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1-133

Prologue. Athena confirms the surmise of Odysseus as to the guilt of Ajax; shows her favourite his afflicted foe; and points the moral.

ἀεὶ μέν , followed in 3 by καὶ νῦν : cp. Tr. 689-691

ἔχρισα μὲν...κἄθηκα

(n.): Lucian Dialog. marin. 8

πάλαι μὲν τὸ τῆς Ἰνοῦς παιδίον ἐπὶ τὸν Ἰσθμὸν ἐκομίσατε..., καὶ νῦν σὺ τὸν κιθαρῳδὸν...ἀναλαβὼν ἐξενήξω

. The passage in Aesch. Ag. 587 —598 (

ἀνωλόλυξα μὲν πάλαι...καὶ νῦν τὰ μάσσω μὲν τί δεῖ σ’ ἐμοὶ λέγειν;

) is scarcely a true parallel,—the interval being so long. Plato has

ἀεὶ μὲν

followed by

ἀτὰρ καὶ νῦν

( Prot. 335 D ),

ἀτὰρ οὖν καὶ τότε

( Rep. 367 E ). Similarly I. Il. 107 ff.

αἰεὶ τοι...καὶ νῦν

Λαρτίου , as in 380: but

Λαερτίου

in 101, and

Λαέρτου

in 1393.

Λαέρτης

is the only Homeric form ( Ph. 87 n.), but Eur. , like Soph. , uses all three. In Latin, Laertius or Lartius is usu. the adj. ( Plaut. Bacch. 4. 9. 22

Ulixes Lartius

), but, acc. to Priscian (7. 5, p. 303), could be also the name. The writing

Λἀρτίου

appears in all the editions from the Aldine to Brunck's; the coronis was first omitted by Schaefer (ed. 1810), on the ground that crasis is not marked within a word.

πεῖράν τιν’ ἐχθρῶν ἁρπάσαι , to snatch (by vigilant and subtle craft) some means of attacking foes,—some moment when foes can be taken at a disadvantage. For the objective gen. ἐχθρῶν , cp. Diod. Sic. 14. 80

καιρὸν εὔθετον εἰς τὴν τῶν πολεμίων ἐπίθεσιν

: for ἁρπάσαι , Plut. Philop. 15

ἁρπάσας τὸν καιρόν

: Xen. An. 4. 6. 11

τοῦ ἐρήμου ὄρους..κλέψαι τι..καὶ ἁρπάσαι φθάσαντας

. Like the verb (

πειρᾶν τῆς πόλεως

, Her. 6. 82),

πεῖρα

often denotes an enterprise against an enemy (Thuc. 3. 20, etc.).—Not, ‘to forestall (or baffle) some attempt by a foe.’ θηρώ‐ μενον with inf.: cp. Eur. Helen. 63

θηρᾷ γαμεῖν με

: ib. 545

ὅς με θηρᾶται λαβεῖν

Athena's words are illustrated by the action of Odysseus against Palamedes (Xen. Mem. 4. 2. 33),—by his capture of Helenus ( Ph. 606),—his designs on Philoctetes,—his theft of the Palladium ( Ov. Met. 13. 99 ),—and his nocturnal expedition with Diomedes ( Il. 10).

σκηναῖς … ναυτικαῖς . Each chief has his quarters at the place on the shore of the bay where his own ships are drawn up. The plural here is probably poetical, denoting the tent of Ajax only, and not also those of his followers. We have the sing. of

σκηνή

at 218 and 796, the plur. at 754 and 985; and in 754

ὑπὸ σκηναῖσι

is precisely equivalent to

σκηνῆς ὕπαυλον

in 796. So, too, the plur. of

κλισία

in 192, and the sing. in 1407.

The Homeric

κλισία

was a wooden hut ( Il. 24. 448 ff.). By

σκηνή

, an Athenian in the poet's day would usually understand a tent of skins, such as was commonly used by soldiers (Xen. An. 1. 5. 10).

τάξιν ἐσχάτην . While Odysseus was stationed at the middle point of the Greek camp, the posts of danger and honour at the eastern and western ends respectively were held by Achilles and Ajax,—

τοί ῥ) ἔσχατα νῆας ἐΐσας | εἴρυσαν, ἠνορέῃ πίσυνοι καὶ κάρτεϊ χειρῶν

( Il. 11. 8 f.).

κυνηγετοῦντα : his keen scrutiny suggests a hunter; as his sagacity suggests a hound (8). We can speak of a dog ‘hunting,’ but a Greek would hardly have said

κύων κυνηγετεῖ

. The transition from one image to the other is natural and easy.

μετρούμενον , with the eyes. In Attic the midd. is rare, except as=‘to have measured out to one,’ [Dem.] or. 34 § 37: but it is frequent in later poetry, as Apoll. Rh. 1. 724 , Mosch. 2. 157. Nauck holds that

μετρούμενον

could denote only literal measurement (as with a foot-rule). But its figurative sense—as denoting a mental process of examination and comparison— is exactly illustrated by the use of

συμμετρεῖσθαι

in the sense of ‘to compute’ ( Her. 4. 158 , etc.). Cp. also Lat. metiri (oculis, auribus, etc.).

νεοχάρακτα , newly imprinted on the sandy soil. The tent was close to the sea (

ἔφαλος

, 192). Ajax had gone out in the past night, and come back at dawn. All the footprints are fresh; but Odysseus has to make out whether the more recent lead to or from the tent.

εἴτ’ ἔνδον εἴτ’ οὐκ ἔνδον . Either

οὐ

μή

can be used in an indirect question introduced by

εἰ

: Plat. Gorg. 462 D

ἐρωτᾷς εἰ οὐ καλή μοι δοκεῖ εἶναι

: Theaet. 163 D

βουλόμενος ἐρέσθαι εἰ..μὴ οἶδεν

. The same rule holds when the indirect question is alternative (‘whether...or not’), and the second part of it is introduced by

εἴτε

(as here), or by

ἤ

. Plat. Crat. 425 B

εἴτε κατὰ τρόπον κεῖται εἴτε μή, οὕτω θεᾶσθαι

: Rep. 451 D

σκοπῶμεν εἰ ἡμῖν πρέπει ἢ οὔ

. When a writer uses

μή

in one such question, and then

οὐ

in another, the motive of the change may be his wish to mark (by

οὐ

) a negative fact (or what he conceives as such): Antiphon or. 5 § 14

οὐ δεῖ ὑμᾶς ἐκ τῶν τοῦ κατηγόρου λόγων τοὺς νόμους καταμανθάνειν, εἰ καλῶς ὑμῖν κεῖνται ἢ μή, ἀλλ’ ἐκ τῶν νόμων τοὺς τοῦ κατηγόρου λόγους, εἰ ὀρθῶς καὶ νομίμως ὑμᾶς διδάσκει τὸ πρᾶγμα ἢ οὔ

ἐκφέρει : schol.

εἰς τέλος ἐξάγει

: ‘brings out,’ as from a labyrinth, to the desired goal. Cp. O. C. 98

ἐξήγαγ’ εἰς τόδ’ ἄλσος

, (your guidance) ‘hath led me home to this grove.’ Plat. Phaedo p. 66 B

κινδυνεύει τοι ὥσπερ ἀτραπός τις ἐκφέρειν ἡμᾶς

κυνὸς Λακαίνης . According to Aristotle, the Laconian dogs were crossbred with foxes (

ἐξ ἀλώπεκος καὶ κυνὸς οἱ Λακωνικοί

, Hist. Anim. 8. 28, p. 607 a 3). He describes them as a small breed, with long nostrils and keen scent (

ὅσων οἱ μυκτῆρες μακροί, οἷον τῶν Λακωνικῶν κυνιδίων, ὀσφραντικά

: Gener. Anim. 5. 2, p. 781 b 9). They were the best hunting dogs, as Pindar testifies, fr. 106:

ἀπὸ Ταϋγέτοιο μὲν Λάκαιναν | ἐπὶ θηρσὶ κύνα τρέφειν

[ v.l.

τρέχειν

]

πυκινώτατον ἑρπετόν

. The Molossian dog is often associated with the Laconian ( Hor. Epod. 6. 5 Molossus aut fulvus Laco: G. 3. 405 Velocis Spartae catulos acremque Molossum); but Aristotle tells us that the Molossian breed had no special merit for sporting purposes; its best product was the large sheep-dog. The chief points common to the Laconian and Molossian breeds were courage and pertinacity (

ἀνδρία

and

φιλοπονία

, Hist. An. 9. 1, p. 608 a 31).

The use of the feminine gender by Sophocles here may be illustrated by Aristotle's remark,—

αἱ Λάκαιναι κύνες αἱ θήλειαι εὐφυέστεραι τῶν ἀρρένων εἰσίν

,— i.e., ‘of a finer intelligence’ ( ib. p. 608 a 27).—Cp. Shakesp. Midsummer-Night's Dream 4. 1. 124 , where Theseus says,

My hounds are bred out of the Spartan kind | ... A cry more tuneable | Was never holla'd to, nor cheer'd with horn, | In Crete, in Sparta, nor in Thessaly.

εὔρινος is nom., not gen. (from

εὔρις

). It is true that

εὔρις

occurs in Aesch. Ag. 1093 , and

ἄρρινες

in Xen. Cyn. 3. 2 ; while

εὔρινος

(from

ῥίς

) occurs only in late Greek, as Babrius 43. 8

σκύλαξιν εὐρίνοις

: Aelian N. A. 2. 15

δίκην εὐρίνου κυνός

, etc. (In Apoll. Rh. 3. 1299

ἐΰρινοι

is not from

ῥίς

, but from

ῥινός

,—‘of good leather.’) But the form is correct in itself; such alternatives were frequent (cp.

σύζυγος

by the side of

σύζυξ

, etc.); and three points here recommend the nominative. (1) The order of the words

ὥς τις εὔρινος βάσις

. (2) The idiom, consonant with tragic style, by which the epithet of the hound is transferred to

βάσις

: cp. Eur. H. F. 450

γραίας ὄσσων..πηγάς

: Phoen. 1351

λευκοπήχεις κτύπους χεροῖν

. (3) The fact that

βάσις

, with no epithet, would be somewhat weak. Libanius ( c. 350 A.D. ) took

εὔρινος

as nom., vol. 4. p. 1065

εὐρίνῳ βάσει τὸ λανθάνον ἀνιχνεύοντες

. The genitive was understood by the schol. on v. 7, and by Manuel Palaeologus or. 6. 331 (

λάκαιναι κύνες· εὔρινας ταύτας εἶπε Σοφοκλῆς

τυγχάνει : sc.

ὤν

: cp. El. 46 n.

στάζων ἱδρῶτι . Some think that

ἱδρῶτι

refers to

κάρα

only, and that

στάζων χέρας ξιφοκτόνους

is equivalent to

στάζων αἵματι χέρας

: cp. El. 1422

φοινία δὲ χεὶρ | στάζει θυηλῆς Ἄρεος

: Aesch. Eum. 41

αἵματι | στάζοντα χεῖρας

. Certainly

ξιφοκτόνους

suggests the blood upon his hands. But the integral phrase,

στάζων ἱδρῶτι

, must surely go with

χέρας

no less than with

κάρα

. The hands are bathed in sweat and in blood.

παπταίνειν , from meaning ‘to glance timidly’ around, passes into the sense of looking about anxiously for someone or something ( Il. 17. 115

παπταίνων Αἴαντα

), and so comes to denote restless search, as in Pind. O. 1. 114

μηκέτι πάπταινε πόρσιον

, Pind. P. 3. 22

παπταίνει τὰ πόρσω

. Here, the notion of moving forward in a wary quest is assisted by εἴσω .

ἔργον , opus est: 852: El. 1372 n.

ἐννέπειν δ’ : here

δὲ

ἀλλά

: Ant. 85 n.: Ph. 94.

ὅτου χάριν . Athena already knows his motive (36); but this touch of divine irony is dramatically useful by giving the cue for his statement.

σπουδὴν ἔθου τήνδ’ =

ἐσπούδασας περὶ τούτου

. This periphrasis, more elegant than that with

ποιεῖσθαι

, is much used by the poet; thus

τίθεσθαι πρόνοιαν

(536),

ἐπιστροφήν

( O. T. 134 ),

τάφον

( ib. 1447),

φόνον

( O. C. 542 ),

μῆκος λόγων

( ib. 1139),

λησμοσύναν

( Ant. 151 ),

συγγνωμοσύνην

( Tr. 1265 ).

ὦ φθέγμ’ Ἀθάνας : cp. El. 1225

ὦ φθέγμ’, ἀφίκου

; (n.).

φιλτάτης ἐμοὶ θεῶν : as he says in Ph. 134 ,

Νίκη τ’ Ἀθάνα Πολιάς, ἣ σῴζει μ’ ἀεί

. In Od. 20. 47 she says to him,

αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ θεός εἰμι, διαμπερὲς ἥ σε φυλάσσω | ἐν πάντεσσι πόνοις

κἂν ἄποπτος ᾖς ὅμως . The general sense of

ἄποπτος

here is, ‘far from my sight’; the question is whether this means, (1) ‘seen only at a distance,’ ‘dimly seen’; or (2) ‘unseen.’ I formerly preferred the first view, for which we may compare Ph. 467 ,

πλοῦν μὴ )ξ ἀπόπτου μᾶλλον ἢ )γγύθεν σκοπεῖν

, ‘to watch the weather near our ship, rather than from afar.’ But I now feel two difficulties which it involves. (1) The emphasis on voice and thought—

φθέγμα, φώνημα, ξυναρπάζω φρενί

—is so strong as to imply that he does not see her, even at a distance. (2) There can be no doubt that she was visible to the audience. She was probably on the

θεολογεῖον

,—a sort of platform, which projected from the wings, at the back of the proscenium, and close to its upper edge. If, then, Odysseus spoke of her as ‘seen only afar,’—a dim vision in the clouds,—the effect would be scarcely happy for the spectators, whose eyes could measure the actual distance between goddess and hero. On the other hand, there would seem nothing strange in her remaining invisible to him. In the Hippolytus, Aphroditè speaks the prologue, and was certainly visible to the spectators; but not to Hippolytus, who says,

κλύων μὲν αὐδήν, ὄμμα δ’ οὐχ ὁρῶν τὸ σόν

When Ajax comes forth, he, indeed, appears to see her (v. 91,

ὦ χαῖρ’ Ἀθάνα, κ.τ.λ.

); while to Tecmessa she is invisible (301). But this, again, would not be inconsistent with Greek belief. In Il. 22. 277 Athena restores the spear to Achilles, yet is unseen by Hector. In Il. 1. 198 she appears to Achilles, but the others see her not.

For

ἄποπτος

as=‘ out of sight,’ cp. El. 1488 (of Aegisthus)

πρόθες | ἄποπτον ἡμῶν

: Dionys. Hal. 2. 54

ἐν ἀπόπτῳ τίθενται τὸν χάρακα

(‘in a place out of sight’). It may be added that we might suppose Athena to be invisible to Odysseus now, without necessarily excluding the idea that she becomes visible to him at a later moment in the dialogue. Thus in Eur. Hipp. 1391 the presence of Artemis is known to Hippolytus only by a divine fragrance, though to the spectators she is doubtless visible; but a little later he beholds her (1440).—See Appendix.

ξυναρπάζω φρενί expresses the thrill of instant recognition, as the voice falls distinctly (

εὐμαθὲς

) on his ear; it also suggests the emotion of joy. For the verb, cp. Simylus (a poet of the Middle Comedy) ap. Stobaeus Flor. 360. 4. 14

κριτὴν τὸ ῥηθὲν δυνάμενον ξυναρπάσαι

κώδωνος … Τυρσηνικῆς . The trumpet meant here was in form like the Roman,—straight, gradually increasing in diameter, and ending in a bell-shaped aperture (

κώδων

). ‘Tyrrhenian,’ a frequent epithet of the trumpet ( Aesch. Eum. 567 , Eur. Phoen. 1377 , Verg. Aen. 8. 526 , etc.), perhaps means no more than that the instrument was first brought to Europe by Tyrrhenian pirates,—the

λῃστοσαλπιγκταί

of Menander (frag.incert. 399). The Tyrrheni, according to a tradition for which Herodotus is the earliest witness (1. 94), were of Lydian origin; and the bronze trumpet may have been a Lydian invention (see Dict. Ant. ‘Tuba’). Homer mentions the trumpet only in similes, as when the voice of Achilles is likened to it ( Il. 18. 219 , etc.). But the Greeks must have had it as early at least as the time of the Dorian conquest, to judge from the legends heard by Pausanias at Argos (2. 21, § 3), where there was a shrine of

Ἀθηνᾶ Σάλπιγξ

.—See Appendix.

As to the gender of

κώδων

, De Sens. 6 p. 446 b 22 has

τῆς κώδωνος

(bell). In Ar. Pax 1078 the words

χἡ κώδων ἀκαλανθίς

are said to mean a kind of hound. But

κώδων

(bell) is masc. with Thuc. , Strabo, Plutarch, Diodorus and Lucian.

ἐπέγνως with partic. (

κυκλοῦντ’

) of the act observed, as Xen. Cyr. 8. 1. 33

ἐπέγνως δ’ ἂν..οὐδένα οὔτε ὀργιζόμενον.. οὔτε χαίροντα

. For slightly different uses of

ἐπιγιγνώσκω

, cp. Soph. Ant. 960 , Soph. El. 1296. Remark εὖ as 2nd syll. of 3rd foot, referring to the word before it: cp. 95 , Ant. 166 , Ant. 723.

βάσιν κυκλοῦντ’ , moving round and round, going backwards and forwards in the attempt to make out the footprints,—like a hound questing about for the scent. Cp. Ant. 226

ὁδοῖς κυκλῶν ἐμαυτὸν εἰς ἀναστροφήν

. Eur. Or. 632

ποῖ σὸν πόδ’ ἐπὶ συννοίᾳ κυκλεῖς

(‘pacing to and fro in meditation’), |

διπλῆς μερίμνης διπτύχους ἰὼν ὁδούς;

τῷ σακεσφόρῳ : Il. 7. 219

Αἴας δ’ ἐγγύθεν ἦλθε φέρων σάκος ἠΰτε πύργον

, |

χάλκεον, ἑπταβόειον

,— i.e., made by stitching together seven layers of ox-hide, and then covering the outer face with plates of bronze. Cp. 576 : Ovid Met. 13. 2

clypei dominus septemplicis Aiax.

ἄσκοπον , inconceivable,—of unimaginable horror: cp. El. 864

ἄσκοπος ἁ λώβα.

ἔχει περάνας =a perfect ( O. T. 577 n.): the double acc., as with

δρᾶν, ποιεῖν

, etc. ( cp. 1324 ).

εἴργασται , instead of repeating

ἔχει περάνας

: cp. O. T. 54

ὡς εἴπερ ἄρξεις τῆσδε γῆς, ὥσπερ κρατεῖς

(n.).

τρανές , ‘clear,’ like the cognate

τορόν

(rt.

τερ, τρα, τε‐τραίνω

, to pierce). The adj.

τρανής

is not elsewhere extant, but

τρανῶς

is used by Aesch. ( Aesch. Ag. 1371 ) and Eur. ( Eur. El. 758 ). The form

τρανός

was current in later Greek; the earliest instance seems to be Halic. Dionys. ( c. 25 B.C.) De Comp. Verborum c. 22

τρανὴν καὶ καθαρὰν δύναμιν.

ἀλώμεθα : this fig. sense, with ref. to uncertainty (‘to be at sea,’ as we say), belongs nowhere else to this verb, but often to

πλανᾶσθαι

( Her. 6. 37 , etc.; Hipp. Ma. 304 C

πλανῶμαι μὲν καὶ ἀπορῶ ἀεί

)θελοντής . The form

ἐθελοντής

occurs in Herodotus, Thucydides, Xenophon, and the Orators, as

ἐθελοντήρ

does in Od. 2. 292. On the other hand

θελοντής

is cited only from Porphyrius ( c. 270 A.D. , see Lobeck, Phryn. 7) and Hierocles ( c. 450 A.D. ), ap. Flor. 75. 14 (p. 449. 20). Similarly

ἐθελήμων

is the form used by Plato ( Crat. 406 A ), while the earliest authority for

θελήμων

is Apoll. Rhod. 2. 557 . In tragic iambics

θέλω

was naturally preferred, on metrical grounds, to

ἐθέλω

, though the latter occurs in tragic anapaests (as O. T. 1303 , Ph. 145 ). If

θελοντής

were found in a passage where metre required it, the rarity of the form would not justify its rejection. But where, as here, aphaeresis was available, it is surely more probable that the poet wrote

ἐθελοντής.

ὑπεζύγην , as if the task were a yoke under which he placed himself: cp. Ph. 1025

κλοπῇ τε κἀνάγκῃ ζυγείς

(n.): Aesch. P. V. 108

ἀνάγκαις ταῖσδ’ ὑπέζευγμαι

κατηναρισμένας : for

ἐναρίζω

‘to slay’ (properly with the further notion of ‘despoiling’) cp. O. C. 1733 , Tr. 94. From the cognate form

κατεναίρομαι

we have

κατήναρες

in Ant. 871.

ἐκ χειρὸς , by a human hand. The military sense, ‘at close quarters’ ( H. 7. 2. 14

ἐνέβαλον καὶ ἐκ χειρὸς ἐμάχοντο

), is less fitting here.

αὐτοῖς ποιμνίων ἐπιστάταις : cp. fr. 873

αὐτοῖσιν ὅπλοις

. The idiom occurs in the Iliad (as 8. 24),—sometimes with

σύν

added (as 14. 498), a form of it found also, though not often, in later poetry ( Eur. Ion 32

αὐτῷ ξὺν ἄγγει

ἐπιστάταις , ‘overseers,’ ‘masters’ or ‘guardians’ of them; as a warrior is

ὅπλων ἐπιστάτης

( Aesch. Pers. 379 ), and a rower,

ἐρετμῶν

( Helen. 1267). Cp. Eur. fr. 188. 4

σκάπτων, ἀρῶν γῆν, ποιμνίοις ἐπιστατῶν

. The herdsmen being dead, there was no one who could identify the assailant.

πᾶς τις . The deed was found out at dawn. Common rumour at once pointed to Ajax. Then the

ὀπτήρ

(29) informed Odysseus, who reached the tent of Ajax very soon after the latter's return; as is shown by 296—304 compared with 91—113.

νέμει : cp. Galen 7. 582 (Kühn)

οὐκ ἴσην ἅπασι νέμει τὴν αἰτίαν

.—The corrupt τρέπει may have come from the gloss on

ἐκείνῳ..νέμει

which occurs in some of the later MSS.,

εἰς αὐτὸν τρέπει

. This is one of the few instances (like Ant. 386 and 831) where a true reading, lost in L, has been preserved in other MSS. Cp. crit. notes on 44, Ant. 61.

τις placed before its noun: 1163: Ph. 519.

ὀπτὴρ , a scout; cp. Od. 14. 261

ὀπτῆρας δὲ κατὰ σκοπιὰς ὤτρυνα νέεσθαι

: Aesch. Theb. 36

σκοποὺς δὲ κἀγὼ καὶ κατοπτῆρας στρατοῦ | ἔπεμψα

. In Suppl. 185, however,

ὀπτῆρες

are ‘eye-witnesses,’—the usual sense of the word in Attic prose.

πεδία is the acc. describing the ground traversed (as we can say, ‘to walk the earth’): cp. 845 : Aesch. P. V. 708

στεῖχ’ ἀνηρότους γύας

: Helen. 598

πᾶσαν πλανηθεὶς τήνδε βάρβαρον χθόνα

: Callim. Hymn. Dian. 193

ἐφοίτα | παίπαλά τε κρημνούς τε

νεορράντῳ (as in 828), ‘newly sprinkled’ with blood: a compound suggested to the poet by the frequent use of

ῥαίνω

in that connection; as Il. 12. 430

ἐπάλξιες αἵματι φωτῶν | ἐρράδατ’

: Pind. I. 7. 50

ῥαίνων φόνῳ πεδίον

.—When thus seen, Ajax was in the act of driving the animals that still lived to his tent: πηδῶντα describes his wild gestures of triumph.

φράζει τε κἀδήλωσεν : the first verb refers to the announcement, ‘I have seen Ajax,’—the second, to a statement with more detail,—as to the direction in which he was going, etc. For historic pres. followed by aor., cp. Ant. 406

καὶ πῶς ὁρᾶται κἀπίληπτος ᾑρέθη;

(n.).

κατ’ ἴχνος : cp. Plat. Rep.p. 410 B

κατὰ ταὐτὰ ἴχνη ταῦτα διώκων

. Similarly

κατὰ πόδας τινός

, ‘at his heels’ ( Her. 9. 89 , etc.).

σημαίνομαι , midd., assure myself about them, identify them, by the indications observed. Cp. Xen. Cyn. 6. 22 (of hounds):

αἱ δ’ ἐπειδὰν λαμπρὰ ᾖ τὰ ἴχνη,...ἐνσημαινόμεναι, ὅρους τιθέμεναι ἑαυταῖς γνωρίμους, ταχὺ μεταθεύσονται

. Appian Bell. Civ. 4. 19

σημηνάμενοι τὸ γιγνόμενον εἶναι σύμβολον ἐκ θεοῦ

. Aelian N. A. 7. 48

ἄστροις αὐτὰς

(the cities)

ἐσημαίνετο

. Oppian Cyneg. 1. 454

μυξωτῆρσι κύνες δὲ πανίχνια σημήναντο

τὰ δ’ ἐκπέπληγμαι : ‘as to other tracks’—viz., those of the cattle which Ajax had driven to the tent—he is bewildered.

ὅτου , as the context shows, is right: he cannot imagine who had made these tracks. ὅπου (cr. n.) would mean that, in the line of footprints made by Ajax, some were missing, which Odysseus did not know where to find.

καιρὸν , adv., as 1316: Helen. 479

καιρὸν γὰρ οὐδέν’ ἦλθες

: Ar. Ach. 23

ἀωρίαν ἥκοντες

. But

εἰς καιρὸν

in 1168.

τά τ’ οὖν : for

οὖν

in the first of two such clauses, cp. O. T. 1049

εἴτ’ οὖν ἐπ’ ἀγρῶν εἴτε κἀνθάδ’ εἰσιδών

ἔβην … εἰς ὁδόν , ‘came into the path,’—placed myself on the route by which Ajax must pass.

κυναγίᾳ . Though we may conveniently render, ‘A watcher friendly to thy chase,’ the dat. seems really to depend on the whole idea,

φύλαξ πρόθυμος

(a zealous watcher in the interest of thy chase), rather than on the adj. only; though in H. 2. 3. 40 we have

οἱ πρόθυμοι τῇ πόλει γεγενημένοι

. Cp. O.C. 355

φύλαξ δέ μοι ¹ | πιστὴ κατέστης

.—The Doric form of

κυναγία

is supported by L here, as by the MSS. generally in Eur. Hipp. 109 : while in Eur. Bacch. 339 the MSS. favour

κυνηγίαις

, and the Doric form was restored by Matthiae. Attic Tragedy used

κυναγός, κυναγία, κυνηγετεῖν, κυνηγέτης

ἦ καί , in eager question: cp. 44 , 48: El. 314 n.

πρὸς καιρὸν =

καιρίως

, O.T. 325 n.

ὡς , ‘know that’: Ph. 117 n.— σοι , ethic dat.

πρὸς τί , ‘wherefore?’ Cp. O.T. 766, 1027, 1144.

ᾖξεν , trans., as Eur. Or. 1427 ff.

παρὰ βόστρυχον αὔραν

.. | ..

κύκλῳ | πτερίνῳ...ᾄσσων

, ‘agitating’ the air with a fan. Eur. Itis not impossible to take

ᾖξεν

as intrans. (‘broke forth in violence’); but it would be very harsh.

δυσλόγιστον is an epithet proper to the violence, transferred to the hand which wrought it; ‘reasoning amiss,’ i.e. ‘irrational,’ ‘insensate.’ Cp. 229

παραπλήκτῳ χερί

. An exact parallel to this active sense is afforded by Arist. Rhet. 2. 8. 4 , where

οἱ πεπαιδευμένοι

are called

εὐλόγιστοι

, i.e., ‘ reflecting,’ ‘prudent.’ In its passive sense,

δυσλόγιστον

would mean that the deed is ‘inexplicable’: cp. Anaximenes ap. Eclog. 2. 8. 17

τὸ γὰρ δυσλόγιστον τοῦ βίου τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τύχην προσαγορεύομεν

, ‘we give the name of chance to that element in life which men find hard to explain.’ But here the agent's frenzy is more in point than the observer's perplexity.—Some take δυσλόγιστον with τί : ‘for what unintelligible reason?’ But this enfeebles the sense and mars the rhythm.

βαρυνθεὶς , incensed, vexed, as O.T. 781: cp.

βαρύς

in 1017.

ὅπλων , causal gen.: cp. Tr. 269

ὧν ἔχων χόλον

: Ph. 327 n. For the adj. Ἀχιλλείων , instead of

Ἀχιλλέως

, cp. O.T. 267

τῷ Λαβδακείῳ παιδί

(n.).

τί δῆτα : i.e., why, in that case, did he attack cattle, rather than the men who had awarded the arms?

ἐπεμπίπτει : cp. 185

ἐν ποίμναις πίτνων

, and 374 f.— τήνδε … βάσιν , a cognate acc. (as if the verb were

ἐπεμβαίνει

): cp. Aesch. Pers. 305

πήδημα κοῦφον ἐκ νεὼς ἀφήλατο

. ( Soph. Tr. 339 ,

τοῦ με τήνδ’ ἐφίστασαι βάσιν

, is different: see n. there.)

ἐν ὑμῖν : so 366

ἐν ἀφόβοις με θηρσὶ δεινὸν χέρας

: cp. 1092 , 1315.

ἦ καὶ : cp. 38 n.

ὡς ἐπ’ Ἀργείοις :

ὡς

here marks the intention of Ajax (which was frustrated): cp. Ph. 58

πλεῖς δ’ ὡς πρὸς οἶκον

(n.).

κἂν ἐξεπράξατ’ : schol.

μὴ λέγε βούλευμα, φησίν· οὐ γὰρ ἦν βούλευμα ἀλλὰ πρᾶγμα, εἰ κατημέλησα ἐγώ

. Cp. Ph. 555

κοὐ μόνον βουλεύματα

, |

ἀλλ’ ἔργα δρώμεν’

. The answer is more forcible than if the poet had written

κἂν ἐξέπραξέ γ’

: see on Ph. 105 , Ph. 985 , El. 408. —The midd.

ἐκπράσσομαι

is rare; in Her. 7. 158 it means ‘to avenge’ (

φόνον

). Cp. O.T. 287

ἐπραξάμην

(n.).

ποίαισι

κ.τ.λ.

The datives denote manner (or attendant circumstance), and refer to

τὸ βούλευμ’...ἦν

in 44. ‘What were these daring schemes, what was this rash confidence, with which he planned the attack?’— i.e., ‘How could he possibly have conceived such a mad enterprise?’ For ταῖσδε combined with ποίαισι , cp. Ph. 1204

ποῖον ἐρεῖς τόδ’ ἔπος;

νύκτωρ

κ.τ.λ.

: an answer to the last question:—he relied on darkness, and on craft; and none shared his secret.

ἦ καὶ : 38 n.

παρέστη , came close to us: cp. Tr. 748

ποῦ δ’ ἐμπελάζεις τἀνδρὶ καὶ παρίστασαι;

El. 295

βοᾷ παραστᾶς

καὶ δὴ , ‘already’: O.C. 31 n.— δισσαῖς … στρατηγίσιν πύλαις , the tentdoors of the two chiefs, Agamemnon and Menelaüs. (Cp. Paus. 4. 19. 2

τὴν σκηνὴν τὴν στρατηγίδα

.) The phrase is equivalent, of course, to

δισσῶν στρατηγῶν πύλαις

. 721

στρατήγιον

, n. But, since there were two tents and two entrances,

δισσαῖς

is strictly the epithet of

πύλαις

|: i.e., the literal sense is, ‘two doors of chiefs.’ If the two chiefs had shared the same tent, so that only one entrance could be meant by

πύλαις

, then, indeed,

δισσαῖς

could be explained only as referring to the subst. implied in

στρατηγίσιν

,—‘the tent-door of two chiefs,’=

δισσοστρατηγίσιν πύλαις

. But such a use of

δισσαῖς

seems impossible. Could

δισσὰ ἀδελφῶν ἅρματα

( e.g.) mean, ‘a chariot belonging to two brothers’?

καὶ πῶς : for

καὶ

prefixed to interrogative words, see on O.C. 263.—Join ἐπέσχε with φόνου . The word μαιμῶσαν is Homeric: Il. 13. 77

περὶ δούρατι χεῖρες ἄαπτοι | μαιμῶσιν

. Cp. Lycophron 1171

μαιμῶν κορέσσαι χεῖρα διψῶσαν φόνου

,—a reminiscence, partly of this v., and partly of one of an unknown poet (

τῶν τραγικῶν τις

, Athen. 10. p. 433 F), frag. adesp. 96,

ἴσχειν κελεύω χεῖρα διψῶσαν φόνου

ἐγώ , an expression of divine majesty and power; cp. 69 , 85.

δυσφόρους , hard to bear up against: her hand is heavy upon him. Cp. 643

δύσφορον ἄταν

: O.T. 87

τὰ δύσφοῤ

, i.e., the woes of Thebes: El. 144

τῶν δυσφόρων

, miseries. Besides this sense, the only other in which the word occurs is, ‘hard to carry about,’ ‘moving with difficulty,’ as Plat. Tim.p. 74 E

ἵνα μὴ δύσφορα τὰ σώματα ἀπεργάζοιντο

(‘unwieldy’). A scholiast wrongly took

δυσφόρους

here as=

κακῶς φερομένας, παραφόρους

, i.e. ‘led astray,’ ‘misguided.’

γνώμας , opinions, beliefs,—here, the fancies or illusions of madness. There is a certain irony in the word. Some editors strangely prefer the conjecture λήμας ,—as if the goddess had afflicted him with sore or weak eyes ( Plut. 581

Κρονικαῖς λήμαις...λημῶντες τὰς φρένας

Join τῆς ἀνηκέστου χαρᾶς with γνώμας : his eyes, under Athena's spell, see his human foes in the cattle whom he slays or torments; these fancies are the fancies of (or connected with) his baneful joy in his imaginary triumph. For the adj., cp. El. 888

θάλπει τῷδ’ ἀνηκέστῳ πυρί

(n.).

Others take the gen. as depending on ἀπείργω , placing a comma after the verb, and another after βαλοῦσα ,—a punctuation which is found in the Aldine. But (1) the sense of

χαρᾶς

is then attenuated to that of ‘ hoped-for vengeance,’—whereas, as

ἀνηκέστου

shows, it clearly denotes the frantic joy which Ajax actually felt; and (2) the order of words is then less natural.

πρός τε ποίμνας =

πρὸς ποίμνας τε

: for

τε

misplaced, cp. 654 : O.T. 258 n. As distinguished from herds of oxen,

ποῖμναι

are flocks of sheep and goats; cp. 63 , 297, 374. But the word

ποῖμναι

is also used more vaguely to denote both herds and flocks (42, 300): and in 1061 we find even

μῆλα καὶ ποίμνας

, ‘sheep and cattle.’

σύμμικτά τε … φρουρήματα : confused, unshared, spoil-charges of herdsmen, i.e., ‘the confused droves, your unshared spoil, guarded by herdsmen.’ λείας is a defining gen., denoting that in which the

φρουρήματα

consisted; βουκόλων is a possessive gen. Cp. El. 681

Ἑλλάδος | πρόσχημ’ ἀγῶνος

, the pride of Greece (possessive gen.), consisting in a festival (defining gen.): so Aesch. Ch. 183

καρδίας κλυδώνιον | χολῆς

(defining gen.). Others prefer to take

λείας

as a partitive gen. (‘forming part of the spoil’),—less fitly, I think.

ἄδαστα : cp. Il. 1. 125

ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν πολίων ἐξεπράθομεν, τὰ δέδασται

. At v. 26 the word

λείας

is used to denote the slaughtered animals generally. Sheep and oxen were alike

λεία

in the large sense, as having been taken from the foe, but the oxen are more especially so-called, because they were to be shared among individual chiefs or others, while the flocks were kept for the public maintenance. With ἄδαστα here, cp. 146

λοιπή

, and 175

πανδάμους

(n.).

ἔκειρε … φόνον . κείρειν φόνον=to cause bloodshed by hewing; as

τυφλοῦν ἕλκος

=‘to inflict a blinding wound’ ( Ant. 972 n.),

τρῶσαι φόνον

=‘to deal a deathwound’ ( Suppl. 1205).—Note the

παρήχησις

ἔκειρε—πολύκερων

: cp. 528 , 1112: O. T. 370 n.

πολύκερων φόνον , a slaughter of many horned creatures, like

χερόπλακτοι...δοῦποι

(631 ff.),

αὔχημα εὔιππον

, a glory consisting in good horses ( O. C. 711 n.),

ῥιμφάρματοι ἅμιλλαι

, contests of swift chariots ( ib. 1062 f. n.).— The accent of

πολύκερων

( cp. 64

εὔκερων

) is acc. to the rule that adjectives in

‐ως

follow the Attic 2nd decl. of nouns in

‐ως

‐ων

, which can be proparoxytone if the

in the last syll. is immediately preceded by

, or separated from it only by a liquid: thus

ἀξιόχρεως, βαθύγεως, ἵλεως, φιλόγελως

ῥαχίζων , here in a general sense, ‘hewing down’; properly, to cut through the spine (

ῥάχις

), to cleave in twain; cp. 299 : Aesch. Pers. 426

ἔπαιον, ἐρράχιζον

κἀδόκει μὲν κ.τ.λ.: properly,

κἀδόκει ἔστι μὲν ὅτε..., ἔστι δὲ ὅτε

: but

μὲν

is misplaced (as in Ph. 279

ὁρῶντα μὲν ναῦς

, and ib. 1136

ὁρῶν μὲν ἀπάτας

); and

ἔστι δὲ

is omitted. Cp. O. T. 603

τοῦτο μέν

, balanced in 605 by

τοῦτ’ ἄλλο

φοιτῶντ’ : cp. Aesch. Th. 661 (boasts)

φλύοντα σὺν φοίτῳ φρενῶν

. For the plur.

νόσοις

cp. 338

νοσήμασι

: Eur. Or. 270

μανιάσιν λυσσήμασι

ὤτρυνον, εἰσέβαλλον . Hermann supported his conjecture,

Ἐρινύων ὤτρυνον

(cr. n.), by the remark that the asyndeton in the traditional text implies an agitation of mind unsuitable to the goddess. But it rather expresses the vehemence with which the frenzy sent by her drove Ajax onward. Cp. Aesch. Cho. 288

καὶ λύσσα καὶ μάταιος ἐκ νυκτῶν φόβος | κινεῖ, ταράσσει

εἰς ἕρκη κακά . Cp. Aesch. Ag. 1611

τῆς Δίκης ἐν ἕρκεσιν

. Here it is the epithet

κακά

which marks the figurative sense of

ἕρκη

: as dirges are

ὕμνοι ἄλυροι

( Eur. Alc. 447 ), and the eagle of Zeus is

πτηνὸς κύων

( Aesch. P. V. 1022 ). For the similar use of other words denoting nets or toils, see on El. 1476

ἀρκυστάτοις

κἄπειτ’ ἐπειδὴ : this harsh combination of sounds (as we should think it) is not rare; thus Ar. Eccl. 1100

κἄπειτ’ ἐπειδὰν τῆσδ’ ἀπαλλαγῶ

: Vesp. 1322

ἔπειτ’ ἐπειδὴ )μέθυεν

: Plut. 695

ἔπειτ’ ἐπειδὴ μεστὸς ἦν

: [Dem. ] or. 59 § 89

ἔπειτ’ ἐπειδὰν πεισθῇ

. Similarly Eur. Or. 238

ἕως ἐῶσί σ’

: Helen. 1292

ἢν γυνὴ γένῃ

: I. T. 1339

ἦμεν ἥμενοι

ἐλώφησεν implies only respite or alleviation, not cure: cp. Thuc. 6. 12 § 1

ἀπὸ νόσου μεγάλης καὶ πολέμου βραχύ τι λελωφήκαμεν

. Cp. Soph. Tr. 554 n.

πόνου : the simple gen. is usual with

λωφᾶν

: cp. Phaedr. 251 C

λωφᾷ..τῆς ὀδύνης

αὖ , ‘in their turn’: cp. 1088 : Ant. 601.

ἄνδρας =

ἀνθρώπους

: cp. 243

δαίμων | κοὐδεὶς ἀνδρῶν.

εὔκερων , since the oxen were his most conspicuous prizes: there is a bitter irony in the epithet. For the accent, .

καὶ σοὶ , to thee also (as I myself have seen it): cp. Plat. Phaed. 64 C

ἐὰν ἄρα καὶ σοὶ ξυνδοκῇ ἅπερ καὶ ἐμοί

. Seyffert writes

καί σοι

(as if the sense were, ‘I will further show thee’): but this is plainly wrong.

δείξω … περιφανῆ , ‘will show thee openly’ (instead of allowing it to remain hidden in the tent): cp. El. 1366

αἳ ταῦτά σοι δείξουσιν, Ἠλέκτρα, σαφῆ

. Cp. 81

περιφανῶς..ἰδεῖν

.—We might, indeed, take

περιφανῆ

as a mere epithet, ‘this signal, notable, frenzy’; but in the actual context the other view is preferable.

θροῇς , ‘proclaim’: cp. 785 : O. C. 597

πᾶς τοῦτό γ’ Ἑλλήνων θροεῖ

μηδὲ συμφορὰν δέχου τὸν ἄνδρα , lit., ‘do not receive (or take) the man as a calamity,’ i.e., ‘do not apprehend harm from his coming.’ There is a light touch of half-playful irony in the words with which the goddess reassures her favourite. Cp. Eur. Or. 138

ἀλλ’ ἐμοὶ | τόνδ’ ἐξεγεῖραι ξυμφορὰ γενήσεται

. Hdt. 6. 61

τοὺς γονέας συμφορὴν τὸ εἶδος αὐτῆς ποιευμένους

. Similarly Il. 21. 39

τῷ δ’ ἄρ’ ἀνώϊστον κακὸν ἤλυθε δῖος Ἀχιλλεύς

: O. T. 379

Κρέων δέ σοι πῆμ’ οὐδέν

. —Whitelaw ( Translation, p. 440) takes the constr. to be,

μίμνε

(

μηδὲ συμφορὰν δέχου

)

τὸν ἄνδρα

,—‘Bravely await, expecting no mischance, | His coming,’—

διὰ μέσου

construction ( Ant. 1279 f., n.). A difficulty in this view is that δέχου must then have definitely the sense of

προσδέχου

ἀποστρόφους , proleptic: cp. Ant. 791

σὺ καὶ δικαίων ἀδίκους φρένας παρασπᾷς

. Here the adj. is equiv. to

ἀποστρέψασα

,— ‘I will avert, and (thereby) hinder.’— ἀπείρξω … εἰ<*>ιδεῖν , without

μή

: as

εἴργω

takes the simple inf. in O. T. 129 , Ph. 1407 , Tr. 1257.

These three verses have been rejected (cr. n.), on the ground that, after this promise from Athena, Odysseus had no cause to feel the alarm which he shows in vv. 74 ff., or to ask the question (v. 84) which elicits a renewal of that promise (85). But the poet wished to render the preparation for the hero's entrance as impressive as possible; and chose, therefore, to represent Odysseus—a brave man—as still uneasy, until the assurance given to him had been repeated in a yet more explicit and emphatic form.

οὗτος : cp. 89 , 1047: O. C. 1627

ὦ οὗτος οὗτος Οἰδίπους, τί μέλλομεν;

σὲ τὸν κ.τ.λ.: in a peremptory call of this kind, the acc. regularly stands first; cp. 1228 , and see on Ant. 441

σὲ δή, σὲ τὴν νεύουσαν κ.τ.λ.

αἰχμαλωτίδας , instead of

αἰχμαλώτων

: cp. Eur. Or. 222

ἀδελφῇ χειρί

(a sister's hand); I. A. 1306

εὐναῖς βασιλίσι

(the bed of a king).

ἀπευθύνοντα , lit. ‘straightening out,’ here, binding behind the back: O. T. 1154

οὐχ ὡς τάχος τις τοῦδ’ ἀποστρέψει χέρας

; Od. 22. 189

σὺν δὲ πόδας χεῖράς τε δέον θυμαλγέϊ δεσμῷ | εὖ μάλ’ ἀποστρέψαντε διαμπερές

. So Achilles deals with his captives, Il. 21. 30

δῆσε δ’ ὀπίσσω χεῖρας ἐϋτμήτοισιν ἱμᾶσιν

. Hom. Od. 3. 5. 22

retorta tergo bracchia libero.

Cp. Eur. Andr. 719

ὧδ’, ὦ κάκιστε, τῆσδ’ ἐλυμήνω χέρας; | βοῦν ἢ λέοντ’ ἤλπιζες ἐντείνειν βρόχοις;

(‘strain with cords’). Ajax fancies himself to be tying the hands of human prisoners behind them, when he fastens the fore feet of an ox or sheep to its hind feet. Cp. 299 .

τί δρᾷς ..; Odysseus is brave, but reasonably reluctant to face a raging maniac who hates him (1336).

μηδαμῶς σφ’ ἔξω κάλει . The omission of

σφ’

(cr. n.) seems undesirable here; though it could be defended (see Ph. 801 n.). Cp. 496 .

οὐ σῖγ’ ἀνέξει μηδὲ δειλίαν ἀρεῖ ; lit., ‘Wilt thou not be patient in silence, and forbear to win the name of coward?’ Cp. Tr. 1183

οὐ θᾶσσον οἴσεις μηδ’ ἀπιστήσεις ἐμοί;

‘Give me thy hand at once —disobey me not!’ O. T. 637

οὐκ εἶ σύ τ’ οἴκους σύ τε, Κρέον, κατὰ στέγας

, |

καὶ

μὴ τὸ μηδὲν ἄλγος εἰς μέγ’ οἴσετε;

‘Come, go thou into the house...and forbear to make much of a petty grief.’ See Appendix.

σῖγ’ ἀνέξει : cp. fr. 618

σύγγνωτε κἀνάσχεσθε σιγῶσαι.

δειλίαν ἀρεῖ , ‘win,’ ‘acquire,’ the reputation of cowardice: cp. Ant. 924

τὴν δυσσέβειαν εὐσεβοῦσ’ ἐκτησάμην

(n.): I. T. 676

καὶ δειλίαν γὰρ καὶ κάκην κεκτήσομαι

. The fut. midd.

ἀροῦμαι

occurs in O. C. 460

σωτῆρ’ ἀρεῖσθε

, and Pind. P. 1. 75

ἀρέομαι.. μισθόν

. The fut. act. ἀρεῖς has better MS. authority here; but is (I am now convinced) wrong. It could mean only, ‘ raise thy cowardice,’ in the sense, ‘allow thy coward fears to rise,’—a very forced one. Further, there is no other example of a fut. act.

ἀρῶ

with α^ . See note in Appendix on the Future and Aorist forms from

ἀείρω, αἴρω, ἄρνυμαι

ἔνδον ἀρκείτω μένων : for the personal constr. (instead of

ἀρκείτω αὐτὸν ἔνδον μένειν

), cp. 635 : Ant. 547

ἀρκέσω θνῄσκους ἐγώ

: O. T. 1061

ἅλις νοσοῦσ’ ἐγώ

τί μὴ γένηται ; ‘lest what happen?’ So Suppl. 543

νεκροὺς δὲ ταρβεῖτ’ εἰ κρυβήσονται χθονί; | τί μὴ γένηται; μὴ κατασκάψωσι γῆν | ταφέντες ὑμῶν;

ἀνὴρ , emphatic, a man indeed; cp. 1238

οὐκ ἆρ’ Ἀχαιοῖς ἄνδρες εἰσὶ πλὴν ὅδε;

ἐχθρός γε . Odysseus refrains from replying that Ajax was then sane, but now is frenzied. ‘Yes,’ he answers, ‘my foeman,—as he is still.’ That enmity, he means, will now be more dangerous than ever.

οὔκουν γέλως ἥδιστος ..; The goddess suggests the vulgar sentiment of mankind, not as approving it, but, as it were, to test the disposition of Odysseus; who passes it by in silence, and afterwards repudiates it by his action.

ἐμοὶ μὲν : the particle merely throws a slight stress on the pronoun: Ant. 11 n.

φρονοῦντα γὰρ : ‘yes, for...’: the

γὰρ

of assent, O. T. 1117 n.

ἐξέστην with acc., as meaning ‘avoid’: Dem. or. 20 § 10

οὐδένα πώποτε κίνδυνον ἐξέστησαν

(a phrase which occurs also in or. 23 § 76): Plat. Phileb.p. 43 A

ἀλλὰ γὰρ ὑπεκστῆναι τὸν λόγον ἐπιφερόμενον τοῦτον

βούλομαι

(‘to elude the brunt of this argument’). Cp. Thuc. 2. 88 § 2

μηδένα ὄχλον...ὑποχωρεῖν

(‘to face any numbers’). But

ἐξίστασθαι

takes a dat. when it means to ‘make place for’ (672), or ‘give way to’ ( Soph. Ph. 1053 ).

οὐδὲ νῦν refers to

οὐκ

in 82: ‘even as it is ( i.e. though he is insane) thou hast no reason to fear him, since he will not see thee.’

ὀφθαλμοῖς … τοῖς αὐτοῖς , i.e., with eyesight as good as ever. Odysseus forgets, or ignores, the promise of Athena that she would avert from him the eyes of Ajax (69 f.). She now renews the assurance in a stronger form. Ajax shall, in respect to him, be blind.

δεδορκότα properly implies keen , bright vision: Suppl. 409

δεδορκὸς ὄμμα

(with Tucker's note). Chrysippus ap. Gellius 14. 4

ἔντονον καὶ δεδορκὸς βλέπουσα

(said of Justice), which Gellius renders, luminibus oculorum acribus.

γένοιτο

κ.τ.λ.

: cp. Her. 5. 9

γένοιτο δ’ ἂν πᾶν ἐν τῷ μακρῷ χρόνῳ.

μέντἂν , a crasis frequent in Attic prose ( Dem. or. 1 § 26 , Plat. Rep.p. 375 D, etc.). Here

μέντοι

expresses reflective assent (‘well, certainly’), as so often in Plato ( e.g., Plat. Soph.p. 245 B

ἀληθέστατα μέντοι λέγεις

θεοῦ , not

θεᾶς

,—the generalising masc.: Aesch. Eum. 297 (ref. to Athena),

ἔλθοι· κλύει δὲ καὶ πρόσωθεν ὢι θεός

. So Soph. Ant. 463 (

ὅστις

), Soph. Tr. 151 (

αὑτοῦ

), Soph. El. 145 (

ὃς

), Soph. El. 771 (

πάσχοντι

), Soph. El. 1026 (

ἐγχειροῦντα

), Soph. El. 1105 (

τὸν ἄγχιστον

μένοιμ’ ἄν . Among its many shades of meaning, the opt. with

ἄν

sometimes expresses; as here, what the speaker feels that he must do; cp. Ant. 1108

ὧδ’ ὡς ἔχω στείχοιμ’ ἄν

(n.). See below, Ant. 186.

ἤθελον δ’ ἂν , as Ph. 1278 , and ib. 1239

ἂν..ἐβουλόμην

: so

ἠθέλησα

with

ἄν

, ib. 427, O. T. 1348 , and

εἱλόμη<*> ἄν

, Tr. 734. For

ἤθελον

without

ἄν

, see 1400.

ἐκτὸς ὢν τυχεῖν , to be clear of the peril: cp. Ph. 504

ἐκτὸς ὄντα πημάτων

: ib. 1260

ἴσως ἂν ἐκτὸς κλαυμάτων ἔχοις πόδα

: fr. 657. 3

ἐκτός εἰσι τῶν κακῶν

οὗτος : 71.

Αἴας . When a proper name of the 3rd declension comes from a stem ending in

αντ

(as

Αἰαντ

), the Attic vocative ends in

α—ς

: so

Θόας, ἄκουσον

, I. T. 1436. The Homeric vocative of

Αἴας

is always

Αἶαν

(

α^

) —formed on the analogy of the voc from stems in

οντ

, as

Κρέον

(stem

Κρεοντ

). The vocatives

Πουλυδάμα

( Il. 12. 231 ),

Λαοδάμα

( Od. 8. 141 ) are exceptions, due perhaps to a sense that here the ending

‐αν

might suggest an accusative.

τῆς συμμάχου : there is a terrible irony in this, since he had angered her by rejecting her aid in battle (774).

Ajax enters from the tent, carrying the heavy, blood-stained thong, with which he has been scourging the cattle (241 f.). Hence the title

μαστιγοφόρος

(see Argument to the Play).

Διογενὲς τέκνον : cp. Aesch. Th. 127

ὦ Διογενὲς φιλόμαχον κράτος

(Athena): Eur. Cycl. 350

ὦ Παλλάς, ὦ δέσποινα, Διογενὲς θεά

. Cp. Eur. Ion 465

παῖς ἁ Λατογενής

παρέστης : cp. 117 .

στέψω , ‘crown,’ in the fig. sense of ‘honouring with gifts’: cp. El. 457

ὅπως τὸ λοιπὸν αὐτὸν ἀφνεωτέραις | χερσὶ στέφωμεν ἢ τανῦν δωρούμεθα

: Ant. 431

χοαῖσι..τὸν νέκυν στέφει

. (In later Greek,

στεφανοῦν

is said of any honorarium; as Plut. Timol. 16

τὸν..ἄνθρωπον ἐστεφάνωσαν.. δέκα μναῖς

.) Here, the word may refer more esp. to hanging up trophies in Athena's temple (Aesch. Th. 278

λάφυρα δᾴων δουρίπηχθ’ ἁγνοῖς δόμοις | στέψω

,— where, however, the text is doubtful: cp. Agam. 577 ff.).

λαφύροις (rt.

λαβ

), spoils taken from the enemy, a poetical word, used by Xenophon. The epithet παγχρύσοις suggests votive gifts (

ἀναθήματα

) of golden vessels.

ἐκεῖνο marks (better than

τοῦτο

would have done) the somewhat abrupt change of subject. Athena treats Ajax as one whose thoughts can be turned at pleasure in any new direction.

ἔγχος , ‘sword’; cp. 287 , 658, 907, Ant. 1236 ; synonymous with

ξίφος

(10, Ant. 231 , Ant. 1034 ), and

φάσγανον

(834, Ant. 899 ).

εὖ : cp. 18 .— πρὸς Ἀργείων στρατῷ , ‘ on’ them,—denoting an encounter at close quarters; cp. 97 .

τὸ μή , where (after the negative)

τὸ μὴ οὐ

would be normal; so O. T. 1387 f., Ant. 443 , Ph. 348 f.

ᾔχμασας χέρα ; The exact sense seems to be, ‘hast thou used an armed hand upon them?’ The acc.

χέρα

is analogous, though not precisely similar, to the cognate accusative in

αἰχμάσαι τάδε

( Tr. 355 , ‘to do those deeds of arms’), and

αἰχμὰς αἰχμάσσουσι

( Il. 4. 324 ), ‘they will wield spears.’ The fact that πρὸς stands with dat., and not with acc., shows that the phrase cannot mean, ‘hast thou armed thy hand against them?’ —Musgrave's ᾕμαξας , though specious, is coarser; there is a keen edge in the reference of

ᾔχμασας

to the prowess of a warrior.

ὥστ’ (‘so that’) is far better here than

ὡς

(‘know that..’, 39); and is the more forcible because

γε

is absent ( cp. 45 n.).

Αἴαντ’ (instead of

ἐμέ

) adds a certain majesty to the vaunt; cp. 864 : as when Achilles says ( Il. 1. 240 ),

ἧ ποτ’ Ἀχιλλῆος ποθὴ ἵξεται υἷας Ἀχαιῶν

τὸ σὸν , ‘thy saying’; cp. 1401 : but in 1313, ‘thy interest.’

θανόντες … ἀφαιρείσθων . The grim irony is like that of O. T. 1273 f.

ἐν σκότῳ

.. |

ὀψοίαθ’

: O. C. 1377 (they are to die)

ἵν’ ἀξιῶτον τοὺς φυτεύσαντας σέβειν

: Ant. 310 (after a like threat)

ἵν’ εἰδότες τὸ κέρδος ἔνθεν οἰστέον | τὸ λοιπὸν ἁρπάζητε

: Tr. 1110 (Deianeira shall perish)

ἵν’ ἐκδιδαχθῇ πᾶσιν ἀγγέλλειν κ.τ.λ.

τἄμ’ , emphatic: the arms which, when Achilles was dead, belonged by right to Ajax. Schol.:

καλῶς τὰ ἐμὰ ἔφη, οὐχ ἃ δεῖ με λαβεῖν, ὡς ἰδίων ἀπεστερημένος

εἶεν (‘so far so good’) marks that the speaker is about to pass to a new point; O. C. 1308 , El. 534 , Ph. 1308.

τί γὰρ δὴ : here

γάρ

(‘now’) merely prefaces the question;

δή

=‘then,’ ‘in the next place.’ Cp. I. T. 576

τί δ’ ἡμεῖς οἵ τ ἐμοὶ γεννήτορες; | ἆρ’ εἰσίν;

ποῦ σοι τύχης ἕστηκεν ; Cp. 314 : O. T. 1442

ἵν’ ἕσταμεν | χρείας

: Tr. 375

ποῦ ποτ’ εἰμὶ πράγματος;

ib. 1145

ξυμφορᾶς ἵν’ ἕσταμεν.

σοι , ethic dat.: O. C. 81

ἦ βέβηκεν ἡμὶν ὁ ξένος;

( i.e., ‘Do we find ourselves alone?’) For the double question, cp. 983 f.

τοὐπίτριπτον , ‘accursed’; cp. the imprecation,

ἐπιτριβείης

( Ar. Av. 1530 , Thesm. 557). Others explain it, from the sense ‘rubbed down,’ as ‘practised in trickery,’ ‘knavish’ (cp.

περίτριμμα, ἄλημα

, etc.). Ar. Plut. 275

ὡς σεμνὸς οὑπίτριπτος

: Andoc. or. 1 § 99

ὦ συκοφάντα καὶ ἐπίτριπτον κίναδος

. Ar. Av. 430

πυκνότατον κίναδος

, |

σόφισμα, κύρμα, τρίμμα, παιπάλημ’ ὅλον

. Here κίναδος is acc.: cp. 118 , Ph. 444 n.

ἐξήρου μ’ ὅπου , sc.

ἐστί

: a frequent ellipse after

ὅπου

(890, O. T. 926 , Ant. 318 ). Cp. 33 .

ἔγωγ’ . In favour of omitting the colon after

ἔγωγ’

, it has been urged that, if it remains, the goddess seems to accept the description just given of her favourite; and that it would better become her to reply merely, ‘I mean Odysseus, thy foe.’ But she is displaying the insanity of Ajax, and has already received his fierce vaunts with the irony of seeming approval.

Ὀδυσσέα , with synizesis: cp. Eur. Phoen. 913

σφάξαι Μενοικέα τόνδε

: [Eur. ] Rhes. 977

ἔπειτ’ Ἀχιλλέα Θέτιδος κ.τ.λ.

But synizesis is not applied by Sophocles to

Ὀδυσσέα

in Ph. 1220 , to

Ἀχιλλέα

in Ph. 331 and 358, or to

Θησέα

in O. C. 1055 and 1630. Here Nauck writes

Ὀδυσσῆ

, a form found in Rhes. 708; cp. Eur. El. 439

Ἀχιλῆ

ἐνστάτην , ‘adversary’: a word not extant elsewhere. It comes from

ἐνίστασθαι

as=‘ to stand in the way’ of a person or thing, ‘oppose,’ ‘resist.’ For the literal sense, see Lysias or. 3 § 8

εὐθύς με τύπτειν ἐπεχείρησεν· ἐπειδὴ δὲ αὐτὸν ἠμυνάμην ἐνστάς

(‘when I stood up to him and repelled him’),

ἔβαλλέ με λίθοις

: for the fig. sense, Thuc. 8. 69 § 2

ἤν τις ἐνιστῆται τοῖς ποιουμένοις

. Hence in logic,

ἔνστασις

, instantia, ‘objection’ (cp. Isocr. or. 5 § 39 ,

ἐνστῆναι τοῖς εἰρημένοις

). In Etym. M. p. 625. 25

ἐνστάτης

(quoted from this passage) is loosely explained as=

ἀντιστάτης

ἥδιστος , most welcome; cp. El. 929

κατ’ οἶκον, ἡδὺς οὐδὲ μητρὶ δυσχερής

κίον’ ἑρκείου στέγης , lit., ‘a pillar of the domestic roof.’ As

Ζεὺς ἑρκεῖος

is the god of the household ( Ant. 487 n.),

ἑρκεῖος στέγη

is a poetical phrase for the house. In such a phrase,

στέγη

could mean either ( a) ‘ roof,’ or ( b) generally, ‘ building.’ Here, it probably means ‘roof’; as is suggested by the fact that, in Homer,

ἕρκος

sometimes denotes the enclosure of the

αὐλή

, open to the sky ( Od. 22. 442 , etc.): in using

ἑρκεῖος

, then, as=‘domestic,’ the poet may have felt that

στέγη

, tectum, would make the sense clearer. This is also suggested by κίον’ : see Eur. H. F. 1006 , where the roof of the house falls in, breaking one of the

κίονες

(called also

λάϊνοι ὀρθοστάται

, ib. 979 f.) which supported it:—

πρὸς κίονα | νῶτον πατάξας, ὃς πεσήμασι στέγης | διχορραγὴς ἔκειτο κρηπίδων ἔπι

. Cp. also Aesch. Ag. 897

ὑψηλῆς στέγης | στῦλον ποδήρη

(‘of a lofty roof | A strong-based pillar’; Kennedy).—I now prefer this view to that which takes

ἑρκεῖος στέγη

as=‘the building of an enclosure’; i.e. an

αὐλή

, open to the sky, within the house;—the

κίων

being then one of the columns of a peristyle surrounding this court, as in the

ἀνδρωνῖτις

of an ordinary Greek dwelling.

δεθεὶς πρὸς κίον’ : the regular preparation for a flogging: cp. Aeschin. or. 1 § 59

δήσαντες πρὸς τὸν κίονα αὐτὸν...ἐμαστίγουν

. Lysias fr. 52 § 4

πάλιν πρὸς τὸν κίονα αὐτὸν μαστιγοῦν δήσαντας

. Hypereides ap. Pollux 3. 80. So Plaut. Bacch. 4. 7. 24

abducite hunc intro atque astringite ad columnam fortiter.

δεῖν πρὸς κίονα

(properly, ‘to take and bind to a pillar’), not πρὸς κίονι , was thus the usual phrase; but Artemidorus ( c. 160 A.D. ) Oneirocr. 1. 78 has

προσδεθεὶς κίονι ἔλαβε πληγὰς πολλάς

. Cp. 240 .—

κίων

is masc. in Herodotus Attic. uses it in both genders (fem. 1. 92, masc. 4. 184). With Pindar it is always fem.; and usually so in the Odyssey, but not always; in Od. 8. 66 ,

πρὸς κίονα μακρὸν ἐρείσας

, the masc. has a metrical motive, but not in 19. 38,

κίονες ὑψόσ’ ἔχοντες

ἐργάσει . In v. 107 she continued his sentence; here, feigning keener alarm, she interrupts it.—Nauck reads ἐργάσῃ (aor.), depending on

πρὶν ἄν

: which not only is weaker, but requires

δήσας

instead of

δεθεὶς

in 108.

πρὶν ἂν … φοινιχθεὶς θάνῃ . After

θανεῖν γὰρ αὐτὸν οὔ τί πω θέλω

(106), we should have had

πρὶν ἂν φοινιχθῇ

. But the emphasis on

μάστιγι πρῶτον νῶτα φοινιχθεὶς

serves to excuse the presence of

θάνῃ

,—added, for the sake of greater clearness, after the long interval. So in Tr. 1130 Hyllus says of Deianeira,

τέθνηκεν

, and then in 1133 Heracles,

οἴμοι· πρὶν ὡς χρῆν σφ’ ἐξ ἐμῆς θανεῖν χερός;

where the stress on

τῆς ἐμῆς

similarly palliates the illogical form of the sentence.

φοινιχθεὶς : Eur. Hec. 153

φοινισσομένην αἵματι

. Ar. Ach. 320

καταξαίνειν τὸν ἄνδρα τοῦτον εἰς φοινικίδα

αἰκίσῃ : cp. O. T. 1153

μὴ δῆτα, πρὸς θεῶν, τὸν γέροντά μ’ αἰκίσῃ

χαίρειν … σ’ ἐφίεμαι . It seems best to suppose that the constr. is

ἐφίεμαι χαίρειν δε

, ‘It is my injunction that thou have thy will in all else.’ Cp. O. T. 1054 f.

ὅντιν’ ἀρτίως | μολεῖν ἐφιέμεσθα

: where the acc. similarly belongs to the inf. There is no example of

ἐφίεμαί τινα

(instead of

τινι

)

ποιεῖν τι

: though we find in Tr. 1221

τοσοῦτον δή σ’ ἐπισκήπτω

, like

κελεύω τινά τι

. Nor does the sense here require that

σε

should be the object of

ἐφίεμαι

.—Remark the objection to rendering

ἐφίεμαι

here ‘I desire’: when the verb has that sense, with an inf., its subject is the same as that of the inf.: e.g. Phil. 1315

ὧν δέ σου τυχεῖν ἐφίεμαι

, |

ἄκουσον

. Further, the sense, ‘enjoin,’ ‘command,’ better suits the insane

ὕβρις

of Ajax.

χαίρειν … τἄλλα , to have her pleasure, i.e., to have her commands obeyed, in all other things: schol.

ἐφίεμαί σε εἰς τὰ ἄλλα κελεύειν μοι καὶ χαίρειν ὡς πειθομένου μου

σὺ σ’ οὖν : for this use of

οὖν

with pron. and imperat., cp. 961 : O. T. 669

ὁ δ’ οὖν ἴτω

: Ar. Ach. 185

οἱ δ’ ἐδίωκον κἀβόων

. |

ΔΙ. οἱ δ’ οὖν βοώντων.

τέρψις ἥδε σοι τὸ δρᾶν : the inf. (with art. added, as oft., O. C. 47 n.) is in apposition with

τέρψις ἥδε

: ‘since this is thy pleasure,—even to do (thus).’ Instead of

τέρψις σοι τὸ δρᾶν τόδε

, the defining pron. has been assimilated to

τέρψις

: cp. Tr. 483

ἥμαρτον, εἴ τι τήνδ’

(instead of

τόδ’

)

ἁμαρτίαν λέγεις

(n.).

χρῶ χειρί, φείδου κ.τ.λ.: the asyndeton adds vigour to the command: cp. 811

χωρῶμεν, ἐγκονῶμεν

: 844

γεύεσθε, μὴ φείδεσθε

: 988

ἴθ’, ἐγκόνει, σύγκαμνε

: Eur. Hec. 1044

ἄρασσε, φείδου μηδέν.

μηδὲν , adv.: ὧν =

τούτων ἅ

: so Eur. Med. 400

φείδου μηδὲν ὧν ἐπίστασαι

τοῦτο σοὶ δ’ ἐφίεμαι . The emphasis on

τοῦτο

warrants the place of

δέ

, which often, indeed, comes third in a sentence, or even later; cp. 169 : O. T. 485

ὅ τι λέξω δ’ ἀπορῶ

: Aesch. P. V. 399

δακρυσίστακτον ἀπ’ ὄσσων ῥαδινῶν δ’ εἰβομένα ῥέος

: Eur. fr. 776

δεινόν γε, τοῖς πλουτοῦσι τοῦτο δ’ ἔμφυτον

ὁρᾷς .. τὴν … ἰσχὺν ὅση : cp. 103 .

τὴν θεῶν ἰσχὺν : for the absence of a second art., cp. 664

ἡ βροτῶν παροιμία

: Ant. 10

τῶν ἐχθρῶν κακά

(n.).

τίς ἂν ηὑρέθη , ‘who could have been found?’ the potential aor. indic. with

ἄν

: cp. Ant. 502

πόθεν κλέος γ’ ἂν εὐκλεέστερον | κατέσχον

...; Dem. or. 37 § 57

πῶς ἂν..ἐγώ τί σε ἠδίκησα;

προνούστερος . The Homeric Ajax, though not subtle in thought or speech, has robust good sense: as Hector says ( Il. 7. 288 ),

Αἶαν, ἐπεί τοι δῶκε θεὸς μέγεθός τε βίην τε | καὶ πινυτήν.

δρᾶν … τὰ καίρια : cp. Shakesp. All's Well 1. 2. 26

He did look far | Into the service of the time, and was | Discipled of the bravest.

ἐγὼ μὲν :

μὲν

merely emphasizes the pron.: cp. 455 , Xen. Cyr. 1. 4. 12

ἐγὼ μὲν οὐκ οἶδα. ἔμπας

, followed by καίπερ and a participle; Il. 24. 523

ἄλγεα δ’ ἔμπης | ἐν θυμῷ κατακεῖσθαι ἐάσομεν, ἀχνύμενοί περ

. Cp. 563 .

ἄτῃ συγκατέζευκται : the more ordinary word would have been

συνέζευκται

, but metre has prompted the double compound, which recurs only in later Greek. The

κατά

adds the idea of a constraining force: cp. Plutarch Camill. 2

τοὺς ἀγάμους λόγοις τε πείθοντα καὶ ζημίαις ἀπειλοῦντα συγκαταζεῦξαι

( constrain into marriage with)

ταῖς χηρευούσαις γυναιξί

. Eur. Hipp. 1389

οἵᾳ ξυμφορᾷ συνεζύγης

. Eur. Andr. 98

στερρόν τε τὸν ἐμὸν δαίμον’ ᾧ συνεζύγην

οὐδὲν τὸ τούτου

κ.τ.λ.

The

σωφροσύνη

of Odysseus finds similar expression at 1365 (

καὶ γὰρ αὐτὸς ἐνθάδ’ ἵξομαι

εἴδωλ’ … σκιάν . As unreal as phantoms; as unsubstantial as shadows. Cp. fr. 12

ἄνθρωπός ἐστι πνεῦμα καὶ σκιὰ μόνον

, |

εἴδωλον ἄλλως

αὐτὸς : as Ajax had done more than once (766—775).

ὄγκον , ‘pomp,’ Tr. 817. Cp. Shakesp. Merch. 1. 1. 124

showing a more swelling port | Than my faint means would grant continuance.

ἄρῃ , ‘take upon thee,’ ‘assume’: subjunct. of 1st aor.

ἠράμην

(not of 2nd aor.

ἠρόμην

, which would have α^ ). The sense of

ἠράμην

is usu. ‘to take up’ or ‘take upon one,’ rarely ‘to win,’ which is the regular sense of

ἠρόμην

. See Appendix on 75.— ἄρῃς (from 1st aor. act.

ἦρα

) has inferior MS. authority, and is also less suitable in sense: it would mean, ‘lift up,’ ‘exalt.’

βρίθεις , ‘art weighty,’ i.e. ‘powerful’: cp. Pind. N. 3. 40

συγγενεῖ δέ τις εὐδοξίᾳ μέγα βρίθει.

μακροῦ , extensive, ‘large’: cp. 825 : Tr. 1217

χάριν βραχεῖαν πρὸς μακροῖς ἄλλοις διδούς.

πλούτου βάθει : cp. Tyrtaeus fr. 12. 6

πλουτοίη δὲ Μίδεω καὶ Κινύρεω βάθιον

(so Camerarius:

μάλιον

G. M. Schmidt): Pind. O. 13. 63

βαθὺν κλᾶρον

(‘a rich domain’): Suppl. 555

βαθύπλουτον χθόνα

(referring to soil): Eur. fr. 453

Εἰρήνα βαθύπλουτε

: Callim. Cer. 114

τὸν βαθὺν οἶκον

(‘opulent’): Aelian V. H. 3. 18

ἐν εἰρήνῃ τε διάγειν καὶ πλούτῳ βαθεῖ

. Indeed,

βαθύς

could be said (like

παχύς

) of a rich man: Xen. Oec. 11. 10

βαθεῖς τε καὶ ἐρρωμένους ἄνδρας

, ‘men of substance and power.’—The feeble v.l. βάρει (cr. n.) was prompted by

βρίθεις

ἡμέρα : cp. 475 : Pind. P. 8. 95

ἐπάμεροι· τί δέ τις; τί δ’ οὔ τις; σκιᾶς ὄναρ | ἄνθρωπος.

κλίνει : the image is from depressing the scale of a balance: Il. 19. 223

ἐπὴν κλίνῃσι τάλαντα | Ζεύς.

κἀνάγει : so Ph. 866

κἀνάγει κάρα

. Cp. Ant. 1158

τύχη γὰρ ὀρθοῖ καὶ τύχη καταρρέπει | τὸν εὐτυχοῦντα τόν τε δυστυχοῦντ’ ἀεί

. Eur. fr. 420

ὁρᾷς τυράννους διὰ μακρῶν ηὐξημένους | ὡς μικρὰ τὰ σφάλλοντα, καὶ μἴ ἡμέρα | τὰ μὲν καθεῖλεν ὑψόθεν, τὰ δ’ ἦρ’ ἄνω

κακούς (which has needlessly been suspected, cr. n.) is interpreted by vv. 127 ff., and more immediately by the contrast with

τοὺς σώφρονας

: it means those who, like Ajax, are led into

δυσσέβεια

by overweening self-reliance or pride.

Commentary on Sophocles: Ajax. Sir Richard C. Jebb. Cambridge. 1907.

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 (4)

Αἴας μαστιγοφόρος First1KGreek (Sophocles. Sophoclis Aiax. Lobeck Christian, editor. Berlin: Weidmann, 1866.) — 1-171 focus

ΑΘΗΝΑ

Ἀεὶ μὲν, ὦ παῖ Λαρτίου, δἐδορκά σε
1

πεῖράν τιν’ ἐχθρῶν ἁρπάσαι θηρώμενον.

καὶ νῦν ἐπὶ σκηναῖς σε ναυτικαῖς ὁρῶ

Αἴαντος, ἔνθα τάξιν ἐσχάτην ἔχει,

πάλαι κυνηγετοῦντα καὶ μετρούμενον
5

ἴχνη τὰ κείνου νεοχάραχθ’, ὅπως ἴδῃς

εἴτ’ ἔνδον, εἴτ’ οὐκ ἔνδον· εὑ δέ σ’ ἐκφέρει

κυνὸς Λακαίνης ὥς τις εὔρινος βάσις.

ἔνδον γὰρ ἁνὴρ ἄρτι τυγχάνει κάρα

στάζων ἱδρῶτι καὶ χέρας ζιφοκτόνους,
10

καί σ’ οὐδὲν εἴσω τἧςδε παπταίνειν πύλης

ἔτ’ ἔργον ἐστὶν, ἐννέπειν δ’ ὅτου χάριν

σπουδὴν ἔθου τήνδ’, ὡς παρ’ εἰδυίας μάθης.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

ὦ φθέγμ’ Ἀθανᾶς, φιλτάτης ἐμοὶ θεῶν,

ὡς εὔμαθές σου, κἂν ἄποπτος ᾖς, ὅμως
15

φώνημ’ ἀκούω καὶ ξυναρπάζω φρενὶ,

χαλκοστόμου κώδωνος ὡς Τυρσηνικῆς.

καὶ νῦν ἐπέγνως εὖ μ’ ἐπ’ ἀνδρὶ δυςμενῖ

βάσιν κυκλοῦντ’, Αἴαντι τῷ σακεσφόρῳ.

κεῖνον γὰρ, οὐδἐν’ ἄλλον, ἰχνεύω πάλαι.
20

νυκτὸς γὰρ ἡμᾶς τἧςδε πρᾶγος ἄσκοπον

ἔχει περάνας, εἴπερ εἴργασται τάδε.

ἴσμεν γὰρ οὐδὲν τρανὲς ἀλλ’ ἀλώμεθα.

κἀγὼ ’θελοντὴς τῷδ’ ὑπεζύγην πόνῳ.

ἐφθαρμένας γὰρ ἀρτίως εὑρίσκομεν
25

λείας ἁπάσας καὶ κατηναρισμένας·

ἐκ χειρὸς, αὐτοῖς ποιμνίων ἐπιστάταις.

τήνδ’ οὖν ἐκείνῳ πᾶς τις αἰτίαν νέuει.

καὶ μοί τις ὀπτὴρ αὐτὸν εὶςιδὼν μόνον

πηδῶντα πεδία σὺν νεορράντῳ ξίφει,
30

φράζει τε κἀδήλωσεν· εὐθέως δ’ ἐγὼ

κατ’ ἴχνος ᾄσσω· καὶ τὰ μὲν σημαίνομαι,

τὰ ὸ’ ἐκπέπληγμαι, κοὐκ ἔχω μαθεῖν ὅτου·

καιρὸν δ’ ἐφήκεις· πάντα γὰρ, τά τ’ οὖν πάρος,

τά τ’ εὶσἐπειτα, σῇ κυβερνῶμαι χερί.
35

ΑΘΗΝΑ

ἐγνων, Ὀδυσσεῦ, καὶ πάλαι φύλαξ ἔβην

τῇ σῇ πρόθυμος εἰς ὁδὸν κυνηγίᾳ.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

ἦ καὶ, φίλη δέσποινα, πρὸς καιρὸν πονῶ;

ΑΘΗΝΑ

Ὡς ἔστιν ἀνδρὸς τοῦδε τἄργα ταῦτά σοι.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

Καὶ πρὸς τί δυςλόγιστον ὧδ’ ᾖξεν χέρα;
40

ΑΘΗΝΑ

Χόλῳ βαρυνθεὶς τῶν Ἀχιλλείων ὅπλων.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

Τί δῆτα ποίμναις τήνδ’ ἐπεμπίπτει βάσιν;

ΑΘΗΝΑ

Δοκῶν ὲν ὑμῖν χεῖρα χραίνεσθαι φόνῳ.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

ἦ καὶ τὸ βούλευμ’ ὡς ἐπ’ Ἀργείοις τόδ’ ἦν;

ΑΘΗΝΑ

Κὰν ὲξἐπραξεν, εἰ κατημέλησ’ ἐγώ.
45

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

Ποίαισι τόλμαις ταῖςδε καὶ φρενῶν θράσει;

ΑΘΗΝΑ

Νύκτωρ ὲφ’ ὑμάς δόλιος ὁρμᾶται μόνος.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

Ἡ καὶ παρέστη κἀπὶ τἐρμ’ ἀφίκετο;

ΑΘΗΝΑ

Καὶ δὴ ’πὶ δισσαῖς ἦν στρατηγίσιν πύλαις.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

Καὶ πῶς ἐπέσχε χεῖρα μαιμῶσαν φόνου;
50

ΑΘΗΝΑ

Ἐγώ σφ’ ἀπείργω δυςφόρους ἐπ’ ὄμμασι

γνώμας βαλοῦσα τῆς ἀνηκέστου χαράς,

καὶ πρός τε ποίμνας ὲκτρέπω σύμμικτά τε

λείας, ἄδαστα βουκόλων φρουρήματα·

ἔνθ’ εkπεσὼν ἔκειρε πολύκερων φόνον,
55

κύκλῳ ῥαχίζων· κἀδόκει μὲν ἔσθ’ ὅτε

δισσοὺς Ἀτρείδας αὐτόχειρ κτείνειν ἔχων,

ὅτ’ ἄλλοτ’ ἄλλον, ἐμπίτνων, στρατηλατῶν.

ἐγὼ δὲ φοιτῶντ’ ἄνδρα μανιάσιν νόσοις

ὤτρυνον, εἰςέβαλλον εἰς ἕρκη κακά.
60

κἀπειτ , ἐπειδὴ τοῦδ’ ἐλώφησεν πόνου,

τοὺς ζῶντας αὖ δεσμοῖσι συνδήσας βοῶν

ποίμνας τε πάσας εἰς δόμους κομίζεται,

ὡς ἄνδρας, οὐχ ὡς εὔκερων ἄγραν ἔχων.

καὶ νῦν κατ’ οἴκους ζυνδέτους αἰκίζεται.
65

δείξω δὲ καὶ σοὶ τήνδε περιφανῆ νόσον,

ὡς πᾶσιν Ἀργείοισιν εἰσιδὼν θροῇς.

θαρσῶν δὲ μίμνε μηδὲ συμφορὰν δέχου

τὸν ἄνδρ’· ἐγὼ γὰρ ὀμμάτων ἀποστρόφους

αὐγὰς ἀπείρξω, σὴν πρόςοψιν εἰςιδεῖν.
70

οὗτος, σὲ, τὸν τὰς αἰχμαλωτίδας χέρας

δεσμοῖς ἀπευθύνοντα, προςμολεἷν καλῶ.

Αἴαντα φωνῶ· στεῖχε δωμάτων πάρος,

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

Τί δρᾷς, Ἀθάνα; μηδαμῶς σφ’ ἔξω κάλει.

ΑΘΗΝΑ

Οὐ σῖγ’ ἀνέξει, μηδὲ δειλίαν ἀρεῖς;
75

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

μὴ πρὸς θεῶν· ἀλλ’ ἔνδον ἀρκείτω μένων.

ΑΘΗΝΑ

Τί μὴ γένηται; πρόςθεν οὐκ ἀνὴρ ὅδ’ ἦν;

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

ἐχθρός γε τῷδε τἀνδρὶ καὶ τανῦν ἔτι.

ΑΘΗΝΑ

Οὔκουν γέλως ἥδιστος εἰς ἐχθροὺς γελᾷν;

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

ἐμοὶ μὲν ἀρκεῖ τοῦτον ὲν δόμοις μένειν.
80

ΑΘΗΝΑ

Μεμῃνότ’ ἄνδρα περιφανῶς ὀκνεῖς ἰδεῖν;

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

Φρονοῦντα γάρ νιν οὐκ ἂν ἐξέστην ὄκνῳ.

ΑΘΗΝΑ

Ἀλλ’ οὐδὲ νῦν σε μὴ παρόντ’ ἴδῃ πέλας.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

Πῶς, εἴπερ ὀφθαλμοῖς γε τοῖς αὐτοῖς ὁρᾷ;

ΑΘΗΝΑ

ἐγὼ σκοτώσω βλέφαρα καὶ δεδορκότα.
85

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

Γένοιτο μέντ’ ἂν πᾶν, θεοῦ τεχνωμένου.

ΑΘΗΝΑ

Σίγα νυν ἑστὼς καὶ μέν’ ὡς κυρεῖς ἔχων.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

Μένοιμ’ ἄν· ἤθελον δ’ ἂν ἐκτὸς ὢν τυχεῖν.

ΑΘΗΝΑ

ὦ οὗτος, Αἴας, δεύτερόν σε προςκαλῶ.

τί βαιὸν οὕτως ἐντρέπει τῆς ξυμμάχου;
90

ΑΙΑΣ

ὦ χαῖρ’, Ἀθάνα, χαῖρε Διογενὲς τέκνον,

ὡς εὖ παρέστης· καί σε παγχρύσοις ἐγὼ

στέψω λαφύροις τἡςδε τῆς ἄγρας χάριν.

ΑΗΝΛ. Καλῶς ἔλεξας· ἀλλ’ ἐκεῖνό μοι φράσον,

ἔβαψας ἔγχος εὖ πρὸς Ἀργείων στρατῷ;
95

ΑΙΑΣ

Κόμπος πάρεστι κοὐκ ἀπαρνοῦμαι τὸ μή.

ΑΘΗΝΑ

ἦ καὶ πρὸς Ἀτρείδαισιν ᾔχμασας χέρα;

ΑΙΑΣ

ὥστ’ οὔποτ’ Αἴαντ’ οἵδ’ ἀτιμάσουσ’ ἔτι.

ΑΘΗΝΑ

τεθνᾶσιν ἅνδρες, ὡς τὸ σὸν ζυνὴκ’ ἐγώ;

ΑΙΑΣ

Θανόντες ἤδη τἄμ’ ἀφαιρείσθων ὅπλα.
100

ΑΘΗΝΑ

εἶεν· τί γὰρ δὴ παῖς ὁ τοῦ Λαερτίου;

ποῦ σοι τύχης ἕστηκεν; ἢ πέφευγέ σε;

ΑΙΑΣ

ἦ τοὐπίτριπτον κίναδος ἐξήρου μ’, ὅπου;

ΑΘΗΝΑ

Ἔγωγ’· Ὀδυσσέα, τὸν σὸν ἐνστάτην, λέγω.

ΑΙΑΣ

ἥδιστος, ὦ δέσποινα, δεσμώτης ἔσω
105

θακεῖ· θανεῖν γὰρ αὐτὸν οὔ τί πω θέλω.

ΑΘΗΝΑ

Πρὶν ἂν τί δρόσης ἢ τί κερδάνῃς πλέον;

ΑΙΑΣ

Πρὶν ἂν δεθεὶς πρὸς κίον’ ἑρκείου στέγης —

ΑΘΗΝΑ

Τί δῆτα τὸν δύστηνον ἐργάσει κακόν;

ΑΙΑΣ

Μάστιγι πρῶτον νῶτα φοινιχθεὶς θάνῃ.
110

ΑΘΗΝΑ

Mὴ δῆτα τὸν δύστηνον ὧδέ γ’ αἰκίσῃ.

ΑΙΑΣ

Χαίρειν, Ἀθάνα, τἄλλ’ ἐγώ σ’ ἐφίεμαι,

κεῖνος δὲ τίσει τήνδε κοὐκ ἄλλην δίκην.

ΑΘΗΝΑ

Σὺ δ’ οὖν, ἐπειδὴ τέρψις ἥδε σοι τὸ δρᾷν,

χρῶ χειρί· φείδου μηδὲν ὧνπερ ὲννοεῖς.
115

ΑΙΑΣ

Χωρῶ πρὸς ἔργον· τοῦτό σοι δ’ ἐφίεμαι,

τοιάνδ’ ἀεί μοι ξύμμαχον παρεστάναι.

ΑΘΗΝΑ

Ὁρᾷς, Ὀδυσσεῦ, τὴν θεῶν ἰσχὺν, ὅση;

τούτου τις ἄν σοι τἀνδρὸς ἢ προνούστερος,

ἢ δρᾷν ἀμείνων εὑρέθη τὰ καίρια;
120

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

ἐγὼ μὲν οὐδέν’ οἶδ’· ἐποικτείρω δέ νιν

δύστηνον ἔμπας, καίπερ ὄντα δυςμενὴ,

ὁθούνεκ’ ἄτῃ ξυγκατέζευκται κακῇ,

οὐδὲν τὸ τούτου μᾶλλον ἢ τοὐμὸν σκοπῶν.

ὁρῶ γὰρ ἡμάς οὐδὲν ὄντας ἄλλο πλὴν
125

εἴδωλ’, ὅσοιπερ ζῶμεν, ἢ κούφην σκιάν.

ΑΘΗΝΑ

Τοιαῦτα τοίνυν εἰσορῶν, ὑπέρκοπον

μηδέν ποτ’ εἴπῃς αὐτὸς εἰς θεοὺς ἔπος,

μηδ’ ὄγκον ἄρῃς μηδέν’, εἴ τινος πλέον

ἢ χειρὶ βρίθεις ἢ μακροῦ πλούτου βάθει.
130

ὡς ἡμέρα κλίνει τε κἀνάγει πάλιν

ἅπαντα τἀνθρώπεια· τοὺς δὲ σώφρονας

θεοὶ φιλοῦσι καὶ στυγοῦσι τοὺς κακούς.

ΠΑΡΟΛΟΣ ΧΟΡΟΥ

Τελαμώνιε πaῖ, τῆς ἀμφιρύτου

Σαλαμῖνος ἔχων βάθρον ἀγχιάλου,
135

σὲ μὲν εὖ πράσσοντ’ ἐπιχαίρω·

σὲ δ’ ὅταν πληγὴ Δῖός ἢ ζαμενὴς

λόγος ἐκ Δαναῶν κακόθρους ἐπιβῇ,

μέγαν ὄκνον ἔχω καὶ πεφόβημαι

πτηνῆς ὡς ὄμμα πελείας.
140

Ὡς καὶ τῆς νῦν φθιμένης νυκτὸς

ιιεγάλοι θόρυβοι κατέχουσ’ ἡμᾶς

ἔπι δυςκλείᾳ, σὲ τὸν ἱππομανῆ

λειμῶν’ ὲπιβάντ’ ὀλέσαι Δαναῶν

βοτὰ καὶ λείαν,
145

ἥπερ δορίληπτος ἔτ’ ἦν λοιπὴ,

κτείνοντ’ αἴθωνι σιδήρῳ.

Τοιούςδε λόγους ψιθύρους πράσσων

εἰς ὦτα φέρει πᾶσιν Ὀδυσσεὺς,

καὶ σφόδρα πείθει· περὶ γὰρ σοῦ νῦν
150

εὔπειστα λέγει· καὶ πᾶς ὁ κλύων

τοῦ λἐξαντος χαίρει μᾶλλον,

τοῖς σοῖς ἄχεσιν καθυβρίζων.

Τῶν γὰρ μεγάλων ψυχῶν ἱεὶς

οὐκ ἂν ἁμάρτοι· κατὰ δ’ ἄν τις ἐμοῦ
155

τοιαῦτα λέγων οὐκ ἂν πείθοι·

πρὸς γὰρ τὸν ἔχονθ’ ὁ φθόνος ἕρπει.

καίτοι σμικροὶ μεγάλων χωρὶς

σφαλερὸν πύργου ῥῦμα πέλονται·

μετὰ γὰρ μεγάλων βαιὸς ἄριστ’ ἂν,
160

καὶ μέγας ὀρθοῖθ’ ὑπὸ μικροτέρων.

ἀλλ’ οὐ δυνατὸν τοὺς ἀνοήτους

τούτων γνώμας προδιδάσκειν.

ὑπὸ τοιούτων ἀνδρῶν θορυβεῖ,

χἠμεῖς οὐδὲν σθένομεν πρὸς ταῦτ’
165

ἀπαλέξασθαι σοῦ χωρὶς, ἄναξ.

ἀλλ’, ὅτε γὰρ δὴ τὸ σὸν ὄμμ’ ἀπέδρav,

παταγοῦσιν ἅτε πτηνῶν ἀγέλαι,

μέγαν αἰγυπιὸν δ’ ὑποδείσαντες

τάχ’ ἂν, ἐξαίφνης εἰ σὺ φανείης,
170

σιγῇ πτήξειαν ἄφωνοι.

Αἴας First1KGreek (Sophocles. Sophoclis Fabulae. Pearson, Alfred Chilton, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1924.) — 1-171 focus

Ἀθήνα

Ἀεὶ μέν, ὦ παῖ Λαρτίου, δέδορκά σε
1

πεῖράν τινʼ ἐχθρῶν ἁρπάσαι θηρώμενον·

καὶ νῦν ἐπὶ σκηναῖς σε ναυτικαῖς ὁρῶ

Αἴαντος, ἔνθα τάξιν ἐσχάτην ἔχει,

πάλαι κυνηγετοῦντα καὶ μετρούμενον
5

ἴχνη τὰ κείνου νεοχάραχθʼ, ὅπως ἴδῃς

εἴτʼ ἔνδον εἴτʼ οὐκ ἔνδον. εὖ δέ σʼ ἐκφέρει

κυνὸς Λακαίνης ὥς τις εὔρινος βάσις.

ἔνδον γὰρ ἁνὴρ ἄρτι τυγχάνει, κάρα

στάζων ἱδρῶτι καὶ χέρας ξιφοκτόνους.
10

καί σʼ οὐδὲν εἴσω τῆσδε παπταίνειν πύλης

ἔτʼ ἔργον ἐστίν, ἐννέπειν δʼ ὅτου χάριν

σπουδὴν ἔθου τήνδʼ, ὡς παρʼ εἰδυίας μάθῃς.

Ὀδυσσεύς

ὦ φθέγμʼ Ἀθάνας, φιλτάτης ἐμοὶ θεῶν,

ὡς εὐμαθές σου, κἂν ἄποπτος ᾖς ὅμως,
15

φώνημʼ ἀκούω καὶ ξυναρπάζω φρενὶ

χαλκοστόμου κώδωνος ὡς Τυρσηνικῆς.

καὶ νῦν ἐπέγνως εὖ μʼ ἐπʼ ἀνδρὶ δυσμενεῖ

βάσιν κυκλοῦντʼ, Αἴαντι τῷ σακεσφόρῳ.

κεῖνον γάρ, οὐδένʼ ἄλλον, ἰχνεύω πάλαι.
20

νυκτὸς γὰρ ἡμᾶς τῆσδε πρᾶγος ἄσκοπον

ἔχει περάνας, εἴπερ εἴργασται τάδε·

¹²

ἴσμεν γὰρ οὐδὲν τρανές, ἀλλʼ ἀλώμεθα·

κἀγὼ ʼθελοντὴς τῷδʼ ὑπεζύγην πόνῳ.

ἐφθαρμένας γὰρ ἀρτίως εὑρίσκομεν
25

λείας ἁπάσας καὶ κατηναρισμένας

ἐκ χειρὸς αὐτοῖς ποιμνίων ἐπιστάταις.

τήνδʼ οὖν ἐκείνῳ πᾶς τις αἰτίαν νέμει.

καί μοί τις ὀπτὴρ αὐτὸν εἰσιδὼν μόνον

πηδῶντα πεδία σὺν νεορράντῳ ξίφει
30

φράζει τε κἀδήλωσεν· εὐθέως δʼ ἐγὼ

κατʼ ἴχνος ᾄσσω, καὶ τὰ μὲν σημαίνομαι,

τὰ δʼ ἐκπέπληγμαι, κοὐκ ἔχω μαθεῖν ὅτου.

καιρὸν δʼ ἐφήκεις· πάντα γὰρ τά τʼ οὖν πάρος

τά τʼ εἰσέπειτα σῇ κυβερνῶμαι χερί.
35

Ἀθήνα

ἔγνων, Ὀδυσσεῦ, καὶ πάλαι φύλαξ ἔβην

τῇ σῇ πρόθυμος εἰς ὁδὸν κυναγίᾳ.

Ὀδυσσεύς

ἦ καί, φίλη δέσποινα, πρὸς καιρὸν πονῶ;

Ἀθήνα

ὡς ἔστιν ἀνδρὸς τοῦδε τἄργα ταῦτά σοι.

Ὀδυσσεύς

καὶ πρὸς τί δυσλόγιστον ὧδʼ ᾖξεν χέρα;
40

Ἀθήνα

χόλῳ βαρυνθεὶς τῶν Ἀχιλλείων ὅπλων.

Ὀδυσσεύς

τί δῆτα ποίμναις τήνδʼ ἐπεμπίπτει βάσιν;

Ἀθήνα

δοκῶν ἐν ὑμῖν χεῖρα χραίνεσθαι φόνῳ.

Ὀδυσσεύς

ἦ καὶ τὸ βούλευμʼ ὡς ἐπʼ Ἀργείοις τόδʼ ἦν;

Ἀθήνα

κἂν ἐξέπραξεν, εἰ κατημέλησʼ ἐγώ.
45

Ὀδυσσεύς

ποίαισι τόλμαις ταῖσδε καὶ φρενῶν θράσει;

Ἀθήνα

νύκτωρ ἐφʼ ὑμᾶς δόλιος ὁρμᾶται μόνος.

Ὀδυσσεύς

ἦ καὶ παρέστη κἀπὶ τέρμʼ ἀφίκετο;

³⁴⁵⁶⁷⁸⁹¹⁰¹¹¹²¹³¹⁴

Ἀθήνα

καὶ δὴ ʼπὶ δισσαῖς ἦν στρατηγίσιν πύλαις.

Ὀδυσσεύς

καὶ πῶς ἐπέσχε χεῖρα μαιμῶσαν φόνου;
50

Ἀθήνα

ἐγώ σφʼ ἀπείργω, δυσφόρους ἐπʼ ὄμμασι

γνώμας βαλοῦσα, τῆς ἀνηκέστου χαρᾶς,

καὶ πρός τε ποίμνας ἐκτρέπω σύμμεικτά τε

λείας ἄδαστα βουκόλων φρουρήματα·

ἔνθʼ εἰσπεσὼν ἔκειρε πολύκερων φόνον
55

κύκλῳ ῥαχίζων, κἀδόκει μὲν ἔσθʼ ὅτε

δισσοὺς Ἀτρείδας αὐτόχειρ κτείνειν ἔχων,

ὅτʼ ἄλλοτʼ ἄλλον ἐμπίτνων στρατηλατῶν.

ἐγὼ δὲ φοιτῶντʼ ἄνδρα μανιάσιν νόσοις

ὤτρυνον, εἰσέβαλλον εἰς ἕρκη κακά.
60

κἄπειτʼ ἐπειδὴ τοῦδʼ ἐλώφησεν πόνου,

τοὺς ζῶντας αὖ δεσμοῖσι συνδήσας βοῶν

ποίμνας τε πάσας εἰς δόμους κομίζεται,

ὡς ἄνδρας, οὐχ ὡς εὔκερων ἄγραν ἔχων.

καὶ νῦν κατʼ οἴκους συνδέτους αἰκίζεται.
65

δείξω δὲ καὶ σοὶ τήνδε περιφανῆ νόσον,

ὡς πᾶσιν Ἀργείοισιν εἰσιδὼν θροῇς.

θαρσῶν δὲ μίμνε μηδὲ συμφορὰν δέχου

τὸν ἄνδρʼ· ἐγὼ γὰρ ὀμμάτων ἀποστρόφους

αὐγὰς ἀπείρξω σὴν πρόσοψιν εἰσιδεῖν.
70

οὗτος, σὲ τὸν τὰς αἰχμαλωτίδας χέρας

δεσμοῖς ἀπευθύνοντα προσμολεῖν καλῶ·

Αἴαντα φωνῶ· στεῖχε δωμάτων πάρος.

Ὀδυσσεύς

τί δρᾷς, Ἀθάνα; μηδαμῶς σφʼ ἔξω κάλει.

Ἀθήνα

οὐ σῖγʼ ἀνέξῃ μηδὲ δειλίαν ἀρῇ
75
¹⁵¹⁶¹⁷¹⁸¹⁹²⁰²¹²²²³²⁴²⁵

Ὀδυσσεύς

μὴ πρὸς θεῶν· ἀλλʼ ἔνδον ἀρκείτω μένων.

Ἀθήνα

τί μὴ γένηται; πρόσθεν οὐκ ἀνὴρ ὅδʼ ἦν;

Ὀδυσσεύς

ἐχθρός γε τῷδε τἀνδρὶ καὶ τανῦν ἔτι.

Ἀθήνα

οὔκουν γέλως ἥδιστος εἰς ἐχθροὺς γελᾶν;

Ὀδυσσεύς

ἐμοὶ μὲν ἀρκεῖ τοῦτον ἐν δόμοις μένειν.
80

Ἀθήνα

μεμηνότʼ ἄνδρα περιφανῶς ὀκνεῖς ἰδεῖν;

Ὀδυσσεύς

φρονοῦντα γάρ νιν οὐκ ἂν ἐξέστην ὄκνῳ.

Ἀθήνα

ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ νῦν σε μὴ παρόντʼ ἴδῃ πέλας.

Ὀδυσσεύς

πῶς, εἴπερ ὀφθαλμοῖς γε τοῖς αὐτοῖς ὁρᾷ;

Ἀθήνα

ἐγὼ σκοτώσω βλέφαρα καὶ δεδορκότα.
85

Ὀδυσσεύς

γένοιτο μέντἂν πᾶν θεοῦ τεχνωμένου.

Ἀθήνα

σίγα νυν ἑστὼς καὶ μένʼ ὡς κυρεῖς ἔχων.

Ὀδυσσεύς

μένοιμʼ ἄν· ἤθελον δʼ ἂν ἐκτὸς ὢν τυχεῖν.

Ἀθήνα

ὦ οὗτος, Αἴας, δεύτερόν σε προσκαλῶ.

τί βαιὸν οὕτως ἐντρέπῃ τῆς συμμάχου;
90

Αἴας

ὦ χαῖρʼ Ἀθάνα, χαῖρε Διογενὲς τέκνον,

ὡς εὖ παρέστης· καί σε παγχρύσοις ἐγὼ

στέψω λαφύροις τῆσδε τῆς ἄγρας χάριν.

Ἀθήνα

καλῶς ἔλεξας. ἀλλʼ ἐκεῖνό μοι φράσον,

ἔβαψας ἔγχος εὖ πρὸς Ἀργείων στρατῷ;
95

Αἴας

κόμπος πάρεστι κοὐκ ἀπαρνοῦμαι τὸ μή.

Ἀθήνα

ἦ καὶ πρὸς Ἀτρείδαισιν ᾔχμασας χέρα;

Αἴας

ὥστʼ οὔποτʼ Αἴανθʼ οἵδʼ ἀτιμάσουσʼ ἔτι.

Ἀθήνα

τεθνᾶσιν ἅνδρες, ὡς τὸ σὸν ξυνῆκʼ ἐγώ.

Αἴας

θανόντες ἤδη τἄμʼ ἀφαιρείσθων ὅπλα.
100

Ἀθήνα

εἶεν· τί γὰρ δὴ παῖς ὁ τοῦ Λαερτίου;

²⁶²⁷²⁸²⁹³⁰³¹³²³³³⁴³⁵³⁶³⁷³⁸

ποῦ σοι τύχης ἕστηκεν; ἢ πέφευγέ σε;

Αἴας

ἦ τοὐπίτριπτον κίναδος ἐξήρου μʼ ὅπου;

Ἀθήνα

ἔγωγʼ· Ὀδυσσέα τὸν σὸν ἐνστάτην λέγω.

Αἴας

ἥδιστος, ὦ δέσποινα, δεσμώτης ἔσω
105

θακεῖ· θανεῖν γὰρ αὐτὸν οὔ τί πω θέλω.

Ἀθήνα

πρὶν ἂν τί δράσῃς ἢ τί κερδάνῃς πλέον;

Αἴας

πρὶν ἂν δεθεὶς πρὸς κίονʼ ἑρκείου στέγης

Ἀθήνα

τί δῆτα τὸν δύστηνον ἐργάσῃ κακόν;

Αἴας

μάστιγι πρῶτον νῶτα φοινιχθεὶς θάνῃ.
110

Ἀθήνα

μὴ δῆτα τὸν δύστηνον ὧδέ γʼ αἰκίσῃ.

Αἴας

χαίρειν, Ἀθάνα, τἄλλʼ ἐγώ σʼ ἐφίεμαι·

κεῖνος δὲ τείσει τήνδε κοὐκ ἄλλην δίκην.

Ἀθήνα

σὺ δʼ οὖν, ἐπειδὴ τέρψις ἥδε σοι τὸ δρᾶν,

χρῶ χειρί, φείδου μηδὲν ὧνπερ ἐννοεῖς.
115

Αἴας

χωρῶ πρὸς ἔργον· τοῦτο σοὶ δʼ ἐφίεμαι,

τοιάνδʼ ἀεί μοι σύμμαχον παρεστάναι.

Ἀθήνα

ὁρᾷς, Ὀδυσσεῦ, τὴν θεῶν ἰσχὺν ὅση;

τούτου τίς ἄν σοι τἀνδρὸς ἢ προνούστερος

ἢ δρᾶν ἀμείνων ηὑρέθη τὰ καίρια;
120

Ὀδυσσεύς

ἐγὼ μὲν οὐδένʼ οἶδʼ· ἐποικτίρω δέ νιν

δύστηνον ἔμπας, καίπερ ὄντα δυσμενῆ,

ὁθούνεκʼ ἄτῃ συγκατέζευκται κακῇ,

οὐδὲν τὸ τούτου μᾶλλον ἢ τοὐμὸν σκοπῶν.

ὁρῶ γὰρ ἡμᾶς οὐδὲν ὄντας ἄλλο πλὴν
125

εἴδωλʼ ὅσοιπερ ζῶμεν ἢ κούφην σκιάν.

Ἀθήνα

τοιαῦτα τοίνυν εἰσορῶν ὑπέρκοπον

μηδέν ποτʼ εἴπῃς αὐτὸς ἐς θεοὺς ἔπος,

μηδʼ ὄγκον ἄρῃ μηδένʼ, εἴ τινος πλέον

³⁹⁴⁰⁴¹⁴²⁴³⁴⁴⁴⁵⁴⁶⁴⁷⁴⁸⁴⁹⁵⁰⁵¹

ἢ χειρὶ βρίθεις ἢ μακροῦ πλούτου βάθει.
130

ὡς ἡμέρα κλίνει τε κἀνάγει πάλιν

ἅπαντα τἀνθρώπεια· τοὺς δὲ σώφρονας

θεοὶ φιλοῦσι καὶ στυγοῦσι τοὺς κακούς.

Χορός

Τελαμώνιε παῖ, τῆς ἀμφιρύτου

Σαλαμῖνος ἔχων βάθρον ἀγχιάλου,
135

σὲ μὲν εὖ πράσσοντʼ ἐπιχαίρω·

σὲ δʼ ὅταν πληγὴ Διὸς ἢ ζαμενὴς

λόγος ἐκ Δαναῶν κακόθρους ἐπιβῇ,

μέγαν ὄκνον ἔχω καὶ πεφόβημαι

πτηνῆς ὡς ὄμμα πελείας.
140

ὡς καὶ τῆς νῦν φθιμένης νυκτὸς

μεγάλοι θόρυβοι κατέχουσʼ ἡμᾶς

ἐπὶ δυσκλείᾳ, σὲ τὸν ἱππομανῆ

λειμῶνʼ ἐπιβάντʼ ὀλέσαι Δαναῶν

βοτὰ καὶ λείαν,
145

ἥπερ δορίληπτος ἔτʼ ἦν λοιπή,

κτείνοντʼ αἴθωνι σιδήρῳ.

τοιούσδε λόγους ψιθύρους πλάσσων

εἰς ὦτα φέρει πᾶσιν Ὀδυσσεύς,

καὶ σφόδρα πείθει. περὶ γὰρ σοῦ νῦν
150

εὔπειστα λέγει, καὶ πᾶς ὁ κλύων

τοῦ λέξαντος χαίρει μᾶλλον

τοῖς σοῖς ἄχεσιν καθυβρίζων.

τῶν γὰρ μεγάλων ψυχῶν ἱεὶς

οὐκ ἂν ἁμάρτοι· κατὰ δʼ ἄν τις ἐμοῦ
155

τοιαῦτα λέγων οὐκ ἂν πείθοι.

πρὸς γὰρ τὸν ἔχονθʼ ὁ φθόνος ἕρπει.

⁵²⁵³⁵⁴⁵⁵⁵⁶⁵⁷⁵⁸⁵⁹

καίτοι σμικροὶ μεγάλων χωρὶς

σφαλερὸν πύργου ῥῦμα πέλονται·

μετὰ γὰρ μεγάλων βαιὸς ἄριστʼ ἂν
160

καὶ μέγας ὀρθοῖθʼ ὑπὸ μικροτέρων.

ἀλλʼ οὐ δυνατὸν τοὺς ἀνοήτους

τούτων γνώμας προδιδάσκειν.

ὑπὸ τοιούτων ἀνδρῶν θορυβῇ

χἡμεῖς οὐδὲν σθένομεν πρὸς ταῦτʼ
165

ἀπαλέξασθαι σοῦ χωρίς, ἄναξ.

ἀλλʼ ὅτε γὰρ δὴ τὸ σὸν ὄμμʼ ἀπέδραν,

παταγοῦσιν ἅπερ πτηνῶν ἀγέλαι·

μέγαν αἰγυπιὸν δʼ ὑποδείσαντες

τάχʼ ἄν, ἐξαίφνης εἰ σὺ φανείης,
170

σιγῇ πτήξειαν ἄφωνοι.

Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 1 focus

ἀεὶ μέν, ὦ παῖ Λαρτίου Λαρτίου λᾶρτίου, δέδορκά σε
1

πεῖράν τιν' ἐχθρῶν ἁρπάσαι θηρώμενον·

καὶ νῦν ἐπὶ σκηναῖς σε ναυτικαῖς ὁρῶ

Αἴαντος, ἔνθα τάξιν ἐσχάτην ἔχει,

πάλαι κυνηγετοῦντα καὶ μετρούμενον
5

ἴχνη τὰ κείνου τὰ ᾿κείνου τἀκείνου νεοχάραχθ᾽ νεοχάρακτ᾽ νεοχάρακθ', ὅπως ἴδῃς

εἴτ᾿ ἔνδον εἴτ᾿ οὐκ ἔνδον. εὖ δέ σ᾽ ἐκφέρει

κυνὸς Λακαίνης ὥς τις εὔρινος βάσις.

ἔνδον γὰρ ἁνὴρ ἁνὴρ (?) ἄρτι τυγχάνει, κάρα

στάζων ἱδρῶτι καὶ χέρας ξιφοκτόνους.
10

καί σ᾽ οὐδὲν εἴσω τῆσδε παπταίνειν πύλης

ἔτ᾽ ἔργον ἐστίν, ἐννέπειν δ᾽ ὅτου χάριν

σπουδὴν ἔθου τήνδ᾽, ὡς παρ᾽ εἰδυίας μάθῃς.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ.

ὦ φθέγμ᾽ ᾿Αθάνας, φιλτάτης ἐμοὶ θεῶν,

ὡς εὐμαθές σου, κἂν ἄпоптос ἧς ὅμως,
15

φώνημ᾽ ἀκούω καὶ ξυναρπάζω φρενὶ

χαλκοστόμου κώδωνος ὡς Τυρσηνικῆς.

καὶ νῦν ἐπέγνως εὖ μ᾽ ἐπ᾿ ἀνδρὶ δυσμενεῖ

βάσιν κυκλοῦντ᾽, Αἴαντι τῷ τωι σακεσφόρῳ.

κεῖνον γάρ ᾿κεῖνον γὰρ, οὐδέν ἄλλον, ἰχνεύω πάλαι.
20

νυκτὸς γὰρ ἡμᾶς τῆσδε πρᾶγος ἄσκοπον

ἔχει περάνας, εἴπερ εἴργασται τάδε·

ἴσμεν γὰρ οὐδὲν τρανές, ἀλλ' ἀλώμεθα·

κἀγὼ ᾿θελοντὴς θελοντής τῷδ᾽ ὑπεζύγην πόνῳ.

ἐφθαρμένας γὰρ ἀρτίως εὑρίσκομεν
25

λείας ἁπάσας καὶ κατηναρισμένας

ἐκ χειρὸς αὐτοῖς ποιμνίων ἐπιστάταις ὑποστάταις ἐπιστάταισ.

τήνδ᾽ οὖν ἐκείνῳ ἐκείνω πᾶς τις αἰτίαν αἰτίον (?) νέμει τρέπει.

καί μοί τις ὀπτὴρ αὐτὸν εἰσιδὼν μόνον

πηδῶντα πεδία πεδίω σὺν νεορράντῳ ξίφει
30

φράζει τε κἀδήλωσεν· εὐθέως δ᾽ ἐγὼ

κατ᾽ ἴχνος ἄσσω, καὶ τὰ μὲν σημαίνομαι,

τὰ δ᾽ ἐκπέπληγμαι, κοὐκ ἔχω μαθεῖν ὅπου ὅτου.

καιρὸν δ᾽ ἐφήκεις· πάντα γὰρ τά τ'᾽ οὖν πάρος

τά τ᾽ εἰσέπειτα σῇ κυβερνῶμαι χερί χερί φρενί.
35

ΑΘΗΝΑ.

Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 1-171 focus

Ἀθήνα

ἀεὶ μέν, ὦ παῖ Λαρτίου, δέδορκά σε
1

πεῖράν τινʼ ἐχθρῶν ἁρπάσαι θηρώμενον·

καὶ νῦν ἐπὶ σκηναῖς σε ναυτικαῖς ὁρῶ

Αἴαντος, ἔνθα τάξιν ἐσχάτην ἔχει,

πάλαι κυνηγετοῦντα καὶ μετρούμενον
5

ἴχνη τὰ κείνου νεοχάραχθʼ, ὅπως ἴδῃς

εἴτʼ ἔνδον εἴτʼ οὐκ ἔνδον. εὖ δέ σʼ ἐκφέρει

κυνὸς Λακαίνης ὥς τις εὔρινος βάσις.

ἔνδον γὰρ ἁνὴρ ἄρτι τυγχάνει, κάρα

στάζων ἱδρῶτι καὶ χέρας ξιφοκτόνους.
10

καί σʼ οὐδὲν εἴσω τῆσδε παπταίνειν πύλης

ἔτʼ ἔργον ἐστίν, ἐννέπειν δʼ ὅτου χάριν

σπουδὴν ἔθου τήνδʼ, ὡς παρʼ εἰδυίας μάθῃς.

Ὀδυσσεύς

ὦ φθέγμʼ Ἀθάνας, φιλτάτης ἐμοὶ θεῶν,

ὡς εὐμαθές σου, κἂν ἄποπτος ᾖς ὅμως,
15

φώνημʼ ἀκούω καὶ ξυναρπάζω φρενὶ

χαλκοστόμου κώδωνος ὡς Τυρσηνικῆς.

καὶ νῦν ἐπέγνως εὖ μʼ ἐπʼ ἀνδρὶ δυσμενεῖ

βάσιν κυκλοῦντʼ, Αἴαντι τῷ σακεσφόρῳ·

κεῖνον γάρ, οὐδένʼ ἄλλον, ἰχνεύω πάλαι.
20

νυκτὸς γὰρ ἡμᾶς τῆσδε πρᾶγος ἄσκοπον

ἔχει περάνας, εἴπερ εἴργασται τάδε·

ἴσμεν γὰρ οὐδὲν τρανές, ἀλλʼ ἀλώμεθα·

κἀγὼ ʼθελοντὴς τῷδʼ ὑπεζύγην πόνῳ.

ἐφθαρμένας γὰρ ἀρτίως εὑρίσκομεν
25

λείας ἁπάσας καὶ κατηναρισμένας

ἐκ χειρὸς αὐτοῖς ποιμνίων ἐπιστάταις.

τήνδʼ οὖν ἐκείνῳ πᾶς τις αἰτίαν νέμει.

καί μοί τις ὀπτὴρ αὐτὸν εἰσιδὼν μόνον

πηδῶντα πεδία σὺν νεορράντῳ ξίφει
30

φράζει τε κἀδήλωσεν· εὐθέως δʼ ἐγὼ

κατʼ ἴχνος ᾄσσω, καὶ τὰ μὲν σημαίνομαι,

τὰ δʼ ἐκπέπληγμαι κοὐκ ἔχω μαθεῖν ὅτου.

καιρὸν δʼ ἐφήκεις· πάντα γὰρ τά τʼ οὖν πάρος

τά τʼ εἰσέπειτα σῇ κυβερνῶμαι χερί.
35

Ἀθήνα

ἔγνων, Ὀδυσσεῦ, καὶ πάλαι φύλαξ ἔβην

τῇ σῇ πρόθυμος εἰς ὁδὸν κυναγίᾳ.

Ὀδυσσεύς

ἦ καί, φίλη δέσποινα, πρὸς καιρὸν πονῶ;

Ἀθήνα

ὡς ἔστιν ἀνδρὸς τοῦδε τἄργα ταῦτά σοι.

Ὀδυσσεύς

καὶ πρὸς τί δυσλόγιστον ὧδʼ ᾖξεν χέρα;
40

Ἀθήνα

χόλῳ βαρυνθεὶς τῶν Ἀχιλλείων ὅπλων.

Ὀδυσσεύς

τί δῆτα ποίμναις τήνδʼ ἐπεμπίπτει βάσιν;

Ἀθήνα

δοκῶν ἐν ὑμῖν χεῖρα χραίνεσθαι φόνῳ.

Ὀδυσσεύς

ἦ καὶ τὸ βούλευμʼ ὡς ἐπʼ Ἀργείοις τόδʼ ἦν;

Ἀθήνα

κἂν ἐξεπράξατʼ, εἰ κατημέλησʼ ἐγώ.
45

Ὀδυσσεύς

ποίαισι τόλμαις ταῖσδε καὶ φρενῶν θράσει;

Ἀθήνα

νύκτωρ ἐφʼ ὑμᾶς δόλιος ὁρμᾶται μόνος.

Ὀδυσσεύς

ἦ καὶ παρέστη κἀπὶ τέρμʼ ἀφίκετο;

Ἀθήνα

καὶ δὴ ʼπὶ δισσαῖς ἦν στρατηγίσιν πύλαις.

Ὀδυσσεύς

καὶ πῶς ἐπέσχε χεῖρα μαιμῶσαν φόνου;
50

Ἀθήνα

ἐγώ σφʼ ἀπείργω, δυσφόρους ἐπʼ ὄμμασι

γνώμας βαλοῦσα τῆς ἀνηκέστου χαρᾶς,

καὶ πρός τε ποίμνας ἐκτρέπω σύμμικτά τε

λείας ἄδαστα βουκόλων φρουρήματα·

ἔνθʼ εἰσπεσὼν ἔκειρε πολύκερων φόνον
55

κύκλῳ ῥαχίζων· κἀδόκει μὲν ἔσθʼ ὅτε

δισσοὺς Ἀτρείδας αὐτόχειρ κτείνειν ἔχων,

ὅτʼ ἄλλοτʼ ἄλλον ἐμπίτνων στρατηλατῶν.

ἐγὼ δὲ φοιτῶντʼ ἄνδρα μανιάσιν νόσοις

ὤτρυνον, εἰσέβαλλον εἰς ἕρκη κακά.
60

κἄπειτʼ ἐπειδὴ τοῦδʼ ἐλώφησεν πόνου,

τοὺς ζῶντας αὖ δεσμοῖσι συνδήσας βοῶν

ποίμνας τε πάσας εἰς δόμους κομίζεται,

ὡς ἄνδρας, οὐχ ὡς εὔκερων ἄγραν ἔχων,

καὶ νῦν κατʼ οἴκους συνδέτους αἰκίζεται.
65

δείξω δὲ καὶ σοὶ τήνδε περιφανῆ νόσον,

ὡς πᾶσιν Ἀργείοισιν εἰσιδὼν θροῇς.

θαρσῶν δὲ μίμνε μηδὲ συμφορὰν δέχου

τὸν ἄνδρʼ· ἐγὼ γὰρ ὀμμάτων ἀποστρόφους

αὐγὰς ἀπείρξω σὴν πρόσοψιν εἰσιδεῖν.
70

οὗτος, σὲ τὸν τὰς αἰχμαλωτίδας χέρας

δεσμοῖς ἀπευθύνοντα προσμολεῖν καλῶ·

Αἴαντα φωνῶ· στεῖχε δωμάτων πάρος.

Ὀδυσσεύς

τί δρᾷς, Ἀθάνα; μηδαμῶς σφʼ ἔξω κάλει.

Ἀθήνα

οὐ σῖγʼ ἀνέξει μηδὲ δειλίαν ἀρεῖ;
75

Ὀδυσσεύς

μὴ πρὸς θεῶν, ἀλλʼ ἔνδον ἀρκείτω μένων.

Ἀθήνα

τί μὴ γένηται; πρόσθεν οὐκ ἀνὴρ ὅδʼ ἦν;

Ὀδυσσεύς

ἐχθρός γε τῷδε τἀνδρὶ καὶ τανῦν ἔτι.

Ἀθήνα

οὔκουν γέλως ἥδιστος εἰς ἐχθροὺς γελᾶν;

Ὀδυσσεύς

ἐμοὶ μὲν ἀρκεῖ τοῦτον ἐν δόμοις μένειν.
80

Ἀθήνα

μεμηνότʼ ἄνδρα περιφανῶς ὀκνεῖς ἰδεῖν;

Ὀδυσσεύς

φρονοῦντα γάρ νιν οὐκ ἂν ἐξέστην ὄκνῳ.

Ἀθήνα

ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ νῦν σε μὴ παρόντʼ ἴδῃ πέλας.

Ὀδυσσεύς

πῶς, εἴπερ ὀφθαλμοῖς γε τοῖς αὐτοῖς ὁρᾷ;

Ἀθήνα

ἐγὼ σκοτώσω βλέφαρα καὶ δεδορκότα.
85

Ὀδυσσεύς

γένοιτο μέντἂν πᾶν θεοῦ τεχνωμένου.

Ἀθήνα

σίγα νυν ἑστὼς καὶ μένʼ ὡς κυρεῖς ἔχων.

Ὀδυσσεύς

μένοιμʼ ἄν· ἤθελον δʼ ἂν ἐκτὸς ὢν τυχεῖν.

Ἀθήνα

ὦ οὗτος, Αἴας, δεύτερόν σε προσκαλῶ.

τί βαιὸν οὕτως ἐντρέπει τῆς συμμάχου;
90

Αἴας

ὦ χαῖρʼ Ἀθάνα, χαῖρε Διογενὲς τέκνον,

ὡς εὖ παρέστης· καί σε παγχρύσοις ἐγὼ

στέψω λαφύροις τῆσδε τῆς ἄγρας χάριν.

Ἀθήνα

καλῶς ἔλεξας· ἀλλʼ ἐκεῖνό μοι φράσον,

ἔβαψας ἔγχος εὖ πρὸς Ἀργείων στρατῷ;
95

Αἴας

κόμπος πάρεστι κοὐκ ἀπαρνοῦμαι τὸ μή.

Ἀθήνα

ἦ καὶ πρὸς Ἀτρείδαισιν ᾔχμασας χέρα;

Αἴας

ὥστʼ οὔποτʼ Αἴανθʼ οἵδʼ ἀτιμάσουσʼ ἔτι.

Ἀθήνα

τεθνᾶσιν ἄνδρες, ὡς τὸ σὸν ξυνῆκʼ ἐγώ.

Αἴας

θανόντες ἤδη τἄμʼ ἀφαιρείσθων ὅπλα.
100

101

Ἀθήνα

εἶεν, τί γὰρ δὴ παῖς ὁ τοῦ Λαερτίου,

ποῦ σοι τύχης ἕστηκεν; ἢ πέφευγέ σε;

Αἴας

ἦ τοὐπίτριπτον κίναδος ἐξήρου μʼ ὅπου;

Ἀθήνα

ἔγωγʼ· Ὀδυσσέα τὸν σὸν ἐνστάτην λέγω.

Αἴας

ἥδιστος, ὦ δέσποινα, δεσμώτης ἔσω
105

θακεῖ· θανεῖν γὰρ αὐτὸν οὔ τί πω θέλω.

Ἀθήνα

πρὶν ἂν τί δράσῃς ἢ τί κερδάνῃς πλέον;

Αἴας

πρὶν ἂν δεθεὶς πρὸς κίονʼ ἑρκείου στέγης.

Ἀθήνα

τί δῆτα τὸν δύστηνον ἐργάσει κακόν;

Αἴας

μάστιγι πρῶτον νῶτα φοινιχθεὶς θάνῃ.
110

Ἀθήνα

μὴ δῆτα τὸν δύστηνον ὧδέ γʼ αἰκίσῃ.

Αἴας

χαίρειν, Ἀθάνα, τἄλλʼ ἐγώ σʼ ἐφίεμαι·

κεῖνος δὲ τίσει τήνδε κοὐκ ἄλλην δίκην.

Ἀθήνα

σὺ δʼ οὖν, ἐπειδὴ τέρψις ἥδε σοι τὸ δρᾶν,

χρῶ χειρί, φείδου μηδὲν ὧνπερ ἐννοεῖς.
115

Αἴας

χωρῶ πρὸς ἔργον· σοὶ δὲ τοῦτʼ ἐφίεμαι,

τοιάνδʼ ἀεί μοι σύμμαχον παρεστάναι.

Ἀθήνα

ὁρᾷς, Ὀδυσσεῦ, τὴν θεῶν ἰσχὺν ὅση;

τούτου τίς ἄν σοι τἀνδρὸς ἢ προνούστερος

ἢ δρᾶν ἀμείνων ηὑρέθη τὰ καίρια;
120

Ὀδυσσεύς

ἐγὼ μὲν οὐδένʼ οἶδʼ· ἐποικτίρω δέ νιν

δύστηνον ἔμπας, καίπερ ὄντα δυσμενῆ,

ὁθούνεκʼ ἄτῃ συγκατέζευκται κακῇ,

οὐδὲν τὸ τούτου μᾶλλον ἢ τοὐμὸν σκοπῶν·

ὁρῶ γὰρ ἡμᾶς οὐδὲν ὄντας ἄλλο πλὴν
125

εἴδωλʼ ὅσοιπερ ζῶμεν ἢ κούφην σκιάν.

Ἀθήνα

τοιαῦτα τοίνυν εἰσορῶν ὑπέρκοπον

μηδέν ποτʼ εἴπῃς αὐτὸς εἰς θεοὺς ἔπος,

μηδʼ ὄγκον ἄρῃ μηδένʼ, εἴ τινος πλέον

ἢ χειρὶ βρίθεις ἢ μακροῦ πλούτου βάθει.
130

ὡς ἡμέρα κλίνει τε κἀνάγει πάλιν

ἅπαντα τἀνθρώπεια· τοὺς δὲ σώφρονας

θεοὶ φιλοῦσι καὶ στυγοῦσι τοὺς κακούς.

134

Χορός

Τελαμώνιε παῖ, τῆς ἀμφιρύτου

Σαλαμῖνος ἔχων βάθρον ἀγχιάλου,
135

σὲ μὲν εὖ πράσσοντʼ ἐπιχαίρω·

σὲ δʼ ὅταν πληγὴ Διὸς ἢ ζαμενὴς

λόγος ἐκ Δαναῶν κακόθρους ἐπιβῇ,

μέγαν ὄκνον ἔχω καὶ πεφόβημαι

πτηνῆς ὡς ὄμμα πελείας.
140

ὡς καὶ τῆς νῦν φθιμένης νυκτὸς

μεγάλοι θόρυβοι κατέχουσʼ ἡμᾶς

ἐπὶ δυσκλείᾳ, σὲ τὸν ἱππομανῆ

λειμῶνʼ ἐπιβάντʼ ὀλέσαι Δαναῶν

βοτὰ καὶ λείαν,
145

ἥπερ δορίληπτος ἔτʼ ἦν λοιπή,

κτείνοντʼ αἴθωνι σιδήρῳ.

τοιούσδε λόγους ψιθύρους πλάσσων

εἰς ὦτα φέρει πᾶσιν Ὀδυσσεύς,

καὶ σφόδρα πείθει· περὶ γὰρ σοῦ νῦν
150

εὔπειστα λέγει, καὶ πᾶς ὁ κλύων

τοῦ λέξαντος χαίρει μᾶλλον

τοῖς σοῖς ἄχεσιν καθυβρίζων.

τῶν γὰρ μεγάλων ψυχῶν ἱεὶς

οὐκ ἂν ἁμάρτοις· κατὰ δʼ ἄν τις ἐμοῦ
155

τοιαῦτα λέγων οὐκ ἂν πείθοι·

πρὸς γὰρ τὸν ἔχονθʼ ὁ φθόνος ἕρπει.

καίτοι σμικροὶ μεγάλων χωρὶς

σφαλερὸν πύργου ῥῦμα πέλονται·

μετὰ γὰρ μεγάλων βαιὸς ἄριστʼ ἂν
160

καὶ μέγας ὀρθοῖθʼ ὑπὸ μικροτέρων.

ἀλλʼ οὐ δυνατὸν τοὺς ἀνοήτους

τούτων γνώμας προδιδάσκειν.

ὑπὸ τοιούτων ἀνδρῶν θορυβεῖ

χἠμεῖς οὐδὲν σθένομεν πρὸς ταῦτʼ
165

ἀπαλέξασθαι σοῦ χωρίς, ἄναξ.

ἀλλʼ ὅτε γὰρ δὴ τὸ σὸν ὄμμʼ ἀπέδραν,

παταγοῦσιν ἅπερ πτηνῶν ἀγέλαι·

μέγαν αἰγυπιὸν δʼ ὑποδείσαντες

τάχʼ ἂν ἐξαίφνης, εἰ σὺ φανείης,
170

σιγῇ πτήξειαν ἄφωνοι.

Translations (5)

English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 1 focus

Oft have I seen thee, Laërtiades,
1

Intent on some surprisal of thy foes;
1

As now I find thee by the seaward camp,

Where Aias holds the last place in your line,

Lingering in quest, and scanning the fresh print

Of his late footsteps, to be certified

If he keep house or no. Right well thy sense

Hath led thee forth, like some keen hound of Sparta!

The man is even but now come home, his head
5

And slaughterous hands reeking with ardent toil.
5

Thou, then, no longer strain thy gaze within

Yon gateway, but declare what eager chase

Thou followest, that a god may give thee light.

ODYSSEUS

Athena, ’tis thy voice! Dearest in heaven,

How well discerned and welcome to my soul

From that dim distance doth thine utterance fly

In tones as of Tyrrhenian trumpet clang!
15

Rightly hast thou divined mine errand here,
15

Beating this ground for Aias of the shield,
15

The lion-quarry whom I track to day.

For he hath wrought on us to night a deed

Past thought—if he be doer of this thing;

We drift in ignorant doubt, unsatisfied—

And I unbidden have bound me to this toil.

Brief time hath flown since suddenly we knew

That all our gathered spoil was reaved and slaughtered,

Flocks, herds, and herdmen, by some human hand,

All tongues, then, lay this deed at Aias’ door.

And one, a scout who had marked him, all alone,

With new-fleshed weapon bounding o’er the plain,
20

Gave me to know it, when immediately
20

I darted on the trail, and here in part

I find some trace to guide me, but in part

I halt, amazed, and know not where to look.

Thou com’st full timely. For my venturous course,

Past or to come, is governed by thy will.

ATH

German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 1 focus

Zu jeder Stunde treff' ich dich, Laertes' Sohn,¹
1

Wie du, den Feind zu greifen, seine Fährt' erspürst;

Auch nun gewahr' ich, wie du hier am Schiffsgezelt²

Des Ajas, der des Lagers lezte Reihe hält,

Schon lange schleichst und lauerst und von seinem Tritt
5

Die frischgeprägten Spuren prüfst, um auszuspäh'n,

Ob innen er, ob außen: glücklich führt dich auch

Dein Schritt an's Ziel, scharfwitternd, gleich dem Sparterhund.³

Denn eben ist er innen, und von Schweiße triest

Das Haupt des Mannes und die mordbewehrte Hand.
10

Und nöthig hast du weiter nicht, am Thore hier

Hineinzulauschen; aber sprich, warum du so

Voll Eifer spähtest, gerne geb' ich dir Bescheid.

Odysseus.

O Stimm' Athene's, Göttin, mir vor allen lieb!

Denn deutlich tönt mir, sieht dich auch mein Auge nicht,
15

Dein Ruf; mein Herz ergreift er, gleich tyrrhenischer⁴

Drommeten Schalle, welcher tönt aus Erzesmund.

Auch jezt (du sahest richtig) kreist um einen Feind⁵

Mein Schritt, um Ajas, den der Riesenschild bedeckt;

Nach ihm, und keinem Andern, spür' ich lange schon.
20

Er hat ein unerhörtes Werk in dieser Nacht

An uns vollendet, ward von ihm die That verübt;

Denn nichts Gewisses wissen wir und schwanken noch;

Ich übernahm freiwillig diesen Späherdienst.

Denn hingeschlachtet finden wir jezt eben erst
25

Die Beuteheerden allzumal, von frevler Hand

Gemordet samt den Hütern auf der Weide dort,

Und Alle wälzen diese Schuld dem Ajas zu.

Auch hat ein Augenzeuge, der das Feld hindurch

Allein mit blutgetränktem Stahl ihn rennen sah,
30

Es mir gesagt und offenbart; ich eile flugs

Des Mannes Spur nach, finde bald ein Zeichen auf,

Bald steh' ich zweifelnd, und gewiß erkenn' ich Nichts.

Du kommst mir recht gelegen; denn in Allem ja,

Wie früher, so auch künftig, lenkt mich deine Hand.
35

Athene.

English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 1 focus

Son of Laertes, thy unwearied spirit
1

Is ever watchful to surprise the foe ;
1

I have observed thee wandering midst the tents

At th' utmost verge, and meas'ring o'er his steps

But late impressed ; like Sparta's hounds of scent

Sagacious dost thou trace him, nor in vain ;
5

For know, the man thou seekst is not far from thee :

Yonder he lies, with reeking brow and hands

Deep-stained with gore ; cease then thy search, and tell

Minerva, dearest of th' immortal powers,

not, that well-known

Doth like the Tyrrhene trump awake my soul,

Right hast thou s£iid, I come to search my foe,
15

A deed of horror hath he done this night,
15

If it be he, for yet we are to know

The certain proof, and therefoi'e came I here

A willing messenger : the cattle all,

Our flocks and herds, are with their shepherds slain.

One of our spies, who saw him on the plain,

His sword still reeking with fresh blood, confirmed it

Instant 1 fled to search him, and sometimes

I trace his footsteps, which again I lose

I know not how ; in happy hour thou com'st

To aid me, Goddess ; thy pi'otecting hand
20

Hath ruled me ever, and to thee I trust
20

My future fate.

'Min. I know it well, Ulysses,

And therefore come to guard and to assist thee

Propitious to thy purpose.

Ulysses

English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 1 focus

Son of Laertes, oft have I observed
1

Thy watchful promptness 'gainst the foe to seize
1

Each fit occasion; and I see thee now

Ranging long time around the naval tent

Marking the fresh impression of his steps,

That thou may'st know if in the tent he rests.

Well hast thou traced him, like the Spartan hound

Of scent sagacious: in the tent he rests,

Sweat from his temples streaming, and his hands
5

With slaughter stain'd; to cast thy searching eye
5

Within these gates is needless; but declare

The cause productive of this anxious toil,

That by my knowledge thou may'st be inform'd.

Ulysses

Ye accents of Minerva, of the gods

Minerva

English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 1-170 focus

Athena

Always, son of Laertes , have I observed you on the prowl to snatch some means of attack against your enemies. So now at the tent of Ajax by the ships where he has his post at the camp’s outer edge, I watch you
1

for a long time as you hunt and scan his newly pressed tracks, in order to see whether he is inside or away. Your course leads you well to your goal, like that of a keen-scenting Laconian hound. For the man has just now gone in,
5

with sweat dripping from his head and from his hands that have killed with the sword. There is no further need for you to peer inside these doors. Rather tell me what your goal is that you have shown such eagerness for, so that you may learn from her who holds the knowledge.
10

Odysseus

Voice of Athena, dearest to me of the gods,

how clearly, though you are unseen, do I hear your call and snatch its meaning in my mind, just as I would the bronze tongue of the Tyrrhenian trumpet! And now you have discerned correctly that I am circling my path on the track of a man who hates me, Ajax the shield-bearer.
15

It is he and no other that I have been tracking so long. For tonight he has done us a deed beyond comprehension—if he is indeed the doer. We know nothing for certain, but drift in doubt. And so I of my of accord took up the burden of this search.
20

For we recently found all the cattle, our plunder, dead—yes, slaughtered by human hand—and with them the guardians of the flocks.
Now, all men lay responsibility for this crime to him. And further, a scout who had seen him
25

bounding alone over the plain with a newly-wet sword reported to me and declared what he saw. Then immediately I rush upon his track, and sometimes I follow his signs, but sometimes I am bewildered, and cannot read whose they are. Your arrival is timely, for truly in all matters, both those of the past
30

and those of the future, it is your hand that steers me.
35

Athena

I know it, Odysseus, and some time ago I came on the path as a lookout friendly to your hunt.

Odysseus

And so, dear mistress, do I toil to good effect?

Athena

Know that that man is the doer of these deeds.

Odysseus

Then to what end did he thrust his hand so senselessly?
40

Athena

He was mad with anger over the arms of Achilles.

Odysseus

Why, then, his onslaught upon the flocks?

Athena

It was in your blood, he thought, that he was staining his hand.

Odysseus

Then was this a plot aimed against the Greeks?

Athena

Yes, and he would have accomplished it, too, had I not been attentive.
45

Odysseus

And what reckless boldness was in his mind that he dared this?

Athena

Under night’s cover he set out against you, by stealth and alone.

Odysseus

And did he get near us? Did he reach his goal?

Athena

He was already at the double doors of the two generals.

Odysseus

How, then, did he restrain his hand when it was eager for murder?
50

Athena

It was I who prevented him, by casting over his eyes oppressive notions of his fatal joy, and I who turned his fury aside on the flocks of sheep and the confused droves guarded by herdsmen, the spoil which you had not yet divided.

Then he fell upon them and kept cutting out a slaughter of many horned beasts as he split their spines in a circle around him. At one time he thought that he was killing the two Atreidae, holding them in his very hand; at another time it was this commander, and at another that one which he attacked. And I, while the man ran about in diseased frenzy,
55

I kept urging him on, kept hurling him into the snares of doom. Soon, when he rested from this toil, he bound together the living oxen along with with all the sheep and brought them home, as though his quarry were men, not well-horned cattle. And now he abuses them, bound together, in the house.
But to you also will I show this madness openly, so that when you have seen it you may proclaim it to all the Argives. Be of good courage and stand your ground, and do not regard the man as a cause of disaster for you. I will turn away the beams of his eyes
60

and keep them from landing on your face.
70
To Ajax.

You there, you who bind back your captive’s arms, I am calling you, come here! I am calling Ajax! Come out in front of the house!

Odysseus

What are you doing, Athena? Do not call him out.

Athena

Hold your peace! Do not earn a reputation for cowardice!
75

Odysseus

No, by the gods, let it content you that he stay inside.

Athena

What is the danger? Was he not a man before?

Odysseus

Yes, a man hostile to me in the past, and especially now.

Athena

And is not the sweetest mockery the mockery of enemies?

Odysseus

I am content that he stay within his tent.
80

Athena

Do you fear to see a madman right before your eyes?

Odysseus

I would not shrink from him in fear, if he were sane.

Athena

But he will not see you now, even though you stand nearby.

Odysseus

How could that be, if he still sees with the same eyes?

Athena

I shall darken them, though their sight is keen.
85

Odysseus

It is true: all is possible when a god contrives.

Athena

Stand silent, then, and stay where you are.

Odysseus

I must stay. But I would prefer to be far from here!

Athena

You there, Ajax, once again I call you! Why do you show so little regard for your ally?

Enter Ajax, holding a blood-stained whip in his hand.

Ajax

Welcome, Athena! Welcome, daughter sprung from Zeus! How well have you stood by me! I will crown you with trophies of pure gold in gratitude for this quarry!

Athena

A fine pledge. But tell me this—have you dyed your sword well in the Greek army?

Ajax

I can make that boast. I do not deny it.

Athena

And have you launched your armed hand against the Atreidae?

Ajax

Yes, so that never again will they dishonor Ajax.

Athena

The men are dead, as I interpret your words.

Ajax

Dead they are. Now let them rob me of my arms!
100

101

Athena

I see. And the son of Laertes , how does his fortune with respect to you? Has he escaped you?

Ajax

That blasted fox! You ask me where he is?

Athena

Yes, I do. I mean Odysseus, your adversary.

Ajax

My most pleasing prisoner, mistress, he sits inside. I do not wish him to die just yet.
105

Athena

Until you do what? Or win what greater advantage?

Ajax

Until he be bound to a pillar beneath my roof—

Athena

What evil, then, will you inflict on the poor man?

Ajax

—and have his back crimsoned by the lash, before he dies.
110

Athena

Do not abuse the poor man so cruelly!

Ajax

In all else, Athena, I bid you take your pleasure, but he will pay this penalty and no other.

Athena

Well, then, since it delights you to do so, put your arm to use; spare no portion of your plan.

Ajax

I go to my work. And I give you this commission: be always for me the close-standing ally that you have been for me today!

Exit Ajax.

Athena

Do you see, Odysseus, how great is the strength of the gods? Whom could you have found more prudent than this man,

or better able to do what the situation demanded?
120

Odysseus

I know of no one, but in his misery I pity him all the same, even though he hates me, because he is yoked beneath a ruinous delusion—I think of my own lot no less than his.

For I see that all we who live are nothing more than phantoms or fleeting shadow.
125

Athena

Therefore since you witness his fate, see that you yourself never utter an arrogant word against the gods, nor assume any swelling pride, if in the scales of fate you are weightier

than another in strength of hand or in depth of ample wealth. For a day can press down all human things, and a day can raise them up. But the gods embrace men of sense and abhor the evil.
130
Exit Odysseus and Athena.

134

Enter the Chorus of Salaminian Sailors, followers of Ajax.

Chorus

Son of Telamon, you who hold

your throne on wave-washed Salamis near the open sea, when your fortune is fair, I rejoice with you. But whenever the stroke of Zeus, or the raging rumor of the Danaans with the clamor of their evil tongues attacks you, then I shrink with great fear and shudder in terror,
135

like the fluttering eye of the winged dove.
Just so with the passing of the night loud tumults oppressed us to our dishonor, telling how you visited the meadow wild with horses and destroyed
140

the cattle of the Greeks, their spoil, prizes of the spear which had not yet been shared, how you killed them with flashing iron.
Such are the whispered slanders that Odysseus moulds and breathes into the ears of all,
145

and he wins much belief. For now he tells tales concerning you that easily win belief, and each hearer rejoices with spiteful scorn at your burdens more than he who told.
Point your shaft at a noble spirit,
150

and you could not miss; but if a man were to speak such things against me, he would win no belief. It is on the powerful that envy creeps. Yet the small without the great are a teetering tower of defence.
155

For the lowly stand most upright and prosperous when allied with the great, and the great when served by less.
But foolish men cannot learn good precepts in these matters beforehand. It is men of this sort that subject you to tumult, and
160

we lack the power to repel these charges without you, O King. For when they have escaped your eye, they chatter like flocking birds. But, terrified by a mighty vulture,
165

perhaps, if you should appear, they would quickly cower without voice in silence.
170

Notes on the current edition

Ajax

1. (vulg. μουmou

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1-133

Current edition Experimental

ΑΘΗΝΑ ἐγνων, Ὀδυσσεῦ, καὶ πάλαι φύλαξ ἔβην τῇ σῇ πρόθυμος εἰς ὁδὸν κυνηγίᾳ.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ ἦ καὶ, φίλη δέσποινα, πρὸς καιρὸν πονῶ;

ΑΘΗΝΑ Ὡς ἔστιν ἀνδρὸς τοῦδε τἄργα ταῦτά σοι.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ Καὶ πρὸς τί δυςλόγιστον ὧδ’ ᾖξεν χέρα; 40

ΑΘΗΝΑ Χόλῳ βαρυνθεὶς τῶν Ἀχιλλείων ὅπλων.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ Τί δῆτα ποίμναις τήνδ’ ἐπεμπίπτει βάσιν;

ΑΘΗΝΑ Δοκῶν ὲν ὑμῖν χεῖρα χραίνεσθαι φόνῳ.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ ἦ καὶ τὸ βούλευμ’ ὡς ἐπ’ Ἀργείοις τόδ’ ἦν;

ΑΘΗΝΑ Κὰν ὲξἐπραξεν, εἰ κατημέλησ’ ἐγώ. 45

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ Ποίαισι τόλμαις ταῖςδε καὶ φρενῶν θράσει;

ΑΘΗΝΑ Νύκτωρ ὲφ’ ὑμάς δόλιος ὁρμᾶται μόνος.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ Ἡ καὶ παρέστη κἀπὶ τἐρμ’ ἀφίκετο;

ΑΘΗΝΑ Καὶ δὴ ’πὶ δισσαῖς ἦν στρατηγίσιν πύλαις.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ Καὶ πῶς ἐπέσχε χεῖρα μαιμῶσαν φόνου; 50

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ Τί δρᾷς, Ἀθάνα; μηδαμῶς σφ’ ἔξω κάλει.

ΑΘΗΝΑ Οὐ σῖγ’ ἀνέξει, μηδὲ δειλίαν ἀρεῖς; 75

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ μὴ πρὸς θεῶν· ἀλλ’ ἔνδον ἀρκείτω μένων.

ΑΘΗΝΑ Τί μὴ γένηται; πρόςθεν οὐκ ἀνὴρ ὅδ’ ἦν;

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ ἐχθρός γε τῷδε τἀνδρὶ καὶ τανῦν ἔτι.

ΑΘΗΝΑ Οὔκουν γέλως ἥδιστος εἰς ἐχθροὺς γελᾷν;

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ ἐμοὶ μὲν ἀρκεῖ τοῦτον ὲν δόμοις μένειν. 80

ΑΘΗΝΑ Μεμῃνότ’ ἄνδρα περιφανῶς ὀκνεῖς ἰδεῖν;

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ Φρονοῦντα γάρ νιν οὐκ ἂν ἐξέστην ὄκνῳ.

ΑΘΗΝΑ Ἀλλ’ οὐδὲ νῦν σε μὴ παρόντ’ ἴδῃ πέλας.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ Πῶς, εἴπερ ὀφθαλμοῖς γε τοῖς αὐτοῖς ὁρᾷ;

ΑΘΗΝΑ ἐγὼ σκοτώσω βλέφαρα καὶ δεδορκότα. 85

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ Γένοιτο μέντ’ ἂν πᾶν, θεοῦ τεχνωμένου.

ΑΘΗΝΑ Σίγα νυν ἑστὼς καὶ μέν’ ὡς κυρεῖς ἔχων.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ Μένοιμ’ ἄν· ἤθελον δ’ ἂν ἐκτὸς ὢν τυχεῖν.

ΑΘΗΝΑ ὦ οὗτος, Αἴας, δεύτερόν σε προςκαλῶ. τί βαιὸν οὕτως ἐντρέπει τῆς ξυμμάχου; 90

ΑΙΑΣ Κόμπος πάρεστι κοὐκ ἀπαρνοῦμαι τὸ μή.

ΑΘΗΝΑ ἦ καὶ πρὸς Ἀτρείδαισιν ᾔχμασας χέρα;

ΑΙΑΣ ὥστ’ οὔποτ’ Αἴαντ’ οἵδ’ ἀτιμάσουσ’ ἔτι.

ΑΘΗΝΑ τεθνᾶσιν ἅνδρες, ὡς τὸ σὸν ζυνὴκ’ ἐγώ;

ΑΙΑΣ Θανόντες ἤδη τἄμ’ ἀφαιρείσθων ὅπλα. 100

ΑΘΗΝΑ εἶεν· τί γὰρ δὴ παῖς ὁ τοῦ Λαερτίου; ποῦ σοι τύχης ἕστηκεν; ἢ πέφευγέ σε;

ΑΙΑΣ ἦ τοὐπίτριπτον κίναδος ἐξήρου μ’, ὅπου;

ΑΘΗΝΑ Ἔγωγ’· Ὀδυσσέα, τὸν σὸν ἐνστάτην, λέγω.

ΑΙΑΣ ἥδιστος, ὦ δέσποινα, δεσμώτης ἔσω 105 θακεῖ· θανεῖν γὰρ αὐτὸν οὔ τί πω θέλω.

ΑΘΗΝΑ Πρὶν ἂν τί δρόσης ἢ τί κερδάνῃς πλέον;

ΑΙΑΣ Πρὶν ἂν δεθεὶς πρὸς κίον’ ἑρκείου στέγης —

ΑΘΗΝΑ Τί δῆτα τὸν δύστηνον ἐργάσει κακόν;

ΑΙΑΣ Μάστιγι πρῶτον νῶτα φοινιχθεὶς θάνῃ. 110

ΑΘΗΝΑ Mὴ δῆτα τὸν δύστηνον ὧδέ γ’ αἰκίσῃ.

ΑΙΑΣ Χαίρειν, Ἀθάνα, τἄλλ’ ἐγώ σ’ ἐφίεμαι, κεῖνος δὲ τίσει τήνδε κοὐκ ἄλλην δίκην.

ΑΘΗΝΑ Σὺ δ’ οὖν, ἐπειδὴ τέρψις ἥδε σοι τὸ δρᾷν, χρῶ χειρί· φείδου μηδὲν ὧνπερ ὲννοεῖς. 115

ΑΙΑΣ Χωρῶ πρὸς ἔργον· τοῦτό σοι δ’ ἐφίεμαι, τοιάνδ’ ἀεί μοι ξύμμαχον παρεστάναι.

ΑΘΗΝΑ Ὁρᾷς, Ὀδυσσεῦ, τὴν θεῶν ἰσχὺν, ὅση; τούτου τις ἄν σοι τἀνδρὸς ἢ προνούστερος, ἢ δρᾷν ἀμείνων εὑρέθη τὰ καίρια; 120

Ἀθήνα ἔγνων, Ὀδυσσεῦ, καὶ πάλαι φύλαξ ἔβην τῇ σῇ πρόθυμος εἰς ὁδὸν κυναγίᾳ.

Ὀδυσσεύς ἦ καί, φίλη δέσποινα, πρὸς καιρὸν πονῶ;

Ἀθήνα ὡς ἔστιν ἀνδρὸς τοῦδε τἄργα ταῦτά σοι.

Ὀδυσσεύς καὶ πρὸς τί δυσλόγιστον ὧδʼ ᾖξεν χέρα; 40

Ἀθήνα χόλῳ βαρυνθεὶς τῶν Ἀχιλλείων ὅπλων.

Ὀδυσσεύς τί δῆτα ποίμναις τήνδʼ ἐπεμπίπτει βάσιν;

Ἀθήνα δοκῶν ἐν ὑμῖν χεῖρα χραίνεσθαι φόνῳ.

Ὀδυσσεύς ἦ καὶ τὸ βούλευμʼ ὡς ἐπʼ Ἀργείοις τόδʼ ἦν;

Ἀθήνα κἂν ἐξέπραξεν, εἰ κατημέλησʼ ἐγώ. 45

Ὀδυσσεύς ποίαισι τόλμαις ταῖσδε καὶ φρενῶν θράσει;

Ἀθήνα νύκτωρ ἐφʼ ὑμᾶς δόλιος ὁρμᾶται μόνος.

Ὀδυσσεύς ἦ καὶ παρέστη κἀπὶ τέρμʼ ἀφίκετο; 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Ἀθήνα καὶ δὴ ʼπὶ δισσαῖς ἦν στρατηγίσιν πύλαις.

Ὀδυσσεύς καὶ πῶς ἐπέσχε χεῖρα μαιμῶσαν φόνου; 50

Ὀδυσσεύς τί δρᾷς, Ἀθάνα; μηδαμῶς σφʼ ἔξω κάλει.

Ἀθήνα οὐ σῖγʼ ἀνέξῃ μηδὲ δειλίαν ἀρῇ 75 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

Ὀδυσσεύς μὴ πρὸς θεῶν· ἀλλʼ ἔνδον ἀρκείτω μένων.

Ἀθήνα τί μὴ γένηται; πρόσθεν οὐκ ἀνὴρ ὅδʼ ἦν;

Ὀδυσσεύς ἐχθρός γε τῷδε τἀνδρὶ καὶ τανῦν ἔτι.

Ἀθήνα οὔκουν γέλως ἥδιστος εἰς ἐχθροὺς γελᾶν;

Ὀδυσσεύς ἐμοὶ μὲν ἀρκεῖ τοῦτον ἐν δόμοις μένειν. 80

Ἀθήνα μεμηνότʼ ἄνδρα περιφανῶς ὀκνεῖς ἰδεῖν;

Ὀδυσσεύς φρονοῦντα γάρ νιν οὐκ ἂν ἐξέστην ὄκνῳ.

Ἀθήνα ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ νῦν σε μὴ παρόντʼ ἴδῃ πέλας.

Ὀδυσσεύς πῶς, εἴπερ ὀφθαλμοῖς γε τοῖς αὐτοῖς ὁρᾷ;

Ἀθήνα ἐγὼ σκοτώσω βλέφαρα καὶ δεδορκότα. 85

Ὀδυσσεύς γένοιτο μέντἂν πᾶν θεοῦ τεχνωμένου.

Ἀθήνα σίγα νυν ἑστὼς καὶ μένʼ ὡς κυρεῖς ἔχων.

ΑΘΗΝΑ

ἐγνων, Ὀδυσσεῦ, καὶ πάλαι φύλαξ ἔβην

τῇ σῇ πρόθυμος εἰς ὁδὸν κυνηγίᾳ.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

ἦ καὶ, φίλη δέσποινα, πρὸς καιρὸν πονῶ;

ΑΘΗΝΑ

Ὡς ἔστιν ἀνδρὸς τοῦδε τἄργα ταῦτά σοι.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

Καὶ πρὸς τί δυςλόγιστον ὧδ’ ᾖξεν χέρα;
40

ΑΘΗΝΑ

Χόλῳ βαρυνθεὶς τῶν Ἀχιλλείων ὅπλων.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

Τί δῆτα ποίμναις τήνδ’ ἐπεμπίπτει βάσιν;

ΑΘΗΝΑ

Δοκῶν ὲν ὑμῖν χεῖρα χραίνεσθαι φόνῳ.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

ἦ καὶ τὸ βούλευμ’ ὡς ἐπ’ Ἀργείοις τόδ’ ἦν;

ΑΘΗΝΑ

Κὰν ὲξἐπραξεν, εἰ κατημέλησ’ ἐγώ.
45

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

Ποίαισι τόλμαις ταῖςδε καὶ φρενῶν θράσει;

ΑΘΗΝΑ

Νύκτωρ ὲφ’ ὑμάς δόλιος ὁρμᾶται μόνος.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

Ἡ καὶ παρέστη κἀπὶ τἐρμ’ ἀφίκετο;

ΑΘΗΝΑ

Καὶ δὴ ’πὶ δισσαῖς ἦν στρατηγίσιν πύλαις.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

Καὶ πῶς ἐπέσχε χεῖρα μαιμῶσαν φόνου;
50

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

Τί δρᾷς, Ἀθάνα; μηδαμῶς σφ’ ἔξω κάλει.

ΑΘΗΝΑ

Οὐ σῖγ’ ἀνέξει, μηδὲ δειλίαν ἀρεῖς;
75

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

μὴ πρὸς θεῶν· ἀλλ’ ἔνδον ἀρκείτω μένων.

ΑΘΗΝΑ

Τί μὴ γένηται; πρόςθεν οὐκ ἀνὴρ ὅδ’ ἦν;

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

ἐχθρός γε τῷδε τἀνδρὶ καὶ τανῦν ἔτι.

ΑΘΗΝΑ

Οὔκουν γέλως ἥδιστος εἰς ἐχθροὺς γελᾷν;

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

ἐμοὶ μὲν ἀρκεῖ τοῦτον ὲν δόμοις μένειν.
80

ΑΘΗΝΑ

Μεμῃνότ’ ἄνδρα περιφανῶς ὀκνεῖς ἰδεῖν;

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

Φρονοῦντα γάρ νιν οὐκ ἂν ἐξέστην ὄκνῳ.

ΑΘΗΝΑ

Ἀλλ’ οὐδὲ νῦν σε μὴ παρόντ’ ἴδῃ πέλας.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

Πῶς, εἴπερ ὀφθαλμοῖς γε τοῖς αὐτοῖς ὁρᾷ;

ΑΘΗΝΑ

ἐγὼ σκοτώσω βλέφαρα καὶ δεδορκότα.
85

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

Γένοιτο μέντ’ ἂν πᾶν, θεοῦ τεχνωμένου.

ΑΘΗΝΑ

Σίγα νυν ἑστὼς καὶ μέν’ ὡς κυρεῖς ἔχων.

ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ

Μένοιμ’ ἄν· ἤθελον δ’ ἂν ἐκτὸς ὢν τυχεῖν.

ΑΘΗΝΑ

ὦ οὗτος, Αἴας, δεύτερόν σε προςκαλῶ.

τί βαιὸν οὕτως ἐντρέπει τῆς ξυμμάχου;
90

ΑΙΑΣ

Κόμπος πάρεστι κοὐκ ἀπαρνοῦμαι τὸ μή.

ΑΘΗΝΑ

ἦ καὶ πρὸς Ἀτρείδαισιν ᾔχμασας χέρα;

ΑΙΑΣ

ὥστ’ οὔποτ’ Αἴαντ’ οἵδ’ ἀτιμάσουσ’ ἔτι.

ΑΘΗΝΑ

τεθνᾶσιν ἅνδρες, ὡς τὸ σὸν ζυνὴκ’ ἐγώ;

ΑΙΑΣ

Θανόντες ἤδη τἄμ’ ἀφαιρείσθων ὅπλα.
100

ΑΘΗΝΑ

εἶεν· τί γὰρ δὴ παῖς ὁ τοῦ Λαερτίου;

ποῦ σοι τύχης ἕστηκεν; ἢ πέφευγέ σε;

ΑΙΑΣ

ἦ τοὐπίτριπτον κίναδος ἐξήρου μ’, ὅπου;

ΑΘΗΝΑ

Ἔγωγ’· Ὀδυσσέα, τὸν σὸν ἐνστάτην, λέγω.

ΑΙΑΣ

ἥδιστος, ὦ δέσποινα, δεσμώτης ἔσω
105

θακεῖ· θανεῖν γὰρ αὐτὸν οὔ τί πω θέλω.

ΑΘΗΝΑ

Πρὶν ἂν τί δρόσης ἢ τί κερδάνῃς πλέον;

ΑΙΑΣ

Πρὶν ἂν δεθεὶς πρὸς κίον’ ἑρκείου στέγης —

ΑΘΗΝΑ

Τί δῆτα τὸν δύστηνον ἐργάσει κακόν;

ΑΙΑΣ

Μάστιγι πρῶτον νῶτα φοινιχθεὶς θάνῃ.
110

ΑΘΗΝΑ

Mὴ δῆτα τὸν δύστηνον ὧδέ γ’ αἰκίσῃ.

ΑΙΑΣ

Χαίρειν, Ἀθάνα, τἄλλ’ ἐγώ σ’ ἐφίεμαι,

κεῖνος δὲ τίσει τήνδε κοὐκ ἄλλην δίκην.

ΑΘΗΝΑ

Σὺ δ’ οὖν, ἐπειδὴ τέρψις ἥδε σοι τὸ δρᾷν,

χρῶ χειρί· φείδου μηδὲν ὧνπερ ὲννοεῖς.
115

ΑΙΑΣ

Χωρῶ πρὸς ἔργον· τοῦτό σοι δ’ ἐφίεμαι,

τοιάνδ’ ἀεί μοι ξύμμαχον παρεστάναι.

ΑΘΗΝΑ

Ὁρᾷς, Ὀδυσσεῦ, τὴν θεῶν ἰσχὺν, ὅση;

τούτου τις ἄν σοι τἀνδρὸς ἢ προνούστερος,

ἢ δρᾷν ἀμείνων εὑρέθη τὰ καίρια;
120

Ἀθήνα

ἔγνων, Ὀδυσσεῦ, καὶ πάλαι φύλαξ ἔβην

τῇ σῇ πρόθυμος εἰς ὁδὸν κυναγίᾳ.

Ὀδυσσεύς

ἦ καί, φίλη δέσποινα, πρὸς καιρὸν πονῶ;

Ἀθήνα

ὡς ἔστιν ἀνδρὸς τοῦδε τἄργα ταῦτά σοι.

Ὀδυσσεύς

καὶ πρὸς τί δυσλόγιστον ὧδʼ ᾖξεν χέρα;
40

Ἀθήνα

χόλῳ βαρυνθεὶς τῶν Ἀχιλλείων ὅπλων.

Ὀδυσσεύς

τί δῆτα ποίμναις τήνδʼ ἐπεμπίπτει βάσιν;

Ἀθήνα

δοκῶν ἐν ὑμῖν χεῖρα χραίνεσθαι φόνῳ.

Ὀδυσσεύς

ἦ καὶ τὸ βούλευμʼ ὡς ἐπʼ Ἀργείοις τόδʼ ἦν;

Ἀθήνα

κἂν ἐξέπραξεν, εἰ κατημέλησʼ ἐγώ.
45

Ὀδυσσεύς

ποίαισι τόλμαις ταῖσδε καὶ φρενῶν θράσει;

Ἀθήνα

νύκτωρ ἐφʼ ὑμᾶς δόλιος ὁρμᾶται μόνος.

Ὀδυσσεύς

ἦ καὶ παρέστη κἀπὶ τέρμʼ ἀφίκετο;

³⁴⁵⁶⁷⁸⁹¹⁰¹¹¹²¹³¹⁴

Ἀθήνα

καὶ δὴ ʼπὶ δισσαῖς ἦν στρατηγίσιν πύλαις.

Ὀδυσσεύς

καὶ πῶς ἐπέσχε χεῖρα μαιμῶσαν φόνου;
50

Ὀδυσσεύς

τί δρᾷς, Ἀθάνα; μηδαμῶς σφʼ ἔξω κάλει.

Ἀθήνα

οὐ σῖγʼ ἀνέξῃ μηδὲ δειλίαν ἀρῇ
75
¹⁵¹⁶¹⁷¹⁸¹⁹²⁰²¹²²²³²⁴²⁵

Ὀδυσσεύς

μὴ πρὸς θεῶν· ἀλλʼ ἔνδον ἀρκείτω μένων.

Ἀθήνα

τί μὴ γένηται; πρόσθεν οὐκ ἀνὴρ ὅδʼ ἦν;

Ὀδυσσεύς

ἐχθρός γε τῷδε τἀνδρὶ καὶ τανῦν ἔτι.

Ἀθήνα

οὔκουν γέλως ἥδιστος εἰς ἐχθροὺς γελᾶν;

Ὀδυσσεύς

ἐμοὶ μὲν ἀρκεῖ τοῦτον ἐν δόμοις μένειν.
80

Ἀθήνα

μεμηνότʼ ἄνδρα περιφανῶς ὀκνεῖς ἰδεῖν;

Ὀδυσσεύς

φρονοῦντα γάρ νιν οὐκ ἂν ἐξέστην ὄκνῳ.

Ἀθήνα

ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ νῦν σε μὴ παρόντʼ ἴδῃ πέλας.

Ὀδυσσεύς

πῶς, εἴπερ ὀφθαλμοῖς γε τοῖς αὐτοῖς ὁρᾷ;

Ἀθήνα

ἐγὼ σκοτώσω βλέφαρα καὶ δεδορκότα.
85

Ὀδυσσεύς

γένοιτο μέντἂν πᾶν θεοῦ τεχνωμένου.

Ἀθήνα

σίγα νυν ἑστὼς καὶ μένʼ ὡς κυρεῖς ἔχων.

Ὀδυσσεύς

μένοιμʼ ἄν· ἤθελον δʼ ἂν ἐκτὸς ὢν τυχεῖν.

Ἀθήνα

ὦ οὗτος, Αἴας, δεύτερόν σε προσκαλῶ.

τί βαιὸν οὕτως ἐντρέπῃ τῆς συμμάχου;
90

Αἴας

ὦ χαῖρʼ Ἀθάνα, χαῖρε Διογενὲς τέκνον,

ὡς εὖ παρέστης· καί σε παγχρύσοις ἐγὼ

στέψω λαφύροις τῆσδε τῆς ἄγρας χάριν.

Ἀθήνα

καλῶς ἔλεξας. ἀλλʼ ἐκεῖνό μοι φράσον,

ἔβαψας ἔγχος εὖ πρὸς Ἀργείων στρατῷ;
95