Sophocles Trachiniae 813

mvp-comment-422-1 σῖγ’ ¹

mvp-comment-422-2 815 f. The place of ὀφθαλμῶν ἐμῶν ² οὖρος ³

mvp-comment-422-3 αὐτῇ ⁴

mvp-comment-422-4 καλός ⁵

mvp-comment-423-1 γὰρ ⁶

mvp-comment-423-2 ὄγκον ⁷

mvp-comment-423-3 τρέφειν ⁸

mvp-comment-423-4 μηδὲν ⁹ ἥτις ¹⁰

mvp-comment-424-1 ἀλλ’ ἑρπ. χαίρουσα ¹¹

mvp-comment-424-2 τήνδ’ ¹²

mvp-comment-425-1 ἴδ’ ¹³

mvp-comment-425-2 προσέμειξεν ¹⁴ παλαιφάτου ¹⁵

mvp-comment-426-1 θεοπρόπον ¹⁶

mvp-comment-426-2 τᾶς παλαιφάτου προνοίας ¹⁷

mvp-comment-427-1 ὅ τ’ ¹⁸ ἅ τ’ ¹⁹ ὃν ²⁰

mvp-comment-427-2 ἔλακεν ²¹

mvp-comment-427-3 ἐκφέροι ²²

mvp-comment-427-4 δωδέκατος ἄροτος ²³

mvp-comment-427-5 This is the only passage of the play which mentions the period of twelve years. In 44 f. and 164 f., the reference is merely to the fifteen months which, when Heracles left home, were still wanting to those twelve years. It may be asked, then, whence the Chorus derive their knowledge of the twelve years; for Deianeira, in 155 ff., speaks as if they had not then heard of the oracle. The answer is simply that this inconsistency of detail was overlooked by the poet; the term of twelve years was in his mind, as a familiar part of the story; and he forgot that, if the Chorus were to know it, Deianeira ought to have mentioned it.

mvp-comment-427-6 Needless difficulties have been made by assuming that the allusion here must be to the fifteen months of 44 f. and 164 f. Even then, however, it has to be supposed that ‘twelve months’ are put loosely for ‘fifteen.’

mvp-comment-427-7 ἄροτος ²⁴

mvp-comment-427-8 ἀναδοχὰν τελεῖν ²⁵ πόνων ²⁶ τελεῖν ²⁷

mvp-comment-428-1 αὐτόπαιδι ²⁸

mvp-comment-428-2 ἔμπεδα ²⁹

mvp-comment-428-3 κατουρίζει ³⁰

mvp-comment-429-1 ὁ μὴ λεύσσων ³¹

mvp-comment-429-2 ἐπίπονον … λατρείαν ³² πόνων ³³

mvp-comment-430-1 φονίᾳ νεφέλᾳ ³⁴

mvp-comment-430-2 Others understand: (1) ‘in the Centaur's deadly net.’

was a kind of bird-net used by fowlers: in Anthol. 6. 11. 2 it is called , ‘of fine texture,’ and distinguished from the hunter's . Cp. 1052 , and 1057 . But it seems doubtful whether this use of would have been suitable to Tragedy. (2) ‘The deadly envelopment,’— i.e., the robe, compared to a cloud which obscures the sun.

mvp-comment-430-3 Κενταύρου … δολοποιὸς ἀνάγκα ³⁵

mvp-comment-430-4 χρίει ³⁶

mvp-comment-430-5 πλευρά ³⁷

mvp-comment-430-6 834 The MSS. have

. This has been explained as if were the father and the (hydra) the mother. But usage does not warrant such a pointed antithesis between (midd.) and . The poets apply either voice to either parent: see, e.g., Il.6. 154 , | : ib. 2. 728 , and 742 . Lobeck's correction of ἔτεκε ³⁸ ἔτρεφε ³⁹ αἰόλος ⁴⁰

mvp-comment-431-1 ἀέλιον ⁴¹ α^ ⁴²

mvp-comment-432-1 ὕδρας … φάσματι ⁴³ προστετακὼς ⁴⁴ μελαγχαίτα δ’ ⁴⁵ φάσματι ⁴⁶

mvp-comment-432-2 μελαγχαίτα ⁴⁷

mvp-comment-433-1 ἄμμιγα ⁴⁸

mvp-comment-434-1 It has long been the general belief that the words νέσου ⁴⁹ νέσσου ⁵⁰ θ’ ὕπο ⁵¹ μελαγχαίτα ⁵²

mvp-comment-434-2 Here I may briefly state my own conclusions. (1) μελαγχαίτα ⁵³

mvp-comment-434-3 (2) Comparing v. 830 with v. 840, we see that the words

in 830 correspond metrically with . The words in 830 ought therefore to correspond with what stands between in 839 and the before in 840: viz., acc. to the MSS., (or ) .

mvp-comment-434-4 (3) Now, if νέσου θ’ ὕπο ⁵⁴ ὑπόφονα ⁵⁵ δολόμυθα ⁵⁶ φόνια δολιόμυθα ⁵⁷ ὕπο ⁵⁸

mvp-comment-434-5 (4) But a closer adherence to the MS. text becomes possible, if, with Gleditsch, we read Νέσσου ὑποφόνια δολιόμυθα κέντρ’ ἐπιζέσαντα ⁵⁹ ἔτι ποτ’ ἔτ’ ἐπίπονον <πόνων> ἔχοι θανὼν λατρείαν ⁶⁰

mvp-comment-435-1 ὧν … ἄοκνος ⁶¹ ἄοκνον ⁶²

mvp-comment-436-1 προσορῶσα ⁶³ προορῶσα ⁶⁴

mvp-comment-437-1 ἀΐσσουσαν ⁶⁵ ἀϊσσόντων ⁶⁶ γάμων ⁶⁷

mvp-comment-438-1 τὰ μὲν αὐτὰ προσέβαλε ⁶⁸

mvp-comment-438-2 The MS. reading,

, is explained to mean, ‘part she did not comprehend’ (schol. ): i.e., she had, indeed, a secret purpose, but she did not know the deadly nature of the unguent. To this there are two objections. (1) The supposed sense of is unexampled: cp. 580 n. (2) The proper antithesis is lost; for <*>ought to be opposed to her own designs or acts; but those things which she ‘did not comprehend’ were just those which ‘came from the alien will.’

mvp-comment-438-3 ἀλλόθρου ⁶⁹

mvp-comment-438-4 ὀλεθρίαισι συναλλαγαῖς ⁷⁰

mvp-comment-438-5 ὀλεθρίαισι ⁷¹ ὀλεθρίαις ⁷²

mvp-comment-439-1 ἦ που ⁷³

mvp-comment-439-2 ὀλοὰ ⁷⁴

mvp-comment-439-3 στένει ⁷⁵ ἦ που ἄρ’ ἀλασταίνει ⁷⁶ αἰάζει ⁷⁷ στένει ⁷⁸

mvp-comment-440-1 χλωρὰν … ἄχναν ⁷⁹

mvp-comment-440-2 τέγγει … ἄχναν ⁸⁰

mvp-comment-440-3 850 f. The μοῖρα ⁸¹ ἐρχομένα ⁸² ἄταν ⁸³

mvp-comment-440-4 δολίαν ⁸⁴

mvp-comment-440-5 προφαίνει ⁸⁵

mvp-comment-441-1 ἔρρωγεν παγὰ δακρύων ⁸⁶

mvp-comment-442-1 κέχυται νόσος ⁸⁷

mvp-comment-442-2 ὦ πόποι ⁸⁸

mvp-comment-442-3 ἀναρσίων ⁸⁹

mvp-comment-442-4 The doubt as to the reading here is confined to the words between πόποι ⁹⁰ ἐπέμολε ⁹¹

mvp-comment-442-5 It seems almost certain that Ἡρακλέους ⁹² δόμοις ⁹³ δόμοισι ⁹⁴ <ὕπ)> οὔπω <τοῦδε σῶμ)> ἀγακλειτόν ⁹⁵

mvp-comment-442-6 οἰκτίσαι ⁹⁶

mvp-comment-443-1 κελαινὰ ⁹⁷

mvp-comment-443-2 προμάχου ⁹⁸

mvp-comment-443-3 αἰχμᾷ ⁹⁹

mvp-comment-443-4 θοὰν ¹⁰⁰

mvp-comment-443-5 αἰπεινᾶς ¹⁰¹

mvp-comment-444-1 ἀμφίπολος ¹⁰² ἄναυδος ¹⁰³ α ¹⁰⁴

mvp-comment-444-2 The ‘silence’ of Aphroditè means that the passion of Heracles had not been avowed as his motive for the war ( cp. 358 ). She has been revealed as the φανερὰ πράκτωρ ¹⁰⁵

mvp-comment-445-1 These eight verses form an epode to the stasimon; three persons take part in the delivery, viz., the two

, or leaders of (HM. A, HM. B), and the coryphaeus (XO.). The third part (868—870) is best assigned to the coryphaeus, who usually announces a new comer, and who would naturally conduct the dialogue with the . Similar epodes to stasima are Eur. H. F. 815 —821, and Eur. Hipp. 1143 — 1152, in each of which three parts can be distinguished. (See W. Christ, Metrik, § 723, p. 653 2nd ed.)

mvp-comment-445-2 The motive of the whole passage from 863 to 898 is the dramatic necessity of making an impressive preparation for the Nurse's

. It rests with the Chorus alone to do this, since no actor is present.

mvp-comment-445-3 Hermann supposed that, after the three leading choreutae had spoken (863 —870), each of the other twelve in turn took part in the dialogue. But this seems improbable.

mvp-comment-445-4 μάταιος ¹⁰⁶

813-814. mvp-comment-600-1 Deianira has no words wherewith to answer the reproaches of her son. She goes silently and undefended to her death, already heart-broken by having done what she greatly feared to do, and rendered yet more desolate by the rebuke of her child. She enters the house by the central door.

815-816. mvp-comment-601-1 οὗρος καλός] 'Fair be the wind that carries her away out of my sight!' καλός, which is the better reading, is sufficiently supported by the Scholiast. For οὗρος, cp. Ο. Τ. 195, ἔπουρον, and note. Join ἄπωθεν ὀφθαλμῶν ἐμῶν. The inversion gives greater force both to ἐμῶν and to καλός.

816. mvp-comment-602-1 foll. Why vainly keep the high-sounding name of mother for one whose deeds are all unmotherly?' Although ὄγκον ἄλλως might stand alone='A solemn mockery, it is better here to join ἄλλως with τρέφειν. μητρῷον ὄγκον ὀνόματος = ὀγκῶδες ὄνομα μητρός. See Essay on L. § 42. p. 8ο γ.

818. mvp-comment-603-1 ἥτις] For the implied antecedent, cp. O. C. 263 foll. κάμοιγε ποῦ ταῦτ᾽ ἐστιν, οἵτινες βάθρων, κ.τ.λ.

819. mvp-comment-604-1 χαίρουσα] ‘And joy go with her,' said ironically, like oὗpos, supr.; i. e. I willingly give her leave to go. τὴν δὲ τέρψιν, κ.τ.λ.] « And may that joy be hers, -even that, which she gives to my father!' ἥν] The careless rhythm, with the monosyllable in synaphea, suits with the mood of Hyllus, in which, wrought upon by strong passion, he lightly casts off his mother. Exit Hyllus to the courtyard (L).

821ff. mvp-comment-605-1 The Chorus, in an ode which marks the chief peripeteia, (a) pronounce that the doom of Heracles is now inevitable; (b) express their pity for Deianira, who is the unconscious instrument of the calamity, and whom they imagine as 'shedding tender tears;' (c) look apprehensively for what is still to come; (d) hint darkly at the love of Iole, which has been the silent but effectual cause of all this ruin.

821ff. mvp-comment-605-2 The chief metrical peculiarities of the ode are, (1) the frequency of resolutions, and (2) the accumulation of long syllables. The former (1), denoting excitement, is more prominent in the first strophe and antistrophe (a'), the latter (2), expressing sadness, in the second (β΄). In ll. 3-5 of ß' there are corruptions of the text both in strophe and antistrophe, and the metre is consequently uncertain.

821. mvp-comment-606-1 ἴδ᾽.. ὦ παῖδες] 'See, children, in what strange wise the prophetic word comes suddenly to pass.' So close a combination of singular and plural is unusual even in a chorus, but ἴδε, being virtually an interjection, loses the meaning of the inflection, and is used here, like the Homeric ἰδé, as = ἰδού. προσέμιξεν] • Has arrived;' i.e. is come to its fulfilment, and has touched our life. ὦ παῖδες] Cp. infr. l. 871. ἄφαρ] This Epic and Lyric word occurs four times in the Trachiniae, and nowhere else in Sophocles. See Essay on L. § 57. p. 104.

822. mvp-comment-607-1 θεοπρόπον] 'Prophetic, or Inspired.' θεοπρόπος is more commonly used of persons; but cp. O. C. 239, 40, ἔργων | ἀκόντων : ib. 977.

823. mvp-comment-608-1 τᾶς παλαιφάτου προνοίας] 'Of the prescience that revealed itself of old.'

824. mvp-comment-609-1 *ἅ τ᾽ ἔλακεν) The MS. reading, ὅ τ' ἔλακεν, has been variously explained: (1) (ὅ, neuter) Which sounded to this effect, viz. τὸ ἔπος; (2) (ὅ, neuter) Which he uttered,' viz. θεός, implied in θεοπρόπον; (3) (ὅ, masc.) • Who declared,' again referring to θεός; (4) (ὅτε) When he (θεός) declared.' The conjectural reading ἅ τε, already adopted by some editors, gives a clearer sense and also secures perfect metrical correspondence to the antistrophe. 'Which' (sc. ἡ πρόνοια) ‘declared.' If ὅ is read, the first (1) of the above-mentioned interpretations should be adopted. ὁπότε . . ἄροτος] 'When the twelfth year, with its full tale of months, should come to an end.' For ἐκφέροι, ср. О. С. 1424, ὡς ἐς ὀρθὸν ἐκφέρει, and note. And for ἄροτοs, cp. supr. 69, τὸν παρελθόντ᾽ ἄροτον.

825. mvp-comment-610-1 ἀναδοχὰν τελεῖν πόνων] (The undertaking' (rather than the succession') 'of labours should terminate.' τελεῖν (fut.), (1) like ἐκφέροι, is used absolutely, for which, cp. El. 1419, τελοῦσ᾽ ἀραί, or (2) = 'The year should end his toils.' For the meaning, cp. ll. 164-172. And for ἀναδοχὴ πόνων, cp. supr. ll. 27-35- τῷ . . αὐτόπαιδι] 'For the very son of Zeus.'

826. mvp-comment-611-1 ὀρθῶς | ἔμπεδα κατουρίζει] (1) 'Comes safely into harbour with straight course; i.e. attains fulfilment without failure. For the image, cp. Aesch. Suppl. 432, ἐξοκέλλεται: Ο.Τ. 1315, δυσούριστον, and note: El. 502, and note. τάδε implies that the fulfilment is already visible. 'Lo, where the foretold event is sailing into port!' Or (2) taking κατουρίζει actively, and supplying either τὸ ἔπος οι ἡ πρόνοια as the subject, And it brings this safely into haven, certainly fulfilled.'

830. mvp-comment-612-1 θανών, ‘After death,' is not a mere resumption of μὴ λεύσσων, but contains a pathetic argument, 'Seeing that he is dead and gone.' σφε] Sc. τὸν Ἡρακλῆ, implied in ὁ μὴ λεύσσων supr. l. 828.

831. mvp-comment-613-1 σφε... χρίει δολοποιὸς ἀνάγκα] Fate working by guile is stinging him.' The craft of Nessus was the means employed by Fate. φονίᾳ νεφέλᾳ] Gory cloud,' or 'envelopment.' Some have supposed a metaphorical application of the secondary use of νεφέλη = ' A net.' (L. and S. 5. ν. νεφέλη, III). And an association from this meaning may have been present. Cp. infr. 1052. But the less definite image is more impressive.

833. mvp-comment-614-1 πλευρά] Hermann's authority is in favour of connecting this word with χρίει. But on the whole, although the construction of the accusative is unusual, it seems better to take it with προστακέντος. Cp. infr. ll. 1053 foll. πλευραῖσι γὰρ προσμαχθέν, κ.τ.λ. Sc. προστακέντος αὐτῷ πλευρά.

834. mvp-comment-615-1 ὃν τέκετο.. δράκων] 'Which Death begat upon the spotted snake.' Hermann says here, ῎Ετρεφε δ' Lobeckius ad Aj. p. 327. Injuriâ, ut puto, haerent interpretes in verbis τέκετο et ἔτεκε: quae etsi promiscuè usurpantur, tamen proprie medii verbi potestas patri magis quam matri convenit: et sic videtur hic Sophocles distinxisse: quem generit mors, peperit autem draco.' The a of ἀέλιος is made short here and in Euripides, Med. 1252, Ion 122.

835. mvp-comment-616-1 ἕτερον ἢ τανῦν] Cp. Ant. 808-10, νέατον . . φέγγος .. κοῦποτ᾽ αὖθις, and note.

836. mvp-comment-617-1 προστετακώς. Sc. εἰ προστέτακε. See note on θανών, in supr. l. 830. φάσματι] Heracles 'cleaves to the Hydra, that terrible shape.' The meaning is that the evil nature of the poison is of the essence of the Hydra. But the word for 'essence' was not yet invented, and the terrible 'aspect' of the Hydra is used to symbolize this idea. Cp. supr. ll. 508, 9, ὑψίκερω τετραόρου | φάσμα ταύρου. For the whole expression, cp. Plat. Symp. 183 Ε, ἅτε μονίμῳ συντακείς.

837-840. mvp-comment-618-1 'And therewithal break forth upon him to torment him the piercing wounds of the dark-haired one, envenomed through crafty speech and secret thoughts of blood.' In the plague now afflicting Heracles, there was present the venom of the Lernaean Hydra, and there was also another element, inseparably mingled with this, viz. the murderous will of Nessus, operating through his crafty speech. Although the adjective ὑποφόνιος is not found elsewhere (see L. and S. s. v. ὑποφόνια), it is rightly retained here by Hermann, and helps to emphasize the combination of craft and cruelty in the Centaur. (There may also be an allusion to the blood of Nessus, which cried for revenge. See Essay on L. p. 103, 4. ) The words Νέσου θ', which occur in the MSS., may be a corruption of Νέσσου θηρός, a double gloss on μελαγχαίτα. As Hermann observes, this epithet is used for the proper name by a sort of Epic liberty, which is the more excusable with Κενταύρου preceding in l.831. μελαγχαίτης is an epithet of the Centaur Mimas in Hes. Scut. 186. μελαγχαίτα κέντρα are the stinging wounds inflicted by Nessus. They are called ὑποφόνια because stealthily destroying life, (and also because imbued with the blood of one who was slain;) δολόμυθα, because they were inflicted through crafty words; and they are said to have broken forth' upon him, because of the malady which they produced. Cp. supr. ll. 767 foll., also Aesch. S. c. Τ. 709, ἐξέζεσεν γὰρ Οἰδίπου κατεύγματα. See Essay on L. § 56. pp. 102, 3.

841. mvp-comment-619-1 foll. In places like this, where there is reason to suspect error both in the strophe and antistrophe, emendation must be more than ever uncertain. A reading of ll. 853, 4 consistent with the metre is obtained in the text by omitting πω and altering the position of οὐκ and of ἀγακλειτόν. The reconciliation of ll. 845, 855, is more difficult. Either (1) the line is a lyrical senarius (without caesura), in which case the corruption is in the antistrophe (qy. ἰὼ κελαινὸν αἰμ᾿ ἀπροσμάχου δορός?), or (2) the metre of l.855 is to be followed, and ὀλεθρίαις is corrupt (qy. ἀτηραῖσι συναλλαγαῖς?).

841-850. mvp-comment-620-1 "Which this poor lady, seeing great calamity fast coming upon her house, a strange new marriage being imminent, in one way did not understand at all (844. note), but for the unwitting act which arose from an alien will in consequence of a fatal meeting, over that methinks she groans in her misery, over that methinks she drops the fresh dew of abundant tears." ἄοκνον] Not shrinking,' i.e. Pressing on.

842. mvp-comment-621-1 προσορῶσα δόμοις = ὁρῶσα πρὸς δόμοις. Cp. supr. ll. 376, 7, τίν' εἰσδέδεγμαι πημονὴν ὑπόστεγον | λαθραῖον ; νέων] Not merely new, but also 'strange,' or 'unprecedented.' Cp. Phil. 784, καί τι προσδοκῶ νέον. ἀἴσσόντων] Cp. for the personification, Εl. 492, ἄλεκτρ᾽ ἄνυμφα γὰρ ἐπέβα μιαιφόνων | γάμων ἁμιλλήμαθ' οἶσιν οὐ θέμις, Ant. 10, πρὸς τοὺς φίλους στείχοντα τῶν ἐχθρῶν κακά.

844. mvp-comment-622-1 οὗ τι προσέβαλε] (1) 'Had no perception.' Schol. συνῆκεν, and so Herm. This assumes that προσβάλλειν τι (γνώμῃ) = προσβάλλειν γνώμην τινί. (2) Αnother meaning is, however, not to be rejected, viz. οὗ τι πρ. 'Had no part in bringing to pass.' In one aspect the deed was not hers at all, in another aspect it was hers, but done unwittingly. And she repents bitterly of her unwitting crime. Cp. infr. l. 1051, καθῆψεν, κ.τ.λ., and especially Aesch. Pers. 781, ἀλλ᾽ οὐ κακὸν τοσόνδε προσέβαλον πόλει: Eur. Med. 637 foll. μηδέποτ᾽ ἀμφιλόγους ὀργὰς ἀκόρεστά τε νείκη | προσβάλοι δεινὰ Κυπρίς. In either case, the words τὰ μὲν .. τὰ δ' are added by an afterthought. The Chorus intend to speak of Deianira's repentance, but cannot do so without first declaring her innocence. τὰ μὲν . . τὰ δέ are not really different parts of the action, but the action regarded in different points of view. ἀλλόθρου] - Alien,' not merely as of another race of men, but of a race different from man, viz. of the Centaur.

845. mvp-comment-623-1 γνώμας] «Intention,' or 'Determination.' Cp. esp. Aj. 744, Phil. 962, 1192. ὀλεθρίαις ξυναλλαγαῖς Hermann follows Triclinius in reading ὀλεθρίαισι συναλλαγαῖς. But the text remains uncertain. See above, note on 841 foll. The dative is that of the cause. For the meaning of ξυναλλαγαῖς, cp. Ο. Т. 1130, ἢ ξυνήλλαξάς τί πω;

846-847. mvp-comment-624-1 ἢ που.. ἢ που] This is more forcible than ή που.. ή που, the MS. reading. The accents are not clear in L. ὀλοά] This word may be either (1) fem. sing., ' undone,' as in El. 843, or (2) neut. plur. adv. 'despairingly,' (so Schndw.). For the latter, cp. Il. 23. 10, ἐπεί κ᾿ ὀλοοῖο τεταρπώμεσθα γόοιο. But the former is more poetical, because fixing attention on the person of Deianira. Cp. supr. 111, δύστανον, and note; and, for the meaning of the adjective in this case, infr. 878, τάλαιν ὀλεθρία.

849. mvp-comment-625-1 χλωρὰν.. ἄχναν] Tender dew.' χλωρός is a difficult word in Sophocles, because, as Bacon observes, words like 'hard,' 'soft,' moist,' 'dry,' being imperfectly abstracted from experience, have many secondary meanings. Tears are 'soft, 'tender,' 'moist, because 'the melting mood' does not suit the 'hard' temper, and dry eyes' give evidence of a dry,' unsympathizing soul. Again, χλωρὸν αἷμα, infr. l. 1055, is 'the blood which keeps the body flexible and fresh; while χλωρὰ ψάμαθος, in Aj. 1064, is literally the 'moist,' 'dank,' 'clammy' sand.

850. mvp-comment-626-1 τέγγει.. ἄχναν] The cognate accusative is substituted for the accusative in regimen after τέγγω. So Pind. Nem. 10. 75, has τέγγων δάκρυα.

851. mvp-comment-627-1 προφαίνει] 'Portends.' Cp. Hdt. 1. 210, τῷ δὲ ὁ δαίμων προέφαινε, ὡς αὐτὸς μὲν τελευτήσειν αὐτοῦ ταύτῃ μέλλοι, ἡ δὲ βασιληΐη αὐτοῦ περιχωρέοι ἐς Δαρεῖον : ib. 3.65; 7. 37, εἴρετο τοὺς μάγους τὸ θέλει προφαίνειν τὸ φάσμα. δολίαν] (1) The calamity is the more cruel because of the bright hopes out of which it springs. Cp. El. 489-91, ἃ δεινοῖς | κρυπτομένα λόχοις | χαλκόπους ᾿Ερινύς. This is better than (2) to suppose a reference to the fraud of Nessus, repeating the notion of δολόμυθα above.

852. mvp-comment-628-1 ἔρρωγεν παγὰ δακρύων] The Scholiast, Hermann. and Schndw. suppose the Chorus to be speaking of their own tears, and to say in effect, 'I begin to weep.' But this would come tamely in the midst of a lofty and condensed lyric strain. It seems better to take these words as parallel to those which follow, and to understand them to mean, A flood-gate of tears is burst open,' i.e. 'A calamity has arisen, for which tears will flow in large measure.'

853. mvp-comment-629-1 κέχυται νόσος] 'A trouble has begun to flow.' νόσος, as elsewhere in Sophocles, is to be taken in the general sense of Trouble,' 'Calamity.' The meaning is the same as that expressed by Heracles himself, infr. ll. 1046-1053. The words are immediately suggested by the 'diffused malady' induced by the poisoned robe, but much more than this is included in the thought.

854-855. mvp-comment-630-1 ἀναρσίων.. οἰκτίσαι] ‘Greater than any of the famous woes that from enemies of Heracles came erewhile against him so as to move compassion.' ἀναρσίων, genitive of origin: Ἡρακλέα, as object of ἐπέμολε, to be supplied from 'Ηρακλέους: οἰκτίσαι, an active infinitive added epexegetically, like εὐδαιμονίσαι in O. C. 144. In speaking of 'pity' the Chorus are thinking more of the present trouble than of those with which they compare it.

856. mvp-comment-631-1 κελαινά] 'Dark point of the champion spear.' Cp. Αj. 231, κελαινοῖς ξίφεσι. There is probably an association (as the Scholiast observes) between dark and deadly, the hue of the metal bearing some relation to the nether gloom to which its victims were despatched. But there is also the notion of a weapon which has been dulled and darkened by frequent use in war.

857. mvp-comment-632-1 προμάχου δορός] (1) 'Spear that fought for men. For this sense of πρόμαχος, cp. Aesch. S. c. T. 419, 482, and, for the general meaning, infr. 1010-2. There was a statue of 'Hρακλῆς Πρόμαχος in the 'Ηράκλειον at Thebes, Paus. 9. 11, 4. (2) Others prefer the meaning 'foremost in fight.'

858. mvp-comment-633-1 τότε) At the time of the capture of Oechalia, before the sacrifices at Cenaeum. θοάν, 'Swiftly borne away,' = ταχέως φερομένην. The word expresses not only the rapidity of Heracles' movements and of Iole's, who accompanied him, but the sudden change in the life of the young creature which such a marriage must have made. Cp. supr. 144 foll 529, 30, κἀπὸ ματρὸς ἄφαρ βέβακεν ώστε πόρτις ερήμα.

859. mvp-comment-634-1 αἰχμᾷ. At the point of the spear; ie. Having achieved her in war

860. mvp-comment-635-1 ἀμφίπολος.. άναυδος" (1) But the silent though manifest minister and agent of all this was the Goddess of Love herself' Cp. supr. 355 foll. 475 foll. Or (2) supposing the words ἀμφίπολος άναυδος to contain an allusion to Iole. But 'tis manifest that the agent in all this has been the Goddess of Love under the guise of a silent hand-maid. The attributes assigned to the goddess are suggested by the circumstances. Iole came as a hand-maiden, and remained obstinately silent supr. ll. 283, 4, 322 foll., 532). But under the deceptive appearance of this mute hand-maid there lurked the terrible destructive power of Aphrodite, who busied herself in silence to work the will of Fate that is now clearly revealed. Such is probably the meaning of this obscure expression which need not, however, be suspected because it is obscure.

863ff. mvp-comment-636-1 The proscenium has been vacant since the exit (severally) of Deianira and Hyllus. A sound of wailing is now heard from within.

863. mvp-comment-637-1 μάταιος] 'Silly,' i, e. 'Alarmed without cause. For the masc. form, cp. supr. l. 151, and note.