Sophocles' TRACHINIAE Complete

Translated by R. Jebb.

Sophocles Bilingual Anthology  Studies  Sophocles in Print

57 Pages

Page 34

At first, hapless one, he prayed with serene soul, rejoicing in his
comely garb. But when the blood-fed flame began to blaze from the
holy offerings and from the resinous pine, a sweat broke forth upon
his flesh, and the tunic clung to his sides, at every joint, close-glued,
as if by a craftsman's hand; there came a biting pain that racked
his bones; and then the venom, as of some deadly, cruel viper, began
to devour him.

Thereupon he shouted for the unhappy Lichas,- in no wise to blame
for thy crime,- asking what treason had moved him to bring that robe;
but he, all-unknowing, hapless one, said that he had brought the gift
from thee alone, as it had been sent. When his master heard it, as
a piercing spasm clutched his lungs, he caught him by the foot, where
the ankle turns in the socket, and hurled him at a surf-beaten rock
in the sea; and he made the white brain to ooze from the hair, as
the skull was dashed to splinters, and blood scattered therewith.

But all the people lifted up a cry of awe-struck grief, seeing that
one was frenzied, and the other slain; and no one dared to come before
the man. For the pain dragged him to earth, or made him leap into
the air, with yells and shrieks, till the cliffs rang around, steep
headlands of Locris, and Euboean capes.

Previous Page / First / Next Page of Trachiniae

Sophocles Home Page ||| Elpenor's Free Greek Lessons
Aeschylus ||| Euripides

Reference address : https://www.ellopos.net/elpenor/greek-texts/ancient-greece/sophocles/trachiniae.asp?pg=34