Sophocles Oedipus at Colonus 1239

Richard Jebb (Translator)

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Oedipus at Colonus. Sophocles. Richard Jebb (Translator). Cambridge. 1889.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.

Current edition Experimental

Oedipus at Colonus (English) (Sophocles the plays and fragments, Part 2: The Oedipus at Colonus. Jebb, Richard Claverhouse, Sir, translator. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1889. (Modernized by Perseus.))

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (2)
Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 1239 focus
ἐν ᾧ τλάμων ὅδʼ, οὐκ ἐγὼ μόνος,
πάντοθεν βόρειος ὥς τις ἀκτὰ
1240
κυματοπλὴξ χειμερία κλονεῖται,
ὡς καὶ τόνδε κατάκρας
δειναὶ κυματοαγεῖς
ἆται κλονέουσιν ἀεὶ ξυνοῦσαι,
αἱ μὲν ἀπʼ ἀελίου δυσμᾶν,
1245
αἱ δʼ ἀνατέλλοντος,
αἱ δʼ ἀνὰ μέσσαν ἀκτῖνʼ,
αἱ δʼ * ἐννυχιᾶν ἀπὸ ῥιπᾶν.
Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 1239 focus
Translations (4)
English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 1239 focus
Ay, there all evils, crowded in one room,
Each at his worst of ill, augment the gloom.
1240
Such lot is mine, and round this man of woe,
—As some grey headland of a northward shore
Bears buffets of all-wintry winds that blow,—
New storms of Fate are bursting evermore
In thundrous billows, borne
1245
Some from the waning light,
Some through mid-noon, some from the rising morn,
Some from the realm of Night.
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 1239 focus
In dem, Unsel'ger, dich, nicht uns allein,
1230
Ueberall, wie nördlich einen Seestrand,
Wogenschlag und Winterorkan' erschüttern;
Also stürmen auf dich auch
Hochher brandend in stetem
Wuthgrimme die Leiden und ruhen nimmer,
1235
Diese von Helios' Niedergang,
Diese vom Aufgang her,
Diese vom Strahl des Mittags,
Die dort von den nächtlichen Khipen.
(in die Scene blickend)
English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 1239 focus
If justice still, as she is ever wont.
Sits at the hand of Jove. Meantime thou worst,
1240
Thou most abandoned of the race of men,
1240
Begone — away ! and with thee bear this curse
Which here I do pronounce : To Argos ne'er
Mayst thou return ! never may Thebes be thine !
Soon mayst thou perish by a brother's hand,
Slaying the slayer ! may dark Erebus
Receive them both ! And now on you I call,
1245
Ye goddesses revered, and thou, O Mars !
Thou who hast raised the bitter strife between
My impious sons, bear witness to my words !
Farewell ! Now go, and tell the Thebans, tell
English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 1239 focus
No choral lyre now charms the ears,
And slow-approaching Death to close the scene appears.
Not to be born is heav'n's first grace:
If born, extinguish'd soon the vital flame,

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-880-1 βόρειος ἀκτὰ 1

mvp-comment-881-1 κατ’ ἄκρας 2

mvp-comment-881-2 κυματοα—γεῖς 4

mvp-comment-882-1 Compare this poet. indication of the four points of the compass with the prose phraseology in Xen. Anab. 3.5.15,

πρὸς ἕω, πρὸς ἑσπέραν, πρὸς μεσημβρίαν, πρὸς ἄρκτον.

mvp-comment-882-2 ἀνὰ μέσσαν ἀκτῖν’ 5

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

1240. mvp-comment-662-1 πάντοθεν As Hermann marks, this word is to be referred to Oedipus rather than to the promontory to which he is compared.

1241. mvp-comment-663-1 κλονεῖται This, which is properly the apodosis, has been absorbed, as often happens in comparisons, into the relative clause, and the construction is therefore supplemented by the more explicit application of the simile in ὡς καὶ τόνδε, κ.τ.λ, Essay on Language § 35. p. 60.

1242-1244. mvp-comment-664-1 ὡς καὶ τόνδε . . ξυνοῦσαι So he too is buffeted by fearful woes, that break like billows over his head, and never cease from him.

1242-1244. mvp-comment-664-2 κατάκρας] Cp. Hom. Od. 5.313, ὡς ἄρα μιν εἰπόντ᾽ ἔλασεν μέγα κῦμα κατ᾿ ἄκρης. 1244, foll. The concluding lines are an expansion partly of πάντοθεν, partly of dei, the notions of space and time being confused. Cp. Hdt. 3. 114, Ἀποκλινομένης δὲ μεσαμβρίης, κ.τ.λ. where locality is signified in words expressing the time of day. Some from the region of the sunset, some with the break of day, some through the meridian brightness, some coming with the blasts of night.' The last expression has been variously interpreted. The Scholiast speaks of the Rhipaean mountains, which, he adds, were towards the west, and quotes a line of Alcman, ῥιπὰς ὄρος ἀνθέον ὕλᾳ, νυκτὸς μελαίνας στέρνον. The north rather than the west is the region of midnight. But it is not likely that after speaking so simply of morning, noon, and evening, the poet would have perplexed his reference to night with an obscure allusion to a remote locality. (2) Some modern interpreters compare Ε1. 106, παμφεγγεῖς ἄστρων ῥιπάς, and would render, From the twinkling fires of night, or, From the glimmerings of night.' Cp. τὰ νυκτερινὰ φέγγη in Plat. Rep. 6. 508 C. But this gives no distinct image, and the antithesis to ἀκτῖν' does not improve the sense. (3) Hermann with more probability says, De ventis, quos noctu maxime auribus percipimus, intelligenda vox ῥιπᾶν. Cp. Apollonius Rhodius, Apollonius l. 1015, οὐ μὲν ἰούσης | νυκτὸς ἔτι ῥιπὴ μένεν ἔμπεδον ἀλλὰ θύελλαι | ἀντίαι ἁρπάγδην ὀπίσω φέρον: Ib. 4. 1682,.. ἡ δ᾽ ὑπὸ νυκτὶ | ῥιπῇσιν μὲν πρῶτα τινάσσεται, ὕστερον αῦτε, κ.τ.λ. Perhaps with the image of the winds is associated some idea of ، impulse. The powers or influences of night.