Humanitext Reader

Sophocles · Philoctetes §1239-1310

Neoptolemus Returns the Bow to Philoctetes

Passage 16 of 18 · Greek

Summary

Neoptolemus rejects Odysseus's threats and returns the bow to Philoctetes. After driving away the intervening Odysseus, Neoptolemus successfully restores the weapon to Philoctetes, proving his noble nature.

§1239ἀρχὴν κλύειν ἂν οὐδʼ ἅπαξ ἐβουλόμην.
In the first place, I did not wish to hear even once such a word.
§1240εὖ νῦν ἐπίστω πάντʼ ἀκηκοὼς λόγον.
Know well now, since you have heard the whole story.
§1241ἔστιν τις, ἔστιν ὅς σε κωλύσει τὸ δρᾶν.
There is someone, there is someone who will prevent you from doing it.
§1242τί φής;
What do you say?
τίς ἔσται μʼ οὑπικωλύσων τάδε;
Who will be the one to prevent me in this?
§1243ξύμπας Ἀχαιῶν λαός, ἐν δὲ τοῖς ἐγώ.
The entire host of the Achaeans, and I among them.
§1244σοφὸς πεφυκὼς οὐδὲν ἐξαυδᾷς σοφόν.
Though born wise, you utter nothing that is wise.
§1245σὺ δʼ οὔτε φωνεῖς οὔτε δρασείεις σοφά.
But you neither speak nor wish to do wise things.
§1246ἀλλʼ εἰ δίκαια, τῶν σοφῶν κρείσσω τάδε.
Yet if they are just, these things are better than wise ones.
§1247καὶ πῶς δίκαιον, ἅ γʼ ἔλαβες βουλαῖς ἐμαῖς, πάλιν μεθεῖναι ταῦτα;
And how is it just to give back those things which you took by my counsels?
§1248τὴν ἁμαρτίαν §1249αἰσχρὰν ἁμαρτὼν ἀναλαβεῖν πειράσομαι.
Having committed a shameful error, I shall try to undo it.
§1250στρατὸν δʼ Ἀχαιῶν οὐ φοβεῖ, πράσσων τάδε;
Are you not afraid of the army of the Achaeans, doing this?
§1251ξὺν τῷ δικαίῳ τὸν σὸν οὐ ταρβῶ φόβον.
With justice on my side, I do not fear your threat of terror.
§1252ἀλλʼ οὐδέ τοι σῇ χειρὶ πείθομαι τὸ δρᾶν.
But I do not submit to your hand to do this.
§1253οὔ τἄρα Τρωσίν, ἀλλὰ σοὶ μαχούμεθα.
Then it is not with the Trojans, but with you that we shall fight.
§1254ἴτω τὸ μέλλον.
Let the future come.
§1254aχεῖρα δεξιὰν ὁρᾷς §1255κώπης ἐπιψαύουσαν;
Do you see my right hand touching the hilt?
§1255aἀλλὰ κἀμέ τοι §1256ταὐτὸν τόδʼ ὄψει δρῶντα κοὐ μέλλοντʼ ἔτι.
But indeed me too you shall see doing the same, and no longer hesitating.
§1257καίτοι σʼ ἐάσω· τῷ δὲ σύμπαντι στρατῷ §1258λέξω τάδʼ ἐλθών, ὅς σε τιμωρήσεται.
And yet I shall let you be; but I will go and tell this to the entire army, which will punish you.
§1259ἐσωφρόνησας· κἂν τὰ λοίφʼ οὕτω φρονῇς, §1260ἴσως ἂν ἐκτὸς κλαυμάτων ἔχοις πόδα.
You have shown sense; and if you think thus for the future, perhaps you might keep your foot out of trouble.
§1261σὺ δʼ, ὦ Ποίαντος παῖ, Φιλοκτήτην λέγω, §1262ἔξελθʼ, ἀμείψας τάσδε πετρήρεις στέγας.
And you, O son of Poeas—I mean Philoctetes— come out, leaving this rocky dwelling.
§1263τίς αὖ παρʼ ἄντροις θόρυβος ἵσταται βοῆς;
What clamor of shouting is raised again by the cave?
§1264τί μʼ ἐκκαλεῖσθε;
Why do you call me out?
τοῦ κεχρημένοι, ξένοι;
In need of what, strangers?
§1265ὤμοι·
Alas!
κακὸν τὸ χρῆμα.
A bad business.
μῶν τί μοι νέα §1266πάρεστε πρὸς κακοῖσι πέμποντες κακά;
Surely you are not present bringing new evils upon my past evils?
§1267θάρσει· λόγους δʼ ἄκουσον οὓς ἥκω φέρων.
Take heart; and hear the words I have come bringing.
§1268δέδοικʼ ἔγωγε· καὶ τὰ πρὶν γὰρ ἐκ λόγων §1269καλῶν κακῶς ἔπραξα, σοῖς πεισθεὶς λόγοις.
I am afraid; for in the past also, from fair words I fared ill, having trusted in your words.
§1270οὔκουν ἔνεστι καὶ μεταγνῶναι πάλιν;
Is it not possible, then, to change one's mind again?
§1271τοιοῦτος ἦσθα τοῖς λόγοισι χὤτε μου §1272τὰ τόξʼ ἔκλεπτες, πιστός, ἀτηρὸς λάθρᾳ.
You were like this in your words even when you were stealing my bow, trustworthy, yet secretly destructive.
§1273ἀλλʼ οὔ τι μὴν νῦν· βούλομαι δέ σου κλύειν, §1274πότερα δέδοκταί σοι μένοντι καρτερεῖν §1275ἢ πλεῖν μεθʼ ἡμῶν;
But surely not now; and I wish to hear from you, whether it is decided by you to persist in remaining here or to sail with us.
§1275aπαῦε, μὴ λέξῃς πέρα· §1276μάτην γὰρ ἃν εἴπῃς γε πάντʼ εἰρήσεται.
Stop, do not say further; for in vain will everything you say be spoken.
§1277οὕτω δέδοκται;
Is it so decided?
§1277aκαὶ πέρα γʼ ἴσθʼ ἢ λέγω.
Know that it is even more so than I say.
§1278ἀλλʼ ἤθελον μὲν ἄν σε πεισθῆναι λόγοις §1279ἐμοῖσιν· εἰ δὲ μή τι πρὸς καιρὸν λέγων §1280κυρῶ, πέπαυμαι.
But I did wish that you were persuaded by my words; but if I do not happen to speak to the purpose, I have finished.
§1280aπάντα γὰρ φράσεις μάτην.
For you will say all in vain.
§1281οὐ γάρ ποτʼ εὔνουν τὴν ἐμὴν κτήσει φρένα, §1282ὅστις γʼ ἐμοῦ δόλοισι τὸν βίον λαβὼν §1283ἀπεστέρηκας, κᾆτα νουθετεῖς ἐμὲ §1284ἐλθών, ἀρίστου πατρὸς αἴσχιστος γεγώς.
For never will you obtain my friendly mind, since you have taken my life by guiles and deprived me of it, and then you come to advise me, having been born the most shameful son of a most noble father.
§1285ὄλοισθʼ, Ἀτρεῖδαι μὲν μάλιστʼ, ἔπειτα δὲ ὁ Λαρτίου παῖς καὶ σύ.
May you perish, the Atridae most of all, and then the son of Lartios and you.
§1286μὴ ʼπεύξῃ πέρα· §1287δέχου δὲ χειρὸς ἐξ ἐμῆς βέλη τάδε.
Do not curse further; but receive these arrows from my hand.
§1288πῶς εἶπας;
How did you say?
ἆρα δεύτερον δολούμεθα;
Are we being deceived a second time?
§1289ἀπώμοσʼ ἁγνὸν Ζηνὸς ὑψίστου σέβας.
I swear by the holy majesty of highest Zeus.
§1290ὦ φίλτατʼ εἰπών, εἰ λέγεις ἐτήτυμα.
O you who have spoken most dear words, if you speak what is true.
§1291τοὔργον παρέσται φανερόν· ἀλλὰ δεξιὰν §1292πρότεινε χεῖρα, καὶ κράτει τῶν σῶν ὅπλων.
The deed will be present, manifest; but stretch out your right hand, and possess your weapons.
§1293ἐγὼ δʼ ἀπαυδῶ γʼ, ᾧ θεοὶ ξυνίστορες, §1294ὑπέρ τʼ Ἀτρειδῶν τοῦ τε σύμπαντος στρατοῦ.
But I forbid it, with the gods as my witnesses, both on behalf of the Atridae and of the entire army.
§1295τέκνον, τίνος φώνημα, μῶν Ὀδυσσέως,
My child, whose voice?
§1296ἐπῃσθόμην;
Surely not Odysseus's, did I perceive?
§1296aσάφʼ ἴσθι· καὶ πέλας γʼ ὁρᾷς, §1297ὅς σʼ ἐς τὰ Τροίας πεδίʼ ἀποστελῶ βίᾳ, §1298ἐάν τʼ Ἀχιλλέως παῖς ἐάν τε μὴ θέλῃ·
Know it clearly; and you see him near at hand, who will send you to the plains of Troy by force, whether the son of Achilles wishes it or not.
§1299ἀλλʼ οὔ τι χαίρων, ἢν τόδʼ ὀρθωθῇ βέλος.
But not with impunity, if this arrow is aimed straight.
§1300ἆ, μηδαμῶς, μή, πρὸς θεῶν, μεθῇς βέλος.
Ah, by no means, do not, by the gods, let go of the arrow!
§1301μέθες με, πρὸς θεῶν, χεῖρα, φίλτατον τέκνον.
Let go of me, by the gods, my hand, dearest child.
§1302οὐκ ἂν μεθείην.
I would not let go.
§1302aφεῦ·
Alas!
τί μʼ ἄνδρα πολέμιον §1303ἐχθρόν τʼ ἀφείλου μὴ κτανεῖν τόξοις ἐμοῖς;
Why did you prevent me from killing with my bow a hostile man and an enemy?
§1304ἀλλʼ οὔτʼ ἐμοὶ τοῦτʼ ἐστὶν οὔτε σοὶ καλόν.
But this is honorable neither for me nor for you.
§1305ἀλλʼ οὖν τοσοῦτόν γʼ ἴσθι, τοὺς πρώτους στρατοῦ, §1306τοὺς τῶν Ἀχαιῶν ψευδοκήρυκας, κακοὺς §1307ὄντας πρὸς αἰχμήν, ἐν δὲ τοῖς λόγοις θρασεῖς.
But at least know this much, that the first men of the army, the false heralds of the Achaeans, are cowardly in battle, but bold in words.
§1308εἶεν· τὰ μὲν δὴ τόξʼ ἔχεις, κοὐκ ἔσθʼ ὅτου §1309ὀργὴν ἔχοις ἂν οὐδὲ μέμψιν εἰς ἐμέ.
Well, then; indeed you have the bow, and there is no reason why you should have anger or blame against me.
§1310ξύμφημι· τὴν φύσιν δʼ ἔδειξας, ὦ τέκνον,
I agree; and you have shown your nature, my child,

Notes

  1. §1239ἀρχὴν — Adverbial accusative meaning "at all" or "from the very beginning." It is typically used with a negative (here οὐδʼ ἅπαξ) to express a strong negation ("not at all").
  2. §1282τὸν βίον — Literally "life" or "means of livelihood," but here used metaphorically to refer to the "bow," which is the essential tool for Philoctetes to sustain his life.
  3. §1302aμὴ κτανεῖν — A redundant negative μή following a verb of preventing or depriving (here ἀφείλου). Although the negative particle is grammatically present, it is rendered as a positive infinitive ("prevented me from killing") in translation.

Cite this passage

Sophocles, Philoctetes §1239-1310. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0011.tlg006.humanitext-grc2:1239-1310

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.