Sophocles Oedipus at Colonus 1565

ed. Lewis Campbell

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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)) — 1556-1578 focus
Translations (2)
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 1568 focus
Töchter der Nacht, vernehmt! Mächtiges Ungethüm,
1550
Das an den eh'rnen Pforten,
Ewiger Sage nach,
Wach' hält dort, das allzeit heult und knurrt
Aus dem Geklüft, nimmerbezwungener
Hüter an Aïdes' Land,
1555
Du, Gäa's Sohn und des Tartaros,
Laß ohne Beschwerd' ihn wandeln die Bahn,
Den Fremdling, der jezt hinab steigt in's dunkle Todtenfeld!
Dich ruf' ich an,
Ewig wacher Hüter!
1560
Ein Bote. Der Chor.
English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 1556-1575 focus

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-1065-1 The traditional text,

πολλῶν γὰρ ἂν καὶ μάταν πημάτων ἱκνουμένων
, is usu. understood;
"for, whereas sorrows were coming upon him in great number and without cause ( καὶ μάταν ), a just god may now lift him up once more."

mvp-comment-1065-2 In this there are two difficulties. (1) ἱκνουμένων is thus the partic. of the imperf. ,=

ἐπεὶ ἱκνεῖτο
. But manifestly the partic. ought here to have a pres. sense,
" are coming on him."
When the pres. partic. (or inf.) serves for the impf., there is usually something in the context which prevents too great ambiguity, as is the case in 1587 (
παρών
), and O. T. 835
τοῦ παρόντος
, where see n. Cp. Xen. Anab. 5.8.1
Ξενοφῶντος κατηγορησάν τινες φάσκοντες παίεσθαι
(=
ὅτι ἐπαίοντο
)
ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὡς ὑβρίζοντος
(=
ὅτι ὕβριζε
)
τὴν κατηγορίαν ἐποιοῦντο
. Dem. or. 20 § 119
ταῦτα αὐτοί τε ποιεῖτε...καὶ τοὺς προγόνους ὀργίζεσθε ἐὰν μή τις φῇ ποιεῖν
 (=
ὅτι ἐποίουν
).

mvp-comment-1065-3 (2) μάταν is strange in the sense

" without cause "
as=
" undeservedly. "
Another proposed version,
"without any good result so far,"
seems inadmissible. Nor can the sense be
"wildly"
( temere ). Hence there is ground for suspecting

mvp-comment-1065-4 καὶ μάταν 1

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

1565-1567. mvp-comment-833-1 For even although many sorrows have been coming on thee without bringing any good, it may be that a just Deity will again exalt thee.' For καί with a participle in the genitive absolute, having the force of καίπερ, cp. Εl. 657, τὰ δ᾽ ἄλλα πάντα καὶ σιωπώσης ἐμοῦ | ἐπαξιῶ σε δαίμον᾽ ὄντ᾿ ἐξειδέναι. ἱκνουμένων is in the imperfect tense, and the force of av extends to both parts of the sentence, as if it were πολλὰ μὲν ἂν πήματα μάταν ἱκνοῖτο, ὅμως δὲ κἂν αὔξοι σε δαίμων δίκαιος ὤν. The chorus now express their belief in the possibility of what Ismene had said, supra 394, νῦν γὰρ θεοί σ᾽ ὀρθοῦσι, πρόσθε δ' ἄλλυσαν. It is doubtful whether μάταν means (1) 'causelessly, as some have explained it, or (2) without result, i. e. bringing no good after them. The latter is more probable; i.e. Though no such result has been produced as yet. σε has been unnecessarily changed to σφε. The apostrophe gives liveliness to what would otherwise be a frigid sentiment. The change from the 3rd person to the 2nd is not more violent than the change a few lines below from the 2nd to the 3rd, 1568, ὦ.. σῶμα θηρός,... 1574, ὅν, κ.τ.λ. Cp. also Ο. ΤT. 1202, ff.