Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus, ed. Francis Storr, 176

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Χορός

οὔ τοι μήποτέ σʼ ἐκ τῶνδʼ ἑδράνων,

ὦ γέρον, ἄκοντά τις ἄξει.

Οἰδίπους

ἔτʼ οὖν;

Χορός

ἔτι βαῖνε πόρσω.

Οἰδίπους

ἔτι;

Χορός

προβίβαζε, κούρα,
180

πόρσω· σὺ γὰρ ἀΐεις.

Ἀντιγόνη

Οἰδίπους

Ἀντιγόνη

ἕπεο μάν, ἕπεʼ ὧδʼ ἀμαυρῷ κώλῳ, πάτερ, ᾇ σʼ ἄγω.

Οἰδίπους

Χορός

τόλμα ξεῖνος ἐπὶ ξένης,

ὦ τλάμων, ὅ τι καὶ πόλις
185

τέτροφεν ἄφιλον ἀποστυγεῖν

καὶ τὸ φίλον σέβεσθαι.

Οἰδίπους

ἄγε νυν σύ με, παῖ,

ἵνʼ ἂν εὐσεβίας ἐπιβαίνοντες

τὸ μὲν εἴποιμεν, τὸ δʼ ἀκούσαιμεν,
190

καὶ μὴ χρείᾳ πολεμῶμεν.

Oedipus at Colonus. Sophocles. ed. Francis Storr. London. 1912.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.

Current edition Experimental

Οἰδίπους ἐπὶ Κολωνῷ (Greek) (Sophocles, Volume 1. Storr, Francis, editor. London; New York: William Heinemann Ltd.; The Macmillan Company, 1912.)

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (1)

Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 176 focus

οὔ τοι μήποτέ σʼ ἐκ τῶνδʼ ἑδράνων,

ὦ γέρον, ἄκοντά τις ἄξει.

β

Οἰδίπους

ἔτʼ οὖν ; [ἔτι προβῶ;]

Χορός

ἐπίβαινε *πόρσω.

Οἰδίπους

ἔτι;
180

Χορός

*προβίβαζε, κούρα,

πρόσω· σὺ γὰρ ἀΐεις.

Ἀντιγόνη

ἕπεο μάν, ἕπεʼ ὧδʼ ἀμαυρῷ

κώλῳ, πάτερ, ᾇ σʼ ἄγω.

Χορός

τόλμα ξεῖνος ἐπὶ ξένης,

ὦ τλάμων, ὅ τι καὶ πόλις
185

τέτροφεν ἄφιλον ἀποστυγεῖν

καὶ τὸ φίλον σέβεσθαι.

Οἰδίπους

ἄγε νῦν σύ με, παῖ,

ἵνʼ ἂν εὐσεβίας ἐπιβαίνοντες

τὸ μὲν εἴποιμεν, τὸ δʼ ἀκούσαιμεν,
190

καὶ μὴ χρείᾳ πολεμῶμεν.

Χορός

Translations (5)

English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 176 focus

Assure thee, from this seat

No man shall drag thee off against thy will.

OED

Farther?

CH

Advance thy foot.

OED

Yet more?
180

CH

Assist him onward

Maiden, thou hast thy sight.

ANT

Come, follow, this way follow with thy darkened steps,

Father, the way I am leading thee.

CH

Content thee, sojourning in a strange land,

O man of woe!
185

To eschew whate’er the city holds in hate,

And honour what she loves!

OED

Then do thou lead me, child,

Where with our feet secure from sin

We may be suffered both to speak and hear.
190

Let us not war against necessity.

CH

German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 176 focus

Nie soll aus diesen Bezirken, o Greis,¹

Jemand mit Gewalt dich entführen.

Oedipus.

Noch weiter hinauf?

Der Chor.

Nur weiter!

Oedipus.

Noch weiter?

Der Chor.

Geleit' ihn, Jungfrau,

Vorwärts; du verstehst mich ja.
175

Antigone.

Folge mir, folge mit schwachem Schritte,

Wohin dich die Tochter führt.

Der Chor.

Fleuch, ein Fremdling in fremdem Land,

Unglückseliger, was der Stadt

Mißfällig ist, als hassenswerth;
180

Was sie verehrt, verehre!

So geleite mich hin,

Oedipus.

Kind, wo wir in Andacht wandeln die Bahn,

Und reden zugleich und vernehmen ihr Wort:

kämpfen wir nicht mit dem Schicksal!
185

Der Chor.

English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 176 focus

Thou shalt not ; be assured that thou art safe ;

None shall offend or drive thee hence.

Oedipus

Yet more

Must I approach ?
180

Chorus

A little farther still.

Chorus
(Edi. Will this suffice 1

Remove him this way, virgin ;

Thou hearst us.

Antigone

Thou must follow me, my father,

Weak as thou art ; we are unhappy strangers,

And must submit ; whate'er the city hates

Content to hate, and what she loves to love.

Oedipus

Lead me, my daughter, to some hallowed spot

For mutual converse fit, nor let us strive

With dire necessity.

Chorus

Stop there, nor move

Beyond that stone.

DI. Thus, then ?

Oedipus

English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 176 focus

From wrong thou art secure: nor from that seat..

Shalt thou, old man, against thy will be led.

Oedipus

Further must I come forward?

Oedipus

Yet further ?
180

Antigone

Further yet.

Onward, virgin, guide his feet,

Thou canst discern how far you must advance.

Follow me, O my father, with dark steps

Follow where I shall lead thee; and reflect

Thou art a stranger in a foreign land;

What to the natives then is odious, hate;

And what is dear to them, with reverence treat.

Oedipus

Then lead me, daughter, where our foot may tread

Offending no religion, there to speak,

There hear; nor war we with Necessity.

Chorus

Stop there; nor o'er the rocky pavement set!

Thy foot: there stay; enough hast thou advanced.

On that stone's slooping top,

Oedipus

English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 176 focus

Chorus

Never, old man, never will anyone remove you from your resting-place here against your will.

Oedipus begins to move forward.

Oedipus

Further, then?

Chorus

Come still further.

Oedipus

Further?
180

Chorus

Lead him onward, maiden, for you hear us and obey.

Antigone

Oedipus

Antigone

Come, follow this way with your dark steps, father, as I lead you.

Oedipus

Chorus

Stranger in a foreign land,

poor man, have the courage to detest what the city steadfastly holds as not dear, and to reverence what it holds dear!
185

Oedipus

Lead me, then, child, to a spot where I may speak and listen within piety’s domain,

and let us not wage war with necessity.
190

Commentary

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

mvp-comment-143-1 τῶνδ’ ἑδράνων ¹

mvp-comment-144-1 ἄξει ²

mvp-comment-145-1 L's ἔτ’ οὖν ἔτι προβῶ; metrically answers to

οὕτως

in 194 . The choice seems to lie between ἔτ’ οὖν; and προβῶ; The latter might easily have been added to explain the former: and ἔτ’ οὖν is not too abrupt, since πρόσθιγέ νύν μου (173) has already marked the beginning of his forward movement. ἔτι βαῖνε seems better than ἐπίβαινε in the case of a blind man advancing step by step , and asking at each step whether he has come far enough. This is well expressed by

ἔτ’ οὖν;— ἔτι βαῖνε.— ἔτι;

For

ἔτι—

before

προβ.

, cp. Ant. 612

το— πρίν

mvp-comment-146-1 After ἀΐεις three verses have been lost (the 1st and 3rd for Ant., the 2nd for Oed.), answering to 197 πάτερ — 199 ἅρμοσαι : and after ᾇ σ’ ἄγω (183) a verse for Oed. answering to 202

ὤμοι … ἄτας

. See Metrical Analysis.

mvp-comment-147-1 μάν ³

mvp-comment-147-2 ὧδ’ ⁴

mvp-comment-147-3 ἀμαυρῷ κώλῳ ⁵

mvp-comment-148-1 τόλμα … σέβεσθαι ⁶

mvp-comment-148-2 ξεῖνος ἐπὶ ξένης ⁷

mvp-comment-149-1 ὦ τλάμων ⁸

mvp-comment-150-1 τέτροφεν ἄφιλον ⁹

mvp-comment-151-1 ἄν ¹⁰

mvp-comment-151-2 εἴποιμεν … ἀκούσαιμεν ¹¹

mvp-comment-151-3 ἄν ¹²

mvp-comment-151-4 εὐσεβίας ἐπιβαίνοντες ¹³

mvp-comment-152-1 καὶ μὴ χρ. πολ. ¹⁴

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

178. mvp-comment-109-1 ἔτ᾿ οὖν ; [ἔτι προβῶ] Persuaded at last to move, Oedipus takes his daughter's hand, but before advancing asks for more assurance. The chorus point to a spot where he may rest secure. He then moves forward a few steps, and asks, Is that enough, or must he go further? This line exceeds by four syllables the corresponding line, infr. 194. The words ἔτι προβῶ, which Elmsley rejected, have more the appearance of a gloss than ἔτ᾽ οὖν.

178. mvp-comment-109-2 ἐπίβαινε *πόρσω] Come further on. ἐπιβαίνειν here is to move over a certain space.

180. mvp-comment-110-1 προβίβαζε Conduct him onward, maiden, for you see and understand. Cp. Od. 18. 11, οὐκ ἀτεις ὅτι δή μοι ἐπιλλίζουσιν ἅπαντες, where ateiv is to perceive by sight. προσβίβαζε, besides the doubtful metre, conveys too much of the idea of force.

182-183. mvp-comment-111-1 ἕπεο μάν .. ᾧ σ᾽ ἄγω Come follow, this way follow with thy darkened steps, father, the way I am leading thee.

184-187. mvp-comment-112-1 τόλμα.. σέβεσθαι These lines are rightly given to the chorus. They correspond to 203-206, in which the expression ὦ τλάμων again occurs. not averse, unhappy one, when sojourning in a strange land, to cherish the same hatreds with the citizens and to respect their loves Cp. Eur. Bacch. 431-433, τὸ πλῆθος ὅτι τε φαυλότερον | ἐνόμισε, χρῆταί τε, | τόδε τοι λέγοιμ' ἄν: Aesch. Suppl. 202, μέμνησο δ' εἴκειν, χρεῖος εἶ ξένη φυγάς: Eum. 983, καὶ στυγεῖν μιᾷ φρενί.

186. mvp-comment-113-1 τέτροφεν ἄφιλον Hath habitually chosen for dislike ; i. e. is wont to dislike. There is a slight oxymoron in the form of expression. τέτροφεν, ἔχει, Schol.

189. mvp-comment-114-1 ἵν᾿ ἄν The use of the optative mood with ἄν after a relative, following an imperative, and conveying an implied purpose, is analogous to the Epic construction of such passages as Hom. Il. 8.289 foll., πρώτῳ τοι μετ' ἐμὲ πρεσβήϊον ἐν χερὶ θήσω, |... ἠὲ γυναῖχ᾽ ἣ κέν τοι ὑμὲν λέχος εἰσαναβαίνοι: Theocr. 25.61, ἐγὼ δὲ τοι ἡγεμονεύσω | αὖλιν ἐς ἡμετέρην ἵνα κεν τέτμοιμεν ἄνακτα. The use of ἄν in such places is equivalent to the use of ἄν with the optative in independent clauses. The usage, however, is rare, and has not been generally retained in later Greek.

189. mvp-comment-114-2 In εὐσεβίας ἐπιβαίνοντες there is a confusion of the literal and metaphorical sense, like that noticed in ἥκομεν, l. 12. Partly coming where we may stand without impiety. like ἐπίβαινε in l. 178, and partly relying on pious action, as in Phil. 1463, δόξης οὔποτε τῆσδ᾽ ἐπιβάντες, where, as here, there is a reminiscence of Epic Greek. Od. 23.13, σαοφροσύνης ἐπέβησαν, etc.

191. mvp-comment-115-1 And let us not fight with necessity.

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Χορός οὔ τοι μήποτέ σʼ ἐκ τῶνδʼ ἑδράνων, ὦ γέρον, ἄκοντά τις ἄξει.

Οἰδίπους ἔτʼ οὖν;

Χορός ἔτι βαῖνε πόρσω.

Οἰδίπους ἔτι;

Χορός προβίβαζε, κούρα, 180 πόρσω· σὺ γὰρ ἀΐεις.

Ἀντιγόνη

Οἰδίπους

Ἀντιγόνη ἕπεο μάν, ἕπεʼ ὧδʼ ἀμαυρῷ κώλῳ, πάτερ, ᾇ σʼ ἄγω.

Οἰδίπους

Χορός τόλμα ξεῖνος ἐπὶ ξένης, ὦ τλάμων, ὅ τι καὶ πόλις 185 τέτροφεν ἄφιλον ἀποστυγεῖν καὶ τὸ φίλον σέβεσθαι.

Οἰδίπους ἄγε νυν σύ με, παῖ, ἵνʼ ἂν εὐσεβίας ἐπιβαίνοντες τὸ μὲν εἴποιμεν, τὸ δʼ ἀκούσαιμεν, 190 καὶ μὴ χρείᾳ πολεμῶμεν.

Current edition Experimental

οὔ τοι μήποτέ σʼ ἐκ τῶνδʼ ἑδράνων, ὦ γέρον, ἄκοντά τις ἄξει. β

Οἰδίπους ἔτʼ οὖν ; [ἔτι προβῶ;]

Χορός ἐπίβαινε *πόρσω.

Οἰδίπους ἔτι; 180

Χορός *προβίβαζε, κούρα, πρόσω· σὺ γὰρ ἀΐεις.

Ἀντιγόνη ἕπεο μάν, ἕπεʼ ὧδʼ ἀμαυρῷ κώλῳ, πάτερ, ᾇ σʼ ἄγω.

Χορός τόλμα ξεῖνος ἐπὶ *ξένης, ὦ *τλάμων, ὅ τι καὶ πόλις 185 τέτροφεν ἄφιλον ἀποστυγεῖν καὶ τὸ φίλον σέβεσθαι.

Οἰδίπους ἄγε νῦν σύ με, παῖ, ἵνʼ ἂν εὐσεβίας ἐπιβαίνοντες τὸ μὲν εἴποιμεν, τὸ δʼ ἀκούσαιμεν, 190 καὶ μὴ χρείᾳ πολεμῶμεν.

Χορός

Assure thee, from this seat No man shall drag thee off against thy will.

OED Farther?

CH Advance thy foot.

OED Yet more? 180

CH Assist him onward Maiden, thou hast thy sight.

ANT Come, follow, this way follow with thy darkened steps, Father, the way I am leading thee.

CH Content thee, sojourning in a strange land, O man of woe! 185 To eschew whate’er the city holds in hate, And honour what she loves!

OED Then do thou lead me, child, Where with our feet secure from sin We may be suffered both to speak and hear. 190 Let us not war against necessity.

CH

Nie soll aus diesen Bezirken, o Greis, 1 Jemand mit Gewalt dich entführen.

Oedipus. Noch weiter hinauf?

Der Chor. Nur weiter!

Oedipus. Noch weiter?

Der Chor. Geleit' ihn, Jungfrau, Vorwärts; du verstehst mich ja. 175

Antigone. Folge mir, folge mit schwachem Schritte, Wohin dich die Tochter führt.

Der Chor. Fleuch, ein Fremdling in fremdem Land, Unglückseliger, was der Stadt Mißfällig ist, als hassenswerth; 180 Was sie verehrt, verehre! So geleite mich hin,

Oedipus. Kind, wo wir in Andacht wandeln die Bahn, Und reden zugleich und vernehmen ihr Wort: kämpfen wir nicht mit dem Schicksal! 185

Der Chor.

Thou shalt not ; be assured that thou art safe ; None shall offend or drive thee hence.

Oedipus Yet more Must I approach ? 180

Chorus A little farther still.

Chorus (Edi. Will this suffice 1 Remove him this way, virgin ; Thou hearst us.

Antigone Thou must follow me, my father, Weak as thou art ; we are unhappy strangers, And must submit ; whate'er the city hates Content to hate, and what she loves to love.

Oedipus Lead me, my daughter, to some hallowed spot For mutual converse fit, nor let us strive With dire necessity.

Chorus Stop there, nor move Beyond that stone. DI. Thus, then ?

Oedipus

From wrong thou art secure: nor from that seat.. Shalt thou, old man, against thy will be led.

Oedipus Further must I come forward?

Oedipus Yet further ? 180

Oedipus Then lead me, daughter, where our foot may tread Offending no religion, there to speak, There hear; nor war we with Necessity.

Chorus Stop there; nor o'er the rocky pavement set! Thy foot: there stay; enough hast thou advanced. On that stone's slooping top,

Oedipus

Chorus Never, old man, never will anyone remove you from your resting-place here against your will. Oedipus begins to move forward.

Oedipus Further, then?

Chorus Come still further.

Oedipus Further? 180

Chorus Lead him onward, maiden, for you hear us and obey.

Antigone

Oedipus

Antigone Come, follow this way with your dark steps, father, as I lead you.

Oedipus

Chorus Stranger in a foreign land, poor man, have the courage to detest what the city steadfastly holds as not dear, and to reverence what it holds dear! 185

Oedipus Lead me, then, child, to a spot where I may speak and listen within piety’s domain, and let us not wage war with necessity. 190

Commentary

Stable identifiers

Χορός

οὔ τοι μήποτέ σʼ ἐκ τῶνδʼ ἑδράνων,

ὦ γέρον, ἄκοντά τις ἄξει.

Οἰδίπους

ἔτʼ οὖν;

Χορός

ἔτι βαῖνε πόρσω.

Οἰδίπους

ἔτι;

Χορός

προβίβαζε, κούρα,
180

πόρσω· σὺ γὰρ ἀΐεις.

Ἀντιγόνη

ἕπεο μάν, ἕπεʼ ὧδʼ ἀμαυρῷ κώλῳ, πάτερ, ᾇ σʼ ἄγω.

Χορός

τόλμα ξεῖνος ἐπὶ ξένης,

ὦ τλάμων, ὅ τι καὶ πόλις
185

τέτροφεν ἄφιλον ἀποστυγεῖν

καὶ τὸ φίλον σέβεσθαι.

Οἰδίπους

ἄγε νυν σύ με, παῖ,

ἵνʼ ἂν εὐσεβίας ἐπιβαίνοντες

τὸ μὲν εἴποιμεν, τὸ δʼ ἀκούσαιμεν,
190

καὶ μὴ χρείᾳ πολεμῶμεν.

οὔ τοι μήποτέ σʼ ἐκ τῶνδʼ ἑδράνων,

ὦ γέρον, ἄκοντά τις ἄξει.

β

Οἰδίπους

ἔτʼ οὖν ; [ἔτι προβῶ;]

Χορός

ἐπίβαινε *πόρσω.

Οἰδίπους

ἔτι;
180

Χορός

*προβίβαζε, κούρα,

πρόσω· σὺ γὰρ ἀΐεις.

Ἀντιγόνη

ἕπεο μάν, ἕπεʼ ὧδʼ ἀμαυρῷ

κώλῳ, πάτερ, ᾇ σʼ ἄγω.

Χορός

τόλμα ξεῖνος ἐπὶ ξένης,

ὦ τλάμων, ὅ τι καὶ πόλις
185

τέτροφεν ἄφιλον ἀποστυγεῖν

καὶ τὸ φίλον σέβεσθαι.

Οἰδίπους

ἄγε νῦν σύ με, παῖ,

ἵνʼ ἂν εὐσεβίας ἐπιβαίνοντες

τὸ μὲν εἴποιμεν, τὸ δʼ ἀκούσαιμεν,
190

καὶ μὴ χρείᾳ πολεμῶμεν.

Assure thee, from this seat

No man shall drag thee off against thy will.

OED

Farther?

CH

Advance thy foot.

OED

Yet more?
180

CH

Assist him onward

Maiden, thou hast thy sight.

ANT

Come, follow, this way follow with thy darkened steps,

Father, the way I am leading thee.

CH

Content thee, sojourning in a strange land,

O man of woe!
185

To eschew whate’er the city holds in hate,

And honour what she loves!

OED

Then do thou lead me, child,

Where with our feet secure from sin

We may be suffered both to speak and hear.
190

Let us not war against necessity.

Nie soll aus diesen Bezirken, o Greis,¹

Jemand mit Gewalt dich entführen.

Oedipus.

Noch weiter hinauf?

Der Chor.

Nur weiter!

Oedipus.

Noch weiter?

Der Chor.

Geleit' ihn, Jungfrau,

Vorwärts; du verstehst mich ja.
175

Antigone.

Folge mir, folge mit schwachem Schritte,

Wohin dich die Tochter führt.

Der Chor.

Fleuch, ein Fremdling in fremdem Land,

Unglückseliger, was der Stadt

Mißfällig ist, als hassenswerth;
180

Was sie verehrt, verehre!

So geleite mich hin,

Oedipus.

Kind, wo wir in Andacht wandeln die Bahn,

Und reden zugleich und vernehmen ihr Wort:

kämpfen wir nicht mit dem Schicksal!
185

Thou shalt not ; be assured that thou art safe ;

None shall offend or drive thee hence.

Oedipus

Yet more

Must I approach ?
180

Chorus

A little farther still.

Chorus
(Edi. Will this suffice 1

Remove him this way, virgin ;

Thou hearst us.

Antigone

Thou must follow me, my father,

Weak as thou art ; we are unhappy strangers,

And must submit ; whate'er the city hates

Content to hate, and what she loves to love.

Oedipus

Lead me, my daughter, to some hallowed spot

For mutual converse fit, nor let us strive

With dire necessity.

Chorus

Stop there, nor move

Beyond that stone.

DI. Thus, then ?

From wrong thou art secure: nor from that seat..

Shalt thou, old man, against thy will be led.

Oedipus

Further must I come forward?

Oedipus

Yet further ?
180

Oedipus

Then lead me, daughter, where our foot may tread

Offending no religion, there to speak,

There hear; nor war we with Necessity.

Chorus

Stop there; nor o'er the rocky pavement set!

Thy foot: there stay; enough hast thou advanced.

On that stone's slooping top,

Chorus

Never, old man, never will anyone remove you from your resting-place here against your will.

Oedipus begins to move forward.

Oedipus

Further, then?

Chorus

Come still further.

Oedipus

Further?
180

Chorus

Lead him onward, maiden, for you hear us and obey.

Antigone

Come, follow this way with your dark steps, father, as I lead you.

Chorus

Stranger in a foreign land,

poor man, have the courage to detest what the city steadfastly holds as not dear, and to reverence what it holds dear!
185

Oedipus

Lead me, then, child, to a spot where I may speak and listen within piety’s domain,

and let us not wage war with necessity.
190