Sophocles, Antigone (ed. Sir Richard Jebb)

Antigone

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[883] Do you not know that dirges and wailing before death would never be given up, if it were allowed to make them freely? [885] Take her away--now! And when you have enshrouded her, as I proclaimed, in her covered tomb, leave her alone, deserted--let her decide whether she wishes to die or to live entombed in such a home. It makes no difference, since our hands are clean so far as regards this girl. [890] But no matter what, she will be stripped of her home here above.

Tomb, bridal-chamber, deep-dug eternal prison where I go to find my own, whom in the greatest numbers destruction has seized and Persephone has welcomed among the dead! [895] Last of them all and in by far the most shameful circumstances, I will descend, even before the fated term of my life is spent. But I cherish strong hopes that I will arrive welcome to my father, and pleasant to you, Mother, and welcome, dear brother, to you. [900] For, when each of you died, with my own hands I washed and dressed you and poured drink-offerings at your graves. But now, Polyneices, it is for tending your corpse that I win such reward as this. [And yet I honored you rightly, as the wise understand. [905] Never, if I had been a mother of children, or if a husband had been rotting after death, would I have taken that burden upon myself in violation of the citizens' will. For the sake of what law, you ask, do I say that? A husband lost, another might have been found, [910] and if bereft of a child, there could be a second from some other man. But when father and mother are hidden in Hades, no brother could ever bloom for me again. Such was the law whereby I held you first in honor, but for that Creon judged me guilty of wrongdoing [915] and of dreadful outrage, dear brother! And now he leads me thus in his hands' strong grasp, when I have enjoyed no marriage bed or bridal song and have not received any portion of marriage or the nurture of children. But deserted by friends, [920] in misery I go living to the hollow graves of the dead.] What law of the gods have I transgressed? Why should I look to the gods anymore? What ally should I call out to, when by my reverence I have earned a name for irreverence? [925] Well, then, if these events please the gods, once I have suffered my doom I will come to know my guilt. But if the guilt lies with my judges, I could wish for them no greater evils than they inflict unjustly on me.

Further comments from Sir Richard Jebb, Commentary on Sophocles: Antigone:
line 883: ar' iste
line 883: legein
line 883: aoidas kai goous
line 883: iste
line 883: oud' an heis
line 885: ouk axeth'
line 885: tachista.&#ch2014;katêrephei
line 890: metoikias
line 890: d' oun
line 890: sterêsetai
line 895: kakista
line 895: dê
line 895: moiran &#ch2026; biou
line 895: exêkein
line 900: humas
line 900: elousa kakosmêsa
line 900: choas
line 900: peristellousa
line 900: demas
line 925: all' oun
line 925: en theois
line 925: xungnoimen
line 925: hêmartêkotes
line 925: pathontes

Cross references from Perseus Encyclopedia:
herodotus-3 [Surviving Works]

Cross references from Sir Richard Jebb, Commentary on Sophocles: Oedipus at Colonus:
*

Cross references from Raphael Kühner, Bernhard Gerth, Ausführliche Grammatik der griechischen Sprache (ed. Ildar Ibraguimov):
387 [f) Futur.]

Cross references from Raphael Kühner, Bernhard Gerth, Ausführliche Grammatik der griechischen Sprache (ed. Ildar Ibraguimov):
507 [Konfirmatives oun [Lesb., böot., dor. u. neuion. ôn]).]
539 [b) Eite . . eite, ean (ên, an) te . . ean (ên, an) te.]

Cross references from Sir Richard Jebb, Commentary on Sophocles: Antigone:
* [988-1114]
* [376-581]

Cross references from Sir Richard Jebb, Commentary on Sophocles: Ajax:
* [879-973]

Cross references from Sir Richard Jebb, Commentary on Sophocles: Electra:
* [251-471]
* [516-1057]
* [1098-1383]

Cross references from Sir Richard Jebb, Commentary on Sophocles: Philoctetes:
* [219-675]

Cross references from W. W. How, J. Wells, A Commentary on Herodotus:
3, 119, 6 [BOOK III]

This text is based on the following book(s):
Sophocles. The Antigone of Sophocles. Edited with introduction and notes by Sir Richard Jebb. Sir Richard Jebb. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press. 1891.
OCLC: 39793726