Oedipus at Colonus. Sophocles. Lewis Campbell (Translator). London, New York and Toronto. 1906.
English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) (English) (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906))
Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.
mvp-comment-298-1 The tenor of this fine passage should be observed.
mvp-comment-298-2
Oedipus took
ἐν σοί
(392)
to mean that the welfare of Thebes depended on his presence there. He is thinking of a restoration to his Theban home
(395)
. He asks, therefore, —"Of what use can I be to them if I am left at their doors, and not received within their land?" "They will suffer," she replies, "if your
tomb is neglected." Oedipus does not see the force of this answer: he still infers (from
θανόντα in
390
) that, whatever may be his doom in life, he is at least to be
buried at Thebes. "Why, of course they will," he replies
(403)
. "
So " — pursues the daughter
(404)
— "they mean to keep you within their grasp." A new suspicion flashes on him. "They will
bury me at Thebes?" "It cannot be." That is enough. He will never give himself into their hands. — Remark that he was supposing Apollo's former decree
(91)
to have been cancelled by this later one
(389)
. He now sees that the new oracle does
not cancel the former, but merely confirms it in one aspect, viz. in the promise of
ἄτην τοῖς πέμψασιν
(93)
.
mvp-comment-298-3 θύρασι 1
mvp-comment-298-4 κειμένου 2
401. mvp-comment-219-1 θύραισι κειμένου Laid at their doors. The word κειμένου, though perhaps chosen with a view to what follows, as expressing Oedipus' presentiment of his end, has more immediate reference to the inactivity of age. A young warrior received within their gates might be of some avail, but what profit was there in an old man lying idle beyond their confines? Cp. the Homeric λυγρῷ ἐπὶ γήραος οὐδῷ, and Shakespeare's unregarded age in corners thrown. Y 2