Fifth Episode
ἔτλα καὶ Δανάας οὐράνιον φῶς
945 ἀλλάξαι δέμας ἐν χαλκοδέτοις αὐλαῖς·
κρυπτομένα δʼ ἐν τυμβήρει θαλάμῳ κατεζεύχθη·
καίτοι καὶ γενεᾷ τίμιος, παῖ παῖ,
950 καὶ Ζηνὸς ταμιεύεσκε γονὰς χρυσορύτους.
ἀλλʼ μοιριδία τις δύνασις δεινά·
οὔτʼ ἄν νιν ὄλβος οὔτʼ Ἄρης, οὐ πύργος, οὐχ ἁλίκτυποι
κελαιναὶ νᾶες ἐκφύγοιεν.
955 ζεύχθη δʼ ὀξύχολος παῖς Δρύαντος,
Ἠδωνῶν βασιλεύς, κερτομίοις ὀργαῖς
ἐκ Διονύσου πετρώδει κατάφαρκτος ἐν δεσμῷ.
οὕτω τᾶς μανίας δεινὸν ἀποστάζει
960 ἀνθηρόν τε μένος. κεῖνος ἐπέγνω μανίαις
ψαύων τὸν θεὸν ἐν κερτομίοις γλώσσαις.
παύεσκε μὲν γὰρ ἐνθέους γυναῖκας εὔιόν τε πῦρ,
965 φιλαύλους τʼ ἠρέθιζε Μούσας.
παρὰ δὲ Κυανεᾶν πελάγει διδύμας ἁλὸς
ἀκταὶ Βοσπόριαι ἠδʼ Θρῃκῶν ἄξενος
970 Σαλμυδησσός, ἵνʼ ἀγχίπτολις Ἄρης
δισσοῖσι Φινεΐδαις
εἶδεν ἀρατὸν ἕλκος
τυφλωθὲν ἐξ ἀγρίας δάμαρτος
ἀλαὸν ἀλαστόροισιν ὀμμάτων κύκλοις
975 ἀραχθέντων, ὑφʼ αἱματηραῖς
χείρεσσι καὶ κερκίδων ἀκμαῖσιν.
κατὰ δὲ τακόμενοι μέλεοι μελέαν πάθαν
980 κλαῖον, ματρὸς ἔχοντες ἀνύμφευτον γονάν·
δὲ σπέρμα μὲν ἀρχαιογόνων
ἄντασʼ Ἐρεχθεϊδᾶν,
τηλεπόροις δʼ ἐν ἄντροις
τράφη θυέλλαισιν ἐν πατρῴαις
985 Βορεὰς ἅμιππος ὀρθόποδος ὑπὲρ πάγου
θεῶν παῖς. ἀλλὰ κἀπʼ ἐκείνᾳ
Μοῖραι μακραίωνες ἔσχον, παῖ.
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An open-access project
Jebb 1912
Loeb
Jebb, Cambridge, 1912 · 1912
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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