Sophocles, Trachiniae, Thomas Francklin (Translator), 531

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

View: By Turn

← Previous Next →

'Tis my resolve to act as thou advisest.

I'll not resist the gods, nor add fresli weight

To my calamity. Let us go in.

That thou mayst bear my orders to Alcides,

And with them gifts in kind return for those

We have received from him. Thou must not hcn

With empty hand, who hither broughtst to me

Such noble presents and so fair a train. [Exeunt.

Thee, Venus, gods and men obey,

And universal is thy sway ;

Need I recount the powers subdued by love?

Neptune, who shakes the solid ground.

The king of Erebus profound,

Or, the great lord of all, Saturnian Jove ?

To mortals let the song descend,

To pity our afflicted friend.

And soothe the injurd Deianira's woes :

For her the angry rivals came.
535

For her they felt an equal flame,
535

For her, behold ! the doubtful battle glows.
535

In dreadful majesty arrayed,
535

Affrighting sore the fearful maid.

Uprose the horned monarch of the flood ;

He who through fair ^tolia's plain

Pours his rich tribute to the main :

A bull's tremendous form belied the god ;

From his own Thebes, to win her love,

With him the happier son of Jove,

The great Alcides came, and in his hand

The club, the bow, and glittering spear ;

Whilst Venus, to her votaries near,

Waved o'er their heads her all-deciding wand.

Epode.

Warm and more warm the conflict grows.

Dire was the noise of rattling bows.

Of front to front opposed, and hand to hand ;

Deep was the animated strife

For love, for conquest, and for life ;
540

Alternate groans re-echoed thro' the land :
540

Whilst pensive on the distant shore
540

She heard the doubtful battle roar,
540

Many a sad tear the hapless virgin shed ;

Far from her tender mother's arms.

She knows not yet for whom her charms

She keeps, or who shall share her bridal bed.

Deianira
Scene V. Strophe. Antistrophe. \Ex,cunL ACT III. Scene I.

Trachiniae. Sophocles. Thomas Francklin (Translator). London. 1758–1759.

Current edition Experimental

English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) (English) (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759))

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (2)

Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 531 focus

ἦμος, φίλαι, κατ᾿ οἶκον ὁ ξένος θροεῖ θρύει θροεῖ

ταῖς αἰχμαλώτοις παισὶν ὡς ὡς ἐπ᾿ ἐξόδῳ,

τῆμος θυραῖος ἦλθον ὡς ὑμᾶς λάθρα,

τὰ μὲν φράσουσα φράζουσα φράσουσα χερσὶν ἁτεχνησάμην,

τὰ δ᾽ οἷα οῖα πάσχω συγκατοικτιουμένη.
535

κόρην γάρ, οἶμαι δ᾽ οὐκέτ᾽, ἀλλ᾽ ἐζευγμένην,

παρεισδέδεγμαι, φόρτον ὥστε ναυτίλος,

λωβητὸν ἐμπόλημα τῆς ἐμῆς εμῆς φρενός.

καὶ νῦν δύ᾽ οὖσαι μίμνομεν μιᾶς ὑπὸ ὑπο ὕπο

χλαίνης ὑπαγκάλισμα. τοιάδ᾽ ῾Ηρακλῆς,
540

ὁ πιστὸς πιστὸς ἡμῖν κἀγαθὸς καλούμενος,

οἰκούρι ἀντέπεμψε ἀντέπεμψεν ἀντέπεμψε τοῦ μακροῦ χρόνου.

ἐγὼ δὲ θυμοῦσθαι μὲν οὐκ ἐπίσταμαι

νοσοῦντι κείνῳ πολλὰ τῇδε τῇ νόσῳ,

τὸ δ᾽ αὖ ξυνοικεῖν τῇδ᾽ ὁμοῦ τίς ἂν γυνὴ
545

δύναιτο, κοινωνοῦσα τῶν αὐτῶν γάμων;

ὁρῶ γὰρ ἥβην τὴν μὲν ἕρπουσαν πρόσω,

τὴν δὲ φθίνουσαν· ὧν ἀφαρπάζειν φιλεῖ

ὀφθαλμὸς ἄνθος, τῶν δ᾽ ὑπεκτρέπει πόδα.

ταῦτ᾽ οὖν φοβοῦμαι, μὴ πόσις μὲν ῾Ἡρακλῆς
550

ἐμὸς καλῆται καλεῖται, τῆς νεωτέρας δ᾽ ἀνήρ.

ἀλλ᾽ οὐ γάρ, ὥσπερ εἶπον, ὀργαίνειν καλὸν

γυναῖκα νοῦν ἔχουσαν· ᾗ δ᾽ ἔχω, φίλαι,

¹

λυτήριον †λύπημα, τῇδ᾽ ὑμῖν υμῖν ἡμῖν φράσω.

ἦν μοι παλαιὸν δῶρον ἀρχαίου ποτὲ
555

θηρός, λέβητι χαλκέῳ κεκρυμμένον,

ὃ παῖς ἔτ᾽ ἔτ(ι) οὖσα τοῦ δασυστέρνου παρὰ πάρα

Νέσσου νέσου νέσσου φθίνοντος ἐκ φόνων ἀνειλόμην,

ὃς τὸν βαθύρρουν ποταμὸν Εὔηνον εὔηνον βροτοὺς

μισθοῦ ᾿πόρευε πόρευε χερσίν, οὔτε πομπίμοις
560

κώπαις ἐρέσσων οὔτε λαίφεσιν λαίφαισιν λαίφεσιν νεώς.

ὃς κἀμέ, τὸν πατρῷον.. στόλον τῶν πατρῷων στόλων τὸν πατρῷον.. στόλον

ξὺν ῾Ἡρακλεῖ τὸ πρῶτον εὖνις ἑσπόμην,

φέρων ἐπ᾽ ὤμοις, ἡνίκ᾽ ἦν ἐν ἦν μέσῳ πόρῳ,

ψαύει ματαίαις χερσίν· ἐκ δ᾽ ἤϋσ᾽ ἐγώ,
565

χώ Ζηνὸς εὐθὺς παῖς ἐπιστρέψας χεροῖν

ἧκεν κομήτην ἰόν ι· ἐς δὲ πλεύμονας πλεύμονας πλεύμονα

στέρνων διερροίζησεν. ἐκθνήσκων δ᾽ ὁ θὴρ

τοσοῦτον εἶπε, παῖ γέροντος Οἰνέως,

τοσόνδ᾽ ὀνήσει τῶν ἐμῶν, ἐὰν πίθῃ ἐὰν πυθηῖ ἐὰν πι(θηι) ἐὰν πίθῃ ἐὰν πειθῃ,
570

πορθμῶν, ὁθούνεχ᾽ ὁθούνεκ' ὑστάτην σ᾽ om. ἔπεμψ᾽ ἐγώ·

ἐὰν γὰρ ἀμφίθρεπτον αἷμα τῶν ἐμῶν

σφαγῶν ἐνέγκῃ χερσίν, ᾗ μελαγχόλους

ἔβαψεν ἰοὺς θρέμμα Λερναίας ὕδρας,

ἔσται φρενός σοι τοῦτο κηλητήριον
575

τῆς ῾Ηρακλείας, ὥστε μήτιν εἰσιδὼν

στέρξει η στέρξει στέρξαι γυναῖκα κεῖνος ἀντὶ σοῦ πλέον.

τοῦτ᾽ ἐννοήσασ᾽, ὦ φίλαι, δόμοις γὰρ ἦν

κείνου θανόντος ἐγκεκλειμένον ἐγκεκλεισμένον καλῶς,

χιτῶνα τόνδ᾽ ἔβαψα, προσβαλοῦσ᾽ ὅσα
580

ζῶν κεῖνος ἐκεῖνος εἶπε· καὶ πεπείρανται τάδε.

κακὰς δὲ τόλμας μήτ' ἐπισταίμην ἐγὼ

μήτ᾽ ἐκμάθοιμι, τάς τάς τε τολμώσας στυγῶ.

φίλτροις δ᾽ ἐάν πως τήνδ' ὑπερβαλώμεθα

τὴν παῖδα καὶ θέλκτροισι τοῖς ἐφ᾽ ῾Ηρακλεῖ,
585

μεμηχάνηται τοὔργον, - εἴ τι μὴ δοκῶ

πράσσειν μάταιον· εἰ δὲ μή, πεπαύσομαι πεπαύσεται πεπαύσεται.

ΧΟ.

Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 531-632 focus

Δηιάνειρα

ἦμος, φίλαι, κατʼ οἶκον ὁ ξένος θροεῖ

ταῖς αἰχμαλώτοις παισὶν ὡς ἐπʼ ἐξόδῳ,

τῆμος θυραῖος ἦλθον ὡς ὑμᾶς λάθρᾳ,

τὰ μὲν φράσουσα χερσὶν ἁτεχνησάμην,

τὰ δʼ οἷα πάσχω συγκατοικτιουμένη.
535

κόρην γάρ, οἶμαι δʼ οὐκέτʼ, ἀλλʼ ἐζευγμένην,

παρεισδέδεγμαι φόρτον ὥστε ναυτίλος,

λωβητὸν ἐμπόλημα τῆς ἐμῆς φρενός.

καὶ νῦν δύʼ οὖσαι μίμνομεν μιᾶς ὑπὸ

χλαίνης ὑπαγκάλισμα. τοιάδʼ Ἡρακλῆς,
540

ὁ πιστὸς ἡμῖν κἀγαθὸς καλούμενος,

οἰκούριʼ ἀντέπεμψε τοῦ μακροῦ χρόνου.

ἐγὼ δὲ θυμοῦσθαι μὲν οὐκ ἐπίσταμαι

νοσοῦντι κείνῳ πολλὰ τῇδε τῇ νόσῳ·

τὸ δʼ αὖ ξυνοικεῖν τῇδʼ ὁμοῦ τίς ἂν γυνὴ
545

δύναιτο, κοινωνοῦσα τῶν αὐτῶν γάμων;

ὁρῶ γὰρ ἥβην τὴν μὲν ἕρπουσαν πρόσω,

τὴν δὲ φθίνουσαν· ὧν ἀφαρπάζειν φιλεῖ

ὀφθαλμὸς ἄνθος, τῶν δʼ ὑπεκτρέπει πόδα.

ταῦτʼ οὖν φοβοῦμαι μὴ πόσις μὲν Ἡρακλῆς
550

ἐμὸς καλῆται, τῆς νεωτέρας δʼ ἀνήρ.

ἀλλʼ οὐ γάρ, ὥσπερ εἶπον, ὀργαίνειν καλὸν

γυναῖκα νοῦν ἔχουσαν· ᾗ δʼ ἔχω, φίλαι,

λυτήριον λώφημα, τῇδʼ ὑμῖν φράσω.

ἦν μοι παλαιὸν δῶρον ἀρχαίου ποτὲ
555

θηρός, λέβητι χαλκέῳ κεκρυμμένον,

ὃ παῖς ἔτʼ οὖσα τοῦ δασυστέρνου παρὰ

Νέσσου φθίνοντος ἐκ φονῶν ἀνειλόμην,

ὃς τὸν βαθύρρουν ποταμὸν Εὔηνον βροτοὺς

μισθοῦ ʼπόρευε χερσίν, οὔτε πομπίμοις
560

κώπαις ἐρέσσων οὔτε λαίφεσιν νεώς.

ὃς κἀμέ, τὸν πατρῷον ἡνίκα στόλον

ξὺν Ἡρακλεῖ τὸ πρῶτον εὖνις ἑσπόμην,

φέρων ἐπʼ ὤμοις, ἡνίκʼ ἦ μέσῳ πόρῳ,

ψαύει ματαίαις χερσίν· ἐκ δʼ ἤυσʼ ἐγώ,
565

χὠ Ζηνὸς εὐθὺς παῖς ἐπιστρέψας χεροῖν

ἧκεν κομήτην ἰόν· ἐς δὲ πλεύμονας

στέρνων διερροίζησεν. ἐκθνῄσκων δʼ ὁ θὴρ

τοσοῦτον εἶπε· παῖ γέροντος Οἰνέως,

τοσόνδʼ ὀνήσει τῶν ἐμῶν, ἐὰν πίθῃ,
570

πορθμῶν, ὁθούνεχʼ ὑστάτην σʼ ἔπεμψʼ ἐγώ·

ἐὰν γὰρ ἀμφίθρεπτον αἷμα τῶν ἐμῶν

σφαγῶν ἐνέγκῃ χερσίν, ᾗ μελαγχόλους

ἔβαψεν ἰοὺς θρέμμα Λερναίας ὕδρας,

ἔσται φρενός σοι τοῦτο κηλητήριον
575

τῆς Ἡρακλείας, ὥστε μήτινʼ εἰσιδὼν

στέρξει γυναῖκα κεῖνος ἀντὶ σοῦ πλέον.

τοῦτʼ ἐννοήσασʼ, ὦ φίλαι, δόμοις γὰρ ἦν

κείνου θανόντος ἐγκεκλῃμένον καλῶς,

χιτῶνα τόνδʼ ἔβαψα, προσβαλοῦσʼ ὅσα
580

ζῶν κεῖνος εἶπε· καὶ πεπείρανται τάδε.

κακὰς δὲ τόλμας μήτʼ ἐπισταίμην ἐγὼ

μήτʼ ἐκμάθοιμι, τάς τε τολμώσας στυγῶ·

φίλτροις δʼ ἐάν πως τήνδʼ ὑπερβαλώμεθα

τὴν παῖδα καὶ θέλκτροισι τοῖς ἐφʼ Ἡρακλεῖ,
585

μεμηχάνηται τοὔργον, εἴ τι μὴ δοκῶ

πράσσειν μάταιον· εἰ δὲ μή, πεπαύσομαι.

588

Χορός

ἀλλʼ εἴ τις ἐστὶ πίστις ἐν τοῖς δρωμένοις,

δοκεῖς παρʼ ἡμῖν οὐ βεβουλεῦσθαι κακῶς.

Δηιάνειρα

οὕτως ἔχει γʼ ἡ πίστις, ὡς τὸ μὲν δοκεῖν
590

ἔνεστι, πείρᾳ δʼ οὐ προσωμίλησά πω·

Χορός

ἀλλʼ εἰδέναι χρὴ δρῶσαν, ὡς οὐδʼ εἰ δοκεῖς

ἔχειν, ἔχοις ἂν γνῶμα, μὴ πειρωμένη.

Δηιάνειρα

ἀλλʼ αὐτίκʼ εἰσόμεσθα, τόνδε γὰρ βλέπω

θυραῖον ἤδη· διὰ τάχους δʼ ἐλεύσεται.
595

μόνον παρʼ ὑμῶν εὖ στεγοίμεθʼ· ὡς σκότῳ

κἂν αἰσχρὰ πράσσῃς, οὔποτʼ αἰσχύνῃ πεσεῖ.

Λίχας

τί χρὴ ποεῖν; σήμαινε, τέκνον Οἰνέως,

ὡς ἐσμὲν ἤδη τῷ μακρῷ χρόνῳ βραδεῖς.

600

Δηιάνειρα

ἀλλʼ αὐτὰ δή σοι ταῦτα καὶ πράσσω, Λίχα,
600

ἕως σὺ ταῖς ἔσωθεν ἠγορῶ ξέναις,

ὅπως φέρῃς μοι τόνδε ταναϋφῆ πέπλον,

δώρημʼ ἐκείνῳ τἀνδρὶ τῆς ἐμῆς χερός.

διδοὺς δὲ τόνδε φράζʼ ὅπως μηδεὶς βροτῶν

κείνου πάροιθεν ἀμφιδύσεται χροΐ,
605

μηδʼ ὄψεταί νιν μήτε φέγγος ἡλίου

μήθʼ ἕρκος ἱερὸν μήτʼ ἐφέστιον σέλας,

πρὶν κεῖνος αὐτὸν φανερὸς ἐμφανῶς σταθεὶς

δείξῃ θεοῖσιν ἡμέρᾳ ταυροσφάγῳ.

οὕτω γὰρ ηὔγμην, εἴ ποτʼ αὐτὸν ἐς δόμους
610

ἴδοιμι σωθέντʼ ἢ κλύοιμι πανδίκως,

στελεῖν χιτῶνι τῷδε καὶ φανεῖν θεοῖς

θυτῆρα καινῷ καινὸν ἐν πεπλώματι.

καὶ τῶνδʼ ἀποίσεις σῆμʼ, ὃ κεῖνος εὐμαθὲς

σφραγῖδος ἕρκει τῷδʼ ἐπὸν μαθήσεται.
615

ἀλλʼ ἕρπε, καὶ φύλασσε πρῶτα μὲν νόμον,

τὸ μὴ ʼπιθυμεῖν πομπὸς ὢν περισσὰ δρᾶν·

ἔπειθʼ ὅπως ἂν ἡ χάρις κείνου τέ σοι

κἀμοῦ ξυνελθοῦσʼ ἐξ ἁπλῆς διπλῆ φανῇ.

620

Λίχας

ἀλλʼ εἴπερ Ἑρμοῦ τήνδε πομπεύω τέχνην
620

βέβαιον, οὔ τι μὴ σφαλῶ γʼ ἐν σοί ποτε,

τὸ μὴ οὐ τόδʼ ἄγγος ὡς ἔχει δεῖξαι φέρων,

λόγων τε πίστιν ὧν λέγεις ἐφαρμόσαι.

Δηιάνειρα

στείχοις ἂν ἤδη· καὶ γὰρ ἐξεπίστασαι

τά γʼ ἐν δόμοισιν ὡς ἔχοντα τυγχάνει.
625

Λίχας

ἐπίσταμαί τε καὶ φράσω σεσωσμένα.

Δηιάνειρα

ἀλλʼ οἶσθα μὲν δὴ καὶ τὰ τῆς ξένης ὁρῶν

προσδέγματʼ, αὐτὴν ὡς ἐδεξάμην φίλως.

Λίχας

ὥστʼ ἐκπλαγῆναι τοὐμὸν ἡδονῇ κέαρ.

Δηιάνειρα

τί δῆτʼ ἂν ἄλλο γʼ ἐννέποις; δέδοικα γὰρ
630

μὴ πρῲ λέγοις ἂν τὸν πόθον τὸν ἐξ ἐμοῦ,

πρὶν εἰδέναι τἀκεῖθεν εἰ ποθούμεθα.

Translations (4)

English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 531 focus

Dear friends, while yonder herald in the house

Holds converse with the captives ere he go,

I have stol’n forth to you, partly to tell

The craft my hand hath compassed, and in part,

To crave your pity for my wretchedness.

For I have taken to my hearth a maid,—

And yet, methinks, no maiden any more,

Like some fond shipmaster, taking on board

A cargo fraught with treason to my heart.

And now we two are closed in one embrace

Beneath one coverlet. Such generous meed

For faith in guarding home this dreary while

Hath the kind Heracles our trusty spouse,

Sent in return! Yet, oft as he hath caught

This same distemperature, I know not how

To harbour indignation against him.

But who that is a woman could endure

To dwell with her, both married to one man?

One bloom is still advancing, one doth fade.

The budding flower is cropped, the full-blown head

Is left to wither, while love passeth by

Unheeding. Wherefore I am sore afraid

He will be called my husband, but her mate,

For she is younger. Yet no prudent wife
535

Would take this angerly, as I have said.
535

But, dear ones, I will tell you of a way,
535

Whereof I have bethought me, to prevent
535

This heart-break. I had hidden of long time
535

In a bronze urn the ancient Centaur’s gift,
535

Which I, when a mere girl, culled from the wound

Of hairy-breasted Nessus in his death.

He o’er Evenus’ rolling depths, for hire,

Ferried wayfarers on his arm, not plying

Or rowing-boat, or canvas-wingèd bark.

Who, when with Heracles, a new-made bride,

I followed by my father’s sending forth,

Shouldering me too, in the mid-stream, annoyed

With wanton touch. And I cried out; and he,

Zeus’ son, turned suddenly, and from his bow

Sent a wing’d shaft, that whizzed into his chest

To the lungs. Then the weird Thing, with dying voice

Spake to me:—‘Child of aged Oeneüs,

Since thou wert my last burden, thou shalt win

Some profit from mine act, if thou wilt do

What now I bid thee. With a careful hand

Collect and bear away the clotted gore

That clogs my wound, e’en where the monster snake

Had dyed the arrow with dark tinct of gall;

And thou shalt have this as a charm of soul

For Heracles, that never through the eye

Shall he receive another love than thine.’

Whereof bethinking me, for since his death

I kept it in a closet locked with care,
540

I have applied it to this robe, with such
540

Addition as his living voice ordained.—
540

The thing is done. No criminal attempts
540

Could e’er be mine. Far be they from my thought,
540

As I abhor the woman who conceives them!
540

But if by any means through gentle spells

And bonds on Heracles’ affection, we

May triumph o’er this maiden in his heart,

My scheme is perfected. Unless you deem

Mine action wild. If so, I will desist.

CH

German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 531 focus

Indeß der Fremdling an die kriegsgefangnen Frgu'n
520

Im Haus, ihr Lieben, scheidend spricht sein leztes Wort,

Indessen trat ich ingeheim zu euch heraus,

Um euch zu melden, was ich schlau bereitete,

Und laut vor euch zu klagen, was ich leiden muß.

Denn keine Jungfrau, mein' ich mehr, ein Eheweib
525

Nahm ich in's Haus mir, eine Last, dem Schiffer gleich,¹

Die mir zur Schmach erworben mein treuliebend Herz.

Und nun zu zweien harren wir in Einem Bett,

Zu ruh'n in seinen Armen! Dies gab Herakles,

Der uns der Edle, Treue stets geheißen war,
530

Zum Lohne mir für seines Hauses lange Hut.

Zwar Groll zu hegen wider ihn vermag ich nicht,

Daß dieser Krankheit süßes Weh ihn oft befällt;

Doch auch zu wohnen ihr vereint, den Einen Bund

Mit ihr zu theilen, welche Frau vermöchte das?
535

Ich sehe, wie die Jugend ihr fortblühend wächst,

Und mir dahinwelkt; lüstern hascht das Auge sich

Die Blume jener, und von mir entflieht es scheu.

So muß ich fürchten, mein Gemahl wird Herakles

Fortan geheißen und der Mann der jüngern Frau.
540

Doch selbst erklärt' ich eben, Groll zu nähren ziemt

Niemals dem klugen Weibe; drum verkünd' ich euch,

Ihr Lieben, was mich lösen kann von diesem Leid.

Vor langer Zeit schon wurde mir ein alt Geschenk

Vom alten Unthier, das ein eh'rner Krug bewahrt,
545

Das ich, ein zartes Mädchen noch, vom sterbenden

Behaarten Nessos einst empfing aus seinem Blut.

Er trug um Lohn die Wand'rer durch des strudelnden

Euenos Tiefen auf dem Arm, kein förderndes²

Schiffsruder schwingend, noch die Segel ausgespannt.
550

So trug er mich auch, als des Vaters Machtgebot

Mich einst als Gattin folgen hieß dem Herakles,

Auf seinen Schultern, und in Stromes Mitte fällt

Er mich mit frechen Händen an, hell schrie ich auf,

Und ohne Säumen wandte sich Zeus' Sohn und schoß
555

Den Flügelpfeil ab: rauschend fuhr er durch die Brust

In seine Lungen. Im Verscheiden sprach darauf

Das Ungethüm: des greisen Deneus Tochter du,

Noch großen Vortheil hast du, wenn du mir gehorchst,

Durch meine Fahrt hier, daß ich dich als lezte trug.
560

Denn wenn von meiner Wunde du verdicktes Blut³

Auffängst an jener Stelle, wo der Pfeil mich traf,

Den gallichtschwarz des Lerna Drachenblut getränkt:

So wird es dir für deines Gatten Herz, o Frau,

Ein Zauber werden, daß er nie ein andres Weib
565

Fortan getreuer lieben wird an deiner Statt.

Hieran gedacht' ich, (denn im Haus, o Freundinnen,

War's wohlverschlossen aufbewahrt seit Nessos' Tod,)

Und nezte dieses Unterkleid und ordnete,

Was er geboten. Und vollbracht ist Alles schon.
570

Wohl möcht' ich arger Künste nicht erfahren sein,

Noch je sie lernen; wer sie wagt, ist mir verhaßt:

Doch, kann ich diese Dirne durch Bezauberung,

Durch Liebesbann bei'm Gatten überwältigen,

Dann ist das Werk vollendet, wenn's euch etwa nicht
575

Ein eitles Werk scheint; anders lass' ich ab davon.

Der Chor.

English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 531 focus

My mandates; for his presents in return

I shall send presents; these too thou shalt bear;

Not to send something by thee were unjust,

Who camest attended with a splendid train.

Chorus
STRO

English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 531-630 focus

Enter Deianeira.

Deianeira

Dear friends, while our guest is saying his farewell to the captive girls in the house, I have stolen away partly to tell you what these hands have devised,

and partly to grieve over my sufferings in your company.
I have received a maiden—or, I believe, no longer a maiden, but an experienced woman—into my home, just as a mariner takes on cargo, a merchandise to wreck my peace of mind. And now we are two, a pair waiting under
535

a single bedspread for one man’s embrace. Such is the reward that Heracles has sent me—he whom I called true and loyal—for guarding his home through all that long time. I do not know how to be angry with him, even though he is infected with this disease.
540

But, then again, to live with her, sharing the same marriage—what woman could endure it? For I see that the flower of her youth is blossoming, while mine is fading. The eyes of men love to pluck off the bloom of youth, but they turn their steps from the old.
545

On this account I am afraid lest Heracles, in name my husband, should be the younger woman’s man.
But, as I said, anger brings shame to a woman of understanding. I will tell you, my friends, the way by which I will have deliverance and relief.
550

I had a gift, an old one given to me by a monster of long ago, and kept it hidden in a bronze urn. While yet a girl, I took this gift from the shaggy-chested Nessus—from his lifeblood, as he lay dying. He is the one who used to carry men
555

in his arms for hire across the deep current of the Evenus, using no oar for conveyance, nor ship’s sail. He carried me, too, on his shoulders, when at my father’s sending, I first departed with Heracles as his wife. When I was in midstream,
560

he touched me with lewd hands. I shrieked, and straightaway the son of Zeus turned round and with his hands shot a feathered arrow that whistled right through his chest to the lungs. As he passed away the monster spoke these few words: “Child of aged Oeneus,
565

you will have this benefit from my ferrying, if you obey me, since you were the last whom I carried. If you gather with your hands the blood clotted round my wound, at the place where the Hydra, Lerna ’s monstrous growth, imbued the arrow with black gall,
570

you will have a charm for the heart of Heracles, so that he will never look upon any woman and love her more than you.”
Remembering this charm, my friends—for, after his death, I had kept it carefully locked up in the house—
575

I have imbued this robe with it, applying to it all that he instructed while he lived. The work is finished. May deeds of wicked daring always be far from my thoughts and from my knowledge, as I detest the women who attempt them! But if in any way I may prevail against this girl by love-spells
580

and the charms used on Heracles, the means to that end have been devised—unless I seem to be acting rashly. If so, I will stop immediately.
585

588

Chorus

On the contrary. If there is any reason for confidence in these actions, we think that your plan is not wrong.

Deianeira

My reason for confidence is this: there is the appearance of success in the plan. But the proof I have not yet essayed.
590

Chorus

Your knowledge must come after you act. For you can have no test which is not fanciful except by making the attempt.

Deianeira

Well, we shall know shortly, for there I see the man

already at the doors. He will soon depart. Only I ask that I may be well sheltered by you! When you accomplish even shameful deeds under the cover of darkness, you will never fall into disgrace.
595

Enter Lichas.

Lichas

What are your instructions? Tell me, daughter of Oeneus, for already I am tardy because of my long stay.

600

Deianeira

In fact I have just been seeing to this very thing for you, Lichas, while you were addressing the foreign women in the house: take for me this long robe, prepared by my own hand, a gift to my absent husband. Give it to him and tell him to be sure that no man
600

puts it on his body before him and that it not be seen by the light of the sun, nor by the sacred precinct, nor by the blaze at the hearth, until he stands conspicuous before all eyes and shows it clearly to the gods on a day for the sacrifice of bulls.
605

For so had I vowed, that if I should ever see or hear that he had come safely home, I would dutifully adorn him with this robe and reveal him to the god as a new sacrificer in new garb. As proof of your commission you will carry a token which he will easily recognize
610

within the circle of this seal.
Now go; and first, observe the rule that messengers should be unwilling to act out of line, and second, see to it that my thanks may be joined to his, doubling the gratitude you earn.
615

620

Lichas

If I practice Hermes’ art of heraldry with any skill, I certainly will never slip up while doing your errand. I will not fail to carry and present this chest in the same condition, nor to add to it the proper assurance of the reasons which you have for sending it.
620

Deianeira

You may go now, for you know well

how things are with us in the house.
625

Lichas

I know and will report that all is well.

Deianeira

And you know, further, from your own eyes my greeting to the foreign girl, how I welcomed her warmly.

Lichas

So much so that my heart was struck with joy.

Deianeira

What more, then, is there for you to tell him? I am afraid that it would be too soon to speak of the longing on my part, before I know if I am longed for there. Exit Lichas on one side and Deianeira into the house.
630

Commentary

Commentary (R. C. Jebb) (OCR draft) (Commentary (R. C. Jebb))

mvp-comment-45-1 τελευτὴν … τελεῖν ¹

mvp-comment-46-1 ἄρας ²

mvp-comment-46-2 εἰς τό γ’ ὕστερον ³ εἰς τὸν ὕστερον ⁴ βίοτον εὐαίων’ ⁵

mvp-comment-47-1 ἐν οὖν ῥοπῇ … κειμένῳ ⁶

mvp-comment-47-2 83—

mvp-comment-48-1 ἡνίκ’ ἢ σεσώσμεθα … οἰχόμεσθ’ ἅμα ⁷

mvp-comment-48-2 This view of the original text may be supported by a consideration which does not seem to have been noticed. The very circumstance which prompted the interpolation—viz., the absence of the condition for

οἰχόμεσθ’ ἅμα

—is an admirable dramatic touch. For, while Deianeira and her hearers would understand

ἅμα

as meaning,

ἅμα οἰχομένῳ

, her death is really to be linked with his victory.

mvp-comment-48-3 For a similar piece of textual history, cp. Eur. Andr.6 , where the true text is

νῦν δ’, εἴτις ἄλλη, δυστυχεστάτη γυνή

: but there was another reading, which made two verses of it:—

νῦν δ’ οὔτις

(or

νῦν δὴ τίς

)

ἄλλη δυστυχεστέρα γυνὴ

ἐμοῦ πέφυκεν ἢ γενήσεταί ποτε

. Of the second v., the schol. there says,

οἱ ὑποκριταὶ τὸν ἴαμβον προσέθηκαν

. See Appendix.

mvp-comment-48-4 The synizesis in ἢ οἰχόμεσθ’ ⁸ ἢ κείμεσθ’ ⁹

mvp-comment-49-1 νῦν δ’ ὁ ξυνήθης ¹⁰ εἴα ¹¹

mvp-comment-49-2 For other instances of

νῦν

with a past tense, cp. O. C.273 , Ai.445 Ai., 1060.

mvp-comment-50-1 τὸ μὴ ¹²

mvp-comment-51-1 καὶ γὰρ ὑστέρῳ ¹³

mvp-comment-51-2 τό γ’ εὖ ¹⁴ πράσσειν ¹⁵

mvp-comment-51-3 ἐμπολᾷ ¹⁶

mvp-comment-52-1 αἰόλα ¹⁷ φλογιζόμενον ¹⁸ ἐναριζομένα ¹⁹ κατευνάζει ²⁰ τίκτει ²¹

mvp-comment-52-2 The text has been much suspected (see cr. n.), but without reason. The imagery, indeed, does not form a consistent whole: Night is slain, and then overcomes. But this is merely one of many instances in which the poet's language wavers between the figurative and the literal.

mvp-comment-52-3 κατευνάζει τε φλογιζόμενον ²²

mvp-comment-53-1 τοῦτο ²³ τον Ἀλκμήνας πόθι … ναίει ²⁴ καρῦξαι ²⁵ τοῦτο ²⁶

mvp-comment-54-1 πόθι μοι πόθι παῖς ²⁷ πα<*>ς ²⁸ μοι ²⁹ τὸν Ἀλκμ. ³⁰ παῖς ³¹

mvp-comment-54-2 Porson is cited by Wunder and other editors as the authority for omitting

παῖς

. But Porson (on Hec.1030 ) said only that it is possible to omit

παῖς

,—adding that it is better to retain it (omitting the second

μοι

):—‘potes ejicere

παῖς

et legere

πόθι μοι πόθι μοι

. Sed alterum melius.’

mvp-comment-55-1 ὦ … φλεγέθων ³²

mvp-comment-55-2 στεροπᾷ ³³

mvp-comment-56-1 ἢ ποντίας … κλιθείς ³⁴ ποντίας ³⁵ ποντίους ³⁶

mvp-comment-56-2 The constr. is, πόθι ³⁷ που ³⁸ ναίει ἢ ποντίας αὐλῶνας ἢ δισς. ἀπείροις κλιθείς ³⁹ ναίει ⁴⁰ ἢ ⁴¹

mvp-comment-56-3 ἤ ⁴²

mvp-comment-56-4 δισς. ἀπείροις κλιθείς ⁴³

mvp-comment-56-5 This use of δισσαῖσιν ⁴⁴ πόθι ⁴⁵

mvp-comment-56-6 ‘The two continents’ (Europe and Asia, Africa being included in the latter) mean, ‘the habitable world.’ Isocr. or. 4 § 179

τῆς γὰρ γῆς ἁπάσης τῆς ὑπὸ τῷ κόσμῳ κειμένης δίχα τετμημένης, καὶ τῆς μὲν Ἀσίας τῆς δ’ Εὐρώπης καλουμένης

. Varro De Ling. Lat. 4

Ut omnis natura in caelum et terram divisa est, sic caelum in regiones, terra in Asiam et Europam.

(Sallust, however, remarks that the division into three continents had been more usual: Jug. 17. )

mvp-comment-56-7 ποντίας αὐλῶνας ⁴⁶

mvp-comment-57-1 κρατιστεύων κατ’ ὄμμα ⁴⁷ κατά ⁴⁸

mvp-comment-58-1 ποθουμένᾳ ⁴⁹ πυνθάνομαι ⁵⁰

mvp-comment-59-1 τὰν ἀμφινεικῆ ⁵¹ ἀεί ⁵² τρύχεσθαι ⁵³

mvp-comment-60-1 ὄρνιν ⁵⁴

mvp-comment-61-1 ἀδακρύτων ⁵⁵

mvp-comment-61-2 βλεφάρων πόθον ⁵⁶

mvp-comment-61-3 108 It is simplest to construe εὔμναστον δεῖμα ὁδοῦ ἀνδρὸς ⁵⁷ τρέφουσαν ⁵⁸ φέρουσαν ⁵⁹ τρέφουσαν ⁶⁰

mvp-comment-62-1 ἐνθυμίοις εὐναῖς ἀνανδρώτοισι τρύχεσθαι ⁶¹

mvp-comment-62-2 δύστανον ⁶²

mvp-comment-63-1 πολλὰ γὰρ … ἴδοι ⁶³ κύματ’ ἂν … ἴδοι ⁶⁴ εὐρέϊ πόντῳ ⁶⁵

mvp-comment-63-2 Three other views claim notice. (1) <*>ν ⁶⁶ ἂν ⁶⁷ ἴδοι ⁶⁸ ἐν ⁶⁹ ἴδοι ⁷⁰ ἴδῃ ⁷¹

mvp-comment-63-3 βάντ’ ἐπιόντα τ’ ⁷² βάντ’ ⁷³

mvp-comment-64-1 οὕτω δὲ ⁷⁴

mvp-comment-64-2 Construe:

mvp-comment-64-3 βιότου πολύπονον ⁷⁵ ὥσπερ πέλαγος Κρήσιον ⁷⁶ στρέφει τὸ δ’ αὔξει τὸν Καδμογενῆ ⁷⁷ Κρήσιον ⁷⁸ στρέφει ⁷⁹ αὔξει ⁸⁰ τὸ δ’ ⁸¹ βιότου πολύπονον ⁸²

mvp-comment-64-4 Among those who receive στρέφει ⁸³

mvp-comment-64-5 As to the MS. τρέφει ⁸⁴

mvp-comment-65-1 ἀλλά ⁸⁵ τὸ δ’ αὔξει ⁸⁶

mvp-comment-65-2 ἀναμπλάκητον ⁸⁷ ἐρύκει ⁸⁸

mvp-comment-66-1 ὧν ⁸⁹

mvp-comment-66-2 Hense (whom Nauck follows) thinks that this second antistrophe (122—131) requires to be transposed, so as to become the second strophe, immediately following v. 111. But this change is worse than unnecessary. It is liable to the fatal objection that vv. 132 ff. (

μένει γὰρ

etc.) are then severed from the thought which they develope (vv. 129—131

ἀλλ’ ἐπὶ πῆμα καὶ χαρὰ

etc.). They are brought into a context which does not suit them (vv. 119— 121

ἀλλά τις θεῶν

etc.).

mvp-comment-67-1 αἰδοῖα ⁹⁰ ἁδεῖα ⁹¹ ἁδεῖα ⁹² ἀντία ⁹³ ἁδεῖα ⁹⁴ αἰδοῖα ⁹⁵

mvp-comment-67-2 οἴσω ⁹⁶

mvp-comment-68-1 γὰρ ⁹⁷

mvp-comment-68-2 ἀποτρύειν ⁹⁸

mvp-comment-68-3 ἐλπίδα τὰν ἀγαθὰν ⁹⁹

mvp-comment-69-1 ἀνάλγητα ¹⁰⁰

mvp-comment-69-2 οὐδ’ ὁ πάντα κρ. ¹⁰¹ οὐδ’ ¹⁰²

mvp-comment-69-3 ἐπέβαλε ¹⁰³

mvp-comment-70-1 ἐπὶ … κυκλοῦσιν ¹⁰⁴ ἐπὶ πᾶσι ¹⁰⁵ κυκλοῦσιν ¹⁰⁶ χαρὰν ¹⁰⁷ χαρὰ ¹⁰⁸ οἷον ¹⁰⁹ αἰὲν ¹¹⁰

mvp-comment-70-2 ἄρκτου στροφάδες κέλευθοι ¹¹¹

mvp-comment-71-1 οὔτ’ αἰόλα ¹¹² νὺξ ¹¹³

mvp-comment-71-2 κῆρες ¹¹⁴

mvp-comment-71-3 ἀλλ’ ἄφαρ βέβακε ¹¹⁵

mvp-comment-71-4 τῷδ’ ¹¹⁶ χαίρειν τε καὶ στέρεσθαι ¹¹⁷ ἐπέρχεται ¹¹⁸

mvp-comment-71-5 Other views are as follows. (1) The constr. is,

ἀλλὰ χαίρειν τε καὶ στέρεσθαι ἄφαρ βέβακε

(

τῷ μέν

τῷ δ’ ἐπέρχεται

. This is less simple. (2)

τῷ δ’

=simply ‘ and to him,’— i.e., to the person from whom woe or joy ‘has gone.’ But: ( a)

τῷ δ’

surely implies an antithesis. ( b) The clause

τῷ δ’ ἐπέρχεται κ.τ.λ.

would thus mean merely,—‘and then his experiences begin over again.’

mvp-comment-72-1 ἃ ¹¹⁹

mvp-comment-72-2 Others suppose that

ἃ

is governed by ἴσχειν ¹²⁰ τάδ’ ¹²¹

mvp-comment-72-3 For λέγω ¹²²

mvp-comment-72-4 ἐλπίσιν ἴσχειν ¹²³ ἄβουλον ¹²⁴

mvp-comment-73-1 ἀπεικάσαι ¹²⁵

mvp-comment-74-1 θυμοφ<*> ¹²⁶

mvp-comment-75-1 μήτ’ <*>θοις … νῦν δ’ ἄπειρος εἶ ¹²⁷ νῦν δ’ ¹²⁸ νῦν τ’ ¹²⁹ νῦν δ’ ¹³⁰ τε … δέ ¹³¹

mvp-comment-76-1 τ<*> νεάζον ¹³² τοιοῖσδε ¹³³ βόσκεται ¹³⁴ αὐτοῦ ¹³⁵

mvp-comment-76-2 θάλπος … ὄμβρος … πνευμάτων ¹³⁶

mvp-comment-76-3 The text is as clearly sound as the passage itself is beautiful. But numerous changes have been proposed: for these, see Appendix. Here I will only remark that the genuineness of the words καί ¹³⁷ νιν ¹³⁸

mvp-comment-77-1 ἡδοναῖς ¹³⁹

mvp-comment-77-2 ἐξαίρει βίον ¹⁴⁰

mvp-comment-78-1 ἐν νυκτὶ ¹⁴¹ λάβῃ ¹⁴²

mvp-comment-78-2 ἤτοι … ἢ ¹⁴³

mvp-comment-78-3 πρὸς ἀνδρὸς … φοβουμένη ¹⁴⁴

mvp-comment-79-1 αὑτοῦ ¹⁴⁵

mvp-comment-79-2 κακοῖσιν οἷς ¹⁴⁶ κακοῖσιν οἷς ¹⁴⁷

mvp-comment-80-1 μὲν οὖν δὴ ¹⁴⁸

mvp-comment-81-1 ἦμος ¹⁴⁹

mvp-comment-81-2 τὴν τελευταίαν ¹⁵⁰

mvp-comment-82-1 δέλτον ¹⁵¹

mvp-comment-82-2 ἐγγεγραμμένην ¹⁵² ξυνθήμαθ’ ¹⁵³ ξυνθήματα ¹⁵⁴

mvp-comment-83-1 ἀγῶνας ἐξιών ¹⁵⁵ οὐ ¹⁵⁶

mvp-comment-83-2 ἔτλη ¹⁵⁷

mvp-comment-84-1 ὥς τι δράσων ¹⁵⁸

mvp-comment-85-1 ἔτ’ οὐκ ὤν ¹⁵⁹

mvp-comment-85-2 εἶπε μὲν … εἶπε δ’ ¹⁶⁰ προτάξας ¹⁶¹

mvp-comment-85-3 εἶπε … ὅ τι χρείη μ’ ἑλέσθαι λέχους κτῆσιν ¹⁶²

mvp-comment-85-4 ἣν τέκνοις … νέμοι ¹⁶³

mvp-comment-85-5 διαιρετὸν ¹⁶⁴

mvp-comment-86-1 The constr. is:

mvp-comment-86-2 χρόνον προτάξας ¹⁶⁵

mvp-comment-86-3 ὡς ¹⁶⁶

mvp-comment-86-4 ἡνίκα χώρας ἀπείη βεβώς τρίμ. χρόνον κἀνιαύς ¹⁶⁷

mvp-comment-86-5 τότε χρείη σφε ἢ θανεῖν τῷδε τῷ χρ., ἢ … ζῆν ¹⁶⁸ ὡς ¹⁶⁹

mvp-comment-86-6 I leave the MS. τρίμηνον … κἀνιαύσιος ¹⁷⁰ κἀνιαύσιον ¹⁷¹ χρόνον … χρόνῳ … χρόνου ¹⁷²

mvp-comment-86-7 ὑπεκδραμόντα ¹⁷³ χρόνου τέλος ¹⁷⁴ ὑπεκδρ ¹⁷⁵ ὑπερδραμόντα ¹⁷⁶

mvp-comment-86-8 The arguments which have been brought against vv. 166—168 are examined in the Appendix.

mvp-comment-87-1 τοιαῦτ’ ἔφραζε … πόνων ¹⁷⁷ τῶν Ἡρακλείων πόνων ¹⁷⁸

mvp-comment-87-2 (1) It is a gen. of connection, equiv. to the gen. with

περί

, and going with the whole phrase εἱμαρμένα ἐκτελευτᾶσθαι ¹⁷⁹

mvp-comment-87-3 (2) It is also possible, though less probable, that the gen. should be taken as partitive with ἐκτελευτᾶσθαι ¹⁸⁰

mvp-comment-87-4 (3) πόνων ¹⁸¹ πρὸς θεῶν εἱμαρμένα ¹⁸²

mvp-comment-87-5 (4) πόνων ¹⁸³ ἐκτελευτᾶσθαι ¹⁸⁴

mvp-comment-88-1 ὡς τὴν παλαιὰν φηγὸν ¹⁸⁵

mvp-comment-88-2 Others understand:—(1) ‘by the agency of two doves’: i.e., the signs from the oak were somehow combined with, or explained by, signs derived from birds. (2) ‘The oak spake from between two doves’; i.e. a symbolical dove, of stone or metal, stood on either side of the tree. The Appendix will show what can be said for or against each of these theories. Here it may be noted that neither seems to accord so well with the phrase αὐδῆσαι ἐκ ¹⁸⁶

mvp-comment-88-3 Δωδῶνι ¹⁸⁷

mvp-comment-89-1 ναμέρτεια ¹⁸⁸

mvp-comment-89-2 τῶνδε ¹⁸⁹ ναμέρτεια ¹⁹⁰ συμβαίνει ¹⁹¹ ὡς ¹⁹² τελεσθῆναι χρεών ¹⁹³ ὡς ¹⁹⁴ ᾧ ¹⁹⁵

mvp-comment-89-3 Others understand:—(1) ‘The true fulfilment of these words as (

ὡς

) they are to be accomplished’; or (2) ‘the truth of the prediction that (

ὡς

) these things are to be accomplished.’

mvp-comment-89-4 This is one of those passages in which the manner of Sophocles recalls that of Vergil. The general meaning is simple and clear<*> but a verbal analysis demands the nicest care.

mvp-comment-90-1 ἡδέως ¹⁹⁶

mvp-comment-90-2 φόβῳ ¹⁹⁷ ταρβοῦσαν ¹⁹⁸

mvp-comment-91-1 εὐφημίαν ¹⁹⁹

mvp-comment-91-2 πρὸς χαρὰν λόγων ²⁰⁰

mvp-comment-92-1 πρῶτος ἀγγέλων ²⁰¹

mvp-comment-93-1 γὰρ ²⁰²

mvp-comment-93-2 κρατοῦντα ²⁰³

mvp-comment-93-3 ἀπαρχὰς ²⁰⁴ τοῖς ἐγχωρίοις ²⁰⁵

mvp-comment-94-1 τίνα … τόνδε ²⁰⁶

mvp-comment-95-1 πολύζηλον ²⁰⁷

mvp-comment-95-2 φανέντα ²⁰⁸

mvp-comment-95-3 κράτει νικηφόρῳ ²⁰⁹

mvp-comment-96-1 ἀστῶν ἢ ξένων ²¹⁰

mvp-comment-97-1 βουθερεῖ ²¹¹

mvp-comment-98-1 τοι ²¹²

mvp-comment-99-1 εἴπερ εὐτυχεῖ ²¹³

mvp-comment-99-2 193 (

ἄπεστιν

), οὐκ εὐμ. χρώμενος ²¹⁴

mvp-comment-100-1 Μηλιεὺς ²¹⁵

mvp-comment-100-2 ἅπας ²¹⁶

mvp-comment-101-1 κρίνει ²¹⁷

mvp-comment-101-2 παραστάς ²¹⁸ κύκλῳ ²¹⁹ περιστάς ²²⁰

mvp-comment-101-3 βῆναι ²²¹

mvp-comment-102-1 τὸ γὰρ ποθοῦν ²²² τὸ … ποθοῦν ²²³ τὰ γὰρ ποθείν’ ²²⁴

mvp-comment-102-2 (1) If τὸ … ποθοῦν ²²⁵

mvp-comment-102-3 (2) τὸ ποθοῦν ἐκμαθεῖν ²²⁶ ἐκμαθεῖν ²²⁷ τὸ ποθοῦν ²²⁸

mvp-comment-102-4 (3) It remains, then, to take τὸ ποθοῦν ²²⁹

mvp-comment-103-1 οὐχ ἑκών, ἑκοῦσι δὲ ²³⁰

mvp-comment-104-1 τὸν Οἴτης ἄτομον … λειμῶν’ ²³¹ ἄτομον ²³²

mvp-comment-105-1 ἀλλὰ ²³³ σὺν χρόνῳ ²³⁴

mvp-comment-106-1 εἴσω ²³⁵ ἔσω ²³⁶

mvp-comment-106-2 στέγης … αὐλῆς ²³⁷

mvp-comment-106-3 ὄμμα φήμης τῆσδε, ἄελπτον ἐμοὶ ἀνασχόν ²³⁸

mvp-comment-106-4 The wording here, ὡς … ἀνασχόν ²³⁹ τῆσδε ²⁴⁰ τῆσδ’ ὃ ²⁴¹ ἄελπτον ²⁴²

mvp-comment-107-1 This lively ‘dance-song’ (

ὑπόρχημα

) is the direct response of the Chorus to Deianeira's appeal (202

φωνήσατ’

),—expressing their delight at the good news. As Dr. W. Christ, who calls it ‘a paean to Artemis and Apollo,’ justly remarks ( Metrik § 443), its contents clearly point to a distribution of the verses between different singers. (1) The first part, down to v. 215 (

Νύμφας

), is an invitation to song and dance; this would be given either by the coryphaeus, or by the leader of one semichorus. (2) The second part, vv. 216—220 (

ἀείρομ’...ἅμιλλαν

), is the response, delivered by the leader of the other semichorus. (3) Then, at v. 221, the whole Chorus joins in with the refrain of the paean,

ἰὼ ἰὼ Παιάν

. (4) The coryphaeus then gives the last three verses, which introduce the next scene.—For the metres, see Metrical Analysis.

mvp-comment-107-2 ἀνολολυξάτω ²⁴³ δόμοις ²⁴⁴ ἁ ²⁴⁵ ὁ ²⁴⁶ δόμοις ²⁴⁷ ἐφεστίοις ²⁴⁸ ἐν δὲ κοινὸς ἀρσένων ²⁴⁹

mvp-comment-107-3 Hence we have to choose between these views, of which I prefer the first. (1) ἁ μελλόνυμφος ²⁵⁰ ἁ μελλόνυμφος ²⁵¹ δόμος … ὁ μελλόνυμφος ²⁵²

mvp-comment-107-4 ἀνολολυξάτω ²⁵³

mvp-comment-107-5 δόμοις ²⁵⁴ ἀλαλαῖς ²⁵⁵

mvp-comment-108-1 κοινὸς ²⁵⁶ τὸν εὐφ. Ἀπ ²⁵⁷ ἴτω κλαγγὰ ²⁵⁸

mvp-comment-109-1 ἀνάγετ’ ²⁵⁹

mvp-comment-110-1 Ἄρτεμιν Ὀρτυγίαν ²⁶⁰

mvp-comment-110-2 Artemis was worshipped on the coasts near Malis (637 n.), but we have no proof that the name

Ὀρτυγία

was specially given to her there. Perhaps the poet uses it here merely as one of her standing epithets.

mvp-comment-110-3 ἐλαφαβόλον ²⁶¹

mvp-comment-110-4 ἀμφίπυρον ²⁶²

mvp-comment-110-5 Νύμφας ²⁶³

mvp-comment-111-1 ἀείρομ’ ²⁶⁴

mvp-comment-112-1 τὸν αὐλόν ²⁶⁵ ὦ τύραννε ²⁶⁶ τᾶς ἐμᾶς φρενός ²⁶⁷

mvp-comment-113-1 ἰδού μ’ ²⁶⁸ εὐοῖ ²⁶⁹ ἀναταράσσει ²⁷⁰

mvp-comment-113-2 ὁ κισσός ²⁷¹

mvp-comment-113-3 βακχίαν … ἅμιλλαν ²⁷²

mvp-comment-114-1 ἰὼ ἰὼ Παιάν ²⁷³

mvp-comment-115-1 ἵδ’ ²⁷⁴ ἴδε ἴδ’ ²⁷⁵

mvp-comment-116-1 τάδ’ ²⁷⁶

mvp-comment-116-2 ἐναργῆ ²⁷⁷ ἀντίπρῳρα ²⁷⁸

mvp-comment-117-1 οὐδέ μ’ ὄμματος φρουρὰν παρῇλθε ²⁷⁹ παρῆλθε ²⁸⁰ φρουρὰ ²⁸¹

mvp-comment-118-1 προὐννέπω ²⁸²

mvp-comment-118-2 φέρεις ²⁸³ καὶ ²⁸⁴

mvp-comment-119-1 ἀλλ’ ²⁸⁵

mvp-comment-120-1 κατ’ ἔργου κτῆσιν ²⁸⁶

mvp-comment-120-2 ἄνδρα γὰρ ²⁸⁷

mvp-comment-120-3 καλῶς πράσσοντ’ ²⁸⁸ καλῶς ²⁸⁹ καλά ²⁹⁰

mvp-comment-121-1 ἃ πρῶτα βούλομαι ²⁹¹ ‐εα ²⁹²

mvp-comment-122-1 ἔγωγέ τοι ²⁹³

mvp-comment-122-2 ἔλειπον ²⁹⁴ ζῶντα ²⁹⁵ τε καί ²⁹⁶ ἰσχύοντα ²⁹⁷ καί ²⁹⁸ θάλλοντα ²⁹⁹

mvp-comment-123-1 ποῦ γῆς ³⁰⁰ πατρῴας εἴτε βαρβάρου ³⁰¹ εἴτε ³⁰² εἴτε ³⁰³

mvp-comment-123-2 ποῦ γῆς; πατρῴας εἴτε βαρβάρου; λέγε ³⁰⁴

mvp-comment-123-3 ποῦ γῆς; πατρῴας εἴτε βαρβάρου, λέγε ³⁰⁵

mvp-comment-123-4 πατρῴας ³⁰⁶

mvp-comment-124-1 Εὐβοίς ³⁰⁷

mvp-comment-124-2 ὁρίζεται βωμοὺς ³⁰⁸ βωμοὺς ³⁰⁹

mvp-comment-124-3 τέλη τ’ ἔγκαρπα ³¹⁰

mvp-comment-125-1 εὐκταῖα … ἢ )πὸ μαντείας ³¹¹

mvp-comment-125-2 φαίνων ³¹²

mvp-comment-126-1 εὐχαῖς ³¹³

mvp-comment-126-2 ἀνάστατον ³¹⁴

mvp-comment-127-1 ὧν ³¹⁵

mvp-comment-127-2 ἐν ὄμμασιν ³¹⁶

mvp-comment-128-1 τοῦ ποτ’ εἰσὶ ³¹⁷ ἐκεῖνος ³¹⁸

mvp-comment-129-1 οἰκτραὶ γάρ ³¹⁹

mvp-comment-129-2 ξυμφοραὶ ³²⁰ ξυμφορᾷ ³²¹

mvp-comment-130-1 ἐξείλεθ’ ³²² αὑτῷ ³²³ θεοῖς ³²⁴

mvp-comment-131-1 ἦ κἀπὶ ³²⁵

mvp-comment-131-2 ἄσκοπον ³²⁶

mvp-comment-131-3 ἡμερῶν ³²⁷ ἀνήριθμον ³²⁸ χρόνον ³²⁹

mvp-comment-131-4 The form

ἀνήριθμος

is of a frequent type. When the second part of a compound adj. has a disyllabic stem (usu. a verbal stem), beginning with a short vowel, this vowel may be lengthened. Such forms were oft. convenient in poetry (as

ἀνήροτος, εὐήνεμος, φιλήρετμος

), but many of them were equally current in good prose (as

ἀνήκεστος, ἀνήνυτος, ἀνηλεῶς, εὐώνυμος

). The restriction of

ἀνήριθμος

to classical poetry and late prose (as Athen. p. 253 F) is not due to 1ts form, but to the fact that classical prose preferred

ἀναρίθμητος

. Tragedy uses

ἀνάριθμος

(

α^

) where it suits the metre (as in El.225 ). In Theocr. 15. 45

ἀνάριθμοι

(

α—

) is Doric for

ἀνήριθμοι

mvp-comment-132-1 τὸν μὲν πλεῖστον … χρόνον ³³⁰ ὡς φήσ’ αὐτός ³³¹

mvp-comment-133-1 ἐμποληθείς ³³²

mvp-comment-133-2 τοῦ λόγου … φθόνον ³³³

mvp-comment-133-3 προσεῖναι ³³⁴

mvp-comment-133-4 ὅτου ³³⁵ ὅτου ³³⁶ τοῦ λόγου ³³⁷

mvp-comment-133-5 πράκτωρ φανῇ ³³⁸

mvp-comment-133-6 The meaning is:—‘You may think that the humiliation of Heracles ought not to be related by his servant to his wife. But this humiliation was imposed by Zeus himself, and can therefore be related without reflecting upon Heracles.’

mvp-comment-134-1 κεῖνος δὲ ³³⁹ ἐν Λυδοῖς ³⁴⁰ χρόνον ³⁴¹

mvp-comment-134-2 πραθεὶς … Ὀμφάλῃ ³⁴²

mvp-comment-134-3 Two tragic poets of the fifth century B.C., Ionof Chios and Achaeus, had written an

Ὀμφάλη σατυρική

. Two poets of the Middle Comedy, Antiphanes (Athen. 112 C) and Cratinus jun. (id. 669 B) wrote an

Ὀμφάλη

, picturing Heracles abandoned to sensuous pleasures. Itis the more noteworthy how Sophocles, in lightly touching on this episode, has guarded his hero's dignity. For he speaks only of servile labours for the Lydian taskmistress (70 It, 356 ); and marks how the bondsman felt his disgrace (254).

mvp-comment-135-1 ἐνιαυτὸν ³⁴³

mvp-comment-136-1 λαβὼν ³⁴⁴

mvp-comment-137-1 ὅρκον αὑτῷ προσβαλὼν ³⁴⁵

mvp-comment-137-2 ἦ μὴν ³⁴⁶

mvp-comment-137-3 τὸν ἀγχιστῆρα τοῦδε τοῦ πάθους ³⁴⁷

mvp-comment-137-4 No emendation is probable. Nauck's αὐτόχειρα ³⁴⁸

mvp-comment-138-1 ξὺν παιδὶ καὶ γυναικὶ ³⁴⁹ παισὶ ³⁵⁰

mvp-comment-138-2 ἔτι ³⁵¹

mvp-comment-139-1 κοὐχ ἡλίωσε τοὔπος ³⁵²

mvp-comment-139-2 ὅθ’ ἁγνὸς ἦν ³⁵³ ἁγνός ³⁵⁴

mvp-comment-140-1 στρατὸν … ἐπακτὸν ³⁵⁵

mvp-comment-140-2 ἔρχεται ³⁵⁶

mvp-comment-140-3 πόλιν τὴν Εὐρυτείάν ³⁵⁷

mvp-comment-141-1 ἐφέστιον ³⁵⁸ ἐς δόμους ³⁵⁹ ἐλθόντ’ … ἐφέστιον ³⁶⁰

mvp-comment-142-1 ξένον παλαιὸν ὄντα ³⁶¹

mvp-comment-143-1 ἐπερρόθησε ³⁶²

mvp-comment-143-2 From

ἐπερρόθησε

a verb of more general sense, such as

ὕβρισε

, is to be supplied with ἀτηρᾷ φρενί ³⁶³ γόγοις ³⁶⁴ φρενί ³⁶⁵ δείπνοις δ’ ³⁶⁶

mvp-comment-143-3 Others understand :—‘railed against him both with (rude) words and with evil intent.’ To this there are two objections. (1) Since all the supposed affronts are then verbal, the antithesis would require an epithet for λόγοις ³⁶⁷ ἀτηρᾷ ³⁶⁸ πολλὰ μὲν … πολλὰ δέ ³⁶⁹

mvp-comment-143-4 The text is clearly (I think) sound. It is unwarrantable, as it is undesirable, to strike out πολλὰ δ’ … χεροῖν μὲν ³⁷⁰

mvp-comment-144-1 λέγων χεροῖν μὲν ³⁷¹ δὲ ³⁷² λέγων ³⁷³

mvp-comment-144-2 τῶν ὧν τέκνων ³⁷⁴

mvp-comment-144-3 λείποιτο ³⁷⁵

mvp-comment-145-1 φωνεῖ δὲ ³⁷⁶ ῥαίοιτο ³⁷⁷

mvp-comment-145-2 ἀνδρὸς … ἐλευθέρου ³⁷⁸ δοῦλος ³⁷⁹

mvp-comment-145-3 ῥαίοιτο ³⁸⁰

mvp-comment-145-4 The conject.

φανεὶς δὲ δοῦλος ἀνδρος ἀντ’ ἐλευθέρου

(cr. n.) has been received by several edd., who cite Ai.1020

δοῦλος λόγοισιν ἀντ’ ἐλευθέρου φανείς

. There, however, the force of

φανείς

depends on

λόγοισιν

: ‘represented,’ ‘made out,’ in his taunting words, to be a slave. Here

φανείς

would mean simply, ‘found to be.’

mvp-comment-145-5 δείπνοις ³⁸¹

mvp-comment-145-6 ᾠνωμένος ³⁸²

mvp-comment-145-7 ἔρριψεν ἐκτὸς αὐτόν ³⁸³

mvp-comment-145-8 ὧν ἔχων χόλον ³⁸⁴

mvp-comment-146-1 αὖθις ³⁸⁵

mvp-comment-146-2 Τιρυνθίαν … κλιτύν ³⁸⁶ υ^ ³⁸⁷ κλιτύν ³⁸⁸

mvp-comment-146-3 ἵππους νομάδας ³⁸⁹ νομάδας ³⁹⁰

mvp-comment-147-1 ἄλλοσ’ … ὄμμα, θατέρᾳ δὲ νοῦν ἔχοντ’ ³⁹¹ θατέρᾳ ³⁹² ἄλλοσε ³⁹³

mvp-comment-147-2 πυργώδους πλακός ³⁹⁴

mvp-comment-148-1 ὁ τῶν ἁπάντων ³⁹⁵

mvp-comment-149-1 πρατόν νιν ἐξέπεμψεν ³⁹⁶ οὐδ’ ἠνέσχετο ³⁹⁷ ὁθούνεκ’ ³⁹⁸ μοῦνον ³⁹⁹

mvp-comment-150-1 ἠμύνατο ⁴⁰⁰

mvp-comment-151-1 χειρουμένῳ ⁴⁰¹

mvp-comment-151-2 οὐδὲ δαίμονες ⁴⁰²

mvp-comment-152-1 κεῖνοι δ’ ⁴⁰³

mvp-comment-152-2 ὑπερχλίοντες ⁴⁰⁴

mvp-comment-152-3 ἐκ γλώσσης κακῆς ⁴⁰⁵

mvp-comment-152-4 282 For αὐτοὶ μὲν ⁴⁰⁶ κεῖνοι ⁴⁰⁷ πόλις δὲ ⁴⁰⁸

mvp-comment-152-5 οἰκήτορες ⁴⁰⁹

mvp-comment-153-1 τάσδε ⁴¹⁰ ἅσπερ ⁴¹¹ ἐξ ὀλβίων ⁴¹²

mvp-comment-154-1 χωροῦσι πρὸς σέ ⁴¹³

mvp-comment-154-2 πόσις τε … ἐγὼ δὲ ⁴¹⁴ ἐφεῖτο ⁴¹⁵ τελῶ ⁴¹⁶

mvp-comment-155-1 ἁγνὰ θύματα ⁴¹⁷ τῆς ἁλώσεως ⁴¹⁸

mvp-comment-156-1 φρόνει νιν ὡς ἥξοντα ⁴¹⁹ νιν ⁴²⁰ ὡς ⁴²¹

mvp-comment-157-1 καλῶς ⁴²²

mvp-comment-158-1 νῦν σοι τέρψις ἐμφανὴς κυρεῖ ⁴²³

mvp-comment-158-2 τῶν μὲν ⁴²⁴ τὰ δὲ ⁴²⁵

mvp-comment-159-1 πανδίκῳ φρενί ⁴²⁶

mvp-comment-160-1 τῇδε ⁴²⁷ τοῦτο ⁴²⁸

mvp-comment-160-2 The rejection of this verse (see cr. n.) would be deplorable. Deianeira rejoices, but <*>ls a certain sadness, and knows that she cannot help showing it; all the more she wishes to assure them how real her joy is.

mvp-comment-161-1 τοῖσιν εὖ σκοπουμένοις ⁴²⁹

mvp-comment-161-2 ταρβεῖν τὸν εὖ πράσσοντα ⁴³⁰

mvp-comment-161-3 This shadow which flits across Deianeira's joy is the more dramatically impressive for the spectators, because it arises so naturally out of her tender sympathy for the captives. It is a touch worthy of the greatest master.

mvp-comment-162-1 ἐμοὶ … εἰσέβη ⁴³¹

mvp-comment-162-2 δεινὸς ⁴³²

mvp-comment-163-1 ἀπάτορας ⁴³³

mvp-comment-163-2 301 f. For ἴσως ⁴³⁴ ἐξ ἐλευθέρων ἀνδρῶν ⁴³⁵ ἀνδρῶν ⁴³⁶ ἀπάτορας ⁴³⁷

mvp-comment-164-1 ὦ Ζεῦ τροπαῖε ⁴³⁸

mvp-comment-164-2 τοὐμὸν σπέρμα ⁴³⁹

mvp-comment-164-3 χωρήσαντα ⁴⁴⁰ εἰς ⁴⁴¹ πρὸς ⁴⁴² σε ⁴⁴³ που ⁴⁴⁴

mvp-comment-165-1 μηδ’, εἴ τι δράσεις ⁴⁴⁵ εἰ ⁴⁴⁶ ζώσης ⁴⁴⁷

mvp-comment-165-2 This verse is a development of μή ποτ’ εἰσίδοιμι ⁴⁴⁸

mvp-comment-165-3 The objection to the verse as illogical assumes that the

δέ

in μηδέ ⁴⁴⁹

mvp-comment-166-1 τεκνοῦσσα ⁴⁵⁰ τεκοῦσα ⁴⁵¹

mvp-comment-166-2 πρὸς … φύσιν ⁴⁵² πάντων … τῶνδε ⁴⁵³

mvp-comment-166-3 γενναία ⁴⁵⁴

mvp-comment-167-1 ὁ φιτύσας πατήρ ⁴⁵⁵

mvp-comment-167-2 ᾤκτισα ⁴⁵⁶

mvp-comment-167-3 ὅσῳπερ ⁴⁵⁷ μόνη ⁴⁵⁸

mvp-comment-167-4 φρονεῖν οἶδεν ⁴⁵⁹ φρονεῖν ⁴⁶⁰

mvp-comment-167-5 314 f. For καὶ ⁴⁶¹ κρίνοις ⁴⁶²

mvp-comment-167-6 γέννημα τῶν ἐκεῖθεν ⁴⁶³ οὐκ ἐν ὑστάτοις ⁴⁶⁴

mvp-comment-168-1 μὴ τῶν τυράννων ⁴⁶⁵

mvp-comment-168-2 Εὐρύτου σπορά τις ἦν ⁴⁶⁶ τις ⁴⁶⁷

mvp-comment-169-1 ἀνιστόρουν ⁴⁶⁸

mvp-comment-169-2 μακράν ⁴⁶⁹

mvp-comment-170-1 ξυνεμπόρων ⁴⁷⁰

mvp-comment-170-2 ἔχεις ⁴⁷¹

mvp-comment-170-3 ἤνυτον ⁴⁷²

mvp-comment-171-1 ἀλλ’ ἡμὶν ⁴⁷³

mvp-comment-172-1 καὶ ⁴⁷⁴ ξυμφορά ⁴⁷⁵

mvp-comment-173-1 οὔ τἄρα ⁴⁷⁶ οὐδὲν ἐξ ἴσου ⁴⁷⁷ τῷ γε πρόσθεν χρόνῳ ⁴⁷⁸ ἐξ ἴσου ⁴⁷⁹ διοίσει ⁴⁸⁰ γλῶσσαν ⁴⁸¹ διοίσει ⁴⁸²

mvp-comment-173-2 ἤτις ⁴⁸³

mvp-comment-173-3 οὐδαμὰ ⁴⁸⁴

mvp-comment-174-1 οὔτε μείζον’ οὔτ’ ἐλάσσονα ⁴⁸⁵

mvp-comment-175-1 ὠδίνουσα … βάρος ⁴⁸⁶

mvp-comment-176-1 διήνεμον ⁴⁸⁷ πάτραν ⁴⁸⁸

mvp-comment-176-2 ἡ … τὐχη ⁴⁸⁹

mvp-comment-176-3 αὐτῇ γ’ ⁴⁹⁰ γ’ ⁴⁹¹

mvp-comment-176-4 συγγνώμην ἔχει ⁴⁹²

mvp-comment-177-1 ἡ δ’ οὖν ⁴⁹³ ἡ δ’ ⁴⁹⁴ ἥδ’ ⁴⁹⁵

mvp-comment-177-2 οὕτως ὅπως ἥδιστα ⁴⁹⁶

mvp-comment-177-3 331 Among the attempts to amend

λύπην...λύπην

(cr. n.), the two best, I think, are, (1) ἄλλην … λύπην ⁴⁹⁷ λύπην … διπλῆν ⁴⁹⁸ διπλῆν ⁴⁹⁹

mvp-comment-177-4 Almost all edd. retain the optat. λάβοι ⁵⁰⁰ λάβῃ ⁵⁰¹

mvp-comment-178-1 οἷ θέλεις σπεύδῃς ⁵⁰²

mvp-comment-178-2 ἐγὼ δὲ ⁵⁰³ σύ θ’ ⁵⁰⁴

mvp-comment-178-3 ἐξαρκῆ τιθῶ ⁵⁰⁵

mvp-comment-179-1 The

ἄγγελος

(180), who has listened in silence, now places himself between Deianeira and the door through which she is about to follow Lichas and the captives.

mvp-comment-179-2 αὐτοῦ γε πρῶτον βαιὸν ἀμμείνας’ ⁵⁰⁶ γε ⁵⁰⁷

mvp-comment-179-3 ἀμμείνας’ ⁵⁰⁸

mvp-comment-180-1 ἄνευ ⁵⁰⁹ τ’ ⁵¹⁰ μάθῃς ⁵¹¹ μάθῃς ⁵¹² ἐκμάθῃς ⁵¹³ οὕστινας ⁵¹⁴

mvp-comment-180-2 ὧν τ’ οὐδὲν εἰσήκουσας ⁵¹⁵

mvp-comment-181-1 πάντ’ ⁵¹⁶

mvp-comment-182-1 τί δ’ ἔστι ⁵¹⁷

mvp-comment-182-2 τοῦ ⁵¹⁸

mvp-comment-182-3 ἐφίστασαί με ⁵¹⁹ τήνδε βάσιν ⁵²⁰

mvp-comment-182-4 The midd.

ἐφίσταμαι

does not elsewhere occur in a causal sense (except in the aor., as Xen. Cyr.8. 2. 19

φρουροὺς ἐπεστησά μην

). But the causal use of

καθίσταμαι

( Aesch. Eum.706

φρούρημα γῆς καθίσταμαι

, Thuc.2. 6

τά τ’ ἐν τῇ πόλει καθίσταντο

) appears to warrant a like use of

ἐφίσταμαι

, where, as here, the context helps to explain it. Cp. also Plat. Tim. 63 C

γεώδη γένη διϊστάμενοι

, ‘separating.’ [But we cannot properly compare O. C.916

παρίστασαι

, ‘you bring to your own side,’ ‘subjugate’: nor Plat. Rep. 565C

ἕνα τινὰ...δῆμος εἴωθε...προΐστασθαι ἑαυτοῦ

: where there is a special reason for using the midd.] The midd.

προσορωμένα

in Soph. O. C.244 is similarly unique, and has a like justification.

mvp-comment-182-5 A fact which confirms this view is that

ἐφιστάναι, ἐφίστασθαι

were regularly used with ref. to a halt. Xen. An.2. 4. 26

ἐπορεύετο δὲ ἄλλοτε καὶ ἄλλοτε ἐφιστάμενος. ὅσον δὲ χρόνον τὸ ἡγούμενον τοῦ στρατεύματος ἐπιστήσειε, τοσοῦτον ἦν ἀνάγκη χρόνον δἰ ὅλου τοῦ στρατεύματος γίγνεσθαι τὴν ἐπίστασιν

. (For

ἐπίστασις

, ‘a halt,’ cp. Soph. Ant.225 n.) Polyb. 16. 34. 2

ἐπιστήσαντες...τὴν ὁρμήν

. Diod.17. 112

τὴν ὁδὸν...ἐπιστήσας

. Plut. Cim. 1

ἐπιστήσας...τὴν πορείαν

. Arrian 5. 16. 1

ἐπέστησε τοὺς ἱππέας τοῦ πρόσω

mvp-comment-182-6 Another explanation is: τοῦ με ἐφίστασαι ⁵²¹ τήνδε βάσιν ⁵²² με ⁵²³ μοι ⁵²⁴ τοῦ ⁵²⁵ ἐφ’ οὗ ⁵²⁶ με ⁵²⁷

mvp-comment-183-1 οὐδὲ τὸν πάρος … οὐδὲ νῦν ⁵²⁸ οὐδὲ ⁵²⁹ οὔτε ⁵³⁰

mvp-comment-183-2 μάτην ⁵³¹

mvp-comment-183-3 δοκῶ ⁵³²

mvp-comment-184-1 ἐκείνους ⁵³³ τούτους δ’ ἔα ⁵³⁴ ἄνευ τῶνδ’ ⁵³⁵

mvp-comment-184-2 ἢ )μοὶ ταῖσδέ τ’ ⁵³⁶

mvp-comment-185-1 σοὶ ταῖσδέ τ’ οὐδὲν εἴργεται ⁵³⁷ οὐδὲν ⁵³⁸ σοὶ ταῖσδέ τ’ ⁵³⁹

mvp-comment-186-1 καὶ δὴ ⁵⁴⁰

mvp-comment-186-2 χὡ λόγος σημαινέτω ⁵⁴¹

mvp-comment-187-1 δίκης ἐς ὀρθόν ⁵⁴²

mvp-comment-187-2 ἢ νῦν … ἢ πρόσθεν … παρῆν ⁵⁴³ κακός ⁵⁴⁴

mvp-comment-188-1 ἃ μὲν γὰρ ἐξείρηκας ⁵⁴⁵

mvp-comment-188-2 ἀγνοία ⁵⁴⁶

mvp-comment-189-1 μαρτύρων ⁵⁴⁷

mvp-comment-189-2 Εὔρυτόν θ’ ἕλοι τήν θ’ ὑψίπ. Οἰχαλίαν ⁵⁴⁸

mvp-comment-189-3 τὴν ὑψίπυργον ⁵⁴⁹

mvp-comment-189-4 Οἰχαλίαν ⁵⁵⁰

mvp-comment-190-1 μόνος θεῶν ⁵⁵¹

mvp-comment-190-2 θέλξειεν ⁵⁵²

mvp-comment-191-1 οὐ τἀπὶ Λυδοῖς ⁵⁵³ ὑπ’ ⁵⁵⁴ ἐπ’ ⁵⁵⁵ τἀπὶ ⁵⁵⁶ ἐπ’ ⁵⁵⁷

mvp-comment-191-2 πόνων λατρεύματ’ ⁵⁵⁸

mvp-comment-191-3 ὁ ῥιπτὸς … μόρος ⁵⁵⁹

mvp-comment-191-4 Heracles had really killed Iphitus. The denial here refers only to the place which the murder held in the story told by Lichas. Heracles was instigated, not by the Lydian servitude which punished his crime, or by those affronts (262 ff.) which Lichas represented as having moved him to the crime, but, in reality, by the refusal of Eurytus to give him Iolè.

mvp-comment-192-1 ὃν ⁵⁶⁰ ὃ ⁵⁶¹ ὃν … παρώσας ⁵⁶²

mvp-comment-193-1 ἀλλ’ ἡνίκ’ ⁵⁶³ οὐκ ἔπειθε ⁵⁶⁴

mvp-comment-193-2 τὸν φυτοσπόρον ⁵⁶⁵

mvp-comment-194-1 κρύφιον ὡς ἔχοι λέχος ⁵⁶⁶ αἰτίαν ⁵⁶⁷

mvp-comment-194-2 ἑτοιμάσας ⁵⁶⁸

mvp-comment-194-3 362—

mvp-comment-195-1 ἐπιστρατεύει … ἄνακτα πατέρα ⁵⁶⁹ τόνδ’ ⁵⁷⁰ τῶνδ’ ⁵⁷¹

mvp-comment-195-2 (1) It was needless to say that the girl's

πατρίς

was also the realm of Eurytus: cp. 244 f.: 283 ff.: 315. The excuse must be that the Messenger himself had not yet said so; he is wordy, and anxious, in his own fashion, to be lucid. The reading τόνδ’ ⁵⁷² τῶνδ’ ⁵⁷³

mvp-comment-195-3 (2) Heracles is subject to ἐπιστρατεύει ⁵⁷⁴ κτείνει ⁵⁷⁵ εἶπε ⁵⁷⁶ δεσπόζειν ⁵⁷⁷ εἶπε ⁵⁷⁸

mvp-comment-195-4 (3) At v. 377 Deianeira asks,

ἆρ’ ἀνώνυμος

πέφυκεν

; i.e., ‘is she of obscure birth?’—and then, for the first time, learns that the girl's father is Eurytus. So she must have understood ἄνακτα ⁵⁷⁹

mvp-comment-195-5 The only course which removes all these three difficulties is Hartung's,—who brackets the words τὴν ταύτης … πατέρα ⁵⁸⁰

mvp-comment-195-6 Others read τῶν Εὐρύτου τόνδ’, rendering: ‘in which (Lichas) said that Heracles (

τόνδ’

) holds’ [or ‘wishes to hold’] the throne of Eurytus.’ But Heracles simply laid Oechalia waste; there was no question of his reigning there.—Wecklein ingeniously reads τὸν ἐργάτην ⁵⁸¹ τῶνδ’ ⁵⁸²

mvp-comment-195-7 For the change of tenses, cp. Ant.406 n.

mvp-comment-196-1 ἥκει ⁵⁸³ ἔπερσε ⁵⁸⁴ ἐντεθέρμανται ⁵⁸⁵ ἥκει ⁵⁸⁶

mvp-comment-196-2 δόμους ὡς τούσδε ⁵⁸⁷

mvp-comment-197-1 οὐδ’ εἰκός ⁵⁸⁸

mvp-comment-197-2 ἐντεθέρμανται ⁵⁸⁹ ἐν‐ ⁵⁹⁰ ἐκ‐ ⁵⁹¹

mvp-comment-198-1 πρὸς μέσῃ Τραχινίων ἀγορᾷ ⁵⁹² ἐν ⁵⁹³

mvp-comment-198-2 ἀγορᾷ ⁵⁹⁴

mvp-comment-198-3 Join ὡσαύτως ἐμοί ⁵⁹⁵

mvp-comment-199-1 τὸ δ’ ὀρθὸν ⁵⁹⁶

mvp-comment-200-1 ποῦ … πράγματος ⁵⁹⁷

mvp-comment-200-2 ὑπόστεγον ⁵⁹⁸

mvp-comment-201-1 ὦ δὐστηνος ⁵⁹⁹ πέφυκεν ⁶⁰⁰

mvp-comment-201-2 This question seems strange after the words κτείνει τ’ ἄνακτα πατέρα τῆσδε ⁶⁰¹

mvp-comment-201-3 διώμνυτο ⁶⁰²

mvp-comment-202-1 ἦ κάρτα ⁶⁰³

mvp-comment-202-2 The conject. ὄνομα ⁶⁰⁴ ὄμμα ⁶⁰⁵ ἆρ’ ἀνώνυμος πέφυκεν ⁶⁰⁶ ὄνομα ⁶⁰⁷ φύσιν ⁶⁰⁸ κατ’ ὄμμα ⁶⁰⁹

mvp-comment-202-3 φύσιν ⁶¹⁰

mvp-comment-202-4 In some ancient texts this verse was given to Deianeira. Among recent editors, Paley shares that view. But: (1) If Deianeira has already answered her own question, the Messenger's speech opens weakly with v. 380. (2) It agrees best with the practice of Sophocles to suppose that ἦ κάρτα ⁶¹¹ ἢ ⁶¹² ἦ ⁶¹³ φύσιν ⁶¹⁴ διώμνυτο ⁶¹⁵

mvp-comment-203-1 πατρὸς μὲν οὖσα ⁶¹⁶ Ἰόλη )καλεῖτο ⁶¹⁷ ποτέ ⁶¹⁸ )καλεῖτο ⁶¹⁹ οὖσα ⁶²⁰

mvp-comment-203-2 Ἰόλη ⁶²¹

mvp-comment-203-3 τῆς ⁶²²

mvp-comment-204-1 βλάστας ⁶²³

mvp-comment-204-2 οὐδὲν ἱστορῶν ⁶²⁴

mvp-comment-204-3 Many editors place a comma after ἐφώνει ⁶²⁵ δῆθεν ⁶²⁶ δῆθεν ⁶²⁷ οὐδὲν ἱστορῶν ⁶²⁸

mvp-comment-205-1 ὄλοιντο ⁶²⁹

mvp-comment-205-2 The comment is aimed at Lichas in the first instance; but its vague form seems purposed, so that the hearers may extend it, if they please, to Heracles. Deianeira herself is in doubt whether the dissimulation practised by Lichas was prompted by her lord (449): Lichas explains that it was not so (479 f.). The schol.'s paraphrase shows that he wished to punctuate thus:

ὄλοιντο, μή τι πάντες, οἱ κακοί

, etc.: ‘perish, not all men, but the evil; and (especially) he,’ etc.

mvp-comment-205-3 τὰ δὲ ⁶³⁰ δὲ ⁶³¹

mvp-comment-205-4 μὴ ⁶³² πρέπονθ’ αὑτῷ ⁶³³

mvp-comment-206-1 ποεῖν ⁶³⁴

mvp-comment-207-1 πεύθου ⁶³⁵ πυθοῦ ⁶³⁶

mvp-comment-207-2 σαφῆ ⁶³⁷

mvp-comment-208-1 οὐκ ἀπὸ γνώμης ⁶³⁸

mvp-comment-208-2 The accent in L here,

ἄπο γνώμης

, represents the theory that this prep. should be paroxytone when it means ‘at a distance from,’ as in the phrases cited above, and in

ἀπὸ τείχεος

( Il.9. 353 ),

ἀπὸ σεῖο

( ib. 437), etc. But this was merely a refinement due to comparatively late grammarians: see Ellendt, Lex. Soph. p. 79 a: Matthiae Gr. § 572 n. b.

mvp-comment-209-1 οὐκ ἐμῶν ὑπ’ ἀγγέλων ⁶³⁹ αὐτόκλητος ⁶⁴⁰

mvp-comment-210-1 ὡς ὁρᾷς ⁶⁴¹ εἰσορᾷς ⁶⁴² εἰσορᾷς ⁶⁴³ ὡς ⁶⁴⁴ ἕρποντος ἐμοῦ, εἰσορᾷς ⁶⁴⁵ ὡς ἕρποντος ἐμοῦ ⁶⁴⁶ εἰσορᾷς ⁶⁴⁷ εἰσορᾷς ὡς ἕρποντος ἐμοῦ ⁶⁴⁸ εἰσορᾷς ⁶⁴⁹

mvp-comment-210-2 As regards ὡς ὁρᾷς ⁶⁵⁰ ὡς ⁶⁵¹

mvp-comment-211-1 ἐκ ταχείας ⁶⁵²

mvp-comment-211-2 σὺν χρόνῳ … βραδεῖ ⁶⁵³

mvp-comment-211-3 πρὶν ἡμᾶς κἀννεώσασθαι λόγους ⁶⁵⁴

mvp-comment-212-1 ἦ καὶ ⁶⁵⁵

mvp-comment-212-2 τὸ πιστὸν τῆς ἀλη‐ ⁶⁵⁶ θείας ⁶⁵⁷

mvp-comment-212-3 νεμεῖς ⁶⁵⁸

mvp-comment-212-4 Even without the hint in the schol. (cr. n.), it would have been clear that νεμεῖς ⁶⁵⁹ νέμεις ⁶⁶⁰

mvp-comment-213-1 As to Nauck's change in the order of these verses (cr. n.), it is enough to observe that (1) Lichas could not reply to the question of his

δέσποινα

with such a rebuff as σὺ δ’ εἰς τί δή με ⁶⁶¹ τόλμησον εἰπεῖν, εἰ φρονεῖς ⁶⁶²

mvp-comment-214-1 οὗτος, βλέφ’ ὧδε ⁶⁶³

mvp-comment-215-1 σὺ δ’ ⁶⁶⁴

mvp-comment-216-1 τόλμησον ⁶⁶⁵

mvp-comment-216-2 εἰ φρονεῖς ⁶⁶⁶

mvp-comment-216-3 ἱστορῶ ⁶⁶⁷

mvp-comment-216-4 406 f. If δάμαρτα ⁶⁶⁸ δεσπότιν ⁶⁶⁹ θ’ ⁶⁷⁰ δ’ ⁶⁷¹ δέ … δέ ⁶⁷² τε … τε. — λεύσσων μάταια ⁶⁷³

mvp-comment-217-1 δίκαια ⁶⁷⁴

mvp-comment-218-1 δίκαιος ⁶⁷⁵

mvp-comment-219-1 ποικίλας ⁶⁷⁶

mvp-comment-220-1 ἱστορούμενος ⁶⁷⁷

mvp-comment-221-1 κάτοισθα ⁶⁷⁸

mvp-comment-222-1 ἣν ὑπ’ ἀγνοίας ὁρᾷς ⁶⁷⁹ ὑπ’ ἀγνοίας ⁶⁸⁰ ὑπ’ ἀγνοίας ⁶⁸¹

mvp-comment-222-2 On the whole, I do not feel sure that there is a corruption. If there is, it probably lies deep. Some conjectures are noticed in the Appendix.

mvp-comment-223-1 τίς πόθεν μολὼν ⁶⁸²

mvp-comment-224-1 πολλοῖσιν ἀστῶν ⁶⁸³ ποίοις ἐν ἀνθρώποισι ⁶⁸⁴

mvp-comment-224-2 ἀγορᾷ ⁶⁸⁵

mvp-comment-224-3 ταῦτά ⁶⁸⁶ γ’ ⁶⁸⁷ γε ⁶⁸⁸

mvp-comment-224-4 425 If the MS. ναί ⁶⁸⁹ γε ⁶⁹⁰ κλύειν ⁶⁹¹ ναί ⁶⁹²

mvp-comment-224-5 ταὐτὸ ⁶⁹³

mvp-comment-224-6 426 The antithesis is between the whole phrases, δόκησιν ⁶⁹⁴ ἐξακριβῶσαι ⁶⁹⁵

mvp-comment-225-1 ποίαν δόκησιν ⁶⁹⁶

mvp-comment-226-1 ἐγὼ δάμαρτα ⁶⁹⁷

mvp-comment-226-2 431 The emphatic σοῦ ⁶⁹⁸ σου ⁶⁹⁹ ἤκουσεν ⁷⁰⁰ ἤκουσα ⁷⁰¹

mvp-comment-227-1 ἡ Λυδία ⁷⁰² ἡ Λυδία ⁷⁰³ ὁ τῆσδ’ ἔρως φανείς ⁷⁰⁴ ὡς ταύτης πόθῳ ⁷⁰⁵

mvp-comment-228-1 ἀποστήτω ⁷⁰⁶

mvp-comment-229-1 πρός σε τοῦ … Διός ⁷⁰⁷

mvp-comment-229-2 νάπος ⁷⁰⁸

mvp-comment-229-3 ἐκκλέψῃς λόγον ⁷⁰⁹

mvp-comment-230-1 Deianeira argues:—(1) 438 —448: he need not fear that she will feel rancour against Heracles or Iolè: (2) 449—454: falsehood would be disgraceful for him,—and, if his motive were kind, useless: (3) 455 f.: detection would be certain: (4) 457 ff.: he need not be afraid of paining her. (5) In vv. 461— 467 she returns to the first topic.

mvp-comment-230-2 κακῇ ⁷¹⁰

mvp-comment-230-3 τἀνθρώπων ⁷¹¹

mvp-comment-230-4 πέφυκεν ⁷¹² πεφύκας’ ⁷¹³

mvp-comment-231-1 Ἔρωτι μέν νυν ⁷¹⁴

mvp-comment-231-2 πύκτης ὅπως ⁷¹⁵

mvp-comment-231-3 οὐ καλῶς φρονεῖ ⁷¹⁶

mvp-comment-232-1 ἄρχει καὶ θεῶν ⁷¹⁷

mvp-comment-233-1 κἀμοῦ γε ⁷¹⁸ γε ⁷¹⁹

mvp-comment-233-2 πῶς δ’ οὐ ⁷²⁰

mvp-comment-233-3 οἵας γ’ ἐμοῦ ⁷²¹ γε ⁷²²

mvp-comment-233-4 Wunder and Nauck reject this beautiful verse, because: (1) by

κἀμοῦ γε

Deianeira implies that she is stronger than the gods; and also that she has been untrue to her husband: (2) she cannot assume that Iolè returns the passion of Heracles; nor does Iolè's feeling come into account here.

mvp-comment-234-1 τὠμῷ τ’ ἀνδρὶ ⁷²³ τε ⁷²⁴ ἢ ⁷²⁵

mvp-comment-234-2 τῇδε τῇ νόσῳ ⁷²⁶

mvp-comment-234-3 μεμπτός ⁷²⁷

mvp-comment-235-1 τοῦ μηδὲν αἰσχροῦ ⁷²⁸ μηδ’ ἐμοὶ κακοῦ τινος ⁷²⁹ τοῦ ⁷³⁰

mvp-comment-235-2 This is a remarkable passage, and it is of some moment to understand it rightly. The meaning is not merely that Iolè's relation to Heracles was excused by the omnipotence of Erôs. Concubinage (

παλλακία

) was not merely tolerated by Athenian opinion, but, in some measure, protected by law (see e.g. , Lys. or. 1 § 31 : Isae. or. 8 § 39 ). Its relation to the life of the family is illustrated by the Andromachè of Euripides; for though Andromachè is Trojan, and Hermionè Spartan, the sentiments are Athenian. A wife (

γαμετὴ γυνή

) who tolerates a

παλλακή

is there represented as proving her goodness of heart (

ἀρετή

, 226), and her wise moderation (938—942); she ought to be consoled by her higher place, and by the advantage which her children will have over the

νόθοι

mvp-comment-235-3 But is Deianeira in earnest here; or is she feigning acquiescence, to reassure Lichas? Presently she tells the Chorus that she cannot endure to share her home with Iolè (539—546). Probably Sophocles meant her to be sincere in both places. The faith in her own power to bear the trial is natural at this moment of excitement and suspense. Not less so is the reaction, when she knows the worst, and has had time to think.

mvp-comment-236-1 οὐκ ἔστι ταῦτ)· ἀλλ’ ⁷³¹ οὐκ ἔστι ταῦτα ⁷³²

mvp-comment-236-2 μαθὼν … ἐκμανθάνεις ⁷³³

mvp-comment-237-1 αὑτὸν ⁷³⁴ ὀφθήσει ⁷³⁵

mvp-comment-238-1 κὴρ ⁷³⁶ πρόσεστιν ⁷³⁷

mvp-comment-239-1 ὅπως δὲ λήσεις ⁷³⁸ ὅπως δὲ λήσεις ⁷³⁹

mvp-comment-240-1 δέδοικας … ταρβεῖς ⁷⁴⁰

mvp-comment-240-2 τοῦτο ⁷⁴¹

mvp-comment-241-1 πλείστας ἀνὴρ εἷς ⁷⁴²

mvp-comment-241-2 ἔγημε ⁷⁴³

mvp-comment-241-3 The legendary loves of Heracles were as numerous as the local myths which claimed Heracleid <*>escent for clans or houses. Thus his bride Megara connected him with Thebes; Astydameia, with Thessaly; Astyochè, with Epeirus; Epicastè, with Elis; Parthenopè, with Arcadia; Chalciopè, with Cos; the Thespiades, with Sardinia; and so forth. The number of his sons finally grew to about seventy, whose mothers are enumerated by Apollodorus (2. 7. 8).

mvp-comment-242-1 ἠνέγκατ’ ⁷⁴⁴

mvp-comment-242-2 ἥδε τε, οὐδ’ εἰ … ἐντακείῃ ⁷⁴⁵ ἂν ⁷⁴⁶ οὐδ’ ⁷⁴⁷ εἰ ⁷⁴⁸ ἂν ⁷⁴⁹

mvp-comment-242-3 ἐντακείη τῷ φιλεῖν ⁷⁵⁰

mvp-comment-242-4 ἐντακείη ⁷⁵¹ τῷ φιλεῖν ⁷⁵²

mvp-comment-242-5 The conject. ἐκτακείη ⁷⁵³

mvp-comment-243-1 ᾤκτιρα ⁷⁵⁴ δὴ ⁷⁵⁵

mvp-comment-244-1 ῥείτω κατ’ οὖρον ⁷⁵⁶ ἴτω ⁷⁵⁷ οὖρον ⁷⁵⁸

mvp-comment-244-2 κακὸν ⁷⁵⁹

mvp-comment-244-3 πρὸς ἄλλον ⁷⁶⁰ κακὸν ⁷⁶¹ πρὸς ἄλλον εἶναι ⁷⁶²

mvp-comment-245-1 πιθοῦ λεγούσῃ ⁷⁶³ πείθου ⁷⁶⁴ πιθοῦ ⁷⁶⁵ γυναικὶ τῇδε ⁷⁶⁶

mvp-comment-246-1 ἀλλ’ ⁷⁶⁷ θνητὴν φρονοῦσαν θνητὰ ⁷⁶⁸ ἀγνώμονα ⁷⁶⁹

mvp-comment-247-1 κρύψομαι ⁷⁷⁰

mvp-comment-248-1 ἔστιν γὰρ οὕτως ⁷⁷¹

mvp-comment-249-1 ταύτης ὁ δεινὸς ἵμερος ⁷⁷² ὁ δεινὸς ⁷⁷³

mvp-comment-249-2 ποθ’ ⁷⁷⁴

mvp-comment-249-3 διῆλθε ⁷⁷⁵ τῆσδ’ ⁷⁷⁶ ταύτης ⁷⁷⁷

mvp-comment-249-4 ἡ πολύφθορος ⁷⁷⁸

mvp-comment-249-5 πατρῷος ⁷⁷⁹

mvp-comment-250-1 καὶ τὸ πρὸς κείνου ⁷⁸⁰

mvp-comment-251-1 εἴ τι τήνδ’ ἁμαρτ. ⁷⁸¹

mvp-comment-251-2 νέμεις ⁷⁸²

mvp-comment-252-1 γε μὲν δὴ ⁷⁸³ ἐπεὶ ⁷⁸⁴

mvp-comment-253-1 στέργε ⁷⁸⁵ ἐς ⁷⁸⁶

mvp-comment-253-2 ἐμπέδως ⁷⁸⁷ ἐμπέδους ⁷⁸⁸

mvp-comment-253-3 488 f. Either τἄλλ’ ⁷⁸⁹ χεροῖν ⁷⁹⁰

mvp-comment-254-1 καὶ ⁷⁹¹ φρονοῦμεν ⁷⁹²

mvp-comment-255-1 νόσον γ’ ἐπακτὸν ἐξαρούμεθα ⁷⁹³ ἐπακτὸν ⁷⁹⁴ γε ⁷⁹⁵ ἐξαρούμεθα ⁷⁹⁶

mvp-comment-255-2 Others understand:—(1) ‘I shall not heighten the trouble already brought upon me by others’ (viz., the introduction of Iolè into the house, 376). But this sense for ἐξαρούμεθα ⁷⁹⁷ γε ⁷⁹⁸ νόσημ’ ⁷⁹⁹

mvp-comment-255-3 θεοῖσι δυσμαχοῦντες ⁸⁰⁰

mvp-comment-256-1 λόγων τ’ ⁸⁰¹

mvp-comment-256-2 λόγων … ἐπιστολὰς ⁸⁰²

mvp-comment-257-1 προσαρμόσαι ⁸⁰³

mvp-comment-257-2 This is the first mention of the fateful gift. An unobtrusive significance is given to it by two traits of expression. (1)

δῶρα

is drawn into the relative clause ( O. C.907 n.), and resumed, with a light emphasis, in

καὶ ταῦτ’

: cp. Ph.1247

ἅ γ’ ἔλαβες βουλαῖς ἐμαῖς

, |

πάλιν μεθεῖναι ταῦτα

. (2) A pause follows the second foot of the verse (

ἄγῃς

). Cp. 27 n.

mvp-comment-257-3 ἄγῃς ⁸⁰⁴ φέρῃς ⁸⁰⁵ δίκαια ⁸⁰⁶

mvp-comment-257-4 ὧδε ⁸⁰⁷ σὺν π. στόλῳ ⁸⁰⁸

mvp-comment-258-1 μέγα τι σθένος … νίκας ⁸⁰⁹

mvp-comment-258-2 ἐκφέρεται ⁸¹⁰

mvp-comment-259-1 θεῶν ⁸¹¹ παρέβαν ⁸¹²

mvp-comment-259-2 Κρονίδαν ⁸¹³

mvp-comment-260-1 τὸν ἔννυχον Ἅιδαν ⁸¹⁴

mvp-comment-261-1 Ποσειδάωνα ⁸¹⁵

mvp-comment-261-2 τινάκτορα γαίας ⁸¹⁶

mvp-comment-262-1 ἐπὶ τάνδ’ … ἄκοιτιν ⁸¹⁷

mvp-comment-262-2 Other explanations of

ἀμφίγυοι

here are these:—(1) ‘With massive limbs,’—

ἀμφί

being intensive. (2) ‘Dexterous combatants’: cp.

ἀμφιδέξιος

. (3) ‘Of dissimilar forms,’— i.e., man and bull.

mvp-comment-262-3 κατέβαν ⁸¹⁸

mvp-comment-263-1 πάμπληκτα ⁸¹⁹

mvp-comment-263-2 παγκόνιτά τ’ ⁸²⁰

mvp-comment-263-3 ἐξῆλθον ἄεθλ’ ⁸²¹

mvp-comment-263-4 ἄεθλα ⁸²² ἀγώνων ⁸²³

mvp-comment-264-1 ποταμοῦ σθένος ⁸²⁴

mvp-comment-264-2 φάσμα ταύρου ⁸²⁵

mvp-comment-264-3 Acheloüs fights, then, as the

ἐναργὴς ταῦρος

,—not merely as the

ἀνδρείῳ κύτει βούπρῳρος

(12). Sophocles is here following the traditional version. The Homeric Scamander, in conflict with Achilles, roars ‘like a bull’ (

μεμυκὼς ἠΰτε ταῦρος

, Il.21. 237 ).

ἐντεῦθεν ὁρμηθέντες

(says the schol. there)

τὸν Ἀχελῷον ἐταύρωσαν Ἡρακλεῖ ἀγωνιζόμενον

. The taurine form was given to Acheloüs, in that combat, by Archilochus (schol. ib.), by Pindar (schol. Il.21. 194 ), and by the logographer Pherecydes ( Apollod.2. 6. 5 ): perhaps, too, by Panyasis, the author of an epic

Ἡράκλεια

. An engraved gem in the British Museum (King, Antique Gems II. pl. 34, fig. 3) shows Acheloüs as a bull, preparing to butt at Heracles. The gem is older than the time of Sophocles, and may, as Mr. Murray S. thinks, have followed the rendering of this subject on the still more archaic throne of Apollo at Amyclae ( Paus.3. 18. 5 ). Cp. n. on 520. This fight was a favourite theme in art: for the literature, see Roscher, Lex.p. 9.

mvp-comment-264-4 Ovid ( Met. 9. 1—100 ) departs from the old Greek version: his Acheloüs begins the fight in quasi-human form,—then turns into a serpent (63) ,—and then, as a last resource into a bull (80) .

mvp-comment-265-1 ἀπ’ Οἰνιαδᾶν ⁸²⁶

mvp-comment-265-2 Oeniadae was some twelve miles W.S.W. of Pleuron. As Heracles arrives from his famous home to the east, so it is fitting that the river-god should come from the western town which was a chief seat of his worship. The head of the Acheloüs appears on coins of Oeniadae.

mvp-comment-266-1 Βακχίας ⁸²⁷

mvp-comment-266-2 ἀπὸ ⁸²⁸ ἄπο ⁸²⁹

mvp-comment-267-1 παλίντονα ⁸³⁰

mvp-comment-267-2 λόγχας ⁸³¹

mvp-comment-267-3 ῥόπαλον ⁸³² λόγχας ⁸³³ ῥόπαλον ⁸³⁴ τόξα ⁸³⁵

mvp-comment-268-1 ἀολλεῖς ⁸³⁶ ἐς μέσον ⁸³⁷

mvp-comment-269-1 μόνα δ’ ⁸³⁸

mvp-comment-269-2 ἐν μέσῳ ⁸³⁹

mvp-comment-269-3 ῥαβδονόμει ⁸⁴⁰

mvp-comment-269-4 Aphroditè is here the only person near the two combatants ( ξυνοῦσα ⁸⁴¹

mvp-comment-270-1 τότ’ ἦν χερός ⁸⁴² χερὸς πάταγος ⁸⁴³ ἀμφίπλεκτοι κλίμακες ⁸⁴⁴ μετώπων πλήγματα ⁸⁴⁵

mvp-comment-270-2 For ἦν ⁸⁴⁶ ἦν δὲ ⁸⁴⁷

mvp-comment-271-1 ἀνάμιγδα ⁸⁴⁸

mvp-comment-271-2 κεράτων ⁸⁴⁹

mvp-comment-272-1 ἦν ⁸⁵⁰

mvp-comment-272-2 ἀμφίπλεκτοι κλίμακες ⁸⁵¹

mvp-comment-272-3 At any rate

κλιμακίζω

was a familiar term in Greek wrestling: cp. Plato comicus

Πρέσβεις

fr. 2

χαίρεις, οἶμαι, μεταπεττεύσας αὐτὸν διακλιμακίσας τε

(explained by Hesych. as

διαπαλαίσας

). For a like use of wrestling terms, cp. Ar. Eq.262 f. —One of the subjects on the archaic throne of Apollo at Amyclae was

ἡ πρὸς Ἀχελῷον Ἡρακλέους πάλη

( Paus.3. 18. 5 ).

mvp-comment-273-1 μετώπων … πλήγματα ⁸⁵²

mvp-comment-274-1 τηλαυγεῖ ⁸⁵³

mvp-comment-274-2 ὄχθῳ ⁸⁵⁴

mvp-comment-274-3 τὸν ὃν ⁸⁵⁵

mvp-comment-275-1 †ἐγὼ δὲ μάτηρ† μὲν οἷα φράζω ⁸⁵⁶

mvp-comment-275-2 The true key to this passage depends on observing the sequence of topics. (1) In 517—522,

τότ’ ἦν χερός...στόνος ἀμφοῖν

, we have a brief picture of the fight. (2) Then vv. 523—525,

ἁ δ’ εὐῶπις...ἀκοίταν

, mark Deianeira's suspense. (3) Next comes the obscure parenthesis,

ἐγὼ δὲ...φράζω

. (4) And then we return, at v. 527, to Deianeira's suspense,—not, however, in a form which adds anything new to vv. 523 —525, but in one which merely repeats their substance:—

τὸ δ’ ἀμφινείκητον...ἀμμένει

mvp-comment-275-3 Now, to justify such a repetition, it is manifest that (2) and (4) should be separated, not by a mere parenthesis, such as (3) now is, but by some further allusion to the fight. This inference is strengthened by the phrase,

τὸ δ’ ἀμφινείκητον ὄμμα νύμφας

, which gains point if a reference to the

νεῖκος

has immediately preceded.

mvp-comment-275-4 I believe that ἐγὼ ⁸⁵⁷ ἀγὼν ⁸⁵⁸ φράζω ⁸⁵⁹ ἀγὼν δὲ μαργᾷ μέν, οἷα φράζω ⁸⁶⁰ τὸ δ’ ἀμφινείκητον ⁸⁶¹

mvp-comment-276-1 ὄμμα ⁸⁶² ὄμμα νύμφας ⁸⁶³

mvp-comment-276-2 ἐλεινὸν ἀμμένει ⁸⁶⁴

mvp-comment-277-1 κἀπὸ ματρὸς ἄφαρ βέβακεν ⁸⁶⁵

mvp-comment-277-2 ἄφαρ ⁸⁶⁶

mvp-comment-278-1 ὥστε ⁸⁶⁷ ὥσπερ ⁸⁶⁸

mvp-comment-278-2 πόρτις ἐρήμα ⁸⁶⁹

mvp-comment-279-1 ἦμος ⁸⁷⁰ τῆμος ⁸⁷¹

mvp-comment-279-2 ὁ ξένος ⁸⁷²

mvp-comment-279-3 θροεῖ ⁸⁷³

mvp-comment-279-4 ταῖς αἰχμ. παισὶν ⁸⁷⁴

mvp-comment-279-5 ὡς ἐπ’ ἐξόδῳ ⁸⁷⁵ ἐπ’ ἐξόδῳ ⁸⁷⁶

mvp-comment-279-6 θυραῖος ⁸⁷⁷

mvp-comment-280-1 τὰ μὲν ⁸⁷⁸ τὰ δ’ ⁸⁷⁹

mvp-comment-280-2 χερσὶν ⁸⁸⁰

mvp-comment-280-3 συγκατοικτιουμένη ⁸⁸¹

mvp-comment-281-1 κόρην ⁸⁸² ἐζευγμένην ⁸⁸³

mvp-comment-282-1 παρεισδέδεγμαι ⁸⁸⁴ φόρ‐ ⁸⁸⁵ τον ⁸⁸⁶ παρεισδέδεγμαι ⁸⁸⁷

mvp-comment-282-2 λωβητὸν ⁸⁸⁸

mvp-comment-282-3 ἐμπόλημα ⁸⁸⁹

mvp-comment-282-4 τῆς ἐμῆς φρενός ⁸⁹⁰ λωβητὸν ⁸⁹¹

mvp-comment-283-1 δὔ οὖσαι ⁸⁹²

mvp-comment-283-2 μιᾶς ὑπὸ χλαίνης ⁸⁹³

mvp-comment-283-3 ὑπαγκάλισμα ⁸⁹⁴

mvp-comment-283-4 Mr Murray S. has shown me a curious illustration of this passage. A vase of the 6th cent. B.C., now in the British Museum, depicts two women under the same

χλαῖνα

,—a symbolical representation, perhaps, of a common grief.

mvp-comment-284-1 ὁ … ἡμῖν καλούμενος ⁸⁹⁵

mvp-comment-284-2 πιστός ⁸⁹⁶

Commentary (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) (Commentary (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) focus

79. mvp-comment-71-1 ὡς ἢ τελευτὴν . . τελεῖν] • That he is either to accomplish the ending of his life.' Cp. 1255, 6, παῦλά τοι κακῶν αὕτη, τελευτὴ τοῦδε τἀνδρὸς ὑστάτη. Το which Hyllus replies, ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲν εἴργει σοὶ τελειοῦσθαι τάδε. The expression, though unusual, is not more so than O. C. 1551, 2, τὸν τελευταῖον βίον | κρύψων: ib. 1720, ὀλβίως γ᾽ ἔλυσεν | τὸ τέλος βίου. For the pleonasm, cp. esp. infr. 1171, λύσιν τελεῖσθαι.

80-81. mvp-comment-72-1 These lines have been much suspected, but if τὸν ἀεὶ= τὸν ἀεὶ χρόνον, in El. 1076, O. C. 1701, which there is no good reason for doubting, εἰς τὸν ὕστερον = εἰς τὸν ὕστερον χρόνον, may be allowed. ἄρας] 'When he has carried away,' i.e. Performed successfully. The notion is partly that of lifting a weight, partly of removing an obstacle (between emolitus and amolitus).

82. mvp-comment-73-1 ἐν . . κειμένῳ] 'When he is at such a critical point;' lit. such a turning of the scale. ῥοπή is commonly the preponderance or determination of the balance one way; here it is the moment or crisis of a determination which is still uncertain. For κειμένῳ, cp. Aj. 323, ἐν τοιᾷδε κείμενος . . τύχῃ, where, however, there is the additional notion of being 'laid prostrate.'

83. mvp-comment-74-1 ἡνίκα] ‘At a moment when.'

84-85. mvp-comment-75-1 Canter ingeniously defended l. 84 by placing it after 85 and reading καί for ἤ. But the line is still unnecessary and falls flat. Some editors, with strange judgment, have rejected 85. 84 is most probably spurious. It looks like an attempt to fill up the lacuna, when 85 had been lost. The only other considerable interpolation to which we can point with any confidence is in lines 898, 899, which look like a players' addition. These three lines make but a slight foundation for the theory of two editions of the Trachiniae, even if we add ll. 88, 9, and the v. rr. in lines 12, 13, supr. See Introduction.

85. mvp-comment-76-1 βίον is the safety of Heracles with all that depends on it, including the happiness of Deianira and her children. Cp. El. 768, εἰ τοῖς ἐμαυτῆς τὸν βίον σώζω κακοῖς, where, as Ellendt remarks, Clytemnestra is not thinking only of her life, but of the prosperity attending it.

87. mvp-comment-77-1 βάξις in Greek tragedy is generally a striking utterance, either of an oracle or of common rumour, and often conveys some unpleasant association.

88. mvp-comment-78-1 The corrections of Vauvillers (ela for ą) and Wakefield (πρὶν for νῦν) remove all suspicion from this line. The sons of Heracles could not be apprehensive or greatly fearful for him who was perpetually contending with dangers and hitherto always with success. The sense of fear in them was partly lost through familiarity, partly disarmed by habitual good fortune. For πότμος in this indifferent sense (fortune ane whether good or bad), cp. Fr. 786. 1, 2, ἀλλ᾿ οὑμὸς ἀεὶ πότμος ἐν πυκνῷ θεοῦ τροχῷ κυκλεῖται καὶ μεταλλάσσει φύσιν.

90. mvp-comment-79-1 τὸ μή] For the absence of oὐ here in reference to prospective action, cp. Ο. Τ. 77, μὴ δρῶν, and see Essay on L. § 29. p. 50. The whole question of the Greek negatives is still too indeterminate to justify the admission of such conjectural emendations as the insertion of οὐ after μή in this place, proposed by Brunck and others.

92-93. mvp-comment-80-1 τό γ᾽ εὐ | πράσσειν] γε emphasizes ev: Wise action, even though late.' The emphatic position of πράσσειν at the beginning of another line, and the addition of ἐπεὶ πύθοιτο, may justify the singular use of τὸ εὐ πράσσειν in an active sense (= 'Doing right,' not, 'Faring well'), which is required by the context. For the omission of τίς, τινί (the subject of πύθοιτο and the dative after ἐμπολᾷ), see Essay on L. § 39. P. 72, 3, and cp. O. Τ. 314, 5, ἀφ᾽ ὧν ἔχοι τε καὶ δύναιτο.

94-140. mvp-comment-81-1 Parodos. Where in the wide world is Heracles, reposing in what continent, or by what narrow sea? Tell us, bright, all-beholding Sun! For our Deianira, for whose hand he fought, wears out her soul in thinking of him on her lonely couch; so ceaseless are the toils that crowd upon him like stormy billows. But God hath hitherto protected him; wherefore let not hope weary, O my queen. No life is without pain, but, by Divine ordinance, grief succeeds to joy and joy to grief. Remember this and hope the best. Zeus cannot leave his offspring to destruction.' The metre beginning with an iambic rhythm passes quickly into dactylo-trochaic, changing again in the epode to iambo-trochaic (with occasional syncope), then to pure iambics, ending with a bacchius followed by three trochees.

94-95. mvp-comment-82-1 ἐναριζομένα τίκτει] Gives birth to, being despoiled.' The word αἰόλα (like ποικιλείμων in Aesch. Prom. 24) suggests the glories of the starry night. (See Buttmann, Lexil. § 12.) These perish with her as she vanishes, 'Shot through with orient beams.' Cp. ΕΙ. 19, μέλαινά τ᾽ ἄστρων ἐκλέλοιπεν εὐφρόνη: Aesch. Ag. 279, τῆς νῦν τεκούσης φῶς τόδ᾽ εὐφρόνης λέγω. The mention of day succeeding night prepares for the suggestion of hope, infr. 131. κατευνάζει τε φλογιζόμενον] And lays glowing to his rest.' φλογιζόμενον calls up the image of a red sunset.

96. mvp-comment-83-1 ῞Αλιον αἰτῶ] The accusative or third person instead of the vocative, as in Aesch. Prom. 91, καὶ τὸν πανόπτην κύκλον ἡλίου καλῶ· | ἴδεσθέ μ'.

97. mvp-comment-84-1 πόθι μοι πόθι] The repetition belongs to the later manner of Greek tragedy. The change of construction after πόθι (παῖς not παῖδα) is right. To avoid the hiatus after l. 4 of the antistrophe the second μοι rather than παῖς (see v. rr.) should be omitted. μοι is dative of indirect reference after πόθι ναίει (cp. Ο. C. 137, ποῦ μοί ποτε ναίει), and also supplies the remoter object of καρύξαι.

99. mvp-comment-85-1 ὦ . . φλεγέθων] Cp. Ο. Τ. 163, 4, καὶ Φοῖβον ἑκαβόλον, ἰὼ |.. προφάνητε. στεροπᾷ is used etymologically, like στέροψ in Ant. 1126 = 'Dazzling light.'

100. mvp-comment-86-1 ἢ . . αὐλῶνας] Sc. ναίων. ‘Either dwelling amongst winding seas:' i. e. in some island of the Aegean. αὐλών is said to be feminine in poetry, and the reading of Ist hand of L, ποντίας, may therefore be right. Cp. Fr. 503 (Ath. 5. p. 189 D). The change to the dative is occasioned by the addition of κλιθείς on which ἀπείροις is made to depend. The sea most familiar to the Trachinian maidens would be the strait between Euboea and the mainland, but their description might apply equally to any of the narrow seas intersecting the islands of the Aegean: interfusa nitentes .. Cycladas (Hor. Od. 1. 14, sub fin.). κλιθείς with the dative is an expression borrowed from the Homeric κεκλιμένος (e. g. Il. 5. 709, λίμνῃ κεκλιμένος Κηφισίδι). δισσαῖσιν ἀπείροις] 'On one of the two continents,' i. e. somewhere on the seaboard of Europe or of Asia, which are divided by the πόντιοι αὐλῶνες. Others have suggested Thessaly and Epirus, or even Euboea and Thessaly. But cp. Hdt. 4. 118, ἐπειδή οἱ τὰ ἐν τῇ ἠπείρῳ τῇ ἑτέρῃ πάντα κατέστραπται, · διαβέβηκε ἐς τήνδε τὴν ἤπειρον, and Schol. in Aesch. Pers. 181, τὼ δύ᾽ ἠπείρω. Mr. Paley strangely interprets. 'Resting between two mainlands,' as if Heracles were imagined to be on the Hellespont. But for the condensation, cp. El. 1320, οὐκ ἂν δυοῖν ἥμαρτον, ἱ.ε. δυοῖν θατέρου.

101. mvp-comment-87-1 εἰπέ resumes the imperative implied in αἰτῶ . . καρύξαι. ὦ κρατιστεύων κατ᾿ ὄμμα] Ο thou that bearest the palm for strength of sight!' For κατά, cp. Ο. Τ. 1087, καὶ κατὰ γνώμαν ἴδρις. And for ὄμμα, see Essay on L. § 54. P. 99 , and cp. infr. 1018, σοί τε γὰρ ὅμμα | ἔμπλεον ἡ δι᾽ ἐμοῦ σώζειν.

103. mvp-comment-88-1 ποθουμένᾳ . . φρενί] ποθουμένᾳ is either (1) middle, 'With longing soul: '-of such a use of ποθεῖσθαι in the middle voice we have no example, but see Essay on L. § 31. p. 52 , and cp. Ο. Τ. 1487, νοούμενος, -or (2) passive, With heart oppressed by longings.' This gives a better meaning, but implies a causative sense of ποθεῖν not found elsewhere. Similarly in the Electra, 1065, ἀπόνητοι may be said to imply a causative sense of πονεῖν, 'Το afflict with toil.' (Musgr. conjectures πόνουμένᾳ here.) See Essay on L. § 53. p. 98 , and cp. Pind. Ol. 10 (11). 93, ἀείδετο δὲ πᾶν τέμενος τερπναῖσι θαλίαις | τὸν ἐγκώμιον ἀμφὶ τρόπον, where ἀείδετο means, Was occupied with song.' In either sense the phrase is applied to Deianira.

104. mvp-comment-89-1 ἀμφινεική] 'The bride of strife.' She whose hand was once the object of fierce contention is now forlorn. Cp. Aesch. Agam. 669, τὰν δορίγαμβρον ἀμφινεικὴ θ' Ἑλέναν: infr. 527, ἀμφινείκητον ὄμμα νύμφας. The word may also allude to the etymological meaning of Δηιάνειρα ('Object of contention among men'). ἀεί looks forward to τρύχεσθαι.

105. mvp-comment-90-1 ὄρνιν] The nightingale, poetically imagined as being wakeful for sorrow. Cp. Od. 19. 518 foll., ὡς δ' ὅτε Πανδαρέου κούρη, χλωρηὶς ᾿Αηδών, κ.τ.λ. ἀδακρύτων] Α familiar instance of prolepsis. Never allows to rest the longing in her eyes, nor dries her tears.'

106-107. mvp-comment-91-1 ἀλλ᾽.. ὁδοῦ] 'Bearing a trembling recollection of her husband and of his far journey.' ἀνδρός is to be taken as genitive of the object with εὔμναστον, 'Keenly mindful of,' as well as with δεῖμα. ὁδοῦ is added epexegetically, as a genitive of respect. ὁδός = ' A journey or expedition,' often includes the enterprise which is the object of the expedition, with its attendant circumstances. φέρουσαν] Cp. Ο. Τ. 93, τῶνδε γὰρ πλέον φέρω | τὸ πένθος, κτ.λ.: 863, εἴ μοι ξυνείη φέροντι, κ.τ.λ.; Casaubon (Anim. in Athen. 549) ingeniously but unnecessarily conjectured τρέφουσαν.

110. mvp-comment-92-1 ἐνθυμίοις . . ἀνανδρώτοισι] 'On a bed of care, to which no husband comes.' ἐνθυμίοις, Haunted by care or thought' (see Scholia), rather than 'Weighing on the mind' (although some good critics are satisfied with this). The dative is one of place or circumstance (= ἐν), not of cause or reason. Deianira is not worn out with thinking that she wants her husband, but pines with anxiety on her widowed bed. The Scholiast explains ἐνθυμίοις, ταῖς μεριμνητικαῖς, ταῖς πολυφροντίστοις. This meaning of ἐνθύμιος = ἐνθυμίας πλήρης, although singular, is not impossible. Cp. O. C. 240, and see Essay on L. § 50. p. 94, § 42. p. 80. ἀνανδρώτοισι, 'Not visited by a husband.' The verbal notion is hard to render, but adds vividness to the idea of bereavement.

111. mvp-comment-93-1 κακὰν . . αἶσαν] 'Unhappy one (δύστανον), forecasting an evil fortune.' For ἐλπίζουσαν, cp. Αj. 606, κακὰν ἐλπίδ᾽ ἔχων, and note.

112. mvp-comment-94-1 πολλά, expressing the primary notion of the sentences, belongs in the first instance to the apodosis, in which βιότου πολύπονον is substituted for πάθη or whatever word was at first intended, whereupon πολλά falls into a secondary agreement with κύματα. 'As many as are the waves,' not, 'Like the many waves.'

114. mvp-comment-95-1 ἀκάμαντος νότου, βορέα, are not simply genitives in regimen, like κύματα παντοίων ἀνέμων, Il. 2. 396, but either (1) genitives of the cause, or (2) genitives absolute = νότου συνεχῶς πνέοντος. For the former (1), cp. Eur. Or. 497, πληγεὶς θυγατρὸς τῆς ἐμῆς ὑπὲρ κάρα. And, for the latter (2), O. С. 1588, ὑφηγητῆρος οὐδενὸς φίλων. ἐν is required by the metre. 'For many as are the waves one sees passing and coming on anew over the wide sea, from the south or else the north wind blowing unweariedly, even so manifold in troubles is the life which, like a Cretan sea, sustains,-ay, and glorifies, our hero of Cadmus' race.'

115. mvp-comment-96-1 βάντ᾽ ἐπιόντα τε] Not, 'Coming and going,' or, 'Falling and rising, but, '(One) having gone and (another) coming on.' Cp. II. 4. 422, 3, ὡς δ᾽ ὅτ᾽ ἐν αἰγιαλῷ πολυηχέϊ κῦμα θαλάσσης | ὄρνυτ' ἐπασσύτερον Ζεφύρου ὕπο κινήσαντος : 13. 798, (κύματα) πρὸ μέν τ᾽ ἄλλ᾽ αὐτὰρ ἔπ᾿ ἄλλα. For the meaning given to βάντα, cp. Ant. 120, ἔβα, and note. ἴδοι] The change to the subjunctive, in accordance with Homeric idiom, is unnecessary. Ср. О. С. 1172, ὅν γ' ἐγὼ ψέξαιμί τι: Hdt. 2. 93, ἵνα δὴ μὴ ἁμάρτοιεν τῆς ὁδοῦ. And see Essay on L. § 36. p. 61. Several editions read ἴδοις, with του in 114. But for the ellipse of tis, see Essay on L. § 39. p. 72, 3. οὕτω δέ] δέ ' in apodosi,' as in El. 27, ὡσαύτως δὲ σύ, κ.τ.λ.

116. mvp-comment-97-1 Καδμογενῆ] Heracles, having been born at Thebes, was claimed as a Theban hero, and therefore of the stock of Cadmus by adoption. τρέφει τὸ δ᾽ αὔξει] (1) ‘Surrounds and also magnifies.' For a similar idiomatic use of τὸ δέ, cp. Thuc. 1. 107, τὸ δέ τι καὶ ἄνδρες τῶν ᾿Αθηναίων ἐπῆγον αὐτούς, ib. 7. 48, τὸ δέ τι καὶ τὰ τῶν πολεμίων ἐλπίδος τι ἔτι παρείχε. The words τὸ δ᾽ αὔξει are διὰ μέσου. It has been thought that τρέφειν and αὔξεις are too near one another in meaning to point an antithesis, and στρέφει for τρέφει has been proposed. For this, more recently, Hense has substituted στερεῖ. But the words are not an application of the simile, as though Heracles was now engulphed and now uplifted by the billow, but express a new thought: and both words have a different meaning in tragic poetry from that which belongs to them in prose. For τρέφειν of the circumstances or surroundings of a life, ср. О. Т. 374, μιᾶς τρέφει πρὸς νυκτός. And, for αὔξειν, Το magnify,' ib. 1090, 1, μὴ οὐ σέ γε καὶ πατριώταν Οἰδίπου καὶ τροφὸν καὶ ματέρ᾽ αὔξειν. The words τὸ δ' αὔξει are added by the Chorus (though logically inconsistent with ἀλλά in what follows), because of their strong wish to suggest cheerful thoughts to Deianira. In this case, the remaining words may be taken in one of two ways, either (α) supposing a slight inversion and alternation of clauses, the order may be πολύπονον πέλαγος βιότου, ὥσπερ Κοήσιον (πέλαγος), 'A troubled sea of life, as it were a Cretan sea.' Or (b) As it were a Cretan sea of troubles that constitutes his life.' (2) Hermann joins τὸ δ' αὔξει βιότου πολύπονον, 'As it were a Cretan sea surrounds Heracles and increases this toilsomeness of his life.' The Cretan sea was wider than the Aegean and no less subject to storms. Cp. Hor. Od. 1. 26. 1, ‘tristitiam et metus | tradam protervis in mare Creticum portare ventis.' For the concrete imagery, cp. Ο. Τ. 194, εἴτ᾿ ἐς μέγαν θάλαμον ᾿Αμφιτρίτας | εἴτ᾿ ἐς τὸν ἀπόξενον ὅρμον | Θρήκιον κλύδωνα.

120. mvp-comment-98-1 ἀναμπλάκητον "Αιδα δόμων] 'Some deity, never suffering him to fall, keeps him away from the halls of Hades.' For gen. see E. on L. § 8. p. 11.

121. mvp-comment-99-1 ὧν] In respect whereof,' to be joined with ἐπιμεμφομένα and repeated with οἴσω. The genitive of respect is here assisted by ἐπί in composition. See Essay on L. § 54. pp. 99, 100. ἁδεῖα μέν, ἀντία δ΄ οἴσω] 'I will offer counsel in a pleasant vein, albeit contrary counsel.' The transition from the subject to the object is hardly more violent than in l. 63. δούλη μέν, εἴρηκεν δ᾽ ἐλείθερον λόγον. The only difference is that δούλη is full predicate (= δούλη ἐστί) and ἁδεῖα supplementary predicate (=ἁδεῖα οὖσα). And for ἡδὺς = φέρων ἡδέα, cp. Ο. Τ. 82, ἀλλ᾽ εἰκάσαι μέν, ἡδύς. Musgrave's correction, αἰδοῖα, has since been modified by Blaydes and Hense to δέδοικα, ἔδεισα.

124. mvp-comment-100-1 ἀποτρύειν] Suffer to wear out,' = ἐἂν ἀποτρύεσθαι. Cp. such expressions as αἴρειν θυμόν = To allow passion to rise.' E. on L. § 30. p. 52 d.

125. mvp-comment-101-1 ἐλπίδα τὰν ἀγαθάν] Good hope opposed to the expectation of evil, which might be called κακὴ ἐλπίς, as in Aj. 606.

126. mvp-comment-102-1 ἀνάλγητα] Lit. 'Things without pain,' i. e. 'A tranquil existence.' For this use of the neuter adj. cp. Aj. 885, σχέτλια γάρ, κ.τ.λ., Ο. C. 537.

127. mvp-comment-103-1 ἐπέβαλε] Gnomic aorist = 'Doth not send. ἐπιβάλλειν is used as in ἐπιβάλλειν ζημίαν. “The lot which Zeus imposes on mortals is never exempt from grief.' ἐπὶ . . κυκλοῦσιν] Grief and joy come circling round to all, i.e. Grief succeeds to joy and joy to grief. For the tmesis, see Essay on L. § 18. p. 27. ἐπί marks succession in time, as in ἐπήλυθον ὧραι. οἷον . . κέλευθοι] 'Like the circling course of the Bear, i. e. As the constellation now is high in heaven, and now all but touches the horizon, so man's life is elevated and depressed. Others, without the comma, read χαράν, 'A circling course like that of the Bear brings round joy and grief to all.'

133. mvp-comment-104-1 αἰόλα] Glimmering,' or 'Palpitating,' rather than Spangled.' Cp. Εl. 106, ἄστρων ῥιπάς. For the repetition of the same word with some difference of meaning, see Essay on L. § 44. pp. 83. 4.

135. mvp-comment-105-1 βέβακε] Sc. ὁ πλοῦτος ἢ αἱ κῆρες. τῷ δ'] (1) ‘And to him,' viz. from whom the sorrow or the wealth has departed, 'comes in turn either rejoicing or loss.' Or (2) To another man.' In this case χαίρειν τε καὶ στέρεσθαι means, 'To be glad and again (afterwards) 'to lose.' The point, however, is not that sorrow passes from one to another, but rather that sorrows and joys alternate in the same life.

136. mvp-comment-106-1 ἃ (1) is resumed by apposition in τάδε, cp. Eur. Andr. 1115, ὧν Κλυταιμνήστρας τόκος εἷς ἦν ἁπάντων τῶνδε μηχανορράφος. 'Which truths I bid thee also, who art a Queen, to hold fast in looking forward.' Or (2), with Hermann, 'In respect of which truths (ἃ) I bid thee ever be hopeful regarding this' (τάδε), viz. the fortune and return of Heracles. Cp. Ant. 897, κάρτ᾽ ἐν ἐλπίσιν τρέφω, κ.τ.λ.

140. mvp-comment-107-1 τέκνοισι .. ἄβουλον] ‘Without providence for his children.' 'Filiis male consulentem.' For the vague plural, cp. 1268, οἱ φύσαντες καὶ κλῃζόμενοι πατέρες, κ.τ.λ. Hermann has remarked that the images chosen in the beginning of this ode all harmonize with the mood of Deianira (the vanishing of beauteous night, the fiery death of day, etc.), just as all cheering topics are suggested towards the end.

141. mvp-comment-108-1 ὡς ἀπεικάσαι] ‘Το hazard a conjecture.' Hermann lays down the rule that ἀπεικάζω always implies comparison, and he therefore reads ἐπεικάσαι here. But ἀπο- in ἀπεικάζω may have the same force as in ἀπομαντεύομαι, ἀποκινδυνεύω, ἀποδείκνυμαι, of something done (as we say 'right off') on the spur of the moment.

142. mvp-comment-109-1 πάθημα.. θυμοφθορῶ] There is an opposition between the outward accident and the inward feeling. The one the maidens know, but not the other.

143. mvp-comment-110-1 μήτ᾽ . . νῦν δ'] The antithesis is strengthened as the sentence grows. 'I would not have you learn by experience, but, as yet, you know nothing of it.' Hence δέ answering τε. Essay on L. § 36. p. 65 f.

144-145. mvp-comment-111-1 τὸ γὰρ . . αὑτοῦ, κ.τ.λ.] ‘For youth is nurtured in places of its own where no experience of sorrow reaches.' τοιοίσδε] Hermann missed the correlative of τοιοίσδε, and thought he had found it in the conjectural emendation χώροις, ἵν᾽ αὑτοῦ. Of this and many other attempted changes of this passage, it may be said that they are either too abrupt or destroy simplicity. τοιύσδε, like ὅδε, often in Sophocles refers to what has preceded, and may here be easily referred to ἄπειρος εἶ, 'Such,' i. e. as I see in you. You are ignorant of my sorrow, for youth is so placed' (as to be ignorant of sorrow). Essay on L. § 22. pp. 35, 6 , and for the emphasis on αὑτοῦ, see Essay on L. § 9. p. 12 b , and ср. О. С. 659, 60, ὁ νοῦς ὅταν αὑτοῦ γένηται. For the possessive following a descriptive adjective, cp. O. T. 1462, ταῖν δ᾽ ἀθλίαιν οἰκτραῖν τε παρθένοιν ἐμαῖν. βόσκεται] The image is that of a young plant, as in Aj. 558, τέως δὲ κούφοις πνεύμασιν βόσκου.

145. mvp-comment-112-1 θεοῦ] Of the sun. Cp. Eur. Alc. 722, φίλον τὸ φέγγος τοῦτο τοῦ θεοῦ, φίλον : Med. 352, εἴ σ' ἡ ᾿πιοῦσα λαμπὰς ὄψεται θεοῦ. The whole passage recalls Od. 4. 566, 5. 478 foll., 6. 43.

146. mvp-comment-113-1 πνευμάτων οὐδέν] The emphatic repetition of the negative immediately before the verb is idiomatic. Cp. infr. 1013, οὐ πῦρ, οὐκ ἔγχος τις ὀνήσιμον οὐκ ἀποτρέψει. κλονεῖ] The verb is adapted to the nearest subject. No heat offends, no rain disturbs, no wind ruffles it.' οὐδέν is substantive, i. e. πνεῦμα is not to be supplied. No breath of winds, not, No wind of all the winds.' Cp. Ant. 499, 500, τῶν σῶν λόγων . . οὐδέν.

147-148. mvp-comment-114-1 ἡδοναῖς ἄμοχθον ἐξαίρει βίον ἐς τοῦθ'] 'But it grows up' (lit. rears its life) 'amid delights, knowing not pain, even (f) to that point.' For ἐξαίρει = ἔχει ἐξαιρόμενον, αρ. ἀποτρύειν supr. 125 and note. The word suits with the simile from a young plant, for which, cp. Il. 18. 56, ὁ δ᾽ ἀνέδραμεν ἔρνεϊ ἴσος.

148. mvp-comment-115-1 γυνή] ‘A woman.' The word refers less here to the marriage-relationship than to the position of a matron.

149. mvp-comment-116-1 ἐν νυκτί] 'In a night,' i. e. the night of marriage. Cp. Fr. 521. 11, ἐπειδὰν εὐφρόνη ζεύξῃ μία : Eur. Fr. 660, λέγουσιν ὡς μί' εὐφρόνη χαλᾷ | τὸ δυσμενὲς γυναικὸς εἰς ἀνδρὸς λέχος. Musgrave and Hermann join ἐν νυκτὶ φροντίδων, 'Anxiety by night.'

150. mvp-comment-117-1 ἤτοι . . φοβουμένη] 'Being in fear either on her husband's account or for her children.' This verse has been unnecessarily suspected. The language is not quite accurate, but the meaning is clear, the sentence being continued as if λάβῃ were ἄρξηται ἔχειν.

151. mvp-comment-118-1 τις] The indefinite pronoun here in the apodosis refers more pointedly to the persons addressed than supr. 148. See Essay on L. § 22. p. 36. 4. εἰσίδοιτο] The middle has some such force as 'might see of himself.' αὑτοῦ] The masculine is often used where women are spoken of in a general way Essay on L § 20. p. 30.

152. mvp-comment-119-1 κακοῖσιν οἷς] i. e, τὰ κακὰ οἷς. For the attraction, see Essay on L. § 35. p. 59 , and cp. O. C. 1150, 1, λόγος δ᾽ ὃς ἐμπέπτωκεν ἀρτίως ἐμοὶ .. συμβαλοῦ γνώμην.

153. mvp-comment-120-1 δή] 'As you well know.'

154. mvp-comment-121-1 οἷον οὔπω πρόσθεν] Sc. εἶπον, implied in ἐκλαυσάμην.

157. mvp-comment-122-1 The δέλτος mentioned above (l. 47) contained Heracles' memorandum of the oracle received at Dodona, infr. 1165. In giving this to Deianira before leaving home, he also told her by word of mouth what disposition of his property he desired in case of his death. ἐγγεγραμμένην ξυνθήμαθ'] Having notes inscribed on it. The word ξύνθημα occurs in two places of the O. C., (1) in the singular, of a sign, l. 46, (2) of the record of an agreement, l. 1594. Neither of these meanings exactly suits the context here. A closer parallel is the expression ξυνθήματα κρυπτὰ χαράξας, which appears on an altar in the Museum at Athens, on which certain hierophantic symbols are inscribed. Here it clearly refers to the oracular indication of the doom of Heracles as inscribed on the tablet. The testamentary instructions which are further mentioned were given orally. For the construction of the accusative with the passive verb, see Essay on L. § 16. p. 236. Heracles might be said ἐγγράψαι τὴν δέλτον (οι τῇ δέλτῳ) ξυνθήματα.

159. mvp-comment-123-1 πολλοὺς ἀγῶνας ἐξιών] ‘Though he had gone forth on many labours,' ἀγῶνας is in a similar construction with ὁδύν in l. 155: the labour and the journey to meet the labour being included in one conception. The resumption of πρόσθεν οὐ . . ποτέ in οὔπω, after the intermediate clause, helps to point the antithesis in the following line. Cp. the emphatic repetition in Shaks. Jul. Caesar, 1. 3, 'But never till to-night, never till now, Did I go through a tempest dropping fire." φράσαι in what follows is (1) To show,' (2) 'To explain.'

160. mvp-comment-124-1 ὡς . . . εἶρπε] 'He went with the mien of one.' ἕρπω is a picturesque word, calling up the act of motion to the eye.

161. mvp-comment-125-1 ἔτ᾿ οὐκ ὤν] Already doomed.' Cp. Phil. 1217, ἔτ᾿ οὐδέν εἰμι (where there is the same inversion of οὐκέτι).

161-162. mvp-comment-126-1 ὅ τι κτῆσιν] 'What I must appropriate as my marriage portion; lit. Possession having to do with my marriage.' The MSS. read ὅτι, which may be right, implying that Deianira (knowing the amount of her marriage portion) was to select from the property of Heracles to that amount before dividing the remainder. But ὅ τι agrees better with ἣν in the next clause, and with the situation.

162. mvp-comment-127-1 ἣν τέκνοις] This may refer, as Schndw. supposes, to the partition of the Peloponnese among the Heracleidae. Cp. the anonymous mention of Eurystheus and Ceyx above, ll. 35, 40, and see Eur. H. F. 462 foll., σοὶ μὲν γὰρ ῎Αργος ἔνεμ᾽ ὁ κατθανὼν πατήρ, κ.τ.λ.

163. mvp-comment-128-1 ἣν .. νέμοι] What share of their father's land he assigned for distribution to his children (severally). τέκνοις is short for ἑκάστῳ τέκνων. The scribe who wrote μένειν seems to have understood, The part that remained after the marriage portion was taken out.'

164. mvp-comment-129-1 χρόνον] Víz. a time when it would be known whether the will was to be at once executed or not. τρίμηνον] Sc. χρόνον, to be repeated as accus. of duration with ἀπείη.

165. mvp-comment-130-1 The nom. ἐνιαύσιος, if right, is occasioned by the addition of βεβώς, and is to be explained, after the analogy of χρόνιος, τριταῖος, etc., like Aj. 217, νύκτερος ἀπελωβήθη: ib. 602, μηνῶν ἀνήριθμος .. τρυχόμενος. E. on L. § 23. p. 39 €. Deianira quotes Heracles as telling her what conclusion to draw, if he were absent more than fifteen months. These lines have been suspected, chiefly on account of their tautology, which may be excused by the all-importance of the time to Deianira, and the difficulty which the Greeks felt in defining notions of time. Essay on L. § 48. p. 91. τότε belongs to the whole sentence, τῷδε τῷ χρόνῳ to θανεῖν only. Then the decree of fate should take effect either for him to die within that time,' etc.

167. mvp-comment-131-1 τοῦτο · τοῦ χρόνου τέλος] 'This appointed period of time;' lit. 'This completion in respect of the time.' The conjecture τοῦδε for τοῦτο rather weakens the expression. ὑπεκδραμόντα] 'Having escaped from,' i.e. 'Having passed the danger of.' Burges conj. ὑπερδραμόντα. But the text is more expressive, dimly suggesting the image of a danger to be escaped.

169. mvp-comment-132-1 τοιαῦτα.. πόνων] 'Such he said was the Heaven-appointed issue of the labours of Heracles.' τοιαῦτα, to which εἱμαρμένα adheres, is the 'cognate subject' of ἐкτελευτᾶσθαι ( Essay on L. § 17. p. 25 c ); i. e. if the expression were turned actively, it would stand thus, τὸν Ἡρακλῆ τελευτᾷν τοιαῦτα (= τοιαύτην τελευτὴν) τῶν πόνων, ' That Heracles should find such an end of his labours.' Cp. Thuc. 2. 13, τὰ δὲ πολλὰ τοῦ πολέμου γνώμῃ καὶ χρημάτων περιουσίᾳ κρατεῖσθαι. The genitive may be taken as one of respect, but is assisted by ἐκ in ἐκτελευτᾶσθαι ('Such issue from his labours'). The present tense is often used in prophecies. Aesch. Prom. 848, ἐνταῦθα δή σε Ζεὺς τίθησιν ἔμφρονα. The wording of the oracle may have been τοιαύτην τελευτὴν ἐκτελευτᾷ Ἡρακλῆς τῶν ἑαυτοῦ πόνων. This is another example of Sophocles' fondness for the passive voice. See Essay on L. § 31. p. 54. There is no reason for doubting the genuineness of these two lines, which is confirmed by the Sophoclean character of the construction. ἔφραζε . . ἔφασκε] Sc. ὁ Ἡρακλῆς.

172. mvp-comment-133-1 δισσῶν ἐκ πελειάδων] Sophocles does not explain the manner in which the oracle at Dodona had been given: but vaguely combines the talking oak (Aesch. Prom. 832) with the prophetic pigeons (Hdt. 2. 55, where, however, of the two birds only one comes to Dodona).

173. mvp-comment-134-1 ναμέρτεια] 'The true fulfilment of these words as predestined (ὡς χρεών) comes to pass about this time.' τῶνδε ναμέρτεια almost = τάδε ναμερτῆ ὄντα, with some thought of the etymological meaning (νη, ἁμαρτάνω). For τάδε of the prophecy and event in one, cp. Ο. Τ. 901, εἰ μὴ τάδε χειρόδεικτα πᾶσιν ἁρμόσει βροτοῖς. συμβαίνει] For συμβαίνειν of the issue or fulfilment of an oracle, cp. Thuc. 2. 17, καί μοι δοκεῖ τὸ μαντεῖον τοὐναντίον ξυμβῆναι ἡ προσεδέχοντο.

173-174. mvp-comment-135-1 χρόνου | τοῦ νῦν παρόντος] The dative of time would be too precise and matter-of-fact to express Deianira's meaning, with reference to an emergency, which had not actually arisen. But in using the genitive she does not mean to be indefinite. The fulfilment belongs to the hour that now is here.'

175. mvp-comment-136-1 So that in the midst of a sweet slumber, I start up in fear and dread.' Cp. Plat. Rep. 1. 330 Ε. καὶ ἐκ τῶν ὕπνων, ὥσπερ οἱ παῖδες, θαμὰ ἐγειρόμενος, δειμαίνει. φόβῳ is a causal dative (with ἐκπηδᾶν). ταρβοῦσαν is added in explanation of φόβῳ. εἰ] To think that it is possible,' cp. infr. 666, ἀθυμῶ δ᾽ εἰ φανήσομαι. For this ethical use of ci, which is frequent in Greek (Od. 21. 253) see Essay on L. § 28. p. 46 5.

176. mvp-comment-137-1 εἴ με χρὴ μένειν] 'That I may have to live on.' μένειν has a pathetic force, i.e. to endure, when he is gone. Cp. Phil. 1368, καὐτὸς ἐν Σκύρῳ μένων | ἔα κακῶς αὐτοὺς ἀπόλλυσθαι κακούς.

177. mvp-comment-138-1 φωτός] φώς appears for the most part to have two senses in Sophocles, (1) rather depreciatory, An inconsiderable person,' eg. O. C. 1018, ἀμαυρῷ φωτί : (2) here and in Aj. 807, ἔγνωκα γὰρ δὴ φωτὸς ἠπατημένη, ‘Α husband.

178. mvp-comment-139-1 εὐφημίαν νῦν ἴσχε] 'Say now no more.' Deianira's last words were not auspicious, and the Chorus warn her not to continue them for fear of crossing with an evil omen one who seemed to be a messenger of good tidings. εὐφήμει is an injunction to silence, but generally with reference to some unlucky word that has been or is likely to be said. For the form of expression, cp. Phil. 807, ἀλλ᾽, ὦ τέκνον, καὶ θάρσος ἴσχ᾽, κ.τ.λ. Others would explain, 'Speak no more sadly,' for you will now have cause for joy.

179. mvp-comment-140-1 καταστεφή] O. T. 83, Aesch. Ag. 493. πρὸς χαρὰν λόγων] To be joined with καταστεφή στείχοντα in one phrase. Coming garlanded, like a messenger of joy.' πρὸς χάριν λόγων would merely mean, 'To do the office of a messenger.'

180. mvp-comment-141-1 πρῶτος ἀγγέλων] This busy-body, who is somewhat like the Φύλαξ in the Antigone, though not quite so mean, has rushed in before Lichas in the hope of getting some reward (infr. 191).

183. mvp-comment-142-1 ἀπαρχάς] Including the captives, see below, l. 245.

184. mvp-comment-143-1 Deianira is too much overcome by the announcement to realise it at once. Cp. Phil. 917-19, ib. 1380, where an unwelcome statement is received in the same vacant way: O. Τ. 359, λέγ᾽ αὖθις, ὡς μᾶλλον μάθω : Aesch. Ag. 268, πῶς φής; πέφευγε τοὔπος ἐξ ἀπιστίας.

186. mvp-comment-144-1 σὺν κράτει νικηφόρῳ] · Bringing with him triumphant conquest.'

188. mvp-comment-145-1 βουθερεῖ] 'Where the oxen in summer feed.' The summer grass is the harvest (θέρος) of the cattle. This is more picturesque (esp. with ἄτομον λειμώνα following, infr. 200) than Bovθόρῳ, 'Where the oxen leap.'

189. mvp-comment-146-1 τοῦ] (a) With κλύων, (b) with ἀπῇξα.

190. mvp-comment-147-1 τοι] 'Το say sooth.' The particle introduces the avowal of his motive. Cp. esp. El. 1468, 9. ὅπως | τὸ συγγενές τοι κἀπ᾿ ἐμοῦ θρήνων τύχῃ. The candour of the messenger here resembles that of the Corinthian in O. T. 1005, καὶ μὴν μάλιστα τοῦτ᾽ ἀφικόμην, ὅπως | σοῦ πρὸς δόμους ἐλθόντος εὖ πράξαιμί τι. Cp. also the Old Man in the Electra, when assuming a similar character, 772, μάτην ἄρ᾽ ἡμεῖς, ὡς ἔοικεν, ἥκομεν.

192. mvp-comment-148-1 αὐτός] 'Lichas himself.' εἴπερ εὐτυχεῖ] Sc. ὁ Λίχας. If all is well with him.'

193. mvp-comment-149-1 οὐκ εὐμαρείᾳ χρώμενος πολλῇ] 'Being not altogether his own master; i. e. he is detained, not quite of his own free will.

194. mvp-comment-150-1 Μηλιεύς .. λεώς] The Melian people and the Trachinians are the same in the mind of Sophocles. Cp. his indifference about Calydon and Pleuron in l. 7. The gentile substantive is used for the adjective, as often elsewhere. 'All the Melian folk press round and question him (cp. infr. 314), nor can he advance a step.'

195. mvp-comment-151-1 κρίνει . . ἔχει] There is no difficulty in the change of subject. See Essay on L. § 36. p. 65.

196. mvp-comment-152-1 τὸ . . ποθοῦν.. ἐκμαθεῖν] Το satisfy his longing with full information.' For this use of the active neuter participle, see Essay on L. § 30. p. 51. The abstract notion is here put for the object, the desire of knowledge, for the knowledge desired. Cp. Shak. Temp. 1. 2. 176, For still 'tis beating in my mind.'

197. mvp-comment-153-1 οὐκ ἂν μεθεῖτο] (1) 'Refuse to let him go. The third person is used as the first might have been, οὐκ ἂν μεθείμην σε, 'I will not let thee go.' See Aristophanes, Ran. 830, οὐκ ἂν μεθείμην τοῦ θρόνου: Αj. 313, εἰ μὴ φανοίην, and note. Or (2), 'He is not likely to be let go.' καθ' ἡδονήν] ‘To their heart's content.' κατά, as in κατὰ νοῦν.

198. mvp-comment-154-1 οὐχ ἑκών, ἑκοῦσι δέ] 'Not of his will, but by theirs.' Cp. Odyss. 5. 155, παρ᾿ οὐκ ἐθέλων ἐθελούσῃ.

200. mvp-comment-155-1 foll. The mention of the precinct on Mount Oeta, which was sacred to Zeus (infr. 436, 1191), is preparatory to the death of Heracles on that spot. ἄτομον, * Inviolate.' Cp. Hymn Merc. 72, where the oxen of the gods are λειμῶνες ἀκηράσιοι, a Cretan inscription (Corp. Inscr. 2. 1103), ἵνα μηθεὶς ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ τοῦ Διὸς τοῦ Δικταίου μήτε ἐννέμῃ μήτε ἐναυλοστατῇ μήτε σπείρῃ μήτε ξυλεύῃ : Eur. Hipp. 73, σοὶ τόνδε πλεκτὸν στέφανον ἐξ ἀκηράτου, κ.τ.λ.: Hom H. Ven. 269, 70, ἑστᾶσ᾽ ἠλίβατοι· τεμένη δέ ἑ κικλήσκουσιν | ἀθανάτων· τὰς δ᾽ οὔτι βροτοὶ κείρουσι σιδήρῳ.

201. mvp-comment-156-1 ἀλλὰ σὺν χρόνῳ] 'At length, though late.' Cp. Ant. 552, τί δῆτ᾽ ἂν ἀλλὰ νῦν σ᾽ ἔτ᾿ ὠφελοῖμ᾽ ἐγώ ;

202-203. mvp-comment-157-1 αἵ τ᾿ εἴσω στέγης.. αἵ τ᾿ ἐκτὸς αὐλῆς] The variety of expression has little or no significance. Deianira addresses herself to the women who belong to the house, as well as to the Chorus who have come to visit her, and are standing before the gates.

203-204. mvp-comment-158-1 We now reap the gladness of a vision of hope that has arisen unexpectedly on me in the utterance of this auspicious word.' On the mixed metaphor, see Essay on L. § 58. p. 105. ὄμμα] The notions of an act and of an object of vision, as well as of the instrument, are contained in this word. See Essay on L. § 54. p. 99. Hence it comes to mean anything which suddenly affects (1) the eye, or (2) (metaphorically) the mind. Cp. esp. El. 902, 3, ἐμπαίει τί μοι | ψυχῇ ξύνηθες ὄμμα. ἐμοί is in construction with ἀνασχόν, and also with ἄελπτον. φήμης is genitive of origin. The news is regarded as a star or sun from which the new light proceeds. For ἀνασχεῖν of a sudden event, cp. Hdt. 7. 14, τάδε τοι ἐξ αὐτῶν ἀνασχήσειν.

205-224. mvp-comment-159-1 The Chorus in response to Deianira raise this strain, accompanied, at least in the latter part of it (216 foll.), with dancing, or some rapid motion to and fro. Cp. Aj. 693-717, О. Т. 1086–1109, Ant. 1115-1152, for similar expressions of hope before some catastrophe. See also O. C. 1044 foll., El. 1384-1397. The maidens who are come to visit Deianira (1) challenge the maidens within the house to shout for joy, and (2) invite the young men to accompany them; (3) they encourage each other to raise the hymn to Artemis, (4) they dance under the excitement of the flute and the thyrsus, (5) they call attention to the coming of Lichas with the captives. These quick changes mark the feeling of trepidation which the situation is calculated to produce.

205. mvp-comment-160-1 ἀνολολύξατε δόμοις] There is no cause for changing the MS. reading of this line, which, as Hermann pointed out, has the same metre as El. 1384, ἴδεθ᾽ ὅπου προνέμεται. The plur. imperative is addressed to all within the house (young men and maidens), who are mentioned separately afterwards.

206. mvp-comment-161-1 ὁ μελλόνυμφος is either (1) used collectively-the indefinite singular for the indefinite plural ( Essay on L. § 20. p. 31 )-or (2) there is an ellipse of χόρος (κατὰ σύνεσιν). The former (1) is more probable, and the gender is to be accounted for, as in l. 151 supr., τὴν αὑτοῦ σκοπῶν πρᾶξιν. The word μελλόνυμφος may be suggested by Deianira's description in ll. 144-150. Those to whom marriage is in futurity. Such echoes of the dialogue are frequent in the choric songs. ἐν δέ] · And therewith.' Essay on L. § 18. p. 26. κοινός] Mingling' with the voices of the maidens. Cp. O. C. 1500, τίς αὖ παρ᾽ ὑμῶν κοινὸς ἠχεῖται κτύπος; κοινὸς feminine occurs only here.

207. mvp-comment-162-1 ἴτω] Nauck well quotes Fr. 435, ἴτω δὲ Πυθιὰς βοὰ θεῷ : Eur. Fr. Phaeth. 775, l. 52, ἴτω τελεία γάμων ἀοιδά. τὸν .. προστάταν] The accusative is governed by the general notion of celebrating' implied in the preceding words. See E. on L. § 16. p. 23. εὐφαρέτραν] ‘Lord of the quiver,' an epithet which either (1) simply brings the figure of the god vividly before the eye, cp. ἀργυρότοξος, or (2) implies his propitious power.

209. mvp-comment-163-1 προστάταν] “The protector,' Apollo προστάτης οι προστατήριος, is rightly invoked by those within the house, as having his altar at the gate. El. 637-

210. mvp-comment-164-1 παιᾶνα παιᾶν] The repetition imitates the hymn itself, in which the same sounds would be often renewed. ἀνάγετε] Cp. Eur. Phoen. 1350, ἀνάγετε κωκυτόν. ὦ παρθένοι] The Chorus now address themselves, as below l. 821, ἴδ᾽ οἷον, ὦ παῖδες, προσέμιξεν ἄφαρ, κ τ.λ.

211. mvp-comment-165-1 βοᾶτε τὰν .. "Αρτεμιν] ‘Call aloud the name of Artemis.' Cp. supr. 207. ὁμόσπορον] ‘His sister. See the Homeric Hymn to Apollo, ll. 14 foll., and the Hymn to Artemis, l. 2.

212. mvp-comment-166-1 Ὀρτυγίαν] Two accounts are given of the use of this epithet: (1) that as, according to the Scholiast of Apollonius Rhodius, the name Ortygia primarily belonged to Artemis as worshipped in Aetolia, she is so named here in compliment to Deianira: (2) that Artemis Ortygia was believed to haunt some place in the neighbourhood of Trachis. The latter is confirmed by l. 637, and by the most natural meaning of γείτονας in this passage, viz. 'in our neighbourhood.' The comparison of the Syracusan Ortygia (Pind. Pyth. 2. 10, 11, 'Ορτυγίαν ποταμίας ἕδος᾿ Αρτέμιδος) may suggest that the goddess was imagined to haunt wooded promontories or peninsulas, which had been left wild from being difficult of access. The quail (ὄρτυξ) may have been peculiarly abundant in such places. For γείτονας, i.e. Μηλιάδας, cp. Phil. 725, Μηλιάδων νυμφᾶν, κ.τ.λ.

214. mvp-comment-167-1 ἀμφίπυρον] Artemis is commonly represented with a torch in either hand. Cр. О. Т. 207, 8, τάς τε πυρφόρους | ᾿Αρτέμιδος αἴγλας ξὺν αἷς | Λύκι᾿ ὄρεα διάσσει.

216. mvp-comment-168-1 This line seems to mark the point where the dance, or the rapid movement of the Chorus, begins. The elision of the termination in ἀείρομαι is very unusual.

216. mvp-comment-168-2 ἀείρομ᾽ οὐδ᾽ ἀπώσομαι τὸν αὐλόν] 'I am uplifted, and will not repel the flute;' i.e. I will yield to its power. The following words are not addressed to Deianira, but are an apostrophe to the power of the flute, 'The sovran of the willing soul' (as Gray calls the lyre, in summing up the first Pythian), which is compelling them to the dance. Cp. Αj. 693, περιχαρής δ᾽ ἀνεπτάμαν.

219-220. mvp-comment-169-1 ἰδοὺἅμιλλαν] • Behold even now (glory to Iacchos), the ivy stirs up my soul, and makes me quick to turn in' (or 'into') 'the Bacchic course!' The ivy upon their brows, or wound about the thyrsus, with which they incite each other to the dance. βακχίαν .. ἅμιλλαν is probably acc. in app. with the action of ὑποστρέφων. Turning me' either in,' or 'into the Bacchic course.' Others, with the Scholiast, would render, Converting my soul (from sorrow) to the Bacchic dance.'

222. mvp-comment-170-1 ἰὼ, ἰὼ Παιάν] The Chorus are just leading up the Paean, which from its monotony could not have been continued with dramatic effect, when Lichas arrives, and they break off. The correction of the text is due to Dindorf, who also reads γυναικῶν. But there is no reason to assume that the three lines must be alike. The iambic tripody with a pause makes a good transition to the other form, CICIC!!. (Qy. ἰδέ· | ἴδ᾽ ὦ φ. γ.?)

223-224. mvp-comment-171-1 τάδ' .. ἐναργῆ] ‘Here is the thing face to face, present and palpable to sight.' ἐναργῆ] 'Beyond the possibility of mistake.'

225-226. mvp-comment-172-1 ὄμματος .. στόλον] The subject of παρῆλθε is the vague τάδε (l.223) resumed with more distinctness in τόνδε .. στόλον : i. e. οὐ παρῆλθέ μ' ὅδε ὁ στόλος, μὴ λεύσσειν αὐτόν. παρῆλθε, 'Escaped,' as in Dem. 550. 26, τουτὶ .. μικροῦ παρῆλθέ με εἰπεῖν, 'I see it, dear friends, nor hath this escaped the vigilance of my eye.' τόνδε, sc. ὄντα τοιόνδε. For the second acc. (με governed by ὀμμ. Φ. π. = ἔλαθε) see Essay on L. § 16. p. 23 , and cp. Ο. C. 113, καὶ σύ μ᾿ ἐξ ὁδοῦ πόδα | κρύψον. While Musgrave's correction is adopted in the text, as having a high degree of probability, the MS. reading may be defended as meaning, 'Vigilance has not (so) passed from my eye.' But such a meaning of παρῆλθε is questionable.

226. mvp-comment-173-1 μὴ λεύσσειν] Although μὴ οὐ would be in place here, we are not in a position to say that μή by itself is wrong.

227-228. mvp-comment-174-1 χρόνῳ | πολλῷ] Cp. Phil. 715, δεκέτει χρόνῳ: Aesch. Ag. 521, δέξασθε κύσμῳ βασιλέα πολλῷ χρόνῳ. χαρτὸν φέρεις] For the direct address following the third person, cp. Ο. Τ. 162, καὶ Φοῖβον ἑκαβόλον .. προφάνητε. There is an obvious play of words, to which καί gives emphasis, Joy to thee, herald, if thou bringest joyful news. For the order of words, ср. О. С. 665, Φοῖβος εἰ προϋπεμψέ σε.

229. mvp-comment-175-1 ἀλλ᾽ εὐ μὲν ἵγμεθ᾽] ἀλλά sets aside the doubt expressed in εἰ . . φέρεις. Cp. Phil. 232, ἀλλ᾽, ὦ ξέν᾽, ἴσθι τοῦτο πρῶτον, κ.τ.λ., ‘Our coming is happy, be assured, and happily are we addressed, lady, as the deed which has been achieved is happy.'

230. mvp-comment-176-1 κατ᾿ ἔργου κτῆσιν = ὥσπερ ἔργῳ ἐκτησάμεθα, sc. ἀγαθά implied in ev. ἄνδρα.. ἔπη] 'He who is fortunate cannot fail to win good words.' For ἀνάγκη, which may seem rather abrupt, cp. 295, πολλή ᾿στ᾿ ἀνάγκη τῇδε τοῦτο συντρέχειν, where, as here, the expression is stronger than the thought, 'It cannot be otherwise,' meaning only, 'It is but natural.'

232. mvp-comment-177-1 φίλτατ᾿ ἀνδρῶν] For the affectionate address arising simply from the effusion of joy, cp. Εl. 1227, ὦ φίλταται γυναῖκες, ὦ πολίτιδες, κ.τ.λ. Lichas has also, of course, a claim on Deianira's gratitude for having brought the news. βούλομαι] Sc. διδαχθῆναι.

233. mvp-comment-178-1 προσδέξομαι] Deianira, in her eager questioning, goes beyond what Lichas could possibly tell.

234. mvp-comment-179-1 ἔλειπον] For the tense, see on l. 47. When I took leave of him he was, etc. ἰσχύοντά τε | καὶ ζῶντα] i. e. 'Not only alive but strong.' See Essay on L. § 41. p. 78 b.

235. mvp-comment-180-1 θάλλοντα] Flourishing,' as one who has lately done great things.

236. mvp-comment-181-1 Where in the world either of his own land or of lands beyond?' Cp. supr. 73 for a similar condensed question. Like the Chorus, Deianira is all uncertainty as to Heracles' whereabouts, and her imagination wanders far. In supr. 163 the words πατρώας γῆς denoted the Peloponnese, as the inheritance of the sons of Heracles. Here (γῆς) πατρώας refers to Hellas generally, either (1) simply as the native land of Heracles, or (2) as the land which was under the especial protection of his father Zeus. Cp. Aesch. Fr. 157-

237. mvp-comment-182-1 ἀκτή τις ἔστ᾽ Εὐβοιΐς, ἔνθ'] The usual formula in describing the place where anything occurred (l. 752, Ant. 966, Homer passim). ὁρίζεται] «He consecrates.' The word is literally applicable to the τέμενος, whose bounds were marked out, but is extended to the altar and what is placed on it.

238. mvp-comment-183-1 τέλη τ' ἔγκαρπα] The 'tribute of fruitful things' is (1) that proportion of the produce of the τέμενος which was to be devoted to the immediate service of the god. Or (2) more generally, 'Offerings of the fruits of the earth.'

239. mvp-comment-184-1 εὐκταῖα φαίνων] Το fulfil a vow.' For φαίνειν of the practical manifestation of an intention, cp. O. C. 721, νῦν σοὶ τὰ λαμπρὰ ταῦτα δὴ φαίνειν ἔπη: Hdt. 3. 36, εὔνοιαν φαίνων.

240. mvp-comment-185-1 εὐχαῖς] ‘By reason of the vow he vowed.' For the dative of the reason, cp. infr. 1127, τοῖς γε πρόσθεν ἡμαρτημένοις. This is the reading of L supported by the lemma of the Scholiast, and is also the harder reading. On these accounts it is preferred to εὐκταῖ', the reading of Par. A, although the latter is equally good in point of sense. ἀνάστατον] Proleptic. 'He conquered and made homeless.

243. mvp-comment-186-1 ξυμφορᾷ] 'Unless they deceive me by their misfortune,' i.e. Unless I am led by their unhappy looks to pity them more than they deserve. This, the reading of the diorthotes of L, which Schndw. adopted, is better than ξυμφορα, which is found in other MSS., because Deianira's feeling is better expressed by making the maidens the subject of the sentence, than if ξυμφοραὶ = αἱ ξυμφοραὶ αὐτῶν were the nominative.

245. mvp-comment-187-1 καὶ θεοῖς] Cp. Eur. Ion 309, 10, τοῦ θεοῦ καλοῦμαι δοῦλος, εἰμί τ', ὦ γύναι. ΚΡ. ἀνάθημα πόλεως, ἤ, κ.τ.λ.: Phoen. 220, 1, ἴσα δ᾽ ἀγάλμασι χρυσοτεύκτοις Φοίβῳ λάτρις γενόμαν. κριτόν] Choice.' Cp. Pind. Pyth. 4. 89, κριτὸν εὑρήσει . . γένος, but the word here retains more of the verbal meaning = ἔκκριτον.

246. mvp-comment-188-1 And was it by that city that he was absent during the vast time of which the days could not be numbered?' ἄσκοπον] That cannot be taken into the eye (or the mind). Essay on L. § 51. p. 96.

247. mvp-comment-189-1 For βεβώς here, see on l. 41. ἡμερῶν ἀνήριθμον] For the gen., cp. Ο. Τ. 178, ὧν πόλις ἀνάριθμος ὄλλυται, and note.

248ff. mvp-comment-190-1 The falsehood of Lichas consists, not in the story of the servitude of Heracles to Omphale, which, whether true or false, was matter of common rumour (ll. 67 foll.), but in his assigning this as the reason for the conquest of Oechalia.

248. mvp-comment-191-1 τὸν.. πλεῖστον] Viz. twelve months out of the fifteen (l. 253).

249. mvp-comment-192-1 ὥς φησ᾿ αὐτός 253 ὡς αὐτὸς λέγει] The word of Heracles himself is required to confirm a statement so degrading to him.

250-251. mvp-comment-193-1 τοῦ λόγου δ᾽ οὐ χρὴ φθόνον .. προσεῖναι] 'And, lady, this must be heard without offence, as all things must in which the hand of Zeus is seen.' The expression is generalized in the relative clause. Hence the subjunctive.

251. mvp-comment-194-1 τοῦ λόγου is an objective genitive, - 'Envy at the word' or 'tale.' Ζεύς, κ.τ.λ.] Infr. 275.

252. mvp-comment-195-1 πραθείς repeats ἐμποληθείς with less attempt at softening the harsh fact. Cp. 276. Lichas purposely enlarges on the trouble that is past in order to lighten by contrast the effect of the discovery which must soon be made.

254. mvp-comment-196-1 He was so stung by incurring this dishonour.' For ὄνειδος = Disgrace,' cp. O. C. 967, 984, О. Т. 1035, 1494.

255. mvp-comment-197-1 Cp. with ὅρκον.. προσβαλών the expressions ὅρκον ἐπελαύνειν and προσάγειν τινί in Hdt. 1. 146, 6. 62.

256. mvp-comment-198-1 τὸν ἀγχιστῆρα] 'The causer.' This being a verbal form cannot be the equivalent of ἀγχιστεύς, which is from ἄγχιστος, ας ἀριστεύς from ἄριστος. Whether a verb ἀγχίζω existed or not, it is presupposed in the formation of ἀγχιστήρ, which can only mean, 'Him who brought on' (Seidler). 'He expressly swore that he would reduce to slavery the man who brought this trouble.' αὐτόχειρα has been conjectured, but this word could hardly be applied to Eurytus with reference to the bondage of Heracles. There Eurytus was only μεταίτιος, an accomplice before the fact, which was the work of Zeus.

257. mvp-comment-199-1 ξὺν παιδί] In Odyss. 9. 199, οὖνεκά μιν σὺν παιδὶ περισχόμεθ' ἠδὲ γυναικί, there is a various reading παισί, but there is nothing improbable in the collective use of the singular here. Essay on L. § 20. p. 31, 2.

258. mvp-comment-200-1 οὐχ ἡλίωσε] 'He made not void;' i. e, amply fulfilled. ἁγνός] 'Clean,' i. e. free. The bondage was a pollution incurred by the murder of Iphitus and at the same time an expiation of it. There may also have been some formal expiation not expressly mentioned. When this was over, he was pure, and might therefore look for success.

259. mvp-comment-201-1 ‘στρατὸν .. ἐπακτόν, quem dicit Sophocles, Arcades fuisse et Malienses et Locros Epicnemidios perhibet Apollodorus, 2. 7, 7; solos Arcades nominat Diodorus, 4. 37.' Herm. The point is one of no importance to the action. πόλιν] Accusative of motion to. Essay on L. § 16. p. 22.

260. mvp-comment-202-1 τόνδε] Sc. τὸν Εύρυτον. Α simple instance of the construction κατὰ σύνεσιν. Essay on L. § 36. p. 64. μεταίτιον] Alone partner with Zeus in the blame of this calamity.' Cp. Aesch. Eum. 199, 200, αὐτὸς σὺ τούτων οὐ μεταίτιος πέλει, | ἀλλ᾽ εἰς τὸ πᾶν ἔπραξας ὢν παναίτιος.

261. mvp-comment-203-1 μόνον βροτῶν] Cp. 355, μόνος θεῶν.

262. mvp-comment-204-1 ἐφέστιον, | ξένον παλαιὸν ὄντα] Coming to be received at his hearth, having been a friend of old.'

263-264. mvp-comment-205-1 πολλὰ μὲν πολλὰ δέ] 'Brake forth against him with rude words and with evil intent.' The antithetical repetition adds emphasis. Eurytus not only spoke badly, but meant badly. See Essay on L. § 40. p. 76. ἀτηρᾷ φρενί] 'With mischief-meaning mind.' Cp. Phil. 1272, πιστός, ἀτηρὸς λάθρᾳ.

265. mvp-comment-206-1 ἄφυκτα.. βέλη] The bow and arrows afterwards bequeathed to Philoctetes. Cp. Phil. 105.

266. mvp-comment-207-1 τῶν ὧν.. κρίσιν] ‘He came behind his (Eurytus') sons in fitness to compete with the bow;' (i.e. πρὸς τὸ τόξῳ κρίνεσθαι.)

267. mvp-comment-208-1 φωνεῖ δέ] 'And he utters the word.' This emphatic resumption of λέγων may be justified by the extraordinary nature of the reproach. Such a use of φωνεῖν is rare, but cp. O. Τ. 780, καλεῖ παρ᾿ οἶνῳ, κ.τ.λ.: Αj. 1047, οὗτος, σὲ φωνῶ, κ.τ.λ., and see above, λόγοις ἐπερρόθησε. The word suggests the loud tones in which the reproach was uttered. For the 'return to the indicative,' see Essay on L. § 36. p. 64 b. Most MSS. have φώνει, the imperfect without augment. Brunck substituted for this the vivid present. Hermann suspected the word, and conjectured φανείς. I formerly suggested φύσει (ΙΙ. 19. 95 foll., O. С. 1295).

268. mvp-comment-209-1 ῥαίοιτο] 'Was being crushed,' viz. by Eurystheus. Cp. Aesch. Prom. 189, ὅταν ταύτῃ ῥαισθῇ. δείπνοις] ‘At a feast. O. Τ. 779 and note. ἦν οἰνώμενος] Sc. ὁ Ἡρακλῆς. Ας Epic and Ionic forms are sometimes employed in narration, it is not worth while to alter the MS. reading to ᾠνώμενος here. Cp. μοῦνον, l. 277.

270. mvp-comment-210-1 αὖθις] ‘Again,' on another occasion. Τιρυνθίαν πρὸς κλιτύν] Το the Tirynthian height.'

271. mvp-comment-211-1 ἵππους νομάδας] ‘His horses, which had been loose at pasture.' His mind was following the horses, wondering where they were. This gave Heracles the opportunity for his single act of guile.

273. mvp-comment-212-1 Hurled him from the towering cliff.' ἀπ᾿ ἄκρας . . πυργώδους πλακός, From the tower-like crown of the cliff,' is an expression which recalls the appearance of Tiryns as seen from below.

275. mvp-comment-213-1 τῶν ἁπάντων] Of all, and not only of Heracles, to whom therefore he could not forgive this wrong.

276-277. mvp-comment-214-1 οὐδ᾽ ἠνέσχετο, | ὁθούνεκ'] 'And would not endure it, that-.' μοῦνον ἀνθρώπων] Unlike the rest of those whom he had slain. See the story of Iphitus told in Od. 21. 14-41.

278. mvp-comment-215-1 εἰ . . ἠμύνατο] ‘If he had made requital openly.'

279. mvp-comment-216-1 Zeus manifestly would have consented' either (1) to his being justly punished,' or (2) 'to his justly punishing him.' In the former case, (1) χειρουμένῳ used passively involves a change of subject. In the latter, (2) the same word used actively is without an object. τοι gives a note of preparation for what follows, in which the connection, though not fully expressed, is obvious; viz. 'Zeus punished Heracles for his guile, certainly not out of any love for Eurytus' proud race, who for their over-weening insolence have now been destroyed.' So Lichas returns from the digression, with which he laboured to assign a motive for the siege of Oechalia. His prolixity in doing this (which has brought the passage under suspicion), is really a stroke of art, by which the poet reminds the spectators of the simplicity of the real motive.

280. mvp-comment-217-1 'It is not to be supposed that the gods any more than men favour the proud.' Of this the ruin of Oechalia is a proof.

281. mvp-comment-218-1 κεῖνοι] 'And they too'-Eurytus and his sons, who must be supposed to have joined with him in his transgression. ἐκ γλώσσης κακῆς] 'With reviling words.' ἐκ here denotes rather the manner than the origin of the offence. ὑπερχλίοντες is in the imperfect tense. See Essay on L. § 32. p. 54 , and cp. Thuc. 3. 9. § 3, ἐν τῇ εἰμήνῃ τιμώμενοι.

282. mvp-comment-219-1 ῞Αιδου οἰκήτορες] Cp. infr. 1161, ὅστις "Αιδου φθίμενος οἰκήτωρ πέλοι.

283. mvp-comment-220-1 τάσδε] For this attraction of the antecedent, see Essay on L. § 35. p. 59, and cp. supr. 152.

284. mvp-comment-221-1 ἐξ ὀλβίων] Sc. οὐσῶν. As if the sentence were ἐξ ὀλβίων ἄζηλοι γενόμενοι.

286. mvp-comment-222-1 πιστὸς ὢν κείνῳ] Deianira remembers this afterwards, ll. 617-20.

287. mvp-comment-223-1 αὐτὸν . . ἐκεῖνον] Resumed in νιν, l. 289, where Hense unnecessarily conjectures φρόνησον. ἁγνὰ θύματα] ‘'Pure sacrifices,' consecrating the victory by acknowledging the help of the gods.

288. mvp-comment-224-1 τῆς ἁλώσεως] For the capture,' as a thank-offering. To be joined with θύματα. Essay on L. § 10. p. 15 d. πατρῴῳ Ζηνί] Schndw. says that although Zeus was the father of Heracles he was here worshipped by him as the god of the whole race (of Amphitryon?). But Zeus was πατρῷος to Heracles in a peculiar sense-'The Zeus of fatherhood,' i e. 'The author of being.' Cp. infr. 753. Qy. φρονεῖν (see v. rr.)?

290. mvp-comment-225-1 καλῶς λεχθέντος] ‘Of many words fair to hear this is the fairest.' πολλοῦ has been questioned and ὅλου conjectured by Otto Hense. But ὅλου is inexact. For the account of Heracles' bondage to Omphale (ll. 248-53) was not fair to hear.'

292. mvp-comment-226-1 i. e. You have not only the words of Lichas, but the presence of the captives, to vouch for the coming of Heracles. That which assures the joy of Deianira is to be the cause of her misery. So little does the 'coming event cast its shadow before.' Cp. 862.

294. mvp-comment-227-1 πανδίκῳ φρενί] 'With a heart that has every reason to rejoice':-πανδίκως τῇ φρενί.

295. mvp-comment-228-1 'This cannot fail' either (1) 'to coincide with that' (the joy with the news), or (2) 'to coincide in this way.' In (1) τῇδε = τῇ πράξει. In (2) τῇδε is adverbial and τοῦτο is the news and the rejoicing in one. The former (1) is best. Such news must needs be met by such rejoicing.' This line, with many others that could be dropped without ruining the connection, has been needlessly suspected as an interpolation.

296. mvp-comment-229-1 ἔνεστι τοῖσιν εὖ σκοπουμένοις] Either (1) There is occasion in the eyes of those who consider well' (the middle voice occurs in O. Τ. 964, τί δῆτ᾽ ἄν, ὦ γύναι, σκοποῖτό τις, κ.τ.λ.): -the dative, as in O. T. 616, καλῶς ἔλεξεν εὐλαβουμένῳ πεσεῖν : -or (2), 'There is room, when things are well considered.' In this case the dative is governed by ἐν in ἔνεστι.

298. mvp-comment-230-1 For οἶκτος of pity mixed with apprehension, cp. Eur. Med. 931, εἰσῆλθέ μ' οἶκτος εἰ γενήσεται τάδε. δεινός] Overpowering,' of strong feeling. Cp. infr. 476, ταύτης ὁ δεινὸς ἵμερος: Plat. Theaet. 169 Β, οὕτω τις ἔρως δεινὸς ἐνδέδυκε τῆς περὶ ταῦτα γυμνασίας.

300. mvp-comment-231-1 Homeless, because Oechalia was destroyed; Fatherless,' because its chief men had been slain in battle.

301. mvp-comment-232-1 πρίν] In their former life, when they had a home.

302. mvp-comment-233-1 δοῦλον) The adjectival use of δοῦλος, which occurs here and supr. l. 53, is not found in earlier Greek.

303. mvp-comment-234-1 τροπαῖε] 'Giver of victory." Deianira has been commonly understood to address Zeus thus as the averter of evil (ἀποτρόπαιος). But elsewhere τροπαίος means the god who turns armies in battle. On this occasion Zeus has driven the army of Oechalia before Heracles and his allies. Deianira apprehends the possibility of some descendant of the Heracleidae being similarly defeated and made captive through the same god favouring another race.

304. mvp-comment-235-1 ποι after the verb of motion = που.

305. mvp-comment-236-1 τῆσδέ γε ζώσης ἔτι, Sc. δράσειας

306. mvp-comment-237-1 ὁρωμένη) The middle adds a touch of feeling, like the ethical dative, Le Looking at them with reflection. Cp. Ο. Τ. 1487, νοούμενος τὰ λοιπὰ τοῦ πικροῦ βίου.

307. mvp-comment-238-1 Iole is naturally silent and downcast in the presence of Deianira, who in her quick sympathy interprets this as an expression of sorrow. The foremost captive, she observes, shows more feeling than the rest (312).

308. mvp-comment-239-1 τεκνοῦσσα (see v. rr.) is obtained from the lemma of the Scholiast. φύσιν] 'Appearance.' Cp. O. Т. 740, 1, φύσιν τιν εἶχε, φράζε.

309. mvp-comment-240-1 πάντων. . τῶνδε] Sc. τοῦ ἄνδρα τε καὶ τέκνα σχεῖν.

313. mvp-comment-241-1 φρονεῖν οἶδεν] 'Has the sense to feel her position." See note on 307. For this pleonastic use of οἶδεν = ἐπίσταται. cp. Hom. Il. 7. 238, οἶδ᾽ ἐπὶ δεξιά, εἶδ' ἐπ᾿ ἀριστερὰ νωμῆσαι βῶν: Phil. 1010, ὃς οὐδὲν ἤδη πλὴν τὸ προσ ταχθὲν ποιεῖν: Arist. Vesp. 376, ν᾽ εἰδῇ μὴ πατεῖν τὰ τῶν θεῶν ψηφίσματα.

314. mvp-comment-242-1 τί δ' ἄν με καὶ κρίνοις; καὶ opposes the question to the reply. I cannot answer, and why should you ask??

315. mvp-comment-243-1 τῶν ἐκεῖθεν] Sc. γεννημάτων. Ср. О. Т. 1167, τῶν Λαΐου τοίνυν τις ἦν γεννημάτων. οὐκ ἐν ὑστάτοις] 'Not far down.' The phrase is equivalent to an attributive adjective agreeing with γέννημα.

316. mvp-comment-244-1 μὴ τῶν τυράννων] Sc. γέννημα. 'Can she have been of the royal stock?' Εὐρύτου σπορά τις ἦν] Either (1) 'Is it possible she is Eurytus' offspring?' τις = πως. See Essay on L. § 22. p. 36, sub fin., and cp. Ó. T. 1167, quoted above. Or (2) Had Eurytus any offspring?" So Hermann.

317. mvp-comment-245-1 οὐδ᾽ ἀνιστόρουν μακράν] 'I did not carry my inquiries far.'

318. mvp-comment-246-1 τῶν ξυνεμπόρων] Of those travelling with her and you,' viz. the other captives. ἔχεις = πέπυσαι. Cp. Phil. 789, ἔχετε τὸ πρᾶγμα.

319. mvp-comment-247-1 τοὐμὸν ἔργον] The herald's task of bringing the captives home.

320. mvp-comment-248-1 Deianira, baffled in her compassionate eagerness, now turns to Iole herself in a tone of entreaty. ἀλλά belongs to ἐκ σαυτῆς or to the whole sentence, not to ἡμίν. (Cр. О. С. 238, ὦ ξένοι, . . ἀλλ᾽ ἐπεί, κ.τ.λ.)

321. mvp-comment-249-1 καὶ ξυμφορά τοι] These words express Deianira's strong sympathy. 'Verily, I am distressed not to know who thou art.' A narrator might say of her in the language of Herodotus, καὶ συμφορὴν ἐποιέετο, τὸ μὴ εἰδέναι τὴν ξείνην ἥ τις εἴη. It has been observed that the particles ἐπεὶ καί τοι are not found together elsewhere. But each of the three words has a distinct and apposite meaning. 'For' (ἐπεί) ‘I tell you' (τοι) 'I am even' (καί) ' distressed.' γε simply emphasizes σé, i. e. 'You, who have awakened such an interest in me.'

322ff. mvp-comment-250-1 Lichas hurriedly interposes to prevent disclosure with a significant warning to Iole to hold her peace. The first Scholiast's explanation of these words gives a rational meaning: ἐὰν αἰδουμένη σε φθέγξηται, κατ᾿ οὐδὲν ἄρα ἐξίσου τῷ πρόσθεν χρόνῳ προκομίσειεν (ἂν ?) αὐτῆς τὴν γλῶσσαν· τὸν γὰρ πρὸ τοῦ χρόνου ἐσιώπα: i.e. he understands the stress of the sentence to be on the words οὐδὲν ἐξ ἴσου τῷ γε πρόσθεν χρόνῳ ( Essay on L. § 24. p. 40 ). It will not be in accordance with (her demeanour in) the previous time that she will bring out her tongue (if she does so).' The doubt is whether διαφέρειν can mean, 'To bring between the lips,' and so answer the προκομίζειν of the Scholiast. Wakefield's conjecture διήσει, ' Will let pass through her lips,' is supported by Ο. C. 963 (ὅστις φόνους . .) τοῦ σοῦ διῆκας στόματος. Hermann explained the words to mean, Just as hitherto (τῷ γε πρόσθεν ἐξ ἴσου χρόνῳ) she will maintain an even tenour (οὐδὲν διοίσει) as to her tongue.' Dindorf (agreeing with the second Scholiast), 'She will not employ her tongue' (οὐ.. διοίσει οι διήσει γλῶσσαν) 'inconsistently with what she has done hitherto.'

323-324. mvp-comment-251-1 οὐδαμὰ | προὔφηνεν] ‘Made no sign.

325. mvp-comment-252-1 But travailing with the weight of her calamity she has wept over it ever since.' The accusative is to be joined both with ὠδίνουσα and δακρυρροεῖ. Cp. Shak. Pericles, 5. 1, 'I am great with woe and shall deliver weeping.'

327. mvp-comment-253-1 διήνεμον] It is difficult to determine whether this is (1) a mere epithet, 'Wind-swept,' like the Homeric ἠνεμόεσσα, descriptive of a city on a hill, or (2) a supplem. pred. = διήνεμον οὖσαν, ‘Desolate,' 'Open to the winds.' The first (1) may be supported by comparing several picturesque touches in this play, but the other (2) is more dramatic. Both are given in the scholia, ἔρημον (2), ὕψηλον (1). ἡ δέ τοι] This is better than ἥδε τοι, which leaves an unmeaning asyndeton. Her case is unfortunate, I mean for herself, but suggests a reason for indulgence' (on our part); i. e. 'Her misfortune may excuse her silence.'

328. mvp-comment-254-1 For ἔχει, cp. Thuc. 2. 41. § 3, ἀγανάκτησιν ἔχει ('Gives cause for complaint'): Eur. Phoen. 995, τοὐμὸν δ᾽ οὐχὶ συγγνώμην ἔχει.

329. mvp-comment-255-1 ἥδ᾽ οὖν] ἡ δ' οὖν is sometimes read here, as in O. T. 669. But while δέ is unnecessary, the opposition of πάντες in what follows is enough to justify the use of the demonstrative ἥδε. στέγας] For the accus. cp. 58, δύμους.

330. mvp-comment-256-1 ἥδιστα] For this sense of ἡδύς, ср. О. C. 639, 40, εἰ δ᾽ ἐμοῦ στείχειν μέτα | τόδ᾽ ἡδύ.

331. mvp-comment-257-1 This line in LA (see v. rr.) has manifestly suffered from corruption, some other word being replaced either by the first or the second λύπην. The Triclinian reading which is adopted in the text, although possibly due to conjecture, is more probable than any other of the various changes which have been proposed. It is not necessary to change λάβοι το λάβῃ. The optative slightly varies the expression, I would not have her,' etc.

333. mvp-comment-258-1 For τε.. δέ, see Essay on L. §36. p. 65 f , and cp. supr. 143. The antithesis is introduced after the sentence is begun. οἱ θέλεις] Viz. to rejoin Heracles.

334. mvp-comment-259-1 ἐξαρκή] ‘As they should be.' Cp. infr. 625.

335. mvp-comment-260-1 ἀμμείνασα] Sc. χωροῖς ἄν. Ср. Phil. 645, χωρῶμεν, ἔνδοθεν λαβών. For the use of the participle with ye = 'Not until,' cp. Plat. Phaedr. 228 D, δείξας γε πρῶτον, ὦ φιλότης, κ.τ.λ. The "Αγγελος is rude, and something of a busy-body, but honest and well-meaning.

336. mvp-comment-261-1 ἄνευ τῶνδε] When Lichas and the captives are not present.'

337. mvp-comment-262-1 ἐκμάθῃς θ' ἃ δεῖ] The change from τε to γε in AVR is an attempt to simplify the sentence, but still leaves an awkward resumption. The Αγγελος, full of the importance of his message, and yet afraid to speak it too soon, hurries over the latter part of the sentence, 'That you may learn, first who they are whom you are taking within, and then what else is hidden from you, and (in short) that you may learn fully what you ought to know.'

338. mvp-comment-263-1 l. 338 is characteristic of the man's self-importance. There is a certain ὄγκος in the postponement of γάρ (Aj. 522, El. 492); and the expression πάντ᾽ ἐπιστήμη, 'Knowledge as to all things, Absolute knowledge,' has also a mockheroic (almost 'Pistol'-like) air.

339. mvp-comment-264-1 τί δ᾽ ἐστί] 'What is the matter? Why do you stay my footsteps here with your interruption?" τοῦ for τίνος = τίνος ἕνεκα. See Essay on L. § 10. p. 15 d. The punctuation (that of L) is rendered probable by comparing Ο. Τ. 938, τί δ᾽ ἔστι; ποίαν δύναμιν ὧδ᾽ ἔχει διπλῆν ; ἐφίστασαι] The present middle of ἵστημι is used transitively in Hdt. 7. 9, πολέμους ἵστανται, 'They set up wars amongst themselves.' παρίστασθαι is so used by Sophocles, O. C. 916, ἄγεις θ' ἃ χρήζεις καὶ παρίστασαι βίᾳ, and by other writers: καθίσταμαι by Eur. Suppl. 522, πόλεμον οὐ καθίσταμαι: προίστασθαι by Plato and Demosthenes : διίστασθαι by Plato, Tim. 63 C. It is therefore possible that ἐφίστασθαι here and in Aj. 869 (ἐπίσταται MSS.) may mean, 'To arrest.' τήνδε . . βάσιν] The second accusative expresses the respect in which Deianira was stopped: 'In this going,' i.e. in going, as I have just begun to do. The above interpretation, which is that of the Scholiast, agrees better with the context than if ἐφίστασαι were taken intransitively: Why do you stand before me in this your coming?' See esp. l. 335, αὐτοῦ. . ἀμμείνασα, and 340, σταθεῖσα.

341. mvp-comment-265-1 μάτην] 'Without result,' i.e. without the event proving the truth of my words. δοκῶ] Sc. τὸν μῦθον μάτην ἀκούσεσθαί σε,

342. mvp-comment-266-1 ἐκείνους] Those other people, who were here a little while ago. It may be remarked, as exemplifying the dramatic manner of Sophocles, that the words ἄνευ τῶνδε in l. 336 are unobserved by Deianira. Cp. O.Т. 360, and note.

344. mvp-comment-267-1 οὐδὲν εἴργεται] Sc. τάδε λεχθῆναι. For the passive, cp. Thuc. 8. 54, ὥστε μηκέτι διαμέλλεσθαι. τούτους] Though further off than the Chorus, Lichas and the captives are still imagined as within sight through the open door, and within call.

345. mvp-comment-268-1 χώ λόγος σημαινέτω] ‘Now then let your speech declare your meaning.' Deianira is impatient of the air of mystery which the man has hitherto assumed. For λόγος personified, ср. О. С. 574, χώ λόγος διέρχεται: Fr. inc. 782, διχοστατῶν λόγος. σημαίνειν, without an expressed object, occurs several times in Sophocles and Thucydides; and in Xenophon, Mem. 1. 1. § 4, τὸ δαιμόνιον γὰρ ἔφη σημαίνειν.

346. mvp-comment-269-1 ἀνὴρ ὅδ'] 'Lichas here' (pointing indoors). Cp. τούτους, supr. 344.

347. mvp-comment-270-1 δίκης ἐς ὀρθόν] Truly and uprightly. For δίκη in this sense, cp. Ant. 538, οὐκ ἐάσει τοῦτό σ᾽ ἡ δίκη. κακός] Sc. ἐστί. 'He is behaving badly.'

348. mvp-comment-271-1 δίκαιος] Honest.'

349. mvp-comment-272-1 πᾶν ὅσον νοεῖς] ‘All that thou knowest.'

353. mvp-comment-273-1 ἕλοι] 'Subdued,' viz. killed Eurytus and destroyed Oechalia. For a similar double use of εἶλον, cp Pind. Οl. 1. 142, ἕλεν δ' Οἰνομάου βίαν | παρθένον τε σύνευνον.

354-355. mvp-comment-274-1 Ἔρως.. μόνος θεῶν, κ.τ.λ.] The god of love, and no other, had moved him to this feat of arms.' αἰχμάσαι τάδε] 'Το enter on this warlike enterprise.’ τάδε, cognate accusative.

356-357. mvp-comment-275-1 τἀπὶ . . λατρεύματα] (1) 'Not the toilsome service at the bidding of the Lydians or of Omphale.' Or (2) the preposition may have the merely locative sense in the first instance, and the different meaning, 'In the power of,' with the second word. The labours which he performed among the Lydians and in the service of Omphale.' ἐπί = ' In the power of.' Cp. О. С. 66, ἄρχει τις αὐτῶν, ἢ ἐπὶ τῷ πλήθει λόγος;

357. mvp-comment-276-1 ὁ ῥιπτὸς.. μόρος] ‘The death by hurling from the rock. For a use of the passive of ῥίπτω (with cognate subject) corresponding to this use of the verbal adj.. cp. the oracle in Hdt. 1. 62, ἔρριπται δ᾽ ὁ βόλος (‘Now the cast is made'), τὸ δὲ δίκτυον ἐκπεπέτασται. Cp. also Eur. Or. 990, 1, Μυρτίλου φόνον | δικών, and see Essay on L. § 53. p. 98.

358. mvp-comment-277-1 ov] Referring to "Έρως, the most important subject in the preceding lines. Cp. Ο. C. 86, 7, Φοίβῳ τε καμοί, κ.τ.λ., ὅς, κ.τ.λ. The conjectures ἅ and ὅ are quite unnecessary. παρώσας] « Having thrust aside,' cp. Eur. El. 1037, τἄνδον παρώσας λέκτρα: Plat. Rep. 5. p. 471 C, δ.. παρωσάμενος .. πάντα ταῦτα εἴρηκας. ἔμπαλιν λέγει] 'Tells a different (lit. opposite) tale.'

359. mvp-comment-278-1 οὐκ ἔπειθε] 'He could not persuade.' The imperfect implies that his suit was continued for some time. φυτοσπόρος is originally ὁ σπείρας τὸ φυτόν,

360. mvp-comment-279-1 κρύφιον . . λέχος] ‘In secret marriage,' - accusative in apposition with the action.

362-363. mvp-comment-280-1 These lines have been censured for their tautology, and justly enough; but they are in character with the speaker, who, like the Φύλαξ in the Antigone, has already shown a fondness for false emphasis and superfluous words. The words ἄνακτα πατέρα τῆσδε in l. 364 are in the same manner. ἐν ἡ τὸν Εὔρυτον τόνδ' εἶπε δεσπόζειν θρόνων] 'The same wherein he told us that Eurytus of whom he spake was master of the throne.' The Messenger wants to impress on Deianira that this part of what she has heard need not be unsaid. The reading τῶνδε (see v. rr.) involves a still more superfluous use of the demonstrative.

365. mvp-comment-281-1 ὡς] Hermann's note in defence of ὡς shows a wise caution. He thinks that the rule of grammarians that ὡς for πρός can only be used with persons may be extended so as to cover a case of this kind where the house includes the inmates of the house. It is certainly better to retain a reading which, for anything we know, may be specially suited to express an authorized mission, such as that of Iole under charge of Lichas. ἥκει] 'Heracles is come.' After the words of Lichas in supr. 289, the arrival of Heracles is regarded as an accomplished fact.

366. mvp-comment-282-1 ἀφροντίστως] 'Without special care,' as he would have done, if she had merely fallen to his lot as part of the spoil. Cp. supr. 283-6.

367. mvp-comment-283-1 μηδὲ προσδόκα τόδε] ‘Nay, do not look for that.' μηδέ is rather adversative to Deianira's previous impression than to the preceding words. Others have taken it to mean, 'As it is not the fact, so neither must you think it.' Cp. Aesch. Ag. 879, μηδὲ θαυμάσῃς τόδε, where there is a similar doubt.

368. mvp-comment-284-1 ἐντεθέρμανται] ἐνθερμαίνειν may surely mean ἐντὸς θερμαίνειν, ας ἐμπιμπλάναι means ἐντὸς πιμπλάναι, and unless we are to get rid of all ἅπαξ λεγόμενα, there is no good reason for exchanging this, at some one's suggestion, for ἐκτεθέρμανται, because the Scholiast explains the word by ἐκκέκανται and ἐκθερμαίνειν means somewhere, 'To chafe the limbs.' The addition of this line is suited to the character of the Messenger, whose garrulity unconsciously rubs the sore.

371. mvp-comment-285-1 πρὸς μέσῃ.. ἀγορᾷ] ‘Near the midst of the Trachinians' public place.' Lichas was standing in the midst of the ἀγορά, his audience were standing near. The expression is varied infr. 423. The word μέσῃ marks the publicity of Lichas' statement. See note on O. T. 808.

373. mvp-comment-286-1 ἐξελέγχειν] Sc. αὐτόν. · Clearly to convict him.' εἰ δὲ μὴ λέγω φίλα] From the signs of emotion which she shows, and perhaps instructed by the gestures of the Chorus, the man perceives at last how Deianira is wounded. Ср. О. Т. 746, and note. For φίλα, cp. Phil. 1178, φίλα μοι, φίλα ταῦτα παρήγγειλας.

374. mvp-comment-287-1 οὐχ ἥδομαι] ‘I am sorry.' Cp. Eur. Med. 136, οὐδὲ συνήδομαι, ὦ γύναι, ἄλγεσι δώματος, ἐπεί μοι φίλον κέκρανται.

375. mvp-comment-288-1 ποῦ . . πράγματος] ‘Where am 1?' Cp. Αj. 314, κἀνήρετ᾽, ἐν τῷ πράγματος κυροί ποτέ.

376-377. mvp-comment-289-1 What undermining trouble have I welcomed in beneath my roof?' Cp. Ant. 531, σὺ δ᾽, ἢ κατ᾿ οἴκους ὡς ἔχιδν᾽ ὑφειμένη | λήθουσά μ᾽ ἐξέπινες. ὦ δύστηνος] Sc. ἐγώ. Cp. 375, 1143, 1243, О. Т. 1155, О. С. 318. ἆρ᾿ ἀνώνυμος] Deianira thus dwells bitterly on the deceit of Lichas, whereupon the literal Messenger proclaims Iole's name.

379. mvp-comment-290-1 καὶ κατ᾿ ὄμμα καὶ φύσιν] ‘In birth, as in appearance.'

380. mvp-comment-291-1 πατρός.. Εὐρύτου] 'Taking lineage from Eurytus for her sire.' Ср. Phil. 260, ὦ παῖ πατρὸς ἐξ ᾿Αχιλλέως : Εl. 365, νῦν δ᾽ ἐξὸν πατρὸς .. παῖδα κεκλῆσθαι, καλοῦ τῆς μητρός: Ο. C. 215, τίνος εἶ σπέρματος, ὦ ξένε, φώνει, πατρόθεν. ποτέ] Once.' Cp. supr. 301, and the Homeric εἴ ποτ᾽ ἔην γε (Il. 3. 180).

381. mvp-comment-292-1 'Of whose origin he had not a word to say, pretending forsooth to have made no inquiry.' Cp. supr. 317.

382. mvp-comment-293-1 οὐδὲν ἱστορῶν] 'Because he did not inquire' at that former time. ὅτι (τότε) οὐδὲν ἱστόρει. Cp. supr. 281, ὑπερχλίοντες, and note.

383. mvp-comment-294-1 ὅλοιντο μή τι πάντες οἱ κακοί] The Chorus in a sort of aside, which Deianira is too absorbed to perceive (see infr. 386, ἐκπεπληγμένη), thus covertly direct their indignation at some one. Is this Lichas or Heracles? The prevarication of Lichas is hardly a sufficient cause for such an outburst, and the phrase 'unbecoming to himself' has no significance in relation to him. It is more probable that the Trachinian women, unheard by Deianira, thus breathe a curse on the unfaithfulness of Heracles. It should be remembered that he is not their master, so that the analogy of Medea, 83, 4, ὅλοιτο μὲν μή, δεσπότης γάρ ἐστ᾽ ἐμός, | ἀτὰρ κακός γ᾽ ὧν ἐς φίλους ἁλίσκεται, is rather in favour of this interpretation than against it. Cp. Phil. 451, 2, ποῦ χρὴ τίθεσθαι ταῦτα, ποῦ δ' αἰνεῖν, ὅταν | τὰ θεῖ᾽ ἐπαινῶν τοὺς θεοὺς εὕρω κακούς ;

386. mvp-comment-295-1 (I ask you because) ' I am struck dumb by what is now reported.'

387. mvp-comment-296-1 σαφῆ] ‘Clear truth.'

388. mvp-comment-297-1 εἰ . . θέλοις] 'If you chose to press him hard with questioning.'

389. mvp-comment-298-1 καὶ γὰρ. λέγεις] ‘For your words are not unwise.' οὐκ ἄπο γνώμης = πρὸς γνώμης. 'Thought' in such expressions = ' Wise thought,' or 'Wisdom.'

390. mvp-comment-299-1 This line, which in the Laurentian MS. is expressly given to the Chorus, has been transferred by Hermann and recent editors to the Messenger (cp. El. 772, μάτην ἄρ᾽ ἡμεῖς, ὡς ἔοικεν, ἥκομεν), on the ground that the Chorus were bound in any case to stay where they were, and moreover were helpless in this matter. But (a) τί χρὴ ποιεῖν ; does not mean, 'How shall we help you?' but, What shall we do about staying where we are?' (b) The Ajax and Eumenides show that the Chorus sometimes left the scene, and the objection is irrelevant, for the illusion of the theatre may be carried so far as to ignore stage necessities in imagination. Cp. Aesch. Prom. 1058 foll., where Hermes advises the ocean-nymphs to fly, and El. 1399, ἀλλὰ σῖγα πρόσμενε. (c) The answer of Deianira is perfectly consistent with the coryphaeus having asked, Shall we some of us accompany you, or all wait till you come back?' but is unmeaning as a reply to the question, 'Shall I wait here while you go in, or shall I go away?' which is the only sense the line will bear if given to the Messenger.

391. mvp-comment-300-1 οὐκ . . ἀγγέλων] Sc. κλητός, which is suggested by αὐτόκλητος following.

394. mvp-comment-301-1 εἰσορᾷς] Wunder conjectures ὡς ὁρᾷς. Dindorf, on the other hand, suggests that Sophocles may have used εἰσορᾷς here for the parenthetical opas to avoid the repetition of ὡs. But the parenthetical opas is interrogative, and that is unsuitable here. The best explanation of the words as they stand is to suppose that they are a confusion of two constructions, (1) ὡς εἰσορᾶς ἐμὲ ἕρποντα, (2) ὡς ἕρποντος ἐμοῦ.

395. mvp-comment-302-1 ἐκ ταχείας] For this adverbial expression, cp. infr. 727, ἐξ ἑκουσίας : Plat. Soph. p. 231 C, τὰς ἁπάσας μὴ ῥάδιον εἶναι διαφεύγειν. ὁρμῆς, or some such word, can easily be supplied. But the ellipse has become idiomatic.

395. mvp-comment-302-2 σὺν χρόνῳ βραδεῖ] 'So tardily.' Cp. Ο. С. 1602, ταχεῖ ξὺν χρόνῳ. For the meaning, cp. supr. 44, 5, χρόνον γὰρ οὐχὶ βαιόν, ἀλλ᾽ ἤδη δέκα | μῆνας πρὸς ἄλλοις πέντ᾽ ἀκήρυκτος μένει

396. mvp-comment-303-1 καὶ νεώσασθαι] ‘Before I have conversed again with you.' Hermann conjectures κάννεώσασθαι, - i. e. καὶ ἀνανεώσασθαι, cp. Od. 10. 192, ἀννεῖται. But he was hardly justified in condemning νεώσασθαι. See Essay on L. § 55. p. 101, 4. The meaning is, 'Before we can have fresh interchange of talk,' rather than, 'Before we have renewed the talk we had with you just now.'

398. mvp-comment-304-1 ἢ καὶ . . νέμεις] ‘And dost thou maintain the faithful spirit of truth?" For νέμεις, 'Dost possess, wield, use,' cp. Aesch. Ag. 685, γλῶσσαν ἐν τύχᾳ νέμων. For τὸ πιστὸν τῆς ἀληθείας, cp. Thuc. 2. 40, ἐλευθερίας τῷ πιστῷ: ib. 6. 72, τὸ πιστὸν τῆς ἐπιστήμης.

399. mvp-comment-305-1 ὧν γε = (νέμω ἀλήθειαν) τούτων ἅ.

402. mvp-comment-306-1 Ср. О. Τ. 1121, δεῦρό μοι φώνει βλέπων, The Messenger rudely calls Lichas' attention to himself. Here and elsewhere in this scene (see v. rr.) the traditional reading confuses the persons of Lichas and the Messenger.

403. mvp-comment-307-1 The reading ἐρωτήσασ' (cp. 412) has suggested to some editors a transposition of the lines, which is quite unnecessary. Thus Dindorf (Oxford, 1869) reads ΔΗ. 400, ΛΙ. 403, ΔΗ. 404, ΛΙ. 401, ΑΓ. 402. But Lichas is too courteous to Deianira and too self-possessed to have addressed so rude a question to her, instead of answering at once, and if he had done so would not have emphasized the pronoun σύ: whereas it is quite natural that he should turn abruptly on the Messenger without giving him a direct answer. And 404 suits better with the peremptoriness of the "Αγγελος than with the character of Deianira.

404. mvp-comment-308-1 τόλμησον εἰπεῖν] ‘Say frankly.' τολμᾶν is one of those words which, like ἐπιχειρεῖν, are not to be pressed too closely when used as auxiliaries. Cp. Ο. C. 184, τόλμα . . ἀποστυγεῖν: Εl. 1051, οὔτε γὰρ σὺ τἄμ᾽ ἔπη τολμᾶς ἐπαινεῖν, κ.τ.λ : Aesch. Prom. 999, 1000, τόλμησον . . ὀρθῶς φρονεῖν. εἰ φρονεῖς] «If you have the sense to know it; i.e. If your lie has not 'made such a sinner of your memory' as to make you forget to whom you spoke. Hermann strangely understands the "Αγγελος to speak ironically, as if the Messenger thought that Lichas would not dare to answer the question if he were in his right mind.

406. mvp-comment-309-1 δάμαρτά θ' Ηρακλέους] Several editors propose to read δ' for θ'.

407. mvp-comment-310-1 λεύσσων μάταια] ‘If I have not lost the sight of my eyes.' Cp. infr. 863, πότερον ἐγὼ μάταιος. Lichas professes to be shaken by the rudeness of the question, so as for the moment almost to doubt his eyesight. For the adverbial use of the accusative plural, cp. Eur. Alc. 413, ἀνόνατ᾽ ἐνύμφευσας.

408. mvp-comment-311-1 For the repetition of τοῦτο, see on supr. 362, and cp. O. T. 1013, τοῦτ᾽ αὐτὸ . . τοῦτό μ᾽ εἰσαεὶ φοβεῖ. σου μαθεῖν] ‘To understand from you.' Cp. O. Τ. 575, ἐγὼ δὲ σου | μαθεῖν δικαιῶ ταὔθ᾽ ἅπερ κἀμοῦ σὺ νῦν.

409. mvp-comment-312-1 δίκαια γάρ] 'Yes, for it is right,' that I should acknowledge this. δίκαιος only means 'true' in this indirect way, viz. because it is right to speak the truth. Cp. supr. 347.

410. mvp-comment-313-1 What punishment would you accept? i.e. do you allow that you deserve?' Cp. Ο.Τ. 944, εἰ μὴ λέγω τἀληθές, ἀξιῶ θανεῖν.

412. mvp-comment-314-1 τί ποτε ποικίλας ἔχεις ;] · What riddle have you devised?' Cp. infr. 1121, οὐδὲν ξυνίημ᾽ ὧν σὺ ποικίλλεις πάλαι,

413. mvp-comment-315-1 τοῦτο δρῶν] Sc. ποικίλλων, 'Keeping up a mystery.'

414. mvp-comment-316-1 μῶρος .. σέθεν] ‘I have been a fool in listening to you for so long.'

415. mvp-comment-317-1 ού] Sc. οὐκ ἄπει. Not until being asked you have answered one little word.' See note on O. Т. 360.

416. mvp-comment-318-1 Speak what you will-indeed you have enough to say.'

418. mvp-comment-319-1 κάτοισθα δήπου ;] 'You know, I presume?' Cp. infr. 1219, τὴν Εὐρυτείαν οἶσθα δῆτα παρθένον ;

419. mvp-comment-320-1 ἣν ὑπ᾿ ἀγνοίας ὁρᾷς] 'Whom you regard with strangeness. For ὑπό with the genitive, where (as in some uses of the dative, Essay on L. § 14. p. 20, 1 ) the notion of cause passes into that of manner, or accompaniment, cp. Εl. 630, ὑπ᾿ εὐφήμου βοῆς : Εur. Hipp. 1299, ὑπ᾿ εὐκλείας θανεῖν. Iole is not present; therefore ὁρᾷς must refer to the behaviour of Lichas in the former scene. Schndw. conjectured ἧς σύ γ᾽ ἀγνοεῖς γονάς.

423. mvp-comment-321-1 πολλοῖσιν ἀστῶν] The dative answers ποίοις ἐν ἀνθρώποισι in l. 421, so that ev is easily supplied. Essay on L. §35. p. 60.

424. mvp-comment-322-1 ταῦτά γ'] 'This, ay, this!' γε adds emphasis to ταῦτα, but also qualifies the whole sentence as affirming what Lichas denies.

425. mvp-comment-323-1 ναί has sometimes been omitted, as a gloss on ye in this line. But the pause, with the interjection extra metrum, expresses very naturally the momentary confusion of Lichas. ταὐτὸ δ᾽ οὐχί] The negative is emphasized by being postponed. Essay on L. § 41. p. 78, γ.

426. mvp-comment-324-1 δόκησιν εἰπεῖν] ‘Το state an impression and to speak with exactness.'

427. mvp-comment-325-1 ποίαν δόκησιν] 'Impression quotha!' The only example of this idiom in tragedy. Cp. O. T. 1145, ὦ τάν in the mouth of the Corinthian messenger in where see note.

430. mvp-comment-326-1 τόνδε.. ξένοs] Cp. supr. 98, and note.

432. mvp-comment-327-1 πόλις .. πᾶσα] (1) i. e. πᾶσα ἡ πόλις, i.e. Oechalia. πᾶσα marks that the whole city was ruined for one maid. Cp. infr. 466. Or (2) the expression is at first general, 'A whole city,' and passes on to the particular (433, αὐτήν), as often happens in Thucydides. κοὐχ ἡ Λυδία] The sense is here improved by adopting the reading of Paris A. and other MSS., involving a very slight and probable change from κουχί, the reading of L.

433. mvp-comment-328-1 φανείς] «Having arisen; i. e 'Having proved to be a fact in the life of Heracles. (Not, 'Having been disclosed.')

435. mvp-comment-329-1 νοσοῦντι.. σώφρονος] • Το talk idly to a madman is unworthy of a man in his senses.'

436ff. mvp-comment-330-1 In this speech of Deianira, although she dissembles her jealousy in order to draw the truth from Lichas, yet the real gentleness of her character is also expressed. Cр. l. 445 with infr. 543-4.

436. mvp-comment-331-1 πρός σε τοῦ, κ.τ.λ.] This peculiar inversion seems to belong to the later manner of Sophocles. Cр. О. С. 250, 1333, Phil. 468.

437. mvp-comment-332-1 ἐκκλέψῃς λόγον] Cheat me of the truth.' ἐκκλέπτειν here is to deprive by falsehood. λόγον, ‘The true account.' Cp. Aesch. Prom. 783, μηδ' ἀτιμάσῃς λόγους.

439. mvp-comment-333-1 Either (1) To be always glad is not granted by Nature to the same person,' or (2) 'He' (man, ἄνθρωπος, implied in τὰ ἀνθρώπων) ‘is not of a nature to delight always in the same things.' For (1) cp. Thuc. 2. 64, πάντα γὰρ πέφυκε καὶ ἐλασσοῦσθαι: El. 859, πᾶσι θνατοῖς ἔφυ μόρος. And, for (2), Phil. 88, ἔφυν γὰρ οὐδὲν ἐκ τέχνης πράσσειν κακῆς. The first meaning is more pathetic, and on the whole preferable, although the second may be thought to suit better with Deianira's present purpose (see especially l. 448). For the indefinite or collective singular alternating with the plural in (2), see Essay on L. § 20. p. 31, 3.

441. mvp-comment-334-1 μέν has no distinct antithesis, but prepares for ἀλλὰ . . ἀλλά in ll. 449, 453. Cp. with εἰς χεῖρας ἰέναι the old English expression, To go to buffets.'

443-444. mvp-comment-335-1 καὶ θεῶν. . κἀμοῦ γε] 'Even over the gods, and certainly over me.'

444ff. mvp-comment-336-1 The following quotation from La Fameuse Comédienne is believed to record the personal experience of Molière: My passion has risen to such a height that it goes the length of entering with sympathy into her concerns; and when I consider how impossible it is for me to overcome my love for her, I say to myself that she may have the same difficulty in subduing her inclinations, and I feel accordingly more disposed to pity her than to blame her.' -See Molière, in Blackwood's Foreign Classics, p. 106. οἷας γ᾽ ἐμοῦ] 'I mean one who is a woman as I am.' Cp. infr. 447. For the attraction (= οῖα ἐγώ εἰμι), see Essay on L. § 35. p. 59 , and cp. Plato, Soph. 237 C, χαλεπὸν ἥρου καὶ οἴῳ γε ἐμοὶ παντάπασιν ἄπορον.

445. mvp-comment-337-1 τε.. 447. ἤ ἤ is substituted for the second τε as the disjunctive nature of the sentence becomes more prominent. See Essay on L. § 36. p. 65 f , and cp. Plat. Theaet. 143 C, περὶ αὐτοῦ τε .. ἢ αὖ περὶ τοῦ ἀποκρινομένου . .

446. mvp-comment-338-1 μεμπτός εἰμι] 'Feel reproachfully. For this use of the verbal adjective, cp. supr. 357, ὁ ῥιπτὸς Ἰφίτου μόρος, and note. The force of the verbal here is, 'Touched with a feeling of blame,' 'Affected with displeasure' = μομφὴν ἔχων (Αj. 180). μαίνομαι] Cp. Aj. 1330, ἡ γὰρ εἴην οὐκ ἂν εὐ φρονῶν: Aesch. Ag. 1064, ἦ μαίνεταί γε καὶ κακῶν κλύει φρενῶν, κ.τ.λ.

447. mvp-comment-339-1 μεταιτίᾳ] ‘Of that which is in no way disgraceful '-because shared by so many. ἐρᾷς· τί τοῦτο θαῦμα; σὺν πολλοῖς βροτῶν, Eur. Hipp. 439.

448. mvp-comment-340-1 μηδ᾽ ἐμοὶ κακοῦ τινος] ‘Nor at all involving mischief to me.' The indefinite pronoun has an adverbial force. Essay on L. § 22. p. 36, sub fin. From the point of view which she is trying to put before Lichas, Deianira still holds her position as the wife of Heracles. See below, l. 550.

449. mvp-comment-341-1 οὐκ ἔστι ταῦτα] 'There is no such thing,' as this jealous feeling you are afraid to wound.

450. mvp-comment-342-1 ἐκμανθάνεις] ἐκ is repeated from ἐκ κείνου, without adding to the meaning. Essay on L. § 55. p. 101.

451. mvp-comment-343-1 If you are your own instructor in this,' i. e. if you are not acting on instructions from another.

452. mvp-comment-344-1 γενέσθαι χρηστός] ‘Το prove yourself good.' Cp. Thuc. 3. 14. § 2, γίγνεσθε.. ἄνδρες οἴουσπερ ὑμᾶς οἵ τε Ἕλληνες ἀξιοῦσι, κ.τ.λ. ὀφθήσει] Cp. Ant. 709, ὤφθησαν κενοί.

453. mvp-comment-345-1 ἐλευθέρῳ . . καλή] i. e. εἰ ἐλεύθερός τις ὢν ψευδὴs καλεῖται, πρόσεστιν αὐτῷ οὐ καλὴ αὕτη ἡ κήρ. For προσεῖναι of a moral attribute, cp. Isocr. Panathen. p. 250, ἣν περὶ ἀνδρὸς τοιούτου διαλεγόμενος παραλίπω τι τῶν ἐκείνῳ τε προσόντων ἀγαθῶν κἀμοὶ προσηκόντων εἰπεῖν : ib. 256 C.

455. mvp-comment-346-1 The same inverted style, occasioned by Deianira's earnestness, is continued in ll. 458, 9. As to any way of concluding detection, neither is that feasible for you.'

457. mvp-comment-347-1 κεἰ μὲν δέδοικας] A suppressed antithesis is slightly hinted in μέν : viz. 'And if you are not afraid, why not have told me?' Ср. О. Т. 227, κεί μὲν φοβεῖται, κ.τ.λ. οὐ καλῶς] «Unworthily, because groundlessly. For the variation in δέδοικας .. ταρβεῖς. cp. Ο. Τ. 54.

458. mvp-comment-348-1 τὸ μὴ πυθέσθαι] i. e. Τo remain in suspense, when the doubt has once been suggested.

460. mvp-comment-349-1 For ἀνὴρ εἷς, cp. Ο. Τ. 1380, and note.

462. mvp-comment-350-1 ἠνέγκατο] 'Has obtained.' φέρεσθαι is to carry away with oneself either good or evil. Cp Plat. Legg. 6. 762 Α, ἀνείδη φερέσθωσαν: Rep. 3. 406 Β, καλὸν (ironical) .. τὸ γέρας .. ἠνέγκατο. ἥδε τ'] We should rather have expected δέ, but te may have been preferred for the sake of euphony. There are already four d's in the line.

463. mvp-comment-351-1 ἐντακείη τῷ φιλεῖν] The subject may be (1) Iole. Hermann defends this by referring to l. 444. But, taking into account the whole connection, and also the meaning of φιλεῖν, which implies active rather than passive affection (cp. O. C. 1617 foll., τὸ γὰρ φιλεῖν οὐκ ἔστιν ἐξ ὅτου πλέον, κ.τ.λ.), it is better to suppose (2) a change of subject, or rather a reversion to the main subject, with the Scholiast and Mr. Blaydes. 'And she shall not, though he were irrevocably steeped in his affection' (for her). ἐντακῆναι is used of that which adheres indissolubly. Cp. El. 1311, μισός τε γὰρ παλαιὸν ἐντέτηκέ μοι, and especially Plat. Symp. 183 E, ὁ δὲ τοῦ ἤθους χρηστοῦ ὄντος ἐραστὴς διὰ βίου μένει, ἅτε μονίμῳ συντακείς.

468. mvp-comment-352-1 ῥείτω κατ᾿ οὗρον] 'Drift down the wind.' Nauck and Blaydes conjecture ἴτω, which is the more ordinary expression (Aesch. S. c. T. 690, ἴτω κατ' οὗρον κῦμα Κωκυτοῦ λάχον . . πᾶν τὸ Λαΐου γένος. Cp. Ο. Τ. 1458, ἀλλ᾽ ἡ μὲν ἡμῶν μοῖρ᾽, ὅποιπερ εἶσ', ἴτω). But it may be urged that ταῦτα suggests not the image of a vessel, but rather of things drifting along a surface-current made by the wind. The expression is thus more suggestive of a passive and insensible motion.

469. mvp-comment-353-1 'Though you may be false to others yet be ever true to me.' The structure is paratactic. Essay on L. § 36. p. 68. Blaydes conjectures εἶναι πρὸς ἄλλους, which removes the emphatic word from the first place in the line. Essay on L. § 41. p. 77

470-471. mvp-comment-354-1 Yield to her good persuasion, so hereafter you will find no fault with her, while you will have gained our gratitude.' For οὐ μέμψει, cp. Aesch. S. c. Τ. 560, ἢ ἐξωθεν εἴσω τῷ φέροντι μέμψεται. γυναικὶ τῇδε is governed by μέμψει and is opposed to ἐμοῦ.

473. mvp-comment-355-1 θνητὴν φρονοῦσαν θνητά] 'Having mortal thoughts, as becomes a mortal.' Cp. esp. Fr. 320, καλὸν φρονεῖν τὸν θνητὸν ἀνθρώποις ἴσα. κοὐκ ἀγνώμονα] (1) 'And not perverse' (thoughts). Neuter plural. Cp. Αj. 1236, ποίου κέκραγας ἀνδρὸς ὧδ᾽ ὑπέρφρονα. Or (2) sc. οὖσαν, ‘And not perversely disposed.'

474. mvp-comment-356-1 οὐδὲ κρύψομαι] ‘And will not hide what I know.' οὐ κρύψω τὸ ἐμόν. Cp. the use of the middle voice in ἀγγέλλομαι, Αj. 1376. Essay on L. § 31. p. 53 d.

476. mvp-comment-357-1 ταύτης] What follows is epexegetic of οὕτως, κ.τ.λ. Hence the asyndeton. ὁ δεινὸς ἵμερος] The article is not to be explained by mere emphasis (Schndw.), but by reference to that which is already before the mind, viz. the strange fit of passion which led Heracles to destroy Oechalia. Hence ταύτης is the real predicate. The strong feeling which moved him was the desire for her.'

477. mvp-comment-358-1 διῆλθε, καί] Cp. supr. 469, and note. ἡ πολύφθορος] 'That ill-starred city,' whose fate is known to us. πολύφθορος, 'Abounding in ruin,' hints comprehensively at the condition of a conquered town.

478. mvp-comment-359-1 πατρῷος] 'Of her sires.'

479. mvp-comment-360-1 δεῖ γάρ, κ.τ.λ.] Cp. supr. 449. i.e. While telling the truth, I must also (καί) clear him as far as I can.

480. mvp-comment-361-1 εἶπε] i. e. ἐκέλευσε.

481-482. mvp-comment-362-1 τὸ σὸν.. στέρνον is to be taken after δειμαίνων, as well as after ἀλγύνοιμι.

483. mvp-comment-363-1 εἴ τι τήνδ᾽ ἁμαρτίαν νέμεις] ‘If at all you reckon this a sin.' τήνδε = τόδε, attracted to the predicate ἁμαρτίαν.

484. mvp-comment-364-1 ἐπεί γε μὲν δή] 'However, since you are now made acquainted with all.' For the collocation of particles, cp. Eur. Hel. 1259, διδούς γε μὲν δὴ δυσγενές μηδὲν δίδου.

485. mvp-comment-365-1 'Alike for his sake and your own. For κοινήν, cp. Pind. O1. 2. 89, Πυθῶνι .. Ἰσθμοῖ τε κοιναὶ χάριτες: Pyth. 5. 137, σφὸν ὄλβον νἱῷ τε κοινὰν χάριν.

486. mvp-comment-366-1 στέργε τὴν γυναῖκα] "Take kindly to the woman.'

487. mvp-comment-367-1 ἐμπέδως] Nauck's correction, ἐμπέδους, is not necessary.

488-489. mvp-comment-368-1 It is strange that these lines should have been suspected by some modern critics. A ῥῆσις often ends with a couplet not much in point. Cp. Aj. 1038, 9, 1089, 90, 1262, 3, Ant. 506, 7, 679, 80, Ó. C. 798, 9, 935, 6, 1153. But these lines are not pointless, for it is the complete and irresistible strength of the passion for Iole, which, as Lichas views the matter, clinches the necessity for Deianira's prudent acquiescence.

489. mvp-comment-369-1 εἰς ἅπαντα] 'Utterly.' ἔφυ] Cp. Phil. 1052, νικᾶν γε μέντοι πανταχοῦ χρήζων ἔφυν. The word here implies the argument, 'It was in his nature,' and therefore not to be avoided.

490. mvp-comment-370-1 καί marks the correspondence between Lichas' advice and Deianira's state of mind. 'So am I minded.' Cp. Plat. Theaet. 166 D, ἀλλ᾿ αὐτὸν τοῦτον καὶ λέγω σοφόν.

491. mvp-comment-371-1 κοὔτοι.. γε] 'Yea, and I certainly will not.' νόσον . . ἐπακτὸν ἐξαρούμεθα] This may be taken in one of three ways: (1) 'I will not cause to arise for myself a self-sought mischief,' (2) 'I will not aggravate the trouble, which then would be (in so far) of my own seeking' (ἐπακτόν, proleptic = ὥστε ἐπακτὸν ἔχειν αὐτήν), (3) ‘I will not aggravate the mischief thus brought in from without.' For (3), cp. infr. 536 foll., Eur. Phoen. 343, γάμων ἐπακτὸν ἄταν. But (2) agrees better with the intention of Deianira's present speech.

493-494. mvp-comment-372-1 And that thou mayest also carry gifts, wherewith it is meet to make return for what is given.' For ταῦτα supplying the antecedent, see Essay on L. § 40. p. 75, 2. προσαρμόσαι contains no allusion to the dress fitting the frame of Heracles (Blaydes, cp. infr. 768, ἀρτίκολλοs), but to the imagined adaptation of the love-charm to its purpose. To Lichas the phrase only means, 'To make a suitable return.' And possibly no more is intended by the poet. Cp. infr. 687, and note. The irony of ll. 495, 6 is brought out by comparing infr. ll. 540-2, τοιάδ᾽ Ἡρακλῆς . . οἰκούρι᾽ ἀντέπεμψε τοῦ μακροῦ χρόνου.

498-530. mvp-comment-373-1 The power of Aphrodite here, as in Ant. 781 foll., is regarded more with awe than with delight. It has been now exemplified in Iole's conquest of Heracles, so cruel to Deianira, and destined to be so calamitous to all concerned (infr. l.872). The maidens in their sympathy with Deianira recall the time when the same power had driven heroes to do battle for her, and when she was carried triumphantly from her mother's side. There is a close correspondence, as elsewhere, between this lyric strain and passages in the preceding senarii. Cp. esp. ll. 4-40, 142-150, 441-3,465-7. The ode consists of a strophe, antistrophe, and epode, in which logaoedic rhythms are varied with anapaestic and iambic metres. The anapaests (cp. O. T. 469, 470, 479, 480) indicate the coming on of the combatants; the interrupted rhythms of the epode help to express the struggle between them, while the happy issue is marked by the trochaics and glyconics at the close.

498. mvp-comment-374-1 (1) 'Aphrodite ever advances unchecked in mighty conquering force' (ἐκφέρεται, passive; cp. the intransitive use of the active in Il. 23. 759, ἔκφερ᾿ Οϊλιάδης : σθένος, adverbial accusative); (2) Aphrodite ever exhibits mighty conquering force' (ἐκφέρεται, subjective middle, σθένος, accusative in regimen); or (3) Aphrodite ever wins great might of victory' (σθένος, accusative in regimen ; ἐκφέρεται, 'dative-like' middle). (2) may be rejected as bad Greek, though it pleased Hermann; (1) is preferable to (3), as more poetical, and in better keeping with the style of the ode, and also because (3) seems to require κράτος (which Mr. Blaydes proposes) instead of σθένος, which denotes rather the act than the result of victory. For a similar doubt, cp. Hdt. 4. 129, ταῦτα μέν νυν ἐπὶ σμικρόν τι ἐφέροντο τοῦ πολέμου.

499. mvp-comment-375-1 τὰ μὲν θεῶν] Supr. 443: Ant. 786, οὔτ᾽ ἀθανάτων φύξιμος οὐδείς.

500. mvp-comment-376-1 παρέβαν] In Greek, a thought or feeling which is made the subject of reflection is often spoken of in the aorist, and not, as in English, in the present tense. Cp. Αj. 693. ἔφριξ᾽ ἔρωτι, κ.τ.λ. This idiom is analogous to the aorist of the immediate past (τί εἶπας, etc.). Essay on L. § 32. p. 55. So in Pindar we have κατέβαν, Οl. 7. 23: ἔμολον, Ο1. 14. 26 : ἐπέβαν, ἔσταν, Nem. 1. 26-9: and μετέσταν in Aesch. Suppl. 538. οὐ λέγω] The words imply a dislike for myths that are lowering to the gods. Cp. Pind. Pyth. 1, and, for the expression, El. 1467, εἰ δ᾽ ἔπεστι Νέμεσις, οὐ λέγω.

502-503. mvp-comment-377-1 The love of Hades for Persephone, of Poseidon for Amymone, Tyro, etc.

504. mvp-comment-378-1 ἐπὶ τάνδ᾽.. ἄκοιτιν] It makes little difference whether ἄκοιτιν is taken as predicate or, better, as a proleptic expression: - To win this bride,' rather than, 'To win this lady as a wife.' Cp. infr. 525.

505. mvp-comment-379-1 * τίνες] This word was added by Hermann, who observes that it may have been lost from the repetition of the letters τιν (άκοιτιν, τίνες). λέγω οι ἐρῶ is understood from οὐ λέγω supr., the positive elicited from the negative.

505. mvp-comment-379-2 κατέβαν] Sc. ἐς μέσον (l. 514). Cp. Hdt. 5. 22, ᾿Αλεξάνδρου . ἀεθλεύειν ἑλομένου, καὶ καταβάντος ἐπ᾿ αὐτὸ τοῦτο.

503. mvp-comment-380-1 Essay on L. § 36. p. 64. This is better than with Schndw. to suppose a transition to direct interrogation, which is too abrupt. *τίνες ἀμφίγυοι] (1) 'What all-accomplished champions.' ἀμφίγυοι has been differently explained. (2) 'Diversely armed,' Herm. (3) 'Both strong of limb,' Schndw., who compares such compounds as δικρατεῖς, δισσάρχας, etc. The more obvious meaning given by Liddell and Scott suits better with the description which follows. Each combatant was able every way, like a spear sharpened at both ends, ready to make and to parry various forms of attack: infr. 516-9. There is an etymological reference to γυῖον, 'Active in every limb.' This interpretation agrees also with πάμπληκτα, which signifies, 'Carried on with blows of every kind.'

506. mvp-comment-381-1 παγκόνιτα] Either (1) Amidst clouds of dust,' the force of παν- in composition being slightly different in this and the preceding word. See E. on L. § 55. p. 101, 6, and § 53. p. 98 , or (2) With various stirrings of the dust,' i.e. With various kinds of contest.' Cp. παγκράτιον. Blaydes reads παγκόνιτ᾽ ἐπεξῆλθον, needlessly substituting a prosaic for a poetical word. For the accusative, cp. supr. 159, πολλοὺς ἀγῶνας ἐξιών, infr. 562, τὸν πατρῷον.. στόλον . . ἑσπόμην. ἄεθλα] This word in the plural is sometimes equivalent to ἆθλος, e.g. Phil. 507, δυσοίστων πόνων ἆθλα, which also illustrates the periphrasis here. See L. and S. s. v. ἆθλον. The addition of a nearly synonymous word in the genitive is a not uncommon way of expanding and so emphasizing an idea. Essay on L. § 10. p. 17, 6.

507. mvp-comment-382-1 ποταμοῦ σθένος] An Epic expression. Cp. Il. 18. 607, ποταμοῖο μέγα σθένος Ὠκεανοῖο : ib. 486, τό τε σθένος Ωρίωνος : ib. 13. 248, σθένος Ἰδομενῆος. It is also used by Pindar and Aeschylus.

507-508. mvp-comment-383-1 ὑψίκερω τετραόρου | φάσμα ταύρου] Eustathius, p. 573, 27, reads τετράορον, but he quotes elsewhere as in the text, and the epithets redoubled about the same word are more impressive in this connection. τετράοροι ἵπποι in Od. 13. 81 are τέσσαρες ὁμοῦ ἀείροντες ἅρμα. Sophocles here employs the word in a new sense, = ἐπὶ τέσσαρσιν ἀειρόμενος, 'Upborne by fourfold means,' = 'four-footed.' This gives the Achelõus an advantage against his biped antagonist, and so lends additional terror to the description. φάσμα is in apposition with ποταμοῦ σθένος, ί.ε. σθεναρὸς ποταμός, ταῦρος παραφαινόμενος. The word φάσμα, like our 'apparition,' implies something which produces a strange impression through the eye. Cp. infr. 836, 7, δεινοτάτῳ ὕδρας . . φάσματι. Achelous enters the contest ἐναργὴς ταῦρος, supr. l. 11. Ср. Il. 21. 237, 8, τοὺς ἔκβαλλε θύραζε, μεμυκὼς ἠὔτε ταῦρος, | χέρσονδε.

510. mvp-comment-384-1 ἀπ᾿ Οἰνιαδᾶν] According to Hellenic notions each of the competitors for a prize must have a city. Achelous hails from Oeniadae, the city at his mouth, where he was probably worshipped, and had a τέμενος βωμός τε θυήεις.

510. mvp-comment-384-2 Βακχίας . . Θήβας] For Thebes as the city of Heracles, see above, l. 116, Καδμογενή. The word Bακχίας commends him to the favour of the Dionysiac worshippers. Cp. Ant. 1135 foll., Θηβαίας ἐπισκοποῦντ᾽ ἀγυιάς· | τὰν ἐκ πασᾶν τιμᾶς | ὑπερτάταν πόλεων. The emphasis on Θήβας is strengthened by the order of words, παλίντονα being interposed. This epithet has been explained as specially descriptive of a bow like the Scythian, whose ends turned outwards. But it is rather = 'elastic,' as a general epithet of the bow: i. e. Drawing against that which draws it. Cp. Heracl. Fr. 56, ed. Byw. παλίντονος ἁρμονίη κόσμου, ὅκωσπερ λύρης καὶ τόξου : ΙΙ. 8. 266, παλίντονα τόξα τιταίνων,

513. mvp-comment-385-1 παῖς Διός] The name is not required after this full description of the hero who is always in our thoughts. ἀολλεῖς] 'With collected might.' The Scholiast drily says, καταχρηστικῶς εἶπεν ἐπὶ δύο τὸ ἀολλεῖς. But the word is graphically descriptive of the confused contest as it appeared to an awe-stricken spectator. The meeting of the hero and the monster was as if two armies clashed. There is the same straining of language as in τετραόρου, supra. Cp. Milton, Par. Lost, Bk. 2. ll. 636 foll., where Satan is compared to a fleet at sea: ib. 714, 18, 'As when two black Clouds, | With Heaven's Artillery fraught, come rattling on | Over the Caspian, then stand front to front| Hovering a space, till winds the signal blow | To join their dark encounter in mid air.'

514. mvp-comment-386-1 ἱέμενοι λεχέων] 'Eager for the bridal.' See Essay on L. § 56. p. 102 , and cp. Il. 23. 371, πάτασσε δὲ θυμὸς ἑκάστου | νίκης ἱεμένων. μόνα] The combat was manifold, but one power, that of the Goddess of Love (supr.497-506), presided over the whole.

515. mvp-comment-387-1 εὔλεκτρος.. Κύπρις] ‘Aphrodite, the giver of desired marriage.' So εύχλοος Δημήτηρ is Demeter who gives abundant herbage. ῥαβδονόμει ξυνοῦσα] 'Was there directing all. The ῥαβδονόμος, οι ῥαβδοῦχος, was not the βραβευτής οι βραβεύς (in this case Ζεὺς ἀγώνιος) who awarded the prize, but the regulator of the contest, who was not necessarily the same person. Cp. Plat. Prot. 338 A (Hippias loq.), πείθεσθέ μοι ῥαβδοῦχον καὶ ἐπιστάτην καὶ πρύτανιν ἑλέσθαι, ὃς ὑμῖν φυλάξει τὸ μέτριον μῆκος τῶν λέγων ἑκατέρου.

517. mvp-comment-388-1 Schndw. regards this line as a hendiadys describing the noise made by hand and bow together, 'There was the sound of the hand, the sound of the bow, i. e. the sound of the hand upon the bow. But χερός rather means, Of blows with the fist,' and in τόξων πάταγος is included, besides the twang of the bow, the whizz and loud impact of the arrow. Musgrave objects to τόξων as unsuited for close fighting (cp. Hdt. 3.78. § 3), and absurdly suggests ταρσῶν. The arrows might be delivered before closing, or Heracles might retire a few paces. But it is needless to press the details of the description, which is meant to suggest in a few words the incidents of a varied encounter. Cp. the meeting of Satan and Death in Milton, or of Christian and Apollyon in the Pilgrim's Progress.

519. mvp-comment-389-1 ἀνάμιγδα] Therewithal.' The crashing blows of the bull's horns were mingled with the twanging of the bow, etc., in a confused noise. The more usual form is ἄμμιγα.

520. mvp-comment-390-1 ἦν] This, the so-called 'schema Pindaricum,' does not occur elsewhere in Sophocles. Cp. Eur. Ion 1146, ἐνῆν δ'.. ὑφαί: Hes. Theog. 321, τῆς δ᾽ ἦν τρεῖς κεφαλαί. It only happens where the verb precedes the noun, and it is here used for the sake of the emphatic repetition of ἦν ἦν-ἦν. Recent philology inclines to consider ἦν in such cases not as the 3rd person singular, but as a dialectical form of ἦσαν.

520. mvp-comment-390-2 ἀμφίπλεκτοι κλίμακες] Twistings and mountings on the back. The κλίμαξ was a trick in wrestling. Hermann conjectures the nature of it to have been that mentioned by Ovid, Met. 9. 51, in describing this very contest, viz. the act of giving the adversary a sudden push so as to turn him round, and then trying to throw him by mounting on his back. For the use of the verbal ἀμφίπλεκτοι, cp. supr. 357, ῥιπτός and note, and see Hdt. 3. 78, συμπλακέντος Γωβρύεω τῷ Μάγῳ.

521. mvp-comment-391-1 μετώπων.. πλήγματα] 'Blows given with the forehead-of Achelous. Cp. Ovid, Met. 9. 44, 5, Totoque ego pectore pronus | Et digitos digitis, et frontem fronte premebam.'

522. mvp-comment-392-1 στόνος] 'Groanings'-not from pain, but from the extremity of effort.

523. mvp-comment-393-1 foll. Cp. supr. 24, ἐγὼ γὰρ ἥμην ἐκπεπληγμένη φόβῳ. ὁ δ᾽ εὐῶπις ἁβρά] The Chorus, who have only seen Deianira as a careworn matron, delight in imagining her tender beauty as a girl.

524. mvp-comment-394-1 τηλαυγεῖ] 'Far-glancing.' Explained by τηλεσκόπῳ; ἱ.ε. τῆλε πέμπουσα τὰς αὐγὰς τῶν ὀμμάτων. Where a rising-ground gave a distinct view of the fight.' Paley.

526. mvp-comment-395-1 ἐγὼ δὲ μάτηρ μὲν οἷα φράζω] The interpretation of one Scholiast, ἐγὼ παρεῖσα τὰ πολλά, τὰ τέλη λέγω τῶν πραγμάτων, seems to point to a lost various reading, in which τὰ τερμόνια, or something of the kind, was written for μάτηρ μὲν οἷa. It is another question whether the conjecture founded upon this, τὰ τέρματ᾽ οἷα, gives better sense than the reading in the text, which is explained in the first scholion: ἐγώ, φησὶν ἐνδιαθέτως, ὡσεὶ μήτηρ λέγω. The Chorus had not been present at that distant scene, but in imagining it they feel a mother's tenderness for her, who 'with much, much more dismay Beheld the fight than those who made the fray.' (Shak. Merchant of Venice, 3. 2. 61, 2.)

527. mvp-comment-396-1 τὸ δ᾽.. ἀμμένει] 'And she for whom they fought, with anxious looks awaits her lord.' δé, as in prose δ' οὖν, here resumes the clause τὸν ὂν. ἀκοίταν after the parenthesis. This makes easier the omission of the object after ἀμμένει, which has been felt as a difficulty:-i.e. ἡ νύμφη, περιμάχητος οὖσα ἀμφοῖν, ἐλεινῶς θεωμένη ἀναμένει τὸν νικῶντα. Her eye' or 'gaze' ( Essay on L. § 54. p. 99 ) is made the subject because she is intently looking on, and not merely, as the Scholiast says, because the most beautiful part is put for the whole. Cp. Aj. 140, πτηνῆς ὡς ὄμμα πελείας.

528. mvp-comment-397-1 ἐλεινόν] 'Deserving pity,' because distracted with doubt and fear. Cp. O. C. 317, 8, καὶ φημὶ κἀπύφημι, κοὐκ ἔχω τί φῶ, | τάλαινα.

529. mvp-comment-398-1 κἀπὸ ματρός, κ.τ.λ.] 'And all at once she leaves her mother's side.' In the manner of this brief and rapid lyric strain, the Chorus pass from the midst of the contest to its final issue.

530. mvp-comment-399-1 ὥστε πόρτις ἐρήμα] ‘Like a heifer taken from the mother' whom she often misses; with an allusion to the solitary and wandering life which Deianira has led since her marriage day.

531-632. mvp-comment-400-1 Deianira, who has already prepared the charmed robe, confides her intention to the Trachinian maidens, and, on Lichas' coming forth, entrusts the gift to him, with the appropriate commands.

532. mvp-comment-401-1 ὡς ἐπ᾿ ἐξόδῳ] 'With his departure in view.' Cp. El. 1322.

533. mvp-comment-402-1 θυραῖος] The masc. for the fem. form occurs more readily where a woman is speaking to women. Cp. supr. 151; El. 313; Essay on L. § 20. p. 30.

534. mvp-comment-403-1 χερσὶν ἄ] For the postponement of the initial word, see Essay on L. § 41. p. 78. τὰ μὲν . . τὰ δέ are adverbial accusatives = 'Partly,' not antecedents to the relatives. Cp. infr. 843, 4.

535. mvp-comment-404-1 οἷα πάσχω] 'For the treatment I receive.' In what follows she takes up the latter topic first. συγκατοικτιουμένη] 'To implore commiseration.' For the effect of the middle voice, cp. Hdt. 1. 114, ἀποικτίζετο τῶν ὑπὸ Κύρου ἤντησε.

536. mvp-comment-405-1 οἶμαι δ᾽ οὐκέτι] Sc. κόρην εἶναι.

537. mvp-comment-406-1 παρεισδέδεγμαι] παρα- implies, * At unawares,' (as we say, 'By a side wind.')

538. mvp-comment-407-1 'A piece of merchandize which inflicts an outrage on me.' As in supr. 33, the expression is adapted to the simile. The figure is not that of overloading, which could have no meaning here, but simply that of a cargo which in some way proves disastrous. There is a play on the word ἐμπόλημα, which is an accusative in apposition, not to φόρτον, but to the action of παρεισδέδεγμαι. The line may be thus paraphrased: ὥστε τούτῳ τῷ ἐμπολήματι ἐμπολᾶσθαι καὶ λελωβῆσθαι καὶ τὴν ἐμὴν Φρένα. λωβητόν is the verbal of the cognate passive, = ἐπὶ λωβῇ πραττόμενον. Essay on L. § 53. p. 98. Hermann and others explain the words to mean, A cruel return for my faithfulness of soul. But τῆς ἐμῆς φρενός is merely a periphrasis like ἡ ἐμὴ ψυχή in Ant. 559. Cp. Phil. 1281, and especially Ant. 1063, ὡς μὴ ᾿μπολήσων ἴσθι τὴν ἐμὴν φρένα.

540. mvp-comment-408-1 ὑπαγκάλισμα] 'Clasped in one embrace.' Cp. Ant. 650, ψυχρὸν παραγκάλισμα τοῦτο γίγνεται. The sense of μιᾶς is continued : i. e. μ. ΰ. χ. ἐν ὑπαγκάλισμα. τοιάδ᾽ Ἡρακλῆς, κ.τ.λ.] This, the single expression of bitterness on Deianira's part, tends to confirm the interpretation given supr. of ll. 383, 4. Ср. Shak. Othello, 4. 2. 107, Des. 'Tis meet I should be used so, very meet.'

541. mvp-comment-409-1 ἡμῖν is to be taken with πιστὸς κἀγαθός, rather than with καλούμενος (which is added to complete the sense). ἡμῖν is also resumed with ἀντέπεμψε, 'Heracles, so faithful and kind to me (as he was reputed), has sent me such wages in return for my long service in keeping the house.'

Sophocles Trachiniae 531

Thomas Francklin (Translator)

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Deianira
Scene V. Strophe. Antistrophe. \Ex,cunL ACT III. Scene I.

Current edition Experimental

ΧΟ.

Χορός

ἀλλʼ εἴ τις ἐστὶ πίστις ἐν τοῖς δρωμένοις,

δοκεῖς παρʼ ἡμῖν οὐ βεβουλεῦσθαι κακῶς.

Δηιάνειρα

οὕτως ἔχει γʼ ἡ πίστις, ὡς τὸ μὲν δοκεῖν
590

ἔνεστι, πείρᾳ δʼ οὐ προσωμίλησά πω·

Χορός

ἀλλʼ εἰδέναι χρὴ δρῶσαν, ὡς οὐδʼ εἰ δοκεῖς

ἔχειν, ἔχοις ἂν γνῶμα, μὴ πειρωμένη.

Λίχας

τί χρὴ ποεῖν; σήμαινε, τέκνον Οἰνέως,

ὡς ἐσμὲν ἤδη τῷ μακρῷ χρόνῳ βραδεῖς.

Δηιάνειρα

στείχοις ἂν ἤδη· καὶ γὰρ ἐξεπίστασαι

τά γʼ ἐν δόμοισιν ὡς ἔχοντα τυγχάνει.
625

Λίχας

ἐπίσταμαί τε καὶ φράσω σεσωσμένα.

Δηιάνειρα

ἀλλʼ οἶσθα μὲν δὴ καὶ τὰ τῆς ξένης ὁρῶν

προσδέγματʼ, αὐτὴν ὡς ἐδεξάμην φίλως.

Λίχας

ὥστʼ ἐκπλαγῆναι τοὐμὸν ἡδονῇ κέαρ.

Δηιάνειρα

τί δῆτʼ ἂν ἄλλο γʼ ἐννέποις; δέδοικα γὰρ
630

μὴ πρῲ λέγοις ἂν τὸν πόθον τὸν ἐξ ἐμοῦ,

πρὶν εἰδέναι τἀκεῖθεν εἰ ποθούμεθα.

CH

Der Chor.

My mandates; for his presents in return

I shall send presents; these too thou shalt bear;

Not to send something by thee were unjust,

Who camest attended with a splendid train.

Chorus
STRO

Chorus

On the contrary. If there is any reason for confidence in these actions, we think that your plan is not wrong.

Deianeira

My reason for confidence is this: there is the appearance of success in the plan. But the proof I have not yet essayed.
590

Chorus

Your knowledge must come after you act. For you can have no test which is not fanciful except by making the attempt.

Deianeira

Well, we shall know shortly, for there I see the man

already at the doors. He will soon depart. Only I ask that I may be well sheltered by you! When you accomplish even shameful deeds under the cover of darkness, you will never fall into disgrace.
595

Lichas

What are your instructions? Tell me, daughter of Oeneus, for already I am tardy because of my long stay.

Lichas

If I practice Hermes’ art of heraldry with any skill, I certainly will never slip up while doing your errand. I will not fail to carry and present this chest in the same condition, nor to add to it the proper assurance of the reasons which you have for sending it.
620

Deianeira

You may go now, for you know well

how things are with us in the house.
625

Lichas

I know and will report that all is well.

Deianeira

And you know, further, from your own eyes my greeting to the foreign girl, how I welcomed her warmly.

Lichas

So much so that my heart was struck with joy.

Deianeira

What more, then, is there for you to tell him? I am afraid that it would be too soon to speak of the longing on my part, before I know if I am longed for there. Exit Lichas on one side and Deianeira into the house.
630

Commentary

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Deianira Scene V. Strophe. Antistrophe. \Ex,cunL ACT III. Scene I.

Current edition Experimental

ΧΟ.

Χορός ἀλλʼ εἴ τις ἐστὶ πίστις ἐν τοῖς δρωμένοις, δοκεῖς παρʼ ἡμῖν οὐ βεβουλεῦσθαι κακῶς.

Δηιάνειρα οὕτως ἔχει γʼ ἡ πίστις, ὡς τὸ μὲν δοκεῖν 590 ἔνεστι, πείρᾳ δʼ οὐ προσωμίλησά πω·

Χορός ἀλλʼ εἰδέναι χρὴ δρῶσαν, ὡς οὐδʼ εἰ δοκεῖς ἔχειν, ἔχοις ἂν γνῶμα, μὴ πειρωμένη.

Λίχας τί χρὴ ποεῖν; σήμαινε, τέκνον Οἰνέως, ὡς ἐσμὲν ἤδη τῷ μακρῷ χρόνῳ βραδεῖς.

Δηιάνειρα στείχοις ἂν ἤδη· καὶ γὰρ ἐξεπίστασαι τά γʼ ἐν δόμοισιν ὡς ἔχοντα τυγχάνει. 625

Λίχας ἐπίσταμαί τε καὶ φράσω σεσωσμένα.

Δηιάνειρα ἀλλʼ οἶσθα μὲν δὴ καὶ τὰ τῆς ξένης ὁρῶν προσδέγματʼ, αὐτὴν ὡς ἐδεξάμην φίλως.

Λίχας ὥστʼ ἐκπλαγῆναι τοὐμὸν ἡδονῇ κέαρ.

Δηιάνειρα τί δῆτʼ ἂν ἄλλο γʼ ἐννέποις; δέδοικα γὰρ 630 μὴ πρῲ λέγοις ἂν τὸν πόθον τὸν ἐξ ἐμοῦ, πρὶν εἰδέναι τἀκεῖθεν εἰ ποθούμεθα.

CH

Der Chor.

My mandates; for his presents in return I shall send presents; these too thou shalt bear; Not to send something by thee were unjust, Who camest attended with a splendid train.

Chorus STRO

Chorus On the contrary. If there is any reason for confidence in these actions, we think that your plan is not wrong.

Deianeira My reason for confidence is this: there is the appearance of success in the plan. But the proof I have not yet essayed. 590

Chorus Your knowledge must come after you act. For you can have no test which is not fanciful except by making the attempt.

Deianeira Well, we shall know shortly, for there I see the man already at the doors. He will soon depart. Only I ask that I may be well sheltered by you! When you accomplish even shameful deeds under the cover of darkness, you will never fall into disgrace. 595

Lichas What are your instructions? Tell me, daughter of Oeneus, for already I am tardy because of my long stay.

Lichas If I practice Hermes’ art of heraldry with any skill, I certainly will never slip up while doing your errand. I will not fail to carry and present this chest in the same condition, nor to add to it the proper assurance of the reasons which you have for sending it. 620

Deianeira You may go now, for you know well how things are with us in the house. 625

Lichas I know and will report that all is well.

Deianeira And you know, further, from your own eyes my greeting to the foreign girl, how I welcomed her warmly.

Lichas So much so that my heart was struck with joy.

Deianeira What more, then, is there for you to tell him? I am afraid that it would be too soon to speak of the longing on my part, before I know if I am longed for there. Exit Lichas on one side and Deianeira into the house. 630

Commentary

Stable identifiers

Deianira
Scene V. Strophe. Antistrophe. \Ex,cunL ACT III. Scene I.

Χορός

ἀλλʼ εἴ τις ἐστὶ πίστις ἐν τοῖς δρωμένοις,

δοκεῖς παρʼ ἡμῖν οὐ βεβουλεῦσθαι κακῶς.

Δηιάνειρα

οὕτως ἔχει γʼ ἡ πίστις, ὡς τὸ μὲν δοκεῖν
590

ἔνεστι, πείρᾳ δʼ οὐ προσωμίλησά πω·

Χορός

ἀλλʼ εἰδέναι χρὴ δρῶσαν, ὡς οὐδʼ εἰ δοκεῖς

ἔχειν, ἔχοις ἂν γνῶμα, μὴ πειρωμένη.

Λίχας

τί χρὴ ποεῖν; σήμαινε, τέκνον Οἰνέως,

ὡς ἐσμὲν ἤδη τῷ μακρῷ χρόνῳ βραδεῖς.

Δηιάνειρα

στείχοις ἂν ἤδη· καὶ γὰρ ἐξεπίστασαι

τά γʼ ἐν δόμοισιν ὡς ἔχοντα τυγχάνει.
625

Λίχας

ἐπίσταμαί τε καὶ φράσω σεσωσμένα.

Δηιάνειρα

ἀλλʼ οἶσθα μὲν δὴ καὶ τὰ τῆς ξένης ὁρῶν

προσδέγματʼ, αὐτὴν ὡς ἐδεξάμην φίλως.

Λίχας

ὥστʼ ἐκπλαγῆναι τοὐμὸν ἡδονῇ κέαρ.

Δηιάνειρα

τί δῆτʼ ἂν ἄλλο γʼ ἐννέποις; δέδοικα γὰρ
630

μὴ πρῲ λέγοις ἂν τὸν πόθον τὸν ἐξ ἐμοῦ,

πρὶν εἰδέναι τἀκεῖθεν εἰ ποθούμεθα.

My mandates; for his presents in return

I shall send presents; these too thou shalt bear;

Not to send something by thee were unjust,

Who camest attended with a splendid train.

Chorus
STRO

Chorus

On the contrary. If there is any reason for confidence in these actions, we think that your plan is not wrong.

Deianeira

My reason for confidence is this: there is the appearance of success in the plan. But the proof I have not yet essayed.
590

Chorus

Your knowledge must come after you act. For you can have no test which is not fanciful except by making the attempt.

Deianeira

Well, we shall know shortly, for there I see the man

already at the doors. He will soon depart. Only I ask that I may be well sheltered by you! When you accomplish even shameful deeds under the cover of darkness, you will never fall into disgrace.
595

Lichas

What are your instructions? Tell me, daughter of Oeneus, for already I am tardy because of my long stay.

Lichas

If I practice Hermes’ art of heraldry with any skill, I certainly will never slip up while doing your errand. I will not fail to carry and present this chest in the same condition, nor to add to it the proper assurance of the reasons which you have for sending it.
620

Deianeira

You may go now, for you know well

how things are with us in the house.
625

Lichas

I know and will report that all is well.

Deianeira

And you know, further, from your own eyes my greeting to the foreign girl, how I welcomed her warmly.

Lichas

So much so that my heart was struck with joy.

Deianeira

What more, then, is there for you to tell him? I am afraid that it would be too soon to speak of the longing on my part, before I know if I am longed for there. Exit Lichas on one side and Deianeira into the house.
630