Aeschylus Seven Against Thebes 333

Theodore Alois Buckley (Translator)

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And a mournful thing it is for [maidens] just marriageable
, before the celebration of rites for culling the fresh flower of their virginity, to have to traverse a hateful journey from their homes. What? I pronounce that the dead fares better than these; for full many are the calamities, alas! alas! which a city undergoes when it has been reduced. One drags another
, slaughters, and to parts he sets fire—the whole city is defiled with smoke, and raving Mars that tramples down the nations, violating piety, inspires them.

Seven Against Thebes. Aeschylus. Theodore Alois Buckley (Translator). London. 1849.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by Volunteer.

Current edition Experimental

The Seven against Thebes. (OCR draft) (English) (The Seven against Thebes.. Theodore Alois Buckley, 1849.)

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (7)
Ἑπτὰ ἐπὶ Θήβας First1KGreek (Aeschyli Tragoediae. Sidgwick, Arthur, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1902.) — 369-416 focus
Ἑπτὰ ἐπὶ Θήβας Perseus (Aeschylus, Volume 1. Smyth, Herbert Weir, editor. London; New York: William Heinemann; G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1922.) — 369-416 focus
Ἑπτὰ ἐπὶ θήβας (OCR draft) Experimental (Ἑπτὰ ἐπὶ θήβας. Guilielmus Dindorfius, 1882.) — 333 focus
Ἑπτὰ ἐπὶ θήβας (OCR draft) Experimental (Ἑπτὰ ἐπὶ θήβας. Gottfried Hermann, 1852.) — 333 focus
κλαυτὸν δ᾽ ἀρτιτρόποις
315
ὠμοδρόπων νομίμων προπάροιθεν διαμεῖψαι
δωμάτων στυγερὰν ὁδόν.
τί τὸν φθίμενον γὰρ προλέγω
βέλτερα τῶνδε πράσσειν;
πολλὰ γάρ, εὖτε πτόλις δαμασθῇ,
320
ἒ ἔ,
δυςτυχῆ τε πράσσει·
ἄλλος δ᾽ ἄλλον ἄγει, φονεύ-
ει, τὰ δὲ πυρφορεῖ·
καπνῷ δὲ χραίνεται πόλισμ᾽ ἅπαν·
325
ΕΠΤΑ ΕΠΙ θΗΒΑΣ (OCR draft) Experimental (ΕΠΤΑ ΕΠΙ θΗΒΑΣ. Paul Mazon, 1920-1925.) — 333 focus
Κλαυτὸν δ' ἀρτιτρόποις ὠμοδρόπων
Ant. 2.
νομίμων προπάροιθεν διαμεῖψαι
δωμάτων στυγερὰν ὁδόν·
335
τί ; τὸν φθίμενον γὰρ προλέγω
βέλτερα τῶνδε πράσσειν.
Πολλὰ γάρ, εὖτε πτόλις δαμασθῇ,
ἐή, δυστυχῆ τε πράσσει·
ἄλλος δ' ἄλλον ἄγει, φονεύ-
340
ει, τὰ δὲ πυρφορεῖ· καπνῷ καπνῷ δὲ
χραίνεται πόλισμ' ἅπαν·
μαινόμενος δ' ἐπιπνεῖ λαοδάμας
μιαίνων εὐσέβειαν Ἄρης.
Ἑπτὰ ἐπὶ θήβας (OCR draft) Experimental (Ἑπτὰ ἐπὶ θήβας. N. Wecklein, 1885.) — 333 focus
κλαυτὸν δ᾽ ἀρτιδρόποις ὠμοδρόπων,
320
νομίμων προπάροιθεν, διαμείψαι
Aeschyli Septem contra Thebas (OCR draft) Experimental (Aeschyli Septem contra Thebas. Ulrich von Wilamowitz-Moellendorff, 1914.) — 333 focus
κλαυτὸν δ᾽ †ἀρτιτρόποις ὠμοδρόπων
νομίμων προπάροιθεν διαμεῖψαι
δώματα στυγερὰν ὁδόν.
335
τί; τὸν φθίμενον γὰρ προλέγω
βέλτερα τῶνδε πράσσειν·
πολλὰ γάρ, εὔτε πτόλις δαμασθῆι,
ἔ ἔ, δυστυχή τε πράσσει.
ἄλλος δ᾽ ἄλλον ἄγει, φονεύ-
340
Translations (7)
Seven Against Thebes Perseus (Aeschylus, Volume 1. Smyth, Herbert Weir, translator. London; New York: William Heinemann; G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1922. (Modernized by Perseus.)) — 369-415 focus
LES SEPT CONTRE THÈBES (OCR draft) Experimental (LES SEPT CONTRE THÈBES. Paul Mazon, 1920-1925.) — 333 focus
de chastes vierges, avant les rites
qui cueilleront leur tendre fleur, prissent la route nouvelle d'une demeure abhorrée. Ah ! les morts, je l'assure, ont un meilleur destin ! Quand une cité succombe, hélas ! innombrables
sont ses maux. Tel vainqueur fait des prisonniers, tel autre tue ; ailleurs, on incendie. La fumée souille la ville entière. Arès souffle en furieux 1 , domptant
The Seven Chiefs against Thebes (OCR draft) Experimental (The Seven Chiefs against Thebes. Robert Potter, 1779.) — 333 focus
Before my sad presaging soul
What scenes of imag'd horror roll!
I see the tender virgin's woe,
E'er yet her ripen'd beauties glow;
The hateful way I see her tread,
350
Forcibly torn from her sweet home:
Happier, far happier are the dead;
They rest within the silent tomb.
But, the walls humbled to the ground,
What dreadful mis'ries rage around!
355
Furious one leads the vengeful bands;
One stains with blood his reeking hands;
Wide roll, outrageous to destroy,
The dusky smoke, and torrent fires;
Whilſt slaught'ring Mars with hideous joy
360
The heav'ncontemning rage inspires.
Eschilo, I Sette a Tebe: traduzione italiana di Ettore Romagnoli (OCR draft) Experimental (Eschilo, I Sette a Tebe: traduzione italiana di Ettore Romagnoli. Ettore Romagnoli, 1922.) — 333 focus
E trascinate le donne vedove,
ahimè, le vecchie presso alle giovani,
come cavalle, per la cesarie,
360
fatte a brandelli le vesti. Ed ulula
la città vuota, mentre esse vanno
fra le commiste grida, a rovina.
lo tutta tremo già per il grave futuro danno.
2 Antistrofe II
Ahi, quale pianto, pria delle nozze, le intatte vergini
365
vederle muovere, per la cesarie
tratte, a le case che ancora tenere
Aeschylus, Septem ad Thebas: versio Latina Ioannis Sanravii (OCR draft) Experimental (Aeschylus, Septem ad Thebas: versio Latina Ioannis Sanravii. Ioannes Sanravius, 1555.) — 333 focus
Lacrymabile eſt puellis, crudeliter
Ante iura connubialia migrare
Ex domibus suis inuisa uia,
Quid prædico eum qui interijt,
Meliora his habere?
310
Multa ſunt, quando urbs expugnata fuerit,
Heuheu infœliciter agere:alius alium
Ducit, interficit, hæc ignem ferunt,
Fumo uerò inquinatur omnis urbs.
Furens uerò inſpirat hominum domitor
315
Cruentans pietatem Mars
English (E. D. A. Morshead, 1908) (OCR draft) Experimental (Aeschylus, Seven against Thebes — Morshead translation. Wikisource transcription; speech corresp and card milestones aligned to Smyth perseus-grc2.) — 333 focus
For a woe and a weeping it is, if the maiden inviolate flower
Is plucked by the foe in his might, not culled in the bridal bower!
Alas for the hate and the horror—how say it?—less hateful by far
Is the doom to be slain by the sword, hewn down in the carnage of war!
290
For wide, ah! wide is the woe when the foeman has mounted the wall;
There is havoc and terror and flame, and the dark smoke broods over all,
And wild is the war-god's breath, as in frenzy of conquest he springs,
And pollutes with the blast of his lips the glory of holiest things!
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.) — 333 focus
O Leid, zöge die Braut, eben erblüht,
Vor der Feier der frischpflückenden Brautnacht
Weg vom Haus den verhaßten Weg!
Was sag' ich es noch? Glücklicher ist,
315
Welchen der Tod entraffte!
Vieles ja muß, wenn der Feind die Stadt nahm,
Grauses muß sie dulden:
Ringsum schaltet Gewalt,
Und Mord wüthet, und Brand lodert auf.
320
Geschwärzt vom Nauche qualmt die ganze Stadt;
Völkervertilgend in Wuth, schnaubt er herein,
Verunreint fromme Stätten, Ares.
Dritte Strophe.

Commentary

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

45. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg004-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-71

Ἄρη:
on
M. Arund. Stobaeus, Longini optimus Paris. et Vat. 1.
ågon i
G.`
"onv t'
Lips. Cantabr. 1. 2. Colb. 1. 2. Ox. Par. C. Ven. A. B. Vind. 1. 2. 3. 4. Ald. Rob. edd. Longini.
oony '
Vit. Par. N.
Any
omissa copula Turn. et posteriores.
Aon
tragicis vindicandum putabat Valckenarius ad Phoen. v.1013. p. 367. Contra Porsonus ad Phoen. v. 134. hoc Aeschyli versu
Any
flagitari ratus, ubique
'Aoŋy
praeferebat, ut in eadem fabula v. 950. 1020. Contrarium probat optimorum librorum scriptura (v. ad v. 53.), copula autem ad
'Evvo
eodem modo omissa est, quo
ούτε
-
οὐ
-
οὔτε
iungi solent.
45

45. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg004-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-72

Φόβον:
góvov
Arund. Cantabr. 1. Ven. B. Vind. 2. Rob. et supro scripto Colb. 2.
45

46. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg004-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-73

ὡρκωμότησαν:
ὡρκομότησαν
G.
ὡρκωμώτησαν
Αld.
46

46. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg004-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-74

πόλει:
πόλεις
Par. G.
46

46. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg004-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-75

κατασκαφὰς:
κατασκαφὰς
Μ.
κατασφαγάς
, adscripto
κατασκαφάς
Par. B.
46

Commentary (N. Wecklein, 1902; German; OCR draft) (Seven Against Thebes, explanatory commentary pp. 15–100. Single-witness OCR; source readings and all reference placements require scan review.) focus

1-77. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg004-wecklein1902-com-ger1-1

1
2
Prolog, in welchem mit tiefer Empfindung und stimmungs- voll die Situation und der Drang des Augenblicks gekennzeichnet wird, nachdem die vorausliegenden Begebenheiten durch die voran- gehenden beiden Dramen der Tri- logie gegeben sind. Dabei tritt uns der Charakter des Eteokles in seiner entschlossenen Tatkraft und patrioti- schen Begeisterung entgegen und wird durch V. 28f., 57f. der weitere Verlauf des Dramas vorbereitet. Eteokles kommt aus dem Palaste und spricht zu den vor dem Hause versammelten Kriegern, Jünglingen, Männern und Greisen, welche nach 35 abziehen.

45. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg004-wecklein1902-com-ger1-36

3
4
'Evvo eine Kriegsgöttin wie Bellona. Da beim zweiten Glied die Verbindung fehlt, hat es viel- leicht " Αρεως Ενυώ geheißen (Engo erscheint bald als Mutter bald als Tochter des Ares). φιλαίματος heißt Φόβος, weil die Panik zu blutigem Gemetzel führt.

46. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg004-wecklein1902-com-ger1-37

5
6
Die Helden wollen siegen oder sterben, vgl. Hom. M 328 ἴομεν, ἠέ τω εὖχος ὀρέξομεν ἠέ τις ἡμῖν. Der Ausdruck γῆν τήνδε φυράσειν φόνῳ kennzeichnet den trotzigen Mut der Helden. Die Stelle wird gerühmt von dem Verfasser der Schrift περὶ ὕψους (c. 15) und gab wohl Anlaß, daß in Argos der Altar des Ζεὺς Χέτιος als die Stelle ge- zeigt wurde, wo die Genossen des Polynikes geschworen zu sterben, wenn sie Theben nicht eroberten (Paus. II 19, 8). Auch Sophokles O. K. 380 f. hat die Stelle nach- geahmt.