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
It is both mortifying and consoling to think that all the learning which
has been expended on this corrupt passage from Δίκα down to ἀυγαῖς,
brings out nothing more than what already lies in the old Scholiast. As
to the details of the text, I wish I could say, with the same confidence
as CON., that WELL. and HER.'s σύνορθρον ἀυγαῖς is a bit more
certain than FR.'s σύναρθρον ἀταις, which, however, I am inclined to
prefer, from its agreeing better with the general sombre hue of the ode.
Note 29 (p. 50).
"Ever swift
Though wingless, Fame."
ἄπτερος is an epithet by negation after a fashion not at all uncommon in
the Greek drama; the meaning being, _though fame is not a bird, and has
no wings, yet it flies as fast as if it had_. The idea that ἄπτερος is
the same as πτερωτὸς I agree with CON. is the mere expedient of
despair. I have not the slightest doubt that Rumour is called a
_wingless messenger_, just as Dust is called a _voiceless_ messenger in
the Seven against Thebes. SYM. is too subtle in explaining ἄπτερος
after the analogy of the beautiful simile in Virgil, Æneid V. 215, _so
swift as not to appear to move its wings_.
{342}
Note 30 (p. 51).
". . . He from Ida shot the spark."
The geographical mountain points in the following famous descriptive
passages are as follows: (1) Mount Ida, near Troy; (2) the Island of
Lemnos, in the Ægean, half-way between Asia and Europe, due West; (3)
Mount Athos, the South point of the most Easterly of the three peninsulas
that form the South part of Macedonia; (4) a station somewhere betwixt
Athos and Bœotia, which the poet has characterised only by the name of
the Watchman Macistus; (5) the Messapian Mount, West of Anthedon in the
North of Bœotia; (6) Mount Cithæron, in the South of Bœotia; (7) Mount
Aegiplanctus, between Megara and Corinth; (8) Mount Arachne, in Argolis,
between Tiryns and Epidaurus, not far from Argos.
Note 31 (p. 51).
". . . the forward strength
Of the far-travelling lamp strode gallantly."
I have not had the courage with SYM. to reject the πρὸς ἡδονὴν and
supply a verb. The phrase is not colloquial, as he says, but occurs, as
WELL. points out, in Prom. 492. MEDWYN has "crossing the breast of
ocean with a speed plumed by its joy." That there is some blunder in the
passage the want of a verb seems to indicate, but, with our present
means, it appears wise to let it alone; not, like FR., from a mere
conjecture, to introduce ἰχθῦς for ἰσχύς, and translate--
"Und fern hin dass der Wanderflamme heller Schein,
In lust die Fische auf des Meeres Rücken trieb."
Are we never to see an end of these extremely ingenious, but very useless
conjectures?
Note 32 (p. 51).
"Weaving the chain unbroken."
μη κατιζεσθαι--HEATH. The true reading not to be discovered.
Note 33 (p. 51).
". . . a mighty beard of flame."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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