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944-987

Fourth stasimon. 1st strophe 944—954=1st antistrophe 955— 965. 2nd str. 966—976=2nd antistr. 977—987. See Metrical Analysis.

As Antigone spoke the verses ending at 943, the guards were in the act of leading her forth. The choral ode may have begun before she had vanished; but she is not to be conceived as still present when she is apostrophised (949, 987).

A princess is about to be immured in a rocky cell. The Chorus remember three other royal persons who have suffered a like fate—Danaë, Lycurgus and Cleopatra. The only points which these cases have in common with Antigone's are the facts of noble birth and cruel imprisonment.

All four cases illustrate the same general truth—no mortal can resist fate. Danaë and Cleopatra were innocent; Lycurgus was guilty. But the Chorus do not mean to suggest Antigone's guilt or innocence; still less, to foreshadow the punishment of Creon. On this side, the ode is neutral, purely a free lyric treatment of the examples. Such neutrality suits the moment before the beginning of the

περιπέτεια

. Teiresias is soon to come.

Acrisius, the father of Danaë, was king of Argos. The oracle at Delphi told him that he was to be slain by his daughter's son. He therefore immured the maiden in a chamber built for that purpose within the precincts of his house at Argos. Here Zeus visited her in the golden rain; she bore Perseus; and Acrisius sent mother and child adrift on the Aegean in a chest; but Zeus heard her prayer, and brought them safely to the island of Seriphus. Both Soph. and Eur. wrote a

Δανάη

: Soph. wrote also an

Ἀκρίσιος

καὶ Δανάας δέμας ἔτλα ἀλλάξαι οὐράνιον φῶς : note the bold order of words, and cp. Ph. 598 f. (

τίνος...πράγματος

). ἔτλα καί is a Homeric echo, from Il. 5.382 ff. Aphrodite has been wounded by Diomede: her mother Dionè comforts her by saying that Ares, Hera, and Hades have also suffered wounds:

τέτλαθι, τέκνον ἐμόν... | τλῆ μὲν Ἄρης... | τλῆ δ’ Ἥρη... | τλῆ δ’ Ἀΐδης

. So here we have three examples—Danaë, Lycurgus, Cleopatra.

δέμας in periphrasis ( Tr. 908 ) here suggests her youthful beauty.—

ἀλλάξαι οὐρ. φῶς ἐν χαλκοδ. αὐλαῖς

, ‘to give up light, (so as to be) in a prison,’ i.e. to exchange the light for the darkness of a prison.

ἀλλάσσω τί τινος

can mean either to give, or to take, one thing in exchange for another. When

ἀλλάσσω

is used absolutely, with ref. to place, it more naturally means ‘to go to’ ( Eur. Hec. 483

ἀλλάξασ’ Ἅιδα θαλάμους

), not, as here, ‘to leave’: but

ἀμείβω

is freq. in both senses. Cp. Ph. 1262

ἀμείψας...στέγας

(having quitted them).

χαλκοδέτοις αὐλαῖς , ‘a brass-bound dwelling’: poet. pl. for sing., like

δώματα

, etc.: cp. 785 . Pherecydes ( ap. schol. Apoll. Rhod. 4. 1091) describes it as ‘a brazen chamber (

θάλαμον...χαλκοῦν

) made under ground, in the court-yard (

αὐλή

) of his house.’ Paus. (2. 23. 7) says that he saw at Argos

κατάγεων οἰκοδόμημα, ἐπ’ αὐτῷ δὲ ἦν ὁ χαλκοῦς θάλαμος

(made by Acrisius): i.e. the

θάλαμος

itself was above ground;—as Horace calls it

turris aenea

( C. 3. 16. 1). By the epithet

χαλκοῦς

the legend evidently meant to denote the strength and security of the prison,—as though the doors were of bronze. But it is very probable that this epithet originally came into the story through a reminiscence of a tomb (like the ‘treasury of Atreus’ at Mycenae), to the walls of which bronze plates had been nailed. (Cp. Introd. to Homer, ch. 11. § 25.) In Simonides fr. 37. 7

χαλκεογόμφῳ

is said of the chest in which Danaë was sent adrift,—not of the

θάλαμος

τυμβήρει : cp. on 255.

κατεζεύχθη : was brought under the yoke, i.e., was strictly confined. Her. 8.22

εἰ... ὑπ’ ἀναγκαίης μέζονος κατέζευχθε ἢ ὥστε ἀπίστασθαι

, if ye are in the bondage of a control too severe, etc. Cp.

ζεύχθη

, 955.

τίμιος , sc.

ἦν

: cp. 834 . Hermann's

καίτοι καί

is preferable to Wieseler's

καίτοι γ’ ἦν

, because the doubled

καί

is forcible, while

καὶ Ζηνός

(without a previous

καί

) would be somewhat weak.

ταμιεύεσκε , as a precious charge. Cp. Aesch. Eum. 660

τίκτει δ’ ὁ θρώσκων

ἡ δ’

(the mother)

ἅπερ ξένῳ ξένη | ἔσωσεν ἔρνος

. The iterative form occurs in only three other places of trag.: 963: Aesch. Pers. 656

ἔσκεν

, Aesch. fr. 305

κλαίεσκον.

χρυσορύτους , for metre's sake, like Ai. 134

ἀμφιρύτου

ρρ

regularly follows a simple vowel, but

a diphthong ( O. C. 469 ).—A bowl (

κρατήρ

) from Caere, of the 5th cent. C.B. , shows the golden rain descending on Danaë; she is sitting on the bed in her chamber, and preparing to retire to rest. A second scene, on the same bowl, represents the moment when she is about to be placed, where Simonides imagines her,

λαρνακι ἐν δαιδαλέᾳ

. Both paintings are reproduced by Baumeister ( Denkm. p. 407).

ἁ μοιριδία τις κ.τ.λ. The peculiar place of τις makes it really equiv. to a parenthetic thought: ‘the power of fate (whatever it may be) is a dread power.’ So, while the general sense is what would be ordinarily given by

ἁ μοιριδία δύνασις δεινά τις

(

δύνασίς

)

ἐστιν

, the actual order of the words is more expressive. This is not merely an instance of

τις

preceding the adj. (as though

τις δεινά

stood for

δεινά τις

, cp. Ph. 519 ). Nor, again, is it strictly parallel with

ὅταν δ’ ὁ κύριος | παρῇ τις

( O.C. 288), where art. and subst. precede; though it is similar.

οὔτ’ … ὄλβος : wealth cannot buy off fate; arms cannot vanquish it; walls cannot keep it out; flight beyond sea cannot elude it.—Bacchylides fr. 36

θνατοῖσι δ’ οὐκ αὐθαίρετοι | οὔτ’ ὄλβος οὔτ’ ἄκαμπτος Ἄρης οὔτε παμφθέρσης στάσις, | ἀλλ’ ἐπιχρίμπτει νέφος ἄλλοτ’ ἐπ’ ἄλλαν | γαῖαν ἁ πάνδωρος αἶσα.

πύργος , ◌̣ citywalls, with their towers ( O. T. 56 ).

οὔτ’ … οὔτ’ , followed by οὐ … οὐχ : so even when only one

οὔτε

has been used, 249 n.

ζεύχθη , was brought under the yoke. As

κατεζεύχθη

in 946 better suited the sense, ‘was strictly confined,’ so here the simple

ζεύχθη

better suggests the idea, ‘was tamed by imprisonment.’

ὀξύχολος κ.τ.λ. = ὁ Δρύαντος ὀξύχολος παῖς: the adj. is epithet, not predicate. Verg. Aen. 3. 13

Terra procul vastis colitur Mavortia campis, | Thraces arant, acri quondam regnata Lycurgo.

The

Ἠδωνοί

, or

Ἠδῶνες

( Thuc. 2.99 ), occupied in historical times the part of Thrace E. of the Strymon and W. of the Nestus. In earlier times they had dwelt further west, but had been driven eastward by the Macedonian conquest of Mygdonia.

Dionysus, when he came from Asia with his new rites, was opposed by Lycurgus in Thrace, as by Pentheus at Thebes. The

Λυκούργεια

of Aeschylus is known from the schol. on Ar. Th. 135. This trilogy consisted of

Ἠδωνοί, Βασσαρίδες, Νεανίσκοι

, with

Λυκοῦργος

as satyric drama. In Il. 6.130 ff. Dionysus, pursued by Lycurgus, dives beneath the sea; Thetis receives him; and Zeus blinds Lycurgus.

κερτομίοις ὀργαῖς , causal dat. with

ζεύχθη

: was subjugated by reason of the bursts of fury in which he reviled Dionysus. For the dat., cp. 391 , 691: El. 838

χρυσοδέτοις ἕρκεσι κρυφθέντα γυναικῶν

, (Amphiaraus) buried alive, by reason of a woman's golden snares. ὀργαῖς might be general, ‘moods’ (355), but here has its special sense, though plur.: cp. Aesch. Eum. 848

ὀργὰς ξυνοίσω σοι

. The dat. could be taken as a modal dat. with

ὀξύχολος

(‘in,’ or ‘with,’ his

ὀργαί

), but this is less good.—We could not take

ζεύχθη...ὀργαῖς

as=‘was enslaved to (his own) fierce moods.’—The recurrence of κερτομίοις in 961 is noteworthy, but not a ground for suspicion (76 n.): cp. 613

οὐδὲν ἕρπει

with 618: and 614

ἐκτὸς ἄτας

with 625. The idea of

κερτόμιος

is mockery, or bitter jest: cp. Ph. 1235

κερτομῶν λέγεις τάδε

; with the answer,

εἰ κερτόμησίς ἐστι τἀληθῆ λέγειν

. The word is illustrated by the whole scene in which Pentheus mocks and taunts Dionysus ( Eur. Bacch. 451 —514). So Aesch. fr. 59 made Lycurgus ask,

ποδαπὸς ὁ γύννις

; (‘whence comes this womanish youth?’).

ἐκ Διονύσου , by his command ( O. C. 67 n.). Lycurgus, having been driven mad by Dionysus, did many violent deeds, until at last the Edonians were commanded by an oracle to imprison him in a cave on Mount Pangaeus ( Apollod. 3. 5. 1 ). He was afterwards torn asunder by wild horses ( ib.), or devoured by panthers ( Hyginus Fab. 132 ).

πετρώδει … δεσμῷ , the cave. Cp. Plat. Legg. 864E

ἐν δημοσίῳ δεσμῷ δεθείς.

κατάφαρκτος : for the spelling, cp.

οὕτω , i.e., under the discipline of the rocky prison.

ἀνθηρόν , bursting into flower, hence, fig., exuberant, or at its height: cp. Plat. Polit. 310D

πέφυκεν ἀνδρία...κατὰ μὲν αρχὰς ἀκμάζειν ῥώμῃ, τελευτῶσα δὲ ἐξανθεῖν παντάπασι μανίαις

: Aesch. Pers. 821

ὕβρις...ἐξανθοῦς

'. So oft.

ἄνθος = ἀκμή

, as Tr. 998

τόδ’ ἀκήλητον | μανίας ἄνθος.

ἀποστάζει = ἀπορρεῖ, ‘trickles away,’ so ‘gradually passes off.’ The fig. use of

ἀνθεῖν

being so familiar, the change of metaphor in

ἀποστάζει

would hardly be felt. Wecklein, indeed, conceives that the poet is thinking of a tumour, which bursts when it has attained its full size. Unity of metaphor can be bought too dearly.—Others understand: ‘so dread and exuberant is the rage that flows from madness’: i.e., ‘so dreadful was the excess of impiety into which L. had been led by his madness.’ But here we look rather for some direct comment on his punishment. His abasement (

ζεύχθη

) is the theme of these verses. The reference to his crime comes later (962).

ἐπέγνω τὸν θεόν, μανίαις ψαύων (

αὐτοῦ

)

ἐν κ. γλώσσαις

: he came to know the god, when in madness he assailed him with taunts. He had mistaken Dionysus for an effeminate mortal ( f.). Cp. Od. 24.216

πατρὸς πειρήσομαι... | αἴ κέ μ’ ἐπιγνώῃ

(recognise).

ψαύω

nowhere else takes an acc. in class. Greek ( , 859), and it is unnecessary to regard this passage as a solitary example. Poetry, esp. lyric, allowed occasional boldness, and even harshness, in the arrangement of words ( cp. 944 : O. T. 1251 n.: O. C. 1428 ). Even in prose we could have (e.g.)

ἐνίκησαν ἄφνω ἐπιπεσόντες τοὺς πολεμίους

, though the partic. could not govern an acc. Here the order is only so far bolder, that

τὸν θεόν

divides

ψαύων

from

ἐν κ. γλώσσαις

: as if, in our example, a second qualification of

ἐπιπεσόντες

(such as

νύκτωρ

) followed

τοὺς πολεμίους

. But, since the meaning of

ψαύων

is already indicated by

μανίαις

, we are not mentally straining forward for a clue to be given by

ἐν κερτ. γλώσσαις

. That is, we are not forced to bind the words,

ψαύων τὸν θεόν

, closely together in our thought, but can easily take the sentence as though it were pointed thus:— ἐπέγνω, μανίαις | ψαύων, τὸν θεόν, έν κερτ. γλώσσαις.

μανίαις , modal (rather than causal) dat.

ψαύων like

καθαπτόμενος

(

ἀντιβίοις ἐπέεσσι

, Od. 18.415 ), but also suggesting profanation,—

ἀθίκτου θιγγάνων.

ἐν =‘with’ (764 n.).

γλώσσαις , a bold use of the plur., due to the fact that the sing., with an adj., could so easily be fig., e.g.

κακὴ γλῶσσα

=‘slander’: so

κερτόμιοι γλῶσσαι

=‘taunts.’

παύεσκε : .

ἐνθέους γυναῖκας : the Maenads attendant on Dionysus, cp. 1128 , 1150, O. T. 212 , O. C. 680 .

εὔιον … πῦρ , the torches which the Bacchanals swing while they raise the cry

εὐοῖ

. In O. T. 211 the god himself is

εὔιος

. Cp. Eur. Bacch. 307 (Dionysus by night on Parnassus)

πηδῶντα σὺν πεύκαισι δικόρυφον πλάκα

Μούσας . An interesting illustration is afforded by a sarcophagus in Baumeister's Denkmaeler, p.837. In the centre of the group is the raging Lycurgus, with uplifted axe, about to slay the Dionysiac nymph Ambrosia, who cowers at his feet. A Fury is on each side of him, urging him on. To the right is Dionysus.—about to

save the nymph by changing her into a vine; and behind him stand his followers. At the extreme left are three Muses—Urania, with globe; Clio, with roll; Euterpè, prob. with flutes. (Zoega seems clearly right in thus explaining the three women: others have made them Moirae.)—The close relation of Dionysus with the Muses is marked by one of his Attic titles,

Μελπόμενος

( Paus. 1.2.5 ), as conversely Apollo had the title

Διονυσόδοτος

(id. 1. 31.4). Muses were sometimes said to have nursed him. (Cp. Welcker, Götterl. 2. 611.)

The monuments relating to the myth of Lycurgus have been critically treated by Michaelis ( Annal. Inst. 1872, pp. 248— 270). The Italian vase-paintings follow a version different from that of Soph. , viz. that the frenzy of Lycurgus was wreaked on his own son and wife. A large Neapolitan vase gives two pictures: in one, we see his murderous rage; in the other, Dionysus sits on his throne in calm majesty, stroking his panther.

Cleopatra is the third example. Her father was the wind-god, Boreas: her mother, the Athenian Oreithyia, whom he carried off to his wild home in Thrace. Cleopatra married Phineus, king of the Thracian Salmydessus, on the W. coast of the Euxine, not far from the entrance to the Bosporus. She bore him two sons. He afterwards put her away, and imprisoned her. Her imprisonment is not directly mentioned here: but cp. Diod. 4. 44 , who says of Heracles, when serving with the Argonauts,

τὴν Κλεοπάτραν ἐκ τῆς φυλακῆς προαγαγεῖν

. Phineus then married Eidothea, sister of Cadmus. Eidothea put out the eyes of Cleopatra's two sons, and caused them also to be imprisoned.

It is the fate of Cleopatra herself which Soph. means to compare with Antigone's: this is plain from 986. The fate of the sons is made so prominent only because nothing else could give us so strong a sense of the savage hatred which pursued the mother.

Soph. supposes the outline of the story to be familiar. Cleopatra has already been divorced and imprisoned. The poet chooses the moment at which Cleopatra's sons are being blinded by Eidothea, with the sharp shuttle in her blood-stained hands. Ares, the god of cruel bloodshed, beholds with joy a deed so worthy of his Thracian realm.

The name of Cleopatra (like that of Capaneus, 133) is not mentioned. Two strophes are given to this theme, partly, perh., as having an Attic interest (982). Soph. wrote two plays called

Φινεύς

. We know only that Cleopatra's sons were there called

Ὄαρθος

Παρθένιος

H. Weil) and

Κράμβος

: and that the subsequent blindness of Phineus was represented as a punishment of his cruelty (schol. Apoll. Rhod. 2. 178). Eidothea was mentioned by Soph. in his

Τυμπανισταί

(schol. on 980),—a play which perh. concerned the Dionysiac worship, since the

τύμπανον

(kettle-drum) was used in his

ὄργια

as well as in those of Cybelè. Another version called her Idaea, daughter of Dardanus.

παρὰ δὲ Κυανεᾶν πελάγει δ. ἁλός . For the double possessive gen., cp.795,929.

πελάγει...ἁλός

, as Eur. Tro. 88

πέλαγος Αἰγαίας ἁλός

, the Homeric

ἁλὸς ἐν πελάγεσσιν

, etc. The rocky islets on the N. side of the entrance from the Euxine to the Bosporus were regularly called

Κυάνεαι

simply (without

νῆσοι

πέτραι

, Her. 4.85 ). L's πετρῶν has long been recognised as a gloss. But Wieseler's change

πελαγέων

into

σπιλάδων

is also erroneous.

L's accent, πελάγεων , points to the truth,—as similar small hints in that MS. have been found to do elsewhere also (cp. O. C. 1113 n.). The correction, πελάγει , is so easy that it may well have occurred to others; but I have not met with it. It removes the difficulty (insuperable, to my mind) of παρά with the genitive here. Those who read

κυανεᾶν σπιλάδων

, or

κυανέων πελαγέων

, are forced to take

παρά

as=‘ extending from the dark rocks (etc.) are the coasts.’ But such a use is wholly unparalleled. As to 1123, see n. there. In Pind. P. 1. 75

ἀρέομαι | πὰρ μὲν Σαλαμῖνος Ἀθαναίων χάριν

=‘ from Salamis’ (i.e., by celebrating it). In Aristoph. Ach. 68 the Ravenna has

ἐτρυχόμεσθα παρὰ Καΰστρίων | πεδίων ὁδοιπλανοῦντες

, while other MSS. have

διὰ

(also with gen. plur.); but there

παρὰ Καΰστριον | πεδίον

(Dindorf) is certain. In Pind. P. 3. 60

γνόντα τὸ πὰρ ποδός

, ‘having learned one's nearest business’ (cp. Pind. P. 10. 63 ),

παρά

has its normal sense,—‘that which begins from one's foot,’=which is directly before one in one's path. The corruption of πελάγει into

πελαγέων

naturally followed that of Κυανεᾶν into

κυανέων

ἀκταὶ Βοσπόριαι , sc.

εἰσί

( cp. 948 n.). The

Κυάνεαι

are at the point where the coast of the Bosporus joins the western coast of the Euxine. The city Salmydessus stood just S. of the promontory of Thynias, about 60 miles N.W. of the entrance of the Bosporus, near the modern Midjeh. The name Salmydessus was given also to the tract of coast extending S. of the town.—After Θρῃκῶν a cretic has been lost (=-

τον γονάν

in 980). Boeckh supplies it with ἄξενος , which is at least simple and fitting. Cp. Aesch. PV 726

τραχεῖα πόντου Σαλμυδησσία γνάθος | ἐχθρόξενος ναύταισι, μητρυιὰ νεῶν

. Schütz, referring to the schol. on 969,

πέλαγος δέ ἐστι δυσχείμερον περὶ Θρᾴκην

, proposes

δύσχιμος

(‘dangerous’), a word used by Aesch. and Eur. , though not by Soph. But the want of a verb is somewhat awkward. Can the missing word be κλῄζεται ? (Cp. O. T. 1451 n.: and for the sing., below, 1133.) Ships often grounded on the shallows (

τέναγος

) which stretched from Salmydessus into the Euxine. The Thracians had set up slabs (

στῆλαι

), marking off the coast into allotments for wrecking purposes. Before this was done, there had been much bloodshed between rival wreckers ( Xen. Anab. 7.5.13 ).—The MS. †

ἠδ’

cannot be right. A short syll. is required (=the last syll. of

ἔχοντες

in 980). In my first ed. I adopted

ἰδ’

, the conjecture of Triclinius. Prof. Tyrrell remarks ( Class. Review vol. 11. p. 141) that

ἰδέ

is not elsewhere elided in classical poetry. As

ἠδέ

could be elided, that may be accidental. Still, it should be noted along with the other facts,—that

ἰδέ

occurs nowhere else in tragedy, and that the hiatus after

Βοσπόριαι

must be excused, as in epic verse, by the ictus before caesura ( Introd. to Homer p. 194): cp. Il. 14.175

ἀλειψαμένη, ἰδὲ χαίτας | πεξαμένη

. On the whole, I now prefer to leave ἠδ’ , with an obelus. Either

Βοσπόριαι καὶ ὁ

Βοσπόριαί θ’ ὅ τε

would be possible.

ἀγχίπολις Ἄρης . This reading (L's) agrees metrically with the antistrophe (981

ἀρχαιογόνων

), if we suppose the 2nd and 3rd syllables of

ἀγχίπολις

to represent a resolved long syllable. Such a resolution is rare, but not unexampled: . We could avoid it by reading, with Gleditsch,

ἀκταὶ Βοσπόριαι, ἵν’ ὁ Θρῃκῶν ἄξενος | Σαλμυδησσὸς Ἄρης τ’ ἀγχίπολις

. But ( a) this does not explain how

ἠδ’

came into the MSS.: and ( b) it is evidently better to say, ‘where Ares saw,’ than, ‘where Salmydessus and Ares saw.’ The reference to the god's cruel joy would thus lose much of its force. If, on the other hand, ἀγχίπτολις is read, then Ἄρης has

α—

, and in 981 we must suppose the loss of a syllable after ἀρχαιογόνων . But such a loss is very improbable: that verse appears sound. Neither

ἄγχουρος

nor

ἀρχέπολις

has any likelihood.—Ares is ‘neighbour to the city’ of Salmydessus because his home is in Thrace ( Il. 13.301 , etc.). There may also be a special reference to some local shrine. ‘He saw the wound dealt’: i.e., it was a deed such as he loves to see.

Φινεΐδαις , dat. of interest, with

τυφλωθέν.

ἀρατόν , accursed, bringing a curse on the authors of the wound. In his dramatic treatment of the story, Soph. had connected this blinding of the sons with the punishment of blindness which the gods afterwards inflicted on Phineus himself (schol. Apoll. Rhod. 2. 178).

ἕλκος τυφλωθέν . τυφλοῦν ἕλκος=to inflict a blinding wound. Cp. Ai. 55

ἔκειρε... φόνον

, he dealt death by hewing down. Eur. Suppl. 1205

τρώσῃς φόνον

, (wherever) thou dealest the death-wound. Verg. Aen. 11. 82

caeso sparsuros sanguine flammam

( caedere sanguinem = to shed blood by cutting). In such pregnant idioms the special verb=a general verb plus the partic. of the special verb used instrumentally: e.g.,

τυφλῶ ἕλκος = ποιῶ ἕλκος τυφλῶν.

ἐξ here= ὑπό of the direct agent: for, as

κερκίδων

indicates, she did it with her own hand. Distinguish

ἐκ Διονύσου

in 957 (by his order).

ἀλαὸν … κύκλοις , sightless for the orbs, i.e., making them sightless. Cp. Pind. O. 1. 26

καθαροῦ λέβητος

, the purifying cauldron.

ἀλαστόροισιν . The form

ἀλάστορος

was used by Aesch. as =

ἀλάστωρ

(fr. 87

πρευμενὴσἀ.

, fr. 286

μέγαν ἀ.

). The form may have been generally current, since Pherecydes used

Ζεὺς Ἀλάστορος

instead of

Ζ. Ἀλάστωρ

(Cramer Anecd. 1. 62). The blind orbs are

ἀλάστοροι

, ‘avenging spirits,’ in the sense that they mutely appeal to the gods for vengeance.—For the

παρήχησις

( O. T. 371 ) Wolff cp. Il. 6.201

κὰπ πεδίον τὸ Ἀλήϊον οἶος ἀλᾶτο

ἀραχθέντων . So

ἀράσσω

is used of Oed. striking his eyes with the

περόναι

( O. T. 1276 ).

ὑπό with dat. of the instrument, as in the epic

ὑπὸ χερσὶ δαμῆναι

, O. T. 202

ὑπὸ σῷ φθίσον κεραυνῷ

κερκίδων , poet. plur. for sing., like

βωμοί, σκῆπτρα

, etc.—The

κερκίς

(

κρέκω

, to strike the web in weaving) was ‘like a large netting needle’ (Rich s.v. radius), ‘rather longer than the breadth of the web.’ It was used for two purposes. (1) As a rod with which to strike the threads of the woof, in order to condense them. The flat blade called

σπάθη

was a later substitute. In the modern loom this is done by the moveable bar called the ‘batten.’ (2) As a shuttle, i.e., an instrument for shooting the threads of the woof (

κρόκη

) from one side of the loom to the other, between the threads of the warp (

στήμων

). In the East weavers sometimes use a long reed for both these purposes. Eur. Tro. 198

οὐκ Ἰδαίοις ἱστοῖς κερκίδα | δινεύουσ’ ἐξαλλάξω

(‘no more,

at the loom, will I send the shuttle flying across the warp’).—Cp. Eur. Hec. 1170 , where the women blind Polymestor with their brooches (

πόρπαι = περόναι

); and O. T. 1269 n.

κατά in tmesis, as O. T. 1198 , O. C. 1689 , etc.—

κατατακόμενοι

alludes to their imprisonment; cp. schol. on 980

τυφλώσασα τοὺς Κλεοπάτρας παῖδας ἐν τάφῳ καθεῖρξεν.

μέλεοι μελέαν : cp. 156 : O. T. 479 .

ματρὸς ἔχοντες ἀν. γονάν , having their origin from an unhappily-married mother. The epithet is made to agree with γονάν , not with ματρός , as in 793,

νεῖκος‐ἀνδρῶν ξύναιμον

: i.e.,

μητρὸσγονή

, mother-source, forms one notion. For

γονὰς ἔχειν

cp. O. C. 972

ὃς οὔτε βλάστας πω γενεθλίους πατρός, | οὐ μητρὸς εἶχον

. For ἀνύμφ. , cp. Tr. 144

ἄλοχοι μέλεαι...καὶ δύσνυμφοι

: Hipp. 757

κακονυμφοτάταν ὄνασιν

(‘to bless her with a marriage most unblest’). O. T. 1214

ἄγαμον γάμον

.—The comma should not be placed after ματρός , which is inseparable from the following phrase. Without

ματρός

, the words

ἔχοντες ἀνύμφευτον γονάν

could still mean, ‘born from one who was unhappily married,’ but would be harsh and obscure. The word πάθαν refers to their own fate. Then ματρὸς … γονάν supplements this by indicating that they mourn for their mother's fate also.

σπέρμα , acc. of respect; Od. 15.267

ἐξ Ἰθάκης γένος εἰμί.

ἀρχαιογ. : Ai. 202

γενεᾶς χθονίων ἀπ’ Ἐρεχθειδῶν.

ἄντασ’ Ἐρ. , attained unto them, could trace her lineage to them,—her mother Oreithyia being the daughter of Erechtheus. Remark that the acc.

σπέρμα

mitigates the boldness of

ἄντασε

, and also suggests its primary meaning—viz., that the genealogy is carried back to a point at which it meets the Erechtheid line. Cp. Her. 2.143 (Hecataeus)

γενεηλογν/σαντί τε ἑωυτὸν καὶ ἀναδήσαντι τὴν πατριὴν ἐς ἑκκαιδέκατον θεόν

τηλεπόροις , merely poet. for ‘distant’; lit., to which it is a far journey. Not (I think), ‘spacious’ (i.e. ‘ in which one can go far’): nor, ‘extending far into the mountains.’ So in Ai. 564 ,

τηλωπὸς οἰχνεῖ

, the adj. is merely ‘distant’; it has not its full sense, ‘seen afar.’ Boreas carried Oreithyia to a region of Thrace which the poets called ‘Sarpêdon’ (we see the association with

ἁρπάζω

)—not, seemingly, the promontory called ‘Sarpedonion,’ on the S. coast, but in the wilds of Haemus. It is of this that Soph. is thinking here: cp. fr. 575

ἡμεῖς δ’ ἐν ἄντροις, ἔνθα Σαρπηδὼν πέτρα

. That verse is from the

Τυμπανισταί

, in which the story of Cleopatra was noticed (cp. on 966); and she was probably the speaker. Oreithyia bore two sons to Boreas, Calais and Zetes; and, besides Cleopatra, another daughter, Chionè.

ἅμιππος , swift as horses. Cp. O. T. 466

ἀελλάδων | ἵππων

, ‘storm-swift steeds.’ In prose

ἅμιπποι

=foot-soldiers who, in the Boeotian army, were sometimes told off to run alongside the cavalry ( Thuc. 5.57 , Xen. Hellen. 7.5.23 ). Cp. Theogn. 715

ὠκύτερος δ’ εἴησθα πόδας ταχεῶν Ἁρπυιῶν | καὶ παίδων Βορέω.

ὀρθόποδος , steep.

ὀρθόπους

, ‘erect upon one's feet,’ seems to be here merely a poet. equiv. (suggested by metrical convenience) for

ὄρθιος

. This was the more natural, since

πούς, κνήμη

, etc., were so oft. said of mountains. In O. T. 866

ὑψίποδες

, said of the eternal

νόμοι

, differs from

ὀρθόπους

here by implying movement (‘of sublime range’). We need not, then, explain

ὀρθόπους

as=

ὄρθιος τοῖς τοῦ ἀναβαίνοντος ποσί

κἀπ’ ἐκείνᾳ … ἔσχον = καὶ ἐκείνῃ ἔπεσχον, from the intrans.

ἐπέχω

as=‘to direct (one's course) against a person,’ ‘to attack him’: cp. Od. 19.71

τί μοι ὦδ’ ἐπέχεις κεκοτηότι θυμῷ

; (‘assail me’): ib. 22. 75

ἐπ’ αὐτῷ πάντες ἔχωμεν

(‘let us all have at him’).—Others understand, ‘extended even to her,’ ‘reached her,’ which mars the personification.— μακραίωνες : Aesch. Eum. 172

παλαιγενεῖς... Μοίρας

Commentary on Sophocles: Antigone. Sir Richard C. Jebb. Cambridge. 1900.

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 (12)

Greek (L. Benloew, 1858) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (L. Benloew, 1858)) — 944 focus

ἔτλα καὶ ¹ Δανάας οὐράνιον φῶς

ἀλλάξαι δέμας ἐν χαλκοδέτοις ²
940

αὐλαῖς· κρυπτομένα δ᾽ ἐν

τυμβήρει θαλάμῳ κατεζεύχθη·

καίτοι γενεᾷ τίμιος, ὦ παῖ, παῖ,

καὶ Ζηνὸς ταμιεύεσκε

γονὰς χρυσορύτους.
945

ἀλλ᾽ ἁ μοιριδία τις δύνασις δεινά·

οὔτ᾽ ³ ἄν νιν ὄμβρος, οὔτ᾽ Ἄρης,

οὐ πύργος, οὐχ ἁλίκτυποι

κελαιναὶ νᾶες ἐκφύγοιεν.

a

ζεύχθη δ᾽ ὀξύχολος παῖς ὃ Δρύαντος ⁴,
950

Ἠδωνῶν βασιλεὺς, κερτομίοις

ὀργαῖς, ἐκ Διονύσου

πετρώδει κατάφρακτος ἐν δεσμῷ.

οὕτω τᾶς μανίας δεινὸν ἀποστάζει

ἀνθηρόν τε μένος. κεῖνος
955

ἐπέγνω μανίαις

ψαύων τὸν θεὸν ἐν κερτομίοις γλώσσαις.

παύεσκε μὲν γὰρ ἐνθέους

γυναῖκας ⁵ εὔϊόν τε πῦρ,

φιλαύλους τ᾽ ἠρέθιζε Μούσας ⁶.
960

b

παρὰ δὲ ⁷ Κυανέων πελαγέων διδύμας ἁλὸς

ἀκταὶ Βοσπόριαι,

ἰδ᾽ ὁ Θρῃκῶν Σαλμυδησσὸς ⁸,

ἵν᾽ ⁹ ἀγχίπολις Ἄρης

δισσοῖσι Φινείδαις ¹⁰
965

εἶδεν ἀρατὸν ἕλκος,

τυφλωθὲν ἐξ ἀγρίας δάμαρτος ¹¹,

ἀλαὸν ἀλαστόροισιν ὀμμάτων κύκλοις

χάραγμ᾽ ¹² ἐγχέων, ὑφ᾽ αἱματηραῖς

χείρεσσι καὶ κερκίδων ἀκμαῖσιν·
970

b

κατὰ δὲ τακόμενοι μέλεοι μελέαν πάθαν

κλαῖον ¹³, ματρὸς ἔχον-

τες ἀνύμφευτον γονάν· ἁ

δὲ ¹⁴ σπέρμα μὲν ἀρχαιογόνων

ἄντασ᾽ Ἐρεχθειδᾶν.
975

τηλεπόροις δ᾽ ἐν ἄντροις

τράφη θυέλλῃσιν ἐν πατρῴαις

Βορεὰς ¹⁵ ἅμιππος ὀρθόποδος ὑπὲρ πάγου

θεῶν ¹⁶ παῖς· ἀλλὰ κἀπ᾽ ἐκείνᾳ

Μοῖραι μακραίωνες ἔσχον, ὦ παῖ.
980

Τειρεσίας

Greek (A. Boeckh, 1884) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (A. Boeckh, 1884)) — 944 focus

ἔτλα καὶ Δανάας οὐράνιον φῶς

ἀλλάξαι δέμας ἐν χαλκοδέτοις αὐλαῖς·

κρυπτομένα δ᾽ ἐν τυμβήρει θαλάμῳ κατεζεύχθη.
910

καίτοι καὶ γενεᾷ τίμιος, ὦ παῖ, παῖ,

καὶ Ζηνὸς ταμιεύεσκε γονὰς χρυσορύτους.

ἀλλ᾽ ἁ μοιριδία τις δύνασις δεινά·

οὔτ᾽ ἄν νιν ὄλβος οὔτ' Ἄρης,

οὐ πύργος, οὐχ ἁλίκτυποι
915

κελαιναὶ νᾶες ἐκφύγοιεν.

1

ζεύχθη δ᾽ ὀξύχολος παῖς ὁ Δρύαντος,

Ἠδωνῶν βασιλεύς, κερτομίοις ὀργαῖς,

ἐκ Διονύσου πετρώδει κατάφαρκτος ἐν δεσμῷ.

οὕτω τᾶς μανίας δεινὸν ἀποστάζει
920

ἀνθηρόν τε μένος. κεῖνος ἐπέγνω μανίαις

ψαύων τὸν θεὸν ἐν κερτομίοις γλώσσαις.

παύεσκε μὲν γὰρ ἐνθέους

γυναῖκας εὔϊόν τε πῦρ,

φιλαύλους τ’ ἠρέθιζε Μούσας.
925

2

παρὰ δὲ Κυανέων πελαγέων διδύμας ἁλὸς

ἀκταὶ Βοσπόριαι ἰδ᾽ ὁ Θρῃκῶν ἄξενος

Σαλμυδησσός, ἵν᾽ ἀγχίπολις Ἄρης δισσοῖσι Φινεΐδαις

εἶδεν ἀρατὸν ἕλκος

τυφλωθὲν ἐξ ἀγρίας δάμαρτος,
930

ἀλαὸν ἀλαστόροισιν ὀμμάτων κύκλοις

ἀραχθέντων ὑφ᾽ αἱματηραῖς

χείρεσσι καὶ κερκίδων ἀκμαῖσιν.

2

κατὰ δὲ τακόμενοι μέλεοι μελέαν πάθαν

κλαῖον, ματρὸς ἔχοντες ἀνύμφευτον γονάν·
935

ἁ δὲ σπέρμα μὲν ἀρχαιογόνων ἄντασ᾽ Ἐρεχθειδᾶν,

τηλεπόροις δ᾽ ἐν ἄντροις

τράφη θυέλλῃσιν ἐν πατρῴαις

Βορεὰς ἅμιππος ὀρθόποδος ὑπὲρ πάγου,

θεῶν παῖς· ἀλλὰ κἀπ᾽ ἐκείνᾳ
940

Μοῖραι μακραίωνες ἔσχον, ὦ παῖ.

11. ἘΠΈΙΣΟΔΙΟΝ ΠΈΜΠΤΟΝ.

Greek (F. H. Bothe, 1806) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. H. Bothe, 1806)) — 944 focus

ἔτλα καὶ Δανάας οὐράνιον φῶς

ἀλλάξαι δέμας ἐν χαλκοδέτοις αὐλαῖς·
930

κρυπτομένα δ᾽ ἐν τυμβήρει

θαλάμῳ κατεζεύχθη·

καὶ τοι γενεᾷ τίμιος, ὦ παῖ, παῖ,

καὶ Ζηνὸς ταμιεύεσκε γονὰς χρυσορύτους.

ἀλλ’ ἁ μοιριδία τις δύνασις δεινὰ
935

οὔτ᾽ Ἄρης, οὐ πύργος, οὐχ ἁλίκτυποι

κελαιναὶ νᾶες ἐκφύγοιεν.

1

ζεύχθη δ᾽ ὀξύχολος παῖς ὁ Δρύαντος,

Ἠδωνῶν βασιλεὺς, κηρεσίοις ὀργαῖς

ἐκ Διονύσου πετρώδει
940

κατάφρακτος ἐν δεσμῷ.

οὕτω μανίας δεινὸν ἀποστάζειν

ἀτηρόν τε μένος, κεῖνος ἐπέγνω, μανίαις

ψαύων τὸν θεὸν ἐν κερτομίαις γλώσσας.

παύεσκε μὲν γὰρ ἐνθέους γυναῖκας, Εὔϊόν τε πῦρ,
945

φιλαύλους τ᾽ ἠρέθιζε Μούσας.

2

παρὰ δὲ Κυανέων

πελαγέων διδύμας ἁλὸς

ἀκταὶ Βοσπόριαι,

ἰδ᾽ ὁ Θρᾳκῶν Σαλμυδησὸς,
950

ἵν᾽ ἀγχίπολις Ἄρης

δισσοῖσι Φινείδαις

εἶδεν ἀρατὸν ἕλκος

τυφλωθὲν ἐξ ἀγρίας δάμαρτος,

ἀλαὸν, ἀλαστόροισιν ὀμμάτων κύκλοις,
955

ῥαγὲν δ᾽ οὐκ ἐγχέων, αἱματηρᾶς

χειρὸς δὲ καὶ κερκίδων, ἀκμαῖσι.

2

κατὰ δὲ τακόμενοι

μέλεοι μελέαν πάθαν

κλαῖον ματρὸς, ἔχον-
960

τες ἀνύμφευτον γονὰν, ἃ

μὴν ἀρχαιογόνων

ἄντασ' Ἐρεχθειδᾶν,

τηλεπόροις δ᾽ ἐν ἄντροις

τράφη θυέλλῃσιν ἐν πατρῴαις,
965

Βορεὰς, ἅμιππος ὀρθόποδος ὑπὲρ πάγου,

θεῶν παῖς, ἀλλὰ κἀπ᾽ ἐκείνᾳ

Μοῖραι μακραίωνες ἔσχον, ὦ παῖ.

Τειρεσίας

Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 944 focus

ἔτλα καὶ Δανάας οὐράνιον φῶς

ἀλλάξαι δέμας ἐν χαλκοδέτοις αὐλαῖς·
945

κρυπτομένα δ᾽ ἐν τυμβήρει θαλάμῳ κατεζεύχθη

καίτοι καὶ γενεᾷ τίμιος, ὦ παῖ παῖ,

καὶ Ζηνὸς ταμιεύεσκε γονὰς χρυσορύτους.
950

ἀλλ᾽ ἁ μοιριδία τις δύνασις δεινά·

οὔτ᾽ ἄν νιν ὄλβος οὔτ᾽ Ἄρης, οὐ πύργος, οὐχ ἁλίκτυποι

κελαιναὶ νᾶες ἐκφύγοιεν.

ἀντ. α΄.

ζεύχθη δ' *ὀξύχολος παῖς ὁ Δρύαντος,
955

Ἠδωνῶν βασιλεύς, κερτομίοις ὀργαῖς

ἐκ Διονύσου πετρώδει κατάφαρκτος ἐν δεσμῷ.

οὕτω τᾶς μανίας δεινὸν ἀποστάζει

ἀνθηρόν τε μένος, κεῖνος ἐπέγνω μανίαις
960

ψαύων τὸν θεὸν ἐν κερτομίοις γλώσσαις.

παύεσκε μὲν γὰρ ἐνθέους γυναῖκας εὔιόν τε πῦρ,

φιλαύλους τ᾿ ἠρέθιζε Μούσας.
965
β

παρὰ δὲ Κυανεᾶν *σπιλάδων διδύμας ἁλὸς

ἀκταὶ Βοσπόριαι ἰδ᾽ ὁ Θρῃκῶν – u -

Σαλμυδησός, ἵν᾿ ἀγχίπτολις Ἄρης
970

δισσοῖσι Φινεΐδαις

εἶδεν ἀρατὸν ἕλκος

τυφλωθὲν ἐξ ἀγρίας δάμαρτος

ἀλαὸν ἀλαστόροισιν ὀμμάτων κύκλοις

ἀραχθέντων ὑφ᾽ αἱματηραῖς
975

χείρεσσι καὶ κερκίδων ἀκμαῖσιν.

β

κατὰ δὲ τακόμενοι μέλεοι μελέαν πάθαν

κλαῖον ματρός, ἔχοντες ἀνύμφευτον γονάν·
980

ἁ δὲ σπέρμα μὲν ἀρχαιογόνων x=]

ἄντασ᾽ Ἐρεχθεϊδᾶν,

τηλεπόροις δ᾽ ἐν ἄντροις

τράφη θυέλλαισιν ἐν πατρῴαις

Βορεὰς ἅμιππος ὀρθόποδος ὑπὲρ πάγου
985

θεῶν παῖς· ἀλλὰ κἀπ᾿ ἐκείνᾳ

Μοίραι μακραίωνες ἔσχον, ὦ παῖ.

60v
Τειρεσίας

Greek (A. Colonna, 1978) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (A. Colonna, 1978)) — 944 focus

ἔτλα καὶ Δανάας οὐράνιον φῶς

ἀλλάξαι δέμας ἐν χαλκοδέτοις αὐλαῖς·
945

κρυπτομένα δ᾽ ἐν

τυμβήρει θαλάμῳ κατεζεύχθη·

καίτοι καὶ γενεᾷ τίμιος, ὦ παῖ, παῖ,

καὶ Ζηνὸς ταμιεύεσκε γονὰς χρυσορύτους.
950

ἀλλ᾽ ἁ μοιριδία τις δύνασις δεινά·

οὔτ' ἄν νιν ὄλβος οὔτ᾽ Ἄρης,

οὐ πύργος, οὐχ ἁλίκτυποι

κελαιναὶ νᾶες ἐκφύγοιεν.

1

ζεύχθη δ᾽ ὀξύχολος παῖς ὁ Δρύαντος,
955

Ἠδωνῶν βασιλεύς, κερτομίοις ὀργαῖς,

ἐκ Διονύσου

πετρώδει κατάφαρκτος ἐν δεσμῷ.

οὕτω τᾶς μανίας δεινὸν ἀποστάζει

ἀνθηρόν τε μένος. κεῖνος ἐπέγνω μανίαις
960

ψαύων τὸν θεὸν ἐν κερτομίοις γλώσσαις.

παύεσκε μὲν γὰρ ἐνθέους

γυναῖκας εὔιόν τε πῦρ,

φιλαύλους τ᾽ ἠρέθιζε Μούσας.
965
2

παρὰ δὲ Κυανέων πελάγει διδύμας ἁλὸς

ἀκταὶ Βοσπόριαι ἰδ’ ὁ Θρῃκῶν ἄξενος

Σαλμυδησσός, ἵν᾽ ἀγχίπολις Ἄρης
970

δισσοῖσι Φινείδαις

εἶδεν ἀρατὸν ἕλκος

τυφλωθὲν ἐξ ἀγρίας δάμαρτος

ἀλαὸν ἀλαστόροισιν ὀμμάτων κύκλοις,

ἀραχθέντων, ὑφ᾽ αἱματηραῖς
975

χείρεσσι καὶ κερκίδων ἀκμαῖσιν.

2

κατὰ δὲ τακόμενοι μέλεοι μελέαν πάθαν

κλαῖον, ματρὸς ἔχοντες ἀνύμφευτον γονάν·
980

ἁ δὲ σπέρμα μὲν ἀρχαιογόνων

ἄντασ᾽ Ἐρεχθειδᾶν,

τηλεπόροις δ᾽ ἐν ἄντροις

τράφη θυέλλῃσιν ἐν πατρῴαις

Βορεὰς ἅμιππος ὀρθόποδος ὑπὲρ πάγου
985

θεῶν παῖς· ἀλλὰ κἀπ᾽ ἐκείνᾳ

Μοῖραι μακραίωνες ἔσχον, ὦ παῖ.

Τειρεσίας

Greek (A. Dain, 1955) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (A. Dain, 1955)) — 944 focus

ἔτλα καὶ Δανάας οὐράνιον φῶς

ἀλλάξαι δέμας ἐν χαλκοδέτοις αὐλαῖς·
945

κρυπτομένα δ’ ἐν

τυμβήρει θαλάμῳ κατεζεύχθη·

καίτοι καὶ γενεᾷ τίμιος, ὦ παῖ, παῖ,

καὶ Ζηνὸς ταμιεύεσκε γονὰς χρυσορύτους.
950

ἀλλ’ ἁ μοιριδία τις δύνασις δεινά·

οὔτ’ ἄν νιν ὄλβος οὔτ’ Ἄρης,

οὐ πύργος, οὐχ ἁλίκτυποι

κελαιναὶ νᾶες ἐκφύγοιεν.

1

ζεύχθη δ’ ὀξύχολος παῖς ὁ Δρύαντος,
955

Ἠδωνῶν βασιλεύς, κερτομίοις ὀργαῖς,

ἐκ Διονύσου

πετρώδει κατάφαρκτος ἐν δεσμῷ.

οὕτω τᾶς μανίας δεινὸν ἀποστάζει

ἀνθηρόν τε μένος. κεῖνος ἐπέγνω μανίαις
960

ψαύων τὸν θεὸν ἐν κερτομίοις γλώσσαις.

παύεσκε μὲν γὰρ ἐνθέους

γυναῖκας εὔιόν τε πῦρ,

φιλαύλους τ’ ἠρέθιζε Μούσας.
965
2

παρὰ δὲ Κυανέων πελάγει διδύμας ἁλὸς

ἀκταὶ Βοσπόριαι ἰδ’ ὁ Θρῃκῶν ἠιὼν

Σαλμυδησσός, ἵν’ ἀγχίπολις Ἄρης
970

δισσοῖσι Φινείδαις

εἶδεν ἀρατὸν ἕλκος

τυφλωθὲν ἐξ ἀγρίας δάμαρτος

ἀλαὸν ἀλαστόροισιν ὀμμάτων κύκλοις

ἄτερθ’ ἐγχέων, ὑφ’ αἱματηραῖς
975

χείρεσσι καὶ κερκίδων ἀκμαῖσιν.

2

κατὰ δὲ τακόμενοι μέλεοι μελέαν πάθαν

κλαῖον, ματρὸς ἔχοντες ἀνύμφευτον γονάν·
980

ἁ δὲ σπέρμα μὲν ἀρχαιογόνων

ἄντασ’ Ἐρεχθειδᾶν,

τηλεπόροις δ’ ἐν ἄντροις

τράφη θυέλλῃσιν ἐν πατρῴαις

Βορεὰς ἅμιππος ὀρθόποδος ὑπὲρ πάγου
985

θεῶν παῖς· ἀλλὰ κἀπ’ ἐκείνᾳ

Μοῖραι μακραίωνες ἔσχον, ὦ παῖ.

Τειρεσίας

Greek (R. D. Dawe, 1979) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (R. D. Dawe, 1979)) — 944 focus

ἔτλα καὶ Δανάας οὐράνιον φῶς

ἀλλάξαι δέμας ἐν χαλκοδέτοις
945

αὐλαῖς· κρυπτομένα δ᾽ ἐν

τυμβήρει θαλάμωι κατεζεύχθη.

καίτοι καὶ γενεᾶι τίμιος, ὦ παῖ, παῖ,

καὶ Ζηνὸς ταμιεύεσκε γονὰς χρυσορύτους.
950

ἀλλ᾽ ἁ μοιριδία τις δύνασις δεινά·

οὔτ᾽ ἄν νιν ὄλβος οὔτ᾽ Ἄρης,

οὐ πύργος, οὐχ ἁλίκτυποι

κελαιναὶ νᾶες ἐκφύγοιεν.

1

ζεύχθη δ᾽ ὀξύχολος παῖς ὁ Δρύαντος,
955

Ἠδωνῶν βασιλεύς, κερτομίοις

ὀργαῖς, ἐκ Διονύσου

πετρώδει κατάφαρκτος ἐν δεσμῶι.

οὕτω τᾶς μανίας δεινὸν ἀποστάζει

ἀνθηρόν τε μένος. κεῖνος ἐπέγνω μανίαις
960

ψαύων τὸν θεὸν ἐν κερτομίοις γλώσσαις.

παύεσκε μὲν γὰρ ἐνθέους

γυναῖκας εὔιόν τε πῦρ,

φιλαύλους τ᾽ ἠρέθιζε Μούσας.
965

2

παρὰ δὲ κυανέων †πελαγέων πετρῶν† διδύμας

ἁλὸς

ἀκταὶ Βοσπόριαι, †ἦδ᾽ ὁ Θρηικῶν †

Σαλμυδησσός, ἵν᾽ ἀγχίπολις Ἄρης
970

δισσοῖσι Φινείδαις

εἶδεν ἀρατὸν ἕλκος

τυφλωθὲν ἐξ ἀγρίας δάμαρτος,

ἀλαὸν ἀλαστόροισιν ὀμμάτων κύκλοις

†ἀραχθὲν ἐγχέων † ὑφ᾽ αἱματηραῖς
975

χείρεσσι καὶ κερκίδων ἀκμαῖσιν.

2

κατὰ δὲ τακόμενοι μέλεοι μελέαν πάθαν

κλαῖον, ματρὸς ἔχοντες ἀνυμφεύτου γονάν·
980

ἁ δὲ σπέρμα μὲν ἀρχαιογόνων

ἄντασ᾽ Ἐρεχθειδᾶν,

τηλεπόροις δ᾽ ἐν ἄντροις

τράφη θυέλλαισιν ἐν πατρώιαις

Βορεὰς ἅμιππος ὀρθόποδος ὑπὲρ πάγου,
985

θεῶν παῖς ἀλλὰ κἀπ᾽ ἐκείναι

Μοῖραι μακραίωνες ἔσχον, ὦ παῖ.

Τειρεσίας

Greek (G. Hermann, 1830) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (G. Hermann, 1830)) — 944 focus

ἔτλα καὶ Δανάας οὐράνιον φῶς
935

ἀλλάξαι δέμας ἐν χαλκοδέτοις

αὐλαῖς· κρυπτομένα δ᾽ ἐν

τυμβήρει θαλάμῳ κατεζεύχθη.

καίτοι καὶ γενεᾷ τίμιος, ὦ παῖ, παῖ,

καὶ Ζηνὸς ταμιεύεσκε γονὰς χρυσορύτους.
940

ἀλλ᾽ ἁ μοιριδία τις δύνασις δεινά·

οὔτ᾽ ἄν νιν ὄλβος, οὔτ᾽ Ἄρης,

οὐ πύργος, οὐχ ἁλίκτυποι

κελαιναὶ νᾶες ἐκφύγοιεν.

1

ζεύχθη δ᾽ ὀξυχόλως παῖς ὃ Δρύαντος,
945

Ἠδωνῶν βασιλεύς, κερτομίοις

ὀργαῖς, ἐκ Διονύσου

πετρώδει κατάφρακτος ἐν δεσμῷ.

οὕτω τᾶς μανίας δεινὸν ἀποστάζει

ἀνθηρόν τε μένος. κεῖνος ἐπέγνω μανίαις
950

ψαύων τὸν θεὸν ἐν κερτομίοις γλώσσαις.

παύεσκε μὲν γὰρ ἐνθέους

γυναῖκας, εὔϊον τε πῦρ,

φιλαύλους τ᾽ ἠρέθιζε Μούσας.

2

παρὰ δὲ Κυανέων πελαγέων διδύμας ἁλός,
955

ἀκταὶ Βοσπόριαι, ἰδ᾽ ὁ Θρῃκῶν Σαλμυδησσός,

ἵν᾽ ἀγχίπολις Ἄρης

δισσοῖσι Φινείδαις

εἶδεν ἀρατὸν ἕλκος
960

τυφλωθὲν ἐξ ἀγρίας δάμαρτος,

ἀλαὸν ἀλαστόροισιν ὀμμάτων κύκλοις

ἄτερθ᾽ ἐγχέων, ὑφ᾽ αἱματηραῖς

χείρεσσι καὶ κερκίδων ἀκμαῖσιν·

2

κατὰ δὲ τακόμενοι μέλεοι μελέαν πάθαν
965

κλαῖον, ματρὸς ἔχοντες ἀνύμφευτον γονάν · ἃ

δὲ σπέρμα μὲν ἀρχαιογόνων

ἄντασ᾽ Ἐρεχθειδᾶν,

τηλεπόροις δ᾽ ἐν ἄντροις
970

τράφη θυέλλῃσιν ἐν πατρῴαις

Βορεὰς ἅμιππος ὀρθόποδος ὑπὲρ πάγου

θεῶν παῖς· ἀλλὰ κἀπ᾽ ἐκείνᾳ

Μοῖραι μακραίωνες ἔσχον, ὦ παῖ.

Τειρεσίας

Greek (R. C. Jebb, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (R. C. Jebb, 1906)) — 944 focus

ἔτλα καὶ Δανάας οὐράνιον φῶς 1

ἀλλάξαι δέμας ἐν χαλκοδέτοις αὐλαῖς· 2
945

κρυπτομένα δ᾽ ἐν τυμβήρει θαλάμῳ κατεζεύχθη· 3

καίτοι καὶ γενεᾷ τίμιος, ὦ παῖ παῖ, 4

καὶ Ζηνὸς ταμιεύεσκε γονὰς χρυσορύτους. 5
950

ἀλλ᾽ ἁ μοιριδία τις δύνασις δεινά· 6

οὔτ᾽ ἄν νιν ὄλβος οὔτ᾽ Ἄρης, οὐ πύργος, οὐχ ἁλίκτυποι 7

κελαιναὶ νᾶες ἐκφύγοιεν. 8

1

ζεύχθη δ᾽ ὀξύχολος παῖς ὁ Δρύαντος, 1
955

Ἠδωνῶν βασιλεύς, κερτομίοις ὀργαῖς, 2

ἐκ Διονύσου πετρώδει κατάφαρκτος ἐν δεσμῷ. 3

οὕτω τᾶς μανίας δεινὸν ἀποστάζει 4

ἀνθηρόν τε μένος. κεῖνος ἐπέγνω μανίαις 5
960

ψαύων τὸν θεὸν ἐν κερτομίοις γλώσσαις. 6

παύεσκε μὲν γὰρ ἐνθέους γυναῖκας εὔιόν τε πῦρ, 7

φιλαύλους τ᾽ ἠρέθιζε Μούσας. 8
965
2

παρὰ δὲ Κυανεᾶν πελάγει διδύμας ἁλὸς 1

ἀκταὶ Βοσπόριαι ἠδ᾽ ὁ Θρῃκῶν 2

Σαλμυδησσός, ἵν᾿ ἀγχίπολις Ἄρης 3
970

δισσοῖσι Φινεΐδαις 4

εἶδεν ἀρατὸν ἕλκος 5

τυφλωθὲν ἐξ ἀγρίας δάμαρτος, 6

ἀλαὸν ἀλαστόροισιν ὀμμάτων κύκλοις, 7

ἀραχθέντων ὑφ᾽ αἱματηραῖς 8
975

χείρεσσι καὶ κερκίδων ἀκμαῖσιν. 9

2

κατὰ δὲ τακόμενοι μέλεοι μελέαν πάθαν 1

κλαῖον, ματρὸς ἔχοντες ἀνύμφευτον γονάν· 2
980

ἁ δὲ σπέρμα μὲν ἀρχαιογόνων 3

ἄντασ᾽ Ἐρεχθεϊδᾶν, 4

τηλεπόροις δ᾽ ἐν ἄντροις 5

τράφη θυέλλαισιν ἐν πατρῴαις 6

Βορεὰς ἅμιππος ὀρθόποδος ὑπὲρ πάγου, 7
985

θεῶν παῖς· ἀλλὰ κἀπ᾽ ἐκείνᾳ 8

Μοῖραι μακραίωνες ἔσχον, ὦ παῖ. 9

Τειρεσίας

Greek (A. C. Pearson, 1924) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (A. C. Pearson, 1924)) — 944 focus

ἔτλα καὶ Δανάας οὐράνιον φῶς

ἀλλάξαι δέμας ἐν χαλκοδέτοις
945

αὐλαῖς· κρυπτομένα δ᾽ ἐν

τυμβήρει θαλάμῳ κατεζεύχθη·

καίτοι καὶ γενεᾷ τί-

μιος, ὦ παῖ παῖ,

καὶ Ζηνὸς ταμιεύεσκε γονὰς χρυσορύτους.
950

ἀλλ᾽ ἁ μοιριδία τις δύνασις δεινά·

οὔτ᾽ ἄν νιν ὄλβος οὔτ᾽ Ἄρης,

οὐ πύργος, οὐχ ἁλίκτυποι

κελαιναὶ νᾶες ἐκφύγοιεν.

ζεύχθη δ᾽ ὀξύχολος παῖς ὁ Δρύαντος,
955

Ἠδωνῶν βασιλεύς, κερτομίοις

ὀργαῖς ἐκ Διονύσου

πετρώδει κατάφαρκτος ἐν δεσμῷ.

οὕτω τᾶς μανίας δει-

νὸν ἀποστάζει
960

ἀνθηρόν τε μένος. κεῖνος ἐπέγνω μανίαις

ψαύων τὸν θεὸν ἐν κερτομίοις γλώσσαις.

παύεσκε μὲν γὰρ ἐνθέους

γυναῖκας εὔιόν τε πῦρ,

φιλαύλους τ᾽ ἠρέθιζε Μούσας.
965

παρὰ δὲ κυανέαιν σπιλάδοιν διδύμας ἁλὸς

ἀκταὶ Βοσπόριαι ἰδ᾽ ὁ Θρῃκῶν ἠιὼν

Σαλμυδησσός, ἵν᾽ ἀγχίπολις Ἄρης
970

δισσοῖσι Φινεΐδαις

εἶδεν ἀρατὸν ἕλκος

τυφλωθὲν ἐξ ἀγρίας δάμαρτος

ἀλαὸν ἀλαστόροισιν ὀμμάτων κύκλοις

ἀραχθέντων ὑφ᾽ αἱματηραῖς
975

χείρεσσι καὶ κερκίδων ἀκμαῖσιν.

κατὰ δὲ τακόμενοι μέλεοι μελέαν πάθαν

κλαῖον, ματρὸς ἔχοντες ἀνύμφευτον γονάν·
980

ἁ δὲ σπέρμα μὲν ἀρχαιογόνων

ἄντασ᾽ Ἐρεχθεϊδᾶν,

τηλεπόροις δ᾽ ἐν ἄντροις

τράφη θυέλλῃσιν ἐν πατρῴαις

Βορεὰς ἅμιππος ὀρθόποδος ὑπὲρ πάγου
985

θεῶν παῖς· ἀλλὰ κἀπ᾽ ἐκείνᾳ

Μοῖραι μακραίωνες ἔσχον, ὦ παῖ.

Τειρεσίας

Antigone (OCR draft) Experimental (Antigone) — 944 focus

Χορός

ἔτλα καὶ Δανάας οὐράνιον φῶς

ἀλλάξαι δέμας ἐν χαλκοδέτοις αὐλαῖς·
945

κρυπτομένα δʼ ἐν τυμβήρει θαλάμῳ κατεζεύχθη·

καίτοι καὶ γενεᾷ τίμιος, ὦ παῖ παῖ,

καὶ Ζηνὸς ταμιεύεσκε γονὰς χρυσορύτους.
950

ἀλλʼ ἁ μοιριδία τις δύνασις δεινά·

οὔτʼ ἄν νιν ὄλβος οὔτʼ Ἄρης, οὐ πύργος, οὐχ ἁλίκτυποι

κελαιναὶ νᾶες ἐκφύγοιεν.

Χορός

ζεύχθη δʼ ὀξύχολος παῖς ὁ Δρύαντος,
955

Ἠδωνῶν βασιλεύς, κερτομίοις ὀργαῖς

ἐκ Διονύσου πετρώδει κατάφαρκτος ἐν δεσμῷ.

οὕτω τᾶς μανίας δεινὸν ἀποστάζει

ἀνθηρόν τε μένος. κεῖνος ἐπέγνω μανίαις
960

ψαύων τὸν θεὸν ἐν κερτομίοις γλώσσαις.

παύεσκε μὲν γὰρ ἐνθέους γυναῖκας εὔιόν τε πῦρ,

φιλαύλους τʼ ἠρέθιζε Μούσας.
965

Χορός

παρὰ δὲ Κυανεᾶν πελάγει διδύμας ἁλὸς

ἀκταὶ Βοσπόριαι ἠδʼ ὁ Θρῃκῶν ἄξενος

Σαλμυδησσός, ἵνʼ ἀγχίπτολις Ἄρης
970

δισσοῖσι Φινεΐδαις

εἶδεν ἀρατὸν ἕλκος

τυφλωθὲν ἐξ ἀγρίας δάμαρτος

ἀλαὸν ἀλαστόροισιν ὀμμάτων κύκλοις

ἀραχθέντων, ὑφʼ αἱματηραῖς
975

χείρεσσι καὶ κερκίδων ἀκμαῖσιν.

Χορός

κατὰ δὲ τακόμενοι μέλεοι μελέαν πάθαν

κλαῖον, ματρὸς ἔχοντες ἀνύμφευτον γονάν·
980

ἁ δὲ σπέρμα μὲν ἀρχαιογόνων

ἄντασʼ Ἐρεχθεϊδᾶν,

τηλεπόροις δʼ ἐν ἄντροις

τράφη θυέλλαισιν ἐν πατρῴαις

Βορεὰς ἅμιππος ὀρθόποδος ὑπὲρ πάγου
985

θεῶν παῖς. ἀλλὰ κἀπʼ ἐκείνᾳ

Μοῖραι μακραίωνες ἔσχον, ὦ παῖ.

Greek (K. Reinhardt, 1949) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (K. Reinhardt, 1949)) — 944 focus

ἔτλα καὶ Δανάας οὐράνιον φῶς

ἀλλάξαι δέμας ἐν χαλκοδέτοις
945

αὐλαῖς· κρυπτομένα δ᾽ ἐν

τυμβήρει θαλάμωι κατεζεύχθη·

καίτοι καὶ γενεᾶι τίμιος, ὦ παῖ παῖ,

καὶ Ζηνὸς ταμιεύεσκε γονὰς χρυσορύτους.
950

ἀλλ᾽ ἁ μοιριδία τις δύνασις δεινά·

οὔτ᾽ ἄν νιν ὄλβος οὔτ᾽ Ἄρης,

οὐ πύργος, οὐχ ἁλίκτυποι

κελαιναὶ νᾶες ἐκφύγοιεν.

ζεύχθη δ᾽ ὀξύχολος παῖς ὁ Δρύαντος,
955

Ἠδωνῶν βασιλεύς, κερτομίοις

ὀργαῖς ἐκ Διονύσου

πετρώδει κατάφαρκτος ἐν δεσμῶι.

οὕτω τᾶς μανίας δεινὸν ἀποστάζει

ἀνθηρόν τε μένος· κεῖνος ἐπέγνω μανίαις
960

ψαύων τὸν θεὸν ἐν κερτομίοις γλώσσαις.

παύεσκε μὲν γὰρ ἐνθέους

γυναῖκας εὔιόν τε πῦρ,

φιλαύλους τ᾽ ἠρέθιζε Μούσας.

παρὰ δὲ Κυανέων †πελαγέων πετρῶν† διδύμας
965

ἁλὸς

ἀκταὶ Βοσπόριαι ἠδ᾽ ὁ Θρηικῶν

Σαλμυδησσός, ἵν᾽ ἀγχίπτολις Ἄρης
970

δισσοῖσι Φινεΐδαις

εἶδεν ἀραῖον ἕλκος

τυφλωθὲν ἐξ ἀγρίας δάμαρτος

ἀλαὸν ἀλαστόροισιν ὀμμάτων κύκλοις

†ἀραχθὲν ἐγχέων ὑφ᾽ αἱματηραῖς
975

χείρεσσι καὶ κερκίδων ἀκμαῖσιν.

κατὰ δὲ τακόμενοι μέλεοι μελέαν πάθαν

κλαῖον ματρὸς ἔχοντες ἀνύμφευτον γονάν·
980

ἁ δὲ σπέρμα μὲν ἀρχαιογόνων

ἄντασ᾽ Ἐρεχθεϊδᾶν,

τηλεπόροις δ᾽ ἐν ἄντροις

τράφη θυέλλαισιν ἐν πατρώιαις

Βορεὰς ἅμιππος ὀρθόποδος ὑπὲρ πάγου
985

θεῶν παῖς· ἀλλὰ κἀπ᾽ ἐκείναι

Μοῖραι μακραίωνες ἔσχον, ὦ παῖ.

Τειρεσίας

Translations (11)

German (A. Boeckh, 1884) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (A. Boeckh, 1884)) — 944 focus

CHOR.

Auch der Danaë Leib mufste des Himmels

Licht, die hehre Gestalt, missen im erzdichten

Str. 1.

Haus, und es barg sie fesselnd düsterer Gruft Kerker.
910

Und doch war von Geschlecht edel sie, o Kind, Kind,

und wahrt' hegend des Zeus strömender Saat goldenen Schatz.

Ja stets waltet die Allmacht des Geschicks furchtbar;

Reichthümer nicht, noch Heeresmacht,

nicht feste Burg entrinnen ihr,
915

noch flutumpeitscht die dunklen Schiffe.

Gegenstr. 1.

Fest ward Dryas' im Zorn heftig entbrannter

Sohn, Edonisches Volks König, den Hohn büfsend,

durch Dionysos' Kraft umgürtet in engen Felsbanden.'

So enttriefet der wahnsinnigen Wuth furchtbar
920

wildaufschäumender Grimm; jener empfand's, daſs er den Gott

angriff, spottend im Wahnsinne, mit Hohnworten.

Denn gottentzückten Frauen wehrt'

er und dem Flammenschein der Nacht,

und reizt' euch, flötenfrohe Musen!
925
Str. 2.

An den Kyanischen Wassern des flutenden Doppelmeers,

dort ist Bosporos' Strand und der Thraker schrecklicher

Salmydessos, wo einst Ares, der Stadt Gott, sah die Wunden, des Fluchs

volle, womit dem Phineus

der Söhne Paar wilder Gattin Ingrimm
930

geblendet, die der Augen Sterne gräuelvoll

mit blutumflofsnen Mörderhänden

und ihrer Webschiffe Zacken ausrifs.

Gegenstr. 2.

Und es vergingen die Armen bejammernd das Jammerleid,

aus unseliger Mutter erzeugt sie, weihelos.
935

Jene sprofste von uraltem Geblüt doch, aus Erechthischem Stamm:

tief in der Grotten Ferne,

umbraus't vom Nordsturm des Vaters wuchs sie,

rofsschnelle Boreastochter, über steilem Fels

ein Gottkind auf, und doch ereilten
940

auch jene, mein Kind, die greisen Mören!

XI. FÜNFTES EPEISODION.

KREON. TEIRESIAS von einem Knaben geführt.

Spanish (J. A. Bolufer, 1921) (OCR draft) Experimental (Spanish (J. A. Bolufer, 1921)) — 944 focus

También sufrió Dánae cambiar la celestial luz por las tinieblas en mansión ceñida de bronce, y escondida en funerario tálamo está aprisionada. Y en verdad que por su nacimiento era ilustre, ¡oh niña, niña!, y guardaba en su seno los gérmenes de la lluvia de oro de Júpiter. Pero la fatalidad tiene una fuerza terrible ni las riquezas, ni Marte, ni las torres, ni las negras naves que sufren el embate de las olas la pueden evitar.

Fué Fue encadenado también el irascible niño hijo de Driante y rey de los edones, quien, por su indole índo- le procaz, fué fue encerrado por Dióniso en pétrea cárcel; y así, la terrible y vigorosa violencia de su iracundia se desvanece gota a gota; reconoció él que en su furor había insultado a un dios con su ultrajante lengua. Quería, en verdad, acabar con las endemoniadas bacantes y con el báquico fuego, y ultrajaba a las musas amantes de las flautas.

Y junto a las negras rocas de los dos mares¹ están las orillas del Bósforo y la inhospitalaria Salmideso de los tracios, en donde Marte, el protector de la ciudad, vió vio la execrable herida que a los dos hijos de Fineo infirió la fiera madrastra, que les arrancó los ojos de las órbitas, cruelmente doloridas, sin valerse de espada, sino con sangrientas manos y aguda punta de lanzadera;

y deshaciéndose en lågrimas lágri- mas los desdichados, lloraban la desdichada suerte que les cupo por nacer del ilegitimo ilegítimo casamiento de su madre; y ella era de la raza de los antiguos Erectidas, y se había criado en los lejanos antros, en medio de las tempestuosas tormentas de su padre Bóreas, que, rápido rápi- do como un corcel, corría a pie firme sobre el helado mar, pues era hijo de un dios. Pero sobre ella estaban las Parcas de larga vida, ¡oh hija!

TIRESIAS

Latin (F. H. Bothe, 1806) (OCR draft) Experimental (Latin (F. H. Bothe, 1806)) — 944 focus

Sustinuit etiam Daneë coelesti lumine privari in aereo.

conclavi, abditaque sepulcralis thalami iugum tulit; atqui o nata, nata, genere erat nobilis, gremioque recondita servabat auriílua Iovis semina. At ingens est fati vis; quam nec fortis vel Mars, vel turris, neque undisonae nigrae naves effugiant.

Iugum accepit etiam impotens irae filius Dryantis , rex Edonum, quem Bacchus, ob infestam indolem, saxoso conclusit in carcere.

Adeo a furore destillare terribilem noxiamque poenam, adgnovit demum ille, qui rabiei petulantibus conviciis deum laesit. Enimvero entheas cohibuit feminas, sacrasque Bacchi exstinxit lampades, et tibiarum amantes irritavit Musas.

Iuxta Cyanea aequora gemini maris, litora sunt Bosporia et Thracius Salmydesus, ubi vicinas urbes colens Mars geminos Phinei filios a fera noverca vidit lumine orbatos execrabili vulnere, inficto non lancearum, sed cruentae manus et pectinum cuspidibus.

At miseri dolore tabescentes miseram matris lugebant vicem, coniugii quippe experti vitae geniti;

quae sane genus antiquis ab Erechthidis ducebat, remotisque in antris mutrita fuerat procellas inter paternas, Boreae filia, equos cursu praevertens celso super iugo, deorum progenies: haud tamen secius hanc quoque longaevae Parcae invaserunt, o nata.

Teiresias

English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 944 focus

Even Danaë’s beauty left the lightsome day.

Closed in her strong and brass-bound tower she lay

In tomb-like deep confine.
945

Yet she was gendered, O my child!

From sires of noblest line,

And treasured for the Highest the golden rain.
950

Fated misfortune hath a power so fell:

Not wealth, nor warfare wild,

Nor dark spray-dashing coursers of the main

Against great Destiny may once rebel.
955

He too in darksome durance was compressed,

King of Edonians, Dryas’ hasty son,

In eyeless vault of stone

Immured by Dionysus’ hest,
960

All for a wrathful jest.

Fierce madness issueth in such fatal flower.

He found ’twas mad to taunt the Heavenly Power,
965

Chilling the Maenad breast

Kindled with Bacchic fire, and with annoy

Angering the Muse that in the flute hath joy.

And near twin rocks that guard the Colchian sea,
970

Bosporian cliffs ’fore Salmydessus rise,

Where neighbouring Ares from his shrine beheld

Phineus’ two sons by female fury quelled.

With cursèd wounding of their sight-reft eyes,

That cried to Heaven to ’venge the iniquity.
975

The shuttle’s sharpness in a cruel hand

Dealt the dire blow, not struck with martial brand.

But chiefly for her piteous lot they pined,
980

Who was the source of their rejected birth.

She touched the lineage of Erechtheus old;

Whence in far caves her life did erst unfold,

Cradled ’mid storms, daughter of Northern wind,

Steed-swift o’er all steep places of the earth.
985

Yet even on her, though reared of heavenly kind,

The long-enduring Fates at last took hold.

TIRESIAS
Enter TIRESIAS , led by a boy.

German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 944 focus

Auch der Danaë Reiz mußte des Himmels

(sie wird abgeführt.)

Lichtstrahl einst mit der Nacht tauschen im erzdichten
925

Haus und verborgen

Im grabähnlichen Ruhgemach wohnen.

Und doch war sie, o Kind, Kind, von Geburt edel,

Und trug hegend im Schooß goldener Saat Ströme von Zeus.

Ja, wohl ist des Geschicks Obergewalt furchtbar;
930

Nie kann der Reichthum, Ares nie,¹

Nicht Vesten ihr, kein dunkles Schiff

Entflieh'n, das rings umbraust die Woge.

Erste Gegenstrophe.

Dryas' zornigen Sohn, Herrn der Edonen,²

Als er wider den Gott frevelte voll Hohnlust,
935

Band Dionysos,

In felsstarrende Kluft ihn einzwängend.

So verbrauste des wahnwizigen Grimm's arge

Wildaufschäumende Kraft. Sener empfand's, daß er den Gott

Mit Hohnworten in wahnsinnigem Muth anfiel.
940

Denn gottentzückter Frauen Schwarm,

Des Bacchos Flammen wehrt' er keck,

Und reizt' euch, flötenfrohe Musen.³

Zweite Strophe.

An der kyanischen Flut des verschwisterten Meeres hin⁴

Dehnt sich Bosporos' Strand und der Thrakier Salmydessos,
945

Wo Ares, im Land waltend als Gott,

An Phineus' zwei Söhnen

Schaute die grause Wunde,

Nachdem die ruchlose Gattin blendend

Der Augen Sterne beiden nicht mit dem Speere, nein,
950

Ergrimmt ausstach mit blut'gen Händen,

Mit ihrer Webschiffe scharfen Spizen.

Zweite Gegenstrophe.

Und es vergingen die Armen im Leid und beweinten ihr

Unglück, daß sie der Mutter im Unglücksbund entsprossen,

Die doch an dem uralten Geschlecht
955

Des Erechtheus Theil hatte,

Und von des Vaters Stürmen

Umtost, heranwuchs in fernen Grotten,

Die rosseschnelle Boread' auf steilen Höh'n,

Ein Gottkind: doch auch sie bestürmte
960

Die Macht der uralten Moira, Tochter!

Teiresias, von einem Knaben geleitet. Kreon. Der Chor.

Teiresias.

English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 944 focus

Chorus.

Remember what fair Danae endured,

Condemned to change he^iven's cheerful light
945

For scenes of horror and of night,

Within a brazen tower long time immured ;

Yet was the maid of noblest race,
950

And honoured e'en with Jove's embrace ;

But, oh ! when fate decrees a mortal's woe

Naught can reverse the doom or stop the blow —

Nor heaven above, nor earth and seas below.

The Thracian monarch, Dryas' hapless son,
955

Chained to a rock in to rment lay.

And breathed his angry soul away,

By wrath misguided, and by pride undone ;

Taught by the offended god to know
960

From foul reproach what evils flow ;

For he the rites profaned with slanderous tongue,

The holy flame he quenched, disturbed the song,

A.nd waked to wrath the Muses' tuneful throng.
965

His turbid waves where Salmydessus rolled,

And proud Oyaneji-'s rocks divide the flood,

There from thy temple. Mars, didst thou behold
970

The sons of Phineus weltering in their blood ;

A mother did the cruel deed,

A mother bade her children bleed ;

Both by her impious hand, deprived of light,

In vain lamented long their ravished sight,

And closed their eyes in never-ending night,
975

Long time they wept a better mother's fate,

Unhappy offspring of a luckless bed ?

Yet nobly born, and eminently great
980

Was she, and midst sequestered caverns bred —

Her father's angry storms among,

Daughter of gods, from Boreas sprung —

Equal in swiftness to the bounding steed.

She skimmed the mountains with a courser's speed,

Yet was the nymph to death and misery decreed.
985

fjo

ANTlGOiSlE.

Tiresias
Stro2)hG I. Antistrophe i. Strophe 2. Aritistrophe 2. {Exeunt. ACT IV. Scene 1.

Spanish (A. G. Garbin, 1889) (OCR draft) Experimental (Spanish (A. G. Garbin, 1889)) — 944 focus

Del propio modo se vió privada Danae de la claridad de la luz, en su prisión de bronce, oculta á todos los ojos y cautiva en su sepul. cro,—á pesar de ser ilustre su origen, hija mía, y de haber fecundado su seno Júpiter transformado en lluvia de oro. Pero el poder del Destino es incontrastable¹: sin que puedan librarse de él ni la riqueza, ni el ficro Marte, ni los fuertes castillos, ni las nayes cn cuyos negros costados se estrellan las olas.

Antistrofa 1.a

CORO

Asi también se vió encadenado el impetuoso hijo de Dryas, rey de los Edonios; por su violencia y maneras impetuosas fué encerrado por Baco en una prisión de piedra. Tales terribles venganzas suscita el furor. Él recono- ció al fin al dios á quien, en su insania, había ofendido con acerbas blasfemias: habiendo cohibido á sus sacerdotisas delirantes y apagado el fuego sacro, y ofendido á las musas, amantes de la armonía.

Estrofa 2.a

CORO

No lejos de las aguas Cyancas, que corren entre ambos mares, junto á las playas del Bósforo y del hospitalario Salsmydesso de Tracia, el dios Marte, adorado en aquellos lugares, vió á los hijos de Fineo execrablemente vulnerados por su cruel madrastra con los ojos fuera de sus órbitas, pidiendo venganza, arrancados no con la lanza, sino por sangrientas manos con la aguda punta de la lanzadera.

Antistrofa 2.a

CORO

¡Desdichados! transidos de dolor, se lamentaban de su mísera suerte, deplorando el himenco fatal de la madre que en mal hora los había dado á luz. Y sin embargo, ella descendía de la antigua familia de los Erechthidas. Hija de Borcas, se había criado en los antros profundos, en medio de las tormentas pater- nales, y con la rapidez de los corceles recorría las llanuras de los hielos. Era de sangre de dioses; y sufrió á pesar de ello, los rudos golpes de las inmortales Parcas, hija de mi corazón!...

LOS MISMOS Y TÍRESIAS

TÍRESIAS

German (F. Hölderlin, 1804) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (F. Hölderlin, 1804)) — 944 focus

CHOR

Der Leib auch Danaes mufste,

Statt himmlischen Lichts , in Gedult

Das eiserne Gitter haben.

Iın Dunkel lag sie

In der Todtenkammer, in Fesseln ;
985

Obgleich an Geschlechtadel, o Kind!

Sie zählete dem Vater der Zeit

Die Stundenschläge, die goldnen.

Aber des Schiksaals ist furchtbar die Kraft.

Der Reegen nicht, der Schlachtgeist
990

Und der Thurm nicht, und die meerumrauschten

Fliehn sie, die schwarzen Schiffe.

Und gehascht ward zornig behend Dryas Sohn,

Der Edenen König in begeistertem Schimpf

Von Dionysos, von den stürzenden
995

Steinhaufen gedeket,

Den Wahnsinn weint’ er so fast aus,

Und den blühenden Zorn. Und kennen lernt’ er,

Im Wahnsinn tastend, den Gott mit schimpfender Zunge.

Denn stoken macht’ er die Weiber
1000

Des Gottes voll, und das evische Feuer

Und die flötenliebenden

Reizt er, die Musen.

Bei himmelblauen Felsen aber, wo

An beiden Enden Meerist,
1005

Dort sind des Bosphoros Ufer

Und der Busen Salmidessos,

Der Thraziern gehöret; daselbst sah, nahe

Der Stadt, der Schlachtgeist zu, ‚als beiden

Phineiden ward die Wunde der Blindheit
1010

Vom wilden Weibe gestofsen ,

Und finster wars in den muthwillgen Augenzirkeln.

Veni Speeren Stiche. Unter

Blutigen Händen und Nadelspizen.

Und verschnıachtend, die Armen weinten
1015

Das arme Leiden der Mutter; sie hatten

Ehlosen Ursprung; jene aber war

Vom Saamen der altentsprungenen Erechtheiden.

In feruewandelnden Grotten

Ernährt ward sie, in Stürmen des Vaters, die Boreade
1020

Zu Rossen gesellt, auf gradem Hügel,

Der Götter Kind. Doch auch auf jener

Das grolse Schiksaal ruhte, Kind!

(Antigonä wird weggefihrt. ) Zweite Scene TIRESIAS KREON.

TIRESIAS
( von einem Knaben geführt )

English (Sir Richard Jebb1, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb1, 1904)) — 944 focus

And bonds tamed the son of Dryas, swift to wrath, that king of the Edonians ; so paid he for his frenzied taunts, when, by the will of Dionysus, he was pent in a rocky prison. There the fierce exuberance of his 960 madness slowly passed away. That man learned to know the god, whom in his frenzy he had provoked with mockeries; for he had sought to quell the godpossessed women, and the Bacchanalian fire; and he angered the Muses that love the flute. 2

And by the waters of the Dark Rocks, the waters of the twofold sea, are the shores of Bosporus, and 970 Thracian Salmydessus; where Ares, neighbour to the city, saw the accurst, blinding wound dealt to the two sons of Phineus by his fierce wife,—the wound that brought darkness to those vengeance-craving orbs, smitten with her bloody hands, smitten with her shuttle for a dagger.

2

Pining in their misery, they bewailed their cruel 980 doom, those sons of a mother hapless in her marriage ; but she traced her descent from the ancient line of the Erechtheidae; and in far-distant caves she was nursed amid her father’s storms, that child of Boreas, swift as a steed over the steep hills, a daughter of gods; yet upon her also the gray Fates bore hard, my daughter. Enter TEIRESIAS, led by a Boy, on the spectators’ right.

Teiresias

Princes of Thebes, we have come with linked 990 steps, both served by the eyes of one; for thus, by a guide’s help, the blind must walk.

Creon

And what, aged Teiresias, are thy tidings?

Teiresias

English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 944 focus

The same impetuous spirit rules her yet.

For this the slaves that lead her shall be taught

With tears their slow obedience to repent.

Tiresias

English (Sir Richard Jebb2, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb2, 1904)) — 944-985 focus

Chorus

So too endured Danae in her beauty to change

the light of the sky for brass-bound walls, and in that chamber, both burial and bridal, she was held in strict confinement. And yet was she of esteemed lineage, my daughter,
945

and guarded a deposit of the seed of Zeus that had fallen in a golden rain. But dreadful is the mysterious power of fate—there is no deliverance from it by wealth or by war, by towered city, or dark, sea-beaten ships.
950

955

Chorus

And Dryas’s son, the Edonian king swift to rage, was tamed in recompense for his frenzied insults, when, by the will of Dionysus, he was shut in a rocky prison. There the fierce and swelling force of his madness trickled away.
955

That man came to know the god whom in his frenzy he had provoked with mockeries. For he had sought to quell the god-inspired women and the Bacchanalian fire,
960

and he angered the Muses who love the flute.
965

966

Chorus

And by the waters of the Dark Rocks, the waters of the twofold sea, are the shores of Bosporus and the Thracian city Salmydessus,

where Ares, neighbor of that city, saw the accursed, blinding wound inflicted on the two sons of Phineus by his savage wife. It was a wound that brought darkness to the hollows, making them crave vengeance
970

for the eyes she crushed with her bloody hands and with her shuttle for a dagger.
975

977

Chorus

Wasting away in their misery, they bewailed their miserable suffering

and their birth from their mother stripped of her marriage. But she traced her descent from the ancient line of the Erechtheids, and in far-distant caves she was raised amidst her father’s gusts. She was the child of Boreas,
980

running swift as horses over the steep hills, a daughter of gods. Yet she, too, was assailed by the long-lived Fates, my child.
985

Sir Richard C. Jebb Commentary on Sophocles: Antigone 944

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11. ἘΠΈΙΣΟΔΙΟΝ ΠΈΜΠΤΟΝ.

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XI. FÜNFTES EPEISODION.

TIRESIAS

Teiresias

TIRESIAS
Enter TIRESIAS , led by a boy.

Teiresias.

Tiresias
Stro2)hG I. Antistrophe i. Strophe 2. Aritistrophe 2. {Exeunt. ACT IV. Scene 1.

Antistrofa 1.a

CORO

Estrofa 2.a

CORO

Antistrofa 2.a

CORO

LOS MISMOS Y TÍRESIAS

TÍRESIAS

TIRESIAS
( von einem Knaben geführt )

2

Teiresias

Creon

And what, aged Teiresias, are thy tidings?

Teiresias

The same impetuous spirit rules her yet.

For this the slaves that lead her shall be taught

With tears their slow obedience to repent.

Tiresias

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

944-987

Current edition Experimental

Τειρεσίας

11. ἘΠΈΙΣΟΔΙΟΝ ΠΈΜΠΤΟΝ.

Τειρεσίας

60v Τειρεσίας

Τειρεσίας

Τειρεσίας

Τειρεσίας

Τειρεσίας

Τειρεσίας

Τειρεσίας

Τειρεσίας

XI. FÜNFTES EPEISODION.

TIRESIAS

Teiresias

TIRESIAS Enter TIRESIAS , led by a boy.

Teiresias.

Tiresias Stro2)hG I. Antistrophe i. Strophe 2. Aritistrophe 2. {Exeunt. ACT IV. Scene 1.

Antistrofa 1.a

CORO

Estrofa 2.a

CORO

Antistrofa 2.a

CORO

LOS MISMOS Y TÍRESIAS

TÍRESIAS

TIRESIAS ( von einem Knaben geführt )

2

Teiresias

Creon And what, aged Teiresias, are thy tidings?

Teiresias

The same impetuous spirit rules her yet.

For this the slaves that lead her shall be taught

With tears their slow obedience to repent.

Tiresias

Stable identifiers

60v
Τειρεσίας

TIRESIAS
Enter TIRESIAS , led by a boy.

Tiresias
Stro2)hG I. Antistrophe i. Strophe 2. Aritistrophe 2. {Exeunt. ACT IV. Scene 1.

TIRESIAS
( von einem Knaben geführt )

Creon

And what, aged Teiresias, are thy tidings?