ὁρμάσθω, let Philoctetes set out with us for the ship at once. ταχύς=“ταχέως”: cp. 808, 1080. χἡ ναῦς, the ship, on her part. If the sick man's shipmates make no difficulty, the ship will make none: i.e., it will be easy to find room for him on board (cp. 481). Neoptolemus is on his guard against betraying elation. He speaks as if the granting of Ph. 's prayer was now a simple matter, —and one which did not greatly interest him. ἀπαρνηθήσεται is usu. taken as passive: either (1) ‘the boon shall not be refused’: or (2) ‘he shall not be refused his wish.’ This second version is inadmissible. Clas sical Greek allows “ἀπαρνοῦμαι δοῦναί τι”, but not “ἀπαρνοῦμαι τὸν αἰτοῦντα”. And with either version the change of subject would be harsh. Rather the verb is deponent, with “ἡ ναῦς” for subject. Prof. Ridgeway, supporting this view (Trans. Camb. Philol. Soc. I. p. 244), illustrates the personification of the ship from Od. 10. 131“ἀσπασίως δ᾽ ἐς πόντον ἐπηρεφέας φύγε πέτρας”, and Arist. Pol. 3. 13.§ 16, where the ship Argo—endued by legend with a voice—is described as refusing to carry Heracles (“οὐ γὰρ ἐθέλειν αὐτὸν ἄγειν τὴν Ἀργώ”).—It is true that the classical fut. of “ἀρνέομαι”, where it occurs, is “ἀρνήσομαι” ( Soph. O. T. 571, etc.). But there is no classical instance of “ἀρνηθήσομαι” as fut. pass. And since the aor. “ἠρνήθην” is always deponent, analogy suggests that a deponent use of “ἀρνηθήσομαι” would have been possible. Cp. “διαλέγομαι”, aor. “διελέχθην” (deponent), fut. “διαλεχθήσομαι” (deponent), as well as “διαλέξομαι”. In later Greek “ἀρνηθήσομαι” occurs, indeed, as pass. (St Luke xii. 9, “ἀπαρνηθήσεται”, ‘he will be disowned’), but also as deponent (LXX. Is. xxxi. 7“ἀπαρνηθήσονται”, with v.l. “ἀπαρνήσονται”).
This text is part of:
Sophocles: The Plays and Fragments, with critical notes, commentary, and translation in English prose. Part IV: The Philoctetes. Sir Richard C. Jebb. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press. 1932.
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