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Sophocles · Oedipus at Colonus Οἰδίπους ἐπὶ Κολωνῷ

Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus 1139–1180: Fourth episode (cont.): a suppliant at Poseidon's altar

Ancient Sources / Sophocles / Oedipus at Colonus / 1139–1180

Theseus says that he is not surprised at Oedipus' delight, and tells him that when he first set out a man, a kinsman of Oedipus but not a Theban, was sitting as a suppliant at the altar of Poseidon. Oedipus guesses that it is his son, and says that he does not want to speak to him, and Theseus reminds him of his duty to the god.

Lines 1139–1180 · 428 words · click a number to copy its link
1139–1180
Θησεύς 1139οὔτʼ εἴ τι μῆκος τῶν λόγων ἔθου πλέον, 1140τέκνοισι τερφθεὶς τοῖσδε, θαυμάσας ἔχω, οὔτʼ εἰ πρὸ τοὐμοῦ προύλαβες τὰ τῶνδʼ ἔπη. βάρος γὰρ ἡμᾶς οὐδὲν ἐκ τούτων ἔχει. οὐ γὰρ λόγοισι τὸν βίον σπουδάζομεν λαμπρὸν ποεῖσθαι μᾶλλον ἢ τοῖς δρωμένοις. 1145δείκνυμι δʼ· ὧν γὰρ ὤμοσʼ οὐκ ἐψευσάμην οὐδέν σε, πρέσβυ· τάσδε γὰρ πάρειμʼ ἄγων ζώσας, ἀκραιφνεῖς τῶν κατηπειλημένων. χὤπως μὲν ἁγὼν ᾑρέθη, τί δεῖ μάτην κομπεῖν, ἅ γʼ εἴσει καὐτὸς ἐκ ταύταιν ξυνών; 1150λόγος δʼ ὃς ἐμπέπτωκεν ἀρτίως ἐμοὶ στείχοντι δεῦρο, συμβαλοῦ γνώμην, ἐπεὶ σμικρὸς μὲν εἰπεῖν, ἄξιος δὲ θαυμάσαι· πρᾶγος δʼ ἀτίζειν οὐδὲν ἄνθρωπον χρεών. Οἰδίπους τί δʼ ἔστι, τέκνον Αἰγέως; δίδασκέ με 1155ὡς μὴ εἰδότʼ αὐτὸν μηδὲν ὧν σὺ πυνθάνει. Θησεύς φασίν τινʼ ἡμῖν ἄνδρα, σοὶ μὲν ἔμπολιν οὐκ ὄντα, συγγενῆ δέ, προσπεσόντα πως βωμῷ καθῆσθαι τῷ Ποσειδῶνος, παρʼ ᾧ θύων ἔκυρον, ἡνίχʼ ὡρμώμην ἐγώ. Οἰδίπους 1160ποδαπόν; τί προσχρῄζοντα τῷ θακήματι· Θησεύς οὐκ οἶδα πλὴν ἕν· σοῦ γάρ, ὡς λέγουσί μοι, βραχύν τινʼ αἰτεῖ μῦθον οὐκ ὄγκου πλέων. Οἰδίπους ποῖόν τινʼ; οὐ γὰρ ἥδʼ ἕδρα σμικροῦ λόγου. Θησεύς σοὶ φασὶν αὐτὸν ἐς λόγους ἐλθεῖν μόνον 1165αἰτεῖν ἀπελθεῖν τʼ ἀσφαλῶς τῆς δεῦρʼ ὁδοῦ. Οἰδίπους τίς δῆτʼ ἂν εἴη τήνδʼ ὁ προσθακῶν ἕδραν; Θησεύς ὅρα κατʼ Ἄργος εἴ τις ὑμὶν ἐγγενὴς ἔσθʼ, ὅστις ἄν σου τοῦτο προσχρῄζοι τυχεῖν. Οἰδίπους ὦ φίλτατε, σχὲς οὗπερ εἶ. Θησεύς τί δʼ ἔστι σοι; Οἰδίπους 1170μή μου δεηθῇς. Θησεύς πράγματος ποίου; λέγε. Οἰδίπους ἔξοιδʼ ἀκούων τῶνδʼ ὅς ἐσθʼ ὁ προστάτης. Θησεύς καὶ τίς ποτʼ ἐστὶν ὅν γʼ ἐγὼ ψέξαιμί τι; Οἰδίπους παῖς οὑμός, ὦναξ, στυγνός, οὗ λόγων ἐγὼ ἄλγιστʼ ἂν ἀνδρῶν ἐξανασχοίμην κλύων. Θησεύς 1175τί δʼ; οὐκ ἀκούειν ἔστι καὶ μὴ δρᾶν ἃ μὴ χρῄζεις; τί σοι τοῦτʼ ἐστὶ λυπηρὸν κλύειν; Οἰδίπους ἔχθιστον, ὦναξ, φθέγμα τοῦθʼ ἥκει πατρί· καὶ μή μʼ ἀνάγκῃ προσβάλῃς τάδʼ εἰκαθεῖν. Θησεύς ἀλλʼ εἰ τὸ θάκημʼ ἐξαναγκάζει, σκόπει 1180μή σοι πρόνοιʼ ᾖ τοῦ θεοῦ φυλακτέα.

Theseus I feel no amazement, if you have had a lengthy conversation from joy in these children, or if your first concern has been for their words rather than for me. Indeed, there is nothing to vex me in that. Not with words so much as with deeds would I add luster to my life. You have this proof: I have cheated you in none of my sworn promises, old man. Here am I, with the maidens living, uninjured by those threats. As to how the struggle was won, what need have I vainly to boast of what you will learn from these two when you are together? But there is a matter that has just presented itself to me, as I came here. Give me your counsel regarding it; for, though it is small, it is food for wonder. And mortal man must consider nothing beneath his concern.

Oedipus What is it, son of Aegeus? Tell me; I myself know nothing of what you inquire.

Theseus They say a man—not from your city, yet of your race—has somehow thrown himself down, as a suppliant, at our altar of Poseidon, where I was sacrificing when I first set out here.

Oedipus What land does he come from? What does he desire by his supplication?

Theseus I know one thing only: they tell me he asks to speak briefly with you, a thing of no great burden.

Oedipus On what topic? That suppliant state is of no small account.

Theseus He asks, they say, no more than that he may confer with you, and return unharmed from his journey here.

Oedipus Who can he be that implores the god in this way?

Theseus Consider whether there is anyone in your race at Argos, who might desire this favor from you.

Oedipus Dearest friend, say no more!

Theseus What is wrong?

Oedipus Do not ask me for—

Theseus For what? Speak!

Oedipus From hearing these things I know who the suppliant is.

Theseus And who can he be, that I should have an objection to him?

Oedipus My son, lord, a hated son whose words would vex my ear like the words of no man besides.

Theseus What? Can you not listen, without doing what you do not wish to do? Why does it pain you to hear him?

Oedipus Lord, that voice has become most hateful to his father. Do not constrain me to yield in this.

Theseus But consider whether his suppliant state constrains you; what if you have a duty of respect for the god?

People and places in this passage

Passages in other works that tell of the same people and places, oldest and closest first.

  1. Apollodorus, The Library (Bibliotheca), with the Epitome E.1.1–24Theseus and the Minotaur; Daedalus, Phaedra and Pirithous
  2. Sophocles, Oedipus Tyrannus 1132–1185Fifth episode: the herdsman's confession
  3. Sophocles, Oedipus Tyrannus 999–1075Fourth episode (cont.): the messenger reveals that Oedipus was found as a child
  4. Euripides, Phoenician Women 1639–1766Exodos: Antigone defies Creon; Oedipus goes into exile
  5. Pausanias, Description of Greece 1.17.1–6Athens: altar of Mercy, gymnasium of Ptolemy and sanctuary of Theseus
  6. Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 47.364–495Book 47: Ariadne's lament; her marriage to Dionysos; the madness of Argos

English translation by Richard C. Jebb (modernised by Perseus) (1889). Original text: Greek text: Francis Storr (ed. and trans.), Sophocles, Loeb Classical Library, London: William Heinemann, 1912, as digitised by Perseus. English: Richard C. Jebb, Sophocles: The Plays and Fragments, The Oedipus at Colonus, Cambridge University Press, 1889 (Perseus's modernised version of Jebb's prose translation).

Greek text and translation from the Perseus Digital Library, Tufts University, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Perseus Digital Library); translation public domain. Introductions, summaries and notes © GreekMythology.com.