήθεια. Cp. supra 887, τίς ποθ' ἡ βοή; where βoή is the summons to such a sudden fight: Aesch. Ag. 1349: Suppl. 730, εἰ βραδύνοιμεν βοῇ: Od. 22. 77, βοὴ δ᾽ ὤκιστα γένοιτο,