it is that causes her deeds, they are concerned only with finding some reference to beings, whether the prevailing or ancient cult of the dead, or the familial blood-relatedness. They fail to recognize that in her words Antigone speaks of neither of these. One is still unable to see that she is not speaking of a being at all. This gives rise to the appearance that she speaks indeterminately-whereas she says quite unequivocally the singular thing that remains to be said here (II. 449-457):
Creon: καὶ δῆτ᾽ ἐτόλμας τούσδ᾽ ὑπερβαίνειν νόμους;
Und offenbar du wagtest, dies zu überschreiten <mein> Gesetz?
And manifestly you have dared to transgress this <my> law?
Antigone: οὐ γάρ τί μοι Ζεὺς ἦν ὁ κηρύξας τάδε,
οὐδ᾽ ἡ ξύνοικος τῶν κάτω θεῶν Δίκη
τοιούσδ᾽ ἐν ἀνθρώποισιν ὥρισεν νόμους.
οὐδὲ σθένειν τοσοῦτον ᾠόμην τὰ σὰ
κηρύγμαθ᾽, ὥστ᾽ ἄγραπτα κἀσφαλῆ θεῶν
νόμιμα δύνασθαι θνητὸν ὄνθ᾽ ὑπερδραμεῖν.
οὐ γάρ τι νῦν γε κἀχθές, ἀλλ᾽ ἀεί ποτε
ζῇ ταῦτα, κοὐδεὶς οἶδεν ἐξ ὅτου 'φάνη.
Nicht nämlich irgend Zeus wars, der mir geboten dies,
noch auch, die heimisch bei den unteren Göttern. Dike
wars, die unter Menschen setzten dies Gesetz,
und vollends nicht so stark erschien mir dein
Gebot, daB es den ungeschriebenen wankellosen Götter-
Spruch vermöchte je mit seinem Menschenwitz zu überlaufen.
Nicht nämlich irgend jetzt und auch nicht gestern erst, doch ständig je
west dies. Und keiner weiß, woher es eh' erschienen.
It was no Zeus that bade me this.
Nor was it Dike, at home amongst the gods below,
who ordained this law for humans.
And your command seemed not so powerful to me.
That it could ever override by human wit
The immutable, unwritten edict divine.
Not just now, nor since yesterday, but ever steadfast
this prevails. And no one knows from whence it once appeared.
That which is determinative, that which determines Antigone in her being, is beyond the upper and the lower gods. And yet it is something that pervasively attunes human beings as human beings. Yet it is no mere human ordinance, for such has no power over divine edict and thus falls emphatically below what prevails even beyond the gods. At no time can