Sophocles Trachiniae 1260

mvp-comment-659-1 πρὶν ἀνακινῆσαι τήνδε νόσον ¹

mvp-comment-659-2 Other views are:—(1)

is intrans., ‘be roused.’ But this use is unexampled, and cannot safely be inferred from the intrans. ( Her.5. 106 , etc.), or as= , delirare. (2) The subject to the inf. is , and the object is understood. But clearly refers to rousing the pain, not to troubling the mind: cp. 974 : 979 .

mvp-comment-659-3 ὦ ψυχὴ σκληρά ²

mvp-comment-659-4 χάλυβος λιθοκόλλητον στόμιον ³

mvp-comment-659-5 I take the words in a way different from any of these.

, the ‘curb of steel,’ is, as all agree, the strong selfrestraint which is to keep the lips closed. Then introduces a new image. The lips, thus firmly closed, are set as stone to stone in masonry. Thus the whole phrase means ‘A curb of steel, to keep the lips set as stone to stone.’ The use of to describe the effect of the ‘curb’ has been assisted by the suggestion, in , of .

mvp-comment-659-6 ἀνάπαυε βοήν ⁴

mvp-comment-659-7 ὡς ⁵ τελέους’ ⁶ ἐπίχαρτον ⁷

1259-1260. mvp-comment-892-1 πρὶν τήνδ᾽ ἀνακινῆσαι | νόσον] Either (1) taking ἀνακινῆσαι ας transitive, Before allowing this trouble to re awaken;' see note on Aj. 674, 5, ἐκοίμισε στένοντα πόντον, or (2) with ἀνακινῆσαι intransitive, Before this trouble re-awaken.' Other compounds of κινεῖν, ας παρακινεῖν, ὑποκινεῖν, are used intransitively, and why not ἀνακινεῖν ? Heracles thus steels himself against the possible recurrence of the pain, because ἐν εὐφημίᾳ χρὴ τελευτᾶν.

1260. mvp-comment-893-1 ὦ ψυχὴ σκληρά] Cp. Eur. Alc. 837, ΗΡ. ὦ πολλὰ τλᾶσα καρδία ψυχή τ' ἐμή.

1260-1261. mvp-comment-894-1 χάλυβος | λιθοκόλλητον στόμιον] 'A bit of iron set with adamant.' λιθοκόλλητον is literally, Inlaid with stones.'