Sophocles Oedipus at Colonus 1620

Richard Jebb (Translator)

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In this way, clinging close to one another, the father and his daughters sobbed and wept. But when they came to the end of their crying, and the sound of wailing went forth no more, there was a silence; suddenly a voice called aloud to him, so that everyone
1620
felt hair rising from the sudden terror. The god called him again and again: Oedipus, Oedipus, why do you delay our going? Too long you have been lingering.
  And when he perceived that he was called by the god,
1625
he asked that lord Theseus should come to him; and when he did, he said: Friend, give me the sworn pledge of your right hand for my children; and you, my daughters, for him. Promise never to betray them by your own free will, but always to accomplish whatever you think for their benefit.
1630
And he, as a man of noble spirit, without lamentation swore to keep that promise to the stranger.
  When Theseus had done this, straightway Oedipus felt for his children with blind hands, and said:
1635
Children, you must bear up nobly in your hearts and depart from this place; do not consider it just to look upon what is not right, or to hear such speech as you may not hear. Go in haste; let only Theseus be entitled to remain to learn of those things which will be done.
1640

 
So he spoke, and everyone of us listened; with streaming tears and mourning we followed the maidens away. But when we had gone off, very soon we looked back and saw that Oedipus was nowhere any more and our lord was alone,
1645
holding his hand in front of his face to screen his eyes, as if he had seen some terrifying sight, one that no one could endure to behold. And then after a short time,
1650
we saw him adore together the earth and Olympus of the gods in the same prayer.
  But by what fate Oedipus perished, no man can tell, except Theseus alone. It was no fiery thunderbolt of the god that removed him,
1655
nor any rising of whirlwind from the sea; it was either an escort from the gods, or else the dark world of the dead kindly split open to receive him. The man passed away without lamentation or sickness or suffering, and beyond all mortal men he was wondrous.
1660
And if in anyone’s eyes I seem to speak senselessly, I would not try to win his belief when he counts me senseless.
1665

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)) — 1620 focus
τοιαῦτʼ ἐπʼ ἀλλήλοισιν ἀμφικείμενοι
1620
λύγδην ἔκλαιον πάντες. ὡς δὲ πρὸς τέλος
γόων ἀφίκοντʼ οὐδʼ ἔτʼ ὠρώρει βοή,
ἦν μὲν σιωπή, φθέγμα δʼ ἐξαίφνης τινὸς
θώϋξεν αὐτόν, ὥστε πάντας ὀρθίας
στῆσαι φόβῳ δείσαντας ἐξαίφνης τρίχας.
1625
καλεῖ γὰρ αὐτὸν πολλὰ πολλαχῇ θεός·
ὦ οὗτος οὗτος, Οἰδίπους, τί μέλλομεν
χωρεῖν; πάλαι δὴ τἀπὸ σοῦ βραδύνεται.
ὁ δʼ ὡς ἐπῄσθετʼ ἐκ θεοῦ καλούμενος,
αὐδᾷ μολεῖν οἱ γῆς ἄνακτα Θησέα.
1630
κἀπεὶ προσῆλθεν, εἶπεν, ὦ φίλον κάρα,
δός μοι χερὸς σῆς πίστιν ἀρχαίαν τέκνοις,
ὑμεῖς τε, παῖδες, τῷδε· καὶ καταίνεσον
μήποτε προδώσειν τάσδʼ ἑκών, τελεῖν δʼ ὅσʼ ἂν
μέλλῃς φρονῶν εὖ ξυμφέροντʼ αὐταῖς ἀεί.
1635
ὁ δʼ, ὡς ἀνὴρ γενναῖος, οὐκ οἴκτου μέτα
κατῄνεσεν τάδʼ ὅρκιος δράσειν ξένῳ.
ὅπως δὲ ταῦτʼ ἔδρασεν, εὐθὺς Οἰδίπους
ψαύσας ἀμαυραῖς χερσὶν ὧν παίδων λέγει,
ὦ παῖδε, τλάσας χρὴ τὸ γενναῖον φρενὶ
1640
χωρεῖν τόπων ἐκ τῶνδε, μηδʼ ἃ μὴ θέμις
λεύσσειν δικαιοῦν, μηδὲ φωνούντων κλύειν.
ἀλλʼ ἕρπεθʼ ὡς τάχιστα· πλὴν ὁ κύριος
Θησεὺς παρέστω μανθάνων τὰ δρώμενα.
τοσαῦτα φωνήσαντος εἰσηκούσαμεν
1645
ξύμπαντες· ἀστακτὶ δὲ σὺν ταῖς παρθένοις
στένοντες ὡμαρτοῦμεν. ὡς δʼ ἀπήλθομεν,
χρόνῳ βραχεῖ στραφέντες, ἐξαπείδομεν
τὸν ἄνδρα, τὸν μὲν οὐδαμοῦ παρόντʼ ἔτι,
ἄνακτα δʼ αὐτὸν ὀμμάτων ἐπίσκιον
1650
χεῖρʼ ἀντέχοντα κρατός, ὡς δεινοῦ τινος
φόβου φανέντος οὐδʼ ἀνασχετοῦ βλέπειν.
ἔπειτα μέντοι βαιὸν οὐδὲ σὺν χρόνῳ
ὁρῶμεν αὐτὸν γῆν τε προσκυνοῦνθʼ ἅμα
καὶ τὸν θεῶν ῎Ὄλυμπον ἐν ταὐτῷ λόγῳ.
1655
μόρῳ δʼ ὁποίῳ κεῖνος ὤλετʼ οὐδʼ ἂν εἷς
θνητῶν φράσειε πλὴν τὸ Θησέως κάρα.
οὐ γάρ τις αὐτὸν οὔτε πυρφόρος θεοῦ
κεραυνὸς ἐξέπραξεν οὔτε ποντία
θύελλα κινηθεῖσα τῷ τότʼ ἐν χρόνῳ,
1660
ἀλλʼ ἢ τις ἐκ θεῶν πομπός, ἢ τὸ νερτέρων
εὔνουν διαστὰν γῆς ἀλύπητον βάθρον.
ἁνὴρ γὰρ οὐ στενακτὸς οὐδὲ σὺν νόσοις
ἀλγεινὸς ἐξεπέμπετʼ, ἀλλʼ εἴ τις βροτῶν
θαυμαστός. εἰ δὲ μὴ δοκῶ φρονῶν λέγειν,
1665
οὐκ ἂν παρείμην οἷσι μὴ δοκῶ φρονεῖν.
Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 1620 focus
Translations (4)
English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 1620 focus
As each clung fast to each. But when they came
1620
To an end of weeping and those sounds were stilled,
First all was silent; then a sudden voice
Hurried him onward, making each man’s hair
Bristle on end with force of instant fear.
Now here, now there, not once but oftentimes,
1625
A God called loudly, ‘Oedipus, Oedipus!
Why thus delay our going? This long while
We are stayed for and thou tarriest. Come away!’
He, when he knew the summons of the God,
Gave word for royal Theseus to go near;
1630
And when he came, said: ‘Friend for ever kind,
Reach thy right hand, I pray thee (that first pledge)
To these my children:—daughters, yours to him!—
And give thy sacred word that thou wilt never
Betray these willingly: but still perform
1635
All that thou mayest with true thought for their good.’
He, with grand calmness like his noble self,
Promised on oath to keep this friendly bond.
And when he had done so, Oedipus forthwith
Stroking his children with his helpless hands
1640
Spake thus:—‘My daughters, you must steel your hearts
1640
To noble firmness, and depart from hence,
Nor ask to see or hear forbidden things.
Go, go at once! Theseus alone must stay
Sole rightful witness of these mysteries.’
Those accents were the last we all might hear.
1645
Then, following the two maids, with checkless tears
And groans we took our way. But by and by,
At distance looking round, we saw,—not him,
Who was not there,—but Theseus all alone
Holding his hand before his eyes, as if
1650
Some apparition unendurable
Had dazed his vision. In a little while,
We marked him making reverence in one prayer
To the Earth, and to the home of Gods on high.
But by what fate He perished, mortal man,
1655
Save Theseus, none can say. No lightning-flash
From heaven, no tempest rising from the deep,
Caused his departure in that hour, but either
Some messenger from heaven, or, from beneath,
The lower part of Earth, where comes no pain,
1660
Opening kindly to receive him in.
Not to be mourned, nor with a tearful end
Of sickness was he taken from the Earth,
But wondrously, beyond recorded fate.
If any deem my words unwise, I care not
1665
In that man’s judgement to be counted wise.
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 1620 focus
So schluchzten Alle, weinten laut und hielten sich
Einander fest umschlungen. Als sie dann gelangt
Zum Ziel der Klagen, und der Jammerruf verscholl:
Da herrschte Schweigen. Plözlich traf ein fremder Laut
1605
Sein Ohr, ihn rufend, und sofort erzitterten
Sie all', in Grausen sträubte sich ihr Haar empor.
Denn viel und vielfach rief ihn an des Gottes Mund:
„O komm, o komm doch, Dedipus! Was zaudern wir,
Zu gehen? Allzulange wird von dir gesäumt."
1610
Und als er wahrnahm, daß der Gott ihn fordere,
Berief er Theseus, dieses Landes Herrn, zu sich.
Als dieser hertrat, sprach er: „o geliebtes Haupt,
Gib deiner Rechte treues Pfand den Kindern hier,
(Und, Töchter, ihr, dem König,) und gelobe, sie
1615
Freiwillig nie zu lassen und wohlmeinend stets
Zu thun an ihnen, was du glaubst, das ihnen frommt."
Und er, von eitler Klage fern, verhieß dem Gast,
Der edle Herrscher, dies zu thun, mit hohem Eid.
Nachdem er das vollendet, legt der Greis sofort
1620
Den schwachen Arm um beide Jungfrau'n und beginnt:
„Kinder, tragen müsset ihr's mit starkem Sinn,
Aus diesem Raum zu scheiden, dürft Verbot'nes nicht
Zu schau'n verlangen, unserm Wort nicht lauschen hier.
Drum eilt geschwind von hinnen; Theseus bleib' allein
1625
Zurück, der Herrscher, anzuseh'n, was hier geschieht."
Nur diese Worte hörten wir aus seinem Mund,
Wir alle; samt den Töchtern dann enteilten wir,
Und weinten viel und schluchzten. Auf dem Wege nun,
Nach kurzer Weile wandten wir das Haupt zurück,
1630
Und sah'n den Alten nirgends mehr an jenem Ort,
Und nur den König, vor das Haupt die Hand gestreckt,
Die Augen sich verhüllen, als wär' ihm ein Bild
Des Grau'ns erschienen, unerträglich seinem Blick.
Nur kurz indessen währt' es noch, so sahen wir
1635
Ihn niederknieen und in Einem Spruch zugleich
Zum Götterhaus Olympos und zur Erde fleh'n.
Doch welcher Tod den Greis entrückt, kein Sterblicher
Weiß das zu sagen, außer Theseus' Haupt allein.
Denn weder hat ihn Gottes feuertragender
1640
Blizstrahl hinabgeschmettert, noch ein Sturm entrafft,
Der aus dem Meere sich erhob zu dieser Zeit:
Nein, Götterhand entführt' ihn, oder Hades' Thor,
Das sonnenlose, that sich ihm wohlwollend auf.
Denn ohne Krankheit, ohne Schmerz und Seufzer ward
1645
Der Mann hinweggenommen, hehr und wunderbar,
Wie nie ein Mensch! Wenn meine Rede thöricht scheint,
So will ich Keinem wehren, der mich thöricht nennt.
English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 1620 focus
They wept aloud ; at length did clamorous grief
1620
To silent sorrow yield, and all was still ;
When suddenly we heard a voice that oft
Repeated, " CEdipus, why this delay?
Where art thou, (Edipus? " The wretched king,
Attentive to the call of Heaven, desired
That Theseus might be sent for ; Theseus came.
When thus the dying exile : "0 my friend !
Give me thy hand, my daughters give him yours;
Let this, my dearest Theseus, be the pledge
1630
Of amity between you ; promise here
That you will ne'er forsake my hapless children,
But henceforth cherish, comfort, and protect them."
The generous king, in pity to their woes,
1635
Vowed to perform what (Edipus desired.
The father threw his feeble arms around
Tlis weeping children. "You," he cried, "must learn
To bear your sutterings with an equal mind,
1640
And leave this place ; for not to mortal eye
Is given to see my future fate. Away !
Theseus alone must stay, and know it all."
This did we hear him utter as we stood
Attentive ; when his duteous daughters left him,
And went their way, we wept, and followed them.
Soon we returned, but CEdipus was gone ;
The king alone remaining, as if struck
With terror at some dreadful spectacle,
1650
Had with his hand o'er- veiled his downcast eye ;
A little after, we beheld him bend
In humble adoration to the earth,
And then to heaven prefer his ardent prayer.
1655
How the poor exile perished none can tell
But Theseus ; nor the fiery blast of Jove
Destroyed, nor sea o'erwhelmed him, but from heaven
Some messenger divine did snatch him hence,
Or power infernal bade the pitying earth
Open her peaceful bosom to receive him ;
Without a groan, disease, or pain he fell.
'Twas wondrous all ; to those who credit not
This strange report, I answer, 'Tis most true.
English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 1620 focus
But by what fate he died no mortal man, He
Save Theseus, can declare: for not the flames/
Thick flashing from the thunders of high Jove
Consumed him, nor the tempest from the sea.
Then raging wild; but haply by the gods!
Borne thence, or sinking through the friendly earth,
Which in her deeply-rifted bosom open'd
A painless passage to the realms below...
Here is no cause for wailings; for he died
From all the anguish of disease exempt,
A man of all the human race who claims
Our wonder most. If any deem my sense
"Not perfect, these events while I relate,
My senses, let them know, are sound as theirs.

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-1100-1 ἐπ’ ἀλλήλ. ἀμφικ. 1

mvp-comment-1100-2 λύγδην 2

mvp-comment-1101-1 σιωπή 3

mvp-comment-1101-2 τινὸς 4

mvp-comment-1102-1 θώϋξεν αὐτόν 5

mvp-comment-1102-2 πάντας 6

mvp-comment-1102-3 φόβῳ 7

mvp-comment-1102-4 ἐξαίφνης 8

mvp-comment-1103-1 πολλὰ πολλαχῇ 9

mvp-comment-1103-2 It is strange that a modern critic should have thought this

"alienissimum a divina maiestate"
(Schaefer). He must have forgotten that a divine summons had already been thrice repeated when
"the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel."

mvp-comment-1104-1 ὦ οὗτος 10

mvp-comment-1104-2 οὗτος 11

mvp-comment-1105-1 χωρεῖν 12

mvp-comment-1105-2 τἀπὸ σοῦ 13 βραδύνεται 14

mvp-comment-1106-1 οἱ 15

mvp-comment-1107-1 ὁρκίαν 16

mvp-comment-1107-2 ἀρχαίαν 17

mvp-comment-1107-3 (1) Two other conjectures claim notice. ἀρθμίαν (Wecklein)=

"in a friendly compact."
Cp. Od. 16.427
οἱ δ’ ἡμῖν ἄρθμιοι ἦσαν
 ,
"they were in amity with us."
In Ph. 1132 Erfurdt has restored
ἄρθμιον
(as =
"trusty comrade"
) for
ἄθλιον
. But this epithet does not strengthen
πίστιν
. (2) ἀρκίαν (L. Schmidt)=
"sure."
The only support for this is the epic phrase
μισθὸς ἄρκιος
( Il. 10.304 , Od. 18.358 , Hes. Op. 368 ).

mvp-comment-1108-1 ἑκών 18

mvp-comment-1109-1 μέλλῃς 19

mvp-comment-1109-2 φρονῶν εὖ 20

mvp-comment-1109-3 εὖ φρονῶν 21

mvp-comment-1110-1 οὐκ οἴκτου μέτα 22

mvp-comment-1111-1 ὅρκιος 23

mvp-comment-1112-1 ἀμαυραῖς 24

mvp-comment-1113-1 τλάσας … τὸ γενναῖον φρενὶ 25

mvp-comment-1113-2 φρενὶ 26

mvp-comment-1114-1 ἃ μὴ 27

mvp-comment-1114-2 φωνούντων 28

mvp-comment-1115-1 ὁ κύριος 29

mvp-comment-1116-1 εἰσηκούσαμεν 30

mvp-comment-1116-2 ξύμπαντες 31

mvp-comment-1116-3 ἀστακτὶ 32

mvp-comment-1117-1 ἐξαπείδομεν 33

mvp-comment-1117-2 τὸν ἄνδρα τὸν μὲν 34

mvp-comment-1118-1 αὐτὸν 35

mvp-comment-1118-2 ὀμμ 36

mvp-comment-1118-3 ἐπίσκιον 37

mvp-comment-1119-1 ἀντέχοντα 38

mvp-comment-1120-1 γῆν τε … καὶ … Ὄλυμπον 39

mvp-comment-1120-2 ἐν ταὐτῷ λόγῳ 40

mvp-comment-1121-1 ἐξέπραξεν 41

mvp-comment-1121-2 ποντία θύελλα κινηθεῖσα 42

mvp-comment-1122-1 πομπός 44

mvp-comment-1122-2 ἢ τὸ νερτέρων γῆς βάθρον 45

mvp-comment-1122-3 ἀλύπητον 46

mvp-comment-1122-4 ἀλάμπετον 47

mvp-comment-1123-1 οὐ στενακτὸς 48

mvp-comment-1123-2 σὺν νόσοις 49

mvp-comment-1123-3 ἀλγεινὸς 50

mvp-comment-1124-1 εἰ δὲ μὴ δοκῶ 51

mvp-comment-1125-1 χοἱ προπέμψ. 52

mvp-comment-1125-2 ἀσήμονες 53

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

1620-1621. mvp-comment-870-1 τοιαῦτ᾽ .. ἔκλαιον i. e. τοιαῦτα .. κλαίοντες ἔλεγον.

1622. mvp-comment-871-1 ὠρώρει βοή Homeric expression. Il. 18. 498, ἔνθα δὲ νεῖκος | ὠρώρει.

1624. mvp-comment-872-1 θώϋξεν Urged him with shouting. The omission of the augment in this case with a consonant preceding makes it probable that in the other cases in this speech, e. g. 1606, κτύπησε, 1607, ῥίγησαν, 1608, κλαῖον, the augment is dropped Epicè and not elided after the preceding vowel. The MSS. omit the augments very frequently. Cp. supr. 438 and v. rr. For the construction, cp. supra 1598, ἀΰσας παῖδας.

1624-1625. mvp-comment-873-1 ὥστε .. τρίχας So that the hair of all stood up in the alarm of sudden fear. ἐξαίφνης belongs both to the participle and the verb, and the dative φόβῳ is in construction with both. Cp. Tr. 175-176, ἐκπηδᾷν ἐμὲ φόβῳ ταρβοῦσαν.

1625. mvp-comment-874-1 στῆσαι.. τρίχας is said, as in φῦσαι ὀδύντας and the like language, at- tributing to the subject, as the ἀρχή of his actions, even mechanical and unconscious processes. Cp. supr. 149, and note. Essay on Language § 30. p. 52.

1626. mvp-comment-875-1 πολλὰ πολλαχή Shak. Ham. 1.5, Hic et ubique? then we ll shift our ground. 1627, foll. Cp. Eur. Alc. 253, Χάρων μ᾽ ἤδη καλεῖ· τί μέλλεις; ἐπείγου· σὺ κατείργεις τάδε. τοῖα σπερχόμενος ταχύνει : Ar. Lys. 606, ὁ Χάρων σε καλεῖ, σὺ δὲ κωλύεις ἀνάγεσθαι. In the present case not Charon but Hermes, cp. supr. 1548, or the δαίμων of Oedipus, is probably meant. The absence of any name, as in several of the concludiug passages of this play, adds to the solemnity of the effect.

1628. mvp-comment-876-1 πάλαι.. βραδύνεται • You are already much to blame for our delay.' 1632. δός μοι χερὸς σῆς πίστιν ἀρχαίαν τέκνοις] I pray thee give to my children thy right hand, that time-honoured pledge. Various meanings have been given to ἀρχαίαν.

Πίστιν ἀρχαίαν dicit, quae firma maneat, olim antiqua futura. Sic Aeschylus, Agam. 578, θεοῖς λάφυρα ταῦτα τοῖς καθ' Ἑλλάδα δόμοις ἐπασσάλευσαν ἀρχαῖον γάνος.
(Herm.)
Πίστιν ἀρχαίαν] Antiquam, spectatam.
(Dind.) 'ἀρχαίαν, die alte, bisher bewiesene (nach 632 f.). (Schneidewin) It is simpler and better to explain the epithet as a general one; i. e. The right hand, which from time immemorial has been a solemn pledge amongst mankind. Cp. Eur. Med. 21, 2. ἀνακαλεῖ δὲ δεξιᾶς | πίστιν μεγίστην: Plat. Legg. 7,793 B. See also Tr. 1181-1182.

1633. mvp-comment-877-1 ὑμεῖς τε, παῖδες, τῷδε Haec verba διὰ μέσου esse ostendunt imperativi δóς et καταίνεσον, quae ad eandem personam spectant. (Herm.) Cp. Thuc. 5.17, ὤμοσαν, ἐκεῖνοί τε πρὸς τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους, τάδε.

1634-1635. mvp-comment-878-1 τελεῖν.. ἀεί ‘But that in all that it lies in you to do, you will act with kindly care for their best good." Cp. infr. 1773.

1636. mvp-comment-879-1 οὐκ οἴκτου μέτα Without giving way to grief; i. e. With no weak expression of feeling, which would have been of evil omen for Athens. Aesch. S. c. Τ. 51, οἶκτος δ᾽ οὔτις ἦν διὰ στόμα· σιδηρόφρων γὰρ θυμὸς ἀνδρείᾳ φλέγων ἔπνει, λεόντων ὡς Ἄρη δεδορκότων. Οἱ the conjectures (which are quite unnecessary) ὄγκου (Musgr.) is preferable to ὄκνου.

1640. mvp-comment-880-1 Cp. the action of Socrates in Plat. Phaedo, 116 Β, τὰς μὲν γυναῖκας καὶ τοὺς παῖδας ἀπιέναι ἐκέλευσεν, αὐτὸς δὲ ἦκε παρ᾿ ἡμᾶς.

1640. mvp-comment-880-2

τλάσας .. τὸ γενναῖον
With noble fortitude. Cp Eur. Med. 393, τόλμης δ' εἶμι πρὸς τὸ κάρτερον. Similar adverbial expressions occur in later poets; e g. Theocr. Idyll. 1. 41, κάμνοντι τὸ κάρτερον ἀνδρὶ ἔοικας: 3. 18, ὦ τὸ καλὸν ποθορῶσα.

1642. mvp-comment-881-1 μηδὲ φωνούντων κλύειν Sc. ἃ μὴ θέμις ἐστὶ κλύειν. For μή, see Essay on Language § 29. p. 48, and cp. Ant. 546, μηδ' ἃ μὴ θιγες, κ.τ.λ.

1643. mvp-comment-882-1 ὁ κύριος κύριος here. as in l. 288 supra, has the general sense of sovereign, and also a particular reference to the case in point = Whose right herein is perfect.'

1644. mvp-comment-883-1 μανθάνων Being cognisant of.

1646. mvp-comment-884-1 ἀστακτί i. e. ἀστακτὶ λείβοντες δάκρυα For this condensation, see Essay on Language § 43. p. 82.

1648. mvp-comment-885-1 στραφέντες i. e. 'Returning towards the spot.'

1648. mvp-comment-885-2 ἐξαπείδομεν "We saw, as from afar off.' Schol. ἴδιον αὐτοῦ τὸ πολλαῖς κεχρῆσθαι προθέσεσι· παραφυλακτέον δὲ πῶς καὶ τὰ ἄρρητα ὑπ᾿ ὄψιν ἤγαγεν ὁ ἄγγελος ἐκ τῶν σχημάτων μηνύων.

1649. mvp-comment-886-1 τὸν ἄνδρα, κ.τ.λ. The anacoluthon helps to mark the suddenness of the disappearance. The messenger begins as if he were speaking of Oedipus, he then corrects himself to say that Oedipus was no more seen, but Theseus only, who was holding his hand before his eyes. For a similar turn of sentence, cp Hom. Od. 5. 265, fol., ἐν δὲ οἱ ἀσκὸν ἔθηκε θεὰ μέλανος οἴνοιο | τὸν ἕτερον, ἕτερον δ᾽ ὕδατος μέγαν.

1653. mvp-comment-887-1 ἔπειτα.. βαιόν A little afterwards, like βαιὸν. ἔνερθεν, Phil. 20. 1654-1655. Shak. Ham. 1. 5, O all ye host of heaven! O earth! what else? And shall I couple hell?'

1655. mvp-comment-888-1 τὸν θεῶν Ὄλυμπον Cp. О. Т. 867, and note.

1659. mvp-comment-889-1 So the prayer of the chorus is fulfilled: supra 1561.

1659. mvp-comment-889-2 ἐξέπραξεν Eur. Hec. 515, πῶς καί νιν ἐξεπράξατ'; 1661-1662. But either a guardian from the gods, or the lower part of earth that holds the dead, opening kindly for him, where there is no more pain.

1659. mvp-comment-889-3 ἀλύπητον has been generally taken causatively to mean Without giving him pain; but even if this meaning were admissible, which is doubtful, there would be an awkwardness in having two secondary predicates, εὔνουν and ἀλύπητον. The position of the word indicates that it is to be taken as attributive. ἀλάμπετον, unillumined, the marginal reading of L, may possibly be right. Elmsley, who was doubtful on this point, gives the above meaning, Free from pain,' to ἀλύπητον, ὅπου μὴ λυπεῖταί Cp. supra 955, θανόντων δ᾽ οὐδὲν ἄλγος ἅπτεται.

1662-1663. mvp-comment-890-1 στενακτός and ἀλγεινός have been explained to mean Groaning and Suffering pain. But the more usual meaning gives a better and more consistent sense. An object of mourning. Giving pain to others. Cp. O.Τ. 1237, 8, τῶν δὲ πραχθέντων τὰ μὲν | ἄλγιστ᾽ ἄπεστιν. His departure was not accompanied with mourning, nor with sickness, so as to be a spectacle of pain, but it was a spectacle of admiration, unsurpassed. Cp. Plato, Phaedo, 59 Α, οὐδὲν πάνυ μοι ἐλεεινὸν εἰσῄει, ὡς εἰκὸς ἂν δόξειεν εἶναι παρόντι πένθει ..

1662-1663. mvp-comment-890-2 ἀλλ᾽ ἀτέχνως ἄτοπόν τί μοι πάθος παμῆν.

1666. mvp-comment-891-1 οὐκ ἂν παρείμην I do not care to gain the assent of those who think me unwise in this; i. e. I am contented to hold my own opinion. Cp. Aj. 1038-1039, ὅτῳ δὲ μὴ τάδ᾽ ἐστὶν ἐν γνώμῃ φίλα, | κεῖνος τ᾽ ἐκεῖνα στεργέτω, κἀγὼ τάδε. And for παρίεμαι, with accusative, meaning To obtain the consent of,' cp. Plat. Legg. 742 Β, παρέμενος τοὺς ἄρχοντας : 951 Α, τοὺς νομοφυλάκας παρέμενος.

1667. mvp-comment-892-1 χοί προπέμψαντες φίλων; Sc. αὐτόν. The plural might refer to Theseus alone (supra 1087, and note), but probably includes his attendants, with the exception of the Ἄγγελος.

1667. mvp-comment-892-2 1670, foll. The metres of the following lament are rendered difficult by the corruptions, which in this, as in other Greek plays. are more frequent toward the end, whether from the weariness of the scribe, the rubbing of the outside leaf, or, in a case like the present, from one or both of these causes combined with the obscurity of style and metre. 1670 This commos, like that in supr. 117-253, consists of two principal parts, of which the latter is wilder and more broken. In the former of these dactylic measures resembling supr. 229 ff. are combined with trochaic. iambic, and cretic rhythms; the latter is trochaic and iambic. α'. (1) 1670 6=1696-1703. 10 5 5 D T しかし ✓ トー IC ں α'. (2) 1677-1678 = 1704,5. α'. (3) 1679-1691 = 1706-1719. C トー α΄. (4) ἐπῷδος. (x). (y). cctca CCCIし​トー D10100110101010 5ーー JCCICCICトー トーート​Cla トリートー おい​しーしー D 1CCICI 2. 3, Ionic 1, [5], 6, 7, trochaic.

1667. mvp-comment-892-3 ἀνακλώμενα. 4, 5, 8, logaoedic. 1, 2, 3, 5, trochaic. 4, 6, logaoedic. : β΄. 1724-1736-1737-1750. 5 10 103 CCCICICI しかし​ICICI しかし 1010 기 1670, foll. Ah me! it is ours, unhappy! on all accounts to mourn our father's fatal blood running in our veins. For him we had erewhile that long incessant toil, and at the last we have to tell of things beyond the reach of thought, which we have seen and suffered.' For οὐ τὸ μέν, ἄλλο δὲ μή, cp. Eur. Phoen. 1641, ΑΝ. οὐ γὰρ τὸ μέν σοι βαρὺ κακῶν, τὸ δ᾽ οὐ βαρύ, | ἀλλ᾽ εἰς ἅπαντα δυστυχὴς ἔφυς, πάτερ.