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865-1080

Third

ἐπεισόδιον

. Neoptolemus, overcome by remorse, confesses that Troy is their destination. Philoctetes demands the restoration of the bow; and Neoptolemus is on the point of restoring it, when Odysseus enters. As Ph. refuses to accompany them, Odysseus decides to leave him behind, and departs for the ship, ordering N. to follow him. Meanwhile, by N.'s command, the Chorus remain with Ph. , in the hope that he may alter his resolve.

μηδ’ ἀφεστάναι φρενῶν : Eur. Or. 1021

ἐξέστην φρενῶν

. For

ἀφεστάναι

, cp. Vesp. 1457

τὸ γὰρ ἀποστῆναι χαλεπὸν

φύσεος

. The words convey a hurried reproof and warning,—‘do not lose your wits’ (through fear). All their presence of mind is needed, since Philoctetes is awaking.

ὦ φέγγος ... τό τ’ κ.τ.λ. For a voc. thus combined with a nom. (and art.), cp. 986 : Ai. 861 (

ὦ

)

κλειναί τ’ Ἀθῆναι καὶ τὸ σύντροφον γένος.

ἐλπίδων ἄπιστον , not credited by my hopes,— such that my hopes could not have believed it possible. Cp. 1067 : Ant. 847

φίλων ἄκλαυτος

οὐ κλαιομένη ὑπὸ φίλων

), and n.: El. 1214

ἄτιμος...τοῦ τεθνηκότος

οὐ τιμωμένη ὑπὸ τοῦ τ.

). So

ἐλπίδων ἄπιστον

οὐ πιστευόμενον ὑπὸ τῶν ἐλπίδων

. This is better than to take it as=

ἐλπίδων πίστιν οὐκ ἔχον

, in the sense, ‘not having the pledge, assurance, given by hopes,’ ‘not warranted’ by them (like

ἀνήνεμος χειμώνων

, O. C. 677 n.).— οἰκούρημα , as having guarded the place while he slept. So a watch-dog is called

οἰκουρός

in Vesp. 970: cp. below, 1328. For the periphrasis cp. El. 417 f.

πατρὸς...ὁμιλίαν

: Eur. Alc. 606

ἀνδρῶν Φεραίων εὐμενὴς παρουσία

τοῦτ’ is governed by ἐξηύχης’ , not by τλῆναι , which interprets it. ἂν might go with τλῆναι (=

ὅτι τλαίης ἄν

), but is better taken, as its position suggests, with ἐξηύχης’ . The sense of

ἂν ἐξηύχησ’

warrants the use of

τλῆναι

, without

ἄν

, instead of

τλήσεσθαι

. See Appendix.

μεῖναι (depending on

τλῆναι

) governs τἀμὰ πήματα , to ‘wait for’ them, i.e., to wait till they were better: cp. Aesch. fr. 35

ἀγὼν γὰρ ἄνδρας οὐ μένει λελειμμένους.

ξυνωφελοῦντά μοι , helping to do me good, with dat. instead of the usual acc.; cp. Ant. 560

τοῖς θανοῦσιν ὠφελεῖν

(n.). It is possible, but less simple, to supply

αὐτά

( sc.

τὰ πήματα

) with

ξυνωφ.

, ‘helping me to assuage them.’

οὔκουν : ‘the Atreidae, at any rate (

οὖν

), did not thus.’ Here

οὖν

(like

γοῦν

) justifies his wonder at the youth's constancy. Cp. 907 : 1389: Ant. 321 (n.).

εὐφόρως is the best correction of the MS. εὐπόρως (see cr. n.). Cp. Hippocr. Aph. 1242

εὐφορώτατα φέρειν

: ib. 1244

δυσφόρως φέρειν

(as Soph. O. T. 783

δυσφόρως

τοὔνειδος ηγον

κἀξ εὐγενῶν : cp. 384 : 719.— ἐν εὐχερεῖ ἔθου : cp. 498

ἐν σμικρῷ ποιούμενοι

(n.); and for this use of

τίθεσθαι

, 451, 473.

γέμων : cp. Dem. or. 18 § 308

φυλάττει πηνίκ’ ἔσεσθε μεστοὶ τοῦ συνεχῶς λέγοντος

λήθη : cp. Eur. Or. 211

ὦ φίλον ὔπνου θέλγητρον, ἐπίκουρον νόσου

... |

ὦ πότνια λήθη τῶν κακῶν.

δή =

ἤδη

σύ μ’ αὐτὸς … ποτέ . Philoctetes has awakened to find that the acute pains have ceased (768); but, after the violent attack of the disease, a sense of faintness ( κόπος ) remains. He has been lying on his back (822). He now asks Neoptolemus to assist him in rising to his feet: ού μ’ αὐτὸς ἆρον, σύ με κατάστησον : where

αὐτός

means that he does not wish the Chorus to approach him at present. He is afraid that disgust might render them unwilling to take him on board (890). In his crippled state,— now aggravated by exhaustion,—the mere act of rising was a serious exertion. At v. 886 Neoptolemus gives the aid of his hands to the recumbent sufferer, at the same time asking him to make an effort,

νῦν δ’ αἶρε σαυτόν : which is not, of course, contrasted with

σύ μ’ αὐτὸς ἆρον

, as if N. meant that Ph. must rise without help: that would be,

συ δ’ αὐτὸς αἶρε σαυτόν

. At the same time, N. says that, if Ph. prefers it, the sailors will lift him up and carry him. Ph. replies, ‘No, thank you—help me to rise, as you propose’ (889). N. assents (893), saying, ‘Stand up, and take hold of me yourself’ (as I am holding you). And v. 894 marks the moment at which Ph. slowly rises, leaning on N. Then there is naturally a pause, in order that Ph. may rest after this effort, and may feel whether he is yet strong enough to attempt walking. It is this pause which is foreshadowed by the words, ἵν’, ἡνίκ’ ἂν κόπος μ’ ἀπαλλάξῃ ποτέ (880). And it is in this pause that the remorse of Neoptolemus gains the mastery.

ZippmannA. , whom Nauck and Cavallin follow in their texts, deletes both v. 880 and v. 889 as spurious, and transposes 879 to a place between 888 and 890. His two main objections to the traditional text are:—Why should Ph. , formerly so eager to start, now wish to wait till his

κόπος

has passed off? (880). And why should he desire to rise before that moment, instead of resting on the ground? The view of the whole situation which I have given above will show why I believe the traditional text to be sound.

ἐπίσχωμεν , intrans. (the use of this verb in 349 is a different one); τὸ πλεῖν defines the act in regard to which delay is forbidden. Cp. M. 3. 6. 10

περὶ πολέμου συμβουλεύειν τήν γε πρώτην ἐπισχήσομεν

. For the art. prefixed to the inf., cp. 118 : 1241

ὅς σε κωλύσει τὸ δρᾶν

ἀλλ’ ἥδομαι μέν : here μέν slightly emphasises the verb, but does not oppose it to any other thought: the

νῦν δ’

in 886 should not be regarded as answering to it. Cp. 1278 : O. T. 82

ἀλλ’ εἰκάσαι μέν, ἡδύς

: ib. 769

ἀλλ’ ἵξεται μέν.

ἀνώδυνον masc., to be taken adverbially with both participles (‘living and breathing, free from pain’): not neut., with

βλέποντα

only, as if the sense were, ‘showing the absence of pain by thy looks.’

βλέποντα =

ζῶντα

(though here with special reference to his recent slumber, cp. 856

ἀνόμματος

): Ai. 962

κεἰ βλέποντα μὴ )πόθουν

, |

θανόντ’ ἂν οἰμώξειαν.

κἀμπνέοντ’ : Aesch. Ag. 671

ἐκείνων εἴ τις ἐστὶν ἐμπνέων

ὡς οὐκέτ’ ὄντος . Here συμβόλαια are the signs observable by one who watched Ph. sleeping after the attack of the disease, when he seemed like one

Ἀΐδᾳ πάρα κείμενος

(861). The chief of such signs would be, a deathly pallor, and the absence (as a spectator might think) of respiration.—By τὰς παρούσας ξυμφορὰς are meant the agonies of disease to which he is subject, and which he had endured just before his sleep.

τὰς παρούσας

might be the part. of the imperf.,

αἳ παρῆσαν

(cp. Soph. Ant. 1192 n.), but is more forcible if taken as pres.,=

αἳ πάρεισιν

: cp. 734

τῆς παρεστώσης νόσου

. Thus the meaning is:—‘Thy symptoms (in sleep), judged in the light of ( πρὸς ) the sufferings which afflict thee, seemed like those of a dead man.’ Such a sleep, following on such paroxysms, might well have been mistaken for death. For

πρός

as= ‘in view of,’ cp. Thuc. 7. 47

ἐβουλεύοντο πρός τε τὴν γεγενημένην ξυμφορὰν καὶ πρὸς τὴν παροῦσαν ἐν τῷ στρατοπέδῳ κατὰ πάντα ἀρρωστίαν

.—Not: ‘In view of thy plight just now ( i.e., while sleeping), thy symptoms seemed like those of a dead man.’ τὰς παρ. ξυμφοράς would then mean merely the condition of the sleeper, as distinguished from the

συμβόλαια

or outward signs thereof. But, since the inference was drawn wholly from the outward signs, the words πρὸς τὰς παρ. ξυμφορὰς would lose their natural force, and mean no more than

τὰ παρόντα συμβόλαια σκοποῦντι.

συμβόλαια =

σύμβολα

: the only Attic example of this sense; which occurs, however, in Her. 5. 92 § 7,

πιστὸν γάρ οἱ ἦν τὸ συμβόλαιον

(the token, or proof,

μαρτύριον

). In Eur. Ion 411

ἅ τε νῷν συμβόλαια πρόσθεν ἦν

, the meaning is ‘dealings,’ ‘intercourse’ (the regular Attic sense of

συμβόλαια

being that of ‘covenants’).

νῦν δ’ αἶρε σαυτόν . The reflexive pron. is not necessarily emphatic when thus used with an active verb: cp. Aesch. P. V. 747

τί δῆτ’ ἐμοὶ ζῆν κέρδος, ἀλλ’ οὐκ ἐν τάχει

ἔρριψ’ ἐμαυτὴν τῆσδ’ ἀπὸ στύφλου πέτρας

...; At v. 879 Ph. asked N. to assist him; and now—after a kindly greeting—N. proceeds to do so. His hands are now stretched forth to Ph. , ready to raise him, and the words

νῦν δ’ αἶρε σαυτόν

prepare Ph. for the effort.

εἰ δέ σοι μᾶλλον φίλον : i.e., he need not make even this effort, but can be lifted from the ground.

τοῦ πόνου γὰρ : since Neoptolemus and Philoctetes are agreed upon the voyage, the sailors will not grudge the trouble of carrying their master's friend.

αἰνῶ τάδ’, ὦ παῖ . ‘Thanks, my son’ (lit., ‘I commend what you say’). The phrase implies a courteous recognition of the proposal that the sailors should carry him: but, as is shown by

καί μ’ ἔπαιῤ ὥσπερ νοεῖς

, it is not a direct way of refusing the offer, like ‘ No, thank you.’ The formula αἰνῶ τάδε regularly means, as here, ‘I commend your words’ ( Eur. Or. 786 , Eur. Med. 908 ). Eur. Itis known, indeed, that Soph. used

αἰνῶ

ἐπαινῶ

, as a civil form of refusal, in his Alcmaeon (Hesych. s. v.

αἰνῶ

): cp. Hes. Op. 641

νἦ ὀλίγην αἰνεῖν, μεγάλῃ δ’ ἐνὶ φορτία θέσθαι

. But here

αἰνῶ τάδε

is better taken in its simple and usual sense.

ἔασον : cp. 1257 .

ὀσμῇ : cp. 876 , 1032.

συνναίειν (epexeg. inf.) can be said of companionship in a brief voyage, as

ναίειν

is oft. no more than ‘to be in’ a place: O. C. 117 n.

ἔσται τάδ’ : cp. O. C. 1773

δράσω καὶ τάδε.

ἵστω =

ἀνίστω

: O. T. 143 , O. T. 147.

καὐτὸς ἀντέχου , sc.

ἐμοῦ

: i.e., as I am supporting thee, so, on thy part, cling to me. Cp. Her. 2. 121

ἐκείνου τῆς χειρὸς ἀντέχεσθαι

. For the omission of the gen., cp. Ar. Ach. 1120

φέρε, τοῦ δόρατος ἀφελκύσωμαι τοὔλυτρον

. |

ἔχ’, ἀντέχου, παῖ

σύνηθες … ἔθος : cp. Ant. 502

κλέος...εὐκλεέστερον

(n.).

τί δῆτ’ ἂν δρῷμ’ . Schaefer's insertion of

ἄν

is not indispensable. The simple optat. is grammatically possible. But

ἄν

is clearly right, because the question here is a practical one (not the less so, because no answer is expected); i.e., the speaker is really deliberating what he shall do next: it does not refer merely to abstract possibility, like

τεάν, Ζεῦ, δύνασιν τίς...κατάσχοι

; ( Ant. 605 ). Cp. O. C., Appendix on v. 170. The case is precisely similar to that in 1393 (where

ἄν

is certain),

τί δῆτ’ ἂν ἡμεῖς δρῷμεν

;

δρῷμ’ . Contracted verbs had two ways of forming the act. optat. pres.: (1) with

, as

δρά‐ο‐ι‐μι

, contr.

δρῷμι

, the mode proper to verbs with a thematic vowel: (2) with

ιη

, as

δρα‐ο‐ίη‐ν

, contr.

δρῴην

, where, though the thematic vowel o is kept, the endings follow the analogy of the verbs which have no such vowel (‘verbs in

μι

’). The only Homeric examples of (2) are Od. 4. 692

φιλοίη

, and ib. 9. 320

φοροίη

. But in the 5th cent. B.C. this second formation was already predominant in For Attic. the sing. number the first formation had become rare, though Attic poets could still use it whenever it was metrically convenient: e.g. 1044 (and Soph. O. T. 1470 )

δοκοῖμ’

: Soph. Tr. 1235

νοσοῖ

: Aesch Aesch. P. V. 978

νοσοῖμ’ ἄν

. Some instances of the 3rd sing. occur also in Attic prose: as Thuc. 2. 79 (and 100)

δοκοῖ

: Legg. 664 E

πηδῷ

, etc. (Cp. Curtius, Greek Verb, ch. XIV., p. 335 Eng. tr.) In dual and plur. the prevalence of the second formation appears to have been less decisive; and the 3rd pers. plur. always retained the first formation ( e.g.

δρῷεν

, not

δρῴησαν

τοὐνθένδε γε , adverbial: cp. 834 : O. C. 476

τὸ δ’ ἔνθεν

(n.). γε at the end of the v., as 438, O. C. 265 , etc. The emphasis is fitting here. He has reached the furthest point to which the deception can be carried, since it must be revealed by the presence of Odysseus at the ship.

ἐξέβης , ‘digressed’ from the matter in hand: cp. Dem. or. 18 § 211

ἐπανελθεῖν οὖν, ὁπόθεν ἐνταῦθ’ ἐξέβην, βούλομαι

. I. T. 781 (Orestes to Iphigeneia, whom he has interrupted by an unguarded exclamation)

οὐδέν· πέραινε δ)· ἐξέβην γὰρ ἄλλοσε

(‘my thoughts had wandered’).

λόγῳ is better here than λόγων . The latter is more suitable in such a phrase as

ποῖ λόγων ἀμηχανῶν

ἔλθω

; El. 1174.

οὐκ οἶδ’ ὅποι χρὴ

κ.τ.λ.

: he does not know in what words he can break the truth to Ph. ,—that they are going to Troy. After an obscure hint in vv. 912 f., he at last speaks bluntly (915). Cp. Hipp. ma. 297 D

οὐκ ἔτι ἔχω, ὦ Ἱππία, ὅποι τράπωμαι, ἀλλ’ ἀπορῶ· σὺ δὲ ἔχεις τι λέγειν

;—Nauck wishes for στρέφειν , which would imply an artful ‘twisting’ of speech; cp. Ar. Th. 1128

αἰαῖ· τί δράσω; πρὸς τίνας στρεφθῶ λόγους

; But τρέπειν better suits the ingenuous perplexity of one who simply doubts what course he ought to take.

ἀπορεῖς δὲ τοῦ σύ ; Remembering the behaviour of his former visitors when it came to the all-important point (310), Ph. is alarmed at the first trace of embarrassment in Neoptolemus.

ἐνθάδε … τοῦδε τοῦ πάθους (partit. gen.)=

ἐνθάδε τῆς ἀπορίας

: at such an advanced point in it that I do not know what to say next (897).—Not, as Wunder took it, ‘at such a point that I must speak’ (referring to

μὴ λέγε

οὐ δή ...; as Tr. 668 : and with

που

added, O. T. 1472 , Ant. 381. —For ὥστε after ἔπεισεν cp. 656 n.

ναύτην =

ναυβάτην

(246), vectorem: so Aesch. Pers. 719

πεζὸς ἢ ναύτης

, C. 3. 4. 30 navita.

ἅπαντα δυσχέρεια : for the neut. plur. as subject, with sing. subst. as predicate, cp. O. C. 883

ἆρ’ οὐχ ὕβρις τάδ’

; Od. 24. 433

λώβη γὰρ τάδε γ’ ἐστί

: Stobaeus Flor. 5. 3

φόβος τὰ θεῖα τοῖσι σώφροσιν βροτῶν

: Lys. or. 4 § 7

πῶς ταῦτ’ ἐστὶ πρόνοια;

Dem. or. 19 § 72

ἔστι δὲ ταῦτα γέλως.

τὴν αὑτοῦ φύσιν λιπών , whereas

τὸ γενναῖον

τὸ μὴ ἐξιστάμενον ἐκ τῆς αὑτοῦ φύσεως

( cp. 51 n.). Fraud was foreign to his nature (88).— τὰ μὴ προσεικότα , such things as do not befit him: for the generic

μή

, cp. 170 , 409, 444, 909.

οὐδὲν ἔξω τοῦ φυτεύσαντος , nothing that deviates from his example. The father (Achilles) is the

παράδειγμα

which regulates the son's conduct,—as in Eth. N. 3. 6 the

σπουδαῖος

ὥσπερ κανὼν καὶ μέτρον

(

τῶν καλῶν

). Thus the use of

ἔξω

is justified: it expresses a departure from the lines of the pattern. Cp. Legg. 876 E

δοῦναι τὰ παραδείγματα τοῖς δικασταῖς τοῦ μήποτε βαίνειν ἔξω τῆς δίκης

. Musgrave quotes Libanius 1. 574

τοῦ τῆς πόλεως ἤθους καὶ τῆς ἐμῆς πολιτείας ἔξω τὸ πρᾶγμα εἶναι δοκεῖ

. The boldness of the expression

ἔξω τοῦ φυτεύσαντος

finds some analogy in the phrase

κατά τινα

as=

κατὰ τρόπον τινός

: Plat. Parm. 126C

κατὰ τὸν πάππον...πρὸς τῇ ἱππικῇ διατρίβει

(following his example). So Alciphron can say

ὁ παῖς ἐξεμάξατο τὸν διδάσκαλον

(took the stamp of his teacher), instead of

τὸν τοῦ διδασκάλου χαρακτῆρα

(3. 64). I cannot, then, think with Nauck that φυτεύσαντος is spurious. προσεικότος would be but a tame substitute. A reference to the youth's inherited generosity seems fitting here: cp. 874 , 1310. τοὐμφυτευθέντος (Tournier) is ingenious, but less forcible than

τοῦ φυτεύσαντος

ἐσθλὸν : Blaydes would take this as= ‘of noble birth,’ in order that Ph. may not praise himself. A similar feeling has prompted conjectures (cr. n.). But by

ἐσθλόν

Ph. means that the kindness of N. is not disgraced by its recipient. The situation is one in which he can say this with perfect dignity and propriety. So he refers to himself elsewhere as the comrade (1131) and benefactor (670) of Heracles; as a zealous ally of the Greek chiefs (1027); as one who has shown rare courage under his trials (535), and who will not fail in gratitude to his deliverer (1370). In like manner Oedipus reminds his Attic hosts that he is no unworthy guest ( Soph. O. C. 287 , Soph. O. C. 625 f.).

πάλαι : cp. 589 .

οὔκουν (872 n.) ἐν οἷς γε δρᾷς (

αἰσχρὸς φανεῖ

): in respect of thy deeds ( thus far) thou certainly wilt not be found

αἰσχρός

: ἐν οἷς δὲ αὐδᾷς , but in respect of what thou sayest—i.e., in respect of the future conduct which thy words foreshadow,

ὀκνῶ (

μὴ αἰσχρὸς φανῇς

).—For the emphasis given to δρᾷς by place and pause, cp. 989 (

Ζεύς

), 1009 (

σοῦ

): Ant. 555

σὺ μὲν γὰρ εἵλου ζῆν, ἐγὼ δὲ κατθανεῖν

δράσω , delib. aor. subjunc.: cp. 757 .—

ἃ μὴ δεῖ

: cp. 903 . He has been base, first, as λέγων αἴσχιστ’ ἐπῶν —telling the falsehood that he was sailing to Greece: next, as κρύπτων ἃ μὴ δεῖ — hiding the truth, that Ph. must go to Troy.

ἁνὴρ ὅδ’ : the transition to the 3rd pers., marking bitter indignation, is like that in Tr. 1238 , where Heracles fears disobedience in Hyllus.

εἰ μὴ )γὼ : cp. O. T. 1086

εἴπερ ἐγὼ μάντις εἰμὶ καὶ κατὰ γνώμαν ἴδρις

: El. 472

εἰ μὴ )γὼ παράφρων μάντις ἔφυν

καὶ γνώμας λειπομένα σοφᾶς

.—For γνώμην (which Naber alters to γνώμων ) cp. El. 546

ἀβούλου καὶ κακοῦ γνώμην

: O. T. 687

ἀγαθὸς ὢν γνώμην

. The dat. in Ai. 1374

γνώμη σοφὸν

φῦναι.

τὸν πλοῦν στελεῖν : Ai. 1045

ᾧ δὴ τόνδε πλοῦν ἐστείλαμεν

. But

στέλλω

without

πλοῦν

in 571, Ai. 640.

λιπὼν ( sc.

τὸν πλοῦν στελῶ

) after

ἐκλιπών

, as 1383

αἰσχύνοιτ’

after

καταισχύνει

. Cp. O. C. 841

προβᾶθ’ ὧδε, βᾶτε.

πέμπω , convey: cp. 1368 , 1399, 1465. The v. l. πέμπων (prob. a mere error caused by

λιπὼν

) would require us to supply

τὸν πλοῦν στέλλω

(subjunct.).— τοῦτ’ , emphatic, as Tr. 458

τὸ μὴ πυθέσθαι, τοῦτό μ’ ἀλγύνειεν ἄν

: cp. O. C. 504 , O. T. 407. Remark the repetition of τοῦτ’ ἀνιῶμαι πάλαι so soon after 906. So Ant. 613 and 618

οὐδὲν ἕρπει

: ib. 614 and 625

ἐκτὸς ἄτας

οὐδέν σε κρύψω : for the double acc., cp. El. 957

οὐδὲν γάρ σε δεῖ κρύπτειν μ’ ἔτι

: Aesch. P. V. 625

μήτοι με κρύψῃς τοῦθ’

. So

ἀποκρύπτομαί τινά τι.

γὰρ merely prefaces the statement: O. T. 277.

τί <δ)> εἶπας ; I insert δ’ , which might easily have dropped out. Such a hiatus as τί εἶπας is not Sophoclean. Cp. 100 n. After a voc., we elsewhere find

δέ

thus used in a question: O. C. 332

τέκνον, τί δ’ ἦλθες

; ib. 1459

πάτερ, τί δ’ ἐστὶ τἀξίωμ’ ἐφ’ ᾧ καλεῖς

; The objection to τί μ’ εἶπας (‘what hast thou said of me?’) is that it does not suit the sense here (‘what purpose hast thou declared in regard to me?’). And τί γ’ εἶπας would be weak.

πρὶν μάθῃς , without

ἄν

: cp.

ἕως

without

ἄν

, 764. Soph. affords some 14 instances of

πρὶν ἄν

with subjunct. (as 332, Soph. 1332 ), and 7 instances (besides this) of simple

πρίν

with subjunct.,— Soph. Ant. 619 ; Soph. Tr. 608 , Soph. Tr. 946 ; Soph. Ai. 742 , Soph. Ai. 965 ; fr. 583. 2, fr. 596.

ποῖον μάθημα ; Cp. Ant. 42

ποῖόν τι κινδύνευμα

; For the verb with its cognate noun, cp. 150

μέλον...μέλημα.

δρᾶσαι with double acc.: 803 n.

σῶσαι κακοῦ : cp. Ant. 1162

σώσας μὲν ἐχθρῶν...χθόνα

(n.).

ξὺν σοὶ : cp. 1335 .

καὶ ταῦτ’ ...; For

καί

in preface to an indignant question, cp. O. C. 263 n.

ἀληθῆ , predicative adj., with adverbial force, and so here=

ἀληθῶς

(a word not extant in Soph. ). In Plat. Lach. 186A ,

τοῦτο μὲν ἀληθῆ λέγεις

(as also in Menon 98 B etc.), Krüger and others take

ἀληθῆ

as an adv.,=

ἀληθῶς

: but the sense there is, ‘you are right as to that,’—

τοῦτο

being acc. of respect, and

ἀληθῆ

acc. governed by

λέγεις.

κρατεῖ τούτων , controls these things (like

κρατεῖν τῶν πραγμάτων

, Dem. or. 1. § 26), i.e., ordains that they must be so.

ὦ ξένε , a form which he has not used since 219. He has hitherto addressed N. as

ὦ τέκνον

, or

ὦ παῖ

. Cp. 932 .

ἀλλ’ οὐχ οἷόν τε : so O. C. 1418. Other places where

ἐστί

is omitted after

οἷός τε

are O. C. 1136 , Tr. 742 , O. T. 24.

τῶν ἐν τέλει : 385 n.

927 ff. While Philoctetes makes this appeal, Neoptolemus stands with averted face (935), still holding the bow. Despairing anguish could not be more pathetically expressed than by the transitions from imprecation to entreaty, and from entreaty to the half-soliloquy in which he imagines the future (952).

πῦρ , the symbol of a ruthless destroyer. Neoptolemus is leaving utter desolation behind him. The image is one which Lemnos itself might well suggest ( cp. 800 n.). The combination of πῦρ with δεῖμα (‘monster’) curiously recalls a passage in the Lysistrata (which appeared two years before this play), 1014 f.

οὐδέν ἐστι θηρίον γυναικὸς ἀμαχώτερον

, |

οὐδὲ πῦρ, οὐδ’ ὧδ’ ἀναιδὴς οὐδεμία πόρδαλις

. Elsewhere

πῦρ

is a figure for warlike rage, as Il. 20. 371

τῷ δ’ ἐγὼ ἀντίος εἶμι, καὶ εἰ πυρὶ χεῖρας ἔοικε

: or, generally, for an irresistible bane, as Eur. fr. 432

ἀντὶ πυρὸς γὰρ ἄλλο πῦρ

μεῖζον ἐβλάστομεν γυναῖ

κες πολὺ δυσμαχώτερον

. Cp. C. 4. 4. 42 Dirus per urbes Afer ut Italas, | Ceu flamma per taedas etc. Tennyson: ‘The children born of thee are fire and sword.’

πᾶν δεῖμα , utter monster. As

ἡ πᾶσα βλάβη

(622), said of a man, is equiv. to

ὁ πᾶς βλάβη

(

ὤν

), so here

πᾶν δεῖμα

is equiv. to

πᾶς δεῖμα

. The latter would describe the man as effaced; the former describes the

δεῖμα

as perfect; and thus the sense is not affected by the assimilation of the adj.

πᾶς

to the subst. But we cannot compare Ar. Th. 787

ὡς πᾶν ἐσμὲν κακον <*>, κἀξ ἡμῶν ἐστιν ἅπαντα

, |

ἔριδες, νείκη, στάσις, ἀργαλέα κ.τ.λ.

, since there the sense is, ‘ every sort of ill,’ not, ‘utter ill.’ For δεῖμα cp. Eur. H. F. 700

πέρσας δείματα θηρῶν

πανουργίας … τέχνημα , a work of art in

πανουργία

(defining gen.),— i.e., a man in whom

πανουργία

assumes its subtlest form; not, a work of art produced by (personified)

Πανουργία

(like Shakespeare's,

‘Confusion now hath made his masterpiece,’

Macb. 2. 3. 71 ). τέχνημα could not stand for

τεχνίτης

, ‘contriver’ of

πανουργία

, as Nauck implies by comparing Hor. Epod. 17. 35 (of Canidia) cales venenis officina Colchicis. For the neut. noun, cp.

ἄλημα, κρότημα, λάλημα, μίσημα, παιπάλημα

, etc. ( Ant. 320 n.).

εἰργάσω , followed by

ἠπάτηκας

. A perf. follows an aor. in 676, 1172: an aor. follows a perf. in 666.

τὸν προστρόπαιον : cp. 773 .

τὸν βίον . This verse deserves notice as one of those which indicate the sensitiveness of the Athenian ear to accent. For if

βίον

could have been mistaken for

βιόν

, the effect would have been as unhappy as when the actor pronounced

γαλήν’

too much like

γαλῆν

( Ar. Ran. 304 ).— Cp. 1282 .

932 A dactyl is here followed by a tribrach, as in 1029 we have two tribrachs. In both verses the rhythm marks agitation.

θεῶν πατρῴων , the gods of Achilles and Peleus. Cp. O. C. 756 n.

με μὴ ἀφέλῃ : for

μή

followed by

, cp. on 782 n. Either the act. or the midd. is admissible. But a strong reason for preferring the midd. is that Soph. uses it in three other places; and if in 376 there was a metrical motive for

ἀφαιρήσοιτο

, there was none in 1303 for

ἀφείλου

, or in Soph. Ai. 100 for

ἀφαιρείσθων

. On the other hand, he nowhere uses the active

ἀφαιρεῖν

. In Soph. O. T. 1522 , where L has the true

ἕλῃ

, some later MSS. have

ἕλῃς

: and probably

ἀφέλῃς

in L here is merely a like error.

προσφωνεῖ : for the 3rd pers., cp. 910 .

ὡς μεθήσων μήποθ’ . The

μή

here is probably ‘generic,’ as in 253

ὡς μηδὲν εἰδότ’ ἴσθι

, and 415

ὡς μηκέτ’ ὄντα ...νόει

. ‘He looks away, like one who will never give it up.’ [Another view is that it is the

μή

of ‘strong assurance’; see 1329, O. C. 656

οἶδ’ ἐγώ σε μή τινα

ἐνθένδ’ ἀπάξοντ’ ἄνδρα

: i.e., as we could say,

οἶδα αὐτὸν μήποτε μεθήσοντα

, so in

ὁρᾷ πάλιν ὡς μήποτε μεθήσων

the

μή

emphasises the speaker's conviction of N.'s resolve. This is possible, but seems less natural.] For the omission of the object to

μεθήσων

, cp. 801 (

ἔμπρησον

).— ὁρᾷ πάλιν : cp. Il. 21. 415

πάλιν τρέπεν ὄσσε φαεινώ

. Eur. Hec. 343

πρόσωπον ἔμπαλιν

στρέφοντα

λιμένες , bays or creeks, near the cave,—not necessarily implying anchorage: cp. 302

οὐ γάρ τις ὅρμος ἐστίν

(n.). So in Il. 1. 432 the

λιμὴν πολυβενθής

is merely the bay, while the

ὅρμος

is the anchorage within it ( ib. 435).— προβλῆτες here=

ἄκραι

, promontories: in Homer always an adj. (with

ἀκταί

, etc.). It is curious to note that, just in that part of his epic for which he would naturally have consulted this play, Quintus Smyrnaeus reproduces this use of

προβλής

(10. 175

οὐδέ νυ τόν γε

εἴργουσιν προβλῆτες

ξυνουσίαι θηρῶν : for the periphrasis cp. 868 .

καταρρῶγες , only here: a poet. substitute for

ἀπορρῶγες

( Xen. An. 4. 6. 3

πέτρα ἀπορρώξ

λέγω , subj.: cp. Ant. 1341

οὐδ’ ἔχω

πρὸς πότερον ἴδω

ἀνακλαίομαι , lament aloud. Antiphon

α. δ

. § 1

τὰς...ἀτυχίας ἀνακλαύσασθαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς.

παροῦσι , present with me as ye are, τοῖς εἰωθόσιν (

παρεῖναι

), ye, who are wont to be so. In freely rendering these words, ‘my wonted companions,’ we must remember that παροῦσι is not a subst. (like

θεαταῖς

μάρτυσι

): i.e., we could not say,

οἱ εἰωθότες παρόντες

, meaning, ‘my wonted companions.’ That would be possible only if

παρών

had acquired a definitely substantival use (like

ἄρχων

). Thus in Thuc. 7. 75

οἱ ζῶντες καταλειπόμενοι

is not ‘the living remnant,’ but ‘those who were left behind alive’ (

ζῶντες κατελείποντο

ὀμόσας , by giving his promise (527), though no formal oath had been exacted (811).

προσθείς , having added the pledge of the hand (813) to his word. So fr. 428

ὅρκου δὲ προστεθέντος

(added to the

ψιλὸς λόγος

, cp. O. C. 651 n.)

ἐπιμελεστέρα

ψυχὴ κατέστη

. The v. l. προθείς is weaker, and strange as a substitute for

προτείνας

( cp. 1292 ): it is not adequately defended by Eur. Hec. 66

βραδύπουν

ἤλυσιν ἄρθρων προτιθεῖσα

. Cp. Xen. An. 3. 2. 4 (the Persian king)

αὐτὸς ὀμόσας ἡμῖν, αὐτὸς δεξιὰς δούς, αὐτὸς ἐξαπατήσας συνέλαβε τοὺς στρατηγούς

ἱερὰ sc.

ὄντα

, sacred as the bow is: because it had been given by Apollo to Heracles, himself now a god (728). Cp. 198

τὰ θεῶν ἀμάχητα βέλη

: 657.— τοῦ Ζηνὸς Ἡρακλέους , gen. of

ὁ Ζηνὸς Ἡρακλῆς

, the bow, once, of Heracles son of Zeus. I do not take ἱερὰ with this gen., because, though the bow may fitly be called ‘sacred,’ it cannot be called ‘sacred to Heracles’ without straining the natural sense of

ἱερός τινος

. Rather τοῦ Ζ. Ἡρ . is an indignant development of

ἱερά

:—‘he has stolen my bow,—a sacred one,—the bow of Heracles.’—For τοῦ Ζ. Ἡρακλ. , cp. O. C. 623

χὡ Διὸς Φοῖβος

, Ai. 172

ταυροπόλα Διὸς Ἄρτεμις

(without art.).

φήνασθαι : the aor. midd. of the simple

φαίνω

occurs nowhere else; nor is there any other place where any part of the simple midd.

φαίνομαι

is trans., ‘to show.’ (

ἀπεφηνάμην

is frequent.) The poet prob. meant φήνασθαι here to be a little more than

φῆναι

,— i.e., ‘to show for his own glory,’ ‘to display.’ The object to φήνασθαι is

τὰ τόξα

only. It would be awkward to understand (with Nauck)

ἐμὲ καὶ τὰ τόξα

: and the display of the captive is implied in the next vv.

Seyffert, placing only a comma after θέλει , and reading κοὐχ ὡς for κοὐκ οἶδ’ in 946, understands:—‘He wishes to boast (

φήνασθαι

, gloriose de se praedicare) among the Argives that ( ὡς 945) he is bringing me by force, a strong man whom he has taken, and not as it were a dead man whom he is slaying’ (

κοὐχ ὡς ἐναίρων νεκρόν

). But the awkwardness of this conjectural κοὐχ ὡς is intolerable, when ὡς in 945 is to mean ‘that.’ Further, it is clearly essential to the force of the passage that there should be a full stop (or colon) at θέλει . Verse 945 is an indignant amplification of 941,

ἐς Τροίαν μ’ ἄγει

. ‘He is taking me by force, I say, as if he had captured ( ὡς ἑλὼν ) a strong man,’ etc.

κοὐκ οἶδ’ . Neoptolemus knows, of course, that Ph. is feeble. But these words mean that, in taking Ph. to Troy, N. does not realise what he is doing; he will not gain a triumph, but merely extinguish a flickering life. As this speech wavers between curses and prayers, so it vacillates between denunciation of the youth's cruel guile (926 f.), and something like pity for his thoughtless folly. Cp. 1010 .

ἐναίρων νεκρὸν : cp. Ant. 1030

τὸν θανόντ’ ἐπικτανεῖν

(n.).

καπνοῦ σκιάν : Ant. 1170

τἄλλ’ ἐγὼ καπνοῦ σκιᾶς

οὐκ ἂν πριαίμην

(n.).

εἴδωλον ἄλλως : O. C. 109

οἰκτίρατ’ ἀνδρὸς Οἰδίπου τόδ’ ἄθλιον

εἴδωλον· οὐ γὰρ δὴ τό γ’ ἀρχαῖον δέμας

(n.). The adv. ἄλλως means (1) ‘otherwise,’ O. C. 492 : (2) ‘besides,’ ‘moreover,’ O. T. 1114 : (3) ‘otherwise than well,’ and so, ‘vainly,’ O. T. 333 ,—as

ἕτερος

oft.=

κακός

: (4) with a subst. implying disparagement, ‘ merely’; Nub. 1203

ἀριθμός, πρόβατ’ ἄλλως

, ‘ciphers—very sheep’: Dem. or. 19 § 24

οἱ δ’ ἀντιλέγοντες ὄχλος ἄλλως καὶ βασκανία κατεφαίνετο

, ‘the opposition was pronounced to be mere obstructiveness and spite’ (where see Shilleto). This sense comes through that of ‘vainly,’ ‘uselessly.’

ἐπεὶ οὐδ’ : for the synizesis cp. 446 n.

ἀλλ’ , though only conjectural (cr. n.), is confirmed by the fact that elsewhere also the hortative is combined with the limiting

ἀλλά

: see 1040 f.: O. C. 238 ff.

ἀλλ’ ἐπεὶ...ἀλλ’ ἐμὲ

(me, at least). The loss of

ἀλλ’

before

ἀπόδος

here may have been due to a reminiscence of 932.

ἀλλὰ νῦν : cp. El. 411

συγγένεσθέ γ’ ἀλλὰ νῦν.

ἐν σαυτῷ γενοῦ : Xen. An. 1. 5. 17

ἐν ἑαυτῷ ἐγένετο

, he recovered himself (after an outbreak of passion). So Her. 1. 119

οὔτε ἐξεπλάγη ἐντός τε ἑωυτοῦ γίνεται

, ‘he did not lose his presence of mind, but mastered his feelings.’ The simple gen. of the reflex. pron. is similarly used, Soph. O. C. 660 (n.): Dem. or. 2 § 30 (which confirms ἔτι here):

δεῖ δὴ...ὑμῶν αὐτῶν ἔτι καὶ νῦν γενομένους κ.τ.λ.

—The v. l. ἐν σαυτοῦ here has been supported by Vesp. 642

σκορδινᾶται κἄστιν οὐκ ἐν αὑτοῦ

. But there I should read either

ἔθ’ αὑτοῦ

ἐν αὑτῷ

. In Plat. Charm. 155D

οὐκέτ’ ἐν ἐμαυτοῦ ἦν

, other readings are

ἐπ’ ἐμαυτοῦ

and

ἐν ἐμαυτῷ

; the last is prob. right.

σιωπᾷς : cp. O. C. 1271

τί σιγᾷς;

οὐδέν εἰμ’ , am as dead: El. 677 : O. C. 393

ὅτ’ οὐκέτ’ εἰμί, τηνικαῦτ’ ἄρ’ εἴμ’ ἀνήρ

;

ὦ σχῆμα πέτρας δίπυλον , not

διπύλου

, since

σχῆμα‐πέτρας

forms one notion: cp. Ant. 794

νεῖκος ἀνδρῶν ξύναιμον

.—The word σχῆμα , in such a periphrasis, usu. denotes stateliness (as in Eur. Alc. 911

ὦ σχῆμα δόμων

, and so Eur. Hec. 619

ὦ σχήματ’ οἴκων

): here it marks the distinctness of the form present to his thoughts (like

σῶμα...θηρὸς

in Soph. O. C. 1568 ). Alike in bodily and in mental suffering, the outlines of surrounding objects become vividly stamped upon the mind. Cp. Byron, Prisoner of Chillon (stanza x): ‘But then by dull degrees came back | My senses to their wonted track; | I saw the dungeon walls and floor | Close slowly round me as before.’

αὖθις αὖ πάλιν , a rarer phrase than

αὖθις πάλιν

(342), or

αὖθις αὖ

( Ar. Ach. 854 ): in Soph. O. C. 1418 we should read

αὖθις ἂν πάλιν

953 The MSS. and edd. give πρὸς σὲ here: but πρός σε is surely required by the sense. There is no emphasis on the pron. (as if the cave were contrasted with some other abode). The stress is on

ψιλός

: his former life in the cave, when he had the bow, is contrasted with the life now before him.

ψιλός : cp. O. C. 1029

οὐ ψιλὸν οὐδ’ ἄσκευον

(n.).

αὐανοῦμαι : El. 819

ἄφιλος αὐανῶ βίον

. This is one of the rare instances in which a true reading, lost to the text of L, has been preserved by the schol.: cp. Ant. 40 , Ant. 235.

πτηνὸν ( cp. 288 )... ὀρειβάτην ( cp. 937 ): the epithets are not merely ornamental; they suggest the distance of the prey, and so the helplessness of the unarmed man.

τοισίδ’ , if right, is the only example of this Ionic form in Soph. ; nor is there any in In Eur. Med. 1295 , where the MSS. have

τοῖσιν

τοῖσδέ γ’

, Canter gave

τοῖσιδ’

, which Elms. wrote

τοισίδ’

(comparing

τοιόνδ’

): Wecklein there, as here, conjectures

τοῖσδ’ ἔτ’

( Ars Soph. em. p. 33); though here, in his ed., he keeps

τοισίδ’

. The question here is,—Does L's

τοῖσιδ’

, corrected by the 1st hand from

τοῖσιν

, point rather to τοισίδ’ or to τοῖσδ’ ἔτ’ ? To the former, I think. If

τοῖσδ’ ἔτ’

had been the original reading, the unusual form

τοῖσιδ’

would hardly have supplanted it. The accent proves nothing, for the epic

τοίσδεσσι

used to be written

τοῖσδεσσι

παρέξω δαῖτα (

τούτοις

) ὑφ’ ὧν ἐφερβ .: cp. O. T. 1362

ὁμογενὴς δ’ ἀφ’ ὧν ἔφυν

. M. 1. 2. 6

διαλέγεσθαι παρ’ ὧν ἂν λάβοιεν τὸν μισθόν

( i.e. ,

τούτοις παρ’ ὧν

Wunder proposes

ἀφ’ ὧν

, objecting that

ὑφ’ ὧν

implies active ministration, ‘as by a nurse.’ It is true that

τρέφομαι ὑπό τινος

properly refers to the nurse, while the source of nourishment is denoted by

τινί, ἀπό τινος

, or

ἔκ τινος

( cp. 535 ). But here Ph. is poetically saying that he had forced the beasts to become his

τροφεῖς

,—as he will now be theirs; and so ὑπό is right. ἀπό would also be right, but tamer.

καί μ’ , not κἄμ’ , because the contrast between ἐθήρων and θηράσουσι suffices. Cp. 47 n.

ῥύσιον is what one ‘draws to oneself,’ as spoil, or by way of security ( O. C. 858 n.), or in reprisal. φόνον φόνου … ῥύσιον τείσω =I shall pay (to the beasts) my life-blood, taken by them in reprisal for life-blood ( φόνου , gen. of the price or equivalent). Cp. Polyb. 4. 53

ῥύσια κατήγγειλαν τοῖς Ῥοδίοις

, ‘formally threatened them with reprisals’ (for bloodshed).—

τείσω, ἔτεισα

, was the Attic spelling in the poet's time, as inscrr. prove: O. T. 810 (2nd ed.).

τοῦ δοκοῦντος , partic. of the imperf. (

ὃς ἐδόκει

): cp. O. T. 835

πρὸς τοῦ παρόντος

n.: O. C. 1565 n.: Ant. 1192.

οὐδὲν εἰδέναι κακόν , not, ‘to have no evil sentiment’ (like the epic

ἤπια εἰδώς

, etc.), but simply, ‘to know no evil’: cp. Ant. 301

δυσσέβειαν εἰδέναι

(n.).

ὄλοιο

μήπω . The mere fact that

ὄλοιο

comes first means that the curse does pass his lips,—though it is instantly qualified by μήπω . Hence the effect of the Greek is not like this—‘I say not yet, Mayest thou perish’: but rather;—‘Perish !—no, not yet,’ etc. Just so in Eur. Med. 83

ὄλοιτο μὲν μή· δεσπότης γάρ ἐστ’ ἐμός

, ‘curse him—I may not,’ etc. (In Soph. Tr. 383

ὄλοιντο μή τι πάντες κ.τ.λ.

, the context is different.)

πρὶν μάθοιμ’ : the optat. is due to

ὄλοιο

: cp. 325 n.: Tr. 655

μὴ σταίη

| ...

πρὶν ἀνύσειε

εἰ καὶ πάλιν . Nauck, referring to Porson's note on Eur. Phoen. 1464 (=1450 Dind.)—as to which, see Appendix—says that καὶ cannot be right; and on that assumption various emendations have been proposed. The defence of the metre turns on the distinction between two classes of monosyllables: (1) those which count as belonging to the words after them, viz., the article; prepositions;

εἰ, ἤ, καί, μή, οὐ, ὡς

; and the interrogatives,

τίς, πῶς, ποῦ, ποῖ, πῇ

: (2) those which count as belonging to the words before them, viz., all enclitics, and such other words as cannot begin a sentence. Since εἰ and καὶ are both of the first class, εἰ καὶ πάλιν is metrically equivalent to a quadrisyllable like

αἱρούμενον

, and therefore the rule against a final cretic does not apply. On the other hand such an ending as

πρὶν μάθοιμ’ οὖν καὶ πάλιν

would be wrong, because

οὖν

is a monosyllable of the second class.

καὶ closely with πάλιν : cp. Plat. Menex. 249E

ἵνα καὶ αὖθίς σοι...ἀπαγγέλλω

. This seems better than to take it with μετοίσεις (‘if thou wilt indeed change’). πάλιν μετοίσεις is pleonastic, since Ph. does not now suppose that N.'s purpose was ever honest: cp. 1270 : Thuc. 2. 13

μὴ ἐλάσσω ἀντικαταστῆσαι πάλιν

δρῶμεν ; subjunct.

ἐν σοὶ κ.τ.λ.: cp. O. T. 314 n.: I. T. 1057

καὶ τἄμ’ ἐν ὑμῖν ἐστιν ἢ καλῶς ἔχειν

ἢ μηδὲν εἶναι καὶ στερηθῆναι πάτρας.

προσχωρεῖν : cp.

ἐπιχωρεῖν

in Ant. 219 : Eur. Med. 222

χρὴ δὲ ξένον μὲν κάρτα προσχωρεῖν πόλει

(‘comply’).

ἐμοὶ μὲν : for

μέν

emphasising the pron. (without an answering

δέ

), cp. Ant. 11 n.

ἐμπέπτωκε : cp. Philippides

Ἀργυρίου Ἀφανισμός

ἀλλ’ ἔλεος ἐμπέπτωκέ τις μοι τῶν ὅλων

. Soph. has used the acc. with this verb in Soph. O. C. 942 (n.).— οὐ νῦν πρῶτον : Soph. El. 1049

πάλαι δέδοκται ταῦτα κοὐ vεωστί μοι

ἐλἐησον : cp. on 307 ff.

παρῇς σαυτοῦ βρ. ὄνειδος , allow men to have ground for reproaching thee: a poet. modification of the more usual constr.,

παρῇς σεαυτὸν βροτοῖς ὀνειδίζειν

(as Plat. Phaedo 101 C

παρεὶς ἀποκρίνασθαι τοῖς... σοφωτέροις

). So oft.

ὄνειδος καταλείπειν.

ἐκκλέψας =

ἐξαπατήσας

, as in 55 (n.): not, ‘having stolen me out of Lemnos.’

μήποτ’ , though it belongs to λιπεῖν , can be prefixed to ὤφελον because the whole phrase is felt as a wish: so Od. 11. 548

ὡς δὴ μὴ ὄφελον νικᾷν

. In Tr. 997 the inf. has its due precedence:

ἣν μή ποτ’ ἐγὼ προσιδεῖν ὁ τάλας

ὤφελον ὄσσοις.

Σκῦρον : 240 n.

νῦν δ’ ἄλλοισι δοὺς , sc.

τὰ αἰσχρά

, having left the base deeds to others, whom they befit ( οἷς εἰκός , sc.

δοῦναι αὐτά

). Cp. 405 —409. As the chief emphasis here is on the character of N. ( οὐκ εἶ κακὸς σύ ), ἄλλοισι is naturally contrasted with

σύ

, rather than with

κακῶν ἀνδρῶν

Other interpretations are: (1) δοὺς =

δοὺς σεαυτόν

, ‘yielding to others’ (than the

κακοὶ ἄνδρες

),— i.e., to Philoctetes himself. The objection here is the use of

δούς

. Eur. Phoen. 21 ,

ὁ δ’ ἡδονῇ δούς

, is the only extant example of this usage in the classical period, and there it denotes self-abandonment to impulse; a tone which was apparently associated with it by Alciphron also, when he wrote

δρόμῳ δοὺς φέρεσθαι

(3. 47), me in pedes coniciens. (2) Reading ἄλλοις σε δοὺς : ‘having allowed thyself to be overruled by others’ ( i.e., by Ph. ). But this phrase implies relations of confidence and friendship ( cp. 84 ): it does not suit the stern and cold admonition which these verses convey. (3) With Dindorf's οἷα (which he does not explain) the obvious sense would be, ‘having given others their due,’—an anticipation of

τἀμά μοι μεθεὶς ὅπλα

. The objection to this is that ἄλλοισι then becomes strange, since Ph. is no longer contrasted with bad advisers, but is merely the recipient of the bow.

974 We are to suppose that Odysseus,—disquieted when he found that the

ἔμπορος

(627) was not quickly followed by N.,—had set out to inquire into the cause of the delay. From a place of concealment close to the scene he has overheard the last part of the conversation, and now, at the critical moment, he springs forward. The abruptness of his entrance is marked by the divided verse (

ἀντιλαβή

975 Join εἶ … πάλιν ; Neoptolemus was in the act of approaching Philoctetes: Odysseus places himself between them. Cp. O. C. 1398

νῦν τ’ ἴθ’ ὡς τάχος πάλιν

: ib. 1724

πάλιν, φίλα, συθῶμεν

πέπραμαι : cp. 579

διεμπολᾷ

(n.).

ἅμ’ αὐτοῖς , sc.

τοῖς τόξοις

. So in 1059

τούτων

refers to

τὰ ὅπλα

in 1056.— στελοῦσί σε , sc. the two attendants of Odysseus, who have entered along with him ( cp. 985

οἵδε

, and 1003). It should be remembered that, to the spectators, there could be nothing obscure in

στελοῦσι

, since Odysseus would glance or point at the men. There is no need, then, for the conjectures (cr. n.) which have sought either to introduce

οἵδε

or to remove

αὐτοῖς

. Greek idiom readily tolerated either change or ellipse of subject: cp. n. on O. C. 1065

ἁλώσεται

.—We cannot well refer αὐτοῖς either to the attendants of Od., or to Neoptolemus and the Chorus. Odysseus would rather say,

ἡμῖν

. If it is objected that the bow cannot be said

στείχειν

, the answer is that

στείχειν ἅμ’ αὐτοῖς

is merely a way of saying

στείχειν ἅμα τοῖς τὰ τόξα φέρουσι

τολμήστατε =

τολμηέστατε

, superl. of

τολμήεις

. Odysseus says in Od. 17. 284

τολμήεις μοι θυμός, ἐπεὶ κακὰ πολλὰ πέπονθα

. The contracted form has been much suspected here; Nauck pronounces it corrupt, because (1) tragic dialogue nowhere admits adjectives in

άεις, ήεις, όεις

, and (2) the contr.

ήστατος

from

ηέστατος

is unexampled. As to (1), we may observe that in O. T. 1279 it is almost certain that Soph. used

αἱματόεις

: Porson there conjectured

αἱματοῦσσ’

(for

αἵματος

): Heath, with greater probability,

αἱματοῦς

. As to (2), it is true that there is no other instance of this contr. in a superlative: but there are epic examples of the same contr. in the positive: Hom. Od. 7. 110

τεχνῆσσαι

, restored by Bekker from

τεχνῆσαι

(schol.

τεχνήεσσαι, τεχνιτίδες

): Hom. Il. 18. 475

καὶ χρυσὸν τιμῆντα καὶ ἄργυρον

(where no emend. is probable). I do not add Hom. Il. 9. 605

οὐκέθ’ ὁμῶς τιμῇς ἔσεαι

: for, though we cannot read

ὁμῶς τιμῆς

, I would suggest that the change of one letter will restore the true reading, viz.

ὁμῆς τιμῆς

: and C. LobeckA. , while conceding that Florian Lobeck ( Quaest. Ion. p. 8) used ‘too great severity’ in condemning

τολμήστατος

, agrees with him in pointing out that such a contraction as

τεχνῇς

for

τεχνήεις

cannot be safely inferred from

τεχνῆσσα

for

τεχνήεσσα

( Pathol. 1. 343). This consideration is a fresh argument against Hermann's conj.

χαλαζῇς

in O. T. 1279 : and it also reminds us that

τολμήστατος

does not imply

τολμῇς

. The example of Oppian ( Cyneg. 2. 140

ἀργῆντα χαλινά

) shows that late poets did not shrink from this contraction. In Pindar we find

αἰγλάεντα

( P. 2. 10),

ἀλκάεντας

( O. 9. 77),

ἀργάεντα

( O. 13. 69),

φωνάεντα

( O. 2. 93), with synizesis of

αε

; though recent edd. no longer write

αἰγλᾶντα

, etc. On the whole, I believe that Soph. would have felt that he had sufficient poetical warrant for

τολμήστατε

. No emendation seems possible which is at once tolerable in itself, and such as to account for the tradition.

τολμίστατε

was a worthless conjecture. Such forms as

κλεπτίστατος, φαρμακίστατος

always imply a positive in

‐ης

‐ος

, and occur only in Comedy or in late prose.

οἵδ’ : cp. 1003 .

μὴ ἕρπῃς : the coalescence of final η with an aspirated ε or α is extremely rare: Ar. Ach. 828

εἰ μὴ ἑτέρωσε

(cp. Ar. Ran. 64 , Ar. Lys. 736 ): Philemon

Παρεισίων

ἢ ἁμάρτημα τί

;—The addition of γ’ to ἕρπῃς is plausible: but the placid answer is perhaps more effective without it: cp. 105 .

986 f. For the voc. combined with nom., cp. 867 n.

τὸ παγκρατὲς σέλας Ἡφαιστότευκτον . As to the place of the second adj., see note on

εὔχρυσον

in 393. The ‘flame wrought by Hephaestus’ is the flame which he causes to break forth from the summit of the volcano Mosychlus (800 n.): cp. Antimachus fr. 6

Ἡφαίστου φλογὶ εἴκελον, ἥν ῥα τιτύσκει

δαίμων ἀκροτάταις ὄρεος κορυφῇσι Μοσύχλου

. We need not suppose, with the schol., that the epithet refers directly to Hephaestus working at his forge within the mountain. When hurled by Zeus from Olympus, Hephaestus fell on Lemnos, and was there tended by the

Σίντιες

( Il. 1. 593 ). The isle was sacred to him,—

Ἡφαίστῳ...γαιάων πολὺ φιλτάτη

( Od. 8. 284 ):

κραναὸν πέδον Ἡφαίστοιο

(Perieget. Dionys. 522): Vulcania Lemnos (Valerius Flaccus 4. 440: cp. Fasti 3. 82). The chief seat of his worship was the town of Hephaestia, situated on the northern inlet (now the bay of Purnia).

The Lemnians had an early repute as workers in iron: Tzetzes on Lycophr. 460

Λήμνιοι, ὡς φησὶν Ἑλλάνικος, εὗρον ὁπλοποιΐαν

. The local cult and the local industry of Lemnos were both expressed by its name

Αἰθάλεια

(‘sooty’), acc. to Polybius ap. Byz. Steph. s. v.

Αἰθάλη

. The same name was given to Ilva (Elba), on account of its iron-stone.

εἰ … ἀπάξεται :

εἰ

with fut. ind. is oft. thus used, where indignation is implied: cp. n. on 376: El. 1210 : Lys. or. 12 § 15

οὐκ ἐλεοῦντες...τὰ τείχη, εἰ πεσεῖται, οὐδὲ κηδόμενοι τῶν νεῶν, εἰ... παραδοθήσονται.

τῶν σῶν :

τὰ σά

, the precincts of Lemnos and her

ἐγχώριοι θεοί

Ζεύς . Philoctetes has appealed to the local deities of Lemnos. Odysseus retorts that Zeus is above them all, and that Zeus (by his oracle) has given the behest which is now being executed.— ἵν’ εἰδῇς , here like ‘let me tell thee,’— with a dictatorial tone. Schneidewin cp. Od. 2. 111

σοὶ δ’ ὧδε μνηστῆρες ὑποκρίνονθ’, οδ. ι (/να εἰδῇς

αὐτὸς σῷ θυμῷ, εἰδῶσι δὲ πάντες Ἀχαιοί

μῖσος : cf. Ant. 760

ἄγετε τὸ μῖσος.

καὶ ἐξανευρίσκεις , ‘dost indeed invent’ (not, ‘dost invent besides,’ i.e.,

πρὸς τοῖς ἔργοις

): cp. 234

φεῦ τὸ καὶ λαβεῖν

: and so in a question expressing surprise, O. T. 1129

ποῖον ἄνδρα καὶ λέγεις

;—The compound

ἐξανευρίσκω

(like

ἐξαφοράω

in O. C. 1648 ) is otherwise strange to classical Greek, but appears to have been common later: Wyttenbach, in his Index to Plutarch (p. 595), quotes eight instances of it from the Moralia. The inf. λέγειν is epexeg. (‘for thyself to say’): we cannot compare O. T. 120

ἓν γὰρ πόλλ’ ἂν ἐξεύροι μαθεῖν

(n.). Perhaps it should be λέγων .

προτείνων , as in

σκῆψιν προτείνειν

, putting the gods forward as authority for thy deed: ψευδεῖς τίθης , thou makest them false,— i.e. responsible for thy fraud. (Not, ‘makest them false prophets,’ because Ph. will never go to Troy.) For the art. with the repeated word, cp. Soph. O. C. 277

καὶ μὴ θεοὺς τιμῶντες ε<*>τα τοὺς θεοὺς

μοίραις ποεῖσθε μηδαμῶς

ἀληθεῖς , because their oracle will be fulfilled: Ph. will be brought to Troy. Thus Hom. Od.parries the thrust given by

ψευδεῖς τίθης.

ἡ δ’ ὁδὸς : cp. El. 1501

πόλλ’ ἀντιφωνεῖς, ἡ δ’ ὁδὸς βραδύνεται

οὐ φήμ’ .

ἐγὼ δὲ φημί . So Gernhard. The MSS. have

οὔ φημ’ ἔγωγε.—φημί

. Now,

φημί

could stand thus alone, if it were the answer to a question,

φὴς ἢ οὐ φής

; but not here, where two persons are opposed to each other. Cp. O. C. 840

ΧΟ. χαλᾶν λέγω σοι. ΚΡ. σοὶ δ’ ἔγωγ’ ὁδοιπορεῖν.

πειστέον τάδε =

δεῖ πείθεσθαι τάδε

. Cp. 1252 .

ἡμᾶς μὲν : cp. 965 . These words show the speaker's bitter sense that, while he is not inferior to his enemy in point of birth, he has been superior to him in such deeds as become an

ἐλεύθερος

. It was Odysseus, not Philoctetes, who had gone to Troy, only ‘when brought under the yoke’ (1025).

τοῖς ἀρίστοισιν is far better here than

τοῖς ἀριστεῦσιν

, in which the idea of rank partly obscures that of personal prowess.

κατασκάψαι : cp. O. C. 1421

πάτραν κατασκάψαντι

: ib. 1318

κατασκαφῇ...δῃώσειν

οὐδέποτέ γ’ : Ar. Pax 109

μὰ τὸν Διόνυσον οὐδέποτε ζῶντός γ’ ἐμοῦ.

πᾶν … κακόν : cp. El. 615

χωρεῖν ἂν εἰς πᾶν ἔργον.

γῆς τόδ’ αἰπεινὸν βάθρον =

τόδε γῆς αἰπεινῆς βάθρον

(952), this pedestal of (=consisting in) a steep land, i.e. the island, with its sheer cliffs, on which he is standing. Cp. Ai. 859

<*> γῆς ἱρὸν οἰκείας πέδον

Σαλαμῖνος, ὦ πατρῷον ἑστίας βάθρον

(cp. ib. 135), where, as here, the whole island is the

βάθρον

ἐργασείεις ; Cp. Tr. 1232

ἐργασείων

: Ai. 326

δρασείων

: fr. 900

ἀκουσείων

. The only other examples in Tragedy are Eur. Phoen. 1208

δρασείετον

: Eur. H. F. 628

φευξείω

πέτρᾳ , locative (rather than instrum.) dat. with αἱμάξω : cp. O. T. 1266

ἐπεὶ δὲ γῇ

ἔκειτο.

πέτρας , from the rock, with πεσών : cp. 613 , 630. Such a use of the simple gen. with

πίπτειν

would be somewhat harsh, were there nothing in the context to explain it; but here the adv. ἄνωθεν , ‘from above,’ placed between

πέτρας

and

πεσών

, prevents any obscurity. (

ἄνωθεν

cannot be a prep. governing

πέτρας

, since it could mean only, ‘above the rock.’) Cp. Tr. 782 (where Lichas is hurled from the cliff)

κρατὸς διασπαρέντος αἵματός θ’ ὁμοῦ

ξυλλάβετον αὐτόν is far the best correction of L's ξυλλάβετ’ αὐτόν . The addition of γε to ξυλλάβετε was a feeble makeshift, and cannot be excused by assuming that the attendants had taken the initiative, so that their master merely says, ‘ Yes, seize him.’ The use of the dual—‘Seize him, you two men’— is the more natural here, since each grasps one of his arms. Cp. O. C. 1437

μέθεσθε δ’ ἤδη, χαίρετόν τ’

(as here, in 1054, we have the plur.): so in Plut. 76 the imperat. dual

ἀκούετον

follows

μέθεσθε

in 75. Other Attic examples of the imperat. dual are Ar. Av. 107

εἴπατον

: Plat. Euthyd. 294C

ἐπιδείξατον

. In Homer it is frequent ( Il. 1. 322 ; 7. 279; 8. 186, Il. 191 ; 20. 115; 23. 443; Od. 4. 60 ).

μὴ )πὶ τῷδ’ : for this

ἐπί

with dat. ( penes eum), cp. O. C. 66

ἢ )πὶ τῷ πλήθει λόγος

; El. 1431.

ὦ χεῖρες : his arms have been seized by the two attendants, one of whom stands on each side of him: but we are not to infer from 1016 (

συνδήσας

) that he was actually bound. Cp. 1054 . Heracles in Tr. 1089 uses a similar apostrophe;

ὦ χέρες, χέρες κ.τ.λ.

ἐν χρείᾳ : for

ἐν

, denoting circumstance, cp. 185 n.

συνθηρώμεναι : cp. Ant. 432

σὺν δέ νιν

θηρώμεθ’ εὐθύς

ὦ μηδὲν ὑγιὲς … φρονῶν . The phrase

οὐδὲν ὑγιές

was a common one in Attic, and is often used by Eur. , though never by Aesch. , and only here by It Soph. is thrice combined with

φρονεῖν

by Eur. ,—twice to denote malevolence; fr. 496

οὐδὲν δοκοῦσιν ὑγιὲς ἀνδράσιν φρονεῖν

: fr. 821

ὡς ὑγιὲς οὐδὲν φασὶ μητρυιὰς φρονεῖν

νόθοισι παισίν

: and in Androm. 448 to describe the dishonesty of Spartans,—

ἑλικτὰ κοὐδὲν ὑγιὲς ἀλλὰ πᾶν πέριξ

φρονοῦντες.

μηδὲν ὑγιές , the generic

μή

: i.e., the man is of the kind to have no sound thoughts: cp. 409

μηδὲν δίκαιον

, n. This use of

μηδέν

(instead of

οὐδέν

) here would probably sound the more natural, since the same combination oft. occurred in phrases with the inf.: as Soph. Ph. 200

ἡδονὴ δέ τις

γυναιξὶ μηδὲν ὑγιὲς ἀλλήλαις λέγειν

: fr. 660

ἄλλῳ δ’ ἀρέσκει μηδὲν ὑγιὲς ἐκ φρενῶν

λέγοντι πείθειν τοὺς πέλας τόλμῃ κακῇ

: Ar. Plut. 50

τὸ μηδὲν ἀσκεῖν ὑγιές

ἐλεύθερον =

ἐλευθέριον

: Tr. 63

δούλη μέν, εἴρηκεν δ’ ἐλεύθερον λόγον

: fr. 855

εἰ σῶμα δοῦλον, ἀλλ’ ὁ νοῦς ἐλεύθερος

οἷ’ αὖ μ’ ὑπῆλθες : Odysseus had ‘stolen upon’ Ph. before, when he contrived that he should be left on Lemnos: cp. 264 , 407 ff. Thus

οἷ’ αὖ μ’

is the best and simplest correction of L's

οἷά μ’

. But Nauck is too hasty in saying that

οἵως μ’

is impossible, because the adv. was always

οἷον

οἷα

. In Vesp. 1362 f., certainly,

ἵν’ αὐτὸν τωθάσω νεανικῶς

οἵως ποθ’ οὗτος ἐμὲ πρὸ τῶν μυστηρίων

, the v. l.

οἵοις

is tenable: but in Ai. 923

οἷος ὢν οἵως ἔχεις

is beyond fair suspicion. And in Apoll. Rhod. 4. 786

οἵως

is much more probable than

οἵη.

ὑπῆλθες : cp. O. T. 386

λάθρᾳ μ’ ὑπελθών

: cp.

ὑποτρέχειν

. Ovid Ars amat. 1. 742 Si tibi laudanti credidit, ipse subit (‘supplants thee’).

πρόβλημα , a screen: Plat. Soph. 261A (a sophist is

δυσθήρευτος

φαίνεται γὰρ οὖν προβλημάτων γέμειν

(to have a large supply of outworks),

ὧν ἐπειδάν τι προβάλῃ, τοῦτο πρότερον ἀναγκαῖον διαμάχεσθαι πρὶν ἐπ’ αὐτὸν ἐκεῖνον ἀφικέσθαι

ἀνάξιον μὲν σοῦ , too good for thee: cp.

οὐκ ἴσος

as=‘greater,’

οὐχ ὅμο<*>ος

as=‘more important’: O. T. 810 n. Wakefield cp. Phorm. 2. 2. 28 te indignas seque dignas contumelias | Numquam cessavit dicere hodie. For the emphatic place of σοῦ , cp. 907

δρᾷς

(n.).

οὐδὲν ᾔδει πλὴν κ.τ.λ., i.e., ‘had no ideas’ beyond obedience to orders: a freq. phrase in Comedy ( Ar. Av. 19 , Ar. Ran. 740 , etc.).

καὶ νῦν , already, though the time for remorse has been short.

οἷς =

τούτοις

(causal dat.)

ἅ.—)παθον

: cp.

)φάνη

Ant. 457 n.

διὰ μυχῶν βλέπους’ , peering forth through (the obscurity of) the secret places from which it watches. Cp. Tr. 914

λαθραῖον ὄμμ’ ἐπεσκιασμένη

φρούρουν

: El. 490

δεινοῖς κρυπτομένα λόχοις

(

Ἐρινύς

). Plat. Rep. 519A

ἢ οὔπω ἐννενόηκας, τῶν λεγομένων πονηρῶν μέν, σοφῶν δέ, ὡς δριμὺ μὲν βλέπει τὸ ψυχάριον καὶ ὀξέως διορᾷ ἐφ’ ἃ τέτραπται

...; The words are illustrated by the keenness with which Odysseus had seized, and used, the weak side of the youth's character,—his desire for glory (113—120).

ἀφυᾶ . When ‐εα is preceded by ε , the contr. is ‐εᾶ , as

ἐνδεᾶ

: when by ι or υ , it is alternatively ‐ιᾶ or ‐λῆ; ‐υᾶ or ‐υῆ . Of the alternative forms, those with ᾶ were the standard Attic down to about 350 B.C.: thus

Εὐφυᾶ

is attested by an Attic inscription of 356 B.C. Afterwards the forms with ῆ prevailed. Cp. Meisterhans, p. 66, who cites Moeris p. 316:

ὑγιᾶ Ἀττικῶς, ὑγιῆ Ἑλληνικῶς.

προὐδίδαξεν implies gradual teaching: cp. 538

προὔμαθον

: Ai. 163

γνώμας προδιδάσκειν

συνδήσας with ἄγειν . He anticipates such an indignity from the fact that the two attendants are still holding his arms (1005).

προὐβάλου is an exceptional use of the midd. in this sense: but cp. Her. 6. 101

ἵππους...ἐξεβάλλοντο

(put them ashore). The word is much stronger than

ἐξέθηκ’

(5), or

προθέντες

(268): like

ἔρριψαν

(265), it implies ruthless scorn: cp. Soph. Ai. 830

ῥιφθῶ κυσὶν πρόβλητος.

ἄπολιν : cp. O. C. 1357

κἄθηκας ἄπολιν

. To have no

πόλις

was to be an outcast from human society. It is the Homeric

ἀφρήτωρ, ἀθέμιστος, ἀνέστιος

( Il. 9. 63 ).

θεοὶ : for the synizesis, cp. 1036 , O. C. 964 n.

1022 ff. Seyffert puts a comma after ζῶ , and takes σὺν κακοῖς πολλοῖς with γελώμενος (‘mocked, in addition to my woes’). This punctuation, he argues, is necessary to the sense; for Ph. means that life itself (a joy to others) is a pain to him; whereas, if σὺν κακοῖς πολλοῖς be joined with ζῶ , Ph. will merely say that his pain consists in the misery of his life. Cavallin adopts this view. The answer to Seyffert's dilemma is, I think, that σὺν κακοῖς πολλοῖς is not merely an adverbial qualification of ζῶ (‘live miserably’), but is here equivalent to

κακοῖς πολλοῖς συνών

(‘live,—in company with many woes’). There is no objection to a comma after

ζῶ

, provided that there be one after

τάλας

also; but it seems unnecessary. For

σύν

, cp. 268 n.

τῶν Ἀτρέως … στρατηγῶν : cp. 943 n.

κλοπῇ τε κἀνάγκῃ ζυγεὶς , brought under the yoke (of military service) by stratagem and compulsion. For ζυγεὶς , cp. Aesch. Ag. 841

μόνος δ’ Ὀδυσσεύς, ὅσπερ οὐχ ἑκὼν ἔπλει

, |

ζευχθεὶς ἕτοιμος ἦν ἐμοὶ σειραφόρος

. Odysseus was in Ithaca when he was called to the war, and feigned madness. Palamedes, the envoy of the Greeks, found him ploughing with an ox and an ass yoked together, and placed the infant Telemachus in front of the plough; when Odysseus betrayed his sanity by stopping. As in the case of Solomon's judgment, the typically shrewd man relied on his conviction that art could be surprised by nature. Cp. Lycophron 815 ff., where Cassandra says to Odysseus,

ὦ σχέτλἰ, ὥς σοι κρεῖσσον ἦν μίμνειν πάτρᾳ

(in Ithaca) |

βοηλατοῦντι

,... |

πλασταῖσι λύσσης μηχαναῖς οἰστρημένῳ

. Tzetzes ad loc., and Hyginus Hyg. Fab. 95 , tell the story. In Ovid Met. 13. 34 Ajax contrasts himself with Odysseus:— An quod in arma prior nulloque sub indice veni | Arma neganda mihi? Potiorque videbitur ille | Ultima qui cepit, detrectavitque furore | Militiam ficto: donec sollertior isto, | Sed sibi inutilior , timidi commenta retexit | Naupliades animi , vitataque traxit in arma? Sophocles wrote an

Ὀδυσσεὺς Μαινόμενος

on this theme. According to Od. 24. 115 ff. Agamemnon and Menelaus brought Odysseus from Ithaca to Troy by persuasion.

ἑπτὰ ναυσὶ , the ‘sociative’ use of the dat., to denote attendant circumstance: cp. El. 704

ἕκτος ἐξ Αἰτωλίας

ξανθαῖσι πώλοις

. Xen. An. 3. 2. 11

ἐλθόντων...Περσῶν...παμπληθεῖ στόλῳ

. The poet follows Il. 2. 718

τῶν δὲ Φιλοκτήτης ἦρχεν, τόξων ἐὺ εἰδώς

, |

ἑπτὰ νεῶν

ἔβαλον =

προὔβαλον

: cp. Ai. 1333

ἄθαπτον...βαλεῖν

(and ib. 1309).— ὡς σὺ φής κ.τ.λ.: Blaydes (who compares Ar. Th. 801

ἡμεῖς μὲν γάρ φαμεν ὑμᾶς

, |

ὑμεῖς δ’ ἡμᾶς

) asks how Philoctetes could know this. We can only suppose that, before he was put on shore at Lemnos, the decision was announced to him by the Atreidae, who laid the responsibility on Odysseus. It was he who actually put Philoctetes ashore; and, when doing so, he may have cast the blame on his superiors,—as he does in v. 6. The occasional visitors to Lemnos (307) cannot well have been Ph. 's informants, since the Atreidae and Odysseus would not court notoriety for their deed ( cp. 257 ).

ἄγετε , take me away,—referring to the use of physical force; ἀπάγεσθε , carry me with you,—referring to their ulterior purpose. For the midd., cp. 613 , 988.

οὐδέν εἰμι : cp. 951 .— τέθνηχ’ ὑμῖν , dat. of relation, meaning here, ‘so far as it rested with you to kill me.’ Cp. O. C. 429

ἀνάστατος

αὐτοῖν ἐπέμφθην

(n.): Ai. 1128

θεὸς γὰρ ἐκσῴζει με, τῷδε δ’ οἴχομαι

σοι , ‘in thy sight,’ ethic dat.: cp. O. T. 40

κράτιστον πᾶσιν

: Ant. 904 n.

δυσώδης . This word might suggest that it was the presence of Ph. in the same ship which the Greeks found insupportable. But the poet cannot have meant that. Chrysè was imagined by him as close to Lemnos (fr. 352); and Ph. would have been put on board one of his own ships (1027).

δυσώδης

must refer, then, to his presence at the sacrifices in Chrysè, which his cries interrupted ( cp. 8 , n.). Sophocles probably took this touch from the Cypria—the epic prelude to the Iliad—in which it was said that Ph. was bitten at Tenedos, where the Greek warriors were feasting, and then

διὰ τὴν δυσοσμίαν ἐν Λήμνῳ κατελείφθη

(Proclus Chrest. p. 475 ed. Gaisford).

πῶς … ἔξεσθ’, ὁμοῦ κ.τ.λ. The MSS. have πῶς … εὔξεσθ’, ἐμοῦ . For εὔξεσθ’ only two senses are possible: (1) ‘ vow’ to sacrifice. The pres. inf. could stand: cp. Aesch. Ag. 933

ηὔξω θεοῖς δείσας ἂν ὧδ’ ἔρδειν τάδε

. But here the question is of actual sacrificing, not of vowing to do so at a future time. (2) ‘How will ye boast that ye sacrifice?’—a way of saying, ‘how will ye be able’ to do so. But such a phrase would be peculiarly awkward when the other sense of

εὔξεσθε

would necessarily be suggested by

θεοῖς, αἴθειν, σπένδειν

. Thus the context condemns εὔξεσθ’ . With regard to the conjecture ἔξεσθ’ it should be noted that its probability is confirmed by that of the further conjecture, ὁμοῦ instead of ἐμοῦ . The traditional εὔξεσθ’ ἐμοῦ might, indeed, have arisen from ἔξεστ’ ἐμοῦ , but would have been a still easier corruption of ἔξεσθ’ ὁμοῦ . Given θ’ , the proximity of θεοῖς would suggest to a scribe that

ἔξεσθ’

must be a blunder for

εὔξεσθ’

. The corruption of

ἔξεσθ’

into

εὔξεσθ’

occurred earlier, we may infer, than that of

ὁμοῦ

into

ἐμοῦ

. And this inference is supported by the fact that a tradition of

ὁμοῦ

as a current v. l. is preserved in

, while the only trace of

ἔξεσθ’

appears to be a correction (prob. conjectural) in V.

Against ἔξεσθ’ it has been objected that the fut. is required. But Ph. is ironically repeating what the Greek chiefs said long ago, and is supposing that he is once more their comrade. ‘When I have once sailed with you, how can ye sacrifice?’ With

ὁμοῦ πλεύσαντος, ἐμοῦ

is easily understood: cp. Soph. Tr. 803

τοσαῦτ’ ἐπισκήψαντος

( sc.

αὐτοῦ

): Plat. Parm. 137C

ἐμὲ γὰρ λέγεις τὸν νεώτατον λέγων. ἀλλ’ ἐρώτα ὡς ἀποκρινονμένου

( sc.

ἐμοῦ

ὄλοισθ)· ὀλεῖσθε δ’ : Blaydes cp. Ar. Th. 887

κακῶς ἄρ’ ἐξόλοιο· κἀξολεῖ γ’ ἔτι

[

γέ τοι

vulg.].—

θεοῖσιν, ¯˘

: cp. 1020 .

μέλει γ’ :

γε

emphasises the verb, cp. 660 .

ἐπεὶ οὔποτ’ : for this synizesis, cp. 446 n.—Philoctetes has not found the gods kindly: cp. 254 , 452, 1020. But the very fact that Odysseus and his comrade have taken the trouble to visit Lemnos shows that at least the gods have some care for justice. Maimed as Ph. is ( ἀνδρὸς ἀθλίου ), he is not one whom those pitiless warriors would have sought, had not the gods driven the sense of need for him like a goad into their souls. The Greeks must be failing at Troy; and their failure is the proof that the gods are just.

1039 For the place of τι , cp. 104 n.

κέντρον … ἐμοῦ , the sting of need for me. The objective gen. is like that after

ἐπιθυμία

, since

κέντρον

, like

οἶστρος

, was constantly associated with that idea. Plat. Rep. 573E

ὥσπερ ὑπὸ κέντρων ἐλαυνομένους τῶν ... ἐπιθυμιῶν ... οἰστρᾶν

(‘rage’). Eur. Hipp. 39

κέντροις ἔρωτος

: ib. 1303

δηχθεῖσα κέντροις

(

Ἀφροδίτης

). So an objective gen. can follow

οἶστρος

when it means

οἰστρώδης ἐπιθυμία

: Anthol. II. 389. 4

μὴ σέ γ’ ἀπειρεσίων οἶστρος ἕλῃ κτεάνων

θεοί τ’ ἐπόψιοι , gods who look upon the deeds of men, noting the good and the evil. The name

ἐπόψιος

was specially given to Zeus,—primarily in reference to the fact that, as

ὕψιστος

, he was so often worshipped on mountain summits,—as on Parnassus, Cithaeron, Parnes, Hymettus, Ida, the heights near Cenaeum ( Tr. 238 n.), etc. Hence his epithets

ἐπάκριος, ἀκραῖος

, and in Boeotia

καραῖος

Thus the invocation of πατρῴα γῆ , in connection with ἐπόψιοι , is peculiarly appropriate for Ph. , in whose country Zeus was worshipped on Oeta ( cp. 728 n.). The secondary sense of

ἐπόψιος

—‘watching over’ human life—is associated with the first by Callimachus in his Hymn to Zeus, 82 ff.:

δῶκας δὲ πτολίεθρα φυλασσέμεν· ἵζεο δ’ αὐτὸς | ἄκρῃς ἐν πτολίεσσιν, ἐπόψιος οἵ τε δίκῃσι | λαὸν ὑπὸ σκολιῇς, οἵ τ’ ἔμπαλιν ἰθύνουσιν

. Apoll. Rhod. 2. 1125

ἀντόμεθα πρὸς Ζηνὸς ἐποψίου

: and ib. 1182

Ζεὺς αὐτὸς τὰ ἕκαστ’ ἐπιδέρκεται

(as Soph. El. 175

Ζεὺς ὃς ἐφορᾷ πάντα καὶ κρατύνει

). As the vindicator of right, Zeus was also called

δικαιόσυνος, ἀλάστωρ, τιμωρός

. Acc. to Hesych. s. v.

ἐπόψιος

, the epithet was also given to Apollo. But, next to Zeus, the deity whom

ἐπόψιος

most directly suggests is Helios

πανόπτης,—θεῶν σκοπὸς ἠδὲ καὶ ἀνδρῶν

( Hom. hym. 5. 62).

τείσασθε : cp. 959 .

ἀλλὰ τῷ χρόνῳ : so in El. 1013 : in Tr. 201

ἀλλὰ σὺν χρόνῳ

. Cp. above, Tr. 950 n.

κἄμ’ : i.e., ‘me, on the other part’: for this

καί

, cp. O. C. 53

ὅσ’ ο<*>δα κἀγὼ

(n.).

τῆς vόσου : Od. 1. 18

οὐδ’ ἔνθα πεφυγμένος ἦεν ἀέθλων

. Cp. Ant. 488 n.

βαρύς : 368 n.

κοὐχ ὑπείκ. : cp. Ant. 472

εἴκειν δ’ οὐκ ἐπίσταται κακοῖς

(n.).

παρείκοι , impers., here=

σχολὴ εἴη

: Thuc. 3. 1

προσβολαὶ...ἐγίγνοντο... ὅπῃ παρείκοι.

ἑνὸς κρατῶ λόγου , ‘I have the power ( i.e., leisure) to say only one thing.’ Cp. O. T. 409

ἴσ’ ἀντιλέξαι· τοῦδε γὰρ κἀγὼ κρατῶ

.—Not, ‘lay hold upon’ one saying, i.e., ‘take my stand upon’ it.

γὰρ , prefacing the statement: 915.

τοιούτων , ‘such or such’ a man,— ‘any given kind’ of person:—euphemistic for

δολίων

, or the like. Such a colloquial use of

τοιοῦτος

seems quite intelligible, since it could be interpreted by an expressive tone of the voice, or by a slight gesture. (Not, ‘such as thou hast described.’) It would be grievous to change τοιούτων into πανούργων , as Nauck proposes.

κρίσις , lit., trial, competition ( Tr. 266

πρὸς τόξου κρίσιν

): the usual word would be

ἀγών

, but euphony would not permit it here.

μου : see n. on 47.

νικᾶν : cp. 109 , 134.

γε μέντοι : 93 n.

εἰς σέ , with regard to thee: Ant. 731

εὐσεβεῖν εἰς τοὺς κακούς

. Odysseus is resigned to Ph. carrying his point by staying in Lemnos.

ἐκστήσομαι , ‘make way for’ (and so, here, ‘defer to’): Ar. Ran. 353

εὐφημεῖν χρὴ κἀξίστασθαι τοῖς ἡμετέροισι χοροῖσιν

ἄφετε γὰρ αὐτόν

κ.τ.λ.

The γὰρ confirms

ἐκστήσομαι

. ‘I will yield; for (I now say) ‘loose him.’’ Hence we may render, ‘ Yes, loose him.’ Cp. 1004 .

οὐδὲ σοῦ . If we wrote οὐδέ σου , then the stress would fall on προσχρῄζομεν ‘(We shall leave thee here.) Nor do we need thee.’ This is possible. But it seems to extort a little too much from the verb: and σοῦ is also recommended by the contrast with τά γ’ ὅπλ’ in 1056.

Τεῦκρος : Il. 13. 313

Τεῦκρός θ’, ὅς ἄριστος Ἀχαιῶν

τοξοσύνῃ, ἀγαθὸς δὲ καὶ σταδίῃ ὑσμίνῃ

. The words τήνδ’ ἐπιστήμην express that skill with the bow was not a regular attribute of the Homeric warrior—whose ordinary weapon was the spear—but the special accomplishment of a few, such as Teucer, Meriones, Philoctetes. Cp. Ai. 1120 , where Menelaus tauntingly calls Teucer

ὁ τοξότης.

παρ’ ἡμῖν . The addition of

παρά

, after πάρεστι , is unusual: but cp. Phaedr. 243 E

οὖτος παρά σοι μάλα πλησίον ἀεὶ πάρεστιν

: where Thompson rightly rejects Cobet's proposal ( Var. Lect. p. 119) to delete

πάρεστιν

and write

πάρα σοι

. It should be noticed that, both there and here, a slightly different shade of meaning is given by the presence of the prep.: i.e.,

πάρεστι Τεῦκρος ἡμῖν

=simply, ‘Teucer is with us’: but

πάρεστι Τεῦκρος παρ’ ἡμῖν

=‘Teucer is available, being with us,’—‘Teucer is at hand to serve us.’—So in Plato l.c., ‘he is at your command,—quite near you.’

παρεῖναι παρά τινι

, though rare, is parallel with

σὺν δίκη συνεῖναι

( El. 610 f.),

ἐνεῖναι ἔν τινι

( O. C. 115 f.), and similar to

πάρος τινὸς προτίθεσθαι

( ib. 418).

ἐγώ θ’ . After

πάρεστι μὲν Τεῦκρος

, the regular constr. would have been

πάρειμι δὲ ἐγώ

. But, having omitted to repeat the verb, the poet has written

ἐγώ θ’

, since

ἐγὼ δ’

would now have been awkward. Cp. Ant. 1162

σώσας μὲν

... |

λαβών τε

(n.).

μηδ’ ἐπιθύνειν . The Ionic and Epic form

ἰθύνω

, though unknown to Comedy or classical prose, occurs in our MSS. of Aesch. and Eur. ,—and not in lyrics only. Some edd. now always give

εὐθύνω

in Trag.; unnecessarily, I think.

After a verb of thinking or saying,

οὐ

is the ordinary negative with the inf.: but

μή

sometimes occurs ( O. T. 1455 n., 2nd ed.). Here the question is, why the second inf. should have μηδ’ , when οὐδὲν precedes the other. Two answers are possible. I place first that which seems to me right. (1) οὐδὲν belongs to κάκιον only, and not to κρατύνειν . Thus there is no incongruity between

οὐδέν

and

μηδέ

, since only

μηδέ

belongs to an inf. This may be seen by supposing an equivalent phrase substituted for

σοῦ κάκιον οὐδέν

: e.g.,

οἶμαι ὅμοια σοὶ τούτων ἂν κρατύνειν, μηδὲ χεῖρον ἐπιθύνειν

. Schneidewin cp. Plat. Prot. 319B

ὅθεν δὲ αὐτὸ ἡγοῦμαι οὐ διδακτὸν εἶναι, μηδ’ ὑπ’ ἀνθρώπων παρασκευαστὸν ἀνθρώποις, δίκαιός εἰμι εἰπεῖν

: where, if

οὐ

belonged to

εἶναι

, the immediately following

μηδέ

would be extremely harsh; while there is no such harshness if

οὐ

belongs to

διδακτὸν

only,

οὐ‐διδακτὸν

being equivalent to

ἀδύνατον διδάσκεσθαι

(2) The less probable view is that οὐδὲν belongs to κρατύνειν , and, in using μηδ’ instead of

οὐδ’

before ἐπιθύνειν , the writer has merely used the other alternative which οἶμαι left to him. Now, idiom is partly governed by association, and can even be influenced by false analogy. The sequence of οὐ and μηδέ was most familiar to the Attic ear in a constr. which opposed their clauses to each other (

οὐ θᾶσσον οἴσεις μηδ’ ἀπιστήσεις ἐμοί

;). It seems unlikely, then, that an Attic writer would wantonly have used οὐ … μηδέ instead of οὐ … οὐδέ in a short sentence where the two negatives were simply coordinate.— Eur. Andr. 586 (quoted by Schneidewin) is not apposite:

δρᾶν εὖ, κακῶς δ’ οὔ, μηδ’ ἀποκτείνειν βίᾳ

: where

ἔστι

is understood with

δρᾶν

, and again with

οὔ

: ‘they are thine to benefit, (but not to injure,)—and not to slay’: i.e. ,

μηδέ

contrasts

ἀποκτ

. with

δρᾶν εὖ

, and the words

κακῶς δ’ οὔ

form a parenthesis.

Nauck's conjecture, ἠδ’ ἐπευθύνειν , is specious, but not necessary.

τὴν Αῆμνον : the art. here is like our possessive pron. used with a scornful tone: cp. 381 : Ant. 324

κόμψευέ νυν τὴν δόξαν

γέρας , the bow, which can be fitly so called because Ph. received it as a reward for good service (670).

ἣν σὲ χρῆν . It is possible to write ἣν σ’ ἐχρῆν , as though

σὲ

(not

σε

) were elided: cp. 339 . But

ἣν σὲ χρῆν

is here much better, and is favoured by the fact that Soph. has

χρῆν

in nine other places (430, Soph. 1363 : Soph. O. T. 1184 , Soph. O. T. 1185 : Soph. El. 529 , Soph. El. 579 , Soph. El. 1505 : Soph. Tr. 1133 : fr. 104. 5), but

ἐχρῆν

only once, viz. in fr. 104. 6, where metre prompted it. The form

ἐχρῆν

, though a product of false analogy (since

χρῆν

χρὴ ἦν

), was, of course, equally correct in Attic: it is attested by metre in Ar. Eq. 11 : Ar. Pax 135 : Ar. Av. 364 , Ar. Av. 1177 , Ar. Av. 1201 : Ar. Ran. 152 , Ar. Ran. 935 : Ar. Th. 598 : Ar. Eccl. 19 : fr. 110 and 304.

1064 Since ἐν must be considered as belonging to Ἀργείοις , this v. has no caesura either in the 3rd or in the 4th foot: cp. 101 , 1369. It may seem strange that the poet did not write

ὅπλοις ἐν Ἀργείοισι κοσμηθεὶς φανεῖ

, as Mekler proposes. But the halting rhythm of ὅπλοισι κοσμηθεὶς , etc., seems to express the anguish with which Ph. dwells on this bitter thought,—that his bow is to win glory for his enemy. A similar effect of rhythm occurs in Soph. Ant. 44 ,

ἦ γὰρ νοεῖς θάπτειν σφ’, ἀπόρρητον πόλει

;

μή μ’ ἀντιφώνει : the acc., as with

προσφωνῶ

ἀμείβομαι

( O. C. 991

ἓν γάρ μ’ ἄμειψαι μοῦνον

): so Ai. 764

ὁ μὲν γὰρ αὐτὸν ἐννέπει.

δή =

ἤδη

. Cp. Ant. 939

ἄγομαι δὴ κοὐκέτι μέλλω

προσφθεγκτός : see n. on 867 f.

ἐλπίδων

ἄπιστον.

οὕτως , without more ado: Ant. 315

εἰπεῖν τι δώσεις, ἢ στραφεὶς οὕτως ἴω

;

γενναῖός περ ὤν , noble, generous, though thou art,—and therefore naturally disposed to pity him. (Not, ‘loyal to thy duty,’—and so capable of pitying him without yielding to him.)— τὴν τύχην διαφθερεῖς , i.e., spoil the good fortune which has enabled us to secure the bow. He fears that N. may give the bow back.

ὅπως μὴ with fut. ind., as an object clause, would be regular if a verb of ‘taking care’ (like

φυλάσσομαι

) had preceded. But here a final clause with the subjunct. (

ὅπως μὴ διαφθείρῃς

) would be usual. Cp. Andoc. or. 1 § 43

ἔφη χρῆναι λύειν...τὸ ψήφισμα..., ὅπως μὴ πρότερον νὺξ ἔσται πρὶν πυθέσθαι

. Xen. Cyr. 2. 1. 21

οὐδὲ δἰ ἓν ἄλλο τρέφονται ἢ ὅπως μαχοῦνται

ναυκράτωρ =

ναύαρχος

: elsewhere=

ναυσὶ κρατῶν

, ‘having naval superiority’ ( Her. and Thuc. , always in plur.).

ἀκούσομαι , have it said of me: cp. 378 , 382.

εἰς ὅσον : cp. 83 n.

τά … ἐκ νεὼς στείλωσι , make ready the things in the ship,— i.e., set the tackle, etc., in order. The only difference between

τὰ ἐκ νεώς

here and

τὰ ἐν νηί

is that the former suggests the notion of the quarter —at some distance from the speaker— where the preparations are to be made. Cp. Plat. Lach. 184A

ἦν δὲ γέλως καὶ κρότος ὑπὸ τῶν ἐκ τῆς ὁλκάδος

:—‘the people off there in the merchant-ship.’ Thuc. 6. 32

συνεπηύχοντο δὲ καὶ ὁ ἄλλος ὅμιλος ὁ ἐκ τῆς γῆς

(where

ἐκ

carries the mental eye from the scene on board the ships to the scene ashore). στείλωσι , as Hom. Od. 2. 287

νῆα θοὴν στελέω

(fit out).—On reaching Lemnos, the sailors—if they followed Homeric practice—would have unshipped the mast (

ἱστός

), and laid it down so that its top should rest on the mast-holder (

ἱστοδόκη

) at the stern. Cp. Hom. hym. 2. 278

οὐδ’ ἐπὶ γαῖαν

ἐκβῆτ’, οὐδὲ καθ’ ὅπλα μελαίνης νηὸς ἔθεσθε

; They have now to raise the mast,—make it fast by the fore-stays (

πρότονοι

),—and hoist the sails. (Cp. Od. 2. 416 ff.)

θεοῖς εὐξώμεθα . When all was ready for sailing, a prayer was recited, and libations poured. Cp. Thuc. 6. 32

εὐχὰς δὲ τὰς νομιζομένας πρὸ τῆς ἀναγωγῆς

...

ἐποιοῦντο

. Hom. Od. 2. 430

δησάμενοι δ’ ἄρα ὅπλα θοὴν ἀνὰ νῆα μέλαιναν

στήσαντο κρητῆρας

ὁρμώμεθον : pres.subjunct. Only two other instances of a 1st pers. dual occur in texts of the classical period: (1) Il. 23. 485

ἢ τρίποδος περιδώμεθον ἠὲ λέβητος

. Here, while the greater MS. authority supports the dual, one MS. gives

περιδώμεθα

: and the hiatus can be defended by the ‘bucolic diaeresis,’ just as in Il. 5. 484

οἷόν κ’ ἠὲ φέροιεν Ἀχαιοὶ ἤ κεν ἄγοιεν

. (2) El. 950

λελείμμεθον

: where again one of the minor MSS. has

λελείμμεθα

. Elmsley denied the existence of such a 1st pers. dual, because it is so rare, and is nowhere required by metre. Bieler ( De duali numero, p. 18) pushes this unsafe argument further by pointing out how often Homer and the dramatists abstained from this form where they might have used it. Leaf (on Il. 23. 485 ) thinks that it can be explained only as due to the analogy of the 2nd dual ( i.e. ,

‐μεθον

‐μεθα

‐σθον

‐σθε

). But even so, analogy might have produced this form before the time of the dramatists: we cannot assume that it was merely a figment of later grammarians. I should therefore keep

ὁρμώμεθον

here and

λελείμμεθον

in El. 950 ; though in Il. 23. 485 , considering all the facts, I should prefer

περιδώμεθα

ὁρμᾶσθαι , infin. for imperat. (57): ταχεῖς with adverbial force (526).

Commentary on Sophocles: Philoctetes. Sir Richard C. Jebb. Cambridge. 1932.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by National Endowment for the Humanities.

Current edition Experimental

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

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (2)

Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 865 focus

σιγᾶν κελεύω, μηδ' ἀφεστάναι φρενῶν.
865

κινεῖ γὰρ ἁνὴρ ἀνὴρ ὄμμα κἀνάγει κάρα.

ΦΙ.

ὦ φέγγος ὕπνου διάδοχον, τό τ᾿ ἐλπίδων

ἄπιστον οἰκούρημα τῶνδε τῶν ξένων.

οὐ γάρ ποτ', ὦ παῖ, τοῦτ᾽ ἂν ἐξηύχησ᾽ ἐγὼ

τλῆναί σ᾽ ἐλεινῶς ἐλεεινῶς ὧδε τἀμὰ πήματα
870

μεῖναι παρόντα καὶ ξυνωφελοῦντά μοι.

ΣΟΦΟΚΛΕΟΥΣ

οὔκουν ᾿Ατρείδαι τοῦτ᾽ ἔτλησαν εὐφόρως εὐπόρως

οὕτως ἐνεγκεῖν, ἁγαθοὶ ἀγαθοὶ οἱ 'γαθοὶ στρατηλάται.

ἀλλ᾽ εὐγενὴς γὰρ ἡ φύσις κἀξ εὐγενῶν,

ὦ τέκνον, ἡ σή, πάντα ταῦτ᾽ ἐν εὐχερεῖ

875

ἔθου, βοῆς τε καὶ δυσοσμίας γέμων.

καὶ νῦν ἐπειδὴ τοῦδε τοῦ κακοῦ δοκεῖ

λήθη τις εἶναι κἀνάπαυλα δή, τέκνον,

σύ μ᾽ αὐτὸς ἆρον, σύ με κατάστησον, τέκνον,

ἵν, ἡνίκ᾽ ἂν κόπος μ' ἀπαλλάξῃ ποτέ,

880

ὁρμώμεθ᾽ ἐς ναῦν μηδ᾽ ἐπίσχωμεν τὸ πλεῖν.

ΝΕ.

ἀλλ᾽ ἥδομαι μέν σ᾽ εἰσιδὼν παρ᾿ ἐλπίδα

ἀνώδυνον βλέποντα κἀμπνέοντ᾽ ἔτι·

ὡς οὐκέτ᾽ ὄντος γὰρ τὰ συμβόλαιά σοι σου

ΦΙΛΟΚΤΗΤΗΣ.

πρὸς τὰς παρούσας ξυμφορὰς ἐφαίνετο.

885

νῦν δ᾽ αἶρε αέρε σαυτόν· εἰ δέ σοι μᾶλλον φίλον,

οἴσουσί σ᾽ οἵδε· τοῦ πόνου γὰρ οὐκ ὄκνος,

ἐπείπερ οὕτω οὕτως οὕτω σοί τ᾽ ἔδοξ᾽ ἐμοί τε δρᾶν.

ΦΙ.

αἰνῶ τάδ', ὦ παῖ, καί μ' ἔπαιρ᾽, ὥσπερ νοεῖς·

τούτους δ᾽ ἔασον, μὴ βαρυνθῶσιν κακῇ
890

ὀσμῇ πρὸ τοῦ δέοντος· οὑπὶ νηὶ γὰρ

ἅλις πόνος τούτοισι συνναίειν ἐμοί.

ΝΕ.

ἔσται τάδ'· ἀλλ᾽ ἵστω τε καὐτὸς ἀντέχου.

ΦΙ.

θάρσει. τό τοι σύνηθες ὀρθώσει μ᾽ ἔθος.

ΝΕ.

παπαῖ· τί δῆτα δρῷμ᾽ δρῶμ' (γρ. δρῶμι) ἐγὼ τοὐνθένδε γε λέγε γε;
895

ΦΙ.

τί δ᾽ ἔστιν, ὦ παῖ; ποῖ ποτ᾽ ἐξέβης λόγῳ λόγων;

ΝΕ.

οὐκ οἶδ᾽ ὅποι χρὴ τἄπορον τρέπειν ἔπος.

ΦΙ.

ἀπορεῖς δὲ τοῦ σύ; μὴ λέγ', ὦ τέκνον, τάδε.

ΝΕ.

ἀλλ᾽ ἐνθάδ᾽ ἤδη τοῦδε τοῦ πάθους κυρῶ.

ΣΟΦΟΚΛΕΟΥΣ

ΦΙ.

οὐ δή σε δυσχέρεια τοῦ νοσήματος
900

ἔπεισεν ἔπαισεν ἔπεισεν ὥστε μή μ' ἄγειν ναύτην ἔτι;

ΝΕ.

ἅπαντα δυσχέρεια, τὴν αὑτοῦ αὐτοῦ αὑτοῦ φύσιν

ὅταν λιπών τις δρᾷ τὰ μὴ προσεικότα προσήκοντα.

ΦΙ͵

ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲν ἔξω τοῦ φυτεύσαντος σύ γε

δρᾷς οὐδὲ φωνεῖς, ἐσθλὸν ἄνδρ᾽ ἐπωφελῶν.
905

ΝΕ.

αἰσχρὸς φανοῦμαι· τοῦτ᾽ ἀνιῶμαι πάλαι πάλιν πάλαι.

ΦΙ.

οὔκουν ἐν οἷς γε τε γε δρᾷς· ἐν οἷς δ᾽ οἱ δ' οἶστ οἷς δ' αὐδᾷς, ὀκνῶ.

ΝΕ.

ὦ Ζεῦ, τί δράσω; δεύτερον ληφθῶ κακός,

κρύπτων θ᾽ ἃ μὴ δεῖ καὶ λέγων αἴσχιστ᾽ ἐπῶν;

ΦΙ.

ἁνὴρ ἀνὴρ ὅδ᾽, εἰ μὴ ἐγὼ κἀγὼ μ᾿ ἐγὼ κακὸς κακὸς γνώμην ἔφυν,
910

προδούς μ' ἔοικε ἔοικεν ἔοικε κἀκλιπὼν τὸν πλοῦν στελεῖν.

ΝΕ.

λιπὼν μὲν οὐκ ἔγωγε, λυπηρῶς δὲ μὴ

πέμπω πέμπων σε μᾶλλον, τοῦτ᾽ ἀνιῶμαι πάλαι πάλιν πολλά πάλαι.

ΦΙ.

τί ποτε λέγεις, ὦ τέκνον; ὡς οὐ μανθάνω.

ΦΙΛΟΚΤΗΤΗΣ.

ΝΕ.

οὐδέν σε κρύψω· δεῖ γὰρ ἐς Τροίαν σε πλεῖν
915

πρὸς τοὺς ᾿Αχαιοὺς καὶ τὸν τῶν τὸν ᾿Ατρειδῶν στόλον στόλων στόλον.

ΦΙ.

οἴμοι, τί τί γ' εἶπας ;

NE.

μὴ στέναξε, πρὶν μάθῃς.

ΦΙ.

ποῖον μάθημα; τί με νοεῖς δρᾶσαί δρασαι ποτε;

ΝΕ.

σῶσαι κακοῦ μὲν πρῶτα τοῦδ᾽, ἔπειτα δὲ

ξὺν σοὶ τὰ Τροίας πεδία πορθῆσαι μολών.
920

ΦΙ.

καὶ ταῦτ᾽ ἀληθῆ δρᾶν νοεῖς ;

NE.

πολλὴ κρατεῖ

τούτων ἀνάγκη· καὶ σὺ μὴ θυμοῦ κλύων.

ΦΙ.

ἀπόλωλα τλήμων, προδίδομαι. τί μ', ὦ ξένε,

δέδρακας ; ἀπόδος ὡς τάχος τὰ τὰ τόξα μοι.

ΝΕ.

ἀλλ᾽ οὐχ οἷόν τε· τῶν γὰρ ἐν τέλει κλύειν
925

τό τ᾽ ἔνδικόν με καὶ τὸ συμφέρον ποιεῖ ποεῖν ποιεῖ ποεῖ.

ΦΙ.

ὦ πῦρ σὺ καὶ πᾶν δεῖμα δημα δεῖμα καὶ πανουργίας

ΣΟΦΟΚΛΕΟΥΣ

δεινῆς τέχνημ᾽ ἔχθιστον, οἷά μ' εἰργάσω (εἰρ)γάσω,

οἷ᾽ ἠπάτηκας· οὐδ᾽ ἐπαισχύνει μ᾽ ὁρῶν

τὸν προστρόπαιον, τὸν ἱκέτην, ὦ σχέτλιε;

930

ἀπεστέρηκας τὸν βίον τὰ τόξ᾽ ἑλών.

ἀπόδος, ἱκνοῦμαί σ᾽ ἱκνοῦμ᾽, ἀπόδος, ἱκετεύω, τέκνον.

πρὸς θεῶν πατρῴων, τὸν βίον με μἀφέλῃς μή μ' ἀφέλῃς μή μου 'φέλησ μ᾿ ἀφέλης.

ὤμοι τάλας, ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲ προσφωνεῖ προφωνεῖ προσφωνεῖν μ᾽. μ᾽ ἔτι,

ἀλλ᾽ ὡς μεθήσων μήποθ', ὧδ᾽ ὁρᾷ πάλιν.

935

ὦ λιμένες, ὦ προβλῆτες, ὦ ξυνουσίαι

θηρῶν ὀρείων, ὦ καταρρώγες πέτραι,

ὑμῖν τάδ', οὐ γὰρ ἄλλον οἶδ᾽ ὅτῳ λέγω,

ἀνακλαίομαι παροῦσι τοῖς εἰωθόσιν,

οἷ᾽ ἔργ᾽ ὁ παῖς μ' ἔδρασεν οὐξ ᾿Αχιλλέως·

940

ΦΙΛΟΚΤΗΤΗΣ.

ΦΙΛΟΚΤΗΤΗΣ.

ὀμόσας ἀπάξειν ἁπαξ οἴκαδ᾽, ἐς Τροίαν μ᾿ ἄγει·

προσθείς προθείς προσθείς τε χεῖρα δεξιάν, τὰ τόξα μου

ἱερὰ λαβὼν τοῦ Ζηνὸς ῾Ηρακλέους ἔχει,

καὶ τοῖσιν ᾿Αργείοισι φήνασθαι θέλει.

ὡς ἄνδρ᾽ ἑλὼν ἑλῶν μ' ἰσχυρὸν ἐκ βίας μ' βίασ ἄγει,
945

κοὐκ οἶδ᾽ ἐναίρων νεκρόν, ἢ καπνοῦ σκιάν,

εἴδωλον ἄλλως. οὐ γὰρ ἂν σθένοντά γε

εἰλέν μ᾿· ἐπεὶ οὐδ᾽ ἂν ὧδ᾽ ἔχοντ', εἰ μὴ δόλῳ.

νῦν δ᾽ ἠπάτημαι δύσμορος. τί χρή με δρᾶν ποιεῖν με δρᾶν;

ἀλλ᾽ ἀπόδος. ἀλλὰ νῦν ἔτ᾽ ἐν σαυτῷ σαυτοῦ σ' αὐτῶ γενοῦ.
950

τί φής; σιωπᾷς, οὐδέν εἰμ᾽ ὁ δύσμορος.

ὦ σχῆμα χρῆμα σχῆμα πέτρας δίπυλον, αὖθις αὖ πάλιν

εἴσειμι πρὸς σὲ ψιλός, οὐκ ἔχων τροφήν·

ἀλλ᾽ αὐανοῦμαι αὖ θανοῦμαι γρ. αὐανοῦμαι ἀντὶ τοῦ ξηρανθήσομαι τῷδ᾽ ἐν αὐλίῳ μόνος,

ΣΟΦΟΚΛΕΟΥΣ

οὐ πτηνὸν ὄρνιν οὐδὲ θῆρ᾽ ὀρειβάτην

955

τόξοις ἐναίρων τοισίδ᾽ ἐναίρων τοῖσιν ἐναίρων τοισίδ᾽, ἀλλ᾽ αὐτὸς τάλας

θανὼν παρέξω δαῖθ᾽ ὑφ᾽ ὧν ἐφερβόμην,

καί μ' οὓς ἐθήρων πρόσθε πρόσθεν πρόσθε θηράσουσι νῦν·

φόνον φόνου δὲ ῥύσιον τίσω τάλας

πρὸς τοῦ δοκοῦντος οὐδὲν εἰδέναι κακόν.

960

ὄλοιο μή πω, πρὶν μάθοιμ᾽ εἰ καὶ πάλιν

γνώμην μετοίσεις· εἰ δὲ μή, θάνοις κακῶς.

ΧΟ.

τί δρῶμεν; ἐν σοὶ καὶ τὸ πλεῖν ἡμᾶς, ἄναξ,

ἤδη ἐστὶ καὶ τοῖς τοῦδε προσχωρεῖν λόγοις.

ΝΕ.

ἐμοὶ μὲν οἶκτος δεινὸς ἐμπέπτωκέ τις
965

τοῦδ᾽ ἀνδρὸς οὐ νῦν πρῶτον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάλαι πάλιν πάλαι.

ΦΙ.

ἐλέησον, ὦ παῖ, πρὸς θεῶν, καὶ μὴ παρῇς παρῆι παρῆς

σαυτοῦ βροτοῖς ὄνειδος, ἐκκλέψας ἐμέ.

ΝΕ.

οἴμοι, τί δράσω; μήποτ᾽ ὤφελον λιπεῖν

τὴν Σκῦρον· οὕτω τοῖς παροῦσιν ἄχθομαι.
970

ΦΙ.

οὐκ εἶ κακὸς σύ· πρὸς κακῶν δ᾽ ἀνδρῶν μαθὼν

ἔοικας ἥκειν αἰσχρά. νῦν δ᾽ ἄλλοισι δοὺς

ΦΙΛΟΚΤΗΤΗΣ.

οἷς εἰκὸς ἔκπλει, τἀμά μοι μεθεὶς ὅπλα.

ΝΕ.

τί δρῶμεν, ἄνδρες ;

ΟΔ.

ὦ κάκιστ᾽ ἀνδρῶν, τί δρᾷς;

οὐκ εἶ μεθεὶς τὰ τόξα ταῦτ᾽ ἐμοὶ πάλιν ;
975

ΦΙ.

οἴμοι, τίς ἁνήρ ἀνὴρ; ἆρ᾽ Οδυσσέως κλύω ;

ΟΔ.

᾿Οδυσσέως, σάφ᾽ ἴσθ᾽, ἐμοῦ γ᾽, ὃν εἰσορᾷς.

ΦΙ.

οἴμοι· πέπραμαι κἀπόλωλ᾽. ὅδ᾽ ὧδ' ὅδ᾽ ἦν ἄρα

ὁ ξυλλαβών με κἀπονοσφίσας ὅπλων.

ΟΔ.

ἐγώ, σάφ᾽ ἴσθ᾽, οὐκ ἄλλος· ὁμολογῶ ὁ(υ)μολογῶ ὁμολογῶ τάδε.
980

ΦΙ.

ἀπόδος, ἄφες μοι, παῖ, τὰ τόξα.

ΟΔ.

τοῦτο μέν,

οὐδ᾽ ἣν θέλῃ, δράσει δράσει ποτ'· ἀλλὰ καὶ σὲ δεῖ καί σε δὴ καὶ σὲ δεῖ

στείχειν ἅμ᾽ αὐτοῖς, ἢ ἦ ἢ βίᾳ στελοῦσί σε.

ΦΙ.

ἔμ᾽, ὦ κακῶν κάκιστε καὶ τολμήστατε,

οἵδ᾽ ἐκ βίας ἄξουσιν ;
985

ΟΔ.

ἣν μὴ ἕρπῃς μἤρπηις μἠρπης μ' ἕρπης εἴρπῃς ἑκών.

ΦΙ.

ὦ Λημνία χθὼν καὶ τὸ παγκρατὲς σέλας

῾Ηφαιστότευκτον, ταῦτα δῆτ᾽ ἀνασχετά,

εἴ μ᾿ οὗτος ἐκ τῶν σῶν ἀπάξεται βίᾳ ;

ΟΔ.

Ζεὺς ἔσθ᾽, ἵν εἰδῇς, Ζεύς, ὁ τῆσδε γῆς τῆσ γῆς κρατῶν,

ΣΟΦΟΚΛΕΟΥΣ

Ζεὺς Ζεὺς δ᾽, ᾧ δέδοκται ταῦθ᾽· ὑπηρετῶ δ᾽ ἐγώ.

990

ΦΙ.

ὦ μῖσος, οἷα κἀξανευρίσκεις κάξανευρίσκεις λέγειν·

θεοὺς προτείνων τοὺς θεοὺς ψευδεῖς τίθης τιθείς.

ΟΔ.

οὔκ, ἀλλ᾽ ἀληθεῖς. ἡ δ᾽ ὁδὸς πορευτέα.

ΦΙ.

οὔ φημ᾽ ἔγωγε.

ΟΔ.

φημί. πειστέον πιστέον πειστέον τάδε.

ΦΙ.

οἴμοι τάλας. ἡμᾶς μὲν ὡς δούλους δοῦλος δούλους σαφῶς
995

πατὴρ ἄρ᾽ ἐξέφυσεν οὐδ᾽ ἐλευθέρους.

ΟΔ.

οὔκ, ἀλλ᾽ ὁμοίους τοῖς ἀρίστοισιν, μεθ᾽ ὧν

Τροίαν σ᾽ ἑλεῖν δεῖ καὶ κατασκάψαι βίᾳ.

ΦΙ.

οὐδέποτέ γ᾽· οὐδ᾽ ἣν χρῇ χρῆ χρή με πᾶν παθεῖν παθεῖν κακόν,

ἕως γ' ἕως (γ΄) ἕως ἂν ᾖ μοι γῆς τόδ᾽ αἰπεινὸν ἐπεινὸν αἰπεινὸν βάθρον.
1000

ΟΔ.

τί δ᾽ ἐργασείεις ;

ΦΙ.

κρᾶτ᾿ ἐμὸν τόδ᾽ αὐτίκα

πέτρᾳ πέτρας ἄνωθεν αἱμάξω πεσών.

ΟΔ.

ξυλλάβετέ γ᾽ ξυλλάβετ᾽ ξυλλάβετέ γ' αὐτόν· μὴ ἐπὶ τῷδ᾽ ἔστω τάδε.

ΦΙ.

ὦ χεῖρες, οἷα πάσχετ᾽ ἐν χρείᾳ φίλης

νευρᾶς, ὑπ᾿ ἀνδρὸς τοῦδε συνθηρώμεναι.
1005

ΦΙΛΟΚΤΗΤΗΣ.

ὦ μηδὲν ὑγιὲς μηδ᾽ ἐλεύθερον φρονῶν,

οἷ᾽ αὖ οἷα διά οῖμ' ἀπῆλθες οἴως μ᾽ ὑπῆλθες, ὥς μ᾽ ἐθηράσω, λαβὼν

πρόβλημα σαυτοῦ παῖδα τόνδ᾽ ἀγνῶτ᾽ ἐμοί,

ἀνάξιον μὲν σοῦ, κατάξιον δ᾽ ἐμοῦ,

ὃς οὐδὲν ἤδη πλὴν τὸ προσταχθὲν ποιεῖν ποεῖν ποιεῖν·

1010

δῆλος δὲ καὶ νῦν ἐστιν ἐστὶν ἐστιν ἀλγεινῶς φέρων

οἷς τ᾿ αὐτὸς ἐξήμαρτεν οἷς τ᾽ ἐγὼ ἔπαθον.

ἀλλ᾽ ἡ κακὴ σὴ διὰ μυχῶν βλέπουσ᾽ ἀεὶ

ψυχή νιν ἀφυῆ τ᾿ ὄντα κοὐ θέλονθ᾽ θέλον θ' θέλων θ' θέλονθ' ὅμως

εὖ προὐδίδαξεν ἐν κακοῖς εἶναι σοφόν.

1015

καὶ νῦν ἔμ᾽, ὦ δύστηνε, συνδήσας νοεῖς

ἄγειν ἀπ᾿ ἀκτῆς τῆσδ', ἐν ᾗ με προὐβάλου

ἄφιλον ἔρημον ἄπολιν, ἐν ζῶσιν νεκρόν.

ΣΟΦΟΚΛΕΟΥΣ

ΦΙΛΟΚΤΗΤΗΣ.

φεῦ.

ὄλοιο· καί σοι καὶ σὺ. γρ. καί σοι πολλάκις τόδ' ηὐξάμην ἠυξάμην ἐυξάμην.

ἀλλ᾽ οὐ γὰρ οὐδὲν θεοὶ νέμουσιν ἡδύ μοι,
1020

σὺ μὲν γέγηθas ζῶν, ἐγὼ δ᾽ ἀλγύνομαι

τοῦτ᾽ αὔθ᾽ αὔθ᾽, ὅτι ζῶ σὺν κακοῖς πολλοῖς τάλας,

γελώμενος πρὸς σοῦ τε γε τε καὶ τῶν ᾿Ατρέως

διπλῶν στρατηγῶν, οἷς σὺ ταῦθ᾽ ὑπηρετεῖς.

καίτοι σὺ μὲν κλοπῇ τε κἀνάγκῃ κἀπάτῃ ζυγεὶς
1025

ἔπλεις ἅμ᾽ αὐτοῖς, ἐμὲ δὲ τὸν πανάθλιον

ἑκόντα πλεύσανθ᾽ ἑπτὰ ναυσὶ ναυβάτην

ἄτιμον ἔβαλον, ὡς σὺ φής, κεῖνοι δὲ σέ δέ σε.

καὶ νῦν τί μ᾽ ἄγετε; τί μ' ἀπάγεσθε; τοῦ χάριν ;

ὃς οὐδέν εἰμι καὶ τέθνηχ᾽ ὑμῖν πάλαι.
1030

πῶς, ὦ θεοῖς ἔχθιστε, νῦν οὐκ εἰμί σοι

χωλός, δυσώδης; πῶς θεοῖς εὔξεσθ᾽ ἔξεσθ', ἐμοῦ γρ. ὁμοῦ

ΦΙΛΟΚΤΗΤΗΣ.

πλεύσαντος, αἴθειν ἱερά; πῶς σπένδειν ἔτι;

αὕτη αὐτὴ γὰρ ἦν σοι πρόφασις ἐκβαλεῖν ἐμέ.

κακῶς ὄλοισθ᾽· ὀλεῖσθε ὅλοισθε ὅλοισθ᾽ ὅλοισθ᾽ δ᾽ ἠδικηκότες

1035

τὸν ἄνδρα τόνδε, θεοῖσιν εἰ δίκης μέλει.

ἔξοιδα δ᾽ ὡς μέλει γ᾽ γε· ἐπεὶ ἐπ' ἐπεὶ οὔποτ᾽ ἂν στόλον

ἐπλεύσατ᾽ ἂν τόνδ᾽ οἵνεκ᾿ ἀνδρὸς ἀθλίου,

εἰ μή τι κέντρον θεῖον ἦγ᾽ ὑμᾶς ἐμοῦ.

ἀλλ᾽, ὦ πατρώα γῆ θεοί τ'᾽ ἐπόψιοι,

1040

τίσασθε τίσασθ᾽ ἀλλὰ τῷ χρόνῳ ποτὲ

ξύμπαντας αὐτούς, εἴ τι κἄμ᾽ οἰκτείρετε.

ὡς ζῶ μὲν οἰκτρῶς, εἰ δ᾽ ἴδοιμ᾽ ὀλωλότας

τούτους, δοκοῖμ᾽ ἂν τῆς νόσου πεφευγέναι.

ΧΟ.

βαρύς τε καὶ βαρεῖαν ὁ ξένος φάτιν
1045

τήνδ᾽ εἶπ᾽, ᾿Ὀδυσσεῦ, κοὐχ ὑπείκουσαν ει from η ὑπείκουσαν κακοῖς.

ΟΔ.

πόλλ᾽ ἂν λέγειν ἔχοιμι πρὸς τὰ τοῦδ᾽ ἔπη,

εἴ μοι παρείκοι· νῦν δ᾽ ἑνὸς κρατῶ λόγου.

ΣΟΦΟΚΛΕΟΥΣ

οὗ οὐ γὰρ τοιούτων δεῖ, τοιοῦτός εἰμ' ἐγώ·

χὤπου δικαίων κἀγαθῶν ἀνδρῶν κρίσις,

1050

οὐκ ἂν λάβοις μου μου μᾶλλον οὐδέν εὐσεβῆ.

νικᾶν γε μέντοι πανταχοῦ χρήζων γρ. κρείσσων ἔφυν,

πλὴν εἰς σε· νῦν δὲ σοί γ᾽ σοῦ ἑκὼν ἐκστήσομαι.

ἄφετε γὰρ αὐτόν, μηδὲ προσψαύσητ᾽ ἔτι.

ἐᾶτε μίμνειν. οὐδὲ σοῦ προσχρήζομεν,

1055

τά γ'᾽ ὅπλ᾽ ἔχοντες ταῦτ᾽, ἐπεὶ πάρεστι μὲν

Τεύκρος παρ᾿ ἡμῖν, τήνδ᾽ ἐπιστήμην ἔχων,

ἐγώ θ', ὃς οἶμαι σοῦ κάκιον οὐδὲν ἂν

ΦΙΛΟΚΤΗΤΗΣ.

τούτων κρατύνειν, μηδ᾽ ἐπιθύνειν χερί.

τί δῆτα σοῦ δεῖ; χαῖρε τὴν Λήμνον λήμνον πατῶν.

1060

ἡμεῖς δ᾽ ἴωμεν. καὶ τάχ᾽ ἂν τὸ σὸν γέρας

τιμὴν ἐμοὶ νείμειεν, ἥν σ'᾽ ἐχρῆν ἔχειν. ἣν ἐχρῆν σ᾽

ΦΙ.

οἴμοι· τί δράσω δύσμορος; σὺ τοῖς ἐμοῖς

ὅπλοισι κοσμηθεὶς ἐν ᾿Αργείοις φανεῖ;

ΟΔ.

μή μ' ἀντιφώνει μηδέν, ὡς ὡ ὡς στείχοντα δή.
1065

ΦΙ.

ὦ σπέρμ᾽ ᾿Αχιλλέως, οὐδὲ σοῦ φωνῆς ἔτι

γενήσομαι προσφθεγκτός, ἀλλ᾽ οὕτως ἄπει;

ΟΔ.

χώρει σύ· μὴ πρόσλευσσε πρόσλευσε πρόσλευσσε πρόσελθε, γενναῖός περ ὤν,

ἡμῶν ὅπως μὴ τὴν τύχην διαφθερείς διαφθαρῆς.

ΦΙ.

ἢ καὶ πρὸς ὑμῶν ὧδ᾽ ἔρημος, ὦ ξένοι,
1070

λειφθήσομαι δὴ ἤδη κοὐκ ἐποικτερεῖτέ με ;

ΧΟ.

ὅδ᾽ ἐστὶν ἡμῶν ναυκράτωρ ὁ παῖς, ὅσ᾽ ἂν

οὗτος λέγῃ σοι, ταῦτά σοι χήμεῖς γ'᾽ ἡμεῖσ χ᾿ ἡμεῖσ φαμέν.

ΝΕ.

ἀκούσομαι μὲν ὡς ἔφυν οἴκτου πλέως

πρὸς τοῦδ᾽· ὅμως δὲ μείνατ', εἰ τούτῳ δοκεῖ,
1075

χρόνον τοσοῦτον, εἰς ὅσον τά τ'᾽ ἐκ νεὼς

στείλωσι ναῦται καὶ θεοῖς εὐξώμεθα.

χοὖτος τάχ᾽ ἂν φρόνησιν ἐν τούτῳ λάβοι

ΣΟΦΟΚΛΕΟΥΣ

λῴω τιν ἡμῖν. νὼ νῶ? νὼ μὲν οὖν ὁρμώμεθον ὁρμώμεθα,

ὑμεῖς δ᾽, ὅταν καλῶμεν, ὁρμᾶσθαι ταχεῖς.

1080

ΦΙ.

στρ.α΄. (1.)
ΣΟΦΟΚΛΕΟΥΣ

Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 865-1080 focus

Νεοπτόλεμος

σιγᾶν κελεύω μηδʼ ἀφεστάναι φρενῶν·
865

κινεῖ γὰρ ἁνὴρ ὄμμα κἀνάγει κάρα.

Φιλοκτήτης

ὦ φέγγος ὕπνου διάδοχον τό τʼ ἐλπίδων

ἄπιστον οἰκούρημα τῶνδε τῶν ξένων.

οὐ γάρ ποτʼ, ὦ παῖ, τοῦτʼ ἂν ἐξηύχησʼ ἐγώ,

τλῆναί σʼ ἐλεινῶς ὧδε τἀμὰ πήματα
870

μεῖναι παρόντα καὶ ξυνωφελοῦντά μοι.

οὔκουν Ἀτρεῖδαι τοῦτʼ ἔτλησαν εὐφόρως

οὕτως ἐνεγκεῖν, ἁγαθοὶ στρατηλάται.

ἀλλʼ εὐγενὴς γὰρ ἡ φύσις κἀξ εὐγενῶν,

ὦ τέκνον, ἡ σή, πάντα ταῦτʼ ἐν εὐχερεῖ
875

ἔθου, βοῆς τε καὶ δυσοσμίας γέμων.

καὶ νῦν ἐπειδὴ τοῦδε τοῦ κακοῦ δοκεῖ

λήθη τις εἶναι κἀνάπαυλα δή, τέκνον,

σύ μʼ αὐτὸς ἆρον, σύ με κατάστησον, τέκνον,

ἵνʼ, ἡνίκʼ ἂν κόπος μʼ ἀπαλλάξῃ ποτέ,
880

ὁρμώμεθʼ ἐς ναῦν μηδʼ ἐπίσχωμεν τὸ πλεῖν.

Νεοπτόλεμος

ἀλλʼ ἥδομαι μέν σʼ εἰσιδὼν παρʼ ἐλπίδα

ἀνώδυνον βλέποντα κἀμπνέοντʼ ἔτι·

ὡς οὐκέτʼ ὄντος γὰρ τὰ συμβόλαιά σου

πρὸς τὰς παρούσας ξυμφορὰς ἐφαίνετο.
885

νῦν δʼ αἶρε σαυτόν· εἰ δέ σοι μᾶλλον φίλον,

οἴσουσί σʼ οἵδε· τοῦ πόνου γὰρ οὐκ ὄκνος,

ἐπείπερ οὕτω σοί τʼ ἔδοξʼ ἐμοί τε δρᾶν.

Φιλοκτήτης

αἰνῶ τάδʼ, ὦ παῖ, καί μʼ ἔπαιρʼ, ὥσπερ νοεῖς·

τούτους δʼ ἔασον, μὴ βαρυνθῶσιν κακῇ
890

ὀσμῇ πρὸ τοῦ δέοντος· οὑπὶ νηὶ γὰρ

ἅλις πόνος τούτοισι συνναίειν ἐμοί.

893

Νεοπτόλεμος

ἔσται τάδʼ· ἀλλʼ ἵστω τε καὐτὸς ἀντέχου.

Φιλοκτήτης

θάρσει· τό τοι σύνηθες ὀρθώσει μʼ ἔθος.

Νεοπτόλεμος

παπαῖ· τί δῆτʼ ἂν δρῷμʼ ἐγὼ τοὐνθένδε γε;
895

Φιλοκτήτης

τί δʼ ἔστιν, ὦ παῖ; ποῖ ποτʼ ἐξέβης λόγῳ;

Νεοπτόλεμος

οὐκ οἶδʼ ὅποι χρὴ τἄπορον τρέπειν ἔπος.

Φιλοκτήτης

ἀπορεῖς δὲ τοῦ σύ; μὴ λέγʼ, ὦ τέκνον, τάδε.

Νεοπτόλεμος

ἀλλʼ ἐνθάδʼ ἤδη τοῦδε τοῦ πάθους κυρῶ.

Φιλοκτήτης

οὐ δή σε δυσχέρεια τοῦ νοσήματος
900

ἔπεισεν ὥστε μή μʼ ἄγειν ναύτην ἔτι;

Νεοπτόλεμος

ἅπαντα δυσχέρεια, τὴν αὑτοῦ φύσιν

ὅταν λιπών τις δρᾷ τὰ μὴ προσεικότα.

Φιλοκτήτης

ἀλλʼ οὐδὲν ἔξω τοῦ φυτεύσαντος σύ γε

δρᾷς οὐδὲ φωνεῖς, ἐσθλὸν ἄνδρʼ ἐπωφελῶν.
905

Νεοπτόλεμος

αἰσχρὸς φανοῦμαι· τοῦτʼ ἀνιῶμαι πάλαι.

Φιλοκτήτης

οὔκουν ἐν οἷς γε δρᾷς· ἐν οἷς δʼ αὐδᾷς ὀκνῶ.

Νεοπτόλεμος

ὦ Ζεῦ, τί δράσω; δεύτερον ληφθῶ κακός,

κρύπτων θʼ ἃ μὴ δεῖ καὶ λέγων αἴσχιστʼ ἐπῶν;

Φιλοκτήτης

ἁνὴρ ὅδʼ, εἰ μὴ ʼγὼ κακὸς γνώμων ἔφυν,
910

προδούς μʼ ἔοικε κἀκλιπὼν τὸν πλοῦν στελεῖν.

Νεοπτόλεμος

λιπὼν μὲν οὐκ ἔγωγε· λυπηρῶς δὲ μὴ

πέμπω σε μᾶλλον, τοῦτʼ ἀνιῶμαι πάλαι.

Φιλοκτήτης

τί ποτε λέγεις, ὦ τέκνον; ὡς οὐ μανθάνω.

Νεοπτόλεμος

οὐδέν σε κρύψω· δεῖ γὰρ ἐς Τροίαν σε πλεῖν
915

πρὸς τοὺς Ἀχαιοὺς καὶ τὸν Ἀτρειδῶν στόλον.

Φιλοκτήτης

οἴμοι, τί εἶπας;

Νεοπτόλεμος

μὴ στέναζε, πρὶν μάθῃς.

Φιλοκτήτης

ποῖον μάθημα; τί με νοεῖς δρᾶσαί ποτε;

Νεοπτόλεμος

σῶσαι κακοῦ μὲν πρῶτα τοῦδʼ, ἔπειτα δὲ

ξὺν σοὶ τὰ Τροίας πεδία πορθῆσαι μολών.
920

Φιλοκτήτης

καὶ ταῦτʼ ἀληθῆ δρᾶν νοεῖς;

Νεοπτόλεμος

πολλὴ κρατεῖ

τούτων ἀνάγκη, καὶ σὺ μὴ θυμοῦ κλύων.

Φιλοκτήτης

ἀπόλωλα τλήμων, προδέδομαι. τί μʼ, ὦ ξένε,

δέδρακας; ἀπόδος ὡς τάχος τὰ τόξα μοι.

Νεοπτόλεμος

ἀλλʼ οὐχ οἷόν τε· τῶν γὰρ ἐν τέλει κλύειν
925

τό τʼ ἔνδικόν με καὶ τὸ συμφέρον ποεῖ.

927

Φιλοκτήτης

ὦ πῦρ σὺ καὶ πᾶν δεῖμα καὶ πανουργίας

δεινῆς τέχνημʼ ἔχθιστον, οἷά μʼ εἰργάσω,

οἷʼ ἠπάτηκας· οὐδʼ ἐπαισχύνει μʼ ὁρῶν

τὸν προστρόπαιον, τὸν ἱκέτην, ὦ σχέτλιε;
930

ἀπεστέρηκας τὸν βίον τὰ τόξʼ ἑλών.

ἀπόδος, ἱκνοῦμαί σʼ, ἀπόδος, ἱκετεύω, τέκνον·

πρὸς θεῶν πατρῴων, τὸν βίον με μὴ ἀφέλῃ.

ὤμοι τάλας. ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ προσφωνεῖ μʼ ἔτι,

ἀλλʼ ὡς μεθήσων μήποθʼ, ὧδʼ ὁρᾷ πάλιν.
935

ὦ λιμένες, ὦ προβλῆτες, ὦ ξυνουσίαι

θηρῶν ὀρείων, ὦ καταρρῶγες πέτραι,

ὑμῖν τάδʼ, οὐ γὰρ ἄλλον οἶδʼ ὅτῳ λέγω,

ἀνακλαίομαι παροῦσι τοῖς εἰωθόσιν,

οἷʼ ἔργʼ ὁ παῖς μʼ ἔδρασεν οὑξ Ἀχιλλέως·
940

ὀμόσας ἀπάξειν οἴκαδʼ, ἐς Τροίαν μʼ ἄγει·

προσθείς τε χεῖρα δεξιάν, τὰ τόξα μου

ἱερὰ λαβὼν τοῦ Ζηνὸς Ἡρακλέους ἔχει,

καὶ τοῖσιν Ἀργείοισι φήνασθαι θέλει·

ὡς ἄνδρʼ ἑλὼν ἰσχυρόν ἐκ βίας μʼ ἄγει,
945

κοὐκ οἶδʼ ἐναίρων νεκρὸν ἢ καπνοῦ σκιάν,

εἴδωλον ἄλλως· οὐ γὰρ ἂν σθένοντά γε

εἷλέν μʼ· ἐπεὶ οὐδʼ ἂν ὧδʼ ἔχοντʼ, εἰ μὴ δόλῳ.

νῦν δʼ ἠπάτημαι δύσμορος. τί χρή με δρᾶν;

ἀλλʼ ἀπόδος, ἀλλὰ νῦν ἔτʼ ἐν σαυτῷ γενοῦ.
950

τί φής; σιωπᾷς; οὐδέν εἰμʼ ὁ δύσμορος.

ὦ σχῆμα πέτρας δίπυλον, αὖθις αὖ πάλιν

εἴσειμι πρὸς σὲ ψιλός, οὐκ ἔχων τροφήν·

ἀλλʼ αὐανοῦμαι τῷδʼ ἐν αὐλίῳ μόνος,

οὐ πτηνὸν ὄρνιν οὐδὲ θῆρʼ ὀρειβάτην
955

τόξοις ἐναίρων τοισίδʼ, ἀλλʼ αὐτὸς τάλας

θανὼν παρέξω δαῖθʼ ὑφʼ ὧν ἐφερβόμην,

καί μʼ οὓς ἐθήρων πρόσθε θηράσουσι νῦν·

φόνον φόνου δὲ ῥύσιον τίσω τάλας

πρὸς τοῦ δοκοῦντος οὐδὲν εἰδέναι κακόν.
960

ὄλοιο—μή πω, πρὶν μάθοιμʼ εἰ καὶ πάλιν

γνώμην μετοίσεις· εἰ δὲ μή, θάνοις κακῶς.

963

Χορός

τί δρῶμεν; ἐν σοὶ καὶ τὸ πλεῖν ἡμᾶς, ἄναξ,

ἤδη ʼστὶ καὶ τοῖς τοῦδε προσχωρεῖν λόγοις.

Νεοπτόλεμος

ἐμοὶ μὲν οἶκτος δεινὸς ἐμπέπτωκέ τις
965

τοῦδʼ ἀνδρὸς οὐ νῦν πρῶτον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάλαι.

Φιλοκτήτης

ἐλέησον, ὦ παῖ, πρὸς θεῶν, καὶ μὴ παρῇς

σαυτοῦ βροτοῖς ὄνειδος, ἐκκλέψας ἐμέ.

Νεοπτόλεμος

οἴμοι, τί δράσω; μή ποτʼ ὤφελον λιπεῖν

τὴν Σκῦρον· οὕτω τοῖς παροῦσιν ἄχθομαι.
970

Φιλοκτήτης

οὐκ εἶ κακὸς σύ, πρὸς κακῶν δʼ ἀνδρῶν μαθὼν

ἔοικας ἥκειν αἰσχρά· νῦν δʼ ἄλλοισι δοὺς

οἷς εἰκὸς ἔκπλει, τἀμά μοι μεθεὶς ὅπλα.

Νεοπτόλεμος

τί δρῶμεν, ἄνδρες;

Ὀδυσσεύς

ὦ κάκιστʼ ἀνδρῶν, τί δρᾷς;

οὐκ εἶ μεθεὶς τὰ τόξα ταῦτʼ ἐμοὶ πάλιν;
975

Φιλοκτήτης

οἴμοι, τίς ἁνήρ; ἆρʼ Ὀδυσσέως κλύω;

Ὀδυσσεύς

Ὀδυσσέως, σάφʼ ἴσθʼ, ἐμοῦ γʼ, ὃν εἰσορᾷς.

Φιλοκτήτης

οἴμοι· πέπραμαι κἀπόλωλʼ· ὅδʼ ἦν ἄρα

ὁ ξυλλαβών με κἀπονοσφίσας ὅπλων.

Ὀδυσσεύς

ἐγώ, σάφʼ ἴσθʼ, οὐκ ἄλλος· ὁμολογῶ τάδε.
980

Φιλοκτήτης

ἀπόδος, ἄφες μοι, παῖ, τὰ τόξα.

Ὀδυσσεύς

τοῦτο μέν,

οὐδʼ ἢν θέλῃ, δράσει ποτʼ· ἀλλὰ καὶ σὲ δεῖ

στείχειν ἅμʼ αὐτοῖς, ἢ βίᾳ στελοῦσί σε.

Φιλοκτήτης

ἔμʼ, ὦ κακῶν κάκιστε καὶ τολμήστατε,

οἵδʼ ἐκ βίας ἄξουσιν;
985

Ὀδυσσεύς

ἢν μὴ ἕρπῃς ἑκών.

Φιλοκτήτης

ὦ Λημνία χθὼν καὶ τὸ παγκρατὲς σέλας

Ἡφαιστότευκτον, ταῦτα δῆτʼ ἀνασχετά,

εἴ μʼ οὗτος ἐκ τῶν σῶν ἀπάξεται βίᾳ;

Ὀδυσσεύς

Ζεύς ἐσθʼ, ἵνʼ εἰδῇς, Ζεύς, ὁ τῆσδε γῆς κρατῶν,

Ζεύς, ᾧ δέδοκται ταῦθʼ· ὑπηρετῶ δʼ ἐγώ.
990

Φιλοκτήτης

ὦ μῖσος, οἷα κἀξανευρίσκεις λέγειν·

θεοὺς προτείνων τοὺς θεοὺς ψευδεῖς τίθης.

Ὀδυσσεύς

οὔκ, ἀλλʼ ἀληθεῖς· ἡ δʼ ὁδὸς πορευτέα.

Φιλοκτήτης

οὔ φημʼ.

Ὀδυσσεύς

ἐγὼ δέ φημι. πειστέον τάδε.

Φιλοκτήτης

οἴμοι τάλας. ἡμᾶς μὲν ὡς δούλους σαφῶς
995

πατὴρ ἄρʼ ἐξέφυσεν οὐδʼ ἐλευθέρους.

Ὀδυσσεύς

οὔκ, ἀλλʼ ὁμοίους τοῖς ἀρίστοισιν, μεθʼ ὧν

Τροίαν σʼ ἑλεῖν δεῖ καὶ κατασκάψαι βίᾳ.

Φιλοκτήτης

οὐδέποτέ γʼ· οὐδʼ ἢν χρῇ με πᾶν παθεῖν κακόν,

ἕως ἂν ᾖ μοι γῆς τόδʼ αἰπεινὸν βάθρον.
1000

Ὀδυσσεύς

τί δʼ ἐργασείεις;

Φιλοκτήτης

κρᾶτʼ ἐμὸν τόδʼ αὐτίκα

πέτρᾳ πέτρας ἄνωθεν αἱμάξω πεσών.

Ὀδυσσεύς

ξυλλάβετον αὐτόν· μὴ ʼπὶ τῷδʼ ἔστω τάδε.

1004

Φιλοκτήτης

ὦ χεῖρες, οἷα πάσχετʼ ἐν χρείᾳ φίλης

νευρᾶς, ὑπʼ ἀνδρὸς τοῦδε συνθηρώμεναι.
1005

ὦ μηδὲν ὑγιὲς μηδʼ ἐλεύθερον φρονῶν,

οἷʼ αὖ μʼ ὑπῆλθες, ὥς μʼ ἐθηράσω, λαβὼν

πρόβλημα σαυτοῦ παῖδα τόνδʼ ἀγνῶτʼ ἐμοί,

ἀνάξιον μὲν σοῦ, κατάξιον δʼ ἐμοῦ,

ὃς οὐδὲν ᾔδει πλὴν τὸ προσταχθὲν ποεῖν,
1010

δῆλος δὲ καὶ νῦν ἐστιν ἀλγεινῶς φέρων

οἷς τʼ αὐτὸς ἐξήμαρτεν οἷς τʼ ἐγὼ ʼπαθον.

ἀλλʼ ἡ κακὴ σὴ διὰ μυχῶν βλέπουσʼ ἀεὶ

ψυχή νιν ἀφυῆ τʼ ὄντα κοὐ θέλονθʼ ὅμως

εὖ προυδίδαξεν ἐν κακοῖς εἶναι σοφόν.
1015

καὶ νῦν ἔμʼ, ὦ δύστηνε, συνδήσας νοεῖς

ἄγειν ἀπʼ ἀκτῆς τῆσδʼ, ἐν ᾗ με προυβάλου

ἄφιλον ἔρημον ἄπολιν, ἐν ζῶσιν νεκρόν. φεῦ.

ὄλοιο· καί σοι πολλάκις τόδʼ ηὐξάμην.

ἀλλʼ οὐ γὰρ οὐδὲν θεοὶ νέμουσιν ἡδύ μοι,
1020

σὺ μὲν γέγηθας ζῶν, ἐγὼ δʼ ἀλγύνομαι

τοῦτʼ αὔθʼ, ὅτι ζῶ σὺν κακοῖς πολλοῖς τάλας,

γελώμενος πρὸς σοῦ τε καὶ τῶν Ἀτρέως

διπλῶν στρατηγῶν, οἷς σὺ ταῦθʼ ὑπηρετεῖς.

καίτοι σὺ μὲν κλοπῇ τε κἀνάγκῃ ζυγεὶς
1025

ἔπλεις ἅμʼ αὐτοῖς, ἐμὲ δὲ τὸν πανάθλιον,

ἑκόντα πλεύσανθʼ ἑπτὰ ναυσὶ ναυβάτην,

ἄτιμον ἔβαλον, ὡς σὺ φής, κεῖνοι δὲ σέ.

καὶ νῦν τί μʼ ἄγετε; τί μʼ ἀπάγεσθε; τοῦ χάριν;

ὃς οὐδέν εἰμι καὶ τέθνηχʼ ὑμῖν πάλαι.
1030

πῶς, ὦ θεοῖς ἔχθιστε, νῦν οὐκ εἰμί σοι

χωλός, δυσώδης; πῶς θεοῖς ἔξεσθʼ, ὁμοῦ

πλεύσαντος αἴθειν ἱερά; πῶς σπένδειν ἔτι;

αὕτη γὰρ ἦν σοι πρόφασις ἐκβαλεῖν ἐμέ.

κακῶς ὄλοισθʼ· ὀλεῖσθε δʼ ἠδικηκότες
1035

τὸν ἄνδρα τόνδε, θεοῖσιν εἰ δίκης μέλει.

ἔξοιδα δʼ ὡς μέλει γʼ· ἐπεὶ οὔποτʼ ἂν στόλον

ἐπλεύσατʼ ἂν τόνδʼ εἵνεκʼ ἀνδρὸς ἀθλίου,

εἰ μή τι κέντρον θεῖον ἦγʼ ὑμᾶς ἐμοῦ.

ἀλλʼ, ὦ πατρῴα γῆ θεοί τʼ ἐπόψιοι,
1040

τίσασθε τίσασθʼ ἀλλὰ τῷ χρόνῳ ποτὲ

ξύμπαντας αὐτούς, εἴ τι κἄμʼ οἰκτίρετε·

ὡς ζῶ μὲν οἰκτρῶς, εἰ δʼ ἴδοιμʼ ὀλωλότας

τούτους, δοκοῖμʼ ἂν τῆς νόσου πεφευγέναι.

1045

Χορός

βαρύς τε καὶ βαρεῖαν ὁ ξένος φάτιν
1045

τήνδʼ εἶπʼ, Ὀδυσσεῦ, κοὐχ ὑπείκουσαν κακοῖς.

Ὀδυσσεύς

πόλλʼ ἂν λέγειν ἔχοιμι πρὸς τὰ τοῦδʼ ἔπη,

εἴ μοι παρείκοι· νῦν δʼ ἑνὸς κρατῶ λόγου.

οὗ γὰρ τοιούτων δεῖ, τοιοῦτός εἰμʼ ἐγώ·

χὤπου δικαίων κἀγαθῶν ἀνδρῶν κρίσις,
1050

οὐκ ἂν λάβοις μου μᾶλλον οὐδένʼ εὐσεβῆ.

νικᾶν γε μέντοι πανταχοῦ χρῄζων ἔφυν,

πλὴν εἰς σέ· νῦν δὲ σοί γʼ ἑκὼν ἐκστήσομαι.

ἄφετε γὰρ αὐτὸν μηδὲ προσψαύσητʼ ἔτι·

ἐᾶτε μίμνειν. οὐδὲ σοῦ προσχρῄζομεν,
1055

τά γʼ ὅπλʼ ἔχοντες ταῦτʼ, ἐπεὶ πάρεστι μὲν

Τεῦκρος παρʼ ἡμῖν, τήνδʼ ἐπιστήμην ἔχων,

ἐγώ θʼ, ὃς οἶμαι σοῦ κάκιον οὐδὲν ἂν

τούτων κρατύνειν, μηδʼ ἐπιθύνειν χερί.

τί δῆτα σοῦ δεῖ; χαῖρε τὴν Λῆμνον πατῶν·
1060

ἡμεῖς δʼ ἴωμεν, καὶ τάχʼ ἂν τὸ σὸν γέρας

τιμὴν ἐμοὶ νείμειεν, ἣν σὲ χρῆν ἔχειν.

Φιλοκτήτης

οἴμοι· τί δράσω δύσμορος; σὺ τοῖς ἐμοῖς

ὅπλοισι κοσμηθεὶς ἐν Ἀργείοις φανεῖ;

Ὀδυσσεύς

μή μʼ ἀντιφώνει μηδέν, ὡς στείχοντα δή.
1065

Φιλοκτήτης

ὦ σπέρμʼ Ἀχιλλέως, οὐδὲ σοῦ φωνῆς ἔτι

γενήσομαι προσφθεγκτός, ἀλλʼ οὕτως ἄπει;

Ὀδυσσεύς

χώρει σύ· μὴ πρόσλευσσε, γενναῖός περ ὤν,

ἡμῶν ὅπως μὴ τὴν τύχην διαφθερεῖς.

Φιλοκτήτης

ἦ καὶ πρὸς ὑμῶν ὧδʼ ἔρημος, ὦ ξένοι,
1070

λειφθήσομαι δὴ κοὐκ ἐποικτερεῖτέ με;

Χορός

ὅδʼ ἐστὶν ἡμῶν ναυκράτωρ ὁ παῖς· ὅσʼ ἂν

οὗτος λέγῃ σοι, ταῦτά σοι χἠμεῖς φαμέν.

Νεοπτόλεμος

ἀκούσομαι μὲν ὡς ἔφυν οἴκτου πλέως

πρὸς τοῦδʼ· ὅμως δὲ μείνατʼ, εἰ τούτῳ δοκεῖ,
1075

χρόνον τοσοῦτον, εἰς ὅσον τά τʼ ἐκ νεὼς

στείλωσι ναῦται καὶ θεοῖς εὐξώμεθα.

χοὖτος τάχʼ ἂν φρόνησιν ἐν τούτῳ λάβοι

λῴω τινʼ ἡμῖν. νὼ μὲν οὖν ὁρμώμεθον,

ὑμεῖς δʼ, ὅταν καλῶμεν, ὁρμᾶσθαι ταχεῖς.
1080

Translations (5)

English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 865 focus

Hush! One word more were madness. He revives.
865

His eye hath motion. He uplifts his head.

PHI

Fair daylight following sleep, and ye, dear friends,

Faithful beyond all hope in tending me!

I never could have dreamed that thou, dear youth,

Couldst thus have borne my sufferings and stood near

So full of pity to relieve my pain.
870

Not so the worthy generals of the host;—

This princely patience was not theirs to show.

Only thy noble nature, nobly sprung,

Made light of all the trouble, though oppressed

With fetid odours and unceasing cries.
875

And now, since this my plague would seem to yield

Some pause and brief forgetfulness of pain,

With thine own hand, my son, upraise me here,

And set me on my feet, that, when my strength

After exhaustion shall return again,
880

We may move shoreward and launch forth with speed.

NEO

I feel unhoped-for gladness when I see

Thy painless gaze, and hear thy living breath,

For thine appearance and surroundings both

Were deathlike. But arise! Or, if thou wilt,
885

These men shall raise thee. For they will not shrink

From toil which thou and I at once enjoin.

PHI

Right, right, my son! But lift me thine own self,

As I am sure thou meanest. Let these be,

Lest they be burdened with the noisome smell
890

Before the time. Enough for them to bear

The trouble on board.

NEO

I will; stand up, endure!

PHI

Fear not. Old habit will enable me.

NEO

O me!
895

What shall I do? Now ’tis my turn to exclaim!
895

PHI

What canst thou mean? What change is here, my son?

NEO

I know not how to shift the troublous word.

’Tis hopeless.

PHI

What is hopeless? Speak not so,

Dear child!

NEO

But so my wretched lot hath fallen.

PHI

Ah! Can it be, the offence of my disease
900

Hath moved thee not to take me now on board?

NEO

All is offence to one who hath forced himself

From the true bent to an unbecoming deed.

PHI

Nought misbecoming to thyself or sire

Doest thou or speak’st, befriending a good man.
905

NEO

My baseness will appear. That wrings my soul.

PHI

Not in thy deeds. But for thy words, I fear me!

NEO

O Heaven! Must double vileness then be mine

Both shameful silence and most shameful speech?

PHI

Or my discernment is at fault, or thou
910

Mean’st to betray me and make voyage without me.

NEO

Nay, not without thee, there is my distress!

Lest I convey thee to thy bitter grief.

PHI

How? How, dear youth? I do not understand.

NEO

Here I unveil it. Thou art to sail to Troy,
915

To join the chieftains and the Achaean host.

PHI

What do I hear? Ah!

NEO

Grieve not till you learn.

PHI

Learn what? What wilt thou make of me? What mean’st thou?

NEO

First to release thee from this plague, and then

With thee to go and take the realm of Troy.
920

PHI

And is this thine intent?

NEO

’Tis so ordained

Unchangeably. Be not dismayed! ’Tis so.

PHI

Me miserable! I am betrayed, undone!

What guile is here? My bow! give back my bow!

NEO

I may not. Interest, and duty too,
925

Force me to obey commandment.

PHI

O thou fire,

Thou terror of the world! Dark instrument

Of ever-hateful guile!—What hast thou done?

How thou hast cheated me! Art not ashamed

To look on him that sued to thee for shelter?
930

O heart of stone, thou hast stolen my life away

With yonder bow!—Ah, yet I beg of thee,

Give it me back, my son, I entreat thee, give!

By all thy father worshipped, rob me not

Of life!—Ah me! Now he will speak no more,

But turns away, obdúrate to retain it.
935

O ye, my comrades in this wilderness,

Rude creatures of the rocks, O promontories,

Creeks, precipices of the hills, to you

And your familiar presence I complain

Of this foul trespass of Achilles’ son.

Sworn to convey me home, to Troy he bears me.
940

And under pledge of his right hand hath ta’en

And holds from me perforce my wondrous bow,

The sacred gift of Zeus-born Heracles,

Thinking to wave it midst the Achaean host

Triumphantly for his. In conquering me
945

He vaunts as of some valorous feat, and knows not
945

He is spoiling a mere corse, an empty dream,

The shadow of a vapour. In my strength

He ne’er had vanquished me. Even as I am,

He could not, but by guile. Now, all forlorn,

I am abused, deceived. What must I do?
950

Nay, give it me. Nay, yet be thy true self!

Thou art silent. I am lost. O misery!

Rude face of rock, back I return to thee

And thy twin gateway, robbed of arms and food,

To wither in thy cave companionless:—

No more with these mine arrows to destroy
955

Or flying bird or mountain-roving beast.

But, all unhappy! I myself must be

The feast of those on whom I fed, the chase

Of that I hunted, and shall dearly pay

In bloody quittance for their death, through one

Who seemed all ignorant of sinful guile.
960

Perish,—not till I am certain if thy heart

Will change once more,—if not, my curse on thee!

CH

What shall we do, my lord? We wait thy word

Or to sail now, or yield to his desire.

NEO

My heart is pressed with a strange pity for him,
965

Not now beginning, but long since begun.

PHI

Ay, pity me, my son! by all above,

Make not thy name a scorn by wronging me!

NEO

O! I am troubled sore. What must I do?

Would I had never left mine island home!
970

PHI

Thou art not base, but seemest to have learnt

Some baseness from base men. Now, as ’tis meet,

Be better guided—leave me mine arms, and go.

NEO

().

What shall we do?

ODYSSEUS
Enter ODYSSEUS .

What art thou doing, knave?

Give me that bow, and haste thee back again.
975

PHI

Alas! What do I hear? Odysseus’ voice?

OD

Be sure of that, Odysseus, whom thou seest.

PHI

Oh, I am bought and sold, undone! ’Twas he

That kidnapped me, and robbed me of my bow.

OD

Yea. I deny it not. Be sure, ’twas I.
980

PHI

Give back, my son, the bow; release it!

OD

That,

Though he desire it, he shall never do.

Thou too shalt march along, or these shall force thee.

PHI

They force me! O thou boldest of bad men!

They force me?
985

OD

If thou com’st not willingly.

PHI

O Lemnian earth and thou almighty flame,

Hephaestos’ workmanship, shall this be borne,

That he by force must drag me from your care?

OD

’Tis Zeus, I tell thee, monarch of this isle,

Who thus hath willed. I am his minister.
990

PHI

Wretch, what vile words thy wit hath power to say!

The gods are liars when invoked by thee.

OD

Nay, ’tis their truth compels thee to this voyage.

PHI

I will not have it so.

OD

I will. Thou shalt.

PHI

Woe for my wretchedness! My father, then,
995

Begat no freeman, but a slave in me.

OD

Nay, but the peer of noblest men, with whom

Thou art to take and ravage Troy with might.

PHI

Never,—though I must suffer direst woe,—

While this steep Lemnian ground is mine to tread!
1000

OD

What now is thine intent?

PHI

Down from the crag

This head shall plunge and stain the crag beneath.

OD

(.)

Ay, seize and bind him. Baffle him in this.

PHI

Poor hands, for lack of your beloved string,

Caught by this craven! O corrupted soul!

How thou hast undermined me, having taken
1005

To screen thy quest this youth to me unknown,

Far worthier of my friendship than of thine,

Who knew no better than to obey command.

Even now ’tis manifest he burns within

With pain for his own error and my wrong.
1010

But, though unwilling and mapt for ill,

Thy crafty, mean, and cranny spying soul

Too well hath lessoned him in sinful lore.

Now thou hast bound me, O thou wretch, and thinkest

To take me from this coast, where thou didst cast me
1015

Outlawed and desolate, a corpse ’mongst men.

Oh!

I curse thee now, as ofttimes in the past:

But since Heaven yields me nought but bitterness,

Thou livest and art blithe, while ’tis my pain

To live on in my misery, laughed to scorn
1020

By thee and Atreus’ sons, those generals twain

Whom thou art serving in this chase. But thou

With strong compulsion and deceit was driven

Troyward, whilst I, poor victim, of free will

Took my seven ships and sailed there, yet was thrown
1025

Far from all honour,—as thou sayest, by them,

But, as they turn the tale, by thee.—And now

Why fetch me hence and take me? To what end?

I am nothing, dead to you this many a year.

How, O thou Heaven-abhorred! am I not now
1030

Lame and of evil smell? how shall ye vaunt

Before the gods drink-offering or the fat

Of victims, if I sail among your crew?

For this, as ye professed, was the chief cause

Why ye disowned me. Perish!—So ye shall,
1035

For the wrong done me, if the Heavens be just.

And that they are, I know. Else had ye ne’er

Sailed on this errand for an outcast wretch,

Had they not pricked your heart with thoughts of me.

Oh, if ye pity me, chastising powers,
1040

And thou, the Genius of my land, revenge,

Revenge this crime on all their heads at once!

My life is pitiable; but if I saw

Their ruin, I would think me well and strong.

CH

How full of bitterness is his resolve,
1045

Wrathfully spoken with unbending will!

OD

I might speak long in answer, did the time

Give scope, but now one thing is mine to say.

I am known to vary with the varying need;

And when ’tis tried, who can be just and good,
1050

My peer will not be found for piety.

But though on all occasions covetous

Of victory, this once I yield to thee,

And willingly. Unhand him there. Let go!

Leave him to stay. What further use of thee,
1055

When we have ta’en these arms? Have we not Teucer,

Skilled in this mystery? Yea, I may boast

Myself thine equal both in strength and aim

To wield them. Fare thee well, then! Thou art free

To roam thy barren isle. We need thee not.
1060

Let us be going! And perchance thy gift

May bring thy destined glory to my brow.

PHI

What shall I do? Alas, shalt thou be seen

Graced with mine arms amongst Achaean men?

OD

No more! I am going.
1065

PHI

O Achilles’ child!

Wilt thou, too, vanish? Must I lose thy voice?

OD

Come on, and look not, noble though thou be,

Lest thou undo our fortune.

PHI

Mariners,
1070

Must ye, too, leave me thus disconsolate?
1070

Will ye not pity me?

CH

Our captain’s here.

Whate’er he saith to thee, that we too speak.

NEO

My chief will call me weakling, soft of heart;

But go not yet, since our friend bids you stay.
1075

Till we have prayed, and all be ready on board.

Meanwhile, perchance, he may conceive some thought

That favours our design. We two will start;

And ye, be swift to speed forth at our call.

PHI
MONODY .

German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 865 focus

Nun schweiget, sag' ich, seid gefaßt und unverzagt!
835

Der Mann bewegt die Augen und erhebt das Haupt.

(erwachend)

Philoktetes.

Licht, dem Schlummer folgend, und o treuer Schuz

Von diesen Fremden, über all Erwarten treu!

Denn nimmermehr, o Jüngling, hätt' ich das gedacht,

Daß du zurück hier bliebest und, ein Helfer mir,
840

So voll Erbarmen meine Noth abwartetest.

Das haben Atreus' Söhne ja, die trefflichen

Heerfürsten, auszudulden nicht den Muth gehabt.

Doch dein Gemüth ist edel, du bist edlen Stamms;

Deßhalb, o Kind, ertrugst du dieses Alles leicht,
845

Umringt von eklem Moderdust und Wehgeschrei.

Und jezo, weil mir süße Rast, ein linderndes

Vergessen dieser Schmerzen, Kind, zu kommen scheint,

Erhebe du mich, richte du mich auf, o Kind,

Daß wir, sobald mich endlich läßt die Mattigkeit,
850

Zum Schiffe gehen und sofort von dannen zieh'n.

Neoptolemos.

Wie freut mich's, athmend über mein Verhoffen dich

Und offnes Auges noch zu seh'n und sonder Schmerz,

Da bei dem Anfall, welcher dich gebunden hielt,

Uns alle Zeichen deinen Tod verkündeten!
855

Nun stehe selbst auf, oder, wenn dir's lieber ist,

Laß dich von diesen tragen; denn sie scheuen nicht

Die Mühe, wenn es also dir und mir gefällt.

Philoktetes.

Ich danke, Jüngling: hebe mich, wie dir's beliebt;

Doch diese laß nur, daß sie nicht der ekle Duft,
860

Bevor es sein muß, quäle; denn im Schiffe selbst

Bringt ihnen meine Gegenwart noch Qual genug.

(den Arm bietend)

Neoptolemos.

So sei es: doch nun stehe selbst und halte dich.

(sich aufrichtend)

Philoktetes.

Sei ruhig; langgeübter Brauch hat mich's gelehrt.

Neoptolemos.

Götter! Was beginnen, was nun weiter thun?
865

Philoktetes.

Was hast du? Wo gerathen deine Sinne hin?

Neoptolemos.

Das Wort versagt mir, und ich weiß nun keinen Rath.

Philoktetes.

Wo bist du rathlos? Rede mir nicht also, Kind.

Neoptolemos.

Doch mitten sind' ich mich bereits in solcher Noth.

Dich hat doch meines Uebels Last nicht umgestimmt,
870

Daß, mich an Bord zu nehmen, dich gereuen will?

Freund, Alles ist uns lästig, wenn wir, unsrer Art

Untreu geworden, üben, was uns nicht geziemt.

Philoktetes.

Doch nichts von deines Vaters Art Abweichendes

Thust oder sprichst du, wenn du hilfst dem edlen Mann.
875

Neoptolemos.

Schlecht werd' ich dastehn: dieses drückt mich lange schon.

Philoktetes.

In deinem Thun nicht, doch mir bangt, in deinem Wort.

Neoptolemos.

Zeus, was beginn' ich? Zeig' ich abermals mich schlecht,

Das Wahre bergend, schnöden Trug verkündigend?

Philoktetes.

Der Mann, berückt mich anders nicht ein falscher Wahn,
880

Zieht seines Weges und verläßt mich treulos hier.

Neoptolemos.

Mit nichten; aber daß du nicht zu deinem Leid

Mein Schiff besteigest, dieses drückt mich lange schon.

Philoktetes.

Wie meinst du das, o Jüngling? Ich verstehe nicht

Neoptolemos.

Nichts will ich bergen: Freund, du mußt nach Ilion
885

Zum Heer Achäa's und des Atreus Söhnen zieh'n.

Philoktetes.

Was sagst du? Weh mir!

Neoptolemos.

Samm're nicht, bevor du hörst -

Was soll ich hören? Was gedenkst du mir zu thun?

Ich will zuerst von deinem Uebel dich befrei'n,

Und dann mit dir die Troerveste stürzen geh'n.
890

Philoktetes.

Du denkst im Ernste das zu thun?

Neoptolemos.

Die strenge Noth

Gebeut mir also: zürne nicht, vernimmst du dies.

Philoktetes.

Ich bin verloren, bin verkauft! Was hast du mir

Gethan, o Fremdling? Mein Geschoß gib gleich zurück!

Neoptolemos.

Das ist unmöglich; denn die Pflicht und eignes Wohl
895

Heißt mich gehorsam achten auf der Herrscher Wort.

Philoktetes.

Du Feuerbrand, du Grauen, du feindseliges

Gewebe falscher Trügerei, wie thust du mir,

Wie hast du mich betrogen, und erröthest nicht,

Mich Schuzbefohl'nen, Fleh'nden anzuseh'n, o Schalk?
900

Den Bogen raubend, raubtest du mein Leben mir.

Ach gib, ich flehe, gib mir ihn zurück, o Kind;

Bei deiner Ahnen Göttern, nimm mein Leben nicht!

Weh, wehe! Nicht mit einem Laut entgegnet er:

Nein, wie ihn nie zu lassen, blickt der Arge weg.
905

Ihr Buchten dort, ihr schroffen Felsabhänge, du

Bergwild, Genosse meines Grams, ihr Klippen hier,

Euch klag' ich keinem Andern ja vermag ich es,

Ihr seid zugegen, hört mich stets in meinem Leid

Euch klag' ich, euch, was mir Achilleus' Sohn gethan:
910

Führt mich nach Troja, der mich heimzuführen schwur,

Gibt mir die Hand zum Pfande, raubt das heilige

Geschoß, Herakles' Bogen, mir, des Sohns von Zeus,

Und will zur Schau mich stellen vor Achäa's Heer!

Wie einen Starken führt er mit Gewalt mich fort,
915

Nicht ahnend, daß er Luftgebild' und Leiche schlägt,

Des Rauches Schatten. Hätt' ich Kraft, er sing mich nie;

Denn auch den Kraftberaubten fing er nur mit List.

Nun - so betrogen, was beginn' ich Armer nun?

Gib mir zurück ihn, werde wieder, der du warst!
920

Was ist's? Du schweigst. Ich bin vernichtet, wehe mir!

Du Fels mit deinem Doppelthor, ich schleiche nun

Nackt, ohne Nahrung, wiederum zu dir zurück;

Einsam verschmachten werd' ich hier in dieser Kluft,

Und kein beschwingter Vogel noch des Berges Wild
925

Erliegt von diesen Pfeilen mehr; selbst werd' ich todt

Ein Mahl für jene, deren Fleisch mich sättigte,

Und, die zuvor ich jagte, jagen nun mich selbst.

Mit meinem Tode büß' ich Armer ihren Tod

Durch diesen, der kein Böses mir zu kennen schien.
930

Noch lebe, stirb nicht, eh' ich weiß, ob etwa noch

Dein Sinn sich wendet; anders stirb des Bösen Tod!

Der Chor.

Was thun wir? Nun steht's, Herr, bei dir, mit uns an Bord

Zu gehen oder seinem Wunsch gerecht zu sein.

Neoptolemos.

Mich hat ein bittres Schmerzgefühl um diesen Mann
935

Ergriffen, nicht erst eben jezt, nein, lange schon.

Philoktetes.

Erbarmen, Sohn! Bei'm Himmel, biete nicht dich selbst

Der Welt zum Hohne, daß du mich betrogen hast.

Neoptolemos.

Weh, was beginn' ich? Hätt' ich doch mein Skyros nie

Verlassen! Also schmerzt mich, was ich leiden muß.
940

Philoktetes.

Kein Böser bist du; Böse nur verlockten dich

Zum Argen, scheint es; aber laß den Schlechten nun

Das Schlechte, mir gib meine Wehr und segle fort.

Neoptolemos.

Was thun wir, Männer?

Odysseus (tritt schnell hervor.) Die Vorigen.

Odysseus.

Bösewicht, was willst du thun?

Tritt gleich zurück, und gib mir diesen Bogen her.
945

Philoktetes.

Wer ist der Mann? War das Odysseus' Stimme nicht?

Odysseus.

Gewiß, Odysseus' Stimme; mich erblickst du hier.

Philoktetes.

Verkauft, verloren bin ich, ach! Der also war's,

Der mich gefangen, der die Pfeile mir entwandt!

Odysseus.

Gewiß, ich selbst, kein Andrer; frei bekenn' ich es.
950

Philoktetes.

Sohn, gib den Bogen, laß mir ihn!

Odysseus.

Das wird er nie,

Auch wenn er wollte; nein, du selbst auch mußt mit ihm

Von hinnen, oder schleppen sie mit Zwang dich fort.

Philoktetes.

Mich? Du, der Schlimmen Schlimmster und Verwegenster,

Die mich gewaltsam?
955

Odysseus.

Wenn du nicht freiwillig gehst.
955

Philoktetes.

O Infelland von Lemnos, allgewaltige

Glut aus Hephästos' Esse, das denn duldet ihr,

Daß dieser mich gewaltsam euren Höh'n entführt?

Odysseus.

Zeus, wisse das, Zeus ist es, dieses Landes Herr,

Zeus, der es so geboten, und ich führ' es aus.
960

Philoktetes.

Ruchloser, welche Reden sinnst du kecklich aus?

Vorwendend Götter, machst du Götter lügenhaft.¹

Odysseus.

Nein, sondern wahrhaft. Wandeln mußt du diesen Pfad!

Ich sage: nein!

Und ich gebiet' es, du gehorchst!

Philoktetes.

Weh, weh mir Armen! Also hat mich offenbar
965

Zum Knecht gezeugt mein Vater, nicht zum freien Mann!

Odysseus.

Nein, als den besten Männern gleich, mit welchen du

Die Zinnen Troja's stürmen und zerstören sollst.

Philoktetes.

Niemals, und müßt' ich jedes Leid erdulden auch,

So lange mir die jähe Felsenstufe bleibt!
970

Was willst du thun?

Odysseus.

Vom Felsen stürz' ich mich sofort,

Zerschmettre blutig dieses Haupt am Felsen hier.

Ergreift ihn: nimmer stehe das in seiner Macht!

(Philoktetes wird von den Knechten ergriffen und an den Händen festgehalten.)

Philoktetes.

Hände, was erduldet ihr, die nun, beraubt

Der trauten Sehne, dieser Mann gebunden hält!
975

Du, welcher nie das Reine, nie das Edle denkt,

Wie hast du mich beschlichen, wie gefangen und

Den Knaben vorgeschoben, der mir unbekannt,

Unwürdig deiner, aber mein wohl würdig war,

Der Nichts gewußt hat, als zu thun, was du befahlst,
980

Der aber jezt schon offenbar mit Schmerzen fühlt,

Was er verschuldet, und das Leid, das ich erfuhr.

Dein böser Sinn nur, welcher stets im Winkel lauscht,

Hat ihn, den arglos Blöden, Widerstrebenden

Wohl unterwiesen, klug zu sein in arger List.
985

Nun denkst du mich gebunden weg von diesem Strand

Zu führen, Frevler, wo du mich einst ausgesezt

Freundlos, verlassen, fern von Haus, im Leben todt!

Weh!

Tod dir! Ich flehte dieses oft auf dich herab;

Doch nichts Erwünschtes theilen mir die Götter zu;
990

Du lebst in Freuden, aber ich empfinde Schmerz

Darüber, daß ich lebe, leb' in schwerer Dual,

Von dir verspottet und den zwei Heerfürsten dort,

Den Söhnen Atreus', welchen du dies Werk bestellst.

Du wurdest gleichwohl mitzuzieh'n durch Zwang und List²
995

Genöthigt; mich Verlor'nen, der freiwillig zog

Mit sieben Masten, warfen sie mit Schmach hinaus,³

Wie du behauptest; jene geben dir die Schuld.

Und nun wozu, was bindet, was entführt ihr mich,

Mich, der ein Nichts ist und für euch schon lange todt?
1000

Was hältst du, Gottverhaßter, nun mich nicht für lahm,

Für übelriechend? Wie, von mir begleitet, könnt

Ihr noch den Göttern opfern, wie noch Spenden weih'n?

Mich auszustoßen, hast du dies ja vorgewandt.

Tod euch! ja, Tod wird treffen euch, die so verrucht
1005

An mir gefrevelt, wenn das Recht vor Göttern gilt.

Ich weiß, es gilt vor ihnen; niemals wärt ihr ja

Den Weg gezogen nach dem Unglückseligen,

Wenn nicht ein Götterstachel euch hertrieb zu mir.

O Vatererde, Götter, ihr allsehenden,
1010

So strafet endlich, endlich doch, o strafet sie,

Sie alle, wenn ihr meiner euch erbarmen wollt!

Wohl leb' ich elend; aber säh' ich diese nur

Vernichtet, glaubt' ich meiner Qual entfloh'n zu sein.

Der Chor.

In schwerem Zorne sprach der Mann ein schweres Wort
1015

Zu dir, Odysseus, das der Noth sich nicht gebeugt.

Odysseus.

Ich könnte Viel entgegnen auf des Mannes Wort,

Wär's mir verstattet; nun vermag ich Eines nur.

Wo mir's die Pflicht gebietet, thu' ich wie ich that;

Doch wo's gerechte, tugendhafte Männer gilt,
1020

Da wirst du keinen frömmern Mann, als mich, erseh'n.

Wohl drängt zum Sieg ein angeborner Trieb mich stets,

Nur über dich nicht; gerne weich' ich jezt vor dir.

So laßt den Mann denn, und berührt nicht weiter ihn;

Er möge bleiben! Wir bedürfen deiner nicht;
1025

Denn deine Waffen haben wir, und Teukros ist

In unserm Heere, wohlbewährt in dieser Kunst,

Auch ich, der, traun, nicht ungeschickter dies Geschoß,

Als du, zu führen und an's Ziel zu treffen meint.

Was braucht es deiner? Lebe wohl auf Lemnos' Höh'n!
1030

Wir aber gehen! Mir erringt dein Ehrenlohn

Den Ruhm vielleicht noch, welcher dir beschieden war.

Philoktetes.

Was soll ich thun, ich Armer? Weh! Du willst geschmückt

Mit meinen Waffen prangen im Achäerheer?

Odysseus.

Erwiedre mir Nichts weiter; denn ich gehe schon.
1035

Philoktetes.

Sohn Achillens, werd' ich keines Wortes mehr,

Auch nicht von dir, gewürdigt? Gehst du so von mir?

(zu Neoptolemos)

Odysseus.

Du geh und blicke nicht nach ihm aus Mitgefühl,

Auf daß du nicht, großmüthig, unser Glück zerstörst.

(zu dem Chore)

Philoktetes.

Auch ihr, o Freunde, wollt allein im öden Land
1040

Zurück mich lassen, und erbarmt euch meiner nicht?

Der Chor.

Der Jüngling hier ist unser Schiffsgebieter, und

Was er zu dir sagt, eben dies auch sagen wir.

Neoptolemos.

Wohl wird Odysseus, daß ich voll Erbarmen sei,

Mich tadeln; dennoch bleibet, wenn es dieser wünscht,
1045

So lange Zeit noch, bis die Schiffer Alles dort

Zur Fahrt bestellt und wir die Götter angefleht.

Und er besinnt sich unterdeß auf Bess'res wohl

Für unsern Vortheil. Doch wir beide brechen auf,

Und ihr, sobald wir rufen, kommt in Eile nach.
1050
(Odysseus und Neoptolemos ab.) Philoktetes. Der Chor. Erste Strophe.

Philoktetes.

English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 865 focus

[aioaking]. O fair returning light ! beyond

my hope ;

You too, my kind preservers ! O my son !

I could not think thou wouldst have stayed so long

In kind compassion to thy friend. Alas !

The Atridse never would have acted thus.

But noble is thy nature, and thy birth,

And therefore little did my wretchedness,

Nor from my wounds the noisome stench deter

Thy generous heart. I have a little respite ;

Help me, my son ! I'll try to rise ; this weakness

Will leave me soon, and then we'll go together.

Neoptolemus

I little thought to find thee thus restored.
865

Trust me, I joy to see thee free from pain.

And hear thee speak ; the marks of death were on thee.

Raise thyself up ; thy friends here, if thou wilt,

Shall carry thee, 'twill be no burthen to them

If we request it.

Philoctetes

No ; thy hand alone ;

I will not trouble them ; 'twill be enough
890

If they can bear with me and my distemper

When we embark.

Neoptolemus

Well, be it so ; but rise.

Philoctetes

[rising]. Oh ! never fear ; I'll rise as well as ever.

Neoptolemus
[Exeunt. ACT IV. Scene I.

How shall I act ?
895

Philoctetes

What says my son ?

Neoptolemus

Alas !

I know not what to say ; my doubtful mind

Philoctetes

Talked you of doubts? You did not surely.

Neoptolemus

Aye,

That's my misfortune.

Philoctetes

Is then my distress
900

The cause at last you will not take me with you 1

Neoptolemus

All is distress and misery when we act

Against our nature and consent to ill.

Philoctetes

But sure to help a good man in misfortunes

Is not against thy nature.
905

Neoptolemus

Men will call me

A villain ; that distracts me.

Philoctetes

Not for this ;

For what thou meanst to do thou mayst deserve it.

Neoptolemus

What shall I do ? Direct me, Jove ! To hide

What I should speak, and tell a base untruth

Were double guilt.

Philoctetes

He purposes at last,
910

I fear it much, to leave me.

Neoptolemus

Leave thee ! No !

But how to make thee go with pleasure hence,

There I'm distressed.

Philoctetes

I understand thee not ;

AVhat means my son?

Neoptolemus

I can no longer hide
915

The dreadful secret from thee ; thou art going
915

To Troy, e'en to the Greeks, to the Atridfe.

Philoctetes

Alas ! what sayest thou?

Neoptolemus

Do not weep, but hear me.

Philoctetes

What must I hear ? what wilt thou do with mo?

Neoptolemus

First set thee free ; then carry thee, my friend,

To conquer Troy.
920

Philoctetes

Is this indeed thy purpose ?

Neoptolemus

This am I bound to do.

PniL. Then am I lost,

Undone, betrayed. Canst thou, my friend, do this?

Give me my arms again.

Neoptolemus

It cannot be.
925

I must obey the powers who sent me hither ;
925

Justice enjoins —the common cause demands it.

Philoctetes

Thou worst of men, thou vile artificer

Of fraud most infamous, what hast thou done ?

How have I been deceived? Dost thou not bhish

To look upon me, to behold me thus

Beneath thy feet imploring? Base betrayer !
930

To rob me of my bow, the means of hfe,

The only means — give 'em, restore 'em to me !

Do not take all ! Alas ! he hears me not,

Kor deigns to speak, but casts an angry look

That says I never shall be free again.

O mountains, rivers, rocks, and savage herds !
935

To you I speak — to you alone I now

Must breathe my sorrows ; you are wont to hear.

My sad complaints, and I will tell you all

That I have suffered from Achilles' son,

Who, bound by solemn oath to bear me hence

To my dear native soil, now sails for Troy.
940

The perjured wretch lii-st gave his plighted hand,

Then stole the sacred arrows of my friend,

The son of Jove, the great Alcides ; those

He means to show the Greeks, to snatch me hence

This empty shade, were worthy of his arm.
945

Had I been what I was, he ne'er had thus
945

Subdued me, and e'en now to fraud alone

He owes the conquest . I have been betiuyed !

Give me my arms again, and be thyself

Once more. Oh, speak ! Thou wilt not? Then I'm lost.

O my poor hut ! again I come to thee
950

Naked and destitute of food ; once more

Receive me, here to die ; for now, no longer

Shall my swift arrow reach the flying prey,

Or on the mountains pierce the wandering herd ;

1 shall myself afford a banquet now

To those I used to feed on — they the hunters.
955

And I their easy prey ; so shall the blood

Which I so oft have shed be paid by mine ;

And all this too fron him whom once I deemed

Stranger to fraud nor capable of ill ;

And yet I will not curse thee till I know

Whether thou still retainst thy horrid purpose,
960

Or dost repent thee of it ; if thou dost not,

Destruction wait thee !

Chorus

We attend your pleasure,

iNIy royal lord, we must be gone ; determine

To leave, or take him with us.

Neoptolemus

His distress
965

Doth move me much. Trust me, I long have felt
965

Compassion for him.

Philoctetes

Oh ! then by the gods

Pity me now, my son, nor let mankind

Reproach thee for a fraud so base.

Neoptolemus

Alas !

What shall I do? Would I were still at Scyros !

For I am most unhappy.
970

Philoctetes

O my son !

Thou art not base by nature, but misguided

By those who are, to deeds unworthy of thee.

Turn then thy fraud on them who best deserve it ;

Restore my arms, and leave me.

Neoptolemus

Speak, my friends,

What's to be done?

XJly. Ah ! dost thou hesitate?

Traitor, be gone ! Give me the arms.

Philoctetes
Scene II.

Ah me !

Ulysses here?

Ulysses

Aye ! 'tis Ulysses' self

That stands before thee.

Philoctetes

Then I'm lost, betrayed J

This was the cruel spoiler.

Ulysses

Doubt it not.
980

'Twas I ; I do confess it.
980

Philoctetes

\to Neoptolemus]. O my son !

Give me them back.

Ulysses

It must not be ; with them

Thyself must go, or we shall drag thee hence.

Philoctetes

And will they force mef O thou daring villain

XJly. They will, unless thou dost consent to go.
985

Philoctetes

Wilt thou, O Lemnos! wilt thou, mighty

Vulcan !

With thy all-conquering fire, permit me thus

To be torn from thee ?

Ulysses

Know, gi-eat Jove himself

Doth here preside. He hath decreed thy fate ;

I but perform his will.
990

Philoctetes

Detested wretch,

Mak'st thou the gods a cover for thy crime ?

Do they teach falsehood ?

Ulysses

No, they taught me truth,

And therefore, hence — that way thy journey lies.

Philoctetes
[Pointiny to the sea.

It doth not.

Ulysses

But I say it must be so.

Philoctetes

And Philoctetes then was born a slave !
995

I did not know it.

Ulysses

No; I mean to place thee

E'en with the noblest, e'en with those by whom

Proud Troy must perish.

Philoctetes

Never will I go.

Befall what may, whilst this deep cave is open

To bury all my sorrows.
1000

Ulysses

What wouldst do?

Philoctetes

Here throw me down, dash out my desperate

brains

Against this rock, and sprinkle it with my blood.

Ulysses

[to the Chorus]. Seize, and prevent him !

Philoctetes
{They seize him.

Manacled ! O hands !

How helpless are you now ! those arms, which once

Protected, thus torn from you ! [To Ulys«es.
1005

Thou abandoned,

Thou shameless wretch ! from whom nor truth nor

justice,

Naught that becomes the generous mind, can flow,

How hast thou used me ! how betrayed ! Suborned

This stranger, this poor youth, who, worthier far
1010

To be my friend than thine, was only here

Thy instrument ; he knew not what he did,

And now, thou seest, repents him of the crime

Which brought such guilt on him, such woes on me.

But thy foul soul, which from its dai-k recess

Trembling looks forth, beheld him void of art,
1015

Unwilling as he wms, instructed him.

And made him soon a master in deceit.

I am thy prisoner now ; e'en now thou meanst

To drag me hence, from this unhappy shore.

Where first thy malice left me, a poor exile,

Deserted, fiiendless, and though living, dead

To all mankind. Perish the vile betrayer !
1020

Oh ! I have cursed thee often, but the gods

Life and its joys are thine, whilst I, unhapjiy,

Am but the scorn of thee, and the Atiidie,

Thy haughty masters. Fraud and force compelled

thee.

Or thou hadst never sailed with them to Troy.
1025

I lent my willing aid ; with seven brave ships

I ploughed the main to serve them. In return

They cast me forth, disgraced me, left me here.

Thou sayst they did it ; they impute the crime

To thee. And what will you do with me now ?

And whither must I go ? What end, what purpose
1030

Could urge thee to it ? I am nothing, lost

And dead already. Wherefore — tell me, wherefore ?-

Am I not still the same detested burthen.

Disturb your holy rites ? If I am with you

How can you make libations ? That was once

Your vile j^retence for inhumanity.
1035

Oh ! may you perish for the deed ! The gods

Will grant it sure, if justice be their care —

And that it is I know. You had not left

Your native soil to seek a wretch like me

Had not some impulse from the powers above.

Spite of yourselves, ordained it. O my country !
1040

And you, O gods ! who look upon this deed,

Punish, in pity to me, punish all

The guilty band ! Could I behold them perish,

My wounds were nothing ; that would heal them all.

Chorus

\to UlyssesJ. Observe, my lord, what bitterness
1045

of soul
1045

His words express ; he bends not to misfortune,

But seems to brave it.

Ulysses

I could answer him,

Were this a time for words ; but now, no more

Than this — I act as best befits our purpose.

Where virtue, truth, and justice are required
1050

Ulysses yields to none \ I was not born

To be o'ercome, and yet submit to thee.

Let him remain. Thy arrows shall suffice ;

We want thee not ; Teucer can draw thy bow
1055

As well as thou ; myself with equal strength

Can aim the deadly shaft, with equal skill.

What could thy presence do ? Let Lemnos keep thee.

Farewell ! perhaps the honours once designed
1060

For thee may be reserved to grace Ulysses.

Philoctetes

Alas ! shall Greece then see my deadlie>;i foe

Adorned with arms which I alone should bear ]

Ulysses

No more ! 1 must be gone.
1065

Philoctetes

\to Neoptolemus]. Son of Achilles,

Thou wilt not leave me too? I must not lose

Thy converse, thy assistance,

Ulysses

\to ISTeoptolemus. Look not on him ;

Away, I charge thee ! 'Twould be fatal to us.

Philoctetes

\to the Chorus]. Will you forsake me, friends ?
1070

Dwells no compassion
1070

Within your breasts for mel

Chorus

[pomting to Neoptolemus]. He is our master ;

We speak and act but as his will directs.

Neoptolemus

I know he will upbraid me for this weakness.

But 'tis my nature, and I must consent,

Since Philoctetes asks it. Stay you with him.
1075

Till to the gods our pious prayers we offer.

And all things are prepared for our departure ;

Perhaps, meantime, to better thoughts his mind

May turn relenting. We must go. Remember,

When we shall call you, follow instantly.

laS
1080

Philoctetes
[Exit icith Ulysses Scene III.

English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 865 focus

Be silent, I command thee; of such thoughts
865

No more: he moves his eyes, and lifts his head.

Philoctetes

O light, whose cheerful beam my waking eyes

Revisits, much beyond my thought, my hope,

Thou show'st me with what faithful care my sleep

These strangers guarded. Never, O my son,

Could my fond wish conceive that thou wou'dst bear
870

With such soft pity to attend my ills,

And give me aid. Not so our worthy Chiefs,

The sons of Atreus; they disdain'd to bear

So tenderly: but all these things, my son,

(For noble is thy nature, and thy veins
875

Are rich with noble blood) my cries, the stench

Of my foul wound, thou hast esteem'd as nought.

Now, in this pause, this respite from my pain,

Let thy hand help me, raise me from the ground;

That when this weakness leaves me, to the bark
880

Together we may go, nor stay thy sails.

Neoptolemus

With joy I see thee thus beyond my hope

Viewing the light, and breathing vital air,

Free from thy pains; for, added to those ills,

Thou hadst the semblance of a man that breathes
885

No more. Now rise; or these (if such thy will)

: Shall bear thee, not repining at the toil,

Since they perceive it is thy will and mine.

Philoctetes

This claims my thanks. Now raise me, since thy mind

Prompts thee to give me aid. Let these stand off;

Nor be annoy'd with this offensive smell
890

Ere need requires; enough will they endure,

In the same bark with me when they abide..

Neoptolemus

Of that no more; but raise thee, grasp my hand.

Philoctetes

Fear not: long use hath taught me how to raise

My limbs.

Now, O my soul, how wilt thou now

Neoptolemus

Resolve to act!
895

Philoctetes

What mean these words, my son?

Neoptolemus

Doubt and perplexity distract my mind.

Philoctetes

Doubt and perplexity! Oh, speak not thus.

Neoptolemus

All their oppressing weight lies on me now.

Philoctetes

Doth then the horror of my noisome wound
900

Forbid thee to admit me to thy bark?

Neoptolemus

All must be horror, when the generous heart.

Forsakes its nature for unworthy deeds.

Philoctetes

Nor word nor deed unworthy thy high birth,

When thou givest suffering virtue aid, is thine..
905

Neoptolemus

To be deem'd base-this long hath grieved my soul.

Philoctetes

Not base thy deeds; thy words excite my fears.

Neoptolemus

Direct me, king of heav'n! I shall be found

Base, doubly base; concealing what good faith

Would not conceal, and speaking vile untruths.

Philoctetes

This man, if I conjecture right, will sail,
910

And basely leave me helpless and betray'd.

Neoptolemus

I will not leave thee: but to bear thee hence

So as may wound thy heart, that gives me pain.

Philoctetes

What is thy purpose? Tell me, ease my doubts.

Neoptolemus

I will hide nothing from thee. Thou must sail
915

To Troy, to the Atridæ, and their camp.

Philoctetes

Ah me, what say'st thou ?

Neoptolemus

Sigh not ere thou hear.

Philoctetes

What should I hear? What wilt thou do with me?

Neoptolemus

First from these miseries save thee; then advance

With thee, and waste the hated fields of Troy.
920

Philoctetes

Is this indeed the purpose of thy soul ?

Neoptolemus

It is, by strong necessity impell'd :

Nor, hearing this, be thou inflamed with rage.

Philoctetes

I am undone, betray'd. Why, stranger, why

Hast thou thus wrong'd me? Give me back my bow.

Neoptolemus

That cannot be; the kings must be obey'd;
925

So justice and the public good require.

Philoctetes

Thou wasting fire, thou every thing to sense

Most hideous, thou detested instrument

Of horrid villainy, what hast thou done?

How hast thou wrong'd me? How deceived me? Wretch,

Dost thou not blush to see me at thy knees
930

A suppliant? Thou hast robb'd me of my life,

Taking my bow. I pray thee give it back,

Restore it, I implore thee, O my son;

Ah, take not, by the gods that guard thy hearth,

Take not what yields my life support, away!

Unhappy me! He speaks not yet, but looks
935

As he would never part with it again.
935

Ye ports, ye cliffs projecting o'er the waves,

Ye herds of mountain-beasts, yecraggy rocks,

To you (none other have I to address)

To you, who oft have heard me, I complain

Of these my wrongs. He swore to me, this youth,

Son of Achilles, swore to bear me home;
940

To Troy he bears me: pledging his right hand

He took the sacred bow of Hercules,

And now detains it. To the Grecian host

Vaunting his prowess, as some manly might

He had subdued, he drags me hence by force;

Nor knows he that his conquest is obtain'd
945

O'er one long dead, the shadow of a smoke,

A flitting phantom. Had these nerves the strength

Which once they had, he would not triumph now;

Nor but by fraud this conquest hath he gain'd.

With falsehoods, wretched me! I am betray'd';

What can I do?... But give me back my bow;
950

Be thou again thyself. What dost thou say??

Still art thou silent? Ah, I am undone!..

Thou double opening of my rock, again

I enter thee, but of my arms deprived,

The means of my subsistence, in thy cave

To waste away alone, nor winged bird
955

Nor mountain-beast with these my shafts to pierce,
955

But 'midst my woes to die, to be a feast

To those on whom I feasted, and a prey

To those on whom I prey'd, and recompense

Slaughter with slaughter: thus am I betray'd

By one, whose heart, I thought, ne'er harbour'd ill.

I will not curse thee yet, till I shall learn
960

If honour once more may thy purpose change:

If not, may ruin seize thee and base death!

Chorus

What thy commands? It now is thine, O king,

To speed thy sails, assenting to his words..

Neoptolemus

I am not now first moved); my heart long since
965

Hath melted with compassion at his woes.

Philoctetes

Oh pity me, I beg thee by the gods,

Nor let thy fame be blacken'd with reproach,

That me with basest fraud thou hast deceived..

Neoptolemus

How shall I act? Would I had never sail'd

From Scyros! This employment rends my heart.
970

Philoctetes

Thou art not base, but by base men impell'd

To shameful actions hither art thou come.

On them (such recompense is just) return

Their arts, and sail; but give me back my arms.

Neoptolemus

What shall we do, my friends?

Chorus
ULYSSES, NEOPTOLEMUS, PHILOCTETES,

What wou'dst thou do,,

Ulysses

Basest of men?

Give me the bow; away.
975

Philoctetes

Ha! Who is this?

Ulysses do I hear?

Ulysses

Ay; and in me Ulysses dost thou see.

Philoctetes

Oh, I am sold, undone! This then was he,

Whose arts beguiled, and robb'd me of my arms.

Ulysses

It was my deed, I own it, mine alone.
980

Philoctetes

My son, restore them; give me back my arms.

Ulysses

That, were he willing, he shall never do;

Philoctetes
LYS.

But with them thou must go; or these by force

Shall bear thee hence.

Bear me, audacious wretch,

Thou basest of base men, me shall they bear
985

By force ?
985

If willingly thou dost not go.
985

Philoctetes

Thou land of Lemnos, ye all-conquering flames

By Vulcan kindled, must I bear these wrongs?

And shall he drag me from your coasts by force?

Ulysses

Know thou that Jove, dread sovereign of this isle,

Jove thus ordains: I execute his will.
990

Philoctetes

Thou wretch abhorr'd, what hast thou now devised,

Making the gods thy plea? Are the gods false ?

Ulysses

No; they are true, and point thee out this path.

Philoctetes

I will not go.

Ulysses

Thou must, thou shalt obey.

Philoctetes

Unhappy me! What, am I then a slave ?

Ulysses

No; but a prince 'midst princes; and with such

Thy arms must conquer Troy, and raze her walls.

Philoctetes

No, though I hear must suffer every ill,

Never, whilst I have pow'r to climb this rock.
1000

Ulysses

What wou'dst thou do?

Philoctetes

Strait throw me from its height,

And with my blood distain the rocks beneath.

Ulysses

Lay hold on him, nor let him have that pow'r.

Philoctetes

Alas, ye hands, deprived of your loved bow,

What vile indignity do you sustain !

O thou, whose soul ne'er harbour'd generous thought,

Or upright purpose, how hast thou beguiled,

With what base arts ensnared me in thy toils,
1005

Skulking behind this youth to me unknown,
1005

Not meriting to share thy fraudful guilt,
1005

But worthy of my love! He nothing knew,

He but performs his orders: see his brow

Clouded with grief for what he has misdone,

And I have suffer'd. But thy treacherous soul,

For ever peeping from its lurking-place,

Hath taught his noble nature 'gainst his will.

To be expert in mischief; and, thou wretch,

My hands thus bound, thy purpose is declared

To drag me from this shore, on which long since

Thou didst expose me with unpitying heart

Friendless, abandon'd, out-cast, whilst alive

Rank'd with the dead. Perdition seize thee ! Oft

Have I made this my pray'r; but to my pray'rs
1010

The gods grant nothing that delights my soul.
1010

To live is thine, and to exult; with grief
1010

My heart is rent, that 'midst my various ills

I am by thee derided, and the Chiefs

The sons of Atreus, who command these things,

And thou art to their lordly will a slave.

Yet didst thou join their arms compell'd by force,

Thy wiles detected. Me, unhappy me,

The willing leader of sev'n gallant ships,

They with disgrace cast out; the guilty deed

Thou on their baseness chargest, they on thine.

Why lead me now away? Why drag me hence ?

What cause impels you? I am nothing now,

To you for ten long years I have been dead.

Base and detested wretch, is not my foot
1015

Now lame? Is not its stench offensive now?.
1015

How, if I mount the bark, will you present
1015

Your victims, your libations to the gods?....

This was thy plea to leave me on these rocks!

An out-cast. May the vengeance of the gods

Pour ruin on you all who wrong'd this wretch,

If justice rules their thoughts; it does, it does,

I know it well; for never had your sails ::

Stretch'd o'er the ocean for a wretch like me,

But that remorse, heav'n-sent, hath pierced your hearts.

But, O my country, O ye gods who view

Theseus

avenge, avenge me on them all,

And pity me! Your pity I deserve.

Might I but see them perish, I should think

This burning wound would never pain me more.

Chorus

Fierce is his passion and his words are fierce ;
1045

He hath a soul that yields not to his woes.

Ulysses

I could say much in answer to his speech,

Were this fit time: one word is now enough.

Such where the general cause of Greece requires,
1050

Such I am found; but where the cause demands

The just and good, than me thou wilt not find

A man more pious. Nature prompts my wish
1055

Always to be victorious, save o'er thee:

To thee I freely yield. Unbind his hands,

Touch him no more, permit him here to stay.

We shall not want thee, since these arms are ours.

Teucer

in this art well skill'd;

Nor in this science will I yield to thee;

My hands can bend the bow, and aim the shaft:

What need of thee? Farewell, and tread the roeks

Of Lemnos: we must go: this prize perchance

Will give to me the glory thou shou'dst gain.

Philoctetes

What can I do? Ah helpless wretch! Shalt thou

Amidst the Grecians glory in my arms?

Ulysses

No more reply: I hasten to the bark.
1065

Philoctetes

Son of Achilles, wilt thou no more deign:

To speak to me, but wilt thou leave me thus ?

Ulysses

Thou art too generous, look on him no more;

Away, lest all our fortune thou o'erthrow.

Philoctetes

And will you, friendly strangers, thus depart;

He is our lord, our galley he commands;

To thee whate'er he says, the same we say .T

Neoptolemus

I shall be censured as too apt to melt

With pity: nature so hath framed my heart.
1075

Yet stay with him, if such his wish, stay here

Till all things are embark'd, and to the gods

We make our vows. Meantime perchance his mind

May take a scfter temper. We two go; of

And you with speed attend us at our call...()
1080

Philoctetes
PHILOCTETES, CHORUS.

English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 865-1080 focus

Neoptolemus

Quiet, I say, and do not abandon your wits—the man is opening his eyes and lifts his head.
865

Philoctetes

Ah, light succeeding upon sleep! Ah, friendly watchers, sight unlooked for even in my dreams! I could never have expected this, son—

that you would have the patience to wait so tenderly upon my sufferings by staying close beside me and helping to relieve me. The Atreids, certainly, those valiant generals, had no heart to bear this burden so lightly. But your nature is noble and drawn of a noble line,
870

and so you have made little of all this, though loud cries and stenches afflicted you. And now, since the plague seems to allow me a space of forgetfulness and peace at last, lift me up yourself and set me on my feet,
875

so that, when the faintness releases me at length, we may set out to the ship, and not hold back our sailing.
880

Neoptolemus

It pleases me to see you living unpained and breathing still, however contrary to my expectation. For in view of your persistent sufferings,

your symptoms seemed to speak of death. But now lift yourself, or, if you prefer, these men will carry you. The labor will not be grudged, since you and I are of one mind.
885

Philoctetes

Thank you, son, and help me up, as you will.

Yet do not trouble your men, so that they may not suffer from the foul stench before it is necessary. It will be trial enough for them to live on board with me.
890

893

Neoptolemus

So be it. Now stand up, and take hold of me.

Philoctetes

Do not worry, my habitual method will help me to my feet.

Neoptolemus

God! What am I to do next?
895

Philoctetes

What is the matter? Where strays your speech?

Neoptolemus

I do not know where to turn my tongue when my thoughts are so confused.

Philoctetes

Confused? How so? No, do not say it!

Neoptolemus

My mind is indeed brought to that condition.

Philoctetes

It cannot be that offense at my sickness has persuaded you not to take me aboard your ship?
900

Neoptolemus

All is offense when a man has abandoned his true nature and does what does not suit him.

Philoctetes

But you, at least, are not departing from your begetter’s

example either in word or deed, when you help a man who is noble.
905

Neoptolemus

I shall be found to have no honor—this is the thought that long torments me.

Philoctetes

Not because of your present deeds, at least. But because of your words, I worry.

Neoptolemus

O Zeus, what shall I do? Must I be twice found base—by disloyal silence, as well as by shameful speech?

Philoctetes

Unless I am lacking in judgment, he means to betray me, leave me behind and sail away!
910

Neoptolemus

Leave you? No, not I. Rather, to your pain, I will bring you along. That is my torment.

Philoctetes

What do you mean, son? I do not understand.

Neoptolemus

I will conceal nothing. You must sail to Troy , back to the Achaeans and the forces of the Atreids.
915

Philoctetes

Ah, no! What have you said?

Neoptolemus

Do not wail in grief, before you understand!

Philoctetes

Understand what? What do you intend to do to me?

Neoptolemus

Save you, first, from this misery, and then,

together with you, go and plunder Troy ’s plains.
920

Philoctetes

And this is your true intent?

Neoptolemus

A harsh necessity governs these events, so do not be angered at hearing of them.

Philoctetes

I am destroyed—ah, misery!—betrayed! What have you done to me, stranger? Return my bow at once!

Neoptolemus

No, it is not possible. My duty and my interest alike constrain me to obey those in power.
925

927

Philoctetes

You destroying fire, you utter monster, you hateful masterpiece of astounding wickedness! What treachery you have done to me! How thoroughly you have deceived me! And are you, you wretch, unashamed to look at me,

the suppliant who turned to you for mercy? In taking my bow, you have robbed me of my life. Return it, I beg you, return it, I pray you, son! By the gods of your fathers, do not rob me of my life! Ah, me! He speaks to me no more.
930

He looks away, as if he will never give it up! O you inlets and headlands, you wild creatures of the hills who have shared my life, and you jagged cliffs, to you—for you alone hear me—to you my accustomed companions,
935

I bewail the treacherous treatment I have received from the son of Achilles. Although he swore to take me to my home, it is to Troy that he takes me. Although he gave me his right hand in pledge of his word, he has taken my bow, the sacred bow, once belonging to Zeus’s son Heracles, and he keeps it, and wants to show it to the Argives as his own.
940

By force he drags me away, as if he had captured a strong man, and does not see that he is cutting down a corpse, the shadow of smoke, a mere phantom. In my strength he could not have taken me—no!—nor even in my present condition, save by deceit. But now, because of my rotten fate, I have been tricked. What should I do?
945

Wait, give it back! Now, at least, recover your true self! What do you say? Silence! I am nothing! Double-gated cave, back, back again I return to you, but now stripped and lacking the means to live. Yes, in that chamber I will wither away alone,
950

bringing down with that bow no winged bird, no beast that roams the hills. Rather I myself shall die in misery, and supply a feast for those who fed me, becoming the prey of those on whom I preyed. Ah, in requital for blood my own blood will flow,
955

shed at the hands of a man who seemed all unknowing of evil! May destruction seize you!—but no, not yet, not before I learn whether you will change your mind. But if not, may you die a cruel death!
960

963

Chorus

What shall we do? It rests with you, my king, whether we now sail, or move forward to answer his pleas.

Neoptolemus

A startling pity for him has come upon me—and not now for the first time, but long ago.
965

Philoctetes

Show mercy, boy, for the love of the gods, and do not give men cause to reproach you for having cheated me.

Neoptolemus

Ah, no, what shall I do? I wish I had never left

Scyros, so pained am I by these doings.
970

Philoctetes

You are not in and of yourself wicked, but you seem to have come to me after learning the shameless lessons of wicked masters. Now leave such behavior to others, whom it suits, and sail from here—once you have given me back my weapons.

Neoptolemus

What shall we do, friends?

Enter Odysseus with several armed attendants.

Odysseus

Traitor, what are you doing? Come back here and surrender that bow to me!
975

Philoctetes

Who is that? Do I hear Odysseus?

Odysseus

Yes, Odysseus, be sure of it. Here I am before your eyes.

Philoctetes

Ah, me, I am sold, destroyed! It was he, then, who entrapped me and robbed me of my arms.

Odysseus

Yes, I and no other. I avow it.
980

Philoctetes

Give back my bow, boy, give it up.

Odysseus

That he shall never do, even if he wished to. And, what is more, you must come along with it, or my men will bring you by force.

Philoctetes

Me, you basest and boldest of scoundrels,

they will take me by force?
985

Odysseus

Unless you come of your own free will.

Philoctetes

O Lemnos , and you all-conquering flame kindled by Hephaestus, will you indeed endure it that this man should take me from your domain by force?

Odysseus

Zeus it is, I tell you, Zeus, who rules this land,

and it is by Zeus that these actions are decreed. I am his servant.
990

Philoctetes

Hated creature, what clever pleading you devise! By sheltering yourself behind the gods, you make the gods liars.

Odysseus

No, but true prophets. Now our march must begin.

Philoctetes

Never!

Odysseus

Now, I say. You must obey.

Philoctetes

Ah, misery! Clearly, then, my father sired me to be a slave and no free man.
995

Odysseus

Not so, but to be the peer of the best and bravest, with whom you are destined to take Troy and force it to the ground.

Philoctetes

No, never—even if I must suffer every torment,

so long as I have this island’s steep cliffs beneath me!
1000

Odysseus

What do you plan to do?

Philoctetes

Throw myself now from the rock and shatter my head on the rocks below!

Odysseus

Quick, seize him, both of you! Do not give him the chance!

1004

Philoctetes

O my arms, what shames you suffer for lack of your cherished

bow, now that you are made that man’s bound quarry! And you, who cannot think one healthy or one noble thought, how stealthily you have once more ambushed and trapped me, taking this boy for your screen, because he was a stranger to me. He is too good for your company, but worthy of mine,
1005

since he had no thought but to execute his orders, and he already shows remorse for his own errors and for the wrongs done me. But your corrupt mind, always on the lookout from some position of ambush, trained him well—unsuited and unwilling though he was—
1010

to be cunning in evil. And now, wretch, for me you plan bonds and passage from the very shore on which you had me flung away, friendless, abandoned, citiless, a corpse in the eyes of the living. Ah! Hades take you! Indeed I have often so prayed for you.
1015

But, because the gods grant me nothing that is sweet, you remain alive and you laugh, while I live miserably among countless sufferings, mocked by you and by the sons of Atreus, the two generals whom you serve on this errand.
1020

And yet you sailed with them only when brought under their yoke by trickery and compulsion. But me, when, to my utter ruin, I sailed of my own accord as their mate with seven ships, me they cast out of ship and honor, as you claim, while they say that it was your doing. And now, why would you take me? Why have me led away? For what purpose?
1025

I am nothing, and, as far as you were concerned, I have long been dead. You creature abhorred by the gods, how is it that you no longer find me crippled and foul-smelling? How, if I sail with you, can you burn sacrifices to the gods, or make libations any more? That was your pretext for casting me away in the first place.
1030

A cruel death for you!—and die you shall for your unjust treatment of me, if the gods care for justice. But I know that they do care for it, since you would never have made this voyage for one so miserable, unless some god-sent goad had driven you after me.
1035

O, fatherland, and you watchful gods, bring your vengeance, bring your vengeance on them all after so long, if at all you pity me! Yes, my life merits pity. Yet if I were to see those men overthrown, I would believe that I had escaped my plague.
1040

1045

Chorus

Bitter is the stranger, and bitter his words, Odysseus. They do not bend before the storm of his troubles.
1045

Odysseus

I could say much in answer to his claims, if time allowed; but now I can say one thing only. What kind of man the occasion demands, that kind of man am I.

And accordingly, where the judgment at hand is of just and good men, you could find no man more pious than me. Victory, however, is my inborn desire in every field—save with regard to you. To you, in this case, I will gladly give way. Yes, release him, and lay not another finger upon him.
1050

Let him stay here. We have no further need of you, now that we have these weapons. For Teucer is there among our forces, well-skilled in this craft, as am I, and I believe that I can master this bow in no way worse than you, and point it with no worse a hand.
1055

So what need is there of you? Farewell! Enjoy your strolls on Lemnos ! We must be going. And perhaps your onetime prize will bring me the honor which ought to have been your own.
1060

Philoctetes

Ah, no, what shall I do? Are you to shine before the Argives graced with my arms?

Odysseus

Argue with me no more. I am going.
1065

Philoctetes

Seed of Achilles, will you, too, grant me your voice no more, but leave without a word?

To Neoptolemus.

Odysseus

Come on! Do not look at him, kind and noble though you are. Do not obliterate our good fortune.

To the Chorus.

Philoctetes

And will you also, friends, leave me so desolate and show me no pity?
1070

Chorus

The boy commands our ship. Whatever he says to you, that is our answer also.

To the Chorus.

Neoptolemus

I shall be told by Odysseus here that I am too

soft-hearted; but remain here, if that one agrees, until the sailors have readied everything on board, and we have made our prayers to the gods. In the interval, perhaps, he will obtain a better attitude towards us. And so we two are going.
1075

And you, when we call you, be quick to come. Exeunt Odysseus and Neoptolemus.
1080

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865-1080

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σιγᾶν κελεύω, μηδ' ἀφεστάναι φρενῶν. 865 κινεῖ γὰρ ἁνὴρ ἀνὴρ ὄμμα κἀνάγει κάρα.

ΣΟΦΟΚΛΕΟΥΣ

ΝΕ. ἀλλ᾽ ἥδομαι μέν σ᾽ εἰσιδὼν παρ᾿ ἐλπίδα ἀνώδυνον βλέποντα κἀμπνέοντ᾽ ἔτι· ὡς οὐκέτ᾽ ὄντος γὰρ τὰ συμβόλαιά σοι σου

ΦΙΛΟΚΤΗΤΗΣ.

ΝΕ.

ἔσται τάδ'· ἀλλ᾽ ἵστω τε καὐτὸς ἀντέχου.

ΦΙ. θάρσει. τό τοι σύνηθες ὀρθώσει μ᾽ ἔθος.

ΝΕ. παπαῖ· τί δῆτα δρῷμ᾽ δρῶμ' (γρ. δρῶμι) ἐγὼ τοὐνθένδε γε λέγε γε; 895

ΦΙ. τί δ᾽ ἔστιν, ὦ παῖ; ποῖ ποτ᾽ ἐξέβης λόγῳ λόγων;

ΝΕ. οὐκ οἶδ᾽ ὅποι χρὴ τἄπορον τρέπειν ἔπος.

ΦΙ. ἀπορεῖς δὲ τοῦ σύ; μὴ λέγ', ὦ τέκνον, τάδε.

ΝΕ. ἀλλ᾽ ἐνθάδ᾽ ἤδη τοῦδε τοῦ πάθους κυρῶ.

ΣΟΦΟΚΛΕΟΥΣ

ΦΙ. οὐ δή σε δυσχέρεια τοῦ νοσήματος 900 ἔπεισεν ἔπαισεν ἔπεισεν ὥστε μή μ' ἄγειν ναύτην ἔτι;

ΝΕ. ἅπαντα δυσχέρεια, τὴν αὑτοῦ αὐτοῦ αὑτοῦ φύσιν ὅταν λιπών τις δρᾷ τὰ μὴ προσεικότα προσήκοντα.

ΦΙ͵ ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲν ἔξω τοῦ φυτεύσαντος σύ γε δρᾷς οὐδὲ φωνεῖς, ἐσθλὸν ἄνδρ᾽ ἐπωφελῶν. 905

ΝΕ. αἰσχρὸς φανοῦμαι· τοῦτ᾽ ἀνιῶμαι πάλαι πάλιν πάλαι.

ΦΙ. οὔκουν ἐν οἷς γε τε γε δρᾷς· ἐν οἷς δ᾽ οἱ δ' οἶστ οἷς δ' αὐδᾷς, ὀκνῶ.

ΝΕ. ὦ Ζεῦ, τί δράσω; δεύτερον ληφθῶ κακός, κρύπτων θ᾽ ἃ μὴ δεῖ καὶ λέγων αἴσχιστ᾽ ἐπῶν;

ΦΙ. ἁνὴρ ἀνὴρ ὅδ᾽, εἰ μὴ ἐγὼ κἀγὼ μ᾿ ἐγὼ κακὸς κακὸς γνώμην ἔφυν, 910 προδούς μ' ἔοικε ἔοικεν ἔοικε κἀκλιπὼν τὸν πλοῦν στελεῖν.

ΝΕ. λιπὼν μὲν οὐκ ἔγωγε, λυπηρῶς δὲ μὴ πέμπω πέμπων σε μᾶλλον, τοῦτ᾽ ἀνιῶμαι πάλαι πάλιν πολλά πάλαι.

ΦΙ. τί ποτε λέγεις, ὦ τέκνον; ὡς οὐ μανθάνω.

ΦΙΛΟΚΤΗΤΗΣ.

ΝΕ. οὐδέν σε κρύψω· δεῖ γὰρ ἐς Τροίαν σε πλεῖν 915 πρὸς τοὺς ᾿Αχαιοὺς καὶ τὸν τῶν τὸν ᾿Ατρειδῶν στόλον στόλων στόλον.

ΦΙ. οἴμοι, τί τί γ' εἶπας ;

NE. μὴ στέναξε, πρὶν μάθῃς.

ΦΙ. ποῖον μάθημα; τί με νοεῖς δρᾶσαί δρασαι ποτε;

ΝΕ. σῶσαι κακοῦ μὲν πρῶτα τοῦδ᾽, ἔπειτα δὲ ξὺν σοὶ τὰ Τροίας πεδία πορθῆσαι μολών. 920

ΦΙ. καὶ ταῦτ᾽ ἀληθῆ δρᾶν νοεῖς ;

NE. πολλὴ κρατεῖ τούτων ἀνάγκη· καὶ σὺ μὴ θυμοῦ κλύων.

ΦΙ. ἀπόλωλα τλήμων, προδίδομαι. τί μ', ὦ ξένε, δέδρακας ; ἀπόδος ὡς τάχος τὰ τὰ τόξα μοι.

ΝΕ. ἀλλ᾽ οὐχ οἷόν τε· τῶν γὰρ ἐν τέλει κλύειν 925 τό τ᾽ ἔνδικόν με καὶ τὸ συμφέρον ποιεῖ ποεῖν ποιεῖ ποεῖ.

ΦΙ.

ὦ πῦρ σὺ καὶ πᾶν δεῖμα δημα δεῖμα καὶ πανουργίας

ΣΟΦΟΚΛΕΟΥΣ

ΦΙΛΟΚΤΗΤΗΣ.

ΣΟΦΟΚΛΕΟΥΣ

ΧΟ.

τί δρῶμεν; ἐν σοὶ καὶ τὸ πλεῖν ἡμᾶς, ἄναξ, ἤδη ἐστὶ καὶ τοῖς τοῦδε προσχωρεῖν λόγοις.

ΝΕ. ἐμοὶ μὲν οἶκτος δεινὸς ἐμπέπτωκέ τις 965 τοῦδ᾽ ἀνδρὸς οὐ νῦν πρῶτον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάλαι πάλιν πάλαι.

ΦΙ. ἐλέησον, ὦ παῖ, πρὸς θεῶν, καὶ μὴ παρῇς παρῆι παρῆς σαυτοῦ βροτοῖς ὄνειδος, ἐκκλέψας ἐμέ.

ΝΕ. οἴμοι, τί δράσω; μήποτ᾽ ὤφελον λιπεῖν τὴν Σκῦρον· οὕτω τοῖς παροῦσιν ἄχθομαι. 970

ΦΙ. οὐκ εἶ κακὸς σύ· πρὸς κακῶν δ᾽ ἀνδρῶν μαθὼν ἔοικας ἥκειν αἰσχρά. νῦν δ᾽ ἄλλοισι δοὺς

ΦΙΛΟΚΤΗΤΗΣ.

ΝΕ. τί δρῶμεν, ἄνδρες ;

ΟΔ. ὦ κάκιστ᾽ ἀνδρῶν, τί δρᾷς; οὐκ εἶ μεθεὶς τὰ τόξα ταῦτ᾽ ἐμοὶ πάλιν ; 975

ΦΙ. οἴμοι, τίς ἁνήρ ἀνὴρ; ἆρ᾽ Οδυσσέως κλύω ;

ΟΔ. ᾿Οδυσσέως, σάφ᾽ ἴσθ᾽, ἐμοῦ γ᾽, ὃν εἰσορᾷς.

ΦΙ. οἴμοι· πέπραμαι κἀπόλωλ᾽. ὅδ᾽ ὧδ' ὅδ᾽ ἦν ἄρα ὁ ξυλλαβών με κἀπονοσφίσας ὅπλων.

ΟΔ. ἐγώ, σάφ᾽ ἴσθ᾽, οὐκ ἄλλος· ὁμολογῶ ὁ(υ)μολογῶ ὁμολογῶ τάδε. 980

ΦΙ. ἀπόδος, ἄφες μοι, παῖ, τὰ τόξα.

ΟΔ. τοῦτο μέν, οὐδ᾽ ἣν θέλῃ, δράσει δράσει ποτ'· ἀλλὰ καὶ σὲ δεῖ καί σε δὴ καὶ σὲ δεῖ στείχειν ἅμ᾽ αὐτοῖς, ἢ ἦ ἢ βίᾳ στελοῦσί σε.

ΦΙ. ἔμ᾽, ὦ κακῶν κάκιστε καὶ τολμήστατε, οἵδ᾽ ἐκ βίας ἄξουσιν ; 985

ΟΔ. ἣν μὴ ἕρπῃς μἤρπηις μἠρπης μ' ἕρπης εἴρπῃς ἑκών.

ΦΙ. ὦ Λημνία χθὼν καὶ τὸ παγκρατὲς σέλας ῾Ηφαιστότευκτον, ταῦτα δῆτ᾽ ἀνασχετά, εἴ μ᾿ οὗτος ἐκ τῶν σῶν ἀπάξεται βίᾳ ;

ΟΔ. Ζεὺς ἔσθ᾽, ἵν εἰδῇς, Ζεύς, ὁ τῆσδε γῆς τῆσ γῆς κρατῶν,

ΣΟΦΟΚΛΕΟΥΣ

ΦΙ. ὦ μῖσος, οἷα κἀξανευρίσκεις κάξανευρίσκεις λέγειν· θεοὺς προτείνων τοὺς θεοὺς ψευδεῖς τίθης τιθείς.

ΟΔ. οὔκ, ἀλλ᾽ ἀληθεῖς. ἡ δ᾽ ὁδὸς πορευτέα.

ΦΙ. οὔ φημ᾽ ἔγωγε.

ΟΔ. φημί. πειστέον πιστέον πειστέον τάδε.

ΦΙ. οἴμοι τάλας. ἡμᾶς μὲν ὡς δούλους δοῦλος δούλους σαφῶς 995 πατὴρ ἄρ᾽ ἐξέφυσεν οὐδ᾽ ἐλευθέρους.

ΟΔ. οὔκ, ἀλλ᾽ ὁμοίους τοῖς ἀρίστοισιν, μεθ᾽ ὧν Τροίαν σ᾽ ἑλεῖν δεῖ καὶ κατασκάψαι βίᾳ.

ΦΙ. οὐδέποτέ γ᾽· οὐδ᾽ ἣν χρῇ χρῆ χρή με πᾶν παθεῖν παθεῖν κακόν, ἕως γ' ἕως (γ΄) ἕως ἂν ᾖ μοι γῆς τόδ᾽ αἰπεινὸν ἐπεινὸν αἰπεινὸν βάθρον. 1000

ΟΔ. τί δ᾽ ἐργασείεις ;

ΦΙ. κρᾶτ᾿ ἐμὸν τόδ᾽ αὐτίκα πέτρᾳ πέτρας ἄνωθεν αἱμάξω πεσών.

ΟΔ. ξυλλάβετέ γ᾽ ξυλλάβετ᾽ ξυλλάβετέ γ' αὐτόν· μὴ ἐπὶ τῷδ᾽ ἔστω τάδε.

ΦΙ.

ὦ χεῖρες, οἷα πάσχετ᾽ ἐν χρείᾳ φίλης νευρᾶς, ὑπ᾿ ἀνδρὸς τοῦδε συνθηρώμεναι. 1005

ΦΙΛΟΚΤΗΤΗΣ.

ΣΟΦΟΚΛΕΟΥΣ

ΦΙΛΟΚΤΗΤΗΣ.

ΧΟ.

βαρύς τε καὶ βαρεῖαν ὁ ξένος φάτιν 1045 τήνδ᾽ εἶπ᾽, ᾿Ὀδυσσεῦ, κοὐχ ὑπείκουσαν ει from η ὑπείκουσαν κακοῖς.

ΟΔ. πόλλ᾽ ἂν λέγειν ἔχοιμι πρὸς τὰ τοῦδ᾽ ἔπη, εἴ μοι παρείκοι· νῦν δ᾽ ἑνὸς κρατῶ λόγου.

ΣΟΦΟΚΛΕΟΥΣ

σιγᾶν κελεύω, μηδ' ἀφεστάναι φρενῶν.
865

κινεῖ γὰρ ἁνὴρ ἀνὴρ ὄμμα κἀνάγει κάρα.

ΝΕ.

ἀλλ᾽ ἥδομαι μέν σ᾽ εἰσιδὼν παρ᾿ ἐλπίδα

ἀνώδυνον βλέποντα κἀμπνέοντ᾽ ἔτι·

ὡς οὐκέτ᾽ ὄντος γὰρ τὰ συμβόλαιά σοι σου

ΦΙ.

θάρσει. τό τοι σύνηθες ὀρθώσει μ᾽ ἔθος.

ΝΕ.

παπαῖ· τί δῆτα δρῷμ᾽ δρῶμ' (γρ. δρῶμι) ἐγὼ τοὐνθένδε γε λέγε γε;
895

ΦΙ.

τί δ᾽ ἔστιν, ὦ παῖ; ποῖ ποτ᾽ ἐξέβης λόγῳ λόγων;

ΝΕ.

οὐκ οἶδ᾽ ὅποι χρὴ τἄπορον τρέπειν ἔπος.

ΦΙ.

ἀπορεῖς δὲ τοῦ σύ; μὴ λέγ', ὦ τέκνον, τάδε.

ΝΕ.

ἀλλ᾽ ἐνθάδ᾽ ἤδη τοῦδε τοῦ πάθους κυρῶ.

ΦΙ.

οὐ δή σε δυσχέρεια τοῦ νοσήματος
900

ἔπεισεν ἔπαισεν ἔπεισεν ὥστε μή μ' ἄγειν ναύτην ἔτι;

ΝΕ.

ἅπαντα δυσχέρεια, τὴν αὑτοῦ αὐτοῦ αὑτοῦ φύσιν

ὅταν λιπών τις δρᾷ τὰ μὴ προσεικότα προσήκοντα.

ΦΙ͵

ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲν ἔξω τοῦ φυτεύσαντος σύ γε

δρᾷς οὐδὲ φωνεῖς, ἐσθλὸν ἄνδρ᾽ ἐπωφελῶν.
905

ΝΕ.

αἰσχρὸς φανοῦμαι· τοῦτ᾽ ἀνιῶμαι πάλαι πάλιν πάλαι.

ΦΙ.

οὔκουν ἐν οἷς γε τε γε δρᾷς· ἐν οἷς δ᾽ οἱ δ' οἶστ οἷς δ' αὐδᾷς, ὀκνῶ.

ΝΕ.

ὦ Ζεῦ, τί δράσω; δεύτερον ληφθῶ κακός,

κρύπτων θ᾽ ἃ μὴ δεῖ καὶ λέγων αἴσχιστ᾽ ἐπῶν;

ΦΙ.

ἁνὴρ ἀνὴρ ὅδ᾽, εἰ μὴ ἐγὼ κἀγὼ μ᾿ ἐγὼ κακὸς κακὸς γνώμην ἔφυν,
910

προδούς μ' ἔοικε ἔοικεν ἔοικε κἀκλιπὼν τὸν πλοῦν στελεῖν.

ΝΕ.

λιπὼν μὲν οὐκ ἔγωγε, λυπηρῶς δὲ μὴ

πέμπω πέμπων σε μᾶλλον, τοῦτ᾽ ἀνιῶμαι πάλαι πάλιν πολλά πάλαι.

ΦΙ.

τί ποτε λέγεις, ὦ τέκνον; ὡς οὐ μανθάνω.

ΝΕ.

οὐδέν σε κρύψω· δεῖ γὰρ ἐς Τροίαν σε πλεῖν
915

πρὸς τοὺς ᾿Αχαιοὺς καὶ τὸν τῶν τὸν ᾿Ατρειδῶν στόλον στόλων στόλον.

ΦΙ.

οἴμοι, τί τί γ' εἶπας ;

NE.

μὴ στέναξε, πρὶν μάθῃς.

ΦΙ.

ποῖον μάθημα; τί με νοεῖς δρᾶσαί δρασαι ποτε;

ΝΕ.

σῶσαι κακοῦ μὲν πρῶτα τοῦδ᾽, ἔπειτα δὲ

ξὺν σοὶ τὰ Τροίας πεδία πορθῆσαι μολών.
920

ΦΙ.

καὶ ταῦτ᾽ ἀληθῆ δρᾶν νοεῖς ;

NE.

πολλὴ κρατεῖ

τούτων ἀνάγκη· καὶ σὺ μὴ θυμοῦ κλύων.

ΦΙ.

ἀπόλωλα τλήμων, προδίδομαι. τί μ', ὦ ξένε,

δέδρακας ; ἀπόδος ὡς τάχος τὰ τὰ τόξα μοι.

ΝΕ.

ἀλλ᾽ οὐχ οἷόν τε· τῶν γὰρ ἐν τέλει κλύειν
925

τό τ᾽ ἔνδικόν με καὶ τὸ συμφέρον ποιεῖ ποεῖν ποιεῖ ποεῖ.

τί δρῶμεν; ἐν σοὶ καὶ τὸ πλεῖν ἡμᾶς, ἄναξ,

ἤδη ἐστὶ καὶ τοῖς τοῦδε προσχωρεῖν λόγοις.

ΝΕ.

ἐμοὶ μὲν οἶκτος δεινὸς ἐμπέπτωκέ τις
965

τοῦδ᾽ ἀνδρὸς οὐ νῦν πρῶτον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάλαι πάλιν πάλαι.

ΦΙ.

ἐλέησον, ὦ παῖ, πρὸς θεῶν, καὶ μὴ παρῇς παρῆι παρῆς

σαυτοῦ βροτοῖς ὄνειδος, ἐκκλέψας ἐμέ.

ΝΕ.

οἴμοι, τί δράσω; μήποτ᾽ ὤφελον λιπεῖν

τὴν Σκῦρον· οὕτω τοῖς παροῦσιν ἄχθομαι.
970

ΦΙ.

οὐκ εἶ κακὸς σύ· πρὸς κακῶν δ᾽ ἀνδρῶν μαθὼν

ἔοικας ἥκειν αἰσχρά. νῦν δ᾽ ἄλλοισι δοὺς

ΝΕ.

τί δρῶμεν, ἄνδρες ;

ΟΔ.

ὦ κάκιστ᾽ ἀνδρῶν, τί δρᾷς;

οὐκ εἶ μεθεὶς τὰ τόξα ταῦτ᾽ ἐμοὶ πάλιν ;
975

ΦΙ.

οἴμοι, τίς ἁνήρ ἀνὴρ; ἆρ᾽ Οδυσσέως κλύω ;

ΟΔ.

᾿Οδυσσέως, σάφ᾽ ἴσθ᾽, ἐμοῦ γ᾽, ὃν εἰσορᾷς.

ΦΙ.

οἴμοι· πέπραμαι κἀπόλωλ᾽. ὅδ᾽ ὧδ' ὅδ᾽ ἦν ἄρα

ὁ ξυλλαβών με κἀπονοσφίσας ὅπλων.

ΟΔ.

ἐγώ, σάφ᾽ ἴσθ᾽, οὐκ ἄλλος· ὁμολογῶ ὁ(υ)μολογῶ ὁμολογῶ τάδε.
980

ΦΙ.

ἀπόδος, ἄφες μοι, παῖ, τὰ τόξα.

ΟΔ.

τοῦτο μέν,

οὐδ᾽ ἣν θέλῃ, δράσει δράσει ποτ'· ἀλλὰ καὶ σὲ δεῖ καί σε δὴ καὶ σὲ δεῖ

στείχειν ἅμ᾽ αὐτοῖς, ἢ ἦ ἢ βίᾳ στελοῦσί σε.

ΦΙ.

ἔμ᾽, ὦ κακῶν κάκιστε καὶ τολμήστατε,

οἵδ᾽ ἐκ βίας ἄξουσιν ;
985

ΟΔ.

ἣν μὴ ἕρπῃς μἤρπηις μἠρπης μ' ἕρπης εἴρπῃς ἑκών.

ΦΙ.

ὦ Λημνία χθὼν καὶ τὸ παγκρατὲς σέλας

῾Ηφαιστότευκτον, ταῦτα δῆτ᾽ ἀνασχετά,

εἴ μ᾿ οὗτος ἐκ τῶν σῶν ἀπάξεται βίᾳ ;

ΟΔ.

Ζεὺς ἔσθ᾽, ἵν εἰδῇς, Ζεύς, ὁ τῆσδε γῆς τῆσ γῆς κρατῶν,

ΦΙ.

ὦ μῖσος, οἷα κἀξανευρίσκεις κάξανευρίσκεις λέγειν·

θεοὺς προτείνων τοὺς θεοὺς ψευδεῖς τίθης τιθείς.

ΟΔ.

οὔκ, ἀλλ᾽ ἀληθεῖς. ἡ δ᾽ ὁδὸς πορευτέα.

ΦΙ.

οὔ φημ᾽ ἔγωγε.

ΟΔ.

φημί. πειστέον πιστέον πειστέον τάδε.

ΦΙ.

οἴμοι τάλας. ἡμᾶς μὲν ὡς δούλους δοῦλος δούλους σαφῶς
995

πατὴρ ἄρ᾽ ἐξέφυσεν οὐδ᾽ ἐλευθέρους.

ΟΔ.

οὔκ, ἀλλ᾽ ὁμοίους τοῖς ἀρίστοισιν, μεθ᾽ ὧν

Τροίαν σ᾽ ἑλεῖν δεῖ καὶ κατασκάψαι βίᾳ.

ΦΙ.

οὐδέποτέ γ᾽· οὐδ᾽ ἣν χρῇ χρῆ χρή με πᾶν παθεῖν παθεῖν κακόν,

ἕως γ' ἕως (γ΄) ἕως ἂν ᾖ μοι γῆς τόδ᾽ αἰπεινὸν ἐπεινὸν αἰπεινὸν βάθρον.
1000

ΟΔ.

τί δ᾽ ἐργασείεις ;

ΦΙ.

κρᾶτ᾿ ἐμὸν τόδ᾽ αὐτίκα

πέτρᾳ πέτρας ἄνωθεν αἱμάξω πεσών.

ΟΔ.

ξυλλάβετέ γ᾽ ξυλλάβετ᾽ ξυλλάβετέ γ' αὐτόν· μὴ ἐπὶ τῷδ᾽ ἔστω τάδε.

ὦ χεῖρες, οἷα πάσχετ᾽ ἐν χρείᾳ φίλης

νευρᾶς, ὑπ᾿ ἀνδρὸς τοῦδε συνθηρώμεναι.
1005

βαρύς τε καὶ βαρεῖαν ὁ ξένος φάτιν
1045

τήνδ᾽ εἶπ᾽, ᾿Ὀδυσσεῦ, κοὐχ ὑπείκουσαν ει from η ὑπείκουσαν κακοῖς.

ΟΔ.

πόλλ᾽ ἂν λέγειν ἔχοιμι πρὸς τὰ τοῦδ᾽ ἔπη,

εἴ μοι παρείκοι· νῦν δ᾽ ἑνὸς κρατῶ λόγου.

ΦΙ.

οἴμοι· τί δράσω δύσμορος; σὺ τοῖς ἐμοῖς

ὅπλοισι κοσμηθεὶς ἐν ᾿Αργείοις φανεῖ;

ΟΔ.

μή μ' ἀντιφώνει μηδέν, ὡς ὡ ὡς στείχοντα δή.
1065

ΦΙ.

ὦ σπέρμ᾽ ᾿Αχιλλέως, οὐδὲ σοῦ φωνῆς ἔτι

γενήσομαι προσφθεγκτός, ἀλλ᾽ οὕτως ἄπει;

ΟΔ.

χώρει σύ· μὴ πρόσλευσσε πρόσλευσε πρόσλευσσε πρόσελθε, γενναῖός περ ὤν,

ἡμῶν ὅπως μὴ τὴν τύχην διαφθερείς διαφθαρῆς.

ΦΙ.

ἢ καὶ πρὸς ὑμῶν ὧδ᾽ ἔρημος, ὦ ξένοι,
1070

λειφθήσομαι δὴ ἤδη κοὐκ ἐποικτερεῖτέ με ;

ΧΟ.

ὅδ᾽ ἐστὶν ἡμῶν ναυκράτωρ ὁ παῖς, ὅσ᾽ ἂν

οὗτος λέγῃ σοι, ταῦτά σοι χήμεῖς γ'᾽ ἡμεῖσ χ᾿ ἡμεῖσ φαμέν.

ΦΙ.

στρ.α΄. (1.)
ΣΟΦΟΚΛΕΟΥΣ

Νεοπτόλεμος

σιγᾶν κελεύω μηδʼ ἀφεστάναι φρενῶν·
865

κινεῖ γὰρ ἁνὴρ ὄμμα κἀνάγει κάρα.

Νεοπτόλεμος

ἔσται τάδʼ· ἀλλʼ ἵστω τε καὐτὸς ἀντέχου.

Φιλοκτήτης

θάρσει· τό τοι σύνηθες ὀρθώσει μʼ ἔθος.

Νεοπτόλεμος

παπαῖ· τί δῆτʼ ἂν δρῷμʼ ἐγὼ τοὐνθένδε γε;
895

Φιλοκτήτης

τί δʼ ἔστιν, ὦ παῖ; ποῖ ποτʼ ἐξέβης λόγῳ;

Νεοπτόλεμος

οὐκ οἶδʼ ὅποι χρὴ τἄπορον τρέπειν ἔπος.

Φιλοκτήτης

ἀπορεῖς δὲ τοῦ σύ; μὴ λέγʼ, ὦ τέκνον, τάδε.

Νεοπτόλεμος

ἀλλʼ ἐνθάδʼ ἤδη τοῦδε τοῦ πάθους κυρῶ.

Φιλοκτήτης

οὐ δή σε δυσχέρεια τοῦ νοσήματος
900

ἔπεισεν ὥστε μή μʼ ἄγειν ναύτην ἔτι;

Νεοπτόλεμος

ἅπαντα δυσχέρεια, τὴν αὑτοῦ φύσιν

ὅταν λιπών τις δρᾷ τὰ μὴ προσεικότα.

Φιλοκτήτης

ἀλλʼ οὐδὲν ἔξω τοῦ φυτεύσαντος σύ γε

δρᾷς οὐδὲ φωνεῖς, ἐσθλὸν ἄνδρʼ ἐπωφελῶν.
905

Νεοπτόλεμος

αἰσχρὸς φανοῦμαι· τοῦτʼ ἀνιῶμαι πάλαι.

Φιλοκτήτης

οὔκουν ἐν οἷς γε δρᾷς· ἐν οἷς δʼ αὐδᾷς ὀκνῶ.

Νεοπτόλεμος

ὦ Ζεῦ, τί δράσω; δεύτερον ληφθῶ κακός,

κρύπτων θʼ ἃ μὴ δεῖ καὶ λέγων αἴσχιστʼ ἐπῶν;

Φιλοκτήτης

ἁνὴρ ὅδʼ, εἰ μὴ ʼγὼ κακὸς γνώμων ἔφυν,
910

προδούς μʼ ἔοικε κἀκλιπὼν τὸν πλοῦν στελεῖν.

Νεοπτόλεμος

λιπὼν μὲν οὐκ ἔγωγε· λυπηρῶς δὲ μὴ

πέμπω σε μᾶλλον, τοῦτʼ ἀνιῶμαι πάλαι.

Φιλοκτήτης

τί ποτε λέγεις, ὦ τέκνον; ὡς οὐ μανθάνω.