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974-1184

The fourth

ἐπεισόδιον

consists of two scenes. (1) 974—1039. Teucer's lament. (2) 1040—1184. Menelaüs forbids the burial of Ajax, and Teucer defies him.

ἄτης … ἐπίσκοπον (from

σκοπός

as=‘mark’), aimed at it, having regard to it: schol.

οὐχ ἡμαρτηκὸς τῆς συμφορᾶς, ἀλλ’ ἐστοχασμένον

. Another gloss,

ἔφορον

, represents the view that

ἐπίσκοπον

is from

σκοπός

as=‘overseer’, and means ‘looking upon’ the

ἄτη

: which yields virtually the same sense. But, in actual usage, this

ἐπίσκοπος

, when figurative, means ‘watching or presiding over.’ In Aesch. Ch. 125 f.,

τοὺς γῆς ἔνερθε δαίμονας κλύειν ἐμὰς | εὐχάς, πατρῴων δωμάτων ἐπισκόπους

, the adj. is best taken with

δαίμονας

, ‘looking upon.’ Hence it is better to suppose the notion of aiming at a mark both here and in Aesch. Eum. 903 ,

ὁποῖα νίκης μὴ κακῆς ἐπίσκοπα

. Herodotus has the literal sense, Aesch. Eum. 3. 35 ,

τίνα εἶδες..οὕτω ἐπίσκοπα τοξεύοντα;

μέλος , said here of a loud lament, denotes the bellowing of oxen in fr. 637

μέλη βοῶν ἄναυλα καὶ ῥακτήρια

(‘discordant’). Euripides applies the word to Nestor's winning eloquence,

τὸ Νεστόρειον εὔγλωττον μέλος

(fr. 899).

ξύναιμον ὄμμ’ , the ‘face’ or ‘form’ of a kinsman: cp. 1004 : El. 903

σύνηθες ὄμμα

(n.): Ph. 171

ξύντροφον ὄμμ’

: Aesch. Ch. 238

ὦ τερπνὸν ὄμμα

(where Herm. reads

ὄνομα

). For

ξύναιμον

, cp. <*>

σοπη. αντ. αὐτάδελφον..κάρα

, Soph. O. C. 1387

συγγενεῖ χερί

ἠμπόληκας =

πέπραγας

, ‘fared’: Hippocr. De morb. II. p. 353 (Kühn)

κάλλιον ἐμπολήσει ὁ ἄνθρωπος

, ‘the patient's state will be better.’ In Aesch. Eum. 631

ἠμποληκότα | τὰ πλεῖστ’ ἄμεινον

(so Herm. , for

ἀμείνον’

), the sense is similar.—Hermann, reading ἠμπόληκά ς’ , explained, ‘Num te morando prodidi?’ This seems clearly less fitting.

ὤμοι

κ.τ.λ.

Cp. El. 1179

οἴμοι ταλαίνης ἆρα τῆσδε συμφορᾶς

ὡς ὧδ’ ἐχόντων : the same phrase in Aesch. Ag. 1393 : so above, Aesch. Ag. 904

ὡς ὧδε τοῦδ’ ἔχοντος αἰάζειν πάρα

, and 281 n. For the neut. plur. part., without subject, cp. El. 1344

τελουμένων εἴποιμ’ ἄν

(n.).—The division of the verse between two speakers (

ἀντιλαβή

) is again used, as in 591 ff., to mark strong emotion. The interruption after

ἐχόντων

has the effect of adding emphasis to the announcement: see on O. C. 645.

περισπερχὲς , done in passionate haste,—fierce and sudden.

σπέρχομαι

often refers to anger, as in Her. 5. 33

ἐσπέρχετο τῷ Ἀρισταγόρῃ

: cp. id. 7. 207

περισπερχεόντων τῇ γνώμῃ ταύτῃ

, ‘being incensed’ at it: Oppian Cyn. 4. 218

περισπερχὴς ὀδύνῃσιν

τί γὰρ ,.. ποῦ … κυρεῖ ..; For the double question, cp. 101 f.

μοι , ethic dat.: 733.

μόνος : referring to

τέκνον

: cp. Il. 22. 84

φίλε τέκνον

: Eur. Andr. 570

τέκνου τε τοῦδ’, ὃν κ.τ.λ. παρὰ σκηναῖσιν

, where Tecmessa had left him at 809.

δῆτ’ αὐτὸν ἄξεις . There is no other example of

δῆτα

as first word of a verse. It is usually read as first word of a clause in Nub. 399 (

καὶ πῶς

)

εἴπερ βάλλει τοὺς ἐπιόρκους, δῆτ’ οὐχὶ Σίμων’ ἐνέπρησεν

..; where, however, Dindorf gives

πῶς οὐχι

(

πῶς δῆτ’

being a variant for

δῆτ’

). There is, however, no reason to doubt it here. With Sophocles the words sometimes run on from the end of one trimeter to the beginning of the next, as if there were no break between the verses. See e.g. 1089

ὅπως | μή

: Ant. 409

πᾶσαν κόνιν σήραντες ἣ κατεῖχε τὸν | νέκυν

: Ph. 263

ὃν οἱ | δισσοὶ στρατηγοί

: O. T. 332

τί ταῦτ’ | ἄλλως ἐλέγχεις;

(Such elision at the end of the verse was remarked by the ancients as peculiar to Sophocles: see on O. T. 29. ) The place of

δῆτα

here is only another example of the same tendency, and is illustrated by that of

ποτέ

in O. T. 1084

οὐκ ἂν ἐξέλθοιμ’ ἔτι | ποτ’ ἄλλος

. This virtual synaphea of trimeters naturally occurs most often in passages where, as here, the speech is excited or rapid.

κενῆς , ‘robbed’ of her young: Bion Idyll. I. 59

χήρα δ’ ἁ Κυθέρεια, κενοὶ δ’ ἀνὰ δώματ’ Ἔρωτες

. The adj. is ‘proleptic’: if the child is not quickly brought, the mother will seek him only to find that she is bereaved. Cp. Ant. 791

δικαίων ἀδίκους φρένας παρασπᾷς

: Aesch. Pers. 298

ἄνανδρον τάξιν ἠρήμου θανών

. Schol.

οἱ γὰρ κυνηγοὶ τηροῦσι τὸν καιρὸν ὁπότε ἔρημοι τῶν μητέρων γίγνονται οἱ σκύμνοι

. —Others take κενῆς as merely ‘separated’ (at this time) from her child: but this would be a strange sense for it.

ἐγκόνει (811) and σύγκαμνε are said, like

ἄξεις

, to Tecmessa, who now hurries away. At v. 1168 she returns with her child, but only as a

κωφὸν πρόσωπον

, whose part is taken by a supernumerary. The actor who has thus far played Tecmessa has to re-appear as Odysseus (or possibly as Agamemnon): see p. 7.

κειμένοις is bitterly added after θανοῦσι , to mark the baseness of the action: ‘the dead—when they have fallen.’ Cp. Nub. 550

κοὐκ ἐτόλμησ’ αὖθις ἐπεμπηδῆσ’ αὐτῷ κειμένῳ

. Aesch. Ag. 884

ὥστε σύγγονον | βροτοῖσι τὸν πεσόντα λακτίσαι πλέον

. There is no reason for changing θανοῦσι (cr. n.).

καὶ μὴν : 794.

τοῦδε , Eurysaces, the subject of vv. 983 ff. The absence of the child does not require us to make

τοῦδε

neuter (‘this matter’). μέλειν might be personal (689), but, in view of

μέλει

, is prob. here the impersonal verb.

ὥσπερ οὖν : Phaedr. p. 242 E

εἰ δ’ ἔστιν, ὥσπερ οὖν ἔστι, θεὸς ἤ τι θεῖον ὁ Ἔρως

ἁπάντων δὴ : cp. 858

πανύστατον δή.

θεαμάτων … προσεῖδον ὀφθαλμοῖς : the redundant phrase denotes the vehemence of his feeling; cp. Ant. 763

σύ τ’ οὐδαμὰ | τοὐμὸν προσόψει κρᾶτ’ ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς ὁρῶν

ὁδός θ’ ὁδῶν πασῶν . The fact that

πασῶν

has been corrected in L from

ἁπασῶν

, the reading of some other MSS., has been regarded as confirming Brunck's conjecture, ὁδῶν θ’ ἁπασῶν ὁδὸς ἀνιάσασα δή . That reading is specious. In support of πασῶν , however, these points should be considered. (1)

ἁπασῶν

could easily arise through the scribe's eye wandering to

ἁπάντων

in 992: and no MS. which has

ἁπασῶν

alters the order of the words

ὁδός θ’ ὁδῶν

. (2) After

τῶν ἁπάντων..θεαμάτων ἄλγιστον

, there is a rhetorical advantage in having

ὁδός θ’ ὁδῶν πασῶν

rather than

ὁδῶν θ’ ἁπασῶν ὁδός

. It is a ‘chiasmus.’ (3) The absence of caesura in

ὁδός θ’ ὁδῶν πασῶν

may have been intentional: .

ἀνιάσασα δή . Here

δή

emphasises the whole phrase

πασῶν ἀνιάσασα μάλιστα

(rather than

πασῶν

only). Cp. Creon's words in Ant. 1212

ἆρα δυστυχεστάτην | κέλευθον ἕρπω τῶν παρελθουσῶν ὁδῶν;

ἣν δὴ· δὴ

emphasises the pron., as in 1029, 1043, 1045, and often.

ὡς ἐπῃσθόμην . On learning that Ajax had left the tent, the Messenger and others had hastened to the camp, to inform Teucer (804). They knew nothing as to the hero's fate. Teucer, who had stayed near the council of chiefs in the hope of mediating (780), then set out to seek Ajax,—going, not, of course, to the tent itself, but to the coast near it. While engaged in the search, he heard the rumour that Ajax was dead.

διώκων expresses eager, rapid search; as the midd.

διώκομαι

denotes speed ( El. 871 ).

κἀξιχνοσκοπούμενος . The act.

ἐξιχνοσκοπεῖν

occurs in Tr. 271 :

ἰχνοσκοπεῖν

in Aesch. Ch. 228.

βάξις , as Ajax had prayed Zeus to apprise Teucer (826).

σου is genitive of the object (221 n.): θεοῦ , of the subject (as in O. C. 447

γένους ἐπάρκεσιν

ἣν τὸ γένος παρέχει

). For the combination, cp. Thuc. 7. 34 § 6

διὰ τὴν τοῦ ἀνέμου ἄπωσιν αὐτῶν

( i.e.

ὅτι ὁ ἄνεμος ἀπωθεῖ αὐτά

, sc.

τὰ ναυάγια

διῆλθ’ Ἀχαιοὺς : Her. 9. 100 (before the battle of Mycale)

ἰοῦσι δέ σφι φήμη.. ἐσέπτατο ἐς τὸ στρατόπεδον πᾶν...ἡ δὲ φήμη διῆλθέ σφι

(ethic dat.)

ὧδε, ὡς οἱ Ἕλληνες τὴν Μαρδονίου στρατιὴν νικῷεν ἐν

Βοιωτοῖσι μαχόμενοι

. As to

φήμη

generally, see on El. 1066.

In sending this

φήμη

to Teucer, Zeus illustrates his attribute of

Πανομφαῖος

( Il. 8. 250 ).

δύστηνος , L's reading, is better attested than δείλαιος : otherwise there is little to choose between them.— ἐκποδὼν μὲν ὢν , merely, ‘while yet absent’ from this spot. It is grammatically possible to take it as=

ὅτι ἐκποδὼν ἦν

, ‘I lamented that I had been absent’ (cp. fr. 667

ἀνδρὸς κακῶς πράσσοντος ἐκποδὼν φίλοι

). But this would be strained; and νῦν δ’ ὁρῶν is decisive in favour of the simpler view.

ὑπεστέναζον : restraining the vehemence of his grief: cp. 322 .

ἴθ’, ἐκκάλυψον . This is said to an attendant. Tecmessa left the scene at v. 989.

ὄμμα , face, or form; 977 n.— τόλμης πικρᾶς , a gen. of quality ( cp. 616 ,

ἔργα..ἀρετᾶς

). The corpse of the self-slain man shows the ‘cruel courage’ that animated him. For the combination of adj. (

δυσθέατον

) with gen., cp. 481 f.: Ph. 72 f.

οὔτ’ ἔνορκος..οὔτε τοῦ πρώτου στόλου

Eustathius (p. 409, 46), whom some critics follow, takes the gen. as depending on ὦ (‘O ghastly form! And alas for the cruel daring!’). But καὶ precludes this.

1006 f. For the dat. μοι followed by the acc. (

ἀρήξαντα

) and inf., cp. Ant. 838 n.: Eur. Med. 814

σοὶ δὲ συγγνώμη λέγειν | τάδ’ ἐστί, μὴ πάσχουσαν, ὡς ἐγώ, κακῶς

1008 The ironical ἦ που (‘methinks’) is reinforced by ἴσως , which goes more closely with the adjectives (‘radiant and benign, doubtless’). Hermann's change of ἴσως to ἰδὼν weakens the passage.— ἐμός θ’ ἅμα is clearly right:

ἐμός τ’ ἴσως

was a mere error caused by the copyist's eye wandering to the next verse. The use of

ἴσως

in the sense of ‘equally’ ( Legg. p. 805 A) is rare.—Teucer's thought is, ‘Telamon is, indeed, my father no less than thine; but he will not welcome me as a son.’

πῶς γὰρ οὔχ ; sc.

δέξεται.

ὅτῳ πάρα (

πάρεστι

).. γελᾶν , ‘the man whose wont it is to wear no brighter smile (than usual), even when he is fortunate.’

μή

is used, not

οὐ

, because

ὅτῳ

here denotes a class or type. For this ‘generic’

μή

, see O. T. 397 n.—

πάρα. πάρεστι

, when thus used, is susceptible of two different shades of meaning. (1) More often it denotes one's situation at some given moment; as in 432,

νῦν γὰρ πάρεστι καὶ δὶς αἰάζειν ἐμοί

. (2) Sometimes, as here, it denotes a trait of character or disposition; cp. Eur. Med. 658

ἀχάριστος ὄλοιθ’ ὅτῳ πάρεστι | μὴ φίλους τιμᾶν

(‘one who is capable of not respecting friendship’). In this sense

πρόσεστι

is more frequent.

The v.l. ἵλεων for ἥδιον is very inferior, and undoubtedly corrupt. It evidently arose from

λεως

in 1009. The force of the comparative here is manifest: ‘If good fortune cannot lessen his gloom, what will his aspect be now? ’

τί κρύψει ; i.e. ‘what thought, however injurious to me, will he leave unspoken?’

ποῖον οὐκ ἐρεῖ κακὸν κ.τ.λ. There should be no comma after

κακόν

ἐρεῖ

here takes a double acc. At the same time the words

τὸν ἐκ δορὸς κ.τ.λ.

express the substance of the taunts.— ἐκ δορὸς γεγῶτα πολεμίου , ‘begotten of the war-spear,’ i.e.

ἐκ δορικτήτου γυναικός

: cp. 1228

τὸν ἐκ τῆς αἰχμαλωτίδος

. Remark that

δόρυ πολέμιον

, which here means hasta bellica, would usu. mean hasta hostilis (as, e.g., in Aesch. Theb. 216 , Aesch. Theb. 416 ): but it would be forced here to understand, ‘begotten from the ranks of the foe.’

κακανδρίᾳ : a word not found elsewhere, except in Rhes. 814.— σέ, φίλτατ’ Αἴας : the place of the pronoun is emphatic: ‘thee’—for whom I would gladly have died.

τὰ σὰ … θανόντος : cp. Eur. Hec. 430

θανούσης ὄμμα

συγκλείσει τὸ σόν.

κράτη , royal prerogatives, as in O. T. 237 , Ant. 173. — δόμους : cp. El. 651

δόμους Ἀτρειδῶν σκῆπτρά τ’ ἀμφέπειν τάδε

δύσοργος , naturally prone to anger: ἐν γήρᾳ βαρύς , choleric, irritable, in his old age. For this sense of

βαρύς

, see on O. T. 673. —Ajax himself felt that, if he went home disgraced, he could not confront his father (462).

πρὸς οὐδὲν , ‘at nothing,’—without cause: cp. 40

πρὸς τί;

971

πρὸς ταῦτα.

εἰς ἔριν θυμούμενος , lit. ‘growing wroth unto quarrelling,’ i.e., so as to provoke a quarrel.

1019 Join ἀπωστὸς with γῆς : cp. O. T. 641

γῆς ἀπῶσαι πατρίδος

, ib. 670

γῆς..ἀπωσθῆναι.

ἀπορριφθήσομαι , ‘cast off’ by his father: cp. O. C. 1383

σὺ δ’ ἔρρ’ ἀπόπτυστός τε κἀπάτωρ ἐμοῦ

. The fulness of phrase is like that in 830

ῥιφθῶ ..πρόβλητος

In the Teucer of Pacuvius, fr. 19 (ed. Ribbeck), Telamon says to Teucer, Te repudio nec recipio: naturam abdico: facesse , i. Pacuvius probably used the lost

Τεῦκρος

of Sophocles, which dealt with the hero's expulsion from Salamis by Telamon. The reference to the subject here may be compared with that in the O. C.(1410) to the theme of the Antigone, and with the allusion in the Philoctetes (1437) to the theme of the poet's lost play, ‘Philoctetes at Troy.’

δοῦλος λόγοισιν … φανείς , ‘made out, represented, in his taunts, to be a slave.’ For

φανείς

, cp. 1241

εἰ πανταχοῦ φανούμεθ’ ἐκ Τεύκρου κακοί

: Aesch. Ag. 593

λόγοις τοιούτοις πλαγκτὸς οὖσ’ ἐφαινόμην

. The vague λόγοισιν could mean either (1) Telamon's words,—schol.,

ταῖς τοῦ πατρὸς λοιδορίαις

,—which is perhaps the best explanation: or (2) the common talk of men.

λόγοισιν

further implies that he is

ἔργῳ ἐλεύθερος

, and this is emphasised by ἀντ’ ἐλευθέρου : cp. Soph. O. T. 454

τυφλὸς..ἐκ δεδορκότος | καὶ πτωχὸς ἀντὶ πλουσίου

παῦρα need not be taken as=

παῦροι

(like

τὰ χρηστὰ

for

τὰς χρηστὰς

in El. 972 ,

τὰ..πανοῦργα

in Ph. 448 , etc.). The sense is simply, ‘few helpful things,’— few resources.

ηὑρόμην , with irony, ‘gained’: Aesch. P. V. 267

θνητοῖς ἀρήγων αὐτὸς ηὑρόμην πόνους

. In Helen. 94 Teucer says,

Αἴας μ’ ἀδελφὸς ὤλεσ’ ἐν Τροίᾳ θανών

τοῦδ’ αἰόλου κνώδοντος , lit., ‘this gleaming spike,’— i.e., the end or point of the sword-blade, projecting through the body of Ajax.

κνώδων

(

κνάω, ὀδούς

) meant any tooth-like prong or spike: see on Ant. 1233 , where the

ξίφους διπλοῖ κνώδοντες

are the cross-pieces of the sword-hilt. Some suppose that here, too,

κνώδοντος

denotes the handle of the sword, against which the corpse is resting. But there are at least two decisive objections to that view,—(1) the singular number, (2) the epithet

αἰόλου

Lycophron borrows the word

κνώδων

from this passage, in alluding to the suicide of Ajax (464):

δυσμενεστάτου ξένων | ἔτυψε δώρῳ σπλάγχνον, ἀρνεύσας λυγρὸν | πήδημα πρὸς κνώδοντος αὐτουργοὺς σφαγάς

.—For the ἄρα after φονέως , cp. 233 n.

εἶδες , ‘seest thou?’ (a rhetorical apostrophe to the corpse). The aor. is used as in Tr. 1221

ἔγνως

(‘thou art right’).

καὶ θανὼν ἀποφθίσειν . As Heracles says of Nessus,

ζῶντά μ’ ἔκτεινεν θανών

, Tr. 1163 (n.). In Homer the fut.

φθίσω

and the aor.

ἔφθισα

always have

ι—

. The Attic poets use

ἔφθισα

with

ι^

( Aesch. Eum. 173 , Soph. O. T. 202 , etc.); this is the only Attic example of the fut.

φθίσω

. (The form

ἀποφθιεῖν

, which Dindorf once read here, has no authority, and is contrary to analogy.)

1028—

σκέψασθε … κἀγὼ τάδε . The grounds on which Morstadt and Nauck reject these twelve verses are considered in the Appendix. It is clear, I think, that the verses are genuine. If they were absent, Teucer's speech would end abruptly with v. 1027, and the Chorus could not well say,

μὴ τεῖνε μακράν

(1040).

ᾧ δὴ τοῦδ’ ἐδωρήθη πάρα , ‘the same with which he had been presented by Ajax.’

δωροῦμαί τινά τινι

, and

δωροῦμαί τινί τι

, are equally good constructions (the former being preferred when the notion of honour is prominent); but, when

δωροῦμαι

is passive, the subject is usually the gift, not the person (see, e.g. , Polit. 274 C, Tim. 47 C). Here, however, the stress marked by ᾧ δὴ is on the identity of the girdle, not of the man; and the subject of

ἐδωρήθη

is Hector.— As to the exchange of gifts between Ajax and Hector ( Il. 7. 303 ff.), see n. on 661.

πρισθεὶς … ἐξ ἀντύγων , firmly bound — gripped from the chariot-rail. The schol. explains

πρισθείς

δεθείς

: Suidas, by

δεθείς, ἐξαφθείς, δεσμευθείς

. The senses of

πρίω

are:—1. To saw. 2. In

πρίειν τοὺς ὀδόντας

, to grind or clench the teeth. Suidas quotes

ἐμπρίσαντες τοὺς ὀδόντας

(said of men under torture). 3. To bite: Soph. fr. 811

ὀδόντι πρῖε τὸ στόμα

. 4. To clutch tightly (as with the teeth). Oppian Opp. Hal. 2. 138 describes a serpent winding its coils round an

ἐχῖνος

(hedgehog):

ἴσχει τ’ ἐμπρίει τε

, ‘he holds and compresses him’ (schol.

πιέζει

). So Hesychius:

πρισμοῖς· ταῖς βιαίοις κατοχαῖς

(‘grips’). Hence

ἀπρίξ, ἄπριγδα

, mordicus, ‘tightly’ (as between the teeth): see above, Opp. Hal. v. 310.

Thus

πρισθείς

is forcibly used here to describe the fatal grip of the girdle, from which Hector could not escape. I do not think that the word was meant also to suggest that the girdle cut into his flesh.—Paley is surely mistaken in explaining

ζωστῆρι πρισθείς

as ‘ lacerated by means of the girdle’:

πρισθείς

could not bear that sense, which is expressed in the next verse by

ἐκνάπτετ’

ἀντύγων , the rail which protected the front and both sides of the chariot (hence the plur.): see on El. 746. ἱππικῶν , as in Homer

ἵπποι

often=‘chariot’: so El. 730

ναυαγίων..ἱππικῶν

, ‘wreck of chariots.’

ἐκνάπτετ’ : cp. Aesch. Pers. 576

κναπτόμενοι..δίνᾳ

(bodies mangled by the waves dashing them against rocks).

κνάπτω, κναφεύς, κναφεῖον

were the older Attic forms:

γνάπτω

, etc., with softening of

, came later.

κναφεύς

appears in an Attic inscr. of the 6th cent. B.C. ( C. I. A. IV. 373 f.): the first trace of the

form seems to be

γναφεῖον

, in an Attic inscr. of 358 B.C. ( C. I. A. II. 817 A, 28): Meisterhans, Gramm. d. Att. Inschr. § 23.

ἔστ’ ἀπέψυξεν βίον . The Homeric Achilles slays Hector in fight, and then drags the corpse ( Il. 22. 395 ff.). Hermann sought to reconcile this verse with Homer by writing,

αἰῶν’ εὖτ’ ἀπέψυξεν βίου

: quoting, for

αἰῶνα βίου

, the author of a

Μελαμποδία

ap. Tzetzes on Lycophron 682,

Ζεῦ πάτερ, εἴθ’ ἥσσω μὲν ἐμοὶ αἰῶνα βίοιο | ὤφελλες δοῦναι

. There, however,

αἰῶνα βίου

means ‘ term of life.’ Euripides could say,

ἀπέπνευσεν αἰῶνα

(fr. 801); but

ἀπέψυξεν αἰῶνα βίου

is surely impossible. It would have been better, for Hermann's purpose, to keep

αἰέν

and

βίον

, merely changing

ἔστ’

εὖτ’

As a matter of verbal criticism, it might be observed that

αἰέν

and

ἔστ’

confirm each other. But the defence of the text rests on broader ground. Evidently we must either reject the whole passage 1028 —1039, as Morstadt and Nauck do, or else leave this verse unaltered. For the parallel between the sword and the girdle, as fatal to their respective recipients, would fail altogether, if the girdle had not been an agent of death to Hector, but merely of insult to his corpse. It is not known whence Sophocles derived this version, which so strangely mars the very climax of the Iliad; possibly from one of the two Cyclic epics, the Aethiopis of Arctînus or the Little Iliad of Lesches, which related the

ὅπλων κρίσις

(see Introd. §§ 2, 3). One thing, at least, seems hardly doubtful. The original motive of this version must have been the same which prompts its use by Sophocles here, —viz., to point the fatal character of Hector's gift to Ajax by connecting a like result with the gift of Ajax to Hector. Two epigrams, attributed to Leontius Scholasticus ( circ. 550 A.D. ), turn on the same legend ( Anthol. 7. 151, 152): see Appendix.

δωρεὰν ἔχων . The form

δωρειά

is quoted by Meisterhans from three Attic inscriptions belonging to the second half of the 5th century B.C.:

δωρεά

appears first in 403 B.C., and does not become the predominant form till the early part of the 3rd century B.C. ( Gramm. § 10. 4). The Hesychian by-form

δωριά

is also significant. Curtius, who remarks that

δωρ‐εά

is properly a collective (like

μυρμηκ‐ιά

etc.), meaning ‘a number of gifts,’ adds: ‘the original form was

δωρειά

, in which the

is of the same kind as that of

ἵππε‐ιο‐ς, ταύρε‐ιο‐ς’

( Etym. vol. II. p. 244, Eng. ed.). Wecklein may be right in giving

δωρειὰν

here.

πρὸς τοῦδ’ , i.e. τοῦ κνώδοντος . This would be clearer if

τόδε..ἔχων

had preceded, but the pronoun (

τήνδε

) has been assimilated to

δωρεὰν

by the ordinary Greek idiom (see on O. C. 88 ,

ταύτην ἔλεξε παῦλαν

Ἐρινὺς … ἐχάλκευσε : so Aesch. Cho. 646

Δίκας δ’ ἐρείδεται πυθμήν

(anvil), |

προχαλκεύει δ’ Αἶσα φασγανουργός

: Aesch. Ag. 1535

δίκην δ’ ἐπ’ ἄλλο πρᾶγμα θηγάνει βλάβης | πρὸς ἄλλαις θηγάναισι Μοῖρα

κἀκεῖνον, τὸν ζωστῆρα

. From

ἐχάλκευσε

a verb of more general sense, such as

εἰργάσατο

, is to be supplied: cp. Her. 4. 106

ἐσθῆτα δὲ φορέουσι τῇ Σκυθικῇ ὁμοίην, γλῶσσαν δὲ ἰδίην

: see also n. on El. 435

πνοαῖσιν ἢ..κόνει | κρύψον νιν

. —Some critics think that

ἐχάλκευσε

might be said of the

ζωστήρ

no less than of the

ξίφος

, because a girdle was often adorned with metal-work (see, e.g., Il. 11. 236 ). This seems a little forced.

δημιουργὸς , a general term for any artificer ( Plat. Rep. 373B

σκευῶν..παντοδαπῶν δημιουργοί

ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν , which has better authority than

ἐγὼ μὲν ἄν

, is also intrinsically better, since

οὖν

serves to link this concluding sentiment with what precedes.—The active μηχανᾶν occurs nowhere else in classical Greek, except in Od. 18. 143

μηχανόωντας

(Apoll. Rhod. 3. 583

ὑπέρβια μηχανόωντες

). Cp. 1129

ἀτίμα

, a solitary instance in Attic of the Homeric verb

ἀτιμᾶν

. In the Thyestes (fr. 247) Sophocles used

ἐντέλλω

as=

ἐντέλλομαι

ἐν γνώμῃ φίλα , acceptable ‘ in his judgment,’ i.e., when he ponders them. Distinguish the phrase in Her. 6. 37

ἦν δὲ ὁ Μιλτιάδης Κροίσῳ..ἐν γνώμῃ γεγονώς

, ‘had won his esteem.’

κεῖνός τ’ ἐκεῖνα κ.τ.λ., an expression of settled conviction, serving to close the speech, as in O. C. 1665 ,

εἰ δὲ μὴ δοκῶ φρονῶν λέγειν

, |

οὐκ ἂν παρείμην οἶσι μὴ δοκῶ φρονεῖν

. Milton imitates this trait of Greek tragic style in Dalila's last words to Samson:—‘ At this whoever envies or repines, | I leave him to his lot, and like my own’ ( Sams. 995). For the sentiment cp. Suppl. 466

σοὶ μὲν δοκείτω ταῦτ’, ἐμοὶ δὲ τἀντία

. Evenus fr. 1. 4 (Bergk)

σοὶ μὲν ταῦτα δοκοῦντ’ ἔστω, ἐμοὶ δὲ τάδε

μὴ τεῖνε μακράν : so Aesch. Ag. 1296

μακρὰν ἔτεινας

: ib. 916

μακρὰν γὰρ ἐξέτεινας

: Eur. Hec. 1177

ὡς δὲ μὴ μακροὺς τείνω λόγους

κακοῖς γελῶν : the simple dat., as in 957

γελᾷ..ἄχεσιν

(n.).

ἃ δὴ , in the sense of

οἷα δή

, is very rare; Simonides Amorg. fr. 1. 3

ἐφήμεροι | ἃ δὴ βότ’ αἰεὶ ζῶμεν

. So

ἃ

without

δὴ

in Nicander Alex. 215 ,

βοάᾳ, ἅ τις ἐμπελάδην φώς κ.τ.λ.

τίς δ’ ἐστὶν ὅντιν’ ἄνδρα , instead of

τίς δ’ ἐστὶν ἀνὴρ ὅντιν’

, the antecedent being attracted into the relative clause: cp. El. 1040

εἴρηκας ὀρθῶς ᾧ σὺ πρόσκεισαι κακῷ

: Tr. 1060 f.

οὔθ’ Ἑλλὰς οὔτ’ ἄγλωσσος οὔθ’ ὅσην ἐγὼ | γαῖαν καθαίρων ἱκόμην

. So in Latin, De Legg. 3. 5. 12 haec est enim , quam Scipio laudat in libris et quam maxime probat temperationem reipublicae.

ᾧ δὴ , dat. of interest (where we might rather have expected the stronger

οὗ χάριν

), as in O. C. 1673

ᾧτινι τὸν πολὺν | ... πόνον...εἴχομεν

, and ib. 508

τοῖς τεκοῦσι γὰρ | οὐδ’ εἰ πονεῖ τις κ.τ.λ.

πλοῦν ἐστείλαμεν , as Ph. 911

τὸν πλοῦν στελεῖν

μαθεῖν οὐ δυσπετής . Menelaüs, king of Lacedaemon ( Od. 11. 460 ), is for Attic Tragedy a type of Spartan harshness and arrogance. In Eur. Andr. 458 he is called

γοργὸς ὁπλίτης

οὗτος, σὲ φωνῶ . In the older printed editions, from the Aldine onwards, a point of some kind is placed after

φωνῶ

, to show that

σὲ φωνῶ

is parenthetic ( cp. 73

Αἴαντα φωνῶ

),—

συγκομίζειν

being taken as an infinitive serving for an imperative. Lobeck, who adheres to this view, remarks that there is no other instance of

φωνῶ τινα

(= iubeo) with infin. This is true; nevertheless it seems probable that

φωνῶ

here is used as a verb of ‘commanding’ with the inf., like

λέγω

( Ph. 101 ),

εἶπον

and

ἐννέπω

( O. C. 932 ),

αὐδῶ

( ib. 1630), and

φημί

(below, O. C. 1108 ).

νεκρὸν … συγκομίζειν , to aid in paying funeral rites to the corpse. For

κομίζειν

, said with ref. to the dead, see El. 1114. In Plut. Sull. 38 ,

ἔφθη τὸ σῶμα συγκομισθέν

, the sense is, ‘the obsequies were already completed’ (

συγ‐

), i.e. the body had been consumed on the pyre.

ἀνήλωσας . Attic inscriptions, from the 5th cent. B.C. onwards, show that the aor. and perf. of

ἀναλόω

regularly took the temporal augment. No unaugmented form (such as

ἀνάλωσα

) occurs in them. See Meisterhans, § 40. 6, who quotes Moeris, p. 23:

ἀνηλωμένον Ἀττικῶς, ἀναλωμένον Ἑλληνικῶς

( i.e. in the

κοινὴ διάλεκτος

The slow movement of the verse (with only quasi-caesura after the 3rd foot) is intended to mark haughty surprise. Cp. Ant. 44

ἦ γὰρ νοεῖς θάπτειν σφ’, ἀπόρρητον πόλει;

δοκοῦντ’ ἐμοί : this is the acc. neut. plur. (not acc. sing. agreeing with

λόγον

), and answers the question

τίνος χάριν

,...the partic. having a causal force: ‘I speak because these things seem good to me,’ etc. (Cp. Aesch. Theb. 1005

δοκοῦντα καὶ δόξαντ’ ἀπαγγέλλειν με χρὴ | δῆμου προβούλοις κ.τ.λ.

)

δοκοῦντα δ’ (

ἐκείνῳ

) ὃς κραίνει στρατοῦ : for the omission of the antecedent in dative, cp. El. 1123

δόθ’, ἥτις ἐστί, προσφέροντες

: Ant. 35

ὃς ἃν τούτων τι δρᾷ

, |

φόνον προκεῖσθαι

.—The full expression would be,

δοκοῦντα μὲν ἐμοί, δοκοῦντα δ’ ἐκείνῳ

: but in such ‘anaphora’ the

μέν

is often omitted: cp. O. C. 1342

στήσω σ’ ἄγων

, |

στήσω δ’ ἐμαυτόν

: Ant. 906 f. (n.).

προθείς , sc.

κελεύεις

, supplied from

ἀνήλωσας λόγον

(1049). Cp. 800

τοῦ ποτ’ ἀνθρώπων μαθών;

( sc.

ἐλπίζει

ἐλπίσαντες … ἄγειν , not

ἄξειν

, because the sense is, ‘having formed the expectation that we were bringing him (to be) an ally,’ etc.; not, ‘that we should bring him.’ So 799

ἐλπίζει φέρειν

, ‘forebodes that it tends.’ Ajax, as Teucer points out at v. 1097, was not ‘brought’ at all, but came of his free will.

ζητοῦντες seems to be rightly explained in the Triclinian scholium by

ἐξετάζοντες

, ‘on trial’: but the use of the word is peculiar: its ordinary sense, when joined with

εὑρίσκω

, may be seen in Ar. Ran. 96

γόνιμον δὲ ποιητὴν ἂν οὐχ εὕροις ἔτι | ζητῶν ἄν

(if you searched for one). Here, it could doubtless mean, ‘on inquiry’ (into the slaughter of the cattle); but this sense is too narrow for the context.

Φρυγῶν = Τρώων . In the Iliad, the Trojans and Phrygians are distinct, though allied, peoples: thus Priam helps the Phrygians against the Amazons ( Il. 3. 184 —189). Post-homeric Greek poets came to use

Φρύγες

as a synonym for

Τρῶες

, because, when Aeolian colonies were first founded in western Mysia, the country was subject to the Phrygians (cp. Kiepert, Anc. Geo. 66). Eur. Hec. 4

Φρυγῶν πόλιν

Τροίαν

: Eur. Or. 1480

Ἕκτωρ ὁ Φρύγιος

στρατῷ ξύμπαντι , as in 726 he is called

ἐπιβουλευτὴς στρατοῦ

. His design had been against the chiefs (57 f.), the authors of his wrong; but that wrong had also embittered him against the whole Greek army (844).

δορί . Several editors write

δόρει

here, on account of the v.l.

ὡς ἐλοιδόρει

: which may, however, have been originally

γρ. ὡς ἕλοι δόρει

, i.e., merely a marginal note of

δόρει

as an alternative form. Metre requires

δόρει

in O. C. 620 , O. C. 1314 , O. C. 1386 : but there is no reason to doubt that Sophocles could also use the ordinary form

δορί

, as Aesch. ( IIIAesch. Ag.) and Eur. ( Eur. Hec. 5 ) certainly did.

θεῶν τις : only Odysseus knows who it was.

ἔσβεσεν : cp. 1149 : O. C. 422

ἔριν κατασβέσειαν

: Critias fr. 1. 40

τὴν ἀνομίαν τε τοῖς φόβοις κατέσβεσεν

τήνδ’ … τύχην , best taken as a ‘cognate’ acc. with θανόντες , like Il. 3. 417

κακὸν οἶτον ὄληαι

, Od. 1. 166

ἀπὁλωλε κακὸν μόρον

. If the words ἣν ὅδ’ εἴληχεν τύχην stood without τήνδ’ , they could be taken as acc. in apposition with

θανόντες ἂν προὐκ

.: but, with

τήνδ’

, such a constr. would be awkward. The easy remedy, λαχόντες for

θανόντες

, should not be admitted; this is a case in which the harder reading is, as such, the more probable.

προὐκείμεθ’ , prostrate in death, as Aesch. Theb. 965

πρόκεισαι

. Cp. above, Aesch. Theb. 427.

αἰσχίστῳ , most ignominious; as they would have been assassinated, not slain in fight. The epithet reflects, in fact, on Ajax; commentators who did not see this suggested the feebler ἐχθίστῳ or ἀθλίῳ .

ἐνήλλαξεν , changed its direction, schol.

ἀντέστρεψε.

μῆλα καὶ ποίμνας , ‘sheep and cattle’:

ποῖμναι

being used here (as in 42 and 300) in the wider sense, so as to include herds of oxen: see 53 n.

1062 f. The acc. αὐτὸν is resumed and more closely defined by σῶμα : cp. 1149 (

βοήν

after

σέ

, etc.): O. T. 819

καὶ τάδ’ οὔτις ἄλλος ἦν | ἢ )γὼ )π’ ἐμαυτῷ τάσδ’ ἀρὰς ὁ προστιθείς

. Similarly Tr. 287 ff.

νιν

after

αὐτόν.

τυμβεῦσαι τάφῳ : Lycophron 154

ἐτύμβευσεν τάφῳ

. Thesm. 885

ποῦ δ’ ἐτυμβεύθη τάφῳ;

ἀμφὶ … ψάμαθον , ‘somewhere on the sand.’ The phrase implies scornful indifference as to the precise place, just as in Eur. Andr. 215

εἰ δ’ ἀμφὶ Θρῄκην

.. |

τύραννον ἔσχες ἄνδρα

, ‘somewhere in Thrace.’ Cp. Il. 11. 706

ἀμφί τε ἄστυ | ἔρδομεν ἱρὰ θεοῖς

, ‘about’ the city, i.e. here and there in it.

χλωρὰν , ‘yellow.’ The epithet serves to call up more vividly a picture of the desolate sea-shore, where the corpse is to lie unburied. Cp. Verg. Aen. 5. 374 fulva moribundum extendit arena.

χλωρός

, primarily an epithet of young verdure (

χλόη

), sometimes means ‘yellow’ or ‘yellowish’; a sense found in the kindred Sanskrit hAris and Lat. helvus (Curt. Etym. § 197). Il. 11. 631

μέλι χλωρόν

. In Ant. 1132 the sense of

χλωρὰ..ἀκτὰ

(‘green’) is defined by the further epithet

πολυστάφυλος

.—The sense ‘moist’ is preferred here by Prof. Campbell (‘that part of the sands which the sea has moistened’).

λευρὰν , the conjecture of Burges ( Eur. Hec. 699

ἐν ψαμάθῳ λευρᾷ

), did not deserve to be received by Wecklein.

ὄρνισι : cp. 830

ῥιφθῶ κυσὶν πρόβλητος οἰωνοῖς θ’ ἕλωρ

πρὸς ταῦτα : 971 n.

ἐξάρῃς (

α—

): cp. O. T. 914

ὑψοῦ γὰρ αἴρει θυμόν

εἰ … μὴ )δυνήθημεν , ‘granting that we were unable.’ Cp. Thuc. 3. 40 § 4

εἰ γὰρ οὗτοι ὀρθῶς ἀπέστησαν, ὑμεῖς ἂν οὐ χρεὼν ἄρχοιτε

, ‘assuming that they were right to revolt, your rule would be unwarrantable.’

χερσὶν παρευθύνοντες , ‘guiding him with our hands’: cp. 542

χερσὶν εὐθύνων

, said of guiding a child's steps. ‘He will be docile enough now, and will go whither our hands guide him’ ( i.e., the body shall be laid where we please). Then χερσὶν suggests the bitter comment, (‘our hands, I say,) for our words were at all times lost upon him.’ For ὅπου , cp. O. T. 448

οὐ γὰρ ἔσθ’ ὅπου μ’ ὀλεῖς

κακοῦ πρὸς ἀνδρὸς : for

πρός

, cp. 319 . These remarks on authority and obedience are suggested by the alleged insubordination of Ajax, who (in disregard of Homeric conditions) is styled

ἀνὴρ δημότης

, in contrast to

οἱ ἐφεστῶτες

, — i.e. the Atreidae. ( Cp. 945

ἐφεστᾶσι

.) The tone of Menelaüs here recalls that of Creon in Ant. 663 —676.

ἄνδρα , coming after

ἀνδρός

, is thought too inelegant by some critics, who replace it by Reiske's conjecture, ὄντα . But it may be doubted whether a Greek ear would have been offended; the words

ἄνδρα δημότην

closely cohere, and the emphasis falls, first on

κακοῦ

, and then on

δημότην

. The phrase

ἀνὴρ δημότης

occurs in Ant. 690 and Nub. 1219. Cp. 1093

ἄνδρες, ἄνδρα

καλῶς φέροιντ’ ἄν , ‘have a prosperous course.’ Thuc. 5. 16 § I

εὖ φερόμενος ἐν στρατηγίαις

: Xen. Oecon. 5. 17

εὖ..φερομένης τῆς γεωργίας

ἔνθα μὴ with subjunct. (without

ἄν

), as in O. T. 316

ἔνθα μὴ τέλη | λύῃ. καθεστήκῃ

, which L supports, seems slightly better here than

καθεστήκοι

, which would make the statement more abstract or hypothetical. Similarly in 1081 we have

ὅπου..παρῇ

. (On the other hand, in such a passage as Tr. 1235 ,

τίς ταῦτ’ ἄν, ὅστις μὴ )ξ ἀλαστόρων νοσοῖ

, |

ἕλοιτο;

the optative is clearly better than

νοσῇ

φόβου πρόβλημα , a screen ( Ph. 1008 n.), a defence, afforded by fear,— the gen. defining that in which the defence consists; cp. El. 682

πρόσχημ’ ἀγῶνος

, ib. 857

ἐλπίδων..ἀρωγαί.

αἰδοῦς . The schol. on 1074 quotes from Epicharmus,

ἔνθα δέος, ἐνταῦθα καὶ αἰδώς

: cp. Euthyphr. p. 12 B, where Socrates quotes from Stasînus,

ἵνα γὰρ δέος, ἔνθα καὶ αἰδώς

,—remarking that we ought rather to say,

ἵνα μὲν αἰδώς, ἔνθα καὶ δέος· οὐ μέντοι, ἵνα γε δέος, πανταχοῦ αἰδώς

. The sentiment of Menelaüs is genuinely Spartan. Plut. Cleom. 9 dwells on the place of

φόβος

in Spartan government:

τιμῶσι δὲ τὸν φόβον...τὴν πολιτείαν μάλιστα συνέχεσθαι φόβῳ νομίζοντες

. The Aeschylean Athena, too, counsels

μὴ τὸ δεινὸν πᾶν πόλεως ἔξω βαλεῖν

( Plut. Eum. 698 ), but there the basis of the fear is to be

αἰδώς

,—the

σέβας

(690) for the Areiopagus. As at Sparta there was a shrine of

Φόβος

( Plut. l.c.), so at Athens there was an altar of

Αἰδώς

( Paus. 1. 17. 1 ).

κἂν σῶμα γεννήσῃ μέγα : cp. the phrases

φῦσαι φρένας

( O. C. 804 ),

πτερά

( Ar. Av. 785 ), etc.: Her. 5. 91

τὸν βασιλέα ἡμέων..ἐξέβαλε, δόξαν δὲ φύσας αὐξάνεται

. The words allude to the stature of the

πελώριος Αἴας

( Il. 3. 229 ), but are meant also to be figurative; cp. Shakesp. Julius Caesar 1. 2. 135

Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world | Like a colossus, and we petty men | Walk under his huge legs.

κἂν ἀπὸ σμ. κακοῦ ,=

καὶ ἐὰν

(

πέσῃ

): cp. El. 1482

ἀλλά μοι πάρες | κἂν σμικρὸν εἰπεῖν

, i.e. ,

καὶ ἐὰν σμικρὸν παρῇς

: Dem. or. 2 § 14

καὶ ὅποι τις ἄν, οἶμαι, προσθῇ κἂν μικρὰν δύναμιν, πάντ’ ὠφελεῖ

, i.e. ,

καὶ ἐάν τις προσθῇ

. We cannot here well take κἂν as=

καὶ ἅν

(the conditional particle), and suppose that it belongs to

πεσεῖν

understood. (See appendix on El. 1482. )—For ἀπὸ denoting result, cp. Ant. 695

ἀπ’ ἔργων εὐκλεεστάτων φθίνει

πρόσεστιν , said of an attribute or quality: 521 n.

αἰσχύνη , verecundia, here virtually an equivalent of

αἰδώς

, as in Thuc. 1. 84 § 3

αἰδὼς σωφροσύνης πλεῖστον μετέχει, αἰσχύνης δὲ εὐψυχία

ὅπου … παρῇ , without

ἄν

: cp. 1074 .

βούλεται , sc.

τις

: cp. Plat. Apol. 29B

οὐκ ἀμαθία ἐστὶν αὕτη ἡ ἐπονείδιστος, ἡ τοῦ οἴεσθαι εἰδέναι ἃ οὐκ οἶδεν

; Crito 49 C

οὔτε ἄρα ἀνταδικεῖν δεῖ...οὐδένα ἀνθρώπων, οὐδ’ ἂν ὁτιοῦν πάσχῃ ὑπ’ αὐτῶν

νόμιζε .. χρόνῳ ποτὲ … πεσεῖν . It seems best to take

πεσεῖν

as representing a gnomic aor.,

χρόνῳ ποτὲ ἔπεσε

. Cp. Plat. Rep. 490C (quoted by Goodwin, Moods and Tenses, § 159),

ἡγουμένης δὴ ἀληθείας οὐκ ἄν ποτε..φαῖμεν αὐτῇ χορὸν κακῶν ἀκολουθῆσαι

, ‘when truth leads, we never could say that a chorus of evils accompanies her’ (

ἠκολούθησεν

). It may be observed that this view is slightly confirmed by the words ἐξ οὐρίων δραμοῦσαν , which clearly mean, ‘ after running before favouring winds’ (the sense cannot be that the ship is to be sunk by a fatal

οὖρος

): for, if

πεσεῖν

is an appeal to experience, then the mention of such a city's transient prosperity is fitting; but if

πεσεῖν

were a simple prediction, such a clause would be less natural. [I formerly took

πεσεῖν

as referring to the future; but now doubt whether

νόμιζε

, without more help from the context, could suffice to suggest such a sense. See Appendix on El. 442 f., where I read

δέξεσθαι

for

δέξασθαι

. Here we might, of course, write ποτ’ ἂν , but the change seems needless.]

ἐξ οὐρίων :

ἐκ

denotes the condition; cp. O. C. 486

ἐξ εὐμενῶν | στέρνων δέχεσθαι

. For the neut. plur.

οὐρίων

, cp. Ar. Lys. 550

οὔρια θεῖτε

(adv.). Lobeck quotes

ἐξ οὐρίων πλεῖν

from Libanius 2. 421.

ἐξ οὐρίας πλεῖν

occurs in Polyb. 1. 47. 2, etc.

ἑστάτω , be firmly set, as a principle, in the State; cp. 1074

καθεστήκῃ.

μοι , ethic dat. (‘let me see it established.’) Cp. Plut. Cleom. 9

διὸ καὶ παρὰ τὸ τῶν ἐφόρων συσσίτιον τὸν Φόβον ἵδρυνται Λακεδαιμόνιοι.

καὶ δέος , ‘fear also’ —to temper natural

ὕβρις

(1081). καίριον , in due season and measure; as the Eumenides say,

ἔσθ’ ὅπου τὸ δεινὸν εὖ | καὶ φρενῶν ἐπίσκοπον | δεῖ μένειν καθήμενον

( Eum. 517 ).

ἃν ἡδώμεθα : the cogn. acc. with

ἥδομαι, λυπεῖσθαι

, etc., is frequent (cp. Ar. Ach. 2 f.).

οὐκ ἀντιτείσειν : for the spelling

τείσω

, etc., see on O. T. 810.

οὐ

with inf. is normal after a verb of saying or thinking (n. on O. T. 1455 ).— ἃν λυπώμεθα : for the assonance (parechesis) at the end of two successive verses, cp. 807 f., Ph. 121 f. (

παρῄνεσα, συνῄνεσα

), Tr. 1265 f. (

συγγνωμοσύνην, ἀγνωμοσύνην

). It is needless to read

ἃν λυποίμεθα

, though the optat. might be illustrated by Alcaeus fr. 82 (Bergk)

αἴ κ’ εἴπῃς τὰ θέλεις, ἦ κεν ἀκούσαις τά κεν οὐ θέλοις

. Schneidewin quotes also Hes. Op. 721

εἰ δὲ κακὸν εἴπῃς, τάχα κ’ αὐτὸς μεῖζον ἀκούσαις

: Libanius 2. 84

δρῶντες ἅττα ἐθέλουσι πάσχειν δύναιντ’ ἂν ἅττα ἂν οὐκ ἐθέλοιεν

παραλλὰξ , alternately; so in Her. 3. 40

ἐναλλὰξ πρήσσων

=‘with alternations of fortune’ (good and evil).— αἴθων : see on

αἴθονος

in 222.

ὅπως | μὴ : with regard to the division of these words between two vv., see n. on the place of

δῆτα

in 986.

εἰς ταφὰς πέσῃς , come to need funeral rites:

πέσῃς

is used, with grim irony, as in such phrases as

εἰς ἀνάγκας πίπτειν

( Thuc. 3. 82 § 2).

ταφὰς

has its ordinary sense, ‘rites of sepulture,’ as it has also in v. 1109; it does not stand for

τάφους

. Herodotus, indeed, uses

ταφαί

as=

τάφοι

, and employs the plural in that sense even with ref. to a single tomb ( Her. 5. 63 ).

ὑποστήσας , after planting them like pillars (cp.

ὑποστῆσαι κίονας, ἐρείσματα

, etc.); or, as we should say, after ‘laying them down’: the word is much more forcible than

ὑποβαλών

ὑποθείς.

ἐν θανοῦσιν : for

ἐν

, cp. 43 n.

The dramatic function of a Chorus required that these Salaminian sailors, while loyal to Ajax, should recognise the sound elements in the speech which they have heard. Menelaüs has rightly condemned the

ὕβρις

which defies human laws. But his own

ὕβρις

menaces the laws of the gods.

ἄνδρες . The burning anger of Teucer is marked in his first words by the fact that he addresses them to the Chorus: as Oedipus does after the speech of Polyneices ( O. C. 1348 ), and Clytaemnestra after that of Electra ( El. 612 ).

μηδὲν ὢν γοναῖσιν : the phrase is exactly parallel with

ἀγέννητος

used in the sense of

δυσγενής

( Tr. 61 ). In 1231

οὐδὲν ὢν

has a like sense. Here

μηδὲν

is ‘generic,’ denoting the class of person.

τοιαῦθ’ ἁμαρτάνουσιν … ἔπη , make such erroneous statements; for the cogn. acc., cp. 1107

τὰ σέμν’ ἔπη | κόλαζ’ ἐκείνους. ἐν λόγοις

, in their discourse.

λόγοι

and

ἔπη

are similarly combined in Thuc. 3. 67 § 6

λόγοι ἔπεσι κοσμηθέντες

, ‘speeches adorned with fine sentiments.’

ἄγειν =

ὅτι ἦγες

, as

ἄγειν

in 1053=

ὅτι ἤγομεν

: ‘that thou wast bringing him [when he came hither] as an ally found by thee ( λαβών ).’

αὐτὸς , sponte sua: cp. Il. 17. 252

ἀργαλέον δέ μοί ἐστι διασκοπιᾶσθαι ἕκαστον | ...ἀλλά τις αὐτὸς ἴτω

ποῦ , on what ground, in what respect? O. T. 390

ποῦ σὺ μάντις εἶ σαφής;

‘where hast thou proved thyself a seer?’

λεῶν : the plur. of the Attic form is somewhat rare (except in the formula

ἀκούετε λεῴ

); Ar. fr. 346 has

πάντες λεῴ

ἤγαγ’ , the reading of one MS. (the Palatinus at Heidelberg, written in the 14th century), was doubtless no more than a conjectural emendation; but it appears probable. ἡγεῖτ’ , the reading of the other MSS., has been defended by Erfurdt and others on the ground that the elision has the effect of running the two words

ἡγεῖτ’ οἴκοθεν

together, so that they become virtually one. This is just possible; but in tragic iambics we find no certain examples of a precisely similar kind. (As to

σήμαιν’ εἴτ’ ἔχει

in Phil. 22 , see n. there.) If

ἤγαγ’

was the original word, the change to

ἡγεῖτ’

may have been caused by failure to perceive that the genitive ὧν (for

οὓς

) was due to attraction. Porson ( ap. Kidd, Tracts, p. 194) wished to read ἦγεν , comparing Il. 2. 557 ,

Αἴας δ’ ἐκ Σαλαμῖνος ἄγεν δυοκαίδεκα νῆας

. The imperfect tense is, of course, free from objection (cp. also Aesch. Pers. 341

Ξέρξῃ..χιλιὰς μὲν ἦν | ὧν ἦγε πλῆθος

): but

ΗΓΕΝ

was less likely than

ΗΓΑΓ

to tempt the correction

ΗΓΕΙΤ

. Elmsley's ἤγετ’ (n. on Eur. Heracl. 371 ) is still nearer to the letters of

ἡγεῖτ’

: but the middle voice would be at least very unusual, where the sense is simply that of ‘leading’; in Soph. O. C. 1460 , indeed,

ἄξεται

is hardly more than

ἄξει

: but in Soph. Ph. 613

ἄγοιντο

suggests the notion, ‘bring with them, for their own ends.’

οὐδ’ ἔσθ’ ὅπου : cp. 1069 .— τόνδε κοσμῆσαι , to exercise authority over him.

κοσμεῖν

is properly said of a commander disposing his forces; Il. 2. 554

κοσμῆσαι ἵππους τε καὶ ἀνέρας ἀσπιδιώτας

: [Eur. ] Rhes. 662

κοσμήσων στρατόν

. The Atreidae are

κοσμήτορε λαῶν

( Il. 1. 16 ). For

κοσμεῖν

with ref. to civil government, cp. Ant. 677.

ἀρχῆς … θεσμὸς , an ordinance, an established right, of command. ἔκειτο , had been laid down (

κεῖμαι

serving as perf. pass. of

τίθημι

): cp. Thuc. 5. 105 § 2

οὔτε θέντες τὸν νόμον, οὔτε κειμένῳ πρῶτοι χρησάμενοι.

ἢ καὶ τῷδε σέ , ‘than for him, on his part, to rule thee’: for this

καί

, cp. O. C. 53

ὅσ’ οἶδα κἀγώ

(n.).

ὅλων here can be only masc. This use of

ὅλοι

as= σύμπαντες elsewhere occurs only in later Greek; Lobeck cites Nonnus (5th cent. A.D. ) Dionysiaca 47. 482

ὅλας οἴστρησε γυναῖκας

, and Anthol. Pal. 7. 679. 5

κτήμασι μὲν πολύολβος ὅλων πλέον ὧν τρέφε Κύπρος

(by Sophronius of Damascus, circ. 630 A.D. ). We are scarcely warranted, however, in assuming that a poet of the classical age could not have ventured on such a use. The view that

ὅλων

is neuter ( summae rerum) is decisively condemned (1) by the direct antithesis with the masc.

ἄλλων

, and (2) by the absence of the article,

τὰ ὅλα

being the invariable phrase in this sense: see, e.g., Dem. or. 19 § 151

ὑπὲρ τῶν ὅλων πεισθεὶς εἰρήνην ἄγειν

(‘for the general interests’): or. 22 § 16

τὴν τῶν ὅλων σωτηρίαν

: Xen. Cyr. 8. 7. 22

τήνδε τὴν τῶν ὅλων τάξιν

(the universe): Lucian De Luctu c. 6

τὴν τῶν ὅλων δεσποτείαν

Apart from the difficulty as to

ὅλων

, there is absolutely no ground for rejecting verses 1105 f., as Schneidewin and other critics have done.

ὧνπερ ἄρχεις αρχε , as Agamemnon says to Achilles,

Μυρμιδόνεσσιν ἄνασσε

( Il. 1. 180 ), and Achilles to him,

ἄλλοισιν δὴ ταῦτ’ ἐπιτέλλεο, μὴ γὰρ ἐμοί γε

. Cp. Aesch. Eum. 574

ἄναξ Ἄπολλον, ὧν ἔχεις αὐτὸς κράτει.

τὰ σέμν’ ἔπη κόλαζ’ ἐκείνους :

ἔπη

is a bold cognate acc.; cp. 1096 : O. T. 339

ἔπη | κλύων, ἃ νῦν

σὺ τήνδ’ ἀτιμάζεις πόλιν

: Aesch. Eum. 230

δίκας | μέτειμι τόνδε φῶτα

εἴτε μὴ σὺ φής, εἴθ’ ἅτερος στρ .=

εἴτε σὺ μὴ φής, εἴτ’ Ἀγαμέμνων μή φησιν

, whether the veto is thine or his. For

φημί

as=‘ to command’ (a rare use), see Pind. N. 3. 28

Αἰακῷ σε φαμὶ γένει τε Μοῖσαν φέρειν

. Here the

μή

, despite its place, belongs in sense to the inf. (

θεῖναι εἰς ταφὰς

) understood. (

οὔ φημι θεῖναι

could mean only, nego te sepulturum: this might be referred to the assertion of Menelaüs in 1062 f.; but it would be forced.)

εἰς ταφὰς θήσω , I will give him due funeral rites: .

στόμα : cp. 1147 : Ant. 997

ὡς ἐγὼ τὸ σὸν φρίσσω στόμα

οἱ πόνου πολλοῦ πλέῳ , the toiling

λαοί

, the born subjects of Menelaüs, who are bound to endure the labours of war in any field to which their lord calls them. Cp. Eur. Andr. 695

οὐ τῶν πονούντων τοὔργον ἡγοῦνται τόδε

, |

ἀλλ’ ὁ στρατηγὸς τὴν δόκησιν ἄρνυται

,—where

οἱ πονοῦντες

are the rank and file. The strangeness which has been felt in the phrase,

οἱ πόνου πολλοῦ πλέῳ

, will perhaps be lessened if we remember how habitually the Attic poets transfer the associations of their own time to the heroic age. In picturing the followers of the Spartan king, Sophocles may have had in mind the Perioeci who served as hoplites and the Helots who served as light-armed in the armies of their Spartan masters.

Assuredly

οἱ πόνου πολλοῦ πλέῳ

does not mean ‘busybodies,’

οἱ πολυπραγμονοῦντες

, as some have taken it,—supposing it to be said scornfully of

βασιλεῖς

tributary to Menelaüs and eager to display their zeal.

ὅρκων : the oaths sworn to Tyndareus by the suitors of his daughter Helen,

ὅτου γυνὴ γένοιτο Τυνδαρὶς κόρη

, |

τούτῳ συναμυνεῖν, εἴ τις ἐκ δόμων λαβὼν | οἴχοιτο

( I. A. 61). Thuc. 1. 9 § 1

Ἀγαμέμνων τέ μοι δοκεῖ τῶν τότε δυνάμει προὔχων καὶ οὐ τοσοῦτον τοῖς Τυνδάρεω ὅρκοις κατειλημμένους τοὺς Ἑλένης μνηστῆρας ἄγων τὸν στόλον ἀγεῖραι

. In Soph. Ph. 72 Odysseus says that (unlike the other chiefs) Neoptolemus came to Troy,

ἔνορκος οὐδενί

σοῦ δ’ οὐδὲν : this third clause repeats the thought of the first,

οὐ γάρ τι τῆς σῆς κ.τ.λ.

: on this trait of Sophoclean style see Ant. 465 ff. (n.).

τοὺς μηδένας , those who are as nought (

μή

having its generic force),—mere ciphers. Cp. Ant. 1322

τὸν οὐκ ὄντα μᾶλλον ἢ μηδένα

. So I. A. 371

τοὺς οὐδένας

: Andr. 700

ὄντες οὐδένες

, Her. 9. 58

οὐδένες ἄρα ἐόντες

κήρυκας . Menelaüs is attended by two heralds, their presence marking the solemn character of his mission. So in the Iliad the chiefs deputed to intercede with Achilles are accompanied by two heralds (9. 170), whom Eustathius (780. 46) compares to the

ἀργὰ πρόσωπα

of the theatre.

ψόφου … στραφείην : the gen. is properly causal, ‘turn for it,’ and is joined (here only) with the simple verb, as it is regularly joined with

ἐντρέπομαι

(90),

ἐπιστρέφομαι

( Ph. 599 ), and in Eur. Hipp. 1224 ff. with the act.

μεταστρέφειν

: (

πῶλοι

)

οὔτε ναυκλήρου χερὸς | οὔθ’ ἱπποδέσμων οὔτε κολλητῶν ὄχων | μεταστρέφουσαι

ἕως : cp. Phaedr. 243 E

ἕωσπερ ἂν ᾖς ὃς εἶ

. This is a certain correction of the traditional reading ὡς , as it is also in Ph. 1330

ἕως ἂν αὑτὸς ἥλιος | ταύτῃ μὲν αἴρῃ

etc., and in O. C. 1361

ἔωσπερ ἂν ζῶ

. [Hermann explained ὡς ἂν ᾖς as utcunque sis qualis es, ‘however much you may be what you are,’ i.e., quantumlibet ferocias. Prof. Campbell understands, ‘However you may be—just what you are,’

οἷοσπερ εἶ

being said,

παρὰ προσδοκίαν

, instead of

βασιλεύς

or the like.]

οὐδ’ αὖ , ‘neither, again,’—referring to their reproof of Menelaüs in 1092.

οὐδ’ αὖ

is similarly used in El. 1034.

ἐν κακοῖς , because the friends of Ajax have the felling of the Greek chiefs and army against them. Cp. El. 335

νῦν δ’ ἐν κακοῖς μοι πλεῖν ὑφειμένῃ δοκεῖ

ὁ τοξότης . The name of ‘bowman’ was a reproach only when it implied that the archer was not, like the hoplite, ready to meet his foe in close fight. It is in this sense that Diomedes upbraids Paris ( Il. 11. 385 ),

τοξότα, λωβητήρ, κέρᾳ ἀγλαέ

. In Il. 13. 313 Teucer is said to be

ἄριστος Ἀχαιῶν | τοξοσύνῃ·

but the poet adds

ἀγαθὸς δὲ καὶ ἐν σταδίῃ ὑσμίνῃ

. At Athens, where the

τοξόται

or city police were slaves (

Σκύθαι

, etc.), the word had acquired ignoble associations.

βάναυσον , sordid, unworthy of a freeborn man: Plato joins

βάναυσος

with

ἀνελεύθερος

( Legg. 644 A). Cp. Arist. Pol. 8. 2 § 5

τὰς..τοιαύτας τέχνας, ὅσαι τὸ σῶμα παρασκευάζουσι χεῖρον διακεῖσθαι, βαναύσους καλοῦμεν

. Thus the notion at the root of the word was that of some mechanical (or sedentary) calling which interfered with efficiency in athletics or war. (Compare the taunts of Euryalus to the disguised Odysseus, Hom. Od. 8. 159. ) Teucer might well say that his art was not

βάναυσος

: Heracles and Philoctetes were among its masters.

ἀσπίδ’ : the shield of a hoplite, who wore a helmet and breast-plate, and was armed with a pike (

δόρυ

); while the bowman, ranking with the light-armed troops, had no defensive armour.

ψιλὸς … ὡπλισμένῳ . The contrast is illustrated by the case of the Locrians in the Iliad, who came to Troy armed only with bows, and are described as shrinking from the

σταδίη ὑσμίνη

, because they were not armed as hoplites:—

οὐ γὰρ ἔχον κόρυθας χαλκήρεας ἱπποδασείας

, |

οὐδ’ ἔχον ἀσπίδας εὐκύκλους καὶ μείλινα δοῦρα

. ( Il. 13. 714 f.)

τρέφει , has in it; i.e., his valour resides only in his words. Cp. Tr. 817

ὄγκον..τρέφειν

: O. T. 356

τἀληθὲς γὰρ ἰσχῦον τρέφω

. Dryden: Tongue-valiant hero, vaunter of thy might (l. 336 of his Trans. of the Iliad, bk. 1).

ξὺν τῷ δικαίῳ , with right on my side: Ph. 1251

ξὺν τῷ δικαίῳ τὸν σὸν οὐ ταρβῶ φόβον

. Shakesp. Henry VI. pt. II. 3. 2. 233

Thrice is he armed that hath his quarrel just.

δίκαια : for the plur., cp. 887

σχέτλια

(n.).

κτείναντα : as Creüsa says to her living son ( Eur. Ion 1500 )

ἔκτεινά σ’ ἄκους’

, i.e., ‘ doomed thee to perish.’ So Soph. O. C. 1008

κλέψας τὸν ἱκέτην

, meaning that Creon had purposed to seize him.

δεινόν γ’ εἶπας : for

γε

in comment, cp. El. 341

δεινόν γέ σ’ οὖσαν πατρὸς οὗ σὺ παῖς ἔφυς | κείνου λελῆσθαι.

εἰ καὶ ζῇς : here

καὶ

goes closely with

ζῇς

, ‘if thou indeed livest’: so O. T. 305

εἰ καὶ μὴ κλύεις

(if indeed..): Tr. 71

εἰ καὶ τοῦτ’ ἔτλη

. Distinguish such instances from the ordinary uses of

εἰ καί

(‘granting that..’), as in O. T. 408

εἰ καὶ τυραννεῖς

τῷδε δ’ οἴχομαι . The dat. of relation here means, ‘so far as concerns him,’—so far as his intention went; as in Ph. 1030

τέθνηχ’ ὑμῖν πάλαι

. In 970 above the similar dat. (

θεοῖς

) has a different shade of meaning.

ἀτίμα . The verb

ἀτιμᾶν

is otherwise confined, in classical Greek, to the Homeric poems and hymns. The fut. and aor. occur both in Il. and Od.; the pres. once, in Od. 16. 307 (

ἀτιμᾷ

); the imperf. twice ( Od. 21. 99

ἀτίμα

: 23. 28

ἀτίμων

, plur.). Nauck would here read

ἀτίζει

, with Elmsley (

ἀτίζειν

occurs in O. C. 1153 ); but he would also banish

ἀτιμᾶν

altogether from the epic texts; see Appendix.

θεοὺς , a monosyllable by synizesis, as

θεός

normally is with Sophocles, when it belongs to the third foot of the trimeter; see 489, O. C. 964 , Ph. 1020 , fr. 685. In El. 1264 ,

τότ’ εἶδες ὅτε θεοί μ’ ἐπώτρυναν μολεῖν

, we ought probably to read

εὖτε.

θεοῖς σεσωσμένος : for the dat. of the agent, cp. 539 n.

ἐγὼ γὰρ ἂν ψέξαιμι ..; for

γὰρ

in an indignant question, cp. Tr. 1124 : Vesp. 1159

ἐγὼ γὰρ ἂν τλαίην

..;— δαιμόνων νόμους ; Cp. 1343 (Odysseus to Agam.)

οὐ γάρ τι τοῦτον, ἀλλὰ τοὺς θεῶν νόμους | φθείροις ἄν.

εἰ … οὐκ ἐᾷς . As

οὐκ ἐῶ

= veto,

οὐ

can follow

εἰ

: cp. O. C. 935 (n.)

βίᾳ τε κοὐχ ἑκὼν

ἄκων

), after

εἰ

μή.

παρών here has an indignant tone,— ‘You come and forbid’; cp. 338 n.

τούς γ’ αὐτὸς αὑτοῦ : the inserted

αὐτὸς

emphasises the reflexive pron.; O. C. 929

αἰσχύνεις πόλιν | τὴν αὐτὸς αὑτοῦ

(n.).—For αὐτοῦ =

ἐμαυτοῦ

, see O. T. 138 (n.), O. C. 966 , El. 285. — οὐ γὰρ καλόν : sc.

ἐᾶν θάπτειν αὐτούς

. Ajax was

πολέμιος

, a public enemy, ‘worse than any Trojan’ (1054), in view of his intended onslaught. Menelaüs, like Creon ( Ant. 284 ff.), conceives that refusal of burial to a

πολέμιος

is warranted on religious grounds.

σοὶ … προὔστη , ‘stood forth to confront thee.’ For

προστῆναι

, see on El. 980. (In Her. 1. 129

προσστὰς

, not

προστὰς

, should probably be read.)— Teucer parries the argument by asking how Ajax could have been the enemy of Menelaüs, a chief on his own side. He thus makes it a personal question between Ajax and Menelaüs whereas the latter had referred to the design of Ajax against the common weal.

μισοῦντ’ ἐμίσει . Cp. Legg. 697 D

μισοῦντες μισοῦνται

. Menelaüs ought to have replied, ‘He was the public foe’; but, with the maladroitness which characterises him throughout this scene, he plays into Teucer's hands by saying, ‘If he was not

πολέμιος

to me, at least he was

ἐχθρός

.’

ψηφοποιὸς , ‘ making votes,’ in the sense of procuring them by a secret canvas among the chiefs. The word

ἔπραξαν

used by Ajax in 446 implies some such intrigue. Cp. Pindar's phrase,

κρυφίαισι...ψάφοις

, in N. 8. 26 (quoted on 447 ff.). Sophocles doubtless conceived the chiefs as voting by

ψῆφοι

placed in urns (cp. Aesch. Eum. 709 ), and this view appears in art (Introd. § 20). Eustathius remarks the anachronism (on Il. 2. 852 ): though, of course, neither

ἐψήφισαν

in 449 nor

ψηφοποιός

here necessarily excludes the supposition that the votes were given, in Homeric fashion, by voice.—For other views of

ψηφοποιός

, see Appendix.

The gen. αὐτοῦ depends on the phrase

κλέπτης ψηφοποιός

, as it might depend on

λωβητής

or the like.

ἐν τοῖς δικασταῖς , at their hands.

ἐν

is said esp. of a tribunal: Ant. 459

ἐν θεοῖσι τὴν δίκην | δώσειν

(n.).

καλῶς , ‘speciously.’ This is clearly a case in which L has preserved a true reading which the other MSS. have lost. Teucer means, ‘It might seem to be the judges' doing, while it was really yours.’ The common reading κακῶς misses this point. For

καλῶς

in a bad sense, cp. Ant. 1047 (

λόγους

)

αἰσχροὺς καλῶς λέγωσι τοῦ κέρδους χάριν

κλέψειας κακά , commit furtive knaveries;

κλέπτουσι μύθους

εἰς ἀνίαν … ἔρχεται , tends to it, will issue in it (somewhat as in Her. 1. 120 it is said of dreams,

ἐς ἀσθενὲς ἔρχεται

): τινί , i.e.

σοί

: for this menacing

τις

, see on Ant. 751

θανοῦσ’ ὀλεῖ τινά

.—The traditional accentuation, as seen in L and in the Aldine edition, is ἔρχεται τινί , the ground of it being that

τινί

is here emphatic: so in Categ. 5 § 7 (p. 2 b 2)

τὸ χρῶμα ἐν σώματι· οὐκοῦν καὶ ἐν τινὶ

[not

ἔν τινι

]

σώματι

. (Cp. Chandler, Accent. § 942.) Some recent editors however write

ἔρχεταί τινι

οὐ μᾶλλον , sc.

εἰς ἀνίαν ἐμοὶ ἔρχεται

( i.e.

λυπηθησόμεθα

τόνδ’ ἐστὶν οὐχὶ θαπτέον : for the place of

οὐχί

, cp. 1330

ἦ γὰρ εἴην οὐκ ἂν εὖ φρονῶν

: for the neuter verbal with acc., 1250

εἰρκτέον τάδ’ ἐστίν

ἀλλ’ ἀντακούσει τοῦτον ὡς

κ.τ.λ.

: cp. Phil. 549

ἤκουσα τοὺς ναύτας ὅτι | ... εἷεν

etc.: Xen. Mem. 4. 2. 33

τὸν Δαίδαλον..οὐκ ἀκήκοας, ὅτι..ἠναγκάζετο.. δουλεύειν;

Wecklein's conjecture, τοῦθ’ ἕν for

τοῦτον

, is very plausible, in view of 1040

ἕν σοι φράσω

. We may observe, however, that

τοῦτον

answers to

τόνδ’

in 1040, and that the stress in Teucer's retort falls on the

ἀντ‐

ἀντακούσει

, and on

τεθάψεται

. There is more of dignity in that retort, as it stands with

τοῦτον

, than there would be with the mocking echo,

τοῦθ’ ἕν

. If

τοῦθ’ ἕν

were to be read, then

σὺ δ’ ἀντακούσει

(a v.l.) would be preferable to L's

ἀλλ’ ἀντακούσει.

τεθάψεται : 577 n.

ναύτας ἐφορμήσαντα … τὸ | πλεῖν : for the inf. with art., instead of a simple inf., cp. O. C. 442

τὸ δρᾶν | οὐκ ἠθέλησαν

(and ib. 47, n.): Thuc. 2. 87 § 1

οὐχὶ δικαίαν ἔχει τέκμαρσιν τὸ ἐκφοβῆσαι

(where Classen compares this verse). Liddell and Scott, s. v.

ἐφορμάω

, remark that the dat. vαύταις should be read here. It is, in fact, the reading of a few late MSS.,—having been introduced, perhaps, by Triclinius; but ναύτας is right.

ἐφορμῶ

takes a dat. of the person when it means to rouse or urge something against one; e.g. Hom. Od. 7. 272

ὅς μοι ἐφορμήσας ἀνέμους

: Soph. fr. 619. 2

ᾧ καὶ Ζ<*>ὺς ἐφορμήσῃ κακά

. But here, where

ἐφορμῶ

means to urge one to do something, the person is necessarily in the acc., as after

ἐπείγω, προτρέπω

, etc. Cp. Xen. Cyr. 8. 1. 43

τούτους οὔτε μελετᾶν τῶν ἐλευθερίων πόνων οὐδένα παρώρμα κ.τ.λ.

ᾧ φθέγμ’ ἂν οὐκ ἂν ηὗρες . Against reading

ἐνηῦρες

, it should be noted that

ἐνευρίσκω

is post-classical, unless Dobree was right in conjecturing

ἐνηύρηκεν

(for

ἀνηύρηκεν

) in Ar. Ach. 1037. On the other hand, the sarcastic force of the doubled ἄν is in place here. The dat. ᾧ is possessive: i.e. instead of the simple

ᾧ οὐκ ἂν ἦν φθέγμα

, we have

ᾧ οὐκ ἂν ηὗρες φθέγμα

, in the sense, ‘you would have found that he had not a word at his command.’ The emendation

ᾧ φθέγμ’ ὂν οὐκ ἂν ηὗρες

would make this clearer, but seems needless: it is, indeed, slightly prosaic.

ἐν κακῷ χειμῶνος : cp. O. C. 1358

ἐν πόνῳ | ... κακῶν.

εἴχετ’ : Her. 9. 37

ἐν τούτῳ τῷ κακῷ ἐχόμενος.

ὑφ’ εἵματος : Aesch. Ch. 81

δακρύω δ’ ὑφ’ εἱμάτων

: Eur. Hec. 346

δεξιὰν ὑφ’ εἵματος | κρύπτοντα.

κρυφείς . The form

ἐκρύφην

is not elsewhere found in classical Greek. At a later period

ἐκρύβην

was frequent (see Veitch, Gk. Verbs p. 393).

πατεῖν παρεῖχε , sc.

ἑαυτόν

: cp. Nub. 422

ἀμέλει θαρρῶν οὕνεκα τούτων ἐπιχαλκεύειν παρέχοιμ’ ἄν

. Plat. Theaet.p. 191 A

ἐὰν δὲ πάντῃ ἀπορήσωμεν, ταπεινωθέντες, οἶμαι, τῷ λόγῳ παρέξομεν ὡς ναυτιῶντες πατεῖν τε καὶ χρῆσθαι ὅ τι ἂν βούληται

. Synesius IV. Plat. Ep. 163D

μεθῆκεν ὁ κυβερνήτης τὸ πηδάλιον καὶ καταβαλὼν ἑαυτὸν πατεῖν παρεῖχε τῷ θέλοντι ναυτίλων

.—For the omission of the art. before

ναυτίλων

, cp. I. A. 340

τῷ θέλοντι δημοτῶν

: Ion 1167

τὸν θέλοντ’ ἐγχωρίων

καὶ δὲ καὶ τὸ σὸν … στόμα : cp. Ant. 573

ἄγαν γε λυπεῖς καὶ σὺ καὶ τὸ σὸν λέχος.

λάβρον στόμα : Aesch. P. V. 327

μηδ’ ἄγαν λαβροστόμει.

σμικροῦ νέφους … ἐκπνεύσας . Greeks gave the name of

ἐκνεφίας

to a wind caused by the meeting and breaking of clouds: De Mundo (p. 394 b 18)

οἱ δὲ κατὰ ῥῆξιν γινόμενοι..ἐκνεφίαι καλοῦνται

τὴν … βοήν , a new acc. serving to resume

σὲ καὶ τὸ σὸν..στόμα

: cp. 1062 f. (

αὐτὸν..σῶμα

ἐν κακοῖς ὕβριζε : Aesch. Ag. 1612

Αἴγισθ’, ὑβρίζειν ἐν κακοῖσιν οὐ σέβω

κᾆτ’ , introducing the consequence of such

ὕβρις

: O. T. 1500

τοιαῦτ’ ὀνειδιεῖσθε· κᾆτα τίς γαμεῖ

; Ant. 1019

κᾆτ’

(‘and so,’ ‘and therefore’)

οὐ δέχονται θυστάδας λιτὰς ἔπι | θεοὶ παρ’ ἡμῶν

ὀργήν =

τρόπον

. Aeschin. or. 2 § 179

ἀνάνδρῳ καὶ γυναικείῳ ἀνθρώπῳ τὴν ὀργήν

. Theognis 215

πουλύπου ὀργὴν ἴσχε πολυπλόκου

ποήσεις : on the spelling, see Appendix to Ph. 120.

πημανούμενος . Other examples of the passive sense in futures of middle form, from stems ending in a liquid, are Ant. 93

ἐχθαρεῖ

: ib. 230

ἀλγυνεῖ

: O. T. 272

φθερεῖσθαι

: Ph. 954

αὐανοῦμαι

ἄνολβον , of folly, as in Ant. 1026 (

οὐκ

)

ἄβουλος οὐδ’ ἄνολβος

: ib. 1265

ὤμοι ἐμῶν ἄνολβα βουλευμάτων

. Cp. 1290

δύστηνε

: O.T. 888

δυσπότμου χάριν χλιδᾶς

( i.e., miserably perverse): Dem. or. 3 § 21

οὐ γὰρ οὕτως ἄφρων οὐδ’ ἀτυχής εἰμι ἐγώ, ὥστ’ ἀπεχθάνεσθαι βούλεσθαι.

παρών here serves merely to make the picture a little more vivid; he thus warned the man to his face. Cp. 338 .

μῶν ᾐνιξάμην ; ‘I have not spoken too obscurely?’ (

μῶν

, num, as in 791.) Cp. Ant. 405

ἇρ’ ἔνδηλα καὶ σαφῆ λέγω;

Aesch. Ag. 269

ἦ τορῶς λέγω;

In Teucer's parody of his opponent's parable there is a rising tone of scorn, which the last words accentuate.

πάρα (=

πάρεστι

), the reading of A, is distinctly preferable here to

παρῇ

, though the latter has the support of the first hand in L. With

παρῇ

the sense would be: ‘It were shameful if people should hear that any one who may have the power to use force is chastising only by words.’ We must not be misled by the analogy of the Latin subjunctive: qui possit vi uti could be merely an allusive way of saying qui possim vi uti: but the Greek equivalent of qui possim would be (

ἐγὼ

)

ὅτῳ πάρεστι

, not

ᾧ παρῇ

. In 1081,

ὅπου δ’ ὑβρίζειν δρᾶν θ’ ἂ βούλεται παρῇ

( wherever it may be allowed), the subjunctive is fitting: but not so here, where the reference is to a definite person who has a certain power.

παρῇ

is not, indeed, impossible: it is, however, so unnatural in this context that it would require much stronger authority to support it as against

πάρα

1163 The anapaests serve not only to mark the exit of Menelaüs, but also to afford a pause before the entrance of Tecmessa at 1168. For their bearing on the date of the play, see Introd. § 21.— ἔριδός τις ἀγών , a trial of strength in strife: cp. Tr. 20

εἰς ἀγῶνα..συμπεσὼν μάχης

: Liv. 36. 19 in ipso certamine pugnae. For the place of

τις

before its noun, cp. 29 .

κάπετον , a grave dug in the earth, from

σκάπτω

(cp.

καφώρη

, ‘fox,’ also

σκαφώρη

): among kindred words G. Curtius gives the Lithuanian ka/p-a-s, ‘grave-mound’ ( Etym. § 109). Il. 24. 797 (Hector's burial)

αἶψα δ’ ἄρ’ ἐς κοίλην κάπετον θέσαν.

ἰδεῖν , ‘look for’: Od. 8. 443

αὐτὸς νῦν ἴδε πῶμα

: Theocr. 15. 2

ὅρη δίφρον, Εὐνόα, αὐτῇ

βροτοῖς τὸν ἀείμνηστον =

τὸν βροτοῖς ἀείμνηστον

: cp. O. C. 714

ἵπποισιν τὸν ἀκεστῆρα χαλινόν

: Tr. 872 (

δῶρον

)

Ἡρακλεῖ τὸ πόμπιμον

: O. T. 139

ἐκεῖνον ὁ κτανών.

εὐρώεντα , from

εὐρώς

, ‘mould’: an epithet applied in epic poetry to the nether world, where all things moulder in damp, cheerless gloom: Il. 20. 65 (

οἰκία

, the home of Hades)

σμερδαλἔ εὐρώεντα, τά τε στυγέουσι θεοί περ

. Od. 10. 512

Ἀΐδεω..δόμον εὔρώεντα

. Simonides illustrates this sense (fr. 4. 4),

ἐντάφἰον δὲ τοιοῦτον οὔτ’ εὐρὼς | οὔθ’ ὁ πανδαμάτωρ ἀμαυρώσει χρόνος

: and Vergil reproduces it ( Aen. 6. 462 ) in his loca senta situ, the ‘rough and mouldering wilderness’ of the underworld. Quintus Smyrnaeus 14. 241 has

τύμβον ἐπ’ εὐρώεντα

. But in later antiquity a false etymology connected

εὐρώεις

with

εὐρύς

: thus Hesychius, s.v.

εὐρώεντα

, gives

πλατέα

as one explanation of it. Oppian ( circ. 180 A.D. ) actually uses the word in the sense of ‘wide,’ Opp. Hal. 5. 3

κόλπον ἀν’ εὐρώεντα θαλάσσης

: and so too Nonnus (5th cent. A.D. ) Dionys. 25. 476. [In Il. 20. 65 Döderlein and others would change

εὐρώεντα

αὐερόεντα

(

αὐήρ

ἀήρ

), or

ἠερόεντα

, ‘murky’: while Nauck goes so far as to pronounce

εὐρώεις

‘a wholly apocryphal word.’]

The legendary tomb of Ajax was shown on the coast of the Troad near Cape Rhoeteum; Strabo 13. p. 595

τῷ *(ποιτείῳ συνεχὴς ᾐὼν ἁλιτενής, ἐφ’ ᾗ μνῆμα καὶ ἱερὸν Αἴαντος καὶ ἀνδριάς

. Alexander the Great, on landing in the Troad, offered

ἐναγίσματα

at the tomb of Ajax as well as at that of Achilles ( Diod. 17. 17 ). There were legends of gigantic bones having been found in the tomb ( Paus. 1. 35. 5 ).

καὶ μὴν , marking the entrance of a person: 1223: O. C. 549 (n.).

ἐς αὐτὸν καιρὸν : so Ant. 386

ἐς δέον περᾷ

: Eur. Hipp. 899

παῖς σὸς ἐς καιρὸν πάρα.— πλησίοι

, as in Eur. El. 640 ,

παρούσης τῆσδε πλησίας ἐμοί

, Soph. Tr. 896

παροῦσα πλησία

. The v.l. πλησίον is equally correct ( Soph. El. 927

τοῦ πλησίον παρόντος

, etc.).

Tecmessa had left the scene after v. 989, in order to bring the child Eurysaces from the tent, where he had been left when she set forth in search of Ajax (810). The part of Tecmessa is now taken by a mute person, as the deuteragonist has presently to resume the part of Odysseus (1318).

τάφον περιστελοῦντε , here a general phrase for rendering funeral rites. Among these rites would be the washing and dressing of the corpse ( Ant. 901

ἔλουσα κἀκόσμησα

etc.), in which Tecmessa would naturally bear part, and the pouring of

χοαί

, in which Eurysaces also would share. The dual

περιστελοῦντε

is therefore right: Wakefield's conjecture περιστελοῦντι , which Nauck adopts, implies that the work was to be Teucer's alone. Cp. Od. 24. 292

οὐδέ ἑ μήτηρ | κλαῦσε περιστείλασα

: Ant. 902

τὸ σὸν | δέμας περιστέλλουσα

ἱκέτης : an anapaest in the first foot, as in verse 1302. This licence occurs in every play except the Antigone: it is most frequent in the Philoctetes (Introd. Ph., p. xliv).

While the child knelt as a suppliant by the body, with his hand upon it, the corpse could not be forcibly removed without offence to Zeus

Ἱκέσιος

. Teucer is about to go and seek a place for the grave (1184), and he desires to secure that the body shall not be disturbed during his absence.

ὅς σ’ ἐγείνατο : cp. 1296 : El. 261

μητρὸς ἥ μ’ ἐγείνατο

θάκει δὲ προστρόπαιος : cp. Aesch. Eum. 41

ἕδραν ἔχοντα προστρόπαιον

. Here

θάκει

denotes a kneeling posture (

προσπεσών

1181): cp. Soph. Ph. 293

γονυπετεῖς ἕδρας προσπίτνω ς’

, O.T. 2

ἕδρας..θοάζετε

(n.). The offerings in the child's hands will show that he formally supplicates (

προστρέπεται

, cp. 831 ) the

χθόνιοι θεοί

and the spirit of the dead man to avert outrage from the corpse.

κόμας , offerings to the dead, as in Il. 23. 135 , where the locks of hair are laid on the corpse (

θριξὶ δὲ πάντα νέκυν καταείνυσαν, ἃς ἐπέβαλλον | κειρόμενοι

). So in El. 449 f. Chrysothemis is told to lay locks of her own hair and her sister's on Agamemnon's tomb,—the significance of the act being marked by the prayer which is to follow the gift:

αἰτοῦ δὲ προσπίτνουσα γῆθεν εὐμενῆ | ἡμῖν ἀρωγὸν αὐτὸν εἰς ἐχθροὺς μολεῖν

(453 f.). In its primitive symbolism the severed hair meant that the person from whose head it was cut devoted himself to the dead, and (as it were) escorted him to the shades; the gift of hair being a substitute for self-immolation at the grave.

τρίτου , marking the completion of the lucky number; O. C. 7 f.

αἱ πάθαι..χὡ χρόνος

.. | ..

καὶ τὸ γενναῖον τρίτον

: Aesch. Eum. 758 ff.

Παλλάδος καὶ Λοξίου | ἕκατι καὶ τοῦ πάντα κραίνοντος τρίτου | Σωτῆρος

ἱκτήριον θησαυρόν , ‘the suppliant's store’; i.e., the efficacy of the supplication is stored up in, resides in, these gifts of hair, which symbolise the appeal of the

ἱκέτης

to the spirit of the dead.—G. Wolff takes the phrase as pathetic,—‘the suppliant's only wealth,’ ‘all that he has to offer,’—as Electra says of the gifts of hair,

σμικρὰ μὲν τάδ’, ἀλλ’ ὅμως | ἅχω

( El. 450 ). But it is rather the power than the poverty of the offering which is expressed by

θησαυρόν

κακὸς κακῶς , as in 1391, O.T. 248, Ph. 1369.

ἄθαπτος ἐκπέσοι χθονός , ‘may he be cast out of the land, unburied’: i.e., may he perish, and may his body then be cast beyond the boundaries of his country. Cp. Soph. Ph. 1629

Πολυνείκους νέκυν | ἐκβάλετ’ ἄθαπτον τῆσδ’ ὅρων ἔξω χθονός

. Under Athenian law a person put to death for treason (

προδοσία

) or sacrilege was not to be buried in Attica ( H. 1. 7. 22): thus when Phocion was executed in 317 C.B. ,

ἔδοξε καὶ τὸ σῶμα..ἐξορίσαι

( Plut. Phoc. 37 ). Teucer's curse is worded as if the supposed offender were at home in Greece, and not at Troy.

ἐκπέσοι : cp. O.C. 766

ὅτ’ ἦν μοι τέρψις ἐκπεσεῖν χθονός

γένους ἅπαντος : Dem. or. 19 § 71 (

τοῖς θεοῖς

)

εὔχεσθ’ ἐξώλη ποιεῖν αὐτὸν καὶ γένος καὶ οἰκίαν

. Lys. or. 12 § 10

ὤμοσεν ἐξώλειαν ἑαυτῷ καὶ τοῖς παισὶν ἐπαρώμενος.

ῥίζαν ἐξημημένος , with his race extirpated from the root,— i.e., may there be no survivor to continue it. Cp. El. 765

πρόρριζον..ἔφθαρται γένος

: Lucian Tyr. 13

πανωλεθρία παντὸς τοῦ γένους καὶ ῥιζόθεν τὸ δεινὸν ἅπαν ἐκκεκομμένον

. So Antigone and her sister are the

ἐσχάτη ῥίζα

of their house ( Ant. 599 f.). For the constr. of the pass. verb with acc., cp. Tr. 157

δέλτον ἐγγεγραμμένην | ξυνθήμαθ’

(n.): Xen. An. 2. 6. 1

ἀποτμηθέντες τὰς κεφαλάς

: Xen. Cyr. 5. 2. 32

τραύματα ἐπιδεδεμένους

. For the use of

ἐξαμᾶν

, cp. Paus. 8. 7. 7

ἔμελλε δὲ ἄρα ὁ δαίμων καὶ τὸ γένος τὸ Κασσάνδρου κακῶς ἐξαμήσειν

αὔτως : as to the breathing, see on O. T. 931.

ὅπωσπερ τόνδ’ ἐγὼ τέμνω πλόκον . The primary meaning of this act was self-dedication (1173 n.), but Teucer here gives it a further significance, suggested by the circumstances of the moment; exactly as in Il. 3. 300 the

σπονδαί

at the truce are turned into a symbol of death for those who break the truce,—

ὧδέ σφ’ ἐγκέφαλος χαμάδις ῥέοι ὡς ὅδε οἶνος

. Cp. Liv. 1. 24

si prior defexit...tu illo die, Iuppiter, populum Romanum sic ferito ut ego hunc porcum hic hodie feriam.

Theocr. 2. 28

ὡς τοῦτον τὸν καρὸν ἐγὼ σὺν δαίμονι τάκω

ὣς τάκοιθ’ ὑπ’ ἔρωτος ὁ Μύνδιος αὐτίκα Δέλφις

κινησάτω : the 3rd pers. of the aor. imper. with

μή

, though somewhat rare, occurs in good prose ( Plat. Apol. 17C

μηδεὶς...προσδοκησάτω

). Cp. 1334 .— προσπεσὼν , kneeling beside the body, ἔχου ( sc.

αὐτοῦ

), cling to it. So Tr. 904

βωμοῖσι προσπίπτουσα

, Ph. 485

προσπίτνω σε γόνασι

ὑμεῖς τε , the Chorus. It has been proposed to read δὲ instead of τε , but needlessly.

δέ

would mark the change in the persons addressed;

τε

marks the continuity of the precepts. Cp. El. 421 (

ἔκ τε τοῦδ’ ἄνω

), Tr. 462 (

ἥδε τ’

), where the reason for retaining

τε

is similar.

ἀντ’ ἀνδρῶν : cp. 1020

δοῦλος.. ἀντ’ ἐλευθέρου

ἔστ’ =

ἔστ’ ἄν

: cp. 555

ἕως.. μάθῃς.

τάφου μεληθεὶς , after choosing and preparing a place of burial (1165). This aor. of the simple

μέλομαι

does not elsewhere occur in a middle sense (in Anthol. 5. 201

μεληθέν

in pass.), but

ἐπεμελήθην

as an aor. middle is frequent in

κἂν μηδεὶς ἐᾷ =

κἂν πάντες μὴ‐ἐῶσιν

, though all men forbid (

οὐκ ἐῶ

= veto). Cp. Ph. 443 f.

ὅπου | μηδεὶς ἐῴη

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

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

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974-1184

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