DRAMATIS PERSONE. CEDIPUS.* PRIEST. CREON. CHORUS OF AGED THEBANS. TIRESIAS. JOCASTA. MESSENGER. SERVANT OF LAIUS. MESSENGER EXTRAORDINARY. * Arrian, ap. Stob. S. 97. 28. hints that both the Edipi were person ated by Polus, a distinguished actor, of whom Gellius makes mention, THE TRAGEDIES OF SOPHOCLES. LITERALLY TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH PROSE, THE THIRD EDITION IMPROVED. 216 NEW-YORK: WILLIAM JACKSON, 102 BROADWAY. M DCCC XXXVII. EDIPUS TYRANNUS. EDIPUS. My children, youthful brood of Cadmus the ancient, what can be [the meaning of] these sittings ye are hurrying* here before me, decorated with supplicatory branches? whilst the city is at the same time full-fraught with incense-offerings, and at the same time with both pæan-hymns and groanings. All which, I thinking it my duty to decline hearing from messengers, my children, have in person come hither; I, Edipus, titled by all the Illustrious. But, O aged man, say, since it naturally becomes thee to speak on behalf of these, in what mood ye stand affected; by fears, or by earnest wishes; since I would willingly give you every succour; for I were lost to sympathy, not to compassionate a meeting such as this. PRIEST. But, O Edipus, present sovereign of my country, us indeed thou beholdest, of what ages we are who sit as suppliants before thine altars here; some of us not yet of strength to wing our flight afar; others priests weighed down with old age, myself the priest of Jupiter; and others here the chosen of the youths: but the rest of the populace decked with branches, is seated in the market-places, and near both the shrines of Pallas, and at Ismenus' ashes of divination.§ For the city, * Ooάw, like the word by which it is here rendered, is both transitive and intransitive. † "AXλwv övrwv dyyéλwv is Erfurdt's interpretation; but Elmsley, unus omnium diligentissimus Attici sermonis scrutator, makes aλwv redundant. From the position of ¬ãσɩ it might not be improper to translate "the all-illustrious," with a construction like that of v. 40. See also Ed. Col. 1446. The altars alluded to were of various deities, placed by individuals before their houses, as patriotism or private gratitude might dictate. See the Curculio of Plautus, I, i, 7; Arist. Wasps, 875. § "Both the shrines." Minerva had a temple at Thebes in virtue of her name Oncæa, and another as Ismenia, which latter name Apollo also bore, and presided over an altar of burnt sacrifices. |