Aeschylus Prometheus Bound 36

Herbert Weir Smyth (Translator)

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Prometheus Bound. Aeschylus. Herbert Weir Smyth (Translator). New York. 1922.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.

Current edition Perseus

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

Editions (7)
Προμηθεὺς Δεσμώτης First1KGreek (Aeschyli Tragoediae. Sidgwick, Arthur, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1902.) — 1-127 focus
Προμηθεὺς δεσμώτης Perseus (Aeschylus, Volume 1. Smyth, Herbert Weir, editor. London; New York: William Heinemann; G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1922.) — 36 focus
Προμηθεὺς Δεσμώτης (OCR draft) Experimental (Προμηθεὺς Δεσμώτης. Guilielmus Dindorfius, 1882.) — 36 focus
Προμηθεὺς Δεσμώτης (OCR draft) Experimental (Προμηθεὺς Δεσμώτης. Gottfried Hermann, 1852.) — 36 focus
ΠΡΟΜΗθΕΥΣ ΔΕΣΜΩΤΗΣ (OCR draft) Experimental (ΠΡΟΜΗθΕΥΣ ΔΕΣΜΩΤΗΣ. Paul Mazon, 1920-1925.) — 36 focus
Προμηθεὺς Δεσμώτης (OCR draft) Experimental (Προμηθεὺς Δεσμώτης. N. Wecklein, 1885.) — 36 focus
εἶεν, τί μέλλεις καὶ κατοικτίζῃ μάτην;
τί τὸν θεοῖς ἔχθιστον οὐ στυγεῖς θεόν,
ὅστις τὸ σὸν θνητοῖσι προύδωκεν γέρας;
Aeschyli Prometheus Vinctus (OCR draft) Experimental (Aeschyli Prometheus Vinctus. Ulrich von Wilamowitz-Moellendorff, 1914.) — 36 focus
Translations (8)
Prometheus Bound. (OCR draft) Experimental (Prometheus Bound.. Theodore Alois Buckley, 1849.) — 36 focus
Well, well! Why art thou delaying and vainly commiserating? Why loathest thou not the god that is most hateful to the gods, who has betrayed thy prerogative to mortals?
PROMÉTHÉE ENCHAINÉ (OCR draft) Experimental (PROMÉTHÉE ENCHAINÉ. Paul Mazon, 1920-1925.) — 36 focus
Allons ! pourquoi tarder, te lamenter en vain ? N'as-tu pas en horreur le dieu maudit des dieux qui a osé livrer ton privilège aux hommes ?
Prometheus Chained (OCR draft) Experimental (Prometheus Chained. Robert Potter, 1779.) — 36 focus
No more: why theſe delays, this fooliſh pity?
Doſt thou not hate a god by gods abhor'd,
That proſtitutes thy radiant boaſt to man?
45
Eschilo, Prometeo legato: traduzione italiana di Ettore Romagnoli (OCR draft) Experimental (Eschilo, Prometeo legato: traduzione italiana di Ettore Romagnoli. Ettore Romagnoli, 1922.) — 36 focus
Dell'amor pei mortali è questo il frutto.
Poiché senza temer l'ira dei Numi,
Nume tu stesso, indebiti favori
40
agli umani largisti.
Ora, in compenso,
vegliar dovrai questa dogliosa rupe,
senza mai sonno, in piè, senza mai flettere
le tue ginocchia, e cento ululi e gemiti
45
invano leverai:
ché il cuor di Giove
nessuna prece lo commuove; ed aspro
è ciascun che di fresco ebbe il potere.
Aeschylus, Prometheus vinctus: versio Latina Ioannis Sanravii (OCR draft) Experimental (Aeschylus, Prometheus vinctus: versio Latina Ioannis Sanravii. Ioannes Sanravius, 1555.) — 36 focus
Eſto, quid cunctaris et imploras misericordiam
frustra?
Quid non odio proſequeris dijs inimiciſimum deum,
40
Qui tuum munus mortalibus præbuit?
Prometheus Bound (OCR draft) Experimental (Prometheus Bound. Anna Swanwick, 1886.) — 36 focus
English (E. D. A. Morshead, 1908) (OCR draft) Experimental (Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound — Morshead translation. Wikisource transcription; speech corresp and card milestones aligned to Smyth perseus-grc2.) — 36 focus
Enough of useless ruth! why tarriest thou?
Why pitiest one whom all gods wholly hate,
One who to man gave o'er thy privilege?
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1854; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (Aeschylos. Deutsch in den Versmaßen der Urschrift. Stuttgart: Hoffmann, 1854. Native Donner line citations, Smyth card correspondence, selected textual readings and metrical facsimiles. Remaining OCR differences and unattributed reading notes are documented in the linked review inventory.) — 36 focus
Auf! Was verziehst du, hegst umsonst Mitleid mit ihm?
Was zürnest du dem gottverhaften Gotte nicht,
Ihm, der des Staubes Söhnen dein Kleinod verrieth?

Commentary

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

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

κατοικτίζεις:
κατοικτίζῃ
G.
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
G.
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
G.

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
G.

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

νιν: Scholiastae
νιν
interpretantur et
αὐτά
et
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
G.
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
G.
δυσεκλείτως
ante correctionem Lips.
δυσκωλύτως
legitur in scholiis Baroccianis ad Soph. Εl. 147.
δυςεκχύτως
in Crameri Anecd. Par. IV. p. 262, 24.

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

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

1
2
1-127: Prologue (πρόλογος).

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

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

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

5
6
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.

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

7
8
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.

41. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-wecklein-allen1893-com-eng1-34

9
10
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.

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

11
12
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.

46. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-wecklein-allen1893-com-eng1-36

13
14
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.

48. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-wecklein-allen1893-com-eng1-37

15
16
48. Cp. Eur. Iph. Α. 86 τἀξίωμα δὲ ἄλλος τις ὤφελ᾽ ἀντ᾿ ἐμοῦ λαβεῖν τόδε.

49. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-wecklein-allen1893-com-eng1-38

17
18
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.

51. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-wecklein-allen1893-com-eng1-39

19
20
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.

52. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-wecklein-allen1893-com-eng1-40

21
22
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.

53. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-wecklein-allen1893-com-eng1-41

23
24
53. ἐλινύοντα: ἐλινύω is absolute here, but is construed with a partici- ple in 529.

54. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-wecklein-allen1893-com-eng1-42

25
26
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.

55. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-wecklein-allen1893-com-eng1-43

27
28
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.

56. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-wecklein-allen1893-com-eng1-44

29
30
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.

57. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-wecklein-allen1893-com-eng1-45

31
32
57. ματᾷ: διατρίβει, χρονίζει, He- sych.

59. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-wecklein-allen1893-com-eng1-46

33
34
59. Cp. Ar. Εq. 758 ποικίλος γὰρ ἁνὴρ κἀκ τῶν ἀμηχάνων πόρους εὐμή- χανος πορίζειν.