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Sophocles · Philoctetes Φιλοκτήτης

Sophocles, Philoctetes 1218–1262: Exodos: Neoptolemus returns to give back the bow

Ancient Sources / Sophocles / Philoctetes / 1218–1262

Neoptolemus returns with Odysseus following, and says that he has come back to undo his mistake and give the bow back. Odysseus tries to stop him, and threatens him with the army and with his sword, but Neoptolemus says that his act was shameful and he will undo it. Odysseus leaves to report him to the army, and Neoptolemus calls Philoctetes out of his cave.

Lines 1218–1262 · 490 words · click a number to copy its link
1218–1256
Χορός 1218στείχων ἂν ἦ σοι τῆς ἐμῆς, εἰ μὴ πέλας Ὀδυσσέα στείχοντα τόν τʼ Ἀχιλλέως 1220γόνον πρὸς ἡμᾶς δεῦρʼ ἰόντʼ ἐλεύσσομεν. Ὀδυσσεύς οὐκ ἂν φράσειας ἥντινʼ αὖ παλίντροπος κέλευθον ἕρπεις ὧδε σὺν σπουδῇ ταχύς; Νεοπτόλεμος λύσων ὅσʼ ἐξήμαρτον ἐν τῷ πρὶν χρόνῳ. Ὀδυσσεύς δεινόν γε φωνεῖς· ἡ δʼ ἁμαρτία τίς ἦν; Νεοπτόλεμος 1225ἣν σοὶ πιθόμενος τῷ τε σύμπαντι στρατῷ Ὀδυσσεύς ἔπραξας ἔργον ποῖον ὧν οὔ σοι πρέπον; Νεοπτόλεμος ἀπάταισιν αἰσχραῖς ἄνδρα καὶ δόλοις ἑλών. Ὀδυσσεύς τὸν ποῖον; ὤμοι· μῶν τι βουλεύει νέον; Νεοπτόλεμος 1230νέον μὲν οὐδέν, τῷ δὲ Ποίαντος τόκῳ, Ὀδυσσεύς τί χρῆμα δράσεις; ὥς μʼ ὑπῆλθέ τις φόβος. Νεοπτόλεμος παρʼ οὗπερ ἔλαβον τάδε τὰ τόξʼ, αὖθις πάλιν Ὀδυσσεύς ὦ Ζεῦ, τί λέξεις; οὔ τί που δοῦναι νοεῖς; Νεοπτόλεμος αἰσχρῶς γὰρ αὐτὰ κοὐ δίκῃ λαβὼν ἔχω. Ὀδυσσεύς 1235πρὸς θεῶν, πότερα δὴ κερτομῶν λέγεις τάδε; Νεοπτόλεμος εἰ κερτόμησίς ἐστι τἀληθῆ λέγειν. Ὀδυσσεύς τί φής, Ἀχιλλέως παῖ; τίνʼ εἴρηκας λόγον; Νεοπτόλεμος δὶς ταὐτὰ βούλει καὶ τρὶς ἀναπολεῖν μʼ ἔπη; Ὀδυσσεύς ἀρχὴν κλύειν ἂν οὐδʼ ἅπαξ ἐβουλόμην. Νεοπτόλεμος 1240εὖ νῦν ἐπίστω πάντʼ ἀκηκοὼς λόγον. Ὀδυσσεύς ἔστιν τις, ἔστιν ὅς σε κωλύσει τὸ δρᾶν. Νεοπτόλεμος τί φής; τίς ἔσται μʼ οὑπικωλύσων τάδε; Ὀδυσσεύς ξύμπας Ἀχαιῶν λαός, ἐν δὲ τοῖς ἐγώ. Νεοπτόλεμος σοφὸς πεφυκὼς οὐδὲν ἐξαυδᾷς σοφόν. Ὀδυσσεύς 1245σὺ δʼ οὔτε φωνεῖς οὔτε δρασείεις σοφά. Νεοπτόλεμος ἀλλʼ εἰ δίκαια, τῶν σοφῶν κρείσσω τάδε. Ὀδυσσεύς καὶ πῶς δίκαιον, ἅ γʼ ἔλαβες βουλαῖς ἐμαῖς, πάλιν μεθεῖναι ταῦτα; Νεοπτόλεμος τὴν ἁμαρτίαν αἰσχρὰν ἁμαρτὼν ἀναλαβεῖν πειράσομαι. Ὀδυσσεύς 1250στρατὸν δʼ Ἀχαιῶν οὐ φοβεῖ, πράσσων τάδε; Νεοπτόλεμος ξὺν τῷ δικαίῳ τὸν σὸν οὐ ταρβῶ φόβον. ἀλλʼ οὐδέ τοι σῇ χειρὶ πείθομαι τὸ δρᾶν. Ὀδυσσεύς οὔ τἄρα Τρωσίν, ἀλλὰ σοὶ μαχούμεθα. Νεοπτόλεμος ἴτω τὸ μέλλον. Ὀδυσσεύς χεῖρα δεξιὰν ὁρᾷς 1255κώπης ἐπιψαύουσαν; Νεοπτόλεμος ἀλλὰ κἀμέ τοι ταὐτὸν τόδʼ ὄψει δρῶντα κοὐ μέλλοντʼ ἔτι.

Chorus Long ago I would have left you to go to my ship, had I not seen Odysseus approaching, and the son of Achilles, too, coming here for us.

Odysseus Will you not tell me why you make this return journey with such eager speed?

Neoptolemus I come to undo the mistake that I made earlier.

Odysseus Your words alarm me—what mistake was that?

Neoptolemus The one I made when I obeyed you and all the army.

Odysseus What did you do that was unworthy of you?

Neoptolemus I captured a man by disgraceful deceits and treachery.

Odysseus What man? Oh! Can you be planning something rash?

Neoptolemus Rash, no. But to Poeas’ son—

Odysseus What are you going to do? Suddenly a certain fear comes over me.

Neoptolemus —From whom I took this bow, back to him—

Odysseus Zeus! What will you say? Certainly you do not intend to give it back?

Neoptolemus Yes, I do, because disgracefully and unjustly I got hold of it.

Odysseus In the name of the gods, are you saying this to mock me?

Neoptolemus If it is mockery to speak the truth.

Odysseus What do you mean, Neoptolemus? What are you saying?

Neoptolemus Must I repeat the same words twice and three times?

Odysseus I would not have wished to hear them even once.

Neoptolemus Know for certain that I have nothing more to say.

Odysseus There is someone, I tell you, who will prevent your deed.

Neoptolemus What do you mean? Who will oppose me in this?

Odysseus The whole host of the Achaeans, and I for one.

Neoptolemus Wise though you were born, your threats are void of wisdom.

Odysseus And your words are not wise, nor is that which you want to do.

Neoptolemus And yet if they are just, they are better than wise.

Odysseus And how is it just for you to give up what was won by means of my plans?

Neoptolemus My error was to my dishonor, and now I must try to retrieve it.

Odysseus The army of the Achaeans causes you no fear, when you do this?

Neoptolemus With justice on my side, I do not tremble at the terrors you name.

Odysseus […]

Neoptolemus No, not even at the threat of your hand do I yield obedience.

Odysseus Then our battles shall be not with the Trojans, but with you.

Neoptolemus So be it, if that is what the future holds.

Odysseus Do you see my right hand clasping my sword hilt?

Neoptolemus You will see me do the same, and not slowly.

1257–1262
Ὀδυσσεύς 1257καίτοι σʼ ἐάσω· τῷ δὲ σύμπαντι στρατῷ λέξω τάδʼ ἐλθών, ὅς σε τιμωρήσεται. Νεοπτόλεμος ἐσωφρόνησας· κἂν τὰ λοίφʼ οὕτω φρονῇς, 1260ἴσως ἂν ἐκτὸς κλαυμάτων ἔχοις πόδα. σὺ δʼ, ὦ Ποίαντος παῖ, Φιλοκτήτην λέγω, ἔξελθʼ, ἀμείψας τάσδε πετρήρεις στέγας.

Odysseus However, I will let you be. But I will go report this to all the army, and by them you will be punished.

Neoptolemus You have come to your senses. And if you are so prudent hereafter, perhaps you may steer clear of trouble.

But you, son of Poeas, Philoctetes, come out! Leave the shelter of your rocky home!

People and places in this passage

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

  1. Epic Cycle, Summaries and Fragments 7.1–26Little Iliad
  2. Apollodorus, The Library (Bibliotheca), with the Epitome E.5.1–23The death of Achilles, the Wooden Horse and the fall of Troy
  3. Sophocles, Ajax 1316–1375Odysseus persuades Agamemnon to allow the burial
  4. Sophocles, Ajax 1–133Prologue: Athena shows Odysseus the madness of Ajax
  5. Homer, Odyssey 19.317–507Eurycleia washes the stranger; the scar
  6. Homer, Odyssey 19.164–316The stranger's tale of Crete

English translation by Richard C. Jebb (modernised by Perseus) (1898). Original text: Greek text: Francis Storr (ed. and trans.), Sophocles, Loeb Classical Library, London: William Heinemann, 1913, as digitised by Perseus. English: Richard C. Jebb, Sophocles: The Plays and Fragments, The Philoctetes, Cambridge University Press, 1898 (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.

Philoctetes 1218–1262: Neoptolemus returns to give back the…