Sophocles Oedipus at Colonus 39

Lewis Campbell (Translator)

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OED
Dread Forms of holy Fear, since in this land
Your sanctuary first gave my limbs repose,
Be not obdurate to my prayer, nor spurn
85
The voice of Phoebus, who that fateful day,
When he proclaimed my host of ills to come,
Told me of rest after a weary time,
Where else but here? ‘When I should reach my bourne,
And find repose and refuge with the Powers
90
Of reverend name, my troubled life should end
With blessing to the men who sheltered me,
And curses on their race who banished me
and sent me wandering forth.’ Whereof he vouched me
Sure token, or by earthquake, or by fire
95
From heaven, or thundrous voices. And I know
Some aëry message from your shrine hath drawn me
With wingèd whisper to this grove. Not else
Had ye first met me coming, nor had I
Sate on your dread unchiselled seat of stone,
100
With dry cold lips greeting your sober shrine.
Then give Apollo’s word due course, and give
Completion to my life, if in your sight
These toils and sorrows past the human bound
Seem not too little. Kindly, gentle powers,
105
Offspring of primal darkness, hear my prayer!
Hear it, Athenai, of all cities queen,
Great Pallas’ foster-city! Look with ruth
On this poor shadow of great Oedipus,
This fading semblance of his kingly form.
110

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)) — 39 focus
ἄθικτος οὐδʼ οἰκητός. αἱ γὰρ ἔμφοβοι
Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 1-116 focus
Translations (4)
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 33 focus
Ich höre, Freund, von dieser, die für mich zugleich
Und sich umherschaut, daß du ganz gelegen kommst,
Bericht von dem zu geben, was uns dunkel blieb
35
English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 39 focus
Chorus
Alas ! and wert thou born
Thus sightless? Full of sorrow and of years
Indeed thou seemst ; but do not let on us
Thy curse devolve. Thou hast transgressed the bounds
Prescribed to mortals ; shun this hallowed grove,
AVliere on the grassy surface to the powere
A welcome ottering flows with honc^y mixed
The limpid stream ; unhappy stranger, lienco,
Away, begone ! Thou seest 'tis a long space
Divides us : dost thou hear me, wretched exile ?
This instiint, if thou dost, depart, then speak,
But not before.
English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 39 focus
Antigone
Thy name, illustrious Athens, pity me,
Pity the shade of wretched Edipus,
For what was once the man is now no more.
Forbear: some men, in years they seem, advance :
Their purpose haply to observe thy seat.
English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 1-115 focus

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-74-1 πότνιαι 1

mvp-comment-74-2 δεινῶπες 2

mvp-comment-74-3 εὖτε 3

mvp-comment-74-4 ἔκαμψα 4

mvp-comment-75-1 ἀγνώμονες 5

mvp-comment-76-1 ἐξέχρη 6

mvp-comment-77-1 ταύτην ἔλεξε παῦλαν 7

mvp-comment-77-2 ἐν χρόνῳ μακρῷ 8

mvp-comment-78-1 ἐλθόντι … βίον 9

mvp-comment-79-1 σεμνῶν 10

mvp-comment-79-2 ξενόστασιν 11

mvp-comment-80-1 κέρδη μέν κ.τ.λ. 13

mvp-comment-81-1 τοῖς πέμψασιν 14

mvp-comment-82-1 παρηγγύα 15

mvp-comment-83-1 ἢ σεισμόν, ἢ βροντήν τιν’ 16

mvp-comment-84-1 ἔγνωκα μὲν 17

mvp-comment-84-2 τήνδε τὴν ὁδὸν 18

mvp-comment-85-1 οὐκ ἔσθ’ ὅπως οὐ 19

mvp-comment-85-2 πτερὸν 20

mvp-comment-86-1 ἐξήγαγ’ 22

mvp-comment-86-2 οὐ γὰρ ἄν 23

mvp-comment-87-1 νήφων ἀοίνοις 24

mvp-comment-88-1 ἀσκέπαρνον 25

mvp-comment-89-1 βίου … πέρασιν … καὶ καταστροφήν τινα 26

mvp-comment-89-2 ὀμφὰς 27

mvp-comment-90-1 μειόνως ἔχειν 28

mvp-comment-91-1 μόχθοις λατρεύων 29

mvp-comment-92-1 ἴτ’ 30

mvp-comment-92-2 γλυκεῖαι 31

mvp-comment-92-3 Σκότου 32

mvp-comment-93-1 Παλλάδος 33

mvp-comment-94-1 εἴδωλον 34

mvp-comment-94-2 οὐ γὰρ δὴ τό γ’ 35

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

1-116. mvp-comment-1-1 The scene of the πρόλογος, ll. 1-116, is probably on the north side of Colonus, with Athens in the distance. See Introduction, p. 282. The spot so familiar to the audience (οὐ λόγοις τιμώμεν' ἀλλὰ τῇ συνουσίᾳ, infr. 63-64) would probably be recalled by the representation on the stage of some striking objects, especially those which marked the religio loci. Oedipus enters (right?), led by Antigone, and sits down in the middle of the proscenium, where he remains until Antigone descries the approach of the chorus.

84. mvp-comment-60-1 O revered forms of dread.' Cp. Aesch. Cho. 1048 ff. For the reduplication of adjectives without a connecting particle, see Essay on Language § 23. P. 37.

84. mvp-comment-60-2 5. εὔτε . . ἐγώ Since it is on a seat of yours that I have rested first in this land. ἐπί is probably to be joined with ἕδρας, (cp. supr. 19, κώλα κάμψον τοῦδ᾽ ἐπ᾿ ἀξέστου πέτρου), and ἔκαμψα is used absolutely for ἔκαμψα μέλη. Supr. 19. Essay on Language p. 98. Eur. Hec. 1079, πὰ βῶ; πᾶ στῶ; πᾶ κάμψω; For the position of ἐπί before the subordinate genitive, 127, ἄλσος ἐς τᾶνδε.. κορᾶν : Essay on Language § 41. p. 77. For the sense, cp. Od. 13. 228, ἐπεί σε πρῶτα κιχάνω.

84. mvp-comment-60-3 γῆς Partitive genitive with πρώτων. Cp. supra, l. 45 , ἔδρας γῆς τῆσδ'.

86. mvp-comment-61-1 Φοίβῳ τε κάμοὶ.. ὅς The order of actual sequence is inverted, and the first of the two words, being the more emphatic, is the antecedent to ὅs. Essay on Language § 41. p. 78.

86. mvp-comment-61-2 ἀγνώμονες Ungracious. Cp. Tr. 1266-1267, μεγάλην δὲ θεῶν ἀγνωμοσύνην εἰδότες.

87. mvp-comment-62-1 τὰ πόλλ᾽ ἐκεῖν᾽ ὅτ᾽ ἐξέχρη κακά Referring to O. T. 789, foll. Cp. Eur. Phoen. 1703 ff.

88. mvp-comment-63-1 ταύτην has the emphasis, and is the real predicate. Told me of a resting-place which could be no other than this.' 89. When I came to a land at the end of my wanderings, where I should find a seat belonging to the dread goddesses and auspicious shelter afforded by them, there I should end my ill fated life.' ἐλθόντι] In construction with μοι, as if the sentence were παῦλαν γίνεσθαί μοι.

88. mvp-comment-63-2 τερμίαν is predicative, a land which should be the end of my wandering.

88. mvp-comment-63-3 ὅπου .. λάβοιμι] Oratio obliqua from οὗ ἂν λάβῃς.

88. mvp-comment-63-4 θεῶν with ἕδραν is possessive, with ξενόστασιν subjective, genitive. Essay on Language pp. 12, 62.

91. mvp-comment-64-1 The metaphor in κάμψειν βίον is taken from a race. Cp. Eur. El. 755, πρὶν ἂν τέλος | γραμμῆς ἴκηται καὶ πέρας κάμψῃ βίου : Hipp. 87, τέλος δὲ κάμψαιμ᾽ ὥσπερ ἠρξάμην βίου: Hel. 1666, ὅταν δὲ κάμψῃς καὶ τελευτήσῃς βίον. The turning-point is regarded in the figure as the end of the race. The construction as in κάμπτειν δρόμον. The infinitive follows ἔλεξε, and is coordinate with παῦλαν.

92. mvp-comment-65-1 κέρδη μὲν οἰκήσαντα Sc. ἐνταῦθα. Having fixed my habitation there,- a benefit to those who had received me, but a calamity to those who sent me forth, who banished me. κέρδη and ἄτην are accusatives in apposition to the action of the verb, expressing the result of the action. If it is objected that the tense is momentary, and the result is only to be realised afterwards, this applies equally to Eur. Οr. 1103, Ἑλένην κτάνωμεν, Μενελέω λύπην πικράν : although some such consideration has probably occasioned the v. r. οἰκήσοντα. Cp. 626, κοὔποτ' Οἱ- δίπουν ἐρεῖς | ἀχρεῖον οἰκητῆρα δέξασθαι τόπων | τῶν ἐνθάδ'. οἰκίσαντα has been conjectured, but οἰκίζω is not used in the sense required.

94. mvp-comment-66-1 παρηγγύα (1) He promised withal. παρά = besides.' Or (2), like παρεγγυᾶν σύνθημα, He told me as a sign.' Cp. supr. 46.

96-98. mvp-comment-67-1 ἔγνωκα.. άλσος And I am sure that some true intimation from you has led me to my destination in this grove. Cp. Pind. Ol. 6. 663, Il. 24. 53,4. an

97. mvp-comment-68-1 πιστὸν.. πτερόν Some true intimation from you. The meaning of omen or sign is generalized so as to apply to a presentiment or inward intimation. Schol. πτερόν: οἰωνός. τὴν πτέρωσιν τῆς διανοίας. For a similar mental influence, cp. El. 459, οἶμαι μὲν οὖν, οἷμαί τι κἀκείνῳ μέλον | πέμψαι τάδ' αὐτῇ δυσπρόσοπτ᾽ ὀνείρατα: also Phil. 1039, εἰ μὴ τι κέντρον θεῖον ἦγ᾽ ὑμᾶς ἐμοῦ.

99. mvp-comment-69-1 The correction ὑμῖν is taken from the note of the Scholiast.

100. mvp-comment-70-1 σεμνὸν .. βάθρον Cp. 57, 8: Aesch. Eum. 107, χοάς τ' ἀοίνους, νηφάλια μειλίγματα. The Schol. on this line mentions, on the authority of Polemo and Philochorus, various other deities to whom libations of pure water were offered in Attica.

102. mvp-comment-71-1 βίου.. πέρασιν Not a passing out of life, but a passing away of life. The person is not thought of distinct from the life. So the Schol. Cp. infr. 1551 and note, and see Essay on Language § 42 B, p. 80. The genitive βίου, however, is to be taken more closely with καταστροφήν than with πέρασιν.

102. mvp-comment-71-2 βίου.. καταστροφήν Ending of life, a metaphor from turning down the end of a thread in weaving. Cp. Hdt. 4. 205, τὴν ζύην κατέπλεξε.

104-105. mvp-comment-72-1 εἰ μή τι.. βροτῶν Unless haply (εἰ μή τι) my afflictions seem too light, who am always suffering the greatest calamities which can afflict mortals. Schol. εἰ μὴ δοκῶ ὑμῖν ἐλαττόνως ἔχειν τὰ κακὰ καὶ δεῖσθαι προσθήκης κακῶν. Cp. Morris' Story of Sigurd, p. 374, And if all be little enough and the Gods begrudge me rest. μειόνως ἔχειν is naturally opposed to ἀρκούντως ἔχειν, and is to be taken in close connection with what follows: i. e. μειόνως ἔχειν..

104-105. mvp-comment-72-2 λατρεύων – μειόνως ἔχειν λατρευμάτων. Herm. takes μειόνως ἔχειν as equivalent το μείονος λόγου εἶναι. But this is hardly legitimate, and gives a poor meaning.

106. mvp-comment-73-1 γλυκεῖαι Welcome daughters. This epithet is not here merely propitiatory (like Εὐμενίδες, etc.), but expresses the real feeling of Oedipus. He has no fear of the 'Ερινύες, who have done their worst,' and are now to give him the rest for which he longs; cp. Aj. 394, where, in a different mood, Ajax more passionately invokes Erebus as to him most bright.

107. mvp-comment-74-1 μεγίστης Παλλάδος καλούμεναι Called the possession of mightiest Pallas.

109. mvp-comment-75-1 ἀνδρὸς Οἰδίπου Pity this miserable shadow of the man that Oedipus once was. For this emphatic sense of ἀνήρ, cp. 393, τηνικαῦτ᾽ ἄρ᾽ εἰμ' ἀνήρ : Αj. 77, πρόσθεν οὐκ ἀνὴρ ὅδ᾽ ἦν. The degree of emphasis in these passages varies. It is less in Aj. 77, than in O. C. 393. And in the present passage it is still more slight, suggesting rather than expressing the contrast of conditions.

110. mvp-comment-76-1 The reading of Aldus, which various editors have approved without adopting it, is found in Ven. 467, from which he no doubt derived it. See Introd. p. 284.