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1500-1555: Fifth episode

αὖ : cp. 887 .

ἠχεῖται is probably pass., as we find

ἠχῶ γόους, ὕμνον

, etc. (The midd. occurs in Pind. fr. 53. 18

ἀχεῖται Σεμέλαν...χοροί

σαφὴς would ordinarily have been repeated in the second clause (cp. 5); but the equivalent ἐμφανὴς takes its place: cp. O. T. 54

ἄρξεις...κρατεῖς

: Ant. 669

καλῶς...εὖ

: also El. 986 f.: Ai. 647 , 1323. The two adjectives could not be contrasted.

ἀστῶν is a certain correction of αὐτῶν , which, as=

"you yourselves ,"

would be very awkward after

ὑμῶν

and

κοινός

μή τις :

"Can it be some thunderbolt of Zeus, or the rushing onset of some hail-storm (that has scared you)?"

—

ἐξέπληξεν ὑμᾶς

, or the like. Theseus must, of course, be supposed to have heard the thunder which was pealing a few moments before; the doubt implied by μή is merely as to whether the blunder is the cause of the summons.

ὀμβρία χάλαζα , hail falling in a shower: cp. O. T. 1279

ὄμβρος χαλάζης

(n.).

ἐπιρράξασα , from

ἐπιρράσσω

, which is either (1) trans.,

"to dash one thing against another,"

as O. T. 1244

πύλας...ἐπιρράξασ’

"having dashed the doors together"

at her back: or (2) intrans., as here,

"to dash or burst on one"

: so with dat. Diod. 15. 84

τοῖς Μαντινεῦσιν...ἐπέρραξεν

"he dashed upon"

them.

τοιαῦτα :

"for one might forebode anything when the god sends such a storm as this"

(on

διοσημίαι

see n. to 95):—a courteous way of hinting that their alarm was not unnatural.

ποθοῦντι προὐφάνης : cp. O. T. 1356

θέλοντι κἀμοὶ τοῦτ’ ἂν ἦν

, n.: Il. 12.374

ἐπειγομένοισι δ’ ἵκοντο.

καί σοι θεῶν :

"and some god (cp. 1100) hath ordained for thee the good fortune of this coming"

: τύχην … ὁδοῦ , a fortune belonging to (connected with) it.—The MS. θῆκε was a mere blunder caused by transposition. As to the occasional omission of the syllabic augment in tragic

ῥήσεις

, see on O. T. 1249 . Cp. above, 974.

ῥοπὴ βίου μοι , the turn of the scale ( momentum ) for my life,—the moment which is to bring it down to death. Cp. O. T. 961

σμικρὰ παλαιὰ σώματ’ εὐνάζει ῥοπή

(where see n.): Eur. Hipp. 1162

Ἱππόλυτος οὐκέτ’ ἔστιν, ὡς εἰπεῖν ἔπος·

δέδορκε μέντοι φῶς ἐπὶ σμικρᾶς ῥοπῆς

"but his life still hangs in the trembling scale."

καὶ θέλω θανεῖν μὴ ψεύσας σε πόλιν τε τήνδε (

τούτων

)

ἅπερ ξυνῄνεσα ,

"and I wish to die without having defrauded thee and this city of the things on which I agreed."

For the constr. of ψεύσας cp. on , and for the chief stress on the partic., 1038: for ξυνῄν. , Xen. Cyr. 4.2.47

ταῦτα συνῄνουν

, they agreed to these terms.

ἐν τῷ δὲ κεῖσαι : usu. explained,

"And on what sign of thine end dost thou rely? "

But

κεῖμαι ἔν τινι

(see on )=

"to be situated in a person's power"

: an analogous use of

κεῖμαι

here would give us,

"on what sign doth thy fate depend? "

In Tr. 82 , however, we have

ἐν οὖν ῥοπῇ τοιᾷδε κειμένῳ

: and, if the text be sound, κεῖσαι has (I think) a like sense here: lit.,

"at what sign of thy fate art thou in suspense?"

The phrase is thus virtually equivalent to

ἐν τίνι ῥοπῇ κεῖσαι

;—the τεκμήριον itself standing for the crisis which it marks. The phrase seems to me possible (for our poet), but slightly suspicious. We might conjecture καὶ τῷ πέπεισαι : cp. Eur. Hel. 1190

ἐννύχοις πεπεισμένη

στένεις ὀνείροις

. (To the obvious

κεῖται σοῦ, σόν

, or

σοί...τεκμήριον

, the objection is the phrase

ἐν τῷ κεῖται

αὐτοὶ with κήρυκες : the gods herald their own interposition in his fate. No

μάντις

, but Heaven itself, gi gives the warning. Cp. Bekker Anecd. 5. 14

αὐτοκῆρυξ· ὁ μὴ δῑ ἑτέρων ἀλλὰ δῑ ἑαυτοῦ κηρυκεύων

. Eur. Suppl. 589 (Theseus says that he will march on Thebes)

αὐτὸς σίδηρον ὀξὺν ἐν χεροῖν ἔχων, | αὐτός τε κῆρυξ

ψεύδοντες οὐδὲν σημάτων προκ. ,

"disappointing me in no way (

οὐδὲν"

adv., cp. 1145) of the signs appointed beforehand

(94): as Her. 2.38 (of the Apis)

εἰ καθαρὴ

(

ἡ γλῶσσα

)

τῶν προκειμένων σημηίων

, the marks appointed by sacred law.

With the conjecture σῆμα τῶν , the sense is,

" falsifying no sign of those appointed,"

a less usu. sense of

ψεύδω

, for which see Ant. 389 n.

The usual order would be αἱ πολλὰ διατελεῖς βρονταί ,

"the long-continued thunderings."

But an adj. or partic. is sometimes thus placed after the subst., when the art. and an adv. (or adverbial phrase) stands before it: cp. O. T. 1245

τὸν ἤδη Λάϊον πάλαι νεκρόν

τὸν ἤδη πάλαι νεκρὸν Λ.

, the already long-dead L.: where see n.

πολλὰ =

"very,"

with the adj.: cp. Ant. 1046

χοἱ πολλὰ δεινοί

: Ph. 254

ὦ πόλλ’ ἐγὼ μοχθηρός

: El. 1326

ὦ πλεῖστα μῶροι

: Il. 11.557

πόλλ’ ἀέκων

.—The answer is framed as if Theseus had said,

ποῖα δὲ σημεῖα ἐφάνη τῶνδε

; If Reiske's δηλοῦσι (which Wecklein receives) is to be admitted, we must view L's αἱ πολλαὶ as a mere gloss suggested by διατελεῖς and conformed to τὰ πολλά τε . This, however, seems very improbable, since ( a ) the article τὰ with βέλη recommends the art. with βρονταὶ , and ( b ) the reiterated πολλὰ is effective.

στράψαντα .

στράπτω

is not extant in classical Attic, but occurs in Apollonius Rhodius ( 2nd cent. B.C. ) and Oppian ( 2nd cent. A.D. ), also in an Orphic hymn of uncertain date, and in the Anthology. In cases of this kind we should always recollect how incomplete is our knowledge of the classical Attic vocabulary, and allow for the likelihood that the learned Alexandrian poets had earlier warrant for this or that word which, as it happens, we cannot trace above them. (Cp. on

ἀκορέστατος

, 120.) With

ἀστράπτω

and

στράπτω

, cp.

ἀστεροπή

and

στεροπή, ἀσπαίρω

and

σπαίρω, ἀσταφίς

and

σταφίς, ἄσταχυς

and

στάχυς

, and many other instances in which the longer form and the shorter both belong to the classical age.

σκήψαντα (Forster) is much less forcible: the thought is of the lightningflash breaking forth as a sign in the sky (

φλέγει

, 1466), rather than of its descent on earth: and this word would hardly have passed into the MS.

στρέψαντα.

χειρὸς τῆς ἀνικήτου , gen. of point whence with στρ . ( O. T. 152

Πυθῶνος...ἔβας

) rather than possess. gen. with βέλη .

θεσπίζονθ’ : as Oed. had predicted trouble from Thebes at a time when Theseus thought it impossible (606 ff.); Creon had fulfilled the prediction, and had even hinted at future war (1037).

ψευδόφημα : cp. O. T. 723

φῆμαι μαντικαί

: ib. 43

φήμην

=a message from a god (n.).

σοι ethic dat., τῇδε πόλει dat. of interest; which thou shalt have stored up for Athens. The ethic dat. is often combined with another, as [Eur.] Rhes. 644

ἐχθρῶν τις ἡμῖν χρίμπτεται στρατεύματι

, we have some foeman approaching our camp. The v.l. σῇ τε came of not seeing this.

γήρως ἄλυπα : see on

ἀνήνεμον...χειμώνων

χῶρον … ἐξηγήσομαι , show the way to the place: the literal notion being blended with that of expounding (as the

ἐξηγηταί

expounded the sacred law). Cp. Her. 3.4

ἐξηγέεται...τὴν ἔλασιν

, expounds the route for the march.

ἄθικτος , pass., as always in Attic (though O. T. 969

ἄψαυστος ἔγχους

"not touching"

): Tr. 685

ἀκτῖνός τ’ ἀεὶ | θερμῆς ἄθικτον

. The act. sense,

"not touching,"

occurs later ( Callim. Hymn. Dian. 201 ).

τοῦτον refers to

χῶρον

, the place where he was to

"die,"

i.e. disappear. This place is accurately described at 1590. It was the grave (1545) that was to remain secret. But here, by a slip, the poet identifies them (see Introd.). We should not change τοῦτον to τύμβον . — Note how Soph. uses the vagueness of the local legend as to the grave. Secrecy was imposed by the dying breath of Oed. himself. The descent of the secret in the line of the Attic kings would serve to explain any esoteric knowledge on the subject which, in the poet's time, may have been claimed by a gens of hereditary priests.

μήθ’ οὗ κέκευθε : neither where (precisely) it is concealed, nor (even) whereabouts it is situated.

ὥς σοι … τιθῇ . Like

τοῦτον

in 1522, ὅδε refers to

χῶρον

(1520),

"this spot"

; it is not for

ἀνὴρ ὅδε

(450). For πρὸ cp. Thuc. 1.33

ἣν ὑμεῖς ἂν πρὸ πολλῶν χρημάτων καὶ χάριτος ἐτιμήσασθε δύναμιν ὑμῖν προσγενέσθαι, αὕτη πάρεστιν αὐτεπάγγελτος

. (Not,

" against many shields etc.,"

as Xen. Anab. 7.8.18

ὅπως τὰ ὅπλα ἔχοιεν πρὸ τῶν τοξευμάτων

"that they might have their shields to screen them from the arrows."

) Cp. O. T. 218 n.

δορός τ’ ἐπακτοῦ . As the hoplite was armed with a

δόρυ

no less than with a shield, there is no contrast here between infantry and cavalry, but only between citizens and foreign allies. Cp. Isocr. or. 10 § 37

οὐδ’ ἐπακτῷ δυνάμει

(foreign mercenaries)

τὴν ἀρχὴν διαφυλάττων, ἀλλὰ τῇ τῶν πολιτῶν εὐνοίᾳ δορυφορούμενος

.—The old v.l. γειτονῶν ,

"being near you,"

would be weak: as to the form,

γειτονέω

is classical, though Attic prose preferred

γειτνιάω

Others join ἀλκὴν … γειτόνων ,

"a defence against neighbours"

(the Thebans, 1534), but, though the objective gen. is quite correct (see on O. T. 218 ), the order of the words makes it hardly possible to disjoin γειτόνων from δορός τ’ ἐπακτοῦ .

ἃ δ’ ἐξάγιστα ,

"but as to things which are banned "

(which cannot be uttered without impiety). Cp. Aeschin. or. 3 § 113

οἱ Λοκροὶ οἱ Ἀμφισσεῖς...τὸν λιμένα τὸν ἐξάγιστον καὶ ἐπάρατον πάλιν ἐτείχισαν

"the harbour which was banned and accursed,"

—the Amphictyons having pronounced an

ἀρά

, which said of the transgressor,

ἐναγὴς ἔστω

( ib. § 110). The verb occurs Aesch. Ag. 641

πολλοὺς δὲ πολλῶν ἐξαγισθέντας δόμων

, many

"devoted to death"

out of many houses.

ἁγίζω

=to make

ἅγιος

(1495):

ἐξαγίζω

= to devote to avenging gods (cp.

ἐξοσιόω

, to dedicate), rather than (as some explain it)

"to de -consecrate."

μηδὲ κινεῖται λόγῳ ,

"and such things as (

μηδέ"

of the class, cp. 73) are not to be touched upon in speech

(see on

τἀκίνητ’ ἔπη

). Nauck proposed

δεῖ κινεῖν

, but the pres.

κινεῖται

expresses what fate has decreed ( Ph. 113

αἱρεῖ

μαθήσει , by sight as well as by hearing: see 1641, 1650.

σῷζε , "guard them," — not merely, "remember" them, a sense peculiar to the midd.

σῴζομαι

( Plat. Theaet. 153 B , etc., n. on O. T. 318 ). Cp. Ant. 1113

νόμους | … σῴζοντα

(

"observing"

ἀφικνῇ : L's

ἀφίκῃ

is of course impossible, the ι of the aor. being long only in the indic. (cp. 1495).

τῷ προφερτάτῳ μόνῳ :

but to one,

Thy chiefest

(Whitelaw), which well gives the vagueness of the phrase. While the hereditary monarchy lasted, the προφέρτατος would, in fact, be the king's eldest son: afterwards, it would be the man whose place in the State made him the proper guardian of the secret. The poet chose a phrase which would cover priestly tradition. I would not, then, change μόνῳ , with Nauck, to γόνῳ . In fr. 401

ἦ γὰρ φίλη )γὼ τῶνδε τοῦ προφερτέρου

, the sense

"elder"

is possible, but not certain. Hes. Scut. 260 has

τῶν γε μὲν ἀλλάων προφερής τ’ ἦν πρεσβυτάτη τε

, where the second adj. helps the first; Plat. Euthyd. 271 B has

προφερής

"wellgrown,"

of a youth, as opp. to

σκληφρός

"slight."

Hom. has only

προφερέστερος

, never of age. The nearest parallel to our passage is Hes. Th. 361

προφερεστάτη ἐστὶν ἁπασέων

, foremost among the daughters of Oceanus is Styx; and at 777 she is called

πρεσβυτάτη

. So, here, the word suggests seniority, but without excluding pre-eminence of other kinds.

ἀδῇον contr. for

ἀδήϊον

"unravaged,"

from

δήϊος

(

δῇος

Theogn. 552, always Dor.

δάϊος

in trag.),

"ravaging"

(

√ΔΑv

, whence

δαίω

, to kindle):

σπαρτῶν ἀπ’ ἀνδρῶν ,

"on the part of,"

"from the quarter of"

the Thebans. For ἀπό , cp. Plat. Phaedo 83B

οὐδὲν τοσοῦτον κακὸν ἔπαθεν ἀπ’ αὐτῶν

. Schaefer's ὑπό is admissible ( Plat. Rep. 366A

ἀζήμιοι...ὑπὸ θεῶν

): but

ἀπό

is fitter here as including all peril from that region. When Cadmus was founding Thebes, he required water from a well guarded by a dragon, the offspring of Ares. He killed the dragon, and sowed its teeth in the ground. Armed men sprang up, who slew each other, all save five. These five, of whom Echion was chief, became the ancestors of the Cadmeans. Cp. Ant. 1123

παρ’ ὑγρῶν

Ἰσμηνοῦ ῥείθρων, ἀγρίου τ’

ἐπὶ σπορᾷ δράκοντος

. Pind. fr. 6

ἢ Κάδμον, ἢ σπαρτῶν ἱερὸν γένος ἀνδρῶν

αἱ δὲ μυρίαι πόλεις , justifying his hint of possible danger from Thebes.

"Most cities are apt (gnomic aor.) to enter on aggression with a light heart ( ῥᾳδίως ), even though their neighbour is wellbehaved."

Cp. what he said of the Thebans in 619 f., where

ἐκ σμικροῦ λόγου

answers to

ῥᾳδίως

here. So the schol.:—

κἂν δικαίως τις πολιτεύηται, πολλαὶ πόλεις ἀδίκως ἐπέρχονται

Those who suspect αἱ μυρίαι should observe that Greek writers often use this phrase when they wish to express the notion of many probabilities against one. Cp. Her. 8.119

ἐν μυρίῃσι γνώμῃσι μίαν οὐκ ἔχω ἀντίξοον

"among ten thousand opinions I have not one against me"

: i.e. not one man in 10,000 would dispute it. Xen. Anab. 2.1.19

ἐγώ, εἰ μὲν τῶν μυρίων ἐλπίδων μία τις ὑμῖν ἐστι σωθῆναι πολεμοῦντας βασιλεῖ, συμβουλεύω μὴ παραδιδόναι τὰ ὅπλα

"if among the ten thousand forebodings (which the situation might suggest) there is one chance of your escape,"

etc. So, of

"facing fearful odds,"

Eur. fr. 588

εἶς τοι δίκαιος μυρίων οὐκ ἐνδίκων

κρατεῖ

. And so here αἱ μυρίαι is something more than a mere synonym for

αἱ πολλαί

. It suggests this notion:—

"Be Athens never so just, there are countless chances to one that Thebes will some day attack it."

(In citing Aeschin. or. 2 § 157 Blaydes has not noticed that

τοὺς μυρίους Ἀρκάδων

means the Pan-Arcadian

μύριοι

, not

μυρίοι

: cp. Grote c. 78, x. 317.)

κἂν εὖ τις οἰκῇ : cp. Plat. Rep. 423A

ἕως ἂν ἡ πόλις σοι οἰκῇ σωφρόνως

. (It might also be transitive,

"governs,"

sc.

τὴν πόλιν

.) A compliment to Theseus and to Athens is implied: cp. 1125.

Others explain:—(1)

"The majority of cities, even though one governs them well, are prone to outrage"

: i.e. if you divulge the secret to the Athenians , it may be abused to the hurt of the State. A modification of this view is that

καθύβρισαν

refers to overweening confidence inspired at Athens by the new

ἀλκή

. Theseus must still be watchful. (2)

"The cities, with their multitudes (

μυρίαι"

), are prone to outrage,

—still referring to the Athenians. But for this sense we should at least need Wecklein's οἱ δὲ μυρίοι πόλεως .—Blaydes thought of

αἱ δὲ μωρίας πλέαι

: better would be

οἱ δὲ μωρίας πλέῳ

( Ai. 1112 , 1150): but neither this, nor anything with

κύριος

, is either needful or probable.

γὰρ refers to

ῥᾳδίως

"(Outrage is lightly committed), for the gods are late, though they are sure, in visiting sin,"

and so the hope of present impunity emboldens the wicked. See 1370. The remark is general, but Oed. is thinking especially of his unnatural sons; the divine vengeance has long been delayed, but is now at hand. Cp. Orac. Sibyll. 8. 14

ὀψὲ θεῶν ἀλέουσι μύλοι, ἀλέουσι δὲ λεπτά

. Longfellow,

"Retribution"

" Though the mills of God grind slowly , yet they grind exceeding small "

(from the German of F. von Logau, Sinngedichte 3. 2. 24). Hor. Carm. 3. 2. 32

pede Poena claudo.

εὖ μὲν ὀψὲ δ’ . When two clauses are co-ordinated by μέν and δέ , if we wish to subordinate one to the other we must take care that the subordinated clause is that which has μέν . Thus here:—

"late, though surely."

"Surely, though late,"

would be ὀψὲ μὲν εὖ δέ . So O. T. 419 (n.)

βλέποντα νῦν μὲν ὄρθ’, ἔπειτα δὲ σκότον

,=sightless then, though seeing now. It is the necessity of giving the chief emphasis to ὀψέ , not to εὖ , that decides the true relation of this verse to the preceding.

τὰ θεἶ ἀφείς , having set religion at nought: cp. O. T. 910

ἔρρει δὲ τὰ θεῖα.

μαίνεσθαι , the madness of passions which are no longer controlled by religion,—as the frenzy of ambition (371), and of hatred (1392).—I do not suppose that the poet directly alludes to any contemporary event; but we may surmise that, when he wrote these lines, he had in his thoughts the daring outrage on religion at Athens in 415 B.C.,—the partial impunity of its authors (including Alcibiades),—and the tremendous disasters of the city two years later. Cp. O. T. p. xxx, 886 n.

ὃ μὴ σὺ...βούλου παθεῖν , referring to τὰ θεἶ ἀφείς etc. To divulge the

ἐξάγιστα

(1526) would be ἀφεῖναι τὰ θεῖα . The next verse turns off this light reminder by adding that Theseus does not require it. "Well ( οὖν ), thou knowest such things, without my precepts." Thuc. 2.43

ὠφελίαν, ἣν ἄν τις πρὸς οὐδὲν χεῖρον αὐτοὺς ὑμᾶς εἰδότας μηκύνοι

: ib. 36

μακρηγορεῖν ἐν εἰδόσιν οὐ βουλόμενος

: Il. 10.250

εἰδόσι γάρ τοι ταῦτα μετ’ Ἀργείοις ἀγορεύεις

. Cp. on .

χῶρον : cp. 644 .

τοὐκ θεοῦ παρόν :

"that which has come from the god,"

(cp. 1694

τὸ φέρον ἐκ θεοῦ

,)—the summons as conveyed both by the storm and by an inward prompting. Matthiae's πτερόν (97) would be less mysterious, and therefore, in this context, less solemn.

μηδ’ ἔτ’ ἐντρεπώμεθα ,

"nor longer hesitate ,"

ὀκνῶμεν, μέλλωμεν. ἐντρέπεσθαι

(1)

"to turn about"

: (2)

"to give heed to,"

with gen., as O. T. 724 : (3) then, absol.,

" to feel a scruple or misgiving ,"

to hesitate, as here. Intelligible as the third use is, this is perh. the only clear example of it in classical Attic: but cp. Polyb. 31. 12 (with ref. to Demetrius son of Seleucus urging his claims before the Roman Senate),

ἐνετρέποντο μὲν ἅπαντες ἀκούοντες ἐν ἑαυτοῖς, κοινῇ γε μὴν ἔδοξε τῇ συγκλήτῳ τὸν μὲν Δημήτριον κατασχεῖν

, i.e.

"they all felt some compunction in their own minds,"

—some misgiving as to the fairness of their conduct. The hesitation which Oed. deprecates is that which the others might feel in acknowledging that the hour of his end had come.—The schol. wrongly took ἐντρεπ . in its first sense,

"look behind us"

ἀντὶ τοῦ ἐπιστρεφώμεθα

Ὅμηρος· ἐντροπαλιζόμενος

— 1555 A more splendid dramatic effect than Sophocles has created here could hardly be conceived. Hitherto, throughout the play, Oedipus has been strongly characterised by that timidity in movement, and that sense of physical dependence, which are normal accompaniments of blindness. (Cp. 21, 173 ff., 495 ff., 1206, etc.) Now, suddenly inspired by the Unseen Power which calls him, he becomes the guide of his guides. Now it is they who shrink. Eager and unfaltering, the blind man beckons them on. And so he finally passes from the eyes of the spectators.

ὧδ’ : see 182.

καινός , of a novel kind ,

"in strange wise"

: cp. Plat. Euthyd. 271 B

καινοί τινες...σοφισταί... καὶ τίς ἡ σοφία;

τῇδ’, ὧδε, τῇδε , lit.,

"this way,— hither,—this way"

;—marking that he is already sure of his path. The number of forms from

ὅδε

in this v. and 1546 is curious, but it is evident that the natural distribution of emphasis in speaking would avoid an unpleasing effect.

ὁ πομπὸς : Ai. 831

καλῶ δ’ ἅμα | πομπαῖον Ἑρμῆν χθόνιον εὖ με κοιμίσαι

: hence

ψυχοπομπός

( Diod. I. 96 ): Hor. Carm. 1. 10. 17

Tu pias laetis animas reponis Sedibus.

He was also the guide of the living on errands of danger or guile ( El. 1395 , Ph. 133

Ἑ. ὁ πέμπων δόλιος

ἥ τε ν. θεός : Persephone: Ant. 893

ὧν ἀριθμὸν ἐν νεκροῖς

πλεῖστον δέδεκται Περσέφασσ’ ὀλωλότων

φῶς ἀφεγγές , light which, for the blind, is no light: cp.

"darkness of life"

in Tennyson's lines quoted on 33:

σκότον βλέπειν, ἐν σκότῳ ὁρᾶν

( O. T. 419) , 1273). The dying bid farewell to the sunlight, as Ai. 856

σὲ δ’, ὦ φαεννῆς ἡμέρας τὸ νῦν σέλας

… προσεννέπω

πανύστατον δή

. So here the blind man, for whom light has long been changed to darkness, bids farewell to his memory of it.

πρόσθε , before he blinded himself (cp. O. T. 1183 ). The full thought is,—

"Once I saw thee, but for long I have only felt thee, and now I feel thee for the last time."

Whitelaw cp. Par. Lost 3. 21,

Thee I revisit safe,

Andfeel thy sovran vital lamp; but thou

Revisit'st not these eyes.

And Lear 4. 1. 23

Might I but live to see thee in my touch,

I'd say I had eyes again.

τὸν τελευταῖον βίον is most simply taken (1) as=

"the last part of my life,"

its close, as ( e.g. ) Il. 6.40

ἐν πρώτῳ ῥυμῷ

=at the end of the pole. He is going

" to hide the close of his life with Hades "

(

παρ’ Ἅιδην

since motion is implied), not merely because he is about to quit life, but because he is destined to quit it by a strange passing not beheld of men.—(2) We might also take τελευταῖον as proleptic adj. with art. (see on

τὸν εὔαγρον

"to hide my life, so that it shall be ended."

I prefer (1).

αὐτός τε : cp. on . Theseus and his realm are identified, as 308 f., 1125, 1496.

πρόσπολοι , like

ὀπάονες

(1103). Here his Attic lieges generally seem meant, rather than his followers from Athens as opposed to the Coloniates (1066). So 1496

σε καὶ πόλισμα καὶ φίλους

κἀπ’ εὐπραξίᾳ :

"and in your prosperous state ,"

ἐπί expressing the attendant condition (as it denotes the terms of a treaty): cp. El. 108

ἐπὶ κωκυτῷ

...

ἠχὼ...προφωνεῖν

: Ant. 759

ἐπὶ ψόγοισι δεννάζειν

: Aesch. Eum. 1047

ὀλολύξατε νῦν ἐπὶ μολπαῖς

: Thuc. 7.81 § 5

ἐπ’ εὐπραγίᾳ ἤδη σαφεῖ

(

"when success was now assured"

μέμνησθε , imper., not

μεμνῇσθε

, optat.: for this depends on them, but their weal (

εὐδ. γένοισθε

) on the gods.

εὐτυχεῖς ἀεί : (remember me), for your lasting welfare. If they duly revere his memory, their good-fortune will abide.

Commentary on Sophocles: Oedipus at Colonus. Sir Richard C. Jebb. Cambridge. 1899.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by National Endowment for the Humanities.

Current edition Experimental

Commentary (R. C. Jebb) (OCR draft) (English) (Commentary (R. C. Jebb))

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (2)

Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 1500 focus

τίς αὖ παρʼ ὑμῶν κοινὸς ἠχεῖται κτύπος,
1500

σαφὴς μὲν αὐτῶν, ἐμφανὴς δὲ τοῦ ξένου;

μή τις Διὸς κεραυνός, ἤ τις ὀμβρία

χάλαζʼ ἐπιρράξασα; πάντα γὰρ θεοῦ

τοιαῦτα χειμάζοντος εἰκάσαι πάρα.

Οἰδίπους

ἄναξ, ποθοῦντι προὐφάνης, καί σοι θεῶν
1505

τύχην τις ἐσθλὴν †θῆκε τῆσδε τῆς ὁδοῦ.

Θησεύς

τί δʼ ἐστίν, ὦ παῖ Λαΐου, νέορτον αὖ;

Οἰδίπους

ῥοπὴ βίου μοι. καί σʼ ἅπερ ξυνῄνεσα

θέλω πόλιν τε τήνδε μὴ ψεύσας θανεῖν.

Θησεύς

ἐν τῷ δὲ κεῖσαι τοῦ μόρου τεκμηρίῳ;
1510

Οἰδίπους

αὐτοὶ θεοὶ κήρυκες ἀγγέλλουσί μοι,

ψεύδοντες οὐδὲν σημάτων προκειμένων.

Θησεύς

πῶς εἶπας, ὦ γεραιέ, δηλοῦσθαι τάδε ;

Οἰδίπους

αἱ πολλὰ βρονταὶ διατελεῖς τὰ πολλά τε

*στράψαντα χειρὸς τῆς ἀνικήτου βέλη.
1515

Θησεύς

πείθεις με· πολλὰ γάρ σε θεσπίζονθʼ ὁρῶ

κοὐ ψευδόφημα· χὤ τι χρὴ ποιεῖν λέγε.

Οἰδίπους

ἐγὼ διδάξω, τέκνον Αἰγέως, ἅ σοι

γήρως ἄλυπα τῇδε κείσεται πόλει.

χῶρον μὲν αὐτὸς αὐτίκʼ ἐξηγήσομαι,
1520

ἄθικτος ἡγητῆρος, οὗ με χρὴ θανεῖν.

τοῦτον δὲ φράζε μή ποτʼ ἀνθρώπων τινί,

μήθʼ οὗ κέκευθε μήτʼ ἐν οἷς κεῖται τόποις·

ὥς σοι πρὸ πολλῶν ἀσπίδων ἀλκὴν ὅδε

δορός τʼ ἐπακτοῦ γειτόνων ἀεὶ τιθῇ.
1525

ἃ δʼ ἐξάγιστα μηδὲ κινεῖται λόγῳ

αὐτὸς μαθήσει κεῖσʼ ὅταν μόλῃς μόνος·

ὡς οὔτʼ ἂν ἀστῶν τῶνδʼ ἂν ἐξείποιμί τῳ

οὔτʼ ἂν τέκνοισι τοῖς ἐμοῖς, στέργων ὅμως.

ἀλλʼ αὐτὸς ἀεὶ σῶζε, χὤταν εἰς τέλος
1530

τοῦ ζῆν ἀφικνῇ, τῷ προφερτάτῳ μόνῳ

σήμαινʼ, ὁ δʼ ἀεὶ τὠπιόντι δεικνύτω.

χοὔτως ἀδῇον τήνδʼ ἐνοικήσεις πόλιν

σπαρτῶν ἀπʼ ἀνδρῶν· αἱ δὲ μυρίαι πόλεις,

κἂν εὖ τις οἰκῇ, ῥᾳδίως καθύβρισαν.
1535

θεοὶ γὰρ εὖ μέν, ὀψὲ δʼ εἰσορῶσʼ, ὅταν

τὰ θεῖʼ ἀφείς τις εἰς τὸ μαίνεσθαι τραπῇ·

ὃ μὴ σύ, τέκνον Αἰγέως, βούλου παθεῖν.

τὰ μὲν τοιαῦτʼ οὖν εἰδότʼ ἐκδιδάσκομεν.

χῶρον δʼ, ἐπείγει γάρ με τοὐκ θεοῦ παρόν,
1540

στείχωμεν ἤδη, μηδʼ *ἐπιστρεφώμεθα.

ὦ παῖδες, ὧδʼ ἕπεσθʼ. ἐγὼ γὰρ ἡγεμὼν

σφῷν αὖ πέφασμαι καινός, ὥσπερ σφὼ πατρί.

χωρεῖτε, καὶ μὴ ψαύετʼ, ἀλλʼ ἐᾶτέ με

αὐτὸν τὸν ἱερὸν τύμβον ἐξευρεῖν, ἵνα
1545

μοῖρʼ ἀνδρὶ τῷδε τῇδε κρυφθῆναι χθονί.

τῇδʼ, ὧδε, τῇδε βᾶτε· τῇδε γάρ μʼ ἄγει

Ἑρμῆς ὁ πομπὸς ἥ τε νερτέρα θεός.

ὦ φῶς ἀφεγγές, πρόσθε πού ποτʼ ἦσθʼ ἐμόν,

νῦν δʼ ἔσχατόν σου τοὐμὸν ἅπτεται δέμας.
1550

ἤδη γὰρ ἕρπω τὸν τελευταῖον βίον

κρύψων παρʼ Ἅιδην. ἀλλά, φίλτατε ξένων,

αὐτός τε χώρα θʼ ἥδε πρόσπολοί τε σοὶ

εὐδαίμονες γένοισθε, κἀπʼ εὐπραξίᾳ

μέμνησθέ μου θανόντος εὐτυχεῖς ἀεί.
1555

Χορός

Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 1500-1555 focus

Θησεύς

τίς αὖ παρʼ ὑμῶν κοινὸς ἠχεῖται κτύπος,
1500

σαφὴς μὲν ἀστῶν, ἐμφανὴς δὲ τοῦ ξένου;

μή τις Διὸς κεραυνὸς ἤ τις ὀμβρία

χάλαζʼ ἐπιρράξασα; πάντα γὰρ θεοῦ

τοιαῦτα χειμάζοντος εἰκάσαι πάρα.

Οἰδίπους

ἄναξ, ποθοῦντι προυφάνης, καί σοι θεῶν
1505

τύχην τις ἐσθλὴν τῆσδʼ ἔθηκε τῆς ὁδοῦ.

Θησεύς

τί δʼ ἐστίν, ὦ παῖ Λαΐου, νέορτον αὖ;

Οἰδίπους

ῥοπὴ βίου μοι· καί σʼ ἅπερ ξυνῄνεσα

θέλω πόλιν τε τήνδε μὴ ψεύσας θανεῖν.

Θησεύς

τῷ δʼ ἐκπέπεισαι τοῦ μόρου τεκμηρίῳ;
1510

Οἰδίπους

αὐτοὶ θεοὶ κήρυκες ἀγγέλλουσί μοι,

ψεύδοντες οὐδὲν σῆμα τῶν προκειμένων.

Θησεύς

πῶς εἶπας, ὦ γεραιέ, δηλοῦσθαι τάδε;

Οἰδίπους

αἱ πολλὰ βρονταὶ διατελεῖς τὰ πολλά τε

στράψαντα χειρὸς τῆς ἀνικήτου βέλη.
1515

Θησεύς

πείθεις με· πολλὰ γάρ σε θεσπίζονθʼ ὁρῶ

κοὐ ψευδόφημα· χὤ τι χρὴ ποιεῖν λέγε.

Οἰδίπους

ἐγὼ διδάξω, τέκνον Αἰγέως, ἅ σοι

γήρως ἄλυπα τῇδε κείσεται πόλει.

χῶρον μὲν αὐτὸς αὐτίκʼ ἐξηγήσομαι,
1520

ἄθικτος ἡγητῆρος, οὗ με χρὴ θανεῖν.

τοῦτον δὲ φράζε μή ποτʼ ἀνθρώπων τινί,

μήθʼ οὗ κέκευθε μήτʼ ἐν οἷς κεῖται τόποις·

ὥς σοι πρὸ πολλῶν ἀσπίδων ἀλκὴν ὅδε

δορός τʼ ἐπακτοῦ γειτονῶν ἀεὶ τιθῇ.
1525

ἃ δʼ ἐξάγιστα μηδὲ κινεῖται λόγῳ,

αὐτὸς μαθήσει, κεῖσʼ ὅταν μόλῃς μόνος·

ὡς οὔτʼ ἂν ἀστῶν τῶνδʼ ἂν ἐξείποιμί τῳ

οὔτʼ ἂν τέκνοισι τοῖς ἐμοῖς, στέργων ὅμως.

ἀλλʼ αὐτὸς αἰεὶ σῷζε, χὤταν εἰς τέλος
1530

τοῦ ζῆν ἀφικνῇ, τῷ προφερτάτῳ μόνῳ

σήμαινʼ, ὁ δʼ αἰεὶ τὠπιόντι δεικνύτω.

χοὔτως ἀδῇον τήνδʼ ἐνοικήσεις πόλιν

σπαρτῶν ἀπʼ ἀνδρῶν· αἱ δὲ μυρίαι πόλεις,

κἂν εὖ τις οἰκῇ, ῥᾳδίως καθύβρισαν.
1535

θεοὶ γὰρ εὖ μέν, ὀψὲ δʼ εἰσορῶσʼ, ὅταν

τὰ θεῖʼ ἀφείς τις εἰς τὸ μαίνεσθαι τραπῇ·

ὃ μὴ σύ, τέκνον Αἰγέως, βούλου παθεῖν.

τὰ μὲν τοιαῦτʼ οὖν εἰδότʼ ἐκδιδάσκομεν.

χῶρον δʼ, ἐπείγει γάρ με τοὐκ θεοῦ παρόν,
1540

στείχωμεν ἤδη μηδʼ ἔτʼ ἐντρεπώμεθα.

ὦ παῖδες, ὧδʼ ἕπεσθʼ· ἐγὼ γὰρ ἡγεμὼν

σφῷν αὖ πέφασμαι καινός, ὥσπερ σφὼ πατρί.

χωρεῖτε καὶ μὴ ψαύετʼ, ἀλλʼ ἐᾶτέ με

αὐτὸν τὸν ἱερὸν τύμβον ἐξευρεῖν, ἵνα
1545

μοῖρʼ ἀνδρὶ τῷδε τῇδε κρυφθῆναι χθονί.

τῇδʼ ὧδε, τῇδε βᾶτε· τῇδε γάρ μʼ ἄγει

Ἑρμῆς ὁ πομπὸς ἥ τε νερτέρα θεός.

ὦ φῶς ἀφεγγές, πρόσθε πού ποτʼ ἦσθʼ ἐμόν,

νῦν δʼ ἔσχατόν σου τοὐμὸν ἅπτεται δέμας.
1550

ἤδη γὰρ ἕρπω τὸν τελευταῖον βίον

κρύψων παρʼ Ἅιδην. ἀλλά, φίλτατε ξένων,

αὐτός τε χώρα θʼ ἥδε πρόσπολοί τε σοὶ

εὐδαίμονες γένοισθε, κἀπʼ εὐπραξίᾳ

μέμνησθέ μου θανόντος εὐτυχεῖς ἀεί.
1555

Translations (5)

English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 1500 focus

Why sounds again from hence your joint appeal,
1500

Wherein the stranger’s voice is loudly heard?

Is it some lightning-bolt new-fallen from Zeus,

Or cloud-born hail that is come rattling down?

From Heavens so black with storm nought can surprise.

OED

Prince, thou art come to my desire. Some God
1505

Hath happily directed this thy way.

THE

What is befallen? Son of Laius, tell!

OED

My path slopes downward, and before my death

I would confirm to Athens and to thee

My promised boon.

THE

What sign dost thou perceive
1510

That proves thine end so near?
1510

OED

The Gods themselves

With herald voices are proclaiming it,

Nought failing of the fore-appointed signs.

THE

What are these tokens, aged monarch, say?

OED

The loud continual thunder, and the darts

That flash in volleys from the unconquered hand.
1515

THE

I may not doubt thee; for thy speech, I feel,

Hath ample witness of prophetic power.

What must I do?

OED

I will instruct thee now,

Aegeus’ great son! in rites that shall remain

An ageless treasure to thy countrymen.

I will presently, with no man guiding me,
1520

Conduct thee to the spot, where I must die.

This is thy secret, not to be revealed

To any one of men, or where ’tis hid

Or whereabout it lies. So through all time

This neighbouring mound shall yield thee mightier aid
1525

Than many a shield and help of alien spears.
1525

More shalt thou learn, too sacred to divulge,

When yonder thou art come thyself alone.

Since to none other of these citizens

Nor even unto the children of my love

May I disclose it. ’Tis for thee to keep
1530

Inviolate while thou livest, and when thy days

Have ending, breathe it to the foremost man

Alone, and he in turn unto the next

Successively. So shalt thou ever hold

Athens unravaged by the dragon brood.

Cities are numberless, and any one
1535

May lightly insult even those who dwell secure.

For the eye of Heaven though late yet surely sees

When, casting off respect, men turn to crime.

Erechtheus’ heir! let that be far from thee!

A warning needless to a man so wise!
1540

Now go we—for this leading of the God
1540

Is urgent—to the place, nor loiter more.

This way, my children! follow me! For I

Am now your guide, as ye were mine. Come on!

Nay, touch me not, but leave me of myself

To find the holy sepulchre, wherein
1545

This form must rest beneath Athenian soil.

Come this way! Come! This way are leading me

Guide Hermes and the Queen of realms below.

O Light, all dark to me! In former time

Bright seemed thy shining! Now thy latest ray

Sheds vital influence o’er this frame. I go
1550

To hide the close of my disastrous life

With Hades. Kind Athenian friend, farewell!

May’st thou, thy followers, and this glorious land

Be happy, and in your endless happiness

Remember him who blessed you in his death.
1555

CHORUS
CHORUS .

German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 1500 focus

Was tönt vereinigt euer Ruf mir abermals,

Von euch vernehmlich, deutlich aus des Fremdlings Mund?

War's, weil ein Bliz Kronions, weil ein Hagelsturm
1485

Mit Regen losgebrochen? Denn zu fürchten ja

Ist Alles, wenn in Wettern also stürmt der Gott.

Oedipus.

Ersehnt, o König, kommst du mir, und edles Glück

Hat eine Gottheit dir bestimmt für diesen Gang.

Theseus.

Und was begab sich Neues, Sohn des Laïos?
1490

Oedipus.

Mein Leben neigt zum Ende; sterbend will ich nun

Erfüllen, was ich dir gelobt und dieser Stadt.

Theseus.

Und welches Zeichen wurde dir vom nahen Tod?

Oedipus.

Die Götter selbst sind Boten, sind Herolde mir,

In keinem Zeichen trügend, das sie mir gesandt.
1495

Theseus.

Was, meinst du, that dir ihren Willen kund, o Greis?

Oedipus.

Die Donner, rastlos, ohne Zahl, die Blize, die

Kastlos herniederzucken aus Krommons Hand.

Theseus.

Ich will es glauben; seh' ich doch so Vieles dich,

Und keinen Trug, weissagen. Sprich: was soll gescheh'n?
1500

Oedipus.

O Sohn des Aegeus, höre denn, was dieser Stadt,

Vom Alter ewig ungetrübt, erblühen wird.

Ich führe selbst euch ungesäumt an jenen Ort,

Berührt von keinem Führer, wo ich sterben muß.

Und diesen Ort entdecke keinem Menschen je,
1505

Nicht wo verborgen, noch in welchem Raum er ist;

Und mehr denn Schildesmenge schüzt er allezeit

Vor fremden Söldnern und vor Nachbarstädten euch.¹

Doch was geheim ist, was kein Mund entweihen darf,²

Vernimmst du selber, wenn du dorthin kommst allein;
1510

Denn dieser Bürger keinem darf ich's anvertrau'n,

Noch meinen Kindern, die mir doch so theuer sind.

Du nur bewahr' es immer, und gelangtest du

Zum Ziel des Lebens, thu' es nur dem Aelt'sten kund,

Und dieser meld' es allezeit dem Folgenden.
1515

So bleibt dem Volk der Saatgebor'nen deine Stadt³

Stets unzerstörbar. Sinken tausend Städte doch,

Sogar bei guter Führung, leicht in Uebermuth.

Wohl sieht die Gottheit endlich doch den Frevler an,

Der sich zum Wahnsinn wendend ihr Gebot verhöhnt.
1520

Nicht wolle, Theseus, daß sich das an dir erfüllt!

Doch solche Mahnung geb' ich hier dem Wissenden.

Und nun denn unaufhaltsam führt der Gott mich fort

Laßt uns dem Ort zuschreiten, ohn' uns umzuseh'n!

(er erhebt sich)

Folgt, meine Töchter, folgt mir! Euch erschein' ich jezt
1525

Ein neuer Führer, so wie ihr's dem Vater wart.

Geht hin, berühre Keines mich, nein, laßt mich selbst

Die heil'ge Stätte finden, wo mir mein Geschick

Verhängt zu ruhen, eingesenkt in dieses Land.

Dort sehet - dorthin schreitet; dorthin leitet mich
1530

Der Führer Hermes und die Schattenkönigin.

Erloschner Lichtstrahl, ehemals wohl warst du mein;

Und heut berührst du dieses Haupt zum leztemmal!

Denn jezt enteil' ich, mein vollendet Leben dort

In Hades' Haus zu bergen. Nun, geliebtester
1535

Der Freunde, Segen blühe dir und diesem Land

Und Allen, die dir dienen; und im Wohlergeh'n

Denkt mein, des Hingeschied'nen, glücklich allezeit!

(Dedipus mit Theseus, den Töchtern und dem Gefolge ab. Der Chor bleibt allein zurück.) Strophe.

Der Chor.

English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 1500 focus

E'en n.s I promised him.

Chorus

Oedipus, Antigone, Ismene, Chorus.

Theseus

Again this noise, this wild astonishment,

Amongst you all ! Was QEdipus the cause ?

Or did the bolt of Jove and rushing hail

Affright you 1 When the god in raging storms

Descends thus dreadful, we have cause to fear.

Propitious led thee hither.

Theseus
(Edi. 0 king ! thou com'st in happy hour ; some god

Son of Laius,
1510

What new event hath happened ?
1510

Oedipus

Know, my life

At length is verging to its latest hour ;

I wish to die, but first my vows to thee,

And to this city, faithful must perform.

Theseus

But who hath told thee thou so soon shalt die ?

Oedipus

The gods themselves, who never utter falsehood.

By signs infallible have warned me of it.
1515

Theseus

How spake they to thee?

QSdi. In repeated thunder

And lightning from th' all- powerful hand of Jove.

Oedipus

I do believe thee, for thy prophecies

Were never false ; but say, what must be done ?

The bliss reserved for thee in thy age —

For thee, and for thy country. I must go
1520

To my appointed place, and there shall die :

I go without a guide, nor must thou tell

To mortal ear where CEdipus doth He,

For ever hid. O king ! that sacred place

Shall be thy sure defence, and better far

Than many a shield, or all the social aid
1525

Of firm alliance in the field of war.

What more remains, unutterable now,

Of higher import, thither when thou com'st

To thee alone shall be delivered ; nought

Shall I reveal, or to the citizens,

Or e'en to those, beloved as they are.
1530

My pious daughters. Thou must ever keep

The solemn secret ; only, when thy life

Draws near its end, disclose it to thy son,

Heir of thy kingdom, and to him alone.

Erom king to king thus shall the tale devolve,

And thus thy Athens be for ever safe
1535

From Theban force \ even the best of cities,

Where justice rules, may swerve from virtue's laws

And be oppressive ; but the gods, though late,

Will one day punish all who disobey

Their sacred mandates; therefore, son of ^geus,

Be careful and be just : but this to thee
1540

I need not say. Quick, let us to the place,

For so the gods decree ; there must I go,

Thence never to return. Come then, my daughteis :

Long have you been my pious guides ; hencefortli

I must be yours. Follow, but touch me not ;
1545

Let me find out the tomb where I must hide
1545

My poor remains : that way my journey lies.

Away : thou god of shades, gi^eat Mercury,

And Proserpine, infernal powers, conduct me !

O sightless eyes ! where are ye ? Never more

Shall these hands touch your unavailing orbs.
1550

O light and life ! farewell : at length I go
1550

To hide me in the tomb ; but oh ! for tliee.

My best beloved friend, and this fair land.

And these thy subjects, may prosperity

Attend you still, and may you sometimes dei-u

Amidst your bliss to think on (Edipus ! [Exeunt,
1555

Theseus

English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 1500 focus

Again these cries! What mean they? for distinet
1500

I hear your voices, I the stranger's hear.

Hath Jove's fierce lightening, or the stormy hait

Burst on your heads? Such terrible eventsi

Oft happen, when the god his thunder 'rolls. 1

Oedipus

Thou to my wish, O king, art come: some god,
1505

To crown thy happy fortune, led thy steps.

Theseus

What, son of Laius, hath arisen now?

Oedipus

My life draws tow'rds its end; let me perform,

In nothing false, to thee and to thy state

What I affirm'd; then willingly I die

Theseus

What proof assures thee that thy death is nigh?
1510

Oedipus

The gods, the gods themselves, whose voice is truth,

Proclaim it to me now by signs foretold.

Theseus

What signs, old man, have this event declared?>

Oedipus

These unremitting thunders, and these flames!

Thick flashing, hurl'd by Jove's resistless hand.
1515

Theseus

I in thy words have faith; for I have mark'd

In many things thy fate-predicting mind,s

In nothing false: say then what must be done..

Oedipus

Now, son of Ægeus, I will show thee thing's

Glorious to thee and to thy state, which time, I

Shall never darken. To the fated place

Where I'must die I now will leads the way I
1520

Not led, nor guided: but to mortal maneit

Never disclose the secret spot, non where ros

It lies, it shall be then thy strong defenced

For ever, more than close-compacted shields(0)

And spears of neighbouring states to thee allied.

But things mysterious, not as yet by words
1525

Unfolded, thou shalt learn when thither come

Alone: to none of all thy citizens, das mode

Nor to my daughters to my soul though dear,

Would I reveal them: lock them in thy breast:

But when thy life approaches to its end,

Declare them only to the Chief that stands
1530

In highest honour; to his successor
1530

Let him disclose them. Thus thy royal seat

Shall in this city stand impregnable

To all the inroads of the dragon-race.:

For oft we see that states, though founded well!

On righteous laws, are prone t' abuse their force

To insolent oppression: but the gods
1535

Exact, though late, observe when one disdains

Their holy mandates, and to madness turns.

That, son of Ægeus, that be far from thee.

But I instruct a mind in all the parts

Of virtue skill'd. Now go we to the place

(For the strong impulse of the god I feel
1540

Urging me on) nor fear lest we profane

The sanctity we reverence. Follow me

This way, my daughters; I am now become

A guide to you, as to your father long,

You have been guides. Go then, but touch me not;

Let me unguided find the sacred tomb,
1545

Where these old limbs are destined to repose

Beneath the earth. Go this way, this way go;

For this way Hermes, who conducts the dead,

Leads me, and she o'er the dark realms who reigns.

O light, thy beams though I no more behold,

(Once I beheld them) now these aged limbs
1550

Feel thy last touch; with feeble steps I go

To close my last of life in death's dark shades.

But be thou blest, my noble, honour'd friend,

Thou, and thy country, and thy faithful train:

Yet 'midst success, 'midst glories always yours,

Think on the dead, remember Edipus.;!
1555

Chorus
STRO. ANTIS.

English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 1500-1555 focus

Enter Theseus.

Theseus

What din is this that once more rings forth from you all, from my people as clearly as from the stranger? Can a thunderbolt from Zeus be the cause, or rushing hail in its fierce onset? When the god sends such a storm, forebodings of every sort may find a place.
1500

Oedipus

Lord, you have appeared at my desire, and to you some god granted noble fortune at this coming.
1505

Theseus

And what new thing has now occurred, son of Laius?

Oedipus

My life hangs in the balance; and I wish to die without cheating you and this city of the promises I made.

Theseus

And what is the proof of your fate that you depend on?
1510

Oedipus

The gods themselves herald the news to me, nor do they cheat me of any of the appointed signs.

Theseus

What makes these things clear? Tell me, old man.

Oedipus

The thunder, crash after crash; the lightning, flash after flash,

hurled from the unconquered hand.
1515

Theseus

I am persuaded, for in much I find you a prophet whose voice is not false. Then say what must be done.

Oedipus

I will expound myself, son of Aegeus, the treasures which will be laid up for this city, such as age can never hurt.

Immediately, with no hand to guide me, I will lead to the place where I must die. But as to that place, never reveal it to another man, neither where it is hidden, nor in what region it lies, so that it may be an eternal defence for you, better than many shields, better than the spear of neighbors which brings relief.
1520

But as for mysteries which speech may not profane, you will learn them yourself when you come to that place alone, since I cannot declare them either to any of these people, or even to my own children, though I love them.
1525

Reserve them always to yourself, and when you reach the end of life, reveal them to your eldest son alone, and let him reveal them to his successor in turn forever.
In this way you will keep this city unscathed by the men born of the Dragon’s teeth. Countless cities commit outrage
1530

even though their neighbor commits no sin. For the gods are slow to punish, yet they are sure, when men scorn holiness and turn to frenzy. Do not desire this, son of Aegeus! But you know such things as these without my teaching.
1535

Let us now set forth to that place—the divine summons urges me—and hesitate no longer.
1540
As if suddenly inpired, he moves with slow but firm steps towards the left of the stage, beckoning the others onward.

Children, follow me. For now in turn it is I that shine forth wondrously as a leader for you, as you were your father’s. Onward. Do not touch me, but

allow me unaided to find the sacred tomb where it is my fate to be buried in this land.
This way, here—come this way! Hermes the Conductor and the goddess of the dead lead me in this direction.
Light of day, no light to me, once you were mine,
1545

but now my body feels you for the last time! For now I go to hide the end of my life in the house of Hades. But you, dearest of strangers, may you yourself be prosperous, and this land, and your followers. In your prosperity,
1550

remember me in my death, and be fortunate evermore. He exits, followed by his daughters, Theseus, and attendants.
1555

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1500-1555: Fifth episode

Current edition Experimental

Οἰδίπους ἄναξ, ποθοῦντι προὐφάνης, καί σοι θεῶν 1505 τύχην τις ἐσθλὴν †θῆκε τῆσδε τῆς ὁδοῦ.

Θησεύς τί δʼ ἐστίν, ὦ παῖ Λαΐου, νέορτον αὖ;

Οἰδίπους ῥοπὴ βίου μοι. καί σʼ ἅπερ ξυνῄνεσα θέλω πόλιν τε τήνδε μὴ ψεύσας θανεῖν.

Θησεύς ἐν τῷ δὲ κεῖσαι τοῦ μόρου τεκμηρίῳ; 1510

Οἰδίπους αὐτοὶ θεοὶ κήρυκες ἀγγέλλουσί μοι, ψεύδοντες οὐδὲν σημάτων προκειμένων.

Θησεύς πῶς εἶπας, ὦ γεραιέ, δηλοῦσθαι τάδε ;

Οἰδίπους αἱ πολλὰ βρονταὶ διατελεῖς τὰ πολλά τε *στράψαντα χειρὸς τῆς ἀνικήτου βέλη. 1515

Θησεύς πείθεις με· πολλὰ γάρ σε θεσπίζονθʼ ὁρῶ κοὐ ψευδόφημα· χὤ τι χρὴ ποιεῖν λέγε.

Χορός

Οἰδίπους ἄναξ, ποθοῦντι προυφάνης, καί σοι θεῶν 1505 τύχην τις ἐσθλὴν τῆσδʼ ἔθηκε τῆς ὁδοῦ.

Θησεύς τί δʼ ἐστίν, ὦ παῖ Λαΐου, νέορτον αὖ;

Οἰδίπους ῥοπὴ βίου μοι· καί σʼ ἅπερ ξυνῄνεσα θέλω πόλιν τε τήνδε μὴ ψεύσας θανεῖν.

Θησεύς τῷ δʼ ἐκπέπεισαι τοῦ μόρου τεκμηρίῳ; 1510

Οἰδίπους αὐτοὶ θεοὶ κήρυκες ἀγγέλλουσί μοι, ψεύδοντες οὐδὲν σῆμα τῶν προκειμένων.

Θησεύς πῶς εἶπας, ὦ γεραιέ, δηλοῦσθαι τάδε;

Οἰδίπους αἱ πολλὰ βρονταὶ διατελεῖς τὰ πολλά τε στράψαντα χειρὸς τῆς ἀνικήτου βέλη. 1515

Θησεύς πείθεις με· πολλὰ γάρ σε θεσπίζονθʼ ὁρῶ κοὐ ψευδόφημα· χὤ τι χρὴ ποιεῖν λέγε.

Why sounds again from hence your joint appeal, 1500 Wherein the stranger’s voice is loudly heard? Is it some lightning-bolt new-fallen from Zeus, Or cloud-born hail that is come rattling down? From Heavens so black with storm nought can surprise.

OED Prince, thou art come to my desire. Some God 1505 Hath happily directed this thy way.

THE What is befallen? Son of Laius, tell!

OED My path slopes downward, and before my death I would confirm to Athens and to thee My promised boon.

THE What sign dost thou perceive 1510 That proves thine end so near? 1510

OED The Gods themselves With herald voices are proclaiming it, Nought failing of the fore-appointed signs.

THE What are these tokens, aged monarch, say?

OED The loud continual thunder, and the darts That flash in volleys from the unconquered hand. 1515

THE I may not doubt thee; for thy speech, I feel, Hath ample witness of prophetic power. What must I do?

CHORUS CHORUS .

Was tönt vereinigt euer Ruf mir abermals, Von euch vernehmlich, deutlich aus des Fremdlings Mund? War's, weil ein Bliz Kronions, weil ein Hagelsturm 1485 Mit Regen losgebrochen? Denn zu fürchten ja Ist Alles, wenn in Wettern also stürmt der Gott.

Oedipus. Ersehnt, o König, kommst du mir, und edles Glück Hat eine Gottheit dir bestimmt für diesen Gang.

Theseus. Und was begab sich Neues, Sohn des Laïos? 1490

Oedipus. Mein Leben neigt zum Ende; sterbend will ich nun Erfüllen, was ich dir gelobt und dieser Stadt.

Theseus. Und welches Zeichen wurde dir vom nahen Tod?

Oedipus. Die Götter selbst sind Boten, sind Herolde mir, In keinem Zeichen trügend, das sie mir gesandt. 1495

Theseus. Was, meinst du, that dir ihren Willen kund, o Greis?

Oedipus. Die Donner, rastlos, ohne Zahl, die Blize, die Kastlos herniederzucken aus Krommons Hand.

Theseus. Ich will es glauben; seh' ich doch so Vieles dich, Und keinen Trug, weissagen. Sprich: was soll gescheh'n? 1500

Der Chor.

E'en n.s I promised him.

Chorus

Oedipus, Antigone, Ismene, Chorus.

Theseus Again this noise, this wild astonishment, Amongst you all ! Was QEdipus the cause ? Or did the bolt of Jove and rushing hail Affright you 1 When the god in raging storms Descends thus dreadful, we have cause to fear. Propitious led thee hither.

Theseus (Edi. 0 king ! thou com'st in happy hour ; some god Son of Laius, 1510 What new event hath happened ? 1510

Oedipus Know, my life At length is verging to its latest hour ; I wish to die, but first my vows to thee, And to this city, faithful must perform.

Theseus But who hath told thee thou so soon shalt die ?

Oedipus The gods themselves, who never utter falsehood. By signs infallible have warned me of it. 1515

Theseus How spake they to thee? QSdi. In repeated thunder And lightning from th' all- powerful hand of Jove.

Theseus

Again these cries! What mean they? for distinet 1500 I hear your voices, I the stranger's hear. Hath Jove's fierce lightening, or the stormy hait Burst on your heads? Such terrible eventsi Oft happen, when the god his thunder 'rolls. 1

Oedipus Thou to my wish, O king, art come: some god, 1505 To crown thy happy fortune, led thy steps.

Theseus What, son of Laius, hath arisen now?

Oedipus My life draws tow'rds its end; let me perform, In nothing false, to thee and to thy state What I affirm'd; then willingly I die

Theseus What proof assures thee that thy death is nigh? 1510

Oedipus The gods, the gods themselves, whose voice is truth, Proclaim it to me now by signs foretold.

Theseus What signs, old man, have this event declared?>

Oedipus These unremitting thunders, and these flames! Thick flashing, hurl'd by Jove's resistless hand. 1515

Theseus I in thy words have faith; for I have mark'd In many things thy fate-predicting mind,s In nothing false: say then what must be done..

Chorus STRO. ANTIS.

Theseus What din is this that once more rings forth from you all, from my people as clearly as from the stranger? Can a thunderbolt from Zeus be the cause, or rushing hail in its fierce onset? When the god sends such a storm, forebodings of every sort may find a place. 1500

Oedipus Lord, you have appeared at my desire, and to you some god granted noble fortune at this coming. 1505

Theseus And what new thing has now occurred, son of Laius?

Oedipus My life hangs in the balance; and I wish to die without cheating you and this city of the promises I made.

Theseus And what is the proof of your fate that you depend on? 1510

Oedipus The gods themselves herald the news to me, nor do they cheat me of any of the appointed signs.

Theseus What makes these things clear? Tell me, old man.

Oedipus The thunder, crash after crash; the lightning, flash after flash, hurled from the unconquered hand. 1515

Theseus I am persuaded, for in much I find you a prophet whose voice is not false. Then say what must be done.

Stable identifiers

Οἰδίπους

ἄναξ, ποθοῦντι προὐφάνης, καί σοι θεῶν
1505

τύχην τις ἐσθλὴν †θῆκε τῆσδε τῆς ὁδοῦ.

Θησεύς

τί δʼ ἐστίν, ὦ παῖ Λαΐου, νέορτον αὖ;

Οἰδίπους

ῥοπὴ βίου μοι. καί σʼ ἅπερ ξυνῄνεσα

θέλω πόλιν τε τήνδε μὴ ψεύσας θανεῖν.

Θησεύς

ἐν τῷ δὲ κεῖσαι τοῦ μόρου τεκμηρίῳ;
1510

Οἰδίπους

αὐτοὶ θεοὶ κήρυκες ἀγγέλλουσί μοι,

ψεύδοντες οὐδὲν σημάτων προκειμένων.

Θησεύς

πῶς εἶπας, ὦ γεραιέ, δηλοῦσθαι τάδε ;

Οἰδίπους

αἱ πολλὰ βρονταὶ διατελεῖς τὰ πολλά τε

*στράψαντα χειρὸς τῆς ἀνικήτου βέλη.
1515

Θησεύς

πείθεις με· πολλὰ γάρ σε θεσπίζονθʼ ὁρῶ

κοὐ ψευδόφημα· χὤ τι χρὴ ποιεῖν λέγε.

Οἰδίπους

ἄναξ, ποθοῦντι προυφάνης, καί σοι θεῶν
1505

τύχην τις ἐσθλὴν τῆσδʼ ἔθηκε τῆς ὁδοῦ.

Θησεύς

τί δʼ ἐστίν, ὦ παῖ Λαΐου, νέορτον αὖ;

Οἰδίπους

ῥοπὴ βίου μοι· καί σʼ ἅπερ ξυνῄνεσα

θέλω πόλιν τε τήνδε μὴ ψεύσας θανεῖν.

Θησεύς

τῷ δʼ ἐκπέπεισαι τοῦ μόρου τεκμηρίῳ;
1510

Οἰδίπους

αὐτοὶ θεοὶ κήρυκες ἀγγέλλουσί μοι,

ψεύδοντες οὐδὲν σῆμα τῶν προκειμένων.

Θησεύς

πῶς εἶπας, ὦ γεραιέ, δηλοῦσθαι τάδε;

Οἰδίπους

αἱ πολλὰ βρονταὶ διατελεῖς τὰ πολλά τε

στράψαντα χειρὸς τῆς ἀνικήτου βέλη.
1515

Θησεύς

πείθεις με· πολλὰ γάρ σε θεσπίζονθʼ ὁρῶ

κοὐ ψευδόφημα· χὤ τι χρὴ ποιεῖν λέγε.

Why sounds again from hence your joint appeal,
1500

Wherein the stranger’s voice is loudly heard?

Is it some lightning-bolt new-fallen from Zeus,

Or cloud-born hail that is come rattling down?

From Heavens so black with storm nought can surprise.

OED

Prince, thou art come to my desire. Some God
1505

Hath happily directed this thy way.

THE

What is befallen? Son of Laius, tell!

OED

My path slopes downward, and before my death

I would confirm to Athens and to thee

My promised boon.

THE

What sign dost thou perceive
1510

That proves thine end so near?
1510

OED

The Gods themselves

With herald voices are proclaiming it,

Nought failing of the fore-appointed signs.

THE

What are these tokens, aged monarch, say?

OED

The loud continual thunder, and the darts

That flash in volleys from the unconquered hand.
1515

THE

I may not doubt thee; for thy speech, I feel,

Hath ample witness of prophetic power.

What must I do?

CHORUS
CHORUS .

Was tönt vereinigt euer Ruf mir abermals,

Von euch vernehmlich, deutlich aus des Fremdlings Mund?

War's, weil ein Bliz Kronions, weil ein Hagelsturm
1485

Mit Regen losgebrochen? Denn zu fürchten ja

Ist Alles, wenn in Wettern also stürmt der Gott.

Oedipus.

Ersehnt, o König, kommst du mir, und edles Glück

Hat eine Gottheit dir bestimmt für diesen Gang.

Theseus.

Und was begab sich Neues, Sohn des Laïos?
1490

Oedipus.

Mein Leben neigt zum Ende; sterbend will ich nun

Erfüllen, was ich dir gelobt und dieser Stadt.

Theseus.

Und welches Zeichen wurde dir vom nahen Tod?

Oedipus.

Die Götter selbst sind Boten, sind Herolde mir,

In keinem Zeichen trügend, das sie mir gesandt.
1495

Theseus.

Was, meinst du, that dir ihren Willen kund, o Greis?

Oedipus.

Die Donner, rastlos, ohne Zahl, die Blize, die

Kastlos herniederzucken aus Krommons Hand.

Theseus.

Ich will es glauben; seh' ich doch so Vieles dich,

Und keinen Trug, weissagen. Sprich: was soll gescheh'n?
1500

Theseus

Again this noise, this wild astonishment,

Amongst you all ! Was QEdipus the cause ?

Or did the bolt of Jove and rushing hail

Affright you 1 When the god in raging storms

Descends thus dreadful, we have cause to fear.

Propitious led thee hither.

Theseus
(Edi. 0 king ! thou com'st in happy hour ; some god

Son of Laius,
1510

What new event hath happened ?
1510

Oedipus

Know, my life

At length is verging to its latest hour ;

I wish to die, but first my vows to thee,

And to this city, faithful must perform.

Theseus

But who hath told thee thou so soon shalt die ?

Oedipus

The gods themselves, who never utter falsehood.

By signs infallible have warned me of it.
1515

Theseus

How spake they to thee?

QSdi. In repeated thunder

And lightning from th' all- powerful hand of Jove.

Again these cries! What mean they? for distinet
1500

I hear your voices, I the stranger's hear.

Hath Jove's fierce lightening, or the stormy hait

Burst on your heads? Such terrible eventsi

Oft happen, when the god his thunder 'rolls. 1

Oedipus

Thou to my wish, O king, art come: some god,
1505

To crown thy happy fortune, led thy steps.

Theseus

What, son of Laius, hath arisen now?

Oedipus

My life draws tow'rds its end; let me perform,

In nothing false, to thee and to thy state

What I affirm'd; then willingly I die

Theseus

What proof assures thee that thy death is nigh?
1510

Oedipus

The gods, the gods themselves, whose voice is truth,

Proclaim it to me now by signs foretold.

Theseus

What signs, old man, have this event declared?>

Oedipus

These unremitting thunders, and these flames!

Thick flashing, hurl'd by Jove's resistless hand.
1515

Theseus

I in thy words have faith; for I have mark'd

In many things thy fate-predicting mind,s

In nothing false: say then what must be done..

Chorus
STRO. ANTIS.

Theseus

What din is this that once more rings forth from you all, from my people as clearly as from the stranger? Can a thunderbolt from Zeus be the cause, or rushing hail in its fierce onset? When the god sends such a storm, forebodings of every sort may find a place.
1500

Oedipus

Lord, you have appeared at my desire, and to you some god granted noble fortune at this coming.
1505

Theseus

And what new thing has now occurred, son of Laius?

Oedipus

My life hangs in the balance; and I wish to die without cheating you and this city of the promises I made.

Theseus

And what is the proof of your fate that you depend on?
1510

Oedipus

The gods themselves herald the news to me, nor do they cheat me of any of the appointed signs.

Theseus

What makes these things clear? Tell me, old man.

Oedipus

The thunder, crash after crash; the lightning, flash after flash,

hurled from the unconquered hand.
1515

Theseus

I am persuaded, for in much I find you a prophet whose voice is not false. Then say what must be done.