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531-632

Second

ἐπεισόδιον

. Deianeira confides to the Chorus her plan for regaining her husband's love: she will send him a robe, secretly anointed with a philtre.—Lichas enters (598); he receives the robe from her, and departs bearing it to Heracles.

ἦμος (155 n.): this is the only Attic instance of the epic τῆμος .

ὁ ξένος , merely as a guest from a distance; Lichas was no stranger to her ( cp. 232 , 310).

θροεῖ seems to imply that their voices could be heard within, and that therefore she felt safe from sudden interruption.

ταῖς αἰχμ. παισὶν : who charge him with messages to their kinsfolk and friends among the Oechalian captives with Heracles: these maidens were

ἐξαίρετοι

(245).

ὡς ἐπ’ ἐξόδῳ : for

ὡς

denoting the intention, cp. Ph.58 n.: and for ἐπ’ ἐξόδῳ , cp. El.1322.

θυραῖος fem., as El.313

θυραῖον οἰχνεῖν

: cp. 478

πατρῷος

, and O. C.751.

τὰ μὲν (adv.) refers to the recital which begins at v. 555: τὰ δ’ , to vv. 536 ff.

χερσὶν is slightly emphasised by its place (cp. O. T.139

ἐκεῖνον ὁ κτανών

); her sense of wrong (

οἷα πάσχω

) has prompted action.

συγκατοικτιουμένη : some take the midd. as meaning, ‘to seek pity for myself from you.’ Rather it means simply, ‘to bewail (my woes) along with you’ ( i.e., in your presence). So Her.2. 121

ἀποκλαύσαντα ἢ κατοικτισάμενον

: 3. 156

κατοικτίζετο, φὰς... πεπονθέναι κ.τ.λ.

The midd.

οἰκτίζομαι

is used by Aesch. ( Aesch. Suppl.1032 ), by Eur. ( I. T. 486), and even in prose ( Thuc.2. 51 ).

κόρην , as Theocr. 27. 65

τεκέων τροφός, οὐκέτι κώρα

: but it is also said of a young wife ( Il.6. 247 etc.) where her father is mentioned: in loc. cit.

κουράων

refers to

Πριάμοιο

in the preceding line.— ἐζευγμένην : see 1226. Deianeira's first belief (309) has been changed by learning the vehemence of her lord's new passion (359 f.: 488 f.). Cp. O. T.825

γάμοις

... | ...

ζυγῆναι

παρεισδέδεγμαι

κ.τ.λ.

Among the captives whom she has received into her house, there is one who is to be her rival. This suggests the comparison with the master of a trading vessel, who, along with the rest of his cargo, ships some merchandise which is destined to prove his ruin. The parallelism between φόρ‐ τον and

λωβητὸν ἐμπόλημα

marks that the

φόρτος

, too, is disastrous: but the way in which it is so is left indefinite. There is no explicit reference to overloading.—For παρεισδέδεγμαι cp. De part. anim. 1 (p. 662 a 9)

ἀναγκαῖον ...παρεισδέχεσθαι τὸ ὑγρὸν ἅμα τῇ τροφῇ

(=‘to receive incidentally’). So, here, the

παρά

seems to mean strictly, ‘have received as an incident of receiving the others’ (Iolè having come in among them); cp.

παραπολλύναι

etc. The objection to taking the prep. as=‘surreptitiously’ (=

λαθραῖον

in 377) is that Deianeira was the victim, not agent, of the fraud.

λωβητὸν in active sense, as Ph.607

λωβήτ’ ἔπη

, words of contumely.

ἐμπόλημα , a thing gained by traffic; here, an ‘acquisition’ (in an ironical sense).

τῆς ἐμῆς φρενός with λωβητὸν : cp. the gen. after

λυμαντήριος, ὀλέθριος

, etc. It might also depend on the phrase

λωβητὸν ἐμπόλημα

as=

βλάβη

. Others understand: ‘a disastrous merchandise, (bought by) my loyalty to Heracles’ (

τ<*> ἐμῆς φρενός

as gen. of price).

δὔ οὖσαι , both of us: O. T.1505

ὀλώλαμεν δὔ ὄντε

(n.).

μιᾶς ὑπὸ χλαίνης : Eur. fr. 606

ὅταν δ’ ὑπ’ ἀνδρὸς χλαῖναν εὐγενοῦς πέσῃς

: Theocr. 18. 19

Ζανός τοι θυγάτηρ ὑπὸ τὰν μίαν ᾤχετο χλαῖναν

(shared the bed of Menelaus). For

ὑπό

with gen. in this sense, cp. Soph. Ant.65 n.

ὑπαγκάλισμα : Ant.650 n.

Mr Murray S. has shown me a curious illustration of this passage. A vase of the 6th cent. B.C., now in the British Museum, depicts two women under the same

χλαῖνα

,—a symbolical representation, perhaps, of a common grief.

ὁ … ἡμῖν καλούμενος =

ὃν ἡμεῖς... ἐκαλοῦμεν

: though in O. T.8

ὁ πᾶσι κλεινὸς...καλούμενος

the dat. goes with the adj.

πιστός κ.τ.λ.: cp. O. T.385

Κρέων ὁ πιστός

, Ant.31

τὸν ἀγαθὸν Κρέοντα

οἰκούρια , sc.

δῶρα

: τοῦ μακροῦ χρόνου (gen. of price), for the long time during which she has been his true wife. Cp. Eur. H. F.1371 (Heracles bewailing Megara)

σέ τ’ οὐχ ὁμοίως, ὦ τάλαιν’, ἀπώλεσα

, |

ὥσπερ σὺ τἀμὰ λέκτρ’ ἔσῳζες ἀσφαλῶς

, |

μακρὰς διαντλοῦσ’ ἐν δόμοις οἰκουρίας

οὐκ ἐπίσταμαι , am incapable of it: cp. 582 : Ant.686 n.

τῇδε τῇ νόσῳ , a very rare substitute for the cogn. accus. It is justified by the fact that

νοσεῖν

is a word of such wide meaning; while

τῇδε τῇ νόσῳ

here signifies,

ἔρωτι

. So in Aesch. P. V.384 ,

τῇδε τῇ νόσῳ νοσεῖν

, the dat. really means, ‘to be distempered in this special way’ (viz., by good sense).

τὸ δ’ αὖ ξυνοικεῖν : the inf. with art., placed at the beginning, gives an indignant tone: ‘but as to living...’ etc. Cp. Ant.78

τὸ δὲ

βίᾳ πολιτῶν δρᾶν ἔφυν ἀμήχανος

547-549

The text of this passage is, I believe, sound, though the diction is bold, and somewhat careless. The one

ἥβη

(Iolè's) is growing to the perfect flower, while the other (Deianeira's) is declining. (Cp. Ar. Lys.596

τῆς δὲ γυναικὸς σμικρὸς ὁ καιρός

.) In what follows, these points may be noted.

(1) ὧν , fem., refers to the two phases of

ἥβη

just mentioned. The gen. is partitive: ‘of (out of) these

ἧβαι

, the eye delights in the

ἄνθος

.’ Here

ἄνθος

is a shorter way of expressing

τὴν ἀνθοῦσαν

,—the

ἥβη

which is in its early bloom. ὧν could not, surely, refer to

τὴν μὲν ἕρπουσαν πρόσω

only, as if it meant

τῶν νέων γυναικῶν

(schol.): it must refer to

τὴν δὲ φθίνουσαν

also. Nor, again, could

ὦν

stand for

ὧν τῆς μέν

(2) τῶν δ’ ὑπεκτρέπει πόδα . Here

τῶν δ’

ought in strictness to have been

τῆς δ’

, sc.

τῆς φθινούσης ἥβης

. But, in the poet's thought,

τῶν δ’

means, ‘ the other kind,’— i.e., the women who represent the

φθίνουσα ἥβη

. The subject to

ὑπεκτρέπει

is not

ὀφθαλμός

, but the man implied by it (

ὁ ὁρῶν

). The eye, as being here the guide of the choice, might, indeed, be said to ‘turn the foot aside,’ in the sense of causing that movement; but this would be awkward. For the transition of thought from

ὀφθαλμός

to the person, cp. Eur. Med.1244 (quoted by Wecklein),

ἄγ’, ὦ τάλαινα χεὶρ ἐμή, λαβὲ ξίφος

, |

λάβ’, ἕρπε πρὸς βαλβῖδα λυπηρὰν βίου

(3) ἀφαρπάζειν , said of the eye, means, to seize eagerly upon the beautiful sight (cp. Hor. Sat. 2. 5. 53

Sic tamen ut limis rapias

etc.). So we can speak of ‘snatching’ a glance, or of the eyes ‘drinking in’ beauty. There is no allusion to the idea expressed by Aesch. Suppl. 663

ἥβας δ’ ἄνθος ἄδρεπτον ἔστω

(4) ὀφθαλμὸς : the swift and ardent glance of the lover is often mentioned in Greek poetry: see esp. fr. 431

τοιάνδ’ ἐν ὄψει λίγγα θηρατηρίαν

ἔρωτος, ἀστραπήν τιν’ ὀμμάτων, ἔχει

. Aesch. Suppl.1003

καὶ παρθένων χλιδαῖσιν εὐμόρφοις ἔπι

πᾶς τις παρελθὼν <*>μματος θελκτήριον

τόξευμ’ ἔπεμψεν ἱμέρου νικώμενος

ταῦτ’ οὖν , for this reason, then: the pron. is adverbial: cp. Aesch Pers.159

ταῦτα δὴ λιποῦσ’ ἱκάνω χρυσεοστόλμους δόμους

: Vesp. 1358

ταῦτ’ οὖν περί μου δέδοικε μὴ διαφθαρῶ

. This seems better than to govern

ταῦτ’

φοβοῦμαι. — πόσις

was in Attic mainly a poetical word; but Arist. uses it, as Arist. Pol.7. 16. 18

ὅταν ᾖ καὶ προσαγορευθῇ πόσις

: where, as here, it denotes the recognised or legal status.

καλῆται is right here, because there is a real anxiety: καλεῖται (which would be fut., like

καλεῖ

in El.971 ) would imply too much certainty. The subjunctive is similarly preferable to the indic. in Ph.30 (

κυρῇ

) and ib. 494 (

βεβήκῃ

). καλῆται suits

πόσις

(‘bear the name of husband’); cp. 149 : but

ἀνήρ

, denoting here a clandestine relationship, requires

ᾖ

to be supplied. Cp. 561 .

ἀνήρ : i.e., paramour. Cp. the sarcasm of the comic poet Pherecrates (fr. incert. 5) on Alcibiades:—

οὐκ ὢν ἀνὴρ γὰρ

[ i.e.,

ἔτι νέος ὤν

]

Ἀλκιβιάδης, ὡς δοκεῖ

, |

ἀνὴρ ἁπασῶν τῶν γυναικῶν ἐστι νῦν

ἀλλ’ οὐ γάρ : elliptical: O. C.755 n.

553 f. The MSS. have ᾗ δ’ ἔχω | λυτήριον λύπημα . For the adj., cp. El.635

λυτηρίους

εὐχὰς...δειμάτων

: ib. 1490

τόδ’ ἂν κακῶν μόνον γένοιτο τῶν πάλαι λυτήριον

: fr. 687

τὸ μεθύειν πημονῆς λυτήριον

. Clearly, then,

λυτήριον

is sound: and it must mean, as everywhere else, ‘giving deliverance.’ The corrupt word is λύπημα : it has displaced some word of which

λυτήριον

could be the epithet. I believe that Sophocles wrote λώφημα , ‘a means of relief.’ Hesychius shows that this noun was not only current, but tolerably familiar; for he has

λῶφαρ· λώφημα

,—using it to explain the rarer form. The corruption into

λύπημα

probably arose through a marginal gloss,

λύπης

, on

λυτήριον

Deianeira is here speaking of an expedient which gives her some hope, indeed, but no assured confidence (590 f.). This exactly suits the usage of

λωφᾶν

and its derivatives, which denote the alleviation of evil,—not its complete removal. Cp. Ai.61

ἐπειδὴ τοῦδ’ ἐλώφησεν πόνου

. Thuc.6. 12

ἀπὸ νόσου μεγάλης καὶ πολέμου βραχύ τι λελωφήκα<*>εν

. Plat. Legg. 854 C

ἐὰν μέν σοι δρῶντι ταῦτα λωφᾷ τι τὸ νόσημα

. Thuc. uses

λώφησις

, ‘abatement’ ( 4. 81

τοῦ πολέμου

). Deianeira, in bethinking her of the philtre, has found that which holds out a promise of deliverance, and assuages, though it does not cure, her pain,—a

λυτήριον λώφημα

The attempted versions of

λυτήριον λύπημα

have been these:—(1) With a comma after

τῇδ’

: ‘a thing to grieve this girl, for my deliverance’:—a grammatically sound phrase, but wholly unsuited to Deianeira, whose aim is to be more loved than Iolè (584 ff.),—but not to pain her. (2) Taking

λυτήριον

as=

λυτόν

: ‘how I find that my pain is remediable.’ This is impossible. (3) Governing

λύπημα

λυτήριον

: ‘how I have a thing to remedy my pain.’ Also impossible.

Paley, changing ἔχω to ἔχει , renders, ‘in what way my grief has a remedy’— making

λυτήριον

a subst. This is clearly untenable. He cites Pind. P.5. 106

τὸ καλλίνικον λυτήριον δαπανᾶν

μέλος χαρίεν

: but there

λυτήριον

is a second epithet of

μέλος

. Nor is the case helped by Hesychius,

λυτήριον· φυλακτήριον.— τῇδ’ ὑμῖν φράσω

: the words mean strictly that the story will follow the course— i.e., will exhibit the line of thought—by which the remedy has been found.

ἦν μοι : the imperf., because she has now used it.

ποτὲ belongs in sense to δῶρον , as though we had

ἐδόθη ποτέ

. If the comma after θηρός were omitted, and

ἦν

joined with

κεκρυμμένον

(as=

ἐκέκρυπτο

), then

ποτὲ

would go with the verb: but

κεκρυμμένον

seems to be an afterthought.

παλαιὸν , because she has had it long; ἀρχαίου , because he lived long ago. This emphasis on the past is natural in one who is looking back sadly to the days of her youth, and speaking to young maidens for whom Nessus is only a legendary name.

θηρός : so Il.1. 268

φηρσὶν ὀρεσκῴοισι

. They are called

κένταυροι

in Il.11. 832 , as in the Odyssey (21. 295). Cp. below, 680.

λέβητι : properly a deep basin; also a kind of kettle used in cooking: but the poets can use the word to describe a cinerary urn (as El.1401 ). Here it means some kind of urn or jar.

δασυστέρνου : shagginess is a regular attribute of the Centaurs in Greek poetry and art: cp. 837 : Il.2. 743

φῆρας ...λαχνήεντας

: Hom. hymn 3. 224

κένταυρον λασιαύχενα

. In Ov. Met.12. 284 Cometes is the name of a Centaur.

παρὰ Νέσσου , because it was his

δῶρον

(555): he invited her to take it, and told her how to use it: ἐκ φονῶν , gathered up from his wounds, as he lay dying.

φονῶν

, Bergk's correction of

φόνων

, seems right. The plur.

φόνοι

elsewhere (1) denotes separate acts of slaughter, O. C.1234 : or (2) is a tragic expression for one such act (like

θάνατοι

): as El.11

πατρὸς ἐκ φόνων

: ib. 779

φόνους πατρῳους

. But here we expect rather a word which shall directly suggest the wounds: cp. 573

σφαγῶν

. And

φονῶν

can do so, since the phrase

ἐν φοναῖς

so often refers to carnage in battle. The schol. has φόνων in the lemma, but explains by

αἵματος

, and quotes Il.10. 521 (

ἄνδρας τ’ ἀσπαίροντας

)

ἐν ἀργαλέῃσι φονῇσιν

. Cp. Ant.696

ἐν φοναῖς

πεπτῶτ’

(n.). If metre had allowed

ἐκ φόνου

, there would then have been no reason for change.

The name Νέσσος symbolises the roar of the angry torrent: the Sanskrit is nad, loud sound, whence nadá-s, ‘bellower’ (bull), or river: nad-i, flood: Curtius Etym. § 287 b. Hence the Thracian river

Νέστος

(also

Νέσσος

, Hes. Th.341 ), and the Arcadian

Νέδα

, described by Strabo as

ῥεῦμα λαβρὸν ἐκ τοῦ Λυκαίου κατιόν

(8, p. 348). Among the Centaurs whom Heracles met at Mount Pholoè were

Δούπων

and

Ὅμαδος

,—names likewise denoting noise; and it is noteworthy that Homados, like Nessus, was a ravisher:

ἐν Ἀρκαδίᾳ τὴν Εὐρυσθέως ἀδελφὴν Ἀλκυόνην βιασάμενος ἀνῃρέθη

( Diod.4. 12 ).

τὸν βαθύρρουν … Εὔηνον . The Evenus ( Fidhari) rises on the high western slopes of Oeta; in its lower course, it passes through Aetolia, and enters the Corinthian Gulf at a point about 12 miles w. of Antirrhion. Calydon was on its w. bank; Pleuron, some 10 or 12 miles to the w. It is ‘one of the fiercest and most treacherous torrents in Greece’ (Tozer, Geo. of Greece, p. 96). Cp. Ov. Met. 9. 104

Venerat Eveni rapidas Iove natus ad undas.

The older name of the river,

Λυκόρμας

( Strabo7. 327 ), expressed the ‘wolf-like’ rush of its waters.

The association of Nessus with the Evenus well illustrates the significance of the Centaur as a personification of a ravaging torrent. (Cp. Mr Sidney Colvin in Journ. of Hellen. Stud. vol. I. p. 160: also Mure, Tour in Greece, I. 170.) In Ov. Met.2. 638 a daughter of the Centaur Cheiron is called Ocyroe (

Ὠκυρόη

), because born

‘Fluminis in rapidi ripis.’

ποταμὸν … βροτοὺς … )πόρευε : for the double acc., cp. Eur. Alc.442

γυναῖκ’ ἀρίσταν

λίμναν Ἀχεροντίαν πορεύσας ἐλάτᾳ δικώπῳ

. Here the second acc. denotes the space traversed; it would more usually denote the place to which, as in Eur. Tro.1085

ἐμὲ...σκάφος

| ...

πορεύσει

| ...

Ἄργος

.—For the prodelision of the augment in )πόρευε , cp. Soph. O. C.1602

ταχεῖ )πόρευσαν

: Soph. Ph.360

ἐπεὶ )δάκρυσα.— μις‐

θοῦ : acc. to Apollodorus (2. 7. 6) Nessus pretended divine authority for levying this toll,—

λέγων παρὰ θεῶν τὴν πορθμείαν εἰληφέναι διὰ δικαιοσύνην.— πομπίμοις

: cp. I. A. 1319

ναῶν

... | ...

ἐλάταν πομπαίαν.— οὔτε λαίφεσιν νεώς

might be an instrum. dat. construed directly with

)πόρευε

: but it is perhaps truer to say that the notion of

πέμπων

is evolved from the preceding clause. Cp. 512 (

τινάσσων

τὸν πατρῷον … στόλον , ‘by my father's sending,’ cogn. acc. to ἑσπόμην : cp. 159

ἀγῶνας ἐξιών

(n.). The peculiarity is that

στόλος

here=

πέμψις

, corresponding to the sense of the act.

στέλλω

: whereas it usu. means ‘expedition,’ ‘journey,’ from midd.

στέλλομαι

. It may be noted, however, that the boldness is softened by the fact that

στόλος

sometimes meant a journey with ref. to its purpose, ‘a mission’: O. C.358 n. Certainly

πατρῷος στόλος

would ordinarily mean, ‘a journey of my father<*>s,’ or, ‘an expedition despatched by’ him; yet the sense required here seems possible for poetry. The phrase cannot well mean, (1) ‘the journey prescribed for me by my father’; nor (2) ‘under my father's escort,’—as if Oeneus had accompanied them for some distance.

The soundness of the words is confirmed by their dramatic fitness. There is a tacit contrast in her thoughts between herself and the new paramour; she thinks of the long-past day when her father gave her to her husband, and sent her forth with him. The words also accord with that tone of passivity in which she has already spoken of her marriage (6—27). She welcomed Heracles as a deliverer, and has learned to love him; but she had no voice in the bestowal of her hand.— Cp. fr. 521 (the young girl is happy at home, but the bride is sent forth by her parents to a doubtful fate):

αἳ νέαι μὲν ἐν πατρὸς

ἥδιστον, οἶμαι, ζῶμεν ἀνθρώπων βίον·

| ... |

ὅταν δ’ ἐς ἥβην ἐξικώμεθ’ ἔμφρονες

, |

ὠθούμεθ’ ἔξω

.—See Appendix.

εὖνις =

εὐνέτις

, as in Eur. Or.929 etc.

φέρων ἐπ’ ὤμοις . Nessus is here imagined as a Centaur of the older form known to Greek art,—viz., a complete man, with the barrel and hinder parts of a horse attached to the middle of his back. A Centaur on the

λάρναξ

of Cypselus at Olympia is described by Paus. (5. 19. 7) as

οὐ τοὺς πάντας ἵππου πόδας, τοὺς δὲ ἔμπροσθεν αὐτῶν ἔχων ἀνδρός

. This form may be called the andro-centaur. The more familiar hippo-centaur—a complete horse, only with a human chest and head substituted for the equine neck and head—was of later origin. In Journ. Hellen. Stud. I. 130 Mr Sidney Colvin gives a wood-cut of an early gem (in the British Museum), representing an androcentaur carrying off a woman, who is grasped in his right arm. Similar subjects occur on coins of Eastern Macedonia. Violence of this kind was part of the

ὕβρις

(1096) ascribed to the savage Centaurs, and appears in numerous legends ( J. H. S., l.c., p. 140).

ἦ : cp. O. T.1123 n. The third person, ἦν , would be less fitting: she speaks of her own helplessness at the moment.

μέσῳ πόρῳ : for the dat., cp. 172 : El.313

νῦν δ’ ἀγροῖσι τυγχάνει.— ματαίαις

, implying rash folly ( Ant.1339 n.), here =‘wanton.’ The schol. wrongly took it to mean that the attempt was baffled by Heracles.

ἐκ δ’ ἤϋσ’ ἐγώ : Sophocles has avoided the error of Archilochus, who had described Deianeira as making a prolix appeal to her husband (

πρὸς τὸν Ἡρακλέα ῥαψῳδοῦσαν

: Dion Chrysost. or. 60).

ἐπιστρέψας , intrans., as in Her.2. 103

ἐπιστρέψας ὀπίσω ἤιε

: Vesp. 422

ἐπίστρεφε

δεῦρο

. The poet, though he has called the river

βαθύρρουν

(559), seems to imagine Heracles as wading across it, in front of Nessus. If Heracles had been carried over first, he would naturally have been facing the river. Ovid makes him swim across, and shoot the Centaur from the bank ( Met.9. 110 ff.).

κομήτην : Ph.711 n. According to Dion (or. 60), Sophocles was criticised on the ground that the hero's act might have been fatal to Deianeira; Nessus might have dropped her in the river. It would be enough to suppose that Heracles could not pause to think; but the context also suggests, as we have seen, that he was near enough to rescue her at need.

πλεύμονας =

πνεύμονας

(rt

πνυ

). Curtius ( Etym. § 370) explains the change of ν to λ by ‘the rarity of the sound-group pn and the frequency of pl’; comparing the kindred words for ‘lungs,’ Lat. pulmo, Church-Slavonic plušta, Lithuanian plaúczei. The form with λ is attested as Attic by schol. Ar. Pax1069 , Eustath. p. 483. 8. In 1054, as here, L gives the λ form, though with ν written above by the first hand: but in 1054

πνευμόνων

ἐκθνῄσκων , as the faintness of approaching death began to come over him. The regular sense of

ἐκθνῄσκειν

is ‘to swoon away’: cp. Hist. Anim. 3. 19 (p. 521 a 11)

ἀφιεμένου

(

αἵματος

)

ἔξω πλείονος μὲν ἐκθνῄσκουσι, πολλοῦ δ’ ἄγαν ἀποθνῄσκουσιν

. So Legg. 959 A distinguishes a person in a swoon,

τὸν ἐκτεθνεῶτα

, from

τὸν ὄντως τεθνηκότα

569 ff. For τοσοῦτον , referring to what follows, and associated with

τοσόνδε

, cp. Ai.679 ff.

ἐς τοσόνδ’...τοσαῦθ’.— τοσόνδ’

is explained by

ἐὰν γὰρ

etc.

τῶν ἐμῶν … πορθμῶν :

πορθμός

usu. means (1) a ferry, or (2) the act of crossing water; here the second sense passes into that of

πορθμεία

, ‘my services as ferryman’: for the plur., cp. 628 .

ἐὰν γὰρ … ὕδρας . The gen. τῶν ἐμῶν σφαγῶν depends on the prep. in ἀμφίθρεπτον , ‘coagulated around the wound.’ ἐνέγκῃ χερσίν : for the midd., cp. 558

ἀνειλόμην

(n.). The phrase seems to imply a careful collecting of the blood with a cioth. ᾗ μελαγχόλους κ.τ.λ.: ‘at the part (of the wound) where the monstrous hydra has tinged the arrow with black gall’: i.e., ‘where the hydra's gall, with which the arrow is tinged, can be traced,’—by a darker tint in that portion of the blood with which it has mixed. When the arrow was withdrawn from the wound, there would be a gush of blood, but some parts of the blood would have been more affected by the venom than others; and Nessus wishes her to take the most envenomed parts. The stress is on μελαγχόλους , and the whole phrase is a compressed way of saying,

ᾗ μέλας χόλος ἐστίν, <*> ἰοὺς ὕδρα ἔβαψεν

(cp. O. T.1451 n.). For the proleptic adj., cp. Ant.475

ὀπτὸν...περισκελῆ

: for the plur. ἰούς (referring to the single arrow of 567), Ai.231

ξίφεσιν

, El.196

γενύων

. The double barb makes such a plur. intelligible. Heracles cannot have shot twice.

θρέμμα … ὕδρας : cp. 508 n.: so

θρέμμα

refers to a monster in 1093 and 1099. For the periphrasis, cp. Legg. 790 D

τὰ νεογενῆ παίδων θρέμματα.— Λερναίας

: dwelling in the marsh of Lerna, on the Argolic coast, s. of Argos. Apollod.2. 5. 2

τὸ δὲ σῶμα τῆς ὕδρας ἀνασχίσας τῇ χολῇ τοὺς ὀϊστοὺς ἔβαψεν

Others explain thus:—‘If thou gather the blood from my wound, clotted around ( the arrow), at the place where the hydra has tinged it,’ etc., i.e., at the arrow's head. This is quite possible, but is open to objections. (1) The language in 557 f. (

παρὰ Νέσσου...ἐκ φονῶν

) implies that she obtained the blood directly from the body, not from the arrow-head. (2) The phrase ἐνέγκῃ χερσίν here favours the same view.

If we adopted the conjecture μελάγχολος … ἰός , the latter word would mean ‘venom,’ and θρέμμα ‘issue’ ( cp. 834

ἔτρεφε δ’ αἰόλος δράκων

): the object of ἔβαψεν would be

αὐτάς

(the wound), The objection is that the wily monster does not wish to draw Deianeira's attention to the venom;—as he would then do very pointedly. He is content to speak of the dark colour (

μελαγχόλους

Ovid describes the incident thus:—The arrow is withdrawn, and the blood flows from the wound,

mixtus Lernaei tabe veneni:

Nessus then presents Deianeira with a garment steeped in the blood (

velamina tincta cruore

): Met.9. 129 ff.

ὥστε μήτιν’ εἰσιδὼν στέρξει . After

ὥστε

, the negative of the infin. is

μή

, but of the indic.,

οὐ

. Here the

μή

must be due to the final sense: i.e., the notion of result is merged in that of aim; as if it were

ὅπως μή

. I have not found any real parallel. Dem. or. 19 § 218 writes,

τοσαύτης ἀνανδρίας...ὁμολογεῖτε εἶναι μεστοί, ὥστε μήτ’ ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ πολεμίων ὄντων μήτ’ ἐκ θαλάττης πολιουρκούμενοι...ε<*>τα τὴν εἰρήνην ἐποιήσασθε

. But there the

μή

seems clearly ‘generic’: i.e., the sense is: ‘you are so weak as to have made peace at a time when there was no enemy in the country,’ etc. [Prof. Goodwin, Moods and Tenses, new ed., § 606, suggests that

ἐποιήσασθε

virtually depends on an

εἰ

further back, and that the force of

ὥστε

is lost. This would be conceivable if the

μή

came after

ἐποιήσασθε

: but it immediately follows

ὥστε

.] —The opposite anomaly occurs in El.780 f.

ωστ’ οὔτε

... | ...

στεγάζειν

ἀντὶ σοῦ , instead of the gen. after the comparat.: Ant.182 n.

ἐννοήσας’ : Sophocles prefers the act. voice of this compound: Ph.1440 n.

δόμοις , simply ‘in the house’: ἐγκεκλῃμένον adds the notion expressed in 686 by

ἐν μυχοῖς σῴζειν

χιτῶνα τόνδ’ : a handmaid carries the casket (622) containing the robe.

ἔβαψα . The notion of a

φίλτρον

in the form of an unguent was a familiar one: thus in Eur. Hipp. 516 Phaedra asks the Nurse,

πότερα δὲ χριστὸν ἢ ποτὸν τὸ φάρμακον

;

προσβαλοῦς’ , ‘with application of everything that he directed,’— i.e., applying the philtre to the robe with attention to all the prescribed details. From vv. 680—687 it appears that Nessus had said more than she repeats in 572—577. He gave

θεσμοί

(682), precise instructions.—This is better than to understand, ‘with all the additions that he enjoined’ (schol.

καὶ ἄλλα τινὰ συμμίξασα

): though it may be supposed that the coagulated blood, before being applied to a large surface, was diluted with water. (Schneidewin explains the word by Apollod.2. 7. 6

τόν τε γόνον ὃν ἀφῆκε κατὰ τῆς γῆς καὶ τὸ...αἷμα συμμίξαι

.)— Not, ‘with observance of all that he said’<*> as if

νῷ

(or

νοῦν

) were understood.

προσέβαλε

πεπείρανται (3rd sing.), from the epic

πειραίνω

: Od.12. 37

ταῦτα μὲν οὕτω πάντα πεπείρανται

: Pind. I.7. 24

δίκας ἐπείραινε

. The Attic form

πεπέρανται

occurs in Plat. Rep.502 The E. words have a tragic significance. Her remedial measures are now complete.

κακὰς δὲ τόλμας . She wishes to assure them that she intends no harm to Heracles, and has no reason to fear evil. The results of so-called ‘lovecharms’ were often disastrous. Antiphon's first oration is against a woman charged with the wilful murder of her husband by causing a love-potion to be administered to him: she pleaded,

οὐκ ἐπὶ θανάτῳ...διδόναι, ἀλλ’ ἐπὶ φίλτροις

(§ 9). Magn. Mor. 1. 16 (p. 1188 b 31) notices a case in which a woman was tried under like circumstances by the Areiopagus, but acquitted, because there was no proof of

πρόνοια

. Plut. Mor.139 A compares lovers won by such means to fish captured by baits which spoil them;

αἱ φίλτρα τινὰ καὶ γοητείας ἐπιτεχνώμεναι τοῖς ἀνδράσι, καὶ χειρούμεναι διὰ ἡδονῆς αὐτούς, ἐμπλήκτοις καὶ ἀνοήτοις καὶ διεφθαρμένοις συμβιοῦσι

. Alciphron 1. 37

ἀμφιβάλλειν

(to have dubious effects)

εἴωθε τὰ φίλτρα, καὶ ἀποσκήπτειν εἰς ὄλεθρον

μήτ’ ἐπισταίμην …, μήτ’ ἐκμάθοιμι : an emphatic way of protesting how utterly foreign such thoughts are to her nature: —‘may I never be capable of them (543 n.), or be led to learn anything about them.’

στυγῶ : for the indic. coordinated with the opt., cp. 143 n.

φίλτροις δ’ ἐάν πως . The use of

ἐάν πως

is the same here as when it serves for the elliptical expression of a hope or aim ( O. C.1769

Θήβας δ’ ἡμᾶς

| ...

πέμψον, ἐάν πως

διακωλύσωμεν ἰόντα φόνον

. But μεμηχάνηται τοὔργον , since it follows the clause with

ἐάν πως

, is not really analogous to the verb which usually precedes such a clause; as

πέμψον

in O. C.1770. The constr. is not,

μεμηχάνηται τοὔργον, ἐάν πως ὑπερβαλώμεθα

, ‘the deed has been devised, in the hope that,’ etc. Rather the sense is: ‘But as to the possibility of prevailing by love-charms,— the means for that attempt have been devised.’

μεμηχάνηται τοὔργον

is an abrupt substitute for

τοῦτο πειρᾶσθαι βούλομαι

or the like, and is prompted by her nervous sense that she has taken a bold step. The peculiar form of the sentence arises from the wish to emphasise

φίλτροις

as opposed to

κακὰς τόλμας

ὑπερβαλώμεθα : the midd., in this sense, is more freq. than the act.; but the dat. usu. denotes the point of excellence ( Ar. Eq.409

οὔ τοί μ’ ὑπερβαλεῖσθ’ ἀναιδείᾳ

), and not, as here, the means.

τὴν παῖδα , —strong in the charms of youth (547).— θέλκτροισι , a reiteration that the means are to be gentle: cp. Eur. Hipp.509

ἔστιν κατ’ οἴκους φίλτρα μοι θελκτήρια

ἔρωτος. — τοῖς ἐφ’ Ἡρακλεῖ

, aimed at him, as the person whose love was to be won: cp. Apollod.2. 7. 6

εἰ θέλοι φίλτρον πρὸς Ἡρακλέα ἔχειν

εἴ τι μὴ :

τι

(adv.)=‘perchance’: cp. 712 : O. T.969 : O. C.1450.

μάταιον , culpably rash (cp. n. on 565).

εἰ δὲ μή : ‘otherwise,’ after a negative: cp. Vesp. 434

μὴ μεθῆσθε μηδενί·

εἰ δὲ μή, )ν πέδαις παχείαις οὐδὲν ἀριστήσετε

. So Thuc.1. 28 , Phaed.63D , etc. This rather clumsy formula was recommended by brevity: i.e., in Ar. l. c., the alternative was

εἰ δὲ μεθήσεσθε

, as here

εἰ δὲ δοκῶ.— πεπαύσομαι

: Soph. Ant.91 n.

πίστις , in an objective sense, a ground of confidence, a warranty: cp. 623 : El.887

τίν’, ὦ τάλαιν) ελ., ι )δοῦσα πίστιν ;— δοκεῖς παῤ ἡμῖν

: Eur. Med.762

γενναῖος ἀνήρ

, |

Αἰγεῦ, παρ’ ἐμοὶ δεδόκησαι

590 f. The whole phrase οὕτως ἔχει is slightly emphasised by γε , and limits the affirmative implied by the art. before πίστις : ‘The present state of the warranty (given by

τὰ δρώμενα

) is this,’ etc. It seems needless to suppose that the literal sense of

πίστις

here is different from that in 588.

ὡς =

ὥστε

, answering to οὕτως : cp. Her.2. 135

οὔτω δή τι κλεινὴ ἐγένετο ὡς καὶ οἱ πάντες...τὸ οὔνομα ἐξέμαθον

. (When

ὡς

stands for

ὥστε

, it is more often with the infin.) It is possible, but less fitting, to take

ὡς

as=‘since,’ introducing the explanation (like

γάρ

τὸ μὲν δοκεῖν is ‘the expecting’ to succeed (rather than ‘the seeming likely’ to do so).

πείρᾳ δ’ οὐ προσωμίλησα , have not come to close quarters with an experiment, —have not actually essayed it: cp. Plat. Tim. 88C

γυμναστικῇ προσομιλοῦντα

: Thuc.6. 70

τοῖς...ἐλάχιστα πολέμῳ ὡμιληκόσι

, opp. to

τοῖς...ἐμπειροτέροις

δρῶσαν : the partic. expresses the leading idea (‘if thou wouldest know, thou must act’): cp. O. C.1038 n.— γνῶμα , a means of judging, a test: Her.7. 52

Ἴωνας...τῶν ἔχομεν γνῶμα μέγιστον

. (In poetry the word sometimes means merely ‘judgment,’ ‘opinion’: Aesch. Ag.1352 , Eur. Her.407. )—The Chorus do not say that she ought to make the experiment; but only that, until she does so, she can have no certainty.

ἀλλ’ αὐτίκ’ : for the repetition of

ἀλλά

(after 592), cp. Ph.645 Ph., 647. — ἐλεύσεται , will depart (to Heracles); and so the result will soon be known. For this sense of the verb, cp. Ph.48 n.: for the form, O. C.1206 n.

μόνον , modo: cp. 1109 : Ph.528.

παρ’ ὑμῶν , from your side, on your part: the gen. is probably right, though the v. l. παρ’ ὑμῖν is specious. Silence is their contribution to her plan. Cp. El.469

σιγὴ παρ’ ὑμῶν πρὸς θεῶν ἔστω, φίλαι. — στεγοίμεθ’

, have my action kept secret. Cp. fr. 614

σύγγνωτε κἀνάσχεσθε σιγῶσαι· τὸ γὰρ

γυναιξὶν αἰσχρὸν σὺν γυναῖκα δεῖ στέγειν

(so I amend

σὺν γυναικὶ

: cp. Ant.85

κρυφῇ δὲ κεῦθε, σὺν δ’ αὔτως ἐγώ

).— Blaydes may be right in reading στεγώμεθ’ (cp. O. T.49 n.). But the opt. is defensible, as expressing an ardent hope, rather than a mere injunction (‘Heaven grant that ye keep my secret!’).

αἰσχύνῃ πεσεῖ : the dat. is one of manner (cp. O. T.51

ἀσφαλείᾳ...ἀνόρθωσον

, n.), not of cause, as El.429

ἀβουλίᾳ πεσεῖν

. Thus the phrase=

πεσεῖ αἰσχρὸν πτῶμα

( Ant.1045 ). The simple

πεσεῖ

could not stand for

περιπεσεῖ

(‘fall into shame’).

τῷ μακρῷ χρόνῳ , by reason of the long time (spent at Trachis). He was ready to depart when he entered at v. 393: but Deianeira, after learning all, brought him back into the house (492).

αὐτὰ … ταῦτα : the commands for which he asks (598). Instead of saying, ‘I have been preparing this robe, in order that you may take it,’ she says: ‘I have been busied about the charge to be given to you,—so that you may take this robe.’—For καὶ before πράσσω , cp. 314 .— ἠγορῶ : the only part of the epic

ἀγοράομαι

found in Trag.: Her.6. 11 has

ἠγορόωντο

ταναϋφῆ , woven long,

ποδήρη

. Wunder's restoration of this word, in place of τόνδε γ’ εὐϋφῆ , is confirmed by two facts: (1) there was a mysterious variant ἀϋφῆ , explained by

λεπτοϋφῆ

: (2) ταναϋφῆ , explained by

λεπτοϋφῆ

, occurs in Hesychius, Suidas, and Photius. It may be added that the γε of the vulgate, if not impossible, is at least suspicious.

πέπλον : Eustath. p. 599.44 refers to this passage as one in which

πέπλος

is part of a man's dress, alluding also to I. A. 1550, where a

πέπλος

is worn by Agamemnon. The Homeric

πέπλος

belongs to women only; hence the schol. here objects to the word.

χιτών

is, in fact, the proper term for the long robe sent to Heracles:

πέπλος

, when used with ref. to it (674, 758, 774), is rather a general word for a stately garment.—She now hands to Lichas the casket (622) containing the robe. Hence the repeated τόνδε (instead of

αὐτόν

) in 604 is natural.

φράζ’ ὅπως μηδεὶς … ἀμφιδύσεται : cp. Ai.567

κείνῳ τ’ ἐμὴν ἀγγείλατ’ ἐντολήν, ὅπως

(

δείξει

). The more usual infin. is often thus replaced after verbs of asking or commanding; but it is specially suitable, as here, after a verb of warning.

ἕρκος ἱερὸν , a sacred temenos, where there might chance to be a blazing altar (she is thinking of vv. 237 f.): ἐφέστιον σέλας , any fire kindled in the warrior's quarters at Cenaeum. She is repeating the substance of the Centaur's precepts: see 685 f.

φανερὸς , ‘conspicuous,’ ἐμφανῶς , ‘publicly,’ ‘before all eyes’: both words go with σταθεὶς , picturing the moment when Heracles shall stand forth in front of the altar. The order of words and the rhythm are against taking

ἐμφανῶς

with

δείξῃ.— ταυροσφάγῳ

: a day of solemn rejoicing, when the greater victims are slain: Aesch. Cho.261

βουθύτοις ἐν ἤμασι

. Cp. 760 .

ηὔγμην , the only instance of this plpf. (for

εὖκτο

in Hom. fr. 2. 15 is rather an a<*>.): but Phaedr. 279 C has the pf.

ηὖκται

as pass. impers. Cp. O. T.1512 cr. n.

πανδίκως (with στελεῖν ) ‘as in duty bound,’—by the vow, and by a wife's natural sympathy. Cp. 294

πανδίκῳ φρενί

(n.).—Others join the adv. with σωθέντ’ , as=‘completely’ (schol.

ἀνενδοιάστως

, ‘indubitably’). But there is no evidence for πανδίκως as merely=

παντελῶς

: cp. 1247 : O. C.1306 : [Eur. ] Rhes. 720

ὄλοιτο πανδίκως

(‘as he deserves’).

καινῷ καινὸν : the epithet, strictly applicable to the

πέπλωμα

only, is given to the

θυτήρ

also, expressing the new radiance with which the robe shall invest its wearer. This common idiom ( Her.2. 173

ἐν θρόνῳ σεμνῷ σεμνὸν θωκέοντα

) occurs elsewhere also under a similar condition,— viz., where the repeated adj. serves for collective emphasis rather than for separate characterisation: Soph. El.742

ὀρθὸς ἐξ ὀρθῶν δίφρων

: Soph. Ai.267

κοινὸς ἐν κοινοῖσι λυπεῖσθαι

: ib. 467

ξυμπεσὼν μόνος μόνοις

. But it should be observed that, in this passage, the repetition has a further motive. It is a touch of tragic irony, like the unconscious ambiguity of

προσαρμόσαι

in 494. For

θυτὴρ καινός

could mean, ‘a sacrificer of a novel kind’: cp. Soph. O. C.1542

ἐγὼ γὰρ ἡγεμὼν

σφῷν αὖ πέφασμαι καινός

. For the sinister sense of

καινός

, cp. 867 .

As to the wearing of new, or freshly washed, garments on such occasions, cp. Od.4. 750 (Penelope is to pray to Athena)

καθαρὰ χροῒ εἵμαθ’ ἑλοῦσα

καὶ τῶνδ’ ἀποίσεις . Deianeira has sealed the casket (622) with her own signet.

σφραγίς

here is not the signetring itself, but the impression in wax, the seal: cp. I. A. 155

σφραγῖδα φύλασς’, <*>ν ἐπὶ δέλτῳ

τῇδε κομίζεις

. The word

ἕρκος

, ‘enclosure,’ means the part of the ring which bears the device,

σῆμα

. This part was called

σφενδόνη

( Eur. Hipp.862

τύποι...σφενδόνης

), Lat. funda, be cause the gem in its setting was like a stone in a sling: the English term is bezel; the French, chaton. That

ἕρκος

here denotes the whole bezel, and not merely the rim, is shown by

ἐπόν

, which would otherwise be

ἐνόν

. The use of the word

σῆμα

in this context is illustrated by an inscription on a scarab of the 6th cent. B.C., published by Rossbach, Archäol. Zeit. (1883, pp. 311 ff., pl. 16, No. 19):

Θέρσιώς εἰμι σᾶμα· μή με ἄνοιγε

. Cp. Prof. H. MiddletonJ. , Engraved Gems of Classical Times (1891), p. 67.

ἐπὸν μαθήσεται is Billerbeck's certain correction of ἐπ’ ὄμμα θήσεται , a corruption caused by the easy change of ν (before

μαθήσεται

) into μ ; just as in Ant.1266 ,

ξὺν μόρῳ

, L has

ξυμμόρωι

. As to εὐμαθὲς … μαθήσεται , cp. n. on Ant.502

κλέος... εὐκλεέστερον

. Those who keep the vulgate govern ὃ by ἐπιθήσεται ὄμμα as=

ὄψεται

νόμον , ‘rule’; cp. 1177 .

τὸ μὴ )πιθυμεῖν πομπὸς ὢν : not

πομπὸν ὄντα

. Even when the inf. has the art., and represents an oblique case, its subject stands in the nom., if identical with the subject of the principal verb; Plat. Rep. 598D

ἐξηπατήθη διὰ τὸ αὐτὸς μὴ οἷός τ’ ε<*>ναι ἐπιστήμην...ἐξετάσαι

: cp. ib. 526 B: Thuc.4. 18

ἐλάχιστ’ ἂν...διὰ τὸ μὴ τῷ ὀρθουμένῳ αὐτοῦ πιστεύοντες ἐπαίρεσθαι...καταλύοιντο

: Andoc. or. 3. § 30

εἱλόμεθα...στρατεύεσθαι..., ἀντὶ τοῦ μένοντες οἴκοι ξυμμάχους ἔχειν Συρακοσίους.— περισσὰ δρᾶν

( Soph. Ant.88 ) glances at the instance in which he had exceeded his master's orders (481 ff.); it is more particularly a hint, as the schol. remarks, that he is to respect the

σφραγίς

on the casket: verse 622 indicates this.

ὅπως ἂν depends on the notion of

ἐπιμελοῦ

contained in

φύλασσε νόμον

.— If Lichas acts in the interest of his master only ( cp. 286

πιστὸς ὢν κείνῳ

), the χάρις won by him will be ἁπλῆ : if he regards the welfare of his mistress also, it will become διπλῆ . The genitives κείνου τε κἀμοῦ (of which the second has the chief stress)=‘ from him and me’: hence ξυνελθοῦς’ .

εἴπερ Ἑρμοῦ

κ.τ.λ.

: for

Ἑρμῆς ὁ πέμπων

, the patron of

κήρυκες

, cp. Ph.133 n.

πομπεύω , absol., act as

πομπός

: τέχνην , cogn. acc., like

πομπήν

, which ‘the art of Hermes’ implies. βέβαιον , predicate, with the sureness of experience and good faith.

οὔ τι μὴ is more usual than οὔ τοι μὴ (L's re<*>ding), and seems slightly more suitable here. Yet note Ai.560

οὔ τοι σ’ Ἀχαιῶν, ο<*>δα, μή τις ὑβρίσῃ

: O. C.176

οὔ τοι μήποτέ ς’...ἄκοντά τις ἄξει.— ἔν σοι

, in thy case, in what concerns thee: Ai.1092

ἐν θανοῦσιν ὑβριστής.— σφαλῶ γ’

, trip, commit a fault: cp. 727 .

τὸ μὴ οὐ : O. T.1232.

ἄγγος , a word applicable to ‘vessels’ of various kinds, here means a coffer or casket, the

ζύγαστρον

of 692. Similarly in Eur. Ion32

ἄγγος

is the general term, defined by

ἀντίπηξ

, ‘cradle’ (19 Eur. Ion, 1337 f.).

ὡς ἔχει : with the seal unbroken (614).

λόγων … πίστιν : the pledge (588) of thy words,—referring esp. to the mention of the vow (610 ff.), which explains the gift.

ἐφαρμόσαι =‘fitly (or ‘duly’) add,)— i.e. ‘add in attestation of the gift.’

λέγεις is the best correction of ἔχεις , which doubtless arose from ἔχει in the line above. (In El.934 f.,

σὺν χαρᾷ λόγους

τοιούσδ’ ἔχουσ’ ἔσπευδον

, the sense is ‘ bearing news,’ not ‘ speaking words.’) Otto's ἐφεῖς’ ( cp. 286

ἐφεῖτ’

) is ingenious, though the 2nd pers. of this aor. does not seem to occur elsewhere: but, before

ἐφαρμόσαι

, the sound would be unpleasing.

στείχοις ἂν ἤδη : a courteous form: Ph.674

χωροῖς ἂν εἴσω

σεσωσμένα : all has been kept safe during the master's long absence: cp. 542

οἰκούρια

(n.).

627 f. For ἀλλὰ … μὲν δὴ , cp. O. T.523 ,—I read αὐτὴν (with A), not αὐτήν θ’ (with I), for these reasons. (1) It is clear that

αὐτὴν

means merely eam, not ipsam. We cannot distinguish τὰ τῆς ξένης προσδέγματα , as meaning the welcome of Iolè along with the other captives, from a special welcome given to Iolè personally. (2)

αὐτὴν

, although unemphatic, has a position which would usually give emphasis. But this is excused by the fact that the whole clause, αὐτὴν ὡς ἐδεξάμην φίλως , depends on οἶσθα , being merely epexegetic of τὰ τῆς ξένης προσδέγματα (instead of

οἷα ἐγένετο

or the like). The chief stress falls on φίλως . (3) If, however, we had αὐτήν θ’ , then the sentence would lose that compact unity which justifies the place of the pronoun. And so

αὐτήν θ’

would naturally seem to mean ipsam,—raising the objection noticed above (1). The insertion of θ’ may easily have arisen from a notion that the second clause required a link with the first.

ἐκπλαγῆναι , of joy ( cp. 24 ), as in Aesch. Ch.233

χαρᾷ δὲ μὴ )κπλαγῇς φρένας

.—Cp. Aesch. Ag. 541 KH.

ὥστ’ ἐνδακρύειν γ’ ὄμμασιν χαρᾶς ὕπο

. For the absence of

γε

here, cp. Soph. Ph.105 Soph. Ph., 985.

πρὼ| , ‘early,’ i.e., ‘too soon<*> ( Aesch. P. V.696

πρῴ γε στενάζεις

πρω‐ί

is prob. for

προv‐ι

(Brugman, Stud. IV. 154).

μὴ … λέγοις ἂν . After a verb of fearing (whether the tense be primary or secondary) the potential opt. with

ἄν

retains its ordinary sense. As

γένοιτο <*>

=‘it might possibly happen,’ so

δέδοικα μὴ γένοιτο ἄν

=‘I fear that it might possibly happen.’ This is the mildest mode of expressing a fear, as

μή

with the fut. indic. is the most vivid. Hence it suits the misgiving, and the reserve, of Deianeira:—‘I fear that you might happen to be premature in speaking on that subject.’ Cp. Xen. An.6. 1. 28

ἐκεῖνο ἐννοῶ μὴ λίαν ἂν ταχὺ σωφρονισθείην

: id. De Vect. 4. 41

εἰ δέ τινες αὖ φοβοῦνται μὴ ματαία <*>ν γένοιτο αὕτη ἡ κατασκευή

. In Lys. or. 13 § 51 , where the MSS. give

δεδιότες μὴ καταλυθείησαν ὁ δῆμος

, Markland conjectured

καταλυθείη ἂν

: and the mild phrase suits the irony of the passage. (Bekker reads

καταλυθείη

without

ἄν

τὸν ἐξ ἐμοῦ : cp. Ant.95

τὴν ἐξ ἐμο<*> δυσβουλίαν

(n.).

τἀκεῖθεν , acc. with εἰδέναι , explained by εἰ ποθούμεθα . Here

<*>ὰ ἐκεῖθεν

is not merely

τ<*> ἐκεῖ

(315 n.): rather it means, ‘the feeling from (or

<*>

) his side,’ as opp. to

πόθον τὸν ἐξ ἐμοῦ.— <*>θούμεθα

: for the plur., following δέδοικα and ἐμοῦ , cp. n. on Ant.734.

Commentary on Sophocles: Trachiniae. 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)) — 531 focus

ἦμος, φίλαι, κατ᾿ οἶκον ὁ ξένος θροεῖ θρύει θροεῖ

ταῖς αἰχμαλώτοις παισὶν ὡς ὡς ἐπ᾿ ἐξόδῳ,

τῆμος θυραῖος ἦλθον ὡς ὑμᾶς λάθρα,

τὰ μὲν φράσουσα φράζουσα φράσουσα χερσὶν ἁτεχνησάμην,

τὰ δ᾽ οἷα οῖα πάσχω συγκατοικτιουμένη.
535

κόρην γάρ, οἶμαι δ᾽ οὐκέτ᾽, ἀλλ᾽ ἐζευγμένην,

παρεισδέδεγμαι, φόρτον ὥστε ναυτίλος,

λωβητὸν ἐμπόλημα τῆς ἐμῆς εμῆς φρενός.

καὶ νῦν δύ᾽ οὖσαι μίμνομεν μιᾶς ὑπὸ ὑπο ὕπο

χλαίνης ὑπαγκάλισμα. τοιάδ᾽ ῾Ηρακλῆς,
540

ὁ πιστὸς πιστὸς ἡμῖν κἀγαθὸς καλούμενος,

οἰκούρι ἀντέπεμψε ἀντέπεμψεν ἀντέπεμψε τοῦ μακροῦ χρόνου.

ἐγὼ δὲ θυμοῦσθαι μὲν οὐκ ἐπίσταμαι

νοσοῦντι κείνῳ πολλὰ τῇδε τῇ νόσῳ,

τὸ δ᾽ αὖ ξυνοικεῖν τῇδ᾽ ὁμοῦ τίς ἂν γυνὴ
545

δύναιτο, κοινωνοῦσα τῶν αὐτῶν γάμων;

ὁρῶ γὰρ ἥβην τὴν μὲν ἕρπουσαν πρόσω,

τὴν δὲ φθίνουσαν· ὧν ἀφαρπάζειν φιλεῖ

ὀφθαλμὸς ἄνθος, τῶν δ᾽ ὑπεκτρέπει πόδα.

ταῦτ᾽ οὖν φοβοῦμαι, μὴ πόσις μὲν ῾Ἡρακλῆς
550

ἐμὸς καλῆται καλεῖται, τῆς νεωτέρας δ᾽ ἀνήρ.

ἀλλ᾽ οὐ γάρ, ὥσπερ εἶπον, ὀργαίνειν καλὸν

γυναῖκα νοῦν ἔχουσαν· ᾗ δ᾽ ἔχω, φίλαι,

¹

λυτήριον †λύπημα, τῇδ᾽ ὑμῖν υμῖν ἡμῖν φράσω.

ἦν μοι παλαιὸν δῶρον ἀρχαίου ποτὲ
555

θηρός, λέβητι χαλκέῳ κεκρυμμένον,

ὃ παῖς ἔτ᾽ ἔτ(ι) οὖσα τοῦ δασυστέρνου παρὰ πάρα

Νέσσου νέσου νέσσου φθίνοντος ἐκ φόνων ἀνειλόμην,

ὃς τὸν βαθύρρουν ποταμὸν Εὔηνον εὔηνον βροτοὺς

μισθοῦ ᾿πόρευε πόρευε χερσίν, οὔτε πομπίμοις
560

κώπαις ἐρέσσων οὔτε λαίφεσιν λαίφαισιν λαίφεσιν νεώς.

ὃς κἀμέ, τὸν πατρῷον.. στόλον τῶν πατρῷων στόλων τὸν πατρῷον.. στόλον

ξὺν ῾Ἡρακλεῖ τὸ πρῶτον εὖνις ἑσπόμην,

φέρων ἐπ᾽ ὤμοις, ἡνίκ᾽ ἦν ἐν ἦν μέσῳ πόρῳ,

ψαύει ματαίαις χερσίν· ἐκ δ᾽ ἤϋσ᾽ ἐγώ,
565

χώ Ζηνὸς εὐθὺς παῖς ἐπιστρέψας χεροῖν

ἧκεν κομήτην ἰόν ι· ἐς δὲ πλεύμονας πλεύμονας πλεύμονα

στέρνων διερροίζησεν. ἐκθνήσκων δ᾽ ὁ θὴρ

τοσοῦτον εἶπε, παῖ γέροντος Οἰνέως,

τοσόνδ᾽ ὀνήσει τῶν ἐμῶν, ἐὰν πίθῃ ἐὰν πυθηῖ ἐὰν πι(θηι) ἐὰν πίθῃ ἐὰν πειθῃ,
570

πορθμῶν, ὁθούνεχ᾽ ὁθούνεκ' ὑστάτην σ᾽ om. ἔπεμψ᾽ ἐγώ·

ἐὰν γὰρ ἀμφίθρεπτον αἷμα τῶν ἐμῶν

σφαγῶν ἐνέγκῃ χερσίν, ᾗ μελαγχόλους

ἔβαψεν ἰοὺς θρέμμα Λερναίας ὕδρας,

ἔσται φρενός σοι τοῦτο κηλητήριον
575

τῆς ῾Ηρακλείας, ὥστε μήτιν εἰσιδὼν

στέρξει η στέρξει στέρξαι γυναῖκα κεῖνος ἀντὶ σοῦ πλέον.

τοῦτ᾽ ἐννοήσασ᾽, ὦ φίλαι, δόμοις γὰρ ἦν

κείνου θανόντος ἐγκεκλειμένον ἐγκεκλεισμένον καλῶς,

χιτῶνα τόνδ᾽ ἔβαψα, προσβαλοῦσ᾽ ὅσα
580

ζῶν κεῖνος ἐκεῖνος εἶπε· καὶ πεπείρανται τάδε.

κακὰς δὲ τόλμας μήτ' ἐπισταίμην ἐγὼ

μήτ᾽ ἐκμάθοιμι, τάς τάς τε τολμώσας στυγῶ.

φίλτροις δ᾽ ἐάν πως τήνδ' ὑπερβαλώμεθα

τὴν παῖδα καὶ θέλκτροισι τοῖς ἐφ᾽ ῾Ηρακλεῖ,
585

μεμηχάνηται τοὔργον, - εἴ τι μὴ δοκῶ

πράσσειν μάταιον· εἰ δὲ μή, πεπαύσομαι πεπαύσεται πεπαύσεται.

ΧΟ.

ἀλλ᾽ εἴ τις ἥτις εἴ τις ἐστὶ πίστις ἐν τοῖς δρωμένοις,

δοκεῖς παρ᾿ ἡμῖν οὐ βεβουλεῦσθαι κακῶς.

ΔΗ.

οὕτως ἔχει γ' ἡ πίστις, ὡς τὸ μὲν δοκεῖν
590

ἔνεστι, πείρᾳ δ᾽ οὐ προσωμίλησά πω.

ΧΟ.

ἀλλ᾽ εἰδέναι χρὴ δρῶσαν, ὡς οὐδ᾽ εἰ δοκεῖς οὐδοκεῖσ οὐδ᾽ εἰ δοκεῖς

ἔχειν, ἔχοις ἂν γνῶμα ἄγνωμα τὸ γνῶμα ἂν γνῶμα, μὴ πειρωμένη.

ΔΗ.

ἀλλ᾽ αὐτίκ᾽ εἰσόμεσθα· τόνδε γὰρ βλέπω

θυραῖον ἤδη. διὰ τάχους δ᾽ ἐλεύσεται.
595

μόνον παρ' ὑμῶν εὐ στεγοίμεθ᾽· ὡς σκότῳ

κἂν αἰσχρὰ πράσσῃς πράσσηις πράσσῃς, οὔποτ' αἰσχύνῃ πεσεῖ αἰσχύνη πεσῆι αἰσχύνῃ πεσεῖ.

ΛΙ.

τί χρὴ ποιεῖν ποεῖν; σήμαινε, τέκνον Οἰνέως,

ὡς ἐσμὲν ἤδη τῷ μακρῷ χρόνῳ βραδεῖς.

ΔΗ.

ἀλλ᾽ αὐτὰ δή σοι ταῦτα καὶ πράσσω, Λίχα,
600

ἕως σὺ ταῖς ταῖς ἔσωθεν ἠγορῶ ξέναις,

ὅπως φέρῃς μοι τόνδε γ'᾿ εὐϋφῆ τόνδε γ᾽ εὐυφῆ πέπλον,

δώρημ᾽ ἐκείνῳ τἀνδρὶ τῆς ἐμῆς χερός.

διδοὺς δὲ τόνδε φράζ᾽ ὅπως μηδεὶς βροτῶν

κείνου πάροιθεν ἀμφιδύσεται χροΐ,
605

μηδ᾽ ὄψεταί νιν μήτε φέγγος ἡλίου

μήθ᾽ ἕρκος ἱερὸν μήτ᾽ ἐφέστιον σέλας,

πρὶν κεῖνος αὐτὸν φανερὸν ἐμφανὴς φανερ(ὸ)σ ἐμφανῶσ φανερὸς ἐμφανῶς σταθεὶς

δείξῃ θεοῖσιν ἡμέρᾳ ταυροσφάγῳ.

οὕτω γὰρ ηὔγμην, εἴ ποτ᾿ αὐτὸν ἐς δόμους
610

ἴδοιμι σωθέντ᾽ ἢ κλύοιμι, πανδίκως

στελεῖν χιτῶνι τῷδε, καὶ φανεῖν θεοῖς

θυτῆρα καινῷ καινὸν ἐν ἐμ ἐν πεπλώματι.

καὶ τῶνδ᾽ ἀποίσεις σῆμ', ὃ κεῖνος εὐμαθὲς

σφραγίδος σφραγίδος ἔρκει τῷδ᾽ ἐπ᾿ ὄμμα θήσεται.
615

ἀλλ᾽ ἕρπε, καὶ φύλασσε πρῶτα μὲν νόμον,

τὸ μὴ ἐπιθυμεῖν πομπὸς ὢν περισσὰ δρᾶν·

ἔπειθ᾽ ὅπως ἂν ἡ χάρις κείνου τέ σοι

κἀμοῦ ξυνελθοῦσ᾽ ἐξ ἁπλῆς διπλῆ φανῇ.

ΛΙ.

ἀλλ᾽ εἴπερ῾Ερμοῦ τήνδε πομπεύω τέχνην
620

βέβαιον, οὔ τι τοι τι μὴ σφαλῶ γ᾽ ἐν σοί ποτε,

τὸ μὴ οὐ μὴν μὴ οὐ μὴ τόδ᾽ ἄγγος ὡς ἔχει δεῖξαι φέρων,

λόγων τε πίστιν ὧν ἔχεις ἐφαρμόσαι.

ΔΗ.

στείχοις ἂν ἤδη. καὶ γὰρ ἐξεπίστασαι

τά γ'᾽ ἐν δόμοισιν ὡς ἔχοντα τυγχάνει τυγχάνει..
625

ΛΙ.

ἐπίσταμαί τε καὶ φράσω σεσωσμένα.

ΔΗ.

ἀλλ᾽ οἶσθα μὲν δὴ καὶ τὰ τῆς ξένης ὁρῶν

προσδέγματ᾽, αὐτήν θ᾽ om. ὡς ἐδεξάμην φίλως.

ΛΙ.

ὥστ᾽ ἐκπλαγῆναι τοὐμὸν ἡδονῇ κέαρ.

ΔΗ.

τί δῆτ᾽ ἂν ἄλλο γ' ἐννέποις; δέδοικα γὰρ
630

μὴ πρῷ πρῶι πρῶι πρῶτον λέγοις ἂν τὸν πόθον τὸν ἐξ ἐμοῦ,

πρὶν εἰδέναι τἀκεῖθεν τὰ κεῖθεν εἰ ποθούμεθα.

ΧΟ.

Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 531-632 focus

Δηιάνειρα

ἦμος, φίλαι, κατʼ οἶκον ὁ ξένος θροεῖ

ταῖς αἰχμαλώτοις παισὶν ὡς ἐπʼ ἐξόδῳ,

τῆμος θυραῖος ἦλθον ὡς ὑμᾶς λάθρᾳ,

τὰ μὲν φράσουσα χερσὶν ἁτεχνησάμην,

τὰ δʼ οἷα πάσχω συγκατοικτιουμένη.
535

κόρην γάρ, οἶμαι δʼ οὐκέτʼ, ἀλλʼ ἐζευγμένην,

παρεισδέδεγμαι φόρτον ὥστε ναυτίλος,

λωβητὸν ἐμπόλημα τῆς ἐμῆς φρενός.

καὶ νῦν δύʼ οὖσαι μίμνομεν μιᾶς ὑπὸ

χλαίνης ὑπαγκάλισμα. τοιάδʼ Ἡρακλῆς,
540

ὁ πιστὸς ἡμῖν κἀγαθὸς καλούμενος,

οἰκούριʼ ἀντέπεμψε τοῦ μακροῦ χρόνου.

ἐγὼ δὲ θυμοῦσθαι μὲν οὐκ ἐπίσταμαι

νοσοῦντι κείνῳ πολλὰ τῇδε τῇ νόσῳ·

τὸ δʼ αὖ ξυνοικεῖν τῇδʼ ὁμοῦ τίς ἂν γυνὴ
545

δύναιτο, κοινωνοῦσα τῶν αὐτῶν γάμων;

ὁρῶ γὰρ ἥβην τὴν μὲν ἕρπουσαν πρόσω,

τὴν δὲ φθίνουσαν· ὧν ἀφαρπάζειν φιλεῖ

ὀφθαλμὸς ἄνθος, τῶν δʼ ὑπεκτρέπει πόδα.

ταῦτʼ οὖν φοβοῦμαι μὴ πόσις μὲν Ἡρακλῆς
550

ἐμὸς καλῆται, τῆς νεωτέρας δʼ ἀνήρ.

ἀλλʼ οὐ γάρ, ὥσπερ εἶπον, ὀργαίνειν καλὸν

γυναῖκα νοῦν ἔχουσαν· ᾗ δʼ ἔχω, φίλαι,

λυτήριον λώφημα, τῇδʼ ὑμῖν φράσω.

ἦν μοι παλαιὸν δῶρον ἀρχαίου ποτὲ
555

θηρός, λέβητι χαλκέῳ κεκρυμμένον,

ὃ παῖς ἔτʼ οὖσα τοῦ δασυστέρνου παρὰ

Νέσσου φθίνοντος ἐκ φονῶν ἀνειλόμην,

ὃς τὸν βαθύρρουν ποταμὸν Εὔηνον βροτοὺς

μισθοῦ ʼπόρευε χερσίν, οὔτε πομπίμοις
560

κώπαις ἐρέσσων οὔτε λαίφεσιν νεώς.

ὃς κἀμέ, τὸν πατρῷον ἡνίκα στόλον

ξὺν Ἡρακλεῖ τὸ πρῶτον εὖνις ἑσπόμην,

φέρων ἐπʼ ὤμοις, ἡνίκʼ ἦ μέσῳ πόρῳ,

ψαύει ματαίαις χερσίν· ἐκ δʼ ἤυσʼ ἐγώ,
565

χὠ Ζηνὸς εὐθὺς παῖς ἐπιστρέψας χεροῖν

ἧκεν κομήτην ἰόν· ἐς δὲ πλεύμονας

στέρνων διερροίζησεν. ἐκθνῄσκων δʼ ὁ θὴρ

τοσοῦτον εἶπε· παῖ γέροντος Οἰνέως,

τοσόνδʼ ὀνήσει τῶν ἐμῶν, ἐὰν πίθῃ,
570

πορθμῶν, ὁθούνεχʼ ὑστάτην σʼ ἔπεμψʼ ἐγώ·

ἐὰν γὰρ ἀμφίθρεπτον αἷμα τῶν ἐμῶν

σφαγῶν ἐνέγκῃ χερσίν, ᾗ μελαγχόλους

ἔβαψεν ἰοὺς θρέμμα Λερναίας ὕδρας,

ἔσται φρενός σοι τοῦτο κηλητήριον
575

τῆς Ἡρακλείας, ὥστε μήτινʼ εἰσιδὼν

στέρξει γυναῖκα κεῖνος ἀντὶ σοῦ πλέον.

τοῦτʼ ἐννοήσασʼ, ὦ φίλαι, δόμοις γὰρ ἦν

κείνου θανόντος ἐγκεκλῃμένον καλῶς,

χιτῶνα τόνδʼ ἔβαψα, προσβαλοῦσʼ ὅσα
580

ζῶν κεῖνος εἶπε· καὶ πεπείρανται τάδε.

κακὰς δὲ τόλμας μήτʼ ἐπισταίμην ἐγὼ

μήτʼ ἐκμάθοιμι, τάς τε τολμώσας στυγῶ·

φίλτροις δʼ ἐάν πως τήνδʼ ὑπερβαλώμεθα

τὴν παῖδα καὶ θέλκτροισι τοῖς ἐφʼ Ἡρακλεῖ,
585

μεμηχάνηται τοὔργον, εἴ τι μὴ δοκῶ

πράσσειν μάταιον· εἰ δὲ μή, πεπαύσομαι.

588

Χορός

ἀλλʼ εἴ τις ἐστὶ πίστις ἐν τοῖς δρωμένοις,

δοκεῖς παρʼ ἡμῖν οὐ βεβουλεῦσθαι κακῶς.

Δηιάνειρα

οὕτως ἔχει γʼ ἡ πίστις, ὡς τὸ μὲν δοκεῖν
590

ἔνεστι, πείρᾳ δʼ οὐ προσωμίλησά πω·

Χορός

ἀλλʼ εἰδέναι χρὴ δρῶσαν, ὡς οὐδʼ εἰ δοκεῖς

ἔχειν, ἔχοις ἂν γνῶμα, μὴ πειρωμένη.

Δηιάνειρα

ἀλλʼ αὐτίκʼ εἰσόμεσθα, τόνδε γὰρ βλέπω

θυραῖον ἤδη· διὰ τάχους δʼ ἐλεύσεται.
595

μόνον παρʼ ὑμῶν εὖ στεγοίμεθʼ· ὡς σκότῳ

κἂν αἰσχρὰ πράσσῃς, οὔποτʼ αἰσχύνῃ πεσεῖ.

Λίχας

τί χρὴ ποεῖν; σήμαινε, τέκνον Οἰνέως,

ὡς ἐσμὲν ἤδη τῷ μακρῷ χρόνῳ βραδεῖς.

600

Δηιάνειρα

ἀλλʼ αὐτὰ δή σοι ταῦτα καὶ πράσσω, Λίχα,
600

ἕως σὺ ταῖς ἔσωθεν ἠγορῶ ξέναις,

ὅπως φέρῃς μοι τόνδε ταναϋφῆ πέπλον,

δώρημʼ ἐκείνῳ τἀνδρὶ τῆς ἐμῆς χερός.

διδοὺς δὲ τόνδε φράζʼ ὅπως μηδεὶς βροτῶν

κείνου πάροιθεν ἀμφιδύσεται χροΐ,
605

μηδʼ ὄψεταί νιν μήτε φέγγος ἡλίου

μήθʼ ἕρκος ἱερὸν μήτʼ ἐφέστιον σέλας,

πρὶν κεῖνος αὐτὸν φανερὸς ἐμφανῶς σταθεὶς

δείξῃ θεοῖσιν ἡμέρᾳ ταυροσφάγῳ.

οὕτω γὰρ ηὔγμην, εἴ ποτʼ αὐτὸν ἐς δόμους
610

ἴδοιμι σωθέντʼ ἢ κλύοιμι πανδίκως,

στελεῖν χιτῶνι τῷδε καὶ φανεῖν θεοῖς

θυτῆρα καινῷ καινὸν ἐν πεπλώματι.

καὶ τῶνδʼ ἀποίσεις σῆμʼ, ὃ κεῖνος εὐμαθὲς

σφραγῖδος ἕρκει τῷδʼ ἐπὸν μαθήσεται.
615

ἀλλʼ ἕρπε, καὶ φύλασσε πρῶτα μὲν νόμον,

τὸ μὴ ʼπιθυμεῖν πομπὸς ὢν περισσὰ δρᾶν·

ἔπειθʼ ὅπως ἂν ἡ χάρις κείνου τέ σοι

κἀμοῦ ξυνελθοῦσʼ ἐξ ἁπλῆς διπλῆ φανῇ.

620

Λίχας

ἀλλʼ εἴπερ Ἑρμοῦ τήνδε πομπεύω τέχνην
620

βέβαιον, οὔ τι μὴ σφαλῶ γʼ ἐν σοί ποτε,

τὸ μὴ οὐ τόδʼ ἄγγος ὡς ἔχει δεῖξαι φέρων,

λόγων τε πίστιν ὧν λέγεις ἐφαρμόσαι.

Δηιάνειρα

στείχοις ἂν ἤδη· καὶ γὰρ ἐξεπίστασαι

τά γʼ ἐν δόμοισιν ὡς ἔχοντα τυγχάνει.
625

Λίχας

ἐπίσταμαί τε καὶ φράσω σεσωσμένα.

Δηιάνειρα

ἀλλʼ οἶσθα μὲν δὴ καὶ τὰ τῆς ξένης ὁρῶν

προσδέγματʼ, αὐτὴν ὡς ἐδεξάμην φίλως.

Λίχας

ὥστʼ ἐκπλαγῆναι τοὐμὸν ἡδονῇ κέαρ.

Δηιάνειρα

τί δῆτʼ ἂν ἄλλο γʼ ἐννέποις; δέδοικα γὰρ
630

μὴ πρῲ λέγοις ἂν τὸν πόθον τὸν ἐξ ἐμοῦ,

πρὶν εἰδέναι τἀκεῖθεν εἰ ποθούμεθα.

Translations (5)

English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 531 focus

Dear friends, while yonder herald in the house

Holds converse with the captives ere he go,

I have stol’n forth to you, partly to tell

The craft my hand hath compassed, and in part,

To crave your pity for my wretchedness.

For I have taken to my hearth a maid,—

And yet, methinks, no maiden any more,

Like some fond shipmaster, taking on board

A cargo fraught with treason to my heart.

And now we two are closed in one embrace

Beneath one coverlet. Such generous meed

For faith in guarding home this dreary while

Hath the kind Heracles our trusty spouse,

Sent in return! Yet, oft as he hath caught

This same distemperature, I know not how

To harbour indignation against him.

But who that is a woman could endure

To dwell with her, both married to one man?

One bloom is still advancing, one doth fade.

The budding flower is cropped, the full-blown head

Is left to wither, while love passeth by

Unheeding. Wherefore I am sore afraid

He will be called my husband, but her mate,

For she is younger. Yet no prudent wife
535

Would take this angerly, as I have said.
535

But, dear ones, I will tell you of a way,
535

Whereof I have bethought me, to prevent
535

This heart-break. I had hidden of long time
535

In a bronze urn the ancient Centaur’s gift,
535

Which I, when a mere girl, culled from the wound

Of hairy-breasted Nessus in his death.

He o’er Evenus’ rolling depths, for hire,

Ferried wayfarers on his arm, not plying

Or rowing-boat, or canvas-wingèd bark.

Who, when with Heracles, a new-made bride,

I followed by my father’s sending forth,

Shouldering me too, in the mid-stream, annoyed

With wanton touch. And I cried out; and he,

Zeus’ son, turned suddenly, and from his bow

Sent a wing’d shaft, that whizzed into his chest

To the lungs. Then the weird Thing, with dying voice

Spake to me:—‘Child of aged Oeneüs,

Since thou wert my last burden, thou shalt win

Some profit from mine act, if thou wilt do

What now I bid thee. With a careful hand

Collect and bear away the clotted gore

That clogs my wound, e’en where the monster snake

Had dyed the arrow with dark tinct of gall;

And thou shalt have this as a charm of soul

For Heracles, that never through the eye

Shall he receive another love than thine.’

Whereof bethinking me, for since his death

I kept it in a closet locked with care,
540

I have applied it to this robe, with such
540

Addition as his living voice ordained.—
540

The thing is done. No criminal attempts
540

Could e’er be mine. Far be they from my thought,
540

As I abhor the woman who conceives them!
540

But if by any means through gentle spells

And bonds on Heracles’ affection, we

May triumph o’er this maiden in his heart,

My scheme is perfected. Unless you deem

Mine action wild. If so, I will desist.

CH

If any ground of confidence approve

Thine act, we cannot check thy counsel here.

DÊ

My confidence is grounded on belief,
590

Though unconfirmed as yet by actual proof.

CH

Well, do it and try. Assurance cannot come

Till action bring experience after it.

DÊ

The truth will soon be known. The man e’en now

Is coming forth, and quickly will be there.
595

Screen ye but well my counsel. Doubtful deeds,

Wrapt close, will not deliver us to shame.

LICH
Enter LICHAS .

Daughter of Oeneus, tell me thy commands.

Already time rebukes our tardiness.

DÊ

Even that hath been my care, Lichas, while thou
600

Wert talking to the stranger-maids within,
600

That thou shouldst take for me this finewoven web,
600

A present from these fingers to my lord.
600

And when thou giv’st it, say that none of men
600

Must wear it on his shoulders before him;
600

And neither light of sun may look upon it,
600

Nor holy temple-court, nor household flame,

Till he in open station ’fore the Gods

Display it on a day when bulls are slaughtered.

So once I vowed, that should I ever see

Or hear his safe return, I would enfold

His glorious person in this robe, and show

To all the Gods in doing sacrifice

Him a fresh worshipper in fresh array.—

The truth hereof he will with ease descry

Betokened on this treasure-guarding seal.—

Now go, and be advised, of this in chief,

To act within thine office; then of this,

To bear thee so, that from his thanks and mine

Meeting in one, a twofold grace may spring.

LICH

If this my Hermes-craft be firm and sure,
620

Then never will I fail thee, O my Queen!
620

But I will show the casket as it is

To whom I bear it, and in faithfulness

Add all the words thou sendest in fit place.

DÊ

Go, then, at once. Thou hast full cognizance

How things within the palace are preserved?
625

LICH

I know, and will declare. There is no flaw.

DÊ

Methinks thou knowest too, for thou hast seen,

My kind reception of the stranger-maid?

LICH

I saw, and was amazed with heart-struck joy.

DÊ

What more is there to tell?—Too rash, I fear,
630

Were thy report of longing on my part,

Till we can learn if we be longed for there.

CHORUS
CHORUS .

German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 531 focus

Indeß der Fremdling an die kriegsgefangnen Frgu'n
520

Im Haus, ihr Lieben, scheidend spricht sein leztes Wort,

Indessen trat ich ingeheim zu euch heraus,

Um euch zu melden, was ich schlau bereitete,

Und laut vor euch zu klagen, was ich leiden muß.

Denn keine Jungfrau, mein' ich mehr, ein Eheweib
525

Nahm ich in's Haus mir, eine Last, dem Schiffer gleich,¹

Die mir zur Schmach erworben mein treuliebend Herz.

Und nun zu zweien harren wir in Einem Bett,

Zu ruh'n in seinen Armen! Dies gab Herakles,

Der uns der Edle, Treue stets geheißen war,
530

Zum Lohne mir für seines Hauses lange Hut.

Zwar Groll zu hegen wider ihn vermag ich nicht,

Daß dieser Krankheit süßes Weh ihn oft befällt;

Doch auch zu wohnen ihr vereint, den Einen Bund

Mit ihr zu theilen, welche Frau vermöchte das?
535

Ich sehe, wie die Jugend ihr fortblühend wächst,

Und mir dahinwelkt; lüstern hascht das Auge sich

Die Blume jener, und von mir entflieht es scheu.

So muß ich fürchten, mein Gemahl wird Herakles

Fortan geheißen und der Mann der jüngern Frau.
540

Doch selbst erklärt' ich eben, Groll zu nähren ziemt

Niemals dem klugen Weibe; drum verkünd' ich euch,

Ihr Lieben, was mich lösen kann von diesem Leid.

Vor langer Zeit schon wurde mir ein alt Geschenk

Vom alten Unthier, das ein eh'rner Krug bewahrt,
545

Das ich, ein zartes Mädchen noch, vom sterbenden

Behaarten Nessos einst empfing aus seinem Blut.

Er trug um Lohn die Wand'rer durch des strudelnden

Euenos Tiefen auf dem Arm, kein förderndes²

Schiffsruder schwingend, noch die Segel ausgespannt.
550

So trug er mich auch, als des Vaters Machtgebot

Mich einst als Gattin folgen hieß dem Herakles,

Auf seinen Schultern, und in Stromes Mitte fällt

Er mich mit frechen Händen an, hell schrie ich auf,

Und ohne Säumen wandte sich Zeus' Sohn und schoß
555

Den Flügelpfeil ab: rauschend fuhr er durch die Brust

In seine Lungen. Im Verscheiden sprach darauf

Das Ungethüm: des greisen Deneus Tochter du,

Noch großen Vortheil hast du, wenn du mir gehorchst,

Durch meine Fahrt hier, daß ich dich als lezte trug.
560

Denn wenn von meiner Wunde du verdicktes Blut³

Auffängst an jener Stelle, wo der Pfeil mich traf,

Den gallichtschwarz des Lerna Drachenblut getränkt:

So wird es dir für deines Gatten Herz, o Frau,

Ein Zauber werden, daß er nie ein andres Weib
565

Fortan getreuer lieben wird an deiner Statt.

Hieran gedacht' ich, (denn im Haus, o Freundinnen,

War's wohlverschlossen aufbewahrt seit Nessos' Tod,)

Und nezte dieses Unterkleid und ordnete,

Was er geboten. Und vollbracht ist Alles schon.
570

Wohl möcht' ich arger Künste nicht erfahren sein,

Noch je sie lernen; wer sie wagt, ist mir verhaßt:

Doch, kann ich diese Dirne durch Bezauberung,

Durch Liebesbann bei'm Gatten überwältigen,

Dann ist das Werk vollendet, wenn's euch etwa nicht
575

Ein eitles Werk scheint; anders lass' ich ab davon.

Der Chor.

Wohl, wenn Vertrauen irgend ist bei dieser That,

Scheint uns der Plan nicht übel, den du ausgedacht.

Deianeira.

Ich habe wohl Vertrauen; doch es gründet sich

Auf bloßen Glauben, kein Versuch erprobt' es noch.
580

Der Chor.

So mußt du handeln, weil du, wenn auch glaubend, dir

Doch keine Kenntniß unversucht gewinnen kannst.

Deianeira.

Wir werden's bald erfahren; denn ich sehe schon

Ihn vor dem Hausthor; ungesäumt erscheint er hier.

Nur mein Geheimniß berget wohl; Schmachvolles auch,
585

Verübtest du's im Dunkel, bringt dir keine Schmach.

Lichas. Die Vorigen.

Lichas.

Was soll ich thun? Kind des Deneus, sage mir's:

Denn schon verspätet säumen wir die lange Zeit.

Deianeira.

Dir das zu sagen, säumt auch ich schon lange hier,

Index du sprachst im Hause mit den fremden Frau'n:
590

Du sollst, o Lichas, dieses feingewobne Kleid

Dem Manne bringen als Geschenk von meiner Hand.

Doch ihm es reichend, sage, daß kein Sterblicher

Eh' als er selber sich damit umhüllen soll,⁴

Und daß es weder schauen soll der Sonne Strahl,
595

Noch heil'ger Altar, noch des Herdes Feuerglanz,

Bevor er selbst es offen, öffentlich geseh'n,

Am Tag der Stieresopfer frei den Göttern zeigt.

Denn so gelobt' ich: säh' ich oder hört' ich einst,

Er sei nach Haus gerettet, woll' ich nach Gebühr
600

Mit dem Gewand ihn schmücken, und den Göttern ihn

Als Opferpriester zeigen neu im neuen Kleid.

Davon ein Zeichen bringst du, das er leicht erkennt,

Sobald er dieses Siegels Ning in's Auge faßt.

Nun geh' und erstens halte mir die Regel fest,
605

Als Bote nicht zu fröhnen eitler Neubegier;

Dann sorge, daß sich seine Gunst und meine Gunst

Zum Doppeldanke gegen dich vereinige.

Lichas.

Ja, wenn ich anders meine Kunst in Hermes' Hut⁵

Wohl übe, werd' ich keinen Fehl an dir begehn:
610

Ich überbringe, wie es ist, ihm dies Gefäß,

Und füge treu die Worte, die du sprachst, hinzu.

Deianeira.

Nun magst du hingeh'n: ist es dir doch wohlbekannt,

Wie dort die Sachen alle steh'n in unserm Haus.

Lichas.

Ich weiß und werde sagen, daß es glücklich steht.
615

Deianeira.

Auch weißt du denn du sahst es ja - wie liebevoll

Von mir die fremde Dirne jüngst empfangen ward.

Lichas.

Daß frohes Staunen meine Brust durchschütterte.

Deianeira.

Was kannst du sonst noch sagen? Bangt mir doch, du wirst

Von meiner Sehnsucht früher ihm verkündigen,
620

Bevor dir kund ist, ob auch er nach mir sich sehnt.

(Lichas und Deianeira nach verschiedenen Seiten ab. Der Chor bleibt allein zurück.) Erste Strophe.

Der Chor.

English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 531 focus

'Tis my resolve to act as thou advisest.

I'll not resist the gods, nor add fresli weight

To my calamity. Let us go in.

That thou mayst bear my orders to Alcides,

And with them gifts in kind return for those

We have received from him. Thou must not hcn

With empty hand, who hither broughtst to me

Such noble presents and so fair a train. [Exeunt.

Thee, Venus, gods and men obey,

And universal is thy sway ;

Need I recount the powers subdued by love?

Neptune, who shakes the solid ground.

The king of Erebus profound,

Or, the great lord of all, Saturnian Jove ?

To mortals let the song descend,

To pity our afflicted friend.

And soothe the injurd Deianira's woes :

For her the angry rivals came.
535

For her they felt an equal flame,
535

For her, behold ! the doubtful battle glows.
535

In dreadful majesty arrayed,
535

Affrighting sore the fearful maid.

Uprose the horned monarch of the flood ;

He who through fair ^tolia's plain

Pours his rich tribute to the main :

A bull's tremendous form belied the god ;

From his own Thebes, to win her love,

With him the happier son of Jove,

The great Alcides came, and in his hand

The club, the bow, and glittering spear ;

Whilst Venus, to her votaries near,

Waved o'er their heads her all-deciding wand.

Epode.

Warm and more warm the conflict grows.

Dire was the noise of rattling bows.

Of front to front opposed, and hand to hand ;

Deep was the animated strife

For love, for conquest, and for life ;
540

Alternate groans re-echoed thro' the land :
540

Whilst pensive on the distant shore
540

She heard the doubtful battle roar,
540

Many a sad tear the hapless virgin shed ;

Far from her tender mother's arms.

She knows not yet for whom her charms

She keeps, or who shall share her bridal bed.

Deianira
Scene V. Strophe. Antistrophe. \Ex,cunL ACT III. Scene I.

Chorus.

Deianira

My guest, in pity to the captive train,
590

Laments their woes, and takes his kind farewell ;
590

Meantime, my friends, in secret came I here
590

To pour forth all my miseries, and impart
590

To you my inmost thoughts — my last resolve.
590

Alas ! within these walls I have received,
590

Like the poor sailor, an unhappy freight
590

To sink me down : no virgin, but a wife —
590

The wife of my Alcides ; his loved arms
590

Now must embrace us both. My faithful lord —
590

Faithful and good I thought him — thus rewards
590

My tender cares, and all the tedious toils
590

I suffered for him ; but I will be calm,
590

For 'tis an evil I have felt before.
590

And yet to live with her ! with her to share
590

My husband's bed ! What woman can support it?
590

Her youth is stealing onward to its prime.
590

Whilst mine is withered ; and the eye which longs
590

To pluck the opening flower from the dry leaf
590

Will turn aside. Her younger charms, I fear,
590

Have conquered, and henceforth in name alone
590

Shall Deianira be Alcides' wife.
590

But ill do rage and violence become
590

The prudent matron ; therefore, mark me well,
590

And hear what I have purposed to relieve
590

My troubled heart. Within a brazen urn,
590

Concealed from every eye, I long have kept
590

That ancient gift which Nessus did bequeath me —
590

The hoary centaur, who was wont for hire
590

To bear the traveller o'er the rapid flood
590

Of deep Evenus. Not with oars or sail

He stemmed the torrent, but with nervous arm

Opposed and passed it. Me, when first a bride

I left my father's hospitable roof

With my Alcides, in his arms he bore

Athwart the current ; half way o'er, he dared

To offer vi.olence. I shrieked aloud.

When lo ! the son of Jove, his bow swift bent,

Sent forth a shaft and pierced the monster's breast,

Who with his dying voice did thus address me :

" Daughter of CEneus, listen to my words.

So shalt thou profit by the last sad journey

Which I shall ever go. If in thy hand

Thou take the drops outflowing from the wound

This arrow made, dipped in the envenomed blood

Of the Lernaean hydra, with that charm

Mayst thou subdue the heart of thy Alcides,

Nor shall another ever gain his love."

Mindful of this, my friends — for from that hour

In secret have I kept the precious gift —

Behold a garment, dipped i' th' very blood.

He gave me ; nor did I forget to add

What he enjoined, but have prepared it all.

I know no evil arts, nor would I learn them.

For they who practise such are hateful to me.

I only wish the charm may be of power

To win Alcides from this virgin's love,

And bring him back to Deianira's arms,

If he shall deem it lawful, but if not

I'll go no farther.

Chorus

Could we be assurec^

Such is indeed th' eflfect, 'tis well determined.

TPACHINIjE,

Deianira

I cannot but believe it, tliough as yet

Experience never hath confirmed it to me.

Ciioii. Thou shouldst be certain ; thou but seemst to
595

know

If thou hast never tried.

Deianira

I'll try it soon.
600

For see e'en now he comes out at the portal :
600

Let him not know our purpose. If the deed

Be wrong, concealment may prevent reproach ;

Therefore be silent.

Lichas
Scene II.

Deianira, Chorus.

Lie. Speak thy last commands,

Daughter of CEneus, for already long

Have we delayed our journey.

Deianira

Know then, Lichas,

That whilst thou commun'dst with thy friends, myself

Have hither brought a garment which I wove

For my Alcides ; thou must bear it to him.

Tell him, no mortal must with touch profane

Pollute the sacred gift, nor sun behold it,

Nor holy temple, nor domestic hearth,

Ere at the altar of paternal Jove

Himself shall wear it. 'Twas my solemn vow

Whene'er he should return, that, clothed in this,

He to the gods should offer sacrifice.
625

Bear too this token : he will know it well.
625

Away ! Remember to perform thy office,
625

But go no farther, so shall double praise
625

And favour from us both reward thy duty.
625

Lie. If I have aught of skill, by Hermes right
625

Instructed in his art, I will not fail
625

To bear thy gift, and faithful to report
625

What thou hast said.
625

Deianira

Begone ! What here hath passeO

Thou knowst.

Lie. I do, and shall bear back the news

That all is well.

Deianira

Thou art thyself a witness
630

How kindly I received the guest he sent me.

Lie. It filled my heart with pleasure to behold it.

Deianira

English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 531 focus

My mandates; for his presents in return

I shall send presents; these too thou shalt bear;

Not to send something by thee were unjust,

Who camest attended with a splendid train.

Chorus
STRO

If thou hast aught of confidence in deeds

Like this, we judge that thou hast purposed well.

Deianira

My confidence is only such as gives
590

Strength to opinion, not assured by proof.

Chorus

Then put it to the proof; opinion else,

Though built on reason, no assurance yields.

Deianira

We soon shall know, for Lichas from the gate

I see advance; he quickly will be here.
595

Only be secret; for e'en shameful things

In dark concealment are secured from shame.

Lichas
LICHAS, DEIANIRA, CHORUS.

Daughter of Eneus, give me thy commands;

Too long already I have linger'd here.

Deianira

Lichas, in this my care hath been employ'd,
600

Whilst converse with the strangers thou hast held,
600

That thou may'st bear this beauteous-woven vest,
600

Wrought by my hands, a present to thy lord.
600

This give him, with a charge that but himself
600

No mortal in it proudly be array'd;
600

Nor ever let the sun's resplendent beam
600

Behold it, nor the altar's sacred flame,

Nor the bright-blazing hearth, till he shall stand

In public view, and show it to the gods,

When on some solemn day the victim bleeds:

For such my vow, if e'er I saw or heard

That he return'd in safety, with this robe

To deck his person, that before the gods

Gorgeous in new attire he might appear,

And offer sacrifice. Bear this, in proof

I gave such charge; my signet he will know.

Now go, and take good heed not to presume

Beyond thy orders; so shalt thou obtain

A double meed, my favour and thy lord's.

Lichas

The duty of an herald it is mine
620

With firmness to discharge; nor e'er to thee

Will I be false; but, as it is, present

This chest, and faithfully relate thy words,

Deianira

Go then: the state of my domestic charge

Lichas

Thou know'st.

I know it, Lady, and shall say

That all things by thy prudent care are safe.

Deianira

Thou know'st, for thou hast seen, how I received

This stranger, with what friendly courtesy.

Lichas

I saw it, and my heart was rapt with joy.

Deianira

Is there aught else I wish thee to relate?
630

My love to him, I fear, thou may'st report,

Ere of his love to me I am assured.

Chorus
STRO. 1.

English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 531-630 focus

Enter Deianeira.

Deianeira

Dear friends, while our guest is saying his farewell to the captive girls in the house, I have stolen away partly to tell you what these hands have devised,

and partly to grieve over my sufferings in your company.
I have received a maiden—or, I believe, no longer a maiden, but an experienced woman—into my home, just as a mariner takes on cargo, a merchandise to wreck my peace of mind. And now we are two, a pair waiting under
535

a single bedspread for one man’s embrace. Such is the reward that Heracles has sent me—he whom I called true and loyal—for guarding his home through all that long time. I do not know how to be angry with him, even though he is infected with this disease.
540

But, then again, to live with her, sharing the same marriage—what woman could endure it? For I see that the flower of her youth is blossoming, while mine is fading. The eyes of men love to pluck off the bloom of youth, but they turn their steps from the old.
545

On this account I am afraid lest Heracles, in name my husband, should be the younger woman’s man.
But, as I said, anger brings shame to a woman of understanding. I will tell you, my friends, the way by which I will have deliverance and relief.
550

I had a gift, an old one given to me by a monster of long ago, and kept it hidden in a bronze urn. While yet a girl, I took this gift from the shaggy-chested Nessus—from his lifeblood, as he lay dying. He is the one who used to carry men
555

in his arms for hire across the deep current of the Evenus, using no oar for conveyance, nor ship’s sail. He carried me, too, on his shoulders, when at my father’s sending, I first departed with Heracles as his wife. When I was in midstream,
560

he touched me with lewd hands. I shrieked, and straightaway the son of Zeus turned round and with his hands shot a feathered arrow that whistled right through his chest to the lungs. As he passed away the monster spoke these few words: “Child of aged Oeneus,
565

you will have this benefit from my ferrying, if you obey me, since you were the last whom I carried. If you gather with your hands the blood clotted round my wound, at the place where the Hydra, Lerna ’s monstrous growth, imbued the arrow with black gall,
570

you will have a charm for the heart of Heracles, so that he will never look upon any woman and love her more than you.”
Remembering this charm, my friends—for, after his death, I had kept it carefully locked up in the house—
575

I have imbued this robe with it, applying to it all that he instructed while he lived. The work is finished. May deeds of wicked daring always be far from my thoughts and from my knowledge, as I detest the women who attempt them! But if in any way I may prevail against this girl by love-spells
580

and the charms used on Heracles, the means to that end have been devised—unless I seem to be acting rashly. If so, I will stop immediately.
585

588

Chorus

On the contrary. If there is any reason for confidence in these actions, we think that your plan is not wrong.

Deianeira

My reason for confidence is this: there is the appearance of success in the plan. But the proof I have not yet essayed.
590

Chorus

Your knowledge must come after you act. For you can have no test which is not fanciful except by making the attempt.

Deianeira

Well, we shall know shortly, for there I see the man

already at the doors. He will soon depart. Only I ask that I may be well sheltered by you! When you accomplish even shameful deeds under the cover of darkness, you will never fall into disgrace.
595

Enter Lichas.

Lichas

What are your instructions? Tell me, daughter of Oeneus, for already I am tardy because of my long stay.

600

Deianeira

In fact I have just been seeing to this very thing for you, Lichas, while you were addressing the foreign women in the house: take for me this long robe, prepared by my own hand, a gift to my absent husband. Give it to him and tell him to be sure that no man
600

puts it on his body before him and that it not be seen by the light of the sun, nor by the sacred precinct, nor by the blaze at the hearth, until he stands conspicuous before all eyes and shows it clearly to the gods on a day for the sacrifice of bulls.
605

For so had I vowed, that if I should ever see or hear that he had come safely home, I would dutifully adorn him with this robe and reveal him to the god as a new sacrificer in new garb. As proof of your commission you will carry a token which he will easily recognize
610

within the circle of this seal.
Now go; and first, observe the rule that messengers should be unwilling to act out of line, and second, see to it that my thanks may be joined to his, doubling the gratitude you earn.
615

620

Lichas

If I practice Hermes’ art of heraldry with any skill, I certainly will never slip up while doing your errand. I will not fail to carry and present this chest in the same condition, nor to add to it the proper assurance of the reasons which you have for sending it.
620

Deianeira

You may go now, for you know well

how things are with us in the house.
625

Lichas

I know and will report that all is well.

Deianeira

And you know, further, from your own eyes my greeting to the foreign girl, how I welcomed her warmly.

Lichas

So much so that my heart was struck with joy.

Deianeira

What more, then, is there for you to tell him? I am afraid that it would be too soon to speak of the longing on my part, before I know if I am longed for there. Exit Lichas on one side and Deianeira into the house.
630

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ΧΟ.

ἀλλ᾽ εἴ τις ἥτις εἴ τις ἐστὶ πίστις ἐν τοῖς δρωμένοις, δοκεῖς παρ᾿ ἡμῖν οὐ βεβουλεῦσθαι κακῶς.

ΔΗ. οὕτως ἔχει γ' ἡ πίστις, ὡς τὸ μὲν δοκεῖν 590 ἔνεστι, πείρᾳ δ᾽ οὐ προσωμίλησά πω.

ΧΟ. ἀλλ᾽ εἰδέναι χρὴ δρῶσαν, ὡς οὐδ᾽ εἰ δοκεῖς οὐδοκεῖσ οὐδ᾽ εἰ δοκεῖς ἔχειν, ἔχοις ἂν γνῶμα ἄγνωμα τὸ γνῶμα ἂν γνῶμα, μὴ πειρωμένη.

ΛΙ. τί χρὴ ποιεῖν ποεῖν; σήμαινε, τέκνον Οἰνέως, ὡς ἐσμὲν ἤδη τῷ μακρῷ χρόνῳ βραδεῖς.

ΔΗ.

ἀλλ᾽ αὐτὰ δή σοι ταῦτα καὶ πράσσω, Λίχα, 600 ἕως σὺ ταῖς ταῖς ἔσωθεν ἠγορῶ ξέναις, ὅπως φέρῃς μοι τόνδε γ'᾿ εὐϋφῆ τόνδε γ᾽ εὐυφῆ πέπλον,

ΛΙ.

ΔΗ. στείχοις ἂν ἤδη. καὶ γὰρ ἐξεπίστασαι τά γ'᾽ ἐν δόμοισιν ὡς ἔχοντα τυγχάνει τυγχάνει.. 625

ΛΙ. ἐπίσταμαί τε καὶ φράσω σεσωσμένα.

ΔΗ. ἀλλ᾽ οἶσθα μὲν δὴ καὶ τὰ τῆς ξένης ὁρῶν προσδέγματ᾽, αὐτήν θ᾽ om. ὡς ἐδεξάμην φίλως.

ΛΙ. ὥστ᾽ ἐκπλαγῆναι τοὐμὸν ἡδονῇ κέαρ.

ΔΗ. τί δῆτ᾽ ἂν ἄλλο γ' ἐννέποις; δέδοικα γὰρ 630 μὴ πρῷ πρῶι πρῶι πρῶτον λέγοις ἂν τὸν πόθον τὸν ἐξ ἐμοῦ, πρὶν εἰδέναι τἀκεῖθεν τὰ κεῖθεν εἰ ποθούμεθα.

ΧΟ.

Χορός ἀλλʼ εἴ τις ἐστὶ πίστις ἐν τοῖς δρωμένοις, δοκεῖς παρʼ ἡμῖν οὐ βεβουλεῦσθαι κακῶς.

Δηιάνειρα οὕτως ἔχει γʼ ἡ πίστις, ὡς τὸ μὲν δοκεῖν 590 ἔνεστι, πείρᾳ δʼ οὐ προσωμίλησά πω·

Χορός ἀλλʼ εἰδέναι χρὴ δρῶσαν, ὡς οὐδʼ εἰ δοκεῖς ἔχειν, ἔχοις ἂν γνῶμα, μὴ πειρωμένη.

Λίχας τί χρὴ ποεῖν; σήμαινε, τέκνον Οἰνέως, ὡς ἐσμὲν ἤδη τῷ μακρῷ χρόνῳ βραδεῖς.

Δηιάνειρα στείχοις ἂν ἤδη· καὶ γὰρ ἐξεπίστασαι τά γʼ ἐν δόμοισιν ὡς ἔχοντα τυγχάνει. 625

Λίχας ἐπίσταμαί τε καὶ φράσω σεσωσμένα.

Δηιάνειρα ἀλλʼ οἶσθα μὲν δὴ καὶ τὰ τῆς ξένης ὁρῶν προσδέγματʼ, αὐτὴν ὡς ἐδεξάμην φίλως.

Λίχας ὥστʼ ἐκπλαγῆναι τοὐμὸν ἡδονῇ κέαρ.

Δηιάνειρα τί δῆτʼ ἂν ἄλλο γʼ ἐννέποις; δέδοικα γὰρ 630 μὴ πρῲ λέγοις ἂν τὸν πόθον τὸν ἐξ ἐμοῦ, πρὶν εἰδέναι τἀκεῖθεν εἰ ποθούμεθα.

CH

If any ground of confidence approve Thine act, we cannot check thy counsel here.

DÊ My confidence is grounded on belief, 590 Though unconfirmed as yet by actual proof.

CH Well, do it and try. Assurance cannot come Till action bring experience after it.

DÊ The truth will soon be known. The man e’en now Is coming forth, and quickly will be there. 595 Screen ye but well my counsel. Doubtful deeds, Wrapt close, will not deliver us to shame.

LICH Enter LICHAS . Daughter of Oeneus, tell me thy commands. Already time rebukes our tardiness.

DÊ

LICH

If this my Hermes-craft be firm and sure, 620 Then never will I fail thee, O my Queen! 620 But I will show the casket as it is To whom I bear it, and in faithfulness Add all the words thou sendest in fit place.

DÊ Go, then, at once. Thou hast full cognizance How things within the palace are preserved? 625

LICH I know, and will declare. There is no flaw.

DÊ Methinks thou knowest too, for thou hast seen, My kind reception of the stranger-maid?

LICH I saw, and was amazed with heart-struck joy.

DÊ What more is there to tell?—Too rash, I fear, 630 Were thy report of longing on my part, Till we can learn if we be longed for there.

CHORUS CHORUS .

Der Chor.

Wohl, wenn Vertrauen irgend ist bei dieser That, Scheint uns der Plan nicht übel, den du ausgedacht.

Deianeira. Ich habe wohl Vertrauen; doch es gründet sich Auf bloßen Glauben, kein Versuch erprobt' es noch. 580

Der Chor. So mußt du handeln, weil du, wenn auch glaubend, dir Doch keine Kenntniß unversucht gewinnen kannst.

Deianeira. Wir werden's bald erfahren; denn ich sehe schon Ihn vor dem Hausthor; ungesäumt erscheint er hier. Nur mein Geheimniß berget wohl; Schmachvolles auch, 585 Verübtest du's im Dunkel, bringt dir keine Schmach. Lichas. Die Vorigen.

Lichas. Was soll ich thun? Kind des Deneus, sage mir's: Denn schon verspätet säumen wir die lange Zeit.

Deianeira.

Lichas.

Ja, wenn ich anders meine Kunst in Hermes' Hut 5 Wohl übe, werd' ich keinen Fehl an dir begehn: 610 Ich überbringe, wie es ist, ihm dies Gefäß, Und füge treu die Worte, die du sprachst, hinzu.

Deianeira. Nun magst du hingeh'n: ist es dir doch wohlbekannt, Wie dort die Sachen alle steh'n in unserm Haus.

Lichas. Ich weiß und werde sagen, daß es glücklich steht. 615

Deianeira. Auch weißt du denn du sahst es ja - wie liebevoll Von mir die fremde Dirne jüngst empfangen ward.

Lichas. Daß frohes Staunen meine Brust durchschütterte.

Deianeira. Was kannst du sonst noch sagen? Bangt mir doch, du wirst Von meiner Sehnsucht früher ihm verkündigen, 620 Bevor dir kund ist, ob auch er nach mir sich sehnt. (Lichas und Deianeira nach verschiedenen Seiten ab. Der Chor bleibt allein zurück.) Erste Strophe.

Der Chor.

Deianira Scene V. Strophe. Antistrophe. \Ex,cunL ACT III. Scene I.

Chorus.

Chorus Could we be assurec^ Such is indeed th' eflfect, 'tis well determined. TPACHINIjE,

Deianira I cannot but believe it, tliough as yet Experience never hath confirmed it to me. Ciioii. Thou shouldst be certain ; thou but seemst to 595 know If thou hast never tried.

Deianira

I'll try it soon. 600 For see e'en now he comes out at the portal : 600 Let him not know our purpose. If the deed Be wrong, concealment may prevent reproach ; Therefore be silent.

Lichas Scene II.

Deianira, Chorus.

Lie. Speak thy last commands, Daughter of CEneus, for already long Have we delayed our journey.

Deianira Begone ! What here hath passeO Thou knowst. Lie. I do, and shall bear back the news That all is well.

Deianira Thou art thyself a witness 630 How kindly I received the guest he sent me. Lie. It filled my heart with pleasure to behold it.

Deianira

My mandates; for his presents in return I shall send presents; these too thou shalt bear; Not to send something by thee were unjust, Who camest attended with a splendid train.

Chorus STRO

If thou hast aught of confidence in deeds Like this, we judge that thou hast purposed well.

Deianira My confidence is only such as gives 590 Strength to opinion, not assured by proof.

Chorus Then put it to the proof; opinion else, Though built on reason, no assurance yields.

Deianira We soon shall know, for Lichas from the gate I see advance; he quickly will be here. 595 Only be secret; for e'en shameful things In dark concealment are secured from shame.

Lichas LICHAS, DEIANIRA, CHORUS. Daughter of Eneus, give me thy commands; Too long already I have linger'd here.

Deianira

Lichas

The duty of an herald it is mine 620 With firmness to discharge; nor e'er to thee Will I be false; but, as it is, present This chest, and faithfully relate thy words,

ἀλλ᾽ εἴ τις ἥτις εἴ τις ἐστὶ πίστις ἐν τοῖς δρωμένοις,

δοκεῖς παρ᾿ ἡμῖν οὐ βεβουλεῦσθαι κακῶς.

ΔΗ.

οὕτως ἔχει γ' ἡ πίστις, ὡς τὸ μὲν δοκεῖν
590

ἔνεστι, πείρᾳ δ᾽ οὐ προσωμίλησά πω.

ΧΟ.

ἀλλ᾽ εἰδέναι χρὴ δρῶσαν, ὡς οὐδ᾽ εἰ δοκεῖς οὐδοκεῖσ οὐδ᾽ εἰ δοκεῖς

ἔχειν, ἔχοις ἂν γνῶμα ἄγνωμα τὸ γνῶμα ἂν γνῶμα, μὴ πειρωμένη.

ΛΙ.

τί χρὴ ποιεῖν ποεῖν; σήμαινε, τέκνον Οἰνέως,

ὡς ἐσμὲν ἤδη τῷ μακρῷ χρόνῳ βραδεῖς.

ἀλλ᾽ αὐτὰ δή σοι ταῦτα καὶ πράσσω, Λίχα,
600

ἕως σὺ ταῖς ταῖς ἔσωθεν ἠγορῶ ξέναις,

ὅπως φέρῃς μοι τόνδε γ'᾿ εὐϋφῆ τόνδε γ᾽ εὐυφῆ πέπλον,

ΔΗ.

στείχοις ἂν ἤδη. καὶ γὰρ ἐξεπίστασαι

τά γ'᾽ ἐν δόμοισιν ὡς ἔχοντα τυγχάνει τυγχάνει..
625

ΛΙ.

ἐπίσταμαί τε καὶ φράσω σεσωσμένα.

ΔΗ.

ἀλλ᾽ οἶσθα μὲν δὴ καὶ τὰ τῆς ξένης ὁρῶν

προσδέγματ᾽, αὐτήν θ᾽ om. ὡς ἐδεξάμην φίλως.

ΛΙ.

ὥστ᾽ ἐκπλαγῆναι τοὐμὸν ἡδονῇ κέαρ.

ΔΗ.

τί δῆτ᾽ ἂν ἄλλο γ' ἐννέποις; δέδοικα γὰρ
630

μὴ πρῷ πρῶι πρῶι πρῶτον λέγοις ἂν τὸν πόθον τὸν ἐξ ἐμοῦ,

πρὶν εἰδέναι τἀκεῖθεν τὰ κεῖθεν εἰ ποθούμεθα.

Χορός

ἀλλʼ εἴ τις ἐστὶ πίστις ἐν τοῖς δρωμένοις,

δοκεῖς παρʼ ἡμῖν οὐ βεβουλεῦσθαι κακῶς.

Δηιάνειρα

οὕτως ἔχει γʼ ἡ πίστις, ὡς τὸ μὲν δοκεῖν
590

ἔνεστι, πείρᾳ δʼ οὐ προσωμίλησά πω·

Χορός

ἀλλʼ εἰδέναι χρὴ δρῶσαν, ὡς οὐδʼ εἰ δοκεῖς

ἔχειν, ἔχοις ἂν γνῶμα, μὴ πειρωμένη.

Λίχας

τί χρὴ ποεῖν; σήμαινε, τέκνον Οἰνέως,

ὡς ἐσμὲν ἤδη τῷ μακρῷ χρόνῳ βραδεῖς.

Δηιάνειρα

στείχοις ἂν ἤδη· καὶ γὰρ ἐξεπίστασαι

τά γʼ ἐν δόμοισιν ὡς ἔχοντα τυγχάνει.
625

Λίχας

ἐπίσταμαί τε καὶ φράσω σεσωσμένα.

Δηιάνειρα

ἀλλʼ οἶσθα μὲν δὴ καὶ τὰ τῆς ξένης ὁρῶν

προσδέγματʼ, αὐτὴν ὡς ἐδεξάμην φίλως.

Λίχας

ὥστʼ ἐκπλαγῆναι τοὐμὸν ἡδονῇ κέαρ.

Δηιάνειρα

τί δῆτʼ ἂν ἄλλο γʼ ἐννέποις; δέδοικα γὰρ
630

μὴ πρῲ λέγοις ἂν τὸν πόθον τὸν ἐξ ἐμοῦ,

πρὶν εἰδέναι τἀκεῖθεν εἰ ποθούμεθα.

If any ground of confidence approve

Thine act, we cannot check thy counsel here.

DÊ

My confidence is grounded on belief,
590

Though unconfirmed as yet by actual proof.

CH

Well, do it and try. Assurance cannot come

Till action bring experience after it.

DÊ

The truth will soon be known. The man e’en now

Is coming forth, and quickly will be there.
595

Screen ye but well my counsel. Doubtful deeds,

Wrapt close, will not deliver us to shame.

LICH
Enter LICHAS .

Daughter of Oeneus, tell me thy commands.

Already time rebukes our tardiness.

If this my Hermes-craft be firm and sure,
620

Then never will I fail thee, O my Queen!
620

But I will show the casket as it is

To whom I bear it, and in faithfulness

Add all the words thou sendest in fit place.

DÊ

Go, then, at once. Thou hast full cognizance

How things within the palace are preserved?
625

LICH

I know, and will declare. There is no flaw.

DÊ

Methinks thou knowest too, for thou hast seen,

My kind reception of the stranger-maid?

LICH

I saw, and was amazed with heart-struck joy.

DÊ

What more is there to tell?—Too rash, I fear,
630

Were thy report of longing on my part,

Till we can learn if we be longed for there.

CHORUS
CHORUS .

Wohl, wenn Vertrauen irgend ist bei dieser That,

Scheint uns der Plan nicht übel, den du ausgedacht.

Deianeira.

Ich habe wohl Vertrauen; doch es gründet sich

Auf bloßen Glauben, kein Versuch erprobt' es noch.
580

Der Chor.

So mußt du handeln, weil du, wenn auch glaubend, dir

Doch keine Kenntniß unversucht gewinnen kannst.

Deianeira.

Wir werden's bald erfahren; denn ich sehe schon

Ihn vor dem Hausthor; ungesäumt erscheint er hier.

Nur mein Geheimniß berget wohl; Schmachvolles auch,
585

Verübtest du's im Dunkel, bringt dir keine Schmach.

Lichas. Die Vorigen.

Lichas.

Was soll ich thun? Kind des Deneus, sage mir's:

Denn schon verspätet säumen wir die lange Zeit.

Ja, wenn ich anders meine Kunst in Hermes' Hut⁵

Wohl übe, werd' ich keinen Fehl an dir begehn:
610

Ich überbringe, wie es ist, ihm dies Gefäß,

Und füge treu die Worte, die du sprachst, hinzu.

Deianeira.

Nun magst du hingeh'n: ist es dir doch wohlbekannt,

Wie dort die Sachen alle steh'n in unserm Haus.

Lichas.

Ich weiß und werde sagen, daß es glücklich steht.
615

Deianeira.

Auch weißt du denn du sahst es ja - wie liebevoll

Von mir die fremde Dirne jüngst empfangen ward.

Lichas.

Daß frohes Staunen meine Brust durchschütterte.

Deianeira.

Was kannst du sonst noch sagen? Bangt mir doch, du wirst

Von meiner Sehnsucht früher ihm verkündigen,
620

Bevor dir kund ist, ob auch er nach mir sich sehnt.

(Lichas und Deianeira nach verschiedenen Seiten ab. Der Chor bleibt allein zurück.) Erste Strophe.

Deianira
Scene V. Strophe. Antistrophe. \Ex,cunL ACT III. Scene I.

Chorus

Could we be assurec^

Such is indeed th' eflfect, 'tis well determined.

TPACHINIjE,

Deianira

I cannot but believe it, tliough as yet

Experience never hath confirmed it to me.

Ciioii. Thou shouldst be certain ; thou but seemst to
595

know

If thou hast never tried.

I'll try it soon.
600

For see e'en now he comes out at the portal :
600

Let him not know our purpose. If the deed

Be wrong, concealment may prevent reproach ;

Therefore be silent.

Lichas
Scene II.

Lie. Speak thy last commands,

Daughter of CEneus, for already long

Have we delayed our journey.

Deianira

Begone ! What here hath passeO

Thou knowst.

Lie. I do, and shall bear back the news

That all is well.

Deianira

Thou art thyself a witness
630

How kindly I received the guest he sent me.

Lie. It filled my heart with pleasure to behold it.

My mandates; for his presents in return

I shall send presents; these too thou shalt bear;

Not to send something by thee were unjust,

Who camest attended with a splendid train.

Chorus
STRO

If thou hast aught of confidence in deeds

Like this, we judge that thou hast purposed well.

Deianira

My confidence is only such as gives
590

Strength to opinion, not assured by proof.

Chorus

Then put it to the proof; opinion else,

Though built on reason, no assurance yields.

Deianira

We soon shall know, for Lichas from the gate

I see advance; he quickly will be here.
595

Only be secret; for e'en shameful things

In dark concealment are secured from shame.

Lichas
LICHAS, DEIANIRA, CHORUS.

Daughter of Eneus, give me thy commands;

Too long already I have linger'd here.

The duty of an herald it is mine
620

With firmness to discharge; nor e'er to thee

Will I be false; but, as it is, present

This chest, and faithfully relate thy words,

Deianira

Go then: the state of my domestic charge

Lichas

Thou know'st.

I know it, Lady, and shall say

That all things by thy prudent care are safe.

Deianira

Thou know'st, for thou hast seen, how I received

This stranger, with what friendly courtesy.

Lichas

I saw it, and my heart was rapt with joy.

Deianira

Is there aught else I wish thee to relate?
630

My love to him, I fear, thou may'st report,

Ere of his love to me I am assured.

Chorus
STRO. 1.

Chorus

On the contrary. If there is any reason for confidence in these actions, we think that your plan is not wrong.

Deianeira

My reason for confidence is this: there is the appearance of success in the plan. But the proof I have not yet essayed.
590

Chorus

Your knowledge must come after you act. For you can have no test which is not fanciful except by making the attempt.

Deianeira

Well, we shall know shortly, for there I see the man

already at the doors. He will soon depart. Only I ask that I may be well sheltered by you! When you accomplish even shameful deeds under the cover of darkness, you will never fall into disgrace.
595

Lichas

What are your instructions? Tell me, daughter of Oeneus, for already I am tardy because of my long stay.

Lichas

If I practice Hermes’ art of heraldry with any skill, I certainly will never slip up while doing your errand. I will not fail to carry and present this chest in the same condition, nor to add to it the proper assurance of the reasons which you have for sending it.
620

Deianeira

You may go now, for you know well

how things are with us in the house.
625

Lichas

I know and will report that all is well.

Deianeira

And you know, further, from your own eyes my greeting to the foreign girl, how I welcomed her warmly.

Lichas

So much so that my heart was struck with joy.

Deianeira

What more, then, is there for you to tell him? I am afraid that it would be too soon to speak of the longing on my part, before I know if I am longed for there. Exit Lichas on one side and Deianeira into the house.
630