Sophocles Trachiniae 863-946

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 ¹

mvp-comment-446-1 τί φημί ² τὶ φημί ³

mvp-comment-447-1 οὐκ ἄσημον ⁴ ἀλλὰ δυστυχῆ ⁵

mvp-comment-447-2 καινίζει ⁶

mvp-comment-447-3 869 The MS. reading, ἀήθης ⁷

mvp-comment-447-4 The conjecture ἀηδὴς ⁸

mvp-comment-447-5 Surely ἀήθης ⁹ ἀ ¹⁰ γ ¹¹ ηθής ¹²

mvp-comment-448-1 σημανοῦσα ¹³ σημαίνουσα ¹⁴

mvp-comment-449-1 Ἡρακλεῖ τὸ πόμπιμον ¹⁵

mvp-comment-450-1 καινοποιηθὲν ¹⁶

mvp-comment-451-1 ἐξ ἀκινήτου ποδός ¹⁷

mvp-comment-452-1 οὐ δή ποθ’ ¹⁸

mvp-comment-452-2 πάντ’ ἀκήκοας ¹⁹

mvp-comment-452-3 τέθνηκεν ²⁰

mvp-comment-452-4 878 For the metres of this

(878—895), see Analysis.

mvp-comment-452-5 ὀλεθρία ²¹

mvp-comment-452-6 879 The MS. reading, σχετλιώτατα πρός γε πρᾶξιν ²² σχετλίῳ τὰ πρός γε πρᾶξιν ²³

mvp-comment-452-7 Heinrich Schmidt, whose view of the metre will be seen in the Metrical Analysis, merely transposes

and , writing σχετλιώτατά γε πρὸς πρᾶξιν ²⁴ γε ²⁵

mvp-comment-452-8 By

must be meant here the mode of ‘doing’ the deed, rather than the victim's ‘fortune’; though the latter is the usual sense of the singular ( Ant.1305 n.). After the question, τίνι τρόπῳ ²⁶ πρᾶξιν ²⁷

mvp-comment-453-1 ξυντρέχει ²⁸

mvp-comment-454-1 διηΐστωσε ²⁹

mvp-comment-455-1 τίς θυμός ³⁰

mvp-comment-455-2 τίνες νόσοι ³¹ ξυνεῖλε ³²

mvp-comment-456-1 μόνα ³³

mvp-comment-457-1 στονόεντος ³⁴

mvp-comment-457-2 ἐν τομᾷ ³⁵

mvp-comment-458-1 ὦ ματαία ³⁶

mvp-comment-458-2 τάνδ’ ὕβριν ³⁷

mvp-comment-459-1 ὡς δὴ … παραστάτις ³⁸

mvp-comment-460-1 τίς ἦν ³⁹ πῶς ⁴⁰

mvp-comment-461-1 αὐτὴ πρὸς αὑτῆς ⁴¹

mvp-comment-462-1 ἔτεκεν ἔτεκε δὴ ⁴²

mvp-comment-462-2 νέορτος ⁴³

mvp-comment-463-1 ἄγαν γε ⁴⁴

mvp-comment-463-2 κάρτα μᾶλλον ἂν ᾤκτισας ⁴⁵

mvp-comment-464-1 καὶ ταῦτ’ ἔτλη τις ⁴⁶

mvp-comment-464-2 κτίσαι ⁴⁷

mvp-comment-464-3 Hermann rejects this v. and the next, because the Chorus, not knowing the nature of the deeds (

), ought not yet to marvel at them. The verses were inserted, he thinks, to soften the abruptness of (900) after (897). It may be granted that they are not very forcible; but they seem genuine. The Nurse has hitherto been led from point to point by questions. A direct question (898) is needed to prompt her narrative. It would be less like her to begin it spontaneously.

mvp-comment-465-1 παρῆλθε ⁴⁸ γὰρ ἦλθε ⁴⁹

mvp-comment-466-1 αὐλαῖς ⁵⁰

mvp-comment-466-2 κοῖλα ⁵¹

mvp-comment-466-3 στορνύνθ’ ⁵²

mvp-comment-466-4 Hyllus had entered the house immediately after his mother (820). His occupation reminded her that Heracles would soon arrive, and decided her to act at once.

mvp-comment-467-1 κρύψασ’ ἑαυτὴν ⁵³

mvp-comment-467-2 ἔνθα μή τις εἰσίδοι ⁵⁴

mvp-comment-467-3 In Homeric Greek, a final relat. clause can take the subjunct. (usu. with

) after a primary tense, and the optat. (without ) after a secondary tense. But this is not an Attic construction. Thus the Homeric ( Od.15. 458 ) would in Attic be : it could not be, . The constr. —a very rare one in Attic—has grown out of the ‘deliberative’ constr. , by steps which have changed the interrogative clause into a final relative clause. A like instance is Ph.281 , (seeing no one) to aid. See Appendix.

mvp-comment-468-1 βρυχᾶτο ⁵⁵

mvp-comment-468-2 βωμοῖσι ⁵⁶

mvp-comment-468-3 γένοιντ’ ἔρημοι ⁵⁷ γένοιτ’ ἐρήμη ⁵⁸

mvp-comment-468-4 ὀργάνων ὅτου ψαύσειεν ⁵⁹

mvp-comment-469-1 ἄλλῃ … δωμάτων ⁶⁰

mvp-comment-469-2 φίλων … οἰκετῶν ⁶¹

mvp-comment-470-1 ἀνακαλουμένη ⁶²

mvp-comment-470-2 911 The MS. text, καὶ τὰς ἄπαιδας ἐς τὸ λοιπὸν οὐσίας ⁶³

mvp-comment-470-3 The genuine verse must have had some direct reference to the context. She is weeping at the sight of attached servants whom she is about to leave. The general sense ought to be, ‘bewailing her own fate, and that of the household over which a change was impending’; since, when master and mistress were dead, the household would be dissolved, and the faithful slaves would pass into other hands. After the death of Heracles, Ceÿx, the king of Trachis (40 n.), was deterred by Eurystheus from continuing to protect the Heracleidae; who sought refuge at Athens. ( Apollod.2. 8. 1. )

mvp-comment-470-4 I believe that

arose from when the E had been accidentally lost or obscured. A similar interchange of initial and , combined with fusion of two words into one, occurs in O. C.550 , where was corrupted into . I would read, καὶ τῆς ἐπ’ ἄλλοις ἐς τὸ λοιπὸν οὐσίας ⁶⁴ ἑστίας ⁶⁵

mvp-comment-471-1 τὸν Ἡράκλ. ⁶⁶

mvp-comment-471-2 θάλαμον ⁶⁷

mvp-comment-472-1 λαθραῖον ὄμμ’ ⁶⁸ ἐπεσκιασμένη ⁶⁹

mvp-comment-473-1 βάλλουσαν ⁷⁰ στρωτὰ ⁷¹

mvp-comment-474-1 εὐνατηρίοις ⁷²

mvp-comment-475-1 ῥήξασα ⁷³

mvp-comment-475-2 νυμφεῖα ⁷⁴

mvp-comment-475-3 εὐνάτριαν ⁷⁵

mvp-comment-476-1 συντόνῳ ⁷⁶

mvp-comment-477-1 ᾗ ⁷⁷ ᾧ ⁷⁸

mvp-comment-477-2 προὔκειτο μαστῶν ⁷⁹

mvp-comment-477-3 ἐκ δ’ ἐλώπισεν ⁸⁰

mvp-comment-478-1 δρομαία ⁸¹ φράζω ⁸² τάδε ⁸³ τεχνωμένης ⁸⁴

mvp-comment-479-1 τὸ κεῖσε δεῦρό τ’ ⁸⁵

mvp-comment-479-2 ἐξορμώμεθα ⁸⁶

mvp-comment-479-3 ὁρῶμεν αὐτὴν … πεπληγμένην ⁸⁷

mvp-comment-479-4 ὑφ’ ἧπαρ καὶ φρένας ⁸⁸

mvp-comment-480-1 τοὔργον … ὡς ἐφάψειεν ⁸⁹

mvp-comment-480-2 Others explain: (1) ‘that he had kindled the deed.’ But

never has the sense of . In Eur. Bacch.778 our only MS. for that part of the play has, indeed, | : but the true is attested by the Christus Patiens 2227. (2) ‘That she had made fast the deed,’— i.e. done the irrevocable deed. But κατ’ ὀργὴν ⁹⁰

mvp-comment-481-1 τῶν κατ’ οἶκον ⁹¹ ἐκδ. ⁹²

mvp-comment-482-1 δύστηνος ⁹³ ἐλείπετ’ οὐδέν ⁹⁴ ὀδυρμάτων ⁹⁵ ἀμφιπίπτων ⁹⁶

mvp-comment-482-2 ἀμφί νιν ⁹⁷

mvp-comment-482-3 ἀμφιπίπτων στόμασιν ⁹⁸

mvp-comment-482-4 πλευρόθεν ⁹⁹ παρείς ¹⁰⁰

mvp-comment-483-1 αἰτίᾳ βάλοι ¹⁰¹

mvp-comment-484-1 ἐκ δυοῖν … ὠρφανισμένος βίον ¹⁰² βίου ¹⁰³ βίου ¹⁰⁴ ἐκ ¹⁰⁵ εἷς ¹⁰⁶

mvp-comment-485-1 δύο ¹⁰⁷

mvp-comment-485-2 ἢ καί τι πλείους ¹⁰⁸ ἢ καὶ πλείους τις ¹⁰⁹ τι ¹¹⁰ ἢ καὶ πλέους τις ¹¹¹

mvp-comment-485-3 The sense is:—‘Men often reckon on the morrow, or even, perchance ( τι ¹¹²

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.

864. mvp-comment-638-1 οἴκτου) «Cry of sorrow. Cp. Αj. 895, οἴκτῳ τῷδε συγκεκραμένην, and for ὑρμασμένου, Springing forth, ib. 892, βοὴ . . ἐξέβη κάπους.

865. mvp-comment-639-1 τί φημί What is this?' For this expression and for the broken line here and in l. 868, cp. O. T. 1471. The three couplets are probably spoken by different members of the Chorus.

866. mvp-comment-640-1 οὐκ ἄσημον «A sound of wailing that is not ambiguous but full of sorrow. Cp. O. C. 1501, Ant. 1209. The conjectural reading, οὐκ εύσημον, ἀλλὰ δυστυχῆ, introduces a false and meaningless antithesis.

867. mvp-comment-641-1 τι καινίζει i.e. καινόν τι έχει.

869. mvp-comment-642-1 ἀήθης] This has been unnecessarily changed to ἀηδής, which should rather mean 'sullen' than 'sad,' and at all events expresses the same thing with συνοφρυωμένη. «Strange, 'Unlike herself,' is a meaning which aptly suits the place, and is properly made more definite by the addition of καὶ συνωφρυωμένη.

870. mvp-comment-643-1 σημαίνουσα] Declaring. The correction σημανοῦσα, “Το declare,' is possibly right; but the present tense may suitably call attention to the gestures of the Τροφός, before she speaks.

871. mvp-comment-644-1 οὐ σμικρών] That the gift has caused evil is already known, the extent of the evil to the house at Trachis is only now revealed.

872. mvp-comment-645-1 Ἡρακλεῖ τὸ πόμπιμον] The adj. is added to explain τὸ δῶρον, because the dative alone would have been an imperfect construction with δῶρον. For the passive meaning of πόμπιμον (which recalls the mission of Lichas, supr. ll. 600 foll.), cp. esp. supr. 822, О. С. 487, τὸν ἱκέτην σωτήριον.

873. mvp-comment-646-1 καινοποιηθέν] Freshly wrought,' i.e. since the news of Heracles' agony were brought by Hyllus.

875. mvp-comment-647-1 ἐξ ἀκινήτου ποδός] «Without stirring foot. Cp. the figurative language of the Watchman in the Antigone, 317, etc.

876. mvp-comment-648-1 οὐ δή ποθ᾿ ὡς θανοῦσα (sc. βέβηκε)] 'You cannot mean the way of death! Cp. supr. 668, and note. πάντ᾿ ἀκήκοας] She insists that her first words have told them all; but the Chorus, with the eagerness of sorrow, demand a more explicit statement. Cp. Εl. 676, θανόντ᾽ Ορέστην νῦν τε καὶ πάλαι λέγω.

878. mvp-comment-649-1 τάλαιν᾿ ὀλεθρία] ‘Poor ruined one!' ὀλέθριος implies guilt added to calamity. Cp. Ο. Τ. 1341, τὸν μέγ᾿ ὀλέθριον, according to one reading. The resolved feet mark the trepidation of the speaker.

879. mvp-comment-650-1 σχετλιώτατα + πρός γε πρᾶξιν] Most ruthlessly, as for the execution; i. e. Whatever else the deed was, it was cruelly determined. Cp. infr. 923-931. The anapaest in the second place is hardly possible even in a passage where the usual rules of the senarius are otherwise relaxed. A possible correction would be to substitute és for πρός.

879. mvp-comment-650-2 A certain approach to an antistrophic structure appears in the near correspondence of ll. 10, 18; 13, 15; 1, 2, 11, 12; 9. 16. εἰπὲ τῷ μόρφ] The Chorus still press the old woman, who is too horror-stricken to speak clearly, to be more explicit.

880. mvp-comment-651-1 ξυντρέχει] Deianira's fate had rushed to meet her when she left the scene (supr. 813).

882. mvp-comment-652-1 What rage, what madness, prompted her in seizing this evil-pointed weapon?' ξυνεῖλε (= μεταίτιος ἦν τοῦ έλειν) agrees with θυμός, which is the chief nominative. ἢ τίνες νόσοι being added διὰ μέσουν. and possibly spoken by a different member of the Chorus. Cp. Fr. 789. Passion is personified as the author of the deed. Cp. El. 198, δύλος ἦν ὁ φράσας, ἔρος ὁ κτείνας. Several editors have read τάνδ' αἰχμᾷ βέλεος κακοῦ ξυνεῖλε; = 'What rage snatched her away with the point of an evil weapon?' But there is something cold and inappropriate in the demonstrative pronoun thus applied to Deianira here, -as if those present could suppose anyone else to be meant.

884. mvp-comment-653-1 πῶς ἐμήσατο.. ἀνύσασα] How did she meditate and carry into effect?' For the proleptic use of the participle, cp. Αj. 185, ἐν ποίμναις πίτνων, and note.

887. mvp-comment-654-1 στονοέντος¹ 'Deadly;' like βέλεα στονοέντα, στονοέντες δϊστοί, πολύστονος ίύς, in Epic Greek. ἐν τομᾷ] For ev of the means or instrument, cp. Ant. 961, ἐν κερτομίοις γλώσσαις. Essay on L. § 19. p. 28.

888. mvp-comment-655-1 ματαία has been changed to μάταιε, making an iambic pentapody. As the text stands, the line is a combination of two iambi, a bacchius, and a cretic. ματαία (οι μάταιε) conveys the reproach of helplessness, - You saw, and could do nothing!' τάνδ᾽ ὕβριν) «This violent deed.' The use of ύβρις, as applied to suicide, must be allowed to be catachrestic;' but the Chorus are at a loss for a word corresponding to their impression, and take up the strongest which occurs to them. See Essay on L. (Specific use of General Words) § 51. p. 95.

890. mvp-comment-656-1 τίς ἦν; πῶς;] τις = ποῖος. Cp. Ο. C. 775, τις αὕτη τέρψις; The language here becomes very abrupt and irregular.

891. mvp-comment-657-1 She did and suffered this herself from her own hand. So the force of the middle voice may be rendered. χειροποιεῖται ἐς ἅπαξ λεγόμενον.

892. mvp-comment-658-1 foll. The ruin of Heracles and the death of Deianira are the first-born offspring of his union with Iole. For the iteration, which is rare in Sophocles, cp. Ο. C. 1670, ἔστιν, ἔστι νῷν δή, κ.τ.λ.

898-899. mvp-comment-659-1 Cho. And had a woman's hand the firmness for this act?' Nurse. The manner too was dreadful, as you will agree when you have heard me tell it.' Hermann condemned these lines as spurious, and it must be admitted that they are tame for Sophocles. They have the merit, however, of preparing by a further pause for the narration which follows. Cp. supr. 748, where the otherwise feeble line, ποῦ δ᾽ ἐμπελάζεις τὰνδρὶ καὶ παρίστασαι; has the same excuse of being there to give time for the stream to burst forth. τις in 898 (any woman's hand) can hardly be defended, but there are many ways in which this blemish may be removed, e.g. καὶ ταῦτ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἔτλη Χ., κ.τ.λ.

900. mvp-comment-660-1 ἐπεὶ παρῆλθε] The conjecture ἐπεὶ γὰρ ἦλθε is unnecessary. Whether ll. 898, 9 are retained or not, the asyndeton is forcible and good. For παρῆλθε, cp. Ο. Τ. 1241. Compare with the following narration Virg. Aen. 4. 642 foll.

901. mvp-comment-661-1 κοῖλα] ‘Yielding.' κοῖλος is a favourite epithet. Essay on L. § 56. p. 103. The bed is hollowed in the middle where the person lies.

902. mvp-comment-662-1 ἄψορρον] Sc. lών, implied in ἀντῴη. 'That he might return and meet his father.' The language is slightly condensed. Hyllus was busied in preparing the litter, that so (viz. having prepared it) he might go and meet his father. Some critics have been influenced by Wunder's objection that Hyllus only meets Heracles at the gate. But this is not proved, and, if it were so, he has been hindered from his intention by what has happened since (927 foll.). The mention of his purpose, even if not fulfilled, is quite natural here.

903. mvp-comment-663-1 Deianira avoided the eye of her son.

904. mvp-comment-664-1 Several verbs in this narrative are without the augment. Cp. supr. 767, and note.

905. mvp-comment-665-1 γένειτ᾽ ἐρήμη] Nauck has changed this to γένοιντ' ἔρημοι, on the ground that ἐρήμη is not properly applied to a widow, and also that, as she meant to die first, her widowhood could not be in question. It is not of widowhood that she complains, but of the loss of all that made her life worth having, - the love of her husband and of her son. Even in the other world these blessings could not be restored to her. This is well expressed by ἐρήμη. κλαῖε, κ.τ.λ.] Wunder needlessly supposes a lacuna here. The tears start to Deianira's eyes at sight of the instruments of her tranquil industry in happier days.

908. mvp-comment-666-1 οἰκετῶν is not to be taken in the larger sense that would include her children (whom she would avoid), but, as Schndw. observes, the tender relation subsisting between Deianira and her domestics is made a point in the delineation of her character (cp. supr. 49-63). Euripides as usual dwells more on the details of the situation in Alc. 193 foll, ἡ δὲ δεξιὰν | προὔτειν᾿ ἑκάστῳ, κ.τ.λ.

911. mvp-comment-667-1 καὶ τὰς ἄπαιδας ἐς τὸ λοιπὸν οὐσίας] (Cp. Ο. C. 552, τὰς αἱματηρὰς ὀμμάτων διαφθοράς.) This is a strong case of the poetical plural, but the words may be understood to mean to εἶναι αὐτὴν ἄπαιδα ἐς τὸ λοιπόν, not in the absurd sense that she could have no more children, but that her children as well as her husband were lost to her. It is objected that, as she was going to the other world, this topic was not likely to occur to her. But (a) the loss of Hyllus' affection was certainly weighing on her mind, and, as she imagined, would not be repaired after her death, and (b) she is speaking to the servants, who know nothing of her intended death, but are ready to sympathize with her in her desolation. She may be imagined saying to them, 'Behold, I am a childless woman for evermore!'

912-913. mvp-comment-668-1 The house is a large palatial mansion, with passages, etc., unlike the simple house of Homeric times. Cp. supr. 907. ἐξαίφνης] Cp. the sudden movement of Oedipus, O. Τ. 1260 foll., δεινὸν δ᾽ ἀΐσας ὡς ὑφηγητοῦ τινὸς | πύλαις διπλαῖς ἐνήλατ᾽, κ.τ.λ.

914. mvp-comment-669-1 λαθραῖον ὄμμ᾽ ἐπεσκιασμένη] With shadowed and unseen gaze,' lit. 'With an eye overshadowed so as to be unobserved.' The accusative ὄμμα is to be repeated as cogn. acc. with Φρούρουν. Cp. Phil. 151, φρουρεῖν ὅμμ᾽ ἐπὶ σῷ μάλιστα καίρῳ.

915. mvp-comment-670-1 δεμνίοις = ἐς δέμνια. Cp. supr. 789, and note.

917. mvp-comment-671-1 ἐπενθοροῦσ᾽ ἄνω] The language suggests the sudden and violent movements of passionate grief. The words λέχη, νυμφεῖα, εὐνήτριαν, show that (like Jocasta, O. T. 1246) she returns in thought to her early married life. The plural νυμφεῖα adds a pathetic vagueness, including with the bridal chamber all the associations connected. with espousal and marriage.

923. mvp-comment-672-1 συντόνῳ χερί] With strong, impulsive hand. The words mean that the hand was in a state of tension, as in the determination of excited action.

924. mvp-comment-673-1 ᾧ) Whose clasp of beaten gold lay before her breast.' For ᾧ some would read οὗ, others ᾗ, unnecessarily.

928. mvp-comment-674-1 τῆς τεχνωμένης τάδε] These words are needlessly joined by some editors with φράζω. The passages which Mr. Blaydes cites in support of this all differ from it in one important respect, that the genitive does not contain the predicate, as would be the case, for instance, if in infr. 1122, 3, οὔσης.. ἁμαρτούσης were substituted for ἐστί.. ἥμαρτε. The object of φράζειν is, however, to be supplied from τεχνωμένης, ‘I told the son of her who was contriving thus,- that she was so contriving.' The word τεχνωμένης is chosen with reference to Deianira's elaborate preparation for her last act.

929-931. mvp-comment-675-1 The narrative is condensed, ср. О. С. 1647-52. And our eyes told us that in the time of my running thither and our return she had smitten herself with two-edged knife upon the side beneath the diaphragm and liver.' δεύρο, like the present ὁρῶ, is said with reference to the chamber of Deianira, as the chief point of interest which is brought before the mind's eye. πεπληγμένην is middle voice, and directly reflexive. It is somewhat strange that the left side should have been bared for a wound directed at the liver.

932. mvp-comment-676-1 ἔγνω γὰρ τάλας] An exception to the law of the cretic ending. Cp. Ο. C. 115, ἐν γὰρ τῷ μαθεῖν.

933. mvp-comment-677-1 ὡς ἐφάψειεν] (1) 'That she had set on foot. But κατ᾿ ὀργήν is hardly an appropriate expression for the impulse under which Deianira acted. Better (2) 'That he had caused.' The metaphor implied in this use of ἐφάπτειν is probably, as L. and S. have observed, taken from tying a knot, rather than from kindling a fire. Cp. Ant. 40, λύουσ᾽ ἂν ἡ 'φάπτουσα.

934. mvp-comment-678-1 τῶν κατ᾿ οἶκον] (1) Genitive of the agent (assisted by ἐκ?). Or (2) κατὰ σύνεσιν, because ἐκδιδαχθείς = πυθόμενος.

935. mvp-comment-679-1 πρὸς τοῦ θηρός] 'Induced by the Centaur.' The construction is κατὰ σύνεσιν, the feeling of the place being, as is implied in ἄκουσα, that Deianira was a passive agent, and that her act was πεπονθὸς μᾶλλον ἢ δεδρακός (Ο. C. 267.)

936. mvp-comment-680-1 ὁ παῖς δύστηνος] The position of the adjective is emphatic. Ср. О. Т. 58, ὦ παῖδες οἰκτροί. Essay on L. § 23. p. 37. B 2.

937. mvp-comment-681-1 ἐλείπετ᾽ οὐδέν] 'Showed every sign of grief.' This general statement is particularized in γοώμενος. ἀμφιπίπτων. For the expression, cp. Phil. 375, οὐδὲν ἐνδεὲς ποιούμενος.

938. mvp-comment-682-1 πλευρόθεν = ἐκ πλευρᾶς. 'Close by her side.'

940. mvp-comment-683-1 ματαίως] 'Falsely.' βάλοι] 'He had smitten her,' as with an arrow. Cp. Αj. 1244, 5, ἀλλ᾽ αἰὲν ἡμᾶς ἡ κακοῖς βαλεῖτέ που | ἢ σὺν δόλῳ κεντήσεθ' οἱ λελειμμένοι.

942. mvp-comment-684-1 βίου] It makes little difference whether we read βίῳ with Wakefield or βίου with the MSS. ὠ. βίου is, 'Orphaned in respect of his life;' ὠ. βίον, Having his life orphaned. The latter certainly has the advantage of being free from ambiguity. But the genitive, though not precisely exact, comes naturally after the privative word.

943. mvp-comment-685-1 ὥστ᾽ εἴ τις δύο, κ.τ.λ.] δύο .. ἡμέρας = δευτέραν ἡμέραν: ie. to-morrow in addition to to-day. Cp. Ant. 1156 foll.

945-946. mvp-comment-686-1 The simple expression would have been, There is no to-morrow until to-day is past. But this is amplified so as to suggest, Man has no hold upon to-morrow, but should secure his happiness for the day.'