Chorus
Make an atonement to those pow'rs, to whom
Thou didst first come, and tread this hallow'd ground.
Oedipus at Colonus. Sophocles. Robert Potter (Translator). London. 1820.
Oedipus at Colonus. Sophocles. Robert Potter (Translator). London. 1820.
English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) (English) (English (Robert Potter, 1788))
Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.
mvp-comment-345-1 ἐπάξιος 1
mvp-comment-345-2 κατοικτίσαι 2
mvp-comment-346-1 αὐτός τε παῖδές θ’ 3
mvp-comment-347-1 ἐπεμβάλλεις 4
mvp-comment-347-2 τῷδε λόγῳ 5
mvp-comment-348-1
Editors usu. give either
mvp-comment-348-2 προξένει 6
mvp-comment-348-3 ὡς … τελοῦντι 7
mvp-comment-349-1 καθαρμὸν τῶνδε δαιμόνων 8
mvp-comment-350-1
The libation is due (1) as a greeting to the
mvp-comment-350-2 κατέστειψας 9
463. mvp-comment-250-1 ἐπεμβάλλεις You add, to give further weight, as if throwing into the scale. Cp. supra 293, λόγοισι γὰρ οὐκ ὠνόμασται βραχέσι. And since you add in what you have now said that you are yourself the saviour of this land. λόγῳ is partly instrumental dative, partly governed by ev in ἐπεμβάλλεις.
464. mvp-comment-251-1 παραινέσαι.. τὰ σύμφορα Το give you advice that will assist you.'
465. mvp-comment-252-1 προξένει 'Give me friendly instructions. On the uses of this word, see Essay on Language p. 97. It is here specially applicable to the position of Oedipus as a stranger, and of the chorus who are advising him in a matter where they are most of all at home.
466. mvp-comment-253-1 θοῦ νυν καθαρμὸν τῶνδε δαιμόνων) Institute a propitiation of these deities. Lit. A purification in relation to them. For the genitive, see Essay on Language $9. p. 12; and for θέσθαι in this sense, O. T. 134, τήνδ ἔθεσθ᾽ ἐπιστροφήν. vuv seems preferable to vûv after the imperative.
467. mvp-comment-254-1 καὶ κατέστειψας πέδον ὧν (or αὐτῶν) may be supplied from ἐφ᾽ ἅs. The reading is doubtful. κατέστεψας is unmeaning; but κατάστεψον πέδον, Adorn the ground with garlands, receives some support from the description that follows. For κατέστειψας, which gives the most natural meaning and best rhythm, cp. supra 56, ὃν δ' ἐπιστείβεις τόπον. And for the thought, cp. supr. 84, 5 and note.