Aeschylus Prometheus Bound 561

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.) — 561-573 focus
Προμηθεὺς δεσμώτης Perseus (Aeschylus, Volume 1. Smyth, Herbert Weir, editor. London; New York: William Heinemann; G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1922.) — 561 focus
Προμηθεὺς Δεσμώτης (OCR draft) Experimental (Προμηθεὺς Δεσμώτης. Guilielmus Dindorfius, 1882.) — 561 focus
Προμηθεὺς Δεσμώτης (OCR draft) Experimental (Προμηθεὺς Δεσμώτης. Gottfried Hermann, 1852.) — 561 focus
ΠΡΟΜΗθΕΥΣ ΔΕΣΜΩΤΗΣ (OCR draft) Experimental (ΠΡΟΜΗθΕΥΣ ΔΕΣΜΩΤΗΣ. Paul Mazon, 1920-1925.) — 561 focus
Προμηθεὺς Δεσμώτης (OCR draft) Experimental (Προμηθεὺς Δεσμώτης. N. Wecklein, 1885.) — 561 focus
τίς γῆ; τί γένος; τίνα φῶ λεύσσειν
τόνδε χαλινοῖς ἐν πετρίνοισιν
χειμαζόμενον ;
τίνος ἀμπλακίας ποινὰς ὀλέκῃ;
σήμηνον ὅποι
585
γῆς ἡ μογερὰ πεπλάνημαι.
Aeschyli Prometheus Vinctus (OCR draft) Experimental (Aeschyli Prometheus Vinctus. Ulrich von Wilamowitz-Moellendorff, 1914.) — 561 focus
Translations (8)
Prometheus Bound. (OCR draft) Experimental (Prometheus Bound.. Theodore Alois Buckley, 1849.) — 561 focus
What land is this? what race? whom shall I say I here behold storm-tossed in rocky fetters? Of what trespass is the retribution destroying thee? Declare to me into what part of earth I forlorn have roamed.
PROMÉTHÉE ENCHAINÉ (OCR draft) Experimental (PROMÉTHÉE ENCHAINÉ. Paul Mazon, 1920-1925.) — 561 focus
avec ce chant, un autre bien différent, revole maintenant vers moi, le chant d'hyménée que j'entonnai jadis autour du
bain et du lit de tes noces, le jour où, sensible à tes présents, Hésione, notre sœur, fut conduite par toi au lit de l'épousée 1 !
Prometheus Chained (OCR draft) Experimental (Prometheus Chained. Robert Potter, 1779.) — 561 focus
Whither, ah whither am I borne t
!
To what rude ſhore, what barb'rous race? O thou,
Whoe'er thou art, that chain'd to that bleak rock,
The ſeat of deſolation, rueſt thy crimes,
Say on what ſhore my wretched footſteps ſtray.-
575
Eschilo, Prometeo legato: traduzione italiana di Ettore Romagnoli (OCR draft) Experimental (Eschilo, Prometeo legato: traduzione italiana di Ettore Romagnoli. Ettore Romagnoli, 1922.) — 561 focus
Dove son? fra che genti? Costui
che legato ai dirupi vegg'io,
esposto ai rigori del cielo,
chi sarà ? Questa pena ferale
660
per quale misfatto patisce ?
Or tu dimmi in che parte del suolo,
o me misera!, errando son giunta.
Aeschylus, Prometheus vinctus: versio Latina Ioannis Sanravii (OCR draft) Experimental (Aeschylus, Prometheus vinctus: versio Latina Ioannis Sanravii. Ioannes Sanravius, 1555.) — 561 focus
Quæ terra, quæ natio? quem dicam videre,
Nunc
555
Prometheus Bound (OCR draft) Experimental (Prometheus Bound. Anna Swanwick, 1886.) — 561 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.) — 561 focus
Alack! what land, what folk are here?
Whom see I clenched in rocky fetters drear
Unto the stormy crag? for what thing done
Dost thou in agony atone?
Ah, tell me whither, well-a-day!
610
My feet have roamed their weary way?
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.) — 561 focus
Welch Land? Welch Volk? Wen sehen wir dort
An dem Felsabhang in die Bande gezwängt,
Unwettern ein Spiel? Um welches Vergeh'n
Zehrt Strafe dich auf? O verkünde, wohin
560
In die Welt ich Arme verirrte!

Notes on the current edition

Prometheus Bound

1. In vase-paintings after the time of Aeschylus, and possibly due to his influence, Io was often represented as wearing horns to symbolize her transformation into a heifer. The pure beast-type was the rule in earlier vases.

Commentary

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

561. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-635

ποινὰς:
ποινὰς
M. aliique et Ald.
ποινᾶς
Vit. Aug. aliique et Turn.
ποινὰς
Par. E.
ποινᾶς
Rob. et a pr. manu G.

561. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-636

ὀλέκει:
ὀλέκεις
atque ita a sec. manu G.
ὀλέκῃ
Par. E.
ὀλέσῃ
Colb. 2. Ceteri
ὀλέκῃ
vel
ὀλέκη
. Gravius verbum
ὀλέκει
comprehendit in se
τίνεις
.

561. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-637

ὅπῃ:
ὅποι
M. G. Ven. 3. Ceteri recte
ὅπῃ
, quod etiam Vit. e correctione primae manus habet, quae prius
ὅπου
scripsisse videtur.

562. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-638

γῆς:
γῆς ἀ
Ven. 3. Vind. 1.
γῆς
Vit. Lips. Aug. aliique.
γᾶς
M. G. edd. vett.

563. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-639

ἔα ἔα, ἦ ἔα·:
ἔα ἔα, ἔα ἔα
Vit. Lips. Ald. Rob. et sic etiam M.
ἔα ἔα, ἔα ἔα
Turn.
ἔ, ἔ
Colb. 1. Par. H.
ἔα ἔα, ἔ ἔ
et
γρ. ἔα, ἔα
Par. B.
ἔ ἔ ἔ ἔ
G. pro his interiectionibus omnibus, superscripto
φεῦ φεῦ
.

564. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-640

με τὰν τάλαιναν:
α
mutatione facta a sec. manu M. Quid prima scripserit dispici nequit.
με τάλαιναν
M. Vit. G. edd. vett.
με τὴν τάλαιναν
Lips. Aug. Ven. 3. Cantabr. 2.
με τὴν τάλαιναν
Cant. 1.

564. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-641

οἶστρος:
οἴστροις
a pr. manu M. Recentior fecit
οἶστρος
.

565. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-642

ἄλευε δᾶ:
ἄλευ᾽ ἀ δᾶ
, litteris
λευ
in litura, circumflexo in
ἀ
a sec. manu addito, M.
ἄλευ᾽ ἢ δᾶ
adnotatum ex Par. N. memoratque
ἀ δᾶ
Turnebus.
ἀλευάδα
Lips. Aug. Cantabr. 1. Par. N. In Lips. supra scriptum
γρ. ἄλευ᾽ ὦ γᾶ
. G. Vit. edd. vett.
ἄλευ᾽ ἐ δᾶ
. Etym. M. p. 60, 8.
ἀλευάδα εἴρηται ὡς τὸ φεύδα. οἱ γὰρ Δωριεῖς τὴν γῆν δᾶν λέγουσι καὶ δίαν, ὡς καὶ τὸν γνόφον δνόφον. φεύδα οὖν φεύγη. οὕτως οὖν καὶ τὸ ἀλευάδα ἀλέου δᾶ, τοῦ δᾶ ἀντὶ τοῦ γῆ κειμένου
. Apertum est et
φεῦ δᾶ
ẹt
φεῦ γᾶ
scribendum esse: tum corrigendum est
οἱ γὰρ Δωριεῖς τὴν γῆν γᾶν λέγουσι καὶ δᾶν
. Vltima verba in Etym. MS. Augustano sic scripta,
φεύδα ἤγουν φεύγη. οὕτως καὶ τὸ ἀλευάδα, τὸ δῶ ἀντὶ τοῦ γᾶ
. Scholiastae et
ἄλευ᾽ ἐ δᾶ
legi referunt et
ἀλευάδα
, credo ex hac ipsa scriptura Argum Aleuae filium fuisse colligentes. Quod Schleusnero in adnotationibus ad Etym. M. in mentem venit
ἄλευε δᾶ
, id adscivit Dindorfius, eiecto
φοβοῦμαι
, quod post
δᾶ
legebatur, tres trimetros catalecticos exhibens. Tantum autem abest ut id metri forma postulet, ut hoc metri genus, quod natura sua catalecticum est, non aptum sit continuatae orationi, minimeque tali in loco, qualis hic est, pleno motus et agitationis. Quod autem ad monstruosum illud
ἄλευ'
attinet, abusus est Dindorfius docta et scita observatione Elmsleii, qui in Diarii classici fasc. XV. p. 218. et Photii adnotatione illa,
παῦ τὸ παῦσαι λέγουσι μονοσυλλάβως
et
παῦ παῦε
restituit Aristophani in Eq. v. 821. et
παῖ παῖε
in Pace v. 1119. Apertum est in vulgari sermone, si iteraretur
παῦε παῖε
, vel
παῖε παῖε
, non mirum esse, si id pronuntiabant
παῦ παῦε, παῖ παῖε
. At aliis in imperativis, iisque non iteratis, et in oratione familiaris sermonis levitatem vitante quis credat talia umquam esse usurpata? Blomfieldius Monkii monitu edidit
ἄλευε δᾶ
, ut haec verba,
ἄλευε δᾶ, φοβοῦμαι
, unum versum efficerent, quem praecederet dimeter iambicus. Sed ita descriptis versibus certo Aeschylus
ἄλευ᾽ ὦ δᾶ
praetulisset, antispasto et Bacchio coniunctis. Et sic Scholefieldius. His verbis,
ἄλευε δᾶ
, finiri trimetrum, et quod sequitur
φοβοῦμαι
delendum esse iam olim suspicatus sum, et delevit Dindorfius, de constructione conferri iubens quae Matthiae ad Euripidis Hec. 950. adnotavit. Omittunt autem
φοβοῦμαι
soli Vind. 2. 4. quod verbum post
δᾶ
ceteri libri omnes habent legitque Nicephorus in scholiis ad Synesium p. 400. C.
βούταν δὲ καλεῖ τὸν πανόπτην Ἄργον ὁ τραγικὸς Αἰσχύλος, ἤτοι βουκόλον, ὡς ἐπιστατοῦντα καὶ ἑπόμενον τῇ Ἰοῖ τῇ θυγατρὶ τοῦ Ἰνάχου. φέρει γὰρ αὐτὴν λέγουσαν οὑτωσί, “φοβοῦμαι τὸν μυριωπὸν εἰςορῶσα βούταν.”
Huius quidem non magna auctoritas est: nec dubitandum videtur quin
φοβοῦμαι
ab explicatore sit adiectum, qui in constructione haesitaret qua
εἰςορῶσα
εἰ
χρίει με οἶστρος
coniuncta sunt, quasi dictum esset
οἰστροῦμαι
. Confirmatur haec sententia eo quod alii constructionem, quam expedire nesciebant,
εἰςορῶσα
in
εἰςορῶ
mutato sibi correxisse visi sunt. Sentiens perturbari mentem suam Io, primo id simpliciter narrare incipit, media autem in narratione conspiciens simulacrum feri agitatoris clamat
ἄλευε δᾶ, τὸν μυριωπὸν εἰςορῶσα βούταν
. Suidas
ἄλευε. Ἴωνες τὸ φυλάξαι οὕτως λέγουσι. καὶ παροιμία “ἄλευ᾽ ἀπὸ μείζονος ἀνδρός.”
Conf. Zonaras p. 135. In proverbio quidem significationem medii habet
ἀλεύειν
. Apud Aeschylum ubi hoc verbum invenitur activum est, avertere significans.

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

561-886. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-wecklein-allen1893-com-eng1-375

1
2
561-886. Third Episode. Io and Prometheus. The myth of Io is connected with that of Prometheus by the person of Heracles, the libera- tor of Prometheus, who is descended from paphus, the son of Zeus and Io (see on 774). The appearance of Io therefore prepares the way for the introduction of Heracles in the Προ- μηθεὺς λυόμενος. But the immediate significance of this scene consists in the present relation of Zeus and Io. Io appears as innocent and yet perse- cuted; her sufferings, superficially considered, put Zeus in the worst possible light. Accordingly the in- dignation of Prometheus rises more and more, till at last, carried away by passion, he vaunts his secret in such terms that the interposition of Zeus becomes inevitable. So the transition to the catastrophe is pre- pared. The geographical part of this episode, with its description of marvels, like the scene of Heracles in the Προμηθεὺς λυόμενος (see below, Frg. VII. and VIII.), doubtless had a peculiar charm for the Athenians of the period. On the origin of the myth of Io, see Introd. p. 9, footnote. Io appears as a horned maiden (588, 674; so indi- cated by her mask). In early Greek art, especially in vase-paintings, she has the figure of a cow outright. On the throne of the Amyclaean Apollo, a work of the sculptor Bathycles (about Ol. 60), Hera was represented as glaring at Io, 'who is already a cow' (Paus. iii. 18. 7). On an archaic black-figured vase of the Munich collection (No. 573; see Panofka, Argos Panoptes, plate 5), Argus is seen, seated on the ground, a fero- cious figure with long hair and beard, and a huge eye in his shaggy breast; he holds in his hand a long cord, attached to the horns of a cow. Near by stands Hermes, grasping the cord near the horns with his left hand, and about to draw his sword with his right. Argus's dog
stands at bay in front of his master. Through the influence of this trag- edy, Io came later to be depicted in art as a maiden with horns. So, for instance, on a red-figured vase of the Berlin Museum (Panofka, l.c., plate 3). The stinging gadfly' of the legend (cp. Suppl. 306 BΑ. τί οὖν ἔτευξεν ἄλλο δυσπότμῳ βοΐ; ΧΟ. βοη- λάτην μύωπα κινητήριον, Verg. Georg. iii. 147 cui nomen asilo Ro- manum est, oestrum Graii vertere vocantes), which is mentioned in Io's narrative, 675 be- low, had also to be omitted in the scenic representation. The difficulty was met by a figurative conception of οἶστρος; the maddening sting was interpreted as the reminiscence of the crafty eye of Argos (567). — On account of the unusual manner of Io's entrance and exit, the anapaests which commonly accompany the ar- rival and departure of a personage are here and at 877 given to the actor, not to the chorus. So above, at the entrance of the chorus (120 ff.).

563. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-wecklein-allen1893-com-eng1-376

3
4
563. χειμαζόμενον : here in its proper sense, exposed to wind and weather. Cp. 15. Other commen- tators take the word figuratively, vexatum, cruciatum, as in Soph. Phil. 1459 Ἑρμαῖον ὄρος παρέ- πεμψεν ἐμοὶ στόνον ἀντίτυπον χειμαζο μένῳ, Eur. Hipp. 315 ἄλλῃ δ᾽ ἐν τύχῃ χειμάζομαι, Suppl. 269 πόλις χειμα- σθεῖσα, cp. below 838, 643, 1015. κει.

564. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg003-wecklein-allen1893-com-eng1-377

5
6
564. ποινάς : in apposition to ὀλέ- Destruction is the penalty of the crime. Cp. Ag. 224 ἔτλα δ᾽ οὖν θυτὴρ γενέσθαι θυγατρός, γυναικοποίνων πολέμων ἀρωγὰν καὶ προτέλεια ναῶν. It is rare for an appositive of this sort to precede the verb (Krüger II. § 57, 10, 6), but here this is brought about by the question. Others regard ποινάς as accusative of the inner object; see on 591 below. – ὀλέκει : ὀλέκω (or ὀλέ- κομαι) is an epic word. Other occur- rences of it in tragedy are Soph. Ant, 1285 (ὀλέκεις), Τrach. 1013 (ὠλεκόμαν).