Sophocles Oedipus at Colonus 425

Lewis Campbell (Translator)

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POL
Impossible. If once I shrink for fear,
No longer may I lead them to the war.

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)) — 425 focus
ὡς οὔτʼ ἂν ὃς νῦν σκῆπτρα καὶ θρόνους ἔχει
425
Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 510-548 focus
Translations (3)
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 421 focus
So mag den Zwiespalt, über sie vom Loos verhängt,
Niemals die Gottheit löschen, und bei mir allein
Das Ende ruh'n des Kampfes, der die Brüder theilt,
Die nun mit aufgehob'nem Speer einander droh'n,
Daß weder er, den heute Thron und Scepter schmückt,
420
Fest stehe, noch der Ausgetrieb'ne je zurück
Zur Stadt gelange! Haben sie den Vater doch,
Der aus dem Land so schmählich ausgestoßen ward,
Nicht aufgehalten, nicht geschirmt; ich ward verjagt,
Verbannt mit Heroldsrufen, und sie duldeten's.
425
Man könnte sagen, daß die Stadt in jener Zeit
Mir das mit Recht gewährte, was ich selbst erbat.
In keiner Weise: denn an jenem Tage gleich, 1
Da noch der Unmuth glühte, ja das Liebste mir
Gewesen wäre jäher Tod und Steinigung,
430
Erschien mir Niemand diesen Liebesdienst zu thun.
Doch als die Zeit schon allen Harm besänftiget,
Und ich erkannte, daß der Zorn mir ausgeschweift
Zu Züchtigungen, schwerer noch denn meine Schuld :
Da trieb gewaltsam aus dem Lande mich die Stadt
435
Nach langer Zeit erst, und des Vaters Söhne, die
Dem Vater helfen konnten, sie verweigerten
Die Hülfe, ließen, statt mit kurzem Worte mich
Zu schirmen, mich als Bettler flieh'n in fremdes Land.
Von diesen schwachen Mädchen hier wird Iegliches,
440
Wie's ihr Geschlecht verstattet, Lebensunterhalt,
Ein sichrer Siz und Kindeshülfe mir gewährt.
Die Söhne zogen Thron und Stab dem Vater vor,
Und schalten lieber als die Herrn im Lande dort.
Doch meine Hülfe leih' ich ihnen nimmermehr;
445
Nie soll die Herrschaft über Kadmos' Land für sie
Ein Segen sein: das weiß ich, wenn ich diesen Spruch,
Den du verkündest, Tochter, und das alte Wort
Erwäge, das mir Phöbos einst verkündet hat. 2
Drum mögen sie den Kreon, und wenn Einer sonst
450
Im Land Gewalt hat, senden, um nach mir zu späh'n.
Denn wollet ihr nur, Freunde, samt den Göttinnen,
Den Hehren, die in diesem Lande, walten, mir
Beistand gewähren, dann gewinnt ihr eurer Stadt
Den starken Helfer, meinen Feinden Schmach und Noth.
455
English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 425 focus
Chorus
Favour'd by heav'n his death, and void of pain ?
1585
This yet demands astonishment. Thou know'st,
1585
For thou wast present, how he parted hence,
1585
Led by no friend, but to us all a guide.
1585
When he approach'd the rent rock's craggy verge
1585
With steps of brass deep rooted in the earth,
1585
Where many broken passes wind along,
1585
In one of these near the gulf's yawning mouth
1585
He stood, where Theseus and Pirithous placed
1585
Th' eternal pledges of their mutual faith:
1585
There in the midst between Acherdus steep
1585
And the Thorician rock on a raised stone
1585
Himself he seated, and his squalid weeds
1585
Ungirding to his daughters gave command
1585
To bring him lavers and libations pure
1585
Of living water. To the mount, thence seen,
1585
Of Ceres cloth'd in lively green they went
1585
Hasting their father's orders to perform,..
1585
With lavers cleansed, and in a decent robe.
1585
Array'd him, as funereal rites require.
1585
These pleasing offices, and all whate'er
1585
His soul could wish, perform'd, the Stygian Jove
1585
Thunder'd beneath; the virgins, as they heard,
1585
Trembled with horror, at their father's feet
1585
Fell down, and wept, beating their breasts with loud
1585
And long laments. But he, the dreadful sound
1585
Soon as he heard, embraced them in his arms,
1585
And said, my daughters, on this fated day...
1585
You have no more a father; what was mine
1585
Is all rent from me, and the task no more
1585
Is yours my poor subsistence to provide,
1585
A painful task, I know; but one short word
1585
Sweetens all stoils; for greater love from nonel!
1585
Than from your father can you e'er redeives:
1585
Now you will pass your lives of him deprived.
1585
Thus mournfully, in close embraces lock'd,I.
1585
They all lamented: but at length their shrieks!
1585
Arose no more, the cries of grief were hush'd
1585
And all was silence. Suddenly a voice
1585
Call'd him aloud: awe-struck we stood/aghast:
1585
Again, and oft it reall'd, Edipuse
1585
"Why, Edipus, delay we to departioid
1585
"Thine this delay. Soontes he heard the god
1585
Thus calling him, the royal Theseus nigh mol
1585
He bids approach, and said, my honour'd friend,
1585
Thy hand, the well-proved pledge of former faith,
1585
Give to my daughters; and, my children, give/
1585
Your hands to him; and promise that thou ne'er
1585
Wilt willingly betray them, but performis mor
1585
Always benevolent whate'er thy thought nom A
1585
Shall tell thee will to their advantage tend.
1585
The generous king suppress'd his tears, and gave
1585
His hand, his promise with a solemn oath, M
1585
Confirming. This accomplish’d, CEdipus
1585
His daughters in his feeble arms cimbrac'd, CA
1585
And said, my children, let your generous minds
1585
Not grieve that from this place you must depart;
1585
Nor, what your eyes must not behold, desire
1585
To see; nor, what must not be heard, to hear;
1585
The fates oppose your wish: go then, the hour
1585
Demands it; but alone let Theseus stay
1585
Witness of the event. We heard him speak..
1585
English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 510-546c focus

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-986-1 The MS.

πῶς γὰρ αὖθις αὖ πάλιν
στράτευμ’ ἄγοιμι ταὐτόν
is defensible if we take πῶς ἄγοιμι as dubitative, "How could I possibly lead?" See Appendix on 170. But there is at least a strong probability that the poet used ἄν here, instead of employing the much rarer construction. So far as our MSS. are concerned, the dropping out of ἄν after ἄγοιμι is not much less likely than the change of ἄν into αὖ . Either would have been easy. I prefer
αὖθις ἂν ... ἄγοιμι
to
αὖθις αὖ... ἄγοιμ’ ἄν
, because ἄν is thus more forcibly placed, and serves also to bring out αὖθις . We have
αὖθις αὖ πάλιν
in Ph. 952 , but usually
αὖθις πάλιν
( 364 : Ph. 127 , 342 , 1232 : Tr. 342 : Ai. 305 : fr. 444. 3 ).

mvp-comment-986-2 To Porson's

αὖθις αὖ...ἄγοιμι ταὔτ’ ἄν
the drawback is the elision. We find
ταὔτ’
for the plur.
ταὐτά
( O. T. 284 , 840 etc.); but tragedy, which preferred
ταὐτόν
to
ταὐτό
(though admitting the latter under metrical necessity, O. T. 734 ), would hardly have elided the
ο
in that word. Ant. 462
αὔτ’
 (for
αὐτό
) is solitary in Soph.: L has
αὖτ’
.

mvp-comment-986-3 ταὐτὸν 1

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

1418. mvp-comment-754-1 For how, if I once falter, can I again lead the same army the same way?᾽ αὖθις, another time, πάλιν, back to Thebes. Some would read ἄν for aὖ. This is unnecessary, see Essay on Language § 27. p. 45, (2), and gives av an awkward position, but makes no difference to the sense. Antigone meant Give up the expedition. But this idea can find no entrance to Polynices' mind. He only thinks of the possibility of a temporary yielding, like that of a general who meets with some unfavourable omen. And against this he argues, I cannot go back now, for if I did, my attempt falls through entirely. I could no longer command the army, which must sooner or later be led by me against Thebes.