Sophocles Oedipus at Colonus 163

Lewis Campbell (Translator)

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OED
421
Then I pray Heaven
The fury of their fate-appointed strife
May ne’er be quenched, but that the end may come
According to my wish upon them twain
To this contention and arbitrament
Of battle which they now assay and lift
425
The threatening spear! So neither he who wields
The sceptred power should keep possession still,
Nor should his brother out of banishment
Ever return:—who, when their sire—when I
Was shamefully thrust from my native land,
Checked not my fall nor saved me, but, for them,
430
I was driven homeless and proclaimed an exile.
Ye will tell me ’twas in reason that the State
Granted this boon to my express desire.
Nay; for in those first hours of agony,
When my heart raged, and it seemed sweetest to me
435
To die the death, and to be stoned with stones,
No help appeared to yield me that relief.
But after lapse of days, when all my pain
Was softened, and I felt that my hot spirit
Had run to fierce excess of bitterness
In wreaking mine offence—then, then the State
440
Drove me for ever from the land, and they,
Their father’s sons, who might have saved their father,
Cared not to help him, but betrayed by them,
For lack of one light word, I wandered forth
To homeless banishment and beggary.
445
But these weak maidens to their nature’s power
445
Have striven to furnish me with means to live
And dwell securely, girded round with love.
My sons have chosen before their father’s life
A lordly throne and sceptred sovereignty.
But never shall they win me to their aid,
450
Nor shall the Theban throne for which they strive
Bring them desired content. That well I know,
Comparing with my daughter’s prophecies
Those ancient oracles which Phoebus once
Spake in mine ear. Then let them send to seek me
Creon, or who is strongest in their State.
455
For if ye, strangers, will but add your might
To the protection of these awful Powers,
The guardians of your soil, to shelter me,
Ye shall acquire for this your State a saviour
Mighty to save, and ye shall vex my foes.
460

Oedipus at Colonus. Sophocles. Lewis Campbell (Translator). London, New York and Toronto. 1906.

Current edition Experimental

English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) (English) (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906))

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (2)
Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 163 focus
λὰ κέλευθος ἐρατύει·
Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 117-253b focus
Translations (4)
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 176 focus
Nie soll aus diesen Bezirken, o Greis, 1
Jemand mit Gewalt dich entführen.
English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 163 focus
Theseus
Proceed then, and inform me
575
(ipr. I come to give this wretched body to thee,
575
To sight ungracious, but of worth more dear
575
To thee than fairest forms could boast.
575
English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 163 focus
Oedipus
These I would learn: of highest import these.
485
English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 118-250 focus

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-313-1 ἀλλ’ 1

mvp-comment-313-2 σφιν 2

mvp-comment-313-3 τὴν πεπρωμένην 3

mvp-comment-314-1 ἐν δ’ 4

mvp-comment-314-2 ἐν ἐμοί 5

mvp-comment-315-1 κἀπαναίρονται 6

mvp-comment-315-2 ἐπαναιροῦνται δόρυ 7

mvp-comment-316-1 ὡς 8

mvp-comment-317-1 οἵ γε 9

mvp-comment-318-1 ἀτίμως 10

mvp-comment-319-1 οὐκ ἔσχον 11

mvp-comment-319-2 ἤμυναν 12

mvp-comment-319-3 ἀνάστατος 13

mvp-comment-320-1 αὐτοῖν 14

mvp-comment-320-2 ἐξεκηρύχθην 15

mvp-comment-321-1 εἴποις ἂν 16

mvp-comment-321-2 θέλοντι 17

mvp-comment-321-3 τότε 18

mvp-comment-322-1 The ι in L's κατηίνυσεν speaks for κατῄνεσεν ,— clearly much fitter here than κατήνυσεν . Cp. 1633

καταίνεσον
, 1637
κατῄνεσεν
. The contrast is between exile imposed as a doom or granted as a boon,—not merely between a wish fulfilled or unfulfilled.

mvp-comment-323-1 ἡμέραν 19

mvp-comment-323-2 τὴν αὐτίχ’ 20

mvp-comment-324-1 λευσθῆναι πέτροις 21

mvp-comment-325-1 ἔρωτ’ ἐς τόνδ’ 23

mvp-comment-326-1 πέπων 24

mvp-comment-327-1 ἐκδραμόντα 26

mvp-comment-328-1 The gen. might be taken with μείζω , "a chastiser greater than the sins," i.e. "severer than they merited" (

ἢ κατὰ τὰ ἡμαρτ
.); but it is simpler to take it with κολαστήν , "too great a chastiser of the sins." As
μέγας θυμός
is "violent anger," so
θυμός
which is over-violent can be called
μείζων κολαστής
. The rhythm of the verse will not permit us to disjoin
μείζω
(as by a comma) from
κολαστήν
.

mvp-comment-329-1 τὸ τηνίκ’ ἤδη 27

mvp-comment-329-2 τοῦτο μέν 29

mvp-comment-330-1 χρόνιον 30

mvp-comment-330-2 ἐπωφελεῖν 31

mvp-comment-331-1 οἱ τοῦ πατρὸς τῷ πατρί 32

mvp-comment-331-2 τὸ δρᾶν 33

mvp-comment-332-1 ἔπους σμικροῦ χάριν 34

mvp-comment-333-1 σφιν 35

mvp-comment-334-1 τοῖνδε 36

mvp-comment-335-1 τροφάς 37

mvp-comment-336-1 γῆς ἄδειαν 38

mvp-comment-336-2 Nauck's

στέγης τ’ ἄδειαν
seems too suggestive of a fixed home to suit
τὸν πλανήτην
(3): Wecklein's
κοίτης τ’ ἄδειαν
makes a detail too prominent in this general acknowledgment. With regard to
βλάβης τ’
or
κἄτης ἄδειαν
(Blaydes), remark that
ἄδεια
never occurs with a gen. of that against which one is safe. The καὶ before
γῆς
seems genuine: were it absent, the
καὶ
before
τροφὰς
must answer to that before
γένους
. And, for a rhetorical passage, γῆς is in some degree confirmed by the assonance with
γένους
.

mvp-comment-336-3 γένους 39

mvp-comment-337-1 The constr. is, εἱλέσθην θρόνους, καὶ κραίνειν σκῆπτρα , etc.

mvp-comment-337-2 κραίνειν 40

mvp-comment-337-3 σκῆπτρα 41

mvp-comment-338-1 As most editors since Elmsley have allowed, the MS. οὔ τι ... οὔτε cannot be right. And οὔ τι ... οὐδέ is clearly more forcible than οὔτε ... οὔτε .

mvp-comment-338-2 λάχωσι 42

mvp-comment-338-3 τοῦδε 43

mvp-comment-338-4 συμμάχου 44

mvp-comment-339-1 The oracle newly brought by Ismene is distinguished from the oracle given to Oedipus himself at Delphi in former years (see on 87

). He calls the former her oracle, because she brings it. Both oracles alike concern him. We must not, then, change τἀξ to τἀπ’ (
"concerning me"
).

mvp-comment-339-2 τὰ ἐξ ἐμοῦ παλαίφατα 45

mvp-comment-339-3 ἐξ 46

mvp-comment-340-1 ἤνυσεν 47

mvp-comment-341-1 ὁμοῦ | προστάτισι 48

mvp-comment-341-2 In the reading

θέλητέ μου
πρὸς ταῖσι ταῖς
, note these points: (1)
ἀλκήν μου ποιεῖσθαι
would not mean, "defend me," but rather "defend against me" (cp. on 1524
): we must at least have μοι . (2) πρός yields no tolerable sense.
ὑμεῖς, πρὸς ταῖς θεαῖς
, "ye, in addition to the goddesses," ranks the Coloniates with, or above, their deities. The gloss
σύν
, written in L over
πρός
(whence it came into other MSS.), was a palliative. Nor could
πρός
mean here, "close to their shrine."

mvp-comment-341-3 For Dindorf's

ὁμοῦ
προστάτισι
it may be urged:—(1)
ταῖσι ταῖς
is in all MSS., which would be strange if
ταῖσδε ταῖς
were genuine; while
πρὸς ταῖσι ταῖς
is simply explained by
προστά
(
τ
)
ισι ταῖς
. (2) A change of
προστάτισι
into
πρὸς ταῖσι
might have produced the change of
‐θ’ ὁμοῦ
into
‐τέ μου
. (3) After
ἐμοῦ
in 455 it is easy to dispense with the pronoun.—Cp. O. T. 882
θεὸν οὐ λήξω ποτὲ προστάταν ἴσχων
: Tr. 209
Ἀπόλλωνα προστάταν
 : Porphyry Antr. Nymph. 12
νύμφαις ὑδάτων προστάτισιν
 .

mvp-comment-342-1 δημούχοις 49

mvp-comment-343-1 ἀλκὴν ποεῖσθαι 50

mvp-comment-344-1 ἀρεῖσθε 51

mvp-comment-344-2 The ἐμῆς in L (where

τῆσδ’
perh. preceded
τοῖσδ’
) gives some colour to the conjecture
τῆς
(or
τοῖς
)
δὲ γῆς
: yet τοῖς δ’ ἐμοῖς seems right. Oedipus is following the train of thought in which benefits to Attica are bound up with retribution for his own wrongs ( 92 ); and he thus gives the Chorus another pledge that their interest is one with his. With
ἐμοῖς, τῇδε μὲν
is best in 459 : with
γῆς, τῇδε τῇ
would have been fitter.

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

424. mvp-comment-229-1 ἔχονται The present here rather marks the beginning than the continuance of the action. Take hold of,' i.e. obstinately engagein, rather than cling to, persevere in. Cp. ἔργου ἔχεσθαι.

424. mvp-comment-229-2 κἀπαναιροῦνται δόρυ. And are taking up the spear for battle.' As ἐπαναιρεῖσθαι φιλίαν, πόλεμον, are quite good expressions, there seems no reason to suspect this more literal use. And δόρυ, as elsewhere, almost = πόλεμον. ἐπαναίρονται is less suitable, for the sons of Oedipus, though preparing for the contest, are not actually engaged.

425. mvp-comment-230-1 ὡς οὔτ᾽ ἂν κ.τ.λ. This clause adds an explanation of ἐν ἐμοὶ τέλος γένοιτο, defining the manner of the end which Oedipus desired, and which he would bring about if the matter rested with him. May it be mine to determine the end-which I will determine in such a way that neither he who now holds the sceptre and the throne should remain,' etc ὡς (with the optative and av) is not here exactly equal to ἵνα with subjunctive or optative, which would mean ' (May it be mine to end it) that so neither he that holds the sceptre might remain,' etc. A slightly different way of taking the words is, May it be mine, etc:-so (since then) neither would he.etc.

426. mvp-comment-231-1 πάλιν Nor should he that is gone forth ever come back again.' The reading of Par. A, though only slightly supported by MS. authority, is possible. Cp. infr. 1372, and note. 'Nor should he that is gone forth ever be restored to his own city. But that in the text is simpler and more natur l. Cp infr. 601, ἔστιν δέ μοι | πάλιν κατελθεῖν μήποθ᾽, ὡς πατροκτόνῳ.

428. mvp-comment-232-1 So dishonoured by being thrust forth from my native land. For the expression of the predicate by an adverb, see Essay on Language § 24. p. 40; and cp. Plat. Rep 3.406 C, ὁ ἡμεῖς γελοίως οὐκ αἰσθανόμεθα.

429. mvp-comment-233-1 οὐκ ἔσχον Stayed me not, nor shielded me, but suffered me to be made a homeless outcast and proclaimed a banished man. For the dative αὐτοῖν, see Essay on Language § 13. p. 19. f.

432. mvp-comment-234-1 κατήνυσεν Fulfilled for me this boon, which I then desired. κατήνεσεν, assented to, accorded, the reading of B, is less forcible in the connection. The question is not one of promise but of performance. For the desire of Oedipus, see O. T. 1410 sqq., 1449 sqq.

436. mvp-comment-235-1 ἔρωτος τοῦδε In respect of this desire I found no helper. For the genitive, see Essay on Language § 9. p. 13. The genitive after ὠφελεῖσθαι, e. g. τοῦδε τοῦ νόμου, Antiphon, 131. 27, which has been quoted as parallel is really different from this, being a genitive of participation.

437. mvp-comment-236-1 When my grief was now all mellowed.' Cp. ὀργὴ πέπειρα, Τr. 728, and the metaphorical sense of ὠμός.

438-439. mvp-comment-237-1 And I began to know that my rage had run to excess and been too severe in chastising my former errors.' It is more probable that τῶν.. ἡμαρτημένων is genitive in regimen with κολαστήν than genitive of comparison after μείζω, (Aesch. Cho. 519), because μείζω thus receives an exclusive emphasis. Forμείζων, used thus absolutely, cp. Plat. Soph. 231 Α, μὴ μεῖζον αὐτοῖς προσάπτωμεν γέρας, and Heindorf's note.

441. mvp-comment-238-1 χρόνιον I say, after a time; resuming χρόνῳ (437), which contains the point of the sentence. The time is not imagined as being really long, though it seemed so to Oedipus. For a similar use of χρόνιος, cp Eur. Cycl. 249, χρόνιος δ᾽ εἴμ᾿ ἀπ᾿ ἀνθρώπων βορᾶς: Οr. 740.

443. mvp-comment-239-1 ἔπους σμικροῦ χάριν For a little word; i, e. For want of a little word, which they might have spoken for Cp. Eur. Or. 84, νεκρὸς γὰρ οὗτος οὔνεκα σμικρᾶς πνοῆς. He is a corpse, were it not for a little breath. And for a similar thought, Thuc. 3. 53, ὁ μὴ ῥηθεὶς λόγος τοῖς ὧδ᾽ ἔχουσιν αἰτίαν ἂν παράσχοι ὡς εἰ ἐλέχθη σωτήριος ἂν ἦν.

444. mvp-comment-240-1 σφιν Cp. αὐτοῖν, supra 430. 446-447. I have subsistence and a land where I can dwell safely.

448-449. mvp-comment-241-1 εἰλέσθην . . χθονός (1) Chose the possession of a throne, and to sway the sceptre, and to be sovereign over the land. This arrangement of the words gives a better rhythm than if (2) θρόνους is made to depend, with σκήπτρα, or κραίνειν. (3) Another explanation makes θρόνους and σκῆπτρα to be taken with εἱλέσθην, and also, in a secondary construction, with κραίνειν as epexegetic infinitive. Cp. O. Τ. 237, κράτη τε καὶ θρόνους νέμω. For the accusative, cp. the use of the passive verb in Phil. 140, παρ' ὅτῳ Διός σκῆπτρον ἀνάσσεται.

450. mvp-comment-242-1 τοῦδε Sc. ἐμοῦ.

451. mvp-comment-243-1 οὔτε σφιν It has been thought that either οὗ τι in 450 must be changed to οὔτε, or οὔτε here to οὐδέ. If so, the latter is preferable, for οὔ τι is expressive.

453. mvp-comment-244-1 συννοών *τε *τἀξ ἐμοῦ And comparing with them in thought those ancient oracles, which I bring from my own store, the same which Phoebus once accomplished upon me. Cp. supr. 93

453. mvp-comment-244-2 τὰ ἐξ ἐμοῦ, Which come from my side; i. e. in making the comparison. Cp. Τr. 631, τὸν πόθον τὸν ἐξ ἐμοῦ. The correction, although questioned by Dindorf, who supposes some deeper corruption of the text, is probable enough.

457-460. mvp-comment-245-1 ἐὰν γὰρ . . ἀρεῖσθε Cp. 72, ὡς ἄν, προσαρκῶν μικρά, κερδάνῃ μέγα: 647-648, ΘΗ. μέγ᾽ ἂν λέγοις δώρημα τῆς συνουσίας. ΟΙ. εἰ σοί γ᾽ ἅπερ φὴς ἐμμενεῖ τελοῦντί μοι: 815, τίς δ'᾽ ἄν με τῶνδε συμμάχων ἕλοι βίᾳ; 1206, ΟΙ. μόνον, ξέν', εἴπερ κεῖνος ὧδ᾽ ἐλεύσεται, μηδεὶς κρατείτω τῆς ἐμῆς ψυχῆς ποτέ: 1489, 90, ΟΙ. ἀνθ᾽ ὧν ἔπασχον εὖ, τελεσφόρον χάριν δοῦναί σφιν, ἥνπερ τυγχάνων ὑπεσχόμην. The extension of present aid is everywhere put forward as a condition of the permanent blessing. The task of defence which he here entreats them to undertake, is fulfilled by them in resisting Creon.

457. mvp-comment-246-1 μου is genitive of the object, for which see Essay on Language § 9. p. 12.

458. mvp-comment-247-1 πρὸς * ταῖσδε ταῖς σεμναῖσι δημούχοις θεαîs] In addition to these dread goddesses that protect your deme. This seems the most probable as it is the simplest emendation of this line. Others are πρὸς ταῖσι τρισσεμναῖσι, ὁμοῦ | προστάτισι ταῖς, ξὺν προστάταις. πρός harmonizes well with the emphatic ὑμεῖς. σύν has probably been inserted as a gloss L² has ταῖς σεπταῖσι.

459. mvp-comment-248-1 ἀλκὴν ποιεῖσθαι 'Το undertake defence,' like τὰς μήχας ποιούμενος, Εl. 302: ἐποιοῦντο βουλήν, Hdt. 6. 101.

459. mvp-comment-248-2 τῇδε μὲν πόλει This reading is preferred (1) for the antithesis; (2) because tῇ may be accounted for as a corruption of yῇ explaining πόλει.

460. mvp-comment-249-1 τοῖς δ᾽ ἐμοῖς ἐχθροῖς Oedipus reverts to his own personal objects, as in 308-309 (εὐτυχὴς ἵκοιτο τῇ θ᾽ αὑτοῦ πόλει ἐμοί τε). although, as in that passage, the chief stress is laid on what is mentioned first. At the same time he leaves it to be implied that his enemies are the enemies of Athens. Cp. infra 646, ἐν ᾧ κρατήσω τῶν ἔμ᾽ ἐκβεβληκότων. The corruption in Lis due to itacism. 461 ff. The coming of Theseus is still delayed, and the scruples of the chorus cannot be set at rest without some formal expiation on the part of Oedipus. The presence of Ismene enables this to be made without Oedipus or Antigone leaving the stage. She goes to perform this service, and the chorus continue harping on the interminable theme (adding the confessional to the sacrifice), when Theseus at last enters bringing with him a very different spirit. His coming clears the air at once.