First Episode
Τέκμησσα
πῶς δῆτα λέγω λόγον ἄρρητον;
215 θανάτῳ γὰρ ἴσον βάρος ἐκπεύσει.
μανίᾳ γὰρ ἁλοὺς ἡμὶν κλεινὸς
νύκτερος Αἴας ἀπελωβήθη.
τοιαῦτʼ ἂν ἴδοις σκηνῆς ἔνδον
χειροδάϊκτα σφάγιʼ αἱμοβαφῆ,
220 κείνου χρηστήρια τἀνδρός.
οἵαν ἐδήλωσας ἀνέρος αἴθονος
ἀγγελίαν ἄτλατον οὐδὲ φευκτάν,
225 τῶν μεγάλων Δαναῶν ὕπο κλῃζομέναν,
τὰν μέγας μῦθος ἀέξει.
οἴμοι φοβοῦμαι τὸ προσέρπον· περίφαντος ἁνὴρ
230 θανεῖται, παραπλάκτῳ χερὶ συγκατακτὰς
κελαινοῖς ξίφεσιν βοτὰ καὶ βοτῆρας ἱππονώμας.
ὤμοι· κεῖθεν κεῖθεν ἄρʼ ἡμῖν
δεσμῶτιν ἄγων ἤλυθε ποίμνην·
235 ὧν τὴν μὲν ἔσω σφάζʼ ἐπὶ γαίας,
τὰ δὲ πλευροκοπῶν δίχʼ ἀνερρήγνυ.
δύο δʼ ἀργίποδας κριοὺς ἀνελὼν
τοῦ μὲν κεφαλὴν καὶ γλῶσσαν ἄκραν
ῥιπτεῖ θερίσας, τὸν δʼ ὀρθὸν ἄνω
240 κίονι δήσας
μέγαν ἱπποδέτην ῥυτῆρα λαβὼν
παίει λιγυρᾷ μάστιγι διπλῇ,
κακὰ δεννάζων ῥήμαθʼ, δαίμων
κοὐδεὶς ἀνδρῶν ἐδίδαξεν.
245 ὥρα τινʼ ἤδη τοι κρᾶτα καλύμμασι
κρυψάμενον ποδοῖν κλοπὰν ἀρέσθαι
θοὸν εἰρεσίας ζυγὸν ἑζόμενον
250 ποντοπόρῳ ναῒ μεθεῖναι.
τοίας ἐρέσσουσιν ἀπειλὰς δικρατεῖς Ἀτρεῖδαι
καθʼ ἡμῶν· πεφόβημαι λιθόλευστον Ἄρη
255 ξυναλγεῖν μετὰ τοῦδε τυπείς, τὸν αἶσʼ ἄπλατος ἴσχει.
οὐκέτι· λαμπρᾶς γὰρ ἄτερ στεροπῆς
ᾄξας ὀξὺς νότος ὣς λήγει,
καὶ νῦν φρόνιμος νέον ἄλγος ἔχει·
260 τὸ γὰρ ἐσλεύσσειν οἰκεῖα πάθη,
μηδενὸς ἄλλου παραπράξαντος,
μεγάλας ὀδύνας ὑποτείνει.
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An open-access project
Jebb 1913
Loeb
Jebb, Cambridge, 1913 · 1913
The Editor

Sir Richard Claverhouse Jebb (1841–1905) was one of the greatest Greek scholars in the English-speaking world. Regius Professor of Greek at Cambridge and Member of Parliament for the University, Jebb produced monumental commentaries on Sophocles (7 volumes, 1883–1896) that remain indispensable. His editions combined minute textual criticism with a profound sensitivity to Greek poetry and dramatic art.

About This Edition

Jebb's editions of Sophocles, published by Cambridge University Press, set a new standard for Greek dramatic commentary. Each play received a critical text, prose translation, and detailed commentary that addressed textual, linguistic, dramatic, and archaeological questions. Jebb's texts are conservative, preferring the manuscript tradition where defensible, and his commentary remains the starting point for serious study of each play. While the OCT by Lloyd-Jones and Wilson (1990) now provides the standard critical text, Jebb's commentary is still regularly consulted.

Translator

F. Storr (Loeb Classical Library)

Text Basis

Text based on Jebb's Cambridge edition. Storr translated for the Loeb Classical Library.

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