Humanitext Reader

Euripides · Letters §2.1

Sympathy for Sophocles' Shipwreck and Advice to Return

Passage 2 of 6 · Greek

Summary

The author expresses sympathy to Sophocles for his shipwreck during the voyage to Chios, celebrates his survival as divine providence, comforts him for the loss of his plays, and urges a safe return.

§2.1Ἐκομίσθη Ἀθήναζε, ὦ Σοφόκλεις, ἡ παρὰ τὸν εἰς Χίον πλοῦν γενομένη σοι συμφορά, καὶ ἴσθι οὕτω διατεθεῖσαν τὴν πόλιν ἅπασαν, ὡς μηδὲ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ἧσσον ἀχθεσθῆναι τῶν φίλων.
The news of the disaster that befell you during your voyage to Chios has been brought to Athens, O Sophocles, and know that the whole city was so affected that even your enemies were no less grieved than your friends.
τὸ δὲ τοσούτου κακοῦ ἥκοντος περισώζεσθαί σε καὶ τὸ τῶν συνόντων σοι φίλων μηδὲ θεραπόντων ἀποβαλεῖν μηδένα, οὐκ ἄλλο τι ἔγωγε ἢ θεοῦ πρόνοιαν γενέσθαι πείθομαι.
That you should be preserved when so great a misfortune came upon you, and that you did not lose any of the friends or even of the servants who were with you, I for my part am convinced is nothing else than the providence of God.
ἡ μέντοι περὶ τὰ δράματα συμφορά, ἣν τίς οὐχὶ κοινὴν ἁπάσης τῆς Ἑλλάδος νομίσειεν ἄν, δεινὴ μέν, περιόντος γε σοῦ ῥᾳδίως ἐπανορθωθήσετε.
However, the disaster concerning your plays—which who would not consider a common loss to the whole of Greece?—though severe, will easily be repaired as long as you survive.
ἀσφαλεστέραν ἢ ταχυτέραν ποιήσαιο τὴν ἐπάνοδον, καὶ εἴ τι ἄρα ἡ θάλασσα ἢ τὸ κρύος παραχρῆμα νηχόμενον γε ἢ ὕστερον κακῶσαι δοκεῖ, ῥαΐσας τὸ σῶμα πρότερον ἡσυχῆ ἐπάνιθι.
Make your return journey safer rather than swifter; and if indeed the sea or the cold seems to have done any harm to your body, either immediately while you were swimming or afterwards, return quietly only after you have rested and recovered your strength.
καὶ τὰ οἴκοι ἴσθι κατὰ νοῦν καὶ ὅσα ἐπέστειλας ἐπιτελῆ ὄντα.
Know also that affairs at home are to your liking, and that all the things you wrote about are being carried out.
ἄσπασαι Χιονίδην καὶ Λαπρέπην, καὶ εἰδέτωσαν ἡμᾶς οὐχ ἥκιστα καὶ ἐπ’ αὐτοῖς χαίροντας ὅτι σώζονται.
Greet Chionides and Laprepes, and let them know that we rejoice no less on their account that they are safe.
Ἀντιγένη τὸν ἰατρόν, εἴπερ ἔτι ἐν Χίῳ καταλαμβάνεις καὶ μὴ ἀπῆρκέ πω εἰς Ῥόδον, ἄσπασαι, καὶ ἴσθι ἀνδρῶν βέλτιστον ὄντα, καὶ τοὺς Κρατίνου υἱεῖς.
Greet Antigenes the physician, if indeed you still find him in Chios and he has not yet departed for Rhodes, and know that he is the best of men; greet also the sons of Cratinus.

Notes

  1. §2.1τὸ δὲ τοσούτου κακοῦ ἥκοντος περισώζεσθαί σε — The entire articular infinitive clause `τὸ ... περισώζεσθαί σε καὶ ... ἀποβαλεῖν μηδένα` functions as the accusative subject of the infinitive `γενέσθαι` in the object clause of `πείθομαι` ('I am convinced that [your being saved...] is nothing else than...'). `τοσούτου κακοῦ ἥκοντος` is a genitive absolute.
  2. §2.1ἐπανορθωθήσετε — The manuscript reading is the second-person plural `ἐπανορθωθήσετε` ('you [pl.] will be corrected/restored'). However, since the subject of the clause is the third-person singular `ἡ ... συμφορά` ('the disaster'), it is natural to interpret this as a scribal error for the third-person singular future passive `ἐπανορθωθήσεται` ('will be repaired/restored').
  3. §2.1νηχόμενον — The present participle `νηχόμενον` ('swimming') is in the accusative singular masculine, modifying the implied accusative subject ('you') of the infinitive `κακῶσαι` ('to harm').

Cite this passage

Euripides, Letters §2.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg1367.tlg001.humanitext-grc1:2.1

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