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I will tell thee clearly everything which thou desirest to learn, not interweaving riddles, but in plain language, as it is right to open the mouth to friends. Thou scest him that bestowed fire on mortals, Prometheus.

IO

O thou that didst dawn a common benefit upon mortals, wretched Prometheus, as penance for what offence art thou thus suffering?

PROMETHEUS

I have just ceased lamenting my own pangs.

IO

Wilt thou not then accord to me this boon?

PROMETHEUS

Say what it is that thou art asking, for thou mightest learn every thing from me.

IO

Say who it was that bound thee fast in this cleft?

PROMETHEUS

The decree of Jupiter, but the hand of Vulcan.

IO

And for what offences art thou paying the penalty?

PROMETHEUS

Thus much alone is all that I can clearly explain to thee.

IO

At least, in addition to this, discover what time shall be to me woe-worn the limit of my wanderings.

PROMETHEUS

Not to learn this is better for thee than to learn it.

IO

Yet conceal not from me what I am to endure.

PROMETHEUS

Nay, I grudge thee not this gift.

IO

Why then delayest thou to utter the whole?

PROMETHEUS

'Tis not reluctance, but I am loth to shock thy feelings.

IO

Do not be more anxious on my account than is agreeable to me

.

PROMETHEUS

Since thou art eager, I must needs tell thee: attend thou.

CHORUS

Not yet, however; but grant me also a share of the pleasure. Let us first learn the malady of this maiden, from her own tale of her destructive

fortunes; but, for the sequel of her afflictions let her be informed by thee.

PROMETHEUS

It is thy part, Io, to minister to the gratification of these now before thee, both for all other reasons, and that they are the sisters of thy father. Since to weep and lament over misfortunes, when one is sure to win a tear from the listeners, is well worth the while.

IO

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.) — 609-886 focus

Προμηθεύς

λέξω τορῶς σοι πᾶν ὅπερ¹ χρῄζεις μαθεῖν,

οὐκ ἐμπλέκων αἰνίγματ᾽, ἀλλ᾽ ἁπλῷ λόγῳ,
610

ὥσπερ δίκαιον πρὸς φίλους οἴγειν στόμα.

πυρὸς βροτοῖς δοτῆρ᾽ ὁρᾷς Προμηθέα.

Ἰώ

ὦ κοινὸν ὠφέλημα θνητοῖσιν φανείς,

τλῆμον Προμηθεῦ, τοῦ δίκην πάσχεις τάδε;

Προμηθεύς

ἁρμοῖ πέπαυμαι τοὺς ἐμοὺς θρηνῶν πόνους.
615

Ἰώ

οὔκουν πόροις ἂν τήνδε δωρεὰν ἐμοί;

Προμηθεύς

λέγ᾽ ἥντιν᾽ αἰτεῖ: πᾶν γὰρ ἂν² πύθοιό μου.

Ἰώ

σήμηνον ὅστις ἐν φάραγγί σ᾽ ὤχμασε.

Προμηθεύς

βούλευμα μὲν τὸ Δῖον, Ἡφαίστου δὲ χείρ.

Ἰώ

ποίων δὲ ποινὰς ἀμπλακημάτων τίνεις;
620

Προμηθεύς

τοσοῦτον ἀρκῶ σοι σαφηνίσας³ μόνον.

Ἰώ

καὶ πρός γε τούτοις τέρμα τῆς ἐμῆς πλάνης

δεῖξον τίς ἔσται τῇ ταλαιπώρῳ χρόνος.

Προμηθεύς

τὸ μὴ μαθεῖν σοι κρεῖσσον ἢ μαθεῖν τάδε.

Ἰώ

μήτοι με κρύψῃς τοῦθ᾽ ὅπερ μέλλω παθεῖν.
625

Προμηθεύς

ἀλλ᾽ οὐ μεγαίρω τοῦδέ σοι⁴ δωρήματος.

Ἰώ

τί δῆτα μέλλεις μὴ⁵ οὐ γεγωνίσκειν τὸ πᾶν;

Προμηθεύς

φθόνος μὲν οὐδείς, σὰς δ᾽ ὀκνῶ θρᾶξαι φρένας.

Ἰώ

μή μου προκήδου μᾶσσον ὧν⁶ ἐμοὶ γλυκύ.

Προμηθεύς

ἐπεὶ προθυμεῖ, χρὴ λέγειν: ἄκουε δή.
630

Χορός

μήπω γε: μοῖραν δ᾽ ἡδονῆς κἀμοὶ πόρε.

τὴν τῆσδε πρῶτον ἱστορήσωμεν νόσον,

αὐτῆς λεγούσης τὰς πολυφθόρους τύχας:

τὰ λοιπὰ δ᾽ ἄθλων σοῦ διδαχθήτω πάρα.

Προμηθεύς

σὸν ἔργον, Ἰοῖ, ταῖσδ᾽ ὑπουργῆσαι χάριν,
635

ἄλλως τε πάντως καὶ κασιγνήταις πατρός.

ὡς τἀποκλαῦσαι κἀποδύρασθαι τύχας

ἐνταῦθ᾽, ὅπου⁷ μέλλοι τις οἴσεσθαι δάκρυ

πρὸς τῶν κλυόντων, ἀξίαν τριβὴν ἔχει.

640

Ἰώ

οὐκ οἶδ᾽ ὅπως ὑμῖν <γ᾽>⁸ ἀπιστῆσαί με χρή,
640

σαφεῖ δὲ μύθῳ πᾶν ὅπερ προσχρῄζετε

πεύσεσθε: καίτοι καὶ λέγουσ᾽ ὀδύρομαι

θεόσσυτον χειμῶνα καὶ διαφθορὰν

μορφῆς, ὅθεν μοι σχετλίᾳ προσέπτατο.

ἀεὶ γὰρ ὄψεις ἔννυχοι πωλεύμεναι
645

ἐς παρθενῶνας τοὺς ἐμοὺς παρηγόρουν

λείοισι μύθοις “ὦ μέγ᾽ εὔδαιμον⁹ κόρη,

τί παρθενεύει δαρόν, ἐξόν σοι γάμου

τυχεῖν μεγίστου; Ζεὺς γὰρ ἱμέρου βέλει

πρὸς σοῦ τέθαλπται καὶ συναίρεσθαι Κύπριν
650

θέλει: σὺ δ᾽, ὦ παῖ, μὴ ᾽πολακτίσῃς λέχος

τὸ Ζηνός, ἀλλ᾽ ἔξελθε πρὸς Λέρνης βαθὺν

λειμῶνα, ποίμνας βουστάσεις τε πρὸς πατρός,

ὡς ἂν τὸ Δῖον ὄμμα λωφήσῃ πόθου.”

τοιοῖσδε πάσας εὐφρόνας ὀνείρασι
655

συνειχόμην δύστηνος, ἔς τε δὴ πατρὶ

ἔτλην γεγωνεῖν νυκτίφοιτα δείματα.¹⁰

ὁ δ᾽ ἔς τε Πυθὼ κἀπὶ Δωδώνης πυκνοὺς

θεοπρόπους ἴαλλεν, ὡς μάθοι τί χρὴ

δρῶντ᾽ ἢ λέγοντα δαίμοσιν πράσσειν φίλα.
660

ἧκον δ᾽ ἀναγγέλλοντες αἰολοστόμους

χρησμοὺς ἀσήμους δυσκρίτως τ᾽ εἰρημένους.

τέλος δ᾽ ἐναργὴς βάξις ἦλθεν Ἰνάχῳ

σαφῶς ἐπισκήπτουσα καὶ μυθουμένη

ἔξω δόμων τε καὶ πάτρας ὠθεῖν ἐμέ,
665

ἄφετον ἀλᾶσθαι γῆς ἐπ᾽ ἐσχάτοις ὅροις:

κεἰ μὴ θέλοι, πυρωπὸν¹¹ ἐκ Διὸς μολεῖν

κεραυνόν, ὃς πᾶν ἐξαϊστώσοι¹² γένος.

τοιοῖσδε πεισθεὶς Λοξίου μαντεύμασιν

ἐξήλασέν με κἀπέκλῃσε δωμάτων
670

ἄκουσαν ἄκων: ἀλλ᾽ ἐπηνάγκαζέ νιν

Διὸς χαλινὸς πρὸς βίαν πράσσειν τάδε.

εὐθὺς δὲ μορφὴ καὶ φρένες διάστροφοι

ἦσαν, κεραστὶς δ᾽, ὡς ὁρᾶτ᾽, ὀξυστόμῳ

μύωπι χρισθεῖσ᾽ ἐμμανεῖ σκιρτήματι
675

ᾖσσον πρὸς εὔποτόν τε Κερχνείας ῥέος

Λέρνης τε κρήνην:¹³ βουκόλος δὲ γηγενὴς

ἄκρατος ὀργὴν Ἄργος ὡμάρτει, πυκνοῖς

ὄσσοις δεδορκὼς τοὺς ἐμοὺς κατὰ στίβους.

ἀπροσδόκητος δ᾽ αὐτὸν ἀφνίδιος¹⁴ μόρος
680

τοῦ ζῆν ἀπεστέρησεν. οἰστροπλὴξ δ᾽ ἐγὼ

μάστιγι θείᾳ γῆν πρὸ γῆς ἐλαύνομαι.

κλύεις τὰ πραχθέντ᾽: εἰ δ᾽ ἔχεις εἰπεῖν ὅ τι

λοιπὸν πόνων, σήμαινε: μηδέ μ᾽ οἰκτίσας

σύνθαλπε μύθοις ψευδέσιν:¹⁵ νόσημα γὰρ
685

αἴσχιστον εἶναί φημι συνθέτους λόγους.

687

Χορός

ἔα ἔα, ἄπεχε, φεῦ:

οὔποθ᾽ <ὧδ᾽>¹⁶ οὔποτ᾽ ηὔχουν¹⁷ ξένους

μολεῖσθαι λόγους εἰς ἀκοὰν ἐμάν,

οὐδ᾽ ὧδε δυσθέατα καὶ¹⁸ δύσοιστα
690

πήματα, λύματα, δείματα κέν-

τρῳ ψύχειν ψυχὰν ἀμφάκει.¹⁹

ἰὼ ἰὼ μοῖρα μοῖρα,

πέφρικ᾽ εἰσιδοῦσα²⁰ πρᾶξιν Ἰοῦς.
695
696

Προμηθεύς

πρῴ γε στενάζεις καὶ φόβου πλέα τις εἶ:

ἐπίσχες ἔστ᾽ ἂν καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ προσμάθῃς.

Χορός

λέγ᾽, ἐκδίδασκε: τοῖς νοσοῦσί τοι γλυκὺ

τὸ λοιπὸν ἄλγος προυξεπίστασθαι τορῶς.

Προμηθεύς

τὴν πρίν γε χρείαν²¹ ἠνύσασθ᾽ ἐμοῦ πάρα
700

κούφως: μαθεῖν γὰρ τῆσδε πρῶτ᾽ ἐχρῄζετε

τὸν ἀμφ᾽ ἑαυτῆς ἆθλον ἐξηγουμένης:

τὰ λοιπὰ νῦν ἀκούσαθ᾽, οἷα χρὴ πάθη

τλῆναι πρὸς Ἥρας τήνδε τὴν νεάνιδα.

σύ τ᾽, Ἰνάχειον σπέρμα, τοὺς ἐμοὺς λόγους
705

θυμῷ βάλ᾽,²² ὡς ἂν τέρματ᾽ ἐκμάθῃς ὁδοῦ.

πρῶτον μὲν ἐνθένδ᾽ ἡλίου πρὸς ἀντολὰς

στρέψασα σαυτὴν στεῖχ᾽ ἀνηρότους γύας:

Σκύθας δ᾽ ἀφίξει νομάδας, οἳ πλεκτὰς στέγας

πεδάρσιοι ναίουσ᾽²³ ἐπ᾽ εὐκύκλοις ὄχοις,
710

ἑκηβόλοις τόξοισιν ἐξηρτυμένοι:²⁴

οἷς μὴ πελάζειν, ἀλλ᾽ ἁλιστόνοις πόδας²⁵

χρίμπτουσα ῥαχίαισιν ἐκπερᾶν χθόνα.

λαιᾶς δὲ χειρὸς οἱ σιδηροτέκτονες

οἰκοῦσι Χάλυβες, οὓς φυλάξασθαί σε χρή.
715

ἀνήμεροι γὰρ οὐδὲ πρόσπλατοι²⁶ ξένοις.

ἥξεις δ᾽ Ὑβριστὴν ποταμὸν οὐ ψευδώνυμον,

ὃν μὴ περάσῃς, οὐ γὰρ εὔβατος περᾶν,

πρὶν ἂν πρὸς αὐτὸν Καύκασον μόλῃς, ὀρῶν

ὕψιστον, ἔνθα ποταμὸς ἐκφυσᾷ μένος
720

κροτάφων ἀπ᾽ αὐτῶν. ἀστρογείτονας δὲ χρὴ

κορυφὰς ὑπερβάλλουσαν ἐς μεσημβρινὴν

βῆναι κέλευθον, ἔνθ᾽ Ἀμαζόνων στρατὸν

ἥξεις στυγάνορ᾽, αἳ Θεμίσκυράν ποτε

κατοικιοῦσιν²⁷ ἀμφὶ Θερμώδονθ᾽, ἵνα
725

τραχεῖα πόντου Σαλμυδησσία γνάθος

ἐχθρόξενος ναύταισι, μητρυιὰ νεῶν:

αὗταί σ᾽ ὁδηγήσουσι καὶ μάλ᾽ ἀσμένως.

ἰσθμὸν δ᾽ ἐπ᾽ αὐταῖς στενοπόροις λίμνης πύλαις

Κιμμερικὸν ἥξεις, ὃν θρασυσπλάγχνως σε χρὴ
730

λιποῦσαν αὐλῶν᾽ ἐκπερᾶν Μαιωτικόν:

ἔσται δὲ θνητοῖς εἰσαεὶ λόγος μέγας

τῆς σῆς πορείας, Βόσπορος δ᾽ ἐπώνυμος

κεκλήσεται. λιποῦσα δ᾽ Εὐρώπης πέδον

ἤπειρον ἥξεις Ἀσιάδ᾽. ἆρ᾽ ὑμῖν δοκεῖ
735

ὁ τῶν θεῶν τύραννος ἐς τὰ πάνθ᾽ ὁμῶς

βίαιος εἶναι; τῇδε γὰρ θνητῇ θεὸς

χρῄζων μιγῆναι τάσδ᾽ ἐπέρριψεν πλάνας.

πικροῦ δ᾽ ἔκυρσας, ὦ κόρη, τῶν σῶν γάμων

μνηστῆρος. οὓς γὰρ νῦν ἀκήκοας λόγους,
740

εἶναι δόκει σοὶ μηδέπω ᾽ν²⁸ προοιμίοις.

742

Ἰώ

ἰώ μοί μοι, ἐή.

Προμηθεύς

σὺ δ᾽ αὖ κέκραγας κἀναμυχθίζει: τί που

δράσεις, ὅταν τὰ λοιπὰ πυνθάνῃ κακά;

Χορός

ἦ γάρ τι λοιπὸν τῇδε πημάτων ἐρεῖς;
745

Προμηθεύς

δυσχείμερόν γε πέλαγος ἀτηρᾶς δύης.

Ἰώ

τί δῆτ᾽ ἐμοὶ ζῆν κέρδος, ἀλλ᾽ οὐκ ἐν τάχει

ἔρριψ᾽ ἐμαυτὴν τῆσδ᾽ ἀπὸ στύφλου πέτρας,

ὅπως πέδοι²⁹ σκήψασα τῶν πάντων πόνων

ἀπηλλάγην; κρεῖσσον γὰρ εἰσάπαξ θανεῖν
750

ἢ τὰς ἁπάσας ἡμέρας πάσχειν κακῶς.

Προμηθεύς

ἦ δυσπετῶς³⁰ ἂν τοὺς ἐμοὺς ἄθλους φέροις,

ὅτῳ θανεῖν μέν ἐστιν οὐ πεπρωμένον:

αὕτη γὰρ ἦν ἂν πημάτων ἀπαλλαγή:

νῦν δ᾽ οὐδέν ἐστι τέρμα μοι προκείμενον
755

μόχθων, πρὶν ἂν Ζεὺς ἐκπέσῃ τυραννίδος.

Ἰώ

ἦ γάρ ποτ᾽ ἔστιν ἐκπεσεῖν ἀρχῆς Δία;³¹

Προμηθεύς

ἥδοι᾽ ἄν,³² οἶμαι, τήνδ᾽ ἰδοῦσα συμφοράν.

Ἰώ

πῶς δ᾽ οὐκ ἄν, ἥτις ἐκ Διὸς πάσχω κακῶς;

Προμηθεύς

ὡς τοίνυν ὄντων τῶνδέ σοι μαθεῖν³³ πάρα.
760

Ἰώ

πρὸς τοῦ τύραννα σκῆπτρα συληθήσεται;

Προμηθεύς

πρὸς αὐτὸς αὑτοῦ κενοφρόνων βουλευμάτων.

Ἰώ

ποίῳ τρόπῳ; σήμηνον, εἰ μή τις βλάβη.

Προμηθεύς

γαμεῖ γάμον τοιοῦτον ᾧ ποτ᾽ ἀσχαλεῖ.³⁴

Ἰώ

θέορτον, ἢ βρότειον; εἰ ῥητόν, φράσον.
765

Προμηθεύς

τί δ᾽ ὅντιν᾽; οὐ γὰρ ῥητὸν αὐδᾶσθαι τόδε.

Ἰώ

ἦ πρὸς δάμαρτος ἐξανίσταται θρόνων;

Προμηθεύς

ἣ τέξεταί γε παῖδα φέρτερον πατρός.

Ἰώ

οὐδ᾽ ἔστιν αὐτῷ τῆσδ᾽ ἀποστροφὴ τύχης;

Προμηθεύς

οὐ δῆτα, πλὴν ἔγωγ᾽ ἂν ἐκ δεσμῶν λυθείς.
770

Ἰώ

τίς οὖν ὁ λύσων σ᾽³⁵ ἐστὶν ἄκοντος Διός;

Προμηθεύς

τῶν σῶν τιν᾽ αὐτὸν ἐκγόνων³⁶ εἶναι χρεών.

Ἰώ

πῶς εἶπας; ἦ ᾽μὸς παῖς σ᾽ ἀπαλλάξει κακῶν;

Προμηθεύς

τρίτος γε γένναν πρὸς δέκ᾽ ἄλλαισιν γοναῖς.

Ἰώ

ἥδ᾽ οὐκέτ᾽ εὐξύμβλητος ἡ χρησμῳδία.
775

Προμηθεύς

καὶ μηδὲ σαυτῆς γ᾽³⁷ ἐκμαθεῖν ζήτει πόνους.

Ἰώ

μή μοι προτείνων κέρδος εἶτ᾽ ἀποστέρει.

Προμηθεύς

δυοῖν λόγοιν σε θατέρῳ δωρήσομαι.

Ἰώ

ποίοιν; πρόδειξον, αἵρεσίν τ᾽ ἐμοὶ δίδου.

780

Προμηθεύς

δίδωμ᾽: ἑλοῦ γάρ, ἢ πόνων τὰ λοιπά σοι
780

φράσω σαφηνῶς, ἢ τὸν ἐκλύσοντ᾽ ἐμέ.

Χορός

τούτων σὺ τὴν μὲν τῇδε, τὴν δ᾽ ἐμοὶ χάριν

θέσθαι θέλησον, μηδ᾽ ἀτιμάσῃς λόγου:³⁸

καὶ τῇδε μὲν γέγωνε τὴν λοιπὴν πλάνην,

ἐμοὶ δὲ τὸν λύσοντα: τοῦτο γὰρ ποθῶ.
785

Προμηθεύς

ἐπεὶ προθυμεῖσθ᾽, οὐκ ἐναντιώσομαι

τὸ μὴ οὐ γεγωνεῖν³⁹ πᾶν ὅσον προσχρῄζετε.

σοὶ πρῶτον, Ἰοῖ, πολύδονον πλάνην φράσω,

ἣν ἐγγράφου σὺ μνήμοσιν δέλτοις φρενῶν.

ὅταν περάσῃς ῥεῖθρον ἠπείροιν⁴⁰ ὅρον,
790

πρὸς ἀντολὰς φλογῶπας ἡλιοστιβεῖς

πόντου⁴¹ περῶσα φλοῖσβον, ἔστ᾽ ἂν ἐξίκῃ

πρὸς Γοργόνεια πεδία Κισθήνης, ἵνα

αἱ Φορκίδες ναίουσι δηναιαὶ κόραι
795

τρεῖς κυκνόμορφοι, κοινὸν ὄμμ᾽ ἐκτημέναι,

μονόδοντες, ἃς οὔθ᾽ ἥλιος προσδέρκεται

ἀκτῖσιν οὔθ᾽ ἡ νύκτερος μήνη ποτέ.

πέλας δ᾽ ἀδελφαὶ τῶνδε τρεῖς κατάπτεροι,

δρακοντόμαλλοι Γοργόνες βροτοστυγεῖς,

ἃς θνητὸς οὐδεὶς εἰσιδὼν ἕξει πνοάς:
800

τοιοῦτο μέν σοι τοῦτο φρούριον λέγω.

ἄλλην δ᾽ ἄκουσον δυσχερῆ θεωρίαν:

ὀξυστόμους γὰρ Ζηνὸς ἀκραγεῖς κύνας

γρῦπας φύλαξαι, τόν τε μουνῶπα⁴² στρατὸν

Ἀριμασπὸν ἱπποβάμον᾽, οἳ χρυσόρρυτον
805

οἰκοῦσιν ἀμφὶ νᾶμα Πλούτωνος πόρου:⁴³

τούτοις σὺ μὴ πέλαζε. τηλουρὸν δὲ γῆν

ἥξεις, κελαινὸν φῦλον, οἳ πρὸς ἡλίου

ναίουσι πηγαῖς, ἔνθα ποταμὸς Αἰθίοψ.

τούτου παρ᾽ ὄχθας ἕρφ᾽, ἕως ἂν ἐξίκῃ
810

καταβασμόν, ἔνθα Βιβλίνων⁴⁴ ὀρῶν ἄπο

ἵησι σεπτὸν Νεῖλος εὔποτον ῥέος.

οὗτός σ᾽ ὁδώσει⁴⁵ τὴν τρίγωνον ἐς χθόνα

Νειλῶτιν, οὗ δὴ τὴν μακρὰν ἀποικίαν,

Ἰοῖ, πέπρωται σοί τε καὶ τέκνοις κτίσαι.
815

τῶν δ᾽ εἴ τί σοι ψελλόν τε καὶ δυσεύρετον,

ἐπανδίπλαζε⁴⁶ καὶ σαφῶς ἐκμάνθανε:

σχολὴ δὲ πλείων ἢ θέλω πάρεστί μοι.⁴⁷

819

Χορός

εἰ μέν τι τῇδε λοιπὸν ἢ παρειμένον

ἔχεις γεγωνεῖν τῆς πολυφθόρου πλάνης,
820

λέγ᾽: εἰ δὲ πάντ᾽ εἴρηκας, ἡμῖν αὖ χάριν

δὸς ἥνπερ⁴⁸ αἰτούμεσθα, μέμνησαι δέ που.

Προμηθεύς

τὸ πᾶν πορείας ἥδε τέρμ᾽ ἀκήκοεν.

ὅπως δ᾽ ἂν εἰδῇ μὴ μάτην κλύουσά μου,

ἃ πρὶν μολεῖν δεῦρ᾽ ἐκμεμόχθηκεν φράσω,
825

τεκμήριον τοῦτ᾽ αὐτὸ δοὺς μύθων ἐμῶν.

ὄχλον μὲν οὖν τὸν πλεῖστον ἐκλείψω λόγων,

πρὸς αὐτὸ δ᾽ εἶμι τέρμα σῶν πλανημάτων.

ἐπεὶ γὰρ ἦλθες πρὸς Μολοσσὰ γάπεδα,⁴⁹

τὴν αἰπύνωτόν τ᾽ ἀμφὶ Δωδώνην, ἵνα
830

μαντεῖα θᾶκός τ᾽⁵⁰ ἐστὶ Θεσπρωτοῦ Διός,

τέρας τ᾽ ἄπιστον, αἱ προσήγοροι δρύες,

ὑφ᾽ ὧν σὺ λαμπρῶς κοὐδὲν αἰνικτηρίως

προσηγορεύθης ἡ Διὸς κλεινὴ δάμαρ

μέλλουσ᾽ ἔσεσθαι: τῶνδε προσσαίνει σέ τι;⁵¹
835

ἐντεῦθεν οἰστρήσασα τὴν παρακτίαν

κέλευθον ᾖξας πρὸς μέγαν κόλπον Ῥέας,

ἀφ᾽ οὗ παλιμπλάγκτοισι χειμάζει δρόμοις:

χρόνον δὲ τὸν μέλλοντα πόντιος μυχός,

σαφῶς ἐπίστασ᾽, Ἰόνιος κεκλήσεται,⁵²
840

τῆς σῆς πορείας μνῆμα τοῖς πᾶσιν βροτοῖς.

σημεῖά σοι τάδ᾽ ἐστὶ τῆς ἐμῆς φρενός,

ὡς δέρκεται πλέον τι τοῦ πεφασμένου.

τὰ λοιπὰ δ᾽ ὑμῖν τῇδέ τ᾽ ἐς κοινὸν φράσω,

ἐς ταὐτὸν ἐλθὼν τῶν πάλαι λόγων ἴχνος.
845
846

ἔστιν πόλις Κάνωβος ἐσχάτη χθονός,

Νείλου πρὸς αὐτῷ στόματι καὶ προσχώματι:

ἐνταῦθα δή σε Ζεὺς τίθησιν ἔμφρονα

ἐπαφῶν ἀταρβεῖ χειρὶ καὶ θιγὼν μόνον.

ἐπώνυμον δὲ τῶν Διὸς γεννημάτων
850

τέξεις κελαινὸν Ἔπαφον, ὃς καρπώσεται

ὅσην πλατύρρους Νεῖλος ἀρδεύει χθόνα:

πέμπτη δ᾽ ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ γέννα πεντηκοντάπαις⁵³

πάλιν πρὸς Ἄργος οὐχ ἑκοῦσ᾽ ἐλεύσεται

θηλύσπορος, φεύγουσα συγγενῆ γάμον
855

ἀνεψιῶν: οἱ δ᾽ ἐπτοημένοι φρένας,

κίρκοι πελειῶν οὐ μακρὰν λελειμμένοι,

ἥξουσι θηρεύοντες⁵⁴ οὐ θηρασίμους

γάμους, φθόνον δὲ σωμάτων ἕξει θεός:

Πελασγία δὲ δέξεται θηλυκτόνῳ
860

Ἄρει, δαμέντων νυκτιφρουρήτῳ θράσει:

γυνὴ γὰρ ἄνδρ᾽ ἕκαστον αἰῶνος στερεῖ,

δίθηκτον ἐν σφαγαῖσι βάψασα ξίφος:

τοιάδ᾽ ἐπ᾽⁵⁵ ἐχθροὺς τοὺς ἐμοὺς ἔλθοι Κύπρις.

μίαν δὲ παίδων ἵμερος θέλξει τὸ μὴ
865

κτεῖναι σύνευνον, ἀλλ᾽ ἀπαμβλυνθήσεται

γνώμην: δυοῖν δὲ θάτερον βουλήσεται,

κλύειν ἄναλκις μᾶλλον ἢ μιαιφόνος:

αὕτη κατ᾽ Ἄργος βασιλικὸν τέξει γένος.

μακροῦ λόγου δεῖ ταῦτ᾽ ἐπεξελθεῖν τορῶς.
870

σπορᾶς γε μὴν ἐκ τῆσδε φύσεται θρασὺς

τόξοισι κλεινὸς <ἶνισ>,⁵⁶ ὃς πόνων [ἐκ τῶνδ᾽] ἐμὲ

λύσει. τοιόνδε χρησμὸν ἡ παλαιγενὴς

μήτηρ ἐμοὶ διῆλθε Τιτανὶς Θέμις:

ὅπως δὲ χὤπη, ταῦτα δεῖ μακροῦ χρόνου
875

εἰπεῖν, σύ τ᾽ οὐδὲν ἐκμαθοῦσα κερδανεῖς.

877

Ἰώ

ἐλελεῦ,⁵⁷ ἐλελεῦ,

ὑπό μ᾽ αὖ σφάκελος καὶ φρενοπληγεῖς

μανίαι θάλπουσ᾽, οἴστρου δ᾽ ἄρδις

χρίει μ᾽ ἄπυρος:
880

κραδία⁵⁸ δὲ φόβῳ φρένα λακτίζει.

τροχοδινεῖται δ᾽ ὄμμαθ᾽ ἑλίγδην,

ἔξω δὲ δρόμου φέρομαι λύσσης

πνεύματι μάργῳ, γλώσσης ἀκρατής:

θολεροὶ δὲ λόγοι παίουσ᾽⁵⁹ εἰκῆ
885

στυγνῆς πρὸς κύμασιν ἄτης.

887

Προμηθεὺς δεσμώτης Perseus (Aeschylus, Volume 1. Smyth, Herbert Weir, editor. London; New York: William Heinemann; G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1922.) — 609-886 focus

Προμηθεύς

λέξω τορῶς σοι πᾶν ὅπερ χρῄζεις μαθεῖν,

οὐκ ἐμπλέκων αἰνίγματʼ, ἀλλʼ ἁπλῷ λόγῳ,
610

ὥσπερ δίκαιον πρὸς φίλους οἴγειν στόμα.

πυρὸς βροτοῖς δοτῆρʼ ὁρᾷς Προμηθέα.

Ἰώ

ὦ κοινὸν ὠφέλημα θνητοῖσιν φανείς,

τλῆμον Προμηθεῦ, τοῦ δίκην πάσχεις τάδε;

Προμηθεύς

ἁρμοῖ πέπαυμαι τοὺς ἐμοὺς θρηνῶν πόνους.
615

Ἰώ

οὔκουν πόροις ἂν τήνδε δωρεὰν ἐμοί;

Προμηθεύς

λέγʼ ἥντινʼ αἰτῇ· πᾶν γὰρ ἂν πύθοιό μου.

Ἰώ

σήμηνον ὅστις ἐν φάραγγί σʼ ὤχμασεν.

Προμηθεύς

βούλευμα μὲν τὸ Δῖον, Ἡφαίστου δὲ χείρ.

Ἰώ

ποινὰς δὲ ποίων ἀμπλακημάτων τίνεις;
620

Προμηθεύς

τοσοῦτον ἀρκῶ σοι σαφηνίσας μόνον.

Ἰώ

καὶ πρός γε τούτοις τέρμα τῆς ἐμῆς πλάνης

δεῖξον, τίς ἔσται τῇ ταλαιπώρῳ χρόνος.

Προμηθεύς

τὸ μὴ μαθεῖν σοι κρεῖσσον ἢ μαθεῖν τάδε.

Ἰώ

μήτοι με κρύψῃς τοῦθʼ ὅπερ μέλλω παθεῖν.
625

Προμηθεύς

ἀλλʼ οὐ μεγαίρω τοῦδέ σοι δωρήματος.

Ἰώ

τί δῆτα μέλλεις μὴ οὐ γεγωνίσκειν τὸ πᾶν;

Προμηθεύς

φθόνος μὲν οὐδείς, σὰς δʼ ὀκνῶ θράξαι φρένας.

Ἰώ

μή μου προκήδου μᾶσσον ὡς ἐμοὶ γλυκύ.

Προμηθεύς

ἐπεὶ προθυμῇ, χρὴ λέγειν. ἄκουε δή.
630

Χορός

μήπω γε· μοῖραν δʼ ἡδονῆς κἀμοὶ πόρε.

τὴν τῆσδε πρῶτον ἱστορήσωμεν νόσον,

αὐτῆς λεγούσης τὰς πολυφθόρους τύχας·

τὰ λοιπὰ δʼ ἄθλων σοῦ διδαχθήτω πάρα.

Προμηθεύς

σὸν ἔργον, Ἰοῖ, ταῖσδʼ ὑπουργῆσαι χάριν,
635

ἄλλως τε πάντως καὶ κασιγνήταις πατρός.

ὡς τἀποκλαῦσαι κἀποδύρασθαι τύχας

ἐνταῦθʼ, ὅπου μέλλοι τις οἴσεσθαι δάκρυ

πρὸς τῶν κλυόντων, ἀξίαν τριβὴν ἔχει.

640

Ἰώ

οὐκ οἶδʼ ὅπως ὑμῖν ἀπιστῆσαί με χρή,
640

σαφεῖ δὲ μύθῳ πᾶν ὅπερ προσχρῄζετε

πεύσεσθε· καίτοι καὶ λέγουσʼ αἰσχύνομαι

θεόσσυτον χειμῶνα καὶ διαφθορὰν

μορφῆς, ὅθεν μοι σχετλίᾳ προσέπτατο.

αἰεὶ γὰρ ὄψεις ἔννυχοι πωλεύμεναι
645

ἐς παρθενῶνας τοὺς ἐμοὺς παρηγόρουν

λείοισι μύθοις ὦ μέγʼ εὔδαιμον κόρη,

τί παρθενεύει δαρόν, ἐξόν σοι γάμου

τυχεῖν μεγίστου; Ζεὺς γὰρ ἱμέρου βέλει

πρὸς σοῦ τέθαλπται καὶ συναίρεσθαι Κύπριν
650

θέλει· σὺ δʼ, ὦ παῖ, μὴ ʼπολακτίσῃς λέχος

τὸ Ζηνός, ἀλλʼ ἔξελθε πρὸς Λέρνης βαθὺν

λειμῶνα, ποίμνας βουστάσεις τε πρὸς πατρός,

ὡς ἂν τὸ Δῖον ὄμμα λωφήσῃ πόθου.

τοιοῖσδε πάσας εὐφρόνας ὀνείρασι
655

συνειχόμην δύστηνος, ἔστε δὴ πατρὶ

ἔτλην γεγωνεῖν νυκτίφοιτʼ ὀνείρατα.

ὁ δʼ ἔς τε Πυθὼ κἀπὶ Δωδώνης πυκνοὺς

θεοπρόπους ἴαλλεν, ὡς μάθοι τί χρὴ

δρῶντʼ ἢ λέγοντα δαίμοσιν πράσσειν φίλα.
660

ἧκον δʼ ἀναγγέλλοντες αἰολοστόμους

χρησμοὺς ἀσήμους δυσκρίτως τʼ εἰρημένους.

τέλος δʼ ἐναργὴς βάξις ἦλθεν Ἰνάχῳ

σαφῶς ἐπισκήπτουσα καὶ μυθουμένη

ἔξω δόμων τε καὶ πάτρας ὠθεῖν ἐμέ,
665

ἄφετον ἀλᾶσθαι γῆς ἐπʼ ἐσχάτοις ὅροις·

κεἰ μὴ θέλοι, πυρωπὸν ἐκ Διὸς μολεῖν

κεραυνόν, ὃς πᾶν ἐξαϊστώσοι γένος.

τοιοῖσδε πεισθεὶς Λοξίου μαντεύμασιν

ἐξήλασέν με κἀπέκλῃσε δωμάτων
670

ἄκουσαν ἄκων· ἀλλʼ ἐπηνάγκαζέ νιν

Διὸς χαλινὸς πρὸς βίαν πράσσειν τάδε.

εὐθὺς δὲ μορφὴ καὶ φρένες διάστροφοι

ἦσαν, κεραστὶς δʼ, ὡς ὁρᾶτʼ, ὀξυστόμῳ

μύωπι χρισθεῖσʼ ἐμμανεῖ σκιρτήματι
675

ᾖσσον πρὸς εὔποτόν τε Κερχνείας ῥέος

Λέρνης τε κρήνην · βουκόλος δὲ γηγενὴς

ἄκρατος ὀργὴν Ἄργος ὡμάρτει, πυκνοῖς

ὄσσοις δεδορκὼς τοὺς ἐμοὺς κατὰ στίβους.

ἀπροσδόκητος δʼ αὐτὸν ἀφνίδιος μόρος
680

τοῦ ζῆν ἀπεστέρησεν. οἰστροπλὴξ δʼ ἐγὼ

μάστιγι θείᾳ γῆν πρὸ γῆς ἐλαύνομαι.

κλύεις τὰ πραχθέντʼ· εἰ δʼ ἔχεις εἰπεῖν ὅ τι

λοιπὸν πόνων, σήμαινε· μηδέ μʼ οἰκτίσας

ξύνθαλπε μύθοις ψευδέσιν· νόσημα γὰρ
685

αἴσχιστον εἶναί φημι συνθέτους λόγους.

687

Χορός

ἔα ἔα, ἄπεχε, φεῦ·

οὔποτʼ οὔποτʼ ηὔχουν ὧδε ξένους

μολεῖσθαι λόγους εἰς ἀκοὰν ἐμάν,

οὐδʼ ὧδε δυσθέατα καὶ δύσοιστα
690

πήματα, λύματα, δείματα ἀμ-

φάκει κέντρῳ τύψειν ψυχὰν ἐμάν.

ἰὼ ἰὼ μοῖρα μοῖρα,

πέφρικʼ εἰσιδοῦσα πρᾶξιν Ἰοῦς.
695

696

Προμηθεύς

πρῴ γε στενάζεις καὶ φόβου πλέα τις εἶ·

ἐπίσχες ἔστʼ ἂν καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ προσμάθῃς.

Χορός

λέγʼ, ἐκδίδασκε· τοῖς νοσοῦσί τοι γλυκὺ

τὸ λοιπὸν ἄλγος προυξεπίστασθαι τορῶς.

Προμηθεύς

τὴν πρίν γε χρείαν ἠνύσασθʼ ἐμοῦ πάρα
700

κούφως· μαθεῖν γὰρ τῆσδε πρῶτʼ ἐχρῄζετε

τὸν ἀμφʼ ἑαυτῆς ἆθλον ἐξηγουμένης·

τὰ λοιπὰ νῦν ἀκούσαθʼ, οἷα χρὴ πάθη

τλῆναι πρὸς Ἥρας τήνδε τὴν νεάνιδα.

σύ τʼ Ἰνάχειον σπέρμα, τοὺς ἐμοὺς λόγους
705

θυμῷ βάλʼ, ὡς ἂν τέρματʼ ἐκμάθῃς ὁδοῦ.

πρῶτον μὲν ἐνθένδʼ ἡλίου πρὸς ἀντολὰς

στρέψασα σαυτὴν στεῖχʼ ἀνηρότους γύας·

Σκύθας δʼ ἀφίξῃ νομάδας, οἳ πλεκτὰς στέγας

πεδάρσιοι ναίουσʼ ἐπʼ εὐκύκλοις ὄχοις
710

ἑκηβόλοις τόξοισιν ἐξηρτυμένοι·

οἷς μὴ πελάζειν, ἀλλʼ ἁλιστόνοις πόδας

χρίμπτουσα ῥαχίαισιν ἐκπερᾶν χθόνα.

λαιᾶς δὲ χειρὸς οἱ σιδηροτέκτονες

οἰκοῦσι Χάλυβες, οὓς φυλάξασθαί σε χρή.
715

ἀνήμεροι γὰρ οὐδὲ πρόσπλατοι ξένοις.

ἥξεις δʼ Ὑβριστὴν ποταμὸν οὐ ψευδώνυμον,

ὃν μὴ περάσῃς, οὐ γὰρ εὔβατος περᾶν,

πρὶν ἂν πρὸς αὐτὸν Καύκασον μόλῃς, ὀρῶν

ὕψιστον, ἔνθα ποταμὸς ἐκφυσᾷ μένος
720

κροτάφων ἀπʼ αὐτῶν. ἀστρογείτονας δὲ χρὴ

κορυφὰς ὑπερβάλλουσαν ἐς μεσημβρινὴν

βῆναι κέλευθον, ἔνθʼ, Ἀμαζόνων στρατὸν

ἥξεις στυγάνορʼ, αἳ Θεμίσκυράν ποτε

κατοικιοῦσιν ἀμφὶ Θερμώδονθʼ, ἵνα
725

τραχεῖα πόντου Σαλμυδησσία γνάθος

ἐχθρόξενος ναύταισι, μητρυιὰ νεῶν·

αὗταί σʼ ὁδηγήσουσι καὶ μάλʼ ἀσμένως.

ἰσθμὸν δʼ ἐπʼ αὐταῖς στενοπόροις λίμνης πύλαις

Κιμμερικὸν ἥξεις, ὃν θρασυσπλάγχνως σε χρὴ
730

λιποῦσαν αὐλῶνʼ ἐκπερᾶν Μαιωτικόν·

ἔσται δὲ θνητοῖς εἰσαεὶ λόγος μέγας

τῆς σῆς πορείας, Βόσπορος δʼ ἐπώνυμος

κεκλήσεται. λιποῦσα δʼ Εὐρώπης πέδον

ἤπειρον ἥξεις Ἀσιάδʼ·. ἆρʼ, ὑμῖν δοκεῖ
735

ὁ τῶν θεῶν τύραννος ἐς τὰ πάνθʼ ὁμῶς

βίαιος εἶναι; τῇδε γὰρ θνητῇ θεὸς

χρῄζων μιγῆναι τάσδʼ ἐπέρριψεν πλάνας.

πικροῦ δʼ ἔκυρσας, ὦ κόρη, τῶν σῶν γάμων

μνηστῆρος. οὓς γὰρ νῦν ἀκήκοας λόγους,
740

εἶναι δόκει σοι μηδέπω ʼν προοιμίοις.

742

Ἰώ

ἰώ μοί μοι, ἒ ἔ.

Προμηθεύς

σὺ δʼ αὖ κέκραγας κἀναμυχθίζῃ; τί που

δράσεις, ὅταν τὰ λοιπὰ πυνθάνῃ κακά;

Χορός

ἦ γάρ τι λοιπὸν τῇδε πημάτων ἐρεῖς;
745

Προμηθεύς

δυσχείμερόν γε πέλαγος ἀτηρᾶς δύης.

Ἰώ

τί δῆτʼ ἐμοὶ ζῆν κέρδος, ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἐν τάχει

ἔρριψʼ ἐμαυτὴν τῆσδʼ ἀπὸ στύφλου πέτρας,

ὅπως πέδοι σκήψασα τῶν πάντων πόνων

ἀπηλλάγην; κρεῖσσον γὰρ εἰσάπαξ θανεῖν
750

ἢ τὰς ἁπάσας ἡμέρας πάσχειν κακῶς.

Προμηθεύς

ἦ δυσπετῶς ἂν τοὺς ἐμοὺς ἄθλους φέροις,

ὅτῳ θανεῖν μέν ἐστιν οὐ πεπρωμένον·

αὕτη γὰρ ἦν ἂν πημάτων ἀπαλλαγή·

νῦν δʼ οὐδέν ἐστι τέρμα μοι προκείμενον
755

μόχθων, πρὶν ἂν Ζεὺς ἐκπέσῃ τυραννίδος.

Ἰώ

ἦ γάρ ποτʼ ἔστιν ἐκπεσεῖν ἀρχῆς Δία;

Προμηθεύς

ἥδοιʼ ἄν, οἶμαι, τήνδʼ ἰδοῦσα συμφοράν.

Ἰώ

πῶς δʼ οὐκ ἄν, ἥτις ἐκ Διὸς πάσχω κακῶς;

Προμηθεύς

ὡς τοίνυν ὄντων τῶνδέ σοι μαθεῖν πάρα.
760

Ἰώ

πρὸς τοῦ τύραννα σκῆπτρα συληθήσεται;

Προμηθεύς

πρὸς αὐτὸς αὑτοῦ κενοφρόνων βουλευμάτων.

Ἰώ

ποίῳ τρόπῳ; σήμηνον, εἰ μή τις βλάβη.

Προμηθεύς

γαμεῖ γάμον τοιοῦτον ᾧ ποτʼ ἀσχαλᾷ.

Ἰώ

θέορτον, ἢ βρότειον; εἰ ῥητόν, φράσον.
765

Προμηθεύς

τί δʼ ὅντινʼ·; οὐ γὰρ ῥητὸν αὐδᾶσθαι τόδε.

Ἰώ

ἦ πρὸς δάμαρτος ἐξανίσταται θρόνων;

Προμηθεύς

ἣ τέξεταί γε παῖδα φέρτερον πατρός.

Ἰώ

οὐδʼ ἔστιν αὐτῷ τῆσδʼ ἀποστροφὴ τύχης;

Προμηθεύς

οὐ δῆτα, πλὴν ἔγωγʼ ἂν ἐκ δεσμῶν λυθείς.
770

Ἰώ

τίς οὖν ὁ λύσων ἐστὶν ἄκοντος Διός;

Προμηθεύς

τῶν σῶν τινʼ αὐτὸν ἐγγόνων εἶναι χρεών.

Ἰώ

πῶς εἶπας; ἦ ʼμὸς παῖς σʼ ἀπαλλάξει κακῶν;

Προμηθεύς

τρίτος γε γένναν πρὸς δέκʼ ἄλλαισιν γοναῖς.

Ἰώ

ἥδʼ οὐκέτʼ εὐξύμβλητος ἡ χρησμῳδία.
775

Προμηθεύς

καὶ μηδὲ σαυτῆς ἐκμαθεῖν ζήτει πόνους.

Ἰώ

μή μοι προτείνων κέρδος εἶτʼ ἀποστέρει.

Προμηθεύς

δυοῖν λόγοιν σε θατέρῳ δωρήσομαι.

Ἰώ

ποίοιν; πρόδειξον, αἵρεσίν τʼ ἐμοὶ δίδου.

780

Προμηθεύς

δίδωμʼ· ἑλοῦ γάρ, ἢ πόνων τὰ λοιπά σοι
780

φράσω σαφηνῶς, ἢ τὸν ἐκλύσοντʼ ἐμέ.

Χορός

τούτων σὺ τὴν μὲν τῇδε, τὴν δʼ ἐμοὶ χάριν

θέσθαι θέλησον, μηδʼ ἀτιμάσῃς λόγου·

καὶ τῇδε μὲν γέγωνε τὴν λοιπὴν πλάνην,

ἐμοὶ δὲ τὸν λύσοντα· τοῦτο γὰρ ποθῶ.
785

Προμηθεύς

ἐπεὶ προθυμεῖσθʼ, οὐκ ἐναντιώσομαι

τὸ μὴ οὐ γεγωνεῖν πᾶν ὅσον προσχρῄζετε.

σοὶ πρῶτον, Ἰοῖ, πολύδονον πλάνην φράσω,

ἣν ἐγγράφου σὺ μνήμοσιν δέλτοις φρενῶν.

ὅταν περάσῃς ῥεῖθρον ἠπείροιν ὅρον,
790

πρὸς ἀντολὰς φλογῶπας ἡλιοστιβεῖς

πόντου περῶσα φλοῖσβον, ἔστʼ ἂν ἐξίκῃ

πρὸς Γοργόνεια πεδία Κισθήνης, ἵνα

αἱ Φορκίδες ναίουσι δηναιαὶ κόραι
795

τρεῖς κυκνόμορφοι, κοινὸν ὄμμʼ ἐκτημέναι,

μονόδοντες, ἃς οὔθʼ ἥλιος προσδέρκεται

ἀκτῖσιν οὔθʼ ἡ νύκτερος μήνη ποτέ.

πέλας δʼ ἀδελφαὶ τῶνδε τρεῖς κατάπτεροι,

δρακοντόμαλλοι Γοργόνες βροτοστυγεῖς,

ἃς θνητὸς οὐδεὶς εἰσιδὼν ἕξει πνοάς.
800

τοιοῦτο μέν σοι τοῦτο φρούριον λέγω·

ἄλλην δʼ ἄκουσον δυσχερῆ θεωρίαν·

ὀξυστόμους γὰρ Ζηνὸς ἀκραγεῖς κύνας

γρῦπας φύλαξαι, τόν τε μουνῶπα στρατὸν

Ἀριμασπὸν ἱπποβάμονʼ, οἳ χρυσόρρυτον
805

οἰκοῦσιν ἀμφὶ νᾶμα Πλούτωνος πόρου·

τούτοις σὺ μὴ πέλαζε. τηλουρὸν δὲ γῆν

ἥξεις, κελαινὸν φῦλον, οἳ πρὸς ἡλίου

ναίουσι πηγαῖς, ἔνθα ποταμὸς Αἰθίοψ.

τούτου παρʼ ὄχθας ἕρφʼ, ἕως ἂν ἐξίκῃ
810

καταβασμόν, ἔνθα Βιβλίνων ὀρῶν ἄπο

ἵησι σεπτὸν Νεῖλος εὔποτον ῥέος.

οὗτός σʼ ὁδώσει τὴν τρίγωνον ἐς χθόνα

Νειλῶτιν, οὗ δὴ τὴν μακρὰν ἀποικίαν,

Ἰοῖ, πέπρωται σοί τε καὶ τέκνοις κτίσαι.
815

τῶν δʼ εἴ τί σοι ψελλόν τε καὶ δυσεύρετον,

ἐπανδίπλαζε καὶ σαφῶς ἐκμάνθανε·

σχολὴ δὲ πλείων ἢ θέλω πάρεστί μοι.

819

Χορός

εἰ μέν τι τῇδε λοιπὸν ἢ παρειμένον

ἔχεις γεγωνεῖν τῆς πολυφθόρου πλάνης,
820

λέγʼ· εἰ δὲ πάντʼ εἴρηκας, ἡμῖν αὖ χάριν

δὸς ἥνπερ αἰτούμεσθα, μέμνησαι δέ που.

Προμηθεύς

τὸ πᾶν πορείας ἥδε τέρμʼ ἀκήκοεν.

ὅπως δʼ ἂν εἰδῇ μὴ μάτην κλύουσά μου,

ἃ πρὶν μολεῖν δεῦρʼ ἐκμεμόχθηκεν φράσω,
825

τεκμήριον τοῦτʼ αὐτὸ δοὺς μύθων ἐμῶν.

ὄχλον μὲν οὖν τὸν πλεῖστον ἐκλείψω λόγων,

πρὸς αὐτὸ δʼ εἶμι τέρμα σῶν πλανημάτων.

ἐπεὶ γὰρ ἦλθες πρὸς Μολοσσὰ γάπεδα,

τὴν αἰπύνωτόν τʼ ἀμφὶ Δωδώνην, ἵνα
830

μαντεῖα θᾶκός τʼ ἐστὶ Θεσπρωτοῦ Διός,

τέρας τʼ ἄπιστον, αἱ προσήγοροι δρύες,

ὑφʼ ὧν σὺ λαμπρῶς κοὐδὲν αἰνικτηρίως

προσηγορεύθης ἡ Διὸς κλεινὴ δάμαρ

μέλλουσʼ ἔσεσθαι. τῶνδε προσσαίνει σέ τι ;
835

ἐντεῦθεν οἰστρήσασα τὴν παρακτίαν

κέλευθον ᾖξας πρὸς μέγαν κόλπον Ῥέας,

ἀφʼ οὗ παλιμπλάγκτοισι χειμάζῃ δρόμοις·

χρόνον δὲ τὸν μέλλοντα πόντιος μυχός,

σαφῶς ἐπίστασʼ, Ἰόνιος κεκλήσεται,.
840

τῆς σῆς πορείας μνῆμα τοῖς πᾶσιν βροτοῖς.

σημεῖά σοι τάδʼ ἐστὶ τῆς ἐμῆς φρενός,

ὡς δέρκεται πλέον τι τοῦ πεφασμένου.

τὰ λοιπὰ δʼ ὑμῖν τῇδέ τʼ ἐς κοινὸν φράσω,

ἐς ταὐτὸν ἐλθὼν τῶν πάλαι λόγων ἴχνος.
845

846

Προμηθεύς

ἔστιν πόλις Κάνωβος ἐσχάτη χθονός,

Νείλου πρὸς αὐτῷ στόματι καὶ προσχώματι·

ἐνταῦθα δή σε Ζεὺς τίθησιν ἔμφρονα

ἐπαφῶν ἀταρβεῖ χειρὶ καὶ θιγὼν μόνον.

ἐπώνυμον δὲ τῶν Διὸς γεννημάτων
850

τέξεις κελαινὸν Ἔπαφον, ὃς καρπώσεται

ὅσην πλατύρρους Νεῖλος ἀρδεύει χθόνα·

πέμπτη δʼ ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ γέννα πεντηκοντάπαις

πάλιν πρὸς Ἄργος οὐχ ἑκοῦσʼ ἐλεύσεται

θηλύσπορος, φεύγουσα συγγενῆ γάμον
855

ἀνεψιῶν· οἱ δʼ ἐπτοημένοι φρένας,

κίρκοι πελειῶν οὐ μακρὰν λελειμμένοι,

ἥξουσι θηρεύοντες οὐ θηρασίμους

γάμους, φθόνον δὲ σωμάτων ἕξει θεός·

Πελασγία δὲ δέξεται θηλυκτόνῳ
860

Ἄρει, δαμέντων νυκτιφρουρήτῳ θράσει.

γυνὴ γὰρ ἄνδρʼ ἕκαστον αἰῶνος στερεῖ,

δίθηκτον ἐν σφαγαῖσι βάψασα ξίφος·

τοιάδʼ ἐπʼ ἐχθροὺς τοὺς ἐμοὺς ἔλθοι Κύπρις.

μίαν δὲ παίδων ἵμερος θέλξει τὸ μὴ
865

κτεῖναι σύνευνον, ἀλλʼ ἀπαμβλυνθήσεται

γνώμην· δυοῖν δὲ θάτερον βουλήσεται,

κλύειν ἄναλκις μᾶλλον ἢ μιαιφόνος·

αὕτη κατʼ Ἄργος βασιλικὸν τέξει γένος.

μακροῦ λόγου δεῖ ταῦτʼ ἐπεξελθεῖν τορῶς.
870

σπορᾶς γε μὴν ἐκ τῆσδε φύσεται θρασὺς

τόξοισι κλεινός, ὃς πόνων ἐκ τῶνδʼ ἐμὲ

λύσει. τοιόνδε χρησμὸν ἡ παλαιγενὴς

μήτηρ ἐμοὶ διῆλθε Τιτανὶς Θέμις·

ὅπως δὲ χὤπη, ταῦτα δεῖ μακροῦ λόγου
875

εἰπεῖν, σύ τʼ οὐδὲν ἐκμαθοῦσα κερδανεῖς.

877

Ἰώ

ἐλελεῦ ἐλελεῦ,

ὑπό μʼ αὖ σφάκελος καὶ φρενοπληγεῖς

μανίαι θάλπουσʼ, οἴστρου δʼ ἄρδις

χρίει μʼ ἄπυρος·
880

κραδία δὲ φόβῳ φρένα λακτίζει.

τροχοδινεῖται δʼ ὄμμαθʼ ἑλίγδην,

ἔξω δὲ δρόμου φέρομαι λύσσης

πνεύματι μάργῳ, γλώσσης ἀκρατής·

θολεροὶ δὲ λόγοι παίουσʼ εἰκῆ
885

στυγνῆς πρὸς κύμασιν ἄτης.

Προμηθεὺς Δεσμώτης (OCR draft) Experimental (Προμηθεὺς Δεσμώτης. Guilielmus Dindorfius, 1882.) — 609 focus

ΠΡ.

λέξω τορῶς σοι πᾶν ὅπερ χρήζεις μαθεῖν,

οὐκ ἐμπλέκων αἰνίγματ᾽, ἀλλ᾽ ἁπλῷ λόγῳ,
610

ὥσπερ δίκαιον πρὸς φίλους οἴγειν στόμα.

πυρὸς βροτοῖς δοτῆρ᾽ ὁρᾷς Προμηθέα.

ΙΩ.

ὦ κοινὸν ὠφέλημα θνητοίσιν φανεὶς,

τλῆμον Προμηθεῦ, τοῦ δίκην πάσχεις τάδε;

ΠΡ.

ἁρμοῖ πέπαυμαι τοὺς ἐμοὺς θρηνῶν πόνους.
615

ΙΩ.

οὔκουν πόροις ἂν τήνδε δωρεὰν ἐμοί;

ΠΡ.

λέγ᾽ ἤντιν αἰτεῖ· πᾶν γὰρ ἂν πύθοιό μου.

ΙΩ.

σήμηνον ὅστις ἐν φάραγγί σ᾽ ὤχμασε.

ΠΡ.

βούλευμα μὲν τὸ Δῖον, Ἡφαίστου δὲ χείρ.

ΙΩ.

ποίων δὲ ποινὰς ἀμπλακημάτων τίνεις;
620

ΠΡ

τοσοῦτον ἀρκῶ σοι σαφηνίσας μόνον.

ΙΩ.

καὶ πρός γε τούτοις τέρμα τῆς ἐμῆς πλάνης

δεῖξον τίς ἔσται τῇ ταλαιπώρῳ χρόνος.

ΠΡ.

τὸ μὴ μαθεῖν σοι κρεῖσσον ἢ μαθεῖν τάδε.

ΙΩ.

μήτοι με κρύψῃς τοῦθ᾽ ὅπερ μέλλω παθεῖν.
625

ΠΡ.

ἀλλ᾽ οὐ μεγαίρω τοῦδέ σοι δωρήματος.

ΙΩ.

τί δῆτα μέλλεις μὴ οὐ γεγωνίσκειν τὸ πᾶν;

ΠΡ.

φθόνος μὲν οὐδεὶς, σὰς δ᾽ ὀκνῶ θράξαι φρένας.

ΙΩ.

μή μου προκήδου μᾶσσον ὧν ἐμοὶ γλυκύ.

ΠΡ.

ἐπεὶ προθυμεῖ, χρὴ λέγειν· ἄκουε δή.
630

ΧΟ.

μήπω γε· μοῖραν δ᾽ ἡδονῆς κἀμοὶ πόρε.

τὴν τῆσδε πρῶτον ἱστορήσωμεν νόσον,

αὐτῆς λεγούσης τὰς πολυφθόρους τύχας·

τὰ λοιπὰ δ᾽ ἄθλων σοῦ διδαχθήτω πάρα.

ΠΡ.

σὸν ἔργον, Ἰοῖ, ταῖσδ᾽ ὑπουργῆσαι χάριν,
635

ἄλλως τε πάντως καὶ κασιγνήταις πατρός.

ὡς τἀποκλαῦσαι κἀποδύρασθαι τύχας

ἐνταῦθ᾽, ὅπη μέλλοι τις οἴσεσθαι δάκρυ

πρὸς τῶν κλυόντων, ἀξίαν τριβὴν ἔχει.

Προμηθεὺς Δεσμώτης (OCR draft) Experimental (Προμηθεὺς Δεσμώτης. Gottfried Hermann, 1852.) — 609 focus

Προμηθεύς

λέξω τορῶς σοι πᾶν ὅπερ χρήζεις μαθεῖν,
610

οὐκ ἐμπλέκων αἰνίγματ', ἀλλ᾽ ἁπλῷ λόγῳ,

ὥςπερ δίκαιον πρὸς φίλους οἴγειν στόμα.

πυρὸς βροτοῖς δοτῆρ᾽ ὁρᾷς Προμηθέα.

Ἰὼ ἡ Ἰνάχου

ὦ κοινὸν ὠφέλημα θνητοῖσιν φανείς,

τλῆμον Προμηθεῦ, τοῦ δίκην πάσχεις τάδε;
615

Προμηθεύς

ἁρμοῖ πέπαυμαι τοὺς ἐμοὺς θρηνῶν πόνους.

Ἰὼ ἡ Ἰνάχου

οὔκουν πόροις ἂν τήνδε δωρεὰν ἐμοί;

Προμηθεύς

λέγ' ἥντιν' αἰτεῖ· πᾶν γὰρ ἂν πύθοιό μου.

Ἰὼ ἡ Ἰνάχου

σήμηνον ὅςτις ἐν φάραγγί σ᾽ ὤχμασεν.

Προμηθεύς

βούλευμα μὲν τὸ Δῖον, Ἡφαίστου δὲ χείρ.
620

Ἰὼ ἡ Ἰνάχου

ποινὰς δὲ ποίων ἀμπλακημάτων τίνεις;

Προμηθεύς

τοσοῦτον ἀρκεῖ σοι σαφηνίσαι μόνον.

Ἰὼ ἡ Ἰνάχου

καὶ πρός γε τούτοις τέρμα τῆς ἐμῆς πλάνης

δεῖξον τίς ἔσται τῇ ταλαιπώρῳ χρόνος.

Προμηθεύς

τὸ μὴ μαθεῖν σοι κρεῖσσον ἢ μαθεῖν τάδε.
625

Ἰὼ ἡ Ἰνάχου

μήτοι με κρύψῃς τοῦθ᾽ ὅπερ μέλλω παθεῖν.

Προμηθεύς

ἀλλ᾽ οὐ μεγαίρω τοῦδέ σοι δωρήματος.

Ἰὼ ἡ Ἰνάχου

τί δῆτα μέλλεις μὴ οὐ γεγωνίσκειν τὸ πᾶν;

Προμηθεύς

φθόνος μὲν οὐδείς, σὰς δ᾽ ὀκνῶ θράξαι φρένας.

Ἰὼ ἡ Ἰνάχου

μή μου προκήδου μᾶσσον ἢ ἐμοὶ γλυκύ.
630

Προμηθεύς

ἐπεὶ προθυμεῖ, χρὴ λέγειν· ἄκουε δή.

Χορὸς Ὠκεανίδων Νυμφῶν

μήπω γε· μοῖραν δ᾽ ἡδονῆς κἀμοὶ πόρε.

τὴν τῆσδε πρῶτον ἱστορήσωμεν νόσον,

αὐτῆς λεγούσης τὰς πολυφθόρους τύχας·

τὰ λοιπὰ δ᾽ ἄθλων σοῦ διδαχθήτω πάρα.
635

Προμηθεύς

σὸν ἔργον, Ἰοῖ, ταῖςδ᾽ ὑπουργῆσαι χάριν,

ἄλλως τε πάντως καὶ κασιγνήταις πατρός.

ὡς τἀποκλαῦσαι κἀποδύρασθαι τύχας

ἐνταῦθ᾽, ὅπῃ μέλλει τις οἴσεσθαι δάκρυ

πρὸς τῶν κλυόντων, ἀξίαν τριβὴν ἔχει.
640

ΠΡΟΜΗθΕΥΣ ΔΕΣΜΩΤΗΣ (OCR draft) Experimental (ΠΡΟΜΗθΕΥΣ ΔΕΣΜΩΤΗΣ. Paul Mazon, 1920-1925.) — 609 focus

ΠΡΟΜΗθΕΥΣ

Λέξω τορῶς σοι πᾶν ὅπερ χρῄζεις μαθεῖν,

¹

οὐκ ἐμπλέκων αἰνίγματ', ἀλλ' ἁπλῷ λόγῳ,

ὥσπερ δίκαιον πρὸς φίλους οἴγειν στόμα·

πυρὸς βροτοῖς δοτῆρ' ὁρᾷς Προμηθέα.
620

ΙΩ

Ὦ κοινὸν ὠφέλημα θνητοῖσιν φανείς,

τλῆμον Προμηθεῦ, τοῦ δίκην πάσχεις τάδε ;

ΠΡΟΜΗθΕΥΣ

Ἁρμοῖ πέπαυμαι τοὺς ἐμοὺς θρηνῶν πόνους.

ΠΡΟΜΗθΕΥΣ ΔΕΣΜΩΤΗΣ

ΙΩ

Οὐκοῦν πόροις ἂν τήνδε δωρειὰν δωρεάν ἐμοί ;

ΠΡΟΜΗθΕΥΣ

Λέγ' ἥντιν' αὐτῇ· πᾶν γὰρ ἂν γὰρ (inde γὰρ οὖν Μ γὰρ ἐκ- alia alii) πύθοιό μου.
625

ΙΩ

Σήμηνον ὅστις ἐν φάραγγί σ' ὤχμασεν.

ΠΡΟΜΗθΕΥΣ

Βούλευμα μὲν τὸ Δῖον, Ἡφαίστου δὲ χείρ.

ΙΩ

Ποίων δὲ ποινὰς ἀμπλακημάτων τίνεις ;

ΠΡΟΜΗθΕΥΣ

Τοσοῦτον ἀρκῶ σοι σαφηνίσας σαφηνίσαι μόνον.

ΙΩ

Καὶ πρός γε τούτοις τέρμα τῆς ἐμῆς πλάνης
630

δεῖξον τίς ἔσται τῇ ταλαιπώρῳ χρόνος.

ΠΡΟΜΗθΕΥΣ

Τὸ μὴ μαθεῖν σοι κρεῖσσον ἢ μαθεῖν τάδε.

ΙΩ

Μήτοι με κρύψῃς τοῦθ' ὅπερ μέλλω παθεῖν.

ΠΡΟΜΗθΕΥΣ

Ἀλλ' οὐ μεγαίρω τοῦδε τοῦ δωρήματος.

ΙΩ

Τί δῆτα μέλλεις μὴ οὐ γεγωνίσκειν τὸ πᾶν ;
635

ΠΡΟΜΗθΕΥΣ

Φθόνος μὲν οὐδείς, σὰς δ' ὀκνῶ θρᾶξαι φρένας.

ΙΩ

Μή μου προκήδου μᾶσσον, ὡς ἐμοὶ γλυκύ.

ΠΡΟΜΗθΕΥΣ

Ἐπεὶ προθυμῇ, χρὴ λέγειν· ἄκουε δή.

ΧΟΡΟΣ

Μήπω γε· μοῖραν δ' ἡδονῆς κἀμοὶ πόρε·

τὴν τῆσδε πρῶτον ἱστορήσωμεν νόσον,
640

αὐτῆς λεγούσης τὰς πολυφθόρους τύχας·

τὰ λοιπὰ δ' ἄθλων σοῦ διδαχθήτω πάρα.

ΠΡΟΜΗθΕΥΣ

Σὸν ἔργον, Ἰοῖ, ταῖσδ' ὑπουργῆσαι χάριν,

ἄλλως τε πάντως καὶ κασιγνήταις πατρός,

ὡς τἀποκλαῦσαι κἀποκλαῦσαι κἀποδύρασθαι τύχας,
645

ἐνταῦθ' ὅπου μέλλοι τις οἴσεσθαι δάκρυ

πρὸς τῶν κλυόντων, ἀξίαν τριβὴν ἔχει.

Προμηθεὺς Δεσμώτης (OCR draft) Experimental (Προμηθεὺς Δεσμώτης. N. Wecklein, 1885.) — 609 focus

λέξω τορῶς σοι πᾶν ὅπερ χρήζεις μαθεῖν,

οὐκ ἐμπλέκων αἰνίγματ᾽, ἀλλ᾽ ἁπλῷ λόγῳ,

ὥσπερ δίκαιον πρὸς φίλους οἴγειν στόμα·

πυρὸς βροτοῖς δοτῆρ᾽ ὁρᾷς Προμηθέα.

ΙΩ.

ὦ κοινὸν ὠφέλημα θνητοῖσιν φανείς,
640

τλῆμον Προμηθεῦ, τοῦ δίκην πάσχεις τάδε;

ΠΡ.

ἁρμοῖ πέπαυμαι τοὺς ἐμοὺς θρηνῶν πόνους.

ΙΩ.

οὔκουν πόροις ἂν τήνδε δωρεὰν ἐμοὶ;

ΠΡ.

λέγ᾽ ήντιν᾽ αἰτῇ· πᾶν γὰρ οὖν πύθοιό μου.

ΙΩ.

σήμηνον ὅστις ἐν φάραγγί σ᾽ ὤχμασεν.
645

ΠΡ.

βούλευμα μὲν τὸ Δῖον, Ηφαίστου δὲ χείρ.

ΙΩ.

ποινὰς δὲ ποίων ἀμπλακημάτων τίνεις;

ΠΡ.

τοσοῦτον ἀρχῶ σοι σαφηνίσαι μόνον.

ΙΩ.

καὶ πρός γε τούτοις τέρμα τῆς ἐμῆς πλάνης

δεῖξον τίς ἔσται τῇ ταλαιπώρῳ χρόνος.
650

ΠΡ.

τὸ μὴ μαθεῖν σοι κρεῖσσον ἢ μαθεῖν τάδε.

¹²³⁴⁵⁶⁷

τί μῆχαρ, ἢ τί (τί μῆχαρ; τί Elmsley) τί μῆχαρ; ἢ τί Martin τί μὴ χρή Μ. φράζε τῷ φράζε τα recc. φράζετε Μ. ὅπερ ὅπερ Εtym. Μ. p. 762, 30 ὅτι Μ. paragraphis personas notavit M, personarum notas superscr. m¹. vide 354. αἰτῇ αἰτεῖ Μ αὐτῆς m. γὰρ ἂν recc. δ᾽ ἂν οὐ Fritzsche. ἀμπλακημάτων ἀπλακημάτων Μ. σαφηνίσαι σαφηνήσαι ante corr. Μ σαφηνίσας Linwood.

PROMETHEVS VINCTVS.

ΙΩ.

μήτοι με κρύψης τοῦθ᾽ ὅπερ μέλλω παθεῖν.

ΠΡ.

ἀλλ᾽ οὐ μεγαίρω τοῦδε τοῦ δωρήματος.

ΙΩ.

τί δῆτα μέλλεις μὴ οὐ γεγωνίσκειν τὸ πᾶν;

ΠΡ.

φθόνος μὲν οὐδείς, σὰς δ᾽ ὀκνῶ θρᾶξαι φρένας.
655

ΙΩ.

μή μου προκήδου μᾶσσον ὡς ἐμοὶ γλυκύ.

ΠΡ.

ἐπεὶ προθυμῇ, χρὴ λέγειν· ἄκουε δή.

ΧΟ.

μήπω γε· μοῖραν δ᾽ ἡδονῆς καμοὶ πόρε.

τὴν τῆσδε πρῶτον ἱστορήσωμεν νόσον,

αὐτῆς λεγούσης τὰς πολυφθόρους τύχας·
660

τὰ λοιπὰ δ᾽ ἄθλων σοῦ διδαχθήτω πάρα.

ΠΡ.

σὺν ἔργον, Ἰοῖ, ταῖσδ᾽ ὑπουργῆσαι χάριν,

ἄλλως τε πάντως καὶ κασιγνήταις πατρός.

ὡς τἀποκλαῦσαι κἀποδύρασθαι τύχας

ἐνταῦθ᾽, ὅπου μέλλοι τις οἴσεσθαι δάκρυ
665

πρὸς τῶν κλυόντων, ἀξίαν τριβὴν ἔχει.

ΙΩ.

Aeschyli Prometheus Vinctus (OCR draft) Experimental (Aeschyli Prometheus Vinctus. Ulrich von Wilamowitz-Moellendorff, 1914.) — 609 focus

ΠΡ.

λέξω τορῶς σοι πᾶν ὅπερ χρήιζεις μαθεῖν,
610

οὐκ ἐμπλέκων αἰνίγματ᾽, ἀλλ᾽ ἁπλῶι λόγωι,

ὥσπερ δίκαιον πρὸς φίλους οἴγειν στόμα.

πυρὸς βροτοῖς δοτῆρ᾽ ὁρᾶις Προμηθέα.

ΙΩ

ὦ κοινὸν ὠφέλημα θνητοῖσιν φανείς

τλῆμον Προμηθεῦ, τοῦ δίκην πάσχεις τάδε;
615

ΠΡ.

ἁρμοῖ πέπαυμαι τοὺς ἐμοὺς θρηνῶν πόνους.

ΙΩ

οὔκουν πόροις ἂν τήνδε δωρεάν ἐμοί;

ΠΡ.

λέγ᾽ ἥντιν᾽ αἰτῆι· πᾶν γὰρ ἂν πύθοιό μου.

ΙΩ

σήμηνον ὅστις ἐν φάραγγί σ᾽ ὤχμασεν.

ΠΡ.

βούλευμα μὲν τὸ Δῖον, Ἡφαίστου δὲ χείρ.
620

ΙΩ

ποινὰς δὲ ποίων ἀμπλακημάτων τίνεις;

ΠΡ.

τοσοῦτον ἀρκῶ σοι σαφηνίσας μόνον.

ΙΩ

καὶ πρός γε τούτοις τέρμα τῆς ἐμῆς πλάνης

δεῖξον· τίς ἔσται τῆι ταλαιπώρωι χρόνος.

ΠΡ.

τὸ μὴ μαθεῖν σοι κρεῖσσον ἢ μαθεῖν τάδε.
625

ΙΩ

μήτοι με κρύψηις τοῦθ᾽ ὅπερ μέλλω παθεῖν.

ΠΡ.

ἀλλ᾽ οὐ μεγαίρω τοῦδέ σοι δωρήματος.

ΙΩ

τί δῆτα μέλλεις μὴ οὐ γεγωνίσκειν τὸ πᾶν;

ΠΡ.

φθόνος μὲν οὐδείς, σὰς δ᾽ ὀκνῶ θράξαι φρένας.

ΙΩ

μή μου προκήδου μᾶσσον (ἢ) ὡς ἐμοὶ γλυκύ.
630

ΠΡ.

ἐπεὶ προθυμῆι, χρὴ λέγειν· ἄκουε δή.

Testim.:

609 Et. Gud. Magn. τορός· ἔντροχος ... ὡς παρὰ Σοφοκλεῖ „λέξω στόμα 611.

613 exprimit Aristoph. Equ. 836 ὦ πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις φανεὶς μέγιστον ὠφέλημα.

Apparatus Criticus

ὅ τι μ᾿ ὅ μ' τί μῆχαρ τί μὴ χρή τι τί με χρ. τ. τί μοι χρ. τ. τί μοι οὐ χ. τ. μῆχαρ ἢ φράζε φράζε τε δὴ παη. ὅπερ ὅπερ ὅτι ő φίλους φίλον τοῦ τοῦ χάριν ἁρμοῖ ὤμοι τήνδε τάνδε πᾶν γὰρ ἂν πᾶν γὰρ πύθ. πᾶν γὰρ ἄν πᾶν γὰρ οὖν (πάντα Β) γὰρ ἐκπ. πάντα γάρ ὤχμασεν ὄχμασεν σαφηνίσας σαφηνίσαι corr. Linwood δεῖξον σε μήτοι μήτι μέλλω ὃ μέλλω τοῦδέ σοι σοι τοῦ σοι τοῦδε τοῦ μὴ οὐ μή μὴ οὐ μᾶσσον μᾶλλον (ἢ) ἢ se ... invenisse ait μασσόνως ἢ 'μοὶ

ΧΟ.

μήπω γε· μοῖραν δ᾽ ἡδονῆς κἀμοὶ πόρε.

τὴν τῆσδε πρῶτον ἱστορήσωμεν νόσον,

αὐτῆς λεγούσης τὰς πολυφθόρους τύχας·

τὰ λοιπὰ δ᾽ ἄθλων σοῦ διδαχθήτω πάρα.
635

ΠΡ.

σὸν ἔργον Ἰοῖ ταῖσδ᾽ ὑπουργῆσαι χάριν,

ἄλλως τε πάντως καὶ κασιγνήταις πατρός.

ὡς τἀποκλαῦσαι κἀποδύρασθαι τύχας

ἐνταῦθ᾽, ὅπου μέλλοι τις οἴσεσθαι δάκρυ

πρὸς τῶν κλυόντων, ἀξίαν τριβὴν ἔχει.
640

Translations (7)

Prometheus Bound Perseus (Aeschylus, Volume 1. Smyth, Herbert Weir, translator. London; New York: William Heinemann; G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1922. (Modernized by Perseus.)) — 609-885 focus

Prometheus

I will tell you plainly all that you would like to know,

not weaving riddles, but in simple language, since it is right to speak openly to friends. Look, I whom you see am Prometheus, who gave fire to mankind.
610

Io

O you who have shown yourself a common benefactor of mankind, wretched Prometheus, why do you suffer so?

Prometheus

I have only just now finished lamenting my own calamities.
615

Io

You will not then do this favor for me?

Prometheus

Say what it is you wish; for you can learn all from me.

Io

Tell me who has bound you fast in this ravine.

Prometheus

Zeus by his will, Hephaestus by his hand.

Io

And for what offence do you pay the penalty?
620

Prometheus

It suffices that I have made clear to you this much and no more.

Io

No, also tell me the end of my wandering—what time is set for wretched me.

Prometheus

It would be better not to know than to know, in your case.

Io

I beg you, do not hide from me what I am doomed to suffer.
625

Prometheus

No, it is not that I do not want to grant your request.

Io

Why then your reluctance to tell me everything?

Prometheus

I am not unwilling; but I hesitate to crush your spirit.

Io

Do not be more kind to me than I myself desire.

Prometheus

Since you insist, I must speak. Listen, then.
630

Chorus

No, not yet. Grant us too a portion of the pleasure. Let us first inquire the story of her affliction and let her with her own lips relate the events that brought horrid calamity upon her. Then let her be instructed by you as to the toils still to come.

Prometheus

It is for you, Io, to grant them this favor, especially since they are your father’s sisters. For it is worthwhile to indulge in weeping and in wailing over evil fortunes when one is likely to win the tribute of a tear from the listener.
635

640

Io

I do not know how to refuse you. You shall learn in truthful speech all that you would like to know. Yet I am ashamed to tell about the storm of calamity sent by Heaven, of the marring of my form, and of the source from which it swooped upon me, wretched that I am.
640

For visions of the night, always haunting my maiden chamber, sought to beguile me with seductive words, saying: O damsel greatly blessed of fortune, why linger in your maidenhood so long when it is within your power to win a union of the highest? Zeus is inflamed by passion’s dart
645

for you and is eager to unite with you in love. Do not, my child, spurn the bed of Zeus, but go forth to Lerna ’s meadow land of pastures deep and to your father’s flocks and where his cattle feed, so that the eye of Zeus may find respite from its longing.
650

By such dreams was I, to my distress, beset night after night, until at last I gained courage to tell my father of the dreams that haunted me. And he sent many a messenger to Pytho and Dodona so that he might discover
655

what deed or word of his would find favor with the gods. But they returned with report of oracles, riddling, obscure, and darkly worded. Then at last there came an unmistakable utterance to Inachus, charging and commanding him clearly that
660

he must thrust me forth from home and native land to roam at large to the remotest confines of the earth; and, if he would not, a fiery thunderbolt would come from Zeus that would utterly destroy his whole race.
Yielding obedience to such prophetic utterances of Loxias,
665

he drove me away and barred me from his house, against his will and mine; but the constraint of Zeus forced him to act by necessity. Immediately my form and mind were distorted, and with horns, as you see, upon my forehead,
670

stung by a sharp-fanged gadfly I rushed with frantic bounds to Cerchnea’s sweet stream and Lerna ’s spring. But Argus, the earth-born herdsman, untempered in his rage, pursued me, peering with his many eyes upon my steps.
675

A sudden death robbed him of life unexpectedly; while I, still tormented by the gadfly, am driven on from land to land before the heaven-sent plague.
That is what happened ; and if you can declare what toils still remain, reveal them. Do not, from pity, seek
680

to soothe me with untrue words ; for I consider false words to be the foulest sickness.
685

687

Chorus

Oh, ah, go away, alas! Never, oh never, did I dream that words so strange would greet my ears;

or that sufferings so grievous to look upon, yes, and so grievous to endure, a tale of outrage, would strike my soul as if with double-pronged goad. Alas, O Fate, O Fate,
690

I shudder to behold the plight that has befallen Io.
695

696

Prometheus

You lament and are full of fear all too soon. Wait until you have learned the rest as well.

Chorus

Proceed, tell all. It is comforting for the sick to know clearly beforehand what pain still awaits them.

Prometheus

You gained your former request easily from me; for you first desired the story of her ordeal from her own lips. Hear now the sequel, the sufferings this maid is fated to endure at Hera’s hand.
700

And may you, daughter of Inachus, lay to heart my words so that you may learn the end of your wanderings. First, from this spot, turn yourself toward the rising sun and make your way over untilled plains; and you shall reach the Scythian nomads, who dwell
705

in thatched houses, perched aloft on strong-wheeled wagons and are equipped with far-darting bows. Do not approach them, but keeping your feet near the rugged shore, where the sea breaks with a roar, pass on beyond their land. On the left hand dwell the workers in iron,
710

the Chalybes, and you must beware of them, since they are savage and are not to be approached by strangers. Then you shall reach the river Hybristes,¹ which does not belie its name. Do not cross this, for it is hard to cross, until you come to Caucasus itself,
715

loftiest of mountains, where from its very brows the river pours out its might in fury. You must pass over its crests, which neighbor the stars, and enter upon a southward course, where you shall reach the host of the Amazons, who loathe all men. They shall in time to come
720

inhabit Themiscyra on the Thermodon, where, fronting the sea, is Salmydessus’ rugged jaw, evil host of mariners, step-mother of ships. The Amazons will gladly guide you on your way. Next, just at the narrow portals of the harbor, you shall reach
725

the Cimmerian isthmus. This you must leave with stout heart and pass through the channel of Maeotis; and ever after among mankind there shall be great mention of your passing, and it shall be called after you the Bosporus .²Then, leaving the soil of Europe ,
730

you shall come to the Asian continent.
Does it not seem to you that the tyrant of the gods is violent in all his ways? For this god, desirous of union with this mortal maid, has imposed upon her these wanderings. Maiden, you have gained a cruel suitor
735

for your hand. As to the tale you now have heard— understand that it has not even passed the introduction.
740

742

Io

Ah me, ah me, alas!

Prometheus

What! You are crying and groaning again? What will you do, I wonder, when you have learned the sufferings still in store for you?

Chorus

What! Can it be that you have sufferings still left to recount to her?
745

Prometheus

Yes, a tempestuous sea of calamitous distress.

Io

What gain have I then in life? Why did I not hurl myself straightaway from this rugged rock, so that I was dashed to earth and freed from

all my sufferings? It is better to die once and for all than linger out all my days in misery.
750

Prometheus

Ah, you would hardly bear my agonies to whom it is not foredoomed to die; for death would have freed me from my sufferings.

But now no limit to my tribulations has been appointed until Zeus is hurled from his sovereignty.
755

Io

What! Shall Zeus one day be hurled from his dominion?

Prometheus

You would rejoice, I think, to see that happen.

Io

Why not, since it is at the hand of Zeus that I suffer?

Prometheus

Then you may assure yourself that these things are true.
760

Io

By whom shall he be despoiled of the sceptre of his sovereignty?

Prometheus

By himself and his own empty-headed purposes.

Io

In what way? Oh tell me, if there be no harm in telling.

Prometheus

He shall make a marriage that shall one day cause him distress.

Io

With a divinity or with a mortal? If it may be told, speak out.
765

Prometheus

Why ask with whom? I may not speak of this.

Io

Is it by his consort that he shall be dethroned?

Prometheus

Yes, since she shall bear a son mightier than his father.

Io

And has he no means to avert this doom?

Prometheus

No, none—except me, if I were released from bondage.
770

Io

Who then is to release you against the will of Zeus?

Prometheus

It is to be one of your own grandchildren.

Io

What did you say? A child of mine will release you from your misery?

Prometheus

The third in descent after ten generations.

Io

Your prophecy is not easy to understand.
775

Prometheus

Yes, so do not seek to learn the full extent of your own sufferings.

Io

Do not offer me a favor and then withdraw it.

Prometheus

I will present you with one or other of two tales.

Io

Which two? Set them forth and offer me the choice.

780

Prometheus

I am making the offer: choose whether I shall reveal the sufferings still in store for you or the one who will be my deliverer.
780

Chorus

Consent to bestow on her one of these favors, and on me the other; do not deny me the tale. Tell her about her further wanderings;

tell me who will deliver you—for I would like to know this.
785

Prometheus

Well, since you are bent on this, I will not refuse to proclaim all that you still crave to know. First, to you, Io, will I declare your much-vexed wandering, and may you engrave it on the recording tablets of your mind.

When you have crossed the stream that bounds the two continents, toward the flaming east, where the sun walks,...... crossing the surging sea until you reach the Gorgonean plains of Cisthene, where the daughters of Phorcys dwell, ancient maids,
790

three in number, shaped like swans, possessing one eye amongst them and a single tooth; neither does the sun with his beams look down upon them, nor ever the nightly moon. And near them are their three winged sisters, the snake-haired Gorgons, loathed of mankind,
795

whom no one of mortal kind shall look upon and still draw breath. Such is the peril that I bid you to guard against. But now listen to another and a fearsome spectacle. Beware of the sharp-beaked hounds of Zeus that do not bark, the gryphons,
800

and the one-eyed Arimaspian folk, mounted on horses, who dwell about the flood of Pluto’s³stream that flows with gold. Do not approach them. Then you shall come to a far-off country of a dark race that dwells by the waters of the sun, where the river Aethiop is.
805

Follow along its banks until you reach the cataract, where, from the Bybline mountains, Nile sends forth his hallowed and sweet stream. He will conduct you on your way to the three-angled land of Nilotis, where, at last, it is ordained for you,
810

O Io, and for your children to found your far-off colony.
If anything of this is confusing to you and hard to understand, may you question me yet again, and gain a clear account; for I have more leisure than I crave.
815

819

Chorus

If there is anything still remaining or passed over

of her direful wandering that you have to tell, oh speak. But if you have told all, grant us in turn the favor we request—you probably have it still in memory.
820

Prometheus

She has now heard the full end of her travels; yet so she may know that she has heard no vain tale from me,

I will describe the toils she has endured before she came here, giving this as a sure proof of my account.
Most of the weary tale I shall leave out and come to the very close of your wanderings.
For when you reached the Molossian plains
825

and the sheer ridge that encircles Dodona , where lies the prophetic seat of Thesprotian Zeus and that marvel, passing all belief, the talking oaks, by which you clearly, and in no riddling terms, were saluted as the renowned
830

bride-to-be of Zeus (is any of this pleasing to you?), then, stung by the gadfly, you rushed along the pathway by the shore to the great gulf of Rhea, from where you are tossed in backward-wandering course; and for all time to come a recess of the sea,
835

be well assured, shall bear the name Ionian, as a memorial of your crossing for all mankind.
These, then, are the tokens to you of my understanding, to show that it discerns more than has been made manifest. The rest I shall declare both to you and her,
840

returning to the track of my former tale.
845
846

There is a city, Canobus , on the extremity of the land at the very mouth and silt-bar of the Nile . There at last Zeus restores you to your senses by the mere stroke and touch of his unterrifying hand.

And you shall bring forth dark Epaphus,⁴thus named from the manner of Zeus’ engendering; and he shall gather the fruit of all the land watered by the broad-flowing Nile . Fifth in descent from him, fifty maidens shall return to Argos , not of their own
850

free choice, but fleeing marriage with their cousin kin; while these, their hearts ablaze with passion, like falcons eagerly pursuing doves, shall come in pursuit of wedlock unlawful to pursue; but God shall grudge them enjoyment of their brides.
855

Pelasgian soil shall offer the maids a home, when, in the watches of the night, their husbands have been slain by a deed of daring wrought by the women’s murderous blows. For each bride shall take the life of her lord, dyeing a two-edged sword in his blood—in such ways may Love come upon my enemies!
860

However, love’s desire shall charm one of the maidens not to slay her mate; rather, her resolve will lose its edge; for she will make her choice between two evil names to be called coward rather than murderess. She it is who shall give birth in Argos to a royal line—
865

a long story is necessary to explain this clearly; of her seed, however, shall be born a man of daring, renowned with the bow, who shall deliver me from these toils.⁵Such is the oracle recounted to me by my mother, Titan Themis, born long ago.
870

The manner and the means—these need lengthy speech to tell, and to learn them all would not be of any benefit.
875

877

Io

Oh! Oh! Alas! Once again convulsive pain and frenzy, striking my brain, inflame me. I am stung by the gadfly’s barb,

unforged by fire. My heart knocks at my ribs in terror; my eyeballs roll wildly round and round. I am carried out of my course by a fierce blast of madness; I’ve lost all mastery over my tongue,
880

and a stream of turbid words beats recklessly against the billows of dark destruction. Exit
885

PROMÉTHÉE ENCHAINÉ (OCR draft) Experimental (PROMÉTHÉE ENCHAINÉ. Paul Mazon, 1920-1925.) — 609 focus

maux ¹.

PROMÉTHÉE ENCHAINÉ

IO

Alors accorde-moi la faveur que j'attends.

PROMÉTHÉE

Dis-moi ce que tu veux : de moi tu peux tout savoir.

IO

Apprends-moi qui t'a enchaîné à cette roche abrupte.

PROMÉTHÉE

Le vouloir de Zeus, mais le bras d'Héphaistos.

IO

Et de quelles fautes paies-tu ainsi la peine ?

PROMÉTHÉE

Je t'en ai dit assez pour t'éclairer.

IO

Il est vrai ! Révèle-moi donc encore le terme de mes erreurs : quand l'heure en viendra-t-elle pour l'infortunée ?

PROMÉTHÉE

Ne rien savoir vaut mieux pour toi que de savoir cela.

IO

Ne me cache pas ce qu'aussi bien je dois un jour souffrir.

PROMÉTHÉE

Va, de ce don là je ne suis pas avare.

IO

Alors, pourquoi tarder à tout m'apprendre ?

PROMÉTHÉE

Ce n'est point un refus jaloux ; je ne crains que de troubler ton âme.

IO

Ne te préoccupe pas de moi davantage : cela me sera doux.

PROMÉTHÉE

Si tu le veux ainsi, il me faut donc parler : écoute.

LE CORYPHÉE

Non, pas encore : à moi aussi donne une part de satisfaction. Sachons d'abord ce qu'est son mal : qu'elle nous dise elle-même ses misères vagabondes.
Puis de toi qu'elle apprenne les épreuves qui l'attendent encore.

PROMÉTHÉE

A toi, Io, de leur prêter une docilité complaisante, alors surtout qu'elles sont les sœurs de ton père. Pleurer, gémir sur ses maux, quand on doit obtenir des pleurs de qui vous écoute, mérite le temps qu'on y donne.

IO

Je ne sais comment je pourrais vous refuser : vous allez d'un récit exact apprendre tout ce que vous

PROMÉTHÉE ENCHAINÉ

IO

demandez. Et pourtant j'hésite, honteuse, à vous dire seulement d'où est venue la tourmente divine qui, détruisant ma forme première ², s'est abattue sur moi, misérable ! Sans
répit, des visions nocturnes visitaient ma chambre virginale et, en mots caressants, me conseillaient ainsi : « O fortunée jeune fille,

Prometheus Chained (OCR draft) Experimental (Prometheus Chained. Robert Potter, 1779.) — 609 focus

All, thou can'ſt wiſh to learn, I'll tell thee clearly,

Wrapt in no veil abſtruse; but in clear terms ,

As friend to friend. Thine eyes behold Prometheus,
615

Whoſe warm benevolence gave fire to men.

10.

O thou, the common bleſſing of mankind,

Wretched Prometheus, wherefore are these ſufferings?

PROMETHEUS.

Scarce have I ceas'd lamenting my misfortunes.

10.

And wilt thou not allow me that ſad office?
620

PROMETHEUS.

Aſk what thou wilt, thou ſhalt learn all from me.

ΙΟ.

Say then, who bound thee in that rifted rock?

PROMETHEUS.

The ruthless will of Jove, but Vulcan's hand.

I O.

In what offending art thou chaſten'd thus?

PROMETHEUS.

Suffice it thee ſo much has been declar'd.
625

IO.

Say then what time ſhall end my wretched wand'rings.

PROMETHEUS.

Better repoſe in ignorance, than know.

ΙΟ.

Whate'er my woes to come, hide them not from me.

PROMETHEUS.

That favour unreluctant cou'd I grant thee.

IO.

Why this delay then to declare the whole?
630

PROMETHEUS.

Ungrateful taſk to rend thy ſoul with anguiſh.

ΙΟ.

Regard not me more than is pleaſing to me.

PROMETHEUS.

Conjur'd thus ſtrongly I muſt ſpeak. Hear then.

CHORUS.

Not yet: this mournful pleaſure let me ſhare:

Let us firſt learn the ſtory of her woes;
635

Her lips will teach us each ſad circumſtance

Of miſery paſt; the future be thy taſk.

PROMETHEUS.

Vouchſafe t' indulge their wiſh; they merit it;

And are beſides the ſiſters of thy father y

.

Nor light the recompence, when they, who hear,
640

Melt at the melancholy tale, and drop,

In pity drop, the ſympathizing tear.

IO.

Eschilo, Prometeo legato: traduzione italiana di Ettore Romagnoli (OCR draft) Experimental (Eschilo, Prometeo legato: traduzione italiana di Ettore Romagnoli. Ettore Romagnoli, 1922.) — 609 focus

Ben chiaro ciò che brami io ti dirò,

715

senza enimmi intrecciar, semplicemente,

come ad amici si convien. Tu scorgi

quei che ai mortali il fuoco diè: Promèteo.

IO

Tu che apparisti, misero Promèteo,

a beneficio dei mortali tutti,
720

per quale causa queste pene soffri ?

PROMETEO

Dal narrare i miei crucci or ora smisi.

IO

Tal grazia non vorrai dunque concedermi?

PROMETEO

Chiedi ciò che tu vuoi: tutto saprai.

IO

Dimmi chi ti confisse in questo bàratro.
725

PROMETEO

La man d'Efesto ed il voler di Giove.

IO

E di quali peccati il fio tu sconti ?

PROMETEO

Ti basti solo quello ch'io t'ho detto.

IO

Dell'error mio dimmi, oltre a questo, il termine.

PROMETEO

Meglio ignorar ti vale, che saperlo!
730

IO

Non mi celar ciò che patire io debbo.

PROMETEO

Ricusare tal dono io non saprei.

IO

Ché non vuoi senza indugio il tutto dirmi?

PROMETEO

Voglio. Ma temo che il cuor ti si spezzi.

IO

Non crucciarti per me piú ch'io no brami.
735

PROMETEO

Se tu lo vuoi, parlar conviene. Ascolta.

CORIFEA

Non ancor. a' che in parte anch'io mi goda.

Prima il suo morbo a lei chiediamo, ed ella

gli sciagurati eventi suoi ci narri:

dei suoi travagli il resto oda da te.
740

PROMETEO

Questa grazia negare, lo, non potresti,

massime a suore di tuo padre. E lagrime

versar, levar per la tua sorte gemiti,

qui, dove alcuno, udendo il tuo racconto,

verserà pianto, non è vana pena.
745

IO

Aeschylus, Prometheus vinctus: versio Latina Ioannis Sanravii (OCR draft) Experimental (Aeschylus, Prometheus vinctus: versio Latina Ioannis Sanravii. Ioannes Sanravius, 1555.) — 609 focus

Dic quod petis, omnia intelliges ex me.

Io. Significa, quis te in conualli ligauit?

Pro.

Consilium Iouis, manus Vulcani.

Io.

Quorum peccatorum pœnas pendis?
615

Pro.

Hoc solum tibi manifestum sufficiat.

Io.

Præter hæc etiam finem mei erroris

Ostendito: quod erit tempus huic miseræ puellæ?

Pro.

Melius hæc non intelligere, quàm intelligere,

tibi foret.
620

Io.

Ne me celato hoc, quòd debeo pati.

Pro.

Non priuo te ab hoc dono.

Io.

Quid igitur cunctaris patefacere omnia?

Pro.

Non invideo, sed vereor ne molestem tuum

animum.
625

Io.

Ne plus mei curam habeas: nam mihi suave est.

Pro.

Postquam cupis, dicere oportet, audi iam.

Chor.

Nondum verò: sed mihi quoq; partem volu

ptatis præbe,

Huius primò audiamus morbum,
630

Ipsa dicente exitiales fortunas:

Reliquas ærumnas doceatur à te.

Pro.

Tuæ partes sunt Io, istis gratificari:

Præsertim omnino sororibus patris,

Vt plorent & lugeant tuas fortunas.
635

Deinde ubi debet quis defleri,

Ab auditoribus dignam moram habet.

Io.

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.) — 609 focus

Lo, clearly will I show forth all thy quest—

Not in dark speech, but with such simple phrase
655

As doth befit the utterance of a friend.

I am Prometheus, who gave fire to men.

Io

O daring, proven champion of man's race,

What sin, Prometheus, dost thou thus atone?

Prometheus

One moment since, I told my woes and ceased.
660

Io

Then should I plead my suit to thee in vain?

Prometheus

Nay, speak thy need; nought would I hide from thee.

Io

Pronounce who nailed thee to the rocky cleft.

Prometheus

Zeus, by intent; Hephaestus, by his hand.

Io

For what wrongdoing do these pains atone?
665

Prometheus

What I have said, is said; suffice it thee!

Io

Yet somewhat add; forewarn me in my woe

What time shall bring my wandering to its goal?

Prometheus

Fore-knowledge is fore-sorrow; ask it not.

Io

Nay, hide not from me destiny's decree.
670

Prometheus

I grudge thee not the gift which I withhold.

Io

Then wherefore tarry ere thou tell me all?

Prometheus

Nothing I grudge, but would not rack thy soul.

Io

Be not compassionate beyond my wish.

Prometheus

Well, thou art fain, and I will speak. Attend!
675

Chorus

Nay—ere thou speak, hear me, bestow on me

A portion of the grace of granted prayers.

First let us learn how Io's frenzy came—

(She telling her disasters manifold)

Then of their sequel let her know from thee.
680

Prometheus

Well were it, Io, thus to do their will—

Right well! they are the sisters of thy sire.

'Tis worth the waste and effluence of time,

To tell, with tears of perfect moan, the doom

Of sorrows that have fallen, when 'tis sure
685

The listeners will greet the tale with tears.

Io

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.) — 609 focus

Ich will dir klar enthüllen, was du hören willst,

Nicht Räthselsprüche flechtend, nein, in schlichtem Wort,

Sowie vor Freunden unverhüllt zu reden ziemt.
610

Ich bin Prometheus, dem der Mensch das Feuer dankt.

Jo.

Du, der zum Heil erschienen allen Sterblichen,

Weßhalb, Prometheus, duldest du so grause Pein?

Prometheus.

Nur eben hab' ich ausgeklagt um meine Noth.

Jo.

So wirst du meine Bitte nicht bewilligen?
615

Prometheus.

Sprich, was begehrst du? Jede Kunde geb' ich dir.

Jo.

Verkünde, wer an diesen Fels dich kettete.

Prometheus.

Des Götterherrschers Wille durch Hephästos' Arm.

To.

Um welche Frevel leidest du die Strafe hier?

Prometheus.

Soviel von mir zu hören, sei dir jetzt genug.
620

Jo.

Dann auch die Zeit verkünde mir Unglücklichen,

Sprich, welche wird das Ende meiner Irren sein?

Prometheus.

Das nicht zu wissen frommt dir mehr, als wenn du's weißt.

Jo.

nicht verbirg mir, was ich doch erdulden muß.

Prometheus.

Ich, glaube mir's, mißgönne diese Gunst dir nicht.
625

Jo.

So zögre nicht, mir Alles offen kundzuthun.

Prometheus.

Nicht Neid verbeut mir's; dich zu kränken trag' ich Scheu.

Jo.

O sorge mein nicht weiter, als mir selbst gefällt.

Prometheus.

Weil du's begehrst, so muß ich reden: höre denn!

Die Chorführerin.

Noch nicht! Der Freude gönne mir auch einen Theil.
630

Nach ihrem eignen Leide laßt uns fragen erst,

So daß sie selbst ihr schmerzenreiches Loos erzählt;

Ihr künftig Leiden höre sie von dir sodann.

Prometheus.

Dir ziemt es, Jo, daß du diesen Wunsch gewährst,

Zumal sie doch auch Schwestern deines Vaters sind.
635

Denn auszuweinen, auszujammern sein Geschick,

Ist, wo des Mitleids Thränen dir als süße Frucht

Vom Hörer winken, wohl des Weilens Mühe werth.

Jo.

Commentary

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

21. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-25

βροτῶν: G. et multi alii codices

θεῶν

. Quod etsi habet quo defendi possit, tamen

τῷδ᾽ ἀπανθρώπῳ πάγῳ

ostendit verum esse

βροτῶν

, quod M. Lips. Aug. habent.

21. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-26

μορφὴν βροτῶν:

μορφὴν βρωτῶν

Αld.

βροτῶν μορφὴν

Rob. Eximia arte cumulavit poeta infinitam mali magnitudinem. Ferreis vinculis ad saxa affixus vacuo hominibus in loco, neminis cuiusquam alloquio aut adspectu fruens, interdiu solis flamma tostus, noctu ex pruinis tremens, ab die levamen nocturni mali, diurni ab nocte expetens, semper dolore doloris alius vicario cruciatus, nullum habiturus liberatorem, eodem immobilis statu, somni expers, numquam fessa stando flexurus genua haeret in rupibus ille qui genus humanum affecit beneficiis.

22. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-27

σταθευτὸς: Memorant schol. Wassenbergh. ad Il. I. 47. ubi male scriptum est

ηλίου φοιβοῦ φλογί

, Eustathius p. 38, 3. 40, 36. 1266, 46. 1446, 32. Thomas M. p. 333, 29. Hesychius

σταθευτός, πεφλογισμένος ἠρέμα

22. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-28

φοίβῃ:

φοιβή

M. a pr. manu.

23. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-29

χροιᾶς:

χροιᾶς δ'

Lips. Aug.

24. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-30

ποικιλείμων:

ποικοιλείμων

G. Tangitur

ποικιλείμων

ab Eustathio p. 814, 23.

26. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-31

ἀεὶ:

αἰεὶ

27. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-32

λωφήσων: Thomas M. p. 226, 12.

λοφήσων

G. Rob.

28. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-33

ἐπηύρω:

ἐπηύρω

Μ.

ἀπηύρω

G. Lips. Aug. Eustathius p. 675, 49. schol. ad II. VII. 190. in Crameri Anecd. Paris. III. p. 226, 31. Defendit

ἀπηύρω

Abreschius in Misc. Obs. VIII. p. 341. Elmsleius veram scripturam

ἐπηύρου

esse putabat, quod altera

forma

Attici non videantur usi esse. Aeschylum tamen ego hoc loco credam

ἐπηύρω

scripsisse, ne quater vocabula in

ου

terminarentur.

32. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-34

NA: Cram. Anecd. Paris. IV. p. 14, 4.

34. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-35

φθέγξει: Libri

φθέγξηι

36. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-36

κατοικτίζεις:

κατοικτίζῃ

κατοικτίζη

Μ.

κατοικτίζεις

Lips. Aug.

40. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-37

σύμφημ':

σύμφημι

Lips. plene, ut si

ἀνηκουστεῖν

sequeretur. Ceteri libri

σύμφημ

42. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-38

ἀεί γε δὴ:

αἰεί τε δὴ νηλής

Μ. cum aliis.

αἰεί τοι νηλὴς

αἰεί τοι δὴ νηλὴς

Lips. Aug.

αἰεί τι δὴ νηλής

alii.

αἰεί τει δὴ νηλὴς

Rob.

γε

praebuit Vind. 3. Porsono aliisque merito probatum.

43. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-39

τόνδε:

τῷδε

M. a pr. manu,

44. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-40

NA: Stobaeus LVIII. 6. Clemens Alex. Strom. V. p. 234. (399.) Theodoretus c. Graec. IV. p. 531. C. Georgides in Boissonadii Anecd. I. p. 85. apud quem

τὰ

pro

τὸ

legitur.

45. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-41

χειρωναξία:

χειρῶν ἀξία

Lips.

χειροναξία

G. Phrynichus in Bekkeri Anecd. p. 72, 14.

χειρωναξία· πολὺ μὲν τὸ χειρῶναξ, τὸ δ᾽ ἔργον οὐχ οὕτως, κἂν Αισχύλος δόκιμον ποιῇ τὴν φωνήν

48. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-42

ἔμπας:

ἔμπης

48. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-43

ὤφελεν:

ὤφειλε

G. Lips. Aug.

ὤφελεν

Μ.

49. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-44

ἐπαχθῆ: Libri

ἐπαχθές

, quod quocumque modo explicetur, ineptam et ne recte quidem enuntiatam sententiam praebet, quia perfecto opus erat. Stanlei emendationem

ἐπαχθῆ

meo monitu recepit Blomfieldius. Coniecit hoc etiam Briggsius ad Theocr. I. 101.

49. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-45

θεοῖσι:

θεοῖς

Lips. Aug.

51. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-46

ἔγνωκα τοῖςδε: Interpungebatur

ἔγνωκα, τοῖςδε κοὐδὲν ἀντειπεῖν ἔχω

. Frustra haec alii defendere, alii corrigere conati sunt: de qua re accurate disputavit Mauricius Hauptius in Obs. crit. p. 57. Recte Bothius

ἔγνωκα τοῖςδε

coniunxit.

52. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-47

ἐπείξει δεσμὰ τῷδε:

ἐπείξηι τῶνδε

(

τῷδε

G.)

δεσμὰ

Μ. G. et alii libri.

ἐπείξῃ δεσμὰ τῷδε

Lips. Aug. aliique. Haec melior verborum collocatio.

53. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-48

ἐλινύοντα:

ἐλινύοντα

M. G.

ἐλιννύοντα

Lips. Aug.

54. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-49

ψάλια:

ψάλια

M. Lips. Aug.

ψέλια

55. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-50

νιν: Scholiastae

νιν

interpretantur et

αὐτά

αὐτόν

. Prior interpretatio vera videtur.

59. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-51

πόρον: "

πόρον

Synes. Epist. 147. p. 288. A. sed

πόρους

Aristoph. Eq. 756. et schol. Marcellin. in Vit. Thuc. p. 2. 1. 9. Dionys. Halicarn, A. R. VII. 36. p. 1390. ed. Reisk." Haec adnotavit R. Porsonus, persuasitque Blomfieldio aliisque. Apud Aeschylum

πόρον

M. Lips. Aug. et plerique libri.

τρόπων

τρόπον

Cant. 1. γρ.

τρόπον

Arund.

πόρους

nullus. Prudenter Scholefieldius vix satis vel caussae esse vel auctoritatis habere scholiastam Aristophanis et Marcellinum censuit, ut

πόρους

probaretur. Operae pretium est videre, quam leviter de testibus istis sit iudicatum. Solus scholiastes Aristophanis versum Aeschyli affert, habetque

πόρους

. At hic quam facili errore pluralem ponere potuerit, verba Aristophanis ostendunt,

ποικίλος γὰρ ἀνὴρ κἀκ τῶν ἀμηχάνων πόρους εὐμηχάνους πορίζων

. Aristophanem autem quo argumento, si Aeschyli versum in mente habuit,

πόρους

legisse iudicavit Porsonus, quum ille per metrum non potuerit

πόρον

ponere? Quid autem Marcelinus? De Thracibus et Dolopibus,

καταφεύγουσιν ἐπὶ τὰ χρηστήρια, εἰδότες ὅτι μόνος ὁ θεὸς ἐξ ἀμηχάνων εὑρίσκει πόρους. θεῶν γὰρ ἰσχὺς καὶ κατ' Αισχύλον ὑπερτέρα

. Vt hic Aeschyli versum respexerit, quid impedit credere eum memoriae errore

πόρους

scripsisse? Denique quid Dionysius ?

δεινὸς ἀνὴρ τά τ' ἄλλα καὶ πόρους εὑρεῖν ἐν ἀπόροις

. Non magis profecto hic de Aeschylo cogitavit quam multi ali qui similia saepe dixerunt: quorum satis magnum numerum congessit Blomfieldins. Huic quidem etiam in eo assentiri nequeo, quod in Callistrati Imag. I. p. 145, 24.

πόρους

scribi voluit, ubi rectissime legi

ἀσθματος ἔνδειξιν, ἐγειρομένην οἴκοθεν ἐκ τῶν ἀμηχάνων πόρων

apparet ex cap. 9. p. 157, 6. Nec defendendo apud Aeschylum plurali prodest quod pluralem in simili sententia posuit,

δεινοὶ πλέκειν τοι μηχανὰς Αιγύπτιοι

(fr. 351): nam id quivis fecisset. Nec respexit Aeschyli versum Plato, quum in Symposio p. 203. D. de Amore scripsit

θηρευτής δεινός, ἀεί τινας πλέκων μηχανὰς καὶ πόριμος

. Nec mirandum quod apud Alciphronem L. S. p. 30. nemo correxerit

πόρους ἐξ ἀπόρων

. Nam mirandum potius esset, si id fecisset quisquam. Etenim ibi homo, qui sua omnia

ἄπορα

esse dixit, uxori scribit invitatum se a piratis ad ineundam societatem esse:

οὗτοί με κοινωνὸν ἐθέλουσι λαβεῖν τοῦ τολμήματος, πόρους ἐκ πόρων εὐμεγέθεις ὑπισχνούμενοι

. Neque ulla caussa erat cur mallet in Aristarchi versibus apud Stobaeum LXII. 9.

πόρους

scribi,

οὗτος γὰρ ὁ θεὸς καὶ τὸν ἀσθενῆ σθένειν τίθησι καὶ τὸν ἄπορον εὑρίσκειν πόρον

. Denique si putavit Vrsinum ad Virgilii Eel. V. 1.

πόρους

in Aeschyli versu ex MSS. posuisse, quid prohibet credere versum ex scholiasta Aristophanis ab Vrsino esse adscriptum?

60. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-52

ἄραρεν:

ἄφησεν

legitur apud Ioannem Diaconum ad Hesiodi Scutum ν. 271.

60. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-53

δυςεκλύτως:

δυσεκβλήτως

δυσεκλείτως

ante correctionem Lips.

δυσκωλύτως

legitur in scholiis Baroccianis ad Soph. Εl. 147.

δυςεκχύτως

in Crameri Anecd. Par. IV. p. 262, 24.

62. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-54

μάθῃ:

μάθοι

Lips. Aug.

64-65. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-55

NA: Schol. Aristoph. Ran. 826. Suidas in v. ἐπιβρεμέτας. Sumpsit haee Aeschylus ex Hesiodi Theog. 521.

δῆσε δ᾽ ἀλυκτοπέδῃσι Προμηθέα ποικιλόβουλον δεσμοῖς ἀργαλέοισι, μέσον διὰ κίον ἐλάσσας

. Quae sic videtur interpretatus esse, ut cuneum per medium Prometheum putaverit adactum esse. Idque iteravit in Soluto Prometheo, ut ex his a Cicerone in Latinum sermonem translatis versibus cognoscitur,

hos ille cuneos fabrica crudeli inserens perrupit artus, qua miser sollertia transverberatus castrum hoc Furiarum incolo

. At Hesiodus verba sua ita intelligi voluit,

τὰ δεσμὰ διὰ μέσον κίονα ἐλάσσας

, in media columna, ad quam alligatus fuerit Prometheus, affixas esse manicas. Sanguinis ex vulnere profluentis quod mentio non facta sit, Schützius hanc fuisse caussam putabat, quod secundum Homerum Il. V. 340.

ἰχώρ

diis pro sanguine esset. Mihi hic nihil caussae fuisse videtur, ut de sanguine aliquid adderetur. Nec tamen idcirco contenderim non esse sanguinem oculis spectatorum ostensum. Certe eius mentio facta est in Soluto Prometheo, ubi Prometheus dicebat

pinnala cauda nostrum adulans sanguinem

66. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-56

αἰαῖ:

αι αι

M. G. Lips.

αῖ αῖ

Aug. et edd. vett.

66. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-57

σῶν ὑπὲρ στένω: Libri

ὑπερστένω

, nisi quod Paris. Ε.

ὑπὲρ στέρνω

habet. Bothius

ὑπὲρ στένω

, quod congruit cum sequentibus.

67. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-58

σὺ δ᾽ αὖ:

σὺ δ' οὖν

Rob. et pauci libri.

67. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-59

τῶν Διός τ' ἐχθρῶν:

τὸν διός τ' ἐχθρὸν

Lips. Aug.

67. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-60

ὕπερ:

ἅπερ

Μ. G.

ὑπερστένεις

, omisso

στένεις

in principio sequentis versus, Lips. Aug.

68. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-61

NA: Thomas M. p. 235, 6.

68. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-62

οἰκτιεῖς:

οἰκτιῆς

68. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-63

NA:

σκόπει

in fine versus addunt Lips. Aug. non G. Scilicet in M. in margine adscriptum

λείπει σκόπει

69. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-64

NA: Signum interrogandi, quod repertum a se scribit Stephanus, habet in fine versus G. et ut videtur M. Recte fortasse.

70. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-65

τῶνδε:

τόνδε

Μ. a pr. manu.

71. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-66

μασχαλιστῆρας:

πλευρὰς μασχαλίστρας

G. Meminit ex hoc loco

μασχαλιστῆρας

Thomas M. p. 236, 11. Describit

μασχαλιστῆρας

Pollux I. 147.

72. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-67

ἐγκέλευ' ἄγαν:

ἐγκέλευ' ἔτι

, et in margine

γρ. ἄγαν

, Vind. 3.

73. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-68

γε πρός:

δε

pro

γε

G. et alii.

σε

Rob. et libri nonnulli.

γέ σε

Ven. 2.

πρός

omittunt Lips. Aug.

74. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-69

κίρκωσον:

κίρκωσον

Μ. qui in margine

ἀντὶ τοῦ κρίκωσον

habet.

κρίκωσον

G. Lips. Aug. et plerique libri.

75. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-70

πόνῳ:

χρόνῳ

pro

πόνῳ

Rob. et pauci codices.

76. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-71

θεῖνε:

θεῖνε

Lips. Aug.

76. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-72

διατόρους:

Διάτορος

fere active dicitur. Scholiastes

τὰς διατειρούσας καὶ τιτρωσκούσας, ἢ διατετορευμένας

. Prior interpretatio aperte inepta est. Dicuntur compedes perforatae, non quod annulorum instar crura amplectantur, sed quod foramina habent, per quae clavi adacti eas saxis affigant.

76. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-73

πέδας:

πόδας

Lips. Aug. Rob.

77. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-74

NA: Eustathius p. 1629, 11. 1827, 46.

77. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-75

οὑπιτιμητής γε:

οϋπιτιμήσγε

, ab alia manu ultimis syllabis in

τήςγε

mutatis, M.

οϋπιτιμητής δε

78. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-76

γηρύεται:

γαρύεται

G. et pauci alii codices.

79-80. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-77

NA: Eumathius p. 225. apud quem

μαλακίζου

αὐθαδείαν

legitur.

80. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-78

ὀργῆς τε:

ὀργήν τε

80. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-79

τραχύτητα:

βαρύτητα

θρασύτητα

Eumathius, Lips. Aug. et alii codices.

80. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-80

μὴ 'πίπλησσέ μοι:

μὴ πίπλασσέ μοι

, ad

superscripto

, Lips.

81. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-81

κώλοισιν:

κώλοισι

, ad

superscripto

, Lips.

83. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-82

ἐφημέροισι:

ἐφημερίοισι

83. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-83

προςτίθει: Dubitabat Blomfieldius an

προςτίθη

scribendum esset, quod in Etym. M. p. 478, 10. doceatur tertias imperfecti personas fieri secundas imperativi,

τίθη, πίμπλη

84. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-84

ἀπαντλῆσαι:

ἀπαντλῆσαι

M. G. Lips. Aug.

ἀπαλλάξαι

pauci codices.

86. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-85

δεῖ:

δεῖν

86. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-86

αὐτὸν γάρ σε δεῖ Προμηθέως: Affert

αὐτόν σε δεῖ προμηθέως

Eustathius p. 1497, 42. Scholiastes Pindari ad Pyth. V. 35.

διὸ καὶ τοὔνομα ἀπὸ τοῦ προμαθεῖν ἔσχε. καὶ Σοφοκλῆς δὲ ἐν τῷ Προμηθεῖ “τοῦ Προμηθέως”, θέλων λέγειν τῆς φρονήσεως ἀντέχεσθαι καὶ μὴ τῆς μεταμελείας

. Quae verba Boeckhius in libro quem de tragicis Graecis scripsit p. 121. recte videtur ad hunc Aeschyli versum rettulisse, negans ab Sophocle scriptum esse Prometheum. Alioqui non legeremus quae de Aeschyli Prometheo praefati sunt antiqui interpretes,

κεῖται ἡ μυθοποιΐα ἐν παρεκβάσει παρὰ Σοφοκλεῖ ἐν Κόλχοις, παρὰ δ᾽ Ευριπίδῃ ὅλως οὐ κεῖται

. Falluntur ergo, qui, ut Valckerus in Mythologia Iapetidarum p. 19. Prometheum ab Sophocle scriptum credunt. Vt apud Aeschylum, ita etiam apud Pindarum Ol. VII. 80.

Προμαθέος αιδώς

dictum esse ostendit Pyth. V. 35.

Ἐπιμαθέος θυγατήρ Πρόφασις

87. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-87

ἐκκυλισθήσει: Libri

ἐκκυλισθήσῃ

87. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-88

τέχνης:

τέχνης

M. G. Lips. Aug. et plurimi codices. γρ.

τύχης

supra adscriptum in Lips.

τύχης

Rob. et libri nonnulli. In M. ad

τέχνης

adscriptum

τῶν δεσμῶν

88. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-89

δῖος:

ὦ διός

M. G. Lips. Aug. Rob.

ὦ δῖος

Victorius.

88. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-90

ταχύπτεροι:

ταχύτεροι

90. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-91

NA: Respexisse videtur Pollux VI. 201. V. Petiti Misc. Obs. II. 18.

90. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-92

παμμῆτόρ:

παμμήτωρ

Μ.

91. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-93

κύκλον ἡλίου:

ἡλίου κύκλον

92. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-94

ἴδεσθέ μ', οἷα:

ίδεσθ᾽ οἷα

Lips. Aug.

93. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-95

δέρκεσθε, οἵαις αἰκίαισιν:

δέρ χθηθ' οἵαις αικίαισι

M. erasis post

δέρ

aliquot litteris.

δέρχθηθ' οἵαις ἀνίαισιν

(

ἀνίαισι

Aug. Rob.) G. Lips. Aug. Rob. Ad

οἵαις

in Lips. supra adscriptum γρ.

αναῖς

. Plerique libri

αἰκίαισι

habere videntur, ut Ald. Turn. Blomfieldius secundum Elmsleii praeceptum ad Med. 608. nota X.

αἰκείαισιν

scripsit. Eximia arte Aeschylus fecit Prometheum, tandem, postquam solus est neque audiri potest a feroci irrisore, quo praesente contemptim tacuerat, rumpere silentium, initio quidem adhuc constricto magnitudine mali pectore aegre et tardioribus numeris caelum terramque testes iniuriae appellare, mox autem libero impetu indignationem citatis anapaestis effundere, paullo post vero dignitatis suae memorem quieto tranquilloque animo sese conscientia recte factorum consolari.

94. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-96

μυριετῆ:

μυριέτη

Lips. Scholiastes

πολυετῆ· ἐν γὰρ τῷ πυρφόρω τρεῖς μυριάδας φησὶ δεδέσθαι αὐτόν

. Hyginus Poet. astr. II. 15.

Prometheum autem in monte Scythiae nomine Caucaso ferrea catena vinxit: quem alligatum ad triginta milia annorum Aeschylus tragoediarum scriptor ait

. Id si Aeschylus

τριςμύρια ἔτη

dixit, videri potest usitata formula nihil nisi ingentem numerum significasse. Ideo tamen hic

μυριετῆ χρόνον

non eam vim quam

πολυετῆ

, sed paullo maiorem habet, numero annis addito quasi vivam imaginem immensi spatii animo offerens.

95. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-97

ἀθλεύσω:

ἀθλεύσω

G. Rob. et alii libri.

98. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-98

αἰαῖ:

φεῦ φεῦ

M. G. et aliquot alii codices.

αι αι

Lips. Aug. atque alii.

αἳ αἳ

Rob. Qui cum Porsono

φεῦ φεῦ

praetulerunt, videntur id hiatus vitandi caussa fecisse. At is in interiectionibus legitimus est. Aptius hic videtur

αἰαῖ

, solentque id glossatores

φεῦ φεῦ

interpretari.

99. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-99

πῇ:

πῆι

M. G. Lips. Aug. multique alii codices et Rob.

πῆ

Ald.

πῇ

a recte editum inde a Turnebo.

100. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-100

τέρματα:

τέρματα

M. Ita recte Turnebus. Fuerunt qui hoc corrigendo orationem enervarent.

τέρμα

G. Lips. Aug. Rob. et reliqui ut videtur libri. In edd. vett. coli signo vel puncto post

στενάχω

distinguitur, non posito signo interrogandi post

ἐπιτεῖλαι

, quod placuit fere recentioribus. At multo gravior hic obliqua oratio est. Sic etiam v. 183. ss.

102. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-101

σκεθρῶς:

σκοθρῶς

M. a pr. manu.

τορῶς

nonnulli codices.

102. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-102

τὰ μέλλοντ', οὐδέ μοι:

τὰ μέλλοντα οὐδ᾽ ἐμοὶ

103. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-103

πῆμ' οὐδὲν:

πῆμα οὐδὲν

104. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-104

γιγνώσκονθ᾽:

γιγνώσκονθ'

Μ. Reliqui

γινώσκονθ'

105. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-105

NA: Moschopulus in Agapetum apud Fabricium Bibl. Gr. vol. XII. p. 306. sive ed. Harl. vol. VIII. p. 41. Theodorus Hyrtacenus Epist. S. et 43.

105. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-106

ἀδήριτον:

ἀδήρητον

Lips. Aug.

108. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-107

πορὼν:

πορῶν

M. Lips.

πορών

G. Aug.

108. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-108

ἐνέζευγμαι:

ἐνέζευγμαι

M. G. aliique codices.

ἐζευγμαι

Aug. Lips. et plerique codices.

ὑπέζευγμαι

edd. vett.

109. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-109

NA: Hesychius in v.

ναρθηκοπλήρωτες

. Schol. Ambrosianus ad Od. v. 490.

110. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-110

πηγὴν:

πηγήν

scriptum est apud Hesychium.

παγήν

, superscripto

, Lips.

111. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-111

πάσης:

πάσης

M. G. Lips. Aug. et plerique codices.

πᾶσι

nonnulli codices et Ald. Rob.

111. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-112

πέφηνε:

πέφηνε

M, G. Lips. Aug. et ceteri ut videtur codices.

πέφυκε

editiones veteres.

112. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-113

τοιάςδε:

τοιᾶς δε

G. Ceteri

τοιάσδε

. Quod Stanleius coniecerat non satis perspecto usu Graecorum,

τοιώνδε

, quattuor codices Vindobonenses habere dicit Schützius, testis valde suspectus.

113. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-114

πασσαλευτὸς ὤν:

πασσαλευτός

, omisso

ὤν

, G. Lips. Aug. et plerique codices.

πασσαλευμένος

Μ. et alii codices,

πασσαλευόμενος

Cantabr. 2.

δεσμοῖσι πεπασσαλευμένος

Rob.

πασσαλευτὸς ὢν

receptum inde a Turnebo.

114-115. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-115

NA: In Lips.

ἔα. ἔα. ἔα. ἔα. τίς ἀχώ. τίς ὀδμά

. ab alia, ut videtur, manu in fine praecedentis versus post

πασσαλευτός

addita sunt, omissis

προσέπτα μ' ἀφεγγὴς θεόσυτος

. Eadem omissa in Aug. in quo priora sic scripta sunt,

ἔα. ἔα. ἔα. τίς ἀχώ. τίς ὀδμά

. Recte scholiastae

ἐκπλήξεως ἐπιρρήματα. ἐπιρρήματα ἐκπληκτικά

. Quorum

ἔα ἔα

rei subitae mirationem,

ἔα ἔα

quid secuturum sit exspectationem significat. Vehementer commoveri Prometheum, ubi illa in solitudine aliquem ad se accedere sentit, per se patet. Itaque hic unicus est in hac tragoedia locus, in quo Prometheum pauca videmus liberioribus numeris exclamare. In ceteris quae loquitur omnibus summam servat gravitatem, aut iambis, aut, quum indignatione corripitur, anapaestis utens,

115. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-116

NA: Quis credat quaesitum esse quid oluerint Oceanides? Ambrosiam spirare putabat Schützius, odorem qualis esset deorum marinorum Jacobsius in Museo Attico vol. III. p. 403. Neutrum qualis sit intelligas. Ambrosium enim ipsum nomen non mortalium, sed deorum esse indicat: hic vero qui est? Non magis dicas quid dii marini redoleant, nisi valde diversum ab eo quod

νέποδες καλῆς ἁλοσύδνης

apud Homerum. Satis est meminisse, qui vitam sub dio agant, sensibus uti acrioribus, eoque facile vel levi aurae motu adventum alicuius percipere naribus.

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

;

1-127: Prologue (πρόλογος).

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

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.

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

⁵

⁶

;

21. του: the pronoun τὶς, like the prepositions, is often, in poetical dic- tion, placed in the second member of a disjunctive sentence, when it really belongs to both members. Cp. 156; Soph. Ant. 257 οὔτε θηρὸς οὔτε του κυνῶν, Eur. Hec. 370 οὔτ᾽ ἐλπίδος γὰρ οὔτε του δόξης, Soph. Trach. 3 οὔτ᾽ εἰ χρηστὸς οὔτ᾽ εἴ τῳ κακός, 1254 σπαραγ- μὸν ἤ τιν᾿ οἶστρον, Ο. Τ. 816 ῷ μὴ ξένων ἔξεστι μηδ᾽ ἀστῶν τινα δόμοις δέχεσθαι, Od. iv. 87 οὔτε ἄναξ ἐπιδευὴς οὔτε τι ποιμήν, Solon Frg. 4, 12 οὔθ' ἱερῶν κτεά- νων οὔτε τι δημοσίων φειδόμενοι. See on 458.

22. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-wecklein-allen1893-com-eng1-20

⁷

⁸

;

22. ὄψει: belongs by zeugma to φωνήν as well as μορφήν : neither a voice (shalt thou hear) nor yet a form shalt thou see. Cp. Suppl. 1006 πρὸς ταῦτα μὴ πάθωμεν ὧν πολὺς πόνος, πολὺς δὲ πόντος εἵνεκ᾽ ἠρόθη δορί. ‘Frequentis- sime hoc fit ubi grammatici αἴσθησιν ἀντὶ αἰσθήσεωs poni aiunt, quibus in locis cum nomine notio verbi congen- eris tacite comprehenditur' (Lobeck). · σταθευτός : φλογιζόμενος· σταθεύειν γὰρ τὸ κατ᾿ ὀλίγον ὀπτᾶν φασὶν ᾿Αττι- κοί, Schol. σταθευτός· πεφλογισμένος ἠρέμα, Hesych. That is, scorched. From στατός and εὕω. - After 15 (δυ- σχειμέρῳ) we should expect rather the baleful effects of cold to be men- tioned. But a Greek's imagination would be more vividly affected by a description of the sun's scorching heat; the allusion to cold follows later (25). - φοίβῃ: cp. φοῖβον ὕδωρ Hesiod Frg. 78. φοῖβον δὲ δήπου τὸ καθαρὸν καὶ ἁγνὸν οἱ παλαιοὶ πᾶν ὠνόμα- Cov Plut. Mor. 493 c. - Notice the alliteration φοίβῃ φλογί, and cp. Sept. 661 φλύοντα σὺν φοίτῳ φρενῶν, Αg. 492 φῶς ἐφήλωσεν φρένας. – This passage seems to be parodied in a fragment preserved in Eustath. Comm. Od. p. 1484, 27, χρόαν δὲ τὴν σὴν ἥλιος λάμ-. πων φλογὶ αἰγυπτιώσει.

23. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-wecklein-allen1893-com-eng1-21

⁹

¹⁰

;

23. χροιάς : χροιά, corresponding to Ionic χροιή, is an older and less trite form for the common χρόα. Simi- larly we have ποία and πόα, ῥοιά and ῥόα, στοιά (Ar. Eccl. 676, 684, 686) and στοά. - ἄνθος: used as here of the color of the skin in Solon Frg. 27, 5 τῇ τριτάτῃ δὲ γένειον ἀεξομένων ἔτι γυίων λαχνοῦται χροιῆς ἄνθος ἀμειβομένης, Theodectes Frg. 17 ἧς ἀγχιτέρμων ἥλιος διφρηλατῶν σκοτει- νὸν ἄνθος ἐξέχρωσε λιγνύος εἰς σώματ᾽ ἀνδρῶν (of the black color of the Ethiopians); of the color of the hair, Soph. O. T. 742 λευκανθὲς κάρα, Babr. 22.8 τῶν τριχῶν ἔτιλλεν ἃς ηὕρισκε λευ- κανθιζούσας; of color generally, Hdt. 1. 98 οὕτω πάντων τῶν κύκλων οἱ προμα- χεῶνες ἠνθισμένοι εἰσὶ φαρμάκοισι (col- ored with paints). - ἀσμένῳ: Il. xiv. 108 ἐμοὶ δέ κεν ἀσμένῳ εἴη, Soph. Trach. 18 ἀσμένῃ δέ μοι ὁ κλεινὸς ἦλθε ... παῖς, Eur. Phoen. 1043 χρόνῳ δ᾽ ἔβα τότ᾽ ἀσμένοις, Ar. Pax 582 ἀσμένοισιν ἦλθες ἡμῖν, φιλτάτη. On this dative of a participle of feeling, chiefly used with εἶναι and verbs of coming, see G. 184, 3, N. 5; H. 771 a. For the thought, cp. Deuteronomy xxviii. 67, 'In the morning thou shalt say, Would God it were even! and at even thou shalt say, Would God it were morning!'

24. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-wecklein-allen1893-com-eng1-22

¹¹

¹²

;

24. ποικιλείμων: from ποικίλος and εἶμα. ποικίλον ἔνδυμα ἔχουσα, διὰ τὸ πεποικίλθαι τοῖς ἄστροις, Schol. For ποικίλος, cp. Soph. Trach. 94 αἰόλα νύξ, Eur. Hel. 1096 ἀστέρων ποικίλματα, Frg. 596 ὀρφναία νὺξ αἰολόχρως ἄκριτός τ᾽ ἄστρων ὄχλος. For the second part, εἶμα, cp. Eur. Ion 1150 μελάμπεπλος νύξ, Orph. Argonaut. 1031 νὺξ ἀστροχί- των (511 μήνη ἀστροχίτων), Claudian Rapt. Proserp. ii. 363 nox picta sinus. – ἀποκρύψει : initial κρ, with the aid of the ictus, makes a long syl- lable; cp. 659 below θεοπρόπους, Eum. 403 ἄτρυτον, Pers. 217 ἀποτροπήν, 395 ἐπέφλεγεν. – ἀποκρύψει φαος: Archil. Frg. 74 Ζεὺς πατὴρ Ὀλυμπίων ἐκ με- σημβρίης ἔθηκε νύκτ᾽ ἀποκρύψας φάος ἡλίου λάμποντος.

26. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-wecklein-allen1893-com-eng1-23

¹³

¹⁴

;

26. ἀεὶ δὲ κτἑ.: the sense is, "ever will some evil be with thee, the pain of which shall make thee wretched," "one evil will ever be followed by another."

27. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-wecklein-allen1893-com-eng1-24

¹⁵

¹⁶

;

27. ὁ λωφήσων : cp. Soph. Ant. 261 οὐδ᾽ ὁ κωλύσων παρῆν, Εl. 1197 οὐδ᾽ οὑπαρήξων οὐδ᾽ ὁ κωλύσων πάρα. See also 771 below; Soph. Phil. 1242 τίς ἔσται μ᾽ οὐπικωλύσων τάδε. The scholi- ast wrongly understands a particular person (Heracles). λωφάω is here transitive, in 376 intransitive. In this use of the participle the object is commonly omitted. - οὐ πέφυκέ πω: οὔπω separated, as in 511, Pers. 179, Cho. 747, Eum. 590, Frg. 280, 5. In saying thy deliverer has yet to be born, Hephaestus means only, "no living soul can deliver thee."

28. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-wecklein-allen1893-com-eng1-25

¹⁷

¹⁸

;

28. ἐπηύρου: of the verb ἐπαυρίσκο- μαι only the second aorist ἐπηυρόμην is used by the tragic poets. ἐπηύρου is here ironical; such reward thou didst reap! Cp. Il. i. 410; and xv. 16 οὐ μὰν οἶδ᾽ εἰ αὖτε κακορραφίης ἀλεγεινῆς πρώτη ἐπαυρήαι, καί σε πληγῇσιν ἱμάσσω.

29. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-wecklein-allen1893-com-eng1-26

¹⁹

²⁰

;

29. θεὸς θεῶν (see on 19): said with reference to βροτοῖσι. The gods have a common interest as opposed to mortals. θεῶν modifies τιμάς. ὑποπτήσσων: cp. 175, 960.

30. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-wecklein-allen1893-com-eng1-27

²¹

²²

;

30. τιμάς : distinctive possessions, privileges, prerogatives, like γέρα, 107. See on 229. – πέρα δίκης: this, in the mouth of the well-disposed Hephaes- tus, must be taken as expressing the poet's own sentiment.

31. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-wecklein-allen1893-com-eng1-28

²³

²⁴

;

31. φρουρήσεις: said in reference to the sleeplessness mentioned in the next verse. Α φρουρός is forbidden to sleep. -ἀτερπή : cp. ἄζηλον 143; Od. xi. 94 ὄφρα ἴδῃς νέκυας καὶ ἀτερπέα χῶρον.

32. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-wecklein-allen1893-com-eng1-29

²⁵

²⁶

;

32. ὀρθοστάδην: see Introduction, p. 5, footnote 3. – κάμπτων γόνυ: of taking a posture of rest ; γόνυ κάμψαι· ἀναπαύεσθαι, Hesych. Cp. 396; Il. vii. 118 φημί μιν ἀσπασίως γόνυ κάμψειν, εἴ κε φύγῃσιν δηΐου ἐκ πολέμοιο, Eur. Hec. 1080, 1150; Catull. lxiv. 303 niveos flexerunt sedibus artus.

33. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-wecklein-allen1893-com-eng1-30

²⁷

²⁸

;

33. πολλοὺς δ᾽ ὀδυρμούς: προανα- φωνεῖ τὰς μονῳδίας αὐτοῦ, Schol.

35. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-wecklein-allen1893-com-eng1-31

²⁹

³⁰

;

35. νέον: adverbial. See Krüger II. § 46, 6, 7. The same thought recurs 96, 149, 310, 389, 942, 955.

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38. προύδωκεν : like κλέψας ὤπασεν, 8.-Cratos begins this angry collo- quy with three verses (cp. 613), but afterwards speaks regularly two; He- phaestus speaks single verses through- out, in accordance with his gruff and blunt-spoken nature. - ὅστις: has a qualitative force, one who betrayed (was such as to betray) = since he be- trayed. So 759; Pers. 744 παῖς δ᾽ ἐμὸς τάδ᾽ οὐ κατειδὼς ἤνυσεν νέῳ θράσει, ὅστις ... ἤλπισε. ence.

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39. δεινόν: mighty, a mighty influ- Cp. Sept. 1031 δεινὸν τὸ κοινὸν σπλάγχνον οὗ πεφύκαμεν, Soph. El. 770 δεινὸν τὸ τίκτειν ἐστίν, Eur. Andr. 985 τὸ συγγενὲς γὰρ δεινόν, Phoen. 355 δεί- νὸν γυναιξὶν αἱ δι ὠδίνων γοναί, Iph. Α. 917 δεινὸν τὸ τίκτειν καὶ φέρει φίλ- τρον μέγα. – ὁμιλία: Quint. Decl. 321 consuetudo alienos etiam ac nulla necessitudine inter se DIOV TE NJE coniunctos componere et ad- stringere officiis potest.

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41. οἷόν τε; licet? is it allowa- ble? Cp. Ar. Thesm. 3 οἷόν τε ... παρὰ σοῦ πυθέσθαι; may a body ask? — πῶς οὐ: cp. 589, 759; Soph. Ai. 677 ἡμεῖς δὲ πῶς οὐ γνωσόμεσθα σωφρονεῖν; Ar. Nub. 398 καὶ πῶς, εἴπερ βάλλει · τοὺς ἐπιόρκους, δῆτ᾽ οὐχὶ Σίμων᾽ ἐνέ- πρησεν; Isocr. Paneg. 175 πῶς οὐ χρὴ διαλύειν ταύτας τὰς ὁμολογίας; – δει- μαίνεις ; refers to the foregoing δεινόν.

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42. The first and second persons of εἰμί are less often omitted, yet see 178, 246, 320, 373, 987. Only with ἕτοιμος is the omission common; here it occurs even though ἐγώ is left out. Cp. Soph. Ai. 813 χωρεῖν ἕτοιμος (sc. εἰμί), Ο. Τ. 92, Eur. Med. 612. In 475 below, the missing σύ can be sup- plied from the preceding σεαυτόν. See Krüger I. § 62, 1, 5.

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46. νὶν: in tragedy this word stands for all genders, in singular and in plural. G. 79, 1, Ν. 4; H. 261 D a. – ὡς ἁπλῷ λόγῳ: equivalent to ὡς ἁπλῶς εἰπεῖν, to speak plainly, bluntly. Ср. 975.

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48. Cp. Eur. Iph. Α. 86 τἀξίωμα δὲ ἄλλος τις ὤφελ᾽ ἀντ᾿ ἐμοῦ λαβεῖν τόδε.

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49 f. The sense is, "another sta- tion would have another burden: every one is bound to service and obedience save Zeus, the sovereign ruler; he alone commands all and obeys none” (ὑπ᾽ ἀρχᾶς οὔτινος θοάζων, Suppl. 595). – ἐπαχθῆ: vexatious, dis- agreeable. – κοιρανεῖν : with dative, like ἄρχειν 940, ἐπιδεσπόζει στρατῷ Pers. 241. See Krüger II. § 47, 20, 3.

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51. ἔγνωκα τοῖσδε: I recognize it (the truth of what you say) by this (what is here going on). – οὐδὲν ἀντειπεῖν : sc. τὸ μὴ οὐ τὰ ἐπιτεταγμένα ποιεῖν.

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52. δεσμὰ περιβαλεῖν : resolution in the fifth foot is very rare in trag- edy. This is the only case in the Prometheus. See on 2.

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53. ἐλινύοντα: ἐλινύω is absolute here, but is construed with a partici- ple in 529.

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54. ψέλια : the best manuscript has ψάλια, others ψέλια. Ammonius gives the distinction: ψάλια μὲν τὸ τοῦ ἵππου, ψέλιον δὲ τὸ ἄκροις βραχίοσι περι τιθέμενον κόσμιον. With such brace- let-like clamps Prometheus is fastened in the paintings described in the In- trod., p. 5, footnote 3.-δέρκεσθαι : said with reference to προσδερχθῇ above.

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55 f. νὶν: τὰ ψέλια, Schol. ; see on 46. – ἐγκρατεῖ σθένει, ῥαιστήρι : of these two datives the one denotes the inner power (dynamic dative), the other the external means (instrumen- tal dative). ἐγκρατεῖ σθένει nearly = ἐγκρατῶς. In Il. xviii. 477 Hephaes- tus wields a ῥαιστὴρ κρατερή.

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56. θεῖνε πασσάλευε : the connective is omitted ('asyndeton') when a sin- gle idea is expressed by two or more verbs, the second being a stronger ex- pression than the first. Ср. 58, 141, 392, 608, 698, 937; Pers. 426 ἔπαιον ἐρράχιζον, 463 παίουσι κρεοκοποῦσι, Cho. 289 κινεῖ ταράσσει, Sept. 60 χωρεῖ κοι νίει, 186 αύειν λακάζειν, Soph. Ai. 60 ὤτρυνον εἰσέβαλλον εἰς ἕρκη κακά, 115, 811, 844, 988, Ant. 1037 κερδαίνετ' ἐμπολᾶτε, Εl. 719 ἤφριζον εἰσέβαλλον ἱππικαὶ πνοαί, Trach. 1255 ἐγκονεῖτ᾽ αἴρεσθε, Eur. Hec. 507 σπεύδωμεν ἐγκο- νῶμεν, Phoen. 1434 ἔκλαι᾽ ἐθρήνει.

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57. ματᾷ: διατρίβει, χρονίζει, He- sych.

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59. Cp. Ar. Εq. 758 ποικίλος γὰρ ἁνὴρ κἀκ τῶν ἀμηχάνων πόρους εὐμή- χανος πορίζειν.

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61. πόρπασον : long à (not n), as in πόρπαμα Eur. El. 820. Cp. ἐκθοινά- σεται 1025 (θοινατῆρος Ag. 1502, θοί- ναμα Eur. Ion 1495), and other tragic forms, as εὐνατήρ Pers. 137, εὐνάτειρα Pers. 157, ποινάτωρ Ag. 1281, ἱπποβά- μων 805 below and Supp. 284, έκα- τογκάρανος 353 (καρανοῦται Cho. 528), κυναγός, βαλός, γάπεδον, γάμοροι, γάπο- τος, ἕκατι, δαρόν, δάιος, and others.

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62. σοφιστής: in Aeschylus's time this word had not acquired the mean- ing which Socrates and Plato after- wards gave it, and which through their influence passed into history. Cp. Athen. xiv. 632 c πάντας τοὺς χρω- μένους τῇ τέχνῃ ταύτῃ (i.e. τῇ μουσικῇ) σοφιστὰς ἀπεκάλουν, ὥσπερ καὶ Αἰσχύ- λος ἐποίησεν 'εἴτ᾽ οὖν σοφιστὴς κᾶλα παραπαίων χέλυν.' In this play, both here and 944, the word implies a crafty and unscrupulous cleverness.

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Cp. the sense of σοφίζομαι in Soph. Phil. 77 ἀλλ᾿ αὐτὸ τοῦτο δεῖ σοφισθῆ- ναι, κλοπεὺς ὅπως γένηται τῶν ἀνικήτων ὅπλων. – ὤν : the speaker does not mean that Zeus is a σοφιστής. Logi- cally only Διὸς νωθέστερος belongs to μάθῃ ὤν. σοφιστής, though grammat- ically a predicate, refers only to Pro- metheus. The general sense is, "may learn that with all his artfulness he is slower-witted than Zeus."

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64. αὐθάδη: with this epithet the Homeric νηλέϊ χαλκῷ, λᾶας ἀναιδής, and the Euripidean λάβρῳ μαχαίρᾳ, Cycl. 403, may be compared. – γνά- θον: cp. γένus used in the sense of πέλεκυς in Soph. El. 196 and 485, Phil. 1205, and πελέκεων γνάθοις in Eur. Cycl. 395.

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65. στέρνων διαμπάξ: the passage of Hesiod, Theog. 521, δῆσε δ᾽ ἀλυκτο- πέδησι Προμηθέα ποικιλόβουλον δεσμοῖς ἀργαλέοισι μέσον διὰ κίον᾽ ἐλάσσας, which should be construed ἐλάσσας (τὰ δεσμὰ) διὰ μέσον κίονα, riveting the chains through the middle of the pillar, was wrongly understood as ἐλάσσας κίονα διὰ μέσον (τὸν Προμηθέα). Ac- cordingly, on an ancient black-figured vase, found at Chiusi and now in the Berlin Museum (No. 1722; Jahn, Archaeologische Beiträge, Plate viii.; Baumeister, Denkmäler fig. 1566), we find Prometheus represented as ac- tually impaled (on an upright stake passed lengthwise through the body). This revolting conception was modi- fied by Aeschylus into one more endurable for the eye. Even in He- siod's narrative the original notion is obscured: the older legend doubtless meant by the pillar a κίων οὐράνιος, that is, a sharp mountain-peak rear- ing itself to the sky. See on 349.

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66. ὑπό : because of, by reason of, denoting the cause; as Thuc. ii. 85 ὑπὸ ἀνέμων καὶ ὑπὸ ἀπλοίας ἐνδιέτριψεν οὐκ ὀλίγον χρόνον, ίν. 8 ὑλώδης τε καὶ ἀτριβὴς πᾶσα ὑπ᾽ ἐρημίας ἦν (sc. ἡ νῆ- σος), Soph. Ant. 221 ὑπ᾽ ἐλπίδων ἄνδρας τὸ κέρδος πολλάκις διώλεσεν, also Ag. 475 πυρὸς δ᾽ ὑπ᾿ εὐαγγέλου πόλιν διήκει θοὰ βάξις.

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67. αὖ κατοκνεῖς : see 36. – ἐχθρῶν ὕπερ: the tragedians often put the preposition after its noun when an attributive (as in 653 a genitive) follows both. Otherwise, the post- ponement of the preposition (with anastrophe of the accent) is per-

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mitted in trimeter, as a rule, only when the preposition comes thereby to stand at the end of a verse. This occurs most frequently with περί, μετά, παρά, ὑπό, ὑπέρ, ἀπό, and ἐπί, in con- nexion with the genitive. The re- maining cases in Aeschylus are: with the dative, ὑπό 365 below and Pers. 190, ἐπί Suppl. 1003, μετά Pers. 613; with the accusative, περί Pers. 61.

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68. ὅπως μή κτέ.: for this form of warning see GMT. 272; G. 217, N. 4; Η. 886.

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70. ὀρῶ: said with emphasis after ὁρᾷς.

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71. μασχαλιστήρας : iron girths, passed round the body and nailed to the rock on either side.

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72. The asyndeton of the two clauses (instead of μηδὲν ἐγκέλευ᾿ ἄγαν, ἀνάγκη γὰρ ταῦτα δρᾶν: see on 373 f.) expresses irritation. Krüger I. § 59, 1, 8, and II. § 59, 1, 7. Im- patience at the repeated admonitions is also implied in the compound ἐγκέ- λευε, command imperiously, urgently.

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73. ἡ μὴν κελεύσω: defiant reply to Hephaestus's demand. - ἐπιθωύξω : ср. 277, 393, 1041; Eur. Hipp. 219 κυσὶ θωύξαι. The scholiast on 277 remarks, ἡ μεταφορὰ ἀπὸ τῶν κυνηγῶν: that is, the verb was properly used of a hunter's call to his dogs. – καὶ γέ: et quidem; yé serves to emphasize the stronger statement. Cp. Eur. Phoen. 610 ΠΟ. ὅς μ᾽ ἄμοιρον ἐξελαύνεις. ΕΤ. καὶ κατακτενῶ γε πρός. - πρός: adverbial. Cp. πρὸς δέ 929, καὶ πρός Cho. 299. G. 191, Ν. 2; Η. 785. ...

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74. χώρει κάτω: the scholiast un- derstands this literally : διὰ τοῦ ῾χώ- ρει κάτω᾿ τὸ μέγεθος ἐνέφηνε τοῦ δεσμευομένου θεοῦ. But it may mean simply, "proceed to the lower limbs." κίρκωσον: ἀντὶ τοῦ κρίκωσον, Schol. κρίκος, ring, is read in Il. xxiv. 272. The older form κίρκος (circus) sur- vived in the name of the bird (Od. xiii. 86 ἴρηξ κίρκος): see 857. Simi- lar are the Attic forms φάρξαι for φράξαι, δαρχμή for δραχμή.

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76. διατόρους πέδας: πέδας is ge- neric, as in 6. διάτορος is here passive, perforated; the active sense (see 181) is more common. Schütz and Her- mann understand it of holes origi- nally made in the fetters for the reception of the nails. Rather it means "pierced by nails," "having nails driven through them," as in Soph. O. T. 1034 διατόρους ποδοῖν ἀκμάς means "feet pierced with needles." θεῖνε then refers to the nails. Hephaes- tus is bidden, before departing, to examine once more the different fas- tenings and drive the nails in each firmly home. - On the resolution, see note on 2. Three other resolutions of this foot occur (273, 680, 809). In 273 the second and third shorts of the tribrach are formed by a disyllable (διά); in 809 they begin a word of three syllables; in 680, as here, they begin a word of four syllables.

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77. Cp. 53 and 68. – ἐπιτιμητής : cp. Pers. 827 Ζεύς τοι κολαστὴς τῶν ὑπερκόπων ἄγαν φρονημάτων ἔπεστιν, εὔθυνος βαρύς, Soph. Frg. 478 κολασταὶ κἀπιτιμηταὶ κακῶν, Eur. Suppl. 255 τούτων κολαστὴν κἀπιτιμητήν, ἄναξ.

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78. ὅμοια μορφῃ: ὡς ἐκτραπέλου (grotesque) πεποιημένου τοῦ προσώπου (mask) αὐτοῦ, Schol.

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79. μαλθακίζου: on this use of the imperative to denote a permission, see Krüger I. § 54, 4, 2.

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80. ὀργῆς: violent nature.

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81. κώλοισιν: the dative depends on the notion of ἀμφιβάλλειν implied in ἀμφίβληστρ᾽ ἔχει. – Hephaestus, with these words, quietly goes his way, while Cratos remains to give further vent to his scorn. In this way time was secured for the retiring ac- tor to take his position for the part of Prometheus. See Introduction, p. 23.

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82. Cp. Il. xxi. 120 τὸν δ' ᾿Αχι- λεὺς ποταμόνδε λαβὼν ποδὸς ἧκε φέρε- σθαι, καί οἱ ἐπευχόμενος ἔπεα πτερόεντ' ἀγόρευεν· ἐνταυθοῖ νῦν κεῖσο μετ᾿ ἰχθύ- σιν κτέ., Od. xviii. 105 ἐνταυθοῖ νῦν ἦσο σύας τε κύνας τ᾿ ἀπερύκων κτέ., Ar. Thesm. 1001 ἐνταῦθα νῦν οἰμῶξι πρὸς τὴν αἰτρίαν, also Vesp. 149, Plut. 724.

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83. ἐφημέροισι: see on 546 f., and

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ср. 253, 945, Eur. Orest. 976 ἰὰ ἰώ, πανδάκρυτ᾽ ἐφαμέρων ἔθνη πολύπονα, Ar. Nub. 223 (Socrates speaks as a god) τί με καλεῖς, ὦ ᾿φήμερε, Cic. Tusc. i. 39, 94 apud Hypanim fluvium... Aristoteles ait bestiolas quasdam nasci, quae unum diem vivant (Aris- totle H. An. v. 19, calls these animals ἐφήμερα) . . Confer nostram longissimam aetatem cum aeternitate; in eadem prope- modum brevitate qua illae bestiolae reperiemur.

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86. The construction δεῖ τινά τινος is not elsewhere found in Aeschylus, but occurs several times in Euripides (Hec. 1021, Phoen. 470, Hipp. 23, Ion 1018, H. F. 1170, Rhes. 837). G. 172, 2, Ν. 2; Η. 712 b. – προμηθέως: the proper name is here used as an appel- lative, fore-thinker, counsellor. Cp. Pind. Ol. vii. 79 ἐν δ᾽ ἀρετὰν ἔβαλεν καὶ χάρματ᾽ ἀνθρώποισι Προμαθέος αἰ- δώς. Etymological interpretations of proper names are frequent in Aeschy- lus. His view on the subject is ex- pressed Ag. 681: τίς ποτ᾿ ὠνόμαζεν ὧδ᾽ ἐς τὸ πᾶν ἐτητύμως; μή τις ὅντιν᾿ οὐχ ὁρῶμεν προνοίαισι τοῦ πε- πρωμένου γλῶσσαν ἐν τύχᾳ νέ- μων; where Ἑλένα is explained as ἑλέναυς, ἕλανδρος, ἑλέπτολις. Cp. ibid. 1080 ᾿Απόλλων ... ἀπόλλων ἐμός, and similar cases, Sept. 658, 829, 536; ср. also Od. i. 60 οὔ νύ τ᾿ Ὀδυσσεὺς χαρίζετο ἱερὰ ῥέζων; τί νύ οἱ τόσον ὠδύ- σαο, Ζεῦ; Eur. Phoen. 636 ἀληθῶς δ᾽ ὄνομα Πολυνείκην πατὴρ ἔθετό σοι θείᾳ προνοίᾳ νεικέων ἐπώνυμον. On the thought, cp. 474 f. below, and the passage of Mark there quoted.

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87. ὅτῳ τρόπῳ ἐκκυλισθήσει: cp. Eur. Med. 322 οὐκ ἔχεις τέχνην, ὅπως μενεῖς παρ' ἡμῖν, Thuc. i. 107 ἔδοξε δ' αὐτοῖς ... σκέψασθαι, ὅτῳ τρόπῳ ἀσφα- λέστατα διαπορεύσονται. The clause depends on the verbal idea τοῦ προμη- θουμένου implied in προμηθέως. – τέ- χνης: τῶν δεσμῶν, Schol.; another scholiast, τοῦ τεχνηέντως κατεσκευ- ασμένου δεσμοῦ. Cp. Soph. O. C. 472 κρατῆρες εἰσίν, ἀνδρὸς εὔχειρος τέχνη, Frg. III. of the Prom. Solutus below, 8, qua miser sollertia transver- beratus. Prometheus is bound hand and foot, so that he cannot stir. This serves to excite the spectators' com- passion (cp. 32), but it also affords a reason for the immobility, during the entire play, of the figure representing Prometheus. See Introduction, p. 22.

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88-127. Second Scene. Pro- metheus alone. With this invocation of the elements cp. Il. iii. 277 ἠέλιός θ' ὃς πάντ᾽ ἐφορᾶς καὶ πάντ᾽ ἐπακούεις, καὶ ποταμοὶ καὶ γαῖα, Soph. Phil. 936& λιμένες, ὦ προβλῆτες, ὦ ξυνουσίαι θηρῶν ὀρείων, ὦ καταρρῶγες πέτραι, ὑμῖν τάδ', οὐ γὰρ ἄλλον οἶδ᾽ ὅτῳ λέγω, ἀνακλαίομαι. Apsines (Rhet. Gr. ed. Spengel I. p. 400) says: κινεῖ δὲ ἔλεον καὶ λόγος πρὸς τόπον τινὰ γινόμενος.

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88. δῖος: heavenly, from the root

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δι-, δις- (Sanskrit di-, shine). Cp. Il. χνί. 365 αἰθέρος ἐκ δίης ὅτε τε Ζεὺς λαίλαπα τείνῃ. — ταχύπτεροι : said fig- uratively, with reference to the physi- cal impression made by a passing breeze. Actual winged daemons the guise in which the Winds and similar beings are depicted in ancient art- are not here to be understood.

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90. ἀνήριθμον γέλασμα : of the slightly ruffled surface of the sea, lighted up by the sun. Cp. Il. xix. 362 γέλασσε δὲ πᾶσα περὶ χθὼν χαλκοῦ ὑπὸ στεροπῆς. The verb yeλᾶν often denotes merriment or cheerfulness in a figurative sense; thus Hesiod Theog. 40 γελᾷ δέ τε δώματα πατρὸς . . . θεᾶν ὀπὶ λειριοέσσῃ σκιδναμένῃ. The scholi- ast on our passage renders γέλασμα by διάχυμα. In a different sense Catullus, lxiv. 273, says of the sea-waves leni resonant plangore cachinni. – παμμήτορ γῆ: cp. Hom. Hymn xxx. 1 γαῖαν παμμήτειραν, Cho. 127 γαῖαν ἡ τὰ πάντα τίκτεται.

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91. καὶ ... καλῶ: ἤλλαξε τὴν φράσιν, Schol. Cp. Soph. Αi. 859 & φέγγος, ὦ γῆς ἱερὸν οἰκείας πέδον Σαλαμῖνος, ὦ πατρῷον ἑστίας βάθρον κλειναί τ᾽ ᾿Αθῆναι, καὶ τὸ σύντροφον γένος, κρῆναί τε ποτα- μοί θ' οἵδε, καὶ τὰ Τρωικὰ πεδία προσαυδῶ, χαίρετ', ὦ τροφῆς ἐμοί, also O. C. 1091. — κύκλον : cp. Pers. 504 λαμπρὸς ἡλίου κύκλος. This expres- sion (like orbis solis) had its origin in ancient conceptions of the sun as a wheel of fire. In the Edda the sun is called fagravhel, that is, 'fair-wheel,' 'wheel of brightness.' See Grimm's Deutsche Mythologie, I. 586, II. 664.

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92. πρὸς θεῶν: πρός τινος and ἔκ τι- νος, for ὑπό τινος, are common in He- rodotus and the tragedians. Krüger II. § 52, 3, 1. πάσχειν ἐκ Occurs 759, πάσχειν ὑπό 1041.

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93 f. The transition from iambi to anapaests marks an outbreak of more violent passion. At 101, with a calmer mood, the quieter rhythm returns. αἰκίαισιν (= ἀεικελίοις μόχθοις) δια- κναιόμενος : cp. 541. - τὸν μυριετή χρόνον: said like τὸν πλείω χρόνον, (Ar. Ran. 160, Thuc. iv. 117), τὸν πάντα χρόνον (Ar. Nub. 462). μυριετῆ· πολυετῆ· ἐν γὰρ τῷ πυρφόρῳ τρεῖς μυ- ριάδας φησὶ δεδέσθαι αὐτόν, Schol. (cp. Hygin. Poet. astr. ii. 15). Both num- bers are merely hyperbolic expres- sions for a very long time. – ἀθλεύσω : absolute, suffer. Cp. Il. xxiv. 734 ἀθ- λεύων πρὸ ἄνακτος ἀμειλίχου. The word is Ionic.

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96. ταγός: cp. Pers. 23 ταγοὶ Περ- σῶν, 323 νεῶν ταγός, Soph. Ant. 1057 ἆρ' οἶσθα ταγοὺς (lords and masters) ὄντας ἂν λέγῃς λέγων;

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97. The anapaestic monometer forms a close, but a less emphatic one than the paroemiac.-δεσμόν : the singular as in 141. We have δεσμούς ἀεικεῖς 525. – ἀεική: see on 113.

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99. στενάχω, πῇ: as it were I groan to think how, etc. Cp. 182; Soph. Ai. 794 ὥστε μ' ὠδίνειν τί φής, Eur. Hec. 184 δειμαίνω τί ποτ᾿ ἀναστένεις, Ar. Nub. 1391 οἶμαί γε τῶν νεωτέρων τὰς καρδίας πηδᾶν ὅ τι λέξει. - πῇ πότε: cp. 545; Eur. Alc. 213 ἰὼ Ζεῦ, τίς ἂν πῶς πᾶ πόρος κακῶν γένοιτο ; Krüger I. § 51, 17, 10; H. 1013.

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100. χρή: nearly = μέλλει. – ἐπι- τεῖλαι: ἐπιτέλλεσθαι of the rising of heavenly bodies, Hom. Hymn iii. 371 ἠελίοιο νέον ἐπιτελλομένοιο, Hesiod Ο. D. 567 πρῶτον παμφαίνων ἐπιτέλλε- ται. The active in the 'Iλιὰς μικρά (Tzetzes on Lycophr. 344) λαμπρή δ᾽ ἐπέτελλε σελήνη. In a figurative sense, Theogn. 1275 ὡραῖος καὶ ἔρως ἐπιτέλλεται ἡνίκα περ γῆ ἄνθεσιν εἰαρι- νοῖς θάλλει ἀεξομένη.

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101. καίτοι τί φημι: 'se ipsum obiurgat Prometheus; et paulisper ob malorum magnitudinem naturae suae oblitus iam ad se redit' (Schütz). θνητοῖς γὰρ γέρα – προυξεπίσταμαι : as son of Themis. Ср. 209, 873.

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102. ποταίνιον: predicative; shall not come unexpected.

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105. ἀδήριτον: Il. xvii. 41 ἀλλ᾽ οὐ μὰν ἔτι δηρὸν ἀπείρητος πόνος ἔσται λong οὐδέ τ᾽ ἀδήριτος. Here = ἄμαχος (ἀδή- ριτον· ἄμαχον, ἀκατάμαχον, Hesych.). Cp. ἀνίκητος, ίnvictus. For the thought cp. Simon. Frg. 5,21 (Plat. Prot. 345d) ἀνάγκᾳ δ᾽ οὐδὲ θεοὶ μάχονται, Soph. Ant. 1106 ἀνάγκῃ δ᾽ οὐχὶ δυσμαχητέον, Ο. C. 191 καὶ μὴ χρείᾳ πολεμῶμεν, Eur. Iph. Τ. 1486 τὸ γὰρ χρεὼν σοῦ τε καὶ θεῶν κρατεῖ.

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106. οὔτε σιγᾶν οὔτε μὴ σιγᾶν : ex- plained by 197, whence we see that the motive for silence is the pain of speaking (not caution as in Ag. 548, πάλαι τὸ σιγᾶν φάρμακον βλάβης ἔχω). The scholiast wrongly explains, ἀλλ᾽ οὔτε σιγᾶν δύναμαι (ἀλγῶ γὰρ) οὔτε ἐλέγ- χειν· εὐλαβοῦμαι γὰρ τὸν Δία. Cp.Soph. Phil. 329 ὦ παῖ Ποίαντος, ἐξερῶ, μόλις δ᾽ ἐρῶ, ἅγωγ᾽ ὑπ᾿ αὐτῶν ἐξελωβήθην μολών.

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107. γέρα: see on τιμάς, 30. — Here and in 821 we find the thesis of the fifth foot formed by the long final syllable of a word of more than one

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syllable (θνη-τοῖς). This is very rare in tragedy (H. 1091,5). It is excusa- ble when, as here, a distinct pause, in connexion with the caesura of the fourth foot (hephthemimeris), imme- diately precedes. See also on 648. ...

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108. ἀνάγκαις : said like αἰκίαι 93. – ἐνέζευγμαι : a favorite metaphor of Aeschylus. Cp. 578, 1009; Ag. 1639 τὸν δὲ μὴ πειθάνορα ζεύξω βαρείαις (sc. ζεύγλαις), 841 μόνος δ᾽ Ὀδυσσεὺς ζευχθεὶς ἕτοιμος ἦν ἐμοὶ σειραφόρος, Cho. 795 ζυγέντ᾽ ἐν ἅρμασιν πημάτων, also Ag. 218 ἀνάγκας ἔδυ λέπαδνον. Figures and comparisons drawn from husbandry and rural life are frequent in the tra- gedians. With our passage cp. Eur. Οr. 1330 ἀνάγκης εἰς ζυγὸν καθέσταμεν, Hipp. 1389 οἵαις συμφοραῖς συνεζύγης.

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109. ναρθηκοπλήρωτον: τὴν ἐν νάρ- θηκι θησαυρισθεῖσαν, παρόσον τῷ νάρθηκι ἐχρῶντο πρὸς τὰς ἐκζωπυρώσεις τοῦ πυρός, Hesych. The νάρθηξ (ferula communis, in modern Greek ἀνάρθη- kas) is an umbelliferous reed-like plant, about four feet high; its stalk is filled with an acrid milky juice (habent fungosam intus me- dullam ut sambuci: Plin.). When dried it readily catches and preserves a spark of fire; the peas- ants of southern Italy use it as tinder. Cp. Phanias, Anthol. vi. 294 νάρθηξ πυρικοίτας, also Theophr. Hist. Pl. vi. 2, 7, Plin. H. N. xiii. 22. 42. On the mythical significance of the narthex, see Introduction, p. 2. - This clause is properly explanatory of what goes before, nevertheless it is introduced by de as if it were a new and distinct statement. The scholiasts often ren- der this dé by yap; an example is Cho. 239 προσαυδᾶν δ᾽ ἔστ᾽ ἀναγκαίως ἔχον, which is explanatory of the foregoing words τέσσαρας μοίρας ἔχον ἐμοί. – θηρῶμαι: historical present. Krüger I. § 53, 1, 11; GMT. 33.

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110 f. διδάσκαλος τέχνης πάσης : see on 7. - πόρος : absolute, as in 477.

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112. τοιώνδε ποινὰς ἀμπλακημάτων: ср. 564, 620.

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113. ὑπαιθρίοις: explains προυσε- λούμενος; the insult of the punish- ment consists in its publicity, See also 158. Prometheus lays stress on the ignominious nature of his punish- ment, 97, 177, 195, 227, 256, 438, 525. For the connexion of ὑπαιθρίοις and δεσμοῖσι, see on ἀφεγγής 115. – πρου- σελούμενος: this word recurs 438; it is found elsewhere only in Ar. Ran. 730 (προυσελοῦμεν). Cp. Etym. Mag. p. 690, 11 προυσελεῖν λέγουσι τὸ ὑβρί- ζειν. It is therefore equivalent to αἰκίζομαι, the word employed in most of the similar passages of this play (cp. Hesych. προυγελεῖν· προπηλακί- ζειν, ὑβρίζειν). The etymology of the word is unknown: it has been proposed to derive it from προσεέλ- λειν, on the supposition that the digamma, falling out after o, has lengthened the preceding syllable, as in θεουδής (θεοδρής).

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114-127 announce the approach of the chorus and accompany (from 120 on) the movements of the winged chariot. Similarly in the Electra of Sophocles anapaests of Electra ac- company the entrance of the chorus.

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114. A rush or whir is heard in the air. -ad: ἐκπλήξεως ἐπιρρήματα, Schol. Ce mélange de douleur et d'effroi, de faiblesse et de fermeté me paraît tout à fait admirable' (Patin).

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115. The bacchic rhythms express surprise and amazement. ·ὀδμά: an odor of the sea is supposed to pre- cede the nymphs, in whose costume seaweed, shells, etc., may well have been prominent. Cp. Eur. Hipp. 1391 ἔα· ὦ θεῖον ὀδμῆς πνεῦμα·... ἔστ᾽ ἐν τόποισι τοισίδ᾽ ῎Αρτεμις θεά, Verg. Aen. i. 403 ambrosiaeque comae di- vinum vertice odorem spira- vere. - προσέπτα: cp. Plaut. Amphitr. 325 vox mi ad auris advo- lavit. The verb, in a somewhat different sense, is joined with the da- tive in 555 and 644. – ἀφεγγής: (here nearly = ἀφανής) is, by a figure com- mon in the poets, connected with ἀχώ and ὀδμά, whereas it is properly an epithet of the object from which they emanate. - For the situation cp. Soph. Phil. 203 προυφάνη κτύπος βάλλει μ᾽ ἐτύμα φθογγά του.

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IO O thou that didst dawn a common benefit upon mortals, wretched Prometheus, as penance for what offence art thou thus suffering?

PROMETHEUS I have just ceased lamenting my own pangs.

IO Wilt thou not then accord to me this boon?

PROMETHEUS Say what it is that thou art asking, for thou mightest learn every thing from me.

IO Say who it was that bound thee fast in this cleft?

PROMETHEUS The decree of Jupiter, but the hand of Vulcan.

IO And for what offences art thou paying the penalty?

PROMETHEUS Thus much alone is all that I can clearly explain to thee.

IO At least, in addition to this, discover what time shall be to me woe-worn the limit of my wanderings.

PROMETHEUS Not to learn this is better for thee than to learn it.

IO Yet conceal not from me what I am to endure.

PROMETHEUS Nay, I grudge thee not this gift.

IO Why then delayest thou to utter the whole?

PROMETHEUS 'Tis not reluctance, but I am loth to shock thy feelings.

IO Do not be more anxious on my account than is agreeable to me .

PROMETHEUS Since thou art eager, I must needs tell thee: attend thou.

CHORUS Not yet, however; but grant me also a share of the pleasure. Let us first learn the malady of this maiden, from her own tale of her destructive fortunes; but, for the sequel of her afflictions let her be informed by thee.

PROMETHEUS It is thy part, Io, to minister to the gratification of these now before thee, both for all other reasons, and that they are the sisters of thy father. Since to weep and lament over misfortunes, when one is sure to win a tear from the listeners, is well worth the while.

IO

Current edition Experimental

Ἰώ ὦ κοινὸν ὠφέλημα θνητοῖσιν φανείς, τλῆμον Προμηθεῦ, τοῦ δίκην πάσχεις τάδε;

Προμηθεύς ἁρμοῖ πέπαυμαι τοὺς ἐμοὺς θρηνῶν πόνους. 615

Ἰώ οὔκουν πόροις ἂν τήνδε δωρεὰν ἐμοί;

Προμηθεύς λέγ᾽ ἥντιν᾽ αἰτεῖ: πᾶν γὰρ ἂν 2 πύθοιό μου.

Ἰώ σήμηνον ὅστις ἐν φάραγγί σ᾽ ὤχμασε.

Προμηθεύς βούλευμα μὲν τὸ Δῖον, Ἡφαίστου δὲ χείρ.

Ἰώ ποίων δὲ ποινὰς ἀμπλακημάτων τίνεις; 620

Προμηθεύς τοσοῦτον ἀρκῶ σοι σαφηνίσας 3 μόνον.

Ἰώ καὶ πρός γε τούτοις τέρμα τῆς ἐμῆς πλάνης δεῖξον τίς ἔσται τῇ ταλαιπώρῳ χρόνος.

Προμηθεύς τὸ μὴ μαθεῖν σοι κρεῖσσον ἢ μαθεῖν τάδε.

Ἰώ μήτοι με κρύψῃς τοῦθ᾽ ὅπερ μέλλω παθεῖν. 625

Προμηθεύς ἀλλ᾽ οὐ μεγαίρω τοῦδέ σοι 4 δωρήματος.

Ἰώ τί δῆτα μέλλεις μὴ 5 οὐ γεγωνίσκειν τὸ πᾶν;

Προμηθεύς φθόνος μὲν οὐδείς, σὰς δ᾽ ὀκνῶ θρᾶξαι φρένας.

Ἰώ μή μου προκήδου μᾶσσον ὧν 6 ἐμοὶ γλυκύ.

Προμηθεύς ἐπεὶ προθυμεῖ, χρὴ λέγειν: ἄκουε δή. 630

Χορός μήπω γε: μοῖραν δ᾽ ἡδονῆς κἀμοὶ πόρε. τὴν τῆσδε πρῶτον ἱστορήσωμεν νόσον, αὐτῆς λεγούσης τὰς πολυφθόρους τύχας: τὰ λοιπὰ δ᾽ ἄθλων σοῦ διδαχθήτω πάρα.

Προμηθεύς πρῴ γε στενάζεις καὶ φόβου πλέα τις εἶ: ἐπίσχες ἔστ᾽ ἂν καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ προσμάθῃς.

Χορός λέγ᾽, ἐκδίδασκε: τοῖς νοσοῦσί τοι γλυκὺ τὸ λοιπὸν ἄλγος προυξεπίστασθαι τορῶς.

Ἰώ ἰώ μοί μοι, ἐή.

Προμηθεύς σὺ δ᾽ αὖ κέκραγας κἀναμυχθίζει: τί που δράσεις, ὅταν τὰ λοιπὰ πυνθάνῃ κακά;

Χορός ἦ γάρ τι λοιπὸν τῇδε πημάτων ἐρεῖς; 745

Προμηθεύς δυσχείμερόν γε πέλαγος ἀτηρᾶς δύης.

Ἰώ ἦ γάρ ποτ᾽ ἔστιν ἐκπεσεῖν ἀρχῆς Δία; 31

Προμηθεύς ἥδοι᾽ ἄν, 32 οἶμαι, τήνδ᾽ ἰδοῦσα συμφοράν.

Ἰώ πῶς δ᾽ οὐκ ἄν, ἥτις ἐκ Διὸς πάσχω κακῶς;

Προμηθεύς ὡς τοίνυν ὄντων τῶνδέ σοι μαθεῖν 33 πάρα. 760

Ἰώ πρὸς τοῦ τύραννα σκῆπτρα συληθήσεται;

Προμηθεύς πρὸς αὐτὸς αὑτοῦ κενοφρόνων βουλευμάτων.

Ἰώ ποίῳ τρόπῳ; σήμηνον, εἰ μή τις βλάβη.

Προμηθεύς γαμεῖ γάμον τοιοῦτον ᾧ ποτ᾽ ἀσχαλεῖ. 34

Ἰώ θέορτον, ἢ βρότειον; εἰ ῥητόν, φράσον. 765

Προμηθεύς τί δ᾽ ὅντιν᾽; οὐ γὰρ ῥητὸν αὐδᾶσθαι τόδε.

Ἰώ ἦ πρὸς δάμαρτος ἐξανίσταται θρόνων;

Προμηθεύς ἣ τέξεταί γε παῖδα φέρτερον πατρός.

Ἰώ οὐδ᾽ ἔστιν αὐτῷ τῆσδ᾽ ἀποστροφὴ τύχης;

Προμηθεύς οὐ δῆτα, πλὴν ἔγωγ᾽ ἂν ἐκ δεσμῶν λυθείς. 770

Ἰώ τίς οὖν ὁ λύσων σ᾽ 35 ἐστὶν ἄκοντος Διός;

Προμηθεύς τῶν σῶν τιν᾽ αὐτὸν ἐκγόνων 36 εἶναι χρεών.

Ἰώ πῶς εἶπας; ἦ ᾽μὸς παῖς σ᾽ ἀπαλλάξει κακῶν;

Προμηθεύς τρίτος γε γένναν πρὸς δέκ᾽ ἄλλαισιν γοναῖς.

Ἰώ ἥδ᾽ οὐκέτ᾽ εὐξύμβλητος ἡ χρησμῳδία. 775

Προμηθεύς καὶ μηδὲ σαυτῆς γ᾽ 37 ἐκμαθεῖν ζήτει πόνους.

Ἰώ μή μοι προτείνων κέρδος εἶτ᾽ ἀποστέρει.

Προμηθεύς δυοῖν λόγοιν σε θατέρῳ δωρήσομαι.

Ἰώ ποίοιν; πρόδειξον, αἵρεσίν τ᾽ ἐμοὶ δίδου. 780

Προμηθεύς δίδωμ᾽: ἑλοῦ γάρ, ἢ πόνων τὰ λοιπά σοι 780 φράσω σαφηνῶς, ἢ τὸν ἐκλύσοντ᾽ ἐμέ.

Ἰώ ὦ κοινὸν ὠφέλημα θνητοῖσιν φανείς, τλῆμον Προμηθεῦ, τοῦ δίκην πάσχεις τάδε;

Προμηθεύς ἁρμοῖ πέπαυμαι τοὺς ἐμοὺς θρηνῶν πόνους. 615

Ἰώ οὔκουν πόροις ἂν τήνδε δωρεὰν ἐμοί;

Προμηθεύς λέγʼ ἥντινʼ αἰτῇ· πᾶν γὰρ ἂν πύθοιό μου.

Ἰώ σήμηνον ὅστις ἐν φάραγγί σʼ ὤχμασεν.

Προμηθεύς βούλευμα μὲν τὸ Δῖον, Ἡφαίστου δὲ χείρ.

Ἰώ ποινὰς δὲ ποίων ἀμπλακημάτων τίνεις; 620

Προμηθεύς τοσοῦτον ἀρκῶ σοι σαφηνίσας μόνον.

Ἰώ καὶ πρός γε τούτοις τέρμα τῆς ἐμῆς πλάνης δεῖξον, τίς ἔσται τῇ ταλαιπώρῳ χρόνος.

Προμηθεύς τὸ μὴ μαθεῖν σοι κρεῖσσον ἢ μαθεῖν τάδε.

Ἰώ μήτοι με κρύψῃς τοῦθʼ ὅπερ μέλλω παθεῖν. 625

IO

O thou that didst dawn a common benefit upon mortals, wretched Prometheus, as penance for what offence art thou thus suffering?

PROMETHEUS

I have just ceased lamenting my own pangs.

IO

Wilt thou not then accord to me this boon?

PROMETHEUS

Say what it is that thou art asking, for thou mightest learn every thing from me.

IO

Say who it was that bound thee fast in this cleft?

PROMETHEUS

The decree of Jupiter, but the hand of Vulcan.

IO

And for what offences art thou paying the penalty?

PROMETHEUS

Thus much alone is all that I can clearly explain to thee.

IO

At least, in addition to this, discover what time shall be to me woe-worn the limit of my wanderings.

PROMETHEUS

Not to learn this is better for thee than to learn it.

IO

Yet conceal not from me what I am to endure.

PROMETHEUS

Nay, I grudge thee not this gift.

IO

Why then delayest thou to utter the whole?

PROMETHEUS

'Tis not reluctance, but I am loth to shock thy feelings.

IO

Do not be more anxious on my account than is agreeable to me

.

PROMETHEUS

Since thou art eager, I must needs tell thee: attend thou.

CHORUS

Not yet, however; but grant me also a share of the pleasure. Let us first learn the malady of this maiden, from her own tale of her destructive

fortunes; but, for the sequel of her afflictions let her be informed by thee.

PROMETHEUS

It is thy part, Io, to minister to the gratification of these now before thee, both for all other reasons, and that they are the sisters of thy father. Since to weep and lament over misfortunes, when one is sure to win a tear from the listeners, is well worth the while.

Ἰώ

ὦ κοινὸν ὠφέλημα θνητοῖσιν φανείς,

τλῆμον Προμηθεῦ, τοῦ δίκην πάσχεις τάδε;

Προμηθεύς

ἁρμοῖ πέπαυμαι τοὺς ἐμοὺς θρηνῶν πόνους.
615

Ἰώ

οὔκουν πόροις ἂν τήνδε δωρεὰν ἐμοί;

Προμηθεύς

λέγ᾽ ἥντιν᾽ αἰτεῖ: πᾶν γὰρ ἂν² πύθοιό μου.

Ἰώ

σήμηνον ὅστις ἐν φάραγγί σ᾽ ὤχμασε.

Προμηθεύς

βούλευμα μὲν τὸ Δῖον, Ἡφαίστου δὲ χείρ.

Ἰώ

ποίων δὲ ποινὰς ἀμπλακημάτων τίνεις;
620

Προμηθεύς

τοσοῦτον ἀρκῶ σοι σαφηνίσας³ μόνον.

Ἰώ

καὶ πρός γε τούτοις τέρμα τῆς ἐμῆς πλάνης

δεῖξον τίς ἔσται τῇ ταλαιπώρῳ χρόνος.

Προμηθεύς

τὸ μὴ μαθεῖν σοι κρεῖσσον ἢ μαθεῖν τάδε.

Ἰώ

μήτοι με κρύψῃς τοῦθ᾽ ὅπερ μέλλω παθεῖν.
625

Προμηθεύς

ἀλλ᾽ οὐ μεγαίρω τοῦδέ σοι⁴ δωρήματος.

Ἰώ

τί δῆτα μέλλεις μὴ⁵ οὐ γεγωνίσκειν τὸ πᾶν;

Προμηθεύς

φθόνος μὲν οὐδείς, σὰς δ᾽ ὀκνῶ θρᾶξαι φρένας.

Ἰώ

μή μου προκήδου μᾶσσον ὧν⁶ ἐμοὶ γλυκύ.

Προμηθεύς

ἐπεὶ προθυμεῖ, χρὴ λέγειν: ἄκουε δή.
630

Προμηθεύς

πρῴ γε στενάζεις καὶ φόβου πλέα τις εἶ:

ἐπίσχες ἔστ᾽ ἂν καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ προσμάθῃς.

Χορός

λέγ᾽, ἐκδίδασκε: τοῖς νοσοῦσί τοι γλυκὺ

τὸ λοιπὸν ἄλγος προυξεπίστασθαι τορῶς.

Ἰώ

ἰώ μοί μοι, ἐή.

Προμηθεύς

σὺ δ᾽ αὖ κέκραγας κἀναμυχθίζει: τί που

δράσεις, ὅταν τὰ λοιπὰ πυνθάνῃ κακά;

Χορός

ἦ γάρ τι λοιπὸν τῇδε πημάτων ἐρεῖς;
745

Προμηθεύς

δυσχείμερόν γε πέλαγος ἀτηρᾶς δύης.

Ἰώ

ἦ γάρ ποτ᾽ ἔστιν ἐκπεσεῖν ἀρχῆς Δία;³¹

Προμηθεύς

ἥδοι᾽ ἄν,³² οἶμαι, τήνδ᾽ ἰδοῦσα συμφοράν.

Ἰώ

πῶς δ᾽ οὐκ ἄν, ἥτις ἐκ Διὸς πάσχω κακῶς;

Προμηθεύς

ὡς τοίνυν ὄντων τῶνδέ σοι μαθεῖν³³ πάρα.
760

Ἰώ

πρὸς τοῦ τύραννα σκῆπτρα συληθήσεται;

Προμηθεύς

πρὸς αὐτὸς αὑτοῦ κενοφρόνων βουλευμάτων.

Ἰώ

ποίῳ τρόπῳ; σήμηνον, εἰ μή τις βλάβη.

Προμηθεύς

γαμεῖ γάμον τοιοῦτον ᾧ ποτ᾽ ἀσχαλεῖ.³⁴

Ἰώ

θέορτον, ἢ βρότειον; εἰ ῥητόν, φράσον.
765

Προμηθεύς

τί δ᾽ ὅντιν᾽; οὐ γὰρ ῥητὸν αὐδᾶσθαι τόδε.

Ἰώ

ἦ πρὸς δάμαρτος ἐξανίσταται θρόνων;

Προμηθεύς

ἣ τέξεταί γε παῖδα φέρτερον πατρός.

Ἰώ

οὐδ᾽ ἔστιν αὐτῷ τῆσδ᾽ ἀποστροφὴ τύχης;

Προμηθεύς

οὐ δῆτα, πλὴν ἔγωγ᾽ ἂν ἐκ δεσμῶν λυθείς.
770

Ἰώ

τίς οὖν ὁ λύσων σ᾽³⁵ ἐστὶν ἄκοντος Διός;

Προμηθεύς

τῶν σῶν τιν᾽ αὐτὸν ἐκγόνων³⁶ εἶναι χρεών.

Ἰώ

πῶς εἶπας; ἦ ᾽μὸς παῖς σ᾽ ἀπαλλάξει κακῶν;

Προμηθεύς

τρίτος γε γένναν πρὸς δέκ᾽ ἄλλαισιν γοναῖς.

Ἰώ

ἥδ᾽ οὐκέτ᾽ εὐξύμβλητος ἡ χρησμῳδία.
775

Προμηθεύς

καὶ μηδὲ σαυτῆς γ᾽³⁷ ἐκμαθεῖν ζήτει πόνους.

Ἰώ

μή μοι προτείνων κέρδος εἶτ᾽ ἀποστέρει.

Προμηθεύς

δυοῖν λόγοιν σε θατέρῳ δωρήσομαι.

Ἰώ

ποίοιν; πρόδειξον, αἵρεσίν τ᾽ ἐμοὶ δίδου.

780

Προμηθεύς

δίδωμ᾽: ἑλοῦ γάρ, ἢ πόνων τὰ λοιπά σοι
780

φράσω σαφηνῶς, ἢ τὸν ἐκλύσοντ᾽ ἐμέ.

Ἰώ

ὦ κοινὸν ὠφέλημα θνητοῖσιν φανείς,

τλῆμον Προμηθεῦ, τοῦ δίκην πάσχεις τάδε;

Προμηθεύς

ἁρμοῖ πέπαυμαι τοὺς ἐμοὺς θρηνῶν πόνους.
615

Ἰώ

οὔκουν πόροις ἂν τήνδε δωρεὰν ἐμοί;

Προμηθεύς

λέγʼ ἥντινʼ αἰτῇ· πᾶν γὰρ ἂν πύθοιό μου.

Ἰώ

σήμηνον ὅστις ἐν φάραγγί σʼ ὤχμασεν.

Προμηθεύς

βούλευμα μὲν τὸ Δῖον, Ἡφαίστου δὲ χείρ.

Ἰώ

ποινὰς δὲ ποίων ἀμπλακημάτων τίνεις;
620

Προμηθεύς

τοσοῦτον ἀρκῶ σοι σαφηνίσας μόνον.

Ἰώ

καὶ πρός γε τούτοις τέρμα τῆς ἐμῆς πλάνης

δεῖξον, τίς ἔσται τῇ ταλαιπώρῳ χρόνος.

Προμηθεύς

τὸ μὴ μαθεῖν σοι κρεῖσσον ἢ μαθεῖν τάδε.

Ἰώ

μήτοι με κρύψῃς τοῦθʼ ὅπερ μέλλω παθεῖν.
625

Προμηθεύς

ἀλλʼ οὐ μεγαίρω τοῦδέ σοι δωρήματος.

Ἰώ

τί δῆτα μέλλεις μὴ οὐ γεγωνίσκειν τὸ πᾶν;

Προμηθεύς

φθόνος μὲν οὐδείς, σὰς δʼ ὀκνῶ θράξαι φρένας.

Ἰώ

μή μου προκήδου μᾶσσον ὡς ἐμοὶ γλυκύ.

Προμηθεύς

ἐπεὶ προθυμῇ, χρὴ λέγειν. ἄκουε δή.
630