Aeschylus Prometheus Bound 36

Theodore Alois Buckley (Translator)

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Well, well! Why art thou delaying and vainly commiserating? Why loathest thou not the god that is most hateful to the gods, who has betrayed thy prerogative to mortals?

Prometheus Bound. Aeschylus. Theodore Alois Buckley (Translator). London. 1849.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by Volunteer.

Current edition Experimental

Prometheus Bound. (OCR draft) (English) (Prometheus Bound.. Theodore Alois Buckley, 1849.)

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (7)
Προμηθεὺς Δεσμώτης First1KGreek (Aeschyli Tragoediae. Sidgwick, Arthur, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1902.) — 1-127 focus
Προμηθεὺς δεσμώτης Perseus (Aeschylus, Volume 1. Smyth, Herbert Weir, editor. London; New York: William Heinemann; G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1922.) — 1-127 focus
Προμηθεὺς Δεσμώτης (OCR draft) Experimental (Προμηθεὺς Δεσμώτης. Guilielmus Dindorfius, 1882.) — 36 focus
Προμηθεὺς Δεσμώτης (OCR draft) Experimental (Προμηθεὺς Δεσμώτης. Gottfried Hermann, 1852.) — 36 focus
ΠΡΟΜΗθΕΥΣ ΔΕΣΜΩΤΗΣ (OCR draft) Experimental (ΠΡΟΜΗθΕΥΣ ΔΕΣΜΩΤΗΣ. Paul Mazon, 1920-1925.) — 36 focus
Προμηθεὺς Δεσμώτης (OCR draft) Experimental (Προμηθεὺς Δεσμώτης. N. Wecklein, 1885.) — 36 focus
εἶεν, τί μέλλεις καὶ κατοικτίζῃ μάτην;
τί τὸν θεοῖς ἔχθιστον οὐ στυγεῖς θεόν,
ὅστις τὸ σὸν θνητοῖσι προύδωκεν γέρας;
Aeschyli Prometheus Vinctus (OCR draft) Experimental (Aeschyli Prometheus Vinctus. Ulrich von Wilamowitz-Moellendorff, 1914.) — 36 focus
Translations (8)
Prometheus Bound Perseus (Aeschylus, Volume 1. Smyth, Herbert Weir, translator. London; New York: William Heinemann; G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1922. (Modernized by Perseus.)) — 1-125 focus
PROMÉTHÉE ENCHAINÉ (OCR draft) Experimental (PROMÉTHÉE ENCHAINÉ. Paul Mazon, 1920-1925.) — 36 focus
Allons ! pourquoi tarder, te lamenter en vain ? N'as-tu pas en horreur le dieu maudit des dieux qui a osé livrer ton privilège aux hommes ?
Prometheus Chained (OCR draft) Experimental (Prometheus Chained. Robert Potter, 1779.) — 36 focus
No more: why theſe delays, this fooliſh pity?
Doſt thou not hate a god by gods abhor'd,
That proſtitutes thy radiant boaſt to man?
45
Eschilo, Prometeo legato: traduzione italiana di Ettore Romagnoli (OCR draft) Experimental (Eschilo, Prometeo legato: traduzione italiana di Ettore Romagnoli. Ettore Romagnoli, 1922.) — 36 focus
Dell'amor pei mortali è questo il frutto.
Poiché senza temer l'ira dei Numi,
Nume tu stesso, indebiti favori
40
agli umani largisti.
Ora, in compenso,
vegliar dovrai questa dogliosa rupe,
senza mai sonno, in piè, senza mai flettere
le tue ginocchia, e cento ululi e gemiti
45
invano leverai:
ché il cuor di Giove
nessuna prece lo commuove; ed aspro
è ciascun che di fresco ebbe il potere.
Aeschylus, Prometheus vinctus: versio Latina Ioannis Sanravii (OCR draft) Experimental (Aeschylus, Prometheus vinctus: versio Latina Ioannis Sanravii. Ioannes Sanravius, 1555.) — 36 focus
Eſto, quid cunctaris et imploras misericordiam
frustra?
Quid non odio proſequeris dijs inimiciſimum deum,
40
Qui tuum munus mortalibus præbuit?
Prometheus Bound (OCR draft) Experimental (Prometheus Bound. Anna Swanwick, 1886.) — 36 focus
PROMETHEUS
Alas! alas! Woe! woe!
Prolific Tethys' offspring, progeny
Of sire Oceanos, whose sleepless flow
Engirdles the whole earth; behold and see
In what dire bonds unenvied watch I keep,
Clasp'd to the summit of this rock-bound steep.
English (E. D. A. Morshead, 1908) (OCR draft) Experimental (Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound — Morshead translation. Wikisource transcription; speech corresp and card milestones aligned to Smyth perseus-grc2.) — 36 focus
Enough of useless ruth! why tarriest thou?
Why pitiest one whom all gods wholly hate,
One who to man gave o'er thy privilege?
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1854; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (Aeschylos. Deutsch in den Versmaßen der Urschrift. Stuttgart: Hoffmann, 1854. Native Donner line citations, Smyth card correspondence, selected textual readings and metrical facsimiles. Remaining OCR differences and unattributed reading notes are documented in the linked review inventory.) — 36 focus
Auf! Was verziehst du, hegst umsonst Mitleid mit ihm?
Was zürnest du dem gottverhaften Gotte nicht,
Ihm, der des Staubes Söhnen dein Kleinod verrieth?

Commentary

Critical apparatus to Prometheus Bound (OCR draft) (Latin and Greek critical apparatus to Gottfried Hermann's 1852 edition of Prometheus Bound.) focus

1-6. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-1

affert scholiastes Aristophanis ad Ran. 826. et inde Suidas in v. ἐριβρεμέτας.

3. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-5

NA: Respicit haec Eustathius p. 29, 14. 312, 16. 829, 56. Hesychius in v. ἐπιστολαί, Thomas M. p. 121, 6.

3. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-6

μέλειν:
μέλλειν
G. Lips. aliique codices, idque ante rasuram erat in M.

3. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-7

ἐπιστολὰς:
ἐπιστολὰς
Μ.
ἐπιτολὰς
G. Lips. Aug. (sed hic corr.) et reliqui fere codices.

4-5. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-8

λεωργὸν: Afferunt
τόνδε πρὸς πέτραις ὑψηλοκρήμνοις τὸν λεωργὸν ὀχμάσαι
Suidas et Favorinus in v.
λεωργός
. Respiciunt Etym. Μ. p. 563, 10. Hesychius in v.
λεωργόν
. Huius vocabuli, de quo multa congessit Barkerus ad Etym. M. p. 1100. seqq. perineptas explicationes excogitarunt grammatici, quarum una haec est, ut
λέως
pro
τελέως
dictum fuerit. Quid mihi videretur significavi ad Soph. Antig. 1261.

6. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-9

ἀδαμαντίνων δεσμῶν ἐν ἀρρήκτοις πέδαις: Mirifice variant libri, fere
ἀδαμαντίνοις πέδῃσιν ἀρρήκτοις πέτραις
vel similia exhibentes. Illud est in G. nisi quod erasum
πέτραις
et
λέγω
superscriptum.
ἀδαμαντίναις
(
ἀδαμαντίνοις
Lips.)
πέδαισιν ἐν ἀρρηκτοις πέτραις
Lips. Aug.
αδαμαντίναις πέδησιν ἐν ἀρρήκτοις πέτραις
Μ. Recte vero Canterus reposuit scripturam scholiastae Aristophanis ad Ran. 826. et Suidae in v. ἐπιβρεμέτας.

7. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-10

NA: Respexerunt Eustathius p. 748, 46. 1597, 62. Tzetzes ad Hesiodi O. et D. 60.

8. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-11

ὤπασεν:
ώπασε
G. Lips.

8. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-12

τοιᾶςδέ τοι:
τοις δέ τοι
G.

12. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-13

Κράτος Βία τε: Κράτος et Βία, Stygis et Pallantis proles, ex Hesiodi Theog. 385. seqq. sumpta. Ex Aeschylo sumpsit Callimachus, in cuius h. Iov. 67. Jovi ministri assident.

12. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-14

σφῷν:
σφωϊν
M. Lips.
σφῶν
G.
σφῶν
Brunckius.

13. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-15

κοὐδὲν ἐμποδὼν ἔτι: Libri
κοὐδὲν ἐμποδὼν
(
ἐμποδῶν
Μ.)
ἔτι
, praeter G. in quo est
κοὐδὲν ἐμποδὼν μάτην ἔτι
, et Paris. C. in quo
κοὐδὲν ἐμποδὼν μάτην
, superscripto
ἔτι
. Pro
ἔτι
, si Fachsium p. 68. recte interpretor, in Paris. B. est
ἐνί
. In scholiastarum interpretationibus nullum voculae
ἔτι
vestigium, quorum qui scripsit
ἐμπόδιον ἐν τούτῳ, ἐν τῷ πληρωθῆναι
, videtur
ἐνί
legisse. Rectius in M.
καὶ οὐδὲν ἐμποδὼν ἐστι τοῦ γενέσθαι
, et in Lips.
καὶ ἐμπόδιον τοῦ πληρωθῆναι
. Hinc nescio an scripserit Aeschylus
κοὐδὲν ἐμποδὼν ἄνῃ
. Sic etiam v. 72. in codice uno Vindobonensium
ἔτι
pro
ἄγαν
positum est.

15. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-16

πρὸς δυςχειμέρῳ:
πρὸς τῆι δυσχειμέρωι
Μ.
πρὸς τῇ δυσχειμέρῳ
Rob.

16. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-17

NA: Hic versus omissus in Lips. in Aug. autem ab recentiore manu in margine additus. Eo in codice est
μή
pro
μοι
,
ει τόλμης
, superscripto
α
.

16. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-18

σχεθεῖν: Libri
σχέθειν
. Elmsleius
σχεθεῖν
.

17. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-19

ἐξωριάζειν: Libri
ἐξωριάζειν
, quod verbum alibi non inventum Porsono auctore quidam cum
εὐωριάζειν
commutarunt. Photius
εὐωριάζειν, ἀφροντιστεῖν, κατὰ ἀντίφρασιν· ὥρα γὰρ ἡ φροντίς
. Hesychius
εὐωριάζειν, ὀλιγωρεῖν, μὴ ἔχειν φροντίδα, παρακούειν
. Idem
εὔωρος γάμος· Σοφοκλῆς Ἔριδι· ὥριος ἢ ὀλίγωρος. οὕτω γὰρ λέγουσι κατ' ἀντίφρασιν, ὡς ὁ αὐτὸς ἐν Σκυρίαις χρῆται τῷ εὐωριάζειν
. Valde probabilis sane coniectura, sed tamen ut non vincat falsum esse
ἐξωριάζειν
, quod doctiores Aeschyli scholiastarum ita interpretantur,
ἔξω ὥρας καὶ φροντίδος ποιεῖσθαι, ἔξω ὥρας τιθέναι καὶ ἀφροντιστεῖν, ἔξω φροντίδος ποιεῖν, ἀπορρίπτειν
.

18. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-20

αἰπυμῆτα:
αἰπομήτα
G. Mira vis est huius allocutionis, quae paucissimis, sed aptissimis verbis simul et iustam esse Promethei caussam honorifica compellatione declarat et lenissima cum reprehensione laudat animi magnitudinem.

19. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-21

ἄκοντά σ' ἄκων:
ἄκοντ᾽ ἄκων σε
G. aliique nonnulli codices et Rob. Sed in G. prima manus iustum ordinem restituit.

19. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-22

χαλκεύμασιν: Libri
χαλκεύμασι
.

English commentary on Prometheus Bound (OCR draft) (N. Wecklein, translated by F. D. Allen. Ginn & Company, 1893; compared with the 1891 printing. Printed commentary pages 31–144. Provisional alignment and unresolved OCR are visibly flagged.) focus

1-127. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-wecklein-allen1893-com-eng1-1

1
2
1-127: Prologue (πρόλογος).

1-87. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-wecklein-allen1893-com-eng1-2

3
4
1-87: First Scene. Cratos and Bia, dragging the figure representing Prometheus, enter on the left; He- phaestus with smith's tools accompa- nies them.

3. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-wecklein-allen1893-com-eng1-5

5
6
3. Ήφαιστε, σοὶ δέ: for σοὶ δέ, "Ηφαιστε. The vocative is often placed first in this way, to attract more promptly the attention of the person addressed. Cp. Od. xvi. 130 ἄττα, σὺ δ᾽ ἔρχεο θᾶσσον, Ιl. i. 282 ᾿Ατρείδη, σὺ δὲ παῦε τεὸν μένος, vi. 429 Ἕκτορ, ἀτὰρ σύ μοί ἐσσι πατήρ. Frequent in Sophocles: cp. Ai. 1409, Εl. 150, Ο. Τ. 203, 1096, 1503, О. С. 237, 332, 507, 592, Ant. 1087, Phil. 799. Also [Plato] Theages 127 c & Σώκρατες, πρὸς σὲ δ᾽ ἂν ἤδη εἴη ὁ μετὰ τοῦτο λόγος. -- μέλειν : personal; ἐπιστολάς is its subject. See Krüg. I. § 47, 11, 5 and II. § 47, 11, 2. – ἐπιστολάς : = ἐν- τολάς, commands. Cp. Suppl. 1012 φυλάξαι τάσδ' ἐπιστολὰς πατρός, Pers. 783 κού μνημονεύει τὰς ἐμὰς ἐπιστολάς, Frg. 423 ἄκουε τὰς ἐμὰς ἐπιστολάς.

4. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-wecklein-allen1893-com-eng1-6

7
8
4. πατήρ: is said of Zeus not only by the menials, 40 and 53, and by Hermes, 947, 984, but even by He- phaestus, 17.

5. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-wecklein-allen1893-com-eng1-7

9
10
5. λεωργόν : κακοῦργον, πανοῦργον, ἀνδροφόνον, Hesych. Of these, the interpretation πανούργος agrees ex- actly with the derivation of the word from λέως, an adverb which the an- cient lexicographers explain by re- λέως, παντελῶς, ἅπαν. Cp. Archil. Frg. 112 Bergk λείως γὰρ οὐδὲν ἐφρό- νεον = πάντως γὰρ οὐδὲν ἐφρόνεον, and the words λεώλης, λεώλεθρος = πανώλης, πανώλεθρος. Accordingly λεωργός sig- nifies one who acts recklessly, in dis- tinction from one whose conduct is regulated by principle. Cp. Archil. Frg. 88 πάτερ Ζεῦ, σὸν μὲν οὐρανοῦ κράτος, σὺ δ᾽ ἔργ᾽ ἐπ᾿ ἀνθρώπων ὁρᾷς λεωργὰ καὶ θεμιστά, Xen. Mem. i. 3. 9 αὐτὸν θερμουργότατον εἶναι καὶ λεωρ- γότατον. Hesychius gives also the form λαοργός (with the interpreta- tion ἀνόσιος· Σικελοί). The adverb λέως is related to the intensive prefix λᾶ- (λάμαχος, λακαταπύγων, λακατάρα- τος) as λεώς is to λαός, νεώς τo ναός.

6. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-wecklein-allen1893-com-eng1-8

11
12
6. ἀδαμαντίνων: ἀδάμας· γένος σιδή- ρου, Hesych. Cp. 64; also Pind. Pyth. ⅳν. 125 κρατεροῖς ἀδάμαντος δῆσεν ἅλοις, with iron nails, Pind. Frg. 88 ἐξ ἀδάμαν-
τος ἢ σιδάρου. The meaning diamond is not found before Theophrastus (Pindar, de adamante; Comm. Antiqu. p. 19). – ἀρρήκτοις πέδαις : cp. Il. xiii. 36 ἀμφὶ δὲ ποσσὶ πέδας ἔβαλε χρυσείας ἀρρήκτους ἀλύτους, 19 below δυσλύ- τοις χαλκεύμασι. πέδαι are fetters, δεσμά bonds, a more general term. The reverse combination in Eur. Bacch. 447 δεσμὰ διελύθη πεδῶν. Cp. Ag. 850 πῆμα νόσου, Pers. 543 λέκ- τρων εὐνάς. - Aeschylus admits an anapaest only in the first foot of the trimeter. The one exception is Sept. 569, where the proper name could hardly have been otherwise brought into the verse. (In 840 below there is no anapaest; see note.) This ana- paest, like the tribrach and dactyl in the same place (see on 2 and 730), is never divided between two words: it generally consists of a trisyllabic word, but sometimes of the beginning of a longer word, as here and 64, 353, 796, 805, 811. There are thirteen such anapaests in the Prometheus.

7. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-wecklein-allen1893-com-eng1-9

13
14
7. τὸ σὸν ἄνθος: τὸν σὸν κόσμον, Schol. In Theognis 452, the 'clear lustre' of gold is called its καθαρὸν ἄνθος. – παντέχνου πυρός : cp. 110, and Xen. Mem. iv. 3. 7 τὸ δὲ καὶ τὸ πῦρ πορίσαι ἡμῖν, ἐπίκουρον μὲν ψύχους, ἐπίκουρον δὲ σκότους, συνεργὸν δὲ πρὸς πᾶσαν τέχνην καὶ πάντα ὅσα ὠφελείας ἕνεκα ἄνθρωποι κατασκευάζονται, Plat. Protag. 321 cὁ Προμηθεὺς ... κλέπτει Ηφαίστου καὶ ᾿Αθηνᾶς τὴν ἔντεχνον σοφίαν σὺν πυρί. - πυρὸς σέλας: said by Homer Il. xix. 375. Cp. Hesiod Theog. 566 κλέψας ἀκαμάτοιο πυρὸς τηλέσκοπον αὐγήν.

9. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-wecklein-allen1893-com-eng1-10

15
16
9. σφέ: = αὐτόν, as Sept. 615, Soph. Αί. 51, O. C. 40, Trach. 234, Eur. Ion 54, 71, and often. The tragedians use σφέ for the accusative singular as well as plural, whereas in Homer it occurs only as plural. Krüg. II. § 51, 1, 14.

10. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-wecklein-allen1893-com-eng1-11

17
18
10. ἄν: in final clauses after ὡς and ὅπως, very common in Attic; cp. 654, 706, 824. Aristophanes always uses ὡς ἄν, and in Attic inscriptions ὅπως ἄν is frequent.

11. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-wecklein-allen1893-com-eng1-12

19
20
11. φιλανθρώπου κτἑ. : that is, "turn his affections away from men to a worthier object."

13. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-wecklein-allen1893-com-eng1-13

21
22
13. ἔχει τέλος : = τετέλεσται. Εp. Soph. O. C. 1780 πάντως ἔχει τάδε κῦρος (= κεκύρωται). — οὐδὲν ἐμποδών : nihil vos detinet.

14. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-wecklein-allen1893-com-eng1-14

23
24
14. συγγενή: the scholiast explains, τὸν ἀπὸ μιᾶς ὁρμώμενον τέχνης, that is, "my fellow-craftsman." Rather we must understand the word of
blood-relationship; cp. 39, 289. He- phaestus is the son of Zeus and Hera (Il. i. 577 ff.), or according to Hesiod Th. 927, the fatherless son of Hera; Prometheus is the son of Themis. Now Themis is the daughter of Ura- nus, and Hera his grand-daughter.

17. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-wecklein-allen1893-com-eng1-15

25
26
17. εὐωριάζειν: ὀλιγωρεῖν, μὴ ἔχειν φροντίδα, παρακούειν, Hesych. One who is confident and unconcerned (εὔωρος, securus) in executing_a duty, is apt to take less pains. Cp. our colloquial expression 'take it easy.'

18. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-wecklein-allen1893-com-eng1-16

27
28
18. Θέμιδος : see Introduction, p. 17. αἰπυμῆτα : contrasted with ὀρθο- βούλου. αἰπυμήτης, of towering thoughts, is one who in his shrewdness and sagacity aspires to too lofty things. Cp. εὔβουλος Θέμις, Pind. Isth. vii. 32. - The dactyl substituted for the third iambus of the tragic trimeter is very frequent; whereas in the first foot Aeschylus uses it seldom, and chiefly in proper names (730). In this play the dactyl in the third foot occurs eighteen times: it is always divided in the middle by the caesura, its long first syllable being either the end of a polysyllabic word, or a word of one syllable closely connected with the foregoing (δέ 1009, τὶς 1027). Ср. note on 2.

19. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-wecklein-allen1893-com-eng1-17

29
30
19. ἄκοντα σ' ἄκων: cp. 671 ἄκου- σαν ἄκων, 218 ἑκόνθ᾽ ἑκόντι, Eur. Cycl. 258 ἑκὼν ἑκοῦσι, Ηipp. 319 οὐχ ἑκοῦσαν οὐχ ἑκών. The poets are very fond of repetitions like this, in which the same word is twice used, referring to different persons. Further instances are Od. v. 155 παρ᾿ οὐκ ἐθέλων ἐθε- λούσῃ = οὐκ ἐθέλων παρ᾽ ἐθελούσῃ, iii. 272 τὴν δ᾽ ἐθέλων ἐθέλουσαν ἀνήγαγεν, ν.97 εἰρωτᾷς μ᾽ ἐλθόντα θεὰ θεόν, Aesch. Cho. 89 παρὰ φίλης φίλῳ φέρειν γυναι- κὸς ἀνδρί, and below 29, 192, 276, 762, 921.