Sophocles - Antigone: A Translation

The translation provides an accurate and poetic rendering in a style suitable for both reading and dramatic performance, and should enable readers without a knowledge of ancient Greek to understand why Greek drama has been highly regarded for thousands of years. It thus endeavours to reflect the enlightened pagan culture of ancient Greek society at the time of Sophocles.

As often with Sophocles and Aeschylus, it is the Choral Odes which are most often admired and quoted, as in the following from this translation of Antigone:

"By Cyanaei of the two-fold sea Are the Bosphorus shores And Thracian Salmydessus Where Ares, dwelling close by the citadel, Beheld the two sons of Phineas Blinded by ruinous wounds Dealt by that savage second wife - A blinding of orbs the seeing of which brought vengeance - By sticking at them with the points Of her weaver's spindle, blood staining her hands."