The Lyrical Dramas of Aeschylus Translated into English VerseAeschylus
General
The Lyrical Dramas of Aeschylus Translated into English Verse
Aeschylus
Aeschylus -- Translations into English; Mythology, Greek -- Drama
The harbour of Aulis, opposite Euboea the district still called
_Ulike_--(Wordsworth's Athens and Attica, c. I.). In narrow passages of
the sea, as at Corryvreckan, on the west coast of Scotland, there are
apt to be strong eddies and currents; and this is specially noted of the
channel between Aulis and Chalcis, by Livy (XXVIII. 6. _haud facile alia
infestior classi statio est_) and other passages adduced by BUT. in
PEILE.
Note 22 (p. 49).
"Is the gods' right. So be it."
I am unable to see how the translation of this passage, given by SYM.
agrees with the context and with the spirit of Agamemnon's conduct, and
the view of it taken by the poet. SYM. says--
"They're not her parents; they may call aloud
For the dire rite to smoothe the stormy flood
All fierce and thirsty for a virgin's blood."
And DROYSEN, though more literally, says the same thing--"_Dass sie
das windstillende Sühnopfer, das jungfraüliche Blut heischen und
schreien, ist es denn recht? Nein, sieg das Gute!_" and Fr. also takes
θέμις out of Agamemnon's mouth, and gives it to the Greeks.
"_Finden sie recht. Zum Heil sey's!_" Perhaps the reason for preferring
this version with the Germans lies in giving too great a force and
prominence to the μετέγνω in the following strophe. But this may
refer only to the change of a father's instinctive feelings (expressed
by silence only in this ode) to the open resolution of making common
cause with the diviner and the chieftain.
Note 23 (p. 49).
". . . Unblissful blew the gale
That turned the father's heart."
These words include both the τροπαίαν and the μετέγνω of the original.
I join βρότους or βρότοις with the following clause, the sense being
the same according to either reading. The verb θρασύνει, according to
CON.'s very just reasoning, seems grammatically to require βρότους,
though FR. says, with a reference to Bernhardy, that βρότοις may be
defended. SYM. has given a translation altogether different; though
he admits that the sense given in my version, and in all the modern
versions, is the most obvious one. His objection to connecting βρότους
with the following sentence I do not understand.
Note 24 (p. 49).
". . . consecrate
His ships for Troy."
προτέλεια ναῶν, _First fruits_, literally, as SEW. has it, will
scarcely do here; "first piation of the wind-bound fleet" of SYM. is
very good. HUMB., DROY., and FR. all use _Weihe_ in different
combinations; a word which seems to suit the present passage very well,
and I have accordingly adopted the corresponding English term.
Note 25 (p. 49).
"Where prone and spent she lies."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account