Aeschylus Seven Against Thebes 71

Anna Swanwick (Translator)

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MESSENGER
Him may the gods thus with fair fortune crown!
The Electran gates hath Capaneus by lot,
A giant he, o'ertopping him first nam'd.
His vaunt outsoareth mortal pride; these towers
He threats with horrors, which may Fate avert.
For, God assenting or in God's despite,
He vows our town to ravage; not heaven's wrath,
Down leaping on the plain, shall hold him back.
Lightnings and arrows of the thunderbolt
To noonday solar beams he likeneth.
A naked man his blazon, bearing fire;
Flares in his hands a torch, for service prompt;
In golden characters, he cries aloud,
THE CITY I WILL BURN. Against this man
Send thou-but who such foeman will confront?
This boaster who will meet and tremble not?

Seven Against Thebes. Aeschylus. Anna Swanwick (Translator). London. 1886.

Sponsored by University of Leipzig.

Funding provided by European Social Fund Saxony.

Current edition Experimental

Seven Against Thebes (OCR draft) (English) (Seven Against Thebes. Anna Swanwick, 1886.)

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (7)
Ἑπτὰ ἐπὶ Θήβας First1KGreek (Aeschyli Tragoediae. Sidgwick, Arthur, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1902.) — 108-180 focus
Ἑπτὰ ἐπὶ Θήβας Perseus (Aeschylus, Volume 1. Smyth, Herbert Weir, editor. London; New York: William Heinemann; G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1922.) — 109-180 focus
Ἑπτὰ ἐπὶ θήβας (OCR draft) Experimental (Ἑπτὰ ἐπὶ θήβας. Guilielmus Dindorfius, 1882.) — 78 focus
Ἑπτὰ ἐπὶ θήβας (OCR draft) Experimental (Ἑπτὰ ἐπὶ θήβας. Gottfried Hermann, 1852.) — 78 focus
ΕΠΤΑ ΕΠΙ θΗΒΑΣ (OCR draft) Experimental (ΕΠΤΑ ΕΠΙ θΗΒΑΣ. Paul Mazon, 1920-1925.) — 78 focus
Ἑπτὰ ἐπὶ θήβας (OCR draft) Experimental (Ἑπτὰ ἐπὶ θήβας. N. Wecklein, 1885.) — 78 focus
Θρέομαι φοβερὰ μεγάλ᾽ ἄχη.
μεθεῖται στρατὸς στρατόπεδον λιπών.
ῥεῖ πολὺς ὅδε λεὼς πρόδρομος ἱππότας.
80
Aeschyli Septem contra Thebas (OCR draft) Experimental (Aeschyli Septem contra Thebas. Ulrich von Wilamowitz-Moellendorff, 1914.) — 78 focus
Translations (8)
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.)) — 109-180 focus
The Seven against Thebes. (OCR draft) Experimental (The Seven against Thebes.. Theodore Alois Buckley, 1849.) — 78 focus
I wail over our fearful, mighty woes! the army is let loose, having quitted its camp, a mighty mounted host is streaming hitherward in advance
the dust appearing high in the air convinces me, a voiceless, clear, true messenger; the noise of the clatter of their hoofs upon the plain
, reaching even to our couches, approaches my ears, is wafted on, and is rumbling like a resistless torrent lashing the mountain-side. Alas! alas! Oh gods and goddesses, avert the rising horror; the white-bucklered
well-appointed host is rushing on with a shout on the other side our walls, speeding its way to the city. Who then will rescue us, who then of gods and goddesses will aid us? Shall I then prostrate myself before the statues of the divinities? Oh ye blessed beings, seated on your glorious thrones, 'tis high time for us to cling to your statues—why do we deeply sighing delay? Hear ye, or hear ye not, the clash of bucklers? When, if not now, shall we set about the orison of the peplus
and chaplets? I perceive a din, a crash of no single spear. What wilt thou do? wilt thou, O Mars, ancient guardian of our soil, abandon thine own land? God of the golden helm, look upon, look upon the city which once thou didst hold well-beloved.
LES SEPT CONTRE THÈBES (OCR draft) Experimental (LES SEPT CONTRE THÈBES. Paul Mazon, 1920-1925.) — 78 focus
parle dans votre intérêt autant que dans le mien, je crois : une ville prospère, seule, honore ses dieux.
The Seven Chiefs against Thebes (OCR draft) Experimental (The Seven Chiefs against Thebes. Robert Potter, 1779.) — 78 focus
Woe, woe, intolerable woe!
Fierce from their camps the hosts advance,
Before their march with thund'ring tread
90
Proud o'er the plain their firey courſers prance,
And hither bend their footsteps dread:
Yon' cloud of dust that choaks the air,
A true tho' tongueleſs messenger,
Marks plain the progress of the foe.
95
And now the horrid clash of arms,
That, like the torrent, whose impetuous tide
Roars down the mountain's craggy side,
Shook the wide fields with fierce alarms,
With nearer terrors strikes our souls,
100
And thro' our chaste recesses rolls:
Hear, all ye pow'rs of Heav'n, propitious hear,
And check the furies of this threat'ning war!
The crouded walls around
Loud clamours rend the sky;
105
Whilſt rang'd in deep array th' embattled pow'rs
Their silver shields i
lift high,
And, level with the ground
To lay their rampir'd heads, assail our tow'rs.
What guardian God shall I implore?
110
Bending at what sacred shrine
Call from their happy seats what pow'rs divine,
And suppliant ev'ry sculptur'd form adore?
The time demands it: why then, why delay?-
The sound of arms swells on my' affrighted ear.-
115
Hold now the pall, the garland k
, as you pray.-
Hark! 'tis the rude clash of no single spear.
Stern God of war,
Dost thou prepare
Thy sacred city to betray?
120
Look down, look down l
;
O save thine own;
Nor leave us to the foe a prey:
If e'er thy soul had pleasure in the brave,
God of the golden helm, hear us, and save!
125
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.) — 78 focus
Piango alti lagni d'orrore di doglia.
Già già dal campo si sfrena l'esercito :
105
rotola avanti l'esercito fitto
dei cavalieri: l'eterea polvere
si leva a dirmelo, muto palese
veridico araldo.
Orrido grido, fra rombe di zoccoli,
110
dalla pianura mi sgomina e preme,
come torrente che scrosci dal monte.
Contro la rocca si lancia, già leva,
chiuso nell'armi, l'esercito avverso,
gli scudi bianchi, con orride grida.
115
Chi mai dei Numi, chi mai delle Dive
soccorso darà ?
A quali altari di Dèmoni innanzi
debbo io cadere ? Beati Signori,
è questo il punto che stretta io mi tenga
120
ai vostri simulacri.
Nei troppi lagni che indugiasi? Udite
o non udite fragore di scudi?
Quando offrirò, se non ora,
pepli corone e preghiere ?
125
Odi lo strepito? Tale frastuono
sola una lancia non leva.
Che fai?
Marte Signore, l'antica tua terra
cosí tradirai?
130
Deh! queste mura, a te un giomo sí care,
Nume elmo d'oro, proteggi proteggi!
Tutte le fanciulle si aggruppano intorno all'ara.
Aeschylus, Septem ad Thebas: versio Latina Ioannis Sanravii (OCR draft) Experimental (Aeschylus, Septem ad Thebas: versio Latina Ioannis Sanravii. Ioannes Sanravius, 1555.) — 78 focus
Lugeo terribilia & magna mala.
Dimittitur exercitus caſtra relinquens,
Decurrit huc multus populus precurrens equites,
Aetherius puluis me persuadet uiſus,
85
Mutus maniſeſtus, promptus nuncius,
Excitator conculcatusq; campo
Appropinquat, clamor uolat, fremit
Instar aquæ murmurantis inexpugnabilis.
Heuheu, heu dij
90
Et deæ, præsens malum arcete.
Clamat pro mænibus
Scutum habens album, furgit populus
Structus in urbem irruens.
Quis defendet? quis auxiliabitur
95
Deorum aut dearum?
Vtrum ego accidam statuis
Deorum heu defensores dij,
Tempus est habendi ſtatuas:
quid cunctamur
100
Luctuoſi? auditis, aut non auditis clypeorum
Strepitum ? peplos
& coronas
Circa preces habebimus?
Strepitum audiui, & strepitumq; non unius haſte.
105
Quid facies? deferes ô Mars terrisenex
Tuam terram?
duream qui habes galeam demon,
Reſpice reſpice urbem,
Quam tandem charam poſuisti . dij
110
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.) — 78 focus
I wail in the stress of my terror, and shrill is my cry of despair.
The foemen roll forth from their camp as a billow, and onward they bear!
Their horsemen are swift in the forefront, the dust rises up to the sky,
95
A signal, though speechless, of doom, a herald more clear than a cry!
Hoof-trampled, the land of my love bears onward the din to mine ears.
As a torrent descending a mountain, it thunders and echoes and nears!
The doom is unloosened and cometh! O kings and O queens of high Heaven,
Prevail that it fall not upon us! the sign for their onset is given—
100
They stream to the walls from without, white-shielded and keen for the fray.
They storm to the citadel gates—what god or what goddess can stay
The rush of their feet? to what shrine shall I bow me in terror and pray?
O gods high-thronèd in bliss, we must crouch at the shrines in your home!
Not here must we tarry and wail: shield clashes on shield as they come—
105
And now, even now is the hour for the robes and the chaplets of prayer!
Mine eyes feel the flash of the sword, the clang is instinct with the spear!
Is thy hand set against us, O Ares, in ruin and wrath to o'erwhelm
Thine own immemorial land, O god of the golden helm?
Look down upon us, we beseech thee, on the land that thou lovest of old,
110
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.) — 78 focus
Ich klag' um graunvolles Leid! 1
Heran stürmt das Heer, dort aus den Zelten brach's,
Vorauf zahllos hier wälzt sich ein Reiterstrom:
80
Der Staub, himmelan wölkend, bezeugt es uns,
Ein sprachloser, untrüglicher Bote, laut!

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

420. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg004-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-527

γλῶσσ᾽ ... γίγνεται κατήγορος:
γλῶσσα
, supra scripto altero ν a sec. manu, M.
γίγνεται
Porsonus. Libri
γίνεται
.
διδάσκαλος
pro
κατήγορος
Lips. Rob. et Blomfieldio teste Ask. A. Idem adscriptum in Mosc. 1. Sic etiam scholiastes.
420

421. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg004-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-528

δρᾶν παρεσκευασμένος:
δρᾶν
Lips.
παρασκευασμένος
Par. C. et ε a sec. manu supra adscripto ad alteram syllabam M.
421

422. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg004-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-529

θεοὺς ἀτίζων: Libri
θεοὺς ἀτίζων
. Scribendum erat
θεοὺς ἀτίζων
. Monosyllabi
θεός
exempla congessit Porsonus ad Eur. Or. v. 393.
422

424. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg004-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-530

γεγωνὰ:
γεγωνὰ
Brunckius.
γεγωνία
Ask. A. Sed ad probandam Brunckii emendationem ducunt quae ceteri libri habent.
γεγωνᾷ
(sic) M.
γεγωνεῖ
Mosc. 2.
γεγωνᾷ
(sic) Ald. Rob.
γεγωνα
ceteri. In G. ᾷ in litura scriptum est. Hesychius
γεγωνόν, τὸ ἐξακουστόν, μεγαλόφωνον
.
424

425. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg004-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-531

αὐτῷ:
αὖ τῷ
G.
425

426. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg004-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-532

ἐξῃκασμένον:
ἐξηκασμένον
, iota a recentiore manu subscripto, M. Ceteri
ἐξεικασμένον
.
426

427. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg004-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-533

μεσημβρινοῖσι θάλπεσιν τοῖς:
μεσημβρινοῖσιν
Μ.
μεσηβρινοῖσι
G.
θάλπεσιν τοῖς
Μ.
θάλπεσι τοῖς
G. Lips. Ald. Rob. Turn.
θάλπεσι τοῦ
Vit. Colb. 1. Par. N.
427

429. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg004-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-534

αἴθων ... Πολυφόντου βία:
αἴθων
, ut reliqui libri, sed ad ο supra adscripto ο Lips. Vtrumque, et
αἴθων
et
αἰδῶν
, in scholiis commemoratur.
πολυφόντα
Οx. Ald.
βία
Ald. Rob.
429

430. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg004-hermann1852-appcrit-lat1-535

NA:
φερέγγυον φρούρημα
affert Thomas M. p. 381, 12. ed. Ritsch.
430

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

356-706. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg004-wecklein1902-com-ger1-238

1
2
zweites Epeiso- dion. Eteokles tritt auf mit Me- II lanippos (395), Megareus (459), Lasthenes (607f.), um die Mit- teilung des Kundschafters (66 ff.) entgegenzunehmen, vgl. Einl. S. 9 f. Die erste Szene, der Mittelpunkt des Stückes, gibt eine glänzende Schilderung der sieben feindlichen und der ihnen an den sieben Toren entgegenstehenden Thebanischen Heerführer. In der zweiten Szene macht der Chor den vergeblichen Versuch Eteokles von dem greuel- vollen Zweikampf mit dem Bruder zurückzuhalten. Damit gibt dieses Epeisodion die ethische Moti- vierung für den Untergang der argivischen Heerführer und der feindlichen Brüder. Wie auch sonst bei Äschylos da, wo dem Dialoge antistrophische Chorika eingefügt sind, Symmetrie des Dialogs sich nachweisen läßt, so hat Ritschl (Jahrb. f. Philol. Bd. 77. 1858. S. 761.) symmetrische An- lage auch in den sieben Reden des Boten und Erwiderungen des Eteokles wahrgenommen. Da an einigen Stellen der Text unsicher oder lückenhaft ist, läßt sich die Verszahl nicht bei allen Partien mit voller Bestimmtheit feststellen. Doch scheint mit Beiseitelassung der zwei ankündigenden Verse des Boten 362f., denen die zwei zur nächsten Szene überleitenden Verse des Eteokles 662 f. entsprechen, die Gliederung der ganzen Partie 364 661 folgende zu sein: Π IV ΑΓ20- ΕΤ20 | στρ. α' | ΑΓ14- ΕΤ14 | ἀντ. α' | ΑΓ14- ΕΤ14 | στρ. β' | ΑΓ20- ΕΤ20| αντ. β|| V VI VII ΑΓ22- ΕΤ 22 | στρ. γ΄ | ΑΓ 29- ΕT 29 | αντ. γ΄ | ΑΓ 22- ΕΤ 22.

420. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg004-wecklein1902-com-ger1-286

3
4
ὡπλισμένη, als Waffe ge- geben (Schol. ἀνθ᾽ ὅπλου οὖσα). In gewöhnlicher Weise heißt es Eur. Bakch. 733 ἕπεσθε θύρσοις διὰ χερῶν ὁπλισμέναι. Vielleicht aber ist auch hier mit Herwerden ὡπλισμένῳ zu schreiben ( ὡπλισμένῳ αὐτῇ).

421. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg004-wecklein1902-com-ger1-287

5
6
D. h. die Worte πρήσω πόλιν stehen auf dem Schilde über dem Fackelträger.

422. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg004-wecklein1902-com-ger1-288

7
8
τοιῷδε τῷδε φωτὶ für τοιῷδε φωτὶ πέμπε Dindorf. Schütz ver- mutet τωιῷδε φωτὶ δ᾽ εἰπέ. Nach τοιώδε konnte τῷδε leicht ausfallen und dann der V. mit πέμπε ergänzt werden.

423. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg004-wecklein1902-com-ger1-289

9
10
μὴ τρέσας hat Bezug auf κομπάζοντα, ohne sich durch seine prahlerischen Reden schrecken zu lassen.

424. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg004-wecklein1902-com-ger1-290

11
12
Auch hier bringt (wie man im Sprichwort sagt) ein Gewinn den andern". Der eine Gewinn ist, daß Kapaneus durch seine Prahlerei nur seine frevelhafte Ge- sinnung offenbart. Daraus ergibt sich der andere, daß er den Zorn des Zeus auf sich herabruft und den Gott zum Bundesgenossen der Thebaner macht. Die Textänderung von Keck καὶ τῷδε κόμπῳ erscheint hiernach unnötig.

425. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg004-wecklein1902-com-ger1-291

13
14
Wovon das Herz voll ist, davon geht der Mund über".

427. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg004-wecklein1902-com-ger1-292

15
16
Kapaneus droht nicht bloß mit dem Munde ( γλώσσα 426), son- dern ist auch bereit die Drohung zur Tat zu machen. Vgl. Eur. Heraklid. 691 μή τοί μ' ἔρυκε δρᾶν παρεσκευασμένον.

428. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg004-wecklein1902-com-ger1-293

17
18
ἀπογυμνάζων στόμα kenn- zeichnet die γλωσσαλγία des Kapa- neus.

429. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg004-wecklein1902-com-ger1-294

19
20
ματαία χαρᾷ, in frevler Freude.

430. mvp-aeschylus-tlg0085-tlg004-wecklein1902-com-ger1-295

21
22
Hesych. γεγωνός· μεγαλό- φωνος. κυμαίνοντα, tumida, hochmütige.