Sophocles Oedipus at Colonus 162

Thomas Francklin (Translator)

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Theseus
Scene YIII.
O son of Laius ! long ere- this the tal«
Of thy disastrous fate, by many a tongue
Related, I had heard : thy eyes torn forth
By thy own desperate hand : and now I see
It was too true. Thy garb and dreadful aspect
Speak who thou art. Unhappy Qildipus,
I come to ask, in pity to thy woes.
555
What 's thy request to Athens or to me —
Thine, or this hapless virgin on thy steps
Attendant. Speak ; for large must be the boon
1 would refuse thee. I have known too well,
Myself a wretched wanderer, the woes
Of cruel exile, not to pity thine :
560
Of toils and dangers in a foreign land
560
Much have I suffered ; therefore not to me
Shall the poor stranger ever sue in vain
For aid and safety. Mortals as we are,
Uncertain ever is to-morrow's fate,
Alike unknown to Theseus and to thee.
Q^Idi. Theseus, thy words declare thy noble nature,
565
And leave me little to reply. Thou knowst
My story — who and whence I am ; no more
Remains, but that I tell thee my request,
And we have done.

Oedipus at Colonus. Sophocles. Thomas Francklin (Translator). London. 1758–1759.

Current edition Experimental

English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) (English) (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759))

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (2)
Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 162 focus
μετάσταθʼ, ἀπόβαθι. πολ-
Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 117-253b focus
Translations (4)
English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 162 focus
ISM
It wounds mine ear
420
To hear it spoken, but the news I bring
420
Is to that stern effect.
420
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 149 focus
Ah; ah! Mit des Aug's blindem Stern
Kamest du wohl in die Welt, und lebst ein banges,
Langes Leben, vermuth' ich recht?
Drum füg', ach! folge mir
Dem Fluch nicht neuen Fluch!
150
Du dringst ein,
Dringst ein; doch in des stillen Hains
Grünumlaubte Gefilde hier
Tritt nicht, wo sich dem Wasserkrug
Strömend lieblichen Honiges
155
Süßer Erguß gesellt:
Hüte dich, schwergeprüfter Fremdling!
Flieh, entweiche von hinnen! Weit
Trennt von mir dich des Pfades Naum:
Hörst du, jammerbeladner Flüchtling?
160
Von geweihter Stätte
Fort hebe dich, willst du mir sagen ein Wort;
Wo Jeder es darf,
Sprich's aus; jezt wehre der Zunge!
English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 162 focus
Chorus
Thrice on it with both hands place olive boughs
Thrice three; then breathe thy supplicating pray'rs.
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-415-1 The

σκοπός
, who did not know the name of Oed., could describe the traces of wounds about the sightless eyes, and brought the mysterious message (72). Theseus then set out, surmising who it was. Meanwhile the name of Oed. had become known at Colonus (222), and wayfarers who met Theseus raised his surmise into certain knowledge. Cp. on 299
ff.

mvp-comment-415-2 ἔν τε 1

mvp-comment-416-1 ἔγνωκά ς’ 2

mvp-comment-416-2 ἔγνωκα 3

mvp-comment-417-1 ἀκούων 4

mvp-comment-417-2 For

ἀκούων
it may be pleaded that the sense is at least quite intelligible, and that ancient writers, even the most artistic, were less careful than moderns in avoiding such repetitions of single words. Cp. 631
ἐκβάλοι
, 636
ἐκβαλῶ
: 638, 640
ἡδύ
: 966, 969
ἐπεί
: 1000, 1003
καλόν
, 1004
καλῶς
: 1123, 1129: 1451, 1459: 1487 f.: O. T. 517
φέρον
, 519
φέροντι
, 520
φέρει
: ib. 1276, 1278
ὁμοῦ
: Ant. 73 , 76
κείσομαι
: Ai. 1201 , 1204 (
τέρψιν
).

mvp-comment-418-1 σκευή 5

mvp-comment-418-2 δύστηνον 6

mvp-comment-419-1 ὄνθ’ ὃς εἶ 7

mvp-comment-420-1 )περέσθαι 8

mvp-comment-421-1 ἐπέστης 9

mvp-comment-421-2 πόλεως … ἐμοῦ τ; 10

mvp-comment-422-1 ἂν … τύχοις … ἐξαφισταίμην 11

mvp-comment-422-2 πρᾶξιν 12

mvp-comment-423-1 ξένος 13

mvp-comment-424-1 καὶ ὡς ἤθλησα πλεῖστα εἷς ἀνήρ 14

mvp-comment-424-2 ἐπὶ ξένης 15

mvp-comment-425-1 κινδυνεύματ’ 16

mvp-comment-425-2 ἐν τὠμῷ κάρᾳ 17 κάρᾳ 18

mvp-comment-426-1 ξένον 19

mvp-comment-426-2 συνεκσῴζειν 20

mvp-comment-427-1 ἀνὴρ 21

mvp-comment-428-1 δοῦ 22

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

553. mvp-comment-306-1 ὁδοῖς ἐν ταῖσδε In thy present coming. Cp. Εl. 68, δέξασθέ μ᾽ εὐτυχοῦντα ταῖσδε ταῖς ὁδοῖς.

555. mvp-comment-307-1 σκευή Thine apparel: which, though travel-stained, is that of a noble Theban.

556. mvp-comment-308-1 ὃς εἰ A pronominal expression to avoid the repetition of the name. Ср. О. Т. 1036, ὥστ᾽ ὠνομάσθης ἐκ τύχης ταύτης ὃς εἶ.

556. mvp-comment-308-2 καί σ᾽ οἰκτίσας, κ.τ.λ. With a native generosity which Oedipus fully acknowledges (infr. 570), Theseus is ready to protect Oedipus, although not ignorant of the nature of his misfortunes (supr. 305 ff., 551 ff.). But he imagines himself to be conferring a favour, and knows not that the blind wayfarer has more to give than to receive. Once more, therefore, we have a fine contrast between the real and the apparent situation.

557. mvp-comment-309-1 θέλω *' περέσθαι This correction of the Laurentian reading (=τὶ) is more probable than the reading of B, in which o' is awkwardly repeated. For the aphaeresis, cp. Phil. 592, λέγω. 'πὶ τοῦτον, κ.τ.λ.

560. mvp-comment-310-1 δεινήν, κ.τ.λ. Either (r1) 'For that were a hard task indeed from which, on your mentioning it, I should recoil.' Or (2) For that would be a terrible fortune, of which the mention would make me shrink from giving relief. The latter rendering gives a more natural meaning to πρᾶξις (cp. Hdt. 3. 65, ἀπέκλαιε πᾶσαν τὴν ἑωυτοῦ πρήξιν), and is more in accordance with what follows (ὑπεκτραποίμην, κ.τ.λ.). And the usual question addressed to suppliants is, What is your misfortune? rather than, What would you have us do?' For the sentiment, cp. Eur. Suppl. 339. 40, (Θησ.) ὡς τοῖς ἐμοῖσιν οὐχὶ πρόσφορον τρόποις | φεύγειν τὰ δεινά. For the emphatic use of the adj., see Essay on Language p. 80.

562. mvp-comment-311-1 ὡς οἶδά γ᾽ αὐτός Yes, for I know, that I myself was brought up a stranger, as thou art now. Theseus was reared by his grandfather Pittheus at Troezen.

563. mvp-comment-312-1 χώς τις πλεῖστ᾽ ἀνήρ i. e. καὶ ὥς τις ἀνὴρ πλεῖστα (sc. ἤθλησεν). Ι have laboured, as any one hath laboured most:' i. e. as much as any one (ut qui plurima). The more usual expression would be ὅσα τις πλεῖστα.

564. mvp-comment-313-1 ἤθλησα κινδυνεύματα Cognate accusative.

564. mvp-comment-313-2 ἐν τὠμῷ κάρᾳ In my own person : i. e. they were dangers to my own life which I met by my own exertions, referring to the adventure with Sciron, etc. For ev, cp. the expression, ἐν τῷ Καρὶ ὑμῖν ὁ κίνδυνοos, Plat. Lach. 187 B.

565. mvp-comment-314-1 ὥσπερ σὺ νῦν For the nominative, cp. Aj. 525, ἔχειν σ᾽ ἂν οἶκτον ὡς κἀγώ: Il. 6.477, γενέσθαι | παῖδ᾽ ἐμόν, ὡς καὶ ἐγώ περ.

568. mvp-comment-315-1 σοῦ Essay on Language p. 13, 4 a.